Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Strategic Responses in Brazilian Textile Industry

This study aimed to identify the strategic responses of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the textile industry located in the western region of Santa Catarina to the institutional environment. Therefore, we proceed a multiple case study, conducted through semi-structured interviews with the managers of six companies in the textile industry, located in the western region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The main contributions of this study are that the strategic responses of companies are basically reactive (acquiescence and compromise) tied with normative environmental and cultural-cognitive pressures. As they are under to similar pressures from the institutional environment, companies show similar structures and processes, and the adjustment process of these companies can be characterized as normative and mimetic isomorphism

Levels of Selenomonas Species in Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis

Aim To compare the levels of Selenomonas sputigena and uncultivated/unrecognized Selenomonas species in subgingival biofilms from generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) and periodontaly healthy (PH) subjects. Material and Methods GAgP (n=15) and PH (n=15) subjects were recruited and their clinical periodontal parameters were evaluated. Subgingival plaque samples were collected (9 samples/subject) and analyzed for the levels of 10 bacterial taxa, including cultivated and uncultivated/unrecognized microorganisms using the RNA-oligonucleotide quantification technique (ROQT). Differences in the levels of the test taxa between groups were sought using the Mann-Whitney test. Results GAgP subjects showed significantly higher mean counts of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Selenomonas sputigena and Selenomonas oral clone CS002 (Human Oral Microbial Database (HOMD) Oral Taxon 131), while Actinomyces gerencseriae and Streptococcus sanguinis were found in higher mean counts in PH subjects (pSelenomonas EW084 (HOMD OT 146) was only detected in the GAgP group. In the GAgP group, levels of P. gingivalis and S. sputigena were higher in sites with probing depth (PD) ≥5mm than in shallow sites (PD ≤3mm) (pP. gingivalis (r=0.77; pS. sputigena (r=0.60; pSelenomonas sp. EW076 (OT 139) (r=042, p\u3c0.05). Conclusion S. sputigena, Selenomonas sp. oral CS002 (OT 131) and Selenomonas sp. oral clone EW084 (OT 146) may be associated with the pathogenesis of GAgP, and their role in the onset and progression of this infection should be further investigated

The Italian national survey on coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic spread in nursing homes

Introduction: Residents in facilities such as nursing homes (NHs) are particularly vulnerable to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A national survey was carried out to collect information on the spreading and impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in nursing homes, and on how suspected and/or confirmed cases were managed. We carried out a survey between 25 March 2020 and 5 May 2020. Materials and methods: All Italian nursing homes either public or providing services both privately and within the NHS were included in the study. An on-line questionnaire was sent to 3292 nursing homes across all Italian regions. Nursing homes were also contacted by telephone to provide assistance in completing the questionnaire. Results: A total of 1356 nursing homes voluntarily participated to the survey, hosting a total of 100,806 residents. Overall, 9154 residents died due to any cause from February 1 to the time when the questionnaire was completed (from March 25 to May 5). Of these, 7.4% had COVID-19 and 33.8% had flu-like symptoms, corresponding to a cumulative incidence of 0.7 and 3.1, respectively. Lack of personnel, difficulty in transferring patients to hospital or other facility, isolating residents with COVID-19, number of beds and geographical area were the main factor positively associated to the presence of COVID-19 in nursing homes. Discussion: This survey showed the dissemination and impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Italian nursing homes and on how older and potentially chronically ill people residing in these long-term care facilities were managed

A population-based study on myelodysplastic syndromes in the Lazio Region (Italy), medical miscoding and 11-year mortality follow-up. The Gruppo Romano-Laziale Mielodisplasie experience of retrospective multicentric registry

Data on Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) are difficult to collect by cancer registries because of the lack of reporting and the use of different classifications of the disease. In the Lazio Region, data from patients with a confirmed diagnosis of MDS, treated by a hematology center, have been collected since 2002 by the Gruppo Romano-Laziale Mielodisplasie (GROM-L) registry, the second MDS registry existing in Italy. This study aimed at evaluating MDS medical miscoding during hospitalizations, and patients' survival. For these purposes, we selected 644 MDS patients enrolled in the GROM-L registry. This cohort was linked with two regional health information systems: the Hospital Information System (HIS) and the Mortality Information System (MIS) in the 2002-2012 period. Of the 442 patients who were hospitalized at least once during the study period, 92% had up to 12 hospitalizations. 28.5% of patients had no hospitalization episodes scored like MDS, code 238.7 of the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). The rate of death during a median follow-up of 46 months (range 0.9-130) was 45.5%. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was the first cause of mortality, interestingly a relevant portion of deaths is due to cerebro-cardiovascular events and second tumors. This study highlights that MDS diagnosis and treatment, which require considerable healthcare resources, tend to be under-documented in the HIS archive. Thus we need to improve the HIS to better identify information on MDS hospitalizations and outcome. Moreover, we underline the importance of comorbidity in MDS patients' survival

Free and cued selective reminding test predicts progression to Alzheimer's disease in people with mild cognitive impairment

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Deposition of lignin in four species of Saccharum

We used primers designed on conserved gene regions of several species to isolate the most expressed genes of the lignin pathway in four Saccharum species. S. officinarum and S. barberi have more sucrose in the culms than S. spontaneum and S. robustum, but less polysaccharides and lignin in the cell wall. S. spontaneum, and S. robustum had the lowest S/G ratio and a lower rate of saccharification in mature internodes. Surprisingly, except for CAD, 4CL, and CCoAOMT for which we found three, two, and two genes, respectively, only one gene was found for the other enzymes and their sequences were highly similar among the species. S. spontaneum had the highest expression for most genes. CCR and CCoAOMT B presented the highest expression; 4CL and F5H showed increased expression in mature tissues; C3H and CCR had higher expression in S. spontaneum, and one of the CADs isolated (CAD B) had higher expression in S. officinarum. The similarity among the most expressed genes isolated from these species was unexpected and indicated that lignin biosynthesis is conserved in Saccharum including commercial varieties Thus the lignin biosynthesis control in sugarcane may be only fully understood with the knowledge of the promotor region of each gene9CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informaçãosem informação2014/25994-1; 2008/58035-

Alla ricerca dei Monti Lattari: un percorso di sviluppo locale autosostenibile per la ricostruzione delle identita' perdute, storiche, culturali e rurali dei luoghi

Sintesi della ricerca eseguita da un gruppo di allievi della IX edizione del Master Operatori allo Sviluppo. Indice: Il percorso di analisi territoriale: dalla catena montuosa dei Monti Lattari alle specificita' dell'Unione dei Comuni. L'Unione dei comuni in cifre L'analisi di campo: il senso di identita' tra gli abitanti dei comuni e i servizi offerti sul territorio. La costruzione della strategia: l'analisi SWOT. L'alternativa possibile: il rafforzamento dell'identita' collettiva. La costruzione dell'ipotesi progettuale di sviluppo: identificazione degli obiettivi. L'ipotesi di un cambiamento effettivo: i portatori di interesse. Il passo successivo: costruzione della matrice del Quadro Logico. Il Progetto "Museo Enogastronomico e delle tradizioni contadine" Piano delle attivita

A oferta do café de rua nas capitais São Paulo e Vitória

A pandemia gerou impactos sociais e econômicos, como o trabalho informal dos que se ocupam do serviço de café de rua, ampliado na retomada pós isolamento. O artigo analisa as significações construídas pelas instalações do serviço nas ruas de São Paulo (SP) e Vitória (ES), enquanto manifestações do empreendedorismo por necessidade. O corpus foi coletado em dias úteis, no início das manhãs, em diversos pontos das capitais. A semiótica discursiva sustenta a análise e seu método permitiu traçar isotopias conectoras de figuras e temas. Os resultados apontam para a comunicação dos sentidos da informalidade, casualidade e familiaridade, marcados pela presença feminina, pela autonomia imposta aos sujeitos produtor/vendedor e consumidor e pela conexão entre a energia dada pela bebida e o trabalho. Esses significados vêm embebidos no risco vivido por esses sujeitos, aconchegados entre si e alijados da proteção de políticas públicas de trabalho, condições sanitárias, serviços de transporte e saúde.

Development of a prediction model of conversion to Alzheimer’s disease in people with mild cognitive impairment: the statistical analysis plan of the INTERCEPTOR project

Background In recent years, signifcant eforts have been directed towards the research and development of disease-modifying therapies for dementia. These drugs focus on prodromal (mild cognitive impairment, MCI) and/ or early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Literature evidence indicates that a considerable proportion of individuals with MCI do not progress to dementia. Identifying individuals at higher risk of developing dementia is essential for appropriate management, including the prescription of new disease-modifying therapies expected to become available in clinical practice in the near future. Methods The ongoing INTERCEPTOR study is a multicenter, longitudinal, interventional, non-therapeutic cohort study designed to enroll 500 individuals with MCI aged 50–85 years. The primary aim is to identify a biomarker or a set of biomarkers able to accurately predict the conversion from MCI to AD dementia within 3 years of follow-up. The biomarkers investigated in this study are neuropsychological tests (mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and delayed free recall), brain glucose metabolism ([18F]FDG-PET), MRI volumetry of the hippocampus, EEG brain connectivity, cerebrospinal fuid (CSF) markers (p-tau, t-tau, Aβ1-42, Aβ1-42/1–40 ratio, Aβ1-42/p-Tau ratio) and APOE genotype. The baseline visit includes a full cognitive and neuropsychological evaluation, as well as the collection of clinical and socio-demographic information. Prognostic models will be developed using Cox regression, incorporating individual characteristics and biomarkers through stepwise selection. Model performance will be evaluated in terms of discrimination and calibration and subjected to internal validation using the bootstrapping procedure. The fnal model will be visually represented as a nomogram. Discussion This paper contains a detailed description of the statistical analysis plan to ensure the reproducibility and transparency of the analysis. The prognostic model developed in this study aims to identify the populatio

Gender medicine: an up-date

Women get sick more, use more health services, take more drugs, and have a higher frequency of serious adverse reactions. Despite this, the drugs we use are little studied in women: both clinical studies and pre-clinical experiments are carried out predominantly in males and the young. Before 1990, no more than 26-30% of women were usually enrolled in a trial, so we lacked the statistical power of showing the efficacy and safety of the drugs being studied in the whole population. The gender blindness (transposition of the male studies in female populations) resulted in a lack of awareness of the differences between males and females, and this prevented both genders from receiving the best possible care. This gender bias also, to a lower degree, hurts men: depression, migraines, osteoporosis have not been studied properly in males. Although the process is slow, the scientific community has begun to pay more attention to direct and indirect influences that gender exercise on biological mechanisms, and this includes both internal and external cultural and environmental factors. Therefore, the differences between the old, the young, children, and pregnant women (considered the third gender group) will become increasingly more important as care becomes more personalized. The first course of gender medicine was established only in 2002 at Columbia University, New York, USA. The World Health Organization has incorporated gender medicine into the Equity Act. This implies that the treatment given must be the most appropriate and best suited the individual patient's gender. The Committee on Women's Health of the Ministry of Health in Italy was established in 2007. Institutions now pay great attention to the importance of this clinical perspective and are sensitive to the need for change. This review focuses on specific open questions regarding gender: pharmacology, clinical trial recruitment, cardiovascular prevention, stroke, osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, and discusses presentations made to the 1st course of gender medicine organized as part of the 18th National Congress of the Federation of Associations of Hospital Doctors on Internal Medicine (FADOI), 2012