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Adhesive bonding has been increasingly employed in multiple industrial applications. This has led to a large industrial demand for faster, simpler, and cheaper characterization methods that allow engineers to predict the mechanical behavior of an adhesive with numerical models. Currently, these characterization processes feature a wide variety of distinct standards, specimen configurations, and testing procedures and require deep knowhow of complex data-reduction schemes. By suggesting the creation of a new and integrated experimental tool for adhesive characterization, it becomes possible to address this problem in a faster and unified manner. In this work, following a previous numerical study, the mode I and II components of fracture-toughness characterization were validated experimentally in two different configurations, Balanced and Unbalanced. For mode I, it was demonstrated that both configurations presented similar numerical and experimental R-curves. The relative error against standard tests was lower than ±5% for the Balanced specimen; the Unbalanced system showed higher variations, which were predicted by the numerical results. Under mode II, the Balanced specimen displayed plastic deformation due to high deflections. On the contrary, the Unbalanced specimen did not show this effect and presented a relative error of approximately ±2%. Nonetheless, it was proven that this approach to obtain such data by using a single unified specimen is still feasible but needs further development to obtain with similar precision of standard tests. In the end, a conceptual change is proposed to solve the current mode II issues.

The use of adhesive bonding in diverse industries such as the automotive and aerospace sectors has grown considerably. In structural construction, adhesive joints provide a unique combination of low structural weight, high strength and stiffness, combined with a relatively simple and easily automated manufacturing method, characteristics that are ideal for the development of modern and highly efficient vehicles. In these applications, ensuring that the failure mode of a bonded joint is cohesive rather than adhesive is important since this failure mode is more controlled and easier to model and to predict. This work presents a numerical technique that enables the precise prediction of the bonded joint's behavior regarding not only its failure mode, but also the joint's strength, when inorganic fillers are added to the adhesive. To that end, hollow glass particles were introduced into an epoxy adhesive in different amounts, and a numerical study was carried out to simulate their influence on single lap joint specimens. The numerical results were compared against experimental ones, not only in terms of joint strength, but also their failure pattern. The neat adhesive, which showed 9% and 20% variations in terms of failure load and displacement, respectively. However, looking at the doped configurations, these presented smaller variations of about 2% and 10% for each respective variable. In all cases, by adding glass beads, crack initiation tended to change from adhesive to cohesive but with lower strength and ductility, correctly modeling the general experimental behavior as intended.

The term stigma comes from Greek, being related to the identification of people through a physical mark, which can generate marginalization. The literature points out four types of stigmas: public, institutional, self-esteem, and courtesy. People with Autistic Spectrum Disorders are stigmatized in various cultures and societies. This study describes the view on stigma regarding Autistic Spectrum Disorder among undergraduate medical and nursing students. This is a cross-sectional study of a qualitative approach, whose data were collected through two focus groups, one with medical and another with nursing students, from a public university in Alagoas, Brazil. A script with eight questions for discussion in the focus groups was used. The speeches were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with the IRAMUTEQ software, based on content analysis. The Descending Hierarchical Classification showed five categories related to the disorder, which were: 1 - Approach to the person with the disorder; 2 - Experience of Stigma; 3 - Segregation of People with Disorders; 4 - Care of the Person with the Disorder and Class; 5 - Challenges faced by the people affected.

Adhesives are increasingly being employed in industrial applications as a replacement for traditional mechanical joining methods, since they enable improvements in the strength-to-weight ratio and lower the cost of the overall structures. This has led to a need for adhesive mechanical characterisation techniques that can provide the data needed to build advanced numerical models, allowing structural designers to expedite the adhesive selection process and grant precise optimisation of bonded connection performance. However, mechanically mapping the behaviour of an adhesive involves numerous different standards resulting in a complex network of various specimens, testing procedures and data reduction methods that concern techniques which are exceedingly complex, time-consuming, and expensive. As such, and to address this problem, a novel fully integrated experimental characterisation tool is being developed to significantly reduce all the issues associated with adhesive characterisation. In this work, a numerical optimisation of the unified specimen's fracture toughness components, comprising the combined mode I (modified double cantilever beam) and II (end-loaded split) test, was performed. This was achieved by computing the desired behaviour as a function of the apparatus' and specimens' geometries, through several dimensional parameters, and by testing different adhesives, widening the range of applications of this tool. In the end, a custom data reduction scheme was deduced and set of design guidelines was defined.

Adhesives are extensively used in the automotive and aeronautical industries as they enable the creation of durable and light weight joints, with exceptional strength to weight ratios. The constant search for the means of adapting the mechanical performance of adhesives to each application has led to the use of several types of fillers to change their properties. Following a study on the effect of inorganic fillers, i.e., hollow glass beads, in the failure mechanisms of single lap joint's (SLJ), this work focuses on the response of the strength and fracture properties of structural adhesives to this filler. To this end, their tensile strength and mode I fracture properties were thoroughly analyzed by performing bulk tensile and double-cantilever beam (DCB) tests, at a quasi-static speed. The specimens were manufactured by adding different %v/v of filler to two epoxy-based crash resistant adhesives. Both adhesives have shown a negligible effect on the tensile strength, a decrease in strain at failure and critical energy release rate in mode I, as well as an increase of the Young's modulus, for higher % in volume of hollow glass beads. These phenomena were further analyzed recurring to scanning electron microscopy, and the concept of rule of mixtures.

Objective: To assess the temporal trends of hospitalizations for pulmonary embolism (PE) in Brazil, its regions, and states between 2008 and 2019., Methods: An ecological and time series study was conducted. Data were obtained from the Hospital Information System (SIH) of the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The inflection point regression model was applied for temporal trend analyses. Trends were classified as increasing, decreasing, or stationary according to the slope of the regression line. The Annual Percent Charge (APC) and the Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) were calculated considering a confidence interval of 95% and p-value <0.05. Furthermore, spatial distribution maps of epidemiological indicators related to PE in Brazil were elaborated., Results: There was an increasing trend in the hospitalization rate for PE in Brazil, ranging from 2.57 in 2008 to 4.44/100,000 in 2019 (AAPC=5.6%; p<0.001). Total and average hospitalizations costs also showed increasing trend in the country (AAPC=9.2% and 3.0%, respectively). Still, there was a decrease in the in-hospital mortality rate (from 21.21% to 17.11%; AAPC=-1.9%; p<0.001). Similar trends were observed in most regions. The average hospitalization time in Brazil showed a stationary trend. The hospitalization rate has also increased in 18 states (66.67%). Seven states showed a decrease in the mortality rate (25.93%), except for Roraima, which showed an increasing trend., Conclusion: Hospitalizations for PE represent a serious public health problem in Brazil and the temporal patterns observed herein demonstrate an increasing trend in all regions and states of the country.

Objective: To analyze the mortality trend of young men who were victims of traffic injuries involving motorcycles in all Brazilian capitals from 2001 to 2015., Methods: A time-series study on all deaths of men aged 20-39 years old due to traffic injuries involving motorcycles in all 27 Brazilian capitals. We used the joinpoint regression model for temporal analysis and calculated the Annual Percent Change (APC) and Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) to verify the mortality trends., Results: A total of 12,058 deaths of young men were recorded in the Brazilian capitals during the period studied. The highest mortality rates were observed in Boa Vista/Roraima (34.0/100,000 population) and Palmas/Tocantins (29.80/100,000). Twelve of the 27 capitals showed an increasing trend in mortality, with the highest percentage increase being observed in Salvador (APC: 29.0%) and São Paulo (APC: 13.1%). None of the capitals showed a decline in the trend of mortality., Conclusions: Overall, the mortality of young men from traffic injuries involving motorcycles shows an increasing trend in 12 of the 27 capitals, which represents a public health problem that requires the implementation of more effective public policies.

Background: To investigate the spatial distribution of congenital syphilis (CS) and its association to social vulnerability indexes in northeast Brazil., Methods: This was an ecological study referring to all cases of CS and CS deaths recorded in the northeast region of Brazil from 2008 to 2015. Data were obtained from three Brazilian information systems. We examined statistical correlations between CS indicators by state and municipality and their socioeconomic and social vulnerability characteristics. We used Bayesian empirical local models to identify fluctuations of the indicators. Spatial statistical tests were used to identify spatial clusters and the municipalities at high risk of CS., Results: The incidence of CS ranged from 2.1 cases/1000 live births (LB) in 2008 to 6.9/1000 LB in 2015, with an annual increase of 19.9% (p < 0.001). The mortality coefficient of CS ranged from 2.9/1000 LB in 2008 to 6.5/1000 LB in 2015, resulting in an annual increase of 15.1% (p < 0.001). Nine spatial clusters were identified. Cases of congenital syphilis occurred in well-defined spatiotemporal clusters and in areas with high levels of social vulnerability., Conclusions: CS incidence is associated with social vulnerability. CS control programmes should target spatial clusters and populations with high levels of social vulnerability., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.)

The emergence of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its association with severe pneumonia and deaths has exposed gaps in the health systems of several countries worldwide. Although the necessary focus has been to care for hospitalized patients, the strengthening of Primary Health Care (PHC) actions is necessary. PHC is the gateway to the health system in several countries, including Brazil and it plays a role in preventing, protecting, promoting, and treating individuals and communities. Brazil, like other countries, has faced the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. As Brazil has a universal and decentralized health system, in which PHC has been the model of health re-organizing the health system; here we reflected the importance of strengthening PHC in Brazil in the times of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Algal wastewater remediation has become attractive for a couple of years now, however the effectiveness of genetic toxicity reducing of some by-products through microalgae are still not well reported. This study aimed to evaluate the growth, nutrients and toxicity removal of Chlorella vulgaris cultivated under autotrophic and mixotrophic conditions in three agro-industrial by-products. Mixotrophic culture using corn steep liquor showed higher cell concentration, specific growth rate, maximum cell productivity and biomass protein content when compared to cheese whey and vinasse. Nutrient removal results showed that C. vulgaris was able to completely remove corn steep liquor nutrients, while in cheese whey and vinasse culture this removal was not as efficient, observing remaining COD. This work evaluated for the first time the corn steep liquor and cheese whey genetic toxicity through Allium cepa seeds assay. These results demonstrate that corn steep liquor toxicity was totally eliminated by C. vulgaris cultivation, and cheese whey and vinasse toxicity were minimized. This study proves that the mixotrophic cultivation of C. vulgaris can increase cellular productivity, as well as it is a suitable and economic alternative to remove the toxicity from agroindustrial by-products., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is the most common form of heart failure (HF), its diagnosis being a challenge to the outpatient clinic practice., Objective: To describe and compare two strategies derived from algorithms of the European Society of Cardiology Diastology Guidelines for the diagnosis of HFPEF., Methods: Cross-sectional study with 166 consecutive ambulatory patients (67.9±11.7 years; 72% of women). The strategies to confirm HFPEF were established according to the European Society of Cardiology Diastology Guidelines criteria. In strategy 1 (S1), tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE) and electrocardiography (ECG) were used; in strategy 2 (S2), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement was included., Results: In S1, patients were divided into groups based on the E/E'ratio as follows: GI, E/E'> 15 (n = 16; 9%); GII, E/E'8 to 15 (n = 79; 48%); and GIII, E/E'< 8 (n = 71; 43%). HFPEF was confirmed in GI and excluded in GIII. In GII, TDE [left atrial volume index (LAVI) ≥ 40 mL/m2; left ventricular mass index LVMI) > 122 for women and > 149 g/m2 for men] and ECG (atrial fibrillation) parameters were assessed, confirming HFPEF in 33 more patients, adding up to 49 (29%). In S2, patients were divided into three groups based on BNP levels. GI (BNP > 200 pg/mL) consisted of 12 patients, HFPEF being confirmed in all of them. GII (BNP ranging from 100 to 200 pg/mL) consisted of 20 patients with LAVI > 29 mL/m2, or LVMI ≥ 96 g/m2 for women or ≥ 116 g/m2 for men, or E/E'≥ 8 or atrial fibrillation on ECG, and the diagnosis of HFPEF was confirmed in 15. GIII (BNP < 100 pg/mL) consisted of 134 patients, 26 of whom had the diagnosis of HFPEF confirmed when GII parameters were used. Measuring BNP levels in S2 identified 4 more patients (8%) with HFPEF as compared with those identified in S1., Conclusion: The association of BNP measurement and TDE data is better than the isolated use of those parameters. BNP can be useful in identifying patients whose diagnosis of HF had been previously excluded based only on TDE findings.

This study aimed to identify the knowledge about induced abortion complications and its relation to age. This is a cross-sectional study performed in schools of Maceió, state of Alagoas, Brazil, with students 12 to 19 years old. The sample was calculated considering post-abortion curettage data. The Epi Info computer program was used for data analysis. From 2,592 female adolescents studied 65.64% didn't know about any complications of induced abortion. The most mentioned complications were death and sterility. Clinical manifestations of abortion were wrongly mentioned by them as complications. Signification was found between the knowledge of the complications sterility, hemorrhage, and age. Death was significant fo rgirls under 15 and sterility for the older ones. The conclusion is that female adolescents don't have a correct knowledge of induced abortion complications, which shows the risk suffered by the ones that induce it. Thus, there is a need to further clarify the issue and for sexual education.

Background: Alcohol is the number one toxic substance consumed by people of all age groups, which makes its use a public health problem. The overall trend shows that university students are those who suffer the most pressure., Objective: To assess the prevalence of alcohol use among students newly enrolled at a public university in Alagoas, Brazil., Materials and Methods: We conducted an analytical sectional study at the Federal University of Alagoas, with 1435 (44% of total) newly enrolled students of all courses in 2006. They answered a questionnaire based on the CAGE. Some points such as sex, age, marital status, course, housing, family characteristics and how drugs fit into in the student life were studied with the resources of EpiInfo version 3.3.2. The survey was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alagoas (number 000878/2005-17)., Results: Of the group studied, 95.9% lived with family and 87.6% reported ever drinking alcohol at some time in their life. Of all the respondents, 55.4% of men reported having the habit of drinking with friends or colleagues (Odds = 0.71; CI = 0.58-0.88; P-value = 0.00088). Among all respondents, 17.7% of male students and 9.8% females skipped class after using alcohol (Odds = 0.52; CI = 0.38-0.72; P-value = 0.000023). The transition from adolescence to youth and study time at university is marked by greater vulnerability to alcohol abuse. The family is decisive for the initiation of alcohol use, and the university is a factor that increases the possibility of maintaining the practice. The fact that not all students were present in the classroom at the time of the application questionnaire may have limited the search because this was a sectional study., Conclusion: Alcohol consumption in this university is similar to that in other higher education institutions in the world, which is a cause for concern, since the external lesions are accentuated with the practice of using alcohol, characterizing the risk of violence.

This is a cross-cut study that was carried out with the objective of investigating the causes through which adolescents have provoked abortion, relating it to age and the type of school attended. The sample was calculated by taking into account the number of hospital admissions for post-abortion curettage. A semi-structured and anonymous questionnaire was used as a research instrument which was applied in ten schools randomly chosen among all schools, of Maceió (Alagoas, Brazil), to reach 12-19 years old female teenagers. The data were assessed by the Epi Info Program making use of odds ratio and a relative risk to verify any association among variables and a confidence interval at 95%. At a sample of 2,592 adolescents, 559 (21.6%) had an active sexual life, 182 (7.0%) informed to have been pregnant and 149 (26.7%) to have aborted. The fear of the parents' reaction, age, lack of support of the partner and pregnancy rejection were the explanation to stimulate abortion. Fear was the most mentioned cause in both types of school. Abortion was more mentioned in public schools, being significant and protective the risk of aborting before the age of 15. The fear of the parents' reaction as a frequent cause suggests the necessity for additional studies on sexuality and communication between parents and children.

The objective of this work is to analyze the correlation between signs, symptoms and complications and the presence of stress in pregnant adolescents in health facilities in Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil. Quantitative, cross-sectional data were collected through questionnaire survey and tests of applied stress in adolescents treated in prenatal care. Data were analyzed by Epi Info version 3.5, using the odds as a statistical measure. The survey involved 140 pregnant girls, aged from 10 to 19 years. Results show that 80.7% of them had some degree of stress, 57.1% being in the resistance phase and 18.6% at the stage of exhaustion. Statistical association was found between stress and some symptoms. The results indicate the presence of stress in adolescence and the need for special attention to the mental health of these women.

The purpose of this study was to analyze risk factors for abortion among female teenagers from 12 to 19 years of age in the city of Maceió, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study, conducted in ten schools. The sample was calculated by considering the number of admissions for postabortion curettage, obtained from the Information System of Hospitalization. Data were obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire divided into three basic blocks of data: sociodemographic, sexual life, and pregnancy/abortion. To analyze the data, the logistic regression model was used. The Forward Method was chosen to set the final model that minimizes the number of variables and maximizes the accuracy of the model. The significant analysis between the dichotomous variables provided eight significant variables. Two of them are protective for abortion: the ages 12-14 years and talking with parents about sex. After the logistic regression, the receipt of support for abortion was the most significant variable of all. The adolescent with an active sexual life, a previous pregnancy, who is married, and has received support for an abortion has a 99.74% probability for an abortion. The results of this study, demonstrating the importance of the group in adolescence, and the statistical significance of having a partner to support and approve the pregnancy appears as a preventive factor for abortion. It shows the importance of support and companionship for adolescent women.

This quantitative and cross study aims at establishing a profile of female teenagers, from 12 to 19 years old, that committed abortion in a representative random sample of 2592 adolescents in Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, in 2005. There were found 149 abortions, where most of them (81.9%) did not have a job, (85%) lived with the parents, (85.2%) were single, (69.8%) studied in a public school and (70.5%) were in high school. The majority had one abortion 93%, but it stands out that 8.5% of them aborted twice and 2.6% four times, showing this data the inadequate attention to teenagers reproductive health. In order to have an abortion, 63.8% of them had support, 83.9% did not have physical complications and 89.3% did not need hospitalization. The conclusion is that the teenagers are getting pregnant and still attending school, looking for abortion as a solution for a not planned pregnancy and that the lack of need of hospitalization post abortion contributes to the statics lack.

The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge and use of contraceptive methods by female adolescent students. The study was cross-sectional and quantitative, using a semi-structured questionnaire that was administered to 12- to 19-year-old female students in Maceió, Brazil. A representative and randomized sample was calculated, taking into account the number of hospital admissions for curettage. This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee, and Epi Info software was used for data and result evaluation using the mean and chi-square statistical test. Our results show that the majority of students know of some contraceptive methods (95.5%), with the barrier/hormonal methods being the most mentioned (72.4%). Abortion and aborting drugs were inaccurately described as contraceptives, and 37.9% of the sexually active girls did not make use of any method. The barrier methods were the most used (35.85%). A significant association was found in the total sample (2,592) between pregnancy and the use of any contraceptive method. This association was not found, however, in the group having an active sexual life (559). The study points to a knowledge of contraceptive methods, especially by teenagers who have already been pregnant, but contraceptives were not adequately used. The low use of chemical methods of contraception brings the risk of pregnancy. Since abortion and aborting drugs were incorrectly cited as contraceptive methods, this implies a nonpreventive attitude towards pregnancy.