A Quality Major: Some Doctoral Programs Are Beginning to Offer a Specialization in Quality

Describes the doctorate in technology management from Indiana State University, a member of a consortium offering the degree that prepares graduates to be technological leaders for public and private sectors

ANÁLISE DO RETORNO DE PALETES E CHAPATEX EM EMPRESA DE BEBIDAS

A logística reversa vem ganhando cada vez mais relevância em sua implantação devido a fatores ecológicos, de competitividade, estratégico e econômico que visam alavancar o sucesso e crescimento das empresas. Para isto foi feita uma pesquisa aplicada, de abordagem qualitativa, através de um estudo de caso. Este artigo tem por objetivo sugerir uma melhoria na forma de controle de paletes e chapatex da empresa Vonpar Refrescos S/A, a fim de conseguir um processo mais eficaz de recolhimento destes materiais e uma redução de custo com novas aquisições. Através deste estudo, com as melhorias sugeridas para redução de custo, a empresa conseguiu ter um controle maior dos bens cedidos, uma melhor relação de confiança e comprometimento entre as partes envolvidas no processo, o inventário dos bens se tornou mais preciso e melhor aplicação podendo ser feito em periodicidade menor e redução do número de compras feitas desses materiais, gerando economia financeira para a empresa

Guselkumab for hidradenitis suppurativa:a phase II, open-label, mode-of-action study

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of available biologics for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is limited. Additional therapeutic options are needed. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and mode of action of guselkumab [an anti-interleukin (IL)-23p19 monoclonal antibody] 200 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks for 16 weeks in patients with HS. METHODS: An open-label, multicentre, phase IIa trial in patients with moderate-to-severe HS was carried out (NCT04061395). The pharmacodynamic response in skin and blood was measured after 16 weeks of treatment. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response (HiSCR), the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), and the abscess and inflammatory nodule (AN) count. The protocol was reviewed and approved by the local institutional review board (METC 2018/694), and the study was conducted in accordance with good clinical practice guidelines and applicable regulatory requirements. RESULTS: Thirteen of 20 patients (65%) achieved HiSCR with a statistically significant decrease in median IHS4 score (from 8.5 to 5.0; P = 0.002) and median AN count (from 6.5 to 4.0; P = 0.002). The overall patient-reported outcomes did not show a similar trend. One serious adverse event, likely to be unrelated to guselkumab treatment, was observed. In lesional skin, transcriptomic analysis revealed the upregulation of various genes associated with inflammation, including immunoglobulins, S100, matrix metalloproteinases, keratin, B-cell and complement genes, which decreased in clinical responders after treatment. Immunohistochemistry revealed a marked decrease in inflammatory markers in clinical responders at week 16. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-five per cent of patients with moderate-to-severe HS achieved HiSCR after 16 weeks of treatment with guselkumab. We could not demonstrate a consistent correlation between gene and protein expression and clinical responses. The main limitations of this study were the small sample size and absence of a placebo arm. The large placebo-controlled phase IIb NOVA trial for guselkumab in patients with HS reported a lower HiSCR response of 45.0-50.8% in the treatment group and 38.7% in the placebo group. Guselkumab seems only to be of benefit in a subgroup of patients with HS, indicating that the IL-23/T helper 17 axis is not central to the pathophysiology of HS.</p

Dichomitus squalens partially tailors its molecular responses to the composition of solid wood

White-rot fungi, such as Dichomitus squalens, degrade all wood components and inhabit mixed-wood forests containing both soft- and hardwood species. In this study, we evaluated how D. squalens responded to the compositional differences in softwood [guaiacyl (G) lignin and higher mannan content] and hardwood [syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) lignin and higher xylan content] using semi-natural solid cultures. Spruce (softwood) and birch (hardwood) sticks were degraded by D. squalens as measured by oxidation of the lignins using 2D-NMR. The fungal response as measured by transcriptomics, proteomics and enzyme activities showed a partial tailoring to wood composition. Mannanolytic transcripts and proteins were more abundant in spruce cultures, while a proportionally higher xylanolytic activity was detected in birch cultures. Both wood types induced manganese peroxidases to a much higher level than laccases, but higher transcript and protein levels of the manganese peroxidases were observed on the G-lignin rich spruce. Overall, the molecular responses demonstrated a stronger adaptation to the spruce rather than birch composition, possibly because D. squalens is mainly found degrading softwoods in nature, which supports the ability of the solid wood cultures to reflect the natural environment.Peer reviewe

Carbon-Based Nanomaterials and their Medical Applications

The Tour lab has previously demonstrated that antibody-targeted drug-loaded carbon nanoparticles, called PEGylated hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs), can be utilized for cancer-specific drug delivery both in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we append a range of receptor-binding peptides to PEG-HCCs, and show that these peptidyl-PEG-HCCs have enhanced utility in killing a number of different cancers in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we can potentiate cancer-specific toxicity by using peptide-targeted PEG-HCCs to deliver xenobiotic drug pump inhibitors to cancer cells simultaneously with chemotherapy. With the plethora of drug delivery vehicles currently under study, we have diverted our attention to capitalizing on the intrinsic properties of our PEG-HCCs; most notably, their antioxidant activity. PEG-HCCs show high capacity to annihilate reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, show no reactivity toward nitric oxide, and can be functionalized with targeting moieties without loss of activity. PEG-HCCs therefore offer an exciting new area of study for treatment of numerous ROS-induced human pathologies. Furthermore, a new class of carbon particles developed in the Tour lab, graphene quantum dots derived from coal, possess the same properties and are even more promising, given their inexpensive starting material and simple preparation. In many neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation is associated with an increase in ROS. We have found that PEG-HCCs are immunomodulatory, reducing inflammation by suppression of the effector memory T cell response. Further, PEG-HCCs can be modified in order to visualize them both in vitro and in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our data, along with previous work, demonstrates potential T cell tracking utility of our nanoparticles and their ability to modulate inflammation. Finally, a different nanostructured material, graphene nanoscaffolds prepared form graphene oxide, was explored as a bioscaffold for neuronal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). The graphene nanoscaffolds adhered well to the spinal cord tissue and there was no area of pseudocyst around the scaffolds suggestive of cytotoxicity. Instead, histological evaluation showed ingrowth of connective tissue elements, blood vessels, neurofilaments, and Schwann cells around the graphene nanoscaffolds. Thus, it may provide a scaffold for the ingrowth of regenerating axons after SCI

Characterization of a novel MR-detectable nanoantioxidant that mitigates the recall immune response

In many human diseases, the presence of inflammation is associated with an increase in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The resulting state of oxidative stress is highly detrimental and can initiate a cascade of events that ultimately lead to cell death. Thus, many therapeutic attempts have been focused on either modulating the immune system to lower inflammation or reducing the damaging caused by ROS. Berlin et al. reported the development of a novel nanoantioxidant known as poly(ethylene glycol)-functionalized-hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG-HCCs). They showed that PEG-HCCs could be targeted to cancer cells, utilized as a drug delivery vector, and can even be visualized ex vivo. Our work here furthers this work and characterizes Gd-DTPA conjugated PEG-HCCs and explores the potential for in vivo tracking of T cells in live mice. We utilized a mouse model of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to assess the immunomodulatory effects of PEG-HCCs. The T1-agent Gd-DTPA was then conjugated to the PEG-HCCs and T1 measurements, and T1-weighted MRI of the modified PEG-HCCs was done to assess their relaxivity. We then assessed if PEG-HCCs could be visualized both ex vivo and in vivo within the mouse lymph node and spleen. Mice treated with PEG-HCCs showed significant improvements in the DTH assay as compared to the vehicle (saline)-treated control. Flow cytometry demonstrated that splenic T cells are capable of internalizing PEG-HCCs whereas fluorescent immunohistochemistry showed that PEG-HCCs are detectable within the cortex of lymph nodes. Finally, our nanoantioxidants can be visualized in vivo within the lymph nodes and spleen of a mouse after addition of the Gd-DTPA. PEG-HCCs are internalized by T cells in the spleen and can reduce inflammation by suppression of a recall immune response. PEG-HCCs can be modified to allow for both in vitro and in vivo visualization using MRI

CONTRATAÇÃO DE SERVIÇOS PÚBLICOS: PROPOSTA DE UM MODELO DE TERMO DE REFERÊNCIA PARA O MUNICÍPIO DE SAPUCAIA DO SUL-RS

Termo de Referência é um documento que uma instituição contratante estabelece os termos pelos quais um serviço deve ser prestado ou um produto deve ser entregue por prováveis contratados. Neste caso houve a necessidade de um modelo de Termo de Referência a ser utilizado como base para licitações na Prefeitura Municipal de Sapucaia do Sul-RS. Este é um município de médio porte localizado na região metropolitana de Porto Alegre no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. O estudo visou apresentar a importância do planejamento e elaboração dos Termos de Referências em serem construídos de forma transparente, clara e objetiva. A metodologia foi uma pesquisa qualitativa com a técnica de grupo focal e uma análise documental. Nos resultados, houve a construção do modelo de Termo de Referência, com orientações aos servidores e recomendação da criação de um decreto que venha a normatizar a implementação do modelo. Outra definição que emergiu do estudo foi o surgimento de uma comissão especial com a participação de diferentes áreas do poder público. O Termo de Referência deve ser construído por uma equipe multidisciplinar e/ou multissetorial, onde cada um de seus integrantes irá dar sua contribuição para melhor qualificar o objeto a ser contratado