Antimicrobial resistance of isolated Streptococcus pneumoniae in a hospital of the Brazilian public system

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the predominant bacterial agent that affects the human population with pneumonia. This disease is an important cause of death in the elderly and the children under five years old. In this study, 29 strains of invasive S. pneumoniae were isolated from 29 patients of pneumonia, bacteremia and meningitis in the laboratory of the Municipal Hospital in Paulinia, Brazil, from May 2006 to October 2007. Patients' age ranged from 8 months old to 60 years old. These strains of S. pneumoniae were isolated from blood, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients. After typing of encapsulated strains of S. pneumoniae through quellung reaction, their resistance to antimicrobial agents was gauged through Disc Diffusion Technique followed by determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Among the 29 strains analyzed, 23 were methicillin-sensitive and six were methicillin-resistant and penicillin intermediate resistant. No strain presented full resistance to penicillin. Serotyping was performed only in two samples, which belonged to serotype 18. Our data may alert ambulatory regarding the incidence of pneumococcal strains resistant to the most common drugs due to inappropriate use of antimicrobials and also collaborate to the elaboration of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines specific to each region.

Consumer behavior after the Brazilian power rationing in 2001

In June 2001, after a dry period, the level of the water reservoirs in Brazil was below their operational levels. This situation, combined with other historical factors, led the country into a period of power rationing. As expected, power consumption lowered during this period. After December 2001, when the power rationing ended, electrical utilities expected to return to their normal power consumption in a matter of months, but the level of power consumption only returned to its level around years 2004 2005. Consumer behavior went through a change during this period, and the consumers kept this behavior after, leading to electrical and economical consequences until today. This paper presents an analysis of several factors that led to these events, including historical consumption data and comparisons with similar situations. The objective of this analysis is to give helpful information to electrical utilities, that could deal with similar situations, in their load forecasting studies. © 2006 IEEE.

Modernizing the Brazilian active control network

The Brazilian Network for Continuous Monitoring of GPS - RBMC, since its foundation in December of 1996, has been playing an essential role for the maintenance and user access of the fundamental geodetic frame in the country,. It provides users with a direct link to the Brazilian Geodetic System - SGB. Its role has become more relevant with the increasing use of space navigation technology in the country. Recently, Brazil adopted a new geodetic system, SIRGAS2000, in February 2005, fully compatible with GNSS technology. The paper provides an overview of the recent modernization phases the RBMC network has undergone highlighting its future steps. From its current post-mission mode, the RBMC will evolve into a real-time network, providing real-time data and real-time correction to users. The network enhanced with modern GPS receivers and the addition of atomic clocks will be used to compute WADGPS-type corrections to be transmitted, in real time, to users in Brazil and surrounding areas. It is estimated that users will be able to achieve a horizontal accuracy around 0.5 m (1σ) in static and kinematic positioning and better for dual frequency users. The availability of the WADGPS service will allow users to tie to the new SIRGAS2000 system in a more rapid and transparent way for positioning and navigation applications. It should be emphasized that support to post-mission static positioning will continue to be provided to users interested in higher accuracy levels. In addition to this, a post-mission Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service will be provided based on the one currently provided by the Geodetic Survey Division of NRCan (CSRS-PPP). The modernization of the RBMC is under development based on a cooperation signed at the end of 2004 with the University of New Brunswick, supported by the Canadian International Development Agency and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. The Geodetic Survey Division of NRCan is also participating in this modernization effort under the same project.

Latest Enhancements in the Brazilian Active Control Network

The Brazilian Network for Continuous Monitoring of GPS - RBMC, since its foundation in December of 1996, has been playing an essential role for the maintenance and user access of the fundamental geodetic frame in the country. It provides to users a direct link to the Brazilian Geodetic System. Its role has become more relevant with the increasing use of space navigation technology in the country. Recently, Brazil adopted a new geodetic frame, SIRGAS2000, in February 2005, fully compatible with GNSS technology. The paper provides an overview of the recent modernization phases the RBMC network has undergone highlighting its future steps. From its current post-mission mode, the RBMC will evolve into a real-time network, providing real-time data and real-time correction to users. The network enhanced with modern GPS receivers and the addition of atomic clocks will be used to compute WADGPS-type corrections to be transmitted, in real time, to users in Brazil and surrounding areas. It is estimated that users will be able to achieve a horizontal accuracy around 0.5 m (1 σ) in static and kinematic positioning and better for dual frequency users. The availability of the WADGPS service will allow users to tie to the new SIRGAS2000 frame in a more rapid and transparent way for positioning and navigation applications. It should be emphasized that support to post-mission static positioning, will continue to be provided to users interested in higher accuracy levels. In addition to this, a post-mission Precise Point Positioning (PPP) service will be provided based on the one currently provided by the Geodetic Survey Division of NRCan (CSRS-PPP). The modernization of the RBMC is under development based on a cooperation signed at the end of 2004 with the University of New Brunswick, supported by the Canadian International Development Agency and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. The Geodetic Survey Division of NRCan is also participating in this modernization effort under the same project. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009.

A First approach on the new transmission system in northern Brazil

This article shows an analysis of the electrical parameters of a three-phase transmission line section using a relatively new design for steel towers characterized by 280 meters high. These main features, the height of the line conductors and distance between them, are intrinsically related to the longitudinal and transversal parameters of the line. By this means, an analysis was carried out in order to show the electrical variations between a transmission line using the new technology and a conventional 440-kV line through a wide range of frequencies and a variable soil resistivity. © 2012 The Institution of Engineering and Technology.

¿Inestabilidad o estabilidad en la política brasileña? Partidos políticos y presidente de la República contra la incertidumbre

This article examines what political scientists think of the Brazilian political system, especially in regard to the relationship between the executive and legislative branches. There are two opposing camps of scholars who focus on how political parties behave in the Chamber of Deputies. While the first defends a political system that produces undisciplined representatives, the second supports a legislative organization that produces disciplined politicians.

The impact of the law 10,267/2001 in the brazilian rural registration

The publication of the Law 10,267 of 08/28/2001 changed the paradigm of rural registration in Brazil, because this law known as the Law of Georeferencing has created the National Registration of Rural Property, that unifies in a common basis different registrations present in several government agencies, such as the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), the Secretariat of Federal Revenue, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, and the National Indian Foundation. Also, this new registration system has a graphical component which has not existed until such date, where the boundaries of rural property are georeferenced to the Brazilian Geodetic System. This new paradigm has resulted in a standardization of the survey and its representation of rural properties according to the Technical Standard for Georeferencing of Rural Properties, published by INCRA in compliance with the new legislation. Due to the georeferencing, the creation of a public GIS of free access on the Internet was possible. Among the difficulties found it may be observed the great Brazilian territory, the need for specialized professionals, and especially the certification process that INCRA has to perform for each georeferenced property. It is hoped that this last difficulty is solved with the implementation of the Land Management System that will allow automated and online certification, making the process more transparent, agile and fast.

The behavior of brazilian senators: analyzing the exchange of votes inside the fixed committees during the 52nd legislature

Using the method of Social Networks Analysis, we’ll try to see if politicians swap votes between them seeking support for their projects, to this end, we’ll first map the behavior, activities and contacts of the Senators of the Brazilian Federative Republic within all the fixed committees which had some vote during the 52nd Legislature, then we can see the most popular and central Senators to each committee. After this analysis we wish to answer the following question: did logrolling exist in the Brazilian Senate? Previously the empirical analysis and response to the problems posed, we’ll present the necessary theoretical introduction understood by reviewing the literature on relevant subjects, whether they are purely theoretical with respect to the exchange of support, or analytical about the Brazilian political system.

The role of the state in health public policies: an overview of the debate on the concept of State and the Brazilian case

This article is the result of a narrative literature review. The objective is to show the development of an overview on the ideological debate on the design of state health policies. We argue that the role of the state in the development of health policy, even under the pressure of the global market, may create alternatives to promote and drive economic and social development, meaning they are not subject to economic constraints imposed by the liberal ideal of market. Here is a part of a theoretical discussion about the construction and presence of the State in Latin America, particularly in Brazil. We take the approaches of the Marxist tradition and liberal to the issue as reference. This discussion allows us to understand the historical role of the state in the maintenance of social policies, specifically health, is an alternative to public control eases the intense capital mobility promoted by economic globalization. In this sense, the theme makes the Brazilian health an important issue of social sciences, why is the historicity of the construction of the Brazilian health system, as a public policy that can mirror the actual reconstruction of the institutional framework of the Brazilian state with the establishment instances of negotiation between the various spheres of power that strengthen the state in this process of democratization of Brazilian society.

O sistema político, partidário e eleitoral da República de Malta

This work is a study which deals with political, electoral and party features from the Republic of Malta. An interest that motivated the study is to understand how works the consolidated two-party system in the country, the cleavages which foster that features and the Maltese media groups alignment process to those prevailing political parties. Our goal is to identify the main factors which creates and maintain those features of a two-party model in Malta, and how much it overlaps the political and electoral models applied in the country. The analysis is mostly literature, also backing up data about the nation, on elections and political parties which allow enough stability for analysis and enables us an approach about the actual facts. The survey data and literature available is mainly in English, by the lack of academic papers on Malta in Brazilian Portuguese. Therefore, this work contributes as a small panorama of the Maltese political reality, which can serve as a point of comparison and reflection on other countries' realities, with a sharp bipolar political trend, strong social entrenchment of political parties, and media groups aligned to those

A atenção em Saúde Mental em municípios de pequeno e médio portes: ressonâncias da reforma psiquiátrica

A partir da análise da Política Nacional de Saúde Mental formulada nos últimos anos e das experiências desenvolvidas após 1987 no país, procura-se compreender como o Sistema Único de Saúde tem contribuído ao avanço da reforma psiquiátrica nos municípios; verificar como a assistência oferecida nesses municípios está viabilizando os princípios da reforma psiquiátrica e a melhora das condições de vida dos usuários, bem como pesquisar o papel dos trabalhadores e gestores na construção de novas práticas de cuidado em Saúde Mental. A análise das práticas discursivas aponta que os vários segmentos sociais envolvidos na Saúde Mental conhecem os princípios e propostas da reforma psiquiátrica. No entanto, as gestões municipais não assumem integralmente as propostas do Ministério da Saúde para a área, sob a alegação de falta de recursos financeiros para a contrapartida exigida. Os usuários e familiares têm aos poucos assumido as novas propostas de intervenção, mas os mecanismos de participação e organização popular ainda são incipientes. Por fim, deve-se destacar que, para uma efetiva consolidação das propostas atuais da reforma psiquiátrica, é necessário um maior compromisso dos gestores com a atenção em Saúde Mental, maior investimento nas equipes multiprofissionais, o estímulo à organização e à participação dos usuários e familiares e a integralidade dos dispositivos de saúde, de assistência social e de cultura existentes nas cidades.

Percepção do corpo, medo da morte, religião e doação de órgãos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

O militarismo no Uruguai

Desde muito cedo, ainda no século XIX, o Uruguai vem desenvolvendo uma política democrática baseada na educação, ao que pode ser creditado o afastamento das suas Forças Armadas da participação política. Entretanto, o sistema partidário, essencial para o desenvolvimento da democracia, não foi suficientemente forte para manter os militares completamente afastados do governo, vivendo o país momentos de militarismo. O propósito deste trabalho é repassar o processo político uruguaio destacando os momentos em que as Forças Armadas estiveram mais próximas do poder. Entende-se que compreender o desenvolvimento da política no país é essencial para, já em outro trabalho, avaliar como a educação, especialmente a oferecida às forças armadas, influencia o desenvolvimento e consolidação de uma cultura democrática.

Security constrained optimal active power flow via network model and interior point method

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)