bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Meritorious Academic Partnership (MAP) Designation Program
Authors: Harper Mary , Maloney Patsy
Published: June 2019

A common concern of leaders of nursing professional development (NPD) or education departments in practice settings is hiring nurses with a master's degree in nursing education who lack the requisite knowledge and skills to adequately fulfill the position. As we speak with NPD practitioners around the country, we typically find less than one third who report NPD content in their master's in nursing education curriculum. Like NPD department leaders, these nurses recognize that they were prepared to work in academia but not in the practice setting. The irony of this gap in graduate nursing education content is that in many cases, opportunities for master's-prepared nurses to teach in an academic setting are limited. Furthermore, many master's-prepared nurses prefer an NPD role in the practice setting.

[
J Contin Educ Nurs.
2019;50(7):293–296]

.
Fatigue, Depression, and Quality of Life in HIV-Positive Men
Authors: Walker Katie , McGown Anne , Jantos Marek , Anson Judith
Published: June 2019

According to the National Centre in HiV epidemiology and Clinical Research, 14 million people worldwide were infected with HIV in 1993; 1 8,037 diagnoses of HIV infection have been made in Australia since the virus was identified (Bryan, 1994). In Australia, a vast majority of those infected with HIV are homosexual or bisexual men between the ages of 20 and 40, living in New South Wales or Victoria.
Association of Retinal Inner Layer Disorganization With Ultra-Widefield Fluorescein Angiographic Features and Visual Acuity in Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion
Authors: Yu Jeannette J. , Thomas Akshay S. , Berry Duncan , Yoon Stephen , Fekrat Sharon , Grewal Dilraj S.
Published: June 2019

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To assess the impact of the disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL) on visual acuity (VA) and its correlation with ischemic index (IsI) on ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) in eyes with acute, treatment-naïve branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Retrospective, longitudinal study of BRVO eyes with 1 year of follow-up or more. Area of intraretinal cysts, DRIL length, extent of disruption of external limiting membrane (ELM), and ellipsoid zone (EZ) were graded on the central 1,000 μm of foveal optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan. Baseline IsI was calculated on UWFFA.

RESULTS:

Thirty eyes of 30 patients with a mean follow-up of 25.4 months ± 11.0 months were evaluated. At baseline, 50% had DRIL (mean 443.1 μm ± 460.4 μm). DRIL length at baseline was predictive of worse VA at 12 months (
P
= .029), and DRIL length at 12 months was predictive of worse final VA(
P
= .011). In multivariate analyses, DRIL length was associated with final VA (
P
= .008) after controlling for other OCT parameters. There was no association between baseline IsI on UWFFA and DRIL.

CONCLUSIONS:

DRIL served as an independent OCT biomarker predictive of worse VA during a period of 2 years in acute, treatment-naïve BRVO. Development of DRIL was influenced by presence of CME, intraretinal cyst area, and extent of ELM and EZ disruption, but not by severity of baseline IsI.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2019;50:354–364.]
Visual and Anatomical Outcomes With Vitrectomy in Posterior or Combined Persistent Fetal Vasculature in an Asian Population
Authors: Yeh Chun-Ting , Chen Kuan-Jen , Liu Laura , Wang Nan-Kai , Hwang Yih-Shiou , Chao An-Ning , Chen Tun-Lu , Lai Chi-Chun , Wu Wei-Chi
Published: June 2019

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To investigate clinical features and surgical outcomes of vitrectomy in posterior or combined persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) in an Asian pediatric population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

This study was a retrospective, noncomparative, interventional case series relating the surgical outcome of PFV. Eyes that underwent pars plicata vitrectomy and/or lensectomy for posterior or combined PFV between 2006 and 2015 were included. The main outcome measures were the anatomic and functional results as well as the complications after the vitrectomy with or without lensectomy.

RESULTS:

A total of 25 eyes of 18 patients younger than 8 years of age were included in the study. The mean age of the patients receiving first pars plicata vitrectomy and/or lensectomy was 15.2 months ± 21.7 months (range: 1 month to 83 months). Postoperatively, successful anatomic correction in the posterior segment was observed in 20 eyes (80%). In addition, 19 of the 25 eyes (76%) had visual acuity (VA) better than 20/4000, and the mean logMAR VA of these 19 eyes was 1.74 (range: 0.48 to 2.30). The mean change of axial length of the eyes receiving surgery was 0.7 mm ± 1.4 mm (range: −1.0 mm to 2.4 mm;
P
= .18). None of the patients ended up with phthisis or glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study suggests that vitrectomy and/or lensectomy in patients with posterior or combined PFV with macular involvement may result in an acceptable anatomical outcome; however, the functional outcome remained poor despite surgical intervention in these patients.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2019;50:377–384.]
Occurrence of Hemi-Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Following Embolization in a Case of Recurrent Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma
Authors: Anjum Shahnaz , Temkar Shreyas , Chawla Rohan , Garg Gaurav
Published: June 2019

Preoperative embolization is currently widely followed in the treatment of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) to reduce intraoperative bleeding. However, embolization can result in untoward complications like stroke and blindness. The authors present the case of a 14-year-old boy with recurrent JNA who developed hemi-central retinal artery occlusion after embolization of branches of the external carotid artery. It was managed by intraocular pressure reduction and globe massage to dislodge the possible embolus. At 4 weeks' follow-up, there was near complete recovery in visual acuity; however, residual hemi-field defect persisted.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2019;50:385–387.]
Morpho-physiology, yield, and water-use efficiency ofOpuntia ficus-indica irrigated with saline water
Authors: Fonseca Varley Andrade , Santos Marcelo Rocha dos , Silva João Abel da , Donato Sérgio Luiz Rodrigues , Santos Rodrigues Carlindo , Brito Cleiton Fernando Barbosa
Published: June 2019

Forage cactus pear is considered a xerophilic plant, so it is adapted to harsh semiarid conditions and is a forage resource of significant importance for animal production in regions that are subject to food shortage and long dry periods. We aimed to evaluate the morphometric and physiologic characteristics and water-use efficiency of ‘Gigante’ forage cactus pear under different settings of irrigation depth and irrigation intervals with saline water. The treatments included seven conditions of water application: rainfed, 5 liters of water per linear meter every 15 days; 7% reference evapotranspiration (ETo) with a 15-day irrigation interval; 15% ETo with a 7-day irrigation interval; 33% ETo with a 3-day irrigation interval; 50% ETo with a 2-day irrigation interval; and 100% ETo with daily irrigation. Likewise, the use of saline water (3.6 dS m-1) as irrigation water on forage cactus pear did not stress the crop even in the presence of salts. The treatment with saline water and 33% ETo with a 3-day irrigation interval increased the plant height, number of cladodes, cladode area index, green mass and dry matter yields of forage cactus pear.
Bring your own device (BYOD): entendendo uma nova prática no ambiente acadêmico
Authors: Hino Marcia Cassitas , Przeybilovicz Erico , Coelho Taiane Ritta
Published: June 2019

Este artigo identifica os fatores percebidos a partir da prática de BYOD no contexto acadêmico. A popularização dos dispositivos móveis gerou um movimento do uso desses dispositivos pessoais no ambiente de trabalho. Esse fenômeno passou a ser conhecido como Bring your own device (BYOD). Esta prática chegou às instituições de ensino e envolve diversas discussões entre professores e estudantes. Não se sabe ao certo se o uso de dispositivos ajuda ou atrapalha o andamento das aulas e o processo de aprendizagem. Para entender esse fenômeno, realizamos entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores e alunos universitários. Inspirados na Grounded theory, desenhamos um modelo teórico que emergiu da análise dos dados. Esse modelo demonstra que a prática do BYOD no contexto acadêmico é determinada por fatores impulsionadores, de contexto e da prática. Os diversos fatores identificados no contexto acadêmico trazem resultados práticos, como a influência no processo de aprendizagem e a exposição ao aumento de jornada de trabalho. Os fatores da prática compreendem oito elementos: 1) interesse; 2) didática; 3) processo de aprendizagem; 4) ubiquidade; 5) produtividade; 6) responsabilidade; 7) padrões de uso; e 8) exposição. Este fenômeno pode estar relacionado ao contexto da sociedade e à modernidade tecnológica.
Livros de leitura e a construção da identidade nacional de crianças italianas e descendentes (São Paulo no início do século XX)
Authors: Panizzolo Claudia
Published: June 2019

A partir do último quartel do século XIX o imigrante estrangeiro passou a desempenhar um papel cada vez mais relevante na história de São Paulo. O presente texto tem por objetivo investigar as operações de civilidade impressas e impostas nos livros de leitura que alcançaram circulação expressiva nas escolas étnicas italianas e nas escolas primárias paulistas frequentadas pelos imigrantes e/ou seus filhos, entre o final do século XIX e o início do século XX. A partir da perspectiva teórico-metodológica da história cultural toma-se como fonte privilegiada a ‘Série graduada de Puiggari-Barreto’ e o livro de leitura Piccolo mondo. Com base no corpus conceitual constituído por Norbert Elias, os procedimentos, os instrumentos, as fontes e as direções de análise foram definidas, uma vez que interessa examinar práticas e processos de modelação dos sujeitos crianças que viviam o tempo social da infância, pelos quais se constituem como configurações mentais ou psíquicas, e nos quais cognição, sentimento, atitude, comportamento, valor, não são passíveis de abstração.  Os autores expressaram em seus livros um projeto civilizatório, em que a formação do cidadão, o amor à pátria, o reconhecimento e a valorização dos heróis, dos valores, da língua, dos grandes feitos, dos monumentos e das paisagens ganharam proeminência. Os autores reivindicaram em seus livros de leitura, produzidos nos dois lados do oceano Atlântico as marcas de uma identidade nacional almejada.
Functional independence of the elderly in multiprofessional home care
Authors: Carvalhal Talita Ferreira Turatti do , Losso Elenize , Boava Leon Martins , Martello Suzane Ketlyn , Ferreira Manoela De Paula , Cechinel Clovis
Published: June 2019

Functional evaluation is one of the pillars of elderly home care for planning of interventions targeting the autonomy of this population. To verify Functional Independence Measure (FIM) in senior patients on a home care program. Retrospective quantitative study with elderly patients assisted by a home care service in the city of Curitiba, from August 2012 to December 2016. The following information was collected: gender, age, clinical diagnosis, and mean FIM scores at admission and discharge. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were met, descriptive statistics was used and, for association of variables, Wilcoxon’s and Spearman’s tests were applied. 1,614 patients were included, with predominance of women (n = 953; 59.53%), mean age of 78.7 ± 9.2 years, clinical diagnoses of diseases mostly affecting the central nervous system (CNS), the respiratory system, the joint and musculoskeletal system, and the circulatory system. The initial mean FIM was 50.56 points, while the final one was 55.36 points, with significant difference – Z = -5.09, p = 0.0001. Most seniors presented maximum to moderate dependence; however, a significant improvement in FIM after the health care provided in their homes was observed in patients with minimum dependence or modified independence.
Her: pode um sistema operacional ocupar o lugar de sujeito?
Authors: Tfouni Leda Verdiani , Bartijotto Juliana , Abrantes Aline Reck Padilha
Published: June 2019

Pretendemos analisar o filme Her, de Spike Jonze seguindo os fundamentos da psicanálise e alguns apontamentos da linguística da enunciação. Trata-se de uma história futurista, cujo protagonista, Theodore, está imerso em um vazio que ele procura preencher com jogos e relações virtuais, numa tentativa vã de não se haver com a castração, que é estrutural. O título, um pronome oblíquo (her), já indicia a impossibilidade, visto que her não pode ser sujeito nem entrar na troca característica da intersubjetividade. Funda-se, assim, um impossível de ser sujeito que Samantha tenta contornar colocando-se como sujeito universal absoluto. Samantha é uma voz sem corpo. Mas seria da ordem do possível um sujeito sem corpo biológico, como é o caso de Samantha? Consideramos que o corpo, além de seus aspectos simbólico e imaginário, é constituído por matéria, ou seja, sua biologia é determinante. O sistema é um objeto programado para responder à demanda de seu usuário, e falha, porque para o desejo não há objeto, e quando algo é colocado no lugar, a angústia emerge. Quando a voz de Samantha deixa de ressoar no ouvido de Theodore, este se dá conta de que não há Outro do Outro que possa garantir a completude e é nessa falta que o sujeito surge. A estrutura do Outro constitui um vazio - o vazio da falta - que possibilita a Theodore autorizar-se a legitimar a própria voz.
A influência de fatores semânticos no uso de nomes gerais para a indeterminação do sujeito
Authors: Amaral Eduardo Tadeu Roque , Oliveira Fernanda Carla de
Published: June 2019

As formas de indeterminação do sujeito do português brasileiro vêm sendo pesquisadas por diversos autores, tais como Milanez (1982), Menon (1994), Carvalho (2010) e outros. Na maioria desses trabalhos, busca-se verificar quais fatores podem condicionar a realização de cada uma das estratégias de indeterminação. Nessa mesma linha, este artigo busca, em uma perspectiva variacionista, discutir a relevância de fatores semânticos no uso de nomes gerais para a indeterminação do sujeito. Por nomes gerais, compreendem-se certas unidades com traços semânticos mínimos, que estão entre o léxico e a gramática (Halliday & Hasan, 1976). O corpus da pesquisa está constituído por gravações sociolinguísticas coletadas na cidade de Bambuí-MG. A análise demonstra que, em termos de frequência, os nomes gerais identificados, ‘pessoa’, ‘pessoal’, ‘pessoas’, ‘cara’, ‘homem’, ‘povo’, ‘fulano’ e ‘ser humano’, ocupam a terceira posição no conjunto das variantes. As demais formas estudadas referem-se àquelas que já foram discutidas em trabalhos anteriores, isto é, ‘a gente’, ‘você/ocê/cê’, ‘nós/nóis’, ‘eles/ês’, entre outras. Considerando os resultados estatísticos da correlação entre as variáveis, observa-se que a indeterminação do sujeito por nomes gerais é condicionada pela ausência de anáfora e pela indeterminação total do referente ou indeterminação parcial quando este está implícito.
A função epistémica da escrita: aprendizagens de conteúdos e de escrita associadas ao trabalho de projeto em Estudo do Meio
Authors: Costa-Pereira Teresa , Faria Cláudia , Sousa Otília Costa
Published: June 2019

A escrita pode ser um instrumento para comunicar ou para aprender. Cada vez mais a investigação enfatiza a função epistémica da escrita. Neste estudo avalia-se a eficácia de um programa de intervenção em escrita para aprender os conteúdos de Estudo do Meio: analisam-se a construção de conhecimentos em conteúdos de Estudo do Meio e as habilidades desenvolvidas em escrita. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quase-experimental com grupo de controlo (GC) e grupo experimental (GE), realizada no 4º ano de escolaridade num agrupamento TEIP (Território Educativo de Intervenção Prioritária) na área da grande Lisboa. Optou-se por uma abordagem de trabalho de projeto no GE, com foco na escrita de textos expositivos. Os resultados mostram que a intervenção foi uma mais-valia em termos de aprendizagem, existindo diferenças significativas entre os alunos do GE e dos GC. As crianças do GE, ao mesmo tempo que aprenderam os conteúdos de Estudo do Meio, desenvolveram competências de escrita – conhecimentos de texto e consciência metatextual-, mas também de trabalho colaborativo. A análise dos resultados apoia a ideia de que escrever para aprender tem efeitos positivos sobre os conteúdos disciplinares, sobre a qualidade de escrita, o saber descrever e explicar e a ortografia. Os resultados têm implicações para as práticas de sala de aula dado que o trabalho realizado mostrou promover competências de literacia, construção de conhecimento e, ainda, favorecer uma maior autonomia, motivação e responsabilidade dos alunos.
Mucosubstances in the porcine gastrointestinal tract: Fixation, staining and quantification
Authors: Rieger Juliane , Drewes Barbara , Hünigen Hana , Plendl Johanna
Published: June 2019

Mucins are of great interest in intestinal research and histochemical methods are often employed to identify them. Since it is in the nature of mucins that they are “hard to hold onto” once they come into contact with water, a frequently used medium in histochemistry, there are a number of challenges that may decrease diagnostic accuracy. As the outcome of methods published for microscopic detection of mucosubstances proved to be unsatisfactory in our hands, the aim was the establishment of a reliable and reproducible protocol. Tissue samples were available from pig feeding experiments. In the present study, we focus on a fixation / staining procedure without making comparisons between differently fed pigs. Several fixation and staining procedures were evaluated for their use in semiautomatic quantification and quality assessment of different mucus fractions simultaneous on one tissue section. Cryostat sectioning, subsequent fixation steps with heat, ethanol and modified Bouin’s solution, followed by triple staining with high iron diamine, alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff turned out to be the best method to identify sulfomucin, sialomucin and neutral mucin simultaneous on one tissue section. This methodology resulted in very good morphology of goblet cells with intact mucin containing vesicles within the cells, which was comparable to ultrastructural electron microscopical observations. Semiautomatic quantification of different mucins was possible. In conclusion, reliable mucus quantification and assessment of mucus quality requires strictly tested procedures. According to our experience, the most important aim after cryosectioning is fast fixation of the mucosubstances, which requires a combination of different fixation steps.
Hepatitis B and HIV co-infection in South Africa: Just treat it!
Authors: Firnhaber Cynthia S , Ive Prue
Published: June 2019

There are an estimated 350 million hepatitis B carriers worldwide. The prevalence of mono-infection with hepatitis B in South Africa has been estimated at approximately 10% for the rural population and 1% in urban areas. The transmission routes of hepatitis B and HIV are similar, but hepatitis B is more efficient. Co-infection with HIV and hepatitis B is therefore not unusual. Recent studies have shown that the prevalence of HIV/HBV co-infection (using HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) as a marker for HBV) in South Africa ranges from 4.8% to 17%, depending on the population studied.The guidelines for the South African HIV Comprehensive Care, Management and Treatment (CCMT) programme do not include viral hepatitis studies. Hepatitis B serology is usually done only if serum aminotransferases are evaluated in the absence of another known cause (e.g. tuberculosis and concomitant medications). The clinical sequelae of HIV/HBV co-infection are multiple and can cause an increase in morbidity and mortality. Awareness of HBV/HIV co-infection with appropriate diagnosis and management is imperative for improved care of our HIV patients.
The role of concurrent sexual relationships in the spread of sexually transmitted infections in young South Africans
Authors: Kenyon Chris , Badri Motasim
Published: June 2019

We still do not know why the HIV prevalence in southern and eastern Africa is an order of magnitude higher than anywhere else in the world. An article in this journal in 2007 argued that a key determinant was not so much the lifetime numbers of sexual partnerships, but rather the high proportion of these partnerships that are arranged concurrently. Concurrency has been associated with elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) elsewhere, but this relationship has never been demonstrated in an African setting, where its effect is proposed to be greatest. We conducted a secondary data analysis from a representative survey of 14 - 25-year-olds living in Cape Town to test the hypothesis that concurrency is associated with self-reported symptoms of an STI. On logistic multiple regression analysis we found a modest but statistically significant relationship between self-reported STI symptoms and having had a partner who engaged in concurrency.
Azithromycin resistance mechanisms in typhoidal salmonellae in India
Authors: Sharma Priyanka , Kumari Bhavana , Dahiya Sushila , Kulsum Umay , Kumar Sambuddha , Manral Neelam , Pandey Sangeeta , Kaur Punit , Sood Seema , Das Bimal Kumar , Kapil Arti
Published: June 2019

Background & objectives:

Azithromycin has been in use as an alternate treatment option for enteric fever even when the guidelines on the susceptibility testing were not available. There is lack of data on susceptibility and mechanisms of resistance of azithromycin in Salmonella Typhi and S. Paratyphi A. The aim of the present study was to determine the azithromycin susceptibility and resistance mechanisms in typhoidal salmonellae isolates archived in a tertiary care centre in north India for a period of 25 years.

Methods:

Azithromycin susceptibility was determined in 602 isolates of S. Typhi (469) and S. Paratyphi A (133) available as archived collection isolated during 1993 to 2016, by disc diffusion and E-test method.PCR was done for ereA, ermA, ermB, ermC, mefA, mphA and msrA genes from plasmid and genomic DNA and sequencing was done to detect mutations in acrR, rplD and rplV genes.

Results:

Azithromycin susceptibility was seen in 437/469 [93.2%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 90.5 to 95.1%] isolates of S. Typhi. Amongst 133 isolates of S. Paratyphi A studied, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ≤16 mg/l was found in 102 (76.7%; 95% CI, 68.8 to 83.0). MIC value ranged between 1.5 and 32 mg/l with an increasing trend in MIC50 and MIC90 with time. Mutations were found in acrR in one and rplV in two isolates of S. Typhi. No acquired mechanism for macrolide resistance was found.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Azithromycin could be considered as a promising agent against typhoid fever on the basis of MIC distribution in India. However, due to emergence of resistance in some parts, there is a need for continuous surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance mechanisms. There is also a need to determine the breakpoints for S. Paratyphi A.
Seroprevalence of measles, mumps & rubella antibodies among 5-10 years old children in north India
Authors: Gupta Madhu , Tripathy Jaya Prasad , Verma Madhur , Singh Mini P. , Kaur Ramanpreet , Ratho R.K. , Kumar Rajesh
Published: June 2019

Background & objectives:

Globally, there is an effort to eliminate the measles and control rubella as these diseases lead to considerable morbidity and mortality especially among under-five children and are important public health problems. This study was aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) antibodies among children of age 5-10 yr in Chandigarh, north India, to provide evidence on prevalent immunity levels.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Chandigarh, among 196 randomly selected healthy children (5-10 yr), who received either one or two doses of measles or MMR combination vaccine. Socio-economic background and immunization history were recorded. Blood sample (2 ml) was collected to estimate the MMR IgG antibody titres by using ELISA kits.

Results:

Protective seroprevalence of MMR antibodies was 40.8, 75.5 and 86.2 per cent, respectively. The geometric mean titres of MMR IgG antibodies in the study children were 11.3, 50.6 and 54.3 international units (IU)/ ml, respectively. The proportion of seroprotected children for measles was significantly higher among those who had received two or more doses (46.4%) of measles vaccine compared to those who had received single dose (35.6%) (P<0.001). About 16 per cent of children had received single dose of MMR vaccine. Among these, 71.4 and 100 per cent were seroprotected against mumps and rubella, respectively.

Interpretation & conclusions:

A large proportion of children aged 5-10 yr lacked protective immunity against measles (60%); about one-fourth (15-25%) were susceptible to infection with mumps and rubella virus. Mumps vaccination may be considered to be included in National Immunization Schedule for children with periodic serosurveillance.
Nutrition communication - Rhetoric & reality
Authors: Gavaravarapu SubbaRao M.
Published: June 2019

Given the context that undernutrition in India co-exists with the problems of overweight/obesity and associated non-communicable diseases as well as micronutrient deficiencies, integrating nutritional concerns in developmental policies and governance is gaining significance. There are many schemes implemented to tackle malnutrition in India, but creating synergy and linking these schemes with each other to achieve a common goal are lacking. Nutrition communication can be an important component to create the synergy required to change malnourished India to malnutrition-free India. Although nutrition education/communication is recognized as a necessary component in various national nutrition programmes, there is not much evidence of distinct evaluation of these components. Only a minor proportion of community nutrition research has been devoted to nutrition education and communication. Although there are scattered efforts in experimenting with newer communication approaches and media for promoting nutrition, there is a dearth of published literature. In this review an attempt was made to critically examine the nutrition education and communication research and practice with special focus on India. This review provides a historical perspective of evolution of nutrition education and communication with an overview of communication approaches, media, methods and technologies used in various research studies and programmes as well as the lessons learnt.
Digital pressure in haemodialysis patients with brachial arteriovenous fistula
Authors: Oprea Alexandru , Molnar Adrian , Scridon Traian , Mircea Petru Adrian
Published: June 2019

Background & objectives:

The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in distal pressure changes following arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are not completely understood. This study was aimed to assess digital pressure changes post-AVF creation and to identify the factors that might influence these changes in ESRD patients.

Methods:

In this prospective study, 41 patients with ESRD underwent AVF creation. Basal digital pressure (BDP), digital brachial index (DBI), calcium, phosphorus and blood urea levels were assessed preoperatively. BDP, DBI, vein and artery diameters, and AVF blood flow were also evaluated at one and two month(s) post-AVF creation.

Results:

Mean BDP significantly decreased from 131.64±25.86 mmHg (baseline) to 93.15±32.14 and 94.53±32.90 mmHg at one and two months post-AVF creation, respectively (P<0.001). Mean DBI significantly decreased one month post-AVF creation versus baseline (0.70±0.18 vs. 0.89±0.17 mm, P<0.001) and remained similar at two versus one month(s) postoperatively (0.70±0.23 vs. 0.70±0.18 mm). At both postoperative timepoints, no correlation between DBI decrease and increased artery and vein diameters or fistula blood flow was observed. Mean DBI difference between patients with previous ipsilateral access versus those without was not significant from pre to one month postoperatively. No correlation was observed between baseline phosphorus, calcium and blood urea nitrogen and DBI changes.

Interpretation & conclusions:

Our findings suggest that decrease in distal pressure following AVF creation may not be influenced by the arterial remodelling degree, vein diameter or fistula flow. In uraemic patients, those with low calcium and/or increased phosphorus, no association between these parameters and DBI changes could be observed.
Hausdorff dimension of unions of affine subspaces and of Furstenberg-type sets
Authors: Héra Kornélia , Keleti Tamás , Máthé András
Published: June 2019

We prove that for any

1 \leq k < n

and

s\leq 1

, the union of any nonempty

s

-Hausdorff dimensional family of

k

-dimensional affine subspaces of

\mathbb R^n

has Hausdorff dimension

k + s

. More generally, we show that for any

0 < \alpha \leq k

, if

B \subset \mathbb R^n

and

E

is a nonempty collection of

k

-dimensional affine subspaces of

\mathbb R^n

such that every

P \in E

intersects

B

in a set of Hausdorff dimension at least

\alpha

, then dim

B \geq 2 \alpha - k + \mathrm {min}(\mathrm {dim} E, 1)

, where dim denotes the Hausdorff dimension. As a consequence, we generalize the well-known Furstenberg-type estimate that every

\alpha

-Furstenberg set has Hausdorff dimension at least

2 \alpha

; we strengthen a theorem of Falconer and Mattila [5]; and we show that for any

0 \leq k < n

, if a set

A \subset \mathbb R^n

contains the

k

-skeleton of a rotated unit cube around every point of

\mathbb R^n

, or if

A

contains a

k

-dimensional affine subspace at a fixed positive distance from every point of

\mathbb R^n

, then the Hausdorff dimension of

A

is at least

k + 1

.
Hölder coverings of sets of small dimension
Authors: Rossi Eino , Shmerkin Pablo
Published: June 2019

We show that a set of small box counting dimension can be covered by a Hölder graph from all but a small set of directions, and give sharp bounds for the dimension of the exceptional set, improving a result of B. Hunt and V. Kaloshin. We observe that, as a consequence, Hölder graphs can have positive doubling measure, answering a question of T. Ojala and T. Rajala. We also give remarks on Hölder coverings in polar coordinates and, on the other hand, prove that a homogeneous set of small box counting dimension can be covered by a Lipschitz graph from all but a small set of directions.
A weak type estimate for rough singular integrals
Authors: Lerner Andrei K.
Published: June 2019

We obtain a weak type (1, 1) estimate for a maximal operator associated with the classical rough homogeneous singular integrals

T_\Omega

. In particular, this provides a different approach to a sparse domination for

T_\Omega

obtained recently by Conde-Alonso, Culiuc, Di Plinio and Ou.
О разбиении нечетного числа на три простых слагаемых
в заранее заданной пропорции
Authors: Sagdeev Arsenii Alekseevich
Published: June 2019

В настоящей работе доказывается, что для любого разбиения
$1=a+b+c$ единицы на три положительных слагаемых
каждое нечетное число $n$ можно разбить на три простых слагаемых
$n=p_a(n)+p_b(n)+p_c(n)$ так, что доля первого слагаемого
будет стремиться к $a$, второго - к $b$, а третьего - к $c$
при $n \to \infty$.
Библиография: 9 названий.
Entre o escudo e a espada : caracterizando o land grabbing como crime contra a humanidade
Authors: Lopes Rodolfo Soares Ribeiro
Published: June 2019

O artigo tem por objetivo analisar a prática do "land grabbing" no contexto brasileiro e da sociedade mundial, bem como se pode ser considerada um crime contra a humanidade, e sob que circunstâncias, na hipótese de preencher os requisitos do artigo 7º do Estatuto de Roma. Depois de definir "land grabbing" e tecer considerações críticas acerca do conceito de crime e do princípio da legalidade no direito internacional penal, caracteriza os elementos constitutivos dos crimes contra a humanidade. Ao final, com base na compreensão dos tribunais internacionais sobre as convenções internacionais de direitos humanos como um “instrumento vivo”, examina os requisitos para caracterizar o "land grabbing" como um crime contra a humanidade. A crescente importância do tema em questão para a área do direito internacional penal é evidente, mas suas nuances ainda precisam ser melhor analisadas pela doutrina nacional e internacional, motivo pelo qual o artigo pretende trazer elementos para contribuir com o debate.
Descolonialismo e o direito internacional privado na América latina : desvendando novos paradigmas
Authors: Gomes Eduardo Biacchi , Carta Winter Luis Alexandre
Published: June 2019

: Direito Internacional Privado, também denominado de conflito de leis no espaço, em sua concepção tradicional tem por objetivo definir os critérios de conexão resolver as relações jurídicas conectadas entre dois sistemas jurídicos. Sua construção possui nítida influência da visão europeia e, de certo ponto, norte-americana, através da escola anglo-saxônica. A hipótese central do presente artigo, utilizando-se do método de abordagem o dialético e de procedimento, o método histórico-comparativo, versa, de um lado, sobre a evolução do direito internacional privado clássico, e, de outro, sob a perspectiva latino-americana e dentro de uma perspectiva descolonial. A novidade da pesquisa consiste em investigar a questão de acordo com paradigmas do descolonialismo e da interculturalidade sem abandonar a perspectiva eurocêntrica da construção do direito internacional privado. Há que se lembrar que a América Latina possui interessantes experiências nesta perspectiva, especialmente no que diz respeito à própria humanização do Direito Internacional Privado e também em relação aos critérios uniformizadores das normas.
Arbitragem de investimentos e o meio ambiente: reflexões sobre o caso Ethyl Corporation v. Canadá
Authors: Gomes Patrícia Maria Da Silva
Published: June 2019

Frequentemente nos deparamos com críticas às arbitragens de investimentos, notadamente quando envolvem temas de manifesto interesse público, como o meio ambiente e a saúde, por exemplo. Neste artigo, optou-se por abordar o assunto a partir de um caso concreto envolvendo questões ambientais, a arbitragem Ethyl Corporation v. Canadá. Nesse sentido, foram analisadas algumas medidas adotadas para que as empresas multinacionais não abusem de sua capacidade postulatória em arbitragem de investimentos. Além disso, discutiu-se ainda os meios escolhidos pelas organizações internacionais e pelas instituições arbitrais para um aprimoramento da arbitragem de investimentos na busca por um equilíbrio entre os interesses públicos e privados. Considerando a repercussão do tema, regularmente alvo de debates entre internacionalistas, economistas e estudiosos da arbitragem, o presente estudo se justifica em razão da necessidade de adoção de normas protetivas ao meio ambiente nas arbitragens de investimentos.
Revisitando a aversão brasileira à clausula investidor-estado : capitalismo de Estado e treaty-shopping
Authors: Reis Marcelo Simões , Ribeiro Gustavo
Published: June 2019

a aversão brasileira à cláusula investidor-Estado nos acordos de investimentos pode ser considerada contra intuitiva ao mainstream dos anos 1990. Enquanto os países em desenvolvimento celebravam, freneticamente, acordos de proteção ao investidor contendo essa cláusula, o Brasil mantinha-se resistente ao processo. Tradicionalmente, a entrada contínua de capital no país, independentemente da cláusula, e a experiência negativa da Argentina, no período que se seguiu, com esse modelo, vêm à tona como parte das explicações do posicionamento brasileiro. Na virada do século, por sua vez, a economia brasileira passou por uma mudança fundamental, com diversos grupos empresariais se projetando externamente e se internacionalizando com presença local em mercados estrangeiros. Poder-se-ia esperar uma mudança de posicionamento pró-cláusula investidor-Estado. Mas isso não ocorreu e não é observável nos recentes Acordos de Cooperação e Facilitação de Investimentos (ACFI). Esse artigo explora duas razões que ajudam a compreender esse posicionamento. A primeira, desenvolvida por pesquisa doutrinária e dados de participação em capital social, refere-se ao modelo de capitalismo de Estado brasileiro. O entrelaçamento entre interesses privados e o governo, por meio de participação direta nas empresas ou financiamento, muda o cálculo governamental reduzindo o interesse na cláusula investidor-Estado. A segunda, com base no método dogmático e análise jurisprudencial, relaciona-se a um mecanismo jurídico que permite aos investidores se engajarem em uma disputa direta com um Estado por meio do treaty shopping. Os investidores brasileiros já teriam, em tese, em algumas jurisdições, a possibilidade de iniciar disputas direta contra Estados por meio desse mecanismo. Altera-se, assim, o cálculo privado, reduzindo o interesse em pressionar as negociações em direção de um modelo de proteção contendo a referida cláusula.
Influence of functional groups on toxicity of carbon nanomaterials
Authors: Liu Yongchun , Jiang Haotian , Liu Chunmei , Ge Yanli , Wang Lian , Zhang Bo , He Hong , Liu Sijin
Published: June 2019

Abstract. It has been recognized that carbon nanomaterials and soot particles are
toxic for human health, but the influence
of functionalization on their toxicity as well as the evolution of the
toxicity of carbon nanomaterials due to chemical aging in the atmosphere is still controversial. In
the current study, the oxidation potential measured by dithiothreitol (DTT)
decay rate and the cytotoxicity to murine macrophage cells of different
functionalized carbon nanomaterials were investigated to understand the role
of functionalization in their toxicities. The DTT decay rates of special
black 4A (SB4A), graphene, graphene oxide, single-walled carbon nanotubes
(SWCNTs), SWCNT-OH and SWCNT-COOH were 45.9±3.0, 58.5±6.6,
160.7±21.7, 38.9±8.9, 57.0±7.2 and 36.7±0.2 pmol min−1 µg−1, respectively. Epoxide was found to be mainly
responsible for the highest DTT decay rate of graphene oxide compared to
other carbon nanomaterials based on comprehensive characterizations. Both
carboxylation and hydroxylation showed little influence on the oxidation
potential of carbon nanomaterials, while epoxidation contributes to the
enhancement of oxidation potential. All these carbon nanomaterials were
toxic to the murine J774 cell line. However, oxidized carbon nanomaterials
(graphene oxide, SWCNT-OH and SWCNT-COOH) showed weaker cytotoxicity to the J774
cell line compared to the corresponding control sample as far as the
metabolic activity was considered and stronger cytotoxicity to the J774 cell
line regarding the membrane integrity and DNA incorporation. These
results imply that epoxidation might enhance the oxidation potential of
carbon nanomaterials.
Sources and atmospheric dynamics of organic aerosol in New Delhi, India: Insights from receptor modeling
Authors: Bhandari Sahil , Gani Shahzad , Patel Kanan , Wang Dongyu S. , Soni Prashant , Arub Zainab , Habib Gazala , Apte Joshua S. , Hildebrandt Ruiz Lea
Published: June 2019

Abstract. Delhi, India, is the second most populated city in the world and routinely experiences some of the highest particulate matter concentrations of any megacity on the planet, posing acute challenges to public health (World Health Organization, 2018). However, the current understanding of the sources and dynamics of PM pollution in Delhi is limited. Measurements at the Delhi Aerosol Supersite (DAS) provide a long-term chemical characterization of ambient submicron aerosol in Delhi, with near-continuous online measurements of aerosol composition. Here we report on source apportionment based on positive matrix factorization (PMF), conducted on 15 months of highly time-resolved speciated submicron non-refractory PM1 (NRPM1) between January 2017 and March 2018. We report on seasonal variability across four seasons of 2017 and interannual variability using data from the two winters and springs of 2017 and 2018. We show that a modified tracer-based organic component analysis provides an opportunity for a real-time source apportionment approach for organics in Delhi. Thermodynamic modeling allows estimation of the importance of ventilation coefficient (VC) and temperature in controlling primary and secondary organic aerosol. We also find that primary aerosol dominates severe air pollution episodes.
Effects of aerosol in simulations of realistic shallow cumulus cloud fields in a large domain
Authors: Spill George , Stier Philip , Field Paul R. , Dagan Guy
Published: June 2019

Abstract. Previous study of shallow convection has generally suffered from having to balance domain size with resolution, resulting in high resolution studies which do not capture large scale behaviour of the cloud fields. In this work we hope to go some way towards addressing this by carrying out cloud resolving simulations on large domains. Simulations of trade wind cumulus are carried out using the Met Office Unified Model (UM), based on a case study from the Rain In Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) field campaign. The UM is run with a nested domain of 500 km with 500 m resolution, in order to capture the large scale behaviour of the cloud field, and with a double-moment interactive microphysics scheme. Simulations are run using baseline aerosol profiles based on observations from RICO, which are then perturbed. We find that the aerosol perturbations result in changes to the convective behaviour of the cloud field, with higher aerosol leading to an increase (decrease) in the number of deeper (shallower) clouds. However, despite this deepening, there is little increase in the frequency of higher rain rates. This is in contrast to the findings of previous work making use of idealised simulation setups. In further contrast, we find that increasing aerosol results in a persistent increase in domain mean liquid water path and decrease in precipitation, with little impact on cloud fraction.
A new approach to estimate supersaturation fluctuations in stratocumulus cloud using ground-based remote sensing measurements
Authors: Yang Fan , McGraw Robert , Luke Edward P. , Zhang Damao , Kollias Pavlos , Vogelmann Andrew M.
Published: June 2019

Abstract. Supersaturation, crucial for cloud droplet activation and condensational growth, varies in clouds at different spatial and temporal scales. In-cloud supersaturation is poorly known and rarely measured directly. On the scale of a few tens of meters, supersaturation in clouds has been estimated from in-situ measurements assuming quasi-steady state supersaturation. Here, we provide a new method to estimate supersaturation using ground-based remote sensing measurements, and results are compared with those estimated from aircraft in-situ measurements in a marine stratocumulus cloud during the ACE-ENA field campaign. Our method agrees reasonably well with in-situ estimations and it has three advantages: (1) it does not rely on the quasi-steady state assumption, which is questionable in clean or turbulent clouds; (2) it can provide a supersaturation profile, rather than just point values from in-situ measurements; and (3) it enables building statistics of supersaturation in stratocumulus clouds for various meteorological conditions from multi-year ground-based measurements. The uncertainties, limitations and possible applications of our method are discussed.
Hydrometeorological drivers of the 2017 flood in the Brahmaputra basin in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Sazzad , Cloke Hannah L. , Ficchì Andrea , Turner Andrew G. , Stephens Elisabeth
Published: June 2019

Abstract. Flooding is a frequent natural hazard in the Brahmaputra basin during the South Asian summer monsoon. Understanding the causes of flood severity is essential for flood management decisions, but to date there has been little attempt to identify sub-seasonal variability of flood characteristics and drivers for the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. In the 2017 summer monsoon, there was severe flooding in Bangladesh, but the Brahmaputra River, as well as its tributaries, behaved unusually compared to previous major flood events. This study analyses different hydrometeorological drivers of these floods, providing valuable information for the assessment and forecasting of future flood events. Water level and river flow time series have been decomposed using wavelet analysis to study the temporal variability within the hydrological cycle. During the 2017 monsoon, the extreme rainfall in August caused the water level of the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries to rise rapidly and exceed their previous historical record. This heavy rainfall was associated with a northward shift of the monsoon trough, creating active monsoon conditions in the Brahmaputra basin. The rainfall was localised over the lower sub-basins adjacent to the northern border of Bangladesh. The estimated river discharge in 2017 was slightly lower than the two previous major flood events in 1998 and 1988. The wavelet analysis of both daily water level and discharge shows that a high frequency component drove the severe flooding in 2017, compared to the low frequency component in 1998, where widespread basin accumulated rainfall acted as main driver of the flooding. The study concludes that the location and magnitude of extreme rainfall are key drivers controlling on the characteristics of the Brahmaputra floods. Understanding these drivers is essential for flood forecasting, in order to predict the timing, magnitude and duration of flooding, and also for understanding future climate change impacts on flooding. The study recommendations include analysing the synoptic situation along with different intra-seasonal oscillations as well as considering the spatial location of rainfall events for flood forecasting.