Drinking-and-driving prevalence in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Problems resulting from alcohol consumption by drivers have been studied worldwide, and epidemiological research points to high injury and death rates related to drinking-and-driving. However, equivalent data are limited in Brazil. in this study, 913 drivers were stopped on public roads with heavy traffic and high concentrations of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, and asked to answer a questionnaire and submit to an active breathalyzer test. the study was done in December 2005 and December 2006. the study adopted the internationally accepted sobriety checkpoint method. in the sample, 38.0% of drivers showed some trace of alcohol in their exhaled air, and 19.6% were at or above the legal limit (0.6g/l). These figures were five times those found in similar surveys in other countries. the findings suggest a critical drinking-and-driving problem in Belo Horizonte (and probably elsewhere in Brazil) and the need for on-going research, the development of specific public policies to deal with the problem, and effective enforcement of the existing law.Secretaria Desenvolvimento Social & Esportes, Subsecretaria Antidrogas de Minas Gerais, BR-30140090 Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUnidade Pesquisa Alcool & Drogas, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Bafômetro positivo: correlatos do comportamento de beber e dirigir na cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil

As características dos condutores que adotam o comportamento do beber e dirigir ainda não foram bem estudadas no país. O presente estudo apresenta dados da prevalência e características dos motoristas sob a influência de álcool nas nove regionais da cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foram entrevistados 1.656 condutores. Desses, 1.254 (76%) aceitaram responder a um questionário estruturado e fazer o teste do bafômetro. O teste do bafômetro foi positivo para 15% dos condutores. O modelo de regressão logística prediz bafômetro positivo com chance 1,5 vez maior para os condutores com idade acima de 31 anos e 4,5 vezes maior para quem tem frequência de consumo de álcool pelo menos semanal. Além disso, condutores da regional Barreiro tem 2 vezes mais chances de apresentarem bafômetro positivo. Estudos localizados com metodologia dos postos de checagem da sobriedade podem monitorar o comportamento e características dos condutores, riscos no trânsito e direcionar políticas públicas para o beber e dirigir

Women and working in healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil: bullying of colleagues

Background: Based on a feminist approach, we analyzed the experiences of workplace bullying suffered by women front-line healthcare professionals dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. We start from studies that show that women make up 70% of the global health workforce, 85% in the area of nursing, and 90% in the case of social care workers. An unequivocal need thus exists to address gender issues regarding the composition of the labor force in the health area. The pandemic has aggravated recurring problems involving healthcare professionals at the various caregiving levels, such as mental harassment (bullying) and its effects on mental health. Methods: Data were gathered from an online survey of a convenience (non-probability) sample composed of 1,430 volunteer respondents, all women that work in the public health system in Brazil. The analyses and discussions involved the responses to a questionnaire containing 12 closed-ended questions and one open-ended question. Results: The results revealed a context of workplace bullying aggravated by precarious material, institutional and organizational conditions in the area of health services against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. This context has variously led to aggression, isolation, heavy workloads, and invasion of privacy, humiliation, persecution and fear as it was possible to see, mainly, in the answers to the study’s open-ended question. This situation degrades both work relations and the integrity of the healthcare professionals who work on the front line to treat Covid-19 cases. Conclusion: We conclude that bullying is a psychosocial phenomenon that heightens the oppression and subordination still experienced by women in the contemporary context, but with new hues in a scenario of frontline response to Covid-19

Interaction and compatibility studies of efavirenz with pharmaceutical excipients

Although excipients have traditionally been thought of as being inert, experience has shown that there can be interactions between excipients and drugs. Thus, knowledge of potential physical and chemical interactions can be very useful. The compatibility of efavirenz with the excipients: sodium lauryl sulfate, spray dried lactose, hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and croscarmellose sodium was studied. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used as screening techniques. DSC curves of binary mixtures were quite different from the efavirenz raw material, suggesting a strong interaction, including possible chemical reactions between efavirenz and excipients at increased temperatures. However, FT-IR, XRPD and RS showed that no chemical reaction occurred between efavirenz and excipients at room temperature. Efavirenz can exist in more than one crystalline form, which may have implications for its behavior during production, and also for its in vivo performance. XRPD, DSC, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Intrinsic Dissolution Rate (IDR) were used for the solid-state characterization of efavirenz and showed that the raw material used corresponded to Form I and maintained its crystal structure during the study. Intrinsic dissolution studies indicated that bioavailability problems may arise because of the poor solubility of efavirenz

Bafômetro positivo: correlatos do comportamento de beber e dirigir na cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil Alcoholímetro positivo: interrelación entre la conducta de beber y conducir en la ciudad de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil Positive breathalyzer test: factors associated with drinking and driving in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

As características dos condutores que adotam o comportamento do beber e dirigir ainda não foram bem estudadas no país. O presente estudo apresenta dados da prevalência e características dos motoristas sob a influência de álcool nas nove regionais da cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foram entrevistados 1.656 condutores. Desses, 1.254 (76%) aceitaram responder a um questionário estruturado e fazer o teste do bafômetro. O teste do bafômetro foi positivo para 15% dos condutores. O modelo de regressão logística prediz bafômetro positivo com chance 1,5 vez maior para os condutores com idade acima de 31 anos e 4,5 vezes maior para quem tem frequência de consumo de álcool pelo menos semanal. Além disso, condutores da regional Barreiro tem 2 vezes mais chances de apresentarem bafômetro positivo. Estudos localizados com metodologia dos postos de checagem da sobriedade podem monitorar o comportamento e características dos condutores, riscos no trânsito e direcionar políticas públicas para o beber e dirigir.<br>Las características de los conductores que adoptan la conducta de beber y conducir todavía no han sido bien estudiadas en el país. El presente estudio muestra datos de la prevalencia y características de los conductores bajo la influencia de alcohol en las nueve carreteras regionales de la ciudad de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Se entrevistaron a 1.656 conductores. De ellos, 1.254 (76%) aceptaron responder a un cuestionario estructurado y hacer el test del alcoholímetro. El test del alcoholímetro fue positivo para un 15% de los conductores. El modelo de regresión logística predice un alcoholímetro positivo con una probabilidad 1,5 vez mayor para los conductores de edad por encima de los 31 años y 4,5 veces mayor para quien tiene una frecuencia de consumo de alcohol por lo menos semanal. Asimismo, conductores de la regional Barreiro tienen 2 veces más probabilidad de presentar positivo en el alcoholímetro. Estudios localizados, con metodología de los puestos de control de alcoholemia, pueden supervisar el comportamiento y características de los conductores, los riesgos en el tráfico rodado y dirigir políticas públicas para evitar el alcohol y conducir de manera segura.<br>Few researches in Brazil have focused on factors associated with drinking and driving. The current study presents data on the prevalence and characteristics of individuals that drive under the influence of alcohol (DUI) in nine regions of the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. A total of 1,656 drivers were interviewed, of whom 1,254 (76%) agreed to answer a structured questionnaire and submit to the breathalyzer test. The breathalyzer test was positive in 15% of these drivers. The logistic regression model predicted 1.5 times higher odds of a positive breathalyzer test in drivers over 31 years of age and 4.5 times higher in individuals that reported at least weekly alcohol consumption. In addition, drivers in the Barreiro region showed two-fold odds of a positive breathalyzer test. Focused studies with sobriety checkpoints can monitor DUI behavior, drivers' characteristics, and traffic risks, meanwhile orienting public policies to prevent drinking and driving

Beber e dirigir: características de condutores com bafômetro positivo

CONTEXTO: O beber e dirigir não foi suficientemente estudado no Brasil até agora. OBJETIVO: Apresentar dados do primeiro levantamento sobre o comportamento do beber e dirigir de um estado do Brasil. MÉTODO: Foram conduzidas 1.799 entrevistas anônimas com motoristas em postos de checagem de sobriedade em 10 cidades, representando as 10 regiões geográficas do estado de Minas Gerais. Desses motoristas, 1.209 (67,2%) responderam a um questionário estruturado e aceitaram o teste do bafômetro. RESULTADOS: Vinte por cento dos motoristas estavam dirigindo com níveis de alcoolemia acima do limite legal. A análise de regressão logística, controlada por sexo, foi utilizada para predizer bafômetro positivo. Essa análise mostrou chance aumentada de bafômetro positivo para condutor com idade acima de 31 anos que tem frequência de consumo de álcool de, pelo menos, um a dois dias na semana e para quem não usa o cinto de segurança. CONCLUSÃO: Estudos localizados com metodologia similares realizados em postos de checagem da sobriedade podem monitorar o comportamento dos condutores e os riscos no trânsito e direcionar políticas públicas sobre o beber e dirigir

DIÁLOGO DE EXPERIÊNCIAS SOBRE EXTENSÃO UNIVERSITÁRIA E TECNOLOGIA SOCIAL

O objetivo deste artigo é relatar experiências vivenciadas na Incubadora Tecnológica de Cooperativa Populares - ITCP/UNEB, na Cooperativa de alunos do Centro Territorial de Educação Profissional de Irecê- UNEB e, na Universidade Bolivariana de Venezuela, demonstrando a articulação entre a extensão universitária e tecnologia social. O método utilizado foi de abordagem qualitativa do tipo exploratório-descritiva, e, quanto à natureza do objeto, teórico-empírica. Concluímos corroborando com a visão da ação extensionista como ato educativo e participativo que permite o diálogo de conhecimentos com fins transformadores, consubstanciada com a tecnologia social como parte atuante da extensão universitária e vice-versa.Palavras-chave: Extensão Universitária; Tecnologia Social; Conhecimento. 

Interaction and compatibility studies of efavirenz with pharmaceutical excipients

Although excipients have traditionally been thought of as being inert, experience has showed interaction between them and the drugs; therefore, is very useful the knowledge about potential physical and chemical interactions. The compatibility of efavirenz with the excipients: sodium lauryl sulfate, spray dried lactose, hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and croscarmellose sodium were studied. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy (RS) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used as screening techniques. DSC curves of binary mixtures were quite different than efavirenz raw material, suggesting strong interaction and/ or even chemical reactions between efavirenz and excipients with temperature increasing. However, FT-IR, XRPD and RS showed that no interaction and/ or even chemical reaction between efavirenz and excipients occurred at room temperature. Efavirenz is one non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), used in the High Activity Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection (HIV-1). This Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) has more than one crystalline form, which may have implications for its behavior during production and also for its in vivo performance. XRPD, DSC, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Intrinsic Dissolution Rate (IDR) were used in the solid-state characterization of efavirenz and was determined that the raw material used corresponds with Form I and maintains its crystal structure during the study. IDR indicated that bioavailability problems may arise because of drug-dependent dissolution