Análise dos receptores esteroidais (AR e ERβ) e da sinalização ERK na próstata ventral de camundongos tratados com dieta rica em lipídeos e/ou submetidos exercício físico

The prostate is an accessory gland part of the male reproduction system; together, the prostate, seminal vesicle and the testicles are responsible for the semen production. The prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer among men worldwide. It is known that obesity is able of promoting metabolic dysfunction that affects prostate microenvironment. The objective of this research was to elucidate the prostate response to high-fat diet and the role of physical exercise. We used 20 male adult Swiss mice and they were separated in 2 groups: fed with normal diet (DN – 4% fat), fed with hiperlipidic diet (DH – 40% fat), and within this groups the animals were sedentary (-S) or exercised (E), swimming 1hour per day and 5 days per week. The duration of the diet and the exercised were 16 weeks. Biometric and metabolic parameters of the animals were evaluated and the prostate was analyzed by immunoreactions (PCNA and estrogen receptor-ERβ), western blotting (ERK1 / 2 and androgen receptor-AR) and caspase-3 activity. We found that the fat uptake promoted the weight gain, higher fat-mass (up to 3,7x) and hyperglycemia (average of 200%), besides reducing the testosterone levels. Also, DH stimulated the prostatic cellular proliferation through higher activation of ERK signaling. In addition, the diet promoted a reduction by half of the ERβ content and increased those of AR. Physical exercise per se promoted an anabolic effect by increasing testosterone and stimulating cell proliferation in the prostate of sedentary group. However, exercise was able to reverse all prostate changes caused by the hyperlipid diet. In summary, the association of a hyperlipidic diet and a sedentary lifestyle promotes insults to the prostate stimulating pathways that could trigger proliferative diseases, such as hyperplasia and cancer and physical exercise is an interesting strategy to reverse such effectsTrabalho de Conclusão de Curso (Graduação)A próstata é uma glândula do sistema reprodutor masculino que é responsável pela produção do sêmen. O câncer de próstata é o segundo tipo mais frequente em homens no mundo. A obesidade é capaz de promover disfunções metabólicas que afetam o microambiente prostático. O objetivo desde trabalho é elucidar a resposta da próstata frente a grande ingestão de gordura e o papel do exercício físico neste ambiente. Foram usados 20 camundongos machos Swiss adultos, divididos em dois grupos: alimentação normal (DN- 4% de gordura) e hiperlipídica (DH- 40% de gordura saturada), sendo estes grupos subdivididos em sedentários (S) e animais exercitados (E) com natação (1hr/dia; 5 dias/semana). A duração da dieta e/ou exercício físico foi de 16 semanas. Foram avaliados parâmetros biométricos e metabólicos dos animais e a próstata foi analisada através de imunoreações (PCNA e receptor de estrogeno- ERβ), western blotting (ERK1/2 e receptor de andrógeno-AR) e atividade de caspase-3. Encontramos que a ingestão de gordura foi capaz de promover aumento do peso, da gordura corporal (aumento de 3,75 vezes) e da glicemia (em média 200%), além da diminuição dos níveis de testosterona. Tais alterações promoveram aumento significativo da proliferação celular prostática nos indivíduos obesos e sedentários, assim como a quantidade de ERK. Além disso, a dieta promoveu uma redução pela metade do conteúdo de ERβ e aumentou os de AR. O exercício físico por si só promoveu efeito anabólico aumentando a testosterona e estimulando e a proliferação celular no grupo sedentário. Entretanto, o exercício foi capaz de reverter todas as alterações causadas pela dieta hiperlipídica na próstata dos animais. Em síntese, o somatório de uma dieta hiperlipídica e uma vida sedentária promove séries de modulações capazes de provocar injurias à próstata e induzi-la a doenças proliferativas, como o câncer e o exercício físico é uma interessante estratégia na reversão de tais efeitos

Avaliação, medição e caracterização : velhos conceitos e novos preceitos : análise dos resultados de um inquérito aos utilizadores da Biblioteca Central da FLUP

A partir de um inquérito aos leitores da Biblioteca Central da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, são apresentadas as principais conclusões a que se chegou no que diz respeito à caracterização dos utilizadores e do espaço da Biblioteca, do seu funcionamento e dos fundos documentais e recursos electrónicos disponibilizados. A par disso, e com base na avaliação feita pelos leitores, é analisado o seu grau de satisfação, referindo-se as medidas que têm sido tomadas no seguimento do inquérito

Masonry infills and earthquakes

Masonry infills are building elements with high cost that often suffer cracking due to movement of the supports and thermohygral behaviour, with serious consequences in comfort and efficiency, particularly in the case of enclosure walls. The new seismic code in Europe (Eurocode 8) clearly defines the structural designer as responsible for the safety of masonry infills. In this context, there is a clear need of adequate provisions to reduce the seismic vulnerability in regions of moderate and high seismicity, which are not clearly prescribed in the code. A research program involving monotonic and shaking table testing of masonry infills is being prepared at University of Minho and National Laboratory of Civil Engineering. The reasons for the program and a preliminary analysis of the prototype are addressed here

The interview: methodological framework in the study of "Tourism and economics: the Faro airport (1946-73)"

This methodological paper defines how to interview people regarding the decision-making process, construction and operation of Faro Airport and its role in the Portuguese tourism policy for the Algarve between 1946 and 1973. The interviewee’s age makes these interviews urgent and unique. We will hear retired workers and people who held head positions at the airport or in other relevant public or private organizations. The interviews will allow the access to data otherwise not attainable or not sufficiently evident in other sources, such as documents. The interview consists of hearing the stories of the people, as a narrative, being the interview a semi-structured, guided and unstructured mix. The use of photographs during the interview will help respondents recall events that occurred decades ago. The interviewee will be selected by snowball sampling technique. Content analysis is the method to obtain data from the transcripts of the interviews, in order to construct a coherent narrative and with the contribution of all the interviews and interviewee. As field instruments, we will use an informed consent form, photographs and the confidentiality form after the interview, which responds to the ethical requirement for confidentiality, consequences of the interview and the role of the researcher.FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology partially fund this paper, as R. N. Pereira and J. A. Silva are members of the CIEO – Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics (Centro de Investigação sobre o Espaço e as Organizações)

Infill masonry : seismic behavior of reinforced solutions

The analysis of buildings constructed in the last 20 years, designed following modern standards, may lead to worrying conclusions. Images of out-of-plane expulsions and in-plane failures of infill walls in recent seismic activities around the world reminded engineers of the consequences of bad practice, wrong solutions or inadequate design. With the above in mind, a research program is being conducted as a partnership between University of Minho and the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC), which includes a shaking table experimental program of framed concrete buildings with masonry infill walls, reinforced and unreinforced. Herein the shaking table program and the tested solutions are detailed, along with the discussion of the results, focusing on the local behaviour of the infills and the global behaviour of the concrete structure

Ethnopharmacological survey: a selection strategy to identify medicinal plants for a local phytotherapy program

Estudos etnofarmacológicos são importantes no registro e na preservação de conhecimentos de uma cultura tradicional associada ao uso medicinal da biodiversidade. No presente trabalho, foi realizado o levantamento das plantas medicinais utilizadas por conhecedores populares na comunidade de Nova Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil, como ferramenta para auxiliar na seleção de espécies vegetais visando à implantação de um programa de fitoterapia local na comunidade estudada. Participaram 11 conhecedores escolhidos por amostragem Bola de Neve e submetidos a entrevistas semiestruturadas. Amostras dos espécimes foram coletadas, herborizadas e identificadas conforme metodologias usuais e literatura especializada. Foram amostradas 107 espécies medicinais pertencentes a 86 gêneros e 39 famílias botânicas, destacando-se Asteraceae com 16 espécies. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Mentha pulegium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. e Ruta graveolens L. apresentaram Consenso de Uso Principal corrigido (CUPc) superior a 50%, evidenciando consensos de uso popular entre os entrevistados. Espécies com CUPc igual ou superior a 20%, juntamente com o levantamento de informações em bases científicas, foram utilizadas para selecionar as espécies para o programa de fitoterapia local. A seleção de plantas medicinais, levando-se em consideração o índice de CUPc obtido de uma determinada comunidade aliado ao levantamento científico, mostra-se como estratégia a ser considerada na implantação de programas fitoterápicos.Ethnopharmacological studies are important for documenting and protecting cultural and traditional knowledge associated with the medical use of biodiversity. In this paper, we present a survey on medicinal plants used by locals in a community of Nova Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil, as a strategy to select medicinal plants for a phytotherapy-based local healthcare program. Eleven knowledgeable local informants were chosen by snowball sampling and interviewed about the use of medicinal plants. Plant samples were collected, herborised and then identified using traditional techniques and specialised literature. We sampled 107 medicinal plant species belonging to 86 genera and 39 families, predominantly Asteraceae with 16 species. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw, M. pulegium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Ruta graveolens L. were found to have Consensus of Main Use corrected (CMUc) values above 50%, which were in agreement with the traditional uses described by the informants. However, species with CMUc values equal to or above 20%, combined with the scientific information survey, were also used to select medicinal plants for the phytotherapy-based local healthcare program. The selection of medicinal plants based on the CMUc index from this particular community, in combination with the scientific survey, appears to be an effective strategy for the implementation of phytotherapy programs

Un libro fotográfico contra el desvanecimiento de la memoria urbana: una investigación del libro Rio que desaparece más allá de sus planos iconográficos.

Devastations of architectural ensemble had often taken place in Rio de Janeiro’s Historic Center until the end of the 1970s. These traumatic transformations of the built environment erased urban memory, which undermined social groups’ resistance against unwanted projects. Cities are often the subject of photography, which is a powerful instrument to remember the past. Despite that, photographic books are rarely picked as sources of knowledge about cities and means to recover erased urban memories. In this sense, this work has studied the case of Claudio Bruni Sakraischik’s Rio que desaparece (1993) (“Vanishing Rio”) book to highlight this bibliographic genre potential. Its main goal is to verify whether the book could contribute to the urban memory erasure’s resistance. Sakraischik registered the transformation process by which Rio de Janeiro had been through in the 1970s as the City Hall implemented the subway system. The publication was analyzed beyond its photographs’ iconographic planes, articulating texts about the urban memory erasure, with other texts on the city history and the author’s writings and biography. It was verified that this photographic book provides starting points from which it is possible to access and reinforce memories regarding the built environment and its demolished architectural examples.La devastación de conjuntos arquitectónicos completos era frecuente en el centro de Río de Janeiro en los años 70. Esas transformaciones traumáticas del entorno construido han provocado el desvanecimiento de la memoria urbana. Las ciudades son un tema recurrente en el entorno de la fotografía, instrumento potente para recordar el pasado. Sin embargo, los libros fotográficos raramente son utilizados como fuente de conocimiento acerca de las ciudades y como medio para rescatar memorias urbanas borradas. El estudio del libro fotográfico Rio que desaparece (1993), de Claudio Bruni Sakraischik, nos ha permitido ahondar en el potencial de este género bibliográfico. El objetivo era constatar cómo ha podido contribuir a impedir el desvanecimiento de la memoria urbana. Sakraischik registró el proceso de transformación urbana de Río en los años 70, mientras se implantaba el metro. La publicación va más allá del plano iconográfico de sus fotografías incorporando textos acerca del desvanecimiento de la memoria, de la historia de la ciudad y la biografía y escritos de Sakraischik. El libro ofrece puntos de partida para acceder a aquel entorno construido y a sus ejemplares arquitectónicos demolidos

Untersuchungen an mit Mauerwerk ausgefachten Stahlbetonrahmen und neue Lösungsvorschläge

The vulnerability of unreinforced masonry walls (URM) under seismic events, causing huge loss of money and human lives, has revealed the enormous need for an efficient strengthening material. In this context, the present paper presents the experimental research that has been carried out with the aim of a better insight of traditional masonry infill walls commonly built in Portugal. The experimental research includes: (1) shaking table tests on reduced scale reinforced concrete (rc) building with masonry infills with distinct typologies, from traditional to solutions with enhanced properties and solutions to improve the seismic behavior; (2) in-plane static cyclic tests on an representative one storey and one bay rc frame with masonry infills with distinct typologies but similar to the ones tested in the rc building models. It was concluded that the typology of masonry walls influences global behaviour of rc buildings, particularly if no connection exist between masonry infills and rc frames. If not appropriately designed, the masonry infill walls can have a harmful influence on the rc columns by inducing shear stresses. From the in-plane cyclic tests, t was concluded that rendering takes a central role on the lateral strength and stiffness. Additionally, it was observed that bed joint reinforcement and reinforced rendering are important measures to control damage but do not influence significantly the in-plane lateral strength and stiffness.INSYME project (Innovative systems for earthquake-resistant masonry enclosures in RC buildings (project ref. 606229