Infection is the most relevant surgical complication in implant or grafting procedures. Osteomyelitis and other chronic conditions pose a constant challenge in current medical practice. In this context, a grafting biomaterial that possesses antibacterial properties combined with bioactivity could have great clinical impact. Researchers at the Vitreous Materials Laboratory (LaMaV-UFSCar) recently developed a glass composition, named F18, that presents an improved workability range combined with high bioactivity. With F18, one can easily manufacture complex shapes, such as scaffolds, continuous fibres and coat implants. This biomaterial has proven to be a viable alternative for bone and skin regeneration in in vivo tests, however its antimicrobial properties have not been explored. Hence, the purpose of this study was to systematically investigate the antibacterial activity of F18 in powder and fibre forms according to the JIS Z 2801:2010 standard. Whether incorporation of silver into F18 glass could impact its antimicrobial activity was also evaluated. Four clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were used in this study. In both powder and fibre forms, F18 presented extremely efficient bactericidal activity against all strains tested, eliminating virtually 100% of the bacterial cells after 24 h. Kinetic tests showed that silver doping further increased the bactericidal activity, leading to S. aureus eradication in only 30 min after incubation. Both doped and non-doped glasses demonstrated very high bactericidal activity, making F18 a promising infection-preventing alternative for bone and wound regeneration in clinical practice.

Palavras-chavePlanejamento e controle da produção. Period Batch Control. Redução de lead time. IntroduçãoA sociedade moderna e a tecnologia produziram consumidores impacientes que estão sempre procurando por novos produtos, melhores em qualidade, customizados e produzidos rapidamente. Dessa forma, a manufatura deve responder rapidamente a essas demandas. Nesse sentido, todos os elos da cadeia de suprimentos estão sendo pressionados pela necessidade de redução do lead time. Esse Produção, v. 20, n. 4, out./dez. 2010, p. 612-625

A filosofia kaizen, apesar de ser considerada uma das ferramentas mais eficazes para a melhoria dos processos industriais, tem encontrado dificuldades para sustentar as melhorias feitas no longo prazo. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar quais os fatores que sustentam os resultados do kaizen na produtividade das empresas, que implantaram o kaizen por um longo prazo. A pesquisa utilizou-se do estudo de caso múltiplo com duas abordagens: quantitativa e qualitativa. Na investigação quantitativa, foi realizado um recorte longitudinal em uma empresa do segmento têxtil. Os dados coletados foram obtidos a partir de formulários, observação sistemática do processo, e relatórios da empresa. Na investigação qualitativa, cujo recorte temporal foi transversal, foram realizadas entrevistas utilizando-se de um questionário semiestruturado, em diversas empresas que implantaram o kaizen por um longo prazo, com um sistema de produção equivalente a indústria têxtil. Ao comparar as empresas, buscou-se identificar e agrupar os fatores considerados importantes pelas empresas. Além da identificação dos fatores que contribuem para a sustentação das melhorias do kaizen, obteve-se também um roteiro para auxiliar a sustentação dos resultados do kaizen na produtividade das empresas.

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The growing need for efficiency and effectiveness in production systems management has increased the importance of processes and activities related to Production Planning and Control (PPC). Several authors point out that the more dynamic, competitive market, with higher demands from consumers and the increasing insertion of technology to support decision making, make the need for robust management processes imperative. In line with this scenario, the present work aims to present the report of a process of implementation, use and the consequences of a production pointing system. To achieve the proposed objective, a literature review was conducted on the topics of interest and a case study in a company that manufactures hospital medical products in the interior of São Paulo state. As main results, it was observed that the adoption and evolution of a production pointing system generated significant gains for the company's Production Control and increased maturity in terms of Production Management, but required significant efforts and investments to maintain and evolve the production deploying process.