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Sample records for aco inoxidavel integral

  1. Integrating Medication Therapy Management (MTM Services Provided by Community Pharmacists into a Community-Based Accountable Care Organization (ACO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Isetts

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available (1 Background: As the U.S. healthcare system evolves from fee-for-service financing to global population-based payments designed to be accountable for both quality and total cost of care, the effective and safe use of medications is gaining increased importance. The purpose of this project was to determine the feasibility of integrating medication therapy management (MTM services provided by community pharmacists into the clinical care teams and the health information technology (HIT infrastructure for Minnesota Medicaid recipients of a 12-county community-based accountable care organization (ACO. (2 Methods: The continuous quality improvement evaluation methodology employed in this project was the context + mechanism = outcome (CMO model to account for the fact that programs only work insofar as they introduce promising ideas, solutions and opportunities in the appropriate social and cultural contexts. Collaborations between a 12-county ACO and 15 community pharmacies in Southwest Minnesota served as the social context for this feasibility study of MTM referrals to community pharmacists. (3 Results: All 15 community pharmacy sites were integrated into the HIT infrastructure through Direct Secure Messaging, and there were 32 recipients who received MTM services subsequent to referrals from the ACO at 5 of the 15 community pharmacies over a 1-year implementation phase. (4 Conclusion: At the conclusion of this project, an effective electronic communication and MTM referral system was activated, and consideration was given to community pharmacists providing MTM in future ACO shared savings agreements.

  2. Financial Performance of Rural Medicare ACOs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nattinger, Matthew C; Mueller, Keith; Ullrich, Fred; Zhu, Xi

    2018-12-01

    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has facilitated the development of Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs), mostly through the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). To inform the operation of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation's (CMMI) ACO programs, we assess the financial performance of rural ACOs based on different levels of rural presence. We used the 2014 performance data for Medicare ACOs to examine the financial performance of rural ACOs with different levels of rural presence: exclusively rural, mostly rural, and mixed rural/metropolitan. Of the ACOs reporting performance data, we identified 97 ACOs with a measurable rural presence. We found that successful rural ACO financial performance is associated with the ACO's organizational type (eg, physician-based) and that 8 of the 11 rural ACOs participating in the Advanced Payment Program (APP) garnered savings for Medicare. Unlike previous work, we did not find an association between ACO size or experience and rural ACO financial performance. Our findings suggest that rural ACO financial success is likely associated with factors unique to rural environments. Given the emphasis CMS has placed on rural ACO development, further research to identify these factors is warranted. © 2016 National Rural Health Association.

  3. Pioneer ACO PUF

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Pioneer ACO PUF - To address the increasing number of requests for Pioneer ACO data, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has created a standard...

  4. Housing, Transportation, And Food: How ACOs Seek To Improve Population Health By Addressing Nonmedical Needs Of Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraze, Taressa; Lewis, Valerie A; Rodriguez, Hector P; Fisher, Elliott S

    2016-11-01

    Addressing nonmedical needs-such as the need for housing-is critical to advancing population health, improving the quality of care, and lowering the costs of care. Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are well positioned to address these needs. We used qualitative interviews with ACO leaders and site visits to examine how these organizations addressed the nonmedical needs of their patients, and the extent to which they did so. We developed a typology of medical and social services integration among ACOs that disentangles service and organizational integration. We found that the nonmedical needs most commonly addressed by ACOs were the need for transportation and housing and food insecurity. ACOs identified nonmedical needs through processes that were part of the primary care visit or care transformation programs. Approaches to meeting patients' nonmedical needs were either individualized solutions (developed patient by patient) or targeted approaches (programs developed to address specific needs). As policy makers continue to provide incentives for health care organizations to meet a broader spectrum of patients' needs, these findings offer insights into how health care organizations such as ACOs integrate themselves with nonmedical organizations. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  5. Equipment stainless steel entire versus steels bimetallics clad or overlay; Utilizacao de equipamentos de processo construidos em aco inoxidavel integral versus acos bimetalicos cladeado ou 'overlay'

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batista, Itamar da Silva; Lima, Jadival Carneiro de; Leal, Murilo Fonseca; Cardoso, Amauri dos Santos; Jorjan, Roberto [PETROBRAS S.A., Sao Francisco do Conde, BA (Brazil). Refinaria Landulfo Alves Mataripen (RLAM)

    2008-07-01

    This study does not recommend the use of a pressure vessel made of integral stainless steel, due to the failure mechanisms under stress corrosion assisted by chlorides or polythionic acid. Are presented case studies of literature and analysis of reports of proceedings of RLAM reactors, showing that the materials produced by bimetallic clad overlay or are more appropriate, in terms of integrity, for use in equipment that the internal environment requires austenitic stainless steel specification.

  6. Organizational Attributes Associated With Medicare ACO Quality Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xi; Mueller, Keith; Huang, Huang; Ullrich, Fred; Vaughn, Thomas; MacKinney, A Clinton

    2018-05-08

    To evaluate associations between geographic, structural, and service-provision attributes of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the ACOs' quality performance. We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of ACO quality performance using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and additional sources. The sample included 322 and 385 MSSP ACOs that had successfully reported quality measures in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Results show that after adjusting for other organizational factors, rural ACOs' average quality score was comparable to that of ACOs serving other geographic categories. ACOs with hospital-system sponsorship, larger beneficiary panels, and higher posthospitalization follow-up rates achieved better quality performance. There is no significant difference in average quality performance between rural ACOs and other ACOs after adjusting for structural and service-provision factors. MSSP ACO quality performance is positively associated with hospital-system sponsorship, beneficiary panel size, and posthospitalization follow-up rate. © 2018 National Rural Health Association.

  7. Tailoring Systems Engineering Processes in a Conceptual Design Environment: A Case Study at NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center's ACO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulqueen, John; Maples, C. Dauphne; Fabisinski, Leo, III

    2012-01-01

    This paper provides an overview of Systems Engineering as it is applied in a conceptual design space systems department at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC) Advanced Concepts Office (ACO). Engineering work performed in the NASA MFSC's ACO is targeted toward the Exploratory Research and Concepts Development life cycle stages, as defined in the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) System Engineering Handbook. This paper addresses three ACO Systems Engineering tools that correspond to three INCOSE Technical Processes: Stakeholder Requirements Definition, Requirements Analysis, and Integration, as well as one Project Process Risk Management. These processes are used to facilitate, streamline, and manage systems engineering processes tailored for the earliest two life cycle stages, which is the environment in which ACO engineers work. The role of systems engineers and systems engineering as performed in ACO is explored in this paper. The need for tailoring Systems Engineering processes, tools, and products in the ever-changing engineering services ACO provides to its customers is addressed.

  8. RNA Interference of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic Acid Oxidase (ACO1 and ACO2 Genes Expression Prolongs the Shelf Life of Eksotika (Carica papaya L. Papaya Fruit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogayah Sekeli

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using RNA interference in down regulating the expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase gene in Eksotika papaya. One-month old embryogenic calli were separately transformed with Agrobacterium strain LBA 4404 harbouring the three different RNAi pOpOff2 constructs bearing the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase gene. A total of 176 putative transformed lines were produced from 15,000 calli transformed, selected, then regenerated on medium supplemented with kanamycin. Integration and expression of the targeted gene in putatively transformed lines were verified by PCR and real-time RT-PCR. Confined field evaluation of a total of 31 putative transgenic lines planted showed a knockdown expression of the targeted ACO1 and ACO2 genes in 13 lines, which required more than 8 days to achieve the full yellow colour (Index 6. Fruits harvested from lines pRNAiACO2 L2-9 and pRNAiACO1 L2 exhibited about 20 and 14 days extended post-harvest shelf life to reach Index 6, respectively. The total soluble solids contents of the fruits ranged from 11 to 14° Brix, a range similar to fruits from non-transformed, wild type seed-derived plants.

  9. Hospitals Participating In ACOs Tend To Be Large And Urban, Allowing Access To Capital And Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colla, Carrie H; Lewis, Valerie A; Tierney, Emily; Muhlestein, David B

    2016-03-01

    Relationships between physicians and hospitals have changed considerably over the past decade, as hospitals and physician groups have integrated and new public and private payment policies have created financial interdependence. The extent to which accountable care organizations (ACOs) involve hospitals in their operations may prove to be vitally important, because managing hospital care is a key part of improving health care quality and lowering cost growth. Using primary data on ACO composition and capabilities paired with hospital characteristics, we found that 20 percent of US hospitals were part of an ACO in 2014. Hospitals that were in urban areas, were nonprofit, or had a smaller share of Medicare patients were more likely to participate in ACOs, compared to hospitals that were in more rural areas, were for-profit or government owned, or had a larger share of Medicare patients, respectively. Qualitative data identified the following advantages of including a hospital in an ACO: the availability of start-up capital, advanced data sharing, and engagement of providers across the care continuum. Although the 63 percent of ACOs that included hospitals offered more comprehensive services compared to ACOs without hospitals, we found no differences between the two groups in their ability to manage hospital-related aspects of patient care. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  10. Tumores cardíacos primarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosa Eugenia Díaz Garriga

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: los tumores cardíacos primarios son aquellos que se originan en Miocardio o Pericardio. El 90% son benignos, no son invasivos, pero debido a su localización pueden provocar alteraciones hemodinámicas graves y arrítmias. Presentación del caso: dos casos portadores de tumores cardíacos diagnosticados en la etapa prenatal, una gestante de 32 años, portadora de una Neurofribromatosis que en la ecocardiografía fetal de su hijo, se identifican dos tipos de tumores cardíacos, un mixoma auricular y un fibroma, y un niño que desde la etapa prenatal se diagnosticó un rabdomioma, lo cual se confirmó al nacimiento y que regresó espontáneamente. Conclusiones: a ecocardiografía fetal permite cada vez con más frecuencia, el diagnóstico intraútero de tumores cardíacos. Los rabdomiomas regresan en más del 50% de los casos, pero pueden ser un marcador de Esclerosis Tuberosa. Los tumores cardiacos se asocian a otras afecciones congénitas y requieren de tratamiento quirúrgico. Aspectos todos a tener en consideración para realizar el asesoramiento genético a la familia.

  11. Pioneer ACO Model

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Pioneer ACO Model is designed for health care organizations and providers that are already experienced in coordinating care for patients across care settings. It...

  12. Unveiling the unicorn: a leader's guide to ACO preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslin, Paul

    2011-01-01

    The great uncertainty surrounding healthcare reform provides little incentive for action. However, as healthcare leaders wait for final rules and clarity about accountable care organizations (ACOs), inaction is the inappropriate response. Several central themes emerge from research about beginning the ACO process. Leaders should be able to understand and articulate ACO concepts. They should champion embracing cultural change while partnering with physicians. Inventory of skills and capabilities should take place to understand any deficiencies required to implement an ACO. Finally, a plan should be formed by asking strategic questions on each platform needed to ensure performance and strategic goals are at the forefront of decisions regarding structure and function of an ACO. It takes a visionary leader to accept these challenges.

  13. ACO model should encourage efficient care delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toussaint, John; Krueger, David; Shortell, Stephen M; Milstein, Arnold; Cutler, David M

    2015-09-01

    The independent Office of the Actuary for CMS certified that the Pioneer ACO model has met the stringent criteria for expansion to a larger population. Significant savings have accrued and quality targets have been met, so the program as a whole appears to be working. Ironically, 13 of the initial 32 enrollees have left. We attribute this to the design of the ACO models which inadequately support efficient care delivery. Using Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners as an example, we will focus on correctible flaws in four core elements of the ACO payment model: finance spending and targets, attribution, and quality performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Layered ACO-OFDM for intensity-modulated direct-detection optical wireless transmission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi; Qian, Chen; Guo, Xuhan; Wang, Zhaocheng; Cunningham, David G; White, Ian H

    2015-05-04

    Layered asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ACO-OFDM) with high spectral efficiency is proposed in this paper for optical wireless transmission employing intensity modulation with direct detection. In contrast to the conventional ACO-OFDM, which only utilizes odd subcarriers for modulation, leading to an obvious spectral efficiency loss, in layered ACO-OFDM, the subcarriers are divided into different layers and modulated by different kinds of ACO-OFDM, which are combined for simultaneous transmission. In this way, more subcarriers are used for data transmission and the spectral efficiency is improved. An iterative receiver is also proposed for layered ACO-OFDM, where the negative clipping distortion of each layer is subtracted once it is detected so that the signals from different layers can be recovered. Theoretical analysis shows that the proposed scheme can improve the spectral efficiency by up to 2 times compared with conventional ACO-OFDM approaches with the same modulation order. Meanwhile, simulation results confirm a considerable signal-to-noise ratio gain over ACO-OFDM at the same spectral efficiency.

  15. The asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS): opportunities and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrecheguren, Miriam; Esquinas, Cristina; Miravitlles, Marc

    2015-01-01

    Some individuals share characteristics of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) has been defined as symptoms of increased variability of airflow in association with an incompletely reversible airflow obstruction. In this review, we present the latest findings in the diagnosis, characterization and management of ACOS. Around 15-20% of COPD patients may have an ACOS. Patients with ACOS are characterized by increased reversibility of airflow obstruction, eosinophilic bronchial and systemic inflammation, and increased response to inhaled corticosteroids, compared with the remaining patients with COPD. Patients with ACOS have more frequent exacerbations, more wheezing and dyspnoea, but similar cough and sputum production compared with COPD. The relevance of the ACOS is to identify patients with COPD who may have underlying eosinophilic inflammation that responds to inhaled corticosteroids. So far, the previous diagnosis of asthma in a patient with COPD is the more reliable criterion for ACOS. Ongoing studies will clarify if concentrations of blood eosinophils may be useful to identify this subgroup of patients with COPD. If this is the case, the interest of ACOS may shift to that of eosinophilic COPD, which is easier to diagnose and has clear therapeutic implications.

  16. Substantial Physician Turnover And Beneficiary 'Churn' In A Large Medicare Pioneer ACO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, John; Vogeli, Christine; Price, Mary; Brand, Richard; Chernew, Michael E; Mohta, Namita; Chaguturu, Sreekanth K; Weil, Eric; Ferris, Timothy G

    2017-04-01

    Alternative payment models, such as accountable care organizations (ACOs), attempt to stimulate improvements in care delivery by better alignment of payer and provider incentives. However, limited attention has been paid to the physicians who actually deliver the care. In a large Medicare Pioneer ACO, we found that the number of beneficiaries per physician was low (median of seventy beneficiaries per physician, or less than 5 percent of a typical panel). We also found substantial physician turnover: More than half of physicians either joined (41 percent) or left (18 percent) the ACO during the 2012-14 contract period studied. When physicians left the ACO, most of their attributed beneficiaries also left the ACO. Conversely, about half of the growth in the beneficiary population was because of new physicians affiliating with the ACO; the remainder joined after switching physicians. These findings may help explain the muted financial impact ACOs have had overall, and they raise the possibility of future gaming on the part of ACOs to artificially control spending. Policy refinements include coordinated and standardized risk-sharing parameters across payers to prevent any dilution of the payment incentives or confusion from a cacophony of incentives across payers. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  17. Determinants of success in Shared Savings Programs: An analysis of ACO and market characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ouayogodé, Mariétou H; Colla, Carrie H; Lewis, Valerie A

    2017-03-01

    Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs introduced shared savings to traditional Medicare, which allow providers who reduce health care costs for their patients to retain a percentage of the savings they generate. To examine ACO and market factors associated with superior financial performance in Medicare ACO programs. We obtained financial performance data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); we derived market-level characteristics from Medicare claims; and we collected ACO characteristics from the National Survey of ACOs for 215 ACOs. We examined the association between ACO financial performance and ACO provider composition, leadership structure, beneficiary characteristics, risk bearing experience, quality and process improvement capabilities, physician performance management, market competition, CMS-assigned financial benchmark, and ACO contract start date. We examined two outcomes from Medicare ACOs' first performance year: savings per Medicare beneficiary and earning shared savings payments (a dichotomous variable). When modeling the ACO ability to save and earn shared savings payments, we estimated positive regression coefficients for a greater proportion of primary care providers in the ACO, more practicing physicians on the governing board, physician leadership, active engagement in reducing hospital re-admissions, a greater proportion of disabled Medicare beneficiaries assigned to the ACO, financial incentives offered to physicians, a larger financial benchmark, and greater ACO market penetration. No characteristic of organizational structure was significantly associated with both outcomes of savings per beneficiary and likelihood of achieving shared savings. ACO prior experience with risk-bearing contracts was positively correlated with savings and significantly increased the likelihood of receiving shared savings payments. In the first year, performance is quite heterogeneous, yet organizational structure does not

  18. Feocromocitoma cardíaco

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    Gustavo L. Knop

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Los feocromocitomas cardíacos primarios (FCP son sumamente infrecuentes. Hasta el presente son menos de 50 los casos comunicados en el mundo. Presentamos el caso de un tumor intrapericárdico, que resultó ser un feocromocitoma primario, en una mujer de mediana edad, cuyo signo principal fue hipertensión arterial severa (HTAs. Los estudios diagnósticos por imágenes corroboraron la presencia de un tumor intrapericárdico como único hallazgo y los estudios bioquímicos de catecolaminas y sus metabolitos excretados por orina reafirmaron el diagnóstico etiológico. El tumor fue resecado quirúrgicamente sin complicaciones mediante cirugía cardíaca convencional con circulación extracorpórea (CEC y paro cardíaco con cardioplejía. Siete meses después de la operación, la paciente se encuentra asintomática y normotensa.

  19. Interpretations of integration in early accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreindler, Sara A; Larson, Bridget K; Wu, Frances M; Carluzzo, Kathleen L; Gbemudu, Josette N; Struthers, Ashley; VAN Citters, Aricca D; Shortell, Stephen M; Nelson, Eugene C; Fisher, Elliott S

    2012-09-01

    It is widely hoped that accountable care organizations (ACOs) will improve health care quality and reduce costs by fostering integration among diverse provider groups. But how do implementers actually envision integration, and what will integration mean in terms of managing the many social identities that ACOs bring together? Using the lens of the social identity approach, this qualitative study examined how four nascent ACOs engaged with the concept of integration. During multiday site visits, we conducted interviews (114 managers and physicians), observations, and document reviews. In no case was the ACO interpreted as a new, overarching entity uniting disparate groups; rather, each site offered a unique interpretation that flowed from its existing strategies for social-identity management: An independent practice association preserved members' cherished value of autonomy by emphasizing coordination, not "integration"; a medical group promoted integration within its employed core, but not with affiliates; a hospital, engaging community physicians who mistrusted integrated systems, reimagined integration as an equal partnership; an integrated delivery system advanced its careful journey towards intergroup consensus by presenting the ACO as a cultural, not structural, change. The ACO appears to be a model flexible enough to work in synchrony with whatever social strategies are most context appropriate, with the potential to promote alignment and functional integration without demanding common identification with a superordinate group. "Soft integration" may be a promising alternative to the vertically integrated model that, though widely assumed to be ideal, has remained unattainable for most organizations. © 2012 Milbank Memorial Fund.

  20. Paro Cardíaco en el Embarazo

    OpenAIRE

    Manuel Eduardo Sáenz Madrigal; Carlos Adrián Vindas Morera

    2013-01-01

    El paro cardíaco en el embarazo presenta un escenario único en el que están incluidos dos pacientes: la madre y el feto. El manejo de este escenario requiere de un equipo multidisciplinario incluyendo especialistas en anestesia, obstetricia, neonatología, cardiología y en ocasiones cirugía cardíaca. Los protocolos de soporte vital básico y soporte cardíaco avanzado deben ser implementados, sin embargo, dados los cambios anatómicos y fisiológicos que ocurren en el embarazo, algunas modificacio...

  1. Super ACO FEL oscillation at 300 nm

    CERN Document Server

    Nutarelli, D; Renault, E; Nahon, L; Couprie, Marie Emmanuelle

    2000-01-01

    Some recent improvements, involving both the optical cavity mirrors and the positron beam dynamics in the storage ring, have allowed us to achieve a laser oscillation at 300 nm on the Super ACO Storage Ring FEL. The Super ACO storage ring is operated at 800 MeV which is the nominal energy for the usual synchrotron radiation users, and the highest energy for a storage ring FEL. The lasing at 300 nm could be kept during 2 h per injection, with a stored current ranging between 30 and 60 mA. The FEL characteristics are presented here. The longitudinal stability and the FEL optics behaviour are also discussed.

  2. Susceptibility to false memories in patients with ACoA aneurysm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borsutzky, Sabine; Fujiwara, Esther; Brand, Matthias; Markowitsch, Hans J

    2010-08-01

    We examined ACoA patients regarding their susceptibility to a range of false memory phenomena. We targeted provoked confabulation, false recall and false recognition in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott-paradigm (DRM-paradigm) as well as false recognition in a mirror reading task. ACoA patients produced more provoked confabulations and more false recognition in mirror reading than comparison subjects. Conversely, false recall/false recognition in the DRM-paradigm were similar in patients and controls. Whereas the former two indices of false memories were correlated, no relationship was revealed with the DRM-paradigm. Our results suggest that rupture of ACoA aneurysm leads to an increased susceptibility to a subset of false memories types. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Tests were inconclusive: California's experiment with ACOs raises questions about whether they'll save money.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vesely, Rebecca

    2010-11-01

    In California, many providers have been working in accountable care organizations for decades, and they say they can work well. "It's not the type of organization that defines the success of an ACO, it's the leadership," said Tom Williams, executive director of the Oakland, Calif.-based Integrated Healthcare Association. "For success, there needs to be alignment between hospitals and physicians."

  4. Trasplante cardíaco: organización e indicaciones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José M. Revuelta

    2008-01-01

    La experiencia clínica está demostrando que las indicaciones y las contraindicaciones del trasplante cardíaco están en constante cambio, debido principalmente a los avances en los cuidados pre, per y postoperatorios, a los nuevos fármacos y otras novedosas alternativas terapéuticas. La clase funcional (NY HA del paciente es poco precisa para indicar el trasplante cardíaco, por lo que se precisa de otras determinaciones, como el consumo máximo de oxígeno: VO2 máx < 10 ml/kg/min conlleva un mortalidad hospitalaria elevada. Asimismo, la fracción de eyección ventricular izquierda disminuida (FEVI < 20% no debe considerarse como el indicador principal para establecer la indicación de trasplante, siendo necesario valorar otros factores de riesgo preoperatorios. En la última década, la experiencia ha puesto de manifiesto que algunas de las contraindicaciones absolutas, antes vigentes, no siempre deben desaconsejar el trasplante cardíaco.

  5. MODELO ACO PARA LA RECOLECCIÓN DE RESIDUOS POR CONTENEDORES ACO MODEL APPLIED TO THE WASTE COLLECTION BY CONTAINERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Salazar Hornig

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available ACO es una metaheurística inspirada en el comportamiento de las colonias de hormigas para solucionar problemas de optimización combinatoria, por medio de la utilización de agentes computacionales simples que trabajan de manera cooperativa y se comunican mediante rastros de feromona artificiales. En este trabajo se presenta un modelo para resolver el Problema de Recolección de Residuos Domiciliarios por Contenedores, el que aplica un concepto de secuencias parciales de recolección que deben ser unidas para minimizar la distancia total de recolección. El problema de unir las secuencias parciales se representa como un TSP, el que es resuelto mediante un algoritmo ACO. En base a recomendaciones de la literatura, se calibran experimentalmente los parámetros del algoritmo y se recomiendan rangos de valores que representan buenos rendimientos promedio. El modelo se aplica a un sector de recolección de la comuna de San Pedro de la Paz, Chile, obteniéndose rutas de recolección que reducen la distancia total recorrida respecto de la actual ruta utilizada y de la solución obtenida con otro modelo desarrollado previamente.ACO is a metaheuristic inspired in the behavior of natural ant colonies to solve combinatorial optimization problems, based on simple agents that work cooperatively communicating by artificial pheromone trails. In this paper a model to solve the municipal waste collection problem by containers is presented, which applies a concept of partial collection sequences that must be joined to minimize the total collection distance. The problem to join the partial collection sequences is represented as a TSP, which is solved by an ACO algorithm. Based on the literature, algorithm parameters are experimentally calibrated and range of variations that represents good average solutions are recommended. The model is applied to a waste collection sector of the San Pedro de la Paz commune in Chile, obtaining recollection routes with less total

  6. Hardware-efficient signal generation of layered/enhanced ACO-OFDM for short-haul fiber-optic links.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qibing; Song, Binhuang; Corcoran, Bill; Boland, David; Zhu, Chen; Zhuang, Leimeng; Lowery, Arthur J

    2017-06-12

    Layered/enhanced ACO-OFDM is a promising candidate for intensity modulation and direct-detection based short-haul fiber-optic links due to its both power and spectral efficiency. In this paper, we firstly demonstrate a hardware-efficient real-time 9.375 Gb/s QPSK-encoded layered/enhanced asymmetrical clipped optical OFDM (L/E-ACO-OFDM) transmitter using a Virtex-6 FPGA. This L/E-ACO-OFDM signal is successfully transmitted over 20-km uncompensated standard single-mode fiber (S-SMF) using a directly modulated laser. Several methods are explored to reduce the FPGA's logic resource utilization by taking advantage of the L/E-ACO-OFDM's signal characteristics. We show that the logic resource occupation of L/E-ACO-OFDM transmitter is almost the same as that of DC-biased OFDM transmitter when they achieve the same spectral efficiency, proving its great potential to be used in a real-time short-haul optical transmission link.

  7. Do accountable care organizations (ACOs) help or hinder primary care physicians' ability to deliver high-quality care?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berenson, Robert A; Burton, Rachel A; McGrath, Megan

    2016-09-01

    Many view advanced primary care models such as the patient-centered medical home as foundational for accountable care organizations (ACOs), but it remains unclear how these two delivery reforms are complementary and how they may produce conflict. The objective of this study was to identify how joining an ACO could help or hinder a primary care practice's efforts to deliver high-quality care. This qualitative study involved interviews with a purposive sample of 32 early adopters of advanced primary care and/or ACO models, drawn from across the U.S. and conducted in mid-2014. Interview notes were coded using qualitative data analysis software, permitting topic-specific queries which were then summarized. Respondents perceived many potential benefits of joining an ACO, including care coordination staff, data analytics, and improved communication with other providers. However, respondents were also concerned about added "bureaucratic" requirements, referral restrictions, and a potential inability to recoup investments in practice improvements. Interviewees generally thought joining an ACO could complement a practice's efforts to deliver high-quality care, yet noted some concerns that could undermine these synergies. Both the advantages and disadvantages of joining an ACO seemed exacerbated for small practices, since they are most likely to benefit from additional resources yet are most likely to chafe under added bureaucratic requirements. Our identification of the potential pros and cons of joining an ACO may help providers identify areas to examine when weighing whether to enter into such an arrangement, and may help ACOs identify potential areas for improvement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Eight reasons payer interoperability and data sharing are essential in ACOs. Interoperability standards could be a prerequisite to measuring care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mookencherry, Shefali

    2012-01-01

    It makes strategic and business sense for payers and providers to collaborate on how to take substantial cost out of the healthcare delivery system. Acting independently, neither medical groups, hospitals nor health plans have the optimal mix of resources and incentives to significantly reduce costs. Payers have core assets such as marketing, claims data, claims processing, reimbursement systems and capital. It would be cost prohibitive for all but the largest providers to develop these capabilities in order to compete directly with insurers. Likewise, medical groups and hospitals are positioned to foster financial interdependence among providers and coordinate the continuum of patient illnesses and care settings. Payers and providers should commit to reasonable clinical and cost goals, and share resources to minimize expenses and financial risks. It is in the interest of payers to work closely with providers on risk-management strategies because insurers need synergy with ACOs to remain cost competitive. It is in the interest of ACOs to work collaboratively with payers early on to develop reasonable and effective performance benchmarks. Hence, it is essential to have payer interoperability and data sharing integrated in an ACO model.

  9. [ACOS: Clinical and functional features The Russian formulation mesalazine (kansalazine) in the therapy of ulcerative colitis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobko, E A; Chubarova, S V; Demko, I V; Loktionova, M M; Ishchenko, O P; Solovyeva, I A; Kraposhina, A Yu; Gordeeva, N V

    To investigate the clinical and functional parameters in patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS) versus those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. A total of 129 people were examined. 51 patients with ACOS were followed up in Group 1; Group 2 included 38 patients with severe asthma; Group 3 consisted of 40 patients with severe COPD. All the patients underwent clinical examination: history data collection, physical examination, evaluation of disease symptoms, and study of respiratory function (spirometry, body plethysmography). ACOS is clinically characterized by considerable demands for emergency drugs and by more frequent asthmatic fits and exacerbations, which require hospitalization. The parameters of bronchial resistance in ACOS were established to be increased throughout the follow-up period and to be comparable with those in patients with COPD. In the patients with ACOS, the severity of pulmonary hyperinflation was associated with increased demands for emergency drugs (r=0.59; p=0.015). Fixed bronchial obstruction in ACOS can be caused by smoking intensity and duration associated with increased bronchial resistance in expiration (r=0.51; p=0.003) and intrathoracic volume (r=0.71; p=0.0001); as well as increased body mass index (p<0.001) and disease duration, which were interrelated with a reduction in the forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity ratio (r=-0.63; p=0.001 and r=-0.71; p=0.0034, respectively). Patients with ACOS show more severe clinical manifestations and a substantial increase in functional residual capacity and intrathoracic volume throughout the follow-up period, suggesting that the distal bronchi are impaired and pulmonary hyperinflation develops.

  10. ACO-Initialized Wavelet Neural Network for Vibration Fault Diagnosis of Hydroturbine Generating Unit

    OpenAIRE

    Xiao, Zhihuai; He, Xinying; Fu, Xiangqian; Malik, O. P.

    2015-01-01

    Considering the drawbacks of traditional wavelet neural network, such as low convergence speed and high sensitivity to initial parameters, an ant colony optimization- (ACO-) initialized wavelet neural network is proposed in this paper for vibration fault diagnosis of a hydroturbine generating unit. In this method, parameters of the wavelet neural network are initialized by the ACO algorithm, and then the wavelet neural network is trained by the gradient descent algorithm. Amplitudes of the fr...

  11. Impact of Provider Participation in ACO Programs on Preventive Care Services, Patient Experiences, and Health Care Expenditures in US Adults Aged 18-64.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Young-Rock; Sonawane, Kalyani; Larson, Samantha; Mainous, Arch G; Marlow, Nicole M

    2018-05-15

    Little is known about the impact of accountable care organization (ACO) on US adults aged 18-64. To examine whether having a usual source of care (USC) provider participating in an ACO affects receipt of preventive care services, patient experiences, and health care expenditures among nonelderly Americans. A cross-sectional analysis of the 2015 Medical Organizations Survey linked with the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Survey respondents aged 18-64 with an identified USC and continuous health insurance coverage during 2015. Preventative care services (routine checkup, flu vaccination, and cancer screening), patient experiences with health care (access to care, interaction quality with providers, and global satisfaction), and health care expenditures (total and out-of-pocket expenditures) for respondents with USC by ACO and non-ACO provider groups. Among 1563, nonelderly Americans having a USC, we found that nearly 62.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 58.6%-66.7%; representing 15,722,208 Americans] were cared for by ACO providers. Our analysis showed no significant differences in preventive care services or patient experiences between ACO and non-ACO groups. Adjusted mean total health expenditures were slightly higher for the ACO than non-ACO group [$7016 (95% CI, $4949-$9914) vs. $6796 (95% CI, $4724-$9892)]; however, this difference was not statistically significant (P=0.250). Our findings suggest that having a USC provider participating in an ACO is not associated with preventive care services use, patient experiences, or health care expenditures among a nonelderly population.

  12. ACO-Initialized Wavelet Neural Network for Vibration Fault Diagnosis of Hydroturbine Generating Unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhihuai Xiao

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Considering the drawbacks of traditional wavelet neural network, such as low convergence speed and high sensitivity to initial parameters, an ant colony optimization- (ACO- initialized wavelet neural network is proposed in this paper for vibration fault diagnosis of a hydroturbine generating unit. In this method, parameters of the wavelet neural network are initialized by the ACO algorithm, and then the wavelet neural network is trained by the gradient descent algorithm. Amplitudes of the frequency components of the hydroturbine generating unit vibration signals are used as feature vectors for wavelet neural network training to realize mapping relationship from vibration features to fault types. A real vibration fault diagnosis case result of a hydroturbine generating unit shows that the proposed method has faster convergence speed and stronger generalization ability than the traditional wavelet neural network and ACO wavelet neural network. Thus it can provide an effective solution for online vibration fault diagnosis of a hydroturbine generating unit.

  13. Construction of the Orsay ACO storage ring, 1: progress report. 2: detecting systems; La construction de l'anneau de stockage ACO d'Orsay, 1: etat des travaux. 2: systemes de detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Blanc-Lapierre, A; Arzelier, G; Beck, R A; Belbeoch, R; Boutouyrie, B; Bruck, H; Burnod, L; Gendreau, G; Gratreau, P; Haissinski, J; Jolivot, R; Laborde, J; Le Duff, J; Leleux, G; Marin, P C; Milman, B; Sommer, E; Zyngier, H [Laboratoire de l' Accelerateur Lineaire, 91 - Orsay (France); [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires; Augustin, J E; Rumpf, F; Silva, E

    1966-07-01

    1. - A brief progress report is given, with mention of the difficulties solved since the 1963 Dubna Conference and the extra facilities which will be available on the ring (beam observation and measurements); 2. - Typical large solid angle detecting systems and equipment for accurate monitoring under construction at Orsay are also presented. Emphasis is put on some peculiar features at ACO as a tool for physics: long experimental straight section and short length of the bunches. (authors) [French] 1. - Un bref rapport est presente sur l'etat d'avancement du projet ACO en precisant les difficultes resolues depuis la Conference de Dubna en 1963, et les moyens nouveaux mis en place sur l'anneau pour les observations et mesures sur les faisceaux; 2. - Des systemes de detection a grand angle solide et de monitorage precis, en construction a Orsay, sont egalement presentes. On insiste sur quelques traits particuliers d'ACO en tant qu'outil de travail de physique: section droite experimentale longue et paquets courts. (auteurs)

  14. ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO): Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP): Velocity

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The University of Hawaii's ALOHA ("A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment") Cabled Observatory (ACO) is located 100 km north of the island of Oahu, Hawaii (22...

  15. 178. Linfoma cardíaco. Una neoplasia infrecuente

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Sandoval

    2010-01-01

    Conclusiones: Los linfomas cardíacos son de alto grado de agresividad. La localización principal es la aurícula derecha, con clínica inespecífica y variable. No existe claro consenso sobre el tratamiento de elección, pero parece haber mayor supervivencia con tratamiento combinado con quimioterapia con antraciclínicos y radioterapia.

  16. Bending The Spending Curve By Altering Care Delivery Patterns: The Role Of Care Management Within A Pioneer ACO.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, John; Price, Mary; Vogeli, Christine; Brand, Richard; Chernew, Michael E; Chaguturu, Sreekanth K; Weil, Eric; Ferris, Timothy G

    2017-05-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) appear to lower medical spending, but there is little information on how they do so. We examined the impact of patient participation in a Pioneer ACO and its care management program on rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations and on Medicare spending. We used data for the period 2009-14, exploiting naturally staggered program entry to create concurrent controls to help isolate the program effects. The care management program (the ACO's primary intervention) targeted beneficiaries with elevated but modifiable risks for future spending. ACO participation had a modest effect on spending, in line with previous estimates. Participation in the care management program was associated with substantial reductions in rates for hospitalizations and both all and nonemergency ED visits, as well as Medicare spending, when compared to preparticipation levels and to rates and spending for a concurrent sample of beneficiaries who were eligible for but had not yet started the program. Rates of ED visits and hospitalizations were reduced by 6 percent and 8 percent, respectively, and Medicare spending was reduced by 6 percent. Targeting beneficiaries with modifiable high risks and shifting care away from the ED represent viable mechanisms for altering spending within ACOs. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  17. 288. Feocromocitoma Cardíaco a Nivel Del Surco Interauricular

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Iglesias Gil

    2012-04-01

    La localización extraadrenal de los feocromocitomas es infrecuente, siendo la torácica inferior al 2% y la intrapericárdica excepcional. Dado que son escasos los reportes de tumores secretores de catecolaminas a nivel cardíaco, presentamos este caso.

  18. Accountable Care Organizations: Integrated Care Meets Market Power.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheffler, Richard M

    2015-08-01

    Will accountable care organizations (ACOs) deliver high-quality care at lower costs? Or will their potential market power lead to higher prices and lower quality? ACOs appear in various forms and structures with financial and clinical integration at their core; however, the tools to assess their quality and the incentive structures that will determine their success are still evolving. Both market forces and regulatory structures will determine how these outcomes emerge. This introduction reviews the evidence presented in this special issue to tackle this thorny trade-off. In general the evidence is promising, but the full potential of ACOs to improve the health care delivery system is still uncertain. This introductory review concludes that the current consensus is to let ACOs grow, anticipating that they will make a contribution to improve our poor-quality and high-cost delivery system. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

  19. Processing time tolerance-based ACO algorithm for solving job-shop scheduling problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Yabo; Waden, Yongo P.

    2017-06-01

    Ordinarily, Job Shop Scheduling Problem (JSSP) is known as NP-hard problem which has uncertainty and complexity that cannot be handled by a linear method. Thus, currently studies on JSSP are concentrated mainly on applying different methods of improving the heuristics for optimizing the JSSP. However, there still exist many problems for efficient optimization in the JSSP, namely, low efficiency and poor reliability, which can easily trap the optimization process of JSSP into local optima. Therefore, to solve this problem, a study on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm combined with constraint handling tactics is carried out in this paper. Further, the problem is subdivided into three parts: (1) Analysis of processing time tolerance-based constraint features in the JSSP which is performed by the constraint satisfying model; (2) Satisfying the constraints by considering the consistency technology and the constraint spreading algorithm in order to improve the performance of ACO algorithm. Hence, the JSSP model based on the improved ACO algorithm is constructed; (3) The effectiveness of the proposed method based on reliability and efficiency is shown through comparative experiments which are performed on benchmark problems. Consequently, the results obtained by the proposed method are better, and the applied technique can be used in optimizing JSSP.

  20. The development and psychometric validation of an instrument to evaluate nurses' attitudes towards communication with the patient (ACO).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giménez-Espert, María Del Carmen; Prado-Gascó, Vicente Javier

    2018-05-01

    Patient communication is a key skill for nurses involved in clinical care. Its measurement is a complex phenomenon that can be addressed through attitude evaluation. To develop and psychometrically test a measure of nurses' attitudes towards communication with patients (ACO), to study the relationship between these dimensions, and to analyse nursing attitudes. To develop and psychometrically test the ACO questionnaire. All hospitals in the province of Valencia were invited by e-mail to distribute the ACO instrument. Ten hospitals took part in the study. The study population was composed of a convenience sample of 400 hospital nurses on general or special services. The inclusion criteria were nurses at the selected centres who had previously provided an informed consent to participate. A literature review and expert consultation (N = 10) was used to develop the content of the questionnaire. The 62-item version of the instrument was applied to a convenience sample of 400 nurses between May 2015 and March 2016. Factor structure was evaluated with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA, CFA), and reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha, composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE). The final instrument (ACO), composed of 25 items grouped into three attitude dimensions (cognitive, affective and behavioural), had good psychometric properties. In the study sample, nurses had a favourable attitude towards communication. The cognitive and affective dimensions of the ACO should be able to predict the behaviour dimension. The ACO is useful for evaluating current clinical practices, identifying educational needs and assessing the effectiveness of communication training or other interventions intended to improve communication. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. A performance improvement and cost-efficient ACO-OFDM scheme for visible light communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Tiantian; Zhou, Ji; Zhang, Zhenshan; Qiao, Yaojun; Su, Fei; Yang, Aiying

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, we propose a performance improvement and cost-efficient discrete Hartley transform (DHT)-based asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (ACO-OFDM) scheme for visible light communications (VLC). The simple one-dimensional modulation constellation and simplified encoding structure reduce the complexity of system considerably. The DHT-spreading technique is employed to reduce peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of ACO-OFDM signals. Moreover, the intra-symbol frequency-domain averaging (ISFA) technique is used to increase the accuracy of channel estimation by removing the effect of ambient noise in the VLC channel effectively. To verify the feasibility of the proposed scheme, we study its performance via simulation. This scheme reduces the requirement to the resolution of DAC and increases the tolerance to the nonlinear characteristics of LED, both of which are cost-efficient. At forward error correction (FEC) limit (BER = 1 × 10-3), simulation results illustrate that compared with DHT-based ACO-OFDM without the ISFA technique, our scheme has 3.2 dB and 2.7 dB improvement of the required Eb /N0 when BPSK and 4-PAM are modulated, respectively.

  2. Optimization of reload of nuclear power plants using ACO together with the GENES reactor physics code

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lima, Alan M.M. de; Freire, Fernando S.; Nicolau, Andressa S.; Schirru, Roberto, E-mail: alan@lmp.ufrj.br, E-mail: andressa@lmp.ufrj.br, E-mail: schirru@lmp.ufrj.br, E-mail: ffreire@eletronuclear.gov.br [Coordenacao de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Eletrobras Termonuclear S.A. (ELETRONUCLEAR), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2017-11-01

    The Nuclear reload of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) occurs whenever the burning of the fuel elements can no longer maintain the criticality of the reactor, that is, it cannot maintain the Nuclear power plant operates within its nominal power. Nuclear reactor reload optimization problem consists of finding a loading pattern of fuel assemblies in the reactor core in order to minimize the cost/benefit ratio, trying to obtain maximum power generation with a minimum of cost, since in all reloads an average of one third of the new fuel elements are purchased. This loading pattern must also satisfy constraints of symmetry and security. In practice, it consists of the placing 121 fuel elements in 121 core positions, in the case of the Angra 1 Brazilian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), making this new arrangement provide the best cost/benefit ratio. It is an extremely complex problem, since it has around 1% of great places. A core of 121 fuel elements has approximately 10{sup 13} combinations and 10{sup 11} great locations. With this number of possible combinations it is impossible to test all, in order to choose the best. In this work a system called ACO-GENES is proposed in order to optimization the Nuclear Reactor Reload Problem. ACO is successfully used in combination problems, and it is expected that ACO-GENES will show a robust optimization system, since in addition to optimizing ACO, it allows important prior knowledge such as K infinite, burn, etc. After optimization by ACO-GENES, the best results will be validated by a licensed reactor physics code and will be compared with the actual results of the cycle. (author)

  3. Optimization of reload of nuclear power plants using ACO together with the GENES reactor physics code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lima, Alan M.M. de; Freire, Fernando S.; Nicolau, Andressa S.; Schirru, Roberto

    2017-01-01

    The Nuclear reload of a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) occurs whenever the burning of the fuel elements can no longer maintain the criticality of the reactor, that is, it cannot maintain the Nuclear power plant operates within its nominal power. Nuclear reactor reload optimization problem consists of finding a loading pattern of fuel assemblies in the reactor core in order to minimize the cost/benefit ratio, trying to obtain maximum power generation with a minimum of cost, since in all reloads an average of one third of the new fuel elements are purchased. This loading pattern must also satisfy constraints of symmetry and security. In practice, it consists of the placing 121 fuel elements in 121 core positions, in the case of the Angra 1 Brazilian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), making this new arrangement provide the best cost/benefit ratio. It is an extremely complex problem, since it has around 1% of great places. A core of 121 fuel elements has approximately 10"1"3 combinations and 10"1"1 great locations. With this number of possible combinations it is impossible to test all, in order to choose the best. In this work a system called ACO-GENES is proposed in order to optimization the Nuclear Reactor Reload Problem. ACO is successfully used in combination problems, and it is expected that ACO-GENES will show a robust optimization system, since in addition to optimizing ACO, it allows important prior knowledge such as K infinite, burn, etc. After optimization by ACO-GENES, the best results will be validated by a licensed reactor physics code and will be compared with the actual results of the cycle. (author)

  4. Topology in two dimensions. II - The Abell and ACO cluster catalogues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plionis, Manolis; Valdarnini, Riccardo; Coles, Peter

    1992-09-01

    We apply a method for quantifying the topology of projected galaxy clustering to the Abell and ACO catalogues of rich clusters. We use numerical simulations to quantify the statistical bias involved in using high peaks to define the large-scale structure, and we use the results obtained to correct our observational determinations for this known selection effect and also for possible errors introduced by boundary effects. We find that the Abell cluster sample is consistent with clusters being identified with high peaks of a Gaussian random field, but that the ACO shows a slight meatball shift away from the Gaussian behavior over and above that expected purely from the high-peak selection. The most conservative explanation of this effect is that it is caused by some artefact of the procedure used to select the clusters in the two samples.

  5. Prevalence of nursing diagnosis of decreased cardiac output and the predictive value of defining characteristics in patients under evaluation for heart transplant Prevalencia del diagnóstico de enfermería de disminución del gasto cardíaco y valor predictivo de las características definidoras en pacientes en fase de evaluación para trasplante cardíaco Prevalência do diagnóstico de enfermagem de débito cardíaco diminuído e valor preditivo das características definidoras em pacientes em avaliação para transplante cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lígia Neres Matos

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available The purposes of the study were to identify the prevalence of defining characteristics (DC of decreased cardiac output (DCO in patients with cardiac insufficiency under evaluation for heart transplantation, and to ascertain the likelihood of defining characteristics being predictive factors for the existence of reduction in cardiac output. Data was obtained by retrospective documental analysis of the clinical records of right-sided heart catheterizations in 38 patients between 2004 and 2009. The results showed that 71.1% of the patients had decreased cardiac output (measured by cardiac index. The majority of the NANDA-International defining characteristics for DCO were more frequent in individuals with reduced cardiac index levels. The study emphasizes the odds ratio (OR for increased Systemic Vascular Resistance of OR=4.533, of the third heart sound with OR=3.429 and the reduced ejection fraction with OR=2.850. By obtaining the predictive values for the defining characteristics the study identifies them as diagnostic indicators of decreased cardiac output.El estudio tiene como objetivos identificar la prevalencia de las características definitorias de la disminución del gasto cardíaco (DGC en pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca (IC en evaluación para el trasplante de corazón y ver la probabilidad de las características definitorias sean factores predictivos de la existencia de una disminución del gasto cardíaco. Los datos se obtuvieron mediante el análisis documental retrospectivo de historias clínicas de cateterismo cordiaco derecho en 38 pacientes con insuficiencia cardíaca en la evaluación para el trasplante de corazón entre 2004 y 2009. Los resultados mostraron que el 71% de los pacientes habían reducido el gasto cardíaco (medido por el índice cardíaco. La mayoría de las características definitorias de la NANDA-International para el DGC fueron más frecuentes en individuos con índice cardíaco reducido. Los aspectos m

  6. Betting on change: Tenet deal with Vanguard shows it's primed to try ACO effort, new payment model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kutscher, Beth

    2013-07-01

    Tenet Healthcare Corp.'s acquisition of Vanguard Health Systems is a sign the investor-owned chain is willing to take a chance on alternative payment models such as accountable care organizations. There's no certainty that ACOs will deliver the improvements on quality or cost savings, but Vanguard Vice Chairman Keith Pitts, left, says his system's Pioneer ACO in Detroit has already achieved some cost savings.

  7. Protocolo del manejo y selección del donante cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Elizalde

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available El trasplante cardíaco es una terapia aceptada en grupos de pacientes afectos de insuficiencia cardíaca terminal. El envejecimiento progresivo de los donantes y la reducción del número de traumatismos craneoencefálicos mortales obliga a una valoración exhaustiva en cada caso. La ecocardiografía es, hoy en día, una exploración obligada en la valoración del donante. La Organización Nacional de Trasplantes ha elaborado un protocolo de manejo del donante torácico para optimizar su aprovechamiento. Se revisan los criterios de selección del donante cardíaco insistiendo en las contraindicaciones, en el despistaje de enfermedad coronaria y el mantenimiento durante el proceso de selección.

  8. Trasplante cardíaco pediátrico: pasado, presente y futuro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María-Teresa González-López

    2017-01-01

    Conclusión: El trasplante cardíaco pediátrico presenta óptimos resultados en nuestro medio, superponibles a series mundiales. Aunque el perfil de riesgo está incrementándose, los resultados actuales reflejan los avances en el manejo de estos pacientes.

  9. Solving optimum operation of single pump unit problem with ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Y; Liu, C

    2012-01-01

    For pumping stations, the effective scheduling of daily pump operations from solutions to the optimum design operation problem is one of the greatest potential areas for energy cost-savings, there are some difficulties in solving this problem with traditional optimization methods due to the multimodality of the solution region. In this case, an ACO model for optimum operation of pumping unit is proposed and the solution method by ants searching is presented by rationally setting the object function and constrained conditions. A weighted directed graph was constructed and feasible solutions may be found by iteratively searching of artificial ants, and then the optimal solution can be obtained by applying the rule of state transition and the pheromone updating. An example calculation was conducted and the minimum cost was found as 4.9979. The result of ant colony algorithm was compared with the result from dynamic programming or evolutionary solving method in commercial software under the same discrete condition. The result of ACO is better and the computing time is shorter which indicates that ACO algorithm can provide a high application value to the field of optimal operation of pumping stations and related fields.

  10. Silencing of ACO decreases reproduction and energy metabolism in triazophos-treated female brown plant hoppers, Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zong-Yu; Jiang, Yi-Ping; Li, Lei; You, Lin-Lin; Wu, You; Xu, Bin; Ge, Lin-Quan; Wu, Jin-Cai

    2016-03-01

    The brown plant hopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is a major pest affecting rice in Asia, and outbreaks of this pest are closely linked to pesticide-induced stimulation of reproduction. Therefore, the BPH is a classic example of a resurgent pest. However, the effects of different genes on the regulation of pesticide-induced reproductive stimulation in the BPH are unclear. In this study, the regulatory effects of acyl-coenzyme A oxidase (ACO) on the reproduction and biochemistry of the BPH were investigated with gene silencing. The number of eggs laid per female by triazophos (TZP)+dsACO BPH females was significantly lower than those of TZP-treated (without ACO silencing) or TZP+GFP females (negative control), with the number of eggs decreasing by 30.8% (from 529.5 to 366.3) and 32.0% (from 540.5 to 366.3), respectively. The preoviposition period, oviposition period, and longevity of the TZP-treated females were also influenced by dsACO treatment. Additionally, the amounts of crude fat, protein, and some fatty acids (oleic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid, and myristoleic acid) in TZP+dsACO females were significantly lower than in TZP-treated females. Thus, ACO is one of the key genes regulating the TZP-induced stimulation of reproduction in BPH females. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Dynamic Fuzzy Logic Parameter Tuning for ACO and Its Application in the Fuzzy Logic Control of an Autonomous Mobile Robot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar Castillo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Ant Colony Optimization (ACO is a population-based constructive meta-heuristic that exploits a form of past performance memory inspired by the foraging behaviour of real ants. The behaviour of the ACO algorithm is highly dependent on the values defined for its parameters. Adaptation and parameter control are recurring themes in the field of bio-inspired algorithms. The present paper explores a new approach to diversity control in ACO. The central idea is to avoid or slow down full convergence through the dynamic variation of certain parameters. The performance of different variants of the ACO algorithm was observed to choose one as the basis for the proposed approach. A convergence fuzzy logic controller with the objective of maintaining diversity at some level to avoid premature convergence was created. Encouraging results have been obtained on its application to the design of fuzzy controllers. In particular, the optimization of membership functions for a unicycle mobile robot trajectory control is presented with the proposed method.

  12. Applications of UV-storage ring free electron lasers: the case of super-ACO

    CERN Document Server

    Nahon, L; Couprie, Marie Emmanuelle; Merola, F; Dumas, P; Marsi, M; Taleb-Ibrahimi, A; Nutarelli, D; Roux, R; Billardon, M

    1999-01-01

    The potential of UV-storage ring free electron lasers (SRFELs) for the performance of original application experiments is shown with a special emphasis concerning their combination with the naturally synchronized synchrotron radiation (SR). The first two-color FEL+SR experiment, performed in surface science at Super-ACO is reported. The experimental parameters found to be the most important as gathered from the acquired experience, are underlined and discussed. Finally, future prospects for the scientific program of the Super-ACO FEL are presented with two-color experiments combining the FEL with SR undulator-based XUV and VUV beamlines as well as with a SR white light bending magnet beamline emiting in the IR-UV (20 mu m-0.25 mu m).

  13. ENHANCED HYBRID PSO – ACO ALGORITHM FOR GRID SCHEDULING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Mathiyalagan

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Grid computing is a high performance computing environment to solve larger scale computational demands. Grid computing contains resource management, task scheduling, security problems, information management and so on. Task scheduling is a fundamental issue in achieving high performance in grid computing systems. A computational GRID is typically heterogeneous in the sense that it combines clusters of varying sizes, and different clusters typically contains processing elements with different level of performance. In this, heuristic approaches based on particle swarm optimization and ant colony optimization algorithms are adopted for solving task scheduling problems in grid environment. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO is one of the latest evolutionary optimization techniques by nature. It has the better ability of global searching and has been successfully applied to many areas such as, neural network training etc. Due to the linear decreasing of inertia weight in PSO the convergence rate becomes faster, which leads to the minimal makespan time when used for scheduling. To make the convergence rate faster, the PSO algorithm is improved by modifying the inertia parameter, such that it produces better performance and gives an optimized result. The ACO algorithm is improved by modifying the pheromone updating rule. ACO algorithm is hybridized with PSO algorithm for efficient result and better convergence in PSO algorithm.

  14. Free electron laser on the ACO storage ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elleaume, P.

    1984-06-01

    This dissertation presents the design and characteristics of a Free Electron Laser built on the electron storage ring ACO at Orsay. The weak optical gain available (approximately 0.1% per pass) necessitated the use of an optical klystron instead of an undulator and the use of mirror with extremely high reflectivity. The laser characteristics: spectra, micro and macro-temporal structures, transverse structure and power are presented. They are in very good agreement with a classical theory based on the Lorentz force and Maxwell equations [fr

  15. Interdisciplinariedade: entre o desejo e a prática dos profissionais do transplante cardíaco no Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia

    OpenAIRE

    Santos, Nadja Maria Codá dos

    2005-01-01

    Esta dissertação tem o objetivo geral de: analisar a prática interdisciplinar nos 13 anos de transplante cardíaco no Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia IDPC. Buscou como objetivos específicos: resgatar a história do transplante cardíaco no IDPC; analisar as perspectivas dos profissionais sobre a contribuição de sua profissão e das demais para o trabalho interdisciplinar; estudar contribuição do Serviço Social para a prática interdisciplinar. Na prática do transplante cardíaco, inserid...

  16. Towards the Fourier limit on the super-ACO Storage Ring FEL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Couprie, M.E.; De Ninno, G.; Moneron, G.; Nutarelli, D.; Hirsch, M.; Garzella, D.; Renault, E.; Roux, R.; Thomas, C.

    2001-01-01

    Systematic studies on the Free Electron Laser (FEL) line and micropulse have been performed on the Super-ACO storage ring FEL with a monochromator and a double-sweep streak camera under various conditions of operation (detuning, 'CW' and Q-switched mode). From these data, it appears that the FEL is usually operated very close to the Fourier limit

  17. Towards the Fourier limit on the super-ACO Storage Ring FEL

    CERN Document Server

    Couprie, Marie Emmanuelle; Garzella, D; Hirsch, M; Moneron, G; Nutarelli, D; Renault, E; Roux, R; Thomas, C

    2001-01-01

    Systematic studies on the Free Electron Laser (FEL) line and micropulse have been performed on the Super-ACO storage ring FEL with a monochromator and a double-sweep streak camera under various conditions of operation (detuning, 'CW' and Q-switched mode). From these data, it appears that the FEL is usually operated very close to the Fourier limit.

  18. Caso clínico del Departamento de Psiquiatría: Trastorno afectivo bipolar 1, episodio maníaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Manuel Calvo Gómez

    1995-04-01

    Full Text Available Se trata de un paciente de 21 años con un cuadro clínico de una semana de evolución cuyas características satisfacen los criterios diagnósticos de la Cuarta Edición del Manual Estadístico y Diagnóstico de los Trastornos Mentales (DSM IV para trastorno afectivo bipolar 1,episodio maníaco severo con características psicóticas congruentes con el estado de ánimo. Criterios diagnósticos para trastorno afectivo bipolar 1: A. Actualmente (o recientemente en episodio maníaco. B. Ha existido previamente al menos un episodio depresivo mayor, episodio maníaco o episodio mixto. C. Los episodios afectivos de los criterios A y B no son producidos por un trastorno esquizoafectivo y no están superpuestos sobre esquizofrenia, trastorno esquizofreniforme, trastorno delirante, o trastorno psicótico no especificado en otro sitio.

  19. Integration of Substance Abuse Treatment Organizations into Accountable Care Organizations: Results from a National Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    D’Aunno, Thomas; Friedmann, Peter D.; Chen, Qixuan; Wilson, Donna M.

    2016-01-01

    To meet their aims of managing population health to improve the quality and cost of health care in the United States, accountable care organizations (ACOs) will need to focus on coordinating care for individuals with substance abuse disorders. The prevalence of these disorders is high, and these individuals often suffer from comorbid chronic medical and social conditions. This article examines the extent to which the nation’s fourteen thousand specialty substance abuse treatment (SAT) organizations, which have a daily census of more than 1 million patients, are contracting with ACOs across the country; we also examine factors associated with SAT organization involvement with ACOs. We draw on data from a recent (2014) nationally representative survey of executive directors and clinical supervisors from 635 SAT organizations. Results show that only 15 percent of these organizations had signed contracts with ACOs. Results from multivariate analyses show that directors’ perceptions of market competition, organizational ownership, and geographic location are significantly related to SATinvolvement with ACOs. We discuss implications for integrating the SAT specialty system with the mainstream health care system. PMID:26124307

  20. Modification and characterization of the AISI 410 martensitic stainless steels surface; Modificacao e caracterizacao da superficie do aco inoxidavel martensitico AISI 410

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bincoleto, A.V.L. [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (PPG-CEM/UFSCar), SP (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencia e Engenharia de Materiais; Nascente, P.A.P. [Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos (DEMa/UFSCar), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia de Materiais

    2010-07-01

    Steam turbines are used in the generation of more than half the electric energy produced in the world nowadays. It is important the study which aims to improve the efficiency by means of the optimization of leaks and of the aerodynamic profiles, as well as to maintain the integrity of the components. The martensitic stainless steels are widely employed due to the combination of their good mechanical properties with higher corrosion resistance. However, their lower wear resistance and their poor tribological behavior limit their use, since they decrease the component life time. In order to evaluate the improvement in the performance of the AISI 410 stainless steel, several process of surface modification were employed. Five samples were produced: the first one was not treated, the second one received liquid nitriding, the third, gas nitriding, the forth, thermal aspersion of tungsten carbide, and the fifth, boronizing. The samples were characterized by optical microscopy, surface microhardness, and X-ray diffractometry. (author)

  1. Certeza diagnóstica en la mortalidad de una población de pacientes con trasplante cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Amuchástegui

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available RESUMENIntroducciónA pesar de que la morbimortalidad en el trasplante cardíaco ha sido motivo de extensoanálisis, la mayoría de los estudios y registros de mortalidad en pacientes trasplantados sebasan sobre datos clínicos. En la bibliografía existen comunicaciones aisladas de autopsiasen pacientes con trasplante cardíaco.ObjetivoDeterminar la importancia de la realización de estudios anatomopatológicos para el diagnósticode causa de muerte en un programa de trasplante cardíaco.Material y métodosSe incluyeron todos los pacientes con trasplante cardíaco fallecidos entre enero 1990 y enero2005. El diagnóstico definitivo de la causa de muerte fue corroborado por autopsia obiopsia de órgano sólido. Las causas de muerte evaluadas fueron falla precoz del injerto,rechazo celular, infección, enfermedad vascular del injerto, neoplasia y otros.ResultadosDurante el período en estudio 73 pacientes fueron sometidos a trasplante cardíaco; de ellos,fallecieron 31. Se obtuvieron 12 autopsias y 7 biopsias de órgano sólido que certificaron lacausa de muerte (61%. La causa de muerte más frecuente fue el rechazo celular mayor degrado III. En el 12,9%, la anatomía patológica difirió de la sospecha clínica de la causa demuerte.ConclusiónLa información clinicopatológica derivada de estudios post mortem es un indicador de nuestrarealidad asistencial y se constituye en un pilar fundamental para el conocimiento y elmanejo futuro de los pacientes trasplantados, por lo que consideramos que la realización deautopsias en estos pacientes es de vital importancia.REV ARGENT CARDIOL 2008;76:292-294.

  2. Domainwise Web Page Optimization Based On Clustered Query Sessions Using Hybrid Of Trust And ACO For Effective Information Retrieval

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dr. Suruchi Chawla

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract In this paper hybrid of Ant Colony OptimizationACO and trust has been used for domainwise web page optimization in clustered query sessions for effective Information retrieval. The trust of the web page identifies its degree of relevance in satisfying specific information need of the user. The trusted web pages when optimized using pheromone updates in ACO will identify the trusted colonies of web pages which will be relevant to users information need in a given domain. Hence in this paper the hybrid of Trust and ACO has been used on clustered query sessions for identifying more and more relevant number of documents in a given domain in order to better satisfy the information need of the user. Experiment was conducted on the data set of web query sessions to test the effectiveness of the proposed approach in selected three domains Academics Entertainment and Sports and the results confirm the improvement in the precision of search results.

  3. Expression Study of LeGAPDH, LeACO1, LeACS1A, and LeACS2 in Tomato Fruit (Solanum lycopersicum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pijar Riza Anugerah

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Tomato is a climacteric fruit, which is characterized by ripening-related increase of respiration and elevated ethylene synthesis. Ethylene is the key hormone in ripening process of climacteric fruits. The objective of this research is to study the expression of three ethylene synthesis genes: LeACO1, LeACS1A, LeACS2, and a housekeeping gene LeGAPDH in ripening tomato fruit. Specific primers have been designed to amplify complementary DNA fragment of LeGAPDH (143 bp, LeACO1 (240 bp, LeACS1A (169 bp, and LeACS2 (148 bp using polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide BLAST results of the complementary DNA fragments show high similarity with LeGAPDH (NM_001247874.1, LeACO1 (NM_001247095.1, LeACS1A (NM_001246993.1, LeACS2 (NM_001247249.1, respectively. Expression study showed that LeACO1, LeACS1A, LeACS2, and LeGAPDH genes were expressed in ripening tomato fruit. Isolation methods, reference sequences, and primers used in this study can be used in future experiments to study expression of genes responsible for ethylene synthesis using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and to design better strategy for controlling fruit ripening in agroindustry.

  4. Estimación del gasto cardíaco: Utilidad en la práctica clínica. Monitorización disponible invasiva y no invasiva

    OpenAIRE

    García, X.; Mateu, L.; Maynar, J.; Mercadal, J.; Ochagavía, A.; Ferrandiz, A.

    2011-01-01

    Esta revisión pretende profundizar en el conocimiento del gasto cardíaco, sus variables y sus condicionantes, así como repasar exhaustivamente las diferentes técnicas disponibles para su monitorización y establecer las situaciones en que el conocimiento del gasto cardíaco nos aporta una información fundamental en el manejo del paciente crítico. La técnica de Fick, utilizada en los inicios para calcular el gasto cardíaco de los pacientes, ha sido sustituida hoy en día en la práctica clínica po...

  5. Implementation of a Pilot ACO Payment Model and the Use of Discretionary and Non-Discretionary Cardiovascular Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colla, Carrie. H.; Goodney, Philip P.; Lewis, Valerie A.; Nallamothu, Brahmajee K.; Gottlieb, Daniel J.; Meara, Ellen R.

    2014-01-01

    Background Accountable care organizations (ACOs) seek to reduce growth in healthcare spending while ensuring high-quality care. We hypothesized that ACO implementation would selectively limit utilization of discretionary cardiovascular care (defined as care occurring in the absence of indications such as myocardial infarction or stroke), while maintaining high-quality care such as non-discretionary cardiovascular imaging and procedures. Methods and Results The intervention group was composed of fee-for-service Medicare patients (n=819,779) from 10 groups participating in a Medicare pilot ACO, the Physician Group Practice Demonstration (PGPD). Matched controls were patients (n=934,621) from non-participating groups in the same regions. We compared utilization of cardiovascular care before (2002-2004) and after (2005-2009) PGPD implementation, studying both discretionary and non-discretionary carotid and coronary imaging and procedures. Our main outcome measure was the difference in the proportion of patients treated with imaging and procedures, among patients of PGPD practices compared to patients in control practices, before and after PGPD implementation (difference-in-difference). For discretionary imaging, the difference-in-difference between PGPD practices and controls was not statistically significant for discretionary carotid imaging (0.17%; 95% CI -0.51% to 0.85%, p=0.595) or discretionary coronary imaging (-0.19%; 95% CI -0.73% to 0.35%, p=0.468). Similarly, the difference-in-difference was also minimal for discretionary carotid revascularization (0.003%; 95% CI -0.008% to 0.002%, p=0.705) and coronary revascularization (-0.02%, 95% CI -0.11% to 0.07%, p=0.06). The difference-in-difference associated with PGPD implementation was also essentially zero for non-discretionary cardiovascular imaging or procedures. Conclusions Implementation of a pilot ACO did not limit the utilization of discretionary or non-discretionary cardiovascular care in ten large health

  6. Bioimpedância transtorácica comparada à ressonância magnética na avaliação do débito cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Humberto Villacorta Junior

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A ressonância magnética cardíaca é considerada o método padrão-ouro para o cálculo de volumes cardíacos. A bioimpedância transtorácica cardíaca avalia o débito cardíaco. Não há trabalhos que validem essa medida comparada à ressonância. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o desempenho da bioimpedância transtorácica cardíaca no cálculo do débito cardíaco, índice cardíaco e volume sistólico, utilizando a ressonância como padrão-ouro. MÉTODOS: Avaliados 31 pacientes, com média de idade de 56,7 ± 18 anos, sendo 18 (58% do sexo masculino. Foram excluídos os pacientes cuja indicação para a ressonância magnética cardíaca incluía avaliação sob estresse farmacológico. A correlação entre os métodos foi avaliada pelo coeficiente de Pearson, e a dispersão das diferenças absolutas em relação à média foi demonstrada pelo método de Bland-Altman. A concordância entre os métodos foi realizada pelo coeficiente de correlação intraclasses. RESULTADOS: A média do débito cardíaco pela bioimpedância transtorácica cardíaca e pela ressonância foi, respectivamente, 5,16 ± 0,9 e 5,13 ± 0,9 L/min. Observou-se boa correlação entre os métodos para o débito cardíaco (r = 0,79; p = 0,0001, índice cardíaco (r = 0,74; p = 0,0001 e volume sistólico (r = 0,88; p = 0,0001. A avaliação pelo gráfico de Bland-Altman mostrou pequena dispersão das diferenças em relação à média, com baixa amplitude dos intervalos de concordância. Houve boa concordância entre os dois métodos quando avaliados pelo coeficiente de correlação intraclasses, com coeficientes para débito cardíaco, índice cardíaco e volume sistólico de 0,78, 0,73 e 0,88, respectivamente (p < 0,0001 para todas as comparações. CONCLUSÃO: A bioimpedância transtorácica cardíaca mostrou-se acurada no cálculo do débito cardíaco quando comparada à ressonância magnética cardíaca.

  7. Omalizumab (anti-IgE) therapy in the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) and its effects on circulating cytokine levels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalcin, Arzu Didem; Celik, Betul; Yalcin, Ata Nevzat

    2016-06-01

    The term "asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome" (ACOS) has been applied to the condition, in which a person has clinical features of both asthma and COPD. The patients (N = 10) were presented to our clinic with low lung function, limited reversibility of airway obstruction, hyperinflation, abnormal body composition, dyspnea and episodic wheezing. Based on the clinical and laboratory findings, the patients were diagnosed with ACOS. Patients' serum IL-2 (sIL-2), sIL-4 sIL-6, sIL-10, sIL-17, sTNF-α and sIFN-γ levels were investigated as an apoptotic marker and a marker for inflammation. Having undergone omalizumab treatment and a long-term (12 months) later, patients had a decreased IgE, fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentrations (FENO), eosinophil, neutrophils, macrophages, eosinophil cationic peptide (ECP) and sIL-4 levels. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation of omalizumab use in ACOS. We demonstrated decreased IL-4, allergic pulmonary symptoms (dyspnea, wheezing, bronchial hyper responsiveness) and migraine attacks in the patients.

  8. Current situation of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) in Chinese patients older than 40 years with airflow limitation: rationale and design for a multicenter, cross-sectional trial (study protocol).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Jian; Yao, Wanzhen; Cai, Baiqiang; Chen, Ping; Ling, Xia; Shang, Hongyan

    2016-12-01

    Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the frequently occurring chronic airway diseases, and the overlapping syndrome observed in the majority of patients has been recently defined as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung (GOLD, 2014) and Global initiative for Asthma (GINA, 2015). The proportion, features, and clinical practice of ACOS still remain elusive in China. We are conducting this multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study (NCT02600221) to investigate the distributions of chronic obstructive diseases in patients >40 years of age with chronic airflow limitation in China along with determination of the main clinical practice and features of these diseases. The study will also explore the factors that may influence the exacerbations and severity of ACOS in Chinese patients (>40 years of age). A total of 2,000 patients (age, ≥40 years; either sex) who are clinically diagnosed as having asthma, COPD/chronic bronchitis/emphysema, or ACOS for at least 12 months with airflow limitation [post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV 1 /FVC): current situation, main clinical practice, and features of ACOS, asthma, and COPD conditions in Chinese patients. The insights will be helpful in designing optimal management strategies for ACOS and redefining the healthcare development programs.

  9. Citrus CitNAC62 cooperates with CitWRKY1 to participate in citric acid degradation via up-regulation of CitAco3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shao-Jia; Yin, Xue-Ren; Wang, Wen-Li; Liu, Xiao-Fen; Zhang, Bo; Chen, Kun-Song

    2017-06-15

    Citric acid is the predominant organic acid of citrus fruit. Degradation of citric acid occurs during fruit development, influencing fruit acidity. Associations of CitAco3 transcripts and citric acid degradation have been reported for citrus fruit. Here, transient overexpression of CitAco3 significantly reduced the citric acid content of citrus leaves and fruits. Using dual luciferase assays, it was shown that CitNAC62 and CitWRKY1 could transactivate the promoter of CitAco3. Subcellular localization results showed that CitWRKY1 was located in the nucleus and CitNAC62 was not. Yeast two-hybrid analysis and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays indicated that the two differently located transcription factors could interact with each other. Furthermore, BiFC showed that the protein-protein interaction occurred only in the nucleus, indicating the potential mobility of CitNAC62 in plant cells. A synergistic effect on citrate content was observed between CitNAC62 and CitWRKY1. Transient overexpression of CitNAC62 or CitWRKY1 led to significantly lower citrate content in citrus fruit. The combined expression of CitNAC62 and CitWRKY1 resulted in lower citrate content compared with the expression of CitNAC62 or CitWRKY1 alone. The transcript abundance of CitAco3 was consistent with the citrate content. Thus, we propose that a complex of CitWRKY1 and CitNAC62 contributes to citric acid degradation in citrus fruit, potentially via modulation of CitAco3. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  10. Toward population management in an integrated care model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maddux, Franklin W; McMurray, Stephen; Nissenson, Allen R

    2013-01-01

    Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, accountable care organizations (ACOs) will be the primary mechanism for achieving the dual goals of high-quality patient care at managed per capita costs. To achieve these goals in the newly emerging health care environment, the nephrology community must plan for and direct integrated delivery and coordination of renal care, focusing on population management. Even though the ESRD patient population is a complex group with comorbid conditions that may confound integration of care, the nephrology community has unique experience providing integrated care through ACO-like programs. Specifically, the recent ESRD Management Demonstration Project sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the current ESRD Prospective Payment System with it Quality Incentive Program have demonstrated that integrated delivery of renal care can be accomplished in a manner that provides improved clinical outcomes with some financial margin of savings. Moving forward, integrated renal care will probably be linked to provider performance and quality outcomes measures, and clinical integration initiatives will share several common elements, namely performance-based payment models, coordination of communication via health care information technology, and development of best practices for care coordination and resource utilization. Integration initiatives must be designed to be measured and evaluated, and, consistent with principles of continuous quality improvement, each initiative will provide for iterative improvements of the initiative. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  11. A Family of ACO Routing Protocols for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupérez Cañas, Delfín; Sandoval Orozco, Ana Lucila; García Villalba, Luis Javier; Kim, Tai-hoon

    2017-01-01

    In this work, an ACO routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks based on AntHocNet is specified. As its predecessor, this new protocol, called AntOR, is hybrid in the sense that it contains elements from both reactive and proactive routing. Specifically, it combines a reactive route setup process with a proactive route maintenance and improvement process. Key aspects of the AntOR protocol are the disjoint-link and disjoint-node routes, separation between the regular pheromone and the virtual pheromone in the diffusion process and the exploration of routes, taking into consideration the number of hops in the best routes. In this work, a family of ACO routing protocols based on AntOR is also specified. These protocols are based on protocol successive refinements. In this work, we also present a parallelized version of AntOR that we call PAntOR. Using programming multiprocessor architectures based on the shared memory protocol, PAntOR allows running tasks in parallel using threads. This parallelization is applicable in the route setup phase, route local repair process and link failure notification. In addition, a variant of PAntOR that consists of having more than one interface, which we call PAntOR-MI (PAntOR-Multiple Interface), is specified. This approach parallelizes the sending of broadcast messages by interface through threads. PMID:28531159

  12. A Family of ACO Routing Protocols for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupérez Cañas, Delfín; Sandoval Orozco, Ana Lucila; García Villalba, Luis Javier; Kim, Tai-Hoon

    2017-05-22

    In this work, an ACO routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks based on AntHocNet is specified. As its predecessor, this new protocol, called AntOR, is hybrid in the sense that it contains elements from both reactive and proactive routing. Specifically, it combines a reactive route setup process with a proactive route maintenance and improvement process. Key aspects of the AntOR protocol are the disjoint-link and disjoint-node routes, separation between the regular pheromone and the virtual pheromone in the diffusion process and the exploration of routes, taking into consideration the number of hops in the best routes. In this work, a family of ACO routing protocols based on AntOR is also specified. These protocols are based on protocol successive refinements. In this work, we also present a parallelized version of AntOR that we call PAntOR. Using programming multiprocessor architectures based on the shared memory protocol, PAntOR allows running tasks in parallel using threads. This parallelization is applicable in the route setup phase, route local repair process and link failure notification. In addition, a variant of PAntOR that consists of having more than one interface, which we call PAntOR-MI (PAntOR-Multiple Interface), is specified. This approach parallelizes the sending of broadcast messages by interface through threads.

  13. Qualidade de vida de pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco: aplicação da escala Whoqol-Bref

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Isis Freire de Aguiar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O sucesso do transplante cardíaco significa garantir a sobrevida dos pacientes com cardiopatia e permitir-lhes desenvolver suas atividades diárias. O transplante cardíaco apresenta-se como a primeira opção de tratamento na falência cardíaca, representando um aumento de sobrevida e qualidade de vida dos transplantados. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco através da aplicação de uma escala padronizada (Whoqol-Bref. MÉTODOS: Estudo exploratório descritivo de abordagem quantitativa, realizado com 55 pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco, em um período entre o terceiro e o 103º mês, que realizam acompanhamento na Unidade de Transplante e Insuficiência Cardíaca em um Hospital de Referência em Cardiologia na cidade de Fortaleza, CE. Os dados foram coletados no período de fevereiro a abril de 2009, por meio da aplicação de um questionário padronizado pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e utilização de dados constantes nos prontuários. RESULTADOS: Com relação ao domínio físico, 62,8% e 58,3% dos pacientes, dos sexos masculino e feminino, respectivamente, estão satisfeitos. No domínio psicológico, dentre pacientes do sexo masculino, 65,1% apresentam satisfação quanto à qualidade de vida e, no sexo feminino, 58,3% encontram-se satisfeitas. No domínio das relações sociais, observou-se que, no sexo masculino, 53,5% estão muito satisfeitos, e apresentou-se um nível de satisfação de 100% no sexo feminino. No domínio do meio ambiente, 65,1% do sexo masculino encontram-se satisfeitos, e no sexo feminino, 83,3% estão satisfeitas. CONCLUSÃO: O transplante cardíaco teve bastante influência na qualidade de vida dos pacientes transplantados, pois os resultados mostram-se estatisticamente significantes no pós-transplante.

  14. Sedação com sufentanil e clonidina em pacientes submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita Perpetua Carvalho Rocha

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A sedação para a realização de cateterismo cardíaco tem sido alvo de preocupação. Benzodiazepínicos, agonistas alfa-2 adrenérgicos e opioides são utilizados para esse fim, entretanto, cada um destes medicamentos possui vantagens e desvantagens. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia do sufentanil e da clonidina como sedativos em pacientes submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco, observando o impacto dos mesmos sobre os parâmetros hemodinâmicos e respiratórios, a presença de efeitos colaterais, além da satisfação do paciente e do hemodinamicista com o exame. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um ensaio clínico prospectivo, duplo-cego, randomizado e controlado, que envolveu 60 pacientes que receberam 0,1 µg/kg de sufentanil ou 0,5 µg/kg de clonidina antes da realização do cateterismo cardíaco. O escore de sedação segundo a escala de Ramsay, a necessidade de utilização de midazolam, os efeitos colaterais, os parâmetros hemodinâmicos e respiratórios foram registrados, sendo os dados analisados em 06 diferentes momentos. RESULTADOS: O comportamento da pressão arterial, da frequência cardíaca e da frequência respiratória foi semelhante nos dois grupos, entretanto, no momento 2, os pacientes do grupo sufentanil (Grupo S apresentaram menor escore de sedação segundo a escala de Ramsay, e a saturação periférica da oxihemoglobina foi menor que o grupo clonidina (Grupo C no momento 6. Os pacientes do Grupo S apresentaram maior incidência de náusea e vômito pós-operatório que os pacientes do Grupo C. A satisfação dos pacientes foi maior no grupo clonidina. Os hemodinamicistas mostraram-se satisfeitos nos dois grupos. CONCLUSÃO: O sufentanil e a clonidina foram efetivos como sedativos em pacientes submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco.

  15. BER Performance of Stratified ACO-OFDM for Optical Wireless Communications over Multipath Channel

    OpenAIRE

    Gebeyehu, Zelalem Hailu; Langat, Philip Kibet; Maina, Ciira Wa

    2018-01-01

    In intensity modulation/direct detection- (IM/DD-) based optical OFDM systems, the requirement of the input signal to be real and positive unipolar imposes a reduction of system performances. Among previously proposed unipolar optical OFDM schemes for optical wireless communications (OWC), asymmetrically clipped optical OFDM (ACO-OFDM) and direct current biased optical OFDM (DCO-OFDM) are the most accepted ones. But those proposed schemes experience either spectral efficiency loss or energy e...

  16. Significados dos episódios maníacos para pacientes com transtorno bipolar em remissão: um estudo qualitativo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Carlos Pereira Bin

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo Discutir os significados da vivência de episódios maníacos para pacientes com transtorno bipolar (TAB. Métodos Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, feita por meio de entrevistas semidirigidas em profundidade, em uma amostra fechada pelo critério de saturação com oito pacientes com TAB em remissão. A técnica de tratamento de dados foi feita por meio da análise de conteúdo das entrevistas transcritas na íntegra e categorização. Os resultados foram submetidos à validação externa, no Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínico-Qualitativa do Departamento de Psicologia Médica e Psiquiatria da Unicamp, composto por 37 pesquisadores do método, entre eles mestrandos, doutorandos, pós-doutorados e pesquisadores seniores. Resultados Foram identificadas três categorias – Ambivalência e vergonha: pensar ou não pensar sobre os episódios maníacos; Organizando sentimentos pessoais: a remissão como um momento de autoconsciência; Episódios maníacos estruturando relações interpessoais versus projeções da angústia. Conclusão Os achados da presente pesquisa contribuem para a maior compreensão dos quadros maníacos no TAB, que podem auxiliar nas reflexões acerca da relação profissional-paciente, para elaborar estratégias para aderência e para as medidas terapêuticas e preventivas da recorrência dos episódios. Podem auxiliar a equipe de saúde envolvida no acompanhamento desses casos e também os pesquisadores na investigação da contribuição dos significados aqui discutidos nos fenômenos de aderência ao tratamento e de um melhor prognóstico.

  17. Optimizing health care delivery by integrating workplaces, homes, and communities: how occupational and environmental medicine can serve as a vital connecting link between accountable care organizations and the patient-centered medical home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLellan, Robert K; Sherman, Bruce; Loeppke, Ronald R; McKenzie, Judith; Mueller, Kathryn L; Yarborough, Charles M; Grundy, Paul; Allen, Harris; Larson, Paul W

    2012-04-01

    In recent years, the health care reform discussion in the United States has focused increasingly on the dual goals of cost-effective delivery and better patient outcomes. A number of new conceptual models for health care have been advanced to achieve these goals, including two that are well along in terms of practical development and implementation-the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and accountable care organizations (ACOs). At the core of these two emerging concepts is a new emphasis on encouraging physicians, hospitals, and other health care stakeholders to work more closely together to better coordinate patient care through integrated goals and data sharing and to create team-based approaches that give a greater role to patients in health care decision-making. This approach aims to achieve better health outcomes at lower cost. The PCMH model emphasizes the central role of primary care and facilitation of partnerships between patient, physician, family, and other caregivers, and integrates this care along a spectrum that includes hospitals, specialty care, and nursing homes. Accountable care organizations make physicians and hospitals more accountable in the care system, emphasizing organizational integration and efficiencies coupled with outcome-oriented, performance-based medical strategies to improve the health of populations. The ACO model is meant to improve the value of health care services, controlling costs while improving quality as defined by outcomes, safety, and patient experience. This document urges adoption of the PCMH model and ACOs, but argues that in order for these new paradigms to succeed in the long term, all sectors with a stake in health care will need to become better aligned with them-including the employer community, which remains heavily invested in the health outcomes of millions of Americans. At present, ACOs are largely being developed as a part of the Medicare and Medicaid systems, and the PCMH model is still gathering

  18. NHETS - Estudo de Necrópsias de Pacientes Submetidos a Transplante Cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thiago Ninck Valette

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Fundamento: Discordâncias entre diagnóstico pre e post-mortem são relatadas na literatura, podendo variar de 4,1 a 49,8% dentre os casos encaminhados para exame necroscópico, com importante repercussão no tratamento dos pacientes. Objetivo: Analisar pacientes com óbito após o transplante cardíaco e confrontar os diagnósticos pre e post-mortem. Métodos: Por meio da revisão de prontuários, foram analisados dados clínicos, presença de comorbidades, esquema de imunossupressão, exames laboratoriais, causa clínica do óbito e causa do óbito à necrópsia. Foram confrontadas, então, a causa clínica e a causa necroscópica do óbito de cada paciente. Resultados: Foram analisados 48 óbitos submetidos à necrópsia no período de 2000 a 2010; 29 (60,4% tiveram diagnósticos clínico e necroscópico concordantes, 16 (33,3% tiveram diagnósticos discordantes e três (6,3% tiveram diagnóstico não esclarecido. Entre os discordantes, 15 (31,3% apresentaram possível impacto na sobrevida e um (2,1% não apresentou impacto na sobrevida. O principal diagnóstico clínico feito equivocadamente foi o de infecção, com cinco casos (26,7% dos discordantes, seguido por rejeição hiperaguda, com quatro casos (20% dos discordantes, e tromboembolismo pulmonar, com três casos (13,3% dos discordantes. Conclusão: Discordâncias entre o diagnóstico clínico e achados da necrópsia são comumente encontradas no transplante cardíaco. Novas estratégias no aperfeiçoamento do diagnóstico clínico devem ser introduzidas, considerando-se os resultados da necrópsia para melhoria do tratamento da insuficiência cardíaca por meio do transplante cardíaco.

  19. A short-term operating room surgery scheduling problem integrating multiple nurses roster constraints.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Wei; Yin, Jiao; Lim, Gino

    2015-02-01

    Operating room (OR) surgery scheduling determines the individual surgery's operation start time and assigns the required resources to each surgery over a schedule period, considering several constraints related to a complete surgery flow and the multiple resources involved. This task plays a decisive role in providing timely treatments for the patients while balancing hospital resource utilization. The originality of the present study is to integrate the surgery scheduling problem with real-life nurse roster constraints such as their role, specialty, qualification and availability. This article proposes a mathematical model and an ant colony optimization (ACO) approach to efficiently solve such surgery scheduling problems. A modified ACO algorithm with a two-level ant graph model is developed to solve such combinatorial optimization problems because of its computational complexity. The outer ant graph represents surgeries, while the inner graph is a dynamic resource graph. Three types of pheromones, i.e. sequence-related, surgery-related, and resource-related pheromone, fitting for a two-level model are defined. The iteration-best and feasible update strategy and local pheromone update rules are adopted to emphasize the information related to the good solution in makespan, and the balanced utilization of resources as well. The performance of the proposed ACO algorithm is then evaluated using the test cases from (1) the published literature data with complete nurse roster constraints, and 2) the real data collected from a hospital in China. The scheduling results using the proposed ACO approach are compared with the test case from both the literature and the real life hospital scheduling. Comparison results with the literature shows that the proposed ACO approach has (1) an 1.5-h reduction in end time; (2) a reduction in variation of resources' working time, i.e. 25% for ORs, 50% for nurses in shift 1 and 86% for nurses in shift 2; (3) an 0.25h reduction in

  20. Transient absorption spectroscopy in biology using the Super-ACO storage ring FEL and the synchrotron radiation combination

    CERN Document Server

    Renault, E; De Ninno, G; Garzella, D; Hirsch, M; Nahon, L; Nutarelli, D

    2001-01-01

    The Super-ACO storage ring FEL, covering the UV range down to 300 nm with a high average power (300 mW at 350 nm) together with a high stability and long lifetime, is a unique tool for the performance of users applications. We present here the first pump-probe two color experiments on biological species using a storage ring FEL coupled to the synchrotron radiation. The intense UV pulse of the Super-ACO FEL is used to prepare a high initial concentration of chromophores in their first singlet electronic excited state. The nearby bending magnet synchrotron radiation provides, on the other hand a pulsed, white light continuum (UV-IR), naturally synchronized with the FEL pulses and used to probe the photochemical subsequent events and the associated transient species. We have demonstrated the feasibility with a dye molecule (POPOP) observing a two-color effect, signature of excited state absorption and a temporal signature with Acridine. Applications on various chromophores of biological interest are carried out,...

  1. Acute Care of At-Risk Newborns (ACoRN: quantitative and qualitative educational evaluation of the program in a region of China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Singhal Nalini

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Acute Care of at-Risk Newborns (ACoRN program was developed in Canada for trained health care providers for the identification and management of newborns who are at-risk and/or become unwell in the first few hours or days after birth. The ACoRN process follows an 8-step framework that enables the evaluation and management of babies irrespective of the experience or expertise of the caregiving individual or team. This study assesses the applicability of the program to Chinese pediatric practitioners. Methods Course content and educational materials were translated from English into Chinese by bilingual neonatal practitioners. Confidence and knowledge questionnaires were developed and reviewed for face and content validity by a team of ACoRN instructors. Bilingual Chinese instructors were trained at the tertiary perinatal centre in Hangzhou Zhejiang to deliver the course at 15 level II county hospitals. Participants completed pre- and post-course confidence and knowledge questionnaires and provided feedback through post-course focus groups. Results 216 physicians and nurses were trained. Confidence and knowledge relating to neonatal stabilization improved significantly following the courses. Participants rated course utility and function between 4.2 and 4.6/5 on all items. Pre/post measures of confidence were significantly correlated with post course knowledge. Focus group data supported the perceived value of the program and recommended course adjustments to include pre-course reading, and increased content related to simulation, communication skills, and management of respiratory illness and jaundice. Conclusions ACoRN, a Canadian educational program, appears to be well received by Chinese health care providers and results in improved knowledge and confidence. International program adaptation for use by health care professionals requires structured and systematic evaluation to ensure that the program meets the needs of

  2. Doctors on deck. ACOs led by doctors seek to manage costs, quality and hospital relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Melanie

    2012-04-16

    Most of the first crop of ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program are owned and operated by physicians without formal participation of a hospital in the efforts to improve quality and curb costs. "There were some people who feared that the only entities that would participate would be hospital-dominated systems," says Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare Management at the CMS, left. "That has not happened".

  3. Transient absorption spectroscopy in biology using the Super-ACO storage ring FEL and the synchrotron radiation combination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renault, Eric; Nahon, Laurent; Garzella, David; Nutarelli, Daniele; De Ninno, Giovanni; Hirsch, Matthias; Couprie, Marie Emmanuelle

    2001-01-01

    The Super-ACO storage ring FEL, covering the UV range down to 300 nm with a high average power (300 mW at 350 nm) together with a high stability and long lifetime, is a unique tool for the performance of users applications. We present here the first pump-probe two color experiments on biological species using a storage ring FEL coupled to the synchrotron radiation. The intense UV pulse of the Super-ACO FEL is used to prepare a high initial concentration of chromophores in their first singlet electronic excited state. The nearby bending magnet synchrotron radiation provides, on the other hand a pulsed, white light continuum (UV-IR), naturally synchronized with the FEL pulses and used to probe the photochemical subsequent events and the associated transient species. We have demonstrated the feasibility with a dye molecule (POPOP) observing a two-color effect, signature of excited state absorption and a temporal signature with Acridine. Applications on various chromophores of biological interest are carried out, such as the time-resolved absorption study of the first excited state of Acridine

  4. Registro Español de Trasplante Cardíaco. XX Informe oficial de la sección de insuficiencia Cardíaca y Trasplante Cardíaco de la sociedad Española de Cardiología (1984-2008

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis Almenar Bonet

    2009-07-01

    Conclusiones: La supervivencia obtenida en España con el TC, sobre todo en los últimos años, sitúa al trasplante cardíaco como el tratamiento de elección para cardiopatías irreversibles en situación funcional avanzada y sin otras opciones médicas o quirúrgicas establecidas.

  5. Interacciones entre dispositivos cardíacos implantables y modalidades fisioterapéuticas: ¿Mito o realidad?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genevieve C. Digby

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available La fisioterapia se ha transformado en una especialidad que claramente incide en la calidad de vida de nuestros pacientes. En poblaciones añosas, el uso de fisioterapia incluye múltiples modalidades para un alto número de distintas enfermedades. Varios informes sobre posibles interacciones negativas entre las distintas modalidades de fisioterapia y los dispositivos cardíacos implantables (marcapasos y cardiodesfibriladores han sido publicados en los últimos aňos. A pesar de ello, existe muy poca evidencia y guías precisas para identificar cuáles son las modalidades de fisioterapia seguras a utilizar en esta población de pacientes. En la siguiente revisión, nos propusimos resumir las interacciones documentadas entre fisioterapia y dispositivos cardíacos implantables (DCI, discutir el estándar actual de estas prácticas e identificar las principales consideraciones que existen desde la perspectiva de un servicio de electrofisiología cardíaca, para el tratamiento adecuado en estos pacientes. Finalmente, abogamos por fortalecer la colaboración entre fisioterapeutas y electrofisiólogos, con el fin de asegurar una óptima y segura atención de este grupo de pacientes.

  6. Manejo de las dislipidemias en pacientes cardíacos trasplantados. Hallazgos sobre nuevos factores de riesgo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter Masson

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available En pacientes cardíacos trasplantados, el desarrollo de enfermedad vascular coronaria es una complicación frecuente y la dislipidemia es uno de los predictores más importantes. Los inmunosupresores predisponen a las dislipidemias y dificultan la utilización de hipolipemiantes. En este grupo particular de pacientes se recomienda alcanzar las metas terapéuticas de prevención secundaria. Las estatinas son los hipolipemiantes de elección. No existen recomendaciones claras sobre nuevos factores de riesgo, como la homocisteína y la lipoproteína (a [Lp(a].Con el objetivo de conocer el perfil lipídico, la prevalencia de homocisteinemia y de Lp(a elevadas, el cumplimiento de las metas terapéuticas y la tolerancia a la medicación, se incluyeron en el estudio 23 pacientes cardíacos trasplantados. Los resultados mostraron que el cumplimiento de las metas lipídicas fue aceptable y que el 65% recibía tratamiento hipolipemiante. El uso de estatinas fue seguro. Se encontró una prevalencia alta de homocisteína y Lp(a elevadas. Su implicación en la modificación del tratamiento se desconoce.

  7. Mensuração do tamanho cardíaco em radiografias de gatos com hipertireoidismo experimental

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mauro José Lahm Cardoso

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available O hipertireoidismo felino ou tireotoxicose é a doença endócrina mais freqüente em gatos domésticos. O hipertireoidismo felino é uma desordem multissistêmica associada com aumento das concentrações dos hormônios tireoidianos circulantes, triidotironina (T3 e tiroxina (T4. Anormalidades cardiovasculares em gatos com hipertireoidismo espontâneo já foram bem descritas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a mensuração cardíaca em 19 gatos submetidos a tireotoxicose experimental, utilizando o "vertebral heart size" (VHS. A mensuração utilizando o VHS foi realizada a partir de radiografias torácicas lateral, dorsoventral e ventrodorsal. As radiografias torácicas laterais foram mais eficazes do que as ventrodorsal e dorsoventral em ilustrar o aumento progressivo do coração. O VHS é um método fácil de ser usado, permitindo a avaliação do tamanho cardíaco em gatos hipertireóideos, e facilita a identificação de cardiomegalia e progressão do tamanho cardíaco.

  8. Structuring payment to medical homes after the affordable care act.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Samuel T; Abrams, Melinda K; Baron, Richard J; Berenson, Robert A; Rich, Eugene C; Rosenthal, Gary E; Rosenthal, Meredith B; Landon, Bruce E

    2014-10-01

    The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a leading model of primary care reform, a critical element of which is payment reform for primary care services. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) has emerged as a model of delivery system reform, and while there is theoretical alignment between the PCMH and ACOs, the discussion of physician payment within each model has remained distinct. Here we compare payment for medical homes with that for accountable care organizations, consider opportunities for integration, and discuss implications for policy makers and payers considering ACO models. The PCMH and ACO are complementary approaches to reformed care delivery: the PCMH ultimately requires strong integration with specialists and hospitals as seen under ACOs, and ACOs likely will require a high functioning primary care system as embodied by the PCMH. Aligning payment incentives within the ACO will be critical to achieving this integration and enhancing the care coordination role of primary care in these settings.

  9. Sedação com sufentanil e clonidina em pacientes submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco Sedación con sufentanil y clonidina en pacientes sometidos a cateterismo cardíaco Sedation with sufentanil and clonidine in patients undergoing heart catheterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita Perpetua Carvalho Rocha

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A sedação para a realização de cateterismo cardíaco tem sido alvo de preocupação. Benzodiazepínicos, agonistas alfa-2 adrenérgicos e opioides são utilizados para esse fim, entretanto, cada um destes medicamentos possui vantagens e desvantagens. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a eficácia do sufentanil e da clonidina como sedativos em pacientes submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco, observando o impacto dos mesmos sobre os parâmetros hemodinâmicos e respiratórios, a presença de efeitos colaterais, além da satisfação do paciente e do hemodinamicista com o exame. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um ensaio clínico prospectivo, duplo-cego, randomizado e controlado, que envolveu 60 pacientes que receberam 0,1 µg/kg de sufentanil ou 0,5 µg/kg de clonidina antes da realização do cateterismo cardíaco. O escore de sedação segundo a escala de Ramsay, a necessidade de utilização de midazolam, os efeitos colaterais, os parâmetros hemodinâmicos e respiratórios foram registrados, sendo os dados analisados em 06 diferentes momentos. RESULTADOS: O comportamento da pressão arterial, da frequência cardíaca e da frequência respiratória foi semelhante nos dois grupos, entretanto, no momento 2, os pacientes do grupo sufentanil (Grupo S apresentaram menor escore de sedação segundo a escala de Ramsay, e a saturação periférica da oxihemoglobina foi menor que o grupo clonidina (Grupo C no momento 6. Os pacientes do Grupo S apresentaram maior incidência de náusea e vômito pós-operatório que os pacientes do Grupo C. A satisfação dos pacientes foi maior no grupo clonidina. Os hemodinamicistas mostraram-se satisfeitos nos dois grupos. CONCLUSÃO: O sufentanil e a clonidina foram efetivos como sedativos em pacientes submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco.FUNDAMENTO: La sedación para la realización de cateterismo cardíaco ha sido blanco de preocupación. Benzodiazepínicos, agonistas alfa-2 adrenérgicos y opioides son utilizados para ese fin

  10. Evaluation of welding by MIG in martensitic stainless steel; Avaliacao da soldagem pelo processo MIG em aco inoxidavel martensitico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandes, M.A. [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil); Mariano, N.A.; Marinho, D.H.C. Marinho, E-mail: neideaparecidamariano@gmail.co [Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL), Pocos de Caldas, MG (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    This work evaluated structure's characterization and mechanical properties after the welding process of the stainless steel CA6NM. The employed welding process was the metal active gas with tubular wire. The control of the thermal cycle in the welding process has fundamental importance regarding the properties of the welded joint, particularly in the thermally affected zone. The mechanical properties were appraised through impact resistance tests and the hardness and microstructure through metallographic characterization and Ray-X diffraction. The parameters and the process of welding used promoted the hardness and toughness appropriate to the applications of the steel. Welding energy's control becomes an essential factor that can affect the temperature of carbide precipitation and the nucleation of the retained austenite in the in the region of the in the thermally affected zone. (author)

  11. Multi-criteria ACO-based Algorithm for Ship’s Trajectory Planning

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    Agnieszka Lazarowska

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents a new approach for solving a path planning problem for ships in the environment with static and dynamic obstacles. The algorithm utilizes a heuristic method, classified to the group of Swarm Intelligence approaches, called the Ant Colony Optimization. The method is inspired by a collective behaviour of ant colonies. A group of agents - artificial ants searches through the solution space in order to find a safe, optimal trajectory for a ship. The problem is considered as a multi-criteria optimization task. The criteria taken into account during problem solving are: path safety, path length, the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs compliance and path smoothness. The paper includes the description of the new multi-criteria ACO-based algorithm along with the presentation and discussion of simulation tests results.

  12. A cena constituinte da psicose maníaco-depressiva no Brasil The emergence of manic depressive psychosis as a diagnosis in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joel Birman

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available A intenção deste ensaio é esboçar a leitura da psicose maníaco-depressiva no Brasil, no começo do século XX. Destaca a transformação teórica ocorrida na psiquiatria brasileira, que se deslocou da tradição francesa para a alemã. Sublinha o modo como a problemática da histeria foi substituída pela da psicose maníaco-depressiva nesse contexto histórico.This essay examines the early twentieth-century interpretation of manic depressive psychosis in Brazil, during a moment when Brazilian psychiatry witnessed a theoretical shift from the French to German traditions. It calls special attention to how the problem of hysteria was replaced by manic depressive psychosis within this historical context.

  13. Accountable Care Organizations and Transaction Cost Economics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mick, Stephen S Farnsworth; Shay, Patrick D

    2016-12-01

    Using a Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) approach, this paper explores which organizational forms Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) may take. A critical question about form is the amount of vertical integration that an ACO may have, a topic central to TCE. We posit that contextual factors outside and inside an ACO will produce variable transaction costs (the non-production costs of care) such that the decision to integrate vertically will derive from a comparison of these external versus internal costs, assuming reasonably rational management abilities. External costs include those arising from environmental uncertainty and complexity, small numbers bargaining, asset specificity, frequency of exchanges, and information "impactedness." Internal costs include those arising from human resource activities including hiring and staffing, training, evaluating (i.e., disciplining, appraising, or promoting), and otherwise administering programs. At the extreme, these different costs may produce either total vertical integration or little to no vertical integration with most ACOs falling in between. This essay demonstrates how TCE can be applied to the ACO organization form issue, explains TCE, considers ACO activity from the TCE perspective, and reflects on research directions that may inform TCE and facilitate ACO development. © The Author(s) 2016.

  14. Autotransplante cardíaco: um novo método no tratamento de problemas cardíacos complexos Heart autotransplantation: a new technique to complex intracardiac reppairs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randas J. V Batista

    1995-06-01

    Full Text Available No período de janeiro de 1990 a maio de 1995 foram operados com a técnica do autotransplante cardíaco 92 pacientes com cardiopatias complexas e arritmias supraventriculares, principalmente fibrilação atrial (n=89, reentrada (n=2, QT longo (n=1. O sexo feminino predominou (n=63. A idade variou de 18 a 76 anos (m=43. Os defeitos concomitantes foram: átrio esquerdo gigante (medido pelo ecocardiograma > 6 cm (n=65; átrio direito gigante (n=9; átrio esquerdo aumentado (4 cm (n=23; estenose mitral (n=46; insuficiência mitral (n=28; dupla lesão mitral (n=16; estenose aórtica (n=12; insuficiência aórtica (n=5; insuficiência tricúspide (n=78; trombose atrial (n=23; calcificação atrial (n=12; hipertensão pulmonar (n=86; fibroelastose biventricular (n=3; rotura atrioventricular (pós-troca de valva mitral (n=1; aneurisma da raiz aórtica (n=1; ventriculectomia parcial (n=8; 88 pacientes saíram do centro cirúrgico em ritmo sinusal e assim permaneceram; 6 precisaram de drogas inotrópicas e 3 de drogas antiarrítmicas. Todos os pacientes que apresentavam átrio esquerdo ou direito gigante com fibrilação atrial tiveram seus átrios reduzidos ao tamanho normal. Não houve mortalidade operatória e 6 evoluíram a óbito hospitalar. Na reavaliação aos seis meses de pós-operatório, os sobreviventes estavam bem, em ritmo sinusal. A técnica do autotransplante cardíaco facilita o reparo intracardíaco, proporciona a redução atrial e conseqüente retorno do paciente ao ritmo sinusal e abre novas perspectivas.From January 1990 to May 1995,92 patients with complex cardiac problems and supraventricular arrhythmias were operated upon with the technique of heart autotransplantation. The arrhythmias were: atrial fibrillation (n=89; reentry (n=2; long QT syndrome (n=1. Females predominated (n=63. The age varied from 18 to 76 years (m=43. Concomittant defects were: giant left atrium (> 6 cm measured by echo (n=65; giant right atrium (n=9; large

  15. CO2 Measurements from Space: Lessons Learned from the Collaboration between the ACOS/OCO-2 and GOSAT Teams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crisp, D.; Eldering, A.; Gunson, M. R.

    2012-12-01

    The NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) and the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) were the first two missions designed to collect space-based observations of the column-averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction, XCO2, with the sensitivity, coverage, and resolution needed to quantify CO2 fluxes on regional scales over the globe. The OCO and GOSAT teams formed a close collaboration during the development phases of these missions. After the loss of OCO, the GOSAT project team invited the OCO team to contribute to the analysis of measurements collected by the GOSAT Thermal And Near infrared Sensor for carbon Observations-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO-FTS). NASA responded by reformulating the OCO science team under the Atmospheric CO2 Observations from Space (ACOS) task to exploit this opportunity. This collaboration is providing an independent GOSAT XCO2 product, and valuable insights into the retrieval algorithms, calibration methods, and validation techniques that are being developed to analyze data anticipated the NASA Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2). The ACOS/OCO-2 and GOSAT teams have conducted four, joint, vicarious calibration campaigns at Railroad Valley, Nevada to track the long-term radiometric performance of the TANSO-FTS instrument. The methods used in these campaigns evolved from those used to characterize the radiometric performance of high spatial resolution, imaging spectroradiometers. For TANSO-FTS, the conventional, surface based radiometric measurements have been augmented with surface and aircraft measurements of atmospheric temperature and trace gas profiles, as well as surface observations from MODIS and ASTER to characterize spatial variations of the surface reflectance within the (relatively large) sounding footprints. Similar methods will be needed for OCO-2. The ACOS/OCO-2 retrieval algorithm and associated data screening methods have been modified to estimate XCO2 from TANSO-FTS observations. Comparisons of TANSO

  16. Quantificação de tecido conjuntivo do músculo cardíaco de cães

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hildebrando Gomes Benedicto

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, estudar a proporção de tecido conjuntivo existente na fração ventricular direita e esquerda do músculo cardíaco de cães, buscando, através da morfometria, dados referentes a inter-relação entre o tecido conjuntivo e o tecido muscular cardíaco, para o conhecimento das relações anátomo-funcionais da estrutura cardíaca, característica de determinados processos ligados a diminuição do trabalho do órgão. Utilizou-se 6 corações de cães SRD, machos e fêmeas, com idade entre 48 e 150 meses, pesando entre 18 e 30 Kg, sem alterações cardíacas, confirmado mediante exames eletrocardiográfico e ecocardiográfico. Preparou-se o material oriundo de três regiões ventriculares em relação a sua base, proximal, média e distal, tanto da face direita quanto da esquerda, segundo as técnicas histológicas convencionais e corados com Picrosirius red, Fucsina-Paraldeido e Tricromo de Gomori, para evidenciação das fibras conjuntivas. As lâminas foram analisadas com auxílio do Axioscópio Zeiss acoplado ao programa de análise de imagens KS-400 Zeiss. A quantidade de tecido conjuntivo no Ventrículo Esquerdo variou de 0,44 a 26,26%; no Ventrículo Direito variou de 0,97 a 21,18%; no ápice variou de 1,32 a 29,24% e no septo interventricular variou de 5,41 a 11,24%. Os resultados obtidos mostram que há uma complexa rede de fibras conjuntivas envolvendo as fibras do tecido muscular cardíaco e que sua quantidade e disposição é muito variada, dependendo da região estudada.

  17. Changes in health care spending and quality for Medicare beneficiaries associated with a commercial ACO contract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McWilliams, J Michael; Landon, Bruce E; Chernew, Michael E

    2013-08-28

    In a multipayer system, new payment incentives implemented by one insurer for an accountable care organization (ACO) may also affect spending and quality of care for another insurer's enrollees served by the ACO. Such spillover effects reflect the extent of organizational efforts to reform care delivery and can contribute to the net impact of ACOs. We examined whether the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts' Alternative Quality Contract (AQC), an early commercial ACO initiative associated with reduced spending and improved quality for BCBS enrollees, was also associated with changes in spending and quality for Medicare beneficiaries, who were not covered by the AQC. Quasi-experimental comparisons from 2007-2010 of elderly fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in Massachusetts (1,761,325 person-years) served by 11 provider organizations entering the AQC in 2009 or 2010 (intervention group) vs beneficiaries served by other providers (control group). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we estimated changes in spending and quality for the intervention group in the first and second years of exposure to the AQC relative to concurrent changes for the control group. Regression and propensity score methods were used to adjust for differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The primary outcome was total quarterly medical spending per beneficiary. Secondary outcomes included spending by setting and type of service, 5 process measures of quality, potentially avoidable hospitalizations, and 30-day readmissions. Before entering the AQC, total quarterly spending per beneficiary for the intervention group was $150 (95% CI, $25-$274) higher than for the control group and increased at a similar rate. In year 2 of the intervention group's exposure to the AQC, this difference was reduced to $51 (95% CI, -$109 to $210; P = .53), constituting a significant differential change of -$99 (95% CI, -$183 to -$16; P = .02) or a 3.4% savings

  18. Avaliação da doença vascular do enxerto no transplante cardíaco: experiência de um centro brasileiro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elide Sbardellotto Mariano da Costa

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O transplante cardíaco continua sendo o tratamento de escolha para a insuficiência cardíaca refratária ao tratamento otimizado. Dois métodos diagnósticos apresentam elevada sensibilidade no diagnóstico de episódios de rejeição ao enxerto e Doença Vascular do Enxerto (DVE, causas importantes de mortalidade no pós-transplante. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a relação entre os resultados do ultrassom intracoronariano (USIV e os laudos das biópsias endomiocárdicas (BX no seguimento de pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco em um serviço de referência brasileiro. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um ensaio epidemiológico retrospectivo observacional, com pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco ortotópico, no período de 2000 a 2009. Foram analisados os prontuários desses pacientes e os resultados dos USIV e BX realizados rotineiramente no seguimento clínico pós-transplante e terapêutica em uso. RESULTADOS: Dos 77 pacientes analisados, 63,63% são do sexo masculino, nas faixas etárias de 22 a 69 anos. Quanto aos resultados dos USIV, 33,96% foram classificados em Stanford classe I, e 32,08%, como Stanford IV. Dos 143 laudos das biópsias, 51,08% tiveram resultado 1R, 3R em 0,69% dos laudos, e 14,48% apresentaram a descrição de efeito Quilty. Todos usaram antiproliferativos, 80,51% usaram inibidores da calcineurina e 19,48% usaram inibidores do sinal de proliferação (ISP. CONCLUSÃO: A avaliação dos pacientes pós-transplante cardíaco por meio do USIV incorpora informações detalhadas para o diagnóstico precoce e sensível da DVE, que são complementadas pelas informações histológicas fornecidas pelas BX, estabelecendo uma possível relação causal entre a DVE e os episódios de rejeição humoral.

  19. Imunodepressão induzida por talidomida e ciclosporina em transplante cardíaco heterotópico de coelho

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Batista Vieira de Carvalho

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: A talidomida, por seus efeitos antiinflamatórios e imunodepressores, tem sido utilizada no tratamento de doenças dermatológicas e na doença enxerto-contra-hospedeiro no transplante de medula óssea. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a ação deste medicamento como imunodepressor em transplante de órgãos, estudando sua ação isoladamente ou em combinação com a ciclosporina na prevenção da rejeição ao aloenxerto cardíaco heterotópico em coelho. MÉTODO: Foram utilizados 50 coelhos, sendo 25 doadores e 25 receptores.Os animais receptores foram subdivididos em cinco grupos (n= 5 : Grupo I (controle animais não-imunodeprimidos; Grupo II (imunodeprimidos com ciclosporina na dose de 10 mg/kg/dia; Grupo III (imunodeprimidos com talidomida na dose de 100 mg/kg/dia; Grupo IV (imunodeprimidos com ciclosporina na dose de 5,0 mg/kg/dia e Grupo V (imunodeprimidos com ciclosporina na dose de 5,0 mg/kg/dia associada a talidomida na dose de 50 mg/kg/dia. Os medicamentos foram administrados através de cateter orogástrico, a partir do dia anterior ao transplante. RESULTADOS: O coração do doador foi implantado no abdome dos receptores. A associação de talidomida e ciclosporina apresentou o menor escore histopatológico de rejeição (p < 0,05. Observou-se que a talidomida empregada isoladamente ou associada à ciclosporina foi efetiva contra a rejeição, aumentando a sobrevida (p < 0,01 de animais submetidos ao transplante cardíaco heterotópico em posição abdominal. CONCLUSÕES: A talidomida empregada isoladamente, ou associada à ciclosporina, pode representar uma opção de imunodepressão em transplantes cardíaco heterotópico experimental de coelho.

  20. Manejo de las dislipidemias en pacientes cardíacos trasplantados. Hallazgos sobre nuevos factores de riesgo

    OpenAIRE

    Walter Masson; Norberto Vulcano; Sandra Fernández; Alberto Domenech; Ricardo Marenchino; Daniel Bracco; César Belziti

    2008-01-01

    En pacientes cardíacos trasplantados, el desarrollo de enfermedad vascular coronaria es una complicación frecuente y la dislipidemia es uno de los predictores más importantes. Los inmunosupresores predisponen a las dislipidemias y dificultan la utilización de hipolipemiantes. En este grupo particular de pacientes se recomienda alcanzar las metas terapéuticas de prevención secundaria. Las estatinas son los hipolipemiantes de elección. No existen recomendaciones claras sobre nuevos factores de ...

  1. Manejo de las dislipidemias en pacientes cardíacos trasplantados: Hallazgos sobre nuevos factores de riesgo

    OpenAIRE

    Masson, Walter; Vulcano, Norberto; Fernández, Sandra; Domenech, Alberto; Marenchino, Ricardo; Braccomtsac, Daniel; Belziti, César

    2008-01-01

    En pacientes cardíacos trasplantados, el desarrollo de enfermedad vascular coronaria es una complicación frecuente y la dislipidemia es uno de los predictores más importantes. Los inmunosupresores predisponen a las dislipidemias y dificultan la utilización de hipolipemiantes. En este grupo particular de pacientes se recomienda alcanzar las metas terapéuticas de prevención secundaria. Las estatinas son los hipolipemiantes de elección. No existen recomendaciones claras sobre nuevos factores de ...

  2. Transfer function fitting using a continuous Ant Colony Optimization (ACO algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Reineix

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available An original approach is proposed in order to achieve the  fitting of ultra-wideband complex frequency functions, such  as the complex impedances, by using the so-called ACO  (Ant Colony Optimization methods. First, we present the  optimization principle of ACO, which originally was  dedicated to the combinatorial problems. Further on, the  extension to the continuous and mixed problems is  explained in more details. The interest in this approach is  proved by its ability to define practical constraints and  objectives, such as minimizing the number of filters used in  the model with respect to a fixed relative error. Finally, the  establishment of the model for the first and second order  filter types illustrates the power of the method and its  interest for the time-domain electromagnetic computation.

  3. Physician Competition in the Era of Accountable Care Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richards, Michael R; Smith, Catherine T; Graves, Amy J; Buntin, Melinda B; Resnick, Matthew J

    2018-04-01

    To calculate physician concentration levels for all U.S. markets using detailed data on integration and accountable care organization (ACO) participation. 2015 SK&A office-based physician survey linked to all commercial and public payer ACOs. We construct three separate Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) measures and plot their distributions. We then investigate how prevailing levels of concentration change when incorporating more detailed organizational features into the HHI measure. Horizontal and vertical integration strongly influences measures of physician concentration; however, ACOs have limited impact overall. ACOs are often present in competitive markets, and only in a minority of these markets do ACOs substantively increase physician concentration. Monitoring ACO effects on physician competition will likely have to proceed on a case-by-case basis. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  4. Validation of the concept Risk for Decreased Cardiac Output Validación del concepto riesgo de débito cardiaco disminuido Validação do conceito risco de débito cardíaco diminuído

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduarda Ribeiro dos Santos

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: to validate the concept "risk for decreased cardiac output". METHOD: Six of the eight steps suggested in the technique developed by Walker & Avant were adopted to analyze the concept of the phenomenon under study and the proposal made by Hoskins was used for content validation, taking into account agreement achieved among five experts. RESULTS: the concept "decreased cardiac output" was found in the nursing and medical fields and refers to the heart's pumping capacity while the concept "risk" is found in a large number of disciplines. In regard to the defining attributes, "impaired pumping capacity" was the main attribute of decreased cardiac output and "probability" was the main attribute of risk. The uses and defining attributes of the concepts "decreased cardiac output" and "risk" were analyzed as well as their antecedent and consequent events in order to establish the definition of "risk for decreased cardiac output", which was validated by 100% of the experts. CONCLUSION: The obtained data indicate that the risk for decreased cardiac output phenomenon can be a nursing diagnosis and refining it can contribute to the advancement of nursing classifications in this context.OBJETIVO: Validar el concepto riesgo del débito cardíaco disminuido. MÉTODO: Fue adoptada la técnica de Walker & Avant para analizar la definición del fenómeno enfocado, utilizando seis de las ocho etapas sugeridas y la propuesta de Hoskins para validar el contenido, considerándose la conformidad entre cinco expertos. RESULTADOS: el concepto de debito cardíaco disminuido se encuentra en las áreas enfermería y médica y su atención se centra en la capacidad de bombeo del corazón. Sin embargo, el concepto de riesgo es presente en un gran número de áreas. Las características definitorias de la disminución del gasto cardíaco mostraron como principal atributo deficiencia de la bomba cardiaca y, para el riesgo, el atributo de probabilidad. Analizados

  5. Taponamiento cardíaco secundario a carcinoma papilar esclerosante difuso de tiroides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verónica Riva

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available El carcinoma papilar, variante esclerosante difusa, corresponde al 2% de todos los carcinomas papilares de la tiroides. Se caracteriza por comprometer de manera difusa y bilateral a la glándula tiroides. Clínicamente se manifiesta con metástasis ganglionares y pulmonares, afectando predominantemente a mujeres jóvenes. Se describe un caso de taponamiento cardíaco como presentación inicial de un carcinoma papilar de tiroides variante esclerosante difusa. Una mujer de 32 años concurrió al servicio de emergencias médicas refiriendo epigastralgia y tos seca. Durante el examen físico se constató hipotensión arterial, taquicardia y ruidos cardíacos disminuidos. Se realizó un ecocardiograma, observándose derrame pericárdico. Por medio de una pericardiocentesis se obtuvo líquido pericárdico, cuyo análisis mostró células neoplásicas. Durante la evolución la paciente presentó recurrencia del derrame pericárdico por lo que se realizó una ventana pleuropericárdica, detectándose durante la cirugía una lesión nodular subpleural, la cual fue biopsiada e informada posteriormente como una metástasis de carcinoma papilar vinculable a origen tiroideo. Se realizó una tiroidectomía total con linfadenectomía cervical bilateral. El diagnóstico final fue carcinoma papilar, variante esclerosante difusa. Esta variante infiltra el tejido conectivo de los espacios interfoliculares, simulando una tiroiditis y se caracteriza por una permeación vascular temprana. En oposición a la variante clásica, la esclerosante difusa presenta mayor agresividad y mayor tasa de recurrencia. El carcinoma papilar de tiroides debe tenerse presente como diagnóstico diferencial en nuestro medio, en todas aquellas lesiones neoplásicas papilares metastásicas, más aún si se trata de mujeres jóvenes.

  6. Qualidade de vida de pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco: aplicação da escala Whoqol-Bref Calidad de vida de pacientes sometidos a transplante cardíaco: aplicación de la escala Whoqol-Bref Quality of life of patients that had a heart transplant: application of Whoqol-Bref scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Isis Freire de Aguiar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O sucesso do transplante cardíaco significa garantir a sobrevida dos pacientes com cardiopatia e permitir-lhes desenvolver suas atividades diárias. O transplante cardíaco apresenta-se como a primeira opção de tratamento na falência cardíaca, representando um aumento de sobrevida e qualidade de vida dos transplantados. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco através da aplicação de uma escala padronizada (Whoqol-Bref. MÉTODOS: Estudo exploratório descritivo de abordagem quantitativa, realizado com 55 pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco, em um período entre o terceiro e o 103º mês, que realizam acompanhamento na Unidade de Transplante e Insuficiência Cardíaca em um Hospital de Referência em Cardiologia na cidade de Fortaleza, CE. Os dados foram coletados no período de fevereiro a abril de 2009, por meio da aplicação de um questionário padronizado pela Organização Mundial da Saúde e utilização de dados constantes nos prontuários. RESULTADOS: Com relação ao domínio físico, 62,8% e 58,3% dos pacientes, dos sexos masculino e feminino, respectivamente, estão satisfeitos. No domínio psicológico, dentre pacientes do sexo masculino, 65,1% apresentam satisfação quanto à qualidade de vida e, no sexo feminino, 58,3% encontram-se satisfeitas. No domínio das relações sociais, observou-se que, no sexo masculino, 53,5% estão muito satisfeitos, e apresentou-se um nível de satisfação de 100% no sexo feminino. No domínio do meio ambiente, 65,1% do sexo masculino encontram-se satisfeitos, e no sexo feminino, 83,3% estão satisfeitas. CONCLUSÃO: O transplante cardíaco teve bastante influência na qualidade de vida dos pacientes transplantados, pois os resultados mostram-se estatisticamente significantes no pós-transplante.FUNDAMENTO: El éxito del transplante cardíaco significa garantizar la sobrevida de los pacientes con cardiopatía y permitirles

  7. Quantifying Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Solar Radiation over the Northeast China Based on ACO-BPNN Model and Intensity Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangqian Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Reliable information on the spatiotemporal dynamics of solar radiation plays a crucial role in studies relating to global climate change. In this study, a new backpropagation neural network (BPNN model optimized with an Ant Colony Optimization (ACO algorithm was developed to generate the ACO-BPNN model, which had demonstrated superior performance for simulating solar radiation compared to traditional BPNN modelling, for Northeast China. On this basis, we applied an intensity analysis to investigate the spatiotemporal variation of solar radiation from 1982 to 2010 over the study region at three levels: interval, category, and conversion. Research findings revealed that (1 the solar radiation resource in the study region increased from the 1980s to the 2000s and the average annual rate of variation from the 1980s to the 1990s was lower than that from the 1990s to the 2000s and (2 the gains and losses of solar radiation at each level were in different conditions. The poor, normal, and comparatively abundant levels were transferred to higher levels, whereas the abundant level was transferred to lower levels. We believe our findings contribute to implementing ad hoc energy management strategies to optimize the use of solar radiation resources and provide scientific suggestions for policy planning.

  8. Cardiac beta-receptors in experimental Chagas' disease Receptores beta cardíacos na doença de Chagas experimental

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julio E. Enders

    1995-02-01

    Full Text Available Experimental Chagas' disease (45 to 90 days post-infection showed serious cardiac alterations in the contractility and in the pharmacological response to beta adrenergic receptors in normal and T. cruzi infected mice (post-acute phase. Chagasic infection did not change the beta receptors density (78.591 ± 3.125 fmol/mg protein and 73.647 ± 2.194 fmol/mg protein for controls but their affinity was significantly diminished (Kd = 7.299 ± 0.426 nM and Kd = 3.759 ± 0.212 nM for the control p Estudaram-se os receptores beta cardíacos de camundongos infectados pelo Trypanosoma cruzi na fase pós-aguda da doença de Chagas para estabelecer em que medida os mesmos contribuem a gerar respostas anômalas às catecolaminas observadas nestes miocardios. Utilizara-se 3-H/DHA para a marcação dos receptores beta cardíacos dos camundongos normais e dos infectados na fase pós-aguda (45 a 90 dias pós-infecção. O número dos sítios de fixação foi similar nos dois grupos, 78.591 ± 3.125 fmol/mg. Proteína nos chagásicos e 73.647 ± 2.194 fmol/mg. Proteína no grupo controle. Em vez disso, a afinidade verificou-se significativamente diminuida no grupo chagásico (Kd = 7.299 ± 0.426 nM respeito do controle (Kd = 3.759 ± 0.212 nM p < 0.001. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que as modificações observadas na estimulação adrenérgica do miocárdio chagásico se correlacionam com a menor afinidade dos receptores beta cardíacos e que estas alterações exerceriam uma parte determinante para as consequências funcionais que são detectadas na fase crônica.

  9. Avaliação do sopro cardíaco na infância Assessment of heart murmurs in childhood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Elisabeth B.A. Kobinger

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: discutir a avaliação clínica e laboratorial do sopro cardíaco, considerando sua alta freqüência no atendimento ambulatorial do pediatra geral. FONTE DE DADOS: revisão baseada na análise crítica da literatura atual e consulta a compêndios de cardiologia pediátrica e pediatria contendo informações básicas sobre o tema. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: os principais destaques do artigo referem-se à importância da anamnese e exame físico do sistema cardiovascular, essenciais para o pediatra geral diagnosticar o sopro cardíaco inocente, e identificar situações que indiquem a ocorrência de cardiopatias congênitas, ou adquiridas, e a necessidade de encaminhamento ao especialista. CONCLUSÕES: o pediatra geral é geralmente o primeiro médico a detectar um sopro cardíaco e deve estar apto a reconhecer o sopro inocente, assim como a suspeitar precocemente de doenças cardiovasculares.OBJECTIVE: to discuss clinical and laboratorial evaluation of heart murmurs in children, an important problem faced by pediatricians in their practice. SOURCES OF DATA: this review was based on a critical analysis of the current literature, as well as pediatrics and pediatric cardiology textbooks, which were found to be an important source of information on the subject. SUMMARY OS THE FINDINGS: it is important for pediatricians to know how to obtain precise information regarding the patient's medical history and to perform extensive physical examination of a child with heart murmur. The diagnosis of innocent heart murmur is essentially clinical and it can help the pediatrician to identify situations which are associated with cardiovascular diseases. CONCLUSIONS: in our series, short-term video-EEG monitoring established a reliable diagnosis in most patients due to correlation between clinical and EEG data. This procedure was well tolerated by children, including infants and those with psychiatric disorders.

  10. Trasplante cardíaco en pacientes con enfermedad de Chagas. Experiencia de un único centro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo Inácio Fiorelli

    2011-07-01

    Conclusiones: El trasplante cardíaco es el único tratamiento actual eficaz de tratamiento de la enfermedad de Chagas en fase terminal. La reactivación de la enfermedad es un problema real que es fácilmente revertido con la introducción de la terapéutica farmacológica específica, restaurando los padrones histológicos del miocardio sin dejar secuelas. La inmunosupresión, en especial los corticoides, predisponen al desarrollo de neoplasias y a la reactivación de la enfermedad, exigiendo una atención especial su interrupción o reducción precoz.

  11. Correção simultânea de defeito congênito intracardíaco e pectus excavatum Simultaneous repair of congenital heart defect and pectus excavatum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Roberto Breda

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Relatamos tratamento simultâneo de pectus excavatum e defeito congênito intracardíaco representado por comunicação interatrial ostium secundum. Paciente do sexo masculino, 8 anos de idade, com diagnóstico clínico e ecocardiográfico de comunicação interatrial, associada à deformidade da parede torácica tipo pectus excavatum. Foi encaminhado para operação com correção simultânea do defeito congênito intracardíaco associado ao reparo do pectus. O tratamento operatório simultâneo do pectus excavatum e defeitos congênitos intracardíacos torna difícil o acesso ao coração. Foi feita a correção simultânea dessas alterações, com satisfatório resultado, sobretudo estético, para o paciente.The author describes the simultaneous treatment of pectus excavatum and congenital intracardiac defect (atrial septal defect represented by the interatrial foramen secundum. An 8-year-old boy, with clinical and echocardiography diagnosis of atrial septal defect associated with pectus excavatum was referred to a simultaneous surgical treatment of both abnormalities. The simultaneous surgical treatment of both pectus excavatum and congenital intracardiac defects make it difficult to access the heart. In this case, the simultaneous surgical treatment of atrial septal defect and pectus excavatum was a valuable alternative to surgical repair of both abnormalities, mainly due to its cosmetic outcome.

  12. Integrating geological uncertainty in long-term open pit mine production planning by ant colony optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilani, Seyed-Omid; Sattarvand, Javad

    2016-02-01

    Meeting production targets in terms of ore quantity and quality is critical for a successful mining operation. In-situ grade uncertainty causes both deviations from production targets and general financial deficits. A new stochastic optimization algorithm based on ant colony optimization (ACO) approach is developed herein to integrate geological uncertainty described through a series of the simulated ore bodies. Two different strategies were developed based on a single predefined probability value (Prob) and multiple probability values (Pro bnt) , respectively in order to improve the initial solutions that created by deterministic ACO procedure. Application at the Sungun copper mine in the northwest of Iran demonstrate the abilities of the stochastic approach to create a single schedule and control the risk of deviating from production targets over time and also increase the project value. A comparison between two strategies and traditional approach illustrates that the multiple probability strategy is able to produce better schedules, however, the single predefined probability is more practical in projects requiring of high flexibility degree.

  13. Tumores cardíacos: 10 anos de experiência

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    Antônio Augusto MIANA

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo: Avaliar a experiência cirúrgica do grupo no tratamento dos tumores cardíacos durante o período de janeiro de 1985 a dezembro de 1994. Casuística e Métodos: De um total de 2268 cirurgias cardíacas com circulação extracorpórea realizadas neste período de 10 anos, 6 foram para extirpação de tumores intracavitários, perfazendo 0,26% dos casos. Destes, 3 eram mixomas de átrio esquerdo, 1 fibroelastoma papilar de valva mitral, 1 rabdomioma de ventrículo esquerdo e 1 fibroma de ventrículo esquerdo. A forma clínica de apresentação foi embolia sistêmica (3 casos ou insuficiência cardíaca (3 casos. O diagnóstico foi ecocardiográfico (5 casos e angiográfico (6 casos. Resultados: Todos os pacientes tiveram evolução imediata favorável, exceto 1 deles, com mixoma de átrio equerdo, que evoluiu com mediastinite e septicemia, vindo a falecer e constituindo o único óbito hospitalar. O seguimento pós-operatório tardio, obtido em 4 pacientes (15 a 111 meses - média 49 ± 36,8 meses, não detectou qualquer recidiva, encontrando-se todos em classe funcional I (NYHA. Conclusões: Os autores concluem que os tumores cardíacos são bastante raros, de fácil diagnóstico desde que considerados, na grande maioria benignos e que cursam favoravelmente com a extirpação cirúrgica.Purpose: To review the surgical experience of our group in the treatment of primary cardiac tumors, during a 10 year period beginning January 1985 till December 1994. Material and Methods: From a total of 2268 cardiac surgeries with the aid of extracorporeal circulation performed during this 10 year period, there were 6 cases of intracavitary tumor resection, an incidence of 0.26%. Three were myxomas of the left atrium, 1 papillary fibroelastoma of the mitral valve, 1 rhabdomyoma of the left ventricule and 1 fibroma of the left ventricle. Three patients presented systemic embolism and the other three congestive heart failure. The diagnosis was confirmed

  14. Controlling‏ ‏the Balance of Exploration and ‎Exploitation in ACO Algorithm ‎

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    Ayad ‎ Mohammed Jabbar

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Ant colony optimization is a meta-heuristic algorithm inspired by the foraging behavior of real ant colony. The algorithm is a population-based solution employed in different optimization problems such as classification, image processing, clustering, and so on. This paper sheds the light on the side of improving the results of traveling salesman problem produced by the algorithm. The key success that produces the valuable results is due to the two important components of exploration and exploitation. Balancing both components is the foundation of controlling search within the ACO. This paper proposes to modify the main probabilistic method to overcome the drawbacks of the exploration problem and produces global optimal results in high dimensional space. Experiments on six variant of ant colony optimization indicate that the proposed work produces high-quality results in terms of shortest route

  15. Inter-dependence of the electron beam excitations with the free electron laser stability on the super-ACO storage ring

    CERN Document Server

    Couprie, Marie Emmanuelle; Nutarelli, D; Renault, E; Billardon, M

    1999-01-01

    Storage ring free electron lasers have a complex dynamics as compared to the LINAC driven FEL sources since both the laser and the recirculating electron beam behaviours are involved. Electron beam perturbations can strongly affect the FEL operation (start-up, stability) whereas the FEL can stabilize beam instabilities. Experimental analysis together with simulations are reported here. Improvements of the Super-ACO FEL for users is discussed, and consequences are given in terms of electron beam tolerances for a source development for users.

  16. Facilitating the formation of accountable care organizations in rural areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baloh, Jure; Zhu, Xi; Vaughn, Tom; MacKinney, A Clinton; Mueller, Keith J; Ullrich, Fred; Nattinger, Matthew

    2014-07-01

    This Policy Brief presents characteristics contributing to the formation of four accountable care organizations (ACOs) that serve rural Medicare beneficiaries. Doing so provides considerations for provider organizations contemplating creating rural-based ACOs. Key Findings. (1) Previous organizational integration and risk-sharing experience facilitated ACO formation. (2) Use of an electronic health record system fostered core ACO capabilities, including care coordination and population health management. (3) Partnerships across the care continuum supported utilization of local health care resources.

  17. “Manifestos do Coração”: Significados Atribuídos à Doença por Pacientes Cardíacos Pré-cirúrgicos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shana Hastenpflug Wottrich

    Full Text Available RESUMOEste estudo objetivou explorar os significados atribuídos à doença cardíaca por pacientes cardíacos pré-cirúrgicos em tratamento ambulatorial no sul do Brasil. É um estudo clínico-qualitativo, de caráter exploratório e descritivo, cuja coleta de dados aconteceu por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e da autofotografia, propostas a 15 indivíduos. Foi realizada análise de conteúdo temática, emergindo as categorias: Confrontação com a doença: os saberes em questão, Negação da doença, Doença e trabalho e Sexualidade rompida. Os resultados destacaram as dificuldades dos participantes relacionadas à apropriação do quadro da doença e à aceitação dessa condição. Salienta-se a premência de ações de saúde, que possam ser coadjuvantes na reestruturação das possibilidades de vida para os pacientes cardíacos pré-cirúrgicos.

  18. Perfil dos pacientes na Lista Única de Espera para transplante cardíaco no estado do Ceará Perfil de los pacientes en la lista única de espera para transplante cardíaco en el estado de Ceará Profile of patients in the Unified Waiting List for heart transplantation in state of Ceará

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisca Elisângela Teixeira Lima

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: Os transplantes de órgãos têm aumentado consideravelmente nos últimos anos em razão da evolução tecnológica e da sensibilização da sociedade para doação de órgãos. OBJETIVO: Descrever as características dos pacientes da Lista Única de Espera para transplante cardíaco; identificar as principais cardiopatias; e verificar o tempo médio de permanência do paciente na Lista até a realização da cirurgia. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, documental e retrospectivo, com abordagem quantitativa, desenvolvido na Central de Transplante do Estado do Ceará, com 156 pacientes incluídos na Lista Única de Espera do ano de 1999 a 2006. Os dados foram organizados em figuras. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados: 81% do sexo masculino; 22,4% adultos jovens (20 a 40 anos e 56,4% adultos de meia-idade (40 a 64 anos, com uma média de 36 anos; 79% procedentes de Fortaleza-CE; 91% tinham miocardiopatia como causa do transplante cardíaco. Dentre esses pacientes 102 (69% foram transplantados; 37 (25% evoluíram para óbito antes do transplante e 8 (6% foram excluídos por melhora ou piora do quadro clínico. CONCLUSÃO: Os pacientes da Lista Única de Espera para transplante cardíaco no Estado do Ceará, no período de 1999 a 2006, eram do sexo masculino (80%, com faixa etária variando de 1 a 71 anos, com predomínio da miocardiopatia dilatada (53,4%, e o tempo médio de espera foi de 136 dias até o dia do transplante cardíaco.FUNDAMENTO: Los transplantes de órganos han aumentado considerablemente en los últimos años, en razón de la evolución tecnológica y de la sensibilización de la sociedad para la donación de órganos. OBJETIVO: Describir las características de los pacientes de la Lista Única de Espera para transplante cardíaco; identificar las principales cardiopatías; y verificar el tiempo medio de permanencia del paciente en la Lista hasta la realización de la cirugía. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio

  19. The random cluster model and a new integration identity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, L C; Wu, F Y

    2005-01-01

    We evaluate the free energy of the random cluster model at its critical point for 0 -1 (√q/2) is a rational number. As a by-product, our consideration leads to a closed-form evaluation of the integral 1/(4π 2 ) ∫ 0 2π dΘ ∫ 0 2π dΦ ln[A+B+C - AcosΘ - BcosΦ - Ccos(Θ+Φ)] = -ln(2S) + (2/π)[Ti 2 (AS) + Ti 2 (BS) + Ti 2 (CS)], which arises in lattice statistics, where A, B, C ≥ 0 and S=1/√(AB + BC + CA)

  20. Utilização de valvas homólogas e heterólogas em condutos extracardíacos The use of homograph and heterograph valves in extracardiac conduits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rui Siqueira de Almeida

    1988-08-01

    Full Text Available O conceito do uso de um conduto extracardíaco para estabelecer uma via de saída, conectando o ventrículo direito com o tronco pulmonar, ou seus ramos, foi desenvolvido na década de 60. Entre 1971 e 1986, 335 pacientes receberam, no The Hospital for Sick Children, de Londres, condutos extracardíacos para o lado direito do coração; 176 destes foram homoenxertos aórticos, preservados em solução antibióticonutriente; 140 heteroenxertos (Hancock, Ross, Carpentier-Edwards, lonescu-Shiley e 19 tubos não valvulados. Estes condutos foram usados na correção de defeitos cardíacos complexos. A idade média foi de 6,34 anos e o peso médio, de 17,8 kg. O diâmetro interno dos condutos variou de 8 a 30 mm. A mortalidade hospitalar foi de 29,2% e o seguimento dos sobrevivente teve uma duração máxima de 14,3 anos, sendo que apenas 40% delas foram relacionadas ao conduto extracardíaco. A curva atuarial, livre de obstrução, dos condutos extracardíacos foi significativa, quando se analisaram os homoenxertos, face a cada grupo de heteroenxertos (p The concept of using extracardiac conduits, to establish an outflow tract between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery was developed on the sixties. Between 1971 and 1986, 335 patients received extracardiac conduits for the right heart, at The Hospital for Sick Children, London; 176 were antibiotic preserved aortic homografts (Hancock, Ross, Carpentier-Edwards, lonescu-Shiley and 19 non-valved tubes. These conduits were used for the repair of complex congenital heart defects. The mean age of these groups was 6.34 ± 4.6 years and the mean weight 17.8 ± 10.8 kg. The internal diameter of the conduits varied from 8 to 30 mm. The hospital mortality was 29.2% and long-term follow-up of the survivals had a maximum period of 14,39 years. Sixty patients (17.9% were submited to 60 reoperations, being only 40% conduit related. The actuarial survival cun/e of freedom from obstruction was significant

  1. Theory of monochromators based on holographic toroidal arrays for the X-UV spectrum band. Tests of the 'TGM 10 metres, 4 degrees' on the ACO storage ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lizon a Lugrin, Eric

    1988-01-01

    As the use of synchrotron radiation is strongly increasing, needs for monochromators in the X-UV range are very important. This research thesis aimed at the development of prototype monochromator based toroidal lamellar arrays with grazing incidence. In the first part, the author recalls theoretical aspects of light scattering rules adapted to a lamellar array, and of wave-matter interaction rules. In the second part, he reports the calculation of the monochromator, its mechanical description, and its implementation on the light line of the ACO storage ring. In the third part, the author reports tests performed without any input slot and in reverse optical configuration on the ACO storage ring. The energy range, the linearity with respect to wave length, the rejection of higher orders of scattered light, flow and resolution are in compliance with expected values [fr

  2. Medicare Accountable Care Organizations of Diverse Structures Achieve Comparable Quality and Cost Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Comfort, Leeann N; Shortell, Stephen M; Rodriguez, Hector P; Colla, Carrie H

    2018-01-31

    To examine whether an empirically derived taxonomy of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) is associated with quality and spending performance among patients of ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Three waves of the National Survey of ACOs and corresponding publicly available Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services performance data for NSACO respondents participating in the MSSP (N = 204); SK&A Office Based Physicians Database from QuintilesIMS. We compare the performance of three ACO types (physician-led, integrated, and hybrid) for three domains: quality, spending, and likelihood of achieving savings. Sources of performance variation within and between ACO types are compared for each performance measure. There is greater heterogeneity within ACO types than between ACO types. There were no consistent differences in quality by ACO type, nor were there differences in likelihood of achieving savings or overall spending per-person-year. There was evidence for higher spending on physician services for physician-led ACOs. ACOs of diverse structures perform comparably on core MSSP quality and spending measures. CMS should maintain its flexibility and continue to support participation of diverse ACOs. Future research to identify modifiable organizational factors that account for performance variation within ACO types may provide insight as to how best to improve ACO performance based on organizational structure and ownership. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  3. Síndrome de bajo gasto cardíaco en la tetralogía de Fallot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lincoln de la Parte Pérez

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available Se realiza un estudio retrospectivo de 200 niños operados de tetralogía de Fallot en el Cardiocentro del Hospital Pediátrico Universitario "William Soler" durante el período comprendido entre los años 1990 y 1993. Se observó una relación directamente proporcional entre el tiempo de pinzamiento aórtico (paro anóxico, el tiempo de circulación extracorpórea (CEC y el desarrollo del síndrome de bajo gasto cardíaco. La incidencia de bajo gasto cardíaco en los niños con tiempo de pinzamiento aórtico menor a los 30 min fue nula, en los pacientes con tiempo menor a los 60 min la incidencia fue del 23,2 % (40 pacientes. En los 24 pacientes que sufrieron procedimientos quirúrgicos prolongados y tiempo de pinzamiento aórtico mayor de 1 hora la incidencia fue del 95,8 %. En los pacientes con tiempo de CEC menor de 90 min la incidencia de bajo gasto cardíaco que de sólo el 9,75 %, en los niños con tiempo de CEC entre 91 y 105 min fue de 15,53 %, en los que necesitaron entre 106 y 120 min de CEC fue del 62,5 % y en los procedimientos quirúrgicos prolongados fue del 95,8 %. La mayoría de los pacientes respondió bien al tratamiento, aunque en un pequeño número de ellos se mantuvo la disfunción ventricular a pesar del tratamiento. Siete niños fallecieron en el posoperatorio para una mortalidad del 3,5 %.A retrospective study of 200 children with Tetralogy of Fallot, who were operated on the Cardiology Center of "William Soler" University Pediatric Hospital from 1990 to 1993, was performed. There was a direct proportional relation between time of holding aorta with forceps (anoxic arrest, time of extracorporeal circulation and the development of low cardiac output syndrome. The incidence of low cardiac output in children who underwent holding of aorta with forceps for less than 30 minutes was zero, but the same procedure applied in patients for less than 60 minutes, the incidence was 23,2%(40 patients. The 24 patients that underwent

  4. Summer Research Program (1992). Summer Faculty Research Program (SFRP) Reports. Volume 5B. Wright Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-12-01

    2] "Proposal for Space Integrated Control Exýeriment (SPICE)", Prepared by Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc. (in col- laboration with...components are given as Xt(k) = AcosO + na(k) (3a) Xo(k) = AsinO + nQ(k). (3b) Since the amplitude, frequency and the phase of the received signal are...N( AcosO ,a 2 ) (12a) XQ(k) = N( AcosO ,a 2). (12b) In this case, the joint probability density function (PDF) is given by 12X,2e -J.w[((r - Acos0)2

  5. Dynamics and performance of the free electron laser at Super-Aco with a harmonic RF cavity set on 500 MHz

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nutarelli, D.

    2000-01-01

    This work is dedicated to the development of the potentialities of the free electron laser that has been installed on the storage ring Super-Aco at Orsay university. We have studied the dynamics of the electron beam inside a harmonic RF cavity set on 500 MHz. The impact of the geometric characteristics of the optical cavity on the transverse overlapping between laser radiation and the electron beam has been studied in details. An important part of the work has been the assessment of the optical characterization of the dielectric multi-layer mirrors of the cavity. For that purpose a complete system has been designed to assess the changes in optical properties of mirrors during laser operation. Another important part of this work was the study of the interaction process between laser radiation and the electron bunch leading to saturation. This interaction process has been simulated through a new model and some predictions given by this model have been successfully confronted to experimental data. The installation of the harmonic RF cavity has led to a significant increase of the laser radiation gain and the value of the mean power of the laser radiation has reached 300 mW. An interesting application of this technique is the generation of high energy gamma photons through Compton backscattering. A collimated 35 MeV-energy photon beam has been produced at Super-Aco with a rate of 5.10 6 photons per second. (A.C.)

  6. Division des activités économiques entre chinois, 'injertos' et métis dans la communauté d'Acos 1920-1950. Vallée de Chancay - Pérou

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    1981-01-01

    the Chinese micro-colony established in the Acos community (Chancay valley since 1870 concentrates on showing the clear-cut division of economic activity between the Chinese and injertos (persons of Chinese mixed race on the one hand and the so-called 'legitimate' families, who held power for centuries, on the other. The case, at the outset, is one of conflict between two forms of power, the landed property-based power of the white mixed-race acosinos and the commercial power of the Chinese and the injertos. Between 1920 and 1950, the power of the Chinese and their return to a kind of individualism, following a period of integration (cf. our previous article, were just so many factors contributing to racism and tension. Having stimulated the local economy by their presence and activity, the Chinese gave place to the 'legitimate' families and allowed them to regain landed property-based and economic power.

  7. Surgeon Participation in Early Accountable Care Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnick, Matthew J; Graves, Amy J; Buntin, Melinda B; Richards, Michael R; Penson, David F

    2018-03-01

    We aimed to characterize the landscape of surgeon participation in early accountable care organizations (ACOs) and to identify specialty-, organization-, and market-specific factors associated with ACO participation. Despite rapid deployment of alternative payment models (APMs), little is known about the prevalence of surgeon participation, and key drivers behind surgeon participation in APMs. Using data from SK&A, a research firm, we evaluated the near universe of US practices to characterize ACO participation among 125,425 US surgeons in 2015. We fit multivariable logistic regression models to characterize key drivers of ACO participation, and more specifically, the interaction between ACO affiliation and organizational structure. Of 125,425 US surgeons, 27,956 (22.3%) participated in at least 1 ACO program in 2015. We observed heterogeneity in participation by subspecialty, with trauma and transplant reporting the highest rate of ACO enrollment (36% for both) and plastic surgeons reporting the lowest (12.9%) followed by ophthalmology (16.0%) and hand (18.6%). Surgeons in group practices and integrated systems were more likely to participate relative to those practicing independently (aOR 1.57, 95% CI 1.50, 1.64; aOR 4.87, 95% CI 4.68, 5.07, respectively). We observed a statistically significant interaction (P organization. Model-derived predicted probabilities revealed that, within each specialty, surgeons in integrated health systems had the highest predicted probabilities of ACO and those practicing independently generally had the lowest. We observed considerable variation in ACO enrollment among US surgeons, mediated at least in part by differences in practice organization. These data underscore the need for development of frameworks to characterize the strategic advantages and disadvantages associated with APM participation.

  8. 314. Extracción de dispositivos intracardíacos en pacientes sometidos previamente a procedimientos de cardiología intervencionista

    OpenAIRE

    E. Villagrán; L. Montes; Z. Garcés; A. Ayaon; M. Carnero; J. Silva; A. Alswies; J.E. Rodríguez

    2012-01-01

    Descripción de una cohorte de pacientes sometidos a la implantación de algún dispositivo intracardíaco percutáneo (DCIP) que finalmente fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente por disfunción de los mismos. Material y métodos: Se analizó de forma retrospectiva toda la cohorte de pacientes sometidos a extracción de DCIP intervenidos en nuestro centro. Se describe la muestra de pacientes y se resumen los resultados quirúrgicos. Resultados: Desde julio de 2007 – julio de 2011, 25 pacientes inte...

  9. Investigating fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO): a scoping review protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mostafavi-Pour-Manshadi, Seyed-Mohammad-Yousof; Naderi, Nafiseh; Barrecheguren, Miriam; Dehghan, Abolfazl; Bourbeau, Jean

    2017-12-21

    During the last decade, many articles have been published, including reviews on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) use and utility in clinical practice and for monitoring and identifying eosinophilic airway inflammation, especially in asthma, and evaluating corticosteroid responsiveness. However, the exact role of FeNO in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its ability to distinguish patients with COPD and those having concomitant asthma, that is, asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is still unclear and needs to be defined. Due to the broad topics of FeNO in chronic airway disease, we undertook a scoping review. The present article describes the protocol of a scoping review of peer-reviewed published literature specific to FeNO in COPD/ACO over the last decade. We used Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual scoping review methodology as well as Levac et al 's and Arksey et al 's framework as guides. We searched a variety of databases, including Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and BioSciences Information Service (BIOSIS) on 29 June 2016. Additional studies will be recognised by exploring the reference list of identified eligible studies. Screening of eligible studies will be independently performed by two reviewers and any disagreement will be solved by the third reviewer. We will analyse the gathered data from article bibliographies and abstracts. To investigate the body of published studies regarding the role of FeNO in patients with COPD and its usefulness in the clinical setting, a scoping review can be used as a modern and pioneer model, which does not need ethics approval. By this review, new insights for conducting new research specific to FeNO in COPD/ACO population will emerge. The results of this study will be reported in the scientific meetings and conferences, which aim to provide information to the clinicians, primary care providers and basic

  10. The Economics of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackstone, Erwin A.; Fuhr, Joseph P.

    2016-01-01

    Background Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have been created to improve patient care, enhance population health, and reduce costs. Medicare in particular has focused on ACOs as a primary device to improve quality and reduce costs. Objective To examine whether the current Medicare ACOs are likely to be successful. Discussion Patients receiving care in ACOs have little incentive to use low-cost quality providers. Furthermore, the start-up costs of ACOs for providers are high, contributing to the minimal financial success of ACOs. We review issues such as reducing readmissions, palliative care, and the difficulty in coordinating care, which are major cost drivers. There are mixed incentives facing hospital-controlled ACOs, whereas physician-controlled ACOs could play hospitals against each other to obtain high quality and cost reductions. This discussion also considers whether the current structure of ACOs is likely to be successful. Conclusion The question remains whether Medicare ACOs can achieve the Triple Aim of “improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health care.” Care coordination in ACOs and information technology are proving more complicated and expensive to implement than anticipated. Even if ACOs can decrease healthcare costs and increase quality, it is unclear if the current incentives system can achieve these objectives. A better public policy may be to implement a system that encompasses the best practices of successful private integrated systems rather than promoting ACOs. PMID:27066191

  11. Hacia una descripción del cuento policíaco español contemporáneo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicia Valverde Velasco

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Desde su recepción en España, ya en el siglo XIX, el cuento policíaco nunca había experimentado un auge en su cultivo y aceptación como el acaecido a partir de los años setenta. Desde entonces, el cuento literario, como forma narrativa susceptible de desarrollar tramas de muy distinta índole, entre ellas la del hecho criminal, ha experimentado un período de reconocimiento paulatino por parte de los autores, las editoriales, el público y la crítica, por lo que no es de extrañar que los escritores del llamado “género criminal” se atreviesen a explorar las posibilidades del relato breve con mayor fortuna que durante las décadas precedentes.

  12. Comparação entre a medida contínua do débito cardíaco e por termodiluição em bolus durante a revascularização miocárdica sem circulação extracorpórea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Sílvia M.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica sem o uso de circulação extracorpórea (CEC relaciona-se a importantes alterações hemodinâmicas bruscas, que podem não ser prontamente detectadas pela medida contínua de débito cardíaco. Este estudo compara resultados obtidos pela medida do índice cardíaco com o cateter de artéria pulmonar com filamento térmico (Baxter Edwards Critical Care, Irvine, CA com o método padrão por termodiluição com solução, durante a anastomose coronariana distal. MÉTODO: Dez pacientes submetidos à cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica sem CEC foram monitorizados com o cateter de artéria pulmonar com filamento térmico. As medidas de índice cardíaco foram obtidas em quatro momentos: no início da anestesia, enquanto o tórax ainda estava fechado (M1, após a esternotomia (M2, após a estabilização do coração com o aparelho octopus (M3 e ao final da anastomose coronariana distal (M4. RESULTADOS: Houve diminuição significativa (p < 0,05 do índice cardíaco durante a anastomose coronariana, detectada pela medida com termodiluição com bolus de solução. O índice cardíaco variou de 2,8 ± 0,7 para 2,3 ± 0,8 l.min.m-2 no início da anastomose e 2,5 ± 0,8 l.min.m-2 ao final da mesma. Essa variação não foi detectada pela medida contínua (de 3 ± 0,6 para 3,2 ± 0,5 e 3,1 ± 0,6 l.min.m-2 durante a anastomose coronariana. CONCLUSÕES: A medida de débito cardíaco contínuo utilizando o cateter de artéria pulmonar com filamento térmico apresentou atraso na detecção das alterações hemodinâmicas agudas relacionadas à mudança do posicionamento do coração na cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica sem CEC.

  13. Ant Colony Optimization ACO For The Traveling Salesman Problem TSP Using Partitioning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alok Bajpai

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract An ant colony optimization is a technique which was introduced in 1990s and which can be applied to a variety of discrete combinatorial optimization problem and to continuous optimization. The ACO algorithm is simulated with the foraging behavior of the real ants to find the incremental solution constructions and to realize a pheromone laying-and-following mechanism. This pheromone is the indirect communication among the ants. In this paper we introduces the partitioning technique based on the divide and conquer strategy for the traveling salesman problem which is one of the most important combinatorial problem in which the original problem is partitioned into the group of sub problems. And then we apply the ant colony algorithm using candidate list strategy for each smaller sub problems. After that by applying the local optimization and combining the sub problems to find the good solution for the original problem by improving the exploration efficiency of the ants. At the end of this paper we have also be presented the comparison of result with the normal ant colony system for finding the optimal solution to the traveling salesman problem.

  14. Quality of Care Improves for Patients with Diabetes in Medicare Shared Savings Accountable Care Organizations: Organizational Characteristics Associated with Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraze, Taressa K; Lewis, Valerie A; Tierney, Emily; Colla, Carrie H

    2017-12-06

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs), a primary care-centric delivery and payment model, aim to promote integrated population health, which may improve care for those with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Research has shown that, overall, the ACO model is effective at reducing costs, but there is substantial variation in how effective different types of ACOs are at impacting costs and improving care delivery. This study examines how ACO organizational characteristics - such as composition, staffing, care management, and experiences with health reform - were associated with quality of care delivered to patients with diabetes. Secondary data were analyzed retrospectively to examine Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) ACOs' performance on diabetes metrics in the first 2 years of ACO contracts. Ordinary least squares was used to analyze 162 MSSP ACOs with publicly available performance data and the National Survey of ACOs. ACOs improved performance significantly for patients with diabetes between contract years 1 and 2. In year 1, also having a private payer contract and an increased number of services within the ACO were positively associated with performance, while having a community health center or a hospital were negatively associated with performance. Better performance in year 1 was negatively associated with improved performance in year 2. This study found that ACOs substantively improved diabetes management within initial contract years. ACOs may need different types of support throughout their contracts to ensure continued improvements in performance.

  15. 123. Intervención quirúrgica urgente en paciente varón joven con angiosarcoma primario cardíaco con diagnóstico de tromboembolismo pulmonar agudo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. Miranda

    2012-04-01

    Conclusiones: Son infrecuentes los casos de sarcoma cardíaco primario publicados en la bibliografía y muy pocos los que han cursado como tromboembolismo pulmonar agudo. Este caso ilustra la enorme dificultad que presentan para un diagnóstico y tratamiento precoz que ofrezca unas mínimas expectativas de vida a medio plazo.

  16. Efecto de la incorporación de fibras dietéticas en la calidad de panes para celíacos

    OpenAIRE

    Díaz Malmierca, Álvaro

    2013-01-01

    La investigación en la elaboración de panes sin gluten está muy avanzada, siendo el déficit en micronutrientes de estos productos uno de los problemas sobre el que se está centrando la investigación. Uno de los nutrientes más deficitarios, y que más problemas causa sobre la salud de los pacientes celíacos es la fibra dietética. En este estudio se ha investigado el efecto que produce la adición de un 10% de diferentes fibras sobre las características de los panes, la influencia ...

  17. The Need for Dynamic Airspace Management in Coalition Operations (The International C2 Journal, Volume 5, Number 3, 2011)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (JADOCS), Theater Battle Management Core System ( TBMCS ), and Air Defense System Integrator (ADSI). NATO’s...be submitted to TBMCS at the AOC for inclusion in the daily ACO or change ACO. Missions requiring rapid response, such as MEDEVACs, fire missions

  18. Analysis of ferritic stainless steel tube applied in radiation furnaces; Analise de tubos de aco inoxidavel ferritico para aplicacao em fornos de radiacao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Porto, P.C.R.; Spim, J.A. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Centro de Tecnologia. Lab. de Fundicao], e-mail: spim@ufrgs.br; Santos, C.A. [Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS), Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Fac. de Engenharia. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia e Tecnologia de Materiais (PGETEMA)

    2006-07-01

    The objective of this work was to evaluate the change in mechanic properties and phase transformations of ferritic stainless steel tube, ASTM 268 Gr 446, applied in high temperature conditions. The work has used tubes from radiation furnaces of the PETROBRAS Xisto Industrialization Unit. The samples used for comparison were obtained from new tubes and tubes already used in furnaces. The test analyses were optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, hardness and microhardness test and tension test. Results have shown that the new tubes presented a ferritic matrix and in old tubes were observed a great quantity of sigma phase and carbides. Along with the thickness of the tubes it was verified that the inside region presented an increase of sulfate and the outside region an increase of carbides. (author)

  19. Tamponamento cardíaco tardio traumático: análise de cinco casos Traumatic late cardiac tamponade: analysis of five cases

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    FERNANDO LUIZ WESTPHAL

    2000-09-01

    Full Text Available São analisados cinco casos de tamponamento cardíaco tardio traumático. Os pacientes eram masculinos, idade média de 26,2 anos, vítimas de ferimento por arma branca em região precordial, área de Ziedler, sendo admitidos em centro de referência para trauma. Foram classificados pelo índice fisiológico de Ivatury para trauma cardíaco e inicialmente tratados por pleurotomia intercostal e reposição volêmica, com estabilização do quadro hemodinâmico e respiratório. Os pacientes foram readmitidos após intervalo de oito a 24 dias (mediana de 20 dias, agora no serviço de cirurgia torácica de um hospital de referência terciária, com sinais de tamponamento cardíaco. Os exames diagnósticos confirmaram derrame pericárdico com espessamento pericárdico associado a encarceramento de base pulmonar esquerdo em quatro casos, os quais foram abordados por toracotomia póstero-lateral, com realização de pericardiectomia parcial e descorticação pulmonar. Um paciente evoluiu com pericardite purulenta, comprovada por exames complementares, e foi submetido à drenagem pericárdica subxifóidea. Ocorreu arritmia pós-operatória em um paciente; os demais evoluíram sem complicações pós-operatórias ou recidiva do tamponamento.Five traumatic late cardiac tamponade cases were analyzed. All patients were male, mean age was 26.2, victims of thoracic penetrating stabbing wound in the precordial region, Ziedler area, admitted to a trauma reference center. They were classified by the Ivatury physiological index for cardiac trauma. The first treatment approach was intercostal pleurectomy and volemic resuscitation followed by hemodynamic and respiratory recovery. Patients with cardiac tamponade symptoms were re-admitted within an interval from eight to twenty four days (mean 20 days in a thoracic surgery service of a tertiary reference hospital. Diagnostic exams confirmed thickening and pericardial effusion associated with a left pulmonary base

  20. Débito cardíaco diminuído: revisão sistemática das características definidoras Débito cardíaco disminuído: revisión sistemática de las características definidoras Decreased cardiac output: a systematic review of the defining characteristics

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    Vanessa de Souza

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVOS: Caracterizar os artrigos científicos relacionados ao diagnóstico de enfermagem débito cardíaco diminuído. Verificar os artigos que descrevem o comportamento das características definidoras deste diagnóstico, identificando aquelas que ocorrem com maior frequência. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática realizada nas bases de dados: Lilacs, SciELO, Embase, Medline, Pubmed e Cochrane, no período de 1985 a 2008. RESULTADOS: Foram selecionados 13 artigos, identificando 50 características definidoras, sendo dez com maior frequência: alteração da frequência/ritmo cardíaco, dispneia, labilidade da pressão arterial, estertores, oligúria anúria, edema, pele fria, fadiga/fraqueza, diminuição dos pulsos periféricos e diminuição da perfusão periférica. CONCLUSÃO: A temática vem sendo pouco explorada. Constatou-se a importância do exame físico, a utilização de técnicas menos invasivas e a necessidade de rever as características definidoras propostas a fim de proporcionar clareza e objetividade na identificação desse diagnóstico de enfermagemOBJETIVOS: Caracterizar los artículos científicos relacionados al diagnóstico de enfermería débito cardíaco disminuído. Verificar los artículos que describen el comportamiento de las características definidoras de este diagnóstico, identificando aquellas que ocurren con mayor frecuencia. MÉTODOS: Se trata de una revisión sistemática realizada en las bases de datos: Lilacs, SciELO, Embase, Medline, Pubmed y Cochrane, en el período de 1985 al 2008. RESULTADOS: Fueron seleccionados 13 artículos, identificando 50 características definidoras, siendo diez con mayor frecuencia: alteración de la frecuencia/ritmo cardíaco, disnea, labilidad de la presión arterial, estertores, oliguria anuria, edema, piel fría, fatiga/debilidad, disminución de los pulsos periféricos y disminución de la perfusión periférica. CONCLUSIÓN: La temática viene siendo poco

  1. Experiência com transplante cardíaco heterotópico em pacientes com resistência pulmonar elevada: seguimento tardio Experiencia con trasplante cardíaco heterotópico en pacientes con resistencia pulmonar elevada: seguimiento tardío Experience with heterotopic heart transplantation in patients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance: late follow-up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jose Henrique Andrade Vila

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: Nos últimos anos o numero de artigos sobre transplante cardíaco heterotópico tem sido escasso na literatura, inclusive internacional, e em particular do seguimento de longo prazo destes pacientes, o que levou ao presente relato. OBJETIVO: Relatar a experiência clínica inicial e evolução tardia de quatro pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco heterotópico, sua indicação e principais complicações. MÉTODOS: As cirurgias ocorreram entre 1992 e 2001, sendo que a indicação de transplante heterotópico, em todas, foi pela RVP, variável de 4,8UW a 6.5UW, com gradiente transpulmonar acima de 15mmHg. No 3º paciente, foi realizada uma anastomose direta entre as artérias pulmonares sem emprego de tubo protético e, no coração nativo, foi realizada uma valvoplastia mitral e aneurismectomia de ventrículo esquerdo (VE. O esquema imunossupressor imediato foi duplo com ciclosporina e azatioprina nos três primeiros pacientes e ciclosporina e micofenolato mofetil no 4º paciente. RESULTADOS: Um óbito imediato por falência do enxerto, um óbito após dois anos e meio por endocardite em trombo intraventricular no coração nativo, e um terceiro óbito seis anos após o transplante, por complicações pós-operatórias de cirurgia na valva aórtica do coração nativo. O remanescente, 15 anos após o transplante, encontra-se bem, em classe funcional II (NYHA, seis anos após a oclusão cirúrgica da valva aórtica do coração nativo. CONCLUSÃO: O transplante cardíaco heterotópico é um procedimento com resultado inferior ao transplante cardíaco ortotópico, por apresentarem maior RVP. Os trombos intraventriculares no coração nativo, que exigem anticoagulação prolongada, bem como as complicações de válvula aórtica, também no coração nativo, podem exigir tratamento cirúrgico. Entretanto, em um paciente, a sobrevida de 15 anos mostrou a eficácia de longo prazo desse tipo de alternativa, para pacientes

  2. Estudo anatômico dos gânglios celíaco, celiacomesentérico e mesentérico cranial e de suas conexões no gato doméstico (Felix domestica, Linnaeus, 1758

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    Antonio Augusto Coppi Maciel Ribeiro

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available O gânglio celíaco é um dos principais responsáveis pela inervação do estômago, intestinos, fígado, pâncreas e ainda contribui para a inervação do baço, sendo desta forma essencial ao controle da motilidade gastrointestinal. O conhecimento do suprimento nervoso endereçado a estes órgãos é fundamental na clínica médica e cirúrgica no tocante às atonias digestivas, gastroenterites hemorrágicas, torções gástricas e invaginações intestinais. Neste trabalho, estudou-se a anatomia macro e microscópica dos gânglios celíaco, celiacomesentérico e mesentérico cranial. Foram utilizados trinta gatos domésticos, adultos, 10 machos e 20 fêmeas. A aorta torácica desses gatos foi injetada com solução de Neoprene látex 650 corada, sendo os animais congelados por no mínimo 48 horas. A fixação foi feita posteriormente com solução aquosa de formol a 10%. Nos estudos microscópicos, utilizaram-se as seguintes colorações: hematoxilina-eosina, tricrômico de Masson, reticulina e hematoxilina ácida fosfotúngstica. O gânglio celíaco ocorreu 7 vezes, sendo 4 direitos e 3 esquerdos, predominando a forma elíptica (23,3% e a situação periarterial. Os gânglios celiacomesentéricos foram contados em número de 24, sendo 11 independentes; 2 apresentando as porções direita e esquerda e 11 gânglios celiacomesentéricos direitos com uma porção mesentérica cranial esquerda, tendo formato semilunar assimétrico. Esses achados sugerem o predomínio da fusão do gânglio celíaco ao mesentérico cranial, constituindo assim o gânglio celiacomesentérico. Este é formado por neurônios imersos em abundante matriz conjuntiva fibrosa, envoltos por uma cápsula contendo fibras elásticas, colágenas e reticulares, apresentando uma continuidade nos pontos de fusão ganglionar.

  3. MGA trajectory planning with an ACO-inspired algorithm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ceriotti, Matteo; Vasile, Massimiliano

    2010-11-01

    Given a set of celestial bodies, the problem of finding an optimal sequence of swing-bys, deep space manoeuvres (DSM) and transfer arcs connecting the elements of the set is combinatorial in nature. The number of possible paths grows exponentially with the number of celestial bodies. Therefore, the design of an optimal multiple gravity assist (MGA) trajectory is a NP-hard mixed combinatorial-continuous problem. Its automated solution would greatly improve the design of future space missions, allowing the assessment of a large number of alternative mission options in a short time. This work proposes to formulate the complete automated design of a multiple gravity assist trajectory as an autonomous planning and scheduling problem. The resulting scheduled plan will provide the optimal planetary sequence and a good estimation of the set of associated optimal trajectories. The trajectory model consists of a sequence of celestial bodies connected by two-dimensional transfer arcs containing one DSM. For each transfer arc, the position of the planet and the spacecraft, at the time of arrival, are matched by varying the pericentre of the preceding swing-by, or the magnitude of the launch excess velocity, for the first arc. For each departure date, this model generates a full tree of possible transfers from the departure to the destination planet. Each leaf of the tree represents a planetary encounter and a possible way to reach that planet. An algorithm inspired by ant colony optimization (ACO) is devised to explore the space of possible plans. The ants explore the tree from departure to destination adding one node at the time: every time an ant is at a node, a probability function is used to select a feasible direction. This approach to automatic trajectory planning is applied to the design of optimal transfers to Saturn and among the Galilean moons of Jupiter. Solutions are compared to those found through more traditional genetic-algorithm techniques.

  4. Endovascular repair of an aorto-iliac aneurysm succeeded by kidney transplantation Tratamento endovascular de aneurisma aorto-ilíaco sucedido por transplante renal

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    Marcelo Bellini Dalio

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available We present the case of aorto-iliac aneurysm in a patient with chronic renal failure requiring dialysis who were treated with an endovascular stent graft and, later on, submitted to kidney transplantation. A 53-year-old male with renal failure requiring dialysis presented with an asymptomatic abdominal aorto-iliac aneurysm measuring 5.0cm of diameter. He was treated with endovascular repair technique, being used an endoprosthesis Excluder®. After four months, he was successfully submitted to kidney transplantation (dead donor, with anastomosis of the graft renal artery in the external iliac artery distal to the endoprosthesis. The magnetic resonance imaging, carried out 30 days after the procedure, showed a good positioning of the endoprosthesis and adequate perfusion of the renal graft. In the follow-up, the patient presented improvement of nitrogenous waste, good positioning of the endoprosthesis without migration or endoleak. The endovascular repair of aorto-iliac aneurysm in a patient with end-stage renal failure under hemodialysis treatment showed to be feasible, safe and efficient, as it did not prevent the success of the posterior kidney transplantation.Apresentamos o caso de aneurisma aortoilíaco em um paciente com insuficiência renal crônica dialítica tratado com uma endoprótese vascular, sendo, após, submetido a transplante renal. Um homem de 53 anos com insuficiência renal dialítica apresentava um aneurisma abdominal aortoilíaco assintomático com 5,0cm de diâmetro. Foi tratado com técnica endovascular com uma endoprótese Excluderâ. Após quatro meses, foi submetido a transplante renal (doador cadáver com sucesso, com anastomose da artéria renal do enxerto na artéria ilíaca externa distal à endoprótese. A ressonância magnética 30 dias após o procedimento mostrou a endoprótese bem posicionada e o enxerto renal bem perfundido. No seguimento, o paciente evoluiu com melhora das escórias nitrogenadas, bom

  5. Extracción de un catéter fracturado mediante cateterismo cardíaco intervencionista en un paciente prematuro de 1 600 g

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    Francisco Javier Ozores Suárez

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Se documenta el caso de un paciente de 1 mes de edad, prematuro, con peso de 1 600 g, cuyo catéter epicutáneo se fracturó y desplazó hasta ubicarse en la porción distal en la rama izquierda de la arteria pulmonar. El catéter se extrajo por vía femoral mediante un procedimiento de cateterismo cardíaco intervencionista, con lo que se demostró la efectividad de dicho procedimiento ante este tipo de complicación.

  6. Transplante experimental cardíaco heterotópico e cutâneo em camundongos Experimental heterotopic cardiac and cutaneous transplantation in mice

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    Patrícia Sestrheim

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Estudo experimental com o objetivo de desenvolver e avaliar a viabilidade das técnicas de transplante experimental cardíaco heterotópico abdominal vascularizado e cutâneo em camundongos, criando um instrumento para investigação da eficácia de soluções de preservação, novas drogas imunossupressoras, agentes biológicos, terapia gênica e indução de tolerância imunológica. MÉTODO: Para este estudo, as técnicas utilizadas foram descritas previamente por Corry et al. e Billingham et al. RESULTADOS: O tempo cirúrgico total para a realização dos transplantes cardíacos (n=20 foi, em média, 60,3±6,3 minutos e para os transplantes cutâneos (n=20, 17,75±0,71 minutos. A média de sobrevida dos aloenxertos cutâneos (n=34 e cardíacos (n=24 foi, respectivamente, 7 e 11 dias, enquanto que os isoenxertos sobreviveram por mais de 100 dias. CONCLUSÕES: Ambas as técnicas se caracterizaram pela fácil reprodutibilidade dos modelos experimentais. As diferenças entre as técnicas não se limitaram às peculiaridades metodológicas ou ao tempo de sobrevida e vascularização, mas principalmente à sua imunogenicidade e suscetibilidade à rejeição.OBJECTIVE: This is an experimental study which aims at developing and evaluating the feasibility of experimental techniques of vascularized and cutaneous abdominal heterotopic heart transplant in mice, creating an instrument of investigation for the effectiveness of prservation solutions, new immunosuppressive drugs, biological agents, genetic therapy and induction of immunological tolerance. METHOD: The techniques used in this work were previously described by Corry et al. and Billingham et al. RESULTS: The total surgical time to perform the cardiac transplants (n=20 was on average 60.3+6.3 minutes and the time of cutaneous transplants (n= 20 17.75+0.71 minutes. The average survival of the cutaneous allografts (n=34 and cardiac (n=24 allografts was 7 and 11 days, respectively, while

  7. Evaluating the Impact of an Accountable Care Organization on Population Health: The Quasi-Experimental Design of the German Gesundes Kinzigtal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pimperl, Alexander; Schulte, Timo; Mühlbacher, Axel; Rosenmöller, Magdalena; Busse, Reinhard; Groene, Oliver; Rodriguez, Hector P; Hildebrandt, Helmut

    2017-06-01

    A central goal of accountable care organizations (ACOs) is to improve the health of their accountable population. No evidence currently links ACO development to improved population health. A major challenge to establishing the evidence base for the impact of ACOs on population health is the absence of a theoretically grounded, robust, operationally feasible, and meaningful research design. The authors present an evaluation study design, provide an empirical example, and discuss considerations for generating the evidence base for ACO implementation. A quasi-experimental study design using propensity score matching in combination with small-scale exact matching is implemented. Outcome indicators based on claims data were constructed and analyzed. Population health is measured by using a range of mortality indicators: mortality ratio, age at time of death, years of potential life lost/gained, and survival time. The application is assessed using longitudinal data from Gesundes Kinzigtal, one of the leading population-based ACOs in Germany. The proposed matching approach resulted in a balanced control of observable differences between the intervention (ACO) and control groups. The mortality indicators used indicate positive results. For example, 635.6 fewer years of potential life lost (2005.8 vs. 2641.4; t-test: sig. P < 0.05*) in the ACO intervention group (n = 5411) attributable to the ACO, also after controlling for a potential (indirect) immortal time bias by excluding the first half year after enrollment from the outcome measurement. This empirical example of the impact of a German ACO on population health can be extended to the evaluation of ACOs and other integrated delivery models of care.

  8. Cerebral physiology and preservation during cardiac arrest Fisiología y preservación cerebral durante el paro cardíaco: vulnerabilidad del cerebro

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    Luis M. Gómez

    1991-03-01

    Full Text Available

    Cerebral physiology during cardiac arrest is discussed with particular Interest on selective neuronal damage. Previous concepts on brain tolerance to hypoxia are analyzed and new information about brain function prognosis after cardiac arrest is presented. Therapeutic alternatives for brain preservation are discussed with emphasis on the lack of effectiveness of barbiturates, the results of research with other drugs and the future role that blockers of excitatory neurotransmission may have as elements of cerebral preservation.

    Se hace una aproximación a la fisiología cerebral durante el paro cardíaco, destacando el concepto de darlo neuronal selectivo. Se presentan elementos que permiten modificar concepciones antiguas sobre la tolerancia del cerebro a la hipoxia severa. Además, se hace un nuevo planteamiento sobre el pronóstico cerebral luego de un paro cardíaco y se esbozan las alternativas terapéuticas utilizadas hasta la fecha para la preservación cerebral. Se hace énfasis en la inefectividad de los barbitúricos, en la investigación sobre la terapia con otras drogas y en el futuro abierto hacia los bloqueadores de los neurotransmisores excitadores, como elementos terapéuticos para la preservación cerebral.

  9. Treinamento físico de natação promove remodelamento cardíaco e melhora a perfusão sanguínea no músculo cardíaco de SHR via mecanismo dependente de adenosina

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    Juliana Gonçalves de Barros

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: Exercícios físicos são utilizados como terapia não farmacológica para o tratamento da hipertensão arterial, e o treinamento físico (TF por natação é reconhecido por produzir remodelamento cardíaco em animais experimentais. Entretanto, a ação vasodilatadora da adenosina (ado resultante do exercício físico como prevenção e tratamento da hipertensão é pouco explorada. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o remodelamento cardíaco e o papel da adenosina na distribuição do fluxo sanguíneo para o miocárdio após treinamento físico em SHR. Método: 28 SHR machos babies e adultos foram submetidos ao TF aeróbio de natação, durante 10 semanas (5x/sem -1h/dia. Foram utilizados protocolos de microesferas coloridas para avaliar fluxo sanguíneo, técnicas de morfologia para avaliar hipertrofia cardíaca e análises bioquímicas para verificar atividade de enzimas envolvidas na formação de adenosina. RESULTADOS: TF por natação atenuou a evolução da HA em SHR babies (S: 145 ± 2; T: 140 ± 2mmHg, promoveu bradicardia de repouso em SHR adultos (S: 340 ± 4; T: 321 ± 6bpm e desenvolveu HC nos dois grupos (TB: 12%; TA: 10%. Na condição basal, o TF aumentou o FS coronário em SHR babies (S: 4.745 ± 2.145; T: 6.970 ± 2.374mi/coração e maior resposta vasodilatadora à infusão de adenosina foi observada (S: 18.946 ± 6.685; T: 25.045 ± 7.031mi/coração. Neste grupo, o TF promoveu maior atividade da enzima 5'-nucleotidase, levando à maior formação de adenosina (S: 0,45 ± 0,09; T: 1,01 ± 0,05. CONCLUSÃO: O TF de natação, além de desenvolver HC e apresentar maior hidrólise de AMP, promoveu aumento no FS coronário, sendo mostrado que desempenha um importante papel na regulação da hipertensão

  10. Sildenafil vs. Nitroprussiato de Sódio durante Teste de Reatividade Pulmonar pré-transplante cardíaco

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    Aguinaldo Figueiredo Freitas Jr

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A hipertensão pulmonar é associada ao pior prognóstico no pós-transplante cardíaco. O teste de reatividade pulmonar com Nitroprussiato de Sódio (NPS está associado a elevados índices de hipotensão arterial sistêmica, disfunção ventricular do enxerto transplantado e elevadas taxas de desqualificação para o transplante. OBJETIVO: Neste estudo, objetivou-se comparar os efeitos do Sildenafil (SIL e NPS sobre variáveis hemodinâmicas, neuro-hormonais e ecocardiográficas durante teste de reatividade pulmonar. MÉTODOS: Os pacientes foram submetidos, simultaneamente, ao cateterismo cardíaco direito, ao ecocardiograma e à dosagem de BNP e gasometria venosa, antes e após administração de NPS (1 - 2 µg/Kg/min ou SIL (100 mg, dose única. RESULTADOS: Ambos reduziram a hipertensão pulmonar, porém o nitrato promoveu hipotensão sistêmica significativa (Pressão Arterial Média - PAM: 85,2 vs. 69,8 mmHg, p < 0,001. Ambos reduziram as dimensões cardíacas e melhoraram a função cardíaca esquerda (NPS: 23,5 vs. 24,8 %, p = 0,02; SIL: 23,8 vs. 26 %, p < 0,001 e direita (SIL: 6,57 ± 2,08 vs. 8,11 ± 1,81 cm/s, p = 0,002; NPS: 6,64 ± 1,51 vs. 7,72 ± 1,44 cm/s, p = 0,003, medidas pela fração de ejeção ventricular esquerda e Doppler tecidual, respectivamente. O SIL, ao contrário do NPS, apresentou melhora no índice de saturação venosa de oxigênio, medido pela gasometria venosa. CONCLUSÃO: Sildenafil e NPS são vasodilatadores que reduzem, de forma significativa, a hipertensão pulmonar e a geometria cardíaca, além de melhorar a função biventricular. O NPS, ao contrário do SIL, esteve associado a hipotensão arterial sistêmica e piora da saturação venosa de oxigênio.

  11. Care coordination in accountable care organizations: moving beyond structure and incentives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Press, Matthew J; Michelow, Marilyn D; MacPhail, Lucy H

    2012-12-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are considered by many to be a key component of healthcare delivery system improvement. One expectation is that the structural elements of the ACO model, including clinical integration and financial accountability, will lead to better coordination of care for patients. But, while structure and incentives may facilitate the delivery of coordinated care, they will not necessarily ensure that care coordination is done well. For that, physicians and other healthcare providers within ACOs must possess and utilize specific skills, particularly in the areas of collaboration, communication, and teamwork. In this article, we present strategies in 3 domains--training, support tools, and organizational culture--that ACOs can implement to foster the development of these skills and support their use in clinical practice.

  12. Evolução hemodinâmica seqüencial no transplante cardíaco Sequential hemodynamic evaluation in heart transplantation

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    Noedir A. G Stolf

    1988-12-01

    Full Text Available O transplante cardíaco tem tido ampla aplicação no tratamento da cardiomiopatia em fase terminal. Grande interesse existe no estudo das alterações hemodinâmicas imediatas e na identificação dos fatores que determinam essas alterações. Quarenta e três pacientes transplantados foram estudados com esse objetivo. Os seguintes dados foram obtidos: índice cardíaco, as pressões nas câmaras cardíacas, capilar pulmonar, aorta, artéria pulmonar, volume sistólico, fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo (VE, resistência vascular pulmonar e sistêmica, índice do trabalho sistólico do ventrículo esquerdo e direito (VD e o tríplice produto. Esses valores foram comparados de acordo com os episódios de rejeição e com diferentes valores do gradiente transpulmonar. Verificou-se que no pós-operatório imediato há depressão da função dos ventrículos decorrente de uma série de fatores. O índice cardíaco se mantém em valore adequados através de vários mecanismos e adaptação dos ventrículos, que ocorre mais precocemente para o VE do que para o VD. Tardiamente as alterações hemodinâmicas dependem do aparecimento de hipertensão arterial sistêmica e da aterosclerose coronária. A presença e os valores mais elevados do gradiente transpulmonar não tiveram influência estatisticamente significativa nas condições hemodinâmicas dos pacientes.heart transplantation has been widely employed in treatment of end stage cardiomyopathy. Great interest exists in the study of early and late hemodynamic alterations following the procedure. Fourty three patients submited to heart transplantation were studied with this aim. The data obtained were: cardiac index, pressure in the heart chambers, capillary wedge pressure, aorta and pulmonary artery pressure, systolic volume and ejection fraction of left ventricle, pulmonary and systemic vascular resistances; left and right work systolic indexes; triple product. The data were compared in

  13. Tamponamento cardíaco como uma das primeiras manifestações do lúpus eritematoso sistêmico

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    Michelle keiko Molina

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available O Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico (LES é uma doença autoimune de causa desconhecida que pode produzir apresentações clínicas variáveis, com períodos de remissões e de recaídas. O diagnóstico é confirmado pela presença de quatro dos onze critérios clínicos e/ou laboratoriais (erupção malar, erupção discoide, fotossensibilidade, úlceras da mucosa oral, artrite, serosite, distúrbio renal, distúrbio neurológico, distúrbio hematológico, distúrbio imunológico e anticorpo antinuclear. Dentre as manifestações cardiovasculares, o derrame pericárdico e a pericardite clínica são observados na maioria dos pacientes. Porém, o tamponamento cardíaco é raro como manifestação clínica.

  14. Primary cardiac lymphoma in dogLinfoma cardíaco primário em cão

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    Mirela Tinucci Costa

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Lymphomas are malignant neoplasm characterized by proliferation of lymphocytes that originate primarily in lymphoid organ such as lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow. However the feature of continuous migration of lymphocytes in different organs, this tumor can develop in any organ. Although lymphoma is a very common hematopoietic neoplasm in dogs, cardiac location is rare. The diagnosis of primary cardiac lymphoma may be performed when there is involvement of the heart and / or the pericardium without evidence of involvement in other organs. In veterinary medicine there are few reports on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of cardiac lymphoma. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to describe a case of cardiac lymphoma in which the patient responded favorably to chemotherapy employee with disease-free interval of 19 months and highlight the importance of including this neoplasm in the differential diagnosis of diseases that affect the cardiovascular system. Os linfomas são neoplasias caracterizadas pela proliferação maligna de linfócitos, que originamse principalmente em órgão linfóides como linfonodos, fígado, baço e medula óssea. Entretanto pela característica de contínua migração dos linfócitos por diferentes órgãos, esta neoplasia pode se desenvolver em qualquer órgão. Embora o linfoma seja a neoplasia hematopoiética de maior incidência em cães, a localização cardíaca é rara. O diagnóstico de linfoma cardíaco primário pode ser realizado quando há envolvimento do coração e/ou pericárdio sem evidências de ocorrência de órgãos linfáticos ou extranodais. Em medicina veterinária existem poucos relatos sobre o diagnóstico, tratamento e prognóstico desta neoplasia cardíaca. Portanto o objetivo do presente relato é descrever um caso de linfoma cardíaco em que o paciente respondeu favoravelmente ao tratamento quimioterápico empregado com intervalo livre de doença de 19 meses e salientar a

  15. Strategic Review Process for an Accountable Care Organization and Emerging Accountable Care Best Practices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conway, Sarah J; Himmelrich, Sarah; Feeser, Scott A; Flynn, John A; Kravet, Steven J; Bailey, Jennifer; Hebert, Lindsay C; Donovan, Susan H; Kachur, Sarah G; Brown, Patricia M C; Baumgartner, William A; Berkowitz, Scott A

    2018-02-02

    Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), like other care entities, must be strategic about which initiatives they support in the quest for higher value. This article reviews the current strategic planning process for the Johns Hopkins Medicine Alliance for Patients (JMAP), a Medicare Shared Savings Program Track 1 ACO. It reviews the 3 focus areas for the 2017 strategic review process - (1) optimizing care coordination for complex, at-risk patients, (2) post-acute care, and (3) specialty care integration - reviewing cost savings and quality improvement opportunities, associated best practices from the literature, and opportunities to leverage and advance existing ACO and health system efforts in each area. It then reviews the ultimate selection of priorities for the coming year and early thoughts on implementation. After the robust review process, key stakeholders voted to select interventions targeted at care coordination, post-acute care, and specialty integration including Part B drug and imaging costs. The interventions selected incorporate a mixture of enhancing current ACO initiatives, working collaboratively and synergistically on other health system initiatives, and taking on new projects deemed targeted, cost-effective, and manageable in scope. The annual strategic review has been an essential and iterative process based on performance data and informed by the collective experience of other organizations. The process allows for an evidence-based strategic plan for the ACO in pursuit of the best care for patients.

  16. Accountable care organization readiness and academic medical centers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berkowitz, Scott A; Pahira, Jennifer J

    2014-09-01

    As academic medical centers (AMCs) consider becoming accountable care organizations (ACOs) under Medicare, they must assess their readiness for this transition. Of the 253 Medicare ACOs prior to 2014, 51 (20%) are AMCs. Three critical components of ACO readiness are institutional and ACO structure, leadership, and governance; robust information technology and analytic systems; and care coordination and management to improve care delivery and health at the population level. All of these must be viewed through the lens of unique AMC mission-driven goals.There is clear benefit to developing and maintaining a centralized internal leadership when it comes to driving change within an ACO, yet there is also the need for broad stakeholder involvement. Other important structural features are an extensive primary care foundation; concomitant operation of a managed care plan or risk-bearing entity; or maintaining a close relationship with post-acute-care or skilled nursing facilities, which provide valuable expertise in coordinating care across the continuum. ACOs also require comprehensive and integrated data and analytic systems that provide meaningful population data to inform care teams in real time, promote quality improvement, and monitor spending trends. AMCs will require proven care coordination and management strategies within a population health framework and deployment of an innovative workforce.AMC core functions of providing high-quality subspecialty and primary care, generating new knowledge, and training future health care leaders can be well aligned with a transition to an ACO model. Further study of results from Medicare-related ACO programs and commercial ACOs will help define best practices.

  17. Análisis acústico sobre señales de auscultación digital para la detección de soplos cardíacos

    OpenAIRE

    CASTAÑO, ANDRÉS M.; DELGADO T., EDILSON; GODINO, JUANI; CASTELLANOS, GERMÁN

    2009-01-01

    Se presenta la metodología basada en el análisis acústico de señales fonocardiográficas (FCG) par a detectar soplos cardíacos. En primer lugar se desarrolla un sistema de filtración basado en la transformada wavelet para reducir las perturbaciones que usualmente se presentan en la etapa de adquisición, ajustando la calidad del sonido de acuerdo a los requerimientos clínicos y validados por especialistas en semiología. Se propone un algoritmo de segmentación basado en la energía promedio norm...

  18. Ação do resveratrol sobre proteoglicanos de membrana presentes no músculo cardíaco em modelo animal de cardiomiopatia diabética

    OpenAIRE

    Paula Lazara Cruz

    2016-01-01

    Introdução: Ratos com diabetes induzido por estreptozotocina (STZ) apresentam alterações nos proteoglicanos Sindecan-4 e Glipican-1 no tecido cardíaco concomitantes à instalação da disfunção diastólica, evento precoce que culmina na cardiomiopatia diabética. O uso de resveratrol (RSV) em modelos animais foi capaz de melhorar a função cardíaca e o controle autonômico. Espera-se que o tratamento com esse flavonoide atue nos níveis alterados dos proteoglicanos em animais diabéticos. Objetivo: Av...

  19. Aplicación de un algoritmo ACO al problema de taller de flujo de permutación con tiempos de preparación dependientes de la secuencia y minimización de makespan An ant colony algorithm for the permutation flowshop with sequence dependent setup times and makespan minimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Salazar Hornig

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available En este trabajo se estudió el problema de secuenciamiento de trabajos en el taller de flujo de permutación con tiempos de preparación dependientes de la secuencia y minimización de makespan. Para ello se propuso un algoritmo de optimización mediante colonia de hormigas (ACO, llevando el problema original a una estructura semejante al problema del vendedor viajero TSP (Traveling Salesman Problem asimétrico, utilizado para su evaluación problemas propuestos en la literatura y se compara con una adaptación de la heurística NEH (Nawaz-Enscore-Ham. Posteriormente se aplica una búsqueda en vecindad a la solución obtenida tanto por ACO como NEH.This paper studied the permutation flowshop with sequence dependent setup times and makespan minimization. An ant colony algorithm which turns the original problem into an asymmetric TSP (Traveling Salesman Problem structure is presented, and applied to problems proposed in the literature and is compared with an adaptation of the NEH heuristic. Subsequently a neighborhood search was applied to the solution obtained by the ACO algorithm and the NEH heuristic.

  20. Transplante cardíaco humano: experiência inicial Human cardiac transplant: initial experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noedir A. G Stolf

    1986-12-01

    Full Text Available No Instituto do Coração, de março de 1985 a fevereiro de 1986,11 pacientes foram submetidos a transplante cardíaco ortotópico. Eram todos do sexo masculino, com idade variando de 39 a 54 anos; 6 com cardiopatia isquémica, 4 com cardiomiopatia dilatada e um com cardiomiopatia chagásica. Foi realizado estudo hemodinâmico através de catéter de Swan-Ganz, no pré-operatório, no pós-operatório, após estabilização na unidade de recuperação, e trinta ou mais dias após o transplante. Os dados mostram melhora progressiva em relação ao índice cardíaco, pressão em artéria pulmonar, pressão de capilar pulmonar, resistência vascular pulmonar e resistência vascular sistêmica. Três dos 11 pacientes apresentaram disfunção renal transitória no pós-operatório imediato e que regrediram até o 15º dia, enquanto que 2 pacientes apresentaram aumento moderado da creatinina plasmática. Apenas 3 pacientes não apresentaram qualquer episódio de rejeição; nos demais, esses episódios foram um diagnóstico histológico sem repercussões clínicas. Complicações infecciosas ocorreram em 9 pacientes e foram de fácil controle clínico. No pós-operatório tardio, a hipertensão esteve presente em 8 pacientes, sendo mais acentuada em 2 deles. Não houve óbitos, nesta série de pacientes; todos estão assintomáticos e os 6 primeiros estão trabalhando.At the Instituto do Cora��ão, University of São Paulo Medical School, 11 patients were submitted to heart transplantation from march 1985 up to february 1986. All were male, with ages of 39-59 years, 6 with coronary heart disease, 4 with dilated cardiomyopathy and 1 with Chagas cardiomyopathy. The patients were studied hemodynamically with a Swan-Ganz catheter pre-operatively, at the arrival in the intensive care unit, in the first postoperative day and 30 or more days after the transplant. The data showed that there was a progressive increase of cardiac index and decreases of

  1. Predictors of Rural Health Clinics Managers' Willingness to Join Accountable Care Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    T H Wan, Thomas; Masri, Maysoun Dimachkie; Ortiz, Judith

    2014-01-01

    The implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has facilitated the development of an innovative and integrated delivery care system, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). It is timely, to identify how health care managers in rural health clinics are responding to the ACO model. This research examines RHC managers' perceived benefits and barriers for implementing ACOs from an organizational ecology perspective. A survey was conducted in Spring of 2012 covering the present RHC network working infrastructures - 1) Organizational social network; 2) organizational care delivery structure; 3) ACO knowledge, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers; 4) quality and disease management programs; and 5) health information technology (HIT) infrastructure. One thousand one hundred sixty clinics were surveyed in the United States. They cover eight southeastern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) and California. A total of ninety-one responses were received. RHC managers' personal perceptions on ACO's benefits and knowledge level explained the most variance in their willingness to join ACOs. Individual perceptions appear to be more influential than organizational and context factors in the predictive analysis. The study is primarily focused in the Southeastern region of the U.S. The generalizability is limited to this region. The predictors of rural health clinics' participation in ACOs are germane to guide the development of organizational strategies for enhancing the general knowledge about the innovativeness of delivering coordinated care and containing health care costs inspired by the Affordable Care Act. Rural health clinics are lagged behind the growth curve of ACO adoption. The diffusion of new knowledge about pros and cons of ACO is essential to reinforce the health care reform in the United States.

  2. Investigação de lipofuscina em miócitos cardíacos de camundongos após tratamento com oxamniquine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Luiza Silveira Mello

    1984-10-01

    Full Text Available A fluorescencia natural devida à presença de corpos de lipofuscina foi pesquisada em miócitos cardíacos de camundongos adultos jovens tratados com oxamniquine. O objetivo foi buscar uma evidência de indução de envelhecimento celular precoce, com base em dados prévios de acentuação poliploidia, promovida pela droga. Comparando o miocárdio dos camundongos tratados com animais contrôle jovens e velhos, não foi observada a presença de lipofuscina nos seus miócitos. Isto possivelmente se deva a um não comprometimento da eficiência das lipases lisossomiais apesar da acentuação do fenômeno de poliploidização induzida pela droga.

  3. Vasculites e eosinófilos em biópsia endomiocárdica, como preditores de rejeição em transplante cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reginaldo Cipullo

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O significado clínico de vasculites, lesões isquêmicas, efeito Quilty e da presença de eosinófilos em biópsias endomiocárdicas de receptores de transplante cardíaco com rejeições leves não foi ainda estabelecido. OBJETIVO: Verificar se esses achados histológicos encontrados nas biópsias endomiocárdicas (eosinófilos, vasculites, efeito Quilty e lesões isquêmicas são capazes de predizer rejeição aguda do enxerto. MÉTODOS: Foram reavaliadas 1.012 biópsias endomiocárdicas consecutivas; dessas, 939 foram classificadas como OR ou 1R pela Nomenclatura da Sociedade Internacional de Transplante de Coração e Pulmão de 2005, e divididas em dois grupos: (1 Biópsias preditoras: aquelas que precederam rejeição aguda; e (2 Biópsias não preditoras: aquelas que não precederam rejeição aguda. Comparamos a ocorrência dos seguintes achados histológicos: vasculites, lesões isquêmicas, efeito Quilty e eosinófilos por análise uni e multivariada entre os grupos. RESULTADOS: Após análise estatística verificou-se a presença de vasculite intensa e de eosinófilos como maiores preditores para rejeição aguda futura, apresentando respectivamente as seguintes razões de chance: 10,60 (IC95%: 3,62 - 31,06. p < 0,001 e 6,26 (IC95%: 3,16 - 12,43. p < 0,001. CONCLUSÃO: Vasculites intensas e eosinófilos em biópsias do miocárdio são os principais fatores preditores de rejeição aguda pós-transplante cardíaco.

  4. Analysis of martensitic transformation and residual tension in an 304L stainless steel; Analise da transformacao martensitica e tensao residual em um aco inoxidavel 304L

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alves, Juciane Maria

    2014-07-01

    The relationship between plastic deformation and the strain induced phase transformation, that provides a practical route to the development of new engineering materials with excellent mechanical properties, characterize the TRIP effect 'Transformation Induced Plasticity'. Among the stainless steels, the metastable 304 L austenitic steel is susceptible to transformation of austenite-martensite phase from tensile tests at room temperature by increments of plastic deformation. It is of great technological and scientific interest the knowledge of the evolution of phase transformation and residual stress from different levels and rates of plastic deformation imposed to the material. It is also important to evaluate the interference of metallographic preparation in quantitative analyzes of this steel. The main techniques used in this study consisted of X-rays diffraction and Ferritoscopy for the quantitation phase, and XRD to residual stress analysis also. As observed, the phase transformation quantification has not suffered significant influence of the metallographic preparation and evolved from increments of plastic deformation due to different stop charges and strain rates, leading to a further strengthening of the austenite matrix. The evaluation of residual stress resulting from the martensitic transformation was susceptible to the metallographic preparation and increased its value on comparison to sample without metallographic preparation. It was also observed that the residual stress decreased with the increase of the fraction of transformed martensite. (author)

  5. Non destructive method to follow the phase sigma in a duplex stainless steel; Metodologia nao destrutiva para acompanhamento da fase sigma, em um aco inoxidavel duplex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, E.M.; Andrade, A.L.S. Souza; Fialho, W.M.L.; Araujo, B.R., E-mail: edgard@ifpb.edu.br [Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia da Paraiba (IFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil); Silva, J.H.R.; Leite, Josinaldo P.; Silva, Eloy M. [Instituto Federal de Educacao Ciencia e Tecnologia do Ceara (IFCE), CE (Brazil); Leite, Joao P. [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (UFPB), PB (Brazil)

    2014-07-01

    Duplex stainless steels are subject to embrittlement due to the formation of sigma phase, which is one with the greatest effect of weakening because they are rich in chromium and deplete the matrix of this element. In this paper, a non-destructive methodology based on measurements of Hall voltage, is presented for monitoring the formation of sigma phase at temperatures of 800 deg C and 900 deg C. Different field intensities are generated by an electromagnet and the flow of field lines is detected by a Hall effect sensor. Hall voltage measurements are proportional to the formation of sigma phase generated by different times of aging methods. The results are correlated with results of microscopic, hardness and X-ray diffraction. It was showed that exist a correlation between the Hall voltage and the amount of sigma phase. The formation of this phase influences the signal voltage by reducing the voltage. (author)

  6. An Institutional Perspective on Accountable Care Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodrick, Elizabeth; Reay, Trish

    2016-12-01

    We employ aspects of institutional theory to explore how Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) can effectively manage the multiplicity of ideas and pressures within which they are embedded and consequently better serve patients and their communities. More specifically, we draw on the concept of institutional logics to highlight the importance of understanding the conflicting principles upon which ACOs were founded. Based on previous research conducted both inside and outside health care settings, we argue that ACOs can combine attention to these principles (or institutional logics) in different ways; the options fall on a continuum from (a) segregating the effects of multiple logics from each other by compartmentalizing responses to multiple logics to (b) fully hybridizing the different logics. We suggest that the most productive path for ACOs is to situate their approach between the two extremes of "segregating" and "fully hybridizing." This strategic approach allows ACOs to develop effective responses that combine logics without fully integrating them. We identify three ways that ACOs can embrace institutional complexity short of fully hybridizing disparate logics: (1) reinterpreting practices to make them compatible with other logics; (2) engaging in strategies that take advantage of existing synergy between conflicting logics; (3) creating opportunities for people at frontline to develop innovative ways of working that combine multiple logics. © The Author(s) 2016.

  7. Changes in oxidative stress in transgenic RNAi ACO1 tomato fruit during ripening

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eglous, Najat Mohamed; Ali, Zainon Mohd; Hassan, Maizom; Zainal, Zamri

    2013-11-01

    Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) is the second most cultivated vegetable in the world and widely used as a system for studying the role of ethylene during fruit ripening. Our objective was to study the oxidative stress and antioxidative metabolism during ripening of non transgenic tomato and transgenic line-21 tomato which reduced ethylene. The line-21 of transgenic tomato plants (RNAi ACO1) had lower ethylene production and longer shelf-life more than 32 days as compared to the wild-type fruits which have very short shelf-life. In this study, tomato fruit were divided into five different stages (MG: mature green 5%, B: breaker 25%, T: turning 50%, O: orange75%, RR: red ripe100%). The activity of lipoxygenase (LOX) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were measured to assess changes in oxidative stress. The LOX activity and MDA content decreased significantly obtaining 2.6-fold and 1.2-fold, respectively, as compared to the wild type fruit. However, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were increased to 1.9 and 1.2 folds from the mature green to the fully ripe stage in transgenic tomatoes. Furthermore, the wild type tomato increases 1.3 in SOD and 1.6 in CAT activities. The overall results indicate that the wild type tomato fruit showed a faster rate of ripening, parallel to decline in the rate of enzymatic antioxidative systems as compared to the transgenic line-21 tomato fruit. In addition, the results show that the antioxidant capacity is improved during the ripening process and is accompanied by an increase in the oxidative stress.

  8. 76 FR 19527 - Medicare Program; Medicare Shared Savings Program: Accountable Care Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-07

    ...). Under these provisions, providers of services and suppliers can continue to receive traditional Medicare... Plans and Integration of Community Resources 11. ACO Marketing Guidelines 12. Program Integrity... the Institute of Medicine report: Safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency...

  9. Oxigenación de membrana extracorpórea para soporte cardíaco o respiratorio en adultos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salvador Torregrosa

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available La oxigenación de membrana extracorpórea (ECMO es un sistema de asistencia mecánica circulatoria y respiratoria extracorpórea de corta duración. Está indicado en el shock cardiogénico e insuficiencia respiratoria con compromiso vital de cualquier causa, cuando las medidas terapéuticas médicas o quirúrgicas convencionales, incluyendo el empleo del balón intraaórtico de contrapulsación, han fracasado. Sus ventajas respecto a otros sistemas de asistencia mecánica circulatoria son: 1 inicio rápido de la asistencia mediante canulación periférica; 2 es una técnica poco agresiva, por lo que es mejor tolerada en estos pacientes críticos; 3 al no necesitar toracotomía, permite continuar con las medidas de resucitación cardiopulmonar en los pacientes con parada cardíaca; 4 proporciona soporte pulmonar, univentricular o biventricular; 5 se ha mostrado eficaz como puente a una asistencia ventricular de larga duración o como puente a trasplante cardíaco, y 6 es mucho más económico que otros dispositivos de asistencia ventricular.

  10. 150. ¿Tres en uno? Implante de tres dispositivos de asistencia circulatoria a un mismo paciente como terapia pre y postrasplante cardíaco. A propósito de un caso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J.A. Fernández-Divar

    2012-04-01

    Conclusiones: El implante ECMO es rápido y seguro, y permite mantener con vida a pacientes en shock cardiogénico grave. La reconversión a asistencias de media duración nos ayuda a mejorar el estado del paciente y que éste llegue al trasplante cardíaco en mejores condiciones. La incorporación de asistencias en pacientes con fallo primario del injerto (FPI tras el trasplante supone un avance en el tratamiento de esta patología.

  11. Correlação entre gasometria atrial direita e índice cardíaco no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca Correlation between right atrial venous blood gasometry and cardiac index in cardiac surgery postoperative period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Jackson Duarte

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Determinar a confiabilidade em se correlacionar o índice cardíaco com os dados fornecidos pela gasometria do sangue venoso atrial direito em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca, durante o período pós-operatório. MÉTODOS: A partir das amostras de sangue arterial e venoso do átrio direito, colhidas no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca, foram determinados os parâmetros de oxigênio do sangue venoso do átrio direito. Estes parâmetros foram então comparados com o índice cardíaco determinado pela termodiluição. RESULTADOS: Houve boa correlação entre a saturação de oxigênio do sangue venoso do átrio direito (SvO2, diferença artério-venosa do conteúdo de oxigênio do sangue colhido no átrio direito e o índice cardíaco aferido pela termodiluição, com boa sensibilidade e especificidade e alto valor preditivo positivo e negativo. A pressão do sangue do átrio direito (PvO2 apresentou baixa sensibilidade na estimativa de baixo débito cardíaco. CONCLUSÃO: No pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca, a SvO2e a diferença artério-venosa do conteúdo de oxigênio (C(avO2 apresentaram-se como parâmetros confiáveis correlacionados a baixo débito cardíaco. A PvO2 foi pouco sensível no diagnóstico de baixo débito no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca.OBJECTIVE: To determine, even during postoperative period, the confiability of the cardiac index correlate with the data data given by a central atrial venous blood gasometry in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. METHODS: From the sample of arterial and venous blood of right atrium gathered in postoperative of cardiac surgery, it was determinated the hemoglobin concentration and the gasometric study through what was observed of the venous oxygen saturation (SvO2 and the partial pressure of oxygen from venous blood gathered in right atrium (PvO2, add to the calculation of artery-venous difference of the oxygen content - radial artery / right atrium (C

  12. Multi-objective ACO algorithms to minimise the makespan and the total rejection cost on BPMs with arbitrary job weights

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Zhao-hong; Pei, Ming-li; Leung, Joseph Y.-T.

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, we investigate the batch-scheduling problem with rejection on parallel machines with non-identical job sizes and arbitrary job-rejected weights. If a job is rejected, the corresponding penalty has to be paid. Our objective is to minimise the makespan of the processed jobs and the total rejection cost of the rejected jobs. Based on the selected multi-objective optimisation approaches, two problems, P1 and P2, are considered. In P1, the two objectives are linearly combined into one single objective. In P2, the two objectives are simultaneously minimised and the Pareto non-dominated solution set is to be found. Based on the ant colony optimisation (ACO), two algorithms, called LACO and PACO, are proposed to address the two problems, respectively. Two different objective-oriented pheromone matrices and heuristic information are designed. Additionally, a local optimisation algorithm is adopted to improve the solution quality. Finally, simulated experiments are conducted, and the comparative results verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms, especially on large-scale instances.

  13. A novel hybrid approach based on Particle Swarm Optimization and Ant Colony Algorithm to forecast energy demand of Turkey

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kıran, Mustafa Servet; Özceylan, Eren; Gündüz, Mesut; Paksoy, Turan

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► PSO and ACO algorithms are hybridized for forecasting energy demands of Turkey. ► Linear and quadratic forms are developed to meet the fluctuations of indicators. ► GDP, population, export and import have significant impacts on energy demand. ► Quadratic form provides better fit solution than linear form. ► Proposed approach gives lower estimation error than ACO and PSO, separately. - Abstract: This paper proposes a new hybrid method (HAP) for estimating energy demand of Turkey using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). Proposed energy demand model (HAPE) is the first model which integrates two mentioned meta-heuristic techniques. While, PSO, developed for solving continuous optimization problems, is a population based stochastic technique; ACO, simulating behaviors between nest and food source of real ants, is generally used for discrete optimizations. Hybrid method based PSO and ACO is developed to estimate energy demand using gross domestic product (GDP), population, import and export. HAPE is developed in two forms which are linear (HAPEL) and quadratic (HAPEQ). The future energy demand is estimated under different scenarios. In order to show the accuracy of the algorithm, a comparison is made with ACO and PSO which are developed for the same problem. According to obtained results, relative estimation errors of the HAPE model are the lowest of them and quadratic form (HAPEQ) provides better-fit solutions due to fluctuations of the socio-economic indicators.

  14. A taxonomy of accountable care organizations for policy and practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M; Wu, Frances M; Lewis, Valerie A; Colla, Carrie H; Fisher, Elliott S

    2014-12-01

    To develop an exploratory taxonomy of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to describe and understand early ACO development and to provide a basis for technical assistance and future evaluation of performance. Data from the National Survey of Accountable Care Organizations, fielded between October 2012 and May 2013, of 173 Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payer ACOs. Drawing on resource dependence and institutional theory, we develop measures of eight attributes of ACOs such as size, scope of services offered, and the use of performance accountability mechanisms. Data are analyzed using a two-step cluster analysis approach that accounts for both continuous and categorical data. We identified a reliable and internally valid three-cluster solution: larger, integrated systems that offer a broad scope of services and frequently include one or more postacute facilities; smaller, physician-led practices, centered in primary care, and that possess a relatively high degree of physician performance management; and moderately sized, joint hospital-physician and coalition-led groups that offer a moderately broad scope of services with some involvement of postacute facilities. ACOs can be characterized into three distinct clusters. The taxonomy provides a framework for assessing performance, for targeting technical assistance, and for diagnosing potential antitrust violations. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  15. A Direct Experience in a New Accountable Care Organization: Results, Challenges, and the Role of the Neurosurgeon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dong H; Lloyd, Christopher; Fernandez, Douglas K; Spielman, Amanda; Bradshaw, David

    2017-04-01

    The passage of the Affordable Care Act saw the creation of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), a new approach to healthcare delivery moving from fee-for-service toward population health. This paper presents a case study of the Memorial Hermann ACO (MHACO), launched in response to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, with goals to align physician and hospital incentives, practice evidence-based medicine, develop care coordination, and increase efficiency. Building blocks included an affiliated primary care network, a clinical integration program (involving shared electronic medical record platforms and quality data reporting), and significant investments in information technology. Presented is the approach taken to form MHACO; the management structure, technology developed, and a 2-year experience. Incorporated in July 2012, the MHACO involved 22 000 Medicare patients. In 2015, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released data showing a composite quality score between 80 and 85 (from a maximum 100) and nearly $53 million in total savings (or 11% of expected expenditure), making MHACO one of the most successful nationally.1 In fewer than 5 years, almost 500 ACOs have developed, and by some estimates, a quarter of Medicare patients are currently enrolled in an ACO. Although ACOs to date have focused on primary care, the future will increasingly involve specialists. At Memorial Hermann, neurosurgeons took an early role in forming collaborative partnerships with the hospital, and started programs that served as precursors to the ACO model. This paper ends with an overview of ACO development, likely changes going forward, and a discussion of the role of specialists in general, and of neurosurgeons in particular. Copyright © 2016 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

  16. Transplante cardíaco no Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia: análise da sobrevida

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    ASSEF Marco Aurélio Salles

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODOS: Foram analisados, retrospectivamente, 80 transplantes cardíacos realizados no Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia (IDPC no período de novembro de 1991 a agosto de 2000. Houve predomínio do sexo masculino em 70% dos casos e a idade variou de 7 a 69 anos, com média de 44,8 anos. Doze (15% pacientes se encontravam em prioridade, em uso de drogas inotrópicas endovenosas no momento do transplante. As etiologias determinantes da insuficiência cardíaca congestiva grave foram: miocardiopatia dilatada idiopática em 37,5%, miocardiopatia isquêmica em 33,75%, miocardiopatia chagásica em 17,5% e outras causas em 11,25%. Foram realizados 78 transplantes ortotópicos e 2 heterotópicos. A técnica empregada foi bicaval/bipulmonar em 63,75%, atrial em 27,5%, bicaval/unipulmonar em 6,25% e heterotópico em 2,5%. A mortalidade hospitalar (30 dias foi de 18,75%. RESULTADOS: A sobrevida para o transplante ortotópico em um ano foi de 72,7%, em cinco anos 61,5% e em sete anos 56,4%. A sobrevida após o transplante foi correlacionada com as variáveis idade, causa de óbito e sexo do doador, e pelo transplante ter sido ou não a primeira cirurgia cardíaca do paciente.

  17. Optimization of Medication Use at Accountable Care Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilks, Chrisanne; Krisle, Erik; Westrich, Kimberly; Lunner, Kristina; Muhlestein, David; Dubois, Robert

    2017-10-01

    Optimized medication use involves the effective use of medications for better outcomes, improved patient experience, and lower costs. Few studies systematically gather data on the actions accountable care organizations (ACOs) have taken to optimize medication use. To (a) assess how ACOs optimize medication use; (b) establish an association between efforts to optimize medication use and achievement on financial and quality metrics; (c) identify organizational factors that correlate with optimized medication use; and (d) identify barriers to optimized medication use. This cross-sectional study consisted of a survey and interviews that gathered information on the perceptions of ACO leadership. The survey contained a medication practices inventory (MPI) composed of 38 capabilities across 6 functional domains related to optimizing medication use. ACOs completed self-assessments that included rating each component of the MPI on a scale of 1 to 10. Fisher's exact tests, 2-proportions tests, t-tests, and logistic regression were used to test for associations between ACO scores on the MPI and performance on financial and quality metrics, and on ACO descriptive characteristics. Of the 847 ACOs that were contacted, 49 provided usable survey data. These ACOs rated their own system's ability to manage the quality and costs of optimizing medication use, providing a 64% and 31% affirmative response, respectively. Three ACOs achieved an overall MPI score of 8 or higher, 45 scored between 4 and 7.9, and 1 scored between 0 and 3.9. Using the 3 score groups, the study did not identify a relationship between MPI scores and achievement on financial or quality benchmarks, ACO provider type, member volume, date of ACO creation, or the presence of a pharmacist in a leadership position. Barriers to optimizing medication use relate to reimbursement for pharmacist integration, lack of health information technology interoperability, lack of data, feasibility issues, and physician buy

  18. Delivery system characteristics and their association with quality and costs of care: implications for accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chukmaitov, Askar; Harless, David W; Bazzoli, Gloria J; Carretta, Henry J; Siangphoe, Umaporn

    2015-01-01

    Implementation of accountable care organizations (ACOs) is currently underway, but there is limited empirical evidence on the merits of the ACO model. The aim was to study the associations between delivery system characteristics and ACO competencies, including centralization strategies to manage organizations, hospital integration with physicians and outpatient facilities, health information technology, infrastructure to monitor community health and report quality, and risk-adjusted 30-day all-cause mortality and case-mixed-adjusted inpatient costs for the Medicare population. Panel data (2006-2009) were assembled from Florida and multiple sources: inpatient hospital discharge, vital statistics, the American Hospital Association, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, and other databases. We applied a panel study design, controlling for hospital and market characteristics. Hospitals that were in centralized health systems or became more centralized over the study period had significantly larger reductions in mortality compared with hospitals that remained freestanding. Surprisingly, tightly integrated hospital-physician arrangements were associated with increased mortality; as such, hospitals may wish to proceed cautiously when developing specific types of alignment with local physician organizations. We observed no statistically significant differences in the growth rate of costs across hospitals in any of the health systems studied relative to freestanding hospitals. Although we observed quality improvement in some organizational types, these outcome improvements were not coupled with the additional desired objective of lower cost growth. This implies that additional changes not present during our study period, potentially changes in provider payment approaches, are essential for achieving the ACO objectives of higher quality of care at lower costs. Provider organizations implementing ACOs should consider centralizing service delivery as a

  19. Impacto del riesgo cardíaco sobre la Aneurismectomía

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    Orestes Díaz Hernández

    2000-04-01

    Full Text Available Se realiza un análisis cardiológico a 100 pacientes a los cuales se les efectuó cirugía electiva por aneurisma de la aorta abdominal infrarrenal; para esto se emplearon 5 métodos: el índice de riesgo cardíaco de Goldman original y modificado, los marcadores coronarios de Eagle, las indicaciones por niveles recomendadas por Hollier y la ecuación de Cooperman. La cardiopatía isquémica se detectó en el 59 % del total de los pacientes. De ellos, el 43 % tenía antecedentes de infarto del miocardio, el 33 % angina estable bajo tratamiento medicamentoso, el 6 % insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva con tratamiento digitálico y el 11 % un ritmo no sinusal detectado en el electrocardiograma. La supervivencia a largo plazo en la cardiopatía isquémica se comportó al año y 2 años en el 80 %, a los 5 años en el 72 % y a los 10 y 13 años en el 35 %. Se propone un algoritmo simple y modificado de valoración cardiológica en los pacientes que muestran aneurisma de la aorta abdominalA cardiological analysis of 100 patients whe underwent elective surgery due to infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm was made. 5 methods were used to this end: the original and modified Goldman´s cardiac resk index, Eagle´s coronary markers, the indications by levels recommended by Hollier and Cooperman´s equation. Ischaemic heart disease was detected in 59 % of the patients. 43 % of them had history of myocardial infarction, 33 % of stable angina under drug treatment, 6 % of congestive heart failure with digitalis treatment and 11 % had a nonsinusal rate detected in the EKG. Among those suffering from schemic heart disease there was a long term survival of 80 % at the lst and 2nd year, 72 % at the 5 th year, and 35 % at the 10th and 13th year. A simple and modified algorithm of cardiological assessment was proposed for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm

  20. Avaliação ecocardiográfica do desenvolvimento cardíaco de cavalos atletas: comparação entre atividades físicas distintas

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    Carolina C.M. Bonomo

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A capacidade aeróbica dos equinos atletas pode ser explicada, em partes, pelo seu desenvolvimento cardíaco associado ao treinamento físico. O exame ecocardiográfico de equinos atletas permite a visualização destas alterações e da função cardíaca destes animais. Buscou-se avaliar ecocardiograficamente equinos de diferentes modalidades esportivas, para verificar se o tipo de atividade física desempenhada por cada grupo de animais promove diferenças estruturais ou funcionais cardíacas. 196 equinos foram submetidos à avaliação ecocardiográfica em repouso, sendo divididos em três grupos: grupo Polo, 44 equinos participantes de provas de Polo; grupo QM, 49 equinos da raça Quarto de Milha, participantes de provas de baliza e tambor, e grupo PSI, 103 equinos da raça Puro Sangue Inglês participantes de provas de corridas. Foram avaliados os seguintes índices cardíacos: SIV, DIVE e PLVE em sístole e diástole, AE em sístole, Ao em diástole, relação AE:Ao, FEj, VEj, VSFVE, VDFVE, FS%, E-S, TEVE, DC e FC. Os animais do grupo PSI apresentaram os maiores volumes de ventrículo esquerdo, tendo apresentado proporcionalmente menor eficiência quando analisado o VEj. Os animais do grupo Polo e QM apresentaram melhores valores quando analisadas as variáveis de função cardíaca. A atividade física mais intensa desempenhada pelos animais do grupo QM e Polo permitiu melhor desenvolvimento funcional do coração destes animais, tendo o grupo PSI, apresentado valores que sugerem que sua capacidade aeróbica ainda pode ser melhor explorada através de melhor orientação de seu treinamento físico.

  1. Hemorrhage in cerebral metastasis from angiosarcoma of the heart: case report Hemorragia em metástase cerebral de angiossarcoma cardíaco: relato de caso

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    Pasquale Gallo

    2001-09-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to describe the clinical and pathological features of metastatic angiosarcoma in the central nervous system. Only a few cases of cerebral metastasis from angiosarcoma of the heart have been recorded in the literature; particulary related to intracerebral hemorrhage. A case of secondary cerebral angiosarcoma of the heart in a 33 years old man is presented. The initial symptoms were headache, vomiting, lethargy and aphasia. There was a mass in the left temporal lobe with hemorrhage and edema on the computerized tomography (CT. After 24 hours the neurological status worsened and another CT scan showed rebleeding on the tumor area. He underwent an emergency craniotomy but died two days after. Considering the longer survival of sarcoma patients with new modalities of treatment, the incidence of brain metastasis may increase, demanding a bether preventive and more aggressive approach. Besides, due to the hemorrhagic nature of such lesions, we suggest the imediate surgery to prevent a fast and lethal evolution because rebleeding.O propósito deste artigo é descrever os achados clínicos e patológicos das metástases de angiossarcoma no sistema nervoso central. Apenas poucos casos de metástases cerebrais de angiossarcoma cardíaco foram relatados na literatura, menos ainda relacionados a hemorragia intracerebral. Relatamos o caso de um tumor cerebral secundário a angiossarcoma cardíaco em um paciente masculino de 33 anos. Os sintomas iniciais foram: cefaléia, vômitos, letargia e afasia. A tomografia computadorizada mostrou massa no lobo temporal esquerdo associada a hemorragia e edema. Após 24 horas houve piora do estado neurológico e nova tomografia demonstrou ressangramento no leito tumoral. Foi submetido a uma craniotomia de urgência mas faleceu dois dias após. Considerando a longa sobrevida dos pacientes com sarcoma devido às novas modalidades terapêuticas, poderá aumentar a incidência de met

  2. Grado de información, acceso y prácticasde elaboración de alimentos sin TACC de beneficios del programa de Asistencia Alimentaria para Celíacos de General Madariaga

    OpenAIRE

    Chaparro, María Victoria

    2015-01-01

    La Enfermedad Celíaca, también conocida como esprúe celíaco o enteropatía sensible al gluten, se la define como la intolerancia alimentaria de orden genético más frecuente de la especie humana. El único tratamiento es una dieta estricta y de por vida Sin TACC. La incidencia es mayor en mujeres, que en varones, siendo su prevalencia aproximadamente el 1% de la población. Objetivos: Determinar el grado de información, el acceso y las prácticas de elaboración de alimentos Sin T...

  3. Equilibrios ácido-base. Aspectos teóricos. ¿Es posible la neutralización cuantitativa de dos protolitos débiles? Estudio del caso ácido bórico-amoníaco.

    OpenAIRE

    Milla González, Miguel

    2016-01-01

    Mediante la combinación de los balances de masa y las constantes de equilibrio del sistema, se encuentra la función y=f(x) [y = cantidad valorada del ácido débil y x la cantidad añadida de la base débil]. Se representa dicha función y se calcula su límite cuando x tiende a infinito para comprobar que no es posible la valoración (neutralización cuantitativa) del ácido bórico con la base amoníaco.

  4. Optimizing VM allocation and data placement for data-intensive applications in cloud using ACO metaheuristic algorithm

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    T.P. Shabeera

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays data-intensive applications for processing big data are being hosted in the cloud. Since the cloud environment provides virtualized resources for computation, and data-intensive applications require communication between the computing nodes, the placement of Virtual Machines (VMs and location of data affect the overall computation time. Majority of the research work reported in the current literature consider the selection of physical nodes for placing data and VMs as independent problems. This paper proposes an approach which considers VM placement and data placement hand in hand. The primary objective is to reduce cross network traffic and bandwidth usage, by placing required number of VMs and data in Physical Machines (PMs which are physically closer. The VM and data placement problem (referred as MinDistVMDataPlacement problem is defined in this paper and has been proved to be NP- Hard. This paper presents and evaluates a metaheuristic algorithm based on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO, which selects a set of adjacent PMs for placing data and VMs. Data is distributed in the physical storage devices of the selected PMs. According to the processing capacity of each PM, a set of VMs are placed on these PMs to process data stored in them. We use simulation to evaluate our algorithm. The results show that the proposed algorithm selects PMs in close proximity and the jobs executed in the VMs allocated by the proposed scheme outperforms other allocation schemes.

  5. ANÁLISIS DE LA CALIDAD DEL REGISTRO DE PARO CARDÍACO EN CASOS DE RESPONSABILIDAD MÉDICO LEGAL EN MÉDICOS GENERALES, 1999-2007

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    Gabriel Barragán

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Antecedentes. El registro del paro cardíaco es una actividad que se debe acompañar en la reanimación cerebro cardio pulmonar. En Colombia no existe un formato de registro oficial de paro cardiorrespiratorio, lo que dificulta la investigación en reanimación y la conducción de los procesos de responsabilidad médica que se deriven de esta atención. Objetivo. Analizar la calidad del registro de paro cardíaco en casos de responsabilidad médico legal iniciada a médicos generales que tuvieron asesoría científica del Fondo para Auxilio de Demandas de la Sociedad Colombiana de Anestesiología y Reanimación (SCARE-FEPASDE, 1999-2007. Material y métodos. Se realizó una investigación tipo serie de casos, en donde se incluyeron los casos de paro cardiorrespiratorio que tuvieron demanda médico legal y que fueron atendidos por médicos generales, entre 1999 y 2007, y que requirieron asesoría jurídica por SCARE-FEPASDE. La información se registró en tablas de Excel®, según las recomendaciones Utstein. La calificación de calidad se hizo por tres médicos expertos en responsabilidad médica de manera independiente. Se utilizó un formato de calificación sobre la proporción de registros realizados sobre 25 ítem posibles. La calidad se consideró alta (mayor de 95% ítem, media (70-94% ítem y baja (menor de 70%. En los casos de desacuerdo se realizó consenso. Resultados. Se incluyeron en total 83 casos. La calidad del registro del paro fue media en 49 casos (59%, baja en 32 casos (39% y alta en dos casos. Conclusión. El registro de paro cardiorrespiratorio en casos de responsabilidad médica es de mediana calidad, por lo que no se alcanza a cumplir con los estándares internacionales y las guías al estilo Utstein.

  6. Academic Medical Centers Forming Accountable Care Organizations and Partnering With Community Providers: The Experience of the Johns Hopkins Medicine Alliance for Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berkowitz, Scott A; Ishii, Lisa; Schulz, John; Poffenroth, Matt

    2016-03-01

    Academic medical centers (AMCs)--which include teaching hospital(s) and additional care delivery entities--that form accountable care organizations (ACOs) must decide whether to partner with other provider entities, such as community practices. Indeed, 67% (33/49) of AMC ACOs through the Medicare Shared Savings Program through 2014 are believed to include an outside community practice. There are opportunities for both the AMC and the community partners in pursuing such relationships, including possible alignment around shared goals and adding ACO beneficiaries. To create the Johns Hopkins Medicine Alliance for Patients (JMAP), in January 2014, Johns Hopkins Medicine chose to partner with two community primary care groups and one cardiology practice to support clinical integration while adding approximately 60 providers and 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries. The principal initial interventions within JMAP included care coordination for high-risk beneficiaries and later, in 2014, generating dashboards of ACO quality measures to facilitate quality improvement and early efforts at incorporating clinical pathways and Choosing Wisely recommendations. Additional interventions began in 2015.The principal initial challenges JMAP faced were data integration, generation of quality measure reports among disparate electronic medical records, receiving and then analyzing claims data, and seeking to achieve provider engagement; all these affected timely deployment of the early interventions. JMAP also created three regional advisory councils as a forum promoting engagement of local leadership. Network strategies among AMCs, including adding community practices in a nonemployment model, will continue to require thoughtful strategic planning and a keen understanding of local context.

  7. Consulta de enfermagem ao cliente transplantado cardíaco: impacto das ações educativas em saúde Consulta de Enfermería al cliente trasplantado cardíaco: impacto de las acciones en salud Appointment with nurses for transplanted heart clients: impact of educative health actions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zélia Maria de Sousa Araújo Santos

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto das ações educativas em saúde, na consulta de Enfermagem com 18 clientes transplantados cardíacos, embasado na Teoria de Orem. Foi realizado em uma Unidade de Transplante e Insuficiência Cardíaca de uma Instituição Pública de Saúde de Fortaleza - Ce. Os dados foram coletados através da consulta de Enfermagem. Identificou-se 14 diagnósticos de enfermagem na primeira consulta e 7 na última. Constatou-se que, os clientes desenvolveram habilidades para o autocuidado, com a implementação das ações educativas em saúde, tornando-os agentes de autocuidado, com o alcance de um bom nível de saúde e bem-estar. Por outro lado, despertou no enfermeiro, um direcionamento sistemático e eficaz no acompanhamento ambulatorial a esta clientela.El estudio tiene como objetivo, evaluar el impacto de las acciones educativas en salud, en la consulta de Enfermería con 18 cliente trasplantados cardíacos, basado en la teoría de Orem. Se realizó en una Unidad de Trasplante e Insuficiencia Cardiaca de una Institución Pública de Fortaleza-Ce. Se colectaron los datos a través de consulta de enfermería. Se identificaron 14 diagnósticos en la primera consulta y 7 en la última. Hubo la constatación de que, los clientes desarrollaron habilidades para el autocuidado, con la implementación de las acciones educativas en salud, volviéndose agentes de autocuidado, con el alcance de un buen nivel de salud y bienestar. Por otro lado, estimuló en el enfermero, una dirección sistemática y eficaz en el acompañamiento ambulatorial a esta clientela.The study was aimed at evaluating the impact of educative health actions on nursing appointments with 18 transplanted heart clients, based on Orem's Theory. It was conducted in a Heart Transplant and Insufficiency Unit of a Public Health Institution in Fortaleza - CE. The data were collected by way of nursing appointments. 14 nursing diagnoses were identified in

  8. The Hidden Roles That Management Partners Play In Accountable Care Organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Valerie A; D'Aunno, Thomas; Murray, Genevra F; Shortell, Stephen M; Colla, Carrie H

    2018-02-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are often discussed and promoted as driven by physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers. However, because of the flexible nature of ACO contracts, management organizations may also become partners in ACOs. We used data from 2013-15 on 276 ACOs from the National Survey of Accountable Care Organizations to understand the prevalence of nonprovider management partners' involvement in ACOs, the services these partners provide, and the structure of ACOs that have such partners. We found that 37 percent of ACOs reported having a management partner, and two-thirds of these ACOs reported that the partner shared in the financial risks or rewards. Among ACOs with partners, 94 percent had data services provided by the partner, 87 percent received administrative services, 68 percent received educational services, and 66 percent received care coordination services. Half received all four of these services from their partner. ACOs with partners were more heavily primary care than other ACOs. ACOs with and without partners had similar performance on costs and quality in Medicare ACO programs. Our findings suggest that management partners play a central role in many ACOs, perhaps supplying smaller and physician-run ACOs with services or expertise perceived as necessary for ACO success.

  9. Identificação da comunidade componente de helmintos, gastrointestinais hepáticos, pulmonares, cardíacos e renais de Otaria flavescens (Leão-marinho-do-sul), no litoral sul do Brasil

    OpenAIRE

    PEREIRA, Eliane Machado

    2012-01-01

    Este estudo analisou os helmintos parasitos gastrointestinais, pulmonares, cardíacos e renais do O. flavescens no litoral sul do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Foram necropsiados 29 leões-marinhos, cujas carcaças apresentavam baixo estado de decomposição. Os órgãos coletados mediante necropsia a campo para análise em laboratório foram 24 intestinos delgado e grosso, 24 fígados incluindo parênquima e vesícula biliar e 29 estômagos, 24 corações e 24 pares de rins. Os órgãos foram congelados a 2...

  10. Avaliação da doença vascular do enxerto no transplante cardíaco: experiência de um centro brasileiro Assessment of cardiac allograft vasculopathy in cardiac transplantation: experience of a Brazilian center

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    Elide Sbardellotto Mariano da Costa

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O transplante cardíaco continua sendo o tratamento de escolha para a insuficiência cardíaca refratária ao tratamento otimizado. Dois métodos diagnósticos apresentam elevada sensibilidade no diagnóstico de episódios de rejeição ao enxerto e Doença Vascular do Enxerto (DVE, causas importantes de mortalidade no pós-transplante. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a relação entre os resultados do ultrassom intracoronariano (USIV e os laudos das biópsias endomiocárdicas (BX no seguimento de pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco em um serviço de referência brasileiro. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um ensaio epidemiológico retrospectivo observacional, com pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco ortotópico, no período de 2000 a 2009. Foram analisados os prontuários desses pacientes e os resultados dos USIV e BX realizados rotineiramente no seguimento clínico pós-transplante e terapêutica em uso. RESULTADOS: Dos 77 pacientes analisados, 63,63% são do sexo masculino, nas faixas etárias de 22 a 69 anos. Quanto aos resultados dos USIV, 33,96% foram classificados em Stanford classe I, e 32,08%, como Stanford IV. Dos 143 laudos das biópsias, 51,08% tiveram resultado 1R, 3R em 0,69% dos laudos, e 14,48% apresentaram a descrição de efeito Quilty. Todos usaram antiproliferativos, 80,51% usaram inibidores da calcineurina e 19,48% usaram inibidores do sinal de proliferação (ISP. CONCLUSÃO: A avaliação dos pacientes pós-transplante cardíaco por meio do USIV incorpora informações detalhadas para o diagnóstico precoce e sensível da DVE, que são complementadas pelas informações histológicas fornecidas pelas BX, estabelecendo uma possível relação causal entre a DVE e os episódios de rejeição humoral.BACKGROUND: Cardiac transplantation continues to be the treatment of choice for heart failure refractory to optimized treatment. Two methods have high sensitivity for diagnosing allograft rejection episodes and cardiac

  11. Intelligent Search Method Based ACO Techniques for a Multistage Decision Problem EDP/LFP

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    Mostefa RAHLI

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available The implementation of a numerical library of calculation based optimization in electrical supply networks area is in the centre of the current research orientations, thus, our project in a form given is centred on the development of platform NMSS1. It's a software environment which will preserve many efforts as regards calculations of charge, smoothing curves, losses calculation and economic planning of the generated powers [23].The operational research [17] in a hand and the industrial practice in the other, prove that the means and processes of simulation reached a level of very appreciable reliability and mathematical confidence [4, 5, 14]. It is of this expert observation that many processes make confidence to the results of simulation.The handicaps of this approach or methodology are that it makes base its judgments and handling on simplified assumptions and constraints whose influence was deliberately neglected to be added to the cost to spend [14].By juxtaposing the methods of simulation with artificial intelligence techniques, gathering set of numerical methods acquires an optimal reliability whose assurance can not leave doubt.Software environment NMSS [23] can be a in the field of the rallying techniques of simulation and electric network calculation via a graphic interface. In the same software integrate an AI capability via a module expert system.Our problem is a multistage case where are completely dependant and can't be performed separately.For a multistage problem [21, 22], the results obtained from a credible (large size problem calculation, makes the following question: Could choice of numerical methods set make the calculation of a complete problem using more than two treatments levels, a total error which will be the weakest one possible? It is well-known according to algorithmic policy; each treatment can be characterized by a function called mathematical complexity. This complexity is in fact a coast (a weight overloading

  12. Risk bearing and use of fee-for-service billing among accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhlestein, David B; Croshaw, Andrew A; Merrill, Thomas P

    2013-07-01

    To determine the willingness of accountable care organizations (ACOs) to bear financial risk for the healthcare they provide. Structured interviews conducted between January and June 2012 with 57 ACOs led by hospitals and physician groups located throughout the United States. Findings are based on the 38 ACOs that were actively providing care under an ACO payment arrangement at the time of the interview. Among these ACOs, 71% cover a portion of their ACO population with contracts that put the ACOs at some financial risk, while 45% have risk-based contracts for their entire ACO population. Payments based on fee-for-service (FFS) billing still dominate, as 92% of ACOs use FFS-based billing for at least a portion of their ACO population and 71% are fully reimbursed using FFS-based billing. Under the auspices of an ACO, providers are accepting some financial risk for their accountable care patient population. There is still strong reliance on FFS-based billing methods as providers experiment with different payment models.

  13. Mixoma cardíaco con diagnóstico prenatal: Presentación de un caso y revisión de literatura

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    Josías Ríos

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available El mixoma es la tumoración cardíaca más frecuente en el adulto, constituyendo aproximadamente el 50% de las mismas. En la edad pediátrica el tumor cardíaco más frecuente es el rabdomioma, generalmente asociado a esclerosis tuberosa. La presentación del mixoma en pacientes pediátricos es muy rara y más aun en la etapa neonatal. Presentamos el caso de una paciente de sexo femenino que fue sometida a cirugía a los 8 días de nacida por presentar dos tumoraciones intracardiacas diagnosticadas en la etapa intrauterina a las 38 semanas de gestación. La cirugía se realizó mediante esternotomía media, con circulación extracorpórea y arresto circulatorio. Las tumoraciones, que eran de aspecto polipoide se localizaban en la aurícula derecha, los estudios de patología fueron compatibles con mixoma. La evolución postoperatoria fue satisfactoria y la paciente fue dada de alta a los 14 días después de la cirugía.

  14. The new frontier of strategic alliances in health care: New partnerships under accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Valerie A; Tierney, Katherine I; Colla, Carrie H; Shortell, Stephen M

    2017-10-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) and similar reforms aim to improve coordination between health care providers; however, due to the fragmented nature of the US health care system, successful coordination will hinge in large part on the ability of health care organizations to successfully partner across organizational boundaries. Little is known about new partnerships formed under the ACO model. We use mixed methods data from the National Survey of ACOs, Medicare ACO performance data and interviews with executive leaders across 31 ACOs to examine the prevalence, characteristics, and capabilities of partnership ACOs and why and how ACO partnerships form. We find that a striking percentage of ACOs - 81% - involve new partnerships between independent health care organizations. These "partnership ACOs" generally report lower capabilities on care management, care coordination, and health information technology. Additionally, under Medicare ACO programs partnership ACO achieved somewhat lower quality performance. Qualitative interviews revealed that providers are motivated to partner for resource complementarity, risk reduction, and legislative requirements, and are using a variety of formal and informal accountability mechanisms. Most partnership ACOs were formed out of existing, positive relationships, but a minority of ACOs formed out of previously competitive or conflictual relationships. Our findings suggests that the success of the ACO model will hinge in large part upon the success of new partnerships, with important implications for understanding ACO readiness and capabilities, the relatively small savings achieved to date by ACO programs, and the path to providers bearing more risk for population health management. In addition, ACO partnerships may provide an important window to monitor a potential wave of health care consolidation or, in contrast, a new model of independent providers successfully coordinating patient care. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

  15. Characterization by X ray diffraction of deleterious phases precipitated in a super duplex stainless steel; Caracterizacao por difracao de raios X de fases deleterias precipitadas em aco inoxidavel superduplex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pardal, Juan M.; Tavares, Sergio S. Maior; Fonseca, Maria P. Cindra; Montenegro, Talles Ribeiro, E-mail: juanpardal@vm.uff.b [Universidade Federal Fluminense (PGEMEC/UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Pos-graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica; Dias, Antonio Jose N.; Almeida, Sergio L. de [Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia (INT), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Div. de Materiais Ceramicos e Metalicos. Lab. de Tecnologia de Materiais

    2010-07-01

    In this work the identification and quantification of deleterious phases in two super duplex stainless steels grade UNS S32750, with quite different grain sizes, was performed by X-ray diffraction. The materials were isothermally aged in the 800 . 950 deg C range. Direct comparison method was used to quantify the ferrite phase in each sample. The amount of deleterious phases ({sigma}, {chi} and {gamma}2) formed was calculated by the difference of the amount of ferrite phase measured in each specimen to the amount of ferrite initially measured in the un-aged steel. The results obtained give an useful contribution to the understanding of kinetics of deleterious phases precipitation in super duplex steels. (author)

  16. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Heart Failure Self-Management Kits for Outpatient Transitions of Care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boylan, Paul; Joseph, Tina; Hale, Genevieve; Moreau, Cynthia; Seamon, Matthew; Jones, Renee

    2018-03-01

    To develop heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) self-management kits in an accountable care organization (ACO) to facilitate patients' self-care and prevent hospital readmissions. Pharmacists practice in an outpatient-based ACO. They participate in interprofessional office visits with providers and independently manage maintenance pharmacotherapies. Pharmacists collaborate with an interprofessional team within the ACO including physicians, nurses, case managers, and paramedics. Two commonly encountered diseases are chronic COPD and HF. Reducing preventable readmissions for these conditions are important quality benchmarks and cost-saving strategies. Pharmacists were responsible for developing HF and COPD self-management kits containing patient education materials and prescriptions to facilitate self-care. Prior to kit development, pharmacists performed a literature review to determine the presence of previously published findings on these topics. The interprofessional team continually evaluates the successes and limitations of this initiative. Pharmacists developed training and instructions for ACO allied health professionals in an effort to incorporate the self-management kits in clinical practice. The initial literature search revealed no studies describing the intervention of interest. Innovative programs designed to help reduce preventable readmissions are lacking in primary care. Implementation of the self-management kits was accepted by interprofessional ACO leadership and is currently being integrated into allied health workflow. Patients at risk for having an exacerbation of COPD or HF should receive self-management strategies. Prompt therapy prior to exacerbations reduces hospital admissions and readmissions, speeds recovery, and slows disease progression. Pharmacist-facilitated implementation of self-management kits may be developed by interprofessional health care teams.

  17. Ant colony optimisation-direct cover: a hybrid ant colony direct cover technique for multi-level synthesis of multiple-valued logic functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abd-El-Barr, Mostafa

    2010-12-01

    The use of non-binary (multiple-valued) logic in the synthesis of digital systems can lead to savings in chip area. Advances in very large scale integration (VLSI) technology have enabled the successful implementation of multiple-valued logic (MVL) circuits. A number of heuristic algorithms for the synthesis of (near) minimal sum-of products (two-level) realisation of MVL functions have been reported in the literature. The direct cover (DC) technique is one such algorithm. The ant colony optimisation (ACO) algorithm is a meta-heuristic that uses constructive greediness to explore a large solution space in finding (near) optimal solutions. The ACO algorithm mimics the ant's behaviour in the real world in using the shortest path to reach food sources. We have previously introduced an ACO-based heuristic for the synthesis of two-level MVL functions. In this article, we introduce the ACO-DC hybrid technique for the synthesis of multi-level MVL functions. The basic idea is to use an ant to decompose a given MVL function into a number of levels and then synthesise each sub-function using a DC-based technique. The results obtained using the proposed approach are compared to those obtained using existing techniques reported in the literature. A benchmark set consisting of 50,000 randomly generated 2-variable 4-valued functions is used in the comparison. The results obtained using the proposed ACO-DC technique are shown to produce efficient realisation in terms of the average number of gates (as a measure of chip area) needed for the synthesis of a given MVL function.

  18. INFRASTRUCTURAL MECHANISMS LEADING TOWARD PRO-ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANISATION ORIENTATION: A SURVEY OF HOSPITAL MANAGERS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Thomas T.H.; Masri, Maysoun Dimachkie; Ortiz, Judith

    2013-01-01

    Organisations across the country are transforming the way they deliver care, in ways similar to the accountable care organisation (ACO) model supported by Medicare. ACOs modalities are varying in size, type, and financing structure. Little is known about how specific infrastructural mechanisms influence hospital managers’ pro-ACO orientation. Using an electronic-survey of hospital managers, this study explores how pro-ACO orientation, as a latent construct, is captured from the perceptions of hospital managers; and identify infrastructural mechanisms leading to the formation of pro-ACO orientation. Of the total hospital respondents, 58% are moving toward the establishment of ACOs; 56% are planning to join in the next two years; 48% are considering joining ACOs; while 25% had already participated in ACOs during 2012. Urban hospitals are more likely than rural hospitals to be engaged in ACO development. The health provider network size is one of the strongest indicators in predicting pro-ACO orientation. PMID:25374609

  19. DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF PERMANENT MAGNET SYNCHRONOUS GENERATOR FOR USE IN HYDRODYNAMIC RENEWABLE ENERGY BY APPLYING ACO AND FEA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Nikbakhsh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available One of the most important ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption and consequently reduce greenhouse gases and environmental pollution is the use of renewable energies such as water, sun, wind, etc. One of the most efficient ways to take advantages of the shallow flowing waters such as rivers and fountains in electrical power generation is the use of hydrodynamic screw in the direction of water flow. The design of the generator for this application results in environmental dangers decrease. On the other hand, it provides some part of electrical energy required for human beings. Generators in hydrodynamic renewable energy system ought to have features such as high efficiency, power density and reliability as well as low volume. Among various generators, the permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG meets these requirements very well. In this paper, first, analytical calculations and the design process of PMSG were explained. Then, the ant colony optimization (ACO was used for the optimization of design quantities. PMSG design optimization increased in efficiency and decreased in volume. By improving these two parameters in the designed PMSG, it gets very suitable to be used in hydrodynamic renewable energy system. Finally, the results of the optimized design of PMSG were validated through simulation of it in Maxwell software and applying finite element analysis (FEA. Also the final results have been compared to similar experimental researches results.

  20. Transplante cardíaco ortotópico pela técnica bicaval

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    CHACCUR Paulo

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available Há trinta anos tem sido empregada a técnica descrita por Lower e Shumway para o transplante cardíaco ortotópico, com bons resultados. Complicações, como estase venosa, formação de trombos, arritmias atriais e insuficiência das valvas tricúspide e mitral, estão presentes no pós-operatório tardio. A partir de 1995, passamos a utilizar a técnica bicaval em todos os casos (6 pacientes. Cinco eram do sexo masculino e a média de idades dos receptores era de 50,6 anos. A cardiomiopatia era dilatada e isquêmica em 2 casos cada, e chagásica e reumática nos demais. Três pacientes apresentavam operações prévias, sendo que um deles havia sido submetido a três operações de prótese valvar aórtica, o segundo a implante de marcapasso epimiocárdico definitivo, e o último a duas operações de revascularização do miocárdio associada a aneurismectomia de ventrículo esquerdo. A técnica cirúrgica consistiu, na maioria dos casos, na anastomose das veias pulmonares, em conjunto com o átrio esquerdo do coração a ser implantado e, a seguir, a da cava superior, inferior, do tronco pulmonar e aorta. Todos os doadores estavam em hospitais da cidade e com retirada múltipla de órgãos. Não tivemos óbito hospitalar e todos os pacientes estão vivos para um período de um a quinze meses de pós-operatório. Não houve diferença significativa quando se comparou as duas técnicas para o tempo de anóxia, tempo de C E C, tempo de implante, presença de taquiarritmias atriais, sangramento e permanência hospitalar. Houve diferença significativa (p<0,05 para a utilização de marcapasso temporário e presença de insuficiência tricúspide. Acreditamos que a técnica bicaval, além de reduzir o tamanho das cavidades atriais, é uma técnica simples, com índice menor de complicações e que poderá ser empregada com mais freqüência.

  1. Cloning and sequence of cDNA encoding 1-aminocyclo- propane-1-carboxylate oxidase in Vanda flowers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pattana Srifah Huehne

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO gene in the final step of ethylene biosynthesis was isolated from ethylene-sensitive Vanda Miss Joaquim flowers. This consists of 1,242 base pairs (bp encoding for 326 amino acid residues. To investigate the specific divergence in orchid ACO sequences, the deduced Vanda ACO was aligned with five other orchid ACOs. The results reveal that the ACO sequences within Doritaenopsis, Phalaenopsis and Vanda show highly conserved and almost 95% identical homology, while the ACOs isolated from Cymbidium, Dendrobium and Cattleya are 8788% identical to Vanda ACO. In addition, the 2-oxoglutarate- Fe(II_oxygenase (Oxy domain of orchid ACOs consists of a higher degree of amino acid conservation than that of the non-haem dioxygenase (DIOX_N domain. The overall homology regions of Vanda ACO are commonly folded into 12 α-helices and 12 β-sheets similar to the three dimensional template-structure of Petunia ACO. This Vanda ACO cloned gene is highly expressed in flower tissue compared with root and leaf tissues. In particular, there is an abundance of ACO transcript accumulation in the column followed by the lip and the perianth of Vanda Miss Joaquim flowers at the fully-open stage.

  2. Validação de conteúdo das atuais e de novas características definidoras do diagnóstico de enfermagem débito cardíaco diminuído Validación de contenido de las actuales y nuevas características que definen el diagnostico de enfermería: disminución del gasto cardíaco Content validation of current and new defining characteristics of the nursing diagnosis: decreased cardiac output

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana de Lima Lopes

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Validar o conteúdo das características definidoras, tanto aquelas atualmente aprovadas como as identificadas por meio de revisão de literatura, para o diagnóstico de enfermagem Débito Cardíaco Diminuído. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo de validação de conteúdo utilizando o modelo proposto por Fehring. As características definidoras foram validadas por 18 peritos (oito enfermeiros e dez médicos, usando uma escala do tipo Likert de cinco pontos e seguindo a classificação: escore maior do que 0,80 foram consideradas como as características principais, as com peso entre 0,50 a 0,79 como secundárias e as com média menor ou igual a 0,50, como irrelevantes. RESULTADOS: Dentre as 79 características definidoras investigadas, 38 (48,1% foram validadas, dentre elas, 17 presentes na NANDA-I e, 41 (51,9% foram consideradas como irrelevantes para este diagnóstico, sendo que oito estão listadas na NANDA-I. CONCLUSÃO: As características definidoras listadas atualmente na classificação da Taxonomia da NANDA-I não abrangem completamente o diagnóstico de enfermagem débito cardíaco diminuído.OBJETIVO: Validar el contenido de las características definidoras, tanto de las actualmente aprobadas como las identificadas por medio de una revisión de la literatura, para el diagnóstico de enfermería: disminución del gasto cardíaco. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio de validación de contenido utilizando el modelo propuesto por Fehring. Las características definidoras fueron validadas por 18 expertos (ocho enfermeros y diez médicos, usando una escala de tipo Likert de cinco puntos y siguiendo la siguiente clasificación: las con puntaje mayor que 0,80 fueron consideradas como características principales; las con peso entre 0,50 y 0,79 como secundarias; y, las con promedio menor o igual a 0,50, como irrelevantes. RESULTADOS: Entre las 79 características definidoras investigadas, 38 (48,1% fueron validadas, entre ellas, 17 se

  3. Reprodutibilidade do teste de caminhada de 6 minutos e marcadores autonômicos cardíacos em idosas ativas e sedentárias

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    André Igor Fonteles

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1980-0037.2016v18n3p287   Objetivou-se verificar a reprodutibilidade do teste de caminhada de 6 minutos (TC6 e de marcadores autonômicos cardíacos pós-esforço em idosas fisicamente ativas e sedentárias. Dezoito idosas ativas (64,2 ± 3,1 anos; 63,0 ± 2,7 kg; 1,52 ± 0,06 m; 26,9 ± 2,7 kg.m-2 praticantes de Tai Chi Chuan (≥6 meses de prática e 18 idosas sedentárias (64,0 ± 3,7 anos; 63,8 ± 8,9 kg; 1,49 ± 0,05 m; 28,4 ± 3,5 kg.m-2 foram submetidas a dois TC6 com uma semana de intervalo. Foram medidas a frequência cardíaca de recuperação (FCR de um e dois minutos (FCR1’ e FCR2’, respectivamente e variabilidade da frequência cardíaca (VFC pós-esforço. A reprodutibilidade foi verificada pelos: coeficiente de correlação intraclasse (CCI com 95% de intervalo de confiança; análise de concordância de Bland-Altman; e coeficiente de variação (CV. O desempenho no TC6 (528,8±71,4 m e 473,2±62,4 m; CV=7,9% e CV=8,5% apresentou alta reprodutibilidade (CCI=0,86 em idosas ativas e sedentárias, respectivamente. Similarmente, as medidas pós-esforço da FCR1’ (29,0±11,0 bpm e 17,0±8,0 bpm; CV=30,1% e CV=40,2% e FCR2’ (36,0±10,0 bpm e 24,0±9,0 bpm; CV=23,7% e CV=22,8% apresentaram alta reprodutibilidade (CCI≥0,84 e CCI≥0,80 em ambos os grupos. Quanto a VFC verificou-se reprodutibilidade moderada (CCI≥0,57; CV=35-47% em idosas ativas e moderada-alta nas sedentárias (CCI=0,65-0,76; CV=34-69%. Todas as variáveis apresentaram concordância em ambos os grupos. Conclui-se que o TC6, FCR e VFC pós-esforço são instrumentos reprodutíveis na avaliação da capacidade funcional e controle autonômico cardíaco em idosas ativas e sedentárias.

  4. Ethical challenges for accountable care organizations: a structured review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeCamp, Matthew; Farber, Neil J; Torke, Alexia M; George, Maura; Berger, Zackary; Keirns, Carla C; Kaldjian, Lauris C

    2014-10-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are proliferating as a solution to the cost crisis in American health care, and already involve as many as 31 million patients. ACOs hold clinicians, group practices, and in many circumstances hospitals financially accountable for reducing expenditures and improving their patients' health outcomes. The structure of health care affects the ethical issues arising in the practice of medicine; therefore, like all health care organizational structures, ACOs will experience ethical challenges. No framework exists to assist key ACO stakeholders in identifying or managing these challenges. We conducted a structured review of the medical ACO literature using qualitative content analysis to inform identification of ethical challenges for ACOs. Our analysis found infrequent discussion of ethics as an explicit concern for ACOs. Nonetheless, we identified nine critical ethical challenges, often described in other terms, for ACO stakeholders. Leaders could face challenges regarding fair resource allocation (e.g., about fairly using ACOs' shared savings), protection of professionals' ethical obligations (especially related to the design of financial incentives), and development of fair decision processes (e.g., ensuring that beneficiary representatives on the ACO board truly represent the ACO's patients). Clinicians could perceive threats to their professional autonomy (e.g., through cost control measures), a sense of dual or conflicted responsibility to their patients and the ACO, or competition with other clinicians. For patients, critical ethical challenges will include protecting their autonomy, ensuring privacy and confidentiality, and effectively engaging them with the ACO. ACOs are not inherently more or less "ethical" than other health care payment models, such as fee-for-service or pure capitation. ACOs' nascent development and flexibility in design, however, present a time-sensitive opportunity to ensure their ethical operation

  5. Consenso brasileiro de monitorização e suporte hemodinâmico - parte III: métodos alternativos de monitorização do débito cardíaco e da volemia Brazilian consensus of monitoring and hemodynamic support - part III: alternative methods for cardiac output monitoring and volemia estimation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guilherme Schettino

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A interpretação do débito cardíaco e da pré-carga como números absolutos não traz grandes informações sobre a hemodinâmica do paciente crítico. Em contrapartida, a monitorização da resposta do débito cardíaco à expansão volêmica ou suporte inotrópico é uma ferramenta muito útil na unidade de terapia intensiva, quando o paciente apresenta algum sinal de má perfusão tecidual. Apesar do CAP ser considerado como " padrão-ouro" na avaliação destes parâmetros, foram desenvolvidas tecnologias alternativas bastante confiáveis para a sua monitorização. MÉTODO: O processo de desenvolvimento de recomendações utilizou o método Delphi modificado para criar e quantificar o consenso entre os participantes. A AMIB determinou um coordenador para o consenso, o qual escolheu seis especialistas para comporem o comitê consultivo. Outros 18 peritos de diferentes regiões do país foram selecionados para completar o painel de 25 especialistas, médicos e enfermeiros. Um levantamento bibliográfico na MEDLINE de artigos na língua inglesa foi realizado no período de 1966 a 2004. RESULTADOS: Foram apresentadas recomendações referentes à análise da variação da pressão arterial durante ventilação mecânica, débito cardíaco contínuo por contorno de pulso arterial, débito cardíaco por diluição do lítio, Doppler transesofágico, bioimpedância transtorácica, ecocardiografia e reinalação parcial de gás carbônico. CONCLUSÕES: As novas e menos invasivas técnicas para medida do débito cardíaco, pré-carga e fluidoresponsividade apresentam adequada precisão e podem ser uma alternativa ao uso do CAP em pacientes graves.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiac output and preload as absolute data do not offer helpful information about the hemodynamic of critically ill patients. However, monitoring the response of these variables to volume challenge or inotropic drugs is a very useful tool in the

  6. Addressing Pricing Power in Integrated Delivery: The Limits of Antitrust.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berenson, Robert

    2015-08-01

    Prices are the major driver of why the United States spends so much more on health care than other countries do. The pricing power that hospitals have garnered recently has resulted from consolidated delivery systems and concentrated markets, leading to enhanced negotiating leverage. But consolidation may be the wrong frame for viewing the problem of high and highly variable prices; many "must-have" hospitals achieve their pricing power from sources other than consolidation, for example, reputation. Further, the frame of consolidation leads to unrealistic expectations for what antitrust's role in addressing pricing power should be, especially because in the wake of two periods of merger "manias" and "frenzies" many markets already lack effective competition. It is particularly challenging for antitrust to address extant monopolies lawfully attained. New payment and delivery models being pioneered in Medicare, especially those built around accountable care organizations (ACOs), offer an opportunity to reduce pricing power, but only if they are implemented with a clear eye on the impact on prices in commercial insurance markets. This article proposes approaches that public and private payers should consider to complement the role of antitrust to assure that ACOs will actually help control costs in commercial markets as well as in Medicare and Medicaid. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

  7. Fisiopatologia da Dispneia em doentes cardíacos com Congestão Pulmonar** Trabalbo vencedor ex-aqueo do Prémio Thomé Villar/Boehringer Ingelheim, 1995

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miguel Mota Carmo

    1997-03-01

    Full Text Available SUMÁRIO: O objectivo deste estudo foi avaliar a importância da comparticipação das alterações do controlo da ventilaçõe da força dos músculos respiratórios na génese da dispneia em doentes cardíacos com estase pulmonar. Para isso comparámos 48 doentes (GI, com uma idade média de 61 anos e uma pressão capilar pulmonar (PCP de 19,9 mmHg, com um grupo de 35 controlos (GII, com uma idade média de 62 anos. Foram efectuadas as seguintes avaliações: volumes e capacidades pulmonares pelo método de diluição do hétio e por pneumotacografia, pressão de oclusão e resposta ventilatória em hipercánia, bem como a quantificação simultânea da dispneia utilizando uma escala visual analógica. Foram também medidas as pressões máximas dos músculos respiratórios, ao nível da boca, em repouso. Os doentes cardíacos foram submetidos a cateterismo cardíaco direito com determinação do débito cardíaco por termodilui determinação. Nestes doentes encontrou-se um aumento da pressão de oclusão basal em comparação com o grupo controlo (P0,1 GI-1,7 cmH20 / GII -1,35 cmH20; p<0,001, provavelmente devido ao padrão espirométrico restritivo que apresentavam. Não se detectaram alterações na variação da P0,1 durante a prova de hiperclápnia pelo que admitimos que o controlo central da ventilação se encontrava integro. Durante esta prova e para um mesmo aumento da ventilação, os doentes cardiacos apresentaram um maior grau de dispneia. A redução das pressões máximas respiratórias, bem como o aumento da “drive” respiratória em repouso, poderão estar implicadas na génese da dispneia oeste grupo de doentes. ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether pulmonary congestion (PC in cardiac patients may induce changes in the control of breathing or in the

  8. MSFC Advanced Concepts Office and the Iterative Launch Vehicle Concept Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Creech, Dennis

    2011-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the work of the Advanced Concepts Office (ACO) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) with particular emphasis on the method used to model launch vehicles using INTegrated ROcket Sizing (INTROS), a modeling system that assists in establishing the launch concept design, and stage sizing, and facilitates the integration of exterior analytic efforts, vehicle architecture studies, and technology and system trades and parameter sensitivities.

  9. Private sector accountable care organization development: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheck McAlearney, Ann; Hilligoss, Brian; Song, Paula H

    2017-03-01

    To explore accountable care organizations (ACOs) as they develop in the private sector, including their motivation for development, perspectives from consumers regarding these emerging ACOs, and the critical success factors associated with ACO development. Comprehensive organizational case studies of 4 full-risk private sector ACOs that included in-person interviews with providers and administrators and focus groups with local consumers. Sixty-eight key informant interviews conducted during site visits, supplemented by document collection and telephone interviews, and 5 focus groups were held with 52 consumers associated with the study ACOs. We found 3 main motivators for private sector ACO development: 1) opportunity to improve quality and efficiency, 2) potential to improve population health, and 3) belief that payment reform is inevitable. With respect to consumer perspectives, consumers were unaware they received care from an ACO. From the perspectives of ACO stakeholders, these ACOs noted that they prefer to focus on patients' relationships with providers and typically do not emphasize the ACO name or entity. Critical success factors for private sector ACO development included provider engagement, strategic buy-in, prior experience managing risk, IT infrastructure, and leadership, all meant to shift the culture to a focus on value instead of volume. These organizations perceived that pursuing an accountable care strategy allowed them to respond to policy changes anticipated to impact the way healthcare is delivered and reimbursed. Increased understanding of factors that have been important for more mature private sector ACOs may help other healthcare organizations as they strive to enhance value and advance in their ACO journeys.

  10. Constitution et processus d'intégration socio-économique d'une micro-colonie chinoise dans une communauté andine à la fin du XIXe siècle: Acos - vallée du Chancay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    1980-01-01

    mercado, los chinos se encontraron en conflicto con esas familias de propietarios pero después de un proceso de adaptación acabaron por conciliar con ellas. More than 80,000 Chinese were forcibly 'imported' into Peru between 1854 and 1874, the year in which the Treaty of Tientsin put an end to this form of traffic. Peru in the second half of the 19th century experienced an acute shortage of manpower. This shortage was worsened firstly by the emancipation of the black slaves and secondly by the growth of the sugar plantations (haciendas, the building of the country's first railways and the needs of the guano-extracting industry. Thus, between 1860 and 1870, more than 38,300 'coolies' arrived in the port of Callao alone. In 1876, there were 1,225 'asiáticos' - more than 66% of the local population - working in Aucallama in Chancay province. By the end of the century many of them had died and some had managed to return to China while others had settled down in the country. These were joined by a second wave of Chinese, who were traders, drawn by Peru's economic growth. Most of the Chinese settled down on the coast where they arrived and in the cities and towns. Very few, even among those who worked on railway construction, settled down in the high-altitude mining areas. A micro-colony of Chinese has been found in Acos, a small Chancay valley community of 300-400 inhabitants living at the bottom of the warm valley or 'quebrada de yunga'. The questions that we ask in this article and in the following one, which deals specifically with the role of the Chinese in the village's growth, are what the circumstances were in which they reached this sierra village (1,550 meters above sea level, how they were integrated into it and what economic role they performed. One last point: when the Chinese came, the village of Acos was dominated by a group of families known as the 'legitimate ones', whose power was chiefly based on landed property. In helping to develop a market economy, the

  11. Global Transcriptomic Analysis of Targeted Silencing of Two Paralogous ACC Oxidase Genes in Banana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Yan; Kuan, Chi; Chiu, Chien-Hsiang; Chen, Xiao-Jing; Do, Yi-Yin; Huang, Pung-Ling

    2016-01-01

    Among 18 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase homologous genes existing in the banana genome there are two genes, Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, that participate in banana fruit ripening. To better understand the physiological functions of Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, two hairpin-type siRNA expression vectors targeting both the Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 were constructed and incorporated into the banana genome by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The generation of Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 RNAi transgenic banana plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. To gain insights into the functional diversity and complexity between Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2, transcriptome sequencing of banana fruits using the Illumina next-generation sequencer was performed. A total of 32,093,976 reads, assembled into 88,031 unigenes for 123,617 transcripts were obtained. Significantly enriched Gene Oncology (GO) terms and the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with GO annotation were ‘catalytic activity’ (1327, 56.4%), ‘heme binding’ (65, 2.76%), ‘tetrapyrrole binding’ (66, 2.81%), and ‘oxidoreductase activity’ (287, 12.21%). Real-time RT-PCR was further performed with mRNAs from both peel and pulp of banana fruits in Mh-ACO1 and Mh-ACO2 RNAi transgenic plants. The results showed that expression levels of genes related to ethylene signaling in ripening banana fruits were strongly influenced by the expression of genes associated with ethylene biosynthesis. PMID:27681726

  12. Retransplante cardíaco em criança sem o uso de hemoderivados Heart retransplantation in children without the use of blood product

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Alceu dos Santos

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo relata um caso de retransplante cardíaco sem o uso de hemoderivados, em uma criança de 6 anos, com miocardiopatia dilatada grave, após rejeição crônica do enxerto e refratária ao tratamento clínico. Para evitar transfusão sanguínea nessa cirurgia, foi realizado planejamento multidisciplinar, que envolveu o uso de eritropoietina no pré-operatório, hemodiluição normovolêmica aguda e recuperação de sangue autólogo no intraoperatório (cell saver, bem como hemostasia meticulosa e redução de flebotomias no pós-operatório.This article reports a case of a cardiac retransplantation without the use of blood products, in a 6 year old, with severe dilated cardiomyopathy after chronic graft rejection and refractory to clinical treatment. To avoid a blood transfusion in this surgery a multidisciplinary approach was planned, which involved the use of preoperative erythropoietin, acute normovolemic hemodilution and intraoperative cell savage with autologous blood recovery system, as well as a meticulous hemostasis and reduced postoperative phlebotomy.

  13. Dosagem de marcadores cardíacos CK-MB e TnIc e eletrólitos no envenenamento experimental por veneno de sapo em cães

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annelise C. Camplesi

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Dentre os sinais sistêmicos causados pelo envenenamento por veneno de sapo (bufotoxina em cães, os efeitos cardiotóxicos são um dos mais importantes. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar as potenciais alterações no músculo cardíaco de cães envenenados experimentalmente por veneno de sapo e observar as alterações eletrolíticas que podem ocorrer nesse tipo de envenenamento. Utilizaram-se 20 cães divididos em grupo controle (n=5 e grupo envenenado (n=15. O veneno de sapo foi extraído por meio de compressão manual das glândulas paratóides. Após anestesia geral, os cães do grupo controle receberam placebo (solução fisiológica e os do grupo envenenado uma alíquota do veneno por sonda orogástrica. As colheitas de sangue para dosagem dos marcadores cardíacos foram realizadas seis e 24 horas após o envenenamento. As colheitas de sangue para dosagem dos eletrólitos foram realizadas antes e duas, quatro, seis e 12 horas após o envenenamento. A análise estatística empregada foi o teste não-paramétrico de Mann-Withney (PAmong the systemic signs of toad venom (bufotoxin poisoning in dogs, the cardiotoxic effects are one of the most important. Thus, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate potential changes in the cardiac muscle in dogs poisoned experimentally by toad venom and to observe the eletrolyte alterations which may occur in this condition. Twenty dogs divided into control group (n=5 and poisoned group (n=15 were utilized. The toad venom was extracted by manual compression of the paratoidic glands. After general anesthesia, dogs in the control group received placebo and dogs in the poisoned group received the venom by orogastric catheter. Samples for dosage were collected 6 hours and 24 hours after poisoning and 0, 2, 4, 6 and 12 hours after poisoning for electrolytes dosage. The Man-Withney test was used for statistical analysis (P<0.05. The poisoned dogs showed (saline elevated levels of cardiac markers CK

  14. Study of corrosion resistance of AISI 444 ferritic stainless steel for application as a biomaterial; Estudo da resistencia a corrosao do aco inoxidavel ferritico AISI 444 para aplicacao como biomaterial

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marques, Rogerio Albuquerque

    2014-09-01

    Ferritic stainless steels are ferromagnetic materials. This property does not allow their use in orthopedic prosthesis. Nevertheless, in some specific applications, this characteristic is very useful, such as, for fixing dental and facial prostheses by using magnetic attachments. In this study, the corrosion resistance and cytotoxicity of the AISI 444 ferritic stainless steel, with low nickel content, extra-low interstitial levels (C and N) and Ti and Nb stabilizers, were investigated for magnetic dental attachments application. The ISO 5832-1 (ASTM F-139) austenitic stainless steel and a commercial universal keeper for dental attachment (Neo-magnet System) were evaluated for comparison reasons. The first stainless steel is the most used metallic material for prostheses, and the second one, is a ferromagnetic keeper for dental prostheses (NeoM). In vitro cytotoxicity analysis was performed by the red neutral incorporation method. The results showed that the AISI 444 stainless steel is non cytotoxic. The corrosion resistance was studied by anodic polarization methods and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), in a saline phosphate buffered solution (PBS) at 37 °C. The electronic properties of the passive film formed on AISI 444 SS were evaluated by the Mott-Schottky approach. All tested materials showed passivity in the PBS medium and the passive oxide film presented a duplex nature. The highest susceptibility to pitting corrosion was associated to the NeoM SS. This steel was also associated to the highest dopant concentration. The comparatively low levels of chromium (nearly 12.5%) and molybdenum (0.3%) of NeoM relatively to the other studied stainless steels are the probable cause of its lower corrosion resistance. The NeoM chemical composition does not match that of the SUS444 standards. The AISI 444 SS pitting resistance was equivalent to the ISO 5832-1 pointing out that it is a potential candidate for replacement of commercial ferromagnetic alloys used in dental prosthesis. (author)

  15. Identifying possible asthma-COPD overlap syndrome in patients with a new diagnosis of COPD in primary care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baarnes, Camilla Boslev; Kjeldgaard, Peter; Nielsen, Mia

    2017-01-01

    (ACOS wheeze) and/or significant BD reversibility (ACOS BD reversibility). Of 3,875 (50% females, mean age 57 years) subjects screened, 700 (18.1%) were diagnosed with COPD, i.e., symptom(s), tobacco exposure and chronic airflow obstruction. Indications for ACOS were found in 264 (38%) of the COPD...... of the applied ACOS definition, no significant difference in life-time tobacco exposure was found between ACOS- and COPD-only patients. In subjects with a new diagnosis of COPD, the prevalence of ACOS is high. When screening for COPD in general practice among patients with no previous diagnosis of obstructive...

  16. Variation In Accountable Care Organization Spending And Sensitivity To Risk Adjustment: Implications For Benchmarking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rose, Sherri; Zaslavsky, Alan M; McWilliams, J Michael

    2016-03-01

    Spending targets (or benchmarks) for accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program must be set carefully to encourage program participation while achieving fiscal goals and minimizing unintended consequences, such as penalizing ACOs for serving sicker patients. Recently proposed regulatory changes include measures to make benchmarks more similar for ACOs in the same area with different historical spending levels. We found that ACOs vary widely in how their spending levels compare with those of other local providers after standard case-mix adjustments. Additionally adjusting for survey measures of patient health meaningfully reduced the variation in differences between ACO spending and local average fee-for-service spending, but substantial variation remained, which suggests that differences in care efficiency between ACOs and local non-ACO providers vary widely. Accordingly, measures to equilibrate benchmarks between high- and low-spending ACOs--such as setting benchmarks to risk-adjusted average fee-for-service spending in an area--should be implemented gradually to maintain participation by ACOs with high spending. Use of survey information also could help mitigate perverse incentives for risk selection and upcoding and limit unintended consequences of new benchmarking methodologies for ACOs serving sicker patients. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  17. 75 FR 57039 - Medicare Program; Workshop Regarding Accountable Care Organizations, and Implications Regarding...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-17

    ... 2010), available at: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/chefs/Implementing_ACOs_May_2010.pdf . II... physicians or other professionals into ACOs, and we are interested in how these types of arrangements might... ACOs and participating physicians (and other participating suppliers or ACO professionals), or whether...

  18. ADAPTIVE ANT COLONY OPTIMIZATION BASED GRADIENT FOR EDGE DETECTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Febri Liantoni

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Ant Colony Optimization (ACO is a nature-inspired optimization algorithm which is motivated by ants foraging behavior. Due to its favorable advantages, ACO has been widely used to solve several NP-hard problems, including edge detection. Since ACO initially distributes ants at random, it may cause imbalance ant distribution which later affects path discovery process. In this paper an adaptive ACO is proposed to optimize edge detection by adaptively distributing ant according to gradient analysis. Ants are adaptively distributed according to gradient ratio of each image regions. Region which has bigger gradient ratio, will have bigger number of ant distribution. Experiments are conducted using images from various datasets. Precision and recall are used to quantitatively evaluate performance of the proposed algorithm. Precision and recall of adaptive ACO reaches 76.98 % and 96.8 %. Whereas highest precision and recall for standard ACO are 69.74 % and 74.85 %. Experimental results show that the adaptive ACO outperforms standard ACO which randomly distributes ants.

  19. Survey on Recent Research and Implementation of Ant Colony Optimization in Various Engineering Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohan B. Chandra

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Ant colony optimization (ACO takes inspiration from the foraging behaviour of real ant species. This ACO exploits a similar mechanism for solving optimization problems for the various engineering field of study. Many successful implementations using ACO are now available in many applications. This paper reviewing varies systematic approach on recent research and implementation of ACO. Finally it presents the experimental result of ACO which is applied for routing problem and compared with existing algorithms.

  20. Avaliação da correlação entre o dióxido de carbono expirado e o débito cardíaco em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca com circulação extracorpórea Evaluación de la correlación entre el dióxido de carbono expirado y el débito cardíaco en pacientes sometidos a la cirugía cardíaca con circulación extracorpórea Correlation between end-tidal carbon dioxide levels and cardiac output during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karina Takesaki Miyaji

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: O CO2 expirado (P ET CO2 reflete, além da ventilação pulmonar (eliminação, a produção de dióxido de carbono (metabolismo e o fluxo sangüíneo pulmonar (circulação. Quando o metabolismo e a ventilação são constantes, o CO2 expirado reflete o fluxo sangüíneo pulmonar e, desta forma, o débito cardíaco (DC. Este estudo tem como objetivo a avaliação da correlação entre o dióxido de carbono expirado (P ET CO2 e o débito cardíaco em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca com circulação extracorpórea (CEC. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 25 pacientes submetidos à cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica com CEC. Após a intubação traqueal iniciou-se a monitorização da P ET CO2. A determinação do débito cardíaco (DC foi feita por método de termodiluição com o uso de cateter de Swan-Ganz e a PaCO2 foi avaliada através de gasometria arterial. Os parâmetros do estudo foram avaliados em quatro momentos: logo após a indução da anestesia geral; antes da circulação extracorpórea, ao término da circulação extracorpórea e ao final da cirurgia. RESULTADOS: O teste estatístico não demonstrou uma correlação entre o CO2 expirado e o DC, assim como o gradiente de dióxido de carbono arterial e expirado (Ga-eCO2 e o DC. Foi encontrada correlação entre a variação dos valores da P ET CO2, Ga-eCO2 e DC em relação ao basal antes da CEC com perda da correlação após a CEC até o final da cirurgia. CONCLUSÕES: Neste estudo, onde se avaliam pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca com CEC, as alterações de relação ventilação/perfusão ocorridas ao longo do procedimento são, provavelmente, os fatores determinantes da diminuição da correlação entre o débito cardíaco e o valor de dióxido de carbono expirado.JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: El CO2 expirado (P ET CO2 refleja, además de la ventilación pulmonar (eliminación, la producción de dióxido de carbono (metabolismo y el

  1. Study of the multipionic modes e+e-→π+π-π0 and e+e-→π+π-π+π- at the Orsay storage ring ACO

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cordier, A.

    1978-03-01

    The results obtained with the magnetic detector DMI at the Orsay storage ring ACO are presented for the reactions e + e - →π + π - π 0 from 750 to 1100 MeV and e + e - →π + π - π + π - from 810 to 1100 MeV in the centre of mass. The magnetic detector DM1 consists of four cylindrical multiwire proportional chambers with anode and cathode readout in a solenoid providing a field of 0.9 T. The data for e + e - →π + π - π 0 show without ambiguity an interference effect between the ω and phi mesons, however new measurement above the phi performed using kinematical analysis can only be explained by higher energy contribution. In addition, the parameters of the ω have been obtained with improved accuracy compared to other experiments, and particularly the branching ratio Bsub(ω→e + e - )=(6.75+-0.69)10 -5 . The cross section of e + e - →π + π - π + π - is also measured and particularly an upper limit on the branching of phi→π + π - π + π - given [fr

  2. Inverse estimation of the spheroidal particle size distribution using Ant Colony Optimization algorithms in multispectral extinction technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Zhenzong; Qi, Hong; Wang, Yuqing; Ruan, Liming

    2014-10-01

    Four improved Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms, i.e. the probability density function based ACO (PDF-ACO) algorithm, the Region ACO (RACO) algorithm, Stochastic ACO (SACO) algorithm and Homogeneous ACO (HACO) algorithm, are employed to estimate the particle size distribution (PSD) of the spheroidal particles. The direct problems are solved by the extended Anomalous Diffraction Approximation (ADA) and the Lambert-Beer law. Three commonly used monomodal distribution functions i.e. the Rosin-Rammer (R-R) distribution function, the normal (N-N) distribution function, and the logarithmic normal (L-N) distribution function are estimated under dependent model. The influence of random measurement errors on the inverse results is also investigated. All the results reveal that the PDF-ACO algorithm is more accurate than the other three ACO algorithms and can be used as an effective technique to investigate the PSD of the spheroidal particles. Furthermore, the Johnson's SB (J-SB) function and the modified beta (M-β) function are employed as the general distribution functions to retrieve the PSD of spheroidal particles using PDF-ACO algorithm. The investigation shows a reasonable agreement between the original distribution function and the general distribution function when only considering the variety of the length of the rotational semi-axis.

  3. Espectro óculo-aurículo-vertebral em pacientes com defeitos cardíacos congênitos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Fabiano Machado Rosa

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: Há poucos estudos avaliando a frequência do espectro óculo-aurículo-vertebral (EOAV nos pacientes com defeitos cardíacos congênitos (DCC. OBJETIVO: Verificar a frequência do EOAV em uma amostra de pacientes com malformações cardíacas graves. MÉTODOS: Avaliamos uma coorte prospectiva de pacientes com DCC, admitidos em uma unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI cardiopediátrica no Brasil. O diagnóstico de EOAV foi feito com base em dados clínicos, considerando critérios padrões. Os pacientes que preenchiam esses critérios foram submetidos ao cariótipo de alta resolução com bandamento GTG e hibridização fluorescente in situ para a microdeleção 22q11.2. O teste exato de Fisher (P < 0,05 foi usado para as análises estatísticas. RESULTADOS: Durante o período de avaliação, 330 pacientes foram hospitalizados pela primeira vez na UTI, mas trinta deles não participaram deste estudo. Dos 300 pacientes que constituíram a amostragem final, o EOAV foi verificado em três casos (1%. Todos apresentaram estudos citogenéticos normais. CONCLUSÃO: O EOAV parece ser uma condição frequente em pacientes com DCC. Contudo, não podemos excluir a possibilidade de que a frequência de EOAV encontrada em nosso estudo possa ter sido subestimada devido à baixa taxa de detecção pré-natal de DCC e ao acesso limitado dos pacientes ao tratamento médico apropriado em nosso meio. Estudos prospectivos futuros com critérios clínicos bem definidos e pacientes com defeitos leves e graves serão importantes para avaliar o papel do EOAV na população em geral de indivíduos com malformações cardíacas.

  4. Evaluating the Effects of Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations on Medicare Part D Drug Spending and Utilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yuting; Caines, Kadin J; Powers, Christopher A

    2017-05-01

    The improvement of medication use is a critical mechanism that accountable care organization (ACO) could use to save overall costs. Currently pharmaceutical spending is not part of the calculation for ACO-shared savings and risks. Thus, ACO providers may have strong incentives to prescribe more medications hoping to avoid expensive downstream medical costs. We designed a quasinatural experiment study to evaluate the effects of Pioneer ACOs on Medicare Part D spending and utilization. Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with Part D drug coverage who were aligned to a Pioneer ACO were compared with a random 5% sample of non-ACO beneficiaries. Outcomes included changes in Part D spending, number of prescription fills, percent of brand medications, and total Part A and B medical spending. We utilized a generalized linear model with a difference-in-differences approach to estimate 2011-2012 changes in these outcomes among beneficiaries aligned with Pioneer ACOs, adjusting for all beneficiary-level demographics, income and insurance status, clinical characteristics, and regional fixed effects. Being in an ACO did not significantly affect Part D spending (-$23.52; P=0.19), total prescriptions filled (-0.12; P=0.27), and the percent of claims for brand-name drugs (0.06%; P=0.23). The ACO group was associated with savings in Parts A and B spending of $345 (PPioneer ACOs were not associated with changes in pharmaceutical spending and use, but were associated with savings in Parts A and B spending in 2012.

  5. Retinal is formed from apo-carotenoids in Nostoc sp. PCC7120: in vitro characterization of an apo-carotenoid oxygenase

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherzinger, Daniel; Ruch, Sandra; Kloer, Daniel P.; Wilde, Annegret; Al-Babili, Salim

    2006-01-01

    The sensory rhodopsin from Anabaena (Nostoc) sp. PCC7120 is the first cyanobacterial retinylidene protein identified. Here, we report on NosACO (Nostoc apo-carotenoid oxygenase), encoded by the ORF (open reading frame) all4284, as the candidate responsible for the formation of the required chromophore, retinal. In contrast with the enzymes from animals, NosACO converts β-apo-carotenals instead of β-carotene into retinal in vitro. The identity of the enzymatic products was proven by HPLC and gas chromatography–MS. NosACO exhibits a wide substrate specificity with respect to chain lengths and functional end-groups, converting β-apo-carotenals, (3R)-3-hydroxy-β-apo-carotenals and the corresponding alcohols into retinal and (3R)-3-hydroxyretinal respectively. However, kinetic analyses revealed very divergent Km and Vmax values. On the basis of the crystal structure of SynACO (Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 apo-carotenoid oxygenase), a related enzyme showing similar enzymatic activity, we designed a homology model of the native NosACO. The deduced structure explains the absence of β-carotene-cleavage activity and indicates that NosACO is a monotopic membrane protein. Accordingly, NosACO could be readily reconstituted into liposomes. To localize SynACO in vivo, a Synechocystis knock-out strain was generated expressing SynACO as the sole carotenoid oxygenase. Western-blot analyses showed that the main portion of SynACO occurred in a membrane-bound form. PMID:16759173

  6. Evaluation of the susceptibility to corrosion by pites of supermartensitic stainless steel with different superficial finishing; Avaliacao da susceptibilidade a corrosao por pites do aco inoxidavel supermartensitico com diferentes acabamentos superficiais

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freitas, Mario Jose Bueno de Souza

    2015-07-01

    The objective of this study is to evaluate the susceptibility by pitting corrosion in a supermartensitic stainless steel (13%Cr) with different surface finishes, in an environment that simulates the conditions found in the range of the Brazilian marine subsoil before the dense layer of salt - the so-called pre-salt. In this study were conducted electrochemical tests of potentiodynamic anodic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in environment containing 35, 50 and 190 g/L of NaCl and dissolved oxygen concentrations <10, 100 and 500ppb. Were also used the techniques of Moessbauer spectroscopy and EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometry) coupled to a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for microstructural characterization of 13%Cr steel. It was observed by the electrochemical tests, the increase in the concentration of chloride ions in solution makes the studied steel more susceptible to localized corrosion. It was also observed that the material showed less susceptibility to pitting corrosion when its surface was less rough. (author)

  7. Experiencia con hipotermia terapéutica en el paro cardíaco extrahospitalario

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Levin

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: El paro cardíaco extrahospitalario (PCEH, una de las principales causas de mortalidad en el mundo occidental, se asocia con una muy baja sobrevida hospitalaria y con un número elevado de secuelas neurológicas entre los sobrevivientes, sin modificaciones significativas en el pronóstico en las últimas tres décadas. Estudios clínicos más recientes plantearon la utilidad de la hipotermia terapéutica en la reducción de la mortalidad y el grado de deterioro neurológico en sobrevivientes de un PCEH. Objetivos: Evaluar la mortalidad y el resultado neurológico de pacientes comatosos resucitados de un PCEH tratados con hipotermia terapéutica. Considerar las indicaciones y los hallazgos de la cinecoronariografía y detectar complicaciones asociadas con la hipotermia. Material y métodos: Se incluyeron pacientes resucitados de un PCEH tratados bajo hipotermia terapéutica, que consistió en una fase de enfriamiento a 33 °C, un mantenimiento durante 24 horas y recalentamiento a 0,25 °C/hora. Se analizaron las indicaciones y los hallazgos de la cinecoronariografía. Se evaluaron complicaciones metabólicas, arrítmicas, infecciosas y hemorrágicas. Se consideró significativo valor de p menor de 0,05. Resultados: De los 213 pacientes incluidos, la sobrevida hospitalaria fue de 109 pacientes (51,2%, de los que 96 (46,1% presentaron al egreso buena recuperación neurológica. Se observó mayor sobrevida en pacientes con ritmos pasibles de desfibrilación respecto de aquellos con ritmos no pasibles de desfibrilación (58,2% vs. 37,7%; p = 0,007. Se derivaron (3,5 horas en promedio a cinecoronariografía 147 (69% pacientes, de los cuales 121 (82,3% mostraron enfermedad significativa, observándose en 69 (57% oclusión coronaria completa. Ciento siete pacientes fueron sometidos a angioplastia; 43 (40,2% de ellos fallecieron durante la internación frente a 61 (58,6% óbitos entre los no intervenidos o no estudiados (p = 0,005. Entre

  8. Parameter estimation of Lorenz chaotic system using a hybrid swarm intelligence algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazzús, Juan A.; Rivera, Marco; López-Caraballo, Carlos H.

    2016-01-01

    A novel hybrid swarm intelligence algorithm for chaotic system parameter estimation is present. For this purpose, the parameters estimation on Lorenz systems is formulated as a multidimensional problem, and a hybrid approach based on particle swarm optimization with ant colony optimization (PSO–ACO) is implemented to solve this problem. Firstly, the performance of the proposed PSO–ACO algorithm is tested on a set of three representative benchmark functions, and the impact of the parameter settings on PSO–ACO efficiency is studied. Secondly, the parameter estimation is converted into an optimization problem on a three-dimensional Lorenz system. Numerical simulations on Lorenz model and comparisons with results obtained by other algorithms showed that PSO–ACO is a very powerful tool for parameter estimation with high accuracy and low deviations. - Highlights: • PSO–ACO combined particle swarm optimization with ant colony optimization. • This study is the first research of PSO–ACO to estimate parameters of chaotic systems. • PSO–ACO algorithm can identify the parameters of the three-dimensional Lorenz system with low deviations. • PSO–ACO is a very powerful tool for the parameter estimation on other chaotic system.

  9. Parameter estimation of Lorenz chaotic system using a hybrid swarm intelligence algorithm

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lazzús, Juan A., E-mail: jlazzus@dfuls.cl; Rivera, Marco; López-Caraballo, Carlos H.

    2016-03-11

    A novel hybrid swarm intelligence algorithm for chaotic system parameter estimation is present. For this purpose, the parameters estimation on Lorenz systems is formulated as a multidimensional problem, and a hybrid approach based on particle swarm optimization with ant colony optimization (PSO–ACO) is implemented to solve this problem. Firstly, the performance of the proposed PSO–ACO algorithm is tested on a set of three representative benchmark functions, and the impact of the parameter settings on PSO–ACO efficiency is studied. Secondly, the parameter estimation is converted into an optimization problem on a three-dimensional Lorenz system. Numerical simulations on Lorenz model and comparisons with results obtained by other algorithms showed that PSO–ACO is a very powerful tool for parameter estimation with high accuracy and low deviations. - Highlights: • PSO–ACO combined particle swarm optimization with ant colony optimization. • This study is the first research of PSO–ACO to estimate parameters of chaotic systems. • PSO–ACO algorithm can identify the parameters of the three-dimensional Lorenz system with low deviations. • PSO–ACO is a very powerful tool for the parameter estimation on other chaotic system.

  10. Optimization on Paddy Crops in Central Java (with Solver, SVD on Least Square and ACO (Ant Colony Algorithm))

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parhusip, H. A.; Trihandaru, S.; Susanto, B.; Prasetyo, S. Y. J.; Agus, Y. H.; Simanjuntak, B. H.

    2017-03-01

    Several algorithms and objective functions on paddy crops have been studied to get optimal paddy crops in Central Java based on the data given from Surakarta and Boyolali. The algorithms are linear solver, least square and Ant Colony Algorithms (ACO) to develop optimization procedures on paddy crops modelled with Modified GSTAR (Generalized Space-Time Autoregressive) and nonlinear models where the nonlinear models are quadratic and power functions. The studied data contain paddy crops from Surakarta and Boyolali determining the best period of planting in the year 1992-2012 for Surakarta where 3 periods for planting are known and the optimal amount of paddy crops in Boyolali in the year 2008-2013. Having these analyses may guide the local agriculture government to give a decision on rice sustainability in its region. The best period for planting in Surakarta is observed, i.e. the best period is in September-December based on the data 1992-2012 by considering the planting area, the cropping area, and the paddy crops are the most important factors to be taken into account. As a result, we can refer the paddy crops in this best period (about 60.4 thousand tons per year) as the optimal results in 1992-2012 where the used objective function is quadratic. According to the research, the optimal paddy crops in Boyolali about 280 thousand tons per year where the studied factors are the amount of rainfalls, the harvested area and the paddy crops in 2008-2013. In this case, linear and power functions are studied to be the objective functions. Compared to all studied algorithms, the linear solver is still recommended to be an optimization tool for a local agriculture government to predict paddy crops in future.

  11. Growth of Accountable Care Organizations in California: Number, Characteristics, and State Regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulton, Brent D; Pegany, Vishaal; Keolanui, Beth; Scheffler, Richard M

    2015-08-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACOs) result in physician organizations' and hospitals' receiving risk-based payments tied to costs, health care quality, and patient outcomes. This article (1) describes California ACOs within Medicare, the commercial market, and Medi-Cal and the safety net; (2) discusses how ACOs are regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care and the California Department of Insurance; and (3) analyzes the increase of ACOs in California using data from Cattaneo and Stroud. While ACOs in California are well established within Medicare and the commercial market, they are still emerging within Medi-Cal and the safety net. Notwithstanding, the state has not enacted a law or issued a regulation specific to ACOs; they are regulated under existing statutes and regulations. From August 2012 to February 2014, the number of lives covered by ACOs increased from 514,100 to 915,285, representing 2.4 percent of California's population, including 10.6 percent of California's Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries and 2.3 percent of California's commercially insured lives. By emphasizing health care quality and patient outcomes, ACOs have the potential to build and improve on California's delegated model. If recent trends continue, ACOs will have a greater influence on health care delivery and financial risk sharing in California. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

  12. Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome: recent advances in diagnostic criteria and prognostic significance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorino, Claudio; Scichilone, Nicola; D'Amato, Maria; Patella, Vincenzo; DI Marco, Fabiano

    2017-06-01

    The term asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) has been proposed for individuals with features of both asthma and COPD. Several attempts have been done to define ACOS on the basis of medical history, symptoms, and functional findings. The main diagnostic criteria include airflow obstruction with a strong although incomplete reversibility to bronchodilation tests, a significant exposure to cigarette or biomass smoke, and a history of atopy or asthma. Additional diagnostic elements include eosinophilic airway and systemic inflammation, a good response to corticosteroid treatment, and a high concentration of exhaled nitric oxide. ACOS should be distinguished from asthma with not fully reversible bronchial obstruction due to airway remodeling, thus the lack of smoking exposure should exclude the diagnosis of ACOS. In patients without a documented history of asthma before 40 years of age, an increase in FEV1 after bronchodilator >400 mL should be required to diagnose ACOS. ACOS has been found to be associated with impaired physical performance, functional ability, and health-related quality of life. The prevalence of ACOS increases with aging, then it is relatively stable in elderly individuals (>65 years). Long-term mortality of subjects with ACOS is similar to COPD, and worse than asthma and healthy controls. Future research is still needed to improve the understanding and management of ACOS.

  13. Application of Design of Experiments and Surrogate Modeling within the NASA Advanced Concepts Office, Earth-to-Orbit Design Process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwack, Mathew R.; Dees, Patrick D.; Holt, James B.

    2016-01-01

    Decisions made during early conceptual design have a large impact upon the expected life-cycle cost (LCC) of a new program. It is widely accepted that up to 80% of such cost is committed during these early design phases. Therefore, to help minimize LCC, decisions made during conceptual design must be based upon as much information as possible. To aid in the decision making for new launch vehicle programs, the Advanced Concepts Office (ACO) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) provides rapid turnaround pre-phase A and phase A concept definition studies. The ACO team utilizes a proven set of tools to provide customers with a full vehicle mass breakdown to tertiary subsystems, preliminary structural sizing based upon worst-case flight loads, and trajectory optimization to quantify integrated vehicle performance for a given mission. Although the team provides rapid turnaround for single vehicle concepts, the scope of the trade space can be limited due to analyst availability and the manpower requirements for manual execution of the analysis tools. In order to enable exploration of a broader design space, the ACO team has implemented an advanced design methods (ADM) based approach. This approach applies the concepts of design of experiments (DOE) and surrogate modeling to more exhaustively explore the trade space and provide the customer with additional design information to inform decision making. This paper will first discuss the automation of the ACO tool set, which represents a majority of the development effort. In order to fit a surrogate model within tolerable error bounds a number of DOE cases are needed. This number will scale with the number of variable parameters desired and the complexity of the system's response to those variables. For all but the smallest design spaces, the number of cases required cannot be produced within an acceptable timeframe using a manual process. Therefore, automation of the tools was a key enabler for the successful

  14. An integrated ant colony optimization approach to compare strategies of clearing market in electricity markets. Agent-based simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azadeh, A.; Maleki-Shoja, B.; Skandari, M.R.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, an innovative model of agent based simulation, based on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm is proposed in order to compare three available strategies of clearing wholesale electricity markets, i.e. uniform, pay-as-bid, and generalized Vickrey rules. The supply side actors of the power market are modeled as adaptive agents who learn how to bid strategically to optimize their profit through indirect interaction with other actors of the market. The proposed model is proper for bidding functions with high number of dimensions and enables modelers to avoid curse of dimensionality as dimension grows. Test systems are then used to study the behavior of each pricing rule under different degrees of competition and heterogeneity. Finally, the pricing rules are comprehensively compared using different economic criteria such as average cleared price, efficiency of allocation, and price volatility. Also, principle component analysis (PCA) is used to rank and select the best price rule. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study that uses ACO for assessing strategies of wholesale electricity market. (author)

  15. Predictors of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease from a tertiary care center in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irfan Ismail Ayub

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: There is dearth of literature on asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS in India. The aim was to compare clinical characteristics between patients with ACOS and non-ACOS COPD and to identify clinical predictors of ACOS in patients with COPD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study by reviewing data collected from patients performing spirometry at our hospital. Those with postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC <70% were included in the study. Among them, those with significant reversibility (change in FEV1or FVC by 12% and 200 ml postbronchodilator were diagnosed with ACOS and the rest were considered to have non-ACOS COPD. Data on the 2 groups were compared and statistical analysis was performed. Results: Out of a total of 324 patients, 100 of them had postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC <70%. Of them, 45 and 55 were diagnosed with ACOS and non-ACOS COPD, respectively. Patients with ACOS had significantly higher postbronchodilator FVC volumes and FVC % predicted values (P < 0.05, had higher reported wheeze (P = 0.02 and ankle edema (P < 0.05, were more likely to be smokers (P = 0.01 with lower smoking index (P = 0.03, and had frequent (≥2 ER visits (P = 0.04. However, very frequent (≥3 per year hospital admissions (P < 0.01 with higher rates of invasive mechanical ventilation (P = 0.02, and pulmonary hypertension diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography (P < 0.01 were significantly higher in the non-ACOS group. The two groups did not differ with respect to history of atopy, family history of wheeze, compliance to inhaler therapy, or blood absolute eosinophil counts. Conclusion: Our study highlights how the ACOS phenotype may clinically differ from their counterparts elsewhere, making it a clinical challenge to identify them in India.

  16. Cloning and expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase cDNA induced by thidiazuron during somatic embryogenesis of alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Bi-Hong; Wu, Bei; Zhang, Chun-Rong; Huang, Xia; Chen, Yun-Feng; Huang, Xue-Lin

    2012-01-15

    Embryogenic callus (EC) induced from petioles of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Jinnan) on B5h medium turned green, compact and non-embryogenic when the kinetin (KN) in the medium was replaced partially or completely by thidiazuron (TDZ). The application of CoCl₂, which is an inhibitor of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO), counteracted the effect of TDZ. Ethylene has been shown to be involved in the modulation of TDZ-induced morphogenesis responses. However, very little is known about the genes involved in ethylene formation during somatic embryogenesis (SE). To investigate whether ethylene mediated by ACO is involved in the effect of TDZ on inhibition of embryogenic competence of the alfalfa callus. In this study we cloned full-length ACO cDNA from the alfalfa callus, named MsACO, and observed changes in this gene expression during callus formation and induction of SE under treatment with TDZ or TDZ plus CoCl₂. RNA blot analysis showed that during the EC subcultural period, the expression level of MsACO in EC was significantly increased on the 2nd day, rose to the highest level on the 8th day and remained at this high level until the 21st day. However, the ACO expression in the TDZ (0.93 μM)-treated callus was higher than in the EC especially on the 8th day. Moreover the ACO expression level increased with increasing TDZ concentration during the subcultural/maintenance period of the callus. It is worth noting that comparing the treatment with TDZ alone, the treatment with 0.93 μM TDZ plus 50 μM CoCl₂ reduced both of the ACO gene expressions and ACO activity in the treated callus. These results indicate that the effect of TDZ could be counteracted by CoCl₂ either on the ACO gene expression level or ACO activity. Thus, a TDZ inhibitory effect on embryogenic competence of alfalfa callus could be mediated by ACO gene expression. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  17. Clinical characteristics of the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome--a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, Mia; Bårnes, Camilla Boslev; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli

    2015-01-01

    In recent years, the so-called asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) has received much attention, not least because elderly individuals may present characteristics suggesting a diagnosis of both asthma and COPD. At present, ACOS is described clinically as persistent airflow limitation combined with features of both asthma and COPD. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to review the currently available literature focusing on symptoms and clinical characteristics of patients regarded as having ACOS. Based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic literature review was performed. A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria for the present review. All studies dealing with dyspnea (self-reported or assessed by the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale) reported more dyspnea among patients classified as having ACOS compared to the COPD and asthma groups. In line with this, ACOS patients have more concomitant wheezing and seem to have more cough and sputum production. Compared to COPD-only patients, the ACOS patients were found to have lower FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC ratio in spite of lower mean life-time tobacco exposure. Furthermore, studies have revealed that ACOS patients seem to have not only more frequent but also more severe exacerbations. Comorbidity, not least diabetes, has also been reported in a few studies, with a higher prevalence among ACOS patients. However, it should be acknowledged that only a limited number of studies have addressed the various comorbidities in patients with ACOS. The available studies indicate that ACOS patients may have more symptoms and a higher exacerbation rate than patients with asthma and COPD only, and by that, probably a higher overall respiratory-related morbidity. Similar to patients with COPD, ACOS patients seem to have a high occurrence of comorbidity, including diabetes. Further research into the ACOS, not least

  18. Clinical characteristics of the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome – a systematic review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nielsen M

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Mia Nielsen,1 Camilla Boslev Bårnes,1 Charlotte Suppli Ulrik1,2 1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hvidovre Hospital, 2University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Background and objective: In recent years, the so-called asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS has received much attention, not least because elderly individuals may present characteristics suggesting a diagnosis of both asthma and COPD. At present, ACOS is described clinically as persistent airflow limitation combined with features of both asthma and COPD. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to review the currently available literature focusing on symptoms and clinical characteristics of patients regarded as having ACOS.Methods: Based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review was performed.Results: A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria for the present review. All studies dealing with dyspnea (self-reported or assessed by the Medical Research Council dyspnea scale reported more dyspnea among patients classified as having ACOS compared to the COPD and asthma groups. In line with this, ACOS patients have more concomitant wheezing and seem to have more cough and sputum production. Compared to COPD-only patients, the ACOS patients were found to have lower FEV1% predicted and FEV1/FVC ratio in spite of lower mean life-time tobacco exposure. Furthermore, studies have revealed that ACOS patients seem to have not only more frequent but also more severe exacerbations. Comorbidity, not least diabetes, has also been reported in a few studies, with a higher prevalence among ACOS patients. However, it should be acknowledged that only a limited number of studies have addressed the various comorbidities in patients with ACOS.Conclusion: The available studies indicate that ACOS patients may have more symptoms and a higher exacerbation rate than patients with asthma

  19. Omalizumab treatment in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tat, Tugba Songul; Cilli, Aykut

    2016-12-01

    Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS) is a poorly understood disease with an increasing morbidity and mortality. Currently, the most effective treatment for ACOS is unknown and omalizumab for ACOS has not yet been reported. We report our experience with anti-IgE, omalizumab treatment on 3 patients with ACOS as a retrospective case study. After 1 year of omalizumab treatment, patients experienced significantly lower rates of asthma exacerbation and hospitalization and better asthma control test results. Our study shows that omalizumab may be an effective and safe therapy for patients with ACOS. However larger randomized trials are needed.

  20. Taponamiento cardíaco secundario a carcinoma papilar esclerosante difuso de tiroides Metastatic cardiac tamponade as initial manifestation of papillary thyroid carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verónica Riva

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available El carcinoma papilar, variante esclerosante difusa, corresponde al 2% de todos los carcinomas papilares de la tiroides. Se caracteriza por comprometer de manera difusa y bilateral a la glándula tiroides. Clínicamente se manifiesta con metástasis ganglionares y pulmonares, afectando predominantemente a mujeres jóvenes. Se describe un caso de taponamiento cardíaco como presentación inicial de un carcinoma papilar de tiroides variante esclerosante difusa. Una mujer de 32 años concurrió al servicio de emergencias médicas refiriendo epigastralgia y tos seca. Durante el examen físico se constató hipotensión arterial, taquicardia y ruidos cardíacos disminuidos. Se realizó un ecocardiograma, observándose derrame pericárdico. Por medio de una pericardiocentesis se obtuvo líquido pericárdico, cuyo análisis mostró células neoplásicas. Durante la evolución la paciente presentó recurrencia del derrame pericárdico por lo que se realizó una ventana pleuropericárdica, detectándose durante la cirugía una lesión nodular subpleural, la cual fue biopsiada e informada posteriormente como una metástasis de carcinoma papilar vinculable a origen tiroideo. Se realizó una tiroidectomía total con linfadenectomía cervical bilateral. El diagnóstico final fue carcinoma papilar, variante esclerosante difusa. Esta variante infiltra el tejido conectivo de los espacios interfoliculares, simulando una tiroiditis y se caracteriza por una permeación vascular temprana. En oposición a la variante clásica, la esclerosante difusa presenta mayor agresividad y mayor tasa de recurrencia. El carcinoma papilar de tiroides debe tenerse presente como diagnóstico diferencial en nuestro medio, en todas aquellas lesiones neoplásicas papilares metastásicas, más aún si se trata de mujeres jóvenes.Papillary carcinoma, diffuse sclerosing variant corresponds to 2% of all papillary thyroid carcinomas. It is usually diffuse and bilateral, affecting the entire

  1. Elaboração e caracterização de cookies sem glúten enriquecidos com farinha de coco: uma alternativa para celíacos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Maria Queiroz

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Resumo Os celíacos encontram dificuldades na adoção de uma dieta totalmente isenta de glúten e com qualidade nutricional. Para tanto, objetivou-se desenvolver e avaliar cookies sem glúten enriquecidos com farinha de coco. A farinha de coco com elevado teor de cinzas, proteínas e lipídios pode ser utilizada para enriquecer produtos alimentícios. Foram elaborados cookies com base na composição de uma mistura da Federação Nacional das Associações de Celíacos do Brasil - Fenacelbra (“mix de farinha preparada II” para cookies sem glúten: Padrão FP (formulação semelhante à composição do “mix de farinha preparada II” da Fenacelbra, F1 (modificação de FP com substituição da fécula de batata por 10% de farinha de coco, F2 (modificação de FP com adição de 5% de farinha de coco, F3 (modificação de FP com substituição do polvilho doce por 5% de farinha de coco. Os cookies foram avaliados quanto às características físicas (peso pós-cocção, diâmetro e espessura pós-cocção, fator de expansão, rendimento, Aw, dureza e cor – L*a*b*, físico-químicas (umidade, cinzas, proteínas, lipídios, carboidratos e valor calórico, aceitabilidade quanto aos atributos sensoriais (aceitação global, aparência, cor, aroma, sabor e textura e atitude de compra. A adição de farinha de coco às formulações melhorou as propriedades nutricionais dos cookies sem glúten, aumentando o teor de lipídios e proteínas, e reduzindo o teor de carboidratos. Os cookies desenvolvidos apresentaram boa aceitação sensorial e intenção de compra satisfatória., A adição de 10% de farinha de coco em substituição da fécula de batata na formulação F1 não alterou as características sensoriais do produto, porém proporcionou propriedades físicas e físico-químicas superiores. Dessa forma, cookies sem glúten enriquecidos com farinha de coco constituem uma alternativa viável de alimentos destinados para pessoas portadoras de

  2. Transplante cardíaco: complicações apresentadas por pacientes durante a internação Trasplante de corazón: complicaciones que presentan los pacientes durante la hospitalización Heart Transplantation: complications presented by patients during the hospitalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elaine Araújo da Silva

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Com o avanço da ciência, a insuficiência cardíaca tem como possibilidade de intervenção o transplante cardíaco. Este trabalho teve como objetivos traçar o perfil demográfico dos pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco e identificar as complicações apresentadas durante a internação. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, quantitativo, realizado com 44 prontuários de pacientes submetidos a transplante de junho/2006 a julho/2009 em um Hospital Universitário de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. O projeto atendeu às recomendações da Resolução 196/96. Pelos resultados, a maioria dos pacientes era do sexo masculino, casada, escolaridade de nível fundamental e idade média de 45,2 anos. A miocardiopatia chagásica foi a principal causa de insuficiência cardíaca. As complicações predominantes foram alteração da glicemia, insuficiência renal e infecções. A taxa de mortalidade na internação foi de 20,4%. Além das complicações biológicas só foram registradas ansiedade e depressão. São necessárias pesquisas sobre o tema nos âmbitos psicossociais e espirituais, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento científico.Hoy día, con los avances de la medicina y de la tecnología para el tratamiento de la insuficiencia cardiaca irreversible, se ha utilizado como última intervención el trasplante cardíaco. Este trabajo se desarrolló con los objetivos de delinear el perfil demográfico de los pacientes sometidos a trasplante cardíaco e identificar las complicaciones presentadas por ellos después del trasplante de corazón. Estudio descriptivo y cuantitativo, realizado en conjunto con los registros de 44 pacientes sometidos a trasplante de corazón desde Jun/2006 hasta Jul/2009, en un Hospital Universitario de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. El proyecto cumplió con las recomendaciones de la Resolución 196/96. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los pacientes eran del sexo masculino, casados, con educaci

  3. Adaptive Methods for Compressible Flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-03-01

    labor -intensive task of purpose of this work is to demonstrate the generating acceptable surface triangulations, advantages of integrating the CAD/CAM...sintilar results). L 1 (’-1)(2sn~p) boundary error (MUSCL) The flow variables wre then given by .04 .78% M=asOIne/i .02 AM% v= acosO /sintt .01 .0 p

  4. LA DEGRADACIÓN DE TIERRAS MEDIANTE ANÁLISIS FISIOGRÁFICO Y LA APLICACIÓN DE TÉCNICAS DE TELEDETECCIÓN EN LA CUENCA DEL RÍO GUAÑACOS, Resumen DEPARTAMENTO MINAS, NEUQUÉN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Paula Salcedo

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Este estudio evalúa el estado de degradación en un sector sur del Departamento Minas, Provincia del Neuquén, correspondiente al valle y las planicies circundantes del río Guañacos. El análisis central se realiza mediante la utilización de técnicas de teledetección en el Sistema de Información Geográfica (SIG IDRISI 32, aplicando índices y algoritmos de vegetación específicos sobre imágenes del satélite Landsat 7. Además, se ha realizado un exhaustivo trabajo de campo relevando los indicadores de degradación con el objetivo de profundizar la clasificación e interpretación del medio natural y cotejar los resultados del análisis satelital.

  5. Serial position learning effects in patients with aneurysms of the anterior communicating artery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanova, Elka; Kostic, Vladimir S; Ziropadja, Ljubomir; Markovic, Milan; Ocic, Gordana

    2002-08-01

    Ruptured and repaired Anterior Communicating Artery (ACoA) aneurysm can result in devastating impairments involving memory, executive function, confabulation, and personality changes. This study tested serial position learning effects (SPEs) in patients following repaired and ruptured ACoA aneurysm, using results on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Thirty patients with ruptured aneurysms of the ACoA and 31 matched controls were included in the study. The primacy-recency effects were maintained during five learning trials in ACoA group, albeit at an overall lower level than in the controls. There was no difference in primacy-recency relation across five learning trials in ACoA group. On the delayed recall trial the patient group demonstrated neither a primacy, nor a recency phenomenon, reflecting a lack of recall of any parts of the word list. This kind of primacy-recency profile across learning trials in ACoA group has no similarity with SPE results in frontal lesion groups, or with SPE distributions in other amnesic disorders, despite the fact that memory and executive deficits were evident in our ACoA group.

  6. Inflammatory biomarkers in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kobayashi S

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Seiichi Kobayashi, Masakazu Hanagama, Shinsuke Yamanda, Masatsugu Ishida, Masaru YanaiDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Japanese Red Cross Ishinomaki Hospital, Ishinomaki, JapanBackground: The clinical phenotypes and underlying mechanisms of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate a comparison of COPD patients with and without ACOS, focusing on inflammatory biomarkers, in an outpatient COPD cohort.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing prospectively collected data from the Ishinomaki COPD Network registry. All participants were diagnosed with COPD, confirmed by using spirometry, and were aged 40–90 years and former smokers. Patients with features of asthma including both variable respiratory symptoms and variable expiratory airflow limitation were identified and defined as having ACOS. Then, the inflammatory biomarkers such as fractional exhaled nitric oxide level, blood eosinophil count and percentage, total immunoglobulin E (IgE level, and presence of antigen-specific IgE were evaluated.Results: A total of 257 patients with COPD were identified, including 37 (14.4% with ACOS. Patients with ACOS tended to be younger, have a shorter smoking history, and use more respiratory medications, especially inhaled corticosteroids and theophylline. Mean fractional exhaled nitric oxide level was significantly higher in those with ACOS than in those without ACOS (38.5 parts per billion [ppb] vs 20.3 ppb, P<0.001. Blood eosinophil count and percentage were significantly increased in those with ACOS (295/mm3 vs 212/mm3, P=0.032; 4.7% vs 3.2%, P=0.003, respectively. Total IgE level was also significantly higher, and presence of antigen-specific IgE was observed more frequently in patients with ACOS. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers were relatively low, but combinations of these biomarkers showed high specificity for

  7. Accountable Care Organizations: The National Landscape.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M; Colla, Carrie H; Lewis, Valerie A; Fisher, Elliott; Kessell, Eric; Ramsay, Patricia

    2015-08-01

    There are now more than seven hundred accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the United States. This article describes some of their most salient characteristics including the number and types of contracts involved, organizational structures, the scope of services offered, care management capabilities, and the development of a three-category taxonomy that can be used to target technical assistance efforts and to examine performance. The current evidence on the performance of ACOs is reviewed. Since California has the largest number of ACOs (N=67) and a history of providing care under risk-bearing contracts, some additional assessments of quality and patient experience are made between California ACOs and non-ACO provider organizations. Six key issues likely to affect future ACO growth and development are discussed, and some potential "diagnostic" indicators for assessing the likelihood of potential antitrust violations are presented. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

  8. Ant Colony Optimization Approaches to Clustering of Lung Nodules from CT Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravichandran C. Gopalakrishnan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Lung cancer is becoming a threat to mankind. Applying machine learning algorithms for detection and segmentation of irregular shaped lung nodules remains a remarkable milestone in CT scan image analysis research. In this paper, we apply ACO algorithm for lung nodule detection. We have compared the performance against three other algorithms, namely, Otsu algorithm, watershed algorithm, and global region based segmentation. In addition, we suggest a novel approach which involves variations of ACO, namely, refined ACO, logical ACO, and variant ACO. Variant ACO shows better reduction in false positives. In addition we propose black circular neighborhood approach to detect nodule centers from the edge detected image. Genetic algorithm based clustering is performed to cluster the nodules based on intensity, shape, and size. The performance of the overall approach is compared with hierarchical clustering to establish the improvisation in the proposed approach.

  9. Neural and psychological characteristics of college students with alcoholic parents differ depending on current alcohol use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown-Rice, Kathleen A; Scholl, Jamie L; Fercho, Kelene A; Pearson, Kami; Kallsen, Noah A; Davies, Gareth E; Ehli, Erik A; Olson, Seth; Schweinle, Amy; Baugh, Lee A; Forster, Gina L

    2018-02-02

    A significant proportion of college students are adult children of an alcoholic parent (ACoA), which can confer greater risk of depression, poor self-esteem, alcohol and drug problems, and greater levels of college attrition. However, some ACoA are resilient to these negative outcomes. The goal of this study was to better understand the psychobiological factors that distinguish resilient and vulnerable college-aged ACoAs. To do so, scholastic performance and psychological health were measured in ACoA college students not engaged in hazardous alcohol use (resilient) and those currently engaged in hazardous alcohol use (vulnerable). Neural activity (as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging) in response to performing working memory and emotion-based tasks were assessed. Furthermore, the frequency of polymorphisms in candidate genes associated with substance use, risk taking and stress reactivity were compared between the two ACoA groups. College ACoAs currently engaged in hazardous alcohol use reported more anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms, and increased risky nicotine and marijuana use as compared to ACoAs resistant to problem alcohol use. ACoA college students with current problem alcohol showed greater activity of the middle frontal gyrus and reduced activation of the posterior cingulate in response to visual working memory and emotional processing tasks, which may relate to increased anxiety and problem alcohol and drug behaviors. Furthermore, polymorphisms of cholinergic receptor and the serotonin transporter genes also appear to contribute a role in problem alcohol use in ACoAs. Overall, findings point to several important psychobiological variables that distinguish ACoAs based on their current alcohol use that may be used in the future for early intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Creating a network of high-quality skilled nursing facilities: preliminary data on the postacute care quality improvement experiences of an accountable care organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lage, Daniel E; Rusinak, Donna; Carr, Darcy; Grabowski, David C; Ackerly, D Clay

    2015-04-01

    Postacute care (PAC) is an important source of cost growth and variation in the Medicare program and is critical to accountable care organization (ACO) and bundled payment efforts to improve quality and value in the Medicare program, but ACOs must often look outside their walls to identify high-value external PAC partners, including skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). As a solution to this problem, the integrated health system, Partners HealthCare System (PHS) and its Pioneer ACO launched the PHS SNF Collaborative Network in October 2013 to identify and partner with high-quality SNFs. This study details the method by which PHS selected SNFs using minimum criteria based on public scores and secondary criteria based on self-reported measures, describes the characteristics of selected and nonselected SNFs, and reports SNF satisfaction with the collaborative. The selected SNFs (n = 47) had significantly higher CMS Five-Star scores than the nonselected SNFs (n = 93) (4.6 vs 3.2, P improving care in SNFs remain daunting, this approach can serve as a first step toward greater clinical collaboration between acute and postacute settings that will lead to better outcomes for frail older adults. © 2015, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2015, The American Geriatrics Society.

  11. Redesigning Care Delivery with Patient Support Personnel: Learning from Accountable Care Organizations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorbenko, Ksenia O.; Fraze, Taressa; Lewis, Valerie A.

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are a value-based payment model in the United States rooted in holding groups of healthcare providers financially accountable for the quality and total cost of care of their attributed population. To succeed in reaching their quality and efficiency goals, ACOs implement a variety of care delivery changes, including workforce redesign. Patient support personnel (PSP)—non-physician staff such as care coordinators, community health workers, and others—are critical to restructuring care delivery. Little is known about how ACOs are redesigning their patient support personnel in terms of responsibilities, location, and evaluation. METHODS We conducted semi-structured one-hour interviews with 25 executives at 16 distinct ACOs. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for themes, using a qualitative coding and analysis process. RESULTS ACOs deployed PSP to perform four clusters of responsibilities: care provision, care coordination, logistical help with transportation, and social and emotional support. ACOs deployed these personnel strategically across settings (primary care, inpatient services, emergency department, home care and community) depending on their population needs. Most ACOs used personnel with the same level of training across settings. Few ACOs planned to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of their PSP to optimize their value. DISCUSSION ACO strategies in workforce redesign indicate a shift from a physician-centered to a team-based approach. Employing personnel with varying levels of clinical training to perform different tasks can help further optimize care delivery. More robust evaluation of the deployment of PSP and their performance is needed to demonstrate cost-saving benefits of workforce redesign. PMID:28217305

  12. Phenotype of asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhee, Chin Kook

    2015-07-01

    Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have overlapping characteristics of both diseases. By spirometric definition, patients with both fixed airflow obstruction (AO) and bronchodilator reversibility or fixed AO and bronchial hyperresponsiveness can be considered to have asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, patients regarded to have ACOS by spirometric criteria alone are heterogeneous and can be classified by phenotype. Eosinophilic inflammation, a history of allergic disease, and smoke exposure are important components in the classification of ACOS. Each phenotype has a different underlying pathophysiology, set of characteristics, and prognosis. Medical treatment for ACOS should be tailored according to phenotype. A narrower definition of ACOS that includes both spirometric and clinical criteria is needed.

  13. Mixomas cardíacos: análisis estadístico de 20 años Cardiac myxomas: a 20 years-statistical analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandro Villar Inclán

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCCIÓN. Los tumores primarios del corazón pueden ser malignos o benignos, mientras que los tumores secundarios son siempre metastásicos. El 75 % de los tumores primarios son benignos y de localización endocavitaria, la mayoría es del tipo mixoma, sobre todo en los adultos. MÉTODOS. De un total de 2925 pacientes operados con circulación extracorpórea entre enero de 1986 y enero del 2006 en el Hospital «Hermanos Ameijeiras», se seleccionaron 30 expedientes clínicos de pacientes con diagnóstico histopatológico de mixoma cardíaco. Para el análisis de los resultados se aplicaron cálculos de incidencia. A las variables se aplicaron porcentajes, medias y desviación estándar. RESULTADOS. Diecinueve pacientes fueron del sexo femenino y 11 del masculino, con rango de edad entre 15 y 66 años (media, 44 años. Los elementos clínicos desde el punto de vista semiológico fueron muy variados, y predominaron las palpitaciones y la disnea en el 83 % y 73 % de los pacientes, respectivamente. El intervalo de aparición de los síntomas fue desde 1 mes hasta 92 meses (media, 15 meses. El ecocardiograma confirmó el 100 % del diagnóstico en los pacientes. La localización más frecuente de los mixomas fue la aurícula izquierda (80 % de los casos. A todos los pacientes se les practicó la exéresis del tumor y su base de implantación. La mortalidad observada fue del 6,6 %. CONCLUSIONES. La incidencia de esta enfermedad fue del 1,2 % de todos los pacientes operados en este tiempo. La proporción sexo femenino-masculino fue de 2:1. El ecocardiograma constituye la piedra angular del diagnóstico positivo de los mixomas cardíacos. La mortalidad en la serie estuvo dentro de los rangos documentados en la literatura médica internacional.INTRODUCTION: Heart primary tumors may be maligns or benigns, whereas the secondary tumors always are of metastatic origin. The 75% of primary tumors are benigns and of a endocavitary localization, most are of

  14. An Early Assessment of Accountable Care Organizations Efforts to Engage Patients and Their Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M.; Sehgal, Neil; Bibi, Salma; Ramsay, Patricia P.; Neuhauser, Linda; Colla, Carrie H.; Lewis, Valerie A.

    2017-01-01

    Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have incentives to meet quality and expenditure targets and share in resulting savings. Achieving these goals will require ACOs to engage more actively with patients and their families. The extent to which ACOs do so is currently unknown. Using mixed-methods including a national survey, phone interviews and site-visits; we examine the extent to which ACOs actively engage patients and their families, explore challenges involved; and consider approaches for dealing with those challenges. Results indicate that greater ACO use of patient activation and engagement (PAE) activities at the point-of-care may influence more positive leadership perceptions of the impact of PAE investments on ACO costs, quality, and outcomes of care. We identify a number of important practices associated with greater PAE, including high-level leadership commitment, goal-setting supported by adequate resources, extensive provider training and use of inter-disciplinary care teams, and frequent monitoring and reporting on progress. PMID:26038349

  15. Urban Growth Modeling Using Cellular Automata with Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Images Calibrated by the Artificial Bee Colony Optimization Algorithm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naghibi, Fereydoun; Delavar, Mahmoud Reza; Pijanowski, Bryan

    2016-12-14

    Cellular Automata (CA) is one of the most common techniques used to simulate the urbanization process. CA-based urban models use transition rules to deliver spatial patterns of urban growth and urban dynamics over time. Determining the optimum transition rules of the CA is a critical step because of the heterogeneity and nonlinearities existing among urban growth driving forces. Recently, new CA models integrated with optimization methods based on swarm intelligence algorithms were proposed to overcome this drawback. The Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm is an advanced meta-heuristic swarm intelligence-based algorithm. Here, we propose a novel CA-based urban change model that uses the ABC algorithm to extract optimum transition rules. We applied the proposed ABC-CA model to simulate future urban growth in Urmia (Iran) with multi-temporal Landsat images from 1997, 2006 and 2015. Validation of the simulation results was made through statistical methods such as overall accuracy, the figure of merit and total operating characteristics (TOC). Additionally, we calibrated the CA model by ant colony optimization (ACO) to assess the performance of our proposed model versus similar swarm intelligence algorithm methods. We showed that the overall accuracy and the figure of merit of the ABC-CA model are 90.1% and 51.7%, which are 2.9% and 8.8% higher than those of the ACO-CA model, respectively. Moreover, the allocation disagreement of the simulation results for the ABC-CA model is 9.9%, which is 2.9% less than that of the ACO-CA model. Finally, the ABC-CA model also outperforms the ACO-CA model with fewer quantity and allocation errors and slightly more hits.

  16. Analysis of parameter estimation and optimization application of ant colony algorithm in vehicle routing problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Quan-Li; Cao, Yu-Wei; Yang, Kun

    2018-03-01

    Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is the most widely used artificial intelligence algorithm at present. This study introduced the principle and mathematical model of ACO algorithm in solving Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), and designed a vehicle routing optimization model based on ACO, then the vehicle routing optimization simulation system was developed by using c ++ programming language, and the sensitivity analyses, estimations and improvements of the three key parameters of ACO were carried out. The results indicated that the ACO algorithm designed in this paper can efficiently solve rational planning and optimization of VRP, and the different values of the key parameters have significant influence on the performance and optimization effects of the algorithm, and the improved algorithm is not easy to locally converge prematurely and has good robustness.

  17. Aligning for accountable care: Strategic practices for change in accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hilligoss, Brian; Song, Paula H; McAlearney, Ann Scheck

    Alignment within accountable care organizations (ACOs) is crucial if these new entities are to achieve their lofty goals. However, the concept of alignment remains underexamined, and we know little about the work entailed in creating alignment. The aim of this study was to develop the concept of aligning by identifying and describing the strategic practices administrators use to align the structures, processes, and behaviors of their organizations and individual providers in pursuit of accountable care. We conducted 2-year qualitative case studies of four ACOs that have assumed full risk for the costs and quality of care for defined populations. Five strategic aligning practices were used by all four ACOs. Informing both aligns providers' understandings with the goals and value proposition of the ACO and aligns the providers' attention with the drivers of performance. Involving both aligns ACO leaders' understandings with the realities facing providers and aligns the policies of the ACO with the needs of providers. Enhancing both aligns the operations of individual provider practices with the operations of the ACO and aligns the trust of providers with the ACO. Motivating aligns what providers value with the goals of the ACO. Finally, evolving is a metapractice of learning and adapting that guides the execution of the other four practices. Our findings suggest that there are second-order cognitive (e.g., understandings and attention) and cultural (e.g., trust and values) levels of alignment, as well as a first-order operational level (organizational structures, processes, and incentives). A well-aligned organization may require ongoing repositioning at each of these levels, as well as attention to both cooperative and coordinative dimensions of alignment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

  18. Improving the Interpretability of Classification Rules Discovered by an Ant Colony Algorithm: Extended Results

    OpenAIRE

    Otero, Fernando E.B.; Freitas, Alex A.

    2016-01-01

    The vast majority of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms for inducing classification rules use an ACO-based procedure to create a rule in an one-at-a-time fashion. An improved search strategy has been proposed in the cAnt-MinerPB algorithm, where an ACO-based procedure is used to create a complete list of rules (ordered rules)-i.e., the ACO search is guided by the quality of a list of rules, instead of an individual rule. In this paper we propose an extension of the cAnt-MinerPB algorith...

  19. Prevalência da estenose aterosclerótica do tronco celíaco e da artéria mesentérica superior na arteriopatia oclusiva dos membros inferiores Prevalence of atherosclerotic stenosis of celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery in occlusive arteriopathy of lower limbs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenes Pereira Reis

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Contexto: A eventual relação entre a aterosclerose das artérias dos membros inferiores com a aterosclerose das artérias intestinais foi pouco estudada. Objetivo: Avaliar pela ecografia vascular (Doppler presença de lesões com estenose 70% na artéria mesentérica superior e/ou tronco celíaco em doentes com arteriopatia obstrutiva crônica dos membros inferiores. Método: Foram estudados dois grupos, cada um com 60 doentes (40 homens e 20 mulheres. O grupo-caso foi composto por doentes com arteriopatia obstrutiva crônica dos membros inferiores, claudicação intermitente limitante ou dor de repouso e/ou lesões tróficas de extremidade, sem queixas gastrintestinais. O grupo-controle foi constituído por enfermos sem doença arterial obstrutiva dos membros inferiores e sem queixas gastrintestinais. Consideraram-se fatores de risco presença de diabetes melito, hipertensão arterial, obesidade, angina/infarto, tabagismo e dislipidemia. Todos os doentes foram submetidos a ecografia vascular do tronco celíaco e da artéria mesentérica superior. Os doentes do grupo-caso foram separados pela presença de claudicação intermitente limitante (N = 12 ou lesão trófica e/ou dor de repouso (N = 48. Resultados: Houve associação significante entre idade (p = 0,04 e cardiopatia isquêmica (p = 0,04 com aterosclerose da artéria mesentérica superior. Os fatores de risco não mostraram associação significante com presença de estenose do tronco celíaco. Observou-se associação significante entre arteriopatia dos membros inferiores e lesão estenótica da artéria mesentérica superior (p = 0,006 e do tronco celíaco (p Background: The occasional relationship between arterial atherosclerosis of lower limbs and atherosclerosis of intestinal arteries has not been fully studied yet. Objective: To assess the presence of lesions with ≥ 70% stenosis in the superior mesenteric artery and/or in the celiac trunk in patients with chronic obstructive

  20. Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome in the urban Chinese population: prevalence and disease burden using the 2010, 2012, and 2013 China National Health and Wellness Surveys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Bo; DiBonaventura, Marco; Karlsson, Niklas; Ling, Xia

    2016-01-01

    Research has suggested a significant burden for patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, few studies have studied this population in the People's Republic of China, a region in the midst of rapid epidemiological change with respect to respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ACOS and its association with patient outcomes in urban China. Data from the 2010, 2012, and 2013 China National Health and Wellness Survey, an Internet-based survey of adults in urban China, were used (N=59,935). Respondents were categorized into one of four groups based on self-reported physician diagnoses: ACOS, asthma only, COPD only, or control (ie, no asthma or COPD). A propensity score matching procedure was conducted to cull the control group into a subgroup (ie, matched controls) who resembled patients with ACOS, asthma only, and COPD only. These four groups (ACOS, asthma only, COPD only, matched controls) were then compared with respect to health status (Short Form-12 version 2/Short Form-36 version 2), work productivity, and health care resource use using generalized linear models. Patients with ACOS (N=366) comprised 0.61% of the adult population, 30.73% of the asthma population, and 18.60% of the COPD population in the People's Republic of China. Patients with ACOS reported significantly worse health status (eg, health utilities =0.63, 0.66, 0.63, and 0.69 for ACOS, COPD only, asthma only, and matched controls, respectively) and significantly greater work impairment (eg, overall work impairment =43.65%, 35.19%, 48.55%, and 29.80%, respectively) and health care resource use (eg, physician visits in the past 6 months =5.13, 3.84, 4.65, and 2.39, respectively) compared with matched controls and patients with COPD only. Few significant differences were observed between patients with ACOS and asthma only. Patients with ACOS have a greater comorbidity burden and significantly worse health

  1. Ecocardiografia por Doppler tecidual no diagnóstico de rejeição após transplante cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Valério Coimbra Resende

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A biópsia endomiocárdica (BEM é o método padrão-ouro para o diagnóstico de rejeição celular (RC após transplante cardíaco (TC. OBJETIVO: Testar a hipótese de que o exame de imagem por Doppler tecidual (IDT pode detectar RC > 3A e agregar informação diagnóstica, comparado ao Doppler convencional. MÉTODOS: Cinquenta e quatro pacientes com TC foram submetidos à BEM e estudo ecocardiográfico através de IDT em até 24 horas. Comparamos os pacientes com TC e RC > 3A com pacientes com TC e RC 3A em 39/129 (30,2% das BEM. O melhor preditor isolado para o diagnóstico de RC foi a a'LAT, com sensibilidade de 76,3%, especificidade de 73,8% (p = 0,001. Na análise multivariada, a a'LAT (p = 0,001, a'SEP (p = 0,002, relação e'/a' LAT (p = 0,006, relação e'Mitral/ e'LAT (p = 0,014, SINF (p = 0,009 foram preditores de RC > 3A. Obtivemos um escore com sensibilidade de 88,2%, acurácia de 79,6%, e valor preditivo negativo de 92,9% para diagnosticar RC > 3A. O Doppler convencional (fluxo mitral e pulmonar venoso não foi relevante para predizer a RC > 3A. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo de IDT agregou informação diagnóstica para predizer RC > 3A quando comparado ao Doppler convencional. O modelo baseado em IDT pode ser tornar um método em potencial para detectar RC > 3A após TC.

  2. L-Type Calcium Channel Inhibition Contributes to the Proarrhythmic Effects of Aconitine in Human Cardiomyocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianjun Wu

    Full Text Available Aconitine (ACO is well-known for causing lethal ventricular tachyarrhythmias. While cardiac Na+ channel opening during repolarization has long been documented in animal cardiac myocytes, the cellular effects and mechanism of ACO in human remain unexplored. This study aimed to assess the proarrhythmic effects of ACO in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs. ACO concentration-dependently (0.3 ~ 3.0 μM shortened the action potentials (AP durations (APD in ventricular-like hiPSC-CMs by > 40% and induced delayed after-depolarization. Laser-scanning confocal calcium imaging analysis showed that ACO decreased the duration and amplitude of [Ca2+]i transients and increased in the beating frequencies by over 60%. Moreover, ACO was found to markedly reduce the L-type calcium channel (LTCC currents (ICa,L in hiPSC-CMs associated with a positive-shift of activation and a negative shift of inactivation. ACO failed to alter the peak and late Na+ currents (INa in hiPSC-CMs while it drastically increased the late INa in Guinea-pig ventricular myocytes associated with enhanced activation/delayed inactivation of INa at -55 mV~ -85 mV. Further, the effects of ACO on ICa,L, INa and the rapid delayed rectifier potassium current (Ikr were validated in heterologous expression systems by automated voltage-clamping assays and a moderate suppression of Ikr was observed in addition to concentration-dependent ICa,L inhibition. Lastly, increased beating frequency, decreased Ca2+ wave and shortened field potential duration were recorded from hiPSC-CMs by microelectrode arrays assay. In summary, our data demonstrated that LTCC inhibition could play a main role in the proarrhythmic action of ACO in human cardiomyocytes.

  3. Consideration of social values in the establishment of accountable care organizations in the USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keren, Ron; Littlejohns, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to introduce the new US health organizations called accountable care organizations (ACOs) which are expected to improve the quality and reduce the cost of healthcare for Medicare enrolees. It assesses the importance of ACOs, defining and articulating the values that will underpin their strategic and clinical decision making. This paper uses a social values framework developed by Clark and Weale to consider the values relevant to ACOs. It is likely that social values could be made more explicit in a US setting than they have ever been before, via the new ACOs. Social values could start to form part of a local health economy's marketing strategy. ACOs are very new. This paper identifies that they will need to be very explicit about the values relevant to them. The development of ACOs and the articulation of social values therein may even form the basis of a meaningful dialogue on the importance of assessing value for money or cost-effectiveness in the wider US health policy environment.

  4. An agent-based simulation model to study accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Pai; Wu, Shinyi

    2016-03-01

    Creating accountable care organizations (ACOs) has been widely discussed as a strategy to control rapidly rising healthcare costs and improve quality of care; however, building an effective ACO is a complex process involving multiple stakeholders (payers, providers, patients) with their own interests. Also, implementation of an ACO is costly in terms of time and money. Immature design could cause safety hazards. Therefore, there is a need for analytical model-based decision-support tools that can predict the outcomes of different strategies to facilitate ACO design and implementation. In this study, an agent-based simulation model was developed to study ACOs that considers payers, healthcare providers, and patients as agents under the shared saving payment model of care for congestive heart failure (CHF), one of the most expensive causes of sometimes preventable hospitalizations. The agent-based simulation model has identified the critical determinants for the payment model design that can motivate provider behavior changes to achieve maximum financial and quality outcomes of an ACO. The results show nonlinear provider behavior change patterns corresponding to changes in payment model designs. The outcomes vary by providers with different quality or financial priorities, and are most sensitive to the cost-effectiveness of CHF interventions that an ACO implements. This study demonstrates an increasingly important method to construct a healthcare system analytics model that can help inform health policy and healthcare management decisions. The study also points out that the likely success of an ACO is interdependent with payment model design, provider characteristics, and cost and effectiveness of healthcare interventions.

  5. Preventive Care Quality of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Associations of Organizational Characteristics With Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albright, Benjamin B; Lewis, Valerie A; Ross, Joseph S; Colla, Carrie H

    2016-03-01

    Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are a delivery and payment model aiming to coordinate care, control costs, and improve quality. Medicare ACOs are responsible for 8 measures of preventive care quality. To create composite measures of preventive care quality and examine associations of ACO characteristics with performance. This is a cross-sectional study of Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer participants. We linked quality performance to descriptive data from the National Survey of ACOs. We created composite measures using exploratory factor analysis, and used regression to assess associations with organizational characteristics. Of 252 eligible ACOs, 246 reported on preventive care quality, 177 of which completed the survey (response rate=72%). In their first year, ACOs lagged behind PPO performance on the majority of comparable measures. We identified 2 underlying factors among 8 measures and created composites for each: disease prevention, driven by vaccines and cancer screenings, and wellness screening, driven by annual health screenings. Participation in the Advanced Payment Model, having fewer specialists, and having more Medicare ACO beneficiaries per primary care provider were associated with significantly better performance on both composites. Better performance on disease prevention was also associated with inclusion of a hospital, greater electronic health record capabilities, a larger primary care workforce, and fewer minority beneficiaries. ACO preventive care quality performance is related to provider composition and benefitted by upfront investment. Vaccine and cancer screening quality performance is more dependent on organizational structure and characteristics than performance on annual wellness screenings, likely due to greater complexity in eligibility determination and service administration.

  6. Applying Organization Theory to Understanding the Adoption and Implementation of Accountable Care Organizations: Commentary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M

    2016-12-01

    This commentary highights the key arguments and contributions of institutional thoery, transaction cost economics (TCE) theory, high reliability theory, and organizational learning theory to understanding the development and evolution of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Institutional theory and TCE theory primarily emphasize the external influences shaping ACOs while high reliability theory and organizational learning theory underscore the internal fctors influencing ACO perfromance. A framework based on Implementation Science is proposed to conside the multiple perspectives on ACOs and, in particular, their abiity to innovate to achieve desired cost, quality, and population health goals. © The Author(s) 2016.

  7. The aconitate hydratase family from Citrus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cercos Manuel

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Research on citrus fruit ripening has received considerable attention because of the importance of citrus fruits for the human diet. Organic acids are among the main determinants of taste and organoleptic quality of fruits and hence the control of fruit acidity loss has a strong economical relevance. In citrus, organic acids accumulate in the juice sac cells of developing fruits and are catabolized thereafter during ripening. Aconitase, that transforms citrate to isocitrate, is the first step of citric acid catabolism and a major component of the citrate utilization machinery. In this work, the citrus aconitase gene family was first characterized and a phylogenetic analysis was then carried out in order to understand the evolutionary history of this family in plants. Gene expression analyses of the citrus aconitase family were subsequently performed in several acidic and acidless genotypes to elucidate their involvement in acid homeostasis. Results Analysis of 460,000 citrus ESTs, followed by sequencing of complete cDNA clones, identified in citrus 3 transcription units coding for putatively active aconitate hydratase proteins, named as CcAco1, CcAco2 and CcAco3. A phylogenetic study carried on the Aco family in 14 plant species, shows the presence of 5 Aco subfamilies, and that the ancestor of monocot and dicot species shared at least one Aco gene. Real-time RT-PCR expression analyses of the three aconitase citrus genes were performed in pulp tissues along fruit development in acidic and acidless citrus varieties such as mandarins, oranges and lemons. While CcAco3 expression was always low, CcAco1 and CcAco2 genes were generally induced during the rapid phase of fruit growth along with the maximum in acidity and the beginning of the acid reduction. Two exceptions to this general pattern were found: 1 Clemenules mandarin failed inducing CcAco2 although acid levels were rapidly reduced; and 2 the acidless "Sucreña" orange

  8. Ant colony optimisation for economic dispatch problem with non-smooth cost functions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pothiya, Saravuth; Kongprawechnon, Waree [School of Communication, Instrumentation and Control, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University, P.O. Box 22, Pathumthani (Thailand); Ngamroo, Issarachai [Center of Excellence for Innovative Energy Systems, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut' s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok 10520 (Thailand)

    2010-06-15

    This paper presents a novel and efficient optimisation approach based on the ant colony optimisation (ACO) for solving the economic dispatch (ED) problem with non-smooth cost functions. In order to improve the performance of ACO algorithm, three additional techniques, i.e. priority list, variable reduction, and zoom feature are presented. To show its efficiency and effectiveness, the proposed ACO is applied to two types of ED problems with non-smooth cost functions. Firstly, the ED problem with valve-point loading effects consists of 13 and 40 generating units. Secondly, the ED problem considering the multiple fuels consists of 10 units. Additionally, the results of the proposed ACO are compared with those of the conventional heuristic approaches. The experimental results show that the proposed ACO approach is comparatively capable of obtaining higher quality solution and faster computational time. (author)

  9. Metastização pulmonar na apresentação de angiossarcoma cardíaco – Caso clínico e discussão

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vítor Fonseca

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Resumo: Apresenta-se um caso clínico referente a doente de 35 anos, do sexo masculino sem antecedentes pessoais relevantes, admitido no serviço de urgência por quadro de toracalgia e tosse produtiva com alterações electrocardiográficas sugestivas de pericardite. Inicialmente admitido pelo Serviço de Cardiologia, com melhoria do quadro clínico após terapêutica anti-inflamatória; contudo, no internamento houve como intercorrência pneumonia de provável etiologia bacteriana, complicada por derrame pleural. Após a alta, foi referenciado à consulta de pneumologia, onde se manteve o estudo etiológico do derrame persistente, tendo vindo a complicar-se o seu quadro com alterações das cavidades cardiacas e múltiplos nódulos pulmonares, sugestivos de endocardite subaguda com embolização séptica pulmonar. Internado no serviço de Pneumologia e submetido a videotoracoscopia, foi-lhe diagnosticado angiossarcoma cardíaco com metastização pulmonar. Assistiu-se a uma rápida evolução do quadro clínico, quase fulminante, com falência cardíaca e óbito do doente sem ter iniciado radioterapia ou quimioterapia adjuvante. Abstract: We present a case report of a 35 year-old male without any relevant former pathology admitted to the emergency room with atypical chest pain, cough and sputum with ECG changes suggesting pericarditis. He was initially admitted to the cardiology ward and experienced clinical improvement after initiating anti-inflammatory treatment. As intercurrence he had bacterial origin pneumonia complicated by pleural effusion (PE. After discharge patient was referred to a pulmonology appointment where aetiological investigation of the PE was instigated. Investigation revealed changes in the cardiac cavities and multiple lung nodules, suggesting subacute endocarditis with septic pulmonary embolism. Admitted to the pulmonology unit patient underwent

  10. Socioeconomic impact of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jinhee; Kim, Young Sam; Kim, Kyungjoo; Oh, Yeon-Mok; Yoo, Kwang Ha; Rhee, Chin Kook; Lee, Jin Hwa

    2017-06-01

    Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) is defined as having both features of asthma and COPD, which are airway hyper-responsiveness and incompletely reversible airway obstruction. However, socioeconomic impact of ACOS have not been well appreciated. Adults with available wheezing history and acceptable spirometry were selected from the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV) in 2007-2009. Their data were merged with the Korean National Health Insurance claim data. 'Asthma group' was defined as having self-reported wheezing history and FEV 1 /FVC ≥0.7, 'COPD group' was defined as having FEV 1 /FVC COPD, 8.4%; asthma, 5.8% and NAD, 83.6%. Total length of healthcare utilization and medical costs of ACOS group was the top among four groups (PCOPD group (P=0.025). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that ACOS group (β=12.63, P<0.001) and asthma group (β=6.14, P<0.001) were significantly associated with longer duration of healthcare utilization and ACOS group (β=350,475.88, P=0.008) and asthma group (β=386,876.81, P<0.001) were associated with higher medical costs. This study demonstrated that ACOS independently influences healthcare utilization after adjusting several factors. In order to utilize limited medical resources efficiently, it may be necessary to find and manage ACOS patients.

  11. Sildenafil vs. Nitroprussiato de Sódio durante Teste de Reatividade Pulmonar pré-transplante cardíaco Sildenafil vs. sodium before nitroprusside for the pulmonary hypertension reversibility test before cardiac transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aguinaldo Figueiredo Freitas Jr

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A hipertensão pulmonar é associada ao pior prognóstico no pós-transplante cardíaco. O teste de reatividade pulmonar com Nitroprussiato de Sódio (NPS está associado a elevados índices de hipotensão arterial sistêmica, disfunção ventricular do enxerto transplantado e elevadas taxas de desqualificação para o transplante. OBJETIVO: Neste estudo, objetivou-se comparar os efeitos do Sildenafil (SIL e NPS sobre variáveis hemodinâmicas, neuro-hormonais e ecocardiográficas durante teste de reatividade pulmonar. MÉTODOS: Os pacientes foram submetidos, simultaneamente, ao cateterismo cardíaco direito, ao ecocardiograma e à dosagem de BNP e gasometria venosa, antes e após administração de NPS (1 - 2 µg/Kg/min ou SIL (100 mg, dose única. RESULTADOS: Ambos reduziram a hipertensão pulmonar, porém o nitrato promoveu hipotensão sistêmica significativa (Pressão Arterial Média - PAM: 85,2 vs. 69,8 mmHg, p BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension is associated with a worse prognosis after cardiac transplantation. The pulmonary hypertension reversibility test with sodium nitroprusside (SNP is associated with a high rate of systemic arterial hypotension, ventricular dysfunction of the transplanted graft and high rates of disqualification from transplantation. OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at comparing the effects of sildenafil (SIL and SNP on hemodynamic, neurohormonal and echocardiographic variables during the pulmonary reversibility test. METHODS: The patients underwent simultaneously right cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, BNP measurement, and venous blood gas analysis before and after receiving either SNP (1 - 2 µg/kg/min or SIL (100 mg, single dose. RESULTS: Both drugs reduced pulmonary hypertension, but SNP caused a significant systemic hypotension (mean blood pressure - MBP: 85.2 vs. 69.8 mm Hg; p < 0.001. Both drugs reduced cardiac dimensions and improved left cardiac function (SNP: 23.5 vs. 24.8%, p = 0

  12. Importance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in the differentiation of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome, asthma, and COPD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Feng-Jia; Huang, Xin-Yan; Liu, Yang-Li; Lin, Geng-Peng; Xie, Can-Mao

    2016-01-01

    Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is an easy, sensitive, reproducible, and noninvasive marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Accordingly, FeNO is extensively used to diagnose and manage asthma. Patients with COPD who share some of the features of asthma have a condition called asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). The feasibility of using FeNO to differentiate ACOS patients from asthma and COPD patients remains unclear. From February 2013 to May 2016, patients suspected with asthma and COPD through physician's opinion were subjected to FeNO measurement, pulmonary function test (PFT), and bronchial hyperresponsiveness or bronchodilator test. Patients were divided into asthma alone group, COPD alone group, and ACOS group according to a clinical history, PFT values, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness or bronchodilator test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained to elucidate the clinical functions of FeNO in diagnosing ACOS. The optimal operating point was also determined. A total of 689 patients were enrolled in this study: 500 had asthma, 132 had COPD, and 57 had ACOS. The FeNO value in patients with ACOS was 27 (21.5) parts per billion (ppb; median [interquartile range]), which was significantly higher than that in the COPD group (18 [11] ppb). The area under the ROC curve was estimated to be 0.783 for FeNO. Results also revealed an optimal cutoff value of >22.5 ppb FeNO for differentiating ACOS from COPD patients (sensitivity 70%, specificity 75%). FeNO measurement is an easy, noninvasive, and sensitive method for differentiating ACOS from COPD. This technique is a new perspective for the management of COPD patients.

  13. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired disease control in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odler, Balázs; Ivancsó, István; Somogyi, Vivien; Benke, Kálmán; Tamási, Lilla; Gálffy, Gabriella; Szalay, Balázs; Müller, Veronika

    2015-01-01

    The association between vitamin D and clinical parameters in obstructive lung diseases (OLDs), including COPD and bronchial asthma, was previously investigated. As asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) is a new clinical entity, the prevalence of vitamin D levels in ACOS is unknown. Our aim was to assess the levels of circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]) in different OLDs, including ACOS patients, and its correlation with clinical parameters. A total of 106 men and women (control, n=21; asthma, n=44; COPD, n=21; and ACOS, n=20) were involved in the study. All patients underwent detailed clinical examinations; disease control and severity was assessed by disease-specific questionnaires (COPD assessment test, asthma control test, and modified Medical Research Council); furthermore, 25(OH)D levels were measured in all patients. The 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in ACOS and COPD groups compared to asthma group (16.86±1.79 ng/mL and 14.27±1.88 ng/mL vs 25.66±1.91 ng/mL). A positive correlation was found between 25(OH)D level and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (r=0.4433; PD level showed a positive correlation in the ACOS (r=0.4761; P=0.0339) but not in the asthma group. Higher COPD assessment test total scores correlated with decreased 25(OH)D in ACOS (r=-0.4446; P=0.0495); however, this was not observed in the COPD group. Vitamin D deficiency is present in ACOS patients and circulating 25(OH)D level may affect disease control and severity.

  14. Study on ant colony optimization for fuel loading pattern problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishi, Hironori; Kitada, Takanori

    2013-01-01

    Modified ant colony optimization (ACO) was applied to the in-core fuel loading pattern (LP) optimization problem to minimize the power peaking factor (PPF) in the modeled 1/4 symmetry PWR core. Loading order was found to be important in ACO. Three different loading orders with and without the adjacent effect between fuel assemblies (FAs) were compared, and it was found that the loading order from the central core is preferable because many selections of FAs to be inserted are available in the core center region. LPs were determined from pheromone trail and heuristic information, which is a priori knowledge based on the feature of the problem. Three types of heuristic information were compared to obtain the desirable performance of searching LPs with low PPF. Moreover, mutation operation, such as the genetic algorithm (GA), was introduced into the ACO algorithm to avoid searching similar LPs because heuristic information used in ACO tends to localize the searching space in the LP problem. The performance of ACO with some improvement was compared with those of simulated annealing and GA. In conclusion, good performance can be achieved by setting proper heuristic information and mutation operation parameter in ACO. (author)

  15. Effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria on the growth and fructan production of Agave americana L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neyser De La Torre-Ruiz

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria inoculation on plant growth and the sugar content in Agave americana was assessed. The bacterial strains ACO-34A, ACO-40, and ACO-140, isolated from the A. americana rhizosphere, were selected for this study to evaluate their phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. The three bacterial strains were evaluated via plant inoculation assays, and Azospirillum brasilense Cd served as a control strain. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene showed that strains ACO-34A, ACO-40 and ACO-140 were Rhizobium daejeonense, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Pseudomonas mosselii, respectively. All of the strains were able to synthesize indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, solubilize phosphate, and had nitrogenase activity. Inoculation using the plant growth-promoting bacteria strains had a significant effect (p < 0.05 on plant growth and the sugar content of A. americana, showing that these native plant growth-promoting bacteria are a practical, simple, and efficient alternative to promote the growth of agave plants with proper biological characteristics for agroindustrial and biotechnological use and to increase the sugar content in this agave species.

  16. Adiposity, physical activity and blood lipid profile in 13-year-old adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostojic, Sergej M; Stojanovic, Marko; Stojanovic, Vladan; Maric, Jelena

    2010-04-01

    The main aim of this study was to determine the extent to which physical activity and adiposity are associated with blood cholesterol levels in male adolescents. Anthropometric and physical fitness values were measured in all children. Body mass index (BMI) and physical activity index (PAI) were used to split participants into active overweight (ACO) and non-active normal-weight (NAN) groups. The cutoffs for the ACO group were BMI > or = 22.6 kg/m2 and PAI > or = 3.5, respectively, whereas the corresponding cutoffs for the NAN groups were BMI body fat as compared to their NAN counterparts (p HDL-cholesterol was higher in ACO group (p correlation between HDL-cholesterol and PAI in ACO group (r = 0.38; p index explained the majority of variance in HDL-cholesterol for ACO group (beta = 0.513; p adiposity per se, particularly for HDL-cholesterol.

  17. Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal food waste and sewage sludge: A comparative life cycle assessment in the context of a waste service provision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Joel; Othman, Maazuza; Crossin, Enda; Burn, Stewart

    2017-01-01

    This study used life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) and compared it against the current waste management system in two case study areas. Results indicated AcoD to have less environmental impact for all categories modelled excluding human toxicity, despite the need to collect and pre-treat food waste separately. Uncertainty modelling confirmed that AcoD has a 100% likelihood of a smaller global warming potential, and for acidification, eutrophication and fossil fuel depletion AcoD carried a greater than 85% confidence of inducing a lesser impact than the current waste service. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Importance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide in the differentiation of asthma–COPD overlap syndrome, asthma, and COPD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen FJ

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Feng-jia Chen,* Xin-yan Huang,* Yang-li Liu, Geng-peng Lin, Can-mao Xie Department of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO is an easy, sensitive, reproducible, and noninvasive marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation. Accordingly, FeNO is extensively used to diagnose and manage asthma. Patients with COPD who share some of the features of asthma have a condition called asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS. The feasibility of using FeNO to differentiate ACOS patients from asthma and COPD patients remains unclear. Methods: From February 2013 to May 2016, patients suspected with asthma and COPD through physician’s opinion were subjected to FeNO measurement, pulmonary function test (PFT, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness or bronchodilator test. Patients were divided into asthma alone group, COPD alone group, and ACOS group according to a clinical history, PFT values, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness or bronchodilator test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were obtained to elucidate the clinical functions of FeNO in diagnosing ACOS. The optimal operating point was also determined. Results: A total of 689 patients were enrolled in this study: 500 had asthma, 132 had COPD, and 57 had ACOS. The FeNO value in patients with ACOS was 27 (21.5 parts per billion (ppb; median [interquartile range], which was significantly higher than that in the COPD group (18 [11] ppb. The area under the ROC curve was estimated to be 0.783 for FeNO. Results also revealed an optimal cutoff value of >22.5 ppb FeNO for differentiating ACOS from COPD patients (sensitivity 70%, specificity 75%.Conclusion: FeNO measurement is an easy, noninvasive, and sensitive method for differentiating ACOS from COPD. This technique is a new perspective for the management of COPD patients. Keywords

  19. Comparação dos efeitos da dobutamina e da milrinona sobre a hemodinâmica e o transporte de oxigênio em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca com baixo débito cardíaco após indução anestésica Comparación de los efectos de la dobutamina y de la milrinona sobre la hemodinámica y el transporte de oxígeno en pacientes sometidos a cirugía cardiaca con bajo débito cardiaco después de inducción anestésica Comparison of the effects of dobutamine and milrinone on hemodynamic parameters and oxygen supply in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with low cardiac output after anesthetic induction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria José Carvalho Carmona

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Diversas classes de fármacos inotrópicos, com efeitos hemodinâmicos diferentes, são utilizadas no tratamento do baixo débito cardíaco em pacientes com disfunção sistólica submetidos a procedimento cirúrgico cardíaco. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar o efeito da dobutamina e da milrinona sobre a hemodinâmica e o transporte de oxigênio nessa população de pacientes. MÉTODO: Após aprovação do Comitê de Ética institucional e obtenção do consentimento escrito pós-informado, 20 pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca e com índice cardíaco JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: Diversas clases de fármacos inotrópicos con efectos hemodinámicos diferentes, se usan en el tratamiento del bajo débito cardíaco en pacientes con disfunción sistólica sometidos al procedimiento quirúrgico cardíaco. El objetivo de este estudio, fue comparar el efecto de la dobutamina y de la milrinona sobre la hemodinámica y el transporte de oxígeno en esa población de pacientes. MÉTODO: Después de la aprobación del Comité de Ética institucional y de la obtención del consentimiento informado, 20 pacientes sometidos a la cirugía cardíaca y con índice cardíaco BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Several classes of inotropic drugs with different hemodynamic effects are used in the treatment of low cardiac output in patients with diastolic dysfunction undergoing cardiac surgery. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of dobutamine and milrinone on hemodynamic parameters and oxygen supply in this population of patients. METHODS: After approval by the Ethics Committee of the institution and signing of the informed consent, 20 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiac index < 2 L.min-1.m2 after anesthetic induction and place ment of a pulmonary artery catheter were randomly divided to receive dobutamine 5 µg.kg-1. min-1 (n = 10, or milrinone 0.5 µg.kg-1.min-1 (n = 10. Hemodynamic parameters were

  20. An agent-based simulation model of patient choice of health care providers in accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alibrahim, Abdullah; Wu, Shinyi

    2018-03-01

    Accountable care organizations (ACO) in the United States show promise in controlling health care costs while preserving patients' choice of providers. Understanding the effects of patient choice is critical in novel payment and delivery models like ACO that depend on continuity of care and accountability. The financial, utilization, and behavioral implications associated with a patient's decision to forego local health care providers for more distant ones to access higher quality care remain unknown. To study this question, we used an agent-based simulation model of a health care market composed of providers able to form ACO serving patients and embedded it in a conditional logit decision model to examine patients capable of choosing their care providers. This simulation focuses on Medicare beneficiaries and their congestive heart failure (CHF) outcomes. We place the patient agents in an ACO delivery system model in which provider agents decide if they remain in an ACO and perform a quality improving CHF disease management intervention. Illustrative results show that allowing patients to choose their providers reduces the yearly payment per CHF patient by $320, reduces mortality rates by 0.12 percentage points and hospitalization rates by 0.44 percentage points, and marginally increases provider participation in ACO. This study demonstrates a model capable of quantifying the effects of patient choice in a theoretical ACO system and provides a potential tool for policymakers to understand implications of patient choice and assess potential policy controls.

  1. Transplante cardíaco com anastomose bicaval e anuloplastia tricúspide profilática no enxerto Cardiac transplantation with bicaval anastomosis and prophylactic graft tricuspid annuloplasty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo Inácio Fiorelli

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: O presente estudo tem por objetivo avaliar os efeitos da anuloplastia tricúspide profilática no coração doador em transplante cardíaco com anastomose bicaval. MÉTODOS: De 2002 a 2005, foram selecionados de forma não aleatória 20 pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco pela técnica bicaval e com sobrevida superior a seis meses. Eles foram divididos em dois grupos: Grupo I - 10 pacientes que receberam coração doador com anuloplastia tricúspide profilática, pela técnica de De Vega; e Grupo II - 10 pacientes que não receberam a anuloplastia, ambos com características semelhantes. O grau de regurgitação tricúspide foi avaliado pela ecocardiografia transtorácica com Doppler e foi quantificado entre 0 e 3 (0=ausente, 1=discreto, 2=moderado, 3=grave. O desempenho miocárdico foi avaliado pela fração de ejeção ventricular e pelo estudo hemodinâmico invasivo, durante as biópsias endomiocárdicas de rotina. RESULTADOS: O período médio de observação foi de 14,6±4,3 meses (6 e 16 meses. Houve apenas um óbito no grupo II não relacionado à anuloplastia. O grau médio de regurgitação tricúspide no Grupo I foi de 0,4±0,6 e no Grupo II foi de 1,6±0,8 (p OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of prophylactic heart donor tricuspid annuloplasty in patients after heart transplantation with bicaval anastomosis. METHODS: From 2002 to 2005, 20 patients undergoing heart transplantation with bicaval anastomosis and with a survival rate over 6 months were deliberately selected. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I - 10 patients who underwent prophylactic heart donor tricuspid annuloplasty by the De Vega technique; and Group II - 10 patients did not undergo annuloplasty. In both groups, presurgical clinical characteristics were the same. The tricuspid regurgitation degree was evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography and it was qualified from 0 to 3 (0=absent, 1=mild, 2=moderated, 3

  2. PMU Placement Methods in Power Systems based on Evolutionary Algorithms and GPS Receiver

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. R. Mosavi

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, optimal placement of Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU using Global Positioning System (GPS is discussed. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO, Simulated Annealing (SA, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO and Genetic Algorithm (GA are used for this problem. Pheromone evaporation coefficient and the probability of moving from state x to state y by ant are introduced into the ACO. The modified algorithm overcomes the ACO in obtaining global optimal solution and convergence speed, when applied to optimizing the PMU placement problem. We also compare this simulink with SA, PSO and GA that to find capability of ACO in the search of optimal solution. The fitness function includes observability, redundancy and number of PMU. Logarithmic Least Square Method (LLSM is used to calculate the weights of fitness function. The suggested optimization method is applied in 30-bus IEEE system and the simulation results show modified ACO find results better than PSO and SA, but same result with GA.

  3. Oral Health Care Delivery Within the Accountable Care Organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blue, Christine; Riggs, Sheila

    2016-06-01

    The accountable care organization (ACO) provides an opportunity to strategically design a comprehensive health system in which oral health works within primary care. A dental hygienist/therapist within the ACO represents value-based health care in action. Inspired by health care reform efforts in Minnesota, a vision of an accountable care organization that integrates oral health into primary health care was developed. Dental hygienists and dental therapists can help accelerate the integration of oral health into primary care, particularly in light of the compelling evidence confirming the cost-effectiveness of care delivered by an allied workforce. A dental insurance Chief Operating Officer and a dental hygiene educator used their unique perspectives and experience to describe the potential of an interdisciplinary team-based approach to individual and population health, including oral health, via an accountable care community. The principles of the patient-centered medical home and the vision for accountable care communities present a paradigm shift from a curative system of care to a prevention-based system that encompasses the behavioral, social, nutritional, economic, and environmental factors that impact health and well-being. Oral health measures embedded in the spectrum of general health care have the potential to ensure a truly comprehensive healthcare system. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  4. How "accountable" are accountable care organizations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Addicott, Rachael; Shortell, Stephen M

    2014-01-01

    The establishment of accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was intended to support both cost savings and high-quality care. However, a key challenge will be to ensure that governance and accountability mechanisms are sufficient to support those twin ambitions. This exploratory study considers how recently developed ACOs have established governance structures and accountability mechanisms, particularly focusing on attempts at collaborative accountability and shared governance arrangements. Four case studies of ACOs across the United States were undertaken, with data collected throughout 2012. These involved 34 semistructured interviews with ACO administrative and clinical leaders, observation of nine meetings, and a review of documentary materials from each ACO. We identified very few examples of physicians being held to account as a collective and therefore only limited evidence of collaborative accountability impacting on behavior change. However, ACO leaders do have many mechanisms available to stimulate change across physicians. The challenge is to determine governance structure(s) and accountability mechanisms that facilitate the most effective combination of approaches, measures, incentives, and sanctions to achieve the goals of more accountable care. Accountability structures and processes will need to be tailored to local membership composition, historical evolution, and current stage of development. There are also some common lessons to be drawn. Shared goals and incentives should be reflected through performance criteria. It is important to align measures and thresholds across payers to ensure ACOs are not unnecessarily burdened or compromised by reporting on different and potentially disjointed measures. Finally, emphasis needs to be placed on the importance of credible, transparent data. This exploratory study provides early evidence regarding how ACOs are establishing their governance and accountability arrangements and

  5. Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome in the urban Chinese population: prevalence and disease burden using the 2010, 2012, and 2013 China National Health and Wellness Surveys

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ding B

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Bo Ding,1 Marco DiBonaventura,2 Niklas Karlsson,1 Xia Ling31Department of Global Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2Department of Health Outcomes Practice, Kantar Health, New York, NY, USA; 3Department of Medical Affairs China, AstraZeneca, Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: Research has suggested a significant burden for patients with asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS. However, few studies have studied this population in the People’s Republic of China, a region in the midst of rapid epidemiological change with respect to respiratory disease. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ACOS and its association with patient outcomes in urban China.Methods: Data from the 2010, 2012, and 2013 China National Health and Wellness Survey, an Internet-based survey of adults in urban China, were used (N=59,935. Respondents were categorized into one of four groups based on self-reported physician diagnoses: ACOS, asthma only, COPD only, or control (ie, no asthma or COPD. A propensity score matching procedure was conducted to cull the control group into a subgroup (ie, matched controls who resembled patients with ACOS, asthma only, and COPD only. These four groups (ACOS, asthma only, COPD only, matched controls were then compared with respect to health status (Short Form-12 version 2/Short Form-36 version 2, work productivity, and health care resource use using generalized linear models.Results: Patients with ACOS (N=366 comprised 0.61% of the adult population, 30.73% of the asthma population, and 18.60% of the COPD population in the People’s Republic of China. Patients with ACOS reported significantly worse health status (eg, health utilities =0.63, 0.66, 0.63, and 0.69 for ACOS, COPD only, asthma only, and matched controls, respectively and significantly greater work impairment (eg, overall work impairment =43.65%, 35.19%, 48.55%, and 29.80%, respectively and health care

  6. Effect of sigma phase in the repassivation potential of austenitic-ferritic stainless steel SEW 410 Nr. 14517; Efeito da fase sigma no potencial de repassivacao do aco inoxidavel austeno-ferritico SEW 410 Nr. 14517

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Itman Filho, A.; Pimenta, C.C.; Santos, C.M.L. [Instituto Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitoria (Brazil)], e-mail: andrei@ifes.edu.br; Casteletti, L.C. [Escola de Engenharia de Sao Carlos - EESC/USP, SP (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    The austenitic-ferritic stainless steels, due to the optimum compromise between mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, are being used in many applications, as chemical and oil industries. In the oil exploitation, the effect of erosion-corrosion in acid environment is responsible for the increment in the equipment maintenance costs. Regarding the interest in researches of deep water oil exploitation, the proposal of this study was to evaluate the effect of the heat treatment at 850 degree C of the austenitic-ferritic stainless steel SEW 410 Nr.14517. Microstructural characterizations, microhardness measurements of the phases and corrosion tests were accomplished to evaluate the samples. The pitting potential values were obtained by galvanostatic tests in H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} acid solution. The results showed that the volumetric percentages of sigma phase increased while the ferritic phase percentages decreased, when the heat treatment time increased. The sigma phase promoted hardness increase with little corrosion resistance decrease in the austenitic-ferritic stainless steel, too. (author)

  7. Utilization of aluminum to obtaining a duplex type stainless steel using high energy ball milling; Obtencao de um aco inoxidavel de estrutura duplex do sistema FeMnAl processado por moagem de alta energia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pavlak, I.E.; Cintho, O.M., E-mail: eng.igorpavlak@yahoo.com.b [Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa (UEPG), PR (Brazil); Capocchi, J.D.T. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil)

    2010-07-01

    The obtaining of stainless steel using aluminum in its composition - FeMnAl system, has been researches subject since the sixties, by good mechanical properties and resistance to oxidation presented, when compared with conventional FeNiCr stainless steel system. In another point, the aluminum and manganese are low cost then traditional elements. This work, metallic powders of iron, manganese and pure aluminum, were processed in a Spex type high-energy ball mill in nitrogen atmosphere. The milling products were compressed into pastille form and sintered under inert atmosphere. The final products were characterized by optical and electronic microscopy and microhardness test. The metallographic analysis shows a typical austenite and ferrite duplex type microstructure. The presence of these phases was confirmed according X ray diffraction analysis. (author)

  8. Cloud computing task scheduling strategy based on differential evolution and ant colony optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ge, Junwei; Cai, Yu; Fang, Yiqiu

    2018-05-01

    This paper proposes a task scheduling strategy DEACO based on the combination of Differential Evolution (DE) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), aiming at the single problem of optimization objective in cloud computing task scheduling, this paper combines the shortest task completion time, cost and load balancing. DEACO uses the solution of the DE to initialize the initial pheromone of ACO, reduces the time of collecting the pheromone in ACO in the early, and improves the pheromone updating rule through the load factor. The proposed algorithm is simulated on cloudsim, and compared with the min-min and ACO. The experimental results show that DEACO is more superior in terms of time, cost, and load.

  9. Optimatization of transient transformation methods to study gene expression in Musa acuminata (AAA group) cultivar Ambon Lumut

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prayuni, Kinasih; Dwivany, Fenny M.

    2015-09-01

    Banana is classified as a climateric fruit, whose ripening is regulated by ethylene. Ethylene is synthesized from ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) by ACC oxidase enzyme which is encoded by ACO gene. Controling an important gene expression in ethylene biosynthesis pathway has became a target to delay the ripening process. Therefore in the previous study we have designed a MaACO-RNAi construct to control MaACO gene expression. In this research, we study the effectiveness of different transient transformation methods to deliver the construct. Direct injection, with or no vaccum infiltration methods were used to deliver MaACO-RNAi construct. All of the methods succesfully deliver the construct into banana fruits based on RT-PCR result.

  10. O carvedilol no tecido conjuntivo cardíaco de ratos durante o desenvolvimento da hipertrofia miocárdica concêntrica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leomil Neto Moacir

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A estimulação catecolaminérgica precoce e excessiva do coração, que ocorre na insuficiência cardíaca congestiva, acentua a sobrecarga de pressão e o volume nos ventrículos, agravando, conseqüentemente, a isquemia miocárdica, causando morte de miócitos com deposição de tecido conjuntivo e progressiva redução do débito cardíaco. O carvedilol, um b e alfa1-bloqueador não cardio-seletivo, vem sendo associado a melhorias na função miocárdica e à regressão da hipertrofia ventricular esquerda. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a ação do carvedilol em ratos submetidos a um modelo experimental de hipertrofia miocárdica por sobrecarga de pressão, por meio da coartação da aorta subdiafragmática. Ratos Wistar (65 animais foram divididos em quatro grupos: não coartados/tratados com placebo, coartados/tratados com placebo, coartados/tratados com 0,1mg kg-1 de carvedilol e coartados/tratados com 1mg kg-1 de carvedilol. Após o procedimento cirúrgico e 20 dias de tratamento, os animais foram submetidos à eutanásia e coletados fragmentos que, depois de fixados em formol a 10% e processados pela técnica histológica convencional utilizando coloração picrossirius, permitiram contagem de tecido conjuntivo nos ventrículos esquerdo e direito. Resultados: nos animais coartados/tratados com placebo, houve aumento na porcentagem de tecido conjuntivo nos ventrículos esquerdo e direito; nos coartados/tratados com 0,1mg kg-1 de carvedilol, houve uma redução parcial da quantidade de tecido colágeno do ventrículo esquerdo e direito, e, nos coartados/tratados com 1mg kg-1 de carvedilol, houve uma redução significativa na quantidade de tecido colágeno do ventrículo esquerdo.

  11. Changes in Postacute Care in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McWilliams, J Michael; Gilstrap, Lauren G; Stevenson, David G; Chernew, Michael E; Huskamp, Haiden A; Grabowski, David C

    2017-04-01

    Postacute care is thought to be a major source of wasteful spending. The extent to which accountable care organizations (ACOs) can limit postacute care spending has implications for the importance and design of other payment models that include postacute care. To assess changes in postacute care spending and use of postacute care associated with provider participation as ACOs in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and the pathways by which they occurred. With the use of fee-for-service Medicare claims from a random 20% sample of beneficiaries with 25 544 650 patient-years, 8 395 426 hospital admissions, and 1 595 352 stays in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2014, difference-in-difference comparisons of beneficiaries served by ACOs with beneficiaries served by local non-ACO health care professionals (control group) were performed before vs after entry into the MSSP. Differential changes were estimated separately for cohorts of ACOs entering the MSSP in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Patient attribution to an ACO in the MSSP. Postacute spending, discharge to a facility, length of SNF stays, readmissions, use of highly rated SNFs, and mortality, adjusted for patient characteristics. For the 2012 cohort of 114 ACOs, participation in the MSSP was associated with an overall reduction in postacute spending (differential change in 2014 for ACOs vs control group, -$106 per beneficiary [95% CI, -$176 to -$35], or -9.0% of the precontract unadjusted mean of $1172; P = .003) that was driven by differential reductions in acute inpatient care, discharges to facilities rather than home (-0.6 percentage points [95% CI, -1.1 to 0.0], or -2.7% of the unadjusted precontract mean of 22.6%; P = .03), and length of SNF stays (-0.60 days per stay [95% CI, -0.99 to -0.22], or -2.2% of the precontract unadjusted mean of 27.07 days; P = .002). Reductions in use of SNFs and length of stay were largely due to within-hospital or

  12. Workshop on Future Directions for Optical Information Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-03-01

    the proslective market for such devices has not generally been viewed as large enough to encourage tne type of major investments that stimulated...of the channel waveguides n SAW propagation is being invest - igated. Further discussion on integrated-cptic, acoLuto-optic devices is given in a paper...are really looking at fundemental limitations and the tools are there to answer some of these questions. C: There are two research programs in our

  13. Current trends in hospital mergers and acquisitions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Thomas C; Werling, Krist A; Walker, Barton C; Burgdorfer, Rex J; Shields, J Jordan

    2012-03-01

    Healthcare reform will impact hospital consolidation in three key areas: Payment rates will decrease, indirectly encouraging consolidation by forcing hospitals to find new ways to reduce costs and increase negotiating clout with suppliers and payers. The cost of doing business will increase as hospitals spend more on compliance, technology, and physician employment. The ACO model will encourage hospital network formation by rewarding integrated healthcare systems that can reduce costs and improve quality.

  14. Incidência de coronariopatia após o transplante cardíaco ortotópico Incidence of coronariopathy after orthotopic heart transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo I Fiorelli

    1994-06-01

    Full Text Available O presente estudo tem por finalidade analisar tardiamente o padrão anatômico evolutivo das artérias coronárias do coração transplantado. Para cumprir tal proposição foram selecionados 22 pacientes submetidos ao transplante cardíaco ortotópico, com seguimento pós-operatório superior a 36 meses. As variáveis eleitas para este fim foram aferidas anualmente até o quinto ano de pós-operatório. A análise da ventriculografia mostrou a estabilidade da fração de ejeção (p=0,99 em valores normais. A cineangiocoronariografia seqüencial evidenciou incidência crescente de lesões arteriais com comprometimento da função contrátil. As lesões obstrutivas acometeram as artérias coronárias difusamente, com predomínio no território distai. Os episódios de rejeição aguda e a etiologia da cardiomiopatia não modificaram a evolução natural da aterosclerose coronária.The purpose of this study was to analise late anatomical status of coronary arteries in patients (pts in whom orthotopic heart transplantation(OHT was perfomed. We studied 22 pts submitted to OHT with post-operative follow-up longer than 36 months. They were evaluated by cinecoronariography every year in a 5 years follow-up. Ventriculography analisis showed stability (in normal values of the left ventricular ejection fraction (p= 0,99 during the follow-up period. The sequential coronary studies showed a progressive increase on incidence of abnormalities in coronary arteries with disorders of contratile function. The obstructive abnormalities were present in all segments but more in distal territories. The acute rejection episodes and cardiomiopathy etiologies didn't change the natural evolution of coronary atherosclerosis.

  15. Drenagem anômala total das veias pulmonares: terapêutica cirúrgica dos tipos anatômicos infracardíaco e misto

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atik Fernando Antibas

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Estudar a evolução hospitalar em portadores de drenagem anômala total de veias pulmonares (DATVP, nas formas infracardíaca e mista, submetidos a tratamento cirúrgico. MÉTODOS: De 65 pacientes operados com o diagnóstico isolado de DATVP, de dezembro/1993 a março/2002, foram selecionados, retrospectivamente, 7 (10,8% pacientes das formas mista e infradiafragmática, sendo 5 (71,4% do sexo masculino, idades variando de 5 dias a 19 (média de 7 meses, com diagnóstico clínico feito pelo ecocardiograma bidimensional. Quatro (57,1% pacientes apresentavam formas mistas, em um, obstrutiva intrínseca, com estenose discreta da veia inferior esquerda. Os restantes três (42,9% apresentavam a forma infradiafragmática obstrutiva, extrínseca ao nível do diafragma. Todas as operações foram realizadas através de esternotomia mediana, sob circulação extracorpórea hipotérmica com parada circulatória total em 2 casos. RESULTADOS: Óbito hospitalar ocorreu em 1 paciente com DATVP infradiafragmática com conexão da veia vertical inferior com a veia porta. A causa mortis foi relacionada à falência de múltiplos órgãos e sistemas. O pós-operatório foi caracterizado pela presença de baixo débito cardíaco e hipertensão pulmonar em 4 (57,1% pacientes. CONCLUSÃO: O resultado da correção cirúrgica desta anomalia está associado à morbidade e mortalidade aceitáveis, na dependência do encaminhamento e tratamento cirúrgico precoces, sem progressão do quadro de hipertensão vascular pulmonar.

  16. Cintilografia de perfusão miocárdica e comprometimento cardíaco na fase indeterminada da doença de chagas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amalia Peix

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A cintilografia de perfusão miocárdica (CPM tem sido utilizada na avaliação da cardiopatia chagásica. OBJETIVO: Investigar o valor da CPM com tomografia computadorizada por emissão de fóton único (gated-SPECT para detectar comprometimento cardíaco precoce em pacientes chagásicos na fase indeterminada, que apresentam anomalias de movimento segmentar detectadas por exame de imagem por Doppler tecidual (IDT strain derivada. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 40 indivíduos (idade média: 25 ± 2 anos, 50% homens de uma área endêmica da doença de Chagas e com diagnóstico sorológico positivo. Todos foram submetidos à CPM com gated-SPECT de 2 dias (repouso e estresse e ecocardiografia. RESULTADOS: Trinta indivíduos (75% apresentaram resultados normais. Em três casos (8%, a CPM apresentou resultado ligeiramente anormal e em sete foi ambígua. Em todos os casos com defeitos reversíveis, os segmentos afetados foram coincidentes com aqueles com anomalias de movimento. Foi encontrada redução na fração de ejeção ventricular esquerda (FEVE > 5% (ΔLVEF% < -5 pós-estresse em 11 dos 40 indivíduos (28%. Tanto o desvio padrão fasederivado como a largura da banda do histograma mostraram diferença significativa entre o pós-estresse e a fase de repouso. Em ambos os casos, houve ligeira dessincronia em repouso normalizado no pós-estresse. CONCLUSÃO: Uma abordagem estresse-repouso com gated-SPECT é válida para detectar alterações miocárdicas precoces, bem como dessincronia intraventricular na fase indeterminada da doença de Chagas em pacientes com anomalias no movimento segmentar previamente detectadas pela IDT strain derivada.

  17. Technology Alignment and Portfolio Prioritization (TAPP): Advanced Methods in Strategic Analysis, Technology Forecasting and Long Term Planning for Human Exploration and Operations, Advanced Exploration Systems and Advanced Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funaro, Gregory V.; Alexander, Reginald A.

    2015-01-01

    The Advanced Concepts Office (ACO) at NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center is expanding its current technology assessment methodologies. ACO is developing a framework called TAPP that uses a variety of methods, such as association mining and rule learning from data mining, structure development using a Technological Innovation System (TIS), and social network modeling to measure structural relationships. The role of ACO is to 1) produce a broad spectrum of ideas and alternatives for a variety of NASA's missions, 2) determine mission architecture feasibility and appropriateness to NASA's strategic plans, and 3) define a project in enough detail to establish an initial baseline capable of meeting mission objectives ACO's role supports the decision­-making process associated with the maturation of concepts for traveling through, living in, and understanding space. ACO performs concept studies and technology assessments to determine the degree of alignment between mission objectives and new technologies. The first step in technology assessment is to identify the current technology maturity in terms of a technology readiness level (TRL). The second step is to determine the difficulty associated with advancing a technology from one state to the next state. NASA has used TRLs since 1970 and ACO formalized them in 1995. The DoD, ESA, Oil & Gas, and DoE have adopted TRLs as a means to assess technology maturity. However, "with the emergence of more complex systems and system of systems, it has been increasingly recognized that TRL assessments have limitations, especially when considering [the] integration of complex systems." When performing the second step in a technology assessment, NASA requires that an Advancement Degree of Difficulty (AD2) method be utilized. NASA has used and developed or used a variety of methods to perform this step: Expert Opinion or Delphi Approach, Value Engineering or Value Stream, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for the Order of

  18. Metastização pulmonar na apresentação de angiossarcoma cardíaco – Caso clínico e discussão

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vítor Fonseca

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Resumo: Apresenta-se um caso clínico referente a doente de 35 anos, do sexo masculino sem antecedentes pessoais relevantes, admitido no serviço de urgência por quadro de toracalgia e tosse produtiva com alterações electrocardiográficas sugestivas de pericardite. Inicialmente admitido pelo Serviço de Cardiologia, com melhoria do quadro clínico após terapêutica anti-inflamatória; contudo, no internamento houve como intercorrência pneumonia de provável etiologia bacteriana, complicada por derrame pleural. Após a alta, foi referenciado à consulta de pneumologia, onde se manteve o estudo etiológico do derrame persistente, tendo vindo a complicar-se o seu quadro com alterações das cavidades cardiacas e múltiplos nódulos pulmonares, sugestivos de endocardite subaguda com embolização séptica pulmonar. Internado no serviço de Pneumologia e submetido a videotoracoscopia, foi-lhe diagnosticado angiossarcoma cardíaco com metastização pulmonar. Assistiu-se a uma rápida evolução do quadro clínico, quase fulminante, com falência cardíaca e óbito do doente sem ter iniciado radioterapia ou quimioterapia adjuvante.Rev Port Pneumol 2009; XV (6: 1175-1184 Abstract: We present a case report of a 35 year-old male without any relevant former pathology admitted to the emergency room with atypical chest pain, cough and sputum with ECG changes suggesting pericarditis. He was initially admitted to the cardiology ward and experienced clinical improvement after initiating anti-inflammatory treatment. As intercurrence he had bacterial origin pneumonia complicated by pleural effusion (PE. After discharge patient was referred to a pulmonology appointment where aetiological investigation of the PE was instigated. Investigation revealed changes in the cardiac cavities and multiple lung nodules, suggesting subacute endocarditis with septic pulmonary embolism. Admitted to the

  19. Perfil clínico de pacientes chagásicos e não-chagásicos portadores de marca-passo cardíaco artificial Clinical profile of Chagas and non-Chagas' disease patients with cardiac pacemaker

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonor Garcia Rincon

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo do estudo foi comparar pacientes chagásicos e não-chagásicos com marca-passo cardíaco artificial uni ou bicameral quanto à fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo, o limiar de estimulação ventricular e a incidência de arritmias cardíacas. Entre janeiro/2001 e novembro/2002 foram avaliados 45 pacientes chagásicos e 35 não-chagásicos portadores de marca-passo quanto à história clínica, radiografia do tórax, ecocardiograma, Holter 24h e análise telemétrica do marca-passo. Embora os chagásicos fossem mais jovens, os dois grupos foram semelhantes quanto a variáveis radiológicas e o limiar de estimulação ventricular direito. Os chagásicos apresentaram menor fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo ao ecocardiograma e maior incidência de arritmia ventricular ao Holter 24h. Observou-se correlação positiva entre a baixa fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo e a intensidade da arritmia ventricular ao Holter 24h. Em pacientes com marca-passo, a doença de Chagas está associada a marcadores cardíacos de prognóstico adverso.The aim of this study was to compare Chagas and non-Chagas' disease patients using single or dual-chamber pacemaker in relation to the ejection fraction of the left ventricle, the ventricular stimulation threshold and the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia. From January, 2001 to November, 2002, 45 Chagas' disease patients and 35 non-Chagas' disease patients, all pacemaker users, were evaluated considering clinical history, echocardiographic study, Holter monitoring and analysis of the pacemaker telemetry data. Chagas' disease patients were significantly younger, but both groups were similar when chest X-Ray variables and right ventricular stimulation threshold were analyzed. Chagas' disease patients had a lower left ventricular ejection fraction and more frequent ventricular arrhythmia during Holter monitoring. A positive correlation between the low ejection fraction of the left

  20. The Antarctic Centennial Oscillation: A Natural Paleoclimate Cycle in the Southern Hemisphere That Influences Global Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Jackson Davis

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We report a previously-unexplored natural temperature cycle recorded in ice cores from Antarctica—the Antarctic Centennial Oscillation (ACO—that has oscillated for at least the last 226 millennia. Here we document the properties of the ACO and provide an initial assessment of its role in global climate. We analyzed open-source databases of stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen as proxies for paleo-temperatures. We find that centennial-scale spectral peaks from temperature-proxy records at Vostok over the last 10,000 years occur at the same frequencies (±2.4% in three other paleoclimate records from drill sites distributed widely across the East Antarctic Plateau (EAP, and >98% of individual ACOs evaluated at Vostok match 1:1 with homologous cycles at the other three EAP drill sites and conversely. Identified ACOs summate with millennial periodicity to form the Antarctic Isotope Maxima (AIMs known to precede Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O oscillations recorded in Greenland ice cores. Homologous ACOs recorded at the four EAP drill sites during the last glacial maximum appeared first at lower elevations nearest the ocean and centuries later on the high EAP, with latencies that exceed dating uncertainty >30-fold. ACO homologs at different drill sites became synchronous, however, during the warmer Holocene. Comparative spectral analysis suggests that the millennial-scale AIM cycle declined in period from 1500 to 800 years over the last 70 millennia. Similarly, over the last 226 millennia ACO repetition period (mean 352 years declined by half while amplitude (mean 0.67 °C approximately doubled. The period and amplitude of ACOs oscillate in phase with glacial cycles and related surface insolation associated with planetary orbital forces. We conclude that the ACO: encompasses at least the EAP; is the proximate source of D-O oscillations in the Northern Hemisphere; therefore affects global temperature; propagates with increased velocity as temperature

  1. Growth, yield and quality attributes of a tropical potato variety (Solanum tuberosum L. cv Kufri chandramukhi) under ambient and elevated carbon dioxide and ozone and their interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumari, Sumita; Agrawal, Madhoolika

    2014-03-01

    The present study was designed to study the growth and yield responses of a tropical potato variety (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kufri chandramukhi) to different levels of carbon dioxide (382 and 570ppm) and ozone (50 and 70ppb) in combinations using open top chambers (OTCs). Plants were exposed to three ozone levels in combination with ambient CO2 and two ozone levels at elevated CO2. Significant increments in leaf area and total biomass were observed under elevated CO2 in combination with ambient O3 (ECO2+AO3) and elevated O3 (ECO2+EO3), compared to the plants grown under ambient concentrations (ACO2+AO3). Yield measured as fresh weight of potato also increased significantly under ECO2+AO3 and ECO2+EO3. Yield, however, reduced under ambient (ACO2+AO3) and elevated ozone (ACO2+EO3) compared to ACO2 (filtered chamber). Number, fresh and dry weights of tubers of size 35-50mm and>50mm used for direct consumption and industrial purposes, respectively increased maximally under ECO2+AO3. Ambient as well as elevated levels of O3 negatively affected the growth parameters and yield mainly due to reductions in number and weight of tubers of sizes >35mm. The quality of potato tubers was also modified under different treatments. Starch content increased and K, Zn and Fe concentrations decreased under ECO2+AO3 and ECO2+EO3 compared to ACO2+AO3. Starch content reduced under ACO2+AO3 and ACO2+EO3 treatments compared to ACO2. These results clearly suggest that elevated CO2 has provided complete protection to ambient O3 as the potato yield was higher under ECO2+AO3 compared to ACO2. However, ambient CO2 is not enough to protect the plants under ambient O3 levels. Elevated CO2 also provided protection against elevated O3 by improving the yield. Quality of tubers is modified by both CO2 and O3, which have serious implications on human health at present and in future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Avaliação da qualidade de vida e mortalidade em pacientes com eventos cardíacos graves no pós-operatório Evaluación de la calidad de vida y de la mortalidad en pacientes con eventos cardíacos mayores en el postoperatorio Quality of life and mortality assessment in patients with major cardiac events in the postoperative period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando José Abelha

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Complicações cardiovasculares no pós-operatório associam-se a elevadas mortalidade e morbidade. Poucos estudos avaliaram o grau de dependência desses doentes e a percepção da sua saúde. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a mortalidade e a qualidade de vida em doentes que desenvolveram eventos cardíacos graves (EC no pós-operatório. MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo numa Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo Cirúrgica (UTI-Cirúrgica, entre março de 2006 e março de 2008. Os doen tes foram avaliados quanto à ocorrência de EC. Seis meses após a alta, foi preenchido o questionário Short-Form-36 (SF-36 e avaliada a dependência nas atividades da vida diária (AVD. As comparações entre grupos independentes de doentes foram efetuadas com teste t de Student. A comparação entre cada variável e a ocorrência de EC foi efetuada por regressão logística envolvendo todos os doentes. RESULTADOS: Dos 1.280 doentes que apresentaram critérios de inclusão, 26 (2% desenvolveram EC. A análise univariada identificou como determinantes independentes para o desenvolvimento de EC: estado físico ASA, hipertensão arterial, doença cardíaca isquêmica, doença cardíaca congestiva e escore do Índice de Risco Cardíaco Revisado. A mortalidade seis meses após alta da UTI-Cirúrgica foi de 35%. Dos 17 sobreviventes aos seis meses, 13 completaram os questionários. Trinta e um por cento referiram que sua saúde em geral era melhor no dia em que responderam ao questionário do que 12 meses antes. Sessenta e nove por cento dos doentes estavam dependentes nas AVD instrumentais e 15%, nas AVD pessoais. CONCLUSÕES: O desenvolvimento de EC tem sério impacto no tempo de hospitalização e nas taxas de mortalidade. Seis meses após a alta da UTI-Cirúrgica, mais de metade dos doentes estavam dependentes em pelo menos uma AVD instrumental.JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: Las complicaciones cardiovasculares en el postoperatorio est

  3. Scalable unit commitment by memory-bounded ant colony optimization with A{sup *} local search

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saber, Ahmed Yousuf; Alshareef, Abdulaziz Mohammed [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80204, Jeddah 21589 (Saudi Arabia)

    2008-07-15

    Ant colony optimization (ACO) is successfully applied in optimization problems. Performance of the basic ACO for small problems with moderate dimension and searching space is satisfactory. As the searching space grows exponentially in the large-scale unit commitment problem, the basic ACO is not applicable for the vast size of pheromone matrix of ACO in practical time and physical computer-memory limit. However, memory-bounded methods prune the least-promising nodes to fit the system in computer memory. Therefore, the authors propose memory-bounded ant colony optimization (MACO) in this paper for the scalable (no restriction for system size) unit commitment problem. This MACO intelligently solves the limitation of computer memory, and does not permit the system to grow beyond a bound on memory. In the memory-bounded ACO implementation, A{sup *} heuristic is introduced to increase local searching ability and probabilistic nearest neighbor method is applied to estimate pheromone intensity for the forgotten value. Finally, the benchmark data sets and existing methods are used to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. (author)

  4. Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Analysis of an Anaerobic Codigestion Facility Processing Dairy Manure and Industrial Food Waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebner, Jacqueline H; Labatut, Rodrigo A; Rankin, Matthew J; Pronto, Jennifer L; Gooch, Curt A; Williamson, Anahita A; Trabold, Thomas A

    2015-09-15

    Anaerobic codigestion (AcoD) can address food waste disposal and manure management issues while delivering clean, renewable energy. Quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to implementation of AcoD is important to achieve this goal. A lifecycle analysis was performed on the basis of data from an on-farm AcoD in New York, resulting in a 71% reduction in GHG, or net reduction of 37.5 kg CO2e/t influent relative to conventional treatment of manure and food waste. Displacement of grid electricity provided the largest reduction, followed by avoidance of alternative food waste disposal options and reduced impacts associated with storage of digestate vs undigested manure. These reductions offset digester emissions and the net increase in emissions associated with land application in the AcoD case relative to the reference case. Sensitivity analysis showed that using feedstock diverted from high impact disposal pathways, control of digester emissions, and managing digestate storage emissions were opportunities to improve the AcoD GHG benefits. Regional and parametrized emissions factors for the storage emissions and land application phases would reduce uncertainty.

  5. 48 CFR 242.771-3 - Responsibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ....771-3 Responsibilities. (a) The cognizant administrative contracting officer (ACO) or corporate ACO... (OUSD(AT&L)DDR&E), is responsible for establishing a regular method for communication— (1) From DoD to...

  6. Physician practice participation in accountable care organizations: the emergence of the unicorn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M; McClellan, Sean R; Ramsay, Patricia P; Casalino, Lawrence P; Ryan, Andrew M; Copeland, Kennon R

    2014-10-01

    To provide the first nationally based information on physician practice involvement in ACOs. Primary data from the third National Survey of Physician Organizations (January 2012-May 2013). We conducted a 40-minute phone survey in a sample of physician practices. A nationally representative sample of practices was surveyed in order to provide estimates of organizational characteristics, care management processes, ACO participation, and related variables for four major chronic illnesses. We evaluated the associations between ACO participation, organizational characteristics, and a 25-point index of patient-centered medical home processes. We found that 23.7 percent of physician practices (n = 280) reported joining an ACO; 15.7 percent (n = 186) were planning to become involved within the next 12 months and 60.6 percent (n = 717) reported no involvement and no plans to become involved. Larger practices, those receiving patients from an IPA and/or PHO, those that were physician-owned versus hospital/health system-owned, those located in New England, and those with greater patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care management processes were more likely to have joined an ACO. Physician practices that are currently participating in ACOs appear to be relatively large, or to be members of an IPA or PHO, are less likely to be hospital-owned and are more likely to use more care management processes than nonparticipating practices. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  7. Sagittal-lung CT measurements in the evaluation of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome: a distinctive phenotype from COPD alone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Yanjuan; Cao, Yiyuan; Liao, Meiyan; Lu, Zhiyan

    2017-07-01

    This study aimed at investigating the capability of sagittal-lung computed tomography (CT) measurements in differentiating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). Clinical and high-resolution CT of 229 patients including 123 pure COPD patients and 106 ACOS patients were included. Sagittal-lung CT measurements in terms of bilateral lung height (LH), anterior-posterior lung diameter (APLD), diaphragm height (DH), and anterior sterno-diaphragmatic angle (ASDA), as well as inter-pulmonary septum length (IPSL) on axial images were measured both before and after bronchodilator (BD) administration. Comparisons of clinical characteristics and CT measurements between patient groups were performed. All pre-BD quantitative sagittal features measuring diaphragm flattening and hyperinflation were not significantly different between patients with COPD and patients with ACOS (P values all >0.05). Following BD administration, the ACOS patients exhibited lower left LH, bilateral APLD, and bilateral ASDA, but higher right DH, compared to pure COPD patients (P values all <0.05). Right LH, left DH and IPSL were not significantly different between patient groups. Besides, variations of all sagittal-lung CT measurements were significantly larger in patients with ACOS than in patients with pure COPD (P values all <0.001) and showed high performance in differentiating these two kinds of patient, with diagnostic sensitivities ranging from 76.4 to 97.2%, specificities ranging from 86.2 to 100.0%, and accuracies ranging from 80.9 to 90.7%. Sagittal-lung CT measurements allow for differentiating patients with ACOS from those with pure COPD. The ACOS patients had larger post-BD variations of sagittal-lung CT measurements than patients with pure COPD.

  8. How Accountable Care Organizations Responded to Pediatric Incentives in the Alternative Quality Contract.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, Alyna T; Schiavoni, Katherine H; Sprecher, Eli; Landon, Bruce E; McNeil, Barbara J; Chernew, Michael E; Schuster, Mark A

    2016-03-01

    From 2009 to 2010, 12 accountable care organizations (ACOs) entered into the alternative quality contract (AQC), BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts's global payment arrangement. The AQC included 6 outpatient pediatric quality measures among 64 total measures tied to pay-for-performance bonuses and incorporated pediatric populations in their global budgets. We characterized the pediatric infrastructure of these adult-oriented ACOs and obtained leaders' perspectives on their ACOs' response to pediatric incentives. We used Massachusetts Health Quality Partners and American Hospital Association Survey data to characterize ACOs' pediatric infrastructure as extremely limited, basic, and substantial on the basis of the extent of pediatric primary care, outpatient specialist, and inpatient services. After ACOs had 16 to 43 months of experience with the AQC, we interviewed 22 leaders to gain insight into how organizations made changes to improve pediatric care quality, tried to reduce pediatric spending, and addressed care for children with special health care needs. ACOs' pediatric infrastructure ranged from extremely limited (eg, no general pediatricians in their primary care workforce) to substantial (eg, 42% of workforce was general pediatricians). Most leaders reported intensifying their pediatric quality improvement efforts and witnessing changes in quality metrics; most also investigated pediatric spending patterns but struggled to change patients' utilization patterns. All reported that the AQC did little to incentivize care for children with special health care needs and that future incentive programs should include this population. Although ACOs involved in the AQC were adult-oriented, most augmented their pediatric quality improvement and spending reduction efforts when faced with pediatric incentives. Copyright © 2016 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Avaliação hemodinâmica e evolução clínica de crianças portadoras de cardiomiopatia dilatada grave candidatas a transplante cardíaco Hemodynamic evaluation and clinical outcome of children candidates for heart transplantation with severe dilated cardiomyopathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Estela Azeka

    1998-11-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Estudar o perfil dos parâmetros hemodinâmicos e a evolução clínica de crianças candidatas a transplante cardíaco, portadoras de cardiomiopatia grave. MÉTODOS: Foram 24 crianças, com idade entre 4 meses e 10 anos e 8 meses (média de 3,7±2,5 anos, no período de fevereiro/92 a maio/96, submetidas a estudo hemodinâmico e medidos os seguintes parâmetros: débito cardíaco, pressão média de artéria pulmonar (PMAP e pressão capilar pulmonar. Foram calculados o índice de resistência vascular pulmonar (IRVP e gradiente de pressão transpulmonar (GPT. RESULTADOS: Do ponto de vista evolutivo, 10 (41,6% crianças foram transplantadas (grupo A, 5 (20,8% aguardam o transplante (grupo B e 9 (37,6% faleceram (grupo C. Observou-se que a média das idades dos pacientes do grupo B foi significativamente menor que do grupo C. Dos dados hemodinâmicos, a PMAP, GTP e IRVP apresentaram médias significativamente menores no grupo A em relação ao grupo C. CONCLUSÃO: O perfil hemodinâmico de crianças candidatas ao transplante cardíaco mostrou-se compatível ao quadro clínico de insuficiência cardíaca grave. A idade foi o único fator que diferenciou o grupo B e C (p= 0,036. O IRVP, PMAP e o GTP foram fatores que diferenciaram de modo significativo o grupo A e o grupo C (p=0,010; p=0,044 e p=0,023, respectivamente. Quanto maior a idade no momento da indicação do transplante na criança, pior foi seu prognóstico.PURPOSE: To evaluate hemodynamic parameters and clinical outcome of children with severe cardiomyopathy who are candidates for heart transplantation. METHODS: Twenty four children aged from 4 months to 10 years and 8 months (mean 3.7±2.5 years from February 1992 to May 1996, were submitted to hemodynamic study and the following parameters were measured: cardiac output, mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP and capillary wedge pressure. The pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI and transpulmonary pressure gradient (TGP

  10. The Impact of Variational Primary Collaterals on Cerebral Autoregulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen-Ni Guo

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available The influence of the anterior and posterior communicating artery (ACoA and PCoA on dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA is largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to test whether substantial differences in collateral anatomy were associated with differences in dCA in two common types of stenosis according to digital subtraction angiography (DSA: either isolated basal artery and/or bilateral vertebral arteries severe stenosis/occlusion (group 1; group 1A: with bilateral PCoAs; and group 1B: without bilateral PCoAs, or isolated unilateral internal carotid artery severe stenosis/occlusion (group 2; group 2A: without ACoA and with PCoA; group 2B: with ACoA and without PCoAs; and group 2C: without both ACoA and PCoA. The dCA was calculated by transfer function analysis (a mathematical model, and was evaluated in middle cerebral artery (MCA and/or posterior cerebral artery (PCA. Of a total of 231 non-acute phase ischemic stroke patients who received both dCA assessment and DSA in our lab between 2014 and 2017, 51 patients met inclusion criteria based on the presence or absence of ACoA or PCoA, including 21 patients in the group 1, and 30 patients in the group 2. There were no significant differences in gender, age, and mean blood pressure between group 1A and group 1B, and among group 2A, group 2B, and group 2C. In group 1, the PCA phase difference values (autoregulatory parameter were significantly higher in the subgroup with patent PCoAs, compared to those without. In group 2, the MCA phase difference values were higher in the subgroup with patent ACoA, compared to those without. This pilot study found that the cross-flow of the ACoA/PCoA to the affected area compensates for compromised dCA in the affected area, which suggests an important role of the ACoA/PCoA in stabilizing cerebral blood flow.

  11. Osteoma osteoide no osso ilíaco: relato de dois casos Osteoid osteoma in the iliac bone: report on two cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elmano de Araújo Loures

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available O osteoma osteoide é um tumor benigno do osso que se apresenta geralmente com dor noturna em adultos jovens, aliviada por repouso e salicilatos. Pode acometer qualquer osso, mas sua ocorrência no ilíaco é infrequente. Os autores descrevem dois casos de osteoma osteoide intramedular, localizado junto à articulação sacroilíaca, com sintomas que simulavam dor ciática e cujo diagnóstico se deu de forma tardia, apesar de o exame radiológico inicial mostrar lesão esclerótica em ambos os casos. O diagnóstico foi ratificado por tomografia computadorizada e o tratamento proposto foi a ressecção em bloco da lesão, com excisão do nidus. O diagnóstico definitivo foi confirmado pelo exame histopatológico. No seguimento de longo prazo, ambos estão assintomáticos e observou-se completa remodelação óssea no sítio cirúrgico. Os autores enfatizam as características típicas do tumor, a localização não usual, o diagnóstico diferencial e o tratamento.Osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor that generally presents with nighttime pain among young adults and is relieved by rest and salicylates. It can affect any bone, but occurrences in the iliac are unusual. The authors describe two cases of intramedullary osteoid osteoma next to the sacroiliac joint, with symptoms that simulated sciatic pain. The cases were diagnosed late, although the initial radiographs showed sclerotic lesions in both cases. The diagnosis was confirmed by means of CT scan and the nidus was excised surgically through en bloc resection. The definitive diagnosis was given by means of histopathological examination. Over long-term follow-up, both cases remained asymptomatic and complete bone remodeling at the surgical site was observed. The authors highlight the typical characteristics of the tumor, the unusual location, the differential diagnosis and the treatment.

  12. Late gadolinium enhancement by magnetic resonance explains adverse cardiac events in individuals with ventricular arrhythmia; Realce tardío con gadolinio por resonancia magnética explica eventos cardíacos adversos en individuos con arritmia ventricular

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Courtis, J.; Vasallo, J.; Arabia, L. [Departamento de Imágenes, Cardiología Intervencionista y Electrofisiología Instituto Oulton, Córdoba (Argentina); Dimitroff, M.; Gonzalez, A. [Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Códoba (Argentina); Tibaldi, M., E-mail: javiercourtis@oulton.com.ar [Técnicas no Invasivas y Arritmias, Instituto Modelo de Cardiología, Córdoba (Argentina)

    2012-07-01

    ) predice eventos cardíacos adversos en pacientes con arritmia ventricular. Métodos: se seleccionaron 74 pacientes consecutivos con arritmia ventricular sintomática (extrasístoles ventriculares y taquicardia ventricular) y fracción de eyección del ventrículo izquierdo (FEVI) >55% enviados a RMC para evaluación de cardiopatía estructural no detectada previamente por otros métodos complementarios. Se analizó el RTG, la función sistólica y los volúmenes de ambos ventrículos. En el seguimiento se evaluó un punto final combinado: hospitalización por arritmia ventricular, descarga apropiada de cardiodesfibrilador implantable y muerte cardíaca. Resultados: durante una mediana de seguimiento de 575 días (rango intercuartil 24-1120 días) y al analizar la población según tuvieran (n=9, 12%) o no (n=65, 88%) RTG se observó que el grupo con Gd positivo presentaba una FEVI menor (58% vs. 66% respectivamente, p=0.01) y volúmenes mayores (VTD: 185 ml vs. 123 ml respectivamente, p=0.01 y VTS: 81 ml vs. 42 ml respectivamente, p=0.01) que el otro grupo. Dos (22%) pacientes del grupo RTG positivo vs. 1 (4%) de aquellos sin RTG presentaron el punto final combinado (p=0.01) y al realizar un análisis de regresión logística se halló que el RTG es predictor de los eventos cardíacos adversos analizados (p=0.029). Conclusiones: en esta serie consecutiva de pacientes con arritmia ventricular demostramos una fuerte asociación entre el RTG miocárdico y eventos cardíacos adversos; esto soporta la hipótesis que la fibrosis miocárdica es un importante sustrato arritmogénico. Además, casi la totalidad de los individuos sin RTG estuvieron libres de eventos en el seguimiento sugiriendo que es posible identificar a través de la RMC sujetos de bajo riesgo los cuales pueden ser tratados conservadoramente. (autores)

  13. Innovative care models for high-cost Medicare beneficiaries: delivery system and payment reform to accelerate adoption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Karen; Buttorff, Christine; Leff, Bruce; Samus, Quincy M; Szanton, Sarah; Wolff, Jennifer L; Bandeali, Farhan

    2015-05-01

    About a third of Medicare beneficiaries are covered by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans or accountable care organizations (ACOs). As a result of assuming financial risk for Medicare services and/or being eligible for shared savings, these organizations have an incentive to adopt models of delivering care that contribute to better care, improved health outcomes, and lower cost. This paper identifies innovative care models across the care continuum for high-cost Medicare beneficiaries that MA plans and ACOs could adopt to improve care while potentially achieving savings. It suggests policy changes that would accelerate testing and spread of promising care delivery model innovations. Targeted review of the literature to identify care delivery models focused on high-cost or high-risk Medicare beneficiaries. This paper presents select delivery models for high-risk Medicare beneficiaries across the care continuum that show promise of yielding better care at lower cost that could be considered for adoption by MA plans and ACOs. Common to these models are elements of the Wagner Chronic Care Model, including practice redesign to incorporate a team approach to care, the inclusion of nonmedical personnel, efforts to promote patient engagement, supporting provider education on innovations,and information systems allowing feedback of information to providers. The goal of these models is to slow the progression to long-term care, reduce health risks, and minimize adverse health impacts, all while achieving savings.These models attempt to maintain the ability of high-risk individuals to live in the home or a community-based setting, thereby avoiding costly institutional care. Identifying and implementing promising care delivery models will become increasingly important in launching successful population health initiatives. MA plans and ACOs stand to benefit financially from adopting care delivery models for high-risk Medicare beneficiaries that reduce hospitalization. Spreading

  14. An Effective Hybrid Routing Algorithm in WSN: Ant Colony Optimization in combination with Hop Count Minimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ailian Jiang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Low cost, high reliability and easy maintenance are key criteria in the design of routing protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSNs. This paper investigates the existing ant colony optimization (ACO-based WSN routing algorithms and the minimum hop count WSN routing algorithms by reviewing their strengths and weaknesses. We also consider the critical factors of WSNs, such as energy constraint of sensor nodes, network load balancing and dynamic network topology. Then we propose a hybrid routing algorithm that integrates ACO and a minimum hop count scheme. The proposed algorithm is able to find the optimal routing path with minimal total energy consumption and balanced energy consumption on each node. The algorithm has unique superiority in terms of searching for the optimal path, balancing the network load and the network topology maintenance. The WSN model and the proposed algorithm have been implemented using C++. Extensive simulation experimental results have shown that our algorithm outperforms several other WSN routing algorithms on such aspects that include the rate of convergence, the success rate in searching for global optimal solution, and the network lifetime.

  15. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired disease control in asthma–COPD overlap syndrome patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odler B

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Balázs Odler,1 István Ivancsó,1 Vivien Somogyi,1 Kálmán Benke,2 Lilla Tamási,1 Gabriella Gálffy,1 Balázs Szalay,3 Veronika Müller11Department of Pulmonology, 2Heart and Vascular Centre, 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, HungaryIntroduction: The association between vitamin D and clinical parameters in obstructive lung diseases (OLDs, including COPD and bronchial asthma, was previously investigated. As asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS is a new clinical entity, the prevalence of vitamin D levels in ACOS is unknown.Aim: Our aim was to assess the levels of circulating vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OHD] in different OLDs, including ACOS patients, and its correlation with clinical parameters.Methods: A total of 106 men and women (control, n=21; asthma, n=44; COPD, n=21; and ACOS, n=20 were involved in the study. All patients underwent detailed clinical examinations; disease control and severity was assessed by disease-specific questionnaires (COPD assessment test, asthma control test, and modified Medical Research Council; furthermore, 25(OHD levels were measured in all patients.Results: The 25(OHD level was significantly lower in ACOS and COPD groups compared to asthma group (16.86±1.79 ng/mL and 14.27±1.88 ng/mL vs 25.66±1.91 ng/mL. A positive correlation was found between 25(OHD level and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (r=0.4433; P<0.0001, forced vital capacity (FVC (r=0.3741; P=0.0004, forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of FVC (r=0.4179; P<0.0001, and peak expiratory flow (r=0.4846; P<0.0001 in OLD patient groups. Asthma control test total scores and the 25(OHD level showed a positive correlation in the ACOS (r=0.4761; P=0.0339 but not in the asthma group. Higher COPD assessment test total scores correlated with decreased 25(OHD in ACOS (r=-0.4446; P=0.0495; however, this was not observed in the COPD group.Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is present in ACOS patients and

  16. Childhood Lung Function Predicts Adult Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bui, Dinh S; Burgess, John A; Lowe, Adrian J; Perret, Jennifer L; Lodge, Caroline J; Bui, Minh; Morrison, Stephen; Thompson, Bruce R; Thomas, Paul S; Giles, Graham G; Garcia-Aymerich, Judith; Jarvis, Debbie; Abramson, Michael J; Walters, E Haydn; Matheson, Melanie C; Dharmage, Shyamali C

    2017-07-01

    The burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing, yet there are limited data on early life risk factors. To investigate the role of childhood lung function in adult COPD phenotypes. Prebronchodilator spirometry was performed for a cohort of 7-year-old Tasmanian children (n = 8,583) in 1968 who were resurveyed at 45 years, and a selected subsample (n = 1,389) underwent prebronchodilator and post-bronchodilator spirometry. For this analysis, COPD was spirometrically defined as a post-bronchodilator FEV 1 /FVC less than the lower limit of normal. Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) was defined as the coexistence of both COPD and current asthma. Associations between childhood lung function and asthma/COPD/ACOS were examined using multinomial regression. At 45 years, 959 participants had neither current asthma nor COPD (unaffected), 269 had current asthma alone, 59 had COPD alone, and 68 had ACOS. The reweighted prevalence of asthma alone was 13.5%, COPD alone 4.1%, and ACOS 2.9%. The lowest quartile of FEV 1 at 7 years was associated with ACOS (odds ratio, 2.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-6.52), but not COPD or asthma alone. The lowest quartile of FEV 1 /FVC ratio at 7 years was associated with ACOS (odds ratio, 16.3; 95% confidence interval, 4.7-55.9) and COPD (odds ratio, 5.76; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-17.4), but not asthma alone. Being in the lowest quartile for lung function at age 7 may have long-term consequences for the development of COPD and ACOS by middle age. Screening of lung function in school age children may identify a high-risk group that could be targeted for intervention. Further research is needed to understand possible modifiers of these associations and develop interventions for children with impaired lung function.

  17. Transplante cardíaco e infecção Cardiac transplantation and infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wilson José COUTO

    2001-06-01

    Full Text Available Objetivo: O presente estudo visa avaliar a incidência de infecções, os agentes etiológicos, e a apresentação clínica e a morbi-mortalidade operatória nos pacientes submetidos a transplante cardíaco na Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Casuística e Métodos: No período de novembro de 1996 a junho de 1998, 97 pacientes transplantados pela equipe de Cirurgia Cardiovascular da UNIFESP sobreviveram por período superior a uma semana após o transplante e foram analisados, retrospectivamente, quanto aos processos infecciosos diagnosticados. A idade dos pacientes variou de 3 a 63 anos (média de 44,4 ± 13,0 anos, sendo que a maioria apresentava miocardiopatia dilatada (46, seguida de chagásica (24 e isquêmica (23. O tempo de seguimento variou de 0,33 a 119 meses (36 ± 30,7 meses. Resultados: Dos 97 pacientes estudados, 16 (16,4% morreram, sendo infecção a principal causa, seguido pela rejeição em 10 (10,30%. As causas de óbito por infecção foram: sepse bacteriana em 6 pacientes, pneumonia em outros 6, infecção intra-abdominal em 2, toxoplasmose disseminada em 1 e infecção pelo citomegalovírus em 1. Ocorreram 142 episódios infecciosos diagnosticados distribuídos da seguinte forma: bacterianos 76 (52,5%; virais 34 (28,8%; fúngicos 20 (17,5% e protozoários 12 (12,4%. Houve 8 episódios de reativação da doença de Chagas (média 4,9 meses após o transplante diagnosticados principalmente através do aparecimento de nódulos subcutâneos. Todos os casos de reativação foram tratados com alopurinol e evoluíram bem. Conclusão: Os dados apresentados mostraram o predomínio de infecções bacterianas que causaram maior mortalidade. Nos transplantados por doença de Chagas a reativação da doença pode ser controlada adequadamente com uso de alopurinol. Os dados são importantes para orientação em nossa comunidade dos programas de transplantes, uma vez que traz à tona particularidades do nosso meio.Objective: To evaluate

  18. A Stochastic Inversion Method for Potential Field Data: Ant Colony Optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shuang; Hu, Xiangyun; Liu, Tianyou

    2014-07-01

    Simulating natural ants' foraging behavior, the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm performs excellently in combinational optimization problems, for example the traveling salesman problem and the quadratic assignment problem. However, the ACO is seldom used to inverted for gravitational and magnetic data. On the basis of the continuous and multi-dimensional objective function for potential field data optimization inversion, we present the node partition strategy ACO (NP-ACO) algorithm for inversion of model variables of fixed shape and recovery of physical property distributions of complicated shape models. We divide the continuous variables into discrete nodes and ants directionally tour the nodes by use of transition probabilities. We update the pheromone trails by use of Gaussian mapping between the objective function value and the quantity of pheromone. It can analyze the search results in real time and promote the rate of convergence and precision of inversion. Traditional mapping, including the ant-cycle system, weaken the differences between ant individuals and lead to premature convergence. We tested our method by use of synthetic data and real data from scenarios involving gravity and magnetic anomalies. The inverted model variables and recovered physical property distributions were in good agreement with the true values. The ACO algorithm for binary representation imaging and full imaging can recover sharper physical property distributions than traditional linear inversion methods. The ACO has good optimization capability and some excellent characteristics, for example robustness, parallel implementation, and portability, compared with other stochastic metaheuristics.

  19. Physician Practice Participation in Accountable Care Organizations: The Emergence of the Unicorn

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortell, Stephen M; McClellan, Sean R; Ramsay, Patricia P; Casalino, Lawrence P; Ryan, Andrew M; Copeland, Kennon R

    2014-01-01

    Objective To provide the first nationally based information on physician practice involvement in ACOs. Data Sources/Study Setting Primary data from the third National Survey of Physician Organizations (January 2012–May 2013). Study Design We conducted a 40-minute phone survey in a sample of physician practices. A nationally representative sample of practices was surveyed in order to provide estimates of organizational characteristics, care management processes, ACO participation, and related variables for four major chronic illnesses. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We evaluated the associations between ACO participation, organizational characteristics, and a 25-point index of patient-centered medical home processes. Principal Findings We found that 23.7 percent of physician practices (n = 280) reported joining an ACO; 15.7 percent (n = 186) were planning to become involved within the next 12 months and 60.6 percent (n = 717) reported no involvement and no plans to become involved. Larger practices, those receiving patients from an IPA and/or PHO, those that were physician-owned versus hospital/health system-owned, those located in New England, and those with greater patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care management processes were more likely to have joined an ACO. Conclusions Physician practices that are currently participating in ACOs appear to be relatively large, or to be members of an IPA or PHO, are less likely to be hospital-owned and are more likely to use more care management processes than nonparticipating practices. PMID:24628449

  20. Afferent and efferent projections of the anterior cortical amygdaloid nucleus in the mouse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cádiz-Moretti, Bernardita; Abellán-Álvaro, María; Pardo-Bellver, Cecília; Martínez-García, Fernando; Lanuza, Enrique

    2017-09-01

    The anterior cortical amygdaloid nucleus (ACo) is a chemosensory area of the cortical amygdala that receives afferent projections from both the main and accessory olfactory bulbs. The role of this structure is unknown, partially due to a lack of knowledge of its connectivity. In this work, we describe the pattern of afferent and efferent projections of the ACo by using fluorogold and biotinylated dextranamines as retrograde and anterograde tracers, respectively. The results show that the ACo is reciprocally connected with the olfactory system and basal forebrain, as well as with the chemosensory and basomedial amygdala. In addition, it receives dense projections from the midline and posterior intralaminar thalamus, and moderate projections from the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, mesocortical structures and the hippocampal formation. Remarkably, the ACo projects moderately to the central nuclei of the amygdala and anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and densely to the lateral hypothalamus. Finally, minor connections are present with some midbrain and brainstem structures. The afferent projections of the ACo indicate that this nucleus might play a role in emotional learning involving chemosensory stimuli, such as olfactory fear conditioning. The efferent projections confirm this view and, given its direct output to the medial part of the central amygdala and the hypothalamic 'aggression area', suggest that the ACo can initiate defensive and aggressive responses elicited by olfactory or, to a lesser extent, vomeronasal stimuli. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations PUF

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — SSP ACO PUF - To address the increasing number of requests for SSP ACO data, the Centers for Medicare (CM) has created a standard analytical file that CMS can use to...

  2. Clinical characteristics of the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome--a systematic review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Mia; Bårnes, Camilla Boslev; Ulrik, Charlotte Suppli

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In recent years, the so-called asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) has received much attention, not least because elderly individuals may present characteristics suggesting a diagnosis of both asthma and COPD. At present, ACOS...... is described clinically as persistent airflow limitation combined with features of both asthma and COPD. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to review the currently available literature focusing on symptoms and clinical characteristics of patients regarded as having ACOS. METHODS: Based on the preferred......% predicted and FEV1/FVC ratio in spite of lower mean life-time tobacco exposure. Furthermore, studies have revealed that ACOS patients seem to have not only more frequent but also more severe exacerbations. Comorbidity, not least diabetes, has also been reported in a few studies, with a higher prevalence...

  3. Sadhana | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    RSM) which was coupled with ant colony optimization (ACO) to optimize the media compositions so as to enhance the productivity of lipopeptide. The optimized media by ACO was found to yield 1.501 g/L of lipopeptide concentration which was ...

  4. Caracterización de los síntomas de angina en hombres adultos con cateterismo cardíaco positivo para enfermedad coronaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clemencia Bernal

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Introducción: en Colombia la enfermedad coronaria ocasionó 29.394 muertes en 2011 ocupando el primer lugar como causa de mortalidad, según el Departamento Nacional de Estadística. Es importante disminuir el tiempo entre el inicio de los síntomas y el tratamiento, etapa en que la sintomatología, la interpretación y la manifestación del paciente son esenciales, así como su reconocimiento por parte del personal de salud para la definición oportuna del tratamiento. Objetivo: describir los síntomas de angina de un grupo de hombres con edades entre 40 y 80 años, con cateterismo cardíaco positivo para enfermedad coronaria en el marco de la teoría de Elizabeth Lenz según factores determinantes, dimensiones y consecuencias del síntoma. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo con abordaje cualitativo. Se realizó entrevista semiestructurada a 27 hombres en relación con las características de los síntomas experimentados y se analizó la información mediante la técnica de análisis de contenido. Resultados: categorías emergentes relevantes dentro de factores determinantes: "Pienso que hice un sobreesfuerzo", "No controlo la comida", "Es la herencia", "Tanto estrés". Dimensiones: las palabras más utilizadas fueron: "dolor", a veces acompañado de "presión" en el pecho y "dolor de oreja a oreja". Irradiación a brazo izquierdo y ocasionalmente a espalda. Síntomas acompañantes: gastrointestinales, fatiga y hormigueo. Consecuencias: "Me toca cambiar", "Nada va a cambiar", "Me va a afectar". Conclusiones: se obtuvo un perfil característico que refleja la forma de vivir la enfermedad coronaria que facilita la comprensión del fenómeno y que orienta los cuidados pertinentes.

  5. 76 FR 36392 - Airworthiness Directives; Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GV and GV-SP Airplanes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-22

    ... Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; phone: 404-474-5566..., Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; telephone... Aerospace Corporation Model GV and GV-SP Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT...

  6. Aircraft technology portfolio optimization using ant colony optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villeneuve, Frederic J.; Mavris, Dimitri N.

    2012-11-01

    Technology portfolio selection is a combinatorial optimization problem often faced with a large number of combinations and technology incompatibilities. The main research question addressed in this article is to determine if Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is better suited than Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and Simulated Annealing (SA) for technology portfolio optimization when incompatibility constraints between technologies are present. Convergence rate, capability to find optima, and efficiency in handling of incompatibilities are the three criteria of comparison. The application problem consists of finding the best technology portfolio from 29 aircraft technologies. The results show that ACO and GAs converge faster and find optima more easily than SA, and that ACO can optimize portfolios with technology incompatibilities without using penalty functions. This latter finding paves the way for more use of ACO when the number of constraints increases, such as in the technology and concept selection for complex engineering systems.

  7. Low-peak-to-average power ratio and low-complexity asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing uplink transmission scheme for long-reach passive optical network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ji; Qiao, Yaojun

    2015-09-01

    In this Letter, we propose a discrete Hartley transform (DHT)-spread asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (DHT-S-ACO-OFDM) uplink transmission scheme in which the multiplexing/demultiplexing process also uses the DHT algorithm. By designing a simple encoding structure, the computational complexity of the transmitter can be reduced from O(Nlog(2)(N)) to O(N). At the probability of 10(-3), the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of 2-ary pulse amplitude modulation (2-PAM)-modulated DHT-S-ACO-OFDM is approximately 9.7 dB lower than that of 2-PAM-modulated conventional ACO-OFDM. To verify the feasibility of the proposed scheme, a 4-Gbit/s DHT-S-ACO-OFDM uplink transmission scheme with a 1∶64 way split has been experimentally implemented using 100-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) for a long-reach passive optical network (LR-PON).

  8. Sustainable competitive advantage for accountable care organizations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macfarlane, Michael Alex

    2014-01-01

    In the current period of health industry reform, accountable care organizations (ACOs) have emerged as a new model for the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective healthcare. However, few ACOs operate in direct competition with one another, and the accountable care business model has yet to present a means of continually developing new marginal value for patients and network partners. With value-based purchasing and patient consumerism strengthening as market forces, ACOs must build organizational sustainability and competitive advantage to meet the value demands set by customers and competitors. This essay proposes a strategy, adapted from the disciplines of agile software development and Lean product development, through which ACOs can engage internal and external customers in the development of new products that will provide sustainability and competitive advantage to the organization by decreasing waste in development, promoting specialized knowledge, and closely targeting customer value.

  9. Diagnósticos de Enfermagem em pacientes pós-cateterismo cardíaco: contribuição de Orem Diagnósticos de Enfermería en pacientes post-cateterismo cardiaco: contribuición de Orem Nursing Diagnoses in patients after heart catheterization: contribution of Orem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luciano Ramos de Lima

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Estudo de múltiplos casos, transversal, envolvendo 30 clientes, no período pós-cateterismo cardíaco. Objetivou estabelecer Diagnósticos de Enfermagem da North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA. O método de coleta de dados foi o Processo de Enfermagem fundamentado na Teoria Déficit do Autocuidado. Foram estabelecidos 25 diferentes Diagnósticos de Enfermagem. Todos os pacientes apresentaram Integridade tissular prejudicada; Risco para infecção; Dor aguda (região inguinal; Mobilidade física prejudicada, Déficit do autocuidado para higiene íntima e Risco para lesão orgânica renal. Conclui-se que a Teoria do Déficit de autocuidado facilitou a classificação de Diagnósticos de Enfermagem da NANDA, contribuindo para individualização, humanização e qualificação da assistência de enfermagem, além de promover o auto-conhecimento, auto-controle e a participação dos clientes no próprio cuidado.Estudio transversal de múltiplos casos, incluyendo 30 pacientes, en período post-cateterismo cardíaco. Con el objectivo de establecer Diagnósticos de Enfermería de North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA-Asociación Norteamericana de Diagnósticos de Enfermería.El método de recolecta de datos fue el Proceso de Enfermería, fundamentado en la Teoría de Déficit del Autocuidado de Dorothea Orem. Fueron establecidos 25 diferentes Diagnósticos de Enfermería. Todos los pacientes presentaron perfusión tisular perjudicada; Riesgo para infección; Dolor aguda em la región ingle, Movilidad física prejudicada. Déficit de autocuidado para higiene íntima y riesgo para lesión orgánica renal fue identificado en 100% de los pacientes. Se concluye que, la Teoría de Déficit de Autocuidado de Dorothea Orem, facilitó la clasificación de Diagnósticos de Enfermería de NANDA. Contribuyó para individualización, humanización y calificación de la asistencia de enfermería, incentivando la participación del

  10. Colorimetric anion sensors based on positional effect of nitro group for recognition of biologically relevant anions in organic and aqueous medium, insight real-life application and DFT studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Archana; Sahoo, Suban K.; Trivedi, Darshak R.

    2018-01-01

    A new six colorimetric receptors A1-A6 were designed and synthesized, characterized by typical common spectroscopic techniques like FT-IR, UV-Visible, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and ESI-MS. The receptor A1 and A2 exhibit a significant naked-eye response towards F- and AcO- ions in DMSO. Due to presences of the NO2 group at para and ortho position with extended π-conjugation of naphthyl group carrying sbnd OH as a binding site. Compared to receptor A2, A1 is extremely capable of detecting F- and AcO- ions present in the form of sodium salts in an aqueous medium. This is owed to the occurrence of sbnd NO2 group at para position induced in increasing the acidity of sbnd OH proton. Consequently, it easily gets deprotonated in aqueous media. The detection limit of receptor A1 was turned out to be 0.40 and 0.35 ppm for F- and AcO- ions which is beneath WHO permission level (1.0 ppm). Receptor A1 shows a solitary property of solvatochromism in different aprotic solvents in presence of AcO- ion. Receptor A1 depicts high selectivity towards AcO- ion in DMSO: HEPES buffer (9:1, v/v). Receptor A1 proved itself for real life application by detecting anion in solution and solid state. The binding mechanism of receptor A1 with AcO- and F- ions was monitored from 1HNMR titration and DFT study.

  11. Effect of liquid phase sintering on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of infiltrated austenitic stainless steel; Efeito da sinterizacao com fase liquida sobre as propriedades mecanicas e resistencia a corrosao do aco inoxidavel austenitico infiltrado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Machado, Cristine F. [Rio Grande do Sul Univ., Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Programa de Pos-graduacao em Engenharia Metalurgica e dos Materiais; Matos Dias, Arao de; Schaeffer, Lirio [Rio Grande do Sul Univ., Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil). Centro de Tecnologia. Lab. de Metalurgia do Po

    1996-12-31

    First, this work presents some considerations on the properties and corrosion resistance of the stainless steels and its relation with porosity. The infiltration technique of copper into compacted steels is presented as an efficacy alternative to improve both mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. In experimental development, it was carried out mechanical tests with stainless steel AISI 316 L to ratify the copper infiltration effects on the yield stress of the material, and corrosion tests in salt spray. The results confirm a considerable improvement in properties on the whole to infiltrated stainless steel. (author) 18 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

  12. Effect of welding process on microstructure, microhardness and composition chemistry of stainless steel coatings applied by welding; Efeito do processo de soldagem na microestrutura, microdureza e composicao quimica de revestimentos de aco inoxidavel aplicados por soldagem

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Melo, R.H.F. de; Maciel, T.M., E-mail: raphael.engmec@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil). Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Mecanica; Costa, J.; Santa, R.A.C. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), Cuite, PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Quimica

    2012-07-01

    This study evaluates the influence of welding parameters on the chemical composition of weld overlays of the AWS E 308-L T1 applied by the FCAW and SAW process, as well as their influence on the microstructure and microhardness of the weld overlays. The characterization of chemical composition was performed by EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis), the microstructure was investigated by optical microscopy and Vickers microhardness. The contents of Cr, Ni, Mn, Mo, Nb and Si varied as a function of welding parameters, the microstructure and microhardness varied as a function of heat input and chemical composition. The resulting microstructure showed an austenitic matrix with lacy ferrite and ferrite FA, with an average hardness of 191.6 HV for the FCAW process and 210 HV for the SAW process. (author)

  13. Um modelo experimental de ablação do Sistema Nervoso Intrínseco Cardíaco reduz a contratilidade do coração de ratos A new experimental model of chemical ablation of the Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System reduces heart contractility and causes a type of dilated cardiopathy in rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adilson Scorzoni Filho

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: A função do Sistema Nervoso Intrínseco Cardíaco e o seu papel na doença cardíaca permanecem pobremente compreendidos. Sabe-se que o cloreto de benzalcônio (CB induz a desnervação intrínseca do tubo digestivo. O objetivo deste estudo foi tentar produzir um modelo experimental de desnervação intrínseca do coração utilizando o CB. MÉTODO: Trinta ratos Wistar foram submetidos à aplicação intrapericárdica de CB (0,3% e trinta animais controle receberam a solução salina. Após 15 dias, os animais foram divididos em três grupos, com 10 animais tratados e 10 controles em cada. Os animais do grupo I foram submetidos a estudo radiológico e histopatológico. A área cardíaca e o índice cardiotorácico (ICT foram medidos nas radiografias. Os animais do grupo II foram submetidos a estudo hemodinâmico com registro da pressão arterial, freqüência cardíaca e débito cardíaco. No grupo III, a integridade da inervação parassimpática extrínseca do coração foi avaliada por estimulação vagal direita. O sistema de condução foi avaliado pelo ECG basal. RESULTADOS: A aplicação de CB acarretou aumento do ICT, da área cardíaca, pressão arterial e débito cardíaco, bem como do peso ponderal e do fígado. Nestes animais, a análise histopatológica mostrou redução do número de neurônios atriais e congestão passiva crônica do fígado. A estimulação vagal não mostrou diferenças entre os grupos experimentais. CONCLUSÃO: A ablação do sistema nervoso intrínseco propiciou o aparecimento de cardiopatia dilatada com insuficiência cardíaca direita e esquerda. Esse modelo experimental inédito deverá nortear futuros estudos na tentativa da elucidação da relação entre lesão neuronal e miocardiopatia.OBJECTIVE: The function of Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System is largely unknown, as is its role in heart disease. In the digestive system, a topic aplication of Benzalkonium chloride (BC leads to intrinsic

  14. Ant Colony Optimization and the Minimum Cut Problem

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kötzing, Timo; Lehre, Per Kristian; Neumann, Frank

    2010-01-01

    Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is a powerful metaheuristic for solving combinatorial optimization problems. With this paper we contribute to the theoretical understanding of this kind of algorithm by investigating the classical minimum cut problem. An ACO algorithm similar to the one that was prov...

  15. 75 FR 7945 - Airworthiness Directives; Augustair, Inc. Models 2150, 2150A, and 2180 Airplanes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-23

    ... Certification Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; fax: (404) 474-5606; e-mail: hal..., FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337... Airworthiness Directives; Augustair, Inc. Models 2150, 2150A, and 2180 Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation...

  16. 77 FR 74579 - Airworthiness Directives; Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Airplanes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-17

    ... Certification Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; phone: 404-474-5566; fax: 404-474... Management Branch, ACE-102A, FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College... directive (AD) for certain Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GIV-X airplanes. This AD requires...

  17. Consistent Evaluation of ACOS-GOSAT, BESD-SCIAMACHY, CarbonTracker, and MACC Through Comparisons to TCCON

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulawik, Susan; Wunch, Debra; O’Dell, Christopher; Frankenberg, Christian; Reuter, Maximilian; Chevallier, Frederic; Oda, Tomohiro; Sherlock, Vanessa; Buchwitz, Michael; Osterman, Greg; hide

    2016-01-01

    Consistent validation of satellite CO2 estimates is a prerequisite for using multiple satellite CO2 measurements for joint flux inversion, and for establishing an accurate long-term atmospheric CO2 data record. Harmonizing satellite CO2 measurements is particularly important since the differences in instruments, observing geometries, sampling strategies, etc. imbue different measurement characteristics in the various satellite CO2 data products. We focus on validating model and satellite observation attributes that impact flux estimates and CO2 assimilation, including accurate error estimates, correlated and random errors, overall biases, biases by season and latitude, the impact of coincidence criteria, validation of seasonal cycle phase and amplitude, yearly growth, and daily variability. We evaluate dry-air mole fraction (X(sub CO2)) for Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) (Atmospheric CO2 Observations from Space, ACOS b3.5) and SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) (Bremen Optimal Estimation DOAS, BESD v2.00.08) as well as the CarbonTracker (CT2013b) simulated CO2 mole fraction fields and the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) CO2 inversion system (v13.1) and compare these to Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) observations (GGG2012/2014). We find standard deviations of 0.9, 0.9, 1.7, and 2.1 parts per million vs. TCCON for CT2013b, MACC, GOSAT, and SCIAMACHY, respectively, with the single observation errors 1.9 and 0.9 times the predicted errors for GOSAT and SCIAMACHY, respectively. We quantify how satellite error drops with data averaging by interpreting according to (error(sup 2) equals a(sup 2) plus b(sup 2) divided by n (with n being the number of observations averaged, a the systematic (correlated) errors, and b the random (uncorrelated) errors). a and b are estimated by satellites, coincidence criteria, and hemisphere. Biases at individual stations have year

  18. Best practices: an electronic drug alert program to improve safety in an accountable care environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griesbach, Sara; Lustig, Adam; Malsin, Luanne; Carley, Blake; Westrich, Kimberly D; Dubois, Robert W

    2015-04-01

    The accountable care organization (ACO), one of the most promising and talked about new models of care, focuses on improving communication and care transitions by tying potential shared savings to specific clinical and financial benchmarks. An important factor in meeting these benchmarks is an ACO's ability to manage medications in an environment where medical and pharmacy care has been integrated. The program described in this article highlights the critical components of Marshfield Clinic's Drug Safety Alert Program (DSAP), which focuses on prioritizing and communicating safety issues related to medications with the goal of reducing potential adverse drug events. Once the medication safety concern is identified, it is reviewed to evaluate whether an alert warrants sending prescribers a communication that identifies individual patients or a general communication to all physicians describing the safety concern. Instead of basing its decisions regarding clinician notification about drug alerts on subjective criteria, the Marshfield Clinic's DSAP uses an internally developed scoring system. The scoring system includes criteria developed from previous drug alerts, such as level of evidence, size of population affected, severity of adverse event identified or targeted, litigation risk, available alternatives, and potential for duration of medication use. Each of the 6 criteria is assigned a weight and is scored based upon the content and severity of the alert received.  In its first 12 months, the program targeted 6 medication safety concerns involving the following medications: topiramate, glyburide, simvastatin, citalopram, pioglitazone, and lovastatin. Baseline and follow-up prescribing data were gathered on the targeted medications. Follow-up review of prescribing data demonstrated that the DSAP provided quality up-to-date safety information that led to changes in drug therapy and to decreases in potential adverse drug events. In aggregate, nearly 10,000 total

  19. Accountable Care Organizations and Antitrust Enforcement: Promoting Competition and Innovation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feinstein, Deborah L; Kuhlmann, Patrick; Mucchetti, Peter J

    2015-08-01

    The antitrust laws stand to protect consumers of health care services from conduct that would raise prices, lower quality, and decrease innovation by lessening competition. Importantly, though, vigorous antitrust enforcement does not impede accountable care organizations (ACOs) and similar collaborations that advance these same goals of better and more efficient care; in fact, by fostering competitive markets, the antitrust laws encourage such initiatives. This article summarizes the legal framework that the federal antitrust agencies - the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice - use to analyze ACOs and other collaborations among health care providers. It outlines the guidance provided by the federal antitrust agencies concerning when ACOs and other provider collaborations likely would harm competition and consumers. In addition, it reviews common antitrust issues that can arise with ACOs and provides examples of enforcement actions that have prevented health care providers from taking or continuing anticompetitive actions. Copyright © 2015 by Duke University Press.

  20. An Efficient Technique for Hardware/Software Partitioning Process in Codesign

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imene Mhadhbi

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Codesign methodology deals with the problem of designing complex embedded systems, where automatic hardware/software partitioning is one key issue. The research efforts in this issue are focused on exploring new automatic partitioning methods which consider only binary or extended partitioning problems. The main contribution of this paper is to propose a hybrid FCMPSO partitioning technique, based on Fuzzy C-Means (FCM and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO algorithms suitable for mapping embedded applications for both binary and multicores target architecture. Our FCMPSO optimization technique has been compared using different graphical models with a large number of instances. Performance analysis reveals that FCMPSO outperforms PSO algorithm as well as the Genetic Algorithm (GA, Simulated Annealing (SA, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO, and FCM standard metaheuristic based techniques and also hybrid solutions including PSO then GA, GA then SA, GA then ACO, ACO then SA, FCM then GA, FCM then SA, and finally ACO followed by FCM.

  1. Applying Data Clustering Feature to Speed Up Ant Colony Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chao-Yang Pang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Ant colony optimization (ACO is often used to solve optimization problems, such as traveling salesman problem (TSP. When it is applied to TSP, its runtime is proportional to the squared size of problem N so as to look less efficient. The following statistical feature is observed during the authors’ long-term gene data analysis using ACO: when the data size N becomes big, local clustering appears frequently. That is, some data cluster tightly in a small area and form a class, and the correlation between different classes is weak. And this feature makes the idea of divide and rule feasible for the estimate of solution of TSP. In this paper an improved ACO algorithm is presented, which firstly divided all data into local clusters and calculated small TSP routes and then assembled a big TSP route with them. Simulation shows that the presented method improves the running speed of ACO by 200 factors under the condition that data set holds feature of local clustering.

  2. New Methods for the Detection and Interception of Frequency-Hopped Waveforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-11-01

    that £[p2 Q2 /O] = uF + 2 + o(cos 0 + 6 sin9)2 + 4n(acos0+/3sin)(7ycos0+6sinO)+o r(acos0+sinO)2 I + ( acosO +/3sinO) 2(Tcos9+ 6sin O)2 (3.134) i which...Jcins I lopk ins lI mvtrsi! t3 A pplied Physics Laborator Before1 NII After Figure 4.4: Deconvolut ion Applivod to Oi-fFci i r 100 The Johns 11opkins...Arlington, VA 20360 Library 2 Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 92940 Library 2 Naval Research Laborator . Washington, DC 20375 Library 2 J. W

  3. 75 FR 70165 - Medicare Program; Request for Information Regarding Accountable Care Organizations and the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-17

    ... incentives for health care providers to enhance health care quality and lower costs. One important delivery... generated. What payment models, financing mechanisms or other systems might we consider, either for the... to an ACO is important to ensure that expenditures, as well as any savings achieved by the ACO, are...

  4. 75 FR 34956 - Airworthiness Directives; Robert E. Rust, Jr. Model DeHavilland DH.C1 Chipmunk 21, DH.C1 Chipmunk...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-21

    ... Certification Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; telephone: (404) 474-5543; fax..., FAA, Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO), 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337.... Model DeHavilland DH.C1 Chipmunk 21, DH.C1 Chipmunk 22, and DH.C1 Chipmunk 22A Airplanes AGENCY: Federal...

  5. Advance Payment ACO Model

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — The Advance Payment Model is designed for physician-based and rural providers who have come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to the...

  6. Impact of anatomical variations of the circle of Willis on the incidence of aneurysms and their recurrence rate following endovascular treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Songsaeng, D.; Geibprasert, S.; Willinsky, R.; Tymianski, M.; TerBrugge, K.G.; Krings, T.

    2010-01-01

    Aim: To analyse the impact of anatomical variations of the parent arteries on the incidence and recurrence rate following coil embolization of aneurysms of the anterior (AcoA), posterior communicating artery (PcoA) and basilar artery (BA) tip. Methods: Two hundred and two (96 AcoA, 67 PcoA, and 29 BA) aneurysms in 200 patients were treated with coil embolization between January 2000 and April 2008. Parent artery variations at each location were classified as: AcoA: A1 aplasia versus hypoplasia versus symmetrical size; PcoA: foetal origin versus medium versus small size, BA: cranial versus caudal versus asymmetrical fusion. The incidence of aneurysms and difference between recurrence rates for each group were recorded on follow-up. Results: AcoA, PcoA, and BA aneurysms were more often associated with embryonically earlier vessel wall dispositions (A1 aplasia, foetal PcoA, asymmetrical fusion). Two of these variations were also associated with aneurysm recurrence following coil embolization: asymmetrical A1 segment (p = 0.01), and asymmetrical BA tip (p = 0.02). Conclusions: AcoA, PcoA, and BA tip aneurysms tend to occur more often in anatomically variant parent artery dispositions, some of which are related to aneurysm recurrence following coil embolization. This may relate to a more fragile vessel disposition as it is not fully matured or to altered haemodynamics secondary to the anatomical variations.

  7. Impact of anatomical variations of the circle of Willis on the incidence of aneurysms and their recurrence rate following endovascular treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Songsaeng, D. [Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Department of Radiology, Siriraj Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Geibprasert, S.; Willinsky, R. [Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Tymianski, M. [Department of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); TerBrugge, K.G. [Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada); Krings, T., E-mail: timo.krings@uhn.on.c [Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto (Canada)

    2010-11-15

    Aim: To analyse the impact of anatomical variations of the parent arteries on the incidence and recurrence rate following coil embolization of aneurysms of the anterior (AcoA), posterior communicating artery (PcoA) and basilar artery (BA) tip. Methods: Two hundred and two (96 AcoA, 67 PcoA, and 29 BA) aneurysms in 200 patients were treated with coil embolization between January 2000 and April 2008. Parent artery variations at each location were classified as: AcoA: A1 aplasia versus hypoplasia versus symmetrical size; PcoA: foetal origin versus medium versus small size, BA: cranial versus caudal versus asymmetrical fusion. The incidence of aneurysms and difference between recurrence rates for each group were recorded on follow-up. Results: AcoA, PcoA, and BA aneurysms were more often associated with embryonically earlier vessel wall dispositions (A1 aplasia, foetal PcoA, asymmetrical fusion). Two of these variations were also associated with aneurysm recurrence following coil embolization: asymmetrical A1 segment (p = 0.01), and asymmetrical BA tip (p = 0.02). Conclusions: AcoA, PcoA, and BA tip aneurysms tend to occur more often in anatomically variant parent artery dispositions, some of which are related to aneurysm recurrence following coil embolization. This may relate to a more fragile vessel disposition as it is not fully matured or to altered haemodynamics secondary to the anatomical variations.

  8. Prevalence and characteristics of asthma–COPD overlap syndrome identified by a stepwise approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inoue H

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Hiromasa Inoue,1 Takahide Nagase,2 Satoshi Morita,3 Atsushi Yoshida,4 Tatsunori Jinnai,4 Masakazu Ichinose5 1Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 3Department of Biomedical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, 4Medical Department, AstraZeneca K.K., Osaka, 5Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan Background and objective: There is increasing recognition of asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS, which shares some features of both asthma and COPD; however, the prevalence and characteristics of ACOS are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of ACOS among patients with COPD and its characteristics using a stepwise approach as stated in the recent report of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA and the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD. Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study enrolled outpatients who were receiving medical treatment for COPD. Clinical data, including spirometry results, were retrieved from medical records. For symptom assessment, patients were asked to complete the Clinical COPD questionnaire and the modified British Medical Research Council questionnaire. Results: Of the 1,008 patients analyzed, 167 (16.6% had syndromic features of ACOS. Of the total number of patients, 93 and 42 (9.2% and 4.2% also had a predefined clinical variability of ≥12%/≥200 mL and ≥12%/≥400 mL in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1, respectively, and therefore were identified as having ACOS. Conversely, the number of patients who had either syndromic or spirometric feature of ACOS was 595 (59.0%, ≥12%/≥200 mL FEV1 clinical variability, and 328 patients (32.5%, ≥12%/≥400 m

  9. 33 CFR 164.72 - Navigational-safety equipment, charts or maps, and publications required on towing vessels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., published by the National Ocean Service (NOS), the ACOE, or a river authority that satisfy the following... the NOS, or river-current tables published by the ACOE or a river authority: (D) Tide tables published... (3) Tidal-current Tables (3) Tidal-current Tables. (4) Tide Tables (4) Tide Tables. (5) U.S. Coast...

  10. Fuel performance computer code simulation of steady-state and transient regimes of the stainless steel fuel rods; Simulacao com programas computacionais de desempenho do combustivel em regimes permanente e transiente de varetas combustiveis de aco inoxidavel austenitico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gomes, Daniel de Souza

    2014-07-01

    The immediate cause of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March 2011 was the meltdown of the reactor core. During this process, the zirconium cladding of the fuel reacts with water, producing a large amount of hydrogen. This hydrogen, combined with volatile radioactive materials leaked from the containment vessel and entered the building of the reactor, resulting in explosions. In the past, stainless steel was used as the coating in many pressurized water reactors (PWR) under irradiation and their performance was excellent, however, the stainless steel was replaced by a zirconium-based alloy as a coating material mainly due to its lower section shock-absorbing neutrons. Today, the stainless steel finish appears again as a possible solution for security issues related to the explosion and hydrogen production. The objective of this thesis is to discuss the performance under irradiation of fuel rods using stainless steel as a coating material. The results showed that stainless steel rods exhibit lower temperatures and higher fuel pellet width of the gap - coating the coated rods Zircaloy and this gap does not close during the irradiation. The thermal performance of the two fuel rods is very similar, and the penalty of increased absorption of neutrons due to the use of stainless steel can be offset by the combination of a small increase in the enrichment of U- 235 and changes in the size of the spacing between the fuel rods. (author)

  11. Ecocardiografia por Doppler tecidual no diagnóstico de rejeição após transplante cardíaco Ecocardiografía con Doppler tisular en el diagnóstico de rechazo después de transplante cardíaco Tissue doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of heart transplantation rejection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Valério Coimbra Resende

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A biópsia endomiocárdica (BEM é o método padrão-ouro para o diagnóstico de rejeição celular (RC após transplante cardíaco (TC. OBJETIVO: Testar a hipótese de que o exame de imagem por Doppler tecidual (IDT pode detectar RC > 3A e agregar informação diagnóstica, comparado ao Doppler convencional. MÉTODOS: Cinquenta e quatro pacientes com TC foram submetidos à BEM e estudo ecocardiográfico através de IDT em até 24 horas. Comparamos os pacientes com TC e RC > 3A com pacientes com TC e RC 3A em 39/129 (30,2% das BEM. O melhor preditor isolado para o diagnóstico de RC foi a a'LAT, com sensibilidade de 76,3%, especificidade de 73,8% (p = 0,001. Na análise multivariada, a a'LAT (p = 0,001, a'SEP (p = 0,002, relação e'/a' LAT (p = 0,006, relação e'Mitral/ e'LAT (p = 0,014, SINF (p = 0,009 foram preditores de RC > 3A. Obtivemos um escore com sensibilidade de 88,2%, acurácia de 79,6%, e valor preditivo negativo de 92,9% para diagnosticar RC > 3A. O Doppler convencional (fluxo mitral e pulmonar venoso não foi relevante para predizer a RC > 3A. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo de IDT agregou informação diagnóstica para predizer RC > 3A quando comparado ao Doppler convencional. O modelo baseado em IDT pode ser tornar um método em potencial para detectar RC > 3A após TC.FUNDAMENTO: La biopsia endomiocárdica (BEM es el método gold standard para el diagnóstico de rechazo celular (RC después de transplante cardíaco (TC. OBJETIVO: Testear la hipótesis de que el examen de imagen con Doppler tisular (IDT puede detectar RC > 3A y agregar información diagnóstica, comparado al Doppler convencional. MÉTODOS: Cincuenta y cuatro pacientes con TC fueron sometidos a BEM y estudio ecocardiográfico a través de IDT en hasta 24 horas. Comparamos los pacientes con TC y RC > 3A con pacientes con TC y RC 3A en 39/129 (30,2% de las BEM. El mejor predictor aislado para el diagnóstico de RC fue la a'LAT, con sensibilidad de 76

  12. Vasculites e eosinófilos em biópsia endomiocárdica, como preditores de rejeição em transplante cardíaco Vasculitis y eosinófilos en biopsia endomiocárdica, como predictores de rechazo en transplante cardíaco Vasculitides and eosinophils in emdomyocardial biopsies as rejection predictors in heart transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reginaldo Cipullo

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O significado clínico de vasculites, lesões isquêmicas, efeito Quilty e da presença de eosinófilos em biópsias endomiocárdicas de receptores de transplante cardíaco com rejeições leves não foi ainda estabelecido. OBJETIVO: Verificar se esses achados histológicos encontrados nas biópsias endomiocárdicas (eosinófilos, vasculites, efeito Quilty e lesões isquêmicas são capazes de predizer rejeição aguda do enxerto. MÉTODOS: Foram reavaliadas 1.012 biópsias endomiocárdicas consecutivas; dessas, 939 foram classificadas como OR ou 1R pela Nomenclatura da Sociedade Internacional de Transplante de Coração e Pulmão de 2005, e divididas em dois grupos: (1 Biópsias preditoras: aquelas que precederam rejeição aguda; e (2 Biópsias não preditoras: aquelas que não precederam rejeição aguda. Comparamos a ocorrência dos seguintes achados histológicos: vasculites, lesões isquêmicas, efeito Quilty e eosinófilos por análise uni e multivariada entre os grupos. RESULTADOS: Após análise estatística verificou-se a presença de vasculite intensa e de eosinófilos como maiores preditores para rejeição aguda futura, apresentando respectivamente as seguintes razões de chance: 10,60 (IC95%: 3,62 - 31,06. p FUNDAMENTO: El significado clínico de vasculitis, lesiones isquémicas, efecto Quilty y de la presencia de eosinófilos en biopsias endomiocárdicas de receptores de transplante cardíaco con rechazos leves no fue aun establecido. OBJETIVO: Verificar si esos hallazgos histológicos encontrados en las biopsias endomiocárdicas (eosinófilos, vasculitis, efecto Quilty y lesiones isquémicas son capaces de predecir rechazo agudo del injerto. MÉTODOS: Fueron reevaluadas 1.012 biopsias endomiocárdicas consecutivas; de esas, 939 fueron clasificadas como OR o 1R por la Nomenclatura de la Sociedad Internacional de Transplante de Corazón y Pulmón de 2005, y divididas en dos grupos: (1 Biopsias predictoras: aquellas que

  13. Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome – Literature review and contributions towards a Portuguese consensus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Araújo

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Phenotypic overlap between the two main chronic airway pulmonary diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, has been the subject of debate for decades, and recently the nomenclature of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS was adopted for this condition. The definition of this entity in the literature is, however, very heterogeneous, it is therefore important to define how it applies to Portugal. Methods: A literature review of ACOS was made in a first phase resulting in the drawing up of a document that was later submitted for discussion among a panel of chronic lung diseases experts, resulting in reflexions about diagnosis, treatment and clinical guidance for ACOS patients. Results: There was a consensus among the experts that the diagnosis of ACOS should be considered in the concomitant presence of: clinical manifestations characteristic of both asthma and COPD, persistent airway obstruction (post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC 300 eosinophils/μL or >5% of leukocytes and previous history of atopy should also be considered. The recommended first line pharmacological treatment in these patients is the ICS/LABA association; if symptomatic control is not achieved or in case of clinical severity, triple therapy with ICS/LABA/LAMA may be used. An effective control of the exposure to risk factors, vaccination, respiratory rehabilitation and treatment of comorbidities is also important. Conclusions: The creation of initial guidelines on ACOS, which can be applied in the Portuguese context, has an important role in the generation of a broad nationwide consensus. This will give, in the near future, a far better clinical, functional and epidemiological characterization of ACOS patients, with the ultimate goal of achieving better therapeutic guidance. Keywords: Asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Overlap syndrome, Portuguese consensus

  14. Characterization of electrochemically deposited films from aqueous and ionic liquid cobalt precursors toward hydrogen evolution reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dushatinski, Thomas; Huff, Clay; Abdel-Fattah, Tarek M., E-mail: fattah@cnu.edu

    2016-11-01

    Highlights: • Co films deposition via aqueous and ionic liquid Precursors. • Hydrogen evolution produced from reactive surfaces. • Co deposited films characterized by SEM, AFM, EDX and XRD techniques. - Abstract: Electrodepositions of cobalt films were achieved using an aqueous or an ethylene glycol based non-aqueous solution containing choline chloride (vitamin B4) with cobalt chloride hexahydrate precursor toward hydrogen evolution reactions from sodium borohydride (NaBH{sub 4}) as solid hydrogen feedstock (SHF). The resulting cobalt films had reflectivity at 550 nm of 2.2% for aqueously deposited films (ACoF) and 1.3% for non-aqueously deposited films (NCoF). Surface morphology studied by scanning electron microscopy showed a positive correlation between particle size and thickness. The film thicknesses were tunable between >100 μm and <300 μm for each film. The roughness (Ra) value measurements by Dektak surface profiling showed that the NCoF (Ra = 165 nm) was smoother than the ACoF (Ra = 418 nm). The NCoFs and ACoFs contained only α phase (FCC) crystallites. The NCoFs were crystalline while the ACoFs were largely amorphous from X-ray diffraction analysis. The NCoF had an average Vickers hardness value of 84 MPa as compared to 176 MPa for ACoF. The aqueous precursor has a single absorption maximum at 510 nm and the non-aqueous precursor had three absorption maxima at 630, 670, and 695 nm. The hydrogen evolution reactions over a 1 cm{sup 2} catalytic surface with aqueous NaBH{sub 4} solutions generated rate constants (K) = equal to 4.9 × 10{sup −3} min{sup −1}, 4.6 × 10{sup −3} min{sup −1}, and 3.3 × 10{sup −3} min{sup −1} for ACoF, NCoF, and copper substrate respectively.

  15. Loading pattern optimization using ant colony algorithm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoareau, Fabrice

    2008-01-01

    Electricite de France (EDF) operates 58 nuclear power plants (NPP), of the Pressurized Water Reactor type. The loading pattern optimization of these NPP is currently done by EDF expert engineers. Within this framework, EDF R and D has developed automatic optimization tools that assist the experts. LOOP is an industrial tool, developed by EDF R and D and based on a simulated annealing algorithm. In order to improve the results of such automatic tools, new optimization methods have to be tested. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithms are recent methods that have given very good results on combinatorial optimization problems. In order to evaluate the performance of such methods on loading pattern optimization, direct comparisons between LOOP and a mock-up based on the Max-Min Ant System algorithm (a particular variant of ACO algorithms) were made on realistic test-cases. It is shown that the results obtained by the ACO mock-up are very similar to those of LOOP. Future research will consist in improving these encouraging results by using parallelization and by hybridizing the ACO algorithm with local search procedures. (author)

  16. Hybrid Metaheuristic Approach for Nonlocal Optimization of Molecular Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dresselhaus, Thomas; Yang, Jack; Kumbhar, Sadhana; Waller, Mark P

    2013-04-09

    Accurate modeling of molecular systems requires a good knowledge of the structure; therefore, conformation searching/optimization is a routine necessity in computational chemistry. Here we present a hybrid metaheuristic optimization (HMO) algorithm, which combines ant colony optimization (ACO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) for the optimization of molecular systems. The HMO implementation meta-optimizes the parameters of the ACO algorithm on-the-fly by the coupled PSO algorithm. The ACO parameters were optimized on a set of small difluorinated polyenes where the parameters exhibited small variance as the size of the molecule increased. The HMO algorithm was validated by searching for the closed form of around 100 molecular balances. Compared to the gradient-based optimized molecular balance structures, the HMO algorithm was able to find low-energy conformations with a 87% success rate. Finally, the computational effort for generating low-energy conformation(s) for the phenylalanyl-glycyl-glycine tripeptide was approximately 60 CPU hours with the ACO algorithm, in comparison to 4 CPU years required for an exhaustive brute-force calculation.

  17. Little Evidence Exists To Support The Expectation That Providers Would Consolidate To Enter New Payment Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neprash, Hannah T; Chernew, Michael E; McWilliams, J Michael

    2017-02-01

    Provider consolidation has been associated with higher health care prices and spending. The prevailing wisdom is that payment reform will accelerate consolidation, especially between physicians and hospitals and among physician groups, as providers position themselves to bear financial risk for the full continuum of patient care. Drawing on data from a number of sources from 2008 onward, we examined the relationship between Medicare's accountable care organization (ACO) programs and provider consolidation. We found that consolidation was under way in the period 2008-10, before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) established the ACO programs. While the number of hospital mergers and the size of specialty-oriented physician groups increased after the ACA was passed, we found minimal evidence that consolidation was associated with ACO penetration at the market level or with physicians' participation in ACOs within markets. We conclude that payment reform has been associated with little acceleration in consolidation in addition to trends already under way, but there is evidence of potential defensive consolidation in response to new payment models. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  18. Reforming Medicare through 'version 2.0' of accountable care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lieberman, Steven M

    2013-07-01

    Medicare needs fundamental reform to achieve fiscal sustainability, improve value and quality, and preserve beneficiaries' access to physicians. Physician fees will fall by one-quarter in 2014 under current law, and the dire federal budget outlook virtually precludes increasing Medicare spending. There is a growing consensus among policy makers that reforming fee-for-service payment, which has long served as the backbone of Medicare, is unavoidable. Accountable care organizations (ACOs) provide a new payment alternative but currently have limited tools to control cost growth or engage and reward beneficiaries and providers. To fundamentally reform Medicare, this article proposes an enhanced version of ACOs that would eliminate the scheduled physician fee cuts, allow fees to increase with inflation, and enhance ACOs' ability to manage care. In exchange, the proposal would require modest reductions in overall Medicare spending and require ACOs to accept increased accountability and financial risk. It would cause per beneficiary Medicare spending by 2023 to fall 4.2 percent below current Congressional Budget Office projections and help the program achieve fiscal sustainability.

  19. Improving Care Transitions Management: Examining the Role of Accountable Care Organization Participation and Expanded Electronic Health Record Functionality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Thomas P; Shortell, Stephen M; Rodriguez, Hector P

    2017-08-01

    Examine the extent to which physician organization participation in an accountable care organization (ACO) and electronic health record (EHR) functionality are associated with greater adoption of care transition management (CTM) processes. A total of 1,398 physician organizations from the third National Study of Physician Organization survey (NSPO3), a nationally representative sample of medical practices in the United States (January 2012-May 2013). We used data from the third National Study of Physician Organization survey (NSPO3) to assess medical practice characteristics, including CTM processes, ACO participation, EHR functionality, practice type, organization size, ownership, public reporting, and pay-for-performance participation. Multivariate linear regression models estimated the extent to which ACO participation and EHR functionality were associated with greater CTM capabilities, controlling for practice size, ownership, public reporting, and pay-for-performance participation. Approximately half (52.4 percent) of medical practices had a formal program for managing care transitions in place. In adjusted analyses, ACO participation (p risk-bearing arrangements across the country may improve the management of care transitions by physician organizations. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  20. Functional Expression of the Thiolase Gene thl from Clostridium beijerinckii P260 in Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus buchneri

    Science.gov (United States)

    The first step of the butanol pathway involves an acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (ACoAAT), which controls the key branching point from acetyl-CoA to butanol. ACoAAT, also known as thiolase (EC 2.3.1.9), is encoded by the thl gene and catalyzes ligation of 2 acetyl-CoA into acetoacetyl-CoA. Bioinform...

  1. Characterisation of ethylene pathway components in non-climacteric capsicum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aizat, Wan M; Able, Jason A; Stangoulis, James C R; Able, Amanda J

    2013-11-28

    Climacteric fruit exhibit high ethylene and respiration levels during ripening but these levels are limited in non-climacteric fruit. Even though capsicum is in the same family as the well-characterised climacteric tomato (Solanaceae), it is non-climacteric and does not ripen normally in response to ethylene or if harvested when mature green. However, ripening progresses normally in capsicum fruit when they are harvested during or after what is called the 'Breaker stage'. Whether ethylene, and components of the ethylene pathway such as 1-aminocyclopropane 1-carboxylate (ACC) oxidase (ACO), ACC synthase (ACS) and the ethylene receptor (ETR), contribute to non-climacteric ripening in capsicum has not been studied in detail. To elucidate the behaviour of ethylene pathway components in capsicum during ripening, further analysis is therefore needed. The effects of ethylene or inhibitors of ethylene perception, such as 1-methylcyclopropene, on capsicum fruit ripening and the ethylene pathway components may also shed some light on the role of ethylene in non-climacteric ripening. The expression of several isoforms of ACO, ACS and ETR were limited during capsicum ripening except one ACO isoform (CaACO4). ACS activity and ACC content were also low in capsicum despite the increase in ACO activity during the onset of ripening. Ethylene did not stimulate capsicum ripening but 1-methylcyclopropene treatment delayed the ripening of Breaker-harvested fruit. Some of the ACO, ACS and ETR isoforms were also differentially expressed upon treatment with ethylene or 1-methylcyclopropene. ACS activity may be the rate limiting step in the ethylene pathway of capsicum which restricts ACC content. The differential expression of several ethylene pathway components during ripening and upon ethylene or 1-methylclopropene treatment suggests that the ethylene pathway may be regulated differently in non-climacteric capsicum compared to the climacteric tomato. Ethylene independent pathways may

  2. AMONIO-OXIDASAS BACTERIANAS Y ARQUEALES INVOLUCRADAS EN EL CICLO DEL NITRÓGENO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Andrade Ochoa

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available La nitrificación, la oxidación microbiana de amoníaco a nitrato, juega un papel crítico en el ciclo global del nitrógeno. Se ha considerado a dos grupos distintos de bacterias capaces de oxidar el amoníaco (AOB como las responsables de llevar a cabo el primer paso de la nitrificación; en esos dos grupos se encuentran las Beta-proteobacterias, que incluyen a los géneros Nitrosomonas y Nitrosospira, y las Gamma-proteobacterias, que engloban al género Nitrosococcus. Sin embargo, se ha demostrado la existencia de arqueas oxidantes de amoníaco (AOA y su contribución al ciclo del nitrógeno, siendo Nitrosopumilus maritimus la más estudiada en este proceso. La dinámica entre estos dos sistemas de oxidantes de amoníaco es compleja y los estudios se han enfocado a distintos hábitats, se ha propuesto que las contribuciones relativas de las comunidades AOA y AOB dependen de propiedades fisicoquímicas del ambiente, que afectan su abundancia y diversidad; esto dificulta establecer con exactitud el nicho ecológico en el que se desempeña cada comunidad. El objetivo de esta revisión es discutir la evidencia científica que facilite el entendimiento del papel que desempeñan los microorganismos oxidantes del amoníaco.

  3. Impact of anatomical variations of the circle of Willis on the incidence of aneurysms and their recurrence rate following endovascular treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Songsaeng, D; Geibprasert, S; Willinsky, R; Tymianski, M; TerBrugge, K G; Krings, T

    2010-11-01

    To analyse the impact of anatomical variations of the parent arteries on the incidence and recurrence rate following coil embolization of aneurysms of the anterior (AcoA), posterior communicating artery (PcoA) and basilar artery (BA) tip. Two hundred and two (96 AcoA, 67 PcoA, and 29 BA) aneurysms in 200 patients were treated with coil embolization between January 2000 and April 2008. Parent artery variations at each location were classified as: AcoA: A1 aplasia versus hypoplasia versus symmetrical size; PcoA: foetal origin versus medium versus small size, BA: cranial versus caudal versus asymmetrical fusion. The incidence of aneurysms and difference between recurrence rates for each group were recorded on follow-up. AcoA, PcoA, and BA aneurysms were more often associated with embryonically earlier vessel wall dispositions (A1 aplasia, foetal PcoA, asymmetrical fusion). Two of these variations were also associated with aneurysm recurrence following coil embolization: asymmetrical A1 segment (p=0.01), and asymmetrical BA tip (p=0.02). AcoA, PcoA, and BA tip aneurysms tend to occur more often in anatomically variant parent artery dispositions, some of which are related to aneurysm recurrence following coil embolization. This may relate to a more fragile vessel disposition as it is not fully matured or to altered haemodynamics secondary to the anatomical variations. Copyright © 2010 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Evaluation of three-dimensional angiography for surgery of aneurysms on the anterior communicating artery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isobe, Naoyuki; Oki, Shuichi; Murakami, Taro; Ooyama, Shigeru; Kureshima, Makoto; Kurokawa, Yasuharu

    2007-01-01

    Obtaining detailed anatomical information is crucial before aneurysm microsurgery. The anterior cerebral communicating artery complex (AcoC) is particularly complicated compared to other parts. The anatomical structure of the AcoC is sometimes difficult to understand using conventional angiography. We evaluated the advantages of 3-dimensional digital angiography (3D-DA) for aneurysm microsurgery on the anterior cerebral communicating artery. Subjects comprised 10 men and 5 women (mean age, 61 years; range, 33-79 years) who underwent surgery in our hospital between November 2002 and October 2005. Twelve aneurysms were ruptured, and 3 aneurysms were unruptured. We compared 3D-DA images and surgical findings to assess aneurysmal morphology and relationships to neighboring vessels. We also examined both the presence and visualization of variations on AcoC. In all cases, surgical findings corresponded well to 3D-DA images. Variations on AcoC included fenestration (n=3), azygos (n=1) and aplasia or hypoplasia of the A1 segment of a unilateral anterior cerebral artery (n=9), and these were all well-visualized in 3D-DA. In addition, 3D-DA was also useful for aneurysms with 2 domes for selection of surgical approach, and provided assessment of not only aneurysmal morphology, but also variations of AcoC. This tool provided useful information for the selection of operation approach and intraoperative manipulations by using it together with 2-dimensional digital substraction angiography. (author)

  5. Presence of sarcopenia in asthma-COPD overlap syndrome may be a risk factor for decreased bone-mineral density, unlike asthma: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV and V (2008-2011).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dong-Won; Jin, Hyun-Jung; Shin, Kyeong-Cheol; Chung, Jin-Hong; Lee, Hyoung-Woo; Lee, Kwan-Ho

    2017-01-01

    Sarcopenia and decreased bone-mineral density (BMD) are common in elderly people, and are major comorbidities of obstructive airway disease (OAD). However, the relationship between sarcopenia and BMD in each OAD phenotype, especially asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), is not yet clear. We aimed to evaluate differences in BMD according to the presence of sarcopenia in each OAD phenotype. Among the research subjects in KNHANES IV and V (2008-2011), 5,562 were ≥50 years old and underwent qualified spirometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A total of 947 subjects were included in the study: 89 had asthma, 748 COPD, and 110 ACOS. In the COPD and ACOS phenotypes, T-scores were lower in the sarcopenia group than the nonsarcopenia group. Prevalence rates of osteopenia and osteoporosis were higher in the sarcopenia group than the nonsarcopenia group. ( P sarcopenia group had higher risks of developing osteopenia, osteoporosis, and low BMD than the nonsarcopenia group in the ACOS phenotype (OR 6.620, 95% CI 1.129-38.828 [ P =0.036], OR 9.611, 95% CI 1.133-81.544 [ P =0.038], and OR 6.935, 95% CI 1.194-40.272 [ P =0.031], respectively). However, in the asthma phenotype, the sarcopenia group showed no increased risk compared with the nonsarcopenia group. In the ACOS phenotype, individuals with sarcopenia had a higher prevalence rate and higher risks of osteopenia and osteoporosis than those without sarcopenia among all OAD phenotypes.

  6. Function-Oriented Networking and On-Demand Routing System in Network Using Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young-Bo Sim

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we proposed and developed Function-Oriented Networking (FON, a platform for network users. It has a different philosophy as opposed to technologies for network managers of Software-Defined Networking technology, OpenFlow. It is a technology that can immediately reflect the demands of the network users in the network, unlike the existing OpenFlow and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV, which do not reflect directly the needs of the network users. It allows the network user to determine the policy of the direct network, so it can be applied more precisely than the policy applied by the network manager. This is expected to increase the satisfaction of the service users when the network users try to provide new services. We developed FON function that performs on-demand routing for Low-Delay Required service. We analyzed the characteristics of the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO algorithm and found that the algorithm is suitable for low-delay required services. It was also the first in the world to implement the routing software using ACO Algorithm in the real Ethernet network. In order to improve the routing performance, several algorithms of the ACO Algorithm have been developed to enable faster path search-routing and path recovery. The relationship between the network performance index and the ACO routing parameters is derived, and the results are compared and analyzed. Through this, it was possible to develop the ACO algorithm.

  7. Uso do óxido nítrico inalatório no tratamento da crise hipertensiva pulmonar no pós-operatório de transplante cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Alberto Cosquillo MEJIA

    2002-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Este trabalho relata a experiência no manuseio da crise hipertensiva pulmonar (CHP refratária, com o uso do óxido nítrico inalatório (NOi no pós-operatório imediato do transplante cardíaco (TC ortotópico. MÉTODOS: De outubro/1997 a fevereiro/2002 foram realizados 31 TC em adultos, sendo incluídos pacientes com RVP ±5,1horas.RESULTADOS: Cinco pacientes (1 mulher, com idade média de 42 anos, fizeram uso de NOi por apresentarem critérios de CHP, todos com sinais de baixo débito cardíaco. O tempo médio de CEC foi de 150,8±34,3 minutos, a média sistólica arterial pulmonar foi de 87mmHg (75-115 e a PO2 média de 60mmHg (FiO2 100%, sendo evidenciada dilatação moderada a severa do ventrículo direito no ETT. Foi administrado NOi durante uma média 35h (6-96, iniciando-se desmame após estabilização hemodinâmica. O tempo médio de ME do doador foi de 27,6±5,5horas, a internação hospitalar média foi de 63 dias (17-145, uma morte ocorreu por sepse no 17º PO e os demais pacientes estão em CF I (NYHA. CONCLUSÕES: O tempo de CEC superior a 120 minutos e tempo de ME do doador superior a 20 horas sugerem fatores de risco para CHP no período pós-operatório imediato do TC. O NOi é uma ferramenta útil no manuseio desta complicação, refratária ao tratamento convencional no POI de pacientes submetidos ao TC.OBJECTIVE: This study reviews our experience with the use of nitric oxide inhalation (NOi in the treatment of the refractory pulmonary hypertensive crisis (PHC during the immediate post-operative period (IPOP of heart transplantation (HT. METHOD: Between Oct/97 and Feb/02, 31 HT in adults were performed. Among them were patients with Pulmonary Vascular Resistance (PVR greater than 6 uW, or patients with PVR greater than 2,5 uW during the pharmacological test. All patients were weaned from the CPB (M=101±21 minutes in use of dobutamine, dopamine and milrinone. In the absence of an adequate response to these drugs

  8. Application of the Frequency Map Analysis to the Study of the Beam Dynamics of Light Sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nadolski, Laurent

    2001-01-01

    The topic of this thesis is the study of beam dynamics in storage rings with a restriction to single particle transverse dynamics. In a first part, tools (Frequency Map Analysis, Hamiltonian, Integrator) are presented for studying and exploring the dynamics. Numerical simulations of four synchrotron radiation sources (the ALS, the ESRF, SOLEIL and Super-ACO) are performed. We construct a tracking code based on a new class of symplectic integrators (Laskar and Robutel, 2000). These integrators with only positive steps are more precise by an order of magnitude than the standard Forest and Ruth's scheme. Comparisons with the BETA, DESPOT and MAD codes are carried out. Frequency Map Analysis (Laskar, 1990) is our main analysis tool. This is a numerical method for analysing a conservative dynamical system. Based on a refined Fourier technique, it enables us to compute frequency maps which are real footprints of the beam dynamics of an accelerator. We stress the high sensitivity of the dynamics to magnetics errors and sextipolar strengths. The second part of this work is dedicated to the analysis of experimental results from two light sources. Together with the ALS accelerator team (Berkeley), we succeeded in obtaining the first experimental frequency map of an accelerator. The agreement with the machine model is very impressive. At the Super-ACO ring, the study of the tune shift with amplitude enabled us to highlight a strong octupolar-like component related to the quadrupole fringe field. The aftermaths for the beam dynamics are important and give us a better understanding the measured ring performance. All these results are based on turn by turn measurements. Many closely related phenomena are treated such as response matrix analysis or beam decoherence. (author) [fr

  9. Economic Impact Forecast System (EIFS) II: User’s Manual. Updated Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1984-05-01

    AYtr ACo - bo * AYtr AIh - ih *rpv *ACh Ala = io* ACo AS - Zc * C*(1-ZmW Pm+ PC] APY (av / amv) * (ABVt /tbv72) ACRe - (Zaf+ %as)*sc*AS AGRo - (tp...ga 35031 mc kinley, nm 13027 brooks, ga 35033 mora, nm 13037 calhoun, ga 35039 rio arriba , nm 13061 clay, ga 35043 sandoval, nm 13065 clinch, ga 35045

  10. Alteraciones del ritmo del corazón

    OpenAIRE

    Perafán, Pablo Eduardo

    2009-01-01

    Tomado de: http://www.valledellili.org/sitio/images/stories/pdf/marzo.pdf Ritmo cardíaco normal/ ¿Cómo se origina el ritmo cardíaco normal? / ¿Qué es una arritmia?/ ¿Cómo se manifiesta una arritmia?/ ¿Cómo se estudia un evento arrítmico?/ ¿Cuáles son los principales tipos de arritmias?

  11. Experimental results on low alpha electron-storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robin, D.; Hama, H.; Nadji, A.

    1995-09-01

    The authors report on experiments performed in two synchrotron light sources, UVSOR and Super-ACO, where the momentum compaction factor is reduced in order to reduce the bunch length. By controlling the second-order momentum compaction factor, UVSOR and Super-ACO have managed to reduce the first-order momentum compaction factor by 100. At low current the resulting bunch lengths are less than 10 ps, a factor of 10 smaller than normal. Measurements of current dependent bunch lengthening in UVSOR are presented and the cause of the bunch lengthening is determined to be potential-well distortion. The authors also show that by operating with a negative momentum compaction factor, SuperACO has achieved shorter bunch lengthening and higher peak currents than at positive momentum compaction

  12. Synthesis and characterization of para-pyridine linked NHC palladium complexes and their studies for the Heck-Mizoroki coupling reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ya-Ming; Lin, Yi-Chun; Chen, Wen-Ching; Cheng, Jen-Hao; Chen, Yi-Lin; Yap, Glenn P A; Sun, Shih-Sheng; Ong, Tiow-Gan

    2012-06-28

    This paper describes the synthesis of 1-(pyridine-4-ylmethyl) NHC and their Pd(II) and Ag(I) complexes, which are fully characterized. Interestingly, we have also synthesized a Pd complex 3a-CO(3) using a more direct treatment of K(2)CO(3) with PdCl(2). 3a-CO(3) represents the first reported solid structure of a Pd η(2)-carbonato complex stabilized by an NHC framework. 3a-CO(3) can be easily converted to a PdCl(2) derivative by treating it with chloroform. We have found these palladium complexes mediate the Heck-Mizoroki coupling with a low catalyst loading. Furthermore, we also expand such catalytic manifold toward constructing fused polyaromatic substrates, a highly useful class of compounds in optoelectronic chemistry.

  13. Optimum Layout for Water Quality Monitoring Stations through Ant Colony Algorithm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Afshar

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Due to the high cost of monitoring systems, budget limitations, and high priority given to water quality control in municipal networks, especially for unexpected events, optimum location of monitoring stations has received considerable attention during the last decade. An optimization model needs to be developed for the desirable location of monitoring stations. This research attempts to develop such a model using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO algorithm and tires to verify it through a bench-mark classical example used in previous researches. Selection of ACO as optimizer was fully justified due to discrete decision space and extensive number of binary variables in modeling system. Diversity of the policies derived from ACO may facilitate the process of decision making considering the social, physical, and economical conditions.

  14. Impacto da variabilidade de peso na estabilidade metabólica dos pacientes transplantados cardíacos no Ceará Impact of weight variation on the metabolic stability of cardiac transplant patients in the state of Ceara

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele Maria de Oliveira Carlos

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: As alterações de peso após o transplante cardíaco (TC freqüentemente ocorrem e aumentam os riscos de doenças secundárias. OBJETIVO: Determinar o impacto da variabilidade do peso nos níveis séricos de glicose, triglicérides, colesterol total e frações dos pacientes transplantados cardíacos. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo documental realizado com 82 pacientes adultos submetidos a TC entre outubro de 1997 e dezembro de 2005 no Ceará, sendo 83% do sexo masculino e a idade média de 45,06±12,04 anos. As variáveis estudadas foram o perfil biopatológico, o peso e o índice de massa corporal (IMC relacionadas às alterações bioquímico-metabólicas. Os dados foram descritos usando freqüências, medidas de tendência central, teste t de Student e coeficiente de correlação de Pearson. RESULTADOS: A média global do IMC aumentou de 23,77±3,68kg/m² antes do TC, para 25,48±3,92kg/m² no primeiro ano e para 28,38±4,97kg/m² no quinto. Os pacientes com sobrepeso/obesidade (IMC > 25 kg/m² apresentaram valores médios de glicose, colesterol total, lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL e triglicérides maiores que os pacientes com eutrofia/desnutrição (IMC BACKGROUND: Weight alterations post cardiac transplant (CT frequently occur and increase the risks of secondary diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at determining the impact of weight variability on serum levels of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and its fractions of cardiac transplant patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective documental study held with 82 patients submitted to CT between October, 1997 and December, 2005 in Ceará, Brazil. 83% were male and the average age was 45.06±12.04 years. The studied variables were: biopathology profile, the weight and the body mass index (BMI related to the biochemical-metabolic alterations and to the survival. Data were described using frequencies, measures of central tendency, t-Student test and Pearson

  15. What pulmonologists think about the asthma–COPD overlap syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miravitlles M

    2015-07-01

    de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, 18Department of Pneumology, Hospital Universitario Dr Peset, Valencia, 19Department of Pneumology, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti, Lugo, 20Department of Pneumology, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe, Valencia, 21Department of Pneumology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de la Arrinxaca, Murcia, 22Department of Pneumology, Hospital Comarcal de Inca, Inca, 23Pneumology Department, Hospital Arnau de Vilanova-Lliria, Valencia, 24Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d’Investigació Biomédica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Background: Some patients with COPD may share characteristics of asthma; this is the so-called asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS. There are no universally accepted criteria for ACOS, and most treatments for asthma and COPD have not been adequately tested in this population. Materials and methods: We performed a survey among pulmonology specialists in asthma and COPD aimed at collecting their opinions about ACOS and their attitudes in regard to some case scenarios of ACOS patients. The participants answered a structured questionnaire and attended a face-to-face meeting with the Metaplan methodology to discuss different aspects of ACOS. Results: A total of 26 pulmonologists with a mean age of 49.7 years participated in the survey (13 specialists in asthma and 13 in COPD. Among these, 84.6% recognized the existence of ACOS and stated that a mean of 12.6% of their patients might have this syndrome. In addition, 80.8% agreed that the diagnostic criteria for ACOS are not yet well defined. The most frequently mentioned characteristics of ACOS were a history of asthma (88.5%, significant smoking exposure (73.1%, and postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity <0.7 (69.2%. The most accepted diagnostic criteria were eosinophilia in sputum (80.8%, a very

  16. Improving the Interpretability of Classification Rules Discovered by an Ant Colony Algorithm: Extended Results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otero, Fernando E B; Freitas, Alex A

    2016-01-01

    Most ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms for inducing classification rules use a ACO-based procedure to create a rule in a one-at-a-time fashion. An improved search strategy has been proposed in the cAnt-Miner[Formula: see text] algorithm, where an ACO-based procedure is used to create a complete list of rules (ordered rules), i.e., the ACO search is guided by the quality of a list of rules instead of an individual rule. In this paper we propose an extension of the cAnt-Miner[Formula: see text] algorithm to discover a set of rules (unordered rules). The main motivations for this work are to improve the interpretation of individual rules by discovering a set of rules and to evaluate the impact on the predictive accuracy of the algorithm. We also propose a new measure to evaluate the interpretability of the discovered rules to mitigate the fact that the commonly used model size measure ignores how the rules are used to make a class prediction. Comparisons with state-of-the-art rule induction algorithms, support vector machines, and the cAnt-Miner[Formula: see text] producing ordered rules are also presented.

  17. Differences between asthma-COPD overlap syndrome and adult-onset asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tommola, Minna; Ilmarinen, Pinja; Tuomisto, Leena E; Lehtimäki, Lauri; Haanpää, Jussi; Niemelä, Onni; Kankaanranta, Hannu

    2017-05-01

    Differences between asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) and adult-onset asthma are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate these differences in a clinical cohort of patients with adult-onset asthma, as a part of the Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study (SAAS).188 patients were diagnosed with adult-onset asthma and re-evaluated 12 years after diagnosis. They were divided into three groups based on smoking history and post bronchodilator spirometry values: 1) never- and ex-smokers with obstructive (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 )/forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥0.7) patients with ≥10 pack-years; and 3) ACOS patients with ≥10 pack-years and FEV 1 /FVC obstructive patients with ≥10 pack-years smoking history, respectively. ACOS patients also showed reduced lung function, higher remaining bronchial reversibility and a higher number of comorbidities.This study shows distinct differences in diffusing capacity, blood neutrophil and IL-6 levels, bronchial reversibility, lung function and comorbidities between ACOS and adult-onset asthma. The present findings should be considered in the comprehensive assessment of adult asthma patients. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

  18. Analysis of MaACS2, a stress-inducible ACC Synthase Gene in Musa acuminata AAA Group Cultivar Pisang Ambon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Resnanti Utami Handayani

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Ethylene has an important function in plant growth and development. Ethylene production generally increases in response to pathogen attacks and other environmental stress conditions. The synthesis of this phytohormone is regulated by two enzymes, ACC synthase (ACS and ACC oxidase (ACO. ACC synthase is encoded by a multigene that regulates the production of ACC, after which this precursor is converted into ethylene by ACO. Pisang Ambon (Musa sp. AAA group, a banana cultivar originating from Indonesia, has nine ACS genes (MaACS 1-9 and one ACO gene (MaACO. One of the banana ACS genes, MaACS2, is stress-inducible. In this research, we have investigated the expression profile of MaACS2 in the roots and leaf tissues of infected tissue culture plants. Quantification of gene expression was analyzed using Real-Time PCR (qPCR using Ma18srRNA and MaGAPDH as reference genes. The results showed nine-to ten fold higher MaACS2 expression levels in the infected roots tissues compared to the uninfected roots tissues. However, MaACS2 expression in the leaves was only detected in infected tissue.

  19. Cardiopatía isquémica: evaluación anatomofuncional en una sola exploración con PET-CT multicorte

    OpenAIRE

    Alexánderson,Erick; Cruz,Patricio; Sierra,Carlos; Talayero,José Antonio; Meave,Aloha

    2006-01-01

    El abordaje integral del paciente con cardiopatía isquémica requiere de una evaluación precisa anatomo-funcional del miocardio así como de las arterias coronarias. Actualmente los avances tecnológicos permiten la valoración de la fisiología cardiovascular mediante Tomografía por Emisión de Positrones (PET). El PET es una herramienta confiable para el estudio del metabolismo cardíaco, la perfusión miocárdica, la función ventricular, el flujo coronario, la viabilidad miocárdica y la función end...

  20. Reliable Rescue Routing Optimization for Urban Emergency Logistics under Travel Time Uncertainty

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiuping Li

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The reliability of rescue routes is critical for urban emergency logistics during disasters. However, studies on reliable rescue routing under stochastic networks are still rare. This paper proposes a multiobjective rescue routing model for urban emergency logistics under travel time reliability. A hybrid metaheuristic integrating ant colony optimization (ACO and tabu search (TS was designed to solve the model. An experiment optimizing rescue routing plans under a real urban storm event, was carried out to validate the proposed model. The experimental results showed how our approach can improve rescue efficiency with high travel time reliability.

  1. Análise histomorfométrica dos cardiomiócitos e deposição de colágeno no músculo cardíaco de ratas ooforectomizadas

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    Maria C.R. Silva

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Resumo: Esse estudo objetivou avaliar o efeito da ooforectomia sob os parâmetros histomorfométricos dos cardiomiócitos e quantificação de colágeno em ratas Wistar. Vinte ratas foram utilizadas e separadas em dois grupos: GI - ooforectomizada e GII - sham-ooforectomizada. Após a recuperação anestésica os animais foram acomodados em gaiolas e separados nas condições de ciclo claro/escuro 12/12h por um período de 6 meses. Passado o período experimental, os animais foram anestesiados, o coração retirado e mergulhado em formaldeído a 10%. Os fragmentos dos ventrículos foram submetidos ao processamento histológico e corados com hematoxilina e eosina. As análises histomorfométricas (área celular e área e volume nuclear foram realizadas pelo microscópio de luz e software ImageJ versão 1.44. Os dados foram submetidos à análise ANOVA e quando significantes, complementados pelo teste t de student (p<0,001. Observou-se uma diminuição significativa das áreas celular e nuclear dos cardiomiócitos do grupo GI quando comparado ao grupo GII, bem como a área ocupada, pelo colágeno, no músculo cardíaco foi maior em GI, quando comparado a GII. Diante disso, conclui-se que as alterações observadas nos cardiomiócitos do grupo GI, sugerem uma maior atividade apoptótica nesse grupo, devido à diminuição dos níveis séricos do estrógeno provocado pela ooforectomia e o aumento da área ocupada pelo colágeno, no grupo ooforectomizado, está associada ao efeito cardioprotetor do estrógeno.

  2. Meta-heuristic ant colony optimization technique to forecast the amount of summer monsoon rainfall: skill comparison with Markov chain model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaudhuri, Sutapa; Goswami, Sayantika; Das, Debanjana; Middey, Anirban

    2014-05-01

    Forecasting summer monsoon rainfall with precision becomes crucial for the farmers to plan for harvesting in a country like India where the national economy is mostly based on regional agriculture. The forecast of monsoon rainfall based on artificial neural network is a well-researched problem. In the present study, the meta-heuristic ant colony optimization (ACO) technique is implemented to forecast the amount of summer monsoon rainfall for the next day over Kolkata (22.6°N, 88.4°E), India. The ACO technique belongs to swarm intelligence and simulates the decision-making processes of ant colony similar to other adaptive learning techniques. ACO technique takes inspiration from the foraging behaviour of some ant species. The ants deposit pheromone on the ground in order to mark a favourable path that should be followed by other members of the colony. A range of rainfall amount replicating the pheromone concentration is evaluated during the summer monsoon season. The maximum amount of rainfall during summer monsoon season (June—September) is observed to be within the range of 7.5-35 mm during the period from 1998 to 2007, which is in the range 4 category set by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The result reveals that the accuracy in forecasting the amount of rainfall for the next day during the summer monsoon season using ACO technique is 95 % where as the forecast accuracy is 83 % with Markov chain model (MCM). The forecast through ACO and MCM are compared with other existing models and validated with IMD observations from 2008 to 2012.

  3. Kinetics and mechanism of synthetic CoS oxidation process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Štrbac N.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The results of investigation of kinetics and mechanism for synthetic a-CoS oxidation process are presented in this paper. Based on experimental data obtained using DTA and XRD analysis and constructed PSD diagrams for Co-S-O system, mechanism of synthetic a-CoS oxidation process is suggested. Characteristic kinetic parameters were obtained for experimental isothermal investigations of desulfurization degree using Sharp method.

  4. Falla cardiaca

    OpenAIRE

    Sánchez Blanco, Jairo; Fundación Valle de Lili

    1999-01-01

    ¿Qué es falla cardíaca?/ ¿Cuáles son las causas de falla cardiaca?/ ¿Qué síntomas presenta un paciente con falla cardiaca?/ ¿Cuál es el tratamiento de un paciente con falla cardíaca?/ ¿En qué consiste el trasplante cardíaco y quien es candidato para un trasplante cardíaco?

  5. Differences in the effects of Asian dust on pulmonary function between adult patients with asthma and those with asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Masanari; Noma, Hisashi; Kurai, Jun; Sano, Hiroyuki; Ueda, Yasuto; Mikami, Masaaki; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Tokuyasu, Hirokazu; Kato, Kazuhiro; Konishi, Tatsuya; Tatsukawa, Toshiyuki; Shimizu, Eiji; Kitano, Hiroya

    2016-01-01

    Background Asian dust (AD) exposure exacerbates pulmonary dysfunction in patients with asthma. Asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome (ACOS), characterized by coexisting symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is considered a separate disease entity. Previously, we investigated the effects of AD on pulmonary function in adult patients with asthma. Here, we present the findings of our further research on the differences in the effects of AD exposure on pulmonary function between patients with asthma alone and those with ACOS. Methods Between March and May 2012, we conducted a panel study wherein we monitored daily peak expiratory flow (PEF) values in 231 adult patients with asthma. These patients were divided into 190 patients with asthma alone and 41 patients with ACOS in this study. Daily AD particle levels were measured using light detection and ranging systems. Two heavy AD days (April 23 and 24) were determined according to the Japan Meteorological Agency definition. A linear mixed model was used to estimate the association between PEF and AD exposure. Results Increments in the interquartile range of AD particles (0.018 km−1) led to PEF changes of −0.50 L/min (95% confidence interval, −0.98 to −0.02) in patients with asthma alone and −0.11 L/min (−0.11 to 0.85) in patients with ACOS. The PEF changes after exposure to heavy AD were −2.21 L/min (−4.28 to −0.15) in patients with asthma alone and −2.76 L/min (−6.86 to 1.35) in patients with ACOS. In patients with asthma alone, the highest decrease in PEF values was observed on the heavy AD day, with a subsequent gradual increase over time. Conclusion Our results suggest that the effects of AD exposure on pulmonary function differ between patients with asthma alone and ACOS, with the former exhibiting a greater likelihood of decreased pulmonary function after AD exposure. PMID:26869784

  6. Asthma Is a Risk Factor for Respiratory Exacerbations Without Increased Rate of Lung Function Decline: Five-Year Follow-up in Adult Smokers From the COPDGene Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayden, Lystra P; Hardin, Megan E; Qiu, Weiliang; Lynch, David A; Strand, Matthew J; van Beek, Edwin J; Crapo, James D; Silverman, Edwin K; Hersh, Craig P

    2018-02-01

    Previous investigations in adult smokers from the COPDGene Study have shown that early-life respiratory disease is associated with reduced lung function, COPD, and airway thickening. Using 5-year follow-up data, we assessed disease progression in subjects who had experienced early-life respiratory disease. We hypothesized that there are alternative pathways to reaching reduced FEV 1 and that subjects who had childhood pneumonia, childhood asthma, or asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) would have less lung function decline than subjects without these conditions. Subjects returning for 5-year follow-up were assessed. Childhood pneumonia was defined by self-reported pneumonia at < 16 years. Childhood asthma was defined as self-reported asthma diagnosed by a health professional at < 16 years. ACO was defined as subjects with COPD who self-reported asthma diagnosed by a health-professional at ≤ 40 years. Smokers with and those without these early-life respiratory diseases were compared on measures of disease progression. Follow-up data from 4,915 subjects were examined, including 407 subjects who had childhood pneumonia, 323 subjects who had childhood asthma, and 242 subjects with ACO. History of childhood asthma or ACO was associated with an increased exacerbation frequency (childhood asthma, P < .001; ACO, P = .006) and odds of severe exacerbations (childhood asthma, OR, 1.41; ACO, OR, 1.42). History of childhood pneumonia was associated with increased exacerbations in subjects with COPD (absolute difference [β], 0.17; P = .04). None of these early-life respiratory diseases were associated with an increased rate of lung function decline or progression on CT scans. Subjects who had early-life asthma are at increased risk of developing COPD and of having more active disease with more frequent and severe respiratory exacerbations without an increased rate of lung function decline over a 5-year period. ClinicalTrials.gov; No. NCT00608764; https

  7. Integral or integrated marketing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davčik Nebojša

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Marketing theorists and experts try to develop business efficient organization and to get marketing performance at higher, business integrated level since its earliest beginnings. The core issue in this paperwork is the dialectic and practical approach dilemma should we develop integrated or integral marketing approach in the organization. The presented company cases as well as dialectic and functional explanations of this dilemma clearly shows that integrated marketing is narrower approach than integral marketing if we take as focal point new, unique and completed entity. In the integration the essence is in getting different parts together, which do not have to make necessary the new entity. The key elements in the definition of the integral marketing are necessity and holistic, e.g. necessity to develop new, holistic entity.

  8. Comparison of pulmonary function in patients with COPD, asthma-COPD overlap syndrome, and asthma with airflow limitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitaguchi, Yoshiaki; Yasuo, Masanori; Hanaoka, Masayuki

    2016-01-01

    This study was conducted in order to investigate the differences in the respiratory physiology of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), and asthma with airflow limitation (asthma FL(+)). The medical records for a series of all stable patients with persistent airflow limitation due to COPD, ACOS, or asthma were retrospectively reviewed and divided into the COPD group (n=118), the ACOS group (n=32), and the asthma FL(+) group (n=27). All the patients underwent chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and pulmonary function tests, including respiratory impedance. The low attenuation area score on chest HRCT was significantly higher in the COPD group than in the ACOS group (9.52±0.76 vs 5.09±1.16, Pbronchial wall thickening on chest HRCT was significantly higher in the asthma FL(+) group than in the COPD group (55.6% vs 25.0%, P<0.01). In pulmonary function, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate were significantly higher in the asthma FL(+) group than in the ACOS group (76.28%±2.54% predicted vs 63.43%±3.22% predicted, P<0.05 and 74.40%±3.16% predicted vs 61.08%±3.54% predicted, P<0.05, respectively). Although residual volume was significantly lower in the asthma FL(+) group than in the COPD group (112.05%±4.34% predicted vs 137.38%±3.43% predicted, P<0.01) and the ACOS group (112.05%±4.34% predicted vs148.46%±6.25% predicted, P<0.01), there were no significant differences in functional residual capacity or total lung capacity. The increase in FEV1 in response to short-acting β2-agonists was significantly greater in the ACOS group than in the COPD group (229±29 mL vs 72±10 mL, P<0.01) and the asthma FL(+) group (229±29 mL vs 153±21 mL, P<0.05). Regarding respiratory impedance, resistance at 5 Hz and resistance at 20 Hz, which are oscillatory parameters of respiratory resistance, were significantly higher in the asthma FL(+) group than in the COPD group

  9. Comparison of pulmonary function in patients with COPD, asthma-COPD overlap syndrome, and asthma with airflow limitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kitaguchi Y

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Yoshiaki Kitaguchi, Masanori Yasuo, Masayuki Hanaoka First Department of Internal Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan Background: This study was conducted in order to investigate the differences in the respiratory physiology of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS, and asthma with airflow limitation (asthma FL+. Methods: The medical records for a series of all stable patients with persistent airflow limitation due to COPD, ACOS, or asthma were retrospectively reviewed and divided into the COPD group (n=118, the ACOS group (n=32, and the asthma FL+ group (n=27. All the patients underwent chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT and pulmonary function tests, including respiratory impedance. Results: The low attenuation area score on chest HRCT was significantly higher in the COPD group than in the ACOS group (9.52±0.76 vs 5.09±1.16, P<0.01. The prevalence of bronchial wall thickening on chest HRCT was significantly higher in the asthma FL+ group than in the COPD group (55.6% vs 25.0%, P<0.01. In pulmonary function, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 and peak expiratory flow rate were significantly higher in the asthma FL+ group than in the ACOS group (76.28%±2.54% predicted vs 63.43%±3.22% predicted, P<0.05 and 74.40%±3.16% predicted vs 61.08%±3.54% predicted, P<0.05, respectively. Although residual volume was significantly lower in the asthma FL+ group than in the COPD group (112.05%±4.34% predicted vs 137.38%±3.43% predicted, P<0.01 and the ACOS group (112.05%±4.34% predicted vs148.46%±6.25% predicted, P<0.01, there were no significant differences in functional residual capacity or total lung capacity. The increase in FEV1 in response to short-acting ß2-agonists was significantly greater in the ACOS group than in the COPD group (229±29 mL vs 72±10 mL, P<0.01 and the asthma FL+ group (229±29 mL vs 153±21 mL, P<0.05. Regarding

  10. A Belgian survey on the diagnosis of asthma–COPD overlap syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cataldo D

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Didier Cataldo,1 Jean-Louis Corhay,1 Eric Derom,2 Renaud Louis,1 Eric Marchand,3,4 Alain Michils,5 Vincent Ninane,6 Rudi Peché,7 Charles Pilette,8 Walter Vincken,9 Wim Janssens10 1Department of Respiratory Diseases, CHU Liège, University of Liège, Liège, 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, CHU – UCL – Namur, Université catholique de Louvain, Yvoir, 4Molecular Physiology Research Unit (URPhyM-NARILIS, Laboratory of General Physiology, University of Namur, Namur, 5Chest Department, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, 6Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Saint-Pierre, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, 7Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Vésale, Montigny-le-Tilleul, 8Department of Respiratory Medicine, Cliniques universitaires St Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, 9Respiratory Division, University Hospital Brussels (UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, 10Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium Introduction: Patients with chronic airway disease may present features of both asthma and COPD, commonly referred to as asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS. Recommendations on their diagnosis are diffuse and inconsistent. This survey aimed to identify consensus on criteria for diagnosing ACOS.Methods: A Belgian expert panel developed a survey on ACOS diagnosis, which was completed by 87 pulmonologists. Answers chosen by ≥70% of survey respondents were considered as useful criteria for ACOS diagnosis. The two most frequently selected answers were considered as major criteria, others as minor criteria. The expert panel proposed a minimal requirement of two major criteria and one minor criterion for ACOS diagnosis. Respondents were also asked which criteria are important for considering inhaled corticosteroids prescription in a

  11. Utilidade do Ultrassom intracardíaco no isolamento de veias pulmonares usando cateter-balão a laser Utilidad del ultrasonido intracardíaco en el aislamiento de venas pulmonares usando catéter-balón láser Utility of intracardiac ultrasound imaging to guide pulmonary vein ablation using laser balloon catheter

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Leite

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O isolamento das veias pulmonares (IVP tem sido usado como endpoint para a ablação da fibrilação atrial (FA com cateter balão. OBJETIVO: Determinar a utilidade do ultrassom intracardíaco (USIC para guiar o IVP, usando cateter balão a laser. MÉTODOS: 59 VP foram ablacionadas em 27 cães. Imagens de Doppler foram usadas para identificar os vazamentos do fluxo sanguíneo entre a VP e o balão. Após cada liberação de energia, o cateter de mapeamento circular foi reposicionado para verificar se o isolamento tinha sido obtido. A posição de vazamento foi então correlacionada com a posição do gap no estudo patológico. A análise de regressão logística multivariada foi realizada. RESULTADOS: Cinquenta e nove VP foram submetidas à ablação. O tempo médio de energia liberada foi de 279±177 seg., o diâmetro médio do balão era de 23±3 mm, e o comprimento médio do balão era 25±4 mm. O isolamento completo foi obtido em 38/59 (64%, e foi significantemente mais comum sem vazamento: [30/38 (79% versus 8/23 (35%, pFUNDAMENTO: Se usó el aislamiento de las venas pulmonares (AVP como endpoint para la ablación de la fibrilación atrial (FA con catéter-balón. OBJETIVO: Determinar la utilidad del ultrasonido intracardíaco (USIC para guiar el AVP, usando catéter-balón láser. MÉTODOS: Se ablacionaron 59 VP en 27 perros. Se usaron imágenes de Doppler para identificar los derrames del flujo sanguíneo entre la VP y el balón. Tras cada liberación de energía, se reposicionó el catéter de mapeamiento circular para verificar si se obtuvo el aislamiento. Se correlaccionó, entonces, la posición del derrame con la posición del gap en el estudio patológico. Se realizó el análisis de regresión logística multivariada. RESULTADOS: Se sometieron 59 VP a la ablación. El tiempo promedio de energía liberada fue de 279±177 seg., el diámetro promedio del balón era de 23±3 mm, y la largura promedio del balón era 25±4 mm

  12. An experimental analysis of design choices of multi-objective ant colony optimization algorithms

    OpenAIRE

    Lopez-Ibanez, Manuel; Stutzle, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    There have been several proposals on how to apply the ant colony optimization (ACO) metaheuristic to multi-objective combinatorial optimization problems (MOCOPs). This paper proposes a new formulation of these multi-objective ant colony optimization (MOACO) algorithms. This formulation is based on adding specific algorithm components for tackling multiple objectives to the basic ACO metaheuristic. Examples of these components are how to represent multiple objectives using pheromone and heuris...

  13. QUINOA (CHENOPODIUM QUINOA WILLD: DIGESTIBILIDADE IN VITRO, DESENVOLVIMENTO E ANÁLISE SENSORIAL DE PREPARAÇÕES DESTINADAS A PACIENTES CELÍACOS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. I. A. CASTRO

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available

    A quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd é um pseudocereal isento de glúten, oriundo dos Andes, onde tem sido cultivado há milhares de anos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver e avaliar sensorialmente algumas preparações contendo quinoa em grãos, flocos e farinha, destinadas ao paciente celíaco, e determinar a digestibilidade in vitro de sua proteína, submetida ou não ao tratamento térmico. As amostras foram avaliadas sensorialmente através de um teste de aceitação utilizando a escala hedônica nominal de 9 pontos. O método utilizado na análise da digestibilidade protéica in vitro foi o da queda de pH após 10 minutos, com a adição das enzimas tripsina e pancreatina às amostras de quinoa, tratadas e não tratadas termicamente. Das sete preparações testadas, seis foram bem aceitas, já que apresentaram um Índice de Aceitabilidade maior que 70%. Os flocos e grãos de quinoa, após serem testados termicamente, tiveram sua digestibilidade otimizada. Portanto, a quinoa e seus derivados podem ser considerados uma boa opção para a alimentação dos indivíduos portadores da doença celíaca.

  14. Effect of shot peening treatment in the behavior of residual stress in duplex stainless steel during medium cycle fatigue; Efeito do tratamento de shot peening no comportamento das tensoes residuais em aco inoxidavel duplex durante fadiga de medio ciclo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedrosa, Peter D.S.; Rebello, Joao Marcos A. [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia (PEMM/COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Metalurgica e de Materiais; Fonseca, Maria P. Cindra, E-mail: mcindra@vm.uff.b [Universidade Federal Fluminense (PGMEC/UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Escola de Engenharia. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Engenharia Mecanica

    2010-07-01

    The lifetime of duplex stainless steel parts experiencing cyclic fatigue is directly influenced by the residual stresses present in the ferrite and austenite phases. The motivation for this work was to analyze the behaviour of the residual stresses fields introduced by shot peening treatment in both phases, in the sample surface as in the subsurface layers, in low fatigue cycles, using the X-rays diffraction technique. The results shows that the compressive residual stresses introduced by the shot peening treatment in both phases improved fatigue life of the material. However, the cyclical loads produce partial or total relief in these residual stresses fields. It was verified that the shot peening process induced the formation of microcracks only in the ferrite phase. The largest variations in the total compressive residual stresses fields also occurred in this phase. The samples surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. (author)

  15. Multidimensional singular integrals and integral equations

    CERN Document Server

    Mikhlin, Solomon Grigorievich; Stark, M; Ulam, S

    1965-01-01

    Multidimensional Singular Integrals and Integral Equations presents the results of the theory of multidimensional singular integrals and of equations containing such integrals. Emphasis is on singular integrals taken over Euclidean space or in the closed manifold of Liapounov and equations containing such integrals. This volume is comprised of eight chapters and begins with an overview of some theorems on linear equations in Banach spaces, followed by a discussion on the simplest properties of multidimensional singular integrals. Subsequent chapters deal with compounding of singular integrals

  16. Athena Community Office

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Núnez, S.; Barcons, X.; Barret, D.; Bozzo, E.; Carrera, F. J.; Ceballos, M. T.; Gómez, S.; Monterde, M. P.; Rau, A.

    2017-03-01

    The Athena Community Office (ACO) has been established by ESA's Athena Science Study Team (ASST) in order to obtain support in performing its tasks assigned by ESA, and most specially in the ASST role as "focal point for the interests of the broad scientific community". The ACO is led by the Instituto de Física de Cantabria (CSIC-UC), and its activities are funded by CSIC and UC. Further ACO contributors are the University of Geneva, MPE and IRAP. In this poster, we present ACO to the Spanish Astronomical Community, informing about its main responsibilities, which are: assist the ASST in organising and collecting support from the Athena Working Groups and Topical Panels; organise and maintain the documentation generated by the Athena Working Groups and Topical Panels; manage the Working Group and Topical Panel membership lists; assist the ASST in promoting Athena science capabilities in the research world, through conferences and workshops; keep a record of all papers and presentations related to Athena; support the production of ASST documents; produce and distribute regularly an Athena Newsletter, informing the community about all mission and science developments; create and maintain the Athena Community web portal; maintain an active communication activity; promote, organise and support Athena science-related public outreach, in coordination with ESA and other agencies involved when appropriate; and, design, produce materials and provide pointers to available materials produced by other parties. In summary, ACO is meant to become a focal point to facilitate the scientific exchange between the Athena activities and the scientific community at large, and to disseminate the Athena science objectives to the general public.

  17. Estado, iglesia y sociedad en la Monarquía Hispana de Carlos IV. Las apreciaciones de un embajador austríaco en Madrid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Álvarez Gutiérrez, Luis

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available This writing deals with an historiographical analysis of the contents of the diplomatic dispatches sent to Vienna by the imperial ambassador, John Frederick count of Kageneck, accredited at the Court of Charles IV. They concern to the first seven years of that reign (1789-1795. Provide issues, appreciations, and commentaries about the conditions of the contemporaneous Hispanic kingdom in the matter of institutional, administrative, political, economic, social, religious, military affairs, international relations and geostrategical interests. The Austrian diplomat pays much attention to the consequences of the French revolution in Spain; to the measures adopted by the Spanish authorities against the spread of the subversive ideas, as much in the metropolis, as in the overseas dominions, with special reference to the outstanding rôle played by the clergy, as the ideological and moral bulwark against the impetuous attacks of the French revolutionary activity; to the attitude of Spain with regard to the purpose of forming an international coalition against the revolutionary France; and to the later access of Spain in the war against the France of the Convention (1793-1795.

    Este trabajo propone un análisis historiográfico del contenido de los despachos diplomáticos enviados a Viena por el embajador imperial, Juan Federico de Kageneck, acreditado ante la Corte de Carlos IV. Corresponden a los siete primeros años de aquel reinado (1789-1795. Proporcionan datos, apreciaciones y comentarios sobre el estado de la monarquía hispana de la época en sus aspectos institucionales, administrativos, políticos, económicos, sociales, religiosos, militares, relaciones internacionales, e intereses geoestratégicos. El diplomático austríaco dedica atención preferente a las repercusiones de la Revolución francesa en España; a las medidas adoptadas por las autoridades españolas para contrarrestar la difusión de las ideas subversivas, tanto en la

  18. Comparisons of spectrally-enhanced asymmetrically-clipped optical OFDM systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowery, Arthur James

    2016-02-22

    Asymmetrically clipped optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (ACO-OFDM) is a technique that sacrifices spectral efficiency in order to transmit an orthogonally frequency-division multiplexed signal over a unipolar channel, such as a directly modulated direct-detection fiber or free-space channel. Several methods have been proposed to regain this spectral efficiency, including: asymmetrically clipped DC-biased optical OFDM (ADO-OFDM), enhanced U-OFDM (EU-OFDM), spectral and energy efficient OFDM (SEE-OFDM), Hybrid-ACO-OFDM and Layered-ACO-OFDM. This paper presents simulations up to high-order constellation sizes to show that Layered-ACO-OFDM offers the highest receiver sensitivity for a given optical power at spectral efficiencies above 3 bit/s/Hz. For comparison purposes, white Gaussian noise is added at the receiver, component nonlinearities are not considered, and the fiber is considered to be linear and dispersion-less. The simulations show that LACO-OFDM has a 7-dB sensitivity advantage over DC-biased OFDM (DCO-OFDM) for 1024-QAM at 87.5% of DCO-OFDM's spectral efficiency, at the same bit rate and optical power. This is approximately equivalent to a 4.4-dB advantage at the same spectral efficiency of 87.7% if 896-QAM were to be used for DCO-OFDM.

  19. Molecular characterisation and expression analysis of acc oxidase gene from guzmania ruiz and pav

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jianxin, L.; Huaqiao, D.; Weiyong, W.; Danqing, T.

    2017-01-01

    ACC oxidase is the last key enzyme of ethylene synthesis pathway, while ethylene is a key factor affecting flowering in ornamental bromeliad. To understand ACC oxidase gene's characteristics and its effect on ornamental bromeliad flowering, we cloned 1504bp full-length cDNA sequence (GenBank: JX972145) and 2546bp corresponding genomic sequence (GenBank: JX972146)of GoACO1 (ACC oxidase gene) from Guzmania variety: Ostara. Prokaryotic expression study showed that expression of GoACO1 can produced a 41 KD protein precipitation in Escherichia coli DE3(BL-21); Real-time quantitative analysis showed that GoACO1 can express in all tested tissues including floral organ, bract, leaf and scape, and expression quantity in bract was the highest. Through constructing plant overexpression vector, transforming into Arabidopsis thaliana, and investigating blossom character of T2 generation seeds, we found that first flowering time of the goal Arabidopsis thaliana was 1.5 days earlier, and their peak flowering time(the number of flowering more than 50%) was 1.8 days earlier, compared with wild type one. Taken together, our results suggested that GoACO1can express in all kinds of tissues and seems to promote Arabidopsis thaliana flowering earlier. (author)

  20. Perspectivas da evolução clínica de pacientes com cardiomiopatia chagásica listados em prioridade para o transplante cardíaco Clinical perspectives of patients with Chagas cardiomyopathy listed as high priority for heart transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz Felipe P. Moreira

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: O choque cardiogênico é responsável por elevados índices de mortalidade na fila de espera para o transplante cardíaco. Na cardiomiopatia chagásica, a alta incidência de disfunção biventricular pode contribuir com a gravidade desta complicação. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 141 pacientes indicados em caráter de prioridade para o transplante. Destes pacientes, 46 eram portadores de cardiomiopatia chagásica e 95 de outras cardiomiopatias. O choque cardiogênico foi tratado farmacologicamente e com o implante ocasional do balão intra-aórtico. Em cinco pacientes chagásicos, foi realizado o implante de dispositivo paracorpóreo de assistência ventricular esquerda. RESULTADOS: Num período médio de 2,8 meses, 58 (41,1% dos 141 pacientes foram transplantados, 73 (51,7% faleceram e 10 foram retirados da fila. A mortalidade entre os pacientes chagásicos e não chagásicos foi de 45,6% e 54,7%, respectivamente. No entanto, a expectativa média de vida, sem a realização do transplante cardíaco, dos pacientes chagásicos foi de apenas 1,5 meses, sendo observado risco relativo de mortalidade de 1,6 para estes pacientes em relação aos não chagásicos (pINTRODUCTION: Heart failure is responsible for high mortality rates of patients on heart transplantation waiting lists. In Chagas cardiomyopathy, the presence of biventricular dysfunction increases the severity of this situation. METHOD: One hundred and forty-one patients suffering from cardiogenic shock, listed as high priority for heart transplantation, were studied. Forty-six patients presented with Chagas cardiomyopathy and 95 with other cardiomyopathies. Heart failure was treated using intravenous inotropic drugs and intra-aortic balloon pump implantation. Five patients with Chagas disease underwent paracorporeal left ventricular assist device implantation. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 2.8 months, 58 (41.1% of the 141 patients were transplanted, while 73 (53.7% died

  1. Why and how does native topology dictate the folding speed of a protein?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rustad, Mark; Ghosh, Kingshuk

    2012-11-01

    Since the pioneering work of Plaxco, Simons, and Baker, it is now well known that the rates of protein folding strongly correlate with the average sequence separation (absolute contact order (ACO)) of native contacts. In spite of multitude of papers, our understanding to the basis of the relation between folding speed and ACO is still lacking. We model the transition state as a Gaussian polymer chain decorated with weak springs between native contacts while the unfolded state is modeled as a Gaussian chain only. Using these hamiltonians, our perturbative calculation explicitly shows folding speed and ACO are linearly related when only the first order term in the series is considered. However, to the second order, we notice the existence of two new topological metrics, termed COC1 and COC2 (COC stands for contact order correction). These additional correction terms are needed to properly account for the entropy loss due to overlapping (nested or linked) loops that are not well described by simple addition of entropies in ACO. COC1 and COC2 are related to fluctuations and correlations among different sequence separations. The new metric combining ACO, COC1, and COC2 improves folding speed dependence on native topology when applied to three different databases: (i) two-state proteins with only α/β and β proteins, (ii) two-state proteins (α/β, β and purely helical proteins all combined), and (iii) master set (multi-state and two-state) folding proteins. Furthermore, the first principle calculation provides us direct physical insights to the meaning of the fit parameters. The coefficient of ACO, for example, is related to the average strength of the contacts, while the constant term is related to the protein folding speed limit. With the new scaling law, our estimate of the folding speed limit is in close agreement with the widely accepted value of 1 μs observed in proteins and RNA. Analyzing an exhaustive set (7367) of monomeric proteins from protein data bank

  2. Integration of Chandrasekhar's integral equation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Tasuku

    2003-01-01

    We solve Chandrasekhar's integration equation for radiative transfer in the plane-parallel atmosphere by iterative integration. The primary thrust in radiative transfer has been to solve the forward problem, i.e., to evaluate the radiance, given the optical thickness and the scattering phase function. In the area of satellite remote sensing, our problem is the inverse problem: to retrieve the surface reflectance and the optical thickness of the atmosphere from the radiance measured by satellites. In order to retrieve the optical thickness and the surface reflectance from the radiance at the top-of-the atmosphere (TOA), we should express the radiance at TOA 'explicitly' in the optical thickness and the surface reflectance. Chandrasekhar formalized radiative transfer in the plane-parallel atmosphere in a simultaneous integral equation, and he obtained the second approximation. Since then no higher approximation has been reported. In this paper, we obtain the third approximation of the scattering function. We integrate functions derived from the second approximation in the integral interval from 1 to ∞ of the inverse of the cos of zenith angles. We can obtain the indefinite integral rather easily in the form of a series expansion. However, the integrals at the upper limit, ∞, are not yet known to us. We can assess the converged values of those series expansions at ∞ through calculus. For integration, we choose coupling pairs to avoid unnecessary terms in the outcome of integral and discover that the simultaneous integral equation can be deduced to the mere integral equation. Through algebraic calculation, we obtain the third approximation as a polynomial of the third degree in the atmospheric optical thickness

  3. Efeitos da suplementação do 17beta-estradiol no dano oxidativo cardíaco de ratas submetidas à privação dos hormônios ovarianos Effects of 17beta-estradiol replacement on cardiac oxidative damage in rats submitted to ovarian hormone deprivation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sônia Maria Rolim Rosa Lima

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: avaliar o estresse oxidativo em tecido cardíaco de ratas ooforectomizadas, com ou sem terapia hormonal. MÉTODOS: ratas Wistar foram divididas em três grupos: grupo controle (GC, grupo ooforectomizada (GO e grupo ooforectomizada + suplementação hormonal (GOS. A privação estrogênica foi obtida pela ooforectomia bilateral. Uma semana após a ooforectomia, um pellet de 1,5 mg de 17beta-estradiol foi implantado nos animais do grupo GOS. Nove semanas após a ooforectomia, o tecido cardíaco foi obtido para a análise do estresse oxidativo por meio da medida da quimiluminescência e da atividade das enzimas antioxidantes catalase (CAT, superóxido dismutase (SOD e glutationa peroxidase (GPx. RESULTADOS: a quimiluminescência estava aumentada no GO (7348±312 cps/mg proteína quando comparado ao GC (6250±41 cps/mg proteína, pPURPOSE: to evaluate oxidative stress in cardiac tissue of ovariectomized rats, with and without hormonal therapy. METHODS: female Wistar rats were divided in three groups: control group (CG; ovariectomized group (OG; ovariectomized group with estrogen supplementation (ESG. The estrogen deprivation was done through bilateral ovariectomy. After one week from the ovariectomy, a pellet of 1.5 mg of 17beta-estradiol was implanted in the ESG animals. Nine weeks after the ovariectomy, cardiac tissue was obtained for the analysis of the oxidative stress through CL (chemiluminescence, and measurement of antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD and gluthatione peroxidase (GPx. RESULTS: CL was increased in the OG (7348±312 cps/mg protein when compared with the CG (6250±41 cps/mg protein, p<0.01, but there was no significant difference between the CG and the ESG (6170±237 cps/mg protein. Ovariectomy reduced SOD (35%, p<0.05 and CAT (22%, p<0.001 activities in the OG as compared with the CG. Hormonal therapy normalized antioxidant enzymes activities in the ESG. There was no statistically significant

  4. Ant colony optimization as a descriptor selection in QSPR modeling: Estimation of the λmax of anthraquinones-based dyes

    OpenAIRE

    Morteza Atabati; Kobra Zarei; Azam Borhani

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) studies based on ant colony optimization (ACO) were carried out for the prediction of λmax of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives. ACO is a meta-heuristic algorithm, which is derived from the observation of real ants and proposed to feature selection. After optimization of 3D geometry of structures by the semi-empirical quantum-chemical calculation at AM1 level, different descriptors were calculated by the HyperChem and Dragon softwares (1514 des...

  5. Ant Colony Optimization Algorithm to Dynamic Energy Management in Cloud Data Center

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanchen Pang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available With the wide deployment of cloud computing data centers, the problems of power consumption have become increasingly prominent. The dynamic energy management problem in pursuit of energy-efficiency in cloud data centers is investigated. Specifically, a dynamic energy management system model for cloud data centers is built, and this system is composed of DVS Management Module, Load Balancing Module, and Task Scheduling Module. According to Task Scheduling Module, the scheduling process is analyzed by Stochastic Petri Net, and a task-oriented resource allocation method (LET-ACO is proposed, which optimizes the running time of the system and the energy consumption by scheduling tasks. Simulation studies confirm the effectiveness of the proposed system model. And the simulation results also show that, compared to ACO, Min-Min, and RR scheduling strategy, the proposed LET-ACO method can save up to 28%, 31%, and 40% energy consumption while meeting performance constraints.

  6. Optic disc detection using ant colony optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Marcy A.; Monteiro, Fernando C.

    2012-09-01

    The retinal fundus images are used in the treatment and diagnosis of several eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. This paper proposes a new method to detect the optic disc (OD) automatically, due to the fact that the knowledge of the OD location is essential to the automatic analysis of retinal images. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is an optimization algorithm inspired by the foraging behaviour of some ant species that has been applied in image processing for edge detection. Recently, the ACO was used in fundus images to detect edges, and therefore, to segment the OD and other anatomical retinal structures. We present an algorithm for the detection of OD in the retina which takes advantage of the Gabor wavelet transform, entropy and ACO algorithm. Forty images of the retina from DRIVE database were used to evaluate the performance of our method.

  7. Pharmacological Management of Elderly Patients with Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome: Room for Speculation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castiglia, Daniela; Battaglia, Salvatore; Benfante, Alida; Sorino, Claudio; Scichilone, Nicola

    2016-06-01

    Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are two distinct diseases that share a condition of chronic inflammation of the airways and bronchial obstruction. In clinical settings, it is not rare to come across patients who present with clinical and functional features of both diseases, posing a diagnostic dilemma. The overlap condition has been termed asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), and mainly occurs in individuals with long-standing asthma, especially if they are also current or former smokers. Patients with ACOS have poorer health-related quality of life and a higher exacerbation rate than subjects with asthma or COPD alone. Whether ACOS is a distinct nosological entity with genetic variants or rather a condition of concomitant diseases that overlap is still a matter of debate. However, there is no doubt that extended life expectancy has increased the prevalence of asthma and COPD in older ages, and thus the probability that overlap conditions occur in clinical settings. In addition, age-associated changes of the lung create the basis for the two entities to converge on the same subject. ACOS patients may benefit from a stepwise treatment similar to that of asthma and COPD; however, the proposed therapeutic algorithms are only speculative and extrapolated from studies that are not representative of the ACOS population. Inhaled corticosteroids are the mainstay of therapy, and always in conjunction with long-acting bronchodilators. The potential heterogeneity of the overlap syndrome in terms of inflammatory features (T helper-1 vs. T helper-2 pathways) may be responsible for the different responses to treatments. The interaction between respiratory drugs and concomitant diseases should be carefully evaluated. Similarly, the effect of non-respiratory drugs, such as aspirin, statins, and β-blockers, on lung function needs to be properly assessed.

  8. Proton Beam Therapy and Accountable Care: The Challenges Ahead

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elnahal, Shereef M., E-mail: selnahal@partners.org [Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Kerstiens, John [Proton Therapy Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (United States); Helsper, Richard S. [Genesis HealthCare System, Zanesville, OH (United States); Zietman, Anthony L. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Johnstone, Peter A.S. [Proton Therapy Center, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN (United States)

    2013-03-15

    Purpose: Proton beam therapy (PBT) centers have drawn increasing public scrutiny for their high cost. The behavior of such facilities is likely to change under the Affordable Care Act. We modeled how accountable care reform may affect the financial standing of PBT centers and their incentives to treat complex patient cases. Methods and Materials: We used operational data and publicly listed Medicare rates to model the relationship between financial metrics for PBT center performance and case mix (defined as the percentage of complex cases, such as pediatric central nervous system tumors). Financial metrics included total daily revenues and debt coverage (daily revenues − daily debt payments). Fee-for-service (FFS) and accountable care (ACO) reimbursement scenarios were modeled. Sensitivity analyses were performed around the room time required to treat noncomplex cases: simple (30 minutes), prostate (24 minutes), and short prostate (15 minutes). Sensitivity analyses were also performed for total machine operating time (14, 16, and 18 h/d). Results: Reimbursement under ACOs could reduce daily revenues in PBT centers by up to 32%. The incremental revenue gained by replacing 1 complex case with noncomplex cases was lowest for simple cases and highest for short prostate cases. ACO rates reduced this incremental incentive by 53.2% for simple cases and 41.7% for short prostate cases. To cover daily debt payments after ACO rates were imposed, 26% fewer complex patients were allowable at varying capital costs and interest rates. Only facilities with total machine operating times of 18 hours per day would cover debt payments in all scenarios. Conclusions: Debt-financed PBT centers will face steep challenges to remain financially viable after ACO implementation. Paradoxically, reduced reimbursement for noncomplex cases will require PBT centers to treat more such cases over cases for which PBT has demonstrated superior outcomes. Relative losses will be highest for those

  9. Impact of chronic cough on quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    French, C L; Irwin, R S; Curley, F J; Krikorian, C J

    Cough is the most common complaint for which adult patients seek medical care in the United States; however, the reason(s) for this is unknown. To determine whether chronic cough was associated with adverse psychosocial or physical effects on the quality of life and whether the elimination of chronic cough with specific therapy improved these adverse effects. The study design was a prospective before-and-after intervention trial with patients serving as their own controls. Study subjects were a convenience sample of 39 consecutive and unselected adult patients referred for evaluation and management of a chronic, persistently troublesome cough. Baseline data were available for 39 patients and follow-up for 28 patients (22 women and 6 men). At baseline, demographic, Adverse Cough Outcome Survey (ACOS), and Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) data were collected and patients were managed according to a validated, systematic protocol. Following specific therapy for cough, ACOS and SIP instruments were readministered. The ages, sex, duration, and spectra and frequencies of the causes of cough were similar to multiple other studies. At baseline, patients reported a mean +/- SD of 8.6 +/- 4.8 types of adverse occurrences related to cough. There were significant correlations between multiple ACOS items and total, physical, and psychosocial SIP scores. Psychosocial score correlated with total number of symptoms (PSIP scores. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that 54% of variability of the psychosocial SIP score was explained by 4 ACOS items while none of the physical score was explained. Chronic cough was associated with deterioration in patients' quality of life. The health-related dysfunction was most likely psychosocial. The ACOS and SIP appear to be valid tools in assessing the impact of chronic cough.

  10. Proton Beam Therapy and Accountable Care: The Challenges Ahead

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elnahal, Shereef M.; Kerstiens, John; Helsper, Richard S.; Zietman, Anthony L.; Johnstone, Peter A.S.

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Proton beam therapy (PBT) centers have drawn increasing public scrutiny for their high cost. The behavior of such facilities is likely to change under the Affordable Care Act. We modeled how accountable care reform may affect the financial standing of PBT centers and their incentives to treat complex patient cases. Methods and Materials: We used operational data and publicly listed Medicare rates to model the relationship between financial metrics for PBT center performance and case mix (defined as the percentage of complex cases, such as pediatric central nervous system tumors). Financial metrics included total daily revenues and debt coverage (daily revenues − daily debt payments). Fee-for-service (FFS) and accountable care (ACO) reimbursement scenarios were modeled. Sensitivity analyses were performed around the room time required to treat noncomplex cases: simple (30 minutes), prostate (24 minutes), and short prostate (15 minutes). Sensitivity analyses were also performed for total machine operating time (14, 16, and 18 h/d). Results: Reimbursement under ACOs could reduce daily revenues in PBT centers by up to 32%. The incremental revenue gained by replacing 1 complex case with noncomplex cases was lowest for simple cases and highest for short prostate cases. ACO rates reduced this incremental incentive by 53.2% for simple cases and 41.7% for short prostate cases. To cover daily debt payments after ACO rates were imposed, 26% fewer complex patients were allowable at varying capital costs and interest rates. Only facilities with total machine operating times of 18 hours per day would cover debt payments in all scenarios. Conclusions: Debt-financed PBT centers will face steep challenges to remain financially viable after ACO implementation. Paradoxically, reduced reimbursement for noncomplex cases will require PBT centers to treat more such cases over cases for which PBT has demonstrated superior outcomes. Relative losses will be highest for those

  11. Contract Design: Risk Management and Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mühlbacher, Axel C; Amelung, Volker E; Juhnke, Christin

    2018-01-12

    Effective risk adjustment is an aspect that is more and more given weight on the background of competitive health insurance systems and vital healthcare systems. The risk structure of the providers plays a vital role in Pay for Performance. A prerequisite for optimal incentive-based service models is a (partial) dependence of the agent's returns on the provider's gain level. Integrated care systems as well as accountable care organisations (ACOs) in the US and similar concepts in other countries are advocated as an effective method of improving the performance of healthcare systems. These systems outline a payment and care delivery model that intends to tie provider reimbursements to predefined quality metrics. By this the total costs of care shall be reduced. Little is known about the contractual design and the main challenges of delegating "accountability" to these new kinds of organisations and/or contracts. The costs of market utilisation are highly relevant for the conception of healthcare contracts; furthermore information asymmetries and contract-specific investments are an obstacle to the efficient operation of ACOs. A comprehensive literature review on methods of designing contracts in Integrated Care was conducted. The research question in this article focuses on how reimbursement strategies, evaluation of measures and methods of risk adjustment can best be integrated in healthcare contracting. Each integrated care contract includes challenges for both payers and providers without having sufficient empirical data on both sides. These challenges are clinical, administrative or financial nature. Risk adjusted contracts ensure that the reimbursement roughly matches the true costs resulting from the morbidity of a population. If reimbursement of care provider corresponds to the actual expenses for an individual/population the problem of risk selection is greatly reduced. The currently used methods of risk adjustment have widely differing model and forecast

  12. Molecular cluster theory of chemical bonding in actinide oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, D.E.; Gubanov, V.A.; Rosen, A.

    1978-01-01

    The electronic structure of actinide monoxides AcO and dioxides AcO 2 , where Ac = Th, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm and Bk has been studied by molecular cluster methods based on the first-principles one-electron local density theory. Molecular orbitals for nearest neighbor clusters AcO 10- 6 and AcO 12- 8 representative of monoxide and dioxide lattices were obtained using non-relativistic spin-restricted and spin-polarized Hartree-Fock-Slater models for the entire series. Fully relativistic Dirac-Slater calculations were performed for ThO, UO and NpO in order to explore magnitude of spin-orbit splittings and level shifts in valence structure. Self-consistent iterations were carried out for NpO, in which the NpO 6 cluster was embedded in the molecular field of the solid. Finally, a ''moment polarized'' model which combines both spin-polarization and relativistic effects in a consistent fashion was applied to the NpO system. Covalent mixing of oxygen 2p and Ac 5f orbitals was found to increase rapidly across the actinide series; metal s,p,d covalency was found to be nearly constant. Mulliken atomic population analysis of cluster eigenvectors shows that free-ion crystal field models are unreliable, except for the light actinides. X-ray photoelectron line shapes have been calculated and are found to compare rather well with experimental data on the dioxides

  13. Memristive effects in oxygenated amorphous carbon nanodevices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bachmann, T. A.; Koelmans, W. W.; Jonnalagadda, V. P.; Le Gallo, M.; Santini, C. A.; Sebastian, A.; Eleftheriou, E.; Craciun, M. F.; Wright, C. D.

    2018-01-01

    Computing with resistive-switching (memristive) memory devices has shown much recent progress and offers an attractive route to circumvent the von-Neumann bottleneck, i.e. the separation of processing and memory, which limits the performance of conventional computer architectures. Due to their good scalability and nanosecond switching speeds, carbon-based resistive-switching memory devices could play an important role in this respect. However, devices based on elemental carbon, such as tetrahedral amorphous carbon or ta-C, typically suffer from a low cycling endurance. A material that has proven to be capable of combining the advantages of elemental carbon-based memories with simple fabrication methods and good endurance performance for binary memory applications is oxygenated amorphous carbon, or a-CO x . Here, we examine the memristive capabilities of nanoscale a-CO x devices, in particular their ability to provide the multilevel and accumulation properties that underpin computing type applications. We show the successful operation of nanoscale a-CO x memory cells for both the storage of multilevel states (here 3-level) and for the provision of an arithmetic accumulator. We implement a base-16, or hexadecimal, accumulator and show how such a device can carry out hexadecimal arithmetic and simultaneously store the computed result in the self-same a-CO x cell, all using fast (sub-10 ns) and low-energy (sub-pJ) input pulses.

  14. The modification of hybrid method of ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization and 3-OPT algorithm in traveling salesman problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertono, G. F.; Ubadah; Handari, B. D.

    2018-03-01

    The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is a famous problem in finding the shortest tour to visit every vertex exactly once, except the first vertex, given a set of vertices. This paper discusses three modification methods to solve TSP by combining Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and 3-Opt Algorithm. The ACO is used to find the solution of TSP, in which the PSO is implemented to find the best value of parameters α and β that are used in ACO.In order to reduce the total of tour length from the feasible solution obtained by ACO, then the 3-Opt will be used. In the first modification, the 3-Opt is used to reduce the total tour length from the feasible solutions obtained at each iteration, meanwhile, as the second modification, 3-Opt is used to reduce the total tour length from the entire solution obtained at every iteration. In the third modification, 3-Opt is used to reduce the total tour length from different solutions obtained at each iteration. Results are tested using 6 benchmark problems taken from TSPLIB by calculating the relative error to the best known solution as well as the running time. Among those modifications, only the second and third modification give satisfactory results except the second one needs more execution time compare to the third modifications.

  15. Spliceosomal protein U1A is involved in alternative splicing and salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

    KAUST Repository

    Gu, Jinbao

    2017-12-01

    Soil salinity is a significant threat to sustainable agricultural production worldwide. Plants must adjust their developmental and physiological processes to cope with salt stress. Although the capacity for adaptation ultimately depends on the genome, the exceptional versatility in gene regulation provided by the spliceosome-mediated alternative splicing (AS) is essential in these adaptive processes. However, the functions of the spliceosome in plant stress responses are poorly understood. Here, we report the in-depth characterization of a U1 spliceosomal protein, AtU1A, in controlling AS of pre-mRNAs under salt stress and salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. The atu1a mutant was hypersensitive to salt stress and accumulated more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than the wild-type under salt stress. RNA-seq analysis revealed that AtU1A regulates AS of many genes, presumably through modulating recognition of 5′ splice sites. We showed that AtU1A is associated with the pre-mRNA of the ROS detoxification-related gene ACO1 and is necessary for the regulation of ACO1 AS. ACO1 is important for salt tolerance because ectopic expression of ACO1 in the atu1a mutant can partially rescue its salt hypersensitive phenotype. Our findings highlight the critical role of AtU1A as a regulator of pre-mRNA processing and salt tolerance in plants.

  16. Mutant DnaAs of Escherichia coli that are refractory to negative control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chodavarapu, Sundari; Felczak, Magdalena M; Simmons, Lyle A; Murillo, Alec; Kaguni, Jon M

    2013-12-01

    DnaA is the initiator of DNA replication in bacteria. A mutant DnaA named DnaAcos is unusual because it is refractory to negative regulation. We developed a genetic method to isolate other mutant DnaAs that circumvent regulation to extend our understanding of mechanisms that control replication initiation. Like DnaAcos, one mutant bearing a tyrosine substitution for histidine 202 (H202Y) withstands the regulation exerted by datA, hda and dnaN (β clamp), and both DnaAcos and H202Y resist inhibition by the Hda-β clamp complex in vitro. Other mutant DnaAs carrying G79D, E244K, V303M or E445K substitutions are either only partially sensitive or refractory to inhibition by the Hda-β clamp complex in vitro but are responsive to hda expression in vivo. All mutant DnaAs remain able to interact directly with Hda. Of interest, both DnaAcos and DnaAE244K bind more avidly to Hda. These mutants, by sequestrating Hda, may limit its availability to regulate other DnaA molecules, which remain active to induce extra rounds of DNA replication. Other evidence suggests that a mutant bearing a V292M substitution hyperinitiates by escaping the effect of an unknown regulatory factor. Together, our results provide new insight into the mechanisms that regulate replication initiation in Escherichia coli.

  17. Uso de fluorescência em um método de dissector modificado para estimar o número de miócitos no tecido cardíaco

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rômulo Dias Novaes

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: Métodos convencionais de dissector atualmente requerem consideráveis custos financeiros, técnicos e operacionais para estimar o número de células, incluindo cardiomiócitos, em uma área de 3D. OBJETIVO: Usar a microscopia de fluorescência em um método de dissector modificado para determinar o número de miócitos no tecido cardíaco em condições normais e patológicas. MÉTODOS: O estudo empregou camundongos Wistar machos com quatro meses de idade e peso de 366,25 ± 88,21 g randomizados em grupos controles (GC, n = 8 e infectados (GI, n = 8. Os animais do GI foram inoculados com cepa Y de T. cruzi (300.000 tripomastigotas/50 g. Após oito semanas, os animais foram pesados e sacrificados. Os Ventrículos Esquerdos (VE foram removidos para análise estereológica da densidade numérica de cardiomiócitos (Nv [c] e o número total dessas células no VE (N [c]. Esses parâmetros foram estimados usando um dissector fluorescente (DF e comparados com os métodos convencionais de dissector óptico (DO e dissector físico (DFi. RESULTADOS: Em ambos os métodos de dissector, os animais do GI apresentaram queda significativa de Nv[c] e N[c] em comparação com os animais do GC (P > 0,05. Uma correlação forte, igual ou superior a 96%, foi obtida entre DF, DO e DFi. CONCLUSÃO: O método DF parece ser igualmente confiável para determinar Nv[c] e N[c] em condições normais e patológicas, apresentando algumas vantagens em relação aos métodos convencionais de dissector: redução de cortes histológicos e imagens na análise estereológica, redução do tempo de análise das imagens, a construção de DF em microscópios simples, utilizando o modo de epifluorescência, distinção de planos de dissector em ampliações inferiores.

  18. Sevoflurano e desflurano sobre o ritmo cardíaco de cães tratados com infusão contínua de doses crescentes de adrenalina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nunes Newton

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Os anestésicos inalatórios sensibilizam o miocárdio ou seu sistema de condução à ação das catecolaminas endógenas e/ou exógenas, predispondo o animal às arritmias cardíacas. Dentre os anestésicos voláteis, o sevoflurano e o desflurano são fármacos relativamente recentes e, embora sejam dotados de características relacionadas a não sensibilização do miocárdio às catecolaminas, desconhecem-se estudos que comparem suas eventuais propriedades antiarritmogênicas. Com o objetivo de estudar, comparativamente, o comportamento do ritmo cardíaco e observar eventuais bloqueios atrioventriculares em cães anestesiados pelo sevoflurano e desflurano e submetidos à infusão contínua de adrenalina, foram utilizados 20 animais adultos, os quais foram separados em dois grupos de igual número (G1 e G2. Aos cães do G1, foi administrado propofol, na dose média de 10mmg.kg-1; em seguida os animais receberam sevoflurano, a 1,5CAM. Decorridos 30 minutos do início da administração do anestésico volátil, iniciou-se a infusão de adrenalina na dose de 1mmg.kg-1.min-1. A cada 10 minutos, a dose da catecolamina foi acrescida em uma unidade, cessando-se a administração em 6mmg.kg-1.min-1. Para o G2, empregou-se a mesma metodologia, substituindo-se o sevoflurano pelo desflurano, administrado a 1,5CAM. A cada dose de adrenalina, foi feita contagem de batimentos ventriculares ectópicos, bem como a observação de bloqueios atrioventriculares. Os achados foram tratados pelos métodos estatísticos de Análise de Perfil e Kruskall-Wallis. Os resultados permitiram concluir que o desflurano minimiza de maneira mais eficiente a arritmia induzida pela adrenalina, além de reduzir a incidência de bloqueios atrioventriculares.

  19. Runtime analysis of the 1-ANT ant colony optimizer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Doerr, Benjamin; Neumann, Frank; Sudholt, Dirk

    2011-01-01

    The runtime analysis of randomized search heuristics is a growing field where, in the last two decades, many rigorous results have been obtained. First runtime analyses of ant colony optimization (ACO) have been conducted only recently. In these studies simple ACO algorithms such as the 1-ANT...... that give us a more detailed impression of the 1-ANT’s performance. Furthermore, the experiments also deal with the question whether using many ant solutions in one iteration can decrease the total runtime....

  20. Structuring Payment to Medical Homes After the Affordable Care Act

    OpenAIRE

    Edwards, Samuel T.; Abrams, Melinda K.; Baron, Richard J.; Berenson, Robert A.; Rich, Eugene C.; Rosenthal, Gary E.; Rosenthal, Meredith B.; Landon, Bruce E.

    2014-01-01

    The Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a leading model of primary care reform, a critical element of which is payment reform for primary care services. With the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) has emerged as a model of delivery system reform, and while there is theoretical alignment between the PCMH and ACOs, the discussion of physician payment within each model has remained distinct. Here we compare payment for medical homes with that for acco...

  1. Long Pulse Integrator of Variable Integral Time Constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yong; Ji Zhenshan; Du Xiaoying; Wu Yichun; Li Shi; Luo Jiarong

    2010-01-01

    A kind of new long pulse integrator was designed based on the method of variable integral time constant and deducting integral drift by drift slope. The integral time constant can be changed by choosing different integral resistors, in order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, and avoid output saturation; the slope of integral drift of a certain period of time can be calculated by digital signal processing, which can be used to deduct the drift of original integral signal in real time to reduce the integral drift. The tests show that this kind of long pulse integrator is good at reducing integral drift, which also can eliminate the effects of changing integral time constant. According to experiments, the integral time constant can be changed by remote control and manual adjustment of integral drift is avoided, which can improve the experiment efficiency greatly and can be used for electromagnetic measurement in Tokamak experiment. (authors)

  2. Topology optimum design of compliant mechanisms using modified ant colony optimization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Kwang Seon; Han, Seog Young [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-08-15

    A Modified ant colony optimization (MACO) algorithm was suggested for topology optimal design of compliant mechanisms since standard ACO cannot provide an appropriate optimal topology. In order to improve computational efficiency and suitability of standard ACO algorithm in topology optimization for compliant mechanisms, a continuous variable, called the 'Element contribution significance (ECS),'is employed, which serves to replace the positions of ants in the standard ACO algorithm, and assess the importance of each element in the optimization process. MACO algorithm was applied to topology optimizations of both linear and geometrically nonlinear compliant mechanisms using three kinds of objective functions, and optimized topologies were compared each other. From the comparisons, it was concluded that MACO algorithm can effectively be applied to topology optimizations of linear and geometrically nonlinear compliant mechanisms, and the ratio of Mutual potential energy (MPE) to Strain energy (SE) type of objective function is the best for topology optimal design of compliant mechanisms.

  3. Herpes simplex and varicella zoster CNS infections: clinical presentations, treatments and outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaewpoowat, Quanhathai; Salazar, Lucrecia; Aguilera, Elizabeth; Wootton, Susan H; Hasbun, Rodrigo

    2016-06-01

    To describe the clinical manifestations, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics, imaging studies and prognostic factors of adverse clinical outcomes (ACO) among adults with herpes simplex virus (HSV) or varicella zoster virus (VZV) CNS infections. Retrospective review of adult patients with positive HSV or VZV polymerase chain reaction on CSF from an observational study of meningitis or encephalitis in Houston, TX (2004-2014), and New Orleans, LA (1999-2008). Ninety-eight adults patients were identified; 25 had encephalitis [20 (20.4 %) HSV, 5 (5.1 %) VZV], and 73 had meningitis [60 (61.1 %) HSV and 13 (13.3 %) VZV]. HSV and VZV had similar presentations except for nausea (P 1 and an encephalitis presentation were independently associated with an ACO. The treatment for HSV meningitis was variable, and all patients had a good clinical outcome. Alpha herpes CNS infections due to HSV and VZV infections have similar clinical and laboratory manifestations. ACO was observed more frequently in those patients with comorbidities and an encephalitis presentation.

  4. A universal optimization strategy for ant colony optimization algorithms based on the Physarum-inspired mathematical model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Zili; Gao, Chao; Liu, Yuxin; Qian, Tao

    2014-01-01

    Ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms often fall into the local optimal solution and have lower search efficiency for solving the travelling salesman problem (TSP). According to these shortcomings, this paper proposes a universal optimization strategy for updating the pheromone matrix in the ACO algorithms. The new optimization strategy takes advantages of the unique feature of critical paths reserved in the process of evolving adaptive networks of the Physarum-inspired mathematical model (PMM). The optimized algorithms, denoted as PMACO algorithms, can enhance the amount of pheromone in the critical paths and promote the exploitation of the optimal solution. Experimental results in synthetic and real networks show that the PMACO algorithms are more efficient and robust than the traditional ACO algorithms, which are adaptable to solve the TSP with single or multiple objectives. Meanwhile, we further analyse the influence of parameters on the performance of the PMACO algorithms. Based on these analyses, the best values of these parameters are worked out for the TSP. (paper)

  5. Solving multi-objective job shop problem using nature-based algorithms: new Pareto approximation features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jarosław Rudy

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the job shop scheduling problem (JSP with minimizing two criteria simultaneously is considered. JSP is frequently used model in real world applications of combinatorial optimization. Multi-objective job shop problems (MOJSP were rarely studied. We implement and compare two multi-agent nature-based methods, namely ant colony optimization (ACO and genetic algorithm (GA for MOJSP. Both of those methods employ certain technique, taken from the multi-criteria decision analysis in order to establish ranking of solutions. ACO and GA differ in a method of keeping information about previously found solutions and their quality, which affects the course of the search. In result, new features of Pareto approximations provided by said algorithms are observed: aside from the slight superiority of the ACO method the Pareto frontier approximations provided by both methods are disjoint sets. Thus, both methods can be used to search mutually exclusive areas of the Pareto frontier.

  6. Advanced Harmony Search with Ant Colony Optimization for Solving the Traveling Salesman Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ho-Yoeng Yun

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose a novel heuristic algorithm based on the methods of advanced Harmony Search and Ant Colony Optimization (AHS-ACO to effectively solve the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP. The TSP, in general, is well known as an NP-complete problem, whose computational complexity increases exponentially by increasing the number of cities. In our algorithm, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO is used to search the local optimum in the solution space, followed by the use of the Harmony Search to escape the local optimum determined by the ACO and to move towards a global optimum. Experiments were performed to validate the efficiency of our algorithm through a comparison with other algorithms and the optimum solutions presented in the TSPLIB. The results indicate that our algorithm is capable of generating the optimum solution for most instances in the TSPLIB; moreover, our algorithm found better solutions in two cases (kroB100 and pr144 when compared with the optimum solution presented in the TSPLIB.

  7. What is the Integral in Integral Education? From Progressive Pedagogy to Integral Pedagogy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tom Murray

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Integrally-informed educational approaches have much in common withprogressive (including reform, alternative, holistic, and transformative approaches, andshare many of the same values. One function of the integral approach is to provide anoverarching model within which to coordinate different progressive methods. Thoughintegral adds much more than that, descriptions of integral education sometimes soundlike progressive educational principles recast with new terminology. This essay attemptsto clarify what the integral approach adds over and above progressive educationaltheories. After an overview of progressive pedagogical principles, the integral approachis discussed in terms of integral as a model, a method, a community, and a developmentalstage. Integral as a type of consciousness or developmental level is elaborated upon asconsisting of construct-awareness, ego-awareness, relational-awareness, and systemawareness,all important to the educational process. Finally, challenges and supportsystems for realizing integral education are discussed.

  8. Power Systems Integration Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    | NREL Power Systems Integration Laboratory Power Systems Integration Laboratory Research in the Energy System Integration Facility's Power Systems Integration Laboratory focuses on the microgrid applications. Photo of engineers testing an inverter in the Power Systems Integration Laboratory

  9. Explanatory digital video disc with patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization Disco digital explicativo para pacientes sometidos al cateterismo cardiaco diagnóstico Digital video disc explicativo em pacientes submetidos ao cateterismo cardíaco diagnóstico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabrina Koehler Torrano

    2011-08-01

    ámico.O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o conhecimento dos pacientes pré-cateterismo cardíaco com diagnóstico ambulatorial, após digital video disc explicativo, em um hospital de referência em cardiologia. Usou-se o estudo transversal como metodologia, com pacientes submetidos ao primeiro cateterismo cardíaco, realizado de maio a junho de 2009, no setor de hemodinâmica. Foi utilizado instrumento com questões (12 referentes ao entendimento dos pacientes sobre o procedimento. A intervenção foi um vídeo com duração de cinco minutos, elaborado pelos pesquisadores. A amostra foi constituída por 94 pacientes, divididos em grupo intervenção-GI (45 e grupo controle-GC (49, com idade média de 55±9 anos e predominância do sexo masculino. Pacientes do GI apresentaram maior índice de acertos (74,6±17,1, quando comparados ao GC (31,6±18,8, p=0,000. Pode-se concluir, por meio dos resultados, que houve eficácia da apresentação de um vídeo de orientações para pacientes submetidos ao procedimento hemodinâmico.

  10. Integral-preserving integrators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLaren, D I; Quispel, G R W

    2004-01-01

    Ordinary differential equations having a first integral may be solved numerically using one of several methods, with the integral preserved to machine accuracy. One such method is the discrete gradient method. It is shown here that the order of the method can be bootstrapped repeatedly to higher orders of accuracy. The method is illustrated using the Henon-Heiles system. (letter to the editor)

  11. Subcallosal artery stroke: infarction of the fornix and the genu of the corpus callosum. The importance of the anterior communicating artery complex. Case series and review of the literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meila, Dan; Saliou, Guillaume; Krings, Timo

    2015-01-01

    Despite the variable anatomy of the anterior communicating artery (AcoA) complex, three main perforating branches can be typically identified the largest of which being the subcallosal artery (ScA). We present a case series of infarction in the vascular territory of the ScA to highlight the anatomy, the clinical symptomatology, and the presumed pathophysiology as it pertains to endovascular and surgical management of vascular pathology in this region. In this retrospective multicenter case series study of patients who were diagnosed with symptomatic ScA stroke, we analyzed all available clinical records, MRI, and angiographic details. Additionally, a review of the literature is provided. We identified five different cases of ScA stroke, leading to a subsequent infarction of the fornix and the genu of the corpus callosum. The presumed pathophysiology in non-iatrogenic cases is microangiopathy, rather than embolic events; iatrogenic SCA occlusion can present after both surgical and endovascular treatment of AcoA aneurysms that may occur with or without occlusion of the AcoA. Stroke in the vascular territory of the ScA leads to a characteristic imaging and clinical pattern. Ischemia involves the anterior columns of the fornix and the genu of the corpus callosum, and patients present with a Korsakoff's syndrome including disturbances of short-term memory and cognitive changes. We conclude that despite its small size, the ScA is an important artery to watch out for during surgical or endovascular treatment of AcoA aneurysms.

  12. Evaluation of performance in a combined UASB and aerobic contact oxidation process treating acrylic wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Anfeng; Dong, Na; He, Manni; Pan, Tao

    2015-01-01

    The lab-scale and full-scale performance of a combined mesophilic up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) and aerobic contact oxidation (ACO) process for treating acrylic wastewater was studied. During lab-scale experiment, the overwhelmed volumetric load for UASB was above 6 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD) ·(m(-3)·d(-1)) since COD removal efficiency dropped dramatically from 73% at 6 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)) to 61% at 7 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)) and 53% at 8 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)). Further results showed that an up-flow fluid velocity of 0.5 m h(-1) for UASB obtained a highest COD removal efficiency of 75%, and the optimum COD volumetric load for the corresponding ACO was 1.00 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)). Based on the configuration of the lab-scale experiment, a full-scale application with an acrylic wastewater treatment capacity of 8 m3 h(-1) was constructed and operated at a volumetric load of 5.5 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)), an up-flow fluid velocity of 0.5 m h(-1) for UASB and a volumetric load of 0.9 kg COD·(m(-3)·d(-1)) for ACO; and the final effluent COD was around 740 mg L(-1). The results suggest that a combined UASB-ACO process is promising for treating acrylic wastewater.

  13. [Integrity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez Rodríguez, Rafael Ángel

    2014-01-01

    To say that someone possesses integrity is to claim that that person is almost predictable about responses to specific situations, that he or she can prudentially judge and to act correctly. There is a closed interrelationship between integrity and autonomy, and the autonomy rests on the deeper moral claim of all humans to integrity of the person. Integrity has two senses of significance for medical ethic: one sense refers to the integrity of the person in the bodily, psychosocial and intellectual elements; and in the second sense, the integrity is the virtue. Another facet of integrity of the person is la integrity of values we cherish and espouse. The physician must be a person of integrity if the integrity of the patient is to be safeguarded. The autonomy has reduced the violations in the past, but the character and virtues of the physician are the ultimate safeguard of autonomy of patient. A field very important in medicine is the scientific research. It is the character of the investigator that determines the moral quality of research. The problem arises when legitimate self-interests are replaced by selfish, particularly when human subjects are involved. The final safeguard of moral quality of research is the character and conscience of the investigator. Teaching must be relevant in the scientific field, but the most effective way to teach virtue ethics is through the example of the a respected scientist.

  14. Dimensão fractal na quantificação do grau de rejeição celular miocárdica pós-transplante cardíaco Fractal dimension in quantifying the degree of myocardial cellular rejection after cardiac transplantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Douglas Moreira

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: O termo "fractal" é derivado do latim fractus, que significa "irregular" ou "quebrado", considerando a estrutura observada como tendo uma dimensão não-inteira. Há muitos estudos que empregaram a Dimensão Fractal (DF como uma ferramenta de diagnóstico. Um dos métodos mais comuns para o seu estudo é a "Box-plot counting" (Método de contagem de caixas. OBJETIVO: O objetivo do estudo foi tentar estabelecer a contribuição da DF na quantificação da rejeição celular miocárdica após o transplante cardíaco. MÉTODOS: Imagens microscópicas digitalizadas foram capturadas na resolução 800x600 (aumento de 100x. A DF foi calculada com auxílio do "software ImageJ", com adaptações. A classificação dos graus de rejeição foi de acordo com a "Sociedade Internacional de Transplante Cardíaco e Pulmonar" (ISHLT 2004. O relatório final do grau de rejeição foi confirmado e redefinido após exaustiva revisão das lâminas por um patologista experiente externo. No total, 658 lâminas foram avaliadas, com a seguinte distribuição entre os graus de rejeição (R: 335 (0R, 214 (1R, 70 (2R, 39 (3R. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente com os testes Kruskal-Wallis e curvas ROC sendo considerados significantes valores de P INTRODUCTION: The term "Fractal" is derived from the Latin fractus meaning "irregular" or "broken" considering the observed structure with a non-integer dimension. There are many studies which employed the Fractal Dimension (FD as a diagnostic tool. One of the most common methods for its study is the "Box Counting Method". OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to try to establish the contribution of FD in the quantification of myocardial cellular rejection after cardiac transplantation. METHODS: Microscopic digital images were captured at 800x600 resolution (magnification 100x. FD was calculated with the aid of "ImageJ software" with adaptations. The classification of the degrees of rejection was in

  15. Prevalence of Sarcocystis sp. in cattle, sheep and goats in abattoirs of Lima

    OpenAIRE

    Castro, Julia; Leguía, Guillermo

    2014-01-01

    Se ha realizado el presente estudio para determinar la prevalencia de Sarcocystis sp. en vacunos, ovinos y caprinos utilizando el método del tríquinoscopio con muestras de tejido cardíaco y esófago. Los resultados mostraron que de 85 muestras de tejido cardíaco de ganado vacuno, 76 fueron positivas (89.5%); de 134 muestras de ganado ovino 122 fueron positivas (91.04%) mientras que de 63 muestras de ganado capriino solo en 33 (52.4%) se encontró la presencia del parásito. En cuanto a las...

  16. Determinación por valoración ácido-base de serina en una mezcla de aminoácidos. Problema interactivo.

    OpenAIRE

    Milla González, Miguel

    2013-01-01

    Las alfa-hidroxilaminas son capaces de reaccionar con peryodato liberando amoníaco. En este problema interactivo se hace uso de esta propiedad para encontrar la concentración del aminoácido serina en presencia de glicina y alanina. El amoníaco producido se recoge sobre HCl y el exceso de éste se valora con NaOH. Los datos del ejercicio son aleatorios y para resolverlo es necesario montar a modo de puzzle la expresión de conversión de la valoración por retroceso, incluyendo las magnitudes dime...

  17. Shock cardiogénico asociado a un programa nutricional inapropiado: síndrome de realimentación Cardiogenic shock associated with an inappropriate nutritional programme: re-feeding syndrome

    OpenAIRE

    C. Campos-Ferrer; M. Cervera-Montes; A. Romero; S. Borrás; E. Gómez; C. Ricart

    2004-01-01

    Se han comunicado situaciones de paro cardíaco en pacientes con desnutrición proteico-calórica en los que se iniciaba aporte de nutrientes de manera incontrolada. El reconocimiento de la asociación entre el aporte de alimentos en estas circunstancias y los eventos clínicos graves, generalmente trastornos del ritmo cardíaco, llevó a describirlo como "síndrome de realimentación". Presentamos un caso de influencia respiratoria aguda grave y shock cardiogénico en una paciente de 44 años con desnu...

  18. Evolução tardia do transplante cardíaco na doença de Chagas: long-term evolution in cardiac transplantation Chagas' Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo I Fiorelli

    1990-08-01

    Full Text Available Nas formas cardíacas da doença de Chagas que evoluem com insuficiência cardíaca refratária ao tratamento clínico, o transplante é a única alternativa, ao lado da cardiomioplastia. Os autores apresentam a evolução tardia de seis pacientes com miocardiopatia chagásica terminal submetidos a transplante cardíaco ortotópico. O período médio de observação foi de 25,2 meses. O diagnóstico de reativação da doença de Chagas apoiou-se na observação clínica, na investigação laboratorial do parasita, nas biópsias endomiocárdicas e dos nódulos de subcutâneo. A análise dos resultados demonstra que: 1 os testes laboratoriais mostraram-se ineficazes no diagnóstico da reativação da doença, sendo que as biópsias mostraram maior índice de positividade; 2 a pulsoterapia com corticóide predispõe à reativação; 3 a doença linfoproliferativa apresenta alta incidência na doença de Chagas, sendo a principal complicação tardia. Possivelmente, o benzonidazol apresente seu efeito oncogênico potencializado. Tendo em vista o caráter endêmico da doença e a falta de alternativa terapêutica, tornou-se obrigatória a analise do esquema imunossupressor, do tratamento da reativação e a maior experiência clínica, para posições mais definidas.In the cardiac forms of Chagas' Disease that develop with refractory cardiac failure under clinical treatment, the transplant is the only alternative along with the cardiomyoplasty. The authors present the six patient late evolution with terminal chagasic myocardiopathy submitted under on orthopic heart transplantation. The average period of observation was of 25.2 months. The diagnosis of Chagas' Disease reativation relies on the clinical observation, laboratory investigation of parasito, endomyocardial biopsy and subcutaneous nodules. The analyses of the results show that: 1 the laboratory exams were useless in the diagnosis of the disease reativation, but the biopsy presented hight

  19. Computer quantification of “angle of collapse” on maximum expiratory flow volume curve for diagnosing asthma-COPD overlap syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang W

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Wei Wang, Mengshuang Xie, Shuang Dou, Liwei Cui, Wei Xiao Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China Background: In a previous study, we demonstrated that asthma patients with signs of emphysema on quantitative computed tomography (CT fulfill the diagnosis of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS. However, quantitative CT measurements of emphysema are not routinely available for patients with chronic airway disease, which limits their application. Spirometry was a widely used examination tool in clinical settings and shows emphysema as a sharp angle in the maximum expiratory flow volume (MEFV curve, called the “angle of collapse (AC”. The aim of this study was to investigate the value of the AC in the diagnosis of emphysema and ACOS. Methods: This study included 716 participants: 151 asthma patients, 173 COPD patients, and 392 normal control subjects. All the participants underwent pulmonary function tests. COPD and asthma patients also underwent quantitative CT measurements of emphysema. The AC was measured using computer models based on Matlab software. The value of the AC in the diagnosis of emphysema and ACOS was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC curve analysis. Results: The AC of COPD patients was significantly lower than that of asthma patients and control subjects. The AC was significantly negatively correlated with emphysema index (EI; r=-0.666, P<0.001, and patients with high EI had a lower AC than those with low EI. The ROC curve analysis showed that the AC had higher diagnostic efficiency for high EI (area under the curve =0.876 than did other spirometry parameters. In asthma patients, using the AC ≤137° as a surrogate criterion for the diagnosis of ACOS, the sensitivity and specificity were 62.5% and 89.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The AC on the MEFV curve quantified by computer models correlates with the extent of emphysema. The AC may become a

  20. NOÇÕES SOBRE ELETROCARDIOGRAFIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Celina Assumpção

    1973-02-01

    Full Text Available RESUMO As células cardíacas são importantes na manutenção da vida de um organismo. Elas são responsáveis pelos batimentos cardíacos. Para que esta função seja satisfeita, ela possuem diversas propriedades, dentre elas a de receber, transmitir e até mesmo criar fenômenos elétricos que possibilitam as contrações do músculo cardíaco. Para entender o mecanismo do ciclo cardíaco, é importante conhecermos quais são os fatores responsáveis pela despolarização e repolarização de uma célula mediante uma ativação elétrica. A célula cardíaca possue um potencial elétrico de repouso devido as concentrações de íons de sódio e potássio no meio intra e extra celular. Conforme as variações de concentração desses ions, esses potenciais e modificam. Toda a atividade elétrica da célula pode ser captada pelo galvanômetro e ser registrada graficamente. Durante o ciclo cardíaco, o sistema de condução do coração é responsável pela estimulação e transmissão dessa atividade elétrica para todas as fibras cardíacas, indo ocasionar as diástoles e sístoles. "Esse fenômeno é captado pelos eletrodos do eletrocardiógrafo colocados na superfície corporal. Essa atividade elétrica é resultante da soma gradiente elétrico de cada célula, logo o registro eletrocardiográfico nada mais é do que a traducão gráfica dessa soma e que em sua continuidade forma o ciclo cardíaco cuja sigla é P, Q, R, S, T.

  1. Induction of SA-signaling pathway and ethylene biosynthesis in Trichoderma harzianum-treated tomato plants after infection of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leonetti, Paola; Zonno, Maria Chiara; Molinari, Sergio; Altomare, Claudio

    2017-04-01

    Salicylic acid-signaling pathway and ethylene biosynthesis were induced in tomato treated with Trichoderma harzianum when infected by root-knot nematodes and limited the infection by activation of SAR and ethylene production. Soil pre-treatment with Trichoderma harzianum (Th) strains ITEM 908 (T908) and T908-5 decreased susceptibility of tomato to Meloidogyne incognita, as assessed by restriction in nematode reproduction and development. The effect of T. harzianum treatments on plant defense was detected by monitoring the expression of the genes PR-1/PR-5 and JERF3/ACO, markers of the SA- and JA/ET-dependent signaling pathways, respectively. The compatible nematode-plant interaction in absence of fungi caused a marked suppression of PR-1, PR-5, and ACO gene expressions, either locally or systemically, whilst expression of JERF3 gene resulted unaffected. Conversely, when plants were pre-treated with Th-strains, over-expression of PR-1, PR-5, and ACO genes was observed in roots 5 days after nematode inoculation. JERF3 gene expression did not change in Th-colonized plants challenged with nematodes. In the absence of nematodes, Trichoderma-root interaction was characterized by the inhibition of both SA-dependent signaling pathway and ET biosynthesis, and, in the case of PR-1 and ACO genes, this inhibition was systemic. JERF3 gene expression was systemically restricted only at the very early stages of plant-fungi interaction. Data presented indicate that Th-colonization primed roots for Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) against root-knot nematodes and reacted to nematode infection more efficiently than untreated plants. Such a response probably involves also activation of ET production, through an augmented transcription of the ACO gene, which encodes for the enzyme catalyzing the last step of ET biosynthesis. JA signaling and Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) do not seem to be involved in the biocontrol action of the tested Th-strains against RKNs.

  2. Gene expression analyses in tomato near isogenic lines provide evidence for ethylene and abscisic acid biosynthesis fine-tuning during arbuscular mycorrhiza development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fracetto, Giselle Gomes Monteiro; Peres, Lázaro Eustáquio Pereira; Lambais, Marcio Rodrigues

    2017-07-01

    Plant responses to the environment and microorganisms, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, involve complex hormonal interactions. It is known that abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene may be involved in the regulation of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and that part of the detrimental effects of ABA deficiency in plants is due to ethylene overproduction. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the low susceptibility to mycorrhizal colonization in ABA-deficient mutants is due to high levels of ethylene and whether AM development is associated with changes in the steady-state levels of transcripts of genes involved in the biosynthesis of ethylene and ABA. For that, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) ethylene overproducer epinastic (epi) mutant and the ABA-deficient notabilis (not) and sitiens (sit) mutants, in the same Micro-Tom (MT) genetic background, were inoculated with Rhizophagus clarus, and treated with the ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG). The development of AM, as well as the steady-state levels of transcripts involved in ethylene (LeACS2, LeACO1 and LeACO4) and ABA (LeNCED) biosynthesis, was determined. The intraradical colonization in epi, not and sit mutants was significantly reduced compared to MT. The epi mutant completely restored the mycorrhizal colonization to the levels of MT with the application of 10 µM of AVG, probably due to the inhibition of the ACC synthase gene expression. The steady-state levels of LeACS2 and LeACO4 transcripts were induced in mycorrhizal roots of MT, whereas the steady-state levels of LeACO1 and LeACO4 transcripts were significantly induced in sit, and the steady-state levels of LeNCED transcripts were significantly induced in all genotypes and in mycorrhizal roots of epi mutants treated with AVG. The reduced mycorrhizal colonization in sit mutants seems not to be limited by ethylene production via ACC oxidase regulation. Both ethylene overproduction and ABA deficiency impaired AM fungal

  3. Presence of sarcopenia in asthma–COPD overlap syndrome may be a risk factor for decreased bone-mineral density, unlike asthma: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV and V (2008–2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee DW

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Dong-Won Lee,1 Hyun-Jung Jin,2 Kyeong-Cheol Shin,2 Jin-Hong Chung,2 Hyoung-Woo Lee,3 Kwan-Ho Lee2 1Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, Andong Sungso Hospital, Andong, 2Division of Pulmonology and Allergy, 3Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea Background: Sarcopenia and decreased bone-mineral density (BMD are common in elderly people, and are major comorbidities of obstructive airway disease (OAD. However, the relationship between sarcopenia and BMD in each OAD phenotype, especially asthma–COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS, is not yet clear. We aimed to evaluate differences in BMD according to the presence of sarcopenia in each OAD phenotype. Materials and methods: Among the research subjects in KNHANES IV and V (2008–2011, 5,562 were ≥50 years old and underwent qualified spirometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A total of 947 subjects were included in the study: 89 had asthma, 748 COPD, and 110 ACOS. Results: In the COPD and ACOS phenotypes, T-scores were lower in the sarcopenia group than the nonsarcopenia group. Prevalence rates of osteopenia and osteoporosis were higher in the sarcopenia group than the nonsarcopenia group. (P<0.001 and P=0.017, respectively. The sarcopenia group had higher risks of developing osteopenia, osteoporosis, and low BMD than the nonsarcopenia group in the ACOS phenotype (OR 6.620, 95% CI 1.129–38.828 [P=0.036], OR 9.611, 95% CI 1.133–81.544 [P=0.038], and OR 6.935, 95% CI 1.194–40.272 [P=0.031], respectively. However, in the asthma phenotype, the sarcopenia group showed no increased risk compared with the nonsarcopenia group. Conclusion: In the ACOS phenotype, individuals with sarcopenia had a higher prevalence rate and higher risks of osteopenia and osteoporosis than those without sarcopenia among all OAD phenotypes. Keywords: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma–COPD overlap syndrome

  4. Proton beam therapy and accountable care: the challenges ahead.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elnahal, Shereef M; Kerstiens, John; Helsper, Richard S; Zietman, Anthony L; Johnstone, Peter A S

    2013-03-15

    Proton beam therapy (PBT) centers have drawn increasing public scrutiny for their high cost. The behavior of such facilities is likely to change under the Affordable Care Act. We modeled how accountable care reform may affect the financial standing of PBT centers and their incentives to treat complex patient cases. We used operational data and publicly listed Medicare rates to model the relationship between financial metrics for PBT center performance and case mix (defined as the percentage of complex cases, such as pediatric central nervous system tumors). Financial metrics included total daily revenues and debt coverage (daily revenues - daily debt payments). Fee-for-service (FFS) and accountable care (ACO) reimbursement scenarios were modeled. Sensitivity analyses were performed around the room time required to treat noncomplex cases: simple (30 minutes), prostate (24 minutes), and short prostate (15 minutes). Sensitivity analyses were also performed for total machine operating time (14, 16, and 18 h/d). Reimbursement under ACOs could reduce daily revenues in PBT centers by up to 32%. The incremental revenue gained by replacing 1 complex case with noncomplex cases was lowest for simple cases and highest for short prostate cases. ACO rates reduced this incremental incentive by 53.2% for simple cases and 41.7% for short prostate cases. To cover daily debt payments after ACO rates were imposed, 26% fewer complex patients were allowable at varying capital costs and interest rates. Only facilities with total machine operating times of 18 hours per day would cover debt payments in all scenarios. Debt-financed PBT centers will face steep challenges to remain financially viable after ACO implementation. Paradoxically, reduced reimbursement for noncomplex cases will require PBT centers to treat more such cases over cases for which PBT has demonstrated superior outcomes. Relative losses will be highest for those facilities focused primarily on treating noncomplex cases

  5. Efeitos do exercício aeróbico e anaeróbico em variáveis de risco cardíaco em adultos com sobrepeso Effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on cardiac risk variables in overweight adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mônica Medeiros Moreira

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: O exercício físico aeróbico é importante aliado no combate aos fatores de risco cardiovascular. No entanto, os efeitos de exercícios de alta intensidade sobre tais fatores ainda são pouco conhecidos. OBJETIVO: Comparar os efeitos de protocolos de exercícios aeróbico e anaeróbico sobre fatores associados ao risco cardíaco. MÉTODOS: Vinte e dois indivíduos com idade média de 40±8 anos foram alocados nos grupos: controle (CO, treinamento de endurance (ET e treinamento intermitente (IT. Os protocolos tiveram duração de 12 semanas, três vezes por semana; e intensidades de 10% abaixo e 20% acima do limiar anaeróbico (LAn. Foram medidas: massa corporal total (MCT, índice de massa corporal (IMC, circunferências de cintura (CINT e quadril (QUA e a composição corporal, além das concentrações plasmáticas de glicose (GLI, colesterol total (CHO e triglicérides (TG; ainda foram calculados a razão cintura-quadril (PCCQ e o índice de conicidade (Índice C. RESULTADOS: As variáveis de MCT, IMC, CINT, GLI e a composição corporal apresentaram alterações significativas nos grupos ET e IT. Os valores de CHO e QUA foram significativamente reduzidos no grupo ET, enquanto a PCCQ mostrou redução significativa no grupo IT. O LAn e o índice C, no grupo IT foram significativamente diferentes em relação a ET. CONCLUSÃO: Tendo em vista as diferenças encontradas nas respostas das variáveis estudadas, em razão do treinamento empregado, concluímos que um programa de exercício que contemple atividades de alta e baixa intensidades seja mais completo para garantir a redução de maior número de variáveis de risco cardíaco.BACKGROUND: Aerobic exercise is an important ally in the fight against cardiovascular risk factors. However, the effects of high-intensity exercise on these factors are still poorly known. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise protocols on cardiac risk factors. METHODS: 22

  6. Energy Systems Integration Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    | NREL Integration Laboratory Energy Systems Integration Laboratory Research in the Energy Systems Integration Laboratory is advancing engineering knowledge and market deployment of hydrogen technologies. Applications include microgrids, energy storage for renewables integration, and home- and station

  7. Energy Systems Integration Facility Videos | Energy Systems Integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Facility | NREL Energy Systems Integration Facility Videos Energy Systems Integration Facility Integration Facility NREL + SolarCity: Maximizing Solar Power on Electrical Grids Redefining What's Possible for Renewable Energy: Grid Integration Robot-Powered Reliability Testing at NREL's ESIF Microgrid

  8. Grid Integration Webinars | Energy Systems Integration Facility | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grid Integration Webinars Grid Integration Webinars Watch presentations from NREL analysts on various topics related to grid integration. Wind Curtailment and the Value of Transmission under a 2050 renewable curtailment under these high wind scenarios. Text Version Grid Integration Webinar: Exploring

  9. Dynamic routing and spectrum assignment based on multilayer virtual topology and ant colony optimization in elastic software-defined optical networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fu; Liu, Bo; Zhang, Lijia; Zhang, Qi; Tian, Qinghua; Tian, Feng; Rao, Lan; Xin, Xiangjun

    2017-07-01

    Elastic software-defined optical networks greatly improve the flexibility of the optical switching network while it has brought challenges to the routing and spectrum assignment (RSA). A multilayer virtual topology model is proposed to solve RSA problems. Two RSA algorithms based on the virtual topology are proposed, which are the ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm of minimum consecutiveness loss and the ACO algorithm of maximum spectrum consecutiveness. Due to the computing power of the control layer in the software-defined network, the routing algorithm avoids the frequent link-state information between routers. Based on the effect of the spectrum consecutiveness loss on the pheromone in the ACO, the path and spectrum of the minimal impact on the network are selected for the service request. The proposed algorithms have been compared with other algorithms. The results show that the proposed algorithms can reduce the blocking rate by at least 5% and perform better in spectrum efficiency. Moreover, the proposed algorithms can effectively decrease spectrum fragmentation and enhance available spectrum consecutiveness.

  10. Ant Foraging Behavior for Job Shop Problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahad Diyana Abdul

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Ant Colony Optimization (ACO is a new algorithm approach, inspired by the foraging behavior of real ants. It has frequently been applied to many optimization problems and one such problem is in solving the job shop problem (JSP. The JSP is a finite set of jobs processed on a finite set of machine where once a job initiates processing on a given machine, it must complete processing and uninterrupted. In solving the Job Shop Scheduling problem, the process is measure by the amount of time required in completing a job known as a makespan and minimizing the makespan is the main objective of this study. In this paper, we developed an ACO algorithm to minimize the makespan. A real set of problems from a metal company in Johor bahru, producing 20 parts with jobs involving the process of clinching, tapping and power press respectively. The result from this study shows that the proposed ACO heuristics managed to produce a god result in a short time.

  11. Comportamento do peso do coração e do corpo em chagásicos crônicos com e sem "megas"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hipólito de Oliveira Almeida

    1980-12-01

    Full Text Available O peso do coração é menor nos chagásicos com "megas" do que nos falecidos subitamente ou em I.C.C., sendo, porém, maior que nos controles. Já o peso corporal ésemelhante nos chagásicos falecidos subitamente e nos controles, havendo redução moderada no grupo com I.C.C., e rtiais acentuada nos chagásicos com "megas" (redução de 20% em relação aos controles. A relação percentual peso cardíaco/peso corporal é de 1,1% no grupo com I.C.C.; 0,71% no grupo de morte súbita; 0,77% no grupo com "megas"; 0,49% no grupo controle e 0,60% ne grupo de doenças caquetizantes. Com base nas médias dos pesos cardíacos e corporal dos grupos controle, de doenças caquetizantes e de megas, calculou-se que o emagrecimento ocorrido nos megas reduziria o peso cardíaco médio de apenas 6,8%.

  12. An improved ant colony optimization algorithm with fault tolerance for job scheduling in grid computing systems.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hajara Idris

    Full Text Available The Grid scheduler, schedules user jobs on the best available resource in terms of resource characteristics by optimizing job execution time. Resource failure in Grid is no longer an exception but a regular occurring event as resources are increasingly being used by the scientific community to solve computationally intensive problems which typically run for days or even months. It is therefore absolutely essential that these long-running applications are able to tolerate failures and avoid re-computations from scratch after resource failure has occurred, to satisfy the user's Quality of Service (QoS requirement. Job Scheduling with Fault Tolerance in Grid Computing using Ant Colony Optimization is proposed to ensure that jobs are executed successfully even when resource failure has occurred. The technique employed in this paper, is the use of resource failure rate, as well as checkpoint-based roll back recovery strategy. Check-pointing aims at reducing the amount of work that is lost upon failure of the system by immediately saving the state of the system. A comparison of the proposed approach with an existing Ant Colony Optimization (ACO algorithm is discussed. The experimental results of the implemented Fault Tolerance scheduling algorithm show that there is an improvement in the user's QoS requirement over the existing ACO algorithm, which has no fault tolerance integrated in it. The performance evaluation of the two algorithms was measured in terms of the three main scheduling performance metrics: makespan, throughput and average turnaround time.

  13. Application of Clean Water (CWA) Section 404 compensatory wetland mitigation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abbott, D.J.; Straub, C.A.

    1994-01-01

    Pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), activities resulting in the discharge of dredge or fill material into waters of the US, including wetlands, require permit authorization from the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE). As part of the Section 404 permitting process, compensatory wetland mitigation in the form of wetland enhancement, restoration, or construction may be required to off-set impacts sustained under a Section 404 permit. Under normal circumstances, compensatory mitigation is a relatively straight forward process; however, issues associated with mitigation become more complex at sites undergoing remediation under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), because on-site response/remedial actions involving dredged and fill material are not subject to the formal Section 404 permitting process. These actions are conducted in accordance with the substantive permitting requirements of the ACOE's Nationwide and individual permitting programs. Wetland mitigatory requirements are determined through application of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) 040(b) (1) Guidelines promulgated in 40 CFR Part 230 and are implemented through compliance with substantive permitting requirements during the conduct of response/remedial actions. A programmatic approach for implementing wetland mitigatory requirements is being developed at a former US Department of Energy (DOE) uranium refinery undergoing CERCLA remediation in southwestern Ohio. The approach is designed to define the regulatory mechanism that will be used to integrate CWA driven wetland mitigatory requirements into the CERCLA process

  14. Combination therapy of inhaled steroids and long-acting beta2-agonists in asthma–COPD overlap syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee SY

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Suh-Young Lee,1,* Hye Yun Park,2,* Eun Kyung Kim,3 Seong Yong Lim,4 Chin Kook Rhee,5 Yong Il Hwang,6 Yeon-Mok Oh,7 Sang Do Lee,7 Yong Bum Park1 On behalf of the KOLD Study Group 1Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 2Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Bundang CHA Medical Center, CHA University College of Medicine, Seongnam, 4Department of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 5Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, 6Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University Medical School, Gyeonggido, 7Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan, Republic of Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: The efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs/long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA treatment in patients with asthma–chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS compared to patients with COPD alone has rarely been examined. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy for the improvement of lung function after ICS/LABA treatment in patients with ACOS compared to COPD alone patients. Methods: Patients with stable COPD were selected from the Korean Obstructive Lung Disease (KOLD cohort. Subjects began a 3-month ICS/LABA treatment after a washout period. ACOS was defined when the patients had 1 a personal history of asthma, irrespective of age, and wheezing in the last 12 months in a self-reported survey

  15. Integrated project delivery : The designer as integrator

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wamelink, J.W.F.; Koolwijk, J.S.J.; van Doorn, A.J.

    2012-01-01

    Process innovation related to integrated project delivery is an important topic in the building industry. Studies on process innovation through the use of integrated contracts usually focus on contractors, and particularly on the possibility of forward integration into the building process. Three

  16. Integrity and the Value of an Integrated Self

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Archer, Alfred

    What is integrity and why is it valuable? One account of the nature of integrity, proposed by John Cottingham (2010) amongst others, is The Integrated Self View. On this account integrity is a formal relation of coherence between various aspects of a person. One problem that has been raised against

  17. Integrated test schedule for buried waste integrated demonstration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, J.T.; McDonald, J.K.

    1992-05-01

    The Integrated Test Schedule incorporates the various schedules the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) supports into one document. This document contains the Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order schedules for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Hanford Reservation, Oak Ridge Reservation, and Fernald Environmental Materials Center. Included in the Integrated Test Schedule is the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration ''windows of opportunity'' schedule. The ''windows of opportunity'' schedule shows periods of time in which Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration Program-sponsored technology demonstrations could support key decisions in the Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order. Schedules for the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration-sponsored technology task plans are categorized by technology area and divided by current fiscal year and out-year. Total estimated costs for Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration-sponsored Technology Task Plans for FY-92 through FY-97 are $74.756M

  18. Assessing anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure with agroindustrial wastes: the link between environmental impacts and operational parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Verde, Ivan; Regueiro, Leticia; Carballa, Marta; Hospido, Almudena; Lema, Juan M

    2014-11-01

    Anaerobic co-digestion (AcoD) is established as a techno-economic profitable process by incrementing biogas yield (increased cost-efficiency) and improving the nutrient balance (better quality digestate) in comparison to mono-digestion of livestock wastes. However, few data are available on the environmental consequences of AcoD and most of them are mainly related to the use of energy crops as co-substrates. This work analysed the environmental impact of the AcoD of pig manure (PM) with several agroindustrial wastes (molasses, fish, biodiesel and vinasses residues) using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. For comparative purposes, mono digestion of PM has also been evaluated. Four out of six selected categories (acidification, eutrophication, global warming and photochemical oxidation potentials) showed environmental impacts in all the scenarios assessed, whereas the other two (abiotic depletion and ozone layer depletion potentials) showed environmental credits, remarking the benefit of replacing fossil fuels by biogas. This was also confirmed by the sensitivity analysis applied to the PM quality (i.e. organic matter content) and the avoided energy source demonstrating the importance of the energy recovery step. The influence of the type of co-substrate could not be discerned; however, a link between the environmental performance and the hydraulic retention time, the organic loading rate and the nutrient content in the digestate could be established. Therefore, LCA results were successfully correlated to process variables involved in AcoD, going a step further in the combination of techno-economic and environmental feasibilities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Characterization of differential ripening pattern in association with ethylene biosynthesis in the fruits of five naturally occurring banana cultivars and detection of a GCC-box-specific DNA-binding protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choudhury, Swarup Roy; Roy, Sujit; Saha, Progya Paramita; Singh, Sanjay Kumar; Sengupta, Dibyendu N

    2008-07-01

    MA-ACS1 and MA-ACO1 are the two major ripening genes in banana and play crucial role in the regulation of ethylene production during ripening. Here, we report a comparative ripening pattern in five different naturally occurring banana cultivars namely Cavendish (AAA), Rasthali (AAB), Kanthali (AB), Poovan (AAB) and Monthan (ABB), which have distinct genome composition. We found a distinct variation in the climacteric ethylene production and in-vivo ACC oxidase activity level during the ripening stages in the five cultivars. We identified the cDNAs for MA-ACS1 and MA-ACO1 from the five cultivars and studied the transcript accumulation patterns of the two genes, which correlated well with the differential timing in the expression of these two genes during ripening. The GCC-box is one of the ethylene-responsive elements (EREs) found in the promoters of many ethylene-inducible genes. We have identified a GCC-box motif (putative ERE) in the promoters of MA-ACS1 and MA-ACO1 in banana cultivars. DNA-protein interaction studies revealed the presence of a GCC-box-specific DNA-binding activity in the fruit nuclear extract and such DNA-binding activity was enhanced following ethylene treatment. South-Western blotting revealed a 25-kDa nuclear protein that binds specifically to GCC-box DNA in the climacteric banana fruit. Together, these results indicate the probable involvement of the GCC-box motif as the cis-acting ERE in the regulation of MA-ACS1 and MA-ACO1 during ripening in banana fruits via binding of specific ERE-binding protein.

  20. Hybrid Swarm Intelligence Energy Efficient Clustered Routing Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajeev Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Currently, wireless sensor networks (WSNs are used in many applications, namely, environment monitoring, disaster management, industrial automation, and medical electronics. Sensor nodes carry many limitations like low battery life, small memory space, and limited computing capability. To create a wireless sensor network more energy efficient, swarm intelligence technique has been applied to resolve many optimization issues in WSNs. In many existing clustering techniques an artificial bee colony (ABC algorithm is utilized to collect information from the field periodically. Nevertheless, in the event based applications, an ant colony optimization (ACO is a good solution to enhance the network lifespan. In this paper, we combine both algorithms (i.e., ABC and ACO and propose a new hybrid ABCACO algorithm to solve a Nondeterministic Polynomial (NP hard and finite problem of WSNs. ABCACO algorithm is divided into three main parts: (i selection of optimal number of subregions and further subregion parts, (ii cluster head selection using ABC algorithm, and (iii efficient data transmission using ACO algorithm. We use a hierarchical clustering technique for data transmission; the data is transmitted from member nodes to the subcluster heads and then from subcluster heads to the elected cluster heads based on some threshold value. Cluster heads use an ACO algorithm to discover the best route for data transmission to the base station (BS. The proposed approach is very useful in designing the framework for forest fire detection and monitoring. The simulation results show that the ABCACO algorithm enhances the stability period by 60% and also improves the goodput by 31% against LEACH and WSNCABC, respectively.

  1. Antioxidant nutrients in plasma of Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma-COPD overlap syndrome and bronchial asthma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Yuzo; Kishimoto, Yuki; Muramatsu, Yoko; Tatebe, Junko; Yamamoto, Yu; Hirota, Nao; Itoigawa, Yukinari; Atsuta, Ryo; Koike, Kengo; Sato, Tadashi; Aizawa, Koich; Takahashi, Kazuhisa; Morita, Toshisuke; Homma, Sakae; Seyama, Kuniaki; Ishigami, Akihito

    2017-11-01

    Few studies to date have investigated the antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (α-tocopherol), retinol and carotenoids in plasma from patients with pulmonary disease in Japan. To clarify the role of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol and various carotenoids in plasma of Japanese patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases (COPD), asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) and/or bronchial asthma (BA), we compared to healthy elderly controls. Ascorbic acid (AA), carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, β-carotene and lycopene), retinol and α-tocopherol levels in plasma were determined by using a high performance liquid chromatography. Reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG) in whole blood and urinary 8-OHdG were also determined. Plasma AA level of COPD subjects was significantly lower than that of healthy elderly people. Conversely, ACOS and BA subjects showed no significant difference from healthy elderly people. Moreover, plasma lycopene and total carotenoid levels and GSH content in blood were significantly lower in COPD subjects than these in healthy elderly people. However, other redox markers such as GSSG, GSH/GSSG ratio and urinary 8-OHdG found no significant differences between COPD, ACOS and BA compared to healthy elderly people. These results suggested that COPD of Japanese patients may develop partly because of oxidative stress derived from a shortage of antioxidant nutrients, especially of AA and lycopene, as well as GSH while this may not be the case in both ACOS and BA. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Contract Design: Risk Management and Evaluation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Axel C. Mühlbacher

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Effective risk adjustment is an aspect that is more and more given weight on the background of competitive health insurance systems and vital healthcare systems. The risk structure of the providers plays a vital role in Pay for Performance. A prerequisite for optimal incentive-based service models is a (partial dependence of the agent’s returns on the provider’s gain level. Integrated care systems as well as accountable care organisations (ACOs in the US and similar concepts in other countries are advocated as an effective method of improving the performance of healthcare systems. These systems outline a payment and care delivery model that intends to tie provider reimbursements to predefined quality metrics. By this the total costs of care shall be reduced.  Methods: Little is known about the contractual design and the main challenges of delegating “accountability” to these new kinds of organisations and/or contracts. The costs of market utilisation are highly relevant for the conception of healthcare contracts; furthermore information asymmetries and contract-specific investments are an obstacle to the efficient operation of ACOs. A comprehensive literature review on methods of designing contracts in Integrated Care was conducted. The research question in this article focuses on how reimbursement strategies, evaluation of measures and methods of risk adjustment can best be integrated in healthcare contracting.  Results: Each integrated care contract includes challenges for both payers and providers without having sufficient empirical data on both sides. These challenges are clinical, administrative or financial nature. Risk adjusted contracts ensure that the reimbursement roughly matches the true costs resulting from the morbidity of a population. If reimbursement of care provider corresponds to the actual expenses for an individual/population the problem of risk selection is greatly reduced. The currently used methods

  3. Avaliação do peptídeo natriurético tipo B no diagnóstico de rejeição após transplante cardíaco pediátrico Evaluación del péptido natriurético tipo B en el diagnóstico de rechazo tras transplante cardiaco pediátrico B-type natriuretic peptide assessment in the diagnosis of rejection after pediatric heart transplant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina de Sylos

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available FUNDAMENTO: A rejeição constitui-se em uma das principais causas de mortalidade após o transplante cardíaco pediátrico. O peptídeo natriurético tipo B (BNP tem sido estudado como método no diagnóstico de rejeição aguda, especialmente em pacientes adultos submetidos a transplante cardíaco. OBJETIVO:Correlacionar o nível sérico de BNP à rejeição aguda diagnosticada pela biópsia endomiocárdica em pacientes do grupo de transplante cardíaco pediátrico. MÉTODOS:Foram coletadas 50 amostras de BNP de 33 crianças em pós-operatório de transplante cardíaco e analisados dados de idade, sexo, cor, grupo sangüíneo, painel imunológico, tempo de evolução após o transplante, classe funcional, imunossupressão utilizada e número de rejeições. RESULTADOS:Foram 33 crianças com idade mediana de 10,13 anos, predomínio do sexo feminino (54% e da cor branca (78%. No momento da dosagem de BNP o tempo médio de transplante foi 4,25 anos. A biópsia endomiocárdica diagnosticou nove rejeições em oito pacientes (27%, sendo três com grau 3 A, cinco com grau 2 e um com rejeição humoral. No momento da biópsia, a maioria dos pacientes encontrava-se assintomática. O nível sérico de BNP foi em média 77,18 pg/ml, sendo 144,22 pg/ml no grupo com rejeição e 62,46 pg/ml no grupo sem rejeição, com p = 0,02. CONCLUSÃO: Crianças assintomáticas podem apresentar rejeição aguda no pós-operatório de transplante cardíaco. O nível sérico de BNP apresentou diferença estatisticamente significante no grupo com rejeição, podendo ser método adicional no diagnóstico de rejeição cardíaca.FUNDAMENTO: El rechazo constituye una de las principales causas de mortalidad tras el transplante cardiaco pediátrico. El péptido natriurético tipo B (BNP ha sido estudiado como método en el diagnóstico de rechazo agudo, sobre todo en pacientes adultos sometidos a transplante cardiaco. OBJETIVO:Correlacionar el nivel sérico de BNP al rechazo

  4. Efedrina y Fenilefrina: Efectos hemodinámicos en cesáreas electivas

    OpenAIRE

    Romero Palomino, Patricia

    2017-01-01

    El objetivo de este estudio es comparar el efecto de bolos de efedrina y fenilefrina sobre el gasto cardíaco en la hipotensión que se produce tras la realización de anestesia espinal en cesáreas programadas. La anestesia espinal es la técnica de elección para cesáreas y conlleva disminución de las resistencias vasculares periféricas, del retorno venoso y un aumento compensador del gasto cardíaco que asociados a las peculiaridades del embarazo a término hacen que se convierta en un periodo ...

  5. Effect of the Ionosphere on Space and Terrestrial Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    coordinates: with degree of precision 2m-1. If we let 25 x1 , 7r..xn be the zeros of g(x), i.e., Pa(a)=f ° pao( acosO ,asine)ad (10) g)’ (X-X-)( ..x2...abscissas x and y (11) weights Wk are obtained. It is stated hat there is no guarantee that the zeros of g(x) -ap( acosO ,aain6),8ɘɚv,o<a<-. will be...of the ionospheric conditions along the path. shown schematically in Figure 1. The energetic par- ticle data were obtained by the Space Sciences Labor

  6. Variación de volumen sistólico como predictor de hipovolemia en pacientes pediátricos con choque séptico

    OpenAIRE

    Piracoca Mejia, Jaime; Gonzalez Herrera, Camilo Guillermo

    2013-01-01

    El compromiso del sistema cardiovascular es frecuente en los pacientes en estado crítico, por tanto la monitorización hemodinámica es esencial para un tratamiento apropiado dirigido a objetivos terapéuticos en este grupo de pacientes. La monitorización hemodinámica del gasto cardíaco y la estimación del volumen intravascular son fundamentales para el manejo de los pacientes pediátricos en estado crítico, la medición del gasto cardíaco es uno de los principales elementos para evaluar la situac...

  7. Tromboembolismo pulmonar e anticonceptivos orais – a propósito de um caso clínico.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Matos

    1996-05-01

    Full Text Available RESUMO: A propósito de um caso de Tromboembolismo Pulmonar (TEP, em mulher jovem a fazer anticonceptivo oral (ACO, os AA fazem uma revisão sumária dos ACO como factor de risco no TEP. SUMMARY: In reference to a clinical case of Pulmonary Thromboembolism (PTE in a young woman taking oral contraceptives (OC, the authors review the role of OC as a risk factor in PTE. Palavras-chave: Contracepção oral, Tromboembolismo pulmonar, Factores de risco vascular, Key-words: Oral contraception, Pulmonary embolism, Vascular risk factors

  8. Ant colony algorithm for clustering in portfolio optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subekti, R.; Sari, E. R.; Kusumawati, R.

    2018-03-01

    This research aims to describe portfolio optimization using clustering methods with ant colony approach. Two stock portfolios of LQ45 Indonesia is proposed based on the cluster results obtained from ant colony optimization (ACO). The first portfolio consists of assets with ant colony displacement opportunities beyond the defined probability limits of the researcher, where the weight of each asset is determined by mean-variance method. The second portfolio consists of two assets with the assumption that each asset is a cluster formed from ACO. The first portfolio has a better performance compared to the second portfolio seen from the Sharpe index.

  9. Exercício físico, receptores β-adrenérgicos e resposta vascular

    OpenAIRE

    Silva,Alexandre Sérgio; Zanesco,Angelina

    2010-01-01

    O exercício aeróbio promove efeitos benéficos na prevenção e tratamento de doenças como hipertensão arterial, aterosclerose, insuficiência venosa e doença arterial periférica. Os receptores β-adrenérgicos estão presentes em várias células. No sistema cardiovascular, promovem inotropismo e cronotropismo positivo cardíaco e relaxamento vascular. Embora os efeitos do exercício tenham sido investigados em receptores cardíacos, estudos focados nos vasos são escassos e controversos. Esta revis...

  10. Edge detection in digital images using Ant Colony Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjan Kuchaki Rafsanjani

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Ant Colony Optimization (ACO is an optimization algorithm inspired by the behavior of real ant colonies to approximate the solutions of difficult optimization problems. In this paper, ACO is introduced to tackle the image edge detection problem. The proposed approach is based on the distribution of ants on an image; ants try to find possible edges by using a state transition function. Experimental results show that the proposed method compared to standard edge detectors is less sensitive to Gaussian noise and gives finer details and thinner edges when compared to earlier ant-based approaches.

  11. Integral consideration of integrated management systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frauenknecht, Stefan; Schmitz, Hans

    2010-01-01

    Aim of the project for the NPPs Kruemmel and Brunsbuettel (Vattenfall) is the integral view of the business process as basis for the implementation and operation of management systems in the domains quality, safety and environment. The authors describe the integral view of the business processes in the frame of integrated management systems with the focus nuclear safety, lessons learned in the past, the concept of a process-based controlling system and experiences from the practical realization.

  12. Integrated economics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bratton, T.J.

    1992-01-01

    This article offers ideas for evaluating integrated solid waste management systems through the use of a conceptual cost overview. The topics of the article include the integrated solid waste management system; making assumptions about community characteristics, waste generation rates, waste collection responsibility, integrated system components, sizing and economic life of system facilities, system implementation schedule, facility ownership, and system administration; integrated system costs; integrated system revenues; system financing; cost projections; and making decisions

  13. Vehicle-to-Grid Integration | Energy Systems Integration Facility | NREL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vehicle-to-Grid Integration Vehicle-to-Grid Integration NREL's research stands at the forefront of vehicle charging station Our work focuses on building the infrastructure and integration needed for benefit each other. Electric Vehicles NREL's research on electric vehicle (EV) grid integration examines

  14. What Is Energy Systems Integration? | Energy Systems Integration Facility |

    Science.gov (United States)

    NREL What Is Energy Systems Integration? What Is Energy Systems Integration? Energy systems integration (ESI) is an approach to solving big energy challenges that explores ways for energy systems to Research Community NREL is a founding member of the International Institute for Energy Systems Integration

  15. Renewable Electricity-to-Grid Integration | Energy Systems Integration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Facility | NREL Renewable Electricity-to-Grid Integration Renewable Electricity-to-Grid Integration NREL works with industry partners to optimize strategies for effectively interconnecting renewable renewable electric grid integration work includes research and development (R&D) on advanced inverters

  16. Interorganisational Integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyngsø, Anne Marie; Godtfredsen, Nina Skavlan; Frølich, Anne

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Despite many initiatives to improve coordination of patient pathways and intersectoral cooperation, Danish health care is still fragmented, lacking intra- and interorganisational integration. This study explores barriers to and facilitators of interorganisational integration...... at a university hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Our results can be grouped into five influencing areas for interorganisational integration: communication/information transfer, committed leadership, patient engagement, the role and competencies of the general practitioner...... and organisational culture. Proposed solutions to barriers in each area hold the potential to improve care integration as experienced by individuals responsible for supporting and facilitating it. Barriers and facilitators to integrating care relate to clinical, professional, functional and normative integration...

  17. Pro Spring Integration

    CERN Document Server

    Lui, M; Chan, Andy; Long, Josh

    2011-01-01

    Pro Spring Integration is an authoritative book from the experts that guides you through the vast world of enterprise application integration (EAI) and application of the Spring Integration framework towards solving integration problems. The book is:. * An introduction to the concepts of enterprise application integration * A reference on building event-driven applications using Spring Integration * A guide to solving common integration problems using Spring Integration What makes this book unique is its coverage of contemporary technologies and real-world information, with a focus on common p

  18. Transdisciplinary knowledge integration : cases from integrated assessment and vulnerability assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hinkel, J.

    2008-01-01

    Keywords: climate change, integrated assessment, knowledge integration, transdisciplinary research, vulnerability, vulnerability assessment.
    This thesis explores how transdisciplinary knowledge integration can be facilitated in the context of integrated assessments and vulnerability

  19. Energy Systems Integration News | Energy Systems Integration Facility |

    Science.gov (United States)

    the Energy Systems Integration Facility as part of NREL's work with SolarCity and the Hawaiian Electric Companies. Photo by Amy Glickson, NREL Welcome to Energy Systems Integration News, NREL's monthly date on the latest energy systems integration (ESI) developments at NREL and worldwide. Have an item

  20. Buried waste integrated demonstration technology integration process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferguson, J.S.; Ferguson, J.E.

    1992-04-01

    A Technology integration Process was developed for the Idaho National Energy Laboratories (INEL) Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) Program to facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge from industry, universities, and other Federal agencies into the BWID; to successfully transfer demonstrated technology and knowledge from the BWID to industry, universities, and other Federal agencies; and to share demonstrated technologies and knowledge between Integrated Demonstrations and other Department of Energy (DOE) spread throughout the DOE Complex. This document also details specific methods and tools for integrating and transferring technologies into or out of the BWID program. The document provides background on the BWID program and technology development needs, demonstrates the direction of technology transfer, illustrates current processes for this transfer, and lists points of contact for prospective participants in the BWID technology transfer efforts. The Technology Integration Process was prepared to ensure compliance with the requirements of DOE's Office of Technology Development (OTD)

  1. Anterior and posterior capsule densitometry levels after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Txomin Alberdi

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To analyze and compare five different variables over one year follow-up (1wk, 1, 3, 6 and 12mo: anterior capsule (AC, and posterior capsule (PC area densitometry values, AC and PC linear densitometry values, and AC opening area reduction ratio after femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. METHODS: This was a prospective comparative study. Seventy-one patients underwent femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery on single eye between June 2014 and December 2015. A 5.0 mm diameter laser assisted anterior capsulotomy was performed on all eyes. In every post-surgery evaluation, AC opacificaction (ACO and PC opacification (PCO density levels were provided by Oculus Pentacam®HR using area and linear densitometry methods. Digital images were captured with a slit-lamp Topcon photographic camera and IMAGEnet® 5 software. The AC opening area on the digital images was measured using the Sketchandcalc area calculator and converted to reduction ratio levels. RESULTS: Using Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC, we found no correlation (r=-0.091, P=0.46 in the twelfth month assessment between the evolution of ACO area densitometry values and PCO area densitometry values considered as independent variables. We found no correlation, using PCC (r=-0.096, P=0.43 between the evolution of ACO linear densitometry values and PCO linear densitometry values, in the twelfth month visit, working both as independent variables. AC linear densitometry levels and AC area densitometry levels continued to grow strongly from sixth to twelfth months. Analysis of the values of AC opening area reduction ratio (1wk, 1, 3, 6, 12mo revealed statistically significant differences between the values of successive examinations but the magnitude of the change decreased. In the final period of monitoring between six and twelve months the magnitude of change was low. CONCLUSION: Our results show strong increases of Scheimpflug ACO densitometry values from the sixth to the

  2. Extending eScience Provenance with User-Submitted Semantic Annotations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaelis, J.; Zednik, S.; West, P.; Fox, P. A.; McGuinness, D. L.

    2010-12-01

    eScience based systems generate provenance of their data products, related to such things as: data processing, data collection conditions, expert evaluation, and data product quality. Recent advances in web-based technology offer users the possibility of making annotations to both data products and steps in accompanying provenance traces, thereby expanding the utility of such provenance for others. These contributing users may have varying backgrounds, ranging from system experts to outside domain experts to citizen scientists. Furthermore, such users may wish to make varying types of annotations - ranging from documenting the purpose of a provenance step to raising concerns about the quality of data dependencies. Semantic Web technologies allow for such kinds of rich annotations to be made to provenance through the use of ontology vocabularies for (i) organizing provenance, and (ii) organizing user/annotation classifications. Furthermore, through Linked Data practices, Semantic linkages may be made from provenance steps to external data of interest. A desire for Semantically-annotated provenance has been motivated by data management issues in the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory’s (MLSO) Advanced Coronal Observing System (ACOS). In ACOS, photomoeter-based readings are taken of solar activity and subsequently processed into final data products consumable by end users. At intermediate stages of ACOS processing, factors such as evaluations by human experts and weather conditions are logged, which could impact data product quality. If such factors are linked via user-submitted annotations to provenance, it could be significantly beneficial for other users. Likewise, the background of a user could impact the credibility of their annotations. For example, an annotation made by a citizen scientist describing the purpose of a provenance step may not be as reliable as a similar annotation made by an ACOS project member. For this work, we have developed a software package that

  3. Cerebral vasomotor reactivity: steady-state versus transient changes in carbon dioxide tension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brothers, R Matthew; Lucas, Rebekah A I; Zhu, Yong-Sheng; Crandall, Craig G; Zhang, Rong

    2014-11-01

    Cerebral vasomotor reactivity (CVMR) to changes in arterial carbon dioxide tension (P aCO 2) is assessed during steady-state or transient changes in P aCO 2. This study tested the following two hypotheses: (i) that CVMR during steady-state changes differs from that during transient changes in P aCO 2; and (ii) that CVMR during rebreathing-induced hypercapnia would be blunted when preceded by a period of hyperventilation. For each hypothesis, end-tidal carbon dioxide tension (P ET , CO 2) middle cerebral artery blood velocity (CBFV), cerebrovascular conductance index (CVCI; CBFV/mean arterial pressure) and CVMR (slope of the linear regression between changes in CBFV and CVCI versus P ET , CO 2) were assessed in eight individuals. To address the first hypothesis, measurements were made during the following two conditions (randomized): (i) steady-state increases in P ET , CO 2 of 5 and 10 Torr above baseline; and (ii) rebreathing-induced transient breath-by-breath increases in P ET , CO 2. The linear regression for CBFV versus P ET , CO 2 (P = 0.65) and CVCI versus P ET , CO 2 (P = 0.44) was similar between methods; however, individual variability in CBFV or CVCI responses existed among subjects. To address the second hypothesis, the same measurements were made during the following two conditions (randomized): (i) immediately following a brief period of hypocapnia induced by hyperventilation for 1 min followed by rebreathing; and (ii) during rebreathing only. The slope of the linear regression for CBFV versus P ET , CO 2 (P < 0.01) and CVCI versus P ET , CO 2 (P < 0.01) was reduced during hyperventilation plus rebreathing relative to rebreathing only. These results indicate that cerebral vasomotor reactivity to changes in P aCO 2 is similar regardless of the employed methodology to induce changes in P aCO 2 and that hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia attenuates the cerebral vasodilatory responses during a subsequent period of rebreathing

  4. Elucidation of rice rhizosphere metagenome in relation to methane and nitrogen metabolism under elevated carbon dioxide and temperature using whole genome metagenomic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharyya, P; Roy, K S; Das, M; Ray, S; Balachandar, D; Karthikeyan, S; Nayak, A K; Mohapatra, T

    2016-01-15

    Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization is one of the key processes of biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystem in general and rice ecology in particular. Rice rhizosphere is a rich niche of microbial diversity influenced by change in atmospheric temperature and concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2). Structural changes in microbial communities in rhizosphere influence the nutrient cycling. In the present study, the bacterial diversity and population dynamics were studied under ambient CO2 (a-CO2) and elevated CO2+temperature (e-CO2T) in lowland rice rhizosphere using whole genome metagenomic approach. The whole genome metagenomic sequence data of lowland rice exhibited the dominance of bacterial communities including Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Planctomycetes. Interestingly, four genera related to methane production namely, Methanobacterium, Methanosphaera, Methanothermus and Methanothermococcus were absent in a-CO2 but noticed under e-CO2T. The acetoclastic pathway was found as the predominant pathway for methanogenesis, whereas, the serine pathway was found as the principal metabolic pathway for CH4 oxidation in lowland rice. The abundances of reads of enzymes in the acetoclastic methanogenesis pathway and serine pathways of methanotrophy were much higher in e-CO2T (328 and 182, respectively) as compared with a-CO2 (118 and 98, respectively). Rice rhizosphere showed higher structural diversities and functional activities in relation to N metabolism involving nitrogen fixation, assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification under e-CO2T than that of a-CO2. Among the three pathways of N metabolism, dissimilarity pathways were predominant in lowland rice rhizosphere and more so under e-CO2T. Consequently, under e-CO2T, CH4 emission, microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and dehydrogenase activities were 45%, 20% and 35% higher than a-CO2, respectively. Holistically, a high bacterial diversity and

  5. Counting master integrals: Integration by parts vs. differential reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu.; Kniehl, Bernd A.

    2011-01-01

    The techniques of integration by parts and differential reduction differ in the counting of master integrals. This is illustrated using as an example the two-loop sunset diagram with on-shell kinematics. A new algebraic relation between the master integrals of the two-loop sunset diagram that does not follow from the standard integration-by-parts technique is found.

  6. Counting master integrals. Integration by parts vs. differential reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalmykov, Mikhail Yu; Kniehl, Bernd A.

    2011-05-01

    The techniques of integration by parts and differential reduction differ in the counting of master integrals. This is illustrated using as an example the two- loop sunset diagram with on-shell kinematics. A new algebraic relation between the master integrals of the two-loop sunset diagram that does not follow from the integration-by-parts technique is found. (orig.)

  7. The infarction patterns and the compensatory effect of collateral circulation in patients with internal carotid artery occlusion: a correlative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Honghua; Wen Jiamei; Gao Lianbo

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the infarction patterns and the collateral circulation in patients with internal carotid artery occlusion with diffusion-weighted imaging and DSA, to analyze the mechanism of stroke caused by internal carotid artery occlusion and to discuss the correlation between the infarction patterns and the compensatory effect of collateral circulation. Methods: A total of 45 patients with acute cerebral infarction due to DSA-confirmed unilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, who were admitted to the hospital during the period from Jan. 2009 to Sep. 2010, were enrolled in this study. Diffusion-weighted imaging and DSA were performed in all patients. The infarction regions and the findings of PCoA/ACoA were recorded, and the ipsilateral infarction patterns were evaluated. The relationship between the infarction patterns and the compensatory effect of collateral circulation was statistically analyzed. Results: The ipsilateral infarction patterns caused by internal carotid artery occlusion were classified as small cortical infarcts (84.4%), internal watershed infarcts (48.9%), territory infarcts (46.7%), posterior watershed infarcts (22.2%), anterior watershed infarcts (13.3%), perforating artery infarcts (22.2%). Among them, 23 patients had small cortical infarcts together with cerebral watershed infarcts (60.5%). No territory infarcts were found in the patients with patent ACoA (0%, P=0.013), while 91.7% of the patients showing no patent PCoA and/or ACoA had territory infarcts (11/12, p=0.003). Conclusion: Both artery-to-artery embolism and hypoperfusion with impaired emboli clearance are involved in the mechanism of ipsilateral infarctions caused by internal carotid artery occlusion. Patent ACoA can reduce the incidence of territory infarcts, and it maybe protect patients from territory infarcts. (authors)

  8. Impact of elevated CO2 and elevated O3 on Beta vulgaris L.: Pigments, metabolites, antioxidants, growth and yield

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumari, Sumita; Agrawal, Madhoolika; Tiwari, Supriya

    2013-01-01

    The present study was conducted to assess morphological, biochemical and yield responses of palak (Beta vulgaris L. cv Allgreen) to ambient and elevated levels of CO 2 and O 3 , alone and in combination. As compared to the plants grown in charcoal filtered air (ACO 2 ), growth and yield of the plants increased under elevated CO 2 (ECO 2 ) and decreased under combination of ECO 2 with elevated O 3 (ECO 2 + EO 3 ), ambient O 3 (ACO 2 + AO 3 ) and elevated O 3 (EO 3 ). Lipid peroxidation, ascorbic acid, catalase and glutathione reductase activities enhanced under all treatments and were highest in EO 3. Foliar starch and organic carbon contents increased under ECO 2 and ECO 2 + EO 3 and reduced under EO 3 and ACO 2 + AO 3. Foliar N content declined in all treatments compared to ACO 2 resulting in alteration of C/N ratio. This study concludes that ambient level of CO 2 is not enough to counteract O 3 impact, but elevated CO 2 has potential to counteract the negative effects of future O 3 level. -- Highlights: ► Elevated CO 2 enhanced the growth and yield of palak. ► Ambient and elevated ozone reduced the growth and yield of the test plant. ► Elevated CO 2 reduced negative effects of elevated O 3 by reducing oxidative stress. ► Higher amelioration was recorded at elevated CO 2 + O 3 compared to ambient CO 2 + O 3 . -- Predicted levels of CO 2 have greater ameliorative potential against negative effects of elevated ozone compared to present day CO 2 against ambient ozone

  9. Decision-Making for Supply Chain Integration Supply Chain Integration

    CERN Document Server

    Lettice, Fiona; Durowoju, Olatunde

    2012-01-01

    Effective supply chain integration, and the tight co-ordination it creates, is an essential pre-requisite for successful supply chain management.  Decision-Making for Supply Chain Integration is a practical reference on recent research in the area of supply chain integration focusing on distributed decision-making problems. Recent applications of various decision-making tools for integrating supply chains are covered including chapters focusing on: •Supplier selection, pricing strategy and inventory decisions in multi-level supply chains, •RFID-enabled distributed decision-making, •Operational risk issues and time-critical decision-making for sensitive logistics nodes, Modelling end to end processes to improve supply chain integration, and •Integrated systems to improve service delivery and optimize resource use. Decision-Making for Supply Chain Integration provides an insight into the tools and methodologies of this field with support from real-life case studies demonstrating successful application ...

  10. Gauge Integral

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Coghetto Roland

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Some authors have formalized the integral in the Mizar Mathematical Library (MML. The first article in a series on the Darboux/Riemann integral was written by Noboru Endou and Artur Korniłowicz: [6]. The Lebesgue integral was formalized a little later [13] and recently the integral of Riemann-Stieltjes was introduced in the MML by Keiko Narita, Kazuhisa Nakasho and Yasunari Shidama [12].

  11. Integrative psychotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kozarić-Kovacić, Dragica

    2008-09-01

    The main purposes of the article are to present the history of integration in psychotherapy, the reasons of the development integrative approaches, and the approaches to integration in psychotherapy. Three approaches to integration in psychotherapy exist: theoretical integration, theoretical eclecticism, and common factors in different psychotherapeutic trends. In integrative psychotherapy, the basic epistemology, theory, and clinical practice are based on the phenomenology, field theory, holism, dialogue, and co-creation of dialogue in the therapeutic relationship. The main criticism is that integrative psychotherapy suffers from confusion and many unresolved controversies. It is difficult to theoretically and methodologically define the clinically applied model that is based on such a different epistemological and theoretical presumptions. Integrative psychotherapy is a synthesis of humanistic psychotherapy, object relations theory, and psychoanalytical self psychology. It focuses on the dynamics and potentials of human relationships, with a goal of changing the relations and understanding internal and external resistances. The process of integrative psychotherapy is primarily focused on the developmental-relational model and co-creation of psychotherapeutic relationship as a single interactive event, which is not unilateral, but rather a joint endeavor by both the therapist and the patient/client. The need for a relationship is an important human need and represents a process of attunement that occurs as a response to the need for a relationship, a unique interpersonal contact between two people. If this need is not met, it manifests with the different feelings and various defenses. To meet this need, we need to have another person with whom we can establish a sensitive, attuned relationship. Thus, the therapist becomes this person who tries to supplement what the person did not receive. Neuroscience can be a source of integration through different therapies. We

  12. Ant colony optimization as a descriptor selection in QSPR modeling: Estimation of the λmax of anthraquinones-based dyes

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    Morteza Atabati

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR studies based on ant colony optimization (ACO were carried out for the prediction of λmax of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives. ACO is a meta-heuristic algorithm, which is derived from the observation of real ants and proposed to feature selection. After optimization of 3D geometry of structures by the semi-empirical quantum-chemical calculation at AM1 level, different descriptors were calculated by the HyperChem and Dragon softwares (1514 descriptors. A major problem of QSPR is the high dimensionality of the descriptor space; therefore, descriptor selection is the most important step. In this paper, an ACO algorithm was used to select the best descriptors. Then selected descriptors were applied for model development using multiple linear regression. The average absolute relative deviation and correlation coefficient for the calibration set were obtained as 3.3% and 0.9591, respectively, while the average absolute relative deviation and correlation coefficient for the prediction set were obtained as 5.0% and 0.9526, respectively. The results showed that the applied procedure is suitable for prediction of λmax of 9,10-anthraquinone derivatives.

  13. An ant colony optimization based feature selection for web page classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saraç, Esra; Özel, Selma Ayşe

    2014-01-01

    The increased popularity of the web has caused the inclusion of huge amount of information to the web, and as a result of this explosive information growth, automated web page classification systems are needed to improve search engines' performance. Web pages have a large number of features such as HTML/XML tags, URLs, hyperlinks, and text contents that should be considered during an automated classification process. The aim of this study is to reduce the number of features to be used to improve runtime and accuracy of the classification of web pages. In this study, we used an ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm to select the best features, and then we applied the well-known C4.5, naive Bayes, and k nearest neighbor classifiers to assign class labels to web pages. We used the WebKB and Conference datasets in our experiments, and we showed that using the ACO for feature selection improves both accuracy and runtime performance of classification. We also showed that the proposed ACO based algorithm can select better features with respect to the well-known information gain and chi square feature selection methods.

  14. Hybrid ANFIS with ant colony optimization algorithm for prediction of shear wave velocity from a carbonate reservoir in Iran

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    Hadi Fattahi

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Shear wave velocity (Vs data are key information for petrophysical, geophysical and geomechanical studies. Although compressional wave velocity (Vp measurements exist in almost all wells, shear wave velocity is not recorded for most of elderly wells due to lack of technologic tools. Furthermore, measurement of shear wave velocity is to some extent costly. This study proposes a novel methodology to remove aforementioned problems by use of hybrid adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS with ant colony optimization algorithm (ACO based on fuzzy c–means clustering (FCM and subtractive clustering (SCM. The ACO is combined with two ANFIS models for determining the optimal value of its user–defined parameters. The optimization implementation by the ACO significantly improves the generalization ability of the ANFIS models. These models are used in this study to formulate conventional well log data into Vs in a quick, cheap, and accurate manner. A total of 3030 data points was used for model construction and 833 data points were employed for assessment of ANFIS models. Finally, a comparison among ANFIS models, and six well–known empirical correlations demonstrated ANFIS models outperformed other methods. This strategy was successfully applied in the Marun reservoir, Iran.

  15. REANIMACIÓN CARDIOPULMONAR INTRA-HOSPITALARIA DEL PACIENTE ADULTO

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    Raúl J. Gazmuri, MD, PhD, FCCM

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available El paro cardíaco intra-hospitalario es habitualmente precedido de deterioro clínico que puede durar horas o días. Protocolos desarrollados para detectar el deterioro clínico e intervenir a tiempo y adecuadamente pueden prevenir el paro cardíaco. Las condiciones que originan deterioro clínico son mayoritariamente respiratorias y cardiovasculares. El manejo del deterioro clínico frecuentemente requiere el traslado del paciente a unidades de mayor complejidad. Los protocolos de reanimación cardiopulmonar (RCP deben incluir procedimientos para activar los sistemas de rescate, iniciar RCP básica por personal testigo incluyendo uso de desfibriladores, continuación con RCP avanzada por equipos de especializados considerando uso de técnicas de mayor eficacia hemodinámica, y finalmente manejar el período post-paro cardíaco en unidades de cuidados intensivos. La calidad de la RCP se puede definir en base a parámetros específicos e incluir tecnología para monitorear su efectividad. Cada centro hospitalario tiene la responsabilidad de organizar sistemas de prevención y rescate que otorguen seguridad al paciente hospitalizado.

  16. A Hybrid Soft Computing Approach for Subset Problems

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    Broderick Crawford

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Subset problems (set partitioning, packing, and covering are formal models for many practical optimization problems. A set partitioning problem determines how the items in one set (S can be partitioned into smaller subsets. All items in S must be contained in one and only one partition. Related problems are set packing (all items must be contained in zero or one partitions and set covering (all items must be contained in at least one partition. Here, we present a hybrid solver based on ant colony optimization (ACO combined with arc consistency for solving this kind of problems. ACO is a swarm intelligence metaheuristic inspired on ants behavior when they search for food. It allows to solve complex combinatorial problems for which traditional mathematical techniques may fail. By other side, in constraint programming, the solving process of Constraint Satisfaction Problems can dramatically reduce the search space by means of arc consistency enforcing constraint consistencies either prior to or during search. Our hybrid approach was tested with set covering and set partitioning dataset benchmarks. It was observed that the performance of ACO had been improved embedding this filtering technique in its constructive phase.

  17. The application of ant colony optimization in the solution of 3D traveling salesman problem on a sphere

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    Hüseyin Eldem

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP is a problem in combinatorial optimization that should be solved by a salesperson who has to travel all cities at the minimum cost (minimum route and return to the starting city (node. Todays, to resolve the minimum cost of this problem, many optimization algorithms have been used. The major ones are these metaheuristic algorithms. In this study, one of the metaheuristic methods, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO method (Max-Min Ant System – MMAS, was used to solve the Non-Euclidean TSP, which consisted of sets of different count points coincidentally located on the surface of a sphere. In this study seven point sets were used which have different point count. The performance of the MMAS method solving Non-Euclidean TSP problem was demonstrated by different experiments. Also, the results produced by ACO are compared with Discrete Cuckoo Search Algorithm (DCS and Genetic Algorithm (GA that are in the literature. The experiments for TSP on a sphere, show that ACO’s average results were better than the GA’s average results and also best results of ACO successful than the DCS.

  18. Producción limpia de metil etil cetoxima (MEKO

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    César Augusto Caro Muñoz

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Se obtuvo la metil etil cetoxima (MEKO mediante la reacción de metil etil cetona (MEK con amoníaco y peróxido de hidrógeno, utilizando como catalizador titanio silicalita-1 (TS-1. Se analizaron las siguientes variables de reacción: solvente, temperatura, relaciones molares peróxido de hidrógeno/MEK y amoníaco/MEK, así como la relación mg. de catalizador mg/mmol MEK. Entre los solventes utilizados: agua, agua-isopropanol, isopropanol, acetonitrilo y benceno, se encontró que el primero es el solvente que más favorece la reacción. Se obtuvo una conversión de 60% y una selectividad de 100% a 70 °C usando relaciones mg catalizador/mmol MEK = 10,5 y relaciones molares de peróxido de hidrógeno/MEK = 0,7 y amoníaco/MEK = 1,12. La actividad del catalizador disminuyó poco al reutilizarse en dos corridas consecutivas, lo que sugiere que el titanio incorporado es estable en la estructura MFI bajo las condiciones establecidas.

  19. Image Edge Tracking via Ant Colony Optimization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ruowei; Wu, Hongkun; Liu, Shilong; Rahman, M. A.; Liu, Sanchi; Kwok, Ngai Ming

    2018-04-01

    A good edge plot should use continuous thin lines to describe the complete contour of the captured object. However, the detection of weak edges is a challenging task because of the associated low pixel intensities. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) has been employed by many researchers to address this problem. The algorithm is a meta-heuristic method developed by mimicking the natural behaviour of ants. It uses iterative searches to find the optimal solution that cannot be found via traditional optimization approaches. In this work, ACO is employed to track and repair broken edges obtained via conventional Sobel edge detector to produced a result with more connected edges.

  20. Ant colony optimization techniques for the hamiltonian p-median problem

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Zohrehbandian

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Location-Routing problems involve locating a number of facilitiesamong candidate sites and establishing delivery routes to a set of users in such a way that the total system cost is minimized. A special case of these problems is Hamiltonian p-Median problem (HpMP. This research applies the metaheuristic method of ant colony optimization (ACO to solve the HpMP. Modifications are made to the ACO algorithm used to solve the traditional vehicle routing problem (VRP in order to allow the search of the optimal solution of the HpMP. Regarding this metaheuristic algorithm a computational experiment is reported as well.