Increased intestinal carbonate precipitate abundance in the sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) in response to ocean acidification

Marine fish contribute to the carbon cycle by producing mineralized intestinal precipitates generated as by-products of their osmoregulation. Here we aimed at characterizing the control of epithelial bicarbonate secretion and intestinal precipitate presence in the gilthead sea bream in response to predicted near future increases of environmental CO2. Our results demonstrate that hypercapnia (950 and 1800 μatm CO2) elicits higher intestine epithelial HCO3- secretion ex vivo and a subsequent parallel increase of intestinal precipitate presence in vivo when compared to present values (440 μatm CO2). Intestinal gene expression analysis in response to environmental hypercapnia revealed the up-regulation of transporters involved in the intestinal bicarbonate secretion cascade such as the basolateral sodium bicarbonate co-transporter slc4a4, and the apical anion transporters slc26a3 and slc26a6 of sea bream. In addition, other genes involved in intestinal ion uptake linked to water absorption such as the apical nkcc2 and aquaporin 1b expression, indicating that hypercapnia influences different levels of intestinal physiology. Taken together the current results are consistent with an intestinal physiological response leading to higher bicarbonate secretion in the intestine of the sea bream paralleled by increased luminal carbonate precipitate abundance and the main related transporters in response to ocean acidification.Agência financiadora Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) SFRH/BD/113363/2015 PTDC/MAR-BIO/3034/2014 Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) UID/Multi/04326/2019 Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Polandinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Coffee has hepatoprotective benefits in Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C even in lower daily consumption than in American and European populations

The potential role of coffee as a hepatoprotective substance for chronic liver diseases has been widely discussed. Our main aim was to evaluate the effect of coffee intake regarding clinical, biochemical tests and liver biopsy data in treatment naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C. One hundred and thirty-six patients with chronic hepatitis C, diagnosed through liver biopsy, or by means of clinical, ultrasound or endoscopic signs of cirrhosis, were assessed by determination of biochemical tests, metabolic and morphological alterations. Food frequency was scrutinized by using a structured questionnaire. Coffee intake represented more than 90% of the total daily caffeine, and the 75th percentile was 4-Brazilian coffee-cup/day (>255mL/day or >123mg caffeine/day). According to caffeine intake, patients were divided into two groups (123mg caffeine/day). Patients with higher ingestion of caffeine had lower serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (× upper limit of normal) (1.8±1.5 vs 2.3±1.5, p=0.04), lower frequencies of advanced (F3, F4) fibrosis (23.5% vs 54.5%, p<0.001) and of histological activity grade (A3, A4) observed in liver biopsies (13.8% vs 36.9%, p<0.001). By multivariate logistic regression, fibrosis was independently associated with caffeine intake (OR- 0.16; 95%CI - 0.03-0.80; p=0.026), γ-glutamil transferase serum levels and morphological activity. But only fibrosis was associated with histological activity. In conclusion caffeine consumption greater than 123mg/day was associated with reduced hepatic fibrosis. In addition, this study supports the assumption that coffee intake has hepatoprotective benefits for Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis C, even in lower doses than that of American and European population intake.Federal University of São Paulo Department of MedicineHospital Sírio LibanêsUNIFESP, Department of MedicineSciEL

Caracterização petrografica e geoquimica das litologias na mina de ouro da Fazenda Maria Preta no greenstone belt do Rio Itapicuru, Bahia

Orientador: Asit ChondhuriDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de GeocienciasResumo: Uma das minas de ouro do greenstone belt do Rio Itapicuru é a da Fazenda Maria Preta. As rochas predominantes nesta área são vulcânicas félsicas e metassedimentos, bem como localmente ocorrem basaltos e dioritos. Com o exame petrográfico e geoquímico foi possível de Tinir quatro tipos litológicos: 1. Basalto com piroxênios altera dos para anfibólios e clorita e plagioclásios epidotizados com textura subofíticai 2. Andesitos ácidos com alguns piroxênios anfibolitizados ecloritizados, plagioclásio, pouca sericita e quartzo, com texturas microgranular intersertal até porfirítica; 3. Dacitos com plagioclásíos muito sericitizado e quartzo bipiramidal; bastante limpido, com texturas microgranular. traquitóide, porfiritica e micrográfica. O quarto grupo definido essencialmente pela geoquímica, é constituído por riolitos, com plagioclásio e quartzo com texturas microgranular, traquitóide e micrográfica. O tratamento dos dados geoquímicos. aliado as informacoes petrográficas podem indicar a possibilidade de duas fontes magmáticas para a geração das rochas acima citadas. A primeira de natureza básica e a segunda intermediária a ácida, geradas a partir de plumas basalticas, na base de uma crosta siálica, provavelmente a partir de um rifteamento. O metamorfismo caracterizado como de baixo grau, com paragêneses típicas de fácies xisto verde, apresenta uma fase hidrotermal superposta. Esta fase hidrotermal deve ser responsável pela mlneralização aurífera que ocorreu em função da presença de fluidos ricos em CO2. H20, K20 e H2S, que juntos ao cisalhamento ductil N - S. foram os responsáveis pela concentração das mineralizações auríferas.Abstract: One of the gold mines of the Rio Itapicuru greenstone belt in Bahia, is the Fazenda Maria Preta mine. The main rock types there are felsic volcanics and metasediments besides a few occurrences of basalts and diorites. On the basis of petrografic and geochemical study, it was possible to define 4 groups of rocks: 1. Basalt with altered pyroxenes to amphibole and chlorite and epidotized plagioclase with subophitic texture. 2. Acid andesites with some chloritized and amphibolitized pyroxenes, plagioclase, few sericite and quartz, with porphyritic, intersertal and microgranular texture. 3. Dacites with sericitized plagioclase and bipyramidal, very clear quartz, with micrographic, porphyritic, trachytic and microgranular texture. The fourth group defined by geochemistry consists of rhyolites with plagioclase and quartz with micrographic, trachytic and microgranular texture. The geochemical data linked with petrographic information shows that there may have been two magmatic sources for the generation of the rocks studied. The first one of basaltic composition and the second acid intermediate composition possibly generated from basaltic plumes at the base of the sialic crust at the time of rifting. The metamorphism in the area is 10w grade, the rocks having typical parageneses of greenschist facies, later overprinted by a hydrothermal phase with fluids rich in, CO2, H20, K2O and H2S, which may have caused the gold mineralization that occurred associated with the ductile shear zone (N - S) affecting the rocks in the study area.MestradoMestre em Geociência

La educación a distancia virtual: desarrollo y características en cursos de matemáticas

La educación a distancia virtual es un campo que constantemente se transforma y permite la creación de nuevos programas de formación en diferentes áreas del conocimiento y niveles educativos. En este sentido, actualmente se desarrolla una investigación titulada “Procesos de interacción para una producción de conocimiento matemático en un colectivo de estudiantes-con-medios en educación a distancia virtual”, que busca tanto la formación de un estudiante de doctorado como contribuir a este campo con perspectivas teóricas y metodológicas en Educación Matemática en el contexto del programa de educación virtual - Ude@, a través de un estudio de casos de enfoque cualitativo. El presente artículo aborda algunos análisis, reflexiones y características relevantes de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje de las matemáticas en este tipo de ambientes virtuales, mediante el planteamiento de estrategias que identifiquen aquellos procesos de interacción que permitan una producción de conocimiento matemático en cursos de educación a distancia virtual

Ações integradas em busca da sustentabilidade no Assentamento Tarumã-Mirim, zona rural de Manaus (AM).

Neste trabalho, são apresentadas ações da primeira fase do projeto “Tarumã Vivo” desenvolvido pela Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental no Assentamento Tarumã-Mirim (Manaus-AM) e parceiros, com o objetivo de gerar conhecimentos e ações sustentáveis de forma colaborativa com os agricultores familiares. Os diagnósticos mostraram que a retirada da floresta está relacionada à produção de carvão vegetal e lenha, exploração de madeira e agropecuária. O projeto considerou o manejo da paisagem agrícola e os aspectos sócio-econômicos, o que resultou na construção de alternativas diferentes em objetivos, superfície, composição, arranjo e manejo, em 29 propriedades agrícolas. Os cursos ministrados foram meios importantes para mudanças, pois viabilizaram a substituição da venda de carvão vegetal por produção de hortaliças e a recuperação de áreas alteradas em 15 propriedades. A renda semanal aumentou de 54,26% considerando a venda direta na feira. Após o curso sobre Associativismo foi criada a Associação Agrícola Rural do Ramal do Pau Rosa (Assagrir), permitindo a articulação e viabilização de novas ações em prol da comunidade. O processo de empoderamento contemplou os quatro níveis (Cognitivo, Psicológico, Econômico e Político)

ICTIOFAUNA DEMERSAL NA ALIMENTAÇÃO DO GAIVOTÃO (LARUS DOMINICANUS) EM UM AMBIENTE SUBTROPICAL

RESUMO ∙ Informações sobre a dieta de aves marinhas são de grande importância para o entendimento entre as aves e seu ambiente. Sabe‐se que o Gaivotão (Larus dominicanus) costuma forragear descartes de pesca, e que na área amostrada estes descartes são abundantes na modalidade de arrasto, com grande volume de peixes demersais. Foi analisado o hábito alimentar da L. dominicanus no estado do Paraná, Brasil. Os itens alimentares dos pellets foram identificados a fim de demonstrar a importância dos peixes demersais na dieta desta espécie. Os pellets foram amostrados entre agosto de 2011 e julho de 2012 no balneário de Barrancos. Baseado na identificação dos otólitos encontrados nos pellets, foi retrocalculado o comprimento e a massa dos peixes. Nos 120 pellets coletados, foram identificados 228 peixes, de 14 espécies e 3 famílias, destaque para a família Sciaenidae com 11 espécies. Cathorops spixii, Larimus breviceps, Paralonchurus brasiliensis e Stellifer rastrifer foram mais frequentes. Nas análises sazonais L. breviceps, Micropogonias furnieri, P. brasiliensis e S. rastrifer foram encontrados na dieta de L. dominicanus em todas as estações. A análise canônica demonstrou diferenças sazonais significativas na abundância, massa e comprimento dos teleósteos identificados na dieta de L. dominicanus. Este estudo demonstrou a frequente ocorrência de peixes demersais na dieta de L. dominicanus, sugerindo que este tipo de descarte de pesca é uma importante fonte de alimento para as populações locais de esta espécie.ABSTRACT ∙ Demersal fish in the diet of the Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) in a subtropical environment Information on the diet of sea birds is of great importance for the understanding between birds and their environment. It is known that the Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) is used to forage discards, and that in the area sampled these discards are abundant in trawling mode, with a large volume of demersal fish. The food habit of L. dominicanus was analyzed in the State of Paraná, Brazil. The food items of the pellets were identified in order to demonstrate the importance of demersal fish in the diet of this species. The pellets were sampled between August 2011 and July 2012 on the seaside of Barrancos. Based on the identification of the otoliths found in the pellets, length and mass of fishes were recalculated. In the 120 pellets collected, 228 fishes from 14 species and 3 families were identified, with emphasis on the Sciaenidae family with 11 species. Cathorops spixii, Larimus breviceps, Paralonchurus brasiliensis, and Stellifer rastrifer were most frequent. In the seasonal analyses, L. breviceps, Micropogonias furnieri, P. brasiliensis, and S. rastrifer were found in the diet of L. dominicanus in all seasons. The canonical analysis showed significant seasonal differences in abundance, mass, and length of the teleosts identified in the diet of L. dominicanus. This study demonstrated the frequent occurrence of demersal fish in the diet of L. dominicanus, suggesting that discards are an important source of food for the local populations of this species

Loot box gambling addiction risk versus responsible computing: a systematic review

There are many ways to monetize video games: from the simple direct purchase to the system of “games as a service”. There are, however, forms of monetization that show strong indications of being detrimental to consumers, such as the so-called “loot boxes” that are offered during gameplay. No study so far has categorically proven whether or not loot boxes cause a dependency or lead to gambling addiction, therefore this study seeks to perform a systematic literature review to determine which studies and experiments were performed, in order to: 1) determine the harmful effects of loot box consumption; 2) compare the results found in these studies; 3) identify gaps in the methodology applied to suggest further research that might lead to stronger conclusions and 4) check if there are studies in the field of responsible computing of articles that aim to minimize the harmful effects of loot box in humans. These studies could be useful in, for example, supporting the drafting of regulatory legislation for the use of microtransactions in video games, and consumer protection and the need to research computational algorithms to try to reduce potential addictive effects generated by loot boxes, which is part of responsible computing. In this study, although this systematic review shows that these studies still do not prove that loot boxes lead to gambling addiction, they do show that there is a correlation between them and there is still a need for more studies in the field of computing area dedicated to the research of algorithms that seek to minimize the potentially harmful effects of loot box in humans

Mucosal delivery of liposome-chitosan nanoparticles complexes

Designing adequate drug carriers has long been a major challenge for those working in drug delivery. Since drug delivery strategies have evolved for mucosal delivery as the outstanding alternative to parenteral administration, many new drug delivery systems have been developed which evidence promising properties to address specific issues. Colloidal carriers, such as nanoparticles and liposomes, have been referred to as the most valuable approaches, but still have some limitations that can become more inconvenient as a function of the specific characteristics of administration routes. To overcome these limitations, we developed a new drug delivery system that results from the combination of chitosan nanoparticles and liposomes, in an approach of combining their advantages, while avoiding their individual limitations. These lipid/chitosan nanoparticle complexes are, thus, expected to protect the encapsulated drug from harsh environmental conditions, while concomitantly providing its controlled release. To prepare these assemblies, two different strategies have been applied: one focusing on the simple hydration of a previously formed dry lipid film with a suspension of chitosan nanoparticles, and the other relying on the lyophilization of both basic structures (nanoparticles and liposomes) with a subsequent step of hydration with water. The developed systems are able to provide a controlled release of the encapsulated model peptide, insulin, evidencing release profiles that are dependent on their lipid composition. Moreover, satisfactory in vivo results have been obtained, confirming the potential of these newly developed drug delivery systems as drug carriers through distinct mucosal routes

Pós-graduação na educação física brasileira: a atração (fatal) para a biodinâmica

O objetivo do trabalho foi caracterizar academicamente a educação física no Brasil. Primeiro, fez-se um paralelo entre os eventos desse processo ocorridos nos Estados Unidos e no Brasil. A seguir, os programas de pós-graduação brasileiros foram analisados do ponto de vista de suas áreas de concentração e de sua vinculação com o corpo docente, as linhas e os projetos de pesquisa. Educação física é o termo predominante na denominação da maioria dos programas brasileiros, diferentemente dos Estados Unidos, onde se privilegia cinesiologia. A análise das áreas de concentração dos programas de pós-graduação permitiu-nos identificar três subáreas: biodinâmica, sociocultural e pedagógica. A biodinâmica sobressai-se pela dimensão do corpo docente e pela quantidade de linhas e projetos de pesquisa, sempre mais numerosos em comparação com as subáreas sociocultural e pedagógica. Tal hegemonia expressa a valorização atribuída às pesquisas orientadas pelas ciências naturais em detrimento daquelas fundamentadas pelas ciências humanas e sociais, além da dificuldade em problematizar a intervenção, particularmente no âmbito da escola. Esse quadro guarda semelhança com a realidade norte-americana, haja vista que acadêmicos norte-americanos das subáreas sociocultural e pedagógica apontam os obstáculos para compatibilizar suas concepções teóricas e metodológicas com os modos hegemônicos de pensamento, investigação e ação no campo da cinesiologia. Tanto os acontecimentos nos Estados Unidos quanto a caracterização acadêmica predominante nos programas de pós-graduação no Brasil indicam a forte presença da biodinâmica em prejuízo da educação física, no que ela compreende e agrega, sobretudo, como prática social e pedagógica de longa data.The present work aimed at the academic characterization of physical education in Brazil. First, a parallel was made between the history of academic characterization of physical education in North America and in Brazil. Next, the analysis of the areas comprehended by graduate study programs was carried out in the field around Brazil. A survey was done considering the field of concentration and its interface and links with the size of faculty, with research lines and with research projects. Physical education is the most preferred term to name the majority of the Brazilian graduate programs in contrast with the United States where Kinesiology is preferred. The analysis of the field of concentration yields three main subfields: biodynamics, sociocultural and pedagogical. Biodynamics takes precedence as one considers the size of the faculty and the number of research lines and projects always greater than the same variables in comparison with sociocultural and pedagogical subfields. This hegemony reflects a trend in which natural sciences-oriented research is privileged over human and social sciences-oriented research and difficulty in valuing the intervention, especially in schooling. This portrait resembles what happens in the US as some North American scholars from the sociocultural and pedagogical subfields have also identified difficulties in making their theoretical and methodological conceptions compatible with the hegemonic modes of thinking and investigation in kinesiology