Serviceability response of a bench-mark cable-stayed footbridge: comparison of available methods

In previous Footbridge Conferences, the focus of researchers has been on the representation of pedestrian actions (vertical and lateral) to design footbridges, on the proposal of methodologies for the analysis in service of these structures and on the description of the serviceability response of particular footbridges. Nonetheless, none of these research works have been focused on the magnitude of the serviceability response of footbridges according to its structural type. This paper characterises the response of footbridges with stayed cables as main structural type. Based on a compiled dataset of cable-stayed footbridges (developed for this research work), the paper presents the geometrical and structural characteristics of a footbridge that can be regarded as representative of this structural type. Considering the best methodologies available for the assessment of its response in vertical and lateral direction, the paper describes the magnitude of the serviceability performance of this bridge under a wide range of pedestrian scenarios. This description familiarises designers at early stages of their design with the order of magnitude of the serviceability response of cable-stayed footbridges with an arrangement similar to that commonly used for this structural type

Anticoncepción poscoital. Características de la demanda

ObjetivoConocer el perfil de las mujeres que demandan anticoncepción poscoital (APC).DiseñoDescriptivo transversal. Emplazamiento. Centro de Orientación Familiar (COF), Área 4 del Instituto Madrileño de Salud. Madrid.ParticipantesTodas las mujeres que acudieron en el año 2000 para requerir APC (n = 404).MedicionesSe realizó una encuesta con variables sociodemográficas relacionadas con la APC y con la vida sexual.ResultadosLa edad media fue de 23,9 años (límites, 14–49); el 9,9% era menor de edad. La media de coitos al mes era de 6,7, el número de años de relaciones sexuales era de 4,9 y el primer coito se produjo, de media, a los 18 años. El 90,9% afirmaba tener pareja estable. Tenía estudios secundarios o universitarios un 75%. El 55,7% manifestaba no haber recibido información sobre anticonceptivos. El 19,5% utilizó APC en otra ocasión. El 6,5% había tenido alguna interrupción voluntaria de embarazo y de éstas, el 36% había utilizado APC anteriormente. Los motivos de consulta fueron: rotura de preservativo (69,3%), preservativo retenido (16,9%) y coito sin protección (12%). El 7% tuvo otros coitos de riesgo en el mismo ciclo. Un 33,2% las remitía su equipo de atención primaria, acudió por conocidos el 19% y desde servicios de urgencias el 16%. Conocía el COF un 26,1%. En el 12,2% no se prescribió APC por mínimo riesgo de embarazo. Realizaron la valoración una enfermera (52,6%), médicos residentes (34,4%) y una ginecóloga (13%).ConclusionesFalta información sobre métodos anticonceptivos. La mayoría de las pacientes son derivadas por otros servicios sanitarios.ObjectiveDefine the profile of the women that ask for emergency contraception (EC).DesignTransversal descriptive investigation.SettingFamiliar Planning Center of 4th Area of Instituto Madrileño de Salud. in Madrid. Participants. All the women that went in the year 2000 requiring EC (n=404).MeasurementsWas carried out a survey with sociodemographic variables, related with the EC and with the sexual life.ResultsThe average age was of 23.9 years (age range 14 to 49) were inquired, 9.9 were under 18. They had an average of 6.7 intercourses per month, the first intercourse when they were 18 years old on average, and 4.9 years of sexual relationships. 90.9% stated to have a couple. 75% were graduated from high school or university, and 55.7% said they had never received information about contraceptives. For 19.5% this was not the first time they asked for EC. 6.5% had interrupted on purpose pregnancy and 36% of them had used EC before. The reasons to demand EC were: condom break (69.3%), held condom (16.9%) and intercourse without any protection (12%). 7% acknowledged other risky intercourses during the same period. 33.2% had been sent by a General Practitioner, 26.1% knew the center, 19% were sent by acquaintances and 16% from Emergency Services. EC was not prescribed in 12.2% of the cases because of minimum risk to pregnancy. The evaluation was made by a nurse (52.6%), by a doctor (34.4%) and by a gynecologist (13%).ConclusionsThere is a lack of information about contraceptive methods. Most of the patients are sent from other sanitary services

Ionophore-resistant mutant of Toxoplasma gondii reveals involvement of a sodium/hydrogen exchanger in calcium regulation

Calcium is a critical mediator of many intracellular processes in eukaryotic cells. In the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii, for example, a rise in [Ca2+] is associated with significant morphological changes and rapid egress from host cells. To understand the mechanisms behind such dramatic effects, we isolated a mutant that is altered in its responses to the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and found the affected gene encodes a homologue of Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) located on the parasite's plasma membrane. We show that in the absence of TgNHE1, Toxoplasma is resistant to ionophore-induced egress and extracellular death and amiloride-induced proton efflux inhibition. In addition, the mutant has increased levels of intracellular Ca2+, which explains its decreased sensitivity to A23187. These results provide direct genetic evidence of a role for NHE1 in Ca2+ homeostasis and important insight into how this ubiquitous pathogen senses and responds to changes in its environment

Use of a new ocular insert versus conventional mydriasis in cataract surgery

Background. To compare the efficacy and safety of a new ocular insert versus conventional mydriasis in cataract surgery. Methods. We selected 70 patients undergoing cataract surgery. Thirty five patients (Group 1) received instillation of mydriatic drops (tropicamide 1%, phenylephrine 10%, and cyclopentolate 1%) prior to surgery, and 35 patients (Group 2) had a Mydriasert insert (Théa Pharma) (0.28¿mg of tropicamide and 5.4¿mg of phenylephrine hydrochloride) placed in the inferior fornix. Pupil size before and after surgery, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured. Results. Before surgery, pupil diameter was ¿mm in Group 1 and in Group 2 ( ). Twenty four hours after surgery, pupil diameter was ¿mm in Group 1 and in Group 2 ( ). There were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure or heart rate between groups. Conclusions. The effect of the Mydriasert insert was similar to conventional mydriatic agents. Pupil size was restored to normal faster when using the Mydriasert insert compared with conventional mydriatic agents for pupil dilation

Ac magnetic susceptibility of a molecular magnet submonolayer directly patterned onto a microSQUID sensor

We report the controlled integration, via Dip Pen Nanolithography, of monolayer dots of ferritin-based CoO nanoparticles (12 Bohr magnetons) into the most sensitive areas of a microSQUID sensor. The nearly optimum flux coupling between these nanomagnets and the microSQUID improves the achievable sensitivity by a factor 100, enabling us to measure the linear susceptibility of the molecular array down to very low temperatures (13 mK). This method opens the possibility of applying ac susceptibility experiments to characterize two-dimensional arrays of single molecule magnets within a wide range of temperatures and frequencies.Comment: 4 pages 3 figure

Oestrid myiasis in European Mouflon from Spain

From February 1992 to March 1997, 245 European mouflon (Ovis orientalis musimon) from Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (southern Spain) were surveyed for oestrid larvae in order to estimate prevalence and mean intensity of parasitism by Oestrus ovis. Over 46 percent of the animals surveyed were infected, with a mean intensity of 9.6 larvae/host parasitized. No significant differences in prevalence rates between host sexes were observed, but older mouflons were infected with more larvae than younger ones.Peer Reviewe

The nucleotidohydrolases DCTPP1 and dUTPase are involved in the cellular response to decitabine

Decitabine (5-aza-2acute;-deoxycytidine, aza-dCyd) is an anticancer drug used clinically for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia that can act as a DNA-demethylating or genotoxic agent in a dose-dependent manner. On the other hand, DCTPP1 and dUTPase are two "house-cleaning" nucleotidohydrolases involved in the elimination of non-canonical nucleotides. Here we show that exposure of HeLa cells to decitabine up-regulates the expression of several pyrimidine metabolic enzymes including DCTPP1, dUTPase, dCMP deaminase and thymidylate synthase thus suggesting their contribution to the cellular response to this anticancer nucleoside. We present several lines of evidence supporting that, in addition to the formation of aza-dCTP, an alternative cytotoxic mechanism for decitabine may involve the formation of aza-dUMP, a potential thymidylate synthase inhibitor. Indeed, dUTPase or DCTPP1 down-regulation enhanced the cytotoxic effect of aza-dCyd producing an accumulation of nucleoside triphosphates containing uracil as well as uracil misincorporation and double-strand breaks in genomic DNA. Moreover, DCTPP1 hydrolyzes the triphosphate form of decitabine with similar kinetic efficiency than its natural substrate dCTP and prevents decitabine-induced global DNA demethylation. The data suggest that the nucleotidohydrolases DCTPP1 and dUTPase are factors involved in the mode of action of decitabine with potential value as enzymatic targets to improve decitabine-based chemotherapy