Ficção científica na transposição didática do conceito de Entropia: a última pergunta de Isaac Asimov [Science fiction in the didactic transposition of the concept of Entropy: Isaac Asimov’s last question]

This paper presents and analyzes the methodology for teaching the concept of entropy supported by a science fiction text. In previous publications, we have presented ways of articulating Ausubel’s Meaningful Learning and Matthew Lipman’s Education theories, the object of his Philosophy Program. We show how this articulation considers the prerogatives of meaningful learning, linking it to higher-order thinking established by research communities and suggesting aggregating methods. As a theoretical-methodological expansion of these references, we transferred the notion of didactic transposition, via science fiction texts, to reinforce these postulates about teaching and cognition. The translational research involved researchers from the field of Physics teaching and 58 second-year high school students from a public institution. In the pedagogical mediation, as a basis for the discussion of the concept of entropy in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, we use one of the most acclaimed short stories by the popular Russian-American author, Isaac Asimov, entitled “The Last Question”. For data analysis, we resorted to techniques of semantic frequency and medium order of evocation as constructs of a taxonomy for the investigation of social representations arising from the implemented proposition. The results indicated consistency with the perspective of meaningful learning, consolidating reflections for similar interventions and contiguous research

Adaptation of Helicoverpa armigera to soybean peptidase inhibitors is associated with the transgenerational upregulation of serine peptidases.

This is the final version. Available from MDPI via the DOI in this record. Data Availability Statement: The RNA and bisulfite sequencing data generated in this study have been deposited in the NCBI SRA under the BioProject accession number PRJNA884530.Molecular phenotypes induced by environmental stimuli can be transmitted to offspring through epigenetic inheritance. Using transcriptome profiling, we show that the adaptation of Helicoverpa armigera larvae to soybean peptidase inhibitors (SPIs) is associated with large-scale gene expression changes including the upregulation of genes encoding serine peptidases in the digestive system. Furthermore, approximately 60% of the gene expression changes induced by SPIs persisted in the next generation of larvae fed on SPI-free diets including genes encoding regulatory, oxidoreductase, and protease functions. To investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating SPI adaptation, the methylome of the digestive system of first-generation larvae (fed on a diet with and without SPIs) and of the progeny of larvae exposed to SPIs were characterized. A comparative analysis between RNA-seq and Methyl-seq data did not show a direct relationship between differentially methylated and differentially expressed genes, while trypsin and chymotrypsin genes were unmethylated in all treatments. Rather, DNA methylation potential epialleles were associated with transcriptional and translational controls; these may play a regulatory role in the adaptation of H. armigera to SPIs. Altogether, our findings provided insight into the mechanisms of insect adaptation to plant antiherbivore defense proteins and illustrated how large-scale transcriptional reprograming of insect genes can be transmitted across generations.Fundação De Amparo À Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo (FAPESP)e Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Brasil (CAPES)Fundação De Amparo À Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Minor psychiatric disorders among Brazilian ragpickers: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Ragpickers are informal workers who collect recyclable materials to earn a small wage. Their life and working conditions are extremely difficult. We examined minor psychiatric disorders (MPD) among a cohort of ragpickers in Pelotas, a city in southern Brazil. METHODS: Ragpickers were matched by sex, age, and years of schooling with a sample of non-ragpickers from the same poor neighborhoods. The cross-sectional study gathered data by interview on 990 individuals in 2004. MPD were assessed using a standard self-reporting questionnaire, the SRQ-20. RESULTS: The prevalence of MPD among ragpickers was 44.7%, higher than reported by neighborhood controls (33.6%; p < 0.001). MPD were more common among females, those of lower economic level, smokers and alcoholics. Among occupational characteristics, MPD prevalence was associated with frequent static postures, low job satisfaction and recent work accidents. CONCLUSION: Ragpickers more frequently report MPD than other poor workers living in the same neighborhoods, with many of the same life conditions. Improving the work lives of these precarious workers should address not only the physical hazards of their jobs but their mental and emotional health as well

Development of Ac2-26 Mesoporous Microparticle System as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Milena Fronza Broering,1,2 Pedro Leonidas Oseliero Filho,3,4 Pâmela Pacassa Borges,1 Luis Carlos Cides da Silva,3 Marcos Camargo Knirsch,5 Luana Filippi Xavier,1 Pablo Scharf,1 Silvana Sandri,1 Marco Antonio Stephano,5 Fernando Anselmo de Oliveira,6 Ibrahim M Sayed,2 Lionel Fernel Gamarra,6 Soumita Das,2 Márcia CA Fantini,3 Sandra HP Farsky1 1Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; 2Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA; 3Department of Applied Physics, Physics Institute, University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; 4Materials Innovation Factory, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, MSY, UK; 5Department of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; 6Instituto do Cérebro, Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa, Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Hospital Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, BrazilCorrespondence: Sandra HP Farsky, Email [email protected]: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) disrupt the intestinal epithelium, leading to severe chronic inflammation. Current therapies cause adverse effects and are expensive, invasive, and ineffective for most patients. Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is a pivotal endogenous anti-inflammatory and tissue repair protein in IBD. Nanostructured compounds loading AnxA1 or its active N-terminal mimetic peptides improve IBD symptomatology.Methods: To further explore their potential as a therapeutic candidate, the AnxA1 N-terminal mimetic peptide Ac2-26 was incorporated into SBA-15 ordered mesoporous silica and covered with EL30D-55 to deliver it by oral treatment into the inflamed gut.Results: The systems SBA-Ac2-26 developed measurements revealed self-assembled rod-shaped particles, likely on the external surface of SBA-15, and 88% of peptide incorporation. SBA-15 carried the peptide Ac2-26 into cultured Raw 264.7 macrophages and Caco-2 epithelial cells. Moreover, oral administration of Eudragit-SBA-15-Ac2-26 (200 μg; once a day; for 4 days) reduced colitis clinical symptoms, inflammation, and improved epithelium recovery in mice under dextran-sodium sulfate-induced colitis.Discussion: The absorption of SBA-15 in gut epithelial cells is typically low; however, the permeable inflamed barrier can enable microparticles to cross, being phagocyted by macrophages. These findings suggest that Ac2-26 is successfully delivered and binds to its receptors in both epithelial and immune cells, aligning with the clinical results.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a simple and cost-effective approach to delivering Ac2-26 orally into the inflamed gut, highlighting its potential as non-invasive IBD therapy. Keywords: annexin A1, SBA-15, oral route, tissue recovery, inflammatio

A novel case of human visceral leishmaniasis from the urban area of the city of Rio de Janeiro: autochthonous or imported from Spain ?

Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle, 10ª Enfermaria. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde. Hospital Universitário Gaffrée e Guinle. Serviço de Anatomia Patológica. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica e Vigilância em Leishmanioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica e Vigilância em Leishmanioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica e Vigilância em Leishmanioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica e Vigilância em Leishmanioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica e Vigilância em Leishmanioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Pesquisa Clínica e Vigilância em Leishmanioses. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil