805 research outputs found
Estudio epidemiológico del síndrome de waardenburg en colombia
Ampliar los conocimientos clínicos y genéticos sobre el Síndrome de Waardenburg (WS), definiendo la frecuencia de los tipos de síndrome y su distribución geográfica en la población sorda colombiana
New abundance measurements in UKS 1927-177, a very metal-poor galaxy in the Local Group
We present new results from optical spectroscopy of the brightest Hii region
in the dwarf irregular galaxy UKS 1927-177 in Sagittarius (SagDIG). From high
signal-to-noise spectra, reddening-corrected line flux ratios have been
measured with typical uncertainties of a few percent, from which the oxygen
abundance is rediscussed, and new abundance estimates are derived for N and Ne.
The O abundance in SagDIG, estimated with the empirical abundance indicator R23
and other methods, is in the range 12+log(O/H)=7.26 to 7.50. The fact that
SagDIG is ~10 times closer than IZw18 makes it an ideal target to test the
hypothesis of the existence of young galaxies in the present-day universe.
Indeed, stellar photometry suggests that this galaxy may harbor a stellar
population older than a few Gyr, and possibly an old stellar component as well.
The case of SagDIG therefore supports the view that very low chemical
abundances can be maintained throughout the life of a dwarf stellar system,
even in the presence of multiple star formation episodes.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in A&A, main journa
Functional and neurometabolic asymmetry in SHR and WKY rats following vasoactive treatments
A lateralized distribution of neuropeptidase activities in the frontal cortex of normotensive and
hypertensive rats has been described depending on the use of some vasoactive drugs and linked to
certain mood disorders. Asymmetrical neuroperipheral connections involving neuropeptidases from the
left or right hemisphere and aminopeptidases from the heart or plasma have been suggested to play
a role in this asymmetry. We hypothesize that such asymmetries could be extended to the connection
between the brain and physiologic parameters and metabolic factors from plasma and urine. To
assess this hypothesis, we analyzed the possible correlation between neuropeptidases from the left
and right frontal cortex with peripheral parameters in normotensive (Wistar Kyoto [WKY]) rats and
hypertensive rats (spontaneously hypertensive rats [SHR]) untreated or treated with vasoactive drugs
such as captopril, propranolol and L-nitro-arginine methyl ester. Neuropeptidase activities from the
frontal cortex were analyzed fluorometrically using arylamide derivatives as substrates. Physiological
parameters and metabolic factors from plasma and urine were determined using routine laboratory
techniques. Vasoactive drug treatments differentially modified the asymmetrical neuroperipheral
pattern by changing the predominance of the correlations between peripheral parameters and central
neuropeptidase activities of the left and right frontal cortex. The response pattern also differed between
SHR and WKY rats. These results support an asymmetric integrative function of the organism and
suggest the possibility of a different neurometabolic response coupled to particular mood disorders,
depending on the selected vasoactive drug.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation through project no. SAF 2008 04685 C02 01
Upregulation of intrarenal angiotensinogen in diabetes
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Nephrol, BR-04023040 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Nephrol, BR-04023040 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc
Psicometric properties of an instrument for measuring patient’s satisfaction with physical therapy (medrisk) in spanish population: cultural diversity
The Spanish-language versión of the MedRisk Insttrument for Mesauring Partient Satisfaction with Physical therapy Care was validated in a simple of 203 Spanish-speakers patients in New York City. The purpose of this investigation is to adapt this instrument to Spanish population (patients who assist to physical therapy services in Spain); to corroborate if exist a psychometric equivalence and to identify if Spanish patients consider relevant the same dimensions as the preliminary validation.
Relevance: At time to used a measurement instrument that has been validated in another country, it is necessary to assure that it is not only reliable and valid to the country where was developed, but also it needs to be appropriated to the patients subjects of the current investigation.
Participants: A total of 300 patients of the Hospital of San Juan de Dios del Aljarafe (in Sevilla, Spain) participated in this study (44% men and 56% women between 13 and 93 years old).
Methods: It has been done a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected between April 2008 and November 2009.To the patients involved in the research, it was applied the original 20-item version of the MRPS (18 items and two global measures) and not the validated 12-item MRPS (10 items and two global measures). The main investigator randomly selected days during which the data were collected. The sample was taken finally on by convenience: all patients, in these selected days, who assist to medical care once they were done with their prescribed physiotherapy treatment.
Analysis: Like Spanish version in New York, factor structure was investigated using item-correlation and exploratory factor analysis. Group-level reliability for single test administration was assessed using the Cronbach alpha.
Results: Factor structure: the inter-item correlation matrix revealed that 3 items were not significantly correlated to both of the global measures . These 3 items were not included in the subsequent analysis. Principal components analysis revealed 4 eigenvalues greater than 2.0 explaining 67.93% of the cumulative variance. This suggested a 4-factor solutions. Following varimax rotation, a total of 14 items loaded on four factors were retained. Reliability: The Cronbach alpha was .87
Conclusions: Spanish version of MRPS that was validated with Spanish-speakers patients in New York is similar but not identical to the validation obtained with Spanish Population. In both of them, 9 of the 12 and 14 items finally selected in each other, have a coincidence. In the first one, there is a conclusion of two factors, internal and external. And in our investigation there were obtained 4 dimensions, 2 of them refer to internal factors (respect of the healthcare team and professional behavior of the therapist) and 2 that does it to external factors (adaptation of the center and accessibility)Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech
Tensor voting for robust color edge detection
The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7584-8_9This chapter proposes two robust color edge detection methods based on tensor voting. The first method is a direct adaptation of the classical tensor voting to color images where tensors are initialized with either the gradient or the local color structure tensor. The second method is based on an extension of tensor voting in which the encoding and voting processes are specifically tailored to robust edge detection in color images. In this case, three tensors are used to encode local CIELAB color channels and edginess, while the voting process propagates both color and edginess by applying perception-based rules. Unlike the classical tensor voting, the second method considers the context in the voting process. Recall, discriminability, precision, false alarm rejection and robustness measurements with respect to three different ground-truths have been used to compare the proposed methods with the state-of-the-art. Experimental results show that the proposed methods are competitive, especially in robustness. Moreover, these experiments evidence the difficulty of proposing an edge detector with a perfect performance with respect to all features and fields of application.This research has been supported by the Swedish Research Council
under the project VR 2012-3512
Mitochondrial phylogeography and demographic history of the Vicuña: implications for conservation
The vicuña (Vicugna vicugna; Miller, 1924) is a conservation success story, having recovered from near extinction in the 1960s to current population levels estimated at 275 000. However, lack of information about its demographic history and genetic diversity has limited both our understanding of its recovery and the development of science-based conservation measures. To examine the evolution and recent demographic history of the vicuña across its current range and to assess its genetic variation and population structure, we sequenced mitochondrial DNA from the control region (CR) for 261 individuals from 29 populations across Peru, Chile and Argentina. Our results suggest that populations currently designated as Vicugna vicugna vicugna and Vicugna vicugna mensalis comprise separate mitochondrial lineages. The current population distribution appears to be the result of a recent demographic expansion associated with the last major glacial event of the Pleistocene in the northern (18 to 22°S) dry Andes 14–12 000 years ago and the establishment of an extremely arid belt known as the 'Dry Diagonal' to 29°S. Within the Dry Diagonal, small populations of V. v. vicugna appear to have survived showing the genetic signature of demographic isolation, whereas to the north V. v. mensalis populations underwent a rapid demographic expansion before recent anthropogenic impacts
Fundamental properties of the Population II fiducial stars HD 122563 and Gmb 1830 from CHARA interferometric observations
We have determined the angular diameters of two metal-poor stars, HD 122563
and Gmb 1830, using CHARA and Palomar Testbed Interferometer observations. For
the giant star HD 122563, we derive an angular diameter theta_3D = 0.940 +-
0.011 milliarcseconds (mas) using limb-darkening from 3D convection simulations
and for the dwarf star Gmb 1830 (HD 103095) we obtain a 1D limb-darkened
angular diameter theta_1D = 0.679 +- 0.007 mas. Coupling the angular diameters
with photometry yields effective temperatures with precisions better than 55 K
(Teff = 4598 +- 41 K and 4818 +- 54 K --- for the giant and the dwarf star,
respectively). Including their distances results in very well-determined
luminosities and radii (L = 230 +- 6 L_sun, R = 23.9 +- 1.9 R_sun and L = 0.213
+- 0.002 L_sun, R = 0.664 +- 0.015 R_sun, respectively). We used the CESAM2k
stellar structure and evolution code in order to produce models that fit the
observational data. We found values of the mixing-length parameter alpha (which
describes 1D convection) that depend on the mass of the star. The masses were
determined from the models with precisions of <3% and with the well-measured
radii excellent constraints on the surface gravity are obtained (log g = 1.60
+- 0.04, 4.59 +- 0.02, respectively). The very small errors on both log g and
Teff provide stringent constraints for spectroscopic analyses given the
sensitivity of abundances to both of these values. The precise determination of
Teff for the two stars brings into question the photometric scales for
metal-poor stars.Comment: accepted A&A, 8 dbl-column pages, incl. 7 tables and 4 figure
Dietary Supplementation with Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) Infusion Increases IRS-1 and PI3K mRNA Levels and Enhances Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion in Rat Pancreatic Islets
“Yerba mate” (YM), an aqueous extract of Ilex paraguariensis, has antioxidant, diuretic, cardio-protective and hypoglycaemic properties. Since its effect on the pancreatic islets remains unclear, we evaluated insulin sensitivity and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in rats consuming YM or tap water (C) for 21 days. Glucose tolerance, glycemia, triglyceridemia, insulinemia, TBARS and FRAP serum levels were evaluated. GSIS and mRNA levels of insulin signaling pathway and inflammatory markers were measured in isolated pancreatic islets from both groups. In C rats, islets were incubated with YM extract or its phenolic components to measure GSIS. YM improved glucose tolerance, enhanced GSIS, increased FRAP plasma levels and islet mRNA levels of IRS-1 and PI3K (p110), and decreased TBARS plasma levels and islet gene expression of TNF-α and PAI-1. Islets from C rats incubated with 100 µg/mL dry YM extract, 1 µM chlorogenic acid, 0.1 and 1 µM rutin, 1 µM caffeic acid or 1 µM quercetin showed an increase in GSIS. Our results suggest that YM enhances glucose tolerance because of its positive effects on GSIS, oxidative stress rate and insulin sensitivity in rat islets, suggesting that long-term dietary supplementation with YM may improve glucose homeostasis in pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes
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