Avalia??o do trato gastrointestinal de c?es cronicamente infectados pela cepa Berenice-78 do Trypanosoma cruzi ap?s terapias com a Doxiciclina e o Benznidazol.

Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. N?cleo de Pesquisas em Ci?ncias Biol?gicas, Pr?-Reitoria de Pesquisa de P?s Gradua??o, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto.A infec??o pelo Trypanosoma cruzi pode desencadear a forma cl?nica digestiva da doen?a de Chagas caracterizada pela presen?a de infiltrado inflamat?rio, destrui??o do plexo mioent?rico, fibrose e dist?rbios funcionais. O background gen?tico do parasita exerce importante papel na imunopatog?nese desta forma em humanos. Terapias farmacol?gicas que eliminem o parasito e/ou amenizem a resposta inflamat?ria e o dano tecidual t?m sido propostas. Neste estudo, foram avaliadas as a??es da Doxiciclina (Dox), em monoterapia ou em associa??o com o Benznidazol (Bz), durante a fase cr?nica da infec??o experimental pelo T. cruzi. C?es sem ra?a definida foram infectados (ou n?o) com 2000 formas tripomastigotas sangu?neas da cepa Berenice-78 do T. cruzi e submetidos ao tratamento di?rio com doses subantimicrobianas de Doxiciclina durante 12 meses de infec??o (50 mg/kg manh? e noite) em associa??o (ou n?o) com o Benznidazol por 60 dias (7 mg/kg manh? e noite a partir do 9? m?s de infec??o). Ap?s a eutan?sia, o es?fago e o c?lon dos animais foram extra?dos e conservados para an?lise histopatol?gica e quantifica??o de mast?citos, avalia??o da carga parasit?ria tecidual por qPCR, e an?lise dos n?veis teciduais da quimiocina CCL2 por ensaio imunoenzim?tico. Apesar da reduzida carga parasit?ria no c?lon, a cepa Be-78 foi capaz de induzir uma resposta inflamat?ria discreta e difusa nos c?es infectados, tratados com Bz e com a associa??o Dox + Bz. Por?m, n?o se observou neoforma??o de col?geno, nem altera??es morfol?gicas nos tecidos dos c?es avaliados. Tamb?m n?o foi encontrada diferen?a na quantifica??o de mast?citos nas camadas submucosa, plexo mioent?rico e muscular tanto do es?fago quanto do c?lon. Al?m disso, foi observada eleva??o nos n?veis de CCL2 no es?fago dos animais infectados. Conclui-se que a Dox, em sua dose subantimicrobiana, n?o apresentou efeitos colaterais ao trato gastrointestinal e n?o alterou o quadro inflamat?rio digestivo associado ? infec??o pela cepa Be-78 do T. cruzi em c?es. Novas investiga??es s?o necess?rias sobre o potencial imunomodulador deste f?rmaco, utilizando outras cepas de T. cruzi e outros modelos experimentais em associa??o ou n?o com Bz.The Trypanosoma cruzi infection can induce a clinical digestive form characterized by inflammatory infiltration, destruction of the myenteric plexus, fibrosis and functional disturbances. The genetic background of the parasite plays an important role in the development of the digestive immunopathogenesis in humans. Therapies that eliminate the parasite and/or ameliorate the inflammatory response and tissue damage have been proposed. In this study, we evaluated treatment with Doxycycline (Dox), either alone or in combination with Benznidazole (Bz), during chronic phase of experimental T. cruzi infection. Mongrel dogs were infected (or not) with 2000 blood trypomastigotes forms of T. cruzi Berenice-78 strain and submitted to daily treatment with subantimicrobial doses of Doxycycline during 12 months of infection (50 mg/kg morning and evening) in combination (or not) with Benznidazole for 60 days (7 mg/kg morning and evening, starting after the 9th month of infection). After euthanasia, the esophagus and colon were withdrawn and preserved for histopathological analysis and quantification of mast cells, evaluation of parasite load through qPCR and analysis of tissue levels of chemokine CCL2 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Despite the low parasite load detected in the colon, the Be-78 strain was able to induce a discrete and diffuse inflammatory response in the infected animals and those treated with Bz and in combination with Dox. However, there was no collagen neoformation or morphological changes in the tissues of the evaluated dogs. No difference was also found in the quantification of mast cells in the submucosal, myenteric plexus and muscular layers of either organs. In addition, there were an increase in CCL2 levels in the esophagus of infected animals. In conclusion, we assume that Dox, at a subantimicrobial dose, presented a good tolerance and no side effects to the gastrointestinal tract of dogs infected by the Be-78 of the T. cruzi. Further investigations associated with the potencial immunomodulatory of this drug is necessary, using other strains and other experimental models in combination or not with Bz

Nonlinear analysis of structural elements under unilateral contact constraints by a Ritz type approach.

A nonlinear modal solution methodology capable of solving equilibrium and stability problems of uni-dimensional structural elements (beams, columns and arches) with unilateral contact constraints is presented in this work. The contact constraints are imposed by an elastic foundation of the Winkler type, where special attention is given to the case in which the foundation reacts in compression only, characterizing the contact as unilateral. A Ritz type approach with moveable boundaries, where the coordinates defining the limits of the contact regions are considered as additional variables of the problem, is proposed to solve this class of unilateral contact problems. The methodology is illustrated by particular problems involving beams, beam-columns and arches, and the results are compared with available results obtained by finite element and mathematical programming techniques. It is concluded that the Ritz type approach proposed is particularly suited for the analysis of structural problems where the number, but not the length, of the contact regions between the bodies are known a priori. Therefore, it can substitute in these cases finite element applications and be used as a benchmark for more general and complex formulations as well

Cluster analysis applied to recognition of different types of friable siliceous itabirites from Brucutu Mine.

A an?lise de agrupamento ? uma t?cnica de estat?stica multivariada que permite separar as unidades amostrais em grupos homog?neos internamente e heterog?neos externamente. Neste estudo essa t?cnica foi aplicada, atrav?s do software R, com o objetivo de estratificar em subgrupos os min?rios classificados como itabiritos silicosos fri?veis da Mina de Brucutu, Quadril?tero Ferr?fero-MG. A matriz de dados era composta por 3.519 amostras e 10 vari?veis granulom?tricas e qu?micas. A an?lise hier?rquica de agrupamento mostrou que as amostras podem ser subdivididas em quatro grupos, e ent?o, as mesmas foram agrupadas pelo m?todo n?o hier?rquico K-means. Atrav?s da an?lise das caracter?sticas de cada grupo formado, os mesmos foram classificados e relacionados com a geologia da jazida. A Tipologia 1 (itabirito silicoso fri?vel rico e fino), ? localizada no topo do dep?sito e estratigraficamente acima das rochas intrusivas m?ficas. A Tipologia 2 (itabirito silicoso fri?vel pobre e grosseiro) ? marcado pela dire??o NW-SE, evento Brasiliano. A Tipologia 3 (itabirito silicoso fri?vel pobre e fino) ? dispersa ao longo do dep?sito, dificultando sua correla??o com alguma fase geol?gica. A Tipologia 4 (itabirito semi-compacto pobre) concentra-se na regi?o SW do dep?sito.Cluster analysis is a multivariate statistical technique that allows to separate the sample units into internally homogeneous and externally heterogeneous groups. In this study the cluster analysis was applied through R software, with the aim of stratifying into subgroups the ores classified as friable siliceous itabirite from the Brucutu Mine, Quadril?tero Ferr?fero, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The data matrix consists of 3519 samples and 10 variables related to granulometric and chemical data. The hierarchical clustering analysis showed that the samples could be subdivided into four groups, and then they were grouped by the non-hierarchical K-means method. Through the analysis of the features of each group formed they were classified and related to the geology of the deposit. Typology 1 (friable, Fe-rich and fine siliceous itabirite) is located at the top of the deposit and stratigraphically above the intrusive mafic rocks. Typology 2 (? friable, low grade and coarse siliceous itabirite) is marked by NW-SE direction, Brasiliano event. Typology 3 (friable, low grade and fine siliceous itabirite) is dispersed throughout the deposit, making it difficult to correlate with some geological phase. Typology 4 (low grade semi-compact itabirite) is demarcated by concentration in the SW region of the reservoir

Nutrition status and quantification of blood minerals by TXRF spectroscopy in vegetarian and non-vegetarian university students.

This study investigated whether university students following a vegetarian diet differed from non-vegetarian students in nutrient intake, biochemical, hematological and blood mineral profile of nutritionally relevant elements. In total, 107 students from a university, following either a non-vegetarian or a vegetarian diet for at least 1 year prior to the study, were recruited in two stages, setting up two experiments. Nutrient intake (experiment 1, n = 58), and biochemical and hematological parameters (experiment 2, n = 49) were evaluated. TXRF spectroscopy was used for determination of trace elements in whole blood. Vegetarians showed differences in nutrient intake, mainly higher consumption of unsaturated fatty acids and fiber. No significant differences in the biochemical and hematological parameters were found. The prevalence of abnormal parameters in a considerable number of vegetarians and non-vegetarians were found, mainly regarding high density lipoprotein (HDL-c) and total cholesterol (TC). TXRF spectroscopy proved to be a simple tool for determining nutrition-relevant elements (K, Fe, Cu and Zn) in blood samples. The high incidence of abnormal parameters, regardless of the dietary pattern, raises concern about the high prevalence of bad eating habits among young university students. Particularly for the vegetarian students, these results may partly counteract the beneficial lifestyle of a vegetarian diet evidenced by previous studies. It is important for students to be aware of its potential nutritional limitations. In this context, food and nutrition education programs in the academic context could contribute to set up autonomous and healthy subjects, regardless of the diet chosen

Physiological attributes of seeds of leucaena (Leucaena spp.) underwent pre-germination treatmen

Todos os textos, informa??es e resultados apresentados s?o de inteira responsabilidade dos autores.O uso da leucena na alimenta??o animal vem se tornado muito expressivo, principalmente em regi?es onde s?o enfrentados problemas com d?ficit h?drico. Contudo, a produ??o de mudas, importante para a dispers?o da planta em ?reas de cultivo, ? dificultada pelo fato das sementes apresentarem dorm?ncia. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar atributos fisiol?gicos de sementes de leucena submetidas a tratamentos pr?-germinativos. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 2 x 3, sendo os tratamentos constitu?dos pela combina??o de dois locais de coleta das sementes (solo e ?rvore) e tr?s tratamentos pr?-germinativos (imers?o em hipoclorito de s?dio por 0, 10 e 20 minutos), com quatro repeti??es de 50 sementes por tratamento. Os par?metros avaliados foram: germina??o e sementes mortas. A germina??o foi afetada pelos tempos de imers?o em hipoclorito de s?dio, sendo o tempo de 20 minutos o de maior percentual germinativo. Quanto ao n?mero de sementes mortas, verificou-se que sementes coletadas na ?rvore e submetidas a 20 minutos de imers?o em hipoclorito de s?dio, apresentam maiores valores.The use of leucaena as animal feed has become very expressive, especially in regions where they faced problems with water deficit. However, the production of seedlings, it is important for the dispersion of the plant-growing areas, is difficult because of seed dormancy present. This study aimed to evaluate physiological attributes of leucaena seeds subjected to pre-germination treatments. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, with the treatments constituted by combining two sites of seed collection (ground and tree) and three pre-germination treatments (immersion in sodium hypochlorite for 0, 10 and 20 minutes), with four replicates of 50 seeds per treatment. The parameters evaluated were: germination and dead seeds. Seed germination is affected by the time of immersion in sodium hypochlorite, and time 20 minutes for the higher germination percentage. As for the number of dead seeds, it was found that seeds collected in the tree and subjected to 20 minutes of immersion in sodium hypochlorite, have higher values

SUBSTRATE MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE IN GERMINATION OF Parkia platycephala BENTH. SEEDS

A Parkia platycephala Benth. (faveira) \ue9 uma leguminosa arb\uf3rea, conhecida como fornecedora de madeira comercial na Amaz\uf4nia. O presente trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar diferentes volumes de \ue1gua para umedecimento do substrato e temperaturas na germina\ue7\ue3o e vigor de sementes de Parkia platycephala. As sementes foram submetidas ao teste de germina\ue7\ue3o em papel-toalha, organizado na forma de rolos e umedecido com volumes de \ue1gua equivalentes a 2,0; 2,5; 3,0 e 3,5 vezes o peso seco do substrato e colocadas nas temperaturas constantes de 20, 25, 30 e alternada de 20-30\ub0C. Foram avaliados: a porcentagem de germina\ue7\ue3o, a primeira contagem de germina\ue7\ue3o e o \uedndice de velocidade de germina\ue7\ue3o, o comprimento e a massa seca da raiz e da parte a\ue9rea das pl\ue2ntulas normais. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente ao acaso, com os tratamentos distribu\ueddos em esquema fatorial 4 x 4 (quatro volumes de \ue1gua e quatro temperaturas). O umedecimento do substrato com 2,0; 2,5; 3,0 e 3,5 vezes o peso do papel nas temperaturas de 25, 30 e 20-30\ubaC pode ser utilizado para avalia\ue7\ue3o da germina\ue7\ue3o e vigor das sementes de Parkia platycephala Benth. A temperatura de 20\ubaC em todos os volumes de \ue1gua testados para umedecimento do substrato reduziu a germina\ue7\ue3o e o vigor das sementes.The Parkia platycephala Benth. (faveira) is a leguminous tree, known as a provider of commercial wood in the Amazon rain forest. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different volumes of water for substrate moisture and temperatures on germination of Parkia platycephala. After this, they were sowing over towel paper, organized in rolls wetted with water contents equivalent to 2.0; 2.5; 3.0 and 3.5 times the weight of the substrate without new water addition, and they were maintained in chambers at constant temperatures of 20, 25, 30\ub0C and alternate temperature 20-30\ub0C. The following parameters were analyzed: the germination percentage, first count germination, index of germination speed, length and dry mass of seedlings (shoot and root). A completely randomized design was used with a 4 x 4 factorial (water volumes and temperatures). The moistening of the substrate with 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 times the weight of the paper at temperatures of 25, 30 and 20-30\ubaC can be used for germination and vigor of Parkia platycephala Benth. The temperature of 20\ubaC and all volumes of water tested for wetting the substrate reduced the germination and the vigor of these seeds

Proposal of Home Care Residency as actuation field.

A Aten??o Domiciliar (AD) configura-se numa ?rea de atua??o de diversos especialistas, como M?dicos de Fam?lia e Comunidade, Geriatras, Pediatras e Internistas. Por suas especificidades e dentro do seu campo de pr?ticas, demanda compet?ncias que n?o est?o contempladas isoladamente em nenhuma especialidade m?dica, sendo que o tempo e a estrutura necess?rios para a aquisi??o destas ultrapassa a capacidade de inser??o ao longo dos programas atuais. A expans?o desta modalidade de cuidados representa uma demanda crescente de forma??o, exigindo a inclus?o da AD como potencial campo de trabalho destes especialistas, concebendo a necessidade de um ano adicional para forma??o nas especificidades dessa ?rea de atua??o. Discutem-se as estrat?gias de forma??o, campos da pr?tica e estrutura program?tica necess?rios para a consolida??o desta proposta. Espera-se que este artigo possa subsidiar a natural constru??o desta especialidade no ?mbito da atua??o m?dica em sa?de.Home Care (HC) is an expertise area for several specialists, such as Family Physicians, Geriatricians, Pediatricians and Internal Medicine. Due to its specificities and within its practice field, it demands competences that are not contemplated apart in any medical specialty, and the time and structure required to acquire them surpasses the insertion capacity in the current programs. This care type expansion represents a growing demand for training, requiring HC inclusion as a potential field of work for these specialists, conceiving the need for an additional year for the formation of specific features as an activity area. We discuss training strategies, practice fields and programmatic structure required to consolidate this proposal. We expect that this article can subsidize the natural construction of this specialty within the scope of health medical practice

Geo-environmental management of watersheds : the geological systems as the initial decision to land use.

Ap?s a cartografia da bacia do Rio Paracatu (Noroeste de Minas Gerais) ser atualizada em escala de 1:250.000, foi poss?vel elaborar a l?gica para a metodologia de gest?o geoambiental/geossistemas, como parte de uma ampla metodologia de gest?o, em elabora??o desde 1998. Apresenta-se como primeira etapa a verifica??o das rela??es entre rochas, geoformas e solos com as quais se exploram possibilidades e potencialidades de usos da terra para produ??o agr?cola, florestal, industrial, rural, energ?tica e de obras civis. Com o quadro de potencialidades fundamentado sobre os geossistemas, foi poss?vel ent?o realizar uma an?lise avaliativa das condi??es de acerto ou inconveni?ncia dos usos atuais da terra, as possibilidades de expans?o de usos e as necessidades de mitiga??o sob o ponto de vista da estabilidade do substrato. Com a cartografia na escala de 1:250.000 pode-se estabelecer uma vis?o regional e fornecer indicativos para estudos em escala local e a tomada de decis?o que envolve ainda um conjunto de outras ci?ncias, engenharias e modelos econom?tricos. Este artigo apresenta os procedimentos dessa primeira etapa de aux?lio ? elabora??o de decis?es, passo a passo.After the mapping of the Paracatu River basin (Northwestern Minas Gerais, Brazil) was updated on a scale of 1:250,000, it was possible to elaborate the rationale for the methodology of geo-environmental/geosystems management as part of a broad management methodology, under development since 1998. It presents as the first step to verify the relationship between rocks, landforms, and soils with which one can explore possibilities and potential land use for agricultural production, forestry, rural industrial, energy production, and civil works. With the framework of potentials based on geosystems, it was possible to make an evaluation analysis about the terms of settlement or inconvenience of the land current uses, the possibilities for expansion of uses, and the requirements for mitigation under the terms of the substrate stability. With the mapping at the 1:250,000 scale, it was possible to establish a regional vision provide the indicative scale studies and local decision-making that still involves a number of other sciences, engineering as well as the econometric models. This article presented the procedures of the first stage of the aid business decision making, step-by-step

Indicadores microbiológicos de qualidade do solo em recuperação de um sistema agroflorestal

The verification of soil quality is an important tool to monitor its degradation, and to plan the implementation of sustainable management practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate soil quality in three agroforestry systems located in the Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE RURAL) of Campo Mourão, Paraná. The three areas present distinct stages: an initial one, with characteristics of soil degradation activity (Area 1); an intermediary, where the agroforestry system was implemented a year ago (Area 2); and an advanced one, presenting more mature and perennial forest formation (Area 3). Three functional groups of microorganisms were used in each of the areas: total fungi, aerobic bacteria and cellulase producing bacteria. All microorganisms were quantified by Colony Forming Units per gram (UFC / g) of diluted soil. Area 1 showed lower abundance of total microorganisms, in the order of 105 UFC; Area 2 presented intermediate composition of total fungi, aerobic bacteria and cellulase producing bacteria, with UFC around 107 for the three functional groups; Area 3 had the highest amount of fungi (108), aerobic bacteria (1010) and cellulase producing bacteria (1011). When comparing the areas within each functional group, the lowest amount of aerobic bacteria in Area 1 (107) was observed, as well as a higher amount of cellulase producing bacteria in Area 3 (1011). These results show that the areas have distinct qualities in relation to microorganisms. Area 1 with less microorganisms, Area 2 with intermediate quantities and Area 3 with more colonies formed as expected due to the time of implantation of the agroforestry system in each area.A verificação da qualidade do solo é um instrumento importante para monitorar a sua degradação, e planejar a implantação de práticas sustentáveis de manejo. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade do solo em três áreas com sistema agroflorestal localizadas na Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais (APAE RURAL) de Campo Mourão, Paraná. As três áreas apresentam estágios distintos: uma inicial, com características de atividade de degradação do solo (Área 1); uma intermediária, onde foi implantado o sistema agroflorestal há um ano (Área 2); e uma avançada, apresentando formação florestal mais madura e perene (Área 3). Foram utilizados três grupos funcionais de microrganismos em cada uma das áreas, sendo eles: fungos totais, bactérias aeróbias e bactérias produtoras de celulase. Todos os microrganismos foram quantificados por Unidades Formadoras de Colônia por grama (UFC/g) de solo diluído. A Área 1 exibiu menor abundância de microrganismos totais, na ordem de 105 UFC; Área 2 apresentou composição intermediária de fungos totais, bactérias aeróbias e bactérias produtoras de celulase, com UFC em torno de 107 para os três grupos funcionais; Área 3 apresentou maior quantidade dos microrganismos em estudo, com maior quantidade de fungos (108), bactérias aeróbias (1010) e bactérias produtoras de celulase (1011). Quando comparadas as áreas dentro de cada grupo funcional, destacou-se a menor quantidade de bactérias aeróbias na Área 1 (107), assim como maior quantidade de bactérias produtoras de celulase na Área 3 (1011). Esses resultados mostram que as áreas têm qualidades distintas em relação a micro-organismos. A Área 1 com menos micro-organismos, a Área 2 com quantidades intermediárias e a Área 3 com mais colônias formadas conforme o esperado devido ao tempo de implantação do sistema agroflorestal em cada área