From hard-peg to hard landing?: recent experiences of Argentina and Ecuador

Includes bibliography

Technological evaluation of biotechnology capability in Amazon institutions

Includes bibliography

Food intake and nutritional status of hospitalised older people

Background and aims. Disease is influenced by the nutritional status of the individual. We have assessed the relationship between nutritional status and food intake among recently hospitalised older people. Methods. A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 240 older people in a hospital that provides care for the public and private healthcare systems. Nutritional status was classified by the MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) into: malnourished, risk of malnutrition and without malnutrition. Food intake was estimated by the reported food intake during a typical day. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the medians and the correlation coefficient of Spearman to verify the relationship between the consumption of energy, protein and vitamin C and MNA scores. Results. 33.8% were classified as adequate regarding nutritional status; 37.1% were classified as being at risk of malnutrition and 29.1% were classified as malnourished. The malnourished individuals reported significantly less energy and nutrient intake than those at risk of malnutrition or those without malnutrition (P=0.001). Not all nutrient intake, just some (iron, cholesterol and fibre), were lower in malnourished people. Conclusions and implications for practice. Deterioration of the nutritional status of older people is accompanied by a reduction in energy and some nutrient intake. The investigation of food intake in older people could provide important information about nutritional risk. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Determinants of inequality among urban households

Includes bibliography

The socioeconomic cost of illicit drug consumption in Chile

Includes bibliography

Evaluation of the chemical interaction between carbon nanotubes functionalized with TGDDM tetrafunctional resin and hardener DDS

In this work, the chemical interaction between carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) functionalized with acyl chloride (SOCl2) and polymer chain tetrafuncional N,N,N′,N′-tetraglycidyl-4,4′- diaminodiphenylmethane (TGDDM) and hardener 4,4′diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) has been monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with a attenuated total reflectance (ATR) coupled. MWCNT were obtained from the pyrolysis of a mixture of camphor and ferrocene into a oven. The functionalization process was done by oxidative treatment in order to incorporate carboxylic group over the walls of MWCNT, before to be used SOCl2. The functionalized carbon nanotubes were evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanostructured composites were processed by using epoxy resin with MWCNT in varying percentages. In this work it was observed that different percentages of functionalized nanotubes modify the interaction between the composite matrix and curing agent, where can be observed that in specimens with content less than 1 wt% MWCNT the chemical bond occurs preferentially from the opening of the SO double bond of the hardener and when is used MWCNT content higher than 1 wt% there is little chemical interaction with the SO bond of the hardener and most MWCNT binds to amine. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Association between indicators of dementia and nutritional status in institutionalised older people

Background and aims. Dementia weakens older people and can lead to malnutrition; therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the association between indicators of dementia and biochemical indicators, anthropometric indicators and food intake in institutionalised older people. Methods. A total of 150 older people of both genders participated in this study. Nutritional status was determined by body mass index and other anthropometric variables, and biochemical indicators were used to analyse the differences between individuals with and without dementia. Energy and nutrient intakes were determined by food records, and dementia was investigated with the Mini-Mental State Examination. The data were analysed by the chi-square test, Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney tests. Results. Of the 150 individuals studied, 48% were men with a mean age of 73±10years and 52% were women with a mean age of 80±9years. Thirty-six per cent had some degree of malnutrition and 48% presented dementia, which was more prevalent in women (59%). The nutritional status of men and women individuals with and without dementia differed significantly (P<0.001 for men and women). The only variables that presented a significant difference between individuals with and without dementia were those associated with muscle mass in men. There were no differences in energy and nutrient intakes between individuals with and without dementia except for vitamin C intake, which differed among women (P=0.032). Conclusion. In the conditions of the present study, dementia was associated with nutritional status, but not with energy and nutrient intakes, suggesting that older people with dementia may have higher nutritional requirements. Implications for practice. Investigation of dementia may contribute to the nutritional status assessment of older people and energy expenditure and immobility should be investigated for a more complete assessment. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Anthelmintic efficacy of an oral formulation of Aurixazol against gastrointestinal nematodes of naturally and experimentally infected sheep

As a result of the need to develop new active principles for the control of endoparasites in ruminants, the present in vivo study evaluated a formulation containing 24% Aurixazol (48 mg/kg), a parasiticide molecule based on disophenolate of levamisole. Two experiments were conducted: one evaluating the anthelmintic efficacy of 24% Aurixazol (48 mg/kg) against gastrointestinal nematodes in naturally infected sheep, compared to an association of ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) + albendazole (5.0 mg/kg) + levamisole (7.5 mg/kg) (IAL), and a second one which evaluated the persistent efficacy of the same formulation against immature stages (L4) and adults of Haemonchus contortus in experimentally infected animals. In experiment I, against H. contortus, the formulation of Aurixazol and the IAL association reached efficacies (arithmetic means) of 99.32% and 96.11%, respectively. For Trichostrongylus colubriformis, the efficacy values were 88.92% and 98.08% for Aurixazol and the IAL association, respectively. Both formulations were totally effective against Oesophagostomum columbianum (100%). The results of the statistical analysis demonstrated that the mean parasitic burden of treated animals was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the average number of helminths diagnosed in animals from the control group for H. contortus, T. colubriformis and O. columbianum. Comparing only the treated groups, it was possible to verify that the average number of H. contortus recovered from animals treated with Aurixazol was different (P ≤ 0.05) when compared to the mean amount recovered from sheep treated with the IAL association. When evaluating the prevention of H. contortus infection in experiment II, Aurixazol did not present preventive efficacy. Up until 21 days after treatment the groups treated with Aurixazol contained less adults and L4 of H. contortus (P ≤ 0.05) when compared to the non-medicated control group. However, future studies will be necessary to assess the effectiveness of Aurixazol against nematode strains resistant to levamisole and disophenol, but the efficacy results described in this study allow to state that Aurixazol can, associated with other measures, become an important tool in the control of sheep nematodes. © 2013.

The invisible face of child labour in Latin America and the Caribbean

Child labour has a gender bias related to the dominant stereotypes regarding gender roles. While out-of-home paid work is carried out predominantly by boys, girls bear the greater burden in unpaid domestic tasks, whether in their own homes or the homes of others. Boys are more exposed to the risks of being out on the street and find it more difficult to combine work and education. For girls it may be easier to reconcile the spheres of work and education, but they suffer costs that remain hidden and that reinforce their disadvantages throughout the life cycle. On the one hand, they are marked by the assumption that the burden of the care economy is entirely their responsibility, which determines future labour prospects. Indeed, even when girls show greater educational achievement, their occupational options are more limited. On the other hand, girls are exposed to risk within the household, where overexploitation, maltreatment and abuse are as frequent as they are unpunished.

Social Panorama of Latin America 1996

Incluye Bibliografía

The Evolution of Modal Split in Freight Transport in South America, 2000-2013

This FAL Bulletin analyzes data on commodities traded and the modes of transport used between nine South American countries, during 2000, 2006, 2010 and 2013. The aim is to identify the current modal split in intraregional freight transport in South America, and to ascertain the level and evolution of trade flows, imbalances and the burden of transport and insurance costs. The authors conclude with some policy recommendations.

Evaluation of nutritional indicators and body composition in patients with advanced liver disease enrolled for liver transplantation

PURPOSE: Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with advanced liver disease (LD) related to multifactorial causes. Fluid retention can underestimate the nutritional status based on anthropometric measures. We evaluated nutritional indicators and body composition (BC) in patients with liver cirrhosis and correlated them with LD severity. METHODS: Forty three patients with LD enrolled for liver transplantation were evaluated by Anthropometric measures, subjective evaluation (Global Assessment of Nutritional Status - SGA) and biochemical indicators. Single-frequency electrical bioimpedance (SFE-BIA) was used to evaluate body composition (BC). It measured resistance (R), reactance (Xc) and the phase angle (PA). LD severity was estimated by Child-Pugh and Meld criteria (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease). RESULTS: Child-Pugh index between patients was 7.11±1.70 and Meld was 12.23±4.22. Arm Circumference, Arm Muscle Circumference and Arm Muscle Area, SGA, hemoglobin, hematocrit and albumin showed better correlation with disease severity. Xc and PA showed correlation both with Meld and Child-Pugh score when BC were evaluated. PA was depleted in 55.8% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of malnutrition varied according to the method. Global assessment of nutritional status showed better correlation with disease severity than with objective methods. Single-frequency electrical bioimpedance for body composition analysis in cirrhotic patients must be cautiously used; however, primary vectors seems to be valid and promising in clinical practice.

Nasal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in Botucatu, Brazil: A Population-Based Survey

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

Influence of uncorrected refractive error and unmet refractive error on visual impairment in a Brazilian population

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

Selective photoinactivation of Candida albicans in the non-vertebrate host infection model Galleria mellonella

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)