Bacteriological evaluation of wounds in seriously burned hospitalized patients

During the period between May and December 1988, 21 patients were studied bacteriologically at Hospital João XXIII's burn's unit which belongs to "Fundação Hospitalar do Estado de Minas Gerais" in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of aerobic and facultative bacteria from burn wounds was carried out by the standard filter paper disc technique, including antibiotic susceptibility. At the same time an evaluation of those bacteria isolated from the environmental unit was performed. The most common organisms recovered from wounds of patients were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. P. pseudomallei was the most frequent strain recovered from environmental specimens. In nearly all patients specimens (16 in total) from whom P. aeruginosa was isolated, the rate of CFU/cm² of skin was above 10². In nine of these, it reached 10(5), wich is equivalent to 10(7) CFU/g of burned tissue.

Recursive neuro fuzzy techniques for online identification and control

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Industrial symbiosis potential of the Sines oil refinery – environmental and economic evaluation

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente – Perfil Gestão e Sistemas Ambientais

Removal of Trypanosoma cruzi by white cell-reduction filters: an electronmicroscopic study

White cell (WBC)-reduction filters have been shown to be effective in removing infectious agents from infected blood products. In this study, the mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) retention by WBC-reduction filters were assessed. Human packed red blood cell (PRBC) and platelet concentrate (PC) samples were contaminated with T. cruzi organisms (Y strain; 3.4 x 10(6)/ml), and then filtered using WBC-reduction experimental filters that provided about 3 log10 WBC removal. Transmission electron microscopy sections showed that T. cruzi parasites were removed from contaminated PRBC and PC samples primarily by mechanical mechanism without interacting with filter fibbers or blood cells. In addition, we found that T. cruzi parasites were also removed by a direct fibber adhesion. These data indicate that T. cruzi parasites are removed from infected blood not only by mechanical mechanism but also by biological mechanism probably mediated by parasite surface proteins.

Healing replicas in a software component replication system

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Study on the development of an autonomous mobile robot

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Eletrotécnica e de Computadores

Prevalence of anti-hepatits A antibodies in children of different socioeconomic conditions in Vila Velha, ES

This report describes the prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies in children from elementary school in the Municipality of Vila Velha, ES, Brazil. Anti-HAV antibodies were investigated by ELISA method in the serum of 606 children (four to fourteen years old) from three elementary schools, located in neighborhoods with varying household monthly income levels: São José School, 200 chidren, household income higher than US$700; São Torquato School, 273 children, US$200 to 300; and Cobi School, 133 children, less than US$200. From each children data on age, gender, skin color, sanitary conditions, frequency of contact with sea or river water and family history of hepatitis were recorded. Anti-HAV antibodies were present in 38.6% of all children, 9% in São José School, 49.1% in São Torquato School and 61.7% in Cobi School. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation of positive anti-HAV test with age, non white color of the skin, absence of sewage treatment and domestic water filter, and a past history of hepatitis. The prevalence of anti-HAV antibodies in school children in Vila Velha, ES, was lower than that observed in the same age group in North and Northeast Brazil and was significantly higher in children from families with low socioeconomic status. In addition the results indicate a changing epidemiologic pattern of hepatitis A in our country, with an increasing number of children and adolescents with high risk for HAV infection, mainly in high socioeconomic class. A consideration must be given to the feasibility of vaccination programs for children and adolescents in our country.

Diagnosing human asymptomatic visceral leishmaniasis in an urban area of the State of Minas Gerais, using serological and molecular biology techniques

A population-based cross-sectional study was set up in Sabará country, Southeastern Brazil, to identify asymptomatic human visceral leishmaniasis in an urban area of low disease prevalence. Blood was collected on filter paper (n=1,604 inhabitants) and examined by indirect immunofluorescent test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunochromatographic strip test. The prevalence rates of infection ranged from 2.4 to 5.6% depending on the test used. One year later, venous blood was collected in a subset of 226 participants (102 seropositive and 124 seronegative). The tests performed were IFAT, ELISA, rk39-ELISA, polymerase chain reaction and hybridization with Leishmania donovani complex probe. No clinical signs or symptoms of leishmaniasis were observed. Using hybridization as a reference test, the sensitivity and specificity of serology were respectively: 24.8 and 71% (ELISA); 26.3 and 76.3% (rk-39); 30.1 and 63.4% (IFAT). Due to disagreements, different criteria were tested to define the infection and hybridization should be considered in epidemiological studies.

Information provision improvement with a geofencing event-bases system

Nowadays there is a big percentage of the population, specially young users, which are smartphone users and there is a lot of information to be provided within the applications, information provision should be done carefully and should be accurate, otherwise an overload of information will be produced, and the user will discard the app which is providing the information. Mobile devices are becoming smarter and provide many ways to filter information. However, there are alternatives to improve information provision from the side of the application. Some examples are, taking into account the local time, considering the battery level before doing an action and checking the user location to send personalized information attached to that location. SmartCampus and SmartCities are becoming a reality and they have more and more data integrated every day. With all this amount of data it is crucial to decide when and where is the user going to receive a notification with new information. Geofencing is a technique which allows applications to deliver information in a more useful way, in the right time and in the right place. It consists of geofences, physical regions delimited by boundaries, and devices that are eligible to receive the information assigned to the geofence. When devices cross one of these geofences an alert is pushed to the mobile device with the information.

The brushstroke and materials of Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso combined in an authentication tool

Nowadays, authentication studies for paintings require a multidisciplinary approach, based on the contribution of visual features analysis but also on characterizations of materials and techniques. Moreover, it is important that the assessment of the authorship of a painting is supported by technical studies of a selected number of original artworks that cover the entire career of an artist. This dissertation is concerned about the work of modernist painter Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso. It is divided in three parts. In the first part, we propose a tool based on image processing that combines information obtained by brushstroke and materials analysis. The resulting tool provides qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the authorship of the paintings; the quantitative element is particularly relevant, as it could be crucial in solving authorship controversies, such as judicial disputes. The brushstroke analysis was performed by combining two algorithms for feature detection, namely Gabor filter and Scale Invariant Feature Transform. Thanks to this combination (and to the use of the Bag-of-Features model), the proposed method shows an accuracy higher than 90% in distinguishing between images of Amadeo’s paintings and images of artworks by other contemporary artists. For the molecular analysis, we implemented a semi-automatic system that uses hyperspectral imaging and elemental analysis. The system provides as output an image that depicts the mapping of the pigments present, together with the areas made using materials not coherent with Amadeo’s palette, if any. This visual output is a simple and effective way of assessing the results of the system. The tool proposed based on the combination of brushstroke and molecular information was tested in twelve paintings obtaining promising results. The second part of the thesis presents a systematic study of four selected paintings made by Amadeo in 1917. Although untitled, three of these paintings are commonly known as BRUT, Entrada and Coty; they are considered as his most successful and genuine works. The materials and techniques of these artworks have never been studied before. The paintings were studied with a multi-analytical approach using micro-Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectroscopy, micro-Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy, micro-Spectrofluorimetry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The characterization of Amadeo’s materials and techniques used on his last paintings, as well as the investigation of some of the conservation problems that affect these paintings, is essential to enrich the knowledge on this artist. Moreover, the study of the materials in the four paintings reveals commonalities between the paintings BRUT and Entrada. This observation is supported also by the analysis of the elements present in a photograph of a collage (conserved at the Art Library of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), the only remaining evidence of a supposed maquete of these paintings. The final part of the thesis describes the application of the image processing tools developed in the first part of the thesis on a set of case studies; this experience demonstrates the potential of the tool to support painting analysis and authentication studies. The brushstroke analysis was used as additional analysis on the evaluation process of four paintings attributed to Amadeo, and the system based on hyperspectral analysis was applied on the painting dated 1917. The case studies therefore serve as a bridge between the first two parts of the dissertation.

Incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in the city of Belém, state of Pará, northern Brazil, determined by a neonatal screening program: preliminary results

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determinate the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis among a group of newborns (NBs) from Belém using neonatal screening. METHODS: Among the 6,000 newborns referred for investigation of genetic and metabolic diseases, 1,000 were selected for screening for congenital toxoplasmosis by determining the amount of IgM in the eluates of blood collected on filter paper. Positive tests were confirmed using paired serology of the NB and his mother. RESULTS: Out of the 1,000 NBs assessed, one had a positive screening result that was confirmed by paired serology. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in Belém was 10/10,000 live NBs.

High prevalence of HTLV-1 and 2 viruses in pregnant women in São Luis, state of Maranhão, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is endemic in the Caribbean, Japan, South America and regions of Africa. HTLV-2 is present in Native American populations and associated with IV drug use in Europe and North America. In Brazil, it is estimated that 1.5 million people are infected with HTLV-1/2. The study objective was to determine HTLV-1/2 prevalence in pregnant women in the prenatal care from three public services in São Luis, State of Maranhão, Brazil, and to counsel seropositive women to reduce viral transmission. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to December 2008; women with age of 18 to 45 years, with low risk for sexually transmitted disease (STD) were invited to participate. Blood samples were collected in filter paper, and HTLV-1/2 immunoenzymatic test (ELISA) was performed as a screening test. Women with reactive results were submitted to peripheral venous blood collection for ELISA repetition, followed by Western blot (WB) and real-time PCR to confirm and discriminate the infection between virus types 1 and 2. RESULTS: Of the 2,044 women tested, seven (0.3%) were ELISA reactive and confirmed positive (four were HTLV-1, and three were HTLV-2). All positive women were oriented not to breastfeed their newborns. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the virus is present in high prevalence in that population. Further studies covering other segments of the population are necessary to better characterize the presence of HTLV-1/2 in Maranhão and to elicit measures to prevent its spread.

Assessment of microbiological air quality in hemato-oncology units and its relationship with the occurrence of invasive fungal infections: an integrative review

Worldwide aging of the human population has promoted an increase in the incidence of neoplasia, including hematological cancers, which render patients particularly vulnerable to invasive fungal infections. For this reason, air filtration in hemato-oncology units has been recommended. However, scarce literature has assessed the impact of microbiological air quality on the occurrence of fungal infections in this population. We performed an integrative review of studies in the MEDLINE database that were published between January 1980 and October 2012, using the following combinations of keywords: air × quality × HEPA, air × quality × hematology, and airborne fungal infections. The search yielded only 13 articles, suggesting that high-efficiency filtering of the ambient air in hemato-oncology units can prevent the incidence of invasive fungal infections. However, no randomized clinical trial was found to confirm this suggestion. Currently, there is no consensus about the maximum allowable count of fungi in the air, which complicates filtration monitoring, including filter maintenance and replacement, and needs to be addressed in future studies.