Vitamin A serum level in children with visceral leishmaniasis

Vitamin A is considered an anti-infectious disease vitamin, and its deficiency is associated with severe infections such as in measles. In developing countries the low concentrations of vitamin A are a public health problem. The aim of this study is to describe serum vitamin A concentrations among children with visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Blood sample was collected from 22 children with VL, and stored in a freezer, 9 siblings, with no clinical signs of the VL patients had their blood collected for a control group. Samples were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography. The median vitamin A concentration in the LV group was 21.38µg/100ml and in the control group it was 31.39µg/100. The mean in the LV was statistically lower than in the control group, using Student's t test, p<0.01.A vitamina A tem sido considerada uma vitamina anti-infecciosa e sua deficiência está associada a um maior risco de infecções graves, como ocorre por exemplo no sarampo. Nos países em desenvolvimento a hipovitaminose A é um grave problema de saúde pública. O objetivo deste estudo é quantificar o nível sérico da vitamina A em pacientes pediátricos portadores da leismaniose visceral (LV). Amostras de sangue foram coletadas de 22 crianças portadoras de LV, estocadas em freezer e posteriormente, quantificado o nível de vitamina A usando-se a cromatrografia líquída de alta eficiência, nove irmãos assintomáticos dos pacientes foram usados como controles. A média do nível sérico da vitamina A nos portadores de LV foi de 21,38µg/100ml e no grupo controle foi de 31,39µg/100ml. Entre os pacientes estudados com LV a média do nível sérico de vitamina A encontrado foi significativamente menor, utilizando-se o teste t de Student para um p<0,01 que dos controles.Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do NorteUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Saúde PúblicaUNIFESPSciEL

Data-Driven Characterization and Modeling of Web Map System Workload

International audienceEvery month, billions of users access Web Map Systems (WMSs), such as Google Maps, to visualize geospatial data. A large number of users and the huge amount of data demanded by these applications make the design and development of WMSs a challenging task, especially in terms of performance and scalability. In this context, workload generators become crucial tools, as they help system administrators to plan the capacity of WMSs and design provisioning strategies for peak load scenarios. However, little is known about the workload patterns generated by WMS users. In this work, we use data anonymously collected from sessions of a client application of Google Maps to devise a model that describes how users of desktop terminals navigate in a Web map. Based on this model, we implement a workload generator called MUSeGen. We compare the workload patterns generated by MUSeGen against the workload patterns found in real data. Results show that MUSeGen generates synthetic traces whose navigation patterns closely match those found in real data. We also compare MUSeGen against HELP, a workload generator built upon previous findings on empirical knowledge on the usage of WMSs. Results show that the number of issued operations per session in HELP is, on average, four times lower than that in MUSeGen and the number of tiles requested is, on average, twice lower than that in our tool. In addition, navigation patterns in HELP are much simpler than in MUSeGen. These findings support the conclusion that MUSeGen produces more realistic workloads than HELP. To illustrate how such differences affect performance evaluation in practice, we carry out a performance evaluation of a real WMS under workloads generated by HELP and MUSeGen. Our evaluation shows that the system capacity under HELP is three times less than that obtained under MUSeGen, highlighting the value of MUSeGen

GESTIÓN DE LA INNOVACIÓN EN SERVICIOS PÚBLICOS: un caso práctico en un organismo de tráfico ejecutivo, a partir del análisis de indicadores

Este artigo teve o propósito de apresentar um cenário geral da dinâmica do atendimento do Detran Tocantins, a partir da análise de dados coletados no próprio órgão, que retrataram o tempo médio de atendimento e suas principais variáveis. Dentro desse contexto, o projeto procura entender as variações e demandas dos usuários do órgão ao procurar atendimento, assim como a prestação de serviço, levando em consideração as dificuldades encontradas para suprir a demanda de atendimento, bem como os principais gargalos. Com base nessas informações e levando-se em consideração o arcabouço teórico pesquisado, foram pontuadas algumas propostas de melhoria onde acredita-se poder aperfeiçoar o serviço que é prestado no referido órgão.. &nbsp; PALAVRAS-CHAVE: atendimento; serviços; órgão público.. &nbsp; ABSTRACT This article had the purpose of presenting a general scenario of the dynamics of the service of Detran Tocantins, based on the analysis of data collected in the organ itself, which portrayed the average time of care and its main variables. Within this context, the project seeks to understand the variations and demands of the users of the agency when seeking care, as well as the provision of service, taking into account the difficulties encountered to meet the demand for care, as well as the bottlenecks. Based on this information and taking into account the theoretical framework researched, some improvement proposals were scored where it is believed to be able to improve the service that is provided in that body.. &nbsp; KEYWORDS: treatment; services; public agency. &nbsp; RESUMEN Este artículo tenía el propósito de presentar un escenario general de la dinámica del servicio de Detran Tocantins, basado en el análisis de los datos recogidos en el propio órgano, que retrataba el tiempo promedio de atención y sus principales variables. En este contexto, el proyecto busca comprender las variaciones y demandas de los usuarios de la agencia a la hora de buscar atención, así como la prestación de servicios, teniendo en cuenta las dificultades encontradas para satisfacer la demanda de atención, así como la Embotellamientos. Sobre la base de esta información y teniendo en cuenta el marco teórico investigado, se puntuaron algunas propuestas de mejora donde se cree que es capaz de mejorar el servicio que se presta en ese organismo. &nbsp; PALABRAS CLAVE: servicio; servicios; organismo público. &nbsp;This article had the purpose of presenting a general scenario of the dynamics of the service of Detran Tocantins, based on the analysis of data collected in the organ itself, which portrayed the average time of care and its main variables. Within this context, the project seeks to understand the variations and demands of the users of the agency when seeking care, as well as the provision of service, taking into account the difficulties encountered to meet the demand for care, as well as the bottlenecks. Based on this information and taking into account the theoretical framework researched, some improvement proposals were scored where it is believed to be able to improve the service that is provided in that body.. &nbsp; KEYWORDS: treatment; services; public agency.Este artículo tenía el propósito de presentar un escenario general de la dinámica del servicio de Detran Tocantins, basado en el análisis de los datos recogidos en el propio órgano, que retrataba el tiempo promedio de atención y sus principales variables. En este contexto, el proyecto busca comprender las variaciones y demandas de los usuarios de la agencia a la hora de buscar atención, así como la prestación de servicios, teniendo en cuenta las dificultades encontradas para satisfacer la demanda de atención, así como la Embotellamientos. Sobre la base de esta información y teniendo en cuenta el marco teórico investigado, se puntuaron algunas propuestas de mejora donde se cree que es capaz de mejorar el servicio que se presta en ese organismo. &nbsp; PALABRAS CLAVE: servicio; servicios; organismo público

Itinerary Recommendation Algorithm in the Age of MEC

To provide fully immersive mobile experiences, next-generation touristic services will rely on the high bandwidth and low latency provided by the 5G networks and the Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) paradigm. Recommendation algorithms, being integral part of travel planning systems, devise personalized tour itineraries for a user considering the popularity of the Points of Interest (POIs) of a city as well as the tourist preferences and constraints. However, in the context of next-generation touristic services, recommendation algorithms should also consider the applications (e.g., augmented reality) the tourist will consume in the POIs and the quality in which such applications will be delivered by the MEC infrastructure. In this paper, we address the joint problem of recommending personalized tour itineraries for tourists and efficiently allocating MEC resources for advanced touristic applications. We formulate an optimization problem that maximizes the itinerary score of individual tourists, while optimizing the resource allocation at the network edge. We then propose an exact algorithm that quickly solves the problem optimally considering instances of realistic size. Finally, we evaluate our algorithm using a real dataset extracted from Flickr. Results demonstrate gains up to 100% in the resource allocation and user experience in comparison with a state-of-the-art solution

Optimizing Content Caching and Recommendations with Context Information in Multi-Access Edge Computing

Recently, the coupling between content caching at the wireless network edge and video recommendation systems has shown promising results to optimize the cache hit and improve the user experience. However, the quality of the UE wireless link and the resource capabilities of the UE are aspects that impact user experience and that have been neglected in the literature. In this work, we present a resource-aware optimization model for the joint task of caching and recommending videos to mobile users that maximizes the cache hit ratio and the user QoE (concerning content preferences and video representations) under the constraints of UE capabilities and the availability of network resources by the time of the recommendation. We evaluate our proposed model using a video catalog derived from a real-world video content dataset and real-world video representations and compare the performance with a state-of-the-art caching and recommendation method unaware of computing and network resources. Results show that our approach increases user QoE by at least 68% and effective cache hit ratio by at least 14% in comparison with the other method

Radiação ultravioleta e salinização da água em sistemas de aquicultura com recirculação de água

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UV) and water salinity on nitrification, water quality, bacterial load, and juvenile tilapia growth in recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs). The experimental period was divided into two phases. The first one lasted 20 days and evaluated the effects of salinity (0 and 2 g L-1) and UV (with or without) on water quality during the period of substrate colonization by nitrifying bacteria. In the second phase, after the storage of juvenile tilapia, the effects of the same experimental factors were evaluated on water quality, bacterial load, and fish growth performance. The RASs employed were efficient for ammonia removal, regardless of the treatments used. During the experimental period, the nitrite concentrations increased linearly, with a more pronounced increase after fish storage until 30 days of the experiment. There were no significant effects of UV, salinity, or the interaction of both on total ammonia, nitrite, and alkalinity. The low levels of salinity (2 g L-1) and UV did not affect the nitrification process and fish performance. The use of UV is efficient to reduce the bacterial load of recirculating aquaculture systems. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da radiação ultravioleta (UV) e da salinidade da água sobre a nitrificação, a qualidade da água, a carga bacteriana e o crescimento de juvenis de tilápia, em sistemas de aquicultura com recirculação de água (SRAs). O período experimental foi dividido em duas fases. A primeira durou 20 dias e avaliou os efeitos da salinidade (0 e 2 g L-1) e radiação UV (com ou sem) sobre a qualidade da água, durante o período de colonização do substrato por bactérias nitrificantes. Na segunda fase, após estocagem dos juvenis de tilápia, avaliaram-se os efeitos dos mesmos fatores experimentais sobre a qualidade da água, a carga bacteriana e o desempenho dos peixes. Os SRAs empregados foram eficientes na remoção da amônia, independentemente dos tratamentos utilizados. Durante o período experimental, as concentrações de nitrito aumentaram de forma linear, com um aumento mais acentuado após o armazenamento dos peixes até 30 dias do experimento. Não houve efeitos significativos da UV, da salinidade ou da interação de ambas sobre amônia total, nitrito e alcalinidade. Os baixos níveis de salinidade (2 g L-1) e UV não afetaram o processo de nitrificação e o desempenho dos peixes. O uso da UV é eficiente na redução da carga bacteriana dos sistemas de aquicultura com recirculação de água

Presence of antibodies against Leishmania chagasi in haemodialysed patients

SOUZA,Roberto Mascarenhas et al.Presence of antibodies against Leishmania chagasi in haemodialysed patients.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene,v. 103, p.749-751, 2009.In the last decades there has been an increase in cases of visceral leishmaniasis complicating the post-transplant phase, mainly following kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reactivity of haemodialysed patients using IFAT. Blood samples of 310 individuals from Natal, RN, Brazil, were collected and analysed. Data regarding blood transfusion, cause of end-stage renal disease and duration of haemodialysis were also analysed. In total, 69 patients (22.3%) were positive by IFAT. This study suggests that antibody detection should be performed in this group of patients since they are possible candidates for kidney transplantatio

Effects of contingencies on healthcare 4.0 technologies adoption and barriers in emerging economies

Studies on the influence of contingency factors on the introduction of novel digital technologies into high- complexity systems, such as hospitals, are still incipient. As the introduction of Healthcare 4.0 (H4.0) usually implies in high capital expenditures and requires a more skilled labor force, such understanding gains relevance when considering hospitals in emerging economies, more likely to be resource-constrained. This study examines the effect of five contingency factors on the adoption of H4.0 technologies and associated barriers to H4.0 adoption in emerging economies; they are: hospital´s ownership and age, number of employees, number of inpatient beds, and functionality (teaching hospital or not). The analysis is based on a transnational survey with 159 middle and senior managers from 16 hospitals, located in Brazil, India, Mexico and Argentina. Results indicate that contingencies do affect both H4.0 technologies adoption and associated barriers although not homogeneously in terms of effect, being more prominent on technologies? adoption than on barriers to H4.0 implementation. Our study sheds light on these relationships, providing hospitals? managers a means to an- ticipate potential issues and handle eventual difficulties inherent to the context in which they are inserted.Fil: Tortorella, Guilherme Luz. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Fogliatto, Flávio Sanson. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Espôsto, Kleber Francisco. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Vergara, Alejandro Mac Cawley. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. Escuela de Ingeniería; ChileFil: Vassolo, Roberto Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Instituto de Altos Estudios; ArgentinaFil: Mendoza, Diego Tlapa. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur; MéxicoFil: Narayanamurthy, Gopalakrishnan. University of Liverpool; Reino Unid

Perfil epidemiológico da sífilis gestacional e congênita em uma área de abrangência da região Pinheirinho de São José do Rio Preto

The aim was to identify the epidemiological profile of pregnant women and newborns with syphilis in a neighborhood of São José do Rio Preto/SP. Descriptive, quantitative and retrospective study, using medical records and the database of the Information System for Notifiable Diseases of 28 pregnant women with gestational syphilis and five newborns with congenital syphilis, at the Solo Sagrado UBSF in the area covered by the Pinheirinho de Pinheirinho Region. São José do Rio Preto/SP in the period 2019/2020. In 2019, 268 pregnant women underwent prenatal care and 21 of them were notified with a diagnosis of gestational syphilis, only four babies with congenital syphilis tested positive in the treponemal/non-treponemal test at delivery/curettage and two of them evolved to miscarriage. In 2020, 275 pregnant women underwent prenatal care and seven were diagnosed and notified with gestational syphilis and only one baby with congenital syphilis tested positive in the treponemal/non-treponemal test at delivery. Considering that the main difficulties encountered in reducing vertical transmission are associated with late diagnosis or non-treatment, or inadequate treatment of pregnant women, in addition, socioeconomic, demographic and care factors contribute to the increase in its incidence.Objetivou-se identificar o perfil epidemiológico das gestantes e recém-nascidos com sífilis em um bairro de São José do Rio Preto/SP. Estudo descritivo, quantitativo e retrospectivo, por meio de prontuários e banco de dados do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação de 28 gestantes com sífilis gestacional e cinco recém-nascidos com sífilis congênita, na UBSF Solo Sagrado da área de abrangência da Região Pinheirinho de São José do Rio Preto/SP no período de 2019/2020. Em 2019, 268 gestantes realizaram pré-natal e 21 delas foram notificadas com diagnóstico de sífilis gestacional, apenas quatro bebês com sífilis congênita testaram positivo no teste treponêmico/não treponêmico no parto/curetagem e dois deles evoluíram para aborto. Já em 2020, 275 gestantes realizaram o pré-natal e sete foram diagnosticadas e notificadas com sífilis gestacional e apenas um bebê com sífilis congênita testou positivo no teste treponêmico/não treponêmico no parto. Considerando que as principais dificuldades encontradas para redução da transmissão vertical estão associadas ao diagnóstico tardio ou não tratamento, ou o tratamento inadequado das gestantes, além disso, fatores socioeconômicos, demográficos e assistenciais contribuem para o aumento da sua incidência