Abordagens semiquantitativa e quantitativa na avaliação da textura do solo por espectroscopia de reflectância bidirecional no VIS-NIR-SWIR

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial da espectroscopia de reflectância no VIS-NIR-SWIR, para a caracterização granulométrica de amostras de solos de diferentes classes texturais, e obter modelos de predição dos teores de argila, silte e areia no solo. Utilizou-se um conjunto de amostras representativas de Latossolos e Argissolo de cinco locais do Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul. Os espectros do visível e do infravermelho próximo ao infravermelho de ondas curtas (de 350 a 2.500 nm) das amostras foram obtidos e analisados. Empregaram-se a análise de componentes principais (ACP), agrupamento por "fuzzy c-means", regressão logística multinomial (RLM) e regressão por mínimos quadrados parciais. Espectros característicos para as diferentes classes texturais e a segregação de amostras de classes texturais e de locais de coleta com características distintas, por meio da ACP, "fuzzy c-means" e RLM, mostram o potencial semiquantitativo dos dados de reflectância no VIS-NIR-SWIR. Obteve-se quantificação satisfatória quanto à argila (R²=0,92, RPD=3,59), ao silte (R²=0,80, RPD=2,15) e à areia (R²=0,87, RPD=2,62). As técnicas de espectroscopia de reflectância podem auxiliar na determinação da textura e da variabilidade espacial do solo com metodologias semiquantitativas ou quantitativas.

Distance Transforms on Gray-Level Surfaces

This thesis studies gray-level distance transforms, particularly the Distance Transform on Curved Space (DTOCS). The transform is produced by calculating distances on a gray-level surface. The DTOCS is improved by definingmore accurate local distances, and developing a faster transformation algorithm. The Optimal DTOCS enhances the locally Euclidean Weighted DTOCS (WDTOCS) with local distance coefficients, which minimize the maximum error from the Euclideandistance in the image plane, and produce more accurate global distance values.Convergence properties of the traditional mask operation, or sequential localtransformation, and the ordered propagation approach are analyzed, and compared to the new efficient priority pixel queue algorithm. The Route DTOCS algorithmdeveloped in this work can be used to find and visualize shortest routes between two points, or two point sets, along a varying height surface. In a digital image, there can be several paths sharing the same minimal length, and the Route DTOCS visualizes them all. A single optimal path can be extracted from the route set using a simple backtracking algorithm. A new extension of the priority pixel queue algorithm produces the nearest neighbor transform, or Voronoi or Dirichlet tessellation, simultaneously with the distance map. The transformation divides the image into regions so that each pixel belongs to the region surrounding the reference point, which is nearest according to the distance definition used. Applications and application ideas for the DTOCS and its extensions are presented, including obstacle avoidance, image compression and surface roughness evaluation.

Differences in pharmaceutical consumption and expenses between immigrant and Spanish-born populations in Lleida, (Spain): a 6-months prospective observational study

Background: There are few studies comparing pharmaceutical costs and the use of medications between immigrants and the autochthonous population in Spain. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether there are differences in pharmaceutical consumption and expenses between immigrant and Spanish-born populations. Methods: Prospective observational study in 1,630 immigrants and 4,154 Spanish-born individuals visited by fifteen primary care physicians at five public Primary Care Clinics (PCC) during 2005 in the city of Lleida, Catalonia (Spain). Data on pharmaceutical consumption and expenses was obtained from a comprehensive computerized data-collection system. Multinomial regression models were used to estimate relative risks and confidence intervals of pharmaceutical expenditure, adjusting for age and sex. Results: The percentage of individuals that purchased medications during a six-month period was 53.7% in the immigrant group and 79.2% in the autochthonous group. Pharmaceutical expenses and consumption were lower in immigrants than in autochthonous patients in all age groups and both genders. The relative risks of being in the highest quartile of expenditure, for Spanish-born versus immigrants, were 6.9, 95% CI = (4.2, 11.5) in men and 5.3, 95% CI = (3.5, 8.0) in women, with the reference category being not having any pharmaceutical expenditure. Conclusion: Pharmaceutical expenses are much lower for immigrants with respect to autochthonous patients, both in the percentage of prescriptions filled at pharmacies and the number of containers of medication obtained, as well as the prices of the medications used. Future studies should explore which factors explain the observed differences in pharmaceutical expenses and if these disparities produce health inequalities.

Statins are associated with decreased mortality risk after status epilepticus.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Statins display anti-inflammatory and anti-epileptogenic properties in animal models, and may reduce the epilepsy risk in elderly humans; however, a possible modulating role on outcome in patients with status epilepticus (SE) has not been assessed. METHODS: This cohort study was based on a prospective registry including all consecutive adults with incident SE treated in our center between April 2006 and September 2012. SE outcome was categorized at hospital discharge into 'return to baseline', 'new disability' and 'mortality'. The role of potential predictors, including statins treatment on admission, was evaluated using a multinomial logistic regression model. RESULTS: Amongst 427 patients identified, information on statins was available in 413 (97%). Mean age was 60.9 (±17.8) years; 201 (49%) were women; 211 (51%) had a potentially fatal SE etiology; and 191 (46%) experienced generalized-convulsive or non-convulsive SE in coma. Statins (simvastatin, atorvastatin or pravastatin) were prescribed prior to admission in 76 (18%) subjects, mostly elderly. Whilst 208 (50.4%) patients returned to baseline, 58 (14%) died. After adjustment for established SE outcome predictors (age, etiology, SE severity score), statins correlated significantly with lower mortality (relative risk ratio 0.38, P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: This study suggests for the first time that exposure to statins before an SE episode is related to its outcome, involving a possible anti-epileptogenic role. Other studies are needed to confirm this intriguing finding.

Avaliação da atividade de indutores de resistência abiótica, fungicida químico e extratos vegetais no controle da podridão-negra em Abacaxi 'Pérola'

A podridão-mole ou podridão-negra, causada pelo fungo Chalara paradoxa (De Seyn.) Sacc., é uma doença de pós-colheita que pode ser responsável por perdas elevadas, tanto em frutos para consumo in natura, quanto naqueles destinados à indústria de processamento. O corte do pedúnculo e ferimentos na casca do fruto favorecem a infecção. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de indutores de resistência abiótica, fungicida e extratos vegetais no controle da podridão-negra em abacaxi. Os isolados foram obtidos de frutos coletados no município de Santa Rita, Paraíba, que apresentaram sintomas da doença. Utilizaram-se 32 frutos de cv. 'Pérola', lavados em água corrente e desinfestados com hipoclorito de sódio (produto comercial) a 4,0%, por cinco minutos. Após secagem em temperatura ambiente, os frutos foram pulverizados com os tratamentos: 1) ADE (água destilada esterilizada); 2) Derosal; 3) BION® (Acibenzolar-S-Methyl); 4) Ecolife® (Quinabra); 5) Agro-Mos® (mananoligossacarídeo fosforilado); 6) extrato de alho a 20%; 7) extrato de cebola a 20%, e 8) extrato de nim a 20%. Os frutos tratados permaneceram em câmara úmida por 24 horas, antes da inoculação com um disco de micélio (6mm) do fungo, incubado em BDA a 25±2ºC e fotoperíodo de 12 horas e colocado sobre um ferimento na região da casca. A avaliação do progresso da doença foi realizada seguindo-se escala de notas, onde: 1 - Ausência de sintomas; 2 - Podridãonegra em área da casca equivalente a 1-5 frutilhos; 3 - Podridão-negra em área da casca equivalente a 6-10 frutilhos; 4 - Podridão inicial da polpa com coloração pardo-amarelada; 5 - Podridão e desintegração da polpa atingindo área superior a 50% do fruto. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com oito tratamentos e quatro repetições, utilizando os modelos lineares generalizados com distribuição multinomial, sendo as médias comparadas pelo teste de Scott-Knott, a 5% de probabilidade. O tratamento que apresentou melhor resultado foi o indutor de resistência Ecolife®, aumentando o período de vida útil dos frutos e diminuindo a severidade dos sintomas da doença.

Status epilepticus: impact of therapeutic coma on outcome.

OBJECTIVES: Therapeutic coma is advocated in guidelines for management of refractory status epilepticus; this is, however, based on weak evidence. We here address the specific impact of therapeutic coma on status epilepticus outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective assessment of a prospectively collected cohort. SETTING: Academic hospital. PATIENTS: Consecutive adults with incident status epilepticus lasting greater than or equal to 30 minutes, admitted between 2006 and 2013. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We recorded prospectively demographics, clinical status epilepticus features, treatment, and outcome at discharge and retrospectively medical comorbidities, hospital stay, and infectious complications. Associations between potential predictors and clinical outcome were analyzed using multinomial logistic regressions. Of 467 patients with incident status epilepticus, 238 returned to baseline (51.1%), 162 had new disability (34.6%), and 67 died (14.3%); 50 subjects (10.7%) were managed with therapeutic coma. Therapeutic coma was associated with poorer outcome in the whole cohort (relative risk ratio for new disability, 6.86; 95% CI, 2.84-16.56; for mortality, 9.10; 95% CI, 3.17-26.16); the effect was more important in patients with complex partial compared with generalized convulsive or nonconvulsive status epilepticus in coma. Prevalence of infections was higher (odds ratio, 3.81; 95% CI, 1.66-8.75), and median hospital stay in patients discharged alive was longer (16 d [range, 2-240 d] vs 9 d [range, 1-57 d]; p < 0.001) in subjects managed with therapeutic coma. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides class III evidence that therapeutic coma is associated with poorer outcome after status epilepticus; furthermore, it portends higher infection rates and longer hospitalizations. These data suggest caution in the straightforward use of this approach, especially in patients with complex partial status epilepticus.

Reasons to use e-cigarettes and associations with other substances among adolescents in Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this research were to describe the main reason(s) why adolescents use electronic cigarettes, to assess how e-cigarette experimenters and users differ based on personal characteristics, and to determine whether its use is associated with the use of other substances among a representative sample of youths in Switzerland. METHODS: A representative sample of 621 youths (308 females) was divided into never users (n=353), experimenters (Only once, n=120) and users (Several times, n=148) of e-cigarettes. Groups were compared on socio-demographic data and current smoking, alcohol misuse and cannabis use. Reasons for e-cigarette use were compared between experimenters and users. A multinomial regression was performed using never users as the reference category. RESULTS: Forty-three percent had ever tried e-cigarettes, and the main reason was curiosity. Compared to never users, experimenters were more likely to be out of school (Relative Risk Ratio [RRR]: 2.68) and to misuse alcohol (RRR: 2.08), while users were more likely to be male (RRR: 2.75), to be vocational students (RRR: 2.30) or out of school (RRR: 3.48) and to use any of the studied substances (tobacco, RRR: 5.26; alcohol misuse, RRR: 2.71; cannabis use, RRR: 30.2). CONCLUSIONS: Although often still part of adolescent experimentation, e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among adolescents and they should become part of health providers' standard substance use screening. As health providers (and especially paediatricians) do not seem to have high levels of knowledge and, consequently, little comfort in discussing e-cigarettes, training in this domain should be available to them.

Associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and psychological distress: results from a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies observed associations of various aspects of diet with mental health, but little is known about the relationship between following the 5-a-day recommendation for fruit and vegetables consumption and mental health. Thus, we examined the associations of the Swiss daily recommended fruit and vegetable intake with psychological distress. METHODS: Data from 20,220 individuals aged 15+ years from the 2012 Swiss Health Survey were analyzed. The recommended portions of fruit and vegetables per day were defined as 5-a-day (at least 2 portions of fruit and 3 of vegetables). The outcome was perceived psychological distress over the previous 4 weeks (measured by the 5-item mental health index [MHI-5]). High distress (MHI-5 score ≤ 52), moderate distress (MHI-5 > 52 and ≤ 72) and low distress (MHI-5 > 72 and ≤ 100) were differentiated and multinomial logistic regression analyses adjusted for known confounding factors were performed. RESULTS: The 5-a-day recommendation was met by 11.6 % of the participants with low distress, 9.3 % of those with moderate distress, and 6.2 % of those with high distress. Consumers fulfilling the 5-a-day recommendation had lower odds of being highly or moderately distressed than individuals consuming less fruit and vegetables (moderate vs. low distress: OR = 0.82, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.97; high vs. low distress: OR = 0.55, 95 % CI 0.41-0.75). CONCLUSIONS: Daily intake of 5 servings of fruit and vegetable was associated with lower psychological distress. Longitudinal studies are needed to further determine the causal nature of this relationship.

Obese, smoker, and obese smoker : is there a general lifestyle gradient?

Aim: Obesity and smoking are major CVD risk factors and may be associated with other unfavourable lifestyle behaviours. Our aim was to investigate the significance of obesity, heavy smoking, and both combined in terms of prevalence trends and their relationship with other lifestyle factors. Methods: We used data from the population-based cross-sectional Swiss Health Survey (5 waves, 1992-2012) comprising 85,575 individuals aged 18 years. Height, weight, and smoking status were self-reported. We used multinomial logistic regression to analyse differences in lifestyle for the combinations of BMI category and smoking status, focusing on obese and heavy smokers. We defined normal-weight never smokers as reference.

Efficient total variation algorithm for fetal MRI reconstruction

Fetal MRI reconstruction aims at finding a high-resolution image given a small set of low-resolution images. It is usually modeled as an inverse problem where the regularization term plays a central role in the reconstruction quality. Literature has considered several regularization terms s.a. Dirichlet/Laplacian energy [1], Total Variation (TV)based energies [2,3] and more recently non-local means [4]. Although TV energies are quite attractive because of their ability in edge preservation, standard explicit steepest gradient techniques have been applied to optimize fetal-based TV energies. The main contribution of this work lies in the introduction of a well-posed TV algorithm from the point of view of convex optimization. Specifically, our proposed TV optimization algorithm for fetal reconstruction is optimal w.r.t. the asymptotic and iterative convergence speeds O(1/n(2)) and O(1/root epsilon), while existing techniques are in O(1/n) and O(1/epsilon). We apply our algorithm to (1) clinical newborn data, considered as ground truth, and (2) clinical fetal acquisitions. Our algorithm compares favorably with the literature in terms of speed and accuracy.

Programa MicroEconometria. Paquet estadístic i economètric

MicroEconometria és un paquet estadístic i economètric que contempla l’estimació de models uniequacionals: 1- Regressió simple i múltiple: anàlisi de residus, influència i atipicitat, diagnòstics de multicol·linealitat, estimació robusta, predicció, diagnòstics d’estabilitat, bootstrap. 2- Regressió en panell: efectes fixes, efectes aleatoris i efectes combinats. 3- Regressió lògit i probit. 4- Regressió censurada: tobit i model de selecció de Heckman. 5- Regressió multinomial. 6- Regressió poisson: model ‘count data’. 7- Índexs amb variables renda i riquesa i impostos transferències. Genera un informe per a cada una de les possibilitats contemplades que conté la presentació dels resultats de les estimacions, incloent les sortides gràfiques pertinents. L’input del programa és qualsevol base de dades, en la que es pugui identificar la variable endògena i les variables exògenes del model utilitzat, continguda en un llibre d’EXCEL de Microsoft.

Determinants of the decision to appeal against motor bodily injury settlements awarded by Spanish trial courts

Automobile bodily injury disputes represent one of the main causes of litigation faced by Spanish Courts. In this paper a multinomial model is implemented to analyse which factors determine the decision to appeal against the verdicts of trial courts. Use of a dataset of motor insurance claims revealed differences between the determinants of a claimant’s decision to appeal and those of insurers. Among other results it is shown that discrepancies regarding the permanent disability sustained affect the insurer’s decision to appeal. In contrast, the claimant pays more attention to differences in the stated temporary disability. Conclusions are drawn regarding which factors could reduce the percentage of appealed cases.

Association between Long-Term Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Subclinical Atherosclerosis: The REGICOR Study

Background: Epidemiological evidence of the effects of long-term exposure to air pollu tion on the chronic processes of athero genesis is limited. Objective: We investigated the association of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollu tion with subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and ankle–brachial index (ABI). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis using data collected during the reexamination (2007–2010) of 2,780 participants in the REGICOR (Registre Gironí del Cor: the Gerona Heart Register) study, a population-based prospective cohort in Girona, Spain. Long-term exposure across residences was calculated as the last 10 years’ time-weighted average of residential nitrogen dioxide (NO2) estimates (based on a local-scale land-use regression model), traffic intensity in the nearest street, and traffic intensity in a 100 m buffer. Associations with IMT and ABI were estimated using linear regression and multinomial logistic regression, respectively, controlling for sex, age, smoking status, education, marital status, and several other potential confounders or intermediates. Results: Exposure contrasts between the 5th and 95th percentiles for NO2 (25 μg/m), traffic intensity in the nearest street (15,000 vehicles/day), and traffic load within 100 m (7,200,000 vehicle-m/day) were associated with differences of 0.56% (95% CI: –1.5, 2.6%), 2.32% (95% CI: 0.48, 4.17%), and 1.91% (95% CI: –0.24, 4.06) percent difference in IMT, respectively. Exposures were positively associated with an ABI of > 1.3, but not an ABI of < 0.9. Stronger associations were observed among those with a high level of education and in men ≥ 60 years of age. Conclusions: Long-term traffic-related exposures were associated with subclinical markers of atherosclerosis. Prospective studies are needed to confirm associations and further examine differences among population subgroups.key words: ankle–brachial index, average daily traffic, cardiovascular disease, exposure assessment, exposure to tailpipe emissions, intima media thickness, land use regression model, Mediterranean diet, nitrogen dioxide

Aborto no Brasil: um enfoque demográfico

OBJETIVO: avaliar a prevalência referida de abortamento espontâneo e induzido, em uma amostra de mulheres brasileiras entrevistadas na Pesquisa Nacional sobre Demografia e Saúde (PNDS), de 1996. MÉTODOS: análise secundária do banco de dados da PNDS de 1996 no Brasil, com informações de entrevistas com uma amostra representativa de 12.612 mulheres sobre sua vida reprodutiva, abordando a prevalência do abortamento espontâneo e induzido nos últimos cinco anos e os fatores associados para as diversas regiões e o total do país. O plano de amostragem foi implementado com uma estratégia de seleção em dois estágios, um para domicílios e outro para as mulheres. Estimou-se a prevalência de abortamento espontâneo e induzido no Brasil e regiões, e as características sociodemográficas das mulheres foram analisadas em função da experiência de aborto. Um modelo de análise de regressão multinomial foi utilizado para identificar os fatores independentemente associados com os dois tipos de aborto, relatando-se seu OR e respectivo IC95%. RESULTADOS: a prevalência do relato de aborto espontâneo foi de 14% e de induzido, 2,4% para todo o Brasil. O estado com maior prevalência de aborto induzido foi o Rio de Janeiro com 6,5%, seguido pela região Nordeste, com 3,1%. Os locais com menor prevalência foram o estado de São Paulo e a região Sul. Tanto para o aborto espontâneo como para o induzido, a prevalência aumenta com a idade da mulher. Ser da região urbana (OR=1,5; IC95%=1,0-2,3), ter tido mais de um filho vivo (OR=2,2; IC95%=1,5-3,2), e não ser de cor/raça branca (OR=1,4; IC95%=1,0-1,8) foram os principais fatores de risco para o aborto induzido. CONCLUSÕES: os fatores de risco não-modificáveis para abortamento induzido identificados neste estudo apontam para a necessidade de ações educativas e anticonceptivas priorizadas para esses grupos demográficos específicos.