Valuing PSS outputs and quality changes

The Gershon review of efficiency recommended that target improvements in efficiency should be met both through financial savings and through improvements in quality of outputs. This paper reports on a pilot project designed to feed into an approach for local authorities to quantify in monetary terms quality gains in the provision of personal social services (PSS), with a specific application to the provision of home care for older people. There are a number of practical and theoretical problems with attributing monetary values to aspects of quality. The approach described here builds on ongoing work into the measurement of PSS outputs for the purposes of National Accounts and measuring changes in productivity and efficiency more widely. This approach distinguishes what services could provide (capacity for benefit) from the quality of what is provided in practice. By attaching a financial valuation to capacity for benefit we are able to attribute a monetary valuation to changes in the quality of provision measured (in the case of home care) through service user experiences of their care. Capacity for benefit (CfB) is defined in terms of eight domains of outcome that services address and four levels of need (no needs, all needs met, low needs, high needs) within these domains. In addition we identify whether people are living in their own homes, as a key attribute of care provision. The characteristics of the service (in terms of domains of outcome and whether living at home) and service users (in terms of level of need that need to be met) determine the CfB of a given service

Drone–Robot to Clean Power Line Insulators

The inspection and maintenance of transmission systems are necessary for their proper functioning. In this way, among the line’s critical points are the insulator chains, which are responsible for providing insulation between conductors and structures. The accumulation of pollutants on the insulator surface can cause failures in the power system, leading to power supply interruptions. Currently, the cleaning of insulator chains is performed manually by operators who climb towers and use cloths, high-pressure washers, or even helicopters. The use of robots and drones is also under study, presenting challenges to be overcome. This paper presents the development of a drone–robot for cleaning insulator chains. The drone–robot was designed to identify insulators by camera and perform cleaning through a robotic module. This module is attached to the drone and carries a battery-powered portable washer, a reservoir for demineralized water, a depth camera, and an electronic control system. This paper includes a literature review on the state of the art related to strategies used for cleaning insulator chains. Based on this review, the justification for the construction of the proposed system is presented. The methodology used in the development of the drone–robot is then described. The system was validated in a controlled environment and in field experimental tests, with the ensuing discussions and conclusions formulated, along with suggestions for future work

Characterization and epidemiology of ocular trauma in Conjunto Hospitalar de Sorocaba/SP

Introdução: O trauma ocular é a causa mais comum de cegueira unilateral em crianças e jovens. Este tipo de trauma é considerado como a terceira causa de hospitalização em Oftalmologia e como a segunda de comprometimento visual, depois da catarata. Objetivo: Avaliar a freqüência e os tipos de tramas oculares atendidos no Pronto Socorro do Centro Hospitalar de Sorocaba (CHS). Materiais e Métodos: Estudo prospectivo de 70 pacientes com história de trauma ocular avaliados entre Fevereiro de 2003 e Fevereiro de 2004. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a um questionário padronizado e exame oftalmológico. Resultados: Os homens foram os mais acometidos por trauma ocular, com idade predominante entre 20 e 29 anos. Houve maior número de acometimento unilateral. O tipo de trauma mais freqüente foi do tipo corpo estranho. Em todos os casos de trauma ocular por acidente automobilístico os pacientes não utilizaram o cinto de segurança. A maioria dos acometidos referiu não estar sob o efeito do álcool no momento do trauma. A causa principal do trauma ocular foi por acidentes automobilísticos e a maioria dos pacientes estava a trabalho. O tratamento cirúrgico foi necessário em 20% dos casos. O atendimento de 73% deles correu nas primeiras 24 horas. Dentre as complicações de caráter mais grave, a laceração de pálpebra, a abrasão e a perfuração corneanas estiveram entre as mais freqüentes. Conclusão: O trauma ocular é um comprometimento freqüente no atendimento emergencial, causa complicações e, na maioria dos casos, pode ser evitado através de prevenção adequada

Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome: case report Síndrome do blue rubber bleb nevus: relato de caso

The case of a patient with blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome who is infected by acquired immunodeficiency syndrome virus due to multiple blood transfusions is presented. This case shows that although it is a rare systemic disorder, blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome has to be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic anemia or gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients should be investigated by endoscopy, which is the most reliable method for detecting these lesions. The patient underwent gastroscopy and enteroscopy via enterotomy with identification of all lesions. Minimal resection of the larger lesions and string-purse suture of the smaller ones involving all the layers of the intestine were performed. The string-purse suture of the lesions detected by enteroscopy proved to be an effective technique for handling these lesions, avoiding extensive intestinal resection and stopping the bleeding. Effective management of these patients demands aggressive treatment and should be initiated as soon as possible to avoid risks involved in blood transfusions, as occurred in this case.<br>É descrito um caso da síndrome do blue rubber bleb nevus associada a infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência adquirida em conseqüência de múltiplas transfusões de sangue. Este caso demonstra que, embora rara, esta síndrome deva ser considerada no diagnóstico diferencial da anemia crônica ou sangramento gastrointestinal. O melhor método diagnóstico é a endoscopia. A doente foi operada e submetida a esofagogastroduodenoscopia e endoscopia através de enterotomia com identificação de todas as lesões que foram tratadas, as maiores, por ressecção mínima e as demais por sutura em bolsa ao redor do nevo interessando toda a parede intestinal. A sutura em bolsa das lesões detectadas por enteroscopia demonstrou ser uma técnica efetiva no tratamento destas lesões, evitando assim ressecções intestinais extensas e parando o sangramento. O manuseio destes doentes demanda tratamento agressivo e deve ser iniciado precocemente para evitar riscos associados a transfusões sangüíneas como ocorreu neste caso

Rendimento de cortes comerciais e composição tecidual da carcaça de cabritos mestiços Commercial cut and tissue yields in carcasses from crossbred kid goats

A composição relativa dos cortes comerciais da carcaça e a composição tecidual (músculo, osso e gordura) da perna, do lombo e da paleta de cabritos mestiços Boer e Anglo-nubiano foram analisadas em 20 cabritos de dois grupos genéticos diferentes (13 &frac12; Anglo-nubiano &times; &frac12; sem raça definida, SRD e 7 &frac12; Boer &times; &frac12; SRD). Os animais foram abatidos aos 10 meses de idade, com 29 &plusmn; 0,08 kg peso corporal. Após resfriamento (2&deg;C) da carcaça por 24 horas, as carcaças foram separadas nos cortes: perna, lombo (anterior e posterior), paleta, peito, costela, pescoço e fraldinha para determinação dos rendimentos em relação ao peso da carcaça fria. Em seguida, a perna, o lombo (anterior e posterior) e a paleta foram dissecados em tecidos muscular, adiposo e ósseo para estimação das relações músculo:osso (RMO) e músculo:gordura (RMG). Os rendimentos médios dos cortes foram: 30,8% de perna, 25,1% de lombo (17,9% no anterior e 7,0% no posterior), 22,0% de paleta, 4,8% de peito, 6,8% de pescoço, 4,8% de costela e 5,6% de fraldinha. Não foi observado efeito entre os grupos genéticos para os rendimentos dos cortes, exceto o rendimento de costela, que foi superior nos cabritos Anglo-nubiano &times; SRD (5,12%) em comparação aos Boer &times; SRD (4,49%). Nos cabritos Boer &times; SRD, os rendimentos de tecido muscular (61,05%), as relações RMO (3,91) e RMG (6,85) foram superiores, enquanto, nos cabritos Anglo-nubiano &times; SRD, os rendimentos foram superiores para os tecidos adiposo (10,23%) e ósseo (16,79%). A carcaça dos cabritos Boer &times; SRD apresenta maior proporção de tecido muscular nos cortes de maior valor comercial em comparação à de cabritos Anglo-nubiano &times; SRD.<br>Carcass composition related to commercial cuts and tissue composition (muscle, bone and fat) from leg, loin and shoulder of kid goats crossbred Anglo-Nubian or Boer were evaluated in 20 kids from two different genetic groups (13 &frac12; Anglo-Nubian &times; &frac12; Undefined Breed - UB and 7 &frac12; Boer &times; &frac12; UB). The animals were slaughtered at 10 months of age and average body weight of 29 kg &plusmn; 0.08. After 24 hours of cooling (2ºC), the carcasses were separated in the cuts: leg, loin (fore loin and rear loin), shoulder, breast, rib, neck and flank for the determination of yields related to cold carcass weight. After that, leg, loin (fore loin and rear loin )and shoulder were dissected in muscle, fat and bone tissues to estimate muscle:bone (MBR) and muscle:fat (MFR) ratios. The average yields for the cuts were: 30.8% of leg, 25.1% of loin (17.9% fore loin and 7.0% rear loin), 22.0% of shoulder, 4.8% of breast, 6.9% of neck, 4.8% of rib, and 5.6% of flank. No significant effect of genetic groups on cut yields was detected, except for the rib, that was higher for Anglo-Nubian &times; UB (5.12%) than for Boer &times; UB (4.49%). %). In Boer &times; UB kids, muscle tissue yield (61.05%), MBR (3.91) and MFR (6.85) were higher, while for Anglo-Nubian &times; UB yield were higher for fat (10.23%) and bone (16.79%) tissues. The carcass from crossbred Boer &times; UB kids showed higher muscle tissue in the cuts of major commercial value than that from Anglo-Nubian &times; UB kids