Cultural value orientations and alcohol consumption in 74 countries: A societal-level analysis

A significant proportion of all deaths globally can be attributed to alcohol consumption. Although a range of correlates of alcohol consumption have already been identified at the individual level, less is understood about correlates at the macro level, such as cultural values. As a development in this understanding may prove useful for global health organizations aiming to tackle the problems associated with excessive drinking, our aim was to investigate the association between encultured alcohol consumption and Cultural Value Orientations. We obtained data describing average alcohol consumption and Cultural Value Orientations, for 74 countries, from an online data repository. To assess whether Cultural Value Orientations are associated with alcohol consumption we calculated partial correlations and performed a ridge regression analysis. Our analyses revealed that Cultural Value Orientations were significantly associated with alcohol consumption, even after controlling for average income and education level. A profile emerged in which values of autonomy and harmony were shown to be positively associated with alcohol consumption, and hierarchy and embeddedness negatively associated with alcohol consumption. The effect was modified by gender. Changes in cultural Harmony, Mastery, Autonomy and Egalitarianism were associated with increases in alcohol consumption in males, but not females, while changes in cultural Embeddedness and Hierarchy were associated with decreases in consumption in females, but no change in males. Finally, we demonstrate that latitude, and by extension its covariates such as climatic demands, partially accounted for the effect of harmony and affective autonomy on alcohol consumption. This research highlights that cultural values, and their interaction with gender, should be an important consideration for international public health organizations aiming to tackle the problems associated with alcohol consumption, but that future research is required to fully understand the link between cultural values and alcohol

Bisimulation of Labeled State-to-Function Transition Systems of Stochastic Process Languages

Labeled state-to-function transition systems, FuTS for short, admit multiple transition schemes from states to functions of finite support over general semirings. As such they constitute a convenient modeling instrument to deal with stochastic process languages. In this paper, the notion of bisimulation induced by a FuTS is proposed and a correspondence result is proven stating that FuTS-bisimulation coincides with the behavioral equivalence of the associated functor. As generic examples, the concrete existing equivalences for the core of the process algebras ACP, PEPA and IMC are related to the bisimulation of specific FuTS, providing via the correspondence result coalgebraic justification of the equivalences of these calculi.Comment: In Proceedings ACCAT 2012, arXiv:1208.430

Nutrição mineral da colza (Brassica napus l.): I. Carências nutricionais

Com a finalidade de se obter o quadro sintomatológico das carências de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S e B, assim como os níveis analíticos correspondentes, mudas de colza foram cultivadas em vasos contendo sílica moída, irrigadas com solução completa e deficiente nos nutrientes. Foram descritos todos os sintomas de deficiência. Os níveis analíticos em folhas sadias e deficientes são: N- 2,04% - 0,70%; P- 0,40% - 0,10%; K- 1,17% - 0,10%; Ca - 1,20% - 0,13%; Mg- 0,70% - 0,11%; S- 0,49% - 0,42%; B- 71ppm-18ppm.A trial was carried out with young rape plants (Brassica napus L.) CV.CTC-I, grown on sand culture, receiving nutrient solutions lacking the following nutrients at the time: N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and B. Clear cut symptoms were obtained for the elements. The leave analysis shaw for normal and deficiente leaves N%. 2.04 - 0.70; P% - 0.40 - 0.10; K% 1.17 - 0.10; Ca% 1.20 - 0.13; Mg% - 0.70 - 0.11; S% 0.49 - 0.42 - B ppm71 - 18

Designing surgical clothing and drapes according to the new technical standards

Hospitals will continue to be the largest consumers of disposables, because of the diverse range of procedures they provide. Favourable growth is forecast for nonwovens. Increasing concern over contamination and nosocomial infections will boost the demand for consumables and disposables surgical gowns and drapes. But, until now neither the manufacturers nor the end users of surgical gowns and drapes could agree on standards. So, a mandatory European standard is being developed to establish basic requirements and test methods for disposable and reusable materials used for surgical gowns and drapes. Once this standard has been adopted, the continued use of cotton textiles and conventional cotton-polyester mixed textiles will become questionable.(undefined

A Política De Desenvolvimento Produtivo Da Saúde E A Capacitação Dos Laboratórios Públicos Nacionais

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Technological innovations play a decisive role in societies’ development by contributing to economic growth and the population’s welfare. The state has a key role in this process by inducing innovative behavior, strategies, and decisions. This study addresses Brazil’s current policy for development of the health industry and its effects on qualification of national public laboratories by contextualizing different cycles of interaction between health policy and the industrial base, discussing the government’s development strategy and the transfer and absorption of health technology (through Industrial Development Partnerships), and presenting two current partnerships involving public laboratories in the production of medicines and vaccines. © 2016, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz. All rights reserved.32supl.2CNPq, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e TecnológicoConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Nutrição mineral de hortaliças: XXXII. marcha de absorção dos nutrientes pelo tomateiro (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill,) destinado ao processamento industrial

In order to find out the concentration of macro and micronutrients, as well the total amounts of nutrients absorved by Roma VF, of the Santa Cruz group of tomato, plants were collected from field from 15 days up to 105 days and analysed for the nutrients. At the flowering period the leaves presented the following concentration on nutrients: 3.7% N; 0.5% P; 3.2% Ca; 0,9% Mg; 0,4% S; 72 ppm B; 15 ppm Cu; 434 ppm Fe; 375 ppm Mn; 0.1 ppm Mo and 148 ppm Zn. A production of 65 t/ha effective hasrvested content: 67.8 kg N; 8.9 kg P; 112.2 kg K; 7.7 kg Ca; 6.0 kg Mg; 3.1 kg S; 93 g B; 45 g Cu; 547 g Fe; 163 g Mn; 485 mg Mo; 321 g Zn.Reveste-se de grande importância o conhecimento da marcha de absorção de nutrientes pelas culturas, principalmente visando uma aplicação racional dos fertilizantes. Utilizou-se no presente experimento a cultivar Roma VF, de porte determinado, que tem tido grande aceitação tanto pelos tomaticultores como pelas industrias processadoras. As amostras para analise foram coletadas no período junho a outubro de 1977, em uma área experimental instalada num solo representativo da região oeste do Estado de São Paulo (Latossol Vermelho Amarelo), no município de Narandiba (DIRA de Presidente Prudente)· A cultura recebeu uma adubação de 85--300-100 kg/ha de NPK, sendo 1/3 do N aplicado juntamente com todo o P e K no plantio e os 2/3 restantes aplicados em cobertura aos 30 e 35 dias após a germinação. A área foi de 1,25 x 0,30 m (26,666 covas/ha), com culturais foram os normalmente recomendados para a cultura na região. As amostras (4 repetições) foram coletadas aos 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 e 105 dias após a germinação. As plantas foram separadas em folhas cotiledonares, folhas, caule e frutos. Determinou-se o peso de matéria seca e analisou-se para N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cu, Fe, Mo e Zn. Os resultados analíticos obtidos revelaram um crescimento lento ate aos 30 dias, após o que houve um crescimento acelerado, com o peso da materia seca praticamente dobrando a cada quinzena no período dos 45 aos 75 dias, atingindo o máximo aos 105 dias (5.706,61 kg/ha). Quanto ao crescimento dos frutos, expresso em peso de materia seca, houve um aumento de cerca de 20 vezes no intervalo dos 45 aos 75 dias, praticamente duplicando o peso no período dos 75 aos 90 dias e estabilizando-se aos 105 dias (2.708,6 kg/ha). Na época de floração, as folhas apresentavam, em função da materia seca, 3,7% N; 0,50% P; 4,44% K; 3,24% Ca; 0,99% Mg; 0,46% S; 72 ppm B; 15 ppm Cu; 434 ppm Fe; 375 ppm Mn; 0,18 ppm Mo; 148 ppm Zn. A produção efetiva de 65 ton/ha obtida na área experimental, contem as seguintes quantidades de nutrientes nos frutos: 67,8 g N; 8,9 g P; 112,2g K; 7,7 g Ca; 6,0 g Mg; 3,1 g S; 93 g B; 45 g Cu; 547 g Fe; 163 g Mn; 485 mg Mo

Electrochemical behavior of Ti/Al2O3 interfaces produced by diffusion bonding

In the field of biomedical applications a special interest exists regarding the study of the physicochemical and mechanical behaviour of materials, with special focus on the electrochemical degradation of metal/ceramic interfaces. In fact, etal/ceramic interfaces may be present in several biomedical devices, ranging from external or implantable sensors, to dental implants. Diffusion bonding represents an important technique since, in opposition to other production technologies, such as active metal brazing, avoid the possible liberation of certain chemical components harmful to health. The aim of this work is to study the electrochemical degradation of the interface formed between commercially pure Ti and Al2O3 produced by diffusion bonding, in contact with a physiological solution. The present approach included the evaluation of the contribution of individual and pairs of interfacial layers on the global degradation processes. For this propose d.c. electrochemical techniques were used to monitor the open-circuit potential, and to perform potentiodynamic polarization and galvanic corrosion evaluation. Also, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used as a complementary technique of the corrosion behaviour of the interface. Chemical composition and morphology of samples and corrosion products were evaluated by SEM and EDS analysis. According to experimental results, two principal reaction layers were formed in the interface: TiAl and Ti3Al. The TiAl layer appears to be the responsible for the strong increase in corrosion rate of the interface.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia -POCTI/CTM/33384/2000; SFRH/BPD/ 5518/2001

Ferromagnetism in Oriented Graphite Samples

We have studied the magnetization of various, well characterized samples of highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG), Kish graphite and natural graphite to investigate the recently reported ferromagnetic-like signal and its possible relation to ferromagnetic impurities. The magnetization results obtained for HOPG samples for applied fields parallel to the graphene layers - to minimize the diamagnetic background - show no correlation with the magnetic impurity concentration. Our overall results suggest an intrinsic origin for the ferromagnetism found in graphite. We discuss possible origins of the ferromagnetic signal.Comment: 11 figure