Trends and patterns of exclusive breastfeeding for under-6-month-old children

Objective: To study the trends and patterns of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for under-6-month-old infants in the city of Bauru, southeastern Brazil.Methods: We compared data from three cross-sectional surveys, using similar methodologies, which were part of a project for monitoring breastfeeding indicators in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The sample included infants aged 0 to 6 months who attended one of the two rounds of the nationwide infant vaccination campaign in 1999, 2003 and 2006 (respectively: 496, 674 and 509 infants). Descriptive statistics were used to compare the prevalence of EBF according to age (in months) and group of children under 6 months of age. Differences in prevalence were expressed as percentage-points and submitted to statistical analysis (Pearson's chi-square and tendency), and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Factors associated with EBF interruption in 2006 were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: An increase in the prevalence of EBF was observed in under-6-month-old infants: 1999-2003, increase of 9.1 percentage-points; 2003-2006, increase of 6.6 percentage-points, resulting in an annual increase rate of 2.3 percentage-points for the first period and 2.2 percentage-points for the second period. Significant inverse association was observed between EBF and the use of pacifiers (prevalence ratio = 2.03; 95% confidence interval 1.44-2.84).Conclusion: EBF prevalence in under-6-month-old infants in the city of Bauru, southeastern Brazil, increased almost threefold over the period studied, from 8.5% in 1999 to 24.2% in 2006, a total increase of 184.7%. The use of pacifiers was the only factor strongly associated with the interruption of EBF.

Modeling grouped survival data with time-dependent covariates

In this article, proportional hazards and logistic models for grouped survival data were extended to incorporate time-dependent covariates. The extension was motivated by a forestry experiment designed to compare five different water stresses in Eucalyptus grandis seedlings. The response was the seedling lifetime. The data set was grouped since there were just three occasions in which the seedlings was visited by the researcher. In each of these occasions also the shoot height was measured and therefore it is a time-dependent covariate. Both extended models were used in this example, and the results were very similar.

Modeling hourly and daily fractions of UV, PAR and NIR to global solar radiation under various sky conditions at Botucatu, Brazil

In this analysis, using available hourly and daily radiometric data performed at Botucatu, Brazil, several empirical models relating ultraviolet (UV), photosynthetically active (PAR) and near infrared (NIR) solar global components with solar global radiation (G) are established. These models are developed and discussed through clearness index K(T) (ratio of the global-to-extraterrestrial solar radiation). Results obtained reveal that the proposed empirical models predict hourly and daily values accurately. Finally. the overall analysis carried Out demonstrates that the sky conditions are more important in developing correlation models between the UV component and the global solar radiation. The linear regression models derived to estimate PAR and NIR components may be obtained without sky condition considerations within a maximum variation of 8%. In the case of UV, not taking into consideration the sky condition may cause a discrepancy of up to 18% for hourly values and 15% for daily values. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hyaluronidase from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista (Hymenoptera, Vespidae): Cloning, structural modeling, purification, and immunological analysis

In this study, we describe the cDNA cloning, sequencing, and 3-D structure of the allergen hyaluronidase from Polybia paulista venom (Pp-Hyal). Using a proteomic approach, the native form of Pp-Hyal was purified to homogeneity and used to produce a Pp-specific polyclonal antibody. The results revealed that Pp-Hyal can be classified as a glycosyl hydrolase and that the full-length Pp-Hyal cDNA (1315 bp; GI: 302201582) is similar (80-90%) to hyaluronidase from the venoms of endemic Northern wasp species. The isolated mature protein is comprised of 338 amino acids, with a theoretical pI of 8.77 and a molecular mass of 39,648.8 Da versus a pI of 8.13 and 43,277.0 Da indicated by MS. The Pp-Hyal 3D-structural model revealed a central core (α/β)7 barrel, two sulfide bonds (Cys 19-308 and Cys 185-197), and three putative glycosylation sites (Asn79, Asn187, and Asn325), two of which are also found in the rVes v 2 protein. Based on the model, residues Ser299, Asp107, and Glu109 interact with the substrate and potential epitopes (five conformational and seven linear) located at surface-exposed regions of the structure. Purified native Pp-Hyal showed high similarity (97%) with hyaluronidase from Polistes annularis venom (Q9U6V9). Immunoblotting analysis confirmed the specificity of the Pp-Hyal-specific antibody as it recognized the Pp-Hyal protein in both the purified fraction and P. paulista crude venom. No reaction was observed with the venoms of Apis mellifera, Solenopsis invicta, Agelaia pallipes pallipes, and Polistes lanio lanio, with the exception of immune cross-reactivity with venoms of the genus Polybia (sericea and ignobilis). Our results demonstrate cross-reactivity only between wasp venoms from the genus Polybia. The absence of cross-reactivity between the venoms of wasps and bees observed here is important because it allows identification of the insect responsible for sensitization, or at least of the phylogenetically closest insect, in order to facilitate effective immunotherapy in allergic patients. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

EthoSeq: A tool for phylogenetic analysis and data mining in behavioral sequences

This article introduces the software program called EthoSeq, which is designed to extract probabilistic behavioral sequences (tree-generated sequences, or TGSs) from observational data and to prepare a TGS-species matrix for phylogenetic analysis. The program uses Graph Theory algorithms to automatically detect behavioral patterns within the observational sessions. It includes filtering tools to adjust the search procedure to user-specified statistical needs. Preliminary analyses of data sets, such as grooming sequences in birds and foraging tactics in spiders, uncover a large number of TGSs which together yield single phylogenetic trees. An example of the use of the program is our analysis of felid grooming sequences, in which we have obtained 1,386 felid grooming TGSs for seven species, resulting in a single phylogeny. These results show that behavior is definitely useful in phylogenetic analysis. EthoSeq simplifies and automates such analyses, uncovers much of the hidden patterns of long behavioral sequences, and prepares this data for further analysis with standard phylogenetic programs. We hope it will encourage many empirical studies on the evolution of behavior.

Usage of enterprise modeling processes and information systems design to forecast demand

Managing the great complexity of enterprise system, due to entities numbers, decision and process varieties involved to be controlled results in a very hard task because deals with the integration of its operations and its information systems. Moreover, the enterprises find themselves in a constant changing process, reacting in a dynamic and competitive environment where their business processes are constantly altered. The transformation of business processes into models allows to analyze and redefine them. Through computing tools usage it is possible to minimize the cost and risks of an enterprise integration design. This article claims for the necessity of modeling the processes in order to define more precisely the enterprise business requirements and the adequate usage of the modeling methodologies. Following these patterns, the paper concerns the process modeling relative to the domain of demand forecasting as a practical example. The domain of demand forecasting was built based on a theoretical review. The resulting models considered as reference model are transformed into information systems and have the aim to introduce a generic solution and be start point of better practical forecasting. The proposal is to promote the adequacy of the information system to the real needs of an enterprise in order to enable it to obtain and accompany better results, minimizing design errors, time, money and effort. The enterprise processes modeling are obtained with the usage of CIMOSA language and to the support information system it was used the UML language.

Comparative studies of the sample decomposition of green and roasted coffee for determination of nutrients and data exploratory analysis

The contents of some nutrients in 35 Brazilian green and roasted coffee samples were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn), flame atomic emission photometry (Na and K) and Kjeldahl (N) after preparing the samples by wet digestion procedures using i) a digester heating block and ii) a conventional microwave oven system with pressure and temperature control. The accuracy of the procedures was checked using three standard reference materials (National Institute of Standards and Technology, SRM 1573a Tomato Leaves, SRM 1547 Peach Leaves, SRM 1570a Trace Elements in Spinach). Analysis of data after application of t-test showed that results obtained by microwave-assisted digestion were more accurate than those obtained by block digester at 95% confidence level. Additionally to better accuracy, other favorable characteristics found were lower analytical blanks, lower reagent consumption, and shorter digestion time. Exploratory analysis of results using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) showed that Na, K, Ca, Cu, Mg, and Fe were the principal elements to discriminate between green and roasted coffee samples. ©2007 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

The Brazilian Seismographic Integrated Systems (BRASIS): Infrastructure and data management

In geophysics and seismology, raw data need to be processed to generate useful information that can be turned into knowledge by researchers. The number of sensors that are acquiring raw data is increasing rapidly. Without good data management systems, more time can be spent in querying and preparing datasets for analyses than in acquiring raw data. Also, a lot of good quality data acquired at great effort can be lost forever if they are not correctly stored. Local and international cooperation will probably be reduced, and a lot of data will never become scientific knowledge. For this reason, the Seismological Laboratory of the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of São Paulo (IAG-USP) has concentrated fully on its data management system. This report describes the efforts of the IAG-USP to set up a seismology data management system to facilitate local and international cooperation. © 2011 by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. All rights reserved.

Research on photovoltaics: Review, trends and perspectives

This paper presents a briefly review, some trends and perspectives in the field of Photovoltaic energy conversion, which is considered to be the most important renewable energy source in few years, in the coming decades. The power electronics plays a fundamental role in this process, developing systems each times more competitive, efficient, reliable, and also reducing costs and reducing the payback time. Some trends are visible, which are the use of Silicon Carbide devices in PV inverters, the use of integrated inverter structures, the integration of power converters into the PV module or the use of few PV series connection, the development of thinner and more efficient solar cells. Moreover, the discussion about the necessity of MPPT and anti-island schemes are presented, mainly considering the expected growth of grid-tied applications. © 2011 IEEE.

Human development and data envelopment analysis: a structured literature review

Given the importance the concept of productive efficiency has on analyzing the human development process, which is complex and multidimensional, this study conducts a literature review on the research works that have used the data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure and analyze the development process. Therefore, we researched the databases of Scopus and Web of Science, and considered the following analysis dimensions: bibliometrics, scope, DEA models and extensions used, interfaces with other techniques, units analyzed and depth of analysis. In addition to a brief summary, the main gaps in each analysis dimension were assessed, which may serve to guide future researches. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling architecture and reference models for the ERF5 project

The adoption of ERPs systems by small and middle-sized companies may not be possible due to their cost. At the same time, when adapting ERP to the company's particular needs, the user keeps depending on the system's sellers due to the lack of access and knowledge of the respective code. Free and open-source software may promote advantages to the enterprises, however, for its adoption it is necessary the development of techniques and tools in order to facilitate its deployment and code maintenance. This article emphasizes the importance of defining modeling architectures and reference models for the development and maintenance of open-source ERPs, in special the ERP5 project.

Historical biogeography and conservation of the golden-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica) in northwestern Iberia: integrating ecological, phenotypic and phylogeographic data

The golden-striped salamander (Chioglossa lusitanica) is an endemic species inhabiting stream-side habitats in mountainous areas in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. This salamandrid is listed in the IUCN Red Data Book as a threatened species. The combination of bioclimatic modeling of the species distribution and multivariate analysis of genetic and phenotypic data strengthens previous hypotheses concerning the historical biogeography of C. lusitanica: the Pleistocene subdivision of the species' range and a process of postglacial recolonization. Discrepancies between bioclimatic modeling predictions and the present-day distribution suggest that the species may still be expanding its range northwards. We propose the identification of two distinct units for the conservation of the species and suggest that this information should be taken into account in defining key areas for conservation in the Iberian Peninsula.

Data information system to promote the organization data of collections - modeling considerations by the Unified Modelign Language (UML)

Pode-se afirmar que a evolução tecnológica (desenvolvimento de novos instrumentos de medição como, softwares, satélites e computadores, bem como, o barateamento das mídias de armazenamento) permite às Organizações produzirem e adquirirem grande quantidade de dados em curto espaço de tempo. Devido ao volume de dados, Organizações de pesquisa se tornam potencialmente vulneráveis aos impactos da explosão de informações. Uma solução adotada por algumas Organizações é a utilização de ferramentas de sistemas de informação para auxiliar na documentação, recuperação e análise dos dados. No âmbito científico, essas ferramentas são desenvolvidas para armazenar diferentes padrões de metadados (dados sobre dados). Durante o processo de desenvolvimento destas ferramentas, destaca-se a adoção de padrões como a Linguagem Unificada de Modelagem (UML, do Inglês Unified Modeling Language), cujos diagramas auxiliam na modelagem de diferentes aspectos do software. O objetivo deste estudo é apresentar uma ferramenta de sistemas de informação para auxiliar na documentação dos dados das Organizações por meio de metadados e destacar o processo de modelagem de software, por meio da UML. Será abordado o Padrão de Metadados Digitais Geoespaciais, amplamente utilizado na catalogação de dados por Organizações científicas de todo mundo, e os diagramas dinâmicos e estáticos da UML como casos de uso, sequências e classes. O desenvolvimento das ferramentas de sistemas de informação pode ser uma forma de promover a organização e a divulgação de dados científicos. No entanto, o processo de modelagem requer especial atenção para o desenvolvimento de interfaces que estimularão o uso das ferramentas de sistemas de informação.

Small-angle X-ray scattering and structural modeling of full-length: Cellobiohydrolase I from Trichoderma harzianum

Cellobiohydrolases hydrolyze cellulose releasing cellobiose units. They are very important for a number of biotechnological applications, such as, for example, production of cellulosic ethanol and cotton fiber processing. The Trichoderma cellobiohydrolase I (CBH1 or Cel7A) is an industrially important exocellulase. It exhibits a typical two domain architecture, with a small C-terminal cellulose-binding domain and a large N-terminal catalytic core domain, connected by an O-glycosylated linker peptide. The mechanism by which the linker mediates the concerted action of the two domains remains a conundrum. Here, we probe the protein shape and domain organization of the CBH1 of Trichoderma harzianum (ThCel7A) by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and structural modeling. Our SAXS data shows that ThCel7A linker is partially-extended in solution. Structural modeling suggests that this linker conformation is stabilized by inter- and intra-molecular interactions involving the linker peptide and its O-glycosylations. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.