The positive impact of red palm oil in school meals on vitamin A status: study in Burkina Faso

Affiliation: Augustin Zeba & Hélène Delisle : Département de nutrition, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal

L’évaluation du risque comme facteur influençant les opinions et comportements en lien avec le tabac et le cannabis

S’inscrivant dans le cadre d’une étude pancanadienne portant sur la normalisation du cannabis et la stigmatisation du tabac, le principal objectif de cette recherche était de comprendre quelle place occupe l’évaluation des risques dans la compréhension des perceptions et comportements liés aux deux substances. Pour ce faire, à partir d’un devis mixte – quantitatif et qualitatif, nous avons 1) décrit les perceptions et opinions des participants quant à leur propre consommation de cannabis et/ou de tabac et quant à la consommation que font les gens en général des mêmes substances. Nous avons aussi 2) décrit comment les participants évaluent les risques liés à chacune des substances. Enfin, sachant que la perception du risque est intimement liée au comportement d’un individu, nous avons cherché 3) à préciser comment l’évaluation du risque agit sur les comportements et les opinions des quelques 50 participants, hommes et femmes âgés entre 20 et 49 ans, bien intégrés socialement, envers le tabac et le cannabis. Il s’avère que les fumeurs de cannabis, qui ont insisté sur la distinction à faire entre la manière dont ils font usage de la substance et une consommation abusive, valorisait le contrôle que leur permettait, selon eux, la consommation de cannabis. La consommation de cigarettes, quant à elle, était perçue négativement pour des raisons opposées puisque de l’avis des participants à l’étude, elle engendrerait chez le fumeur une incapacité à se maîtriser et un besoin compulsif de fumer. Dans cette optique, les risques liés au cannabis étaient perçus, par la plupart, comme étant contrôlables, à l’exception du jugement d’autrui qui demeurerait incertain et sur lequel il serait impossible d’avoir du contrôle. La réaction de certaines personnes de leur entourage étant ou bien imprévisible ou négative, c’est ce qui les amènerait à fumer principalement en privé. Le contrôle social formel aurait finalement peu d’influence étant donné le fort sentiment qu’ont les répondants qu’il ne s’appliquera tout simplement pas à eux.

Sociopsicoanális y educación : aportaciones educativas de las teorías sociopsicoanalíticas de G. Mendel.

Estudiar el fenómeno educativo desde el pensamiento del sociopsicoanálisis. Expone la trayectoría vital de Gérard Mendel, el fundador del psicoanálisis y explica su perpectiva psicoanalítica y antropológica; analiza la fundamentación teórica, los conceptos y metodología seguida por Gérard Mendel; estudia las investigaciones más importantes que hacen referencia a la educación; examina los principios de la escuela socialista, y ofrece una síntesis valorativa del proyecto educativo del sociopsicoanálisis. 1) El fenómeno educativo no puede ser presentado como un fenómeno individual o simplemente intrapsíquico, sino que se inscribe en una doble vertiente intrapsíquica y sociocultural relacionada por tanto con la intrahistoria y la sociohistoria de la persona. Los problemas fundamentales de la educación no son por tanto sólo problemas pedagógicos, sino que trascienden el ámbito de lo estrictamente pedagógico. Una reflexión y acción educativa deben tener en cuenta los aspectos específicos del psiquismo humano y las interrelaciones con el contexto sociocultural. 2) La educación como fenómeno inscrito en lo sociocultural está sometida a los fenómenos de la crisis de civilización. El sociopsicoanálisis analiza en profundidad esta crisis de civilización actual sometida a los conflictos inconscientes del alma colectiva que se viven a un nivel de las instituciones socioculturales y del poder social. Crisis que encuentra su expresión en una situación de regresión del yo a partir de la escuela primaria, la destrucción del ideal del yo postedipiano y la infantilización permanente del individuo sometido al poder social cada vez más fuerte y en el que se encuentran mezclados los rasgos maternos y los rasgos paternos. Este estado de crisis y regresión provoca un estado de agresividad difícilmente asumible. La superación del conflicto en el plano sociopsicológico solo se puede realizar a partir de la sola identificación individual con el padre. Todos los personajes exteriores, todos los padres sociales, han perdido el aspecto ideal ya que están sometidos al ideal tecnológico. No hay más imagen paterna ideal en el universo visible que la que existe en el yo individual sano. 3) El problema de la educación es un problema político, en el sentido amplio del término. Frente a una cultura dominante que tiende a favorecer el apoliticismo, a reprimir la relación del problema pedagógico con el sistema social, haciéndolo simple cuestión psicológica, el sociopsicoanálisis opta por una opción política que intenta una educación liberadora. Rechaza la institucionalización de la dominación que presenta el sistema capitalista en el plano económico, político, cultural y religioso, y ofrece una alternativa socialista no autoritaria centrada en la libertad, en la responsabilidad, en la realización de sí en función de una iniciativa personal u colectiva, en la creación de nuevos valores que intentan transformar la realidad existente y permitir el desarrollo de la especificidad humana en todos sus campos. 4) El sociopsicoanálisis inscribe su proyecto educativo en una perspectiva no autoritaria. Este rechazo del fenómeno autoridad no es una decisión sin más, sino el fruto de una reflexión sobre esta actitud y las implicaciones que tienen para lo educativo. 1) El sociopsicoanálisis propone un proceso de racionalidad verdadera que no solamente aligera las presiones del mundo externo o interno sino que también permite proseguir el proceso de especificidad humana que a nivel sociopsicoanalítico está representado por el deseo de libertad del individuo, emanación del ideal del yo postedipiano frente al que se opone el otro deseo humano de seguridad, vivido en la dependencia. El modelo educativo que propugna el sociopsicoanálisis pasa por este proceso de racionalización que se opone tanto al esquema nihilista y destructor de los valores de la civilización como a los totalitarismos de cualquier signo. El hombre solo progresa en la libertad y responsabilidad. El proceso educativo debe favorecer esta creatividad responsable, la cual no se realiza en el aire, sino mediante las transformaciones socioculturales.

Meat quality and health implications of organic and conventional beef production

Recommendation to reduce fat consumption from ruminant meat does not consider the contribution of nutritionally beneficial fatty acids in lean beef. Here we report effects of production system (organic vs conventional) and finishing season on meat and fat quality of sirloin steaks from retail outlets and simulated fatty acid intakes by consumers. There was little difference in meat quality (pH, shear force and colour), but the fat profiles varied considerably between production systems and season. Meat fat from organic and summer finished cattle contained higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid, its precursor vaccenic acid and individual omega-3 fatty acids and had a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids compared with non-organic and winter finished cattle respectively. The fat profile from summer finished organic beef aligns better to recommended dietary guideline including those for long chain omega-3 fatty acids compared with that from winter finished, non-organic steak.

Abundances in the Galactic bulge

The metallicity distribution and abundance ratios of the Galactic bulge are reviewed. Issues raised by recent work of different groups, in particular the high metallicity end, the overabundance of alpha-elements in the bulge relative to the thick disc and the measurement of giants versus dwarfs, are discussed. Abundances in the old moderately metal-poor bulge globular clusters are described.

Semiconductor nanoparticle modeling via density functional theory

In this work, a 2.0 nm nanoparticle (low limit synthesized system) is compared to possible simplified models: passivated clusters, small (1.3 nm) nanoparticles and sets of plane surfaces. Our density functional theory results suggest that even when geometric aspects are properly described by the simplifications considered, electronic properties might be very different, especially when edge atoms are not properly taken into account in the nanoparticle`s modeling. In addition, we propose a protocol that might help future theoretical descriptions of nanoparticles.

Pop-management: a literatura popular de gestão no Brasil

Nesta pesquisa, investiga-se e analisa-se o fenômeno da literatura de pop-management, propondo-se uma reflexão sobre seu papel na divulgação e legitimação de novas idéias e práticas de gestão empresarial. A literatura de pop-management compreende livros e revistas de consumo rápido, produzida pela mídia de negócios. A mídia de negócios faz parte da industria do management, junto com as empresas de consultoria, os gurus empresariais e as escolas de negócios. A pesquisa compreende três trilhas de trabalho: (1) uma investigação sobre o tema junto a publicações acadêmicas, (2) entrevistas com chefes de redação e editores e (3) análise de conteúdo de algumas publicações locais e internacionais. Conclui-se com uma reflexão acerca das características da literatura popular de gestão e seus impactos sobre as organizações e o indivíduo.

Sistematização das artérias da base do encéfalo e suas fontes de suprimento sangüíneo em chinchila (Chinchilla lanigera)

Neste trabalho estudou-se as artérias da base do encéfalo, bem como as suas fontes de suprimento sanguíneo na chinchila (Chinchilla lanigera), sendo utilizados 30 animais, 17 fêmeas e 13 machos, adultos. O sistema arterial foi preenchido com látex 603 corado em vermelho através do tronco braquiocefálico e da artéria subclávia esquerda. Sistematizou-se a origem das fontes de suprimento sanguíneo para o encéfalo e as artérias (Aa) da face ventral do cérebro, tanto à direita (D) como à esquerda (E), com suas respectivas percentagens de aparecimento: o arco aórtico emitiu tronco braquiocefálico e artéria (A.) subclávia E (93,3%), ou tronco braquiocefálico, A. carótida comum E e A. subclávia E (6,7%). O tronco braquiocefálico lançou A. carótida comum D e E e A. subclávia D (93,3%), ou A. carótida comum D e A. subclávia D (6,7%). A. carótida comum D e E dividiu-se em Aa carótidas externa e interna (100%). A. carótida interna D (100%) e A. carótida interna E (93,3%) não cooperaram na irrigação encefálica. Ramos terminais das Aa. vertebrais D e E presentes (100%) formaram a A. basilar (96,7%). A. espinhal ventral presente (100%). A. cerebelar caudal D, ímpar (80%) e dupla (20%), à E, ímpar (70%) e dupla (30%). A. trigeminal D e E ímpar (100%). A. cerebelar rostral vaso caudal D, presente (73,3%) e ausente (26,7%), à E, presente (70%) e ausente (30%). A. cerebelar rostral vaso rostral D e E presente (100%). A. tectal rostral D e E ímpar (100%). A. cerebral caudal D, ímpar (53,3%), duplo (36,7%) e triplo (10%), à E, ímpar (46,7%), duplo (46,7%) e triplo (6,7%). A. hipofisária D e E presente (100%). A. oftálmica interna D, ausente (73,3%) e presente (26,7%), à E, ausente (76,7%) e presente (23,3%). A. cerebral média D e E ímpar (100%). A. cerebral rostral D e E desenvolvida (96,7%) e vaso vestigial (3,3%). A. inter-hemisférica rostral mediana ímpar originada da A. cerebral rostral D (20%) e E (50%), e da união dos ramos das Aa cerebrais rostrais D e E (23,3%). A. lateral do bulbo olfatório à D, individual (76,7%) e tronco comum (23,3%), à E, individual (73,3%) e tronco comum (26,7%). A. medial do bulbo olfatório à D, individual (76,7%) e tronco comum (23,3%), à E, individual (73,3%) e tronco comum (26,7%). A. etmoidal interna D e E presente (100%). Observou-se que o círculo arterial cerebral da chinchila foi fechado caudalmente (100%), rostralmente aberto (70%) e fechado (30%). O encéfalo foi suprido quase que exclusivamente pelo sistema vértebro-basilar.

Obtenção de conceitos no indivíduo e no grupo

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o desempenho de indivíduos e grupos e verificar a influência do tamanho do grupo na solução de problemas sobre a obtenção de conceitos conjuntivos, apresentados através do paradigma de recepção. Usou-se como variável independente o tamanho do grupo, com três níveis: grupos de dois, três e quatro elementos. Os principais resultados encontrados foram: 1) Os grupos de três e quatro elementos apresentaram um desempenho (número de problemas resolvidos corretamente) significantemente superior aos individuos. 2) Não se observaram diferenças significativas de desempenho entre os grupos de dois e os indivíduos. 3) Os grupos de três e quatro elementos apresentaram um desempenho significantemente superior aos grupos de dois. 4) Não se observaram diferenças significativas de desempenho entre os grupos de três e quatro elementos. O modelo A de Lorge e Solomon (1955), segundo o qual o desempenho do grupo reflete o desempenho de seu membro mais apto, foi usado para interpretar os resultados obtidos.

Factors that cause genotype by environment interaction and use of a multiple-trait herd-cluster model for milk yield of Holstein cattle from Brazil and Colombia

Descriptive herd variables (DVHE) were used to explain genotype by environment interactions (G x E) for milk yield (MY) in Brazilian and Colombian production environments and to develop a herd-cluster model to estimate covariance components and genetic parameters for each herd environment group. Data consisted of 180,522 lactation records of 94,558 Holstein cows from 937 Brazilian and 400 Colombian herds. Herds in both countries were jointly grouped in thirds according to 8 DVHE: production level, phenotypic variability, age at first calving, calving interval, percentage of imported semen, lactation length, and herd size. For each DVHE, REML bivariate animal model analyses were used to estimate genetic correlations for MY between upper and lower thirds of the data. Based on estimates of genetic correlations, weights were assigned to each DVHE to group herds in a cluster analysis using the FASTCLUS procedure in SAS. Three clusters were defined, and genetic and residual variance components were heterogeneous among herd clusters. Estimates of heritability in clusters 1 and 3 were 0.28 and 0.29, respectively, but the estimate was larger (0.39) in Cluster 2. The genetic correlations of MY from different clusters ranged from 0.89 to 0.97. The herd-cluster model based on DVHE properly takes into account G x E by grouping similar environments accordingly and seems to be an alternative to simply considering country borders to distinguish between environments.

Structure and kinetics of formation of APTS/GPTS-derived organic/inorganic hybrids

The structure and the kinetics of formation of APTS/GPTS-derived organic/inorganic hybrids were studied in situ by small-angle-X-ray scattering. The data were interpreted in terms of a process of primary particles formation and growth of mass-fractal clusters. At the very early stage, the population of the nonfractal primary particles (D = 3) increases with time. As the mass-fractal clusters appear (D < 3) as a result of the aggregation process, the radius of gyration, Rg, of the clusters increases on average. At advanced stages of aggregation, the clusters grow in a mechanism in which the number of particles per clusters increases while the number of clusters diminishes with time, in such a way that the correlation volume of the clusters, Vc, fulfills the relationship Vc â̂ R g D, in agreement with a mass-fractal character of the clusters. These results supporting a cluster-cluster aggregation process, together with the typically very low value found for the mass-fractal dimension D, are in favor of a diffusion-controlled cluster aggregation mechanism. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

Tarsomere and distal tibial glands: structure and potential roles in termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologico (CNPq)

New constraints on H-0 and Omega(m) from SZE/X-ray data and baryon acoustic oscillations

The Hubble constant, H-0, sets the scale of the size and age of the Universe and its determination from independent methods is still worthwhile to be investigated. In this article, by using the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect and X-ray surface brightness data from 38 galaxy clusters observed by Bonamente et al. (Astrophys J 647:25, 2006), we obtain a new estimate of H-0 in the context of a flat Lambda CDM model. There is a degeneracy on the mass density parameter (Omega(m)) which is broken by applying a joint analysis involving the baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) as given by Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This happens because the BAO signature does not depend on H-0. Our basic finding is that a joint analysis involving these tests yield H-0 = 76.5(-3.33)(+3.35) km/s/mpc and Omega(m) = 0.27(-0.02)(+0.03). Since the hypothesis of spherical geometry assumed by Bonamente et al. is questionable, we have also compared the above results to a recent work where a sample of galaxy clusters described by an elliptical profile was used in analysis.

Cosmic-Lab: Optical companions to binary Millisecond Pulsars

Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs) are fast rotating, highly magnetized neutron stars. According to the "canonical recycling scenario", MSPs form in binary systems containing a neutron star which is spun up through mass accretion from the evolving companion. Therefore, the final stage consists of a binary made of a MSP and the core of the deeply peeled companion. In the last years, however an increasing number of systems deviating from these expectations has been discovered, thus strongly indicating that our understanding of MSPs is far to be complete. The identification of the optical companions to binary MSPs is crucial to constrain the formation and evolution of these objects. In dense environments such as Globular Clusters (GCs), it also allows us to get insights on the cluster internal dynamics. By using deep photometric data, acquired both from space and ground-based telescopes, we identified 5 new companions to MSPs. Three of them being located in GCs and two in the Galactic Field. The three new identifications in GCs increased by 50% the number of such objects known before this Thesis. They all are non-degenerate stars, at odds with the expectations of the "canonical recycling scenario". These results therefore suggest either that transitory phases should also be taken into account, or that dynamical processes, as exchange interactions, play a crucial role in the evolution of MSPs. We also performed a spectroscopic follow-up of the companion to PSRJ1740-5340A in the GC NGC 6397, confirming that it is a deeply peeled star descending from a ~0.8Msun progenitor. This nicely confirms the theoretical expectations about the formation and evolution of MSPs.