Continuing Education On Qualitative Risk Assessment: Improving The Understanding Of Risk

Despite a common agreement that environmental and occupational health & safety professionals must learn about risk early in formal education, such matters still remain underrepresented in most education programs. This paper describes the development and use of an instructional material aimed at exploring and improving health & safety professionals’ understanding on what risk really means, and on what is needed to its technical assessment. After reading a text depicting the technical and contextual aspects of unintended technological accidents, participants were asked to rank such events regarding its risk. Next, they had to explain what criteria they adopted, and also to compare their results with reference values, discussing the differences. Participants’ statements were collected and compiled. The ensuing discussion involved the resignification of the ideas raised by them, introducing the scientific meaning into a technical context. The proposed practice presented consistent results becoming an alternative resource to teach risk in a way participants share opinions based on their previous knowledge and begin to deal with the idea of evaluating risks in a scientifically reasoned basis

Antinociceptivna i protuupalna svojstva vodeno-etanolnog ekstrakta pokožice grožđa vrste Vitis labrusca izolirane iz otpada vinske industrije

Research background. Extracts from grape pomace, including the wine, show many biological effects such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Unfortunately, winemakers discard the bagasse, so the waste is not exploited, although it contains bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The work aims to analyze the hydroethanolic extract of peels from Vitis labrusca agro-industrial waste and to evaluate its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties. This study is relevant for reusing a residue and adding value to the grape economic chain. Experimental approach. A representative sample of pomace was obtained and the peels were used to produce the extract. The phenolic compounds were determined by mass spectrometry in multiple reaction monitoring mode and Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method, using gallic acid as standard. The biological analyses were carried out using mice orally treated with crude extract at doses of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg. We evaluated mechanical hyperalgesia by the von Frey method, thermal heat hyperalgesia using a hot plate at 55 °C, paw edema using a pachymeter, and neutrophil recruitment by measurement of myeloperoxidase activity. The nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity were evaluated by biochemical analyses using blood samples that were collected after the Vitis labrusca administration. Results and conclusions. In all wet winemaking residues peel mass fraction was 75%, and in dry residues 59%. We identified nine anthocyanins (3-O-glucosides: peonidin, delphinidin, petunidin and malvidin; 3-p-coumaroyl-glucosides: cyanidin, peonidin, petunidin and malvidin, and malvidin-3,5-diglucoside), five flavonoids (apigenin-7-glucoside, luteolin-7-glucoside, quercetin-3-galactoside, isorhamnetin-3-glucoside and myricetin-3-rutinoside), and mass fraction of phenolic compounds, expressed as gallic acid equivalents, was 26.62 mg/g. In vivo assays showed that Vitis labrusca extract at mass fractions 100 and 300 mg/kg reduced carrageenan-induced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, 50% of the paw edema, and neutrophil recruitment. In addition, there were no indications of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Our extract obtained from winemaking residue has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, related at least in part to the presence of phenolic compounds, and it is not toxic to renal and hepatic tissues. Novelty and scientific contribution. This bio-product can be used as an alternative to synthetic anti-inflammatory agents with the same pharmacological potential and fewer side effects. We demonstrated that Vitis labrusca winemaking waste can be used for the production of antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory products (nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetics) without toxicity, contributing to the environmental economy.Pozadina istraživanja. Ekstrakt komine grožđa, kao i vino, ima mnoga biološka svojstva, poput antioksidacijskog i protuupalnog učinka. Nažalost, proizvođači vina odbacuju neiskorišteni trop iako sadržava bioaktivne spojeve s antioksidacijskim i protuupalnim svojstvima. Svrha je ovoga rada bila ispitati antinociceptivna i protuupalna svojstva vodeno-etanolnog ekstrakta pokožice grožđa vrste Vitis labrusca iz agroindustrijskog otpada. Značaj je ovoga istraživanja u tome što se korištenjem otpada daje dodatna ekonomska vrijednost grožđu u uzgojnom lancu. Eksperimentalni pristup. Ekstrakt je dobiven iz pokožica izdvojenih iz reprezentativnog uzorka komine. Udjel fenolnih spojeva određen je praćenjem višestrukih reakcija pomoću masene spektrometrije i metodom Folin-Ciocalteu, uz galnu kiselinu kao standard. Biološka aktivnost ekstrakata ispitana je na miševima koji su hranjeni sirovim ekstraktom u dozama od 30, 100 i 300 mg/kg. Ispitani su sljedeći parametri: mehanička hiperalgezija pomoću von Frey filamenata, toplinska hiperalgezija na vrućoj ploči pri 55 °C, edem šape pomoću pomičnog mjerila i aktivnost mijeloperoksidaze kao pokazatelj aktivacije neutrofila. Nefrotoksičnost i hepatotoksičnost su ispitane biokemijskim pretragama uzoraka krvi miševa hranjenih ekstraktom grožđa vrste Vitis labrusca. Rezultati i zaključci. Maseni udjel pokožica u svim uzorcima otpada vinske industrije iznosio je 75 % mokre tvari i 59 % suhe tvari. Identificirali smo devet različitih antocijanina (3-O-glukozide peonidin, delfinidin, petunidin i malvidin; 3-p-kumaroil-glukozide cijanidin, peonidin, pe¬tunidin i malvidin, te malvidin-3,5-diglukozid), pet flavonoida (apigenin-7-glukozid, luteolin-7-glukozid, kvercetin-3-galaktozid, izorhamnetin-3-glukozid i miri¬cetin-3-rutinozid), a maseni udjel fenolnih spojeva, izražen kao ekvivalent galne kiseline, bio je 26,62 mg/g. Ispitivanja in vivo pokazala su da su ektrakti grožđa vrste Vitis labrusca masenog udjela 100 i 300 mg/kg smanjili mehaničku i toplinsku hiperalgeziju kod miševa nakon injekcije karagenana, reducirali edem šape za 50 % i smanjili broj neutrofila. Osim toga, nije bilo pokazatelja nefrotoksičnosti i hepatotoksičnosti. Ekstrakt dobiven iz otpada vinske industrije ima analgetska i protuupalna svojstva, djelomično zbog toga što sadržava fenolne spojeve, a nije toksičan za tkiva bubrega i jetre. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Dobiveni se bioproizvod može upotrijebiti kao alternativa sintetičkim protuupalnim agensima, s istim farmakološkim potencijalom a manje nuspojava. Pokazali smo da se vinski otpad grožđa vrste Vitis labrusca može upotrijebiti za proizvodnju antinociceptivnih i protuupalnih proizvoda (nutraceutičkih, farmaceutskih i kozmetičkih) koji nemaju toksični učinak, te na taj način pridonijeti zaštiti okoliša

Annona coriacea Mart. fractions promote cell cycle arrest and inhibit autophagic flux in human cervical cancer cell lines

Plant-based compounds are an option to explore and perhaps overcome the limitations of current antitumor treatments. Annona coriacea Mart. is a plant with a broad spectrum of biological activities, but its antitumor activity is still unclear. The purpose of our study was to determine the effects of A. coriacea fractions on a panel of cervical cancer cell lines and a normal keratinocyte cell line. The antitumor effect was investigated in vitro by viability assays, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion assays. Intracellular signaling was assessed by Western blot, and major compounds were identified by mass spectrometry. All fractions exhibited a cytotoxic effect on cisplatin-resistant cell lines, SiHa and HeLa. C3 and C5 were significantly more cytotoxic and selective than cisplatin in SiHa and Hela cells. However, in CaSki, a cisplatin-sensitive cell line, the compounds did not demonstrate higher cytotoxicity when compared with cisplatin. Alkaloids and acetogenins were the main compounds identified in the fractions. These fractions also markedly decreased cell proliferation with p21 increase and cell cycle arrest in G2/M. These effects were accompanied by an increase of H2AX phosphorylation levels and DNA damage index. In addition, fractions C3 and C5 promoted p62 accumulation and decrease of LC3II, as well as acid vesicle levels, indicating the inhibition of autophagic flow. These findings suggest that A. coriacea fractions may become effective antineoplastic drugs and highlight the autophagy inhibition properties of these fractions in sensitizing cervical cancer cells to treatment.e FINEP (MCTI/FINEP/MS/SCTIE/DECIT-01/ 2013—FP XII-BIOPLAT), Barretos Cancer Hospital, CAPES, CNPq, FAPEMIG, UFSJ. RMR is a recipient of CNPq Productivity Gran

Expressed sequence tag analysis of the human pathogen Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast phase: Identification of putative homologues of Candida albicans virulence and pathogenicity genes

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermodimorphic fungus, is the causative agent of the prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America, paracoccidioidomycosis. We present here a survey of expressed genes in the yeast pathogenic phase of P. brasiliensis. We obtained 13,490 expressed sequence tags from both 5' and 3' ends. Clustering analysis yielded the partial sequences of 4,692 expressed genes that were functionally classified by similarity to known genes. We have identified several Candida albicans virulence and pathogenicity homologues in P. brasiliensis. Furthermore, we have analyzed the expression of some of these genes during the dimorphic yeast-mycelium-yeast transition by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Clustering analysis of the mycelium-yeast transition revealed three groups: (i) RBT, hydrophobin, and isocitrate lyase; (ii) malate dehydrogenase, contigs Pb1067 and Pb1145, GPI, and alternative oxidase; and (iii) ubiquitin, delta-9-desaturase, HSP70, HSP82, and HSP104. the first two groups displayed high mRNA expression in the mycelial phase, whereas the third group showed higher mRNA expression in the yeast phase. Our results suggest the possible conservation of pathogenicity and virulence mechanisms among fungi, expand considerably gene identification in P. brasiliensis, and provide a broader basis for further progress in understanding its biological peculiarities.Univ São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Farmaceut, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut Ribeirao Preto, BR-14040903 Ribeirao Preto, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Pret, BR-14040903 Ribeirao Preto, SP, BrazilInst Pasteur, Unite Genet Mol Levures, Paris, FranceUniv Vale do Paraiba, UNIVAP, Vale Do Paraiba, BrazilUniv Mogi das Cruzes, Nucleo Integrado Biotecnol, Mogi Das Cruzes, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI

Neuroscience and education: prime time to build the bridge

As neuroscience gains social traction and entices media attention, the notion that education has much to benefit from brain research becomes increasingly popular. However, it has been argued that the fundamental bridge toward education is cognitive psychology, not neuroscience. We discuss four specific cases in which neuroscience synergizes with other disciplines to serve education, ranging from very general physiological aspects of human learning such as nutrition, exercise and sleep, to brain architectures that shape the way we acquire language and reading, and neuroscience tools that increasingly allow the early detection of cognitive deficits, especially in preverbal infants. Neuroscience methods, tools and theoretical frameworks have broadened our understanding of the mind in a way that is highly relevant to educational practice. Although the bridge’s cement is still fresh, we argue why it is prime time to march over it

El impacto de la pandemia del Covid-19 en la actuación de la burocracia de primera línea en Brasil

O enfrentamento da pandemia de Covid-19 exige que o Estado tome decisões difíceis que perpassam a ação da burocracia que implementa políticas públicas na interação com a população, a burocracia de nível de rua (BNR). Neste artigo, baseado em estudo exploratório de método misto, analisamos como a atuação cotidiana desses burocratas em diferentes políticas públicas - saúde, assistência social, acesso à justiça, segurança pública e educação - foi alterada durante a pandemia, bem como analisamos as suas consequências. Três categorias que ilustram a dinâmica do trabalho da BNR durante a pandemia foram identificadas por análise dos sentimentos dos burocratas, mudanças no seu trabalho e na relação com a população: a BNR que enfrenta a crise na linha de frente; a BNR que sofre os efeitos da pandemia, mas cujo trabalho não demanda enfrentá-la diretamente; e a BNR cujo trabalho migrou para o formato remoto. Concluímos que, durante a pandemia, a BNR, em diferentes graus, deparou-se com um agravamento de problemas estruturais, como o seu alijamento dos processos decisórios, restritos ao alto escalão governamental, e a exacerbação de conflitos e ambiguidades já existentes.Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic requires that the State make hard decisions that involve the action of bureaucrats who interact with the population through the implementation of public policy, the street-level bureaucracy (SLB). In this paper, based on a mixed- method exploratory study, we analyze how the daily performance of street-level bureaucrats in different policy areas- health and social care, access to the justice system, public security and education - has changed during the pandemic. We also explore the repercussions of those changes. Based on the analysis of the perceptions of bureaucrats, changes in their work and in their relationship with the public, we identify three categories that illustrate the dynamics of SLB work during the pandemic: the SLB who faces the crisis on the front lines; the SLB who suffers the effects of the pandemic, but whose work does not require her to face it directly; and the SLB who began to work remotely. We conclude that, during the pandemic, SLB suffered in varying degrees an aggravation of structural problems, such as their removal from decision-making processes - now restricted to the highest government level - and the exacerbation of already existing conflicts and ambiguities.Hacer frente a la pandemia de Covid-19 requiere que el Estado tome decisiones difíciles que van más allá de la acción de la burocracia que implementa las políticas públicas en la interacción con la población, la burocracia de primera línea (BPL). En este artículo, a partir de un estudio exploratorio de método mixto, analizamos cómo el desempeño diario de estos burócratas en diferentes políticas públicas - salud, asistencia social, acceso a la justicia, seguridad pública y educación - se modificó durante la pandemia y sus consecuencias. Se identificaron tres categorías que ilustran la dinámica del trabajo de BNR durante la pandemia, analizando los sentimientos de los burócratas, los cambios en su trabajo y en la relación con la población: la BPL que enfrenta la crisis en primera línea; la BPL que sufre los efectos de la pandemia, pero cuyo trabajo no exige enfrentarla directamente; y la BPL cuyo trabajo migró al formato remoto. Concluimos que, durante la pandemia, la BPL, en diferentes grados, enfrentó un agravamiento de problemas estructurales, como su remoción de los procesos de toma de decisiones, restringida al más alto nivel de gobierno, y la exacerbación de conflictos y ambigüedades ya existentes

Simple to be Useful: Ecosystem Base for Coastal Management

Os processos de Gerenciamento Costeiro (GC) nas últimas décadas vêm evoluindo, apresentando diferentes métodos de gestão, sendo que uma nova fronteira se encontra na Gestão com Base Ecossistêmica (GBE). No entanto, para colocar em prática a GBE, a qual leva em consideração as funções, os processos e os serviços ecossistêmicos dos ambientes costeiros e marinhos, entendendo-os como um conjunto de ecossistemas compostos por elementos ecológicos (naturais), econômicos e sociais, se faz necessária a base de informação ecossistêmica. O presente trabalho propõe, apresentando resultados aplicados, um roteiro metodológico de seis etapas: 1. Identificar os ecossistemas como “Unidades de Gestão”; 2. Mapear, modelar e simular os ecossistemas; 3. Identificar e classificar os serviços ecossistêmicos; 4. Definir os valores e a qualidade dos serviços; 5. Identificar os espaços de gestão; e 6. Integrar com políticas e demais instrumentos de gestão e legais. As aplicações práticas apresentadas vão desde trabalhos acadêmicos de identificação e caracterização de ambientes costeiros e marinhos a aplicações nos processos de gestão ambiental portuários, passando também pelo desenvolvimento de Zoneamentos Ecológico-Econômicos (ZEEs) em nível regional, por exemplo. Na apreciação integral do conjunto de exemplos e iniciativas para todas as etapas do modelo, depreende-se que a sua aplicação é ampla, variada e consideravelmente simples. Da mesma forma, a multiplicidade de possíveis aplicações do modelo em ações voltadas ao suporte de uma GBE sugere que seu uso pode crescer e buscar iniciativas inovadoras. A expectativa dos autores é de que tal ferramenta possa, de fato, delinear e estimular pesquisas e aplicações com base ecossistêmica na busca da sustentabilidade da costa e do bem-estar de seus atores sociais.In the last decades Coastal Management (CM) processes have been evolving, presenting different management methods, and the new frontier is at the so-called Ecosystem Based Management (EBM). However, to put into practice EBM, which takes into account ecosystem functions, processes and services of coastal and marine environments, understanding them as a set of ecosystems composed of ecological (natural), economic and social elements, it is necessary an ecosystem-based information. The present work proposes, presenting practical results, a methodological path of six stages: 1. Identification of ecosystems as "Management Units"; 2. Mapping, modeling and simulating ecosystems and their connections; 3. Identification and classification of ecosystem services; 4. Definition of values and quality of services; 5. Identification of related management procedures; and 6. Integration with policies and other management and legal tools. The concrete applications range from academic studies of identification and characterization of coastal and marine environments, to port’s environmental management processes, and the development of ecological-economic zoning at regional level, for example. In the full appreciation of the set of examples and initiatives for all stages of the model, it can be concluded that its application is wide, varied and considerably simple. Likewise, the multiplicity of possible applications of the model in practical actions aimed to support of an EBM, suggests that its use can grow and pursue innovative initiatives. The authors' expectation is that such a tool may, in fact, delineate and stimulate research and applications based on ecosystems in the quest for the sustainability of the coast and the well-being of its social actors