The Contribution of Online Social Networks for Drug Abuse Treatment Referral: a Pilot Study

Background: The consumption of psychoactive drugs is growing in Brazil, as well as the access of social networks. This study is a preliminary short report about the contribution of online social networks for drug abuse treatment. The study aimed to evaluate the role of an online social network to engage psychoactive drug users in treatment. Methods: A descriptive study was undertaken from July to September 2015. The study population were psychoactive drugs users who accessed voluntarily the webpage “Stay Free of Drugs” (SFD) from the social network Facebook. Results: A total of 25 psychoactive drug users were enrolled in the study, and 16 (64%) accessed a healthcare centre seeking treatment. The average from the users’ online contact to their visit to the healthcare centre was 8.4 days. Half of the participants were exclusive alcohol users and accessed the webpage at night (65%). Conclusions: The use of a social network showed a potential importance in referring drug users to treatment, also acting as health education strategy

Impact of antihelminthic treatment on infection by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms in Covas, a rural community of Pernambuco, Brazil

This work aims to evaluate the impact of drug treatment on infection by Ascaris lumbricoides (Al), Trichuris trichiura (Tt) and hookworms (Hook) in a rural community from the sugar-cane zone of Pernambuco, Brazil. Four parasitological surveys were carried out from March 2001 to March 2002. Individual diagnosis was based on eight slides (four by the Kato-Katz method and four by the Hoffman method) per survey. Infected subjects were assigned to two groups for treatment with either albendazole (n = 62) or mebendazole (n = 57). Prevalence of infection fell significantly (p < 0.05) one month after treatment: Al (from 47.7% to 6.6%); Tt (from 45.7% to 31.8%) and Hook (from 47.7% to 24.5%). One year after treatment, infections by Tt and Hook remained significantly below pre-control levels. A substantial decrease in single-infection cases and multiple infections was found. Egg-negative rate was significant for Al (94.0%), Hook (68.3%) but not for Tt (45.5%), and did not differ significantly between subjects treated with mebendazole or albendazole. Egg counts fell significantly in the individuals remaining positive for Tt. It is recommended that antihelminthic treatment should be selective and given at yearly intervals preferably with albendazole, due to its cost-effectiveness.Este trabalho avalia o impacto do tratamento antihelmíntico sobre a infecção por A. lumbricoides (Al), T. trichiura (Tt) e ancilostomídeos (Anc) na população de Covas, Pernambuco. Durante março/2001 e março/2002, quatro inquéritos parasitológicos foram realizados. Em cada um foram coletados dois exames de fezes por morador. O diagnóstico foi feito pelos métodos de Kato-Katz e Hoffmann. Em abril/01, os indivíduos positivos foram separados em dois grupos para tratamento com albendazol (n = 62) ou mebendazol (n = 57). As proporções de indivíduos positivos reduziram-se significativamente um mês pós-tratamento: Al (de 47,7% para 6,6%), Tt (de 45,7% para 31,8%) e Anc (de 47,7% para 24,5%); permanecendo abaixo do nível inicial um ano pós-tratamento. Os casos de monoinfecção, exceto os por Tt, e infecções múltiplas reduziram-se após o tratamento. A negativação foi significativa para Al (94,0%), Anc (68,3%), mas não para Tt (45,5%) e foi maior para Al. A negativação não diferiu significativamente entre os tratados com mebendazol ou albendazol. A intensidade da infecção reduziu-se significativamente nos indivíduos que permaneceram positivos para Tt. Recomenda-se que o tratamento seja seletivo, administrado anualmente, de preferência com albendazole, devido ao seu custo-benefício

Utilização da Soft System Methodology na gestão de inadimplência de uma empresa de Serviços

Non-payment is a current problem in society, especially during economic downturns. Dealing with this situation can be complicated for companies because of the risk of losing customers to the competition or not being able to obtain adequate revenues in the market. The objective of this study is to propose managerial solutions to the issue of default in a service company using the SSM methodology, Soft System Methodology. According to Cezarino (2013), SSM is a systemic analysis technique that is suitable for its characteristic of overview and abstraction in the search for relevant aspects, in the most diverse sources, in a problem situation, orchestrating conflicts and promoting consensus through seven steps suggested by Checkland (1990). In terms of methodological procedure the study was descriptive with a qualitative approach. The main results show that the actions to be implemented are the creation of a dashboard to monitor the execution and effectiveness of collections and the creation of a loyalty program to encourage customers to pay on time. The recursive nature of the methodology was also highlighted, since the company under study recognized the need to repeat the application of the methodology annually in the collection processe

A GESTÃO DE CONHECIMENTO NA MODERNIZAÇÃO DA GESTÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA: O CASO DA UERN (RN)

As Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) são organizações complexas que executam diversas tarefas, muitas vezes sem um objetivo definido e em muitos casos a gestão é caraterizada pela descontinuidade administrativa. A Gestão do Conhecimento relaciona-se com a melhoria do grau de inovação das organizações, com a rapidez na capacidade de resposta, com a geração de economia de escala e com o melhoramento da produtividade organizacional. Este trabalho tem como objetivos identificar quais as práticas de Gestão de Conhecimento utilizadas na Gestão Universitária. Para responder este problema foi utilizada a metodologia do estudo de caso para descrever as práticas de gestão do conhecimento presentes na Gestão Universitária da Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Os resultados encontrados evidenciam que as práticas adotadas pela IES analisada são incipientes no que tange a gestão das pessoas, contudo estão sendo desenvolvidos esforços para ampliar a pesquisa e a inovação de modo a contribuir com o desenvolvimento regional

The Fossil Fishes of the “Rocha” Collection Housed in the Museu Nacional and the Types Described by Jordan & Branner in 1908

In 1908, D.S. Jordan J.C. Branner described the following species of fossil fishes from the Araripe Basin: Calamopleurus vestitus, Cearana rochae, Enneles audax, and Tharrias araripis. Such material of the “Rocha Collection”, that was made by Francisco Dias da Rocha (1869-1960), were passed on to the Government of the State of Ceará. In 1961, Carlos de Paula Couto, negotiated the donation of the paleontological collections for the Museu Nacional. We review herein the history of the fossil fishes of the “Rocha Collection” that was housed in the Museu Nacional in, with an emphasis on type material. The documents and literature were consulted, and the fossil fishes were examined and photographed. This material corresponds to 12 catalogue numbers, three of which are replicas of the type- material housed in the Department of Geology, California Academy of Sciences, in California. The remaining nine numbers encompass 27 specimens referring to original material. The represented taxa are: Vinctifer comptoni, Notelops brama, Cladocyclus gardneri, Rhacolepis buccalis, Tharrhias araripis, and Brannerion sp. The only type material found was Cearana rochae, currently a synonym of Tharrhias araripis. This historical rescue of the “Rocha” collection type material will facilitate the investigation of researchers studying the paleoichthyofauna of the Araripe Basin

Conidial heads (Fruiting Bodies) as a hallmark for histopathological diagnosis of angioinvasive aspergillosis

Aspergillosis is a mycosis that afflicts immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts; among the former it exhibits different clinical pictures, and among the latter the infection renders an invasive form of the disease. The histologic diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis is somewhat challenging mostly because of some morphological similarities between other fungi. However, when present, the conidial heads are pathognomonic of aspergillosis. The authors present the case of a 68-year-old woman who was submitted to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the pursuit of multiple myeloma treatment. The post-transplantation period was troublesome with the development of severe neutropenia, human respiratory syncytial virus pneumonia, and disseminated aspergillosis, which was suspected because of a positive serum galactomannan antigen determination, and resulted in a fatal outcome. The autopsy findings showed diffuse alveolar damage associated with angioinvasive pulmonary aspergillosis with numerous hyphae and conidial heads in the lung parenchyma histology. The authors call attention to the aid of autopsy in confirming the diagnosis of this deep mycosis, since only the research of the galactomannan antigen may be insufficient and uncertain due to its specificity and of the possibility of false-positive result

A violência dentro do ambiente acadêmico: uma revisão integrativa

Main Objective: To analyze the most common types of violence in national and international university environments, through an integrative review, discussing teaching strategies to face it. Specific Objectives: To present the constituent phases of an integrative review and the relevant aspects to be considered for the use of this important methodological resource, identifying the types of violence experienced in the university environmentObjetivo Geral: Analisar os tipos de violência mais comum em ambientes universitários nacionais e internacionais, através de uma revisão integrativa, discutindo estratégias docentes no seu enfrentamento. Objetivos Específicos: Apresentar as fases constituintes de uma revisão integrativa e os aspectos relevantes a serem considerados para a utilização desse importante recurso metodológico identificando os tipos de violências vivenciadas no ambiente universitário

A violência dentro do ambiente acadêmico: uma revisão integrativa

Main Objective: To analyze the most common types of violence in national and international university environments, through an integrative review, discussing teaching strategies to face it. Specific Objectives: To present the constituent phases of an integrative review and the relevant aspects to be considered for the use of this important methodological resource, identifying the types of violence experienced in the university environmentObjetivo Geral: Analisar os tipos de violência mais comum em ambientes universitários nacionais e internacionais, através de uma revisão integrativa, discutindo estratégias docentes no seu enfrentamento. Objetivos Específicos: Apresentar as fases constituintes de uma revisão integrativa e os aspectos relevantes a serem considerados para a utilização desse importante recurso metodológico identificando os tipos de violências vivenciadas no ambiente universitário