Pure O-sequences and matroid h-vectors

We study Stanley's long-standing conjecture that the h-vectors of matroid simplicial complexes are pure O-sequences. Our method consists of a new and more abstract approach, which shifts the focus from working on constructing suitable artinian level monomial ideals, as often done in the past, to the study of properties of pure O-sequences. We propose a conjecture on pure O-sequences and settle it in small socle degrees. This allows us to prove Stanley's conjecture for all matroids of rank 3. At the end of the paper, using our method, we discuss a first possible approach to Stanley's conjecture in full generality. Our technical work on pure O-sequences also uses very recent results of the third author and collaborators.Comment: Contains several changes/updates with respect to the previous version. In particular, a discussion of a possible approach to the general case is included at the end. 13 pages. To appear in the Annals of Combinatoric

Ultra high level liquid argon purification using electron emission from a tip array

Abstract An array of 148 sharp tips was used to inject large quantities of free electrons in liquid argon and to purify it at a level · 0.09 ppb in few hours. We also evaluated the gettering capability of the stainless steel surface and measured the I–V characteristic of the array

Mental health, gender and elderly in the nursing home

Este trabalho teve como escopo investigar como a velhice é vivenciada, de forma “gendrada”, por homens e mulheres em uma instituição geriátrica e sua relação com a saúde mental. Foram realizadas 18 entrevistas, baseadas em um questionário semi-estruturado (9 com homens, 9 com mulheres). A análise das falas mostrou como as relações de gênero alicerçam as vivências das idosas e dos idosos institucionalizados, implicando em importantes diferenças e especificidades de sofrimento psíquico. Os resultados sugerem a importância de se levar em consideração os valores de gênero na formulação de políticas públicas de saúde mental para essa população. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe scope of the present study is to investigate how aging is experienced in a gendered way, by men and women in a nursing home and its relation to mental health. 18 interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire (9 with men, 9 with women) were performed. The analysis of the speeches showed how gender relations underpin the experiences of the institutionalized elderly (women and men), implying important differences and specificities of psychological distress. The results suggest the importance of taking into account the values of gender in the formulation of public policies on mental health for this population

Mechanical Stress and Antioxidant Protection in the Retina of Hindlimb Suspended Rats

It has been postulated that hindlimb suspension (HS) causes a cephalad fluid shift in quadrupeds similar to that occurring to humans in microgravity. Therefore, HS may provide a suitable animal model in which to recapitulate the ocular changes observed in the human Visual Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) syndrome. This work reports preliminary results from a tissue sharing project using 34 week-old Brown Norway rats. Two different experiments compared normal posture controls and HS rats for 2 weeks and rats exposed to HS for 2 weeks but allowed to recover in normal posture for 2 additional weeks. The effects of two nutritional countermeasures, green tea extract (GT) and plant polyphenol resveratrol (Rv), were also evaluated. Green tea contains the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). qPCR gene expression analysis of selected targets was performed on RNA from isolated retinas, and histologic analysis was done on one fixed eye per rat. The transcription factor early growth response protein 1 (Egr1) was upregulated almost 2-fold in HS retinas relative to controls (P = 0.059), and its expression returned to control levels after 2 weeks of recovery in normal posture (P = 0.023). HS-induced upregulation of Egr1 was attenuated (but not significantly) in retinas from rats fed an antioxidant rich (GT extract) diet. In rats fed the GT-enriched diet, antioxidant enzymes were induced, evidenced by the upregulation of the gene heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) (P = 0.042) and the gene superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) (P = 0.0001). Egr1 is a stretch-activated transcription factor, and the Egr1 mechanosensitive response to HS may have been caused by a change in the translaminal pressure and/or mechanical deformation of the eye globe. The observed histologic measurements of the various retinal layers in the HS rats were lower in value than those of the control animal (n = 1), however insufficient data were available for statistical analysis. Aquaporin 4, a water-selective channel involved in interstitial fluid homeostasis, showed an upregulated trend in HS retinas; however, these results are preliminary. Total retinal thickness increased significantly (P = 0.049) in HS rats fed a resveratrol enriched diet compared to HS rats on a normal diet. This change appeared to be reversed during the 2 weeks of recovery post HS, but no differences in retina thickness were observed between HS animals and HS recovered animals when both groups consumed a normal diet. The reversibility of the increase in retinal thickness induced by resveratrol during HS may therefore reflect an interaction between the stress provoked by HS and the cytoprotective mechanisms elicited by resveratro

Measuring parents’ perspective on continuity of care in children with special health care needs

INTRODUCTION: Children with special health care needs are an exponentially growing population needing integrated health care programmes that involve primary, community, hospital and tertiary care services. The aims of the study are (1) to develop and validate the Special Needs Kids Questionnaire (SpeNK-Q) designed to measure parents' perspective on continuity of care for children with special health care needs and (2) to evaluate the continuity of care based on parental experiences in this population. METHODS: SpeNK-Q was derived from a previous qualitative study and was based on Haggerty's constructs of informational, management and relational continuity. Parents of preterm birth children completed the 20-item SpeNK-Q at the second or subsequent planned follow-up visit after the child's hospital discharge. Principal component analysis was used to examine the structure of the instrument. RESULTS: Principal component analysis of 101 questionnaires administered allowed us to identify five factors explaining 60.2% of item variance: informational continuity; coordination of care; continuity of family-paediatrician relationship; family support; information on care plan. CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSION: SpeNK-Q proved to be a psychometrically promising instrument. Its utilisation could improve the identification of areas for service development, the delivery of coordinated care and support policy makers in redesigning integrated services

The ATLAS Barrel Level-1 Muon Trigger Calibration

The ATLAS experiment uses a system of three concentric Resistive Plate Chambers detectors layers for the level-1 muon trigger in the air-core barrel toroid region. The trigger classifies muons within different programmable transverse momentum ranges, and tags the identified tracks with the corresponding bunch crossing number. The algorithm looks for hit coincidences within different detector layers inside the programmed geometrical road which defines the transverse momentum cut. The on-detector electronics providing the trigger and detector readout functionalities collects input signals coming from the RPC front-end. Because of the different time-of-flights and cables and optical fibres lengths, signals have to be adjusted in time in order to be correctly aligned before being processed. Programmable delay logics are provided in the trigger and readout system to allow for time adjustment, for hit signals as well as for LHC Timing, Trigger and Control signals. The trigger calibration provides the set of numbers used during electronics initialization for correctly aligning signals inside the trigger and readout system. The functionality scheme and the algorithm of the calibration are presented

A novel experimental approach for the detection of the dynamic Casimir effect

The Casimir effect is a well-known macroscopic consequence of quantum vacuum fluctuations, but whereas the static effect (Casimir force) has long been observed experimentally, the dynamic Casimir effect is up to now undetected. From an experimental viewpoint a possible detection would imply the vibration of a mirror at gigahertz frequencies. Mechanical motions at such frequencies turn out to be technically unfeasible. Here we present a different experimental scheme where mechanical motions are avoided, and the results of laboratory tests showing that the scheme is practically feasible. We think that at present this approach gives the only possibility of detecting this phenomenon.Comment: Submitted to the Physical Review Letters. RevTeX. 4 pages, 2 figure

Brain Gene Expression Signatures From Cerebrospinal Fluid Exosome RNA Profiling

While the Visual Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) syndrome observations have focused on ocular symptoms, spaceflight has been also associated with a number of other performance and neurologic signs, such as headaches, cognitive changes, vertigo, nausea, sleep/circadian disruption and mood alterations, which, albeit likely multifactorial, can also result from elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP). We therefore hypothesize that these various symptoms are caused by disturbances in the neurophysiology of the brain structures and are correlated with molecular markers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as indicators of neurophysiological changes. Exosomes are 30-200 nm microvesicles shed into all biofluids, including blood, urine, and CSF, carrying a highly rich source of intact protein and RNA cargo. Exosomes have been identified in human CSF, and their proteome and RNA pool is a potential new reservoir for biomarker discovery in neurological disorders. The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in brain gene expression via exosome analysis in patients suffering from ICP elevation of varied severity (idiopathic intracranial hypertension -IIH), a condition which shares some of the neuroophthalmological features of VIIP, as a first step toward obtaining evidence suggesting that cognitive function and ICP levels can be correlated with biomarkers in the CSF. Our preliminary work, reported last year, validated the exosomal technology applicable to CSF analysis and demonstrated that it was possible to obtain gene expression evidence of inflammation processes in traumatic brain injury patients. We are now recruiting patients with suspected IIH requiring lumbar puncture at Baylor College of Medicine. Both CSF (5 ml) and human plasma (10 ml) are being collected in order to compare the pattern of differentially expressed genes observed in CSF and in blood. Since blood is much more accessible than CSF, we would like to determine whether plasma biomarkers for elevated ICP can be identified. This may eventually lead to a blood test to diagnose intracranial hypertension

Salud mental, género y violencia estructural

Transtornos de ansiedade e depressão são diagnósticos frequentes no mundo ocidental. Autores os definem como transtornos mentais comuns e pesquisas têm apontado alta correlação entre seu aparecimento e condições socioeconômicas tais como gênero, pobreza e baixa escolaridade, dentre outras. O presente artigo fez uma análise dos sintomas e diagnósticos encontrados em prontuários de pacientes homens e mulheres de dois grandes hospitais psiquiátricos do Distrito Federal. Foram analisados 72 prontuários masculinos e 165 femininos. A frequência dos sintomas foi contabilizada da mesma maneira que os diagnósticos. Observou-se que 27,5% dos diagnósticos masculinos e 59,6% dos femininos podem ser considerados transtornos mentais comuns. Além disso, o perfil biométrico levantado aponta para a prevalência de mulheres, negras, pobres e domésticas como usuárias destes serviços. Discussão: questiona-se se tais diagnósticos apontam para um quadro médico ou se o que está ocorrendo é uma medicalização de mazelas sociais. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTAnxiety disorders and depression are common diagnoses in the Western world. Authors define them as common mental disorders, and researches have indicated a high correlation between their appearance and socioeconomic conditions, such as gender, poverty and low education level, amongst others. This paper analyzed the symptoms and diagnoses found in medical records of male and female patients from two large psychiatric hospitals in the Federal District of Brazil. We examined 72 male records and 165 female records. The frequency of the symptoms wasregistered, as well asthe diagnoses. It was observed that 27.5% ofmale and 59.6% of female diagnosesmay be considered as commonmental disorders. Furthermore,the biometric profile showsthe prevalence of maidservant, poor, black women as the main users of such services. This paper questions if such diagnoses point clinical conditions or a medicalization of social issues has occurred. _________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMENTrastornos de ansiedad y depresión son diagnósticos frecuentes en el mundo occidental. Autores los definen como trastornos mentales comunes y las investigaciones han demostrado alta correlación entre su aparecimiento y condiciones socioeconómicas, tales como género, pobreza y baja escolaridad, entre otras. El presente artículo hizo un análisis de los síntomas y diagnósticos encontrados en los historiales de pacientes hombres y mujeres de dos grandes hospitales psiquiátricos del Distrito Federal. Fueron analizados 72 historiales masculinos y 165 femeninos. La frecuencia de los síntomas fue contabilizada de la misma manera que los diagnósticos. Se Observó que el 27,5% de los diagnósticos masculinos y el 59,6% de los femeninos pueden ser considerados trastornos mentales comunes. Además, el perfil biométrico planteado señala la prevalencia de mujeres, negras, pobres y empleadas domésticas como las usuarias de estos servicios. Discusión: se cuestiona si dichos diagnósticos señalan hacia un cuadro médico o si lo que está ocurriendo es una medicación de enfermedades sociales

Asilo de ancianos como una institución totalitaria : género y salud mental

Uma alternativa para se viver a velhice em nossa cultura é a instituição geriátrica. A presente pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar os sentidos vivenciados por idosos e idosas em relação à instituição geriátrica e à internação. Para tanto, foi realizado um estudo etnográfico em uma dessas instituições, no Distrito Federal, durante oito meses, com visitas semanais de três horas. Posteriormente, foram realizadas 18 entrevistas (nove idosos e nove idosas), as quais foram submetidas a uma análise hermenêutica. Os sentidos vivenciados por idosos e idosas internos apontaram para características típicas daquelas relatadas em uma instituição totalitária. No entanto, houve diferenças de gênero no modo de lidar com essas vivências, bem como em seu impacto na saúde mental.A living alternative to old age in our culture is the nursing home. This research aimed to investigate the senses experienced by elderly in relation to geriatric institution and admission. It was conducted an ethnographic study in one of these institutions in the Federal District, for eight months, with weekly visits of three hours. Later, 18 interviews were conducted (nine men and nine women), which were submitted to hermeneutic analysis. The senses experienced by internal pointed to features typical of those reported in a totalitarian institution. However, there were gender differences in how to deal with these experiences, as well as their impact on mental health.Una alternativa para vivir la vejez en nuestra cultura es la institución geriátrica. Esa investigación tuvo como objetivo investigar las experiencias de ancianos mayores en relación con la instituciones institución y a la internación. Por lo tanto, se ha hecho un estudio etnográfico en una de esas instituciones del Distrito Federal, por cerca de ocho meses, con visitas semanales de tres horas. Más tarde, se han hecho 18 entrevistas (nueve ancianas y nueve ancianos), las cuales fueron sometidas al análisis hermenéutico. Los sentidos vividos por ancianos y ancianas internados apuntaron a características típicas de una institución totalitaria. Sin embargo, hubo diferencias de género en la manera de vivir esas experiencia, así como su impacto en la salud mental