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Heart failure (HF) remains with a poor prognosis and high morbidity and mortality. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may have influenced these parameters due to the overload of health services, although regional characteristics may have had an influence. OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on HF morbidity and mortality in Northeast Brazil through data analysis from DATA-SUS. METHOD: The average length of stay, the number of hospitalizations and deaths, and the mortality rate from 02/2017 to 11/2022 were evaluated, subdivided into pre-pandemic (02/2017 to 02/2020), pandemic (03/2020 to 06/2021), peak (12/2020 to 05/2021), the first and second trimester of the peak (12/2020 to 02/2021 and 03/2021 to 05/2021), mass vaccination (06/2021 to 12/2021) and year 2022 (01/2022 to 11/20222022). The subdivisions of the total evaluated period were compared with the others. The results were expressed in percentages. RESULTS: In the pre-pandemic, there was the highest monthly average of hospitalizations, with a reduction of 29% in the pandemic and 12% in the period of mass vaccination. There was a reduction in the monthly average of deaths in the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period, with this average being similar in the mass vaccination and pre-pandemic periods. However, there was a significant increase in the mortality rate in the pandemic period (12.45%) when compared to the pre-pandemic period (10.9%), with the highest percentage observed in the mass vaccination period (12.79%). %). CONCLUSIONS: There were relevant consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on HF morbidity and mortality in the Northeast region of Brazil, with a lower number of hospitalizations and increased mortality. During the vaccination period, the increase in hospitalizations and the higher mortality rate may reflect the difficulty in monitoring the disease in previous periods and greater access to health services.

The time of flight of a plane wavefront generated from an acoustic pulse is expected to decrease when the medium length between the wave emitter and receiver is shortened. This simple idea is extrapolated to the case of reservoir compaction in order to obtain a geophysical parameter R (dilation factor) that relates the rock deformation to the variation of time of flight (also called time-lapse time shift in 4D seismics) or acoustic velocity of a plane wave propagating in the same direction of deformation. Interpretation of a few laboratory compressive tests with simultaneous ultrasonic acquisition, performed on oil-saturated calcarenite samples, are presented and discussed. The samples were subjected to several stress regimes and simultaneous ultrasonic acquisitions. Despite the formerly ultrasonic acquisition rate limitations, it was possible to obtain R values for various lateral-vertical stress ratios for each sample's linear and nonlinear stress-strain trends.

BACKGROUND The demand for mental health care, particularly for depression and anxiety, is 3-fold greater among patients receiving oncologic and palliative care than for the general population. This population faces unique barriers, making them more susceptible to mental health challenges. Various forms of psychotherapy have been deemed effective in addressing mental health challenges in this population, including supportive psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, problem-based therapy, and mindfulness; however, their access to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy resources is limited owing to their immunocompromised status, making frequent hospital visits dangerous. Additionally, patients can face hospital fatigue from numerous appointments and investigations or may live in remote areas, which makes commutes both physically and financially challenging. Web-based psychotherapy is a promising solution to address these accessibility barriers. Moreover, web-based psychotherapy has been proven effective in addressing depression and anxiety in other populations and may be implementable among patients receiving oncologic and palliative care. OBJECTIVE The study will investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of web-based psychotherapy among patients receiving oncologic and palliative care, who have comorbid depression or anxiety. We hypothesized that this program will be a viable and efficacious treatment modality compared to current treatment modalities in addressing depression and anxiety symptoms in this population. METHODS Participants (n=60) with depression or anxiety will be recruited from oncology and palliative care settings in Kingston (Ontario, Canada). Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either 8 weeks of web-based psychotherapy plus treatment as usual (treatment arm) or treatment as usual exclusively (control arm). The web-based psychotherapy program will incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and problem-solving skills, and homework assignments with personalized feedback from a therapist. All web-based programs will be delivered through a secure platform specifically designed for web-based psychotherapy delivery. To evaluate treatment efficacy, all participants will complete standardized symptomology questionnaires at baseline, midpoint (week 4), and posttreatment. RESULTS The study received ethics approval in February 2021 and began recruiting participants in April 2021. Participant recruitment has been conducted through social media advertisements, physical advertisements, and physician referrals. To date, 11 participants (treatment, n=5; control, n=4; dropout, n=2) have been recruited. Data collection and analysis are expected to conclude by December 2021 and January 2022, respectively. Linear regression (for continuous outcomes) will be conducted with interpretive qualitative methods. CONCLUSIONS Our findings can be incorporated into clinical policy and help develop more accessible mental health treatment options for patients receiving oncologic and palliative care. Asynchronous and web-based psychotherapy delivery is a more accessible, scalable, and financially feasible treatment that could have major implications on the health care system. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04664270; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04664270 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/30735

O presente artigo procura trazer algumas informações acerca da sacralização de animais praticadas em algumas religiões mundiais, em especial, no território brasileiro. Para um entendimento preliminar, foi necessário caracterizar, de forma breve, como os rituais acontecem em cada preceito religioso estudado e a conclusão que se chegou é de que existe uma similaridade entre as formas de fazer, assim como entre os seus propósitos. Entretanto, apesar dessa similitude, se verifica uma rejeição muito grande de uma parcela significativa da sociedade pela prática, hábitos e costumes correlatos as sacralizações realizadas pelas religiões de matriz africana. Observou-se, inclusive, que entre as práticas estudadas, exceto as de matriz africana, são reconhecidas e vistas como uma excelente oportunidade mercadológica para o país. Por outro lado, acredita-se que, diante do contexto apresentado, a reprovação observada seja decorrente da herança cultural enraizada na sociedade brasileira, a qual surgiu com a chegada do negro escravizado em terras brasileiras. Nesse sentido, imputa-se a essa situação a institucionalização, no período colonial, da teoria de hierarquização das raças, que defendia que a superioridade da raça branca em relação à negra.

Tese (Doutorado) - Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geografia - Tratamento da Informação Espacial. Bibliografia: f. 208-218 Esta tese aborda o processo de difusão espacial do movimento estético-cultural nomeado Clube da Esquina, sendo a sua principal inquietação geográfica a identificação dos caminhos que levaram o Clube da Esquina, fenômeno musical surgido a partir da reunião espontânea de um grupo de amigos em uma esquina do Bairro Santa Tereza, na Belo Horizonte dos anos 1960, a se tornar uma expressão musical de projeção internacional. Analisa em quais momentos e por que meios se deu a difusão espacial do movimento, e a partir de quais eventos e conexões, visando demonstrar a importância do movimento cultural Clube da Esquina para a contextualização das transformações espaço-temporais relacionada ao seu desenvolvimento, enquanto fenômeno estético cultural. O estudo também reflete sobre as categorias espaciais da Geografia, demonstra as dimensões do fenômeno musical em questão, assim como apresenta considerações sobre as relações entre as representações de identidade regionais, no caso de sua gênese ligada à cidade de Belo Horizonte e seu vínculo conceitual com Minas Gerais, pondo em discussão seus desdobramentos e assimilações em outros domínios culturais. Analisa como as redes geográficas franquearam o processo de dispersão internacional deste fenômeno cultural, sobre os mecanismos de dispersão e difusão caracterizados pelas leituras das dinâmicas culturais, tanto no cenário local, quanto na sua dispersão para além dos domínios da cidade de Belo Horizonte. O recorte temporal adotado como referência situa-se entre os meados da década de 1960, onde se apresentam os primeiros elementos expressivos da gênese do movimento, passando por produções significativas da década de 1970 e, adiante, relacionando referências da produção fonográfica, de eventos e de vínculos criados a partir da afirmação do movimento em escala mundial, buscando discutir a identidade do movimento, assim como sua continuidade e evidência ao longo do tempo histórico. Por fim, o estudo oferece uma reflexão teórica em Geografia para música popular, buscando compreender parte das relações contemporâneas entre as expressões artísticas e o espaço geográfico, especialmente no que diz respeito às formas de articulação espacial, formas de representação do espaço, correlações identitárias e produção de espaços simbólicos e concretos a partir da atividade musical. Palavras-chave: Geografia Cultural; Fenomenologia; Expressão Cultural; Música; Clube da Esquina; Difusão Espacial. This thesis addresses the process of spatial diffusion of the aesthetic-cultural movement named Clube da Esquina, its main geographic concern being the identification of the paths that led Clube da Esquina, a musical phenomenon that arose from the spontaneous meeting of a group of friends in a corner of Bairro Santa Tereza, in Belo Horizonte in the 1960s, to become a musical expression of international projection. It analyzes at what times and by what means the movement's spatial diffusion took place, and from which events and connections, aiming to demonstrate the importance of the Clube da Esquina cultural movement for the contextualization of the spatio-temporal transformations related to its development, as a phenomenon cultural aesthetic. The study also reflects on the spatial categories of Geography, demonstrates the dimensions of the musical phenomenon in question, as well as presents considerations on the relationships between regional representations of identity, in the case of their genesis linked to the city of Belo Horizonte and their conceptual link with Minas Gerais, calling into question its developments and assimilations in other cultural domains. It analyzes how the geographic networks opened up the process of international dispersion of this cultural phenomenon, on the mechanisms of dispersion and diffusion characterized by the readings of cultural dynamics, both in the local scenario, and in their dispersion beyond the domains of the city of Belo Horizonte. The time frame adopted as a reference is located between the mid-1960s, where the first expressive elements of the genesis of the movement are presented, going through significant productions of the 1970s and, later, relating references of phonographic production, events and of bonds created from the affirmation of the movement on a world scale, seeking to discuss the movement's identity, as well as its continuity and evidence throughout historical time. Finally, the study offers a theoretical reflection in Geography for popular music, seeking to understand part of the contemporary relations between artistic expressions and geographical space, especially with regard to the forms of spatial articulation, forms of representation of space, identity correlations and production of symbolic and concrete spaces based on musical activity. Keywords: Cultural Geography; Phenomenology; Cultural Expression; Music; Clube da Esquina; Spatial diffusion.

Background Patients who present to Emergency Departments (ED) after intentional self-harm receive variable levels care in Ontario. Many are not assessed by a mental health professional following discharge from ED and do not receive psychological services available in the community as many of these services are not covered by the provincial health insurance. Patients who present with intentional self-harm to hospital are more likely to die by suicide and premature death by other means compared to the general population. This risk is elevated in men, who represent two-thirds of those who die by suicide in Ontario. One way of potentially addressing this gap is to offer problem-solving therapy (PST) designed specifically for men, facilitated by the use of a patient facing smartphone application and a clinician facing dashboard. This attempts to blend the use of face to face therapy and technology to create an effective intervention after self-harm.Methods This is a pragmatic, multicentre pre- and post-design cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) comparing the provision of a suicide prevention intervention to usual care, in men who present to the ED with self-harm. The study intervention is composed of: 1) staff education; 2) resource materials for men who present to the ED with self-harm; and, 3) the option to refer patients to a blended PST service for the treatment of self-harm. The primary outcome to be assessed is a composite of the incidence of suicides and/or re-presentations to any ED in Ontario for self-harm in the year after presentation with self-harm. Secondary outcome measures include: total number of suicides; re-presentations to any ED in Ontario for the repetition of self-harm; re-presentations to any ED in Ontario for any reason; other health system use including use of primary care and hospital outpatient appointments; mortality not related to suicide; and, health system costs over one year. All outcomes will be measured from provincial health administrative databases available at the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (IC/ES).

O objetivo do presente trabalho é demonstrar as consequências do modelo de produção hegemônico no que tange o desenvolvimento rural, e seus principais reflexos ambientais, econômicas, sociais e políticas. Contudo, em relação ao meio ambiente a problemática pretende ser melhor investigada de forma a estudar a relação do Desenvolvimento Rural e a sustentabilidade e suas implicações em relação a finitude dos recursos naturais. Na medida que se busca considerar também sobre a agroecologia como uma das alternativas viáveis para alcançar o Desenvolvimento Rural sustentável.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered as the most frequent cause of chronic hepatic disease in adults. It is strictly correlated with insulin resistance, frequently associated with components of metabolic syndrome, and, similarly to the latter, it has been correlated with high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Systemic arterial hypertension has been suggested to be associated with NAFLD in approximately 40% of the cases, and NAFLD has been independently associated with an increased risk of arterial hypertension in observational studies. Therefore, we can infer that treating arterial hypertension in NAFLD carriers will be often necessary and that the potential beneficial effects of the antihypertensive might, in this context, influence the choice of the respective drug. The renin-angiotensin system has been correlated to the whole basic physiopathogenic mechanism of NAFLD in experimental models. Based on these findings, we conducted this study to evaluate the effects of the ACE-inhibitor ramipril, used preventively, in NAFLD induced in rabbits fed hyperlipidaemic diet. Methods: Twenty-nine rabbits were divided into three groups (normal, placebo, and ramipril). The placebo and ramipril groups were fed a ration containing 0.925% cholesterol. The groups were orally administered 0.35 mg/kg/day of ramipril, and an equivalent volume of vehicle was administered to the placebo group. At the end of the 8th week, all rabbits underwent segmental hepatic resection and were euthanized. Blood samples were collected to determine glucose, insulin, creatinine, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, and aminotransferase levels at baseline and euthanasia. Haematoxylin and eosin and Gomori trichrome-stained slides were analysed based on the histological scoring system for NAFLD. Sudan III-stained slides were analysed by morphometry and immunostained based on the Allred scoring system. Results: When compared with placebo, ramipril significantly diminished the development of steatosis (P=0.032), lobular inflammation (P=0.006), hepatocellular ballooning (P=0.023), and fibrosis (P=0.02). Based on the NAFLD activity score (NAS), ramipril significantly reduced the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (P=0.003). Conclusions: The preventive use of ramipril in rabbits fed hyperlipidaemic diet, attenuates the development of the whole NAFLD histopathological spectrum and based on NAS, ramipril significantly reduced the development of NASH.

Gerenciamento de projetos têm feito parte do cotidiano de muitas empresas em todo o mundo corporativo, e mais especificamente a gestão de riscos sendo considerada em projetos aplicados ao desenvolvimento de novos produtos na indústria química, onde a dinâmica para lançamento, faz considerar o triangulo de ferro do gerenciamento de projetos, como custo, tempo e qualidade, sendo necessário utilizar o gerenciamento de riscos como uma das áreas de conhecimento mais importantes para gerenciamento de projetos. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo está em realizar uma revisão sistemática de literatura, com foco principal em pesquisar e fundamentar como o gerenciamento de riscos, através da estratégia corporativa, vem contribuindo para o sucesso dos projetos para desenvolvimento de novos produtos na indústria química, incluindo métodos e ferramentas utilizados. Com os resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa através da revisão bibliográfica e possíveis lacunas identificadas, foi apresentado um parecer pela continuidade de pesquisa futura para a aplicabilidade do gerenciamento de risco junto ao processo de desenvolvimento de um novo produto na indústria química.

Summary Geological environments, such as petroleum reservoirs, normally exhibit physical discontinuities, for example, fractures and faults. Because of the reduced thickness of these discontinuities, finite element formulations with strong discontinuity have been applied to the numerical modelling of geological environments. Until now, two relevant characteristics of petroleum reservoirs have not been addressed by these formulations. The first is the pore pressure jump in the direction normal to a discontinuity in a fluid-mechanical coupling condition, which is present primarily in sealing faults owing to the contrast of permeability with the porous medium. The absence of this jump can affect the prediction of the deformability of a physical discontinuity. Furthermore, reservoir models frequently use coarse meshes. Thus, the method used to evaluate the pore pressure in the discontinuity may exhibit a strong dependence relative to the mesh refinement. Based on these characteristics, in this study, a formulation of an enriched finite element for application to coupled fluid-mechanical problems with pre-existing physical discontinuities saturated by a single fluid is presented. The formulation employs discontinuous interpolation functions and enables the reproduction of jumps of displacement and pore pressure associated with a discontinuity inside the element without the need to discretise it. An approximation to estimate the pore pressure in the discontinuity was developed, one which seeks to minimise the influence of refinement. The element's response is verified by comparison with a one-dimensional analytical solution and simple examples that are simulated using commercial software. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Submitted by Boris Flegr (boris@uerj.br) on 2021-01-05T21:21:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Claudio Soares da Silva Calisto_Total.pdf: 2846598 bytes, checksum: 5f631297b307aaef21680f320db07004 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-01-05T21:21:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Claudio Soares da Silva Calisto_Total.pdf: 2846598 bytes, checksum: 5f631297b307aaef21680f320db07004 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-08 The objective of the research is to defend the social control of public spending as a democratic solution capable of alleviating social problems related to the low effectiveness of fundamental social rights in Brazil. The work evaluates the increasing judicialization of public expenditure and political philosophy as social phenomena related to this problem and indicates that the solution is in the field of politics. In order to justify the use of politics as a solution to the problem of the low effectiveness of fundamental social rights, the paper describes democracy as a force capable of provoking social transformations, especially through the public discussion inherent in deliberative democracy. Next, the research supports that democratic public discussion about the effectiveness of social rights needs to be guided by the social control of public spending. The dissertation demonstrates that Brazil has enough fiscal transparency to enable social control over public spending. This control needs to be based on a model of fiscal data in order to create public expenditure indicators that facilitate the value judgment of the population on the allocation of public resources. The indicators for the social control of public spending are based on the functional classification of eight types of public budget expenditure corresponding to fundamental social rights. The indicators compare the political entities among themselves by means of the respective public spending per capita in these essential governmental functions. The retributo is the indicator that reveals the proportion of public spending in each of the eight government functions relative to available net current revenues. The results show that there is a disproportion of public spending with social security to the detriment of other governmental functions. The conclusion suggests the development of new research in order to assess whether the proportion of public spending in other non-essential government functions can be reduced to the benefit of the eight functions corresponding to fundamental social rights O objetivo da pesquisa é defender o controle social dos gastos públicos como uma solução democrática capaz de atenuar os problemas sociais relacionados à baixa eficácia dos direitos sociais fundamentais no Brasil. O trabalho avalia a crescente judicialização das despesas públicas e a filosofia política como fenômenos sociais conexos a essa problemática e indica que a solução encontra-se no campo da política. A fim de justificar o uso da política como solução para o problema da baixa eficácia dos direitos sociais fundamentais, o trabalho descreve a democracia como uma força capaz de provocar transformações sociais, especialmente por meio da discussão pública inerente à democracia deliberativa. Em seguida, a pesquisa sustenta que a discussão pública democrática sobre a eficácia dos direitos sociais precisa ser orientada pelo controle social dos gastos públicos. A dissertação demonstra que o Brasil possui transparência fiscal suficiente para viabilizar o controle social sobre os gastos públicos. Este controle precisa valer-se de uma modelagem de dados fiscais, de modo a criar indicadores de gastos públicos que facilitem o juízo de valor da população sobre as prioridades de alocação dos recursos públicos. Os indicadores para o controle social dos gastos públicos apóiamse na classificação funcional de oito tipos de despesas públicas orçamentárias correspondentes aos direitos sociais fundamentais. Os indicadores comparam os entes políticos entre si por meio dos respectivos gastos públicos per capita nessas funções governamentais essenciais. O retributo é o indicador que revela a proporção de gastos públicos em cada uma das oito funções governamentais em relação às receitas correntes líquidas disponíveis. Os resultados demonstram haver desproporção de gastos públicos com previdência social em detrimento das demais funções governamentais. A conclusão sugere o desenvolvimento de novas pesquisas, no sentido de avaliar se a proporção de gastos públicos em outras funções governamentais não essenciais pode ser diminuída em benefício das oito funções correspondentes aos direitos sociais fundamentais.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar uma revisão do estado da arte sobre os gases de proteção usados nos processos de soldagem a arco elétrico, com ênfase na soldagem MIG/MAG do aço. São apresentados os principais conceitos da física do arco e as propriedades relacionadas aos gases de proteção. O modelo de atmosfera ligeiramente oxidante para os gases de proteção é discutido, sendo mostradas as formulações dos gases estudados em artigos científicos e em patentes depositadas, bem como as reivindicações (vantagens) requeridas. Também são mencionados alguns poucos estudos usando adições de gases não convencionais. Foi observado que no desenvolvimento de gases de proteção para soldagem MIG/MAG do aço predomina o modelo da formação de atmosfera ligeiramente oxidante. A maioria das formulações propostas envolve o uso de misturas binárias, ternárias e até quaternárias dos gases Ar, He, CO2 e O2. Em aplicações específicas, adições de N2 e H2 foram usadas. Neste sentido, pouca inovação foi identificada, sendo atribuídas possíveis razões a este fato. A tendência observada para o desenvolvimento de gases de proteção parece ser o uso de misturas ricas em gases inertes, com adições calibradas de elementos oxidantes, sempre atendendo a aplicações específicas.This paper has as objective to present a state of the art review on the shielding gases used in the electric arc welding processes, with emphasis on GMAW welding of steel. There are shown the main concepts of arc physics and properties related to shielding gases. The model of slightly oxidizing atmosphere for shielding gases is discussed, and the formulations of the gases studied in scientific articles and in deposited patents, as well as the claims (benefits) required. It also mentions some few studies using additions of non-conventional gases. It was observed that for the development of shielding gases for the GMAW steel welding the model of slightly oxidizing atmosphere is predominant. Most of proposed formulations involve the use of binary, ternary or even quaternary mixtures of the gases Ar, He, CO2 and O2. For specific aplications, additions of N2 e H2 were used. In this meaning, few innovations were identified, and possible reasons were attributed. The trend observed for the development of shielding gases seems to be the use of mixtures rich in inert gases, with calibrated additions of oxidizing elements, always looking for specific applications.

El presente articulo es un esbozo acerca de la revision de evaluacion de Bruno Taut hecha por historiadores de arte y arquitectura. Mientras Taut es considerado utopico y visioario, su trabajo es tido como un intento de abordaje de las cuestiones esteticas y politica de su tiempo a traves de principios distintos del racionalismo estricto. Poniendo especial atencion al uso del color en sus proyectos, describimos la concepcion de arquitectura de Taut como filosofica y critica en lugar de fuera de la realidad.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by a broad spectrum of liver damage. In a rat model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), olmesartan attenuated steatosis and fibrosis.To assess the potential preventive action of olmesartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, on NAFLD in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.Thirty-four white adult male rabbits were selected. The animals were divided into three groups: group I (GI), control group, 13 rabbits; group II (GII), olmesartan group, 12 rabbits; and group III (GIII), normal group, 9 rabbits. The animals from GI and GII were fed with a specific diet plus 1% cholesterol. Animals from GIII were fed only with a specific diet. The GII animals were treated with olmesartan.Steatosis was present in all animals from GI and GII; no steatosis was observed in animals from GIII. When GI and GII where compared, the steatosis had higher scores in GI (p0.013). Perisinusoidal and periportal fibrosis occurred in 46.2% of the animals from GI. There was no fibrosis in GII or GIII. Lobular inflammation occurred in 84.6% of the animals from GI. Animals from GII and GIII had no inflammation. The NAFLD activity score was higher in animals from GI when compared to animals from GII and GIII (p0.001 for both groups); the NAFLD score was significantly higher in animals from GII when compared to animals from GIII (p0.001).In hypercholesterolemic rabbits, olmesartan significantly attenuated hepatic steatosis and prevented the development of lobular inflammation and liver fibrosis. Based on the NAFLD activity score, olmesartan significantly weakened the development of NASH in rabbits fed a high cholesterol diet.

Sugar production with high standards of quality and a good yield is the goal of all sugar mills. To obtain excellent product quality with minimal losses, it is extremely important to know the quality of raw material which affects the sugar manufacturing process and the quality of the final product, thus hindering the attainment of productivity and profitability targets. A good broth treatment also ensures good sugar quality and minimal losses. Another important step is the “granagem” (crystallization) for complete sowing and it is extremely important to use good quality seed. The seed of the preparation to the conditions it will be used in seeding should be well cared for, prevented the formation of conglomerates or twin. Another important step is the crystallization of sucrose and driving from cooks. “Spinning” is one of the most important steps in the manufacturing process of the sugar and the results that can be obtained with proper operation are more important than is normally considered. Good projects with correct sizing of equipment and facilities, good automation and standardization in operational procedures of the production process are critical and have great influence on the quality of sugar produced. In addition to all these precautions, it is necessary that the centrifuges and the facilities until the sugar is packed, are all correct and well maintained. Centrifuges, conveyor belts, sugar dryers, hoppers and the environment can contribute and affect the quality of the already processed sugar.

High porosity and low permeability limestone has presented pore collapse. As fluid is withdrawn from these reservoirs, the effective stresses acting on the rock increase. If the strength of the rock is overcome, pore collapse may occur, leading to irreversible compaction of porous media with permeability and porosity reduction. It impacts on fluid withdrawal. Most of reservoirs have been discovered in weak formations, which are susceptible to this phenomenon. This work presents a study on the mechanical behaviour of a porous limestone from a reservoir located in Campos Basin, offshore Brazil. An experimental program was undergone in order to define its elastic plastic behaviour. The tests reproduced the loading path conditions expected in a reservoir under production. Parameters of the cap model were fitted to these tests and numerical simulations were run. The numerical simulations presented a good agreement with the experimental tests. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

It is well established that a wellbore may fail under tension or shear compressive modes. Recently, the behavior of porous rocks has been studied, showing that they may fail because of hydrostatic compression. Cap models may represent the compacting behavior of porous rocks. This work presents a comparison among Drucker–Prager, Mohr–Coulomb, and cap model in wellbore stability analysis for a borehole drilled in 30% porosity limestone from a deep water reservoir, Campos Basin, offshore Brazil. It shows that traditional models used in wellbore stability analysis may lead to erroneous conclusions about the stability in the vicinities of the borehole.

The article looks at the proposed ‘Centres of Excellence’ for urban regeneration in England and their role in skills‐ and knowledge‐generation and diffusion mechanism to help politicians, professionals and communities gain the capacity to lead and manage urban regeneration interventions. Based on research on the demand for skills, training and knowledge in urban regeneration in the south east of England, the article suggests that there are in‐built biases in the dominant interpretations of that initiative towards particular forms of knowledge and knowledge delivery, which can potentially lead to the hijacking of the initiative by narrow agendas, reaffirming fragmentation and limiting the opportunities for innovation.

The paper presents the findings of a case-study research on the role of British property consultants in consolidating a transnational market for property in Europe. It examines comparatively the incorporation of Madrid and Milan into networks of transnational property investment and development and seeks to clarify the relationship between the expansion strategies of British firms and changes in property market structures in both cities. The focus is on the dynamic of the relationship between the consultancy firms and the different legal, institutional and cultural contexts of those property markets. The paper looks at the implications of that relationship for the firms and the markets, and at the role of the firms' strategies in bringing about market structures, practices and cultures compatible with the types of interest they mediate. The paper suggests that the structures and dynamics of the two markets have set a number of reasonably well-defined routes of entry for the consultancy firms, shaped by th...

This paper examines the systems of social relations underpinning the late 1980s’ office boom in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Using ‘institutionalist’ approaches to provide an empirical examination of these systems, it focuses on the nature of the dominant agents and their strategies, the linkages that allow them to perform their functions, and the relative position and power of the agents in the production and use of built structures. The paper tries to situate these systems in their economic and social environment and to point to the connections between socially constructed property markets, their environment, and the characteristics and outcomes of the property boom. In doing so, it aims to cast some light on the processes through which a mix of economic, social and cultural impulses, of global and a local origins, are related to the structures of provision of offices in the context of So Paulo and lead to the production of specific forms of built environment. — Cet article examine les sytemes de relations sociales qui a soutenu le boom des bureaux a S ao Paulo a la fin les annees quatre-vingt. Utilisant des approches ‘institutionnalistes’ afin de fournir une examination empirique de ces systemes, il se concentre sur la nature des agents principaux et sur leurs strategies, sur les liens qui leur permettent d’assurer leurs fonctions, et sur la position de pouvoir relatif de ces agents dans la production et l’utilisation des structures bâties. Cet article essaie de situer ces sytemes dans leur environnement social et economique, et de montrer les rapports entre les marches immobiliers construits socialement, leur environnement et les caracteristiques et resultats de l’essor immobilier. Ce faisant, il entend eclaicir les processus par lesquels un melange d’impulsions economiques, sociales et culturelles d’origine locale et globale est lie aux structures de construction des bureaux dans le contexte de S ao Paulo et conduit a la production de formes specifiques d’environnement construit.

Abstract Geomechanical models have multiple uses in reservoir management and field development planning. In this case study from a producing deepwater fractured carbonate reservoir (water depth approx. 1500m) we use the same geomechanical model to understand (i) why hydraulic stimulation failed to open a hydraulic fracture due to high minimum principal stress, (ii) what the limits of mud weights for drilling horizontal wells into the pressure depleted reservoir are, and (iii) investigate what the effect of pressure depletion and associated stress changes are on fault permeability, thereby providing an explanation for an observed early water-breakthrough. Multiple data sources, including structural seismic interpretation and Amplitude-versus-Offset (AVO) inversion, well-log measurements and rock-mechanics laboratory tests were combined in building a mechanical property model, and the computed stress state was calibrated with wellbore observations of breakouts directions, induced fractures and leak-off tests. Introduction Reservoir geomechanics has become an accepted technology for the petroleum industry during last decades. There are many benefits on improving geomechanical understanding, including:A better characterization of reservoir volume deformation and impact on rock permeability (compaction and dilation);Prediction of surface subsidence;Reducing of risks of fault reactivation and out-of-zone hydraulic fracture propagation during waterflooding or other improved oil recovery process. In Petrobras, Reservoir Geomechanics is a fundamental tool for development of fields with large number of faults/fractures, which is the case of several offshore sandstone reservoirs in Campos Basin, as well as some carbonates fields. Here we discuss the development of a comprehensive reservoir geomechanics study in an actual field of the Campos Basin. The presented technology has been developed as part of the Technology Cooperation Agreement on Reservoir Geomechanics between Petrobras and Schlumberger. A similar study has been carried out for a sandstone field and presented at a SPE Conference (Souza et al, 2012).

Demonstrate that the blockade of angiotensin II AT-1 receptors, through the systemic administration of olmesartan, can reduce the MCP-1 expression and the resulting macrophage accumulation in the choroid and sclera of hypercholesterolemic rabbits.Thirty-two New Zealand rabbits were divided into 3 groups: group I (GI) was fed a standard rabbit diet; group II (GII) was fed a hypercholesterolemic diet; and group III (GIII) was fed a hypercholesterolemic diet plus olmesartan. Serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and blood glucose were determined in fasting rabbits at the beginning of the experiment and on the day of euthanasia. The choroid and sclera were submitted to morphometric analysis as well as immunohistochemical analysis with MCP-1 and RAM-11 (macrophage marker) antibodies.No abnormality was detected in GI. Group II and III had significant increases in choroid-sclera complex thicknesses when compared with group I (P0.001). GII showed a significant increase in immunoreactivity for MCP-1 in relation to GI (P=0.001) and GIII (P=0.004). GII showed a significant increase in immunoreactivity for RAM-11 of the choroid-sclera complex in relation to GI (P0.001) and GIII (P=0.034). A significant increase in immunoreactivity for RAM-11 was observed in GIII in relation to GI (P=0.008).Olmesartan reduced the MCP-1 expression and the resultant macrophage accumulation in the choroid-sclera complex of hypercholesterolemic rabbits.