Synthesis of Bi2O3/TiO2 nanostructured films for photocatalytic applications

Dendritic growth of bismuth oxide nanostructured films was accomplished by reactive magnetron sputtering. The deposition of the Bi2O3 template layers was adapted to abide a vapour-liquid-solid mechanism in order to develop a 3D growth morphology with high surface area templates for photocatalytic applications. TiO2 photocatalytic thin films were deposited at a later stage onto Bi2O3 layers. The obtained heterostructured films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Additionally, the photocatalytic efficiency was assessed by conducting an assay using methylene blue dye as testing pollutant under a UV-A illumination. The photocatalytic tests revealed that the Bi2O3 layers functionalized with TiO2 thin films are more efficient at degrading the pollutant, by a factor of 6, when compared with the individual layered films.The authors acknowledge the funding from the Portuguese institution Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, through the Strategic project reference UID/FIS/04650/2013, Ph.D grant SFRH/BD/111720/2015 for Filipe C. Correia and Ph.D grant SFRH/BD/112868/2015 Juliana Marques

Depression: Childrens also suffer with this disease

Este artigo tem o intuito de discorrer a respeito do conceito de depressão, abordando suas tipologias e sua ocorrência na infância. Para isso também faz breves apontamentos sobre o desenvolvimento humano, uma vez que é por meio dele que se pode compreender o comportamento da criança. Observou-se no decorrer deste texto que é relativamente recente o reconhecimento da presença da depressão em crianças. Atualmente, os sintomas básicos de um episódio depressivo maior são reconhecidamente iguais em crianças, adolescentes e adultos. Assim, o presente trabalho entendeu que a descrição sintetizada das sintomatologias é uma importante forma de transmitir e estimular novos estudos.This paper aims to discuss the concept of depression, addressing their types and their occurrence in childhood. To this also makes brief notes about human development, since it is through him that one can understand the child's behavior. It was observed during this text is relatively recent recognition of the presence of depression in children Currently the basic symptoms of a major depressive episode are admittedly equal in children, adolescents and adults. Thus, this study found that the synthesized description of the symptomatology is an important way to convey and stimulate new studies

Clinical features of hereditary angioedema and warning signs (H4AE) for its identification

Objectives: The study describes a case series of hereditary angioedema with C1 Inhibitor Deficiency (C1INH-HAE) in order to corroborate six clinical warning signs “HAAAAE (H4AE)” to enable early identification of this disease. Methods: The authors analyzed the C1INH-HAE cohort to analyze the clinical aspects of the present study's patients and corroborate the six clinical warning signs of the Hereditary Angioedema Brazilian Guidelines. Data regarding demographics, the onset of disease, time to diagnosis, frequency of attacks per year, organs involved, triggers, crisis duration and their outcomes, and disease treatment were collected. Then the authors developed an acronym, H4AE, to help healthcare professionals remember the warning signs. Results: The authors included 98 patients in the study, with a mean age of 38.1 years, 67.3% being female, and 75.3% with a family history of HAE. HAE diagnosis was delayed, on average, 13.7 years after its initial manifestation. Exploratory laparotomy was reported by 26.9%, and orotracheal intubation by 21.3% of the present study's patients; 61.3% and 30.3% of them were admitted at least once in the hospital and in the intensive care unit, respectively. The authors constructed an acronym “H4AE” with the six warning signs of HAE: Hereditary, recurrent Angioedema, Abdominal pain, Absence of urticaria, Absence of response to antihistamines, Estrogen association. Conclusion: C1INH-HAE is still underdiagnosed and associated with high morbidity. The study showed clinical features of this disease, corroborating the warning signs, which may be useful in raising awareness and improving the diagnosis of C1INH-HAE. The authors suggest the acronym “H4AE” to remind the warning signs

PEQUI: uma proposta de ensino de química para o ensino médio.

A química é uma ciência que se preocupa em entender o mundo, interage com a sociedade de diversas formas e está presente em nosso dia a dia. Diante disso, é importante mostrar aos alunos fenômenos do cotidiano, propiciando formas de inserir o estudante em seu ambiente cultural. Isso pode ser possível através da abordagem temática utilizando o pequi, acredita-se que o uso de um tema presente no dia a dia dos alunos facilita a assimilação de conceitos e estimula a aprendizagem. Diante desse pressuposto, o trabalho visou à elaboração de propostas de ensino de química para o ensino médio, buscando a sugestão de aulas contextualizadas. Para o desenvolvimento do trabalho foi feita uma investigação bibliográfica da composição química do pequi e suas propriedades terapêuticas, as quais foram relacionadas a conteúdos químicos. Observou-se que o pequi é uma ferramenta pra o ensino e aprendizado em química, tema pelo qual o professor poderá abordar para ensinar conteúdos desta ciência de forma contextualizada

Infantilezas, infâncias e formação de professores na pandemia / Childhoods, childhoods and teacher training in the pandemic

A pandemia do COVID-19 impulsionou novas reconfigurações no âmbito da organização pedagógica, da prática docente e em especial da instituição de ensino. Desse modo, para auxiliar os professores nos desafios vivenciados quanto à docência e ao enfrentamento da pandemia, buscamos por meio da implementação de projetos de extensão aproximar a universidade e a escola, promovendo o fortalecimento de vínculos e o desenvolver coletivamente atividades visando manter e fortalecer vínculos e criar vínculos e uma rede de apoio entre as professoras participantes do grupo de extensão. O projeto de extensão foi coordenado pelo grupo de pesquisa. Mediar, vinculado à UNIOESTE. Este pretendeu registrar relatos de professoras e estudantes de Pedagogia ao longo dos encontros remotos públicos entre junho e outubro de 2020, além de promover oficinas formativas acerca das temáticas que emanaram do grupo. Esse artigo organiza reflexões sobre a formação continuada via encontros remotos síncronas com temas agendados. Foram formados grupos de interesse por temáticas e agregaram 200 professores inscritos em atuação nas escolas de Educação Infantil e Ensino Fundamental majoritariamente da região oeste do Paraná.  Neste artigo, relatamos a formação continuada, reafirmamos o papel da universidade como locus dessa formação, sintetizamos as temáticas escolhidas e analisamos as escutas produzidas nos grupos

Absence of the caspases 1/11 modulates liver global lipid profile and gut microbiota in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice

Obesity is a chronic disease with rising worldwide prevalence and largely associated with several other comorbidities, such as cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and metabolic syndrome. Hepatic steatosis, a hallmark of NAFLD, is strongly correlated with obesity and has been correlated with changes in the gut microbiota, which can promote its development through the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that regulate insulin resistance, bile acid, choline metabolism, and inflammation. Recent studies have suggested a controversial role for the inflammasome/caspase-1 in the development of obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Here, we evaluated the role of inflammasome NLRP3 and caspases 1/11 in the establishment of obesity and hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese mice, correlating them with the global lipid profile of the liver and gut microbiota diversity. After feeding wild-type, caspases 1/11, and NLRP3 knockout mice with a standard fat diet (SFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD), we found that the caspases 1/11 knockout mice, but not NLRP3 knockout mice, were more susceptible to HFD-induced obesity, and developed enhanced hepatic steatosis even under SFD conditions. Lipidomics analysis of the liver, assessed by MALDI-MS analysis, revealed that the HFD triggered a significant change in global lipid profile in the liver of WT mice compared to those fed an SFD, and this profile was modified by the lack of caspases 1/11 and NLRP3. The absence of caspases 1/11 was also correlated with an increased presence of triacylglycerol in the liver. Gut microbial diversity analysis, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, showed that there was also an increase of Proteobacteria and a higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut of caspases 1/11 knockout mice fed an HFD. Overall, mice without caspases 1/11 harbored gut bacterial phyla involved with weight gain, obesity, and hepatic steatosis. Taken together, our data suggest an important role for caspases 1/11 in the lipid composition of the liver and in the modulation of the gut microbial community composition. Our results further suggest that HFD-induced obesity and the absence of caspases 1/11 may regulate both lipid metabolism and gut microbial diversity, and therefore may be associated with NAFLD and obesity10CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP312359/2016-02016/22577-6This research was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq -#312359/2016-0). CM was funded by the Canada Research Chair Program, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, McGill University, and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (PJT-149098). ME was funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (2016/22577-6)

Specific Immunoassays for Placental Alkaline Phosphatase As a Tumor Marker

Human placental (hPLAP) and germ cell (PLAP-like) alkaline phosphatases are polymorphic and heat-stable enzymes. This study was designed to develop specific immunoassays for quantifying hPLAP and PLAP-like enzyme activity (EA) in sera of cancer patients, pregnant women, or smokers. Polyclonal sheep anti-hPLAP antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography with whole hPLAP protein (ICA-PLAP assay) or a synthetic peptide (aa 57–71) of hPLAP (ICA-PEP assay); the working range was 0.1–11 U/L and cutoff value was 0.2 U/L EA for nonsmokers. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 3.7%–6.5% (ICA-PLAP assay) and 9.0%–9.9% (ICA-PEP assay). An insignificant cross-reactivity was noted for high levels of unheated intestinal alkaline phosphatase in ICA-PEP assay. A positive correlation between the regression of tumor size and EA was noted in a child with embryonal carcinoma. It can be concluded that ICA-PEP assay is more specific than ICA-PLAP, which is still useful to detect other PLAP/PLAP-like phenotypes

Microbial population, fermentative characteristics and dry matter recovery of mixed silage grass xaraés and stylo Campo Grande

The population of microorganisms, the fermentative characteristics and the recovery of dry matter of silage of xaraés grass (Brachiaria brizantha) with growing levels of Styansanthes capitata x S. macrocephala (0; 25; 50; 75) and 100%), with and without microbial inoculant. The 5 x 2 factorial scheme (five proportions of Campo Grande stylos with and without inoculant) was used in the completely randomized design, with three replications. There was no effect of the interaction of levels of stylos and microbial inoculant for the studied variables, however, it was observed effect of stylos levels on pH and ammoniacal nitrogen and inoculant on dry matter recovery. The mean population of lactic acid bacteria in the silages was 6.8 log cfu/g. The values of pH and ammoniacal nitrogen decreased linearly with the increase of the stylos levels in the silage. Mean dry matter recovery was 94%. It is concluded that the use of legume together with grass for silage production improves the fermentation characteristics and provides high recovery of dry matter, however, the inoculant evaluated does not alter the fermentative characteristics of the silages

Telethonin protein expression in neuromuscular disorders

Telethonin is a 19-kDa sarcomeric protein, localized to the Z-disc of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Mutations in the telethonin gene cause limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2G (LGMD2G). We investigated the sarcomeric integrity of muscle fibers in LGMD2G patients, through double immunofluorescence analysis for telethonin with three sarcomeric proteins: titin, alpha-actinin-2, and myotilin and observed the typical cross striation pattern, suggesting that the Z-line of the sarcomere is apparently preserved, despite the absence of telethonin. Ultrastructural analysis confirmed the integrity of the sarcomeric architecture. the possible interaction of telethonin with other proteins responsible for several forms of neuromuscular disorders was also analyzed. Telethonin was clearly present in the rods in nemaline myopathy (NM) muscle fibers, confirming its localization to the Z-line of the sarcomere. Muscle from patients with absent telethonin showed normal expression for the proteins dystrophin, sarcoglycans, dysferlin, and calpain-3. Additionally, telethonin showed normal localization in muscle biopsies from patients with LGMD2A, LGMD2B, sarcoglycanopathies, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Therefore, the primary deficiency of calpain-3, dysferlin, sarcoglycans, and dystrophin do not seem to alter telethonin expression. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.Univ São Paulo, Ctr Study Human Genome, Dept Biol, IBUSP, BR-05508900 São Paulo, BrazilInt Ctr Genet Engn & Biotechnol, Tieste, ItalyUniv Padua, CRIBI Biotechnol Ctr, I-35121 Padua, ItalyHarvard Univ, Childrens Hosp, Sch Med, Div Genet, Boston, MA 02115 USAUniv Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandUNIFESP, Dept Neurol, São Paulo, BrazilFMUSP, Dept Neurol, São Paulo, BrazilFMUSP, Dept Pathol, São Paulo, BrazilUNIFESP, Dept Neurol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc