Port-Access cardiac surgery: from a learning process to the standard.

Background: Port-Access™ surgery has been one of the most innovative and controversial methods in the spectrum of minimally invasive techniques for cardiac operations and has been widely used for the treatment of several cardiac diseases. The technique was introduced in our center to evaluate its efficacy in reproducing standardized results without an additional risk. Methods: Endovascular cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) through femoral access and endoluminal aortic occlusion were used in 129 patients for a variety of surgical procedures, all of which were video-assisted. A minimal (4-6 cm) anterior thoracotomy through the fourth intercostal space was used in all cases as the surgical approach. Results: More than 96% of the planned cases concluded as true Port-Access™ procedures. Mean CBP and crossclamp times were 87.2 min. ± 51.2 (range of 10-457) and 54.9 min. ± 30.6 (range of 10-190), respectively. Hospital mortality for the overall group was 1.5%, and mitral valve surgery had a 2.2% hospital death rate. The incidence of early neurological events was 0.7%. Mean extubation time, ICU stay, and total length of hospital stay were 5 hours ± 6 hrs. (range of 2-32), 12 hours ± 11.8 hrs. (range of 5-78), and 7 days ± 7.03 days (range of 1-72), respectively. Conclusions: Our experience indicates that the Port- Access™ technique is safe and permits reproduction of standardized results with the use of a very limited surgical approach. We are convinced that this is a superior procedure for certain types of surgery, including isolated primary or redo mitral surgery, repair of a variety of atrial septal defects (ASDs), and atrial tumors. It is especially useful in high-risk patients, such as elderly patients or those requiring reoperation. Simplification of the procedure is nevertheless desirable in order to further reduce the time of operation and to address other drawbacks

Uncertainty Model For Quantitative Precipitation Estimation Using Weather Radars

This paper introduces an uncertainty model for the quantitatively estimate precipitation using weather radars. The model considers various key aspects associated to radar calibration, attenuation, and the tradeoff between accuracy and radar coverage. An S-band-radar case study is presented to illustrate particular fractional-uncertainty calculations obtained to adjust various typical radar-calibration elements such as antenna, transmitter, receiver, and some other general elements included in the radar equation. This paper is based in “Guide to the expression of Uncertainty in measurement” [1] and the results show that the fractional uncertainty calculated by the model was 40 % for the reflectivity and 30% for the precipitation using the Marshall Palmer Z-R relationship

Information flow and optimization in transcriptional control

In the simplest view of transcriptional regulation, the expression of a gene is turned on or off by changes in the concentration of a transcription factor (TF). We use recent data on noise levels in gene expression to show that it should be possible to transmit much more than just one regulatory bit. Realizing this optimal information capacity would require that the dynamic range of TF concentrations used by the cell, the input/output relation of the regulatory module, and the noise levels of binding and transcription satisfy certain matching relations. This parameter-free prediction is in good agreement with recent experiments on the Bicoid/Hunchback system in the early Drosophila embryo, and this system achieves ~90% of its theoretical maximum information transmission.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Género, rendimento escolar e as atitudes dos alunos e alunas face às disciplinas de matemática e língua portuguesa

A investigação revela que o rendimento escolar nas várias disciplinas só consegue ser explicado com recurso a análises multidimensionais que conjugam fatores pessoais, socioculturais e escolares. Não desconsiderando o facto de as variáveis de âmbito cognitivo se revelarem preditoras da variabilidade no rendimento escolar, este só poderá ser efetivamente compreendido com o recurso complementar e integrado de outras variáveis, como as desenvolvimentais, as atitudinais e socioculturais. As questões de género que emergem do domínio sociocultural intersectam os outros domínios e influenciam, nomeadamente, as atitudes que os alunos e as alunas desenvolvem face às disciplinas escolares e, consequentemente, os respetivos resultados escolares. Este estudo enquadra-se no âmbito de um projeto de investigação intitulado “RED- Rendimento Escolar e Desenvolvimento: um estudo longitudinal sobre os efeitos das transições em alunos Portugueses” que está a ser desenvolvido em várias escolas portugueses abrangendo 1400 alunos. Apoiando-nos numa abordagem sensível ao género, nesta comunicação iremos, especificamente, discutir os efeitos que as atitudes dos alunos e das alunas face às disciplinas de matemática, português e ciências (ciências da natureza, ciências físico-químicas e físicoquímica) têm no respetivo rendimento escolar utilizando os resultados da aplicação de 3 questionários de atitudes (QAFM, QAFP, QAFCdN, QAFCN, QAFCFQ) e as classificações escolares obtidas pelos alunos e alunas

Effective nonlinear Ehrenfest hybrid quantum-classical dynamics

The definition of a consistent evolution equation for statistical hybrid quantum-classical systems is still an open problem. In this paper we analyze the case of Ehrenfest dynamics on systems defined by a probability density and identify the relations of the non-linearity of the dynamics with the obstructions to define a consistent dynamics for the first quantum moment of the distribution. This first quantum moment represents the physical states as a family of classically-parametrized density matrices $\hat \rho(\xi)$, for $\xi$ a classical point; and it is the most common representation of hybrid systems in the literature. Due to this obstruction, we consider higher order quantum moments, and argue that only a finite number of them are physically measurable. Because of this, we propose an effective solution for the hybrid dynamics problem based on approximating the distribution by those moments and representing the states by them.Comment: 21 pages. Minor correction in the list of affiliation

New insights into Capsicum spp relatedness and the diversification process of Capsicum annuum in Spain

The successful exploitation of germplasm banks, harbouring plant genetic resources indispensable for plant breeding, will depend on our ability to characterize their genetic diversity. The Vegetable Germplasm Bank of Zaragoza (BGHZ) (Spain) holds an important Capsicum annuum collection, where most of the Spanish pepper variability is represented, as well as several accessions of other domesticated and non-domesticated Capsicum spp from all over the five continents. In the present work, a total of 51 C. annuum landraces (mainly from Spain) and 51 accessions from nine Capsicum species maintained at the BGHZ were evaluated using 39 microsatellite (SSR) markers spanning the whole genome. The 39 polymorphic markers allowed the detection of 381 alleles, with an average of 9.8 alleles per locus. A sizeable proportion of alleles (41.2%) were recorded as specific alleles and the majority of these were present at very low frequencies (rare alleles). Multivariate and model-based analyses partitioned the collection in seven clusters comprising the ten different Capsicum spp analysed: C. annuum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, C. pubescens, C. bacatum, C. chacoense and C. eximium. The data clearly showed the close relationships between C. chinense and C. frutescens. C. cardenasii and C. eximium were indistinguishable as a single, morphologically variable species. Moreover, C. chacoense was placed between C. baccatum and C. pubescens complexes. The C. annuum group was structured into three main clusters, mostly according to the pepper fruit shape, size and potential pungency. Results suggest that the diversification of C. annuum in Spain may occur from a rather limited gene pool, still represented by few landraces with ancestral traits. This ancient population would suffer from local selection at the distinct geographical regions of Spain, giving way to pungent and elongated fruited peppers in the South and Center, while sweet blocky and triangular types in Northern Spain

Correction: Absence of Zika virus among pregnant women in Vietnam in 2008.

International audienc

OUT to IN: Efeitos de um programa de intervenção psicomotora na autorregulação de crianças em idade pré-escolar

A autorregulação na idade pré-escolar é preditora do bem-estar e do sucesso pessoal e social na vida adulta. O programa OUT to IN propõe uma abordagem de mediação corporal implementada no espaço exterior do jardim de infância com o objetivo de melhorar as competências sócio-emocionais. Este estudo tem como objetivo examinar o impacto do OUT to IN, na autorregulação de crianças em idade pré-escolar. Participaram no estudo 32 crianças com idades entre os 3 e os 5 anos, 15 alocadas ao Grupo de Controlo, que não participou na intervenção e 17 ao Grupo Experimental (GE), que participou durante 10 semanas em sessões bissemanais, envolvendo atividades semi-dirigidas de jogo de exercício, relaxação e simbolização. A autorregulação das crianças foi avaliada através de duas provas, antes e após a intervenção. No final do programa, o GE evidenciou uma melhoria significativa da autorregulação, avaliada por ambas as provas, comparativamente ao grupo de controlo. Os resultados sugerem que o OUT to IN contribui para o desenvolvimento da autorregulação de crianças de idade pré-escolar

Critical Dynamics of a Vortex Loop Model for the Superconducting Transition

We calculate analytically the dynamic critical exponent $z_{MC}$ measured in Monte Carlo simulations for a vortex loop model of the superconducting transition, and account for the simulation results. In the weak screening limit, where magnetic fluctuations are neglected, the dynamic exponent is found to be $z_{MC} = 3/2$. In the perfect screening limit, $z_{MC} = 5/2$. We relate $z_{MC}$ to the actual value of $z$ observable in experiments and find that $z \sim 2$, consistent with some experimental results

Temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the conductivity of YBaCuO films in the vicinity of superconducting transition: Effect of Tc-inhomogeneity

Temperature and magnetic field dependences of the conductivity of YBaCuO films in the transition region are analyzed taking into account spatial inhomogeneity in transition temperature, Tc. (i) An expression for the superconducting contribution to conductivity, \sigma_s(T,H,Tc), of a homogeneous superconductor for H<<Hc2(T=0) is obtained using the solution of the Ginzburg-Landau equation in form of perturbation expansions [S.Ullah, A.T.Dorsey, PRB 44, 262 (1991)]. (ii) The error in \sigma_s(T,H,Tc) occurring due to the presence of Tc-inhomogeneity is calculated and plotted on an H-T plane diagram. These calculations use an effective medium approximation and a Gaussian distribution of Tc. (iii) Measuring the temperature dependences of a voltage, induced by a focused electron beam, we determine spatial distributions of the critical temperature for YBaCuO microbridges with a 2 micron resolution. A typical Tc-distribution dispersion is found to be approximately 1K. For such dispersion, error in \sigma_s(T,H,Tc) due to Tc-inhomogeneity exceeds 30% for magnetic fields H < 1 T and temperatures |T-Tc| < 0.5 K. (iv) Experimental R(T,H) dependences of resistance are well described by a numerical solution of a set of Kirchoff equations for the resistor network based on the measured spatial distributions of Tc and the expression for \sigma_s(T,H,Tc).Comment: REVTeX, 12 pages including 7 figures, resubmitted to Phys. Rev.