Contents
During cryopreservation, sperm was submitted to an increase in reactive oxygen species generation. This work aimed to improve the quality of frozen equine sperm after the addition of ...antioxidants lactoferrin (Lf) and catalase (Cat) to a freezing extender. Semen from six stallions was frozen with the extenders: F1) control, INRA 82 freezing extender, F2) F1 + 500 μg/ml Lf and F3) F1 + 200 IU/ml Cat. After thawing, sperm motility parameters, membrane functionality and integrity, and acrosome integrity and spontaneous acrosome‐reacted sperm were evaluated with a computer‐assisted sperm analysis, a hypoosmotic swelling test and epifluorescent microscopy, respectively. Nitrite, hydroperoxide and iron concentrations of frozen semen were measured with spectrophotometry. The percentage of functional membrane sperm treated with Lf was higher (50.7% ± 11.6%) compared to that of the control (37.6% ± 15.6%), while the iron (61.4 ± 11.6 vs 73.3 ± 13.8 mg/dl) and nitrite concentrations (16.3 ± 7.1 vs 25.9 ± 4.2 μM/μg protein) were lower, respectively (p < .05). Thus, it can be suggested that Lf protect stallion spermatozoon during freezing as it has increased the percentage of sperm with functional membrane and decreased the lipid oxidant agents.
p-q Theory power components calculations Afonso, J.L.; Freitas, M.J.S.; Martins, J.S.
2003 IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics ( Cat. No.03TH8692),
2003, Letnik:
1
Conference Proceeding
Odprti dostop
The "generalized theory of the instantaneous reactive power in three-phase circuits", proposed by Akagi et al., and also known as the p-q theory, is an interesting tool to apply to the control of ...active power filters, or even to analyze three-phase power system in order to detect problems related to harmonics, reactive power and unbalance. In this paper it will be shown that in three phase electrical systems the instantaneous power waveform presents symmetries if 1/6, 1/3, 1/2 or 1 cycle of the power system fundamental frequency, depending on the system being balanced or not, and having or not even harmonics (interharmonics and subharmonics are not considered in this analysis). These symmetries can be exploited to accelerate the calculations for active filters controllers based on the p-q theory. In the case of the conventional reactive power or zero-sequence compensation, it is shown that the theoretical control system dynamic response delay is zero.
We present a new local anesthetic technique for ophthalmic surgery that reduces the risks associated with retrobulbar and peribulbar anesthesia. This method uses topical proparacaine plus 1.5 mL of ...prilocaine (3%) with felypressin injected into the subconjunctival (sub-Tenon's) space. Of 5210 consecutive adult patients in whom the technique was used, all demonstrated adequate analgesia. Sixty-three (1.2%) of the eyes required supplemental analgesia, provided by a single injection of prilocaine (0.5 mL). Ecchymosis and subconjunctival hemorrhage developed in 63 (1.2%) of the eyes. There were no instances of ptosis.
To assess renal dysfunction and outcome in patients treated exclusively with colistin vs. other antibiotics.
Prospective cohort study in a mixed ICU in a university-affiliated hospital.
185 patients ...infected with Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa after an ICU stay longer than 48 h: 55 in the colistin group and 130 in the noncolistin group, similar in age, APACHE II, medical status, and SOFA score.
We recorded data on epidemiology and severity of illness, site of infection, renal function before and after treatment, clinical cure, and mortality. Clinical cure was defined as simultaneous normalization of central temperature (< or = 38 degrees), leukocyte count (< or = 10,000/mm3), and PaO2/FIO2 ratio (>187). Before treatment creatinine was 0.9+/-0.2 in the colistin group and 0.9+/-0.1 in the noncolistin group; after treatment the value was 1.0+/-0.3 in both groups. The most frequent infection was ventilator-associated pneumonia: 53% vs. 66% in colistin and noncolistin groups, respectively, Acinetobacter was the cause in 65% and 60% and Pseudomonas in 35% and 53%. In the noncolistin group 81% of patients were treated with carbapenems. Inadequate empirical antimicrobial treatment was more frequent in the colistin group (100% vs. 8%), but there were no differences in the frequency of clinical cure on day 6 of treatment (15% and 17%) or in mortality (29% and 24%).
Colistin appears to be as safe and as effective as other antimicrobials for treatment of sepsis caused by Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas in critically ill patients.
Around the world, there is growing desire and momentum for ecological restoration to happen faster, with better quality, and in more extensive areas. The question we ask is how can laws and ...governmental regulations best contribute to effective, successful, and broad‐scale restoration? In the state of São Paulo, Brazil, there is a legal instrument (SMA 08‐2008) whose aim is to increase the effectiveness of tropical forest restoration projects in particular. It establishes, among other things, requirements regarding the minimum number of native tree species to be reached within a given period of time in restoration projects and the precise proportion of functional groups or threatened species to be included when reforestation with native species is used as a restoration technique. There are, however, two differing perspectives among Brazilian restoration ecologists on the appropriateness of such detailed legal rules. For some, the rules help increase the chances that mandatory projects of ecological restoration will succeed. For the other group, there is no single way to achieve effective ecosystem restoration, and the existing science and know‐how are far from sufficient to establish standardized technical and methodological norms or to justify that such norms be imposed. Both points of view are discussed here, aiming to help those developing new legislation and improving existing laws about ecological restoration. The precedents established in São Paulo, and at the federal level in Brazil, and the ongoing debate about those laws are worth considering and possibly applying elsewhere.
Ontologies: How can They be Built? Pinto, Helena Sofia; Martins, João P.
Knowledge and information systems,
7/2004, Letnik:
6, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Ontologies are an important component in many areas, such as knowledge management and organization, electronic commerce and information retrieval and extraction. Several methodologies for ontology ...building have been proposed. In this article, we provide an overview of ontology building. We start by characterizing the ontology building process and its life cycle. We present the most representative methodologies for building ontologies from scratch, and the proposed techniques, guidelines and methods to help in the construction task. We analyze and compare these methodologies. We describe current research issues in ontology reuse. Finally, we discuss the current trends in ontology building and its future challenges, namely, the new issues for building ontologies for the Semantic Web. Publication Abstract
Abstract This systematic review examines the prevalence, underlying mechanisms, cohort characteristics, evaluation criteria, and cohort types in white matter hyperintensity (WMH) pipeline and ...implementation literature spanning the last two decades. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, we categorized WMH segmentation tools based on their methodologies from January 1, 2000, to November 18, 2022. Inclusion criteria involved articles using openly available techniques with detailed descriptions, focusing on WMH as a primary outcome. Our analysis identified 1007 visual rating scales, 118 pipeline development articles, and 509 implementation articles. These studies predominantly explored aging, dementia, psychiatric disorders, and small vessel disease, with aging and dementia being the most prevalent cohorts. Deep learning emerged as the most frequently developed segmentation technique, indicative of a heightened scrutiny in new technique development over the past two decades. We illustrate observed patterns and discrepancies between published and implemented WMH techniques. Despite increasingly sophisticated quantitative segmentation options, visual rating scales persist, with the SPM technique being the most utilized among quantitative methods and potentially serving as a reference standard for newer techniques. Our findings highlight the need for future standards in WMH segmentation, and we provide recommendations based on these observations.
A study of elder abuse in Korea Oh, Jinjoo; Kim, Hesook Suzie; Martins, Diane ...
International journal of nursing studies,
02/2006, Letnik:
43, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This study investigates the state of elder abuse in Korea, and its related factors in a population-based survey. A total of 15,230 persons were interviewed at their homes in 1999. The rate of old ...people who experienced any one category of abuse was 6.3%, and emotional abuse was the most frequent while physical abuse was least prevalent. The experience of abuse seemed to be associated with personal characteristics such as age, gender, educational level, and economic dependency as well as the physical and mental health status. In addition, family characteristics such as the type of household, the family's economic level, and the quality of family relations were found to be associated with the presence of abuse.
Objectives
To evaluate factors associated with COVID-19 severity outcomes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods
This was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data of a ...prospective, multi-stage cohort study—“The ReumaCoV Brazil”—designed to monitor patients with immune-mediated rheumatologic disease (IMRD) during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. SLE adult patients with COVID-19 were compared with those without COVID-19. SLE activity was evaluated by the patient global assessment (PGA) and SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K).
Results
604 SLE patients were included, 317 (52.4%) with COVID-19 and 287 (47.6%) in the control group. SLE COVID-19 patients reported a lower frequency of social isolation and worked more frequently as health professionals. There was no difference in the mean SLEDAI-2K score between groups in the post–COVID-19 period (5.8 8.6 vs. 4.5 8.0; p = 0.190). However, infected patients reported increased SLE activity according to the Patient Global Assessment (PGA) during this period (2.9 2.9 vs. 2.3 2.6; p = 0.031. Arterial hypertension (OR 2.48 CI 95% 1.04–5.91, p = 0.041), cyclophosphamide (OR 14.32 CI 95% 2.12–96.77, p = 0.006), dyspnea (OR: 7.10 CI 95% 3.10–16.23, p < 0.001) and discontinuation of SLE treatment medication during infection (5.38 CI 95% 1.97–15.48, p = 0.002), were independently associated with a higher chance of hospitalization related to COVID-19. Patients who received telemedicine support presented a 67% lower chance of hospitalization (OR 0.33 CI 95% 0.12–0.88, p = 0.02).
Conclusion
Hypertension and cyclophosphamide were associated with a severe outcome, and telemedicine can be a useful tool for SLE patients with COVID-19.
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