Álcool e comportamento: efeitos na aprendizagem e memória

Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for many harmful effects on individuals and society. Despite years of research, the mechanisms by which alcohol affects neurological functions and the exact causes of cognitive impairment related to long-term use are unknown. In this sense, this master study proposed to observe how different doses of alcohol affect the addiction response and the learning ability of two fish species: Betta splendens and Danio rerio, the latter a commonly model due to organizational and functional characteristics shared with mammals. For this, different concentrations of ethanol (0%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 1% and 1.5%) were used in acute, chronic and withdrawal treatments. We tested the fish in three experimental protocols: 1) alcohol addiction potential using conditioned place preference, 2) associative conditioning using light as unconditioned stimulus and food as conditioned stimulus and 3) spatial learning using a maze without cues. For the alcohol addiction potential, preference between two different places in a shuttle box was tested before and after alcohol exposure (chronic and acute). In this test, the animals intoxicated by 0.1% did not change behavior, while animals receiving 1% and 1.5% alcohol changed the initial preference to the side where they received alcohol For the associative conditioning, the results show that the groups undergoing low dose (0.1%), both in chronic and withdrawal treatment, learned the task faster than control; groups under 0.25 and 1% alcohol withdrawal learned the task after control; groups chronically intoxicated with these doses did not learn the task. For the spatial learning test, fish submitted to acute and chronic treatments decreased the time to exit the maze; there were significant differences in the animal s performance in a dose-dependent pattern. This difference was not observed for the withdrawal treatment. Given these results, we conclude that the effects of alcohol on learning are dependent on the dosage. Furthermore, low doses of alcohol seem to maximize animal performance on learning tasks and do not alter their seeking behavior, while higher doses induced addition and hinder learning

Padrão de atividades do sagüi callithrix jacchus numa área de caatinga

Callithrix jacchus, as the other species in the family Callitrichidae, lives in social groups. The groups cam be found in different habitats, whose distinct floristic physiognomies and communities are intrinsically related to their behavioral ecology and social relations. Our objective was to describe the social relations and feeding behavior of Callithrix jacchus in the Bioma Caatinga. We observed a group at the FLONA (National Forest IBAMA), in Açu-RN, in northeastern Brazil, compose of five adults (2 females and 3 males) at the beginning of the study. The birth of five animals was registered along the study. The following behavioral categories were registered along eleven months, once a week, through instantaneous focal animal sampling: social grooming, contact, proximity, foraging, feeding, locomotion and rest. Foraging presented the highest levels comparing to other activities, and was more frequent in the dry season. Social grooming was the second more frequent activity, with higher levels in the rainy season, and between the reproductive couple. We found similar results for proximity. The most explored feeding item was the gum, specially in the rainy season. The most explored species for exudates feeding were Cirus limon (limão) and Pitecolobiun foliolosum (jurema branca). The comparision of fruit and insect ingestion between the seasons showed higher percentage for both in the dry season. The general activity pattern was similar to what is registeded in groups the inhabit the Atlantic Forest. These results indicate the flexibility of the species which survives and reproduces in such physically and biologically different environments

Investigação da capacidade intelectiva de pacientes pediátricos diagnosticados com tumores de fossa posterior

Central Nervous System are the most common pediatric solid tumors. 60% of these tumors arise in posterior fossa, mainly in cerebellum. The first therapeutic approach is surgical resection. Malignant tumors require additional strategies - chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The increasing survival evidences that childhood brain tumors result in academic and social difficulties that compromise the quality of life of the patients. This study investigated the intellectual functioning of children between 7 to 15 years diagnosed with posterior fossa tumors and treated at CEHOPE - Recife / PE. 21 children were eligible - including 13 children with pilocytic astrocytoma (G1) who underwent only surgery resection, and eight children with medulloblastoma (G2) - submitted to surgical resection, chemotherapy and craniospinal radiotherapy. Participants were evaluated by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - WISC-III. Children of G1 scored better than children of G2. Inferential tools (Mann-Whitney Ü Test) identified significant diferences (p ≤ 0.05) between the Performance IQ (PIQ) and Processing Speed Index (PSI) as a function of treatment modality; Full Scale IQ (FSIQ), PIQ and PSI as a function of parental educational level; PIQ, FSIQ, IVP and Freedom from Distractibility (FDI) as a function of time between diagnosis and evaluation. These results showed the late and progressive impact of radiotherapy on white matter and information processing speed. Furthermore, children whose parents have higher educational level showed better intellectual performance, indicating the influence of xxii socio-cultural variables on cognitive development. The impact of cancer and its treatment on cognitive development and learning should not be underestimated. These results support the need to increase the understanding of such effects in order to propose therapeutic strategies which ensure that, in addition to the cure, the full development of children with this pathology

Estudo do comportamento térmico e da luminescência de filmes de quitosana com os íons Eu3+ e Tb3+

Films of chitosan with trivalent lanthanides ions Eu3+ and Tb3+ were respectively prepared in the ratio of 3:1 m/m (chitosan: lanthanide) and 6:1 m/m (chitosan: lanthanide). There were no formations of films in a ratio of 1:1 m/m (chitosan: lanthanides). The films of chitosan with the Tb3+ ion have the same transparent appearance than the pure chitosan films. The film of chitosan with Eu3+ ion has a muddy appearance. These films present good resistance to tear. The appearance of the compounds prepared in ratio 1:1m/m is a white powder. The films and compounds of chitosan were characterized by Elementary Analysis (CHN), Thermal Analysis (TG/DTG) and Spectroscopy of Luminescence. The CHN analysis was made only for compounds prepared in ratio 1:1m/m, suggesting that these compounds possess the formula QUILn.6H2O, where QUI = Chitosan and Ln = Lanthanide. The results of the curves TG/DTG indicated that there are strong interactions between Eu3+ or Tb3+ and chitosan, causing a lesser lost of mass in the films. The luminescence analysis showed that the films of chitosan with the ions Eu3+ and Tb3+ present emissions in the region of the visible one, with bands of the chitosan and of the Eu3+ ion. The luminescence analysis of the compounds of chitosan with the Eu3+ and Tb3+ ions suggest that the chitosan does not transfer into energy to the ions lanthanides, however the chemical neighborhood around of the ion lanthanides breaks the selection rules and, conseqüently the 4f-4f transitions of the lanthanide ions are observed

Prevalência de incontinência urinária e fatores associados em idosos institucionalizados

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a geriatric syndrome that is especially prevalent in institutionalized individuals, and that causes economic and social impacts derived from treatment costs and overload of caregiver. UI also entails physical consequences to the health of the elderly, such as urinary tract infections or pressure ulcers, among other health problems. However, the existing national research on this condition is still scarce and comprises serious methodological biases. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence and associated factors in institutionalized elderly. A cross-sectional study is presented herein, conducted between October and December, 2013 and carried out in 10 nursing homes in the city of Natal (Northeast Brazil). UI was verified through the program Minimum Data Set version 3.0, which was also used to assess fecal incontinence, urinary devices and UI control programs. Data collection included sociodemographic information, UI characterization, as well as variables related to the institution itself and to health conditions (comorbidities, medication, pelvic floor surgery, Barthel Index for functional capacity and Pfeiffer test for cognitive status). Bivariate analysis was performed using the Chi-Square Test (or Fisher‟s Exact Test) and the Linear Chi-Square Test, calculating the prevalence ratio with 95% confidence interval. Variables with p value under 0.20 were included in the multivariate analysis, which was performed using the Stepwise Forward logistic regression. The inclusion of variables in the final model depended on the likelihood ratio test, absence of multicollinearity and on the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. A statistical significance level of 0.05 was considered. Six (1.8%) hospitalized elderly, one individual in palliative care (0.3%) and one (0.3%) individual under the age of 60 were excluded from the study. The final sample consisted of 321 elderly, mostly females, with a mean age of 81.5 years. The prevalence of UI was 59.43% and the final model revealed statistically a significant association between UI and white race, physical inactivity, stroke, mobility constraints and cognitive decline. The most frequent UI type was functional UI due to physical or cognitive disability, and incontinence control measures were applied only to a minority of residents (approximately 8%). It is concluded that UI is a health issue that affects more than half of the institutionalized elderly, and is associated with white race, physical inactivity, stroke and other geriatric syndromes such as immobility and cognitive disability. Most of these associated factors are modifiable and therefore the findings of this study highlight the importance of UI prevention and treatment in nursing homes, which include general measures, such as physical and psychosocial activities, and specific measures, such as prompted voiding

Estudo da dinâmica costeira da região da foz do rio Piranhas-Açu para geração de mapas de sensibilidade do litoral ao derramamento de óleo

The study area is located in the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte State comprising the mouth of Açu-Piranhas river including the cities of Porto do Mangue e Areia Branca. The local geological setting comprises Cretaceous, Tertiary and Quaternary geological units of the Potiguar Basin. One is about a region of high morphologic instability due to action of the rigorous dynamic coastal processes, beyond the intense human activities mainly for the performance of the petroliferous industry, salt farms and tanks of shrimp industry.For the accomplishment of this work Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM + from four distinct dates were used as cartographic base, in which one applied techniques of digital processing to elaborate thematic maps of the existing natural resources to support the geologic and geomorphologic characterization and the soil and landuse maps. The strategy applied was the interpretation of multitemporal images from aerial and orbital remote sensors alIied to the terrain truth recognition, integrated through a Geographic Information System. These activities had alIowed the production of Sensitivity Maps of the Coast to Oil Spilling for the area, on the basis of the Coastal Sensibility Index. Taking into account the seasons were created maps to distinct datas: July 2003 represents the winter months that presented a sensibility lower when compared with the month of December 2003. For the summer months greater sensitivity is due to the hydrodynamic data that suggest a lesser capacity of natural cleanness of the oil and its derivatives in spilling case.These outcomes are an important and useful database to support an assessment to a risk situation and to taking decision in the face of an environmental disaster with oil spilling in coastal area, alIowing a complete visualization of the area and identifying all portions in the area with thei environmental units and respective Coastal Sensibility Index.