Incrimination of Anopheles (Anopheles) intermedius Peryassú, An. (Nyssorhynchus) nuneztovari Gabaldón, An. (Nys.) oswaldoi Peryassú as natural vectors of Plasmodium falciparum in French Guiana

Anopheles darlingi Root is the major vector of human malaria in the Neotropics and has been considered to be the sole malaria vector in French Guiana. The presence of other potential vectors suggests that malaria may be transmitted by other species under certain conditions. From 2006-2011, all anopheline specimens collected from 11 localities were assayed to determine if the Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein was present. In addition to An. darlingi, we found Anopheles oswaldoi, Anopheles intermedius and Anopheles nuneztovari specimens that were infected with Plasmodium sp. Further investigations on the behaviour and ecology of An. oswaldoi, An. intermedius and An. nuneztovari are necessary to determine their role in malaria transmission in French Guiana.

Oseltamivir-resistant influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus in southern Brazil

The neuraminidase (NA) genes of A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus isolates from 306 infected patients were analysed. The circulation of oseltamivir-resistant viruses in Brazil has not been reported previously. Clinical samples were collected in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) from 2009-2011 and two NA inhibitor-resistant mutants were identified, one in 2009 (H275Y) and the other in 2011 (S247N). This study revealed a low prevalence of resistant viruses (0.8%) with no spread of the resistant mutants throughout RS.

The dynamics of Brazilian protozoology over the past century

Brazilian scientists have been contributing to the protozoology field for more than 100 years with important discoveries of new species such asTrypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. In this work, we used a Brazilian thesis database (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) covering the period from 1987-2011 to identify researchers who contributed substantially to protozoology. We selected 248 advisors by filtering to obtain researchers who supervised at least 10 theses. Based on a computational analysis of the thesis databases, we found students who were supervised by these scientists. A computational procedure was developed to determine the advisors’ scientific ancestors using the Lattes Platform. These analyses provided a list of 1,997 researchers who were inspected through Lattes CV examination and allowed the identification of the pioneers of Brazilian protozoology. Moreover, we investigated the areas in which researchers who earned PhDs in protozoology are now working. We found that 68.4% of them are still in protozoology, while 16.7% have migrated to other fields. We observed that support for protozoology by national or international agencies is clearly correlated with the increase of scientists in the field. Finally, we described the academic genealogy of Brazilian protozoology by formalising the “forest” of Brazilian scientists involved in the study of protozoa and their vectors over the past century.

Dietary intake of children with inflammatory bowel disease and of healthy controls

Introduction: The assessment of dietary intake by examination is a tool that allows knowing the habits and detecting certain nutritional deficiencies. Thus, it is essential in chronic disease and especially in children, where deficiencies can have a negative impact on growth and pubertal development. Objectives: Compare the dietary intake between children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-nine healthy controls (12 girls; mean age: 12.7 ± 1.9 years) and 21 IBD patients (11 girls; 14.3 ± 1.3 years) recruited from August 2011 to October 2012. Dietary intake was assessed by 24h recall. Results: No differences were found between IBD patients and healthy controls regarding dietary intake (table). Both IBD patients and healthy controls had excessive protein consumption. Furthermore, there are deficiencies for some nutriments (fibers, calcium and magnesium). Qualitative analysis revealed that both, IBD patients and healthy controls showed increased snacking and bad lipids distribution, especially for saturated lipids. Conclusion: Both children with IBD and health controls have a food imbalance and a low intake of minerals and vitamins. No differences between children with IBD and healthy controls were found.

Introducción de la semipresencialidad en el grado de Información y Documentación: evolucionando con la sociedad

[spa] El curso 2011-2012 se inicia la introducción de la semipresencialidad en el grado de Información y Documentación de la Facultad de Biblioteconomía y Documentación de la Universidad de Barcelona. Se ofrecen todas las asignaturas de primer curso en este formato para un grupo de 30 alumnos. La planificación ha supuesto la determinación de las condiciones y el grado de presencialidad, la creación del material docente de las asignaturas en un campus virtual y el establecimiento de indicadores y mecanismos de seguimiento y evaluación. Los primeros resultados apuntan diferencias importantes respecto al seguimiento de la titulación en formato presencial.

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: activity in Switzerland compared with surrounding European countries.

Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a highly specialised procedure used to treat malignancies of the lymphohaematopoietic system as well as some acquired and inherited disorders of the blood. This analysis by the Swiss Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Group, based on data from 2008-2011, describes, treatment rates in Switzerland for specific indications and compares this with data from Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands, corrected for the size of the population. Differences in transplant rates, in rates for particular indications, and in the use of specific transplant technologies such as use of unrelated donors, use of cord blood or mismatched family donors are described. These data are put in correlation with donor availability from international registries and with number of transplant teams and number of procedures per team all corrected for population size.

Body composition using bio-impedance analysis in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Corcordance with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and comparison with healthy controls

Introduction: Growth is a central process in paediatrics. Weight and height evaluation are therefore routine exams for every child but in some situation, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a wider evaluation of nutritional status needs to be performed. Objectives: To assess the accuracy of bio-impedance analysis (BIA) compared to the gold standard dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in estimating percentage body fat (fat mass; FM) and lean body mass (fat free mass; FFM) in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). To compare FM and FFM levels between patients with IBD and healthy controls. Methods: Twenty-nine healthy controls (12 females; mean age: 12.7 ± 1.9 years) and 21 patients (11 females; 14.3 ± 1.3 years) were recruited from August 2011 to October 2012 at our institution. BIA was performed in all children and DEXA in patients only. Concordance between BIA and DEXA was assessed using Lin's concordance correlation and the Bland-Altman method. Between-group comparisons were made using analysis of variance adjusting for age. Results: BIA-derived FM% showed a good concordance with DEXA-derived values, while BIA-derived FFM% tended to be slightly higher than DEXA-derived values (table). No differences were found between patients and controls regarding body mass index (mean ± SD: 19.3 ± 3.3 vs. 20.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2, respectively; age-adjusted P = 0.08) and FM% (boys: 25.3 ± 10.2 vs. 22.6 ± 7.1%, for patients and controls, respectively; P = 0.20; girls: 28.2 ± 5.7 vs. 26.4 ± 7.7%; P = 0.91). Also, no differences were found regarding FFM% in boys (74.9 ± 10.2 vs. 77.4 ± 7.1%; P = 0.22) and girls (71.8 ± 5.6 vs. 73.5 ± 7.7%; P = 0.85). Conclusion: BIA adequately assesses body composition (FM%) in children with IBD and could advantageously replace DEXA, which is more expensive and less available. No differences in body composition were found between children with IBD and healthy controls.

Are patients at nutritional risk more prone to complications after major urological surgery?

PURPOSE: The nutritional risk score is a recommended screening tool for malnutrition. While a nutritional risk score of 3 or greater predicts adverse outcomes after digestive surgery, to our knowledge its predictive value for morbidity after urological interventions is unknown. We determined whether urological patients at nutritional risk are at higher risk for complications after major surgery than patients not at nutritional risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study in consecutive patients undergoing major surgery. A priori sample calculation resulted in a study cohort of 220 patients. Interim analysis was planned after 110 patients. The nutritional risk score was assessed preoperatively by a specialized study nurse. Nutritional care was standardized in all patients. Postoperative complications were defined previously using the standardized Dindo-Clavien classification. The primary end point was 30-day morbidity. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of complications. RESULTS: The study was discontinued due to significant results after interim analysis. A total of 125 patients were included in analysis from June 2011 to June 2012 and 15 were excluded because of incomplete data. Of 51 patients at nutritional risk 38 (74%) presented with at least 1 complication compared to 28 of 59 controls (47%). Patients at nutritional risk were at threefold risk for complications on univariate and multivariate analysis (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.3-8.0). Cystectomy was the only other predictor of morbidity (OR 10, 95% CI 2-48). CONCLUSIONS: Patients at nutritional risk are more prone to complications after major urological procedures. Whether this increased morbidity can be reversed by perioperative nutritional support should be studied.

Short-term clinical outcomes among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Switzerland: the Swiss TAVI registry.

AIMS: To evaluate short-term clinical outcomes following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using CE-mark approved devices in Switzerland. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Swiss TAVI registry is a national, prospective, multicentre, monitored cohort study evaluating clinical outcomes in consecutive patients undergoing TAVI at cardiovascular centres in Switzerland. From February 2011 to March 2013, a total of 697 patients underwent TAVI for native aortic valve stenosis (98.1%), degenerative aortic bioprosthesis (1.6%) or severe aortic regurgitation (0.3%). Patients were elderly (82.4±6 years), 52% were females, and the majority highly symptomatic (73.1% NYHA III/IV). Patients with severe aortic stenosis (mean gradient 44.8±17 mmHg, aortic valve area 0.7±0.3 cm²) were either deemed inoperable or at high risk for conventional surgery (STS 8.2%±7). The transfemoral access was the most frequently used (79.1%), followed by transapical (18.1%), direct aortic (1.7%) and subclavian access (1.1%). At 30 days, rates of all-cause mortality, cerebrovascular events and myocardial infarction were 4.8%, 3.3% and 0.4%, respectively. The most frequently observed adverse events were access-related complications (11.8%), permanent pacemaker implantation (20.5%) and bleeding complications (16.6%). The Swiss TAVI registry is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01368250). CONCLUSIONS: The Swiss TAVI registry is a national cohort study evaluating consecutive TAVI procedures in Switzerland. This first outcome report provides favourable short-term clinical outcomes in unselected TAVI patients.

Long term retention of retigabine in a cohort of people with drug resistant epilepsy.

PURPOSE: To assess the utility of retigabine (RTG) for epilepsy in clinical practice at a single UK tertiary centre. METHODS: We identified all individuals who were offered RTG from April 2011 to May 2013. We collected demographics, seizure types, previous and current antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), starting and maximum attained daily dose of RTG, clinical benefits, side effects, and reason to discontinue RTG from in- and outpatient encounters until February 28, 2014. RESULTS: 145 people who had failed a median of 11 AEDs took at least one dose of RTG. One year retention was 32% and decreased following the safety alert by the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2013. None became seizure free. 34 people (24%) reported a benefit that was ongoing at last assessment in five (3%). The most relevant benefit was the significant reduction or cessation of drop attacks or seizure-related falls in four women, this persisted at last assessment in two. The presence of simple partial seizures was associated with longer retention, as was a higher attained dose of RTG. Adverse effects were seen in 74% and largely CNS-related or nonspecific and affected the genitourinary system in 13%. CONCLUSION: Retention of RTG was less favourable compared to data from open label extension studies of the regulatory trials. In comparison with historical data on similar retention audits retention of RTG at one year appears to be less than lamotrigine, topiramate, levetiracetam, pregabalin, zonisamide, and lacosamide, and slightly higher than gabapentin.

Instruments for investigating fitness to drive - needs and expectations in primary care: a qualitative study

Background: Primary care physicians are often requested to assess their patients' fitness to drive. Little is however known on their needs to help them in this task. Aims: The aim of this study is to develop theories on needs, expectations, and barriers for clinical instruments helping physicians assess fitness to drive in primary care. Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to investigate needs and expectations for instruments used to assess fitness to drive. From August 2011 to April 2013, we recorded opinions from five experts in traffic medicine, five primary care physicians, and five senior drivers. All interviews were integrally transcribed. Two independent researchers extracted, coded, and stratified categories relying on multi-grounded theory. All participants validated the final scheme. Results: Our theory suggests that for an instruments assessing fitness to drive to be implemented in primary care, it need to contribute to the decisional process. This requires at least five conditions: 1) it needs to reduce the range of uncertainty, 2) it needs to be adapted to local resources and possibilities, 3) it needs to be accepted by patients, 4) choices of tasks need to adaptable to clinical conditions, 5) and interpretation of results need to remain dependant of each patient's context. Discussion and conclusions: Most existing instruments assessing fitness to drive are not designed for primary care settings. Future instruments should also aim to support patient-centred dialogue, help anticipate driving cessation, and offer patients the opportunity to freely take their own decision on driving cessation as often as possible.

Oppimistehtaan toimintamallin kehittäminen

Educaworks Oy on toiminut viisi vuotta oppimistehtaana, jonka omistajia ovat olleet yritykset ja oppilaitokset. Yrityksen pääasiallisia työntekijöitä ovat tähän mennessä olleet ammattiopiston työssäoppijat ja parina viimeisenä vuotena on yrityksellä ollut palkkalistoillaan omia työntekijöitä. Tässä työssä luotiin vaihtoehtoja Educaworks Oy:n tulevalle toiminnalle lähtien siitä, että tämä nykyinen toimintamalli on tullut tiensä päähän ja tarvitaan uusi malli toiminnan jatkamiselle.Työssä haettiin hyviä käytäntöjä Suomesta benchmarkingin avulla. Näiden mallienvahvuuksia hyödyntämällä pystyttiin kehittämään vaihtoehto Educaworks Oy:n tulevalle toiminnalle. Tämä malli, oppimistehdas osana osaamiskeskittymää, valittiin toteutettavaksi kolmesta eri vaihtoehdosta, joista kaksi muuta olivat oppimistehdas yrityksenä ja oppimistehdas osana koulutusorganisaatiota. Valitussa vaihtoehdossa hyödynnetään Savonia-ammattikorkeakoulun suunnitteilla olevaa EducaTech Center-hanketta, jossa on tarkoitus luoda Iisalmeen teknologiateollisuuden osaamiskeskittymä seuraavan EU-kauden 2007-2013 aikana. Valitussa mallissa Educaworks Oy hyödyntää tulevassa toiminnassaan tämän osaamiskeskittymän uutta kone- ja laitekantaa sekä tekee yhteistyötä keskittymän tutkimus- ja tuotekehityshenkilökunnan kanssa. Yritykset pääsevät parhaiten osallisiksi Educa Tech Center osaamiskeskittymän tuottamista palveluista hankkimalla Educaworks Oy:n osakkeita ja pääsemällä täten keskittymän ytimeen sen tuotannollisen toimijan, Educaworks Oy:n, avulla. Educaworks Oy toimii tässä keskittymässä komponenttitoimittajan roolissa ollen malli komponenttitoimittajasta muillealueella oleville vastaaville verkostoissa toimiville yrityksille. Educaworks Oy:n toiminnan toisena periaatteena tulee olemaan työssäoppiminen. Työssäoppiminen on tänä päivänä osa ammatillista koulutusta ja sen merkityskorostuu yhä enemmän, koska oppilaat tulevat opiskelemaan tänä päivänä monesti lähtökohdista, joissa heillä ei ole ollut mahdollisuutta harjoittaa käytännön taitojaan ennen ammatillisten opiskelujen aloittamista. Työpaikoilla ei ole vielä kovin hyvää valmiutta toteuttaa sitä opetushallituksen tavoitetta, että oppilaatoppisivat työssäoppimisjaksoilla uusia asioita ohjatusti. Työpaikoilta puuttuu työssäoppimisen ohjaajat ja oppilaiden tekemät harjoitteet ovat liian monta kertaa ammatillisesti kovin vaatimattomia jäysteenpoisto- tai kappaleenvaihtotöitä koneistuksesta puhuttaessa. Tässä työssä luodaan mallia oppilaiden ohjatulle työssäoppimiselle tehtyjen tieteellisten tutkimusten pohjalta. Tavoitteena on, että Educaworks Oy:ssä pystyttäisiin jatkossa kouluttamaan myös muiden alueen teknologiateollisuuden yritysten työntekijöitä toimimaan työssäoppimisen ohjaajina.

European Union Eastern Enlargement - Expectations and Experiences of Doing Business in the New Member States

This publication deals with various aspects of European Union enlargement effects faced by the companies from EU15 and especially from Finland when doing business in the ten transitional economies which joined European Union in 2004 and 2007

Wollastoniittimarkkinat ja suomalaisen tuottajan asemoituminen markkinoilla

Työn tarkoituksena oli tehdä yleiskuvaus wollastoniittimarkkinoista, ja siten auttaa yritystä sisäisesti määrittämään asemansa kyseisillä markkinoillaWollastoniitin suurimmat kuluttajasektorit ovat keraaminen-, muovi-, maali- ja pinnoite-, sekä metallurginen teollisuus. Eniten mineraalin kulutuksen odotetaan kasvavan muoviteollisuudessa. Suurimmat wollastoniitin tuottajamaat ovat Kiina, Intia, Yhdysvallat, Meksiko ja Suomi. Kiinassa aktiivisia kaivoksia on tällä hetkellä noin 60 kappaletta, ja koko maan tuotanto kattaa noin puolet mineraalin kokonaistuotannosta. Kiinan ulkopuolella toimii yhteensä viisi suurta tuottajaa.Suurimmat wollastoniitin tuottajat ovat intialainen Wolkem India Ltd., kiinalaiset Dalian Huanqui Minerals Corp. ja Jilin Shanwei Wollastonite Mining Co. Ltd, yhdysvaltalaiset Nyco Minerals Inc. ja R.T. Vanderbilt Co., meksikolainen Nyco Minera S.A. de C.V. ja suomalainen Nordkalk Oyj Abp. Uusia tuotantolaitoksia suunnitellaan rakennettavaksi Venäjälle, Kanadaan ja Kazakstaniin.