MR-venography using high resolution True-FISP.

A new fast MR-venography approach using a high resolution True-FISP imaging sequence was investigated in 20 patients suffering from 23 deep vein thromboses. Diagnosis was proven by x-ray venography, CT or ultrasound examination. The presented technique allowed for clear thrombus visualization with a high contrast to the surrounding blood pool even in calf veins. Acquisition time was less than 10 minutes for imaging the pelvis and the legs. No contrast media was needed. The presented high resolution True-FISP MR-venography is a promising non-invasive, fast MR-venography approach for detection of deep venous thrombosis.

A functional microsatellite of the macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene associated with meningococcal disease.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an abundantly expressed proinflammatory cytokine playing a critical role in innate immunity and sepsis and other inflammatory diseases. We examined whether functional MIF gene polymorphisms (-794 CATT(5-8) microsatellite and -173 G/C SNP) were associated with the occurrence and outcome of meningococcal disease in children. The CATT(5) allele was associated with the probability of death predicted by the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (P=0.001), which increased in correlation with the CATT(5) copy number (P=0.04). The CATT(5) allele, but not the -173 G/C alleles, was also associated with the actual mortality from meningoccal sepsis [OR 2.72 (1.2-6.4), P=0.02]. A family-based association test (i.e., transmission disequilibrium test) performed in 240 trios with 1 afflicted offspring indicated that CATT(5) was a protective allele (P=0.02) for the occurrence of meningococcal disease. At baseline and after stimulation with Neisseria meningitidis in THP-1 monocytic cells or in a whole-blood assay, CATT(5) was found to be a low-expression MIF allele (P=0.005 and P=0.04 for transcriptional activity; P=0.09 and P=0.09 for MIF production). Taken together, these data suggest that polymorphisms of the MIF gene affecting MIF expression are associated with the occurrence, severity, and outcome of meningococcal disease in children.

Soil water dynamics and evapotranspiration of forage cactus clones under rainfed conditions

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate soil water dynamics in areas cultivated with forage cactus clones and to determine how environmental conditions and crop growth affect evapotranspiration. The study was conducted in the municipality of Serra Talhada, in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Crop growth was monitored through changes in the cladode area index (CAI) and through the soil cover fraction, calculated at the end of the cycle. Real evapotranspiration (ET) of the three evaluated clones was obtained as the residual term in the soil water balance method. No difference was observed between soil water balance components, even though the evaluated clones were of different genus and had different CAI increments. Accumulated ET was of 1,173 mm during the 499 days of the experiment, resulting in daily average of 2.35 mm. The CAI increases the water consumption of the Orelha de Elefante Mexicana clone. In dry conditions, the water consumption of the Miúda clone responds more slowly to variation in soil water availability. The lower evolution of the CAI of the IPA Sertânia clone, during the rainy season, leads to a higher contribution of the evaporation component in ET. The atmospheric demand controls the ET of clones only when there is higher soil water availability; in this condition, the water consumption of the Miúda clone decreases more rapidly with the increase of atmospheric demand.

Obesity-related phenotypes are associated to parental longevity in a Swiss population-based study

METHODS. We analyzed data from a population-based sample of 2561 participants (1163 men and 1398 women) aged 55-75 years from the city of Lausanne, Switzerland (CoLaus study). Participants were stratified by the number of parents (0, 1, 2) who survived to 85 years or more. Trend across these strata was assessed using a non-parametric kmean test. The associations of parental age (independent covariate used as a proxy for longevity) with fasting blood glucose, blood pressures, blood lipids, body mass index (BMI), weight, height or liver enzymes (continuous dependent variables) were analyzed using multiple linear regressions. Models were adjusted for age, sex, alcohol consumption, smoking and educational level, and BMI for liver enzymes. RESULTS. For subjects with 0 (N = 1298), 1 (N = 991) and 2 (N = 272) long-lived parents, median BMI (interquartile range) was 25.4 (6.5), 24.9 (6.1) and 23.7 (4.8) kg/m2 in women (P <0.001), and 27.3 (4.8), 27.0 (4.5) and 25.9 (4.9) kg/m2 in men (P = 0.04), respectively; median weight was 66.5 (16.1), 65.0 (16.4) and 63.4 (13.7) kg in women (P = 0.003), and 81.5 (17.0), 81.4 (16.4) and 80.3 (17.1) kg in men (P = 0.36). Median height was 161 (8), 162 (9) and 163 (8) cm in women (P = 0.005) and 173 (9), 174 (9) and 174 (11) cm in men (P = 0.09). The corresponding medians for AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) were 31 (13), 29 (11) and 28 (10) U/L (P = 0.002), and 28 (17), 27 (14) and 26 (19) U/L for ALT (Alanin Aminotransferase, P = 0.053) in men. In multivariable analyses, greater parental longevity was associated with lower BMI, lower weight and taller stature in women (P < 0.01) and lower AST in men (P = 0.011). No significant associations were observed for the other variables analyzed. Sensitivity analyses restricted to subjects whose parents were dead (N = 1844) led to similar results, with even stronger associations of parental longevity with liver enzymes in men. CONCLUSIONS. In women, increased parental longevity was associated with smaller BMI, attributable to lower weight and taller stature. In men, the association of increased parental longevity with lower liver enzymes, independently of BMI, suggests that parental longevity may be associated with decreased nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Basin-internal derivation of hydrocarbons in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa: evidence from bulk and molecular δ13C data

Gold in the quartz-pebble conglomerates of the late Archean Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, is often intimately associated with carbonaceous matter of organic/biogenic origin which occurs in the form of stratiform carbon seams and paragenetically late bitumen nodules. Both carbon forms are believed to be formed by solidification of migrating hydrocarbons. This paper presents bulk and molecular chemical and stable carbon isotope data for the carbonaceous matter, all of which are used to provide a clue to the source of the hydrocarbons. These data are compared with those from intra-basinal shales and overlying dolostone of the Transvaal Supergroup. The delta C-13 values of the extracts from the Witwatersrand carbonaceous material show small differences (up to 2.4 parts per thousand) compared to the associated insoluble organic matter. This suggests that the auriferous rocks were stained by mobile hydrocarbons produced by thermal and oxidative alteration of indigenous bitumens, a contribution from hydrocarbons derived from intra-basinal Witwatersrand shales cannot be excluded. Individual aliphatic hydrocarbons of the various carbonaceous materials were subjected to compound specific isotope analysis using on-line gas chromatography/combustion/stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS). The limited variability of the molecular parameters and uniform delta C-13 values of individual n-alkanes (-31.1 +/- 1.7 parts per thousand) and isoprenoids (-30.7 +/- 1.1 parts per thousand) in the Witwatersrand samples exclude the mixing of oils from different sources. Carbonaceous matter in the dolostones shows distinctly different bulk and molecular isotope characteristics and thus cannot have been the source of the hydrocarbons in the Witwatersrand deposits. All the various forms of Witwatersrand carbon appear indigenous to the Witwatersrand Basin, and the differences between them are explained by variable, in general probably short (centimeter- to meter-scale) hydrocarbon migration during diagenesis and subsequent hydrothermal infiltration. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

XML-verkkotietokantojen suorituskykyvertailu

XML:n kasvava suosio dokumenttiformaattina sekä sen alati monipuolistuva käyttö ovat lisänneet XML-tiedonhallintajärjestelmien tarvetta. Yksi tapa XML-dokumenttien hallintaan on edelleen tiedostopohjainen järjestelmä. Erilaisiin tietokantoihin perustuvat XML-tiedonhallintajärjestelmät ovat kuitenkin viime vuosina kasvattaneetsuosiotaan monipuolisempien ominaisuuksien ja paremman suorituskyvyn takia. Lisäksi XML-dokumenttien hallinta tiedostopohjaisessa järjestelmässä käy lähes mahdottomaksi suurilla datamäärillä. Suhteellisen uutena tulokkaana XML-dokumenttienhallintaan ovat tulleet natiivit XML -tietokannat, jotka ovat suunniteltu juuriXML:ää silmälläpitäen. Tässä diplomityössä esitellään erilaisia XML-tiedonhallintajärjestelmiä. Erityisesti relaatiotietokantoihin ja natiiveihin XML -tietokantoihin perustuvien ratkaisujen taustoihin ja teknisiin yksityiskohtiin yritetään luoda syvällinen katsaus. Neljälle XML-tiedonhallintaratkaisulle - Binary Approachille, Edge Approachille, eXistille ja Xindicelle - suoritetaan XMach-1 suorituskykytesti. Lisäksi testattavien ratkaisujen teknistä toimivuutta arvioidaan sekä analyyttisen että käytännön tarkastelun kautta. Suorituskykytestien ja teknisen toimivuuden arvioiden perusteella on tarkoitus valita XML-tiedonhallintaratkaisu Javalla toteutetulle Web-sovellukselle, joka käyttää XML:ää tietojen tallennusformaattina.

In-hospital and 1-year mortality in patients undergoing early surgery for prosthetic valve endocarditis.

IMPORTANCE: There are limited prospective, controlled data evaluating survival in patients receiving early surgery vs medical therapy for prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). OBJECTIVE: To determine the in-hospital and 1-year mortality in patients with PVE who undergo valve replacement during index hospitalization compared with patients who receive medical therapy alone, after controlling for survival and treatment selection bias. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants were enrolled between June 2000 and December 2006 in the International Collaboration on Endocarditis-Prospective Cohort Study (ICE-PCS), a prospective, multinational, observational cohort of patients with infective endocarditis. Patients hospitalized with definite right- or left-sided PVE were included in the analysis. We evaluated the effect of treatment assignment on mortality, after adjusting for biases using a Cox proportional hazards model that included inverse probability of treatment weighting and surgery as a time-dependent covariate. The cohort was stratified by probability (propensity) for surgery, and outcomes were compared between the treatment groups within each stratum. INTERVENTIONS: Valve replacement during index hospitalization (early surgery) vs medical therapy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: In-hospital and 1-year mortality. RESULTS: Of the 1025 patients with PVE, 490 patients (47.8%) underwent early surgery and 535 individuals (52.2%) received medical therapy alone. Compared with medical therapy, early surgery was associated with lower in-hospital mortality in the unadjusted analysis and after controlling for treatment selection bias (in-hospital mortality: hazard ratio [HR], 0.44 [95% CI, 0.38-0.52] and lower 1-year mortality: HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.49-0.67]). The lower mortality associated with surgery did not persist after adjustment for survivor bias (in-hospital mortality: HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.76-1.07] and 1-year mortality: HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.89-1.23]). Subgroup analysis indicated a lower in-hospital mortality with early surgery in the highest surgical propensity quintile (21.2% vs 37.5%; P = .03). At 1-year follow-up, the reduced mortality with surgery was observed in the fourth (24.8% vs 42.9%; P = .007) and fifth (27.9% vs 50.0%; P = .007) quintiles of surgical propensity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Prosthetic valve endocarditis remains associated with a high 1-year mortality rate. After adjustment for differences in clinical characteristics and survival bias, early valve replacement was not associated with lower mortality compared with medical therapy in the overall cohort. Further studies are needed to define the effect and timing of surgery in patients with PVE who have indications for surgery.

Absorption and pharmacokinetics of green tea catechins in beagles

The present study evaluates for the first time in dogs, the kinetics of green tea catechins and their metabolic forms in plasma and urine. Ten beagles were administered 173 mg (12·35 mg/kg body weight) of catechins as a green tea extract, in capsules. Blood samples were collected during 24 h after intake and urine samples were collected during the following periods of time: 02, 26, 68 and 824 h. Two catechins with a galloyl moiety and three conjugated metabolites were detected in plasma. Most of the detected forms in plasma reached their maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) at around 1 h. Median Cmax for (2)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), (2)-epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), (2)-epigallocatechin glucuronide (EGCglucuronide), (2)-epicatechin glucuronide (EC-glucuronide), (2)-epicatechin sulphate (EC sulphate) were 0·3 (range 0·11·9), 0·1 (range 00·4), 0·8 (range 0·23·9), 0·2 (range 0·1 1·7) and 1 (range 0·33·4) mmol/l, respectively. The areas under the plasma concentration v. time curves (AUC0!24) were 427 (range 1021185) mmol/l £ min for EGC-glucuronide, 112 (range 53919) mmol/l £ min for EC-sulphate, 71 (range 26306) mmol/l £ min for EGCG, 40 (range 12258) mmol/l £ min for EC-glucuronide and 14 (range 0·1124) mmol/l £ min for ECG. The values of mean residence time (MRT0!24) were 5 (range 216), 2 (range 111), 10 (range 213), 3 (range 216) and 2·4 (range 118) h for EGCG, ECG, EGC-glucuronide, EC-glucuronide and EC sulphate, respectively. In urine, catechins were present as conjugated forms, suggesting bile excretion of EGCG and ECG. Green tea catechins are absorbed following an oral administration and EGC-glucuronide is the metabolic form that remains in the organism for a longer period of time, suggesting that this compound could suffer an enterohepatic cycle.

Projecte d’una instal·lació fotovoltaica connectada a la xarxa de baixa tensió sobre la coberta d’una nau agroindustrial

El present Projecte Final de Carrera té com a objectiu la instal·lació de mòduls fotovoltaics en la coberta d’una nau situada a un polígon industrial de Lleida, de dimensions 70 x 30 m, orientada amb un acimut de -30º, per tal de vendre l’energia produïda a la companyia distribuïdora i aconseguir un benefici econòmic. La instal·lació consta de 690 mòduls de silici monocristal·lí de 235 Wp (model HEE215MA65-235) i de dos camps de captació diferenciats en cada ala de la nau, tots ells orientats cap el sud (0º acimut) i inclinats 30º. El camp 1 consta de 360 mòduls i el camp 2 de 330 mòduls, connectats al seu corresponent inversor de 76 kW i 68 kW (models Sunway TG 100-800V i Sunway TG 90-600V). El cost total de la instal·lació és de 707.201,36 Є euros i té un període de retorn de 9 anys. És un projecte rendible i una bona opció ambiental que aconsegueix reduir les emissions de CO2 en 117,6 tones anuals.

Creació d’un programa informàtic per al monitoratge dels paràmetres de treball i a l’ajut al guiatge d’un tractor agrícola

L’objectiu projecte és desenvolupar un sistema d’ajut al guiatge universal adaptable a qualsevol vehicle que permeti incrementar significativament l’eficiència de les feines a realitzar per la maquinària al camp. El sistema proposat es pot configurar d’acord amb les característiques de la maquinària o de la tasca a realitzar i és capaç de guiar en línia recta i crear paral·leles a la passada recta de referència. Un altre objectiu és millorar el rendiment, la fiabilitat i la usabilitat del programari de monitoratge inicial instal·lat al tractor, com també caracteritzar el receptor GPS AgGPS 332 de Trimble® per a comprovar la precisió de l’aparell. Els resultats obtinguts en la millora del programa de monitoratge són molt satisfactoris a l’haver corregit imprecisions de funcionament que en limitaven l’usabilitat. Els resultats obtinguts en la caracterització del receptor AgGPS 332 permeten valorar millor quin tipus de correcció diferencial és més convenient per a la precisió de treball requerida segons el seu cost de posada en marxa i de funcionament.Els resultats obtinguts en la validació de l’ajut al guiatge, han validat el guiatge a 10 metres vista com un ajut al guiatge equivalent al guiatge manual quan la velocitat de treball és de 5 km/h, el tractorista té referències visuals i no està fatigat. Els resultats obtinguts pels guiatges a 3 i 50 metres no són satisfactoris a 5 km/h. Tanmateix, durant el procés de disseny, la realització dels assajos i durant l’anàlisi de resultats s’han identificat algunes mancances i limitacions i es proposen una sèrie de millores per tal de solucionar-les.

La figura del mediador intercultural a les institucions escolars catalanes: perfil real i ideal segons els propis actors

A Catalunya, en els darrers anys, han anat proliferant una sèrie de «professionals» que realitzen, amb més o menys adequació a la definició teòrica, la funció de mediadors inter-culturals. Primerament, es tractava de gitanos, però darrerament, fruit de l’increment de la presència d’infants d’origen immigrant a les escoles catalanes, s’ha vist créixer el nombre i el protagonisme dels estrangers pel reconeixement que se’ls ha donat des de l’Administració i des de les institucions. Els mediadors han intentat intervenir en qüestions com ara la participació dels pares d’origen minoritari, l’adaptació del currículum a la diversitat cultural, la negociació de conflictes culturals, la desescolarització, l’absentisme i l’abandonament escolar dels alumnes durant el període d’escolarització obligatòria, la traducció lingüística i la interpretació sociocultural, etc. Concretament, la nostra recerca ha consistit en vint-i-set entrevistes en profunditat a mediadors interculturals de tot Catalunya.

Seletividade de agrotóxicos indicados na produção integrada de pêssego a Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: trichogrammatidae)

A seletividade de agrotóxicos indicados nas Normas Técnicas Específicas da Produção Integrada de Pêssego (NTE-PIP) foi avaliada sobre Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, utilizando-se da metodologia padronizada internacionalmente pela International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC). Os agrotóxicos (% ingrediente ativo na calda) Orthocide 500 (0,120) e Persist SC (0,160) foram classificados como inócuos; Hokko Cihexatim 500 (0,025) e Roundup WG (1,387) foram levemente nocivos; Assist (1,512) foi moderadamente nocivo; Sevin 480 SC (0,173), Tiomet 400 CE (0,048), Dipterex 500 (0,150) e Kumulus DF (0,480) foram nocivos a adultos de T. pretiosum no teste de toxicidade inicial em laboratório.