Automatic BI-RADS Classification of Breast Magnetic Resonance Medical Records Using Transformer-Based Models for Brazilian Portuguese

This chapter aims to present a classification model for categorizing textual clinical records of breast magnetic resonance imaging, based on lexical, syntactic and semantic analysis of clinical reports according to the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification, using Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP). The model was developed from transfer learning based on the pre-trained BERTimbau model, BERT model (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) trained in Brazilian Portuguese. The dataset is composed of medical reports in Brazilian Portuguese classified into six categories: Inconclusive; Normal or Negative; Certainly Benign Findings; Probably Benign Findings; Suspicious Findings; High Risk of Cancer; Previously Known Malignant Injury. The following models were implemented and compared: Random Forest, SVM, Naïve Bayes, BERTimbau with and without finetuning. The BERTimbau model presented better results, with better performance after finetuning

Avaliando a efetividade do portal eletrônico de uma instituição federal de ensino

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the institutional portal of a public university in the perception of its end users, including students, teachers, and technical-administrative, in order to subsidize the establishment of improvement strategies. With the application of the model of Rampelotto, Löbler and Visentini (2012, 2015), by means of the exploratory factorial analysis, five dimensions of e-government effectiveness (eGov) of the institution were identified: “Usability”, “Reliability”, “Availability”, “Accessibility” and “Maturity and Transparency”. It was verified that the dimension “Reliability” was the one that presented the best evaluation, while the dimension “Accessibility” presented the worst evaluation. Through multiple linear regression analysis, it was identified that the “Usability” and “Maturity and Transparency” dimensions positively influence the overall level of user satisfaction with the institution’s eGov.O presente estudo buscou avaliar a efetividade do portal institucional de uma Universidade pública na percepção de seus usuários finais, incluindo alunos, docentes e técnico-administrativos, de forma a subsidiar o estabelecimento de estratégias de melhoria. A partir da aplicação do modelo de Rampelotto, Löbler e Visentini (2012; 2015), por meio da análise fatorial exploratória, foram identificadas cinco dimensões de efetividade do governo eletrônico (e-Gov) da instituição: “Facilidade de Uso”, “Confiabilidade”, “Disponibilidade”, “Acessibilidade” e “Maturidade e Transparência”. Verificou-se que a dimensão “Confiabilidade” foi a que apresentou a melhor avaliação, enquanto que a dimensão “Acessibilidade” apresentou a pior avaliação. Por meio da análise de regressão linear múltipla, identificou-se que as dimensões “Facilidade de Uso” e “Maturidade e Transparência” influenciam positivamente no nível geral de satisfação dos usuários com o e-Gov da instituição.

Polymer Nanocomposites

The development of polymer nanocomposites has advanced, especially due to their new properties after nanoparticle incorporation. Many nanocomposites composed of synthetic polymers and/or biopolymers have been studied after incorporation of a diversity of nanoparticles, which differ in form, shape, surface area and chemical organization. In this chapter, some examples of nanocomposites based on poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA); polycarbonate (PC) and matrixes of dental resins are presented. These nanocomposites could be obtained by three basic methods: in situ polymerization, solution casting and melt extrusion. The best method is determined by the relation and route to the polymer-nanoparticle pair. The dispersion and distribution of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix is the key to obtaining new materials with synergism of compounds properties. This synergism depends on how strong is the intermolecular interaction between the polymer matrix and nanoparticles. The evaluation of new nano systems can be done by different techniques, usually microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and so on. Low-field NMR relaxometry has been used to evaluate polymer nanocomposites. This technique provides valuable information related to the interaction of the nanoparticles with the polymer matrix, and it also indicates the dispersion and distribution of these nanoparticles in the matrix

A relação entre a qualidade da gestão municipal e o desempenho educacional no Brasil

O objetivo desse artigo é examinar se a qualidade da gestão municipal é um dos fatores que influenciam o desempenho da educação básica no Brasil. Os resultados revelam que existe uma correlação positiva entre os indicadores de qualidade da administração local e o desempenho médio dos municípios na Prova Brasil, mesmo controlando por efeitos fixos municipais e gastos em educação. Nas redes municipais que oferecem os anos iniciais do ensino fundamental, o aumento em 1 ponto no índice de gestão empregado se reflete em uma melhora de 0,06 pontos na nota padronizada da Prova Brasil, em média.The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the quality of municipal management is one of the factors that influence the performance of basic education in Brazil. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the indicators of local administration quality and the average performance of the municipalities in Prova Brasil, even controlling for the municipal fixed effects and education expenditures. In municipal school systems that offer the elementary education, the increase of 1 point in IQIM is reflected in an improvement of 0.06, on average

Benefits of fasting abbreviation and early refeeding of multimodal perioperative care protocols: Benefícios da abreviação de jejum e realimentação precoce dos protocolos de cuidados perioperatórios multimodais

The multimodal protocols of perioperative care, as a European project of ERAS-Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and, in Brazil, the project ACERTO (Acceleration of Total Post-Operative Recovery), emerged as relevant alternatives to reduce preoperative discomforts, including anxiety, thirst, hunger, and enhance the recovery of surgical patients. These initiatives, supported by scientific evidence, advocate the fasting abbreviation with the ingestion of clear liquids up to 2 hours before elective surgery, as a strategy to reduce insulin resistance, immunomodulation and for the purpose of anesthetic induction, without causing risks of aspiration of gastric contents, as well as early refeeding with a small volume of diet, capable of stimulating the gastrointestinal tract and reducing the period of postoperative ileus. In this way, the literature shows that such measures are safe and bring several benefits, such as reducing hospitalization time and reducing the number of complications

Hey, hold on, we are good guys! Colony defense behavior and notes on nesting of Parachartergus fulgidipennis (de Saussure, 1854) (Vespidae: Polistinae: Epiponini)

Parachartergus wasps are known by having a very aggressive behavior, especially the large black species with white wings tip, which have painful stings. They exhibit a unique and interesting characteristic, the capacity to venom spraying during the colony defense or self-defense. However, for the Amazonian species Parachartergus fulgidipennis (de Saussure, 1854), little is known about its behavior and nesting. In this way, we tracked and described the nesting site, the numbers of combs, and performed an ad libitum method to record behavioral activities. The nest was fixed vertically on a man-made concrete column, 1.2 m above the ground, measuring 25.0 x 6.0 cm and contained four combs with approximately 74 cells, with 31 eggs, seven larvae, 30 pupae, and almost 42 adults. With a flat thin grayish envelope with weak corrugations, the nest is very similar to the color of the substrate which turn in to really cryptic. The colony defense behavior presented by this species is unaggressive and very docile, suggesting that is not similar as observed for other Parachartergus species

Nitrous oxide emission from excreta of different beef cattle breeds finished in feedlot

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar as emissões de óxido nitroso (N2O) pela urina e pelas fezes de bovinos Nelore e mestiços (Nelore x Angus) terminados em confinamento. Vinte bois Nelore e 20 mestiços foram alimentados com dieta composta de 75% de concentrado e 25% de volumoso. As excretas foram aplicadas nos currais após 43 dias de confinamento, quando se iniciou o monitoramento de N2O por meio de câmaras estáticas. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. Os fluxos de N2O da urina e das fezes foram semelhantes entre as raças, com picos importantes após a ocorrência de chuvas. As emissões cumulativas de N2O da urina por quilograma de ganho de peso corporal (GPC) e as emissões totais das fezes por quilograma de GPC foram 22,7% e 24,4% maiores na raça Nelore. Não há efeito da raça sobre o fluxo de N2O e as emissões cumulativas de excretas de bovinos de corte confinados; entretanto, o gado mestiço emite menos por quilograma de GPC. Há alta correlação entre o volume de chuva e as emissões de N2O do dia seguinte, o que indica um período entre a ocorrência de chuva e o aumento da emissão de N2O.The objective of this work was to compare nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from urine and manure of Nellore and crossbred (Nellore x Angus) cattle finished in feedlot. Twenty Nellore and 20 crossbred bulls were fed a diet consisting of 75% concentrate and 25% roughage. Excreta were applied to the pens after 43 days of confinement, when N2O monitoring started through static chambers. The data were subjected to the analysis of variance, and averages were compared by Tukey’s test. The N2O fluxes from urine and manure were similar among the breeds, with important peaks after rain events. The cumulative emissions of N2O from urine per kilogram of body weight gain (BWG) and the total emissions from manure per kilogram of BWG were 22.7% and 24.4% higher in Nellore cattle. There is no breed effect on N2O flux and cumulative emissions by excreta from confined beef cattle; however, the crossbreed emits less per kilogram of BWG. There is a high correlation between rainfall volume and the N2O emissions of the next day, which indicates a period between rain occurrence and the increase in N2O emission

Hemoperitoneum in a Cow with Lumbar Muscle Hemangiosarcoma

Background: Hemangiosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of endothelial cells with an infiltrative growth pattern. Hemangiosarcomas are frequently reported in canines and rare in felines, sheep, goats, swine, horses and cattle. Few cases of hemangiosarcoma were reported in cattle. In the present report, we describe the clinicopathological findings of a bovine muscle hemangiosarcoma.Case: A 6-year-old, Girolando cow from the Dairy Cattle Sector of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, presented sternal decubitus. Clinical signs were markedly pale mucous membranes, moderate dehydration, respiratory distress, and increased heart rate. The hematological examination revealed intense regenerative anemia. Due to the worsening of the clinical condition, the cow was submitted to euthanasia. The necropsy and collection of various fragments of organs were performed, which were sent to the “Setor de Anatomia Patológica” (SAP-UFRRJ). Tissues were fixed in 10 % buffered formalin, routinely processed for histology and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE). The external mucous membranes were markedly pale. Multifocal areas of 1.5 x 1.0 cm, irregular and dark red were observed dissecting the quadratus lumborum muscle (hemangiosarcoma) fibers. These neoplasms were associated with an extensive cruoric clot adhered to the muscle fibers. The extensive, red, friable mass measured approximately 76 x 55 x 20 cm on the serous surfaces of the organs of the peritoneal cavity (hemoperitoneum). The spleen was moderately reduced. The bone marrow was markedly pale. Histologically, it was observed that there was an extensive proliferation of endothelial cells in the quadratus lumbar muscle mass dissecting the epimysium and perimysium. Endothelial cells had moderate pleomorphism, organized in vascular channels and forming multifocally solid areas with a significant amount of eosinophilic fibrillar material (fibrin). Sections of muscle neoplasm were subjected to immunohistochemistry with anti-von Willebrand factor primary antibody, which showed a multifocal moderate cytoplasmic immunolabeling of neoplastic endothelial cells.Discussion: There are few reports of striated muscle hemangiosarcoma in cattle. Muscular hemangiosarcomas were reported in a 4-month-old calf in the left cervical trapezius muscle and a 6-year-old Holstein cow with left pelvic limb mass lateral and distal to the knee. Some reports presented hemangiosarcoma in the iliopsoas muscle, left cervical trapezius muscle, pelvic limb muscles and right cervical muscle of the bovine. In the presented report, hemoperitoneum occurred as a result of hemorrhages from muscle hemangiosarcoma. Other studies have demonstrated cavity hemorrhages in joint, pelvic, pleural and cranial cavities associated with hemangiosarcoma. Hemangiosarcoma with regenerative anemia must be distinguished from other diseases that cause anemia. The main differential diagnoses of bovine with anemia are vena cava syndrome, coumarin derivatives poisoning, acute poisoning by Pteridium spp., tick fever, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and trypanosomiasis. Hemangiosarcoma should be differentiated from other lesions as hemangioma, vascular tumor of lymphatic endothelium and perivascular wall tumors. Cases with poorly differentiated morphology should be submitted for immunohistochemistry. In the present hemangiosarcoma case, we have used the von Willebrand factor for immunohistochemistry diagnosis. Expression of angiogenic growth factors such as CD31, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) have also been used in the diagnosis of vascular proliferation lesions. Hemangiosarcoma in cattle should be included mainly in the differential diagnosis of diseases that cause acute anemia in cattle.Keywords: cattle, neoplasia, hemangiosarcoma, hemoperitoneum, anemia