Alternativas para a medida do erro na representação do carregamento no método da superposição de vetores de Lanczos

O desenvolvimento de um método de reduçáo de coordenadas, que utiliza uma base constituída por vetores de Lanczos gerados a partir da distribuiçáo espacial do carregamento, suposta fixa, é apresentado. O erro relativo na representasao do carregamento, quando se utiliza a base reduzida, como um critério de interrupçáo na gerasao dos vetores da base, é abordado, mostrando-se que a proposta de Wilson, Yuan e Dickens náo é apropriada. Propóe-se, entiio, duas alternativas para a medida do referido erro relativo, ambas baseadas em normas niio- Euclidianas. Mostra-se que a primeira, por envolver a soluçao de um sistema de equaçóes cuja matriz é a matriz de massa do modelo estrutural, implica em custos computacionais adicionais altos, caso seja utilizada a formulaçáo de matriz de massa consistente. Já a segunda alternativa leva a uma medida para o erro relativo facilmente calculável, pois envolve, apenas, produtos internos entre vetores. Exemplos numéricos sáo apresentados e sugere-se a utilizasao da segunda alternativa.Peer Reviewe

Testosterone deficiency increases hospital readmission and mortality rates in male patients with heart failure.

BackgroundTestosterone deficiency in patients with heart failure (HF) is associated with decreased exercise capacity and mortality; however, its impact on hospital readmission rate is uncertain. Furthermore, the relationship between testosterone deficiency and sympathetic activation is unknown.ObjectiveWe investigated the role of testosterone level on hospital readmission and mortality rates as well as sympathetic nerve activity in patients with HF.MethodsTotal testosterone (TT) and free testosterone (FT) were measured in 110 hospitalized male patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 45% and New York Heart Association classification IV. The patients were placed into low testosterone (LT; n = 66) and normal testosterone (NT; n = 44) groups. Hypogonadism was defined as TT < 300 ng/dL and FT < 131 pmol/L. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was recorded by microneurography in a subpopulation of 27 patients.ResultsLength of hospital stay was longer in the LT group compared to in the NT group (37 ± 4 vs. 25 ± 4 days; p = 0.008). Similarly, the cumulative hazard of readmission within 1 year was greater in the LT group compared to in the NT group (44% vs. 22%, p = 0.001). In the single-predictor analysis, TT (hazard ratio [HR], 2.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.58-4.85; p = 0.02) predicted hospital readmission within 90 days. In addition, TT (HR, 4.65; 95% CI, 2.67-8.10; p = 0.009) and readmission within 90 days (HR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.23-8.69; p = 0.02) predicted increased mortality. Neurohumoral activation, as estimated by MSNA, was significantly higher in the LT group compared to in the NT group (65 ± 3 vs. 51 ± 4 bursts/100 heart beats; p < 0.001).ConclusionThese results support the concept that LT is an independent risk factor for hospital readmission within 90 days and increased mortality in patients with HF. Furthermore, increased MSNA was observed in patients with LT

Avaliação do sistema MALDI-TOF MS como metodologia para a identificação de espécies de Rhodotorula spp. : uma revisão da literatura

A maioria dos fungos não-candida não eram considerados patógenos até poucos anos atrás, mas esse cenário está mudando e entre os gêneros que estão emergindo está Rhodotorula: uma levedura que tem atingido principalmente pacientes imunocomprometidos e portadores de cateteres de uso venoso central. Os métodos mais comuns na rotina de análise de micro-organismos são cultura e bioquimismo, seguido de técnicas moleculares, exigindo mais de 48 horas para visualização dos resultados em ambos os casos. Diante da necessidade de resultados mais rápidos a fim de realizar a escolha da terapia correta para o paciente, MALDI-TOF MS vem como uma ferramenta revolucionária, pois através dele é possível obter a identificação correta em menos de 3 horas e em alguns casos em até 20 minutos. No caso de leveduras, há a necessidade de uma etapa pré-analítica muito importante: extração de proteínas; essa técnica pode ser feita por métodos diversos. O objetivo dessa revisão da literatura é abordar aspectos de identificação de espécies de Rhodotorula por MALDI-TOF MS entre os anos 2000 e 2020, traçando uma linha do tempo para que seja possível observar o avanço da técnica, assim como explicar os métodos de extração mais utilizados, os tipos de amostras onde esse micro-organismo foi isolado e as espécies que foram encontradas. Baseado nisso, apesar da necessidade de enriquecimento das espectrotecas, os resultados obtidos foram otimistas, visto que 86% dos estudos foram capazes de identificar Rhodotorula por MALDI e desses, 81,1% conseguiu identificar a nível de espécie, sendo que a predominante foi R. mucilaginosa.Most non-candida fungi were not considered pathogens until a few years ago, but this scenario is changing and among the genus that are emerging is Rhodotorula: a yeast that has mainly affected immunocompromised patients and patients with catheters in use central venous. The most common methods in the routine of microorganism analysis are culture and biochemistry, followed by molecular techniques, requiring more than 48 hours to visualize the results in both cases. In view of the need for faster results in order to choose the right therapy for the patient, MALDI-TOF MS comes as a revolutionary tool, because it is possible to obtain the correct identification in less than 3 hours and in some cases up to 20 minutes. In the case of yeasts, there is a need for a very important pre-analytical step: protein extraction; this technique can be done by different methods. The objective of this literature review is to address aspects of Rhodotorula species identification by MALDI-TOF MS between the years 2000 and 2020, tracing a timeline so that it is possible to observe the advancement of the technique, as well as to explain the most efficient extraction methods used, the types of samples where this microorganism was isolated and the species that were found. Based on this, despite the need to enrich the library of spectral data, the results obtained were optimistic, since 86% of the studies were able to identify Rhodotorula by MALDI and of these, 81.1% managed to identify at a species level, which the predominant was R. mucilaginosa

Exercise training prevents the deterioration in the arterial baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve activity in chronic heart failure patients

Arterial baroreflex control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (ABRMSNA) is impaired in chronic systolic heart failure (CHF). the purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that exercise training would improve the gain and reduce the time delay of ABRMSNA in CHF patients. Twenty-six CHF patients, New York Heart Association Functional Class II-III, EF <= 40%, peak (V) over dot O-2 <= 20 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) were divided into two groups: untrained (UT, n = 13, 57 +/- 3 years) and exercise trained (ET, n = 13, 49 +/- 3 years). Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was directly recorded by microneurography technique. Arterial pressure was measured on a beat-to-beat basis. Time series of MSNA and systolic arterial pressure were analyzed by autoregressive spectral analysis. the gain and time delay of ABRMSNA was obtained by bivariate autoregressive analysis. Exercise training was performed on a cycle ergometer at moderate intensity, three 60-min sessions per week for 16 wk. Baseline MSNA, gain and time delay of ABRMSNA, and low frequency of MSNA (LFMSNA) to high-frequency ratio (HFMSNA) (LFMSNA/HFMSNA) were similar between groups. ET significantly decreased MSNA. MSNA was unchanged in the UT patients. the gain and time delay of ABRMSNA were unchanged in the ET patients. in contrast, the gain of ABRMSNA was significantly reduced [3.5 +/- 0.7 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.2, arbitrary units (au)/mmHg, P = 0.04] and the time delay of ABRMSNA was significantly increased (4.6 +/- 0.8 vs. 7.9 +/- 1.0 s, P = 0.05) in the UT patients. LFMSNA-to-HFMSNA ratio tended to be lower in the ET patients (P < 0.08). Exercise training prevents the deterioration of ABRMSNA in CHF patients.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao ZerbiniCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)National Heart, Lung, and Blood InstituteUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Heart Inst InCor, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Phys Educ & Sport, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Calif Los Angeles, David Geffen Sch Med, Dept Med Cardiol & Physiol, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Med, Div Cardiol, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2010/50048-1FAPESP: 140643/2009-5FAPESP: 2013/07651-7CNPq: 142366/2009-9CNPq: 301867/2010-0CNPq: 308068/2011-4FAPESP: 2013/15651-7National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: RO1-HL084525Web of Scienc

The impact of bacterial contamination of the ejaculate and extender on the quality of swine semen doses

The aim of this study was to verify the influence of the degree of bacterial contamination of boar ejaculate and semen extender on the quality of semen doses. The experiment was conducted in four boar studs, from which raw semen and two semen doses from each ejaculate were collected to evaluate the number of colony-forming units (CFU), pH, sperm morphology and motility. Extender samples were also evaluated for CFU. Ejaculates that had higher levels of contamination ( > 220 CFU mL-1) resulted in semen doses with a greater degree of bacterial contamination but with no reduction in motility or alteration in pH. When the semen doses were classified according to the degree of contamination of the extender, a decrease in motility was observed after 108 and 168 h of storage (P < 0.05) in the group whose extender had ? 14,000 CFU mL-1 versus the group whose extender had ? 330 CFU mL-1. The pH remained stable during 168 h of storage in semen doses with extender that had lower contamination levels, but decreased from 7.2 to 6.0 between 24 and 168 h of storage (P < 0.05) in the group with extender that had higher levels of contamination. A higher number of abnormal acrosomes (P < 0.05) were observed after 168 h of storage in the semen doses whose extender was highly contaminated. The production of semen doses with low bacterial contamination and high sperm cell viability will only be possible with a strict hygienic control in semen processing, primarily with respect to the extender, combined with minimal contamination during collection

LattesData e a adoção aos Princípios FAIR: uma análise usando a F-UJI Automated FAIR Data Assessment Tool

The funding agencies of developed countries began to require the deposit in open access also to research data, for this the data needed to meet requirements to allow its integrity, completeness, quality and correct description of the metadata. Thus FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) principles emerged, guidelines to improve the reuse of research data. Aiming to contribute to these discussions, this paper sought to verify the adoption of FAIR principles in datasets deposited in the LattesData repository, using the F-UJI tool. This tool was developed to automate the analysis of FAIR metrics. From the methodological point of view, this is a descriptive research, where 13 datasets available at LattesData were analyzed. The results obtained allow us to observe that the Findability principle was the best contemplated in the datasets, the Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability principles need attention, because not all metrics were contemplated. We conclude that the LattesData repository has adopted the FAIR principles, but needs improvement. LattesData needs policies and guidelines that really ensure that the deposited data can be reused. F-UJI proved to be a practical and simple tool to use. The use of tools for research data management facilitates the implementation of good practices and quality datasets.As agências de fomento dos países desenvolvidos começaram a exigir o depósito, em acesso aberto, dos dados de pesquisa, para isso eles precisam cumprir exigências que permitam sua integridade, completude, qualidade e correta descrição dos seus metadados. Surgem assim, os Princípios FAIR - Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability, diretrizes para melhorar a reutilização dos dados de pesquisa. Com o objetivo de contribuir para essas discussões, este artigo buscou verificar a adoção dos Princípios FAIR nos datasets depositados no repositório LattesData, a partir do uso da ferramenta F-UJI. Essa ferramenta foi desenvolvida para automatizar o trabalho de análise das métricas do FAIR. Do ponto de vista metodológico, esta é uma pesquisa de caráter descritivo, na qual foram analisados 13 datasets disponíveis no LattesData. Os resultados obtidos permitem observar que o princípio da Encontrabilidade foi o melhor contemplado nos datasets, os princípios da Acessibilidade, da Interoperabilidade e da Reutilização, carecem de atenção, pois nem todas as métricas foram contempladas. Conclui-se que o repositório LattesData tem adotado os Princípios FAIR, ainda que de maneira incipiente. Necessita de políticas e diretrizes que garantam que os dados depositados possam ser reutilizados. A F-UJI se mostrou uma ferramenta prática e simples de ser utilizada. O uso de ferramentas para a gestão de dados de pesquisa pode facilitar na implementação de boas práticas e no depósito de conjunto de dados com qualidade

Oscillatory pattern of sympathetic nerve bursts is associated with baroreflex function in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction

Sympathetic hyperactivation and baroreflex dysfunction are hallmarks of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, it is unknown whether the progressive loss of phasic activity of sympathetic nerve bursts is associated with baroreflex dysfunction in HFrEF patients. Therefore, we investigated the association between the oscillatory pattern of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (LFMSNA/HFMSNA) and the gain and coupling of the sympathetic baroreflex function in HFrEF patients. In a sample of 139 HFrEF patients, two groups were selected according to the level of LFMSNA/HFMSNA index: (1) Lower LFMSNA/HFMSNA (lower terciles, n = 46, aged 53 +/- 1 y) and (2) Higher LFMSNA/HFMSNA (upper terciles, n = 47, aged 52 +/- 2 y). Heart rate (ECG), arterial pressure (oscillometric method), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (microneurography) were recorded for 10 min in patients while resting. Spectral analysis of muscle sympathetic nerve activity was conducted to assess the LFMSNA/HFMSNA, and cross-spectral analysis between diastolic arterial pressure, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity was conducted to assess the sympathetic baroreflex function. HFrEF patients with lower LFMSNA/HFMSNA had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (26 +/- 1 vs. 29 +/- 1%, P = 0.03), gain (0.15 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.30 +/- 0.04 a.u./mmHg, P &lt; 0.001) and coupling of sympathetic baroreflex function (0.26 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.56 +/- 0.04%, P &lt; 0.001) and increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity (48 +/- 2 vs. 41 +/- 2 bursts/min, P &lt; 0.01) and heart rate (71 +/- 2 vs. 61 +/- 2 bpm, P &lt; 0.001) compared with HFrEF patients with higher LFMSNA/HFMSNA. Further analysis showed an association between the LFMSNA/HFMSNA with coupling of sympathetic baroreflex function (R = 0.56, P &lt; 0.001) and left ventricular ejection fraction (R = 0.23, P = 0.02). In conclusion, there is a direct association between LFMSNA/HFMSNA and sympathetic baroreflex function and muscle sympathetic nerve activity in HFrEF patients. This finding has clinical implications, because left ventricular ejection fraction is less in the HFrEF patients with lower LFMSNA/HFMSNA

Barriers to cardiac rehabilitation and their association with hospital readmission in patients with heart failure

ABSTRACT Objective This study assessed the barriers to cardiac rehabilitation in inpatients with heart failure, the use of formal exercise supervision, and its relationship to readmissions. Methods This study was a prospective, observational design. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale, the Readiness Scale focusing on physical activity, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were administered before hospital discharge. Participants were followed up via telephone at 30- and 90-days post-discharge, during which the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was readministered, and formal exercise supervision and readmission rates were assessed. Results Of the 95 patients who provided consent, 88.4% were inactive. A total of 85 (89.5%) were retained at the 30-day follow-up, and 86 (90.5%) patients at the 90-day follow-up; 2 patients died. The mean total Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale score was 2.3±6.5 (out of 5), with the highest item scores for lack of energy, prior exercise, lack of awareness, distance, and exercise-related pain/fatigue. Only one participant was enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation. Nearly half had engaged in professional exercise (n=48, 56.5% at 30 days and n=45, 52.3% at 90 days) at both follow-ups. At 30 days, 25.8% of the patients were readmitted, and 25.5% were readmitted at 90 days. Participants who received professional exercise supervision within 30 days had significantly fewer readmissions (n=7, 14.6%) than those who did not (n=13, 35.1%; p=0.03). Conclusion Barriers to cardiac rehabilitation are high among patients with heart failure. Despite access to professional exercise training, most participants remain insufficiently active. Systematic referral for cardiac rehabilitation and advocacy for coverage could mitigate poor self-management and, ultimately, reduce high readmission rates. Registry of Clinical Trials NCT0338583