Impact of chemical structure of flavanol monomers and condensed tannins on in vitro anthelmintic activity against bovine nematodes

Plants containing condensed tannins (CT) may have potential to control gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of cattle. The aim was to investigate the anthelmintic activities of four flavan-3-ols, two galloyl derivatives and 14 purified CT fractions, and to define which structural features of CT determine the anti-parasitic effects against the main cattle nematodes. We used in vitro tests targeting L1 larvae (feeding inhibition assay) and adults (motility assay) of Ostertagia ostertagi and Cooperia oncophora. In the larval feeding inhibition assay, O. ostertagi L1 were significantly more susceptible to all CT fractions than C. oncophora L1. The mean degree of polymerization of CT (i.e. average size) was the most important structural parameter: large CT reduced larval feeding more than small CT. The flavan-3-ols of prodelphinidin (PD)-type tannins had a stronger negative influence on parasite activity than the stereochemistry, i.e. cis- vs trans-configurations, or the presence of a gallate group. In contrast, for C. oncophora high reductions in the motility of larvae and adult worms were strongly related with a higher percentage of PDs within the CT fractions while there was no effect of size. Overall, the size and the percentage of PDs within CT seemed to be the most important parameters that influence anti-parasitic activity.

Cross-sector surveys assessing perceptions of key stakeholders towards barriers, concerns and facilitators to the appropriate use of adaptive designs in confirmatory trials

Background Appropriately conducted adaptive designs (ADs) offer many potential advantages over conventional trials. They make better use of accruing data, potentially saving time, trial participants, and limited resources compared to conventional, fixed sample size designs. However, one can argue that ADs are not implemented as often as they should be, particularly in publicly funded confirmatory trials. This study explored barriers, concerns, and potential facilitators to the appropriate use of ADs in confirmatory trials among key stakeholders. Methods We conducted three cross-sectional, online parallel surveys between November 2014 and January 2015. The surveys were based upon findings drawn from in-depth interviews of key research stakeholders, predominantly in the UK, and targeted Clinical Trials Units (CTUs), public funders, and private sector organisations. Response rates were as follows: 30(55 %) UK CTUs, 17(68 %) private sector, and 86(41 %) public funders. A Rating Scale Model was used to rank barriers and concerns in order of perceived importance for prioritisation. Results Top-ranked barriers included the lack of bridge funding accessible to UK CTUs to support the design of ADs, limited practical implementation knowledge, preference for traditional mainstream designs, difficulties in marketing ADs to key stakeholders, time constraints to support ADs relative to competing priorities, lack of applied training, and insufficient access to case studies of undertaken ADs to facilitate practical learning and successful implementation. Associated practical complexities and inadequate data management infrastructure to support ADs were reported as more pronounced in the private sector. For funders of public research, the inadequate description of the rationale, scope, and decision-making criteria to guide the planned AD in grant proposals by researchers were all viewed as major obstacles. Conclusions There are still persistent and important perceptions of individual and organisational obstacles hampering the use of ADs in confirmatory trials research. Stakeholder perceptions about barriers are largely consistent across sectors, with a few exceptions that reflect differences in organisations’ funding structures, experiences and characterisation of study interventions. Most barriers appear connected to a lack of practical implementation knowledge and applied training, and limited access to case studies to facilitate practical learning. Keywords: Adaptive designs; flexible designs; barriers; surveys; confirmatory trials; Phase 3; clinical trials; early stopping; interim analyses

Nutritional information of meals supplied by companies, participating in the workers` meal program in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Objective. To compare the nutritional value of meals provided by companies participating in the Workers` Meal Program in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, to the nutritional recommendations and guidelines established by the Ministry of Health for the Brazilian population. Methods. The 72 companies studied were grouped according to economic sector (industrial, services, or commerce), size (micro, small, medium, or large), meal preparation modality (prepared on-site by the company itself, on-site by a hired caterer, or off-site by a hired caterer), and supervision by a dietitian (yes or no). The per capita amount of food was determined based on the lunch, dinner, and supper menus for three days. The nutritional value of the meals was defined by the amount of calories, carbohydrates, protein, total fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sugars, cholesterol, and fruits and vegetables. Results. Most of the menus were deficient in the number of fruits and vegetables (63.9%) and amount of polyunsaturated fat (83.3%), but high in total fat (47.2%) and cholesterol (62.5%). Group 2, composed of mostly medium and large companies, supervised by a dietician, belonging to the industrial and/or service sectors, and using a hired caterer, on averaged served meals with higher calorie content (P < 0.001), higher percentage of polyunsaturated fat (P < 0.001), more cholesterol (P = 0.015), and more fruits and vegetables (P < 0.001) than Group 1, which was composed of micro and small companies from the commercial sector, that prepare the meals themselves on-site, and are not supervised by a dietitian. Regarding the nutrition guidelines set for the Brazilian population, Group 2 meals were better in terms of fruit and vegetable servings (P < 0.001). Group I meals were better in terms of cholesterol content (P = 0.05). Conclusions. More specific action is required targeting company officers and managers in charge of food and nutrition services, especially in companies without dietitian supervision.

Entry strategies on an emerging market: Brazil: case studies of French cosmetics companies in Brazil

Este trabalho envolve as estrategias de entrada sobre um mercado emergente, o mercado brasileiro. Os estudos de casos que apoiam o assunto são de empresas francesas do setor de cosméticos. Uma revisão da literatura sobre o assunto sera comparada com os resultados dos estudos de caso. Isso para conduzir numa observação do estado atual das caractéristicos de instalação no mercado brasileiro deste setor para empresas estrangeiras de tamanho médio. O estudo da literatura que já existe sobre o assunto se concentra sobre varias problemáticas conectadas com a problemática geral: as razões para internacionalizar, o modo de entrada, os obstáculos encontrados, as estrategias especificais e as adaptações do marketing mix. Depois este trabalho se concentra sobre tres empresas francesas representativas das problematicas atuais do setor : Norlessi, LaboBio e Plains Cosmetics. Os estudos de caso são sustentados por entrevistas e coleção de dados de varios origens, descrevedo mas precisamente na parte de methodologia. Depois será feito uma cross-analysis tentando comparar as conclusões do estudo empirico e do estudo literário. As conclusões finais tem como objetivo de ser uma observação objetiva do raciocinio das empresas consideradas sobre as problemáticas escolhidas.

Avaliação das teorias da liquidação ineficiente, monitoramento e risco moral no Brasil

O presente trabalho busca ir além da decisão, capital próprio ou terceiro, e verificar a decisão de qual tipo de recurso terceiro angariar, portanto, analisa a composição do endividamento da empresa com relação à fonte de financiamento: recursos privados ou públicos. Logo, foram construídos modelos econométricos com o intuito de investigar quais características, por parte da empresa, são relevantes na escolha de qual fonte recorrer para financiar suas atividades. Foram utilizados dados em painel de empresas brasileiras não pertencentes ao setor de Finanças e Seguros, cujas ações são negociadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (BOVESPA). Neste trabalho foram investigadas variáveis das empresas referentes à qualidade e credibilidade das informações contábeis, total de ativos imobilizados, lucratividade, alavancagem, setor de atuação, tamanho da empresa e internacionalização. Os resultados indicaram que fatores como total de ativos imobilizados, alavancagem, lucratividade e alguns setores de atuação são relevantes para determinar a estratégia de financiamento da firma. A variável nível de disclosure, responsável por diferenciar a empresa que possui qualidade da informação contábil superior às demais, não apresentou ser significante, embora, com o sinal esperado. Portanto, os resultados sugerem que as empresas estudadas tendem a seguir a teoria da liquidação ineficiente quando tomam as suas decisões de financiamento.

Silver nanoparticles: influence of stabilizing agent and diameter on antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata biofilms

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Activity and habitat use of two species of stingrays (Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae) in the upper Paraná River basin, Southeastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Mechanism of Action and Relationship Between Structure and Biological Activity of Ctx-Ha: A New Ceratotoxin-like Peptide from Hypsiboas albopunctatus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Testosterone stimulates growth and secretory activity of the female prostate in the adult gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

The prostate of the female gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) is similar to the human female prostate (Skene gland) and, despite its reduced size, it is functional and shows secretory activity. However, virtually nothing is known about its physiological regulation. This study was thus undertaken to evaluate the behavior of the gerbil female prostate in a hyperandrogenic condition. Adult females received subcutaneous injections of testosterone cypionate (1 mg/kg body weight every 48 h) up to 21 days. Circulating levels of testosterone and estradiol were monitored, and the prostate and ovaries subjected to structural and immunocytochemical analyses. The treatment resulted in sustained high levels of circulating testosterone, and caused a transient increase in estradiol. There was an increase in epithelial cell proliferation accompanied by significant reorganization of the epithelium and an apparent reduction in secretory activity, followed by a progressive increase in luminal volume density and accumulation of secretory products. Immunocytochemistry identified the expression of androgen receptor and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-related antigen in prostatic epithelial cells. A circulating PSA-related antigen was also found, and its concentration showed strong negative correlation with circulating estrogen. Epithelial dysplasia was detected in the prostate of treated females. Analysis of the ovaries showed the occurrence of a polycystic condition and stromal cell hyperplasia. The results indicate that testosterone has a stimulatory effect on the female prostate, inducing epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, secretory activity, and dysplasia. The results also suggest that prostatic growth and activity, polycystic ovaries, and ovarian stromal cell hyperplasia are related to a hyperandrogenic condition in females.

Morphological prediction of worker size discrimination and relative abundance of sympartic species of Pseudacteon (Dipt., Phoridae) parasitoids of the fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima (Hym., Formicidae) in Brazil

Patterns of attack for collected species of phorids are predicted using multivariate morphometrics of female Pseudacteon species and worker size distributions of parasitized fire ants, Solenopsis saevissima. The model assumes that there is a direct correlation between phorid size and the size range of the worker ant attacked, and presumes that worker sizes are a resource that is divided by sympatric phorid species to minimize joint parasitism. These results suggest that the community of sympatric Pseudacteon species on only one host species coexists by restricting the size of workers attacked, and secondarily by differing diel patterns of ovipositional activity. When we compared relative abundance of species of Pseudacteon with the size distribution of foragers of S. saevissima, our observed distribution did not differ significantly from our predicted relative abundance of females of Pseudacteon. The activity of Pseudacteon may be a factor determining forager size distributions.

Size-fecundity relationships and reproductive investment in female frogs in the Pantanal, south-western Brazil

The ovarian complement of anurans exhibiting different reproductive modes is highly diverse, and intraspecific variation in reproductive output of anurans is generally related to variation in female properties and/or environmental conditions. The size-fecundity relationships, reproductive investment, and correlation between ovary mass and fat body mass were investigated for females of an anuran assemblage in the Pantanal, Brazil. Female body size was positively correlated with clutch size among seven of the eight species analyzed. However, these results seem to be influenced by seasonal variation in fecundity. Interspecific size-fecundity relationships revealed that female SVL was positively correlated with clutch size and egg size regardless of reproductive mode. Among 11 species analyzed, the reproductive investment (RI: ovary mass relative to body mass) varied from 5.5 to 18%, and there were no differences among reproductive modes and activity patterns (explosive/prolonged). RI correlated negatively with female size. Among three Leptodactylus species examined, negative correlation between ovary mass and fat body mass was verified for two species. Variations in the reproductive strategies are closely related to the reproductive activity patterns and reproductive modes exhibited by individual species, but are also influenced by environmental conditions. However, regardless of reproductive mode or activity pattern, each species seems to exhibit a reproductive strategy that allows them to respond differently to the same environmental restrictions.

Latin America and the Caribbean in the World Economy 2011-2012: Continuing crisis in the centre and new opportunities for developing economies

Includes bibliography

Evaluation of neighborhood impacts caused by companies of the high-tech industrial cluster of São Carlos, SP, Brazil

The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology for evaluating neighborhood impacts using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and to apply the procedures to the companies of the High-Technology Industrial Cluster of São Carlos. To this end, an evaluation was made of the neighborhood impacts on the physical environment, urban components, quality of life, and urban infrastructure using impact matrices, and the impacts were assigned scores according to type, order, magnitude and duration. Fifty one companies were examined based on data provided by the companies themselves and on field surveys. The impacts are represented spatially in proportional symbols maps, based on the spatial distribution of the companies in the urban area of the city of São Carlos and the areas of influence of each company. The application of the proposed methodology served to validate it and indicated that the neighborhood impacts caused by the companies of this study are related to each company's type of activity, its size, and its occupation of the area. © 2008 Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering (JUEE). All rights reserved.

Influence of Abiotic Factors and Floral Resource Availability on Daily Foraging Activity of Bees

In this study, the daily and seasonal influences of abiotic factors and the amount of floral resources on the foraging frequency of bees were determined. The experiments were performed, during 12 consecutive months, in the main floral sources used by bees in a secondary forest fragment. The foraging frequency of each bee species on flowers of each plant was recorded for 20-min periods, every hour. To verify whether the foraging activity is influenced by abiotic factors, Pearson's correlation analysis and linear regression tests were performed for the dominant bee species. Temperature and luminosity were the two main abiotic factors regulating foraging activities of bees. A positive correlation was found between the foraging frequency of most bees and these two variables. Conversely, the foraging activity was influenced neither by the relative humidity nor by the wind speed. The activity of each species depends on a combination of factors that include not only abiotic variables, but also the amount of floral resources available during the day, body size, and behavior of each visitor. After a certain period of the day, the scarcity of floral resources produced by most plants can stimulate the bees to forage in the flowers early in subsequent days, which may occur before the period in which the abiotic conditions are really favorable.

Conformational changes in a hyperthermostable glycoside hydrolase: enzymatic activity is a consequence of the loop dynamics and protonation balance

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