Distribution and biology of black scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839) in the Northwest of Africa

Tese de mestrado, Biologia (Biologia e Gestão de Recursos Marinhos), 2008, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de CiênciasBlack scabbardfish (Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839) is a benthopelagic species from the Family Trichiuridae that presents a global distribution and is object of an increasing commercial interest. Thus, this study seeks to contribute to the knowledge of the biology of A. carbo distributed in the Norwest Africa, and also helping in the understanding of this species in a more global level. In this work the following aspects are focussed: spatial distribution, size and sex structure, maturity, length-weight relationship and growth, in the area between Tangier and Cape Blanc (35ºN-21ºN). In a general way, A. carbo is distributed between 700 and 1 700 m, although it was more abundant between 800 and 1 400 m, diminishing progressively with depth. The highest captures were obtained between 1 000 and 1 200 m. Regarding size distribution, a bimodal distribution in all the study area was observed, occurring a general trend of size increase with depth, being the mean length of females larger than males. Concerning proportion of sexes, females were always more numerous than males in all the study area. Regarding maturity, percentages of spawning individuals were always superiors in males, what could indicate an advance of males in the spawning period in relation to females. In accordance with the high percentages of resting, pre-spawning and spawning individuals and the low percentages of post-spawners found in the study period (November), it could be said that spawning in this area would probably begin in the early December. The analysis of the length-weight relationship showed a positive allometry in this species. On the other hand, females always reached higher size and weight than males. Finally, from the results obtained in the study of the age and growth the following parameters were estimated: for males, L∞=119 cm, K=0.469 year-1 and t0=-0.385 year; females: L∞=125 cm, K=0.377 year-1 and t0=-0.850 year; and sexes combined: L∞=122 cm, K=0.415 year-1 and t0=-0.645 yearO peixe espada-preto (Aphanopus carbo Lowe, 1839) é uma espécie bentopelágica pertencente à Família Trichiuridae que apresenta uma distribuição global e com um interesse comercial crescente. Por esta razão, este estudo pretende contribuir para aumentar o conhecimento da biologia de A. carbo no noroeste de África (entre Tânger e Cabo Branco (35ºN-21ºN)), acrescentando assim mais informação para uma área de que não se dispunha de dados. Neste trabalho abordam-se aspectos relacionados com a distribuição espacial, estrutura por sexo e comprimento, maturação sexual, relação comprimento-peso e idade e crescimento. De uma maneira geral, A. carbo distribui-se entre 700 e 1 700 m, ainda que tenha sido mais abundante entre 800 e 1 400 m, diminuindo a abundância progressivamente com a profundidade. As maiores capturas foram obtidas entre os 1 000 e 1 200 m. Relativamente à distribuição de comprimentos, observou-se uma distribuição bimodal em toda a zona de estudo, com uma tendência geral do aumento do comprimento com a profundidade, sendo normalmente o comprimento médio das fêmeas superior ao dos machos. No que se refere à proporção de sexos, as fêmeas foram sempre mais numerosas do que os machos em toda a área de estudo. Com respeito à maturação sexual, as percentagens de machos em postura foram sempre superiores às fêmeas, o que poderá indicar um desenvolvimento mais precoce dos mesmos no período de reprodução. As altas percentagens de indivíduos em estado de repouso, pré-postura e postura, e as baixas percentagens em estado de pós-postura encontrados na época de estudo (Novembro), poderá significar que a postura, nesta zona, iniciar-se-á provavelmente em princípios de Dezembro. A análise da relação comprimento-peso revelou a existência de uma alometria positiva nesta espécie. Por outro lado, as fêmeas atingiram sempre maior comprimento e peso do que os machos. Finalmente, dos resultados obtidos no estudo da determinação da idade e crescimento estimaram-se os seguintes parâmetros: para machos, L∞=119 cm, K=0.469 ano -1 e t0=-0.385 ano; fêmeas: L∞=125 cm, K=0.377 ano-1 e t0=-0.850 ano; e totais, L∞=122 cm, K=0.415 ano-1 e t0=-0.645 an

Organizaciones de Salud Pública: ¿Liderazgo o Gestión?

This article studies the type of leadership that managers are currently exercising in the Catalan health system in Catalonia. A questionnaire (MQL-5X) was sent to 120 people occupying management positions in healthcare centers and hospitals as well as 14 others who also hold such positions in these healthcare centers and hospitals, were interviewed. The mixed methods research design attests that the Catalan health system is managed through a structure of simultaneous transformational and transactional leadership. However, the efficacy of this system is conditioned purely by the communicative competence that a manager may or may not possess, as the system itself makes no effort to encourage transformational leadership. Transformation leadership inspires positive change, conveys a clear vision and enhances morale, motivation and job performance. It galvanizes a team into changing their expectations and perceptions and motivates them to work towards common goals.En este articulo se estudia el liderazgo que los directivos del sistema catalán de salud de Cataluña están ejerciendo actualmente. Para ello, se ha pasado el cuestionario MQL-5X a 120 personas que ocupan cargos de dirección en centros sanitarios y hospitales y se han realizado 14 entrevistas a éstos. El diseño mixto de la investigación permite afirmar que en la sanidad catalana actual se dirige con un liderazgo transformacional y transaccional simultáneamente, pero la eficacia del mismo viene condicionada por la competencia comunicativa que la persona posea, ya que el propio sistema no deja aflorar un liderazgo transformacional que movilice y entusiasme a sus colaboradores. El liderazgo transformacional inspira hacia el cambio positivo, transmite una visión clara y exalta la moral, la motivación y el rendimiento en el trabajo; estimula al equipo para que cambie sus expectativas y percepciones y los motiva a trabajar hacia objetivos comunes

Public Healthcare Organizations : Leadership or Management?

This article studies the type of leadership that managers are currently exercising in the Catalan health system in Catalonia. A questionnaire (MQL-5X) was sent to 120 people occupying management positions in healthcare centers and hospitals as well as 14 others who also hold such positions in these healthcare centers and hospitals, were interviewed. The mixed methods research design attests that the Catalan health system is managed through a structure of simultaneous transformational and transactional leadership. However, the efficacy of this system is conditioned purely by the communicative competence that a manager may or may not possess, as the system itself makes no effort to encourage transformational leadership. Transformation leadership inspires positive change, conveys a clear vision and enhances morale, motivation and job performance. It galvanizes a team into changing their expectations and perceptions and motivates them to work towards common goals.En este articulo se estudia el liderazgo que los directivos del sistema catalán de salud de Cataluña están ejerciendo actualmente. Para ello, se ha pasado el cuestionario MQL-5X a 120 personas que ocupan cargos de dirección en centros sanitarios y hospitales y se han realizado 14 entrevistas a éstos. El diseño mixto de la investigación permite afirmar que en la sanidad catalana actual se dirige con un liderazgo transformacional y transaccional simultáneamente, pero la eficacia del mismo viene condicionada por la competencia comunicativa que la persona posea, ya que el propio sistema no deja aflorar un liderazgo transformacional que movilice y entusiasme a sus colaboradores. El liderazgo transformacional inspira hacia el cambio positivo, transmite una visión clara y exalta la moral, la motivación y el rendimiento en el trabajo; estimula al equipo para que cambie sus expectativas y percepciones y los motiva a trabajar hacia objetivos comunes

Helminth parasites of the Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789 from Canary Islands, Central North Atlantic, with comments on their relations with other Atlantic regions

Eleven parasite taxa were found infecting 68 Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789 from the Canary Islands, Central North Atlantic. The most abundant parasites were the gill monogenean Pseudokuhnia minor (P = 54.4%), larval anisakid nematodes (P = 11.8%) in the body cavity, a larval tetraphyllidean infecting bile ducts (P = 8.8%) and didymozoid digeneans infecting the gills (P = 7.4%). No correlation between fish length and abundance of infection with these parasites was found. Within the Atlantic, the comparison of present results with previous reports on the occurrence of parasites in this fish host, might suggest that there is more than one population unit of Atlantic chub mackerel in the Eastern Atlanticinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Factores Asociados al Uso de la PAM en Primaria: el Rol de los Docentes y las Intervenciones de Política

Desde 2013 Plan Ceibal ha puesto a disposición de docentes y estudiantes de enseñanza primaria y media pública, la Plataforma Adaptativa de Matemática (PAM), herramienta de apoyo para la enseñanza de la disciplina. Dicha plataforma tiene la ventaja de ser adaptativa, lo que permite que cada estudiante trabaje a su ritmo y habilita al docente a contemplar la diversidad dentro del salón de clase. La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo identificar los factores que se asocian al uso de PAM por parte de estudiantes y docentes de educación primaria y pública en Uruguay, en particular en lo que refiere al rol del docente y las intervenciones de política de Plan Ceibal. Para esto se trabajó en un abordaje cuantitativo con las bases de datos que arroja la PAM junto con información proveniente del sistema educativo sobre estudiantes y docentes. Encontramos que la utilización de esta herramienta de enseñanza está fuertemente asociada al factor docente y que las acciones de Plan Ceibal como facilitador del acceso a la plataforma han sido efectivas.Centro de Estudios Fundación Ceibal - Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (ANII

Limited Value of Staging Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Margin and Canal Using the Sentinel Lymph Node Procedure: A Prospective Study with Long-Term Follow-Up

Background. Selection of patients with anal cancer for groin irradiation is based on tumor size, palpation, ultrasound, and fine needle cytology. Current staging of anal cancer may result in undertreatment in small tumors and overtreatment of large tumors. This study reports the feasibility of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with anal cancer and whether this improves the selection for inguinal radiotherapy. Methods. A total of 50 patients with squamous anal cancer were evaluated prospectively. Patients without a SLNB (n = 29) received irradiation of the inguinal lymph nodes based on lymph node status, tumor size, and location of the primary tumor. Inguinal irradiation treatment in patients with a SLNB was based on the presence of metastases in the SLN. Results. SLNs were found in all 21 patients who underwent a SLNB. There were 5 patients (24%) who had complications after SLNB and 7 patients (33%) who had a positive SLN and received inguinal irradiation. However, 2 patients with a tumor-free SLN and no inguinal irradiation developed lymph node metastases after 12 and 24 months, respectively. Conclusions. We conclude that SLNB in anal cancer is technically feasible. SLNB can identify those patients who would benefit from refrain of inguinal irradiation treatment and thereby reducing the incidence of unnecessary inguinal radiotherapy. However, because of the occurrence of inguinal lymph node metastases after a tumor-negative SLNB, introduction of this procedure as standard of care in all patients with anal carcinoma should be done with caution to avoid undertreatment of patient who otherwise would benefit from inguinal radiotherapy

Evidence for classification of c.1852_1853AA>GC in MLH1 as a neutral variant for Lynch syndrome

Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) is an autosomal dominant inherited cancer syndrome characterized by early onset cancers of the colorectum, endometrium and other tumours. A significant proportion of DNA variants in LS patients are unclassified. Reports on the pathogenicity of the c.1852_1853AA>GC (p.Lys618Ala) variant of the MLH1 gene are conflicting. In this study, we provide new evidence indicating that this variant has no significant implications for LS. Methods: The following approach was used to assess the clinical significance of the p.Lys618Ala variant: frequency in a control population, case-control comparison, co-occurrence of the p.Lys618Ala variant with a pathogenic mutation, co-segregation with the disease and microsatellite instability in tumours from carriers of the variant. We genotyped p.Lys618Ala in 1034 individuals (373 sporadic colorectal cancer [CRC] patients, 250 index subjects from families suspected of having LS [revised Bethesda guidelines] and 411 controls). Three well-characterized LS families that fulfilled the Amsterdam II Criteria and consisted of members with the p.Lys618Ala variant were included to assess co-occurrence and co-segregation. A subset of colorectal tumour DNA samples from 17 patients carrying the p.Lys618Ala variant was screened for microsatellite instability using five mononucleotide markers. Results: Twenty-seven individuals were heterozygous for the p.Lys618Ala variant; nine had sporadic CRC (2.41%), seven were suspected of having hereditary CRC (2.8%) and 11 were controls (2.68%). There were no significant associations in the case-control and case-case studies. The p.Lys618Ala variant was co-existent with pathogenic mutations in two unrelated LS families. In one family, the allele distribution of the pathogenic and unclassified variant was in trans, in the other family the pathogenic variant was detected in the MSH6 gene and only the deleterious variant co-segregated with the disease in both families. Only two positive cases of microsatellite instability (2/17, 11.8%) were detected in tumours from p.Lys618Ala carriers, indicating that this variant does not play a role in functional inactivation of MLH1 in CRC patients. Conclusions: The p.Lys618Ala variant should be considered a neutral variant for LS. These findings have implications for the clinical management of CRC probands and their relatives.Generalitat Valenciana in Spain (AP140/08) and the Biomedical Research Foundation from the Hospital of Elche, Spain (FIBElx0902). Conselleria de Educació (Generalitat Valenciana); Fundacion Juan Peran-Pikolinos; Fundacion Carolina-BBVA and Fondo Investigación Sanitaria (FI07/00303). Instituto de Salud Carlos III (INT09/208)

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication