bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Successful behavioural adaptation of an orphaned juvenile Bonobo Pan paniscus: a case study at the Primate Park Apenheul, the Netherlands
Authors: DE LATHOUWERS M. , VAN ELSACKER L.
Published: March 2007

Opportunities to study the behaviour of unweaned primate orphans in the wild and in captivity are rare. Following the death of a ♀ Bonobo Pan paniscus at Primate Park Apenheul, the Netherlands, the opportunity arose to monitor the behaviour of her 3 year‐old juvenile daughter ‘Kumbuka’ who remained in the natal group. Our aim was to investigate to what extent this juvenile's behavioural development was affected by her mother's death, and whether she developed a close foster‐parent relationship with any of the other group members. There were no clear indications of the development of a strong foster‐parent bond with a specific individual 2 months after the mother's death. Nevertheless, the juvenile ♀ showed no signs of behavioural depression. Her behaviour in general did not differ from other mother‐reared juvenile Bonobos. This case study illustrates that keeping an unweaned Bonobo juvenile in its natal group may be feasible in captive‐animal management. Separation, hand‐rearing and reintroduction were not necessary, and the juvenile adapted successfully to the new situation.
PERSISTENT SPIN CURRENT AND ENTANGLEMENT IN THE ANISOTROPIC SPIN RING
Authors: HU ZI-XIANG , LI YOU-QUAN
Published: March 2007

We investigate the ground state persistent spin current and the pair entanglement in one-dimensional antiferromagnetic anisotropic Heisenberg ring with twisted boundary conditions. By solving Bethe ansatz equations numerically, we calculate the dependence of the ground state energy on the total magnetic flux through the ring, and the resulting persistent current. Motivated by the recent development of the quantum entanglement theory, we study the properties of the ground state concurrence under the influence of the flux through the anisotropic Heisenberg ring. We also include an external magnetic field and discuss the properties of the persistent current and the concurrence in the presence of the magnetic field.
OPTICAL DATA STORAGE IN ACID RED DYES
Authors: SANKAR DEEPA , PALANISAMY P. K.
Published: March 2007

High-density optical data storage is a current field gaining importance where research work is done in abundance to bring about holographic CDs to light. Dye-doped gelatin films are promising candidates as recording materials for holographic data storage because of the ease of preparation and low cost. In this report we suggest some acid red dyes as useful recording materials for optical data storage. Acid red dyes namely Acid Red 73 and Acid Red 114 that are completely water-soluble are used to sensitize gelatin thin films for data storage. These dyes have their absorption peak around 514 nm. Two coherent beams of Argon ion laser (514.5 nm) are used to form the grating in the dye-sensitized gelatin films. The grating formed is found to be permanent. The diffraction efficiency of each material as a function of different parameters like dye concentration, writing beam intensities and their ratios and spatial frequency has been studied and presented. An attempt to store data in the sample has been made.
THE PULSE BROADENING STUDY OF GAUSS-CHIRPED PULSE IN OPTICAL FIBERS
Authors: REN GUANGJUN , YAO JIANQUAN , ZHANG YUPING , ZHANG HUIYUN , WANG PENG
Published: March 2007

The pulse broadening due to dispersion in optical fiber is studied by solving the nonlinear Schrödinger equation through the Fourier transform method. The expression of pulse width in terms of its root-mean-square and the pulse broadening factor of the Gauss-chirped pulse are given. Meanwhile, the influence of the propagating optical fiber distance on the pulse broadening is given. The influence of the chirped factor on the pulse broadening and the optical fiber dispersion on pulses with different widths are analyzed and discussed.
DEFINING DIMENSION OF A COMPLEX NETWORK
Authors: SHANKER O.
Published: March 2007

An important question in statistical mechanics is the dependence of model behavior on the dimension of the system. In this paper, we discuss extending the definition of dimension from regular lattices to complex networks. We use the definition to study how the extensive property of the power law potential exponent depends on dimension.
ELIMINATION OF MULTIPLE ARROWS AND SELF-CONNECTIONS IN COUPLED CELL NETWORKS
Authors: STEWART IAN
Published: March 2007

A coupled cell network is a finite directed graph in which nodes and edges are classified into equivalence classes. Such networks arise in a formal theory of coupled systems of differential equations, as a schematic indication of the topology of the coupling, but they can be studied independently as combinatorial objects. The edges of a coupled cell network are "identical" if they are all equivalent, and the network is "homogeneous" if all nodes have isomorphic sets of input edges. Golubitsky et al. [2005] proved that every homogeneous identical-edge coupled cell network is a quotient of a network that has no multiple edges and no self-connections. We generalize this theorem to any coupled cell network by removing the conditions of homogeneity and identical edges. The problem is a purely combinatorial assertion about labeled directed graphs, and we give two combinatorial proofs. Both proofs eliminate self-connections inductively. The first proof also eliminates multiple edges inductively, the main feature being the specification of the inductive step in terms of a complexity measure. The second proof obtains a more efficient result by eliminating all multiple edges in a single construction.
GLOBAL EXPONENTIAL STABILITY AND PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS OF REACTION–DIFFUSION BAM NEURAL NETWORKS WITH PERIODIC COEFFICIENTS AND GENERAL DELAYS
Authors: ZHOU QINGHUA , SUN JIANHUA , CHEN GUANRONG
Published: March 2007

For a large class of reaction–diffusion bidirectional associative memory (RDBAM) neural networks with periodic coefficients and general delays, several new delay-dependent or delay-independent sufficient conditions ensuring the existence and global exponential stability of a unique periodic solution are given, by constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals and employing some analytic techniques such as Poincaré mapping. The presented conditions are easily verifiable and useful in the design and applications of RDBAM neural networks. Moreover, the employed analytic techniques do not require the symmetry of the bidirectional connection weight matrix, the boundedness, monotonicity and differentiability of activation functions of the network. In several ways, the results generalize and improve those established in the current literature.
IDENTIFICATION OF EXCITABLE MEDIA USING CELLULAR AUTOMATA MODELS
Authors: ZHAO Y. , BILLINGS S. A. , ROUTH ALEXANDER F.
Published: March 2007

Excitable media represent an important class of spatio-temporal systems which can be studied using cellular automata models. In the present study examples of excitable media behavior generated using simple cellular automata models are introduced. A mutual information algorithm is then derived to determine the neighborhood, the excitation threshold, and the number of excitation states. Based on this information two methods of identifying the rule which describes the excitable media pattern using a multimodel and a polynomial model are introduced. The results are illustrated using simulated examples and real data from a Belousov–Zhabotinskii experiment.
DECOMPOSITION METHOD FOR STUDYING SMOOTH CHUA'S EQUATION WITH APPLICATION TO HYPERCHAOTIC MULTISCROLL ATTRACTORS
Authors: CAFAGNA DONATO , GRASSI GIUSEPPE
Published: March 2007

This paper focuses on the numerical study of chaotic dynamics via the Adomian decomposition method. The approach, which provides series solutions of the system equations, is first applied to Chua's circuit and Chua's oscillator, both with cubic nonlinearity. Successively, the method is utilized for obtaining hyperchaotic multiscroll attractors in a ring of three Chua's circuits, where the smooth nonlinearities are Hermite interpolating polynomials. The reported examples show that the approach presents two main features, i.e. the system nonlinearity is preserved and the chaotic solution is provided in a closed form.
1-D DIGITALLY-CONTROLLED MULTISCROLL CHAOS GENERATOR
Authors: RADWAN A. , SOLIMAN A. M. , ELWAKIL A. S.
Published: March 2007

A digitally-controlled MOS-transistor-based 1-D multiscroll chaos generator is proposed. Both the number of scrolls and their location in the phase-space can be controlled via a digital counter and appropriate switches. The circuit is very suitable for integration, and PSpice simulations using a 0.5μ CMOS process parameters are provided.
SPECIFICATION AND VERIFICATION OF WORKFLOWS WITH RBAC MECHANISM AND SoD CONSTRAINTS
Authors: KONG WEIQIANG , OGATA KAZUHIRO , FUTATSUGI KOKICHI
Published: March 2007

Security considerations, such as role-based access control (RBAC) mechanism and separation of duty (SoD) constraints, are important and integral to workflow systems. Since the definition of workflows with these security considerations is a complicated and error-prone process, rigorous verification techniques are desirable for uncovering logical errors and assuring correctness. We propose the use of an equation-based method — the OTS/CafeOBJ method to model, specify and verify workflows with such security considerations. Specifically, a workflow with the security considerations, is modeled as an OTS, a kind of transition system; the OTS is then specified in CafeOBJ, an algebraic specification language. We verify that the OTS has desired safety and liveness properties by using the CafeOBJ system as an interactive theorem prover. A case study on a sample workflow that deals with travel expense reimbursement is used to demonstrate our method.
Temperature Dependence of Evaporation Coefficient for Water Measured in Droplets in Nitrogen under Atmospheric Pressure
Authors: Jakubczyk D. , Zientara M. , Kolwas K. , Kolwas M.
Published: March 2007

The evaporation and the thermal accommodation coefficients for water in nitrogen were investigated by means of the analysis of evaporation of pure water droplet as a function of temperature. The droplet was levitated in an electrodynamic trap placed in a climatic chamber. The levitation time was in the range of seconds, which corresponds to the characteristic time scales of cloud droplet growth. Droplet radius evolution and evaporation dynamics were studied as a function of temperature, by analyzing the angle-resolved light scattering Mie interference patterns. A model of droplet evolution, accounting for the kinetic effects near the droplet surface, was applied. The evaporation coefficient for the temperature range from 273.6 to 298.3 K was found to be between 0.054 and 0.12 with a minimum of 0.036 ± 0.015 seemingly coinciding with water maximum density at 277.1 K. The average value of thermal accommodation coefficient over the temperature range from 277 to 289 K was found to be 0.7 ± 0.2.
Bulk Models of the Sheared Convective Boundary Layer: Evaluation through Large Eddy Simulations
Authors: Conzemius Robert , Fedorovich Evgeni
Published: March 2007

A set of first-order model (FOM) equations, describing the sheared convective boundary layer (CBL) evolution, is derived. The model output is compared with predictions of the zero-order bulk model (ZOM) for the same CBL type. Large eddy simulation (LES) data are employed to test both models. The results show an advantage of the FOM over the ZOM in the prediction of entrainment, but in many CBL cases, the predictions by the two models are fairly close. Despite its relative simplicity, the ZOM is able to quantify the effects of shear production and dissipation in an integral sense—as long as the constants describing the integral dissipation of shear- and buoyancy-produced turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) are prescribed appropriately and the shear is weak enough that the denominator of the ZOM entrainment equation does not approach zero, causing a numerical instability in the solutions. Overall, the FOM better predicts the entrainment rate due to its ability to avoid this instability. Also, the FOM in a more physically consistent manner reproduces the sheared CBL entrainment zone, whose depth is controlled by a balance among shear generation, buoyancy consumption, and dissipation of TKE. Such balance is manifested by nearly constant values of Richardson numbers observed in the entrainment zone of simulated sheared CBLs. Conducted model tests support the conclusion that the surface shear generation of TKE and its corresponding dissipation, as well as the nonstationary terms, can be omitted from the integral TKE balance equation.
Short‐Term Clinical Exposure Evaluation of a Second‐Generation Electrically Heated Cigarette Smoking System
Authors: Roethig Hans J. , Zedler Barbara K. , Kinser Robin D. , Feng Shixia , Nelson Bettie L. , Liang Qiwei
Published: March 2007

This randomized, controlled, forced‐switching, open‐label, parallel‐group study in 100 adult male and female smokers of conventional cigarettes evaluated 8 biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure. After baseline exposure determinations, adult smokers were switched to a second‐generation electrically heated cigarette smoking system (EHCSS) for 8 days in a clinical setting. After 8 days of smoking the EHCSS biomarkers of exposure decreased by 43% to 85% compared to baseline. After correction for residual effects (carryover effects due to long elimination half‐life and non‐tobacco‐confounding sources of exposure), reductions in exposure ranged from 59% to 97%. Results from this short‐term clinical exposure study indicate that switching from a conventional cigarette to a second‐generation electrically heated cigarette smoking system substantially reduced the exposure to several measured potentially harmful constituents of tobacco smoke.
Age and Gender Effects on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Ramelteon, a Hypnotic Agent Acting via Melatonin Receptors MT1and MT2
Authors: Greenblatt David J. , Harmatz Jerold S. , Karim Aziz
Published: March 2007

Effects of age and gender on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ramelteon, a hypnotic acting via binding to melatonin MT1and MT2receptors, were evaluated in healthy young (18–34 years) and elderly (63–79 years) volunteers. Part 1 evaluated the pharmacokinetics of open‐label oral ramelteon, 16 mg. Part 2 was a double‐blind, randomized, 2‐trial crossover pharmacodynamic study of 16‐mg ramelteon and matching placebo. Ramelteon clearance was significantly reduced in elderly vs young volunteers (384 vs 883 mL/min/kg,P< .01) and half‐life significantly increased (1.9 vs 1.3 h,P< .001). Gender did not significantly influence clearance or half‐life. Ramelteon was extensively transformed to its hydroxylated M‐II metabolite, with serum AUC values averaging about 30 times those of the parent drug. Compared to placebo, ramelteon increased self‐ and observer‐rated sedation, but age and gender did not influence the magnitude of the ramelteon‐placebo difference. Ramelteon did not significantly impair digit‐symbol substitution test performance or impair information acquisition and recall. Thus, the reduced clearance and higher serum levels of ramelteon in elderly subjects were not associated with enhanced pharmacodynamic effects. The usually recommended clinical dose of ramelteon (8 mg) does not require modification based on age or gender.
Leader Authenticity in Intercultural School Contexts
Authors: Walker Allan , Shuangye Chen
Published: March 2007

This article proposes that effective leadership in intercultural schools requires authentic understanding and related action; and that this can only be sought through a dedication to ongoing leadership learning. After briefly introducing the metaphor of authentic leadership, outlining the influence of culture on school leadership and the context of intercultural schools the paper suggests a number of learning avenues through which leaders can consciously reframe and better understand problems and solutions around these intercultural school contexts. These interrelated avenues include learning beyond standardised leadership prescriptions, simultaneously trusting and mistrusting experience, learning through student learning, learning through variation, learning through looking beyond culture and learning through curiosity. The major theme running through related discussion is that authentic intercultural leadership is particularly attuned to the values, beliefs and behavioural uniqueness of the students, teachers and others which comprise the community. In other words, it aims to acquire intercultural understanding on an ongoing basis and use this to inform leadership beliefs and practice. Therefore, authentic leadership and learning can be viewed as inseparably twinned.
Effects of Structured Self-reflection on the Development of Authentic Leadership Practices among Queensland Primary School Principals
Authors: Branson Christopher
Published: March 2007

This article reports on research that explored the concept of authentic leadership with seven principals of Catholic primary schools in Brisbane, Australia. Recent developments in leadership theory have promoted the concept of authentic leadership for addressing the leadership demands associated with our seemingly ever-changing and unpredictable, if not chaotic, world. In particular, authentic leaders are said to act in accordance with their personal values and convictions thereby building essential credibility, respect and trust. This suggests that the development of authentic leadership is contingent upon the leader having explicit knowledge of their values so that they can readily act in accordance with these values. Hence, this research sought to determine whether or not it is possible to develop authentic leadership practices by increasing the leader's explicit knowledge of their personal values. A deeply structured process of self-reflection was used as the means for increasing this explicit self-knowledge. In the light of this research, it is proposed that there is more to authentic leadership than knowing one's values. Arguably, truly authentic leadership might only be possible for those leaders who have the commitment and courage to come to know and understand the full extent of the influential power of their whole inner Self.
Teaching Children to Become Fluent and Automatic Readers
Authors: Kuhn Melanie R. , Schwanenflugel Paula J. , Morris Robin D. , Morrow Lesley Mandel , Woo Deborah Gee , Meisinger Elizabeth B. , Sevcik Rose A. , Bradley Barbara A. , Stahl Steven A.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of two instructional approaches designed to improve the reading fluency of 2nd-grade children. The first approach was based on Stahl and Heubach's (2005) fluency-oriented reading instruction (FORI) and involved the scaffolded, repeated reading of grade-level texts over the course of each week. The second was a wide-reading approach that also involved scaffolded instruction, but that incorporated the reading of 3 different grade-level texts each week and provided significantly less opportunity for repetition. By the end of the school year, FORI and wide-reading approaches showed similar benefits for standardized measures of word reading efficiency and reading comprehension skills compared to control approaches, although the benefits of the wide-reading approach emerged earlier and included oral text reading fluency skill. Thus, we conclude that fluency instruction that emphasizes extensive oral reading of grade-level text using scaffolded approaches is effective for promoting reading development in young learners.
Modeling of Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Janardhanan Vinod M. , Deutschmann Olaf
Published: March 2007

This article presents a brief review on modeling philosophies of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) including an introduction to SOFC components and their functions. While a plethora of numerical models is available for SOFC modeling and simulation, this paper focuses on a general overview on mathematical model equations that represent the physico-chemical processes occurring in SOFCs and their boundary conditions. Electrochemical model equations, their simplifications, significance, and solution methods are discussed. Charge transfer chemistry is described in detail from a global as well as from elementary charge transfer perspective. Principles of heterogeneous reforming chemistry on conventional nickel cermet anodes, evaluation of rate expressions, and the implementation of the thermo chemistry into SOFC flow models are described. Results of numerical simulations are presented for configurations ranging from complex stacks to simple zero dimensional electrochemical systems.
Family study in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Authors: Sarlós Patrícia , Király Ágnes , Nagy Lajos
Published: March 2007

Bevezetés:
A Peutz–Jeghers-szindróma (PJS) autoszomális dominánsan öröklődő bélpolyposis, mely pigmentanomáliával és fokozott rákrizikóval jár.
Célkitűzés, módszer:
Két PJS család 5 generációját vizsgáltuk (21–21 fő) a klinikai jellemzők megítélése céljából anamnézis, fizikális vizsgálat, labor, radiológiai és eszközös vizsgálatok segítségével.
Eredmények:
Az A-családban a 13 érintett személy mindegyikénél születéskor jelen volt a periorális melanosis, az első tünet görcsös hasi fájdalom volt (átlag 12, 2–35 év). Kilenc betegnél összesen 14 hasi műtétet végeztek akut has miatt. 4/13 beteg vékonybélileusban halt meg (átlag 7; 2–31 év), 2/13 gasztrointesztinális (GI) eredetű tumor miatt (54 év). A B-család 7 érintett betegénél szintén hasi görcsök jelentkeztek először (átlag 22 év), fő halálokként nőgyógyászati (1/5) és gasztrointesztinális (GI) malignomák (4/5) szerepelnek időskorban.
Következtetések:
Eredményeink alátámasztják, hogy a PJS nem jóindulatú betegség, melynek kimenetele nehezen jósolható a variábilis expresszió és az inkomplett penetrancia miatt. Hangsúlyozni kívánjuk a családfavizsgálat szerepét, valamint a családon belüli vezető tünet meghatározását. Minden családtagnál széklet Weber és rutin laborvizsgálat elvégzését javasoljuk, ezek pozitivitása, illetve panaszok esetén teljes körű kivizsgálást protokoll szerint.
Effect of change of life style for cardiovascular risk of overweight and obese population
Authors: Móczár Csaba , Borda Ferenc , Faragó Katalin , Borgulya Gábor , Braunitzer Ferencné , Vörös Vera
Published: March 2007

A túlsúlyos és elhízott betegek kezelésében alapvető szempont az egészséges életmód elsajátítása és beépülése a beteg mindennapjaiba. A kecskeméti Irányított Betegellátási Modellkísérletben indított prevenciós program célja a túlsúlyos és elhízott betegek cardiovascularis kockázati tényezőinek csökkentése, illetve a szív- és érrendszeri megbetegedések megelőzése volt. A program keretében 2489 túlsúlyos és elhízott 18 éven felüli egyént szűrtek ki és vettek gondozásba. A betegek személyre szabott diétás és mozgásprogramot kaptak. A prevenciós programot szakképzett dietetikusok és gyógytornászok segítségével az obezitológiában jártas belgyógyász szakorvosok irányították. A betegek nyomon követése során a testsúlyváltozás mellett az eseti vérnyomásértékek alakulását, a metabolikus paramétereket és a fizikai terhelhetőséget is dokumentálták. A szerzők közleményükben a kétéves nyomon követés adatait dolgozták fel. A betegek 72%-a jutott el az egyéves követési vizsgálatig, 36%-a a kétéves vizsgálatig. Kismértékű, szignifikáns csökkenést észleltek a BMI-ben (átlagos csökkenés: 0,5605; p < 0,001), a koleszterinszintben (átlagos csökkenés: 0,23; p < 0,001). Az átlagos derékkörfogat sem az első, sem a második év folyamán nem mutatott érdemleges változást. A többi anyagcsere-paraméterben is statisztikailag jelentős csökkenést észleltek: éhomi vércukor 0,15 mmol/l (p < 0,001), ill. 0,19 mmol/l (p < 0,03), triglicerid: 0,18 (p < 0,001), ill. 0,08 mmol/l (nem szignifikáns), a HDL-koleszterin szintekben lényeges változást nem észleltek. Az első év végére a nyugalmi vérnyomás 5,9 Hgmm-rel (p < 0,001), majd a második év végére további 0,11 Hgmm-rel (nem szignifikáns) csökkent. Ez alapján a prevenciós programot sikeresnek, hatásosnak tekintjük, bár a részt vevők egészségi állapotában bekövetkezett javulás mértéke elmarad várakozásaiktól.
Improvement of muscle mass and force by certain hormones and endogen factors, contributing in muscle development
Authors: Apor Péter , Tihanyi József , Costa Andreas
Published: March 2007

Az áttekintés az izomtömeg és az izomerő növelése célzatával alkalmazott hormonok (növekedési hormon, IGF-1, anabolikus-androgén szteroidok) és az izom fejlődésében szereplő, humán használatra kerülhető egyes faktorok fizikai aktivitással kapcsolatos élettanát és klinikai alkalmazásának lehetőségeit érinti. A hatásokat illetően mítoszok, a mellékhatásokat illetően alul- és túlértesültség egyaránt jellemzi e területet. A kórállapotok sorában, s nem csak a hiányállapotok szubsztitúciójában történnek terápiás próbálkozások, amelyekben figyelembe vehetők a sportolók, testépítők tapasztalatai is.
Determinative factors of cardiac biomarkers in hemodialysed diabetic and non-diabetic patients
Authors: Mácsai Emília , Széll Júlia , Ladányi Erzsébet , Treszl András , Vásárhelyi Barna , Madácsy László
Published: March 2007

Bevezetés:
Dializált betegekben a kardiovaszkuláris betegségek előfordulása gyakori, különösen a diabéteszes populációban. A korai felismerés érdekében egyre gyakrabban használnak kardiális biomarkereket.
Célkitűzés:
A vizsgálók krónikusan hemodializált betegekben elemezték a brain natriuretikus peptid-előmolekula N-terminális szegmentjének (NT-proBNP), a kardiális troponin T (cTnT), és a nagy érzékenységű CRP (hsCRP) kardialis biomarkerek szintjeit befolyásoló tényezőket, annak a függvényében, hogy a beteg diabéteszes volt-e vagy sem.
Módszer:
28 diabéteszes és 40 nem diabéteszes stabil állapotú hemodializált betegnél azt vizsgálták a szerzők, hogy a rutin laboratóriumi vizsgálatok, a bioimpedancia-vizsgálat, az echokardiográfia és a vérnyomás-monitorozás eredményei hogyan befolyásolják a kardiális biomarkerek szintjeit, van-e különbség a diabéteszes és nem diabéteszes betegek között. A statisztikai elemzés során multivariációs lineáris regressziós analízist (ANOVA) használtak.
Eredmények:
Az NT-proBNP és az extracelluláris térfogat/teljes víztérfogat arány (ecv/twv) értéke között a nem diabéteszes betegekhez képest a diabéteszes csoportban erősebb volt az összefüggés (
p
= 0,034, vs.
p
= 0,001). A cTnT-t befolyásoló tényezők esetében nem találtak kapcsolatot a CaxP szorzattal, iPTH, Kt/V, β2-mikroglobulin- és a szérumhúgysav-szintekkel. A diabéteszes csoportban az átlagos eritropoetin-dózis (
p
= 0,030) és az összkoleszterin (
p
= 0,039) függött össze a hsCRP-vel, a nem-diabéteszes csoportban viszont a hsCRP és a szérumfibrinogén-szintek között volt korreláció (
p
= 0,025). A diabéteszes csoportban a HbA1c nem mutatott összefüggést a biomarkerekkel.
Következtetések:
Hemodializált diabéteszes betegekben hasonló tényezők határozzák meg a kardiális biomarkerek szintjét, mint a nem diabéteszes betegekben. Az eredmények alapján keresztmetszeti felmérésben döntően a veseelégtelenség befolyásolja a szintjüket, a diabétesz és az anyagcserekontroll minőségének hatása kisebb.
Magnetic resonance urography in the diagnosis of the ectopic ureters
Authors: Straub Péter , Horváth Gyula , Dávidovics Sándor , Pintér András
Published: March 2007

Bevezetés:
Ectopiás ureterek kórismézése gyermekkorban hagyományos diagnosztikai eljárásokkal (fizikális, ultrahangvizsgálat, intravénás urográfia, mictiós cisztouretrográfia, uretrocisztoszkópia, izotópvizsgálatok) számos esetben nem lehetséges.
Célkitűzés:
A szerzők célja egy viszonylag új vizsgálómódszer, a mágneses rezonancia urográfia (MRU) ismertetése a más módszerekkel csak nehezen, vagy nem diagnosztizálható ectopiás ureterek kimutatására gyermekkorban.
Módszer:
A tanulmányban részt vevő osztályok beteganyagában az elmúlt 3 évben 7 leányban alkalmazták az MRU-t ectopiás ureterek kimutatására. A betegekben a jellemző klinikai tünetek alapján az ectopiás ureter lehetősége felmerült, ezt azonban a konvencionális kórismézési eljárásokkal nem sikerült igazolni, ezért a feltételezett kórisme igazolása céljából került sor az MRU-vizsgálatra.
Eredmények:
Mind a 7 betegben a vizsgálat kimutatta vagy valószínűsítette, a műtét igazolta a más diagnosztikus eljárásokkal nem igazolható ectopiás uretert. Két gyermekben a műtéti lelet csak részben igazolta az MRU során észlelt felső húgyúti rendellenességet.
Következtetések:
Az MRU megbízható diagnosztikus eljárás a nehezen kórismézhető ectopiás ureterek esetében.
Valsalva maneuver, Müller maneuver: hemodynamic and reflex mechanisms, relevances
Authors: Zöllei Éva , Paprika Dóra , Csillik Andrea , Rudas László
Published: March 2007

A Valsalva- és Müller-manőverek az idő próbáját kiállva, ma is gyakran alkalmazott, egyszerű és népszerű vizsgálóeszközök az orvosi gyakorlatban. A manőverek közönséges élethelyzetek és egyes kórállapotok modellezésére egyaránt alkalmasak. A Valsalva-manővert leginkább neuropathiás betegek autonóm reflex tesztjeként használjuk. Folyamatos noninvazív vérnyomásméréssel kiegészítve, a manőver a hagyományos kardiális, vagális paraméterek mérése mellett a vazomotorválaszok értékelését is lehetővé teszi. A Müller- manővert többnyire obstruktív alvási apnoés (OSA) epizódok szimulálására végeztetjük. A manőver kiegészítése folyamatos vérnyomás-monitorozással és a szimpatikus izom idegaktivitásának (MSNA) mérésével az alvási apnoe szindróma és az ahhoz társuló cardiovascularis betegségek kapcsolatára derít fényt.
Glycaemic control and macrovascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Jermendy György
Published: March 2007

A közelmúltban publikált metaanalízis eredményei azt bizonyítják, hogy cukorbetegek intenzív kezelésével a minél jobb anyagcserehelyzet elérésére való törekvés érdemben csökkenti a cardiovascularis eseményeket. Az elérhető relatív (konvencionális kezeléshez viszonyított) kockázatcsökkenés 1-es típusú diabetesben kifejezettebb, mint 2-es típusúban. A csökkenés a három fő manifesztációs területen (szív, agy, periféria) egyaránt igazolható, a csökkenés mértéke azonban különböző. A két (intenzív versus konvencionális) kezelési rendszer összehasonlításakor a halálozás terén értékelhető különbség nem mutatható ki.
Secondary IgA-nephropathy in gastroenterological diseases
Authors: Szigeti Nóra , Kovács Tibor , Degrell Péter , Fábián György , Wittmann István , Nagy Judit
Published: March 2007

Az IgA-nephropathia a leggyakoribb primer krónikus glomerulonephritis-forma világszerte. Az úgynevezett primer, ismeretlen eredetű IgA-nephropathia mellett egyre nő azon esetek száma, melyeket másik szerv megbetegedésével együtt észleltek. Bár az ok-okozati összefüggés sokszor nem egyértelmű, ezeket a formákat szekunder IgA-nephropathiának hívják. Jelen összeállítás csak a tágabb értelemben vett, azaz a májat is magába foglaló gasztroenterológiai vonatkozású szekunder IgA-nephropathiával foglalkozik. A szerzők a figyelmet annak szükségességére, hogy IgA-nephropathiás betegekben gasztrointesztinális betegségek (elsősorban májbetegségek, coeliakia, Crohn-betegség, colitis ulcerosa) társuló előfordulását is vizsgálni kell, valamint célszerűnek tartanák egy országos klinikai vizsgálat megszervezését, mely a fenti gasztrointesztinális kórképekben az IgA-nephropathia előfordulásának gyakoriságát vizsgálná.
Aplicação de regressão linear para correção de dados dietéticos
Authors: Slater Betzabeth , Marchioni Dirce Maria Lobo , Voci Silvia Maria
Published: March 2007

OBJETIVO: Estratégias metodológicas vêm sendo desenvolvidas para minimizar o efeito do erro de medida da dieta. O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a aplicação de uma estratégia para correção da informação dietética pelo erro de medida. MÉTODOS: Foram obtidos dados de consumo alimentar pela aplicação do Questionário de Freqüência Alimentar a 79 adolescentes do Município de São Paulo em 1999. Os dados dietéticos obtidos foram corrigidos por meio de regressão linear, após o ajuste pela energia usando-se o método dos resíduos. O método de referência utilizado foi o recordatório de 24 horas, aplicado em três momentos distintos. RESULTADOS: Os valores corrigidos aproximaram-se dos valores de referência. O fator de correção lambda foi de 0,89 para energia. Para os macronutrientes, os fatores foram de 0,41; 0,22 e 0,20, para carboidratos, lipídios e proteínas, respectivamente. CONCLUSÕES: As médias e desvios-padrão dos valores corrigidos denotam que houve uma correção do erro de medida. Apesar disso, debate-se o desempenho desses métodos, que são notoriamente imperfeitos quando seus pressupostos teóricos não são atendidos, o que é comum nos estudos da dieta que usam instrumentos de medida baseados no relato dos indivíduos.
Perfil de casos de tuberculose notificados e fatores associados ao abandono, Belo Horizonte, MG
Authors: Paixão Lúcia Miana M. , Gontijo Eliane Dias
Published: March 2007

OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil dos casos notificados de tuberculose e analisar os fatores associados ao abandono do tratamento. MÉTODOS: Foram descritos 178 casos de tuberculose notificados na Regional Oeste de Belo Horizonte, em 2001-2002, e registrados no Sistema Nacional de Agravos de Notificação. Realizou-se estudo caso-controle não pareado, com dados coletados por entrevistas, comparando pacientes que abandonaram o tratamento com aqueles que evoluíram para cura. Foram analisadas as variáveis: características sociodemográficas, comportamentais, associação com Aids, efeitos colaterais, informação sobre a doença e interesse no tratamento. Utilizou-se análise univariada e regressão logística não condicional na análise multivariada, com odds ratio ajustado como medida de associação e intervalo de confiança de 95%. RESULTADOS: O coeficiente de incidência foi de 56,6/100.000 habitantes. Houve predomínio de homens, de 30 a 49 anos, da forma pulmonar (76,4%), e 72,5% de bacilíferos. Entre as notificações verificou-se 65,2% de curas, 12,4% abandonos e 9,6% óbitos, sem influência do local do tratamento. No estudo caso-controle não houve diferença quanto ao gênero, cor, escolaridade, renda, ocupação, apoio familiar, associação com Aids e etilismo. O uso de drogas, interesse em se tratar e informação sobre a doença mostraram-se independentemente associados ao abandono. CONCLUSÕES: A adesão ao tratamento representa um desafio no controle da tuberculose. Os fatores de proteção - interesse em se tratar e nível de informação sobre a doença - e o reconhecimento do uso de droga como fator de risco devem integrar estratégias de cuidado ao doente, buscando reduzir os índices de abandono para recuperação da saúde.
Molecular screening of Plasmodium sp. asymptomatic carriers among transfusion centers from Brazilian Amazon region
Authors: Fugikaha Érica , Fornazari Patrícia Aparecida , Penhalbel Roberta de Souza Rodrigues , Lorenzetti Alexandre , Maroso Roberto Duarte , Amoras Juvanete Távora , Saraiva Ana Sueli , Silva Rita Uchôa da , Bonini-Domingos Cláudia Regina , Mattos Luiz Carlos de , Rossit Andréa Regina Baptista , Cavasini Carlos Eugênio , Machado Ricardo Luiz Dantas
Published: March 2007

The transmission of malaria in Brazil is heterogeneous throughout endemic areas and the presence of asymptomatic Plasmodium sp. carriers (APCs) in the Brazilian Amazon has already been demonstrated. Malaria screening in blood banks is based on the selection of donors in respect to possible risks associated with travel or residence, clinical evidence and/or inaccurate diagnostic methods thereby increasing the probability of transfusion-transmitted infection. We evaluated the frequency of APCs in four blood services in distinct areas of the Brazilian Amazon region. DNA was obtained from 400 human blood samples for testing using the phenol-chloroform method followed by a nested-PCR protocol with species-specific primers. The positivity rate varied from 1 to 3% of blood donors from the four areas with an average of 2.3%. All positive individuals had mixed infections for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. No significant differences in the results were detected among these areas; the majority of cases originated from the transfusion centres of Porto Velho, Rondônia State and Macapá, Amapá State. Although it is still unclear whether APC individuals may act as reservoirs of the parasite, efficient screening of APCs and malaria patients in Brazilian blood services from endemic areas needs to be improved.
Study of 30 cases of histoplasmosis observed in the Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil
Authors: Chang Marilene Rodrigues , Taira Cleison Ledesma , Paniago Anamaria Melo Miranda , Taira Deborah Ledesma , Cunha Rivaldo Venâncio , Wanke Bodo
Published: March 2007

Thirty cases of histoplasmosis observed at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (HU-UFMS) from January 1998 to December 2005 are reported. Most (83.3%) of the patients were men, average 33.4 years old, 63.3% of them were born and living in Mato Grosso do Sul and 83.3% presented AIDS as an underlying disease. In almost all cases (96.7%) the disease occurred in its disseminated form and the most frequent clinical manifestations were: fever (83.3%), weight loss (70.0%), cough (63.3%), hepatomegaly and splenomegaly (40.0%), and lymph node enlargement (36.7%). The laboratory diagnosis was obtained in 29 patients by isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum from various clinical specimens cultivated in Sabouraud dextrose and brain heart infusion agar and in 16 patients the fungus was observed by direct microscopy of Giemsa-stained smears. The observed mortality was 40%. This is the first report in the literature of the occurrence of histoplasmosis in Mato Grosso do Sul State.
Evaluation of the in vitro activity of six antimicrobial agents against Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Belda Junior Walter , Velho Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira , Fagundes Luiz Jorge , Arnone Marcelo
Published: March 2007

Use of antimicrobials for the treatment of gonorrhea started in 1930 with the utilization of sulfonamides. With the years other drugs were used for its treatment such as penicillin, tetracycline, spectinomycin, and others. Although highly specific in the beginning, these drugs, with time did not show anymore the expected therapeutic results because of aspects of chromosomal and plasmid-mediated resistance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains to six drugs used for its treatment (penicillin, tetracycline, cefoxitin, thiamphenicol, spectinomycin and ofloxacin) by the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations of these drugs. We concluded that drugs, such as cefoxitin, thiamphenicol and spectinomycin still are excellent pharmacological agents for the treatment of gonorrhea. Penicillin, although still efficient, needs more attention regarding its use, as well as ofloxacin, because of the emergence of resistant strains. Tetracycline and its derivatives should be strongly contraindicated for the treatment of gonorrhea.
Models and applications for risk assessment and prediction of Asian soybean rust epidemics
Authors: Del Ponte Emerson M. , Godoy Cláudia V. , Canteri Marcelo G. , Reis Erlei M. , Yang X.B.
Published: March 2007

Asian rust of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merril] is one of the most important fungal diseases of this crop worldwide. The recent introduction of Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd. & P. Syd in the Americas represents a major threat to soybean production in the main growing regions, and significant losses have already been reported. P. pachyrhizi is extremely aggressive under favorable weather conditions, causing rapid plant defoliation. Epidemiological studies, under both controlled and natural environmental conditions, have been done for several decades with the aim of elucidating factors that affect the disease cycle as a basis for disease modeling. The recent spread of Asian soybean rust to major production regions in the world has promoted new development, testing and application of mathematical models to assess the risk and predict the disease. These efforts have included the integration of new data, epidemiological knowledge, statistical methods, and advances in computer simulation to develop models and systems with different spatial and temporal scales, objectives and audience. In this review, we present a comprehensive discussion on the models and systems that have been tested to predict and assess the risk of Asian soybean rust. Limitations, uncertainties and challenges for modelers are also discussed.
Caracterização fisiológica, cultural e patogênica de diferentes isolados de Lasiodiplodia theobromae
Authors: Pereira Aurenice L. , Silva Gilson S. , Ribeiro Valdenir Q.
Published: March 2007

Lasiodiplodia theobromae é responsável por doenças em inúmeras plantas cultivadas, causando perdas significativas de produção, notadamente no Nordeste brasileiro. Estudos básicos sobre esse fungo são necessários para se compreender melhor as interações patógeno-hospedeiro e traçar estratégias de controle. Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar oito isolados de L. theobromae, obtidos de diferentes hospedeiros, quanto ao crescimento micelial, produção e fertilidade de picnídios, aspectos morfológicos das colônias e patogenicidade. Os isolados variaram em todas as características estudadas. O meio aveia-ágar proporcionou a maior produção e fertilidade de picnídios, sobressaindo-se os isolados obtidos de manga e maracujá. O meio cenoura-ágar não promoveu a produção dessas estruturas. Quanto ao crescimento micelial, o meio V-8 promoveu maior velocidade de crescimento dos isolados. Em relação à coloração da colônia houve grande variação, predominando a coloração branco-acinzentada. Quanto à formação dos picnídios, verificou-se que a maioria dos isolados formaram tais estruturas. Em ensaios de inoculação cruzada, todos os isolados mostraram-se patogênicos aos hospedeiros testados.
A new Ophiodothella species associated with leaf spots on Annona squamosa in Brazil
Authors: Bezerra José Luiz , Freire Francisco C.O. , Andrade Dayse
Published: March 2007

A new species of Ophiodothella, O. annonae (Phyllachoraceae, Ascomycetes) is described and illustrated. The fungus causes brown lesions on leaves of Annonae squamosa, which can fall off prematurely, and is characterized by fusiform, slightly curved, biguttulate ascospores with a conspicuous central concentration of cytoplasm. This is the first species of Ophiodotella found on leaves of Annonaceae in Brazil.
Use of spectrophotometry as a tool to quantify the sporulation of Penicillium allii in garlic lesions
Authors: Valdez Jorge G. , Piccolo Ricardo J.
Published: March 2007

A technique to measure the concentration of Penicillium allii conidia in damp chamber experiments by spectrophotometry was developed. A negative linear correlation (R²=0.56) was observed between transmittance at 340 nm and the concentration of P. allii conidia in water agar 0.05%. The equation that relates transmittance (T) with concentration (conidia mL-1) (y) is: y = 9.3 10(6) - 86497 T. The method was assayed by inoculating 43 P. allii strains in two garlic cultivars. The method proved to be more rapid than the traditional use of a hemocytometer with an improved accuracy. The CV of the number of conidia per hemocytometer reticule was of 35.04%, while the transmittance CV was of 2.73%. The extreme values chosen for T were 40 and 80 because the sensitivity of the method decreased when concentrations of conidia were out of this range.
Development of a molecular method for detection and identification of Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola
Authors: Trindade Loiselene Carvalho da , Marques Eder , Lopes Daniela Biaggioni , Ferreira Marisa Álvares da Silva Velloso
Published: March 2007

In order to develop a molecular method for detection and identification of Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola (Xcv) the causal agent of grapevine bacterial canker, primers were designed based on the partial sequence of the hrpB gene. Primer pairs Xcv1F/Xcv3R and RST2/Xcv3R, which amplified 243- and 340-bp fragments, respectively, were tested for specificity and sensitivity in detecting DNA from Xcv. Amplification was positive with DNA from 44 Xcv strains and with DNA from four strains of X. campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae and five strains of X. axonopodis pv. passiflorae, with both primer pairs. However, the enzymatic digestion of PCR products could differentiate Xcv strains from the others. None of the primer pairs amplified DNA from grapevine, from 20 strains of nonpathogenic bacteria from grape leaves and 10 strains from six representative genera of plant pathogenic bacteria. Sensitivity of primers Xcv1F/Xcv3R and RST2/Xcv3R was 10 pg and 1 pg of purified Xcv DNA, respectively. Detection limit of primers RST2/Xcv3R was 10(4) CFU/ml, but this limit could be lowered to 10² CFU/ml with a second round of amplification using the internal primer Xcv1F. Presence of Xcv in tissues of grapevine petioles previously inoculated with Xcv could not be detected by PCR using macerated extract added directly in the reaction. However, amplification was positive with the introduction of an agar plating step prior to PCR. Xcv could be detected in 1 µl of the plate wash and from a cell suspension obtained from a single colony. Bacterium identity was confirmed by RFLP analysis of the RST2/Xcv3R amplification products digested with Hae III.
Eficácia de extratos de nim para o controle do oídio do feijoeiro
Authors: Carneiro Solange Monteiro de Toledo Piza Gomes , Pignoni Ericka , Vasconcellos Maria Elizabeth da Costa , Gomes José Carlos
Published: March 2007

O nim, Azadirachta indica, vem sendo estudado nos últimos anos para o controle de fitopatógenos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do óleo, do extrato de sementes e do extrato de folhas de nim no controle do oídio do feijoeiro, em casa de vegetação. Uma formulação comercial de óleo emulsionável de nim foi testada em concentrações entre 0,25 e 2,0%, em aplicações antes ou após o surgimento dos sintomas da doença. O extrato de sementes foi produzido em laboratório por meio da trituração das sementes em água destilada, sendo pulverizado 48 horas antes ou 24 horas após a inoculação do patógeno. Avaliou-se, após o surgimento dos sintomas, a eficiência de uma formulação comercial de extrato de folhas, nas concentrações de 0,25 e 0,5%. Verificou-se que o óleo de nim foi eficiente para o controle da doença quando aplicado antes ou depois do surgimento dos sintomas. O extrato de sementes controlou a doença nas três concentrações testadas. Por outro lado, o extrato de folhas não foi eficiente no controle do oídio do feijoeiro.
Produção e avaliação da sobrevivência de estruturas de resistência de fungos fitopatogênicos habitantes do solo
Authors: Bueno César Júnior , Ambrósio Márcia Michelle de Queiroz , Souza Nilton Luiz de
Published: March 2007

Os fungos fitopatogênicos habitantes do solo causam grandes perdas em culturas econômicas. Estes organismos produzem estruturas de resistência na ausência de hospedeiros e/ou nas condições climáticas desfavoráveis. Isto permite a sobrevivência destes organismos no solo por longos períodos de tempo. A presença das estruturas de resistência inviabiliza o controle do patógeno. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver metodologias para produzir e também para avaliar a sobrevivência das estruturas de resistência dos fungos Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici raça 2, Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani AG4 HGI, Sclerotium rolfsii, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum e Verticillium dahliae. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, constituído por 6 fungos, 8 épocas de avaliação (0, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 e 180 dias do início do experimento) e duas condições: campo e laboratório. No campo, a 10 cm de profundidade, para cada época de avaliação, foram enterradas duas bolsas contendo estruturas de cada fungo. No laboratório, foram mantidos dois frascos para cada patógeno. O parâmetro avaliado foi a sobrevivência das estruturas dos fungos. Constatou-se que todas as metodologias desenvolvidas refletiram de forma positiva quanto a sobrevivência dos fungos no campo e na avaliação dessa característica em condições de laboratório.