Pulmonar Vascular Changes in the Plain Chest Film of Cardiac Patients

The correct interpretation of chest film on cardiac patients is very important. The most important feature is the radiographic appearance of the pulmonary vascularity. Four different patterns of pulmonary vascularity are considered: normal, decreased, increased and uneven. The different diseases associated with each type are mentioned. From the pulmonary vascular pattern one can deduct hemodynamic data which are important for the diagnosis, grade of severity and follow-up

Experimental evidence of guided resonances in photonic crystals with aperiodically-ordered supercells

We report on the first experimental evidence of guided resonances (GRs) in photonic crystal slabs based on aperiodically-ordered supercells. Using the Ammann-Beenker (quasiperiodic, 8-fold symmetric) tiling geometry, we present our study on the fabrication, experimental characterization, and full-wave numerical simulation of two representative structures (with different filling parameters) operating at near-infrared wavelengths (1300-1600 nm). Our results show a fairly good agreement between measurements and numerical predictions, and pave the way for the development of new strategies (based, e.g., on the lattice symmetry breaking) for GR engineering.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures (minor revisions

Adequação Nutricional em Crianças Subnutridas dos 6 aos 59 Meses, em Cantagalo (São Tomé e Príncipe)

OBJETIVOS: Conhecer as diferenças entre o aporte energético e de macronutrientes e as recomendações nutricionais em crianças subnutridas dos 6 aos 59 meses, no distrito de Cantagalo, em São Tomé e Príncipe. Estudar a relação entre a adequação da ingestão e o tipo e grau de subnutrição, idade, amamentação e dificuldade de acesso a comida suficiente reportada pelo cuidador da criança. METODOLOGIA: Neste estudo descritivo inquiriram-se cuidadores de 118 crianças entre os 6 e os 59 meses. Foram recolhidos dados antropométricos e sociodemográficos e foi feito um inquérito às 24 horas anteriores para avaliar o aporte energético e de macronutrientes. Determinou-se a adequação nutricional pela comparação com as Dietary Reference Intake (crianças não amamentadas) e com as recomendações definidas por Dewey e Brown (para as amamentadas).RESULTADOS: Da amostra de crianças subnutridas, 72,9%, 59,3% e 74,6% apresentou aportes inferiores às recomendações em termos de energia, hidratos de carbono e lípidos, respetivamente. Apenas 14,4% apresentou aporte proteico inferior ao de referência. As crianças mais velhas e as não amamentadas tenderam a apresentar-se mais afastadas das recomendações. As crianças com subnutrição crónica moderada, comparativamente às que tinham subnutrição crónica severa, apresentaram maior prevalência de aporte energético inferior às recomendações, mas não se verificaram diferenças relativamente aos macronutrientes. CONCLUSÕES: A maioria das crianças subnutridas avaliadas não atinge as recomendações energéticas e de macronutrientes, à exceção das proteínas. Esta situação é mais grave em crianças mais velhas e crianças não amamentadasINTRODUCTION: Undernutrition in children is considered a public health issue, especially in developing countries, and its relation to an inadequate dietary intake is highly recognized. The lack of data concerning to São Tomé e Príncipe in this area makes it imperious to evaluate these childrens nutritional adequacy and to do more similar studies.OBJECTIVES: To know the differences between energetic and macronutrient intake and nutritional recommendations in undernourished children from 6 to 59 months of age in Cantagalo, São Tomé e Príncipe. To assess the relationship between nutritional adequacy and undernutrition type and severity, age, breastfeeding and reported difficulties in access to enough food.METHODOLOGY: In this descriptive study, a survey was applied to 118 caregivers of children from 6 to 59 months of age. Anthropometric and sociodemographic data were collected and a 24 hour recall was applied to assess childrens energy and macronutrient intake. Nutritional adequacy was determined by comparison with the DRI (non-breastfed children) and Dewey and Browns recommendations (for breastfed children).RESULTS: From the sample of undernourished children, 72.9%, 59.3% and 74.6% presented values below the recommendations for energy, carbohydrates and lipids, respectively. For protein, only 14.4% were below the reference values. Older and non-breastfed children tended to be out of the recommendation. Children with moderate chronic undernutrition, comparatively to those with severe chronic undernutrition, showed a higher prevalence of energetic intake inferior to recommendations, but no significant differences were found in terms of macronutrients. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the evaluated undernourished children do not reach energetic and macronutrient recommendations, with protein being an exception. This is worse for older and non-breastfed children

Guided resonances in photonic quasicrystals

In this paper, we report on the first evidence of guided resonances (GRs) in aperiodically-ordered photonic crystals, tied to the concept of "quasicrystals" in solid-state physics. Via a full-wave numerical study of the transmittance response and the modal structure of a photonic quasicrystal (PQC) slab based on a representative aperiodic geometry (Ammann-Beenker octagonal tiling), we demonstrate the possibility of exciting GR modes, and highlight similarities and differences with the periodic case. In particular, we show that, as for the periodic case, GRs arise from the coupling of the incident plane-wave with degenerate modes of the PQC slab that exhibit a matching symmetry in the spatial distribution, and can still be parameterized via a Fano-like model. Besides the phenomenological implications, our results may provide new degrees of freedom in the engineering of GRs, and pave the way for new developments and applications.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Three figures added; Sec. 3.3 significantly expande

Estructuración y aplicación de un algoritmo cultural en la optimización de un portafolio de inversión

Tomando como base los aspectos fundamentales del método de computo evolutivo estocástico, el cual usa procesos aleatorios para determinar la dirección de búsqueda de una solución, para este caso en particular y mediante la estructuración en Matlab de un código que permitió ejecutar el Algoritmo Cultural propuesto por Robert G. Reynolds en 1978; abordando el problema de la optimización de portafolios de inversión bajo el modelo de Harry Markowitz presentado en 1952; como alternativa metodológica, permitiendo generar un portafolio de inversión eficiente, estable y diversificado; bajo el criterio de máximo beneficio o mínimo riesgo; se analizaron los dos criterios para 2, 5 y 8 diferentes grupos de acciones que conformarían el portafolio; bajo un ambiente de Algoritmo Cultural y se confrontó frente a un Algoritmo Genético convencional y un Algoritmo de Ascenso a la Colina; permitiendo de esta forma presentar una propuesta para la diversificación del portafolio

Idea intuitiva de límite de una función en un punto

Este informe contiene cuatro partes: (a) diseño previo, (b) instrumentos y procedimientos de recolección y análisis de la información, (c) descripción de la implementación y (d) nuevo diseño. En el diseño previo, nos centramos en la delimitación del tema matemático, la formulación de los objetivos y las tareas para lograr el aprendizaje. Con los instrumentos y procedimientos de recolección y análisis de la información, evaluamos la actuación de los estudiantes, el diseño y la implementación. En la descripción de la implementación, mostramos los cambios que realizamos al diseño previo durante la implementación con su respectiva justi cación. Por último, en el nuevo diseño explicamos las mejoras que realizamos a las tareas con motivo del análisis de sus debilidades, amenazas, fortalezas y oportunidades

Endovascular Therapy of Pseudoaneurysm and Arteriovenous Fistula in a Renal Graft

A 31 year old male Caucasian received a renal cadaveric allograft. Reconstruction of an inferior polar artery was corrected pre-implantation. Delayed graft function occurred leading to dialysis support for one month. Graft biopsies(days 7, 15) showed acute tubular necrosis(ATN) and no rejection. Serial ultrasound (US), performed on average weekly, were compatible with ATN. On day 31, Doppler US and a CAT scan suggested for the first time a pseudoaneurysm adjacent to the implantation of the graft artery on the external iliac artery. For clinical and technical reasons, arteriography was only performed on day 67, when serum creatinine was 3.3 mg/dl. It showed a large pseudoaneurysm with an arteriovenous fistula to the right common iliac vein. Compression of the right external iliac artery was clear. In an attempt to close the arteriovenous fistula, the communication with the pseudoaneurysm was embolised with gelfoam and metallic coils with partial success. One week later, by right femoral approach a covered wallstent was placed immediately below the origin of the graft artery.Subsequent Doppler US and arteriography con-firmed closure of the communication with thepseudoaneurysm and of the arteriovenous fistula. The calibre of the right external iliac artery was then normal. By month 18, serum creatinine is stable at 2.1 mg/dl. We can only speculate on the origin of thepseudoaneurysm and of the AV fistula, whichwere not evident until one month post-transplantation. Backtable surgery was performed on thepolar not the main graft artery. Invasive angiography was irreplaceable in this unusual clinical situation