Socio-economic aspects of Nabugabo satellite lakes, fisheries and their implications for management

A number of fish species once native only to Lakes Victoria and Kyoga have considerably declined over the years, and in some cases disappeared, due to over exploitation, introduction of exotic species especially the Nile Perch, and environmental degradation resulting from human activities. Some of the species have been observed to survive in satellite lakes in the Victoria and Kyoga Lake basins. The Nabugabo satellite lakes contain the endemic Cichlid fish species, Oreochromis esculentus and two haplochromine species previously found only in Lake Nabugabo. There is, therefore, need to conserve these species by ensuring sustainable use and management of the resources. The study revealed that the Nabugabo lakes provide a range of socio-economic benefits accruing from fishing, farming, logging, resort beach development and watering of animals. However, although these activities impact on the lakes ecosystems, the participation of resource users in management is limited because of the weak local management institutions operating on the lakes, hence the need to strengthen them through capacity building. It is recommended that Government should work jointly with the beach committees and fishing community in a participatory way to eliminate the use of destructive fishing practices and control the other environment degrading activities.

Sources of Information about Dietary Fibre: A Cross-Country Survey

Problem statement: Dietary fibre (DF) has been recognized as a major determinant for improvement of health. Hence the means of information through which people become aware of its benefits are crucial. Research questions: Where do you usually find information about dietary fibre? What means of communication do you consider the most appropriate to encourage the consumption of dietary fibre? Purpose of the study: This work aimed at studying the sources of information about dietary fibre, as a means to educate people about aspects related to healthy eating. Factors such as gender, level of education, living environment or country were evaluated as to their effect on the selection of sources and preferences.   Research Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study by means of a questionnaire, applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 6010 participants from 10 countries in different continents (Europe, Africa and America), answered after informed consent by all participants. For the analysis were used several descriptive statistics tools, crosstabs and chi square test to assess the relations between some of the variables under study. Findings: Mostly the information about DF comes from the internet, but television is recognized as suitable. Differences were found between genders, levels of education, living environments and countries. The internet (preferred source), got highest scores for Hungary, urban areas, university education and female gender. The radio (least scored source) was preferred in Egypt, for men and with lower education (primary school). Conclusions: People get information through the internet due to easy access. However, it is to some extent a risk given the impossibility to control de information made public on the internet. The role of health centres and hospitals as well as schools should definitely be increased, as a responsible way to ensure correct information.

The right hippocampus leads the bilateral integration of gamma-parsed lateralized information

It is unclear whether the two hippocampal lobes convey similar or different activities and how they cooperate. Spatial discrimination of electric fields in anesthetized rats allowed us to compare the pathway-specific field potentials corresponding to the gamma-paced CA3 output (CA1 Schaffer potentials) and CA3 somatic inhibition within and between sides. Bilateral excitatory Schaffer gamma waves are generally larger and lead from the right hemisphere with only moderate covariation of amplitude, and drive CA1 pyramidal units more strongly than unilateral waves. CA3 waves lock to the ipsilateral Schaffer potentials, although bilateral coherence was weak. Notably, Schaffer activity may run laterally, as seen after the disruption of the connecting pathways. Thus, asymmetric operations promote the entrainment of CA3-autonomous gamma oscillators bilaterally, synchronizing lateralized gamma strings to converge optimally on CA1 targets. The findings support the view that interhippocampal connections integrate different aspects of information that flow through the left and right lobes.

Sources of Information about Dietary Fibre: A Cross-Country Survey

Dietary fibre (DF) has been recognized as a major determinant for improvement of health. Hence the means of information through which people become aware of its benefits are crucial. This work aimed at studying the sources of information about DF, as a means to educate people about aspects related to healthy eating. Factors such as gender, level of education, living environment or country were evaluated as to their effect on the selection of sources and preferences. For this, a descriptive cross-sectional study by means of a questionnaire, applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 6010 participants from 10 countries in different continents (Europe, Africa and America), answered after informed consent by all participants. For the analysis were used several descriptive statistics tools, crosstabs and chi square test to assess the relations between some of the variables under study. The results showed that mostly the information about DF comes from the internet, but the participants recognize that television might be a most suitable way to disseminate information about DF. The results also indicated differences between genders, levels of education, living environments and countries. The internet, the preferred source of information, got highest scores for Hungary, for urban areas, for university level of education and for female gender. The radio, the least scored source of information, was preferred in Egypt, for men and with lower education (primary school). As a conclusion, people get information through the internet due to easy access. However, it is to some extent a risk given the impossibility to control de information made public on the internet. The role of health centers and hospitals as well as schools should definitely be increased, as a responsible way to ensure correct information.

Some Temporal Aspects of Indexing and Classification: Toward a Metrics for Measuring Scheme Change

In this paper we discuss the temporal aspects of indexing and classification in information systems. Basing this discussion off of the three sources of research of scheme change: of indexing: (1) analytical research on the types of scheme change and (2) empirical data on scheme change in systems and (3) evidence of cataloguer decision-making in the context of scheme change. From this general discussion we propose two constructs along which we might craft metrics to measure scheme change: collocative integrity and semantic gravity. The paper closes with a discussion of these constructs.

Genetic Aspects Of Athletic Performance: The African Runners Phenomenon.

The current dominance of African runners in long-distance running is an intriguing phenomenon that highlights the close relationship between genetics and physical performance. Many factors in the interesting interaction between genotype and phenotype (eg, high cardiorespiratory fitness, higher hemoglobin concentration, good metabolic efficiency, muscle fiber composition, enzyme profile, diet, altitude training, and psychological aspects) have been proposed in the attempt to explain the extraordinary success of these runners. Increasing evidence shows that genetics may be a determining factor in physical and athletic performance. But, could this also be true for African long-distance runners? Based on this question, this brief review proposed the role of genetic factors (mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid, the Y chromosome, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme and the alpha-actinin-3 genes) in the amazing athletic performance observed in African runners, especially the Kenyans and Ethiopians, despite their environmental constraints.

The Effect Of Celastrol, A Triterpene With Antitumorigenic Activity, On Conformational And Functional Aspects Of The Human 90kda Heat Shock Protein Hsp90α, A Chaperone Implicated In The Stabilization Of The Tumor Phenotype.

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone essential for cell viability in eukaryotes that is associated with the maturation of proteins involved in important cell functions and implicated in the stabilization of the tumor phenotype of various cancers, making this chaperone a notably interesting therapeutic target. Celastrol is a plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid compound with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities; however, celastrol's action mode is still elusive. In this work, we investigated the effect of celastrol on the conformational and functional aspects of Hsp90α. Interestingly, celastrol appeared to target Hsp90α directly as the compound induced the oligomerization of the chaperone via the C-terminal domain as demonstrated by experiments using a deletion mutant. The nature of the oligomers was investigated by biophysical tools demonstrating that a two-fold excess of celastrol induced the formation of a decameric Hsp90α bound throughout the C-terminal domain. When bound, celastrol destabilized the C-terminal domain. Surprisingly, standard chaperone functional investigations demonstrated that neither the in vitro chaperone activity of protecting against aggregation nor the ability to bind a TPR co-chaperone, which binds to the C-terminus of Hsp90α, were affected by celastrol. Celastrol interferes with specific biological functions of Hsp90α. Our results suggest a model in which celastrol binds directly to the C-terminal domain of Hsp90α causing oligomerization. However, the ability to protect against protein aggregation (supported by our results) and to bind to TPR co-chaperones are not affected by celastrol. Therefore celastrol may act primarily by inducing specific oligomerization that affects some, but not all, of the functions of Hsp90α. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first work to use multiple probes to investigate the effect that celastrol has on the stability and oligomerization of Hsp90α and on the binding of this chaperone to Tom70. This work provides a novel mechanism by which celastrol binds Hsp90α.

Brij Detergents Reveal New Aspects Of Membrane Microdomain In Erythrocytes.

Membrane microdomains enriched in cholesterol, sphingolipids (rafts), and specific proteins are involved in important physiological functions. However their structure, size and stability are still controversial. Given that detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) are in the liquid-ordered state and are rich in raft-like components, they might correspond to rafts at least to some extent. Here we monitor the lateral order of biological membranes by characterizing DRMs from erythrocytes obtained with Brij-98, Brij-58, and TX-100 at 4 °C and 37 °C. All DRMs were enriched in cholesterol and contained the raft markers flotillin-2 and stomatin. However, sphingomyelin (SM) was only found to be enriched in TX-100-DRMs - a detergent that preferentially solubilizes the membrane inner leaflet - while Band 3 was present solely in Brij-DRMs. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra showed that the acyl chain packing of Brij-DRMs was lower than TX-100-DRMs, providing evidence of their diverse lipid composition. Fatty acid analysis revealed that the SM fraction of the DRMs was enriched in lignoceric acid, which should specifically contribute to the resistance of SM to detergents. These results indicate that lipids from the outer leaflet, particularly SM, are essential for the formation of the liquid-ordered phase of DRMs. At last, the differential solubilization process induced by Brij-98 and TX-100 was monitored using giant unilamellar vesicles. This study suggests that Brij and TX-100-DRMs reflect different degrees of lateral order of the membrane microdomains. Additionally, Brij DRMs are composed by both inner and outer leaflet components, making them more physiologically relevant than TX-100-DRMs to the studies of membrane rafts.

The relationship between physical aspects of quality of life and extreme levels of regular physical activity in adults

This study aimed to check for any significant differences in perceived quality of life, specifically aspects of a physical nature, among volunteers who are more physically active and those less physically active in a university community. The sample consisted of 1,966 volunteers in a university community in Brazil. To assess physical activity levels, volunteers responded to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and to analyse the perception of quality of life they responded to WHOQOL-bref, which is classified into three groups according to level of physical activity, taking into account the metabolic equivalent index (MET) over a full week. For comparison, consideration was given to the first and third tertiles, respectively, namely groups of more and less active students. The results indicated that individuals who engaged in more physical activity had a more positive perception of quality of life compared to those who were less active in physical aspects related to the ability to work, energy for day-to-day activities and locomotion.

Structural aspects of the p.P222Q homozygous mutation of HSD3B2 gene in a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia

Type II 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-Δ4-isomerase (3β-HSD2), encoded by the HSD3B2 gene, is a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of all the classes of steroid hormones. Deleterious mutations in the HSD3B2 gene cause the classical deficiency of 3β-HSD2, which is a rare autosomal recessive disease that leads to congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). CAH is the most frequent cause of ambiguous genitalia and adrenal insufficiency in newborn infants with variable degrees of salt losing. Here we report the molecular and structural analysis of the HSD3B2 gene in a 46,XY child, who was born from consanguineous parents, and presented with ambiguous genitalia and salt losing. The patient carries a homozygous nucleotide c.665C>A change in exon 4 that putatively substitutes the proline at codon 222 for glutamine. Molecular homology modeling of normal and mutant 3β-HSD2 enzymes emphasizes codon 222 as an important residue for the folding pattern of the enzyme and validates a suitable model for analysis of new mutations.

Aspectos motores da Paralisia Cerebral Espástica diparética : o Nintendo WII 'MARCA REGISTRADA' como atividade motora complementar = Motor aspects of Spastic Cerebral Palsy : the Nintendo WII 'TRADEMARK' as a supplementary motor activity

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Some aspects of acetylation of untreated and mercerized sisal cellulose

We report here on some aspects of the acetylation in LiCl/N,N-dimethylacetamide, DMAc, of untreated and mercerized sisal cellulose, hereafter designated as sisal and M-sisal, respectively. Fiber mercerization by NaOH solution has resulted in the following changes: 29.9% decrease in the index of crystallinity; 16.2% decrease in the degree of polymerization and 9.3% increase in α-cellulose content. A light scattering study of solutions of sisal, M-sisal, microcrystalline and cotton celluloses in LiCl/DMAc has shown that they are present as aggregates, with (an apparent) average aggregation numbers of 5.2, 3.2, 9.8, and 35.3, respectively. The presence of these aggregates affects the accessibility of cellulose during its functionalization. A study of the evolution of the degree of substitution, DS, of cellulose acetate as a function of reaction time showed an increase up to 5 h, followed by a decrease at 7 h. Possible reasons for this decrease are discussed. As expected, M-sisal gave a higher DS that its untreated counterpart.

Ecological aspects of the surf-zone ichthyofauna of Itamambuca Beach, Ubatuba, SP

Sandy beaches are among the most extensive environments in Brazil and are generally threatened by disorderly urban growth due to their location along the coast, where human populations tend to concentrate. This is especially true in southeastern Brazil, where the largest urban areas are located. Thus, better knowledge regarding these natural resources is of considerable importance. The surf zone of sandy beaches is inhabited by a number of fish species, including juveniles seeking both food and shelter from predators. An ecological survey was conducted in the surf zone of Itamambuca beach in the city of Ubatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil, in order to evaluate the composition, structure and dynamics of the fish fauna using community descriptors. Diurnal and nocturnal samples were taken with a beach seine at five oceanographic stations over a 12-month period. Water temperature and salinity were also recorded. A total of 2,147 individuals representing 34 species and 18 families were sampled. The main variation in fish fauna was detected on the diel level, followed by a spatial repartition possibly related to salinity. Seasonal variation was also observed. The five most important species in the overall context were Atherinella brasiliensis, Eucinostomus melanopterus, Mugil sp., Trachinotus goodei and Atherinella blackburni.

Nutritional aspects of the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a global health problem characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Nutrition plays a critical role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis through its effect on all of these fragility factors, especially on the development and maintenance of bone mass. An adequate calcium, vitamin D and protein intake resulted in reduced bone remodeling, better calcium retention, reduced age-related bone loss, and reduced fracture risk. Recent evidence indicates that a healthy dietary pattern including dairy products (mainly fat free), fruit and vegetables and adequate amounts of meat, fish and poultry is positively related to bone health. Furthermore, mineral and vitamin supplementation should be closely monitored by health professionals since it could have adverse effects and be insufficient to ensure optimal protection of bone health.

Morphological aspects of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) umbilical cord

Buffalo is an important livestock resource, with a great participation in agricultural systems, providing milk, meat, and work power. Umbilical cord is responsible for maternal-fetal nutrients exchange during pregnancy, and its alterations can compromise the fetal development. We investigated ten pregnant uteruses collected from cross-bread buffaloes in different stages of gestation. Pregnancy and fetal age was determined by measuring the apex sacral length and development period was calculated by previously published formula. Umbilical cords were measured for length determination. Umbilical cord vascular net and anastomosis were observed by injection of Neoprene latex. Histological sections of the umbilical cord were studied after stain with HE, picrossirius, toluidine blue, orceine, and PAS reaction. Buffaloes' umbilical cord was formed by two central arteries, an allantois duct and two peripheral veins. The artery wall was composed by large quantity of collagen, elastic fibers, fibroblasts and large number of vasa vasorum. The allantois duct was located between the arteries and presented a great number of small nourishing vessels. Small nourishing vessels should be carefully considered to avoid to be mistaken to the arterials and veins vasa vasorum. Medium length of umbilical cord from buffalos was 11.8cm (minimum of 6.8cm and maximum of 17.4cm).