Pathological and behavioral risk factors for higher serum c-reactive protein concentrations in free-living adults - A Brazilian community-based study

Low-grade chronic systemic inflammation is often associated with chronic non-communicable diseases, and its most frequently used marker, the C-reactive protein (CRP), has become an identifier of such diseases as well as an independent predictor for cardiovascular disorders and mortality. CRP is produced in response to pro-inflammatory signaling and to individual and behavioral factors, leading to pathological states. The aim of this study was to rank the predicting factors of high CRP concentrations in free-living adults from a community-based sample. We evaluated 522 adults (40-84 years old; 381 women) for anthropometric characteristics, dietary intake, clinical and physical tests, and blood analysis. Subjects were assigned to groups, according to CRP concentrations, as normal CRP (G1;<3.0 mg/L; n = 269), high CRP (G2; 3.0-6.0 mg/L; n = 139), and very high CRP (G3; >6.0 mg/dL; n = 116). Statistical comparison between groups used one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis tests, and prediction of altered values in increasing CRP was evaluated by proportional hazard models (odds ratio). CRP distribution was influenced by gender, body mass index, body and abdominal fatness, blood leukocytes, and neutrophil counts. The higher CRP group was discriminated by the above variables in addition to lower VO2max, serum metabolic syndrome components (triglycerides, glucose, and HDL cholesterol), higher insulin, homeostasis assessment of insulin resistance, uric acid, gamma-GT, and homocysteine. After adjustments, only fatness, blood leukocytes, and hyperglycemia remained as independent predictors for increased serum CRP concentrations. Intervention procedures to treat low-grade chronic inflammation in overweight women would mainly focus on restoring muscle mass and functions in addition to an antioxidant-rich diet. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Enhanced nicotine-seeking behavior following pre-exposure to repeated cocaine is accompanied by changes in BDNF in the nucleus accumbens of rats

We investigated the behavioral and molecular interactions between cocaine and nicotine, through evaluating locomotor activity, nicotine intravenous self-administration and gene expression. Locomotor sensitization was induced in male Wistar rats by repeated cocaine (20 mg/kg; i.p.) or saline injections once a day over 7 days. Three days after the last injection, rats were challenged with either saline or cocaine (15 mg/kg; i.p.) and the locomotor activity was measured. The very next day animals received either saline or nicotine (0.4 mg/kg; s.c.) and the locomotor cross-sensitization was tested. Animals were then prepared with intrajugular catheters for nicotine self-administration. Nicotine self-administration patterns were evaluated using fixed or progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement and a 24-h unlimited access binge. Immediately after the binge sessions animals were decapitated, the brains were removed and the nucleus accumbens was dissected. The dynorphin (DYN), μ-opioid receptor (mu opioid), neuropeptide Y (NPY), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin-related tyrosine kinase B receptor (TrkB) and corticotropin- releasing factor receptor type 1 (CRF-R1) gene expression were measured by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Pretreatment with cocaine caused sensitization of cocaine motor response and locomotor cross-sensitization with nicotine. In the self-administration experiments repeated cocaine administration caused an increase in the nicotine break point and nicotine intake during a 24 h binge session. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

Predation-risk effects of predator identity on the foraging behaviors of frugivorous bats

Predators directly and indirectly affect the density and the behavior of prey. These effects may potentially cascade down to lower trophic levels. In this study, we tested the effects of predator calls (playbacks of bird vocalizations: Tyto alba, Speotyto cunicularia, and Vanellus chilensis), predator visual stimuli (stuffed birds) and interactions of visual and auditory cues, on the behavior of frugivore phyllostomid bats in the field. In addition, we tested if the effects of predation risk cascade down to other trophic levels by measuring rates of seed dispersal of the tree Muntingia calabura. Using video recording, we found that bats significantly decreased the foraging frequency on trees when a visual cue of T. alba was present. However, no stimuli of potential predatory birds, including vocalization of T. alba, affected bat foraging frequency. There was a change in bat behavior during 7 min, but then their frequency of activity gradually increased. Consequently, the presence of T. alba decreased by up to ten times the rate of seed removal. These results indicate that risk sensitivity of frugivorous phyllostomid bats depends on predator identity and presence. Among the predators used in this study, only T. alba is an effective bat predator in the Neotropics. Sound stimuli of T. alba seem not to be a cue of predation risk, possibly because their vocalizations are used only for intraspecific communication. This study emphasizes the importance of evaluating different predator stimuli on the behavior of vertebrates, as well as the effects of these stimuli on trait-mediated trophic cascades. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Alcohol Impairs Predation Risk Response and Communication in Zebrafish

The effects of ethanol exposure on Danio rerio have been studied from the perspectives of developmental biology and behavior. However, little is known about the effects of ethanol on the prey-predator relationship and chemical communication of predation risk. Here, we showed that visual contact with a predator triggers stress axis activation in zebrafish. We also observed a typical stress response in zebrafish receiving water from these conspecifics, indicating that these fish chemically communicate predation risk. Our work is the first to demonstrate how alcohol effects this prey-predator interaction. We showed for the first time that alcohol exposure completely blocks stress axis activation in both fish seeing the predator and in fish that come in indirect contact with a predator by receiving water from these conspecifics. Together with other research results and with the translational relevance of this fish species, our data points to zebrafish as a promising animal model to study human alcoholism. © 2013 Oliveira et al.

Behavior and foraging technique of the Ingram's squirrel Guerlinguetus ingrami (Sciuridae: Rodentia) in an Araucaria moist forest fragment

This work describes the foraging techniques, body positions and behavior of free-ranging Ingram's squirrel Guerlinguetus ingrami Thomas, 1901 in a region of the Araucaria moist forest, in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. The animals were observed using the all occurrence sampling method with the aid of binoculars and a digital camcorder. All behaviors were described in diagrams and an ethogram. We recorded five basic body positions, 24 behaviors, two food choices, and three feeding strategies utilized to open fruits of Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.), the main food source of Ingram's squirrels. We also observed a variance in the animals' stance, which is possibly influenced by predation risk, and discuss the causes of some behaviors.

Spatial Distribution of the Risk of Dengue and the Entomological Indicators in Sumare, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

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

A novel association between Rhodnius neglectus and the Livistona australis palm tree in an urban center foreshadowing the risk of Chagas disease transmission by vectorial invasions in Monte Alto City, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Perinatal Periodontal Disease Reduces Social Behavior in Male Offspring

Objective: Our objective was to verify whether prenatal maternal periodontitis is a risk factor for the development of central nervous system disorders in rats. Methods: Periodontitis was induced by placing a ligature around the upper and lower first molars in 9 female Wistar rats (experimental group); 9 rats were left unligated (control group). The maternal general activity in an open field was observed on gestational day (GD) 0, GD 4, and GD 14, and the maternal performance was assessed on the second day after birth. The pups' play behavior was assessed on postnatal day 30. The relative level of reelin was measured in the frontal cortex by real-time PCR analysis. Results: The results showed that, compared with the control group, (1) the general activity in female rats with periodontitis was decreased, (2) the maternal performance of these rats was not modified by periodontitis, (3) the play behavior of pups from dams with periodontitis was decreased, and (4) there were no differences in the frontal cortex reelin levels of pups from dams with periodontitis. Conclusions: We conclude that pre- and postnatal periodontitis induces maternal sickness behavior and reduces the pups' play behavior without interference with frontal cortex reelin expression. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel

The influence of bone quality on the biomechanical behavior of full-arch implant-supported fixed prostheses

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

Effects of Dextrose and Lipopolysaccharide on the Corrosion Behavior of a Ti-6Al-4V Alloy with a Smooth Surface or Treated with Double-Acid-Etching

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

Critical discourses on resilience: exploring alternatives strategies used by young people at-risk

The concept of resilience is often situated in a dominant discourse that reflects medical and developmentalist epistemology, in Western models, with the ideology of white people, and middle class hegemonic norms. Behavior that falls outside of the normal, or what is socially acceptable, is associated with riskiness and tacitly if not explicitly labeled as pathological, and then, not resilient. However, the context of social injustice of many young people at-risk can have drastic effects on them. When we offer institutions such as schools that do not understand their needs, they may refuse our services and some of them may engage in antisocial activities, since they are looking for personal validation, pathways to recognize themselves, and places and organizations that contribute to the building of their social identity. This paper analyses how the denial of support and resources for the wellbeing of young people can lead them to situations that are socially unacceptable, such as sexual exploitation and drug trafficking. The main argument is that these activities, in the absence of conventional mechanisms, may bring some benefit to the subjects. Benefits may be in material conditions, though strongly marked by issues of social inequality; or subjective, in gaining relationships with people outside the normative places and institutions for young people. Unconventional circumstances produce unconventional attitudes that are expressed in alternative forms of resilience.

Metabolic risk and television time in adolescent females

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Prevalence of and risk factors for bacterial vaginosis among women of reproductive age attending cervical screening in southeastern Brazil

To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for bacterial vaginosis. A cross-sectional study of women aged 14-54 years attending 18 primary healthcare units in Botucatu, Brazil, for cervical screening was undertaken between September 1, 2012, and January 31, 2013. Data on sociodemographics, sexual behavior, and medical history were obtained by interview. Vaginal swabs were taken to classify the vaginal flora according to the Nugent scoring system. Candida sp. hyphae and infection by Trichomonas vaginalis were also evaluated by microscopy and culture, respectively. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors independently associated with bacterial vaginosis. Among 1519 women included in analyses, 457 (30.1%) had bacterial vaginosis. Variables independently associated with bacterial vaginosis were a single marital status (OR 1.4; 95%CI 1.1-1.8), partner infidelity (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.2-1.9), abnormal discharge in the previous year (OR 1.5; 95%CI 1.2-2.0), and concurrent trichomoniasis (OR 4.1; 95%CI 1.5-11.5). Current use of hormonal contraception (OR 0.7; 95%CI 0.5-0.9), luteal phase of menstrual cycle (OR 0.8; 95%CI 0.6-0.9), higher income (OR 0.8; 95%CI 0.6-0.9), and vaginal candidiasis (OR 0.5; 95%CI 0.3-0.9) all had protective effects. The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in the study population is high. The epidemiological data provide evidence of the sexual transmissibility of bacterial vaginosis.

Association between risk behaviors and adiposity indicators in adolescents from Southern Brazil: A methodological approach

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between risk behaviors and adiposity indicators in adolescents and to discuss some methodological aspects related to this relationship. We evaluated 1,321 adolescents (55.2% female) aged 10-16 years. Relative body fat (%fat) by measurement of triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness and waist circumference (WC) were used as total and central adiposity indicators, respectively. Physical inactivity, time spent in front of the TV, the consumption of soda and/or chocolate, alcohol, and tobacco smoking were analyzed as risk behaviors. Information about the socioeconomic status (categorized into three levels) and nutritional status of the mother (overweight or normal weight) were used as adjustment factors in the analyses of prevalence ratio (PR) of the outcomes and their associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The chi-square test and Poisson regression were used for statistical analyses. Low associations were found between risk behaviors and adiposity indicators. Tobacco smoking was the most positively correlated behavior with adiposity in girls (%fat: PR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.04-2.47; WC: PR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.17-3.08) and in adolescents whose mothers were normal weight (%fat: PR = 2.31; 95% CI = 1.33-4.03; WC: PR: 2.31; CI: 1.19-4.46). Additionally, as an important methodological issue, we highlighted the assessment of risk behaviors in adolescents as crucial to producing more robust evidence on the subject. Of the investigated behaviors, we concluded that tobacco smoking is the behavior most associated with adiposity indicators.

The role of nicotine, cotinine and caffeine on the electrochemical behavior and bacterial colonization to cp-Ti

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