CARACTERIZAÇÃO QUÍMICA E EFEITO DO ÓLEO ESSENCIAL DE ERVA-DE-SANTA-MARIA SOBRE O ÁCARO-RAJADO DE MORANGUEIRO

O ácaro-rajado, Tetranychus urticae Koch (1836) (Acari: Tetranychidae), é a principal praga na cultura do morangueiro. O objetivo deste trabalho foi a caracterização química do óleo essencial de Chenopodium ambrosioides L. e a avaliação de seus efeitos sobre o ácaro-rajado. Os compostos do óleo essencial foram identificados pelasanálises de CG-DIC e CG-EM. A mortalidade e a oviposição foram avaliadas após a pulverização do óleo (2,5; 5,0; 7,5 e 10,0% v v-1) sobre fêmeas do ácaro-rajado. O rendimento do óleo essencial foi de 0,3%, e os compostos identificados foram (Z)-ascaridol (87%), (E)-ascaridol (5,04%), p-cimeno (4,83%), a- terpineno (1,24%) e piperitona (0,7%). Os maiores valores para mortalidade e redução de oviposição observados foram 85% e 69%, respectivamente. O óleo essencial de C. ambrosioidesé uma opção promissora para o manejo do ácaro-rajado.

Effectiveness of a primary care-based intervention to reduce sitting time in overweight and obese patients (SEDESTACTIV): a randomized controlled trial; rationale and study design

Background: There is growing evidence suggesting that prolonged sitting has negative effects on people's weight, chronic diseases and mortality. Interventions to reduce sedentary time can be an effective strategy to increase daily energy expenditure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-month primary care intervention to reduce daily of sitting time in overweight and mild obese sedentary patients. Method/Design: The study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Professionals from thirteen primary health care centers (PHC) will randomly invite to participate mild obese or overweight patients of both gender, aged between 25 and 65 years old, who spend 6 hours at least daily sitting. A total of 232 subjects will be randomly allocated to an intervention (IG) and control group (CG) (116 individuals each group). In addition, 50 subjects with fibromyalgia will be included. Primary outcome is: (1) sitting time using the activPAL device and the Marshall questionnaire. The following parameters will be also assessed: (2) sitting time in work place (Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire), (3) health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), (4) evolution of stage of change (Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change Model), (5) physical inactivity (catalan version of Brief Physical Activity Assessment Tool), (6) number of steps walked (pedometer and activPAL), (7) control based on analysis (triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, glycemia and, glycated haemoglobin in diabetic patients) and (8) blood pressure and anthropometric variables. All parameters will be assessed pre and post intervention and there will be a follow up three, six and twelve months after the intervention. A descriptive analysis of all variables and a multivariate analysis to assess differences among groups will be undertaken. Multivariate analysis will be carried out to assess time changes of dependent variables. All the analysis will be done under the intention to treat principle. Discussion: If the SEDESTACTIV intervention shows its effectiveness in reducing sitting time, health professionals would have a low-cost intervention tool for sedentary overweight and obese patients management.

Efectos de la primera visita de consejo genético sobre la percepción de riesgo y el malestar emocional

Objetivo: Analizar los efectos que provoca la primera visita de consejo genético para cáncer hereditario sobre la percepción de riesgo, y el malestar emocional en pacientes que acuden por primera vez a la Unidad de Consejo Genético (UCG) por historia familiar de cáncer de mama, ovario o colon hereditario. Método: Se evaluó la percepción de riesgo de padecer cáncer (al año, a 10 años, y a lo largo de toda la vida), y la intensidad del malestar emocional (evaluada como la ansiedad, tristeza y preocupación por la salud experimentadas durante la última semana) en tres ocasiones: inmediatamente antes de la primera visita de consejo genético (CG), inmediatamente después de la misma, y al cabo de 2-3 semanas. Resultados: El malestar emocional previo a la visita se producía en aproximadamente un 30% de los pacientes, siendo mayor en las personas que no realizaban actividad laboral. Si bien la visita de CG reducía el malestar emocional en muchos casos, ocurría lo contrario en algunos pacientes inmediatamente después de la misma (un 34% se sentía más ansioso, un 32% se sentía más triste, y un 23% se sentía más preocupado), y ello guardaba relación con la preocupación por los hijos (tanto si se tenían como si se pretendía tenerlos en el futuro). No obstante, este malestar se reducía en las 2-3 semanas posteriores. La visita de CG reducía la percepción de riesgo de padecer cáncer a lo largo de toda la vida (p< .01), no existiendo diferencias en función del tipo de cáncer. Conclusiones: Esta primera visita reduce la sobreestimación del riesgo de padecer cáncer que los pacientes tienen antes de la misma, pero, en aproximadamente un tercio de los mismos, no reduce los niveles de malestar emocional, observándose, incluso, un incremento de éste que va disminuyendo durante las semanas posteriores a la visita. Son necesarios más estudios que permitan determinar si este incremento es una consecuencia inevitable del inicio del proceso de CG, o si puede reducirse modificando algún aspecto del protocolo que se aplica en la primera visita.

Internet-Based Brief Intervention to Prevent Unhealthy Alcohol Use among Young Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Alcohol use is one of the leading modifiable morbidity and mortality risk factors among young adults. 2 parallel-group randomized controlled trial with follow-up at 1 and 6 months. Internet based study in a general population sample of young men with low-risk drinking, recruited between June 2012 and February 2013. Intervention: Internet-based brief alcohol primary prevention intervention (IBI). The IBI aims at preventing an increase in alcohol use: it consists of normative feedback, feedback on consequences, calorific value alcohol, computed blood alcohol concentration, indication that the reported alcohol use is associated with no or limited risks for health. Intervention group participants received the IBI. Control group (CG) participants completed only an assessment. Alcohol use (number of drinks per week), binge drinking prevalence. Analyses were conducted in 2014-2015. Of 4365 men invited to participate, 1633 did so; 896 reported low-risk drinking and were randomized (IBI: n = 451; CG: n = 445). At baseline, 1 and 6 months, the mean (SD) number of drinks/week was 2.4(2.2), 2.3(2.6), 2.5(3.0) for IBI, and 2.4(2.3), 2.8(3.7), 2.7(3.9) for CG. Binge drinking, absent at baseline, was reported by 14.4% (IBI) and 19.0% (CG) at 1 month and by 13.3% (IBI) and 13.0% (CG) at 6 months. At 1 month, beneficial intervention effects were observed on the number of drinks/week (p = 0.05). No significant differences were observed at 6 months. We found protective short term effects of a primary prevention IBI. Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN55991918.

Internet-Based Brief Intervention to Prevent Unhealthy Alcohol Use among Young Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol use is one of the leading modifiable morbidity and mortality risk factors among young adults. STUDY DESIGN: 2 parallel-group randomized controlled trial with follow-up at 1 and 6 months. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Internet based study in a general population sample of young men with low-risk drinking, recruited between June 2012 and February 2013. INTERVENTION: Internet-based brief alcohol primary prevention intervention (IBI). The IBI aims at preventing an increase in alcohol use: it consists of normative feedback, feedback on consequences, calorific value alcohol, computed blood alcohol concentration, indication that the reported alcohol use is associated with no or limited risks for health. INTERVENTION group participants received the IBI. Control group (CG) participants completed only an assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Alcohol use (number of drinks per week), binge drinking prevalence. Analyses were conducted in 2014-2015. RESULTS: Of 4365 men invited to participate, 1633 did so; 896 reported low-risk drinking and were randomized (IBI: n = 451; CG: n = 445). At baseline, 1 and 6 months, the mean (SD) number of drinks/week was 2.4(2.2), 2.3(2.6), 2.5(3.0) for IBI, and 2.4(2.3), 2.8(3.7), 2.7(3.9) for CG. Binge drinking, absent at baseline, was reported by 14.4% (IBI) and 19.0% (CG) at 1 month and by 13.3% (IBI) and 13.0% (CG) at 6 months. At 1 month, beneficial intervention effects were observed on the number of drinks/week (p = 0.05). No significant differences were observed at 6 months. CONCLUSION: We found protective short term effects of a primary prevention IBI. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN55991918.

Nursing intervention versus usual care to improve delirium among home-dwelling older adults receiving homecare after hospitalization: feasibility and acceptability of a Randomized Controlled Trail.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is an acute cognitive impairment among older hospitalized patients. It can persist until discharge and for months after that. Despite proof that evidence-based nursing interventions are effective in preventing delirium in acute hospitals, interventions among home-dwelling older patients is lacking. The aim was to assess feasibility and acceptability of a nursing intervention designed to detect and reduce delirium in older adults after discharge from hospital. METHODS: Randomized clinical pilot trial with a before/after design was used. One hundred and three older adults were recruited in a home healthcare service in French-speaking Switzerland and randomized into an experimental group (EG, n = 51) and a control group (CG, n = 52). The CG received usual homecare. The EG received usual homecare plus five additional nursing interventions at 48 and 72 h and at 7, 14 and 21 days after discharge. These interventions were tailored for detecting and reducing delirium and were conducted by a geriatric clinical nurse (GCN). All patients were monitored at the start of the study (M1) and throughout the month for symptoms of delirium (M2). This was documented in patients' records after usual homecare using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). At one month (M2), symptoms of delirium were measured using the CAM, cognitive status was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and functional status was measured using Katz and Lawton Index of activities of daily living (ADL/IADL). At the end of the study, participants in the EG and homecare nurses were interviewed about the acceptability of the nursing interventions and the study itself. RESULTS: Feasibility and acceptability indicators reported excellent results. Recruitment, retention, randomization, and other procedures were efficient, although some potentially issues were identified. Participants and nurses considered organizational procedures, data collection, intervention content, the dose-effect of the interventions, and methodology all to be feasible. Duration, patient adherence and fidelity were judged acceptable. Nurses, participants and informal caregivers were satisfied with the relevance and safety of the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing interventions to detect/improve delirium at home are feasible and acceptable. These results confirm that developing a large-scale randomized controlled trial would be appropriate. TRIAL REGESTRATION: ISRCTN registry no: 16103589 - 19 February 2016.

Circulating progenitor cells during exercise, muscle electro-stimulation and intermittent hypobaric hypoxia in patients with traumatic brain injury. A pilot study

BACKGROUND: Circulating progenitor cells (CPC) treatments may have great potential for the recovery of neurons and brain function. OBJECTIVE: To increase and maintain CPC with a program of exercise, muscle electro-stimulation (ME) and/or intermittent-hypobaric-hypoxia (IHH), and also to study the possible improvement in physical or psychological functioning of participants with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). METHODS: Twenty-one participants. Four groups: exercise and ME group (EEG), cycling group (CyG), IHH and ME group (HEG) and control group (CG). Psychological and physical stress tests were carried out. CPC were measured in blood several times during the protocol. RESULTS: Psychological tests did not change. In the physical stress tests the VO2 uptake increased in the EEG and the CyG, and the maximal tolerated workload increased in the HEG. CPC levels increased in the last three weeks in EEG, but not in CyG, CG and HEG. CONCLUSIONS: CPC levels increased in the last three weeks of the EEG program, but not in the other groups and we did not detect performed psychological test changes in any group. The detected aerobic capacity or workload improvement must be beneficial for the patients who have suffered TBI, but exercise type and the mechanisms involved are not clear.

Flavonóides e triterpenos de Baccharis pseudotenuifolia: bioatividade sobre Artemia salina

The phytochemical investigation of the chloroformic and methanolic extracts of the Baccharis pseudotenuifolia led to the isolation of triterpenes, steroids and flavonoids. From chloroformic extract were isolated oleanolic acid and alpha-spinasterol while from methanolic extract were isolated the flavonoids: hispidulin, naringenin, 3'-methoxy-luteolin, apigenin, kaempferol, eriodyctiol, aromadendrin, quercetin, 3'-methoxy-quercetin, quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside and quercetin-3-O-glucoside. The structure of these compounds were identified by IR, CG/MS, ¹H and 13C NMR spectral analysis and comparison with literature. In addition, the extracts were evaluated by means of Brine Shrimp Lethality test and the highier activity was observed in the chloroformic extract.

Teor e composição do óleo essencial de cinco acessos de mentrasto

This study aimed to analyse the content and the composition of the essential oil of five accesses of mentrasto (Ageratum conyzoides). Five accesses of mentrasto with three repetitions were used. The accesses were obtained in Mariana-MG (AMA), Piranga-MG (API), Visconde do Rio Branco (ARB) and Viçosa-MG (AVB and AVP). The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and the identification of the oil components by CG and GC/MS. The ARB access presented the higher essential oil content, that is 0.70% (P < 0.05). Eleven chemical compounds were identified. The precocene I was the main constituent in the access API, and the precocene II was the main constituent in the accesses AMA, ARB, AVB and AVP.

O enfoque da metrologia química em análises toxicológicas na atividade turfística: validação de método analítico para determinação de cafeína em matrizes biológicas

This paper proposes an alternate method to detect forbidden doping substances present in biological matrices of horseracing. The method was fully validated for caffeine, identified as the most frequent forbidden substance in the analysis conducted by the Antidoping Laboratory of the Brazilian Jockey Club, which adopts a zero threshold limit according to national and international horseracing practices. The metrological reliability of the method applied to toxicological analysis in biological matrices is discussed. Although the analytical method proposed for detection of a zero threshold level of the doping substance is qualitative, it was validated for the determination of the limiting value (also known as quantification limit value) introducing a criterion that prevents the issuing of incorrect results ("false-positives" and "false-negatives").

Aplicação de espectrometria de massas com ionização por elétron na análise de alcaloides do mulungu

Erythrina verna is a medicinal plant used to calm agitation popularly known as mulungu. We purchased the barks of E. verna from a commercial producer and analyzed the alkaloid fraction of the bark by CG-MS and HRESI-MS. Five erythrinian alkaloids were identified: erysotrine, erythratidine, erythratidinone, epimer, and 11-hydroxieritratidinone. Here we report the compound 11-hydroxieritratidinone for the first time as a natural product.

Desenvolvimento e validação do método QuEChERS na determinação de resíduos de medicamentos veterinários em leite e carne de búfalo

Analytical methods were developed and validated to determine residues of veterinary drugs in buffalo milk and meat, using the QuEChERS method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Both milk and meat, at 2 g of sample, 4 mL of acetonitrile, 0.8 g of MgSO4 and 0.2 g of NaCl, were used in the liquid-liquid partition, whereas 50 mg of C18, 50 mg of PSA and 150 mg of MgSO4 were employed in the dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE). The methods showed sensitivity, precision and accuracy. The quantitation limits were in agreement with the maximum residue limit established by the Codex Alimentarius, FAO and WHO.

Bioanalytical method for the quantification of the monastrol derivative anticancer candidate lasom 65 in pre-clinical pharmacokinetic investigations

A simple HPLC/UV method was developed for the determination of the anticancer candidate LaSOM 65 in rat plasma. Samples were cleaned by protein precipitation with acetonitrile (recovery > 95%), after which they were subjected to chromatography under the isocratic elution of an acetonitrile:water (45:55, ν/ν) solution with detection at 303 nm. The method was linear (r² > 0.98) over the concentration range (0.05-2 µg mL-1) with intra- and inter-day precision ranging from 9.6% to 13.6% and 4.3% to 5.4%, respectively. The accuracy of the method ranged from 85% to 113.6%, and it showed sufficient sensitivity to determine pharmacokinetic parameters of LaSOM 65 after intravenous administration to Wistar rats.

APROVEITAMENTO DE RESÍDUO DE BIODIESEL PARA PREPARAÇÃO DE CARVÕES ÁCIDOS COM ELEVADA ATIVIDADE CATALÍTICA NA REAÇÃO DE ETERIFICAÇÃO DO GLICEROL

Environmentally friendly acid carbon (CG) catalysts, containing a high amount of sulfonated and oxygenated groups, were prepared from glycerin, a biodiesel waste. CGs were produced by glycerin carbonization in the presence of H2SO4 at 1:3 m:m ratio in a closed autoclave at 180ºC for different times: 0.25; 1; 3 and 6 hours (CG-0.25h; CG-1h; CG-3h and CG-6h, respectively). The catalyst properties for all carbons were evaluated in the glycerol etherification reaction with tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). The yield for mono-tert-butyl glycerol (MTBG), di-tert-butyl glycerol (DTBG) and tri-tert-butyl-glycerol (TTBG) was high and very similar for all CGs, of about 43% and 20% for the MTBG and DTBG + TTBG, respectively. Furthermore, the activity of these catalysts were close to those obtained using a commercial resin, Amberlyst-15, of about 50% and 27% for MTBG and DTBG + TTBG, respectively.

Compatibilidade sexual e vegetativa do complexo Glomerella-Colletotrichum associado a sementes de algodão

Colletotrichum gossypii (Cg) (Glomerella gossipii) e Colletotrichum gossypii var. cephalosporioides (Cgc) são agentes etiológicos da antracnose e da ramulose no algodoeiro (Gossypium hirsutum). Ambos os patógenos são encontrados na forma mitospórica na natureza e a diferenciação entre eles é feita principalmente a partir dos sintomas das doenças causadas. O presente trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de verificar a ocorrência de reações de compatibilidade sexual e incompatibilidade vegetativa entre e dentro de isolados de Cg e Cgc e avaliar alguns aspectos citológicos das formas de esporulação. Pelos resultados, observou-se existência de grande variabilidade dentro dessa espécie. Os conídios diferiram em tamanho em todos os isolados, sendo encontrados conídios bi- e trinucleados. Em cultura, nas áreas de contato (entre as hifas), foram observadas reações de incompatibilidade vegetativa tanto entre quanto dentro dos isolados. Em apenas um dos isolados avaliados ocorreu reprodução sexuada de forma espontânea, sugerindo comportamento homotálico.