Mídias: sociabilidades, práticas e significações

Mídia: sociabilidades, práticas e significações apresenta leituras interculturais e transdisciplinares do atual estágio das inferências intelectuais que alimentam as pesquisas no Grupo de Pesquisas GEMINI – Grupo de Estudos de Mídia – Análises e Pesquisas em Cultura. Os autores trazem suas contribuições para a compreensão das diferentes narrativas que se ancoram na realidade e criam novos sentidos sobre mídia e sociedade. Os artigos, organizados em três núcleos temáticos, abordam vestígios sobre variados temas e se articulam na ordem do discurso e das práticas que compõem a midiatização social

Development of galactomannan-based films from Cassia grandis for the immobilization of biomolecules: physicochemical characterization

Galactomannans are polysaccharides formed by a β(1 4)-D-mannan backbone attached to α(1 6)- D-galactose units. They are commonly extracted from leguminous seeds and used as alternative sources for the production of films. Lactoferrin (Lf), bioactive peptides (BAPs), and phytosterols are biomolecules with functional properties and potential immobilization into films. The use of galactomannan films as immobilization systems is unexplored and emerges as an alternative for the incorporation of biomolecules for several biotechnological applications. This work aims evaluating the effect of different concentrations of LF, BAPs and phytosterols on the properties of galactomannan films obtained from Cassia grandis seeds. Colour parameters (L*, a* and b*) and opacity were determined using a digital colorimeter. Solubility in water was expressed as percentage of the film dry matter solubilized after 24 h immersion in distilled water and water vapour permeability (WVP) was determined gravimetrically based on ASTM E96-92 method. Contact angle (CA) was measured by the sessile drop method and mechanical properties were measured using a texture analyzer following the guidelines of ASTM D882-02. All the studied films had a strong whiteness tendency. The presence of Lf increased (p<0.05) the redness appearance of the films, even considering their evident yellowness tendency. All the studied films presented low opacity values (ranged between 11.53±0.15 and 12.37±0.16), however the films with immobilized phytosterols were more opaque than the other films. Solubility values decreased with the addition of Lf, while the incorporation of BAPs and phytosterols did not lead to statistical differences (p>0.05) between the films. The presence of Lf and phytosterols significantly increased the WVP values, leading to values 3.9 and 1.7-fold higher than the control film, respectively. Lf and BAPs increased (p<0.05) the CA values when compared to the results of the control film. Young′s modulus and tensile strength increased with the addition of biomolecules, improving the stiffness of the films, while the control films were more flexible due to the highest values of elongation at break. Galactomannan-based films from C. grandis showed to be a promising structure for the immobilization of biomolecules foreseeing a great number of possible applications in food and pharmaceutical industries

Nutritional Interventions In The Treatment Of Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review Of Clinical Trials / Intervenções Nutricionais No Tratamento Da Acne Vulgaris: Uma Revisão Sistemática Dos Ensaios Clínicos

The aim of this study is to review the literature about dietary interventions on acne vulgaris in order to support the development of more effective treatments in clinical practice. A systematic review of the literature, from clinical trials over the last five years, available in Pub Med and SciELO. The selected articles were analyzed according to the Jadad scale, CONSORT and risk of bias using the Cochrane protocol. CONSORT indicated that most of the evidence score was attributed in the titles, abstracts and some of the methods. In particular, the methods of the studies evaluated, when lacking detail, received lower scores, among the evidence, expressed as a percentage. The results, after using the Jadad scale, indicated a similar profile to that obtained with the CONSORT protocol. However, this tool is limited with regard to randomization and blinding. Using the Cochrane method, the risk of bias was evaluated. Results corroborated the evaluations by CONSORT and Jadad scale. Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids, Camellia sinensis, Berberis vulgaris, chromium, selenium and probiotics were significant, but results were limited for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Consumption of foods with increased glycemic load and chocolate indicated a correlation with an increase in acneiform lesions. Changes in nutritional status of alfa-tocopherol, cobalamin and folic acid were associated with the use of isotretinoin. There is a need to increase the quantity and quality of scientific evidence on the nutritional treatment of acne vulgaris in order to more effectively and safely guide the nutritional actions of clinical practice today

Decepa de plantas jovens de eucalipto e manejo de brotações, em um sistema agroflorestal

This study aimed to evaluate juvenile eucalypt clone plant coppicing, in order to obtain small diameter logs, in the first rotation, which facilitates harvesting by small farmers; or to recover damaged young stands and to produce biomass for energy in short rotations. The experiment was carried out in an agroforestry system with 9.5x4 m spacing. Intact plant growth was compared to sprout growth from coppicing at nine and twelve months after planting. At six or nine months after coppicing, sprout thinning was carried out to leave two or three sprouts per stump. When thinning was done after 12 months of coppicing, all dominant sprouts were left. A treatment without thinning was also evaluated. Forty-two months after planting, treatment without thinning showed about the same amount of sprouts per stump as those thinned to three sprouts per stump. The estimated asymptotic value for sprout diameter was 69% of that for intact plants. The asymptotic value for sprout production, for most treatments of plants coppiced nine months after planting, was similar to that obtained for intact plants, which indicates that coppicing young eucalypt plants, without sprout thinning, can be used in agroforestry systems.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de decepa de plantas jovens de eucalipto, para produção de árvores de menor diâmetro, com colheita facilitada por pequenos produtores; ou para recuperação de povoamentos jovens severamente danificados e produção de biomassa para energia em ciclos curtos. O experimento foi conduzido em sistema agroflorestal, com espaçamento entre plantas de 9,5x4 m. O crescimento de plantas intactas foi comparado ao de brotações de decepas realizadas aos nove ou doze meses após plantio. Aos seis ou nove meses após a decepa, realizou-se a desbrota, para deixar dois ou três brotos por cepa. Quando a desbrota foi realizada aos 12 meses após a decepa, todos os brotos dominantes foram deixados. Um tratamento sem desbrota também foi avaliado. Aos 42 meses após plantio, o tratamento sem desbrota apresentou o mesmo número de brotos por cepa que o de plantas desbrotadas para três brotos. O diâmetro das brotações foi equivalente a 69% do valor estimado para as plantas intactas. O valor assintótico de produção das brotações, da maioria dos tratamentos de decepa aos nove meses, foi igual ao das plantas intactas, o que evidencia a viabilidade da decepa sem a realização da desbrota, em sistemas agroflorestais

Ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 according to body adiposity and glucose homeostasis

ABSTRACT Objective: We investigated the biological behavior of ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) after a standard liquid meal according to body adiposity and glucose homeostasis. Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study included 41 individuals (92.7% women; aged 38.3 ± 7.8 years; BMI 32.2 ± 5.5 kg/m²) allocated into three groups according to body adiposity and glucose homeostasis, as follows: normoglycemic eutrophic controls (CON, n = 11), normoglycemic with obesity (NOB, n = 15), and dysglycemic with obesity (DOB, n = 15). They were tested at fasting and 30 and 60 min after the ingestion of a standard liquid meal in which we measured active ghrelin, active GLP-1, insulin, and plasma glucose levels. Results: As expected, DOB exhibited the worst metabolic status (glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c) and an inflammatory status (TNF-α) at fasting, besides a more significant increase in glucose than postprandial NOB (p ≤ 0.05). At fasting, no differences between groups were detected in lipid profile, ghrelin, and GLP-1 (p ≥ 0.06). After the standard meal, all groups exhibited a reduction in ghrelin levels between fasting vs. 60 min (p ≤ 0.02). Additionally, we noticed that GLP-1 and insulin increased equally in all groups after the standard meal (fasting vs. 30 and 60 min). Although glucose levels increased in all groups after meal intake, these changes were significantly more significant in DOB vs. CON and NOB at 30 and 60 min post-meal (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Time course of ghrelin and GLP-1 levels during the postprandial period was not influenced by body adiposity or glucose homeostasis. Similar behaviors occurred in controls and patients with obesity, independently of glucose homeostasis

Purification of a lectin from Cratylia mollis crude extract seed by a single step PEG/phosphate aqueous two-phase system

The partitioning and purification of lectins from the crude extract of Cratylia mollis seeds (Cramoll 1,4) was investigated in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS). A factorial design model (24) was used to evaluate the influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molar mass (15008000g/mol), PEG concentration (12.517.5% w/w), phosphate (1015% w/w) concentration, and pH (68) on the differential partitioning, purification factor, and yield of the lectin. Polymer and salt concentration were the most important variables affecting partition of lectin and used to find optimum purification factor by experimental BoxBehnken design together with the response surface methodology (RSM). ATPS showed best conditions composed by 13.9% PEG1500, 15.3% phosphate buffer at pH 6, which ensured purification factor of 4.70. Sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a single band of protein with 26.1kDa. Furthermore, results demonstrated a thermostable lectin presenting activity until 60°C and lost hemagglutinating activity at 80°C. According to the obtained data it can be inferred that the ATPS optimization using RSM approach can be applied for recovery and purification of lectins.We are grateful to the following bodies for the grants awarded: CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Level Personnel Superior); FACEPE (Pernambuco Science and Technology Foundation): Researcher's scholarship grant: BFP-0017-5.05/18 CNPq (National Council for Scientific Development and Technological) process: 427153/2016-6 and we also thank the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions as these helped us to improve the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tuberculoid leprosy: An in vivo microvascular evaluation of cutaneous lesions.

Tuberculoid leprosy (TT) is characterized by cutaneous lesions called plaques. Although microvascular ultrastructure of TT patients' skin is well-documented, little is known about functional aspects of their microcirculation. We aimed, for the first time, to evaluate, in vivo, the microcirculation of TT cutaneous lesions. Seven TT patients, males, under treatment were included in the study. The spectral analysis of frequency components of flowmotion (endothelial, sympathetic, myogenic, cardiac and respiratory) was performed using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Endothelial dependent and independent vasodilatations were assessed by LDF associated to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) iontophoresis, respectively. Vessel density (VD), perfused vessel density (PVD), proportion of perfused vessels (PPV%), microvascular flow index (MFI) and flow heterogeneity index (FHI), reflecting tissue perfusion and oxygenation, were evaluated through sidestream dark field (SDF) imaging. All microvascular analysis were performed in TT lesions and in healthy skin in the contralateral limb of the same patient, used as control skin. VD, PVD and PPV% and MFI were significantly lower in the cutaneous lesion compared to contralateral healthy skin. The contribution of different frequency components of flowmotion, endothelial dependent and independent vasodilatations and FHI were not statistically different between control skin and cutaneous lesion. Our results suggest that TT cutaneous lesions have a significant impairment of tissue perfusion, which may aggravate peripheral nerve degeneration caused by Mycobacterium leprae infection