Morphometry of the epidermis of an invasive megascoelecid earthworm (Amynthas gracilis, Kinberg 1867) inhabiting actively volcanic soils in the Azores archipelago

Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.For the first time, the structure, dimensions, and composition of the epidermis of an invasive earthworm species that has successfully colonized hostile conditions in actively volcanic soil on Sao Miguel (Azores) have been measured. Metal concentrations in actively volcanic (Furnas) and volcanically inactive(Fajã) soils were similar; however, Furnas soil was characterised by elevated temperature (10 1C differential), relative hypoxia, extremely high CO2 tension, and accompanying acidity. The epidermis of earthworm’s resident at Fajã was approximately twice the thickness of the epidermis of conspecifics resident in Furnas soil. Reference worms transferred to Furnas soil for 14 days experienced an epidermal thinning of approximately 51%. In comparison, when Furnas earthworms were transferred to mesocosms at the relatively benign Fajã site, their epidermal thickness increased by approximately 21%over 14 days. Earthworms resident in Furnas soil had higher goblet cell counts than the residents of volcanically inactive soil on a neighbouring island (S.Maria). Transferring worms from S.Maria to mesocosmsat Furnas induced a significant increase in goblet cell counts. Clearly, the active volcanic environment at Furnas poses a multifactorial stress challenge to the epigeic A. gracilis colonizer.This study was financially supported by CIRN (University of the Azores), and DRCT(Government of the Azores). Luis Cunha was supported by a Doctoral grant from DRCT (M312/F/029/2007)

Características clínicas y epidemiológicas de púrpura de Schönlein Henoch en el Hospital Manuel de Jesús Rivera “La Mascota” en el periodo comprendido de enero del 2012 a diciembre del 2016

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo describir las características epidemiológicas, clínicas de los niños diagnosticados con púrpura de Henoch-Schönlein (PHS) hospitalizados en el Hospital Manuel de Jesús Rivera “La Mascota” durante el periodo enero del 2012 a diciembre del 2016. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, longitudinal. Se seleccionaron las historias de pacientes entre 1 y 15 años, hospitalizados con diagnóstico de PHS, que cumplieran con los criterios. Se excluía a todo paciente que hubiera presentado patologías previas con vasculitis o durante el curso de su enfermedad. Los datos obtenidos fueron procesados por SPSS versión 15 y Microsoft Office 2013. Entre los resultados encontrados se estudiaron 21 niños, 57% varones y 43% mujeres, el rango de edades fue de 1 a 15 años (media 8 ±1.2), el grupo etario más afectado fue el escolar (47%), seguido de adolescentes (38%) y del preescolar (15%). Se identificó como posible factor desencadenante la infección de vías respiratorias, de los cuales el número de casos de PHS fue mayor en invierno. Se observó compromiso cutáneo (95%), articular por dolor (85%), inflamación de articulaciones (14%) o cierto grado de limitación (285) digestivo (52%) y renal, principalmente edema y proteinuria (23%). El signo de púrpura palpable se encontró en todos los pacientes y los miembros inferiores fueron los más afectados (98%). A nivel gastrointestinal el dolor abdominal fue el signo de mayor presentación (49%), y la afección renal se presentó en un 23.8%, más frecuentemente con proteinuria. Las características clínicas de la PHS fueron por compromiso cutáneo, articular, digestivo y renal. La púrpura palpable fue la manifestación más importante y constituiría el criterio clínico sine qua non para sospechar o establecer el diagnóstico. El pronóstico de la PHS en el presente estudio es aún incierto, ya que no se cuenta con registro de seguimiento suficiente para poder determinarlo

The speciation of Noctua atlantica (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) occurred in the Azores as supported by a molecular clock based on mitochondrial COI sequences

The complete sequence of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of Noctua atlantica (Warren, 1905) has been determined and deposited in the NCBI GenBank under the Accession number AY600452. Complete and partial COI sequences of other Lepidoptera have been collected and used to reconstruct a phylogeny with both the Neighbor-Joining and the Maximum Likelihood methods. A molecular clock calibrated for our models indicate a divergence time between Noctua atlantica and Noctua pronuba of 4.7-5.9 Million years, consistent with the geological age of the Azores and suggesting that the speciation process of N. atlantica occurred in this archipelago

Mathematical Model of a Rotor-Bearing System and the Passive Control

Este artículo presenta el modelo matemático de un sistema rotor-chumacera y el control de vibración usando un absorbedor pasivo. El sistema es modelado mediante los métodos de elementos finitos (FEM). El sistema primario consiste en un rotor montado sobre dos soportes en sus extremos, uno de ellos es una clásica chumacera con baleros y la otra es una chumacera sobre guías lineales, los cuales pueden ser desplazados para cambiar la distancia entre los soportes. El absorbedor pasivo está formado por una masa concentrada en el extremo de una viga en voladizo, el cual es una extensión de la flecha del rotor. La cancelación de vibración en el sistema se logra modificando la dinámica del sistema mediante el desplazamiento de la chumacera móvil, ésta produce cambios en el absobedor y rigidez del sistema primario y como consecuencias produce cambios en la frecuencia natural del sistema. El movimiento de la chumacera se realiza mediante un esquema de control PD, el cual está en función de la velocidad angular del rotor. El trabajo presenta resultados numéricos, la respuesta en el desbalance se reduce cerca del 80% en el sistema primario

A Metodologia de implementação da curricularização da extensão no Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense

This article presents in detail the methodology for implementing the extension curricularization policy in undergraduate courses at Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sul-rio-grandense. From a Freirean perspective, it both points out the challenges and specificities experienced along the extension curricularization process and announces a theoretical and practical reflection on possible paths and strategies for implementing curricularization in the Institution's undergraduate courses. It highlights the importance of the curricularization of extension, which, besides being mandatory, represents an opportunity to resignify the academic work, by bringing the real context and the curricular components closer together, assigning new meanings both for students and for us, educators, qualifying reflections and practices, and establishing a new relationship of recognition. This qualitative study is part of a master's thesis in which, to construct the corpus of analysis, semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine employees who participate in the central committee in charge of planning the implementation of extension curricularization at Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense. In a dialogue with the committee participants, we were able to understand the chosen methodology and create paths that can help to implement a truly transformative curricularization, by affirming the importance of this policy for student education, since students are the protagonists of the extension curricularization, and the construction of a sensitive kind of education, thus collaborating with the critical and broad education of all those involved in this praxis.O artigo apresenta de forma detalhada a metodologia de implementação da política de curricularização da extensão nos cursos de graduação do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia Sul-rio-grandense. Em uma perspectiva freireana, o artigo denuncia os desafios e especificidades vivenciados no processo de curricularização da extensão, assim como anuncia uma reflexão teórica e prática de possíveis caminhos e estratégias para a efetivação da curricularização nos cursos de graduação da Instituição. Evidencia a importância da curricularização da extensão, que além de uma obrigatoriedade, represente uma oportunidade de ressignificar o fazer acadêmico, aproximando o contexto real dos componentes curriculares, trazendo novos sentidos e significados, tanto para os/as estudantes quanto para nós educadores e educadoras, qualificando as reflexões e as práticas, estabelecendo uma nova relação de reconhecimento. Este estudo de caráter qualitativo é parte de uma dissertação de mestrado e para a construção do corpus de análise realizou entrevistas semiestruturadas com nove servidores/as que compõem a comissão central responsável pelo planejamento da implementação da curricularização da extensão no Instituto Federal Sul-rio-grandense. Em diálogo com os/as participantes da comissão pudemos compreender a metodologia escolhida e construir anúncios que possam auxiliar a efetivação de uma curricularização verdadeiramente transformadora, afirmando a importância dessa política para formação dos/as estudantes, que são os/as protagonistas da curricularização da extensão, e a construção de uma educação sensível, colaborando com uma formação crítica e ampla de todos/as os/as envolvidos/as nessa práxis

Mutation patterns of mtDNA: Empirical inferences for the coding region

Background: Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been extensively used in population and evolutionary genetics studies. Thus, a valid estimate of human mtDNA evolutionary rate is important in many research fields. The small number of estimations performed for the coding region of the molecule, showed important differences between phylogenetic and empirical approaches. We analyzed a portion of the coding region of mtDNA (tRNALeu, ND1 and tRNAIle genes), using individuals belonging to extended families from the Azores Islands (Portugal) with the main aim of providing empirical estimations of the mutation rate of the coding region of mtDNA under different assumptions, and hence to better understand the mtDNA evolutionary process. Results: Heteroplasmy was detected in 6.5% (3/46) of the families analyzed. In all of the families the presence of mtDNA heteroplasmy resulted from three new point mutations, and no cases of insertions or deletions were identified. Major differences were found in the proportion and type of heteroplasmy found in the genes studied when compared to those obtained in a previous report for the D-loop. Our empirical estimation of mtDNA coding region mutation rate, calculated taking into account the sex of individuals carrying new mutations, the probability of intra-individual fixation of mutations present in heteroplasmy and, to the possible extent, the effect of selection, is similar to that obtained using phylogenetic approaches. Conclusion: Based on our results, the discrepancy previously reported between the human mtDNA coding region mutation rates observed along evolutionary timescales and estimations obtained using family pedigrees can be resolved when correcting for the previously cited factors

Bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of propolis extracts during In vitro digestion

The objective of this research was to determine the content of total phenols, total flavonoids, and the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extracts of propolis obtained by two methodologies during in vitro digestion. Ethanolic extracts of propolis were obtained by ultrasound and maceration and the yield and content of the bioactive compounds, as well as their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, were evaluated. Yields higher than those reported in other investigations (71.6%) were obtained. The highest content of phenols and flavonoids in the ethanolic extracts was 34,406.6 mg GAE/100 g in propolis from San Pedro, obtained by maceration (SP M), and 19,523.2 mg QE/100 g in propolis from Teotitlán, obtained by ultrasound (TU), respectively, being higher than what is established in Mexican regulations. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts was not affected by the method of obtaining. At the end of the in vitro digestion there was an 80% loss of the phenolic content and a 90% loss of the flavonoid content. Therefore, antioxidant activity was affected. On the other hand, ultrasound improves the obtaining of bioactive compounds. In vitro digestion decreases the content of bioactive compounds; therefore, their functional properties are affected. Thus, it is important to consider technologies that allow extracts to be protected from in vitro digestion conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio