Perinatal mortality in the Cape Province, 1989 - 1991

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Is Moodle Accessible for Visually Impaired People?

Proceedings of: 7th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies. Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands, May 6-9, 2011.Most educational centers are currently using e-learning tools to provide the pedagogical resources for the students, especially in higher education. Nevertheless, some students are not able to access to this information because these authoring tools are not as accessible as they should be. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate if one of the most widely e-learning tool used around the world, Moodle, is accessible for visually impaired people. The evaluation shows that the accessibility guidelines provided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) are not accomplished by the tool. Moreover, it shows that people using screen readers are not able to access to the majority of the functionality of Moodle.The work presented in this paper has been partially founded by MA2VICMR (S2009/TIC-1542), GEMMA (TSI-020302-2010-141) and SAGAS (TSI-020100-2010-184) research projects.Publicad

Continuous Monitoring of Dynamical Systems and Master Equations

We illustrate the equivalence between the non-unitary evolution of an open quantum system governed by a Markovian master equation and a process of continuous measurements involving this system. We investigate a system of two coupled modes, only one of them interacting with external degrees of freedom, represented, in the first case, by a finite number of harmonic oscillators, and, in the second, by a sequence of atoms where each one interacts with a single mode during a limited time. Two distinct regimes appear, one of them corresponding to a Zeno-like behavior in the limit of large dissipation

17α‑ethynylestradiol prevents the natural male‑to‑female sex change in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.)

Exposure to 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2, 5 μg/g food) impairs some reproductive events in the protandrous gilthead seabream and a short recovery period does not allow full recovery. In this study, spermiating seabream males in the second reproductive cycle (RC) were fed a diet containing 5 or 2.5 μg EE2/g food for 28 days and then a commercial diet without EE2 for the remaining RC. Individuals were sampled at the end of the EE2 treatment and then at the end of the RC and at the beginning of the third RC, 146 and 333 days after the cessation of treatment, respectively. Increased hepatic transcript levels of the gene coding for vitellogenin (vtg) and plasma levels of Vtg indicated both concentrations of EE2 caused endocrine disruption. Modifications in the histological organization of the testis, germ cell proliferation, plasma levels of the sex steroids and pituitary expression levels of the genes coding for the gonadotropin β-subunits, fshβ and lhβ were detected. The plasma levels of Vtg and most of the reproductive parameters were restored 146 days after treatments. However, although 50% of the control fish underwent sex reversal as expected at the third RC, male-to female sex change was prevented by both EE2 concentrations.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and FEDER (AGL2014-53167-C3-1R, -2-R; AGL2017-85978-C2-1-R; RTI2018-096625-B-C33) and the Fundación Séneca (CARM) (19883/GERM/15).Versión del editor2,92

Particulate matter and albuminuria, glomerular filtration rate, and incident ckd

Background and objectives Exposure to particulate matter (PM),2.5 mm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) has been linked to detrimental health effects. This study aimed to describe the relationship between long-term PM2.5 exposure and kidney disease, including eGFR, level of albuminuria, and incident CKD. Design, setting, participants, & measurements The study included 10,997 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort who were followed from 1996–1998 through 2016. Monthly mean PM2.5 concentrations (mg/m3 ) were estimated at geocoded participant addresses using geographic information system–based, spatiotemporal generalized additive mixed models—including geospatial covariates such as land use—and then averaged over the 12-month period preceding participant examination. Covariate-adjusted, cross-sectional associations of PM2.5, baseline eGFR, and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) were estimated using linear regression. PM2.5 and incident CKD (defined as follow-up eGFR,60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 with $25% eGFR decline relative to baseline, CKD-related hospitalization or death based on International Classification of Diseases 9/10 codes, or development of ESKD) associations were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Modeling was stratified by study site, and stratum-specific estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analyses. Results Baseline mean participant age was 63 (66) years and eGFR was 86 (616) ml/min per 1.73 m2. There was no significant PM2.5-eGFR association at baseline. Each 1-mg/m3 higher annual average PM2.5 was associated with higher UACR after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, and clinical covariates (percentage difference, 6.6%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 2.6% to 10.7%). Each 1-mg/m3 higher annual average PM2.5 was associated with a significantly higher risk of incident CKD (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.10). Conclusions Exposure to higher annual average PM2.5 concentrations was associated with a higher level of albuminuria and higher risk for incident CKD in a community-based cohort

The European DISABKIDS project: development of seven condition-specific modules to measure health related quality of life in children and adolescents

BACKGROUND: The European DISABKIDS project aims to enhance the Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions and their families. We describe the development of the seven cross-nationally tested condition-specific modules of the European DISABKIDS HRQoL instrument in a population of children and adolescents. The condition-specific modules are intended for use in conjunction with the DISABKIDS chronic generic module. METHODS: Focus groups were used to construct the pilot version of the DISABKIDS condition-specific HRQoL modules for asthma, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, atopic dermatitis, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, diabetes and epilepsy. Analyses were conducted on pilot test data in order to construct field test versions of the modules. A series of factor analyses were run, first, to determine potential structures for each condition-specific module, and, secondly, to select a reduced number of items from the pilot test to be included in the field test. Post-field test analyses were conducted to retest the domain structure for the final DISABKIDS condition-specific modules. RESULTS: The DISABKIDS condition-specific modules were tested in a pilot study of 360 respondents, and subsequently in a field test of 1152 respondents in 7 European countries. The final condition-specific modules consist of an 'Impact' domain and an additional domain (e.g. worry, stigma, treatment) with between 10 to 12 items in total. The Cronbach's alpha of the final domains was found to vary from 0.71 to 0.90. CONCLUSION: The condition-specific modules of the DISABKIDS instrument were developed through a step-by-step process including cognitive interview, clinical expertise, factor analysis, correlations and internal consistency. A cross-national pilot and field test were necessary to collect these data. In general, the internal consistency of the domains was satisfactory to high. In future, the DISABKIDS instrument may serve as a useful tool with which to assess HRQoL in children and adolescents with a chronic condition. The condition-specific modules can be used in conjunction with the DISABKIDS chronic generic module

Жанр эссе полемического характера в публицистическом дискурсе А. Андреева

The accuracy of synoptic-based weather forecasting deteriorates rapidly after five days and is not routinely available beyond 10 days. Conversely, climate forecasts are generally not feasible for periods of less than 3 months, resulting in a weather-climate gap. The tropical atmospheric phenomenon known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) has a return interval of 30 to 80 days that might partly fill this gap. Our near-global analysis demonstrates that the MJO is a significant phenomenon that can influence daily rainfall patterns, even at higher latitudes, via teleconnections with broadscale mean sea level pressure (MSLP) patterns. These weather states provide a mechanistic basis for an MJO-based forecasting capacity that bridges the weather-climate divide. Knowledge of these tropical and extra-tropical MJO-associated weather states can significantly improve the tactical management of climate-sensitive systems such as agriculture

The Associations of Dietary Copper With Cognitive Outcomes

Dietary copper intake may be associated with cognitive decline and dementia. We used data from 10,269 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risks in Communities Study to study the associations of dietary copper intake with 20-year cognitive decline and incident dementia. Dietary copper intake from food and supplements was quantified using food frequency questionnaires. Cognition was assessed using 3 cognitive tests at study visits; dementia was ascertained at study visits and via surveillance. Multiple imputation by chained equations was applied to account for the missing information of cognitive function during follow-up. Survival analysis with parametric models and mixed-effect models were used to estimate the associations for incident dementia and cognitive decline, respectively. During 20 years of follow-up (1996-1998 to 2016-2017), 1,862 incident cases of dementia occurred. Higher intake of dietary copper from food was associated with higher risk of incident dementia among those with high intake of saturated fat (hazard ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 1.95). Higher intake of dietary copper from food was associated with greater decline in language overall (beta = -0.12, 95% confidence interval: -0.23, -0.02). Therefore, a diet high in copper, particularly when combined with a diet high in saturated fat, may increase the risk of cognitive impairment

Prospective Analysis of Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Midlife and Beyond and Brain Damage on MRI in Older Adults

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that greater levels of leisure-time moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) in midlife or late life are associated with larger gray matter volumes, less white matter disease, and fewer cerebrovascular lesions measured in late life, we utilized data from 1,604 participants enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. METHODS: Leisure-time MVPA was quantified using a past-year recall, interviewer-administered questionnaire at baseline and 25 years later and classified as none, low, middle, and high at each time point. The presence of cerebrovascular lesions, white matter hyperintensities (WMH), white matter integrity (mean fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity [MD]), and gray matter volumes were quantified with 3T MRI in late life. The odds of cerebrovascular lesions were estimated with logistic regression. Linear regression estimated the mean differences in WMH, mean FA and MD, and gray matter volumes. RESULTS: Among 1,604 participants (mean age 53 years, 61% female, 27% Black), 550 (34%), 176 (11%), 250 (16%), and 628 (39%) reported no, low, middle, and high MVPA in midlife, respectively. Compared to no MVPA in midlife, high MVPA was associated with more intact white matter integrity in late life (mean FA difference 0.13 per SD [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.004, 0.26]; mean MD difference -0.11 per SD [95% CI -0.21, -0.004]). High MVPA in midlife was also associated with a lower odds of lacunar infarcts (odds ratio 0.68, 95% CI 0.46, 0.99). High MVPA was not associated with gray matter volumes. High MVPA compared to no MVPA in late life was associated with most brain measures. CONCLUSION: Greater levels of physical activity in midlife may protect against cerebrovascular sequelae in late life

Central arterial stiffness is associated with structural brain damage and poorer cognitive performance: The ARIC study

Background Central arterial stiffening and increased pulsatility, with consequent cerebral hypoperfusion, may result in structural brain damage and cognitive impairment. Methods and Results We analyzed a cross‐sectional sample of ARIC‐NCS(Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities–Neurocognitive Study) participants (aged 67–90 years, 60% women) with measures of cognition (n=3703) and brain magnetic resonance imaging (n=1255). Central arterial hemodynamics were assessed as carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity and pressure pulsatility (central pulse pressure). We derived factor scores for cognitive domains. Brain magnetic resonance imaging using 3‐Tesla scanners quantified lacunar infarcts; cerebral microbleeds; and volumes of white matter hyperintensities, total brain, and the Alzheimer disease signature region. We used logistic regression, adjusted for demographics, apolipoprotein E ɛ4, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and select cardiovascular risk factors, to estimate the odds of lacunar infarcts or cerebral microbleeds. Linear regression, additionally adjusted for intracranial volume, estimated the difference in log‐transformed volumes of white matter hyperintensities, total brain, and the Alzheimer diseasesignature region. We estimated the mean difference in cognitive factor scores across quartiles of carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity or central pulse pressure using linear regression. Compared with participants in the lowest carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity quartile, participants in the highest quartile of carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity had a greater burden of white matter hyperintensities (P=0.007 for trend), smaller total brain volumes (−18.30 cm 3 ; 95% CI, −27.54 to −9.07 cm 3 ), and smaller Alzheimer disease signature region volumes (−1.48 cm 3 ; 95% CI, −2.27 to −0.68 cm 3 ). These participants also had lower scores in executive function/processing speed (β=−0.04 z score; 95% CI, −0.07 to −0.01 z score) and general cognition (β=−0.09 z score; 95% CI, −0.15 to −0.03 z score). Similar results were observed for central pulse pressure. Conclusions Central arterial hemodynamics were associated with structural brain damage and poorer cognitive performance among older adults