Brazilian solar saltworks - ancient uses and future possibilities

Coastal solar saltworks of Brazil are exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively concentrated by evaporation. This study aimed to review the current and new potential uses of these systems, in order to provide more dynamic for this activity. The first evaporation ponds are also used for artisanal fisheries, ensuring the livelihood of many families. All the brine rich in secondary salts (bittern) can be widely used by the chemical industry, while the Brazil shows an incipient production of "flower of salt", a salt with distinct characteristics with higher market value than sodium chloride. On the other hand, the saltponds have a high potential for management and obtaining of large populations of Artemia spp., purifying the brine through the action as biological filter. This microcrustacean occurs naturally in intermediate salinity ponds, being commonly used in aquaculture. Species of microalgae and halobacteria found in the saltworks are employed for extraction of beta-carotene and glycerol, used in an extensive list of products with high commercial value. These ecosystems represent refuge zones for many species of migratory birds, becoming imperative to promote the conservation of these hypersaline wetlands

A randomized, controlled, crossover study in patients with mild and moderate asthma undergoing treatment with traditional Chinese acupuncture

OBJECTIVES:This study sought to verify the effects of acupuncture as an adjuvant treatment for the control of asthma.METHODS:This was a randomized, controlled, crossover trial conducted at the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. A total of 74 patients with mild/moderate, persistent asthma were randomized into two therapeutic groups: Group A - 31 patients underwent 10 real weekly acupuncture sessions, followed by a 3-week washout period and 10 sham weekly acupuncture sessions; and Group B - 43 patients underwent 10 sham weekly acupuncture sessions, followed by a 3-week washout period and 10 real weekly acupuncture sessions. Patients used short- and long-acting β-2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids when necessary. Prior to treatment and after each period of 10 treatment sessions, the patients were evaluated for spirometry, induced sputum cell count, exhaled nitric oxide (NO) and with the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Questionnaire on Quality of Life-Asthma (QQLA) questionnaires. Daily peak flow and symptom diaries were registered. The level of significance adopted was 5% (α=0.05).RESULTS:In Group B, after real acupuncture, there was a decrease in eosinophils (p=0.035) and neutrophils (p=0.047), an increase in macrophages (p=0.001) and an improvement in peak flow (p=0.01). After sham acupuncture treatment, patients experienced less coughing (p=0.037), wheezing (p=0.013) and dyspnea (p=0.014); similarly, after real acupuncture, patients reported less coughing (p=0.040), wheezing (p=0.012), dyspnea (

Emergency surgeons' perceptions and attitudes towards antibiotic prescribing and resistance: a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Antibiotic resistance (AMR) is a growing public health problem worldwide, in part related to inadequate antibiotic use. A better knowledge of physicians' motivations, attitudes and practice about AMR and prescribing should enable the design and implementation of effective antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs). The objective of the study was to assess attitudes and perceptions concerning AMR and use of antibiotics among surgeons who regularly perform emergency or trauma surgery

Tecnologia educacional: mídias e suas linguagens

O trabalho reflete sobre a natureza da integração, através do computador, de linguagens de múltiplos meios de comunicação, como o vídeo, o áudio e as animações, sugerindo a necessidade de se planejar a sinergia entre elas, em produtos de hipermídia educacional, atendendo às características de suas linguagens específicas, estruturadas e já consolidadas pelo uso como veículo de comunicação social, anterior à sua integração pelos computadores. Sugere que o uso adequado dessas linguagens específicas favorece o processamento cognitivo dos alunos, em função do reconhecimento de padrões de visualização, de ritmo de apresentação e de narratividade, que compõem o seu próprio repertório de representações. Descreve o diálogo de linguagens propiciado pela hipermídia como uma marca já integrada ao panorama visual – e, portanto, cultural e cognitivo - da comunicação social do Século XXI, observável tanto na produção de produtos para a Web quanto na composição de elementos que formam as imagens da televisão contemporânea. Apresenta exemplos de pesquisa de uso de vídeos e animações, com suas respectivas linguagens, aplicadas em tecnologia informatizada para uso educacional, presencial e a distância, em produtos desenvolvidos pelo Núcleo de Multimídia e Ensino a Distância da Escola de Engenharia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, equipe à qual pertencem os autores

Indirect calibration between clinical observers - application to the New York Heart Association functional classification system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies showed an inter-observer agreement for the NYHA classification of approximately 55%. The aim of this study was to calibrate the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification system between observers, increasing its reliability.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among 1136 community-dwellers in Porto, Portugal, aged ≥ 45 years, 265 reporting breathlessness answered a 4-item questionnaire to characterize symptom severity. The questionnaire was administered by 7 physicians who also classified the subject's functional capacity according to NYHA. Each subject was assessed by one physician. We calibrated NYHA classifications by the concurrent method, using 1-parameter logistic graded response model. Discrepancies between observers were assessed by differences in ability thresholds between NYHA classes I-II and II-III. The ability estimated by the model was used to predict the NYHA classification for each observer.</p> <p>Estimates of the first and second thresholds for each observer ranged from -1.92 to 0.46 and from 1.42 to 2.30, respectively. The agreement between estimated ability and the observers' NYHA classification was 88% (kappa = 0.61).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The study objectively indicates the main reason why several studies have reported low inter-observer is the existence of discrepant thresholds between observers in the definition of NYHA classes. The concurrent method can be used to minimize the reliability problem of NYHA classification.</p

Brominated flame retardants and natural organobrominated compounds in a vulnerable delphinid species along the Brazilian coast

Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, are vulnerable to extinction along their distribution on the Brazilian coast and assessing chemical pollution is of utmost importance for their conservation. For this study, 51 carcasses of Guiana dolphins were sampled across the Brazilian coast to investigate legacy and emerging brominated flame retardants (BFRs) as well as the naturally-produced MeO-BDEs. PBDEs and MeO-BDEs were detected in all samples analyzed, whereas emerging BFRs were detected in 16 % of the samples, all in Rio de Janeiro state. PBDE concentrations varied between 2.24 and 799 ng.g-1 lipid weight (lw), emerging BFRs between 0.12 and 1.51 ng.g-1 lw and MeO-BDEs between 3.82 and 10,247 ng.g-1 lw. Concentrations of legacy and emerging BFRs and natural compounds varied considerably according to the sampling site and reflected both the local anthropogenic impact of the region and the diversity/mass of biosynthesizers. The PBDE concentrations are lower than what was found for delphinids in the Northern Hemisphere around the same sampling period and most sampling sites presented mean concentrations lower than the limits for endocrine disruption known to date for marine mammals of 460 ng.g-1 lw, except for sampled from Santa Catarina state, in Southern Brazil. Conversely, MeO-BDE concentrations are higher than those of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly close to the Abrolhos Bans and Royal Charlotte formation, that are hotspots for biodiversity. Despite the elevated concentrations reported for this group, there is not much information regarding the effects of such elevated concentrations for these marine mammals. The distinct patterns observed along the Brazilian coast show that organobrominated compounds can be used to identify the ecological segregation of delphinids and that conservation actions should be planned considering the local threats.A.F. Azevedo and J. Lailson-Brito thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for grants PQ-1B and 1D, respectively; and UERJ (Prociência). We thank the students from Aquatic Mammal and Bioindicator Lab (UERJ - Brazil), Environmental Chemistry Lab (CSIC - Spain) and Radioisotope Lab (UFRJ - Brazil). L.G. Vidal thanks the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES - Finance Code 001) for providing her PhD grant. The authors thank the ICMBio - Estação Ecológica de Tamoios (ESEC Tamoios) and APA de Guapi-Mirim/ESEC da Guanabara for supporting the collection of carcasses in Ilha Grande Bay.Peer reviewe

Phenotypic Diversity and Altered Environmental Plasticity in Arabidopsis thaliana with Reduced Hsp90 Levels

The molecular chaperone HSP90 aids the maturation of a diverse but select set of metastable protein clients, many of which are key to a variety of signal transduction pathways. HSP90 function has been best investigated in animal and fungal systems, where inhibition of the chaperone has exceptionally diverse effects, ranging from reversing oncogenic transformation to preventing the acquisition of drug resistance. Inhibition of HSP90 in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana uncovers novel morphologies dependent on normally cryptic genetic variation and increases stochastic variation inherent to developmental processes. The biochemical activity of HSP90 is strictly conserved between animals and plants. However, the substrates and pathways dependent on HSP90 in plants are poorly understood. Progress has been impeded by the necessity of reliance on light-sensitive HSP90 inhibitors due to redundancy in the A. thaliana HSP90 gene family. Here we present phenotypic and genome-wide expression analyses of A. thaliana with constitutively reduced HSP90 levels achieved by RNAi targeting. HSP90 reduction affects a variety of quantitative life-history traits, including flowering time and total seed set, increases morphological diversity, and decreases the developmental stability of repeated characters. Several morphologies are synergistically affected by HSP90 and growth temperature. Genome-wide expression analyses also suggest a central role for HSP90 in the genesis and maintenance of plastic responses. The expression results are substantiated by examination of the response of HSP90-reduced plants to attack by caterpillars of the generalist herbivore Trichoplusia ni. HSP90 reduction potentiates a more robust herbivore defense response. In sum, we propose that HSP90 exerts global effects on the environmental responsiveness of plants to many different stimuli. The comprehensive set of HSP90-reduced lines described here is a vital instrument to further examine the role of HSP90 as a central interface between organism, development, and environment

Determinants of intensive insulin therapeutic regimens in patients with type 1 diabetes: data from a nationwide multicenter survey in Brazil

Background: To evaluate the determinants of intensive insulin regimens (ITs) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).Methods: This multicenter study was conducted between December 2008 and December 2010 in 28 public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities. Data were obtained from 3,591 patients (56.0% female, 57.1% Caucasian). Insulin regimens were classified as follows: group 1, conventional therapy (CT) (intermediate human insulin, one to two injections daily); group 2 (three or more insulin injections of intermediate plus regular human insulin); group 3 (three or more insulin injections of intermediate human insulin plus short-acting insulin analogues); group 4, basal-bolus (one or two insulin injections of long-acting plus short-acting insulin analogues or regular insulin); and group 5, basal-bolus with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Groups 2 to 5 were considered IT groups.Results: We obtained complete data from 2,961 patients. Combined intermediate plus regular human insulin was the most used therapeutic regimen. CSII was used by 37 (1.2%) patients and IT by 2,669 (90.2%) patients. More patients on IT performed self-monitoring of blood glucose and were treated at the tertiary care level compared to CT patients (p < 0.001). the majority of patients from all groups had HbA1c levels above the target. Overweight or obesity was not associated with insulin regimen. Logistic regression analysis showed that economic status, age, ethnicity, and level of care were associated with IT (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Given the prevalence of intensive treatment for T1D in Brazil, more effective therapeutic strategies are needed for long term-health benefits.Farmanguinhos/Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz/National Health MinistryBrazilian Diabetes SocietyFundacao do Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de JaneiroConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Unit Diabet, BR-20551030 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilBaurus Diabet Assoc, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo State, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ Hosp Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilSanta Casa Misericordia, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilSanta Casa Misericordia São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilHosp Geral de Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilHosp Univ Clementino Fraga Filho IPPMG, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilFac Ciencias Med Santa Casa São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Crianca, Hosp Clin, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Hosp Clin, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilAmbulatorio Fac Estadual Med Sao Jose Rio Preto, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilEscola Paulista Med, Ctr Diabet, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilClin Endocrinol Santa Casa Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Estadual Londrina, Londrina, BrazilUniv Fed Parana, Hosp Clin, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilInst Crianca Com Diabet Rio Grande Sul, Rio Grande Do Sul, RS, BrazilGrp Hosp Conceicao, Inst Crianca Com Diabet, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHosp Univ Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, BrazilInst Diabet Endocrinol Joinville, Joinville, BrazilHosp Reg Taguatinga, Brasilia, DF, BrazilHosp Geral Goiania, Goiania, Go, BrazilCtr Diabet & Endocrinol Estado Bahia, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Fed Maranhao, Sao Luis, BrazilCtr Integrado Diabet & Hipertensao Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniv Fed Sergipe, Aracaju, BrazilHosp Univ Alcides Carneiro, Campina Grande, BrazilHosp Univ Joao de Barros Barreto, Belem, Para, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo State, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilEscola Paulista Med, Ctr Diabet, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilWeb of Scienc