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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the recent scientific research progress on homeopathy. METHODOLOGY: Homeopathy was evaluated in terms of its clinical research; in vitro research, and physical foundations. The Medline database was the main reference source for the present research, concerning data of approximately the last 10 years. Secondary references (not available in this database) were obtained by means of direct requests to authors listed in the primary references. RESULTS: Clinical studies and in vitro research indicate the inefficacy of homeopathy. Some few studies with positive results are questionable because of problems with the quality and lack of appropriate experimental controls in these studies. The most recent meta-analyses on the topic yielded negative results. One of the few previous meta-analyses with positive results had serious publication bias problems, and its results were later substantially reconsidered by the main authors. The sparse in vitro homeopathic research with positive results has not been replicated by independent researchers, had serious methodological flaws, or when replicated, did not confirm the initial positive results. A plausible mechanism for homeopathic action is still nonexistent, and its formulation, by now, seems highly unlikely. CONCLUSIONS: As a result of the recent scientific research on homeopathy, it can be concluded that ample evidence exists to show that the homeopathic therapy is not scientifically justifiable.

La directriz del presente proyecto crear un sistema de adquisición y grabación de señales sísmicas que sea compacto, confiable y flexible para adaptarse a las necesidades de trabajar en estaciones de monitoreo volcánico y sísmico. Para alcanzar el objetivo se empleó el FPGA Spartan-6 LX45 como base del sistema embebido de adquisición continua de datos a velocidad configurable hasta 50 Ksps. Además el prototipo cuenta con comunicación vía Ethernet, 12 canales de ADC de 24 bits expandible hasta 24 canales, almacenamiento de datos en memoria USB, interfaz amigable, indicador de información en LCD y sincronización de tiempo UTC mediante GPS externo. Como resultado del presente proyecto se obtuvo un dispositivo electrónico embebido para aplicaciones sísmicas como: monitoreo, refracción o reflexión y aplicaciones para estudios vulcanológicos con antenas de sensores, que además es compatible con softwares de visualización y gestión de datos sísmicos.

The principle of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) operation is based on the processes occurring in fiber optic cables. To be more precise, sound waves falling at the fiber cable change the reflection of laser beam pulses inside it. Thus, these changes are possible to be detected. Specially developed algorithms allow converting a measurable backscatter signal trace (signature) into valuable information, for example, about moving rolling stock, about people moving along or near tracks, or other actions, such as earthmoving operations. The application of DAS-based systems becomes widespread, for instance, in the oil and gas industry, as well as in the border protection due to these technical capabilities. Any single-mode fiber can be quickly and easily converted into a series of "virtual microphones" by distributed acoustic sensing. This requires only minimal exposure to the ends of the optical fibers. Since the majority of railway tracks already have fiber optic cables, the above-mentioned possibilities of DAS application in the railway infrastructure can be performed to a large extent using existing resources. If an existing fiber optic cable already laid close to the railway infrastructure is used, it is possible to monitor trains, auxiliary rolling stock, and track crews, strangers near tracks or natural influences on the infrastructure. Accordingly, DAS technology can find application in tracking systems for the movement of trains, monitoring the track and rolling stock, as well as in the protection of railway infrastructure. Only one set of DAS systems enables to monitor processes and components on and off track for 40 km. It is possible to combine many such units into a common sensing system to cover extensive networks of railway tracks. At the same time, the

Schinzel-Giedion syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by coarse facies, midface retraction, hypertrichosis, multiple skeletal anomalies, and cardiac and renal malformations. Craniofacial abnormalities of this syndrome sometimes resemble a storage or metabolic disease. The pathogenesis of the disease remains unknown. The objective of this report was to emphasize the importance of congenital bilateral hydronephrosis for the diagnosis of Schinzel-Giedion syndrome. We describe the first Brazilian case of a newborn with typical facies, generalized hypertrichosis, cardiac and skeletal anomalies, and bilateral hydronephrosis detected during pregnancy and confirmed later by abdominal ultrasonography. Chromosomal constitution was normal. Of the 35 cases already reported in the literature, 31 presented hydronephrosis, which is considered an important clue in diagnosis. If Schinzel-Giedion syndrome were indexed as a cause of congenital hydronephrosis, its identificatio...

La directriz del presente proyecto crear un sistema de adquisición y grabación de señales sísmicas que sea compacto, confiable y flexible para adaptarse a las necesidades de trabajar en estaciones de monitoreo volcánico y sísmico. Para alcanzar el objetivo se empleó el FPGA Spartan-6 LX45 como base del sistema embebido de adquisición continua de datos a velocidad configurable hasta 50 Ksps. Además el prototipo cuenta con comunicación vía Ethernet, 12 canales de ADC de 24 bits expandible hasta 24 canales, almacenamiento de datos en memoria USB, interfaz amigable, indicador de información en LCD y sincronización de tiempo UTC mediante GPS externo. Como resultado del presente proyecto se obtuvo un dispositivo electrónico embebido para aplicaciones sísmicas como: monitoreo, refracción o reflexión y aplicaciones para estudios vulcanológicos con antenas de sensores, que además es compatible con softwares de visualización y gestión de datos sísmicos

O papel exercido pelo aparato administrativo através do Departamento Administrativo do Serviço na política do Governo Vargas é o objeto posto em debate, a partir da investigação do contexto patrimonialista, autoritário e ineficiente que marca a formação e desenvolvimento da burocracia administrativa, das propostas de profissionalização e eficiência trazidas pelas reformas administrativas da década de 1930 e 1940 com a contraposição das  limitações da importação do modelo weberiano no contexto brasileiro e da análise da criação do DASP no Estado Novo e suas atribuições, definindo a função de controle que exerceu de forma direta e através dos Departamentos Estaduais na Administração Pública Brasileira garantindo a política centralizadora e desenvolvimentista do governo.

Time-resolved microspectrofluorometry in live cells, based on time- and space-correlated single-photon counting, is a novel method to acquire spectrally resolved fluorescence decays, simultaneously in 256 wavelength channels. The system is calibrated with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 90 ps for the temporal resolution, a signal-to-noise ratio of 106, and a spectral resolution of 30 (Δλ/Λ). As an exemple, complex fluorescence dynamics of ethidium and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) in live cells are presented. Free and DNA intercalated forms of ethidium are simultaneously distinguishable by their relative lifetime (1.7 ns and 21.6 ns) and intensity spectra (shift of 7 nm). By analysing the complicated spectrally resolved fluorescence decay of CFP, we propose a fluorescence kinetics model for its excitation/desexcitation process. Such detailed studies under the microscope and in live cells are very promising for fluorescence signal quantification.

Protection of operator work is a task not only of human direct protection during work activity, but also a task of reduction of a dangerous effect of a human, who can damage not only himself, but also other people. It is necessary to mark out the geodynamic factor among a group of factors of an environment. The geodynamic factor, which does not influence the operator's state in “ordinary” days, effects in “critical” days the probability of staff errors which acts a catalyst of many processes, including causing negative reaction in organisms, increasing numbers of errors. This factor and a prediction of its affect on socio-technical systems are extremely visible in the aviation industry when an operator's error can lead to the death of many people and to great economic demands. A task performance during 2-3 minutes to predict an operator's fitness for work for the workday is an acceptable “cost” to prevent accidents

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune of an unknown etiology. Air pollution has been proposed as one of the possible risk factors associated with disease activity, although has not been extensively studied. In this study, we measured the relationship between exposure to air pollutants and RA activity. Data on RA patients were extracted from the Kuwait Registry for Rheumatic Diseases (KRRD). Disease activity was measured using disease activity score with 28 examined joints (DAS-28) and the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) during their hospital visits from 2013 to 2017. Air pollution was assessed using air pollution components (PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 , O 3 , and CO). Air pollution data were obtained from Kuwait Environmental Public Authority (K-EPA) from six different air quality-monitoring stations during the same period. Multiple imputations by the chained equations (MICE) algorithm were applied to estimate missing air pollution data. Patients data were linked with ai...