Plantas Oleaginosas Amazônicas: Química e Atividade Antioxidante de Patauá (Oenocarpus bataua Mart.)

The Amazon oilseeds, especially from native palm trees are significant species belonging to the Amazon landscape and culture. The Amazon species produce oil with great potential to generate valuable medicines, cosmetics, nutraceuticals and energy. The Oenocarpus bataua (patawa) is an edible species and from its fruits is produced the "vinho de patauá", a well-known beverage, considered very nutritive and energetic. Fresh fruits collected nearby Manaus-AM, were separated into peel, pulp and seeds. The methanolic extracts from pulp and seeds were evaluated in different antioxidant assays and both extracts were considered active. The seed extract showed antioxidant activity compared to the positive control (quercetin) in the radical scavenging-DPPH assay. The pulp extract were fractionated guided by TLC-antioxidant analysis that led to the isolation of the stilbene, piceatannol. This is the first report of an isolated compound from patawa. Piceatannol is considered a bioactive compound and in some cases was considered more active than resveratrol, a well-known bioactive compound. These results showed the great potential of patawa to produce nutraceutical products

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Antimicrobial activity of heterotrophic bacterial communities from the marine sponge Erylus discophorus (Astrophorida, Geodiidae)

10 páginas, 3 tablas.Heterotrophic bacteria associated with two specimens of the marine sponge Erylus discophorus were screened for their capacity to produce bioactive compounds against a panel of human pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus wild type and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanii, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus), fish pathogen (Aliivibrio fischeri) and environmentally relevant bacteria (Vibrio harveyi). The sponges were collected in Berlengas Islands, Portugal. Of the 212 isolated heterotrophic bacteria belonging to Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, 31% produced antimicrobial metabolites. Bioactivity was found against both Gram positive and Gram negative and clinically and environmentally relevant target microorganisms. Bioactivity was found mainly against B. subtilis and some bioactivity against S. aureus MRSA, V. harveyi and A. fisheri. No antifungal activity was detected. The three most bioactive genera were Pseudovibrio (47.0%), Vibrio (22.7%) and Bacillus (7.6%). Other less bioactive genera were Labrenzia, Acinetobacter, Microbulbifer, Pseudomonas, Gordonia, Microbacterium, Micrococcus and Mycobacterium, Paenibacillus and Staphylococcus. The search of polyketide I synthases (PKS-I) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) genes in 59 of the bioactive bacteria suggested the presence of PKS-I in 12 strains, NRPS in 3 strains and both genes in 3 strains. Our results show the potential of the bacterial community associated with Erylus discophorus sponges as producers of bioactive compounds.This research was supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE - Operational Competitiveness Programme and national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2013, PEst-OE/QUI/UI0612/2011 and PTDC/ QUI-QUI/098053/2008. Ana Patrícia Graçaa acknowledges an ERAMUS fellowship. Joana Bondoso was financed by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology (PhD grant SFRH/BD/35933/2007). Joana R. Xavier’s research is funded by an FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology postdoctoral fellowship (grant no. SFRH/BPD/62946/2009). In addition, this work was funded by the Fundación MEDINA, a public-private partnership of Merck Sharp and Dohme of España/ Universidad de Granada/Junta de AndalucíaPeer reviewe

Avaliação do enraizamento, desenvolvimento de raízes e parte aérea de porta-enxertos de videira em condições de campo Evaluation of rooting, development of roots and shoot biomass from rootstock of grapevine, in field conditions

Objetivou-se neste trabalho avaliar o enraizamento, a brotação e o desenvolvimento de raízes de diferentes porta-enxertos de videira em condições de campo. Estacas lenhosas dos porta-enxertos '420 A', 'Golia', '5C', '8B', 'RR101-14', 'SO4', '99R', 'Kober 5BB', 'IAC 766', 'IAC 572', 'IAC 571-6', 'Ripária do Traviú' e 'Rupestris du Lot' foram colocadas em canteiro de terra, sem tratamento prévio. O delineamento foi em blocos ao acaso, com cinco repetições e vinte estacas por parcela, com as estacas dispostas em espaçamento de 12 x 5cm. As estacas foram colocadas para enraizar no início de julho e removidas no final de setembro para as avaliações. A porcentagem de estacas enraizadas variou de 79% para 'Ripária do Traviú' a 99% para o 'RR101-14'. Quanto à brotação, o 'Ripária do Traviú' apresentou 47%, 'IAC 571-6', 'IAC 572', '420 A', 'Rupestris du Lot', 'Kober', 'IAC 766', '8B', '5C', apresentaram de 76 a 89% e 'Golia', 'SO4', '99R' e 'RR 101-14' mais de 90%. 'IAC 572' e 'IAC 571-6' apresentaram o menor número de raízes por estaca, no entanto, foram as que apresentaram raízes mais desenvolvidas, seguidas pelo '5C' e 'Rupestris du Lot'. 'Kober 5BB' e 'Ripária do Traviú' apresentaram as raízes menos desenvolvidas. As demais variedades apresentaram valores intermediários. Concluiu-se que, entre todos os porta-enxertos, o 'Ripária do Traviú' apresentou os menores índices de enraizamento e brotação das estacas, nas condições de campo.<br>The goals of this investigation was to evaluate the rooting, budding and development of roots from different rootstock of grapevine, in field conditions. Ligneous cutting of rootstock '420 A', 'Golia', '5C', '8B', 'RR101-14', 'SO4', '99R', 'Kober 5BB', 'IAC 766', 'IAC 572', 'IAC 571-6', 'Ripária do Traviú' and 'Rupestris du Lot' were planted in soil, without previous preparation. The experimental design was done in randomized blocks, with five repetitions and twenty cutting per plot, planted at distances of 12 x 5cm. The cutting were planted in the beginning of July and removed in the end of September, to be examined. The rooting percentage varied from 79% of 'Ripária do Traviú' to 99% of 'RR 101-14'. Due to budding, the 'Ripária do Traviú' showed 47%; 'IAC 571-6', 'IAC 572', '420A', 'Rupestris du Lot', 'Kober', 'IAC 766', '8B', '5C' showed 76 to 89% and 'Golia', 'SO4', '99R' and 'RR 101-14' showed more than 90%. 'IAC 572' and 'IAC 571-6' showed the minor root number per cutting, but they showed the most developed roots, followed by '5C' and 'Rupestris du Lot'. 'Kober 5BB' and 'Ripária do Traviú' showed the least developed roots. The other varieties showed intermediate values. It was conclued that, among all rootstocks, 'Ripária do Traviú' presented the lowest indexes of rooting and budding of cutting under field's conditions

Sperm morphological and morphometric evaluation in captive collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu)

The aim of this study was to compare different staining methods for the evaluation of sperm morphology by light microscopy and also to describe the morphometry of the entire sperm in collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu). Semen from 10 males was obtained by electroejaculation and evaluated for sperm motility, vigor, and concentration. Semen smears were prepared through three different staining methods: Bengal rose, brome-phenol blue, and eosin-nigrosin. Smears were evaluated under light microscopy and sperm morphologic alterations were determined in percentage. In addition, sperm morphometric analysis was conducted by light microscopy coupled to image analyzer software. The smears stained with Bengal Rose provide the best results for the visualization of the sperm tail, midpiece, and head. The use of eosin-nigrosin stain did not allow an adequate impregnation, and some sperm presented a few contrasts with the background. A higher incidence of bent coiled tails was verified in the use of brome-phenol blue staining (P<0.05). Through morphometric evaluation, it was observed that the tail occupies the greatest proportion (89%) of the sperm which presents a discretely elongated head. According to the results, the use of the Bengal Rose stain is recommended for the morphologic evaluation of the collared peccary sperm