Análise de investimento de programas de melhoramento de pastagem para a produção de gado de corte no Cerrado.

Descrição do modelo. Suposições referentes ao sistema tradicional. Estrutura do modelo. Dados. Validação. Programa de computador. Experimentação. Resultados e discussão. Proporção de pastagem melhorada na fazenda e idade de venda de macho. Taxa de estabelecimento da pastagem cultivada. Método para aumentar o numero de vacas de cria. Método para aumentar o tamanho do rebanho. Compra de vacas velhas para engordar durante a estação chuvosa. Prioridade para o uso da pastagem melhorada.bitstream/item/104671/1/Analise-de-investimento-de-programas.pd

New Zealand agriculture and oil price increases

This paper is based on the assumptions that world oil resources are finite and that world oil production will peak sometime in the 1980s or 1990s (Hughes & Mesarovic 1978 : 139). Such a scenario is now widely accepted and is robust to alternative assumptions on oil prices and reserves. Increases in the real world price of oil are therefore likely to occur. Because of New Zealand's almost complete dependence on imported oil for liquid fuel purposes and New Zealand's continuing balance of payments problems, the situation could become serious for New Zealand resulting in policies designed to reduce use of oil based fuels, such as substantial domestic fuel price increases, or government regulation of fuel use, such as rationing. This paper attempts to give an indication of the implications that an oil price rise could have for New Zealand agriculture. A large part of the paper is concerned with transport, since the transport industry is the largest user of liquid fuels in New Zealand. The paper concentrates on the effects of fuel price rises as opposed to physical rationing of liquid fuels. In describing the potential effects of fuel price rises, particular attention has been given to how farm costs and farm product prices may be affected by fuel price increases. Most attention is given to effects on and responses from the farm production sector of agriculture, although some consideration is also given to the agricultural freight and product processing sectors. Some brief comments are also made on the demand for transport in rural areas so that equitable fuel pricing or rationing systems can be devised and implemented if, and when, necessary

A hazard analysis method for systematic identification of safety requirements for user interface software in medical devices

© Springer International Publishing AG (outside the US) 2017. Formal methods technologies have the potential to verify the usability and safety of user interface (UI) software design in medical devices, enabling significant reductions in use errors and consequential safety incidents with such devices. This however depends on comprehensive and verifiable safety requirements to leverage these techniques for detecting and preventing flaws in UI software that can induce use errors. This paper presents a hazard analysis method that extends Leveson’s System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) with a comprehensive set of causal factor categories, so as to provide developers with clear guidelines for systematic identification of use-related hazards associated with medical devices, their causes embedded in UI software design, and safety requirements for mitigating such hazards. The method is evaluated with a case study on the Gantry-2 radiation therapy system, which demonstrates that (1) as compared to standard STPA, our method allowed us to identify more UI software design issues likely to cause use-related hazards; and (2) the identified UI software design issues facilitated the definition of precise, verifiable safety requirements for UI software, which could be readily formalized in verification tools such as Prototype Verification System (PVS).- U.S. Food and Drug Administration(NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000016)Sandy Weininger (FDA), Scott Thiel (Navigant Consulting, Inc.), Michelle Jump (Stryker), Stefania Gnesi (ISTI/CNR) and the CHI+MED team (www.chi-med.ac.uk) provided useful feedback and inputs. Paolo Masci’s work is supported by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within Project “NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000016”.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A certified plasmid reference material for the standardisation of BCR-ABL1 mRNA quantification by real-time quantitative PCR

Serial quantification of BCR–ABL1 mRNA is an important therapeutic indicator in chronic myeloid leukaemia, but there is a substantial variation in results reported by diff

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

Background: Many patients with COVID-19 have been treated with plasma containing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]) is assessing several possible treatments in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 177 NHS hospitals from across the UK. Eligible and consenting patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either usual care alone (usual care group) or usual care plus high-titre convalescent plasma (convalescent plasma group). The primary outcome was 28-day mortality, analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936. Findings: Between May 28, 2020, and Jan 15, 2021, 11558 (71%) of 16287 patients enrolled in RECOVERY were eligible to receive convalescent plasma and were assigned to either the convalescent plasma group or the usual care group. There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality between the two groups: 1399 (24%) of 5795 patients in the convalescent plasma group and 1408 (24%) of 5763 patients in the usual care group died within 28 days (rate ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·93–1·07; p=0·95). The 28-day mortality rate ratio was similar in all prespecified subgroups of patients, including in those patients without detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at randomisation. Allocation to convalescent plasma had no significant effect on the proportion of patients discharged from hospital within 28 days (3832 [66%] patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 3822 [66%] patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·94–1·03; p=0·57). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at randomisation, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients meeting the composite endpoint of progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or death (1568 [29%] of 5493 patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 1568 [29%] of 5448 patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·93–1·05; p=0·79). Interpretation: In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, high-titre convalescent plasma did not improve survival or other prespecified clinical outcomes. Funding: UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research

Tocilizumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Background: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of tocilizumab in adult patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 with both hypoxia and systemic inflammation. Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing several possible treatments in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK. Those trial participants with hypoxia (oxygen saturation <92% on air or requiring oxygen therapy) and evidence of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein ≥75 mg/L) were eligible for random assignment in a 1:1 ratio to usual standard of care alone versus usual standard of care plus tocilizumab at a dose of 400 mg–800 mg (depending on weight) given intravenously. A second dose could be given 12–24 h later if the patient's condition had not improved. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. The trial is registered with ISRCTN (50189673) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04381936). Findings: Between April 23, 2020, and Jan 24, 2021, 4116 adults of 21 550 patients enrolled into the RECOVERY trial were included in the assessment of tocilizumab, including 3385 (82%) patients receiving systemic corticosteroids. Overall, 621 (31%) of the 2022 patients allocated tocilizumab and 729 (35%) of the 2094 patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days (rate ratio 0·85; 95% CI 0·76–0·94; p=0·0028). Consistent results were seen in all prespecified subgroups of patients, including those receiving systemic corticosteroids. Patients allocated to tocilizumab were more likely to be discharged from hospital within 28 days (57% vs 50%; rate ratio 1·22; 1·12–1·33; p<0·0001). Among those not receiving invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, patients allocated tocilizumab were less likely to reach the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilation or death (35% vs 42%; risk ratio 0·84; 95% CI 0·77–0·92; p<0·0001). Interpretation: In hospitalised COVID-19 patients with hypoxia and systemic inflammation, tocilizumab improved survival and other clinical outcomes. These benefits were seen regardless of the amount of respiratory support and were additional to the benefits of systemic corticosteroids. Funding: UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research

Some economic aspects of Conference and non-Conference wool shipping

It is suggested that the freight rate that an alternative wool shipping service could offer will influence the Conference rate for wool shipped from New Zealand to Europe. Data are presented showing that wool freight rate increases over the past five years have been less than freight rate increases for dairy products and meat, the possibility that wool freight rates may have been held back due to the threat of an alternative service in the form of bulk carriers is suggested. Freight rates for a hypothetical specialised wool service are estimated and compared with Conference rates. These comparisons show that the Conference rates in 1972 and 1976 were very close to the estimated rates for the specialised service. It is also shown that the estimated rates are sensitive to a number of assumptions regarding the specialised service. It is concluded that alternative systems of shipping wool warrant closer investigation in order for the wool industry to move towards the most efficient system for shipping wool to Europe. Whilst it appears quite feasible for wool to be carried by an alternative service within the context of the current wool marketing system, it is likely that the economics of an alternative service would benefit substantially from changes in various aspects of the wool marketing system. In addition, it is probable that a specialised wool service could be geared closely to the wool industry and would permit change and improvements to be effected more easily than the present liner service where wool is viewed as a general cargo. The proposition that the withdrawal of wool from the current liner service would create higher freight rates for other export cargoes may be true in the short term. It is quite probable that the liner service would adjust in the longer term to the new cargo mix so offsetting the need for higher rates of freight, this is especially so since a withdrawal of wool would reduce the high imbalance, by weight and by volume, of the northbound/southbound trades. Apart from detailed investigations into alternative shipping systems, other fruitful areas for study suggested are; (i) Cross subsidy effects between products of freight rates set by the Conference should be identified so that Government policies on protection/subsidisation can be formulated more rationally. (ii) The requirements of wool importers in Europe should be researched more fully, especially with respect to frequency of service and order delivery times. (iii) Further research and investigations are required into how the withdrawal of wool would affect the overall efficiency of the Conference service. Whether cargoes other than wool are best serviced by a shipping service that includes or excludes wool should be investigated in the national interest

The cost of overseas shipping : who pays?

The overseas freight bill for New Zealand is estimated for the year ending 30 June 1980 to be $1.2 billion. The burden of this freight charge predominantly falls on New Zealand exporters and importers. Since a high portion of this charge is incurred in foreign exchange, the escalating sea freight bill contributes significantly to New Zealand's poor balance of payments position. The paper addresses a number of questions: Q1. Have shipping freight rates increased faster than other costs in our economy? The answer to this question is yes. Q2. What has led to such high freight rate increases? The answer to this question is associated with a high level of capital invested in cellular containerships over the past decade and the increasing cost of oil based fuels. There would appear to have been few productivity gains to compensate for such increased costs. Q3. How do these freight rate increases affect farm gate returns? The answer to this question is that any increase in sea freight rates results in a corresponding drop in farm gate returns. Q4. What are the arguments for and against sole use of the Conference Lines? Seven arguments used in support of sole use are detailed. Two arguments used by those opposed to exclusive use of the Conference Lines follow. In my opinion the balance of argument favours those opposed to sole use but more investigation is required before a specific policy change can be recommended. Q5. What course of action should be pursued? Producer Boards and Government Departments must put New Zealand in a position of strength by investigating alternative shipping systems in a serious manner. Over the next year or so every support should be given to those who are probing the present shipping system