Luiz Alberto Beijo

Leishmanicidal activity of benzophenones and extracts from Garcinia brasiliensis Mart. fruits

Infections by protozoans of the genus Leishmania are the major worldwide health problem, with high endemicity in developing countries. The drugs of choice for the treatment of leishmaniasis are the pentavalent antimonials, which exert renal and cardiac toxicity. Thus, there is a strong need for safer and more effective treatments against leishmaniasis. The present study was designated to evaluate, by a bioguided assay, the leishmanicidal activity of extracts (hexane, ethyl-acetate and ethanolic) and molecules both obtained by means of extraction from pericarps of Garcinia brasiliensis fruits. The hexane extract presented the best activity on the extracellular (promastigotes) and intracellular (amastigotes) forms of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis, when compared to the other extracts. Based on these findings, this extract was fractionated by silica gel column chromatography, affording nine fractions then resulting in three purified prenylated benzophenones - 7-epi-clusianone (1), garciniaphenone (2) and guttiferone-a (3). They showed significant activity on Leishmania (L.) amazonensis, and little toxicity for mammalian cells. Structure-activity relationships were evaluated showing that the IC(50) value displayed is dependent of prenyl groups and phenolic hydroxyls number, and inversely proportional to the hydrophobicity. Our results are promising, showing that these compounds are biologically active on Leishmania (L.) amazonensis.

Efficacy of different instruments for the identification of the nursing diagnosis spiritual distress

Neste estudo, visou-se identificar o diagnostico de enfermagem sofrimento espiritual, em 120 pacientes com insuficiencia renal cronica, utilizando-se diferentes instrumentos, e avaliar a eficacia de tais instrumentos no apoio dessa identificacao. Os dados foram coletados separadamente, por dois enfermeiros, por meio de questionario contendo informacoes sociodemograficas e as caracteristicas definidoras de sofrimento espiritual, alem do questionamento direto ao paciente sobre a presenca do diagnostico e os instrumentos: escala de avaliacao da espiritualidade, escala de espiritualidade de Pinto e Pais-Ribeiro e escala de bem-estar espiritual. O estudo encontrou que entre 25,8 e 35,8% dos pacientes possuiam o diagnostico. A avaliacao diagnostica desenvolvida pelos enfermeiros peritos nao apresentou divergencia entre ambos e obteve coeficiente de concordância perfeito (96,7%) com a opiniao do paciente; essa demonstrou concordância substancial com a subescala de bem-estar existencial (83,3%) e com a escala de espiritualidade de Pinto e Pais-Ribeiro (87,5%) que demonstraram ser uteis para a identificacao diagnostica.The study aims to identify the nursing diagnosis Spiritual distress in 120 patients with Chronic Renal Insufficiency, using different instruments, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these instruments in support of this identification. Data were collected separately by two nurses using a questionnaire containing sociodemographic information and the defining characteristics of Spiritual distress, as well as direct questioning to the patient regarding the presence of the diagnosis and the instruments: the Spirituality Rating Scale; Pinto and Pais-Ribeiros Spirituality Scale; and the Spiritual Well-being Scale. The study found that 25.8% to 35.8% of the patients had the diagnosis. The diagnostic evaluation developed by the expert nurses presented no divergence between the two and obtained a perfect concordance coefficient (96.7%) with the opinion of the patient; this demonstrated substantial concordance with the Existential Well-being Sub-scale (83.3%) and with the Pinto e Pais-Ribeiros Spirituality Scale (87.5%), which demonstrated their usefulness for diagnostic identification.

Análise Bayesiana no estudo do tempo de retorno das precipitações pluviais máximas em Jaboticabal (SP)

Dados historicos de precipitacao maxima sao utilizados para realizar previsoes de chuvas extremas, cujo conhecimento e de grande importância na elaboracao de projetos agricolas e de engenharia hidraulica. A distribuicao generalizada de valores extremos (GEV) tem sido aplicada com frequencia nesses tipos de estudos, porem, algumas dificuldades na obtencao de estimativas confiaveis sobre alguma medida dos dados tem ocorrido devido ao fato de que, na maioria das situacoes, tem-se uma quantidade escassa de dados. Uma alternativa para obter melhorias na qualidade das estimativas seria utilizar informacoes dos especialistas de determinada area em estudo. Sendo assim, objetiva-se neste trabalho analisar a aplicacao da Inferencia Bayesiana com uma distribuicao a priori baseada em quantis extremos, que facilite a incorporacao dos conhecimentos fornecidos por especialistas, para obter as estimativas de precipitacao maxima para os tempos de retorno de 10 e 20 anos e seus respectivos limites superiores de 95%, para o periodo anual e para os meses da estacao chuvosa em Jaboticabal (SP). A tecnica Monte Carlo, via Cadeias de Markov (MCMC), foi empregada para inferencia a posteriori de cada parâmetro. A metodologia Bayesiana apresentou resultados mais acurados e precisos, tanto na estimacao dos parâmetros da distribuicao GEV, como na obtencao dos valores de precipitacao maxima provavel para a regiao de Jaboticabal, apresentando-se como uma boa alternativa na incorporacao de conhecimentos a priori no estudo de dados extremos.

Are biotic and abiotic factors and seedling mechanical damage in forest-edge fragments always different from the interior?

Theregenerationoffragmentsandadjacentlandscapedependson,amongothersfactors,seedlingestablishment, both in the interior and at the edge. This work considers differences between the edge and fragment interior in (1) environmental descriptors (canopy openness, temperature, soil moisture, bamboo and liana coverage and litterfall), (2) the total number of seedlings damaged and (3) the type of seedling damage. The present study was carried out in four Atlanticforestfragmentsinsouth-easternBrazil.Environmentaldescriptorsandartificialseedlingdamageweremeasuredin 10plots,10 � 10meach,ineachforestfragment,i.e. fiveattheedgesand fiveintheinterior.Litterfallwasthemaincauseof seedling damage in the present study. Bamboo and liana coverage, litterfall, soil moisture, canopy openness, minimal and maximal temperature and temperature amplitude, as well as the type and quantity of damage did not differ between the edge and the fragment interior. Temperature, however, was higher in the interior than in the edge fragments. The lack of difference between the edge and interior fragments was probably due to the reduced size of the remnants of the Atlantic forest studied, resulting from an intense internal anthropogenic impact on them and the early onset of this landscape fragmentation, which is quite old (~200 years).

Characterization of dissemination of ISO 14001 in countries and economic sectors in the Americas

The ISO 14001 standard is a reference to direct the implementation of Environmental Management Systems. The number of organizations that have adopted the certification has been growing over the years. This study aimed to evaluate the evolution of ISO 14001 in the Americas and among its economic sectors. A descriptive analysis of ISO 14001 data for the years 1996–2014, obtained from ISO and literature review, were performed. The evolution of ISO 14001 was also compared with the ISO 9001. The results showed that the number of ISO 14001 certifications has regularly increased on the continent as a whole, but unevenly among its countries. The number of ISO 9001 certifications still remains higher than the ISO 14001, but the disparity between them is decreasing, at the country level. The paper contributes insights into the main literature to be addressed for business managers, certifying bodies and specialists.

ISO 9001 certification in the American Continent: a statistical analysis and modelling

The ISO 9001 standard is considered as an effective tool to support a quality management system (QMS). A steady growth in the number of ISO 9001 issued certificates is observed worldwide, confirming the interest of companies in this approach. However, information regarding this behaviour over time in the American Continent is scarce. This paper presents a set of qualitative and quantitative analyses related to the ISO 9001 certification (globally and at the country level of the Americas), the use of this standard in countries that were part of the ISO Survey 2011 and modelling the ISO 9001 certification for American countries, in order to characterise through mathematical models, the evolution of the certification process and to identify factors that influence the ISO 9001 issued certificates in the various countries analysed. Based on the work developed, a positive relationship was found between the number of issued certificates in each country per 1000 inhabitants and the indicators of economic development (Gross National Income Per Capita). It is determined that the total reserves of a country is an economic variable that directly affects the number of issued certificates, a finding not observed in other forecasting models.

Anthropogenic Matrices Favor Homogenization of Tree Reproductive Functions in a Highly Fragmented Landscape

Species homogenization or floristic differentiation are two possible consequences of the fragmentation process in plant communities. Despite the few studies, it seems clear that fragments with low forest cover inserted in anthropogenic matrices are more likely to experience floristic homogenization. However, the homogenization process has two other components, genetic and functional, which have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to verify whether there was homogenization of tree reproductive functions in a fragmented landscape and, if found, to determine how the process was influenced by landscape composition. The study was conducted in eight fragments in southwest Brazil. The study was conducted in eight fragments in southwestern Brazil. In each fragment, all individual trees were sampled that had a diameter at breast height ≥3 cm, in ten plots (0.2 ha) and, classified within 26 reproductive functional types (RFTs). The process of functional homogenization was evaluated using additive partitioning of diversity. Additionally, the effect of landscape composition on functional diversity and on the number of individuals within each RFT was evaluated using a generalized linear mixed model. appeared to be in a process of functional homogenization (dominance of RFTs, alpha diversity lower than expected by chance and and low beta diversity). More than 50% of the RFTs and the functional diversity were affected by the landscape parameters. In general, the percentage of forest cover has a positive effect on RFTs while the percentage of coffee matrix has a negative one. The process of functional homogenization has serious consequences for biodiversity conservation because some functions may disappear that, in the long term, would threaten the fragments. This study contributes to a better understanding of how landscape changes affect the functional diversity, abundance of individuals in RFTs and the process of functional homogenization, as well as how to manage fragmented landscapes.

THE IMPACT OF THE SUPPORTING SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM IN A COUNTY FROM THE SOUTH MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Tobacco Treatment Program at a community clinic in the south of Minas Gerais, Brazil, for smoking cessation. A qualitative and quantitative, descriptive and exploratory research was conducted. Were identified sociodemographic characteristics, history of smoking and comorbidities ISSN 0717-2079 CIENCIA Y ENFERMERIA XX (1): 75-88, 2014 * Enfermeira. Professora da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Email: sueligoyata@yahoo.com.br ** Farmacêutico. Profissional residente em Saúde da Família da Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Email: marcelo_farma05@yahoo.com.br *** Farmacêutica. Professora da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas da Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Email: walne23@yahoo.com.br **** Farmacêutica. Professora da Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas da Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Email: mhmcardoso@hotmail.com ***** Matemático. Professor do Instituto de Ciências Exatas da Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Email: luizbeijo@yahoo.com.brEl objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto del Programa de Tratamiento del Tabaquismo de una clinica municipal, en el sur de Minas Gerais, Brasil, para dejar de fumar. Se realizo una investigacion cualitativa y cuantitativa, descriptiva y exploratoria. Se identificaron las caracteristicas sociodemograficas, antecedentes de tabaquismo y las comorbilidades de 35 fumadores, entrevistados en su casa. Las encuestas fueron sometidas al analisis del contenido. En relacion a los resultados cuantitativos obtenidos, el 62,9% de los usuarios comenzaron a fumar antes de los 15 anos y el 60% presentaba alta dependencia. En cuanto a dejar de fumar, el 82,9% habia dejado de fumar durante el tratamiento; despues de 18 meses, el 58,6% no presentaron recaidas. En el analisis cualitativo de los datos fueron identificados ocho categorias de analisis: historia de fumadores; tabaco como forma de inclusion y de vinculo social; tabaco como factor de liberacion de las tensiones de la vida diaria y del mecanismo compensatorio; proceso de cambio em el habito de fumar; concientizacion del tabaco como problema en la salud; fatores de exito para dejar de fumar; recaida como factor de fracaso y cesacion de fumar como rescate de la autoestima. Este estudio demuestra la importancia de la aplicacion de los programas de lucha contra el tabaquismo implementado por el gobierno municipal, resultando un gran impacto sobre el abandono del consumo de tabaco de los usuarios de los servicios de salud publica.

Fitotoxicidade e citogenotoxicidade da água e sedimento de córrego urbano em bioensaio com Lactuca sativa

The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal influence of the phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity of water and sediment of urban stream on the germination and initial growth of Lactuca sativa. Samples were collected from water and sediment at five sites of the Pântano Stream (Alfenas, Minas Gerais) during the period from October 2010 to July 2011. The concentrations of the metals Cd, Pb and Zn were quantified. Moreover, phytotoxicity and cytogenotoxicity were tested with samples of water and aqueous extracts of sediments. The evaluated end points were the germination rate, root length, fresh and dry weight, mitotic index and frequency of chromosomal abnormalities. Higher levels of Cd and Pb were verified in water samples collected during the rainy months. Water and sediment showed phytotoxic effect on germination, fresh weight and dry weight of Lactuca sativa. Root length was stimulated and only samples of water reduced the mitotic index. Significant temporal variation related to rainfall was observed only for phytotoxicity tests.

Eficácia de diferentes instrumentos para a atribuição do diagnóstico de enfermagem sofrimento espiritual

Neste estudo, visou-se identificar o diagnostico de enfermagem sofrimento espiritual, em 120 pacientes com insuficiencia renal cronica, utilizando-se diferentes instrumentos, e avaliar a eficacia de tais instrumentos no apoio dessa identificacao. Os dados foram coletados separadamente, por dois enfermeiros, por meio de questionario contendo informacoes sociodemograficas e as caracteristicas definidoras de sofrimento espiritual, alem do questionamento direto ao paciente sobre a presenca do diagnostico e os instrumentos: escala de avaliacao da espiritualidade, escala de espiritualidade de Pinto e Pais-Ribeiro e escala de bem-estar espiritual. O estudo encontrou que entre 25,8 e 35,8% dos pacientes possuiam o diagnostico. A avaliacao diagnostica desenvolvida pelos enfermeiros peritos nao apresentou divergencia entre ambos e obteve coeficiente de concordância perfeito (96,7%) com a opiniao do paciente; essa demonstrou concordância substancial com a subescala de bem-estar existencial (83,3%) e com a escala de espiritualidade de Pinto e Pais-Ribeiro (87,5%) que demonstraram ser uteis para a identificacao diagnostica.The study aims to identify the nursing diagnosis Spiritual distress in 120 patients with Chronic Renal Insufficiency, using different instruments, and to evaluate the effectiveness of these instruments in support of this identification. Data were collected separately by two nurses using a questionnaire containing sociodemographic information and the defining characteristics of Spiritual distress, as well as direct questioning to the patient regarding the presence of the diagnosis and the instruments: the Spirituality Rating Scale; Pinto and Pais-Ribeiros Spirituality Scale; and the Spiritual Well-being Scale. The study found that 25.8% to 35.8% of the patients had the diagnosis. The diagnostic evaluation developed by the expert nurses presented no divergence between the two and obtained a perfect concordance coefficient (96.7%) with the opinion of the patient; this demonstrated substantial concordance with the Existential Well-being Sub-scale (83.3%) and with the Pinto e Pais-Ribeiros Spirituality Scale (87.5%), which demonstrated their usefulness for diagnostic identification.