Em poder(a) das câmeras: representação e discurso através das lentes de cineastas negras

The research work contemplates a film production of black filmmakers women. The objective is to analyze how representations about black women and the discourses created from the brazilian audiovisual production. The analysis material is the first season of the web serie Empoderadas, available on the facebook page in 16 episodes, reproduced and released in 2015, designed by filmmakers Renata Martins and Joyce Prado. The paper presents a discussion about representation and stereotyping from the audiovisual, as the trajectories of the filmmakers and proposed a web analysis from the imagetic construction and the narratives that are investigated by the first series of the film. The work of Renata Martins and Joyce Prado on the web redefines not only the body of black women from the construction of images by audiovisual (framing, plans, montage), but also from the narrative of the interviews, presenting various activities of black women in brazilian society.O trabalho de pesquisa contempla a produção cinematográfica de cineastas negras. O objetivo é analisar as representações sobre as mulheres negras e os discursos produzidos a partir da produção audiovisual brasileira. O material de análise é a primeira temporada da websérie Empoderadas, disponível na página do facebook, em 16 episódios, produzidos e divulgados no ano 2015, idealizados pelas cineastas Renata Martins e Joyce Prado. Este trabalho apresenta a discussão sobre representação e estereotipagem a partir do audiovisual, as trajetórias das cineastas e propõem uma análise da websérie a partir da construção imagética e das narrativas que são apresentadas pelas entrevistadas nos episódios da primeira temporada. O trabalho de Renata Martins e Joyce Prado na websérie ressignifica não só o corpo da mulher negra a partir da construção das imagens pelo audiovisual (enquadramento, planos, montagem), mas também, a partir da narrativa das entrevistadas, apresenta diversas experiências de ser mulher negra na sociedade brasileira

AEB Online Calculator for Assessing Technology Maturity: IMATEC

This paper exposes initially the motivations for developing a TRL online calculator by AEB (Brazilian Space Agency; in Portuguese, Agência Espacial Brasileira). Such motivations demand the tool to be a way not only to assess the TRL condition of operational space missions and systems, but also as a method of evaluating and sharing proposals with new technological content. The TRL methodology and its relation to risk management are discussed. The development phases of the IMATEC Lite application are then described, with emphasis to the data handling structure capable of storing the user product model. A result of technology assessment using the software is detailed by presenting the PBS of the SERPENS 1 mission nanosatellite. The prospects of using the tool for judging the acceptability of new missions and projects are discussed, as well as some of the encountered difficulties

Nutritional aspects and cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE: Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus present with a higher number of classic risk factors for coronary diseases and a higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome resulting from the disease itself. To evaluate the nutritional indicators of the cardiovascular risk of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus by analyzing eating habits, anthropometry, laboratory data, and disease activity and to describe the prevalence of patients fulfilling the criteria for metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements including waist circumference, food recall, and laboratory tests. RESULTS: The population presented an insufficient daily intake of micronutrients. Anthropometry revealed that 37.5% of the patients were classified with degree II obesity by body mass index and 76.8% by abdominal obesity. Regarding metabolic syndrome, 18 patients (16%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus presented with increased risk factors, as determined using anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests, for cardiovascular disease, indicating the need for nutritional guidance in this population to reduce cardiovascular risk, increase the quality of life, and increase survival of these patients

Minimum leaf conductance (gmin) is higher in the treeline of Pinus uncinata Ram. in the Pyrenees: Michaelis’ hypothesis revisited

The search for a universal explanation of the altitudinal limit determined by the alpine treeline has given rise to different hypotheses. In this study, we revisited Michaelis’ hypothesis which proposed that an inadequate “ripening” of the cuticle caused a greater transpiration rate during winter in the treeline. However, few studies with different explanations have investigated the role of passive mechanisms of needles for protecting against water loss during winter in conifers at the treeline. To shed light on this, the cuticular transpiration barrier was studied in the transition from subalpine Pinus uncinata forests to alpine tundra at the upper limit of the species in the Pyrenees. This upper limit of P. uncinata was selected here as an example of the ecotones formed by conifers in the temperate mountains of the northern hemisphere. Our study showed that minimum leaf conductance in needles from upper limit specimens was higher than those measured in specimens living in the lower levels of the sub-alpine forest and also displayed lower cuticle thickness values, which should reinforce the seminal hypothesis by Michaelis. Our study showed clear evidence that supports the inadequate development of needle cuticles as one of the factors that lead to increased transpirational water losses during winter and, consequently, a higher risk of suffering frost drought

Rapid detection of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in rectal samples from patients admitted to intensive care units

ABSTRACT: The reduction in time required to identify vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) has gained increased importance during hospital outbreaks. In the present study, we implemented a laboratory protocol to speed up the VRE screening from rectal samples. The protocol combines a medium for selective VRE isolation (VREBAC®, Probac, São Paulo) and a multiplex PCR for detection and identification of vanA and vanB resistance genes. The screening performance was analyzed in 114 specimens collected from four intensive care units. The swabs were collected at two periods: (1) during a VRE outbreak (February 2006, n=83 patients) and (2) at the post-outbreak period, after adoption of infection control measures (June 2006, n=31 patients). Forty-one/83 VRE (49.4%) and 3/31(9.7%) VRE were found at the first and second period, respectively. All isolates harbored the vanA gene. In both periods, detection of the gene vanA parallels to the minimum inhibitory concentration values of >256 µg/mL and >48 µg/mL for vancomycin and teicoplanin, respectively. Multiplex PCR and conventional methods agreed in 90.2% for enterococci identification. Besides this accuracy, we also found a remarkable reduction in time to obtain results. Detection of enterococcal species and identification of vancomycin resistance genes were ready in 29.5 hours, in comparison to 72 hours needed by the conventional methods. In conclusion, our protocol identified properly and rapidly enterococci species and vancomycin-resistance genes. The results strongly encourage its adoption by microbiology laboratories for VRE screenning in rectal samples

Effects of metformin on inflammation, oxidative stress, and bone loss in a rat model of periodontitis.

AimTo evaluate the effects of metformin (Met) on inflammation, oxidative stress, and bone loss in a rat model of ligature-induced periodontitis.Materials & methodsMale albino Wistar rats were divided randomly into five groups of twenty-one rats each, and given the following treatments for 10 days: (1) no ligature + water, (2) ligature + water, (3) ligature + 50 mg/kg Met, (4) ligature + 100 mg/kg Met, and (5) ligature + 200 mg/kg Met. Water or Met was administered orally. Maxillae were fixed and scanned using Micro-computed Tomography (μCT) to quantitate linear and bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) volumetric bone loss. Histopathological characteristics were assessed through immunohistochemical staining for MMP-9, COX-2, the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway, SOD-1, and GPx-1. Additionally, confocal microscopy was used to analyze osteocalcin fluorescence. UV-VIS analysis was used to examine the levels of malondialdehyde, glutathione, IL-1β and TNF-α from gingival tissues. Quantitative RT-PCR reaction was used to gene expression of AMPK, NF-κB (p65), and Hmgb1 from gingival tissues. Significance among groups were analysed using a one-way ANOVA. A p-value of p<0.05 indicated a significant difference.ResultsTreatment with 50 mg/kg Met significantly reduced concentrations of malondialdehyde, IL-1β, and TNF-α (p < 0.05). Additionally, weak staining was observed for COX-2, MMP-9, RANK, RANKL, SOD-1, and GPx-1 after 50 mg/kg Met. OPG and Osteocalcin showed strong staining in the same group. Radiographically, linear measurements showed a statistically significant reduction in bone loss after 50 mg/kg Met compared to the ligature and Met 200 mg/kg groups. The same pattern was observed volumetrically in BV/TV and decreased osteoclast number (p<0.05). RT-PCR showed increased AMPK expression and decreased expression of NF-κB (p65) and HMGB1 after 50 mg/kg Met.ConclusionsMetformin, at a concentration of 50 mg/kg, decreases the inflammatory response, oxidative stress and bone loss in ligature-induced periodontitis in rats

Doença periodontal em crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de Diabetes Mellitus: Periodontal disease in children and adolescents diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus

Os pacientes portadores do Diabetes Mellitus (DM), tipo 1 e tipo 2, possuem maiores chances de desenvolver doenças periodontais com maior velocidade de progressão e gravidade. O objetivo do estudo é apresentar a relação bidirecional entre por meio da revisão da literatura, a relação bidirecional entre Doença Periodontal (DP) e Diabetes Mellitus em crianças e adolescentes. Foram pesquisados artigos de estudos observacionais nas bases de dados BVS (Lilacs e Bbo), Pubmed e Scielo, publicados entre 2008 e 2018. Os artigos evidenciaram que a Doença Periodontal tem característica inflamatória multifatorial, que em estágios mais graves pode evoluir para mobilidade e perda precoce dos dentes. Desta forma, a literatura evidencia uma forte ligação bidirecional entre a saúde bucal e a saúde sistêmica, sendo a Diabetes Mellitus um fator de risco para a periodontite em crianças e adolescentes. Esse estudo reitera a relação bilateral entre doença periodontal e Diabetes Mellitus e demonstra que crianças e adolescentes com essa condição sistêmica podem sofrer alterações na resistência bacteriana e exacerbar infecções existentes

ETIOLOGIA E ABORDAGENS TERAPÊUTICAS DO SORRISO GENGIVAL

O sorriso que expõe mais de 2 mm de gengiva é chamado sorriso gengival, podendo ocorrer em homens e mulheres e pode ser considerado desarmônico, por expor um volume desproporcional de gengiva. O sorriso gengival apresenta etiologia multifatorial, como: erupção passiva alterada, crescimento vertical de maxila, comprimento labial deficiente (lábio superior curto), mobilidade excessiva do lábio superior, coroas anatômicas curtas e hiperplasia gengival medicamentosa. Esses fatores etiológicos podem ocorrer de forma associada ou não. Este estudo teve o objetivo de revisar os principais fatores etiológicos do sorriso gengival, bem como as abordagens terapêuticas mais indicadas para cada diagnóstico, com o intuito de estabelecer um tratamento sem risco de recidivas ou exposição de raiz