Social networks’ popularity has enabled new approaches in customer-business relationships, particularly in regard to tourism. Much of this is due to the global character of social networks, and the ...fact that tourists can freely discuss their experiences, making these comments available to others instantly. References found in literature considered the determinants, motivations and adoption of other tourists’ evaluations, and how they can be helpful to peers. These studies have been compiled based on quantitative information, particularly regarding rankings based on the number of comments and reviewers that companies have on content management sites. However, tourist evaluations go beyond just assigning a rating—there are also unstructured comments, and these have not been the object of much analysis. Thus, this work’s focus is on the analysis of the content of comments using the institutional Dineserv model, applied to restaurants and adapting it to social media.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Four probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus paracasei L26, L. casei‐01, L. acidophilus Ki, and Bifidobacterium animalis BB‐12®) were encapsulated in plain alginate or alginate supplemented with ...L‐cysteine·HCl, and resulting microcapsules were stored at different temperatures, namely 21, 4, −20, or −80°C for a period of up to 6 months. The results showed that the encapsulation in calcium alginate microcapsules was only effective in promoting protection at freezing temperatures, independently of the sensitivity of the strain. Storage of calcium alginate microcapsules at −80°C indicated a protective effect upon viability of all four probiotic strains and the presence of L‐cysteine·HCl in the alginate matrix improved protection upon cell viability of B. animalis BB‐12®. An increase in storage temperature of encapsulated bacteria caused an increase in rate of loss in their viability that was strain dependent. This study suggests that microencapsulation of probiotic cells in calcium alginate can be suitable for sustaining the viability of probiotics in food products that require storage below freezing temperatures, even in the absence of cryoprotectors, contributing to an increased shelf life.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
ABSTRACT Objective To describe the functioning of Psychosocial Care centers (CAPS) in four Brazilian cities. Methods In this cross-sectional study (AcesSUS), 917 CAPS users were interviewed in the ...cities of Campinas, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, and Fortaleza. Only CAPS focused on severe mental disorders in adults were included, that is, CAPS focusing on substance abuse and on children and adolescents were excluded. Users answered a multiple choice questionnaire about their path from primary health care services until reaching the CAPS and hospital care in relation to mental health problems. Results Care by a psychiatrist and use of medications were reported by 90.7% to 99.7% of CAPS users in association with multiprofessinal care and therapeutic groups. Access to medication was interrupted in the 6 months prior to the interview, especially in Fortaleza (70%) and Porto Alegre (50%). In all cities, less than 10% of users had a psychiatric hospital admission after treatment at the CAPS was started. Conclusions The transition from a hospital-centered model to a community-based model is well under way in Brazil, with concrete achievements. However, there is heterogeneity among different care networks, which entails the need for contextualized analysis of each individual location, with identification of difficulties that prevent the adequate functioning of these care networks in the psychosocial paradigm.
Several studies have shown an increased risk of thyroid malignancies in patients with elevated TSH levels, even if these levels fell within the normal range. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ...relationship between TSH and risk of malignancy in patients with thyroid nodules.
We included 622 patients with thyroid nodules evaluated by fine needle aspiration and/or thyroidectomy and diagnosed by cytology or histology. Clinical and laboratory data, such as gender, weight, ultrasound findings, serum TSH, and free T4, were obtained from medical records or collected during each patient's first visit to our centre, prior to any intervention.
Thyroid cancer was more prevalent in males (p = 0.012) and in patients with a solitary nodule (p < 0.01). Malignant tumours were predominantly solid, whereas benign tumours were solid or mixed (p = 0.053). The carcinoma risk in patients with thyroid nodules increased with increasing serum TSH concentration, with a significant elevation in patients with serum TSH levels above 1.64 mU/L (p < 0.001). This relationship persisted even when the subgroup of patients undergoing thyroidectomy was analysed separately. Patients with follicular lesions presented with significantly higher TSH levels compared to patients with benign cytology (p < 0.001). We also found correlation between elevated TSH and tumour size (p = 0.005).
Our results suggest that in patients with nodular thyroid disease the carcinoma risk rose in parallel with serum TSH concentration, with significant increases evident in patients with serum TSH greater than 1.64 mU/L.
User-generated content diffusion on social networks has triggered an explosive attention in various disciplines. Within tourism activities, social media has growth in the past years rapidly through ...regular social network sites, or thematic social network sites such as TripAdvisor. The present study aims to provide a deeper insight into this matter, having as starting point the thought that clients posts good or bad reviews, regarding to different aspects of their experience; and, that a client who has a good experience in restaurant tends to revisit it and recommended it to friends, as opposite if the experience was bad they tell this to friend and recommend not visit. To assess customers’ reviews of restaurants, data was gathered on TripAdvisor of Top 10 restaurants in two island context Azores and Hawaii. All the comments were studied carefully and categorized in set of dimensions that measured how the entirety of a meal was perceived: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. As the results showed, food is the most decisive variable adopted in the UGC. Additionally, our findings support the notion that the overall quality of the meal reflects a lot more than flavor or taste of the food. To these elements, we need to add visual effect, freshness of the ingredients, and healthiness of the meal, among others as main contents spread on SNS. Thus, results reinforce the literature relative to the social media and ads to the knowledge of the contents created and shared by tourists relative to restaurant experience as a whole.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Bacterial multidrug resistance may be mediated by the overexpression of efflux pumps. Conventional evaluation of efflux activity using efflux pump substrates, such as ethidium bromide, requires ...specialised instrumentation. The agar-based method, previously reported, has been modified to evaluate as many as twelve bacterial strains and has been termed the ethidium bromide-agar cartwheel method.
Agar plates containing different concentrations of ethidium bromide were swabbed with bacterial cultures. The cell efflux capacity increased with increasing ethidium bromide concentration, which produced fluorescence of the bacterial mass.
The method was shown to be useful for the detection of efflux activity among multidrug-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive clinical isolates, as confirmed by the determination of minimum inhibitory concentration for several antibiotics in the presence of known efflux pump inhibitors.
This method may be adapted to the clinical laboratory for the presumptive identification of multidrug-resistant isolates that overexpress efflux pump systems.
Mesothelioma is a very aggressive malignant tumor with low survival rates that is often diagnosed belatedly. Pericardial effusion is a common consequence in cases of mesothelioma, with ...pericardiocentesis and pericardiectomy indicated; therefor thoracocentesis is necessary to drain the contents no longer retained in the pericardium. The present report describes a mesothelioma – carrying dog with a history of cardiac tamponade that underwent thoracoscopic pericardiectomy and, later, thoracoscopic implantation of a fully implantable catheter to function as a thoracic drain. In the consulted literature, there is no use of a fully implantable catheter for this purpose. The authors consider that there was an improvement in the quality of life.
A necessidade de avaliação e monitorização dos factores de risco de natureza psicossocial tem sido estabelecida como uma prioridade pelos organismos internacionais e definida como uma meta ao nível ...nacional no âmbito das políticas de Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho. Os modelos e métodos de avaliação são diversos e frequentemente multidimensionais. Em Portugal a adaptação e validação do COPSOQ II nas suas versões curta, média e longa tornou-o um instrumento cada vez mais usado nos processos de avaliação e monitorização dos factores de risco psicossociais, numa perspectiva de investigação e deprática quotidiana das organizações de trabalho.Com este artigo pretende-se fazer uma abordagem teórica às perspectivas de evolução do Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire II (COPSOQ II), um instrumento de avaliação de riscos psicossociais adaptado e validado para Portugal.
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