Psicologia "do esporte" ou "da performance humana"? Explorando contextos não esportivos e suas implicações teórico-práticas / "Sport" Psychology or "Human performance" Psychology? Exploring non-sportive contexts and their theoretical-practical implications / ¿Psicología "del deporte" o "del performance humano"? Explorando contextos no deportivos y sus implicaciones teórico-prácticas

Historicamente, a Psicologia do Esporte e do Exercício esteve majoritariamente direcionada aos esportes organizados. No entanto, há psicólogos do esporte que adaptam as técnicas e conceitos desta área a demais contextos da performance humana, o que exige uma melhor compreensão sobre as implicações teórico-práticas destas iniciativas. O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar uma análise crítica sobre esta tendência, baseada em estudos teóricos e empíricos sobre Psicologia da Performance. O conceito de Psicologia da Performance pode representar uma unidade existente entre as pesquisas e intervenções direcionadas a diversas atividades humanas. Ao expandir seu escopo, a Psicologia do Esporte dá origem a uma Psicologia da Performance, auxiliando diferentes grupos de pessoas que atuam rotineiramente na busca por níveis máximos de desempenho. Através de uma análise temática de documentos-semente sobre o tema, identificou-se que os principais setores para estas aplicações são: (1) o desenvolvimento pessoal; (2) o mundo empresarial; (3) o mundo artístico; e (4) as forças armadas. Compreender como essa área está se constituindo e os contextos de sua aplicação pode contribuir para a ampliação do campo de trabalho do psicólogo do esporte e para a expansão da psicologia do esporte, especialmente no contexto brasileiro.

Historically, the Sport and Exercise Psychology has been mostly oriented to organized sports. However, there are sports psychologists who adapt concepts and techniques of this area to several contexts of human performance, which requires a better understanding of the theoretical and practical implications of these enterprises. The purpose of this article is to present a critical analysis of this trend, based on theoretical and empirical studies about Performance Psychology. The concept of Performance Psychology may represent an exis-ting unity between research and interventions on different human activities. By expanding its scope, Sport Psychology gives rise to Performance Psycho-logy, which makes it possible to assist several groups of people that routinely seek maximum levels of performance. Through a thematic analysis of seed documents on the subject, it was identified that the main sectors for these applications are: (1) personal development; (2) the business world; (3) the artistic world; and (4) the military. Understanding the contexts of application and how this area is being constituted may contribute to the expansion of Sport Psychology field, as well as the expansion of work possibilities of sports psychologists, especially in the Brazilian context.

Históricamente, la Psicología del Deporte y del Ejercicio estuvo mayoritaria-mente dirigida a los deportes organizados. Sin embargo, hay psicólogos del deporte que adaptan las técnicas y conceptos de esta área a otros contextos del performance humano, requiriendo una mejor comprensión sobre las impli-caciones teórico-prácticas de estas iniciativas. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar un análisis crítico sobre esta tendencia, basada en estudios teóricos y empíricos sobre Psicología del Performance. El concepto de Psicología del Performance puede representar una unidad existente entre investigaciones e intervenciones dirigidas a diversas actividades humanas. Al expandir su alcance, la Psicología del Deporte da origen a una Psicología del Perfor-mance, ayudando a diferentes grupos de personas que actúan rutinariamente buscando los niveles máximos de desempeño. A través de un análisis temático de documentos-semilla sobre el tema, se identificó que los principales sectores para estas aplicaciones son: (1) el desarrollo personal; (2) el mundo empre-sarial; (3) el mundo artístico; y (4) las fuerzas armadas. Comprender cómo esta área se está constituyendo y los contextos de su aplicación pueden contri-buir a la ampliación del campo de trabajo del psicólogo del deporte y para la expansión de la Psicología del Deporte, especialmente en el contexto brasileño.

El papel del entrenador en la enseñanza de competencias de vida a jóvenes brasileños en riesgo de vulnerabilidad social / The role of the coach in teaching of life competences at risk of social vulnerability to young Brazilians

Este estudio busca investigar y analizar cómo piensan y actúan entrenadores de proyectos sociales brasileños con respecto a la enseñanza de competencias de vida a jóvenes que viven en áreas de riesgo de exclusión social. Entrevistamos a seis entrenadores de fútbol y otros deportes de distintas clases de proyectos de educación por el deporte. Se implementó un análisis cualitativo identificando y organizando meaning units, que resultó en la creación de cuatro grandes dimensiones: Trabajo en Equipo, Disciplina, Actuación y Vínculo, y Educación Integral; formadas por 28 categorías que reflejan las filosofías y prácticas de los educadores. Los resultados indican que todos los entrenadores entrevistados tienen un perfil análogo al modelo de entrenamiento de competencias de vida de Gould, Collins, Lauer y Chung (2007) que utilizan estrategias para la enseñanza de competencias de vida, como por ejemplo fomentar la autonomía, estimular el esfuerzo y dar feedback, aunque carecen de un planteamiento sistemático y tienen recursos precarios para llevar a cabo dicho modelo.

This study aims to investigate and analyze how coaches of Brazilian social projects think and act when teaching life skills to young people who live in areas of social risk. We interviewed six coaches of both football and other sports about different types of educational projects delivered through sport education. A qualitative analysis was developed through the identification of meaning units resulting in the creation of four large dimensions: Teamwork, Discipline, Performance and Bonding, and Integral Education, composing of 28 categories which reflect the philosophies and practices of these educators. The results show that all coaches that participated in this study have a similar profile "coaching life skills model" Gould, Collins, Lauer and Chung (2007) using strategies for teaching life skills, such as fostering autonomy, stimulate the effort and give feedback, but lack a systematic approach and has weak resources to carry out this model.

El estilo de comunicación del entrenador y la percepción del clima motivacional generado por los entrenadores y compañeros / / O estilo de comunicação do treinador e a percepção do clima motivacional gerado por treinadores e colegas / Coaches’ communication style and the perception of the motivational climate created by coaches and teammates

El presente estudio se propuso evaluar las relaciones entre el estilo de comunicación del entrenador y el clima motivacional generado por él y por los compañeros de equipo. Se observó a tres entrenadores de fútbol con el Sistema de Evaluación de las Conductas del Entrenador (CBAS) en tres partidos cada uno. También participaron 39 jugadores de los mismos equipos que los entrenadores, en la franja de edad de 12 a 14 años, que contestaron los cuestionarios: a) cuestionario de percepción de los comportamientos del entrenador (CBAS-PBS); b) clima motivacional generado por el entrenador (PMCSQ-2); c) cuestionario del clima motivacional de los iguales en el deporte (PeerMCYSQ). A partir de los resultados obtenidos, se evidencia una correlación entre conductas positivas que perciben que emiten los entrenadores y la percepción de un clima de implicación a la tarea. Además, de una correlación entre el clima de implicación a la tarea generado por el entrenador y el generado por los compañeros. También se encontró una correlación positiva entre las percepciones de comportamientos punitivos del entrenador y la generación de un clima motivacional de implicación al ego. El clima de implicación al ego generado por el entrenador también se correlaciona con los dos factores del clima de implicación al ego de los compañeros, la competencia y el conflicto intra-equipo A(U)

Our study aims to research the relations between coaches’ communication styles and the player’s perception regarding the motivational climate generated by the coach and also by their teammates. Three soccer coaches were observed during three games using the Coaches Behaviour Assessment System (CBAS). Also, 39 players from the same teams as the coaches aged from 12 to 14 years participated answering questionnaires regarding a) perception of the coaches´ behaviour (CBAS-PBS); b) perception of the motivational climate generated by the coach (PMCSQ-2); c) perception of the motivational climate generated by the teammates (PeerMCYSQ). We found correlations between positive behaviors from the coaches and the perception of the task involving motivational climate created by them. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between the perception of coaches´ punitive behaviors and the generation of an ego involving motivational climate. This also correlates with the idea that teammates create an ego involving motivational climate when competition and conflicts within group prevail (AU)

Nosso estudo tem por objetivo pesquisar relações entre o estilo de comunicação de treinadores e a percepção de jogadores sobre o clima motivacional gerado pelo treinador e também por seus colegas de equipe. Para tanto, foram observados três treinadores de futebol com o Sistema de Avaliação das Condutas do Treinador (CBAS) em três jogos cada um. Também participaram do estudo 39 jogadores das mesmas equipes que os treinadores, com idades entre 12 e 14 anos, que responderam aos questionários de a) percepção do comportamento do treinador (CBAS-PBS); b) percepção do clima motivacional gerado pelo treinador (PMCSQ-2); c) percepção do clima motivacional gerado por colegas de equipe (PeerMCYSQ). Foram encontradas correlações entre as condutas positivas dos treinadores e a percepção de um clima motivacional orientado à tarefa criado por eles. Além de uma correlação entre clima de implicação à tarefa gerado pelo treinador e gerado por colegas. Também encontrou-se uma correlação positiva entre a percepção de que comportamentos punitivos dos treinadores e a geração de um clima motivacional orientado ao ego. O clima de implicação ao ego gerado pelo treinador ainda se correlaciona os dois fatores do clima de implicação ao ego dos colegas, competição e conflito intragrupos (AU)

A ressonância magnética e seu papel na avaliação das principais patologias fetais extra-cranianas / Magnetic resonance and its role in the evaluation of the main extra-cranial fetal patologies

A ressonância magnética (RM) é um exame não invasivo que, através de interações magnéticas com núcleos de átomos de hidrogênio, produz imagens de segmentos do corpo humano com grande acurácia diagnóstica. Seu potencial de delineamento anatômico, associado com ausência de efeitos deletérios, o torna peça importante para avaliação de mal formações fetais.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive test that produces images of body parts through interactions with hydrogen atoms core, which present high diagnostic accuray. Its potential capability of anatomical delineation and the lack of biological proven effects turns MRI an option of great potential for the fetal assessment.

The developmental activities of elite soccer players aged under-16 years from Brazil, England, France, Ghana, Mexico, Portugal and Sweden.

The developmental activities of 328 elite soccer players aged under-16 years from Brazil, England, France, Ghana, Mexico, Portugal and Sweden were examined using retrospective recall in a cross-sectional research design. The activities were compared to the early diversification, early specialisation, and early engagement pathways. Players started their involvement in soccer at approximately 5 years of age. During childhood, they engaged in soccer practice for a mean value of 185.7, s = 124.0 h · year(-¹), in soccer play for 186.0, s = 125.3 h · year(-¹), and in soccer competition for 37.1, s = 28.9 h · year(-¹). A mean value of 2.3, s = 1.6 sports additional to soccer were engaged in by 229 players during childhood. Players started their participation in an elite training academy at 11 to 12 years of age. During adolescence, they engaged in soccer practice for a mean value of 411.9, s = 184.3 h · year(-¹), in soccer play for 159.7, s = 195.0 h · year(-¹), and in soccer competition for 66.9, s = 48.8 h · year(-¹). A mean value of 2.5, s = 1.8 sports other than soccer were engaged in by 132 players during this period. There were some relatively minor differences between countries, but generally the developmental activities of the players followed a mixture of the early engagement and specialisation pathways, rather than early diversification.

Global contractility increment in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy after free wall-only intramyocardial injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells: an insight over stem cells clinical mechanism of action.

Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) effects have been investigated in small series of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDC). Left ventricular myocardial contractility improvements occur, but doubt remains about their mechanism of action. We compared contractility changes in areas treated (free wall) and nontreated (septal wall) with BMMC, in selected patients who have showed significant ventricular improvement after free wall-only intramyocardial stem cells injection. From 15 patients with functional class III/IV (NYHA) and LVEF inferior to 35%, who received 9.6 ± 2.6 × 10(7) BMMC divided into 10 points over the left ventricular free wall, 7 (46.7%) showed LVEF relative improvement greater than 15%. Those patients were selected for further contractility study. BMMC were collected from iliac bone and isolated with Ficoll-Hypaque. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure the systolic thickening of the septal (nontreated) and free wall (treated) before injection and 3 months postoperatively. Mean systolic septal wall thickening increased from 0.46 to 1.23 mm (an absolute 0.77 ± 1.3 mm and relative 167.4% increase) and in the free wall from 1.13 to 1.87 mm (an absolute 0.74 ± 1.5 mm and relative increase of 65.5%). There was no difference in the rate of absolute or relative systolic thickening between the two walls (p = 0.866 and 1.0, respectively), when cells were injected only in the left ventricular free wall. BMMC transplantation in nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy can improve ventricular function by an overall effect, even in areas that are not directly injected. This finding favors the existence of a diffuse mechanism of action, rather than a local effect, and should be reminded when the pathophysiology of stem cells is considered.

Análise das transições das carreiras de ex-atletas de alto nível / Analysis of former high level athletes careers transitions

A prática voluntária e plurianual de uma atividade esportiva, com o objetivo de alcançar altos níveis de desempenho, é um dos determinantes da formação da carreira esportiva. Essa é dividida em períodos que são caracterizados por transições até atingir a aposentadoria. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar as transições das carreiras esportivas de seis atletas de várias modalidades. O apoio da família e os motivos que levaram esses atletas a permanecerem na prática esportiva foram alguns fatores determinantes. No entanto, os conflitos para a realização da prática e a falta de planejamento dessas carreiras foram dificultadores para o ótimo desenvolvimento das mesmas. Conclui-se que o término das carreiras esportivas ocorreu de forma planejada.

The volunteer practice and multi-year of a sporting activity, with the objective of reaching high levels of performance, is one of the determinants of the formation of the sporting career. That is divided in periods that are characterized by transitions up to reaching the retirement. The objective of the study was to analyze the transitions of the sporting careers of six athletes of several kinds of sports. The support of the family and the motives that made these athletes keep in sporting practice, were some determinative factors. However, the conflicts for the realization of the practice and the lack of planning of these careers were barriers to their optimum development. It was possible to conclude that the end of the sporting careers happened in a planned way.

Dynamics of glyphosate-induced conformational changes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EC 2.5.1.19) determined by hydrogen-deuterium exchange and electrospray mass spectrometry.

The enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) catalyzes the reaction between shikimate 3-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate to form 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate, an intermediate in the shikimate pathway, which leads to the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. EPSPS exists in an open conformation in the absence of substrates and/or inhibitors and in a closed conformation when bound to the substrate and/or inhibitor. In the present report, the H/D exchange properties of EPSPS from Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mt) were investigated for both enzyme conformations using ESI mass spectrometry and circular dichroism (CD). When the conformational changes identified by H/D exchanges were mapped on the 3-D structure, it was observed that the apoenzyme underwent extensive conformational changes due to glyphosate complexation, characterized by an increase in the content of alpha-helices from 40% to 57%, while the beta-sheet content decreased from 30% to 23%. These results indicate that the enzyme underwent a series of rearrangements of its secondary structure that were accompanied by a large decrease in solvent access to many different regions of the protein. This was attributed to the compaction of 71% of alpha-helices and 57% of beta-sheets as a consequence of glyphosate binding to the enzyme. Apparently, MtEPSPS undergoes a series of inhibitor-induced conformational changes, which seem to have caused synergistic effects in preventing solvent access to the core of molecule, especially in the cleft region. This may be part of the mechanism of inhibition of the enzyme, which is required to prevent the hydration of the substrate binding site and also to induce the cleft closure to avoid entrance of the substrates.

Ressonância nuclear magnética cardíaca / Cardiac mri

A Ressonância Nuclear Magnética Cardíaca (RMC) estabeleceu-se como um importante método não invasivo de uma grande quantidade de doenças cardiovasculares. Através de estudos, foi comprovada sua real capacidade como método diagnóstico, sendo hoje padrão ouro para diversas patologias cardíacas. Nessa revisão avaliamos as mais importantes aplicações da RMC assim como suas vantagens e desvantagens.

Intraplaque hemorrhage assessed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and C-reactive protein in carotid atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Carotid intraplaque hemorrhage is a marker of atheroma instability. Noninvasive assessment of bleeding can be performed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but its association with inflammatory markers has not been clearly demonstrated. METHODS: We evaluated consecutive carotid endarterectomy patients that underwent high-resolution MRI, independent evaluation of neurologic symptoms, C-reactive protein measurement, and histologic analysis. Intraplaque hemorrhage was determined by the presence of a hyperintense MRI signal (T1-weighted sequence). RESULTS: The study included 70 predominantly male (66%) and hypertensive (89%) patients (89%) aged 66 +/- 9 years old. MR angiography identified 15 patients (21.5%) with stenosis between 50% and 69%, 15 (21.5%) with stenosis between 70% and 90%, and 40 (57%) with stenosis >90%. High-resolution MRI depicted a hyperintense signal suggestive of intraplaque bleeding in 45 subjects (64%). All patients who had had transient ischemic attacks >90 days before the surgery showed a hyperintense signal on MRI (P = .007). Age, gender, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and history of myocardial infarction or peripheral arterial disease were similar in patients with or without signs of intraplaque bleeding on MRI. There was excellent agreement between acute or recent hemorrhage on histologic and MRI findings (kappa coefficient, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.81 to 1.00). Only one of 45 patients (2%) with a hyperintense signal on MRI did not have acute or recent hemorrhage in the histologic analysis (P < .001). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were similar for different degrees of carotid stenosis as assessed by MR angiography, but they were significantly higher in clinically unstable patients (P = .006) and in those with a positive hyperintense MRI signal (P = .01). In an aggregated analysis of neurologic symptoms and MRI findings, we found a progressive increase of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Intraplaque hemorrhage evaluated by MRI identified neurologically unstable patients with increased levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein regardless of the degree of carotid stenosis.

The inhibition of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase as a model for development of novel antimicrobials.

EPSP synthase (EPSPS) is an essential enzyme in the shikimate pathway, transferring the enolpyruvyl group of phosphoenolpyruvate to shikimate-3-phosphate to form 5-enolpyruvyl-3-shikimate phosphate and inorganic phosphate. This enzyme is composed of two domains, which are formed by three copies of betaalphabetaalphabetabeta-folding units; in between there are two crossover chain segments hinging the nearly topologically symmetrical domains together and allowing conformational changes necessary for substrate conversion. The reaction is ordered with shikimate-3-phosphate binding first, followed by phosphoenolpyruvate, and then by the subsequent release of phosphate and EPSP. N-[phosphomethyl]glycine (glyphosate) is the commercial inhibitor of this enzyme. Apparently, the binding of shikimate-3-phosphate is necessary for glyphosate binding, since it induces the closure of the two domains to form the active site in the interdomain cleft. However, it is somehow controversial whether binding of shikimate-3-phosphate alone is enough to induce the complete conversion to the closed state. The phosphoenolpyruvate binding site seems to be located mainly on the C-terminal domain, while the binding site of shikimate-3-phosphate is located primarily in the N-terminal domain residues. However, recent results demonstrate that the active site of the enzyme undergoes structural changes upon inhibitor binding on a scale that cannot be predicted by conventional computational methods. Studies of molecular docking based on the interaction of known EPSPS structures with (R)- phosphonate TI analogue reveal that more experimental data on the structure and dynamics of various EPSPS-ligand complexes are needed to more effectively apply structure-based drug design of this enzyme in the future.

The venomous secrets of the web droplets from the viscid spiral of the orb-weaver spider Nephila clavipes (Araneae, Tetragnatidae).

The capture web of N. clavipes presents viscous droplets, which play important roles in web mechanics and prey capture. By using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, it was demonstrated that the web droplets are constituted of different chemical environments, provided by the existence both of an aqueous and a lipid layer, which, in turn, present a suspension of tenths of vesicles containing polypeptides and/or lipids. GC/EI-MS Analysis of the contents of these vesicles led to the identification of some saturated fatty acids, such as decanoic acid, undecanoic acid, dodecanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, octadecanoic acid, and icosanoic acid, while other components were unsaturated fatty acids, such as (Z)-tetradec-9-enoic acid, (Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid, and (Z)-icosa-11-enoic acid; and polyunsaturated fatty acids like (9Z,12Z)-octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid, (9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid, and (11Z,14Z)-icosa-11,14-dienoic acid. Toxic proteins such as calcium-activated proteinase and metalloproteinase jararhagin-like precursor were also identified by using a proteomic approach, indicating the possible involvement of these enzymes in the pre-digestion of spiders' preys web-captured. Apparently, the mixture of fatty acids are relatively toxic to insects by topical application (LD50 64.3+/-7.6 ng mg(-1) honeybee), while the proteins alone present no topical effect; however, when injected into the prey-insects, these proteins presented a moderate toxicity (LD50 40.3+/-4.8 ng mg(-1) honeybee); the mixture of fatty acids and proteins is very toxic to the preys captured by the web droplets of the viscid spiral of Nephila clavipes when topically applied on them (LD50 14.3+/-1.8 ng mg(-1) honeybee).

Multiple bradykinin-related peptides from the capture web of the spider Nephila clavipes (Araneae, Tetragnatidae).

Three bradykinin-related peptides (nephilakinins-I to -III) and bradykinin itself were isolated from the aqueous washing extract of the capture web of the spider Nephila clavipes by gel permeation chromatography on a Sephacryl S-100 column, followed by chromatography in a Hi-Trap Sephadex-G25 Superfine column. The novel peptides occurred in low concentrations and were sequenced through ESI-MS/MS analysis: nephilakinin-I (G-P-N-P-G-F-S-P-F-R-NH2), nephilakinin-II (E-A-P-P-G-F-S-P-F-R-NH2) and nephilakinin-III (P-S-P-P-G-F-S-P-F-R-NH2). Synthetic peptides replicated the novel bradykinin-related peptides, which were submitted to biological characterizations. Nephilakinins were shown to cause constriction on isolated rat ileum preparations and relaxation on rat duodenum muscle preparations at amounts higher than bradykinin; apparently these peptides constitute B2-type agonists of ileal and duodenal smooth muscles. All peptides including the bradykinin were moderately lethal to honeybees. These bradykinin peptides may be related to the predation of insects by the webs of N. clavipes.

Análise do perfil de liderança dos treinadores de futebol do campeonato mineiro de 2005 / Leadership profile of soccer coaches of “Campeonato Mineiro/2005”

O impacto que os treinadores têm sobre os seus atletas pode ser tanto positivo, quanto negativo. A possibilidade de o treinador intervir, pontualmente, durante uma partida e no intervalo de um jogo, demanda uma forte relação de confiança junto ao atleta, o que pode se apresentar como um dos fatores determinantes para o sucesso. Procurando compreender algumas especificidades das manifestações de liderança do treinador de futebol, este estudo teve como objetivos: analisar o perfil de liderança dos treinadores do Campeonato Mineiro/2005 e verificar a existência de uma possível preferência dos treinadores por um determinado estilo de liderança. Para a coleta de dados, utilizou-se um questionário de identificação da amostra e a Escala de Liderança Revisada para o Esporte (ELRE), versão autopercepção. Participaram deste estudo 13 treinadores do Campeonato Mineiro Módulo I/2005. Estes treinadores apresentaram média de idade de 46 anos (±10,04) e um envolvimento direto na função de treinador desta modalidade de 13,69 anos (±9,43). A consistência interna da ELRE foi de α=0,83 para este estudo. Os resultados mostraram que os treinadores entrevistados utilizam mais a liderança autoritária e os aspectos de treino-instrução para comandarem as suas equipes. Além disso, pode-se observar que os entrevistados também consideram que os aspectos situacionais, de reforço e de suporte social são importantes para a liderança de treinadores de futebol.

The various possibilities of the coaches’ interventions during training and competition demand a strong and trustful relationship between coach and athlete, becoming a determinant factor for success. Looking for a better comprehension of some specificities of the manifestations of the leadership of soccer coaches, this study aimed to identify which factors are important for the leadership profile of soccer coaches, to verify the existence of a possible coaches preference for a specific leadership style and possible differences regarding the components of their own leadership profile. The Revised Leadership Scale for Sports (RLSS), version self-evaluation, was utilized to collect data. Thirteen (13) professional soccer coaches of “Campeonato Mineiro/2005” * participated of this study. The average age of the coaches was 46 years old (±10.04) and their average soccer experience as coaches was 13.69 years old (±9.43). The internal consistency of the RLSS for this study was α=0.83. The results showed that the coaches interviewed consider the autocratic and training instruction dimensions as the preferred components of their leadership profile. Further more, differences were detected in the coaches’ self-perception of autocratic and democratic dimensions and between the social support component confronted to the situational, positive feedback and training instruction component.

Vulnerabilidade da doença aterosclerótica de carótidas: mudança de paradigmas? / Vulnerability of atherosclerotic carotid disease: changing paradigms

Esta revisão enfoca os aspectos clinicos da doença obstrutiva de carótidas, as indicações atuais de intervenção cirúrgica, e os conceitos emergentes de vulnerabilidade e caracterização morfológica da placa. Foram acessadas publicações contidas nas bases de dados Medline entre 1986 e 2006. Foram selecionados artigos originais e revisões sistemáticas relevantes sobre o tema, priorizados a partir preconizado pela Medicina baseada em evidências, excluindo-se relatos ou séries de casos. Diversas são as evidênciasde que marcadores inflamatórios sorológicos, e determinadas características morfológicas da placa de carótida, expressas em métodos de imagens, podem associar-se aos eventos isquêmicos cerebrais. A identificação das placas vulneráveis de carótida poderá modificar as indicações vigentes de intervenção, atualmente baseadas apenas no perecentual angiográfico de estenose.

Isolation and chemical characterization of PwTx-II: a novel alkaloid toxin from the venom of the spider Parawixia bistriata (Araneidae, Araneae).

Brazil has many species of spiders belonging to Araneidae family however, very little is known about the composition, chemical structure and mechanisms of action of the main venom components of these spiders. The main objective of this work was to isolate and to perform the chemical characterization of a novel beta-carboline toxin from the venom of the spider Parawixia bistriata, a typical species of the Brazilian 'cerrado'. The toxin was purified by RP-HPLC and structurally elucidated by using a combination of different spectroscopic techniques (UV, ESI-MS/MS and 1H NMR), which permitted the assignment of the molecular structure of a novel spider venom toxin, identified as 1-4-guanidinobutoxy-6-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline, and referred to here as PwTx-II. This compound is toxic to insects (LD50 = 12+/-3 etag/mg honeybee), neurotoxic, convulsive and lethal to rats (LD50 = 9.75 mg/kg of male Wistar rat).

Structural and functional characterization of two novel peptide toxins isolated from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista.

Two novel inflammatory peptides were isolated from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista. They had their molecular masses determined by ESI-MS and their primary sequences were elucidated by Edman degradation chemistry as: Polybia-MPI: I D W K K L L D A A K Q I L-NH2 (1654.09 Da), Polybia-CP: I L G T I L G L L K S L-NH2 (1239.73 Da). Both peptides were functionally characterized by using Wistar rat cells. Polybia-MPI is a mast cell lytic peptide, which causes no hemolysis to rat erythrocytes and presents chemotaxis for polymorphonucleated leukocytes (PMNL) and with potent antimicrobial action both against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Polybia-CP was characterized as a chemotactic peptide for PMNL cells, presenting antimicrobial action against Gram-positive bacteria, but causing no hemolysis to rat erythrocytes and no mast cell degranulation activity at physiological concentrations.

Structure determination of a tetrahydro-beta-carboline of arthropod origin: a novel alkaloid-toxin subclass from the web of spider Nephila clavipes.

The orb-web spiders are polyphagous animals in which the web plays a very important role in the capture of preys; oily droplets usually cover the capture-web of the spider Nephila clavipes and seem to be of great importance for prey capture. The knowledge of the chemical composition of these droplets is necessary to understand the function of this adhesive material in web mechanics and prey capture. A novel subclass of spider toxins, tetrahydro-beta-carboline, was identified among the weaponry of compounds present inside of oily droplets. This type of alkaloid is not common among the natural compounds of spider toxins. Apparently, when the prey arthropods get caught by the spider web, their bodies are covered with many adhesive oily droplets, which disrupt delivering the tetrahydro-beta-carboline to the direct contact with the prey integument. Toxicity assays demonstrated a potent lethal effect of the alkaloid toxin to the spider preys; topical applications of the tetrahydro-beta-carboline at first caused clear signs of neurotoxicity, followed by the death of preys. The structure of the major component, a tetrahydro-beta-carboline, among the alkaloid toxins was elucidated by means of UV spectrophotometry, ESI mass spectrometry, 1H-NMR spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The structure of the natural toxin was determined as 1-(2-guanidinoethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-6-hydroxymethyl)-beta-carboline; the investigation of the pharmacological properties and neurotoxic actions of this compound may be used in the future as reference for the development of new drugs to be applied at level of pest control in agriculture.

Structural and functional characterization of N-terminally blocked peptides isolated from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista.

Two novel peptides were isolated from the crude venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista, by using RP-HPLC under a gradient of MeCN from 5 to 60% (v/v) and named Polybine-I and -II. Further purification of these peptides under normal phase chromatography, rendered pure enough preparations to be sequenced by Edman degradation chemistry. However, both peptides did not interact with phenylisothiocyanate reagent, suggesting the existence of a chemically blocked N-terminus. Therefore, the sequences of both peptides were assigned by ESI-MS/MS under CID conditions, as follows: Polybine-I Ac-SADLVKKIWDNPAL-NH2 (Mr 1610 Da) and Polybine-II Ac-SVDMVMKGLKIWPL-NH2 (Mr 1657 Da). During the tandem mass spectrometry experiments, a loss of 43 a.m.u. was observed from the N-terminal residue of each peptide, suggesting the acetylation of the N-terminus. Subsequently, the peptides with and without acetylation were synthesized on solid phase and submitted to functional characterizations; the biological activities investigated were: hemolysis, chemotaxis of polymorphonucleated leukocytes (PMNL), mast cell degranulation and antibiosis. The results revealed that the acetylated peptides exhibited more pronounced chemotaxis of PMNL cells and mast cell degranulation than the respective non-acetylated congeners; no hemolytic and antibiotic activities were observed, irrespective to the blockage or not of the alpha-amino groups of the N-terminal residues of each peptide. Therefore, the N-terminal acetylation may be related to the increase of the inflammatory activity of both peptides.