The nurse in the management of materials in teaching hospitals

OBJECTIVETo present the nurse's integration within materials management of six teaching hospitals of Paraná - Brazil, and to describe the activities performed by nurses within this process.METHODA study of a qualitative approach and descriptive nature, conducted in teaching hospitals in Paraná, between June and August of 2013. The data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews with eight nurses who worked in materials management; data were analyzed using content analysis.RESULTSThese showed that nurses perform ten categories of activities, distributed into four of the five steps of the materials management process.CONCLUSIONThe nurse, in performing of these activities, in addition to favoring the development of participative management, contributes to the organization, planning, and the standardization of the hospital supply process, giving greater credibility to the work with professionals who use the materials, and to the suppliers.

Replication of an ivg protocol to estimate bioaccessible arsenic in materials from a gold mining area in Brazil

Tests for bioaccessibility are useful in human health risk assessment. No research data with the objective of determining bioaccessible arsenic (As) in areas affected by gold mining and smelting activities have been published so far in Brazil. Samples were collected from four areas: a private natural land reserve of Cerrado; mine tailings; overburden; and refuse from gold smelting of a mining company in Paracatu, Minas Gerais. The total, bioaccessible and Mehlich-1-extractable As levels were determined. Based on the reproducibility and the accuracy/precision of the in vitro gastrointestinal (IVG) determination method of bioaccessible As in the reference material NIST 2710, it was concluded that this procedure is adequate to determine bioaccessible As in soil and tailing samples from gold mining areas in Brazil. All samples from the studied mining area contained low percentages of bioaccessible As.

Reaction of arracacha genotypes to the root soft rot caused by Pectobacterium chrysanthemi

The purpose of this paper was to screen thirty-two arracacha genotypes for their reaction to root soft rot. Twenty roots of each genotype were inoculated with two Pectobacterium chrysanthemi isolates in a randomized experiment (10 roots/isolate). After inoculation, roots were individually wrapped with PVC film and kept at 26ºC in closed plastic bags. Soft rot lesions were recorded after 36 hours and genotypes were grouped in four classes of susceptibility by cluster analysis: 10 were less susceptible, 16 intermediate, 3 susceptible and 3 very susceptible. All the tested arracacha genotypes showed only variation in the degree of susceptibility.

Erwinia chrysanthemi: pectolytic bacterium causing soft rot outbreaks of arracacha in Brazil

The objetive of this work was to identify the pectolytic bacteria associated with soft rot of arracacha roots in Brazil. From 1998 to 2001, 227 isolates of Erwinia spp. were obtained from arracacha roots and identified by biochemical and physiological tests (pectolytic activity, lecithinase, a-methyl glucoside, phosphatase, erythromycin sensivity, growth at 37ºC). Of these isolates, 89.9% were identified as E. chrysanthemi (Ech), 9.7% as E. carotovora subsp. carotovora (Ecc) and 0.5% as E. carotovora subsp. atroseptica. The identity of seventeen out of twenty representative isolates of Ech and Ecc was confirmed by PCR (primers '149f', 'L1r', 'ADE1', 'ADE2').

Cranial computed tomography findings in patients admitted to the emergency unit of Hospital Universitário Cajuru

Objective To identify and analyze the prevalence of cranial computed tomography findings in patients admitted to the emergency unit of Hospital Universitário Cajuru. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional study analyzing 200 consecutive non contrast-enhanced cranial computed tomography reports of patients admitted to the emergency unit of Hospital Universitário Cajuru. Results Alterations were observed in 76.5% of the patients. Among them, the following findings were most frequently observed: extracranial soft tissue swelling (22%), bone fracture (16.5%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (15%), nonspecific hypodensity (14.5%), paranasal sinuses opacification (11.5%), diffuse cerebral edema (10.5%), subdural hematoma (9.5%), cerebral contusion (8.5%), hydrocephalus (8%), retractable hypodensity /gliosis/ encephalomalacia (8%). Conclusion The authors recognize that the most common findings in emergency departments reported in the literature are similar to the ones described in the present study. This information is important for professionals to recognize the main changes to be identified at cranial computed tomography, and for future planning and hospital screening aiming at achieving efficiency and improvement in services.

Computed tomography findings of paracoccidiodomycosis in musculoskeletal system

Objective: To evaluate musculoskeletal involvement in paracoccidioidomycosis at computed tomography. Materials and Methods: Development of a retrospective study based on a review of radiologic and pathologic reports in the institution database. Patients with histopathologically confirmed musculoskeletal paracoccidioidomycosis and submitted to computed tomography were included in the present study. The imaging findings were consensually described by two radiologists. In order to avoid bias in the analysis, one patient with uncountable bone lesions was excluded from the study. Results: A total of seven patients were included in the present study. A total of 18 bone lesions were counted. The study group consisted of 7 patients. A total number of 18 bone lesions were counted. Osteoarticular lesions were the first manifestation of the disease in four patients (57.14%). Bone lesions were multiple in 42.85% of patients. Appendicular and axial skeleton were affected in 85.71% and 42.85% of cases, respectively. Bone involvement was characterized by well-demarcated osteolytic lesions. Marginal osteosclerosis was identified in 72.22% of the lesions, while lamellar periosteal reaction and soft tissue component were present in 5.55% of them. One patient showed multiple small lesions with bone sequestra. Conclusion: Paracoccidioidomycosis can be included in the differential diagnosis of either single or multiple osteolytic lesions in young patients even in the absence of a previous diagnosis of pulmonary or visceral paracoccidioidomycosis

Ostwald ripening in porous materials

The process of coarsening of an ensemble of clusters is investigated for the case that elastic strains due to matrix - cluster interactions change the process qualitatively as compared with dependencies established theoretically first by Lifshitz and Slezov. Such a qualitatively different behavior occurs always when the energy of elastic deformation in cluster growth increases more rapidly than linear with the volume of a cluster. Analytic solutions, for limiting cases, as well as numerical solutions, for the general case of coarsening in an ensemble of pores with a given pore size distribution, are presented. Possible applications are discussed.

The chemistry involved in the steam treatment of lignocellulosic materials

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials is essential for bioconversion because of the various physical and chemical barriers that greatly inhibit their susceptibility to bioprocesses such as hydrolysis and fermentation. The aim of this article is to review some of the most important pretreatment methods developed to date to enhance the conversion of lignocellulosics. Steam explosion, which precludes the treatment of biomass with high-pressure steam under optimal conditions, is presented as the pretreatment method of choice and its mode of action on lignocellulosics is discussed. The optimal pretreatment conditions for a given plant biomass are defined as those in which the best substrate for hydrolysis is obtained with the least amount of soluble sugars lost to side reactions such as dehydration. Therefore, pretreatment optimization results from a compromise between two opposite trends because hemicellulose recovery in acid hydrolysates can only be maximized at lower pretreatment severities, whereas the development of substrate accessibility requires more drastic pretreatment conditions in which sugar losses are inevitable. To account for this heterogeneity, the importance of several process-oriented parameters is discussed in detail, such as the pretreatment temperature, residence time into the steam reactor, use of an acid catalyst, susceptibility of the pretreated biomass to bioconversion, and process design.

Intensities of 4f-4f transitions in glass materials

In this article we review some of the basic aspects of rare earth spectroscopy applied to vitreous materials. The characteristics of the intra-atomic free ion and ligand field interactions, as well as the formalisms of the forced electric dipole and dynamic coupling mechanisms of 4f-4f intensities, are outlined. The contribution of the later mechanism to the 4f-4f intensities is critically discussed, a point that has been commonly overlooked in the literature of rare earth doped glasses. The observed correlation between the empirical intensity parameter W2 and the covalence of the ion first coordination shell is discussed accordingly to the theoretical predictions.

Arsenic mobilization from sulfidic materials from gold mines in Minas Gerais State

Acid drainage results from exposition of sulfides to the atmosphere. Arsenopyrite is a sulfide that releases arsenic (As) to the environment when oxidized. This work evaluated the As mobility in six sulfidic geomaterials from gold mining areas in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Grained samples (<2 mm) were periodically leached with distilled water, during 70 days. Results suggested As sorption onto (hydr)oxides formed by oxidation of arsenopyrite. Low pH accelerated the acid generation, dissolving Fe oxihydroxides and releasing As. Presence of carbonates decreased oxidation rates and As release. On the other hand, lime added to a partially oxidized sample increased As mobilization.

A química supramolecular de complexos pirazólicos

The purpose of this review is to describe the progress in the supramolecular chemistry of the pyrazolyl-based metal complexes. The text is written under the structural point of view, emphasizing the role of the covalent and non-covalent interactions in the rational construction of super and supramolecules.

Organização supramolecular da ftalocianina de cobalto(II) e seu efeito na oxidação do aminoácido cisteína

The interest in the chemistry of cobalt (II) tetrasulfonated phthalocyanine (PcTsCo) comes mainly from its macrocycle-ligand structure combined with their special chemical characteristics, such as high solubility, well-defined redox reactions and remarkable optical absorption in the visible region. In this work, we use layer-by-layer technique in order to assemble CoTsPc and poly(allylaminehydrochloride) (PAH) in hybrid supramolecular system. The electronic spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry techniques were utilized to study PAH/CoTsPc multilayers growth and the cysteine catalytic oxidation. PAH/CoTsPc showed high electrochemical stability and worthwhile to mention is the remarkable influence of supramolecular arrangement on the final redox properties of the system.

Hemoglobina extracelular gigante de Glossoscolex paulistus: um extraordinário sistema supramolecular hemoproteico

Giant extracellular hemoglobins are considered the summit of complexity in systems that carry oxygen, constituting an extraordinary model system to the study of hemoproteins. This class includes the hemoglobin of the annelid Glossoscolex paulistus that presents high cooperativity, great oligomeric and redox stabilities and ability of oligomeric reassociation. These properties have motivated evaluations about its utilization as prototype of artificial blood and biosensor. Kinetic studies involving autoxidation and detailed spectroscopic characterizations of its ferrous and ferric species have propitiated information about the structure-activity relationship of this macromolecule. The present review analyzes several biochemical issues, evaluating the state-of-art of this subject.

Romp as a versatile method for the obtention of differentiated polymeric materials

Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) of cyclic olefins is a powerful transition metal-catalyzed reaction for syntheses of polymers and copolymers. The key feature of this reaction is the [2+2]-cycloaddition mechanism, with retention of the olefinic unsaturation in the polymer chain and occurrence of living polymerization. With the development of metal-carbene type catalysts for this process, many addressed polymeric materials have been successfully prepared to be employed in several fields of the science and technology. This review summarizes recent examples of syntheses of polymers with amphiphilic features such as block, graft, brush or star copolymers; as well syntheses of biomaterials, dendronized architectures, photoactive polymers, cross-linked or self-healing materials, and polymers from renewed supplies.

Extração/pré-concentração de íons cobre no ponto nuvem explorando a formação de complexos com DMIT [4,5-dimercapto-1,3-ditiol-2-tionato]

The present study proposes a method for cloud point preconcentration of copper ions at pH 2.0 based on complexes formed with [4,5-dimercapto-1,3-dithyol-2-thionate] and subsequent determination by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). Under optimal analytical conditions, the method provided limits of detection of 0.84 and 0.45 µg L-1, by preconcentrating 12.0 and 24.0 mL of sample, respectively. The method was applied for copper determination in water samples, synthetic saliva, guarana powder, tea samples and soft drinks and the accuracy was assessed by analyzing the certified reference materials Dogfish Liver (DOLT-4) and Lobster Hepatopancreas (TORT-2).