Objective -to analyze the educational intervention strategies based on the transtheoretical model, in restaurants employees Methodology -This work is an intervention study, based on the Attitude Change Scale for Food Handlers (ACSFH); and the check-list based on the RDC 216/2004. Both instruments were applied before and after the educational intervention. The study was conducted with 263 food handlers, in 12 Community Restaurants (CR) of the Federal District (Brazil).Results and Discussion -The internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90) showed that the instruments were adequate. Of the 263 food handlers, 74.5% (n = 196) were female, 49.8% (n = 131) had elementary education and 77.6% (n = 204) were kitchen helpers. The attitude stage obtained from ACSFH in both moments of the instrument application were respectively 3.77 -Action stage and 4.06 -Maintenance, showing significant difference between the two time periods (p = 0.000). The results obtained from the check-lists before and after the intervention were rated as satisfactory according to Soto et al. (2009). Although rated as satisfactory, there was a statistic difference between them (p = 0.000). The results showed that after the education campaign there was a change for the best in the conception of good manufacturing practices (GMP). They also showed that the adoption of active methodologies associated with the diagnostic of propensity to change, based on the transtheoretical model, are efficient for practically all attitudes. These results can contribute to the adoption, in restaurants, of custom-made training strategies based on the results obtained from applying the transtheoretical model.

Resumo A desigualdade de gênero se revela nas questões de educação, renda e acesso a Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. No Brasil, o Programa Nacional Mulheres Mil tem como objetivo intensificar o processo de desenvolvimento regional e institucional, pela melhoria do acesso de mulheres em situação de vulnerabilidade social à educação e ao mundo do trabalho. O objetivo é analisar a contribuição do Programa para redução da vulnerabilidade à insegurança alimentar dos domicílios chefiado por mulheres. Aplicou-se um questionário semiestruturado para 384 participantes contendo as variáveis demográficas e socioeconômicas e a Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar. Constataram-se diferenças significativas em relação à renda, especialmente, entre aquelas em situação de insegurança alimentar, variando o número de participantes da faixa de renda superior a um salário mínimo. O avanço na renda não foi suficiente para intervir na Insegurança Alimentar. Mais pesquisas devem ser realizadas com objetivo de aprofundar a compreensão das relações entre renda, educação e Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, sobretudo sob a ótica das ações direcionadas ao gênero feminino.

Left-handed Z-DNA is a physiologically unstable DNA conformation, and its existence in vivo can be attributed to localized torsional distress. Despite evidence for the existence of Z-DNA in vivo, its precise role in the control of gene expression is not fully understood. Here, an in vivo probe based on an anti-Z-DNA intrabody is proposed for native Z-DNA detection. The probe was used for chromatin immunoprecipitation of potential Z-DNA-forming sequences in the human genome. One of the isolated putative Z-DNA-forming sequences was cloned upstream of a reporter gene expression cassette under control of the CMV promoter. The reporter gene encoded an antibody fragment fused to GFP. Transient co-transfection of this vector along with the Z-probe coding vector improved reporter gene expression. This improvement was demonstrated by measuring reporter gene mRNA and protein levels and the amount of fluorescence in co-transfected CHO-K1 cells. These results suggest that the presence of the anti-Z-DNA intrabody can interfere with a Z-DNA-containing reporter gene expression. Therefore, this in vivo probe for the detection of Z-DNA could be used for global correlation of Z-DNA-forming sequences and gene expression regulation.

The combination of increased fat mass with a decrease in muscle mass and strength in the elderly has been termed sarcopenic obesity (SO). In addition, augmented levels of inflammatory markers have been reported in subjects with SO. Two hundred-sixteen obese elderly women were included in this cross-sectional study. They underwent body composition analysis by DEXA to define the presence of SO. Volunteers were divided into two groups: SO (n= 83; 66.7 ± 5.6 years) and non-SO (n= 133; 67.6 ± 4.9 years) for the comparison of inflammatory cytokines.  There were no significant differences between SO and non-SO groups in the blood concentrations of the inflammatory markers analyzed, e.g. interleukin-6 (0.82 ± 0.20 vs 0.83 ± 0.19 pg/ml; p=0.64), C-reactive protein (2.70 ± 1.55 vs 2.82 ± 1.66 pg/ml; p=0.71), tumor necrosis factor alpha (0.71 ± 0.08 vs 0.70 ± 0.08 pg/ml; p=0.42) and interferon-gamma (0.75 ± 0.14 vs 0.74 ± 0.08 pg/ml; p=0.47), respectively. Thus, in the studied population, inflammatory markers are not exacerbated by SO when compared to obesity without sarcopenia.