Showing papers by "Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina published in 2012"

Birth in Brazil: national survey into labour and birth

Abstract: Background: Caesarean section rates in Brazil have been steadily increasing. In 2009, for the first time, the number of children born by this type of procedure was greater than the number of vaginal births. Caesarean section is associated with a series of adverse effects on the women and newborn, and recent evidence suggests that the increasing rates of prematurity and low birth weight in Brazil are associated to the increasing rates of Caesarean section and labour induction. Methods: Nationwide hospital-based cohort study of postnatal women and their offspring with follow-up at 45 to 60 days after birth. The sample was stratified by geographic macro-region, type of the municipality and by type of hospital governance. The number of postnatal women sampled was 23,940, distributed in 191 municipalities throughout Brazil. Two electronic questionnaires were applied to the postnatal women, one baseline face-to-face and one follow-up telephone interview. Two other questionnaires were filled with information on patients’ medical records and to assess hospital facilities. The primary outcome was the percentage of Caesarean sections (total, elective and according to Robson’s groups). Secondary outcomes were: post-partum pain; breastfeeding initiation; severe/near miss maternal morbidity; reasons for maternal mortality; prematurity; low birth weight; use of oxygen use after birth and mechanical ventilation; admission to neonatal ICU; stillbirths; neonatal mortality; readmission in hospital; use of surfactant; asphyxia; severe/near miss neonatal morbidity. The association between variables were investigated using bivariate, stratified and multivariate model analyses. Statistical tests were applied according to data distribution and homogeneity of variances of groups to be compared. All analyses were taken into consideration for the complex sample design. Discussion: This study, for the first time, depicts a national panorama of labour and birth outcomes in Brazil. Regardless of the socioeconomic level, demand for Caesarean section appears to be based on the belief that the quality of obstetric care is closely associated to the technology used in labour and birth. Within this context, it was justified to conduct a nationwide study to understand the reasons that lead pregnant women to submit to Caesarean sections and to verify any association between this type of birth and it’s consequences on postnatal health.

Effect of nano-SiO2 and nano-TiO2 addition on the rheological behavior and the hardened properties of cement mortars

Abstract: This paper reports on the use of nano-SiO2 (nS) and nano-TiO2 (nT) in cement pastes and mortars. Samples with 0–3 wt.% nS, 0–12 wt.% nT and 0.5 water/binder weight ratio were prepared. Rheological and flow table measurements were carried out. In addition, the design of experiments was applied to validate the results found. The temperature of hydration and compressive strength with 28 days was also determined. In general, mortars exhibited noticeable differences in the rheological behavior, but less evident in temperature of hydration and compressive strength. The values of torque, yield stress and plastic viscosity of mortars with nanoadditives increased significantly, reducing the open testing time in rheology tests. Meanwhile, the flow table values reduced. In addition, spread on table and initial yield stress exhibited a power correlation, while the spread on table and plastic viscosity did not show any special relationship. The results of kinetics of hydration followed the same tendency found by rheology, in which samples with higher amounts of nS and nT showed remarkable changes in relation to the samples without nanoadditives. Mechanical properties were not significantly affected by nanoparticles in the range considered in this work.

Analysis and Antioxidant Capacity of Anthocyanin Pigments. Part II: Chemical Structure, Color, and Intake of Anthocyanins

Abstract: Anthocyanins belong to a large group of secondary plant metabolites collectively known as flavonoids, a subclass of the polyphenol family. They are a group of very efficient bioactive compounds that are widely distributed in plant food. Anthocyanins occur in all plant tissues, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. Research on phenolic compounds through the last century, from the chemical, biochemical, and biological points of view, has focused mainly on the anthocyanins. Anthocyanins have structures consisting of two aromatic rings linked by three carbons in an oxygenated heterocycle (i.e., a chromane ring bearing a second aromatic ring in position 2). The basic chromophore of anthocyanins is the 7-hydroxyflavilyum ion. Anthocyanin pigments consist of two or three chemical units: an aglycon base or flavylium ring (anthocyanidin), sugars, and possibly acylating groups. Only six of the different anthocyanidins found in nature occur frequently and are of dietary importance: cyanidin, delphinid...

Ecological traits influencing range expansion across large oceanic dispersal barriers: insights from tropical Atlantic reef fishes.

Abstract: How do biogeographically different provinces arise in response to oceanic barriers to dispersal? Here, we analyse how traits related to the pelagic dispersal and adult biology of 985 tropical reef fish species correlate with their establishing populations on both sides of two Atlantic marine barriers: the Mid-Atlantic Barrier (MAB) and the Amazon–Orinoco Plume (AOP). Generalized linear mixed-effects models indicate that predictors for successful barrier crossing are the ability to raft with flotsam for the deep-water MAB, non-reef habitat usage for the freshwater and sediment-rich AOP, and large adult-size and large latitudinal-range for both barriers. Variation in larval-development mode, often thought to be broadly related to larval-dispersal potential, is not a significant predictor in either case. Many more species of greater taxonomic diversity cross the AOP than the MAB. Rafters readily cross both barriers but represent a much smaller proportion of AOP crossers than MAB crossers. Successful establishment after crossing both barriers may be facilitated by broad environmental tolerance associated with large body size and wide latitudinal-range. These results highlight the need to look beyond larval-dispersal potential and assess adult-biology traits when assessing determinants of successful movements across marine barriers.

Shape and size optimization of truss structures considering dynamic constraints through modern metaheuristic algorithms

Abstract: Highlights? Mass optimization on shape and sizing with multiple natural frequency constraints. ? This is a highly nonlinear dynamic optimization problem. ? It is solved using recent metaheuristic algorithms: Harmony Search and Firefly. ? The results showed that both algorithms reached better results than the literature. Mass optimization on shape and sizing with multiple natural frequency constraints are highly nonlinear dynamic optimization problems. Multiple natural frequency constraints normally cause difficult dynamic sensitivity analysis and, in addition, two different types of design variables, nodal coordinates and cross-sectional areas, often lead to divergence. Thus, the choice of the appropriated method to solve this kind of problem is of paramount importance. Within this context, in this paper two of the most recent metaheuristic algorithms developed in the last decade, Harmony Search (HS) and Firefly Algorithm (FA), are used, for the first time here, to solve truss shape and sizing optimization with multiple natural frequency constraints. Since these metaheuristic algorithms are not a gradient-based search, they avoid most of the pitfalls of any gradient-based search algorithms. The effectiveness of Harmony Search and Firefly Algorithm is demonstrated through four benchmark structural optimization problems for solving shape and sizing optimization of trusses with multiple frequency constraints. The results showed that both metaheuristic algorithms reached, in a relatively low computational time, better results than the literature in three of the four examples considered, and in the other example the structure is approximately equal to the best one found, emphasizing the excellent capacity of both methods.

Acupuncture for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome

Abstract: Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, costly, and difficult to treat disorder that impairs health-related quality of life and work productivity. Evidence-based treatment guidelines have been unable to provide guidance on the effects of acupuncture for IBS because the only previous systematic review included only small, heterogeneous and methodologically unsound trials. Objectives The primary objectives were to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for treating IBS. Search methods MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and the Chinese databases Sino-Med, CNKI, and VIP were searched through November 2011. Selection criteria Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture, other active treatments, or no (specific) treatment, and RCTs that evaluated acupuncture as an adjuvant to another treatment, in adults with IBS were included. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias and extracted data. We extracted data for the outcomes overall IBS symptom severity and health-related quality of life. For dichotomous data (e.g. the IBS Adequate Relief Question), we calculated a pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for substantial improvement in symptom severity after treatment. For continuous data (e.g. the IBS Severity Scoring System), we calculated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% CI in post-treatment scores between groups. Main results Seventeen RCTs (1806 participants) were included. Five RCTs compared acupuncture versus sham acupuncture. The risk of bias in these studies was low. We found no evidence of an improvement with acupuncture relative to sham (placebo) acupuncture for symptom severity (SMD -0.11, 95% CI -0.35 to 0.13; 4 RCTs; 281 patients) or quality of life (SMD = -0.03, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.22; 3 RCTs; 253 patients). Sensitivity analyses based on study quality did not change the results. A GRADE analysis indicated that the overall quality of the evidence for the primary outcomes in the sham controlled trials was moderate due to sparse data. The risk of bias in the four Chinese language comparative effectiveness trials that compared acupuncture with drug treatment was high due to lack of blinding. The risk of bias in the other studies that did not use a sham control was high due to lack of blinding or inadequate methods used for randomization and allocation concealment or both. Acupuncture was significantly more effective than pharmacological therapy and no specific treatment. Eighty-four per cent of patients in the acupuncture group had improvement in symptom severity compared to 63% of patients in the pharmacological treatment group (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.45; 5 studies, 449 patients). A GRADE analysis indicated that the overall quality of the evidence for this outcome was low due to a high risk of bias (no blinding) and sparse data. Sixty-three per cent of patients in the acupuncture group had improvement in symptom severity compared to 34% of patients in the no specific therapy group (RR 2.11, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.79; 2 studies, 181 patients). There was no statistically significant difference between acupuncture and Bifidobacterium (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.27; 2 studies; 181 patients) or between acupuncture and psychotherapy (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.26; 1 study; 100 patients). Acupuncture as an adjuvant to another Chinese medicine treatment was significantly better than the other treatment alone. Ninety-three per cent of patients in the adjuvant acupuncture group improved compared to 79% of patients who received Chinese medicine alone (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.33; 4 studies; 466 patients). There was one adverse event (i.e. acupuncture syncope) associated with acupuncture in the 9 trials that reported this outcome, although relatively small sample sizes limit the usefulness of these safety data. Authors' conclusions Sham-controlled RCTs have found no benefits of acupuncture relative to a credible sham acupuncture control for IBS symptom severity or IBS-related quality of life. In comparative effectiveness Chinese trials, patients reported greater benefits from acupuncture than from two antispasmodic drugs (pinaverium bromide and trimebutine maleate), both of which have been shown to provide a modest benefit for IBS. Future trials may help clarify whether or not these reportedly greater benefits of acupuncture relative to pharmacological therapies are due entirely to patients' preferences for acupuncture or greater expectations of improvement on acupuncture relative to drug therapy.

Integral field spectroscopy of a sample of nearby galaxies. II. Properties of the H II regions

Abstract: This is an electronic version of an article published in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Sanchez, S.F. et al. Integral field spectroscopy of a sample of nearby galaxies. II. Properties of the H II regions. Astronomy and Astrophysics 546 (2012): A2

Uma análise bibliométrica da literatura sobre estratégia e avaliação de desempenho

Abstract: Motivated by a study that aims to study how performance measurement can be used to support business strategies, this paper presents a procedure to select relevant articles on the subject in order to compose the core bibliography of this area of knowledge. The process enabled the identification of 41 relevant and aligned articles on the research theme in an international database. In addition to the selection of articles, this paper carries out a bibliometric analysis of this portfolio and describes statistically the most relevant articles, authors, and journals that have published more articles on the topic of performance measurement in a strategic perspective. With the results, academics and practitioners can develop their core collection of articles, authors, and journals that stand out in this research area of performance evaluation and organizational strategy.

Anti-inflammatory lipoxin A4 is an endogenous allosteric enhancer of CB1 cannabinoid receptor

Abstract: Allosteric modulation of G-protein–coupled receptors represents a key goal of current pharmacology. In particular, endogenous allosteric modulators might represent important targets of interventions aimed at maximizing therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects of drugs. Here we show that the anti-inflammatory lipid lipoxin A4 is an endogenous allosteric enhancer of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Lipoxin A4 was detected in brain tissues, did not compete for the orthosteric binding site of the CB1 receptor (vs. 3H-SR141716A), and did not alter endocannabinoid metabolism (as opposed to URB597 and MAFP), but it enhanced affinity of anandamide at the CB1 receptor, thereby potentiating the effects of this endocannabinoid both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, lipoxin A4 displayed a CB1 receptor-dependent protective effect against β-amyloid (1–40)-induced spatial memory impairment in mice. The discovery of lipoxins as a class of endogenous allosteric modulators of CB1 receptors may foster the therapeutic exploitation of the endocannabinoid system, in particular for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

DFT Study of the Water–Gas Shift Reaction and Coke Formation on Ni(111) and Ni(211) Surfaces

Abstract: We report for the first time results of a systematic density functional theory (DFT) study of the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction and coke formation pathways on Ni(111) and Ni(211) surfaces, consisting of 21 elementary-like steps and 12 surface species. Bronsted–Evans–Polanyi correlations are proposed for dehydrogenation and C–O bond breaking reactions on flat and stepped surfaces. The DFT results suggest that the flat surface is slightly more active for the WGS reaction, which occurs mainly via the carboxyl pathway with the CO* + OH* ⇌ COOH*+* as the rate determining step. On the stepped surface, beyond the carboxyl pathway, the DFT energetics indicates that a parallel route via formate and formyl intermediates is favored. Ni(111) has a much lower activity for C–O bond breaking, and thus, flat surfaces are less susceptible to deactivation by coke.

Biological nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization by bacteria isolated from tropical soils

Abstract: In addition to fixing atmospheric nitrogen, some bacterial isolates can also solubilize insoluble phosphates, further contributing to plant growth. The objectives of this study were the following: isolate, select, and identify nodulating bacteria in the cowpea that are efficient not only in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) but also in the solubilization of insoluble inorganic phosphates; identify and quantify the organic acids produced; and establish the relationship between those acids and the solubilizing capacity. The bacteria were captured from two soils containing high concentrations of insoluble phosphorus from the cities of Lavras and Patos de Minas, using the cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] as bait. We obtained 78 strains, which were characterized according to their cultural attributes in culture medium 79 with the strains UFLA 03-84, INPA 03-11B, and BR3267 (approved by the Ministry of Livestock and Supply Agriculture—MAPA, as inoculants for the cowpea) and Burkholderia cepacia (LMG1222T), which was used as a positive control for phosphate solubilization. Strains that were selected for their efficiency in both processes were identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. We evaluated the symbiotic efficiency (BNF) in a greenhouse and the solubilization efficiency of CaHPO4, Al(H2PO4)3, and FePO4.2H2O in solid and liquid GELP media. Strains that excelled at the solubilization of these phosphate sources were also evaluated for the production of the following organic acids: oxalic, citric, gluconic, lactic, succinic, and propionic. The presence of Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Firmicutes, Microbacterium, Paenibacillus, and Rhizobium was detected by 16S rDNA sequencing and analysis. Bacterial strains obtained from cowpea nodules varied greatly in the efficiency of their BNF and phosphate solubilization processes, especially in the strains UFLA 03-09, UFLA 03-10, UFLA 03-12, and UFLA 03-13, which were more efficient in both processes. More strains were able to solubilize insoluble inorganic calcium and iron phosphates in liquid medium than in solid medium. The production of organic acids was related to the solubilization of CaHPO4 and FePO4.2H2O for some strains, and the type and concentration of the acid influenced this process. These are the first results obtained with bacterial isolates from tropical soils in which the production of organic acids was detected and quantified to examine the solubilization of insoluble inorganic phosphates.

Elaboration of chitosan-coated nanoparticles loaded with curcumin for mucoadhesive applications.

Abstract: Polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles decorated with a mucoadhesive polysaccharide chitosan (CS) containing curcumin were developed aiming the buccal delivery of this drug. These nanoparticles were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method using different molar masses and concentrations of chitosan and concentrations of triblock surfactant poloxamer (PEO-PPO-PEO), in order to optimize the preparation conditions. Chitosan-coated nanoparticles showed positive surface charge and a mean particle radius ranging between 114 and 125 nm, confirming the decoration of the nanoparticles with the mucoadhesive polymer, through hydrogen bonds between ether and amino groups from PEO and CS, respectively. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) studies at different scattering angles and concentrations have shown that the nanoparticles are monodisperse (polydispersity indices were lower than 0.3). The nanoparticle systems were also examined with Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), and the results were in good agreement with those obtained by DLS. Colloidal systems showed mean drug content about 460 μg/mL and encapsulation efficiency higher than 99%. Finally, when coated with chitosan, these nanoparticles show a great ability to interact with mucin indicating also their suitability for mucoadhesive applications.

GPx-Like activity of selenides and selenoxides: experimental evidence for the involvement of hydroxy perhydroxy selenane as the active species.

Abstract: The reaction mechanism of the GPx-like oxidation of PhSH with H(2)O(2) catalyzed by selenoxides proceeds via formation of the hydroxy perhydroxy selenane, which is a stronger oxidizing agent than selenoxide. A hydroxy perhydroxy selenane intermediate was observed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and (77)Se NMR spectroscopy in reactions of selenoxide 8 with H(2)O(2).The initial velocity of oxidation of PhSH by H(2)O(2) with selenoxide 8 is 4 orders of magnitude higher than that of 8 without peroxide. Selenoxide 8 is not reduced to selenide 6 by PhSH in the presence of H(2)O(2). While electronic substituent effects have minimal impact on the catalytic performance of selenoxides, chelating groups increase the rate of catalysis.

Edible films made from blends of manioc starch and gelatin ― Influence of different types of plasticizer and different levels of macromolecules on their properties

Abstract: The interest in the development of edible and biodegradable films has increased because it is every day more evident that non-degradable materials are doing much damage to the environment. In this research, bioplastics were based on blends of manioc starch (native and modified) and gelatin in different proportions, added of glycerol or sorbitol, which were used as plasticizers. The objective was to study the effect of two different plasticizers, glycerol and sorbitol, and different concentrations of starch and gelatin on the barrier (water vapor permeability – WVP), mechanical (tensile strength and elongation at break), physicochemical (solubility in water and in acid) and physical properties (opacity and thickness) of the obtained bioplastics samples. As a result, all of them showed transparency and resistance to tensile strength, as well as increasing in thickness values and in the WVP, as the gelatin content increased in the formulations. Finally, all results for tensile strength and elongation at break obtained for those samples plasticized with sorbitol were better than those plasticized with glycerol.

Validade e reprodutibilidade de um questionário para medida de atividade física em adolescentes: uma adaptação do Self-Administered Physical Activity Checklist

Abstract: OBJETIVO: Analisar a reprodutibilidade "teste-reteste" e a validade de um questionario de atividade fisica em adolescentes (adaptado do Self-Administered Physical Activity Checklist). METODOS: A analise da reprodutibilidade "teste-reteste" foi realizada com 239 adolescentes (media de idade = 16,0 anos, DP = 1,2; 56,4% do sexo feminino) e a analise da validade com 70 adolescentes (media de idade = 15,7 anos, DP = 1,2; 55,7% do sexo feminino). Todos eram adolescentes do ensino medio no municipio de Joao Pessoa (PB), regiao Nordeste do Brasil, em 2009. A reprodutibilidade foi determinada por meio do procedimento de medidas repetidas - "teste-reteste", com uma semana de intervalo entre as replicas de aplicacao do questionario. Para avaliar a validade, comparou-se a medida de atividade fisica do questionario com a medida de quatro recordatorios de 24 horas de atividades fisicas - metodo de referencia. RESULTADOS: A reprodutibilidade "teste-reteste" foi elevada (coeficiente de correlacao intraclasse: CCI = 0,88; IC95%: 0,84 - 0,91) e a concordância moderada para medida de atividade fisica em duas categorias ( 300min/sem, indice kappa: k = 0,52). O coeficiente de correlacao entre a medida de atividade fisica do questionario e a do recordatorio de 24h foi moderado (Spearman's rho = 0,62; p < 0001). A concordância entre estas duas medidas para o nivel de atividade fisica em duas categorias foi moderada (k = 0,59). CONCLUSOES: O questionario apresentou niveis elevados de reprodutibilidade e moderados niveis de validade, podendo ser utilizado para mensurar o nivel de atividade fisica em adolescentes.

Effect of the Ca/Si Molar Ratio on the Micro/nanomechanical Properties of Synthetic C-S-H Measured by Nanoindentation

Abstract: Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), the main product in Portland cement hydration, influences the physical and mechanical properties of most cementitious materials. However, there are no structural models that currently relate chemical composition, nanostructure, and microstructure with the physicochemical and mechanical properties. In this work, the indentation technique was used to evaluate the micro/nanomechanical properties of synthetic C-S-H with different Ca/Si (CaO/SiO2) molar ratios. C-S-H was also characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Analysis of the results verified that the elastic modulus and hardness increased when the Ca/Si molar ratio of C-S-H decreased, achieving elastic modulus values of 27 and 20 GPa for Ca/Si ratios of 0.7 and 2.1, respectively, corroborating calculations based on the force field method of Manzano et al.(1) Our results also determined that micro- and nanoporosity significantly influence ...

Environmental toxicology and chemistry in Latin America

Abstract: Fil: Carriquiriborde, Pedro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Quimica. Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente; Argentina