575 research outputs found
Resultados de oito aplicações do Teste do Progresso na Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo
BACKGROUND: Progress testing is a longitudinal tool for evaluating knowledge gains during the medical school years. OBJECTIVES: (1) To implement progress testing as a form of routine evaluation; (2) to verify whether cognitive gain is a continuous variable or not; and (3) to evaluate whether there is loss of knowledge relating to basic sciences in the final years of medical school. METHODS: A progress test was applied twice a year to all students from 2001 to 2004. The mean percentage score was calculated for each school year, employing ANOVA with post hoc Bonferroni test evaluation for each test. RESULTS: Progress testing was implemented as a routine procedure over these 4 years. The results suggest a cognitive gain from first to sixth year in all eight tests, as a continuum (P for trend < .0001). Gain was found to be continuous for basic sciences (taught during the first 2 years), clinical sciences (P < .0001), and clerkship rotation (P < .0001). There was no difference between the performance of men and women. CONCLUSION: Progress testing was implemented as a routine, applied twice a year. Data suggest that cognitive gain during medical training appears to be a continuum, even for basic science issues.O Teste do Progresso foi introduzido na Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo em 2001. OBJETIVO: (1) Testar a viabilidade da aplicação rotineira do teste; (2) verificar se o ganho de conhecimentos era progressivo e contínuo durante a graduação; (3) determinar se esse ganho de conhecimento inclui também as disciplinas do curso básico. MÉTODOS: O teste foi aplicado duas vezes por ano entre 2001-2004. Em cada teste, calculou-se o escore médio de acertos por ano letivo usando-se ANOVA com correção de Bonferroni para múltiplas comparações. RESULTADOS: O Teste do Progresso foi implementado como rotina entre 2001-2004. Os resultados sugerem um ganho cognitivo contínuo e progressivo ao longo da graduação (P < 0,0001) nos oito testes aplicados até o momento. Esse ganho seria significativo mesmo para as disciplinas do curso básico (P < 0,05), curso clínico (P < 0.0001) e internato (P < 0.0001). Não houve diferença de performance em função do gênero. CONCLUSÃO: O Teste do Progresso foi implementado como rotina, sendo aplicado semestralmente. Os resultados sugerem que o ganho cognitivo parece ser contínuo e progressivo mesmo para as disciplinas do básico ao longo dos seis anos
Interplay between pulsations and mass loss in the blue supergiant 55 Cygnus = HD 198478
Blue supergiant stars are known to display photometric and spectroscopic
variability that is suggested to be linked to stellar pulsations. Pulsational
activity in massive stars strongly depends on the star's evolutionary stage and
is assumed to be connected with mass-loss episodes, the appearance of
macroturbulent line broadening, and the formation of clumps in the wind. To
investigate a possible interplay between pulsations and mass-loss, we carried
out an observational campaign of the supergiant 55 Cyg over a period of five
years to search for photospheric activity and cyclic mass-loss variability in
the stellar wind. We modeled the H, He I, Si II and Si III lines using the
nonlocal thermal equilibrium atmosphere code FASTWIND and derived the
photospheric and wind parameters. In addition, we searched for variability in
the intensity and radial velocity of photospheric lines and performed a moment
analysis of the line profiles to derive frequencies and amplitudes of the
variations. The Halpha line varies with time in both intensity and shape,
displaying various types of profiles: P Cygni, pure emission, almost complete
absence, and double or multiple peaked. The star undergoes episodes of variable
mass-loss rates that change by a factor of 1.7-2 on different timescales. We
also observe changes in the ionization rate of Si II and determine a
multiperiodic oscillation in the He I absorption lines, with periods ranging
from a few hours to 22.5 days. We interpret the photospheric line variations in
terms of oscillations in p-, g-, and strange modes. We suggest that these
pulsations can lead to phases of enhanced mass loss. Furthermore, they can
mislead the determination of the stellar rotation. We classify the star as a
post-red supergiant, belonging to the group of alpha Cyg variables.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, 3 tables, accepted to Astronomy & Astrophysic
Magnetic Determination of under Accurate Alignment in (TMTSF)ClO
Cantilever magnetometry has been used to measure the upper critical magnetic
field of the quasi-one dimensional molecular organic superconductor
(TMTSF)ClO. From simultaneous resistivity and torque magnetization
experiments conducted under precise field alignment, at low
temperature is shown to reach 5T, nearly twice the Pauli paramagnetic limit
imposed on spin singlet superconductors. These results constitute the first
thermodynamic evidence for a large in this system and provide support
for spin triplet pairing in this unconventional superconductorComment: Submitted July 1, 2003, Accepted December 9, 2003, Physical Review
Letter
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Safety and Pharmacokinetics of a Four Monoclonal Antibody Combination Against Botulinum C and D Neurotoxins.
Botulism is caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), the most poisonous substance known. BoNTs are also classified as Tier 1 biothreat agents due to their high potency and lethality. The existence of seven BoNT serotypes (A-G), which differ between 35% to 68% in amino acid sequence, necessitates the development of serotype specific countermeasures. We present results of a Phase 1 clinical study of an anti-toxin to BoNT serotypes C and D, NTM-1634, which consists of an equimolar mixture of four fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), each binding to non-overlapping epitopes on BoNT serotypes C and D resulting in potent toxin neutralization in rodents. This first-in-human study evaluated the safety and pharmacokinetics of escalating doses of NTM-1634 administered intravenously to healthy adults (NCT03046550). Three cohorts of eight healthy subjects received a single intravenous dose of NTM-1634 or placebo at 0.33 mg/kg, 0.66 mg/kg or 1 mg/kg. Follow-up examinations and pharmacokinetic evaluations were continued up to 121 days post-infusion. Subjects were monitored using physical examinations, hematology and chemistry blood tests, and electrocardiograms. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated using noncompartmental methods. The results demonstrated that the materials were safe and well-tolerated with the expected half-lives for human mAbs and with minimal anti-drug antibodies detected over the dose ranges and duration of the study
SO(4) Theory of Competition between Triplet Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism in Bechgaard Salts
Motivated by recent experiments with Bechgaard salts, we investigate the
competition between antiferromagnetism and triplet superconductivity in quasi
one-dimensional electron systems. We unify the two orders in an SO(4) symmetric
framework, and demonstrate the existence of such symmetry in one-dimensional
Luttinger liquids. SO(4) symmetry, which strongly constrains the phase diagram,
can explain coexistence regions between antiferromagnetic, superconducting, and
normal phases, as observed in (TMTSF)PF. We predict a sharp neutron
scattering resonance in superconducting samples.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; Added discussion of applicability of SO(4)
symmetry for strongly anisotropic Fermi liquids; Added reference
Possible Triplet Electron Pairing and an Anisotropic Spin Susceptibility in Organic Superconductors (TMTSF)_2 X
We argue that (TMTSF)_2 PF_6 compound under pressure is likely a triplet
superconductor with a vector order parameter d(k) \equiv (d_a(k) \neq 0, d_c(k)
= ?, d_{b'}(k) = 0); |d_a(k)| > |d_c(k)|. It corresponds to an anisotropic spin
susceptibility at T=0: \chi_{b'} = \chi_0, \chi_a \ll \chi_0, where \chi_0 is
its value in a metallic phase. [The spin quantization axis, z, is parallel to a
so-called b'-axis]. We show that the suggested order parameter explains why the
upper critical field along the b'-axis exceeds all paramagnetic limiting
fields, including that for a nonuniform superconducting state, whereas the
upper critical field along the a-axis (a \perp b') is limited by the Pauli
paramagnetic effects [I. J. Lee, M. J. Naughton, G. M. Danner and P. M.
Chaikin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 3555 (1997)]. The triplet order parameter is in
agreement with the recent Knight shift measurements by I. J. Lee et al. as well
as with the early results on a destruction of superconductivity by nonmagnetic
impurities and on the absence of the Hebel-Slichter peak in the NMR relaxation
rate.Comment: 4 pages, 1 eps figur
Superconductivity and Antiferromagnetism in Quasi-one-dimensional Organic Conductors
We review the current understanding of superconductivity in the
quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors of the Bechgaard and Fabre salt
families. We discuss the interplay between superconductivity,
antiferromagnetism, and charge-density-wave fluctuations. The connection to
recent experimental observations supporting unconventional pairing and the
possibility of a triplet-spin order parameter for the superconducting phase is
also presented.Comment: (v1) 30 pages, 13 figures; Review article for the 20th anniversary of
high-Tc superconductivity, to appear in J. Low Temp. Phys. (v2) 1 Ref. adde
Molecular characterization of old local grapevine varieties from South East European countries
South East European (SEE) viticulture partially relies on native grapevine varieties, previously scarcely described. In order to characterize old local grapevine varieties and assess the level of synonymy and genetic diversity from SEE countries, we described and genotyped 122 accessions from Albania, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Romania on nine most commonly used microsatellite loci. As a result of the study a total of 86 different genotypes were identified. All loci were very polymorphic and a total of 96 alleles were detected, ranging from 8 to 14 alleles per locus, with an average allele number of 10.67. Overall observed heterozygosity was 0.759 and slightly lower than expected (0.789) while gene diversity per locus varied between 0.600 (VVMD27) and 0.906 (VVMD28). Eleven cases of synonymy and three of homonymy have been recorded for samples harvested from different countries. Cultivars with identical genotypes were mostly detected between neighboring countries. No clear differentiation between countries was detected although several specific alleles were detected. The integration of the obtained genetic data with ampelographic ones is very important for accurate identification of the SEE cultivars and provides a significant tool in cultivar preservation and utilization.
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