Sobreuso de analgésicos en pacientes con cefaleas primarias de un centro de referencia de Medellín

Introducción: Los pacientes con cefaleas primarias están predispuestos a desarrollar una cefalea secundaria al consumo excesivo de analgésicos. En nuestro medio, la adquisición fácil de medicamentos sin fórmula médica incrementa su frecuencia de presentación. Objetivo: Describir el perfil epidemiológico, clínico y de tratamiento de los pacientes con cefaleas primarias y cefalea secundaria por sobreuso de analgésicos atendidos en el programa especial de cefaleas del Instituto Neurológico de Colombia en el periodo 2014-2015. Pacientes y métodos: estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo. Se evaluaron características de la cefalea, comorbilidades, discapacidad y patrón de consumo de medicamentos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 834 pacientes con diagnóstico de cefalea por sobreuso de analgésicos, 85.1% con migraña crónica. El 87.6% de los pacientes eran mujeres y tenían 44 años en promedio. La mitad de los pacientes tomaba analgésicos todos los días de la semana (P25-P75: 4 – 7 días); consumiendo, en promedio, tres analgésicos/día (DE: 1.9). La mayoría de pacientes presentaba un consumo elevado de analgésicos simples (95.2%), AINES (92.2%) y analgésicos combinados (89.2%); 51% consumían opiodes y sólo 14.6% consumían triptanes. Conclusión: La identificación de esta cefalea secundaria es de vital importancia para un tratamiento adecuado. El uso medicamentos de libre venta afecta el manejo óptimo de esta entidad asociada a las cefaleas primarias, principalmente la migraña.

Combination of product quality management and exports: The case of Colombian fruits companies

Quality management provides to companies a framework to improve quality in overall systems, reduction of costs, reallocation of resources efficiently, correct planning of strategies, prevent or correct errors in the right time and increase the performance of companies. In this text, we discuss the different theories in this field, their obligatory or non-obligatory compliance, the importance of quality management for exporting companies and a case study of a Colombian firm that its main objective is to manage quality. In conclusion, we find out that there is different types of quality management systems such as Juran’s trilogy, Deming 14 points, Six sigma, HACCP, and so on; also that companies have to manage suppliers and that quality has a positive influence on exports volume; in the case of Colombian small and medium enterprises, it can be mentioned that the majority has implemented tools regarding quality management but is not enough.

Dalla genesi alla liquidazione degli ELTIF. Un nuovo e "instabile" tassello nella composita disciplina della gestione collettiva del risparmio

La presente trattazione concerne gli European long-term investment fund, disciplinati dal regolamento UE 2015/760 del 29 aprile 2015, meglio noti come ELTIF, di cui si è inteso indagare i molteplici aspetti che attengono all’operatività degli stessi, dalla genesi sino alla fase della liquidazione. Trattandosi di uno dei più recenti tasselli della composita disciplina europea del risparmio gestito, si è ritenuto opportuno anzitutto prendere le mosse dall’evoluzione della regolamentazione, domestica e comunitaria, della gestione collettiva del risparmio, la quale rappresenta la “cornice” normativa di riferimento entro cui si colloca il veicolo in discorso. Definito il percorso evolutivo della disciplina de qua, si è posta quindi l’attenzione sulla regolamentazione degli ELTIF che, pur migliorabile sotto diversi profili, rappresenta un significativo passo in avanti nel senso della costruzione dell’Unione dei mercati di capitali e del rilancio dell’economia europea. In particolare, l’indagine ha riguardato anzitutto i connotati della nuova fattispecie (carattere europeo, orizzonte temporale di lungo periodo, illiquidità). L’analisi dei tratti fisiognomici è stata funzionale non solo a verificare se essi, nella loro peculiarità, siano o meno idonei a definire un tipo a sé stante di prodotto, ma altresì a valutare in che termini essi producano un effetto conformativo sulla disciplina del prodotto stesso, specie con riferimento alla fase dell’investimento e del disinvestimento. Con l’intento di vagliare l’opportunità di interventi sul dato normativo che mirino ad accrescere l’attrattività degli ELTIF, si è volta quindi l’attenzione alla fase finale della vita del fondo, in quanto l’esiguità della disciplina dettata con riferimento alla liquidazione si espone ad applicazioni dubbie che, in larga parte, lasciano spazio all’autonomia regolamentare del prodotto e, dunque, all’applicazione di discipline nazionali disomogenee; e ciò specie con riferimento a una peculiare ipotesi di liquidazione promossa dagli investitori in conseguenza del mancato soddisfacimento della richiesta di rimborso avanzata.

Deployment of a data analysis workflow of the ATLAS experiment on HPC systems

LHC experiments produce an enormous amount of data, estimated of the order of a few PetaBytes per year. Data management takes place using the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) grid infrastructure, both for storage and processing operations. However, in recent years, many more resources are available on High Performance Computing (HPC) farms, which generally have many computing nodes with a high number of processors. Large collaborations are working to use these resources in the most efficient way, compatibly with the constraints imposed by computing models (data distributed on the Grid, authentication, software dependencies, etc.). The aim of this thesis project is to develop a software framework that allows users to process a typical data analysis workflow of the ATLAS experiment on HPC systems. The developed analysis framework shall be deployed on the computing resources of the Open Physics Hub project and on the CINECA Marconi100 cluster, in view of the switch-on of the Leonardo supercomputer, foreseen in 2023.

Effect of grassland management on soil carbon sequestration in Rondonia and Mato Grosso states, Brazil

Grassland management affects soil organic carbon (SOC) content and a variety of management options have been proposed to sequester carbon. However, studies conducted in Brazilian pastures have shown divergent responses for the SOC depending on management practices. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of management on SOC stocks in grasslands of the Brazilian states of Rondonia and Mato Grosso, and to derive region-specific factors for soil C stock change associated with different management conditions. Compared to SOC stocks in native vegetation, degraded grassland management decreased SOC by a factor of 0.91 +/- 0.14, nominal grassland management reduced SOC stock for Oxisols by a relatively small factor of 0.99 +/- 0.08, whereas, SOC storage increased by a factor of 1.24 +/- 0.07 with nominal management for other soil types. Improved grassland management on Oxisols increased SOC storage by 1.19 +/- 0.07, relative to native stocks, but there were insufficient data to evaluate the impact of improved grassland management for other soil types. Using these results, we also evaluated the potential for grassland management to sequester or emit C to the atmosphere, and found that degraded grassland management decreased stocks by about 0.27-0.28 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1); nominal management on Oxisols decreased C at a rate of 0.03 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), while nominal management on others soil types and improved management on Oxisols increased stocks by 0.72 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) and 0.61 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. Therefore, when well managed or improved, grasslands in Rondonia and Mato Grosso states have the potential to sequester C. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling soil organic carbon dynamics in Oxisols of Ibiruba (Brazil) with the Century Model

introduction of conservation practices in degraded agricultural land will generally recuperate soil quality, especially by increasing soil organic matter. This aspect of soil organic C (SOC) dynamics under distinct cropping and management systems can be conveniently analyzed with ecosystem models such as the Century Model. In this study, Century was used to simulate SOC stocks in farm fields of the Ibiruba region of north central Rio Grande do Sul state in Southern Brazil. The region, where soils are predominantly Oxisols, was originally covered with subtropical woodlands and grasslands. SOC dynamics was simulated with a general scenario developed with historical data on soil management and cropping systems beginning with the onset of agriculture in 1900. From 1993 to 2050, two contrasting scenarios based on no-tillage soil management were established: the status quo scenario, with crops and agricultural inputs as currently practiced in the region and the high biomass scenario with increased frequency of corn in the cropping system, resulting in about 80% higher biomass addition to soils. Century simulations were in close agreement with SOC stocks measured in 2005 in the Oxisols with finer texture surface horizon originally under woodlands. However, simulations in the Oxisols with loamy surface horizon under woodlands and in the grassland soils were not as accurate. SOC stock decreased from 44% to 50% in fields originally under woodland and from 20% to 27% in fields under grasslands with the introduction of intensive annual grain crops with intensive tillage and harrowing operations. The adoption of conservation practices in the 1980s led to a stabilization of SOC stocks followed by a partial recovery of native stocks. Simulations to 2050 indicate that maintaining status quo would allow SOC stocks to recover from 81% to 86% of the native stocks under woodland and from 80% to 91 % of the native stocks under grasslands. Adoption of a high biomass scenario would result in stocks from 75% to 95% of the original stocks under woodlands and from 89% to 102% in the grasslands by 2050. These simulations outcomes underline the importance of cropping system yielding higher biomass to further increase SOC content in these Oxisols. This application of the Century Model could reproduce general trends of SOC loss and recovery in the Oxisols of the Ibiruba region. Additional calibration and validation should be conducted before extensive usage of Century as a support tool for soil carbon sequestration projects in this and other regions can be recommended. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isobutyl amides - potent compounds for controlling Diatraea saccharalis

BACKGROUND: A dichloromethane-methanol extract of the seeds of Piper tuberculatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) and two isobutyl amides, 4,5-dihydropiperlonguminine (1) and pellitorine (2), which were isolated by chromatographic methods, were assayed for their lethality against the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). RESULTS: Bioassays were carried out with fourth-instar caterpillars through topical application of test solutions to the dorsal surface of the prothorax, and dose-response correlations were determined. Significant insect mortalities were observed 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment at concentrations of >= 100 mu g insect(-1). The LD(50) and LD(90) values for compound 1 were 92.83 and 176.50 mu g insect(-1), and for compound 2 they were 91.19 and 184.56 mu g insect(-1). CONCLUSION: According to the LD(50) and LD(90) for compounds 1 and 2, it can be inferred that the values reflect an acute lethal response to both compounds, based on interaction(s) of the toxicants with a primary target or series of targets. Thus, the amides were demonstrated to have potential value in the control of the sugarcane borer. (C) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

The efficiency and condition of oysters and macroalgae used as biological filters of shrimp pond effluent

Current shrimp pond management practices generally result in elevated concentrations of nutrients, suspended solids, bacteria and phytoplankton compared with the influent water. Concerns about adverse environmental impacts caused by discharging pond effluent directly into adjacent waterways have prompted the search for cost-effective methods of effluent treatment. One potential method of effluent treatment is the use of ponds or raceways stocked with plants or animals that act as natural biofilters by removing waste nutrients. In addition to improving effluent water quality prior to discharge, the use of natural biofilters provides a method for capturing otherwise wasted nutrients. This study examined the potential of the native oyster, Saccostrea commercialis (Iredale and Roughley) and macroalgae, Gracilaria edulis (Gmelin) Silva to improve effluent water quality from a commercial Penaeus japonicus (Bate) shrimp farm, A system of raceways was constructed to permit recirculation of the effluent through the oysters to maximize the filtration of bacteria, phytoplankton and total suspended solids. A series of experiments was conducted to test the ability of oysters and macroalgae to improve effluent water quality in a flow-through system compared with a recirculating system. In the flow-through system, oysters reduced the concentration of bacteria to 35% of the initial concentration, chlorophyll a to 39%, total particulates (2.28-35.2 mum) to 29%, total nitrogen to 66% and total phosphorus to 56%. Under the recirculating flow regime, the ability of the oysters to improve water quality was significantly enhanced. After four circuits, total bacterial numbers were reduced to 12%, chlorophyll a to 4%, and total suspended solids to 16%. Efforts to increase biofiltration by adding additional layers of oyster trays and macroalgae-filled mesh bags resulted in fouling of the lower layers causing the death of oysters and senescence of macroalgae. Supplementary laboratory experiments were designed to examine the effects of high effluent concentrations of suspended particulates on the growth and condition of oysters and macroalgae. The results demonstrated that high concentrations of particulates inhibited growth and reduced the condition of oysters and macroalgae. Allowing the effluent to settle before biofiltration improved growth and reduced signs of stress in the oysters and macroalgae. A settling time of 6 h reduced particulates to a level that prevented fouling of the oysters and macroalgae.

Hydrofluoric acid pre-treatment for improving 13C CPMAS NMR spectral quality of forest soils in south-east Queensland, Australia

Hydrofluoric acid (HF) was used to pre-treat forest soils of south-east Queensland for assessing the effectiveness of iron (Fe) removal, carbon (C) composition using C-13 cross-polarisation (CP) with magic-angle-spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) before and after the HF pre-treatment, and the improvement of C-13 CPMAS NMR spectra. Soil samples were collected from 4 experimental sites of different soil types, harvest residue management or prescribed burning, and tree species. More than 86% of Fe was in all soil types removed by the HF treatment. The C-13 NMR spectral quality was improved with increased resolution, especially in the alkyl C and O-alkyl C regions, and reduced NMR run-time (1-5 h per sample compared with >20 h per sample without the pre-treatment). The C composition appeared to alter slightly after the pre-treatment, but this might be largely due to improved spectrometer conditions and increased resolution leading to more accurate NMR spectral integration. Organic C recovery after HF pre-treatment varied with soil types and forest management, and soluble soil organic matter (SOM) could be lost during the pre-treatment. The Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) spectra of HF extracts indicated the preferential removal of carboxylic C groups during the pre-treatment, but this could also be due to adsorbed water on the mineral matter. The NMR spectra revealed some changes in C composition and quality due to residue management and decomposition. Overall, the HF treatment was a useful pre-treatment for obtaining semi-quantitative C-13 CPMAS NMR spectra of subtropical Australian forest soils.

Differences in benthic fauna and sediment among mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) stands of different ages in New Zealand

Management of coastal environments requires understanding of ecological relationships among different habitats and their biotas. Changes in abundance and distribution of mangroves, like those of other coastal habitats, have generally been interpreted in terms of changes in biodiversity or fisheries resources within individual stands. In several parts of their range, anthropogenically increased inputs of sediment to estuaries have led to the spread of mangroves. There is, however, little information on the relative ecological properties, or conservational values, of stands of different ages. The faunal, floral and sedimentological properties of mangrove (Avicennia marina var. australasica) stands of two different ages in New Zealand has been compared. Older (>60 years) and younger (3-12 years) stands showed clear separation on the basis of environmental characteristics and benthic macrofauna. Numbers of faunal taxa were generally larger at younger sites, and numbers of individuals of several taxa were also larger at these sites. The total number of individuals was not different between the two age-classes, largely due to the presence of large numbers of the surface-living gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum at the older sites. It is hypothesized that as mangrove stands mature, the focus of faunal diversity may shift from the benthos to animals living on the mangrove plants themselves, such as insects and spiders, though these were not included in the present study. Differences in the faunas were coincident with differences in the nature of the sediment. Sediments in older stands were more compacted and contained more organic matter and leaf litter. Measurement of leaf chemistry suggested that mangrove plants in the younger stands were able to take up more N and P than those in the older stands. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Marketing social e gestão de voluntários em ONG's

Este trabalho apresenta um projecto de investigação que relaciona a área do marketing social com a gestão do voluntariado em ONG’s. Trata-se de uma primeira reflexão que contextualiza a problemática da gestão de pessoas não remuneradas nessas organizações e introduz diversas questões sobre a gestão das ONG’s e do voluntariado. Nomeadamente, qual o papel do voluntariado nas ONG’s e quais as principais motivações associadas ao voluntariado? Como é que as ONG’s podem recrutar e seduzir de forma eficaz o voluntariado? Qual a particularidade do comportamento organizacional nestas organizações, como, por exemplo, que conflitos surgem entre os corpos profissionalizados e os voluntários nessas organizações?

Climate change impacts on portuguese energy system in 2050

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente, perfil Gestão e Sistemas Ambientais

Scheduling a cutting and treatment stainless steel sheet line with self-management capabilities

With advancement in computer science and information technology, computing systems are becoming increasingly more complex with an increasing number of heterogeneous components. They are thus becoming more difficult to monitor, manage, and maintain. This process has been well known as labor intensive and error prone. In addition, traditional approaches for system management are difficult to keep up with the rapidly changing environments. There is a need for automatic and efficient approaches to monitor and manage complex computing systems. In this paper, we propose an innovative framework for scheduling system management by combining Autonomic Computing (AC) paradigm, Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) and Nature Inspired Optimization Techniques (NIT). Additionally, we consider the resolution of realistic problems. The scheduling of a Cutting and Treatment Stainless Steel Sheet Line will be evaluated. Results show that proposed approach has advantages when compared with other scheduling systems

Mecanismos de gestão de recursos humanos no setor público: as implicações da austeridade

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Politécnico do Porto para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gestão das Organizações – Ramo de Gestão de Empresas Orientador: Professor Doutor Pedro Nunes Orientador: Professor Henrique Curado

Desenvolvimento de uma nova unidade fabril da Efacec

No âmbito da Unidade Curricular Dissertação, inserida no segundo ano do Mestrado em Engenharia Mecânica – Gestão Industrial do Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, foi proposto um projecto que está a ser desenvolvido pela equipa de Engenharia e Gestão Industrial, da unidade de negócios AMT, intitulado por: “Projecto Índia – Desenvolvimento da nova unidade fabril” Este projecto tem como principal objectivo o desenvolvimento de uma fábrica de excelência na Índia de fabricação de componentes de média tensão, isto é, com processos logísticos bem definidos e com linhas de produção o mais automatizadas possivel. Esta nova fábrica de raiz, vai ser gerida e decalcada do modelo atualmente existe na fábrica da EFACEC de componentes de média tensão existente em Portugal. Numa primeira fase do desenvolvimento do projecto, foi seleccionado um edifício com cerca de 1600m2 em Nashik, uma localidade a cerca de 171 Km de Mumbai, onde se encontram 80% dos fornecedores da EFACEC. Foram identificados os produtos a serem fabricados e quantificada a respectiva procura anual. Foi efectuado o balanceamento de cada uma das linhas e desenhado o layout. Neste layout contemplou-se as áreas de produção, laboratório, gabinetes de chefes de equipa, expedição, recepção e armazém. Após a definição das áreas de montagem de cada produto, iniciou-se a concepção das linhas de produção, sobretudo automáticas, com a definição da cadência de produção. A linha de fabricação que é especialmente detalhada neste documento é a linha de montagem dos comandos CI. Este é o produto com mais procura. Foi também definido o processo logístico do fluxo interno da fábrica. Nas linhas de produção foi implementado o sistema de controlo de fluxo baseado em cartões Kanban e no armazém criou-se um novo conceito de controlo e localização de produtos, o “Aquiles”. O Aquiles permite automaticamente e através da leitura de código de barras, indexar os artigos nas estantes. Cada artigo e cada estante e/ou localização estão codificados e no momento de recepção de material o código do artigo é associado ao código da estante. No âmbito de explorar todas as soluções possíveis para a um melhor desenvolvimento desta nova fábrica foram abordados temas como “JIT”, “Pull Flow”, “Kanban”, “Takttime”.