CFD-based design optimization of ducted hydrokinetic turbines.

Hydrokinetic turbines extract kinetic energy from moving water to generate renewable electricity, thus contributing to sustainable energy production and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. It has been hypothesized that a duct can accelerate and condition the fluid flow passing the turbine blades, improving the overall energy extraction efficiency. However, no substantial evidence has been provided so far for hydrokinetic turbines. To investigate this problem, we perform a CFD-based optimization study with a blade-resolved Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver to explore the design of a ducted hydrokinetic turbine that maximizes the efficiency of energy extraction. A gradient-based optimization approach is utilized to effectively deal with the high-dimensional design space of the blade and duct geometry, with gradients being calculated through the adjoint method. The final design is re-evaluated through higher-fidelity unsteady RANS (URANS) simulations. Our optimized ducted turbine achieves an efficiency of about 54% over a range of operating conditions, higher than the typical 46% efficiency of unducted turbines.

Monolithic Approach for Next-Generation Aircraft Design Considering Airline Operations and Economics.

Traditional approaches to design and optimization of a new system often use a system-centric objective that does not consider how the operator will use this new system alongside other existing systems. When the new system design is incorporated into the broader group of systems, the performance of the operator-level objective can be sub-optimal due to the unmodeled interaction between the new system and the other systems. Among the few available references that describe attempts to address this disconnect, most follow an MDO-motivated sequential decomposition approach of first designing an optimal system and then providing this system to the operator who decides the best way to use this new system along with the existing systems. This paper addresses this issue by including aircraft design, airline operations, and revenue management "subspaces"; and presents an approach that could simultaneously solve these subspaces posed as a monolithic optimization problem. The monolithic approach makes the problem an expensive MINLP problem and is extremely difficult to solve. We use a recently developed optimization framework that simultaneously solves the subspaces to capture the "synergy" in the problem. The results demonstrate that simultaneously optimizing the subspaces leads to significant improvement in the fleet-level objective of the airline when compared to the previously developed sequential subspace decomposition approach. The results also showcase that maximizing revenue and minimizing operating cost independently need not lead to a maximized profit solution for the airline.

Prevenção de nefropatia induzida por contraste após intervenções coronárias percutâneas com uso de contraste isosmolar / Prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary interventions using isosmolar contrast

INTRODUÇÃO: A despeito dos benefícios da angiografia coronária, para fins diagnósticos e/ou terapêuticos, esse método requer a injeção de contraste iodado, o que em alguns pacientes pode induzir a nefropatia induzida por contraste (NIC). METODOLOGIA: Foram avaliadas de maneira consecutiva todas as intervenções coronárias percutâneas (ICP) realizadas em hospital público terciário, entre janeiro e dezembro de 2016, buscando os pacientes de maior risco para NIC. Incluímos aqueles que utilizaram como contraste, o ioxaglato (baixa osmolaridade) ou iodixinol (isosmolar) e excluímos pacientes que utilizaram outros tipos de contraste ou já realizava hemodiálise. Objetivou-se determinar a taxa de NIC, definida como a elevação da creatinina acima de 25% ou aumento de 0,5mg/dL em relação ao valor basal. Secundariamente, avaliou-se também a mortalidade e necessidade de diálise nos primeiros 30 dias após a ICP. RESULTADOS: De um total de 1219 angioplastias, 382 pacientes fora incluídos em nossa análise. Todos os pacientes receberam hidratação padrão (0,5 a 1ml/kg/h de soro fisiológico 0,9%) pré e pós-procedimento. Contraste de baixa osmolaridade foi usado em 280 (73,2%) casos. Oito pacientes foram excluídos da análise, 5 por já realizarem hemodiálise e 3 por não apresentarem dados de creatinina após procedimento...(AU)

Reproductive planning in times of Zika: getting pregnant or delaying plans? The opinion of the Brazilian Society of Assisted Reproduction Committee - a basis for a bioethical discussion.

Although the causality between Zika virus, microcephaly, and other central nervous system disorders has been taken for granted by the scientific community, many uncertainties remain. The gap of knowledge at the moment is large enough to remove part of the confidence physicians have on the advice given to patients - and infertile women in particular - on their reproductive plans. Pretreatment serologic screening is a possible strategy to offer more confidence for individuals choosing to bear children regardless of the Zika virus, but the tests currently available do not seem to be sufficiently adequate. Until now, there is no formal recommendation to avoid pregnancy solely because of the Zika virus outbreak, and the choice of becoming pregnant has been regarded as a personal decision to be made by each woman and her family.

Access of children to the oral health service.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries still affect a considerable proportion of children, however the epidemiological profile of oral diseases is changing, social inequalities cause different disease patterns. The same problems occur for the use of services, which damage those who are more susceptible to oral diseases in numerous ways. AIM: To verify the association between the variables: socioeconomic condition, oral health and access to dental services providing oral health care for preschool children. METHODS: The study population consisted of 2,759 children up to 6 years-old. The clinical exams followed the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The data were collected using a self-applied questionnaire, answered by the carers of children, with questions about socioeconomic variables and access to dental services. RESULTS: In terms of social class, a majority of the subjects came from the middle socioeconomic level (babies, 84.7%; children, 82.8%). Babies who had caries, 48.4% and 67.2% of the children that had decayed teeth had access to dental service. There was a association between the variables: the reason for the last dental appointment and the parent's perception of the treatment need of their children (babies p=0.0004 and children p < 0.0001); the parent's perception of the treatment need of their children and the oral health condition (babies p=0.0008 and children p < 0.0001); access to dental services and oral health condition (babies p=0.0021 and children p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The majority of the population studied sought care from public dental service and was from the middle class.

Use of serological techniques for determination of Spodoptera frugiperda(J E Smith) predators (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) is an important pest of several crops, but especially on maize in Brazil. The implementation of biological control measures hinges on the identification of its predators and other natural enemies. As a means of identifying predators, antibodies against S. frugiperda eggs were generated by inoculating rabbits with macerated S. frugiperda eggs, and the production of antibodies against S. frugiperda egg proteins was verifi ed by double immunodiffusion (DID). These antibodies were then utilized in another serological technique, counterimmunoeletrophoresis (CIE), to identify insects that could have ingested S. frugiperda eggs. Macerates of entire insects collected in maize plantations and of individual parts of their digestive tract, including the crop, were the source of antigens in the CIE, while predators fed S. frugiperda eggs in the laboratory served as the control. Antibodies produced by the inoculated rabbits were effective in detecting S. frugiperda egg proteins, especially if crop macerates were used as antigens. Among the species of insects collected from maize plantations, Lagria villosa Fabricius (Coleoptera: Lagriidae) and a species of Lygaeidae (Hemiptera) were identified as possible S. frugiperda predators.

Use of serological techniques for determination of Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) predators (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) is an important pest of several crops, but especially on maize in Brazil. The implementation of biological control measures hinges on the identification of its predators and other natural enemies. As a means of identifying predators, antibodies against S. frugiperda eggs were generated by inoculating rabbits with macerated S. frugiperda eggs, and the production of antibodies against S. frugiperda egg proteins was verifi ed by double immunodiffusion (DID). These antibodies were then utilized in another serological technique, counterimmunoeletrophoresis (CIE), to identify insects that could have ingested S. frugiperda eggs. Macerates of entire insects collected in maize plantations and of individual parts of their digestive tract, including the crop, were the source of antigens in the CIE, while predators fed S. frugiperda eggs in the laboratory served as the control. Antibodies produced by the inoculated rabbits were effective in detecting S. frugiperda egg proteins, especially if crop macerates were used as antigens. Among the species of insects collected from maize plantations, Lagria villosa Fabricius (Coleoptera: Lagriidae) and a species of Lygaeidae (Hemiptera) were identified as possible S. frugiperda predators.

A comparative study of alginate beads and an ion-exchange resin for the removal of heavy metals from a metal plating effluent.

The capacity of dry protonated calcium alginate beads to sorb metals from an industrial effluent was studied and compared with a commercial ion-exchange resin (Lewatit TP 207). Both sorbents decreased zinc, nickel, iron and calcium concentrations in the effluent, and released sodium during treatment. Alginate beads removed lower amounts of heavy metals than the resin, but exhibited faster uptake kinetics. Zinc desorption from the sorbents was achieved in 30 minutes using 0.1 M HCl or 0.1 M H(2)SO(4). Desorption ratios with these acids varied between 90 and 100% for alginate, and 98 to 100% for the ion-exchange resin. Reusability tests with HCl showed that alginate beads can stand acid desorption and recover binding capacity. Overall, the comparison of dry protonated alginate beads with the resin supports the potential of the biosorbent for the treatment of industrial effluents.

Suporte informacional como elemento para orientação de pais de pré-termo: um guia para o serviço de acompanhamento do desenvolvimento no primeiro ano de vida / Information support as an element for advising parents of preterm infants: a guide for development follow-up services during the first year of life

INTRODUÇÃO: A literatura aponta o alto risco de distúrbios biológicos e psicossociais aos quais o bebê pré-termo está susceptível, necessitando de atenção diferenciada daquela dada ao bebê a termo. OBJETIVO: Elaborar um guia de orientação e acompanhamento do desenvolvimento no primeiro ano de vida para pais que freqüentam um serviço de acompanhamento do desenvolvimento de bebês. MÉTODO: Os critérios para inclusão dos participantes foram: ser pais de bebê pré-termo de zero a seis meses de idade corrigida que não apresentavam doença neurológica e não necessitaram de intervenção fisioterápica. O presente estudo, de caráter qualitativo, empregou, na etapa de coleta de dados, a observação direta e a entrevista, efetivadas com as mães e profissionais deste serviço de acompanhamento do desenvolvimento de bebês. A elaboração do Guia baseou-se nas análises das observações dos atendimentos no serviço, na freqüência das respostas das entrevistas com profissionais e mães sobre necessidades e dúvidas no manuseio e cuidado com o bebê e a associação com a literatura. RESULTADOS: Obteve-se um guia contendo informações sobre o desenvolvimento do bebê, distribuído nos quatro primeiros trimestres de vida, e o alerta sobre a importância de calcular a idade corrigida para o acompanhamento adequado dos marcos do desenvolvimento. CONCLUSÃO: A utilização deste guia pode ser feita por diferentes profissionais da saúde e por aqueles que desenvolvem atividades educativas para pais.

INTRODUCTION: The literature shows that preterm infants are at high risk of biological and psychological disorders and consequently require a higher level of care than is provided for full-term infants. OBJECTIVE: To draw up a guide advising on development follow-up during the first year of life, for parents who attend a child development follow-up service. METHOD: The inclusion criteria were that participants should be parents of preterm infants with a corrected age between zero and six months that did not present neurological diseases and did not require physiotherapeutic intervention. This study was of qualitative nature. Data collection was by means of direct observation and interviews with mothers and with the professionals at this infant development follow-up service. The guide was produced based on analysis of the observations on attendance at the service, frequency of responses in the interviews with professionals and mothers regarding needs and doubts about handling and caring for infants, and associations with the literature. RESULTS: A guide was produced containing information on infant development, divided into the first four trimesters of life. It draws attention to the importance of calculating corrected ages in order to adequately follow up development markers. CONCLUSIONS: This guide may be used by a variety of health professionals and by professionals who develop educational activities for parents.

Use of the EIE-recombinant-Chagas-biomanguinhos kit to monitor cure of human Chagas' disease.

We used the EIE-Recombinant-Chagas-Biomanguinhos kit (EIE-Rec kit) developed by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazil, to monitor cure of chagasic patients who were treated during the acute phase of T. cruzi infection. Treated patients were previously studied by parasitological and serological tests and classified as cured patients (CP) (n = 10), dissociated patients (DP) (n = 6), and noncured patients (NCP) (n = 6). When sera of these patients were assayed by EIE-Rec kit all sera from NCP and all sera from CP showed positive and negative reactions, respectively. These results were in full agreement with those obtained previously by the classical tests. Two DP showed a positive reaction; the remaining four displayed a negative reaction, similar to that observed in sera from nonchagasic (NCh) individuals, and could therefore be considered CP. Our results suggest that the EIE-Rec kit could be used to monitor the efficacy of Chagas' disease treatment.

High occurrence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in healthy cattle in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

In order to evaluate the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, 197 fecal samples of healthy cattle from 10 dairy farms, four beef farms and one slaughterhouse at Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, were examined for Shiga toxin (Stx) gene sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For presumptive isolation of O157:H7 E. coli, the Cefixime-potassium tellurite-sorbitol MacConkey Agar (CT-SMAC) was used. A high occurrence (71%) of Stx was detected, and was more frequently found among dairy cattle (82% vs. 53% in beef cattle), in which no differences were observed regarding the age of the animals. Dot blot hybridization with stx1 and stx2 probes revealed that the predominant STEC type was one that had the genes for both stx1 and stx2 in dairy cattle and one that had only the stx1 gene for beef cattle. Three (1.5%) O157:H7 E. coli strains were isolated from one beef and two dairy animals by the use of CT-SMAC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of O157:H7 isolation in Brazil. A PCR-based STEC detection protocol led to the isolation of STEC in 12 of 16 randomly selected PCR-positive stool samples. A total of 15 STEC strains belonging to 11 serotypes were isolated, and most of them (60%) had both stx1 and stx2 gene sequences. Cytotoxicity assays with HeLa and Vero cells revealed that all strains except two of serotype O157:H7 expressed Stx. The data point to the high prevalence of STEC in our environment and suggest the need for good control strategies for the prevention of contamination of animal products.

Teste triplo biofísico: um novo parâmetro ultra-sonográfico para prognóstico em gestaçöes iniciais / Biophysical triple teste: a new ultrasonographic parameter for prognostic evaluation in early pregnancies

Objetivos: atrasos no desenvolvimento do saco gestacional (SG), no tamanho do botäo embrionário (CCN), assim como freqüências cardiácas embrionáarias (FCE) baixas podem ser considerados fatores de mau prognóstico na evoluçäo da gestaçäo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a utilizaçäo destes 3 parâmetros em conjunto, o que denominamos Teste Triplo Biofísico (TTB). Método: foram avaliadas 35 gestaçöes únicas provenientes de fertilizaçäo assistida por injeçäo intracitoplasmática de espermatozóide (ICSI). Todos os exames de ultra-som, foram realizados por um único examinador, após 4-5 semanas da transferência de embriöes (6-7 semanas de gestaçäo), com equipamento modelo Synergy da Diasonics, sonda transvaginal de 7,0 MHz. O SG foi medido em seu maior diâmetro transverso, o CCN foi medido no sentido sagital e a FCE pelo modo B-M e Doppler. Na análise estatística, foi utilizado o teste Fisher. Resultados: considerou-se como parâmetros alterados: SG <15,4 mm; CCN <3,9 mm e FCE <100 bpm. Estes parâmetros foram calculados como média menos 1 desvio padräo das gestaçöes em evoluçäo (n=32). As pacientes definidas com TTB positivo, isto é, as de risco para o aborto, foram aquelas que apresentam pelo menos 2 parâmetros alterados. Das 35 gestaçöes, o TTB foi positivo em 5, todas as 3 que abortaram e 2 que näo abortaram. A diferença entre as que abortaram e as que evoluíram foi altamente significante (p=0,0015; t=Fischer). A sensibilidade do método foi de 100 por cento, com especificidade de 93,75 por cento, o que resultou em uma eficácia de 96,87 por cento. Conclusäo: o TTB é um método ultra-sonográfico näo-invasivo e apresenta uma alta eficácia na avaliaçäo prognóstica da gestaçäo inicial.

Antígenos solúveis liberados por tripomastigotas de Trypanosoma cruzi utilizados no teste de Elisa para detectar cura em pacientes chagásicos após tratamento específico / Soluble antigens released by Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes used Elisa to detect cure in chagasic patients following specific treatment

Dois antígenos solúveis de tripomastigotas do Trypanosoma cruzi, um obtido de sobrenadantes de culturas celulares (AgSb) e o outro excretado/secretado por essas formas em meio de cultura (AgES), foram avaliados em um teste de ELISA para o diagnóstico da infecçao chagásica e controle de cura de pacientes tratados. Os pacientes tratados apresentavam testes de lise mediada pelo complemento e hemoculturas repetidamente negativos, apesar de permanecerem com a sorologia convencional positiva (pacientes dissociados). O teste de lise negativo indica que estes pacientes eliminaram a infecçao. Entre os controles com infecçao ativa, os AgSb e os AgES detectaram respectivamente 93 e 100 por cento dos casos. No entanto, entre os pacientes dissociados, o teste de ELISA, utilizando os AgSb e AgES, foi positivo com 28 por cento e 5 por cento dos soros, respectivamente. Portanto, este teste com os AgES é indicado para o controle de cura da doença de Chagas, podendo vir a substituir a reaçao de lise mediada pelo complemento no acompanhamento sorológico individual de pacientes tratados.

Síndrome do intestino curto: análise retrospectiva de 42 pacientes internados no Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeiräo Preto / Short-bowel syndrome: follow-up of 42 hospitalized patients at the Hospital das Clínicas de Ribeiräo Preto

Foram analisados os prontuários de 42 pacientes (26 homens e 16 mulheres) submetidos à ressecçäo intestinal durante o período de 1979-1987. A causa mais freqüente de ressecçäo intestinal foi a trombose mesentérica seguida pelo volvo. A maior incidência ocorreu aos 30-50 anos. A taxa global de mortalidade foi 57% e as principais "causas de mortalidade" foram os distúrbios metabólicos (56%) e a sepse (30%)

Estudo sobre o sistema de recuperação de na saúde em Moçambique / Study on the health recovery system in Mozambique

O crescimento acelerado das despesas com a saúde constitui hoje uma séria preocupa¢do para a maioria dos países, em especial os países em desenvolvimento, dadas as dificuldades enfrentadas para assegurar o financiamento necessário ao desenvolvimento dos seus serviços de saúde. Tais dificuldades tornam imperiosa e inevitável a reforma dos sistemas de financiamento do sector saúde. A adopção do principio de co-pagamento dos serviços prestados é uma das medidas que usualmente se tem praticado para superar as dificuldades financeiras. A Sua introdução, no entanto, pode criar barreiras severas no acesso dos grupos populacionais mais desfavorecidos aos cuidados de saúde, com prejuízo óbvio para a capacidade de participação dos indivíduos no processo de desenvolvimento sócio-económico. Em 1987, Moçambique, simultaneamente com o lançamento do Programa de Reabilitação Económica, introduziu um sistema compreensivo de recuperação de custos com três vertentes: Actualização dos preços das consultas e dos medicamentos e introdução de uma taxa de internamento. E objectivo do presente estudo descrever o sistema geral de cobranças e a sua base legal, institucional e administrativa; analisar os resultados financeiros obtidos, identificar problemas e avaliar o impacto social derivado da sua introdução...