295 research outputs found
La calidad de vida oral en un grupo de adultos mayores de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia
Antecedentes/Objetivos: La transición demográfica que se presenta en la última década implica un esfuerzo para los profesionales de la salud bucal en conocer como es el comportamiento de los pacientes mayores de 65 años y en especial la comprensión de los impactos que se generan a nivel de su Calidad de Vida Oral-CVO. Muchos estudios se plantean hoy para el análisis en estas dimensiones subjetivas que resumen el vínculo estrecho entre la salud oral y general del paciente mayor, sin embargo, nuestro objetivo es conocer el impacto de las condiciones bucales en la calidad de vida de un grupo de pacientes mayores que frecuentan la red pública hospitalaria en la ciudad de Medellín. Métodos: Estudio de corte trasversal con muestreo aleatorio de 2 etapas en unidades hospitalarias y centros de salud de la red de salud pública “METROSALUD”. La muestra incluyó 352 adultos ≥ 65 años quienes se sometieron a un examen bucal y una encuesta estructurada. Se analizaron las características socio-demográficas y se aplicó el Índice de Calidad de Vida Oral en Geriatría –GOHAI con análisis por separado para los hombres (H) y mujeres (M). Resultados: Siendo enfocada la atención pública de la red hospitalaria principalmente para usuarios de niveles socioeconómico medio-bajo, los hallazgos ratifican que el 84% de los mayores viven particularmente en este entorno. Los indicadores muestran un CAOD de 23,8; IC95%: 22,7-24,8 (H: 23,3; IC95% 21,8-24,8 y M: 24,3; IC95% 23,0-25,6) y una tendencia del GOHAI hacia niveles bajos en el 67,9% de los entrevistados (M: 68,9%, M: 67,3%) con diferencias estadísticamente significativas según el sexo. Un indicador GOHAI de 44,42 (IC95%) en CVO indica una interpretación negativa del índice, sin embargo, estudios realizados con una metodología similar en países como Brasil (GOHAI: 33,8-CAOD: 26,7) y Arabia Saudí (GOHAI: 32,1-CAOD: 20,7), reportan valores muy negativos respecto a los encontrados en nuestro estudio. La Calidad de Vida Oral de los pacientes mayores de la ciudad de Medellín, se aproxima a niveles de comunidades estudiadas en China (GOHAI: 48,9-CAOD: 18,8), Malasia (GOHAI: 46,2-CAOD: 20,2) e incluso Francia (GOHAI: 46). Conclusiones: La calidad de vida oral con niveles bajos en la población adulta mayor de la ESE Metrosalud de Medellín, se ve impactada negativamente según los resultados asociados al estado de la dentición. Se plantea el análisis de las dimensiones de malestar psicológico, dolor físico y limitación funcional y la oportunidad para priorizar con estrategias que fortalezcan la Atención Primaria
Opportunities for Conservation Agriculture in the EU Common Agricultural Policy 2014-2020
In the past, many relevant European Union (EU) documents made reference to the environmental problems caused by agriculture. In those papers, the concept of Conservation Agriculture (CA) as a possible solution was either omitted or timidly named, although sustainable agriculture was proclaimed as an objective of the EU in the Amsterdam treaty in 1999. EU’s position regarding several worldwide environmental problems, i.e. climate change, water and soil threats, is well known. However, to which extent these positions will be reflected in EU agricultural and environmental policies and concrete and binding measures in all member states for the period of 2014-2020 is still an open question.
Through its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) EU claims to address the main concerns of its agriculture and rural development. In this context, EU launched a Communication (COM (2010) 672 final) named “The CAP towards 2020. Meeting the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future”. Based on this paper we analyse the deliverables that CA could provide to achieve the overall objectives established for the CAP in the horizon 2014-2020
Artificial neural network algorithm for online glucose prediction from continuous glucose monitoring.
Background and Aims: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices could be useful for real-time management of diabetes therapy. In particular, CGM information could be used in real time to predict future glucose levels in order to prevent hypo-/hyperglycemic events. This article proposes a new online method for predicting future glucose concentration levels from CGM data.
Methods: The predictor is implemented with an artificial neural network model (NNM). The inputs of the NNM are the values provided by the CGM sensor during the preceding 20 min, while the output is the prediction of glucose concentration at the chosen prediction horizon (PH) time. The method performance is assessed using datasets from two different CGM systems (nine subjects using the Medtronic [Northridge, CA] Guardian® and six subjects using the Abbott [Abbott Park, IL] Navigator®). Three different PHs are used: 15, 30, and 45 min. The NNM accuracy has been estimated by using the root mean square error (RMSE) and prediction delay.
Results: The RMSE is around 10, 18, and 27 mg/dL for 15, 30, and 45 min of PH, respectively. The prediction delay is around 4, 9, and 14 min for upward trends and 5, 15, and 26 min for downward trends, respectively. A comparison with a previously published technique, based on an autoregressive model (ARM), has been performed. The comparison shows that the proposed NNM is more accurate than the ARM, with no significant deterioration in the prediction delay
Radiation from accelerated particles in relativistic jets with shocks, shear-flow, and reconnection
We have investigated particle acceleration and shock structure associated
with an unmagnetized relativistic jet propagating into an unmagnetized plasma.
Strong magnetic fields generated in the trailing jet shock lead to transverse
deflection and acceleration of the electrons. We have self-consistently
calculated the radiation from the electrons accelerated in the turbulent
magnetic fields. We find that the synthetic spectra depend on the bulk Lorentz
factor of the jet, the jet temperature, and the strength of the magnetic fields
generated in the shock. We have also begun study of electron acceleration in
the strong magnetic fields generated by kinetic shear (Kelvin-Helmholtz)
instabilities. Our calculated spectra should lead to a better understanding of
the complex time evolution and/or spectral structure from gamma-ray bursts,
relativistic jets, and supernova remnants.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 2012 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C12102
Semi-Classical Mechanics in Phase Space: The Quantum Target of Minimal Strings
The target space of minimal strings is embedded into the
phase space of an associated integrable classical mechanical model. This map is
derived from the matrix model representation of minimal strings. Quantum
effects on the target space are obtained from the semiclassical mechanics in
phase space as described by the Wigner function. In the classical limit the
target space is a fold catastrophe of the Wigner function that is smoothed out
by quantum effects. Double scaling limit is obtained by resolving the
singularity of the Wigner function. The quantization rules for backgrounds with
ZZ branes are also derived.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figure
El acceso a los servicios de salud bucodental para la población adulta mayor en la red hospitalaria pública de Medellín (Colombia)
Antecedentes/Objetivos: La población adulta mayor es un grupo poblacional significativo teniendo en cuenta los cambios demográficos de las últimas décadas. En el país y en la ciudad de Medellín, este grupo presenta alta vulnerabilidad social, así mismo se observan necesidades en salud bucal, descritas en los estudios nacionales y regionales en el tema. Aunque se han realizado investigaciones que tratan de identificar determinantes que afectan el acceso y la utilización de los servicios de salud, los estudios en salud bucal son más escasos y en especial en la población adulta mayor. Objetivo: identificar barreras y facilitadores de acceso a los servicios de salud bucal en población adulta mayor atendida en la red hospitalaria pública de Medellín desde la perspectiva del personal de salud. Métodos: Estudio cualitativo. Se realizaron 34 entrevistas semiestructuradas en personal que presta servicios de salud en la red Metrosalud de Medellín. Se identificaron barreras y facilitadores según el modelo de Tanahashi sobre cobertura en los servicios de salud a través de 4 categorías: disponibilidad (D), accesibilidad (A), aceptabilidad (P) y contacto con el servicio (C). Se utilizó la herramienta informática AtlasTi. Resultados: Se identificaron barreras relacionadas con: dificultades en la implementación de políticas sociales debido a que la salud bucal no es una prioridad; se han priorizado otras poblaciones para dar atención en salud bucal y existe insuficiente recurso humano para prestar los servicios de salud (D); la situación de discapacidad de los adultos mayores (A); aspectos educativos, culturales y de género (P); y la crisis del sector salud como una barrera estructural del sistema (C). En cuanto a los facilitadores se mencionan: la existencia de programas que facilitan la demanda inducida a programas de salud bucal y de mecanismos para hacer valer los derechos en salud a través de instancias gubernamentales y otras (D); la ubicación de las unidades y centros de salud en zonas de fácil acceso (A); la capacidad de los profesionales para atender esta población (P) y la articulación de la odontología con otras áreas (C). Conclusiones: Se identificaron determinantes que afectan el acceso a servicios sanitarios en la población adulta mayor, por lo que se requieren estrategias para mejorar la calidad de la atención en salud bucal en este grupo socialmente vulnerable.E.S.E Metrosalud. Medellín (Código: C02-E11-L3-01)
Effect of dried distillers grains (DDGS) on diet digestibility, growth performance, and carcass characteristics in Creole wool lambs fed finishing diets
Dried corn distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) can partially replace grains and forages in diets for ruminants. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of replacing grains and soybean meal with DDGS (0%, 15%, 30% and 45%) in the diet of lambs. Thirty-two native lambs were used (initial bodyweight = 28.6 ± 2.19 kg) in a completely randomized design. Initial body weight was a co-variable, and the means were compared with the Tukey test. The dry matter intake was significantly higher in DDGS containing diet than in the control treatment. The daily weight gain was higher in the diets with 15% of DDGS compared with the control. Dry matter digestibility was lower by 7% with 45% of DDGS. The hot and cold carcass weights were significantly higher by 8% in DDGS treatments compared to the control. The inclusion of increasing levels of DDGS in the diet of fattening lambs increased their dry matter intake, improved carcass weight, and did not adversely affect carcass characteristics.Keywords: Carcass, by-products, animal production, ruminant nutritio
Tracking Quintessence and Cold Dark Matter Candidates
We study the generation of a kination-dominated phase in the context of a
quintessential model with an inverse-power-law potential and a Hubble-induced
mass term for the quintessence field. The presence of kination is associated
with an oscillating evolution of the quintessence field and the barotropic
index. We find that, in sizeable regions of the parameter space, a tracker
scaling solution can be reached sufficiently early to alleviate the coincidence
problem. Other observational constraints originating from nucleosynthesis, the
inflationary scale, the present acceleration of the universe and the
dark-energy-density parameter can be also met. The impact of this modified
kination-dominated phase on the thermal abundance of cold dark matter
candidates is investigated too. We find that: (i) the enhancement of the relic
abundance of the WIMPs with respect to the standard paradigm, crucially depends
on the hierarchy between the freeze-out temperature and the temperature at
which the extrema in the evolution of the quintessence field are encountered,
and (ii) the relic abundance of e-WIMPs takes its present value close to the
temperature at which the earliest extremum of the evolution of the quintessence
field occurs and, as a consequence, both gravitinos and axinos arise as natural
cold dark matter candidates. In the case of unstable gravitinos, the gravitino
constraint can be satisfied for values of the initial temperature well above
those required in the standard cosmology.Comment: Final versio
On exact solutions for quintessential (inflationary) cosmological models with exponential potentials
We first study dark energy models with a minimally-coupled scalar field and
exponential potentials, admitting exact solutions for the cosmological
equations: actually, it turns out that for this class of potentials the
Einstein field equations exhibit alternative Lagrangians, and are completely
integrable and separable (i.e. it is possible to integrate the system
analytically, at least by quadratures). We analyze such solutions, especially
discussing when they are compatible with a late time quintessential expansion
of the universe. As a further issue, we discuss how such quintessential scalar
fields can be connected to the inflationary phase, building up, for this class
of potentials, a quintessential inflationary scenario: actually, it turns out
that the transition from inflation toward late-time exponential quintessential
tail admits a kination period, which is an indispensable ingredient of this
kind of theoretical models. All such considerations have also been done by
including radiation into the model.Comment: Revtex4, 10 figure
Chameleonic Generalized Brans--Dicke model and late-time acceleration
In this paper we consider Chameleonic Generalized Brans--Dicke Cosmology in
the framework of FRW universes. The bouncing solution and phantom crossing is
investigated for the model. Two independent cosmological tests: Cosmological
Redshift Drift (CRD) and distance modulus are applied to test the model with
the observation.Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures, to be published in Astrophys. Space Sci. (2011
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