The Comparison of Under-Five-Children’s Nutrition Status Among Ethnic Groups in North of Iran, 1998 - 2013; Results of a Three Stages Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Despite improvements in child health, malnutrition still remains one of the main public health challenges in Iran. Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare under nutrition among under-five children with regard to ethnicity in rural area in north Iran. Patients and Methods: In three cross-sectional studies 7575 subjects in three time-periods including 2339 children in 1998, 2749 in 2004, and 2487 in 2013, were evaluated. All under-five-children in 20 out of 118 villages were chosen by random sampling and assessed. Under nutrition was defined as underweight, stunting and wasting lower than -2 SD (Z < -2 SD). Results: Generally, stunting was declined 17.1% and underweight and wasting were increased 0.9% and 1%, respectively during 15 years (1998 - 2013). Underweight increased 0.5% in Fars-natives and 3.2% in Turkmans and it was decreased 0.9% in Sistanis. Statistical difference in Turkman children among the three stages of the study was significant (P = 0.001). Stunting has decreased 28.7% in Fars-natives and 35.1% in Sistanis, it was increased 9.3% in Turkman group. Statistical differences among three stages in inter-ethnic groups were significant (P = 0.001 for all). Compared the group with good economic status, the odds ratio was 1.831 in poor economic group (P = 0.001). The risk of under nutrition in Sistanis was 1.754 times more than in Fars-natives (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Under nutrition remains one of the main health problems in under-five-year children in north Iran being more common in Sistani children. Stunting in Sistani children deeply decreased while in Turkman children slightly increased during the 15-year period study. Poor economic status is a risk factor for under nutrition in this area.

Give Us This Day

GIVE US THIS DAY is a collection of poetry grounded in the lyrical tradition that speaks to the conflicting need for structure and the inherent desire to be free. It focuses on those moments of rupture, when the structure, whether physical, emotional, psychological or political, is broken. The title poem sets the tone for the collection, capturing the idea that today is all one can truly know. Throughout the five sections of the collection, one comes to understand a complex family story, where right and wrong is blurred in the reality of existence. The sections, representing various parts of the day, are a parallel to the individual stories, speaking to the idea that a single day contains both times of light and darkness, similar to a life. The collection takes place in several cityscapes from Moscow to Delhi, Washington, D.C. to Miami. There are correlations drawn between familial settings and political unrest and tension. Often the political atmosphere is alluded to and drawn into context through the use of intimate personal vignettes. In contrast to the urban noise, there is pervasive natural imagery of gardens and tropical locales which mimic the physical life cycle, climaxing in the blossom.

Assessment of the sensitivity and specificity of serological (IFAT) and molecular (direct PCR) techniques for diagnosis of leishmaniasis in lagomorphs using a Bayesian approach

Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania infantum, is a vector-borne zoonotic disease that is endemic to the Mediterranean basin. The potential of rabbits and hares to serve as competent reservoirs for the disease has recently been demonstrated, although assessment of the importance of their role on disease dynamics is hampered by the absence of quantitative knowledge on the accuracy of diagnostic techniques in these species. A Bayesian latent-class model was used here to estimate the sensitivity and specificity of the Immuno-fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) in serum and a Leishmania-nested PCR (Ln-PCR) in skin for samples collected from 217 rabbits and 70 hares from two different populations in the region of Madrid, Spain. A two-population model, assuming conditional independence between test results and incorporating prior information on the performance of the tests in other animal species obtained from the literature, was used. Two alternative cut-off values were assumed for the interpretation of the IFAT results: 1/50 for conservative and 1/25 for sensitive interpretation. Results suggest that sensitivity and specificity of the IFAT were around 70–80%, whereas the Ln-PCR was highly specific (96%) but had a limited sensitivity (28.9% applying the conservative interpretation and 21.3% with the sensitive one). Prevalence was higher in the rabbit population (50.5% and 72.6%, for the conservative and sensitive interpretation, respectively) than in hares (6.7% and 13.2%). Our results demonstrate that the IFAT may be a useful screening tool for diagnosis of leishmaniasis in rabbits and hares. These results will help to design and implement surveillance programmes in wild species, with the ultimate objective of early detecting and preventing incursions of the disease into domestic and human populations.

Effects of spin on high-energy radiation from accreting black holes

Observations of jets in X-ray binaries show a correlation between radio power and black hole spin. This correlation, if confirmed, points toward the idea that relativistic jets may be powered by the rotational energy of black holes. In order to examine this further, we perform general relativistic radiative transport calculations on magnetically arrested accretion flows, which are known to produce powerful jets via the Blandfordâ Znajek (BZ) mechanism. We find that the X-ray and γ-ray emission strongly depend on spin and inclination angle. Surprisingly, the high-energy power does not show the same dependence on spin as the BZ jet power, but instead can be understood as a redshift effect. In particular, photons observed perpendicular to the spin axis suffer little net redshift until originating from close to the horizon. Such observers see deeper into the hot, dense, highly magnetized inner disk region. This effect is largest for rapidly rotating black holes due to a combination of frame dragging and decreasing horizon radius. While the X-ray emission is dominated by the near horizon region, the near-infrared (NIR) radiation originates at larger radii. Therefore, the ratio of X-ray to NIR power is an observational signature of black hole spin.

Prática desportiva e sucesso escolar de moças e rapazes no ensino secundário

O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a relação entre a prática desportiva e o sucesso escolar de jovens que frequentavam o ensino secundário. Foram inquiridos por meio de um questionário anônimo 490 moças (59%) e 341 rapazes (41%) da Madeira, Portugal, isto é, 9,5% do universo. Os resultados revelam que as moças têm maior sucesso escolar do que os rapazes e as que praticam desporto têm taxas de retenção significativamente inferiores às dos rapazes, particularmente no setor federado. O sucesso escolar dos jovens que praticam desporto na escola não é diferente daqueles que praticam no setor federado. As modalidades mais praticadas pelos alunos foram o futebol, o basquetebol e o voleibol, porém não se verificou que a modalidade estivesse associada ao sucesso escolar.

Propiedades psicométricas de los instrumentos para la medición de la actividad física en adultos con discapacidad física relacionada con lesión de médula espinal: una revisión sistemática

Objetivo: Evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de los instrumentos para la medición de la actividad física en adultos de 18-65 años con discapacidad física por lesión de médula espinal. Materiales y métodos: Revisión sistemática. Las bases de datos de Medline, Scopus, Web of Science y 19 revistas especializadas fueron consultadas durante once días entre abril de 2015 y febrero de 2016 para identificar estudios originales de validación, sin límite de tiempo y que estuvieran publicados en español, francés y/o inglés. La calidad metodológica de los instrumentos de medición se evaluó usando las diferentes cajas de propiedades de la lista COSMIN. Resultados: Se identificaron 9229 referencias, de las cuales sólo 12 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, dando como resultado 13 instrumentos de medición. Se evaluaron seis propiedades psicométricas. La propiedad más común fue la confiabilidad, además se observó que la calidad metodológica de los estudios incluidos no representa los resultados de las propiedades psicométricas de los instrumentos de medición. La calidad metodológica de los instrumentos para la evaluación de la actividad física en población con lesión medular espinal es “baja” para propiedades como consistencia interna, error de medición, sensibilidad, validez de criterio (con excepción del WISCI II que tiene buena validez) y excelente para validez de contenido y fiabilidad. Conclusión: Se ha encontrado que instrumentos empleados hasta el presente en la medición de la actividad física en población con discapacidad física relacionada con lesión de médula espinal han sido creados para otros tipos de discapacidad y otros instrumentos deben ser validados en futuros estudios.

Factores de riesgo preoperatorios asociados a conversión a técnica abierta en colecistectomía laparoscópica de urgencia

Introducción: la colecistectomía laparoscópica es la técnica de elección en pacientes con indicación de extracción quirúrgica de la vesícula; sin embargo, en promedio 20% de éstos requieren conversión a técnica abierta. En este estudio se evaluaron los factores de riesgo preoperatorios para conversión en colecistectomía laparoscópica de urgencia. Metodología: se realizó un estudio de casos y controles no pareado. Se obtuvo información sociodemográfica y de variables de interés de los registros de historias clínicas de pacientes operados entre el 2013 y 2016. Se identificaron los motivos de conversión de técnica quirúrgica. Se caracterizó la población de estudio y se estimaron asociaciones según la naturaleza de las variables. Mediante un análisis de regresión logística se ajustaron posibles variables de confusión. Resultados: se analizaron los datos de 444 pacientes (111 casos y 333 controles). La causa de conversión más frecuente fue la dificultad técnica (50,5%). Se encontró que la mayor edad, el sexo masculino, el antecedente de cirugía abierta en hemiabdomen superior, el signo de Murphy clínico positivo, la dilatación de la vía biliar, la leucocitosis y la mayor experiencia del cirujano, fueron factores de riesgo para conversión. Se encontró un área bajo la curva ROC= 0,743 (IC95% 0,692–0,794, p= <0,001). Discusión: existen unos factores que se asocian a mayor riesgo de conversión en colecistectomía laparoscópica. La mayoría se relacionan con un proceso inflamatorio más severo, por lo que se debe evitar la prolongación del tiempo de espera entre el inicio de los síntomas y la extirpación quirúrgica de la vesícula.

FAST-E en Pacientes con Trauma Abdominal Cerrado Estable, en un Departamento de Urgencias en Colombia

El impacto que ha generado el trauma en Colombia a lo largo de la historia, nos ha obligado a mejorar y adaptar diferentes tipos de sistemas de atención en trauma, basados en los lineamientos internacionales, los cuales buscan evitar el significativo aumento en las tasas de mortalidad y discapacidad que se obtienen de este, especialmente en los servicios de Emergencias en los cuales se reciben el 100% de estos pacientes con traumatismo múltiple o politraumatismo. Dentro de este grupo de pacientes hay un subgrupo que son las pacientes con trauma de abdomen que cursan con estabilidad hemodinámica y además son clasificados de bajo riesgo, ya sea por índices de trauma o por otros métodos como la medición sérica de lactato, los cuales tienen un papel poco despreciable al momento de ver mortalidad y discapacidad por trauma, ya sea penetrante o cerrado; en este trabajo específicamente nos centramos en las personas que consultan al servicio de Emergencias con trauma cerrado de abdomen los cuales son considerados de bajo riesgo, siendo este subgrupo de pacientes uno de los más difíciles de abordar y enfocar al momento de la valoración inicial, ya que se debe tener la seguridad de que no hay lesiones que comprometen la vida y por consiguiente estos pacientes puedan ser dados de alta.

Problem of Hydroelectric Resources Management: Numerical Approach

In this work we analyze an optimal control problem for a system of two hydroelectric power stations in cascade with reversible turbines. The objective is to optimize the profit of power production while respecting the system’s restrictions. Some of these restrictions translate into state constraints and the cost function is nonconvex. This increases the complexity of the optimal control problem. The problem is solved numerically and two different approaches are adopted. These approaches focus on global optimization techniques (Chen-Burer algorithm) and on a projection estimation refinement method (PERmethod). PERmethod is used as a technique to reduce the dimension of the problem. Results and execution time of the two procedures are compared.

The Students’ Perspective of Geometry Teaching and Learning in High School

The purpose of this article is to present the results obtained from a questionnaire applied to Costa Rican high school students, in order to know their perspectives about geometry teaching and learning. The results show that geometry classes in high school education have been based on a traditional system of teaching, where the teacher presents the theory; he presents examples and exercises that should be solved by students, which emphasize in the application and memorization of formulas. As a consequence, visualization processes, argumentation and justification don’t have a preponderant role. Geometry is presented to students like a group of definitions, formulas, and theorems completely far from their reality and, where the examples and exercises don’t possess any relationship with their context. As a result, it is considered not important, because it is not applicable to real life situations. Also, the students consider that, to be successful in geometry, it is necessary to know how to use the calculator, to carry out calculations, to have capacity to memorize definitions, formulas and theorems, to possess capacity to understand the geometric drawings and to carry out clever exercises to develop a practical ability.

Soil management, seed treatment and soil compaction on the sowing furrows affect grain yields of upland rice genotypes.

The water availability for flood irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) is decreasing worldwide. Therefore, developing technologies to allow growing rice in aerobic condition, such as a no-tillage system (NTS) can contribute to produce upland rice grains without yield losses and also in saving more water. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of soil management, seed treatment and compaction on the sowing furrow on grain yield of upland rice genotypes. We made two trials, one in an NTS and another using conventional tillage, CT (one plowing and two diskings). The field experiments were performed in the Central Region of Brazil in Cerrado soils. For each trial, the experimental design was a randomized block design in a factorial scheme, with three replications. The treatments consisted of a combination of 10 genotypes with 2 compaction pressures on the sowing furrow (25 kPa and 126kPa) and 2 types of seed treatment (with and without pesticide). Under CT, the seed treatment did not contribute to increase upland rice grain yields. However, under NTS the grain yield of some genotypes [BRS Esmeralda (from 723 to 1,766 kg ha-1), BRS Pepita (from 930 to 1,874 kg ha-1), AB072044 (from 523 to 1,579 kg ha-1), and AB072085 (from 632 to 1,636 kg ha-1) at 25 kPA soil compaction pressure, and Sertaneja (from 994 to 2,167 kg ha-1), BRS Pepita (from 1,161 to 2,100 kg ha-1), and AB072085 (from 958 to 2,213 kg ha-1), at 126 kPA soil compaction pressure] increased with the use of this practice. At CT the higher soil compaction pressure on the sowing furrow (from 25 kPa to 126 kPa) increased rice grain yield only when it was used seed treatment and the genotypes Serra Dourada (from 1,239 to 2,178 kg ha-1), Sertaneja (from 1,510 to 2,379 kg ha-1), and Cambará (from 1,877 to 2,831 kg ha-1). On the other hand, under NTS, increasing soil compaction pressure on the sowing furrow allowed for an increased rice grain yield of Serra Dourada (from 1,553 to 2,347 kg ha-1), Esmeralda (from 723 to 1,643 kg ha-1), AB072044 (from 523 to 2,040 kg ha-1), and Cambará (from 1,243 to 2,032 kg ha-1) without seed treatment and Sertaneja (from 1,385 to 2,167 kg ha-1) and AB072044 (from 1,579 to 2,356 kg ha-1) with seed treatment. In CT the most productive genotypes were AB062008 (2,714 kg ha-1) and BRSMG Caravera (2,479 kg ha-1), while at NTS were the genotypes: BRSGO Serra Dourada (2,118 kg ha-1), AB072047 (1,888 kg ha-1), AB062008 (1,823 kg ha-1), BRSMG Caravera (1,737 kg ha-1), Cambará (1,716 kg ha-1), AB072044 (1,625 kg ha-1), BRS Esmeralda (1,604 kg ha-1), and BRS Pepita (1,516 kg ha-1).