Aerosols monitoring in Rio Claro, Brazil: Using lidar and air pollution analyzers

Brazil has an important role in the biomass burning aerosol activity. During the Dry Season (June-September) of 2009 an aerosol profiling campaign was carried out using a backscattering and Raman lidar system in Rio Claro-SP, Brazil (22°23'S and 47°32'W). The main goal of this campaign was to observe the biomass burning aerosol load due to sugarcane crops and also study the air dispersion conditions, planetary boundary and mixed layer daily evolution. In this paper we aim to present the preliminary results of the influence of this type of aerosol over the city of Rio Claro-SP, Brazil and one case study to evaluate the aerosol profile in a biomass burning episode that occurred in July, 2009. On July 15 an intense burning was observed about 300 m away from the lidar location. Throughout the measurements it was observed that the plumes reached up to 900 m, and that there was a time gap between the plumes. The gas analyzers showed a strong influence of this burning as it was noticed in the measurements of CO, NO x and nephelometer, whereas the PM10 did not have due to this burning, possibly because the particulate was deposited further from the emission source, not being detected by the equipment. © Sociedad Española de Óptica.

Fine needle aspirate cell blocks are reliable for detection of hormone receptors and HER-2 by immunohistochemistry in breast carcinoma

Aims: To evaluate the reliability of fine needle aspirate cell blocks in the assessment of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER-2/neu proteins by immunohistochemistry in comparison with surgical specimens. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of 62 cases of breast carcinoma diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and confirmed using the surgical specimen. Immunohistochemical tests were performed to assess the presence of oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and HER-2/neu proteins in cell blocks and the corresponding surgical specimens. The cell block method used alcohol prior to formalin fixation. Cases with 10% or more stained cells were considered positive for ER and PR. Positivity for HER-2/neu was assessed on a scale of 0-3+. The criterion for positivity was a score of 3+. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of the cell blocks in the investigation of ER, PR and HER-2/neu protein (3+) were (%): ER, 92.7, 85.7, 92.7, 85.7 and 90.3; PR, 92.7, 94.7, 97.4, 87.0 and 93.5; HER-2/neu, 70.0, 100.0, 100.0, 94.5 and 95.2. Discrepancies were seen in cell blocks in the 1+ and 2+ HER-2/neu staining scores: two of 12 cases scoring 2+ and one case of 26 scoring 1+ on cell blocks scored 3+ on surgical specimens. The correlation index between cell block and corresponding surgical specimen varied from 90% to 94%. Conclusion: Cell blocks provide a useful method of assessing ER, PR and HER-2/neu, mainly for inoperable and recurrent cases, but consideration should be given to carrying out FISH analysis on 1+ as well as 2+ HER-2/neu results. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Profiles of gene polymorphisms in cytokines and toll-like receptors with higher risk for gastric cancer

Background: Chronic inflammation and gastric carcinogenesis show a close association, so gene polymorphisms that modify the intensity of the inflammatory response may contribute to variations in gastric cancer risk. Aims: The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effect of the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and toll-like receptors polymorphisms on the chronic gastritis and gastric cancer risk in a Brazilian population sample. Methods: We evaluated 669 DNA samples (200 of gastric cancer [GC], 229 of chronic gastritis [CG], and 240 of healthy individuals [C]). Ten polymorphisms were genotyped: IL-1RN and TLR2 -196 to -174 del using the allele-specific PCR method and TNF-A (rs1800629; rs1799724), TNF-B (rs909253), IL-8 (rs4073; rs2227532), IL-10 (rs1800872) and TLR4 (rs4986790; rs4986791) using PCR-RFLP. Results: Polymorphisms TNF-A-308G/A, IL-8-251A/T, TNF-B + 252A/G and TLR4 + 1196C/T were not associated with risk of any gastric lesion. However, an association with increased risk for GC was observed for polymorphisms IL-1RNL/2 (p < 0.001), TNF-A-857C/T (p = 0.022), IL-8-845T/C (p < 0.001), IL-10-592C/A (p < 0.001), TLR2ins/del (p < 0.001), and TLR4 + 896A/G (p = 0.033). In CG, an association was observed only with polymorphisms IL-1RNL/2 and IL-10-592A/C (p < 0.001 for both). A combined analysis of these six polymorphisms associated with GC revealed a profile with two to four combined genotypes which confer a higher risk of gastric carcinogenesis, with an OR increased 2.95-fold to 50.4-fold, highlighting the combinations IL-1RN2/TNF-A-857T/IL-8-845C, IL-1RN2/IL-8-845C/TLR2del, IL-1RN2/IL-10-592A/TLR4 + 896G, IL-10-592A/TLR2del/ TLR4 + 896G, and IL-1RN2/TNFA-857T/IL8-845C/TLR2del. Conclusions: Our findings evidenced that the combined effect of polymorphisms in genes involved in the inflammatory process may potentiate the risk of gastric cancer, thus emphasizing the importance of evaluating multiple polymorphisms together. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Classificação de práticas de gestão de fluxo em cadeias de suprimentos: uma visão com base em sistemas puxados e empurrados

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fatores de risco para agressões por cães a pessoas

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

Dimensões e limites da supervisão acadêmica de estágio em Serviço Social

Pós-graduação em Serviço Social - FCHS

A representação da informação Arquivística: Uma Análise do discurso teórico e institucional a partir dos contextos Espanhol, Canadense e Brasileiro

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

Professores que atuam concomitantemente no setor público e privado de ensino no Estado de São Paulo: angariação de capital cultural

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Harmony Search applied for Support Vector Machines Training Optimization

Since the beginning, some pattern recognition techniques have faced the problem of high computational burden for dataset learning. Among the most widely used techniques, we may highlight Support Vector Machines (SVM), which have obtained very promising results for data classification. However, this classifier requires an expensive training phase, which is dominated by a parameter optimization that aims to make SVM less prone to errors over the training set. In this paper, we model the problem of finding such parameters as a metaheuristic-based optimization task, which is performed through Harmony Search (HS) and some of its variants. The experimental results have showen the robustness of HS-based approaches for such task in comparison against with an exhaustive (grid) search, and also a Particle Swarm Optimization-based implementation.

Variabilidade da frequência cardíaca como recurso em fisioterapia: análise de periódicos nacionais

INTRODUCTION: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) could be investigated in a noninvasive way by the heart rate variability analysis (HRV) which has contributed to several health areas such as physiotherapy. OBJECTIVE: To gather information regarding the use of HRV on physiotherapy aims at providing an update of the findings for the area on journals of national circulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The journals of national circulation classified as greater than B2 or B2 and with free access and complete texts in some internet sites were searched on 21 area WebQualis resulting on selection of Revista Brasileira de Fisioterapia, Fisioterapia e Pesquisa and Fisioterapia em Movimento using the keywords: autonomic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, physiotherapy and heart rate variability. RESULTS: The search resulted in 19 articles being 17 clinical trials and two case reports. CONCLUSION: The HRV has been used as a resource of interventions evaluation, as pathological conditions common to clinical practice investigation and to physiological conditions interpretation in physiotherapy. The HRV is principally used to the cardiorespiratory specialty of physiotherapy.

Aplicação da logística reversa como solução para gestão dos resíduos eletrônicos

The present study aimed to analyze how develops the reverse logistics process applied in electrical and electronic products. Such analysis was obtained through literature search and with the completion of a case study, which was developed at the company's Oxil Reverse Manufacture, showing the advantages obtained as well as the difficulties faced in the implementation of the reverse logistics process. The development of this research shows its importance in so far as the residues generated by electronic components, which are one of the most harmful to the environment and harmful to human health, highly possessing heavy metals and non-biodegradable materials in their composition. In this way, the components collected from this activity, should be properly recycled, reused and finally housed in suitable location, these steps that are part of the reverse logistics process

Amphibians of grasslands in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil (Campos Sulinos)

Amphibian conservation depends on knowledge about species composition and distribution. This emphasizes the need for inventories, especially in poorly sampled areas. This is the case of Southern grasslands (Campos Sulinos) associated with Araucaria forest in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil. We sampled amphibians in 105 environments from 2004 to 2013 using transect sampling, active search and surveys at breeding sites. We found 61 anuran species and two caecilians. This is the first comprehensive list of amphibian species inhabiting grasslands in Paraná. This landscape deserves high conservation priority before these natural grasslands vanish.

Resultado perinatal de gestantes submetidos à busca ativa de infecção genital

Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva - FMB

Subepithelial connective tissue graft: a case report

Introduction and objective: Marginal tissue recession represents a common condition in Periodontology. Miller's Classes I and II recessions, in which the etiological factors are well diagnosed and eliminated, show great predictability of total coverage when the technique of subepithelial connective tissue graft is used. This technique success has been mainly attributed to the double blood supply for graft's nutrition, originating from the connective tissue of both the periosteum and flap. Case report and conclusion: The authors reported a clinical case in which a Miller's Class I recession was treated by the surgical technique of subepithelial connective tissue graft, obtaining total coverage, eliminating the aesthetic deficiency and the dentin hypersensitivity complained by patient.

Transport and dynamical properties for a bouncing ball model with regular and stochastic perturbations

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