Measurement of the quantity practical peak voltage in the radiology practice

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a grandeza practical peak voltage (PPV), determinada a partir da forma de onda de tensão aplicada a tubos radiológicos, e compará-la com algumas definições de kVp para diferentes tipos de geradores: monofásico (onda completa, clínico), trifásico (seis pulsos, clínico) e potencial constante (industrial). MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: O trabalho envolveu a comparação do PPV medido invasivamente (utilizando um divisor de tensão) com a resposta de dois medidores comerciais não invasivos, além dos valores de outras grandezas usadas para medição da tensão de pico aplicada ao tubo de raios X, e a análise da variação do PPV com a ondulação percentual da tensão (ripple). RESULTADOS: Verificou-se que a diferença entre o PPV e as definições mais comuns de tensão de pico aumenta com o ripple. Os valores de PPV variaram em até 3% e 5%, respectivamente, na comparação entre medições invasivas e não invasivas feitas com os equipamentos trifásico e monofásico. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados demonstraram que a principal grandeza de influência que afeta o PPV é o ripple da tensão. Adicionalmente, valores de PPV obtidos com medidores não invasivos devem ser avaliados considerando que eles dependem da taxa de aquisição e da forma de onda adquirida pelo instrumento.OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed at evaluating the practical peak voltage (PPV) determined from the voltage waveform applied to x-ray tubes and comparing it with some kVp definitions for different types of x-ray equipment: single-phase (full-wave) and three-phase (six-pulse) clinical x-ray generators, and an industrial constant potential apparatus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved the comparison between invasively measured PPV (with voltage dividers) and values obtained with two commercial noninvasive meters, besides values of other quantities utilized for measuring the x-ray tube peak voltage. The PPV variation with the voltage ripple was also analyzed in the present study. RESULTS: The authors observed that the difference between PPV and the most common peak voltage definitions increases with the ripple. PPV values varied up to 3% and 5%, respectively, in the comparison between invasive and non-invasive measurements with single-phase and three-phase devices. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that voltage ripple is the main quantity influencing the invasive or non-invasive PPV determination. Additionally, non-invasively measured PPV values should be evaluated taking into consideration their dependence on the data sample rate and waveform obtained by the device.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Trabalho do enfermeiro offshore e a interface da cultura de segurança

Relato de experiência de um enfermeiro offshore, com objetivo de refletir sobre a experiência da percepção, da cultura de segurança vivenciada no trabalho em saúde offshore e, analisar esta experiência mediante o conceito de cultura de segurança organizacional. A gestão da instalação offshore apoia-se em diretrizes internas e externas e organiza uma estrutura funcional embasada na política de condução cultural da empresa e em legislação de promoção de ações para garantir o equilíbrio entre a segurança, a saúde dos trabalhadores e a proteção do meio ambiente com a atividade. A cultura de segurança estabelece relação e feedback nos aspectos inerentes ao indivíduo, ao trabalho e à estrutura de suporte e gestão de segurança da organização. As indústrias petrolíferas compõem-se do exercício de atividades perigosas, com risco de explosão. Por isso, possuem uma cultura organizacional estabelecida para a segurança de suas operações. Em plataforma o enfermeiro realiza orientações de saúde durante palestras àqueles que embarcam e durante o embarque nas reuniões semanais de segurança. Também realiza treinamento a equipe de resgate a bordo e participa ativamente das simulações de treinamento de emergências a todos os tripulantes. Em todas as plataformas, de diversas empresas, estes procedimentos são realizados pois são elementos fundamentais a permanência segura a bordo. Lá vivencia-se a segurança como um valor central de todo o processo e paralelamente a saúde com integrada a este valor. A adoção de comportamentos ativos perante as falhas e erros é desenvolvida no processo de comunicação claro, conciso e ágil no sistema de prevenção de riscos à segurança e a saúde

Large scale low cost production of submicrometric powder through biomass refinery

Biomass Refinery (BR) is a null pollution thermochemical sequential cracking of any biomass and some petrochemical products, which generates chemicals, liquid or solid fuels and inorganic submicrometric/nanometric powders (SM/NM) such as ashes, silica, and carbon black. The processing route, powder characterisation and addition of some ashes to red clay resulting a grès-type ceramics will be presented. Rupture strengths of the vitrified ceramics were respectively 36 MPa for pure clay, 44 MPa for clay + 13.5% MOL ash (organic matter of municipal solid waste), 50 MPa for clay + 20% F+20% CL* ash (50% MOL + 50% wood) and 42 MPa for clay + 40% feldspar (used for comparison). The reason why the BR-ashes are better than feldspar is due to their submicrometric and partially nanometric nature. The impact of BR-ash technology can be evaluated by its national potential production of 2 × 10(6) ton/year only from municipal solid waste (MSW) compared to 350,000 ton/year of national consumption. The first BR is under installation in Lorena - SP, Brazil

A ready-to-use duplex qPCR to detect Leishmania infantum DNA in naturally infected dogs

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-10-18T17:43:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Rampazzo RCP A ready-to-use....pdf: 654764 bytes, checksum: 899c5f24f87ea57e525ce983db53b6f0 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2017-10-18T18:00:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Rampazzo RCP A ready-to-use....pdf: 654764 bytes, checksum: 899c5f24f87ea57e525ce983db53b6f0 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-18T18:00:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Rampazzo RCP A ready-to-use....pdf: 654764 bytes, checksum: 899c5f24f87ea57e525ce983db53b6f0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017FINEP (#01.13.0283.00 to M.A.K).Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Carlos Chagas. Curitiba, PR, Brasil / Instituto de Biologia Molecular do Paraná. Curitiba, PR, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Laboratório de Patologia e Biointervenção. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Escola de Medicina Veterinária. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Produção Animal. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Escola de Medicina Veterinária. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Produção Animal. Salvador, BA, BrasilUniversidade Federal da Bahia. Escola de Medicina Veterinária. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Produção Animal. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Laboratório de Patologia e Biointervenção. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia de Doenças Tropicais. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Laboratório de Patologia e Biointervenção. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Universidade Federal da Bahia. Escola de Medicina Veterinária. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Produção Animal. Salvador, BA, Brasil / Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia de Doenças Tropicais. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Carlos Chagas. Curitiba, PR, Brasil / Instituto de Biologia Molecular do Paraná. Curitiba, PR, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Carlos Chagas. Curitiba, PR, Brasil / Instituto de Biologia Molecular do Paraná. Curitiba, PR, BrasilCanine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) is a systemic disease caused by Leishmania infantum. A precise CVL diagnosis would allow for a faster and more specific treatment. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a sensitive and specific technique that can diagnose CVL and also monitor parasite load in the animal during the course of the infection or treatment. The aim of this study was to develop a ready-to-use (gelified and freezer-free) duplex qPCR for the identification of infected animals. We combined a new qPCR protocol that detects the canine 18S rRNA gene with an existing protocol for L. infantum kDNA detection, creating a duplex qPCR. This duplex method was then developed into a ready-to-use format. The performance of the duplex and singleplex reactions were compared in the traditional format (liquid and freezer-stored). Furthermore, the duplex qPCR performance was compared between the ready-to-use and traditional formats. The singleplex and new duplex qPCR exhibited the same detection limit in the traditional format (0.1 parasites/reaction). The ready-to-use format showed a detection limit of 1 parasite/reaction without affecting the reaction efficiency. The performance of the new qPCR protocol in the two formats was assessed using canine tissue samples from 82 dogs in an endemic CVL area that were previously characterized by standard serological and parasitological protocols. Splenic aspirates provided a higher rate of positivity (92.9%) followed by skin (50%) and blood (35.7%). The reported detection limits were observed for all tissues studied. Our results show that the amplification of L. infantum kDNA and canine DNA in a single tube, using either the traditional or ready-to-use format, exhibited the same diagnostic performance as amplification of the parasite kDNA alone. The detection of the host gene strengthens the qPCR results by confirming the presence and quality of DNA in the samples and the absence of polymerase inhibitors. The ready-to-use duplex qPCR format has many advantages. By joining two qPCR protocols into one, more results can be obtained in the same amount of time with reduced costs and embedded quality control. Reagents are preloaded and stored on the plate, reducing the operator's hands-on time to set up a reaction, as well as decreasing manipulation steps, which reduces the risk of mistakes or contamination. Thus, the ready-to-use duplex format turns qPCR into a robust, easy-to-use tool, which could help increase the availability of qPCR for CVL diagnosis

ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS: a data set of bird morphological traits from the Atlantic forests of South America

Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra- and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820–2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS

Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra- and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820–2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data