Applicatiion of Almost ideal demand system for a pharmaceutical

This thesis is an application of the Almost Ideal Demand System approach of Deaton and Muellbauer,1980, for a particular pharmaceutical, Citalopram, in which GORMAN´s (1971) multi-stage budgeting approach is applied basically since it is one of the most useful approach in estimating demand for differentiated products. Citalopram is an antidepressant drug that is used in the treatment of major depression. As for most other pharmaceuticals whose the patent has expired, there exist branded and generic versions of Citalopram. This paper is aimed to define its demand system with two stage models for the branded version and five generic versions, and to show whether generic versions are able to compete with the branded version. I calculated the own price elasticities, and it made me possible to compare and make a conclusion about the consumers’ choices over the brand and generic drugs. Even though the models need for being developed with some additional variables, estimation results of models and uncompensated price elasticities indicated that the branded version has still power in the market, and generics are able to compete with lower prices. One important point that has to be taken into consideration is that the Swedish pharmaceutical market faced a reform on October 1, 2002, that aims to make consumer better informed about the price and decrease the overall expenditures for pharmaceuticals. Since there were not significantly enough generic sales to take into calculation before the reform, my paper covers sales after the reform.

Demanda por alimentos na Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre : uma aplicação do Almost Ideal Demand System

Este trabalho utilizou os dados da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF) na Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre (RMPA), realizada pelo Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas Econômicas (IEPE) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), em 1995, para estimar um sistema de demanda por alimentos. Implementou-se o Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDs), proposto por Deaton e Muellbauer. Com base nos coeficientes estimados, calcularam-se as elasticidadespreço, preço-cruzadas e renda para dez subgrupos de alimentos.

Structural characterization and in vivo evaluation of retinyl palmitate in non-ionic lamellar liquid crystalline system

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

AC Biosusceptometry as a Tool for Monitoring the Gastrointestinal Transit of Multiparticulate Drug Delivery System

Drug delivery systems based on natural polysaccharides, such as chitosan (CS) and pectin (PC), rather than on synthetic polymers, have been widely studied. Some reasons for that are low toxicity and costs and high biodegradability of the formers. A multiparticulate system based on CS and PC was developed in our laboratories, including the addition of an enteric polymer, cellulose acetate phtalate (CAP). Such improvement promoted stronger gastric and enteric resistances, as assessed in vitro, making the systems more selective to enzymatic degradation in the colon. Although in vitro dissolution tests can simulate some properties concerning the gastrointestinal transit (GT), collaborating to characterize the systems behavior in the biological fluids, frequently they do not result in satisfactory in vitro/in vivo correlations. The objective of this work was to follow in vivo the GT of the particles developed by means of AC biosusceptometry (ACB), a non-invasive and of low cost methodology. The particles containing ferrite in powder form were prepared by complex coacervation using an ideal 3:1:1 mass ratio for PC:CS:CAP. The magnetic particles were administered to healthy volunteers by oral route. The GT was monitored by using multi-sensor ACB system and the signal acquisition was performed every IS min until the colonic region was reached. By means of ACB technique, it was possible to acquiring images generated by the magnetic particles within the whole gastrointestinal tract including the colonic region. Variable particles transit times were observed among the volunteers, but without interference on the mapping of the particles until the colonic region. The particles were able to produce magnetic field strong enough to generate signals adequate for mapping the particles. The results suggest that integral particles reached the colon, after they resisted against gastric and enteric media. Studies associating transit time and in vivo drug release are in development in order to confirm the efficiency of the systems.

Simulations under Ideal and Nonideal Conditions for Characterization of a Passive Doppler Geographical Location System Using Extension of Data Reception Network

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

Carbon fiber non-crimp multi-axial reinforcement and epoxy mono-component system composite: fatigue behavior

Fiber reinforced polymer composites have been widely applied in the aeronautical field. However, composite processing, which uses unlocked molds, should be avoided in view of the tight requirements and also due to possible environmental contamination. To produce high performance structural frames meeting aeronautical reproducibility and low cost criteria, the Brazilian industry has shown interest to investigate the resin transfer molding process (RTM) considering being a closed-mold pressure injection system which allows faster gel and cure times. Due to the fibrous composite anisotropic and non homogeneity characteristics, the fatigue behavior is a complex phenomenon quite different from to metals materials crucial to be investigated considering the aeronautical application. Fatigue sub-scale specimens of intermediate modulus carbon fiber non-crimp multi-axial reinforcement and epoxy mono-component system composite were produced according to the ASTM 3039 D. Axial fatigue tests were carried out according to ASTM D 3479. A sinusoidal load of 10 Hz frequency and load ratio R = 0.1. It was observed a high fatigue interval obtained for NCF/RTM6 composites. Weibull statistical analysis was applied to describe the failure probability of materials under cyclic loads and fractures pattern was observed by scanning electron microscopy. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Undoped and calcium doped borate glass system for thermoluminescent dosimeter

Borate glasses present an absorption coefficient very close to that of human tissue. This fact makes some borates ideal materials to develop medical and environmental dosimeters. Glass compositions with calcium tetraborate (CaB4O7) and calcium metaborate (CaB2O4), such as the xCaB(4)O(7) - (100-x)CaB2O4 System (0 <= x <= 100 wt%) were obtained by the traditional melting/quenching method. A phenomenon widely known as the 'boron anomaly' was observed in our thermal analysis measurements, as indicated by the increase of T, and the appearance of a maximum value in the composition with 40 wt% of CaB2O4. The Dy doped and Li co-doped 80CaB(4)O(7)-20CaB(2)O(4) (Wt%) glass samples were studied by the thermoluminescence technique. The addition of Dy improved the signal sensitivity in about three times with respect to the undoped glass sample. The addition of Li as a co-dopant in this glass caused a shift to a lower temperature of about 20 degrees C in the main glow peak. The structural analysis of the 80CaB(4)O(7)-20CaB(2)O(4) (wt%) undoped and doped samples were studied through infrared absorption. We have noted an increase in the coordination number of the boron atoms from 3 to 4, i.e., the conversion of the BO3 triangular structural units into BO4 tetrahedra. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bottom-up and top-down effects in a pre-dispersal seed predation system: are non-predated seeds damaged?

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

Cyclin D1 gene polymorphism as a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive system in non-alcoholics

Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) is associated with environmental factors, especially tobacco and alcohol consumption. Genetic factors, including cyclin D1 (CCND1) polymorphism have been suggested to play an important rote in tumorigenesis and progression of UADT cancer. To investigate the relationship between CCND1 polymorphism on susceptibility for UADT cancers, 147 cancer and 135 non-cancer subjects were included in this study. CCND1 genotype at codon 242(G870A) in exon 4 was undertaken using denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) and DNA sequencing. Significant odds ratio (OR) of the AA + GA genotypes [OR = 7.5 (95% Cl: 1.4-39.7)] was observed in non-drinkers but for non-smokers a non-significant [OR = 5.4 (95% Cl: 0.9-31.4)] was found in the adjusted model. These results suggest that allele A may be a risk factor for UADT cancer, especially in non-alcoholics. However, further epidemiological studies are needed to establish the exact role of CCND1 polymorphism and the development of UADT cancers. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A note about the appearance of non-hyperbolic solutions in a mechanical pendulum system

The investigation of the behavior of a nonlinear system consists in the analysis of different stages of its motion, where the complexity varies with the proximity of a resonance region. Near this region the stability domain of the system undergoes sudden changes due basically to competition and interaction between periodic and saddle solutions inside the phase portrait, leading to the occurrence of the most different phenomena. Depending of the domain of the chosen control parameter, these events can reveal interesting geometric features of the system so that the phase portrait is not capable to express all them, since the projection of these solutions on the two-dimensional surface can hide some aspects of these events. In this work we will investigate the numerical solutions of a particular pendulum system close to a secondary resonance region, where we vary the control parameter in a restrict domain in order to draw a preliminary identification about what happens with this system. This domain includes the appearance of non-hyperbolic solutions where the basin of attraction in the center of the phase portrait diminishes considerably, almost disappearing, and afterwards its size increases with the direction of motion inverted. This phenomenon delimits a boundary between low and high frequency of the external excitation.

Characterization of micro-bubble size distribution and flow configuration in DAF contact zone by a non-intrusive image analysis system and tracer tests

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

Nonlinear Dynamics and Control of an Ideal/Nonideal Load Transportation System With Periodic Coefficients

In this paper, a loads transportation system in platforms or suspended by cables is considered. It is a monorail device and is modeled as an inverted pendulum built on a car driven by a dc motor the governing equations of motion were derived via Lagrange's equations. In the mathematical model we consider the interaction between the dc motor and the dynamical system, that is, we have a so called nonideal periodic problem. The problem is analyzed, qualitatively, through the comparison of the stability diagrams, numerically obtained, for several motor torque constants. Furthermore, we also analyze the problem quantitatively using the Floquet multipliers technique. Finally, we devise a control for the studied nonideal problem. The method that was used for analysis and control of this nonideal periodic system is based on the Chebyshev polynomial exponsion, the Picard iterative method, and the Lyapunov-Floquet transformation (L-F transformation). We call it Sinha's theory.

Non-Ohmic and dielectric properties of a Ca2Cu2Ti4O12 polycrystalline system

An investigation was made into the non-Ohmic and dielectric properties of a Ca2Cu2Ti4O12 perovskite-type system. Compared to the traditional CaCu3Ti4O12-based composition, the imbalance between the Ca and Cu atoms caused the formation of a polycrystalline system presenting similar to 33.3 mol % of CaCu3Ti4O12 (traditional composition) and similar to 66.7 mol % of CaTiO3. As for non-Ohmic properties, the effect of this Ca and Cu atom imbalance was that a nonlinear electric behavior of similar to 1500 was obtained. This high nonlinear electrical behavior emerged in detriment to the ultrahigh dielectric property frequently reported. The high non-Ohmic property was explained by the existence of Schottky-type barriers, whose formation mechanism may be similar to that proposed for traditional metal oxide non-Ohmic devices, according to similarities discussed herein. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Critical exponents for a transition from integrability to non-integrability via localization of invariant tori in the Hamiltonian system

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)