Ricciocarpos natans (Marchantiophyta, Ricciaceae), nueva para Costa Rica, con una revisión de su presencia en América Latina

Background and Aims: Ricciocarpos natans is one of the few species of truly aquatic hepatics. It has a subcosmopolitan distribution and appears to be more common in temperate areas. The species has been considered to be very rare in Central America where it was known only from Panama. The objective of this study is to report the presence of this species in Costa Rica and to survey its current distribution in Latin America. Methods: We provide an overview of the distribution of the floating aquatic liverwort Ricciocarpos natans in Latin America based on literature, herbarium specimens and unequivocal photographic records across the region, as well as field work in Costa Rica. Key results: Ricciocarpos natans is reported as new for Costa Rica. We provide the most complete survey to date of the geographic distribution of the species in Latin America. Conclusions: Our survey shows that Ricciocarpos natans appears to be more common and widely distributed in the Neotropics than previously assumed. Its assumed rarity seems to be the result of insufficient collection efforts.Antecedentes y Objetivos: Ricciocarpos natans es una de las pocas especies de hepáticas verdaderamente acuáticas. Tiene una distribución subcosmopolita y parece ser más común en áreas templadas. La especie ha sido considerada muy rara en América Central, donde solo se conocía de Panamá. El objetivo de este estudio es reportar la presencia de esta especie en Costa Rica y revisar su distribución en América Latina.Métodos: Brindamos una descripción general de la distribución de la hepática acuática flotante Ricciocarpos natans en América Latina con base en la literatura, especímenes de herbario y registros fotográficos inequívocos en toda la región, así como trabajo de campo en Costa Rica.Resultados clave: Ricciocarpos natans se reporta como nueva para Costa Rica. Brindamos el estudio más completo hasta la fecha de la distribución geográfica de la especie en América Latina.Conclusiones: Nuestro estudio muestra que Ricciocarpos natans parece ser más común y más ampliamente distribuida en el Neotrópico de lo que se suponía anteriormente. Su supuesta rareza parece ser el resultado de esfuerzos de recolección insuficientes

Notas sobre la distribución de Brasenia schreberi (Cabombaceae) en el Neotrópico, con un nuevo registro para Costa Rica

La investigación contó con el patrocinio de la Sra. Myrna Stewart y la Sra. Amanda Bennett.We studied herbarium specimens of Brasenia schreberi from the Neotropics in order to describe the distribution pattern of the species across the region. Also, we report the first records of B. schreberi for Costa Rica. We confirm that B. schreberi has a sporadic pattern of distribution in the region and also in most neotropical countries where it has been collected. For this reason and because of its apparent disappearance from some localities, we recommend B. schreberi to be considered Vulnerable in the Neotropics.Estudiamos especímenes de herbario de Brasenia schreberi recolectados en el Neotrópico para describir el patrón de distribución de la especie en la región. Además, registramos aquí por primera vez la presencia de B. schreberi en Costa Rica. Podemos confirmar que B. schreberi tiene un patrón de distribución esporádico en la región y también en la mayoría de los países neotropicales donde se ha recolectado. Por esta razón, y por su aparente desaparición de algunas localidades, recomendamos que B. schreberi se considere como Vulnerable en el Neotrópico.Universidad de Costa Rica/[111-C0-255]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de BiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical (CIBET

Glycophenotype Evaluation in Cutaneous Tumors Using Lectins Labeled with Acridinium Ester

Background. Tumor cells show alterations in their glycosylation patterns when compared to normal cells. Lectins can be used to evaluate these glycocode changes. Chemiluminescence assay is an effective technique for quantitative analysis of proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates due to its high sensitivity, specificity, and rapid testing. Objective. To use histochemiluminescence based on lectin conjugated to acridinium ester (AE) for the investigation of glycophenotype changes in cutaneous tumors. Methods. Concanavalin A (Con A), Peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I), and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) were conjugated to acridinium ester. Biopsies of cutaneous tumors and normal skin were incubated with the lectins-AE, and chemiluminescence was quantified and expressed as Relative Light Units (RLU). Results. Actinic keratosis (AK), keratoacanthoma (KA), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) showed lower expression of -D-glucose/mannose and -L-fucose residues compared to normal tissue. Cutaneous tumors displayed higher expression of Gal-(1-3)-GalNAc residues than normal tissue. AK and SCC exhibited higher expression of Neu5Ac-(2,3)Gal residues than normal epidermis. KA and BCC showed equivalent RLU values compared to normal tissue. Conclusions. Lectin histochemiluminescence allowed quantitative assessment of the carbohydrate expression in cutaneous tissues, contributing to eliminate the subjectivity of conventional techniques used in the histopathological diagnosis

Spatio-temporal variability of erosivity in Mato Grosso, Brazil

The impact of rainfall on surfaces lacking vegetal cover can dissociate soil particles, thereby initiating the erosion process. This is known as rainfall erosivity and is expressed by the R factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Agricultural areas often show seasonally erosion susceptibility throughout the year due to oscillations of the soil exposure rate and the vegetation change. Considering that approximately 30 million ha of the Mato Grosso State in Brazil is used for agriculture, this study aimed to predict and map the spatial and temporal variability of its territory. We evaluated the monthly (EI30) and annual (R) erosivity for 158 rain gauge stations and spatialized the values of EI30 and R by the Kriging method. It was observed that R values ranked as very high in the north, and high and medium-high in the south of Mato Grosso state. The mean value is 8835 MJ mm ha-1 h-1 year-1, considered high. Ninety-one percent of the annual erosivity was concentrated in the period between October and April, corresponding to the rainy season. The highest R factor values were found in the macro-regions of the northwest, north, west and medium-north of Mato Grosso State

Hierarquização das Principais Alternativas de Controle de Perdas de Água em Sistemas de Distribuição de Água / Hierarchy of Main Alternatives for Water Loss Control in Water Distribution Systems

Um dos principais desafios enfrentados pelas empresas de abastecimento de água é o alto nível de perdas de água nos sistemas de distribuição. Essas perdas correspondem ao volume hídrico não faturado pela concessionária local, ou perdido por meio de vazamentos em adutoras e redes, ou extravasamento de reservatórios. O objetivo desse trabalho é o estudo da viabilidade da aplicação de alternativas na gestão das perdas de água em sistemas de abastecimento de água de municípios de médio porte de Pernambuco, visando reduzi-las, por meio da aplicação do modelo multicritério PROMETHEE. O método PROMETHEE foi aplicado para avaliar as diversas opções para o problema, por meio da reflexão da opinião de diferentes especialistas no assunto. O modelo desenvolvido estabeleceu uma relação de hierarquização entre as soluções propostas, analisando-se os critérios estabelecidos pelo agente decisor. As alternativas estabelecidas foram o controle ativo de perdas, a gestão da pressão e a gestão da infraestrutura. Com a ferramenta PROMETHEE foi possível chegar a uma solução viável para a problemática. A gestão da pressão foi a alternativa que obteve o melhor desempenho, por ter sido bem avaliado nos quatro critérios considerados. Além disso, o modelo se mostrou bastante eficiente ao unificar a opinião do grupo de especialistas

METHOD FOR LANDSLIDES IDENTIFICATION AT THE SAO PAULO STATE COAST, BRAZIL

Satellite images are an important tool to map natural disaster, mainly debris flow. The Support Vector Machines (SVM) algorithm has been used to classify the natural disaster, obtaining good results, although some images present shadows and mists which difficult the classification. Some enhancements minimize those problems facilitating the classification process. This paper aims to present a method to classify debris flow areas near to an important road of the Sao Paulo State coast, Brazil, using LANDSAT images. Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) and SVM algorithms were applied. Due to the shadows the classification points huge debris flow areas. To neutralize the influence of shadows, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was employed which turns easier to sample the training areas and perform the classification. MLC algorithm cannot be applied in case of a unique band, SVM can. So SVM is performed for the enhancement of classification and better results are observed with the combined methods SVM/NDVI. The overlay of this classification and Digital Terrain Model confirms the coincidence of debris flow event and classification. This method was very effective to the area now studied and may be useful to debris flow mapping

Synthesis, Dna Binding, And Antiproliferative Activity Of Novel Acridine-thiosemicarbazone Derivatives.

In this work, the acridine nucleus was used as a lead-compound for structural modification by adding different substituted thiosemicarbazide moieties. Eight new (Z)-2-(acridin-9-ylmethylene)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide derivatives (3a-h) were synthesized, their antiproliferative activities were evaluated, and DNA binding properties were performed with calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) by electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies. Both hyperchromic and hypochromic effects, as well as red or blue shifts were demonstrated by addition of ctDNA to the derivatives. The calculated binding constants ranged from 1.74 × 10(4) to 1.0 × 10(6) M(-1) and quenching constants from -0.2 × 10(4) to 2.18 × 10(4) M(-1) indicating high affinity to ctDNA base pairs. The most efficient compound in binding to ctDNA in vitro was (Z)-2-(acridin-9-ylmethylene)-N- (4-chlorophenyl) hydrazinecarbothioamide (3f), while the most active compound in antiproliferative assay was (Z)-2-(acridin-9-ylmethylene)-N-phenylhydrazinecarbothioamide (3a). There was no correlation between DNA-binding and in vitro antiproliferative activity, but the results suggest that DNA binding can be involved in the biological activity mechanism. This study may guide the choice of the size and shape of the intercalating part of the ligand and the strategic selection of substituents that increase DNA-binding or antiproliferative properties.1613023-1304

Photobiomodulation Therapy in the Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An In Vitro Study

Introduction: Since photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) favors in vitro mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) preconditioning before MSC transplantation, increasing the proliferation of these cells without molecular injuries by conserving their characteristics, in the present in vitro study we analyzed the effect of PBMT on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs).Methods: Irradiation with an InGaAIP Laser (660 nm, 10 mW, 2.5 J/cm2, 0.08 cm2 spot size, and 10 s) was carried out. The cells were divided into four groups: CONTROL [cells grown in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM)], OSTEO (cells grown in an osteogenic medium); PBMT (cells grown in DMEM+PBMT), and OSTEO+PBMT (cells grown in an osteogenic medium-plus PBMT). The cell proliferation curve was obtained over periods of 24, 48 and 72 hours using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Osteogenic differentiation was analyzed by the formation of calcium nodules over periods of 7, 14 and 21 days. Morphometric analysis was performed to quantify the total area of nodular calcification.Results: The highest cell proliferation and cell differentiation occurred in the OSTEO+PBMT group, followed by the PBMT, OSTEO, and CONTROL groups respectively, at the observed times (P < 0.05).Conclusion: PBMT enhanced the osteogenic proliferation and the differentiation of hUCMSCs during the periods tested, without causing damage to the cells and preserving their specific characteristics, a fact that may represent an innovative pretreatment in the application of stem cells

Análise dos fatores socioeconômicos e clínico-epidemiológicos do abandono do tratamento da Tuberculose evidenciados em um hospital público de referência no nordeste do Brasil: Analysis of socioeconomic and clinical-epidemiological factors of abandonment of Tuberculosis treatment evidenced in a reference public hospital in northeastern Brazil

Introdução: A tuberculose (TB) é uma das doenças infecciosas mais antigas da humanidade, mas ainda é um sério e desafiador problema de saúde pública, sendo responsável por cerca de 1,5 milhão de mortes anualmente no mundo. Objetivo: avaliar os fatores tanto socioeconômicos, como clínico-epidemiológicos, dos casos de reingresso após abandono do tratamento da tuberculose em um hospital público de referência em Maceió, Alagoas. Metodologia: estudo transversal, observacional e quantitativo. As informações foram adquiridas por meio de dados presentes no Hospital de Doenças Infectocontagiosas em Maceió, tabuladas, processadas e apresentadas em formato de tabelas e gráficos. Resultados: Dos 592 casos diagnosticados, verificou-se que 68,4% eram do sexo masculino e 52,1% tinham entre 20 e 39 anos. Foi observado que 12,3% faziam parte da população em situação de rua e mais concentrados, espacialmente, na capital do estado. O agravo mais expressivo foi o alcoolismo em 320 pacientes, o que correspondeu a 54% da amostra, e a doença mais prevalente foi a AIDS em 39% dos pacientes; o percentual de abandono e de mortalidade por TB decresceram com o passar dos anos, variando respectivamente 22,8% a 6,9% e 22,5% a 10%.. Conclusão: para controle dos casos de tuberculose, são necessárias medidas de combate ao alcoolismo e tratamento e prevenção do HIV. Destaca-se a importância da instrução adequada dos profissionais de saúde quanto à correta notificação dos agravos e necessidade de medidas educativas sobre a importância do tratamento contínuo da tuberculose

Erythrina velutina Willd. alkaloids : piecing biosynthesis together from transcriptome analysis and metabolite profiling of seeds and leaves

Introduction: Natural products of pharmaceutical interest often do not reach the drug market due to the associated low yields and difficult extraction. Knowledge of biosynthetic pathways is a key element in the development of biotechnological strategies for plant specialized metabolite production. Erythrina species are mainly used as central nervous system depressants in folk medicine and are important sources of bioactive tetracyclic benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs), which can act on several pathology-related biological targets. Objectives: In this sense, in an unprecedented approach used with a non-model Fabaceae species grown in its unique arid natural habitat, a combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses (seeds and leaves) is presented. Methods: The Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome (de novo RNA sequencing) was carried out in a NextSeq 500 platform. Regarding metabolite profiling, the High-resolution Liquid Chromatography was coupled to DAD and a micrOTOF-QII mass spectrometer by using electrospray ionization (ESI) and Time of Flight (TOF) analyzer. The tandem MS/MS data were processed and analyzed through Molecular Networking approach. Results: This detailed macro and micromolecular approach applied to seeds and leaves of E. velutina revealed 42 alkaloids, several of them unique. Based on the combined evidence, 24 gene candidates were put together in a putative pathway leading to the singular alkaloid diversity of this species. Conclusion: Overall, these results could contribute by indicating potential biotechnological targets formodulation of erythrina alkaloids biosynthesis as well as improve molecular databases with omic data from a non-model medicinal plant, and reveal an interesting chemical diversity of Erythrina BIA harvested in Caatinga