Causal Stability Ranking

Genotypic causes of a phenotypic trait are typically determined via randomized controlled intervention experiments. Such experiments are often prohibitive with respect to durations and costs. We therefore consider inferring stable rankings of genes, according to their causal effects on a phenotype, from observational data only. Our method allows for efficient design and prioritization of future experiments, and due to its generality it is useable for a broad spectrum of applications

Sexualidade na adolescência: a convivência de conflitos e a interferência na aprendizagem escolar. Um estudo de caso numa escola privada de ensino fundamental em Itabuna-Bahia-Brasil

O presente estudo analisa o desabrochar precoce da sexualidade na adolescência e a influência que estas atitudes estão interferindo na aprendizagem escolar dos pré-adolescentes da Escola Pio XII. Procuramos demonstrar como a realização de um trabalho planejado de forma dinâmica, abrangente com práticas pedagógicas criativas e ações educativas inovadoras podem levar o grupo a elaborar um pensamento que resgate o sentido de novo, moderno, dinâmico, atual,inusitado, discutindo de forma científica e crítica com enfoques inovadores os temas do interesse do grupo, esclarecendo as dúvidas, questionando situações novas na vida de cada um, buscando aproximação com a vida do estudante, levando a um trabalho de construção de valores pensando numa mudança real, na busca da auto-afirmação de uma postura coerente e madura. Pretendemos mostrar os passos utilizados para a elaboração de um trabalho multidisciplinar, objetivando inovar o ensino de temas que envolvam o desenvolvimento físico, social e psicológico de crianças que estão explicitando precocemente sentimentos sexuais em relação aos colegas, deixando de priorizar aspectos da vida social e psicológica que irão sedimentar o seu futuro como cidadão. Foi elaborado um projeto objetivando dinamizar o processo ensino-aprendizagem, buscando através de múltiplas atividades mostrarem que é possível conviver com naturalidade com o crescimento físico, psíquico, o despertar da sexualidade, as sensações e desejos, construindo harmonicamente um trabalho educacional abrangente onde adolescer passa a ser natural e inerente ao ser humano, num mundo em mudança. Sendo necessária uma reflexão, discussão e intervenção, no âmbito da pesquisa em educação, buscando através de um projeto multidisciplinar criar uma inovação pedagógica na abordagem de temas relacionados ao problema observado.Orientador: Elias Lins Guimarãe

Causal stability ranking

Genotypic causes of a phenotypic trait are typically determined via randomized controlled intervention experiments. Such experiments are often prohibitive with respect to durations and costs, and informative prioritization of experiments is desirable. We therefore consider predicting stable rankings of genes (covariates), according to their total causal effects on a phenotype (response), from observational data. Since causal effects are generally non-identifiable from observational data only, we use a method that can infer lower bounds for the total causal effect under some assumptions. We validated our method, which we call Causal Stability Ranking (CStaR), in two situations. First, we performed knock-out experiments with Arabidopsis thaliana according to a predicted ranking based on observational gene expression data, using flowering time as phenotype of interest. Besides several known regulators of flowering time, we found almost half of the tested top ranking mutants to have a significantly changed flowering time. Second, we compared CStaR to established regression-based methods on a gene expression dataset of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found that CStaR outperforms these established methods. Our method allows for efficient design and prioritization of future intervention experiments, and due to its generality it can be used for a broad spectrum of applications. Availability: The full table of ranked genes, all raw data and an example R script for CStaR are available from the Bioinformatics website. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics onlin

Molecular characterization of enterococci harboring genotype and phenotype incongruence related to glycopeptide resistance isolated in Brazilian hospitals

Three Enterococcus faecalis and one Enterococcus faecium strains were characterized by plasmid profile, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and determination of antimicrobial minimal inhibitory concentrations. VanA elements were characterized by Long PCR, overlapping PCR and DNA sequencing. Enterococcal strains showed resistance to vancomycin and harbored the vanA gene, and three these were teicoplanin susceptible while one showed intermediate resistance to teicoplanin. Two E. faecalis strains showed indistinguishable PFGE profile while the third was unrelated. E. faecalis strains showed a deletion in the right terminal region of the Tn1546-like element. The E. faecium strain showed an insertion element in the vanXY intergenic region. Mutations in VanA elements were not found. Rearrangements in the VanA element could be responsible for incongruities in genotype and phenotype in these strains.FAPES

Self-perception of oral health and necessity of odontologic action on irradiated patients

O objetivo foi descrever percepção de saúde bucal de pacientes irradiados na região de cabeça e pescoço. Foi utilizado questionário estruturado e as entrevistas foram realizadas por telefone, utilizando-se a estratégia do VIGITEL do Ministério da Saúde, entre novembro de 2008 e março de 2009. Os dados foram digitados de forma dupla e apresentados através de estatística descritiva. O câncer de cabeça e pescoço ocorreu mais em homens brancos, entre sexta e sétima décadas de vida. A maioria notou que a saúde bucal piorou durante o tratamento. Os resultados poderão auxiliar no planejamento de ações para pacientes que receberão este tratamento.Sem bols

Nanocomposite-forming solutions based on cassava starch and laponite: viscoelastic and rheological characterization

Nanocomposites-forming solutions (NFS) based on cassava starch and laponite were prepared and next characterized by means of dynamic oscillatory and steady shear rheological tests to evaluate their ability to be processed by knife coating. The effects of speed (rpm) and homogenization time on the laponite dispersion characteristics were first analyzed. Laponite dispersions were affected by both process parameters. High speed (rpm), i.e. 20,000 or 23,000 rpm for 30 min or prolonged homogenization time (10,000 rpm 6 speed agitation 6 23,000 rpm, for 60 min) led to high f-potential values, with laponite particles size <80 nm. With addition of laponite nanoparticles to cassava starch dispersion, an evident transition in NFS from liquid-like viscous to solid-like elastic behavior was observed. Rheological results indicated that laponite nanoparticles induced new interactions with starch chains allowing to obtain a network structure typical of a semi-rigid gel which shows some spread ability.São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), the grant (2013/07914-8)

Physicochemical Properties of Grain and Starch from Kanihua (chenopodium Pallidicaule) Compared with Quinoa (chenopodium Quinoa) Originated from Peru

Kanihua and quinoa are closely related Andean grains that are unconventional starch sources. Starch was extracted from two kanihua and three quinoa genotypes and their physicochemical properties (proximate analysis, scanning electron microscopy, distribution and particle size, X-ray diffraction, FTIR, solubility, swelling power, pasting and thermal properties) were investigated. Kanihua and quinoa grains presented spherical shapes and regular sizes (1.05 - 1.30 mm). The starch granules show asymmetric monomodal distribution for all cases. Meanwhile, Sauter diameter values in kanihua were smaller (0.961 µm) than quinoa (1.099 µm). Regarding structure, all samples showed Type A polymorphism and similar FTIR spectra behavior. In addition, amilose content was around 11-14% and 8-12% for varieties of kanihua and quinoa respectively. Starch solubilities were less than 13%, and kanihua starches had less swelling power than quinoa starches. However, the maximum swelling power values were reached around 70 °C. The variety and type of grain influenced pasting properties, with an inverse relationship between the breakdown and setback values for the evaluated starches. Analyzing the thermal properties, gelatinization enthalpy and retrogradation were similar for all starches. Even though the kanihua and quinoa starches present similar structural characteristics, the pasting properties and swelling power were different. The insight into the morphological, thermal, and pasting properties of native Chenopodium starches could be helpful in the preparation and development of new food formulations

Transições de fase em filmes biodegradáveis à base de misturas de gelatina e poli (vinil álcool)

The aim of this work was to study the effect of the hydrolysis degree (HD) and the concentration (C PVA) of two types of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and the effect of the type and the concentration of plasticizers on the phase properties of biodegradable films based on blends of gelatin and PVA, using a response-surface methodology. The films were made by casting and the studied properties were their glass (Tg) and melting (Tm) transition temperatures, which were determined by diferential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For the data obtained on the first scan, the fitting of the linear model was statistically significant and predictive only for the second melting temperature. In this case, the most important effect on the second Tm of the first scan was due to the HD of the PVA. In relation to the second scan, the linear model could be fit to Tg data with only two statistically significant parameters. Both the PVA and plasticizer concentrations had an important effect on Tg. Concerning the second Tm of the second scan, the linear model was fit to data with two statistically significant parameters, namely the HD and the plasticizer concentration. But, the most important effect was provoked by the HD of the PVA.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o efeito do grau da hidrólise (HD) e da concentração (C PVA) de dois tipos de poli (vinil álcool) (PVA) e do tipo e da concentração de plastificantes nas propriedades de fases de filmes biodegradáveis à base de misturas de gelatina e PVA, usando-se metodologia de superfície de resposta. Os filmes foram feitos por casting e as propriedades estudadas foram a temperatura de transição vítrea (Tg) e a fusão (Tm), determinadas por calorimetria diferencial de varredura (DSC). Para os dados obtidos na primeira varredura, o ajuste do modelo linear foi estatisticamente significativo e preditivo somente para a segunda temperatura de fusão. Neste caso, o efeito mais importante foi devido ao HD do PVA. Com relação à segunda varredura, o modelo linear pôde ser ajustado aos dados de Tg com somente dois parâmetros significativos. As concentrações de PVA e de plastificante tiveram um efeito importante em Tg. Em relação à segunda temperatura de fusão da segunda varredura, o modelo linear foi ajustado aos dados, com dois parâmetros significativos, o HD e a concentração de plastificante. Mas, o efeito mais importante foi provocado pelo HD do PVA.FAPESPCNPqPJAS - PQ

Estágio de docência e experimentações estéticas em aulas de arte-educação

The text reflects on two experiences of Teaching Internship in classes of Pedagogy of a state public university in Ceará, in the discipline Art-education. These reflections are based on aesthetic-formative experiences occurred during the classes of this discipline. The objective of this work is to analyze the formative dimension of two Master's students’ teaching internship, in the scope of the critical, propositive and creative intervention in Art-education. Authors of reference such as Buriolla (1995), Pimenta (2006), Freire (2006), Moraes (2016), Vázquez (1977), among others, theoretically base the study. The discussion is guided by the field journals of both trainees, transformed into reports that are analyzed critically, glimpsing the delineation of the formative perspective of teachers. As a result of the research, the perception of the stimulus to the improvement of Master's students for the exercise of the teaching profession, as well as the involvement of the undergraduate students in aesthetic-pedagogical actions proposed in the Art-education discipline, are pointed out.O texto reflete sobre duas experiências de Estágio de Docência em turmas de Pedagogia de uma universidade pública estadual do Ceará, na disciplina Arte-educação. Reflexões estas que estão embasadas em vivências estético-formativas ocorridas durante as aulas dessa disciplina. O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar a dimensão formativa do Estágio de Docência de duas mestrandas no viés da intervenção crítica, propositiva e criativa em Arte-educação. Autores de referência como Buriolla (1995), Pimenta (2006), Freire (2006), Moraes (2016), Vázquez (1977), dentre outros, fundamentam teoricamente este estudo. A discussão guia-se pelos diários de campo de duas estagiárias, transformados em relatos que são analisados criticamente, vislumbrando o delineamento da perspectiva formativa de docentes. Aponta-se, como resultados da investigação, a percepção do estímulo ao aperfeiçoamento de estudantes de Mestrado para o exercício da profissão docente, bem como do envolvimento dos estudantes de graduação em ações estético-pedagógicas propostas na disciplina Arte-educação

La igualdad de género: ¿por qué Brasil está experimentando retrocesos?

Brazil now faces a backlash against gender equality, which negatively impact women's health policies, especially those concerning sexual and reproductive rights. This backlash is a result of a long process that has intensified because of growing religious conservatism in government. However, the current moment is even more critical