Alterations in cognitive performance during passive hyperthermia are task dependent

The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the effect of passive heating upon attention and memory task performance, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the application of cold packs to the head on preserving these functions. Using a counterbalance design 16 subjects underwent three trials: a control (CON, 20°C, 40% rH), hot (HOT, 50°C, 50% rH) and hot with the head kept cool (HHC). In each condition, three attention tests and two memory tests were performed. Mean core, forehead and tympanic temperatures were all significantly higher (p< 0.05) during HOT (38.6° ±0.1°, 39.6° ±0.2° and 38.8°±0.1°C, respectively) and HHC (38°±0.2, 37.7°±0.3° and 37.7°C, respectively) than in CON (37.1°±0.6°, 33.3° ±0.2° and 35.9°±0.3°C, respectively). Results indicate that there was impairment in working memory with heat exposure (p < 0.05) without alteration in attentional processes. The regular application of cold packs only prevented the detrimental effect of hyperthermia on short-term memory. Our results show that impairments in cognitive function with passive hyperthermia and the beneficial effect of head cooling are task dependent and suggests that exposure to a hot environment is a competing variable to the cognitive processes

Is the meiofauna a good indicator for climate change and anthropogenic impacts?

Our planet is changing, and one of the most pressing challenges facing the scientific community revolves around understanding how ecological communities respond to global changes. From coastal to deep-sea ecosystems, ecologists are exploring new areas of research to find model organisms that help predict the future of life on our planet. Among the different categories of organisms, meiofauna offer several advantages for the study of marine benthic ecosystems. This paper reviews the advances in the study of meiofauna with regard to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Four taxonomic groups are valuable for predicting global changes: foraminifers (especially calcareous forms), nematodes, copepods and ostracods. Environmental variables are fundamental in the interpretation of meiofaunal patterns and multistressor experiments are more informative than single stressor ones, revealing complex ecological and biological interactions. Global change has a general negative effect on meiofauna, with important consequences on benthic food webs. However, some meiofaunal species can be favoured by the extreme conditions induced by global change, as they can exhibit remarkable physiological adaptations. This review highlights the need to incorporate studies on taxonomy, genetics and function of meiofaunal taxa into global change impact research

Lesões na dança: estudo transversal híbrido em academias da cidade de Bauru-SP

As atividades físicas praticadas pelos bailarinos predispõem-nos à ocorrência de inúmeros agravos. A busca por informações sobre as lesões dessa modalidade permitiu constatar, em nosso meio, escassez de investigações sobre o assunto. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi apontar as principais lesões da dança, visando descrever sua distribuição e caracterização a partir de nossa realidade, bem como sugerir medidas preventivas para os agravos de maior ocorrência. Para tanto, realizou-se estudo com 122 bailarinas na faixa etária de 8 a 30 anos, alocadas nas academias de dança da cidade de Bauru. Em sua maioria, eram membros do corpo de baile (42%) ou estudantes (45%), com 3 a 11 anos de prática (73%), alunas de balé clássico (84%) e jazz (66%) e participavam de 4 a 8 aulas semanais (70%), com duração de 60 a 120 minutos (89%). O procedimento para coleta de dados foi o inquérito de morbidade referida para obtenção de informações sobre os agravos ocorridos no período de um ano. A apresentação dos resultados deu-se sob a forma de estatística descritiva, com distribuições de freqüência absoluta, relativa, corrigida e razão de lesões. Em termos analíticos foram utilizados testes não paramétricos de Wilcoxon, Spearman e Kruskal-Wallis, para p < 0,05. Os resultados apontaram 53,27% das respondentes com freqüências entre 1 e 6 lesões agudas, que aumentam com a idade, concentram-se no plano tegumentar (79,46%) e estão associadas a variáveis como a idade em que começou a dançar e com o uso de sapatilha de ponta; 97,48% são agravos de membros inferiores, com predominância de calos (47,03%) e bolhas (28,56%) nos pés. O balé clássico foi o estilo responsável pela maior parte das lesões; as mais experientes e as estudantes foram as mais afetadas e o uso da sapatilha de ponta implicou risco elevado para ocorrência dos agravos observados nos pés

Linear and cyclic carbamates via dialkyl carbonate chemistry

Dialkyl carbonates (DACs) as reagents have found recent application in phosgene-free synthesis of both linear and cyclic carbamates. Different type of catalysts have been investigated for the carbamoylation of aniline via dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in batch. The possibility of conducting this reaction in a fixed bed continuously fed reactor has been investigated. DACs have also been employed in a novel green approach to six-membered cyclic carbamates (1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones). Reaction of primary amines or hydrazines with bis(methyl carbonate) derivatives of 1,3-propandiols in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide resulted in the synthesis of several 1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones in good yield. These compounds can also be prepared by a one-step intermolecular cyclization where the 1,3-bis(methyl carbonate) intermediate is formed in situ.Dialkyl carbonates (DACs) as reagents have found recent application in phosgene-free synthesis of both linear and cyclic carbamates. Different types of catalysts have been investigated for the carbamoylation of aniline via dimethyl carbonate (DMC) in batch. The possibility of conducting this reaction in a fixed-bed continuously fed reactor has been investigated. DACs have also been employed in a novel green approach to six-membered cyclic carbonates (1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones). Reaction of primary amines or hydrazines with bis(methyl carbonate) derivatives of 1,3-propanediols in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide resulted in the synthesis of several 1,3-oxazolidin-2-ones in good yield. These compounds can also be prepared by a one-step intermolecular cyclization where the 1,3-bis(methyl carbonate) intermediate is formed in situ

Spatial-temporal distribution of fire-protected savanna physiognomies in Southeastern Brazil

The analysis of the influence of edaphic finer textures, as a facilitating factor for the expansion of forest formations in the absence of fire, was possible thanks to rare characteristics found in a savanna fragment located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The total suppression of fire for over four decades, and the occurrence of two savanna physiognomies, cerrado sensu stricto and cerradão, allowed the conduction of this study based on the hypothesis that cerradão, a physiognomy of forest aspect consisting of fire-sensitive tree and shrubs species, is favored by fire absence and higher soil hydric retention capacity. Edaphic samples were collected from a regular grid of 200 m² for the production of isopletic maps of the distribution of clay, fine sand, coarse sand and silt edaphic textures by the geostatistic method of ordinary kriging. Changes in the areas occupied by both savanna physiognomies, defined on the basis of aerial photographs taken over a period of 43 years, were assessed through mean variation rates. Besides corroborating the hypothesis of edaphic hydric retention as a facilitating factor for the expansion of forest physiognomies in savanna areas, we were able to infer the positive influence of higher precipitation on the increase in cerradão expansion rates.<br>A influência de texturas edáficas finas, como fator de facilitação para a expansão de formações florestais sobre áreas savânicas, através da maior retenção hídrica edáfica, na ausência de incêndios, foi possível ser estudada graças às características encontradas em um fragmento savânico com 38,8 ha, situado em Corumbataí (SP). A supressão total do fogo por quatro décadas, e a ocorrência de duas fisionomias, cerrado sensu stricto e cerradão, permitiram a condução deste estudo. Amostras de solo foram coletadas em uma grade regular de 200 m², abrangendo toda a área do fragmento. Foram produzidos mapas iso-pléticos, com a distribuição das porcentagens de argila, areia fina, areia grossa e silte, utilizando-se o método geoestatís-tico krigagem ordinária. As mudanças nas áreas ocupadas por ambas as fisionomias foram definidas a partir de fotografias aéreas abrangendo um período de 43 anos. Essas imagens também permitiram o cálculo das taxas médias de ocupação das fisionomias nas quatro décadas. Além de corroborar a hipótese de retenção edáfica hídrica, como um fator de facilitação para a expansão de fisionomias florestais, sobre áreas savânicas, foi possível também inferir sobre a influência positiva de períodos de maior pluviosidade, para a expansão mais acentuada do cerradão