STRESS: um diagnóstico dos policiais militares da cidade de Natal Brasil

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to diagnose military police officers in Natal, Brazil as to the level and phase of stress in which they find themselves and the prevalent symptomatology (physical or mental). Methodology: Descriptive, crosscut study that investigated a sample of 264 individuals taken from a population of 3,193 military police officers of the Capital Police Command (CPC) in Natal, Brazil. The data were collected using the Lipp Stress Symptoms for Adults Inventory LSSI, and analyzed by tabulations, percentage calculations, t-test for proportions and Pearson s chi-squared test for associations between stress, symptomatology and military rank. Data collection was between June/2004 and January/2005. Results: It was found that 52.6% of the officers had symptoms of stress and 47.4% symptomatology of stress. This was distributed across all ranks, especially mid and upper-level officers as well as corporals and privates, with predominance in the resistance phase (36%) and a prevalence of psychological symptoms (76%). The only variable investigated that was related to stress was gender (P = 0.0337). Conclusions: It was concluded that there is stress among all ranks of military police officers in Natal, Brazil, especially mid and upper-level officers, corporals and privates, with a prevalence of psychological symptoms, low levels of physical symptoms and predominance in the resistance phase. It seems that stress levels do not differ significantly from those found in Brazilian men and women and do not indicate a situation of chronic fatigue

Polymorphism analysis of the hsp70 stress gene in Broiler chickens (Gallus gallus) of different breeds

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

Transcription profiling of signal transduction-related genes in sugarcane tissues

A collection of 237,954 sugarcane ESTs was examined in search of signal transduction genes. Over 3,500 components involved in several aspects of signal transduction, transcription, development, cell cycle, stress responses and pathogen interaction were compiled into the Sugarcane Signal Transduction (SUCAST) Catalogue. Sequence comparisons and protein domain analysis revealed 477 receptors, 510 protein kinases, 107 protein phosphatases, 75 small GTPases, 17 G-proteins, 114 calcium and inositol metabolism proteins, and over 600 transcription factors. The elements were distributed into 29 main categories subdivided into 409 sub-categories. Genes with no matches in the public databases and of unknown function were also catalogued. A cDNA microarray was constructed to profile individual variation of plants cultivated in the field and transcript abundance in six plant organs (flowers, roots, leaves, lateral buds, and 1(st) and 4(th) internodes). From 1280 distinct elements analyzed, 217 (17%) presented differential expression in two biological samples of at least one of the tissues tested. A total of 153 genes (12%) presented highly similar expression levels in all tissues. A virtual profile matrix was constructed and the expression profiles were validated by real-time PCR. The expression data presented can aid in assigning function for the sugarcane genes and be useful for promoter characterization of this and other economically important grasses.

Analysis of gene expression profiles under water stress in tolerant and sensitive sugarcane plants

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

Ergonomia e Odontologia: determinantes da postura corporal dos estudantes da clínica-escola de uma Universidade Federal

Posture is one of the most worrying problems dentists face. That is because of the high incidence of low back pathologies regarding the professional activity, despite the development on the field of Dental Ergonomics. This work took place at the dental schoolclinic at a Federal University, and it was grounded on the Ergonomic Principles in the workplace. Its main objective was to analyze the determinants of inadequate posture adopted by students inasmuch as the adoption of non ergonomic methods at the school-clinic may influence them to develop inadequate postures in their working environment. The analysis of the activity showed us that it requires some complex procedures in the patient s mouth. Thus, when the students carry out the activity, they start to adopt, although unconsciously, inadequate postures which will make easier the visual accuracy and the access to the operation focus. In case there is no internal (body awareness) or external warning mechanisms (the professor s or the partner s counseling) regarding posture or possible risks which lead them to self-correction, the students become vulnerable to osteomuscle disorders. The time pressure, because the students are expected to perform their task in a predetermined clinical time. The facts related to each patient s variability as well as the stress caused by the expectations to get their work done in time make the students to advance it believing they will waste time if they help their partners or using an indirect view. We could also notice that there was no assistant to perform the job of minor ones, as well as there was no professor who could actually connect the knowledge on Ergonomics to its working practice. The conclusions of this work stand out the need of widen the discussion at the academic environment regarding health professionals in places such as universities. The ergonomic principles in the workplace aim a multidisciplinary analysis based on the experience of students, professors, staff members and janitors that can contribute to some reflection upon the issue and consequently actions which will bring positive changes at the working environment

Energy Expenditure, Lipid Profile, Oxidative Stress, and Cardiac Energy Metabolism After Growth Hormone Treatment in Obese Young Rats

Obesity is rampant in modern society and growth hormone (GH) could be useful as adjunct therapy to reduce the obesity-induced cardiovascular damage. To investigate GH effects on obesity, initially 32 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups (n = 16): control (C) was fed standard-chow and water and hyper-caloric (H) was fed hypercaloric chow and 30% sucrose in its drinking water. After 45 days, both C and H groups were divided into two subgroups (n = 8): C + PL was fed standard-chow, water and received saline subcutaneously; C + GH was fed standard-chow, water, and received 2 mg/kg/day GH subcutaneously; H + PL was fed hypercaloric diet, 30% sucrose in its drinking water, and received saline subcutaneously; and H + GH was fed hypercaloric diet, 30% sucrose in its drinking water, and received GH subcutaneously. After 75 days of total experimental period, H + PL rats were considered obese, having higher body weight, body mass index, Lee-index, and atherogenic index (AI) compared to C + PL. Obesity was accompanied by enhanced myocardial lipid hydroperoxide (LH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), as well of depressed energy expenditure (RMR) and oxygen consumption(VO(2))/body weight. H + GH rats had higher fasting RMR, as well as lower AI and myocardial LH than H + PL. Comparing C + GH with C + PL, despite no effects on morphometric parameters, lipid profile, myocardial LH, and LDH activity, GH enhanced fed RMR and myocardial pyruvate dehydrogenase. In conclusion, the present study brought new insights into the GH effects on obesity related cardiovascular damage demonstrating, for the first time, that GH regulated cardiac metabolic pathways, enhanced energy expenditure and improved the lipid profile in obesity condition. Growth hormone in standard fed condition also offered promising therapeutic value enhancing pyruvate-dehydrogenase activity and glucose oxidation in cardiac tissue, thus optimizing myocardial energy metabolism.

Development of a Validated Stability-Indicating LC Assay and Stress Degradation Studies of Linezolid in Tablets

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

Prior exposure to stress delays extinction but does not modify reinstatement of nicotine-induced conditioned place preference

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

Stress-induced reinstatement of amphetamine-conditioned place preference and changes in tyrosine hydroxylase in the nucleus accumbens in adolescent rats

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

Finite-Element Analysis of Stress on Dental Implant Prosthesis

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

Fractal characterization of brittle fracture in ceramics under mode I stress loading

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

Comparative degradation of ZnO- and SnO(2)-based polycrystalline non-ohmic devices by current pulse stress

The degradation behaviour of SnO(2)-based varistors (SCNCr) due to current pulses (8/20 mu s) is reported here for the first time in comparison with the ZnO-based commercial varistors (ZnO). Puncturing and/or cracking failures were observed in ZnO-based varistors possessing inferior thermo-mechanical properties in comparison with that found in a SCNCr system free of failures. Both systems presented electric degradation related to the increase in the leakage current and decrease in the electric breakdown field, non-linear coefficient and average value of the potential barrier height. However, it was found that a more severe degradation occurred in the ZnO-based varistors concerning their non-ohmic behaviour, while in the SCNCr system, a strong non-ohmic behaviour remained after the degradation. These results indicate that the degradation in the metal oxide varistors is controlled by a defect diffusion process whose rate depends on the mobility, the concentration of meta-stable defects and the amount of electrically active interfaces. The improved behaviour of the SCNCr system is then inferred to be associated with the higher amount of electrically active interfaces (85%) and to a higher energy necessary to activate the diffusion of the specific defects.

Oxidative stress status and lipid profiles of diabetic pregnant rats exposed to cigarette smoke

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

Clinical features of tic-related obsessive-compulsive disorder: results from a large multicenter study

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

Stress hormones increase cell proliferation and regulates interleukin-6 secretion in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

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