Avaliação da produção de sedimento na bacia hidrográfica do rio Potengi através do modelo SWAT

Anthropic disturbances in watersheds, such as inappropriate building development, disorderly land occupation and unplanned land use, may strengthen the sediment yield and the inflow into the estuary, leading to siltation, changes in the reach channel conformation, and ecosystem/water quality problems. Faced with such context, this study aims to assess the applicability of SWAT model to estimate, even in a preliminary way, the sediment yield distribution along the Potengi River watershed, as well as its contribution to the estuary. Furthermore, an assessment of its erosion susceptibility was used for comparison. The susceptibility map was developed by overlaying rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, the slope of the terrain and land cover. In order to overlap these maps, a multi-criteria analysis through AHP method was applied. The SWAT was run using a five year period (1997-2001), considering three different scenarios based on different sorts of human interference: a) agriculture; b) pasture; and c) no interference (background). Results were analyzed in terms of surface runoff, sediment yield and their propagation along each river section, so that it was possible to find that the regions in the extreme west of the watershed and in the downstream portions returned higher values of sediment yield, reaching respectively 2.8 e 5.1 ton/ha.year, whereas central areas, which were less susceptible, returned the lowest values, never more than 0.7 ton/ha.ano. It was also noticed that in the west sub-watersheds, where one can observe the headwaters, sediment yield was naturally forced by high declivity and weak soils. In another hand, results suggest that the eastern part would not contribute to the sediment inflow into the estuary in a significant way, and the larger part of the sediment yield in that place is due to anthropic activities. For the central region, the analysis of sediment propagation indicates deposition predominance in opposition to transport. Thus, it s not expected that isolated rain storms occurring in the upstream river portions would significantly provide the estuary with sediment. Because the model calibration process hasn t been done yet, it becomes essential to emphasize that values presented here as results should not be applied for pratical aims. Even so, this work warns about the risks of a growth in the alteration of natural land cover, mainly in areas closer to the headwaters and in the downstream Potengi River

Tradução, adaptação cultural e propriedades psicométricas da versão brasileira do Short-Form of the Mobility Assessment Tool (MAT-sf)

Objectives: to translate and assess the psychometric properties of the Brazilian short-form of the Mobility Assessment Tool (MAT-sf) in Brazilians community elderly. Methds: the 12 items MAT-sf went through the process of translation and back translation into Portuguese of the Brazil, considering the semantic and cultural adaptation. In a sample of 150 aged 65-74 years living in the community, the instrument's psychometric properties were evaluated by analysis of convergent and construct validity and test-retest reliability. The main outcomes measures used for validation included in the battery of tests of physical ability, self-repor measures of functional limitations, health, depression, cognitive and sex. The test-retest reliability of the instrument was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), 40 subjects were reassessed after an interval of 14 days of assessment. Results: the concurrent validity for the MAT-sf was evidenced by significant correlations with SPPB (r = 0,53), number of functional limitations (r = -0,62) and depressive symptoms (r = -0,45). The construct validity of the instrument was measured by gradual and significant increase of the MAT-sf scores with high levels of physical performance and with positive self-reported health, also found that MAT-sf scores were statistically differents according to sex. The variation in MAT-sf scores (R2 = 0,41) was explained by SPPB, number of limitations for activities of daily life and depressive symptoms. High values for test-retest reliability was evidencend by ICC = 0,94, 95% CI = 0,90 0,97. Conclusions: the Brazilian version of the short-form of the Mobility Assessment Tool has values of validity and reliability to ensure its use in elderly populations living in communities

Proteômica diferencial da Chromobacterium violaceum em resposta ao estresse oxidativo induzido por peróxido de hidrogênio

The β-proteobacterium Chromobacterium violaceum is a Gram-negative, free-living, saprophytic and opportunistic pathogen that inhabits tropical and subtropical ecosystems among them, in soil and water of the Amazon. It has great biotechnological potential, and because of this potential, its genome was completely sequenced in 2003. Genome analysis showed that this bacterium has several genes with functions related to the ability to survive under different kinds of environmental stresses. In order to understand the physiological response of C. violaceum under oxidative stress, we applied the tool of shotgun proteomics. Thus, colonies of C. violaceum ATCC 12472 were grown in the presence and absence of 8 mM H2O2 for two hours, total proteins were extracted from bacteria, subjected to SDS-PAGE, stained and hydrolysed. The tryptic peptides generated were subjected to a linear-liquid chromatography (LC) followed by mass spectrometer (LTQ-XL-Orbitrap) to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. A shotgun proteomics allows to compare directly in complex samples, differential expression of proteins and found that in C. Violaceum, 131 proteins are expressed exclusively in the control condition, 177 proteins began to be expressed under oxidative stress and 1175 proteins have expression in both conditions. The results showed that, under the condition of oxidative stress, this bacterium changes its metabolism by increasing the expression of proteins capable of combating oxidative stress and decreasing the expression of proteins related processes bacterial growth and catabolism (transcription, translation, carbon metabolism and fatty acids). A tool with of proteomics as an approach of integrative biology provided an overview of the metabolic pathways involved in the response of C. violaceum to oxidative stress, as well as significantly amplified understanding physiological response to environmental stress. Biochemical and "in silico" assays with the hypothetical ORF CV_0868 found that this is part of an operon. Phylogenetic analysis of superoxide dismutase, protein belonging to the operon also showed that the gene is duplicated in genome of C. violaceum and the second copy was acquired through a horizontal transfer event. Possibly, not only the SOD gene but also all genes comprising this operon were obtained in the same manner. It was concluded that C. violaceum has complex, efficient and versatile mechanisms in oxidative stress response