Universidade Estadual de Londrina

About: Universidade Estadual de Londrina is a education organization based out in Londrina, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 13052 authors who have published 19291 publications receiving 212123 citations.

Nitrogen and organic matter removal in an intermittently aerated fixed-bed reactor for post-treatment of anaerobic effluent from a slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant

Abstract: This study evaluated the performance of a lab scale, fixed-bed reactor exposed to intermittent aeration for the removal of organic matter and nitrogen from anaerobic reactor effluent. The reactor was continuously fed with effluent from a UASB reactor used to treat wastewater from a poultry slaughterhouse. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) was maintained at 24 h during the five operational phases that the reactor was subjected to. The phases differed only for the duration of periods with and without aeration. The best results regarding nitrogen removal efficiency were obtained in phase V (8 daily cycles of 1 h of aeration and 2 h without aeration). Under these conditions, for influent with total COD of 418 mg L −1 , 169 mg L −1 of TKN and 112 mg L −1 of NH 4 + -N, effluent with a total COD of 22 mg L −1 , 6.4 mg L −1 of TKN, 6.4 mg L −1 of NH 4 + -N and 58 mg L −1 of NO 3 -N was obtained and NO 2 -N was not detected. During this phase, the average nitrogen removal efficiency was 62%. Optical microscopy and molecular biology analyses associated with the study of microbial activity detected the activity of bacteria that perform anammox, thereby contributing to the understanding of the processes involved.

Energy expenditure during daily activities as measured by two motion sensors in patients with COPD

Abstract: Background: In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), energy expenditure (EE) assessment during the performance of daily activities is not yet studied in depth. The aim of this study was to determine which daily activities are more demanding to patients with COPD and to compare the accuracy of EE estimation given by the pedometer Digiwalker SW701 (DW) and the multisensor SenseWear Armband (SAB). Methods: Thirty-six patients with COPD (20 men; FEV 1 48±15%predicted; BMI 25.7±8 kg/m 2 ) were submitted to a modified version of the Glittre ADL-test, which included five activities performed for one minute each: walking on the level, walking on the level carrying a backpack, walking up/downstairs, rising/sitting in chairs and moving objects in and out of a shelf. During the protocol subjects wore both devices concomitantly, and indirect calorimetry (IC) was simultaneously performed as the criterion method to assess EE. Results: The most demanding daily activity for individuals with COPD was walking up/downstairs (4.9±1.7Kcal versus 3.7±1.4 to 4.2±1.8Kcal for the other tasks; p versus IC=21±8Kcal; p>0.05), although overestimation was found in activities involving walking. DW showed significant EE underestimation in the sum of the activities (9.6±4.3Kcal; p versus IC) and for each activity. Conclusion: Walking up/downstairs was the most energy-demanding daily activity for patients with COPD. Furthermore, during daily activities, the multisensor showed adequate overall estimation of energy expenditure, as opposed to the pedometer.

Nursing Activities Score and workload in the intensive care unit of a university hospital

Abstract: Objective: The nursing workload consists of the time spent by the nursing staff to perform the activities for which they are responsible, whether directly or indirectly related to patient care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nursing workload in an adult intensive care unit at a university hospital using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) instrument. ABSTRACT

Stimulation of peripheral Kappa opioid receptors inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia via activation of the PI3Kγ/AKT/nNOS/NO signaling pathway

Abstract: Background In addition to their central effects, opioids cause peripheral analgesia. There is evidence showing that peripheral activation of kappa opioid receptors (KORs) inhibits inflammatory pain. Moreover, peripheral μ-opioid receptor (MOR) activation are able to direct block PGE2-induced ongoing hyperalgesia However, this effect was not tested for KOR selective activation. In the present study, the effect of the peripheral activation of KORs on PGE2-induced ongoing hyperalgesia was investigated. The mechanisms involved were also evaluated.

Psychoactive substance use by truck drivers: A systematic review

Abstract: The aim of this study was to summarise the scientific evidence on the prevalence of psychoactive substance use and on the factors associated with their intake among truck drivers. A systematic review was performed in the databases PubMed, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, and Cochrane and 36 cross-sectional studies were identified with quantitative results about the use of psychoactive substances by truck drivers. Out of these, 28 were carried out in countries with large land areas and 23 obtained their information through self-reporting. The most frequently studied substances were alcohol (n=25), amphetamines (n=17), marijuana (n=16) and cocaine (n=13). The prevalence of the use of these substances greatly varied: alcohol (0.1–91.0%); amphetamines (0.2–82.5%), marijuana (0.2–29.9%), cocaine (0.1–8.3%). The frequency of substance use was lower in studies that investigated the presence of these substances in biological samples than in those based on self-reported use. In 12 studies that evaluated factors associated with the intake of psychoactive substances, the following stood out: younger age, higher income, longer trips, alcohol consumption, driving in the night shift, travelling interstate routes, long or short sleep, fewer hours of rest, little experience of the driver, connection with small and medium sized companies, income below levels determined by labour agreements, productivity-based earnings and prior involvement in accidents. The frequency of psychoactive substance use by truck drivers seems to be high, although that greatly varies according to the type of substance and the method of collecting the information. The use of these substances was mainly associated with indicators of poor working conditions.