A report on a survey with the r/v "Ernst Haeckel" in July-August 1980: shallow-water shrimp and by-catch, oceanography

A survey of the Sofala Bank (Mozambique) was conducted to: estimate the abundance of shallow-water shrimp in the area between 16 degree 20'S and 20 degree 20'S, from 5 to 100 meters; estimate the shallow-water shrimp species composition and distribution pattern of main species. Collect biological data of the main species, Penaeus indicus and Metapenaeus monoceros; study the shrimp by-catch, species composition and biological data collection of the most abundant species of commercial value; and collect environmental data to clarify the shelf circulation on the Sofala Bank and the main oceanic features in the regions 15 degree S to 18 degree S and south of 22 degree S

Histopathological Analysis Of Gangliosides Use In Peripheral Nerve Regeneration After Axonotmesis In Rats

Purpose: To analyze the action of gangliosides in peripheral nerve regeneration in the sciatic nerve of the rat. Methods: The sample was composed of 96 male Wistar rats. The animals were anaesthetized and, after identification of the anaesthesic plane, an incision was made in the posterior region of the thigh, followed by skin and muscle divulsion. The right sciatic nerve was isolated and compressed for 2 minutes. Continuous suture of the skin was performed. The animals were randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group (EG), which received subcutaneous injection of gangliosides, and the control group (CG), which received saline solution (0.9%) to mimic the effects of drug administration. Results: No differences were observed between the experimental and control groups evaluated on the eighth day of observation. At 15 and 30 days the EG showed an decrease in Schwann cell activity and an apparent improvement in fibre organization; at 60 days, there was a slight presence of Schwann cells in the endoneural space and the fibres were organized, indicating nerve regeneration. At 15 and 30 days, the level of cell reaction in the CG had diminished, but there were many cells with cytoplasm in activity and in mitosis; at 60 days, hyperplastic Schwann cells and mitotic activity were again observed, as well as nerve regeneration, but to a lesser extent than in the EG. Conclusion: The administration of exogenous gangliosides seems to improve nerve regeneration.234364371Vasconcelos, B.C., Gay Escoda, C., Vasconcellos, R.J., Neves, R.F., Conduction velocity of the rabbit facial nerve: A noninvasive functional evaluation (2003) Pesqui Odontol Bras, 17, pp. 126-131De Medinacelli, L., Freed, W.J., Wyatt, R.J., An index of the functional condition of rat sciatic nerve based on measurements made from walking tracks (1982) Exp Neur, 77, pp. 6634-6643Nachemson, A.K., Lundborg, G., Myrhage, R., Rank, F., Nerve regeneration and pharmacological suppression of the scar reaction at the suture site (1985) Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg, 19, pp. 255-260Danielsen, N., Varon, S., Characterization of neurotrophic activity in the silicone chamber model for nerve regeneration (1995) J Reconstr Microsurg, 11, pp. 231-235Catan, F.G., Pastorello, A., Siliprandi, R., Savastano, M., Molinari, G., Brain cortex gangliosides and Na+, K+)-ATPase system of the stria vascularis in the guinea pig (1981) Acta Otolaryngol, 92, pp. 433-437Cunha, M.T.R., Silva, A.R., Fenelon, S.B., Comparision of nerve integration after segmentar resection versus epineural burying in crushed rat sciatic nerves (1997) Acta Cir Bras, 4, pp. 221-225Chen, Z.Y., Chai, Y.F., Cao, L., Lu, C.L., He, C., Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor enhances axonal regeneration following sciatic nerve transection in adult rats (2001) Brain Res, 2, pp. 272-276Abreu, A.A.N., Wei, T.H., Zumiotti, A.V., Avaliação dos gangliosídeos na regeneração nervosa em ratos. (2002) Rev Bras Ortop, 37, pp. 39-44Neto, J.C., Vasconcelos, B.C., Sobral, A.P., da Silva Jr, V.A., Nogueira, R.V., Clinical and histopathologic study of the use of gangliosides for nerve regeneration in rats after axonotmesis (2007) J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 65, pp. 870-874de Ruiter, G.C., Spinner, R.J., Alaid, A.O., Koch, A.J., Wang, H., Malessy, M.J., Currier, B.L., Windebank, A.J., Two-dimensional digital video ankle motion analysis for assessment of function in the rat sciatic nerve model (2007) J Peripher Nerv Syst, 12, pp. 216-222Schmalbruch, H., Fiber composition of the sciatic nerve (1986) Anat Rec, 215 (1), pp. 71-81Apley, A.G., Teaching techniques and training methods in orthopaedics (1966) Proc R Soc Med, 59 (2), p. 117Kline, D.G., Kim, D., Midha, R., Harsh, C., Tiel, R., Management and results of sciatic nerve injuries: A 24-year experience (1998) J Neurosurg, 89, pp. 13-23Gomes AC, Vasconcelos BC, de Oliveira e Silva ED, da Silva LC. Lingual nerve damage after mandibular third molar surgery: a randomized clinical trial. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2005;63:1443-6Horch, H.W., Krüttgen, A., Portbury, S.D., Katz, L.C., Destabilization of cortical dendrites and spines by BDNF (1999) Neuron, 23 (2), pp. 353-364Tos, P., Ronchi, G., Nicolino, S., Audisio, C., Raimondo, S., Fornaro, M., Battiston, B., Geuna, S., Employment of the mouse median nerve model for the experimental assessment of peripheral nerve regeneration (2008) J Neurosci Methods, 169 (1), pp. 119-127Graff-Radford, S.B., Evans, R.W., Lingual nerve injury (2003) Headache, 43, pp. 975-983Montovani, J.C., Prado, R.G., Bacchi, C.E., Experimental surgery of the facial nerve: Evaluation of the intraperitoneal use of exogenous gangliosides (1995) Rev Laryngol Otol Rhinol, 116, pp. 163-167Langone, F., Silva, C.F., Exogenous ganglioside stimulation of axonal regeneration after new transsection and intubation repair (1990) Braz J Med Biol, 23, pp. 823-826Lainetti, R.D., Silva, C.F., Local addition of monosialoganglioside GM1 stimulates peripheral axon regeneration in vivo (1993) Braz J Med Biol Res, 26, pp. 841-845Sobeski, J.K., Kerns, J.M., Safanda, J.F., Shott, S., Gonzalez, M.H., Functional and structural effects of GM-1 ganglioside treatment on peripheral nerve grafting in the rat (2001) Microsurgery, 21, pp. 108-115Amico-Roxas, M., Caruso, A., Trombadore, S., Scifo, R., Scapagnini, U., Gangliosides antinociceptive effects in rodents (1984) Arch Int Pharmacodyn Ther, 272 (1), pp. 103-117(1978) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization, , http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html, Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, Bruxelles. Available from UR

Postnatal development of rats exposed to fluoxetine or venlafaxine during the third week of pregnancy

The aim of the present study was to compare the toxic effects of fluoxetine (F) (8 and 16 mg/kg) and venlafaxine (V) (40 and 80 mg/kg) administered during the third week of pregnancy on early development of rats. Both antidepressants were administered by gavage on pregnancy days 15 to 20 to groups of 10 to 12 animals each. Duration of gestation, food and water consumption, number of live pups and birth weight were recorded. Litters were culled to six pups at birth (day 1) and followed for growth until weaning (day 25). On day 60, a male and a female from each litter were injected with the 5-HT1 agonist, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (6 mg/kg, ip) and the serotonergic syndrome was graded. Fluoxetine but not venlafaxine reduced the duration of pregnancy when compared to the control (C) group (F = 21.1 days and C = 21.6 days, mean, P<0.02; maximum = 22 days and minimum = 21 days in both groups). The highest doses of both fluoxetine, 16 mg/kg (F16), and venlafaxine, 80 mg/kg (V80), reduced the food intake of pregnant rats, resulting in different rates of body weight gain during treatment (from pregnancy day 15 to day 20): F16 = 29.0 g, V80 = 28.7 g vs C = 39.5 g (median). Birth weight was influenced by treatment and sex (P<0.05; two-way ANOVA). Both doses of fluoxetine or venlafaxine reduced the body weight of litters; however, the body weight of litters from treated dams was equal to the weight of control litters by the time of weaning. At weaning there was no significant difference in weight between sexes. There was no difference among groups in number of live pups at birth, stillbirths, mortality during the lactation period or in the manifestation of serotonergic syndrome in adult rats. The occurrence of low birth weight among pups born to dams which did not show reduced food ingestion or reduction of body weight gain during treatment with lower doses of fluoxetine or venlafaxine suggests that these drugs may have a deleterious effect on prenatal development when administered during pregnancy. In addition, fluoxetine slightly but significantly affected the duration of pregnancy (about half a day), an effect not observed in the venlafaxine-treated groups.Universidade Federal FluminenseUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Non-Z2\mathbb{Z}_{2} symmetric braneworlds in scalar tensorial gravity

We obtain, via the Gauss-Codazzi formalism, the expression of the effective Einstein-Brans-Dicke projected equations in a non-$\mathbb{Z}_{2}$ symmetric braneworld scenario which presents hybrid compactification. It is shown that the functional form of such equations resembles the one in the Einstein's case, except by the fact that they bring extra informations in the context of exotic compactifications.Comment: 12 pages, LATEX file, no figures. Accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal

Glycosaminoglycans affect the interaction of human plasma kallikrein with plasminogen, factor XII and inhibitors

Human plasma kallikrein, a serine proteinase, plays a key role in intrinsic blood clotting, in the kallikrein-kinin system, and in fibrinolysis. The proteolytic enzymes involved in these processes are usually controlled by specific inhibitors and may be influenced by several factors including glycosaminoglycans, as recently demonstrated by our group. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of glycosaminoglycans (30 to 250 µg/ml) on kallikrein activity on plasminogen and factor XII and on the inhibition of kallikrein by the plasma proteins C1-inhibitor and antithrombin. Almost all available glycosaminoglycans (heparin, heparan sulfate, bovine and tuna dermatan sulfate, chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfates) reduced (1.2 to 3.0 times) the catalytic efficiency of kallikrein (in a nanomolar range) on the hydrolysis of plasminogen (0.3 to 1.8 µM) and increased (1.9 to 7.7 times) the enzyme efficiency in factor XII (0.1 to 10 µM) activation. On the other hand, heparin, heparan sulfate, and bovine and tuna dermatan sulfate improved (1.2 to 3.4 times) kallikrein inhibition by antithrombin (1.4 µM), while chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfates reduced it (1.3 times). Heparin and heparan sulfate increased (1.4 times) the enzyme inhibition by the C1-inhibitor (150 nM).Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de BioquímicaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de BiofísicaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de BioquímicaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de BiofísicaSciEL

Coleta de dados a partir de imagens: considerações sobre a privacidade dos usuários em redes sociais

Considering the privacy concerns on users’ data in social networks, the role of images on social networks and the images as data sources, this paper aims to identify how data collection from images is treated in Facebook and Instagram. For this, we identify the main methods for data collection from images, the mentions to data collection from images in Facebook and Instagram policies, and the options that are presented to users for setting up the data collection from images. We conclude that the policies analyzed are vague in several points regarding to data collection from images: they do not specify which data are collected and just list items with an illustrative purpose. These findings highlight the need for studies and actions to raise awareness of social networks users about their privacy in data collection.Considerando a privacidade dos dados dos usuários nas redes sociais, o papel das imagens nas redes sociais e as imagens como fontes de dados, objetiva-se identificar como a coleta de dados a partir de imagens é tratada no Facebook e no Instagram. Para isso, são identificados os principais métodos utilizados para a coleta de dados a partir de imagens no Facebook e no Instagram, as menções à coleta de dados a partir das imagens nas políticas dessas redes sociais, e as opções dos usuários para a configuração desta coleta. Conclui-se que as políticas dessas redes sociais se mostram vagas em diversos momentos no que diz respeito à coleta de dados a partir de imagens, sem especificar quais dados são coletados e listando itens apenas com caráter exemplificativo. Essas conclusões ressaltam a necessidade de conscientização dos usuários de redes sociais acerca de sua privacidade durante a coleta de dados

Identification of pathogens and virulence profile of Rhodococcus equi and Escherichia coli strains obtained from sand of parks

The identification of pathogens of viral (Rotavirus, Coronavirus), parasitic (Toxocara spp.) and bacterial (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Rhodococcus equi) origin shed in feces, and the virulence profile of R. equi and E. coli isolates were investigated in 200 samples of sand obtained from 40 parks, located in central region of state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, using different diagnostic methods. From 200 samples analyzed, 23 (11.5%) strains of R. equi were isolated. None of the R. equi isolates showed a virulent (vapA gene) or intermediately virulent (vapB gene) profiles. Sixty-three (31.5%) strains of E. coli were identified. The following genes encoding virulence factors were identified in E. coli: eae, bfp, saa, iucD, papGI, sfa and hly. Phylogenetic classification showed that 63 E. coli isolates belonged to groups B1 (52.4%), A (25.4%) and B2 (22.2%). No E. coli serotype O157:H7 was identified. Eggs of Toxocara sp. were found in three parks and genetic material of bovine Coronavirus was identified in one sample of one park. No Salmonella spp. and Rotavirus isolates were identified in the samples of sand. The presence of R. equi, Toxocara sp, bovine Coronavirus and virulent E. coli isolates in the environment of parks indicates that the sanitary conditions of the sand should be improved in order to reduce the risks of fecal transmission of pathogens of zoonotic potential to humans in these places.485492Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP