Some arachnidan peptides with potential medical application

The search for new active drugs that can alleviate or cure different diseases is a constant challenge to researchers in the biological area and to the pharmaceutical industry. Historically, research has focused on the study of substances from plants. More recently, however, animal venoms have been attracting attention and studies have been successful in addressing treatment of accidents. Furthermore, venoms and their toxins have been considered good tools for prospecting for new active drugs or models for new therapeutic drugs. In this review, we discuss some possibilities of using different toxins, especially those from arachnid venoms, which have shown some potential application in diseases involving pain, hypertension, epilepsy and erectile dysfunction. A new generation of drugs is likely to emerge from peptides, including those found in animal venoms

Centro de negocios y convenciones Ibagu? Agr?polis

65 p. Recurso Electr?nicoEl centro de negocios y convenciones Ibagu? agr?polis, localizado en la zona de expansi?n que contempla el plan de ordenamiento territorial (POT) para la capital tolimense, es una propuesta que responde a la demanda de escenarios para la realizaci?n de grandes eventos en la ciudad. Nace de la necesidad de estudiar y entender a Ibagu? desde una perspectiva abierta hacia lo global y cada vez m?s diversa y compleja. El proyecto est? compuesto por una zona de oficinas, un auditorio para presentaciones corporativas, dos pabellones: uno para convenciones con posibilidad de subdividirse a su vez en tres salones de menor capacidad y otro de uso m?ltiple para presentaci?n de maquinaria agr?cola o dem?s exposiciones que requieran una gran superficie; cafeter?a, restaurante y por ?ltimo en relaci?n a la vocaci?n agr?cola de la ciudad cuenta con un ?rea para exposiciones de este ?mbito. Esta propuesta busca consolidar en t?rminos urbanos un sector que tiene grandes oportunidades de transformar f?sico, ambiental, social y econ?micamente la realidad en la que se encuentra y contribuir de esta manera al posicionamiento de Ibagu?, como una ciudad altamente competitiva del pa?s.The business center and conventions Ibagu? Agropolis, located in the expansion zone that contemplates the territorial planning plan (POT) for the capital city of Tolima, is a proposal that responds to the demand of scenarios for the realization of major events in the city. It arises from the need to study and understand, an Ibagu? from an open perspective towards the world and increasingly diverse and complete. The project consists of an office area, an auditorium for corporate presentations, two pavilions: one for conventions with the possibility of subdividing once in three smaller rooms and one of multiple use for presentation of agricultural machinery. A large surface; Cafeteria, restaurant And finally in relation to the agricultural vocation of the city has an area for exhibitions in this area. This proposal seeks to consolidate in urban terms a sector that has great opportunities for physical, environmental, social and economic transformation of the reality in which it is and thus contributes to the positioning of Ibagu?, as a highly competitive city of the country. Key words: Conventions, competitiveness, business, positioning

Geographical distribution patterns and niche modeling of the iconic leafcutter ant Acromyrmex striatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Ants are considered one of the most successful groups in the planet?s evolutionary history. Among them highlights the fungus-farming ants of the genera Atta and Acromyrmex that occur throughout most of the Americas. Within the Acromyrmex genus, the species A. striatus distinguishes from other Acromyrmex species as its morphology and karyotype differ from its congeners. This species is found in open environments of dry climate in the southern States of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay; however, little is known about the current distribution of the species. This article aimed to investigate the current distribution of the species by compiling its known distribution and discussing its distributional range. To achieve this, published and unpublished data obtained through a literature search and active collections in various locations were compiled. Published and unpublished data revealed that 386 colonies were recorded, distributed across four countries where its occurrence is known. Environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, soil type and vegetation, as well as historical geological and climate events that have modified Earth?s surface may have influenced species distribution patterns. In the Neotropics, the environmental factors that most impacted the distribution of species were the glaciation periods that occurred in the Quaternary, leading to a great migratory process. These factors may have contributed to the current geographical distribution of A. striatus

Cartografia dos trabalhos de conclus?o de curso da Pedagogia da UFFS-Chapec? (SC)

This research exercise answers to the following problem: "What characteristics and contributions to teaching practice have marked the academic production within the framework of the Pedagogy Course Conclusion Work from Federal University of the Southern Frontier - Campus Chapec? (SC)?" Its purpose is to map the academic productions characterized as TCC. Methodologically, this is a qualitative / quantitative research, fulfilled with the documents already announced, covering the period from 2014 to 2017. The analysis and interpretation of the results was based on the contributions of Bardin (1977) and, more specifically, on the synthesis proposed by Trivi?os (1987), characterized by the processes of pre-analysis, categorical analysis and inferential analysis. The inventory was done from the available register in the institutional repository, systematizing it in a synoptic table, followed by the complete reading of the products, aiming, a posteriori, to identify which teaching learning were highlighted in the link with the profile of the pedagogue. Therefore, we listed 119 works registered as scientific articles considering that, in addition to the cartography, we proposed to find the contributions of the studies about teaching, we based it in the contributions of Arruda, Passos, Fregolente (2012), which referenced the FAD. It is worth mentioning that of the 119 (one hundred and nineteen) papers analyzed, 33 (thirty-three) of them present one or more focuses of teacher learning, thus, 27.73% of the mapped production is contemplated. In addition to this characteristic, the studies reveal directions, intentionalities, theoretical / methodological movements, in short a formative movement that deserves new studies, given the peculiarities of the course and institution.Este exerc?cio de pesquisa responde ao seguinte problema: ?Que caracter?sticas e contribui??es t?m marcado a produ??o acad?mica no ?mbito dos Trabalhos de Conclus?o de Curso de Pedagogia da Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul - Campus Chapec? (SC)??. ? prop?sito deste, cartografar e apresentar as caracter?sticas e contribui??es das produ??es acad?micas caracterizadas como TCC. Metodologicamente, trata-se de uma pesquisa quali/quanti, realizada com os documentos j? anunciados, relativos ao per?odo de 2014 a 2017. A an?lise e interpreta??o dos resultados deram-se a partir das contribui??es de Bardin (1977) e, mais especificamente, a partir da sintetiza??o proposta por Trivi?os (1987), caracterizada como pr?an?lise, an?lise categorial e an?lise inferencial. Fez-se inicialmente o invent?rio a partir do registro dispon?vel no reposit?rio institucional, sistematizando-o em um quadro sin?ptico. Na sequ?ncia fez-se a leitura integral dos produtos, tendo em vista, identificar aprendizagens docentes que mereceram destaque em aten??o ao perfil do/a pedagogo/a. Por conseguinte, inventariamos 119 trabalhos registrados como artigos cient?ficos, cujas caracter?sticas traduzem movimentos reflexivos inerentes ? pr?ticas de ensino, pesquisa e extens?o. Mais especificamente, sendo curso de forma??o inicial damos centralidade aos Focos de Aprendizagem Docente, aportados nos estudos de Arruda, Passos, Fregolente (2012), os quais referenciaram os FAD. ? merit?rio destacar que dos 119 (cento e dezenove) trabalhos analisados, 33 (trinta e tr?s) deles apresentam um ou mais focos de aprendizagem docente, logo, contempla-se 27,73% da produ??o cartografada. Al?m desta caracter?stica, os estudos revelam rumos, intencionalidades, movimentos te?rico/metodol?gicos, enfim um movimento formativo que merece novos estudos, dadas ?s peculiaridades do curso e da institui??o

The Eyes Have It: Sex and Sexual Orientation Differences in Pupil Dilation Patterns

Recent research suggests profound sex and sexual orientation differences in sexual response. These results, however, are based on measures of genital arousal, which have potential limitations such as volunteer bias and differential measures for the sexes. The present study introduces a measure less affected by these limitations. We assessed the pupil dilation of 325 men and women of various sexual orientations to male and female erotic stimuli. Results supported hypotheses. In general, self-reported sexual orientation corresponded with pupil dilation to men and women. Among men, substantial dilation to both sexes was most common in bisexual-identified men. In contrast, among women, substantial dilation to both sexes was most common in heterosexual-identified women. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. Because the measure of pupil dilation is less invasive than previous measures of sexual response, it allows for studying diverse age and cultural populations, usually not included in sexuality research

A Partitioned Finite Element Method for the Structure-Preserving Discretization of Damped Infinite-Dimensional Port-Hamiltonian Systems with Boundary Control

Many boundary controlled and observed Partial Differential Equations can be represented as port-Hamiltonian systems with dissipation, involving a Stokes-Dirac geometrical structure together with constitutive relations. The Partitioned Finite Element Method, introduced in Cardoso-Ribeiro et al. (2018), is a structure preserving numerical method which defines an underlying Dirac structure, and constitutive relations in weak form, leading to finite-dimensional port-Hamiltonian Differential Algebraic systems (pHDAE). Different types of dissipation are examined: internal damping, boundary damping and also diffusion models

An assessment of vulnerability to HIV infection of boatmen in Teknaf, Bangladesh

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mobile population groups are at high risk for contracting HIV infection. Many factors contribute to this risk including high prevalence of risky behavior and increased risk of violence due to conflict and war. The Naf River serves as the primary border crossing point between Teknaf, Bangladesh and Mynamar [Burma] for both official and unofficial travel of people and goods. Little is known about the risk behavior of boatmen who travel back and forth between Teknaf and Myanmar. However, we hypothesize that boatmen may act as a bridging population for HIV/AIDS between the high-prevalence country of Myanmar and the low-prevalence country of Bangladesh.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Methods included initial rapport building with community members, mapping of boatmen communities, and in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants and members from other vulnerable groups such as spouses of boatmen, commercial female sex workers, and injecting drug users. Information from the first three stages was used to create a cross-sectional survey that was administered to 433 boatmen.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over 40% of the boatmen had visited Myanmar during the course of their work. 17% of these boatmen had sex with CSW while abroad. There was a significant correlation found between the number of nights spent in Myanmar and sex with commercial sex workers.</p> <p>In the past year, 19% of all boatmen surveyed had sex with another man. 14% of boatmen had participated in group sex, with groups ranging in size from three to fourteen people. Condom use was rare {0 to 4.7% during the last month}, irrespective of types of sex partners. Regression analysis showed that boatmen who were 25 years and older were statistically less likely to have sexual intercourse with non- marital female partners in the last year compared to the boatmen aged less than 25 years. Similarly deep-sea fishing boatmen and non-fishing boatmen were statistically less likely to have sexual intercourse with non- marital female partners in the last year compared to the day long fishing boatmen adjusting for all other variables. Boatmen's knowledge regarding HIV transmission and personal risk perception for contracting HIV was low.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Boatmen in Teknaf are an integral part of a high-risk sexual behaviour network between Myanmar and Bangladesh. They are at risk of obtaining HIV infection due to cross border mobility and unsafe sexual practices. There is an urgent need for designing interventions targeting boatmen in Teknaf to combat an impending epidemic of HIV among this group. They could be included in the serological surveillance as a vulnerable group. Interventions need to address issues on both sides of the border, other vulnerable groups, and refugees. Strong political will and cross border collaboration is mandatory for such interventions.</p

“Ten Commandments” for the Appropriate use of Antibiotics by the Practicing Physician in an Outpatient Setting

A multi-national working group on antibiotic stewardship, from the International Society of Chemotherapy, put together ten recommendations to physicians prescribing antibiotics to outpatients. These recommendations are: (1) use antibiotics only when needed; teach the patient how to manage symptoms of non-bacterial infections; (2) select the adequate ATB; precise targeting is better than shotgun therapy; (3) consider pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics when selecting an ATB; use the shortest ATB course that has proven clinical efficacy; (4) encourage patients’ compliance; (5) use antibiotic combinations only in specific situations; (6) avoid low quality and sub-standard drugs; prevent prescription changes at the drugstore; (7) discourage self-prescription; (8) follow only evidence-based guidelines; beware those sponsored by drug companies; (9) rely (rationally) upon the clinical microbiology lab; and (10) prescribe ATB empirically – but intelligently; know local susceptibility trends, and also surveillance limitations

EVALUATION OF COSTS OF TWO HARVESTER MODELS IN THE CUT OF Eucalyptus

O presente estudo teve o objetivo de realizar a avalia\ue7\ue3o de custos de dois modelos de harvester, na colheita de madeira de eucalipto. A pesquisa avaliou a derrubada e o processamento da \ue1rvore, com idade de 6 anos, no sistema de toras curtas, para dois modelos de harvester, em \ue1reas localizadas nos munic\uedpios de Concei\ue7\ue3o da Barra \u2013 ES e Caravelas \u2013 BA. Avaliaram-se dois modelos de harvester, PC-228 SHO e PC-200 LC, da marca Komatsu. As informa\ue7\uf5es foram coletadas durante um per\uedodo de 6 meses, que compreende os meses de mar\ue7o a agosto de 2010, pelo m\ue9todo de censo. Calcularam-se os custos operacionais dos dois modelos de harvester, pelo m\ue9todo cont\ue1bil, o qual utiliza valores estimados em reais. Realizou-se ainda a an\ue1lise de sensibilidade de custos para os elementos que mais contribuem com o custo final. Obteve-se o custo operacional para os modelos PC 200 e PC 228 de R$156,95 e R$ 168,84 por hora efetiva, respectivamente. Em rela\ue7\ue3o aos custos operacionais totais, os custos mais significativos foram: combust\uedvel, manuten\ue7\ue3o e reparos e deprecia\ue7\ue3o, com 24,41%, 22,39% e 19,08%, respectivamente. Na an\ue1lise de sensibilidade, simulando uma situa\ue7\ue3o em que a empresa consiga uma economia real de 10% em cada um desses itens, a mesma poder\ue1 obter uma redu\ue7\ue3o no custo de produ\ue7\ue3o em 7%, para as duas m\ue1quinas avaliadas.The present study aimed to carry through the evaluation of costs of two models of harvester in the wood harvesting of Eucalyptus wood. The research evaluated the 6-year old tree fallen and processing, in the cut-to-length system for two models of harvester, in areas located in the cities of Concei\ue7\ue3o da Barra, Esp\uedrito Santo state and Caravelas, Bahia state. It was evaluated the models of harvester PC-228 SHO and PC-200 LC, of the Komatsu Mark. The information was collected during a period of 6 months, from March to August 2010, by the method of census. It was calculated the operational costs of the two models of harvester, for the countable method, which uses values in \u2018Reais\u2019, the Brazilian currency. It was conducted further analysis of cost sensitivity for the elements that contribute most to the final cost. We obtained the operating cost models for PC 200 and PC 228 of R$156,95 and R$ 168,84 per effective hour, respectively. In relation with the total operational costs, the most significant costs were: fuel, maintenance, and repairs/ depreciation, with 24.41%, 22.39% and 19.08%, respectively. In the sensitivity analysis, simulating a situation where the company gets a real economy of 10% in each one of these items, the same one will be able to get a reduction in the cost of production in 7%, for the two evaluated machines