Costos en salud: un asunto polémico / Healthcare costs. A polemic matter

Existen dos problemas que complican el manejo de los costos en las organizaciones sanitarias. Uno es el carácter humanista, solidario y ético de esta actividad al que, en consecuencia, no le son aplicables muchos de los criterios y métodos que se emplean en la industria, el comercio e incluso en otros servicios. El otro tiene que ver con el complejo entramado de los procesos en esas organizaciones, donde prácticamente cada paciente o cada especialidad tiene su propio recorrido que lo caracteriza en términos de: lugares físicos, secuencia, tipo de persona a intervenir, desplazamientos, intensidad, medios técnicos, instrumentos, materiales a emplear y características de los resultados que deben esperarse. Derivado del primero aparecen criterios sobre - salud a cualquier costo - la buena salud es cara o mientras mayor porcentaje obtengamos del producto interno bruto mejor salud haremos. . Del segundo aparecen sistemas suficientemente complicados para no hacer notar que en muchas ocasiones los recursos consumidos no se convierten en efectos positivos para las personas y las poblaciones. Se trata entonces de despejar ambos problemas y sobre todo de alertar dónde están los puntos débiles y qué se puede hacer al respecto(AU)

There are two problems that complicate the management of costs in health organizations. One is the humanist, solidary and ethical character of this activity and to which, consequently, many of the criterions and methods are not applied as they are in industry, trade, and even other services. The other problem is related with the complex intertwining of processes in those organizations, where virtually every patient or specialty have their own follow-up features characterizing them in terms of physical spaces, sequence, type of intervened person, movement, intensity, equipment, instruments, used materials, and characteristics of expected outcome. The first one creates criterions about health at any costs, quality health is expensive, the higher percentage from the growth domestic product, the better health will be provided. The second creates systems complicated enough to conceal that consumed resources mostly don't turn into positive effects for people and populations. This is then about isolating both problems and, above all, warning about weaknesses and how to deal with them(AU)

Does Cereal crops asymmetrically affect Agriculture gross domestic product in Pakistan? Using NARDL model approach / As colheitas de cereais afetam assimetricamente o produto interno bruto da agricultura no Paquistão? Usando a abordagem do modelo NARDL

ABSTRACT: This study contributes to the extant literature on the nexus among rice, maize and wheat production with agriculture gross domestic product (AGDP) of Pakistan. We use time series data from 1970 to 2017 and employ the Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model. Short run and long run shocks between the selected variables and result's is checked through the co-integration and nonlinear error correction model.Autoregressive distributed lag bound testing approach for co-integration and to find the relationship between variables Granger causality test is applied.Our results confirm co-integration, positive shocks results show that rice, maize and wheat production have significantly influence on AGDP. The asymmetrically positive shocks of three crops have neutral effect on AGDP. While in symmetric results show the unidirectional effect between rice, maize production with AGDP and wheat production do not have ganger causality with AGDP. Finally, results depict that wheat, maize and rice production significantly contributes to agricultural GDP in the case of Pakistan.

RESUMO: Este estudo contribui para a literatura existente sobre o nexo entre a produção de arroz, milho e trigo com produto interno bruto agrícola (AGDP) do Paquistão. Utilizamos dados de séries temporais de 1970 a 2017 e empregamos o modelo NARDL (Non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag). Choques de curto e longo prazo entre as variáveis selecionadas e os resultados são verificados por meio do modelo de co-integração e correção não linear de erros. É aplicada uma abordagem de teste de atraso retardado distribuído autorregressivo para co-integração e para encontrar a relação entre variáveis. Nossos resultados confirmam a co-integração; os resultados de choques positivos mostram que a produção de arroz, milho e trigo influencia significativamente na AGDP. Os choques assimétricos positivos de três culturas têm efeito neutro no AGDP. Enquanto nos resultados simétricos mostram o efeito unidirecional entre o arroz, a produção de milho com AGDP e a produção de trigo não têm causalidade de ganger com AGDP. Finalmente, os resultados mostram que a produção de trigo, milho e arroz contribui significativamente para o PIB agrícola no caso do Paquistão.

A influência da capacidade econômica e da formação de receitas públicas no desenvolvimento humano / La influencia de la capacidad económica y de formación de ingressos económicos en desarrollo humano / The influence of economic capacity and the formation of public revenues on human development

Resumo A promoção do desenvolvimento humano, relacionada com a melhoria de diversas dimensões socioeconômicas, sofre influência do financiamento público e da circulação econômica. Nesse contexto, e considerando a importância do crescimento econômico para o desenvolvimento humano, o presente estudo tem por objetivo identificar as relações estruturais entre capacidade e perfil econômicos, arrecadação própria, transferências financeiras e desenvolvimento humano. Foram utilizados dados em painel logístico binomial. Os resultados apontaram a importância do PIB dos setores industrial e agropecuário e o volume das transferências intergovernamentais como influenciadores do desenvolvimento humano. Por outro lado, o setor de serviços apresentou efeito negativo, embora não se possa desconsiderar sua importância. O fato pode ser explicado pela sua presença em todos os municípios brasileiros, principalmente naqueles de pequeno porte, que na maioria das vezes apresentam baixa infraestrutura urbana, social e econômica e, consequentemente, concentram baixo valor agregado nesse setor econômico.

Resumen La promoción del desarrollo humano, relacionada a la mejora de diversas dimensiones socioeconómicas, sufre influencia del financiamiento público y de la circulación económica. En este contexto, teniendo en cuenta la importancia económica sobre el desarrollo humano, este artículo tiene el objetivo de identificar las relaciones estructurales entre las características económicas, propia capacidad de almacenamiento, las transferencias financieras y el desarrollo humano. Fue utilizado uno panel de datos, con la metodología logística binomial. Los resultados mostraron la importancia del PIB de los sectores industrial y agropecuario y el volumen de las transferencias intergubernamentales como influyentes del desarrollo humano. Por otro lado, el sector de servicio presentó un efecto negativo, aunque no se puede desconsiderar la importancia de este sector. Esto puede explicarse por su presencia en todos los municipios brasileños, principalmente en aquellos de pequeño porte que en la mayoría de las veces presentan baja infraestructura urbana, social y económica y, consecuentemente, concentran bajo valor agregado en este sector económico.

Abstract The promotion of human development, related to the improvement of several socioeconomic dimensions, is influenced by public funding and economic circulation. Considering the importance of economic growth to human development, this study aims to identify the structural relations of Brazilian municipalities' economic profile and capacity, their tax revenue, financial transfers and municipal human development. A binomial logistic regression with panel data was used. The results pointed out the importance of the industrial and agricultural GDP, as well as the volume of intergovernmental transfers as a conditioning factor of municipal human development. On the other hand, the service sector presented a negative influence, although its importance must not be disregarded. This can be explained by the presence of this sector in all Brazilian municipalities, especially the smaller ones, which in most cases have low urban, social and economic infrastructure and, consequently, concentrate low added value to this sector.

Impacto macroeconómico generado por la pandemia del VIH/SIDA informado por la literatura internacional desde 1990 a 2013 / Macroeconomic impact generated by the pandemic of HIV/AIDS informed by the international literature since 1990 to 2013

Introducción: en 2013, ONUSIDA reportó más de 62 millones de personas infectadas por el VIH desde el inicio de la pandemia; de estos, tres millones se infectaron durante el último año. El impacto del VIH/SIDA a nivel individual ha sido bien documentado, mas los efectos de la pandemia a nivel macroeconómico mundial han sido menos estudiados. Objetivo: determinar el impacto a nivel macroeconómico del VIH/SIDA. Materiales y métodos: estudio hermenéutico sobre fuentes secundarias de información que mediante la triangulación de esta con la teoría económica, se proyectaron posibles consecuencias en los países más afectados por la pandemia. Resultados: la pandemia del VIH/SIDA impacta la oferta de trabajo, mediante el aumento de la morbilidad y mortalidad. El SIDA reduce la productividad laboral, creando así crisis fiscales. El gasto público relacionado con el VIH/SIDA aumentará dentro del rango de 0,2% y 3,5% del presupuesto del gobierno. La baja productividad del sector primario nacional aumenta la importación de alimentos. En Sudáfrica para el año 2010 el PIB sería un 17% menor a un escenario sin VIH/SIDA. Conclusiones: se estima que el VIH/SIDA aumentará los costos de mantenimiento de la fuerza de trabajo, alterará la balanza comercial, induciendo déficit fiscal, así como una caída de la productividad cercana al 75% y del crecimiento económico de 5% del PIB en los próximos diez años. Aunque se realizó una búsqueda a nivel mundial, los resultados obtenidos se concentran en África.

Background: in 2013, UNAIDS reports more than 62 million people infected with HIV since the onset of the pandemic, of which 3 million became infected during the past year. The impact of HIV/AIDS at the individual level has been well documented, but the effects of the pandemic at the global macroeconomic level have been less studied. Objective: to determine the macroeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS. Materials and methods: hermeneutic study on secondary sources of information that through triangulation of this information with the economic theory was documented predictions of what will happen in the countries most affected by the pandemic. Results: the HIV/AIDS pandemic impacts the labour supply, through increased morbidity and mortality. AIDS reduces labour productivity, thus creating fiscal crises. Public spending related to HIV/AIDS will increase within the range of 0.2% and 3.5% of the government budget. The low productivity of the national primary sector increases the import of food. Slope of GDP in South Africa by 2010 the GDP would be 17% lower than a scenario without HIV/AIDS. Conclusions: it is estimated that HIV/AIDS will increase the costs of maintaining the labour force, will alter the trade balance, inducing a fiscal deficit, as well as a productivity decrease of close to 75% and economic growth of 5% of GDP in the next ten years. Although a search was carried out worldwide, the results obtained are concentrated in Africa.

Testing long-run relationship between agricultural gross domestic product and fruits production: evidence from Pakistan / Teste de relação de longo prazo entre o produto interno bruto agrícola e produçãode frutos: evidência do Paquistão

ABSTRACT: This paper analyses the long-run relationship between agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and fruits production of Pakistan's economy over a period of 1961-2015 by employing Johansen and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) modern econometric technique. Three fruits were selected namely mango, apple and peach in this study. Augmented Dickey-Fuller and Phillips-Perron tests were used to check the data stationarity and conclude that the series are integrated of order one. The Johansen approach was applied to check the joint evolution of all the variables for co-integration. The Johansen test suggests that a long-run co-integration exists between agricultural GDP and fruits production. Results of the ARDL model (Bound test) detect the existence of long-run relationship between agricultural GDP and fruits production. The coefficient of the short-run form of ARDL model reveals that all the fruits have a positive impact on agricultural GDP. Moreover, the coefficients of the long-run form of ARDL model have apositive and significant influence on agricultural GDP of Pakistan. These results suggest that a 1% increase in mango, apple and peach production will increase agricultural GDP by 0.06%, 0.03% and 0.03% respectively. Finally, forecast error variance decomposition and impulse response function results depict that mango, apple and peach production significantly contributes to agricultural GDP in the case of Pakistan.

RESUMO: Este artigo analisa a relação de longa duração entre o Produto Interno Bruto agrícola (PIB) e a produção de frutos na economia do Paquistão durante um período de 1961-2015, empregando Johansen e o modelo ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag) técnica de cointegração ou técnica de cointegração vinculada. Três frutas foram selecionadas neste estudo: manga, maçã e pêssego. Testes aumentados de Dickey-Fuller e Phillips-Perron foram utilizados para verificar a estacionária de dados e concluir que a série está integrada na ordem um. A abordagem de Johansen foi aplicada para verificar a evolução conjunta de todas as variáveis para a cointegração. O teste de Johansen sugere que existe uma cooperação de longa duração entre o PIB agrícola e a produção de frutos. Os resultados do modelo ARDL (Bound test) detectam a existência de uma relação de longa duração entre o PIB agrícola e a produção de frutos. O coeficiente da forma de curto prazo do modelo ARDL revela que todos os frutos têm um impacto positivo no PIB agrícola. Além disso, os coeficientes da forma de longo prazo do modelo ARDL têm uma influência positiva e significativa sobre o PIB agrícola do Paquistão. Estes resultados sugerem que um aumento de 1% na produção de manga, maçã e pêssego irá aumentar o PIB agrícola em 0,6%, 0,3% e 0,3%, respectivamente. Finalmente, a previsão de desvio de erros e resultados da função de resposta de impulso retratam que a produção de manga, maçã e pêssego contribui significativamente para o PIB agrícola do Paquistão.

Aportes del sector de la salud a la economía cubana (2004-2013) / Health care sector contributions to the Cuban economy 2004-2013

Introducción: el valor de los servicios ofrecidos por el sector de la salud pública retribuye el peso sustancial de sus asignaciones presupuestarias y el nivel de inversión en este sector del producto interno bruto, cuestión que repercute en los resultados económicos de la nación. Objetivo: describir la relación entre los resultados de la economía cubana y el aporte del sector de la salud. Métodos: estudio longitudinal de las asignaciones presupuestarias, nivel de inversión del producto interno bruto al sector de la salud y el aporte de la salud a este producto en el período 2004-2013. Resultados: durante el periodo estudiado, la economía cubana mantuvo un discreto crecimiento asociado, entre otros elementos, al aporte del sector de la salud a la formación del producto interno bruto según la metodología de cálculo establecida; de la misma manera, se comportaron los niveles de asignación presupuestaria a ese sector. Conclusiones: la existencia de una estrecha relación entre los resultados del producto interno bruto, el presupuesto total y su asignación al sector de la salud y el aporte de este sector, refleja la complementariedad que existe entre estos aspectos. La brecha entre los niveles de asignación presupuestaria y los aportes del sector de la salud a la economía, pueden explicar la capacidad de incremento de los niveles presupuestarios al sector, de forma tal que le permita perfeccionar los servicios prestados. El sector de la salud es uno de los líderes en la economía cubana actual(AU)

Introduction: the value of services offered by the public health sector repays the substantial weight of the budget allocations and the level of investment from the gross domestic product; this is an issue that affects the economic outcomes of the nation. Objective: to describe the relationship between the results of the Cuban economy and the contribution made by the health care sector in the 2004-2013 period. Methods: a longitudinal study of budgetary allocations, level of investment of the gross domestic product into the health care sector and the contribution of this sector to the said product from 2004 to 2013. Results: during the study period, the Cuban economy kept a modest growth associated, among other elements, to the contribution of the health care sector to the formation of the domestic gross product under the set estimation methodology, whereas the level of budget allocations to health have behaved the same. Conclusions: the close relationship among the results of gross domestic product, the total budget allocation to health and the contribution of the health care sector shows that these aspects complement each other. The gap between the levels of budget allocation and the contributions of the health sector accounts for the increased capacity of budget allocations to the sector in order to improve the rendered services. The health care sector is one of the leading areas in the present Cuban economy(AU)

PET and the multitracer concept in the study of neurodegenerative diseases / PET e o conceito de multitraçador no estudo de doenças degenerativas

ABSTRACT The complexity of the pathological reactions of the brain to an aggression caused by an internal or external noxa represents a challenge for molecular imaging. Positron emission tomography (PET) can indicate in vivo,anatomopathological changes involved in the development of different clinical symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. PET and the multitracer concept can provide information from different systems in the brain tissue building an image of the whole disease. We present here the combination of 18F-flourodeoxyglucose (FDG) and N-[11C-methyl]-L-deuterodeprenyl (DED), FDG and N-[11C-methyl] 2-(4'-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (PIB), PIB and L-[11C]-3'4-Dihydrophenylalanine (DOPA) and finally PIB and [15O]H2O.

RESUMO A complexidade das reações patológicas do cérebro à agressões causadas por noxa interna ou externa representa um desafio para a imagem molecular. Tomografia por emissão de positron (PET) pode indicar, in vivo, alterações anatomopatológicas envolvidas no desenvolvimento de diferentes sintomas clínicos em pacientes com desordens neurodegenerativas. PET e o conceito de multitraçador pode fornecer informações de diferentes sistemas no tecido cerebral, construindo assim uma imagem da doença como um todo. Nós apresentamos neste artigo a combinação de 18F-flourodeoxyglucose (FDG) e N-[11C-methyl]-L-deuterodeprenyl (DED), FDG e N-[11C-methyl] 2-(4'-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (PIB), PIB e L-[11C]-3'4-Dihydrophenylalanine (DOPA) e finalmente, PIB e [15O]H2O .

The changing face of death in Trinidad and Tobago, before and after independence / La faz cambiante de la muerte en Trinidad y Tobago, antes y después de la independencia

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to compare the changing patterns of mortality in adults and infants during the pre-independence period 1953 - 1962 with the post-independence period 1962 - 2006 thus providing evidence for the burden of disease and the impact of independence on the state of health of the nation. METHODS: The study examined data from 1953 - 2006, collected under statutory regulations by the Central Statistical Office. RESULTS: While the population doubled during the study period, the standardized death rate improved from 16.4 to 4.5, infant mortality also declined from 70 per 1000 live births to 10.5 per 1000 live births. Mortality from selected infectious diseases also declined, however, mortality from chronic diseases continued to increase. Deaths associated with HIV increased during the 1990s, reaching a peak of 42 per 100 000 population in 2001 before declining. CONCLUSION: Like the developed world, some developing countries have experienced similar transitions in the patterns of disease occurrence and thus will need to develop strategies to effectively cope with these new challenges.

OBJETIVOS: El objetivo de este estudio es comparar los patrones cambiantes de mortalidad en adultos y niños durante el periodo de pre-independencia de 1953 - 1962 y el periodo de la post-independencia de 1962 - 2006, y brindar así evidencia en relación con la carga de enfermedades y el impacto de la independencia sobre el estado de salud de la nación. MÉTODOS: El estudio examinó los datos de 1953 - 2006, recogidos bajo regulaciones obligatorias por la Oficina Central de Estadísticas. RESULTADOS: Aunque la población se duplicó durante el periodo de estudio, la tasa de mortalidad estandarizada mejoró de 16.4 a 4.5, la mortalidad infantil también disminuyó de 70 por 1000 nacidos vivos a 10.5 por 1000 nacidos vivos. La mortalidad por enfermedades infecciosas seleccionadas también disminuyó. Sin embargo, la mortalidad de las enfermedades crónicas continuó aumentando. Las muertes asociadas con el VIH aumentaron durante los años 90, alcanzando un pico de 42 por 100 000 de población en 2001 antes de disminuir. CONCLUSIÓN: Al igual que el mundo desarrollado, algunos países en desarrollo han experimentado transiciones similares en los patrones de manifestación de las enfermedades, y por ende necesitarán desarrollar estrategias para hacer frente a estos nuevos desafíos de manera efectiva.

Isolation, characterization and identification of bacteria from coolant oils.

Coolants are hydrocarbons, used to lubricate parts of machines for smooth performance. While in use, a coolant quickly gets contaminated with foreign materials, making it less effective and unpleasant odors are developed due to microbial action. Hence coolants need to be replaced frequently. The expense of disposing used coolants and replacing it with fresh coolants adds significantly to the manufacturing cost. The present study is focused on isolation, identification and characterization of coolant oil contaminating bacteria as an initial step to solve these contamination problems. Used and unused samples of coolant were collected from oil stations, auto mechanic workshops and steel industry for the isolation of the contaminants. Ten dominant bacterial isolates of the genus Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Salmonella, Cellobiococcus and Pneumonia were identified by morphology, biochemical tests and PIB tool. Isolates were subjected to four different media, various pH and temperatures for characterization of optimal conditions of growth. Pseudomonas pseudomallei, Micrococcus luteus 3, Micrococcus varians and Salmonella ferlac were observed in mineral, synthetic and aerobic media, Staphylococcus hyicus, Cellobiococcus species and Staphylococcus intermedius in synthetic and aerobic fermentation media and Pseudomonas cepacia, Pseudomonas piketti in mineral salt and aerobic fermentation media. The ten isolates showed optimal growth at different temperatures between 20°C and 90°C and different pH, ranging from acidic to alkaline. In conclusion, the used coolants harbor hazardous pathogens such as Pseudomonas species which multiply rapidly and survive high temperatures. These isolates could be targeted for further studies on development of antidotes as a solution to the coolant contamination problems.

Therapeutic effects of FuZhiSan on Alzheimer's disease rat model:evaluation with PET imaging / 中华核医学杂志

Objective To assess the feasibility of using PET molecular imaging to evaluate the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine FuZhiSan (FZS) on the model of aging Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats. Methods Twenty aged AD rats (Sparague-Dawley rats,male) were randomly divided into FZS treated group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). Another 10 healthy adult rats were as blank controls. Morris water maze record system was used for cognitive function assessment. Before and after FZS treatment 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 11 C-2- [4'-(methylamino) phenyl] benzothiazol-6-ol ( PIB )PET imaging was undertaken. After post-treatment imaging procedures the brain tissues of all animals were taken for histochemical study,such as staining with HE,congo red,amyloid β (Aβ) immunofluorescence,5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunofluorescence and NeuN immunofluorescence. Paired t-test was performed with SPSS 13.0 software for the data analysis. Results The cognitive dysfunction of aging AD rats was improved after FZS treatment. The escape latency in FZS treated group was significantly shorter than that of control group ((32.5 ±10.8) s vs (102.6±8.8) s,t =15.7987,P=0. 0001). Diffuse neuronal loss and Aβ deposition were detected in the hippocampus and cortex in the aged AD rats. The imaging data showed that brain glucose metabolism was amended in FZS treated group while the abatement of amyloid deposition was not significant. Immunofluorescence results indicated that the neuronal proliferation was more remarkable in FZS treated group. Conclusions It may be feasible to use PET imaging as a method to evaluate the therapeutic effect in AD rats. FZS may ameliorate memory dysfunction of aged AD rats. Its mechanism may be partly contributed to the enhancement of the neuronal proliferation and survival.

Severe Amnestic Dementia With Motor Neuron Disease

Motor neuron disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia often appear together. We report on a 74-year-old woman who presented with a 18-month history of memory deterioration and MND. Her initial clinical diagnosis was probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) coexisting with MND. We conducted 11C-labeled Pittsburgh Compound-B positron-emission tomography (11C-PIB PET) to discriminate AD from other degenerative dementia, the results from which were negative for amyloid deposition.

The value of rACC in diagnosing dementia of Alzheimer type with 11C-PIB PET / 中华核医学杂志

Objective Beta-amyloid (AB) plaque is one of the most important hallmarks of Alzhe-imer disease (AD). [N-methyl-11C]-[4'-methylaminophenyl]-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (11C-PIB) can have a strong binding potential (BP) of AB plaques in the brains of patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT). This study was to investigate the value of rostral anterior cingnlate cortex (rACC) in diagnosing human AD with 11C-PIB PET imaging. Methods All the subjects were enrolled through ads by Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) in USA. Clinical dementia rating (CDR) was the practical grading standard for AD. There were 129 cases of normal control (HC) with CDR =0 and 40 cases of AD patients with CDR >0 (but there were only 120 HC cases and 34 DAT patients with data of rACC PIB BP. All 169 cases had PIB BP data of other studied cerebral subregions). Brain subregions were localized with MRI. PET imaging was performed immediately after intravenous injection of11C-PIB. MRI and PET images were aligned and fused with the help of software. BP was calculated using the Logan graphical analysis and the cerebellar cortex as the reference tissue. The distribution characters of 11C-PIB BP in rACC were analyzed and compared with other brain subregions studied by other scholars with the same research cases. The corre-lation analysis, t-test or variance analysis were calculated with SPSS 11.5. Results rACC PIB BP of 120 HC and 34 AD patients was calculated, rACC PIB BP was statistically linear and positively correlated with CDR significantly (BP=0.2865±0.442,CDR=0.143±0.290,r=0.545,P<0.01). There was no sta-tistical difference among the rACC PIB BP of DAT patients (0.6719±0.1545 vs 0.8933±0.0880,inde-pendent-samples t-test in both groups of CDR =0.5and1, indicated t=-1.245,P>0.05), but signifi-cant difference was found between rACC PIB BPs of HC and DAT patients (0.1589±0.0219 vs 0.7370±0.1125, independent-samples t-test in both group of CDR=0 and>0,indicatedt=-7.998, P<0.01). The threshold of rACC PIB BP for differentiating DAT was 0.4592, greater than what could be thought as suffering from DAT with sensitivity 67.65 % (23/34) and specificity 88.33% (106/120). The BP values of both groups partially overlap each other. In all the studied cerebral subregions, the highest 3 subregions in mean PIB BP of DAT patients or in the difference of mean PIB BP between DAT patients and HC group were precuneus, rACC and prefrontal cortices. Conclusion rACC PIB BP can be used to differentiate DAT patients from normal persons; rACC, precuneus and prefrontal cortices are together the most sensitive brain subregions in the diagnosing DAT.

Guatemala: Los desafíos relacionados al índice de desarrollo humano e índice de competitividad global, a partir de los indicadores 2002-2007 / Guatemala: Human development rating and global competitiveness rating

A partir del análisis realizado en el presente artículo, se establece que los desafíos en educación, salud, infraestructura, seguridad ciudadana e innovación son básicos de superar por Guatemala, si desea ubicar en mejores condiciones de competitividad a nivel global. La base de la afirmación anterior se encontró analizando los Índices de Desarrollo Humano y el Índice de Competitividad Global de los últimos seis años. En el IDH Guatemala se ubica en la posición 118 de 131 países evaluados que lo ubica en un nivel medio. Está en la última posición de América Latina, bajando una en el último año. Entre las variables que destacan: la esperanza de vida al nacer (EVN)es de 69.7 años, el producto interno bruto (PIB) por habitante suma US$ 4 mil 568 y la tasa de alfabetización de adultos (TAA) es de 69.1...

Radiosynthesis of 11C6-OH-BTA-1 in Different Media and Confirmation of Reaction By-products / 핵의학분자영상

PURPOSE: [11C]6-OH-BTA-1 ([N-methyl-11C]2-(4'-methylaminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole, 1), a -amyloid imaging agent for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in PET, can be labeled with higher yield by a simple loop method. During the synthesis of [11C]1, we found the formation of by-products in various solvents, e.g., methylethylketone (MEK), cyclohexanone (CHO), diethylketone (DEK), and dimethylformamide (DMF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In Automated radiosynthesis module, 1 mg of 4-aminophenyl-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (4) in 100 l of each solvent was reacted with [11C]methyl triflate in HPLC loop at room temperature (RT). The reaction mixture was separated by semi-preparative HPLC. Aliquots eluted at 14.4, 16.3 and 17.6 min were collected and analyzed by analytical HPLC and LC/MS spectrometer. RESULTS: The labeling efficiencies of [11C]1 were 86.0+/-5.5%, 59.7+/-2.4%, 29.9+/-1.8%, and 7.6+/-0.5% in MEK, CHO, DEK and DMF, respectively. The LC/MS spectra of three products eluted at 14.4, 16.3 and 17.6 mins showed m/z peaks at 257.3 (M+1), 257.3 (M+1) and 271.3 (M+1), respectively, indicating their structures as 1, 2-(4'-aminophenyl)-6-methoxybenzothiazole (2) and by-product (3), respectively. Ratios of labeling efficiencies for the three products ([11C]1:[11C]2:[11C]3) were 86.0+/-5.5%:5.0+/-3.4%:1.5+/-1.3% in MEK, 59.7+/-2.4%:4.7+/-3.2%:1.3+/-0.5% in CHO, 9.9+/-1.8%:2.0+/-0.7%:0.3+/-0.1% in DEK and 7.6+/-0.5%:0.0%:0.0% in DMF, respectively. CONCLUSION: The labeling efficiency of [11C]1 was the highest when MEK was used as a reaction solvent. As results of mass spectrometry, 1 and 2 were conformed. 3 was presumed.