Sharon Paoli Bias Ramos, Gabriel Rodrigues Martins de Freitas, Silvana Teresa Lacerda Jales
Objetivo: analisar o perfil pós-consumo dos medicamentos descartados pela comunidade universitária no coletor disponibilizado no Centro de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Métodos: O projeto de extensão Descarta CIM instalou um coletor no Centro de Informações sobre Medicamentos - CIM do Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas e promoveu campanhas educativas em outros centros de ensino do Campus I. A partir disso, foi feita a pesagem e catalogação dos medicamentos descartados durante um período de 6 meses, seguida de análise detalhada do tipo de medicamento, categoria regulatória, classificação ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical), forma farmacêutica, tipo de embalagem e prazo de validade. Resultados: Os dados encontrados indicam que os medicamentos genéricos representam 42,5% do volume descartado, seguidos por medicamentos de referência (35,7%) e similares (21,7%). A análise da classificação ATC revela uma prevalência de medicamentos relacionados ao sistema digestivo e metabolismo, seguidos por sistema cardiovascular, sistema nervoso e músculo-esquelético. Observa-se uma alta porcentagem de medicamentos fora do prazo de validade (72,8%), levantando questões sobre a prática de automedicação e a necessidade de conscientização sobre o uso racional de medicamentos. Conclusão: O estudo demonstra algumas limitações, sobretudo quando não se pode determinar com exatidão se todos os medicamentos descartados foram efetivamente utilizados pela comunidade universitária. Contudo, a análise demonstrou que a promoção de campanhas educativas e a presença de coletores incentivam o descarte adequado de medicamentos e estimulam uma mudança de comportamento e a prática de ações de proteção ambiental.
Pharmacy and materia medica, Pharmaceutical industry
This paper examines the emergence of the ‘gravel bike’, a new and successful category of sports bicycles that gained prominence in the global cycling industry in the late 2010s, to advance the understanding of the role of users in the processes of sociotechnical innovation. The study traces the development of gravel cycling and the gravel bike within the framework of science and technology studies (STS), introducing the concept of ‘user betrayal’ to highlight how innovations initially driven by users can later diverge from their original values and needs. The development of the gravel bike represents a case where users’ input played a crucial role in creating an alternative cycling culture that directly supported the introduction of a new, successful bicycle model. However, the commercialization and institutionalization of gravel cycling, driven by industries, institutions and sporting bodies, has led to a significant shift away from the values that motivated early enthusiasts. This case reveals the tensions between user-driven innovation and the forces of commodification, emphasizing how marketing and institutional pressures can undermine the original needs and ideals of user collectives.
Higher education is tasked with the challenge of producing graduate-ready professionals. Thus, alternative learning and assessment activities are needed to provide students with real-life complex experiences, particularly in fields like social work. This quasi-experimental design study explored the effectiveness of H5P virtual simulation to teach assessment and direct practice skills to social work students (n = 80). Mixed-methods data based on the pre/post outcomes of skill development were analysed using descriptive and bi-variate analysis as well as thematic analysis for qualitative data. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test reveals significant outcomes in assessment and practice skills between pre- and post-measures. The qualitative findings include three key themes: (1) realism, (2) engagement, and (3) practice skills. This study provides evidence and highlights the importance of using virtual simulation to help students develop skills to manage complex real-world problems.
White mango scale (WMS) Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is a polyphagous armored scale insect which is considered one of the key pests of mango (Mangifera indica L.) around the world. Mango is widely grown in Ethiopia whereas its production is challenged by WMS in the last decade. Effective formulations that could help manage the scale as part of IPM practice were sought from field experiments at Seka mango farm, Ethiopia in 2019 and 2020 seasons. The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of some formulations against WMS on mango trees. Randomized complete block designs with three replications were used for the experiments and each tree served as a plot. Allocation of each treatment within each replication was done randomly. The treatments were applied sequentially three times at 14 days interval using motorized Knapsack sprayer coinciding with peak period of natural infestation. Scale numbers before and after each spray were counted using a microscope with LCD. Sum of live crawler, female and male was registered as WMS count data. Results showed that dimethoate, diazinon, imidacloprid & λ-cyhalothrin sprayed alone; dimethoate rotated with imidacloprid & λ-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos-ethyl rotated with paraffin, and diazinon rotated with azadirachtin, caused total mortality of the scales. The results also showed that, chlorpyrifos-ethyl, deltamethrin, paraffin oil and λ-cyhalothrin sprayed alone caused percent reduction with range 83–95 % in both seasons. Hence, the study revealed that dimethoate, diazinon, imidacloprid & λ-cyhalothrin applied individually, dimethoate rotated with imidacloprid & λ-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos-ethyl rotated with paraffin and diazinon rotated with azadirachtin fully protect mango trees from WMS and significantly superior to other treatments. Therefore, chemical control of A. tubercularis may consider the use of these materials as foliar application and can be used as components for integrated pest management plans for WMS. However, application in the form of rotation is preferred to the alone spray as the former could substantially reduce the likelihood of inducing pesticide resistance. Cost implications and effects of the products on the natural enemy and residual toxicity in fruits need to be studied.
Aino Vesikansa, Juha Mehtälä, Katja Mutanen
et al.
ABSTRACTBackground: The increasing prevalence of obesity imposes a significant cost burden on individuals and societies worldwide.Objective: In this nationally representative study, the association between body mass index (BMI) groups and the number of metabolic comorbidities (MetC) with total direct costs was investigated in the Finnish population.Study design, setting, and participants: The study cohort included 5,587 adults with BMI ≥18.5 kg/m2 who participated in the cross-sectional FinHealth 2017 health examination survey conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Data on healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and drug purchases were collected from national healthcare and drug registers.Main outcome measure: The primary outcome was total direct costs (costs of primary and secondary HCRU and prescription medications).Results: Class I (BMI 30.0–34.9 kg/m2) and class II – III (BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2) obesity were associated with 43% and 40% higher age- and sex-adjusted direct costs, respectively, compared with normal weight, mainly driven by a steeply increased comorbidity in the higher BMI groups. In all BMI groups combined, individuals with ≥2 MetCs comprised 39% of the total study population and 60% of the total costs.Conclusion: To manage the cost burden of obesity, treatment should be given equal consideration as other chronic diseases, and BMIs ≥30.0 kg/m2 should be considered in treatment decisions.
Os acadêmicos brasileiros geralmente não participam do desenvolvimento dos estudos ciganos em outros países da América Latina e Caribe (ALC). Para estimular esse intercâmbio e dar a visibilidade que esses conhecimentos continentais emergentes merecem, este artigo fornece uma introdução aos estudos ciganos na região. A primeira parte do artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa que realizamos entre acadêmicos em 2021 e que identificou os principais temas e preocupações nos estudos ciganos na ALC. A segunda parte oferece um retrato da área em três países onde, além do Brasil, a atividade foi mais alta: Argentina, Colômbia e México. Apresenta os principais autores de cada país, áreas de investigação e publicações-chave. Na terceira parte argumentamos que os estudos ciganos na ALC formam um campo de investigação moldado por suas próprias questões e preocupações. Esses desafiam a compreensão eurocentrista da diáspora cigana que domina os estudos ciganos no âmbito internacional, e conclamam explorações das experiências ciganas junto a outras comunidades
Eunice Jonathan Lugina, Adam Beni Swebe Mwakalobo, Francis Lwesya
Abstract This article examines the impact of industrialization on economic growth in Tanzania focusing on the drivers of structural changes in the manufacturing sector. We apply the vector error correction model based on a parsimonious model covering the period from 1970 to 2017. Our results demonstrate the existence of a positive relationship between the manufacturing sector through its value added and economic growth in Tanzania. We have also observed a similar pattern of relationship in other sectors of the economy such as construction, agriculture, and services. Furthermore, the interaction model shows that foreign direct investment inflows and net domestic credit are the drivers of manufacturing growth. However, the real exchange rate coefficient is negative and significant, suggesting that it has had a negative impact on manufacturing output. The results are consistent with postulations of economic models found in economic growth theories. The article also presents some policy implications regarding the need for consistent policy implementation in the manufacturing sector and further improvement of the investment climate.
Artificial intelligence methods and technologies are increasingly included in human's everyday life. Managing actors in the context of their activities, from the planning stage to the decision-making stage, are faced with the need to operate with big data, non-linear, exponentially growing, critically overloaded data scenarios. In these conditions, the need to introduce artificial intelligence technologies is due to the exhaustion of the intellectual and analytical capabilities of a person.
The article discusses a variety of methods and approaches of artificial intelligence, examines the content of key algorithms, models and theories, their strengths and weaknesses in such important areas of the economy as planning and decision-making. The focus is on their classification. Due to the dependence of the planning process on environmental factors, both classical and non-classical planning environments are discussed. If the environment is fully observable, deterministic and static (external changes are ignored) and discrete in terms of time and action, then we are dealing with a classical planning environment. In the case of a partially observable or stochastic environment, we get a non-classical planning environment. The simplest and most intuitive approach to the planning process algorithms is a Total Order Planning. A scheduling algorithm with parallel execution of actions or without specifying the sequence of their execution is a Partial Order Planning algorithm. Recent research into the development of efficient algorithms has sparked interest in one of the earliest planning approaches – Prepositional Logic Planning. With the Critical Path Method, a schedule of activities is drawn up as part of a plan with zero critical travel time margin for each activity, taking into account the calculation of the time margin for each activity and sequence of activities. A forward-looking planning method for solving complex problems is a hierarchical decomposition based on a Hierarchical Task Networks.
The influence of time and resource factors on planning procedures is separately highlighted. Approaches and methods used in a non-classical planning environment: compatible planning, conditional planning, continuous planning, multi-agent planning.
Special attention is paid to the issues of constructing planning models in conditions of uncertainty based on the theoretical-probabilistic (stochastic) approaches. Bayesian networks are used to represent vagueness. The Relational Probability Model includes certain constraints on the presentation means, thereby guaranteeing a fully defined probability distributions. The main tasks of probabilistic representation in temporal models are: filtering, forecasting, smoothing, determining a probabilistic explanation. By combining these algorithms and additional enhancements, three large blocks of temporal models can be obtained: Hidden Markov Models, Kalman Filter, and Dynamic Bayesian Network. Decision theory allows the agent to determine the sequence of actions to be performed. A simpler formal system for solving decision-making problems is decision-making networks. The use of expert systems containing information about utility creates additional opportunities. Sequential multiple decision problems in an uncertain environment, such as Markov Decision Processes, are defined using transition models. When several agents interact simultaneously, game theory is used to describe the rational behavior of agents.
As we can see, planning has recently become one of the most interesting and relevant directions in the field of artificial intelligence research. There is still a long way to go: it is necessary to develop a clear vision of the problem of choosing the appropriate specific methods depending on the type of task, perhaps by creating completely new methods and approaches.
ملخص الدراسة : Abstract يهدف هذا البحث إلى تسعير تأمين التوقف عن العمل بسبب الحريق وذلک باستخدام نظرية المصداقية Credibility Theory بالتطبيق على شرکة مصر للتأمين ، ويعتمد الباحث فى سبيل الوصول إلى السعر العادل والکافى لتأمين التوقف عن العمل بسبب الحريق على استخدام نظرية المصداقية وذلک من خلال تحديد التوزيع الاحتمالى المناسب لعدد الحوادث (التوزيعات المنفصلة) ، وکذلک تحديد التوزيع الاحتمالى المناسب لقيم الخسائر(التوزيعات المتصلة) ، ثم تطبيق معادلة المصداقية فى تسعير تأمين التوقف عن العمل بسبب الحريق وذلک بتقدير معامل المصداقية Credibility Factor للوصول للقسط الصافى والسعر العادل ، وقد توصلت الدراسة إلى أن التوزيع الاحتمالى المناسب لعدد الحوادث هو التوزيع البواسونى Poisson Distribution ، والتوزيع الاحتمالى المناسب لحجم الخسارة هو توزيع باريتو pareto Distribution ، کما توصلت الدراسة إلى السعر العادل والکافى لتأمين التوقف عن العمل بسبب الحريق باستخدام نظرية المصداقية بالتطبيق على شرکة مصر للتأمين وهو 0.006 ، وبمقارنة السعر العادل الذى توصلت إليه الدراسة لتأمين التوقف عن العمل بسبب الحريق بالسعر السائد والمطبق فى شرکة مصر للتأمين نجد أن الشرکة محل الدراسة تحصل على أسعار أقل من السعر العادل التى توصلت إليه الدراسة وبالتالى فقد أوصت الدراسة شرکة مصر للتأمين بضرورة تعديل أسعار تأمين التوقف عن العمل بسبب الحريق لديها وذلک بزيادة ورفع هذه الأسعار؛ حتى لا تحقق خسائر فى هذا النوع من التأمين فى المستقبل وحتى تتناسب الأسعار مع درجة الخطورة ولکى تتمکن هذه الشرکة من تکوين محفظة اکتتاب متوازنة تمکنها من تخفيض معدلات الخسائر لديها.
O presente trabalho tem por finalidade discorrer brevemente sobre a relação entre o Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) e o Estado, que se apresenta no plano estratégico-político desse movimento social a partir dos programas de reforma agrária que concebeu ao longo de sua trajetória histórica. Vale lembrar, em tais programas estão não só sua concepção e proposta de socialização da terra ou de reforma agrária, como também estão expressos a programática política estratégica que projeta para o conjunto da sociedade. Destarte, aqui foi realizado um estudo aproximativo de alguns programas de reforma agrária elaborados pelo MST, em que se analisa e se tece considerações sobre a relação que costura com o Estado. Observou-se que o aparato estatal aparece como uma mediação importante para o MST, seja pela pressão imediata para efetivação da reforma agrária, seja porque, do ponto de vista mais geral, o Estado assume relevância fundamental para viabilidade do projeto político que concebe. No entanto, o mesmo Estado que buscou aproximação durante o Governo Lula serviu de alicerce institucional para reprodução do capitalismo dependente do Brasil, que tem correlação direta com a questão agrária.
Referring to the European and especially the German education system, this article first identifies that both forms of governance in educational systems as well as pedagogical professionalization have fallen behind. We present new proposals for a substantive and evidence-based reinterpretation and reshaping of what education is and can be and how educational systems can be changed. In order to address these shortcomings, we follow suggestions of a systemic-constructivist pedagogy, and highlight concrete strategies and starting points of an awareness-based system change in the field of educational system development are pointed out. This attempt to not only rethink education, but also to shape it, is based on a critical analysis of the often stagnant internal educational reforms, and the concepts and routines that characterize these stagnant reforms. We hypothesize that, in order to break free from this stagnation, a continuous self-transforming subjectivity of the responsible actors is necessary. This explanatory framework is extended in this article to the figure of the ”reflexible person” (Arnold, 2019a), whose main characteristic is reflexibility, in the sense of being reflexive as well as flexible. The reflexible person possesses practiced and strengthened competencies for observation and reflection including of the self, as well as reinterpretation and transformation. These competences are substantiated and specified as prerequisites and effective conditions for an awareness-based system change in educational systems. In addition, possible ways of promoting and developing them are pointed out.
This study aims analyze the potential of attractions in Madura to become sharia tourism destinations. Next will measure the level of community readiness and development strategies for Islamic tourism in Madura. To analyze the potential of sharia tourism objects, they use observational analysis and public perceptions about the suitability of tourism objects with sharia tourism. As for the analysis of the development of Islamic tourism on the island of Madura using the Analytical Hierarchy Process method. The results showed that, Madura has the potential to become a sharia tourist destination, because has a potential tourist attraction to be developed into an Islamic tourist attraction. Second , the Madurese people already have an understanding of sharia tourism, this will be a big capital for Madura to become sharia tourism destinations in Indonesia. Citizen Branding Strategy can be a top priority in efforts to develop Islamic tourism on the island of Madura.
Dorota Witkowska, Krzysztof Kompa, Grzegorz Mentel
Polish government introduced crucial changes concerning conditions of the pension funds functioning in the years 2011–2014. This article focuses on explaining the impact of these political decisions on efficiency of investment fund market in Poland. Therefore, the article aims (1) to find out if changing in functioning of pension funds also affected the efficiency of mutual funds which provide stable growth investment policy (i.e. similar investment strategy as pension funds) and (2) to check which type of investment funds, pension or mutual, were more efficient in the sense of returns and risks under new regulations. The analysis is provided for selected mutual funds using daily, weekly and monthly returns. The whole period of analysis, years 2009–2015, is divided into six sub-periods according to the three events, that essentially changed the functioning of the pension funds. Statistical tests for in pairs comparisons of returns and risks, and ratios for investment efficiency evaluation were applied. Findings show that pension funds performed better than mutual funds which are managed by the same company. More, the changes of the rules for pension funds’ functioning caused an increase of risk and a decrease of efficiency of the considered investment funds’ portfolios.