Identificação da difusividade térmica de ligas metálicas utilizando um campo de temperatura periódico.

A caracterização termofísica dos materiais utilizados na Engenharia é de grande importância para realização de projetos nas mais diversas áreas de conhecimento onde os fenômenos ligados aos processos de transferência de calor exercem um papel fundamental. A difusividade térmica é uma propriedade termofísica importantíssima na análise de problemas de difusão de energia térmica. Este trabalho teve como proposta a determinação desta propriedade utilizando um campo de temperatura periódico. Para isto, foi construído um dispositivo experimental com princípio de funcionamento no método de Angstrom, o qual faz uso de um fluxo de calor periódico de uma fonte controlada, gerando assim, um campo de temperatura periódico na amostra em teste. Termopares foram instalados nas amostras para captar os sinais de temperatura gerados pelo fluxo de calor periódico. A amplitude e a fase destes sinais foram obtidas por meio de um software de análise gráfica. O termopar mais próximo da fonte de calor foi adotado como referência, ao passo que a razão de amplitudes e a defasagem, entre os sinais térmicos registrados pelos demais termopares em relação ao registrado por àquele termopar , foram calculadas. Estes resultados foram utilizados em modelos matemáticos para determinar a difusividade térmica, que pode ser identificada ou atra vés da razão de amplitudes ou através da defasagem entre os perfis de temperatura. As amostras utilizadas neste trabalho foram de aço inox AISI 304, aço inox AISI 316 e de uma liga de memória de forma de níquel-titânio. Os valores de difusividade térmica identificados para estes materiais, quando foram comparados com valores disponíveis na literatura, obtiveram uma boa concordância, tendo em vista a faixa de incerteza apresentada.Thermophysical characterization of materials used in engineering is very important for realization of projects in the most diverse areas of knowledge where the phenomena related to the process of heat transfer play an important role. Thermal diffusivity is a very important thermal property on the analysis of problems of diffusion of thermal energy. This work proposes the determination of this property using a periodic temperature field. For this, an experimental device was built with principle of operation in Angstrom’s method, which makes use of a periodic heat flow from a controlled source, thereby generating a periodic temperature field in the test sample. Thermocouples were installed on the samples for capture of signals generated by the periodic heat flow. Amplitude and phase of these signals were obtained by means of graphic analysis software. The thermocouple closest to the heat source was adopted as reference, and the ratio and phase lag, between the thermal signals registered by other thermocouples in relation to that registered by that thermocouple, were calculated. These results were utilized in mathematical models to determine the thermal diffusivity, whose identification can be performed either through the amplitude ratio or through the phase lag between the temperature profiles. Samples utilized in this work were stainless steel AISI 304, stainless steel AISI 316 and a shape memory alloy of nickel-titanium. Identified values of thermal diffusivity of these materials, when compared whit values available in literature obtained a good agreement, considering the range of uncertainty presented.CNP

GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS AND THEIR IMPACT ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TRADE: A CASE STUDY ON SOY

This paper discusses the introduction of genetically modified (GM) seeds in agriculture and their impact on the modus operandiof international trade of agricultural commodities. The central argument in this paper is that the commercial rejection by some markets, especially in the European Union, resulted in broad market share restructuring of the three largest international soy exporters: the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. These findings came as a result of trade flow analysis, taking into account the source and destination of soy in the soy trade using the quantitative Constant Market Share method. Taking into account that at the time of the study there were no legal trade barriers put up by the European Union, which was resistant to the use of Monsanto’s herbicide-tolerant soy (GTS-40-3-2), it is assumed that the effects resulting from its commercial rejection were due to demand factors and not for any official trade ban. It is concluded that technology adoption caused changes in factors that led to export growths. However, despite changes in market share, the globalization effect prevented exporters from incurring greater trade losses since they always had the option of moving their products to markets with lower levels of “hatred”.

The Role of Regional Innovation Systems (RIS) in Translating R&D Investments into Economic and Employment Growth

The emergence of the so-called “European Paradox” shows that increasing Governmental R&D Investment is far from being a ‘panacea’ for stagnant growth. It is worth noting that Governmental R&D Investment does not have a statistically significant impact on employment, indicating the need to assess the trade-offs of policies that could lead to significant increases in government expenditure. Surprisingly, Governmental R&D Employment does not contribute to ‘mass-market’ employment, despite its quite important role in reducing Youth-Unemployment. Despite the negative side-effects of Governmental R&D Employment on both GVA and GDP, University R&D Employment appears to have a quite important role in reducing Unemployment, especially Youth-Unemployment, while it also does not have a downside in terms of economic growth. Technological Capacity enhancement is the most effective instrument for reducing Unemployment and is a policy without any downside regarding sustainable economic development

Eficacia de las consultas realizadas por enfermeros en pacientes con artritis reumatoide : revisión sistemática

Enquadramento: Tradicionalmente, as pessoas com artrite reumatóide são monitorizadas apenas em consultas médicas. No entanto, vários estudos sugerem que este seguimento pode ser realizado também por enfermeiros, de forma protocolada. Objetivos: Determinar a eficácia das consultas de enfermagem no controlo da atividade da doença e de outros outcomes reportados em comparação com as consultas realizadas apenas por reumatologistas, em pessoas com artrite reumatóide. Método de Revisão: Seguiu-se a metodologia da Cochrane. Incluíram-se estudos em adultos com artrite reumatoide. Dois revisores independentes realizaram a avaliação crítica, extração e síntese dos dados. Apresentação e interpretação dos resultados: Os 7 estu- dos incluídos reportaram melhores resultados das consultas de enfermagem em termos de dor, capacidade funcional, qualidade de vida, autoeficácia, ou satisfação global. Destes estudos, 4 integraram a meta-análise que revelou não existir diferença estatisticamente significativa no controlo da atividade da doença entre enfermeiros e reumatologistas. Conclusão: As consultas de enfermagem são eficazes no controlo da atividade de doença, na redução do impacto sentido e na satisfação em pessoas com artrite reumatóide.Abstract Background: Traditionally, patients with rheumatoid arthritis are only monitored in medical consultations. However, several studies suggest that, with protocols, this follow-up can also be performed by nurses. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of nursing consultations in controlling disease activity and other patient-reported outcomes compared to rheumatology consultations only, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Review Method: The Cochranemethodology was followed. Studies that had been conducted with adults with rheumatoid arthritis were included. Critical appraisal, data extraction, and data synthesis were performed by 2 independent reviewers. Presentation and interpretation of results: The 7 studies included reported better outcomes of nursing consultations in terms of pain, physical function, quality of life, self-efficacy, or overall satisfaction. Of these, 4 studies were included in the meta-analysis, which revealed no statistically significant differences in the control of disease activity between nursing and rheumatology consultations. Conclusion: Nursing consultations are effective in controlling disease activity, reducing disease impact, and improving satisfaction in people with rheumatoid arthritis.Resumen Marco contextual: Normalmente a las personas con artritis reumatoide solo se las monitoriza en consultas médicas. Sin embargo, varios estudios sugieren que este seguimiento lo pueden realizar también los enfermeros, de forma protocolaria. Objetivos: Determinar la eficacia de las consultas de enfermería para controlar la actividad de la enfermedad y de otros resultados en comparación con las consultas realizadas solo por reumatólogos en pacientes con artritis reumatoide. Método de revisión: Se siguió la metodología de Cochrane. Se incluyeron estudios en adultos con artritis reumatoide. Dos revisores independientes realizaron una evaluación crítica, extracción y síntesis de los datos. Presentación e interpretación de los resultados: Los 7estudios incluidos registraron mejores resultados de las consultas de enfermería en relación al dolor, la capacidad funcional, la calidad de vida, la autoeficacia o la satisfacción global. De estos estudios, 4 formaron parte del metanálisis en el que se observó que no existía diferencia estadísticamente significativa en el control de la actividad de la enfermedad entre enfermeros y reumatólogos. Conclusión: Las consultas de enfermería son eficaces en el control de la actividad de la enfermedad, en la reducción del impacto sentido y en la satisfacción de los pacientes con artritis reumatoide.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The predominance of M2-polarized macrophages in the stroma of low-hypoxic bladder tumors is associated with BCG immunotherapy failure

OBJECTIVE: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy is the gold standard treatment for superficial bladder tumors with intermediate/high risk of recurrence or progression. However, approximately 30% of patients fail to respond to the treatment. Effective BCG therapy needs precise activation of the type 1 helper cells immune pathway. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) often assume an immunoregulatory M2 phenotype and may directly interfere with the BCG-induced antitumor immune response. Thus, we aim to clarify the influence of TAMs, in particular of the M2 phenotype in stroma and tumor areas, in BCG treatment outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 99 patients with bladder cancer treated with BCG. Tumors resected before treatment were evaluated using immunohistochemistry for CD68 and CD163 antigens, which identify a lineage macrophage marker and a M2-polarized specific cell surface receptor, respectively. CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages were evaluated within the stroma and tumor areas, and high density of infiltrating cells spots were selected for counting. Hypoxia, an event known to modulate macrophage phenotype, was also assessed through hypoxia induced factor (HIF)-1α expression. RESULTS: Patients in whom BCG failed had high stroma-predominant CD163+ macrophage counts (high stroma but low tumor CD163+ macrophages counts) when compared with the ones with a successful treatment (71% vs. 47%, P = 0.017). Furthermore, patients presenting this phenotype showed decreased recurrence-free survival (log rank, P = 0.008) and a clear 2-fold increased risk of BCG treatment failure was observed in univariate analysis (hazard ratio = 2.343; 95% CI: 1.197-4.587; P = 0.013). Even when adjusted for potential confounders, such as age and therapeutic scheme, multivariate analysis revealed 2.6-fold increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.627; 95% CI: 1.340-5.150; P = 0.005). High stroma-predominant CD163+ macrophage counts were also associated with low expression of HIF-1α in tumor areas, whereas high counts of CD163+ in the tumor presented high expression of HIF-1α in tumor nests. CONCLUSIONS: TAMs evaluation using CD163 is a good indicator of BCG treatment failure. Moreover, elevated infiltration of CD163+ macrophages, predominantly in stroma areas but not in the tumor, may be a useful indicator of BCG treatment outcome, possibly owing to its immunosuppressive phenotype

Cutting energy required during the mechanical processing of wood species at different drying stages

The aim of this study was to know the variation profile of the specific energy consumption required to cut woods with varying densities and moisture contents. Therefore, peripheral cuts were performed in the longitudinal direction of the grain with numerical control controlled by Computational Numerical Command in woods of different densities, established at different drying stages. An energy analyzer, capable of calculate the specific energy consumed during the wood processing, was used to measure the energy information. The results indicated that the higher the wood density, the greater the positive influence of the moisture content on the specific cutting energy. In the anhydrous condition, the higher the wood density, the higher the cutting energy. With increased moisture content, less cutting power was required during the wood processing. Therefore, it was possible to conclude that during the milling type mechanical processing of wood, moisture content has a great influence on the specific cutting energy consumption

O impacto das praticas inovadoras de micro e pequenos empreendedores na prosperidade de seus negócios

Ao introduzir novos serviços e produtos no mercado, através da criação de seus negócios, os empreendedores, de certo modo, introduziram um novo valor no mercado, porém eles necessitam introduzir inovações para garantir o êxito. A inovação é necessária porque é através dela que os empreendedores conseguem implantar diferenciais em seus negócios, os tornando competitivos. Considerando, por conseguinte, que a inovação gera crescimento e prosperidade econômica aos negócios, este estudo investiga as práticas inovadoras de micro e pequenos empreendedores e como estas práticas favorecem os seus negócios. O método empregado para a obtenção dos dados incluiu uma pesquisa de campo aplicada a uma amostra de 53 micro empreendedores que participam do programa Empreender Paraíba, na cidade de João Pessoa. As variáveis de inovação examinadas incluem: inovação de produtos, de processo, gerencial e de marketing. Já as variáveis de êxito incluem: vendas, faturamento, número de clientes, qualidade do produto/serviço, entre outras.  Os resultados, obtidos com uso de estatística descritiva e através da correlação de Pearson, indicam que os empreendedores utilizam todos os tipos de inovação estudados. Também indicam que a inovação de processo, gerencial e de marketing impactam na redução de dividas, e ainda que o grau de inovação de produtos, de processo, de marketing e gerencial exercem influência direta em alguns indicadores de êxito. Portanto nesta pesquisa se comprova empiricamente que determinadas práticas inovadores auxiliam o êxito dos negócios reduzindo as dívidas, assim como diferentes graus de inovação auxiliam o êxito aumentando vendas, faturamento, número de clientes e qualidade dos produtos

On the Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Areas Using Census Data: The Lisbon Metropolitan Area as a Pilot Study Area

This paper presents a procedure for the application of an index-based vulnerability assessment method to the seismic risk assessment of 292,978 reinforced concrete and 152,916 unreinforced masonry buildings in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). A singular innovation of this proposed methodology is that it is tailored to be fed with data from the 2011 national population and housing Census. The vulnerability results are then combined with the seismic hazard component into a GIS tool used to map seismic risk across the LMA. The spatial representation of these results highlights the areas of different levels of vulnerability and risk.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Skeletal muscle–adipose tissue–tumor axis : molecular mechanisms linking exercise training in prostate cancer

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Increased visceral adiposity may influence the development of prostate cancer (PCa) aggressive tumors and cancer mortality. White adipose tissue (WAT), usually referred to as periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT), surrounds the prostatic gland and has emerged as a potential mediator of the tumor microenvironment. Exercise training (ET) induces several adaptations in both skeletal muscle and WAT. Some of these effects are mediated by ET-induced synthesis and secretion of several proteins, known as myo- and adipokines. Together, myokines and adipokines may act in an endocrine-like manner to favor communication between skeletal muscle and WAT, as they may work together to improve whole-body metabolic health. This crosstalk may constitute a potential mechanism by which ET exerts its beneficial role in the prevention and treatment of PCa-related disorders; however, this has not yet been explored. Therefore, we reviewed the current evidence on the effects of skeletal muscle–WAT–tumor crosstalk in PCa, and the potential mediators of this process to provide a better understanding of underlying ET-related mechanisms in cancer.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio