Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

About: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina is a education organization based out in Florianópolis, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 28408 authors who have published 55433 publications receiving 714461 citations.

Effect of Roflumilast and Inhaled Corticosteroid/Long-Acting β2-Agonist on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Exacerbations (RE(2)SPOND). A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Abstract: Rationale: Moderate and severe exacerbations are incompletely prevented by maximal inhalation therapy in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Objectives: To determine whether roflumilast reduces moderate and/or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations in patients at risk for exacerbations despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist with or without a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA).Methods: In this 52-week, phase 4, double-blind, placebo-controlled RE2SPOND (Roflumilast Effect on Exacerbations in Patients on Dual [LABA/ICS] Therapy) trial (NCT01443845), participants aged 40 years or older with severe/very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, two or more exacerbations and/or hospitalizations in the previous year, and receiving inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist with or without LAMA daily for 3 or more months were equally randomized to once-daily roflumilast, 500 μg (n = 1,178), or placebo (n = 1...

Separation from the dam causes negative judgement bias in dairy calves.

Abstract: Negative emotional states in humans are associated with a negative (pessimistic) response bias towards ambiguous cues in judgement tasks. Every mammalian young is eventually weaned; this period of increasing nutritional and social independence from the dam is associated with a pronounced behavioural response, especially when weaning is abrupt as commonly occurs in farm animals. The aim of the current study was to test the effect of separation from the cow on the responses of dairy calves in a judgement task. Thirteen Holstein calves were reared with their dams and trained to discriminate between red and white colours displayed on a computer monitor. These colours predicted reward or punishment outcomes using a go/no-go task. A reward was provided when calves approached the white screen and calves were punished with a timeout when they approached the red screen. Calves were then tested with non-reinforced ambiguous probes (screen colours intermediate to the two training colours). “GO” responses to these probes averaged (± SE) 72±3.6 % before separation but declined to 62±3.6 % after separation from the dam. This bias was similar to that shown by calves experiencing pain in the hours after hot-iron dehorning. These results provide the first evidence of a pessimistic judgement bias in animals following maternal separation and are indicative of low mood.

Políticas de atenção primária e reformas sanitárias: discutindo a avaliação a partir da análise do Programa Saúde da Família em Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil, 1994-2000

Abstract: This article discusses the evaluation of primary health care policies based on a case study of the Family Health Program in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The results are presented in two stages. First, the Program is placed in the context of the Municipality's policies, identifying perceptions of the Program at the administrative level. Second, the author studied the Program's practices based on a sample of five family health care teams using an evaluative framework including variables on accessibility and comprehensiveness. The Program began relatively late in the State capital, but developed a unique model. There is a greater supply of services available to the population not covered by private health plans, although there is a major diversity of practices. The degree of implementation is moderately adequate: the care provided is more comprehensive, but there are problems with access (in the ratio between staff and number of families covered). It is suggested that such proposals for reorienting health care models tend towards rationalization, political legitimization, or democratization of services. The accessibility policy can set the predominant direction.

Crescimento inicial de Euterpe edulis Mart. em diferentes regimes de luz

Abstract: Plantas sob forte sombreamento (2% ou 6% da luz solar direta) apresentaram, em relacao as plantas sob maior nivel de luz, menor biomassa, menores taxas de crescimento, menor razao raiz/parte aerea, menor massa foliar especifica (MFE), menor razao clorofila a/b e maior razao de area foliar (RAF). Com o aumento da irradiância as plantas apresentaram tres tipos de comportamento, dependendo da quantidade de luz dada: 1) ate cerca de 20% da luz solar direta as plantas apresentaram, com aumento da luz, aumento de biomassa, das taxas de crescimento relativo (TCR) e de assimilacao liquida (TAL), maior alocacao de biomassa para a raiz, maior numero de folhas, maior MFE, maior razao clorofila a/b e menor razao de peso foliar (RPF) e RAF; 2) entre 20% e 70% de luz as plantas nao mostraram alteracoes morfologicas ou fisiologicas com aumento na quantidade de luz, a excecao de um aumento na razao clorofila a/b; e 3) plantas crescendo em luz solar plena apresentaram uma reducao do crescimento em massa seca. As plantas transferidas de 4% para 20 ou 30% de luz mostraram respostas similares aquelas das plantas crescidas sempre em mais luz. A densidade de estomatos mostrou uma leve tendencia ao aumento em plantas transferidas para maior quantidade de luz. O menor crescimento em niveis mais fortes de sombreamento e o maior crescimento com aumento de irradiância ate 20-30% da luz solar total sugere que a especie possa se beneficiar do aparecimento de clareiras para sua regeneracao. O menor desempenho das plantas em condicoes de luz plena ou forte sombreamento sugere menor capacidade competitiva da especie em grandes clareiras ou sob dossel fechado.

Isolation and Screening of Lipase-Producing Fungi with Hydrolytic Activity

Abstract: Lipases are enzymes that can be secreted by several microorganisms, making interesting the biodiversity exploration for searching new microorganisms able to produce these enzymes. Many agro-industrial residues can be used as potential substrates for production of enzymes. The main objective of this work was the isolation and screening of microorganisms with potential to produce lipases. Among 24 fungi, five were selected as good lipase producers using tributyrin on agar plates and solid state fermentation of soybean bran. Two of them were isolated from soil samples, another two from soybean bran, and one from dairy products. These fungi were identified by microcultivation technique as from Penicillium and Aspergillus genera. Through random amplified polymorphic DNA technique, the most promising strains could be genetically discriminated, selecting two fungi as good lipase producers but genetically different. One isolated from soybean bran could hydrolyze efficiently triglycerides with fatty acids with different chain length. Another isolated from dairy products was only effective to hydrolyze triglycerides with long-chain fatty acids. Two distinct groups could be verified by means of this technique, comprising the most productive strains and the lowest or nonproductive ones in terms of hydrolytic activity.