Consumo de sustancias y noxas prenatales en madres de pacientes con síndrome de Möbius y Möbius Like

Introducción: El síndrome de Möbius y Möbius Like es una entidad poco frecuente caracterizada principalmente por parálisis congénita del VI y VII par craneal. Su etiología es poco conocida aunque se ha asociado a inductores del aborto. El objetivo de este estudio es describir factores anómalos, tóxicos o nocivos que hayan estado presentes en el embarazo de las madres de estos pacientes. Metodología: se realizó una encuesta auto-diligenciable a 15 madres de pacientes con el diagnóstico, indagando sobre condiciones anómalas y/o exposicionales del embarazo, el padre y el ambiente. Resultados: Las madres se encontraban entre los 16 y 34 años al momento de quedar embarazadas, en su mayoría eran solteras, estudiantes y sin planes de embarazo. Once en total usaron algún medicamento y/o sustancias durante la gestación; seis de ellas Misoprostol (40%). Las otras sustancias utilizadas incluyeron: alternativas, cigarrillo, alcohol, ibuprofeno, anticonceptivos, otros. Como anomalías del periodo prenatal se reportaron sangrado activo y/o amenaza de aborto, infección, exposición a químicos ambientales y enfermedad materna activa. Las condiciones paternas descritas fueron alcoholismo y/o drogadicción, enfermedad y edad ≥ 40 años en bajo porcentaje. Conclusión: El síndrome de Möbius y Möbius Like es una patología poco frecuente de la cual aún se debe seguir investigando sobre su etiología, para plantear posibles medidas de prevención.

Modelling the formation of necrotic regions in avascular tumours

The mechanisms underlying the formation of necrotic regions within avascular tumours are not well understood. In this paper, we examine the relative roles of nutrient deprivation and of cell death, from both the proliferating phase of the cell cycle via apoptosis and from the quiescent phase via necrosis, in changing the structure within multicellular tumour spheroids and particularly the accumulation of dead cell material in the centre. A mathematical model is presented and studied that accounts for nutrient diffusion, changes in cell cycling rates, the two different routes to cell death as well as active motion of cells and passive motion of the dead cell material. In studying the accumulation of dead cell matter we do not distinguish between the route by which each was formed. The resulting mathematical model is examined for a number of scenarios. Results show that in many cases the size of the necrotic core is closely correlated with low levels in nutrient concentration. However, in certain cases, particularly where the rate of necrosis is large, the resulting necrotic core can lead to regions of non-negligible nutrient concentration-dependent upon the mode of cell death.

Linear predicted two-pass hexagonal algorithm with parallel implementation for motion estimation

This paper presents a paralleled Two-Pass Hexagonal (TPA) algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) for motion estimation. In the TPA., Motion Vectors (MV) are generated from the first-pass LHMEA and are used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of Macroblocks (MBs). We introduced hashtable into video processing and completed parallel implementation. We propose and evaluate parallel implementations of the LHMEA of TPA on clusters of workstations for real time video compression. It discusses how parallel video coding on load balanced multiprocessor systems can help, especially on motion estimation. The effect of load balancing for improved performance is discussed. The performance or the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms.

A novel two pass hexagonal search algorithm for motion estimation

This paper presents a novel two-pass algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS). compensation. for block base motion On the basis of research from previous algorithms, especially an on-the-edge motion estimation algorithm called hexagonal search (HEXBS), we propose the LHMEA and the Two-Pass Algorithm (TPA). We introduce hashtable into video compression. In this paper we employ LHMEA for the first-pass search in all the Macroblocks (MB) in the picture. Motion Vectors (MV) are then generated from the first-pass and are used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of MBs. The evaluation of the algorithm considers the three important metrics being time, compression rate and PSNR. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can offer the same compression rate as the Full Search. LHMEA with TPA has significant improvement on HEXBS and shows a direction for improving other fast motion estimation algorithms, for example Diamond Search.

Paralelled Two-Pass Hexagonal algorithm for motion estimation

This paper presents a paralleled Two-Pass Hexagonal (TPA) algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) for motion estimation. In the TPA, Motion Vectors (MV) are generated from the first-pass LHMEA and are used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of Macroblocks (MBs). We introduced hashtable into video processing and completed parallel implementation. We propose and evaluate parallel implementations of the LHMEA of TPA on clusters of workstations for real time video compression. It discusses how parallel video coding on load balanced multiprocessor systems can help, especially on motion estimation. The effect of load balancing for improved performance is discussed. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms.

Two-pass hexagonal algorithm with parallel implementation for video coding

This paper presents a paralleled Two-Pass Hexagonal (TPA) algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) for motion estimation. In the TPA, Motion Vectors (MV) are generated from the first-pass LHMEA and are used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of Macroblocks (MBs). We introduced hashtable into video processing and completed parallel implementation. We propose and evaluate parallel implementations of the LHMEA of TPA on clusters of workstations for real time video compression. It discusses how parallel video coding on load balanced multiprocessor systems can help, especially on motion estimation. The effect of load balancing for improved performance is discussed. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms.

Two-Pass Hexagonal algorithm with improved Hashtable structure for motion estimation

This paper presents an improved Two-Pass Hexagonal (TPA) algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) for motion estimation. In the TPA, Motion Vectors (MV) are generated from the first-pass LHMEA and are used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of Macroblocks (MBs). The hashtable structure of LHMEA is improved compared to the original TPA and LHMEA. The evaluation of the algorithm considers the three important metrics being processing time, compression rate and PSNR. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms.

Linear hashtable motion estimation algorithm for distributed video processing

This paper presents a parallel Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA). Most parallel video compression algorithms focus on Group of Picture (GOP). Based on LHMEA we proposed earlier [1][2], we developed a parallel motion estimation algorithm focus inside of frame. We divide each reference frames into equally sized regions. These regions are going to be processed in parallel to increase the encoding speed significantly. The theory and practice speed up of parallel LHMEA according to the number of PCs in the cluster are compared and discussed. Motion Vectors (MV) are generated from the first-pass LHMEA and used as predictors for second-pass Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) motion estimation, which only searches a small number of Macroblocks (MBs). We evaluated distributed parallel implementation of LHMEA of TPA for real time video compression.

Improved two-pass hexagonal algorithm with parallel implementation for video coding - art. no. 60630J

This paper presents an improved parallel Two-Pass Hexagonal (TPA) algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) for motion estimation. Motion Vectors (MV) are generated from the first-pass LHMEA and used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of Macroblocks (MBs). We used bashtable into video processing and completed parallel implementation. The hashtable structure of LHMEA is improved compared to the original TPA and LHMEA. We propose and evaluate parallel implementations of the LHMEA of TPA on clusters of workstations for real time video compression. The implementation contains spatial and temporal approaches. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms.

Linear algorithm and hexagonal search based two-pass algorithm for motion estimation

This paper presents a novel two-pass algorithm constituted by Linear Hashtable Motion Estimation Algorithm (LHMEA) and Hexagonal Search (HEXBS) for block base motion compensation. On the basis of research from previous algorithms, especially an on-the-edge motion estimation algorithm called hexagonal search (HEXBS), we propose the LHMEA and the Two-Pass Algorithm (TPA). We introduced hashtable into video compression. In this paper we employ LHMEA for the first-pass search in all the Macroblocks (MB) in the picture. Motion Vectors (MV) are then generated from the first-pass and are used as predictors for second-pass HEXBS motion estimation, which only searches a small number of MBs. The evaluation of the algorithm considers the three important metrics being time, compression rate and PSNR. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated by using standard video sequences and the results are compared to current algorithms, Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can offer the same compression rate as the Full Search. LHMEA with TPA has significant improvement on HEXBS and shows a direction for improving other fast motion estimation algorithms, for example Diamond Search.

European CMBS pricing: bond, mortgage and real estate characteristics

The recent global economic crisis is often associated with the development and pricing of mortgage-backed securities (i.e. MBSs) and underlying products (i.e. sub-prime mortgages). This work uses a rich database of MBS issues and represents the first attempt to price commercial MBSs (i.e. CMBSs) in the European market. Our results are consistent with research carried out in the US market and we find that bond-, mortgage-, real estate-related and multinational characteristics show different degrees of significance in explaining European CMBS spreads at issuance. Multiple linear regression analysis using a databank of CMBSs issued between 1997 and 2007 indicates a strong relationship with bond-related factors, followed by real estate and mortgage market conditions. We also find that multinational factors are significant, with country of issuance, collateral location and access to more liquid markets all being important in explaining the cost of secured funding for real estate companies. As floater coupon tranches tend to be riskier and exhibit higher spreads, we also estimate a model using this sub-set of data and results hold, hence reinforcing our findings. Finally, we estimate our model for both tranches A and B and find that real estate factors become relatively more important for the riskier investment products.

Bile salt composition is secondary to bile salt concentration in determining hydrocortisone and progesterone solubility in intestinal mimetic fluids.

Simulated intestinal fluids (SIFs) used to assay the solubility of orally administered drugs are typically based on a single bile salt; sodium taurocholate (STC). The aim of this study was to develop mimetic intestinal fluids with a closer similarity to physiological fluids than those reported to date by developing a mixed bile salt (MBS) system (STC, sodium glycodeoxycholate, sodium deoxycholate; 60:39:1) with different concentrations of lecithin, the preponderant intestinal phospholipid. Hydrocortisone and progesterone were used as model drugs to evaluate systematically the influence of SIF composition on solubility. Increasing total bile salt concentration from 0 to 30 mM increased hydrocortisone and progesterone solubility by 2- and ∼25-fold, respectively. Accordingly, higher solubilities were measured in the fed-state compared to the fasted-state SIFs. Progesterone showed the greatest increases in solubility in STC and MBS systems (2-7-fold) compared to hydrocortisone (no significant change; P>0.05) as lecithin concentration was increased. Overall, MBS systems gave similar solubility profiles to STC. In conclusion, the addenda of MBS and lecithin were found to be secondary to the influence of BS concentration. These data provide a foundation for the design of more bio-similar media for pivotal decision-guiding assays in drug development and quality control settings.

Desempenho agronômico da cultura do milho e espécies forrageiras em sistema de Integração Lavoura-Pecuária no Cerrado

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caries risk tests and salivary levels of immunoglobulins to Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in mouthbreathing syndrome patients

The aim of this study was to compare microbiological and salivary variables possibly related to caries risk in treated and untreated mouthbreathing syndrome (MBS) children and control children. Thirty control children, 30 mouthbreathers and 25 treated mouthbreathers were studied for the numbers of lactobacilli, mutans streptococci and yeasts in their saliva. Snyder's test, salivary flow and buffering capacity were also evaluated. Levels of immunoglobulins to Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans in the saliva were quantified using ELISA. Considering the results obtained for the microbiological and salivary caries risk tests, no significant differences were observed among the proportions of patients with small/negative and high/moderate caries risk in the studied groups. The level of IgG to S. mutans was significantly higher in the treated MBS group in relation to MBS patients. on the other hand, the median anti-S. mutans IgM level was lower in the treated MBS patients than in the other groups. For the studied anti-Candida immunoglobulins, IgM level was significantly lower in the treated MBS group than in the other groups. No differences were observed for anti-S. mutans and anti-Candida IgA levels among the groups. The findings suggest that mouthbreathing cannot be considered a risk factor for dental caries. Copyright (C) 2003 S. KargerAG, Basel.

Reply to comment on 'Quantization rules for bound states in quantum wells'

In this reply to the comment on 'Quantization rules for bound states in quantum wells' we point out some interesting differences between the supersymmetric Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) quantization rule and a matrix generalization of usual WKB (mWKB) and Bohr-Sommerfeld (mBS) quantization rules suggested by us. There are certain advantages in each of the supersymmetric WKB (SWKB), mWKB and mBS quantization rules. Depending on the quantum well, one of these could be more useful than the other and it is premature to claim unconditional superiority of SWKB over mWKB and mBS quantization rules.