Is Bigger Better? Corpus and Dictionary Use in the Search for Compounds, Collocations, Derived Forms and Fixed Expressions

In the course of the development of a bilingual dictionary, a number of monolingual source language and target language dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, and text corpora are typically used as tools to create entries. When dealing with words that occur at a high frequency in the corpus, determining which collocations, compounds, derived forms and fixed expressions are to be included in the dictionary is an additional complication. This paper presents the relative merits of using dictionary and corpus sources for searching for this type of information. We present frequency searching as an efficient and useful tool for corpus analysis, especially in the case of high-frequency words.La création d’entrées dans le cadre de l’élaboration d’un dictionnaire bilingue mobilise habituellement des dictionnaires unilingues dans les langues source et cible, des dictionnaires bilingues ainsi que des corpus textuels. En outre, la fréquence élevée de certains mots dans le corpus impose une sélection des collocations, des mots composés, des formes dérivées et des expressions figées à inclure dans le dictionnaire. Le présent article offre un aperçu des avantages découlant de la combinaison de l’usage des sources dictionnairiques et des corpus de données. Nous proposons que la recherche par fréquence est un paramètre particulièrement utile pour résoudre les difficultés posées par l’étude de mots présents dans le corpus à une fréquence élevée

Perception of family support among low-income elderly and associated factors

This study aims to identify the perception of family support among low-income elderly and associated factors. It is cross- sectional study with a sample of 235 elderly residents of Jequié, Bahia, Brazil. The instrument consisted of: demographics and health; Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel Index, and Perceived Family Support Inventory. Statistical analysis was performed with a p<0.05 level of significance, upon completion of the Chi-Square. There was a statistically significant difference between the averages for Consistency-affection domain and presence of consequences variables (p=0.042) and impairment of basic daily living activities (p=0.033); and between Family-adaptation domain averages and illiterate education levels (p=0.012); and between the Autonomy domain and married state variables (p=0.013), completion of treatment (p=0.032), and impairment of basic daily living activities (p=0.011). Thus, it is evident that most seniors tested showed impaired perception of family support

Avaliação de saúde e da dor no pós-operatório de idosos submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca

O presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliar a saúde e a dor em idosos com insuficiência coronariana submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter analítico, prospectivo, com delineamento transversal e abordagem quantitativa. Os dados foram coletados a partir de uma ficha de avaliação fisioterapêutica e da escala numérica de dor, junto a 70 idosos submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca, em dois hospitais do município de Natal-RN. A faixa etária mais frequente foi de 60 a 69 anos (61,43%), seguida do sexo masculino (62,86%). Em relação às condições de saúde, 61,43% dos idosos apresentavam patologias pré-existentes, sendo a de maior distribuição, a Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica (31,40%). O comportamento doloroso foi moderado no 1° e 3° e leve no 2° e 4° dias de pós- operatório. Desta forma, constatou-se que a maioria dos idosos submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca era do sexo masculino, que apresentava patologias pré-existentes, sendo a hipertensão, a patologia mais frequente, e com intensidade dolorosa predominantemente moderada

A semi-parametric approach to estimate risk functions associated with multi-dimensional exposure profiles: application to smoking and lung cancer

A common characteristic of environmental epidemiology is the multi-dimensional aspect of exposure patterns, frequently reduced to a cumulative exposure for simplicity of analysis. By adopting a flexible Bayesian clustering approach, we explore the risk function linking exposure history to disease. This approach is applied here to study the relationship between different smoking characteristics and lung cancer in the framework of a population based case control study

Frozen section analysis and sentinel lymph node biopsy in well differentiated thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to prospectively review the role of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in the management of well differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC), and to determine the efficacy of intraoperative frozen section analysis at detecting SLN metastasis and central compartment involvement. METHODS: The SLN biopsy protocol using 1% methylene blue was performed in 300 patients undergoing thyroidectomy for WDTC. A limited pretracheal central compartment neck dissection (CCND) was performed on all patients. Lymph nodes staining blue were considered as SLN’s. Both frozen and permanent section analyses were performed. RESULTS: SLN’s with metastasis were found in 14.3% (43/300) of cases. Of this, 11% (33/300) were positive on intraoperative frozen section analysis. Frozen section results failed in predicting central compartment involvement in 15 cases (5%) whereas central neck compartment involvement was missed in 5 cases (1.7%) when based on permanent section results. On frozen section analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value (95% CI) of our SLN biopsy technique aiming to remove all disease from the central compartment was 68.8% (53.6-80.9), 100% (98.1-100), 100% (87.0-100) and 94.4% (90.7-96.7) respectively with P < 0.0001. On permanent section analysis, the values were 89.6% (76.6-96.1), 100% (98.1-100), 100% (89.8-100), and 98.1% (95.3-99.3) with P < 0.0001. CONCLUSION: This data series demonstrates that patients with WDTC have positive SLN’s in 14.3% of cases. Moreover, when the SLN’s are negative for metastasis on frozen section, the central compartment was disease-free in 94.4% of cases. Finally, this study shows that 23.3% of positive SLN’s were false negatives on intraoperative frozen section. According to this data, SLN involvement is an accurate predictor of central compartment metastasis, however surgeons should use caution when relying on intraoperative frozen section to determine whether to perform a CCND

WNT signaling regulates self-renewal and differentiation of prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics

Prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics were identified in human prostate cancer cell lines by their ability to form from single cells self-renewing prostaspheres in non-adherent cultures. Prostaspheres exhibited heterogeneous expression of proliferation, differentiation and stem cell-associated makers CD44, ABCG2 and CD133. Treatment with WNT inhibitors reduced both prostasphere size and self-renewal. In contrast, addition of Wnt3a caused increased prostasphere size and self-renewal, which was associated with a significant increase in nuclear Β-catenin, keratin 18, CD133 and CD44 expression. As a high proportion of LNCaP and C4-2B cancer cells express androgen receptor we determined the effect of the androgen receptor antagonist bicalutamide. Androgen receptor inhibition reduced prostasphere size and expression of PSA, but did not inhibit prostasphere formation. These effects are consistent with the androgen-independent self-renewal of cells with stem cell characteristics and the androgen-dependent proliferation of transit amplifying cells. As the canonical WNT signaling effector Β-catenin can also associate with the androgen receptor, we propose a model for tumour propagation involving a balance between WNT and androgen receptor activity. That would affect the self-renewal of a cancer cell with stem cell characteristics and drive transit amplifying cell proliferation and differentiation. In conclusion, we provide evidence that WNT activity regulates the self-renewal of prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics independently of androgen receptor activity. Inhibition of WNT signaling therefore has the potential to reduce the self-renewal of prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics and improve the therapeutic outcome.Peer reviewe

Gain-of-Function Mutations in ZIC1 Are Associated with Coronal Craniosynostosis and Learning Disability

Human ZIC1 (zinc finger protein of cerebellum 1), one of five homologs of the Drosophila pair-rule gene odd-paired, encodes a transcription factor previously implicated in vertebrate brain development. Heterozygous deletions of ZIC1 and its nearby paralog ZIC4 on chromosome 3q25.1 are associated with Dandy-Walker malformation of the cerebellum, and loss of the orthologous Zic1 gene in the mouse causes cerebellar hypoplasia and vertebral defects. We describe individuals from five families with heterozygous mutations located in the final (third) exon of ZIC1 (encoding four nonsense and one missense change) who have a distinct phenotype in which severe craniosynostosis, specifically involving the coronal sutures, and variable learning disability are the most characteristic features. The location of the nonsense mutations predicts escape of mutant ZIC1 transcripts from nonsense-mediated decay, which was confirmed in a cell line from an affected individual. Both nonsense and missense mutations are associated with altered and/or enhanced expression of a target gene, engrailed-2, in a Xenopus embryo assay. Analysis of mouse embryos revealed a localized domain of Zic1 expression at embryonic days 11.5-12.5 in a region overlapping the supraorbital regulatory center, which patterns the coronal suture. We conclude that the human mutations uncover a previously unsuspected role for Zic1 in early cranial suture development, potentially by regulating engrailed 1, which was previously shown to be critical for positioning of the murine coronal suture. The diagnosis of a ZIC1 mutation has significant implications for prognosis and we recommend genetic testing when common causes of coronal synostosis have been excluded

Genome analysis of the necrotrophic fungal pathogens Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea are closely related necrotrophic plant pathogenic fungi notable for their wide host ranges and environmental persistence. These attributes have made these species models for understanding the complexity of necrotrophic, broad host-range pathogenicity. Despite their similarities, the two species differ in mating behaviour and the ability to produce asexual spores. We have sequenced the genomes of one strain of S. sclerotiorum and two strains of B. cinerea. The comparative analysis of these genomes relative to one another and to other sequenced fungal genomes is provided here. Their 38–39 Mb genomes include 11,860–14,270 predicted genes, which share 83% amino acid identity on average between the two species. We have mapped the S. sclerotiorum assembly to 16 chromosomes and found large-scale co-linearity with the B. cinerea genomes. Seven percent of the S. sclerotiorum genome comprises transposable elements compared t

Segurança do paciente em serviços de tomografia computadorizada: uma revisão integrativa

The objective was to identify essential elements to offer a safe assistance to patients submitted to computed tomography scan. An integrative literature review on Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and CINAHL databases, guided by the question: what are the essential elements to offer a safe assistance to the patient submitted to computed tomography scan? We selected twenty-three articles, from those, 50% addressed optimization, monitoring, quality and protection about radiation dose exposition; 25% focused on the contrast used for tomography; and 25% concentrated on nursing care and management of individual cases. The evidence for safe assistance to the patient submitted to computed tomography points to need to minimize the conduction of unnecessary exams, and consequently exposition to radiation, to guarantee the radiological protection, to provide adequate care for adverse reactions, qualified human resources and trustful quality indicators for assistance.Objetivou-se identificar os elementos essenciais para oferecer uma assistência segura aos pacientes submetidos ao exame de tomografia computadorizada. Revisão integrativa da literatura nas bases de dados Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science e CINAHL, norteada pela questão: quais são os elementos essenciais para oferecer uma assistência segura ao paciente submetido ao exame de tomografia computadorizada? Selecionou-se 23 artigos, dos quais 50% abordaram a otimização, monitoramento, qualidade e proteção em relação às doses de exposição à radiação; 25% enfocaram o contraste utilizado na tomografia; e 25% os cuidados de enfermagem e gestão de casos específicos. As evidências para a assistência segura ao paciente submetido à tomografia computadorizada apontam para a necessidade de, minimizar a realização de exames desnecessários e consequente exposição à radiação, garantir a proteção radiológica, disponibilizar atendimento adequado nas reações adversas, recursos humanos qualificados e indicadores de qualidade de assistência confiáveis