278 research outputs found

    Central role of obesity in endothelial cell dysfunction and cardiovascular risk

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    Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of mortality in the contemporary world. The critical role of the endothelial cells (EC) in vascular homeostasis, the metabolic changes that take place when the cell is activated, and the elements involved in these processes have been widely explored over the past years. Obesity and its impact, promoting a rise in blood levels of free fatty acids (FAs) are often associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular mortality. However, the mechanisms that promote cardiovascular structural changes and adaptive changes in the ECs, particularly in the context of obesity, are little known. Here, we reviewed studies that assessed the metabolic adaptations of healthy and dysfunctional ECs during exposure to FAs, as well as the epidemiological perspectives of cardiovascular structural changes in obesity. Finally, we explored the role of new agents - sphingolipids, dietary unsaturated fatty acids and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (iSGLT2) - in atherosclerosis and their relationship with obesity.651879

    Governança ágil em TIC: rompendo paradigmas

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    This paper presents the basis of the Agile Governance in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which is based on Agile Software Engineering Methodologies principles and values. Its development was done through a systematic review process, supported by Bibliometrics and Scientometrics methods and techniques, where the Critical Success Factors (CSF) of ICT Governance projects and the principles of the Agile Manifesto were analyzed. Next, through an inductive approach, focused on the convergence between the concepts involved, it was analyzed how agile principles could help to minimize the gap between ICT and business. Evidences of their occurrence were taken through a Conceptual Survey Research. As a result, the foundations and concepts of Agile Governance in ICT were defined and, finally, the development of a reference model was proposed as a future work.Este artigo apresenta as bases do conceito de Governança Ágil em TIC - Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação - , baseado nos princípios e valores das Metodologias Ágeis da Engenharia de Software. O desenvolvimento deste trabalho se deu através de um processo de Revisão Sistemática, apoiado em técnicas e métodos Bibliométricos e Cienciométricos, no qual foram analisados os Fatores Críticos de Sucesso (FCS) de projetos de Governança em TIC e os princípios das Metodologias Ágeis. Em seguida, através de uma abordagem indutiva, com foco na convergência entre os conceitos envolvidos, analisou-se como os princípios ágeis poderiam contribuir para minimizar o hiato existente entre a TIC e o negócio. Evidências da coerência da proposta foram reforçadas através de uma Pesquisa de Sondagem Conceitual. Como resultado, foram definidas as bases em que se fundamentam o conceito de Governança Ágil em TIC e sugerido como trabalho futuro a definição de um modelo de referência para este conceito

    Dyspareunia in HIV-positive and HIV-negative middle-aged women: a cross-sectional study

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    To evaluate whether dyspareunia is associated with HIV status in menopausal women and also to assess which factors are associated with dyspareunia in a group of HIV-positive menopausal women. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 178 HIV-negative and 128 HIV-positive women aged 40-60 years. The Short Personal Experiences Questionnaire (SPEQ) was used to collect data. Sociodemographic, clinical, behavioural and reproductive factors were evaluated, as well as factors related to the HIV infection. Dyspareunia was defined as pain during intercourse. A bivariate analysis and Poisson multiple regression analysis were performed. Overall, 41.4% of the HIV-positive women reported dyspareunia compared with 34.8% of the HIV-negative women (p=0.242). In the HIV-positive women, bivariate analysis revealed an association between dyspareunia and having a steady partner (p=0.047); the woman's partner having undergone HIV testing (p=0.020); vaginal dryness (p<0.001); muscle/joint pain (p=0.021); physical/emotional violence (p=0.049); urinary incontinence (p=0.004); and the use of lamivudine/zidovudine (p=0.048). The Poisson multiple regression analysis found an association between dyspareunia and vaginal dryness (prevalence ratio (PR)=1.96, 95% CI 1.10 to 3.50, p=0.023) and urinary incontinence (PR=1.86, 95% CI 1.06 to 3.27, p=0.031). Dyspareunia was common in this group of HIV-positive women and was associated principally with vaginal dryness and urinary incontinence. The importance of treating dyspareunia within the context of sexual health in this group of women should be emphasised and appropriate management of this issue may reduce the likelihood of lesions on the vaginal wall, which may act as a portal of entry for other infections.To evaluate whether dyspareunia is associated with HIV status in menopausal women and also to assess which factors are associated with dyspareunia in a group of HIV-positive menopausal women. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 178 HIV-negativ416FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO2010/06037-

    Probing the reciprocal lattice associated with a triangular slit to determine the orbital angular momentum for a photon

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    The orbital angular momentum conservation of light reveals different diffraction patterns univocally dependent on the topological charge of the incident light beam when passing through a triangular aperture. It is demonstrated that these patterns, which are accessed by observing the far-field measurement of the diffracted light, can also be obtained using few photon sources. In order to explain the observed patterns, we introduce an analogy of this optical phenomenon with the study of diffraction for the characterization of the crystal structure of solids. We demonstrate that the finite pattern can be associated with the reciprocal lattice obtained from the direct lattice generated by the primitive vectors composing any two of the sides of the equilateral triangular slit responsible for the diffraction. Using the relation that exists between the direct and reciprocal lattices, we provide a conclusive explanation as to why the diffraction pattern of the main maxima is finite. This can shed a new light on the investigation of crystallographic systems

    ELEMENTS OF WINE PRODUCTION IN THE VALLEY OF SAN FRANCISCO BRAZIL - AND COLCHAGUA – CHILE

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    A videira ou vinha, pertence à família das Vitaceae, subdivididas nas espécies Parthenocissus quinquefólia e Vitis vinífera, sendo esta última utilizada no cultivo de uvas no mundo. Nos próximos anos o consumo de vinho será maior que sua produção, necessitando que a produção da matéria prima seja otimizada. A tecnologia é a ferramenta preponderante nesse processo, trazendo consigo um manejo eficiente a partir da agricultura de precisão. Com intuito de obter indicadores análogos entre as regiões do Vale do São Francisco no Brasil e Vale do Colchagua no Chile, aprimorando o cultivo. Objetiva-se nesse trabalho, caracterizá-las através da análise de seus elementos agronômicos, topográficos, pedológicos e climáticos. O estudo contou com revisão bibliográfica sobre as duas regiões e coleta de dados agrupados em grupos: 1, 2, 3. Onde se discutiu as carências e vantagens agrícolas existentes nas duas regiões, buscando melhoramento do cultivo. Os fatores estudados culminaram numa análise eficiente e provaram sua importância. A agricultura de precisão coloca à disposição da sociedade seus diversos benefícios de forma sustentável

    Wild dogs at stake: deforestation threatens the only Amazon endemic canid, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis)

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    The persistent high deforestation rate and fragmentation of the Amazon forests are the main threats to their biodiversity. To anticipate and mitigate these threats, it is important to understand and predict how species respond to the rapidly changing landscape. The short-eared dog Atelocynus microtis is the only Amazon-endemic canid and one of the most understudied wild dogs worldwide. We investigated short-eared dog habitat associations on two spatial scales. First, we used the largest record database ever compiled for short-eared dogs in combination with species distribution models to map species habitat suitability, estimate its distribution range and predict shifts in species distribution in response to predicted deforestation across the entire Amazon (regional scale). Second, we used systematic camera trap surveys and occupancy models to investigate how forest cover and forest fragmentation affect the space use of this species in the Southern Brazilian Amazon (local scale). Species distribution models suggested that the short-eared dog potentially occurs over an extensive and continuous area, through most of the Amazon region south of the Amazon River. However, approximately 30% of the short-eared dog's current distribution is expected to be lost or suffer sharp declines in habitat suitability by 2027 (within three generations) due to forest loss. This proportion might reach 40% of the species distribution in unprotected areas and exceed 60% in some interfluves (i.e. portions of land separated by large rivers) of the Amazon basin. Our local-scale analysis indicated that the presence of forest positively affected short-eared dog space use, while the density of forest edges had a negative effect. Beyond shedding light on the ecology of the short-eared dog and refining its distribution range, our results stress that forest loss poses a serious threat to the conservation of the species in a short time frame. Hence, we propose a re-assessment of the short-eared dog's current IUCN Red List status (Near Threatened) based on findings presented here. Our study exemplifies how data can be integrated across sources and modelling procedures to improve our knowledge of relatively understudied species

    A dysflagellar mutant of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis isolated from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Parasites of the <it>Leishmania </it>genus alternate between the flagellated extracellular promastigote stage and intracellular amastigotes. Here we report the characterization of a <it>Leishmania </it>isolate, obtained from a cutaneous leishmaniasis patient, which presents peculiar morphological features.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The parasite was cultured <it>in vitro </it>and characterized morphologically using optical and electron microscopy. Identification was performed based on monoclonal antibodies and internal ribosomal spacer typing. <it>In vitro </it>macrophage cultures, murine experimental models and sand fly infections were used to evaluate infectivity <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The isolate was identified as <it>Leishmania </it>(<it>Viannia</it>) <it>braziliensis</it>. In the atypical promastigotes grown in culture, a short flagellum surrounded or interrupted by a protuberance of disorganized material was observed. A normal axoneme was present close to the basal body but without elongation much further outside the flagellar pocket. A disorganized swelling at the precocious end of the axoneme coincided with the lack of a paraflagellar rod structure. The isolate was able to infect macrophages <it>in vitro</it>, induce lesions in BALB/c mice and infect <it>Lutzomyia longipalpis</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Notwithstanding the lack of an extracellular flagellum, this isolate infects macrophages <it>in vitro </it>and produces lesions when inoculated into mice. Moreover, it is able to colonize phlebotomine sand flies. Considering the importance attributed to the flagellum in the successful infection and survival of <it>Leishmania </it>in the insect midgut and in the invasion of macrophages, these findings may bring new light into the infectious mechanisms of <it>L</it>. (<it>V</it>.) <it>braziliensis</it>.</p

    One hundred and thirty-five years of avifaunal surveys around Santarém, central Brazilian Amazon

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    We present an updated annotated avifaunal checklist for the Santarém region of central Pará state, Brazil, an area that has one of the oldest histories of ornithological exploration in South America. We combine data from a fivemonth quantitative survey of the birds of the municipalities of Santarém and Belterra (east of the Tapajós River) between 2010 and 2011 with an exhaustive search of material in museum collections worldwide and digital vouchers deposited online. Our own survey sampled habitats across a gradient of disturbance ranging from 'undisturbed' primary forest, through logged and burnt forest, patches of secondary forest, cattle pastures and intensive mechanized agriculture. Given the potential for species misidentifications in avian inventories, we paid special attention to obtaining voucher documentation. Here we present a collection of publicly accessible digital vouchers for all of the new species, in addition to providing museum catalogue numbers for all old records. We added 24 species to the regional list, principally species associated with anthropogenic land-uses, but also including seven species restricted to primary forest habitats which were missed from both recent published inventories and over the course of two centuries of intensive collecting efforts. The regional list now stands at 583 species for which voucher documentation is available, with an additional 26 undocumented species. Many of the species reported here are poorly known or represent notable range extensions, and we present new data on their status and distribution
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