Showing papers by "Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso published in 2010"

Burkholderia species are ancient symbionts of legumes

Abstract: Burkholderia has only recently been recognized as a potential nitrogen-fixing symbiont of legumes, but we find that the origins of symbiosis in Burkholderia are much deeper than previously suspected. We sampled 143 symbionts from 47 native species of Mimosa across 1800 km in central Brazil and found that 98% were Burkholderia. Gene sequences defined seven distinct and divergent species complexes within the genus Burkholderia. The symbiosis-related genes formed deep Burkholderia-specific clades, each specific to a species complex, implying that these genes diverged over a long period within Burkholderia without substantial horizontal gene transfer between species complexes.

Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by Mimosa spp. in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes of Brazil.

Abstract: P>An extensive survey of nodulation in the legume genus Mimosa was undertaken in two major biomes in Brazil, the Cerrado and the Caatinga, in both of which there are high degrees of endemicity of the genus. Nodules were collected from 67 of the 70 Mimosa spp. found. Thirteen of the species were newly reported as nodulating. Nodules were examined by light and electron microscopy, and all except for M. gatesiae had a structure typical of effective Mimosa nodules. The endosymbiotic bacteria in nodules from all of the Mimosa spp. were identified as Burkholderia via immunolabelling with an antibody against Burkholderia phymatum STM815. Twenty of the 23 Mimosa nodules tested were shown to contain nitrogenase by immunolabelling with an antibody to the nitrogenase Fe- (nifH) protein, and using the delta 15N (15N natural abundance) technique, contributions by biological N-2 fixation of up to 60% of total plant N were calculated for Caatinga Mimosa spp. It is concluded that nodulation in Mimosa is a generic character, and that the preferred symbionts of Brazilian species are Burkholderia. This is the first study to demonstrate N-2 fixation by beta-rhizobial symbioses in the field.

Augmented plasma microparticles during acute Plasmodium vivax infection.

Abstract: Background: In the last few years, the study of microparticles (MPs) - submicron vesicles released from cells upon activation or apoptosis - has gained growing interest in the field of inflammation and in infectious diseases. Their role in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax remains unexplored. Because acute vivax malaria has been related to pro-inflammatory responses, the main hypothesis investigated in this study was that Plasmodium vivax infection is associated with elevated levels of circulating MPs, which may play a role during acute disease in nonimmune patients. Methods: Plasma MPs were analysed among thirty-seven uncomplicated P. vivax infections from an area of unstable malaria transmission in the Brazilian Amazon. The MP phenotype was analysed by flow cytometry using the classical MP marker, annexin, and fluorochrome-labeled monoclonal antibodies against specific cell surface markers. The frequencies of plasma MPs in P. vivax patients (n = 37) were further compared to malaria-unexposed controls (n = 15) and ovarian carcinoma patients (n = 12), a known MPs-inducing disease non-related to malaria. Results: The frequencies of plasma circulating MPs were markedly increased in P. vivax patients, as compared to healthy age-matched malaria-unexposed controls. Although platelets, erythrocytes and leukocytes were the main cellular sources of MPs during vivax malaria, platelet derived-MPs (PMPs) increased in a linear fashion with the presence of fever at the time of blood collection (b = 0.06, p < 0.0001) and length of acute symptoms (b = 0.36, p < 0.0001). Finally, the results suggest that plasma levels of PMPs diminish as patient experience more episodes of clinical malaria (b = 0.07, p < 0.003). Conclusions: Abundant circulating MPs are present during acute P. vivax infection, and platelet derived-MPs may play a role on the acute inflammatory symptoms of malaria vivax.

Atmospheric versus vegetation controls of Amazonian tropical rain forest evapotranspiration: Are the wet and seasonally dry rain forests any different?

Abstract: [1] This study analyzes evapotranspiration data for three wet and two seasonally dry rain forest sites in Amazonia. The main environmental (net radiation, vapor pressure deficit, and aerodynamic conductance) and vegetation (surface conductance) controls of evapotranspiration are also assessed. Our research supports earlier studies that demonstrate that evapotranspiration in the dry season is higher than that in the wet season and that surface net radiation is the main controller of evapotranspiration in wet equatorial sites. However, our analyses also indicate that there are different factors controlling the seasonality of evapotranspiration in wet equatorial rain forest sites and southern seasonally dry rain forests. While the seasonality of evapotranspiration in wet equatorial forests is driven solely by environmental factors, in seasonally dry forests, it is also biotically controlled with the surface conductance varying between seasons by a factor of approximately 2. The identification of these different drivers of evapotranspiration is a major step forward in our understanding of the water dynamics of tropical forests and has significant implications for the future development of vegetation-atmosphere models and land use and conservation planning in the region.

Climate cooling promoted the expansion and radiation of a threatened group of South American orchids (Epidendroideae: Laeliinae)

Abstract: The Brazilian Cerrado is the most species-rich tropical savanna in the world. Within this biome, the Campos Rupestres (‘rocky savannas’) constitute a poorly studied and highly threatened ecosystem. To better understand how plants characteristic of this vegetation have evolved and come to occupy the now widely-separated patches of rocky formations in eastern Brazil, we reconstruct the biogeographical history of the rare orchid genus Hoffmannseggella. We apply parsimony and Bayesian methods to infer the phylogenetic relationships among 40 out of the 41 described species. Absolute divergence times are calculated under penalized likelihood and compared with estimates from a Bayesian relaxed clock. Ancestral ranges are inferred for all nodes of the phylogeny using Fitch optimization and statistical dispersal vicariance analysis. In all analyses, phylogenetic uncertainty is taken into account by the independent analysis of a large tree sample. The results obtained indicate that Hoffmannseggella underwent rapid radiation around the Middle/Late Miocene (approximately 11–14 Mya). The region corresponding today to southern Minas Gerais acted as a main source area for several independent range expansions north- and eastwards via episodic corridors. These results provide independent evidence that climate cooling following the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (approximately 15 Mya) led to important vegetational shifts in eastern Brazil, causing an increase in the dominance of open versus closed habitats. Polyploidy following secondary contact of previously isolated populations may have been responsible for the formation of many species, as demonstrated by the high ploidy levels reported in the genus. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100, 597–607.

Reassessing the temporal evolution of orchids with new fossils and a Bayesian relaxed clock, with implications for the diversification of the rare South American genus Hoffmannseggella (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae).

Abstract: The temporal origin and diversification of orchids (family Orchidaceae) has been subject to intense debate in the last decade. The description of the first reliable fossil in 2007 enabled a direct calibration of the orchid phylogeny, but little attention has been paid to the potential influence of dating methodology in obtaining reliable age estimates. Moreover, two new orchid fossils described in 2009 have not yet been incorporated in a molecular dating analysis. Here we compare the ages of major orchid clades estimated under two widely used methods, a Bayesian relaxed clock implemented in BEAST and Penalized Likelihood implemented in r8s. We then perform a new family-level analysis by integrating all 3 available fossils and using BEAST. To evaluate how the newly estimated ages may influence the evolutionary interpretation of a species-level phylogeny, we assess divergence times for the South American genus Hoffmannseggella (subfam. Epidendroideae), for which we present an almost complete phylogeny (40 out of 41 species sampled). Our results provide additional support that all extant orchids shared a most recent common ancestor in the Late Cretaceous (~77 million years ago, Ma). However, we estimate the crown age of the five orchid subfamilies to be generally (~1-8 Ma) younger than previously calculated under the Penalized Likelihood algorithm and using a single internal fossil calibration. The crown age of Hoffmannseggella is estimated here at ~11 Ma, some 3 Ma more recently than estimated under Penalized Likelihood. Contrary to recent suggestions that orchid diversification began in a period of global warming, our results place the onset of diversification of the largest orchid subfamilies (Orchidoideae and Epidendroideae) in a period of global cooling subsequent to the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. The diversification of Hoffmannseggella appears even more correlated to late Tertiary climatic fluctuations than previously suggested. With the incorporation of new fossils in the orchid phylogeny and the use of a method that is arguably more adequate given the present data, our results represent the most up-to-date estimate of divergence times in orchids.

Improving the design and management of forest strips in human-dominated tropical landscapes: a field test on Amazonian dung beetles

Abstract: Summary 1. The future of tropical forest species depends in part on their ability to survive in human-modified landscapes. Forest strips present a priority area for biodiversity research because they are a common feature of many managed landscapes, are often afforded a high level of legal protection, and can provide a cost-effective and politically acceptable conservation strategy. 2. Despite the potential conservation benefits that could be provided by forest strips, ecologists currently lack sufficient evidence to inform policy and guide their design and management. 3. We used a quasi-experimental landscape in the Brazilian Amazon to test the importance of four management-relevant variables (forest type, isolation distance, forest structure, and large mammal activity) on the potential biodiversity conservation value of narrow forest strips for dung beetles. 4. Information-theoretic model selection based on AICc revealed strong support for the influence of large mammal activity and forest type on dung beetle abundance; isolation distance on species richness; and forest structure on the relative abundance of matrix-tolerant species. Multi-dimensional scaling showed a strong influence of forest type and isolation on community composition and structure, with riparian and dry-land strips having complementary sets of species. 5. Synthesis and applications. To enhance the conservation value and ecological integrity of forest strips in human-modified landscapes we recommend that strip design considers both isolation distance and whether or not the strips encompass perennial streams. In addition, we identify the maintenance of forest structure and the protection of large mammal populations as being crucially important for conserving forest dung beetle communities.

Levantamento etnobotânico de plantas utilizadas como anti-hiperlipidêmicas e anorexígenas pela população de Nova Xavantina-MT, Brasil

Abstract: This study checked the use of medicinal plants found in the Cerrado mato-grossense for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity. Interviews with 180 people over 50 years were held in Nova Xavantina-MT. The questionnaire addressed popular name, part used, type of preparation and use of the species mentioned, beyond general information about the use of plants. The ten plants most cited were collected, identified and studied through a literature review. Most respondents (95.6%) said using medicinal plants regularly, while 71.5% of them inherited the knowledge of plants of parents and grandparents and 94.20% reported the use to advise youngsters. Furthermore, 93.6% attested that the plants are more effective than the drugs from pharmacy and 57% considered the strong effect of the same, i.e., they always solved health problems. Regarding adverse effects, 95.9% said they have never felt them after the use of plants. Of the respondents, 56.7% knew or had used medicinal plants in the treatment of hyperlipidemias and obesity, being cited 54 medicinal species belonging to 53 different genera and 38 families, with emphasis on Fabaceae (13%). The ten most cited were: guatambu (Aspidosperma tomentosum Mart.), quina-do-cerrado (Strychnos pseudoquina St. Hil.), ipe-roxo [Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. Ex DC.) Standl], embauba (Cecropia pachystachya Trec.), calunga (Simaba sp.), pata-de-vaca [Bauhinia rufa (Bong.) Steud.], mangaba (Hancornia speciosa Gomez), batata-de-tiu [Jatropha elliptica (Pohl.) Muell. Arg.], folha-de-carne (Casearia sylvestris Sw.) and manaca (Spiranthera odoratissima A. St.-Hil.). The leaf was the most used (46%) and the preparation of the plants occurs mainly through the infusion cited by 36,5% of respondents. Despite the popular use of these plants for treatment of obesity and hyperlipidemia, further chemical and pharmacological studies are required to demonstrate these activities, in order to develop a phytotherapic product.

Chromosome differentiation patterns during cichlid fish evolution.

Abstract: Cichlid fishes have been the subject of increasing scientific interest because of their rapid adaptive radiation which has led to an extensive ecological diversity and their enormous importance to tropical and subtropical aquaculture. To increase our understanding of chromosome evolution among cichlid species, karyotypes of one Asian, 22 African, and 30 South American cichlid species were investigated, and chromosomal data of the family was reviewed. Although there is extensive variation in the karyotypes of cichlid fishes (from 2n = 32 to 2n = 60 chromosomes), the modal chromosome number for South American species was 2n = 48 and the modal number for the African ones was 2n = 44. The only Asian species analyzed, Etroplus maculatus, was observed to have 46 chromosomes. The presence of one or two macro B chromosomes was detected in two African species. The cytogenetic mapping of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene revealed a variable number of clusters among species varying from two to six. The karyotype diversification of cichlids seems to have occurred through several chromosomal rearrangements involving fissions, fusions and inversions. It was possible to identify karyotype markers for the subfamilies Pseudocrenilabrinae (African) and Cichlinae (American). The karyotype analyses did not clarify the phylogenetic relationship among the Cichlinae tribes. On the other hand, the two major groups of Pseudocrenilabrinae (tilapiine and haplochromine) were clearly discriminated based on the characteristics of their karyotypes. The cytogenetic mapping of 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene did not follow the chromosome diversification in the family. The dynamic evolution of the repeated units of rRNA genes generates patterns of chromosomal distribution that do not help follows the phylogenetic relationships among taxa. The presence of B chromosomes in cichlids is of particular interest because they may not be represented in the reference genome sequences currently being obtained.

Is the geographical origin of a Paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolate important for antigen production for regional diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis

Abstract: Summary In this study, exoantigens produced from two Paracoccidioides brasiliensis strains isolated in two different geographical areas were compared in terms of sensitivity and specificity in relation to paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) diagnosis. Exoantigens from P. brasiliensis 550B (Ag 550B) isolated in the central-west region of Brazil (Mato Grosso State) and exoantigen produced from P. brasiliensis B-339 (Ag B-339) used in reference laboratories were compared by immunodiffusion (ID) tests. When Ag 550B was used in ID test against sera of patients from Mato Grosso and Sao Paulo, positivity was 92.3% and 41.3%, respectively. On the other hand, when Ag B-339 was tested with the same sera, positivity was 26.2% and 100%, respectively. These results suggest that differences in the antigenic composition probably related to phylogenetic peculiarities in P. brasiliensis isolates from the central-western region of Brazil should be considered in the diagnosis of PCM.

Quintais urbanos de Mirassol D'Oeste-MT, Brasil: uma abordagem etnobotânica

Abstract: Quintais sao espacos de facil acesso e comodos para os moradores cultivarem uma diversidade de especies que desempenham funcoes de estetica, lazer, alimentacao e medicinal, dentre outras. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de descrever a composicao floristica e a respectiva utilizacao em quintais urbanos de Mirassol D'Oeste, MT, (15o 45'30"S e 058o16'36"W), com a coleta de dados envolvendo: entrevistas estruturadas e semi-estruturadas aplicadas a 29 moradores; coleta simultânea do material botânico das especies indicadas, incorporacao destas no Laboratorio de Botânica da UNEMAT, Caceres e analise da frequencia absoluta e relativa das especies mais citadas e encontradas nos quintais. Foram registradas 397 denominacoes locais de plantas (etnoespecies), 275 taxa reunidos em 79 familias destacando-se com maior numero de especies: Solanaceae (23), Asteraceae (17), Lamiaceae (14), Rosaceae (12) e Verbenaceae (9). Os atributos alimentar e ornamental representam, individualmente, 35% das especies e o medicinal, 29%. Algumas plantas detem ate quatro potencialidades. Do universo vegetal conhecido e utilizado localmente as especies nativas correspondem a 8%, resultado considerado baixo comparando-se aos obtidos em populacoes mato-grossenses radicadas no Cerrado e Pantanal. Essa populacao manifesta por meio de suas praticas uma tradicao agricola em interface as caracteristicas de uma sociedade urbano - industrial coabitando em espacos comuns, o quintal.

Air pollution and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in the subequatorial Amazon: a time series approach

Abstract: The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of the daily variation in concentrations of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5µm - PM2.5) resulting from the burning of biomass on the daily number of hospitalizations of children and elderly people for respiratory diseases, in Alta Floresta and Tangara da Serra in the Brazilian Amazon in 2005. This is an ecological time series study that uses data on daily number of hospitalizations of children and the elderly for respiratory diseases, and estimated concentration of PM2.5. In Alta Floresta, the percentage increases in the relative risk (%RR) of hospitalization for respiratory diseases in children were significant for the whole year and for the dry season with 3-4 day lags. In the dry season these measurements reach 6% (95%CI: 1.4-10.8). The associations were sig-nificant for moving averages of 3-5 days. The %RR for the elderly was significant for the current day of the drought, with a 6.8% increase (95%CI: 0.5-13.5) for each additional 10µg/m3 of PM2.5. No as-sociations were verified for Tangara da Serra. The PM2.5 from the burning of biomass increased hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in children and the elderly.

A expansão do ensino superior no Brasil e a EaD: dinâmicas e lugares

Abstract: O presente trabalho pauta-se em analise de documentos que instituem a educacao a distância no Brasil, mais especificamente no Decreto que a regulamenta e nos Referenciais de Qualidade Para a Educacao Superior a Distância. Na analise, dois aspectos sao enfatizados: o relacionado a logica de expansao da educacao superior que incide tambem sobre a modalidade a distância e, intrinseco a essa modalidade de ensino, a logica estabelecida em sua organizacao, fundamentada independentemente das naturezas dos estabelecimentos de ensino superior, nos elementos a serem dispostos na concretizacao de seus sistemas. Por conta dessas logicas complementares entre si, a oferta da educacao a distância (EaD), tanto na esfera publica quanta na esfera privada, constitui modelo bastante similar nas instituicoes com ela implicadas, equalizando sua oferta e condicionando a qualidade dos cursos, denotando seu "lugar" no ensino superior.

Small-scale spatial variation of inundation dynamics in a floodplain of the Pantanal (Brazil).

Abstract: The spatial and temporal variability of water levels was investigated across a section of floodplain in the Pantanal that represents typical geomorphic and ecological complexity of these environments. A series of 11 staff gauges were installed along a 12-km transect running perpendicularly from the Cuiaba River into the floodplain. The staff gauges were monitored fortnightly during the flood seasons from 2004 to 2007. Contrary to what is often assumed, the water surface profile was never level, and it was particularly variable when there was less water on the floodplain. Water surface slope varied from 1.4 × 10−4 (unitless) to 1.3 × 10−3 indicating substantial water movement that was verified by flow observations. The spatial patterns of water level variation were repeated across years, even though there was considerable interannual variation in magnitude and duration of floodplain inundation. In 2004 and 2005, the duration of inundation was 121 and 120 days, respectively, but in 2006 and 2007, inundation lasted 166 and 157 days, respectively. These observations reveal considerable small-scale spatial variability in the water surface profile, but with persistent patterns over space and time that are related to the river hydrograph and the channels that convey flood waters across the area. This study contributes to our understanding of inundation hydrology and its linkages to ecosystem processes, and additionally provides a valuable data set for calibration and validation of remote sensing approaches to measurement of inundation area and water movement across floodplains.

Chemically Modified Banana Fiber: Structure, Dielectrical Properties and Biodegradability

Abstract: Banana fibers, as well as other lignocellulosic fibers, are constituted of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, wax and water soluble components. The abundance of this fiber combined with the ease of its processing is an attractive feature, which makes it a valuable substitute for synthetic fibers that are potentially toxic. In this work, the structure characterization of the banana fiber modified by alkaline treatment was studied. Some important properties of this fiber changed due to some chemical treatments, such as the crystalline fraction, dielectric behavior, metal removal (governed by solution pH) and biodegradation. Our results showed that treated banana fiber is a low cost alternative for metal removal in aqueous industry effluents. Thus, for regions with low resources, the biosorbents are an alternative to diminish the impact of pollution caused by local industries, besides being a biodegradable product.

Evaluation of elephant grass silage with the addition of cassava scrapings

Abstract: The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of adding cassava scrapings on gas and effluent losses, dry matter recovery, pH, contents of N-NH3, organic acids and volatile fatty acids and the bromatological composition of elephant grass silages. It was used a randomized complete design, with four levels of cassava scrapings (0, 7, 15 or 30% natural matter) each one with four replications per level. The grass was cut at 50 days of regrowth and ensiled in 15-L silos, equipped with a Bunsen valve to allow gas outflow. The gas losses decreased quadratically with the addition of cassava scrapings, whereas effluent losses decreased linearly. Dry matter recovery increased quadratically with the addition of cassava scrapings. Dry matter (DM) concentration increased but crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and hemicellulose (HEM) decreased linearly with the addition of cassava scrapings. The pH value and lactic acid concentration increased quadratically with the addition of cassava scrapings. Contents of N-NH3 and butyric acid decreased quadratically with the addition of cassava scrapings, whereas acetic acid content decreased linearly. Addition of cassava scrapings reduced gas and effluent losses and improved the fermentation profile of elephant grass silages and the level of 7% already ensures this improvement.

Time-dependent alterations of soluble and cellular components in human milk

Abstract: This study sought to determine the chronobiological variations in soluble and cellular components of human breast milk. The material was collected from 36 mothers at three stages of maturity – 3 days (colostrum), 10 days (transitional milk) and 30 days (mature milk) postpartum – and at two times of day – diurnal (12:00 h) and nocturnal (24:00 h) – making a total of 216 samples. Fat and calorie content, antibody concentration, C3 and C4 proteins of the complement system, superoxide anion release by milk mononuclear (MN) and polymorphonuclear (PMN) phagocytes, and concentration of the superoxide dismutase enzyme (CuZn-SOD) were determined. No difference in fat concentration was found between milk collected at the different times or between milk maturation stages but in the transitional milk the calorie concentration was higher in the nocturnal period. IgA was higher in milk collected in the diurnal period regardless of milk maturation. IgG and IgM were at higher concentrations in the diurnal period for both...

A Revision of the Didelphid Marsupial Genus Marmosa Part 1. The Species in Tate's ‘Mexicana’ and ‘Mitis’ Sections and Other Closely Related Forms

Abstract: We revise the nominal species of mouse opossums currently synonymized with Marmosa mexicana Merriam, 1897, and M. robinsoni Bangs, 1898, which include all of the trans-Andean taxa currently assigned to the nominotypical subgenus of Marmosa. In addition, we redescribe two other species that appear to be closely related to M. mexicana and M. robinsoni based on morphological or molecular citeria: M. rubra Tate, 1931, and M. xerophila Handley and Gordon, 1979. Based on first-hand examination of holotypes and other material (about 1500 specimens in total), we additionally recognize M. isthmica Goldman, 1912, and M. simonsi Thomas, 1899 (both currently synonymized with M. robinsoni), and M. zeledoni Goldman, 1917 (currently synonymized with M. mexicana), as valid species. For each of the seven species recognized as valid herein (M. mexicana, M. zeledoni, M. isthmica, M. robinsoni, M. xerophila, M. simonsi, M. rubra), we describe and illustrate diagnostic external and craniodental characters, tabulate m...

Insects as indicators of environmental changing and pollution: a review of appropriate species and their monitoring

Abstract: A resposta de algumas especies animais e vegetais as perturbacoes pode ser utilizada como parâmetro de analise quanto aos niveis de alteracao do funcionamento dos servicos ambientais, e por isso sao consideradas bioindicadoras das alteracoes ambientais. No entanto, algumas especies respondem mais fidedignamente do que outras a estas alteracoes. A classe Insecta possui muitos representantes adequados para este tipo de analise. Este trabalho objetiva a analise das especies consideradas bioindicadoras das consequencias causadas pela agricultura intensiva, pelo desflorestamento, reflorestamento e pela poluicao de ambientes aereos, aquaticos e terrestres.

Aplicabilidade do índice de massa corporal na avaliação da gordura corporal

Abstract: INTRODUCAO: O indice de massa corporal (IMC) e amplamente utilizado por profissionais de saude na avaliacao do estado nutricional e do risco de mortalidade. No entanto, esse indice nao fornece informacoes sobre a distribuicao e a proporcao da gordura corporal. OBJETIVO: Verificar a eficiencia do IMC em identificar individuos com excesso de gordura corporal e com obesidade abdominal. METODOS: A amostra constituiu-se de 98 homens com idade entre 20 e 58 anos. A avaliacao antropometrica incluiu peso, altura, circunferencia da cintura (CC) e do quadril. A composicao corporal foi avaliada por bioimpedância eletrica tetrapolar. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi predominantemente jovem, 50% dos individuos com idade entre 20 e 29 anos. O sobrepeso (IMC > 25kg/m2) e a obesidade abdominal (CC > 94cm) foram constatados em 36,7% e 18,4% dos homens avaliados, respectivamente. A circunferencia da cintura foi a medida antropometrica que mais se correlacionou com o IMC (r = 0,884; p 30 anos foi fator de risco para sobrepeso, obesidade abdominal e excesso de gordura corporal. CONCLUSOES: Ressalta-se a importância da combinacao do IMC e circunferencia da cintura na avaliacao do estado nutricional de homens adultos, ja que a obesidade abdominal foi constatada tambem naqueles individuos que nao foram diagnosticados como obesos pelo IMC.

Exercise counteracts fatty liver disease in rats fed on fructose-rich diet

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze the effects of exercise at the aerobic/anaerobic transition on the markers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin sensitivity and the blood chemistry of rats kept on a fructose-rich diet. We separated 48 Wistar rats into two groups according to diet: a control group (balanced diet AIN-93 G) and a fructose-rich diet group (60% fructose). The animals were tested for maximal lactate-steady state (MLSS) in order to identify the aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition during swimming exercises at 28 and 90 days of age. One third of the animals of each group were submitted to swimming training at an intensity equivalent to the individual MLSS for 1 hours/day, 5 days/week from 28 to 120 days (early protocol). Another third were submitted to the training from 90 to 120 days (late protocol), and the others remained sedentary. The main assays performed included an insulin tolerance test (ITT) and tests of serum alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST] activities, serum triglyceride concentrations [TG] and liver total lipid concentrations. The fructose-fed rats showed decreased insulin sensitivity, and the late-exercise training protocol counteracted this alteration. There was no difference between the groups in levels of serum ALT, whereas AST and liver lipids increased in the fructose-fed sedentary group when compared with the other groups. Serum triglycerides concentrations were higher in the fructose-fed trained groups when compared with the corresponding control group. The late-training protocol was effective in restoring insulin sensitivity to acceptable standards. Considering the markers here evaluated, both training protocols were successful in preventing the emergence of non-alcoholic fatty liver status disease.

Abuso sexual na infância e adolescência: perfil das vítimas e agressores em município do sul do Brasil

Abstract: This descriptive and transversal study aims to better understand the characteristics of childhood and adolescent (up to 14 years of age) sexual abuse through analyzing cases registered in Tutelary Councils and care programs in Londrina, Parana, Brazil in 2006. Data was collected from the records using a questionnaire and later analyzed for absolute and relative frequency and proportion.�Ofthe�186�casesstudied,�thevictimswerepredominantlyfemale�(74.2%)�andthehighestriskofincidencewasatage�10�for� girls�(incidencecoefficient� 5�of�1000).�Amongaggressors,�97.3%�weremale;�withthemajorityofabuses�(52.7%)�occurringinthevictim's� houseandlastingforaperiodoflessthan�6�months�(57.0%).�Physicalharmoccurredin�90.3%�ofthevictimsand�97.8%�presented� physicalandpsychologicalsequelae.�Childhoodandadolescentsexualabuseconstitutesasignificantpublichealthproblem,�besides� the direct interface with police and judicial questions. DESCRIPTORS: Sexual child, abuse. Sexual violence. Child. Adolescent.

ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometric analysis applied to discrimination of landrace maize flours produced in southern Brazil

Abstract: Summary This work aims at discriminating flours of 26 maize landraces from southern Brazil, by using the Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics (principal components analysis – PCA). PCA applied to the FTIR spectra in the 3-600 (whole spectrum) and 1650–1500 cm−1 (fingerprint region of proteins) spectral windows clearly discriminated the Amarelao landrace. Quantitative and semi-qualitative analysis of proteins showed a wide range among the fractions, mainly of prolamine (13.47–28.43 g Kg−1) and glutelin (5.57–30.98 g Kg−1) contents. Pixurum 6, Pixurum 5, and MPA1 landraces are of superior nutritional value for their albumin, globulin, and glutelin contents. PCA of the spectral dataset in the fingerprint region to carbohydrates (1200–950 and 1065–950 cm−1) also including commercial standards of amylose and amylopectin was able in separating the Moroti genotype, which grouped with the amylopectin standard. Thus, ATR-FTIR and PCA showed to be useful tools for the quick screening and discrimination of maize with distinct chemical composition.