Engineering molecular recognition and catalysis - examples of designed peptides and stimuli responsive materials

Biomimetics are a growing field with several applications in Bioengineering. This work focuses on two examples of biomimetic systems applied to the fields of Biocatalysis and Biosensing. Enzymes are highly versatile catalysts present in biological systems with a coveted technological potential. Enzymes tend to be large and complex proteins and the development of simpler Biomimetic catalysts has been a long-term goal. In this work, two computationally designed protein-based peptides, RD01v2 and RD02, mimicking metalloprotease activity, were synthesized by SPPS and purified by Preparative HPLC Chromatography. The characterization process was divided in folding studies by far-UV CD spectroscopy and hydrolytic activity studies. All the assays were accomplished for a range of pH from 7 to 10, with and without added Zinc (II) at constant temperature. A Zinc titration at all these pH values, with the mentioned conditions, was performed to calculate the apparent dissociation constant (KpepZn,App in the range of 105 M-1). RD peptides presented low catalytic hydrolytic activity towards 4-nPA with second order rate constant (k2 <1 M-1s-1). The second exampled studied included the development of stimuli responsive materials mimicking the sense of olfaction

ATUALIZAÇÕES DOS EFEITOS COLATERAIS NEGATIVOS DECORRENTES DE CIRURGIA BARIÁTRICA

This study aims to expose and discuss the negative consequences that arise from bariatric surgery. The present study is an integrative literature review, being carried out from the research of the following Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS): bariatric; surgery; side; effects. Of the articles found, only articles published in the year 2023 until the date of 12/08/2023 were selected, thus 30 articles were selected, where 21 were excluded for not fitting the objectives of the study and only 09 were analyzed for the production of the work. Bariatric surgery consists, in general terms, of removing part of the stomach and ends up modifying anatomically and physiologically other organs of the digestive system. contributing to the development of osteopenia, osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia, megaloblastic anemia and other health problems in the postoperative period. In view of the information presented, it is necessary to gather scientific papers on the subject so that patients and health professionals become increasingly aware of this aspect of the surgical procedure. Este estudo tem por objetivo expor e debater as consequências negativas que surgem a partir de uma cirurgia bariátrica. O presente estudo é uma revisão integrativa da literatura, sendo realizado a partir da pesquisa dos seguintes Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS): bariatric; surgery; side; effects. Dos artigos encontrados foram selecionados apenas artigos publicados no ano de 2023 até a data de 12/08/2023, dessa forma foram selecionados 30 artigos, onde 21 foram excluídos por não se encaixarem nos objetivos do estudo e apenas 09 foram analisados para a produção do trabalho. A cirurgia bariátrica consiste, em termos gerais, na retirada de parte do estômago e acaba por modificar anatomicamente e fisiologicamente outros órgãos do sistema digestório, além disso tem alta eficácia na perda de peso, no entanto, possui efeitos adversos danosos à saúde do paciente, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento no pós-operatório de osteopenia, osteoporose, anemia ferropriva, anemia megaloblástica e dentre outros problemas de saúde. Tendo em vista as informações expostas, é necessário um apanhado de trabalhos científicos acerca do tema para que pacientes e profissionais de saúde se tornem cada vez mais conscientes desta face do procedimento cirúrgico.&nbsp;&nbsp

Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil

The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

New 1,3-thiazole derivatives and their biological and ultrastructural effects on Trypanosoma cruzi

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2016-12-13T14:26:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Gomes PATM New 1,3-thiazole derivatives....pdf: 2013088 bytes, checksum: 8ca722694d65ed4ac9b209d95a69248c (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2016-12-13T16:21:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Gomes PATM New 1,3-thiazole derivatives....pdf: 2013088 bytes, checksum: 8ca722694d65ed4ac9b209d95a69248c (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-13T16:21:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gomes PATM New 1,3-thiazole derivatives....pdf: 2013088 bytes, checksum: 8ca722694d65ed4ac9b209d95a69248c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016CNPq; CAPES; PRONEX-FAPESB; PRONEM/FACEPE/CNPq.Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Recife, PE, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco. Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Recife, PE, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco. Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Recife, PE, BrasilUniversidade de Pernambuco. Petrolina, PE, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco. Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Recife, PE, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco. Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Recife, PE, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilMinistry of Education of Brazil. CAPES Foundation. Brasília, DF, Brasil / Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia. Belo Horizonte, MG, BrasilUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco. Centro de Ciências da Saúde. Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Recife, PE, BrasilIn previous studies, the compound 3-(bromopropiophenone) thiosemicarbazone was described as a potent anti-Trypanosoma cruzi and cruzain inhibitor. In view to optimize this activity, 1,3-thiazole core was used as building-block strategy to access new lead generation of anti T. cruzi agents. In this way a series of thiazole derivatives were synthesized and most of these derivatives exhibited antiparasitic activity similar to benznidazole (Bzd). Among them, compounds (1c) and (1g) presented better selective index (SI) than Bzd. In addition, compounds showed inhibitory activity against the cruzain protease. As observed by electron microscopy, compound (1c) treatment caused irreversible and specific morphological changes on ultrastructure organization of T. cruzi, demonstrating that this class of compounds is killing parasites

Evaluation of the anti-Schistosoma mansoni activity of thiosemicarbazones and thiazoles

Submitted by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-04-03T13:26:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Santiago EF Evaluation of the anti-Schistosoma ....pdf: 4333306 bytes, checksum: 0a4eafc14622c78b28659cb69c2c2996 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ana Maria Fiscina Sampaio ([email protected]) on 2018-04-03T14:24:14Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Santiago EF Evaluation of the anti-Schistosoma ....pdf: 4333306 bytes, checksum: 0a4eafc14622c78b28659cb69c2c2996 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-03T14:24:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santiago EF Evaluation of the anti-Schistosoma ....pdf: 4333306 bytes, checksum: 0a4eafc14622c78b28659cb69c2c2996 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CPNq) and Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ). FAPESB postdoctoral scholarship.Federal University of Pernambuco. Department of Pharmacy. Recife, PE, Brazil / Federal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunopathology. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunopathology. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Department of Pharmacy. Recife, PE, BrazilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz. Salvador, BA, BrasilFederal University of Pernambuco. Department of Pharmacy. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunopathology. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunopathology. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunogenetics. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunogenetics. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Laboratory of Immunogenetics. Recife, PE, BrazilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilFundação Oswaldo Cruz. Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães. Recife, PE, BrasilFederal University of Pernambuco. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. Recife, PE, BrazilFederal University of Pernambuco. Department of Pharmacy. Recife, PE, BrazilSchistosomiasis is a chronic and debilitating disease caused by a trematode of the genus Schistosoma and affects over 207 million people. Chemotherapy is the only immediate recourse for minimizing the prevalence of this disease and involves predominately the administration of a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ). Although PZQ has proven efficacy, there is a recognized need to develop new drugs as schistosomicides since studies have shown that repeated use of this drug in areas of endemicity may cause a temporary reduction in susceptibility in isolates of Schistosoma mansoni. Hydrazones, thiosemicarbazones, phthalimides, and thiazoles are thus regarded as privileged structures used for a broad spectrum of activities and are potential candidates for sources of new drug prototypes. The present study determined the in vitro schistosomicidal activity of 10 molecules containing these structures. During the assays, parameters such motility and mortality, oviposition, morphological changes in the tegument, cytotoxicity, and immunomodulatory activity caused by these compounds were evaluated. The results showed that compounds formed of thiazole and phthalimide led to higher mortality of worms, with a significant decline in motility, inhibition of pairing and oviposition, and a mortality rate of 100% starting from 144 h of exposure. These compounds also stimulated the production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), thereby demonstrating the presence of immunomodulatory activity. The phthalyl thiazole LpQM-45 caused significant ultrastructural alterations, with destruction of the tegument in both male and female worms. According to the present study, phthalyl thiazole compounds possess antischistosomal activities and should form the basis for future experimental and clinical trials

O Museu do Estado da Bahia, entre ideais e realidades (1918 a 1959)

This article retraces the trajectory of the Museu do Estado da Bahia from 1918 to 1959. The aim is to identify its successive museological practices and the implementation of the so-called processes of musealization during its institutionalization and consolidation, which were also related to the personalities of the administrators and their expectations regarding political and social interactions, as well their expectations toward the State of Bahia itself. Having dealt with a wide range of conflicts, alterations have been observed in how the museum functions. Within the framework in question, three successive periods have been characterized: its establishment as a historic museum; its consolidation as an eclectic museum with a focus on history, and the path towards art under the direction of José Valladares

AMAZONIA CAMTRAP: A data set of mammal, bird, and reptile species recorded with camera traps in the Amazon forest

The Amazon forest has the highest biodiversity on Earth. However, information on Amazonian vertebrate diversity is still deficient and scattered across the published, peer-reviewed, and gray literature and in unpublished raw data. Camera traps are an effective non-invasive method of surveying vertebrates, applicable to different scales of time and space. In this study, we organized and standardized camera trap records from different Amazon regions to compile the most extensive data set of inventories of mammal, bird, and reptile species ever assembled for the area. The complete data set comprises 154,123 records of 317 species (185 birds, 119 mammals, and 13 reptiles) gathered from surveys from the Amazonian portion of eight countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela). The most frequently recorded species per taxa were: mammals: Cuniculus paca (11,907 records); birds: Pauxi tuberosa (3713 records); and reptiles: Tupinambis teguixin (716 records). The information detailed in this data paper opens up opportunities for new ecological studies at different spatial and temporal scales, allowing for a more accurate evaluation of the effects of habitat loss, fragmentation, climate change, and other human-mediated defaunation processes in one of the most important and threatened tropical environments in the world. The data set is not copyright restricted; please cite this data paper when using its data in publications and we also request that researchers and educators inform us of how they are using these data