214 research outputs found

    EUV spectra of highly-charged ions W54+^{54+}-W63+^{63+} relevant to ITER diagnostics

    Full text link
    We report the first measurements and detailed analysis of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra (4 nm to 20 nm) of highly-charged tungsten ions W54+^{54+} to W63+^{63+} obtained with an electron beam ion trap (EBIT). Collisional-radiative modelling is used to identify strong electric-dipole and magnetic-dipole transitions in all ionization stages. These lines can be used for impurity transport studies and temperature diagnostics in fusion reactors, such as ITER. Identifications of prominent lines from several W ions were confirmed by measurement of isoelectronic EUV spectra of Hf, Ta, and Au. We also discuss the importance of charge exchange recombination for correct description of ionization balance in the EBIT plasma.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

    Avaliação da capacidade preditiva da circunferência da cintura para obesidade global e hipertensão arterial em mulheres residentes na Região Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte, Brasil

    Get PDF
    Avaliou-se a capacidade que a Circunferência da Cintura (CC) tem em identificar valores de IMC ≥25 (sobrepeso) e ≥30 (obesidade) a partir de níveis de ação recomendados internacionalmente. Setecentas e noventa e uma mulheres entre 15-59 anos foram recrutadas. Foram calculadas a sensibilidade e a especificidade no diagnóstico de sobrepeso e obesidade e a sensibilidade e especificidade na predição da hipertensão, a partir de valores de CC. As associações foram testadas por análise de regressão linear e regressão logística controlando para o efeito de fatores de confusão. A CC ≥80 e ≥88cm discriminou corretamente 89,8% de mulheres com IMC ≥25 e 88,5% com IMC ≥30. A obesidade abdominal (CC ≥88cm) esteve associada significativamente com a hipertensão na análise multivariada (OR = 2,88, IC 95%: 1,77-4,67). A hipertensão foi identificada com sensibilidade de 63,8 e 42,8% e especificidade de 68,0 e 83,3% para CC ≥80 e ≥88, respectivamente. A obesidade abdominal nos pontos de corte propostos pode discriminar adequadamente indivíduos em risco de se tornarem obesos, no entanto, apresenta um poder apenas moderado para discriminar indivíduos com níveis pressóricos altos. _______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThis study examined the capacity of waist circumference (WC) to identify subjects with overweight (BMI ≥25) and obesity (BMI ≥30), in agreement with internationally recommended levels of action. Data were obtained from 791 women, 15-59 years old. After identifying overweight and obesity according to WC values, sensitivity and specificity were calculated to verify whether WC could be a good risk predictor for hypertension. Associations were tested by linear regression and logistic regression, controlling for confounding.WC cut-off points of 80cm and 88cm correctly identified 89.8% and 88.5% of women with overweight and obesity, respectively. Abdominal obesity (WC ≥88cm) was statistically associated with hypertension in the multivariate analysis (OR = 2.88; 95% CI: 1.77-4.67). Hypertension was identified with a sensitivity of 63.8% and 42.8%, and with a specificity of 68.0% and 83.3%, for WC ≥80 and ≥88, respectively. The proposed cut-off points for abdominal obesity can potentially distinguish individuals at risk for future obesity, but has only moderate power to predict individuals with high blood pressure

    Prevalence and Socio-behavioral Influence of Early Childhood Caries, ECC, and Feeding Habits among 6-36 Months Old Children in Uganda and Tanzania.

    Get PDF
    Early childhood caries (ECC) is a serious problem that has remained unexplored in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to identify possible socio-behavioral correlates of ECC focusing 6-36 months old children and their caretakers.\ud Cross sectional studies were conducted in a high fluoride rural area, Manyara, Tanzania and a low fluoride urban area, Kampala, Uganda. Totals of 1221 and 816 child - caretaker pairs attending health care facilities for growth monitoring were recruited in Manyara and Kampala, respectively. All caretakers completed face to face interviews at the health care facility. Children underwent oral clinical examination whereby ECC and Enamel hypoplasia were recorded using the dmft (WHO 1997) and the DDE index (FDI 1992). The prevalence of ECC was 3.7% in Manyara and 17.6% in Kampala. According to multiple logistic regression analyses, received oral health information from health worker was the strongest determinant of ECC in Manyara, adjusted OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.09 - 0.93. In Kampala, visible plaque, high sugar intake and presence of enamel hypoplasia associated with ECC, adjusted ORs 2.8 (95% CI 1.61- 4.95), 3.0 (95% CI 1.39 - 6.34) and 2.3 (95% CI 1.36 - 3.95). Oral health education aimed at caretakers of 6-36 months, including health care workers' information regarding the detrimental consequences for oral health of frequent sugar consumption and poor oral hygiene is important for prevention of ECC in Tanzania and Uganda

    Managing caries:the need to close the gap between the evidence base and current practice

    Get PDF
    Underpinned by a changing knowledge of the aetiology of caries and its sequelae, and assisted by established and advancing dental materials, there is growing evidence supporting less invasive management of dental caries based on the principles of minimal intervention dentistry. This narrative review assesses both the evidence and the adoption of less invasive caries management strategies and describes ways in which the gap between evidence and practice might be overcome. While there is increasing data supporting less invasive management of carious lesions, these are not standard in most dental practices worldwide. Usually, clinical studies focused on efficacy as outcome, and did not take into consideration the views and priorities of other stakeholders, such as primary care dentists, educators, patients and those financing services. Involving these stakeholders into study design and demonstrating the broader advantages of new management strategies might improve translation of research into practice. In theory, clinical dentists can rely on a growing evidence in cariology regarding less invasive management options. In practice, further factors seem to impede adoption of these strategies. Future research should address these factors by involving major stakeholders and investigating their prioritised outcomes to narrow or close the evidence gap.</p

    Can type of school be used as an alternative indicator of socioeconomic status in dental caries studies? A cross-sectional study

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the importance of collecting individual data of socioeconomic status (SES) in epidemiological oral health surveys with children, this procedure relies on the parents as respondents. Therefore, type of school (public or private schools) could be used as an alternative indicator of SES, instead of collecting data individually. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the variable type of school as an indicator of socioeconomic status as a substitute of individual data in an epidemiological survey about dental caries in Brazilian preschool children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a random sample of 411 preschool children aged 1 to 5 years, representative of Catalão, Brazil. A calibrated examiner evaluated the prevalence of dental caries and parents or guardians provided information about several individual socioeconomic indicators by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. A multilevel approach was used to investigate the association among individual socioeconomic variables, as well as the type of school, and the outcome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When all significant variables in the univariate analysis were used in the multiple model, only mother's schooling and household income (individual socioeconomic variables) presented significant associations with presence of dental caries, and the type of school was not significantly associated. However, when the type of school was used alone, children of public school presented significantly higher prevalence of dental caries than those enrolled in private schools.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The type of school used as an alternative indicator for socioeconomic status is a feasible predictor for caries experience in epidemiological dental caries studies involving preschool children in Brazilian context.</p

    Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria during 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: The Millennium Declaration in 2000 brought special global attention to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria through the formulation of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6. The Global Burden of Disease 2013 study provides a consistent and comprehensive approach to disease estimation for between 1990 and 2013, and an opportunity to assess whether accelerated progress has occured since the Millennium Declaration. METHODS: To estimate incidence and mortality for HIV, we used the UNAIDS Spectrum model appropriately modified based on a systematic review of available studies of mortality with and without antiretroviral therapy (ART). For concentrated epidemics, we calibrated Spectrum models to fit vital registration data corrected for misclassification of HIV deaths. In generalised epidemics, we minimised a loss function to select epidemic curves most consistent with prevalence data and demographic data for all-cause mortality. We analysed counterfactual scenarios for HIV to assess years of life saved through prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and ART. For tuberculosis, we analysed vital registration and verbal autopsy data to estimate mortality using cause of death ensemble modelling. We analysed data for corrected case-notifications, expert opinions on the case-detection rate, prevalence surveys, and estimated cause-specific mortality using Bayesian meta-regression to generate consistent trends in all parameters. We analysed malaria mortality and incidence using an updated cause of death database, a systematic analysis of verbal autopsy validation studies for malaria, and recent studies (2010-13) of incidence, drug resistance, and coverage of insecticide-treated bednets. FINDINGS: Globally in 2013, there were 1·8 million new HIV infections (95% uncertainty interval 1·7 million to 2·1 million), 29·2 million prevalent HIV cases (28·1 to 31·7), and 1·3 million HIV deaths (1·3 to 1·5). At the peak of the epidemic in 2005, HIV caused 1·7 million deaths (1·6 million to 1·9 million). Concentrated epidemics in Latin America and eastern Europe are substantially smaller than previously estimated. Through interventions including PMTCT and ART, 19·1 million life-years (16·6 million to 21·5 million) have been saved, 70·3% (65·4 to 76·1) in developing countries. From 2000 to 2011, the ratio of development assistance for health for HIV to years of life saved through intervention was US$4498 in developing countries. Including in HIV-positive individuals, all-form tuberculosis incidence was 7·5 million (7·4 million to 7·7 million), prevalence was 11·9 million (11·6 million to 12·2 million), and number of deaths was 1·4 million (1·3 million to 1·5 million) in 2013. In the same year and in only individuals who were HIV-negative, all-form tuberculosis incidence was 7·1 million (6·9 million to 7·3 million), prevalence was 11·2 million (10·8 million to 11·6 million), and number of deaths was 1·3 million (1·2 million to 1·4 million). Annualised rates of change (ARC) for incidence, prevalence, and death became negative after 2000. Tuberculosis in HIV-negative individuals disproportionately occurs in men and boys (versus women and girls); 64·0% of cases (63·6 to 64·3) and 64·7% of deaths (60·8 to 70·3). Globally, malaria cases and deaths grew rapidly from 1990 reaching a peak of 232 million cases (143 million to 387 million) in 2003 and 1·2 million deaths (1·1 million to 1·4 million) in 2004. Since 2004, child deaths from malaria in sub-Saharan Africa have decreased by 31·5% (15·7 to 44·1). Outside of Africa, malaria mortality has been steadily decreasing since 1990. INTERPRETATION: Our estimates of the number of people living with HIV are 18·7% smaller than UNAIDS's estimates in 2012. The number of people living with malaria is larger than estimated by WHO. The number of people living with HIV, tuberculosis, or malaria have all decreased since 2000. At the global level, upward trends for malaria and HIV deaths have been reversed and declines in tuberculosis deaths have accelerated. 101 countries (74 of which are developing) still have increasing HIV incidence. Substantial progress since the Millennium Declaration is an encouraging sign of the effect of global action. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

    Rasch model of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire in multi-country data

    Get PDF
    Objective: To be fit-for-purpose, oral health-related quality of life instruments must possess a range of psychometric properties which had not been fully examined in the 16-item Short Form Child Perceptions Questionnaire for children aged 11 to 14 years (CPQ11-14 ISF-16). We used advanced statistical approaches to determine the CPQ’s measurement accuracy, precision, invariance and dimensionality and analyzed whether age range could be extended from 8 to 15 years. Methods: Fit to the Rasch model was examined in 6648 8-to-15-year-olds from Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil and Mexico.Results: In all but two items, the initial five answer options were reduced to three or four, to increase precision of the children’s selection. Items 10 (Shy/embarrassed) and 11 (Concerned what others think) showed an ‘extra’ dependency between item scores beyond the relationship related to the underlying latent construct represented by the instrument, and so were deleted. Without these two items, the CPQ was unidimensional. The three oral symptoms items (4 Food stuck in teeth, 3 Bad breath and 1 Pain) were required for a sufficient person-item coverage. In three out of 14 items (21%), Europe and South America showed regional differences in the patterns of how the answer options were selected. No differential item functioning was detected for age.Conclusion: Except for a few modifications, the present analysis supports the combination of items, the cross-cultural validity of the CPQ with 14 items and the extension of the age range from 8 to 15 years. <br/

    Prevalence and factors associated with traumatic dental injuries among schoolchildren in war‐torn Libya

    Get PDF
    Background/Aims No previous epidemiological study has investigated the prevalence and associated factors of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) among Libyan children. Such information is required for the planning and evaluation of health services. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of TDIs and associated factors among 12‐year‐old schoolchildren in Benghazi, Libya. Methods Data for this study were collected as part of a comprehensive, cross‐sectional survey investigating oral health status and treatment needs of 12‐year‐old schoolchildren in Benghazi, Libya, between December 2016 and May 2017. Sociodemographic information was collected through a dental health questionnaire. The children were assessed for oral health status, including TDIs according to modified World Health Organization (WHO) classification criteria, in their classroom by trained and calibrated examiners. Anthropometric measures, lip competence and overjet were all assessed and reported. History of TDIs was sought among those affected. Logistic regression models were applied for TDIs as an outcome variable. The statistical significance for all tests was ≤0.05. Results Data from 1134 participants were included in this study. TDIs were observed in 10.3% of the sample. Most of these TDIs were enamel fractures only (55.6%) and enamel and dentine fractures (35.9%). “Falling” was the most common cause of TDIs, accounting for 51% of cases. While increased overjet appeared to be associated with higher risk of TDIs (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.29‐2.86), being female (OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.22‐0.53) and overweight (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.13‐0.83) were also associated with lower risk of having TDIs. Conclusions This survey showed that a considerable proportion (10.3%) of 12‐year‐old Libyan children had TDIs, with relatively high unmet treatment needs. More efforts are required to develop effective prevention programmes and to enhance the provision of dental treatment of TDIs for Libyan children
    corecore