GERENCIAMENTO DA CADEIA DE SUPRIMENTOS DE ENGENHOS DE ARROZ NO RIO GRANDE DO SUL: UM ESTUDO À LUZ DA ECONOMIA DOS CUSTOS DE TRANSAÇÃO

The objective of this work was to identify the management process of the rice mill supply chain in the Depressão Central area of Rio Grande do Sul state also advancing in the understanding of the aspects that involve the transaction between the agricultural and industrial sectors. The data was collected through the sending of one questionnaire to each one of the rice mill owners and interviews later on. The region comprises 22 rice mills, 10 of which did return the questionnaire. The results allowed for two important conclusions: a) it could be observed that the rice mills are predominantly supplied by farmers of the region who have good storage structures, which allows them to better plan the commercialization of the products and to reduce the seasonal effect of the prices on the farm income; b) it was observed that the supply chain features few coordination mechanisms, and that the governance still happens predominantly by via market. There is a predominance of non-contractual relations between industry and farmers; there is practically no occurrence of mechanisms of control as well as of information exchange between industry and farmer; and the use of mechanisms of orientation and technical assistance is reduced, predominating only in the cooperative organizations and in one of the private companies.transaction costs, productive rice chain, coordination.,

Liver and intestinal protective effects of Castanea sativa Mill. bark extract in high-fat diet rats

The effects of Castanea sativa Mill. have been studied in high fat diet (HFD) overweight rats. Natural Extract of Chestnut bark (Castanea sativa Mill.) (ENC®), rich in ellagitannins, has been studied in 120 male Sprague-Dawley rats, divided in four groups. Two groups were controls: regular (RD) and HDF diet. Two groups received ENC®(20 mg/kg/day): RD + ENC®and HFD + ENC®. At baseline and at 7, 14 and 21 days, weight gain, serum lipids, plasma cytokines, liver histology, microsomial enzymes and oxidation, intestinal oxidative stress and contractility were studied. HFD increased body weight, increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, induced hepatocytes microvescicular steatosis, altered microsomial, increased liver and intestinal oxidative stress, deranged intestinal contractility. In HFD-fed rats, ENC®exerted antiadipose and antioxidative activities and normalized intestinal contractility, suggesting a potential approach to overweight management associated diseases

GERENCIAMENTO DA CADEIA DE SUPRIMENTOS DE ENGENHOS DE ARROZ NO RIO GRANDE DO SUL: UM ESTUDO À LUZ DA ECONOMIA DOS CUSTOS DE TRANSAÇÃO

The objective of this work was to identify the management process of the rice mill supply chain in the Depressão Central area of Rio Grande do Sul state also advancing in the understanding of the aspects that involve the transaction between the agricultural and industrial sectors. The data was collected through the sending of one questionnaire to each one of the rice mill owners and interviews later on. The region comprises 22 rice mills, 10 of which did return the questionnaire. The results allowed for two important conclusions: a) it could be observed that the rice mills are predominantly supplied by farmers of the region who have good storage structures, which allows them to better plan the commercialization of the products and to reduce the seasonal effect of the prices on the farm income; b) it was observed that the supply chain features few coordination mechanisms, and that the governance still happens predominantly by via market. There is a predominance of non-contractual relations between industry and farmers; there is practically no occurrence of mechanisms of control as well as of information exchange between industry and farmer; and the use of mechanisms of orientation and technical assistance is reduced, predominating only in the cooperative organizations and in one of the private companies

Cold pressor test using strain-gauge plethysmography

This laboratory activity is designed to teach students how to measure forearm muscle blood flow (FBF) to describe the mechanisms of peripheral blood flow thermal regulation in healthy subjects. The cold pressor test (CPT) is the clinical procedure used in the experiment to induce arterial vasoconstriction. Strain-gauge plethysmography is applied on the patient's forearm to noninvasive monitor vasoconstriction effects on local blood perfusion and physiological parameters such as blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR). Patients with an altered peripheral vascular resistance (e.g., in hypertension) have different responses to the CPT from healthy subjects. To date, experimental evidence remains unexplained, as we do not know if the BP and HR increase is caused by a decrease in flow rate or an increase in peripheral vascular resistance during the test. To clarify this situation, we have to quantify the parameter we assume is being conditioned by the regulatory physiological intervention, i.e., peripheral vascular resistance. Peripheral vascular resistance quantification can be calculated as the ratio between muscle flow and mean arterial pressure. Students will learn how to apply the instrumental procedure to collect and analyze data before, during, and after the CPT and to describe the physiological responses of the peripheral vascular system to external stressors. They will also learn how to distinguish healthy from pathological responses on the basis of how sympathetic nervous system reactions influence the biomechanics of peripheral vessels

The City of Rome and its groundwater: from critical issues, to urban resilience opportunities

This paper emphasizes the importance of groundwater resources of Rome with regard to its protection, and the associated issues. There are different tipologies of interference between human presence and groundwater in the city, ranging from the presence of water circulating inside the thick layers of anthropogenic deposits, the frequent contamination of groundwater, the presence of mining activities, the presence of archaeological heritage in underground or in low areas affected by flooding also induced by water table rising. Despite the various issues that are found, the knowledge of groundwater resources of Rome can be an important starting point to enhance its protection s and take advantage of the related countless benefits also aim to increase urban resilience

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: diagnosis and treatment

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a clinical condition characterized by a malabsorption syndrome due to an increase in microorganisms within the small intestine. The main mechanisms restricting bacterial colonization in the upper gut are the gastric acid barrier, mucosal and systemic immunity and intestinal clearance. When these mechanisms fail, bacterial overgrowth develops. Diarrhea, steatorrhea, chronic abdominal pain, bloating and flatulence are common symptoms and are similar to those observed in irritable bowel syndrome. Breath tests (glucose and/or lactulose breath tests) have been proposed as a sensitive and simple tool for the diagnosis of bacterial overgrowth, being non-invasive and inexpensive compared to the gold standard represented by the culture of intestinal aspirates. Antibiotic therapy is the cornerstone of SIBO treatment. Current SIBO treatment is based on empirical courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics since few controlled studies concerning the choice and duration of antibiotic therapy are available at present

Plasma anti-inflammatory cytokines in RD-rats, and HFD-rats with or without ENC^® (20 mg/kg/day) for 21 days.

<p>RD0-21 or HFD0-21: pooled data between days 0–21. Data are reported as mean ± S.D. and expressed as percent changes of the baseline value [100 (%)] of RD-rats. *<i>P</i> < 0.05, **<i>P</i> < 0.01, ***<i>P</i> < 0.01 <i>vs</i> RD same time. °<i>P</i> < 0.05, °°<i>P</i> < 0.01 <i>vs</i> HFD 0–21 (ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post test).</p