Light-dark cycle synchronization of circadian rhythm in blind primates

BACKGROUND: Recently, several papers have shown that a small subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and contain a new photopigment called melanopsin, are the photoreceptors involved in light-dark entrainment in rodents. In our primate colony, we found a couple of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) that had developed progressive and spontaneous visual deficiency, most likely because of retinal degeneration of cones and/or rods. In this study, we evaluated the photoresponsiveness of the circadian system of these blind marmosets. METHODS: Two blind and two normal marmosets were kept in cages with a controlled light-dark cycle (LD) to study photoentrainment, masking, and phase response to a dark pulse. RESULTS: Blind marmosets were entrained with the new LD cycle when light onsets were delayed and advanced by 6 hours. In constant light conditions, blind marmosets free-ran with a period of 23.2 hours, while normal animals free-ran with a period of 23.6 hours. All marmosets responded to dark pulses in the early subjective day with phase delays and with phase advances in the late subjective day. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that light can synchronize circadian rhythms of blind marmosets and consequently, that this species could be a good primate model for circadian photoreception studies

Plano de intervenção para redução da prevalência de parasitoses intestinais nos escolares da ESF do povoado de Cana Brava, zona rural no município de São Sebastião - AL

O estudo tem como objetivo construir uma proposta de intervenção para diminuir a prevalência dos altos índices de parasitoses intestinais em crianças de idade escolares. Considerado como um dos maiores índices de mortalidade infantil e um dos problemas de saúde pública no país, as parasitoses intestinais são desencadeadas principalmente pela falta de higiene e pela falta do conhecimento sobre a promoção e a prevenção de doenças parasitárias que afetam a saúde da criança. Sabe-se que a educação em saúde políticas de saúde, de uma maneira geral, provocam grandes melhorias da saúde da população, e a equipe da unidade de saúde bem como o papel dos professores nas escolas de comunidades carentes desempenha importante papel na realização das ações, colaborando com o aprimoramento e a concretização da assistência à saúde das crianças da região. A intenção fundamental deste projeto visa promover um plano de ação para viabilizar a troca de conhecimento entre a equipe de saúde da família na UBS, a educação escolar através dos professores das escolas e as crianças e familiares do Povoado de Cana Brava no Município de São Sebastião - AL

ADOLESCENTES EM CONFLITO COM A LEI: UMA COMPARAÇÃO ENTRE BRASIL E CANADÁ

This study characterized 123 adolescents on probation and community services in amid-size Brazilian city compared to 100 adolescents referred for assessment in a reference centrelocated in a mid-size city in Canada, aiming at identifying possible correlations between observedvariables in a multicultural context. Data, in both countries, were collected in a survey design and majorresults were: 87.8% were male (71% in Canada), having an age average of 15.9 years (15.7 in Canada).In regards to crimes, theft was the most common one in Brazil (36.7%), followed by robbery (15.4%),and drug dealing (9%); in Canada sexual offenses were the most common offense (23%), followed byfail to comply with probation (20%), and assault (12%). In Brazil, 60.2% of adolescents did not go toschool, and 61.8% had only an elementary degree; in Canada all adolescents attended school and halfof the sample was in High School. In both Brazilian and Canadian samples the majority of youngsterslived with their mothers, in a single-parent family. Brazilian mother’s most common occupation washousemaid (28.4%), while Canadian mothers were factory workers (10.2%). The results suggest: a)Canadian culture determines sexual innuendos and grabbing buttocks as crimes and, thus sexualoffenses were most common in that country, in the whereas Brazilian culture these are not consideredas part of the justice system; b) Brazilian youth dropped out of school very early while Canadian schoolsoffered a variety of programs to avoid school evasion, as Special Education since the problem wasidentified, including behavior management programs for aggressive students, conflict resolution, anda curriculum guided directed to the country’s multi-ethnic background.Este estudo caracterizou 123 adolescentes que estavam cumprindo as medidas socioeducativasde Liberdade Assistida e Prestação de Serviços à Comunidade em uma cidade de porte médio noestado de São Paulo e comparou com a caracterização de 100 adolescentes encaminhados para avaliaçãoem um centro de referência ao adolescente em conflito com a lei na cidade de porte médio no Canadá,com o objetivo de identificar possíveis correlações entre as variáveis observadas, em um contextomulticultural. Os dados, em ambos os países, foram coletados em um delineamento de survey e osprincipais resultados são apresentados a seguir: 87,8% dos adolescentes eram do sexo masculino (71%no Canadá) com média de idade de 15,9 anos (15,7 no Canadá). Quanto aos delitos praticados, furtofoi a infração mais comum no Brasil (36,7%), seguido por roubo (15,4%) e tráfico de drogas (9%); noCanadá, crimes sexuais ficaram em primeiro lugar (23%), seguido de quebra de medida ou novaacusação por não cumprimento da medida socioeducativa aplicada anteriormente (20%) e agressões(12%). No Brasil, 60,2% dos participantes não frequentava a escola, sendo que 61,8% tinha o primeirograu de escolaridade; no Canadá todos os adolescentes frequentavam a escola e metade da amostraestava no ensino médio. Tanto na amostra brasileira quanto na canadense, a maioria dos participantesconvivia com a mãe, ou seja, em famílias monoparentais. A ocupação mais comum das mães brasileirasfoi doméstica (28,4%) enquanto as mães canadenses eram operárias (10,2%). Os dados sugerem que:a) a cultura canadense determina que brincadeiras de teor sexual, como passar a mão nas nádegas,sejam consideradas crime, por essa razão crimes sexuais foram o mais comum, o que na culturabrasileira não é considerado um problema judicial; b) os jovens brasileiros abandonaram os estudosmuito cedo, enquanto as escolas canadenses oferecem uma ampla rede de serviços para evitar a evasãoescolar, como educação especial desde que um problema é identificado, incluindo programas de manejode comportamento para alunos agressivos, ensino de resolução de conflitos e um currículo voltado aopluralismo étnico do país

As crianças brasileiras e o mundo do trabalho: algumas reflexões sobre o Programa de Erradicação do Trabalho Infantil (PETI)

O artigo reflete acerca do trabalho infantil no Brasil, discutindo esse problema social e o Programa de Erradicação do Trabalho Infantil (PETI). A prevalência desse tipo de trabalho no país é contrária à noção de desenvolvimento defendida por Amartya Sen, para quem o crescimento econômico deve contemplar a elevação pessoal e coletiva, com a constituição de oportunidades e capacidades. A pesquisa é qualitativa e quantitativa e mostra que, apesar de o PETI ser uma importante política pública, seus resultados ainda não são satisfatórios, sendo o número de crianças vítimas dessa situação no país (1,8 milhão) ainda muito elevado

Young Offenders: A Review of Risk Factors for Criminal Behavior

This paper presents a revision of risk factors associated with youth criminal behavior. The revision included scientific papers published between 1997 and 2003, the research being done with the following key words in English and Portuguese: young offender, delinquency, risk factors. Many studies described risk factors associated with criminal behavior in youth, such as family patterns with low level of affection, low cohesion and lack of supervision of their children’s activities, generalized indifference, poor interpersonal relations, low social-economic level, peer influence in terms of association with aggressive persons or drug users, isolation from people who do not behave criminally, personal attitudes, values and believes, high tolerance to deviance, behavioral history of exposure to risk situations, family distress, psychopathology, school problems, besides physiological and cognitive factors

Dialogues between strategy and theory of social space: a proposal

A concepção racionalista é insuficiente para dar conta da dinâmica estratégica, já que os gestores das empresas nem sempre baseiam suas decisões na racionalidade. Neste ensaio, pretende-se situar a discussão. sobre estratégia organizacional no campo social, assumindo-se que a estratégia é fruto da construção social da realidade porque a organização se ajusta (não se antecipa), de um lado, a fatores macro e micro ambientais, e, de outro, aos anseios dos seus dirigentes. Rompe-se a partir da teoria do espaço social de Pierre Bourdieu a visão de que o real é dado, ao se assumir que a construção estratégica é uma espécie de caleidoscópio, em que o indivíduo tem um papel ativo na compreensão da realidade, nela interferindo diretamente. Conclui-se que a forma como cada gestor analisa o ambiente depende do lugar que ocupa no espaço social, o que vai determinar que fatores considerar, avaliar e hierarquizar em uma análise ambiental e como define e implanta a estratégia. Pretende-se com esta proposta contribuir para o entendimento da estratégia como sendo socialmente construída a partir da junção de variáveis racionais e também simbólicas e culturais, ampliando a visão que se tem do processo estratégico e de seus desdobramentos na organização.Strategic rational approach is not enough to reach strategic dynamics, once managers not always decide based on rationality. In this essay, we try to situate the discussion about organizational strategy on social fi eld. We suppose that strategy is result of social construction of reality because organization adjusts (not anticipates), to macro and micro environmental aspects, and also to managers’ goals. From Pierre Bourdieu’s social space theory, we disagree with the vision that real is given. We believe that strategic construction is a kind of kaleidoscope, based on active role of individuals to comprehend and interfering into reality. We conclude that different ways of analyzing environment depends of place occupied by managers in social space, what determines what aspects to consider, evaluate and organize in an environmental analysis, and how they defi ne and implement strategy. With this proposal, we intent to contribute no understanding of strategy as a social construction starting from association of rational and symbolic and cultural elements, enlarging vision about strategic process and its effects on organization

Saúde nas metrópoles - Doenças infecciosas

A urbanização é um processo irreversível em escala mundial e estima-se que o número de pessoas que vivem em cidades deverá atingir 67% da população do planeta até 2050. Os países de baixa ou média renda, por sua vez, possuem 30% a 40% da população urbana vivendo atualmente em favelas, em situação de risco para diversos agravos de saúde. No Brasil, embora 84,3% da população residissem em áreas urbanas já em 2010, não se verificam no momento ações consistentes voltadas ao enfrentamento das questões de saúde urbana. Neste artigo discute-se a situação epidemiológica de agravos infecciosos de interesse para a saúde pública (dengue, infecção por HIV/aids, leptospirose, hanseníase e tuberculose) a partir do ano 2000 nas 17 metrópoles do país, de modo a esclarecer o papel atual das doenças infecciosas no contexto da saúde urbana brasileira.Urbanization is an irreversible global process and the number of people living in cities is estimated to reach 67% of the world population by 2050. In low- and middle-income countries, 30% to 40% of the population currently lives in slum areas, under risk of several diseases. Even though 84.3% of the Brazilian population already lived in urban areas in 2010, no consistent initiatives have been implemented to address urban health issues. We discuss here the epidemiological features of communicable diseases that are relevant to public health (dengue, HIV/aids, leptospirosis, leprosy and tuberculosis) in Brazil's 17 metropolitan areas since 2000 to help clarify the current role of infections in the context of Brazilian urban health

Factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression during social distancing in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of clinical signs and symptoms of severe/extreme stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as their associated factors, among Brazilians during social distancing. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in April/May 2020 with 3,200 Brazilians over 18 years old. Respondents’ sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using an online questionnaire, which also included the 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess emotional symptoms. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression models with robust variance. RESULTS: Our results show the prevalence of severe/extreme stress was 21.5%, anxiety 19.4%, and depression 21.5%. In the final model, sociodemographic, clinical, and Covid-19-related factors were associated with severe/extreme stress, anxiety, and depression in Brazilians during social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We found the main factors associated with severe/extreme depression to be young women, brown, single, not religious, sedentary, presenting reduced leisure activities, history of anxiety and depression, increased medication use, and Covid-19 symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study may help develop and systematically plan measures aimed to prevent, early identify, and properly manage clinical signs and symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression during the Covid-19 pandemic. DESCRIPTORS: Mental Disorders, epidemiology. Stress, Psychological. Social Isolation. Coronavirus Infections. Health Surveys

Sample extraction and injection with a microscale preconcentrator.

This report details the development of a microfabricated preconcentrator that functions as a fully integrated chemical extractor-injector for a microscale gas chromatograph (GC). The device enables parts-per-billion detection and quantitative analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor air with size and power advantages over macro-scale systems. The 44 mm{sup 3} preconcentrator extracts VOCs using highly adsorptive, granular forms of graphitized carbon black and carbon molecular sieves. The micron-sized silicon cavities have integrated heating and temperature sensing allowing low power, yet rapid heating to thermally desorb the collected VOCs (GC injection). The keys to device construction are a new adsorbent-solvent filling technique and solvent-tolerant wafer-level silicon-gold eutectic bonding technology. The product is the first granular adsorbent preconcentrator integrated at the wafer level. Other advantages include exhaustive VOC extraction and injection peak widths an order of magnitude narrower than predecessor prototypes. A mass transfer model, the first for any microscale preconcentrator, is developed to describe both adsorption and desorption behaviors. The physically intuitive model uses implicit and explicit finite differences to numerically solve the required partial differential equations. The model is applied to the adsorption and desorption of decane at various concentrations to extract Langmuir adsorption isotherm parameters from effluent curve measurements where properties are unknown a priori

South American Expert Roundtable : increasing adaptive governance capacity for coping with unintended side effects of digital transformation

This paper presents the main messages of a South American expert roundtable (ERT) on the unintended side effects (unseens) of digital transformation. The input of the ERT comprised 39 propositions from 20 experts representing 11 different perspectives. The two-day ERT discussed the main drivers and challenges as well as vulnerabilities or unseens and provided suggestions for: (i) the mechanisms underlying major unseens; (ii) understanding possible ways in which rebound effects of digital transformation may become the subject of overarching research in three main categories of impact: development factors, society, and individuals; and (iii) a set of potential action domains for transdisciplinary follow-up processes, including a case study in Brazil. A content analysis of the propositions and related mechanisms provided insights in the genesis of unseens by identifying 15 interrelated causal mechanisms related to critical issues/concerns. Additionally, a cluster analysis (CLA) was applied to structure the challenges and critical developments in South America. The discussion elaborated the genesis, dynamics, and impacts of (groups of) unseens such as the digital divide (that affects most countries that are not included in the development of digital business, management, production, etc. tools) or the challenge of restructuring small- and medium-sized enterprises (whose service is digitally substituted by digital devices). We identify specific issues and effects (for most South American countries) such as lack of governmental structure, challenging geographical structures (e.g., inclusion in high-performance transmission power), or the digital readiness of (wide parts) of society. One scientific contribution of the paper is related to the presented methodology that provides insights into the phenomena, the causal chains underlying “wanted/positive” and “unwanted/negative” effects, and the processes and mechanisms of societal changes caused by digitalization