Acoustic characterization of atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge plasma jets

In this work, we report the acoustic measurements performed on an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) ignited at various electrical conditions, and attempt to describe the origin of plasma-generated sound waves. The working principle of the APPJ source used for this investigation was based on a DC- pulsed dielectric barrier discharge in a helium flow. Our results indicated that the sound is generated in the plasma core in a glass tube between two cylindrical electrodes, rather than in the plasma jet that extends into the open atmosphere. We also explored the electrical conditions at which the sound level is below 85 dBA; that is, still within the safe level recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Therefore, our findings can be used to advance our basic and applicable knowledge of APPJs

Gestíón del Conocimiento

La Gestíón del Conocimiento es una herramienta clave para que las Empresas desarrollen niveles de competitividad adecuados, compartir Ínformación valiosa al interior de la organización pemite estabilizar y mejorar procesos, posibilita la creación de nuevo conocimíento y el desarrollo de nuevas capacidades en la Organización, sobre este fundamento se desarrolla el presente trabajo donde se realiza una Propuesta de Estrategia de lmplementación de un Modelo de Gestión del Conocimiento aplicado a el Área de Bases de Datos y Sistemas Operativos de la División de infomática y Sistemas de la Dirección General de lngresos. El presente documento aborda en primera parte el establecimiento del tema a manera general y el subtema que será entomo al cual girará el desarrollo de toda la investigación, luego se procede ajustificar el porqué de la presente investigación, es decir cuál es la necersidad que se desea cubrir

Factors associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) test acceptability in primary screening for cervical cancer: A mixed methods research synthesis

Primary screening for cervical cancer is transitioning from the longstanding Pap smear towards implementation of an HPV-DNA test, which is more sensitive than Pap cytology in detecting high-risk lesions and offers greater protection against invasive cervical carcinomas. Based on these results, many countries are recommending and implementing HPV testing-based screening programs. Understanding what factors (e.g., knowledge, attitudes) will impact on HPV test acceptability by women is crucial for ensuring adequate public health practices to optimize cervical screening uptake. We used mixed methods research synthesis to provide a categorization of the relevant factors related to HPV primary screening for cervical cancer and describe their influence on women's acceptability of HPV testing. We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Global Health and Web of Science for journal articles between January 1, 1980 and October 31, 2017 and retained 22 empirical articles. Our results show that while most factors associated with HPV test acceptability are included in the Health Belief Model and/or Theory of Planned Behavior (e.g., attitudes, knowledge), other important factors are not encompassed by these theoretical frameworks (e.g., health behaviors, negative emotional reactions related to HPV testing). The direction of influence of psychosocial factors on HPV test acceptability was synthesized based on 14 quantitative studies as: facilitators (e.g., high perceived HPV test benefits), barriers (e.g., negative attitudes towards increased screening intervals), contradictory evidence (e.g., sexual history) and no impact (e.g., high perceived severity of HPV infection). Further population-based studies are needed to confirm the impact of these factors on HPV-based screening acceptability

Working group on cephalopod fisheries and life history (WGCEPH; outputs from 2019 meeting)

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Analysis of undiagnosed tuberculosis-related deaths identified at post-mortem among HIV-infected patients in Russia: a descriptive study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tuberculosis remains a serious public health threat and economic burden in Russia with escalating rates of drug resistance against a background of growing HIV-epidemic. Samara Oblast is one of the regions of the Russian Federation where more than 1% of the population is affected by the HIV-epidemic; almost half of the cases are concentrated in the largely-industrial city of Togliatti with a population of 800 000.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a retrospective analysis of errors leading to death of HIV-positive patients in general health care hospitals in Togliatti, Russia, in 2008. All (n = 29) cases when tuberculosis was established at autopsy as a cause of death were included.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median length of hospital stay was 20 days; in 11 cases the death occurred within the first 24 hours of admission. All cases were known to be HIV-positive prior to admission, however HAART was not initiated for any case, and no relevant tests to assess severity of immunosupression were performed despite their availability. No appropriate diagnostic algorithms were applied to confirm tuberculosis. Major gaps were identified in the work of hospital and consulting physicians including insufficient records keeping. In almost all patients earlier regular HIV-relevant tests were not performed due to poor compliance of patients, many of whom abused alcohol and drugs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that introduction of prompt and accurate diagnostics tests, adequate treatment protocols and intensive training of physicians in management of AIDS and TB is vital. This should include reviewing standards of care for HIV-positive individuals with accompanying social problems.</p

Two decades of forest-related legislation changes in European countries analysed from a property rights perspective

In the last two decades, attention on forests and ownership rights has increased in different domains of international policy, particularly in relation to achieving the global sustainable development goals. This paper looks at the changes in forest-specific legislation applicable to regular productive forests, across 28 European countries. We compare the legal framework applicable in the mid-1990s with that applicable in 2015, using the Property Rights Index in Forestry (PRIF) to measure changes across time and space. The paper shows that forest owners in most western European countries already had high decision-making power in the mid-1990s, following deregulation trends from the 1980s; and for the next two decades, distribution of rights remained largely stable. For these countries, the content and direction of changes indicate that the main pressure on forest-focused legislation comes from environmental discourses (e.g. biodiversity and climate change policies). In contrast, former socialist countries in the mid-1990s gave lower decision-making powers to forest owners than in any of the Western Europe countries; over the next 20 years these show remarkable changes in management, exclusion and withdrawal rights. As a result of these changes, there is no longer a clear line between western and former socialist countries with respect to the national governance systems used to address private forest ownership. Nevertheless, with the exception of Baltic countries which have moved towards the western forest governance system, most of the former socialist countries still maintain a state-centred approach in private forest management. Overall, most of the changes we identified in the last two decades across Europe were recorded in the categories of management rights and exclusion rights. These changes reflect the general trend in European forest policies to expand and reinforce the landowners' individual rights, while preserving minimal rights for other categories of forest users; and to promote the use of financial instruments when targeting policy goals related to the environmental discourse

2D micro-chamber for DC plasma working at low power

status: publishe

Psychosocial determinants of parental human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine decision-making for sons: Methodological challenges and initial results of a pan-Canadian longitudinal study

Background: HPV vaccination decision-making is a complex process that is influenced by multiple psychosocial determinants. Given the change in policy recommendation to include males in routine HPV vaccination, our goals were to assess the HPV vaccination uptake in Canada, to understand where Canadian parents were situated in the HPV vaccine decision-making process for their son, how they changed over time and which psychosocial determinants were relevant for this process. Methods: We used an online survey methodology and collected data from a nationally representative sample of Canadian parents of boys aged 9–16 at baseline (T1, February 2014) and at 9 months’ follow-up (T2). Our analyses were guided by the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM), a theoretical health behavior model that classifies parents in one of six stages: unaware, unengaged, undecided, decided not to vaccinate, decided to vaccinate and those who had already vaccinated their sons. Rigorous methods were used to filter out careless responders: response variance, bogus items, psychometric antonyms and psychometric synonyms. Results: At T1 and T2, we received 3,784 and 1,608 respectively completed questionnaires; after data cleaning 3,117 (T1) and 1,427 (T2) were retained. Less than 3% of boys were vaccinated at both time points. At both T1 and T2, most parents (over 70%) belonged to the earlier vaccination adoption stages: 57% were unaware (T1) and 15.3% (T2); 20.9% were unengaged (T1) and 32.4% (T2); and 9.1% were undecided (T1) and 25.2% (T2). At follow-up, 37.7% of participants did not move from their initial PAPM decision-making stage. Most parents (55%) preferred to receive information from their healthcare provider (HCP) but only 6% (T1) and 12% (T2) had actually spoken with a HCP about the HPV vaccine for their son. Conclusions: HPV vaccination uptake in Canadian boys was very low in the absence of a publicly funded HPV vaccination programs for boys. Optimal HPV information preferences were identified and can be used in interventions to increase HPV knowledge and increase HPV vaccine uptake. Intentions to vaccinate or planning to speak to one’s HCP did not translate into action for most parents over the 9-month follow up; this finding is critical to consider to inform implementation strategies. Methodological challenges are described and suggestions for future research are offered.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCReviewedFacult

Implantes orbitarios de HAP-200: Experiencia en 100 casos Orbital implants of HAP-200: Experience in 100 cases

Exponemos nuestra experiencia en los primeros 100 casos, en los cuales utilizamos implantes orbitarios confeccionados en Cuba con hidroxiapatita porosa coralina (HAP-200), en el período comprendido entre 1995-2000. Nuestra casuística estuvo enmarcada entre los 5 y 65 años de edad, predominando los grupos de edades de 15 a 35 años con 63 casos, el 72 % correspondió al sexo masculino. Los traumatismos primaron como causa de pérdida del globo ocular (80 %). Efectuamos 5 tipos de técnicas quirúrgicas, 22 enucleaciones, 46 evisceraciones (26 con y 9 sin conservación corneal respectivamente, 11 con cuadrisección escleral) y 32 reconstrucciones de cavidades antiguas (implantes secundarios). En la mayoría de los pacientes operados los síntomas y signos posoperatorios fueron locales y catalogados de ligeros, que desaparecieron en la primera semana. Observamos dentro de las complicaciones 12 dehiscencias conjuntivales, 10 exposiciones de los implantes, 2 hipercorrecciones, 1 hipocorrección y 1 quiste conjuntival. La gammagrafía orbitaria demostró crecimiento fibrovascular en la totalidad de los pacientes sometidos a dicha investigación. Los resultados cosméticos evaluados fueron la conservación del surco orbitario y la motilidad del muñón que se consideraron satisfactorios, así como la tolerancia al material implantado que fue buena en el 93 % de los casos al cabo de los 2,5 años.We explain our experience with the first 100 cases in whom orbital implants made in Cuba with coralline porous hydroxyapatite (PHA-200) were placed between 1995 and 2000. Our casuistics comprised patients aged 5-65. It was observed a predominance of the age groups 15-35 with 63 cases. 72 % were males. Traumas prevailed as the main cause of eyeball loss (80 %). 5 types of surgical techniques were performed: 22 enucleations, 46 eviscerations (26 with and 9 without corneal conservation, respectively, 11 with scleral cuadrisection) and 32 reconstructions of old cavities (secondary implants).The postoperative symptoms and signs were local and mild in most of the patients that were operated on and they disappeared during the first week. 12 conjunctival deshicences, 10 implant exposures, 2 hypercorrections, 1 hypocorrection and 1 conjunctival cyst were observed among the complications. The orbital scintigraphy showed fibrovascular growth in all the patients under study. The evaluated cosmetic results were the conservation of the orbital sulcus and the motility of the strump that were considered as satisfactory, as well as the tolerance to the implanted material that was good in 93 % of the cases after 2.5 years