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Resumo Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo calibrar e validar um modelo agrometeorológico de penalização por déficit hídrico aplicado à cultura do algodão herbáceo em 23 municípios da região Nordeste. Os resultados mostraram diferentes cenários, com produtividades variando de extremamente baixas, com média anual inferior a 500 kg/ha, a extremamente altas, com média anual superior a 3500 kg/ha. O processo de calibração do modelo agrometeorológico levou em consideração o nível de produtividade máxima tecnológica, estimada a partir de um ajuste estatístico baseado na série de dados das produtividades reais observadas, permitindo simulações satisfatórias dos valores disponibilizados pelo IBGE. Nos municípios com produtividades muito baixas até 500 kg/ha, a produtividade média observada (PMO) e simulada (PSO) foi de 333 e 361 kg/ha com erro médio absoluto (EMA) de ±56 kg/ha, para municípios com produtividades baixas entre 500 e 1000 kg/ha, a PMO e PSO foi de 774 e 814 kg/ha com EMA de ±172 kg/ha, nos municípios com produtividades medianas entre 1000 e 2000 kg/ha foi de 1358 e 1400 kg/ha com EMA de ±198 kg/ha, e nos municípios com altas produtividades, acima de 2000 kg/ha, a PMO e PSO foi de 3233 e 3357 kg/ha com EMA de ±319 kg/ha, respectivamente.

Resumo Este trabalho teve como objetivo principal gerar cenários climáticos futuros, e avaliar os impactos na produtividade do algodão herbáceo através de um modelo agrometeorólogico, quando comparada com a produtividade atual observada. Um downscaling estatístico foi empregado para obter as series futuras das variáveis meteorológicas necessárias para o cálculo da produtividade, obtido com um modelo agrometeorólogico devidamente calibrada para a realidade do algodão na região semiárida do Nordeste brasileiro. As series temporais das variáveis meteorológicas tiveram suas falhas devidamente preenchidas e passaram por um rigoroso sistema de controle de qualidade. As projeções futuras calculadas para os cenários climáticos A1B e A2, dos modelos ECHAM5-OM e HadGEM2-ES foram unanimes em apontar redução significativa das chuvas e aumento das temperaturas. A evapotranspiração, consequentemente, também apresenta tendência de aumento para o horizonte futuro estudado, de 2020 a 2080. Como impacto para a cultura do algodão, prevê-se, para 23 municípios estudados do semiárido nordestino, redução significativa da produtividade, que pode ser reduzida a aproximadamente metade da produtividade atual observada.

Abstract We explore a new way of probing scattering of closed strings in AdS 5 × S 5, which we call ‘the large p limit’. It consists of studying four-point correlators of single-particle operators in N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 SYM at large N and large ’t Hooft coupling λ, by looking at the regime in which the dual KK modes become short massive strings. In this regime the charge of the single-particle operators is order λ 1/4 and the dual KK modes are in between fields and strings. Starting from SUGRA we compute the large p limit of the correlators by introducing an improved AdS 5 × S 5 Mellin space amplitude, and we show that the correlator is dominated by a saddle point. Our results are consistent with the picture of four geodesics shooting from the boundary of AdS 5 × S 5 towards a common bulk point, where they scatter as if they were in flat space. The Mandelstam invariants are put in correspondence with the Mellin variables and in turn with certain combinations of cross ratios. At the saddle point the dynamics of the correlator is directly related to the bulk Mellin amplitude, which in the process of taking large p becomes the flat space ten-dimensional S-matrix. We thus learn how to embed the full type IIB S-matrix in the AdS 5 × S 5 Mellin amplitude, and how to stratify the latter in a large p expansion. We compute the large p limit of all genus zero data currently available, pointing out additional hidden simplicity of known results. We then show that the genus zero resummation at large p naturally leads to the Gross-Mende phase for the minimal area surface around the bulk point. At one-loop, we first uncover a novel and finite Mellin amplitude, and then we show that the large p limit beautifully asymptotes the gravitational S-matrix.

Abstract Using duality in optimization theory we formulate a dual approach to the S-matrix bootstrap that provides rigorous bounds to 2D QFT observables as a consequence of unitarity, crossing symmetry and analyticity of the scattering matrix. We then explain how to optimize such bounds numerically, and prove that they provide the same bounds obtained from the usual primal formulation of the S-matrix Bootstrap, at least once convergence is attained from both perspectives. These techniques are then applied to the study of a gapped system with two stable particles of different masses, which serves as a toy model for bootstrapping popular physical systems.

Background: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) revolutionized the diagnosis and management of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, though the rate of detection of small bowel lesions by the physician is still disappointing. Our group developed a novel algorithm (CMEMS-Uminho) to automatically detect angioectasias which display greater accuracy in VCE static frames than other methods previously published. We aimed to evaluate the algorithm overall performance and assess its diagnostic yield and usability in clinical practice. Methods: Algorithm overall performance was determined using 54 full-length VCE recordings. To assess its diagnostic yield and usability in clinical practice, 38 VCE examinations with the clinical diagnosis of angioectasias consecutively performed (2017–2018) were evaluated by three physicians with different experiences. The CMEMS-Uminho algorithm was also applied. The performance of the CMEMS-Uminho algorithm was defined by a positive concordance between a frame automatically selected by the software and a study independent capsule endoscopist. Results: Overall performance in complete VCE recordings was 77.7%, and diagnostic yield was 94.7%. There were significant differences between physicians in regard to global detection rate (p < 0.001), detection rate per capsule (p < 0.001), diagnostic yield (p = 0.007), true positive rate (p < 0.001), time (p < 0.001), and speed viewing (p < 0.001). The application of CMEMS-Uminho algorithm significantly enhanced all readers’ global detection rate (p < 0.001) and the differences between them were no longer observed. Conclusion: The CMEMS-Uminho algorithm detained a good overall performance and was able to enhance physicians’ performance, suggesting a potential usability of this tool in clinical practice.

Na área acadêmica dos Estudos de Tradução, cada vez mais pesquisadores têm recorrido à análise de material paratextual como parte integrante de suas metodologias de pesquisa, o que tem levado a uma reflexão teórica sobre a função desse tipo de texto em traduções publicadas. Todavia, a maior parte dessas pesquisas assenta em traduções de textos literários e, por isso, pouco se sabe sobre as funções e características dos paratextos nas traduções de textos especializados. Neste trabalho, comparamos vinte e seis paratextos (introduções e prefácios) presentes em quinze traduções de Hamlet publicadas no Brasil nas últimas seis décadas com vinte e quatro paratextos extraídos de cerca de duzentos livros acadêmicos traduzidos (sobre medicina, engenharia, biologia, física, etc.) e publicados também nesse intervalo temporal. Os resultados da comparação permitem traçar semelhanças e diferenças entre os assuntos discutidos nos paratextos presentes nos dois tipos de tradução (literária e especializada).

A inclusão de alunos com baixa renda na universidade é complexa e demanda suporte financeiro e psicológico ao longo da vida universitária do estudante em vulnerabilidade socioeconômica. A política de assistência estudantil tem a finalidade de ampliar as condições de acesso e permanência desses estudantes. O objetivo do trabalho é analisar o desempenho acadêmico e as dificuldades peculiares dos estudantes em vulnerabilidade socioeconômica. Os dados foram obtidos de 189 questionários respondidos por alunos cadastrados nos programas de assistência estudantil da Universidade de Brasília - UnB e analisados por meio da regressão logística. Os resultados não indicaram um desempenho acadêmico inferior do estudante em vulnerabilidade socioeconômica e nem maiores problemas de assédio moral com esse perfil de estudante. Porém, os resultados foram conclusivos no indicativo de que as dificuldades decorrentes da necessidade de trabalhar e da pior formação no ensino médio limitaram o desempenho acadêmico do estudante em vulnerabilidade socioeconômica na UnB.

Abstract We consider the scattering matrices of massive quantum field theories with no bound states and a global O(N) symmetry in two spacetime dimensions. In particular we explore the space of two-to-two S-matrices of particles of mass m transforming in the vector representation as restricted by the general conditions of unitarity, crossing, analyticity and O(N) symmetry. We found a rich structure in that space by using convex maximization and in particular its convex dual minimization problem. At the boundary of the allowed space special geometric points such as vertices were found to correspond to integrable models. The dual convex minimization problem provides a novel and useful approach to the problem allowing, for example, to prove that generically the S-matrices so obtained saturate unitarity and, in some cases, that they are at vertices of the allowed space.

O termo eficiência, de forma geral, retrata à medida que um resultado é produzido com menor quantidade observada de desperdício e esforço, isto é, realizar uma operação com o mínimo de perdas. Diante disso, a verificação da eficiência dos equipamentos do processo pode auxiliar na redução de problemas complexos ligados a produção, intervindo ainda na análise do sistema produtivo. Assim, este artigo teve como objetivo aplicar o Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) em um sistema produtivo, para monitorar e avaliar a situação dos equipamentos utilizados no processo, evidenciando as possíveis melhorias. O presente estudo, do ponto de vista metodológico, classificou-se como um estudo de caso, realizado em uma empresa do setor vinícola, localizada na Região Administrativa Integrada de Desenvolvimento (RIDE) em Pernambuco. O estudo, pôde apontar que os equipamentos escolhidos para análise, a prensa (OEE = 83,47 %) e as duas máquinas de envase (69,19 % e 69,38 %, respectivamente), podem ter seu desempenho melhorado. Para isto, o plano de ação comporta-se como uma ferramenta gerencial fundamental e deve ter sua execução para que a empresa tenha, de fato, mais lucro e melhor qualidade nos produtos fabricados. Como principal limitação do estudo, pode-se citar a quantidade de equipamentos analisados, tendo em vista que a empresa conta com uma vasta combinação destes. Além disso, a verificação dos valores foi executada em apenas um mês, recomendando-se, portanto, para estudos futuros, a análise e comparação dos valores por mês.

O Vale do São Francisco é um dos principais polos produtores de frutas e hortaliças do país, possuindo diversas culturas de plantio. Nesse contexto, o estado de Pernambuco é um dos maiores produtor de uvas, assim como o Rio Grande do Sul. Logo, o objetivo dessa pesquisa foi medir a capacidade dos processos de beneficiamento da uva de mesa em uma empresa localizada no Vale do São Francisco, na cidade de Petrolina-PE. O estudo justificou-se pela necessidade de obter formas de controle de itens defeituosos para medição da capacidade de produção na etapa de beneficiamento da uva que acontece no packing house. Por meio de técnicas estatísticas foi obtida uma proporção média de itens defeituosos de 8,33% nas avaliações feitas de outubro a dezembro de 2018. Desta forma, a empresa obteve um índice de capacidade de produção (C) de 91,17% em conformidade. Com os resultados obtidos a empresa traçou uma meta anual e passou a utilizar o indicador de capacidade de processo como indicador gerencial de acompanhamento semanal com o intuito de garantir a qualidade de seus produtos a seus clientes e consumidores.

ABSTRACT Acute vulvar ulcer (Lipschütz’s ulcer) is a rare lesion with local hyperimmunoreactivity triggered by infection, which is characterized by acute, painful, and necrotic ulcerations. This condition is usually found in non-sexually active adolescents, and it resolves spontaneously. We report a case of a 35-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19 who did not have severe symptoms, but had high levels of D-dimer for 9 days. The COVID-19 diagnosis was followed by the appearance of an acute, necrotic, extremely painful vulvar ulcer, although symptoms caused by COVID-19 had improved. We emphasize the importance of the differential diagnosis to exclude diseases such as Behçet’s syndrome, Sexually Transmitted Infections, as well as the presence of viruses that generally trigger Lipschütz’s ulcer, such as Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. No treatment is usually necessary, however, in the present report due to the pain experienced by the patient, we successfully used oral prednisone.

Abstract We consider constraints on the S-matrix of any gapped, Lorentz invariant quantum field theory in 3+1 dimensions due to crossing symmetry, analyticity and unitarity. We extremize cubic couplings, quartic couplings and scattering lengths relevant for the elastic scattering amplitude of two identical scalar particles. In the cases where our results can be compared with the older S-matrix literature they are in excellent agreement. We also extremize a cubic coupling in 2+1 dimensions which we can directly compare to a universal bound for a QFT in AdS. This paper generalizes our previous 1+1 dimensional results of [1] and [2].

The estrogen decrease in postmenopausal women results in functional and anatomical changes in the genitourinary tract. The most prevalent and bothersome symptoms are vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, and reduced lubrication, which can significantly affect the quality of life of these women, principally those who are sexually active. Hormonal therapy with local estrogens is generally considered the “gold standard.” However, there are cases in which there are clinical concerns about its use or women opt for non-hormonal options. Thus, safe and effective non-hormonal options are needed to improve symptoms in these women. Moisturizers and lubricants are first-line therapy for breast cancer survivors.

Contemporaneamente, muitas populações rurais do Semiárido brasileiro têm convivido com árduas realidades em virtude da carência de água. Diante disto, as cisternas de placas surgem como ferramenta para prover o acesso e disponibilidade de água. Neste sentido, a Articulação do Semiárido (ASA) elaborou o “Programa Um Milhão de Cisternas Rurais – P1MC”, o qual busca promover o gerenciamento e a valorização da água para a “convivência sustentável” com a escassez de água no Semiárido brasileiro. Conhecendo-se as premissas do P1MC, o presente estudo objetivou analisar a eficiência das cisternas de placas e o desempenho do P1MC para com a disponibilidade de água, e para a melhoria da qualidade de vida das famílias que convivem com a escassez hídrica. Para tanto, foram realizados: i) estudos sobre a pluviometria (série de 61 anos de precipitação pluvial); ii) estimativa do Volume Potencial de Captação (VPC) dos telhados residenciais e das cisternas; e iii) aplicação de questionários semiestruturados junto a 40 famílias beneficiadas pelo P1MC, no município de Pedra Lavrada – PB. Como resultados, concluiu-se que: 1) as cisternas de placa é uma tecnologia eficiente e capaz de suprir as necessidades hídricas durante o período de estiagem (8 meses); 2) o P1MC apresentou pontos negativos: ausência de fiscalização das cisternas com problemas (rachaduras e vazamentos), e a impossibilidade de atender aos anseios familiares (dessedentação animal ou cultivo de pequenas lavouras); e 3) o P1MC promoveu o acesso/disponibilidade de água, e “independência hídrica”, promovendo assim a sustentabilidade das famílias rurais em meio às adversidades edafoclimáticas do Semiárido brasileiro.

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a term used to define a compilation of signs and symptoms arising from decreased estrogenic stimulation of the vulvovaginal and lower urinary tract. Among 27–84% of women in postmenopausal are affected for symptoms of GSM, and these can unquestionably impair health, sexual function, consequently the quality of life of these women. The main signs and symptoms of GSM include, among others, burning, irritation, vulvovaginal dryness, dyspareunia, urinary symptoms of urgency, dysuria, or recurrent urinary tract infection. The diagnosis can be made through anamnesis, questionnaires, physical exams, and, sometimes, complementary exams. Objective vaginal assessment is essential and can be complemented by using the Vaginal Health Index (VHI), Vaginal Maturation Index (VMI), or vaginal pH measurement. The acknowledgment of this condition by health professionals is crucial for its identification and proper management and exclusion of other conditions that make a differential diagnosis with it.

Menopause is a physiological and progressive phenomenon secondary to decreased ovarian follicular reserve that significantly affects the genital tract. Although postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy primarily affects postmenopausal women, it is also seen in premenopausal women. The hypoestrogenic condition results in hormonal and anatomical changes, with the main symptoms, are dryness, burning and genital irritation, decreased lubrication, urinary urgency, dysuria, and recurrent urinary tract infections. This review aims to update hormone therapy for urogenital atrophy, both local and systemic, and discusses the importance of understanding and the need for active treatment of this condition. The main therapeutic objective is the relief of symptoms, and hormonal therapy (HT) is still the most effective choice for treating clinical manifestations, despite the side effects of its use. HT should be used in an individualized way to the needs of the women and appropriate to the stage in which she is menopausal, perimenopausal, or after menopause.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: The G-spot, a putative erogenous area in the anterior vaginal wall, is a widely accepted concept in the mainstream media, but controversial in medical literature. Aim: Review of the scientific data concerning the existence, location, and size of the G-spot. Methods: Search on Pubmed, Pubmed Central, Cochrane, clinicaltrials.gov and Google Scholar from inception to November 2020 of studies on G-spot's existence, location and nature. Surveys, clinical, physiological, imaging, histological and anatomic studies were included. Main Outcome Measure: Existence, location, and nature of the G-spot. Results: In total, 31 eligible studies were identified: 6 surveys, 5 clinical, 1 neurophysiological, 9 imaging, 8 histological/anatomical, and 2 combined clinical and histological. Most women (62.9%) reported having a G-spot and it was identified in most clinical studies (55.4% of women); in 2 studies it was not identified in any women. Imaging studies had contradictory results in terms of its existence and nature. Some showed a descending of the anterior vaginal wall, that led to the concept of clitourethrovaginal complex. In anatomic studies, one author could systematically identify the G-spot, while another group did not find it. Studies on innervation of the vaginal walls did not systematically identify an area with richer innervation. Conclusion: The different studies did systematically agree on the existence of the G-spot. Among the studies in which it was considered to exist, there was no agreement on its location, size, or nature. The existence of this structure remains unproved.Vieira-Baptista P, Lima-Silva J, Preti M, et al. G-spot: Fact or Fiction?: A Systematic Review. Sex Med 2021;9:100435.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection, have serious consequences for sexual and reproductive health worldwide. Ct is one of the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections in the world, with approximately 129 million new cases per year. C. trachomatis is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium. The infection is usually asymptomatic, notwithstanding, it could also be associated with severe sequels and complications, such as chronic pain, infertility, and gynecologic cancers, and thus there is an urgent need to adequately treat these cases in a timely manner. Consequently, beyond its individual effects, the infection also impacts the economy of the countries where it is prevalent, generating a need to consider the hypothesis of implementing Chlamydia Screening Programs, a decision that, although it is expensive to execute, is a necessary investment that unequivocally will bring financial and social long-term advantages worldwide. To detect Ct infection, there are different methodologies available. Nucleic acid amplification tests, with their high sensitivity and specificity, are currently the first-line tests for the detection of Ct. When replaced by other detection methods, there are more false negative tests, leading to underreported cases and a subsequent underestimation of Ct infection’s prevalence. Ct treatment is based on antibiotic prescription, which is highly associated with drug resistance. Therefore, currently, there have been efforts in line with the development of alternative strategies to effectively treat this infection, using a drug repurposing method, as well as a natural treatment approach. In addition, researchers have also made some progress in the Ct vaccine development over the years, despite the fact that it also necessitates more studies in order to finally establish a vaccination plan. In this review, we have focused on the therapeutic options for treating Ct infection, expert recommendations, and major difficulties, while also exploring the possible avenues through which to face this issue, with novel approaches beyond those proposed by the guidelines of Health Organizations.

A new theory suggests that flammable gases generated by heated vegetation, in particular the volatile organic compounds (VOC) common to Mediterranean plants, may, under certain topographic and wind conditions, accumulate in locations where, after the arrival of the ignition source, they rapidly burst into flames as explosions. Hence, there is a need for the development of a system that can monitor the development of these compounds. In this work, a sensor’s array is proposed as a method for monitoring the amount of eucalyptol and α-pinene, the major VOC compounds of the Eucalyptus and Pine trees. The detection of the target compounds was assessed using the impedance spectroscopy response of thin films. Combinations of layers of polyelectrolytes, such as poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), polyethyleneimine (PEI), poly(sodium 4-sytrenesulfonate) (PSS) graphene oxide (GO), and non/functionalized multiwall nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH or MWCNT), namely, PAH/GO, PEI/PSS, PEI/GO, PAH/MWCNT, PAH/MWCNT-COOH, films, and TiO2 and ZnO sputtered films, were deposited onto ceramic supports coated with gold interdigitated electrodes. The results showed that concentrations of the target VOCs, within the range of 68 to 999 ppmv, can be easily distinguished by analyzing the impedance spectra, particularly in the case of the ZnO- and PAH/GO-film-based sensors, which showed the best results in the detection of the target compounds. Through principal component analysis (PCA), the best set of features attained for the ZnO and PAH/GO based sensor devices revealed a linear trend of the PCA’s first principal component with the concentration within the range 109 and 807 ppmv. Thus, the values of sensitivity to eucalyptol and α-pinene concentrations, which were (2.2 ± 0.3) × 10−4 and (5.0 ± 0.7) × 10−5 per decade, respectively, as well as resolutions of 118 and 136 ppbv, respectively, were identified.

Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support.Objective: We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use.Methods: Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app ≥30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use.Results: A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25–P75) 16–36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3–45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3–38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4–73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6–83]% and 43 [3–73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen.Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken.

Abstract We explore the space of consistent three-particle couplings in ℤ2-symmetric two-dimensional QFTs using two first-principles approaches. Our first approach relies solely on unitarity, analyticity and crossing symmetry of the two-to-two scattering amplitudes and extends the techniques of [2] to a multi-amplitude setup. Our second approach is based on placing QFTs in AdS to get upper bounds on couplings with the numerical conformal bootstrap, and is a multi-correlator version of [1]. The space of allowed couplings that we carve out is rich in features, some of which we can link to amplitudes in integrable theories with a ℤ2 symmetry, e.g., the three-state Potts and tricritical Ising field theories. Along a specific line our maximal coupling agrees with that of a new exact S-matrix that corresponds to an elliptic deformation of the supersymmetric Sine-Gordon model which preserves unitarity and solves the Yang-Baxter equation.

A ineficiência das operações traduz-se como desperdício de recursos que podem gerar custos e resultados abaixo do almejado. Nesse contexto, as devoluções são resultantes, na maioria dos casos, por falha nas operações do processo. O presente artigo caracteriza-se como um estudo de caso, onde a coleta de dados foi possível por meio de acesso aos relatórios fornecidos pela organização, onde pôde-se identificar os registros históricos do indicador de devolução. Neste artigo foi possível aplicar as principais ferramentas da qualidade para tentar reduzir os níveis de devoluções em uma empresa de distribuição de produtos alimentícios. Foram analisados dados referentes ao período do primeiro e segundo trimestre deste ano, ou seja, de janeiro a março em comparação com dados de abril a junho de 2018. Isto posto, a aplicação destas justificou-se pela ampla difusão em ações de gestão, auxiliando na melhoria dos serviços e processos locais. Pôde-se perceber que as ferramentas podem facilitar a definição, mensuração, análise e ainda proposta de soluções e/ou alternativas à resolução de gargalos que influenciam o desempenho da empresa, impactando em diversos aspectos, como financeiro e operacional.

Abstract We explain how the ’t Hooft expansion of correlators of half-BPS operators can be resummed in a large-charge limit in N $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = 4 super Yang-Mills theory. The full correlator in the limit is given by a non-trivial function of two variables: One variable is the charge of the BPS operators divided by the square root of the number N c of colors; the other variable is the octagon that contains all the ’t Hooft coupling and spacetime dependence. At each genus g in the large N c expansion, this function is a polynomial of degree 2g + 2 in the octagon. We find several dual matrix model representations of the correlators in the large-charge limit. Amusingly, the number of colors in these matrix models is formally taken to zero in the relevant limit.

O uso cada vez maior de tecnologias em ambientes empresariais, como suporte às operações, é notório. Ademais, o uso de ferramentas tecnológicas, em especial na logística e sua gestão, é considerada uma das formas mais eficientes de melhorar os negócios. Assim, para que as atividades logísticas possam ser executadas, o uso de tecnologias pode favorecer o objetivo primordial dessa área. Em face desse cenário, o intuito do presente trabalho foi definido como analisar o impacto da introdução de tecnologias em operações logísticas em uma empresa de serviços localizada em Pernambuco, comparando a evolução do setor antes e depois da utilização do aparato tecnológico em seu cotidiano. Como resultado, é notório que o programa cumpriu com seu objetivo de melhorar as operações do setor logístico da empresa, trazendo uma abordagem mais realista do que acontece no cotidiano do departamento, facilitando ainda a tomada de decisão por parte da gestão local.

Abstract We initiate the study of four-point functions of large BPS operators at any value of the coupling. We do it by casting it as a sum over exchange of superconformal primaries and computing the structure constants using integrability. Along the way, we incorporate the nested Bethe ansatz structure to the hexagon formalism for the three-point functions and obtain a compact formula for the asymptotic structure constant of a non-BPS operator in a higher rank sector.

Introduction: In Brazil, violence, regardless of the type, is the leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults. Objective: To describe the characteristics of the homicides in which female children and adolescents were the victims based on the autopsy reports recorded in the morgue of the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional study in which 70 autopsy reports of girls and female adolescents who were killed between January 2010 and December 2016 were analyzed. The cases were evaluated according to the homicide motive or the homicide perpetrator, and five categories were established: drug trafficking related death, femicide, homicide perpetrated by a family member, death preceded by sexual violence, and death related to other transgressions. Results: There was a significant increase in the number of girls and female adolescents who were murdered between 2010 (n=7) and 2016 (n=19). Most of the homicides (64.2%) were related to drug, while femicide occurred in 15.7% of the cases. Homicides perpetrated by a family member, or preceded by sexual violence or related with other transgressions were less frequent as they occurred in 10%, 5.7% and 4.2% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion: Greater attention must be paid to the increase in the number of drug trafficking related homicides among female adolescents when creating and implementing relevant public policies.

Abstract We introduce high-energy limits which allow us to derive recursion relations fixing the various couplings of Lagrangians of two-dimensional relativistic quantum field theories with no tree-level particle production in a very straightforward way. The sine-Gordon model, the Bullough-Dodd theory, Toda theories of various kinds and the U(N) non-linear sigma model can all be rediscovered in this way. The results here were the outcome of our explorations at the 2017 Perimeter Institute Winter School.

Aerogels are materials with unique properties, among which are low density and thermal conductivity. They are also known for their exquisite biocompatibility and biodegradability. All these features make them attractive for biomedical applications, such as their potential use in photothermal therapy (PTT). This technique is, yet, still associated with undesirable effects on surrounding tissues which emphasizes the need to minimize the exposure of healthy regions. One way to do so relies on the use of materials able to block the radiation and the heat generated. Aerogels might be potentially useful for this purpose by acting as insulators. Silica- and pectin-based aerogels are reported as the best inorganic and organic thermal insulators, respectively; thus, the aim of this work relies on assessing the possibility of using these materials as light and thermal insulators and delimiters for PTT. Silica- and pectin-based aerogels were prepared and fully characterized. The thermal protection efficacy of the aerogels when irradiated with a near-infrared laser was assessed using phantoms and ex vivo grafts. Lastly, safety was assessed in human volunteers. Both types presented good textural properties and safe profiles. Moreover, thermal activation unveils the better performance of silica-based aerogels, confirming the potential of this material for PTT.

Leptothrix are long bacteria of rare occurrence; although these bacteria have been implicated in causing vaginal symptoms identical to candidiasis, studies on prevalence and effect on overall vaginal health are lacking. In this study, we evaluated data of women referred to a private clinic for treating vulvovaginal symptoms (n = 1847) and reassessed data of our previous and ongoing studies (n = 1773). The overall rate of leptothrix was 2.8% (102/3620), and the mean age of affected women was 38.8 ± 10.65 years (range 18−76). The majority of the women with leptothrix had normal vaginal flora (63.7% [65/102]). Leptothrix was associated with a higher risk of candidiasis (relative risk (RR) 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1600–3.1013; p = 0.010) and a lower risk of bacterial vaginosis (RR 0.55, 95% CI, 0.3221–0.9398; p = 0.029) and cytolytic vaginosis (RR 0.11, 95% CI, 0.0294–0.4643; p = 0.002). No cases of trichomoniasis were observed. Human immunodeficiency virus infection increased the risk of leptothrix (RR 3.0, 95% CI, 1.6335–5.7245; p = 0.000). Among the women evaluated for vulvovaginal symptoms, 2.4% (45/1847) had leptothrix, and in 26.7% (12/45), leptothrix was considered the causative entity. This study suggests that leptothrix occurrence is rare; it remains unresolved if it can be a cause of vulvar symptoms.

Governmental offices are still highly concerned with controlling the escalation of forest fires due to their social, environmental and economic consequences. This paper presents new developments to a previously implemented system for the classification of smoke columns with object detection and a deep learning-based approach. The study focuses on identifying and correcting several False Positive cases while only obtaining a small reduction of the True Positives. Our approach was based on using an instance segmentation algorithm to obtain the shape, color and spectral features of the object. An ensemble of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms was then used to further identify smoke objects, obtaining a removal of around 95% of the False Positives, with a reduction to 88.7% (from 93.0%) of the detection rate on 29 newly acquired daily sequences. This model was also compared with 32 smoke sequences of the public HPWREN dataset and a dataset of 75 sequences attaining 9.6 and 6.5 min, respectively, for the average time elapsed from the fire ignition and the first smoke detection.

A logística, além de responsável por atender às necessidades de clientes e empresas, também acrescenta valor ao produto, pois os clientes valorizam o fato de um produto estar disponível no momento preciso e, também, no local adequado. Entende-se então, que para gerenciar a cadeia de suprimentos de forma lean, com menos desperdícios, é fundamental possuir uma logística lean. Nesse contexto, este artigo teve como objetivo analisar melhorias no nível de serviço logístico de uma empresa a partir da aplicação das ferramentas lean. Diante disso, qualifica-se esse estudo de caso como pesquisa-ação, em que o pesquisador faz uso da observação e da intervenção no objeto em análise, contribuindo diretamente em forma de ações para a resolução dos problemas. Nesse sentido, o trabalho demonstrou de forma clara que, para otimizar indicadores no setor de logística, a filosofia lean é viável de ser implantada, quando, por meio da identificação dos problemas mais recorrentes na distribuição da empresa em estudo, foi possível aplicar algumas ferramentas como o Kaizen e planos de ação, os quais revelaram uma significativa melhora nos indicadores locais.

Abstract We explore the S-matrices of gapped, unitary, Lorentz invariant quantum field theories with a global O(N) symmetry in 1+1 dimensions. We extremize various cubic and quartic couplings in the two-to-two scattering amplitudes of vector particles. Saturating these bounds, we encounter known integrable models with O(N) symmetry such as the O(N) Gross-Neveu and non-linear sigma models and the scattering of kinks in the sine-Gordon model. We also considered more general mass spectra for which we move away from the integrable realm. In this regime we find (numerically, through a large N analysis and sometimes even analytically) that the S-matrices saturating the various coupling bounds have an extremely rich structure exhibiting infinite resonances and virtual states in the various kinematical sheets. They are rather exotic in that they admit no particle production yet they do not obey Yang-Baxter equations. We discuss their physical (ir)relevance and speculate, based on some preliminary numerics, that they might be close to more realistic theories with particle production.

A arqueologia da infância continua amplamente marginalizada para o estudo da Idade do Ferro bretã. Este artigo busca reparar tal situação discutindo como um conjunto de diferenças sociais e noções particulares identitárias foram projetadas nos enterramentos de crianças encontradas em East Yorkshire, uma região famosa por seus extensos cemitérios que abrigam inúmeras inumações. Tanto a morfologia dos enterramentos, como também dados artefactuais e bioarqueológicos são levados em consideração. A discussão apresenta uma (re)avaliação crítica dos dados arqueológicos disponíveis para o estudo de crianças em Yorkshire durante a Idade do Ferro, destacando a possibilidade de uma distinção interna sutil dentro do grupo infantil, por volta da idade de 6 anos.

Cysticercosis is a parasitic infection caused by larval cysts of the tapeworm Taenia solium. It is highly prevalent in rural areas of developing countries with poor sanitary conditions. We report a rare case of extensive disseminated cysticercosis in a 98-year-old woman who was brought to the emergency department following a fall. The x-ray revealed numerous ‘rice grain’ calcifications predominantly oriented in the plane of muscle fibres. A broad review revealed pelvic, chest and inferior limb involvement. The findings were consistent with cysticercosis.

The aim of this study is to analyze how isokinetic knee and hip peak torques and roundhouse kick velocities are related to expertise level (elite vs. sub-elite) in taekwondo athletes. Seven elite and seven sub-elite athletes were tested for kick-specific variables (KSV, composed of kinematic variables and power of impact) and for concentric isokinetic peak torque (PT) at 60°/s and 240°/s. First, KSVs and PTs were compared between groups, then PTs were correlated with KSVs. Parametric variables with larger effect sizes (Cohen's d) were entered in a stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA), generating an equation to estimate competitive level. Between-group differences were found in hip flexors (p = 0.04, d = 0.92) and extensors (p = 0.04, d = 0.96) with PT at 240°/s. Hip flexion PT at 60°/s and 240°/s correlated negatively with kick time (R = -0.46, p = 0.0499 and R = -0.62, p = 0.01 respectively). Hip flexion torque at 60°/s correlated positively (R = 0.52, p = 0.03) with peak linear velocity of the foot (LVF) and power of impact (R = 0.51, p = 0.03). Peak torque of hip extension at 60°/s and hip abduction at 240°/s also correlated with LVF (R = 0.56, p = 0.02 and R = 0.46, p = 0.0499). Hip extension at 60°/s correlated positively with peak linear velocity of the knee (R = 0.48, p = 0.04). The LDA showed an accuracy of 85.7% (p = 0.003) in predicting expertise level based on hip flexion and extension torques at 240°/s and on knee extension velocity during the kick. The study demonstrates that hip muscle strength is probably the dominant muscular factor for determining kick performance. Knee angular velocity combined with hip torques is the best discriminator for competitive level in taekwondo athletes.

Hepatitis C is considered a major public health problem caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Viral infections are known to induce production of IL1β through the signaling pathway of inflammasomes. Emerging evidences suggest that Inflammasome genes may influence the immune response against HCV as the host genetic background may contribute to the balance between acute and chronic inflammation. We investigated in 151 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 206 healthy blood donors' individuals (HD). Polymorphisms in the IL1B and IL18 genes were genotyped by PCR-RFLP, while NLRP3, CARD8, CTSB and AIM2 by RT- PCR. Serum assay of IL-1β cytokine was performed by ELISA. 84 patients presented mild fibrosis (

Vulvovaginitis is the ultimate example of Potter Stewart’s “I know it when I see it”: everybody knows what it is, but no one can find an adequate and encompassing definition. Despite this obvious limitation, one thing is factual: vulvovaginitis is the reason for at least 2% of office appointments among women, representing a huge amount of time and money spent(1). The human suffering (physical and psychological) associated is uncountable and comes in different dimensions: the recurrence of symptoms, severe conditions misdiagnosed or undiagnosed (even malignant and premalignant ones), and increased risk of developing gynecological and obstetrical complications. The list of complications is extensive, including: pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility, sexually transmitted infections (HIV, HPV, herpes), [...]

Objetivou-se avaliar o potencial de produção de água potável através de dessalinizadores solar, e quais os benefícios advindos desta tecnologia para fomentar água potável para as populações que habitam regiões semiáridas. Para tanto, foram realizados estudos de campo e análises microbiológicas e de salinidade das águas. Assim, observou-se que os dessalinizadores são uma tecnologia de baixo custo, de fácil construção e que possibilita benefícios como: oferta de água segura, o que reduz riscos com a saúde; não detém custos com energia elétrica; e utiliza energia limpa e renovável, o que inibe impactos ambientais.

Bulk density for shrubs and tree crowns is an important variable, useful for many purposes, namely estimations for biomass and carbon sequestration and potential fire behavior prediction. In the latter case, bulk density is required to predict the rate of spread and intensity of crown fires. However, bulk density information is scarce. The estimation of bulk density is crucial to help choosing proper pyrosilviculture options to decrease fire susceptibility. Due to the similar environmental conditions and fuel characteristics in Portugal and Spain, we modelled bulk density for the most common woody species in all the Iberian Peninsula. We used 10 different shrub type formations and a set of tree species or groups common to both countries. Equations for bulk density, in both forest canopy and understory layers, were fitted as a function of biometric variables commonly used in forest inventories for the selected species. Standardized estimates of bulk density can be associated with data from the National Forest Inventories from Portugal and Spain, to estimate biomass of the forest ecosystems and to evaluate potential fire behavior involving tree canopies and shrubs.

Um dos temas emergentes nos estudos acerca da sustentabilidade tem sido à energia, considerando a sua importância para as relações de produção e consumo, assim como, as suas externalidades negativas quanto às questões ambientais. Neste cenário, surgem as energias renováveis, como uma alternativa para minimizar os efeitos das suas formas de geração e utilização. Neste sentido, o objetivo do artigo é avaliar a sustentabilidade de um conjunto de municípios que tiveram empreendimentos eólicos instalados ou projetos iniciados, através da aplicação de um sistema de indicador. Para isso, foi realizado um estudo longitudinal comparando o nível de sustentabilidade municipal antes e depois da instalação dos empreendimentos. Os resultados obtidos apontam que, houve uma redução do nível de sustentabilidade do conjunto de municípios analisados após a instalação dos empreendimentos, o que evidencia a necessidade de redefinições nas formas de atuação de todos os atores sociais envolvidos com os investimentos em energias renováveis.

Abstract Background Internal grade inflation is a documented practice in secondary schools (mostly in private schools) that jeopardises fairness with regard to access to medical school. However, it is frequently assumed that the higher internal grades are in fact justifiable, as they correspond to better preparation of students in private schools in areas that national exams do not cover but nevertheless are important. Consequently, it is expected that students from private schools will succeed better in medical school than their colleagues, or at least not perform worse. We aimed to study whether students from private schools do fare better in medical school than their colleagues from public schools, even after adjusting for internal grade inflation. Methods We analysed all students that entered into a medical course from 2007 to 2014. A linear regression was performed using mean grades for the 1st-year curse units (CU) of the medical school curriculum as a dependent variable and student gender, the nature of students’ secondary school (public/private), and whether their secondary school highly inflated grades as independent variables. A logistic regression was also performed, modelling whether or not students failed at least one CU exam during the 1st year of medical school as a function of the aforementioned independent variables. Results Of the 1709 students analysed, 55% came from public secondary schools. Private (vs. public) secondary school (β = − 0.459, p

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a variação espaço-temporal do albedo e da cobertura vegetal da superfície na bacia hidrográfica do alto curso do Rio Paraíba, como importantes indicadores do processo de degradação das terras/desertificação. A bacia hidrográfica do alto curso engloba, total ou parcialmente, a área de 18 municípios, distribuídos nas microrregiões do Cariri Ocidental e Oriental do estado da Paraíba. As informações das duas variáveis foram obtidas de 168 imagens MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro radiometer), correspondentes aos doze meses do ano no período de 2000-2013. O teste Mann-Kendall (MK) foi utilizado para identificação da tendência, ao nível de significância de α = 0,05. Os valores do albedo, índice de vegetação ajustada ao solo (IVAS) e estatística MK foram espacializados por krigagem, para geração de mapas temáticos. Os principais resultados evidenciaram que os valores médios do albedo da superfície variam entre 11 e 21%, com máximos em fevereiro e mínimos em julho. Os valores médios mensais do IVAS variaram entre 0,18 e 0,36, com máximos em abril e mínimos em outubro. A precipitação pluvial é a variável que condiciona a variação do índice de vegetação e do albedo na região. Os municípios de São Sebastião do Umbuzeiro e Congo apresentaram, respectivamente, os maiores e menores valores médios do IVAS, em virtude das características climáticas e do relevo do primeiro município, com altitudes mais elevadas, que propiciam mais umidade. O município de Congo apresentou os menores valores de IVAS (0,15), sendo possível identificar uma correlação inversa com os valores de albedo da superfície, em consequência da vegetação mais rala ou mesmo inexistente, caracterizando um processo de degradação das terras. As tendências para as duas variáveis: albedo da superfície (Z = - 1,259) e IVAS (Z = - 0,164) são decrescentes, porém não significativas.

Forest fires are still a large concern in several countries due to the social, environmental and economic damages caused. This paper aims to show the design and validation of a proposed system for the classification of smoke columns with object detection and a deep learning-based approach. This approach is able to detect smoke columns visible below or above the horizon. During the dataset labelling, the smoke object was divided into three different classes, depending on its distance to the horizon, a cloud object was also added, along with images without annotations. A comparison between the use of RetinaNet and Faster R-CNN was also performed. Using an independent test set, an F1-score around 80%, a G-mean around 80% and a detection rate around 90% were achieved by the two best models: both were trained with the dataset labelled with three different smoke classes and with augmentation; Faster R-CNNN was the model architecture, re-trained during the same iterations but following different learning rate schedules. Finally, these models were tested in 24 smoke sequences of the public HPWREN dataset, with 6.3 min as the average time elapsed from the start of the fire compared to the first detection of a smoke column.

With the fast increase in the demand for location-based services and the proliferation of smartphones, the topic of indoor localization is attracting great interest. In indoor environments, users’ performed activities carry useful semantic information. These activities can then be used by indoor localization systems to confirm users’ current relative locations in a building. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning model based on a Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) network to classify human activities within the indoor localization scenario using smartphone inertial sensor data. Results show that the proposed human activity recognition (HAR) model accurately identifies nine types of activities: not moving, walking, running, going up in an elevator, going down in an elevator, walking upstairs, walking downstairs, or going up and down a ramp. Moreover, predicted human activities were integrated within an existing indoor positioning system and evaluated in a multi-story building across several testing routes, with an average positioning error of 2.4 m. The results show that the inclusion of human activity information can reduce the overall localization error of the system and actively contribute to the better identification of floor transitions within a building. The conducted experiments demonstrated promising results and verified the effectiveness of using human activity-related information for indoor localization.

Mobile networks management is increasingly critical due to heavy communications usage by customers and complex due to the multiple technologies and systems deployed. Thus, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are constantly looking for better software solutions and tools to help them increase network performance and manage their networks more efficiently. In this paper, we present a modular web-based software solution to tackle problems related to mobile network planning, operation and optimization. The solution is focused on a set of functional requirements carefully chosen to support the network life cycle management, from planning to Operation and Maintenance (OAM) and optimisation stages. Based on a 3-tier modular architecture and implemented using only open-source software, the solution handles multiple data sources (e.g., Drive Test (DT) and Performance Management (PM)) and multiple Radio Access Network (RAN) technologies. MNOs can explore all available data through a flexible and user-friendly web interface, that also includes map-based visualization of the network. Moreover, the solution incorporates a set of recently developed and validated RAN algorithms, supporting tasks of network diagnosis, optimization, and planning. Also, with the purpose of optimizing the network, MNOs can investigate network simulations, using the RAN algorithms, of how the network will behave under certain conditions, and visualize the outcome of those simulations.

The focusing of light through turbid media like biological tissues is strongly hindered by the scattering of light which limits its safe practice and application in medicine. In order to control this phenomenon, we shaped the incident wavefront using three algorithms including a four-element division algorithm, a partitioning algorithm, and simulated annealing to control, iteratively, a spatial light modulator (SLM). We have tested two different convergence criteria to achieve a focal point inside a turbid environment, made up of a mixture of agar and milk, set to mimic a specific depth of human skin, and provide comparison results. A camera and a lens are used to visualize the focal area and give feedback information to the algorithms. A discussion on the use of these algorithms and convergence criteria is presented, being focused on its convergence time and performance. Depending on the algorithm and operational parameters, improvements of 29% to 46% of the irradiance in the region of interest were accomplished.

Prediabetes, a subclinical impairment between euglycemia and hyperglycemia, is a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated micro- and macrovascular complications. Lifestyle therapy, the first-line treatment of prediabetes, includes physical exercise and dietary regimens enriched in phytochemicals with health-related properties. Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), given their pleasant taste and great abundance in beneficial phytochemicals, have gained public interest all over the world. Along with a high antioxidant activity, this functional fruit is also well-recognized due to its hypoglycemic and insulin-sensitizing effects and has been recommended for overt T2DM management. Yet blueberries target several other pathophysiological traits, namely gut microbiota dysbiosis and hepatic dysmetabolism, that ensue when prediabetes begins and for which pharmacological interventions tend to be delayed. In this work, we revisited preclinical data from in vitro assays, animal models and human studies, aiming to disclose the potential mechanisms by which blueberries may be a fruitful source of phytochemicals able to prevent (pre)diabetes progression. Collectively, future efforts should focus on longer-term studies with standardized interventions and readouts, particularly in humans, that will hopefully bring more robust evidence and concrete guidance for blueberries’ effective use in prediabetes.