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This article, based on the studies of literacies as a social practice and ethnic-racial relations, aims to look at the black movement pointing out elements that characterize it as an agent of academic literacy. For a better understanding of this aspect, a field research was carried out with a group of black students from a Brazilian public university based on an ethnographic study as a theoretical-methodological approach. As a result, it was possible to infer that the agency of the academic black movement presents an affirmative aspect that fosters a gradual transformation of academic literacies, both through the persuit for effective belonging of black population in the university and through the insertion of their history, knowledge and trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botulism is a disease resulting from the action of a toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum. Because of its severity and high mortality, it is considered a public health problem. In this review, we present the main risk factors associated with food poisoning caused by Clostridium botulinum, as well as an epidemiological survey on foodborne and infant botulism. A bibliographic search was conducted in SciELO, MEDLINE, LILACS and PubMed databases. Original articles and case reports published in English, Spanish and Portuguese in the past ten years were selected. After analyzing titles, abstracts and articles, 26 articles were used in this review. In total, 54% of the cases were related to foodborne botulism, of which approximately 58% had confirmed type A botulism, and 35% were related to infant botulism. In the literature consulted, the main symptoms related to foodborne botulism were blurred vision, vomiting, flaccid paralysis, nausea, dizziness, diplopia, respiratory distress, dysarthria, dysphagia, muscle weakness, dry mouth, ptosis and headache. Among the sources of contamination, 65% of the published studies reported home-canned foods as the main cause of foodborne botulism. Although honey (42%) is the only reported food source for the agent causing infant botulism, some reports in the literature (25%) associated the disease with inhalation of dust containing Clostridium botulinum spores, as well as use of medicinal plants (25%). The most common symptoms observed in the literature were constipation, difficulty breathing and difficulty suckling. Although several reports on the two forms of the disease exist, botulism remains under-reported because of often incorrect diagnosis. Thus, early diagnosis is important for an adequate treatment provided by health professionals, as well as availability of relevant information for the epidemiological investigation of notifiable diseases. The data presented in this study also demonstrate the importance of raising people's awareness to main risks and prevention measures, as most reported cases were related to inadequate food preparation practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has an interpretative nature and aims to discuss the academic literacies in the context of affirmative action policies to expand the access to higher education in Brazil. For such, an overview encompassing the ideological and the autonomous models of literacies and about literacies and culture, focusing on black and indigenous populations was conducted. Following, conceptual issues regarding academic literacies were addressed based on the studies of Lea and Street (1998, 2014), as well as the notion of the institutional practice of mystery, discussed by Lillis (1999) and Lillis and Scott (2007). Two fragments of opinion articles published prior to Federal Law 12.711/2012 in Boletim, an academic journal of UFMG, were used in this article as a means to correlate the discourse about meritocracy used against racial quotas, affirmative action policies and academic literacies studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chenopodium ambrosioides and Kielmeyera neglecta are plants traditionally used in Brazil to treat various infectious diseases. The study of the biological activities of these plants is of great importance for the detection of biologically active compounds. Methods: Extracts from these plants were extracted with hexane (Hex), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and ethanol (EtOH) and assessed for their antimicrobial properties, bioactivity against Artemia salina Leach and antifungal action on the cell wall of Neurospora crassa. Results: Extracts from C. ambrosioides (Hex, DCM and EtOH) and K. neglecta (EtOAc and EtOH) showed high bioactivity against A. salina (LD50 < 1000 μg/mL), which might be associated with cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. C. ambrosioides Hex and DCM showed specific activity against yeasts, highlighting the activity of hexanic extract against Candida krusei (MIC = 100 μg/mL). By comparing the inhibitory concentration of 50% growth (IC 50%) with the growth control, extracts from K. neglecta EtOAc and EtOH have shown activities against multidrug-resistant bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 51299 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 43300), with IC 50%of 12.5 μg/mL The assay carried out on N. crassa allowed defining that extracts with antifungal activity do not have action through inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Conclusions: Generally speaking, extracts from C. ambrosioides and K. neglecta showed biological activities that have made the search for bioactive substances in these plants more attractive, illustrating the success of their use in the Brazilian folk medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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