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O levantamento e a análise de áreas degradadas possibilitam a obtenção de importantes informações sobre o meio físico, quando se visa o gerenciamento, a organização e a recuperação dos espaços. Os estudos, envolvendo este trabalho, desenvolveram-se nas bacias do Arroio Lajeado Grande, Arroio São João, Arroio Sanga da Divisa, Arroio Jacaquá e Arroio Itapeví, totalizando uma área com aproximadamente 172.435ha, no município de Alegrete, na região Sudoeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, onde são importantes os processos erosivos acelerados gerando areais e voçorocas. O objetivo desta pesquisa é contribuir para o conhecimento ambiental da região através de um mapeamento litomorfológico da área, definindo-se unidades homogêneas do terreno, ou seja, que tenham comportamento semelhante frente aos processos de dinâmica superficial, além de representar cartograficamente os diferentes aspectos do meio físico. A definição das unidades utilizou-se como base teórica às técnicas de identificação de landforms utilizadas na geotécnica e as técnicas de separação em unidades da geomorfologia. Os trabalhos definiram dois grandes compartimentos: de acumulação e dissecação. O compartimento de dissecação foi dividido em três unidades e cinco sub-unidades. A caracterização efetuada em cada unidade do terreno constituiu-se, no ponto de partida para a interpretação da dinâmica atual desses processos.

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Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Centro de Excelência em Turismo, Pós-Graduação Stricto Sensu, Mestrado Profissional em Turismo, 2016. / Submitted by Fernanda Percia França (fernandafranca@bce.unb.br) on 2017-03-13T17:02:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_FernandadeCastroHümmel.pdf: 3047471 bytes, checksum: cf9e94dff11562cc1d5d1e7f8f833165 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ruthléa Nascimento(ruthleanascimento@bce.unb.br) on 2017-03-21T15:29:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_FernandadeCastroHümmel.pdf: 3047471 bytes, checksum: cf9e94dff11562cc1d5d1e7f8f833165 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-21T15:29:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_FernandadeCastroHümmel.pdf: 3047471 bytes, checksum: cf9e94dff11562cc1d5d1e7f8f833165 (MD5) / A presente dissertação tem como objeto de estudo o turismo criativo, a partir da experiência do turismo de galpão, sendo este um subprograma do projeto de Turismo Criativo da cidade de Porto Alegre/RS, que foi a pioneira na implantação do Turismo Criativo no Brasil. O referido objeto foi explorado pelo viés dos estudos culturais, tendo como principais conceitos de análise o turismo criativo, turismo de galpão e o conceito de cultura em sua perspectiva antropológica. Por se tratar de uma pesquisa de campo, com a utilização da técnica de entrevistas, optamos pela metodologia da história oral, devido a riqueza de detalhes que ela pode proporcionar durante a obtenção dos dados empíricos. Identificou-se a importância dos depoimentos dos atores, principalmente os que estão relacionados diretamente aos projetos supracitados, visando conhecer os aspectos da tradicionalidade, da cultura local e da relação entre comunidade e turistas na experiência do Turismo de Galpão na cidade de Porto Alegre. / This dissertation has as object of study the creative tourism, starting from the experience of traditionalist tourism, a subprogram of Creative Tourism project of Porto Alegre city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, the pioneer in the development of Creative Tourism in Brazil. This object has been explored by cultural studies, and its main analytical concepts are the creative tourism, traditionalist tourism and the concept of culture within its anthropological perspective. Since this is a field research with interviews technique, we have opted for the oral history methodology due to the wealth of details that it can provide in the process of obtaining the empirical data. It has been identified the importance of the testimonies of the actors, mainly the ones directly related to the above mentioned projects, aiming to know the aspects of the local culture traditionality and the relationship between the community and the tourists in the experience of traditionalist tourism in Porto Alegre city.

Extrusion based three dimensional (3D) printing is defined as a process used to make a 3D object layer by layer directly from a computer aided device (CAD). The application of extrusion based 3D printing process to manufacture functional oral solid tablets with relatively complex geometries is demonstrated in this thesis. In Chapter 3 the viability of using a basic desktop 3D printer (Fab@Home) to print functional guaifenesin bilayer tablets (GBTs) is demonstrated. Guaifenesin is an over the counter (OTC) water soluble medicine used as expectorant for reduction of chest congestion caused by common cold and infections in respiratory system. The bilayer tablets were printed using the standard pharmaceutical excipients; hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) 2208, 2910, sodium starch glycolate (SSG), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) in order mimic the commercial model formulation (Mucinex®) guaifenesin extended-release bilayer tablets. The 3D printed guaifenesin bilayer tablets (GBTs) were evaluated for mechanical properties as a comparison to the commercial GBTs and were found to be within acceptable range as defined by the international standards stated in the USP. Drug releases from the 3D printed GBTs were decreased as the amount of HPMC 2208 increased due to the increased wettability, swelling properties and gel barrier formation of the HPMC. The 3D printed GBTs also showed, as required, two release profiles: immediate release (IR) from the top layer containing disintegrants; SSG and MCC and sustained release (SR) profile from the lower layer containing HPMC 2208. The kinetic drug release data from the 3D printed and commercial GBTs were best modelled using the Korsmeyer–Peppas model with n values between 0.27 and 0.44. This suggests Fickian diffusion drug release through a hydrated HPMC gel layer. Other physical characterisations: X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD), Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed that there was no detectable interaction between guaifenesin and the used excipients in both 3D printed and commercial GBTs. A more complex printer (RegenHu 3D bioprinter) was subsequently used to print complex multi-active tablets containing captopril, nifedipine, and glipizide as a model therapeutic combination. These drugs are frequently used to treat hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The 3D printed tablets were evaluated for drug release and showed that captopril was released by osmosis through permeable cellulose acetate (CA) film and both glipizide and nifedipine were released by diffusion through the hydrophilic HPMC 2208 matrix. According to XRPD and ATR-FTIR results, there was no detectable interaction between the actives and the used excipients. In the final experimental chapter, a combined treatment regimen: atenolol, ramipril, hydrochlorothiazide (anti-hypertensive medications), pravastatin (cholesterol lowering agent), and aspirin (anti-platelets) were printed into more complex geometry (polypill) using the RegenHu 3D bioprinter. This combined drug regimen is manufactured by Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited as a capsule formulation under the trade name of Polycap™ and is currently the only polypill formulation commercially available and is used to treat and prevent cardiovascular diseases. The printed polypills were characterized for drug release using USP dissolution testing and showed the intended immediate and sustained release profiles based upon the active/excipient ratio used. Aspirin and hydrochlorothiazide were immediately released after the polypill contacted the dissolution medium, and atenolol, ramipril, and pravastatin were released over a period of 12 hrs. XRPD and ATR-FTIR showed that there was no detectable interaction between the actives and the used excipients. In this work, extrusion based 3D printing technique was used to print oral solid dosage forms with complex and well-defined geometries and function. The technology of 3D printing could offer the opportunity to print oral tablets with high and precise drug dosing and controlled drug release profiles tailored for sub-populations or individuals. If the manufacturing and regulatory issues associated with 3DP can be resolved such personalised medicine delivered by 3D printing could improve patient compliance and provide more effective treatment regimes.

Successful tissue repair requires orchestrating a range of biochemical and biophysical factors to direct cell differentiation towards tissue specific lineages. Biodegradable poly DL lactic acid-co-glycolic acid (PDLLGA) microspheres have been reported as a promising injectable cell delivery system with controllable growth factor release potential for different tissue engineering applications. Injectable PDLLGA microspheres have been shown to form highly porous scaffolds at body temperature with a mechanical strength comparable to bone tissues. However, as the elastic properties of the injury microenvironment were shown to have a pivotal role on directing stem cell lineage specification, this work has proposed photo-crosslinkable gelatine methacrylate (gel-MA) hydrogels as promising surface coatings with tunable elastic properties. Moreover, as PDLLGA microspheres have limited functional groups on their surface, this work has evaluated different surface modification and grafting approaches to enable proper grafting of thick gel-MA hydrogel layer to the surface. Surface adsorption, surface entrapment, and oxygen plasma treatment approaches have been proposed and evaluated to modify the surface of PDLLGA microspheres with high density of gel-MA molecules. Surface analytical techniques such as ToF SIMs and XPS have been used to evaluate and quantify the density of gel-MA molecules on the surface, while fluorescent and scanning electron microscopies have been used to visualise the fluorescent deposition of fit-C gel-MA to the surface. Later, grafting-to and encapsulation approaches have been investigated to graft a thick layer (10-20 μm thick) of gel-MA hydrogel to the surface of PDLLGA microspheres following modification with gel-MA. Fluorescein isothiocyanate labelled human serum albumin Fit-C HSA has been loaded into PDLLGA microspheres as a model protein to study its release behaviour from the proposed system. Release data have shown a comparable release profile between PDLLGA microspheres before and after coating with the hydrogel layer suggesting no adverse effect of the proposed coating approach on the release behaviour. Gel-MA hydrogels with tunable elastic properties have been prepared and analysed using texture analyser and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Hydrogels have been later imaged with focused ion beam scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) using a novel approach to capture the hydrated structure of the hydrogel. Data obtained from the texture analyser using the compression and indentation mode tests have shown that the elastic modulus values were significantly higher than the values obtained from tension mode tests. In comparison, the values obtained from the texture analyser with the tension mode test were comparable with the values obtained using the AFM nano-indentation tests. This has been explained with the poroelastic behaviour of the hydrated hydrogel structure where a micron size pores have been observed. To verify findings, human mesenchymal stem cells have been cultured on the surface of gel-MA hydrogels to study their phenotypic behaviour and stained with anti-osteogenic or anti-neurogenic immunofluorescent markers to define their fate accordingly. Images have shown that cells cultured on hydrogels with AFM analysed elastic values of (~26, ~9.3, and ~0.1 KPa) have committed to a phenotypic behaviour related to the elastic modulus values of bone, muscle, and neuronal tissues respectively. In comparison, the elastic modulus values obtained from gel-MA hydrogel microbeads with AFM have been notably higher and appeared to be dependent on the cross-linking temperatures. Finally, the proposed cell delivery system can be used to control the chemical and the mechanical properties of the stem cell microenvironment which may pave the way towards directing stem cell differentiation into tissue specific cell lineages for different tissue repair applications.

No description available.

The National Health Service (NHS) focuses on quality of care as a priority. With the NHS planning to go paperless by 2018, more hospitals in England are making the transition from paper to electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) systems. The aim of this programme of work was to understand and explore the influence different in-patient prescribing systems can have on key NHS healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses and pharmacists) working practices in England and quality healthcare. The programme of work, a three phase sequential design, used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first phase involved structured telephone interviews with chief pharmacists. Chief pharmacist interviews (n=65) focused upon the type of in-patient prescribing systems in use within each Trust and gained a management perspective of the different prescribing systems. Phases two and three were carried out at three acute NHS hospitals in England, at various stages of developing and implementing their prescribing systems. Phase two data were collected through multidisciplinary team (MDT) focus group discussions. The MDT discussions explored a number of areas associated with the prescribing systems in use: these included clinical workflow, communication, collaboration, patient safety and the use of a clinical indication on the prescription chart. Phase three data were collected using documentation analysis of the prescribing system and medical records, taken from patients cared for by the MDTs involved in phase two. Information extracted included any documentation made of a newly initiated medication, as well as the design of the prescribing system. The clarity and accuracy of documentation in the prescribing system and medical notes were compared to the GMC standards Good Practice in Prescribing Guidelines. Triangulation of data indicated how a change in prescribing system can impact upon individuals working practices by changing the design and clarity of the prescription chart, enforcing of regulations, accessibility and reliability, communication between key HCPs and the patient. These influences can be considered latent conditions in the systems that need addressing to prevent quality of patient care being compromised. The use of Socio-technical systems (STS) theory considered the interaction between humans and technology when using the prescribing systems. Understanding the issues where social and technical aspects interact in the prescribing system, emphasised where healthcare quality is impacted and therefore facilitated recommendations to improve working practices. The findings will help healthcare organisations to consider the impact a change in prescribing system can have on working practices and the latent failures that need consideration within the prescribing systems. The Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA) system design must take into account the visual and physical needs of the user and consider how they can be improved to facilitate clinical workflow.

S. pneumoniae is one of the most significant human pathogens, causing high morbidity and mortality rates globally. Although there are vaccine available such as PPV 23, PCV7, PCV10, and PCV13, they are ineffective in some situations due to the differing epidemiology of various serotypes depending on the site of infection and the geographical location. Furthermore, they are expensive to produce and distribute. Universal research is presently concentrated on establishing other pneumococcalvaccine approaches such as using pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) which relate to pathogenesis and are common to all serotypes. In this study polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulating PspA4Pro were incorporated into microcarriers using L-leucine and spray dried to produce nanocomposite micro#particles (NCMPs) dry powder for inhalation. Parameters for the preparation of protein-loaded polyester poly (Glycerol Adipate-co-ω-Pentadecalactone), (PGA-co-PDL) NCMPs were optimised using Taguchi design and BSA as a model protein, by the double emulsion solvent evaporation method followed by spray drying. Particle size was mainly affected by the polymer mass and small particle size ≤ 500nm was achieved. The most important factor for obtaining a high BSA loading was BSA concentration. The spray drying process was optimised to produce NCMPs with a porous corrugated surface, 50% yield, MMAD of 1.71±0.10 μm and FPF% of 78.57±0.1%. Adsorption of chitosan hydrochloride (CHL) onto PGA-co-PDL NPs can be used assuccessful strategies to produce cationic NPs. Cationic NPs were prepared with similarparticle size to anionic NPs ≤ 500nm. The In vitro aerosolisation performance ofcationic NPs/NCMPs showed FPF% of 46.79±11.21% and MMAD of 1.49±0.29 μm. Further cell viability studies on A549 cell line showed a good profile with a cell viability of 79±4.7% for anionic NPs/NCMPs and 78.85±9.96% for cationic xviii NPs/NCMPs at 2.5 mg/ml concentration after 24 h exposure. The previous results introduced a successful method for preparing anionic and cationic NPs/NCMPs for delivering PspA4Pro as dry powder via inhalation. The particle size of PspAPro4 loaded anionic NPs and cationic NPs were 310±25.3 nm and 409.7±49.5 nm, respectively, to be effectively taken up by dendritic cells (DCs). The PspA4Pro loading in anionic NPs was 65.73±5.6 μg/mg and in cationic NPs was 9.84±1.4 μg/mg. The PspA4Pro released from anionic and cationic NPs/NCMPs preserved its primary and secondary structure as evaluated by SDS-PAGE and circular dichroism. In vitro release studies showed that the anionic NPs/NCMPs formulations achieved a cumulative release of 21.01±1.5% while the cationic NPs/NCMPs formulation released 83.13 ±0.84% after 48 h. DCs uptake studies provide evidence of particles uptake by DCs upon incubation for 1 h as visualized by confocal microscopy. These results indicate the use of optimised methods for developing polymeric based NCMPs for vaccine delivery via inhalation against pneumococcal diseases.

No description available.