GREEN MANAGEMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SMALL BUSINESS IN BRAZIL: IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This paper presents the results of a study on the analysis of training needs regarding environmental (green) management and climate change topics in micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Brazil and its implications on education for sustainable development. It reports on an e-mail survey of Brazilian small enterprises, whose results indicate that they are indeed interested in environmental management and climate change topics in an education for sustainable development context. The study indicates that proposals for courses on environmental management and climate change should follow a systemic perspective and take sustainable development into account. By applying factor analysis, it was found that the topics of interest can be grouped into thematic modules, which can be useful in the design of training courses for the top management leaders of those companies.

Searching behaviour and diet of Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus pairs feeding in their territories

Search path, searching behaviour and diet of pairs of Oystercatchers feeding in mudflat territories were studied during spring. females ate Nereis, Mya, small unidentified prey, probably Corophium, and a few Macoma, whereas males primarily ate Macoma. Even when female and male foraged in the same site, they often caught different prey. The combination of 'The Search-rate/Detection Model' (Gendron & Staddon 1983) and 'The Harvestable Prey Model' (Zwarts & Wanink 1993) provide the theoretical framework in which to explain these differences in diet. Macoma are thought to be more cryptic than Nereis, Mya and Corophium. Therefore females, while searching at a faster rate than their respective mates, caught far fewer cryptic prey, but a greater number of more conspicuous prey than their mates. On the basis of distances moved before and after capturing prey, males exhibited area-restricted searching for Macoma and Corophium. In contrast, females did not exhibit any area-restricted searching. it is suggested that the distribution of Macoma and Corophium available to males searching slowly was more clumped than that of these two prey species available to females searching more quickly.

S-nitroso-N-acetylcysteine (SNAC) prevents myocardial alterations in hypercholesterolemic LDL receptor knockout mice by antiinflammatory action

We investigated the ability of S-nitroso-N-acetylcyseine (SNAC) to prevent structural and functional myocardial alterations in hypercholesterolemic mice. C57BL6 wild-type (WT) and LDL-R-/male mice (S) were fed a standard diet for 15 days. LDL-R-/- mice (S) showed an 11% increase in blood pressure, 62% decrease in left atrial contractility and lower CD40L and eNOS expression relative to WT. LDL-R-/- mice fed an atherogenic diet for 15 days (Chol) showed significant increased left ventricular mass compared to S, which was characterized by: (1) 1.25-fold increase in the LV weight/body weight ratio and cardiomyocyte diameter; (2) enhanced expression of the NOS isoforms, CD40L, and collagen amount; and (3) no alteration in the atrial contractile performance. Administration of SNAC to Chol mice (Choi + SNAC) (0.51 mu mol/kg/day for 15 day, IP) prevented increased left ventricular mass, collagen deposit, NOS isoforms, and CD40L overexpression, but it had no effect on the increased blood pressure or atrial basal hypocontractility. Deletion of the LDL receptor gene in mice resulted in hypertension and a marked left atrial contractile deficit, which may be related to eNOS under-expression. Our data show that SNAC treatment has an antiinflammatory action that might contribute to prevention of structural and functional myocardial alterations in atherosclerotic mice independently of changes in blood pressure.

The relationship between body mass index and the variation in plasma levels of triglycerides after short-term red wine consumption

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic beverages may have protective cardiovascular effects but are known to increase the plasma levels of triglycerides (TG). Both TG and the ratio of TO to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-cholesterol) are associated with increased cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVES: To determine the predictive factors for variations in plasma levels of TO and the TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio in patients after they had consumed red wine for 14 days. METHODS: Forty-two subjects (64% men, 46 +/- 9 years, baseline body mass index [BMI] 25.13 +/- 2.76 kg/m(2)) were given red wine (12% or 12.2% alc/vol, 250 mL/day with meals). Plasma concentration of lipids and glucose were measured before and after red wine consumption. Blood was collected after 12 hours of fast and alcohol abstention. RESULTS: Red wine increased plasma levels of TO from 105 +/- 42 mg/dL to 120 +/- 56 mg/dL (P = .001) and the TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio from 2.16 +/- 1.10 to 2.50 +/- 1.66 (P = .014). In a multivariate linear regression model that included age, baseline BMI, blood pressure, lipids, and glucose, only BMI was independently predictive of the variation in plasma TO after red wine (beta coefficient 0.592, P < .001). BMI also predicted the variation in TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio (beta coefficient 0.505, P = .001, adjusted model). When individuals were divided into three categories, according to their BMI, the average percentage variation in TG after red wine was -4%, 17%, and 33% in the lower (19.60-24.45 kg/m(2)), intermediate, and greater (26.30-30.44 kg/m(2)) tertiles, respectively (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with higher BMI, although nonobese, might be at greater risk for elevation in plasma TO levels and the TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio after short-term red wine consumption. (C) 2011 National Lipid Association. All rights reserved.

Adult starvation and disease-related malnutrition: A proposal for etiology-based diagnosis in the clinical practice setting from the International Consensus Guideline Committee

Background & aims: Multiple definitions for malnutrition syndromes are found in the literature resulting in confusion. Recent evidence suggests that varying degrees of acute or chronic inflammation are key contributing factors in the pathophysiology of malnutrition that is associated with disease or injury. Methods: An International Guideline Committee was constituted to develop a consensus approach to defining malnutrition syndromes for adults in the clinical setting. Consensus was achieved through a series of meetings held at the ASPEN and ESPEN Congresses. Results: It was agreed that an etiology-based approach that incorporates a current understanding of inflammatory response would be most appropriate. The Committee proposes the following nomenclature for nutrition diagnosis in adults in the clinical practice setting. ""Starvation-related malnutrition"", when there is chronic starvation without inflammation, ""chronic disease-related malnutrition"", when inflammation is chronic and of mild to moderate degree, and ""acute disease or injury-related malnutrition"", when inflammation is acute and of severe degree. Conclusions: This commentary is intended to present a simple etiology-based construct for the diagnosis of adult malnutrition in the clinical setting. Development of associated laboratory, functional, food intake, and body weight criteria and their application to routine clinical practice will require validation. (C) 2009 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism and ASPEN American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult Starvation and Disease-Related Malnutrition: A Proposal for Etiology-Based Diagnosis in the Clinical Practice Setting From the International Consensus Guideline Committee

Background & Aims: Multiple definitions for malnutrition syndromes are found in the literature resulting in confusion. Recent evidence suggests that varying degrees of acute or chronic inflammation are key contributing factors in the pathophysiology of malnutrition that is associated with disease or injury. Methods: An International Guideline Committee was constituted to develop a consensus approach to defining malnutrition syndromes for adults in the clinical setting. Consensus was achieved through a series of meetings held at the ASPEN. and ESPEN Congresses. Results: It was agreed that an etiology-based approach that incorporates a current understanding of inflammatory response would be most appropriate. The Committee proposes the following nomenclature for nutrition diagnosis in adults in the clinical practice setting. ""Starvation-related malnutrition,"" when there is chronic starvation without inflammation, ""chronic disease-related malnutrition"", when inflammation is chronic and of mild to moderate degree, and ""acute disease or injury-related malnutrition"", when inflammation is acute and of severe degree. Conclusions: This commentary is intended to present a simple etiology-based construct for the diagnosis of adult malnutrition in the clinical setting. Development of associated laboratory, functional, food intake, and body weight criteria and their application to routine clinical practice will require validation. (JPEN J Parenter Enteral Mar. 2010;34:156-159)

Body mass index and risk of head and neck cancer in a pooled analysis of case-control studies in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) Consortium

Methods We pooled data from 17 case-control studies including 12 716 cases and the 17 438 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for associations between body mass index (BMI) at different ages and HNC risk, adjusted for age, sex, centre, race, education, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. Results Adjusted ORs (95% CIs) were elevated for people with BMI at reference (date of diagnosis for cases and date of selection for controls) < 18.5 kg/m(2) (2.13, 1.75-2.58) and reduced for BMI > 25.0-30.0 kg/m(2) (0.52, 0.44-0.60) and BMI >= 30 kg/m(2) (0.43, 0.33-0.57), compared with BMI > 18.5-25.0 kg/m(2). These associations did not differ by age, sex, tumour site or control source. Although the increased risk among people with BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2) was not modified by tobacco smoking or alcohol drinking, the inverse association for people with BMI > 25 kg/m(2) was present only in smokers and drinkers. Conclusions In our large pooled analysis, leanness was associated with increased HNC risk regardless of smoking and drinking status, although reverse causality cannot be excluded. The reduced risk among overweight or obese people may indicate body size is a modifier of the risk associated with smoking and drinking. Further clarification may be provided by analyses of prospective cohort and mechanistic studies.

Downregulation of Melanocortin-4 Receptor during Refeeding and its Modulation by Adrenalectomy in Rats

Melanocortin system and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) are implicated in the control of feeding behavior. Besides its anorexigenic effect on food intake, CRH is one of the most important regulators of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Therefore, there could be an interplay between HPA axis activity and melanocortin system. We investigated the expression of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4-R) mRNA in the hypothalamus of rats after 14 days of food restriction or after a fasting-refeeding regimen, in sham or adrenalectomized rats. Male Wistar rats were subjected to free access to food or food ingestion restricted for 2 h a day (8-10 AM) during 14d, when plasma corticosterone, ACTH, insulin, leptin concentrations, and MC4-R mRNA expression were determined before and after refeeding. Another set of rats was fasted for 48 h, followed by refeeding during 2 or 4 h on the seventh day after adrenalectomy (ADX) or sham surgery. On the day of the experiment, rats were anesthetized and perfused and the brain processed for MC4-R mRNA by in situ hybridization. Long-term reduction of food intake, either secondary to food restriction or adrenalectomy, reduced body weight gain and also leptin and insulin plasma concentrations. Food ingestion reduced MC4-R expression in the paraventricular nucleus in naive rats subjected to food restriction and also in sham rats fasted for 48 h. However, after ADX, MC4-R expression was not changed by refeeding. In conclusion, the present data indicate that MC4-R expression is downregulated by food ingestion and this response could be modulated by glucocorticoid withdrawal.