Intestinal Amyloidosis in common variable immunodeficiency and Rheumatoid Arthritis

We present a case of reactive amyloidosis that developed secondary to common variable immunodeficiency and rheumatoid arthritis. A 66-year-old woman, with prior history of common variable immunodeficiency and rheumatoid arthritis, was referred to our clinic for chronic diarrhea investigation. The patient was submitted to colonoscopy with ileoscopy, which did not show relevant endoscopic alterations. However, undertaken biopsies revealed amyloid deposition. Since amyloidosis with GI involvement is a rare cause of chronic diarrhea, this pathology should be considered in etiologic investigation, especially when associated with chronic inflammatory diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Vanishing value chains, industrial districts and HRM in the Brazilian automotive industry

Industrial districts in the Brazilian automotive industry have facilitated just-in-time production, functional flexibility, and compatibility of HR practices since the 1980s. However, this model has been threatened by global over-capacity and the rise of low cost suppliers in South Korea and China. This paper develops literature on proximity dynamics though exploring the influence of global supply chains on HRM in industrial districts. The more specific research questions are: How viable are industrial districts in the context of global crises? And how is this viability bound up with the awareness of HR practices down the supply chain? The findings indicate that the industrial districts model is under threat. In the context of global supply chains, automotive majors have shifted costs onto their suppliers, disrupting established relationships, and moreover, they often lack knowledge of the employment practices of distant suppliers. Yet, in times of political and economic uncertainty, worker rights might be best served by geographical and cognitive proximity

Behaviour of cementitious matrices subjected to the combined action of chloride ions and carbonation

Carbonation and chloride action are the two leading causes of degradation in reinforced concrete structures. Despite the combined action of these two mechanisms being a reality, there is little research on the effect of this combination in cementitious matrices. Furthermore, the incorporation of fly ash in cementitious matrices has been frequently used in order to make the matrix more resistant to the action of chlorides. On the other hand, it is known that Ca(OH)2 existing in the matrix is consumed by the pozzolanic reactions, which makes easier the carbonation front advance. Therefore, this paper presents a study of the behavior of cementitious matrices, with and without fly ash, subjected to the combined action of chlorides and carbonation. Two different kinds of mortars were produced: reference (only cement CEM I 42.5R) and fly ash mortar (40% replacement of cement). After curing, the specimens were subjected to three different wetting-drying cycles, considering NaCl solutions and CO2 atmospheres. Afterwards, chloride profiles and carbonation front were measured. Results show that carbonation has a direct influence on chloride penetration, decreasing it for cement mortars with 0% fly ash and increasing it for mortars with 40% cement replacement by fly ash. Moreover, the evolution of carbonation is also influenced by chloride presence, which decreases under the combined action.The authors thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for supporting this research. The authors also thank the SECIL for making available cement used in this research and the CIMENTEIRA DO LOURO for providing the aggregates used. This work is co-financed by FEDER funds through the Competitively Factors Operational Programme - COMPETE and by national funds through FCT within the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER007136.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Frequência de conforto da temperatura e umidade em creches de suínos com programas de iluminação nos períodos de inverno e verão.

Projeto: 11.11.11.111

Incidência e danos da broca-do-pinhão, Cydia araucariae (Pastrana), em sementes de araucária.

bitstream/item/39830/1/CT276.pd

Incidência e danos da broca-das-meliáceas, Hypsipyla grandella, em mogno, no interior paulista.

bitstream/item/39888/1/CT280.pd

Coherent states of non-relativistic electron in magnetic-solenoid field

We construct coherent states of a nonrelativistic electron in the magnetic-solenoid field, which is a superposition of the Aharonov-Bohm field and a collinear uniform magnetic field. In the problem under consideration there are two kind of coherent states, the first kind corresponds to classical trajectories which embrace the solenoid and the second one to trajectories which do not. Mean coordinates in the constructed coherent states are moving along classical trajectories, the coherent states maintain their form under the time evolution, and represent a complete set of functions, which can be useful in semi classical calculations. In the absence of the Aharonov-Bohm filed these states are reduced to the well-known in the case of uniform magnetic field Malkin-Man'ko coherent states.Comment: 11 pages, version accepted for publication in J. Phys. A, 3 figures adde

Sistemas computacionais inteligentes na agricultura.

Neste novo cenário agrícola onde o país deverá aumentar a eficiência de seus sistemas produtivos através do uso otimizado de insumos agrícolas, água e energia, a tecnologia de informação-TI é um dos pilares de uma revolução que tem como aliados nanotecnologia, biotecnologia e ciência cognitiva. Nessa nova era, o valor não está mais no domínio da informação, mas sim no conhecimento embutido. Sistemas inteligentes são exemplos de sistemas que utilizam a TI para manipular conhecimentos com benefícios quantitativos e qualitativos. Inteligência Computacional-IC é utilizada na construção de sistemas inteligentes de suporte à decisão, modelagem, previsão, automação, reconhecimento de imagens, mineração de dados/textos e até em áreas como visão computacional. Técnicas como lógica difusa e redes neurais têm sido aplicadas em várias áreas da agricultura como diagnóstico e predição doenças de plantas, modelagem de crescimento de plantas, previsão de mudanças climáticas entre outros. Desenvolvimentos recentes em abordagens sistêmicas, matemática e computação permitirão entender o mundo natural, a sociedade e a pesquisa científica como sistemas complexos e fortemente acoplados. Técnicas de IC tornam-se importantes para emular esses sistemas na agricultura. Poderia se pensar desde sistemas inteligentes que monitorariam constantemente as condições e necessidades das plantas, animais e insumos de uma fazenda controlada remotamente até a construção de robôs humanóides para auxiliar no campo

Parametric hazard rate models for long-term sickness absence

PURPOSE: In research on the time to onset of sickness absence and the duration of sickness absence episodes, Cox proportional hazard models are in common use. However, parametric models are to be preferred when time in itself is considered as independent variable. This study compares parametric hazard rate models for the onset of long-term sickness absence and return to work. METHOD: Prospective cohort study on sickness absence with four follow-up years of 53,830 employees working in the private sector in the Netherlands. The time to onset of long-term (>6 weeks) sickness absence and return to work were modelled by parametric hazard rate models. RESULTS: The exponential parametric model with a constant hazard rate most accurately described the time to onset of long-term sickness absence. Gompertz-Makeham models with monotonically declining hazard rates best described return to work. CONCLUSIONS: Parametric models offer more possibilities than commonly used models for time-dependent processes as sickness absence and return to work. However, the advantages of parametric models above Cox models apply mainly for return to work and less for onset of long-term sickness absence