Business Intelligence’s Contribution to Decision Making Processes – An Empirical

The function of information and its management technologies in decision-making processes has undergone constant evolution over time, aligned with the strategic goals of organizations, leading the company to its objectives, united efforts, internal and external measures for its fulfillment. This study aims to identify the contribution of business intelligence in the distribution of information in a strategic way, in decision-making processes within companies. The methodology is presented as a qualitative exploratory research using bibliographic procedures, using a multiple case study strategy, with data collection processes through semi-structured interviews with employees of medium and large companies. size of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which adopt business intelligence solutions and software in their corporate activity and data analysis is done through content analysis. The research highlights business intelligence as a tool for distributing information strategically in decision-making processes within companies

Assessment of the efficacy of Umonium38 on multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogens.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the efficacy of a biocide Umonium38 on multidrug-resistant strains by comparison with a chloride derivative (Decs). METHODS: In vitro susceptibility tests were performed by agar diffusion disk and results were interpreted according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). In vitro antibacterial efficacy of Umonium38 and Decs over selected strains was evaluated according to European Standards protocol with or without organic substance. RESULTS: In vitro tests with Umoniumnr at 2.5% concentration demonstrated an overall drop in microbial and yeast charges after 5 min. contact without organic substance. The same results were obtained in presence of organic substance. In vitro tests with chloride derivative at 5% without organic substance also resulted in overall drop in bacterial and mycotic charges. Conversely, in presence of organic substance, the hypochlorite reduced the initial 10 UFC/ml to 10 UFC/ml for all bacterial strains with a decrease of 4 log except for Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans whose reduction was 2 and 1 log units respectively. DISCUSSION: The organic substance in water requires large use of oxidising disinfectants (chloride, ozone) implying in the need for higher-than-standard concentrations. The disinfecting effect of chloride is only visible when the "requirement" of organic substance has been met. By contrast, Umonium38 behaves like a powerful biocide even in presence of organic substance, as it is not "consumed" by possible organic residues. CONCLUSIONS: Umonium38 resulted beneficial and effective. It is to be stressed, however, that all these experiments were in vitro tests and still requires validation from a correct use of clinical practice

Automated cleaning of fan coil units with a natural detergent-disinfectant product

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Air conditioning systems represent one important source of microbial pollutants for indoor air. In the past few years, numerous strategies have been conceived to reduce the contamination of air conditioners, mainly in hospital settings. The biocidal detergent BATT2 represents a natural product obtained through extraction from brown seaweeds, that has been tested previously on multidrug-resistant microorganisms.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>BATT2 has been utilized for the disinfection of fan coil units from four air conditioning systems located in hospital environments with a mean degree of risk. Samples were collected from the air supplied by the conditioning systems and from the surfaces of fan coil units, before and after sanitization procedures. Total microbial counts at 37°C and 22°C and mycotic count at 32°C were evaluated. <it>Staphylococci</it> and <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa </it>were also detected on surfaces samples.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The biodetergent was able to reduce up 50% of the microbial pollution of fan coil units surfaces and air supplied by the air conditioners.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>BATT2 could be considered for cleaning/disinfection of air conditioning systems, that should be performed on the basis of accurate and verifiable sanitization protocols.</p

Resveratrol Reverts Tolerance and Restores Susceptibility to Chlorhexidine and Benzalkonium in Gram-Negative Bacteria, Gram-Positive Bacteria and Yeasts

The spread of microorganisms causing health-care associated infection (HAI) is contributed to by their intrinsic tolerance to a variety of biocides, used as antiseptics or disinfectants. The natural monomeric stilbenoid resveratrol (RV) is able to modulate the susceptibility to the chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) biocide in Acinetobacter baumannii. In this study, a panel of reference strains and clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts were analyzed for susceptibility to CHX and benzalkonium chloride (BZK) and found to be tolerant to one or both biocides. The carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazine protonophore (CCCP) efflux pump inhibitor reduced the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of CHX and BZK in the majority of strains. RV reduced dose-dependently MIC and MBC of CHX and BZK biocides when used as single agents or in combination in all analyzed strains, but not CHX MIC and MBC in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Burkholderia spp. strains. In conclusion, RV reverts tolerance and restores susceptibility to CHX and BZK in the majority of microorganisms responsible for HAI. These results indicates that the combination of RV, CHX and BZK may represent a useful strategy to maintain susceptibility to biocides in several nosocomial pathogens

Práticas de produção, armazenamento e utilização do plasma rico em plaquetas e produtos relacionados no Brasil: estudo transversal

Introduction: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a technology with potential application in several areas of Medicine and Dentistry. The high    variability observed during the  production process imposes a challenge for the regulation of its production and use. Objectives: To evaluate current practices of production, storage and use of platelet-rich plasma and related products in Brazil, allowing the identification of operational variability throughout these processes. Method: Crosssectional study with data collection carried out by using a self-applied electronic questionnaire,with protection of anonymity. Questions were defined based on a literature review and consultation with a specialist in the field. The study questionnaire was sent to researchers and professionals who are producing PRP identified by different strategies, such as previous participation in events and publications in the area. Results: 64 responses were obtained, with 36 complete responses (56.3%) and 28 partial responses (43.7%). The rate of respondents could not be calculated, considering the means for dispatching the questionnaire. For PRP, there was a predominance of use of protocols with double centrifugation and platelet activation by different methods. Most respondents reported using PRP in the areas of orthopedics, physiatry and sports medicine. For fibrin-rich plasma (PRF), there was a predominance of responses using a single centrifugation protocol, without the use of platelet activation methods. Most respondents indicate the use of PRF in areas of dentistry. Variability of procedures and usage profile were observed for all platelet concentrates. Analyses were carried out comparatively according to the three main types of platelet concentrates. Conclusions: Findings corroborate the need to develop regulatory norms aiming at reducing variability and at promoting safety along the production and use of platelet concentrates.Introdução: O plasma rico em plaquetas (PRP) é uma tecnologia com potencial aplicação em diversas áreas da medicina e odontologia. A alta variabilidade no processo de produção   desta tecnologia e de tecnologias relacionadas desafiam a regulamentação de sua produção, do controle de qualidade e do uso. Objetivo: Avaliar práticas de produção, armazenamento e utilização do PRP e produtos relacionados no Brasil, permitindo a identificação de variabilidade operacional ao longo destes processos. Método: Estudo transversal com coleta de dados realizadas por meio de um questionário eletrônico, autoaplicado e com preservação de anonimato. As perguntas foram definidas a partir de revisão de literatura e por consulta a especialista da área. O questionário foi encaminhado a pesquisadores e a profissionais de várias áreas atualmente envolvidas na produção do PRP. Esses profissionais foram identificados por diferentes estratégias, tais como participação prévia em eventos relacionados e publicações na área. Resultados: Foram obtidas 64 respostas, sendo 36 respostas completas (56,3%) e 28 respostas parciais (43,7%). A taxa de respondentes não pôde ser calculada, considerando-se as formas de divulgação do questionário. Para a produção de PRP, as respostas indicaram predomínio de protocolos com centrifugação dupla e utilização de métodos variados para ativação plaquetária. A maioria dos respondentes referiu utilizar o PRP nas áreas de ortopedia, fisiatria e medicina esportiva. Para a produção do plasma rico em fibrina (PRF), houve predomínio de respostas indicando utilização de protocolo de centrifugação única, sem utilização de métodos de ativação plaquetária. A maioria dos respondentes indicou utilizar o PRF em áreas da odontologia. No geral, observou-se grande variabilidade nos procedimentos de obtenção e do perfil de utilização entre os principais tipos de concentrados de plaquetas. Conclusões: Os achados corroboram a necessidade do desenvolvimento de medidas regulatórias com foco nos pontos críticos identificados, visando promover a segurança durante a produção e utilização dos concentrados de plaqueta

Microbiological evaluation of the efficacy of two new biodetergents on multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogens

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the last few years, several outbreaks of nosocomial infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogenic agents have been observed, and various biocides products were developed in order to control this phenomenon. We investigated the efficacy of two natural biodetergents composed of plants and kelps extracts, BATT1 and BATT2, against multidrug-resistant strains.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>In-vitro </it>antibacterial efficacy of BATT1 and BATT2 against nosocomial multidrug-resistant isolates was assessed using a suspension-inhibition test, with and without bovine serum albumin (BSA). The test was also carried out on glass surfaces with and without BSA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>In vitro </it>tests with both biocidal disinfectants at 25% concentration demonstrated an overall drop in bacterial, mould and yeast counts after 10 min of contact with or without organic substances. For <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</it>, it was necessary to use undiluted disinfectants with and without an organic substance. The same results were obtained in tests carried out on glass surfaces for all strains.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The natural products BATT1 and BATT2 behave like good biocides even in presence of organic substances. The use of both disinfectants may be beneficial for reducing hospital-acquired pathogens that are not susceptible to disinfectants.</p> <p>However, it has to be stressed that all these experiments were carried out <it>in vitro </it>and they still require validation from use in clinical practice.</p

Predicting Alzheimer’s disease severity by means of TMS–EEG coregistration

Clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with a breakdown in large-scale communication, such that AD may be considered as a “disconnection syndrome.” An established method to test effective connectivity is the combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS–EEG) because the TMS-induced cortical response propagates to distant anatomically connected regions. To investigate whether prefrontal connectivity alterations may predict disease severity, we explored the relationship of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity (derived from TMS–EEG) with cognitive decline (measured with Mini Mental State Examination and a face–name association memory task) in 26 patients with AD. The amplitude of TMS–EEG evoked component P30, which was found to be generated in the right superior parietal cortex, predicted Mini Mental State Examination and face–name memory scores: higher P30 amplitudes predicted poorer cognitive and memory performances. The present results indicate that advancing disease severity might be associated with effective connectivity increase involving long-distance frontoparietal connections, which might represent a maladaptive pathogenic mechanism reflecting a damaged excitatory–inhibitory balance between anterior and posterior regions

Caracterização de queixas escolares e diagnósticos no Ambulatório de Neuro-Dificuldades de Aprendizagem

The objective of this study was to characterize the children referred to the Neuro-Learning Disorder Clinic at the Public Hospital of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (State University of Campinas) in 2010 focusing on the demographics, parents' concerns, and the diagnoses given by the health care professionals. A total of 203 male and female children and young people, aged 4-17 years old, attending kindergarten to high school were analyzed. The children that were referred due to school-related problems underwent interdisciplinary evaluations aiming to establish a diagnosis. After thorough evaluation, the children were treated according to their specific needs. The study sample was predominately comprised of males (67.0%), fifth graders with average age of 10 years and 11 months. The main problems identified were global learning difficulties and inattention. The evaluation results indicated 43.8% of pedagogy-related learning difficulties and 32.2% of intellectual disability issues. The findings corroborate those of other studies on the characterization of behavior and school-related problems of children and adolescents in specialized centers. The results obtained emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary team work to evaluate school-related problems.O objetivo do trabalho foi caracterizar as crianças encaminhadas ao Ambulatório de Neuro-Dificuldades de Aprendizagem da Universidade Estadual de Campinas em 2010. Foram analisados dados de 203 crianças e jovens, de ambos os gêneros, com faixa etária entre 4 e 17 anos de idade, cursando do ensino infantil ao médio. As crianças encaminhadas com queixas escolares passaram por avaliações interdisciplinares com objetivo diagnóstico e após o processo avaliativo foram devidamente encaminhadas para intervenções específicas conforme o caso. Na amostra de crianças atendidas houve maior frequência do gênero masculino (67,0%), uma idade média de 10 anos e 11 meses, com maior número de pessoas cursando o 5ª ano. As principais queixas foram dificuldades globais de aprendizagem e desatenção. Dos resultados das avaliações, 43,8% foram de dificuldades escolares de ordem pedagógica e 32,2% de deficiência intelectual. Os achados obtidos corroboram outros estudos de caracterização de queixas escolares e comportamentais de crianças e adolescentes em centros especializados. Os dados também reforçam a importância da avaliação de equipe interdisciplinar em um processo de investigação das queixas escolares.33116117

Caracterização De Queixas Escolares E Diagnósticos No Ambulatório De Neuro-dificuldades De Aprendizagem

The objective of this study was to characterize the children referred to the Neuro-Learning Disorder Clinic at the Public Hospital of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (State University of Campinas) in 2010 focusing on the demographics, parents' concerns, and the diagnoses given by the health care professionals. A total of 203 male and female children and young people, aged 4-17 years old, attending kindergarten to high school were analyzed. The children that were referred due to school-related problems underwent interdisciplinary evaluations aiming to establish a diagnosis. After thorough evaluation, the children were treated according to their specific needs. The study sample was predominately comprised of males (67.0%), fifth graders with average age of 10 years and 11 months. The main problems identified were global learning difficulties and inattention. The evaluation results indicated 43.8% of pedagogy-related learning difficulties and 32.2% of intellectual disability issues. The findings corroborate those of other studies on the characterization of behavior and school-related problems of children and adolescents in specialized centers. The results obtained emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary team work to evaluate school-related problems.33116117