Costs Associated with Malaria in Pregnancy in the Brazilian Amazon, a Low Endemic Area Where Plasmodium vivax Predominates.

BACKGROUND: Information on costs associated with malaria in pregnancy (MiP) in low transmission areas where Plasmodium vivax predominates is so far missing. This study estimates health system and patient costs of MiP in the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Between January 2011 and March 2012 patient costs for the treatment of MiP were collected through an exit survey at a tertiary referral hospital and at a primary health care centre in the Manaus metropolitan area, Amazonas state. Pregnant and post-partum women diagnosed with malaria were interviewed after an outpatient consultation or at discharge after admission. Seventy-three interviews were included in the analysis. Ninety-six percent of episodes were due to P. vivax and 4% to Plasmodium falciparum. In 2010, the total median costs from the patient perspective were estimated at US $45.91 and US$216.29 for an outpatient consultation and an admission, respectively. When multiple P. vivax infections during the same pregnancy were considered, patient costs increased up to US $335.85, representing the costs of an admission plus an outpatient consultation. Provider direct and overhead cost data were obtained from several sources. The provider cost associated with an outpatient case, which includes several consultations at the tertiary hospital was US$103.51 for a P. vivax malaria episode and US $83.59 for a P. falciparum malaria episode. The cost of an inpatient day and average admission of 3 days was US$118.51 and US $355.53, respectively. Total provider costs for the diagnosis and treatment of all malaria cases reported in pregnant women in Manaus in 2010 (N = 364) were US$17,038.50, of which 92.4% (US$ 15,741.14) due to P. vivax infection. CONCLUSION: Despite being an area of low risk malaria transmission, MiP is responsible for a significant economic burden in Manaus. Especially when multiple infections are considered, costs associated with P. vivax are higher than costs associated with P. falciparum. The information generated may help health policy decisions for the current control and future elimination of malaria in the area

Stochastic Quantization of Scalar Fields in de Sitter Spacetime

We consider the stochastic quantization method for scalar fields defined in a curved manifold. The two-point function associated to a massive self-interacting scalar field is evaluated, up to the first order level in the coupling constant $\lambda$, for the case of de Sitter Euclidean metric. Its value for the asymptotic limit of the Markov parameter $\tau\to\infty$ is exhibited. We discuss in detail the covariant stochastic regularization to render the one-loop two-point function finite in the de Sitter Euclidean metric

Floresta de precisão: determinação da evapotranspiração regional em plantio de eucalipto utilizando o algoritmo SEBAL e o sensor orbital TM-LANDSAT 5.

SEBAL - "Surface Energy Balances Algorithms for Land" - é um algoritmo o qual cria mapas de evapotranspiração para grandes áreas. O SEBAL é processado por meio de passos computacionais que calculam o balanço completo de radiação solar e de energia para superfície da Terra. Ele usa imagens coletadas pelo sensor TM Landsat ou outro sensor que colete comprimentos de ondas na região do infravermelho refletivo e termal. O presente trabalho foi desenvolvido para estimar os componentes do balanço de energia na superfície (fluxo de calor sensível, fluxo de calor no solo fluxo de calor latente), determinar evapotranspiração instantânea (horária) na área de estudo por meio do uso do algoritmo SEBAL utilizando de ferramentas de sensoriamento remoto para uma imagem considerando o terreno em condições de relevo plano e montanhoso. Na área de estudo foi obtido uma cena do sensor TM Landsat 5, para data de 20/06/2003

Decision and function problems based on boson sampling

Boson sampling is a mathematical problem that is strongly believed to be intractable for classical computers, whereas passive linear interferometers can produce samples efficiently. So far, the problem remains a computational curiosity, and the possible usefulness of boson-sampling devices is mainly limited to the proof of quantum supremacy. The purpose of this work is to investigate whether boson sampling can be used as a resource of decision and function problems that are computationally hard, and may thus have cryptographic applications. After the definition of a rather general theoretical framework for the design of such problems, we discuss their solution by means of a brute-force numerical approach, as well as by means of non-boson samplers. Moreover, we estimate the sample sizes required for their solution by passive linear interferometers, and it is shown that they are independent of the size of the Hilbert space.Comment: Close to the version published in PR

Comportamento de linhagens e cultivares de algodoeiro no Cerrado do Mato Grosso: resultados da safra 2003/2004.

bitstream/CNPA/19682/1/COMTEC238.pd

Investigating whether adverse prenatal and perinatal events are associated with non-clinical psychotic symptoms at age 12 years in the ALSPAC birth cohort

Background. Non-clinical psychosis-like symptoms (PLIKS) occur in about 15% of the population. It is not clear whether adverse events during early development alter the risk of developing PLIKS. We aimed to examine whether maternal infection, diabetes or pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, gestational age, perinatal cardiopulmonary resuscitation or 5-min Apgar score were associated with development of psychotic symptoms during early adolescence. Method. A longitudinal study of 6356 12-year-old adolescents who completed a semi-structured interview for psychotic symptoms in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort. Prenatal and perinatal data were obtained from obstetric records and maternal questionnaires completed during pregnancy. Results. The presence of definite psychotic symptoms was associated with maternal infection during pregnancy [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–1.86, p=0.006], maternal diabetes (adjusted OR 3.43, 95% CI 1.14–10.36, p=0.029), need for resuscitation (adjusted OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.97–2.31, p=0.065) and 5-min Apgar score (adjusted OR per unit decrease 1.30, 95% CI 1.12–1.50, p<0.001). None of these associations were mediated by childhood IQ score. Most associations persisted, but were less strong, when including suspected symptoms as part of the outcome. There was no association between PLIKS and gestational age or pre-eclampsia. Conclusions. Adverse events during early development may lead to an increased risk of developing PLIKS. Although the status of PLIKS in relation to clinical disorders such as schizophrenia is not clear, the similarity between these results and findings reported for schizophrenia indicates that future studies of PLIKS may help us to understand how psychotic experiences and clinical disorders develop throughout the life-course

Seleção de fungos entomopatogênicos para o controle de Dactylopius opuntiae Cockerel (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) no Semi-Árido nordestino.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi selecionar fungos entomopatogênicos para controle de ninfas migrantes de Dactylopius opuntiae