Embrapa's evaluation and awards system: selected papers.

This paper presents basic conceptsw and operational aspects of Performance Evaluation system and Premiums fos outstanding resuilts irnplemented by Embrapa in 1996. This system aims to increase performance of research units, research teams and employess in gerenal, rewarding the more productive members of the institution. This system procedure for research units; e) team and individual empoyee evaluation; and, d) team and individual reward procedure. O presente trabalho apresenta conceitos e aspectos operacionais do Sistema de Avaliação e Premiação por Resultados da Embrapa, implantado em 1996. O sistema objetiva elevar o desempenho das unidades de pesquisa, das equipes e empregados da Empresa e recompensar os mais produtivos. O sistema e constituido por 4 componentes: a) avaliação de unidades; b) premiação de unidades; c) Avaliação de equipes e empregados; e d) premiação de equipes e empregados

Detection of flavonoids in glandular trichomes of Chromolaena species (Eupatorieae, Asteraceae) by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Neste trabalho 12 flavonóides foram detectados nos tricomas glandulares de duas espécies de Chromolaena através do emprego da técnica de microamostragem de tricomas glandulares, associada à análise por CLAE. Esta é a primeira vez que se relata o acúmulo de flavonóides em tricomas glandulares no gênero. Com base nos resultados obtidos, podemos sugerir que esta técnica pode ser uma ferramenta útil na busca de substâncias com propriedades medicinais e em estudos quimiotaxonômicos de Eupatorieae.In this work, twelve flavonoids were detected in glandular trichomes of two species of Chromolaena through the glandular microsampling technique and HPLC-UV-DAD analysis. This is the first time that the accumulation of flavonoids in glandular trichomes of the genus Chromolaena is reported. Based on the results, we suggest that this technique can be an useful tool in the search of new compounds with medicinal properties as well as in chemotaxonomic studies of Eupatorieae

Migrazioni e inclusione. L'agire agapico di singoli, gruppi e istituzioni

Il fenomeno delle migrazioni si è sviluppato in modo considerevole negli ultimi dieci anni con conseguenze imprevedibili e spostamenti di persone mai verificatisi nella storia dell’umanità. Con questo articolo si offrono alcune prospettive di studio sui principali temi collegati ai fenomeni migratori, con particolare attenzione alle motivazioni dei soggetti mediante un approccio qualitativo. Tali prospettive sono state utilizzate per analizzare tre casi rilevanti in cui ai processi migratori si associano azioni orientate in senso agapico per lo sviluppo di nuove socialità

High levels of blood pressure among Brazilian overweight and obese children and adolescents

Introdução: A hipertensão arterial (AH) é um problema crescente no mundo e traz várias consequências para a saúde. Numerosos levantamentos mostram que o risco de AH é maior em indivíduos com sobrepeso e obesos do que nos eutróficos. Por isso, este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a prevalência de hipertensão arterial em crianças e adolescentes portadores de sobrepeso e obesidade. Métodos: Estudo transversal retrospectivo com crianças e adolescentes de dois serviços de saúde em diferentes regiões do Brasil e perfis socioeconômicos distintos. Todas as crianças e adolescentes atendidos entre 1998 e 2020, com idades entre 5 e 17 anos, com escore z de índice de massa corporal superior a +1 foram incluídos no estudo. A pressão arterial foi medida uma vez com o paciente deitado e em repouso. As diretrizes da Academia Americana de Pediatria foram usadas para classificar os níveis de pressão arterial do paciente. Resultados: Foram avaliados 691 pacientes (49% do sexo masculino). As prevalências de hipertensãoarterial entre indivíduos com sobrepeso e obesidade foram de 38,8% e 51,5% (p = 0,002), respectivamente. Além disso, os indivíduos obesos tinham 1,67 vezes mais chances de ter hipertensão em comparação com os portadores de sobrepeso. Os homens apresentaram maior prevalência de hipertensão arterial (52,1% vs. 43,3%; p = 0,002) e foram 1,3 vezes mais propensos a ter valores mais elevados de pressão arterial. Conclusão: A prevalência de hipertensão arterial em dois ambulatórios pediátricos foi elevada entre crianças e adolescentes portadores de sobrepeso e obesidade. Homens e indivíduos com obesidade tiveram risco significativamente maior de hipertensão.Background: Arterial hypertension (AH) is a growing problem globally, bringing various health consequences. Numerous surveys show that the risk of AH is higher in overweight and obese individuals than in eutrophic ones. However, the number of data that investigates blood pressure in obese pediatric populations is still small. Therefore, this study aims to assess the prevalence of hypertension in overweight and obese children and adolescents. Methods:Retrospective cross-sectional study with children and adolescents from two health services in different regions of Brazil and distinct socioeconomic profiles. All children and adolescents seen between 1998-2020, aged 5-17 years, with a body mass index greater than +1 standard deviation (Z-score), were enrolled in the study. Blood pressure was measured once with the patient lying down and at rest. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines were used to classify the patient’s blood pressure levels. Results: 691 patients were evaluated (49% male). Of these, 47.6% had hypertension. The prevalences of hypertension among overweight and obese subjects were 38.8% and 51.5% (p = 0.002), respectively. In addition, obese people were 1.67 times more likely to have hypertension than overweight people. Males had a higher prevalence of hypertension (52.1% vs. 43.3%; p = 0.002) and were 1.3 times more likely to have high blood pressure values. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension was high in overweightand obese children and adolescents from two pediatric outpatient clinics. Males and subjects with obesity were at significantly higher risk of having hypertension

Preservation of phenolic compounds on dried leaf infusion of Bauhinia forficata Link

Bauhinia forficata Link aqueous extract is usually recommended as a phytomedicine to reduce blood glucose levels and its biological activity has been linked to the presence of phenolic compounds from B. forficata preparations. Several drying processes are used in the production of dry herbal extracts, which may influence the chemical composition and efficacy of final herbal medicines. Due to significant chemical changes, defining appropriate drying processes is essential for phytopharmaceutical drug development. In view of this, we analyzed dried B. forficata leaf infusion (BFLI) extracts by HPLC-UV-MSn, followed by molecular networking analysis to evaluate the chemical profiles from dried extracts yielded by freeze-and spray-drying processes. The main metabolites detected included 11 ferulic/isoferulic acid derivatives and 13 glycosylated flavonoids. The qualitative chemical profiles were alike for both drying processes, whereas the relative abundance of some flavonoids was higher using spray-drying. Taken together, our results showed that freeze-and spray-drying preserved the phenolic profile of BFLI and suggested that spray-drying may be the most suitable to obtain its dried products. Along with studying the chemical profiles of dried herbal extracts, evaluating the influence of drying processes on the quality and chemical profiles of final products is pivotal and may benefit future research

Integrative proteomics and pharmacogenomics analysis of methylphenidate treatment response

Transcriptomics and candidate gene/protein expression studies have indicated several biological processes modulated by methylphenidate (MPH), widely used in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment. However, the lack of a differential proteomic profiling of MPH treatment limits the understanding of the most relevant mechanisms by which MPH exerts its pharmacological effects at the molecular level. Therefore, our aim is to investigate the MPHinduced proteomic alterations using an experimental design integrated with a pharmacogenomic analysis in a translational perspective. Proteomic analysis was performed using the cortices of Wistar-Kyoto rats, which were treated by gavage with MPH (2 mg/kg) or saline for two weeks (n = 6/group). After functional enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed proteins (DEP) in rats, the significant biological pathways were tested for association with MPH response in adults with ADHD (n = 189) using genome-wide data. Following MPH treatment in rats, 98 DEPs were found (P 1.0). The functional enrichment analysis of the DEPs revealed 18 significant biological pathways (gene-sets) modulated by MPH, including some with recognized biological plausibility, such as those related to synaptic transmission. The pharmacogenomic analysis in the clinical sample evaluating these pathways revealed nominal associations for gene-sets related to neurotransmitter release and GABA transmission. Our results, which integrate proteomics and pharmacogenomics, revealed putative molecular effects of MPH on several biological processes, including oxidative stress, cellular respiration, and metabolism, and extended the results involving synaptic transmission pathways to a clinical sample. These findings shed light on the molecular signatures of MPH effects and possible biological sources of treatment response variability