Estudo comparativo da eficácia antitrombótica da heparina convencional e da heparina de baixo peso molecular.

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Clínica Cirúrgica, Curso de Medicina, Florianópolis, 199

THE POTENTIAL FOR FINANCIAL SAVINGS IN RURAL MOZAMBICAN HOUSEHOLDS

Many policy makers and businesses erroneously believe that rural populations, particularly in Africa, have no margin for savings over consumption needs. This study examines the potential for financial savings in rural Mozambican households by looking at the determinants of savings behavior. An econometric model for a household's saving behavior was estimated using data from 113 rural households from Nampula province in Mozambique. Results indicate that income, physical wealth, household size, and years of schooling affect a household's savings behavior. The study also finds that Mozambican rural households use their own grassroots associations for many financial services due to the lack of access to formal financial intermediaries.Consumer/Household Economics, Financial Economics,

Avaliação de falências de empresas por meio de florestas causais

This study sought to analyze the variables that can influence company bankruptcy. For several years, the main studies on bankruptcy reported on the conventional methodologies with the aim of predicting it. In their analyses, the use of accounting variables was massively predominant. However, when applying them, the accounting variables were considered as homogenous; that is, for the traditional models, it was assumed that in all companies the behavior of the indicators was similar, and the heterogeneity among them was ignored. The relevance of the financial crisis that occurred at the end of 2007 is also observed; it caused a major global financial collapse, which had different effects on a wide variety of sectors and companies. Within this context, research that aims to identify problems such as the heterogeneity among companies and analyze the diversities among them are gaining relevance, given that the sector-related characteristics of capital structure and size, among others, vary depending on the company. Based on this, new approaches applied to bankruptcy prediction modeling should consider the heterogeneity among companies, aiming to improve the models used even more. A causal tree and forest were used together with quarterly accounting and sector-related data on 1,247 companies, 66 of which were bankrupt, 44 going bankrupt after 2008 and 22 before. The results showed that there is unobserved heterogeneity when the company bankruptcy processes are analyzed, raising questions about the traditional models such as discriminant analysis and logit, among others. Consequently, with the large volume in terms of dimensions, it was observed that there may be a functional form capable of explaining company bankruptcy, but this is not linear. It is also highlighted that there are sectors that are more prone to financial crises, aggravating the bankruptcy process.Esta pesquisa buscou analisar as variáveis que podem influenciar a falência das empresas. Durante vários anos, as principais pesquisas sobre falência reportaram as metodologias convencionais visando à sua predição. Em suas análises, a utilização de variáveis contábeis predominou maciçamente. Porém, ao aplicá-las, as variáveis contábeis eram consideradas homogêneas, ou seja, para os modelos tradicionais, presumia-se que em todas as empresas o comportamento dos indicadores era similar, ignorando a heterogeneidade entre elas. Observa-se, ainda, a relevância da crise financeira ocorrida no final de 2007, causando grande colapso financeiro mundial, tendo efeitos diferentes nos mais diversos setores e empresas. Nesse cenário, pesquisas que visam identificar problemas como a heterogeneidade entre as empresas e analisar as diversidades entre elas ganham relevância, haja vista que as características setoriais de estrutura de capital, porte, dentre outras, variam de acordo com as empresas. A partir disso, novas abordagens aplicadas à modelagem de previsão de falência devem considerar a heterogeneidade entre as empresas, buscando aprimorar ainda mais as modelagens utilizadas. Foram utilizadas a árvore e a floresta causais com dados contábeis trimestrais e setoriais de 1.247 empresas, sendo 66 falidas, das quais 44 depois de 2008 e 22 antes. Os resultados mostraram que existe heterogeneidade não observada quando se analisam os processos de falência das empresas, colocando em cheque os modelos tradicionais como, por exemplo, análise discriminante e logit, dentre outros. Por conseguinte, com o elevado volume em dimensões, observou-se que pode haver uma forma funcional capaz de explicar a falência das empresas, porém essa não é linear. Destaca-se, ainda, que existem setores mais propensos a crises financeiras, agravando o processo de falência.Esta pesquisa buscou analisar as variáveis que podem influenciar a falência das empresas. Durante vários anos, as principais pesquisas sobre falência reportaram as metodologias convencionais visando à sua predição. Em suas análises, a utilização de variáveis contábeis predominou maciçamente. Porém, ao aplicá-las, as variáveis contábeis eram consideradas homogêneas, ou seja, para os modelos tradicionais, presumia-se que em todas as empresas o comportamento dos indicadores era similar, ignorando a heterogeneidade entre elas. Observa-se, ainda, a relevância da crise financeira ocorrida no final de 2007, causando grande colapso financeiro mundial, tendo efeitos diferentes nos mais diversos setores e empresas. Nesse cenário, pesquisas que visam identificar problemas como a heterogeneidade entre as empresas e analisar as diversidades entre elas ganham relevância, haja vista que as características setoriais de estrutura de capital, porte, dentre outras, variam de acordo com as empresas. A partir disso, novas abordagens aplicadas à modelagem de previsão de falência devem considerar a heterogeneidade entre as empresas, buscando aprimorar ainda mais as modelagens utilizadas. Foram utilizadas a árvore e a floresta causais com dados contábeis trimestrais e setoriais de 1.247 empresas, sendo 66 falidas, das quais 44 depois de 2008 e 22 antes. Os resultados mostraram que existe heterogeneidade não observada quando se analisam os processos de falência das empresas, colocando em cheque os modelos tradicionais como, por exemplo, análise discriminante e logit, dentre outros. Por conseguinte, com o elevado volume em dimensões, observou-se que pode haver uma forma funcional capaz de explicar a falência das empresas, porém essa não é linear. Destaca-se, ainda, que existem setores mais propensos a crises financeiras, agravando o processo de falência

In Silico Evaluation of Ibuprofen and Two Benzoylpropionic Acid Derivatives with Potential Anti-Inflammatory Activity

Inflammation is a complex reaction involving cellular and molecular components and an unspecific response to a specific aggression. The use of scientific and technological innovations as a research tool combining multidisciplinary knowledge in informatics, biotechnology, chemistry and biology are essential for optimizing time and reducing costs in the drug design. Thus, the integration of these in silico techniques makes it possible to search for new anti-inflammatory drugs with better pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles compared to commercially used drugs. This in silico study evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of two benzoylpropionic acid derivatives (MBPA and DHBPA) using molecular docking and their thermodynamic profiles by molecular dynamics, in addition to predicting oral bioavailability, bioactivity and toxicity. In accordance to our predictions the derivatives proposed here had the potential capacity for COX-2 inhibition in the human and mice enzyme, due to containing similar interactions with the control compound (ibuprofen). Ibuprofen showed toxic predictions of hepatotoxicity (in human, mouse and rat; toxicophoric group 2-arylacetic or 3-arylpropionic acid) and irritation of the gastrointestinal tract (in human, mouse and rat; toxicophoric group alpha-substituted propionic acid or ester) confirming the literature data, as well as the efficiency of the DEREK 10.0.2 program. Moreover, the proposed compounds are predicted to have a good oral bioavailability profile and low toxicity (LD50 < 700 mg/kg) and safety when compared to the commercial compound. Therefore, future studies are necessary to confirm the anti-inflammatory potential of these compounds

Disentangling the effects of age and mild traumatic brain injury on brain network connectivity:A resting state fMRI study

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive complaints are common shortly after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) but may persist up to years. Age-related cognitive decline can worsen these symptoms. However, effects of age on mTBI sequelae have scarcely been investigated. METHODS: Fifty-four mTBI patients (median age: 35 years, range 19-64 years, 67% male) and twenty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging in the sub-acute phase. Independent component analysis was used to identify intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs). A multivariate approach was adopted to evaluate the effects of age and group on the ICNs in terms of (static) functional network connectivity (FNC), intensities of spatial maps (SMs) and time-course spectral power (TC). RESULTS: We observed significant age-related changes for a) FNC: changes between 10 pairs of ICNs, mostly involving the default mode (DM) and/or the cognitive-control (CC) domains; b) SMs: intensity decrease in clusters across three domains and intensity increase in clusters across two domains, including the CC but not the DM and c) TC: spectral power decrease within the 0-0.15 Hz range and increase within the 0.20-0.25 Hz range for increasing age within networks located in frontal areas, including the anterior DM. Groups only differed for TC within the 0.065-0.10 Hz range in the cerebellar ICN and no age × group interaction effect was found. CONCLUSIONS: We showed robust effects of age on connectivity between and within ICNs that are associated with cognitive functioning. Differences between mTBI patients and controls were only found for activity in the cerebellar network, increasingly recognized to participate in cognition. Our results suggest that to allow for capturing the true effects related to mTBI and its effects on cognitive functioning, age should be included as a covariate in mTBI studies, in addition to age-matching groups

Lattice Mismatch Drives Spatial Modulation of Corannulene Tilt on Ag(111)

We investigated the adsorption of corannulene (C20H10) on the Ag(111) surface by experimental and simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoemission (XPS), and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS). Structural optimizations of the adsorbed molecules were performed by density functional theory (DFT) and the core excited spectra evaluated within the transition-potential approach. Corannulene is physisorbed in a bowl-up orientation displaying a very high mobility (diffusing) and dynamics (tilting and spinning) at room temperature. At the monolayer saturation coverage, molecules order into a close-compact phase with an average intermolecular spacing of 3c10.5 \ub1 0.3 \uc5. The lattice mismatch drives a long wavelength structural modulation of the molecular rows, which, however, could not be identified with a specific superlattice periodicity. DFT calculations indicate that the structural and spectroscopic properties are intermediate between those predicted for the limiting cases of an on-hexagon geometry (with a 3-fold, 3c8.6 \uc5 unit mesh) and an on-pentagon geometry (with a 4-fold, 3c11.5 \uc5 unit mesh). We suggest that molecules smoothly change their equilibrium configuration along the observed long wavelength modulation of the molecular rows by varying their tilt and azimuth in between the geometric constraints calculated for molecules in the 3-fold and 4-fold phases

Plasma Blobs Observed by Ground-based Optical and Radio Techniques in the Brazilian Tropical Sector

Ground-based optical and radio observations were carried out in the tropical region in Brazil, during the period from October 1998 to September 2000, and on several occasions we detected F-region plasma blob (localized discrete plasma density enhancement) events. These are the first observations of blobs in the tropical F-region using combined ground-based optical and radio techniques. Allsky images were used to map the spatial extension and temporal location of plasma blobs and ionosonde and photometer measurements were used to measure the plasma densities. Interesting cases of plasma blob events were observed on October 07, 1999 and March 04, 2000 over Cachoeira Paulista (22.7S, 45.0W; magnetic latitude 13.25S, declination 20W), showing discrete plasma density enhancements near regions of plasma density depletion structures in the OI 630.0 nm emission images. In these two cases, the electron densities were enhanced by a factor of, approximately, 2 above the background level. In this paper we report the first ground-based observations of the plasma density enhancements, or blobs, and their association with equatorial spread-F plasma depletions, and suggest a possible mechanism for their generation