Implementation of a filter for active noise cancellation in earmuffs for agricultural tractor operations

The implementation of agricultural mechanization is of paramount importance in modern agriculture, providing the replacement of manual and animal work with the aid of modern machines, contributing to an increase in productivity in crops of increasingly larger areas. However, the use of these technologies can bring some inconvenient factors from an ergonomic point of view. Machine operators, for example, are exposed to high noise levels from tractors. Its harmful effects on health are not limited to hearing alone, but can also cause emotional, cardiovascular and fatigue disorders. There are two methods for noise attenuation: The passive method, which consists only of a physical barrier between the listener\u27s ear canal and the external environment, and the active method, which is based on electronic equipment capable of generating a signal that the phenomenon of destructive wave interference. Agricultural operators often use passive noise mufflers which have the disadvantage of attenuating all sounds indiscriminately, thus limiting the operator\u27s auditory perception. In this context, this work proposes an implementation of active noise cancellation that cancels only noise, allowing other ambient sounds to be heard normally. The work developed is of an experimental nature, where a noise source in an agricultural operation was analyzed, which was used as an input signal for the construction of the filter and simulation. The filter was able to perform active noise cancellation using the LMS and NLMS algorithms, but the NLMS presented better results

Risk Factors for Different Types of Traumatic Injuries in Primary Teeth

Objective: To evaluate traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in primary teeth and the association of gender and age with different injuries. Material and Methods: Records of patients with TDI in primary teeth were included. The following parameters were registered: gender and age, place of trauma, cause of trauma, affected tissue and tooth, number of injured teeth, type of injury, and gingival and bone damage. A logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the interaction between gender and age on the occurrence of types of injuries (p≤0.05). Results: The total of 721 records were evaluated and 370 records were included, being 61.6% boys and 60.5% children aged 0–3 years old, with 658 primary teeth affected. The support tissue was most affected (496/658), followed by dental tissue (139/658). Enamel/dentine fracture with pulp exposure (n=51) and intrusion (n=131) were the most common injuries of dental and support tissues, respectively. In general, boys suffered more traumas than girls, regardless of the age range. As for concussion, logistic regression confirms that gender and age are also influencers. Girls (OR=1.822, CI = 1.050-3.164, p=0.033) in the 4–6 year age group (OR=2.15, CI = 1.239–3.747, p=0.007) are more likely to have concussions. Children age 4–6 years were less likely to suffer an intrusion (OR=0.496; CI = 0.278– 0.886; p=0.018). Conclusion: Gender and age influence concussion and intrusion in the primary teeth

BENCHMARKING DE INDICADORES DE QUALIDADE E DIMENSIONAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE ENFERMAGEM ENTRE UNIDADES HOSPITALARES

Objetivo: realizar benchmarking interno de indicadores de qualidade e do dimensionamento de pessoal de enfermagem entre unidades de internação hospitalar. Método: estudo transversal. Foram levantados/avaliados nove indicadores de qualidade por sítios de observação nas unidades de internação em clínica médica (n=450) e cirúrgica (n=274) de hospital público do Centro-Oeste, Brasil, além da aplicação de Sistema de Classificação de Pacientes, para o dimensionamento de pessoal. Empregou-se análise estatística descritiva (no dimensionamento) e inferencial (para os indicadores). Resultados: houve diferença significativa (p-valor<0,0001) na conformidade da identificação do leito (melhor na unidade cirúrgica) e de acessos venosos (melhor na internação clínica). A classificação da qualidade foi equânime. A clínica médica apresentou déficit de enfermeiros (-11). Conclusão: a qualidade assistencial – mediada à métrica dos indicadores – foi equânime entre os setores de internação e o dimensionamento de pessoal foi discrepante, em virtude do evidente déficit de enfermeiros, dada à maior complexidade assistencial na clínica médica.Descritores: Benchmarking. Indicadores de Qualidade em Assistência à Saúde. Dimensionamento. Gestão da Qualidade. Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem no Hospital. Pesquisa em Administração de Enfermagem

A 14-Year Follow-Up Study of Sequelae in Primary Teeth and Permanent Successors After Dental Trauma

Objective: To evaluate the presence of sequelae in primary teeth and their permanent successors, as well as associations between TDI and the presence of sequelae in both teeth. Material and Methods: In this 14-year retrospective study, 2.290 records were reviewed, 192 patients who suffered dental trauma in primary teeth were followed until the eruption of successor teeth were included. Descriptive, chi-square, and regression logistic with generalized estimating equations tests were performed (p<0.05). Results: 362 primary and successor teeth were followed. Sequelae were present in 71.8% of primary teeth and 25.7% of their successors. Teeth with complicated fracture (100%), extrusion (100%) and avulsion (100%) resulted in the largest amounts of sequelae in primary teeth and intrusion (61%) on their successors. Age was associated with sequelae in permanent teeth (p<0.01). Extrusion (OR 10.06; CI 2.12-47.63) and intrusion (OR 7.51; CI 2.73-20.70) had a higher risk to cause sequelae in primary and permanent teeth, respectively. Conclusion: The type of injury involved influenced the sequelae in traumatized teeth and their successors, and the age of the child influenced the presence of sequelae in permanent teeth.&nbsp

Methodology of Maternal and Child Health Populational Surveys: A Statewide Cross-sectional Time Series Carried Out in Ceará, Brazil, from 1987 to 2017, with Pooled Data Analysis for Child Stunting

Background: Cross-sectional studies are fundamental studies in the practice of epidemiological science. This article aims to present in detail the methodology for conducting a series of cross-sectional studies, as well as the analysis of data through pooled data. Methods: The series of studies are population cross-sectional studies, with statewide coverage, searching for representative sample of reproductive aged women and pre-school children in Ceará, Brazil. The sampling plan followed simple random, stratified, systematic and by conglomerates, in sequence. About 300 variables were collected. For each of the individual studies, multivariate data analysis was used to verify associations between dependent variables. For all the studies together, techniques used were trend chi-squared and pooled data analysis using linear mixed modeling procedures. Results: There were 6 studies in sequence, for 30 years. Among other findings, the variables income, maternal education and breastfeeding time proved to be associated with the reduction of malnutrition in children considering all the period (p values 0.013, 0.033 and 0.037, respectively). Conclusions: Cross-sectional studies can be replicated at regular time series following the methodology exposed in this, even for locations with limited resources, ensuring adequate management of decisions of using federal funding aimed at achieving targeted programs to maximize the results obtained with the public resource available

Growth dynamics and senescence of digit grass as a response to several canopy heights

The purpose of this study was to examine the growth and senescence dynamics of Digitaria eriantha cv. Survenola as a response to several canopy heights (25, 35, 45, and 55 cm) of harvests in two seasons of the year (rainy and dry). The experiment was established at the Federal University of Sergipe, in São Cristóvão - SE, Brazil, from 03/26/2015 to 03/28/2016, under a randomized-complete-block design with four replicates. Plots were irrigated, and upon reaching the pre-established canopy heights, they were cut to a 10 cm-residual height. Increasing canopy heights in the dry season led to lower tiller density, for basal and aerial tillers. However, irrespective of tiller type and season, this variable increased after the rest period. Light interception rose with canopy heights (P<0.05) in the dry period and it showed a quadratic response in the rainy season. Greater canopy heights led to a higher (P<0.05) daily leaf senescence rates and daily stem growth rates. Regardless of the season, the total accumulation and net herbage accumulation rates of basal tillers increased as canopy heights did. The greatest canopy height promoted the daily stem production, whereas the lowest height did not allow the grass to express its production potential. The defoliation-height range of 35 to 45 cm is the most recommended, as it favors the control of stem growth and leaf senescence

Evaluation of eleven immunochromatographic assays for SARS-CoV-2 detection: investigating the dengue cross-reaction

COVID-19 disease is spread worldwide and diagnostic techniques have been studied in order to contain the pandemic. Immunochromatographic (IC) assays are feasible and a low-cost alternative especially in low and middle-income countries, which lack structure to perform certain diagnostic techniques. Here we evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of eleven different IC tests in 145 serum samples from confirmed cases of COVID-19 using RT-PCR and 100 negative serum samples from blood donors collected in February 2019. We also evaluated the cross-reactivity with dengue using 20 serum samples from patients with confirmed diagnosis for dengue collected in early 2019 through four different tests. We found high sensitivity (92%), specificity (100%) and an almost perfect agreement (Kappa 0.92) of IC assay, especially when we evaluated IgG and IgM combined after 10 days from the onset of symptoms with RT-PCR. However, we detected cross-reactivity between dengue and COVID-19 mainly with IgM antibodies (5 to 20% of cross-reaction) and demonstrated the need for better studies about diagnostic techniques for these diseases