Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2007. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 55 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2006. / Title from PDF of title page. Document formatted into pages; contains 107 pages. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (MScFor) -- Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fire is a threat to all forest plantations. As a result, growers are forced to take active measures to reduce the incidence and extent of fires in their plantations. This thesis is an attempt to collate 846 fire records for eight Komatiland Forests (KLF) plantations in Mpumalanga North for the period 1950 to 1999. Up to now, these reports and the information therein, were not utilised by KLF for planning or for evaluating fire management practices. The only other studies in South Africa, using similar data, were conducted by LeRoux (1988) and Kromhout (1990). A brief background of the forestry industry in South Africa, and in particular Mpumalanga is presented. The main text of the report covers a presentation on fire causes, extent of damage (both in area and in Rand value) and various aspects related to time of ignition and response times. A detailed analysis was done to identify possible relationships between the variables related to compartment, climate and different fire suppression activities. A cause and frequency prediction model was developed that will assist fi re managers in identifying and determining probabilities of fires per cause. Statistical guidelines regarding the planning of fire management around fires caused by honey hunters, lightning, work-related factors, and the activities of people (public, own labour, contractors) are presented. Conclusions were drawn from the results of the analyses of the fire data, which covered a period of 47 years. Recommendations regarding guidelines for strategic fi re management for the Mpumalanga North plantations were made. The main conclusions are: • Statistics on previous fires are very useful in fire management planning as it supplies valuable information on fire causes, time of ignition , past performance related to response times, fire fighting times and damaged caused. • • • • The average area lost due to fires in the study area is 209.9 ha or 0.43% of the plantation area per annum. People-related fires (arson, smokers, picnickers, children and neighbours) caused most of the wild fires (48%), followed by lightning (22%). Some plantations performed poorly, with the occurrence of up to double the number of fires per 1 000 ha of plantation compared to other plantations in the same geographic area. There are definite patterns in the frequency of fires per cause with month of the year. These patterns are valuable for the development of strategies to manage fires caused by honey hunters, lightning fires and work-related fires. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Brande is 'n bedreiging vir aile bosbou plantasies. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat kwekers maatreeHs tref om die voorkoms en omvang van brande in plantasies te beperk. Hierdie tesis poog om 846 vuurverslae se inligting te ontleed ten opsigte van agt Komatiland Forests (KLF) plantasies in Mpumalanga Noord vir die tydperk 1950 tot 1999. Tot op hede is min van die inligting wat in die verslae vervat is deur KLF vir beplanning- en evalueringsdoeleindes ten opsigte van brandbestuur gebruik. Die enigste soortgelyke studies wat op brandverslagdata in Suid-Afrika gedoen is, is gedoen deur Le Roux (1988) en Kromhout (1990). 'n Kort agtergrond oor die bosbouindustrie in Suid-Afrika en spesifiek Mpumalanga word gegee. Die tesis gee 'n oorsig oor brandoorsake, skade wat deur brande veroorsaak word (oppervlakte sowel as finansieHe waarde) en verskeie aspekte rakende brandbestuur soos tyd van ontstaan en reaksietye. Data is volledig ontleed om moontlike verwantskappe te probeer vind tussen vak-, klimaat- en brandbestuursveranderlikes. 'n Oorsaak- en frekwensievoorspellingsmodel is ontwikkel wat brandbestuurders sal help om waarskynlikhede van brande per oorsaak te identifiseer. Statistiese riglyne ten opsigte van bestuursbeplanning vir weerligvure, brande deur heuninguithalers, brande as gevolg van plantasiewerksaamhede en ook brande deur mense (publiek, eie arbeid en kontrakteurs) is daargestel. Brandrekords wat oor 'n periode van 47 jaar gestrek het, is ontleed. Afleidings wat uit die resultate gemaak is, kan benut word om riglyne daar te stel vir strategiese brandbestuur in Mpumalanga Noord plantasies. Die hoof gevolgtrekkings is: • Statistiek van vorige vure is baie nuttig in brandbestuursbeplanning aangesien dit waardevolle inligting verskaf oor brand oorsake, tyd van ontstaan, historiese werkverrigting rakende reaksietye en blustye, sowel as skade wat veroorsaak is. Die gemiddelde oppervlakte beskadig in die studie area is 209.9 ha, of 0.43% van die plantasie oppervlakte per jaar. Menslike aktiwiteite (brandstigting, rakers, piekniekvure, kinders en vure van bure) het die meeste brande veroorsaak (48%), gevolg deur weerlig (22%). Sommige plantasies het swak gevaar en het tot soveel as dubbel die aantal vure per 1 000 ha plantasie gehad in vergelyking met ander plantasies in dieselfde geografiese gebied. Daar is duidelike patrone gevind in die frekwensie van brande per oorsaak oor maande van die jaar. Hierdie patrone is nuttig vir die ontwikkeling van bestuurstrategie vir brande wat veroorsaak word deur heuningversamelaars, weerlig en werkverwante aktiwiteite (plantasieaktiwiteite).

With the same force that human activities accelerate and amplify change in the biosphere, human agency can play a critical role in influencing future trajectories. However, managing increasingly complex problems is becoming ever more challenging. Among other things, it requires a systemic thinking about the future to anticipate how intertwined drivers may respond to rapid change. This thesis addresses such challenge in the context of contemporary wildfires, which are becoming increasingly complex to manage and a growing global concern. The study adopted a novel approach (Chapter 3) to study wildfire as a complex social-ecological system. The overarching aim is to generate insights into wildfire causes, effects and feedbacks to anticipate future wildfire risk and inform management strategies that can prevent potential impacts. I combine different disciplinary lenses, multiple spatial scales of analysis and participatory methods to analyse wildfire dynamics in the Chiquitania region, located in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, at the southern edge of Amazonia. This region has a unique tropical dry forest that is susceptible to changes in climate and fire regimes, and a rapidly expanding agricultural frontier. During the recent 2010 drought, large wildfires affected this region intensifying public concern about potential 'mega-fires', particularly given predictions of more extreme seasonality in the future. The first research paper of this thesis (Chapter 4) evaluates the effects of wildfire recurrence on the forests of the Chiquitania using ecological surveys. In addition to significant biomass loss, the observed patterns in species abundance and dominance suggest that the forests respond to recurrent fires through a shift in tree species composition, with fire-tolerant species becoming more dominant. The second research paper (Chapter 5) analyses future wildfire risk in the Chiquitania region using fuzzy cognitive mapping. This conceptual modelling approach engaged different actor groups in the region to integrate their perspectives of the regional wildfire dynamics. Semi-structured interviews informed the scenario assumptions which considered failure to respond in time to wildfire risk, as well as implementation of alternative management strategies. Unexpectedly, the fire management strategy showed less trade-offs between wildfire risk reduction and production compared to the fire suppression strategy. The high vulnerability of the agricultural production to wildfire risk has implications for local communities that largely depend on agriculture for subsistence if future climatic conditions become drier. The third research chapter (Chapter 6) uses interviews and focus group discussions to analyse how different forms of knowledge and perceptions of fire relate to prevalent wildfire risk strategies in the Chiquitania. The analysis reveals that strategies are in tension between two conflicting narratives and understandings of fire. On this basis, a deliberation process is proposed with the potential to integrate opposing views into more inclusive and collective solutions to manage wildfire risk within a reflexive governance framework. The fourth research paper (Chapter 7) complements the above ground-based studies with a regional assessment of wildfire risk based on remotely sensed land cover, anthropogenic and climatic data. Maximum entropy was used as a probabilistic modelling approach to simulate future wildfire risk scenarios driven by different development trajectories, and assuming changing climatic conditions. Important determinants of wildfire risk were climate, road development, deforestation and density of human settlements. Positive feedbacks between rapid frontier expansion and drought conditions almost doubled potential biomass loss compared to estimates in the 2010 drought. Land used for agriculture and cattle ranching showed particularly high levels of wildfire risk, with serious implications for the subsistence and economy in the Chiquitania if the agricultural frontier is expanded at an accelerated rate. The combination of new findings and modelling tools developed in this thesis are relevant to inform wildfire risk management decisions in the Chiquitania. The timing is fitting as the regional government of Santa Cruz is developing a ten-year programme to address increased wildfire risk at the time of thesis submission, and the recently launched Regional Fire Platform promotes dialogue about possible solutions. More broadly, the approach to study wildfire as a social-ecological system has proven extremely useful to generate insights into different facets of a complex problem that is becoming a major concern in most of Amazonia and globally. This thesis generates important theoretical and practical contributions to the study of social-ecological systems, and provides a concrete example of how increasingly complex problems can be anticipated and managed under climate change and rapidly changing conditions with a more integrated and socially inclusive approach that can inform adaptation decisions for more sustainable futures.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-06T23:47:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007 / O câncer de colo de útero é o mais comum entre as mulheres no mundo. No Brasil, estima-se que seja a terceira neoplasia maligna encontrada entre mulheres. Pode ser prevenido se for detectado precocemente, há necessidade de sua conscientização por meio da educação em saúde, que pode auxiliar as mulheres a terem maior autonomia sobre seu corpo e saúde. Com o propósito de contribuir para a melhoria na promoção da saúde de mulher, este trabalho teve o objetivo de construir e validar material educativo com orientações passo a passo sobre a importância e realização do exame de Papanicolaou para usuárias de serviços públicos de saúde da cidade de São Paulo/Brasil. Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva, exploratória e observacional que se propôs construir um folder com orientações para prevenção do câncer cérvico-uterino para mulheres, tendo como referencial teórico a educação de adultos. Sua construção foi realizada com as mulheres, utilizando-se linguagem e desenhos de fácil compreensão. Foi avaliado por oito profissionais especialistas na área. Realizadas as modificações sugeridas, ele foi reproduzido e validado por 96 usuárias de unidades básicas de saúde da cidade de São Paulo. Os resultados da validação revelam que as mulheres consideraram por unanimidade o texto interessante com frases de fácil compreensão, ilustrações simples que facilitaram seu entendimento. A grande maioria teve o interesse em ler o folder até o final que as fez repensar sobre sua saúde. As mulheres expressaram a boa qualidade do material, verbalizando o interesse em levá- lo para casa. Concluiu-se que o material educativo construído e validado poderá colaborar na produção do conhecimento das mulheres que freqüentam unidades de saúde e contribuir para o recrutamento da população para realização desse exame simples e indispensável para prevenção do câncer cérvico-uterino com o objetivo de contribuir para diminuição dos índices de morbimortalidade feminino por câncer. / The cancer of the cervix of the uterus is the most common among the women in the world. In Brazil, it is supposed to be the third malignant neoplasia found among women. It can be prevented if detected precociously. It is necessary to aware people through health education so that it can help women to be more autonomous concerning their body and health. With the purpose of contributing to improvement in women health promotion, this paper had the aim of building and validating educational material with step by step orientations about the importance and accomplishment of Papanicolaou exam to public health service users of São Paulo city in Brazil. It is a descriptive, exploratory and observational research with the purpose of developing a folder with orientation about the cancer of the uterine cervix to women, having as theoretical reference the adults' education. Its production was done with women, using language and drawings easily understood. It was analyzed by eight specialists in the area. After the proper changes, the folder was printed and validated by 96 users of the basic health units of São Paulo city. The results of acceptance reveal that all the women considered the text interesting with easy understandable sentences and simple illustration which helped their comprehension. The majority was interested in reading the text until the end which made them to rethink their health. The women expressed the good quality of the material when they said they were interested in taking it home. It was concluded that the educational material produced and validated will be able to help in the knowledge production of women that usually go to health public bases and contribute to the population recruiting and accomplishment of this simple and indispensable exam to uterine cervical cancer that must help a lot to minimize the female diseases and mortality rates by cancer. / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-22T20:49:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-01-26 / A infecção do sítio cirúrgico (ISC) é uma das complicações que ocorre nos pacientes submetidos à craniotomia. A identificação dos fatores de risco relacionados ao paciente e ao procedimento cirúrgico e a avaliação dos indicadores do processo nos períodos pré-operatório, intraoperatório e pós-operatório facilitam as ações para prevenção a ISC. Objetivo: Determinar a incidência de infecção do sítio cirúrgico; avaliar os indicadores de processos dos períodos pré-operatórios, intraoperatório e pós-operatório e analisar os fatores de risco para desenvolvimento de infecções de sítio cirúrgico nos pacientes submetidos a craniotomia. Métodos: Coorte prospectivo, realizado nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva e de Internação da Neurocirurgia do Hospital São Paulo, no período de maio de 2009 a junho de 2010, em pacientes submetidos à craniotomia eletiva e a vigilância cirúrgica foi realizada durante 30 dias de pós-operatório. Os indicadores de processo avaliados foram: as condições do paciente no pré-operatório; as condições de assepsia no intra-operatório e de estrutura do centro cirúrgico e do curativo cefálico no pós-operatório. Resultados: De um total de 100 pacientes incluídos, seis (6%) apresentaram infecção do sítio cirúrgico póscraniotomia. Houve 100% de conformidade para os indicadores do pré-operatório e pós-operatório; e 16,7% de não conformidade para o uso do gorro e da máscara pelos anestesistas no intraoperatório. O tempo médio de degermação do couro cabeludo foi de 4,0 minutos e houve associação estatisticamente significante com o desenvolvimento da infecção do sítio cirúrgico pós-craniotomia (OR = 2,70; IC 95% = 0,94-7,74; p = 0,006), ou seja, há uma tendência de que a cada minuto a mais no tempo de degermação do couro cabeludo aumenta em 2,70 vezes as chances de ter ISC em craniotomia eletiva. Conclusões: Neste estudo, encontrou-se uma taxa elevada de infecção do sítio cirúrgico. Nenhum indicador de processo para o período pré-operatório e intraoperatório e pós-operatório associou-se à infecção do sítio cirúrgico. A degermação foi o único fator preditor associado à infecção do sítio cirúrgico. / TEDE / BV UNIFESP: Teses e dissertações

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-03-07Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:05:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 brighenti_fl_dr_araca.pdf: 927914 bytes, checksum: df4ad06d38d262a61b9312138e94b9a9 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Produtos naturais têm sido estudados com relação ao controle químico da microbiota patogênica do biofilme bucal. O objetivo desse estudo foi esclarecer o efeito do extrato da folha de Psidium cattleianum no metabolismo de S. mutans, no biofilme formado in situ e na capacidade em inibir a desmineralização do esmalte. O extrato foi obtido por decocção das folhas em água deionizada. O efeito do extrato foi avaliado in vitro com relação à viabilidade, expressão protéica e produção de ácido de biofilmes de S. mutans. No estudo in situ, blocos de esmalte bovino foram fixados em dispositivos acrílicos palatinos de dez voluntários. A fase experimental consistiu de três etapas de 14 dias cada, separadas por intervalo de sete dias. Os voluntários gotejaram solução de sacarose 20% (8x/dia) e a solução de tratamento (água, extrato ou um enxaguatório comercial; 2x/dia). O biofilme dentário foi analisado quanto à acidogenicidade, quantidade microorganismos e presença de polissacarídeos álcali-solúveis. Nos blocos de esmalte, foram realizadas as análises de microdureza superficial e em secção longitudinal. O extrato foi capaz de afetar a viabilidade, a produção de ácidos e a síntese protéica do biofilme formado in vitro. No biofilme formado in situ, o extrato foi capaz de diminuir a queda do pH, o acúmulo de microorganismos, a formação de polissacarídeos extracelulares e a desmineralização do esmalte. Conclui-se que o extrato foi capaz de diminuir a expressão de proteínas envolvidas no metabolismo bacteriano, a patogenicidade do biofilme bucal e a desmineralização do esmalte in situ. / Natural products have been studied with relation to chemical control of pathogenical microorganisms of dental biofilm. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of Psidium cattleianum leaf extract on S. mutans metabolism, on in situ biofilms and on enamel demineralization. The extract was obtained by decoction in deionized water. The extract was studied in vitro with relation to viability, protein expression and acid production of S. mutans biofilms. On the in situ study, enamel bovine blocks were placed in palatal appliances of ten volunteers. The experimental phase consisted of three stages with a duration of 14 days each and a washout period of seven days. The volunteers dripped 20% sucrose (8x/day) and the treatment solution (water, extract or a marketed mouthwash – 2x/day) on the enamel blocks. The dental biofilm was analyzed regarding the amount of microorganisms and presence of alkalisoluble polysaccharides. On the enamel blocks, surface and cross-sectional microhardnessess were evaluated. The extract was able to affect the viability, acid production and protein synthesis of the in vitro biofilm. On the in situ biofilm, the extract was able to decrease pH drop, microorganism accumulation, extracellular polysaccharides formation and enamel demineralization. It can be concluded that the extract was able to reduce the expression of proteins involved on bacterial metabolism, the pathogenicity of dental biofilm and in situ enamel demineralization.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-12-19Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:17:13Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 menezes_tec_me_araca.pdf: 558527 bytes, checksum: fb65e2e98ca3d3c121131d0247fba076 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo teve como objetivos avaliar a capacidade dos extratos de araçá e de aroeira do sertão em interferir com a microdureza do esmalte dental de ratos submetidos a desafio cariogênico, bem como avaliar o efeito desses extratos sobre a microbiota cariogênica implantada desses animais, e seus possíveis efeitos colaterais. Sessenta ratos do tipo Wistar, divididos em 4 grupos, foram submetidos a desafio cariogênico (dieta NIH-2000) e, metade deles, à cirurgia para remoção das glândulas salivares maiores. Os grupos recebiam, como solução de hidratação, água (controle), extrato de araçá (diluído em água) ou extrato de aroeira (diluída em água). Coletas da microbiota bucal dos animais foram realizadas semanalmente e, após 53 dias, os animais foram sacrificados. Os dentes dos animas foram preparados e submetidos à análise de microdureza longitudinal do esmalte, assim como os órgãos vitais de alguns animais foram removidos e submetidos à análise histopatolágica. O modelo animal e as condições experimentais se mostraram adequadas para a caracterização dos efeitos dos extratos testados sobre a microdureza do esmalte e sobre a microbiota cariogênica, sendo que os dois extratos testados produziram uma redução substancial da microbiota cariogênica nos animais experimentais e o consumo dos mesmos afetou positivamente a dureza superficial do esmalte. A ingestão dos extratos não alterou significativamente os órgãos dos animais, quando comparado com os grupos controle. / The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of araçá and aroeira extracts on dental enamel microhardness of rats submitted to a cariogenic challenge, and on their cariogenic microflora and determine the collateral effects of the extracts in the animals. Sixty Wistar rats, divided in 4 groups, were submitted to a cariogenic diet (NIH-2000 diet) and, half of them, was submitted to surgical remotion of the major salivary glands. The groups received water (control), araçá extract (solved in water) or aroeira extract (solved in water) as hydration solution. Collections of oral specimens were performed weekly and, after 53 days, the animals were sacrified. The animals teeth were prepared and submitted to longitudinal enamel microhardness analysis, as well some vital organs of animals were removed and submitted to histopathological procedures and analysis. The animal pattern and experimental conditions were appropriated to evaluate and measure the extracts effects on the enamel microhardness and on the cariogenic microbiota. Both the extracts reduced substantially the cariogenic microbiota of the animals and the use of them affected positively the longitudinal enamel microhardness. The extracts ingestion did not affected in a significant extension the microscopic characteristics of the organs, compared with control group (water).

O conhecimento de que o exercício é benéfico na doença aterosclerótica é baseado principalmente em estudos epidemiológicos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar se o treinamento físico preventivo ou terapêutico altera a evolução da placa aterosclerótica. Camundongos LDLr-/- com 16 semanas de vida foram separados em dois programas: preventivo e terapêutico. Animais do programa preventivo receberam dieta normal ou aterogênica por 14 semanas. O treinamento físico foi iniciado concomitantemente ao início da dieta. Animais do programa terapêutico receberam dieta normal ou aterogênica por 28 semanas. O treinamento físico foi iniciado após 14 semanas do início da dieta, com placas bem estabelecidas. O treinamento físico aeróbico moderado foi realizado em esteira rolante, por 60 min, 5 dias/sem, durante 14 semanas. Massa corporal, pressão arterial caudal e freqüência cardíaca foram registradas. Lipoproteínas plasmáticas foram separadas por FPLC e colesterol total foi dosado por métodos enzimáticos. Foram quantificados tamanho, conteúdo de gordura e de colágeno da placa por coloração de oil-red O e picro-sirius. Citocinas TNF-, IL-6 foram medidas por Elisa. MMP-9 plasmática foi medida por zimografia. Marcadores inflamatórios teciduais, MMP-9, CD40/CD40L e nitrotirosina, foram medidos na placa por imunohistoquímica. O treinamento físico não modificou o tamanho da placa, mas tornou a placa mais estável por aumentar o conteúdo de colágeno. O treinamento físico diminuiu o conteúdo de gordura da placa, os fatores de risco e o CD40 somente no programa preventivo. Nenhuma alteração foi notada nos marcadores inflamatórios circulantes e na expressão de MMP-9 e formação de nitrotirosina na placa aterosclerótica. / The knowledge that exercise exerts beneficial effects on atherosclerotic disease is mainly based on epidemiological studies. Our aim was to investigate the effect of preventive and therapeutic exercise programs on atherosclerotic plaque formation and development. Sixteen-week-old LDLr-/- mice were randomly divided into preventive and therapeutic programs. Preventive programs mice received normal or atherogenic diet for 14 weeks. Exercise training started at the same time of dieting. Therapeutic programs mice received normal or atherogenic diet for 28 weeks. Exercise training started after 14 weeks of dieting when atherosclerosis plaques were already established. Moderate intensity aerobic exercise training was performed on a motor treadmill for 60 min, 5 days/wk, during 14 weeks. Body mass, caudal blood pressure and heart rate were registered. Plasma lipoproteins were separated by FPLC and total cholesterol was determined by enzymatic methods. Cross sections of aortic root were stained with oil-red O for plaque size and fat content. Aorta longitudinal sections were stained with picro-sirius for collagen content. TNF- and IL-6 cytokines were measured by Elisa. Plasmatic MMP-9 was determined by zimography. Inflammatory tissue markers, MMP-9, CD40/CD40L and nitrotirosine, were measured by immunohistochemistry. We concluded that exercise training did not modify plaque size, but turned it into a more stable one by increasing its collagen content. Exercise training reduced plaque fat content, risk factors and plaque CD40 expression only in the preventive program. No difference in systemic inflammatory markers, and in plaque MMP-9 expression and nitrotirosine formation was noted.

Estudo transversal, descritivo e exploratório, com abordagem metodológica qualitativa, cujo objetivo foi identificar e avaliar a percepção da vulnerabilidade à doença, entre mulheres com diagnóstico avançado do câncer do colo do útero, tendo como referencial teórico, a vulnerabilidade, baseada no conceito proposto por Ayres et al. (2003). Os sujeitos do estudo foram doze mulheres que estavam em atendimento no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo, para tratamento do câncer do colo do útero avançado, entre 08 de abril e 28 de maio de 2009. Os dados foram coletados por entrevistas. A análise dos dados se deu segundo os pressupostos da análise de conteúdo, proposta por Bardin (2006). Os resultados revelaram-se em 2 categorias centrais: Percebendo-se vulnerável e Enfrentando a doença e o tratamento. A vulnerabilidade se apresentou para as participantes deste estudo a partir do aparecimento dos primeiros sinais e sintomas da doença, crescendo à medida que o diagnóstico foi descoberto e o tratamento se fez necessário, trazendo dificuldades e sofrimento. Ao mesmo tempo, proporcionou a oportunidade de as mulheres encontrarem formas de enfrentamento e superação dos problemas, à medida do possível. Os componentes individual, social e programático da vulnerabilidade, contidos no conceito proposto por Ayres et al. (2003), mostraram-se nos fatores relacionados à cliente, aos profissionais, aos serviços, entre outros, e tornaram a mulher suscetível aos problemas e danos de sua saúde, relativos ao câncer cérvico-uterino, exacerbando sua vulnerabilidade à doença. Ficou clara a necessidade de se superar algumas deficiências no modelo de assistência e na humanização do atendimento, no grau de compromisso e na qualidade das instituições, dos recursos, do gerenciamento e do monitoramento dos programas de prevenção e detecção do câncer do colo do útero, nos diferentes níveis de atenção. / This cross-sectional, descriptive, exploratory and qualitative study aimed to identify and evaluate the perception of the vulnerability to the disease among women with delayed diagnosis of uterine cervical cancer. The theoretical framework used was the vulnerability, based in the concept proposed by Ayres et al. (2003). The subjects of the study were twelve women who were under follow-up at the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Medical School, for treatment of advanced uterine cervical cancer, between April 08th and May 28th 2009. Data were collected by interviews. The data analysis was done according to the presuppositions of content analysis, proposed by Bardin (2006). Two central categories emerged from the results: Perceiving yourself vulnerable and Facing the disease and the treatment. The vulnerability arose to the participants of this study through the emergence of the first signs and symptoms of the disease, increasing as the diagnosis was determined and treatment was needed, bringing difficulties and suffering. At the same time, women had the opportunity to find ways to face and overcome problems, to the extent possible. The individual, social and programmatic compounds of the vulnerability, included in the concept proposed by Ayres et al. (2003), were shown in the factors related to clients, professionals and services, among others, and made the women susceptible to the problems and damages of their health, related to the uterine cervical cancer, aggravating their vulnerability to the disease. The need to overcome some deficiencies in the model of care and in the humanization of care was evidenced, as well as in the level of commitment and in the quality of the institutions, resources, management, and monitoring of the programs of prevention and detection of uterine cervical cancer, in the different levels of care.