INFLUÊNCIAS DO SISTEMA CUBANO DE PRODUÇÃO DE CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR SOBRE AS USINAS DE SÃO PAULO (BRASIL): 1875-1929

La producción de azúcar ha jugado un papel central en gran parte de la historia de Cuba, así como en Brasil. En algunos períodos de la historia de estos dos países se consideró esta actividad, tecnológicamente hablando, moderna, y en otros se mostraron retrasos y demoras.Durante el período que cubrimos, 1875-1929, el cultivo de caña de azúcar de Cuba fue el más desarrollado del mundo, presentando altos niveles de productividad. Ya la de Brasil estaba estancada en el tiempo, totalmente incapaz de competir en el mercado internacional.En Brasil, el estado de Sao Paulo se perfilaba como un productor emergente, dotado de una mayor capacidad de asimilación de la tecnología y la expansión del cultivo de caña de azúcar. En el proceso de despliegue de sus modernas plantas en primer lugar, el ejemplo de Cuba fue de grande influencia a los productores de Sao Paulo.Lo que pretendemos analizar con esta investigación es cómo el sistema cubano de transporte de la caña tuvo divulgación y fue asimilado parcialmente en el estado de Sao Paulo, que pronto se convertiría en el principal productor de azúcar en el Brasil. 

Not Simply A Matter Of Fish Intake.

Background and aims: Recent findings have highlighted enhanced fish consumption as a potential measure to increase intake of healthy fatty acids, particularly omega-3. The generalizability of this recommendation, however, may fall short by differences in fish species and cooking techniques. Hence, we investigated how these 2 variables affect the lipid content in fish flesh. Methods and Results: Nine species of freshwater, deep sea or shore fish were grilled, steamed or fried with or without the addition of soybean oil, olive oil or butter. The lipid composition was analysed and a significant difference was observed in cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids contents between species (p<0.05). The use of soybean or olive oil was associated with a significant change in flesh concentration of polyunsaturated, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study calls attention to the specific lipid content that must be expected from different fish species and cooking techniques.

The Ccr5Δ32 Polymorphism In Brazilian Patients With Sickle Cell Disease.

Previous studies on the role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease (SCD) suggested that the CCR5Δ32 allele, which is responsible for the production of truncated C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5), could confer a selective advantage on patients with SCD because it leads to a less efficient Th1 response. We determined the frequency of the CCR5Δ32 polymorphism in 795 Afro-Brazilian SCD patients followed up at the Pernambuco Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, in Northeastern Brazil, divided into a pediatric group (3 months-17 years, n = 483) and an adult group (18-70 years, n = 312). The adult patients were also compared to a healthy control group (blood donors, 18-61 years, n = 247). The CCR5/CCR5Δ32 polymorphism was determined by allele-specific PCR. No homozygous patient for the CCR5Δ32 allele was detected. The frequency of heterozygotes in the study population (patients and controls) was 5.8%, in the total SCD patients 5.1%, in the children 5.4%, in the adults with SCD 4.8%, and in the adult controls 8.1%. These differences did not reach statistical significance. Our findings failed to demonstrate an important role of the CCR5Δ32 allele in the population sample studied here.

Obstacle Crossing With Dual Tasking Is A Danger For Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease And For Healthy Older People.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of dual tasking on obstacle crossing during walking by individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and by healthy older people. Thirty four elderly individuals (16 healthy subjects and 18 individuals with AD) were recruited to participate in this study. Three AD individuals and one control participant were excluded due to exclusion criteria. The participants were instructed to walk barefoot at their own speed along an 8 m long pathway. Each participant performed five trials for each condition (unobstructed walking, unobstructed walking with dual tasking, and obstacle crossing during walking with dual tasking). The trials were completely randomized for each participant. The mid-pathway stride was measured in the unobstructed walking trials and the stride that occurred during the obstacle avoidance was measured in the trials that involved obstacle crossing. The behavior of the healthy elderly subjects and individuals with AD was similar for obstacle crossing during walking with dual tasking. Both groups used the posture first strategy to prioritize stability and showed decreased attention to executive tasking while walking. Additionally, AD had a strong influence on the modifications that are made by the elderly while walking under different walking conditions.

Nasal Potential Difference In Cystic Fibrosis Considering Severe Cftr Mutations.

The gold standard for diagnosing cystic fibrosis (CF) is a sweat chloride value above 60 mEq/L. However, this historical and important tool has limitations; other techniques should be studied, including the nasal potential difference (NPD) test. CFTR gene sequencing can identify CFTR mutations, but this method is time-consuming and too expensive to be used in all CF centers. The present study compared CF patients with two classes I-III CFTR mutations (10 patients) (G1), CF patients with classes IV-VI CFTR mutations (five patients) (G2), and 21 healthy subjects (G3). The CF patients and healthy subjects also underwent the NPD test. A statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, χ(2), and Fisher's exact tests, α = 0.05. No differences were observed between the CF patients and healthy controls for the PDMax, Δamiloride, and Δchloride + free + amiloride markers from the NPD test. For the finger value, a difference between G2 and G3 was described. The Wilschanski index values were different between G1 and G3. In conclusion, our data showed that NPD is useful for CF diagnosis when classes I-III CFTR mutations are screened. However, if classes IV-VI are considered, the NPD test showed an overlap in values with healthy subjects.

Anomalous thermodynamic properties in ferropericlase throughout its spin crossover transition

The thermodynamics properties of ferropericlase (Mg(1-x)Fe(x)O where x=0.1875) (Fp) throughout its spin crossover were investigated by first principles. Fp was treated as an ideal solid solution of pure high-spin and low-spin states. The Gibbs free energies of the pure states were addressed using the LDA+U method. A vibrational virtual-crystal model was developed to address the vibrational properties of the pure spin cases and used in conjunction with quasiharmonic theory to compute their vibrational free energies. The thermodynamics properties of Fp display significant anomalies that should be typical of spin crossover systems in general. In Fp, in particular, they are fundamental for understanding the state of earth's interior, where the pressure and temperature conditions of the crossover are realized.

Anomalous compressibility of ferropericlase throughout the iron spin cross-over

The thermoelastic properties of ferropericlase Mg(1-x)Fe(x)O (x = 0.1875) throughout the iron high-to-low spin cross-over have been investigated by first principles at Earth`s lower mantle conditions. This cross-over has important consequences for elasticity such as an anomalous bulk modulus (K(S)) reduction. At room temperature the anomaly is somewhat sharp in pressure but broadens with increasing temperature. Along a typical geotherm it occurs across most of the lower mantle with a more significant K(S) reduction at approximate to 1,400-1,600 km depth. This anomaly might also cause a reduction in the effective activation energy for diffusion creep and lead to a viscosity minimum in the mid-lower mantle, in apparent agreement with results from inversion of data related with mantle convection and postglacial rebound.

Reviews

Reviews the books `Along the Faultlines: Sex, Race and Nation in Australian Women's Writing, 1880s-1930s,' by Susan Sheridan and `Writing the Colonial Adventure: Race, Gender and Nation in Anglo-Australian Popular Fiction, 1875-1914,' by Robert Dixon.

Emerging technologies for the prevention of dental caries. Are current methods of prevention sufficient for the high risk patient?

Fluorides and chlorhexidine are technologies that are 65 and 40 years old, respectively. This overview argues that current methods of caries prevention are not effective for the high caries risk patient. In this review examples, arguments and recommendations are provided to address the high caries risk patient that include: failure of comprehensive chemical modalities treatments to address the high caries risk patient; ecological alteration - would this be an effective approach?; and biomaterials and oral microbiome research to address the high caries risk patient.

Researchers' information needs in the bibliographic database : a literature review

This article is published online with Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License.

Introduction

Esta é a primeira primeira versão em inglês da obra de J.H. da Cunha Rivara A Conjuração de 1787 em Goa e várias cousas desse tempo: Memória Histórica (Panjim, 1875) em que compilou a documentação sobre a chamada Conjuração dos Pintos. A Introdução analisa os motivos que teriam levado Cunha Rivara para se dedicar a este assunto. Como secretário de Estado, Cunha Rivara estava preocupado com a Revolta dos Cipaios que abalara a Índia vizinha, e foi obrigado a prestar ajuda à administração da Companhia das Indias Orientais nesta crise nas fronteiras do Estado da Índia. Havia também militares católicos de Goa (Pintos de Candolim) que estavam envolvidos na Revolta como funcionários ao sedrviço dos Maratas. O motivo mais imediato para investigar a Conjuração de 1787 eram as provocações dos goeses que referiam a aquele evento nos discursos eleitorais como "aborto da justiça". Estes discursos irritavam Cunha Rivara que estava mais inclinado a apoiar os candidatos dos descendentes portugueses para deputados na camara dos pares em Lisboa. Esta investigação e publicação de Cunha Rivara não favorece a imagem de Cunha Rivara como um historiador insuspeito de predilecções. Também as suas publicações sobre os problemas enfrentados pelo Padroado português na Índia são igualmente marcadas por emocionalismo.

Intelligent supervisory control system for home devices using a cyber physical approach

Although we have many electric devices at home, there are just few systems to evaluate, monitor and control them. Sometimes users go out and leave their electric devices turned on what can cause energy wasting and dangerous situations. Therefore most of the users may want to know the using states of their electrical appliances through their mobile devices in a pervasive way. In this paper, we propose an Intelligent Supervisory Control System to evaluate, monitor and control the use of electric devices in home, from outside. Because of the transferring data to evaluate, monitor and control user's location and state of home (ex. nobody at home) may be opened to attacks leading to dangerous situations. In our model we include a location privacy module and encryption module to provide security to user location and data. Intelligent Supervising Control System gives to the user the ability to manage electricity loads by means of a multi-agent system involving evaluation, monitoring, control and energy resource agents.

Cell-specific regulation of acetylcholinesterase expression under inflammatory conditions

Acetylcholine (ACh) has been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory function by down-modulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Its availability can be regulated at different levels, namely at its synthesis and degradation steps. Accordingly, the expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme responsible for ACh hydrolysis, has been observed to be modulated in inflammation. To further address the mechanisms underlying this effect, we aimed here at characterizing AChE expression in distinct cellular types pivotal to the inflammatory response. This study was performed in the human acute leukaemia monocytyc cell line, THP-1, in human monocyte-derived primary macrophages and in human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In order to subject these cells to inflammatory conditions, THP-1 and macrophage were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E.coli and HUVEC were stimulated with the tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Our results showed that although AChE expression was generally up-regulated at the mRNA level under inflammatory conditions, distinct AChE protein expression profiles were aurprisingly observed among the distinct cellular types studied. Altogether, these results argue for the existence of cell specific mechanisms that regulate the expression of acetylcholinesterase in inflammation.

Gestão e monitorização de uma rede departamental: um caso de estudo

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Occupational exposure to aflatoxin B1: the case of poultry and swine production

Although there is an abundance of literature concerning the ingestion of food contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), only a small number of studies explore mycotoxin exposure in occupational settings. Taking this into consideration, our study was developed with the intention of elucidating whether there is occupational exposure to AFB1 in Portuguese poultry and swine production facilities. A specific biomarker was used to assess exposure to AFB1. A total of 45 workers (34 from poultry farms; 11 from swine production facilities) participated in this study, providing blood samples. Additionally, a control group (n=30) composed of subjects without any type of contact with agricultural activity was considered. All participants signed a consent form and were provided with the study protocol. Eighteen poultry workers (58.6%) and six workers from the swine production facilities (54.5%) showed detectable levels of AFB1. In the control group, the AFB1 values were all below 1 ng/ml. No significant differences in AFB1 levels in serum between workers from poultry and swine farms were found. Poultry workers, however, showed the highest serum levels and a significant statistical difference between this group and the control group was found. Results suggest that exposure to AFB1 by inhalation occurs in both occupational settings representing an additional risk that needs to be recognised, assessed and prevented.