University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College

BACKGROUND: Thyrotoxicosis has multiple etiologies, manifestations, and potential therapies. Appropriate treatment requires an accurate diagnosis and is influenced by coexisting medical conditions and patient preference. This document describes evidence-based clinical guidelines for the management of thyrotoxicosis that would be useful to generalist and subspecialty physicians and others providing care for patients with this condition. METHODS: The American Thyroid Association (ATA) previously cosponsored guidelines for the management of thyrotoxicosis that were published in 2011. Considerable new literature has been published since then, and the ATA felt updated evidence-based guidelines were needed. The association assembled a task force of expert clinicians who authored this report. They examined relevant literature using a systematic PubMed search supplemented with additional published materials. An evidence-based medicine approach that incorporated the knowledge and experience of the panel was used to update the 2011 text and recommendations. The strength of the recommendations and the quality of evidence supporting them were rated according to the approach recommended by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation Group. RESULTS: Clinical topics addressed include the initial evaluation and management of thyrotoxicosis; management of Graves' hyperthyroidism using radioactive iodine, antithyroid drugs, or surgery; management of toxic multinodular goiter or toxic adenoma using radioactive iodine or surgery; Graves' disease in children, adolescents, or pregnant patients; subclinical hyperthyroidism; hyperthyroidism in patients with Graves' orbitopathy; and management of other miscellaneous causes of thyrotoxicosis. New paradigms since publication of the 2011 guidelines are presented for the evaluation of the etiology of thyrotoxicosis, the management of Graves' hyperthyroidism with antithyroid drugs, the management of pregnant hyperthyroid patients, and the preparation of patients for thyroid surgery. The sections on less common causes of thyrotoxicosis have been expanded. CONCLUSIONS: One hundred twenty-four evidence-based recommendations were developed to aid in the care of patients with thyrotoxicosis and to share what the task force believes is current, rational, and optimal medical practice.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly gaining popularity in translational neuroscience and behavioral research. Physiological similarity to mammals, ease of genetic manipulations, sensitivity to pharmacological and genetic factors, robust behavior, low cost, and potential for high-throughput screening contribute to the growing utility of zebrafish models in this field. Understanding zebrafish behavioral phenotypes provides important insights into neural pathways, physiological biomarkers, and genetic underpinnings of normal and pathological brain function. Novel zebrafish paradigms continue to appear with an encouraging pace, thus necessitating a consistent terminology and improved understanding of the behavioral repertoire. What can zebrafish 'do', and how does their altered brain function translate into behavioral actions? To help address these questions, we have developed a detailed catalog of zebrafish behaviors (Zebrafish Behavior Catalog, ZBC) that covers both larval and adult models. Representing a beginning of creating a more comprehensive ethogram of zebrafish behavior, this effort will improve interpretation of published findings, foster cross-species behavioral modeling, and encourage new groups to apply zebrafish neurobehavioral paradigms in their research. In addition, this glossary creates a framework for developing a zebrafish neurobehavioral ontology, ultimately to become part of a unified animal neurobehavioral ontology, which collectively will contribute to better integration of biological data within and across species.

This paper proposes a methodology to estimate the transmission in underwater environments which consists on an adaptation of the Dark Channel Prior (DCP), a statistical prior based on properties of images obtained in outdoor natural scenes. Our methodology, called Underwater DCP (UDCP), basically considers that the blue and green color channels are the underwater visual information source, which enables a significant improvement over existing methods based in DCP. This is shown through a comparative study with state of the art techniques, we present a detailed analysis of our technique which shows its applicability and limitations in images acquired from real and simulated scenes.

Novozym 435 (N435) is a commercially available immobilized lipase produced by Novozymes with its advantages and drawbacks.

The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) published guidelines for the management of bipolar disorder in 2005, with a 2007 update. This second update, in conjunction with the International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD), reviews new evidence and is designed to be used in conjunction with the previous publications. The recommendations for the management of acute mania remain mostly unchanged. Lithium, valproate, and several atypical antipsychotics continue to be first-line treatments for acute mania. Tamoxifen is now suggested as a third-line augmentation option. The combination of olanzapine and carbamazepine is not recommended. For the management of bipolar depression, lithium, lamotrigine, and quetiapine monotherapy, olanzapine plus selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and lithium or divalproex plus SSRI/bupropion remain first-line options. New data support the use of adjunctive modafinil as a second-line option, but also indicate that aripiprazole should not be used as monotherapy for bipolar depression. Lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, and olanzapine continue to be first-line options for maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. New data support the use of quetiapine monotherapy and adjunctive therapy for the prevention of manic and depressive events, aripiprazole monotherapy for the prevention of manic events, and risperidone long-acting injection monotherapy and adjunctive therapy, and adjunctive ziprasidone for the prevention of mood events. Bipolar II disorder is frequently overlooked in treatment guidelines, but has an important clinical impact on patients' lives. This update provides an expanded look at bipolar II disorder.

Objetivo: Investigar a utilização da planta Sphagneticola trilobata por agricultores como coadjuvante no tratamento do diabetes mellitus. Método: Foram entrevistados cinco agricultores portadores de diabetes mellitus e que usavam S. trilobata, no município do Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, no período de junho a julho de 2009. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa da Faculdade de Medicina da UFPel (072/07). Resultados: Todos os entrevistados eram do sexo feminino com idade entre 48 e 74 anos. As folhas foram a parte mais utilizada. O chá é preparado através da infusão da planta. O conhecimento sobre a insulina foi repassado por familiares, ou vizinhos. As entrevistadas relatam efeito hipoglicemiante após o uso da planta. Conclusão: O conhecimento popular sobre plantas medicinais é geralmente repassado através das gerações familiares, sendo sua frente às terapias complementares, de esta manera satisfaz as necessidades de saúde individual complementando os serviços de saúde.

Historical hydrographic data from the continental shelf off eastern South America are used to examine the thermohaline properties of the water masses in the region between 20°S and 40°S. The continental shelf water masses are originated by dilution of open ocean waters of the western boundary currents of the South Atlantic Ocean. On the basis of temperature‐salinity relation, two distinct water masses are identified, namely, the Subantarctic Shelf Water and the Subtropical Shelf Water. Subantarctic Shelf Water originates by dilution of Subantarctic Water, primarily in the southeast Pacific, due to excess precipitation and continental runoff and enters the continental shelf near 55°S. The Subtropical Shelf Water is modified South Atlantic Central Water diluted by continental runoff from the coast of Brazil. In addition, substantial dilution of the upper shelf waters takes place at the mouth of Río de la Plata (approximately located at 36°S) and, in a lesser extent, at the Patos‐Mirim Lagoon (at 32°S). The Río de la Plata and the Patos outflows form a low‐salinity tongue that caps the shelf water leading to a salinity decrease to values <30. The low‐salinity tongue extends northward over the shelf penetrating farther north in winter than in summer. The extent of the low‐salinity water has a strong impact on the vertical stratification and acts to limit winter convection to the layer above the halocline. There is little or no indication of mixing between Subantarctic Shelf Water and Subtropical Shelf Water. An intense temperature, salinity, and nutrient front separates these water masses. The front is oriented along the north‐south direction, located on average near the 50 m isobath at 32°S and extends southward toward the shelf break near 36°S. Between 32° and 34°S the Subtropical Shelf Front follows the 100 to 200 m isobaths and separates Subantarctic Shelf Water from the oceanic South Atlantic Central Water. On the basis of the temperature and salinity distributions, beneath the low‐salinity surface layer, the Subtropical Shelf Front appears as an extension of the Brazil‐Malvinas Confluence over the continental shelf of South America. Thus the location of the Subtropical Shelf Front may be linked to the migrations of the separation point of the Brazil‐Malvinas Confluence from the continental slope.

Abstract Reproducible, skilfully conducted and unbiased laboratory studies provide new knowledge, which can inform clinical research and eventually translate into better patient care. To help researchers improve the quality and reproducibility of their research prior to a publication peer‐review, this paper describes the process that was followed during the development of the Preferred Reporting Items for Laboratory studies in Endodontology (PRILE) 2021 guidelines and which used a well‐documented consensus‐based methodology. A steering committee was created with eight individuals (PM, RO, OP, IR, JS, EP, JJ and SP), plus the project leaders (PD, VN). The steering committee prepared an initial checklist by combining and adapting items from the modified Consolidated Statement of Reporting Trials checklist for reporting in vitro studies of dental materials and the Clinical and Laboratory Images in Publications principles as well as adding several new items. The steering committee then formed a PRILE Delphi Group (PDG) and PRILE Online Meeting Group (POMG) to provide expert advice and feedback on the initial draft checklist and flowchart. The members of the PDG participated in an online Delphi process to achieve consensus on the items within the PRILE 2021 checklist and the accompanying flowchart for clarity and suitability. The PRILE checklist and flowchart developed by the online Delphi process were discussed further by the POMG. This online meeting was conducted on 12 February 2021 via the Zoom platform. Following this meeting, the steering committee developed a final version of the PRILE 2021 guidelines and flowchart, which was piloted by several authors when writing up a laboratory study for publication. Authors are encouraged to use the PRILE 2021 guidelines and flowchart to improve the clarity, completeness and quality of reports describing laboratory studies in Endodontology. The PRILE 2021 checklist and flowchart are freely available and downloadable from the Preferred Reporting Items for study Designs in Endodontology website ( http://pride‐endodonticguidelines.org/prile/ ).

Software product lines (SPLs) enable modular, large-scale reuse through a software architecture addressing multiple core and varying features. To reap the benefits of SPLs, their designs need to be stable. Design stability encompasses the sustenance of the product line’s modularity properties in the presence of changes to both the core and varying features. It is usually assumed that aspect-oriented programming promotes better modularity and changeability of product lines. However, there is no empirical evidence on its efficacy to prolong design stability of product lines in realistic development scenarios. This paper reports a quantitative study that evolves two SPLs to assess various facets of design stability of aspect-oriented implementations. Our investigation focused upon a multi-perspective analysis of the evolving product lines in terms of modularity, change propagation, and feature interaction.

BACKGROUND: For more than three decades, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) has provided a framework to quantify health loss due to diseases, injuries, and associated risk factors. This paper presents GBD 2023 findings on disease and injury burden and risk-attributable health loss, offering a global audit of the state of world health to inform public health priorities. This work captures the evolving landscape of health metrics across age groups, sexes, and locations, while reflecting on the remaining post-COVID-19 challenges to achieving our collective global health ambitions. METHODS: The GBD 2023 combined analysis estimated years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 375 diseases and injuries, and risk-attributable burden associated with 88 modifiable risk factors. Of the more than 310 000 total data sources used for all GBD 2023 (about 30% of which were new to this estimation round), more than 120 000 sources were used for estimation of disease and injury burden and 59 000 for risk factor estimation, and included vital registration systems, surveys, disease registries, and published scientific literature. Data were analysed using previously established modelling approaches, such as disease modelling meta-regression version 2.1 (DisMod-MR 2.1) and comparative risk assessment methods. Diseases and injuries were categorised into four levels on the basis of the established GBD cause hierarchy, as were risk factors using the GBD risk hierarchy. Estimates stratified by age, sex, location, and year from 1990 to 2023 were focused on disease-specific time trends over the 2010-23 period and presented as counts (to three significant figures) and age-standardised rates per 100 000 person-years (to one decimal place). For each measure, 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs] were calculated with the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile ordered values from a 250-draw distribution. FINDINGS: Total numbers of global DALYs grew 6·1% (95% UI 4·0-8·1), from 2·64 billion (2·46-2·86) in 2010 to 2·80 billion (2·57-3·08) in 2023, but age-standardised DALY rates, which account for population growth and ageing, decreased by 12·6% (11·0-14·1), revealing large long-term health improvements. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contributed 1·45 billion (1·31-1·61) global DALYs in 2010, increasing to 1·80 billion (1·63-2·03) in 2023, alongside a concurrent 4·1% (1·9-6·3) reduction in age-standardised rates. Based on DALY counts, the leading level 3 NCDs in 2023 were ischaemic heart disease (193 million [176-209] DALYs), stroke (157 million [141-172]), and diabetes (90·2 million [75·2-107]), with the largest increases in age-standardised rates since 2010 occurring for anxiety disorders (62·8% [34·0-107·5]), depressive disorders (26·3% [11·6-42·9]), and diabetes (14·9% [7·5-25·6]). Remarkable health gains were made for communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional (CMNN) diseases, with DALYs falling from 874 million (837-917) in 2010 to 681 million (642-736) in 2023, and a 25·8% (22·6-28·7) reduction in age-standardised DALY rates. During the COVID-19 pandemic, DALYs due to CMNN diseases rose but returned to pre-pandemic levels by 2023. From 2010 to 2023, decreases in age-standardised rates for CMNN diseases were led by rate decreases of 49·1% (32·7-61·0) for diarrhoeal diseases, 42·9% (38·0-48·0) for HIV/AIDS, and 42·2% (23·6-56·6) for tuberculosis. Neonatal disorders and lower respiratory infections remained the leading level 3 CMNN causes globally in 2023, although both showed notable rate decreases from 2010, declining by 16·5% (10·6-22·0) and 24·8% (7·4-36·7), respectively. Injury-related age-standardised DALY rates decreased by 15·6% (10·7-19·8) over the same period. Differences in burden due to NCDs, CMNN diseases, and injuries persisted across age, sex, time, and location. Based on our risk analysis, nearly 50% (1·27 billion [1·18-1·38]) of the roughly 2·80 billion total global DALYs in 2023 were attributable to the 88 risk factors analysed in GBD. Globally, the five level 3 risk factors contributing the highest proportion of risk-attributable DALYs were high systolic blood pressure (SBP), particulate matter pollution, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), smoking, and low birthweight and short gestation-with high SBP accounting for 8·4% (6·9-10·0) of total DALYs. Of the three overarching level 1 GBD risk factor categories-behavioural, metabolic, and environmental and occupational-risk-attributable DALYs rose between 2010 and 2023 only for metabolic risks, increasing by 30·7% (24·8-37·3); however, age-standardised DALY rates attributable to metabolic risks decreased by 6·7% (2·0-11·0) over the same period. For all but three of the 25 leading level 3 risk factors, age-standardised rates dropped between 2010 and 2023-eg, declining by 54·4% (38·7-65·3) for unsafe sanitation, 50·5% (33·3-63·1) for unsafe water source, and 45·2% (25·6-72·0) for no access to handwashing facility, and by 44·9% (37·3-53·5) for child growth failure. The three leading level 3 risk factors for which age-standardised attributable DALY rates rose were high BMI (10·5% [0·1 to 20·9]), drug use (8·4% [2·6 to 15·3]), and high FPG (6·2% [-2·7 to 15·6]; non-significant). INTERPRETATION: Our findings underscore the complex and dynamic nature of global health challenges. Since 2010, there have been large decreases in burden due to CMNN diseases and many environmental and behavioural risk factors, juxtaposed with sizeable increases in DALYs attributable to metabolic risk factors and NCDs in growing and ageing populations. This long-observed consequence of the global epidemiological transition was only temporarily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The substantially decreasing CMNN disease burden, despite the 2008 global financial crisis and pandemic-related disruptions, is one of the greatest collective public health successes known. However, these achievements are at risk of being reversed due to major cuts to development assistance for health globally, the effects of which will hit low-income countries with high burden the hardest. Without sustained investment in evidence-based interventions and policies, progress could stall or reverse, leading to widespread human costs and geopolitical instability. Moreover, the rising NCD burden necessitates intensified efforts to mitigate exposure to leading risk factors-eg, air pollution, smoking, and metabolic risks, such as high SBP, BMI, and FPG-including policies that promote food security, healthier diets, physical activity, and equitable and expanded access to potential treatments, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Decisive, coordinated action is needed to address long-standing yet growing health challenges, including depressive and anxiety disorders. Yet this can be only part of the solution. Our response to the NCD syndemic-the complex interaction of multiple health risks, social determinants, and systemic challenges-will define the future landscape of global health. To ensure human wellbeing, economic stability, and social equity, global action to sustain and advance health gains must prioritise reducing disparities by addressing socioeconomic and demographic determinants, ensuring equitable health-care access, tackling malnutrition, strengthening health systems, and improving vaccination coverage. We live in times of great opportunity. FUNDING: Gates Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Welcome to EACL 2021, the 16th conference of the European Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics!This year's conference is held from the 21st to the 23rd of April, 2021.While we were planning to hold the conference in Kyiv, due to the current COVID situation the conference is held entirely online.EACL 2021 is also an anchor conference to several workshops and tutorials, that are held on April 19th and 20th, also online.This year's conference continues the successful growing trend of the community, and further requires a large organisational effort due to the COVID restrictions.We are learning how to organise and run conferences online, how to attend them and interact, and how to weave them into this strange suspension of our ordinary physical lives, that is our common current experience.I would like to take the opportunity here to thank all the people involved, who have managed to pull through despite lockdowns, lack of child care, and the many other daily disruptions.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric morbidity studies in developing countries have used diagnostic procedures of low reliability, without a clinical definition of caseness, producing descriptive data with limited application for mental health planning. METHOD: A two-stage cross-sectional design (with a sample size of 6476) was conducted to estimate the prevalence of DSM-III psychiatric diagnoses in three metropolitan areas of Brazil (Brasília, São Paulo and Porto Alegre). All subjects were screened for the presence of psychopathology with a 44-item instrument (the QMPA) and a subsample was selected for a psychiatric interview. RESULTS: Age-adjusted prevalence of cases potentially in need of care ranged from 19% (São Paulo) to 34% (Brasília and Porto Alegre). Anxiety disorders comprised the highest prevalences (up to 18%). Alcoholism yielded the most consistent prevalence levels, around 8% in all sites. Depression showed great variation between areas: from less than 3% (São Paulo and Brasília) to 10% (Porto Alegre). CONCLUSIONS: Overall prevalences were high in comparison with previous studies conducted in Brazil. A female excess of non-psychotic disorders (anxiety, phobias, somatisation and depression) and a male excess for alcoholism were consistently found.

This review discusses the possible roles of polyethylenimine (PEI) in the design of improved immobilized biocatalysts from diverse perspectives. This includes their use to activate supports and immobilize enzymes via ion exchange, as well as to improve immobilized enzymes by coating with PEI. PEI is a polymer containing primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups, having a strong anion exchange capacity under a broad range of conditions, and the capability to chemically react with different moieties on either an enzyme or a support. Also, as a multifunctional polymer, it has been modified stepwise to introduce different functionalities into the same polymer. This polymer (in combination with other anionic ones) permits the generation of "saline" environments around enzyme molecules, improving enzyme stability in the presence of hydrophobic compounds. The use of PEI as a physical glue useful to crosslink enzyme subunits in multimeric enzymes, monomeric enzymes immobilized via physical interactions or production of enzyme multilayers will be specially emphasized as new open avenues for enzyme coimmobilization. The coimmobilization of enzymes and cofactors using PEI may become one of the future developments allowed through an adequate use of this polymer and new pathways towards the design of enzyme combi-catalysts for their use in cascade reactions. Some unexplored but suggested uses derived from the properties of PEI are also proposed in the review, like the use of the buffering power of this multifunctional polymer to avoid pH gradients inside biocatalyst particles. Thus, although PEI has been a largely popular polymer in biocatalyst design, it looks like a long and in some cases almost unexplored road lies ahead.

BACKGROUND: It has been generally believed that the four main causes of melasma are pregnancy, hormonal contraception, family history and sun exposure; however, there are few published comprehensive studies that confirm these assertions. The Pigmentary Disorders Academy - an international group of experts in pigmentary disorders - designed and conducted a global survey of women to investigate the effect of these factors on onset and chronicity of melasma and the course of the disease in order to gain a better understanding of the causative factors associated with this disorder, with a particular focus on hormonal factors and UV exposure in females. METHODS: A 40-item largely self-administered questionnaire was completed by 324 women being treated for melasma in nine clinics worldwide. RESULTS: The mean age at onset of melasma was 34 years, and 48% of subjects questioned had a family history of melasma (97% in a first-degree relative). Subjects with family history of melasma tended to have darker skin (90% types III-VI) compared to those without (77% types III-VI). The most common time of onset was after pregnancy (42%), often years after the last pregnancy, with 29% appearing pre-pregnancy and 26% during pregnancy. Onset was related to darker skin type post-pregnancy (P = 0.002). Risk of onset during pregnancy was associated with having spent more time outdoors (an extra 10 h per week spent working outside increases the odds of onset of melasma during pregnancy by approximately 27%) and an increased maternal age at pregnancy (increased by approximately 8% for each year of age at first pregnancy; P = 0.02). The odds of melasma occurring for the first time during a pregnancy were also increased with multiple pregnancies (twice the odds if 2 vs. 1 pregnancies, three times higher if 3 or more vs. 1 pregnancy). Of the women, 25% who had used hormonal contraception claimed that melasma appeared for the first time after its use, the rate being higher for those without vs. with a family history. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that, whilst accepted causes do affect onset of melasma, a combination of these factors often triggers this disorder. These factors may provide further insights into how physicians can manage individual melasma cases, support recommendation of preventative measures and even anticipate treatment results and recurrence.

PURPOSE: The impact of major depression on quality of life (QOL) and aging experiences in older adults has been reported. Studies have demonstrated that the clinical diagnosis of major depression is the strongest predictor for QOL. We postulate that some findings are biased because of the use of inadequate instruments. Although subsyndromal depression is more prevalent than major depression, there are no reports on its impact on QOL or attitudes toward aging. In the present study we aim at assessing the association of major and subsyndromal depression on QOL and attitudes toward aging in a large international sample. DESIGN AND METHODS: Our cross-sectional study assessed 4,316 respondents in 20 countries from five continents. The study used the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) Assessment for Older Adults, known as the WHOQOL-OLD; the brief version of the WHOQOL instrument, known as the WHOQOL-BREF; and the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire. Statistical analyses involved hierarchical multiple regression, as well as comparison of means. RESULTS: Even relatively minor levels of depression are associated with a significant decrease in all QOL domains and with a pattern of negative attitudes toward aging (overall WHOQOL-OLD R(2) change =.421). QOL and attitudes toward aging scores are lower as depression intensity is increased, even in subsyndromal levels (overall WHOQOL-OLD mean scores of 95.7 vs 86.4, p <.001). This phenomenon happens not only for clinically depressed individuals but also for subsyndromic individuals. IMPLICATIONS: Present findings suggest that classifying a respondent as nondepressed is not sufficient and is still not informative about his or her QOL and attitudes toward aging status.

AIMS: Left atrial (LA) enlargement is present in the majority of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients and is a marker of risk. However, the importance of LA function in HFpEF is less well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: The PARAMOUNT trial enrolled HFpEF patients (LVEF ≥45%, NT-proBNP >400 pg/mL). We assessed LA reservoir, conduit, and pump function using two-dimensional volume indices and speckle tracking echocardiography in 135 HFpEF patients in sinus rhythm at the time of echocardiography and 40 healthy controls of similar age and gender. Systolic LA strain was related to clinical characteristics and measures of cardiac structure and function. Compared with controls, HFpEF patients had worse LA reservoir, conduit, and pump function. The differences in systolic LA strain (controls 39.2 ± 6.6% vs. HFpEF 24.6 ± 7.3%) between groups remained significant after adjustments and even in the subsets of HFpEF patients with normal LA size or without a history of AF. Among HFpEF patients, lower systolic LA strain was associated with higher prevalence of prior HF hospitalization and history of AF, as well as worse LV systolic function, and higher LV mass and LA volume. However, NT-proBNP and E/E' were similar across the quartiles of LA function. CONCLUSIONS: In this HFpEF cohort, we observed impairment in all phases of LA function, and systolic LA strain was decreased independent of LA size or history of AF. LA dysfunction may be a marker of severity and play a pathophysiological role in HFpEF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00887588.

Abstract Stratigraphy provides insights into the evolution and dynamics of the Earth System over its long history. With recent developments in Earth System science, changes in Earth System dynamics can now be observed directly and projected into the near future. An integration of the two approaches provides powerful insights into the nature and significance of contemporary changes to Earth. From both perspectives, the Earth has been pushed out of the Holocene Epoch by human activities, with the mid‐20th century a strong candidate for the start date of the Anthropocene, the proposed new epoch in Earth history. Here we explore two contrasting scenarios for the future of the Anthropocene, recognizing that the Earth System has already undergone a substantial transition away from the Holocene state. A rapid shift of societies toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals could stabilize the Earth System in a state with more intense interglacial conditions than in the late Quaternary climate regime and with little further biospheric change. In contrast, a continuation of the present Anthropocene trajectory of growing human pressures will likely lead to biotic impoverishment and a much warmer climate with a significant loss of polar ice.

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> In this paper, an extended impedance-based fault-location formulation for generalized distribution systems is presented. The majority of distribution feeders are characterized by having several laterals, nonsymmetrical lines, highly unbalanced operation, and time-varying loads. These characteristics compromise traditional fault-location methods performance. The proposed method uses only local voltages and currents as input data. The current load profile is obtained through these measurements. The formulation considers load variation effects and different fault types. Results are obtained from numerical simulations by using a real distribution system from the Electrical Energy Distribution State Company of Rio Grande do Sul (CEEE-D), Southern Brazil. Comparative results show the technique robustness with respect to fault type and traditional fault-location problems, such as fault distance, resistance, inception angle, and load variation. The formulation was implemented as embedded software and is currently used at CEEE-D's distribution operation center. </para>

The present study had as objectives (1) to compare the morphological and functional characteristics of the male judo players of the Brazilian Team A (n=7) with the judo players of Teams B and C (reserves; n=15), and (2) to verify the association between the variables measured. Thus, 22 athletes from the seven Olympic weight categories were submitted to: a body composition evaluation (body mass, height, ten skinfolds, eight circumferences, three bone diameters and percent body fat estimation); the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT); maximal strength tests (one repetition-maximum, 1 RM, in bench press, row, and squat); and the Cooper test. One-way analysis of covariance was used to compare the groups. The relationships between variables were determined by the Pearson coefficient correlation. The significance level was fixed at 5%. No significant difference was found in any variable between them. The main significant correlations observed were between the following variables: VO2max and number of throws in the SJFT (r=0.79); percent body fat and estimated VO2max (r=-0.83) and number of throws in the SJFT (r=-0.70); chest circumference and bench press 1 RM (r=0.90) and in the row (r=0.80); and thigh circumference and squat 1 RM (r=0.86). However, there was no significant correlation between circumferences and 1 RM/kg of body mass. According to these results the main conclusions are: (1) the physical variables measured do not discriminate performance when analysis is directed to the best athletes; (2) a higher percent body fat is negatively correlated with performance in activities with body mass locomotion (Cooper test and the SJFT); (3) judo players with higher aerobic power performed better in high-intensity intermittent exercise; (4) judo players with bigger circumferences present bigger absolute maximal strength.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Following the recognition of 'internet gaming disorder' (IGD) as a condition requiring further study by the DSM-5, 'gaming disorder' (GD) was officially included as a diagnostic entity by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). However, the proposed diagnostic criteria for gaming disorder remain the subject of debate, and there has been no systematic attempt to integrate the views of different groups of experts. To achieve a more systematic agreement on this new disorder, this study employed the Delphi expert consensus method to obtain expert agreement on the diagnostic validity, clinical utility and prognostic value of the DSM-5 criteria and ICD-11 clinical guidelines for GD. METHODS: A total of 29 international experts with clinical and/or research experience in GD completed three iterative rounds of a Delphi survey. Experts rated proposed criteria in progressive rounds until a pre-determined level of agreement was achieved. RESULTS: For DSM-5 IGD criteria, there was an agreement both that a subset had high diagnostic validity, clinical utility and prognostic value and that some (e.g. tolerance, deception) had low diagnostic validity, clinical utility and prognostic value. Crucially, some DSM-5 criteria (e.g. escapism/mood regulation, tolerance) were regarded as incapable of distinguishing between problematic and non-problematic gaming. In contrast, ICD-11 diagnostic guidelines for GD (except for the criterion relating to diminished non-gaming interests) were judged as presenting high diagnostic validity, clinical utility and prognostic value. CONCLUSIONS: This Delphi survey provides a foundation for identifying the most diagnostically valid and clinically useful criteria for GD. There was expert agreement that some DSM-5 criteria were not clinically relevant and may pathologize non-problematic patterns of gaming, whereas ICD-11 diagnostic guidelines are likely to diagnose GD adequately and avoid pathologizing.