A Paradigm Shift in Predoctoral Dental Curricula in Brazil: Evaluating the Process of Change

In 2002, the Brazilian Ministry of Education approved the official curricular guidelines for undergraduate courses in Brazil to be adopted by the nation's 188 dental schools. In 2005-06, the Brazilian Dental Education Association (BDEA) promoted workshops in forty-eight of the schools to verify the degree of transformation of the curriculum based on these guidelines. Among the areas analyzed were course philosophy (variables were v1: knowledge production based on the needs of the Brazilian Public Health System [BPHS]; v2: health determinants; and v3: postgraduate studies and permanent education); pedagogical skills (v4: curricular structure; v5: changes in pedagogic and didactic skills; and v6: course program orientation); and dental practice scenarios (v7: diversity of the scenarios for training/learning; v8: academic health care centers opened to the BPHS; and v9: participation of students in health care delivery for the population). The subjects consisted of faculty members (n=711), students (n=228), and employees (n=14). The results showed an incipient degree of curriculum transformation. The degree of innovation was statistically different depending on the type of university (public or private) for variables I, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Private schools reported a higher level of innovation than public institutions. Resistance to transforming the dental curriculum according to the official guidelines may be linked to an ideological conception that supports the private practice model, continues to have faculty members direct all classroom activities, and prevents students from developing an understanding of professional practice as targeted towards the oral health needs of all segments of society.

Puzzling challenges in contemporary neuroscience: Insights from complexity and emergence in epileptogenic circuits

The brain is a complex system that, in the normal condition, has emergent properties like those associated with activity-dependent plasticity in learning and memory, and in pathological situations, manifests abnormal long-term phenomena like the epilepsies. Data from our laboratory and from the literature were classified qualitatively as sources of complexity and emergent properties from behavior to electrophysiological, cellular, molecular, and computational levels. We used such models as brainstem-dependent acute audiogenic seizures and forebrain-dependent kindled audiogenic seizures. Additionally we used chemical OF electrical experimental models of temporal lobe epilepsy that induce status epilepticus with behavioral, anatomical, and molecular sequelae such as spontaneous recurrent seizures and long-term plastic changes. Current Computational neuroscience tools will help the interpretation. storage, and sharing of the exponential growth of information derived from those studies. These strategies are considered solutions to deal with the complexity of brain pathologies such as the epilepsies. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of naps at work on the sleepiness of 12-hour night shift nursing personnel

Background and objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a nap at work on the sleepiness of 12-hour, night-shift (registered and assistant) nursing personnel.Methods: Twelve nurses filled out daily logs, the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KS), and wore wrist actigraphs for two periods of four continuous days.Results: Mean nap duration during the night shifts was 138.3 (SD+39.8) minutes. The mean sleepiness level assessed by the KS score was lower, 3.3 (SD±1.6), when the nap was taken during the first span (00:01 - 03:00h) of the night shift, compared with 6.6 (SD±1.0) when there was no nap. The mean sleepiness level assessed by the KS score was also lower, 3.6 (SD±0.9), when the nap was taken during the second span (03:01 - 06:00h) of the night shift, compared with 7.0 (SD±1.1) when there was no nap. Thus, napping either during the first or second part of the night shift reduces sleepiness of 12-hour, night-shift nursing personnel. Moreover, the mean duration of the first sleep episode after night work was longer in those who did not nap than in those who did. Conclusions: The results of this study show that napping during the 12-hour, night-shift results in less sleepiness at work and less need for recovery sleep after work

Diffractive phase-shift lithography photomask operating in proximity printing mode

A phase shift proximity printing lithographic mask is designed, manufactured and tested. Its design is based on a Fresnel computer-generated hologram, employing the scalar diffraction theory. The obtained amplitude and phase distributions were mapped into discrete levels. In addition, a coding scheme using sub-cells structure was employed in order to increase the number of discrete levels, thus increasing the degree of freedom in the resulting mask. The mask is fabricated on a fused silica substrate and an amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a:C-H) thin film which act as amplitude modulation agent. The lithographic image is projected onto a resist coated silicon wafer, placed at a distance of 50 mu m behind the mask. The results show a improvement of the achieved resolution - linewidth as good as 1.5 mu m - what is impossible to obtain with traditional binary masks in proximity printing mode. Such achieved dimensions can be used in the fabrication of MEMS and MOEMS devices. These results are obtained with a UV laser but also with a small arc lamp light source exploring the partial coherence of this source. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America

Combined Monte Carlo and quantum mechanics study of the solvatochromism of phenol in water. The origin of the blue shift of the lowest pi-pi* transition

A combined and sequential use of Monte Carlo simulations and quantum mechanical calculations is made to analyze the spectral shift of the lowest pi-pi* transition of phenol in water. The solute polarization is included using electrostatic embedded calculations at the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level giving a dipole moment of 2.25 D, corresponding to an increase of 76% compared to the calculated gas-phase value. Using statistically uncorrelated configurations sampled from the MC simulation,first-principle size-extensive calculations are performed to obtain the solvatochromic shift. Analysis is then made of the origin of the blue shift. Results both at the optimized geometry and in room-temperature liquid water show that hydrogen bonds of water with phenol promote a red shift when phenol is the proton-donor and a blue shift when phenol is the proton-acceptor. In the case of the optimized clusters the calculated shifts are in very good agreement with results obtained from mass-selected free jet expansion experiments. In the liquid case the contribution of the solute-solvent hydrogen bonds partially cancels and the total shift obtained is dominated by the contribution of the outer solvent water molecules. Our best result, including both inner and outer water molecules, is 570 +/- 35 cm(-1), in very good agreement with the small experimental shift of 460 cm(-1) for the absorption maximum.

Sagittal spinal alignment in paraplegics: a new paradigm for the rehabilitation under neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Study design: Radiographic analysis of sagittal spinal alignment of paraplegics in a standing position under surface neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). Objectives: Describing the radiographic parameters of the sagittal spinal alignment of paraplegics going through a rehabilitation program with NMES. Setting: The University Hospital`s Ambulatory (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Methods: Panoramic X-ray images in profile were taken for 10 paraplegics. All patients participated in the rehabilitation program and were able to perform gait through NMES of the femoral quadriceps muscles. The radiographic parameters used for the analysis were the same as those described in the literature for healthy people. The results were didactically organized into three groups: anatomical shape of the spine, morphology and kinetics of the pelvis and spinopelvic alignment. Results: The physiological curvature of the spine in paraplegics showed average values similar to those described in the literature for healthy patients. The inversion of the pelvic tilt and the increase in the sacral slope were defined by the anterior backward rotation of the pelvis. The existing theoretical mathematical formulas that define lumbar lordosis, pelvic incidence and pelvic tilt showed normal values, despite the anterior intense sagittal imbalance. Conclusions: The adaptive posture of the spine in paraplegics standing through the stimulation of the femoral quadriceps does not allow for a neutral sagittal alignment. This novel radiographic detailed description of the various segments of the spine can be of assistance toward the understanding of the global postural control for such subjects. Spinal Cord (2010) 48, 251-256; doi: 10.1038/sc.2009.123; published online 29 September 2009

Integral Piezoactuator System with Optimum Placement of Functionally Graded Material - A Topology Optimization Paradigm

Piezoactuators consist of compliant mechanisms actuated by two or more piezoceramic devices. During the assembling process, such flexible structures are usually bonded to the piezoceramics. The thin bonding layer(s) between the compliant mechanism and the piezoceramic may induce undesirable behavior, including unusual interfacial nonlinearities. This constitutes a drawback of piezoelectric actuators and, in some applications, such as those associated to vibration control and structural health monitoring (e. g., aircraft industry), their use may become either unfeasible or at least limited. A possible solution to this standing problem can be achieved through the functionally graded material concept and consists of developing `integral piezoactuators`, that is those with no bonding layer(s) and whose performance can be improved by tailoring their structural topology and material gradation. Thus, a topology optimization formulation is developed, which allows simultaneous distribution of void and functionally graded piezoelectric materials (including both piezo and non-piezoelectric materials) in the design domain in order to achieve certain specified actuation movements. Two concurrent design problems are considered, that is the optimum design of the piezoceramic property gradation, and the design of the functionally graded structural topology. Two-dimensional piezoactuator designs are investigated because the applications of interest consist of planar devices. Moreover, material gradation is considered in only one direction in order to account for manufacturability issues. To broaden the range of such devices in the field of smart structures, the design of integral Moonie-type functionally graded piezoactuators is provided according to specified performance requirements.

Dosage-dependent shift in the spore community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi following application of tannery sludge

The controlled disposal of tannery sludge in agricultural soils is a viable alternative for recycling such waste; however, the impact of this practice on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities is not well understood. We studied the effects of low-chromium tannery sludge amendment in soils on AMF spore density, species richness and diversity, and root colonization levels. Sludge was applied at four doses to an agricultural field in Rolandia, Parana state, Brazil. The sludge was left undisturbed on the soil surface and then the area was harrowed and planted with corn. The soil was sampled at four intervals and corn roots once within a year (2007/2008). AMF spore density was low (1 to 49 spores per 50 cm(3) of soil) and decreased as doses of tannery sludge increased. AMF root colonization was high (64%) and unaffected by tannery sludge. Eighteen AMF species belonging to six genera (Acaulospora, Glomus, Gigaspora, Scutellospora, Paraglomus, and Ambispora) were recorded. At the sludge doses of 9.0 and 22.6 Mg ha(-1), we observed a decrease in AMF species richness and diversity, and changes in their relative frequencies. Hierarchical grouping analysis showed that adding tannery waste to the soil altered AMF spore community in relation to the control, modifying the mycorrhizal status of soil and selectively favoring the sporulation of certain species.

Effects of reversible inactivation of the medial septum on rat exploratory behavior in the elevated plus-maze using a test-retest paradigm

The effect of intraseptal injections of lidocaine before a first or a second session in the elevated plus-maze, in a test-retest paradigm, was investigated. In addition to gross session analyses, a minute-by-minute analysis of the sessions was used to evaluate both anxiety and memory. Lidocaine injections before the test session produced increases in the frequency of entries, time spent and distance run in the open arms without affecting activity occurring in the closed arms. During the retest session, saline- and lidocaine-treated rats exhibited increased indices of anxiety and lidocaine-treated rats exhibited decreased closed-arm entries. The minute-by-minute analysis showed a faster decrease in anxiety-related behaviors during the test session by saline- than by lidocaine-treated rats and a significant decrease in closed-arm exploration by saline-treated rats, but not by lidocaine-treated ones. Lidocaine injection before the retest session produced increases in the frequency of entries, time spent and distance run in the open arms in the second session when compared with saline-treated rats. Minute-by-minute analysis showed an increase in the time spent in the open arms by lidocaine animals at the beginning of the retest session in comparison to saline animals and a significant decrease in closed-arm exploration by both groups. These results suggest that inactivation of the medial septum by lidocaine affects the expression of unconditioned and conditioned forms of anxiety in the elevated plus-maze and, in a lesser way, the acquisition and retention of spatial information. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between sleeping on the night shift and recovery from work among nursing workers - the influence of domestic work

P>Aim. This paper is a report of a study on the association between sleep patterns during work nights and recovery from work among nursing workers, considering domestic work hours. Background. Several hospitals allow nursing workers to sleep during the night shift, but this is rarely evaluated from the workers` health perspective. The need for recovery from work concept can be useful for testing the impact of night work on sleep. Recovery is not a problem if workers have enough time to recover between periods of work. Therefore, domestic work would be likely to interfere in the recovery process. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out at three hospitals in 2005-2006, through a comprehensive questionnaire. All nursing teams engaged in assistance to patients were invited to participate. Analyses included female night workers with no incidence of insomnia. Participants (n = 396) were classified into those who did not sleep during night shifts, those who slept for up to 2 hours and those who slept for 2-3 hours. Results. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that sleeping on the job for 2-3 hours during night shifts is related to a better recovery from work provided the workers do not undergo long domestic work hours. Conclusions. Being allowed to sleep at work during night shifts seemed to contribute to, but was not enough to guarantee, a good recovery from work in the studied population. Recommendations to deal with sleep-deprivation among night workers should consider the complexity of gender roles on the recovery process.

What aspects of shiftwork influence off-shift well-being of healthcare workers?

Characteristics of shiftwork schedules have implications for off-shift well-being. We examined the extent to which several shift characteristics (e.g., shift length, working sundays) are associated with three aspects of off-shift well-being: work-to-family conflict, physical well-being, and mental wellbeing. We also investigated whether these relationships differed in four nations. The Survey of Work and Time was completed by 906 healthcare professionals located in Australia, Brazil, Croatia, and the USA. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that shiftwork characteristics account for significant unique variance in all three measures of well-being beyond that accounted for by work and family demands and personal characteristics. The patterns of regression weights indicated that particular shiftwork characteristics have differential relevance to indices of work-to-family conflict, physical well-being, and mental well-being. Our findings suggest that healthcare organizations should carefully consider the implications of shiftwork characteristics for off-shift well-being. Furthermore, although our findings did not indicate national differences in the nature of relationships between shift characteristics and well-being, shiftwork characteristics and demographics for healthcare professionals differ in systematic ways among nations; as such, effective solutions may be context-specific. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Watch-and-Comment as a Paradigm toward Ubiquitous Interactive Video Editing

The literature reports research efforts allowing the editing of interactive TV multimedia documents by end-users. In this article we propose complementary contributions relative to end-user generated interactive video, video tagging, and collaboration. In earlier work we proposed the watch-and-comment (WaC) paradigm as the seamless capture of an individual`s comments so that corresponding annotated interactive videos be automatically generated. As a proof of concept, we implemented a prototype application, the WACTOOL, that supports the capture of digital ink and voice comments over individual frames and segments of the video, producing a declarative document that specifies both: different media stream structure and synchronization. In this article, we extend the WaC paradigm in two ways. First, user-video interactions are associated with edit commands and digital ink operations. Second, focusing on collaboration and distribution issues, we employ annotations as simple containers for context information by using them as tags in order to organize, store and distribute information in a P2P-based multimedia capture platform. We highlight the design principles of the watch-and-comment paradigm, and demonstrate related results including the current version of the WACTOOL and its architecture. We also illustrate how an interactive video produced by the WACTOOL can be rendered in an interactive video environment, the Ginga-NCL player, and include results from a preliminary evaluation.

Polarization and Spectral Shift of Benzophenone in Supercritical Water

Monte Carlo simulation and quantum mechanics calculations based on the INDO/CIS and TD-DFT methods were utilized to study the solvatochromic shift of benzophenone when changing the environment from normal water to supercritical (P = 340.2 atm and T = 673 K) condition. Solute polarization increases the dipole moment of benzophenone, compared to gas phase, by 88 and 35% in normal and supercritical conditions, giving the in-solvent dipole value of 5.8 and 4.2 D, respectively. The average number of solute-solvent hydrogen bonds was analyzed, and a large decrease of 2.3 in normal water to only 0.8 in the supercritical environment was found. By using these polarized models of benzophenone in the two different conditions of water, we performed MC simulations to generate statistically uncorrelated configurations of the solute surrounded by the solvent molecules and subsequent quantum mechanics calculations on these configurations. When changing from normal to supercritical water environment, INDO/CIS calculations explicitly considering all valence electrons of the 235 solvent water molecules resulted in a solvatochromic shift of 1425 cm(-1) for the most intense transition of benzophenone, that is, slightly underestimated in comparison with the experimentally inferred result of 1700 cm(-1). TD-B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) calculations on the same configurations but with benzophenone electrostatically embedded in the 320 water molecules resulted in a solvatochromic shift of 1715 cm(-1) for this transition, in very good agreement with the experimental result. When using the unpolarized model of the benzophenone, this calculated solvatochromic shift was only 640 cm(-1). Additional calculations were also made by using BHandHLYP/6-311+G(2d,p) to analyze the effect of the asymptotic decay of the exchange functional. This study indicates that, contrary to the general expectation, there is a sizable solute polarization even in the low-density regime of supercritical condition and that the inclusion of this polarization is important for a reliable description of the spectral shifts considered here.

Polarization and solvatochromic shift of ortho-betaine in water

Betaine dyes are known to show very large transition energy shifts in different solvents. The ortho-betaine molecule - a simple two-ring prototype of the E-T(30) Reichardt dye - has been investigated theoretically from a combined statistical and quantum mechanics approach. Using sequential Monte Carlo (MC) simulations and MP2/cc-pVDZ calculations the in-water dipole moment of ortho-betaine is obtained as 12.30 +/- 0.05 D. This result shows a considerable increase of 75% compared to the in-vacuum dipole moment. For comparison, the use of a polarizable continuum model using the same MP2/cc-pVDZ leads to an in-water dipole moment of 11.6 D, in good agreement. This large polarization is incorporated in the classical potential for another MC simulation to generate solute-solvent configurations and to obtain the contribution of the polarization effect in the solvatochromic shift. Using statistically uncorrelated configurations and supermolecular INDO/CIS calculations, including the solute and, explicitly, 230 solvent water molecules, the statistically converged calculated shift is obtained here as 6360 cm(-1), in good agreement with the experimental result of 7550 cm(-1). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Magnetic hysteresis loop shift in NiFe(2)O(4) nanocrystalline powder with large grain boundary fraction

Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline NiFe(2)O(4) spinel mechanically processed for 350 h have been studied using temperature dependent from both zero-field and in-field (57)Fe Mossbauer spectrometry and magnetization measurements. The hyperfine structure allows us to distinguish two main magnetic contributions: one attributed to the crystalline grain core, which has magnetic properties similar to the NiFe(2)O(4) spinel-like structure (n-NiFe(2)O(4)) and the other one due to the disordered grain boundary region, which presents topological and chemical disorder features(d-NiFe(2)O(4)). Mossbauer spectrometry determines a large fraction for the d-NiFe(2)O(4) region(62% of total area) and also suggests a speromagnet-like structure for it. Under applied magnetic field, the n-NiFe(2)O(4) spins are canted with angle dependent on the applied field magnitude. Mossbauer data also show that even under 120 kOe no magnetic saturation is observed for the two magnetic phases. In addition, the hysteresis loops, recorded for scan field of 50 kOe, are shifted in both field and magnetization axes, for temperatures below about 50 K. The hysteresis loop shifts may be due to two main contributions: the exchange bias field at the d-NiFe(2)O(4)/n-NiFe(2)O(4) interfaces and the minor loop effect caused by a high magnetic anisotropy of the d-NiFe(2)O(4) phase. It has also been shown that the spin configuration of the spin-glass like phase is modified by the consecutive field cycles, consequently the n-NiFe(2)O(4)/d-NiFe(2)O(4) magnetic interaction is also affected in this process. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.