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Objective: Unaffected relatives of bipolar disorder (BD) patients have been investigated for the identification of endophenotypes in an attempt to further elucidate the pathophysiology of the disease. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is considered to be implicated in the pathophysiology of BD, but its role as an endophenotype has been poorly studied. We investigated abnormal serum BDNF levels in BD patients, in their unaffected relatives, and in healthy controls. Methods: BDNF levels were obtained from 25 DSM-IV bipolar I disorder patients, 23 unaffected relatives, and 27 healthy controls. All BD patients were in remission. The unaffected subjects were first-degree relatives of the proband who had no lifetime DSM-IV diagnosis of axis I disorder. BDNF serum levels were determined by sandwich ELISA using monoclonal BDNF-specific antibodies. Results: There were no statistical differences in BDNF levels among BD patients, relatives, and healthy controls. Conclusion: Serum BDNF levels may not indicate high genetic risk for BD, possibly acting as state markers rather than trait markers of the disease.

On Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Norte, câmpus Mossoró, organic waste is reused as fertilizer. We have stablished a vegetable garden, elected physical support solutions for gardening in small spaces and for composting at home. As an extension, we have shared these techniques, thru mini-courses, with fifty-two housewifes living in Mossoró/RN.

What is the profile of Food Engineering education in Brazil? Are we following the contemporary professional renewal trend? Driven by these questions, the present study analyzed data regarding 21 academic courses, which represent approximately 22% of the total bachelor’s degree in food engineering courses offered in the country. Samples were defined considering a Brazilian annual ranking of undergraduate programs: very good (four stars) and excellent (five stars). Next, information was recovered from both the Brazilian Ministry of Education and institutional homepages of each analyzed program. The results suggest that food engineering programs exhibit relative identity, naturally due to their history and the path of each program and their faculty, shaping particularities in how fields of knowledge are constituted, in addition to their representativeness in the total workload of the program. However, initial analysis is suggestive regarding understanding that Brazil is not properly doing its homework, based on global movement, concerning food engineering education. The need to rethink Brazilian technical education, without culminating in additional workload, is emphasized, not only regarding new materials and technologies for learning and teaching, but also in terms of bringing a human and market approach. The achievement of this complex goal seems to be provided by the encouragement of student associations, transversal learning processes, and learning experiences outside the classroom as a means of improving undergraduate programs and human resources.

Analyzes the introduction of productive work into the Brazilian schools in the 1980s. Explains that productive work is a form of vocational training that combines general education and productive work in one institution. Concludes that the production school is not a feasible alternative in improving education for the lower classes. (RW)

Objetivo: este trabalho, utilizando verapamil, um bloqueador dos canais lentos de cálcio, constituiu ensaio clínico randomizado, duplo-cego e placebo controlado, e objetivou procurar variação do fluxo uteroplacentário e fetoplacentário durante uso oral crônico do fármaco em gestantes com hipertensão crônica leve para moderada. Métodos: 123 pacientes divididas em dois grupos: grupo estudo (n = 61), submetidas a 240 mg/dia de verapamil, e grupo controle (n = 62), submetidas ao placebo. As pacientes randomizadas em grupos de quatro utilizaram a medicação ou placebo durante trinta dias. Um exame do fluxo das artérias uterinas e da artéria umbilical pela dopplervelocimetria foi registrado. Pelo cálculo da média e desvio padrão, foram comparados os valores dos índices de resistência (IR) e pulsatilidade (IP) e da relação sístole/diástole (A/B) das artérias em estudo após administração dos comprimidos. Resultados: o grupo verapamil apresentou os seguintes valores médios para as artérias uterinas: IR = 0,82 (0,28), IP de 1,06 (0,12) e A/B de 2,42 (0,51). O grupo placebo mostrou: IR de 0,75 (0,35), IP de 1,00 (0,18) e A/B de 2,30 (0,38). Quando analisada a artéria umbilical, os valores foram para o grupo verapamil: IR = 0,73 (0,12), IP = 1,04 (0,13) e A/B = 2,94 (0,32). No grupo placebo, IR = 0,70 (0,14), IP = 1,03 (0,07) e A/B = 3,02 (0,78). A análise estatística das diferenças das médias por meio da razão F mostrou não haver diferença entre os dois grupos avaliados. Conclusão: este trabalho referenda o uso do verapamil entre gestantes com hipertensão crônica (leve para moderada), pois não oferece prejuízos no fluxo uteroplacentário e fetoplacentário.Purpose: this study, using verapamil, a slow calcium channel blocker, was a randomized, clinical, double blind and placebo controlled trial, whose objective was to observe if there was a uteroplacental and fetoplacental flow variation during its chronic oral use. Methods: 123 patients were accompanied: study group (n = 61), submitted to verapamil 240 mg/day and control group (n = 62), submitted to placebo. These patients were randomized into groups of four women and treatment or placebo was given for thirty days. A flow examination of the uterine arteries and umbilical artery through doppler-velocimetry was recorded. The values of resistance (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) and of the systole/diastole ratio (S/D) of the arteries were compared after the drug administration calculating means and standard deviations. Results: the verapamil group showed RI = 0.82 (0.28), PI = 1.06 (0.12) and S/D = 2.42 (0.51) in the uterine arteries. The placebo group showed RI = 0.75 (0.35), PI = 1.00 (0.18) and S/D = 2.30 (0.38). When we analyzed the umbilical artery, the verapamil group showed RI = 0.73 (0.12), PI = 1.04 (0.13) and S/D = 2.94 (0.32). The placebo group showed RI = 0.70 (0.14), PI = 1.03 (0.07) and S/D = 3.02 (0.78). The statistical analysis of the differences of the means by the F ratio showed that there was no difference between these two groups. Conclusion: this study indicates the use of verapamil for chronic hypertensive pregnants since it does not provoke damage to the uterine and fetal blood flow.

Abstract In this investigation, the ethanolic extracts of two less known plants, little reported in the literature (guarana and boldo leaves) were studied in comparison with the ethanolic extracts of two well studied plants (cinnamon and rosemary), regarding their colour, GC-MS profile, phenolic content and their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The rosemary (59.20 ± 0.28) and guarana (56.63 ± 0.54) extracts showed the highest values for luminosity (L*) and the UV-Vis absorption increased when L* decreased. GC-MS identified a limited number of compounds in the cinnamon and guarana extracts. The cinnamon extract showed the highest value for the total phenolic content (172 mg GA/g extract) as compared to the other extracts. The highest antioxidant capacity was observed for the boldo leaves extract in the TEAC (6.66 ± 0.17 mM) assay and for the rosemary extract in the DPPH (0.80 ± 0.14 mg/L) test. In addition, all the extracts showed antimicrobial activity against the S. aureus strain, indicating that all the extracts studied could be used by food industries to develop new active food packaging materials.