The HUman MicroNucleus project on eXfoLiated buccal cells (HUMNXL): The role of life-style, host factors, occupational exposures, health status, and assay protocol

The human buccal micronucleus cytome assay (BMCyt) is one of the most widely used techniques to measure genetic damage in human population studies. Reducing protocol variability, assessing the role of confounders, and estimating a range of reference values are research priorities that will be addressed by the HUMNXL, collaborative study. The HUMNXL, project evaluates the impact of host factors, occupation, life-style, disease status, and protocol features on the occurrence of MN in exfoliated buccal cells. In addition, the study will provide a range of reference values for all cytome endpoints. A database of 5424 subjects with buccal MN values obtained from 30 laboratories worldwide was compiled and analyzed to investigate the influence of several conditions affecting MN frequency. Random effects models were mostly used to investigate MN predictors. The estimated spontaneous MN frequency was 0.74 parts per thousand (95% CI 0.52-1.05). Only staining among technical features influenced MN frequency, with an abnormal increase for non-DNA-specific stains. No effect of gender was evident, while the trend for age was highly significant (p < 0.001). Most occupational exposures and a diagnosis of cancer significantly increased MN and other endpoints frequencies. MN frequency increased in heavy smoking (>= 40 cig/day. FR = 1.37:95% CI 1.03-.82) and decreased with daily fruit consumption (FR = 0.68; 95% CI 0.50-0.91). The results of the HUMNXL, project identified priorities for validation studies, increased the basic knowledge of the assay, and contributed to the creation of a laboratory network which in perspective may allow the evaluation of disease risk associated with MN frequency. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Temperature-dependent fecundity and life table of the fennel aphid hyadaphis foeniculi (passerini) (hemiptera: aphididae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Accelerating solutions of perfect fluid hydrodynamics for initial energy density and life-time measurements in heavy ion collisions

A new class of accelerating, exact, explicit and simple solutions of relativistic hydrodynamics is presented. Since these new solutions yield a finite rapidity distribution, they lead to an advanced estimate of the initial energy density and life-time of high energy heavy ion collisions. Accelerating solutions are also given for spherical expansions in arbitrary number of spatial dimensions.

Biology and life cycle of Amblyomma incisum (Acari: Ixodidae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Modeling Habitat Split: Landscape and Life History Traits Determine Amphibian Extinction Thresholds

Habitat split is a major force behind the worldwide decline of amphibian populations, causing community change in richness and species composition. In fragmented landscapes, natural remnants, the terrestrial habitat of the adults, are frequently separated from streams, the aquatic habitat of the larvae. An important question is how this landscape configuration affects population levels and if it can drive species to extinction locally. Here, we put forward the first theoretical model on habitat split which is particularly concerned on how split distance - the distance between the two required habitats - affects population size and persistence in isolated fragments. Our diffusive model shows that habitat split alone is able to generate extinction thresholds. Fragments occurring between the aquatic habitat and a given critical split distance are expected to hold viable populations, while fragments located farther away are expected to be unoccupied. Species with higher reproductive success and higher diffusion rate of post-metamorphic youngs are expected to have farther critical split distances. Furthermore, the model indicates that negative effects of habitat split are poorly compensated by positive effects of fragment size. The habitat split model improves our understanding about spatially structured populations and has relevant implications for landscape design for conservation. It puts on a firm theoretical basis the relation between habitat split and the decline of amphibian populations. © 2013 Fonseca et al.

Temporal polyethism and life expectancy of workers in the eusocial wasp polistes canadensis canadensis Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Youth purpose and life goals of students engaged in community and social activities

Purpose provides a moral compass for young people to apply their strengths and virtues in their lives. Deepen the studies about youth purpose may contribute to the design of new and more efficient moral education strategies, aiming the development of greater citizenship awareness, social justice and youth engagement in the construction of a society based on democracy, justice and social solidarity. This research paper explores the identification of life goals, the beyond the self or self-oriented purpose in life, a meaningful engagement in purposeful activities and the well-being and satisfaction with life in Brazilian youth engaged and not engaged in social and community issues.

Signs, translation, and life in the Bakhtin circle and in Welby's significs

“Significs” is provisionally defined by Welby (1911: vii) as the study of the nature of significance in all its forms and relationships, of its workings in all spheres of human life and knowledge. Considering “significs” as a movement highlighting significance, Welby explores the action of signs in life; and more than the Saussurean sign composed of signifier and signified, the sign as understood by Welby refers to meaning as generated through signs in motion. This notion of “significs” empowers the study of signs when it considers the sign not in terms of the Saussurean structural representation of the union of the concept and acoustic image, but as (responsive and responsible) sign action in the world, in life. This also means to take into account the “extra-linguistic referent” (translinguistic and transdiscursive character of significs), history (space-time), subjectivity, the architecture of values connected to language, their communicative function. We believe that a dialogue can be established between Welby’s vision of significs and the notion of ideological sign proposed by Vološinov in Marxism and the Philosophy of Language, expanding the notions of “meaning” and “sense.”

Qualidade de vida de mulheres com baixa massa óssea na pós-menopausa

OBJETIVO: avaliar a qualidade de vida de pacientes com osteoporose e osteopenia, acompanhadas em ambulatórios especializados em osteoporose e climatério, comparando-as com pacientes com densidade mineral óssea (DMO) normal. MÉTODOS: estudo de série de casos transversal, observacional, que se propôs a analisar, por meio do questionário Medical Outcomes Study 36 Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), a qualidade de vida de mulheres com osteopenia e osteoporose. Foram avaliadas 124 mulheres na pós-menopausa divididas em três grupos: 55 pacientes com diagnóstico densitométrico de osteoporose, 35 com o de osteopenia e 34 que apresentavam DMO normal. Os três grupos foram comparados com relação aos dados demográficos, características clínicas e de estilo de vida e aos diferentes domínios do SF-36. RESULTADOS: as pacientes dos grupos osteopenia e DMO normal apresentaram menor idade média (56,7±7,1 e 52,9±5,4 anos), maior índice de massa corpórea (IMC) (28,6±3,7 e 30,9±5,1 kg/m²) e menor tempo de menopausa (8,4±5,9 e 5,8±4,5 anos) quando comparadas ao grupo osteoporose (61,8±10,1 anos, IMC de 25,7±5,3 kg/m², 15,5±7,5 anos, respectivamente; p<0,05). de acordo com o SF-36, não houve diferença significativa entre os grupos com relação aos domínios, à exceção do domínio vitalidade, que se mostrou superior no grupo osteoporose. Com relação à impressão pessoal sobre seu estado de saúde, das pacientes que o consideraram bom, um maior percentual pertencia ao grupo osteoporose, e entre aquelas que o consideraram ruim, um percentual menor pertencia ao grupo osteopenia. CONCLUSÃO: a qualidade de vida foi similar em mulheres com osteoporose e osteopenia, em relação às com DMO normal, à exceção do domínio vitalidade, que foi superior, paradoxalmente, nas pacientes com osteoporose.

Exposição in utero ao desregulador endocrino bisfenol A e ao agente quimiopreventivo indol-3-carbinol: efeitos sobra a morfogênese e a suscetibilidade à carcinogênese prostática

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Influência do treinamento físico combinado na função diastólica do ventrículo esquerdo de idosos com hipertensão arterial controlada

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Alterações genéticas relacionadas à obesidade: danos no DNA, perfil de expressão e polimorfismos gênicos

Pós-graduação em Patologia - FMB

Health-related behavior and quality of life among the elderly: a population-based study

OBJETIVO: Analisar a associação de comportamentos saudáveis com a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde em idosos. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de base populacional que envolveu 1.958 idosos residentes em quatro áreas do estado de São Paulo, em 2001/2002. A qualidade de vida foi aferida com o uso do instrumento Medical Outcomes Study SF-36-Item Short Form Health Survey. As oito escalas e os dois componentes do instrumento constituíram as variáveis dependentes e as independentes foram atividade física, freqüência semanal de ingestão de bebida alcoólica e hábito de fumar. Modelos de regressão linear múltipla foram usados para controlar o efeito de sexo, idade, escolaridade, trabalho, área de residência e número de doenças crônicas. RESULTADOS: Atividade física foi positivamente associada com as oito escalas do SF-36. As maiores associações foram encontradas em aspectos físicos (β = 11,9), capacidade funcional (β = 11,3) e no componente físico. Idosos que ingeriam bebida alcoólica pelo menos uma vez por semana apresentaram melhor qualidade de vida do que os que não ingeriam. Comparados com os que nunca fumaram, os fumantes tiveram pior qualidade de vida no componente mental (β = -2,4). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados apresentam que praticar atividade física, consumir bebida alcoólica moderadamente e não fumar são fatores positivamente associados a uma melhor qualidade de vida em idosos.

The limits of human development and the use of energy and natural resources

The development of nations is an unquestionable requirement. A lot of challenges concerning health, education and economy are present. A discussion on these development models has occupied the minds of decision makers in recent years. When energy supply and demand is considered, the situation becomes critical and the crucial question is: how to improve the quality of life of developing countries based on available models of development that are related to the life style of developed countries, for which the necessary use and waste of energy are present? How much energy is essential to humanity for not so as to endangering the survival conditions of future generations? the human development index (HDI) establishes the relationship among energy use, economic growth and social growth. Here it can be seen that 75% of the world population has a significant energy consumption potential. This is a strong reason to consider that the sustainable development concepts on energy policies are strategic to the future of the planet. This paper deals with the importance of seeking alternative development models for human development balance, natural resources conservation and environment through rational energy use concepts. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical and nutritional profile of individuals with Chagas disease

Chagas disease (CD), caused by the protozoan Trypanossoma cruzi, affects approximately 18 million individuals in the Americas, 5 million of which five in Brazil. Most chronic sufferers have either the indeterminate form of the disease, without organic compromise, or the cardiac or digestive forms. Despite the importance of this disease, there is no information on the effect of nutrition on CD evolution. We evaluated the clinical-nutritional profile of individuals with CD treated at the Tropical Diseases Nutrition Out-Patient Clinic of the Botucatu School of Medicine, UNESP.A retrospective cohort study was performed between 2002 and 2006, on 66 patients with serum and parasitological diagnosis of CD. Epidemiological, clinical, nutritional, and biochemical data were collected, including gender, age, skin color, smoking, alcoholism, physical activity, weight, stature, body mass index, abdominal circumference, glycemia, and lipid profile. Fifty-three percent were mate and 47% female; 96% were white skinned. Mean age was 49.6±6.36 years. The predominant form was indeterminate in 71 %; smoking and drinking were recorded in 23% and 17%, respectively. Sedentariness predominated in 83%, and 55% presented increased abdominal circumference. Most, 94%, were overweight or obese. The biochemical exam revealed hyperglycemia in 12% and dyslipidemia in 74%. These findings suggest that the Chagas population presents co-morbidities and risk factors for developing chronic non-transmissible diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, making CD evolution even worse. © 2007 by The Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Contexto Publishing. All rights reserved.