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Organisations are increasingly transforming themselves to remain profitable and obtain sustainable competitive advantages. Business processes are as important as technology in promoting organisational transformation. Organisational transformation ultimately entails combining existing business components, whether or not with the same use and design, with new ones to generate novel products and services. For example, one particular type of organisation transformation is digital transformation. This notion, which covers even the subjective aspects of organisational transformation, is currently under intensive discussion and suffers from the semantics terms fluctuation related to the notion of ‘organisational transformation’. We argue that this topic could strongly benefit from an ontological analysis and conceptual clarification of these notions. This paper contributes with an attempt in this direction by proposing a Core Ontology of Organisational Transformation (COOT). This ontology comprises concepts and relations central to creating a reference model representing the organisational transformation paradigm. COOT was applied in a real-world case study on a car rental company.

Virtual work is one of the most important organizational issues of present times. The growing demands of organizational competitive advantage observed in the current scenario in a global and digital context, where people are increasingly physically distant, new and demanding challenges are posed to employees and companies, particularly with regard to the development of teleworking activities and the respective virtual leadership (e-leadership).

Introduction. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are the most recurrent adverse event in hospitals worldwide and represent an important public health problem. Gap statement. There are a paucity of multicentric data describing severe HAIs such as bloodstream infection (BSI) and pneumonia in Brazil. Aim. To provide an up-to-date picture of the extent and patterns of HAIs in adult intensive care units (ICUs), as well as to identify variables associated with the risk of development of severe infections. Methodology. Point prevalence surveys were conducted using standardized protocols in 35 ICUs from Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Medical records of eligible inpatients at or before 8 am on the survey day were reviewed to identify HAIs present at the time of the survey. A matched-pairs case–control study was performed on a total of 66 pairs for BSI and 115 pairs for pneumonia according to the selection criteria developed. Results. Overall, 171 patients (45.7%) had at least one HAI, with most (78.4%) acquired in the ICU. These patients presented a total of 240 infections; including 123 pneumonia (51.3%) and 66 BSI (27.5%), and 78.9 and 80.3 %, respectively, were acquired in the ICU. Their aetiology showed a predominance of Gram-negative bacteria versus Gram-positive bacteria (48.9 versus 43.3 %), with Acinetobacter baumannii (13.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.8%) being prominent. One striking observation from our data was the higher prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (14.5%) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (10.2%) observed in the overall HAIs. Conclusion. A high severe ICU-acquired HAI burden was found when compared with findings from other low- and middle-income countries. These data can be utilized for better planning of nosocomial infection surveillance programmes in our hospitals.

Ultraviolet light at wavelengths from 254 to 283 nm has been reported to effectively suppress powdery mildews in several crops, including some cucurbits. Its use to suppress powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) specifically in cantaloupe has not been previously reported. We evaluated the foregoing technology in cantaloupe fields for suppression of powdery mildew and possible effects on plant growth, and yield. In a controlled laboratory study, greenhouse-grown cantaloupe plants were exposed to a gradient of UV-C (254 nm) doses during darkness, and the effects upon powdery mildew development and the plant were evaluated. We also evaluated the efficacy of nighttime applications of UV-C at 100 and 200 J/m2 against powdery mildew on adaxial leaf surfaces in greenhouse, high-tunnel and open-field plantings. UV-C at the foregoing doses reduced sporulation and germination of conidia P. xanthii without damaging plants. On cantaloupe seedlings in the greenhouse, disease severity was equivalently suppressed at all doses and frequencies of applications of the light. In high-tunnel and open-field experiments, the most effective control of powdery mildew was provided by UV-C applied at 200 J/m2 twice every week, where suppression provided by UV-C was generally equal to and sometimes better than the fungicide treatment. The foregoing UV-C dose and frequency of application also provided the highest yield under field conditions, indication that UV-C treatment is a promising technology for commercially-relevant suppression of powdery mildew on cantaloupe in a variety of growing systems.

Lusíada. Direito. - ISSN 2182-4118. - N. especial (2023). - p. 56- https://doi.org/10.34628/65tw-px48

The European Court of Human Rights (the Court, the ECHR) has made a significantcontribution to the protection of social rights in general and labor rights in particular. The articlefocuses on four specific areas that demonstrate the richness of case-law in this area. First of all, theauthor focuses on individual issues related to the general rights of workers, drawing attention to issuesof unfair dismissal, the right to respect for private and family life, freedom of religion and freedomof expression. Secondly, the author dwells on the protection of the rights of migrant workers underthe Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Third, the articleexamines trade union rights in the light of freedom of association. Finally, reflecting the economiclandscape of the past decade, case-law is provided to demonstrate how austerity measures can affecthuman rights and how the Court has responded to this problematic issue.Social rights, including labor rights, have received many advantages from the fact that they wereconsidered in the case-law of the Court, since its practice clarified the boundaries and limited thestate’s unlimited discretion in the management of these rights. At the same time, a certain trend hasformed. If at first the protection of workers’ rights and freedoms sharply increased, which is confirmedby some textbook cases of the ECHR, now it is impossible not to notice a regressive trend that isassociated with labor legislation, expands the discretion of governments and significantly limits theeffectiveness of the Court when considering labor rights. However, this regressive trend should notbe regarded as irreversible. The article highlights how meaningful consideration of soft law principlesallows the Court to take a progressive position that promotes labor rights and how it can continueto help protect workers’ rights.

The rapid increased multidrug resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae has led to a renewed interest in polymyxin antibiotics, such as colistin, as antibiotics of last resort, not least in low/middle in...

The tidal variability of the Minho and Douro lower estuaries (NW Portugal) water column structure was assessed at the semi-diurnal and fortnightly time scales under two contrasting seasonal river flow scenarios during the summer of 2005 and winter of 2006. Sediment fluxes inferred from calibrated ADCP acoustic backscatter revealed that, during spring tides and low runoff conditions, both estuaries act as sinks instead of sources of sediments into the inner shelf. Sediment export occurred during neaps, in both estuaries, when the river flow values were high enough to counteract the effect of the entering flood. No evidence of coarse sediment export into the inner shelf that would eventually nourish the littoral system could be inferred from these datasets.

Phytophthora crown rot (PhCR) and leather rot (LR) caused by Phytophthora spp. are major threats to strawberry production worldwide. In the United States, these diseases are mainly caused by

The article demonstrates the centrality of the academic concern, in the discipline Ethnic-Racial Relations, which is given by an observation of the different Brazilian filmographies. A Chanchada was the paroxysm of the stereotype of racial inferiority of the image of the Iberian-Afro-American as a rural ethnic demand of Amerindian heritage in the progress-averse Jeca Tatu. To affirm the racial superiority of the imagetic hegemony of the Euro-hetero-macho-authoritarian as a sign of divine perfection expressed in the priest as God's representative. Racial domination determined by the power of euroheteronormativity. Cinema Novo was the trend that the black man became an aesthetic referent in the Marxist-influenced Glauberian realization. In the syntax of Cinema Novo in the semiotics of class struggles, the black man is a proletarian expression and the white man configures the bourgeoisie. The ontological struggle to affirm the positive image of minorities is a projection of class struggles. In Black Cinema, the Africanity that is a reference in Cinema Novismo conquers the position of subject in this cinema as the author of its own history. It concludes that it is in the Pedagogical Dimension of Black Cinema, as epistemic cinema that the minority builds the image of positive affirmation representing the visual of the decanted place of speech, as inclusive contemporaneity, overcoming the excluding anachronism.

As mudanças contínuas de lideranças e as constantes trocas nas funções de comando podem ser benéficas nas organizações, no entanto, essas mudanças necessitam ser investigadas e analisadas para ter certeza de sua eficácia. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo propor ações para mitigar os impactos da descontinuidade das decisões estratégicas empresariais. A metodologia foi viabilizada por meio de uma pesquisa elaborada em plataforma digital, de forma a localizar, dentro dos diversos setores empresariais, líderes que implementaram mudanças e colaboradores que presenciaram mudanças de líderes, apontando quais os fatores críticos da descontinuidade das decisões estratégicas, descontinuidades da gestão e da identidade organizacional. Os resultados apontam que para os colaboradores, a “Dimensão da Funcionalidade” traz maior importância e impactos, como reduções no número de empregados e na redução nos treinamentos e desenvolvimentos. As relações com os superiores hierárquicos e o clima organizacional deixam os colaboradores mobilizados e trazem altos níveis de insegurança às suas rotinas de trabalho e ao seu futuro nas organizações. Foram propostas ações para minimizar os riscos ou os impactos nos processos de mudança, quando da implementação de troca de líderes. Palavras-chave: Mudança Organizacional; Cultura Organizacional; Processo decisório.

Background and objectives: Bloodstream infection (BSI) by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a severe infection. This study aimed to evaluate and identify the predictors of mortality in patients who had bloodstream infection by carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study, approved by Committee of Ethics in Research with Human Participants, which included 87 consecutive patients hospitalized in a referral hospital in Brazil. Clinical and demographic information about each patient were obtained from hospital records. The Student’s T-test was used to compare continuous variables and x2 or Fisher’s exact tests to compare categorical variables. To determine independent risk factors for 30-day mortality, a multiple logistic regression model was used. A survival curve was constructed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Among the patients, 87.3% use antibiotics previously, 60.9% received inadequate empirical treatment, and the 30-day mortality rate was 57.5%. Inappropriate antibiotic empirical therapy was independently associated with a 30-days death and mortality rate. Conclusion: These findings can show some insights about the relationship between higher mortality and inappropriate empirical therapy for patients with BSI by P. aeruginosa. There is a need for better diagnostic tests and infection control programs should focus on de-escalation the antibiotic inappropriate therapy, mainly in BSI caused by carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa. Justificación y objetivos: La infección del torrente sanguíneo por Pseudomonas aeruginosa multirresistente es grave. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar e identificar predictores de mortalidad en pacientes ingresados ​​en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos que presentaban infección del torrente sanguíneo por P. aeruginosa resistente a carbapenémicos. Métodos: Se trata de un estudio de cohorte retrospectivo, aprobado por el Comité de Ética en Investigación con Participantes Humanos, que incluyó 87 pacientes consecutivos ingresados ​​en un hospital de referencia en Brasil. La información clínica y demográfica de cada paciente se obtuvo mediante el análisis de las historias clínicas de los pacientes. Se utilizó la prueba t de Student para comparar variables continuas y x2 o prueba exacta de Fisher para comparar variables categóricas. Para determinar los factores de riesgo independientes para la mortalidad a los 30 días, se utilizó un modelo de regresión logística múltiple. Se construyó una curva de supervivencia utilizando el método de Kaplan-Meier. Resultados: Del total de pacientes, el 87,3% utilizaba antibióticos previamente, el 60,9% recibió tratamiento empírico inadecuado y la tasa de mortalidad a los 30 días fue del 57,5%. La terapia empírica inadecuada fue un factor de riesgo independiente de mortalidad. Conclusión: Estos hallazgos revelan algunos conocimientos sobre la relación entre el aumento de la mortalidad y la terapia empírica inadecuada para los pacientes con infección del torrente sanguíneo por P. aeruginosa. Además, destacan la necesidad de mejores pruebas de diagnóstico y los programas de control de infecciones deben centrarse en reducir la terapia con antibióticos inapropiados, particularmente en infección del torrente sanguíneo causados ​​por P. aeruginosa resistente a carbapenémicos. Justificativa e objetivos: Infecção da corrente sanguínea (ICS) por Pseudomonas aeruginosa multirresistente é grave. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar e identificar os preditores de mortalidade em pacientes admitidos em uma Unidade de Terapia Intensiva que apresentaram infecção da corrente sanguínea por P. aeruginosa resistente aos carbapenêmicos. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo de coorte retrospectivo, aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa com Seres Humanos, que incluiu 87 pacientes consecutivos internados em um hospital de referência no Brasil. As informações clínicas e demográficas de cada paciente foram obtidas através de análise dos prontuários dos pacientes. O teste T de Student foi usado para comparar variáveis contínuas e o teste x2 ou exato de Fisher para comparar variáveis categóricas. Para determinar fatores de risco independentes para mortalidade em 30 dias, foi utilizado um modelo de regressão logística múltipla. Uma curva de sobrevida foi construída pelo método de Kaplan-Meier. Resultados: Do total de pacientes, 87,3% faziam uso prévio de antibióticos, 60,9% receberam tratamento empírico inadequado e a mortalidade em 30 dias foi de 57,5%. A terapia empírica inadequada foi fator de risco independente para mortalidade. Conclusão: Esses achados revelam alguns insights sobre a relação entre maior mortalidade e terapia empírica inadequada para pacientes com ICS por P. aeruginosa. Além disso, destacam a necessidade de melhores testes diagnósticos e os programas de controle de infecção devem se concentrar na redução da terapia inadequada com antibióticos, principalmente na ICS causada por P. aeruginosa resistente a carbapenêmicos.

Introduction: Infections, mainly bloodstream infections (BSI), acquired in the intensive care unit (ICU) are associated with significant rates of morbidity and mortality, especially when caused by pathogens. The objectives the study were to determine risk factors and mortality rates in 30 days for patients with BSI caused by microorganisms resistant versus microorganisms susceptible to antimicrobials. Methods: A case-vs-control study was carried out, in which patients were identified with BSI acquired in the ICU. Control patients were paired, considering: age, acute mean severity classification (ASIS), and chronic disease scores, Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CHARLSON) both ≥ 3. Results: Retrospective cohort study of 531 patients, 254 with bloodstream infection (BSI), and 277 uninfected controls during hospital stay. Of those infected, 181 presented multidrug-resistant isolates (MDR) and 73, isolates susceptible to antibiotics. The univariate analysis showed statistically significant frequencies for BSIs, when compared with controls, of isolates resistant to multiple drugs and susceptible. There was also significance in the mortality rate among patients with resistant and susceptible pathogens (40.3% vs 34.2%, P

This study used whole-genome sequencing to analyze the first case of NDM-1-producing Acinetobacter baumannii belonging to the novel sequence type 1465/CC216 recovered in Brazil. The study identified an unusual plasmid carrying blaNDM-1 gene, in which some genes of the Tn125 transposon were lost. Besides, on the chromosome, the strain reported here presented blaOXA-106 gene, a variant of blaOXA-51 gene, and blaADC-25 with ISAba1 upstream. The isolation of new STs of A. baumannii carrying blaNDM-1 genes elicits our concerns about the possible spread of these genes among clinically relevant bacteria.

There is currently a growing need for workers, at different levels, to learn and develop new behaviors, namely regarding interpersonal relationships with co-workers. This article focuses on styles of handling interpersonal conflict between peers in an organizational context. In order to evaluate interpersonal conflict handling styles, the ROCI-II Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory was used in a sample of 181 subjects from a Portuguese organization.

Obesity-induced insulin resistance (OIR) has been associated with an increased prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Obesity results in increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, specifically in the hypothalamic regions associated with the control of caloric intake. In obesity, the chronic state of low-grade inflammation has been implicated in several chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorders. However, the mechanisms that connect the inflammatory profile of obesity with the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) are poorly defined. In this study, we show that obese mice are more susceptible to EAE, presenting a worse clinical score with more severe pathological changes in the spinal cord when compared with control mice. Analysis of immune infiltrates at the peak of the disease shows that high-fat diet (HFD)- and control (chow)-fed groups do not present any difference in innate or adaptive immune cell compartments, indicating the increased severity occurs prior to disease onset. In the setting of worsening EAE in HFD-fed mice, we observed spinal cord lesions in myelinated regions and (blood brain barrier) BBB disruption. We also found higher levels of pro-inflammatory monocytes, macrophages, and IFN-γ+CD4+ T cells in the HFD-fed group compared to chow-fed animals. Altogether, our results indicate that OIR promotes BBB disruption, allowing the infiltration of monocytes/macrophages and activation of resident microglia, ultimately promoting CNS inflammation and exacerbation of EAE.

Sub-hourly heavy precipitation events (SHHPs) frequently underlie major meteorological hazards. This study uses a 71-weather-station dataset for 2000–2020 to diagnose SHHPs corresponding to 10-minute precipitation events of at least 5.0 mm (above the 99th percentile of the precipitation days) and identify their associated synoptic-scale conditions, using a meridional pressure gradient (MPG index) defined on an hourly timescale. This index revealed two main synoptic-scale weather types: remote and regional low-pressure systems (RemL and RegL, respectively). RegL events show two pronounced maxima in spring and autumn, whereas RemL events have a single maximum in autumn. Moreover, RegL events are largely concentrated in the afternoon and evening, while RemL events are much more uniformly distributed during the day, despite some bias toward mid-day and early afternoon. These features suggest that RegL events tend to be thermally driven, whereas RemL events are associated with frontal systems.Moreover, a preliminary linkage between the SHHPs and mesoscale convective systems is established by detecting sudden surface pressure surges, which are manifestations of mesohighs associated with downbursts. Finally, two case studies of downburst events are presented. The first event occurred on 23 December 2009 when a rapidly deepening extra-tropical cyclone crossed Mainland Portugal. During this event, several power towers were destroyed by downburst winds associated with a mesovortex, observed in a bow echo line triggered by an upper cold front.The second event occurred on 17 June 2017 and contributed to the rapid spreading and intensification of unprecedented forest fires in Portugal, with the loss of many human lives. On 17 June, the distinctive markers of mesohighs, cold pools and the associated downbursts, were identified by weather stations and these signatures were also present in the AROME forecasts. These downbursts were caused by an MCS (visible in satellite images and radar reflectivity), which developed in an environment characterized by weak synoptic forcing, accompanied by moderate CAPE and an inverted V-profile, with a very warm and dry layer from the surface to 650 hPa, which is typical of hybrid downbursts.

The separation between information and opinion is one of the classic ethical principles of journalism. Its aim is to avoid misinformation by allowing recipients to distinguish clearly between factual information —for which there is an expectation of truthfulness— and the journalist’s political or moral positions. But can this principle be converted into a legal duty, and can a state hold journalists or the media liable for non-compliance? In its judgment of 28.4.2020 (case ATV Zrt c. Hungary, application no. 61178/14), the European Court of Human Rights had to address this delicate question. Although the judgment somewhat missed the opportunity to take a clear position on the issue, a concurring opinion set out more concisely the scope of the debate and the ways in which it could be dealt with. The fact that a State could dictate how news should be communicated, even with the best of intentions, would create a very high risk for communicative freedoms. For this reason, the concurring opinion points to the need for self-regulatory and co-regulatory instruments rather than mandatory rules.

Introduction. Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for increased patient mortality. Gap Statement. Five and 30 day in-hospital all-cause mortality in patients with P. aeruginosa infections were assessed, followed by evaluations concerning potential correlations between the type III secretion system (TTSS) genotype and the production of metallo-β-lactamase (MBL). Methodology. This assessment comprised a retrospective cohort study including consecutive patients with carbapenem-resistant infections hospitalized in Brazil from January 2009 to June 2019. PCR analyses were performed to determine the presence of TTSS-encoding genes and MBL genes. Results. The 30-day and 5-day mortality rates for 262 patients were 36.6 and 17.9 %, respectively. The unadjusted survival probabilities for up to 5 days were 70.55 % for patients presenting exoU-positive isolates and 86 % for those presenting exo-negative isolates. The use of urinary catheters, as well as the presence of comorbidity conditions, secondary bacteremia related to the respiratory tract, were independently associated with death at 5 and 30 days. The exoS gene was detected in 64.8 % of the isolates, the presence of the exoT and exoY genes varied and exoU genes occurred in 19.3 % of the isolates. The exoU genotype was significantly more frequent among multiresistant strains. MBL genes were not detected in 92 % of the isolates. Conclusions. Inappropriate therapy is a crucial factor regarding the worse prognosis among patients with infections caused by multiresistant P. aeruginosa , especially those who died within 5 days of diagnosis, regardless of the genotype associated with TTSS virulence.

In mouse pregnancy, pubic symphysis (PS) remodels into an elastic interpubic ligament (IpL) in a temporally regulated process to provide safe delivery. It restores at postpartum to assure reproductive tract homeostasis. Recently, macrophage localization in the IpL and dynamic changes in the expression of inflammatory mediators observed from the end of pregnancy (D18, D19) to early days postpartum (1dpp, 3dpp) highlighted the necessity of the identification of the key molecules involved in innate immune processes in PS remodeling. Therefore, this study uses morphological and high-sensitivity molecular techniques to identify both macrophage association with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and the immunological processes involved in PS changes from D18 to 3dpp. Results showed macrophage association with active gelatinases and ECM components and 25 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to macrophage activities in interpubic tissues from D18 to 3dpp. Additionally, microarray and proteomic analysis showed a significant association of interpubic tissue DEGs with complement system activation and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) with phagocytosis, highlighting the involvement of macrophage-related activities in mouse PS remodeling. Therefore, the findings suggest that PS ECM remodeling is associated with evidence of macrophage modulation that ensures both IpL relaxation and fast PS recovery postpartum for first labor.

A gestao de estoque e um mecanismo primordial para que uma empresa consiga ter sobrevivencia em um mercado globalizado, competitivo e cada vez mais exigente. A curva ABC, utilizada em inumeras empresas de medio e grande porte em varias localidades, e deixada de lado por um significativo percentual de micro e pequenas empresas; estas, desconhecendo ou inutilizando os metodos de classificacao, podem provocar consequencias negativas a empresa, diante da concorrencia quando se refere ao cliente, preco e disponibilidade do produto. Este artigo constitui se num estudo de caso, cuja proposta e o uso da curva ABC em uma microempresa de autopecas, objetivando identificar os produtos com maior rotacao, com vistas a reduzir custos e aumentar a produtividade. Nesta pesquisa, aplicou-se o metodo exploratorio e descritivo, em que se construiu a lista dos produtos vendidos e seus respectivos valores unitarios, resultando a tabela ABC. Essa especificacao possibilitou identificar quais produtos devem sempre estar disponiveis ao cliente, como tambem aqueles que podem ser reduzidos ou ate mesmo sendo removidos do estoque, a depender da rotatividade dos mesmos; consequentemente, aflorada a curva ABC. Identificados os pontos vulneraveis, concluiu-se com alternativas que sugerem melhor pratica de gestao na microempresa, de modo que o administrador visualize os beneficios que a ferramenta trara a partir da sua implantacao. Palavras-chave: Microempresa. Gerenciamento de estoque. Curva ABC

Os nematoides fitoparasitas prejudicam as plantas pela acao nociva sobre o sistema radicular que, por sua vez, afeta a absorcao e a translocacao de nutrientes, alterando a fisiologia da planta. O objetivo nesse trabalho foi avaliar a ocorrencia de nematoides em Ixora coccinea L., bem como a sua interferencia no desenvolvimento da parte aerea e da raiz da planta. Foram selecionados seis locais diferentes da cidade de Santa Fe do Sul/SP que possuiam exemplares de Ixora coccinea com folhas amareladas e verdes. Amostras de solo e raizes de I. coccinea foram encaminhadas para o Laboratorio de Nematologia da Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP/Jaboticabal/SP), das quais 100 cm3 de solo foram utilizados para extracao de fitonematoides atraves de processamento de centrifugacao e 10 g de raiz foram processadas em liquidificador por 20 seg associada a flotacao centrifuga. Tambem foram feitas as determinacoes de comprimento do entreno apical, comprimento, largura, massa umida e seca de folhas e massa umida e seca de raiz de vinte mudas de I. coccinea, dez com as folhas amareladas e dez verdes, provenientes de viveiros comerciais de Santa Fe do Sul/SP. Concluiu-se que diferentes generos de nematoides sao encontrados associados as plantas Ixora coccinea, como: Pratylenchus brachyurus, Tylenchorhynchus sp., Helicotylenchus dihystera, Meloidogyne sp., Radopholus sp. e Rotylenchulus reniformis, predominando Radopholus e Meloidogyne. A presenca de nematoides em plantas de Ixora coccinea reduz o comprimento do entreno apical; o comprimento, a largura e a massa umida das folhas, alem do sistema radicular, sendo responsavel pelo amarelecimento de suas folhas.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) remains the most frequent adverse event among premature infants worldwide, associated with increased hospital stay length and costs, poor outcomes, and even death. The aim of this study was to investigate the origin of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) by Staphylococcus epidermidis in critical neonates, using molecular biology techniques. This was an observational study comprising neonates presenting BSI using central venous catheters (CVCs) for over 24 hours. Skin cultures obtained from the catheter insertion site, CVC hub, and neonate nasal and intestinal mucosa, were performed weekly from 48 hours from the beginning of the invasive procedure, as well as from the tip of the CVC after its withdrawal. Quantitative cultures were also performed of the tip with modifications and the “roll-plate” technique. Isolates identification were obtained using a VITEK II automated system. Molecular subtyping by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to determine the origin of all BSIs. Among 19 primary BSI caused by S. epidermidis, BSI origin was defined in only 21.1% of the cases, where one was characterized as definite intraluminal, two as definite extraluminal, and one as translocation. Origin was indeterminate in 78.9% of the cases analyzed by PFGE. A total of 27 different genotype profiles were obtained. The spread of a prevalent clone in the unit (clone A) was detected in 28.6% of the samples. Most BSIs related to catheter caused by S. epidermidis were not able to prove the origin of most microorganisms present in neonate blood, demonstrating the difficulty in determining it in this population of patients. The lack of a better explanation of the origin of CR-BSI in neonates limits the direction of specific intervention measures.

Esta disserta??o analisa os filmes Tinta Bruta (2018), dirigido por Marcio Reolon e Filipe Matzembacher, e Corpo El?trico, (2017) de Marcelo Caetano, por meio das cenas de festa e de sexo com o objetivo de analisar aproxima??es entre homossexualidade e o conceito de queer nas duas obras cinematogr?ficas. Utilizamos como metodologia a an?lise f?lmica e encontramos embasamento te?rico em obras e no pensamento de autores como Nagime (2016), Lacerda J?nior (2015), Lopes (2016), Rich (2013), Moreno (2001), Trevisan (2018) e Garc?a (2007). Compreendemos a festa como um espa?o e o sexo como uma pr?tica que nos possibilitam analisar aproxima??es entre atitudes dos protagonistas de cada filme e o termo queer, o qual se distancia do conceito de assimila??o. Em Tinta Bruta, notamos nas cenas de festa que os protagonistas vivenciam um contexto que podemos associar a um n?o-lugar. Em Corpo El?trico, ? poss?vel notar que os protagonistas apresentam um desapego a um n?cleo familiar tradicional. Em rela??o ?s cenas de sexo, podemos notar - no filme Corpo El?trico - um distanciamento maior em rela??o ? monogamia. J? em Tinta Bruta, percebemos um afastamento de pap?is r?gidos na rela??o sexual, os quais envolvem a ideia de que um homem deve exercer apenas o papel ativo e o outro, o passivo. This dissertation analyzes the films Hard Paint (2018), directed by Marcio Reolon and Filipe Matzembacher, and Body Electric (2017), by Marcelo Caetano, through the scenes of party and sex with the objective of analyzing approximations between homossexuality and the concept of queer in both movies. We used film analysis as a methodology and found theoretical basement in the books and thoughts of authors such as Nagime (2016), Lacerda J?nior (2015), Lopes (2016), Rich (2013), Moreno (2001), Trevisan (2018) and Garc?a (2007). We comprehend the party as a space and the sex as practice that enables us to analyze approximations between each movie's protagonists' attitudes with the term queer, which presents distance from the concept of assimilation. In Hard Paint, we can see through the scenes of party that the protagonists live a context which we can associate with a non-place. In Body Electric, it's possible to notice that the protagonists present a detachment towards the traditional family nucleus. As for the scenes of sex, we can notice - in Body Electric - a longer distance towards monogamy. In Hard Paint, we perceive distancing from rigid sexual roles, which involve the idea of a man being only the top and the other, the bottom. Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES

The influence of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) in the evolution of two wildfires that started during the afternoon of 17 June 2017 in Pedrógão Grande, Central Portugal is discussed and analysed using weather radar data, weather stations, video images and fire spread analysis. As the MCS approached the region, its convectively driven flows started to influence the fires. The overturning flows were formed by two main limbs: one organised as front-to-rear deep layer inflows that propagated over the convective region of the MCS and the other as rear-to-front mid-level inflows that descended below the anvil structure of the MCS. The rear-to-front inflows, while accelerating and descending to lower levels, contributed to modify the fires’ intensity and plume characteristics. After the two fires merged, the resulting junction fire became very intense and impossible to control. Then, a firestorm was generated, causing the deaths of 66 people. The main goal of this study is to detail the influence of the MCS in the fire spread, thus contributing to the general knowledge of outstanding fire behaviour modifications due to the influence of atmospheric convective processes.

Portugal as a member of the European Union (EU) follows the air quality legislation regulated by Directive 2008/50/EC that states that “Member States shall ensure that timely information about actual or predicted exceedances of alert thresholds, and any information threshold is provided to the public”. The southern European countries have biogenic contributions, mainly resulting from the long-distance transport of particulate matter, originated in arid regions, and from large forest fires, whose pollutants loads cannot be imposed limits. These sources lead to an additional contribution of atmospheric pollutants mainly during the spring and summer seasons. Climate change is increasing the vulnerability of the environment to extreme events, such as those that enhance the likelihood of forest fires. Due to the forecast increase in temperatures and decrease in precipitation and humidity it is likely there will be an increase in the frequency and intensity of forest fires in certain regions of the Mediterranean basin as is the case of Portugal. Monitoring the concentration of particles matters in the network of air quality stations can be a way of detecting the dispersion of smoke and giving possible alerts to affected populations. The analysis of PM10 and PM2.5 of the air quality network stations, from June to October, in the period 2010-2020, showed very high concentration values coincident with the years and periods of forest fires. This data was analysed for all stations by considering the average value of the concentration in the 2 days before the day of registration of fires with burned area, daily and by district, greater than 500ha, on the day of the fire occurrence and on two days later. Back trajectory analysis was performed using HYSPLIT Model to confirm the origin of the particles observed at the stations. It was observed that the percentage increase in the daily average value of PM10 concentration, between one day before and the day of the event, is variable but with 26% as an average value for the wildfire above 500ha district daily value, in the period 2010-2020 . This difference depends on the proximity of the forest fire, the area burned as an indication of its strength, the stability of the atmosphere and the height of the boundary layer. Dust episodes with origin in the deserts in Northern Africa often affect the southern regions of Portugal which leads to an increase the concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 particles. The days with high values of PM10 particles (and PM2.5), in the summer months, were studied in order to distinguish the days that could be related to dust particles, in general larger particles, from those which referred to smoke particles from forest fires, usually smaller particles. For this purpose, the relationship between the concentrations of PM2.5 in relation to PM10, in the data coincidence period, was considered. For the large fires of 2017, a more detailed assessment of these characteristics was made by studying the optical thickness of the aerosols and the Angstrom exponent of the VIIRS radiometer on board the Suomi NPP satellite.

Two fires that started near Pedrogão Grande in June 2017 were affected by the presence of a thunderstorm in the region and spread out of control as two initially separate fires. Some time later these fires merged creating a very intense and fast spreading fire that threatened the lives of hundreds of persons. In a period of around two hours 66 persons were killed by the fire most of them trying to run away in their cars. The physical processes of fires start, interaction with the thunderstorm and merging were studied in detail as well as the circumstances in which the accidents occurred.

The influence of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) in the evolution of two wildfires that started during the afternoon of 17 June 2017 in Pedrógão Grande, Central Portugal is discussed and analysed using weather radar data, weather stations, video images and fire spread analysis. As the MCS approached the region, its convectively driven flows started to influence the fires. The overturning flows were formed by two main limbs: one organised as front-to-rear deep layer inflows that propagated over the convective region of the MCS and the other as rear-to-front mid-level inflows that descended below the anvil structure of the MCS. The rear-to-front inflows, while accelerating and descending to lower levels, contributed to modify the fires’ intensity and plume characteristics. After the two fires merged, the resulting junction fire became very intense and impossible to control. Then, a firestorm was generated, causing the deaths of 66 people. The main goal of this study is to detail the influence of the MCS in the fire spread, thus contributing to the general knowledge of outstanding fire behaviour modifications due to the influence of atmospheric convective processes.

During the afternoon of 20 June 2017, two massive wildfires were ongoing more than 30 km to the east-southeast of the city of Coimbra, central Portugal. There were no clouds over the location and surrounding areas. As these fires were progressing, smoke plumes were observed with their tops at around 6-7 km a.m.s.l. However, as a sea-breeze front arrived at the buoyancy sources it was observed an outstanding vertical growth of the plumes. One of these developments was particularly analyzed and it was found that the plume topped at nearly double that altitude in less than 60 min. As a result of this interaction, an impressive pyroCumulus cloud formed. This process was analyzed using weather radar with Dual polarization capabilities.

Pregnancy and childbirth cause adaptations to the birth canal to allow for delivery and fast recovery. To accommodate delivery through the birth canal, the pubic symphysis undergoes changes that lead to the interpubic ligament (IpL) and enthesis formation in primiparous mice. However, successive deliveries influence joint recovery. We aimed to understand tissue morphology and chondrogenic and osteogenic potential at symphyseal enthesis during pregnancy and postpartum in primiparous and multiparous senescent female mice. Morphological and molecular differences were found at the symphyseal enthesis among the study groups. Despite the apparent incapacity to restore cartilage in multiparous senescent animals, the symphyseal enthesis cells are active. However, these cells have reduced expression of chondrogenic and osteogenic markers and are immersed in densely packed collagen fibers contiguous to the persistent IpL. These findings may indicate alterations of key molecules in the progenitor cell population maintenance of the chondrocytic and osteogenic lineages at the symphyseal enthesis in multiparous senescent animals, possibly compromising the mouse joint histoarchitecture recovery. This sheds light on the distention of the birth canal and the pelvic floor that may play a role in pubic symphysis diastasis (PSD) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), both in orthopedic and urogynecological practice in women.

Cells with osteogenic potential are believed to be an ideal source for bone tissue bioengineering. Large bone defects require temporary substitution of the damaged parts. In this respect, the transplantation of bone cells cultured on osteogenic substrates has been investigated. To use the natural bone matrix, one approach is the so-called demineralized bone matrix (DBM). In this study, we evaluated the interaction of human fetal osteoblasts (hFOB 1.19 cells, a human fetal osteoblastic cell line) with DBM fragments. No additional bone differentiation inducer was used other than the DBM itself. The samples were processed, had adhesion pattern evaluated and analyzed by light microscopy (cytochemical and immunocytochemical analysis) and electron microscopy (scanning and transmission). The adhesion pattern of hFOB cells on DBM was similar to what was observed on the cell culture plate. Morphological analysis showed that the hFOB cells had emitted filopodia and cellular projections on both controls and DBM. On DBM, the adhered cells emitted prolongations and migrated into the matrix. The monolayer growth pattern was observed as well as the accumulation of filamentous and reticulate extracellular materials when hFOB cells were cultured on the DBM surface. EDS analysis revealed the deposition of calcium on DBM. Immunocytochemical data showed that the hFOB cells were able to secrete extracellular matrix molecules such as fibronectin and laminin on DBM. Our data indicate that DBM successfully stimulates the osteoblastic phenotype of osteoblast-like cells and corroborate with the fact that DBM is a considerable natural matrix that promotes fractured-bone healing.

Exploratory statistical partitioning methods (K-means Clustering analysis) were applied to ADCP monitoring datasets collected inside the Douro and Minho estuaries. This analysis is aimed to discriminate ADCP acoustic responses according to the variations of the suspended particles within the ensonified medium. Based on the interpretation of the results, this work establishes general sediment transport patterns at both estuaries’ exits under continuously varying river flows and tidal amplitudes recorded during a summer dry seasonal scenario (September 2005) and winter high river discharge (January/February 2007) conditions. Results confirm the already known present scarcity of (sandy) sediment export from the Douro and Minho estuaries into the inner shelf and the consequent sediment depletion of the adjacent littoral, with no effective contribution of the Douro and some evidence of sand export observed at the Minho outlet during the winter of 2007.

The article demonstrates the centrality of the academic concern, in the discipline Ethnic-Racial Relations, which is given by an observation of the different Brazilian filmographies. A Chanchada was the paroxysm of the stereotype of racial inferiority of the image of the Iberian-Afro-American as a rural ethnic demand of Amerindian heritage in the progress-averse Jeca Tatu. To affirm the racial superiority of the imagetic hegemony of the Euro-hetero-macho-authoritarian as a sign of divine perfection expressed in the priest as God's representative. Racial domination determined by the power of euroheteronormativity. Cinema Novo was the trend that the black man became an aesthetic referent in the Marxist-influenced Glauberian realization. In the syntax of Cinema Novo in the semiotics of class struggles, the black man is a proletarian expression and the white man configures the bourgeoisie. The ontological struggle to affirm the positive image of minorities is a projection of class struggles. In Black Cinema, the Africanity that is a reference in Cinema Novismo conquers the position of subject in this cinema as the author of its own history. It concludes that it is in the Pedagogical Dimension of Black Cinema, as epistemic cinema that the minority builds the image of positive affirmation representing the visual of the decanted place of speech, as inclusive contemporaneity, overcoming the excluding anachronism.