Astenopia Digital: Estudo do Grupo Português de Ergoftalmologia

INTRODUCTION: Given the increasing use of electronic devices, and the increasing number of complaints with its use, we intend to evaluate the prevalence of manifestations of dry eye and ocular fatigue in a population of individuals, who use the computer daily to perform all their professional tasks, as well as to correlate these complaints with the number of hours of digital use as well as their possible improvement with behavioural measures and use of tear drops. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 77 individuals (154 eyes) were evaluated on two separate days with a 1-month interval. They completed two questionnaires: OSDI and PEG Eye Fatigue. An objective ocular surface assessment was performed: Schirmer test without anesthetic, DR-1a Dry Eye Monitor™, hyperemia evaluation, lacrimal break up, presence of keratitis and lesions in the conjunctiva, as well as near accommodation point and near convergence point. After the first evaluation, the subjects were divided into two groups: group A ( 2 hours of computer working). Some environmental measures to reduce complaints and recommendation of use of artificial tears were explained to the latter. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in the majority of the parameters evaluated in the group B, in relation to the morning period (group A) - tear film (p = 0.032), hyperemia (p < 0.001), BUT (p < 0.001), keratitis (p < 0.001), conjunctival lesion (p = 0.002) and accommodation point (p < 0.001). In the evaluation - one month later - there were no statistically significant differences in any of the parameters analysed in the group A, and in group B there was a decrease in most parameters at the end of that period - Schirmer test (p = 0.005), lacrimal film (p = 0.022), keratitis (p < 0.001), conjunctival lesion (p = 0.005) and fatigue score (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: It was thus possible to show the appearance of ocular fatigue and ocular surface changes with prolonged use of computers (> 2 hours) as well as a significant improvement in symptomatology (subjective assessment) as well as of ocular surface changes (objective evaluation) with the implementation of postural measures, regular breaks and use of lubricants. This is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, of digital asthenopia in which, in addition to the subjective evaluation, the presence of ocular surface modifications (objective assessment) were evaluated and the respective improvement with the aforementioned ergophthalmological measures were evaluated. CONCLUSION: This survey highlights the increased overall level of awareness that we need to have to face the rapid and wide-scale changes driven by the emergence of digital technology and, more particularly, its impact on user's vision and posture. We concluded that the longer we use the electronic devices (more than two hours) the more severe the complaints and rates of ocular surface changes are. Environmental and ocular strategies can attenuate or even eliminate the discomfort caused by this syndrome, and increase professional performance and quality of life.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Laboratory and field leaching tests for predicting the environmental impact of Portuguese steel slag

The use of waste in the construction of Portuguese public works is feasible if there are no risks for the environment. The materials that meet these requirements in Portugal are those admissible for landfills of inert waste, their classification being done on the basis of the comparison of the leaching values obtained in standard laboratory leach tests with the leaching limit values established in the Portuguese legislation. This paper addresses the results of the leaching tests performed in laboratory and in the field with materials coming from electrical arc furnace steel slag produced in the Portuguese Iron and Steel Company

Biological characterization of purified macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor

We have recently described the purification of a 54 kDa acidic protein, identified as macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (MNCF). This protein causes in vitro chemotaxis as well as in vivo neutrophil migration even in animals treated with dexamethasone. This in vivo chemotactic activity of MNCF in animals pretreated with dexamethasone is an uncommon characteristic which discriminates MNCF from known chemotactic cytokines. MNCF is released in the supernatant by macrophage monolayers stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In the present study, we describe some biological characteristics of homogenous purified MNCF. When assayed in vitro, MNCF gave a bell-shaped dose–response curve. This in vitro activity was shown to be caused by haptotaxis. Unlike N-formyl-methionylleucyl- phenylalanine (FMLP) or interleukin 8 (IL-8), the chemotactic activity of MNCF in vivo and in vitro, was inhibited by preincubation with D-galactose but not with D-mannose. In contrast with IL-8, MNCF did not bind to heparin and antiserum against IL-8 was ineffective in inhibiting its chemotactic activity. These data indicate that MNCF induces neutrophil migration through a carbohydrate recognition property, but by a mechanism different from that of the known chemokines. It is suggested that MNCF may be an important mediator in the recruitment of neutrophils via the formation of a substrate bound chemotactic gradient (haptotaxis) in the inflamed tissues

Construção da primeira micoteca de Mycosphaerella Musicola Leach do Estado da Bahia.

O fungo Mycosphaerella musicola Leach é o agente causal da Sigatoka-amarela em bananeira. Essa doença é reduz da área foliar verde da planta, refletindo em menor produtividade. O objetivo do trabalho foi iniciar uma coleção de isolados de M. musicola coletados no Estado da Bahia. As amostras foram coletadas nas principais microrregiões produtoras de banana, a saber: Bom Jesus da Lapa ( Bom Jesus da Lapa), Ilhéus-Itabuna ( Presidente Tancredo Neves, Wenceslau Guimarães, Barro Preto, Gandu e Teolândia), Valença ( Morro de São Paulo) e Vitória da Conquista (Morro de São Paulo). A partir de 141 amostras coletadas consegui-se isolar e preservar 56 isolados (39,72%) em duplicata nos métodos de Castellani, BDA, BDA+Glicerol, Tiras de papel e Esferas de vidro. A primeira micoteca de Mycosphaerella musicola Leach do Estado da Bahia está sendo construída

Isolation and partial chemical characterization of macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor

Macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) release a factor (MNCF; macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor) which induces neutrophil migration in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo chemotactic activity of crude MNCF is not affected by pretreating the animals with dexamethasone, an uncommon characteristic which discriminates MNCF from known chemotactic cytokines. We purified MNCF by affinity chromatography of the supernatant from LPS-stimulated macrophages on immobilized D-galactose, followed by gel filtration of the sugar-binding material on Superdex 75. The activity was eluted in the volume corresponding to a MW of 54 kDa. SDS–PAGE of this preparation revealed a single band, also corresponding to a 54 kDa protein. MNCF is an acidic protein (pI < 4) as shown by chromatofocussing. Like the crude MNCF, the homogeneous protein induced neutrophil migration in vitro as well as in vivo. This was not modified by dexamethasone pretreatment

Variabilidade genética de isolados do fungo causador da Sigatoka- Amarela em bananeira no Estado da Bahia com o uso de SSR.

A bananeira assume importância econômica e social em todo o mundo, cultivada em mais de 130 países tropicais e subtropicais, principalmente por pequenos agricultores. O Brasil, em 2010 produziu 6,9 milhões de toneladas em uma área de 487 mil ha (FAO, 2012). Esta cultura apresenta importância na geração de empregos, sendo responsável pela renda de milhões de famílias. Embora este cenário seja bastante promissor, a maioria das variedades de bananeira disponível é suscetível à Sigatoka-amarela, causada pelo fungo Mycosphaerella musicola Leach, onde a aplicação sistemática de fungicidas ainda é a principal meio de controle.1 CD-ROM

Comparison between cluster methods using simultaneous analysis of qualitative and quantitative data in bananas.

Understanding the genetic variability in germplasm banks is essential to genetic breeding programs. Usually quantification of the variability is carried out using quantitative and qualitative data separately, which may not be enough to infer about the similarity between the genotypes evaluated

Macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor is involved in the neutrophil recruitment inhibitory activity present in the supernatants of LPS-stimulated macrophages

In a previous study, we demonstrated the presence of a neutrophil recruitment inhibitory factor (NRIF) in the supernatants of LPS-stimulated macrophages. Recently, the purification of a 54 kDa protein, identified as the macrophage-derived neutrophil chemotactic factor (MNCF) was reported. Since NRIF and MNCF are obtained under the same conditions, and, since the intravenous administration of TNF-α and IL-8 inhibits neutrophil migration, we have investigated whether MNCF could be responsible for this inhibitory activity. After affinity chromatography of the macrophage supernatants on a D-galactose column, the inhibitory activity was recovered in both the unbound (D-gal−) and bound (D-gal+) fractions, with MNCF being found in the D-gal+ fraction. Further gel filtration of the latter on Superdex 75 yielded a single peak containing both activities. In a cytotoxicity assay, most of the TNF found in the crude supernatants was recovered in the D-gal− fraction. Furthermore, the incubation of the D-gal− fraction with anti-TNF-α plus anti-IL-8 antisera partially prevents its inhibitory effect on neutrophil migration, but had no effect on the D-gal+ activity. Overall, these results suggest that the D-gal− inhibitory effect is partially mediated by TNF-α and IL-8, and that MNCF accounts for the inhibition of neutrophil migration in vivo by the D-gal+ fraction

Avaliação morfoagronômica de genótipos de bananeira.

O Brasil é o quinto maior produtor mundial de banana, tendo produzido 6,9 milhões de toneladas em 2010, em uma área aproximada de 487 mil hectares (FAO, 2012). A Região Nordeste é a maior produtora brasileira de bananas destacam-se os Estados da Bahia, Ceará, Pernambuco e Rio Grande do Norte. (SENA, 2011)