On the Persson-Strang’s Identity for the Legendre Polynomials

We show an alternative proof of an identity given by Persson-Strang for the well known Legendre polynomials.&nbsp

Increase in childhood asthma admissions in an urbanising population

Objective. In South Africa, rapid urbanisation has increased the risk of childhood asthma. This report reviews the pattern of asthma admissions to the Paediatric Department of Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, South Africa, from 1986 to 1996. Design. Inpatient admission data were reviewed for 1986- 1996. A detailed analysis of the records of asthma patients admitted between 1992 and 1996 was done. Outpatient data were reviewed from 1992.Setting. Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, situated on the border of the Gauteng and orth West provinces of South Africa and serving a large black population in various stages of urbanisation.Main outcome measures. Trends in admission numbers and demographic characteristics.Results. Asthma admissions were 2.5 times higher in 1996 than 1986. The greatest increase in admissions was in the 1 - 47-month age group. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. More patients came from urban than from rural areas. Admissions peaked during the summer. Re-admissions occurred most frequently within 3 months of the first admission.Conclusion. Paediatric asthma admissions have shown an increase in the past decade. This may be associated with changes in the environment of the community. There is a need for preventive programmes for asthma at community and national level

Pharmaceutical training throug the model of Problem-Based Learning

El modelo de enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante problemas de la práctica profesional, conocido internacionalmente como Problems Based Learning (PBL) está siendo introducido con éxito en universidades europeas y norteamericanas. Este modelo educativo ha tenido un especial desarrollo en el plan de estudios de la licenciatura en Farmacia (Química Farmacéutica Biológica) de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco de México, donde se tiene una experiencia positiva de 25 años, denominándosele enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante Objetos de Transformación o enseñanza modular.The pattern teaching-learning through the professional practice problems is widely known as Problem-Based Learning (PBL). European and American universities have introduced it with success. During the last 25 years the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana. Xochimilco in Mexico, in Chemical Biological Pharmaceutical Degree studies, has developed this pattern so called Teaching-Learning through the Transformation of Objectives (Problems Based-Learning) or Learning by modules, obtaining positive results and experience

La fomación farmacéutica mediante el modelo de enseñanza-aprendizaje por Objetos de Transformación (Problem-Based Learning)

El modelo de enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante problemas de la práctica profesional, conocido internacionalmentecomo Problems Based Learning (PBL) está siendo introducido con éxito en universidades europeas y norteamericanas.Este modelo educativo ha tenido un especial desarrollo en el plan de estudios de la licenciatura en Farmacia(Química Farmacéutica Biológica) de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco de México, donde se tieneuna experiencia positiva de 25 años, denominándosele enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante Objetos de Transformacióno enseñanza modular

La fomación farmacéutica mediante el modelo de enseñanza-aprendizaje por Objetos de Transformación (Problem-Based Learning)

El modelo de enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante problemas de la práctica profesional, conocido internacionalmentecomo Problems Based Learning (PBL) está siendo introducido con éxito en universidades europeas y norteamericanas.Este modelo educativo ha tenido un especial desarrollo en el plan de estudios de la licenciatura en Farmacia(Química Farmacéutica Biológica) de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco de México, donde se tieneuna experiencia positiva de 25 años, denominándosele enseñanza-aprendizaje mediante Objetos de Transformacióno enseñanza modular

An accurate multiple sclerosis detection model based on exemplar multiple parameters local phase quantization: ExMPLPQ

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating condition characterized by plaques in the white matter of the central nervous system that can be detected using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Many deep learning models for automated MS detection based on MRI have been presented in the literature. We developed a computationally lightweight machine learning model for MS diagnosis using a novel handcrafted feature engineering approach. The study dataset comprised axial and sagittal brain MRI images that were prospectively acquired from 72 MS and 59 healthy subjects who attended the Ozal University Medical Faculty in 2021. The dataset was divided into three study subsets: axial images only (n = 1652), sagittal images only (n = 1775), and combined axial and sagittal images (n = 3427) of both MS and healthy classes. All images were resized to 224 × 224. Subsequently, the features were generated with a fixed-size patch-based (exemplar) feature extraction model based on local phase quantization (LPQ) with three-parameter settings. The resulting exemplar multiple parameters LPQ (ExMPLPQ) features were concatenated to form a large final feature vector. The top discriminative features were selected using iterative neighborhood component analysis (INCA). Finally, a k-nearest neighbor (kNN) algorithm, Fine kNN, was deployed to perform binary classification of the brain images into MS vs. healthy classes. The ExMPLPQ-based model attained 98.37%, 97.75%, and 98.22% binary classification accuracy rates for axial, sagittal, and hybrid datasets, respectively, using Fine kNN with 10-fold cross-validation. Furthermore, our model outperformed 19 established pre-trained deep learning models that were trained and tested with the same data. Unlike deep models, the ExMPLPQ-based model is computationally lightweight yet highly accurate. It has the potential to be implemented as an automated diagnostic tool to screen brain MRIs for white matter lesions in suspected MS patients

Evaluación preclínica de la actividad antiinflamatoria de un gel con aceite de árbol de té

Objective: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of a semi-solid Tea Tree Oil (TTO) form at 2 % and 2,5% concentrations for treating periodontal disease. Method: A preclinical test in a sample of 30 mice with ear edema induced by croton oil was divided into two groups to compare treatment with Indomethacin and Diclofenac. Results: TTO at 2,5 % concentration showed a higher inhibition activity of inflammation (54,74 %) than TTO at 2 % (51,21 %). Statistical analysis showed no significative differences between treatment combinations (p>0,05). Conclusions: The tea tree oil in semi-solid form, applied in 2 - 2,5 % concentration in this preclinical study, showed consistent anti-inflammatory activity.Objetivo: Evaluar la actividad antiinflamatoria de una formulación semisólida que contiene Aceite de Árbol de Té (AAT), a dos concentraciones (2 % y 2,5 %), para futuro tratamiento de enfermedad periodontal. Método: Prueba preclínica de edema auricular por aceite de crotón, con una muestra de 30 ratones, para ser comparados con Indometacina y Diclofenaco. Resultados: La concentración al 2 % mostró un 51,21 % de inhibición de la actividad inflamatoria, mientras que para la concentración del 2,5 %, fue de 54,74 %. Las pruebas estadísticas para conocer la eficacia de los tratamientos demostraron que no existen diferencias significativas entre las combinaciones de tratamientos, indicando que todos tratamientos son similares (p>0,05). Conclusiones: Los resultados de este estudio demuestran que la forma semi solida de AAT, en los estudios preclínicos en la fase de ensayos in vivo con animales no humanos demostró poseer una actividad antiinflamatoria

Extended Thromboprophylaxis with Betrixaban in Acutely Ill Medical Patients

Background Patients with acute medical illnesses are at prolonged risk for venous thrombosis. However, the appropriate duration of thromboprophylaxis remains unknown. Methods Patients who were hospitalized for acute medical illnesses were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous enoxaparin (at a dose of 40 mg once daily) for 10±4 days plus oral betrixaban placebo for 35 to 42 days or subcutaneous enoxaparin placebo for 10±4 days plus oral betrixaban (at a dose of 80 mg once daily) for 35 to 42 days. We performed sequential analyses in three prespecified, progressively inclusive cohorts: patients with an elevated d-dimer level (cohort 1), patients with an elevated d-dimer level or an age of at least 75 years (cohort 2), and all the enrolled patients (overall population cohort). The statistical analysis plan specified that if the between-group difference in any analysis in this sequence was not significant, the other analyses would be considered exploratory. The primary efficacy outcome was a composite of asymptomatic proximal deep-vein thrombosis and symptomatic venous thromboembolism. The principal safety outcome was major bleeding. Results A total of 7513 patients underwent randomization. In cohort 1, the primary efficacy outcome occurred in 6.9% of patients receiving betrixaban and 8.5% receiving enoxaparin (relative risk in the betrixaban group, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65 to 1.00; P=0.054). The rates were 5.6% and 7.1%, respectively (relative risk, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.98; P=0.03) in cohort 2 and 5.3% and 7.0% (relative risk, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.92; P=0.006) in the overall population. (The last two analyses were considered to be exploratory owing to the result in cohort 1.) In the overall population, major bleeding occurred in 0.7% of the betrixaban group and 0.6% of the enoxaparin group (relative risk, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.67 to 2.12; P=0.55). Conclusions Among acutely ill medical patients with an elevated d-dimer level, there was no significant difference between extended-duration betrixaban and a standard regimen of enoxaparin in the prespecified primary efficacy outcome. However, prespecified exploratory analyses provided evidence suggesting a benefit for betrixaban in the two larger cohorts. (Funded by Portola Pharmaceuticals; APEX ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01583218. opens in new tab.

Iron Behaving Badly: Inappropriate Iron Chelation as a Major Contributor to the Aetiology of Vascular and Other Progressive Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases

The production of peroxide and superoxide is an inevitable consequence of aerobic metabolism, and while these particular "reactive oxygen species" (ROSs) can exhibit a number of biological effects, they are not of themselves excessively reactive and thus they are not especially damaging at physiological concentrations. However, their reactions with poorly liganded iron species can lead to the catalytic production of the very reactive and dangerous hydroxyl radical, which is exceptionally damaging, and a major cause of chronic inflammation. We review the considerable and wide-ranging evidence for the involvement of this combination of (su)peroxide and poorly liganded iron in a large number of physiological and indeed pathological processes and inflammatory disorders, especially those involving the progressive degradation of cellular and organismal performance. These diseases share a great many similarities and thus might be considered to have a common cause (i.e. iron-catalysed free radical and especially hydroxyl radical generation). The studies reviewed include those focused on a series of cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological diseases, where iron can be found at the sites of plaques and lesions, as well as studies showing the significance of iron to aging and longevity. The effective chelation of iron by natural or synthetic ligands is thus of major physiological (and potentially therapeutic) importance. As systems properties, we need to recognise that physiological observables have multiple molecular causes, and studying them in isolation leads to inconsistent patterns of apparent causality when it is the simultaneous combination of multiple factors that is responsible. This explains, for instance, the decidedly mixed effects of antioxidants that have been observed, etc...Comment: 159 pages, including 9 Figs and 2184 reference

"Kierkegaard y los micromedios."

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