Evaluation of three brands of drug interaction software for use in intensive care units

Objective To evaluate drug interaction software programs and determine their accuracy in identifying drug-drug interactions that may occur in intensive care units. Setting The study was developed in Brazil. Method Drug interaction software programs were identified through a bibliographic search in PUBMED and in LILACS (database related to the health sciences published in Latin American and Caribbean countries). The programs` sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were determined to assess their accuracy in detecting drug-drug interactions. The accuracy of the software programs identified was determined using 100 clinically important interactions and 100 clinically unimportant ones. Stockley`s Drug Interactions 8th edition was employed as the gold standard in the identification of drug-drug interaction. Main outcome Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. Results The programs studied were: Drug Interaction Checker (DIC), Drug-Reax (DR), and Lexi-Interact (LI). DR displayed the highest sensitivity (0.88) and DIC showed the lowest (0.69). A close similarity was observed among the programs regarding specificity (0.88-0.92) and positive predictive values (0.88-0.89). The DIC had the lowest negative predictive value (0.75) and DR the highest (0.91). Conclusion The DR and LI programs displayed appropriate sensitivity and specificity for identifying drug-drug interactions of interest in intensive care units. Drug interaction software programs help pharmacists and health care teams in the prevention and recognition of drug-drug interactions and optimize safety and quality of care delivered in intensive care units.

A coupled boundary element/differential equation method formulation for plate-beam interaction analysis

In this work, a new boundary element formulation for the analysis of plate-beam interaction is presented. This formulation uses a three nodal value boundary elements and each beam element is replaced by its actions on the plate, i.e., a distributed load and end of element forces. From the solution of the differential equation of a beam with linearly distributed load the plate-beam interaction tractions can be written as a function of the nodal values of the beam. With this transformation a final system of equation in the nodal values of displacements of plate boundary and beam nodes is obtained and from it, all unknowns of the plate-beam system are obtained. Many examples are analyzed and the results show an excellent agreement with those from the analytical solution and other numerical methods. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning Profile Identification Based on the Analysis of the User Context of Interaction

One of the e-learning environment goal is to attend the individual needs of students during the learning process. The adaptation of contents, activities and tools into different visualization or in a variety of content types is an important feature of this environment, bringing to the user the sensation that there are suitable workplaces to his profile in the same system. Nevertheless, it is important the investigation of student behaviour aspects, considering the context where the interaction happens, to achieve an efficient personalization process. The paper goal is to present an approach to identify the student learning profile analyzing the context of interaction. Besides this, the learning profile could be analyzed in different dimensions allows the system to deal with the different focus of the learning.

On the wake-induced vibration of tandem circular cylinders: the vortex interaction excitation mechanism

The mechanism of wake-induced vibrations (WIV) of a pair of cylinders in a tandem arrangement is investigated by experiments. A typical WIV response is characterized by a build-up of amplitude persisting to high reduced velocities; this is different from a typical vortex-induced vibration (VIV) response, which occurs in a limited resonance range. We suggest that WIV of the downstream cylinder is excited by the unsteady vortex-structure interactions between the body and the upstream wake. Coherent vortices interfering with the downstream cylinder induce fluctuations in the fluid force that are not synchronized with the motion. A favourable phase lag between the displacement and the fluid force guarantees that a positive energy transfer from the flow to the structure sustains the oscillations. If the unsteady vortices are removed from the wake of the upstream body then WIV will not be excited. An experiment performed in a steady shear flow turned out to be central to the understanding of the origin of the fluid forces acting on the downstream cylinder.

Simulation of the Barkhausen Noise using random field Ising model with long-range interaction

We present a method to simulate the Magnetic Barkhausen Noise using the Random Field Ising Model with magnetic long-range interaction. The method allows calculating the magnetic flux density behavior in particular sections of the lattice reticule. The results show an internal demagnetizing effect that proceeds from the magnetic long-range interactions. This demagnetizing effect induces the appearing of a magnetic pattern in the region of magnetic avalanches. When compared with the traditional method, the proposed numerical procedure neatly reduces computational costs of simulation. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tiering strategic environmental assessment and project environmental impact assessment in highway planning in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Constructing highways in dense urban areas is always a challenge. In Sao Paulo Metropolitan Region, heavy truck traffic contributes to clog streets and expressways alike. As part of the traffic neither originates nor head to the region, a peripheral highway has been proposed to reduce traffic problems. This project called Rodoanel, is an expressway approximately 175 km long. The fact that the projected south and north sections would cross catchments that supply most of the metropolis water demand was strongly disputed and made the environmental permitting process particularly difficult. The agency in charge commissioned a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of a revamped project, and called it the Rodoanel Programme. However, the SEA report failed to satisfactorily take account of significant strategic issues. Among these, the highway potential effect of inducing urban sprawl over water protection zones is the most critical issue, as it emerged later as a hurdle to project licensing. Conclusion is that, particularly where no agreed-upon framework for SEA exists, when vertical tiering with downstream project EIA is sought, then a careful scoping of strategic issues is more than necessary. If an agreement on `what is strategic` is not reached and not recognized by influential stakeholders, then the unsettled conflicts will be transferred to project EIA. In such a context, SEA will have added another loop to the usually long road to project approval. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strategic alignment and performance: Brazilian companies in the medical diagnostics sector

A gap has been identified in the literature on the diagnosis and monitoring of the degree of strategic alignment. The main objective of this article is to diagnose and analyze the strategic alignment profile using the alignment diagnostic profile (ADP) tool, which enables organizations to show visually their degree of strategic alignment. The methodological approach adopted is multiple-case studies, which were conducted at five organizations in the medical diagnostics sector. The results indicate that the ADP enables organizations to understand the steps required to improve their level of alignment and to identify and locate gaps and conflicts.

Chemical interaction between EVA and Portland cement hydration at early-age

Ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer. as latex or redispersable powder, is added to mortars and concrete to improve the fracture toughness, impermeability and bond strength to various substrates. The physical and chemical interactions were already proved after one day of hydration but during the first hour just the physical interaction was identified and some evidences of a chemical interaction. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the chemical interaction between EVA and Portland cement during the first hours of hydration in the thermogravimetric analysis. The results confirmed that the EVA hydrolyses in pH alkaline and consumes calcium ions from the solution, forming an organic salt (calcium acetate). reducing the calcium hydroxide content. And, its interaction occurred in the first 15 min of hydration. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping the Contemporary Studies on Alliances and Strategic Networks

The competition among the companies depends on the velocity and efficience they can create and commercialize knowledge in a timely and cost-efficient manner. In this context, collaboration emerges as a reaction to the environmental changes. Although strategic alliances and networks have been exploited in the strategic literature for decades, the complexity and continuous usage of these cooperation structures, in a world of growing competition, justify the continuous interest in both themes. This article presents a scanning of the contemporary academic production in strategic alliances and networks, covering the period from January 1997 to august 2007, based on the top five journals accordingly to the journal of Citation Report 2006 in the business and management categories simultaneously. The results point to a retraction in publications about strategic alliances and a significant growth in the area of strategic. networks. The joint view of strategic alliances and networks, cited by some authors a the evolutionary path of study, still did not appear salient. The most cited topics found in the alliance literature are the governance structure, cooperation, knowledge transfer, culture, control, trust, alliance formation,,previous experience, resources, competition and partner selection. The theme network focuses mainly on structure, knowledge transfer and social network, while the joint vision is highly concentrated in: the subjects of alliance formation and the governance choice.

Cattle Grazing Distribution and Efficacy of Strategic Mineral Mix Placement in Tropical Brazilian Pastures

A study was conducted in Brazil to identify factors affecting grazing distribution of yearling Nelore cross heifers and to evaluate the efficacy of placement of a salt-mineral mix away from water to improve uniformity of grazing. Two pastures (25 ha and 42 ha) were evaluated for four 15-d sessions. Mineral mix was placed 590 m to 780 m from water during two sessions and at water for two sessions. Stubble heights were measured at the beginning and end of each session in 1-ha subunits of each pasture. Cattle locations were recorded oil clay 13 and 14 of each session by horseback observers. Heifers avoided areas with a preponderance of forbs and taller grass (P < 0.001). For the first 15 days of the study cattle avoided subunits farther from water. Thereafter, horizontal distance from water had no affect on grazing use (P > 0.10). Stubble height reduction was more uniform (P < 0.05) when the mineral mix was Lit water compared to away from water. In contrast, heifers spent less time farther from water when Mineral mix was placed at water (P = 0.02) based Oil Visual observations. Strategic placement of a salt-mineral mix away from water does not appear to be a reliable tool to improve cattle grazing distribution in humid tropical pastures from 25 ha to 45 ha in size.

Interaction between forest fragments and adjacent coffee and pasture agroecosystems: responses of the ant communities (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

The responses of the ant community to environmental change, from forest fragment to agroecosystems (coffee or pasture) were evaluated in the south of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this paper we analized the interactions between forest and the two most typical agroecosystem from southest Brazil: sun-growing coffee plantation and introduced pasture. We sampled the ant community from five of each agroecosystems, inside the adjacent forest fragment, and on the edge between them. In each site we removed the litter from fifteen 1m(2) plots and extracted the ants using a Winkler extractor. A total of 165 ant species, distributed in 48 genera and 10 subfamilies were recorded. The coffee plantation presented the lowest abundance and estimated species richness. The causes of the changes observed among the areas are discussed.

Interaction Between Polar Components and the Degree of Unsaturation of Fatty Acids on the Oxidative Stability of Emulsions

Minor components (polar components) and the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids are the main factors responsible for the oxidative stability of bulk oils and emulsions. The isolated effects of these two factors and their interaction were evaluated in oil-in-water emulsions stored at 32 A degrees C. Samples of coconut, olive, soybean, linseed and fish oils, both full and stripped of their polar components, were used to prepare the emulsions (1% w/w). The maximum concentration of hydroperoxide (LOOH(max)) and the rate of formation of hydroperoxides (mu mol L(-1) h(-1)) were used to measure the primary products. Hexanal, propanal and malondialdehyde were used to determine the secondary products of the oxidized emulsions containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. LOOH(max) varied from 0.16 to 12.75 mmol/kg among the samples. The interaction between the polar components and the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids was significant (p < 0.001) when the hydroperoxides were evaluated. In general, the degree of unsaturation (beta(1)) and the absence of polar components (beta(2)), respectively, represented 30 and 20% of the contribution to increase the mean oxidation, with the interaction (beta(12)) contribution being more sensitive to the rate of formation of hydroperoxides (16%) than to the LOOH(max) (5%). The significance of this interaction suggests that both strategies present synergism and should be applied to improve the oxidative stability of food emulsions.

Study of the interaction between hydroxymethylnitrofurazone and 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin

Chagas disease is a serious health problem in Latin America. Hidroxymethylnitrofurazone (NFOH) is a nitrofurazone prodrug more active than nitrofurazone against Trypanosoma cruzi. However, NFOH presents low aqueous solubility, high photodecomposition and high toxicity. The present work is focused on the characterization of an inclusion complex of NFOH in 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD). The complexation with HP-beta-CD was investigated using reversed-phase liquid chromatography, solubility isotherms and nuclear magnetic resonance. The retention behavior was analyzed on a reversed-phase C-18 column, using acetonitrile-water (20/80, v/v) as the mobile phase, in which HP-beta-CD was incorporated as a mobile phase additive. The decrease in the retention times with increasing concentrations of HP-beta-CD enables the determination of the apparent stability constant of the complex (K = 6.2 +/- 0.3 M-1) by HPLC. The solubility isotherm was studied and the value for the apparent stability constant (K = 7.9 +/- 0.2 M-1) was calculated. The application of continuous variation method indicated the presence of a complex with 1:1 NFOH:HP-beta-CD stoichiometry. The photostability study showed that the formation of an inclusion complex had a destabilizing effect on the photodecomposition of NFOH when compared to that of the ""free"" molecule in solution. The mobility investigation (by NMR longitudinal relaxation time) gives information about the complexation of NFOH with HP-beta-CD. In preliminary toxicity studies, cell viability tests revealed that inclusion complexes were able to decrease the toxic effect (p < 0.01) caused by NFOH. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Generation and Analysis of Interaction Energy Maps of p-Substituted Benzoic Acid [(5-Nitro-thiophen-2-yl)-methylene]-Hydrazides Active against MRSA

In this preliminary study eighteen p-substituted benzoic acid [(5-nitro-thiophen-2-yl)-methylene]-hydrazides with antimicrobial activity were evaluated against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, correlating the three-dimensional characteristics of the ligands with their respective bioactivities. The computer programs Sybyl and CORINA were used, respectively, for the design and three-dimensional conversion of the ligands. Molecular interaction fields were calculated using GRID program. Calculations using Volsurf resulted in a statistically consistent model with 48 structural descriptors showing that hydrophobicity is a fundamental property in the analyzed biological response.

Cubebin and derivatives as inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I. Proposed interaction with subunit B8

The effects on mitochondrial respiration and complex I NADH oxidase activity of cubebin and derivatives were evaluated. The compounds inhibited the state 3 glutamate/malate-supported respiration of hamster liver mitochondria with IC50 values ranging from 12.16 to 83.96M. NADH oxidase reaction was evaluated in submitochondrial particles. The compounds also inhibited this activity, showing the same order of potency observed for effects on state 3 respiration, as well as a tendency towards a non-competitive type of inhibition (KI values ranging from 0.62 to 16.1M). A potential binding mode of these compounds with complex I subunit B8, assessed by docking calculations, is proposed.