Social Assistance in Developing Countries Database Version 5.0

The Social Assistance in Developing Countries Database is a user-friendly tool that provides summary information on social assistance interventions in developing countries. It provides a summary of the evidence available on the effectiveness of social assistance interventions in developing countries. It focuses on programmes seeking to combine the reduction and mitigation of poverty, with strengthening and facilitating household investments capable of preventing poverty and securing development in the longer term. The inclusion of programmes is on the basis of the availability of information on design features, evaluation, size, scope, or significance. Version 5 of the database updates information on existing programmes and incorporates information on pilot social assistance programmes in Latin America, Asia and Africa. It also adopts a new typology that distinguishes between social assistance programmes providing pure income transfers; programmes that provide transfers plus interventions aimed at human, financial, or physical asset accumulation; and integrated poverty reduction programmes. This new typology has, in our view, several advantages. It is a more flexible, and more accurate, template with which to identify key programme features. It provides a good entry point into the conceptual underpinnings of social assistance programmes

Negacionismo e desinformação antivacina por Jair Bolsonaro

This paper seeks to bring to the debate the philosophical interrelationships between denialism and nihilism, seeking to unveil the strategies used by the “merchants of doubt” (ORESKES and CONWAY) to influence the population not to adhere to the vaccination against Covid-19, during 2021, through the use of misinformation. In this context, we adopted the Hermeneutics of Historical Consciousness as an interpretative path (RICOEUR, 2010), which enables us to understand the narrative production of intentional disinformation and its collective and social appropriation. HHC offers us an interpretative possibility of the world of the text based on the relationship with history, the past and the experience, as entities affected by the past, which we are. ). In this sense, this paper’s structure has as it starting point a brief debate that seeks to confront Nietzschean nihilism and scientific denialism, in order to confront communication and disinformation and its current dimensions, intermediated by an interpretation of fake news about vaccines that circulated in 2021 and which have President Jair Bolsonaro as a promoter. The narratives posted here for interpretation were denounced by society through the @eufiscalizo app from Fiocruz-RJ and checked through the website https://www.nujocchecagem.com.br/.Este artículo busca traer a debate las interrelaciones filosóficas entre negacionismo y nihilismo, buscando develar las estrategias utilizadas por los “mercaderes de la duda” (ORESKES y CONWAY) para influenciar a la población a no adherirse a la vacunación contra el Covid-19 durante 2021, através del uso de desinformación. En este contexto, adoptamos la Hermenêutica da Consciência Histórica como camino interpretativo (RICOEUR, 2010), que nos permite comprender la producción narrativa de desinformación intencional y su apropiación colectiva y social. HCH nos ofrece una posibilidad interpretativa del mundo del texto a partir de la relación con la historia, el pasado y la experiencia, como seres afectados por el pasado, que somos. En ese sentido, la estructura de este artículo tiene como punto de partida un breve debate que busca confrontar el nihilismo nietzscheano y el negacionismo científico, para confrontar la comunicación y la desinformación y sus dimensiones actuales, intermediado por una interpretación de las noticias falsas sobre vacunas que circularán en 2021.que tiene al presidente Jair Bolsonaro como promotor. Las narrativas aquí publicadas para su interpretación fueron denunciadas por la sociedad a través de la aplicativo @eufiscalizo da Fiocruz-RJ e conferidas através do site https://www.nujocchecagem.com.br/.Este artigo busca trazer ao debate as inter-relações filosóficas entre o negacionismo e o niilismo, buscando desvendar as estratégias utilizadas pelos “mercadores da dúvida” (ORESKES e CONWAY) para influenciar a população a não aderir à vacinação contra a Covid-19, durante 2021, através do uso de desinformação. Nesse contexto, adotamos a Hermenêutica da Consciência Histórica como caminho interpretativo (RICOEUR, 2010), que nos permite compreender a produção narrativa da desinformação intencional e sua apropriação coletiva e social. HCH oferece-nos uma possibilidade interpretativa do mundo do texto a partir da relação com a história, o passado e a experiência, como seres afetados pelo passado, que somos. Nesse sentido, a estrutura deste artigo tem como ponto de partida um breve debate que busca confrontar o niilismo nietzschiano e o negacionismo científico, para confrontar a comunicação e a desinformação e suas dimensões atuais, intermediados por uma interpretação das notícias falsas sobre vacinas que circularam em 2021 e que têm o presidente Jair Bolsonaro como promotor. As narrativas aqui postadas para interpretação foram denunciadas pela sociedade através do aplicativo @eufiscalizo da Fiocruz-RJ e conferidas através do site https://www.nujocchecagem.com.br/

Impact of the Training Program on Lipid Profile and Cardiac Health

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of training programs on serum lipid profile and myocardial oxidative stress. Male Wistar rats (2 mo-old) were divided into three groups (n=8): sedentary (S), loadless trained (T) and trained-overload 2% body weight (TL). T and TL were trained through swimming for 9 weeks. T and TL rats had increased myocardial lipoperoxide (TBA) and lipid hydroperoxide (HP), whereas HP was higher in TL than in T animals. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were lowest in TL. Myocardial glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was lower in TL than in T and S rats. TL decreased HDL-cholesterol and increased LDL-cholesterol. The serum lactate dehydrogenase and TBA were increased, while SOD and GSH-Px activities were decreased in TL rats. Loadless training was able to improve HDL-cholesterol and to reduce LDL-cholesterol. In conclusion, the loadless training program induced beneficial effects on lipid profile, while overload training induced dyslipidemic profile that was associated with serum oxidative stress. The overload training program was deleterious relative to loadless training program, increasing myocardial oxidative stress

Monosodium glutamate in standard and high-fiber diets: Metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress in rats

Objective: This study determined the effects of adding monosodium glutamate (MSG) to a standard diet and a fiber-enriched diet on glucose metabolism, lipid profile, and oxidative stress in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats (65 ± 5 g, n = 8) were fed a standard diet (control), a standard diet supplemented with 100 g of MSG per kilogram of rat body weight, a diet rich in fiber, or a diet rich in fiber supplemented with 100 g of MSG per kilogram of body weight. After 45 d of treatment, sera were analyzed for concentrations of insulin, leptin, glucose, triacylglycerol, lipid hydroperoxide, and total antioxidant substances. A homeostasis model assessment index was estimated to characterize insulin resistance. Results: Voluntary food intake was higher and feed efficiency was lower in animals fed the standard diet supplemented with MSG than in those fed the control, fiber-enriched, or fiber- and MSG-enriched diet. The MSG group had metabolic dysfunction characterized by increased levels of glucose, triacylglycerol, insulin, leptin, and homeostasis model assessment index. The adverse effects of MSG were related to an imbalance between the oxidant and antioxidant systems. The MSG group had increased levels of lipid hydroperoxide and decreased levels of total antioxidant substances. Levels of triacylglycerol and lipid hydroperoxide were decreased in rats fed the fiber-enriched and fiber- and MSG-enriched diets, whereas levels of total antioxidant substances were increased in these animals. Conclusions: MSG added to a standard diet increased food intake. Overfeeding induced metabolic disorders associated with oxidative stress in the absence of obesity. The fiber-enriched diet prevented changes in glucose, insulin, leptin, and triacylglycerol levels that were seen in the MSG group. Because the deleterious effects of MSG, i.e., induced overfeeding, were not seen in the animals fed the fiber-enriched diets, it can be concluded that fiber supplementation is beneficial by discouraging overfeeding and improving oxidative stress that is induced by an MSG diet. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Diet compounds, glycemic index and obesity-related cardiac effects

Background: Diet compounds may influence obesity-related cardiac oxidative stress and metabolic sifting. Carbohydrate-rich diet may be disadvantageous from fat-rich diet to cardiac tissue and glycemic index rather than lipid profile may predict the obesity-related cardiac effects.Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n=8/group): (C) receiving standard chow (3.0 kcal/g); (CRD) receiving carbohydrate-rich diet (4.0 kcal/g), and (FRD) receiving fat-rich diet (4.0 kcal/g). Rats were sacrificed after the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 60 days of dietary treatments. Lipid profile and oxidative stress parameters were determined in serum. Myocardial samples were used to determine oxidative stress, metabolic enzymes, glycogen and triacylglycerol.Results: FRD rats showed higher final body weight and body mass index than CRD and C. Serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein were higher in FRD than in CRD, while triacylglycerol and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were higher in CRD than in FRD. CRD rats had the highest myocardial lipid hydroperoxide and diminished superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Myocardial glycogen was lower and triacylglycerol was higher in CRD than in C and FRD rats. Although FRD rats had depressed myocardial-reducing power, no significant changes were observed in myocardial energy metabolism. Myocardial beta-hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase and citrate synthase, as well as the enhanced lactate debydrogenase/citrate synthase ratio indicated that fatty acid degradation was decreased in CRD rats. Glycemic index was positively correlated with obesity-related cardiac effects.Conclusions: Isoenergetic carbohydrate-rich and fat-rich diets induced different degree of obesity and differently affected lipid profile. Carbohydrate-rich diet was deleterious relative to fat-rich diet in the heart enhancing lipoperoxidation and shifting the metabolic pathway for energy production. Glycemic index rather than dyslipidemic profile may predict the obesity effects on cardiac tissue. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Development of a Melting-Curve-Based Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for the Simultaneous Detection of Viruses Causing Respiratory Infection

The prompt and accurate identification of the etiological agents of viral respiratory infections is a critical measure in mitigating outbreaks. In this study, we developed and clinically evaluated a novel melting-curve-based multiplex real-time PCR (M-m-qPCR) assay targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and nucleocapsid phosphoprotein N of SARS-CoV-2, the Matrix protein 2 of the Influenza A virus, the RdRp domain of the L protein from the Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus, and the polyprotein from Rhinovirus B genes. The analytical performance of the M-m-qPCR underwent assessment using in silico analysis and a panel of reference and clinical strains, encompassing viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens, exhibiting 100% specificity. Moreover, the assay showed a detection limit of 10 copies per reaction for all targeted pathogens using the positive controls. To validate its applicability, the assay was further tested in simulated nasal fluid spiked with the viruses mentioned above, followed by validation on nasopharyngeal swabs collected from 811 individuals. Among them, 13.4% (109/811) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and 1.1% (9/811) tested positive for Influenza A. Notably, these results showed 100% concordance with those obtained using a commercial kit. Therefore, the M-m-qPCR exhibits great potential for the routine screening of these respiratory viral pathogens