Evaluation of a multicomponent worksite health promotion program for cardiovascular risk factors-correcting for the regression towards the mean effect.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of a multicomponent worksite health promotion program for0 reducing cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) with short intervention, adjusting for regression towards the mean (RTM) affecting such nonexperimental study without control group. METHODS: A cohort of 4,198 workers (aged 42 +/- 10 years, range 16-76 years, 27% women) were analyzed at 3.7-year interval and stratified by each CVRF risk category (low/medium/high blood pressure [BP], total cholesterol [TC], body mass index [BMI], and smoking) with RTM and secular trend adjustments. Intervention consisted of 15 min CVRF screening and individualized counseling by health professionals to medium- and high-risk individuals, with eventual physician referral. RESULTS: High-risk groups participants improved diastolic BP (-3.4 mm Hg [95%CI: -5.1, -1.7]) in 190 hypertensive patients, TC (-0.58 mmol/l [-0.71, -0.44]) in 693 hypercholesterolemic patients, and smoking (-3.1 cig/day [-3.9, -2.3]) in 808 smokers, while systolic BP changes reflected RTM. Low-risk individuals without counseling deteriorated TC and BMI. Body weight increased uniformly in all risk groups (+0.35 kg/year). CONCLUSIONS: In real-world conditions, short intervention program participants in high-risk groups for diastolic BP, TC, and smoking improved their CVRF, whereas low-risk TC and BMI groups deteriorated. Future programs may include specific advises to low-risk groups to maintain a favorable CVRF profile.

Produção e qualidade de óleos essenciais de Mentha arvensis em resposta à inoculação de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes espécies de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) na produção e qualidade de óleos essenciais de Mentha arvensis L., cultivada com diferentes doses de fósforo. O trabalho foi realizado em casa de vegetação e o delineamento estatístico utilizado foi de blocos ao acaso com 20 tratamentos, constituídos pela combinação de cinco tratamentos microbiológicos (Glomus clarum Nicolson & Schenck, Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdemann, Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall, Acaulospora scrobiculata Trappe e controle) e quatro doses de P (0, 50, 100 e 200 mg kg-1), com quatro repetições. As plantas foram colhidas 65 dias após o plantio. Sem adubação fosfatada, os fungos Gigaspora margarita e Glomus clarum aumentaram em 206 e 198%, respectivamente, a produção de matéria fresca em relação ao tratamento controle. A maior produção de matéria fresca (90 g por vaso) foi observada no tratamento de A. scrobiculata com 133 mg kg-1 de fósforo. Na ausência de adubação fosfatada, teores de óleos essenciais e de mentol no óleo foram menores em plantas sem inoculação, e os tratamentos com inoculação proporcionaram incrementos de até 89% nos teores de óleos e de mentol, em relação ao tratamento sem inoculação. Com o incremento da adubação fosfatada, não foram observados incrementos dos teores de óleos essenciais e mentol em razão dos FMA. As maiores produtividades de óleos essenciais e de mentol nos óleos, 0,69 g e 0,48 g por vaso, respectivamente, foram encontradas em plantas com inoculação de Acaulospora scrobiculata nas doses de P de 126 e 123 mg kg-1 de solo, respectivamente.

Learning about Bayesian networks for forensic interpretation : An example based on the "the problem of multiple propositions"

Both, Bayesian networks and probabilistic evaluation are gaining more and more widespread use within many professional branches, including forensic science. Notwithstanding, they constitute subtle topics with definitional details that require careful study. While many sophisticated developments of probabilistic approaches to evaluation of forensic findings may readily be found in published literature, there remains a gap with respect to writings that focus on foundational aspects and on how these may be acquired by interested scientists new to these topics. This paper takes this as a starting point to report on the learning about Bayesian networks for likelihood ratio based, probabilistic inference procedures in a class of master students in forensic science. The presentation uses an example that relies on a casework scenario drawn from published literature, involving a questioned signature. A complicating aspect of that case study - proposed to students in a teaching scenario - is due to the need of considering multiple competing propositions, which is an outset that may not readily be approached within a likelihood ratio based framework without drawing attention to some additional technical details. Using generic Bayesian networks fragments from existing literature on the topic, course participants were able to track the probabilistic underpinnings of the proposed scenario correctly both in terms of likelihood ratios and of posterior probabilities. In addition, further study of the example by students allowed them to derive an alternative Bayesian network structure with a computational output that is equivalent to existing probabilistic solutions. This practical experience underlines the potential of Bayesian networks to support and clarify foundational principles of probabilistic procedures for forensic evaluation.

Un billet de loterie, le numéro 9672 ; Suivi de Frritt-Flacc / par Jules Verne ; dessins par George Roux

Collection : Bibliothèque d'éducation et de récréation

Recueil d'actes intéressant la sénéchaussée de Beaucaire, de saint Louis à Philippe de Valois ; poème sur le comput .

Contient au f. 23 un poème sur le comput : L'escriptura mostra per ver, Que Dieus dona sen e saber [...]. Récolé le 8 mai 1877.

Francisci Plante Brugensis Mauritiados libri XII, hoc est Rerum ab... Joanne Mauritio, comite Nassaviae, etc., in occidentali India gestarum descriptio poetica

Comprend : In libros Mauritiados XII... Francisci Plante nuper apud Brasilienses ecclesiastae aulico ; In Francisci Plante Mauritiadem ; In Mauritiada, illustrissimo heroi Mauritio Nassavio, patrono domestico sacram, ad clarissimum virum Franciscum Plante ; Discursus oratorius ad illustrissimum comitem J. Mauritium Nassavium,... cum feliciter in Hollandiam reversus, urbem Lugduno-Batavam et Academiam lustraret ; In libros mauritiados Dni Francisci Plante ; In duodecim de Rebus ab illustrissimo heroe Joanne Mauritio comite Nassaviae etc. in occidentali India gestis a... F. Planta conscriptis ; In clarissimi ac eruditissimi viri Francisci Plante Mauritiadem qua... herois Mauritii Nassovii res novo in orbe gestas deternitati redux consecravit

Neuroendocrine deregulation of food intake, adipose tissue and the gastrointestinal system in obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Obesity is an excess of fat mass. Fat mass is an energy depot but also an endocrine organ. A deregulation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) might produce obesity. Stress exaggerates diet-induced obesity. After stress, SNS fibers release neuropeptide Y (NPY) which directly increases visceral fat mass producing a metabolic syndrome (MbS)-like phenotype. Adrenergic receptors are the main regulators of lipolysis. In severe obesity, we demonstrated that the adrenergic receptor subtypes are differentially expressed in different fat depots. Liver and visceral fat share a common sympathetic pathway, which might explain the low-grade inflammation which simultaneously occurs in liver and fat of the obese with MbS. The neuroendocrine melanocortinergic system and gastric ghrelin are also greatly deregulated in obesity. A specific mutation in the type 4 melanocortin receptor induces early obesity onset, hyperphagia and insulin-resistance. Nonetheless, it was recently discovered that a mutation in the prohormone convertase 1/3 simultaneously produces severe gastrointestinal dysfunctions and obesity.

The ruthenium-silicon system

The Ruthenium-Silicon system has been completely revised using differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe investigations. The two equiatomic compound structures (CsCl and FeSi types) have been identified as two different phases. The occurrence of Ru,Si, was not confirmed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Comment prescrire les hormones thyroïdiennes [How to prescribe thyroid hormones]

Thyroid substitution is generally considered easy as well by general practitioners as by specialists, considering that a single hormone levothyroxin is recommended and that laboratory tests are readily available for measurement of free T4 and TSH. However cross sectional studies have shown that about 45% of patients are over-treated and under-treated. This paper summarizes the critical information useful to facilitate a better management of hypothyroid patients by promoting long lasting euthyroidism.

Articles indexats publicats per investigadors del Campus de Terrassa: 2011

Aquest informe recull els 209 treballs publicats per 198 investigadors/es del Campus de Terrassa en revistes indexades al Journal Citation Report durant el 2011

M-protein and other intrinsic virulence factors of Streptococcus pyogenes are encoded on an ancient pathogenicity island.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of completely sequenced bacterial genomes allows comparing their architecture and genetic makeup. Such new information highlights the crucial role of lateral genetic exchanges in bacterial evolution and speciation. RESULTS: Here we analyzed the twelve sequenced genomes of Streptococcus pyogenes by a naïve approach that examines the preferential nucleotide usage along the chromosome, namely the usage of G versus C (GC-skew) and T versus A (TA-skew). The cumulative GC-skew plot presented an inverted V-shape composed of two symmetrical linear segments, where the minimum and maximum corresponded to the origin and terminus of DNA replication. In contrast, the cumulative TA-skew presented a V-shape, which segments were interrupted by several steep slopes regions (SSRs), indicative of a different nucleotide composition bias. Each S. pyogenes genome contained up to nine individual SSRs, encompassing all described strain-specific prophages. In addition, each genome contained a similar unique non-phage SSR, the core of which consisted of 31 highly homologous genes. This core includes the M-protein, other mga-related factors and other virulence genes, totaling ten intrinsic virulence genes. In addition to a high content in virulence-related genes and to a peculiar nucleotide bias, this SSR, which is 47 kb-long in a M1GAS strain, harbors direct repeats and a tRNA gene, suggesting a mobile element. Moreover, its complete absence in a M-protein negative group A Streptococcus natural isolate demonstrates that it could be spontaneously lost, but in vitro deletion experiments indicates that its excision occurred at very low rate. The stability of this SSR, combined to its presence in all sequenced S. pyogenes sequenced genome, suggests that it results from an ancient acquisition. CONCLUSION: Thus, this non-phagic SSR is compatible with a pathogenicity island, acquired before S. pyogenes speciation. Its potential excision might bear relevance for vaccine development, because vaccines targeting M-protein might select for M-protein-negative variants that still carry other virulence determinants.

[Lac Majeur. Isola Bella]

Référence bibliographique : Weigert, 198