Relevância do estado de hidratação na interpretação de parâmetros nutricionais em diálise peritoneal

OBJETIVO: Identificar determinantes do estado de hidratação de pacientes em diálise peritoneal crônica, bem como investigar os efeitos da sobrecarga líquida sobre o estado nutricional. MÉTODOS: Foi feito estudo transversal, realizado em 2006, avaliando 27 pacientes em diálise peritoneal crônica, acompanhados no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (SP), quanto a parâmetros clínicos, dialíticos, laboratoriais, antropométricos e de bioimpedância elétrica. Para avaliar a influência de parâmetros sobre o estado de hidratação empregou-se modelo de regressão linear múltipla. A amostra foi estratificada quanto ao estado de hidratação pela relação entre água extracelular e água corporal total (0,47 para homens e 0,52 para mulheres), parâmetros obtidos por meio de bioimpedância elétrica. Comparações foram realizadas por análise de covariância, Mann-Whitney, Qui-quadrado ou teste exato de Fisher. Considerou-se significância estatística quando p≤0,05. RESULTADOS: Pacientes com maior volume urinário e em modalidade dialítica automatizada apresentaram melhor estado de hidratação. Pacientes com maior sobrecarga líquida, comparados àqueles com menor sobrecarga, apresentaram menor ângulo de fase (M=4,2, DP=0,9 vs M=5,7, DP=0,7º; p=0,006), menor albumina (M=3,06, DP=0,46 vs M=3,55, DP=0,52g/dL; p=0,05) e maior % prega cutânea tricipital (M=75,3, DP=36,9 vs M=92,1, DP=56,9%; p=0,058), sem outras evidências antropométricas. CONCLUSÃO: Pode-se sugerir que os níveis reduzidos de albumina e ângulo de fase nos pacientes com maior sobrecarga líquida não estiveram relacionados a pior estado nutricional. Para o diagnóstico nutricional em vigência de sobrecarga líquida, deve-se considerar o conjunto de variáveis obtidas por diversos métodos, buscando relacioná-las e interpretá-las de maneira abrangente, possibilitando um diagnóstico nutricional fidedigno.

Detecção e diagnóstico de falhas não-supervisionados baseados em estimativa de densidade recursiva e classificador fuzzy auto-evolutivo

In this work, we propose a two-stage algorithm for real-time fault detection and identification of industrial plants. Our proposal is based on the analysis of selected features using recursive density estimation and a new evolving classifier algorithm. More specifically, the proposed approach for the detection stage is based on the concept of density in the data space, which is not the same as probability density function, but is a very useful measure for abnormality/outliers detection. This density can be expressed by a Cauchy function and can be calculated recursively, which makes it memory and computational power efficient and, therefore, suitable for on-line applications. The identification/diagnosis stage is based on a self-developing (evolving) fuzzy rule-based classifier system proposed in this work, called AutoClass. An important property of AutoClass is that it can start learning from scratch". Not only do the fuzzy rules not need to be prespecified, but neither do the number of classes for AutoClass (the number may grow, with new class labels being added by the on-line learning process), in a fully unsupervised manner. In the event that an initial rule base exists, AutoClass can evolve/develop it further based on the newly arrived faulty state data. In order to validate our proposal, we present experimental results from a level control didactic process, where control and error signals are used as features for the fault detection and identification systems, but the approach is generic and the number of features can be significant due to the computationally lean methodology, since covariance or more complex calculations, as well as storage of old data, are not required. The obtained results are significantly better than the traditional approaches used for comparison

Genetic parameters of racing performance traits of Quarter horses in Brazil

The data used in the present study were recorded at the Jockey Club of Sorocaba for 5094 racing performance of 1350 Quarter Horses at the Paulista Race Track of Sorocaba, state of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1991 to 1997. The considered traits were time and final rank. The model used in analysis included random animal and permanent environmental effects, and race, sex, age and origin as fixed effects. The variance and covariance components were estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood for an animal model, using the derivative-free process method and the MTDFREML software. For the time, heritability was 0.17 (0.05), while estimate of repeatability 0.55 (0.05). The lower heritability for the final rank, 0.13 (0.04), indicate that this trait is not the most appropriate one for inclusion in programs of Quarter horse selection in Sorocaba racetrack. The repeatability estimate for rank was 0.44 (0.04) and the genetic correlation between this trait and time was 0.99.

Early juvenile development of Armases rubripes (Rathbun 1897) (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae) and comments on the morphology of the megalopa and first crab

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Social and financial aspects of the artisanal fisheries of Middle Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The presence or absence of motorized boats, partnerships and multispecies catches characterize the fisheries of Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fishing activity based on 109 interviews, carried out in the wet (high water: February and March) and dry (low water: July and August) seasons, with professional fishermen are described. Aiming to identify the fishery income components, a covariance model was proposed, with the income as the response variable, related to the factors: fishing ground, use of motorized or paddle boat; seasonality; presence of fishing assistant, and the following covariates: capture in weight in the week Frier to the interview, fisherman experience in yrs; and distance (km) travelled for fishing. The results indicated that the main contributions to income were the absence of an engine (because of high price of the fuel), the absence of a partner (because of low capture) and the amount of fish caught by the fishermen.

Vector and axial-vector correlators in a non-local chiral quark model

The behavior of the non-perturbative parts of the isovector-vector and isovector and isosinglet axial-vector correlators at Euclidean momenta is studied in the framework of a covariant chiral quark model with non-local quark-quark interactions. The gauge covariance is ensured with the help of the P-exponents, with the corresponding modification of the quark-current interaction vertices taken into account. The low- and high-momentum behavior of the correlators is compared with the chiral perturbation theory and with the QCD operator product expansion, respectively. The V-A combination of the correlators obtained in the model reproduces quantitatively the ALEPH and OPAL data on hadronic tau decays, transformed into the Euclidean domain via dispersion relations. The predictions for the electromagnetic pi(+/-) - pi(0) mass difference and for the pion electric polarizability are also in agreement with the experimental values. The topological susceptibility of the vacuum is evaluated as a function of the momentum, and its first moment is predicted to be chi'(0) approximate to (50 MeV)(2). In addition, the fulfillment of the Crewther theorem is demonstrated.

Galilean covariant Lagrangian models

We construct non-relativistic Lagrangian field models by enforcing Galilean covariance with a (4, 1) Minkowski manifold followed by a projection onto the (3, 1) Newtonian spacetime. We discuss scalar, Fermi and gauge fields, as well as interactions between these fields, preparing the stage for their quantization. We show that the Galilean covariant formalism provides an elegant construction of the Lagrangians which describe the electric and magnetic limits of Galilean electromagnetism. Similarly we obtain non-relativistic limits for the Proca field. Then we study Dirac Lagrangians and retrieve the Levy-Leblond wave equations when the Fermi field interacts with an Abelian gauge field.

Electromagnetic structure and weak decay of meson K in a light-front QCD-inspired model

The kaon electromagnetic (e.m.) form factor is reviewed considering a light-front constituent quark model. In this approach, it is discussed the relevance of the quark-antiquark pair terms for the full covariance of the e.m. current. It is also verified, by considering a QCD dynamical model, that a good agreement with experimental data can be obtained for the kaon weak decay constant once a probability of about 80% of the valence component is taken into account.

Some remarks on the coupling prescription of teleparallel gravity

By using a nonholonomic moving frame version of the general covariance principle, an active version of the equivalence principle, an analysis of the gravitational coupling prescription of teleparallel gravity is made. It is shown that the coupling prescription determined by this principle is always equivalent with the corresponding prescription of general relativity, even in the presence of fermions. An application to the case of a Dirac spinor is made.

Torsion and the gravitational interaction

By using a nonholonomous-frame formulation of the general covariance principle, seen as an active version of the strong equivalence principle, an analysis of the gravitational coupling prescription in the presence of curvature and torsion is made. The Coupling prescription implied by this principle is found to be always equivalent to that of general relativity, a result that reinforces the completeness of this theory, as well as the teleparallel point of view according to which torsion does not represent additional degrees of freedom for gravity, but simply an alternative way of representing the gravitational field.

Topological signatures in CMB temperature anisotropy maps

We propose an alternative formalism to simulate cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature maps in Lambda CDM universes with nontrivial spatial topologies. This formalism avoids the need to explicitly compute the eigenmodes of the Laplacian operator in the spatial sections. Instead, the covariance matrix of the coefficients of the spherical harmonic decomposition of the temperature anisotropies is expressed in terms of the elements of the covering group of the space. We obtain a decomposition of the correlation matrix that isolates the topological contribution to the CMB temperature anisotropies out of the simply connected contribution. A further decomposition of the topological signature of the correlation matrix for an arbitrary topology allows us to compute it in terms of correlation matrices corresponding to simpler topologies, for which closed quadrature formulas might be derived. We also use this decomposition to show that CMB temperature maps of (not too large) multiply connected universes must show patterns of alignment, and propose a method to look for these patterns, thus opening the door to the development of new methods for detecting the topology of our Universe even when the injectivity radius of space is slightly larger than the radius of the last scattering surface. We illustrate all these features with the simplest examples, those of flat homogeneous manifolds, i.e., tori, with special attention given to the cylinder, i.e., T-1 topology.

Weak-field approximation of effective gravitational theory with local Galilean invariance

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)