Virtual screening of a library of natural compounds against COX-2 protein

The use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in treating inflammatory diseases has been widespread, especially in treating rheumatoid arthritis. NSAIDs act mainly by promoting the inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2), inducing significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activity. However, recent data show that prolonged use of NSAIDs can lead to cardiovascular side effects. Thus, the present work aims to identify COX-2 inhibitors alternatives from natural sources, specifically mushrooms, as an alternative to conventional inhibitorsThe authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to the CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program for financial support to the project 100% Figo (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-064977). S. Heleno and M. Carocho thank FCT for their individual employment program–contract (CEECIND/ 00831/2018, CEECIND/03040/2017), and L.Barros also thanks to the national funding by FCT through the institutional scientificemployment program–contract for her contract. C. Shirashi thank the project 100% Figos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Draft Genome Sequence Of 11399, A Transformable Citrus-pathogenic Strain Of Xylella Fastidiosa

The draft genome of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca strain 11399, a transformable citrus-pathogenic strain, is reported here. The 11399 genome size is 2,690,704 bp and has a G+C content of 52.7%. The draft genome of 11399 reveals the absence of four type I restriction-modification system genes. © 2016 Niza et al.4

Reformas Educativas y Profesorado de Secundaria: El Peso de la Tradición Docente

A pesar de los cambios propuestos por diferentes reformas educativas que han tenido lugar en el ámbito español durante los últimos 40 años, cabe preguntarse en qué medida la etapa de educación secundaria guarda, todavía, más relación con sus orígenes –Plan Pidal, 1857– que con los derivados de las sucesivas reformas. Realizamos un recorrido histórico por leyes orgánicas de educación de ámbito español poniendo nuestra mirada en la etapa de educación secundaria obligatoria y centrando nuestra reflexión en aspectos tan importantes como el peso de la tradición docente. Algunos principios pedagógicos que inspiraban las reformas educativas que han tenido lugar en nuestro país, planteaban en un modelo de enseñanza más comprensiva y no tan academicista. Se pretendía que dicha etapa educativa, que actualmente es de carácter obligatorio, fuese una etapa a la que toda la población pudiese acceder, pero, además, también pudiese superar con éxito. Sin embargo, este modelo de enseñanza comprensiva promulgado por las sucesivas reformas es un modelo educativo que todavía no ha calado, con suficiente profundidad, en la cultura de un profesorado de secundaria que ha sido formado en una tradición docente muy diferente y en el que todavía, hoy en día, podemos percibir el peso de la tradición. Despite the changes proposed by different educational reforms that have taken place in the Spanish context during the last 40 years, it is worth asking to what extent the secondary education stage still has more relation with its origins -Plan Pidal, 1857- than with the derivatives of the successive reforms. We made a historical journey through organic laws of education in the Spanish area, focusing our attention on the stage of compulsory secondary education and focusing our reflection on aspects as important as the weight of the teaching tradition. Some principles of educational reforms that have taken place in our country were inspired by a more pedagogic teaching model and not so academic model. It was intended that this educational stage, which is currently mandatory catarter, was a stage to which all the population could access but also could also overcome successfully. However, this model of comprehensive education promulgated by the reforms, is an educational model that has not yet penetrated, with sufficient depth, into the culture of a secondary school teacher who has been trained in a very different teaching tradition and in which today we can see the weight of tradition

Clove and rosemary essential oils and encapsuled active principles (eugenol, thymol and vanillin blend) on meat quality of feedlot-finished heifers

Forty Nellore heifers were fed (73days) with different diets: with or without essential oils (clove and/or rosemary essential oil) and/or active principle blend (eugenol, thymol and vanillin). The pH, fat thickness, marbling, muscle area and water losses (thawing and drip) were evaluated 24h post mortem on the Longissimus thoracis, and the effects of aging (14days) was evaluated on the meat cooking losses, color, texture and lipid oxidation. Antioxidant activity was also evaluated. Treatments had no effect (P>0.05) on pH, fat thickness, marbling, muscle area, thawing and drip losses. However, treatments affected (P<0.05) cooking losses, color, texture and lipid oxidation. The diets with essential oil and the active principle blend reduced the lipid oxidation and reduced the color losses in relation to control diet. Aging affected (P<0.05) texture and lipid oxidation. The essential oil and active principles or its blend have potential use in animal feed aiming to maintain/improve meat quality during shelf-life

Root diseases of wheat in Minas Gerais and Distrito Federal

Este trabalho mostra a ocorrência da podridão comum de raízes de trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) em algumas regiões do Cerrado do Brasil Central, no Estado de Minas Gerais e no Distrito Federal. O principal organismo isolado das raízes infectadas foi o fungo Cochliobolus sativus. A incidência e a intensidade da podridão comum foram baixas nas lavouras de trigo não-irrigado de Minas Gerais, apesar do elevado número de esporos de C. sativus encontrados na maior parte delas. Nas lavouras de trigo irrigado do Distrito Federal, entretanto, populações menores desse organismo foram responsáveis por infecções mais elevadas. As maiores concentrações de esporos de C. sativus nos solos amostrados estavam localizadas na camada superficial, de 0-3 cm de profundidade.This work reports the occurrence of common root rot of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in some regions of the "cerrado" of Central Brazil, in the states of Minas Gerais and Distrito Federal. Cochliobolus sativus was the main organism isolated from rotted roots. The incidence and intensity of common root rot were low in the non-irrigated wheat fields from Minas Gerais, in spite of the high spore populations of C. sativus found in most soils. The irrigated wheat fields from Distrito Federal, however, had a higher incidence and intensity of the disease with much lower spore populations. The highest concentration of spores in the sampled soils was found in the surface layer of 0-3 cm

A utilização do ELISA empregando antígenos homólogos e heterólogos para a detecção de IgG e subclasses (IgG1 e IgG2) no diagnóstico de Leishmaniose visceral canina

Indirect immunofluorescence is the method recommended for the diagnosis of visceral leishmanisis in dogs, however, the accuracy of this technique is low and its use on a large scale is limited. Since ELISA does not present these limitations, this technique might be an option for the detection of IgG or specific IgG1 and IgG2 subclasses. Canine ehrlichiosis is an important differential diagnosis of American Visceral Leishmaniasis (AVL). The present study compared ELISA using Leishmania chagasi and Leishmania braziliensis antigen for the detection of anti-Leishmania IgG and subclasses in serum samples from 37 dogs naturally infected with L. chagasi (AVL) and in samples from four dogs co-infected with L. braziliensis and L. chagasi (CI). The occurrence of cross-reactivity was investigated in control serum samples of 17 healthy dogs (HC) and 35 infected with Ehrlichia canis (EC). The mean optical density obtained for the detection of IgG was significantly higher when L. chagasi antigen was used, and was also higher in subgroup VLs (symptomatic) compared to subgroup Vla (asymptomatic). The correlation between IgG and IgG1 was low. The present results suggest that IgG ELISA using homologous antigen yields the best results, permitting the diagnosis of asymptomatic L. chagasi infection and the discrimination between cases of AVL and ehrlichiosis in dogs.A imunofluorescência indireta é o método recomendado para o diagnóstico de leishmaniose visceral em cães, entretanto, a acurácia dessa técnica é baixa e seu uso em grande escala é limitado. Uma vez que o ELISA não apresenta essas limitações, essa técnica poderia ser uma opção para a detecção de IgG ou subclasses IgG1 e IgG2 específicas. A ehrlichiose canina é um importante diagnóstico diferencial de Leishmaniose Visceral Americana (LVA). O presente estudo comparou o ELISA usando antígenos de Leishmania chagasi e Leishmania braziliensis para a detecção de IgG e subclasses anti-Leishmania em amostras de soro de 37 cães naturalmente infectados com L. chagasi (LVA) e em amostras de quatro cães co-infectados (CI). A ocorrência de reatividade cruzada foi investigada em amostras de soro controle de 17 animais saudáveis (HC) e 35 de infectados por Ehrlichia canis (EC). A média de densidade óptica obtida para a detecção de IgG foi significantemente maior quando o antígeno de L. chagasi foi usado e também mais elevada no subgrupo LVs (sintomático) quando comparado ao subgrupo LVa (assintomático). A correlação entre IgG e IgG1 foi baixa. O presente resultado sugere que ELISA IgG empregando antígeno homólogo, produz os melhores resultados, permitindo o diagnóstico de infecção assintomática por L. chagasi e a discriminação entre casos de LVA e ehrlichiose em cães

A quantum Monte Carlo study of the one-dimensional ionic Hubbard model

Quantum Monte Carlo methods are used to study a quantum phase transition in a 1D Hubbard model with a staggered ionic potential (D). Using recently formulated methods, the electronic polarization and localization are determined directly from the correlated ground state wavefunction and compared to results of previous work using exact diagonalization and Hartree-Fock. We find that the model undergoes a thermodynamic transition from a band insulator (BI) to a broken-symmetry bond ordered (BO) phase as the ratio of U/D is increased. Since it is known that at D = 0 the usual Hubbard model is a Mott insulator (MI) with no long-range order, we have searched for a second transition to this state by (i) increasing U at fixed ionic potential (D) and (ii) decreasing D at fixed U. We find no transition from the BO to MI state, and we propose that the MI state in 1D is unstable to bond ordering under the addition of any finite ionic potential. In real 1D systems the symmetric MI phase is never stable and the transition is from a symmetric BI phase to a dimerized BO phase, with a metallic point at the transition