Determinaçao do indice de balneabilidade do açude de Bodocongo em Campina Grande-PB, Brasil, a partir de indicadores biologicos

CARVALHO, Aurean de Paula et al. Determinaçao do indice de balneabilidade do açude de Bodocongo em Campina Grande-PB, Brasil, a partir de indicadores biologicos. Educação Ambiental em Ação, v. 28, 2009

Demanda química de oxigênio, clorofila a e comunidade fitoplanctônica como indicadores da qualidade da água no Canal do Pataxó/RN

The current study examined spatial-temporal modifications and water quality through chemical and biotic indicators during both dry (January, February and November 2006) and wet seasons (March to June 2006). This study was carried out in Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir, RN, Canal do Pataxó and after the water station treatment (WST). The physical-chemical parameters were measured in situ and inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll a and Free Oxygen Demand (FOD) were analyzed in laboratory conditions. Quali quantitative analyses of phytoplankton were carried out utilizing Sedgwick-Rafter camera. Results indicate that DQO concentrations were low. FOD concentrations in the reservoir were comparatively higher in the dry season (5.21 mgL-1; 5.64 mgL-1 e 6.05 mgL-1) in relation to the wet season (4.52 mgL-1; 4.12 mgL-1 e 4.92 mgL-1), in surface, intermediate and bottom waters, respectively. FOD values were inferior to 1.0mgL-1in both Canal do Pataxó and after WST, which is considered adequate for public use reservoirs. Although FOD concentrations were low, Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves Reservoir, Canal do Pataxó and WST were classified as euthophizied, mesotrophic ad oligotrophic, respectively, considering the Index of Trophic State Criteria. Chlorophyll a concentrations in the study reservoir were higher in the surface (199.2 µgL-1) during the wet season, whereas in Canal do Pataxó concentrations decreased from 1.56 µgL-1 to 0.028 µgL-1, and after WST values were low (0.059 µgL-1). Dominance of cianobacterias, such as Planktotrhix agardhii (dry season) and Microcystis sp (wet season) was registered in all three areas. In the reservoir and Canal do Pataxó, density of cianobacterias, such as P. agardhii and Microcistys sp., was superior to the values allowed by the Health ministry (HM). However, after WST, density values of cianobacteria were inferior to values established by the HM

Estudos analíticos dos grafoelementos do eletroencefalograma em sono: fusos do sono, ondas agudas do vértex e o gradiente de freqüência e amplitude, como indicadores de comprometimento neurológico na criança

Innumerable studies have focused been reported on the sleep spindles (SS), Sharp Vertex Waves (SVW) and REM, NREM Sleep as indicators interpreting EEG patterns in children. However, Frequency and Amplitud Gradient (FAG) is rarely cited sleep parameter in children,that occurs during NREM Sleep. It was first described by Slater and Torres, in 1979, but has not been routinely evaluated in EEG reports. The aim of this study was to assess the absence of SS, SVW and FAG, as an indication of neurological compromise in children. The sample consisted of 1014 EEGs of children referred to the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory, Hospital Universitário de Brasília (HUB), from January 1997 to March 2003, with ages ranging from 3 months to 12 years old, obtained in spontaneous sleep or induced by choral hydrate. The study was transversal and analytical, in which, visual analysis of EEG traces was perfumed individually and independently by two electroencephalographers without prior knowledge of the EEG study or neurological findings. After EEG selection, the investigators analyzed the medical reports in order to define and correlate neurological pattern was classified according to the presence or absence of neurological compromise, as Normal Neurological Pattern (NNP), and Altered Neurological Pattern (ANP) respectively. From the visual analysis of the EEG(s), it was possible to characterize 6 parameters: 1- FAG present (64,1%); 2- FAG absent (35,9%); 3 - normal SS (87,9%); 4 - altered SS s (12,1%); 5 - normal SVW s (95,7%); 6 - altered SVW s (4,3%). The prevalence of well-formed FAG is found in the 3 months to 5 years age group in the children with NNF. FAG was totally absent from the age of 10 years. When comparing the three sleep graphielements, it was observed that SVW and SS were predominant in children with NNF. However, FAG absent was more prevalent in the ANF than in altered SS an SVW. The statistical analysis showed that there is a strong association of FAG absent, with isolated alteration, in ANF patients, in that the prevalence ratio was 6,60. The association becomes stronger when FAG absent + altered SS(s) is considered (RP= 6,68). Chi-square test, corrected by Yates technique, showed a highly significant relation for FAG ρ= 0,00000001, for error X of 5%, or else the 95% confidence interval (ρ<0,05). Thus, the FAG absent were more expressive in ANF patient than altered SS(s) and SVW(s). The association becomes stronger in order to establish a prognostic relation, when the FAG is combined with the SS. The results os this study allow us to affirm that the FAG, when absent at ages ranging from 3 months to 5 years , is an indication of neurological compromise. FAG is an age-dependent EEG parameter and incorporated systematically, in the interpretation criteria of the EEG of children s sleep, not only in the maturational point of view, but also neurological disturbances with encephalic compromise

Mortalidade da população em idade ativa (PIA) por doença cardiovascular e câncer nas capitais e nas regiões metropolitanas brasileiras: associação com indicadores socioeconômicos

Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte

Marcadores nutricionais e inflamatórios e sua associação com a morbimortalidade em hemodiálise

Background: Malnutrition, inflammation and comorbidities are frequent in patients with chronic renal failure in hemodialysis (HD), contributing for morbidity and mortality. Aims: To evaluate the correlation between anthropometric, laboratory parameters, bioelectrical impedance (BIA) and inflammatory markers with the morbidity and mortality of patients in HD, as well as the impact of its alterations throughout 12 months. Methods: 143 patients of a dialysis facility in Northeast Brazil were evaluated throughout 18 months. Patients with more than 3 months on dialysis, older than 18 years, without amputation of hands and feet, were included in the study. We performed a clinical (subjective global assessment - SGA), anthropometric (BMI, percent of ideal weight, MAC, MAMC, MAMA, percent of fat mass and TSF), laboratory (albumin, creatinine, lymphocyte count as nutritional markers and CRP, IL-6 and TNF- as inflammatory markers) evaluation and BIA (reactance, phase angle and percent of body cell mass) at the beginning of study and after 3, 6 and 12 months of follow-up. The association between study variables and deaths and hospitalizations in 6 and 12 months was investigated. The variable with significance < 10% in the univariate analysis had been enclosed in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. We also investigated the risk of mortality and hospitalization associated with differences in measurements of the variables at baseline and six months later. Results: Patients were aged 52.2 ± 16.6 years on the average, 58% were male, and mean dialysis vintage was 5.27 ± 5.12 years. The prevalence of malnutrition varied from 7.7-63.6%, according to the nutritional marker. The variables associated with morbidity and mortality in 6 and 12 months had been creatinine ≤ 9.45 mg/dl, phase angle ≤ 4.57 degrees, BMI ≤ 23 kg/m2, age ≤ 64.9 years, reactance ≤ 51.7 ohms; Charlson´s index ≥ 4 and socioeconomic status ≤ 7. During six months of follow up, decrease in albumin was associated with significantly higher mortality risk. Conclusions: This study detected that the best predictors of morbidity and mortality between nutritional and inflammatory markers are phase angle, reactance, creatinine and BMI and that changes in albumin values over six 107 months provide additional prognostic information. The authors believe that parameters of BIA may detect early changes in nutritional status and emphasize that longitudinal studies with larger number of patients are necessary to confirm these data and to recommend BIA as a routine nutritional evaluation in HD patients

Impacto da estratégia saúde da família com equipe de saúde bucal sobre indicadores de saúde bucal: análise em municípios do nordeste com mais de 100 mil habitantes

This study examined in municipalities of Northeast of Brazil with more than one hundred thousand people who incorporation of Oral Health Teams (OHT) into the Family Health Strategy (FHE) the possible impact on oral health indicators. Sought to answer whether implementation OHT brought the best indicators of health problems and coverage, compared to areas without coverage by the FHE through a community trial in parallel, quasi-randomized. In each of the municipalities surveyed were 20 census tracts, 10 were located in areas covered by oral health teams in the ESF and 10 industries in areas not covered. The final sample consisted of 59.221 individuals. We compared oral health indicators related to health problems, access to services and coverage of oral health actions. The analysis strategy was based on the calculation of prevalence ratios and confidence intervals, adjusted for confounding factors through Poisson regression with robust variance. It also has measured the association between an indicator of social inequality for comparison between areas. The best results are associated with indicators of access and coverage of oral health actions at the expense of the indicators of health problems, suggesting a possible maintenance of a traditional model of practice yet. The results also suggest a possible effect of a specific policy in the area of primary care on inequality in access. From the discussions presented throughout this work, we can see that the impact analysis of public policy, obtained by comparing areas with and without the intervention, not only captures the effect on the target population, but other dimensions of organization service and therefore should be understood as one of the analytical possibilities related to the management

Morbimortalidade perinatal associada à infecção clamidiana: uma revisão sistemática

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Estilo de vida individual de universitários jovens com excesso de peso da Universidade Católica de Murcia-Espanha

Individual lifestyle includes health and risk behaviors that can altar health status. Excess weight is a public health problem of modern civilization and there is an estimated mean prevalence of 45% in European countries. In Spain, the Murcia Region is an area of high morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disorders. In this study we assess the differences in health and risk behaviors in ove/weight and normal weight undergraduates at the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM). Methods: Transversal design of parallel groups (overweight - cases and normal weight - control) , formed using the anthropometric technique. A questionnaire applied to a sample of 471 undergraduates of either sex, between the ages of 18 and 29 years, enrolled in 4 bachelor degree courses (ADE, CA, PER, PUB) at UCAM. We performed a standardized measurement of body mass (weight in kg), height (in meters) using a Seca® scale with calibrated stadiometer, waist and hip circumferences (in cm) with an inelastic tape and skinfolds thickness (triceps and subscapular in mm) with a Holtain® caliper, to calculate body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and the sum of skinfolds (SSF). We applied a lifestyle questionnaire about alcohol and tobacco consumption, knowledge and behaviors related to health indicators (arterial pressure and cholesterol), diet and physical activity. The information was collected in April and May, 2001 at the UCAM laboratory of Applied Nutrition. Statistical analysis: analysis of independent groups, contingency tables that reveal which qualitativa variables show differences and associations between the groups, Pearson's chi-square,and a significance levei of p < 0.05 followed by a residual analysis (1.96). Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were used to establish the two groups: case and contrai with 65 men and 26 women each who had BMI < 25 kg/m2. Results: A total of 65 of the men assessed (14%) and 26 (6%) of the women were overweight. Mean body mass index of the case group was 27. 78 ±: 2.83 kg/m2 in the men and 26.26 ± 1.37 kg/m2 in the women, while contrai group men had mean BMI of 22.36 ± 1.72 kg/m2, while for the women it was 20.76 ±: 2.13 kg/m2. The self-declared values of weight and height were underestimated, but with high accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. Thus, these can be used to calculate the BMI of overweight Spanish undergraduates. Regular vigorous physical activity was observed only in normal weight men. The analysis showed the following significant differences for the qualitativa variables of the two groups. The contrai group was interested in arterial hypertension, believed that they were not overweight, that they had no abdominal fat, and had not considered controlling 'fatty food consumption. Those who thought of controlling it sometimes, did so without professional help. However, part of the overweight group believed that they were overweight and had abdominal fat between average and considerable, had often or always considered controlling fatty foods and had often or always tried to control consumption with the help of professionals. They had always thought of engaging in physical activities, unlike the normal weight individuals. Nearly all (95%) of the overweight undergraduates and most (75%) of the normal weight group reported that they sometimes or always controlled fatty food ingestion. Mean physical activity was nearly twice as high in the summer than in the winter. Conclusions: The overweight undergraduates in this sample displayed a lifestyle with a greater number of healthy behaviors when compared to normal weight individuals

O histórico de uma pesca tropical utilizando indicadores ecossistêmicos

When scientists study methods, theory and standards in an inseparable form, he is facing a paradigm. Throughout the development of a determined science, paradigms can change by changing the methods, objective and standards of research. Fisheries science is changing the paradigm moving from the paradigm of maximization in the use of resources, quantified by the index of the catch, which was influenced by evolutionary concepts such as Optimal Foraging Theory, to the sustainability paradigm that seeks its foundation in the fishery ecosystem perspective. The goal of this study was to review methods, theory and the history of ecosystem indexes of fishery science that attempts to determine sustainability of fishery resources from the data capture. Ecosystems indexes by themselves may not be useful to measure the sustainability of fishing because they focus only on the environmental or ecological side of the sustainability tripod. Probably to measure the sustainability of fishing these indexes should include in the future the Payments for Ecosystem Services and Social Resilience. Thus the methods and theories are in constantly changing within science to meet the most current paradigm

Acurácia dos indicadores clínicos do diagnóstico de enfermagem volume de líquidos excessivo em pacientes submetidos à hemodiálise

Trasnversal study, with the objective of evaluating the accuracy of clinical indicators of nursing diagnosis excessive fluid volume in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The study occurred in two stages, the first consisted of the evaluation of the diagnostic indicators in study; and the second, the diagnostic inference conducted by nurse diagnosticians. The first stage occurred from december 2012 to april 2013, in a University Hospital and a Hemodialysis Clinic in Northeastern of Brazil, with a sample of 100 chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis. The data were selected through an interview form and a physical examination, organized into spreadsheets and analyzed as to the presence or absence of the indicators of diagnosis excessive fluid volume. In the second step, the spreadsheets were sent to three nurses diagnosticians, who judged the presence or absence of diagnosis in the clientele searched. This step was conducted from july to september 2013. For analysis of the data, we used descriptive and inferential statistics. In the descriptive analysis, we used measures of central tendency and dispersion. In inferential analysis, we used the tests Chi- square, Fisher and prevalence ratios. The accuracy of the clinical indicators pertaining to the diagnosis were measured as to the specificity, sensitivity, predictive values, likelihood ratios and Diagnostic Odds Ratio. Also developed a logistic regression. The results were organized in tables and discussed with literature. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee in Research of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, with Presentation Certificate for Ethics Appreciation nº 08696212.7.0000.5537. The results revealed that the diagnosis studied was present in 82% of patients. The characteristics with prevalence above 50 % that stood out were: azotemia, decreased hematocrit, electrolyte imbalance, intake exceeds output, anxiety, edema, decreased hemoglobin, oliguria and blood pressure changes. Eight defining characteristics were presented statistically significant association with the nursing diagnosis investigated: pulmonary congestion, intake exceeds output, electrolytes imbalance, jugular vein distension, edema, weight gain over short period of time, agitation and adventitious breath sounds. Among these, the 10 characteristics which showed higher prevalence ratios were: edema and weight gain over short period of time. The features with the highest sensitivity were edema, electrolytes imbalance and intake exceeds output and the standing out with greater specificity were: anasarca, weight gain over short period of time, change in respiratory pattern, adventitious breath sounds, pulmonary congestion, agitation and jugular vein distension. The indicators jugular vein distension, electrolytes imbalance, intake exceeds output, increased central venous pressure and edema, together, were identified in the logistic regression model as the most significant predictors. It is concluded that the identification of accurate clinical indicators allow a good prediction of the nursing diagnosis of excessive fluid volume in patients undergoing hemodialysis in order to assist the nurse in the inference process, which will contribute to the success of patient care. In addition, nurses will consider for diagnostic inference not only his clinical experience, but also scientific evidence of the occurrence of excessive fluid volume, contributing to the control of volemia in these patients

Análise dos indicadores de qualidade versus taxa de abandono utilizando método de regressão múltipla para serviço de banda larga

Telecommunication is one of the most dynamic and strategic areas in the world. Many technological innovations has modified the way information is exchanged. Information and knowledge are now shared in networks. Broadband Internet is the new way of sharing contents and information. This dissertation deals with performance indicators related to maintenance services of telecommunications networks and uses models of multivariate regression to estimate churn, which is the loss of customers to other companies. In a competitive environment, telecommunications companies have devised strategies to minimize the loss of customers. Loosing customers presents a higher cost than obtaining new ones. Corporations have plenty of data stored in a diversity of databases. Usually the data are not explored properly. This work uses the Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) to establish rules and new models to explain how churn, as a dependent variable, are related to a diversity of service indicators, such as time to deploy the service (in hours), time to repair (in hours), and so on. Extraction of meaningful knowledge is, in many cases, a challenge. Models were tested and statistically analyzed. The work also shows results that allows the analysis and identification of which quality services indicators influence the churn. Actions are also proposed to solve, at least in part, this problem

Uma contribuição à definição de indicadores de desempenho de instituições federais de educação tecnológica do Brasil na abordagem do balanced scorecard

This Master of Science Thesis deals with a study on applying the BSC Balanced Scorecard to assess the performance of Federal Centers for Technological Education Institution in Brazil, the CEFET s (Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica), government organizations non for profit. It s accomplished a literature review in order to understand the BSC and its application to non for profit organizations and as a main result it is proposed a BSC conceptual model with an inversion of the main BSC perspective from financial to customer/society. Taking the FORPLAN/CONCEFET performance indicators matrix it is developed a set of performance indicators for the two tops perspective in the conceptual model proposed five for customer/society perspective and three for financial/budget perspective. A field survey with ten CEFET s General Directors is conducted to validate the indicators and assess the perception of the Directors on the hierarchy of the conceptual model, and a hierarchy among the indicators as well. The main results suggests that the indicators are validated, that most of the Directors support the hierarchy presented in the conceptual model but 30% of them have a traditional model with financials coming first. In terms of indicator hierarchy, there s a slight priority for the student unitary cost among the financial perspective indicators, and a relative balance among the customer/society perspective indicators

Avaliação dos indicadores de desempenho de instituições federais de educação tecnológica doBrasil na abordagem do balanced scorecard

This Master of Science Thesis deals with a study on applying the BSC Balanced Scorecard to assess the performance of Federal Institution for Technological Education Institution in Brazil, a government organizations non for profit. It s accomplished a literature review in order to understand the BSC and its application to non for profit organizations and as a main result it is proposed a BSC conceptual model with an inversion of the main BSC perspective from financial to customer/society. It is used the annual management report of thirteen Institutions and applied a Pearson correlation analysis in order to verify a cause-effect situation between indicators. The main findings suggest that the model teachers qualification in terms of degree earned, quantity of teachers in full time job, and rate of students by teacher in full time job having good pearson correlation with the results expected of quality, throughput, social and demand response. However, the student unit cost use as the sole financial indicator did not get any reasonable correlation with the results, as so the quality and quantity of books in the libraries. Although it suggests a need for improvement in the model, the general model adopted appears to be satisfactory as a starting point to a BSC-like performance measuring system to this kind of Institutions

A pegada de carbono como um dos indicadores de sustentabilidade para medição da responsabilidade socioambiental empresarial: um estudo de caso na unidade sede da Petrobras em Natal-RN

As a contemporary tendency, it is been evidenced that the environmental changes theme, already admitted as a concernment to international economical and political reality, is also gaining repercussion on industrial and business sector. Firms are implementing actions on trial to minimize their own greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions impacts. However, the great majority of those actions of Corporative Social-Environmental Responsibility (CSR) are referred only to direct emissions of the main production systems. Direct emissions are those derived of an isolate process, without considering the upstream and downstream processes emissions, which respond for the majority of emissions originated because of respective firm‟s production system existence. Because the greenhouse effect occurs globally and the GHG emissions contribute to the environmental changes independently of their origin, it must be taken into account the whole productive life cycle of products and systems, since the energy invested on resources extraction and necessary materials to the final disposal. To do so, it must be investigated all relevant steps of a product/production system life cycle, tracking all activities which emit greenhouse gases, directly or indirectly. This amount of emissions consists in the firm‟s Carbon Footprint. This research purpose is to defend the Carbon Footprint relevance and its adoption viability to be used as an Environmental Indicator on measurement/assessment of CSR. It has been realized a study case on Petrobras‟s seat unity at Natal-Brazil, assessing part of its Carbon Footprint. It has been used the software GEMIS 4.6 to do the emissions quantifying. The items measured were the direct emissions of the own unity vehicles and indirect emissions of offset paper (A4), energy and disposable plastic cups consumed. To 2009, these emissions were 3.811,94 tCO2eq. We may conclude that Carbon Footprint quantification is indispensable to the knowledge of real emissions caused by a productive process existence, must serving as basis to CSR decisions about the environmental changes reversion challenge

Aplicação de indicadores webométricos nos programas de Pós-Graduação das engenharias recomendados pela CAPES

This study aims to identify, through the application of webometric indicators, which Post-Graduate Courses in Engineering recommended by the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Personnel Education (CAPES) in Brazil stand out in the web space, in relation to the communication process and dissemination of scientific information in the academic environment. For this, we analyzed the structures content of the sites, the use, through the conduct of investigations and searches, the quality of information available, as well as the structure of existent hypertexts in the sites of this universe of search. The tools and methodologies adopted for this study are: search engines (Google, Yahoo), Mapper software (Xenu Link Sleuth) and analysis software and visualization of networks (and Ucinet6 NetDraw). Webometric indicators are also used, such as size of the web sites, visibility, web impact factor, brightness and density of the network. These instruments provide a brief analysis and evaluation for this webometric study. Therefore, from the incursion of the literature used, it appears that there are many advantages of using this type of metric study in the so called Information Society. The obtained results could identify which postgraduate courses in engineering has a better availability of their information on the Web, as well to define which of these courses stands out in relation to the use of their information, which has been outstanding in respect to its impact factor and which offers a greater number of links that serve as a source of information for its users, contributing, in its turn, with the navigability of the same network. In summary, it is asserted that the webometric study presents promising results, which are able to achieve the proposed objectives, as well as identify the factors that contribute significantly to the good visualization of these sites in the network, thus helping the spread of information and scientific communication through the use of the Web.