Search

The development of synchrotron radiation sources in Brazil is described from a brief historical point of view followed by a description of the Sirius project, a new 3 GeV fourth-generation synchrotron light source with 518m circumference and 0.25 nm.rad emittance, in final construction stage at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory campus, in Campinas. As one of the pioneer fourth-generation machines, many accelerator engineering challenges were studied in depth and resulted in quite a few innovative developments. In this paper, we review some of these developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By definition, thefts are considered the act of taking away other people's mobile possessions for personal use or for others, affecting crime rates, economic indicators and enabling recent studies to create risk zones in society, contributing to insurance pricing in actuarial methods. This paper analyzes the number of vehicle thefts of 38 locations near Campinas/S˜ao Paulo, Brazil, using a GLARMA(p,q) model with Poisson and Negative Binomial response. The main feature of GLARMA(p,q) is to consider the peculiarities of counting data as high dispersion. As a result, it was possible to verify the adequacy and usefulness of the model for counting data. With specific techniques for estimating time series related to the public security area, patterns can be better understood, revealing relevant information that can be added to decision-making processes to direct public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes ten recovery narratives of people with a serious mental illness who received mental health services in the public health care system of the city of Campinas, Brazil. We describe the person's recovery process and their relationship with the clinical services they received. This is a very needed conversation because the incorporation of recovery and recovering citizenship concepts in clinical practice are still incipient in South America. Most importantly, this research adds to the dialogue around recovering citizenship in different cultures. Methods: We used phenomenological methodology to interpret data drawn from the participant's life course interview (using the McGill Illness Narrative Interview). Results: We found that a) Before receiving services, people were overwhelmed by symptoms, but did not know what was going on; b) Loved ones and clinicians explained symptoms as part of a mental illness, and the proposed treatment was largely accepted; c) Mental health treatment was seen as helpful but not enough to address what was meaningful for their lives; d) People regained a life in their community, they felt proud of their recovery process, and solidarity and collectivism seemed to play important roles in their recovery process. Discussion: We identified similarities and differences in the recovery process of people with serious mental illness receiving public mental health services in Campinas, Brazil, when compared to the international literature. Receiving mental health services was very helpful for participants, principally when feeling overwhelmed by symptoms. Mental health services seemed to be less effective in helping people regain a meaningful life in their communities. Solidarity from friends and family members was recognized as an important recovery asset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The detection of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. was performed, along with the identification of the ciliated protozoa biodiversity, to evaluate the correlation between these protozoa in freshwater quality monitoring. Water and sediment samples from two sites in the Atibaia River (Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil) were collected monthly for 2 years (n = 96). Pathogenic protozoa in water and sediment were detected by using immunomagnetic separation, followed by visualization by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). All positive aliquots in IFA were subjected to DNA extraction and subsequently nested PCR. Qualitative (in vivo observation and silver impregnation) and quantitative (in vivo enumeration) analyses were performed for the ciliated protozoa. Giardia cysts were detected in 62.5% of the surface water samples and Cryptosporidium spp. in 25.0%. In the sediment, cysts were detected in 35.4% samples and oocysts in 16.6%. A total of 57 samples positive for Giardia cysts were subjected to sequencing, 40 of which were harboring G. duodenalis (24 were characterized as sub-assemblage AII). For ciliated protozoa, 73 taxa belonging to 53 genera were identified over the period of the study. These results revealed a high degree of contamination by waterborne protozoa in the main water source which supplies drinking water for more than one million people in Campinas (São Paulo), highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of this catchment site. In addition, the present study provides important data regarding the sources of the water body degradation, i.e., fecal contamination of human origin, in addition to the survey of the ciliated protozoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The decrease in smell in the elderly population is frequent and considered a natural process. However, sometimes it can be associated with the decline of cognitive functions, and it is considered a warning for the early stage of neurodegenerative diseases and social impairment. Objective: To assess the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in previous healthy elderly that attended a tertiary hospital in Brazil as escorts and the clinical alterations associated in this population. Methods: Subjects 60 years or over attending the University Hospital of Campinas were evaluated. Each participant answered a questionnaire, followed by an otorhinolaryngological exam with flexible nasal endoscopy and the Connecticut smell test produced by the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC). Elderly people with nasosinusal diseases or with a history of nasal surgery were excluded. Results: Of the total of 103 participants, 16 (15.5%) reported olfactory complaints and 68 (66%) presented impairment in the olfactory test. It was observed that older individuals showed more changes in olfactory function (p = 0.001). Gender, education, lifestyle, comorbidities, medications in use and exposure to pollutants did not influence the impairment olfactory function of this population. Conclusions: There is a significant prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in the elderly population evaluated. Most of these elderlies also present an inability to identify odours, not having awareness of this olfactory impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carjacking calls for a specialized analysis because it occurs at lightning speed within very brief windows of opportunity. This article describes the geographic distribution of carjacking in Campinas, Brazil, and then compares this pattern with Detroit, Michigan. We learn that raw numbers of carjackings are widely dispersed in both cities. Although these cities differ greatly in daily transportation systems, in both cities the carjacking risk estimate is greatest where motorists stop for other reasons—at gas stations or corners (Detroit); on short street blocks (Campinas). We make very limited inferences about carjacking around the world due to the limited number of cities studied thus far. However, we do suggest that carjacking reduction is most amenable to product-based forms of situational crime prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar stills are convenient, cheap and ambient friendly but has the drawback of low production of potable fresh water. To explore better the concept and make more attractive for use some more research is necessary to improve the productivity and thermal performance of these units. In this paper a numerical study on an inclined type solar still is performed to investigate the influence of the water film thickness on the heat transfer and fluid flow inside the device cavity. The solar still system temperatures are calculated for four film thicknesses, 0.14, 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mm, through the Runge-Kutta method for the ambient conditions of Campinas, southeast of Brazil. The temperatures of the film and the glass are input to the computational fluid dynamics investigation. The radiative transfer and double-diffusive convection of air and vapor mixture are simulated considering the nongray Spectral Line Based Weighted-Sum-of-Gray-Gases method. The results indicate that the use of film thickness δ w = 3.0 mm increased the temperature difference between the water film and the glass from 2.14 °C to 9.15 °C when compared to the film flowing over the bare plate, δ w = 0.14 mm, and increased the rate of fresh water yield more than 2.0 times, for summer conditions and peak insolation hours. The use of transparent gas approach slightly overpredicted radiative and convective heat transfer inside the solar still cavity. • An inclined solar still is numerically simulated considering nongray gas approach • Thick water films increase temperature and vapor concentration in the cavity core. • A film thickness of 3 mm is adequate for increased fresh water yield. • The moving water film does not induce a clockwise moving mixture. • The transparent gas approach results in errors up to 39% in temperature and vapor profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polyether ionophores residues were monitored in pasteurized milk samples. • Monensin was the only ionophore found in 18 of 40 samples. • Concentrations of 0.1 to 0.27 μg kg−1 were quantified in 13 samples. • Monensin dietary intake through milk do not indicate a consumer risk. This paper aimed to survey the occurrence of six polyether ionophores (lasalocid, maduramycin, monensin, narasin, salinomycin and semduramycin) in pasteurized milk using a validated method by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). For that, 40 samples of pasteurized milk, from seven brands, collected in six locations (supermarkets, grocery stores and greengrocers) in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, were evaluated. Sampling included whole (18), skimmed (8) and semi-skimmed (10) milk as well as lactose-free (4) products. Only monensin antibiotic residues were found in the analyzed samples. This ionophore was confirmed in 45% of the samples and quantified in 32.5% at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.27 μg kg−1. The positive samples were whole or semi-skimmed milk. Considering the levels of monensin reported in the present study and data on milk consumption in Brazil, an exposure assessment indicated that the intake of this antibiotic does not represent a risk to health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity and diabetes are two of the biggest public health problems in the modern world. One possible way to combat the rising prevalence of these diseases is through the spread of awareness about its consequences and how to prevent them. Therefore, educational interventions focused on teaching the physiological basis of these conditions might be valuable tools. However, most scholar curriculums lack high-quality material devoted to this topic. Thus we developed an educational booklet, composed of playful elements, targeted toward high school students and destined for application in classrooms. The efficacy of the developed material was validated through a pretestposttest design, in which the students had to answer a 10-question test. After booklet completion, students had better outcomes, with an increase in the percentage of correct answers in 7 out of 10 questions contained in the test (P < 0.05). Thus we developed an effective material for usage in the high school classroom to spread the awareness of the risks of metabolic diseases and how to prevent them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of metals in vehicle emissions is due to several factors, such as the composition of fuels and lubricating oils, the wear of engine components, and their use in catalytic converters. It is known that the soil near highways is greatly affected by heavy vehicle traffic, since the use of highways is of fundamental importance for the flow of goods and public transport, especially in Brazil, street transport being the main form of transport in the country. Considering the scenario described, the main objective of this study was to monitor the concentration of potentially toxic elements in surface soils located on the medians of the main access highways in the city of Campinas (SP—Brazil) and classify the soils through geoaccumulation index. Using SR-TXRF it was possible to detect and determine the concentrations of 5 elements of toxic-environmental interest (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) and 11 natural soil composition elements (Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Rb, and Sr). To evaluate the influence of highway distance on elementary concentrations, ANOVA and Tukey statistical tests were applied. Nickel, Cu, and Zn showed a decrease in their concentrations moving away from the highway, indicating their relation with vehicular emissions. Applying principal components analysis (PCA), it was possible to identify four groups of the quantified elements: those mainly related to the soil itself, those produced by traffic of automotive vehicles, and those emitted by industrial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the main purpose was the mineralogical and thermal characterization of clayey siltites sampled in a quarry located near Viracopos Airport, Campinas city, São Paulo State, Brazil. The sedimentary rocks are fissile and expansive and are therefore easily disaggregated. These characteristics make the rock of difficult geomechanical characterization, because it undergoes defragmentation very easily. Mineralogical considerations about the composition of this rock were carried out by petrography analysis, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction pattern and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Thermal characterization of powdered rock was carried out by thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) under synthetic air and nitrogen purge gases. The dehydration kinetics of this rock was studied by a non-isothermal method. The mineralogical results show that this rock had quartz, feldspar and kaolinite as the major components and pyrite and chlorite as the minor constituents. The presence of organic matter was verified as fragments present in the rock and seen by SEM. The amount of organic matter was also determined by the gravimetric method, and the results showed a loss of 3.27%. The differential thermal analysis results under nitrogen purge gas exhibit the transition phase of quartz at 575 °C. The kinetic evaluation was made with two dehydration stages obtained from DTG curves, which show that the dehydration stage occurs with two behavior patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sanitary landfills in Brazil are, generally, characterized by their high organic material content (around 60%), presence of different types of mixed wastes, and low compaction energy, which differentiates them from the landfills of developed and high-income countries. To prevent environmental and slope stability risks, it is crucial to understand the behavior of such landfills and the changes in their physical properties over time. The compression wave velocity (Vp) and shear wave velocity (Vs) are important parameters to subsidize the mechanical characterization of sanitary landfills, using which can be derived the dynamic elastic properties of municipal solid waste (MSW) for stability analysis. Using the geophysical methods of seismic refraction, active and passive multichannel analysis of surface waves, and crosshole test, it was obtained the values of Vp and Vs by employing an experimental cell and a lysimeter filled with MSW in the City of Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil. The results obtained from the crosshole test showed that Vp ranged from 217 to 252 m/s and Vs ranged from 86 to 89 m/s. These low values can be attributed to the high content of organic material, low compaction energy, and climatic conditions such as high pluviometry index and high temperatures that together lead to changes in the pore fluid saturation, effective stress, and pore pressure. These values are indicative of the lower limit of the corresponding velocities reported in most literature; however, they are in accordance with the values reported for landfills located in countries with similar socioeconomic and climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]