Pesquisa-ação: fundamentos do planejamento e do diagnóstico em comunidades rurais.

O presente trabalho nasceu da necessidade de divulgar um aspecto operacional da metodologia da pesquisa-ação chamada de diagnóstico. O estudo tem sido realizado por uma equipe de pesquisadores, extensionistas e agricultores nos Estados da Bahia, Pernambuco e Paraíba através da Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura, EMATER-PB, EBDA, EMATER-PE. No Brasil, as comunidades, municípios e regiões apresentam-se de forma diferenciada, com menor ou maior complexidade. Logo, para se intervir em determinada área para promover um processo de mudanças e necessário compreender primeiro sua realidade.bitstream/item/81305/1/Pesquisa-Acao-Jose-Cerqueira-Documentos-93-2000.pd

Detection of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis using real time PCR, immunocapture assay, PNA FISH and standard culture methods in different types of food samples

Several methods for the rapid and specific detection of Salmonella in food samples have been described. Here, we compare 4 of those methods in terms of assay time, procedure complexity, detection limit, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Milk, eggs and mayonnaise samples were artificially contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis cell concentrations ranging from 1 × 10- 2 to 1 × 102 CFU per 25 g or ml of food. Samples were then pre-enriched and analyzed by either: i) real-time PCR, using the iQ-Check Salmonella kit; ii) immunocapture, using the RapidChek SELECT Salmonella; iii) a peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA FISH) method and iv) the traditional bacteriological method ISO 6579:2002. All methods were able to detect Salmonella in the different types of food matrixes and presented a similar detection level of 1 CFU per 25 g or ml of food sample. The immunocapture and the PNA FISH methods proved to be very reliable, as their results were 100% in agreement with the ISO method. However, real-time PCR presented a significant number of false positives, which resulted in a specificity of 55.6% (CI 95%, 31.3 – 77.6) and an accuracy of 82.2%(CI 95%, 63.2 – 91.4) for this method. Sensitivity was 100% since no false negative results were observed. In conclusion, the implementation of these molecular techniques, mainly the immunocapture and PNA-FISH methods, provides a reliable and less time-consuming alternative for the detection of Salmonella spp. in food samples.This work was supported by the Portuguese Institute Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (Project "DNA mimics" PIC/IC/82815/2007; Post-Doc Fellowship SFRH/BPD/74480/2010 and PhD Fellowship SFRH/BD/38124/2007)

Effect of grain size and hydrogen passivation on the electrical properties of nanocrystalline silicon films

The properties of mixed-phase (nanocrystalline/amorphous) silicon layers produced by reactive RF-sputtering are described. The chemical composition and nanostructure [i.e. nanocrystal (NC) size and volume fraction] of the films were studied by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Samples with different fractions of the nanocrystalline phase and NC mean size were produced by changing the deposition parameters, without post-growth annealing. The electrical conductivity of the films, measured as function of temperature, is discussed in relation to their nanostructureFCT Project POCTI/CTM/39395/200

Observations on parasite fauna of centropomus undecimalis and C. parallelus (perciformes) bred in southern Brazil, and its possible influence on the welfare of fishes.

The metazoan parasite fauna of snooks, Centropomus parallelus and Centropomus undecimalis, cultured in southern Brazil and parasite?s influence on the relative condition factor (Kn), are investigated. Snooks were parasitized by two species of gill monogeneans belonging to Rhabdosynochus (Diplectanidae) genus and by one endoparasitic digenean species Acanthocollaritrema umbilicatum (Acanthocollaritrematidae). Centropomus parallelus and C. undecimalis showed similar prevalence rates of Rhabdosynochus spp., but greater mean intensity and abundance rates were found in C. parallelus. On the other hand, there was no significant difference on prevalence, mean intensity and abundance of A. umbilicatumfor both hosts. The mean abundance of Rhabdosynochusspp. decreased as the hosts´ length and weight increased. Since the most parasitized fish species, C. parallelus, had lower weight than expected (Kn<1.0), the fact suggested that gill monogeneans might alter fish welfare. Current analysis reports a new host and a new locality for A. umbilicatum

Circulating renalase as predictor of renal and cardiovascular outcomes in pre-dialysis ckd patients: A 5-year prospective cohort study

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), and mortality since the earlier stages. Therefore, it is critical to identify the link between CKD and cardiovascular risk (CVR) through early and reliable biomarkers. Acknowledging that CKD and CKD progression are associated with increased sympathetic tone, which is implicated in CVR, and that renalase metabolizes catecholamines, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between renalase serum levels (RNLS) and cardiovascular and renal outcomes. The study included 40 pre-dialysis CKD patients (19F:21M) with median age of 61 (IQ 45–66) years. At baseline, we measured RNLS as well as routine biomarkers of renal and cardiovascular risk. A prospective analysis was performed to determine whether RNLS are associated with CKD progression, MACCEs, hospitalizations and all-cause mortality. At baseline, the median level of RNLS and median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were 63.5 (IQ 48.4–82.7) µg/mL and 47 (IQ 13–119) mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. In univariate analysis, RNLS were strongly associated with eGFR, age and Charlson Index. Over the course of a mean follow-up of 65 (47 to 70) months, 3 (7.5%) deaths, 2 (5%) fatal MACCEs, 17 (42.5%) hospital admissions occurred, and 16 (40%) patients experienced CKD progression. In univariate analysis, RNLS were associated with CKD progression (p = 0.001), hospitalizations (p = 0.001) and all-cause mortality (p = 0.022) but not with MACCEs (p = 0.094). In adjusted analysis, RNLS predicted CKD progression and hospitalizations regardless of age, Charlson comorbidity index, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia. Our results suggest that RNLS, closely related with renal function, might have a potential role as predictor of renal outcomes, hospitalizations, and mortality in pre-dialysis CKD patients.This work was financed by FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020-Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnolo-gia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274), and a grant from Portuguese Society of Nephrology

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with cerebrovascular events in pre-dialysis ckd patients: A prospective study

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have markedly increased rates of end stage renal disease, major adverse cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), and mortality. Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is an early marker of atherosclerosis that is emerging as an increasingly important non-traditional cardiovascular risk factor in CKD. There is a lack of clinical studies examining the association between ED and both cardiovascular and renal endpoints in patients with CKD. Aims: We examined the association between reactive hyperemia index (RHI), a validated measure of endothelial function measured by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT), with traditional cardiovascular risk factors in pre-dialysis CKD patients and prospectively evaluated the role of RHI as predictor of renal and cardiovascular outcomes in this population. Methods: One hundred and twenty pre-dialysis patients with CKD stages 1 to 5 (CKD group) and 18 healthy kidney donor candidates (control group) were recruited and had a successful RHI measurement by PAT. General demographic and clinical information including traditional cardiovascular risk factors were registered from all participants. Thereafter, patients were prospectively followed-up for a median time of 47 (IQR 19–66) months to determine associations of RHI with renal outcomes, MACCEs, hospitalizations or mortality. Results: In the CKD patient population, the mean age was 57.7 ± 15.5 years, the mean eGFR was 54.9 ± 36.7 mL/min/1.73 m2 (CKD-EPI) and 57 were males (47.5%). At baseline, in univariate analysis, RHI in the CKD group correlated positively with eGFR (r = 0.332, p < 0.0001) and correlated negatively with age (r = -0.469, p < 0.0001), Charlson index (r = -0.399, p < 0.0001), systolic blood pressure (r = -0.256, p = 0.005), and proteinuria (r = 0.211, p = 0.027). Reactive hyperemia index in the control group did not significantly differ from RHI observed in patients with CKD stages 1 to 5 (2.09 ± 0.40 vs. 2.01 ± 0.06, p = 0.493). In adjusted analysis, only age (ß = -0.014, p = 0.003) remained independently associated with RHI at baseline. During follow-up, 8 patients suffered a MACCEs, 33 patients experienced renal function deterioration, 17 patients were hospitalized for medical reasons and 6 patients died. RHI at baseline was not significantly associated with CKD progression (1.94 vs. 2.02, p = 0.584), hospitalizations (1.90 vs. 2.04, p = 0.334), and all-cause mortality (1.65 vs. 2.01, p = 0.208) or MACCEs (1.77 vs. 2.01, p = 0.356), but was significantly associated with cerebrovascular events (1.27 vs. 2.02, p = 0.004) and with a composite cardiovascular outcome (MACCEs, hospital admissions and death; 1.73 vs. 2.07, p = 0.035). Conclusion: Our results suggest that RHI may be a predictor for the development of cerebrovascular events in pre-dialysis CKD patients who may benefit from more aggressive preventive measures.This research was funded by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020—Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274), a grant from Portuguese Society of Nephrology

Synthesis of novel psoralen analogues and in vitro antitumor activity

Psoralens are natural products present in several plant families that are extremely toxic to a wide variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. They are potentially active in diseases such as vitiligo, psoriasis, and several types of cancer. Following our interest on this type of compounds 1 four new psoralen analogues were prepared, 1a-1c and 1e. To synthesize 1a (R = H) the method of Harayama and Ishii was used where the cinnamate was obtained by the Wittig reaction followed by ring closure. Condensation of 1-formyl-2-hydroxycarbazole with diethyl malonate gave 1b which by basic hydrolysis yielded compound 1c. Compound 1d was prepared before.2 Condensation of the 2-hydroxycarbazole with ethyl acetoacetate gave 1e. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H and 13C NMR. Moreover, the anti-proliferative effect of compounds 1a-1e on human cancer cell lines (MDA-MB 231, HeLa and TCCSUP) was evaluated. Results suggest that these psoralen analogues possess a potent cytotoxic effect against the cell lines studied. Computational and molecular docking studies are being carried out.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)(PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011), FEDER-COMPET