Self-Organizing Maps of Molecular Descriptors for Sesquiterpene Lactones and Their Application to the Chemotaxonomy of the Asteraceae Family

The Asteraceae, one of the largest families among angiosperms, is chemically characterised by the production of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs). A total of 1,111 SLs, which were extracted from 658 species, 161 genera, 63 subtribes and 15 tribes of Asteraceae, were represented and registered in two dimensions in the SISTEMATX, an in-house software system, and were associated with their botanical sources. The respective 11 block of descriptors: Constitutional, Functional groups, BCUT, Atom-centred, 2D autocorrelations, Topological, Geometrical, RDF, 3D-MoRSE, GETAWAY and WHIM were used as input data to separate the botanical occurrences through self-organising maps. Maps that were generated with each descriptor divided the Asteraceae tribes, with total index values between 66.7% and 83.6%. The analysis of the results shows evident similarities among the Heliantheae, Helenieae and Eupatorieae tribes as well as between the Anthemideae and Inuleae tribes. Those observations are in agreement with systematic classifications that were proposed by Bremer, which use mainly morphological and molecular data, therefore chemical markers partially corroborate with these classifications. The results demonstrate that the atom-centred and RDF descriptors can be used as a tool for taxonomic classification in low hierarchical levels, such as tribes. Descriptors obtained through fragments or by the two-dimensional representation of the SL structures were sufficient to obtain significant results, and better results were not achieved by using descriptors derived from three-dimensional representations of SLs. Such models based on physico-chemical properties can project new design SLs, similar structures from literature or even unreported structures in two-dimensional chemical space. Therefore, the generated SOMs can predict the most probable tribe where a biologically active molecule can be found according Bremer classification.

Nursing care time in the Intensive Care Unit: evaluation of the parameters proposed in COFEN Resolution N degrees 293/04

This study aimed to evaluate the parameters established in COFEN Resolution 293/04 concerning nursing staff dimensioning in adult intensive care units (AICU). The research was conducted in six hospitals in Sao Paulo City. The daily quantitative average of professionals needed for patient care was calculated according to the parameters established by COFEN. The obtained results were compared with the existing number of daily staff members in these units. It was observed that the proportions recommended by COFEN for the nurse category are superior to those used in the hospitals studied, which represents a challenge for Brazilian nursing. Mean care time values were found appropriate and represent important standards for dimensioning the minimum number of professionals in AICU. This study contributed to the validation of the parameters indicated in Resolution 293/04 for nursing staff dimensioning in the AICU.

Análise de desempenho de índices de instabilidade atmosférica na previsão de fenômenos convectivos de mesoescala na região metropolitana de São Paulo entre 28 de janeiro e 04 de fevereiro de 2004

Discute-se o potencial prognóstico de índices de instabilidade para eventos convectivos de verão na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. Cinco dos oito dias do período analisado foram considerados chuvosos, com observação de tempestades a partir do meio da tarde. O Índice K (IK) obteve valores abaixo de 31 nos 5 eventos, afetado pela presença de uma camada fria e seca em níveis médios da atmosfera em relação aos baixos níveis. O Índice Total Totals (ITT) falhou na detecção de severidade em 3 dos 5 eventos, apresentando valores inferiores ao mínimo limiar tabelado para fenômenos convectivos (ITT < 44) nesses dias. O Índice Levantado (IL) variou entre -4.9 e -4.3 em todos os 5 casos, valores associados a instabilidade moderada. O Índice de Showalter (IS) indicou possibilidade de tempestades severas em 4 dos 5 casos. Tanto o IS como o CAPE Tv tiveram seus valores fortemente reduzidos em uma sondagem com camada isotérmica entre 910 e 840 hPa. As séries temporais de CAPE Tv e IL mostraram significativa concordância de fase, com alta correlação linear entre ambas. CINE Tv ≈ 0 J kg-1 em associação com baixo cisalhamento vertical e com IS, IL e CAPE Tv, pelo menos moderados, parecem ser fatores comuns em dias de verão com chuvas abundantes e pequena influência da dinâmica de grande escala na área de estudo.

Nursing care time in the Intensive Care Unit: evaluation of the parameters proposed in COFEN Resolution Nº 293/04

This study aimed to evaluate the parameters established in COFEN Resolution 293/04 concerning nursing staff dimensioning in adult intensive care units (AICU). The research was conducted in six hospitals in São Paulo City. The daily quantitative average of professionals needed for patient care was calculated according to the parameters established by COFEN. The obtained results were compared with the existing number of daily staff members in these units. It was observed that the proportions recommended by COFEN for the nurse category are superior to those used in the hospitals studied, which represents a challenge for Brazilian nursing. Mean care time values were found appropriate and represent important standards for dimensioning the minimum number of professionals in AICU. This study contributed to the validation of the parameters indicated in Resolution 293/04 for nursing staff dimensioning in the AICU.