Diagnosis of the public water supply in the city of Maringa, PR and its relation to the concept of smart cities

With the development of cities in a more integrated and innovative management for urban sectors, the smart cities emerge, usually incorporating this evolution using the Information and Communication Technology (ICT), necessitating investments in technology and innovation in the public policies. In light of this context, the purpose of this paper was to carry out the diagnosis of the city of Maringa concerning innovation and the use of ICT in the potable water public supply sector. It was conducted interviews with the responsible for the concessionaire of the water supply in Maringa (SANEPAR), and also document evaluations. The results attest to the development of a project elaborated by SANEPAR in partnership with Parana Meteorologic System (SIMEPAR), with the intention of a more intelligent water supply system, that allows the prediction of possible floods in the water catchment plant by heavy rainfall. Thus, it can be concluded that there is the intention of implementing smart technologies, beginning with the protection to the catchment of the water, that can be extended to the operation of the whole water supply system of the municipality of Maringa

Modelagem computacional da rede de drenagem urbana usando alternativas LID em uma sub-bacia na cidade de Maringá, Paraná, Brasil

With urbanization development, inundations and urban floods become more frequent. In the city of Maringa, Parana, this type of event is often observed in some specific dense urban locations, resulted by intense rainfall. In this context, the objective of this paper is to perform a computational modelling in the urban drainage network, most specifically in the sub-basin defined by the intersection of avenues Guaiapo and Palmares, in the city of Maringa, Parana, considering the current situation and with the application of Low Impact Development (LID) compensatory techniques. In this regard, the computational program SewerGEMS® was used to develop the scenarios simulations. The results shown that the actual network is undersized (Scenario 01), and it is proposed the adoption of LID compensatory measures (Scenarios 02, 03 and 04). The computational modelling in the elaboration of the scenarios was effective and it may support the municipal urban management with the implementation of an adequate and efficient system of stormwater management.Com o avanço da urbanização, tornam-se frequentes os problemas de alagamentos, inundações e enchentes urbanas. Na cidade de Maringá, Paraná, constatam-se alagamentos frequentes, decorrentes de chuvas intensas, em pontos específicos densamente urbanizadas. Neste contexto, o objetivo desse trabalho é elaborar cenários de um trecho da rede de drenagem urbana, mais especificamente no ponto de cruzamento entre as avenidas Guaiapó e dos Palmares, localizado na cidade de Maringá, Paraná: com a situação atual e utilizando técnicas compensatórias de Low Impact Development (LID). Para isso, foi utilizado o programa computacional SewerGEMS® a fim de realizar as simulações dos cenários propostos. Os resultados mostraram que a rede atual no trecho considerado está subdimensionada (Cenário 1) e uma das soluções propostas é a adoção de técnicas compensatórias LID para construção dos Cenários 2, 3 e 4. Conclui-se que a modelagem computacional para a elaboração de cenários mostrou-se efetiva e pode ser uma grande aliada para fornecer subsídios para a gestão municipal urbana, auxiliando na implementação de um manejo de águas urbanas adequado e eficiente.

Postoperative Urinary Retention in Japanese Elderly Males with a Femoral Neck or Trochanteric Fracture

We assessed risk factors for postoperative urinary retention (UR) in elderly males with femoral bone fractures: 169 Japanese males (mean age 81.95 ± 1.19 years) who had undergone hip surgery at a municipal hospital (Toyama, Japan). A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to test possible risk factors for UR: age, body mass index, serum albumin, cognitive impairment, activities of daily living (ADL), and history of diabetes mellitus (DM). UR occurred in 24 (14.2%) of the 169 patients. A multivariate logistic regression analysis with age adjustment showed that ADL (odds ratio [OR] 3.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-12.5, p=0.023) was significantly associated with the development of UR, and a history of DM showed marginal significance for UR occurrence (OR 0.36, 95%CI: 0.11-10, p=0.064). These results suggests that ADL is a risk factor for UR development in elderly males who have undergone surgery for femoral neck or trochanter fractures

The Impact of Tofogliflozin on Physiological and Hormonal Function, Serum Electrolytes, and Cardiac Diastolic Function in Elderly Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The sodium glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor tofogliflozin is a glucose-lowering drug that causes the excretion of surplus glucose by inhibiting SGLT2. Because of tofogliflozin’s osmotic diuresis mechanism, patients’ serum electrolytes, body fluid levels, and cardiac function must be monitored. We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 64 elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who received tofogliflozin for 3 months. Their HbA1c, serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), hematocrit, brain natriuretic peptide (cardiac volume load marker) and renin and aldosterone (RAA; an index of regulatory hormones involved in body fluid retention) were continuously monitored during the investigation period. Renal function and cardiac function (by echocardiography) were assessed throughout the period. HbA1c significantly decreased (β1=−0.341, p<0.0001, linear regression analysis [LRA]). Most of the hormonal, electrolyte, and physiological parameters were maintained throughout the study period. In these circumstances, E/e’ tended to decrease (β1=−0.382, p=0.13, LRA). Compared to the baseline, E/e’ was significantly decreased at 1 and 3 months (p<0.01, p<0.05). In the higher E/e’ group (E/e’≥10, n=34), E/e’ decreased significantly (β1=−0.63, p<0.05, LRA). ΔE/e’ was correlated with body-weight change during treatment (r=0.64, p<0.01). The 3-month tofogliflozin treatment improved glycemic control and diastolic function represented by E/e’ in T2DM patients, without affecting serum electrolytes, renal function, or RAA. No negative impacts on the patients were observed. Three-month tofogliflozin treatment lowered glucose and improved cardiac diastolic function

Mao-to Prolongs the Survival of and Reduces TNF-α Expression in Mice with Viral Myocarditis

Goal of this study was to evaluate effects of Mao-to on development of myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus in mice. Mice were randomly divided into five groups. Group N included uninfected controls (n = 18), while group A, B and C underwent intraperitoneal injection of EMC virus. Group A was administered oral saline from day 0 to day 4. Group B was administered oral Mao-to (500 mg−1 kg−1 day−1) from day 0 to day 4. Group C was administered Mao-to from day 2 to day 6. Group D was administered Mao-to from day 5 to day 10. Treated mice were followed for survival rates during 2 weeks after infection. Body weight (BW) and organ weights including heart (HW), lungs, thymus and spleen were examined on days 4, 6 and 14. Survival rate of group C (36.4%) was significantly improved compared with group A, B or D (0% of each, P < 0.05). HW and HW/BW ratio in group C was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in group A, B or D. Viral titers of hearts were significantly different among groups A, B and C. Cardiac expression in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was significantly reduced in group C in comparison with group A, B or D on day 6 by immunohistochemical study. Administration of Mao-to starting on day 2 improves mortality resulting from viral myocarditis in mice with reduced expression of cardiac TNF-α. These findings suggest that timing of Mao-to is crucial for preventing cardiac damage in mice with viral myocarditis

Glutamine protects small intestinal mucosa

Supportive therapy during chemotherapy has become essential, but effective preventive therapies to gastrointestinal mucosal injury are few. We investigated the efficacy of glutamine in rat anticancer drug-induced enteritis model. In this study, we used twenty male SD rats. They were divided into control, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (orally administered at 20mg/kg day), 5-FU+glutamine (1000 mg/kg/day) and 5-FU+glutamine+fiber and oligosaccharide (GFO[○R]) (1000 mg/kg/day) groups. All groups were sacrificed on day 6 and upper jejunums were excised. The jejunal villous height was measured in specimens. IgA level in jejunal washing solution, and serum diamine oxidase activity were also measured. The jejunal villous height was recognized as shorter in the specimen from 5-FU treated rats compared with 5-FU+glutamine treated rats (p<0.001). Serum diamine oxidase activity in 5-FU+glutamine group were significantly superior to that in 5-FU group (p=0.028). IgA level in jejunal washing solution tended to be higher in 5-FU+glutamine group than that in 5-FU group (p=0.076). On the other hand, serum diamine oxidase activity and IgA level in jejunal washing solution showed no significant difference between 5-FU+GFO and 5-FU treatment group. Our results suggest that glutamine showed protective effects on mucosal injury of small intestine in rat anticancer drug-induced enteritis model

Mao-to Prolongs the Survival of and Reduces TNF-a Expression in Mice with Viral Myocarditis

Goal of this study was to evaluate effects of Mao-to on development of myocarditis induced by encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus in mice. Mice were randomly divided into five groups. Group N included uninfected controls (n = 18), while group A, B and C underwent intraperitoneal injection of EMC virus. Group A was administered oral saline from day 0 to day 4. Group B was administered oral Mao-to (500 mg À1 kg À1 day À1 ) from day 0 to day 4. Group C was administered Mao-to from day 2 to day 6. Group D was administered Mao-to from day 5 to day 10. Treated mice were followed for survival rates during 2 weeks after infection. Body weight (BW) and organ weights including heart (HW), lungs, thymus and spleen were examined on days 4, 6 and 14. Survival rate of group C (36.4%) was significantly improved compared with group A, B or D (0% of each, P &lt; 0.05). HW and HW/BW ratio in group C was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) lower than those in group A, B or D. Viral titers of hearts were significantly different among groups A, B and C. Cardiac expression in tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) was significantly reduced in group C in comparison with group A, B or D on day 6 by immunohistochemical study. Administration of Mao-to starting on day 2 improves mortality resulting from viral myocarditis in mice with reduced expression of cardiac TNF-a. These findings suggest that timing of Mao-to is crucial for preventing cardiac damage in mice with viral myocarditis