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Resumo Este estudo contrapõe os potenciais estratégicos dos mercados interno e externo como propulsores da cadeia brasileira de flores e plantas ornamentais. Diferentemente de outras cadeias agropecuárias brasileiras, que se destacam pelos volumes exportados, os produtos da floricultura têm como principal destino o mercado interno. Com apenas 3% da produção destinada ao comércio externo, o País ocupa uma posição global inexpressiva, figurando, em 2020, no 97º lugar na lista de exportadores de produtos da floricultura. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto, foi realizada uma análise do tipo Facts Finding Research acerca da dinâmica e da potencialidade da demanda pelos produtos brasileiros da cadeia de flores e plantas ornamentais. Os resultados indicam que, apesar das projeções positivas para o consumo doméstico de produtos da floricultura, a sensibilidade às variações de renda pode representar um gargalo. Compreende-se, portanto, que os potenciais ganhos provenientes do intercâmbio de mercadorias entre países, além de favorecerem a expansão do mercado e o escoamento de excedentes, desempenham um papel estratégico diante de adversidades. Sob a ótica internacional, destaca-se ainda que o movimento de reconfiguração desse cenário, marcado pelo aumento da participação de países sul-americanos e africanos, pode também representar novas oportunidades para o Brasil.

Rhamnolipids, biosurfactants synthesized from natural resources, demonstrate significant applications, including notable insecticidal efficacy against Aedes aegypti L., the primary vector for numerous arboviruses. The global spread of A. aegypti poses substantial public health challenges, requiring innovative and sustainable control strategies. This research investigates the use of andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl.) biomass waste as a substrate for synthesizing a rhamnolipid biosurfactant (BSAW) produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and evaluates its insecticidal activity against A. aegypti. The findings indicate a biosurfactant yield of 4.42 mg mL−1, alongside an emulsification index approaching 60%. BSAW successfully reduced both surface and interfacial tensions to below 30 mN/m and 4 mN/m, respectively. Characterization revealed that BSAW is a di-rhamnolipid, consisting of two rhamnose units covalently linked to a saturated C10 fatty acid chain. At a concentration of 1.0 mg mL−1, BSAW exhibited notable larvicidal activity, leading to structural impairments and cellular dysfunctions in A. aegypti larvae while also disrupting their associated bacterial microbiota. Moreover, BSAW effectively deterred oviposition in adult mosquitoes. These findings underscore BSAW’s potential to compromise various developmental stages of A. aegypti, supporting integrated arbovirus management approaches. Furthermore, this research emphasizes the feasibility of utilizing agro-industrial waste as substrates for microbial rhamnolipid production.

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration, but the specific events that cause cell death remain poorly understood. Death Induced by Survival gene Elimination (DISE) is a cell death mechanism mediated by short (s) RNAs acting through the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). DISE is thus a form of RNA interference, in which G-rich 6mer seed sequences in the sRNAs (position 2-7) target hundreds of C-rich 6mer seed matches in genes essential for cell survival, resulting in the activation of cell death pathways. Here, using Argonaute precipitation and RNAseq (Ago-RP-Seq), we analyze RISC-bound sRNAs to quantify 6mer seed toxicity in several model systems. In mouse AD models and aging brain, in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from AD patients, and in cells exposed to Aβ42 oligomers, RISC-bound sRNAs show a shift to more toxic 6mer seeds compared to controls. In contrast, in brains of “SuperAgers”, humans over age 80 who have superior memory performance, RISC-bound sRNAs are shifted to more nontoxic 6mer seeds. Cells depleted of nontoxic sRNAs are sensitized to Aβ42-induced cell death, and reintroducing nontoxic RNAs is protective. Altogether, the correlation between DISE and Aβ42 toxicity suggests that increasing the levels of nontoxic miRNAs in the brain or blocking the activity of toxic RISC-bound sRNAs could ameliorate neurodegeneration.

Adequate feeding protocols are extremely important for the technical and economic feasibility of fish production systems. Two feeding rates, 3% and 4% body weight per day (3%BW and 4%BW), and two feeding frequencies, twice and three times a day, were tested during 84 days at the initial grow-out phase of tambaqui (94.5 ± 6.4 g) in earthen ponds. No mortalities or difference in growth between treatments were observed during the trial. Total feed intake and feed conversion ratio were low in the fish fed at 3%BW. Fat deposition in the fish carcass and concentration of glycogen and lipid vacuoles in the hepatocytes were also low in fish fed at 3%BW. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in the fish fed three times a day at 4%BW. Increased concentration of malonaldehyde was observed in the carcass of fish fed three times a day at 4%BW at the end of the storage period. Fish fed twice a day presented higher total feed intake per meal than fish fed three times a day, demonstrating that tambaqui was able to regulate the feed intake to benefit from a low feeding frequency. No difference was observed in pond phytoplankton and zooplankton concentration or sediment chemistry. Fish fed at 3%BW presented higher stomach content weight, demonstrating the contribution of the natural food as a complementary nutrition to tambaqui. Based on the results, tambaqui of 95–350 g reared in earthen ponds may be fed twice a day at 3%BW.

Simvastatin, a semisynthetic drug widely used to lower cholesterol, is among the most prescribed statins worldwide. This study focuses on the direct production of a simvastatin-like biomolecule using alternative substrates by Aspergillus spp. strains. Two species, A. terreus UCP 1276 and A. flavus UCP 0316, were initially evaluated in synthetic media as control. Subsequently, the carbon and nitrogen sources were replaced by agro-industrial substrates, resulting in five modified media. Cultures were maintained at 28 °C, pH 6.5, at 180 rpm for 21 days. Fungal growth kinetics were evaluated and a 23 full-factorial design (FFD) was used to investigate the influence of substrate concentration on statin yield. Presence of inhibitors was confirmed by bioassay, UV–visible spectrophotometry, and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). According to the results, A. flavus UCP yielded 0.24 mg/g of statin in condition 2 of FFD (medium containing 4.5% soluble starch and saline base), suggesting it as a promising candidate for direct production of the biomolecule. Statistical analysis showed the significant effect of soluble starch on inhibitor production, making it a viable and profitable alternative substrate. Moreover, the isolated statin exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including efficacy against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts, indicating therapeutic potential against antimicrobial resistance.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic put healthcare professionals, including residents (postgraduate trainees of health professions), under intense physical and psychological stress, hence at risk for mental disorders. We evaluated the prevalence of mental disorders among healthcare residents during the pandemic. Methods From July to September 2020, residents in medicine and other healthcare specialties in Brazil were recruited. The participants completed electronic forms with validated questionnaires (DASS-21, PHQ-9, BRCS) to screen for depression, anxiety, and stress, and to evaluate resilience. Data on potential predisposing factors for mental disorders were also collected. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared, students t, correlation and logistic regression models were applied. The study received ethical approval, and all participants provided informed consent. Results We included 1313 participants (51.3% medical; 48.7% nonmedical) from 135 Brazilian hospitals; mean (SD) age: 27.8 (4.4) years; 78.2% females; 59.3% white race. Of all participants, 51.3%, 53.4% and 52.6% presented symptoms consistent with depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively; 61.9% showed low resilience. Nonmedical residents exhibited higher anxiety compared to medical residents (DASS-21 anxiety score, mean difference: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.15–3.37; p

ABSTRACT Pirarucu, Arapaima gigas is a fish species of great social and economic importance in the Amazon region, where they are often farmed in earthen ponds. Intensive cage aquaculture has been growing in Brazil, which could be an alternative means to farm pirarucu, reducing costs and increasing productivity. We evaluated the contribution of natural food organisms in semi-intensive (ponds) and intensive (cages) production systems, and their effect on pirarucu growth and economic performance during the first phase of grow-out. Four ponds (300 m2) and four cages (4.0 m³) were stocked, respectively, with 120 (0.4 fish m-²) and 160 (40 fish m-³) juvenile pirarucu (28.03 ± 6.34 g, 11.75 ± 0.80 cm). The study was conducted for 105 days and fish were fed with commercial feed. Fish growth and plankton intake were evaluated every two weeks. Survival rate, standard length, weight gain and final weight were higher in fish reared in earthen ponds than in cages. Feed conversion of fish kept in ponds was lower (0.96 ± 0.06) than in cages (1.20 ± 0.11). The consumption of natural food organisms was observed, despite artificial feed being fed in both systems. The relative abundance of zooplankton and insects in stomachs was directly proportional to fish weight gain in ponds, and inversely proportional in cages. Higher economic efficiency rate and lower average production cost were calculated for earthen ponds. Our results indicate that the cost-benefit of the first phase grow-out of A. gigas is better in earthen ponds.

Natural food available in ponds can complement formulated feed in fed aquaculture. This study elucidated the natural food intake and its contribution to tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) growth in fertilized and unfertilized ponds, using stable isotope and stomach contents analyses. Additionally, it described the impact of fertilization management on natural food availability, fish performance, and production costs. Tambaqui juveniles (93.8 ± 15.0 g) were stocked (0.55 fish/m2) in fertilized (Fert) and unfertilized (NoFert) ponds (600 m2) for a culture period of 10 months in quadruplicate. A lower food conversion ratio was observed in Fert ponds. The main natural food items ingested by tambaqui were insects, vegetables, and cladocerans. Plankton contributed 39.4% and 10.7% of muscle formation in Fert and NoFert ponds, respectively. Pond fertilization (2.45 g of nitrogen and 0.80 g of phosphorus per square meter every two weeks) did not significantly affect fish growth, survival, or productivity but had a slightly influence on water quality parameters. However, fertilization increased the zooplankton density (through phytoplankton) in the water, thereby increasing autochthonous food availability for tambaqui consumption. This species demonstrates the ability to alternate between natural food sources and commercial feed without compromising its development. Consequently, tambaqui exhibits suitability for farming within restorative and integrated aquaculture systems as well as intensive systems reliant on commercial feed.

ABSTRACT One of the constraints in pirarucu, Arapaima gigas farming is the reproduction in captivity, due to inconsistent number of spawning events per reproductive cycle, thus, unreliable availability of juvenile fish. This is a first-hand report on predation of pirarucu larvae by opportunistic fish species in a breeding pond. Fish samples were collected for stomach content analysis from a pirarucu-breeding pond with reported predation on the larvae. We obtained 61 fish of different species (Tetragonopterus sp., Astyanax bimaculatus, Moenkhausia intermedia, Hoplias malabaricus, and Apistogramma sp.). Tetragonopterus sp. stomachs had the highest frequency of occurrence of pirarucu larvae (83.3%), followed by A. bimaculatus (7.4%). The relationship between the feeding behaviour of these species and their predation upon pirarucu offspring is discussed.

Abstract Elective procedures were temporarily suspended several times over the course of the pandemic of COVID-19. Monthly data from the Unified Health System (SUS) were used for the period between January 2008 and December 2020 and the interrupted time series method was used to estimate the effect of the pandemic on the number of elective surgeries and elective procedures that were not performed. Considering a 9-month period, a reduction of 46% in the number of elective procedures carried out in the SUS could be attributed to COVID-19, corresponding to about 828,429 elective procedures cancelled, ranging from 549,921 to 1,106,936. To a full recovery of pre-pandemic performance, SUS would need to increase about 21,362 hospital beds, ranging from 12,370 to 36,392 hospital beds during a 6 month-period. This effort would represent an increase of 8.48% (ranging from 4.91 to 14.45%) in relation to the total number of SUS’s hospital beds in 2019. As a result, the pandemic will leave a large number of elective procedures to be carried out, which will require efforts by health agencies to meet this demand.

A chemoenzymatic approach for the synthesis of Alpha-N-heterocyclic ethyl- and phenylacetamides, levetiracetam analogs, is described. Eight nitrile substrates were prepared through the N-alkylation of heterocycles (2-pyrrolidinone, 2-piperidinone, 2-oxopiperazine and 1-methylpiperazine) directly from hydroxyl group of ethyl and phenyl Alpha-hydroxynitriles with yield of 35-71% after 12 h. Twenty nitrile hydratases (NHases) were screened and showed that the N-derivatives lactam substrates led to their correspondent amides by Co-type NHase with conversion and enantiomeric excess of up to 47.5 and 52.3% for (S)-enantiomer, while the piperazine substrates underwent spontaneous decomposition by retro-Strecker reaction. In order to avoid a retro-Strecker reaction of Alpha-aminonitriles, ionic liquids and polyethylene glycol (PEG400) were evaluated as alternative green solvents to aqueous buffered solutions in different proportions. Temperature was another parameter investigated during reaction-medium engineering for process optimization. However, unconventional reaction media and low temperature significantly reduced the NHase activity. The absolute configuration of Alpha-N-heterocyclic ethyl- and phenylacetamides, some of which were new compounds, was determined using electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy. Additionally, their potential as cholinesterases inhibitors was evaluated.

An increase in the incidence of arboviral, microbial and parasitic infections, and to disorders related to oxidative stress has encouraged the development of adjuvant therapies based on natural formulations, such as those involving plant extracts. Thus, to expand the repertoire of the available therapeutic options, this study aimed to describe the versatility of Tephrosia toxicaria (Sw.) (Pers., 1807) extracts for the control of arbovirus vectors, as well as their antioxidant, antileishmanial, and antimicrobial potential. Among the aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts obtained, the hydroethanolic extract from roots (RHA) was identified as the most active larvicide extract demonstrating, respectively, the lowest lethal concentration (mg/mL) for 50%, 90% and 99% of Aedes aegypti (L., 1762) and Aedes albopictus (S., 1894) larvae, observed at 24 h (0.33, 0.84 and 1.80; 0.32, 0.70 and 1.32) and 48 h (0.17, 0.51 and 1.22; 0.26, 0.47 and 0.78) post-exposure. Field assays revealed that RHA (0.84 mg/mL) is a potential oviposition deterrent, reducing egg-laying by approximately 90%. RHA (0.1 mg/mL) also exhibited antioxidant activity for the following tests: total antioxidant capacity (286.86 mg AAE/g), iron (87.16%) and copper (25.64%) chelation, and superoxide scavenging (10%). In the cell culture assays, RHA (0.1 mg/mL) promoted regeneration of metabolic activity (92% cell viability) in cells exposed to oxidative stress. Furthermore, RHA displayed weak antileishmanial activity (IC50 = 3.53 mg/mL) against Leishmania amazonensis and not exhibit antimicrobial activity. The extraction favored the concentration of carbohydrates in RHA, in addition to lectins and protease inhibitors, with molecular masses estimated between 10 and 24 kDa. Cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity analyses of RHA suggested its biosecurity. Thus, RHA is a multivalent extract with insecticide and antioxidant properties at low and safe concentrations. However, others studies on its indirect toxic effects are ongoing to ensure the complete safety of RHA.

Sandy soils have gained increased attention due to the expansion of new agricultural frontiers in Brazil and worldwide, however, they are sensitive to land use changes. The objective was to evaluate the physical-hydric quality of a Regosols under integrated and conventional production systems in the climatic conditions of the semiarid domain of Paraíba, Brazil. The study was carried out in the municipality of Lagoa Seca/PB, Brazil (7°10’15” S, 53°51’43” W, and 640 m of altitude), on a Regosols with a sandy loam textural classification. The experiment was set up in an entirely randomized design, with five treatments and five repetitions. The treatments were composed of: 1) Mombaça grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) + Maize (Zea mays L.) (M+M); 2) Urochloa decumbens (Stapf) R. D. Webster + Maize (U+M); 3) secondary forest (SF); 4) conventional agriculture area, cultivated with bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (AGR); and, 5) area in regeneration stage (ARS). The following variables were analyzed: flocculation degree, clay dispersed in water, soil porosity (total, macroporosity, microporosity), aeration porosity in the macro pore domain, soil bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and available water. According to the results, the physical-hydric quality of the soil between the integrated systems was not significant, but compared to the conventional system, it showed satisfactory results. On the other hand, it is concluded that the modification of soil structure in an agricultural area has reduced water availability to plants to 75.20% below what is considered adequate. Long-term studies should be conducted in order to verify the effect of integration systems on improving the physical and structural quality of sandy soils.

Fruit-bearing food products are controlled by phytosanitary regulatory mechanisms. Among the existing pests of economic interest, Cetatitis capitata (medfly) can be highlighted, which can infest from 250 to 400 vegetable varieties. Vicilins, constitutive proteins of chitin-binding seeds, are potentially candidates to fight this pest. Vicillin-rich fractions of Erythrina veluntina (mulungu), Canavalia ensiformis (pork beans) and Phaseolus vulgaris (common beans), isolated by affinity chromatography on a chitin column, were tested on adults of C. capitata, in laboratory and semi-laboratory bioassays. field. All were able to bind chitin, have acidic characteristics and association with carbohydrates. E. velutina vicilin was the only one to present a high lethality (100 %) in a 15 % diet (w/w). In semi-field it was observed that 10 and 15 % (w/w) of vicilin added to the diet were lethal. For TL50, death of half the population in days were 3.5 (10 %) and 3 (15 %). These results showed that vicilins are potential bioinsecticides in the control of C. capitata.

Sistemas integrados de produção agropecuária (iLP) podem contribuir para a atenuação do (σ’) em solos de classificação textural areia. Objetivou-se com esse estudo determinar o σ’ de três classes de solo sob iLP, localizados na zona úmida dos Tabuleiros Costeiros do Rio Grande do Norte. Determinou-se a umidade volumétrica (θ) em amostras de solo indeformadas provenientes de um Argissolo Vermelho Amarelo, um Neossolo Quartzarênico Órtico e um Neossolo Quartzarênico Órtico Típico, localizados em diferentes estratos de uma topossequência. Foram utilizados os |Ψ| de 60, 100, 330, 1000, 3000, 5000, 10000 e 15000 hPa, além da saturação do solo para determinar o σ’ e a frequência de poros do solo por tamanho. O Argissolo mostrou-se mais sensível ao aumento do σ’ do solo quando comparado aos Neossolos. O incremento do teor de argila nas camadas mais profundas do solo contribuiu para o aumento do estresse efetivo e, possivelmente da resistência à penetração do solo nos potenciais matriciais mais baixos, próximos à capacidade de campo. O Argissolo apresentou uma frequência de poros mais homogênea quando comparado aos Neossolos inclusive nos horizontes de transição entre as camadas superficiais e o material parental (Horizonte C). Os Neossolos apresentaram considerável quantidade de poros com diâmetro > 50 μm. Esse estudo contribuiu para o entendimento do funcionamento físico do solo, norteando práticas de manejo sustentável e a utilização de sistemas de irrigação eficientes e atenuar os problemas físicos relacionados aos solos arenosos como a baixa disponibilidade de água.

Objetivo: evaluar la idoneidad y utilidad de las aplicaciones móviles para la rehabilitación de la incontinencia urinaria en la población masculina. Método: estudio descriptivo, realizado con aplicaciones dirigidas a la rehabilitación de la incontinencia urinaria masculina. Las aplicaciones se obtuvieron de Play Store y App Store. La búsqueda se realizó entre el 3 y el 10 de mayo de 2021 en Minas Gerais, Brasil. Para la selección se utilizaron los términos “incontinência urinária”, “incontinencia urinaria”, “urinary incontinence” e “Kegel”. Las solicitudes fueron descritas y evaluadas según lo establecido en los ítems del Applications Scoring System. Resultados: Se seleccionaron 22 aplicaciones. Tres eran específicos para hombres; tres abordaban ejercicios para fortalecer la musculatura pélvica y miccional simultáneamente; y cinco eran compatibles con ambas salas virtuales. Conclusión: la mayoría de las aplicaciones disponibles tienen funcionalidades e información limitada sobre la incontinencia urinaria masculina. Se espera que este estudio contribuya al desarrollo de softwares más completos y adecuados para la población masculina con incontinencia urinaria.

Objective: to evaluate the suitability and usefulness of mobile apps aimed at urinary incontinence rehabilitation in the male population. Method: descriptive study, carried out with apps directed to the rehabilitation of male urinary incontinence. The apps were obtained from the Play Store and App Store. The search was conducted between May 3 and 10, 2021, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The terms "urinary incontinence", "incontinencia urinaria", "urinary incontinence", and "Kegel" were used for selection. The applications were described and evaluated as established in the Applications Scoring System items. Results: Twenty-two apps were selected. Three were specific for men; three addressed exercises for pelvic muscle strengthening and voiding diary simultaneously; and five were compatible with both online stores. Conclusion: most of the available apps have limited functionality and information about male urinary incontinence. This study is expected to contribute to the development of more comprehensive and appropriate software for the male urinary incontinent population.

Objetivo: avaliar a adequação e utilidade de aplicativos móveis voltados para reabilitação da incontinência urinária na população masculina. Método: estudo descritivo, realizado com aplicativos direcionados à reabilitação da incontinência urinária masculina. Os aplicativos foram obtidos na Play Store e App Store. A busca foi realizada entre 3 e 10 de maio de 2021, em Minas Gerais, Brasil. Foram utilizados os termos “incontinência urinária”, “incontinencia urinaria”, “urinary incontinence” e “Kegel” para seleção. Os aplicativos foram descritos e avaliados conforme estabelecido nos itens da Applications Scoring System. Resultados: Vinte e dois aplicativos foram selecionados. Três eram específicos para homens; três abordavam exercícios para fortalecimento da musculatura pélvica e diário miccional simultaneamente; e cinco eram compatíveis com ambas as lojas virtuais. Conclusão: a maioria dos aplicativos disponíveis possui funcionalidades e informações limitadas acerca da incontinência urinária masculina. Espera-se que esse estudo contribua para o desenvolvimento de softwares mais abrangentes e adequados à população masculina com incontinência urinária.

Solos arenosos representam um desafio para a produção agrícola. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar o comportamento físico-hídrico de três classes de solos arenosos através da curva de retenção de água, índice S e distribuição de poros por tamanho no geombiente dos Tabuleiros Costeiros de Arez, no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Amostras de solo com estrutura indeformada foram coletadas nos horizontes superficiais e subsuperficiais de três perfis de solos para caracterização físico-hídrica através dos seguintes atributos: Curva de retenção de água no solo, capacidade de água disponível às plantas, potencial matricial no ponto de inflexão, umidade no ponto de inflexão, água prontamente disponível, índice de vazios, capacidade de campo relativa (CCr), distribuição de poros por tamanho, carbono orgânico total e textura do solo. Tanto em superfície quanto em subsuperfície o teor de água disponível nos solos foi influenciado positivamente pelo conteúdo de carbono orgânico e, em subsuperfície pelo aumento do teor de argila e pelo percentual de areia fina. A distribuição de poros por tamanho se apresentou de forma regular, característica de solos arenosos, com predomínio de macroporos e mesoporos, exceto para os horizontes subsuperficiais do solo no terço inferior com caráter fragipânico, onde predominou micro e criptoporos. O índice S reduziu em profundidade e os valores de CCr ficaram abaixo de 0,6, indicando uma baixa capacidade de retenção de água no solo, independentemente da posição deles na paisagem. Embora, os solos no terço inferior tenham apresentado maiores teores de água disponível.

ABSTRACT We assessed the effect of stocking density on physiological parameters (blood lactate, glucose, cortisol, hematocrit), water quality (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, unionized ammonia, carbon dioxide), and survival during the transportation of fingerling (24.5 ± 4.7 g) and juvenile (615.8 ± 122.2 g) pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) for six hours in plastic bags. The tested densities were 65, 80, 95, 110 and 125 g L-1 for fingerlings, and 50, 80, 110, 140 and 170 g L-1 for juveniles (three replicates each). Parameters were measured prior to and immediately after transportation, and at 24 and 96 hours recovery after transportation. No mortality was observed, except for fingerlings (< 3%) at densities of 110 and 125 g L-1 during recovery. All the water quality parameters were significantly altered after the transportation of fingerlings and juveniles. Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide and unionized ammonia increased, but pH decreased. Only carbon dioxide and unionized ammonia differed among densities. Cortisol levels did not increase over time, except for the juveniles at 170 g L-1, which still had high cortisol after 96 hours. Glucose significantly increased after transportation for all the treatments and returned to the initial values during the recovery period. Conversely, the lactate values were still high after 96 hours. Hematocrit was assessed only for juveniles and was significantly lower after transportation. We conclude that fingerling and juvenile pirarucu can be safely transported at densities up to 95 g L-1 and 140 g L-1, respectively.

This article seeks to identify the teaching resources evidenced in Mathematical Modeling activities and to verify in which situations they are inserted in the teaching planning. Indeed, the categories defined are planned resources and emerging resources. The qualitative, exploratory, bibliographic research was carried out in the proceedings of two congresses — Encontro Paranaense de Modelagem na Educação Matemática (EPMEM) e Conferência Nacional sobre Modelagem na Educação Matemática (CNMEM) — which have Mathematical Modeling as their publication choice, taking the experience reports. The results show that several means are used by teachers and, in most cases, planned, but, in some situations, they emerge from the need for investigation in the forwarding of activity by students, which, in this case, demands greater preparation from the teacher and more care in conducting Modeling activities.

The paper studies the Research Triangle Region (RTR), an economic development area in the state of North Carolina, USA. RTR comprises two major technological parks: the Research Triangle Park and the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University. We applied Amaral’s Model for Innovation Environment Management (AMIEM) to the RTR parks and discuss regional development aspects under the prism of innovation management and the model’s adequacy as a tool to assess complex environments. The research method is descriptive and exploratory. The field research, conducted during 2016 and 2017, involved a literature review, collection of documents, and non-structured interviews. AMIEM is a quantitative-qualitative model with eleven factors to measure the maturity level of the Triple Helix linkages from academia (knowledge producers), the productive sector of goods and services (knowledge producers and users) and government (social and economic regulator). The RTR parks have a high level of maturity. Several successful and overlapping initiatives were found there in the past sixty years which explain the regional development. AMIEM’s application is complex due to the number of actors, documents, and initiatives. It is a useful tool to assess innovation environments and technology transfer mechanisms, which fits the Triple and Quintuple Helix approaches.

INTRODUÇÃO: A prevalência da alergia alimentar tem vindo a aumentar nos últimos anos. O seu diagnóstico é difícil, dadas as diferentes apresentações e a existência de inúmeros fatores confundidores. A prova de provocação oral (PPO) é o gold standard para diagnóstico de alergia alimentar, no entanto não é isenta de riscos. Os nossos objetivos foram a caracterização de população submetida a prova de provocação oral a alimentos em uni- dade de Imunoalergologia Pediátrica. Assim como, a avaliação do risco inerente às PPO com alimentos e identificação de fatores de risco que podem levar à necessidade de utilizar cateter periférico. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, retrospetivo de provas de provocação oral com alimentos realizadas numa unidade de Imunoalergologia Pediátrica de um hospital nível II entre janeiro de 2018 e dezembro de 2020. RESULTADOS: Foram analisadas 90 PPO a diferentes alimentos: leite (39), peixe (14), ovo (13), frutos secos (6), fruta fresca (6), marisco (6), moluscos (6), amendoim (3) e cacau (1). As manifestações iniciais de alergia alimentar foram diversas, sendo as mais frequentes: urticária/angioedema (24,4%, n=22) e anafilaxia (21%, n=19). Trinta e dois por- cento das provas de provocação orais foram positivas; 51,7% dos doentes com PPO positiva tinha antecedentes de asma, rinite ou dermatite atópica. Durante a realização da PPO ocorreram 8 anafilaxias, 50% das quais em provas de provocação oral ao leite. CONCLUSÃO: As provas de provocação oral realizadas em ambiente hospitalar com supervisão especializada são seguras, no entanto, existem riscos inerentes à sua realização. Na nossa amostra, cerca de um terço dos doentes teve uma prova de provocação oral positiva, no entanto, não foi possível identificar fatores de risco para a necessidade de utilização de cateter venoso periférico. Poderão ser realizados estudos prospetivos com este objetivo.

Background In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic paralyzed the world and exposed the fragility of health systems in the face of mass illness. Health professionals became protagonists, fulfilling their mission at the risk of physical and mental illness. The study aimed to evaluate absenteeism indirectly related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large population of health care professionals. Methods An observational longitudinal repeated measures study was performed, including workers linked to 40 public university hospitals in Brazil. All causes of absenteeism were analyzed, focusing on those not directly attributed to COVID-19. Results for the same population were compared over two equivalent time intervals: prepandemic and during the pandemic. Findings A total of 32,691 workers were included in the study, with health professionals comprising 82.5% of the sample. Comparison of the periods before and during the pandemic showed a 26.6% reduction in work absence for all causes, except for COVID-19 and mental health-related absence. Concerning work absence related to mental health, the odds ratio was 39.0% higher during the pandemic. At the onset of the pandemic, there was an increase in absenteeism (all causes), followed by a progressive reduction until the end of the observation period. Interpretation Work absence related to mental illness among health care professionals increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for health care managers to prioritize and implement support strategies to minimize absenteeism.

Background Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, health professionals have been working under extreme conditions, increasing the risk of physical and mental illness. We evaluated the prevalence of burnout and its associated factors among postgraduate student residents in health professions during the global health crisis. Methods Healthcare residents were recruited from all across Brazil between July and September 2020 through digital forms containing instruments for assessing burnout (Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI)), resilience (brief resilient coping scale (BRCS)) and anxiety, stress and depression (depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)). Additionally, the relationships between burnout and chronic diseases, autonomy and educational adequacy in the residency programme, personal protective equipment (PPE), workload and care for patients with COVID-19 were evaluated. The chi-square test, Student’s t test, Pearson’s correlation test and logistic regression were performed. Results A total of 1,313 participants were included: mean (standard deviation) age, 27.8 (4.4) years; female gender, 78.1%; white race, 59.3%; and physicians, 51.3%. The overall prevalence of burnout was 33.4%. The odds (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]) of burnout were higher in the presence of pre-existing diseases (1.76 [1.26–2.47]) and weekly work > 60 h (1.36 [1.03–1.79]) and were lower in the presence of high resilience (0.84 [0.81–0.88]), autonomy (0.87 [0.81–0.93]), and educational structure (0.77 [0.73–0.82]), adequate availability of PPE (0.72 [0.63–0.83]) and non-white race (0.63 [0.47–0.83]). Burnout was correlated with anxiety (r = 0.47; p < 0.05), stress (r: 0.58; p < 0.05) and depression (r: 0.65; p < 0.05). Conclusions We observed a high prevalence of burnout among residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual characteristics and conditions related to the work environment were associated with a higher or lower occurrence of the syndrome.

Na perspectiva do Novo Ensino Médio, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar os Projetos Integradores da área de Matemática e suas Tecnologias, aprovados pelo PNLD 2021, relativamente a três aspectos: temas integradores, competências e habilidades. Os temas integradores que compõem as obras são: STEAM, Protagonismo juvenil, Midiaeducação e Mediação de conflitos. Como aporte teórico, foram utilizados documentos e leis que fundamentam a mudança nessa etapa de ensino, assim como se recorreu a teóricos que dissertam sobre aprendizagem baseada em projetos. A pesquisa foi de caráter qualitativo, por meio de procura bibliográfica, na qual foram examinadas sete obras da área de Matemática. A análise dos dados, centrada na Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIM, 2011), aponta como principal resultado o fato de que as obras estão em consonância com os temas integradores. Verificou-se, ainda, que a competência específica 5 foi pouco explorada e algumas habilidades não foram contempladas nos projetos. Conclui-se que, para a efetivação do uso desses materiais, impõem-se formação constante, planejamento e diálogo com a comunidade escolar na aplicação dos Projetos Integradores.

Background: The use of corticosteroids may help control the cytokine storm occurring in acute respiratory failure due to the severe form of COVID-19. We evaluated the postacute effect of corticosteroids used during the acute phase, such as impairment in pulmonary function parameters, on day 120 (D120)-follow-up, in participants who survived over 28 days.Methods: This is a parallel, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase IIb clinical trial carried out between April 18 and October 9, 2020, conducted in hospitalized patients with clinical–radiological suspicion of COVID-19, aged 18 years or older, with SpO2 ≤ 94% on room air or requiring supplementary oxygen, or under invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in a referral center in Manaus, Western Brazilian Amazon. Intravenous methylprednisolone (MP) (0.5 mg/kg) was given two times daily for 5 days to these patients. The primary outcome used for this study was pulmonary function testing at day 120 follow-up visit.Results: Out of the total of surviving patients at day 28 (n = 246) from the Metcovid study, a total of 118 underwent satisfactory pulmonary function testing (62 in the placebo arm and 56 in the MP arm). The supportive treatment was similar between the placebo and MP groups (seven [11%] vs. four [7%]; P = 0.45). At hospital admission, IL-6 levels were higher in the MP group (P < 0.01). Also, the need for ICU (P = 0.06), need for IMV (P = 0.07), and creatine kinase (P = 0.05) on admission also tended to be higher in this group. In the univariate analysis, forced expiratory volume on 1st second of exhalation (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) at D120 follow-up were significantly higher in patients in the MP arm, being this last parameter also significantly higher in the multivariate analysis independently of IMV and IL-6 levels on admission.Conclusion: The use of steroids for at least 5 days in severe COVID-19 was associated with a higher FVC, which suggests that hospitalized COVID-19 patients might benefit from the use of MP in its use in the long-term, with less pulmonary restrictive functions, attributed to fibrosis.Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT04343729.

A Análise do Comportamento apresenta uma relação histórica com a Educação Especial. Entretanto, algumas revisões indicam uma baixa frequência de estudos sobre surdez e deficiência auditiva, tanto em âmbito nacional como internacional. Nesse contexto, o objetivo desse estudo foi analisar publicações sobre surdez/deficiência auditiva em periódicos internacionais de Análise do Comportamento entre os anos de 1968 a 2018. O método utilizado foi uma revisão de literatura, na qual os passos consistiram em: seleção das revistas internacionais da Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI); pesquisa pelos termos internacionais; leitura dos títulos e resumos para aplicação dos critérios de inclusão e exclusão; leitura completa dos textos incluídos para análise de variáveis. As variáveis analisadas foram quantitativas e qualitativas dos resultados apresentados pelos estudos e sua classificação em escolas filosóficas da história da surdez: Oralismo, Comunicação Total ou Bilinguismo. Foram selecionados 30 artigos, sendo 23 sobre pesquisa empírica e 7 sobre pesquisa teórica. Os dados apresentam uma tradição histórica de artigos sobre Análise do Comportamento e surdez ou deficiência auditiva, uma variação significativa nos temas abordados e a influência das escolas filosóficas da história da surdez, apresentando estudos sobre Oralismo, Comunicação Total e Bilinguismo. Discute-se a necessidade de aumentar estudos sobre o tema, seja aplicado ou teórico, e promover novos estudos para a reflexão da relação da Análise do Comportamento com compromissos sociais de abordagens filosóficas do ensino dos surdos.

No decorrer da História da humanidade, as sociedades se acostumaram a vigiar, limitar, educar, tutelar e punir o corpo da mulher como se o ser humano feminino fosse incapaz de gerenciar sua individualidade e autonomia. A educação das subjetividades geralmente é conectada com o regime político dos Estados; contudo, em relação ao gênero feminino, além do próprio Estado, a sociedade da qual se é parte personifica o inquisidor do modo de ser e estar da mulher socialmente. Essa dinâmica social acaba perdendo intensidade em países democráticos, pois são territórios que permitem o cunho e debates quanto aos direitos fundamentais, que incluem temas sensíveis ao tecido social. O presente artigo analisou a mobilidade social do gênero feminino a partir da metade do século XX, o fenômeno do tráfico de mulheres e as migrações que podem levar a esse tipo de tráfico. Para tanto, o estudo valeu-se da revisão bibliográfica no campo das ciências humanas, sociais e jurídicas.

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a estrutura interna e a relação das habilidades cognitivas avaliadas pela Bateria de Avaliação Intelectual de Adultos (BAIAD). A amostra foi composta por 963 indivíduos (615 F, 348 M), idades entre 15-64 anos (M = 21, DP/SD/DS = 8). A BAID é composta de sete subtestes: sinônimos, antônimos, analogias, pensamento lógico, pensamento viso-espacial, memória visual-auditiva, rapidez de raciocino. A análise de itens permitiu a redução da BAIAD e índices de precisão de 0,99. A análise confirmatória seguiu o modelo CHC (inteligência cristalizada, inteligência fluída e um fator geral - G) e indicou seu ajuste aos dados. A análise de rede que buscou explorar a relação entre os pares dos indicadores cognitivos e o agrupamento das comunidades apoiou o modelo teórico. Conclui-se que a BAIAD possui evidências de validade e índices de precisão adequados para avaliar a inteligência de adultos.

Em 2011, o governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro através da SEEDUC divulgou o currículo mínimo que seria aplicado em todas as escolas da rede estadual de educação, sendo notória a necessidade do professor de Geografia de refletir sobre a proposta. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar de forma crítica o currículo de Geografia para o 6° do Ensino Fundamental proposto pela Secretaria Estadual de Educação do Rio de Janeiro e refletir sobre as possibilidades de aplicação da proposta diante do processo de renovação da Geografia nas últimas décadas. Nesse sentido, utilizou-se como base a história da Geografia escolar brasileira durante a análise do citado currículo. Verificou-se que o currículo proposto está pautado na Geografia Clássica enfatizando uma ciência neutra, com uso de aspectos descritivos e da memorização. Sendo assim, com a análise percebeu-se que este delimita o trabalho do professor e impossibilita novas pesquisas e discussões na formação de cidadãos críticos, o que torna a possibilidade de aplicação da proposta desfavorável para os educadores em função da renovação vivenciada pela Geografia a partir da década de 1970.

Abstract Background Studies carried out with novel 13 strains of Trichoderma, isolated from mangrove sediments (PE, Brazil) using morphophysiological and molecular characterization, followed evaluation of biocontrol using Fusarium strains isolated from Caatinga soil (PE, Brazil). Trichoderma strains were characterized by polyphasic taxonomic approach, and the extracted DNA was amplified with primers ITS 1 and 4, and sequenced. The biocontrol evaluation was conducted at 24 and 48 h of growth intervals by Tukey test, with a significance of 5%. Antibiosis tests were assessed in vitro by dual plate and partition plate techniques against Fusarium strains. Results Trichoderma molecular identification, sequences of 500 bp were amplified, deposited into GenBank, and used for phylogenetic analyses. The strains were identified as T. asperellum (10), as T. harzianum (2) and one as T. longibrachiatum. Growth rate presented an average of 0.1207 cm h−1 for Trichoderma and lower growth rate of 0.031 cm h−1 for Fusarium spp., respectively. Antibiosis tests presented the best antagonist level of efficiency for T. asperellum UCP 0149 against F. solani UCP 1395 (82.2%) and F. solani UCP 1075 (70.0%), followed by T. asperellum UCP 0319 against F. solani UCP1083 (73.4%) and T. asperellum UCP 0168 against F. solani UCP1098 (71.5%), respectively. Conclusions The data obtained in this study as tool for identification of novel Trichoderma strains serve as basis for development of several sustainable use for biotechnological processes. Those Trichoderma strains found promising for the management antagonistic potential and interaction could aid the conduct of biotechnological biocontrol of contaminants, and improve environmental conditions for the health of plants.

O feijão-caupi Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. é uma leguminosa de origem africana e disseminada no Brasil através da colonização. É uma das principais culturas de subsistência das regiões Norte e Nordeste do país. A cultura possui uma área cultivada no país de aproximadamente 1 milhão de hectares, produzindo na safra 2018/19 cerca de 643 mil toneladas. A produtividade do feijão-caupi é fortemente influenciada por fatores abióticos, sendo a fixação biológica do nitrogênio uma das alternativas para melhorar a produção. Além de ser de baixo custo é também uma técnica de baixo impacto ambiental, contribui para a proteção e conservação dos solos. Contudo, para ter eficiência da simbiose entre as bactérias fixadoras de nitrogênio e a planta, é necessária uma seleção eficaz de estirpes adaptadas. Além de que a cultura esteja bem nutrida, saudável e em condições edafoclimáticas favoráveis. Assim, o processo de nodulação e fixação do nitrogênio ocorrerá de forma satisfatória. Além disso, fatores como salinidade, acidez, toxidade ao alumínio e teores de nitrogênio mineral, limitam as etapas do processo de simbiose. Com base no apresentado, o feijão-caupi possui uma grande importância para agricultura brasileira. Há necessidade de tecnologias que possam contribuir com redução de custos e aumento da produção. E as bactérias rizóbios são fundamentais neste processo. Para isso é necessário ter condições ambientais favoráveis e estirpes selecionadas adaptadas a diferentes realidades ambientais brasileiras

We have developed a dual enzymatic system assay involving liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) to screen AChE and BACE1 ligands. A fused silica capillary (30 cm × 0.1 mm i.d. × 0.362 mm e.d.) was used as solid support. The co-immobilization procedure encompassed two steps and random immobilization. The resulting huAChE+BACE1-ICER/MS was characterized by using acetylcholine (ACh) and JMV2236 as substrates. The best conditions for the dual enzymatic system assay were evaluated and compared to the conditions of the individual enzymatic system assays. Analysis was performed in series for each enzyme. The kinetic parameters (KMapp) and inhibition assays were evaluated. To validate the system, galantamine and a β-secretase inhibitor were employed as standard inhibitors, which confirmed that the developed screening assay was able to identify reference ligands and to provide quantitative parameters. The combination of these two enzymes in a single on-line system allowed possible multi-target inhibitors to be screened and identified. The innovative huAChE+BACE1-ICER/MS dual enzymatic system reported herein proved to be a reliable tool to identify and to characterize hit ligands for AChE and BACE1 in an enzymatic competitive environment. This innovative system assay involved lower costs; measured the product from enzymatic hydrolysis directly by MS; enabled immediate recovery of the enzymatic activity; showed specificity, selectivity, and sensitivity; and mimicked the cellular process.

. O presente artigo objetivou analisar os trabalhos aprovados para comunicação, que compuseram o eixo temático denominado História da Educação, que integrou o Educere, entre os anos de 2008 e 2017. Para tanto, procurou-se selecionar, dentre os artigos aprovados para comunicação, aqueles que compuseram o eixo História da Educação; sistematizar os artigos selecionados e examinar os enfoques priorizados nos artigos. Por meio da metodologia ‘estado do conhecimento’, pode-se chegar a resultados que demonstraram que os 367 artigos que compuseram o eixo de História da Educação publicados no Educere discutiram, dentre outras, acerca das temáticas de instituições e práticas educativas; fontes, arquivos e patrimônios; os intelectuais e o ideário pedagógico; políticas; formação de professores.

Integrated farming systems are promising strategies for the recovery of pastures and degraded soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of integrated farming systems arrangements, after four years of implementation, on the fertility, carbon stock and aggregate stability of an Alfisol, in the semiarid region of the Paraíba state, Brazil. A randomized block experimental design was used, with 5 treatments and 4 replications: Brachiaria decumbens;B. decumbens + Tabebuia impetiginous; B. decumbens + Gliricidia sepium; B. decumbens + Mimosa caesalpiniifolia; and B. decumbens + maize. The soil chemical attributes, fertility, carbon stock and structural and aggregate stability were evaluated in the 0.00-0.10, 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m layers. The B. decumbens + maize system presented an organic matter content 11.93 % higher than B. decumbens, and was higher than the other systems evaluated. Concerning the carbon stock in the 0.00-0.10 m layer, in B. decumbens the uptake was 2.66 Mg ha-1 higher than that of the B. decumbens + maize system and, on average, 4.69 Mg ha-1 higher than for the systems with the arboreal component. In the medium-term, B. decumbens is more efficient in adding carbon to the soil. The soil structural stability, aggregate stability index and fertility were not affected by the different arrangements after four years of implementation.

A investigação em Matemática tem, cada vez mais, evidenciado a necessidade e a importância de incluir a construção progressiva de noções matemáticas na Educação Pré-Escolar, sendo esta área determinante para o desenvolvimento integral da criança. Neste sentido, o presente estudo foi desenvolvido com crianças de cinco anos e teve como principal objetivo identificar e analisar as atitudes e os conhecimentos matemáticos adquiridos pelas crianças com a utilização do Calculador Multibásico (CM). Neste trabalho de investigação apresentam-se os processos implementados e os resultados obtidos, referindo-se estratégias, raciocínios e argumentações descritas pelas crianças. Apesar da motivação deste estudo residir na experiência de lecionação no ensino superior, da Unidade Curricular “Números e Estruturas”, integrada no plano de estudos da Licenciatura em Educação Básica (LEB), este artigo foca-se na dinâmica estabelecida na Educação de Infância e nos resultados obtidos tendo por base o material referido.

The trypsin inhibitor isolated from tamarind seeds (TTI) presents satietogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, TTI encapsulation by nanoprecipitation in purified chitosan and whey protein isolate (ECW) was performed to maintain TTI's integrity and protection through the gastrointestinal tract. The interaction between TTI and the encapsulating agents was determined by filtration monitoring the antitrypsin activity. Cytotoxicity was evaluated at different concentrations (0.5, 2.5 and 5.0 mg/mL) in Caco-2 and CCD-18Co cells. Subacute blood toxicity was evaluated in Wistar rats (12.5 mg/kg) for ten days. The particles presented a smooth surface, with 118.00 (17.27) nm of diameter, 0.37 (0.02) of polydispersity index, -38.26 (0.15) mV (neutral pH) of surface charge, and 95.31 (0.31)% of incorporation efficiency. At neutral pH, there was a strong interaction of the encapsulating agents and TTI, and a gradual release of TTI at pH 3.0. Cell viability (> 70%) evaluation, in vivo biochemical and hepatic parameters of Wistar rats showed the absence of toxic effects of the nanoparticles with TTI. The study showed that TTI nanoparticles are potentially safe and represent a promising formulation for the clinical application of TTI and may become an option as a novel ingredient in food.

ABSTRACT Guava is a fruit that is susceptible to attack by pests and diseases both pre- and post-harvest, making it important to employ techniques which maintain its quality, such as the use of neem-based products and chitosan together with cold storage. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of neem oil and chitosan during pre-harvest and in the post-harvest quality of the ‘Paluma’ guava. The experiment was conducted on a property in the district of Mamanguape, Paraíba. Eighteen guava trees were selected, and the following treatments were applied: a control; neem oil 0.5%; neem oil 1%; chitosan 0.5%; chitosan 1%; neem oil 0.5% + chitosan 0.5%; neem oil 0.5% + chitosan 1%; neem oil 1% + chitosan 0.5% and neem oil 1% + chitosan 1%. When at the commercially mature stage, the fruit was harvested, packed in a harvesting crate and transported to the Post-Harvest Physiology Laboratory (CCHSA/UFPB). The fruit was selected, stored at 24 ± 1 °C and evaluated for 10 days, and then stored at 10 ± 1 °C and evaluated for 20 days, followed by physical, chemical and enzymatic analysis. Coating with neem oil (0.5%) + chitosan (1%) during pre-harvest proved to be effective in preserving and prolonging the quality of the ‘Paluma’ guava during storage for 8 days at 24 ± 1 °C, and 16 days at 10 ± 1 °C.

ABSTRACT Pirarucu is one of the main fish species for the development of aquaculture in the Amazon. In this study, the optimal feeding frequency for juvenile pirarucu was assessed based on growth and feed efficiency. Juvenile pirarucu weighing ca. 80 g were fed once, twice, three or four times daily until apparent satiation for 63 days. Fish fed three or four times per day presented higher growth, feed intake, and fat body content than those fed once or twice per day. There was no significant difference for feed conversion ratio, and protein and energy retention rates among treatments, suggesting that increased feeding frequency did not affect feed utilization efficiency. Mean feed intake per meal was higher when fish were fed once per day, possibly causing hyperphagic behavior. Results suggest that feeding three times per day was sufficient to secure adequate feeding and growth of juvenile pirarucu.

O processamento de frutos in natura em produtos derivados proporcionam a conservação e o consumo fora do período de safra, no entanto, é importante que estes produtos cheguem ao mercado consumidor atendendo e garantindo a sua qualidade físico-química e funcional. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar características físico-químicas e quantificação de compostos bioativos em amostras comerciais de doces em massa de goiaba e banana, polpas de acerola e goiaba. Os produtos adquiridos foram representados por quatro marcas comerciais, provenientes dos mercados locais de Pombal e Patos na Paraíba. Foram realizadas as determinações de sólidos solúveis, acidez titulável, pH, ratio, teor de água, resíduo mineral fixo, ácido ascórbico, clorofila, carotenoides, flavonoides, antocianinas e polifenóis extraíveis totais. Para o teor de cinzas, a amostra A de doce de goiaba se destacou entre as demais, indicando maior quantidade de resíduo inorgânico.As amostras A, B e C de doce de goiaba e amostra D de doce de banana apresentaram os maiores teores de compostos fenólicos. A amostra C doce de banana apresentou o teor mais elevado de sólidos solúveis. A amostra D de polpa de acerola obteve o melhor resultado para ácido ascórbico e compostos fenólicos. Para o pH, somente as amostras B, C e D de polpa de goiaba encontram-se dentro do permitido pela legislação brasileira.

ABSTRACT Because sex ratio in the broodstock can influence the reproductive behaviour of a species, the influence of sex ratio on the reproductive success of pirarucu, Arapaima gigas, in captivity was assessed. Pirarucu breeders were stocked in 0.10-0.13 ha earthen ponds at three sex ratios in quadruplicate: one male to one female (1M1F); one male to two females (1M2F); and two males to one female (2M1F). Eight spawning events occurred, seven of them with the 1M1F sex ratio, which was the most successful of the three tested sex ratios.

A busca pela sobrevivência vem fazendo com que as empresas adotem estratégias para se manterem competitivas no mercado, aliado a isso, obter qualidade em seus processos e produtos se torna um fator crucial para as organizações. Dessa forma, tendo ciência da importância da qualidade para a competitividade das instituições, o objetivo desse trabalho consiste em descrever o processo de implantação de um Sistema de Gestão da Qualidade (SGQ), de acordo com os requisitos normativos da ISO 9001:2015 em duas empresas prestadoras de serviços na região do Vale do Aço e evidenciar a importância da participação da alta direção nesse processo. A metodologia utilizada para implantação do SGQ consistiu na definição de seis metas físicas, sendo possível realizar todas as atividades necessárias. O SGQ foi implantado nas empresas, estando em fase inicial de operação e requer grande atenção da alta direção para que as deficiências sejam sanadas e o sistema apresente melhoria contínua. The search for survival has led companies to adopt strategies to remain competitive in the market, along with this, getting quality in your processes and products becomes a crucial factor for organizations. In this way, being aware of the importance of quality for the competitiveness of institutions, the purpose of this work is to describe the process of implementing a Quality Management System (QMS), according to the ISO 9001: 2015 standard requirements in two service companies in the Vale do Aço region and to highlight the importance of the participation of top management in this process. The methodology used for the implementation of the QMS consisted in the definition of six physical goals, being possible to carry out all the necessary activities. The QMS was implemented in the companies, being in the initial phase of operation and requires great attention of the top management so that the deficiencies are solved and the system presents continuous improvement.

A trypsin inhibitor isolated from tamarind seed (TTI) has satietogenic effects in animals, increasing the cholecystokinin (CCK) in eutrophy and reducing leptin in obesity. We purified TTI (pTTI), characterised, and observed its effect upon CCK and leptin in obese Wistar rats. By HPLC, and after amplification of resolution, two protein fractions were observed: Fr1 and Fr2, with average mass of [M + 14H]+ = 19,594,690 Da and [M + 13H]+ = 19,578,266 Da, respectively. The protein fractions showed 54 and 53 amino acid residues with the same sequence. pTTI presented resistance to temperature and pH variations; IC50 was 2.7 × 10−10 mol.L−1 and Ki was 2.9 × 10−11 mol.L−1. The 2-DE revealed spots with isoelectric points between pH 5 and 6, and one near pH 8. pTTI action on leptin decrease was confirmed. We conclude that pTTI is a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor with possible biotechnological health-related application.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to estimate the coffee supply by calibrating statistical models with economic and climatic variables for the main producing regions of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The regions were Batatais, Caconde, Cássia dos Coqueiros, Cristais Paulista, Espírito Santo do Pinhal, Marília, Mococa, and Osvaldo Cruz. Data on coffee supply, economic variables (rural credit, rural agricultural credit, and production value), and climatic variables (air temperature, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, water deficit, and water surplus) for each region, during the period from 2000-2014, were used. The models were calibrated using multiple linear regression, and all possible combinations were tested for selecting the variables. Coffee supply was the dependent variable, and the other ones were considered independent. The accuracy and precision of the models were assessed by the mean absolute percentage error and the adjusted coefficient of determination, respectively. The variables that most affect coffee supply are production value and air temperature. Coffee supply can be estimated with multiple linear regressions using economic and climatic variables. The most accurate models are those calibrated to estimate coffee supply for the regions of Cássia dos Coqueiros and Osvaldo Cruz.

Este artigo visa abordar o sistema de produção da bovinocultura de corte, relacionado aos serviços ecossistêmicos, de modo a dar ênfase ao caso da Associação de Produtores do Rincão do Vinte e Oito. O principal objetivo é analisar a oferta de serviços ecossistêmicos na Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) do Ibirapuitã, relacionados à bovinocultura de corte e a ovinocultura em campo nativo. Como unidade de análise, foi realizado um estudo de caso com nove produtores da Associação, através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, no ano de 2017. A manutenção da produção animal é considerada válida segundo os produtores, pois acreditam que pode proporcionar o bem-estar para as suas famílias e para o restante da população. Os entrevistados mencionam que antigamente a tradição de produzir bovinos de corte e ovinos era muito forte na região, mas que, atualmente, além da tradição, produzem por conta do lucro, para conseguirem se manter no meio rural. A pecuária de corte por meio do serviço ecossistêmico de provisão fornece alimento para a população através da produção de carne e a ovinocultura através da carne e lã. Apesar da principal temática da pesquisa ser diretamente relacionada com os serviços de provisão, principalmente com enfoque na bovinocultura de corte em campo nativo, durante a realização da pesquisa, os serviços ecossistêmicos culturais foram amplamente citados. A manutenção das atividades tradicionais, realizadas desde os primórdios da ocupação do território gaúcho, as questões voltadas à preservação do meio em que vivem, a solidariedade entre os produtores e a manutenção dos campos foram muito destacadas pelos entrevistados. Além disso, pôde-se constatar a partir da observação das paisagens, que a manutenção dos agroecossistemas rurais da região estão preservados, proporcionando, assim, ainda mais ênfase na gama de serviços ecossistêmicos de regulação.

Science parks have spread throughout the world as mechanisms to promote innovation, technology transfer, knowledge exchange, generation of skilled employment and socioeconomic development. Nevertheless, a current challenge for a venture is the development of more detailed performance management system, representing the major stakeholders, demonstrating results and indicating opportunities for improvement. To contribute to fulfilling this gap, this work proposes a model for performance management of science parks, using the management tool Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a reference. In drawing up this model, a multiple case study was designed in three Brazilian science parks in operation. The justification for the development of this model is the need for the creation and improvement of a management tool that is a reference for science parks’ managers and stakeholders. Thereby, it is expected that the model helps managers understand the strategic goals and performance indicators common to these ventures. The research contributions by extending known solutions to new problems and the results could be applied in several science parks.

Despite the availability of effective antimicrobials, tuberculosis (TB) is still a serious health threat. Mortality is even higher in people living with HIV who are diagnosed with TB. New therapies are needed to shorten the time required to cure TB and decrease fatality rates in this population. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a glutathione precursor and has shown recently in experimental setting to present in vitro and in vivo anti-mycobacterial activity. We test the hypothesis that NAC is safe, well tolerated and secondarily efficacious as adjunctive anti-TB therapy in hospitalized individuals with HIV-associated TB. Patients were enrolled sequentially in a tertiary care center, in the Brazilian Amazon. We performed a randomized, parallel group, single-center, open study trial of two arms, in hospitalized patients over 18 years of age, with microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB in HIV: one with rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol at standard doses (Control Group), and a second in which NAC 600 mg bid for eight weeks was added (NAC Group). A total of 21 and 18 patients were enrolled to the Control Group and NAC Group, respectively. Adverse event rates were similar in the two arms. Our findings suggest that in the more critical population of hospitalized patients with HIV-associated TB, the use of NAC was not unsafe, despite the low sample size, and a potential impact on faster negative cultures needs to be further explored in larger studies.

Biohydrogen production potential (BHP) depends on several factors like inoculum source, substrate, pH, among many others. Batch assays are the most common strategy to evaluate such parameters, where the comparison is a challenging task due to the different procedures used. The present method introduces the first internationally validated protocol, evaluated by 8 independent laboratories from 5 different countries, to assess the biohydrogen potential. As quality criteria, a coefficient of variation of the cumulative hydrogen production (Hmax) was defined to be

O consumo de frutas in natura é crescente em todo o mundo devido a fatores que levam a modificações nos hábitos alimentares das pessoas, como o cuidado com a saúde e os aspectos nutritivos dos alimentos. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a qualidade, quantificar os compostos bioativos e a capacidade antioxidante dos frutos de noni em cinco estádios de maturação. O trabalho foi desenvolvido no Laboratório de Tecnologia de Produtos de Origem Vegetal do Centro de Ciências e Tecnologia de Alimentos da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, no Campus de Pombal - PB. Os frutos foram provenientes de plantios localizados na cidade de Fortaleza – CE, sendo colhidos diretamente na copa da planta, tomando-se como índice de colheita a coloração da casca. Foram realizadas avaliações físicas, físico-químicas, de compostos bioativos e capacidade antioxidante nos frutos. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado (p˂0,05). Características físico-químicas de sólidos solúveis, açúcares solúveis totais, açúcares redutores e relação SS/AT, aumentaram com o avanço da maturação. Para os compostos bioativos, o teor de ácido ascórbico aumentou de forma considerável com o avanço da maturação, assim como também valores representativos para os compostos fenólicos. Os frutos estudados apresentaram propriedade antioxidante, aumentando o poder redutor com o amadurecimento. Conclui-se que os frutos avaliados apresentaram quantidades consideráveis de compostos biologicamente ativos, podendo constituir como uma boa fonte de antioxidantes naturais.