bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fatores que influenciam o compartilhamento da informação e do conhecimento
Authors: Alcará Adriana Rosecler , Chiara Ivone Guerreiro Di , Rodrigues Jorge Luis , Tomaél Maria Inês , Piedade Valéria Cristina Heckler
Published: July 2009

O compartilhamento da informação e do conhecimento é essencial para a construção de novos conhecimentos, porém esse processo pode ser influenciado por diferentes fatores. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa sobre o compartilhamento da informação, do conhecimento e da experiência no ambiente de pesquisa e desenvolvimento (P&D). Os dados coletados, por meio de entrevistas, foram analisados a partir da técnica análise de conteúdo. Entre os resultados estão os principais fatores que podem interferir no processo de compartilhamento da informação, entre os quais a motivação, as barreiras e a obrigatoriedade; bem como as formas e os meios mais utilizados para compartilhar informação e conhecimento.
Lição de Anatomia
Authors: Nova João Luiz Leocadio da , Bezerra Filho José Joffily , Bastos Liana Albernaz de Melo
Published: July 2009

Na formação médica, diagnosticamos a falência do modelo pedagógico/assistencial que se revela, dentre outros sintomas, na ideologia de frieza e distanciamento que perpassa a prática médica. Este modelo de relação médico-paciente reproduziria a relação estudante-cadáver. Visando modificar tal ideologia, desenvolvemos, na UFRJ, em atividade interdisciplinar com a Anatomia, grupos de reflexão com os alunos do primeiro período da Faculdade de Medicina. A partir dos resultados, de dois anos dessa pesquisa, denominada "O cadáver e a formação médica", realizamos, com o apoio da Fundação José Bonifácio, um vídeo didático, "Lição de Anatomia", por meio de equipe multidisciplinar, incluindo professores e alunos do Instituto de Artes e Comunicação Social da UFF, da Faculdade de Medicina da UFRJ e do Núcleo de Tecnologia Educacional para a Saúde da UFRJ (NUTES). Pretendemos que a utilização desse recurso audiovisual constitua mais uma ferramenta para a melhoria do ensino e da prática médica, introduzindo a discussão de questões éticas. A pesquisa e a realização do vídeo nos mostraram a possibilidade de se repensar e inovar o ensino universitário, o que foi, para todos nós, uma lição de convívio democrático.
Campos magnéticos de frequência extremamente baixa e efeitos na saúde: revisão da literatura
Authors: Marcilio Izabel , Habermann Mateus , Gouveia Nelson
Published: July 2009

A partir da publicação, em 1979, dos resultados de um estudo que apontava para o aumento do risco de leucemia em crianças associado à exposição a campos magnéticos, o interesse pelo tema vem aumentando, e diversos estudos foram publicados. O objetivo desta revisão é apresentar os diferentes métodos utilizados na avaliação da exposição aos campos magnéticos de frequência extremamente baixa, bem como as dificuldades enfrentadas na quantificação dessa exposição, além de relatar os resultados de estudos epidemiológicos publicados nos últimos 10 anos. A falta de um modelo fisiopatológico que explique uma possível influência dos campos magnéticos na saúde e a dificuldade para quantificar a exposição têm sido os maiores obstáculos da pesquisa na área. Leucemia e tumores do sistema nervoso central têm sido os efeitos mais estudados. Leucemia em crianças é o desfecho mais consistentemente associado à exposição a campos magnéticos. Estudos mais recentes apontam a associação entre esclerose lateral amiotrófica e campos magnéticos.
Auditoria Médica: atendimento de crianças com asma em uma Unidade de Saúde da Família, Pelotas, RS
Authors: Stephan Ana Maria Siga , Costa Juvenal Soares Dias da , Hoefel Ana Lúcia
Published: July 2009

Descrição do processo de atendimento médico às crianças com asma, mediante auditoria realizada concomitantemente a estudo transversal, conduzido em crianças da área de cobertura de uma Unidade de Saúde da Família, para verificar a prevalência de asma e avaliar o conhecimento materno sobre a doença. Utilizaram-se como fonte de dados os prontuários de família das crianças com asma que se consultaram nos últimos 12 meses. Das 258 crianças com asma identificadas no estudo, 69 (26,7%) tinham registros de consultas devido à doença. Havia registros de peso em 76,8% dos prontuários, de frequência respiratória em 26,1%, de tiragem intercostal em 21,7%, de cianose em 1,4% e de orientações sobre o uso da medicação em 33,3%. A frequência de registros de orientações sobre os sinais e sintomas de gravidade e o manejo das crises foi de 15,9% e sobre os fatores desencadeantes, modificações ambientais e comportamentais, 14,5%. Foram encontrados registros de prescrição de broncodilatador para 55,1% das crianças, e de corticoesteroide mais broncodilatador para 42,0%. Os baixos percentuais de registros sobre orientações evidenciam as deficiências no atendimento médico realizado na Unidade de Saúde da Família, sobretudo no que se refere à educação em saúde.
Fatores associados à recuperação nutricional de crianças em programa de suplementação alimentar
Authors: Goulart Rita Maria Monteiro , França Júnior Ivan , Souza Maria de Fátima Marinho de
Published: July 2009

OBJETIVOS: Identificar os fatores associados à recuperação nutricional de crianças inscritas no Programa de Incentivo ao Combate às Carências Nutricionais (ICCN) no Município de Mogi das Cruzes. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um ensaio institucional não controlado com 570 crianças inscritas no ICCN, que foram seguidas de julho de 1999 a julho de 2001. O estado nutricional foi avaliado segundo índice altura/idade, sendo consideradas eutróficas as crianças com escore z > - 1; de risco as que apresentaram z > - 2 e < - 1; desnutridas moderadas aquelas com z < - 2 e > - 3; e desnutridas graves as que apresentavam z < - 3. O impacto do ICCN foi analisado através de modelo multivariado com o uso de equações de estimação (GEE - Generalized Estimating Equations), sendo considerado significativo p<0,05. RESULTADOS/CONCLUSÃO: Ao final do seguimento, houve a melhora nutricional das crianças, com um gradiente, sendo maior a recuperação quanto maior a deficiência nutricional inicial. Observaram-se ganhos em altura de 1,12, 0,82, 0,57 e 0,45 desvios-padrão para as desnutridas graves, moderadas, em risco nutricional e eutróficas, respectivamente. Os fatores associados à evolução nutricional das crianças desnutridas foram a idade de 12 a 24 meses ao ingressar no ICCN, o peso ao nascer igual ou superior a 3 kg e o aleitamento materno. Os fatores associados negativamente à evolução nutricional neste grupo foram idade da mãe entre 20 a 40 anos e a ausência de trabalho remunerado materno. Para as crianças em risco, a renda familiar também se mostrou associada à melhor evolução nutricional. A experiência do ICCN em Mogi das Cruzes sugere que os programas de suplementação alimentar têm papel relevante na recuperação nutricional de desnutridos.
Informação em mortalidade: o uso das regras internacionais para a seleção da causa básica
Authors: Laurenti Ruy , Jorge Maria Helena Prado de Mello , Gotlieb Sabina Léa Davidson
Published: July 2009

A análise da mortalidade tem sido muito usada em saúde pública, e a causa básica da morte é uma variável bastante estudada. Na maioria dos países, há obrigatoriedade de o médico preencher a declaração de óbito (DO), informando às autoridades a ocorrência do evento, características do falecido e causas da morte. Quando há dois ou mais diagnósticos na declaração das causas da morte, surge a questão da seleção da causa básica. As normas para o preenchimento das causas de morte pelos médicos nas DO e as regras para a seleção da causa básica, quando mais de uma causa é declarada, estão definidas pela OMS, visando à comparabilidade internacional. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar se a aplicação das Regras Internacionais de Classificação da causa básica permite a seleção da real causa básica, mesmo se declarada incorretamente pelo médico. O material pertence ao "Estudo sobre a mortalidade de mulheres em idade fértil", sendo que 1.315 casos satisfizeram os requisitos de inclusão. Para cada morte foi realizada uma investigação através de entrevistas domiciliárias, consultas aos prontuários hospitalares e assemelhados. Médicos treinados e calibrados preenchiam uma DO nova, após a leitura de toda a informação, e selecionavam a "verdadeira" causa básica da morte. Esta era comparada com a causa básica da DO original, obtida por meio das Regras Internacionais. Entre as DO, em 1.192 (90,6%) houve concordância com a verdadeira causa básica obtida após a investigação. Concluiu-se que as Regras Internacionais permitem selecionar a real causa básica, mesmo quando o médico preenche inadequadamente a DO.
Associação entre marcadores antropométricos de adiposidade corporal e hipertensão arterial na população adulta de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso
Authors: Barbosa Larissa Silva , Scala Luiz César Nazário , Ferreira Márcia Gonçalves
Published: July 2009

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a associação entre marcadores antropométricos de adiposidade corporal (índice de massa corporal e circunferência da cintura) e hipertensão arterial. MÉTODOS: Estudo de corte transversal, de base populacional, realizado no período de 2003 a 2004, com 1.298 indivíduos de 20 a 59 anos. Foram considerados hipertensos os indivíduos com pressão arterial > 140/90 mmHg ou em uso de medicação anti-hipertensiva. As associações entre os indicadores antropométricos e a hipertensão arterial foram analisadas por regressão de Poisson, ajustada por potenciais fatores de confusão (sexo, idade, escolaridade, tabagismo, consumo de bebida alcoólica e atividade física no lazer). A curva ROC foi utilizada para determinar o melhor ponto de corte do IMC para detecção da hipertensão arterial. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de hipertensão arterial foi de 28,3%, sendo 33,5% no sexo masculino e 23,5% no feminino. Após ajuste para o IMC e potenciais fatores de confusão, a circunferência da cintura perdeu associação com o desfecho avaliado, permanecendo apenas o IMC com poder de explicação para a hipertensão arterial (RP = 1,05, p = 0,001). O melhor ponto de corte para o IMC no sexo masculino foi de 25,6 Kg/m², e no sexo feminino 25,7 Kg/m². CONCLUSÕES: A associação observada entre a circunferência da cintura e a hipertensão arterial em muitos estudos pode estar relacionada à ausência de controle de potenciais fatores de confusão nas análises, bem como à não remoção do efeito da adiposidade total. Novas investigações devem ser conduzidas na população brasileira, a fim de se verificar as verdadeiras associações entre indicadores antropométricos e vários desfechos, estudando-se também os melhores pontos de corte desses indicadores.
Fatores associados à hipertensão arterial sistêmica em Nobres-MT
Authors: Rosário Tânia Maria do , Scala Luiz Cesar Nazário , França Giovanny Vinícius Araújo de , Pereira Márcia Regina , Jardim Paulo Cesar Brandão Veiga
Published: July 2009

OBJETIVO: Identificar fatores associados à Hipertensão Arterial Sistêmica (HAS) no município de Nobres-MT. MÉTODO: Foi realizado um estudo de corte transversal, em Nobres-MT, de janeiro a março de 2006, em 1.003 indivíduos com idade superior a 18 anos, residentes na zona urbana do município. Os dados foram coletados por entrevista domiciliar, sendo aferidos peso, estatura, circunferência da cintura e pressão arterial (PA). Foram considerados hipertensos aqueles com PA > 140/90 mmHg. Para identificar controle dos fatores de confundimento aplicou-se o modelo de regressão de Poisson, com estimativas de razão de prevalências ajustadas e seus respectivos intervalo de confiança de 95%. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 1.003 indivíduos, sendo 51,3% do gênero masculino. A prevalência de HAS foi 30,1%, maior no sexo feminino (31,1%) do que no sexo masculino (29,1%). A análise ajustada confirmou a associação independente entre HA e o avançar da idade e com Índice de Massa Corporal igual ou superior a 25 kg/m². CONCLUSÃO: Reafirma-se a necessidade de ações em nível populacional e individual direcionadas ao controle de peso corporal, principalmente em indivíduos com idade superior a 30 anos, que possivelmente impactariam de forma importante para a prevalência de HAS.
Knowledge and attitudes related to drug abuse and prevention displayed by public school educators
Authors: Moreira Fernanda Gonçalves , Silveira Dartiu Xavier da , Andreoli Sérgio Baxter
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the connection between knowledge about and the attitudes towards drug abuse by students displayed by public school educators in Brazil. METHOD: Cross-sectional study, with probabilistic sampling encompassing 20% of the municipal elementary schools located in the city of São Paulo from which educators were enrolled to answer three questionnaires: 1) professional and personal data; 2) assessment of their attitudes in drug abuse situations; 3) assessment of their knowledge on drug abuse. RESULTS: Considering possible values between -17 and +21, professionals scored 11.5 ± 3.8 in the Attitudes scale. These values correspond to more empathic attitudes. Scores in the Knowledge on Drugs Scale were 55.2 ± 12.5 (possible values: 0 to 100). Correlation between the Attitudes Scale and the time spent working as education professionals was -0.288 (p < 0.01). The difference in the means in the Attitude Scale according to professional academic qualifications was statistically significant (-1.93, t = 2.26; gl = 80; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The level of knowledge about drugs displayed by educators was average and not influenced by the professional's academic qualifications. In contrast, their attitudes were predominantly empathic and directly associated to their academic qualifications and inversely associated to the amount of time they had spent in that position.
Highly reported prevalence of drinking and driving in Brazil: data from the first representative household study
Authors: Pechansky Flavio , De Boni Raquel , Diemen Lísia Von , Bumaguin Daniela , Pinsky Ilana , Zaleski Marcos , Caetano Raul , Laranjeira Ronaldo
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE: Brazil lacks information about driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) originated from representative samples obtained from the general population. METHOD: 333 subjects with a valid driver's license and drinking in the last 12 months were drawn from a multistaged sample of 2,346 adults from the first Brazilian Household Survey of Patterns of Alcohol Use. A multivariate analysis was conducted to understand the associations between risk factors and driving after drinking three or more drinks. RESULTS: the overall DUI prevalence reported in the sample was 34.7% - 42.5% among males and 9.2% among females. Being male (OR = 6.0, 95% CI 2.9-12.6), having a previous DUI accident (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 2.5-24.9), binging in the last year (OR = 2.2, 95% CI 1.03-4.5) and having an unfavorable opinion towards policies (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.4-6.2) remained associated with heavy drinking and driving after model adjustments. DISCUSSION: This was the first study evaluating driving under the influence of alcohol in a representative sample of the Brazilian population. The prevalence of DUI found is alarming, and possibly underestimated in the sample. Results demonstrate the need for more studies on this association and show directions towards preventive strategies for the specific high-risk group of male drivers with previous problems with alcohol and unfavorable opinions about prevention policies.
Association study between the -62A/T NFKBIL1 polymorphism and obsessive-compulsive disorder
Authors: Cordeiro Quirino , Cappi Carolina , Sampaio Aline Santos , Palácios Selma Aliotti , Pereira Carlos Alberto de Bragança , Shavitt Roseli Gedanke , Miguel Eurípedes Constantino , Guilherme Luiza , Hounie Ana Gabriela
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE: Evidence from family and molecular genetic studies support the hypothesis of involvement of immunologic mechanisms in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor-like 1 (NFKBIL1) has been suggested as a modulator of the immunological system. Given the importance of NFKBIL1 in the immunological response, the present study investigated the -62A/T polymorphism (rs2071592), located in the promoter region of its gene (NFKBIL1), as a genetic risk factor for the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder. METHOD: The -62A/T NFKBIL1 polymorphism was investigated in a sample of 111 patients who met DSM-IV criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder and 272 healthy age- and gender-matched controls. RESULTS: There were no differences in genotypic distributions between patients and controls (χ2 = 0.98; 2 d.f.; p = 0.61). DISCUSSION: Despite these negative findings, more comprehensive polymorphism coverage within the NFKBIL1 is warranted in larger samples. Populations with different ethnic backgrounds should also be studied. CONCLUSION: The results of the present investigation do not provide evidence for the association between the -62A/T NFKBIL1 polymorphism and obsessive-compulsive disorder in this Brazilian sample.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene val66met polymorphism and executive functioning in patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: Tramontina Juliana Fernandes , Yates Denise , Magalhães Pedro Vieira da Silva , Trentini Clarissa , Sant'Anna Márcia Kauer , Fries Gabriel Rodrigo , Bock Hugo , Saraiva-Pereira Maria Luiza , Kapczinski Flávio
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we investigate the association between the val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and the performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in a sample of Caucasian Brazilian patients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: Sixty-four patients with bipolar disorder were assessed and their performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was compared with the allele frequency and genotype of the val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor. RESULTS: The percentage of non-perseverative errors was significantly higher among patients with the val/val genotype. There was no association between (BNDF) genotype frequency and other Wisconsin Card Sorting Test domains. CONCLUSION: Our results did not replicate previous descriptions of an association between a worse cognitive performance and the presence of the met allele of the val66met brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism.
Facial emotion recognition in bipolar disorder: a critical review
Authors: Rocca Cristiana Castanho de Almeida , Heuvel Eveline van den , Caetano Sheila C. , Lafer Beny
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE: Literature review of the controlled studies in the last 18 years in emotion recognition deficits in bipolar disorder. METHOD: A bibliographical research of controlled studies with samples larger than 10 participants from 1990 to June 2008 was completed in Medline, Lilacs, PubMed and ISI. Thirty-two papers were evaluated. RESULTS: Euthymic bipolar disorder presented impairment in recognizing disgust and fear. Manic BD showed difficult to recognize fearful and sad faces. Pediatric bipolar disorder patients and children at risk presented impairment in their capacity to recognize emotions in adults and children faces. Bipolar disorder patients were more accurate in recognizing facial emotions than schizophrenic patients. DISCUSSION: Bipolar disorder patients present impaired recognition of disgust, fear and sadness that can be partially attributed to mood-state. In mania, they have difficult to recognize fear and disgust. Bipolar disorder patients were more accurate in recognizing emotions than depressive and schizophrenic patients. Bipolar disorder children present a tendency to misjudge extreme facial expressions as being moderate or mild in intensity. CONCLUSION: Affective and cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder vary according to the mood states. Follow-up studies re-testing bipolar disorder patients after recovery are needed in order to investigate if these abnormalities reflect a state or trait marker and can be considered an endophenotype. Future studies should aim at standardizing task and designs.
Avaliação da satisfação dos usuários com a qualidade do atendimento nas grandes emergências do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil
Authors: Mendes Antonio da Cruz Gouveia , Araújo Júnior José Luís Corrêa Amaral de , Furtado Betise Mery Alencar Souza , Duarte Petra Oliveira , Santiago Renata Florêncio , Costa Tadeu Rodrigues da
Published: July 2009

OBJETIVOS: avaliar a satisfação dos usuários em relação à qualidade do atendimento nas grandes emergências do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. MÉTODOS: trata-se de um estudo descritivo de corte transversal, realizado nas três maiores emergências do município: Hospital da Restauração, Hospital Getúlio Vargas e Hospital Otávio de Freitas. Foram entrevistados 420 usuários (5% dos atendimentos semanais), através da aplicação de questionários fechados, buscando-se uma relação entre variáveis independentes e o grau de satisfação do usuário. RESULTADOS: o perfil predominante dos usuários foi de uma população adulta jovem (46,7%), do sexo feminino (59,8%), com baixa escolaridade (61,6%), dona de casa ou desempregada (62,3%) e moradora da região metropolitana (83%). A insatisfação com as condições oferecidas esteve presente em 55,2% dos usuários, sendo ainda maior entre aqueles de causa externas da emergência da Restauração (77,1%). As dimensões da qualidade pior avaliadas foram o conforto oferecido, 56% de insatisfação, e a priorização na assistência ao usuário através dos tempos de espera, com 48,1%. CONCLUSÃO: os resultados demonstraram uma avaliação crítica dos usuários. Percebe-se uma nítida variação de resultados entre as três unidades. A avaliação positiva em relação ao trabalho dos profissionais traz um alento sobre as possibilidades, porém os demais resultados evidenciam que muito há por fazer para qualificação do atendimento de emergência.
Regulation of thrombospondin-1 by natural and synthetic progestins in human breast cancer cells
Authors: Hyder Salman M , Liang Yayun , Wu Jianbo , Welbern Vanessa
Published: July 2009

Our recent studies show that progestins induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in breast cancer cells that express mutant p53 protein. Here, we show that natural and synthetic progestins also induce thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) mRNA and protein in T47-D and BT-474 breast cancer cells. Antiprogestin RU-486 inhibits the induction of VEGF and TSP-1 by progestins, suggesting that this effect of progestin is mediated by the progesterone receptor (PR). Actinomycin-D, but not puromycin, also blocks progestin-dependent induction of TSP-1. A putative progestin-response element was identified in the human TSP-1 promoter, which is consistent with the hypothesis that a progestin–PR complex might directly regulate transcription of the TSP-1 gene in human cells. Conditioned medium from progestin-treated breast cancer cells stimulates endothelial cell proliferation in the absence though not in the presence of antibody to TSP-1, indicating that TSP-1 secreted by breast cancer cells could be pro-angiogenic. Since tumor cell-derived TSP-1 has the potential to promote angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment, it could be a potential target for breast cancer therapy.
Exendin-4 protects dopaminergic neurons by inhibition of microglial activation and matrix metalloproteinase-3 expression in an animal model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Kim Sehee , Moon Minho , Park Seungjoon
Published: July 2009

Exendin-4 is a naturally occurring more potent and stable analog of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that selectively binds at the GLP-1 receptor. It has been recently demonstrated that GLP-1 receptor stimulation preserves dopaminergic neurons in cellular and rodent models of Parkinson's disease (PD). 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) causes nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity in rodents; previous studies suggest that activated microglia actively participate in the pathogenesis of PD neurodegeneration. However, the role of microglia in the neuroprotective properties of exendin-4 is still unknown. Here, we show that, in the mouse MPTP PD model, systemic administration of exendin-4 significantly attenuates the loss of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) neurons and the striatal dopaminergic fibers. Exendin-4 prevents MPTP-induced microglial activation in the SNpc and striatum, and the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-3. In addition, exendin-4 also suppressed MPTP-induced expression of pro-inflammatory molecules and tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-1β. Our data indicate that exendin-4 may act as a survival factor for dopaminergic neurons by functioning as a microglia-deactivating factor and suggest that exendin-4 may be a valuable therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative diseases such as PD.
Arsenic Binding to Iron(II) Minerals Produced by An Iron(III)-Reducing Aeromonas Strain Isolated from Paddy Soil
Authors: Wang Xin-Jun , Chen Xue-Ping , Kappler Andreas , Sun Guo-Xin , Zhu Yong-Guan
Published: July 2009

An iron-reducing bacterial strain was isolated from a paddy soil and identified as a member of the Aeromonas group by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. When the cells were growing with dissolved Fe(III) as the electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), Fe(II) minerals (siderite and vivianite) were formed and dissolved. As was removed efficiently from solution. When the cells were growing with the Fe(III) hydroxide mineral (ferrihydrite) as the electron acceptor in the presence of As(V), ferrihydrite was reduced and dissolved As(V) concentrations decreased sharply. The present study results demonstrated first that members of the Aeromonas group can reduce Fe(III) in paddy soils and second that iron reduction does not necessarily lead to arsenic mobilization. However, As immobilization can occur in environments that contain significant concentrations of counterions such as bicarbonate and phosphate.
Sublethal effects and predator-prey interactions: Implications for ecological risk assessment
Authors: Brooks Amy C. , Gaskell Paul N. , Maltby Lorraine L.
Published: July 2009

Ecological risk assessments tend to focus on contaminant effects on single species in isolation. However, additional effects from interactions between species (e.g., predator–prey interactions) may also occur in natural systems. The present study investigated the consequences of sublethal contaminant effects in prey on predator–prey interactions, particularly the interaction between prey behavioral changes and predation by predators with different hunting strategies. Ambush (Ischnura elegans Vander Linden [Insecta, Odonata]) and active (Notonecta glauca Linnaeus [Insecta, Heteroptera]) predator species were used in conjunction with three prey species (Asellus aquaticus Linnaeus [Crustacea, Isopoda], Cloëon dipterum Linnaeus [Insecta, Ephemeroptera], and Chironomus riparius Meigen [Insecta, Diptera]). Immobilized prey demonstrated the importance of prey behavior for determining predation rates for both single- and multiple-prey species. Chironomus riparius was less responsive following exposure to cadmium, becoming more vulnerable to attack by the active but not the ambush predator. Some evidence was also observed for reduced general activity in C. dipterum following cadmium exposure. Sublethal exposure of prey did not affect the prey choice of active predators, possibly because of prey behavioral changes being insufficient to influence their relative availabilities. However, cadmium exposure of prey did alter their susceptibility to ambush predators. There was a reduced proportion of C. dipterum and an increased proportion of A. aquaticus in the diet of ambush predators, possibly because of reduced activity in C. dipterum affecting their relative encounter rates with predators. Sublethal exposures can therefore result in reduced prey survival that would not be predicted by single-species toxicity tests.
A Detailed Comparison of Experimental and Numerical Data on Hydraulic Fracture Height Growth Through Stress Contrasts
Authors: Jeffrey Robert G. , Bunger Andrew
Published: July 2009

This paper compares height, length, width, and pressure data from a laboratory experiment to predictions from a three-dimensional (3D) planar hydraulic fracture model for the case of a fracture propagating in a lower-stress payzone region bounded by two symmetric higher-stress barrier regions. A laboratory method that creates step-like stress changes on an interface between two transparent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) blocks is described. A fracture is propagated along this interface while measuring fracture geometry and full-field fracture width (opening) by analysis of the light intensity in images of the growing fracture. The fracture grew in overall height to 1.7 times the pay height and in half-length to 3 times the pay height. Results from a planar 3D numerical model closely matched the experimental data for overall fracture shape, length, height growth, and injection pressure. The data are presented so other numerical models can be compared with these detailed measurements.
Microseismic Monitoring Quality-Control (QC) Reports as an Interpretative Tool for Nonspecialists
Authors: Zimmer U. , Maxwell S. , Waltman C. , Warpinski N.
Published: July 2009

In the oilfield industry, microseismic monitoring is widely applied to determine induced fracture network geometry and stress changes in reservoirs. The basic result is usually a map of the distribution of the microseismic events describing the area influenced by injection/production of reservoir fluids (e.g., hydraulic fracturing). As every microearthquake event (i.e., "dot" on the map) is processed individually, it has its own level of location accuracy. To prevent any misinterpretations based on events with low accuracy, quality-control (QC) reports can provide important information regarding location accuracy and other attributes that help in the overall interpretation of the maps, in addition to the standard event location. However, much of the information needed to assess the quality of the data is very specialized and technical, therefore, the figures presented in the QC reports often appear complicated and are not easy to read for the nonspecialist. By introducing easy-to-read figures that summarize the essential information, these reports have become more useful to the occasional user.
A Predictive Pore-Scale Model for Non-Darcy Flow in Porous Media
Authors: Balhoff Matthew T. , Wheeler Mary F.
Published: July 2009

Non-Darcy flow is often observed near wells and in hydraulic fractures where relatively high velocities occur. In these regions, an empirical model, Forchheimer's equation, is used in place of Darcy's Law. It includes a quadratic correction to the linear model and has been adequately fit to many experimental data sets, while found to be insufficient in others. Furthermore, a number of numerical and theoretical approaches have shown limitations of the Forchheimer model in the laminar flow regime. It is important to understand the applicability of Forchheimer's equation and to be able to obtain good predictions of macroscopic properties so that nonlinear flow can be properly modeled in reservoir simulators.

In this work, non-Darcy flow of an incompressible fluid is modeled using a physically representative (Bryant et al. 1993) pore-scale network model. Quantitative and predictive results are obtained using both computer-generated porous media and real sandstones digitized through x-ray computed microtomography (XMT). A new friction factor correlation is developed for laminar flow in converging/diverging ducts using the numerical solution to the Navier-Stokes equations. The new equation is used to describe flow in pore throats of the network model. The permeability and non-Darcy coefficient, β, are determined for these isotropic and anisotropic media in which Forchheimer's equation is applicable. The numerical model is compared to existing experimental data and appears to be at least as successful as correlations for predicting the non-Darcy coefficient in isotropic media. Furthermore, limitations to Forchheimer's equation at both low and high velocities are determined and discussed.
Numerical Modeling of the Slit Mode of Cavity Evolution Associated With Sand Production
Authors: Detournay C.
Published: July 2009

This paper documents progress in the development of a numerical model to predict the amount and rate of sand production at the scale of a wellbore or perforation. The model uses a continuum hydro-mechanical description of the rock mass, coupled with a superficial erosion scheme with evolving geometry. Different modes of cavity evolution have been observed in laboratory experiments to study sand production (uniform, dog-ear, and slit), and the various modes have been associated with different rock failure types (tension, shear, and compaction). In this work, the sand-production model (which can accommodate tension and shear failure) is also expanded to account for the combination of volumetric collapse (compaction band formation) and transport of failed material by hydrodynamic forces. It is shown, using numerical experiments, that those two basic ingredients can lead to the development of the slit mechanism.

In this paper, we review the basic conditions for the compaction mode of failure to occur by considering a simple cap constitutive law and give examples of numerical simulations that illustrate band formation in a (dry) hollow cylinder test. Also, using numerical experiments, we show that the sand-production model, enhanced with a constitutive law featuring a volumetric cap, is able to reproduce qualitatively the slit mode of cavity evolution that has been observed in laboratory settings. One key feature of the computational model is a sand-production curve giving sand-mass production versus simulation time. With the documented enhancement, the model can generate sand-production curves associated with tension, shear, and compaction failure. The sand-production model needs to be developed and validated further, and calibrated using laboratory experiments. However, at this stage, it shows good potential as an engineering tool to help characterize the impact of rock strength on sand production associated with oil production.
Presence and formation of disinfection by-products in Cairo residential water supply
Authors: Smith E. H. , El-Deen K. E.
Published: July 2009

A sampling program was conducted in a residential community in Cairo, Egypt in order to determine the presence of chlorine disinfection by-products (DBPs) in treated water and to observe the impact of the distribution system on DBP levels. Five campaigns were conducted over a 15-month period during 2005–2006. Trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) exceeded local and international limits depending upon the season. Tap water concentrations of THMs were considerably higher in summer than during the rest of the year. In the Summer 2005 event, the average for the 20 tap water locations was 158 μg/l Total-THMs, well in excess of the U.S. EPA limit of 80 μg/L and the current Egyptian standard of 100 μg/l; all 20 locations exceeded the 100 μg/l limit. For the following event in late Fall 2005, the average dropped to 84 μg/l with 11 and 6 sites exceeding the U.S. EPA and Egyptian limits, respectively. HAA levels tended to be complementary to Total-THM values in that they were lower in summer but higher during fall and spring. The U.S. EPA limit on a select set of 5 HAAs (HAA5) is 60 μg/l (Egypt does not currently regulate HAAs). The average for HAA5 in the Summer 2005 event was 52 μg/l with 8 of the 20 tap samples equalling or exceeding the 60 μg/l standard. By contrast, in Fall 2005, the HAA5 average increased to 89 μg/l, with 15 of 20 sites exceeding the limit. THM and HAA concentrations generally increased with distance from the WTP along a targeted distribution main, while chlorine and natural organic matter tended to decrease.
Study on algae coagulation removal
Authors: Huang Chi-Fong , Yeh Hsuan-Hsien
Published: July 2009

This study examined how ozone and permanganate preoxidation affect coagulation of green algae (Chodatella sp.) and diatom (Navicula sp.) by alum and/or polymer. The results show that algae species exhibit noticeable responses to various combinations of preoxidation and coagulation processes. Preoxidation can improve green algae coagulation with either alum or cationic polymer as coagulant. For diatom, alum is more effective on cell coagulation than cationic polymer. Ozone preoxidation has detrimental effect on diatom coagulation removal, while permanganate preoxidation has only minor effect. These probably are due to the difference in interaction modes between the preoxidants, cell surface, and coagulants. It is, therefore, suggested that the strategy for algae removal from source water should be based on the dominant algae species.
A study on the efficiency of the DAF (dissolved air flotation) process using ozone injection
Authors: Lee C. W. , Yeom H. K. , Yoo S. W. , Kang L. S.
Published: July 2009

In this study, dissolved ozone flotation system with injecting ozone directly into a DAF pump developed was applied to remove turbidity and organic matter for water treatment. This ozone flotation system was evaluated on the basis of the efficiency of ozone transfer into water and the removal efficiency of turbidity and TOC in the Nakdong river water. The DAF pump system found to be more efficient than the conventional DAF system injecting ozone directly from a ozone generator. The ozone through the DAF pump process was dissolved in water much faster than through the general ozone generator due to the higher mixing efficiency through a pump impeller and high pressure inside the DAF pump. Also, the kinetics of ozone decay injected by the DAF pump was slower than injected by an ozone generator. The DAF pump flotation system shows that 30% difference of removal efficiencies is attained as the ozone dose increases from 1.2 mg/L to 8.2 mg/L. And the turbidity removal was increased with increasing ozone dose. Therefore it can be concluded that ozone in this flotation system facilitates improved removal of organic matter and turbidity due to enhanced destabilization of those.
Occurrence of perchlorate in drinking water sources in Korea
Authors: Kim H. K. , Kim J. H. , Lee B. C. , Yu S. J. , Kim H. J.
Published: July 2009

Perchlorate is an unregulated contaminant, and recently, many cases of perchlorate contamination have been reported in the US. Unregulated contaminants (e.g. perchlorate) in drinking water are also of significant concern in Korea. We investigated perchlorate levels in tap water, river water, and sewerage water at 4 major water sources in Korea from June 2006. Tap water samples in the Nakdong River basin contained high perchlorate levels. Of the other sampling sites, one at Daegu showed the highest perchlorate level, 22.3 μg/L. The first 2 investigations of raw water sources for drinking water in the Nakdong River basin, found relatively high perchlorate concentration, 18.7–95.6 μg/L and 4.0–25.6 μg/L. The high perchlorate concentration in the Nakdong River basin was possibly derived from waste water discharged by an LCD (liquid crystal display) manufacturing factory in Gumi. The perchlorate concentration of waste water from the nearby sewerage water treatment plant was 730–1,858 μg/L. We modified the waste water treatment operation system at the LCD factory to reduce the perchlorate emissions from this source. The modified treatment system reduced the perchlorate concentration in the final effluent to 40–70 μg/L. Source reduction was successfully achieved by the modified treatment process and by using a perchlorate-free etching reagent.
Analysis of a Nepalese water resources system: stress, adaptive capacity and vulnerability
Authors: Pandey V. P. , Babel M. S. , Kazama F.
Published: July 2009

It is widely accepted that water resources are vulnerable to socioeconomic development and environment change including climate change/variability. So, analyzing the type and extent of stresses (that render water a vulnerable resource) and the capacity of the system to adapt is necessary for integrated water resources management. This paper departs from the common notion that links vulnerability to water crisis, and analyzes a water resources system in the Bagmati River Basin (BRB) in Nepal from the perspective of both stress and adaptive capacity. The analysis is based on evaluation of eleven indicators, eight parameters, two sub-indices and an index. The situation analysis in basin and sub-watershed scale suggests considerable variation in parameter values and vulnerability index in different geographical (basin and sub-watershed) and spatial (three sub-watersheds) scales within the BRB, revealing the need for differential policy interventions based on scale. The northern sub-watershed in the BRB which has favourable climate for human settlement and cultivation, is more vulnerable than the southern sub-watershed. Relatively higher vulnerability in northern sub-watershed is due to high stress (related mainly to water scarcity) and low adaptive capacity (related mainly to low natural capacity). The comprehensive and easily interpretable finding is expected to help decision makers to reach sound solutions to reduce vulnerability of water resources system in the dynamic environment.
Quantitative risk assessment in the Water Safety Plan: case studies from drinking water practice
Authors: Medema Gertjan , Smeets Patrick
Published: July 2009

System assessment is the part of the Water Safety Plan that evaluates whether a water supply system is capable of producing drinking water that meets the health-based targets. System assessment can be done at increasing level of detail, requiring more site specific information as the level of detail increases. Four case studies are presented with increasing level of detail, showing the type of information that is required for each of these levels and how each level informs risk management. The first case study shows how a system assessment can be performed without other site specific information than the type of source water and the type of treatment processes. The required data for the system assessment are collected from the large body of literature available. The second case study uses site specific microbial indicator data. The third study uses pathogen data and the fourth case study combines data on pathogens, microbial indicators and process parameters. The case studies show that the level of detail required largely depends on the risk management question.
Optimization of Operating Conditions in Forward Osmosis for Osmotic Membrane Bioreactor
Authors: Qin Jian-Jun , Htun Oo Maung , Tao Guihe , R. Cornelissen E. , J. Ruiken C. , F. de Korte K. , P. Wessels L. , A. Kekre Kiran
Published: July 2009

Objective of this study was to conduct a baseline study of osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) -
optimization of operating conditions in forward osmosis (FO). Experiments were conducted with an FO pilot system. Tap
water was used as the feed and NaCl and MgSO4 solutions were used as draw solution. Effects of various operating
conditions on flux have been investigated. In addition, pure water permeability of the FO membrane was tested. It was
observed that the plant operation could be stablized within 1 h. When the membrane selective layer faced to the feed, a
flux of 6.3 lm-2h-1 (LMH) was achieved at 24 atm osmotic pressure and 25 °C and effects of feed velocity and air velocity
on flux were not siganificant under the testing conditions due to low external concentration polarization (ECP). However,
when the selective layer faced to the draw solution, the flux was enhanced by 64% due to much reduced internal
concentration polarization (ICP), the flux sharply increased with an increase in velocity of the draw solution in the laminar
flow pattern range due to a countable effect of dilutive external concentration polarization (DECP) and leveled off after
the flow pattern became turbulent. NaCl performed much higher efficiency than MgSO4 as an osmotic agent due to a
greater solute diffusion coefficient of NaCl.
TULIP Software and Web Server: Automatic Classification of Protein Sequences Based on Pairwise Comparisons and Z-Value Statistics
Authors: Delphine Grando , Philippe Ortet , Fourie Joubert , Eric Maréchal , Olivier Bastien
Published: July 2009

A configuration space of homologous protein sequences (or CSHP) has been recently constructed based on pairwise comparisons, with probabilities deduced from Z-value statistics (Monte Carlo methods applied to pairwise comparisons) and following evolutionary assumptions. A Z-value cut-off is applied so as proteins are placed in the CSHP only when the similarity of pairs of sequences is significant following the Theorem of the Upper Limit of a score Probability (TULIP theorem). Based on the positions of similar protein sequences in the CSHP, a classification can be deduced, which can be visualized as trees, called TULIP trees. In previous case studies, TULIP trees where shown to be consistent with phylogenetic trees. To date, no tool has been made available to allow the computation of TULIP trees following this model. The availability of methods to cluster proteins based on pairwise comparisons and following evolutionary assumptions should be useful for evaluation and for the future improvements they might inspire. We developed a web server allowing the local or online computation of TULIP trees based on the CSHP probabilities. The input is a set of homologous protein sequences in multi-FASTA format. Pairwise comparisons are conducted using the Smith-Waterman method, with 100-1,000 sequence shuffling to estimate pairwise Z-values. Obtained Z-value matrix is used to infer a tree which is then written to a file. Output consists therefore of a Z-value matrix, a distance matrix, a TULIP treefile in NEWICK format, and a TULIP tree visualisation. The TULIP server provides an easy-to-use interface to the TULIP software, and allows a classification of protein sequences based on pairwise alignments and following evolutionary assumptions. TULIP trees are consistent with phylogenies in numerous cases, but they can be inconsistent for multi-domain proteins in which some domains have been conserved in all branches. Thus TULIP trees cannot be considered as conventional phylogenetic trees, following the MIAPA (Minimum Information About a Phylogenetic Analysis) recommendations. A major strength of the TULIP classification is its statistical validity when analysing samples including compositionally unbiased and biased sequences (i.e. with biased amino acid distributions), like sequences from Plasmodium falciparum. The TULIP web server is a service of the Malaria Portal of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and is available at http://malport.bi.up.ac.za/TULIP/.
Design of a PID Controller from a Predictive Control Algorithm
Authors: Panda Rames Chandra , Subramaniam Sobana
Published: July 2009

Over decades, dynamic matrix control (DMC) was used as an advanced control strategy in processing industries that yields good performance, especially in the presence of uncertainties and undesirable noises. As the implementation of PID algorithm in digital platform is easier, an equivalent PID controller is synthesized where proportional gain (KC) of a controller is obtained by approximating a dynamic matrix control algorithm. Integral time (?i) and derivative time (?d) are obtained from process model and step response coefficients. The performances of the equivalent PID controller are tested on different process models (dynamics) and closed loop responses are analyzed. This performance is compared with the DMC-SISO response. The designed PID controller is robust and stable. Results obtained from a computer simulation are presented.