Perspective of radiography science - a document analysis of dissertations.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to clarify the perspective of radiography science as an academic discipline. A discipline can be studied by discovering the collective use of concepts, especially core concepts. We have previously identified the core concepts as clinical practices in radiography, radiographers' profession, safe and high-quality radiation use, and technology in radiography. The relationships between these concepts have not been studied previously. In order to clarify the perspective of radiography science we have investigated further the core concepts, their interrelationships and interdependencies. METHODS: Altogether, 53 dissertations meeting the inclusion criteria were selected for a qualitative document analysis. The data were first analysed deductively using an extraction matrix comprising four core concepts developed from previous studies, then relational statements were synthesised, and the statements were analysed semantically. RESULTS: Analysis revealed the bilateral interrelationships between the concepts and their dependencies. All the concepts were used within healthcare. The rationale for radiography science research was the clinical practice of radiography and the improvement of services in a complex environment as a part of patients' pathways. Safe and high-quality radiation use was investigated as a means to deliver optimal services. Technology was studied as being functional or a means to deliver services. The perspective of the discipline was seen as the combination of humanistic interaction with advanced technology, where safety and quality were a necessity. CONCLUSIONS: Defining core concepts and their interrelations clarifies the perspective of the discipline and gives radiography researchers a way to argue their viewpoint.

Making it internally persuasive: Analysis of the conspiratorial discourse on COVID-19.

This study attempts to generate new insights into the wide spread online and offline conspiratorial discourse on COVID-19. Twofold analytical lens consisted of narrative interrelations framework and content analysis showed how the linguistic resources and conversational such as popular socio-religious discourses, hypothetical narratives, personal narratives, personal mental archives, and interpolated arguments are integrated in the interpretation of intertextual Bases such as Bill Gates' TED talk 2015 (26%); Nematullah Wali's predictions (32%); 'End of Days' book by Sylvia Browne (14.9%); and 'The Eyes of Darkness' novel by Dean Koontz (22%) by which the conspiracists in Pakistan construct an internally persuasive discourse promoting conspiracy theories on COVID-19. Several linguistic resources such as mood, modality, topicalization, insinuation, and intertextuality emerged as the main tools of making the conspiracy theories internally persuasive.

Can financial development improve environmental quality? New findings from spatial measures of Chinese urban panel data.

China's economy has achieved remarkable success, while it has also paid a high environmental cost. Environmental pollution not only causes great economic losses, but also severely restricts the development of society. Both theory and practice demonstrate that financial development plays a significant role in environmental governance, but the internal mechanism of its impacts has remained to be explored. It is vital to investigate the influence mechanism of financial development on the environmental quality in order to accomplish sustainable economic development through finance and enhance environmental quality concurrently. This paper, using mediating model, spatial Durbin and spatial error model, constructs a theoretical framework financial development on environmental quality from two dimensions, i.e., Financial Interrelations Ratio (FIR) and Financial Efficiency (FE), based on panel data of 234 cities in China from 2010 to 2019. And the results are as follows: (1) the improvement of Financial Interrelations Ratio (FIR) and Financial Efficiency (FE) had not yet reached the level of environmental pollution improvement; (2) in terms of mechanism, the rise of the level of financial development promoted economic growth, but inhibited the optimization of industrial structure, which increased industrial pollution emissions and deteriorates environmental quality; (3) urban environment had significant spatial dependence; (4) the impact of financial development on environmental quality in eastern region has been transformed into an improvement effect, while it still shows a deteriorating effect in central and western regions. Some policy recommendations related to the use of financial development to improve environmental quality are proposed at last, which will help to promote ecological protection and high quality synergistic economic development in China.

Medical Ethnobotany of the Bissau-Guinean Community of Migrants Living in Northern Italy and Comparison with the Ethnopharmacology of Guinea-Bissau.

This study compares the knowledge of medicinal plants of Bissau-Guinean migrants now established in Italy with the ethnopharmacology still present in their country of origin. We also investigated how traditional ethnobotanical knowledge is changing following the phenomenon of migration from Africa to Europe. The ethnobotanical data were collected during 2017-2018, by interviewing 49 informants belonging to 8 ethnic groups, living in 8 provinces of northern Italy. The final inventory of botanical taxa included 81 species belonging to 34 families, with Fabaceae and Malvaceae the most represented, followed by Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Combretaceae, and Solanaceae. Plant remedies were used to treat 21 ailment categories, such as fever, internal infections, intestinal and respiratory problems, and pains. The traditional ethnobotanical knowledge of Bissau-Guinean migrants in Italy was associated with gender, with women showing the highest knowledge. In addition, a negative relationship was observed between the maintenance of this knowledge and the number of years migrants have spent in Italy. Overall, a loss of knowledge was observed in the less numerous ethnic groups. However, traditional preparations based on plants from the country of origin are in general well preserved to maintain a good state of health. Our work could help in transferring to the next generation the cultural heritage of Bissau-Guinean people permanently moved to European Countries.

Enhanced 4-bromophenol anaerobic biodegradation in electricity-stimulated anaerobic system: The key role of humic acid in reshaping microbial eco-interrelations and functions.

Electricity-stimulated anaerobic system (ESAS) has shown great potential for halogenated organic pollutants removal. Exogenous redox mediators can improve electron transfer efficiency to enhance pollutants removal in ESAS. In this study, humic acid (HA), a low-cost electron mediator, was added into ESAS to enhance the simultaneous reductive debromination and mineralization of 4-bromophenol (4-BP). Results showed that the highest 4-BP removal efficiency at 48 h was 95.43 % with HA dosage of 30 mg/L at - 700 mV, which was 34.67 % higher than that without HA. The addition of HA decreased the requirement for electron donors and enriched Petrimonas and Rhodococcus for humus respiratory. HA addition regulated microbial interactions, and enhanced species cooperation between Petrimonas and dehalogenation species (Thauera and Desulfovibrio), phenol degradation-related species (Rhodococcus) as well as fermentative species (Desulfobulbus). Functional genes related to 4-BP degradation (dhaA/hemE/xylC/chnB/dmpN) and electron transfer (etfB/nuoA/qor/ccoN/coxA) were increased in abundance by HA addition. The enhanced microbial functions, as well as species cooperation and facilitation, all contributed to the improved 4-BP biodegradation in HA-added ESAS. This study provided a deep insight into microbial mechanism driven by HA and offered a promising strategy for improving halogenated organic pollutants removal from wastewater.

Evaluating the combined effect of climate and anthropogenic stressors on marine coastal ecosystems: Insights from a systematic review of cumulative impact assessment approaches.

Cumulative impacts increasingly threaten marine and coastal ecosystems. To address this issue, the research community has invested efforts on designing and testing different methodological approaches and tools that apply cumulative impact appraisal schemes for a sound evaluation of the complex interactions and dynamics among multiple pressures affecting marine and coastal ecosystems. Through an iterative scientometric and systematic literature review, this paper provides the state of the art of cumulative impact assessment approaches and applications. It gives a specific attention to cutting-edge approaches that explore and model inter-relations among climatic and anthropogenic pressures, vulnerability and resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems to these pressures, and the resulting changes in ecosystem services flow. Despite recent advances in computer sciences and the rising availability of big data for environmental monitoring and management, this literature review evidenced that the implementation of advanced complex system methods for cumulative risk assessment remains limited. Moreover, experts have only recently started integrating ecosystem services flow into cumulative impact appraisal frameworks, but more as a general assessment endpoint within the overall evaluation process (e.g. changes in the bundle of ecosystem services against cumulative impacts). The review also highlights a lack of integrated approaches and complex tools able to frame, explain, and model spatio-temporal dynamics of marine and coastal ecosystems' response to multiple pressures, as required under relevant EU legislation (e.g., Water Framework and Marine Strategy Framework Directives). Progress in understanding cumulative impacts, exploiting the functionalities of more sophisticated machine learning-based approaches (e.g., big data integration), will support decision-makers in the achievement of environmental and sustainability objectives.

Teacher Cognition and Practice of Educational Equity in English as a Foreign Language Teaching.

Teachers involved in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching play a significant role in the process of moving toward educational equity. Teacher cognition is very influential in shaping teacher practice and thus affects students' academic performance. However, although the role of EFL teachers as equity agents has been recognized, few studies have explored EFL teachers in-depth in terms of their cognition and practice. Moreover, no review studies have given sufficient attention to the task of elucidating the interrelations between EFL teachers' cognition and practices in the context of educational equity. Therefore, to provide a novel perspective and generate fresh insights into this research field, the current study attempts to explain the connotations of these constructs, highlights the interplay between EFL teachers' equity-oriented cognition and practice, and identifies both experiential and contextual factors that might have an effect throughout the teaching process. Finally, practical implications and directions for teachers, researchers, policy-makers, and social justice leaders who are interested in actualizing education as a means of attaining equity are also discussed.

Manual praxis and language-production networks, and their links to handedness.

While Liepmann was one of the first researchers to consider a relationship between skilled manual actions (praxis) and language for tasks performed "freely from memory", his primary focus was on the relations between the organization of praxis and left-hemisphere dominance. Subsequent attempts to apply his apraxia model to all cases he studied - including his first patient, a "non-pure right-hander" treated as an exception - left the praxis-handedness issue unresolved. Modern neuropsychological and recent neuroimaging evidence either showed closer associations of praxis and language, than between handedness and any of these two functions, or focused on their dissociations. Yet, present-day developments in neuroimaging and statistics allow us to overcome the limitations of the earlier work on praxis-language-handedness links, and to better quantify their interrelationships. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we studied tool use pantomimes and subvocal word generation in 125 participants, including righthanders (NRH = 52), ambidextrous individuals (mixedhanders; NMH = 31), and lefthanders (NLH = 42). Laterality indices were calculated both in two critical cytoarchitectonic maps, and 180 multi-modal parcellations of the human cerebral cortex, using voxel count and signal intensity, and the most relevant regions of interest and their networks were further analyzed. We found that atypical organization of praxis was present in all handedness groups (RH = 25.0%, MH = 22.6%; LH = 45.2%), and was about two and a half times as common as atypical organization of language (RH = 3.8%; MH = 6.5%; LH = 26.2%), contingent on ROI selection/LI-calculation method. Despite strong associations of praxis and language, regardless of handedness and typicality, dissociations of atypically represented praxis from typical left-lateralized language were common (~20% of cases), whereas the inverse dissociations of atypically represented language from typical left-lateralized praxis were very rare (in ~2.5% of all cases). The consequences of the existence of such different phenotypes for theoretical accounts of manual praxis, and its links to language and handedness are modeled and discussed.

Adapting Bodies to Infrastructures.

The material interrelations between bodies and objects are a wide, worthwhile and absorbing field, which has not been sufficiently examined yet. Focusing on such interrelations within air travel, this article contributes to the exploration of this field. It delineates that such interrelations do not simply happen, but that they have to be accomplished continuously by different participants with a certain risk to fail at many points. Within mobilities, such processes of interrelating occur under the specific circumstances of a moving vehicle. Based on empirical data from an ethnographic study on air travel, the paper is concerned with the ongoing dynamics of body-object-interrelations. Based on this analysis, it suggests emphasizing the continuous modification that material assemblages built of people and objects undergo even when "only" staying immobile during a flight. Passengers do not simply enter and exit a vehicle staying identical with themselves. Rather, they are continuously adapting to a material infrastructure that shapes and adjusts their corporeal needs and capacities, including their senses.

The city emptied and the homes and hospitals turned into 'the world'. A sociological approach.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic has generated social measures in order to contend virus expansion, and deaths. One of the most important political norms in the first wave was the domestic enclosure. This measure generates social, psychological and personal problems. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to analyze the social impact of this home confinement through the study of journalistic images. METHODS: We use a set of images selected previously according our epistemic necessities. RESULTS: The results show that the fundamental elements of the current life were questioned. In fact, social space, and the own society had collapsed. Also, the enclosure of Spanish populations has been accompanied by the intensification of the individualism, but also has generated an increase of the ideal of communitas. CONCLUSIONS: Coronavirus enclosure has produced that the cities have emptied, and the houses and hospitals, were the last refuge of society. This phenomenon has generated that population has been accompanied by the paradox intensification of social relationships.

More Than Spikes: On the Added Value of Non-linear Intracranial EEG Analysis for Surgery Planning in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.

Epilepsy surgery can be a very effective therapy in medication refractory patients. During patient evaluation intracranial EEG is analyzed by clinical experts to identify the brain tissue generating epileptiform events. Quantitative EEG analysis increasingly complements this approach in research settings, but not yet in clinical routine. We investigate the correspondence between epileptiform events and a specific quantitative EEG marker. We analyzed 99 preictal epochs of multichannel intracranial EEG of 40 patients with mixed etiologies. Time and channel of occurrence of epileptiform events (spikes, slow waves, sharp waves, fast oscillations) were annotated by a human expert and non-linear excess interrelations were calculated as a quantitative EEG marker. We assessed whether the visually identified preictal events predicted channels that belonged to the seizure onset zone, that were later resected or that showed strong non-linear interrelations. We also investigated whether the seizure onset zone or the resection were predicted by channels with strong non-linear interrelations. In patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (32 of 40), epileptic spikes and the seizure onset zone predicted the resected brain tissue much better in patients with favorable seizure control after surgery than in unfavorable outcomes. Beyond that, our analysis did not reveal any significant associations with epileptiform EEG events. Specifically, none of the epileptiform event types did predict non-linear interrelations. In contrast, channels with strong non-linear excess EEG interrelations predicted the resected channels better in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and favorable outcome. Also in the small number of patients with seizure onset in the frontal and parietal lobes, no association between epileptiform events and channels with strong non-linear excess EEG interrelations was detectable. In contrast to patients with temporal seizure onset, EEG channels with strong non-linear excess interrelations did neither predict the seizure onset zone nor the resection of these patients or allow separation between patients with favorable and unfavorable seizure control. Our study indicates that non-linear excess EEG interrelations are not strictly associated with epileptiform events, which are one key concept of current clinical EEG assessment. Rather, they may provide information relevant for surgery planning in temporal lobe epilepsy. Our study suggests to incorporate quantitative EEG analysis in the workup of clinical cases. We make the EEG epochs and expert annotations publicly available in anonymized form to foster similar analyses for other quantitative EEG methods.

Microbial community succession, species interactions and metabolic pathways of sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification system in organic-limited nitrate wastewater.

Elemental sulfur (S0) introduction could achieve the co-existence of heterotrophic denitrification (HDN) and autotrophic denitrification (ADN) in practical organic-limited nitrate wastewater treatment. Until now, changes in key functional species, metabolic pathways and microbial products in the succession process of microbialcommunities based on different of pollutant concentration and trophic conditions are still unclear. In present study, high-efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) removal achieved in S0-based ADN bioreactor at influent nitrate of 30-240 mg/L. Content of proteins and polysaccharides in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) declined with nitrate loads increased. The key functional heterotrophic denitrifiers (Hyphomicrobium, Trichococcus, Rivibacter) and autotrophic biotope (Thiobacillus, Thiomonas, Ferritrophicum, Flavobacterium, Stenotrophomonas, Cloacibacterium and Pseudoxanthomonas) jointly contributed to high nitrogen removal efficiency at different nitrate loads. Furthermore, network analysis verified that symbiotic relationships accounted for the major proportion (88.3%) of the microbial network. The enhanced of nitrogen and sulfur metabolism improved nitrogen removal and S0-based autotrophic denitrification capacity.

Influence of nasal CPAP on cardiorespiratory control in healthy neonate.

The present study aimed to further unravel the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in the neonatal period. Six-hour polysomnographic recordings were first performed in seven healthy newborn lambs, aged 2-3 days, without and with nCPAP application at 6 cmH2O (nCPAP-6), in randomized order. The effects of nCPAP-6 on heart rate variability, respiratory rate variability, and cardiorespiratory interrelations were analyzed using a semiautomatic signal processing approach applied to ECG and respiration recordings. Thereafter, a cardiorespiratory mathematical model was adapted to the experimental conditions to gain further physiological interpretation and to simulate higher nCPAP levels (8 and 10 cmH2O). Results from the signal processing approach suggest that nCPAP-6 applied in newborns with healthy lungs: 1) increases heart rate and decreases the time and frequency domain indices of heart rate variability, especially those representing parasympathetic activity, while increasing the complexity of the RR-interval time series; 2) prolongs the respiratory cycle and expiration duration and decreases respiratory rate variability; and 3) slightly impairs cardiorespiratory interrelations. Model-based analysis revealed that nCPAP-6 increases the heart rate and decreases respiratory sinus arrhythmia amplitude, in association with a reduced parasympathetic efferent activity. These results were accentuated when simulating an increased CPAP level. Overall, our results provide a further understanding of the effects of nCPAP in neonates, in the absence of lung disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Application of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) at 6 cmH2O, a level very frequently used in newborns, alters heart and respiratory rate variability, as well as cardiorespiratory interrelations in a full-term newborn model without lung disease. Moreover, whereas nasal CPAP at 6 cmH2O decreases parasympathetic efferent activity, there is no change in sympathetic efferent activity.

[Bilateral impact of cardiorenal relationships in the nephrotic syndrome.]

To study and analyze the cardiorenal relationships in nephrotic syndrome, taking into account sex differences. A total of 272 patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) aged 16 to 65 years were examined. All patients underwent general clinical examination, electro-and echocardiography, assessment of peripheral and biochemical blood counts. NS was determined with daily proteinuria of more than 3.5 g/1.73 m2 per day, hypoalbuminemia (albumin less than 30 g/l) and hyperlipidemia (total cholesterol more than 5.1 mmol/l). The duration of the National Assembly ranged from 3 months or more. Depending on the gender, the total sample (n=272) was divided into two subgroups: the 1st subgroup - patients with female NS (n=88), the 2nd subgroup - males with NS (n=184). The mean systolic, diastolic, pulse and mean arterial pressure (BP) were significantly higher in male NS patients (p<0.05). Supraventricular and ventricular ectopic activity was significantly more common in males. In the subgroup of women with NA, sinus tachycardia was significantly more frequently detected, a slowing down of the impulse conduction along the bundle of His, a violation of the processes of repolarization of the LV (p<0.05). The final systolic and diastolic sizes of the left ventricle (LV), the thickness of the interventricular septum and the posterior wall of the left ventricle, the diameter of the aorta, the longitudinal size of the left atrium and the right ventricle were significantly larger in the group of males with NA. Significantly lower concentrations of hemoglobin, hematocrit, erythrocyte counts were observed in the subgroup of females with NS compared with men (p<0.05). In the cohort of men with HC, there was a significant decrease in the content of total serum protein (44.8±11.0 g/l versus 49.2±11.2 g/l; p=0.003) as compared with females. In the male subgroup of HC, serum creatinine concentration [97 (81;143) mmol/l versus 86 (68;123) mmol/l; p=0.005] and the degree of daily protein excretion [6,490 (4,865;9,661) g versus 5,585 (4,168;7,625) g; p=0.034] with urine were significantly higher compared with the female subgroup (Table 2). At the same time, in the cohort of men with HC, there was a significant decrease in the calculated GFR [62.3 (46.2; 114.9) ml/min versus 87.0 (67.7;127.5) ml/min; p=0.002]. In case of NS in females, factors of deterioration of cardiorenal interrelations are anemia, sinus tachycardia, slowing down of impulse conduction along the bundle of His. Whereas in the NA subgroup of men, negative factors of cardiorenal interrelations are hypoproteinemia, increased systolic, diastolic, pulse and mean blood pressure, creatinine concentration and daily proteinuria, which was accompanied by a decrease in glomerular filtration rate and an increase in the linear dimensions of the heart.

Influence of Moderate Hyperbilirubinemia on Cardiorespiratory Control in Preterm Lambs.

Hyperbilirubinemia (HB) is responsible for neonatal jaundice in 60% of term newborns and 90% of preterm infants. Neonatal HB can induce neurological damage (acute HB encephalopathy) and has been associated with persistent apneas. The objective of the present study was to investigate the immediate and delayed effects of moderate, clinically-relevant HB on cardiorespiratory control in preterm lambs. Two groups of five preterm lambs, namely control and HB, were studied. At day five of life, moderate HB (150-250 µmol/L) was induced and maintained during 17 h in the HB group while control lambs received a placebo solution. Six hours after HB onset, 7-h polysomnographic recordings with electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiratory (RESP) signals were performed to assess the immediate effects of HB on heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate variability (RRV), and cardiorespiratory interrelations. Identical recordings were repeated 72 h after HB induction to examine the delayed effects of HB on HRV, RRV and cardiorespiratory interrelations. Our results demonstrate a higher HRV and vagal activity immediately after induction of moderate HB. Meanwhile, a decrease in respiratory rate with an increase in both long- and short-term RRV was also noted, as well as a higher amplitude of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia and cardiorespiratory coupling. Seventy-two hours later, the alterations in HRV, RRV, and cardiorespiratory interrelations were attenuated, although a number of them were still present, suggesting a lasting influence of HB on the basal control of the cardiorespiratory system. Our results pave the way for studies in human preterms to assess the relevance of monitoring HRV, RRV, and cardiorespiratory interrelations to detect the acute neurological effects of HB and consequently adapt the treatment of neonatal jaundice.

Estructura de departamento de ingeniería y mantenimiento, para instituciones hospitalarias de III nivel en Colombia / Structure of Department of Engineering and Maintenance, for _Hospital Institutions of Ill Level in Colombia / Estrutura de engenharia e manutenção de departamento de nível III instituições hospitalarias na Colômbia

Resumen El tema central de este trabajo se focaliza en la postulación de la estructura de un DIM (departamento de ingeniería y mantenimiento) para clínicas y hospitales de tercer nivel en el territorio colombiano. Para tal propósito, se efectúo una vigilancia tecnológica, entrevistas, encuestas, estudios, entre otras estrategias; que permitieron consolidar un modelo robusto de departamento ingenieril, que conjuga a su vez todas las buenas prácticas y características de éxito que han permitido tanto el ámbito local como internacional hacer que las instituciones hospitalarias crezcan desde el punto de vista económico, de eficiencia en prestación de servicios, disminución de riesgo asociado a dispositivos médicos y aumento de índices e de calidad. Posteriormente, se analizan las interrelaciones del departamento de ingeniería y mantenimiento con otras secciones del hospital; específicamente con los departamentos de comercial, informática y activos fijos. Finalmente se postularon los indicadores para la gestión de tecnología en salud que contribuyen al fortalecimiento de la estructura del departamento de ingeniería y mantenimiento.

Abstract The central theme of this work is the postulation of the structure of a DIM (engineering and maintenance department) for third level clinics and hospitals in Colombian territory. For this purpose, a technological surveillance, interviews, surveys, studies, among others; That allowed to consolidate a robust model of engineering department, which in turn combines all the good practices and characteristics of success that make use of both local and international scope to make hospital institutions grow from the economic point of view, efficiency in performance Of Services, decrease of risk associated to medical devices and increase of indices of quality. Subsequently, the interrelationships of the engineering and maintenance department with other sections of the hospital are analyzed; Specifically with the departments of commerce, informatics and fixed assets. Finally, the indicators are placed for the management of the technology in the health that contribute to the strengthening of the structure of the department of engineering and maintenance.

Resumo O foco deste trabalho centra-se na aplicação da estrutura de um DIM (departamento de engenharia e manutenção) para clínicas e hospitais terciários na Colômbia. Para este fim, a vigilância tecnológica, entrevistas, inquéritos, foram realizados estudos, entre outras estratégias; que permitiu consolidar um modelo robusto de departamento de engenharia, que combina transformar todas as boas práticas e características de sucesso que permitiram tanto a nível local e internacional fazem instituições hospitalares crescer a partir do ponto de vista econômico, eficiência na entrega serviços, diminuição do risco associado com dispositivos médicos e índices de qualidade aumentou. Posteriormente, as inter-relações de engenharia e departamento de manutenção com outras seções do hospital são analisados; especificamente com os departamentos de comércio, tecnologia da informação e ativos fixos. Finalmente indicadores para a gestão de tecnologias em saúde que contribuam para fortalecer a estrutura do departamento de engenharia e manutenção é postulada.

Assessment of tobacco smoke effects on neonatal cardiorespiratory control using a semi-automated processing approach.

A semi-automated processing approach was developed to assess the effects of early postnatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) on the cardiorespiratory control of newborn lambs. The system consists of several steps beginning with artifact rejection, followed by the selection of stationary segments, and ending with feature extraction. This approach was used in six lambs exposed to 20 cigarettes/day for the first 15 days of life, while another six control lambs were exposed to room air. On postnatal day 16, electrocardiograph and respiratory signals were obtained from a 6-h polysomnographic recording. The effects of postnatal ETS exposure on heart rate variability, respiratory rate variability, and cardiorespiratory interrelations were explored. The unique results suggest that early postnatal ETS exposure increases respiratory rate variability and decreases the coupling between cardiac and respiratory systems. Potentially harmful consequences in early life include unstable breathing and decreased adaptability of cardiorespiratory function, particularly during early life challenges, such as prematurity or viral infection. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

Tratamento ortodôntico pré-protético / Pré-prosthetic orthodontic treatment

Muitas vezes para atender as necessidades dos pacientes é necessária uma abordagem multidisciplinar. Assim sendo, o presente trabalho descreve um caso clínico em que foi realizado o tratamento ortodôntico previamente ao tratamento protético. A ortodontia foi realizada para melhorar os espaços interdentais dos dentes antêro-superiores e inferiores para a confecção das facetas de porcelana. Para melhor distribuição dos espaços interdentais foi realizado previamente o alinhamento e nivelamento. Posteriormente, foi utilizado molas de NiTi abertas para melhorar a distribuição dos espaços. O presente caso clínico mostra a importância do tratamento multidisciplinar de forma a atender as necessidades e anseios da paciente.

A multidisciplinary approach is often needed to meet patients' needs. Thus, the present study describes a clinical case in which orthodontic treatment was performed prior to prosthetic treatment. Orthodontics was performed to improve the interdental spaces of the upper and lower teeth for the porcelain veneers. For better distribution of interdental spaces, alignment and leveling were performed previously. Subsequently, open NiTi springs were used to improve the distribution of the spaces. The present clinical case shows the importance of the multidisciplinary treatment in order to attend to the needs and desires of the patient.

[Heart failure with preserved and slightly impaired ejection fraction and cardiovascular events: Pathogenetic interrelations as a part of the cardiovascular continuum].

AIM: To evaluate the effect of decompensated HF with preserved or slightly impaired EF on the risk of cardiovascular complications during a 5­year follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 33 patients with arterial hypertension and HF with preserved or slightly impaired EF (NT-proBNP ≥125 pg/ml, mean, 500.1±590.32 pg/ml and EF ≥40 %, mean, 57.0±10.29 %) were observed for 5 years. EchoCG, markers of immune inflammation and hormonal changes (endothelin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), aldosterone, renin) were evaluated at baseline. The endpoint was development of acute fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events (CVEs). The one-way regression analysis was used to identify predictors of the risk for CVEs. The ROC analysis was used to determine "threshold levels" of significant predictors for this risk. RESULTS: During the 5­year follow-up period, CVEs developed in 13 (39.4 %) patients. The CVE predictors included baseline increases in creatinine and IL-6, NT-proBNP and a greater decrease in EF (р.

Pathological Interrelations of Soil-Borne Diseases in Cucurbits Caused by Fusarium Species and Meloidogyne incognita.

Pathological interrelations of two soil-borne diseases in cucurbits (watermelon, oriental melon, shintosa and cucumber) caused by Fusarium isolates (FI) and the root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita were characterized by the fusarium disease severity index (DI), RKN gall index (GI) and eggmass index (EI) in inoculation tests using FI and RKN. Virulence of FI as determined by DI at 4 weeks after inoculation was mostly in the higher order of Fusarium proliferatum F6, F5 and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis or Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum with no significant differential interactions among the cucurbits and RKN co-infection. Significant increases of DI due to RKN coinfection were noticed in watermelon and oriental melon infected with F. proliferatum isolates, suggesting the DI increase due to RKN coinfection may depend upon the virulence of FI relative to aggressiveness of RKN on the cucurbits. For the coinfection of FI and RKN, GI and EI were mostly reduced logarithmically with the increase of DI, largely more in EI than GI, in all cucurbits except for shintosa. Microscopic examination of the root tissues showed histopathological features characteristic to infection types; formation of fungal hyphae and/or spores and plant defense structures (tyloses and mucilage) in variable degrees and formation of giant cells at variable developmental stages and with variable cytoplasmic depletion or degeneration which were visualized in relations with the values of DI, GI and EI. These findings will be helpful to develop control strategies of the soil-borne disease complex based on their pathological characteristics.