Software CMAP TOOLS® para a construção de mapas conceituais: a avaliação dos estudantes de enfermagem

O mapeamento conceitual (MC) é uma estratégia de ensino que pode ser utilizada para resoluções de casos clínicos, porém de trabalhosa execução manuscrita. O estudo teve por objetivos descrever os desafios e as contribuições do software Cmap Tools® para a construção de mapas conceituais para resolução de caso clínico. Para isso, utilizou-se método descritivo, qualitativo, com estudantes da 3ª série de Graduação em Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de São Paulo. A estratégia de ensino foi aplicada e os dados foram coletados pela técnica do grupo focal. Os resultados evidenciaram que o software facilita e garante a organização, visualização e correlação dos dados, porém com dificuldades iniciais relacionadas ao manejo das ferramentas que dispõe. Concluiu-se que o software Cmap Tools® favoreceu a construção dos MC por seus recursos de formatação e autoformatação e que estratégias de orientação deveriam ser implantadas para a fase inicial de utilização

Induction of a photomixotrophic plant cell culture of Helianthus annuus and optimization of culture conditions for improved α-tocopherol production

Tocopherols, collectively known as vitamin E, are lipophilic antioxidants, which are synthesized only by photosynthetic organisms. Due to their enormous potential to protect cells from oxidative damage, tocopherols are used e.g. as nutraceuticals and additives in pharmaceuticals. The most biologically active form of vitamin E is α-tocopherol. Most tocopherols are currently produced via chemical synthesis. Nevertheless, this always results in a racemic mixture of different and less effective stereoisomers because the natural isomer has the highest biological activity. Therefore, tocopherols synthesized in natural sources are preferred for medical purposes. The annual sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a well-known source for α-tocopherol. Within the presented work, sunflower callus and suspension cultures were established growing under photomixotrophic conditions to enhance α-tocopherol yield. The most efficient callus induction was achieved with sunflower stems cultivated on solid Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 30 g l-1 sucrose, 0.5 mg l-1 of the auxin 1-naphthalene acetic acid and 0.5 mg l-1 of the cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine. Photomixotrophic sunflower suspension cultures were induced by transferring previously established callus into liquid medium. The effects of light intensity, sugar concentration and culture age on growth rate and α-tocopherol synthesis rate were characterized. A considerable increase (max. 230 %) of α-tocopherol production in the cells was obtained within the photomixotrophic cell culture compared to a heterotrophic cell culture. These results will be useful for improving α-tocopherol yields of plant in vitro cultures