Estimating the average length of hospitalization due to pneumonia: a fuzzy approach

Exposure to air pollutants is associated with hospitalizations due to pneumonia in children. We hypothesized the length of hospitalization due to pneumonia may be dependent on air pollutant concentrations. Therefore, we built a computational model using fuzzy logic tools to predict the mean time of hospitalization due to pneumonia in children living in São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil. The model was built with four inputs related to pollutant concentrations and effective temperature, and the output was related to the mean length of hospitalization. Each input had two membership functions and the output had four membership functions, generating 16 rules. The model was validated against real data, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate model performance. The values predicted by the model were significantly correlated with real data. Sulfur dioxide and particulate matter significantly predicted the mean length of hospitalization in lags 0, 1, and 2. This model can contribute to the care provided to children with pneumonia.

Vastuullisuuden huomioiminen yritysostojen ja fuusioiden due diligence -tarkasteluissa: Yritysvastuu instituutiona suomalaisissa pörssiyrityksissä

Suomalaisten yritysten vastuullisuudella on pitkät perinteet, mutta vasta viime vuosina se on kehittynyt monialaiseksi ja kattavaksi osaksi yritysten kaikkea toimintaa. Ihannetilanteessa vastuullisuus on osa myös yritysten kasvun tavoittelua erilaisissa laajenemisstrategioissa kuten yritysostoissa ja fuusioissa. Yritysten kasvua koskevat teoriat yleisesti ennustavat yritysostojen ja fuusioiden tuovan synergioita, mutta silti suurin osa yritysten sulautumisista epäonnistuu. Tässä pro gradu -tutkielmassa tutkitaan kvantitatiivisin menetelmin, voisiko vastuullisuuden huomiotta jättäminen due diligence -tarkasteluissa, ja täten mahdolliset yhteensopimattomuudet yritysvastuun hoidossa ja tasossa, olla syy yritysostojen ja fuusioiden epäonnistumisiin. Tutkielman tarkoituksena on myös muodostaa käsitys vastuullisuudesta suomalaisena instituutiona. Tutkimusongelmat johdettiin institutionaalista talousmaantiedettä, vastuullista liiketoimintaa sekä yritysostoja ja fuusioita tarkastelevien tieteenalojen teorioista ja aiemmasta tutkimuksesta. Aineisto kerättiin 18.3.–27.3.2015 sähköpostitse lähetetyllä Webropol-kyselyllä suomalaisten pörssiyhtiöiden yritysvastuun asiantuntijoilta. Vastausprosentiksi muodostui 24,6 %. Tämän vuoksi saatu aineisto analysoitiin pääasiassa kuvailevin menetelmin SPSS-tilasto-ohjelmalla sekä Excel-taulukkolaskentaohjelmalla. Tutkimus antoi suuntaa-antavan käsityksen siitä, miten due diligence -tarkasteluita ja etenkin vastuullisuusasioita hoidetaan tällä hetkellä suomalaisissa pörssiyrityksissä. Selkeitä tuloksia siitä, että vastuullisuuden osa-alueiden huomiotta jättäminen due diligence -tarkasteluissa johtaisi yritysoston tai fuusion epäonnistumiseen, ei vielä tällä tutkimuksella saatu. Yllättävintä tuloksissa oli, että kaikkien vastanneiden yrityksissä olivat yritysostot ja fuusiot sujuneet tilastojen vastaisesti hyvin. Onkin kiinnostavaa, että vastuullisuuden osa-alueiden vastattiin olevan jo nyt osa due diligence -tarkasteluita osassa yrityksiä, ja kaikkien vastaajien mielestä näin pitäisi aina olla. Tulosten perusteella vastuullisuus onkin yksi suomalaisiin pörssiyrityksiin vaikuttavista instituutioista. Tämä tukee institutionalisoitumisen tutkimuksen koulukuntaa, jonka mukaan käytännöt ja arvot voivat kehittyä säännönmukaisuuksiksi agenttien toimesta. Vastaajien yhtenevien mielipiteiden vuoksi voidaankin olettaa, että vastuullisuuden huomiointi yritysostojen ja fuusioiden yhteydessä yleistyy tulevaisuudessa. Lisätutkimusta kuitenkin tarvitaan tämän tutkimuksen tulosten varmistamiseksi ja yleistettävyyden selvittämiseksi.

Changes in guava (Psidium guajava L. var. Paluma) nectar volatile compounds concentration due to thermal processing and storage

Guava nectars were formulated for approximately 10, 12, or 14 ºBrix, with 40% guava pulp. Sodium benzoate, 500 mg.kg-1 was used as preservative. The Brix value was adjusted with saturated sucrose syrup. The guava nectar was pasteurized (85 ºC/42 seconds) in tubular heat exchanger and then hot filled in 500 mL white glass bottles. The products were stored either at room temperature (25 ± 5 ºC) or refrigerated (5 ± 2 ºC) under fluorescent light exposure and analyzed on the day after processing (time zero) and also 40, 80, and 120 days of storage. Eight compounds were identified and quantified by Gas Chromatography (GC) -Mass Spectrometry (MS): hexanal, (E)-hex-2-enal, 1-hexenol, (Z)-hex-3-enol, (Z)-hex-3-enyl acetate, phenyl-3-propyl acetate, cinnamyl acetate, and acetic acid. There was no significant effect of thermal treatment on the volatile compound concentrations, except for a significant decrease (p = 0.0001) in hexanal and (Z)-hex-3-enyl acetate (p = 0.0029). As for the storage time, there was a much greater decrease in the esters contents, such as (Z)-hex-3-enyl and phenyl-3-propyl acetates. Cinnamyl acetate had the greatest decrease over storage time. Refrigeration was better than room temperature for guava nectar volatile compounds stability over storage time, mainly for esters compounds, which are important for the product aroma and flavor

Effect of pre and post-slaughter processes on meat characteristics of Santa Ines ewes discarded due to age

The effects of body condition recovery (BC), carcass electrical stimulation (ES), aging time (AT 7 - 14 days), and calcium chloride injection on the meat characteristics of Santa Inês ewes (±5 years old) slaughtered immediately after weaning or after the body condition recovery period were studied. The carcass temperature, pH, shear force (SF), cooking loss (CL), meat color (L*, a*, b*), and meat tenderness were evaluated. A completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 × 2 × 3 (BC × ES × CaCl2 × AT) factorial arrangement was used, and the sensory tenderness data were analyzed using the table of Minimum Number of Correct Answers for the Duo-Trio test. The body condition recovery reduces the shear force in 8%, increasing their tenderness. Electrical stimulation reduced the shear force (24%) and did not change the other parameters. The aging time (7 or 14 days) decreased the shear force (18-26%), effect that was enhanced by electrical stimulation, and it darkened the meat reducing lightness (L*) and increasing yellowness (b*). The treatment with CaCl2 was the most effective in tenderizing meat by reducing the shear force ( 35%); increasing the cooking loss (4.5%); and increasing L* and b* lightening the meat. The sensory evaluation of tenderness corroborates the findings of the experimental evaluation regarding the effect of the treatment with CaCl2 on the meat quality improvement. It was concluded that the treatments improve meat characteristics achieving better results when applied together.

Five years results after intrafamilial kidney post-transplant in a case of familial hypomagnesemia due to a claudin-19 mutation

Introduction: Familial Hypomagnesaemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis, with severe ocular impairment secondary to claudin-19 mutation, is a rare recessive autossomic disorder. Its spectrum includes renal Mg2+ wasting, medullary nephrocalcinosis and progressive chronic renal failure in young people. Objective: To report a case of kidney transplantation father to daughter in a familial occurrence of severe bilateral nephrocalcinosis associated with ocular impairment in a non-consanguineous Brazilian family, in which two daughters had nephrocalcinosis and severe retinopathy. Methods: The index case, a 19 years-old female, had long-lasting past medical history of recurrent urinary tract infections, and the abdominal X-ray revealed bilateral multiple renal calcifications as well as ureteral lithiasis, and she was under haemodialysis. She had the diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa in the early neonatal period. The other daughter (13 years-old) had also nephrocalcinosis with preserved kidney function, retinopathy with severe visual impairment, and in addition, she exhibited hypomagnesaemia = 0.5 mg/dL and hypercalciuria. The other family members (mother, father and son) had no clinical disease manifestation. Mutation analysis at claudin-19 revealed two heterozygous missense mutations (P28L and G20D) in both affected daughters. The other family members exhibited mutant monoallelic status. In despite of that, the index case underwent intrafamilial living donor kidney transplantation (father). Conclusion: In conclusion, the disease was characterized by an autosomal recessive compound heterozygous status and, after five years of donation the renal graft function remained stable without recurrence of metabolic disturbances or nephrocalcinosis. Besides, donor single kidney Mg2+ and Ca2+ homeostasis associated to monoallelic status did not affect the safety and the usual living donor post-transplant clinical course.

Arrêt du grand conseil concernant les abbayes du royaume (qui condamne Denis Coignet, curé de St-Roch à Paris et prieur de Saint-Julien de Courcelles, à payer à Franç. des Bertrons de Crillon, évêque de Vienne, 29 années d'arrérages de la cense par lui due audit des Bertrons, en sa qualité d'abbé de St-Florent-lez-Saumur dont relève ledit prieuré de Saint-Julien.)

[Acte. 1719-03-04. Paris]