ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the morphological, biochemical, and histological effects of aqueous extracts of peanut (skinless and added to 1% skin) in Swiss mice submitted to a high-fat diet. Methods: Forty male Swiss mice were divided into four groups (n=10 per group): GI) normocaloric diet; GII) high-fat diet; GIII) high-fat diet + 0.5 mL of peanut extract; GIV) high-fat diet + 0.5 mL of peanut extract + 1% peanut skin. The animals were weighed weekly and euthanized after 12 weeks for histopathological and biochemical analyses. The study was approved by the Animal Use Ethics Committee. Results: The animals in the GIV group had higher body weight when compared to the other ones. Increase in total cholesterol in GIII, increase in blood glucose in groups GII, GIII and GIV, decrease in serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration in groups GI and GIV and increase in serum concentration of C-reactive protein in GII were seen. The presence of vacuolar fat deposits was found in animal livers from GII. Conclusions: The extracts improved the plasma concentrations of animals that received a high-fat diet, including preventing morphological damage to liver tissue. These benefits were enhanced by the association of peanut shells with the extract.

Resumo Uma questão crucial na pesquisa sobre o ensino superior é que sua natureza é moldada pelos contextos em que é produzida em resposta a agendas que refletem mais demandas de coordenação de políticas do que interesses disciplinares. As problemáticas de pesquisa são construídas principalmente a partir do referencial teórico das disciplinas, as quais, por sua vez, diluem-se no contexto do modo de pesquisa aplicada. A internacionalização, qualidade e acesso, por exemplo, tendem a ser exploradas a partir de uma perspectiva gerencial e de implementação. Reunimos as críticas aos “ismos” metodológicos para destacar como esses moldam nossas conceituações e compreensão das transformações no ensino superior. Desse ponto de vista, as narrativas conceituais sobre internacionalização do ensino superior, impulsionadas pelo Brexit, são identificadas no estudo Higher education and Brexit: current European perspectives para antecipar até que ponto a internacionalização como narrativa conceitual atua como explicação das estratégias para abordar a questão e o que é necessário para que ela mesma seja explicada. O artigo identifica elementos discursivos decorrentes de narrativas conceituais reunidas para abordar a internacionalização na pesquisa do ensino superior e como eles refletem a reificação do estado e do ensino superior. Ao focar o momentum Brexit que colocou em foco a centralidade dos Estados-nação e sua relação de concorrência/cooperação, este artigo contribui para chamar atenção às implicações epistemológicas e metodológicas dos ismos.

Abstract A key issue in higher education research is that its nature is shaped by the contexts within which it is produced, in response to agendas that reflect more policy coordination demands than disciplinary concerns. The research problematiques are construed mostly out of the theoretical framework of the disciplines, which, in turn, are diluted within an applied research mode. Internationalisation, quality, and access, for instance, tend to be explored from an implementation and managerial perspective. We convene the criticisms of methodological “isms” to highlight how they shape our conceptualisations and understanding of the transformations in higher education. Under this stance, conceptual narratives on internationalisation of higher education prompted by the Brexit momentum are identified in the study Higher education and Brexit: current European perspectives to bring forward the extent to which internationalisation as a conceptual narrative acts as an explanation of the strategies to address the topic, and what is needed to be itself explained. The paper identifies discursive elements stemming from conceptual narratives convened to approach internationalisation in higher education research, and how they reflect the reification of the state and higher education. By focusing on the Brexit momentum that brought to the front stage the centrality of the nation-states and their competition/cooperation relationship, this paper contributes to call attention to the epistemological and methodological implications of isms.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of unripe Musa sapientum peel on the healing of surgical wounds in rats. METHODS: One hundred and twenty Wistar rats were divided into two treatment groups of 60 animals each: the control group (gel without the active ingredient) and experimental group (4% Musa sapientum peel gel). A 4 x 4 cm surgical wound was created on the back of each animal. The wound was cleaned daily with 0.9% saline, treated with 4% gel or natrosol gel (control), and covered with gauze. Animals from both groups were sacrificed after seven, 14 and 21 days of treatment; the tissue from the wound site was removed together with a margin of normal skin for histological analysis. RESULTS: No significant differences in wound contraction rates (p=0.982) were found between time points (seven, 14 and 21 days of treatment) in both groups. However, a significantly higher wound contraction rate was observed in the control group on day 21 compared with the experimental group (p=0.029). There were no significant differences in histomorphological features between groups. The experimental group showed an increased number of polymorphonuclear cells on day 7, with a significant reduction on day 21 (p=0.026). CONCLUSION: The use of 4% unripe Musa sapientum peel gel on surgical wounds in rats resulted in an increased number of polymorphonuclear cells on day 7, reduced wound contraction, reduced vascular proliferation and increased concentration of collagen fibers on day 21.

Com os objetivos de avaliar a resistência do Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus à cipermetrina e ao amitraz no Planalto Catarinense, no período de janeiro de 2004 a maio de 2006, foram coletadas teleóginas em bovinos de 20 propriedades onde os produtores autorizaram a coleta (amostras por conveniência) e recebidas teleóginas de mais 20 propriedades com objetivo de diagnóstico de eficácia. Os testes in vitro foram realizados por imersão de teleóginas em cipermetrina (0,015%) e amitraz (0,025%). Considerando a eficácia igual ou superior a 95%, das 20 propriedades amostradas, 18 (90%) apresentaram resistência à cipermetrina e uma (5%) ao amitraz. Das 20 propriedades com teleóginas para diagnóstico, 19 (95%) apresentaram resistência à cipermetrina e duas (10%) ao amitraz. No período de agosto de 1997 a dezembro de 2001, das sete amostras coletadas, em quatro (57,1%) a eficácia da cipermetrina foi >95%, em duas (28,6%) entre 85% e 94% e em uma, (14,3%) entre 55% e 64%. A eficácia do amitraz foi >95%, em teleóginas de todas as propriedades. Nas amostras para diagnóstico, seis (85,71%) apresentaram eficácia para o amitraz >95% e uma (14,28%) entre 75% e 84%. A resistência desse ixodídeo aos carrapaticidas testados é crescente no Planalto Catarinense.

With the objective of evaluating Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus resistance to cipermetrina and amitraz, were collected engorged tick females from cattle on 20 farms on the Santa Catarina Plateau, in southern Brazil, between January of 2004 and May of 2006. Were also received 20 groups of engorged R. (B.) microplus females, collected by cattle farmers requesting acaricidal efficacy (AE) testing. Were performed in vitro tests, which consisted of immersing engorged females in cypermethrin (0.015%) and in amitraz (0.025%). An AE >95% was considered indicative of effectiveness. Of the 20 collected groups, 18 (90%) showed cypermethrin resistance and 1 (5%) showed amitraz resistance. Of the 20 received groups, 19 (95%) showed cypermethrin resistance and 2 (10%) showed amitraz resistance. The AE of cypermethrin was found to be >95%, 85-94%, and 55-64%, respectively, in 4 (57.1%), 2 (28.6%), and 1 (14.3%) of 7 reference groups, collected in the 1997-2001 period. The AE of amitraz was >95% in all of those groups. Among the groups of specimens received for analysis in that period, the AE of amitraz was >95% in 6 (85.71%) and 75-84% in 1 (14.28%). R. (B.) microplus resistance to acaricides is increasing on the Santa Catarina Plateau.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a concentração ideal do gel da casca de Musa sapientum verde no tratamento de feridas em ratos. MÉTODOS: Estudo randomizado, triplo cego, com 40 ratos da linhagem Wistar divididos em quatro grupos: GC controle, G2% gel a 2%, G4% gel a 4%, G10% gel a 10%. Realizou-se aplicação diária do gel nas diferentes concentrações, durante sete dias, em uma ferida de 4 cm² realizada no dorso de cada rato. Após este período, as lesões foram biopsiadas. Para analise dos dados utilizou-se o teste de Kruskal-Wallis complementado pelo teste de Student-Newman-Keuls. RESULTADOS: Os achados macroscópicos demonstraram reepitelização parcial em todos os grupos. A contração da área da ferida variou entre 1,38 a 1,57 mm nos grupos de estudo, e entre 1,03 a 1,10 mm no grupo controle. Houve diferença significante (p < 0,05) entre os grupos: GC e G10%, G2% e G4%, G2% e G10%, sendo o desvio interquartílico menor entre os grupos GC e G4%. CONCLUSÃO: O gel a 4% da casca de M. sapientum verde promoveu maior área de epitelização em feridas com cicatrização por segunda intenção, em relação ao gel nas outras concentrações testadas.

PURPOSE: To determine the optimum concentration of a gel obtained from unripe banana (Musa sapientum) peel for wound treatment in rats. METHODS: A randomized triple blind study was conducted with 40 Wistar rats, which were divided into 4 groups: CG, control group; G2%, 2% gel concentration group; G4%, 4% gel concentration group; and G10%, 10 % gel concentration group. The banana peel gel was applied daily, for 7 days, to a 4-cm² wound created on the back of each animal of all groups. After this period, the wounds were biopsied. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis test complemented by the Student-Newman-Keuls test. RESULTS: Macroscopic examination revealed that partial epithelialization occurred in all groups. Wound contraction was also observed in all groups and ranged from 1.38 to 1.57 mm in the study groups, and from 1.03 to 1.10 mm in the control group, with significant differences (p < 0.05) between the groups: CG and G10%, G2% and G4%, G2% and G10%. The interquartile deviation was smaller between the groups CG and G4%. CONCLUSION: The 4% gel obtained from unripe banana peel (G4%) resulted in better epithelialization of wounds healed by secondary intention compared with other gel concentrations.

Objetivou-se desenvolver uma técnica de avaliação de carrapaticidas por imersão de larvas de Riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. As larvas foram obtidas a partir de ovos de 30 teleóginas coletadas em bovinos de uma propriedade rural do município de Lages, SC, Brasil, os quais foram acondicionados em alíquotas de 10mg por seringa descartável de 5ml, previamente preparadas e mantidas em câmara climatizada até a eclosão. Larvas com sete a dez dias de idade foram submetidas à imersão por 30 segundos em oito diluições de produtos carrapaticidas comerciais à base de amitraz e de cipermetrina, cada uma com dez repetições, sendo mantido um grupo controle para cada repetição e produto, o qual foi imerso em água destilada. A leitura foi realizada 24 horas após o tratamento com a contagem de larvas vivas e mortas. A média de DL50 para cipermetrina foi de 2,99ppm e o erro padrão de 0,36 e para o amitraz foi de 17,22ppm e o erro padrão de 4,20, com intervalo de confiança (IC) 95%.

The aim of this work was to develop a technique of acaricides evaluation by immersion of larvae. Larvae were obtained from 30 engorged females of Riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus were collected in a ranch in Lages, Santa Catarina state, Brazil. Larvae were obtained from 10mg of eggs placed into 5ml disposable syringes, previously prepared and kept under controlled conditions of laboratory, and collected between the third and the twelfth day of oviposition. Seven to ten days old larvae were submitted to the acaricide laboratory test, in ten replications, by their immersion in eight dilutions of commercial acaricides (amitraz or cypermethrin), for 30 seconds; for each replication and commercial product, a control group was immersed in distilled water. Results were evaluated 24 hours after each treatment by counting the number of live and dead larvae. The mean LD50 values and standard error of the mean for cypermethrin and amitraz were 2.99 ± 0.36 and 17.22 ± 4.20 ppm, respectively, for a confidence interval of 95%. The proposed acaricide laboratory test procedures by larvae immersion offered promising results for the evaluation of acaricides.