Acute aortic dissection: association with patent ductus arteriosus

The Cuban recombinant vaccine against the hepatitis B virus was applied to a group of individuals over 65 from a geriatric home in Havana City. Dose of 20 ìg were administered within a scheme from 0.1 to 6 months in order to study its immunogenicity, which was evaluated at 2, 7, and 12 months after the first dose. 47.1% of protective titres and geometrical mean of 6.04 UI/L were obtained after 60 days. 100% of seroconversion (UI/L) and seroprotection (10 UI/L) and geometric mean of 136.93 UI/L were obtained when the immune response was evaluated on the 7th month. Finally, after a year, seroconversion and seroprotection were also of 100%, and the geometric mean was of 204.61 UI/L. It was proved the high immunogenic power of this vaccine, which makes it recommendable to protect this age group from the hepatitis B virus.     

Sustainable Disposal of Domestic Sanitary Waste

The study presented is an example of the assessment of the relative sustainability of either option for disposal of domestic sanitary waste, either via the toilet or via the solid waste route. This required an evaluation of the total (social, economic, environmental, and technical) benefit/cost of implementing and adopting the alternative routes and an assessment of public responsiveness to encouragement to change sanitary waste disposal practices. It illustrates how, even for an apparently straightforward either/or question, the assessment of relative sustainability is complex and the amount of data needed to quantify sustainability indicators is prodigious. The study also provides an appraisal of the effectiveness of public campaigns to reduce waterborne disposal. Important information regarding public attitude and behavior in relation to wastewater systems has been acquired and lessons for ways of encouraging behavioral change to more sustainable ways of living have been gleaned.     

Mice Lacking Gpr179 with Complete Congenital Stationary Night Blindness Are a Good Model for Myopia

Mutations in GPR179 are one of the most common causes of autosomal recessive complete congenital stationary night blindness (cCSNB). This retinal disease is characterized in patients by impaired dim and night vision, associated with other ocular symptoms, including high myopia. cCSNB is caused by a complete loss of signal transmission from photoreceptors to ON-bipolar cells. In this study, we hypothesized that the lack of Gpr179 and the subsequent impaired ON-pathway could lead to myopic features in a mouse model of cCSNB. Using ultra performance liquid chromatography, we show that adult Gpr179^−/− mice have a significant decrease in both retinal dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, compared to Gpr179^+/+ mice. This alteration of the dopaminergic system is thought to be correlated with an increased susceptibility to lens-induced myopia but does not affect the natural refractive development. Altogether, our data added a novel myopia model, which could be used to identify therapeutic interventions.     

Degradation of phthalate esters in an activated sludge wastewater treatment plant

Efficient removal of phthalate esters (PE) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) is becoming an increasing priority in many countries. In this study, we examined the fate of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in a full scale activated sludge WWTP with biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus. The mean concentrations of DMP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP at the WWTP inlet were 1.9, 20.5, 37.9, and 71.9 μg/L, respectively. Less than 0.1%, 42%, 35%, and 96% of DMP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP was associated with suspended solids, respectively. The overall microbial degradation of DMP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP in the WWTP was estimated to be 93%, 91%, 90%, and 81%, respectively. Seven to nine percent of the incoming PE were recovered in the WWTP effluent. Factors affecting microbial degradation of DEHP in activated sludge were studied using [U-¹⁴C-ring] DEHP as tracer. First order rate coefficients for aerobic DEHP degradation were 1.0×10⁻², 1.4×10⁻², and 1.3×10⁻³ at 20, 32, and 43 °C, respectively. Aerobic degradation rates decreased dramatically under aerobic thermophilic conditions (<0.1×10⁻² h⁻¹ at 60 °C). The degradation rate under anoxic denitrifying conditions was 0.3×10⁻² h⁻¹, whereas the rate under alternating conditions (aerobic-anoxic) was 0.8×10⁻² h⁻¹. Aerobic DEHP degradation in activated sludge samples was stimulated 5-9 times by addition of a phthalate degrading bacterium. The phthalate degrading bacterium was isolated from activated sludge, and maintained a capacity for DEHP degradation while growing on vegetable oil. Collectively, the results of the study identified several controls of microbial PE degradation in activated sludge. These controls may be considered to enhance PE degradation in activated sludge WWTP with biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus.     

Children's perceptions of the outcomes of social strategies: Do the ends justify being mean?

Two studies were conducted to examine the strategy outcome perceptions of popular, average, neglected, and rejected 3rd- and 5th-graders. In Study 1, children (n?=?127) described the likely outcomes of 6 types of strategies (e.g., physical aggression, commands, compromise) in open-ended, hypothetical situation interviews. In Study 2 (n?=?339), a questionnaire was used to assess children's outcome expectations and their evaluations of selected strategies. Findings indicate that children's outcome expectations and strategy evaluations vary as a function of peer status, age, and gender. Results from both studies are discussed in terms of an hypothesized relation between children's strategy outcome perceptions and their behavior in the peer group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Molecular electronics: insight from first-principles transport simulations

Conduction properties of nanoscale contacts can be studied using first-principles simulations. Such calculations give insight into details behind the conductance that is not readily available in experiments. For example, we may learn how the bonding conditions of a molecule to the electrodes affect the electronic transport. Here we describe key computational ingredients and discuss these in relation to simulations for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments with C60 molecules where the experimental geometry is well characterized. We then show how molecular dynamics simulations may be combined with transport calculations to study more irregular situations, such as the evolution of a nanoscale contact with the mechanically controllable break-junction technique. Finally we discuss calculations of inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy as a characterization technique that reveals information about the atomic arrangement and transport channels.     

NASA EOS Terra ASTER: Volcanic topographic mapping and capability

Up-to-date, accurate topographic data are a crucial resource for volcanic research and risk mitigation efforts, in particular, for modeling volcanic flow processes at a detailed spatial resolution. In this paper, we examine the utility of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument currently operating on the NASA Terra satellite, which provides near infrared (VNIR) stereo imaging from which topography can be derived. We wrote software to generate digital elevation models (DEMs) from the ASTER level 1A product, which employs an automated stereo matching technique to calculate the parallax offsets between the images acquired by the nadir- and aft-looking sensors. Comparison of ASTER DEMs with DEMs derived from other sources (digitized 1:50 K topographic maps and aerial interferometric radar) at Ruapehu volcano reveal an RMS error of about 10 m for the ASTER DEM, in the absence of significant atmospheric water vapor. A qualitative assessment of surface features showed that the ASTER DEM is superior to the interpolated 1:50 K map product but falls short of the detail provided by aerial interferometric radar, especially in terms of stream channel preservation. A second ASTER DEM was generated for Taranaki volcano, where previously only 1:50 K topographic map data were available. Although the 2000 Space Shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) will largely remedy the previous global paucity of adequate topographic data at volcanoes, such as Taranaki, we anticipate the problem that at active volcanoes, the topography may change significantly following activity, rendering the SRTM data inaccurate. With the high temporal coverage of the dataset, ASTER not only provides a means to update significant (>10 m) topographic measurements at active volcanoes via a time-series of DEMs, but also provides a simultaneous means to map surface cover and localized land-use via the near infrared sensors. Thus we demonstrate the potential for up-to-date volcanic economic risk assessment using geographic information systems (GIS) analysis.     

Relational and overt aggression in preschool.

This research was designed as an initial attempt to assess relational aggression in preschool-age children. Our goal was to develop reliable measures of relational aggression for young children and to use these instruments to address several important issues (e.g., the relation between this form of aggression and social–psychological adjustment). Results provide evidence that relationally aggressive behaviors appear in children's behavioral repertoires at relatively young ages, and that these behaviors can be reliably distinguished from overtly aggressive behaviors in preschool-age children. Further, findings indicate that preschool girls are significantly more relationally aggressive and less overtly aggressive than preschool boys. Finally, results show that relational aggression is significantly related to social–psychological maladjustment (e.g., peer rejection) for both boys and girls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cystic fibrosis]

Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common life-threatening autosomal recessive disorder in Causcasian populations, is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene on chromosome 7, which encodes a protein that functions as a chloride channel in the apical membrane of epithelial cells. The clinical manifestations comprise recurrent and chronic bronchopulmonary infections, pancreatic insufficiency, and hidrotic salt depletion. Such complications as diabetes, cirrhosis, and respiratory insufficiency develop, resulting in death in the absence of lung transplantation. Treatment is aggressive and comprehensive from the time of diagnosis. Early and intensive treatment of bacterial colonisation and lung infection is correlated with improved prognosis, and monthly follow-up at a CF Centre is mandatory. Mean survival among CF patients at the Danish CF Centre i Copenhagen is more than 40 years. Clinical trials of gene therapy are under way, but results to date have been disappointing.