Resumo Frequentemente, a resistência requerida do concreto não é atingida nas construções brasileiras. Parcialmente para solucionar este problema, uma nova revisão da Norma Brasileira ABNT NBR 12655 foi emitida em 2015. Esta revisão mantém os critérios insuficientemente rigorosos definidos na revisão anterior de 1996, para a avaliação das resistências à compressão de concreto em estruturas existentes e em construção. Essa avaliação pode ser baseada em muito poucas amostras de teste, até mesmo no resultado de um único teste. É mostrado aqui que esses critérios são claramente inseguros. Critérios alternativos são propostos, baseados em uma abordagem Bayesiana. Os critérios propostos são verificados contra resultados de algumas centenas de ensaios realizados em estruturas reais de diferentes características, pontes e edifícios.

Abstract Frequently the required concrete resistance is not attained in Brazilian constructions. Partially to circumvent this problem, a new revision of Brazilian Standard ABNT NBR 12655 was issued in 2015. This revision maintains the insufficiently stringent criteria for evaluation of the concrete compression strength in existent and under construction structures of the revision of 1996. This evaluation can be based on very few test specimens, even in the result of a single test. It is shown herein that these criteria are clearly unsafe. Alternative criteria are proposed, based in a Bayesian approach. The proposed criteria are checked against some hundred tests done on actual structures of different characteristics, bridges and buildings.

Abstract Structural reliability theory has long been recognized as the proper tool to guide selection of partial safety factors in limit state structural design codes. Brazilian design codes, however, have never been through this calibration process. This paper addresses the reliability-based calibration of partial safety factors of Brazilian design codes for loads (NBR8681:2003), and for steel (NBR8800:2008) and concrete (NBR6118:2014) structures. The study is based on an extensive dataset of load and strength variables, addressing the Brazilian reality, as much as possible. Calibration minimizes the variations of reliability indexes of the most diverse structures designed according to the codes of interest, with regard to a target reliability index chosen by the analyst. The main result of calibration is to make reliability indexes more uniform, for different design configurations. In case of Brazilian codes, this could be achieved by increasing main variable loads, and reducing the combination values of secondary loads. This paper presents results that are not (yet) recommended for adoption in Brazilian codes, but which should be discussed with the community in order to reach minimal consensus.

Resumo Como as plantas frutíferas apresentam em geral porte elevado, a obtenção de plantas de porte reduzido, ou até anãs, é de grande interesse na fruticultura. Nesta revisão são comentadas algumas das principais plantas frutíferas de clima tropical, subtropical ou temperado que têm variedades de porte reduzido, ou mesmo anãs. As causas do nanismo e o uso de porta-enxertos ananicantes são os principais temas desta revisão. São abordados também os fatores que afetam o porte das plantas frutíferas, as variedades-copa anãs em bananeira, mamoeiro e cajueiro, bem como os porta-enxertos ananicantes para goiabeira, mangueira, anonáceas, nespereira, citros, macieira e pessegueiro.

Abstract As fruit trees generally have a large size, the production of small or even dwarf trees is of great interest for most of fruit crops. In this review, some of the main tropical, subtropical and temperate fruit trees that have small or even dwarfing cultivars are approached. The causes of dwarfism, although the use of dwarfing rootstocks, is the main theme of this review. The factors that affect the size of the fruit trees are also approached, as well the dwarf cultivars of banana, papaya and cashew, and the dwarf rootstocks for guava, mango, anonaceae, loquat, citrus, apple and peach trees.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to simultaneously monitoring cytomegalovirus and human herpesvirus 6 active infections using nested-polymerase chain reaction and, together with clinical findings, follow the clinical status of patients undergoing liver transplant. INTRODUCTION: The human β-herpesviruses, including cytomegalovirus and human herpesvirus 6, are ubiquitous among human populations. Active infections of human herpesvirus 6 and cytomegalovirus are common after liver transplantation, possibly induced and facilitated by allograft rejection and immunosuppressive therapy. Both viruses affect the success of the transplant procedure. METHODS: Thirty patients submitted to liver transplant at the Liver Transplant Unit, at the Gastro Center, State University of Campinas, SP, Brazil, were studied prospectively from six months to one year, nested-polymerase chain reaction for cytomegalovirus and human herpesvirus 6 DNA detections. Two or more consecutive positive nested-polymerase chain reaction were considered indicative of active infection. RESULTS: Active infection by cytomegalovirus was detected in 13/30 (43.3%) patients, median time to first cytomegalovirus detection was 29 days after transplantation (range: 0-99 days). Active infection by human herpesvirus 6 was detected in 12/30 (40%) patients, median time to first human herpesvirus 6 detection was 23.5 days after transplantation (range: 0-273 days). The time-related appearance of each virus was not statistically different (p = 0.49). Rejection of the transplanted liver was observed in 16.7% (5/30) of the patients. The present analysis showed that human herpesvirus 6 and/or cytomegalovirus active infections were frequent in liver transplant recipients at our center. CONCLUSIONS: Few patients remain free of betaherpesviruses after liver transplantation. Most patients presenting active infection with more than one virus were infected sequentially and not concurrently. Nested-polymerase chain reaction can be considered of limited value for clinically monitoring cytomegalovirus and human herpesvirus 6.

Este artigo tem como objetivo investigar como a categoria dom e seus significados interagem com a construção sociocultural do fenômeno futebol. A categoria foi trabalhada a partir da sua relação com a magia e a fé, necessárias num ambiente tão supersticioso como o do futebol brasileiro. A validação do dom enquanto objeto imperativo à compreensão dos êxitos e fracassos no futebol é algo compartilhado não só pelos jogadores, como também pela imprensa esportiva e pelos torcedores. A eficácia simbólica do dom é validada em ato mágico ao ser compartilhada e aceita por seus próprios criadores e consumidores, a ponto de transformar o rico contexto de aprendizado para o futebol, vivido no Brasil, em um simples golpe da sorte: nascer ou não com o dom.

This paper aims at investigating how being gifted, as a category for classifying football players, interacts with the sociocultural construction of the sporting phenomenon. The category and its meanings were analyzed in relation to magic and faith, since the Brazilian football environment is very superstitious. Football players and fans and also the press usually attribute success and failure in the sport to being gifted. The symbolic efficacy of the natural ability is validated as it is accepted and conveyed by its own creators and consumers as a magical fact. That sense causes them to signify the rich Brazilian context of learning how to play football as a matter of luck: players are either gifted or non-gifted.

RACIONAL: Utiliza-se o escore MELD (Model End-Stage Liver Disease) para o prognóstico da mortalidade em lista de espera para transplante de fígado e, em alguns estudos, para predição da sobrevida pós-operatória a longo prazo. OBJETIVO: Verificar a aplicação do escore MELD como predição da sobrevida após o transplante. MÉTODOS: Por intermédio de dados coletados prospectivamente efetuou-se um estudo de coorte longitudinal retrospectivo em 232 pacientes. Excluíram-se os retransplantes, insuficiência hepática aguda, crianças e enxertos duplos ou reduzidos. Avaliaram-se os dados dos doadores: idade, sexo, peso, creatinina, bilirrubina, sódio, aspartato aminotransferase, antecedentes pessoais, causa da morte, presença de esteatose, número de critérios expandidos do doador e índice de risco do doador. Em relação aos receptores, analisaram-se as variáveis: sexo, idade, peso, doença hepática, pontos de Child-Turcotte-Pugh, escore MELD, depuração de creatinina, sódio, tempos de isquemia e de hospitalização, quantidade de hemoderivados transfundidos, presença e grau de disfunção do enxerto. A análise estatística foi efetuada usando-se a análise de regressão univariada e/ou múltipla, estatística 'c', teste exato de Fisher, método de Kaplan-Meier (teste log-rank) para sobrevida, e análise de regressão de Cox para risco de óbito ajustado para as condições clínicas. RESULTADOS: O ponto de corte MELD para sobrevida foi 20 e de Child-Turcotte-Pugh foi 11,5. Para escore MELD maior ou igual a 20, os fatores preditivos de sobrevida foram: volume de sangue transfundido, disfunção do enxerto e o sódio do doador. Para os hiponatrêmicos os fatores preditivos de sobrevida foram: volume de sangue transfundido, disfunção do enxerto e sódio do doador. A sobrevida estimada para pacientes com escore MELD >25 foi menor ao final de 12 meses (68,86% vs 39,13%). A sobrevida estimada para os pacientes sem hiponatremia foi maior (65,16% vs 44,44%). A sobrevida aos 5 e 10 anos também seguiu o mesmo padrão. O uso de doadores limítrofes não alterou a sobrevida, mas quando se utilizou o índice de risco do doador observou-se que a sobrevida foi maior para pacientes com índice de risco do doador menor que 1,7 (63,62% vs 53,70%). A associação deste índice com o escore MELD não mostrou diferença estatística em relação à sobrevida. Observou-se que a falência e disfunção do enxerto foram associadas ao número crescente de critérios expandidos do doador. Os receptores de doadores maiores de 50 anos tiveram menor sobrevida (65,58% vs 38,40%) e o escore delta-MELD não discriminou a sobrevida. CONCLUSÃO: A sobrevida dos receptores a curto e longo prazo é associada a escores MELD acima de 25, ao volume de sangue transfundido, à disfunção do enxerto, à hiponatremia, à idade do doador acima de 50 anos e àqueles doadores com índice de risco do doador acima de 1,7.

BACKGROUND: The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) was developed to predict short-term mortality in patients with cirrhosis. There are few reports studying the correlation between MELD and long-term posttransplantation survival. AIM: To assess the value of pretransplant MELD in the prediction of posttransplant survival. METHODS: The adult patients (age >18 years) who underwent liver transplantation were examined in a retrospective longitudinal cohort of patients, through the prospective data base. We excluded acute liver failure, retransplantation and reduced or split-livers. The liver donors were evaluated according to: age, sex, weight, creatinine, bilirubin, sodium, aspartate aminotransferase, personal antecedents, brain death cause, steatosis, expanded criteria donor number and index donor risk. The recipients' data were: sex, age, weight, chronic hepatic disease, Child-Turcotte-Pugh points, pretransplant and initial MELD score, pretransplant creatinine clearance, sodium, cold and warm ischemia times, hospital length of stay, blood requirements, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT >1,000 UI/L = liver dysfunction). The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was used for the univariable analyses of posttransplant patient survival. For the multivariable analyses the Cox proportional hazard regression method with the stepwise procedure was used with stratifying sodium and MELD as variables. ROC curve was used to define area under the curve for MELD and Child-Turcotte-Pugh. RESULTS: A total of 232 patients with 10 years follow up were available. The MELD cutoff was 20 and Child-Turcotte-Pugh cutoff was 11.5. For MELD score > 20, the risk factors for death were: red cell requirements, liver dysfunction and donor's sodium. For the patients with hyponatremia the risk factors were: negative delta-MELD score, red cell requirements, liver dysfunction and donor's sodium. The regression univariated analyses came up with the following risk factors for death: score MELD > 25, blood requirements, recipient creatinine clearance pretransplant and age donor >50. After stepwise analyses, only red cell requirement was predictive. Patients with MELD score < 25 had a 68.86%, 50,44% and 41,50% chance for 1, 5 and 10-year survival and > 25 were 39.13%, 29.81% and 22.36% respectively. Patients without hyponatremia were 65.16%, 50.28% and 41,98% and with hyponatremia 44.44%, 34.28% and 28.57% respectively. Patients with IDR > 1.7 showed 53.7%, 27.71% and 13.85% and index donor risk <1.7 was 63.62%, 51.4% and 44.08%, respectively. Age donor > 50 years showed 38.4%, 26.21% and 13.1% and age donor <50 years showed 65.58%, 26.21% and 13.1%. Association with delta-MELD score did not show any significant difference. Expanded criteria donors were associated with primary non-function and severe liver dysfunction. Predictive factors for death were blood requirements, hyponatremia, liver dysfunction and donor's sodium. CONCLUSION: In conclusion MELD over 25, recipient's hyponatremia, blood requirements, donor's sodium were associated with poor survival.

Estudamos o comportamento dos parâmetros fenomenológicos de intensidade das transições 4f-4f em compostos de Nd3+ com glicina, ácido L-aspártico, ácido L-glutâmico, L-histidina, ácido DL-málico e Aspartame®em solução aquosa como função dos valoresde pK e das cargas parciais sobre os átomos de oxigênio dos grupos carboxilatos dessas moléculas. Os resultados são discutidos e interpretados qualitativamente em termos dos mecanismos das intensidades 4f-4f por dipolo elétrico forçado e acoplamento dinâmico, indicando como dominante o mecanismo de dipolo elétrico forçado.

We have studied the bevahior of the phenomenological 4f-4f intensity parameters in compounds of the Nd3+ ion with glycine, L-aspartic acid, L-glutamic acid, L-histidine, DL-malic acid and AspartameTM in aqueous solution, as a function of the pK values and partial charges on the oxygens of the carboxylate groups of these molecules. The results are discussed and qualitatively interpreted in terms of the forced electric dipole and dynamic coupling mechanisms of the 4f-4f intensities, thus indicating that the forced electric dipole mechanism is dominant.