Similarity between the in vitro activity and toxicity of two different fungizone™ / lipofundin™ admixtures

Amphotericin B (AmB), an antifungal agent that presents a broad spectrum of activity, remains the gold standard in the antifungal therapy. However, sometimes the high level of toxicity forbids its clinical use. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare the efficacy and toxicity in vitro of Fungizon™ (AmB-D) and two new different AmB formulations. Methods: three products were studied: Fungizon™, and two Fungizon™ /Lipofundin™ admixtures, which were diluted through two methods: in the first one, Fungizon™ was previously diluted with water for injection and then, in Lipofundin™ (AmB-DAL); the second method consisted of a primary dilution of AmB-D as a powder in the referred emulsion (AmB-DL). For the in vitro assay, two cell models were used: Red Blood Cells (RBC) from human donors and Candida tropicallis (Ct). The in vitro evaluation (K+ leakage, hemoglobin leakage and cell survival rate-CSR) was performed at four AmB concentrations (from 50 to 0.05mg.L-1). Results: The results showed that the action of AmB was not only concentration dependent, but also cellular type and vehicle kind dependent. At AmB concentrations of 50 mg.L-1, although the hemoglobin leakage for AmB-D was almost complete (99.51), for AmB-DAL and AmB-DL this value tended to zero. The p = 0.000 showed that AmB-D was significantly more hemolytic. Conclusion: The Fungizon™- Lipofundin™ admixtures seem to be the more valuable AmB carrier systems due to their best therapeutic index presented

Soroepidemiologia da infecção pelo Trypanosoma cruzi na zona rural do semiárido do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Estudo do efeito dos metabólitos do benzeno e tolueno sobre as mitocôndris cerebrais e hepáticas de ratos

Aim: The aim of this work was to investigate the hypothesis that catechol and 3MC inhibit FADH2-linked basal respiration in mitochondria isolated from rat liver and brain homogenates. Moreover, catechol ability to induce DNA damage in rat brain cells through the comet assay (alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay) was also observed. Methods: Two different catechols were evaluated: pirocatechol (derived from benzene) and 3-methylcatechol (derived from toluene); rat liver and brain homogenates were incubated with 1mM catechol at pH 7.4 for up to 30 minutes. After that, mitochondrial fractions were isolated by differential centrifugation. Basal oxygen uptake was measured using a Clark-type electrode after the addition of 10 mM sodium succinate for a period of 12 minutes. In additional experiments, rat brain cells were treated with 1, 5 and 10mM pirocatechol for up to 20 minutes at 37º C, and submitted to electrophoresis. Results: Catechols (pirocatechol and 3methylcatechol) induced a time-dependent partial inhibition of FADH2-linked basal mitochondrial respiration. Indeed, pirocatechol was able to produce a dosedependent DNA oxidative damage in rat brain cells by 2 and 4 injury levels. These results suggest that reactive oxygen species generated by the oxidation of catechols, induced an impairment on mitochondrial respiration and a DNA damage, which might be related to their citotoxicity. Conclusion: Catechols produced an inhibition of basal respiration associated to FADH2 in isolated liver and brain mitochondria; 3-methylcatechol, at the same concentration, produced similar toxicity in the mitochondrial model. Indeed, pirocatechol induced a DNA damage in rat brain cells, mainly observed in comets formation and consequent DNA degradation

Análise das interpretações do governo Evo Morales: o legado histórico e o poder nacional-indígena

This work aims to analyze the interpretations about Evo Morales' government in Bolivia. For such, it proposes a theoretical reclaim of Marxism in Latin America, as well as of Bolivian political history since the 1952 Revolution, going through the crisis in Pacted Democracy intensified in the five-year conjuncture of struggles started in 2000 up to the election and reelection of Morales. It departs from an empirical prior conjecture taken from a qualitative analysis and a broad literature review to analyze the different interpretations of the Bolivian political process from Marxist theoretical matrices. After this historical recovery and this reading of contemporary Bolivia, it concludes with a consideration about the formation of a possible new block of power in the country, with the retaking of nationalism and Indianism as revolutionary reasons

O Trabalho e o labirinto da responsabilidade socioempresarial:a experiência da cidadania empresarial do Banco do Brasil

In the current systemic crisis, economic policy is directed to correct the consequences of the functioning of this metabolism, but within the limits of the capital. From this perspective, decision makers propose trade policies, agricultural and industrial to ensure conditions for economic growth. However, as a dead end, there is failure of the State in giving efficacy to the operation of all segments of the economy, especially given the budget constraint. Public managers are forced to seek external resources, resuming the cycle of political allegiance to the interests of international financial and banking representatives, installed in so-called multilateral. The complex ideological capital comes into play in trying to convince society that the paths taken by governments are inevitable, and that capitalism can be "humanized", even with the realization of the growing inequalities caused by historical irrationalism of the production process of capital . In this sense, emerging concepts that attempt to demonstrate the compatibility of the system to real human needs. This ideological offensive is intended to legitimize the capital. The so-called third sector has a special highlight with the concept of corporate social responsibility. It creates a political environment in which the inevitable mix-up with new illusions offered by and often funding the metabolism of capital in order to perpetuate this system. In this context, political elites, and considerable portions of the academy, embark on "waves of capitalist optimism," while the sociometabolismo capital expands its historical limits, driving forces postponing their collapse, but that cause human suffering and ecological stress. Wars are disseminated to strengthen the deadly war industry and the automobile industry; and devastating the environment of which depends the capital system. In this scenario disassemble, propositions emerge around a "new social pact" in order to minimize the adverse effects of the dynamics of reproduction of capital. The business class is called to exercise its role through the discourse that appeals to social responsibility programs, in order to intervene directly in the "social question". The core of this research is precisely this point. Although there is considerable scholarship on the phenomenon of Social Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship, there is also an evident lack of this approach focused on the banking sector in Brazil. The importance of rentier capital increased ownership of shares in the wealth produced by all of Brazilian society, justifies a sociological research project on Social Responsibility in the domestic financial sector. In this sense, it was decided to perform a dynamic approach to the "Corporate Citizenship" in the banking industry, specifically in the Bank of Brazil. As this is a key institution, is important analyze of the impacts of this strategy fetish of capitalist reproduction, in order to evaluate the social legitimization of rentier capital in Brazil. In this scenario of the abundance of the discourse on social responsibility there exist a progressive impoverishment of professional work in this segment in Brazil. There is a dramatic mismatch between rhetoric and practice because of the trend of deepening vulnerability of the working conditions of the Brazilian bank worker, from the 1990's. In the specific case of the Bank of Brazil, the first initiative of the institution was to conform to the principles of the UNO and the Ethos Institute, aiming to align their domestic policies to this new strategy of domination of capital. The purpose is to place the Bank in the ideological sphere of corporate social responsibility, just as with its partners in the private financial intercapitalist competition. Indeed, in the internal ambit of the Bank of Brazil, there is a policy to adjust its functional segments to the doctrine of Social Corporate Responsibility. The concepts of this doctrine is presented as something inexorable. There are no alternatives. The Bank of Brazil operates in a highly competitive market, the segment featuring the dominance of financial capital accumulation today. For this reason it can not fail to incorporate the technological advances organizational. For employees there is no alternative but to adapt to this new set of ideas proposed by the metabolism of capital

A busca de sintomáticos respiratórios de tuberculose na prática e perspectiva do agente comunitário de saúde nos distritos sanitários de Natal

The objective of this work - which is characterized analyze the search for symptomatic tuberculosis in practice and perspective of the Community Health Agent (ACS) in the districts of Natal. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The study population was 646 professionals, and conducted a probabilistic random sampling, stratified by districts. The data were collected from one instrument to collect data based on Primary Care Assesment Toll (PCAT) and analyzed by descriptive statistics. The sample consisted of ACS was 87% female. Among the study participants 58% completed high school and 120 months of exercise training (95% CI 111.9 to 129.5) on average. 90% were USF. The average follow-up of cases found were 2 cases of TB since the beginning of the career of the ACS and the last three years the average is presented in a case accompanied. The ACS received satisfactory ratings on the bond of trust with the user, so as access to homes in the community. The ACS reported for denying the fear of being positive result was the biggest reason for not performing the sputum. All units have a professional that responds to the Tuberculosis Control Program. Regarding the structural capacity of primary care settings for the diagnosis of TB, we observed satisfactory levels in different districts of pots for sputum collection, however, a point that deserves attention from managers is lack of materials for packaging sputum. Fear of positive result was one of the reasons for the refusal of sputum collection, followed by alcoholism. With regard to TB suspects, all responded that ACS always suspect when the user has TB coughs, but in all districts were noticed at low delivery of requests for applications for smear. BSR in TB control, is characterized in practice as a complex action goes beyond technical expertise and contact with the family that breaks with the Cartesian. The BSR is part of the ACS can perform them from the daily visits. We conclude that the ACS is difficult to achieve. This practice should not be the privilege of this actor, but the entire team of primary care. We must rethink the practices of TB care, seeing the health surveillance while aegis of the working process of primary care teams for early diagnosis and thereby reduce TB in communities

Desenvolvimento de um equipamento para avaliação do desempenho de geomantas

O controle sobre os processos erosivos é uma necessidade constatada em vários segmentos da engenharia. A movimentação de terra necessária para a execução de taludes rodoviários, por exemplo, pode resultar em taludes de corte ou aterro vulneráveis à erosão superficial. Dentre as alternativas tecnológicas para controle de erosão a utilização de geossintéticos se apresenta como uma solução potencial. A referida aplicação encontra-se em amplo desenvolvimento em alguns países como, por exemplo, nos EUA. No Brasil, a especificação de geossintéticos para controle de erosão é limitada pela ausência de caracterização desses produtos e de normas nacionais, sendo a única fonte técnica de informação, os catálogos dos fabricantes. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho é construir um equipamento e desenvolver métodos de ensaio para caracterização e avaliação de geossintéticos utilizados no controle de erosão superficial, com base na ASTM D7101. Além de um simulador de chuvas, o equipamento é composto por uma bancada de testes formada por: rampa de escoamento, mesa de suporte e núcleos de solo. Utilizando a bancada construída, foram realizados ensaios para avaliar o funcionamento do equipamento e o desempenho de uma geomanta na redução da taxa de erosão superficial. Os ensaios foram realizados com intensidades de precipitação de 100 ± 4mm/h e 150 ± 4mm/h, durante 30 minutos, com intervalo de leitura de 5 minutos. Os resultados obtidos nos ensaios sem a presença da geomanta mostraram uma perda de solo acentuada durante as chuvas simuladas, com uma iv tendência de crescimento linear da perda de solo acumulada em função do tempo de ensaio. Nos ensaios realizados com a presença da geomanta observou-se a ação de proteção do geossintético com uma redução da ordem de 90% da perda de solo acumulada para todas as intensidades de chuvas utilizadas

A Produção do Flagelo : a re-produção do espaço social da seca na cidade de Mossoró (1877-1903-1915)

The great droughts re- produced spaces in the city of Mossoró / RN in the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. Its dimension exceeds the climatic effects becoming social locus when advances over the political and economic sectors, social and cultural of the North / Northeast Brazilian societies during that period. This way, analyzing the re-production of social space in episodes of Mossoró‟s droughts is our toil. So try to reveal each segment, route and aspect of production of space in its size and interface between the perceived, conceived and lived, and subjects related to it - refugees, population and authorities - during the droughts of 1877, 1903 and 1915 within Mossoró city. Therefore, issues such as the constitution and representation of the city and social space in the terrifying experience of the drought of 1877, the production of fixed objects and flows of the urban web through of migrant labor, attempts to control, discipline and spatial planning and ways to resistance to these charges in daily sphere are key issues addressed in this work. For this we use diverse sources as minutes of the city council, reports from provincial presidents, media, memory books and others that sustain us in building our narrative and problematic. This way, the spatial production of Mossoró‟s droughts reveals itself in the field of relations and political-economic transformations and sociocultural, inextricably, that shapes and mobilizes your own social space

A contextualização e a interdisplinaridade no ensino de Química: uma analise de livros didáticos ACIDO-BASE e das propostas pedagógicas realizadas pelos docentes diante da temática

Nowadays, chemistry contents taught in high school continue to be presented in a fragmented and decontextualized manner by the teachers and the textbooks. Even though it is known that contextualization and interdisciplinary exchange play an important role in the process of Chemistry teaching/learning. Therefore, the present study aims at enlightening the importance of these methodological foundations in the learning of chemistry. The data acquisition about the subject Contextualization and Interdisciplinary Exchange involved in Chemistry Teaching was developed through bibliographical researches on chemistry textbooks, which focused on the analysis of the topics acid and base , since it is a theme studied throughout all three years of high school. The present study also developed questionnaires which were applied to analyze to what extent chemistry teachers are working in a contextualized and interdisciplinary manner throughout the process of Chemistry teaching/learning. The results obtained in the researches show that a contextualized and interdisciplinary teaching contributes to a more meaningful acquisition of chemistry knowledge, in a dynamic and interactive way, but there are still many roadblocks towards the achievement of this kind of Chemistry teaching/learning process

Controlador adaptativo backstepping a estrutura variável

Neste trabalho, um controlador adaptativo backstepping a estrutura variável (Variable Structure Adaptive Backstepping Controller, VS-ABC) é apresentado para plantas monovariáveis, lineares e invariantes no tempo com grau relativo unitário. Ao invés das tradicionais leis integrais para estimação dos parâmetros da planta, leis chaveadas são utilizadas com o objetivo de aumentar a robustez em relação a incertezas paramétricas e distúrbios externos, bem como melhorar o desempenho transitório do sistema. Adicionalmente, o projeto do novo controlador é mais intuitivo quando comparado ao controlador backstepping original, uma vez que os relés introduzidos apresentam amplitudes diretamente relacionadas com os parâmetros nominais da planta. Esta nova abordagem, com uso de estrutura variável, também reduz a complexidade das implementações práticas, motivando a utilização de componentes industriais, tais como, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays ), MCUs (Microcontrollers) e DSPs (Digital Signal Processors). Simulações preliminares para um sistema instável de primeira e segunda ordem são apresentadas de modo a corroborar os estudos. Um dos exemplos de Rohrs é ainda abordado através de simulações, para os dois cenários adaptativos: o controlador backstepping adaptativo original e o VS-ABC

Integrais de linha intervalares: fundamentos e aplicações

A necessidade de uma precisão e de uma aproximação dos resultados numéricos zeram com que diversas teorias surgissem: dentre elas, destacamos a Matemática Intervalar. A Matemática Intervalar surgiu na década de 60 com os trabalhos de pesquisa de Moore (MOORE, 1959) , em que ele propôs trabalhar com uma Matemática baseada na noção de intervalo real e não mais com um número como aproximação. Com isso, surgiu a necessidade de revisitar e reformular os conceitos e resultados da Matemática Clássica utilizando como base a noção de intervalo de Moore. Uma das áreas da Matem ática Clássica que tem tido muitas aplicações em engenharias e ciências é a Análises Numérica, onde um dos seus pilares é o Cálculo Integral e em particular as integrais de linha. Assim, é muito desejável se ter um cálculo integral dentro da própria Matemática Intervalar. No presente trabalho apresenta-se uma noção de Integral de Linha Intervalar baseada na extensão de integração proposta por Bedregal em (BEDREGAL; BEDREGAL, 2010). Para a fundamentação apresenta-se incialmente uma introdução sobre a pespectiva em que o trabalho foi realizado, considerando alguns aspectos histórico-evolutivos da Matemática Clássica. Os conceitos de Integrais de Linha Clássica, bem como algumas das suas aplicações mais importantes. Alguns conceitos de Matemática Intervalar necessários para o entendimento do trabalho. Para nalizar propomos uma aplicação da integral de linha em um experimênto clássico da mecânica quântica (a difração de um elétron em uma fenda) que graças ao fato de ser a Matemática Intervalar utilizada, nos dá um foco mais detalhado e mais próximo da realidade