Environmental behavior: A comparative study between Brazilian and Portuguese students

Although undergraduate students have great access to environmental information, it does not mean that an environmental behavior is being developed. With the use of a scale applied to 1035 university students from Brazil and Portugal, it was examined how the environmental behavior of these students is structured. Using multivariate statistical techniques, it was verified that there is a similarity in the environmental behavior of both groups, with environmental beliefs being manifested by an opposition to the anthropocentric view. The environmental attitudes have the concerns related to the environment as their predecessor. These concerns influence the option to control economic growth, which is reinforced by the ecocentric point of view of the respondents and is manifested by the perspective of a decrease in production and in consumption as well as the promotion of welfare. Although there is a tendency, the option for green consumption is not fully accomplished.Jovens universitários têm acesso crescente às informações ambientais, mas isso não significa que haja o desenvolvimento de um comportamento em prol do meio ambiente. Com a utilização de uma escala aplicada em 1035 estudantes universitários do Brasil e de Portugal, foi averiguado como ocorre a estruturação e manifestação do comportamento ambiental desses estudantes. Utilizando técnicas estatísticas multivariadas, verificou-se uma similaridade no comportamento ambiental de ambos os grupos, com as crenças ambientais se manifestando por uma oposição à visão antropocêntrica. As atitudes ambientais têm como antecedentes as preocupações relacionadas ao meio ambiente. Essas preocupações influem na opção pelo controle do crescimento econômico, perspectiva reforçada pela tendência mais ecocêntrica dos entrevistados e que está pautada por uma diminuição da produção, do consumo e promoção do bem-estar. Verificou-se também que a opção pelo consumo verde ainda não se realiza totalmente, embora seja verificada uma tendência favorável.Los estudiantes universitarios tienen cada vez más acceso a la información ambiental, pero eso no significa que haga el desarrollo de un comportamiento compatible. Con una escala aplicada en 1035 estudiantes universitarios de Brasil y Portugal, se examinó cómo está estructurado el comportamiento ambiental de estos estudiantes. Con el uso de técnicas estadísticas multivariantes, fue verificada una similitud en el comportamiento ambiental de los dos grupos, con las creencias ambientales si manifestando por una oposición a la visión antropocéntrica. Las actitudes ambientales tienen como antecedentes las preocupaciones relacionadas con el medio ambiente. Estas preocupaciones influyen en la opción para el control del crecimiento económico, reforzada por una tendencia ecocéntrica y se caracteriza por una perspectiva de disminución de la producción y del consumo además de la promoción del bienestar. También sí verificó que la opción por el consumo verde no se realiza plenamente, aunque se verifica una tendencia favorable.(undefined

Tailored displays to compensate for visual aberrations

We introduce tailored displays that enhance visual acuity by decomposing virtual objects and placing the resulting anisotropic pieces into the subject's focal range. The goal is to free the viewer from needing wearable optical corrections when looking at displays. Our tailoring process uses aberration and scattering maps to account for refractive errors and cataracts. It splits an object's light field into multiple instances that are each in-focus for a given eye sub-aperture. Their integration onto the retina leads to a quality improvement of perceived images when observing the display with naked eyes. The use of multiple depths to render each point of focus on the retina creates multi-focus, multi-depth displays. User evaluations and validation with modified camera optics are performed. We propose tailored displays for daily tasks where using eyeglasses are unfeasible or inconvenient (e.g., on head-mounted displays, e-readers, as well as for games); when a multi-focus function is required but undoable (e.g., driving for farsighted individuals, checking a portable device while doing physical activities); or for correcting the visual distortions produced by high-order aberrations that eyeglasses are not able to.Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (Brazil) (CNPq-Brazil fellowship 142563/2008-0)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (Brazil) (CNPq-Brazil fellowship 308936/2010-8)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (Brazil) (CNPq-Brazil fellowship 480485/2010- 0)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF CNS 0913875)Alfred P. Sloan Foundation (fellowship)United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA Young Faculty Award)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory (Consortium Members

Piezoelectric sensor for acoustic wave detection in anisotropic systems

This paper describes a seismic wave sensor, its readout electronics and data acquisition system. The seismic sensor is based on piezoelectric materials, which show the ability of transforming mechanical into electrical signals. In particular, the present sensor is based on a piezoelectric polymer, poly(vinilidene fluoride) as its main characteristics made it suitable for detecting the amplitude and frequencies involved in seismic events. After a general background on seismic events, waves and piezoelectric materials, the main steps on the sensor design and fabrication, the data acquisition system and the first test results are presented.The authors thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology FCT (Grant PTDC/CTM/69362/2006) for financial suppor

Antifungal activity of the isolated from caatinga actinobacteria in control of Pythium aphanidermatum.

The Caatinga is a biome located in a semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. It consists of various ecosystems, presented a unique environmental system of this country. Because it is an environment with unique characteristics, recent studies have revealed the private wealth of this biome in terms of microbial biodiversity. Microorganisms found in this habitat may present specific mechanisms to ensure their survival in this environment that provides extreme conditions, such as temperature changes, intense solar radiation and hydrous stress. Because of these different mechanisms used by different microorganisms, becomes an enabling environment to search for new enzymes and bioactive substances produced by these organisms can present different biotechnological applications. Among all microbial diversity, the group of actinobacteria is of great importance, because they are responsible for producing most of the known antibiotics and present as great producers of enzymes with various industrial applications. One possible application of compounds produced by this organism is the phytogenic fungi combat, such as rot caused in roots of plants by the fungus Pythium aphanidermatum. This study aimed to search actinobacteria from Caatinga biome with metabolic potential to work in the biological control of Pythium aphanidermatum fungus. With Caatinga soil samples, they were isolated actinomycetes differences in morphologies and subjected to extraction metabolites produced from solid culture medium. The extracts were tested on the P. aphanidermatum fungus diffused by drive test. From the isolation were recovered a total of 272 strains of actinomycetes, of this total 47% of the isolates showed in vitro activity against the pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum. The results showing the great potential that actinobacteria may present as control agents against root rot. However, more detailed studies are needed to prove such results

Incidência da broca-do-cupuaçu Conotrachelus sp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) em acessos do banco ativo de germoplasma de cupuaçu.

O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a incidência da broca-do-cupuaçu em acessos do Banco Ativo de Germoplasma de Cupuaçu (BAG), visando identificar possíveis fontes de resistência para uso no melhoramento da cultura

A 5-gene classifier from the carcinoma-associated fibroblast transcriptomic profile and clinical outcome in colorectal cancer

Based on 108 differentially expressed genes between carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and paired normal colonic fibroblasts we recently reported, a 5-gene classifier for relapse prediction in Stage II/III colorectal cancer (CRC ) was developed. Its predictive value was validated in datasets GSE17538, GSE33113 and GSE14095. An additional validation was performed in a metacohort (n=317) and 142 CRC patients by means of RT-PCR. The 5-gene classifier was significantly associated with increased relapse risk and death from CRC across all validation series of Stage II/III patients used. Multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed the independent prognostic value of the stromal classifier (HR=2.67; P=0.002). Post-test probabilities provided evidence of the suitability of the 5-gene classifier in clinical practice, identifying a subgroup of Stage-II patients who were at high risk of relapse. Moreover, the a priory worst prognosis mesenchymal subtype of tumours can be stratified according to the physiological status of their carcinoma-associated fibroblasts. In conclusion the CAFs-derived 5-gene classifier provides more accurate information about outcome than conventional clinicopathological criteria and it could be useful to take clinical decisions, especially in Stage II. Additionally, the classifier put into relevance the CAF's intratumoral heterogeneity and might contribute to find relevant targets for depleting adequate CAFS subtypes

Potential Involvement of NSD1, KRT24 and ACACA in the Genetic Predisposition to Colorectal Cancer

The ALFRED (Allelic Loss Featuring Rare Damaging) in silico method was developed to identify cancer predisposition genes through the identification of somatic second hits. By applying ALFRED to ~10,000 tumor exomes, 49 candidate genes were identified. We aimed to assess the causal association of the identified genes with colorectal cancer (CRC) predisposition. Of the 49 genes, NSD1, HDAC10, KRT24, ACACA and TP63 were selected based on specific criteria relevant for hereditary CRC genes. Gene sequencing was performed in 736 patients with familial/early onset CRC or polyposis without germline pathogenic variants in known genes. Twelve (predicted) damaging variants in 18 patients were identified. A gene-based burden test in 1596 familial/early-onset CRC patients, 271 polyposis patients, 543 TCGA CRC patients and >134,000 controls (gnomAD, non-cancer), revealed no clear association with CRC for any of the studied genes. Nevertheless, (non-significant) over-representation of disruptive variants in NSD1, KRT24 and ACACA in CRC patients compared to controls was observed. A somatic second hit was identified in one of 20 tumors tested, corresponding to an NSD1 carrier. In conclusion, most genes identified through the ALFRED in silico method were not relevant for CRC predisposition, although a possible association was detected for NSD1, KRT24 and ACACA