A Influência da Concentração de Poder na Melhoria da Qualidade: O Caso Royal

This work intends to analyze the influence of the power in the process of quality improvement in managerial organizations, being taken based on a case study regarding to a company of medium load placed in the southeast area of Brazil which in the intention of solving difficulties in inserting its products in the market, it opted to implement quality programs. The data were collected through observations and bibliographical researches about the company, where the author participated as employee for a close period of 6 years. The results indicate that the imported methodologies of administration ¿ as it is the case of the quality models ¿ cannot produce the expected results, when these methodologies are implemented by ignoring cultural factors, mainly related to form as the power is shared and practiced in the organizations.

Imported Malaria In A Non-endemic Area: The Experience Of The University Of Campinas Hospital In The Brazilian Southeast.

Although malaria in Brazil almost exclusively occurs within the boundaries of the Amazon Region, some concerns are raised regarding imported malaria to non-endemic areas of the country, notably increased incidence of complications due to delayed diagnoses. However, although imported malaria in Brazil represents a major health problem, only a few studies have addressed this subject. A retrospective case series is presented in which 263 medical charts were analysed to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characterization of malaria cases that were diagnosed and treated at Hospital & Clinics, State University of Campinas between 1998 and 2011. Amongst all medical charts analysed, 224 patients had a parasitological confirmed diagnosis of malaria. Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum were responsible for 67% and 30% of the infections, respectively. The majority of patients were male (83%) of a productive age (median, 37 years old). Importantly, severe complications did not differ significantly between P. vivax (14 cases, 9%) and P. falciparum (7 cases, 10%) infections. Severe malaria cases were frequent among imported cases in Brazil outside of the Amazon area. The findings reinforce the idea that P. vivax infections in Brazil are not benign, regardless the endemicity of the area studied. Moreover, as the hospital is located in a privileged site, it could be used for future studies of malaria relapses and primaquine resistance mechanisms. Finally, based on the volume of cases treated and the secondary complications, referral malaria services are needed in the non-endemic areas of Brazil for a rapid and efficient and treatment.

Study of the optical and magnetic properties of pyrimidine in water combining PCM and QM/MM methodologies

The solvent effects on the low-lying absorption spectrum and on the (15)N chemical shielding of pyrimidine in water are calculated using the combined and sequential Monte Carlo simulation and quantum mechanical calculations. Special attention is devoted to the solute polarization. This is included by an iterative procedure previously developed where the solute is electrostatically equilibrated with the solvent. In addition, we verify the simple yet unexplored alternative of combining the polarizable continuum model (PCM) and the hybrid QM/MM method. We use PCM to obtain the average solute polarization and include this in the MM part of the sequential QM/MM methodology, PCM-MM/QM. These procedures are compared and further used in the discrete and the explicit solvent models. The use of the PCM polarization implemented in the MM part seems to generate a very good description of the average solute polarization leading to very good results for the n-pi* excitation energy and the (15)N nuclear chemical shield of pyrimidine in aqueous environment. The best results obtained here using the solute pyrimidine surrounded by 28 explicit water molecules embedded in the electrostatic field of the remaining 472 molecules give the statistically converged values for the low lying n-pi* absorption transition in water of 36 900 +/- 100 (PCM polarization) and 36 950 +/- 100 cm(-1) (iterative polarization), in excellent agreement among one another and with the experimental value observed with a band maximum at 36 900 cm(-1). For the nuclear shielding (15)N the corresponding gas-water chemical shift obtained using the solute pyrimidine surrounded by 9 explicit water molecules embedded in the electrostatic field of the remaining 491 molecules give the statistically converged values of 24.4 +/- 0.8 and 28.5 +/- 0.8 ppm, compared with the inferred experimental value of 19 +/- 2 ppm. Considering the simplicity of the PCM over the iterative polarization this is an important aspect and the computational savings point to the possibility of dealing with larger solute molecules. This PCM-MM/QM approach reconciles the simplicity of the PCM model with the reliability of the combined QM/MM approaches.

Electric Power Forecasting Methodologies of Some South American Countries: A Comparative Analysis

In this paper, a comparative analysis of the long-term electric power forecasting methodologies used in some South American countries, is presented. The purpose of this study is to compare and observe if such methodologies have some similarities, and also examine the behavior of the results when they are applied to the Brazilian electric market. The abovementioned power forecasts were performed regarding the main four consumption classes (residential, industrial, commercial and rural) which are responsible for approximately 90% of the national consumption. The tool used in this analysis was the SAS (c) program. The outcome of this study allowed identifying various methodological similarities, mainly those related to the econometric variables used by these methods. This fact strongly conditioned the comparative results obtained.

Interference of raw milk autochthonous microbiota on the performance of conventional methodologies for Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. detection

Pathogen detection in foods by reliable methodologies is very important to guarantee microbilogical safety. However, peculiar characteristics of certain foods, such as autochthonous microbiota, can directly influence pathogen development and detection. With the objective of verifying the performance of the official analytical methodologies for the isolation of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in milk, different concentrations of these pathogens were inoculated in raw milk treatments with different levels of mesophilic aerobes, and then submitted to the traditional isolation procedures for the inoculated pathogens. Listeria monocytogenes was inoculated at the range of 0.2-5.2 log CFU/mL in treatments with 1.8-8.2 log CFU/mL. Salmonella Enteritidis was inoculated at 0.9-3.9 log CFU/mL in treatments with 3.0-8.2 log CFU/mL. The results indicated that recovery was not possible or was more difficult in the treatments with high counts of mesophilic aerobes and low levels of the pathogens, indicating interference of raw milk autochthonous microbiota. This interference was more evident for L. monocytogenes, once the pathogen recovery was not possible in treatments with mesophilic aerobes up to 4.0 log CFU/mL and inoculum under 2.0 log CFU/mL. For S. Enteritidis the interference appeared to be more non-specific. (C) 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

One size doesn't fit all: Research methodologies in a language variation study of Sudanese teens

The research reported here draws on a study of five teenagers from a Dinka-speaking community of Sudanese settling in Australia. A range of factors including language proficiency, social network structure and language attitudes are examined as possible causes for the variability of language use. The results and discussion illustrate how the use of a triangular research approach captured the complexity of the participants' language situation and was critical to developing a full understanding of the interplay of factors influencing the teens' language maintenance and shift in a way that no single method could. Further, it shows that employment of different methodologies allowed for flexibility in data collection to ensure the fullest response from participants. Overall, this research suggests that for studies of non-standard communities, variability in research methods may prove more of a strength that the use of standardised instruments and approaches.

A comparison of segmental and wrist-to-ankle methodologies of bioimpedance analysis

The common approach of bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate body water uses a wrist-to-ankle methodology which, although not indicated by theory, has the advantage of ease of application particularly for clinical studies involving patients with debilitating diseases. A number of authors have suggested the use of a segmental protocol in which the impedances of the trunk and limbs are measured separately to provide a methodology more in keeping with basic theory. The segmental protocol hits not, however, been generally adopted, partly because of the increased complexity involved in its application, and partly because studies comparing the two methodologies have not clearly demonstrated a significant improvement from the segmental methodology. We have conducted a small pilot study involving ten subjects to investigate the efficacy of the two methodologies in a group of normal subjects. The study did not require the independent measure of body water, by for example isotope dilution, as the subjects were maintained in a state of constant hydration with only the distribution between limbs and trunk changing as a result of change in posture. The results demonstrate a significant difference between the two methodologies in predicting the expected constancy of body water in this study, with the segmental methodology indicating a mean percentage change in extracellular water of -2.2%; which was not significantly different from the expected null result, whereas the wrist-to-ankle methodology indicated a mean percentage change in extracellular water of -6.6%. This is significantly different from the null result, and from the value obtained from the segmental methodology (p = 0.006). Similar results were obtained using estimates of total body water from the two methodologies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Social Wasp Diversity (Vespidae, Polistinae) in a Forest Fragment in the Northeast of Sao Paulo State Sampled with Different Methodologies

Social wasp diversity in Semideciduous Seasonal Forests of the northeast of Sao Paulo State is poorly known, causing a lack of information on the diversity of these wasps from these areas which have been degraded. The objective of this work was to evaluate the social wasp (Vespidae, Polistinae) diversity in a Semideciduous Seasonal Forest of the northeast of Sao Paulo State and to compare three different kinds of sampling methodology. Surveys were conducted from August 2005 to September 2006 in the interior, edge and matrix of a Semideciduous Seasonal Forest fragment in Patrocinio Paulista city, Sao Paulo State. Three methodologies were used: 1. Active collection in flowers, 2. Searching for nests, 3. Active collection with attractive liquid. Thirty species of social wasps were collected in the fragment, but the diversity was highest in the edge. Active collection with attractive liquid was the most efficient methodology. Despite the high levels of deforestation, forest fragments in Sao Paulo State have a high diversity of social wasps, reinforcing the importance of their preservation.

Pathogens associated with nursery plants imported into Western Australia

A small survey of the potting mix taken from 15 consignments of nursery grown plants imported into Western Australia from other states in Australia found that Phytophthora spp. were present in 10% of the samples and Pythium spp. were present in 25% of the samples. Plant pathogenic nematodes were isolated from 12 of 13 consignments. Potting mix appears to be an important route by which plant pathogens can be passively introduced into Western Australia.

Parasites of ornamental fish imported into Australia

Five commonly imported freshwater ornamental fish: Poecilia reticulata (guppy); Xiphophorus maculatus (platy); Paracheirodon innesi (neon tetra); Paracheirodon axelrodi (cardinal tetra); and Gyrinocheilus aymonieri (sucking catfish), 361 individuals in total, were examined for parasites immediately after being released from quarantine in Australia. Ten parasites species were found: Camallanus cotti; Centrocestus formosanus; Bothriocephalus acheilognathi; Urocleidoides reticulatus; Tetrahymena corlissi; Chilodonella piscicola; Hexamita sp.; Cryptobia sp.; Chloromyxum sp.; and an unidentified larval nematode. Though shipments had come from up to five different exporting companies, parasite prevalence was uniformly high. We suggest that prior to release, fish transported internationally should be checked for high risk pathogens such as Camallanus cotti, B. acheilognathi and Centrocestus formosanus, and treated for common infections such as Hexamita sp., Cryptobia sp. T. corlissi and Chilodonella piscicola to inhibit the spread of disease and enhance the survival of the fish.

Enhancing emancipatory systems methodologies for sustainable development

Our interest lies in applying the principles of critical systems thinking to human activity systems in developing countries in situations where issues of natural resource sustainability constrain the feasible set of long-term strategies. The concept of sustainable development provides an expanded domain for critical systems thinking. The fundamental values underpinning sustainable development are that both intragenerational and intergenerational equity are important. As a consequence, key stakeholders are often excluded from power-sharing within current social systems. Addressing these issues requires renewed focus on emancipatory commitment and methodologies. To date, Ulrich's critical systems heuristics is the only critical systems methodology that offers practicable tools for emancipation. A case study analysis in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, provides insights in relation to the application of critical system heuristics to issues of sustainable development and highlights the need to extend the use of critical systems heuristics beyond the design and monitoring of structured interventions.