Effect of sildenafil in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

To evaluate the effect of sildenafil, administered prior to renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), by scintigraphy and histopathological evaluation in rats. Methods: Twenty-four rats were divided randomly into two groups. They received 0.1 ml of 99mTechnetium-etilenodicisteine intravenous, and a baseline (initial) renal scintigraphy was performed. The rats underwent 60 minutes of ischemia by left renal artery clamping. The right kidney was not manipulated. The sildenafil group (n=12) received orally 1 mg/kg of sildenafil suspension 60 minutes before ischemia. Treatment with saline 0.9% in the control group (n=12). Half of the rats was assessed after 24 hours and half after seven days I/R, with new renal scintigraphy to study differential function. After euthanasia, kidneys were removed and subjected to histopathological examination. For statistical evaluation, Student t and Mann-Whitney tests were used. Results: In the control group rats, the left kidneys had significant functional deficit, seven days after I/R, whose scintigraphic pattern was consistent with acute tubular necrosis, compared with the initial scintigraphy (p<0.05). Sildenafil treatment resulted in better differential function of the left kidneys 24h after reperfusion, compared with controls. Histopathologically, the left kidney of control rats (24 hours after I/R) showed a higher degree of cellular necrosis when compared with the sildenafil treated rats (p<0.05). Conclusion: Sildenafil had a protective effect in rat kidneys subjected to normothermic I/R, demonstrated by scintigraphy and histomorphometry

Proteção constitucional do trabalhador portador de incapacidade laboral

Social security has constitutional protection and encompasses health policies, social security and welfare, which are explicitly recognized as a fundamental social right. When workers suffering from work disability are unable to earn income with your work force to support themselves and their families. The State, through the public welfare, contributory and compulsory, has a duty to protect workers in times of misfortune, replacing these income through the provision of social security benefits. Disability the employee has a higher degree of vulnerability, and the granting of disability claims a right sensitive, which can‟t suffer postponements, lest cause legal uncertainty and violating the dignity of the human person. There isn‟t legal definition of disability. The main purpose of the study is the constitutional protection of the worker carrying work disability, seeking to highlight the factors affecting work disability and proposing the use of objective criteria for the grant of social security benefits, because the criteria used are purely medical, based the subjectivity and agency of medical assessor, which hinders the judicial and administrative control of the State. At the time of preparing the expert report, the expert should not consider only tangible aspects, but also social and environmental issues, which contribute to the inability to work and therefore should be considered in granting social security benefits. The granting of social security benefits for incapacity for work is intended to prevent or lessen the impact of individual and social risks in relation to the worker incapacitated, ensuring that the constitutional protection to be effective. The presumed inability, the institute reversing the burden of proof and free conviction motivated are important tools for resolving conflicts between the insured and welfare, finding basis in the insured`s vulnerability, sensitivity and little reliance right at issue in relation to the employee social pension

SINAES: as diferentes faces da avaliação na UFRN

This thesis entitled SINAES: the different faces of the evaluation at UFRN, aims to analyze the configuration that the national policy for assessment in higher education has taken on UFRN. We assume that in recent years there are an oscillation between the concepts of evaluation, according with the logic of public administration it has preferred an approach that presents itself as a promoter of quality, sometimes with regulatory aspects, sometimes with educational ones. The text discusses the use of the new assessment tools for higher education placing them under the new demands on state reform context in which this is to promote and measure quality based on the values of excellence and competitiveness. This movement arises from the redefinition of the role of the State that has been taking features of Evaluator State. From a historical review of government initiatives in the field of evaluation, we analyze the characteristics of assessment policies outlined over the past decades. We are based on the theoretical method that aims to examine the multiple determinants that shape a particular reality from the larger movement of totality. To identify, in this case, connections and ruptures that have emerged over the history of assessment policies aimed at higher education by checking their determinants in order to better explain the reality. To investigate the object of this study we used as instruments: the research literature and research documents, the semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation. The study revealed that there are different practices of evaluation and that before to establishment the SINAES program, the UFRN already had a culture of an institutional assessment, more participatory and democratic, opposing to the rigidity of the self-assessment in SINAES program that it was instituted by the Commission for assessment (CPA). We also noticed that the implementation of the SINAES at URFN has been performed very slowly and the breadth and complexity of the evaluation process has contributed to hinder its implementation in all dimensions provided by MEC. Although it was observed that in its operationalization the SINAES has assumed a more normative assessment and directed to establish rankings between courses and higher education schools than to establish a more qualitative assessment in this system. As regards the evaluation of the undergraduate course studied on this research and subjected to the three dimensions of evaluation proposed by SINAES (self-assessment, Evaluation of Courses and ENADE) it was not possible to verify an effective integration between the methods of assessing conducted. The results are considered separately, in only a partial view of the course evaluated the proposal what pits the SINAES as a system that involves the totality

Uma modelagem de indicadores de desempenho para instituições de ensino superior no Brasil na abordagem do balanced scorecard: um estudo com instituições privadas

This Master of Science Thesis deals with a BSC modeling for higher education institution focusing on private institution in the Brazilian context. It‟s accomplished a literature review in order to understand the BSC and its application to for profit and non for profit organizations and as a main result it is proposed a BSC conceptual model with a new perspective (Government) and a change in the hierarchy of the main BSC perspective equaling financial to customer/society. Taking the national higher education assessment system of Education Ministry indicators a model is deployed and the relations between the indicators are measured with the Pearson correlation coefficient. As a result a model emerges with sound relations of indicators but a improvement in the financial indicators is needed

Estrutura genética de Chromis multilineata (Guichenot, 1853) (Perciformes Pomacentridae) na costa NE do Brasil e ilhas oceânicas: evidências de um passado evolutivo instável.

The fauna of Brazilian reef fishes comprises approximately 320 species distributed along the coast of the mainland and islands ocean. Little is known about the levels of connectivity between their populations, but has been given the interest in the relations between the offshore and the islands of the Brazil, in a biogeographical perspective. The oceanic islands Brazilian hosting a considerable number of endemic species, which are locally abundant, and divide a substantial portion of its reef fish fauna with the Western Atlantic. Among the richest families of reef fish in species are Pomacentridae. This study analyzed through analysis of sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop), the standards-breeding population of C. Multilineata in different areas of the NE coast of Brazil, involving both oceanic islands (Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and of St. Peter and St. Paul) and continental shelf (RN and BA). To this aim, partial sequences were used in the region HVR1 of mtDNA (312pb). The population structure and parameters for the estimates of genetic variability, molecular variance (AMOVA), estimation of the index for fixing (FST) and number of migrants were determined. The phylogenetic relationships between the populations were estimated using neighbor-joining (NJ) method. A group of Bayesian analysis was used to verify population structure, according to haplotype frequency of each individual. The genetic variability of populations was extremely high. The populations sampled show moderate genetic structure, with a higher degree of genetic divergence being observed for the sample of the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul. At smaller geographical scale, the sample of Rio Grande do Norte and the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha do not have genetic differentiation. Three moderately differentiated population groups were identified: a population group (I), formed by the Rio Grande do Norte (I') and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (I''), and two other different groups formed by the island population of the archipelago of Saint Peter and St. Paul (II) and Bahia (III). The genetic patterns found suggest that the species has suffered a relatively recent radiation favoring the absence of shared haplotypes. C. multilineata seems to constitute a relatively homogenous population along the West Atlantic coast, with evidence of a moderate population genetic structure in relation to the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul. These data supports the importance of the dispersal larvae by marine current and the interpopulation similarity this species.

Expressão imuno-histoquímica das proteínas MMP-9, VEGF e FVW em lesões centrais e periféricas de células gigantes

Central giant cell lesion (CGCL) and peripheral giant cell lesion (PGCL) of the jaws have a distinct clinical behavior, although they share histopathologic features. It is still unclear whether these clinical differences are supported by a distinct pattern of immunoexpression of markers for multinucleated giant cells (GC) and mononuclear cells (MC). The purpose of this study was to compare the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF, MMP-9 in CG and MC and measure the vascularization by vWF to check whether there are differences in expression of these biomarkers between CGCL and PGCL. Paraffin wax blocks of 20 cases of LCCG and 20 LPCG were retrieved. MMP-9 immunoreactivity was greater in the CM of PGCL compared to VEGF (p<0.05). VEGF expression was greater in the CM of CGCL compared to PGCL (p<0.05) and it was greater in the overall expression of CGCL compared to PGCL (p<0.05). Vascularity was quantified by microvascular counting (MVC). MVC was greater in the PGCL compared CGCL (p<0.05). MMP-9 showed a greater tendency of expression in CGCL, though was not significant (p>0.05). We tested correlation between the proteins studied in each group and found a significant negative correlation between VEGF and vWF in CGCL (p<0.05). These results suggest that there are differences in the expression of VEGF in CM and overall expression between the lesions, although no statistically significant difference in the overall expression of the MMP-9. Then, there was a trend in increased expression of MMP-9 and VEGF in CGCL, possibly by the involvement of both proteins in osteoclastogenesis. Additionally, the results of this study indicate a higher degree of vascularization in PGCL compared to CGCL, fact that can be directly linked to the reactive nature of the PGCL, where the inflammatory process with its rich angiogenesis contributes significantly to these findings.

Reflexões sobre a formação clínica fenomenológico-existencial na era da técnica

Phenomenology is the focus of this study for its critique of the limits of positivist science, which guides most of the fields of study including Psychology. The clinical formation process in Psychology courses is especially difficult for students-interns who adopt phenomenology as their clinical framework. Such difficulty is due to the incompatibility between theory provided in Psychology courses a science traditionally based on paradigms of scientism , and the theoretical-methodological proposal adopted by the aforementioned approach. As a backdrop for our study, we carefully examined the thought of philosopher Martin Heidegger, especially the Era of Technique. This contemporary technicism society was studied so that we could understand the socio-cultural status where this formation lies. Thus, we questioned if this panorama upon which Clinical Psychology rests favors the development of a phenomenological attitude and a special look at the meanings of existence, as defined in phenomenological clinical practice. Knowing such limits, our research aimed at understanding the experience of formation of clinical psychologists who take part in internships in the field of phenomenology-existentialism. Such study was, then, a phenomenological-hermeneutic research based on Heideggerian ontology and used a semi-structured interview as access tool. Six students of the UFRN higher-degree Psychology course who were doing their supervised internship in clinical psychology and the referred approach took part in this research. The research revealed that the phenomenological-existential formation phase opens a door to discoveries on the part of the intern that transcend the dimension of the other, for they show a self disclosure while a person in the word. Despite the initial discomforts caused by the course curriculum itself and by the freedom for clinical practice, so characteristic of phenomenology, the narratives demonstrate that such difficulties may start a process of search for new meanings, which show a search for sharpening their practices and for a path in balance with the existence of the other

Micropartículas contendo nanopartículas de quitosana usando sulfato e genipina para liberação modificada da triancinolona: obtenção, caracterização e estudo em células tumorais

Chitosan is a polymer biocompatibility and biodegradability widely used in drug delivery systems. The co-crosslinking of chitosan with sodium sulfate and genipin, to form particulate systems is related of making them more resistant to acidic pH and to modulate the release kinetics for the oral route. Triamcinolone is a glucocorticoid with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions. The nanoparticles were prepared by co-crosslinking and characterized for particle size, PDI, zeta potential, crosslinking degree, encapsulation rate, morphology, infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, release kinetics and cells studies. The nanoparticles were prepared initially without genipin with sodium sulphate and the particles parameters were monitored in function of different ratio of drug / polymer, different concentrations of sodium sulfate and polysorbate 80 and the drip mode of crosslinkers on polymers. After optimizing conditions, the chosen system parameters without genipin included mean diameter of 312.20 ± 5.70 nm, PDI 0.342 ± 0.013 and zeta potential of 20.18 ± 2.28 mV. The genipin was introduced into the system analyzing different concentrations (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mM) and crosslinking times (3, 6, 12 and 24 h). Evaluating crosslinking time with genipin (0.5 mM) it was showed that varying the genipin reaction time the systems size ranged from 235.1 to 334.4 nm, the PDI from 0.321 to 0.392 and zeta potential 20.92 to 30.39 mV. The crosslinking degree that coud vary from 14 to 30 %. Nanoparticles without genipina, 6 h and 24 h crosslinking time were dried by spray-drying method. Analysis by scanning electron micrograph (SEM) revealed that the microparticles showed spherical morphology. The encapsulation rate was 75 ± 2.3 % using validated HPLC methodology. The infrared analysis showed chemical interactions between the components of the formulation. Thermal analysis showed that systems with a higher degree of crosslinking had a higher thermal stability. On release kinetics, increasing the degree of crosslinking was able to decrease the concentration and rate of release of triamcinolone. In studies with liver cancer cells (HepG2) and colon (HT-29), the microparticulate prepared with triamcinolone and 24 h of crosslinking with genipin showed a potential for antitumor activity in hepatic cell line HepG2. Therefore, a new delivery system for triamcinolone on polymeric nanoparticles of chitosan cocrosslinked with genipin and sodium sulfate was obtained with hepatic antitumor potential.

Vernaculares: a casa de fazenda seridoense do século XIX como exemplo de adaptação ao clima semiárido

The farm’s rural dwellings of creation from the Seridó Potiguar microregion, built in the nineteenth century, became a reference by its vernacular character, i.e. these buildings, besides having recognized relevance to the identity of the region, they are adapted to the conditions of the place in many aspects (economic, cultural, construction, physical, et.) and consist in protective spaces in relation to hostile characteristics of Seridó’s climate. Considering the above premise, the following question arises: What characteristics of the nineteenth century Seridó Potiguar’s cattle farms are crucial for them to be a protective space in relation to the semiarid climate? In order to answer the question, this research aim to identify which particularities of the Seridó’s farmhouses that contribute to adaptability in these buildings to semiarid climate, as protection environments; and contribute to the stock valuation of the architectural heritage concerned. Therefore, procedures were adopted divided into two stages. Were first identified the recurring characteristics in the studied buildings, through typological study performed from existing inventories (DINIZ, 2008; FEIJÓ, 2002; IPHAN, 2012). To define the type it worked up with the concept that merges Durand’s analytical typology that identifies the similarities and differences to classify buildings, having the character of historical survey and architectural documentation, with the definition proposed by Argan (1963) that the type is not defined a priory, but the deduction from a number of illustrative cases which have formal and functional similarity with each other. Then worked up in a sample of five different types with each other, defined by the possibility of access to the interior of the houses, proximity to other copies, good state of conservation and preservation. The contemplated farms were: Pitombeiras, Agenus e Garrotes in Acari’s town, and the municipality of Caicó, Palma and Penedo. The second stage consists of the architectural survey, photographic record, digital three-dimensional modeling (aiming to expand the existing documentation and registration) and thermal monitoring over approximately a representative day in five farmhouses, relating the thermal performance of the houses with their individual characteristics. The selected variables for analysis monitoring are based on the thermal comfort adaptive model (SPAGNOLO and DE DEAR, 2003 apud NEGREIROS, 2010). The characteristics of the houses were analyzed as meeting the passive thermal conditioning strategies recommended by NBR 15220 (ABNT, 2005), for the bioclimatic zone 7 where the municipalities of Caicó and Acari are located. The house’s analysis of the operating temperatures revealed that 90% of the times of day the environments are within the comfort range. The farmhouses, which had a higher degree of compliance with recommended bioclimatic strategies, had the best thermal performance. In environments (usually the kitchen and rooms with low ceiling heights, exposed to west radiation) which still had discomfort hours, the thermal comfort can be reached with air movement approximately 1,0 m/s.

Vernaculares: a casa de fazenda seridoense do século XIX como exemplo de adaptação ao clima semiárido

The farm’s rural dwellings of creation from the Seridó Potiguar microregion, built in the nineteenth century, became a reference by its vernacular character, i.e. these buildings, besides having recognized relevance to the identity of the region, they are adapted to the conditions of the place in many aspects (economic, cultural, construction, physical, et.) and consist in protective spaces in relation to hostile characteristics of Seridó’s climate. Considering the above premise, the following question arises: What characteristics of the nineteenth century Seridó Potiguar’s cattle farms are crucial for them to be a protective space in relation to the semiarid climate? In order to answer the question, this research aim to identify which particularities of the Seridó’s farmhouses that contribute to adaptability in these buildings to semiarid climate, as protection environments; and contribute to the stock valuation of the architectural heritage concerned. Therefore, procedures were adopted divided into two stages. Were first identified the recurring characteristics in the studied buildings, through typological study performed from existing inventories (DINIZ, 2008; FEIJÓ, 2002; IPHAN, 2012). To define the type it worked up with the concept that merges Durand’s analytical typology that identifies the similarities and differences to classify buildings, having the character of historical survey and architectural documentation, with the definition proposed by Argan (1963) that the type is not defined a priory, but the deduction from a number of illustrative cases which have formal and functional similarity with each other. Then worked up in a sample of five different types with each other, defined by the possibility of access to the interior of the houses, proximity to other copies, good state of conservation and preservation. The contemplated farms were: Pitombeiras, Agenus e Garrotes in Acari’s town, and the municipality of Caicó, Palma and Penedo. The second stage consists of the architectural survey, photographic record, digital three-dimensional modeling (aiming to expand the existing documentation and registration) and thermal monitoring over approximately a representative day in five farmhouses, relating the thermal performance of the houses with their individual characteristics. The selected variables for analysis monitoring are based on the thermal comfort adaptive model (SPAGNOLO and DE DEAR, 2003 apud NEGREIROS, 2010). The characteristics of the houses were analyzed as meeting the passive thermal conditioning strategies recommended by NBR 15220 (ABNT, 2005), for the bioclimatic zone 7 where the municipalities of Caicó and Acari are located. The house’s analysis of the operating temperatures revealed that 90% of the times of day the environments are within the comfort range. The farmhouses, which had a higher degree of compliance with recommended bioclimatic strategies, had the best thermal performance. In environments (usually the kitchen and rooms with low ceiling heights, exposed to west radiation) which still had discomfort hours, the thermal comfort can be reached with air movement approximately 1,0 m/s.

Effect of sildenafil in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

To evaluate the effect of sildenafil, administered prior to renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), by scintigraphy and histopathological evaluation in rats. Methods: Twenty-four rats were divided randomly into two groups. They received 0.1 ml of 99mTechnetium-etilenodicisteine intravenous, and a baseline (initial) renal scintigraphy was performed. The rats underwent 60 minutes of ischemia by left renal artery clamping. The right kidney was not manipulated. The sildenafil group (n=12) received orally 1 mg/kg of sildenafil suspension 60 minutes before ischemia. Treatment with saline 0.9% in the control group (n=12). Half of the rats was assessed after 24 hours and half after seven days I/R, with new renal scintigraphy to study differential function. After euthanasia, kidneys were removed and subjected to histopathological examination. For statistical evaluation, Student t and Mann-Whitney tests were used. Results: In the control group rats, the left kidneys had significant functional deficit, seven days after I/R, whose scintigraphic pattern was consistent with acute tubular necrosis, compared with the initial scintigraphy (p<0.05). Sildenafil treatment resulted in better differential function of the left kidneys 24h after reperfusion, compared with controls. Histopathologically, the left kidney of control rats (24 hours after I/R) showed a higher degree of cellular necrosis when compared with the sildenafil treated rats (p<0.05). Conclusion: Sildenafil had a protective effect in rat kidneys subjected to normothermic I/R, demonstrated by scintigraphy and histomorphometry

Contested dominance modifies the anovulatory consequences of social subordination in female marmosets

Dominance status among female marmosets is reflected in agonistic behavior and ovarian function. Socially dominant females receive submissive behavior from subordinates, while exhibiting normal ovulatory function. Subordinate females, however, receive agonistic behavior from dominants, while exhibiting reduced or absent ovulatory function. Such disparity in female fertility is not absolute, and groups with two breeding females have been described. The data reported here were obtained from 8 female-female pairs of captive female marmosets, each housed with a single unrelated male. Pairs were classified into two groups: “uncontested” dominance (UD) and “contested” dominance (CD), with 4 pairs each. Dominant females in UD pairs showed significantly higher frequencies (4.1) of agonism (piloerection, attack and chasing) than their subordinates (0.36), and agonistic behaviors were overall more frequently displayed by CD than by UD pairs. Subordinates in CD pairs exhibited more agonistic behavior (2.9) than subordinates in UD pairs (0.36), which displayed significantly more submissive (6.97) behaviors than their dominants (0.35). The data suggest that there is more than one kind of dominance relationship between female common marmosets. Assessment of progesterone levels showed that while subordinates in UD pairs appeared to be anovulatory, the degree of ovulatory disruption in subordinates of CD pairs was more varied and less complete. We suggest that such variation in female-female social dominance relationships and the associated variation in the degree and reliability of fertility suppression may explain variations of the reproductive condition of free-living groups of common marmosets

Balanced Scorecard como ferramenta de avaliação da consistência estratégica: um estudo em instituição de ensino superior privada

This Master of Science Thesis investigates in an exploratory modeling the idea of strategy consistency applying as an assessment tool a model of performance indicators of a higher education institution based on the balanced scorecard (BSC). It is carried on a review of conceptual BSC perspective hierarchy models and of studies on higher education institution in Brazil and worldwide. From a BSC model with three indicators at each perspective is carried on a case study with directors and coordinators of a private higher education institution with a descriptive and multivariate analysis using cluster analysis. The main findings point to a different perception of respondents on the importance level of the perspectives with a higher importance level given to Learning and Growth and Process that to Customer and Financial. Particularly, the financial perspective got a importance level significantly lower that the others, what suggests an inconsistency on the strategy deployment on the institution considered in terms of the perception of the managerial levels of the importance level of the perspectives

Gestão ambiental em cadeias produtivas agroindustriais: um estudo em um aglomerado produtivo da caprinovinocultura no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte

This thesis aims to investigate the perception and behavior of goat and sheep rural producers from Central Cabugi Region of Rio Grande do Norte state, in terms of the sector competitiveness, the cooperation mechanisms, information and environmental practices integration in the supply chain, including their customers, and also among the local producers and other institutions that support this agribusiness cluster. The research problem is related to the environmental impacts from goat and sheep breeding. This problem can also be intensified by the organization of producers in a cluster. Then, it is important to examine how the environmental issues are considered by the rural producers and their perception of their suppliers, customers and the institutions that support this activity. The methodology used in this work involved literature review of the topics of supply chain management, green supply chain, clusters development and sustainable livestock. An exploratory survey research was also conducted by personal interviews using questionnaires. Three statistic techniques were used to compile the gathered data: descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and Chi-square tests. Two clusters were found in this study, however, the entire sample believes the sector of goat and sheep breeding is a medium competitive activity. On the other hand, for the variables of the importance of environmental practices for competitiveness , perception of environmental impacts and environmental benefits from farm vegetation management , the research found 2 distinct groups of individuals when those variables were analyzed together the green supply chain management group of variables in the cluster analysis. Beyond competitiveness perception, no degree of difference was found for the use of insecticides too. The chi-square tests present that producers having at least elementary education, lands bigger 100 hectares and located in the cities of Angicos or Lajes tend to have a higher perception to supply chain management and environmental awareness issues than those with no or incomplete first-level education, producing in lands smaller than 100 hectares and located in the cities of Afonso Bezerra or Pedro Avelino. The chi-square tests also show the amount of milk produced, family s income and associational condition are not related with the variables used in the clusters composition. In this context, this work contributes to planning clusters development strategies and enhancing the production chain sustainability. This Master of Science Thesis can also help to introduce the environmental variable in the project, assessment and monitoring of development policies as well

A relação de amizade nas redes sociais de estudantes universitários de Natal/RN

The basis of sociability in humans is based on cooperation. The relationship of friendship is vital to the social, emotional and cognitive development of an individual and can be understood as a consequence of selection for reciprocal altruism in humans. The period of adulthood is considered very suitable and appropriate for the investigation of the relations of friendship, but the Brazilian literature on friendship in adults is still nascent. Therefore, the objective was to characterize the relationship of friendship among college students. The study gathered 500 students from higher education institutions in the city of Natal-RN, Brazil, and 250 women (average age 24.1 ± 7.66 years) and 250 men (mean age 26.77 ± 9.64 years). Two questionnaires anonymously and individual were applied: a sociodemographic questionnaire and the other with the desired characteristics in idealized friends. Study 1 assessed the degree of importance of characteristics in the process of choosing a friend of the same sex and opposite sex of the participant. Study 2 investigated the relationship between patterns of idealization of friends and self-assessment of participants. Overall, were the preferred characteristics "Companionship" and "Sincerity" to idealized friends. We also found the influence of sex on the characteristics attributed to an female ideal friend, with emphasis on men for "Beauty/Good looks" and "Intelligence" and women to "Companionship" and "Sincerity". Finally, we observed a positive correlation between participants' self-assessment and preferences for the characteristics of the friends devised. This study revealed important elements for understanding the relationship of friendship, specifically the process of choosing friends. The results reinforce the importance of studying the relationship of friendship to a better understanding of human social behavior.