ABSTRACT In the last decades animal production has considerably increased worldwide to sustain an ever-growing human population. Among animal reared for consumption purposes, chickens are undoubtedly one of the most successful, mainly due to their rapid growth rate. The development of broiler farming has been accompanied in recent years by a substantial attention to animal welfare. This study is aimed at assessing the effects of different housing conditions on both feed conversion ratio and mortality of male broiler flocks through a large-scale study (more than 100 million birds) involving 977 farms belonging to one major producer. For this, we evaluated nine features of the housing system using a linear model with random effect. The features were: roofing, floor, drinkers, feeders, water source, color curtain color, management, light and ventilation. A total of 3516 poultry flocks were assessed. Positive ventilation, metal and clay roof, dirt floor and owner management were shown to reduced mortality. Concrete floor, negative ventilation, blue curtains, fluorescent lightening, owner management, tap water and well water significantly improved FCR. We discuss our findings in relation with economic constraints and provide advices to encourage farmers using simple devices that will improve both production and chicken survival.

Resumo O uso de consolos de concreto é prática comum na ligação entre vigas e pilares, porém um entrave à sua utilização é a logística de concretagem quando os consolos de um pilar apresentam direcionamentos em diferentes planos. Surge, então, a necessidade de se realizar a concretagem do consolo e do pilar em etapas distintas, o que exige alguns cuidados com a interface e alguma solução para que exista continuidade entre as armaduras. Este trabalho faz análises experimentais, normativas e computacionais de cinco modelos de consolos, sendo um monolítico e quatro concretados em etapa distinta do pilar. Nos resultados são apresentados e discutidos os mecanismos de ruptura, as aberturas de junta, bem como a precisão das previsões analíticas e do modelo computacional. Ao final do trabalho se observou que os consolos com tirante dobrado apresentaram as maiores aberturas de junta, e que o modelo computacional representou melhor a resistência da biela comprimida do consolo monolítico que os modelos normativos.

Abstract The design of a precast structural system requires joints between the structural elements, and concrete corbels are commonly used in the connection between beams and columns. Concrete corbels create an obstacle in the optimization of precast production, mainly of columns that have two or more concrete corbels in different faces. In these cases, the concrete corbels need to be manufactures in a different stage from the column, which requires attention to the interface between column and corbel, and some solution to ensure the continuity of the main tie reinforcement. For this paper, tests were conducted along with analytical and computational modeling of five concrete corbels models: one monolithic model and four where the corbels are manufactured in a different stage from the column. Results show the failure mode, the interface gap opening and the accuracy of the analytical and computational predictions. It was observed that the concrete corbels with bent main tie reinforcement displayed the largest gap-opening at the interface and that the computational modeling represented the strength of the monolithic concrete corbel better than the design code models.

Background: Pain is one of the most feared outcomes of surgery by patients, yet current practices of pain management are suboptimal. Failure to address acute postoperative pain can have a variety of consequences that affect physical and psychological aspects of the patient. Current perioperative pain management normally consists of opioid therapy, which has been a mainstay for many years. However, use of opioids can have moderate risks, including nausea/vomiting, dizziness, and constipation, or more severe risks, including respiratory depression and immunosupression. Aim: In order to address some of the issues surrounding perioperative pain management, a group of key opinion leaders gathered at an international summit to analyze the current practices of perioperative pain management. One of the topics focused on buprenorphine's role in perioperative pain and the information discussed is presented throughout this article. Conclusion: Buprenorphine has been demonstrated to be effective and safe in many postoperative pain models. Its administration versatility, its manageable side effects, and its use in combination with other analgesics allow buprenorphine therapy to be successful in perioperative pain management.

Antecedentes: El dolor es uno de los eventos más temidos por los pacientes después de una cirugía, y en la actualidad el manejo del dolor es subóptimo. La falta de control del dolor agudo postoperatorio puede tener una serie de consecuencias que afectan a los aspectos físicos y emocionales de los pacientes. El manejo habitual del dolor postoperatorio se basa en la utilización de opioides, pilar de tratamiento desde hace muchos años. Sin embargo, el uso de opioides puede tener riesgos moderados, como son las náuseas y vómitos, mareos y constipación, o riesgos más severos que incluyen a la inmunosupresión y depresión respiratoria. Objetivo: Para poder determinar algunos de los factores circundantes del dolor postoperatorio, se realizó una reunión cumbre internacional en la que un grupo de líderes de opinión analizó las prácticas habituales de manejo de dolor postoperatorio. Uno de los temas abordados fue el rol de la buprenorfina en el manejo del dolor perioperatorio, y la información discutida se presenta a lo largo de este artículo. Conclusión: La buprenorfina ha demostrado ser eficaz y segura en muchos modelos de dolor postoperatorio. Su versatilidad de administración, sus efectos secundarios manejables y su posibilidad de ser combinada con otros analgésicos hacen que la buprenorfina sea exitosa en el manejo del dolor perioperatorio.

Background: The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), mainly in tropical countries has increased in large proportions. The identification of suspicious lesions and those directly related to the skin cancer is made by colleagues of many medical specialities. Objectives: Study the characteristics of the frequency of NMSC and their relation with certain risk factors in the Hospital José María Cullen, city of Santa Fe, capital of the province of the same name, Argentina. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective, not experimental, descriptive and transversal cut study. The sample was composed by 61 patients of both sexs and from 1 to 83 years old. A complete clinical history of patients with suspected lesions were developed. After the biopsy collection, the Department of Pathology analyze them. A descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS 11.5 program; Chi-square test and contingency tables were used to relate variables and compare data. It stablished a statistically significant association when it founded a value of p<0,05. Results: We observed that the frequency of NMSC was 29.5%, affecting mostly male (72.2%). Statistically significant difference were found (p=0,008), with respect to the female gender. Patients between 61 and 70 years were the most afected age group with a frequency of 38.9% (p=0,001).The most common type of NMSC was basal cell carcinoma (77.8%) and the most frequent location was head and neck (61.1%). The risk factor found most frequently (94.4%) was the photoexposure (p=0,00) and the skin phototype most affected was the type II (61.1%). Conclusion: The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer is high.

Antecedentes: la incidencia del cáncer no melanoma de piel (CNMP), principalmente en países tropicales ha aumentado en grandes proporciones. La identificación de lesiones sospechosas y aquellas relacionadas directamente con el cáncer de piel es efectuada en ocasiones por colegas de muchas especialidades médicas. Objetivos: estudiar las características de la frecuencia del CNMP en relación con ciertos factores de riesgo en el Hospital José María Cullen, de la ciudad de Santa Fe, capital de la provincia del mismo nombre, Argentina. Materiales y métodos: estudio retrospectivo, no experimental, descriptivo y de corte transversal. La muestra quedó conformada por 61 pacientes de ambos sexos y de 1 a 83 años. Se confeccionó una historia clínica completa de los pacientes candidatos a la toma de biopsia, que luego fue analizada por el Servicio de Anatomía Patológica. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo utilizando el programa SPSS 11.5, mediante el cual se usó la prueba de Chi cuadrado y tablas de contingencia para relacionar las variables y comparar los datos. Se estableció una asociación estadísticamente significativa cuando se halló un valor de p<0,05. Resultados: Se observó que la frecuencia del CNMP fue del 29,5%, afectando mayormente al sexo masculino (72,2%). Se halló diferencia estadísticamente significativa (p=0,008), con respecto al género femenino. Los pacientes entre 61 y 70 años fueron los más afectados con el 38,9% de frecuencia entre las demás edades (p=0,001). El tipo más frecuente de CNMP fue el carcinoma basocelular (77,8%), y la localización más frecuente fue en cabeza y cuello (61,1%). El factor de riesgo encontrado con mayor frecuencia (94,4 %) fue la foto-exposición solar (p=0,00) y el fototipo de piel más afectado fue el II (61,1%). Conclusión: la frecuencia del cáncer no melanoma de piel es alta.

Films of polypropylene (PP) were grafted with glycidil methacrylate (GMA) using supercritical CO2 as swelling agent and solvent. Different pressures and temperatures were used to study their effects on the soaking and grafting process. FTIR results showed signals at 1726 and 1640 cm-1, assigned to C=O and C=C (after the soaking process), and a decreased signal at 1640 cm-1 (after the grafting procedure), suggesting the effective grafting of GMA. For the grafted material immersed in ethylenediamine, peaks in the 3600 to 3250 cm-1 range (N-H stretching) were evident. Contact angle measurements showed an increasingly hydrophilic nature in the direction from pure PP to grafted PP/GMA (PP-g-GMA) to PP-g-GMA immersed in ethylenediamine (PP-g-GMA/En). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provided evidenced of the effective incorporation of ethylenediamine in the grafted material.

Sequences of increasing size atom centered basis sets of Gaussian-type functions for the ground state of the CS molecule are generated with the molecular improved generator coordinate Hartree-Fock (HF) method. At the HF level, total and orbital energies and electric dipole moment and, at the second-order Mphiller-Plesset (MP2) level, correlation and dissociation energies and electric dipole moment were calculated and compared with the results obtained with other Gaussian basis sets reported in the literature. Considering our largest basis set, the HF energy is in error by 56.2 µhartree and the second order correlation energy corresponds to ~ 80% of an estimate of the limiting value. At the MP2 level, the dipole moment and the dissociation energy computed with our largest basis set are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental values. The CS molecule is considered a prototype for systems containing atoms from different rows of the periodic table.