Where do we stand with asthma phenotypes derived from data-driven methods? A systematic review

Asthma phenotypes can be refined using methods without a priori assumptions (data-driven). We aimed to describe asthma phenotypes derived with data-driven methods, using variables easily measurable in a clinical setting, and to summarize their consistency.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EFECTOS DEL DESCONOCIMIENTO CIUDADANO SOBRE COMO ACCEDER A LOS BENEFICIOS QUE OTORGAN LOS RIESGOS CUBIERTOS POR EL SEGURO SOCIAL EN EL ECUADOR

EFFECTS OF IGNORANCE AS CITIZENS ON ACCESS THE BENEFITS AWARDED BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY COVERED RISKS IN ECUADORRESUMENLa seguridad social a nivel mundial siempre ha sido el talón de Aquiles de los gobiernos, en nuestro País se busca permanentemente otorgar prestaciones sociales que redunden en favor de todos los ciudadanos, sin distingo social, económico, étnico; político, religioso y otros; sin embargo el problema no ha estado en la cantidad de riesgos que cubra la seguridad social o los beneficios que esta otorgue, sino más bien en el desconocimiento ciudadano de cómo acceder a ellos, lo cual genera problemas sociales, debido justamente a que los ciudadanos en el Ecuador, no están plenamente en conocimiento de las prestaciones que concede el Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social (IESS), peor aún de cómo llegar a beneficiarse de todo lo que estas otorgan. Este trabajo permitió a través de encuestas, conocer las edades y los estratos sociales de las personas que conocen o no sobre como tener acceso a los riesgos que cubre el IESS en el Ecuador y los beneficios que otorgan. El trabajo de campo incluyó encuestas a personas afiliadas o no y la necesidad que tienen de querer informarse sobre cómo llegar a recibir todas las prestaciones y beneficios que concede el IESS a sus afiliados y los efectos que el desconocimiento causa a nivel de la seguridad social en el Ecuador.PALABRAS CLAVE: Desconocimiento; afiliados; prestaciones; beneficios.ABSTRACTThe social security worldwide has always been the Achilles heel of governments in our country is constantly seeks to provide benefits that result in favor of all citizens, without social, economic, ethnic distinction; political, religious and other; but the problem has not been in the amount of risk cover social security or the benefits this grant, but rather on the citizen ignorance of how to access them, which creates social problems, precisely because citizens Ecuador, are not fully aware of the benefits granted by the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (ESSI), worse directions to benefit from all these grant. This work allowed through surveys, know the ages and social strata of people who know or have access to such risks covering the ESSI in Ecuador and the benefits they provide. The field work included surveys or affiliated persons and the need to want to learn how to get to receive all the allowances and benefits granted by the ESSI to its affiliates and the effects due to ignorance level of social security at Equator.KEYWORDS: Ignorance; affiliates; benefits

Explorando a razão de bactérias do meio aquático não serem afetadas por microcistinas: sistema antioxidante vs. degradação

Tese de mestrado em Biologia Humana e Ambiente, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2016As microcistinas são a classe de hepatotoxinas mais vulgarmente produzidas por cianobactérias. Estas são encontradas em ecossistemas aquáticos onde convivem com outros microorganismos, tais como Aeromonashydrophila e Flavobacteriumsp. Já existe uma quantidade razoável de estudos sobre o efeito de microcistinas em organismos eucarióticos, mas existem poucos estudos sobre os efeitos destas toxinas em microorganismos. Os escassos estudos existentes mostram que as microcistinas podem causar uma diminuição do crescimento microbiano, não o inibindo completamente. Neste estudo, o objectivo é determinar a razão pela qual bactérias heterotróficas aquáticas não são muito afectadas pela presença de microcistinas no seu meio de crescimento. Para tal, a actividade de algumas enzimas do sistema antioxidante foram avaliadas e a presença de genes responsáveis pela degradação das microcistinas (mlrA-D) foi avaliada em isolados recuperados a partir de água doce onde as microcistinas são comumente encontradas. Estes resultados foram comparados com as bases pré-existentes na literatura para avaliar a importância da presença ou ausência dos genes responsáveis pela degradação microcistinas com a resistência natural encontradas nas bactérias heterotróficas aquáticas. Além disso, a actividade das enzimas do sistema antioxidante também foi contabilizada para explicar este comportamento. Os comportamentos observados parecem indicar que estão mais relacionados com especificidades da estirpe, não havendo um comportamento similar entre os isolados da mesma espécie. Devido ao facto deste tema de trabalho se inserir numa área ainda pouco explorada, existem actualmente mais questões do que respostas. Contudo, não se pode deixar de destacar a relevância do tema, devido à necessidade de perceber o impacto da presença das cianotoxinas nos ecossistemas do meio aquático.Microcystins are the class of hepatotoxins most commonly produced by cyanobacteria. These are found in aquatic ecosystems where they coexist with other microorganisms such as Aeromonashydrophila and Flavobacterium sp. There are already a fair amount of studies on the effect of microcystins in eukaryotic organisms, but there are only a few studies about the effects of these toxins in microorganisms. The scarce existing studies show that microcystins can cause a decrease of the microbial growth, even though not being fully inhibited by it. In this study the aim is to determine the reason why aquatic heterobacteria are not very affected by the presence of microcystins in their growth medium. Therefore, the activity of some enzymes of the antioxidant system was evaluated and the presence of genes responsible for microcystin degradation (mlrA-D) was assessed in isolates recovered from freshwaters where microcystins are commonly found. These results were compared with the pre-existing bases on the literature to evaluate the relevance of the presence or absence of the genes responsible for microcystin degradation with the natural resistance found in heterobacteria from aquatic environments. Moreover, the activity of the enzymes from the antioxidant system also was accounted to explain this behavior.The observed behaviors seem to indicate that they are more related to specificities of the strain, than to a common behavior among the isolates of the same species. Due to the fact that this theme of work is inserted in an area that has been scarcely explored, currently there areeven more questions than answers. However, the relevance of the topic cannot be underemphasized due to the need to understand the impact of the presence of cyanotoxins on the ecosystems of the aquatic environments

Diplopia, Convergent Strabismus, and Eye Abduction Palsy in a 12-Year-Old Boy with Autoimmune Thyroiditis

Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is defined by clinical criteria of increased intracranial pressure, elevated intracranial pressure with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition, and exclusion of other causes such tumors, vascular abnormalities, or infections. The association of PTC with levothyroxine (LT4) has been reported. A 12-year-old boy has been followed up for autoimmune thyroiditis under LT4. Family history was irrelevant for endocrine or autoimmune diseases. A TSH level of 4.43 μUI/mL (0.39-3.10) motivated a LT4 adjustment from 75 to 88 μg/day. Five weeks later, he developed horizontal diplopia, convergent strabismus with left eye abduction palsy, and papilledema. Laboratorial evaluation revealed elevated free thyroxine level (1.05 ng/dL [0.65-1.01]) and low TSH, without other alterations. Lumbar puncture was performed and CSF opening pressure was 24 cm H2O with normal composition. Blood and CSF cultures were sterile. Brain MRI was normal. LT4 was temporarily discontinued and progressive improvement was observed, with a normal fundoscopy at day 10 and reversion of diplopia one month later. LT4 was restarted at lower dose and gradually titrated. The boy is currently asymptomatic. This case discloses the potential role of LT4 in inducing PTC. Despite its rarity and unclear association, PTC must be seen as a potential complication of LT4, after excluding all other intracranial hypertension causes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pegasus Simulator: An Isaac Sim Framework for Multiple Aerial Vehicles Simulation

Developing and testing novel control and motion planning algorithms for aerial vehicles can be a challenging task, with the robotics community relying more than ever on 3D simulation technologies to evaluate the performance of new algorithms in a variety of conditions and environments. In this work, we introduce the Pegasus Simulator, a modular framework implemented as an NVIDIA Isaac Sim extension that enables real-time simulation of multiple multirotor vehicles in photo-realistic environments, while providing out-of-the-box integration with the widely adopted PX4-Autopilot and ROS2 through its modular implementation and intuitive graphical user interface. To demonstrate some of its capabilities, a nonlinear controller was implemented and simulation results for two drones performing aggressive flight maneuvers are presented. Code and documentation for this framework are also provided as supplementary material

Validación de la “consulta internacional sobre incontinenciacuestionario de incontinencia urinaria módulo de calidad de vida”

Objective: To Validate the International Consultation on Incontinence QuestionnaireQuality of Life for the Portuguese population. Urinary incontinence is a highlyprevalent condition with a negative impact on people’s quality of life. The International Consultation on Incontinence QuestionnaireQuality of Life was adapted in order to have a standardized structure thatallows the assessment of the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life.Method: An observational cross-sectional study was carried out with two hundredand twenty participants recruited at the CentroHospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho and at the CentroHospitalar Universitário de São João during the period from September 2019 to January 2020.The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were assessed. For internalconsistency, the standardized Cronbach’s alphacoefficient was calculated. In order to obtain construct validity, anexploratory factor analysis was performed using varimax rotation to extract themain components. Results: The Portuguese version of the questionnaire has 21 items distributed bythe three factors found, maintaining the items proposed in the originalversion. The result of standardized Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, α=0.906 overall, confirms the internal consistency ofthe Portuguese version of the instrument. Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed between each item and the itemassessing the impact on quality of life in the form of a scale, verifying apositive correlation in all items. Conclusions:ThePortuguese version of the questionnaire proved to be reliable and valid in thestudy carried out for clinical and research use.Objetivo: Validar o International Consultationon Incontinence Questionnaire Quality of Life para a população portuguesa. A incontinência urinária é uma condição com elevada prevalência e com impacto negativo na qualidade de vida das pessoas. O International Consultationon Incontinence Questionnaire Quality of Life foi adaptado de forma a ter uma estrutura estandardizada e que permite avaliar o impacto da incontinência urinária na qualidade de vida. Método: Foi realizado um estudo observacional do tipo transversal com duzentos e vinte participantes recrutados no Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho e no Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João durante o período de setembro de 2019 a janeiro de 2020. Foram avaliadas as propriedades psicométricas do questionário. Para a consistência interna foi calculado o coeficiente alfa de Cronbach padronizado. Para obter a validade do constructo foi realizada uma análise exploratória fatorial por rotação varimax para extração dos principais componentes. Resultados: A versão portuguesa do questionário tem 21 itens distribuídos pelos três fatores encontrados mantendo, no entanto, os itens propostos na versão original. O resultado de coeficiente alfa de Cronbach padronizado, α=0,906 global, confirma a consistência interna da versão portuguesa do instrumento. Foi realizada a análise da correlação de Pearson entre cada item e o item de avaliação do impacto na qualidade de vida em forma de escala verificando-se uma correlação positiva em todos os itens. Conclusões: A versão portuguesa do questionário, mostrou-se confiável e válida no estudo realizado para utilização na clínica e na investigação.Objetivo: Validar la Consulta Internacional sobre Incontinencia Cuestionario de Calidad de Vida para la población portuguesa. La incontinencia urinaria es una condición altamente prevalente con un impacto negativo en la calidad de vida de las personas. Se adaptó el International Consultationon Incontinence Questionnaire Quality of Life para tener una estructura estandarizada que permita evaluar el impacto de la incontinencia urinaria en la calidad de vida. Método: Se realizó un estudio transversal observacional con doscientos veinte participantes reclutados en el Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho y en el Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João durante el período de septiembre de 2019 a enero de 2020. Las propiedades psicométricas del cuestionario. Para la consistencia interna se calculó el coeficiente alfa de Cronbach estandarizado. Para obtener la validez de constructo se realizó un análisis factorial exploratorio mediante rotación varimax para extraer los componentes principales. Resultados: La versión portuguesa del cuestionario tiene 21 ítems distribuidos por los tres factores encontrados, manteniendo los ítems propuestos en la versión original. El resultado del coeficiente alfa de Cronbach estandarizado, α=0,906 global, confirma la consistencia interna de la versión portuguesa del instrumento. Se realizó el análisis de correlación de Pearson entre cada ítem y el ítem que evalúa el impacto en la calidad de vida en forma de escala, verificándose una correlación positiva en todos los ítems. Conclusiones: La versión portuguesa del cuestionario demostró ser confiable y válida en el estudio realizado para uso clínico y de investigación.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prospección geofísica en el Área de No Admisión de Denuncio Linderos (Cerro Coyota)

Dentro del marco de los trabajos de Prospección Minera del Proyecto Linderos que realiza la Dirección de Prospección Minera del INGEMMET, se nos encomendó la ejecución de estudios de Prospección Geofísica complementarios en el área de alteración Cerro Coyota mediante el empleo de los métodos de Polarización Inducida (I.P.) y Electromagnético(VLF-EM). Los trabajos geofísicos de campo se realizaron entre el 11.06.94 al 10.07.94. y han comprendido el área del Cerro Coyota-Linderos Alto. El presente informe contiene los resultados obtenidos

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum as a potential adjuvant and delivery system for the development of sars-cov-2 oral vaccines

The most important characteristics regarding the mucosal infection and immune responses against the Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as well as the current vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in development or use are revised to emphasize the opportunity for lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-based vaccines to offer a valid alternative in the fight against this disease. In addition, this article revises the knowledge on: (a) the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the improvement of mucosal antiviral defenses by beneficial Lactiplantibacil-lus plantarum strains, (b) the systems for the expression of heterologous proteins in L. plantarum and (c) the successful expressions of viral antigens in L. plantarum that were capable of inducing protective immune responses in the gut and the respiratory tract after their oral administration. The ability of L. plantarum to express viral antigens, including the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and its capacity to differentially modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses in both the intestinal and respiratory mucosa after its oral administration, indicates the potential of this LAB to be used in the development of a mucosal COVID-19 vaccine.Fil: Villena, Julio Cesar. Tohoku University; Japón. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos; ArgentinaFil: Li, Chang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Vizoso Pinto, María Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Noa Sur. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo del Noroeste Argentino | Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo del Noroeste Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Sacur, Jacinto Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Noa Sur. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo del Noroeste Argentino | Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas. Grupo de Investigación y Desarrollo del Noroeste Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Ren, Linzhu. Jilin University; ChinaFil: Kitazawa, Haruki. Tohoku University; Japó

Corn cob lightweight concrete for non-structural applications

A lightweight concrete using granulated corn cob (without corn) as an aggregate is proposed in this research work. Taking into account that corn cob, after extracting the corn, is generally considered an agricultural waste, an interesting economic and sustainable benefit may result by using it as a building material. Therefore, it can be an alternative sustainable lightweight aggregate solution in comparison to the most currently applied ones such as expanded clay, particles of cork, particles of expanded polystyrene (EPS), among others. The density, the compressive strength and the thermal insulation properties of a corn cob concrete were experimentally quantified. An expanded clay concrete was also studied as reference. The main results obtained are presented and discussed showing that the proposed corn cob concrete may have the adequate material properties required for a lightweight concrete for non-structural application purposes

Adubação nitrogenada e fosfatada na cultura do algodoeiro

A study was carried out on 17 factorial 4 x 4 experiments in order to stablish the optimum levels of P and N for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) variety IAC-13.1. The levels of N and P2O5 applied were 0-20-40-60 kg/ha and 0-30-60-90 kg/ha, respectively. The results can be grouped in two types of soils: 1) Soils with less than 5 ppm of P, which respond only to P levels; II) Soils with more than 10 ppm of P, which respond positively to both, N and P levels. The results showed no N x P interaction. The response to the N levels were quadratic in both types of soils, although it showed significance only for soils with more than 10 ppm of P (type-II). The response to the P levels were quadratic for the soil type I, and linear for type II soil, and showed significant for both soils. The results for production were ajusted through a multiple regression equation. The coefficients of determination were 0.76 and 0.81 for soil type I and II, respectively. The response surface was calculated and isoquant maps were drawn. The maximum yields attained were 1,519 and 3,197 kg/ha by adjusting groups I and II, respectively. Based on the price of Cr$43.00 per kg of the cotton-in-seed the economic level of fertilizing the soil would be 40 kg/ha of N and 181 kg/ha of P for type II soil. For type I soil, the maximum economic level would be 20 kg/ha of N and 70 kg/ha of P. An economic study is also estimated for these levels of inputs.Com o objetivo de determinar níveis ótimos de nitrogênio e fósforo para o algodoeiro (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivar IAC-13-1 em alguns solos do Estado de Goiás, foram conduzidos 17 ensaios fatoriais 4 x 4, com níveis de 0, 20, 40 e 60 kg/ha de N e 0, 30, 60 e 90kg/ha de P2O5. Os experimentos foram instalados em dois grupos de solos: 1, com teor de fósforo inferior a 5 ppm, os quais responderam apenas a P; e 2. os instalados em solos com mais de 10 ppm de fósforo, os quais responderam positivamente tanto a N quanto a P. Não houve interação nitrogênio x fósforo. A resposta a nitrogénio em ambos os Grupos foi quadrática, significativa apenas no Grupo II. A resposta a fósforo foi quadrática para o Grupo I, linear para o Grupo II e altamente significativa em ambos os Grupos. Os dados de produção foram ajustados a uma equação de regressão múltipla, cujos coeficientes de determinação foram 0,76 e 0,81, respectivamente, para os Grupos I e II. Foram calculadas as superfícies de resposta e desenhados os mapas de isoquantas. As produções físicas máximas chegaram a 1.519 e 3.197 kg/ha, nos Grupos I e II. Para um preço do algodão em caroço a Cr$ 43,00/kg, a adubação econômica será constituída da aplicação de 40 kg/ha de N e de 181 kg/ha de P2O5, no caso do Grupo II. Para o Grupo I, a adubação máxima econômica será de 20 kg/ha de N e de 70 kg/ha de P2O5. São apresentadas ainda as receitas, os custos e os lucros estimados para a adubação ótima econômica