ASSESSING RURAL COMMUNITY VIABILITY AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Disorder and chain superconductivity in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}

The effects of chain disorder on superconductivity in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} are discussed within the context of a proximity model. Chain disorder causes both pair-breaking and localization. The hybridization of chain and plane wavefunctions reduces the importance of localization, so that the transport anisotropy remains large in the presence of a finite fraction $\delta$ of oxygen vacancies. Penetration depth and specific heat measurements probe the pair-breaking effects of chain disorder, and are discussed in detail at the level of the self-consistent T-matrix approximation. Quantitative agreement with these experiments is found when chain disorder is present.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to PRB rapid communication

Tuberculosis in Pediatric Antiretroviral Therapy Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Diagnosis and Screening Practices

Background The global burden of childhood tuberculosis (TB) is estimated to be 0.5 million new cases per year. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children are at high risk for TB. Diagnosis of TB in HIV-infected children remains a major challenge. Methods We describe TB diagnosis and screening practices of pediatric antiretroviral treatment (ART) programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. We used web-based questionnaires to collect data on ART programs and patients seen from March to July 2012. Forty-three ART programs treating children in 23 countries participated in the study. Results Sputum microscopy and chest Radiograph were available at all programs, mycobacterial culture in 40 (93%) sites, gastric aspiration in 27 (63%), induced sputum in 23 (54%), and Xpert MTB/RIF in 16 (37%) sites. Screening practices to exclude active TB before starting ART included contact history in 41 sites (84%), symptom screening in 38 (88%), and chest Radiograph in 34 sites (79%). The use of diagnostic tools was examined among 146 children diagnosed with TB during the study period. Chest Radiograph was used in 125 (86%) children, sputum microscopy in 76 (52%), induced sputum microscopy in 38 (26%), gastric aspirate microscopy in 35 (24%), culture in 25 (17%), and Xpert MTB/RIF in 11 (8%) children. Conclusions Induced sputum and Xpert MTB/RIF were infrequently available to diagnose childhood TB, and screening was largely based on symptom identification. There is an urgent need to improve the capacity of ART programs in low- and middle-income countries to exclude and diagnose TB in HIV-infected childre

A História da Alimentação: balizas historiográficas

Os M. pretenderam traçar um quadro da História da Alimentação, não como um novo ramo epistemológico da disciplina, mas como um campo em desenvolvimento de práticas e atividades especializadas, incluindo pesquisa, formação, publicações, associações, encontros acadêmicos, etc. Um breve relato das condições em que tal campo se assentou faz-se preceder de um panorama dos estudos de alimentação e temas correia tos, em geral, segundo cinco abardagens Ia biológica, a econômica, a social, a cultural e a filosófica!, assim como da identificação das contribuições mais relevantes da Antropologia, Arqueologia, Sociologia e Geografia. A fim de comentar a multiforme e volumosa bibliografia histórica, foi ela organizada segundo critérios morfológicos. A seguir, alguns tópicos importantes mereceram tratamento à parte: a fome, o alimento e o domínio religioso, as descobertas européias e a difusão mundial de alimentos, gosto e gastronomia. O artigo se encerra com um rápido balanço crítico da historiografia brasileira sobre o tema

Fertility and socioeconomic status in relation to residential mobility of persons in large metropolitan areas of the United States

Abstract not availabl

Urine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3) pyridyl-1-butanol and cotinine in Alaska native postpartum women and neonates comparing smokers and smokeless tobacco users

Objective: Foetuses and neonates of women who use tobacco are exposed to nicotine and tobacco-derived carcinogens. We determined the relationship between urine biomarkers of tobacco toxicant exposure postpartum and in the neonates of Alaska Native (AN) women, comparing smokers and smokeless tobacco (ST) users, including iqmik, a homemade ST product. Methods: AN women, including 36 smokers, 9 commercial ST and 16 iqmik users their neonates participated. Urine from the woman at the time of delivery and her neonate’s first urine were analysed for cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine, and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3) pyridyl-1-butanol (NNAL), a tobacco-specific carcinogen biomarker. Results: Maternal urine cotinine and neonatal urine cotinine were strongly correlated in all tobacco use groups (r from 0.83 to 0.9, p < 0.002). Correlations between maternal cotinine and neonatal NNAL were moderately strong for cigarettes and commercial smokeless but weaker for iqmik users (r 0.73, 0.6 and 0.36, respectively). Conclusion: Correlations between maternal and neonatal biomarkers of tobacco toxicant exposure vary, dependent on tobacco product use. Significance: This study provides novel data on biomarkers of tobacco exposure among postpartum AN women and their neonates. The results could be useful to guide future epidemiological studies of health risks associated with use of various tobacco products during pregnancy