Observational Constraints to the Evolution of Massive Stars

We consider some aspects of the evolution of massive stars which can only be elucidated by means of "indirect" observations, i.e. measurements of the effects of massive stars on their environments. We discuss in detail the early evolution of massive stars formed in high metallicity regions as inferred from studies of HII regions in external galaxies.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure; Invited Paper presented at the Roma-Trieste Workshop 1999 "The Chemical Evolution of the Milky Way: Stars versus Clusters", Vulcano Island (ME, Italy), 20-24 September, 1999, eds. F. Giovannelli & F. Matteucci, Kluwer-Holland (in press

Proposal of a microchannel receiver for Fresnel technology to supply solar heat for industrial processes

Data availability: Data will be made available on request.Copyright © 2023 The Authors. This work is focused on the linear Fresnel technology to supply solar heat for industrial processes, proposing a new microchannel receiver design for pressurised gases. This design consists of two absorber panels converging at the focal line of the Fresnel system; each of these panels consists of a compact core fin structure attached to both front and back plates. The fluid flows through the receiver along its length in several passes, so that the compactness is constant and greater than in the previous pass. This arrangement improves heat transfer and, therefore, the cooling of the more thermally stressed areas of the panel, without over penalising the pressure drop. A thermal resistance model has been formulated to quantify the fluid heating along the panel length and the thermal gradient along the panel thickness. This model has been used to perform a thermo-exergy optimisation based on several characteristic parameters: the aperture half-angle of the cavity shaped by the two converging panels; and the channels dimensions in each pass of the panel. For each of these parameters, a maximum exergy efficiency has been obtained accounting for the receiver heat losses, the fluid pressure drop and the optical performance of the primary mirror field.This work has been developed in the frame of the ASTEP project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research programme under grant agreement N°884411

In vitro study of antiamoebic activity of methanol extract of fruit of Pimpinella anisum on trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica HM1-IMSS

The aniseed plant Pimpinella anisum (Saunf-Hindi) is one of the most ancient medicinal plants used by man. Currently, this plant has several uses in the food industry as spice, whereas in the pharmacopoeia, it is used as an expectorant in digestive disturbances, as mild diuretic, and as insect repellent in external use. In this paper, we evaluated the biological activity of methanolic extract of P. anisum on in vitro growth of Entamoeba histolytica HM1-IMSS under axenic conditions. We observed that the growth inhibition of E. histolytica was at CI50 = 0.034 μg/mL. Results confirm the antiamoebic activity of the methanolic extract of P. anisum.Keywords: Pimpinella anisum, Entamoeba histolytica, antiamoebic activity, medicinal plantsAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(16), pp. 2065-206

Transgenic tobacco plants constitutively expressing Arabidopsis NPR1 show enhanced resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita

In Arabidopsis, non-expressor of pathogenesis related genes-1, NPR1 has been shown to be a positive regulator of the salicylic acid controlled systemic acquired resistance pathway and modulates the cross talk between SA and JA signaling. Transgenic plants expressing AtNPR1 constitutively exhibited resistance against pathogens as well as herbivory. In the present study, tobacco transgenic plants expressing AtNPR1 were studied further for their response to infection by the sedentary endoparasitic root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. Transgenic plants showed enhanced resistance against the root-knot nematode infection. Prominent differences in the shoot and root weights of wild type and transgenic plants were observed post-inoculation with M. incognita. This was associated with a decrease in the number of root galls and egg masses in transgenic plants compared to WT. The transgenic plants also showed constitutive and induced expression of some PR protein genes, when challenged with M. incognita

IFNAR1-Signalling Obstructs ICOS-mediated Humoral Immunity during Non-lethal Blood-Stage Plasmodium Infection

Funding: This work was funded by a Career Development Fellowship (1028634) and a project grant (GRNT1028641) awarded to AHa by the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC). IS was supported by The University of Queensland Centennial and IPRS Scholarships. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Interventions for the control of Aedes aegypti in Latin America and the Caribbean: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and degree of implementation of interventions for the control of Aedes aegypti in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as reported in scientific literature. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, SOCINDEX, and LILACS, for experimental and observational studies, economic assessments and qualitative experiences carried out in LAC from 2000 to 2016. We assessed incidence and morbimortality of Aedes aegypti-related diseases and entomological indices: Breteau (containers), House, and Pupae per Person. We used GRADE methodology for assessing quality of evidence. Results: Of 1826 records retrieved, 75 were included and 9 cluster randomised clinical trials could be meta-analysed. We did not identify any intervention supported by a high certainty of evidence. In consistency with qualitative evidence, health education and community engagement probably reduces the entomological indices, as do the use of insecticide-treated materials, indoor residual spraying and the management of containers. There is low certainty of evidence supporting the use of ovitraps or larvitraps, and the integrated epidemiological surveillance strategy to improve indices and reduce the incidence of dengue. The reported degree of implementation of these vector control interventions was variable and most did not extend to whole cities and were not sustained beyond 2 years. Conclusions: We found a general lack of evidence on effectiveness of vector control in the region, despite a few interventions that showed moderate to low certainty of evidence. It is important to engage and educate the community, apart from achieving the implementation of integrated actions between the health and other sectors at national and regional level.Fil: Bardach, Ariel Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; ArgentinaFil: García Perdomo, Herney Andrés. Universidad del Valle; ColombiaFil: Alcaraz, Andrea. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Tapia López, Elena. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Ruano Gandara, Ruth Amanda. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; ArgentinaFil: Ruvinsky, Silvina. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital de Pediatría "Juan P. Garrahan"; ArgentinaFil: Ciapponi, Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria. Centro de Investigaciones en Epidemiología y Salud Pública; Argentin

Mapping research activity on mental health disorders in Europe: Study protocol for the Mapping_NCD project

© 2016 The Author(s). Background: Mental health disorders (MHDs) constitute a large and growing disease burden in Europe, although they typically receive less attention and research funding than other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study protocol describes a methodology for the mapping of MHD research in Europe as part of Mapping_NCD, a 2-year project funded by the European Commission which seeks to map European research funding and impact for five NCDs in order to identify potential gaps, overlaps, synergies and opportunities, and to develop evidence-based policies for future research. Methods: The project aims to develop a multi-focal view of the MHD research landscape across the 28 European Union Member States, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, through a survey of European funding entities, analysis of research initiatives undertaken in the public, voluntary/not-for-profit and commercial sectors, and expert interviews to contextualize the gathered data. The impact of MHD research will be explored using bibliometric analyses of scientific publications, clinical guidelines and newspaper stories reporting on research initiatives. Finally, these research inputs and outputs will be considered in light of various metrics that have been proposed to inform priorities for the allocation of research funds, including burden of disease, treatment gaps and cost of illness. Discussion: Given the growing burden of MHDs, a clear and broad view of the current state of MHD research is needed to ensure that limited resources are directed to evidence-based priority areas. MHDs pose a particular challenge in mapping the research landscape due to their complex nature, high co-morbidity and varying diagnostic criteria. Undertaking such an effort across 31 countries is further challenged by differences in data collection, healthcare systems, reimbursement rates and clinical practices, as well as cultural and socioeconomic diversity. Using multiple methods to explore the spectrum of MHD research funding activity across Europe, this project aims to develop a broad, high-level perspective to inform priority setting for future research

Evaluation of the prophylactic use of mitomycin-C to inhibit haze formation after photorefractive keratectomy in high myopia: a prospective clinical study

BACKGROUND: To study the effect of prophylactic application of mitomycin-C on haze formation in photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for high myopia. METHODS: Fifty-four eyes of 28 myopic patients were enrolled in this prospective study. All eyes were operated by PRK followed by 0.02% mitomycin-C application for two minutes and washed with 20 ml normal saline afterwards. All eyes were examined thoroughly on the first 7 days and one month after surgery; 48 eyes (88.9%) at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Hanna grading (in the scale of 0 to 4+) was used for assessment of corneal haze. RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent refraction (SE) was -7.08 diopters (D) ± 1.11 (SD) preoperatively. Six months after surgery, 37 eyes (77.1%) achieved an uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) of 20/20 or better, all eyes had a UCVA of 20/40 or better and 45 (93.7%) eyes had an SE within ± 1.00D. One month postoperatively, 2 eyes (3.7%) had grade 0.5+ of haze, while at 3 and 6 months after surgery no visited eye had haze at all. All eyes had a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/40 or better and there were no lost lines in BCVA by 6 months after surgery. In spatial frequencies of 6 and 12 cycles per degree contrast sensitivity had decreased immediately after PRK and it had increased 1.5 lines by the 6(th )postoperative month compared to the preoperative data. CONCLUSIONS: The results show the efficacy of mitomycin-C in preventing corneal haze after treatment of high myopia with PRK. This method- PRK + mitomycin-C – can be considered an alternative treatment for myopic patients whose corneal thicknesses are inadequate for laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). However, the results should be confirmed in longer follow-ups

Empowerment and Parent Gain as Mediators and Moderators of Distress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience considerable amounts of distress and experiences of crisis. The Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response model provides a theory for understanding the experience of distress and family crisis in families, and the purpose of the present study was to examine experiences of distress in mothers of individuals with ASD using this framework. We specifically investigated how parent empowerment and positive gain are related to their experiences of distress, whether as mediators or as moderators of child aggression. Participants included 156 mothers of children with ASD ranging in age from 4 – 21 years. Mothers completed an online survey of demographics, problem behaviors, family empowerment, positive gain, and distress. We conducted path analyses of multiple mediation and moderation. Results indicated that greater child problem behavior was related to less parent empowerment, which was related to greater maternal distress, supporting empowerment as a partial mediator. At the same time, greater child aggression was not related to maternal distress in mothers who report high rates of positive gain, suggesting that parent gain functions as a moderator. The implications for how and when clinicians intervene with families of children with ASD are discussed

Osteonecrosis de los maxilares: Documento de consenso

Nuestro objetivo ha sido elaborar un documento de posición sobre el riesgo de desarrollar una osteonecrosis de maxilares (ONM) en los pacientes que reciben bifosfonatos para el tratamiento de la osteoporosis, identificando y valorando el grado de evidencia que apoyan las recomendaciones. Para ello se revisaron los estudios publicados sobre la definición, epidemiología, fisiopatología, clínica, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la ONM, elaborándose tras su análisis las presentes recomendaciones. Éstas se efectuaron tras un proceso pre-especificado y reproducible, que incluyó un modelo aceptado para la evaluación y la cita de la evidencia que las apoyaban. El documento, una vez elaborado por los coordinadores, fue revisado y discutido por todos los miembros del panel, elaborándose las recomendaciones provisionales que finalmente fueron estudiadas y aprobadas por los expertos de las sociedades médicas relacionadas con el metabolismo mineral óseo, que se muestran en el Anexo 2