Disease-Management Programs Can Improve Quality of Care for the Chronically Ill, Even in a Weak Primary Care System: A Case Study From Germany

Examines how Germany's disease management programs featuring information technology support, designated ambulatory care doctors, focus on self-management, quality assurance, and financial incentives raised quality and satisfaction. Outlines implications

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? - ENTERPRISE MICROBLOGGING AS CONTEXT BUILDING

With the advent of Twitter, microblogging has turned into a widely discussed phenomenon. Due to its perceived impact, many organisations have begun experimenting with the use of microblogging „be-hind the firewall‟, in order to support internal communication and group work. However, Enterprise Microblogging (EMB) is still in its infancy and not yet well understood. With this study we want to add to the rather limited body of knowledge a case study of Enterprise Microblogging in an academic set-ting. A multidisciplinary team of University researchers has adopted the platform Communote to col-laborate and communicate. We conduct a genre analysis of the team‟s microblogging stream and find that EMB mainly serves as an effective medium for context building and meeting coordination in a project of otherwise loosely related individual activities. We compare our results with findings from two existing EMB cases, one of which has investigated the use of the same IT artefact in a different context. We find striking differences in usage patterns and show that EMB is highly dependent on the particular organisational context shared by the EMB users. Consequently, we conclude that appro-priation of Enterprise Microblogging happens largely in accordance with organisational context characteristics

Primary structure and functional expression of a cyclic nucleotidegated channel from rabbit aorta

Sequences specific for cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNG channels) have been amplified by PCR from cDNA of heart, aorta, sinoatrial node, cerebellum, C-cells and kidney. The complete amino acid sequence of a CNG channel from rabbit aorta has been deduced by cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNA. Synthetic RNA derived from this cDNA induces the formation of a functional CNG channel in Xenopus oocytes

Estudo do efeito e do mecanismo de ação de isoflavonas naturais com potencial efeito antidiabético

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmácia, Florianópolis, 2014.A diabetes é uma doença crônica que afeta milhões de pessoas no mundo. As previsões para 2035 são de que a doença atinja mais de 592 milhões de pessoas. Estes dados revelam um importante problema de saúde pública e reforçam a necessidade de buscar por alternativas de tratamento preventivo e terapêutico. As plantas medicinais são uma importante fonte de compostos bioativos. Dentre estas, as isoflavonas despontam como uma classe de biomoléculas com importante atividade antidiabética, associadas principalmente a efeitos fitoestrógenos. Dessa forma, este estudo objetivou caracterizar a atividade anti-hiperglicêmica das isoflavonas PMA2.31 e PMA19, extraídas da fração acetato de etila de Polygala molluginifolia, bem como, elucidar os mecanismos pelos quais estas ações ocorrem. Para tanto, ambas as isoflavonas foram submetidas ao teste de tolerância oral à glicose, no qual, ratos Wistar machos receberam o tratamento (PMA2.31 e PMA19) isoladamente ou combinado com sitagliptina por gavagem e, 30 min após, uma sobrecarga de glicose foi administrada e a glicemia determinada aos 15, 30, 60 e 180 min subsequentes a esta administração. A avaliação da atividade das dissacaridases intestinais in vivo e o conteúdo de glicogênio hepático e muscular foi realizado no tempo 180 min. A atividade de dissacaridases também foi avaliada mediante incubação in vitro. Amostras de soro foram utilizadas para a dosagem de insulina e GLP-1 sérico. A atividade de DPP-IV (Dipeptidilpeptidase-IV) foi mensurada in vitro. A fim de identificar os mecanismos pelos quais as isoflavonas agem secretando insulina e/ou GLP-1, o efeito de PMA2.31 e/ou PMA19 foi avaliado no influxo de cálcio em fatias do intestino (cólon) e em ilhotas pancreáticas. Ainda, PMA2.31 e PMA19 foram incubadas na presença de albumina e glicose ou frutose, para determinação da glicação. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram a redução glicêmica induzida por PMA2.31 e PMA19 após 15 e 30 min, respectivamente. Ainda, PMA2.31 apresentou o efeito anti-hiperglicêmico potenciado quando combinado com sitagliptina. Ambas as isoflavonas aumentaram os níveis séricos de insulina além de PMA2.31 aumentar GLP-1 (Glucagon Like Peptide-1) sérico. O mecanismo pelo qual PMA2.31 atua nestes efeitos envolve a inibição parcial de DPP-IV e aumento da secreção de GLP-1 via ativação de PKC, uma vez que, houve um aumento significativo do influxo de cálcio em fatias de intestino e inibição deste estímulo quando utilizado inibidor de PKC (Proteína cinase C). Diferente de PMA2.31, PMA19 age estimulando a secreção direta de insulina, devido ao incremento observado no influxo de cálcio em ilhotas pancreáticas, sendo estas ações semelhantes às do estradiol e envolvem efeitos no canal de potássio dependente de ATP, canal de cálcio dependente de voltagem e ativação de PKA (Proteína cinase A). Além das ações supramencionadas, PMA2.31 aumentou o conteúdo de glicogênio hepático e assim como a fração acetato de etila, inibiu a atividade de maltase. A fração acetato de etila e as isoflavonas também diminuíram a glicação com albumina demonstrando um potencial efeito antidiabético. Ambas as isoflavonas não produziram alterações na concentração sérica de LDH, sugerindo serem atóxicas na concentração e tempo de tratamento avaliado.Abstract : Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects approximately 382 million people worldwide, with predictions stating that this number will increase to 592 million in 2035. These data reveal an important public health problem and support the necessity to search for new targets for preventive and therapeutical treatment. Medicinal plants are an important source of bioactive compounds. Among those, the study of plants that contain isoflavones indicates these compounds as a class of biomolecules with important antidiabetic activity, mainly associated with phytoestrogens action. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the anti-hyperglycemic activity of isoflavones PMA2.31 and PMA19, isolated from ethyl acetate fraction of P. molluginifolia, as well as to elucidate the mechanisms by which these actions occur. To this end, both isoflavones were submitted to oral glucose tolerance test, in which, male Wistar rats received the treatment (PMA2.31, PMA19) by gavage, with/without sitagliptin and, after 30 min, a glucose load was administered and blood glucose levels were determined at 15, 30, 60 and 180 min.The evaluation of in vivo intestinal disaccharidases activity, muscle and hepatic glycogen content was measured at 180 min. The disaccharidase activity was also performed by in vitro treatment. Serum samples were collected for insulin and GLP-1 dosage. In vitro DPP-IV activity was also measured. To investigate the mechanisms by which isoflavones act in insulin and/or GLP-1 secretion, PMA2.31 and/or PMA19 effect on calcium influx in pancreatic islets and intestine slices (colon) was evaluated. PMA2.31 and PMA19 were also tested for albumin glycation measurement. The results showed a significantly blood glucose reduction after treatment with PMA2.31 and PMA19 in 15 and 30 min, respectively. The effect of PMA2.31 was higher when co-administered with sitagliptin. Both isoflavones increased insulin serum levels and PMA2.31 was able to increase GLP-1 serum levels. The PMA2.31 effect on GLP-1 may involve an intermediate DPP-IV inhibition and augmented GLP-1 secretion via PKC activation, since there was a significant increase in calcium influx in intestine slices, and this effect was inhibited by co-incubation with a PKC inhibitor. On the other hand, PMA19 acts directly on insulin secretion due to its stimulus in pancreatic islets calcium influx, with a similar mechanism of action to estradiol, which involve effects on ATP-dependent potassium channel, voltage-gated calcium channel and PKA activation. In addition to the above actions, PMA2.31 increased hepatic glycogen content and both this isoflavone and ethyl acetate fraction, inhibited maltase activity. The ethyl acetate fraction and both isoflavones also decreased albumin glycation, demonstrating a potential antidiabetic effect. Both isoflavones did not produce change in serum LDH, indicating they are non-toxic in the concentration and treatment period studied

Estudo das condições competitivas da cadeia produtiva avícola: um estudo de caso em empresa de processamento

TCC (graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro Sócio-Econômico. Economia.O presente estudo buscou demonstrar os principais fatores de competitividade de uma empresa de abate e processamento de carne de frango. Na fundamentação teórica descreveu se os fatores determinantes da competitividade de uma firma, a configuração da cadeia produtiva e sua estrutura de governança, e os custos de transação inerentes. Justificando a importância do setor na economia mundial, brasileira e catarinense, reuniu se dados tocantes a evolução da avicultura ao longo do tempo, relacionado à produção, exportação e mercado consumidor. Sendo que o Brasil se destaca mundialmente, ocupando, atualmente, o terceiro lugar na produção e primeiro lugar na exportação de carne de frango. Santa Catarina foi o estado pioneiro na introdução da estrutura produtiva integrada, e devido a sua eficiência, o modelo, foi copiado pelos demais estados brasileiros. A Bondio Alimentos S.A., empresa estudada, se instalou a pouco tempo no oeste catarinense, região de grande tradição na avicultura de corte, e tem alcançado ótimos resultados. Atuando no setor avícola a quase quatro anos, abate 74 mil aves/dia e exporta 70% da sua produção. Encontra-se entre as 30 maiores empresas exportadoras de Santa Catarina, e alcançou em 2005 a posição 468 no ranking das maiores empresas da região Sul do Brasil. Suas estratégias estão pautadas na diferenciação e qualidade produtiva, seguindo as tendências do mercado e atendendo a legislação vigente

‘Sharing’ the Catholic Faith: How Priests Establish/Maintain Religious Authority on Facebook

Understanding how religious leaders use the internet to maintain their religious authority has been an area of study in media studies for the past twenty years. Little consensus has been reached as to what religious authority is, in the context of the internet. Nor, has the population of Catholic priests been investigated in light of religious authority on the internet. Therefore, this study seeks to understand strategies used by Catholic priests in the United States on Facebook to establish/maintain their religious authority using Facebook. Data was gathered by survey and in depth interviews with priests who acknowledged using Facebook on a regular basis. Survey data indicated that priests utilized Facebook in ways that mirrored three parts of their priestly identity. They used it as representatives of the institutional Catholic Church, members of the profession of priests, and as individuals. These three parts of priests’ identities led to differing strategies. Being a representative of the institutional Catholic Church included disseminating important Church information and defending doctrinal teachings of the Church. As a member of the profession of priests, they used Facebook to disseminate information about their local Church and build relationships in the professional capacity. As individuals, priests used Facebook to stay in contact with friends and family, sharing life events, using Facebook as a news-aggregate, and as a source of comedic content. It became evident that even the personal ways that priests used Facebook were ways of maintaining religious authority. Contrary to the overt strategies, priests utilized the personal space for covert evangelization. Since the survey data indicated that their identity was so important on Facebook, interview questioning probed why and how identity construction took place. Interview data indicated that authenticity was of the upmost importance when constructing an identity. Priests had to consider various and sometimes contradicting audiences when posting content on Facebook to represent themselves on Facebook. Additionally, their identities had to indicate that they were made in God’s likeness in order to connect their various identities with a sense of religious authority. This led priests to the strategies indicated in survey data, namely, relationship building, evangelizing, and promoting Church-related content in order to establish/maintain religious authority on Facebook

Interpretación de la solubilidad diferencial del Poli(etilentereftalato) en función de la temperatura.

Se ha procedido a la determinación de la solubilidad diferencial del PET en una mezcla fenol/tetracloroetano a diversas temperaturas. De las correspondientes fracciones solubles e insolubles ha sido determinado el peso molecular medio por cromatografía de exclusión (GPC). Los resultados obtenidos permiten indicar que el aumento de solubilidad de la fibra de poliéster que tiene lugar al aumentar la temperatura del ensayo de solubilidad diferencial no parece corresponder a materia de mayor peso molecular, sino a materia localizada en zonas más compactas de la fibra, las cuales se van haciendo más accesibles a la mezcla disolvente a medida que va aumentando la temperatura.On a procédé à la determination de la solubilité différentielle du PET dans un mélange phénol/tétrachloréthane a diverses températures. Des correspondantes fractions solubles et insolubles, on a déterminé le poids moyen moléculaire par chromatographie d'exclusion (GPC). Les résultats obtenus permettent d'indiquer que l'augmentation de la solubilité de la fibre de polyester qui a lieu lorsque la température de l'essai de solubilité différentielle augmente, ne semble pas correspondre a une matière a un poids moléculaire supérieur, mais à une matière localisée dans des zones plus compactes de la fibre, lesquelles deviennent plus accessibles au mélange solvant, au fur et à mesure que la temperature augmente.The determination of the differential solubility of PET in a mixture phenol/tetrachloroetane has been performed at different temperatures. Of the soluble and non-soluble fractions, the average molecular weight has been measured by exclusion chromatography (GPC). The results show that the increase of solubility of the polyester fibre experienced on increasing the temperature in the differential solubility test does not seem correspond to the matter with higher molecular weight but to some matter located in more compacted areas of the fibre, which become more accesible to the solvent mixture as temperature increases.Peer Reviewe