Variations in the Prevalence of Risk Factors for Coronary Artery Disease in Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil: A Comparative Analysis between 2002 and 2014

Abstract Background: Due to the importance of coronary artery disease (CAD), continuous investigation of the risk factors (RFs) is needed. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of RFs for CAD in cities in Rio Grande do Sul State, and compare it with that reported in a similar study conducted in the same cities in 2002. Methods: Cross-sectional study on 1,056 healthy adults, investigating the prevalence and absolute and relative frequencies of the following RFs for CAD: obesity, systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), dyslipidemias, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes mellitus, and family history, as well as age and sex. Data was collected in 19 cities, host of the Offices of the Regional Coordinators of Health, as in the 2002 study. Results: Twenty-six percent of the sample consisted of older adults and 57% were women. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle was 44%, history family 50%, smoking 23%, overweight/obesity 68%, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels) 43%, SAH 40%, and diabetes 11%. When compared to the 2002 study, the prevalence of active smoking and sedentary behavior decreased, whereas the prevalence of hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity increased. Obesity is the most prevalent RF in women, and SAH the most prevalent in men. Conclusions: The prevalence of RFs for CAD in Rio Grande do Sul State remains high. Hypertension, obesity and dyslipidemia are still prevalent and require major prevention programs. Smoking and physical inactivity have decreased in the state, suggesting the efficacy of related campaigns.

The relation of the concentration of macronutrients in the substrate and in the foliage to cell wall thickness and cellulose concentration in the xylem of slash pine (Pinus elliotti)

Sand culture experiments, using a sub-irrigation technique, were installed in order to find out the effects of the macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S on growth, aspect, mineral composition, length of fibers, thickness of cell wall and cellulose concentration in slash pine. The aim was to obtain, under controlled conditions, basic information which could eventually lead to practical means designed to increase the rate of growth and to make of slash pine a richer source of cellulose. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium Experiment A 3 x 3 x 3 factorial design with two replicates was used. Nitrogen was supplied initially at the levels of 25, 50 and 100 ppm; phosphorus was given at the rates of 5, 10 and 20 ppm; potassium was supplied at the rates of 25, 50 and 100 ppm; six months after the experiment was started the first level for each element was dropped to zero. Others macro and all micronutrients were supplied at uniform rates. Fifteen hours of illumination per day were provided. The experimental technique for growing the slash pine seedlings proved quite satisfactory. Symptoms of deficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were observed, described and recorded in photographs and water colors. These informations will help to identify abnormalities which may appear under field conditions. Chemical analysis of the several plant parts, on the other hand, give a valuable means to assess the nutritional status of slash pine, thus confirming when needed, the visual diagnosis. The correctness of manurial pratices, on the other hand, can be judged with the help of the analytical data tabulated. Under the experimental conditions nitrogen caused the highest increases on growth, as measured by increments in height and dry weights, whereas the effects of phosphorus and potassium were less marked. Cellulose concentration was not significantly affected by the treatments used. Higher levels of N seemed to decrease both length of fiber elements and the thickness of cell wall. The effects of P and K were not well defined. Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur Experiment A 3 x 3 x 3 factorial design with two replicates was used. Calcium was supplied initially at the levels of 12.5, 25 and 50 ppm; magnesium and sulfur were given at the rates of 6, 12.5 and 25 ppm. Other macro and micronutrients were supplied at uniform rates, common to all treatments. Three months after starting the experiment the first level for each element was dropped to zero. Symptoms of deficiency of calcium, magnesium and sulfur were observed, described and recorded as in the case of the previous experiment. Chemical analysis were made, both for mineral content and cellulose concentration. Length of fibers and thickness of cell wall were measured. Both calcium and magnesium increase height, sulfur failing to give significant response. Dry weight was beneficially affected by calcium and sulfur. The levels of calcium, magnesium and sulfur in the needles associated with deficiency and maximum growth are comparable with those found in the literature. Cellulose concentration increased when the level of sulfur in the substrate was raised. The thickness of cell wall was negatively affected by the treatments; no effect was observed with regards to length of fibers.

Influence of seasonal changes in daily activity and annual life cycle of Geotrigona mombuca (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in a Cerrado habitat, São Paulo, Brazil

The foraging activity of Geotrigona mombuca Smith, 1863 was studied under natural conditions aiming to verify the influence of seasonal changes on daily flight activity and annual cycle of the colony. Daily flight activity was monitored for a year based on the observation and counting of foragers leaving and entering the hive, as well as the kind of material transported and meteorological factors such as day time, temperature and relative humidity. The influence of seasonal changes was evidenced by alterations on daily rhythm of flight activity and by differences on transportation of food resources, building material and garbage. These data indicate that forager behavior is related to daily microclimate conditions and it is synchronized with the requirements of colony annual cycle, which determines an intense pollen collection in the summer. Thus, the recomposition of the intranidal population in spring and summer can be ensured, which is characterized both for a higher intensity of flight activity and increase in garbage and resin transport, as well as the swarming process in the spring. In this way, an action targeting the preservation or management of the species in a natural environment should consider that survival and reproduction of the colony depends greatly on the amount of available pollen in late winter.

Computational explorations in Thompson's group F

Here we describe the results of some computational explorations in Thompson's group F. We describe experiments to estimate the cogrowth of F with respect to its standard finite generating set, designed to address the subtle and difficult question whether or not Thompson's group is amenable. We also describe experiments to estimate the exponential growth rate of F and the rate of escape of symmetric random walks with respect to the standard generating set.

Human capital in a global and knowledge-based economy. Part 2. Asssessment at the EU country level.

This report is an extension and partial update of de la Fuente and Ciccone (2002). It constructs estimates of the private and social rates of return on schooling for fourteen EU countries using microeconometric estimates of Mincerian wage equations, the results of cross-country growth regressions and OECD data on educational expenditures, tax rates and social benefits. The results are used to draw some tentative conclusions regarding the optimality of observed investment patterns and educational subsidy levels.

Toward a comparative analysis of coming and going verbs in Spanish, German, and Polish

This work deals with coming and going verbs in three typologically distinct languages: a Romance one (Spanish), a Germanic one (German) and a Slavic one (Polish) within Fillmore`s (1966, 1971, 1975, 1982, 1983) framework. On the grounds of data description it is shown that visible linguistic phenomena, such as deixis or Aktionsart related clearly to the coming and going verbs, can be transcended, resorting to the more abstract notion called by the author, following Winston (1987) and Speas and Tenny (2003), “viewpoint”.

New York City: "gilt cage" or "promised land" ? : representations of urban space in Edith Wharton and Anzia Yezierska

This thesis explores the importance of literary New York City in the urban narratives of Edith Wharton and Anzia Yezierska. It specifically looks at the Empire City of the Progressive Period when the concept of the city was not only a new theme but also very much a typical American one which was as central to the American experience as had been the Western frontier. It could be argued, in fact, that the American city had become the new frontier where modern experiences like urbanization, industrialization, immigration, and also women's emancipation and suffrage, caused all kinds of sensations on the human scale from smoothly lived assimilation and acculturation to deeply felt alienation because of the constantly shifting urban landscape. The developing urban space made possible the emergence of new female literary protagonists like the working girl, the reformer, the prostitute, and the upper class lady dedicating her life to 'conspicuous consumption'. Industrialization opened up city space to female exploration: on the one hand, upper and middle class ladies ventured out of the home because of the many novel urban possibilities, and on the other, lower class and immigrant girls also left their domestic sphere to look for paid jobs outside the home. New York City at the time was not only considered the epicenter of the world at large, it was also a city of great extremes. Everything was constantly in flux: small brownstones made way for ever taller skyscrapers and huge waves of immigrants from Europe pushed native New Yorkers further uptown on the island, adding to the crowdedness and intensity of the urban experience. The city became a polarized urban space with Fifth Avenue representing one end of the spectrum and the Lower East Side the other. Questions of space and the urban home greatly mattered. It has been pointed out that the city setting functions as an ideal means for the display of human nature as well as social processes. Narrative representations of urban space, therefore, provide a similar canvas for a protagonist's journey and development. From widely diverging vantage points both Edith Wharton and Anzia Yezierska thus create a polarized city where domesticity is a primal concern. Looking at all of their New York narratives by close readings of exterior and interior city representations, this thesis shows how urban space greatly affects questions of identity, assimilation, and alienation in literary protagonists who cannot escape the influence of their respective urban settings. Edith Wharton's upper class "millionaire" heroines are framed and contained by the city interiors of "old" New York, making it impossible for them to truly participate in the urban landscape in order to develop outside of their 'Gilt Cages'. On the other side are Anzia Yezierska's struggling "immigrant" protagonists who, against all odds, never give up in their urban context of streets, rooftops, and stoops. Their New York City, while always challenging and perpetually changing, at least allows them perspectives of hope for a 'Promised Land' in the making. Central for both urban narrative approaches is the quest for a home as an architectural structure, a spiritual resting place, and a locus for identity forming. But just as the actual city embraces change, urban protagonists must embrace change also if they desire to find fulfillment and success. That this turns out to be much easier for Anzia Yezierska's driven immigrants rather than for Edith Wharton's well established native New Yorkers is a surprising conclusion to this urban theme.

Liprin (beta)1 is highly expressed in lymphatic vasculature and is important for lymphatic vessel integrity.

The lymphatic vasculature is important for the regulation of tissue fluid homeostasis, immune response, and lipid absorption, and the development of in vitro models should allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms regulating lymphatic vascular growth, repair, and function. Here we report isolation and characterization of lymphatic endothelial cells from human intestine and show that intestinal lymphatic endothelial cells have a related but distinct gene expression profile from human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells. Furthermore, we identify liprin beta1, a member of the family of LAR transmembrane tyrosine phosphatase-interacting proteins, as highly expressed in intestinal lymphatic endothelial cells in vitro and lymphatic vasculature in vivo, and show that it plays an important role in the maintenance of lymphatic vessel integrity in Xenopus tadpoles.

Safety and occlusion rates of surgical treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature from 1990 to 2011.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Surgical clipping of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) has recently been challenged by the emergence of endovascular treatment. We performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis on the surgical treatment of UIAs, in an attempt to determine the aneurysm occlusion rates and safety of surgery in the modern era. METHODS: A detailed protocol was developed prior to conducting the review according to the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. Electronic databases spanning January 1990-April 2011 were searched, complemented by hand searching. Heterogeneity was assessed using I(2), and publication bias with funnel plots. Surgical mortality and morbidity were analysed with weighted random effect models. RESULTS: 60 studies with 9845 patients harbouring 10 845 aneurysms were included. Mortality occurred in 157 patients (1.7%; 99% CI 0.9% to 3.0%; I(2)=82%). Unfavourable outcomes, including death, occurred in 692 patients (6.7%; 99% CI 4.9% to 9.0%; I(2)=85%). Morbidity rates were significantly greater in higher quality studies, and with large or posterior circulation aneurysms. Reported morbidity rates decreased over time. Studies were generally of poor quality; funnel plots showed heterogeneous results and publication bias, and data on aneurysm occlusion rates were scant. CONCLUSIONS: In studies published between 1990 and 2011, clipping of UIAs was associated with 1.7% mortality and 6.7% overall morbidity. The reputed durability of clipping has not been rigorously documented. Due to the quality of the included studies, the available literature cannot properly guide clinical decisions.

Humoral immunity in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease.

Although the contribution of inflammatory processes in the etiology of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been suspected for years, most studies were confined to the analysis of cell-mediated immunological reactions thought to represent an epiphenomenon of AD lesion development. Based on the traditional view of the "immunological privilege" of the brain, which excludes a direct access of human immunoglobulins (Ig) to the central nervous system under normal conditions, little attention has been paid to a possible role of humoral immunity in AD pathogenesis. In the first part of this review, we summarize evidences for a blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction in this disorder and critically comment on earlier observations supporting the presence of anti-brain autoantibodies and immunoglobulins (Ig) in AD brains. Current concepts regarding the Ig turnover in the central nervous system and the mechanisms of glial and neuronal Fc receptors activation are also discussed. In the second part, we present new ex vivo and in vitro data suggesting that human immunoglobulins can interact with tau protein and alter both the dynamics and structural organization of microtubules. Subsequent experiments needed to test this new working hypothesis are addressed at the end of the review.

Flying High and Laying Low in the Public and Private Sectors: A Comparison of Pay Differentials for Full-Time Male Employees in Britain

Using new linked employee-employer data for Britain in 2004, this paper shows that, on average, full-time male public sector employees earn 11.7 log wage points more than their private sector counterparts. Decomposition analysis reveals that the majority of this pay premium is associated with public sector employees having individual characteristics associated with higher pay and to their working in higher paid occupations. Further focussing analysis on the highly skilled and unskilled occupations in both sectors, reveals evidence of workplace segregation positively impacting on earnings in the private sector for the highly skilled, and in the public sector for the unskilled. Substantial earnings gaps between the highly skilled and unskilled are found, and the unexplained components in these gaps are very similar regardless of sector.

The Change Questionnaire predicts change in hazardous tobacco and alcohol use.

INTRODUCTION: Assessing motivation for change is deemed an important step in the treatment process that allows further refinement of the intervention in motivational interviewing (MI) and brief MI (BMI) adaptations. During MI (and BMI) sessions, motivation for change is expressed by the client as "change talk", i.e. all statements inclined toward or away from change. We tested the predictive validity of the Change Questionnaire, a 12-item instrument assessing motivation to change, on hazardous tobacco and alcohol use. METHODS: As part of the baseline measurements for a randomized controlled trial on multi-substance BMI at the Lausanne recruitment center (army conscription is mandatory in Switzerland for males at age 20, and thus provides a unique opportunity to address a non-clinical and largely representative sample of young men), 213 participants completed the questionnaire on tobacco and 95 on alcohol and were followed-up six months later. The overall Change Questionnaire score and its six subscales (Desire, Ability, Reasons, Need, Commitment, and Taking steps) were used as predictors of hazardous tobacco use (defined as daily smoking) and hazardous alcohol use (defined as more than one occasion with six standard drinks or more per month, and/or more than 21 standard drinks per week) in bivariate logistic regression models at follow-up. RESULTS: Higher overall Change scores were significant predictors of decreased risk for hazardous tobacco (odds ratio [OR] = 0.83, p = 0.046) and alcohol (OR = 0.76, p = 0.03) use. Several sub-dimensions were associated with the outcomes in bivariate analyses. Using a principal components analysis to reduce the number of predictors for multivariate models, we obtained two components. 'Ability to change' was strongly related to change in hazardous tobacco use (OR = 0.54, p < 0.001), the second we interpreted as 'Other change language dimensions' and which was significantly related to change in hazardous alcohol use (OR = 0.81, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings lend initial support for the predictive validity of the Change Questionnaire on hazardous tobacco and alcohol use, making it an interesting and potentially useful tool for assessing motivation to change among young males.

Corruption and the Military in Politics: Theory and Evidence from around the World

Recent theoretical developments and case study evidence suggests a relationship between the military in politics and corruption. This study contributes to this literature by analyzing theoretically and empirically the role of the military in politics and corruption for the first time. By drawing on a cross sectional and panel data set covering a large number of countries, over the period 1984-2007, and using a variety of econometric methods substantial empirical support is found for a positive relationship between the military in politics and corruption. In sum, our results reveal that a one standard deviation increase in the military in politics leads to a 0.22 unit increase in corruption index. This relationship is shown to be robust to a variety of specification changes, different econometric techniques, different sample sizes, alternative corruption indices and the exclusion of outliers. This study suggests that the explanatory power of the military in politics is at least as important as the conventionally accepted causes of corruption, such as economic development.

Metabolic origin of insulin resistance in obesity with and without type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.

A metabolic hypothesis is presented for insulin resistance in obesity, in the presence or absence of Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. It is based on physiological mechanisms including a series of negative feed-back mechanisms, with the inhibition of the function of the glycogen cycle in skeletal muscle as a consequence of decreased glucose utilization resulting from increased lipid oxidation in the obese. It considers the inhibition of glycogen synthase activity together with inhibition of glucose storage and impaired glucose tolerance. The prolonged duration of increased lipid oxidation, considered as the initial cause, may lead to Type 2 diabetes. This hypothesis is compatible with others based on the inhibition of insulin receptor kinase and of glucose transporter activities.

Cardiac expression of ms1/STARS, a novel gene involved in cardiac development and disease, is regulated by GATA4.

Ms1/STARS is a novel muscle-specific actin-binding protein that specifically modulates the myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF)-serum response factor (SRF) regulatory axis within striated muscle. This ms1/STARS-dependent regulatory axis is of central importance within the cardiac gene regulatory network and has been implicated in cardiac development and postnatal cardiac function/homeostasis. The dysregulation of ms1/STARS is associated with and causative of pathological cardiac phenotypes, including cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy. In order to gain an understanding of the mechanisms governing ms1/STARS expression in the heart, we have coupled a comparative genomic in silico analysis with reporter, gain-of-function, and loss-of-function approaches. Through this integrated analysis, we have identified three evolutionarily conserved regions (ECRs), α, SINA, and DINA, that act as cis-regulatory modules and confer differential cardiac cell-specific activity. Two of these ECRs, α and DINA, displayed distinct regulatory sensitivity to the core cardiac transcription factor GATA4. Overall, our results demonstrate that within embryonic, neonatal, and adult hearts, GATA4 represses ms1/STARS expression with the pathologically associated depletion of GATA4 (type 1/type 2 diabetic models), resulting in ms1/STARS upregulation. This GATA4-dependent repression of ms1/STARS expression has major implications for MRTF-SRF signaling in the context of cardiac development and disease.