Caracterização química de azeites elementares da região de Trás-os-Montes.

Trás-os-Montes é uma das principais regiões produtoras de azeite a nível nacional, onde é produzido azeite com a Denominação de Origem Protegida “Azeite de Trás-os-Montes”. De uma forma geral, estes azeites resultam de uma mistura de diferentes cultivares, maioritariamente Cobrançosa, Madural e Verdeal Transmontana, sendo permitida a presença de outras, ainda que em menor proporção. Com o presente trabalho pretendeu-se contribuir para a caracterização química de azeites elementares produzidos na região de Trás-os-Montes. Assim, foram analisadas 80 amostras de azeite das cultivares Cobrançosa (20), Verdeal Transmontana (11), Madural (11), Santulhana (11), Negrinha de Freixo (11), Cordovil (10), Borrenta (2), Bical (1), Cordovesa (1), Lentisca (1) e Madural Negra (1), num total de 11 cultivares, tendo sido caracterizados no que respeita à acidez, índice de peróxidos, absorvência no ultravioleta, teor em clorofilas e carotenóides e composição em ácidos gordos

Urbanizaçâo, impactos ambientais e governança no complexo regional Centro-Sul

A palavra governança vem servindo para designar diferentes formas de governar, particularmente aquelas mais sensíveis às demandas da população e que estimulem a inserção dos movimentos sociais nos processos decisórios. No Brasil, “governança ambiental” é usado, em geral, para se referir a processos de exercício de poder que, na área do meio ambiente, estejam ampliando os espaços de participação dos diversos segmentos da sociedade civil organizada. Este artigo analisa aspectos da governança ambiental no contexto do complexo regional Centro-Sul a partir dos resultados obtidos em pesquisa do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Examinou-se a relação porventura existente entre os problemas ambientais detectados e as medidas que, em nível local, vinham sendo tomadas pelo gestor. O estudo considerou duas faixas diferenciadas de urbanização dos municípios do Centro-Sul e, como indicadores clássicos, o IDH e o PIB. O objetivo foi identificar diferenças com relação à inserção da participação popular na gestão ambiental, mediante a análise de algumas variáveis específicas, como participação em Comitês de bacia, existência e composição do Conselho Municipal de Meio Ambiente e do Fórum da Agenda 21 local.governança ambiental; impactos ambientais; urbanização; PIB; IDH

Caffeine Does Not Augment Markers of Muscle Damage or Leukocytosis Following Resistance Exercise

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of caffeine ingestion before a resistance exercise session on markers of muscle damage (CK, LDH, ALT, AST) and leukocyte levels. Methods: Fifteen soccer athletes completed two resistance exercise sessions that differed only in the ingestion of caffeine or a placebo preworkout. Results: CK concentration increased significantly following the caffeine session (415.8 ± 62.8 to 542.0 ± 73.5) and the placebo session (411.5 ± 43.3 to 545.8 ± 59.9), with no significant differences between sessions. Similarly, LDH concentration increased significantly following the caffeine session (377.5 ± 18.0 to 580.5 ± 36.1) and the placebo session (384.8 ± 13.9 to 570.4 ± 36.1), with no significant differences between sessions. Both sessions resulted in significant increases in the total leukocyte count (caffeine = 6.24 ± 2.08 to 8.84 ± 3.41; placebo = 6.36 ± 2.34 to 8.77 ± 3.20), neutrophils (caffeine = 3.37 ± 0.13 to 5.15 ± 0.28; placebo = 3.46 ± 0.17 to 5.12 ± 0.24), lymphocytes (caffeine = 2.19 ± 0.091 to 2.78 ± 0.10; placebo = 2.17 ± 0.100 to 2.75 ± 0.11), and monocytes (caffeine = 0.53 ± 0.02 to 0.72 ± 0.06; placebo = 0.56 ± 0.03 to 0.69 ± 0.04), with no significant differences between sessions. Conclusion: Ingestion of caffeine at 4.5 mg⋅kg−1 did not augment markers of muscle damage or leukocyte levels above that which occurs through resistance exercise alone

Glucose and lipid dysmetabolism in a rat model of prediabetes induced by a high-sucrose diet

[Abstract] Glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity are key features of type 2 diabetes mellitus, but their molecular nature during the early stages of the disease remains to be elucidated. We aimed to characterize glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin-target organs (liver, skeletal muscle, and white adipose tissue) in a rat model treated with a high-sucrose (HSu) diet. Two groups of 16-week-old male Wistar rats underwent a 9-week protocol: HSu diet (n = 10)—received 35% of sucrose in drinking water; Control (n = 12)—received vehicle (water). Body weight, food, and beverage consumption were monitored and glucose, insulin, and lipid profiles were measured. Serum and liver triglyceride concentrations, as well as the expression of genes and proteins involved in lipid biosynthesis were assessed. The insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis were also measured in freshly isolated adipocytes. Even in the absence of obesity, this rat model already presented the main features of prediabetes, with fasting normoglycemia but reduced glucose tolerance, postprandial hyperglycemia, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, as well as decreased insulin sensitivity (resistance) and hypertriglyceridemia. In addition, impaired hepatic function, including altered gluconeogenic and lipogenic pathways, as well as increased expression of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase 1 and fatty acid synthase in the liver, were observed, suggesting that liver glucose and lipid dysmetabolism may play a major role at this stage of the disease.Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; FCT; EXCL/DTP-PIC/0069/2012Portugal. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; FCT; UID/NEU/04539/2013European Commision; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028417European Commision; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440European Commision; CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012European Commision; CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-00000

Urbanizaçâo, impactos ambientais e governança no complexo regional Centro-Sul

A palavra governança vem servindo para designar diferentes formas de governar, particularmente aquelas mais sensíveis às demandas da população e que estimulem a inserção dos movimentos sociais nos processos decisórios. No Brasil, "governança ambiental" é usado, em geral, para se referir a processos de exercício de poder que, na área do meio ambiente, estejam ampliando os espaços de participação dos diversos segmentos da sociedade civil organizada. Este artigo analisa aspectos da governança ambiental no contexto do complexo regional Centro-Sul a partir dos resultados obtidos em pesquisa do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Examinou-se a relação porventura existente entre os problemas ambientais detectados e as medidas que, em nível local, vinham sendo tomadas pelo gestor. O estudo considerou duas faixas diferenciadas de urbanização dos municípios do Centro-Sul e, como indicadores clássicos, o IDH e o PIB. O objetivo foi identificar diferenças com relação à inserção da participação popular na gestão ambiental, mediante a análise de algumas variáveis específicas, como participação em Comitês de bacia, existência e composição do Conselho Municipal de Meio Ambiente e do Fórum da Agenda 21 local.The word governance has been used to define forms of governing which encourage the inclusion of social movements into the decision making process. In Brazil, "environmental governance" is used, in general, to refer to the power process that, at the environment area, increases the participation of organized civil society. This paper analyses environmental governance at the South-Center regional complex based on researches conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). It studies the relationship between environmental problems and the political decisions taken by the decision-makers. The study included two different urbanization structures and two classic indicators, such as HDI and GIP. The aim of this paper is to identify different forms of popular participation at the environmental administration

COMPARISON OF VISCOELASTIC STRESS RELAXATION RESPONSE BETWEEN FLEXIBLE AND INFLEXIBLE INDIVIDUALS

The aim of this study was to compare the relaxation reaction after viscoelastic stress induced by passive static stretching during 30s between subjects with different flexibility performance. Eighteen male physical education students were randomly assigned to two groups according to flexibility level of knee extension. During the test the individuals should achieve 90% of maximal ROM and maintain the position for 30s while the stress relaxation was measured as relative decrease of torque. The results of this study show significant differences of range of motion (ROM) between the two groups, but no significant difference in stress relaxation. It can be concluded that viscoelastic stress relaxation is similar between subjects with significantly different flexibility performance after 30s passive static stretching

Coriolus versicolor biomass increases dendritic arborization of newly-generated neurons in mouse hippocampal dentate gyrus

Brain cognitive reserve refers to the ability of the brain to manage different challenges that arise throughout life, making it resilient to neuropathology. Hippocampal adult neurogenesis has been considered to be a relevant contributor for brain cognitive reserve and brain plasticity. Coriolus versicolor (CV), a common healthful mushroom, has been receiving increasing attention by its antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and immunomodulatory properties, including in the hippocampus. Herein, we evaluated whether CV biomass oral administration for 2.5 months enhances hippocampal neurogenic reserve under normal/physiological conditions, by quantifying hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) granular cell layer (GCL) and subgranular zone (SGZ) volumes, proliferation, number and dendritic complexity features of hippocampal newly-generated neurons. We also analyzed β-catenin levels in DG newly-generated immature neurons, because it plays a major role in neurogenesis. Although no differences were observed in the volume of GCL and SGZ layers, in proliferation and in the number of newly-generated neurons of controls and CV-administered mice, we found that CV administration promotes a significant increase in dendritic length and branching and total dendritic volume of immature neurons, suggesting a positive effect of oral CV administration in the hippocampal neurogenic reserve. We also observed that β-catenin levels are increased both in the nucleus and cytoplasm of DG immature neurons, suggesting that Wnt/β-catenin signalling may play an important role in the CV positive effect on the differentiation of these cells. These data unveil a so far unexplored neurogenic potential of CV supplementation, which emerges as a possible preventive strategy for different neurological conditions.This work was supported by Mycology Research Laboratories, Ltd. This work was financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Centro 2020 Regional Operational Programme under projects CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000012-HealthyAging2020 and CENTRO-01-0145-FEDER-000008 - BrainHealth 2020, and through the COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation and Portuguese national funds via FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, under project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440 and Strategic Project 2015- UID/NEU/04539/2013. EF and SIM are holders of FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/86551/2012 and SFRH/BPD/99219/2013, respectively). J.V. salary was supported by an Ikerbasque Research Fellow grant