Determination Of The Phenolic Composition From Brazilian Tropical Fruits By Uhplc-ms/ms.

Although Brazil is the third largest fruit producer in the world, several specimens consumed are not well studied from the chemical viewpoint, especially for quantitative analysis. For this reason and the crescent employment of mass spectrometry (MS) techniques in food science we selected twenty-two phenolic compounds with important biological activities and developed an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method using electrospray (ESI) in negative ion mode aiming their quantification in largely consumed Brazilian fruits (açaí-do-Amazonas, acerola, cashew apple, camu-camu, pineapple and taperebá). Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was applied and the selection of proper product ions for each transition assured high selectivity. Linearity (0.99580%), precision (CV<20%) and extraction recovery rate (>80%) were satisfactory and showed that the method provides an efficient protocol to analyze phenolic compounds in fruit pulp extracts.

[need For Orthodontic Treatment Among Brazilian Adolescents: Evaluation Based On Public Health].

To identify the prevalence and the severity of malocclusions and to analyze factors associated with the need for orthodontic treatment of Brazilian adolescents. This exploratory, cross-sectional study was carried out based on secondary data from the national epidemiological survey on oral health in Brazil (2002-2003). Socio-demographic conditions, self-perception, and the existence and degree of malocclusion, using the Dental Aesthetic Index, were evaluated in 16,833 adolescent Brazilians selected by probabilistic sample by conglomerates. The dependent variable - need orthodontic treatment - was estimated from the severity of malocclusion. The magnitude and direction of the association in bivariate and multivariate analyzes from a Robust Poisson regression was estimated RESULTS: The majority of the adolescents needed orthodontic treatment (53.2%). In the multivariate analysis, the prevalence of the need for orthodontic treatment was larger among females, non-whites, those that perceived a need for treatment, and those that perceived their appearance as normal, bad, or very bad. The need for orthodontic treatment was smaller among those that lived in the Northeast and Central West macro-regions compared to those living in Southeast Brazil and it was also smaller among those that perceived their chewing to be normal or their oral health to be bad or very bad. There was a high prevalence of orthodontic treatment need among adolescents in Brazil and this need was associated with demographic and subjective issues. The high prevalence of orthodontic needs in adolescents is a challenge to the goals of Brazil's universal public health system.

Profile Of Phenolic Compounds Of Brazilian Virgin Olive Oils By Rapid Resolution Liquid Chromatography Coupled To Electrospray Ionisation Time-of-flight Mass Spectrometry (rrlc-esi-tof-ms).

In recent years, agronomical researchers began to cultivate several olive varieties in different regions of Brazil to produce virgin olive oil (VOO). Because there has been no reported data regarding the phenolic profile of the first Brazilian VOO, the aim of this work was to determine phenolic contents of these samples using rapid-resolution liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. 25 VOO samples from Arbequina, Koroneiki, Arbosana, Grappolo, Manzanilla, Coratina, Frantoio and MGS Mariense varieties from three different Brazilian states and two crops were analysed. It was possible to quantify 19 phenolic compounds belonging to different classes. The results indicated that Brazilian VOOs have high total phenolic content because the values were comparable with those from high-quality VOOs produced in other countries. VOOs from Coratina, Arbosana and Grappolo presented the highest total phenolic content. These data will be useful in the development and improvement of Brazilian VOO.

Frequency of the different mutations causing spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA) in a large group of Brazilian patients

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and Machado-Joseph disease or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (MJD/SCA3) are three distinctive forms of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) caused by expansions of an unstable CAG repeat localized in the coding region of the causative genes. Another related disease, dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is also caused by an unstable triplet repeat and can present as SCA in late onset patients. We investigated the frequency of the SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA mutations in 328 Brazilian patients with SCA, belonging to 90 unrelated families with various patterns of inheritance and originating in different geographic regions of Brazil. We found mutations in 35 families (39%), 32 of them with a clear autosomal dominant inheritance. The frequency of the SCA1 mutation was 3% of all patients; and 6 % in the dominantly inherited SCAs. We identified the SCA2 mutation in 6% of all families and in 9% of the families with autosomal dominant inheritance. The MJD/SCA3 mutation was detected in 30 % of all patients; and in the 44% of the dominantly inherited cases. We found no DRPLA mutation. In addition, we observed variability in the frequency of the different mutations according to geographic origin of the patients, which is probably related to the distinct colonization of different parts of Brazil. These results suggest that SCA may be occasionally caused by the SCA1 and SCA2 mutations in the Brazilian population, and that the MJD/SCA3 mutation is the most common cause of dominantly inherited SCA in Brazil.

Molecular diagnosis of Huntington disease in Brazilian patients

Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with autosomal dominant inheritance, characterized by choreiform movements and cognitive impairment. Onset of symptoms is around 40 years of age and progression to death occurs in approximately 10 to 15 years from the time of disease onset. HD is associated with an unstable CAG repeat expansion at the 5' and of the IT15 gene. We have genotyped the CAG repeat in the IT15 gene in 44 Brazilian individuals (42 patients and 2 unaffected family members) belonging to 34 unrelated families thought to segregate HD. We found one expanded CAG allele in 32 individuals (76%) belonging to 25 unrelated families. In these HD patients, expanded alleles varied from 43 to 73 CAG units and normal alleles varied from 18 to 26 CAGs. A significant negative correlation between age at onset of symptoms and size of the expanded CAG allele was found (r=0.6; p=0.0001); however, the size of the expanded CAG repeat could explain only about 40% of the variability in age at onset (r2=0.4). In addition, we genotyped 25 unrelated control individuals (total of 50 alleles) and found normal CAG repeats varying from 16 to 33 units. The percentage of heterozigocity of the normal allele in the control population was 88%. In conclusion, our results showed that not all patients with the HD phenotype carried the expansion at the IT15 gene. Furthermore, molecular diagnosis was possible in all individuals, since no alleles of intermediate size were found. Therefore, molecular confirmation of the clinical diagnosis in HD should be sought in all suspected patients, making it possible for adequate genetic counseling.

The G209A mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene in Brazilian families with Parkinson's disease

A missense G209A mutation of the alpha-synuclein gene was recently described in a large Contursi kindred with Parkinson's disease (PD). The objective of this study is to determine if the mutation G209A of the alpha-synuclein gene was present in 10 Brazilian families with PD. PD patients were recruited from movement disorders clinics of Brazil. A family history with two or more affected in relatives was the inclusion criterion for this study. The alpha-synuclein G209A mutation assay was made using polymerase chain reaction and the restriction enzyme Tsp45I. Ten patients from 10 unrelated families were studied. The mean age of PD onset was 42.7 years old. We did not find the G209A mutation in our 10 families with PD. Our results suggest that alpha-synuclein mutation G209A is uncommon in Brazilian PD families.

Diretrizes curriculares nacionais para o ensino médio: avaliação de documento

This text offers some contributions to the debate on the changes proposed to the National Curricular Directives to reform secondary education in Brazil. In the first part, the political and economic scene is evaluated as the context which generated the last stage of reforms in the educational field in the 90s. It questions the option for a model of structural reform (in the Brazilian case more restricted to the Program for Reform of Professional Education - PROEP) and of the curriculum, whose themes find their justification in the contemporary economic, social cultural and political context. It discusses the use of a model that bases itself on experiences developed in other countries and takes the international orientation of the multilateral organizations as its theoretical methodological reference, leaving out the peculiarities and injunctions of the Brazilian political administrative system. Such a policy measure can increase the tension and distance normally existing between government programs and the possibility of their real implementation in the school network. In the second part, it discusses the Resolution of the National Education Council, the Congress on Basic Education, no.3, of 16.698 that instituted the National Curricular Directives for secondary education, as well as the Legal Bases - Part I - of the National Curricular Parameters for secondary education. The analysis of official discourse takes Bardin's (1977, p. 209) proposals as its methodological reference for the models of structural analysis, seeking to make the implicit values and the connotations of the legal texts explicit

Políticas sociais de atendimento às crianças e aos adolescentes no Brasil

This article analyses the emergence and development of social policies for children and adolescents attendance that are in line with the development process of the Brazilian social protection system, focusing on some of the main representations attributed to childhood, according to the historical and political periods. It seeks to present the notion of childhood instituted under the constitution of the Brazilian welfare state, in such a way as to place it within the broader context of the historical and political transformations that involved the emergence and consolidation of the social policies directed towards children and adolescents in Brazil in the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st.

Governamentalidade democrática e ensino de Filosofia no Brasil contemporâneo

This article takes the concepts of biopower and governmentality as the starting point for an analysis of certain recent Brazilian government documents about the introduction of Philosophy as a subject in secondary school. In the 1980s, this argument centered on Philosophy's so-called criticism and its potential for preparing citizens for a democratic society, was used by the movements aimed to restore democracy in Brazil. This argument appears to have been assimilated by the Brazilian government, because it is stated in the Guidelines and Bases of Education Law, secondary school students should demonstrate knowledge of philosophy necessary for the exercise of citizenship. The argument also appears in documents such as the PCN and PCN+ (National Curricular Parameters) and OCEM (Curriculum Guidelines for Secondary School) in their chapters on Philosophy. These documents are examined here in the light of governmentality, making explicit how Philosophy is equipped to train young people according to what is understood as a modern democratic society.

A importância das revistas Química Nova e Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society no crescimento da área de química no Brasil

Quimica Nova and the Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society are two examples of successful initiatives taken by the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ - Sociedade Brasileira de Química), and may serve as models for the scientific societies of developing countries. Pillars of the SBQ, these two periodicals are undeniable demonstrations that idealism, utopia and dignity are the essential ingredients for transforming dreams into reality. Few believed that the Brazilian chemical community would one day have, as it does today, two scientific research periodicals indexed in the principal international data banks.

Implantação e implementação das normas das Boas Práticas Laboratoriais (BPL) no laboratório de análises de resíduos da Universidade Estadual de Campinas

In the context of quality and good laboratory practices, the article recovers some historical data. From a specific Institutional situation (CPQBA/UNICAMP), is presented an experience of establishing and implementing a standard (NIT-DICLA-035) for good laboratory practice according to definitions of the Brazilian authority (INMETRO) responsible for regulating, monitoring, supervising and recognition in this area. The issue aims to focus on studies of pesticide residues in GLP parameters.

Brazilian multicentre study of common mental disorders in primary care: rates and related social and demographic factors

Mental health problems are common in primary health care, particularly anxiety and depression. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of common mental disorders and their associations with socio-demographic characteristics in primary care in Brazil (Family Health Strategy). It involved a multicenter cross-sectional study with patients from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Fortaleza (Ceará State) and Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul State), assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). The rate of mental disorders in patients from Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Fortaleza and Porto Alegre were found to be, respectively, 51.9%, 53.3%, 64.3% and 57.7% with significant differences between Porto Alegre and Fortaleza compared to Rio de Janeiro after adjusting for confounders. Prevalence proportions of mental problems were especially common for females, the unemployed, those with less education and those with lower incomes. In the context of the Brazilian government's moves towards developing primary health care and reorganizing mental health policies it is relevant to consider common mental disorders as a priority alongside other chronic health conditions.

Is size structure a good measure of future trends of plant populations? an empirical approach using five woody species from the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna)

Size distributions in woody plant populations have been used to assess their regeneration status, assuming that size structures with reverse-J shapes represent stable populations. We present an empirical approach of this issue using five woody species from the Cerrado. Considering count data for all plants of these five species over a 12-year period, we analyzed size distribution by: a) plotting frequency distributions and their adjustment to the negative exponential curve and b) calculating the Gini coefficient. To look for a relationship between size structure and future trends, we considered the size structures from the first census year. We analyzed changes in number over time and performed a simple population viability analysis, which gives the mean population growth rate, its variance and the probability of extinction in a given time period. Frequency distributions and the Gini coefficient were not able to predict future trends in population numbers. We recommend that managers should not use measures of size structure as a basis for management decisions without applying more appropriate demographic studies.

Syllable-timing in Brazilian Portuguese: uma crítica a Roy Major

This paper reintroduces the discussion about stress-timing in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). It begins by surveying some phonetic and phonological issues raised by the syllable- vs stress-timed dichotomy which culminated with the emergence of the p-center notion. Strict considerations of timing of V-V units and stress groups are taken into account to analyze the long term coupling of two basic oscillators (vowel and stress flow). This coupling allows a two-parameter characterization of language rhythms (coupling strength and speech rate) revealing that BP utterances present a high-degree of syllable-timing. A comparison with other languages, including European Portuguese, is also presented. The results analyzed indicate that Major's arguments for considering Portuguese (sic) as stress-timing are misleading.

Formação de professores: aspectos históricos e teóricos do problema no contexto brasileiro

This article deals with the theme of teacher training from the historical and theoretical perspectives. In the first part, the historical focus is introduced and the trajectory of teacher training in Brazil is examined, dividing it into six periods beginning with the passing of the Law of Schools of First Letters in 1827 and closing with the promulgation of the new law for national education in 1996. The second part deals with theoretical aspects, considering the two basic models of teacher training, their implications for the training of teachers of primary and pre-school education, the dilemma resulting from the contraposition between the two models and the way for overcoming it and concluding with observations on the training of teachers for special education.