Abstract It is essential to determine the basal pattern of different biomarkers for future evaluation of animal health and biomonitoring studies. Due to their great displacement capacity and to being at the top of their food chains, birds of prey are suitable for monitoring purposes. Furthermore, some birds of prey are adapted to using resources in urban places, providing information about this environment. Thus, this study determined the basal frequency of micronuclei and other nuclear alterations in peripheral blood erythrocytes of Falco peregrinus. Hematological and inorganic elements analysis were also performed. For this purpose, 13 individuals (7 females and 6 males) were sampled in private breeding grounds. Micronucleus, nuclear buds, nucleoplasmic bridges, notched nuclei, binucleated cells and nuclear tails were quantified. Inorganic elements detected included the macro-elements Ca, P, Mg, Na, Cl, S and K as well as the micro-elements Fe, Al and Zn. Our study found similar values compared to previous studies determining the reference ranges of hematologic parameters in falcons. The only different value was observed in the relative number of monocytes. Thus, this study is the first approach to obtaining reference values of cytogenetic damage in this species and could be useful for future comparisons in biomonitoring studies.

RESUMO Objetivo: Nosso estudo compara os procedimentos metodológicos de artigos brasileiros com os de trabalhos publicados na AMJ, OS, ASQ, JMS e SMJ no campo de estratégia, de 2006 a 2015. Originalidade/valor: Nosso estudo (a) identifica e descreve diferenças metodológicas, oferecendo uma referência para aprimorar estudos futuros; (b) inicia uma discussão sobre as razões pelas quais essas dife renças existem e suas implicações no avanço do campo de estratégia; e (c) sugere formas de superar as restrições atuais e melhorar a qualidade de nossa pesquisa. Design/metodologia/abordagem: Com base em uma revisão sistemática, analisamos dez periódicos brasileiros com maior fator de impacto e cinco top journals. A pesquisa gerou uma amostra final de 1294 artigos empíricos. Os dados foram analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo, pela qual nosso esquema de codificação continha três dimensões: design de pesquisa, medida e abordagem analítica. Resultados: Encontramos algumas diferenças metodológicas que podem caracterizar os artigos brasileiros como testadores e os top journals como expansores, reforçando os resultados encontrados por outros estudos quanto à necessidade de desenvolver o campo da estratégia no Brasil para ser mais competitivo com o campo internacional em geral. Portan to, concluímos que é desejável melhorar nossos métodos de pesquisa como um campo e, possível superar as diferenças metodológicas, aju dando não apenas a desenvolver teorias, mas também a considerar a realidade brasileira.

ABSTRACT Purpose: Our study compares methodological procedures of Brazilian papers with those of papers published in AMJ, OS, ASQ, JMS and SMJ in field of strategy from 2006 to 2015. Originality/value: Our study 1. identifies and describes methodological differences, offering a benchmark to improve future studies; 2. starts a discussion about the reasons those differences exist and their implications towards advancing the field of strategy; and 3. suggests forms of overcoming the current constraints and improving the quality of our research. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a systematic review, we analyzed ten Brazilian journals with the highest impact factor and five top journals. The search yielded a final sample of 1294 empirical papers. The data was analyzed through content analysis, for which our coding schema contained three dimensions: research design, measurement, and analytic approach. Findings: We found some methodological differences that may characterize Brazilian papers as testers and top journals as expanders, reinforcing results found by other studies, concerning the necessity of developing the Brazilian strategy field to be more competitive with the international field at large. Therefore, we concluded that it is desirable to improve our research methods as a field and possibly to overcome methodological differences, helping not only to develop theories but also to consider the Brazilian reality.

RESUMO Os agricultores envolvidos na colheita do tabaco estão regularmente expostos a grande quantidade de agroquímicos. Para determinar como esta exposição a pesticidas induz alterações genéticas nestes agricultores, amostras de sangue foram obtidas de 77 indivíduos expostos e de 60 indivíduos não expostos. O dano ao DNA foi analisado pelo Ensaio Cometa e pelo Teste de Micronúcleos (MN). A capacidade antioxidante foi avaliada pela atividade da enzima superóxido dismutase (SOD), e a influência do polimorfismo do gene PON1 foi usada como um biomarcador de susceptibilidade. O teor de elementos inorgânicos foi determinado nas amostras de sangue pela análise PIXE. Nossos resultados mostraram que a freqüência de danos, índice de danos, freqüência de MN e a atividade da SOD foram significativamente mais elevados no grupo exposto em relação ao não exposto. O gene PON1 demonstrou influenciar a frequência de MN observada no grupo exposto. As concentrações de elementos inorgânicos foram maiores no grupo exposto em relação ao não exposto. Neste estudo observamos que danos genéticos e alterações no balanço oxidativo foram induzidos pela exposição dos agricultores a misturas complexas de pesticidas na presença de componentes inorgânicos, e pelas quais a influência do genótipo foi evidente.

ABSTRACT Agricultural workers involved in the harvest of tobacco crops are regularly exposed to large quantities of pesticides. In order to determine how this exposure to pesticides induces genetic alterations in these workers, blood samples were obtained from 77 exposed individuals, as well as from 60 unexposed subjects. DNA damage was analyzed by the Comet assay and by the micronucleus (MN) test. The antioxidant profile was evaluated by activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the polymorphism of gene PON1 was used as a susceptibility biomarker. The content of inorganic elements in the blood samples was determined by PIXE analysis. Our results demonstrated that the damage frequency, damage index, the MN frequency, and the SOD activity were significantly elevated in the exposed relative to the unexposed group. A modulation of the MN results for the PON1 gene was observed in the exposed group. The concentrations of inorganic elements in the exposed group were higher compared to those of the unexposed group. In this study, we observed that genetic damage, and change in oxidative balance were induced by the exposure of workers to complex mixtures of pesticides in the presence of inorganic compounds, whereby an influence of the genotype was evident.

Tobacco farmers are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of inorganic and organic chemicals present in tobacco leaves. In this study, we examined the genotoxicity of tobacco leaves in the snail Helix aspersa as a measure of the risk to human health. DNA damage was evaluated using the micronucleus test and the Comet assay and the concentration of cytochrome P450 enzymes was estimated. Two groups of snails were studied: one fed on tobacco leaves and one fed on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) leaves (control group). All of the snails received leaves (tobacco and lettuce leaves were the only food provided) and water ad libitum. Hemolymph cells were collected after 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. The Comet assay and micronucleus test showed that exposure to tobacco leaves for different periods of time caused significant DNA damage. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes occurred only in the tobacco group. Chemical analysis indicated the presence of the alkaloid nicotine, coumarins, saponins, flavonoids and various metals. These results show that tobacco leaves are genotoxic in H. aspersa and inhibit cytochrome P450 activity, probably through the action of the complex chemical mixture present in the plant.

Our mutagenesis group has been studying with important economic drivers of our state, such as agriculture, the footwear and leather industry and open-cast coal mining. Working conditions in these sectors have potentially harmful to humans. The aim of these studies is to determine the health risk of workers by biomonitoring subjects exposed to genotoxic agents. The main results of our studies with vineyard farmers we observed a high rate of MN and DNA damage in individuals exposed to pesticides (p < 0.001). In addition, some effects of genetic polymorphisms in the modulation of MN results were observed in this group. Tobacco farmers were also evaluated at different crop times. The results showed a significant increase in the Damage index and frequency in tobacco farmers compared to the non-exposed group, for all crop times. The results for footwear and tannery workers showed a significant increase in the mean ID for the solvent-based adhesive (p < 0.001) group in comparison to the water-based adhesive group and control (p < 0.05). For open-cast coal mine workers, the EBCyt indicated a significant increase in nuclear bud frequency and cytokinetic defects in the exposed group compared to the non-exposed group (p < 0.0001). We were able to associate specific genetic susceptibility with each type of exposure and with the non-use or improper use of personal protection equipment and diet adequacy. These results show how important the continuous education of exposed workers is to minimizing the effect of the occupational exposure and the risk of disease associated with the work.