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This paper delves into the integration of Intelligent Process Automation within the domain of business continuity auditing, with a focus on the Portuguese banking sector. In an era marked by rapid technological advancement, organizations are increasingly leveraging automation to reinforce operational efficiency and realize substantial cost savings. Concurrently, auditors play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless transitions amid technological transformations to safeguard business continuity. This research endeavors to bridge the realms of business continuity and intelligent automation, culminating in a comprehensive application that streamlines the audit process. The implemented solution encompasses the automation of critical audit activities, including communication, information requests, and final report submissions, liberating auditors from the chains of repetitive tasks. The incorporation of business intelligence augments this automation framework, enabling a meticulous analysis of key performance indicators within the audit department. This ensures a continuous evaluation of the efficacy of the Annual Audit Plan. Empirical validation of this initiative was achieved through surveys conducted with audit teams from four prominent Portuguese banks. The results unequivocally affirm the potential benefits of this implementation, extending invaluable support to management in the decision-making process, while concurrently alleviating auditors of routine tasks inherent to the audit process. This study not only underscores the transformative potential of intelligent process automation in the audit domain but also offers a replicable framework for organizations seeking to fortify their business continuity efforts through technological integration. The findings hold implications for businesses navigating the dynamic intersection of technology and audit practices, providing a blueprint for harnessing automation for enhanced operational resilience.

Abstract Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is widely considered the most effective option for treating obesity, a chronic, relapsing, and progressive disease. Recently, the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) issued new guidelines on the indications for MBS, which have superseded the previous 1991 National Institutes of Health guidelines. The aim of this study is to establish the first set of consensus guidelines for selecting procedures in Class I and II obesity, using an Expert Modified Delphi Method. In this study, 78 experienced bariatric surgeons from 32 countries participated in a two-round Modified Delphi consensus voting process. The threshold for consensus was set at an agreement or disagreement of ≥ 70.0% among the experts. The experts reached a consensus on 54 statements. The committee of experts reached a consensus that MBS is a cost-effective treatment option for Class II obesity and for patients with Class I obesity who have not achieved significant weight loss through non-surgical methods. MBS was also considered suitable for patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or higher. The committee identified intra-gastric balloon (IGB) as a treatment option for patients with class I obesity and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) as an option for patients with class I and II obesity, as well as for patients with T2DM and a BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2. Sleeve gastrectomy (1) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) were also recognized as viable treatment options for these patient groups. The committee also agreed that one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a suitable option for patients with Class II obesity and T2DM, regardless of the presence or severity of obesity-related medical problems. The recommendations for selecting procedures in Class I and II obesity, developed through an Expert Modified Delphi Consensus, suggest that the use of standard primary bariatric endoscopic (IGB, ESG) and surgical procedures (SG, RYGB, OAGB) are acceptable in these patient groups, as consensus was reached regarding these procedures. However, randomized controlled trials are still needed in Class I and II Obesity to identify the best treatment approach for these patients in the future.

O artigo procura caracterizar o neopositivismo, o empírismo de Popper e a posição de Thomas Kuhn. Quanto ao empirismo lógico, tenta explicar o “princípio de verificabilidade" e a influência da lógica matemática, que o levou a eliminar as considerações de ordem psicológica - na tentativa de ser objetivo - , a aplicar a lógica à própria lógica e ao emprego do formalismo, do qual deriva o uso de modelos. Do empirismo de Popper procura analisar seu ideal de refutabilidade, a substituição da indução por uma “concepção hipotético dedutiva” e seu questionamento da concepção de objetividade do positivismo clássico. Após relacionar a Física de Newton, Einstein e Heisenberg com a objetividade científica, coloca-se a posição de Thomas Kuhn, que realça o papel das revoluções científicas no estabelecimento de novos paradigmas; no entanto, apesar de valorizar o contexto, ele não coloca a importância da ideologia na ação científica e sua análise permanece mais restrita às ciências naturais. A finalidade do texto é mostrar que não há objetividade absoluta, que as posições dos empiristas-lógicos, de Popper e de Kuhn não solucionam o problema das ciências sociais, pois estas necessitam de um estatuto epistemológico diferente daquele das ciências naturais.

Organizations have been responding to possible disruptions in the organization and, at the same time, trying to increase customer satisfaction through digitising their processes. Thus, Intelligent Process Automation has been catching the latest trends in intelligent process automation due to the ease of use associated with data and requirements compliance; intelligent process automation is a step above regular automation as it mimics human behaviours and thought patterns to automate intelligently streamlines workflows and business processes. However, the constant introduction of technology via process automation in organizations can have positive and negative impacts on business continuity that need to be addressed. Although there are recent best practices, frameworks, guidelines, and standards, few studies focus on the relationship between these realms. The relationship between two sets of requirements, one for implementation practice and management methodology for intelligent software-based process automation, found in IEEE 2755.2-2020 and the other, ISO 22301-2019, about the business, to implement, maintain, and improve a management system to protect, reduce the likelihood of occurrence, prepare, respond, and recover from outages when they arise. This research is integrated into forthcoming areas for investigating the interplay between intelligent process automation and the continuity of business operations. Both are analysed and explained so that users can develop intelligent software-based process automation that complies with both frameworks in a way to embed continuity practices in an organization while optimizing business processes using Intelligent Process Automation. The study provides a bi-directional mapping for IEEE 2755.2:2020 and ISO 22301:2019, along with introducing a visual model to enhance their utility. It offers versatile applications, benefiting a wide range of stakeholders.

Surgical conversion of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) to one anastomosis duodenal switch with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S), can be effective, when there is obesity recidivism, but surgically challenging. This case report video aims to detail the technical modifications that simplifies this conversion, in one stage. This video article demonstrates the conversion of RYGB to SADI-S using a jejunal bridge to facilitating the gastro-gastric reconnection. Surgical conversion was done laparoscopically, firstly removing the fundus, gastric body and the proximal part of the antrum. The gastrojejunal (GJ) anastomosis from the previous RYGB was preserved and the jejunal alimentary limb that follows was transected, 8cm distal to the GJ anastomosis, and anastomosed, at this level, with the antrum. The remaining alimentary limb was removed, until the jejuno-jejuno anastomosis, from the previous RYGB. The interposition of a segment of jejunal alimentary limb between the gastric bypass pouch and the antrum, has shown to be safe and feasible in RYGB conversion to SADI-S, without complications. Not reconnecting the remnant jejunal alimentary limb to the intestinal transit, but removing it, makes the procedure shorter and safer.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) aims to attain ‘good quality’ status for all European water bodies through the achievement of good ecological status. To this purpose, the WFD advocates the creation of cost-effective monitoring tools to deliver appropriate data that help to create links between chemical and ecological indicators, as those from ecotoxicological research. Here, it was evaluated whether the integration of ecotoxicological tools, as bioassays and biomarkers, did (or did not) strengthen the robustness of the assessment of the ecological status obtained through well stablished biotic indices in two Atlantic estuaries. For that, a battery of in-situ bioassays, including five macroinvertebrate species (the crab Carcinus maenas, the amphipod Echinogammarus marinus, the isopod Cyathura carinata, the snail Peringia ulvae and the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, each one providing complementary information regarding key ecological functions) and a set of biomarkers, was used. In addition, the concentrations of heavy metals in sediments, and in macroalgae (Fucus), were determined, along with sediment granulometric, water physicochemical and nutrients characterization. We show that by interpreting the values of all indicators together, along with environmental components, it is possible to perform a more holistic description of the quality status of a waterbody – and, to begin to allude to factors limiting that quality. Ecotoxicological tools (in situ bioassays and biomarkers) appear to provide an added value of useful information for monitoring programmes regarding the true state - within which, both known and unknown contaminants are potentially present at concentrations sufficient to cause biological effects. Our results support the use of in situ bioassays and biomarkers within protocols aimed at fulfilling the goals of the WFD. In doing so, more complete and informative assessments of the ecological quality status of water bodies can take place.

This study aimed to describe nutritional and lifestyle parameters following one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB). A multicenter study among OAGB patients across Israel (n = 277) and Portugal (n = 111) was performed. Patients were approached according to the time elapsed since surgery. An online survey with information regarding demographics, anthropometrics, and nutritional and lifestyle aspects was administered in both countries simultaneously. Respondents from Israel (pre-surgery age of 41.6 ± 11.0 years, 75.8% females) and Portugal (pre-surgery age of 45.6 ± 12.3 years, 79.3% females) reported changes in their appetite (≤94.0% and ≤94.6%), changes in their taste (≤51.0 and ≤51.4%), and intolerance to specific foods (i.e., red meat, pasta, bread, and rice). Bariatric surgery-related eating recommendations were generally followed well, but a trend toward lower adherence was evident in groups with longer time elapsed since surgery in both countries. Most respondents from Israel and Portugal reported participation in follow-up meetings with a surgeon (≤94.0% and 100%) and a dietitian (≤92.6% and ≤100%), while far fewer reported participation in any follow-up meeting with a psychologist/social worker (≤37.9% and ≤56.1%). Patients following OAGB might experience changes in appetite, taste, and intolerance to specific foods. Adherence to bariatric surgery-related eating recommendations is not always satisfying, especially in the longer term post-surgery.

A cidade de Lisboa — Capital Europeia do Desporto 2021 (ACES Europe e ACES Portugal) foi a anfitriã da 44º edição do Congresso Técnico-Científico da Associação Portuguesa de Técnicos de Natação (APTN). A adoção de medidas excecionais de contenção da pandemia de COVID-19 durante o presente ano levou-nos a agendar este evento para os dias 1 a 3 de outubro de 2021. Esta edição, que decorreu no auditório do Fórum Lisboa (antigo Cinema Roma), foi particularmente especial por dois principais motivos. Primeiro, porque ansiámos pelo retorno à formação presencial, o que nos permitiu beneficiar de um ambiente incomparável de proximidade, partilha e interação com a nossa comunidade técnica. Considerando que as atuais medidas de contingência poderiam limitar a lotação do auditório, a participação online foi uma alternativa possível. Segundo, porque acolhemos a I Conferência Europeia de Treinadores de Natação [I European Swimming Coaches Conference (ESCC)], em parceria com a World Swimming Coaches Association (WSCA), a Federação Portuguesa de Natação (FPN), o Instituto Português do Desporto e da Juventude (IPDJ) e vários outros parceiros nacionais e internacionais que nos apoiaram nesta iniciativa inédita. O programa foi divido em duas partes. Nos dois primeiros dias ocorreu a ESCC, com várias conferências, entrevistas e mesas redondas (na língua inglesa) — no dia 1 de outubro, o foco caiu sobre a predição, a planificação e a implementação de programas de treino eficazes; no dia 2 de outubro, abordámos a monitorização do treino e a eficácia da intervenção do treinador. O último dia de congresso, já na língua portuguesa, foi direcionado para o ensino da natação e para a gestão e direção técnica de clubes e escolas de natação. O alargado painel de oradores foi composto por treinadores, nadadores, investigadores e especialistas de dimensão internacional, que proporcionaram uma experiência formativa extraordinária. Mantivemos a possibilidade de submissão de comunicações orais livres, que foram disponibilizadas em formato video a todos os participantes, e agora publicadas na forma de resumo na revista Motricidade, que tem sido um parceiro fundamental da APTN na comunicação e disseminação do conhecimento científico. Valorizar a prática baseada na evidência é uma qualidade que nos caracteriza desde 1977. Mas outras valias contribuirão igualmente para o sucesso da marca “Congresso da APTN” ao longo dos anos, designadamente a oportunidade de convívio com os pares e o reconhecimento público do mérito. Em 2021, pela primeira vez, reconhecemos a competência pedagógica do professor de natação no seu efeito na aprendizagem dos alunos, na sua segurança aquática, na sua qualidade de vida e na sua formação desportiva de base. Colocámos neste evento uma enorme expectativa, sobretudo com a presença dos congressistas, e agora com a publicação dos resumos. Até à próxima edição a decorrer em Leiria.

Electroflotation (EF) is an electroanalytical technique applied for separating substances suspended in phase and is reported to be efficient for effluents and wastewater treatments. To date, there are no studies employing EF for the treatment of wastewater containing toxic organic compounds. In the present study, EF was tested as an electro-oxidative process to decontaminate wastewater containing the sulfonylurea herbicide chlorimuron-ethyl. To evaluate the value of EF, both the chemical and ecotoxicological efficacies were assessed in non-treated and treated wastewaters; the former monitored the herbicide and degradation products in the reaction medium through analytical chromatographic methods, whereas the latter comprised testing the 72 h growth of the green microalga Raphidocelis subcapitata and the 48 h lethality of the cladoceran Daphnia magna. Analysis by HPLC-UV allowed the monitoring of the electrochemical reaction, and a degradation mechanism based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was proposed. Despite the compromised herbicide structure, non-treated and treated wastewaters were similarly toxic for the microalgae Raphidocelis subcapitata and the invertebrate Daphnia magna. Even though EF did not remove the wastewater toxicity, the results indicate that toxic organic compounds are potentially oxidized by EF while signaling the need to combine chemical and ecotoxicological approaches to gauge the environmental sustainability of EF.

DOI: 10.7147/GEO6.1023

In this study the recolonization concentration concept for soil organisms is presented and validated. This concept is based on the empirically deduced avoidance–recolonization hypothesis, which shows a negative correlation between avoidance (ACx) and recolonization (RCx) (ACx = RC100−x) responses. The concept was validated in a two-step approach composed by (i) individual placement tests, to demonstrate the non-influence of individual placement in a dual chamber avoidance test and (ii) small scale gradient tests to demonstrate that the number of colonizers reaching a soil patch with a certain concentration is independent on their previous exposure to lower concentrations. Overall, data show that avoidance data can be used, when framed under the recolonization concentration concept, to evaluate the recolonization potential of contaminated sites. The recolonization concept is an important theoretical concept that when coupled with spatial modelling tools could be used to tackle the spatial and temporal recovery dynamics of contaminated soil.

Hybrid Molecular Mechanics/Coarse-Grained (MM/CG) simulations help predict ligand poses in human G protein-coupled receptors (hGPCRs), the most important protein superfamily for pharmacological applications. This approach allows the description of the ligand, the binding cavity, and the surrounding water molecules at atomistic resolution, while coarse-graining the rest of the receptor. Here, we present the Hybrid MM/CG Webserver (mmcg.grs.kfa-juelich.de) that automatizes and speeds up the MM/CG simulation setup of hGPCR/ligand complexes. Initial structures for such complexes can be easily and efficiently generated with other webservers. The Hybrid MM/CG server also allows for equilibration of the systems, either fully automatically or interactively. The results are visualized online (using both interactive 3D visualizations and analysis plots), helping the user identify possible issues and modify the setup parameters accordingly. Furthermore, the prepared system can be downloaded and the simulation continued locally.

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Evidence for mitotic decline in aged cells and for aneuploidy-driven progression into full senescence is limited. Here, the authors find that in aged cells, mitotic gene repression leads to increased chromosome mis-segregation and aneuploidy that triggers permanent cell cycle arrest and full senescence.

We evaluated the effect of seawater intrusion in coastal ecosystems on the freshwater invertebrate community and on leaf litter decomposition under realistic scenarios in six outdoor freshwater mesocosms containing fauna and flora, to which increasing volumes of seawater were added. The resulting salinity values were 0.28 (control, freshwater only), 2.0, 3.3, 5.5, 9.3, and 15.3 mS cm−1. The effect of salinity was assessed for 65 days after seawater intrusion, by computing the deviation of values in each treatment in relation to the control. Our results show that seawater intrusion into freshwaters will affect the invertebrate communities and organic matter decomposition, with salinities of up to 3.3–5.5 mS cm−1 having opposite effects to salinities of more than 9.3 mS cm−1. There was a net negative effect of the two highest salinities on mass loss and richness of the invertebrates associated with the decomposing leaves. Regarding the invertebrate communities of the mesocosms, there was a net negative effect of the intermediate salinity levels on abundance and richness. Invertebrate life cycle traits conferring resilience and resistance tended to increase with low and decrease with high salinity values, while avoidance traits showed an opposite trend, and these responses were more pronounced on the later stage community. These wave-like responses of the invertebrate species traits to increasing salinity suggest that the life-history and physiological adaptations most suitable to cope with osmotic stress will differ between low and high salinity levels.

Inside hippocampal circuits, neuroplasticity events that individual cells may undergo during synaptic transmissions occur in the form of Long-Term Potentiation (LTP) and Long-Term Depression (LTD). The high density of NMDA receptors expressed on the surface of the dendritic CA1 spines confers to hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses the ability to easily undergo NMDA-mediated LTP and LTD, which is essential for some forms of explicit learning in mammals. Providing a comprehensive kinetic model that can be used for running computer simulations of the synaptic transmission process is currently a major challenge. Here, we propose a compartmentalized kinetic model for CA3-CA1 synaptic transmission. Our major goal was to tune our model in order to predict the functional impact caused by disease associated variants of NMDA receptors related to severe cognitive impairment. Indeed, for variants Glu413Gly and Cys461Phe, our model predicts negative shifts in the glutamate affinity and changes in the kinetic behavior, consistent with experimental data. These results point to the predictive power of this multiscale viewpoint, which aims to integrate the quantitative kinetic description of large interaction networks typical of system biology approaches with a focus on the quality of a few, key, molecular interactions typical of structural biology ones.

Advances in coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations have extended the use of computational studies on biological macromolecules and their complexes, as well as the interactions of membrane protein and lipid complexes at a reduced level of representation, allowing longer and larger molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we present a computational platform dedicated to the preparation, running, and analysis of CGMD simulations. The platform is built on a completely revisited version of our Martini coarsE gRained MembrAne proteIn Dynamics (MERMAID) web server, and it integrates this with other three dedicated services. In its current version, the platform expands the existing implementation of the Martini force field for membrane proteins to also allow the simulation of soluble proteins using the Martini and the SIRAH force fields. Moreover, it offers an automated protocol for carrying out the backmapping of the coarse-grained description of the system into an atomistic one.

Morbid obesity is an epidemic and complex disease which imposes a multidisciplinary approach. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has become a frequent procedure given its efficacy and safety compared to other surgical options. However, it isn’t free from complications. Lax gastric fixation or incorrect positioning of the stomach during surgery can result in early gastric outlet obstruction caused by a volvulus-like mechanism by rotation of the stomach around its anatomic axes. This report refers to two cases of post sleeve gastric torsion resulting in persisting vomiting after initiating oral intake. The diagnosis was confirmed by upper gastrointestinal-contrast study and gastroscopy. In both cases, a fully covered self-expandable metallic stent was inserted which prompted the gastric lumen to become permeable resulting in symptomatic resolution. The stents were removed endoscopically after two and three months. Beyond more than three years of follow-up, the patients remain asymptomatic and no recurring “stenosis” was noticed. In these cases the use of fully covered self-expandable metallic stents demonstrated to be effective and safe in the treatment of post sleeve gastric torsion.

The research found focuses on students of basic and secondary education from schools, within the fields language, social and exact sciences and more frequently in the context of specific subjects, for example mathematics, portuguese and foreign languages, history. Two studies explore the use of mobile technologies on outdoor activities. Mobile devices are generally used as a tool to stimulate motivation and strengthen engagement, for collaborative work and also to assist with constructive thinking or reflection.

BACKGROUND: Ruta graveolens L. (R. graveolens) is a medicinal plant employed in non-traditional medicines that has various therapeutic properties, including anthelmintic, and vasodilatory actions, among others. We evaluated the trachea-relaxant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of R. graveolens against potassium chloride (KCl)- and carbachol-induced contraction of rat tracheal rings in an isolated organ bath. RESULTS: The results showed that the airway smooth muscle contraction induced by the depolarizing agent (KCl) and cholinergic agonist (carbachol) was markedly reduced by R. graveolens in a concentration-dependent manner, with maximum values of 109 ± 7.9 % and 118 ± 2.6 %, respectively (changes in tension expressed as positive percentages of change in proportion to maximum contraction), at the concentration of 45 μg/mL (half-maximal inhibitory concentration IC50: 35.5 μg/mL and 27.8 μg/mL for KCl- and carbachol-induced contraction, respectively). Additionally, the presence of R. graveolens produced rightward parallel displacement of carbachol dose-response curves and reduced over 35 % of the maximum smooth muscle contraction. CONCLUSIONS: The hydroalcoholic extract of R. graveolens exhibited relaxant activity on rat tracheal rings. The results suggest that the trachea-relaxant effect is mediated by a non-competitive antagonistic mechanism. More detailed studies are needed to identify the target of the inhibition, and to determine more precisely the pharmacological mechanisms involved in the observed biological effects.

For a long time, Vidal de la Blache was considered an opponent of Friedrich Ratzel’s ideas, especially in Brazil. Analysis of several Vidal’s texts has shown that it did not exist and that Ratzel had a important influence in some of the French geographer conceptions. This is the fact that the article aims to detach, besides exposing the reasons of putting this “rivalry” and analyzing Vidal’s writings to demonstrate this last one’s respect for the Prussian geographer conceptions.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/geouerj.2014.10809 O artigo faz uma breve análise do último livro de Vidal de La Blache, La France de l’Est, e procura demonstrar que os aspectos políticos faziam parte de sua proposta, mas foram omitidos por seus seguidores. Analisará também alguns aspectos colocados por ele, na defesa do Estado francês, em seu posicionamento a respeito da devolução de territórios, predominantemente de língua e cultura germânicas, com base em argumentos mais históricos que geográficos.

Mainstream approaches that are currently used as anti-aging therapies primarily explore the senescence and epigenetic drift aging hallmarks and they are at two ends of the spectrum. While senolytic therapies include either the selective elimination of senescent cells or the disruption of their secretome with the use of drugs or natural compounds, cellular reprogramming uses genetic manipulation to revert cells all the way back to pluripotency. Here, we describe the progress that has been made on these therapies, while highlighting the major challenges involved. Moreover, based on recent findings elucidating the impact of mitotic shutdown and aneuploidy in cellular senescence, we discuss the modulation of mitotic competence as an alternative strategy to delay the hallmarks of aging. We propose that a regulated rise in mitotic competence of cells could circumvent certain limitations that are present in the senolytic and reprogramming approaches, by acting to decelerate senescence and possibly restore the epigenetic landscape.

The probability of the most sensitive genotypes being eliminated from a population due to a contaminant pulse--genetic erosion--is negatively associated to the within-genotype variation. A sensitive genotype with a small phenotypic variation would be more prone to be lost-a critically sensitive genotype. Furthermore, natural populations inhabiting contaminated sites are usually exposed to several pollutants. Such co- or sequential exposure can have severe effects if at least some tolerant clonal lineages surviving one contaminant are sensitive to the others. Such an inverse relationship coupled with a low within-genotype variation potentially enhances genetic erosion. Accordingly, this study evaluated co-tolerance and the occurrence of clonal lineages critically sensitive to 48-hours lethal exposures of copper, zinc, cobalt, and chromium among eight clonal lineages of the cladocerans Daphnia longispina. Median lethal concentrations (LC50) of each metal were found to have the potential to provoke genetic erosion. Pairwise comparisons of LC50, from the eight clonal lineages, revealed neither negative nor positive correlations (r ≤ |0.56|; p ≥ 0.18), but inversely sensitive clonal lineages were found for all pairs of metals. Therefore, besides having the potential to eliminate critically sensitive clonal lineages in a first intermediately lethal pulse, all tested metals may provoke further losses of clonal lineages in an already genetically eroded population.

This article intends to be a proposal for Geography teachers concerning the military dictatorship in Brazil, mainly between 1968 and 1979. It defines this age, mainly the period called Brazilian miracle, including informations about the consequences of this time for Geography and contain lyrics from Brazilian Popular Music (MPB), using it as a pedagogical resource in the development of the understanding and the critical analysis from the pupils. Many of the current demographic and social issues in Brazil had its origin during that period and, in order to understand them and to suggest the proper changes, it calls for learning facts and modifications that occurred at that epoch.

This study presents data on the detailed evaluation (tier 2) of a site-specific ecological risk assessment (ssERA) in a former smelter area contaminated with metals (Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil). Combining information from three lines of evidence (LoE), chemical (ChemLoE), ecotoxicological (EcotoxLoE) and ecological (EcoLoE), in the Triad approach, integrated risk values were calculated to rank sites and confirm the potential risk disclosed with tier 1. Risk values were calculated for the habitat and for the retention functions in each sampling point. Habitat function included the ChemLoE calculated from total metal concentrations. The EcotoxLoE was based on reproduction tests with terrestrial invertebrates (Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus crypticus, Eisenia andrei), shoot length and plant biomass (Avena sativa, Brassica rapa). For the EcoLoE, ecological parameters (microbial parameters, soil invertebrate community, litter breakdown) were used to derive risk values. Retention function included the ChemLoE, calculated from extractable metal concentrations, and the EcotoxLoE based on eluate tests with aquatic organisms (Daphnia magna reproduction and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata growth). Results related to the habitat function indicated that the metal residues are sufficient to cause risk to biota, while the low metal levels in extracts and the general lack of toxicity in aquatic tests indicated a high soil retention capacity in most sampling points. Integrated risk of tier 2 showed the same trend of tier 1, suggesting the need to proceed with remediation actions. The high risk levels were related to direct toxicity to organisms and indirect effects, such as failure in the establishment of vegetation and the consequent loss of habitat quality for microorganisms and soil fauna. This study shed some light on the selection of tools for the tier 2 of an ssERA in tropical metal-contaminated sites, focusing on ecological receptors at risk and using available chemical methods, ecological surveys and ecotoxicity tests.

In the last years the chloro-s-triazine active substance terbuthylazine has been increasingly used as an herbicide and may leave residues in the environment which can be of concern. The present study aimed at developing a bioaugmentation tool based on the soil bacterium Arthrobacter aurescens strain TC1 for the remediation of terbuthylazine contaminated soils and at examining its efficacy for both soil and aquatic compartments. First, the feasibility of growing the bioaugmentation bacterium inocula on simple sole nitrogen sources (ammonium and nitrate) instead of atrazine, while still maintaining its efficiency to biodegrade terbuthylazine was shown. In sequence, the successful and quick (3 days) bioremediation efficacy of ammonium-grown A. aurescens TC1 cells was proven in a natural soil freshly spiked or four-months aged with commercial terbuthylazine at a dose 10× higher than the recommended in corn cultivation, to mimic spill situations. Ecotoxicity assessment of the soil eluates towards a freshwater microalga supported the effectiveness of the bioaugmentation tool. Obtained results highlight the potential to decontaminate soil while minimizing terbuthylazine from reaching aquatic compartments via the soil-water pathway. The usefulness of this bioaugmentation tool to provide rapid environment decontamination is particularly relevant in the event of accidental high herbicide contamination. Its limitations and advantages are discussed.

The article presents a wide view of the weather in the Brazilian Northeast region; emphasizing thetropical grassland climate in the countryside of the region. It explains the reasons for having thisclimate and the behaviors linked to it. It also calls the attention to some lyrics of the Brazilian popmusic that can be used for teaching elementary and high school students. It also highlights someaspects of the Bahia region called “Raso da Catarina”, which climate is close to the arid.

Este experimento foi conduzido em Monte Alegre do Sul, SP, de 1995 a 1997, com o objetivo de se obter um cultivar de maracujá amarelo, homogêneo quanto à qualidade de fruto, de alta produtividade e bem aceito pelo mercado. Estudou-se o comportamento de 8 híbridos, obtidos em sucessivos ciclos de seleção recorrente, a partir de indivíduos pré-selecionados em pomares comerciais ou bancos de germoplasma. Foram avaliados desenvolvimento vegetativo, tipos de flores, período de florescimento e frutificação e produtividade. A análise qualitativa dos frutos incluiu peso, diâmetro longitudinal e transversal dos frutos; proporção da polpa e sua coloração, teor de sólidos solúveis totais (SST), número de sementes e classificação comercial. A melhor combinação desses fatores foi obtida em 'IAC-3', 'IAC-5' e 'IAC-7', que produziram frutos ovais, compactos, com elevada proporção de polpa alaranjada-intensa, peso médio de 170 a 218g, SST médio de 15°Brix e 51% de rendimento em polpa. A produtividade média foi de 45 a 50 t/ha/ano, com polinização manual, resultando em frutos do tipo 2A e 3A, com dimensões externas de 8,8 x 7,3 cm e 400 sementes/fruto. Essas três seleções atenderam às atuais exigências do mercado, sendo reunidas no 'COMPOSTO IAC-27', lançado como cultivar, em 1998.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o desenvolvimento vegetativo e reprodutivo de quatorze cultivares e seleções de pessegueiro (Prunus persica L. Batsch) e nectarineira cultivadas no espaçamento de 4 x 1,5 m (1.667 pl/ha), sob poda drástica bienal da copa. Pelos resultados obtidos no decênio 1986-95, verificou-se que as cultivares e seleções mais produtivas foram (número e kg de frutos/planta respectivamente): Aurora-1 (112; 9,2), IAC 680-178 (94; 8,5), IAC 680-13 (95; 8,1), Talismã (99; 8,1), Régis (98; 7,8) e Flordaprince (91; 7,7). No ano agrícola de 1995, as variáveis analisadas, área da secção transversal do tronco, área da folha, número e massa dos frutos por cm² de tronco, apresentaram diferenciação estatística entre cultivares e seleções. A poda drástica bienal da copa ocasionou, tanto em material precoce quanto mediano, diminuição de produção a cada duas safras, não chegando, porém, a prejudicar a produtividade média do pomar.Fourteen peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) and nectarine cultivars and selections, budded on Okinawa rootstock, were grown under the meadow orchard system, with biennial drastic pruning at 4 x 1.5 m spacing. Results obtained during ten years of experiments (1986-95) clearly indicate that 'Aurora-1', IAC 680-178, IAC 680-13, 'Talismã', 'Régis' and 'Flordaprince' peaches were the best, with an average yield (fruits) per tree of 112, 9.2; 94, 8.5; 95, 8.1; 99, 8.1; 98, 7.8 and 91, 7.7 number and kg/tree respectively. The biennial drastic pruning decreased the yield of trees every two years, without affecting the average decennial productivity. In 1995, data on trunk cross-sectional area, fruits and mass per cm² of trunk and leaf area presented significant differences among cultivars and selections.

Considering IPPC climate change scenarios, it is pertinent to predict situations where coastal ecosystems already impacted with chemical contamination became exposed to an additional stressor under a future scenario of seawater intrusion. Accordingly, the present study aimed at evaluating if a negative association between tolerance to a metal and to saltwater exists among genotypes of a freshwater organism. For this, five clonal lineages of the cladoceran Daphnia longispina O.F. Müller, exhibiting a differential tolerance to lethal levels of copper, were selected. Each clonal lineage was exposed to lethal and sublethal concentrations of sodium chloride (assumed as a protective surrogate to evaluate the toxicity of increased salinity to freshwater organisms). Mortality, time to release the first brood and total number of neonates per female were monitored and the somatic growth rate and intrinsic rate of natural increase were computed for each clonal lineage. Data here obtained were compared with their lethal responses to copper and significant negative correlations were found. These results suggest that genetically eroded populations of D. longispina, due to copper or salinity, may be particularly susceptible to a later exposure to the other contaminant supporting the multiple stressors differential tolerance.

Avoidance response is a well-known mechanism for escaping environmental stress. For organisms with reduced active movement, such as benthic microalgae, drifting could be a specifically selected mean of avoiding less favorable environments. To test this hypothesis, a system was developed to assess if hypo-saline stress triggers drift in the estuarine benthic diatom Cylindrotheca closterium. Concurrently, the effects of salinity on growth inhibition were also investigated in order to compare the sensitivity of this endpoint with the drift response, and to estimate the immediate population decline caused by both drift and population growth responses. It was verified that the salinity value that inhibited the algal population growth by 50% (IGS50) was 19, while the salinity value that triggered the drift response by 50% of the population (TDS50) was 15. These results indicate that drift is an identifiable response triggered to escape stressful environments. The combination of the two responses (population growth and drift) showed that population decline based exclusively on the inhibition of population growth may result in an underestimation of the risk, compared with the decline when drifting to avoid stress is also taken into account.

Atrazine (ATZ) and S-metolachlor (S-MET) are two herbicides widely used, often as mixtures. The present work examined whether the presence of S-MET affects the ATZ-biodegradation activity of the bioaugmentation bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP in a crop soil. S-MET concentrations were selected for their relevance in worst-case scenarios of soil contamination by a commercial formulation containing both herbicides. At concentrations representative of application of high doses of the formulation (up to 50 µg g(-1) of soil, corresponding to a dose approximately 50× higher than the recommended field dose (RD)), the presence of pure S-MET significantly affected neither bacteria survival (~10(7) initial viable cells g(-1) of soil) nor its ATZ-mineralization activity. Consistently, biodegradation experiments, in larger soil microcosms spiked with 20× or 50 × RD of the double formulation and inoculated with the bacterium, revealed ATZ to be rapidly (in up to 5 days) and extensively (>96%) removed from the soil. During the 5 days, concentration of S-MET decreased moderately to about 60% of the initial, both in inoculated and non-inoculated microcosms. Concomitantly, an accumulation of the two metabolites S-MET ethanesulfonic acid and S-MET oxanilic acid was found. Despite the dissipation of almost all the ATZ from the treated soils, the respective eluates were still highly toxic to an aquatic microalgae species, being as toxic as those from the untreated soil. We suggest that this high toxicity may be due to the S-MET and/or its metabolites remaining in the soil.

O artigo discute o uso da música e sua função nas escolas, fazendo análises sobre o estudo da religião pela Geografia, sobre os espaços geográficos considerados sagrados e sobre as características e o papel da religião no Brasil, incluindo letras da Música Popular Brasileira (MPB ) para colaborar na discussão a respeito do tema. Discute também o sincretismo religioso e a cidade de Aparecida do Norte (SP). e cita letras de músicas que criticam o papel de instituições religiosas elou de membros de sua hierarquia. Além disso, coloca diversas letras de MPB que podem ser utilizadas em sala de aula de ensino fundamental e médio pois pretende, basicamente, proporcionar alternativas de ensino para quem ministra aulas de Geografia. Abstract The article discusses the use of music and its role at school, analyzing the study of religion from Geography's point of view, the Geographical locations considered sacred and also the features and the role of religion in Brazil, enriching the analysis with lyrics of the Brazilian Popular Music (MPB). It discusses as well the reliiious syncretism and the city of Aparecida do Norte (SP), mentioning lyrics that criticize the role of the religious institutions andlor members of its hierarchy. Besides, it includes MPB lyrics that can be used at classroom at different school levels. Mainly, it intends to provide alternatives of teaching for Geography teachers.

O artigo procura caracterizar, de modo didático, os principais conceitos utilizados pelo geógrafo Milton Santos (1926-2001). Com base em suas obras, o texto busca dar uma visão do pensamento miltoniano no final do século XX, que possui as técnicas como sistemas demarcadores de uma periodização, procurando esclarecer conceitos como globalização, espaço geográfico, formação sócio-espacial, território, espa-ço luminoso e opaco, totalidade e outros.

Herpes Gestationis is a serious dermatological disease, albeit rare, associated to pregnancy or to the trophoblast diseases. Contrary to what the name suggests, it is not a viral disease but an auto-immune disease. We present the clinical case of a 38 year-old woman to whom a case of Herpes Gestationis was diagnosed when she was 15 weeks pregnant and whom has been treated with corticosteroids and antihistamine's showing positive results and without major complications for the mother or the embryo. The authors are undertaking a review of the existing literature, based on this clinic case.