Distribution kinetics of solutes in the isolated in-situ perfused rat head using the multiple indicator dilution technique and a physiological two-barrier model

The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of [C-14]diclofenac, [C-14]salicylate and [H-3]clonidine using a single pass rat head perfusion preparation. The head was perfused with 3-[N-morpholino] propane-sulfonic acid-buffered Ringer's solution. Tc-99m-red blood cells and a drug were injected in a bolus into the internal carotid artery and collected from the posterior facial vein over 28 min. A two-barrier stochastic organ model was used to estimate the statistical moments of the solutes. Plasma, interstitial and cellular distribution volumes for the solutes ranged from 1.0 mL (diclofenac) to 1.6 mL (salicylate), 2.0 mL (diclofenac) to 4.2 mL (water) and 3.9 mL (salicylate) to 20.9 mL (diclofenac), respectively. A comparison of these volumes to water indicated some exclusion of the drugs from the interstitial space and salicylate from the cellular space. Permeability-surface area (PS) products calculated from plasma to interstitial fluid permeation clearances (CLPI) (range 0.02-0.40 mL s(-1)) and fractions of solute unbound in the perfusate were in the order: diclofenac>salicylate >clonidine>sucrose (from 41.8 to 0.10 mL s(-1)). The slow efflux of diclofenac, compared with clonidine and salicylate, may be related to its low average unbound fraction in the cells. This work accounts for the tail of disposition curves in describing pharmacokinetics in the head.

Responsiveness, affinity constants and beta-adrenoceptor reserves for isoprenaline on aortae from normo-, pre and hypertensive rats

The objective of this study was to determine the responsiveness, affinity constants and beta-adrenoceptor reserves for isoprenaline on the isolated aorta in the maturation of normotensive and hypertensive rats. The effects of a very slowly reversible antagonist, bromoacetylalprenololmenthane (BAAM), on the relaxant responses of the aortae of 5- and 14-week-old Wistar Kyoto normotensive rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) to isoprenaline were determined. Five-week-old SHRs are pre-hypertensive and the aortic rings are less responsive to isoprenaline than age-matched WKY (pD(2) values: WKY, 8.40; SHRs, 8.03). Similar relaxant responses to forskolin were obtained on the aortae of 5- and 14-week-old WKY and SHRs. The K-A value for isoprenaline at the aortic beta(2)-adrenoceptors of the 5-week-old WKY was 2.1 x 10(-7) M, and similar values were obtained on the aortae of 5-week-old SHR and 14-week-old WKY and SHRs. In the maturation of the WKY aortae from 5 to 14 weeks, there was a reduction in the maximum response, a major loss of sensitivity and a loss of 2-adrenoceptor reserve for isoprenaline. On 5-week-old SHR aorta, the sensitivity to isoprenaline was 2.5-fold lower, and the beta(2)-adrenoceptor reserve was less than on age-matched WKY. In the development of hypertension on the SHR aorta from 5 to 14 weeks, there was a reduction in the maximum response to isoprenaline. At 14 weeks, the sensitivity and the 2-adrenoceptor reserve to isoprenaline were similar, but the maximum responses were lower on the SHR than WKY. As there are differences in pre-hypertensive SHR and age-matched WKY aortic responses to isoprenaline, it is no longer valid to consider that the loss of responsiveness to isoprenaline in hypertension is solely owing to the hypertension. There are no changes in affinity, but major changes in the sensitivity, maximum responses and aortic beta(2)-adrenoceptor reserves to isoprenaline in the maturation of normotensive and pre-hypertensive aortae.

A new species of Phyllurus (Lacertilia : Gekkonidae) and a revised phylogeny and key for the Australian leaf-tailed geckos

Phyllurus gulbaru, sp. nov., is a highly distinct species of leaf-tailed gecko restricted to rocky rainforest of Pattersons Gorge, north-west of Townsville. The possession of a cylindrical, non-depressed, tapering original and regenerated tail separates P. gulbaru from all congeners except P. caudiannulatus. From this species P. gulbaru is separated by having a partially divided, as opposed to fully divided, rostral scale. Furthermore, the very small spinose body tubercles of P. gulbaru are in marked contrast to the large spinose body scales of P. caudiannulatus. An analysis of 729 bp of mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b genes reveals P. gulbaru to be a deeply divergent lineage with closer affinities to mid-east Queensland congeners than the geographically neighbouring P. amnicola on Mt Elliot. In conservation terms, P. gulbaru is clearly at risk. Field surveys of Pattersons Gorge and the adjacent ranges indicate that this species is restricted to a very small area of highly fragmented habitat, of which only a small proportion receives a degree of protection in State forest. Further, there is ongoing, unchecked destruction of dry rainforest habitat by fire. Under current IUCN criteria, P. gulbaru warrants an Endangered ( B1, 2) listing.

"Owned by...". Country of origin's new cue

This study identifies and explores a new country of origin (COO) cue, “owned by….” The importance of three extrinsic cues “owned by …,” “made in …” and price was examined using conjoint analysis. Data were collected from a sample of 268 undergraduate students familiar with color televisions. Segments were formed using cluster analysis and analyzed using multiple discriminant analysis. “Owned by …” was found to be important and distinct from the “made in …” cue. Segments based on the two COO cues were identified using importance weights and individual utilities. When segments were formed using individual utilities the individual difference construct, economic nationalism, provided discriminatory power while consumer ethnocentrism did not, supporting the hypothesis that economic nationalism and consumer ethnocentrism differ. Practitioners can now use “owned by …” knowing that it forms an important and distinct marketing tool. Limitations and future research are discussed.

Zygosity Diagnosis in the Absence of Genotypic Data: An Approach Using Latent Class Analysis

For zygosity diagnosis in the absence of genotypic data, or in the recruitment phase of a twin study where only single twins from same-sex pairs are being screened, or to provide a test for sample duplication leading to the false identification of a dizygotic pair as monozygotic, the appropriate analysis of respondents' answers to questions about zygosity is critical. Using data from a young adult Australian twin cohort (N = 2094 complete pairs and 519 singleton twins from same-sex pairs with complete responses to all zygosity items), we show that application of latent class analysis (LCA), fitting a 2-class model, yields results that show good concordance with traditional methods of zygosity diagnosis, but with certain important advantages. These include the ability, in many cases, to assign zygosity with specified probability on the basis of responses of a single informant (advantageous when one zygosity type is being oversampled); and the ability to quantify the probability of misassignment of zygosity, allowing prioritization of cases for genotyping as well as identification of cases of probable laboratory error. Out of 242 twins (from 121 like-sex pairs) where genotypic data were available for zygosity confirmation, only a single case was identified of incorrect zygosity assignment by the latent class algorithm. Zygosity assignment for that single case was identified by the LCA as uncertain (probability of being a monozygotic twin only 76%), and the co-twin's responses clearly identified the pair as dizygotic (probability of being dizygotic 100%). In the absence of genotypic data, or as a safeguard against sample duplication, application of LCA for zygosity assignment or confirmation is strongly recommended.

Escalation of Drug Use in Early-Onset Cannabis Users vs Co-twin Controls

Context Previous studies have reported that early initiation of cannabis (marijuana) use is a significant risk factor for other drug use and drug-related problems. Objective To examine whether the association between early cannabis use and subsequent progression to use of other drugs and drug abuse/dependence persists after controlling for genetic and shared environmental influences. Design Cross-sectional survey conducted in 1996-2000 among an Australian national volunteer sample of 311 young adult (median age, 30 years) monozygotic and dizygotic same-sex twin pairs discordant for early cannabis use (before age 17 years). Main Outcome Measures Self-reported subsequent nonmedical use of prescription sedatives, hallucinogens, cocaine/other stimulants, and opioids; abuse or dependence on these drugs (including cannabis abuse/dependence); and alcohol dependence. Results Individuals who used cannabis by age 17 years had odds of other drug use, alcohol dependence, and drug abuse/dependence that were 2.1 to 5.2 times higher than those of their co-twin, who did not use cannabis before age 17 years. Controlling for known risk factors (early-onset alcohol or tobacco use, parental conflict/separation, childhood sexual abuse, conduct disorder, major depression, and social anxiety) had only negligible effects on these results. These associations did not differ significantly between monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Conclusions Associations between early cannabis use and later drug use and abuse/dependence cannot solely be explained by common predisposing genetic or shared environmental factors. The association may arise from the effects of the peer and social context within which cannabis is used and obtained. In particular, early access to and use of cannabis may reduce perceived barriers against the use of other illegal drugs and provide access to these drugs.

Análise de componentes principais de pães de forma formulados com farinha de yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp.) H. Rob.)

O yacon, tubérculo de origem andina, vem sendo cada vez mais aplicado na tecnologia de alimentos, em virtude de suas propriedades funcionais, por ser fonte de inulina e fruto-oligossacarídeos, considerados prebióticos. Foram preparadas três formulações de pães, sendo uma padrão e duas testes contendo farinha de yacon, denominadas de amostra P (pão padrão, sem farinha de yacon), amostra A (pão com 6% de farinha de yacon e 3% de gordura) e amostra B (pão com 11% de farinha de yacon sem adição de gordura). Para a avaliação sensorial foi realizada a Análise Descritiva Quantitativa (ADQ), utilizando-se 11 provadores treinados, os quais definiram 10 atributos sensoriais (aroma, cor, porosidade e uniformidade do miolo, sabor, textura, umectância, untuosidade, adesividade e qualidade global). Também foi realizada análise física dos pães, por meio da caracterização cromática. Os resultados da ADQ foram analisados por análise de variância e testes de médias de Duncan, a 5% de significância. Os resultados da ADQ foram representados graficamente por análise multivariada de análise de componentes principais (ACP). Nao houve diferença entre as amostras A e B em relação aos atributos porosidade, textura, sabor e qualidade global. A amostra A obteve média maior em atributos sensoriais indesejáveis como aderência, enquanto a amostra B apresentou maior média para o atributo umectância, devido ao maior teor de yacon. Na ACP, a soma de componentes principais 1 e 2 foi de 97,59%, ou seja, a variabilidade entre as amostras foi quase totalmente explicada por estes dois componentes. Os resultados obtidos demonstram o grande potencial para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos utilizando alimentos fontes de prebióticos, como os frutanos do yacon.

Avaliação de testes estatísticos de comparações múltiplas de médias

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a eficiência e uniformidade das respostas de diferentes testes de comparações múltiplas entre médias, bem como a taxa de ocorrência do erro tipo I. Quatro diferentes testes de comparações múltiplas de médias foram aplicados a 200 experimentos e a 10 variáveis, criadas com valores aleatórios, para avaliação do número de níveis; concordância com o teste F; taxa de ocorrências do erro tipo I por variável e por experimento. Os testes diferiram em seus resultados para todas as variáveis analisadas. As maiores divergências de resultados foram encontradas quando se utilizou o teste LSD. Quanto ao nível de significância adotado, maior concordância foi encontrada por meio do teste de Tukey.

Feeding non-preference by Spodoptera frugiperda and Spodoptera eridania on tomato genotypes

Larvae of the genus Spodoptera spp. are highly polyphagous and can cause economical losses in several agricultural crops. Given their growing importance in the tomato crop, especially for industry, this work aimed to evaluate the feeding non-preference by larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) and Spodoptera eridania (Cramer, 1782) on tomato genotypes and classify them by the levels of resistance. The commercial cultivar Santa Clara was set as the susceptible standard and line PI 134417 as the resistant standard to evaluate the lines PI 134418, PI 126931, LA 462 and LA 716. Feeding non-preference tests were performed under non-choice and free-choice conditions to evaluate the genotype attractiveness to larvae at predetermined times after their release, as well as the leaf area consumed. Overall, the genotypes LA 716 and PI 126931 were the least attractive to S. frugiperda, whereas Santa Clara was the most attractive and consumed. For S. eridania, the genotypes PI 126931, LA 462, LA 716 and PI 134418 were the least preferred for feeding, and Santa Clara and PI 134417 were the most attractive and consumed. The genotypes LA 716 and PI 126931 are moderately resistant to S. frugiperda and S. eridania; PI 134418 and LA 462 are moderately resistant to S. eridania; PI 134417 is susceptible to S. frugiperda and S. eridania; and Santa Clara is highly susceptible to both S. frugiperda and S. eridania.

A pesquisa que faz diferença

Os pesquisadores da administração lamentam o fato de que seu trabalho tenha tão pouco impacto na prática gerencial. Os gerentes, por sua vez, procuram conhecimento que possa ajudá-los a melhorar a performance organizacional, mas raramente consultam os trabalhos universitários - frequentemente tidos como incompreensíveis e irrelevantes para os desafios cotidianos. Para que a pesquisa em administração possa fazer diferença para os gerentes são necessárias parcerias mutuamente benéficas que envolvam os gerentes e os pesquisadores e que sejam apoiadas por suas respectivas organizações. Ilustramos a importância da pesquisa da administração relevante para a prática valendo-se de quatro importantes contribuições, juntos, estes casos não somente demonstram como esse tipo de parceria pode produzir conhecimento relevante para a prática, mas também promovem insights para aumentar a probabilidade de ocorrência de encontros produtivos.

A blockmodel study of managerial hierarchies, verbal networks, and organizational culture in four hospitals

This study demonstrates and applies a social network methodology for studying the dynamics of hierarchies in organizations. Social network (blockmodel) analysis of verbal networks in four hospitals contrasted hierarchical and structurally equivalent partitions of the sociomatrices of frequent ties and perceptions of organizational culture. It was found that the verbal networks in these organizations follow a center periphery pattern rather than a hierarchical logic and that perceptions of culture vary more by verbal network than by formal hierarchy. The perceptions of culture of central groups in one organization are much like those of peripheral groups in another. In all four hospitals, structurally equivalent social networks are more important in predicting subcultures than are hierarchical groupings and hierarchy has a limited impact on the development of verbal networks. These findings suggest the value of an amoeba rather than a pyramid metaphor in interpreting the cultures and relational structures of organizations.

Tipos de empreendedores em penturbia brasileira

Este artigo visa analisar de que forma diferentes atores sociais, em particular os empreendedores locais, se articulam - ou não - na construção de modelo de desenvolvimento econômico regional baseado na noção de penturbia, conforme proposta por Lessinger (1986). Neste artigo, identificou-se a cidade de Tiradentes (MG) como caso exemplar de penturbia brasileira. Em termos metodológicos, a pesquisa que subsidiou seus resultados é de natureza indutiva, orientada pelos princípios da Grounded Theory. De cunho etnográfico, o estudo envolveu análise documental, observação direta e realização de 39 entrevistas semiestruturadas e em profundidade junto a dirigentes de pousadas, restaurantes e ateliês, representantes de fundações e associações de artesãos, membros da igreja e políticos. Para o tratamento dos dados fez-se uso do software N-vivo 8.0. Como resultado foi possível a identificação de duas grandes categorias de empreendedores, emergentes das antinomias locais. Tais categorias, por sua vez, subdividiram-se em subcategorias, as quais refletem, bem como desafiam, tipologias internacionais de artesão, artista, bricoleur e engenheiro. A frequência e a orientação dessas categorias para com modelos alternativos de desenvolvimento local têm importantes implicações para o futuro sociocultural e econômico da cidade.

Problema da falta de vagas em creches: matriz de loops e a priorização de causas de problemas complexos

Dez milhões de crianças brasileiras deveriam frequentar creches, mas apenas 21% delas estão regularmente matriculadas. O problema da falta de vagas em creches foi o cenário escolhido para evidenciar a utilidade do artefato proposto: procedimentos para análise de problemas complexos, composto pela aplicação integrada entre mapa causal e matriz de loops, duas técnicas associadas aos estudos de padrões de cognição nas organizações. O artefato proposto foi testado junto a três municípios brasileiros, segundo os preceitos da abordagem design science. Causas e associações intercausais foram identificadas e priorizadas pela técnica de mapa causal e, posteriormente, interdependências entre causas foram analisadas pela técnica matriz de loops, o que alterou a priorização inicial. Evidenciou-se que para problemas complexos é fundamental identificar e analisar os loops entre loops de amplificação de desvio (loops "explosivos"). Outro resultado a destacar é a melhor compreensão de um problema complexo e socialmente relevante.