Clarisse Maximo Arpini

This study uses in-depth interviews, observation, document analysis, and future-based investigative exercises to examine the 'Herdade do Freixo do Meio' (HFM), a State, manor, or grange in the South of Portugal (Mediterranean). The sustainable, integrative practices implemented include agroforestry studies, tourism, electronic commerce, archeology, general management, business practices, and technology and research's role in the "big picture" intervention.The Syntropic farming concept inspired the study, despite the term only emerging in 2013.According to some authors, a participatory business structure increases the value of an agroforestry activity, creating the conditions for implementing a smart, ecological, locally based, economically sustainable, and generalizable new production paradigm. Results indicate biodiversity and a sustainable economy. Besides recovering the "montado" (cork and holm oaks), HFM has a dozen continuous differentiation-integration experiences: roughly 15 distinct fruit tree species arranged in "community" were planted in degraded property regions.A four-quadrant cognitive framework (opposed two by two) originated fromideas raised in interviews and validated through documents and people's activity observation. It points to future effort paths and aspects of the transformation already undertaken: (i) the rules regarding main routines of primary work and transformation / packaging / marketing are being stabilized; (ii) both individual and group initiatives are still insufficient; (iii) the team spirit and collaborative culture is shown, and all parties desire its deepening; and (iv) the high added value products organization for customers is advanced, but lacking the professional work regarding cost control. After three years, biodiversity destruction has reversed. Business-wise, financial recovery was achieved with an increasing profit.

Residências construídas sem a orientação profissional adequada, conhecidas como autoconstruções, muitas vezes apresentam inconformidades que podem prejudicar a qualidade do ar interno, contribuindo para o aumento da concentração de contaminantes microbiológicos no ar. O presente trabalho objetivou identificar a relação entre os aspectos construtivos da moradia e a qualidade do ar em um conjunto de residências de crianças asmáticas na cidade de Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brasil. A metodologia incluiu levantamento físicos e fotográficos, identificação visual da presença de mofo nas residências e coleta de fungos aéreos. Os resultados mostraram existência de alta umidade nas moradias e janelas nos dormitórios com área de ventilação e iluminação natural abaixo do mínimo recomendado pela legislação brasileira. A concentração de fungos no ar ultrapassou o limite da OMS em 29 das 56 moradias analisadas. O estudo pretende colaborar no entendimento dos aspectos entre a habitação e a saúde humana reduzindo assim o agravamento de problemas respiratórios e melhorando a qualidade de vida.

The intestinal microbiota has an important role in animal health. Therefore, prebiotics have gained interest in the scientific community for their role in manipulating populations of intestinal microorganisms. Among prebiotics, there is Smallanthus sonchifolius Poepp. Endl (yacon) root, which can be ingested in natura or in different forms, such as flours and extracts. This prebiotic has been associated with beneficial effects in different diseases, including metabolic (like type 2 diabetes) and immunological disorders. Thus, mouse models of human diseases caused by immunological factors have been used to better understand the prebiotic effects of yacon. Since prebiotics interfere with animal microbiota, it is important to take into consideration the quality level of mouse facilities. In this way, the beneficial effects of a yacon root pulp were tested in a mouse model of allergic asthma and, considering how animal facility conditions could affect those results, we performed experiments both in conventional facilities and specific pathogen-free (SPF) ones. Our results showed that better prebiotic effects were observed in a SPF facility than in a conventional one and, in some cases, evidence of yacon beneficial effects was observed exclusively in a SPF facility. For example, there were reductions of 63.6% and 58.0% in IgE and eosinophils, respectively, in immunized/yacon-treated animals compared to immunized mice only. Taken together, our results not only showed the beneficial effects of yacon root pulp in an asthma model but also demonstrated the relevance of performing experiments with prebiotics in SPF facilities.

Background. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in elderly patients. Recently, several studies have shown that inflammation and oxidative stress precede the cardinal neuropathological manifestations of AD. In view of the proven antioxidant effects of probiotics, we proposed that continuous dietary supplementation with milk fermented with kefir grains might improve cognitive and metabolic and/or cellular disorders in the AD patients. Methods. This study was designed as an uncontrolled clinical investigation to test the effects of probiotic-fermented milk supplementation (2 mL/kg/daily) for 90 days in AD patients exhibiting cognitive deficit. Cognitive assessment, cytokine expression, systemic oxidative stress levels, and blood cell damage biomarkers were evaluated before (T0) and after (T90) kefir synbiotic supplementation. Results. When the patients were challenged to solve 8 classical tests, the majority exhibit a marked improvement in memory, visual-spatial/abstraction abilities, and executive/language functions. At the end of the treatment, the cytometric analysis showed an absolute/relative decrease in several cytokine markers of inflammation and oxidative stress markers (^⋅O₂^–, H₂O₂, and ONOO⁻, ~30%) accompanied by an increase in NO bioavailability (100%). In agreement with the above findings by using the same technique, we observed in a similar magnitude an improvement of serum protein oxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage/repair, and apoptosis. Conclusion. In conclusion, we demonstrated that kefir improves cognitive deficits, which seems to be linked with three important factors of the AD—systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood cell damage—and may be a promising adjuvant therapy against the AD progression.

Mangroves are considered as natural nurseries and classified as permanent protected areas. The study area is the municipal ecological site of Ilha do Lameirão, covering 891.83 ha of mangrove forest. This area persistently suffers from anthropic pressure. For this reason, there is the need to study and monitor the microbiological characteristics and recognition of the main factors involved in the degradation of mangroves process. This study was done in the year 2014. Samples were taken every month during dry and rainy seasons. Two areas (Maria Ortiz and Canal dos Escravos) were chosen based on the degree of their vulnerability to anthropic pressure. The results show there is a microbiological contamination both in water and Crassostrea rhizophorae tissues, mainly in samples taken from Maria Ortiz. According to the results, the Canal dos Escravos estuary, known as Class 1 is an environment that is able to maintain aquatic communities and fishing activities. In oyster tissues, microorganism strains that indicate the pathogens which cause diseases in humans were identified. Key words: Environmental quality, microbiology, anthropic, pollution, oyster.

The beverage obtained by fermentation of milk with kefir grains, a complex matrix containing acid bacteria and yeasts, has been shown to have beneficial effects in various diseases. However, its effects on hypertension and endothelial dysfunction are not yet clear. In this study, we evaluated the effects of kefir on endothelial cells and vascular responsiveness in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). SHR were treated with kefir (0.3 mL/100 g body weight) for 7, 15, 30 and 60 days and compared with non-treated SHR and with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Vascular endothelial function was evaluated in aortic rings through the relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh). The balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) synthase was evaluated through specific blockers in the ACh-induced responses and through flow cytometry in vascular tissue. Significant effects of kefir were observed only after treatment for 60 days. The high blood pressure and tachycardia exhibited by the SHR were attenuated by approximately 15 % in the SHR-kefir group. The impaired ACh-induced relaxation of the aortic rings observed in the SHR (37 ± 4 %, compared to the Wistar rats: 74 ± 5 %), was significantly attenuated in the SHR group chronically treated with kefir (52 ± 4 %). The difference in the area under the curve between before and after the NADPH oxidase blockade or NO synthase blockade of aortic rings from SHR were of approximately +90 and −60 %, respectively, when compared with Wistar rats. In the aortic rings from the SHR-kefir group, these values were reduced to +50 and −40 %, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis of aortic endothelial cells revealed increased ROS production and decreased NO bioavailability in the SHR, which were significantly attenuated by the treatment with kefir. Scanning electronic microscopy showed vascular endothelial surface injury in SHR, which was partially protected following administration of kefir for 60 days. In addition, the recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells was decreased in the non-treated SHR and partially restored by kefir treatment. Kefir treatment for 60 days was able to improve the endothelial function in SHR by partially restoring the ROS/NO imbalance and the endothelial architecture due to endothelial progenitor cells recruitment.