História e cultura afro-brasileira e sua interface com a educação física

Orientação: José Gregório Viegas BrásExaminam-se os traços característicos de quem está cumprindo ao rigor da Lei, o ensino de História e Cultura Afro-Brasileira e/ou Africana nas Instituições de Educação Superior em São Luís do Maranhão; analisam-se os avanços, a repercussão e a aceitação diante da implantação da referida temática, e como os professores de Educação Física estão utilizando esses conhecimentos. A investigação utilizou como sujeitos os docentes e discentes de 2 (dois) estabelecimentos acadêmicos em São Luís/MA, onde se percebeu, pelo momento, uma fragilidade na aplicação do tema por parte dos mestres, em particular a inserção no âmbito de seus currículos. Embora, de certa forma, favoreçam o acesso de afrodescendentes no curso superior, por meio de programas do Governo Federal. Com ressalva, somente a Faculdade Estácio de São Luís que criou uma disciplina denominada “Práticas Corporais Afrodescendentes” no Curso de Educação Física, mas que somente funcionou no período de 2011 a 2014. Ressalta-se uma iniciativa mais recente da Universidade Federal do Maranhão (2016), a qual inaugurou no Curso de Licenciatura em Educação Física a disciplina “Cultura Corporal e Diversidade Étnico-Racial”. Quanto aos procedimentos metodológicos, a presente pesquisa fez uso do método quanti-qualitativo e de análise documental. Os dados foram analisados com base em algumas dissertações sobre o assunto e nas produções de especialistas na área de políticas educacionais, tais como Gomes (2001), Munanga (2003), Weisskopf (2004), Mainardes (2011), dentre outros. Com relação aos resultados, constatou-se que o corpo docente das instituições examinadas ainda precisa alterar o seu projeto pedagógico, bem como reestruturar os seus currículos em consonância com os termos prescritos na legislação nº 9.394/96 e nos demais conjuntos de regras correlatas vigentes.The characteristic traits of those who are complying to the rigor of the Law, with the teaching of Afro-Brazilian and / or African History and Culture in Higher Education Institutions in São Luís do Maranhão; We analyze the advances, the repercussion and the acceptance of the implementation of this theme, and how the Physical Education teachers are using this knowledge. The research used as subjects the teachers and students of 2 (two) academic establishments in São Luís / MA., where it was perceived, for the moment, a weakness in the application of the theme by the masters, in particular the insertion in the scope of their curricula. Although, in a way, they favor the access of people of African descent in higher education through Federal Government programs. With the exception, only Estácio de São Luís College, which created a discipline called “Afrodescendent Body Practices” in the Physical Education Course, but which only worked from 2011 to 2014. It is worth mentioning a more recent initiative of the Federal University of Maranhão (2016), which inaugurated the Physical Education and Ethnic-Racial Diversity Course in the Physical Education Degree Course. Regarding the methodological procedures, the present research made use of the quantitative and qualitative method and document analysis. The data were analyzed based on some dissertations on the subject and on the productions of specialists in the field of educational policies, such as Gomes (2001), Munanga (2003), and Weisskopf (2004), Mainardes (2011), among others. Regarding the results, it was found that the faculty of the institutions examined still need to change their pedagogical project, as well as restructure their curricula in accordance with the terms prescribed in legislation Nº. 9.394 / 96 and other related sets of rules in force

Partial purification of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by aqueous two-phase poly(ethyleneglycol)/phosphate systems

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) is an important enzyme used in biochemical and medical studies and in several analytical methods that have industrial and commercial application. This work evaluated the extraction of G6PDH in aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG)/phosphate buffer, using as enzyme source a medium prepared through commercial baker’s yeast disruption. Firstly, the effects of PEG molar mass on the enzyme partition and of homogenization and rest on the system equilibrium were investigated. Afterwards, several ATPS were prepared using statistical analysis (22 factorial design). The results, including kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the G6PDH activity, showed partial purification of this enzyme in ATPS composed of 17.5% (w/w) PEG400 and 15.0% (w/w) phosphate. A high enzymatic recovery value (97.7%), a high partition coefficient (351), and an acceptable purification factor (2.28 times higher than in cell homogenate) were attained from the top phase. So, it was possible to attain an effective enzyme pre-purification by separating some contaminants with a simple method such as liquid-liquid extraction in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS).FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo / Brasil); CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Brasil); CAPES (Coordenação para Aperfeiçoamento do Ensino Superior / Brasil)

Erratum to: An ecological study of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the vicinity of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil

BACKGROUND: The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, located in Maranhão, Brazil, is a region of exceptional beauty and a popular tourist destination. The adjoining area has suffered from the impact of human activity and, consequently, has experienced outbreaks of leishmaniasis. This study aimed to evaluate the composition, abundance, species richness and seasonal distribution of sand flies in the region and to determine the constancy of the insect population. METHODS: The survey was conducted at three sites located in the municipalities of Barreirinhas and Santo Amaro between September 2012 and August 2013. Sampling was performed monthly using automatic light traps installed 1.5 m above the soil adjacent to 13 randomly selected rural dwellings. At each site, one trap was placed in the peridomicile near to animal enclosures and another (extradomicile) at 500 m from the peridomicile. RESULTS: A total of 4,474 individual sand flies were collected over the year with the highest abundance recorded during the rainy season (December to June). Nine species were collected: L. whitmani, L. longipalpis, L. lenti, L. sordellii, L. evandroi, L. flaviscutellata, L. wellcomei, L. termitophila and L. intermedia. Although peridomiciliary and extradomiciliary environments presented similar species richness, the Shannon diversity index was significantly lower in the former (H’ = 2.4) compared with the latter (H’ = 4.98). Lutzomyia whitmani and L. longipalpis were the most abundant species and were classified as constant (constancy index, CI = 100 %) along with L. lenti (CI = 58.3), L. evandroi (CI = 58.3) and L. sordellii (CI = 66.7). The remaining four species presented CI values between 25 and 50 % and were considered accessory. CONCLUSIONS: The present results confirm the present of L. whitmani and L. longipalpis in the peridomicile of houses in Lençóis National Park. The abundance of these species could explain, respectively, the endemicity of cutaneous leishmaniasis and sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis in the study area. However, in the case of cutaneous leishmaniasis, the presence of other sand fly vectors (in addition to L. whitmani) cannot be neglected. Finally, this study emphasizes the need for a more effective and permanent supervision to control the expansion of these vectors and leishmaniasis outbreaks

Development of L-Asparaginase Biobetters: Current Research Status and Review of the Desirable Quality Profiles

L-Asparaginase (ASNase) is a vital component of the first line treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an aggressive type of blood cancer expected to afflict over 53,000 people worldwide by 2020. More recently, ASNase has also been shown to have potential for preventing metastasis from solid tumors. The ASNase treatment is, however, characterized by a plethora of potential side effects, ranging from immune reactions to severe toxicity. Consequently, in accordance with Quality-by-Design (QbD) principles, ingenious new products tailored to minimize adverse reactions while increasing patient survival have been devised. In the following pages, the reader is invited for a brief discussion on the most recent developments in this field. Firstly, the review presents an outline of the recent improvements on the manufacturing and formulation processes, which can severely influence important aspects of the product quality profile, such as contamination, aggregation and enzymatic activity. Following, the most recent advances in protein engineering applied to the development of biobetter ASNases (i.e., with reduced glutaminase activity, proteolysis resistant and less immunogenic) using techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, molecular dynamics, PEGylation, PASylation and bioconjugation are discussed. Afterwards, the attention is shifted toward nanomedicine including technologies such as encapsulation and immobilization, which aim at improving ASNase pharmacokinetics. Besides discussing the results of the most innovative and representative academic research, the review provides an overview of the products already available on the market or in the latest stages of development. With this, the review is intended to provide a solid background for the current product development and underpin the discussions on the target quality profile of future ASNase-based pharmaceuticals

DECISÕES DE ENDIVIDAMENTO NA CADEIA PRODUTIVA AGRO-ALIMENTAR: ESTUDO COMPARADO ENTRE COOPERATIVA DO VALE DO TAQUARI E AS COMPANHIAS DO SETOR NA BOVESPA – BOLSA DE VALORES DE SÃO PAULO

O Brasil apresenta momentos alternados de recessão e de expansão econômica, trazendo, por isso, maior risco às decisões de endividamento. Essas particularidades devem levar os executivos a examinarem com cautela as decisões de endividamento nas empresas, pois é a partir dessas que poderão desencadear-se  – ou não – as dificuldades, ou mesmo a utilização maior ou menor da alavancagem para o crescimento das empresas. As cooperativas podem apresentar formas diferenciadas de financiamento em relação à outras companhias, eis que dependem exclusivamente dos recursos dos associados, bem como não possuem possibilidade de captação de recursos via emissão de títulos no mercado acionário. Por isso, neste trabalho, pretendeu-se realizar um estudo comparado do endividamento na cadeia produtiva do agro-alimento, entre cooperativa do setor no Vale do Taquari e as companhias do setor listadas na Bovespa – Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo. Para tanto, fez-se uso das informações estatísticas descritivas e gráficas das variáveis de estrutura de capital (endividamento) constantes nos Balanços Patrimoniais dos anos de 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 e 2008. Observou-se que os níveis de endividamento da cooperativa na grande maioria das situações são inferiores aos demais grupos de companhias listadas na Bovespa, especialmente quando comparados com o grupo do agro-alimento. Supondo certo esgotamento de recursos obtidos de lucros, os resultados sugerem aversão ao risco de endividar-se em níveis mais elevados, possivelmente com o receio de  esgotar e comprometer a única alternativa a disposição da cooperativa, eis que tem dificuldade de obtenção de recursos via associados, como também não pode obter recursos junto ao mercado de capitais

An ecological study of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the vicinity of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhão, Brazil

Abstract Background The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, located in Maranhão, Brazil, is a region of exceptional beauty and a popular tourist destination. The adjoining area has suffered from the impact of human activity and, consequently, has experienced outbreaks of leishmaniasis. This study aimed to evaluate the composition, abundance, species richness and seasonal distribution of sand flies in the region and to determine the constancy of the insect population. Methods The survey was conducted at three sites located in the municipalities of Barreirinhas and Santo Amaro between September 2012 and August 2013. Sampling was performed monthly using automatic light traps installed 1.5 m above the soil adjacent to 13 randomly selected rural dwellings. At each site, one trap was placed in the peridomicile near to animal enclosures and another (extradomicile) at 500 m from the peridomicile. Results A total of 4,474 individual sand flies were collected over the year with the highest abundance recorded during the rainy season (December to June). Nine species were collected: L. whitmani, L. longipalpis, L. lenti, L. sordellii, L. evandroi, L. flaviscutellata, L. wellcomei, L. termitophila and L. intermedia. Although peridomiciliary and extradomiciliary environments presented similar species richness, the Shannon diversity index was significantly lower in the former (H’ = 2.4) compared with the latter (H’ = 4.98). Lutzomyia whitmani and L. longipalpis were the most abundant species and were classified as constant (constancy index, CI = 100 %) along with L. lenti (CI = 58.3), L. evandroi (CI = 58.3) and L. sordellii (CI = 66.7). The remaining four species presented CI values between 25 and 50 % and were considered accessory. Conclusions The present results confirm the present of L. whitmani and L. longipalpis in the peridomicile of houses in Lençóis National Park. The abundance of these species could explain, respectively, the endemicity of cutaneous leishmaniasis and sporadic cases of visceral leishmaniasis in the study area. However, in the case of cutaneous leishmaniasis, the presence of other sand fly vectors (in addition to L. whitmani) cannot be neglected. Finally, this study emphasizes the need for a more effective and permanent supervision to control the expansion of these vectors and leishmaniasis outbreaks