Association of dairy product consumption with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in adolescents: a cross-Sectional Analysis from the LabMed study

This study aimed to investigate the association between dairy product consumption and metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers in Portuguese adolescents, and whether the association differed by weight status. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the school year 2011/2012 with 412 Portuguese adolescents (52.4% girls) in 7th and 10th grade (aged 12 to 18 years old). The World Health Organization cutoffs were used to categorize adolescents as non-overweight (NW) or overweight (OW). Blood samples were collected to analyze C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin, and adiponectin. Dairy product intake was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. Participants were divided by tertiles according to the amount of dairy product consumed. The associations between dairy product consumption with metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers were evaluated using generalized linear regression models with logarithmic link and gamma distribution and adjusted for potential confounders. The majority of adolescents were NW (67.2%). NW adolescents had lower IL-6, CRP, and leptin concentration than their counterparts (p p = 0.004). Our results suggest an inverse association between total dairy product and milk intake and serum concentrations of IL-6 only among NW adolescents.This study was supported by the Research Centre on Physical Activity Health and Leisure (CIAFEL) of the Faculty of Sport, University of Porto and by FCT grant BD88984/ 2012 (J. Oliveira-Santos); The Research Centre on Physical Activity Health and Leisure (CIAFEL) is supported by FCT/UID/DTP/00617/2019; the author C. Agostinis-Sobrinho was given Doctoral scholarship from the Brazilian government by CAPES (Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) (Proc: 9588-13-2). Rute Santos is founded by and FCT grant (CEECIND/01069/2017). Eduarda Sousa-Sá is funded by a Gulbenkian grant (Project nº 221669-Projeto Academias Gulbenkian do Conhecimento)

Study of relief evolution of escarpment between doce/paraná basins in Minas Gerais state - southeastern Brazil by quantification Denudation rates.

Escarpamentos na forma de degraus do relevo e que limitam duas diferentes bacias hidrográficas são comuns no leste de Minas Gerais. O presente trabalho investigou a evolução do que delimita as bacias hidrográfi cas do rio Doce (porção leste e inferior da escarpa) com a bacia hidrográfica do rio Paraná (porção oeste e superior da escarpa) via mensuração das taxas quaternárias de desnudação através do isótopo cosmogênico 10Be. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que as taxas de desnudação mensuradas possuem íntima relação com a compartimentação do relevo, sendo baixas no planalto superior (bacia hidrográfica do rio Paraná), médias na porção deste planalto superior que foi capturado para a bacia hidrográfica do rio Doce e altas na escarpa. Permitem ainda compreender que o relevo regional evoluí através de um duplo front de regressão: o primeiro se caracteriza pelo recuo da escarpa e o segundo, localizado mais a oeste, pelas capturas fluviais. Neste contexto, comprova-se a retração do escarpamento para oeste, fato que faz com que a bacia hidrográfica do rio Doce ganhe área em detrimento da bacia hidrográfica do rio Paraná.Escarpments that presents form of steps in relief and that limit two different basins are common in eastern of Minas Gerais State in Brazil. This paper investigated the evolution of the escarpment that delimits the Doce catchments (the lower and the eastern portion of the escarpment) from the Paraná catchments (the higher and the western portion of the escarpment) by measurement of the quaternary denudation rates by 10Be cosmogenic nuclide. The results demonstrate that denudation rates measured are closely related to the relief: (i) lower rates in the upper plateau (Paraná catchments); (ii) middle rates on the upper plateau that was captured into the Doce catchments and; (iii) higher rates on the escarpment. It was also possible to understand that the regional relief evolved by double front: the fi rst front is characterized by escarpment backwearing and the second, located further west, by the river captures and downwearing. In this context, it is proved the retraction of the escarpment into the west and, for consequence, the Rio Doce catchments is gaining area at the expense of the Paraná catchments

Stability of combining ability effects in maize hybrids Estabilidade dos efeitos da capacidade de combinação em híbridos de milho

General and specific combining ability effects are important indicators in a maize (Zea mays L.) breeding program aiming hybrid development. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the general (GCA) and specific combining abilities (SCA) effects of commercial maize hybrids using a complete diallel scheme and to assess the stabilities of these estimates. Fifty-five entries were assessed; ten commercial single-crosses and all possible double-crosses. The experiments were carried out in 12 environments in the 2005/06 growing season. A randomized complete block design was used with three replications per environment. Ear yield was evaluated, corrected to 13% of moisture content. The combined diallel analysis involving all environments was performed and the stability of general and specific combining ability effects was investigated. The underlying nonparametric statistics evaluated the contribution of each effect to the genotype by environment interaction. Non-additive effects were more important for this set of hybrids than the additive effects. It was possible to select parents with high stability for combining ability and with high GCA.<br>Os efeitos da capacidade geral (CGC) e específica de combinação (CEC) são indicadores importantes em um programa de melhoramento milho (Zea mays L.) visando a obtenção de híbridos. Os objetivos do presente trabalho foram estimar os efeitos da capacidade geral e específica de combinação de híbridos comerciais de milho e avaliar a estabilidade das estimativas desses parâmetros. Para isso foram avaliados 55 tratamentos, sendo dez híbridos simples comerciais e os 45 híbridos duplos possíveis. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em 12 ambientes no ano agrícola de 2005/06. O delineamento empregado foi o de blocos casualizados com três repetições por ambiente, e o caráter avaliado foi o peso de espigas corrigido para 13% de umidade. Procedeu-se à análise dialélica conjunta envolvendo todos os ambientes e realizou-se o estudo da estabilidade dos efeitos da capacidade geral e específica de combinação, adotando-se a estatística não-paramétrica por meio da soma de postos. Os efeitos não aditivos foram mais importantes que os efeitos aditivos para o desempenho desse conjunto de híbridos. É possível selecionar genitores com alta estabilidade para a capacidade de combinação e com CGC de elevada magnitude

Characterization of a large cluster of HIV-1 A1 infections detected in Portugal and connected to several Western European countries

HIV-1 subtypes associate with differences in transmission and disease progression. Thus, the existence of geographic hotspots of subtype diversity deepens the complexity of HIV-1/AIDS control. The already high subtype diversity in Portugal seems to be increasing due to infections with sub-subtype A1 virus. We performed phylogenetic analysis of 65 A1 sequences newly obtained from 14 Portuguese hospitals and 425 closely related database sequences. 80% of the A1 Portuguese isolates gathered in a main phylogenetic clade (MA1). Six transmission clusters were identified in MA1, encompassing isolates from Portugal, Spain, France, and United Kingdom. The most common transmission route identified was men who have sex with men. The origin of the MA1 was linked to Greece, with the first introduction to Portugal dating back to 1996 (95% HPD: 1993.6-1999.2). Individuals infected with MA1 virus revealed lower viral loads and higher CD4+ T-cell counts in comparison with those infected by subtype B. The expanding A1 clusters in Portugal are connected to other European countries and share a recent common ancestor with the Greek A1 outbreak. The recent expansion of this HIV-1 subtype might be related to a slower disease progression leading to a population level delay in its diagnostic.Supported by FEDER, COMPETE, and FCT by the projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038 and IF/00474/2014; FCT PhD scholarship PDE/BDE/113599/2015; FCT contract FCT IF/00474/2014; European Funds through grant BEST HOPE (project funded through HIVERA, grant 249697) and by FCT PTDC/DTP-EPI/7066/2014. Global Health and Tropical Medicine Center are funded through FCT (UID/Multi/04413/2013). We would like to acknowledge all the patients and health care professionals from the Portuguese hospitals that contributed in some way to this study

Comenta&#769;rios a uma sentenc&#807;a anunciada : o processo Lula

“Comentários a uma sentença: o Caso Lula” é talvez o mais importante documento jurídico publicado no Brasil em décadas. A presente coletânea de artigos nasceu de um movimento espontâneo e bastante significativo de juristas brasileiros e estrangeiros que examinaram cuidadosamente a sentença proferida no âmbito do processo que tramitou na 13ª Vara Federal de Curitiba, no caso que ficou conhecido na mídia como o do “tríplex do Guarujá”. <br>De la presentación de Geraldo Prad