Neurobiochemical mechanisms of a ketogenic diet in refractory epilepsy

A ketogenic diet is an important therapy used in the control of drug-refractory seizures. Many studies have shown that children and adolescents following ketogenic diets exhibit an over 50% reduction in seizure frequency, which is considered to be clinically relevant. These benefits are based on a diet containing high fat (approximately 90% fat) for 24 months. This dietary model was proposed in the 1920s and has produced variable clinical responses. Previous studies have shown that the mechanisms underlying seizure control involve ketone bodies, which are produced by fatty acid oxidation. Although the pathways involved in the ketogenic diet are not entirely clear, the main effects of the production of ketone bodies appear to be neurotransmitter modulation and antioxidant effects on the brain. This review highlights the impacts of the ketogenic diet on the modulation of neurotransmitters, levels of biogenic monoamines and protective antioxidant mechanisms of neurons. In addition, future perspectives are proposed

ATIVIDADES LÚDICAS COMO O TEATRO VISANDO ESTIMULAR A CONSCIENTIZAÇÃO AMBIENTAL DAS CRIANÇAS

O projeto " Peixe Fredi " é dirigido à crianças e jovens do 1 º ao 5 º ano do ensino fundamental e com foco em ecossistemas aquáticos, sua biodiversidade e impactos. As atividades do projeto vem sendo realizadas principalmente em escolas públicas e privadas e fazem uso de  diferentes ferramentas, tais como teatro, música, livros infantis, jogos educativos , site, entre outros. O projeto conta com a participação de estudantes da UNIRIO. O presente trabalho mostra que, o uso do teatro se voltado para a juventude pode realmente despertar emoções e criar uma consciência ambiental. As crianças nas séries primárias iniciais mostraram um grande interesse na história e seus personagens. A atividade lúdica como o teatro permite um aprendizado alegre de forma participativa.   Palavras-chave: Projeto Peixe Fredi, Educação ambiental, Ensino fundamental

Pollutants potential mobilization in Santos bay/Brazil: subsidies for the environmental management of a highly anthropized estuary: Potencial de mobilização de poluentes na baía de Santos/Brasil: subsídios para a gestão ambiental de um estuário altamente antropizado

Understanding the dynamics and spatial variation of subaquatic sediment contamination in the Santos Estuarine System has been of interest to the scientific community and environmental managers; the hazardous contaminant compounds, either individually or synergistically, can affect the health of the local community. In the present study, water column salinity and sediment geochemical properties (calcium and organic matter content, grain size) of the Santos Estuarine System were correlated with heavy metal concentrations (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and Fe) in order to elucidate the relationship between the toxic elements and the dynamics of water mixing. To assess the potential relationships, Spearman’s correlation test and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) between were applied. The heavy metal concentrations were also evaluated by calculating Contamination Factor, Geoaccumulation index and Enrichment Factor. Results revealed extremely heterogeneous particle sizes within the sampling stations. Most of the heavy metal concentrations were not at critical levels. The only exception was arsenic, which reached levels above the threshold effect. The statistical analysis allowed the influence of organic matter and grain size on the dynamics of heavy metal accumulation to be demonstrated. The values between these binding matrices and metals were mostly significant. Bottom water salinity, on the other hand, showed no apparent influence on the distribution of metals. However, the various pollution indices used were contradictory, with certain cases presenting critical results. The Geoaccumulation Index presented the Mn as highly polluting at all sampling stations and classified the environment as moderately polluted by Zn. The same pollution pattern was not found by the other contamination indexes

EFICÁCIA DE DOIS MÉTODOS DE DEGERMAÇÃO, UTILIZANDO POLIVINILPIRROLIDONA-IODO À 10% / EFFICACY OF TWO-DEGERMATION METHOD, USING POLYVYNYLPIRROLYDONE-IODINE 10%

Introdução: O procedimento de degermação cirúrgica das mãos e antebraço está incluído no processo de paramentação cirúrgica como medida de prevenção de infecções hospitalares. Com a modernização e maiores estudos, após o advento dos princípios antissépticos degermantes, a necessidade da utilização de escovas vem sendo questionada, devido às lesões que as mesmas podem ocasionar com posterior favorecimento de colonização. Objetivo: Verificar a eficácia de dois métodos de degermação cirúrgica das mãos utilizando polivinilpirrolidona iodo (PVPI à 10%): com escova e sem artefato. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo experimental. A coleta foi realizada no período de junho a agosto de 2012 no Centro Cirúrgico de um Hospital Universitário em São Luís – MA e analisada no Laboratório de Microbiologia do referido Hospital. A amostra foi de 10 participantes que realizaram as técnicas após explicação e observação do folder ilustrativo. Resultados: Verificou-se que os dois procedimentos de degermação cirúrgica foram eficazes e não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os mesmos. Os microrganismos mais frequentes isolados na pele antes e após degermação foram Serratiamarcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus spp. coagulase negativa. Em menor ocorrência encontrou-se Acinetobacter ursingii e Acinetobacter baumannii. Conclusão:Conclui-se que a redução de microrganismos da pele não está ligada ao uso de artefatos, mas ao tempo que o degermante permanece em contato com a pele associada à fricção utilizando ou não artefatos.Palavras-chave: Lavagem de mãos. Antissépticos. Infecção Hospitalar.AbstractIntroduction: The procedure for surgical hand and forearm antisepsis is included in the process of surgical scrub as a measure to prevent nosocomial infections. With the modernization and further studies after the advent of antiseptic principles, the need for the use of brushes has been questioned, due to the injuries they can cause later with favoring colonization. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of two methods of surgical hand antisepsis using polyvinylpyrrolidone iodine (10% PVP): with brush and without artifact. Methods: This is an experimental study. The collection was performed at the Surgery Center of University Hospital in São Luís - MA and analyzed in the Microbiology Laboratory of the aforementioned Hospital. The sample consisted of 10 participants who performed the technical explanation and observation after the illustrative folder. Results: It was demonstrated the efficacy of the two surgical antiseptic procedures and that there was no statistically significant difference between them. The microorganisms most frequent on the skin before and after antisepsis were Serratiamarcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus spp. coagulase negative. In lower occurrence there were Acinetobacter ursingii and Acinetobacter baumannii. Conclusion: It is concluded that the reduction of microorganisms from the skin is not related to the use of artifacts, but at the time the antiseptics remains in contact with the skin associated with friction using or not artifacts.Keywords: Hand washing. Antiseptics. Infection

Sexual rights and reproductive rights in the perception of: women deprived of freedom / Direitos sexuais e direitos reprodutivos na percepção de: mulheres privadas de liberdade

Objective: to analyze the perception of women deprived of their sexual rights and reproductive rights. descriptive research, with a qualitative approach. Interviews were carried out with women who were experiencing pregnancy (9) and puerperium (4), in two prison units in Rio de Janeiro. Method: descriptive research, with a qualitative approach. Interviews were conducted with women who were experiencing pregnancy (9) and the puerperium (4), in two prison units in Rio de Janeiro. The analysis method was the dialectic hermeneutic. Results two categories were listed: 1) Institutional violations as infractions of sexual rights and reproductive rights and 2) Contradictions between the possibility of exercising rights and the limitations imposed by the prison system. Conclusion: the violations that these women suffer are not restricted to them.  The fight for women's rights is a constant movement. The advances are significant, however, there are real obstacles that prevent women from enjoying their sexual rights and their reproductive rights, even though they exist in the legal and normative plan.Introducción: respecto a sus derechos sexuales y derechos reproductivos. investigación descriptiva, con un enfoque cualitativo. Las entrevistas se realizaron a mujeres en situación de embarazo (9) y puerperio (4), en dos unidades penitenciarias de Río de Janeiro. Método: investigación descriptiva, con un enfoque cualitativo. Las entrevistas fueron realizadas a mujeres en situación de embarazo (9) y de puerperio (4), en dos unidades penitenciarias de Río de Janeiro. El método de análisis fue la hermenéutica dialéctica. Los resultados se han dividido en dos categorías: 1) Violaciones institucionales como la infracción de los derechos sexuales y los derechos reproductivos y 2) Contradicciones entre la posibilidad de ejercer los derechos y las limitaciones impuestas por el sistema carcelario. Conclusión: las violaciones que sufren estas mujeres no se limitan a ellas.  La lucha por los derechos de la mujer es un movimiento constante. Los avances son significativos, sin embargo, existen ataduras reales que impiden a las mujeres disfrutar de sus derechos sexuales y sus derechos reproductivos, aunque existan a nivel legal y normativo.Objetivo: analisar a percepção de mulheres privadas de liberdade quanto aos seus direitos sexuais e direitos reprodutivos. pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas com mulheres que estavam vivenciando a gestação (9) e o puerpério (4), em duas unidades prisionais do Rio de Janeiro. Método: pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa. Foram realizadas entrevistas com mulheres que estavam vivenciando a gestação (9) e o puerpério (4), em duas unidades prisionais do Rio de Janeiro. O método de análise foi o Hermenêutico dialético. Resultados foram elencadas duas categorias: 1) Violações institucionais como infração dos direitos sexuais e dos direitos reprodutivos e 2) Contradições entre a possibilidade de exercer os direitos e as limitações impostas pelo sistema carcerário. Conclusão: as violações que essas mulheres sofrem, não estão restritas a elas.  A luta pelos direitos das mulheres é um movimento constante. Os avanços são significativos, contudo, há amarras reais que impedem que as mulheres usufruam seus direitos sexuais e seus direitos reprodutivos, mesmo que eles existam no plano legal e normativo.

Active learning methodology, associated to formative assessment, improved cardiac physiology knowledge and decreased pre-test stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety caused by assessments are often related to the student’s insecurity regarding the knowledge to be evaluated, while teaching strategies that increase effective learning can assist in reducing it. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that the use of an active methodology, associated to formative assessment, could reduce students’ anxiety and stress, when compared to the traditional method, by promoting greater learning. New students enrolled in the same discipline of a Dentistry course were invited to participate in the study and were divided into two groups: traditional method and active methodology. The traditional method group received two lectures, delivered orally. The active methodology group received a lecture about cardiac cells and the autonomic control of cardiac function, with home study of the cardiac cycle using a textbook. In the second class, an individual formative assessment was applied. Afterwards, a group activity was performed with an educational game about the cardiac cycle, followed by a group formative assessment. After applying the traditional or active methodology, test 1 was carried out. Immediately before this test, saliva samples were collected for determination of the concentrations of the stress biomarkers cortisol and α-amylase. The students also answered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire, used for anxiety level determination. The score obtained in the test 1 was significantly higher for the active methodology group, compared to the traditional method group. No significant differences between the groups were observed for baseline cortisol and salivary α-amylase concentrations, or for anxiety scores. Before test 1, traditional method group presented higher concentrations of salivary cortisol and α-amylase, compared to the respective baseline values, while the active methodology group showed no difference between the baseline and test 1 levels. Before test 1, there were increases in anxiety levels, relative to the respective baseline values, regardless of the teaching methodology used, but this increase was greater for the traditional method group, compared to the active methodology group. These results showed that the active methodology, associated to formative assessment, decreased test stress and anxiety, with improved student performance in comparison to traditional lectures

Nanocompósitos magnéticos hidrofóbicos a base de polímeros reticulados porosos/óxidos de ferro e seu processo de preparação

Em 06/10/2016: Restauração de pedido, patente ou certificado de adição de invenção.ConcedidaA presente invenção compreende a preparação de nanocompósitos magnéticos a base de polímeros reticulados porosos/óxidos de ferro, com alta hidrofobicidade, resultando em fluidos magnetoreológicos que permitam recuperar, por separação magnética, óleos dispersos superficialmente em meios líquidos, como, por exemplo, resultando de derramamentos acidentais

Predicting the Proteins of Angomonas deanei, Strigomonas culicis and Their Respective Endosymbionts Reveals New Aspects of the Trypanosomatidae Family

Endosymbiont-bearing trypanosomatids have been considered excellent models for the study of cell evolution because the host protozoan co-evolves with an intracellular bacterium in a mutualistic relationship. Such protozoa inhabit a single invertebrate host during their entire life cycle and exhibit special characteristics that group them in a particular phylogenetic cluster of the Trypanosomatidae family, thus classified as monoxenics. in an effort to better understand such symbiotic association, we used DNA pyrosequencing and a reference-guided assembly to generate reads that predicted 16,960 and 12,162 open reading frames (ORFs) in two symbiont-bearing trypanosomatids, Angomonas deanei (previously named as Crithidia deanei) and Strigomonas culicis (first known as Blastocrithidia culicis), respectively. Identification of each ORF was based primarily on TriTrypDB using tblastn, and each ORF was confirmed by employing getorf from EMBOSS and Newbler 2.6 when necessary. the monoxenic organisms revealed conserved housekeeping functions when compared to other trypanosomatids, especially compared with Leishmania major. However, major differences were found in ORFs corresponding to the cytoskeleton, the kinetoplast, and the paraflagellar structure. the monoxenic organisms also contain a large number of genes for cytosolic calpain-like and surface gp63 metalloproteases and a reduced number of compartmentalized cysteine proteases in comparison to other TriTryp organisms, reflecting adaptations to the presence of the symbiont. the assembled bacterial endosymbiont sequences exhibit a high A+T content with a total of 787 and 769 ORFs for the Angomonas deanei and Strigomonas culicis endosymbionts, respectively, and indicate that these organisms hold a common ancestor related to the Alcaligenaceae family. Importantly, both symbionts contain enzymes that complement essential host cell biosynthetic pathways, such as those for amino acid, lipid and purine/pyrimidine metabolism. These findings increase our understanding of the intricate symbiotic relationship between the bacterium and the trypanosomatid host and provide clues to better understand eukaryotic cell evolution.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)ERC AdG SISYPHEUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biofis Carlos Chagas Filho, Lab Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, BR-21941 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biofis Carlos Chagas Filho, Lab Metab Macromol Firmino Torres de Castro, BR-21941 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLab Bioinformat, Lab Nacl Computacao Cient, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilINRIA Grenoble Rhone Alpes, BAMBOO Team, Villeurbanne, FranceUniv Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Lab Biometrie & Biol Evolut, F-69622 Villeurbanne, FranceUniv Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Genet Evolucao & Bioagentes, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut Ribeirao Preto, Dept Ciencias Farmaceut, São Paulo, BrazilLab Nacl Ciencia & Tecnol Bioetano, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Bioquim & Imunol, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Goias, Inst Ciencias Biol, Mol Biol Lab, Goiania, Go, BrazilFundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Inst Carlos Chagas, Lab Biol Mol Tripanossomatideos, Curitiba, Parana, BrazilFundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Inst Carlos Chagas, Lab Genom Func, Curitiba, Parana, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Ctr Pluridisciplinar Pesquisas Quim Biol & Agr, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Parasitol, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, Ctr Ciencias Biol, Lab Protozool & Bioinformat, Florianopolis, SC, BrazilUniv Fed Vicosa, Dept Bioquim & Biol Mol, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, Vicosa, MG, BrazilInst Butantan, Lab Especial Ciclo Celular, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Dept Biol, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc