Contribuição dos ovos de resistência de Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) para a recolonização de ambientes lacustres temporários

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Prevalence of serum antibodies to hantavirus in a rural population from the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Introduction: Rodent-borne hantaviruses cause severe human diseases. We completed a serological survey of hantavirus infection in rural inhabitants of Turvo County, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in which seropositivity for hantavirus was correlated to previous disease in the participants. Methods: The levels of IgG antibodies to hantavirus Araraquara in the sera of 257 individuals were determined using an immunoenzymatic assay. Results: IgG antibodies to hantavirus were found in 2.3% of the participants. All seropositive participants reported previous disease with symptoms suggestive of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome. Conclusions: Human infections causing unreported cardiopulmonary syndrome probably occur in the southern state of Santa Catarina.

Thermal studies on protein isolates of white lupin seeds (Lupinus albus)

This study used TG, DSC, and SDS-PAGE techniques to study protein isolates (PIs) in the powder form obtained from lupin seeds flour Lupinus albus. Different methods of preparing PIs were tested, resulting in final products that were different only in relation to the yield and protein content. The results of the protein analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that the same protein fractions were present in the lupin seeds and in the obtained PIs. This result shows that the process of extraction was not damaging to the composition of the original protein. On the other hand, the results of the thermal analysis (DSC and TG-DTG curves) obtained for the different PIs, led to the detection of changes in the protein conformation through the Delta H values, which in general decreased with increasing values of pH and ionic strength in the experimental conditions of extraction.

Cholesterol-lowering effect of whole lupin (Lupinus albus) seed and its protein isolate

This study describes the hypocholesterolaemic effect of whole lupin and its protein in hamsters. The diets were: casein (control group HC), lupin protein isolate (group HPI) and whole lupin seed (group HWS). Diets from HPI and HWS promoted a significant reduction of total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol in the hamsters' plasma as compared with HC. The true digestibility of HPI and HC groups were similar and differed significantly from the HWS one, which in turn showed a significant difference in total sterol excretion as compared to the former groups. Histological analysis of the liver revealed that animals fed on HPI and HWS diets presented a low level of steatosis (level 1) as compared to the ones fed on HC diet (level 4). Our findings demonstrate that protein isolate from Lupinus albus from Brazil has a metabolic effect on endogenous cholesterol metabolism and a protector effect on development of hepatic steatosis. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A DIVERSIDADE SOCIAL E NATURAL DO CAMPO BRASILEIRO: A EXPERIÊNCIA DO SISTEMA AGROFLORESTAL

A paisagem e o cenário econômico agrário brasileiro, tem se configurado nos últimos anos em lócus de nossa pesquisa, principalmente na articulação do espaço agrário e sua organização multifacetada, produzida pelo modo de produção capitalista. Diante da grande expressão de estudos que analisavam a mecanização do campo brasileiro, a partir da década de 1960, poucos eram os estudos sobre o cenário agrário que contemplavam outras configurações, principalmente aquelas formas de produção agrícola oriundas da unidade familiar de produção. Resultado de análises regionais realizadas sobre o espaço agrário paranaense e paulista, desenvolvemos nossa pesquisa buscando explicações, a partir da leitura e análise permitida pela geografia regional, de diversas formas de expressão, no espaço agrário paranaense e paulista, da agricultura familiar. Trataremos nesse artigo de uma forma de agricultura familiar denominada de sistema agroflorestal (SAF), que contempla a exploração da terra a partir do desenvolvimento sustentável (vegetação nativa x população). Nosso objetivo é caracterizar geograficamente o sistema agroflorestal, localizado no município de Barra do turvo. O trabalho de campo, as entrevistas com os agrofloresteiros, e a fotografia foram utilizados para registrar e analisar o SAF.