Balanced scorecard performance assessment in a medical imaging department

The authors present and discuss the development of a strategic management model based on the Balanced Scorecard by Kaplan and Norton to implement in an imaging ward and the relations with Performance Measurement System that allows for the monitoring of the service's evolution, the alignment of objectives, and the evaluation of individual employees within the strategy of the ward and the hospital

EFEITO DA IDADE DA MATRIZ NO TEMPO DE ECLOSÃO, TEMPO DE PERMANÊNCIA DO NEONATO NO NASCEDOURO E O PESO DO PINTAINHO

Six hundred eggs from 32, 43 and 60 week-old Cobb-500®  broiler breeder were incubated at 37,8°C  and 60% of humidity. It was used a completely randomized design with three treatments (broiler breeder ages) and 200 repetitions (each embryo/chick was considered a repetition). Eggs were weighted at 1st and 19 th days, weight losses during the incubation were estimated, chicks were weighted at birth and when they were removed from hatchery and weight losses during this period were measured. Eggs and chicks from older broiler breeder were heavier. There were no differences in relation to egg weight losses, on chick weight percentages (chick weight/egg weight ratio), of incubation time (h) and on the weight losses during their hatchery remaining. Considering 32, 43 and 60 week-old broiler breeder, respectively, initial egg weight was highly and positively correlated with egg weight at 19 th day of incubation (0.75; 0.86 and 0.79), with birth chick weight (0.57, 0.72, 0.72) and with chick weight at hatchery removing (0.38, 0.41, 0.51); positive correlations (0.61,0.41 and 0.63) were observed between incubation time and chick weight. Negative correlations (-0.79, -0.96 and -0.76) were found between incubation time and chick weight losses during hatchery remaining. In conclusion, broiler breeder age affected egg and chick weight. Eggs from different broiler breeder ages might be incubated during the same period without affecting the quality of newborn in function of the time spends in hatchery.Utilizaram-se 600 ovos embrionados, provenientes de matrizes de 32, 43 e 60 semanas de idade, da linhagem Cobb – 500, incubados a 37,8°C e 60% de umidade. Foram analisados peso do ovo, peso dos ovos aos 19 dias de incubação, tempo de incubação, perda de peso do ovo durante a incubação, peso dos pintainhos no momento do nascimento e na retirada do nascedouro e perda de peso do pintainho no nascedouro. Foi utilizado um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso com 3 tratamentos (idade da matriz) e 200 repetições (cada ovo foi considerado uma repetição). Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e Teste de Tukey (5%). Matrizes mais velhas produziram ovos mais pesados. Não houve diferença na perda de peso de ovos, no percentual de peso dos pintainhos, no tempo de incubação (h) e também na perda de peso do pintainho no nascedouro. Houve uma correlação positiva (0,75; 0,86; 0,79 respectivamente para matrizes de 32, 43 e 60 semanas) entre o peso inicial dos ovos e o peso dos ovos aos 19 dias de incubação, com o peso do pintainho, no momento do nascimento (0,57; 0,72; 0,72) e no momento da retirada do nascedouro (0,38; 0,41; 0,51). Também houve correlação (0,61; 0,41 e 0,63) entre o tempo de incubação e o peso do pintainho e com a perda de peso do pintainho no nascedouro (-0,79; -0,96; -0,76). Conclui-se que a idade da reprodutora afeta o peso do ovo e do pintainho. Ovos de matrizes de diferentes idades necessitam o mesmo tempo para incubação

Durability assessment of external thermal insulation composite systems in urban and maritime environments

External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are multilayer solutions which provide an enhanced thermal performance to the building envelope. However, significant anomalies can be detected on ETICS facades, in some cases shortly after the application of these systems. This study intends to evaluate and compare the durability of six commercially available ETICS after two years of outdoor exposure at both urban and maritime conditions in Portugal. The systems were characterized by means of non-destructive testing (i.e., visual and microscopic assessment, water transport properties, thermal conductivity, surface roughness), thus allowing to evaluate the performance loss throughout natural aging. The bio-susceptibility and aesthetic properties (color and gloss) were also investigated. Results showed that the performance and durability of the complete system is significantly affected by the rendering system formulation. The lime-based specimens obtained the highest rate of mold development after one year of aging in a maritime environment, becoming considerably darker and with lower surface gloss. Fungal analysis of this darkish stained area indicated the presence of mold species of the genera Alternaria, Didymella, Cladosporium and Epicoccum, and yeasts of the genera Vishniacozyma and Cystobasidium. An increase of both capillary water absorption and water vapor permeability was also registered for the aged lime-based specimens. Acrylic-based systems obtained lower capillary water absorption after aging and greater dirt deposition on their surfaces, especially in urban conditions. These systems had also higher color variation and surface gloss decrease and slightly higher mold growth, when compared with those aged in a maritime environment. Finally, no mold growth was detected on the silicate-based specimens after two years of aging. However, these specimens obtained higher capillary water absorption and lower vapor permeability after aging, possibly leading to moisture accumulation within the system. Results contribute towards the development of ETICS with enhanced performance and durability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Capturing and Quantifying Particle Transcytosis with Microphysiological Intestine-on-Chip Models

Understanding the intestinal transport of particles is critical in several fields ranging from optimizing drug delivery systems to capturing health risks from the increased presence of nano- and micro-sized particles in human environment. While Caco-2 cell monolayers grown on permeable supports are the traditional in vitro model used to probe intestinal absorption of dis-solved molecules, they fail to recapitulate the transcytotic activity of polar-ized enterocytes. Here, an intestine-on-chip model is combined with in silico modeling to demonstrate that the rate of particle transcytosis is ≈350× higher across Caco-2 cell monolayers exposed to fluid shear stress compared to Caco-2 cells in standard “static” configuration. This relates to profound phe-notypical alterations and highly polarized state of cells grown under mechan-ical stimulation and it is shown that transcytosis in the microphysiological model is energy-dependent and involves both clathrin and macropinocytosis mediated endocytic pathways. Finally, it is demonstrated that the increased rate of transcytosis through cells exposed to flow is explained by a higher rate of internal particle transport (i.e., vesicular cellular trafficking and baso-lateral exocytosis), rather than a change in apical uptake (i.e., binding and endocytosis). Taken together, the findings have important implications for addressing research questions concerning intestinal transport of engineered and environmental particles.Ludivine C. Delon, Matthew Faria, Zhengyang Jia, Stuart Johnston, Rachel Gibson, Clive A. Prestidge, and Benjamin Thierr

Green manure in coffee systems in the region of Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais: characteristics and kinetics of carbon and nitrogen mineralization.

The use of green manure may contribute to reduce soil erosion and increase the soil organic matter content and N availability in coffee plantations in the Zona da Mata, State of Minas Gerais, in Southeastern Brazil. The potential of four legumes (A. pintoi, C. mucunoides, S. aterrimum and S. guianensis)to produce above-ground biomass, accumulate nutrients and mineralize N was studied in two coffee plantations of subsistence farmers under different climate conditions. The biomass production of C. mucunoides was influenced by the shade of the coffee plantation.C. mucunoides tended to mineralize more N than the other legumes due to the low polyphenol content and polyphenol/N ratio. In the first year, the crop establishment of A. pintoi in the area took longer than of the other legumes, resulting in lower biomass production and N2 fixation. In the long term, cellulose was the main factor controlling N mineralization. The biochemical characteristics, nutrient accumulation and biomass production of the legumes were greatly influenced by the altitude and position of the area relative to the sun

The pattern of growth hormone secretion during the menstrual cycle in normal and depressed women

Objective Major depression is associated to altered hypothalamic pituitary function. Stress is linked to elevated cortisol as well as menstrual cycle disturbance; however, there is no known relationship between depression and menstrual cycle disruption. The aim of this study was to investigate changes of growth hormone (GH) secretion during the menstrual cycle in normal and depressed women. Design Case-control study. Patients and methods Nineteen women affected with depression and 24 normal controls were included. The two groups had comparable body mass index (BMI), and age (29·4 ±9·8 vs. 28·6 ± 9·7 years). Nine depressed and 10 controls were studied in the follicular phase, while 10 depressed and 14 controls were studied in the luteal phase of the cycle. GH was sampled every 10 min for 24 h, and the data were analysed by the cluster pulse detection method. Results There was no difference in 24-h mean GH concentrations between depressed and control subjects (P =0·93), even after accounting for menstrual cycle phase (P = 0·38). GH pulse frequency was higher during the follicular phase of the cycle (P =0·032), and nocturnal GH was higher in the follicular phase of the cycle (P =0·05, and after adjusting for 24-h GH, P= 0·0138) regardless of whether thesubjects were depressed or healthy. Conclusions In studies of GH secretion in women with or without depression, it is necessary to control for the phase of menstrual cycle.NIMH MH 50030 NICHD K12HD01438Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49486/2/KasaVubuYoung.pd

Neutrophil elastase promotes Leishmania donovani infection via interferon-β

Visceral leishmaniasis is a deadly illness caused by Leishmania donovani that provokes liver and spleen inflammation and tissue destruction. In cutaneous leishmaniasis, the protein of L. major named inhibitor of serine peptidases (ISP2) inactivates neutrophil elastase (NE) present at the macrophage surface, resulting in blockade of TLR4 activation, prevention of TNF and IFN production and parasite survival. We report poor intracellular growth of L. donovani in macrophages from knock-out mice for NE (ela-/-), TLR4 or TLR2. NE and TLR4 co-localized with the parasite in the parasitophorous vacuole. Parasite load in the liver and spleen of ela-/- mice were reduced and accompanied by increased nitric oxide and decreased TGF production. Expression of ISP2 was not detected in L. donovani and a transgenic line constitutively expressing ISP2, displayed poor intracellular growth in macrophages and decreased burden in mice. Infected ela-/- macrophages displayed significantly lower IFN mRNA than background mice macrophages and the intracellular growth of was fully restored by exogenous IFN. We propose that L. donovani utilizes the host NE-TLR machinery to induce IFN necessary for parasite survival/growth during early infection. Low or absent expression of parasite ISP2 in L. donovani is necessary to preserve the activation of the NE-TLR pathway