Low Prevalence of Fetal-Type Posterior Cerebral Artery in Patients with Basilar Tip Aneurysms

BACKGROUND: Basilar tip aneurysms (BTA) are multifactorial in origin, with luminal forces playing a major role in their formation. Considering the reduced hemodynamic stress on the basilar apex in the fetal-type posterior cerebral artery (fPCA), we hypothesize that BTA should be less common in patients with this variant. OBJECTIVE: To investigate, in a retrospective case-control study, the frequency of fPCA in patients with and without BTA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected clinical and imaging data from consecutive patients with BTA undergoing catheter angiography between July 2010 and July 2015, and from a randomly selected, age- and sex-matched non-BTA control population from our prospective database. Anatomical variants of the distal basilar artery region were assessed in the two groups and compared using parametric and non-parametric tests. RESULTS: Fifty-nine BTA cases and 337 controls were included. fPCA was present in 3% of patients with BTA and 23% in the control group (p<0.001; OR=0.11, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.48). Basilar tip disposition was cranial in 49% of BTA and 63% of non-BTA cases (p=0.04; OR=0.57, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.99); a caudal disposition was found in 24% and 6% of cases, respectively (p<0.001; OR=4.65, 95% CI 2.21 to 9.80). CONCLUSIONS: We found a statistically significant association between the absence of fPCA and BTA. Our findings underline the importance of hemodynamic stress in the formation of intracranial aneurysms, and suggest that fPCA is a protective variant for formation of BTA.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Organização Mundial do Comércio: como o Direito Internacional Econômico auxilia os países com menos recursos a se desenvolverem no âmbito social e econômico

O Direito internacional Econômico consiste-se em um ramo do Direito Internacional que transita, de acordo com doutrina, entre o Direito Internacional Privado e o Direito Internacional Público cujo objeto são os meios de produção, consumo e outros setores da área econômica. O foco desse artigo, no entanto, é verificar a atuação dessa área no âmbito social e, para tanto, a presente matéria demonstrará como a Organização Mundial do Comércio, um dos sujeitos do DIE, coaduna o desenvolvimento econômico com o social para que, assim, ocorra a melhoria de condições das populações que habitam as nações com menos recursos econômicos.

Boom, slump, sudden stops, recovery, and policy options. Portugal and the Euro

Over the past 20 years, Portugal has gone through a boom, a slump, a sud- den stop, and now a recovery. Unemployment has decreased, but remains high, and output is still far below potential. Competitiveness has improved, but more is needed to keep the current account in check as the economy recovers. Private and public debt are high, both legacies of the boom, the slump and the sudden stop. Productiv- ity growth remains low. Because of high debt and low growth, the recovery remains fragile. We review the history and the main mechanisms at work. We then review a number of policy options, from fiscal consolidation to fiscal expansion, cleaning up of non-performing loans, labor market reforms, product market reforms, and euro exit. We argue that at this point, the main focus of macroeconomic policy should be twofold. The first is the treatment of non-performing loans, the second is product market reforms and reforms aimed at increasing micro-flexibility in the labor market. Symmetrically, we also argue that at this point, some policies would be undesirable, among them faster fiscal consolidation, measures aimed at decreasing nominal wages and prices, and euro exit.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Learning by network cooperation: knowledge practices in local productive arrangements of software

Abstract This paper aims to contribute to the study of knowledge networks in regional clusters, by means of an analysis of the learning process in software small and medium enterprises (SME). The study consists of a multi-case exploratory and qualitative research in three Brazilian local productive arrangements (LPA) in Campinas, Belo Horizonte and Blumenau, involving 14 enterprises and 10 support institutions. The purpose of this analysis was to detach, among other aspects: a) the structure of clusters; b) the main learning sources and; c) the environment of trust necessary to this learning process. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews carried out with the main governance actors of the sector and with the SMEs. The results pointed out to the efficacy of inter-institutional organization through cooperation networks for the management of formal and informal learning processes in knowledge-intensive sectors

Constructal blade shape in nanofluids

Blade configuration of nanofluids has been proven to perform much better than dispersed configuration for some heat conduction systems. The analytical analysis and numerical calculation are made for the cylinder--shaped and regular-rectangular-prism--shaped building blocks of the blade-configured heat conduction systems (using nanofluids as the heat conduction media) to find the optimal cross-sectional shape for the nanoparticle blade under the same composing materials, composition ratio, volumetric heat generation rate, and total building block volume. The regular-triangular-prism--shaped blade has been proven to perform better than all the other three kinds of blades, namely, the regular-rectangular-prism--shaped blade, the regular-hexagonal-prism--shaped blade, and the cylinder--shaped blade. Thus, the regular-triangular-prism--shaped blade is selected as the optimally shaped blade for the two kinds of building blocks that are considered in this study. It is also proven that the constructal cylinder--regular-triangular-prism building block performs better than the constructal regular-rectangular-prism--regular-triangular-prism building block

New surgical approach for late complications from spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND: The most frequent late complications in spinal cord injury result from arachnoiditis and consequent alterations in dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid flow. A surgical procedure carried out on patients with these alterations, resolved the various pathologies more efficiently in all cases. METHODS: From October 2000 to March 2006, 23 patients were selected for surgery: three showed signs of syringomyelia, three presented with microcystic lesions, three presented with arachnoid cysts in different locations but always confluent to the scar area, and 14 showed evidence of tethered cords. The surgery consisted of laminectomy at four levels, followed by dural opening in order to remove all the arachnoiditis at the level of the scar and to remove the altered arachnoid and its cysts, at least at two levels above and below the lesion. The dentate ligaments were cut at all exposed levels. RESULTS: The patients had no postoperative problems and not only retained all neurological functions but also showed neurological recovery. According to the motor and sensory scale of the American Spinal Injury Association, the recoveries were motor 20.6% (P < 0.001), touch 15.6% ((P < 0.001) and pinprick 14.4% (P < 0.001). These patients showed no signs of relapse at 4–66 month follow-up. CONCLUSION: This alternative surgery resolved the pathologies provoking neurological deterioration by releasing the complete spinal cord at the level of the scar and the levels above and below it. It thus avoids myelotomies and the use of shunts and stents, which have a high long-term failure rate and consequent relapses. Nevertheless, this surgical procedure allows patients the chance to opt for any further treatment that may evolve in the future

Search for CP violation in D0 and D+ decays

A high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles from the FOCUS (E831) experiment at Fermilab has been used to search for CP violation in the Cabibbo suppressed decay modes D+ to K-K+pi+, D0 to K-K+ and D0 to pi-pi+. We have measured the following CP asymmetry parameters: A_CP(K-K+pi+) = +0.006 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.005, A_CP(K-K+) = -0.001 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.015 and A_CP(pi-pi+) = +0.048 +/- 0.039 +/- 0.025 where the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic. These asymmetries are consistent with zero with smaller errors than previous measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

A Study of D0 --> K0(S) K0(S) X Decay Channels

Using data from the FOCUS experiment (FNAL-E831), we report on the decay of $D^0$ mesons into final states containing more than one $K^0_S$. We present evidence for two Cabibbo favored decay modes, $D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S K^- \pi^+$ and $D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S K^+ \pi^-$, and measure their combined branching fraction relative to $D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-$ to be $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_SK^{\pm}\pi^{\mp})}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0106 $\pm$ 0.0019 $\pm$ 0.0010. Further, we report new measurements of $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_SK^0_S)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0179 $\pm$ 0.0027 $\pm$ 0.0026, $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0\bar{K} ^0)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0144 $\pm$ 0.0032 $\pm$ 0.0016, and $\frac{\Gamma(D^0\to K^0_SK^0_S\pi^+\pi^-)}{\Gamma(D^0\to \bar{K} ^0\pi^+\pi^-)}$ = 0.0208 $\pm$ 0.0035 $\pm$ 0.0021 where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, typos correcte

Predictors of linkage to care following community-based HIV counseling and testing in rural Kenya

Despite innovations in HIV counseling and testing (HCT), important gaps remain in understanding linkage to care. We followed a cohort diagnosed with HIV through a community-based HCT campaign that trained persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) as navigators. Individual, interpersonal, and institutional predictors of linkage were assessed using survival analysis of self-reported time to enrollment. Of 483 persons consenting to follow-up, 305 (63.2%) enrolled in HIV care within 3 months. Proportions linking to care were similar across sexes, barring a sub-sample of men aged 18–25 years who were highly unlikely to enroll. Men were more likely to enroll if they had disclosed to their spouse, and women if they had disclosed to family. Women who anticipated violence or relationship breakup were less likely to link to care. Enrolment rates were significantly higher among participants receiving a PLHA visit, suggesting that a navigator approach may improve linkage from community-based HCT campaigns.Vestergaard Frandse