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A construção civil gera impactos ambientais devido a produção dos resíduos de construção e demolição (RCD). O principal objetivo desse artigo é estudar a durabilidade dos concretos produzidos com diferentes percentuais de agregado reciclado em sua matriz analisando seus comportamentos. Foram confeccionados corpos-de-prova (CP’s) prismáticos com dimensões (10 cm x 10 cm x 6 cm) contendo barras de aço com diâmetro Ø de 6 mm e, a partir disso, foram moldadas 4 famílias: sem (RCC) – referência, com 15%, 25% e 50% de substituição parcial do agregado natural pelo (RCC). Os (CP’s) foram utilizados para analisar o comportamento dos traços confeccionados através do ensaio de potencial de corrosão, após a exposição acelerada de (CO2) (dióxido de carbono) presente na câmara de carbonatação. Para os (CP’s) de referência e com 15% de (RCC) tiveram, em 30 dias, potencial de corrosão denominado na zona de incerteza com -321 mV e -335 mV, respectivamente. Para os (CP’s) com 25% e 50% de RCC, os comportamentos do potencial de corrosão variaram entre -352 mV e -370 mV podendo constatar que os traços com 50% de (RCC) incidem a corrosão das armaduras e, sobretudo, afetam a durabilidade frente à contaminação de agentes agressivos.

Background We previously reported that periodontal disease (PD) induces high arterial pressure variability (APV) consistent with sympathetic overactivity and elicits myocardial inflammation in Balb/c mice. However, it is unknown whether PD can change APV and heart rate variability (HRV) in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. This study aimed to evaluate the hemodynamic level, HRV, and APV associating with myocardial inflammation and plasma concentrations of oxide nitric (NO) in SHR and WKY rats with PD. Methods Three weeks after bilateral ligation of the first mandibular molar, or Sham operation, the rats received catheters into the femoral artery and had their arterial pressure (AP) recorded the following day. Subsequently, plasma, heart, and jaw were collected. The NO was quantified by the chemiluminescence method in plasma, and the myocardial IL-1β concentrations were evaluated by ELISA. In the jaw was evaluated linear alveolar bone loss induced by PD. Results The linear alveolar bone loss in jaws of SHR with PD was higher than in all other groups. AP and heart rate were higher in SHR than in their WKY counterparts. SHR with PD showed lower AP than control SHR. HRV and APV were different between SHR and WKY rats; however, no differences in these parameters were found between the animals with PD and their control counterparts. Plasma NO and myocardial IL-1β concentrations were higher in SHR with PD as compared to control WKY. A significant correlation was found between linear alveolar bone loss and plasma NO and myocardial IL-1β concentrations. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that short-term PD lowered the AP in SHR, which might be due to the higher levels of plasma NO. Even though PD did not affect either HRV or APV, it did induce myocardial inflammation, which can determine cardiovascular dysfunction in long-term PD.

To evaluate the heart rate fragmentation (HRF) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and its relationship with heart rate variability (HRV) indices.One hundred sixty-four men, aged 47-57 years were retrospectively analyzed from a database. Participants were T2DM (n=82) and apparently healthy (n=82). R-R interval time series recorded by electrocardiogram were collected at the supine position for 10 to 15 minutes. From HRF, the percentage of inflection points (PIP), percentage of words with zero, one, two, or three inflections points (WT2DM presented higher PIP, WT2DM have increased fragmentation patterns, and words grouped by inflection type are more closely related to HRV. The HRF approach might be useful to assess heart rate dynamic abnormalities in males with type 2 diabetes.

The efficiency of surface protection of sealing masonry structures with intumescent ink was evaluated in relation to mechanical resistance and thermal insulation. Sixty ceramic sealing masonry blocks were used. The temperature of the face directly exposed to the flame was on average 25% lower for the block with passive protection. The compressive strength of the blocks with passive protection was about 70% higher than the unprotected blocks, after 60 minutes of direct exposure to the flame. More than 70% of the blocks without passive protection and that were exposed to flame had compressive resistance of 1.35 MPa, while 100% of the blocks with protection had values 2.38 MPa, even after 60 minutes of exposure

Our previous studies show that cafeteria diet increases body adiposity, plasma insulin levels, and sympathetic activity to brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT) of Wistar rats, leading to rapid and progressive changes in the metabolic profile. The identification of suitable reference genes that are not affected by the experimental conditions is a critical step in accurate normalization of the reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), a commonly used assay to elucidate changes in the gene expression profile. In the present study, the effects of the cafeteria diet and sympathetic innervation on the gene expression of adrenoceptor beta 3 (Adrb3) from BAT and WAT were assessed using one of the most stable and one of the least stable genes as normalizers. Rats were fed the cafeteria diet and on the 17th day, interscapular BAT or retroperitoneal WAT was denervated and, 7 days after surgery, the contralateral innervated tissue was used as control. Ten reference genes were evaluated (18S, B2m, Actb, CypA, Gapdh, Hprt1, Rpl32, Tbp, Ubc, and Ywhaz) and ranked according to their stability using the following algorithms: geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and comparative delta threshold cycle (ΔC t ) method. According to the algorithms employed, the normalization of Adrb3 expression by the least stable genes produced opposite results compared with the most stable genes and literature data. In cafeteria and control diet-fed rats, the three most stable genes were Hprt1, Tbp, and Rpl32 for interscapular BAT and Tbp, B2m, and Hprt1 for retroperitoneal WAT, while the least stable genes were 18S, Actb, and Gapdh for both tissues.

Leptin and its receptor are widely distributed in several tissues, mainly in white adipose tissue. The serum leptin is highly correlated with body mass index in rodents and humans, being documented that leptin levels reduces in the fasting state and increase during refeeding, similarly to insulin release by pancreatic islets. Insulin appears to increase leptin mRNA and protein expression and its release by adipocytes. Some studies have suggested that insulin acts through the activation of the transcription factors: sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), CCAAT enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBP-α) and specificity protein 1 (Sp1). Insulin stimulates the release of preformed and newly synthesized leptin by adipocytes through its signaling cascade. Its effects are blocked by inhibitors of the insulin signaling pathway, as well as by inhibitors of protein synthesis and agents that increase the intracellular cAMP. The literature data suggest that chronic hyperinsulinemia increases serum leptin levels in humans and rodents. In this review, we summarized the most updated knowledge on the effects of insulin on serum leptin levels, presenting the cell mechanisms that control leptin synthesis and release by the white adipose tissue.

Introdução: Síndrome Metabólica (SM) é caracterizada por um conjunto de fatores que aumentam risco de doenças cardiovasculares relacionada à obesidade central e resistência à insulina. Os números de morbimortalidade e custos socioeconômicos aos serviços públicos de saúde são alarmantes e sua prevalência varia conforme critério de diagnóstico e público estudado. A população mundial possui prevalência de 25%, considerando os pacientes esquizofrênicos, a taxa de prevalência média de SM encontrada é 32,5%. A esquizofrenia é uma psicose crônica sem causa definida, uma doença multifatorial que aparece de forma lenta ou súbita e está relacionada a problemas de saúde, como dificuldade com autocuidado, processamento do pensamento, relações interpessoais, o que favorece isolamento social e dificulta o processo de reabilitação. Objetivos: Determinar a prevalência da síndrome metabólica (SM) em pacientes esquizofrênicos de acordo com os critérios internacionais de diagnóstico da NCEP/ATP/III e IDF. Métodos: Estudo epidemiológico de caráter transversal e analítico. Foram coletados dados socioeconômicos, antropométricos, clínicos e bioquímicos. Para análise dos dados foram utilizadas medidas de frequência absolutas, relativas e multivariadas, e considerado o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: A frequência da SM foi de 38,9 e 43,1%, NCEP/ATP/III e IDF respectivamente. As mulheres apresentaram maior presença da SM e alteração da circunferência da cintura que os homens. O grupo com SM demonstrou maior frequência quanto aos componentes individuais alterados em relação ao grupo sem SM. Conclusão: A frequência da SM e dos seus componentes individuais alterados foi alta, principalmente entre as mulheres.

Background and aims Consumption of a high caloric diet induces autonomic imbalance, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. Impaired arterial baroreflex control is suggested to play an important role in cardiovascular autonomic imbalance, often seen in obesity. We previously demonstrated that cafeteria diets increase the sympathetic drive to white and brown adipose tissue. Methods and results After feeding a cafeteria diet to rats for 26 days, we evaluated: (i)heart rate (HR) and arterial pressure (AP); (ii)baroreflex and chemoreflex function; and (iii) autonomic modulation of the heart and vessels, measured through pulse interval (PI) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) variability analyses and following administration of autonomic blockers. The cafeteria diet increased body fat mass and serum insulin, leptin, triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels. Baseline HR (15%) was also increased, accompanied by increased power in the low frequency band (60%) and in the low frequency/high frequency ratio (104%) in the PI spectra. Nonlinear analysis revealed an increased occurrence of 0V (39%) and decreased occurrence of 2UV (18%) patterns. Following administration of autonomic blockers, we observed an increase in cardiac sympathetic tone (425%) in cafeteria diet-fed rats. The cafeteria diet had no effect on AP, SAP variability, baroreflex and chemoreflex control. Conclusion Our findings suggest that consumption of a cafeteria diet increases sympathetic drive to the heart but not to the blood vessels, independent of impairment in baroreflex and chemoreflex functions. Other mechanisms may be involved in the increased cardiac sympathetic drive, and compensatory vascular mechanisms may prevent the development of hypertension in this model of obesity.

In this study, renal tissue, subdivided into the cortex and medulla of Wistar rats subjected to a cafeteria diet (CAF) for 24 days or to normal diet, was used to analyze whether the renal enzyme Na,K-ATPase activity was modified by CAF diet, as well as to analyze the α1 subunit of renal Na,K-ATPase expression levels. The lipid profile of the renal plasma membrane and oxidative stress were verified. In the Na,K-ATPase activity evaluation, no alteration was found, but a significant decrease of 30% in the cortex was detected in the α1 subunit expression of the enzyme. There was a 24% decrease in phospholipids in the cortex of rats submitted to CAF, a 17% increase in cholesterol levels in the cortex, and a 23% decrease in the medulla. Lipid peroxidation was significantly increased in the groups submitted to CAF, both in the cortical region, 29%, and in the medulla, 35%. Also, a reduction of 45% in the glutathione levels was observed in the cortex and medulla with CAF. CAF showed a nearly two-fold increase in glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity in relation to the control group in the cortex and a 59% increase in the GPx activity in the medulla. In conclusion, although the diet was administered for a short period of time, important results were found, especially those related to the lipid profile and oxidative stress, which may directly affect renal function.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide produced by alternative tissue-specific splicing of the primary transcript of the CALC genes. CGRP is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as in several organs and tissues. The presence of CGRP in the liver and brown and white adipose tissue suggests an effect of this neuropeptide on regulation of energy homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the effect of CGRP on the control of energy metabolism, primarily focusing on food intake, thermoregulation and lipid metabolism in adipose tissue, liver and muscle. CGRP induces anorexia, stimulating anorexigenic neuropeptide and/or inhibiting orexigenic neuropeptide expression, through cAMP/PKA pathway activation. CGRP also induces energy expenditure, increasing the skin temperature and brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. It has been also suggested that information related to peripheral lipid stores may be conveyed to the brain via CGRP-sensory innervation from adipose tissue. More recently, it was demonstrated that mice lacking αCGRP are protected from obesity induced by high-fat diet and that CGRP regulates the content of lipid in liver, muscle and adipose tissue. It is unclear the receptor responsible by CGRP effects, as well as whether this neuropeptide acts directly or indirectly in liver, muscle and adipose tissue.

This study aimed at characterizing the social demographic and clinical profile of patients with schizophrenia and alcohol and other drugs addiction of a Center of Psychosocial Attention III of the Central-Western region of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, from July 1st, 1997 to July 1st, 2013. It is a descriptive, observational and retrospective epidemiological study. The sample consisted of 1618 patients and the main results were: prevalence of male patients (60.4%) and the age range was 21 - 30 years old (48.2%), presented more expressive abuse of alcohol (35.6%) and cannabinoids (29.5%) and the most frequent diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia (41.7%). Understanding the factors associated to the coexistence of both conditions can provide a basis for the creation of interventional strategies to improve the prognosis of these patients.

Aims: To assess the frequency of metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents according to three international diagnostic criteria determining the level of agreement between these different criteria. Methods: Waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum triglycerides were evaluated in students from public schools of different regions of Divinopolis, MG, Brazil. Children and adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years were selected. Criteria adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO), National Cholesterol Education Program – Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATPIII), and International Diabetes Federation (IDF) were used for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. The kappa coefficient was used to evaluate the level of agreement among the three criteria. Results: The study evaluated 202 students (86 boys and 116 girls). The frequency of metabolic syndrome was 1.16% for boys and none of the girls presented with metabolic syndrome, according to WHO criteria. According to the NCEP/ATPIII and IDF criteria, metabolic syndrome was not detected in the studied sample. Low blood levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was the most frequent metabolic alteration in all teenagers according to the NCEP/ATPIII and IDF criteria, while body mass index was the most frequent one according to WHO criteria. The level of agreement for one altered parameter was poor when comparing WHO and NCEP/ATP/III, moderate when comparing WHO and IDF and high when comparing the NCEP/ATP/III and IDF criteria. Conclusions: Significant differences between the frequencies of individual metabolic syndrome parameters were found in the studied sample of children and adolescents, depending on the criteria used. According to WHO criteria, metabolic syndrome was found at a low frequency and only in boys, while the NCEP/ATPIII and IDF criteria did not diagnose metabolic syndrome. The present findings suggest the need to reach a consensus on the cut-off points for risk factors and a single diagnostic definition of metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents.

Efluentes texteis possuem grandes quantidades de corantes de dificil decomposicao e constituem um problema ambiental. Neste trabalho, a avaliacao da influencia do pH, forca ionica e relacao carbono/nitrogenio na degradacao do corante preto intenso N O pelo fungo Aspergillus aculeatus mostrou um grande potencial deste micro-organismo, sob condicoes otimizadas, na degradacao do corante, atingindo um maximo de 90% de eficiencia no processo.