Distribution modelling of wild rabbit hunting yields in its original area (S Iberian Peninsula)

In this work we used the information of the Annual Hunting Reports (AHRs) to obtain a high-resolution model of the potential favourableness for wild rabbit harvesting in Andalusia (southern Spain), using environmental and land-use variables as predictors. We analysed 32,134 AHRs from the period 1993/2001 reported by 6049 game estates to estimate the average hunting yields of wild rabbit in each Andalusian municipality (n5771). We modelled the favourableness for obtaining good hunting yields using stepwise logistic regression on a set of climatic, orographical, land use, and vegetation variables. The favourability equation was used to create a downscaled image representing the favourableness of obtaining good hunting yields for the wild rabbit in 161 km squares in Andalusia, using the Idrisi Image Calculator. The variables that affected hunting yields of wild rabbit were altitude, dry wood crops (mainly olive groves, almond groves, and vineyards), temperature, pasture, slope, and annual number of frost days. The 161 km squares with high favourableness values are scattered throughout the territory, which seems to be caused mainly by the effect of vegetation. Finally, we obtained quality categories for the territory by combining the probability values given by logistic regression with those of the environmental favourability function

Gochnatia polymorpha: macro- and microscopic identification of leaf and stem for pharmacognostic quality control

AbstractGochnatia polymorpha (Less.) Cabrera, Asteraceae, is popularly known as cambará and cambara-de-folha-grande in Brazil. It is used in traditional medicine to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. Pharmacological studies revealed antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, antibacterial and antiviral activities. The goal of this paper was to carry out morphological and anatomical studies in order to describe the aerial parts of G. polymorpha. The botanical material was collected, fixed, and prepared according to usual light and scanning electron microtechniques. The leaves are simple, oblong-lanceolate to elliptical-lanceolate in form with mucronate acute apex, rounded base, entire or slightly toothed margin, and short petiole. In transection, the epidermis is uniseriate along the leaf blade. A subepidermal layer next to the adaxial side is present. Anomocytic stomata are seen only on the abaxial surface. Capitate glandular trichomes and T-shaped non-glandular trichomes occur on the leaves. The mesophyll is dorsiventral and minor collateral vascular bundles are enclosed by a sheath of thickwalled parenchymatic cells. The midrib is biconvex and the petiole has a circular shape. The epidermis of the stem consists of a single layer of cells with glandular and nonglandular trichomes. The vascular cylinder shows typical structure and perivascular fiber caps are next to the phloem

Leaf microscopic characters of ormosia arborea (vell.) harms, fabaceae

The genus Ormosia (Fabaceae-Faboideae) is common in the neotropics and includes different species used in folk medicine for various purposes. Ormosia arborea is a tree popularly known as “olho-decabra” and used for its contraceptive effects in Brazilian rural communities. As it lacks data about this medicinal plant, this work has carried out anatomical studies on the leaf of this potential vegetal drug. Fully-expanded leaves were fixed and prepared according to light and scanning electron microscopic techniques. Microchemical tests were also carried out. The leaf has paracytic stomata confined to the abaxial side. The cuticle is smooth and there are bicellular non-glandular trichomes predominantly on the abaxial surface. The mesophyll is dorsiventral and traversed by minor collateral vascular bundles with sclerenchymatic and crystalliferous bundle sheaths which may attain the epidermis. The midrib is concaveconvex in transection and has one major collateral vascular bundle in circular arrangement and one or two minor ones, each of which encircled by a sclerenchymatic bundle sheath. The petiole is circular in transection and possesses a ring of numerous collateral vascular bundles enclosed in a conspicuous sclerenchymatic sheath. Some cells bearing phenolic compounds and prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate are also present in the leaf.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Synthesis, Bioavailability, and Cytotoxicity Studies

Funding Information: This work was supported by Portuguese funds from FCT/MCTES through the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQV (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020) and the project numbers PTDC/QUI-QOR/32406/2017 and PTDC/EAM-AMB/2023/2021. Ana R. Jesus and Ana Rita C. Duarte acknowledge the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, under grant agreement No ERC-2016-CoG 725034. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.Thyroid diseases affect a considerable portion of the population, with hypothyroidism being one of the most commonly reported thyroid diseases. Levothyroxine (T4) is clinically used to treat hypothyroidism and suppress thyroid stimulating hormone secretion in other thyroid diseases. In this work, an attempt to improve T4 solubility is made through the synthesis of ionic liquids (ILs) based on this drug. In this context, [Na][T4] was combined with choline [Ch]+ and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium [C2OHMiM]+ cations in order to prepare the desired T4-ILs. All compounds were characterized by NMR, ATR-FTIR, elemental analysis, and DSC, aiming to check their chemical structure, purities, and thermal properties. The serum, water, and PBS solubilities of the T4-ILs were compared to [Na][T4], as well as the permeability assays. It is important to note an improved adsorption capacity, in which no significant cytotoxicity was observed against L929 cells. [C2OHMiM][T4] seems to be a good alternative to the commercial levothyroxine sodium salt with promising bioavailability.publishersversionpublishe

Comparative morpho-anatomical study of Baccharis curitybensis Heering ex Malme and Baccharis spicata (Lam.) Baill.

The genus Baccharis L. belongs to Asteraceae and comprises several medicinal species. Both Baccharis spicata (Lam.) Baill. and Baccharis curitybensis Heering ex Malme are traditionally known as "vassoura" (broom) in Brazil. The species B. spicata has antibacterial, antioxidant and trypanocidal activities. Despite of B. curitybensis shows an external morphology quite similar to B. spicata, no chemical and pharmacological study is available about B. curitybensis. Therefore some confusion and/or problems can occur during popular use. In order to differentiate these taxa, the morpho-anatomy of their leaves and stems were investigated according to the usual light and scanning electron microtechniques. The species B. curitybensis reveals smooth and revolute margin, alternate leaf arrangement and non-capitate uniseriate glandular trichomes. Otherwise, dentate and flat margin, opposite leaf arrangement and uniseriate flagelliform non-glandular trichomes are observed in B. spicata. Morphological and anatomical data can be useful for differentiating B. curitybensis and B. spicata.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Subclinical hyperthyroidism and dementia: the Sao Paulo Ageing & Health Study (SPAH)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several epidemiologic studies have shown a possible association between thyroid function and cognitive decline. Our aim was to evaluate the association of subclinical hyperthyroidism and dementia in a population sample of older people</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study - São Paulo Ageing & Health Study (SPAH) - in a population sample of low-income elderly people ≥ 65 years-old to evaluate presence of subclinical thyroid disease as a risk factor for dementia. Thyroid function was assessed using thyrotropic hormone and free-thyroxine as well as routine use of thyroid hormones or antithyroid medications. Cases of dementia were assessed using a harmonized one-phase dementia diagnostic procedure by the "10/66 Dementia Research Group" including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Logistic regression models were used to test a possible association between subclinical hyperthyroidism and dementia.</p> <p>Results and discussion</p> <p>Prevalence of dementia and of subclinical hyperthyroidism were respectively of 4.4% and 3.0%. After age adjustment, we found an association of subclinical hyperthyroidism and any type of dementia and vascular dementia (Odds Ratio, 4.1, 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] 1.3-13.1, and 5.3 95% CI, 1.1-26.4; respectively). Analyzing data by gender, we found an association of subclinical hyperthyroidism with dementia and Alzheimer's disease only for men (OR, 8.0; 95% CI, 1.5-43.4; OR, 12.4; 95% CI, 1.2-128.4; respectively). No women with subclinical hypothyroidism presented Alzheimer's disease in the sample.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results suggest a consistent association among people with subclinical hyperthyroidism and dementia.</p