Universidade Paulista

The transport sector is among the largest final energy consumers and greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters in the European Union. Consequently, reducing energy-related externalities has become a central objective in the EU’s sustainability and decarbonisation policies. This study quantifies the disutility costs associated with energy consumption and emissions across major passenger transport modes—cars, buses, and trains—using a harmonised dataset encompassing 28 EU countries. To do so, a comprehensive disutility cost framework is established, integrating time losses, monetary costs, infrastructure requirements, noise, local air pollutants, and GHG emissions, and combining correlation, regression, and clustering analyses. The results indicate that car transport incurs the highest transport disutility costs, primarily due to congestion-related energy inefficiencies and GHG emissions. In contrast, rail transport demonstrates the lowest cost, energy- and emission-related disutilities across most EU countries. Bus transport represents an intermediate solution, providing lower emission intensity compared to cars but exhibiting higher energy-related disutilities than rail systems. The findings highlight that a modal shift toward rail- and bus-based transport systems can substantially reduce transport-related energy demand, emissions, and income expenses with transport cost at the EU level. While transport innovations and digitalisation may improve system efficiency, their benefits are unevenly distributed, suggesting that energy-focused transport policies should be complemented by measures to ensure inclusive access to low-emission mobility solutions.

Objective: To assess whether conditions inherent to Brazilian universities constitute a necessary condition for the creation of university spin-offs (USOs). Methodology/Approach: We apply the Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) approach, using data from the Entrepreneurial University Ranking 2021 report, which encompasses 126 Brazilian universities. We select nine variables that represent entrepreneurial university conditions and one variable that represents USOs. Originality/Relevance: Most studies on academic entrepreneurship rely on symmetric methods focused on average effects and facilitating factors, overlooking whether such conditions are indispensable. This study addresses this gap by identifying structural constraints that limit spin-off creation, contributing to explanations of empirical heterogeneity. Main results: The findings indicate that only a limited set of conditions operates as necessary conditions. Specifically, science and technology parks and baseline levels of scientific production emerge as non-compensatory bottlenecks. Other factors - such as entrepreneurial culture, community outreach activities, university networks, general physical infrastructure, and patent production - do not constitute necessary conditions. Theoretical/Methodological contributions: The study advances literature by distinguishing necessary condition from facilitating factors and by demonstrating the value of necessary condition analysis in academic entrepreneurship research. Social/Management contributions: The findings suggests that public policies should prioritize the removal structural bottlenecks rather than focusing exclusively on enabling environments.

Background/Objectives: The study investigated the anti-inflammatory potential of neolignan derivatives of dehydrodieugenol (CP1–CP5), focusing on the inhibition of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), a key enzyme in inflammation. Methods: Comprehensive quantitative docking analysis using four independent algorithms (PLP, ASP, ChemScore, GoldScore) revealed exceptional multitarget binding profiles for CP1 and CP2, with scores consistently above activity thresholds for acetylcholinesterase (AChE), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and sPLA2 from Crotalus durissus terrificus in both monomeric (Mcdt) and quaternary (Tcdt) forms. Results: Among the compounds, CP1 demonstrated the highest predicted affinity (AChE: 78.5, COX-2: 83.8, sPLA2: 82.7–83.4) and most potent experimental activity, reducing sPLA2 catalytic velocity through mixed-type inhibition involving the active site (His47, Asp48) and Ca2+ binding loop. In vivo assays in sPLA2-induced paw edema demonstrated that CP1 and CP2 achieved remarkable anti-inflammatory effects (up to 68.3% reduction), significantly exceeding their protective potential by direct enzyme inhibition, confirming the multitarget mechanism. The strong correlation between predicted docking scores and paw edema reduction (R2 = 0.89, p < 0.01) creates a firm foundation for establishing structure–activity relationship explanations. Conclusions: These findings highlight an integrated mechanism involving: (1) partial sPLA2 modulation, (2) neuroimmune regulation via AChE inhibition, and (3) prostaglandin synthesis blockade through COX-2 inhibition. This multitarget approach, combined with the natural origin of the compounds, positions dehydrodieugenol derivatives as promising candidates for developing therapies against complex inflammatory diseases, offering significant advantages over single-target strategies.

Fipronil (FPR), a second-generation phenylpyrazole insecticide, is used in Veterinary Medicine, agriculture, and horticulture against fleas, ticks, ants, cockroaches, and other pests. By selectively inhibiting gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors in vertebrates and invertebrates, studies suggest that acute exposure harms sensory and motor systems, and long-term exposure has an endocrine-disrupting effect. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a sublethal concentration of FPR on the behavior of adult zebrafish, using them as an assessment model to detect early Central Nervous System toxicity. First, to achieve this dose, we exposed the fish to several FRP concentrations and monitored lethality for up to 72 h. Using the FRP sublethal concentration, the behavioral signs of toxicity were observed in the exploratory behavior in the open field, anxiety-like behavior, and social and sexual preferences. The results showed that the sublethal concentration of FRP was 0.5 µg/L. Under this concentration, the fish exhibited significant behavioral changes in the aquarium, including tremors, increased movement frequency and duration, and a longer time to reach the surface. Furthermore, an increase in anxiolytic-like behavior, and a reduction in social and sexual preferences, without interference in the open field exploration, were observed. Thus, our data indicate that acute exposure to sublethal concentrations of FPR induces neurotoxic effects that can be attributed to its GABAergic antagonist action. The FRP endocrine disruptor could, in part, be due to reduced sexual preference, with ecotoxicological importance for fish reproduction. Thus, the present results validate the use of the zebrafish model as a tool in studies related to FPR neurotoxicity.

Abstract In genome rearrangement, graph-based representations are widely used to analyze and solve rearrangement problems. In particular, when each gene occurs at most once, the breakpoint graph is a useful tool. A maximum cycle decomposition of this graph yields immediate lower bounds for several genome rearrangement distances. This paper introduces a generalization of the Maximum Alternating Cycle Decomposition problem ( MAX-ACD ), called the Maximum Alternating Clean Balanced Cycle Decomposition problem ( MAX-ACBCD ). The MAX-ACD problem is closely related to some rearrangement problems, where the orientation of the genes is unknown, and all genes are common to both genomes. The MAX-ACBCD problem has applications to related rearrangement problems, which allow genes present in only one of the genomes and consider both gene order and intergenic-region information. We present a constant-factor approximation and a heuristic for the MAX-ACBCD problem, and we performed tests with the heuristic applied to artificially generated genomes. Considering intergenic regions and a scenario where the orientation of the genes is known, we design an improved algorithm for the Sorting by Reversals and Intergenic Indels problem that guarantees an approximation factor of $$\frac{3}{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfrac> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mfrac> </mml:math> . For the scenario where the orientation of the genes is unknown, and using the MAX-ACBCD problem, we develop approximation algorithms for the Sorting by Reversals, the Sorting by Reversals and Intergenic Indels, the Reversal, Transposition and Indel Distance, the Sorting by DCJ, and the Sorting by DCJ and Intergenic Indels problems with approximation factors of 2 k , $$\frac{3k}{2}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mfrac> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:mi>k</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mfrac> </mml:math> , 4 k , 2 k , and k , respectively, where $$k=\frac{31}{21}+\epsilon $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>k</mml:mi> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mfrac> <mml:mn>31</mml:mn> <mml:mn>21</mml:mn> </mml:mfrac> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mi>ϵ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> .

Introdução: A manutenção dos estoques de sangue representa um desafio constante, especialmente em cidades turísticas como Guarujá, onde há grande variação populacional sazonal. As taxas de inaptidão na triagem clínica e sorológica comprometem a disponibilidade de bolsas e evidenciam a necessidade de ações educativas voltadas à doação segura. Objetivo: Analisar o perfil dos candidatos à doação e os principais motivos de inaptidão identificados no Banco de Sangue do Hospital Santo Amaro, Guarujá - SP, no período de 2021 a 2024. Metodologia: Estudo transversal retrospectivo, de abordagem quantitativa, realizado com dados documentais do serviço de hemoterapia. Foram avaliadas variáveis demográficas, tipo de doação, frequência de comparecimento, além dos motivos clínicos e sorológicos de recusa. Resultados: Entre 2021 e 2024, observou-se predominância masculina (59%) entre os candidatos e redução média de 19% entre a triagem clínica e a sorológica. As principais causas de inaptidão clínica foram anemia e comportamento de risco. Na triagem laboratorial, sífilis e hepatite foram as mais frequentes. O padrão manteve-se estável ao longo dos anos, revelando baixa taxa de reposição de bolsas e impacto direto sobre o estoque local. Conclusão: Os dados indicam necessidade urgente de campanhas educativas para reduzir comportamentos de risco e ampliar o número de doadores aptos, especialmente durante períodos de alta demanda turística. O fortalecimento das estratégias de informação sobre critérios de doação e prevenção de ISTs é essencial para o equilíbrio do sistema hemoterápico regional.

Cultivated meat emerges as a promising alternative to conventional meat, the production of which causes significant environmental pressure, including greenhouse gas emissions, water demand, and pasture expansion, alongside ethical concerns related to animal slaughter. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) often highlight reductions in these impacts for cultivated meat, but they typically adopt a technocentric perspective, omitting flows of renewable natural resources and human labor. In this context, emergy (with an “m”) environmental accounting offers a valuable methodological complement to LCA, incorporating biophysical and systemic perspectives for a more holistic analysis. The objective of this study is to apply emergy accounting to a cultivated meat production system. The results indicate that cultivated meat exhibits a Unit Emergy Value (UEV) of 0.43 × 1013 sej/kg-meat, which is up to 13 times lower than that of conventional meat, thereby indicating a higher emergy efficiency. However, it still depends heavily on economic resources (71.1% of the total emergy). As a result, it presents low emergy yield (EYR of 1.41), high environmental load (ELR of 6.97), low renewability (12.5%), and an emergy sustainability index (ESI) of 0.20 (ESI &lt; 1 denotes unsustainability), thus indicating that the system is unsustainable at its current technological stage. Compared to conventional livestock systems, particularly extensive systems with greater integration of natural resources, cultivated meat presents one of the poorest emergy performances due to its highly artificial energy and material basis, which is dependent on non-renewable resource inputs. These findings contrast with the optimistic conclusions from LCA studies, emphasizing the inferiority of cultivated meat in emergy terms and the need for complementary approaches to generate broader diagnostics. The analysis also identifies optimization opportunities, such as resource input substitution and the integration of renewables, aiming for greater sustainability in protein production.

Periodontal ligament-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDLCs) possess selfrenewal and multilineage differentiation capacities, supporting their application in regenerative therapies. However, PDLCs are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms that influence chromatin accessibility and gene expression, and may exhibit distinct phenotypes under osteogenic conditions. This study aimed to investigate whether differences in osteogenic potential of PDLCs (h-PDLCs and l-PDLCs, high and low, respectively) correlate with the expression of key transcription factors and epigenetic regulators. We performed qPCR for mRNA expression analysis, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting for protein levels, as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by qRT-PCR to investigate H3K27me3 enrichment at the RUNX2 and SP7 promoter regions in PDLCs cultured under basal conditions (DMEM, T0) and after 3 and 10 days of osteogenic induction (T3 and T10). At baseline, h-PDLCs and l-PDLCs exhibited distinct transcriptional and protein profiles. During osteogenic stimulation, EZH2 expression significantly increased in l-PDLCs but decreased in h-PDLCs (p<0.001), while KDM6B expression decreased in l-PDLCs and increased in hPDLCs (p<0.0001). Analysis of RUNX2, RUNX2p57, and SP7 revealed dynamic transcriptional modulation: RUNX2p57 and SP7 were downregulated in l-PDLCs (p<0,001), whereas RUNX2 was upregulated in h-PDLCs (T3 and T10, p<0,0001). Furthermore, l-PDLCs exhibited greater accumulation of the repressive histone mark H3K27me3, with significant enrichment at the RUNX2 and SP7 promoter regions compared to h-PDLCs during osteogenic induction (p<0.05). Together, these findings demonstrate that low and high osteogenic potential of PDLCs correlate with coordinated differences in the expression of the transcription factors RUNX2 and SP7 and the epigenetic regulators EZH2 and KDM6B, as well as with H3K27me3 enrichment patterns.