Avaliação dos efeitos da conversão do plasma sobre reatividade e estabilidade de painéis sorológicos para diagnóstico da sífilis

TCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Biológicas. Biologia.Os casos de sífilis vêm aumentando no mundo, no Brasil e em Santa Catarina. A OMS estima que 937 mil pessoas são infectadas a cada ano no país. Em Santa Catarina foram registrados 5.427 novos casos de sífilis em 2015, um aumento de quase 50% comparado com o total notificado em 2014. O diagnóstico da sífilis é baseado nas manifestações clínicas, pesquisa direta do patógeno e testes sorológicos. Para que os testes realizados no diagnóstico da sífilis possuam confiabilidade no seu resultado, é necessário que os laboratórios e os serviços que realizam o diagnóstico participem de programas de controle de qualidade. A unidade de saúde ou laboratório deve garantir que no processo analítico os resultados atendam aos critérios de qualidade exigidos por lei. O presente trabalho pretende avaliar os efeitos da conversão do plasma em soro e a adição de azida de sódio como conservante. A desfibrinação transforma o plasma, de bolsas de doadores, em soro, por meio da recuperação da cascata de coagulação com trombina e cálcio. Além disso, o trabalho pretende verificar possíveis alterações na reatividade das amostras submetidas a diferentes temperaturas de armazenamento e ciclos de congelamento e descongelamento durante 90 dias. Foram utilizadas duas bolsas reagentes para sífilis e uma bolsa não reagente. Após o tratamento das bolsas, as amostras foram separadas em 4 grupos (G): G1: Plasma sem azida de sódio, G2: Soro sem de azida de sódio, G3: Plasma com azida de sódio, G4: Soro com azida de sódio. Foram distribuídas alíquotas desses quatro grupos em cinco condições de armazenamento: 2 a 8ºC, 30ºC, -20ºC (duas alíquotas) e -80ºC. Uma das alíquotas armazenadas em -20ºC foi descongelada em banho-maria (37ºC) por 30 minutos e a outra foi descongelada em temperatura ambiente de laboratório (20 a 26ºC). A partir do armazenamento das alíquotas em cada condição, foram realizados 12 ciclos de testagem, um a cada sete dias, totalizando 12 semanas. As amostras foram avaliadas com um teste rápido treponêmico (Bioeasy) e um teste não-treponêmico (RPR Wama), a fim de comparar os tratamentos realizados nas bolsas de plasma e os efeitos das diferentes condições às quais as amostras foram expostas, por meio da comparação dos resultados da reatividade dessas alíquotas nos respectivos testes. Esse estudo demonstrou que apesar do tempo de armazenamento e constante manipulação das alíquotas, os resultados obtidos na bolsa 1 (reagente) não demonstram diferença entre a reatividade inicial e final nos testes realizados. Já os resultados relacionados à bolsa 2 (reagente) tiveram diferenças nos testes não-treponêmicos e principalmente nas alíquotas armazenadas na temperatura de 30°C, que também sofreram alterações no teste treponêmico, porém, as alíquotas dessa bolsa armazenadas em -20°C não sofreram alterações em sua reatividade.Syphilis cases have been increasing in the world, in Brazil and in Santa Catarina. WHO estimates that 937 thousand people are infected each year in the country. In Santa Catarina, 5.427 new cases of syphilis were registered in 2015, an increase of almost 50% compared to the number of cases reported in 2014. The diagnosis of syphilis is based on clinical manifestations, direct pathogen research and serological tests. In order for the tests performed in the diagnosis of syphilis to have reliability in their results, the laboratories and services that perform the diagnosis must participate in quality control programs. The health unit or laboratory must ensure that in the analytical process the results meet the quality criteria required by law. The present work intends to evaluate the effects of the conversion of plasma to serum and the addition of sodium azide as a preservative. Defibrination transforms plasma, from donor bags, into serum by means of recovery the plasma coagulation cascade with thrombin and calcium. In addition, the work intends to verify possible changes in the reactivity of samples submitted to different storage temperatures and freezing and thawing cycles for 90 days. Two different syphilis reagent bags and one non-reagent bag were used. After treatment of this bags, the samples were separated into 4 groups (G): G1: Plasma without sodium azide, G2: Serum without sodium azide, G3: Plasma with sodium azide, G4: Serum with sodium azide. Aliquots of these four groups were distributed under five storage conditions: 2-8°C, 30°C, -20°C (two aliquots) and -80°C. One of the aliquots stored at -20°C was thawed in a warm bath (37 °C) for 30 minutes. The remainder was thawed at laboratory room temperature (20 to 26 °C). From the storage of the aliquots in each condition, 12 cycles of testing were performed, one every seven days, totaling 12 weeks. The samples were evaluated with a rapid treponemal test (Bioeasy) and a non-treponemal test (RPR Wama), in order to compare the treatments performed in the plasma bag and the effects of the different conditions to which samples were exposed, by means of the comparison of the reactivity results of these rates in the respective tests. This study demonstrated that despite storage time and constant manipulation of aliquots, the results obtained in bag 1 (reagent) did not show any difference between initial and final reactivity in the tests performed. However, the results related to bag 2 (reagent) had differences in the non-treponemal tests, mainly in the aliquots stored at 30°C, which also underwent alterations in the treponemal test, but the aliquots of this bag stored at -20°C did not change this reactivity

Was there a structural change, after 2009, in the relation between macroeconomic and the stock market’s performance in the United States?

During the lasts 10 years, stock markets have witnessed consecutive historical maxima, namely the S&P500 index. Parallelly, the associated Cyclically-Adjusted Price-to-Earnings ratio (CAPE) followed the same path, being substantially above the historic average. In the same line, Cochrane (2011) excess returns regression seems to suggest overvalued stock prices, similar to the periods that ended at the Dotcom bubble and the Great Recession. Moreover, looking 5 years ahead it seems to suggest a stable forecasted path what can mean a correction of the actuals’ excess returns over the next years. In order to get some clues about this bull-market, this dissertation focuses on the relation between macroeconomic and stock market performance proxied by the S&P500 index from 2009 to 2019. In particular, investigates the relations between the stock market and the economic activity, monetary policy and the companies’ financial performance (of the companies that integrate the index), through two Structural Vector Auto-Regression (SVAR), resorting to the Cholesky decomposition. We find that, comparing with the two previous post-recessions periods, the current one appears to have a higher positive sensitivity of the stock market to a shock on the economic activity and on the financial performance of companies (better conditions), as well as a significant negative short-term reaction to a shock on monetary policy (tightening). This relation with the monetary policy is strengthened by our LOGIT model that approaches the significant relation of the US Federal Reserves’ monetary policy surprise announcements on the S&P500 index stock returns.Os últimos 10 anos foram marcados por consecutivos máximos históricos nos mercados acionistas, nomeadamente no índice S&P500. Paralelamente, o rácio associado “Cyclically-Adjusted Price-to-Earnings” (CAPE) acompanhou a mesma tendência tendo registado valores acima da média histórica. Da mesma maneira, segundo a regressão dos “excess returns” apresentada por Cochrane (2011), é possível evidenciar valores sobrevalorizados, um comportamento similar aos períodos que terminaram na bolha Dotcom e na Grande Recessão. Ademais, olhando para um horizonte de 5 anos, constata-se uma trajetória estável dos retornos previstos o que poderá evidenciar uma correção dos atuais ao longo dos próximos anos. De forma a obter algumas pistas sobre o “bull market”, esta tese foca a relação entre a performance macroeconómica e a do mercado acionista, recorrendo ao índice S&P500 como proxy, de 2009 a 2019. Por outras palavras, investiga as relações entre o mercado acionista e atividade económica, política monetária, e a performance financeira das empresas que compõem o índice, através de dois “Structural Vector Auto-Regression” (SVAR), recorrendo à decomposição de Cholesky. Comparando os resultados com os dois últimos períodos pós-recessão, é possível constatar que o período atual evidencia, não só, uma maior sensibilidade positiva do mercado acionista a um choque na atividade económica e na performance financeira (melhores condições), bem como uma reação significativa negativa, no curto prazo, a um choque na política monetária (maior restrição). Relação última fortalecida pelo nosso modelo LOGIT que estima a relação expressiva entre os anúncios surpresa da política monetária da Reserva Federal Americana e os retornos do índice S&P500

The Impact of a One Laptop per Child Program on Learning: Evidence from Uruguay

We present evidence on the impact on students' math and reading scores of one of the largest deployments of an OLPC program and the only one implemented at a national scale: Plan Ceibal in Uruguay. Unlike previous work in the field, we have unique data that allow us to know the exact date of laptop delivery for every student in the sample. This gives us the ability to use a continuous treatment, where days of exposure are used as a treatment intensity measure. We use a panel data framework including fixed effects at the individual level. Given that there is some variation in the date of laptop delivery across individuals within the same school, we can identify the effect of the program net of potential heterogeneity in the rate schools gain improvements on student's achievement over time in the absence of the OLPC program across the country (i.e. we allow each school to follow a different learning growth curve over time due to unobservable time-varying heterogeneity). We also run an alternative specification where we allow for different learning growth curves over time between schools located in Montevideo and the rest of Uruguay. Our results suggest that in the first two years of its implementation the program had no effects on math and reading scores. The zero effect could be explained by the fact that laptops in class are mainly used to search for information on the internet

Port Wine : a fashionable cocktail drink? : a cluster's marketing and branding approach

Founded in 1933, the Douro and Port Wines Institute (Instituto de Vinhos do Douro e Porto – IVDP), is the most relevant governmental institution on what concerns the Port wine industry regulation, control and promotion. Worldwide recognized and awarded by its quality, Port wine is a fortified wine that can only be produced in the Douro Demarcated Region, the oldest in the world. With such a distinguished competitive advantage, the Port wine cluster has underperformed in the recent past, by failing to change the people’s perception of Port as a “boring old-man’s drink”, only to be drank at special occasions. At the same time, the alcoholic beverages industry, has been seeing some innovations that Port wine’s competitors have been taking advantage of. Drinks like Gin, Licor Beirão, Caipirinha or Martini, have been leading the way in marketing strategies innovation, and by doing so, have achieved a competitive advantage over Port wine. In this case is studied how IVDP can use its governmental institution powers, in the Port wine cluster, to bring Port back into fashion. It will be done by analyzing the alcoholic beverages industry trends, Port’s competitors and how the cluster functionalities can be used in order to face the upcoming challenges, and to take advantage of the market opportunities

How we Plan to make cars more affordable in Portugal - marketing plan

This business plan for an online vehicle marketplace with twist was carried out within the scope of our master thesis project, for the final master’s degree in Management, with the guidance of Professor Euclides Major. The development of this business plan aimed to transmit all our study towards the plan to build a successful company and use our learnings to continue scaling it after submission. We had the opportunity to explore all areas within a business as a team and gained valuable insights into the Portuguese car market and how it works

The Impact of a One Laptop per Child Program on Learning: Evidence from Uruguay

We present evidence on the impact on students´ math and reading scores of one of the largest deployments of a One Laptop Per Child program and the only one implemented at a national scale: Plan Ceibal in Uruguay. We have the exact date of laptop delivery for every student in the sample. This gives us the ability to use a continuous treatment, where days of exposure are used as a treatment intensity measure. We use a difference-in difference strategy including fixed effects at the individual level and identify the effect of the program net of potential heterogeneity in the rate schools located in Montevideo and the rest of Uruguay gain improvements on student’s achievement over time in the absence of the OLPC program. Our results suggest that in the first two years of its implementation the program had no effects on math and reading scores

The impact of a One Laptop per Child Program on learning: Evidence from Uruguay

We present evidence on the impact on students' math and reading scores of one of the largest deployments of an OLPC program and the only one implemented at a national scale: Plan Ceibal in Uruguay. We have unique data that allow us to know the exact date of laptop delivery for every student in the sample. This gives us the ability to use days of exposure as a treatment intensity measure. Given that there is some variation in the date of laptop delivery across individuals within the same school, we can identify the effect of the program net of potential heterogeneity in the rate schools gain improvements on students' achievement over time independently of the OLPC program. Our results suggest that in the first two years of its implementation the program had no effects on math and reading scores. The absence of effect could be explained by the fact that the program did not involve compulsory teacher training and that laptops in class were mainly used to search for information on the internet.En este artículo se presenta evidencia sobre el impacto en los puntajes de matemáticas y lectura del programa Un Computador por Niño con mayor despliegue y el único implementado a escala nacional: el Plan Ceibal en Uruguay. Se cuenta con información única que nos permite conocer la fecha exacta de entrega de la laptop para cada estudiante de la muestra. Ello habilita a utilizar los días de exposición al Plan Ceibal como una medida de la intensidad del tratamiento. Dado que la entrega de la laptop exhibe cierta variación al interior de las escuelas, es posible aislar el efecto del programa de una potencial heterogeneidad en la tasa a la que, independientemente del programa, las escuelas logran mejoras en el desempeño de sus estudiantes. Nuestros resultados sugieren que en los primeros dos años de su implementación, el programa no tuvo efectos en los puntajes de matemáticas y lectura. Esto podría explicarse por el hecho de que el programa no implicó capacitación obligatoria para los docentes y que en clase las laptops se utilizaban principalmente para buscar información en internet

Verticalização de molares inferiores: a versatilidade dos mini-implantes

Introdução: A verticalização dos molares inferiores leva à normalização da situação oclusal, funcional, periodontal e ao paralelismo dos dentes; assim, proporciona o restabelecimento do espaço edêntulo de forma adequada. As diversas técnicas utilizadas para a verticalização de molares englobam desde simples movimentos até recursos modernos, como o uso dos mini-implantes ortodônticos como auxiliares desta mecânica. Objetivos: O objetivo deste trabalho é realizar uma revisão sistemática integrativa da literatura a fim de descrever as técnicas de verticalização de molares inferiores e registar o uso dos mini-implantes nesta mecânica ortodôntica como uma alternativa versátil e eficaz. Materiais e métodos: A pesquisa bibliográfica foi efetuada pelas bases de dados PubMed e ReserchGate, incluindo artigos compreendidos entre 2012 e 2022. Resultados: Dos 16 artigos selecionados, 14 utilizaram mini-implantes no processo de verticalização de molares inferiores, e todos obtiveram resultados satisfatórios. A principal dificuldade na verticalização dos molares inferiores são os efeitos colaterais indesejados, como a abertura de mordida, a falta de controlo do movimento, a ancoragem deficiente, que poderão ser diminuídos quando utilizado um mini-implante, seja como ancoragem direta, ou indireta. A eficácia dos mini-implantes é comprovada, assim como sua utilização na maioria dos casos. Conclusão: A colocação de um mini-implante para a verticalização de molares inferiores é um procedimento minimamente cirúrgico de fácil e rápida atuação, que permite ao profissional realizar um tratamento com um menor número de efeitos indesejáveis do que quando se utilizam os elementos adjacentes como ancoragem.Introduction: The verticalization of the lower molars leads to the normalization of the occlusal, functional, periodontal situation and to the parallelism of the teeth; thus, it provides the restoration of the edentulous space in an adequate way. The various techniques used for molar uprighting range from simple movements to modern resources, such as the use of orthodontic mini-implants as auxiliaries for this mechanics. Objective: The objective of this work is to do an integrative systematic review of the literature, in order to describe the techniques for verticalization of lower molar and register the use of mini-implants in mechanical orthodontics as a versatile and effective alternative. Materials and methods: The bibliographic research was carried out in the PubMed and ResearchGate databases, between 2012 and 2022. Results: Among the 17 articles selected, 14 used mini-implants in the molar uprighting process, and all of them have been satisfactorily. The main difficulty in the verticalization of lower molars are the undesirable side effects, such as opening the bite, lack of movement control, poor anchorage, among others, which are reduced when a mini-implant is used, either as a direct anchor or as an indirect anchor. The efficiency of the mini-implants is proven, as well as its utilization. Conclusion: Using mini-implant for lower molar placement is a minimally surgical procedure that is easy and quick to act, which allows for a treatment with less of the vertical correction effects as when anchoring using the adjacent elements