Concordance among digital gene expression, microarrays, and qPCR when measuring differential expression of microRNAs.

Profiling microRNA (miRNA) expression is of widespread interest given the critical role of miRNAs in many cellular functions. Profiling can be achieved via hybridization-based (microarrays), sequencing-based, or amplification-based (quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, qPCR) technologies. Among these, microarrays face the significant challenge of accurately distinguishing between mature and immature miRNA forms, and different vendors have developed different methods to meet this challenge. Here we measure differential miRNA expression using the Affymetrix, Agilent, and Illumina microarray platforms, as well as qPCR (Applied Biosystems) and ultra high-throughput sequencing (Illumina). We show that the differential expression measurements are more divergent when the three types of microarrays are compared than when the Agilent microarray, qPCR, and sequencing technology measurements are compared, which exhibit a good overall concordance.

Processo de inclusão digital em rede empresarial do segmento de suprimentos industriais: utilização de tecnologias de informação e comunicação

Apresenta resultados de estudo realizado com 17 empresas de representação comercial do segmento de suprimentos industriais de produtos técnicos de borracha. Foram aplicados questionários e os resultados delinearam o modus operandi das empresas quanto à gestão da informação considerando infra-estrutura tecnológica e utilização de tecnologias de informação e comunicação. Aborda questões como gestão da informação para a tomada de decisão, redes de informação em pequenas e médias empresas, gestão do conhecimento e educação corporativa. Finaliza com ferramentas tecnológicas que apóiam o ensino-aprendizagem e sugere a inclusão empresarial como alternativa de capacitação para o desenvolvimento e promoção da cidadania na nova sociedade da informação e do conhecimento.

A inclusão social e digital de pessoas com limitação visual e o uso das tecnologias de informação e de comunicação na produção de páginas para a Internet

Este trabalho relata a atividade do acesso e do uso das tecnologias de informação e de comunicação (TICs), tendo como sujeito uma pessoa com necessidades educacionais especiais (PNEE) na produção de páginas para a Internet. A atividade permitiu a observação das barreiras e dificuldades enfrentadas e superadas, mediante o uso de ambiente de aprendizagem mediado por computador (AAMC). Foram utilizadas várias alternativas, formas de comunicação, tecnologias adequadas para a realização da atividade proposta, resultando em uma postura de compartilhamento no qual cada um tem muito para cooperar, para doar-se na busca de uma construção coletiva e na superação das limitações, sejam estas físicas e/ou tecnológicas. O artigo aponta que, com a educação e o uso das TICs, é possível promover a inclusão social e digital das PNEEs com limitação visual.

Política de equidad en el acceso a la información: avanzando hacia un Chile digital

El mundo digital rompe completamente con la secuencia y linealidad característica en la lectura del texto impreso, incorporando además sonidos e imágenes. Chile, no ha quedado ajeno a este proceso de cambios. Es así como en el año 98' se inició con el trabajo de un grupo de expertos, la definición de políticas públicas asociadas con las nuevas tecnologías a objeto de impulsar la universalización del acceso, el desarrollo de nuevas capacidades competitivas y la modernización del Estado. Otro hito importante fue la elaboración de la denominada Agenda Digital que también fijó medidas concretas en esta materia para el bienio 2004-2006. Dentro de estos documentos, queremos destacar en especial la política de equidad en el acceso a la información. En la ejecución práctica se cita el caso BiblioRedes, programa que ofrece internet y capacitación gratis en 378 bibliotecas públicas distribuidas en todo Chile, cuyos resultados han sido reconocidos internacionalmente.

The Brazilian electronic theses and dissertations digital library: providing open access for scholarly information

This paper describes a project led by the Instituto Brasileiro de Informações em Ciência e Tecnologia (Ibict), a government institution, to build a national digital library for electronic theses and dissertations - Bibliteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações (BDTD). The project has been a collaborative effort among Ibict, universities and other research centers in Brazil. The developers adopted a system architecture based on the Open Archives Initiative (OAI) in which universities and research centers act as data providers and Ibict as a service provider. A Brazilian metadata standard for electronic theses and dissertations was developed for the digital library. A toolkit including open source package was also developed by Ibict to be distributed to potential data providers. BDTD has been integrated with the international initiative: the Networked Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertation (NDLTD). Discussions in the paper address various issues related to project design, development and management as well as the role played by Ibict. Conclusions highlight some important lessons learned to date and challenges for the future in expanding the BDTD project.

Guia de contingut digital accessible

La guia de contingut digital accessible s'ha dissenyat per donar informació pas a pas sobre com estructurar, formatar i escriure un document amb contingut digital perquè sigui accessible. També es descriu com introduir contingut web de forma accessible.

Guia de contingut digital accessible: vídeo

La guia consta d’un conjunt de documents en format pdf i d’una web (http://www.videoaccessible.udl.cat) que es complementen per donar pautes, recomanacions i exemples necessaris per poder mostrar informació en format vídeo digital accessible per a les persones amb diferents discapacitats

Sistemas y servicios de información digital

El presente texto es la actualización y reescritura en español de Els serveis d’informació electrònica: què són i per a què serveixen, obra publicada en 1997 por Edicions de la UB. Aunque sólo han pasado cuatro años desde su publicación, se han tenido que revisar bastantes aspectos, pues el texto se centra en un ámbito en el que se han producido muchos cambios en poco tiempo. A simple vista, una de las modificaciones más perceptibles se refleja en el mismo título de la obra. Si en 1997 adoptamos el término información electrónica para referirnos al sector, actualmente está plenamente consolidada y es más pertinente la denominación información digital. Por otro lado, comparando ambos sumarios se echa en falta, en la nueva edición, la inclusión de algunas formas de distribución que en aquel entonces aún tenían algún peso, como el videotexto —que ya iniciaba, no obstante, su declive imparable hacia la desaparición— u otras, como el audiotexto y el teletexto, que, aunque son sistemas de distribución en uso, se han descartado del presente análisis por su importancia secundaria y por el bajo nivel de interactividad que permiten...

Guía de contenido digital accesible: vídeo

La guía consta de un conjunto de documentos PDF y de una web (http://www.videoaccessible.udl.cat) que se complementan para dar pautas, recomendaciones y ejemplos necesarios para poder mostrar información en formato video digital accesible para las personas con diferentes discapacidades.

Janelas da cultura local: abrindo oportunidades para inclusão digital de comunidades

Relata os resultados parciais da pesquisa Janelas da Cultura Local: Quissamã, RJ, em desenvolvimento pelo Grupo de Pesquisa Informação e Inclusão Social do Ibict, com apoio do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. Registra e oferece à discussão a abordagem teórica e metodológica aplicada ao projeto e, ao mesmo tempo, divulga uma informação sobre a responsabilidade social da ciência da informação, no Brasil. O projeto é implementado em parceria com a Secretaria Municipal de Educação e Cultura de Quissamã, RJ, e tem como campo de pesquisa a Escola Municipal Maria Ilka, no bairro Santa Catarina. Além do relatório científico, que incluirá sugestão de uma metodologia para inclusão digital de comunidades, espera-se como resultado a aquisição de competências em informação pelos participantes locais, e especialmente, contribuir para promover o resgate e o registro da memória cultural do dessa comunidade.

A 3 years retrospective study of survival for zirconia-based single crowns fabricated from intraoral digital impressions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical performance of glass-ceramic/zirconia crowns fabricated using intraoral digital impressions - a retrospective study with a three-year follow-up. METHODS: 70 consecutive patients with a total of 86 glass-ceramic/zirconia crowns were treated by a single clinician using standardized clinical and laboratory protocols. A complete digital workflow was adopted for the purpose except for the veneering procedure for the glass-ceramic crowns. Occlusal adjustments were made before the ceramic glazing procedure. Before cementation, all abutments where carefully cleaned with a 70% alcoholic solution and air dried. Cementation was performed using dual-curing, self-adhesive resin cement. Patients were re-examined after 12, 24 and 36 months, to assess crown chipping/fractures. RESULTS: After the three-year follow-up, none of the zirconia-based restoration was lost ("apparent" survival rate 100%) otherwise, the chipping rate of the veneering material increased from 9.3% after 12 months, to 14% after 24 months to 30.2% after 36 months. As a consequence, the "real" success rate after 3 years was 69.8%. CONCLUSIONS: After 3 years the success rate of zirconia-based crowns was 69.8%, while the incidence of the chipping was 30.2%. Assuming an exponential increase in chipping rate between 12 and 36 months it can be argued that, among others, the fatigue-mechanism could be advocated as the main factor for the failure of glass-ceramic veneered zirconia especially after 24 months.

The emergence of forensic nursing and advanced nursing practice in Switzerland: an innovative case study consultation.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The objectives of this article were to systematically describe and examine the novel roles and responsibilities assumed by nurses in a forensic consultation for victims of violence at a University Hospital in French-speaking Switzerland. Utilizing a case study methodology, information was collected from two main sources: (a) discussion groups with nurses and forensic pathologists and (b) a review of procedures and protocols. Following a critical content analysis, the roles and responsibilities of the forensic nurses were described and compared with the seven core competencies of advanced nursing practice as outlined by Hamric, Spross, and Hanson (2009). RESULTS: Advanced nursing practice competencies noted in the analysis included "direct clinical practice," "coaching and guidance," and "collaboration." The role of the nurse in terms of "consultation," "leadership," "ethics," and "research" was less evident in the analysis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: New forms of nursing are indeed practiced in the forensic clinical setting, and our findings suggest that nursing practice in this domain is following the footprints of an advanced nursing practice model. Further reflections are required to determine whether the role of the forensic nurse in Switzerland should be developed as a clinical nurse specialist or that of a nurse practitioner.

Biblioteca digital: bibliografia das principais fontes de informação

Bibliografia internacional anotada sobre as principais fontes de informação lançadas a partir de 2000, relacionadas à biblioteca digital. Os tópicos cobertos são as bibliografias mais recentes, os livros e manuais, os periódicos especializados, os eventos específicos, as listas de discussão, os grupos e centros de pesquisa, os cursos e treinamentos e as principais organizações.

Usefulness of postmortem biochemistry in forensic pathology: illustrative case reports.

The aim of this work is to present some practical, postmortem biochemistry applications to illustrate the usefulness of this discipline and reassert the importance of carrying out biochemical investigations as an integral part of the autopsy process. Five case reports are presented pertaining to diabetic ketoacidosis in an adult who was not known to suffer from diabetes and in presence of multiple psychotropic substances; fatal flecainide intoxication in a poor metabolizer also presenting an impaired renal function; diabetic ketoacidosis showing severe postmortem changes; primary aldosteronism presented with intracranial hemorrhage and hypothermia showing severe postmortem changes. The cases herein presented can be considered representative examples of the importance of postmortem biochemistry investigations, which may provide significant information useful in determining the cause of death in routine forensic casework or contribute to understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the death process.

Investigation of the Reproductibility of Third-Level Characteristics

The process of comparing a fingermark recovered from a crime scene with the fingerprint taken from a known individual involves the characterization and comparison of different ridge details on both the mark and the print. Fingerprints examiners commonly classify these characteristics into three different groups, depending on their level of discriminating power. It is commonly considered that the general pattern of the ridge flow constitutes first-level detail, specific ridge flow and minutiaes (e.g. ending ridges, bifurcations) constitutes second-level detail, and fine ridge details (e. g. pore positions and shapes) are described as third-level details.In this study, the reproducibility of a selection of third-level characteristics is investigated. The reproducibility of these features is examined on serveral recordings of a same finger, first acquired using only optical visualization techniques and second on impressions developed using common firngermark development techniques. Prior to the evaluation of the reproducibility of the considered characteristics, digital images of the fingerprints were recorded at two different resolutions (1000 and 2000 ppi). This allowed the study to also examine the influence of higher resolution on the considered characteristics. It was observed that the increase in the resolution did not result in better feature detection or comparison between images.The examination of the reproducibility of a selection of third-level characteristics showed that the most reproducible features observed were minutiae shapes and pore positions along the ridges.