Lycopene-rich extract from red guava ( Psidium guajava L.) displays cytotoxic effect against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7 via an apoptotic-like pathway

This study investigated a lycopene-rich extract from red guava (LEG) for its chemical composition using spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and computational studies. The cytotoxic activity of LEG and the underlying mechanism was studied in human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7), murine fibroblast cells (NIH-3T3), BALB/c murine peritoneal macrophages, and sheep blood erythrocytes by evaluating the cell viability with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and flow cytometry. Spectrophotometry analysis showed that LEG contained 20% of lycopene per extract dry weight. Experimental and theoretical ATR-FTIR suggests the presence of lycopene, whereas MS/MS spectra obtained after fragmentation of the molecular ion [M]+• of 536.4364 show fragment ions at m/z 269.2259, 375.3034, 444.3788, and 467.3658, corroborating the presence of lycopene mostly related to all-trans configuration. Treatment with LEG (1600 to 6.25μg/mL) for 24 and 72h significantly affected the viability of MCF-7 cells (mean half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50]=29.85 and 5.964μg/mL, respectively) but not NIH-3T3 cells (IC50=1579 and 911.5μg/mL, respectively). Furthermore LEG at concentrations from 800 to 6.25μg/mL presented low cytotoxicity against BALB/c peritoneal macrophages (IC50≥800μg/mL) and no hemolytic activity. LEG (400 and 800μg/mL) caused reduction in the cell proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest, DNA fragmentation, modifications in the mitochondrial membrane potential, and morphologic changes related to granularity and size in MCF-7 cells; however, it failed to cause any significant damage to the cell membrane or display necrosis or traditional apoptosis. In conclusion, LEG was able to induce cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cells probably via induction of an apoptotic-like pathway.The authors acknowledge the computational time provided by CENAPAD/SP on the project proj697. Alexandra Plácido is gratefully to FCT by her grant SFRH/BD/97995/2013, financed by POPH–QREN–Tipologia 4.1–Formação Avançada, subsidized by Fundo Social Europeu and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior. The work at REQUIMTE/LAQV received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds through COMPETE) and National Funds (FCT) through project UID/QUI/50006/2013. Adriany das G. N. Amorim is grateful to CAPES by for the doctoral fellowship process no. 99999.004236/2014-09 in Federal University of Piauí (UFPI). Eder A. Barbosa is grateful to PNPD/CAPES for its post-doctoral fellowship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

External tagging does not affect the feeding behavior of a coral reef fish, Chaetodon vagabundus (Pisces: Chaetodontidae)

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2009. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Environmental Biology of Fishes 86 (2009): 447-450, doi:10.1007/s10641-009-9545-9.Increasingly, the ability to recognize individual fishes is important for studies of population dynamics, ecology, and behavior. Although a variety of methods exist, external tags remain one of the most widely applied because they are both effective and cost efficient. However, a key assumption is that neither the tagging procedure nor the presence of a tag negatively affects the individual. While this has been demonstrated for relatively coarse metrics such as growth and survival, few studies have examined the impact of tags and tagging on more subtle aspects of behavior. We tagged adult vagabond butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus) occupying a 30-ha insular reef in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, using a commonly-utilized t-bar anchor tag. We quantified and compared feeding behavior (bite rate), which is sensitive to stress, of tagged and untagged individuals over four separate sampling periods spanning four months post-tagging. Bite rates did not differ between tagged and untagged individuals at each sampling period and, combined with additional anecdotal observations of normal pairing behavior and successful reproduction, suggest that tagging did not adversely affect individuals.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Fulbright Program, National Science Foundation and the Australian Research Council

PIT telemetry as a method to study the habitat requirements of fish populations: application to native and stocked trout movements

Passive integrated transponder (PIT) technology was used to study the behaviour of fishes during the summer season in two headwater streams of northeastern Portugal. A total of 71 PIT tags (12 mm long x 2.1 mm diameter) were surgically implanted in 1+ stocked (39) and native (32) brown trout of two size classes (< 20.0 and ≥ 20.0 cm). Eight independent antennae, connected to a multi-point decoder (MPD reader) unit, were placed in different microhabitats, selected randomly every three days during the observation period (29 August to 9 September in Baceiro stream and 19 September to 4 October in Sabor stream). The results confirmed this method as a suitable labour efficient tool to assess the movement and habitat use of sympatric stocked and native trout populations. About 76.9% of stocked and 59.4% of native PIT tagged trouts were detected. Multivariate techniques (CCA, DFA and classification tree) showed a separation in habitat use between the two sympatric populations. Stocked trout mainly used the microhabitats located in the middle of the channel with higher depths and without cover. Furthermore, these fishes displayed a greater mobility and a diel activity pattern different to native trout populations

Quaternized cashew gum: An anti-staphylococcal and biocompatible cationic polymer for biotechnological applications

Chemical modifications to cashew gum (CG) structure have been previously reported to obtain new physicochemical characteristics, however until now there were no reports of modifications by introduction of new functional groups to add cationic character. This study presents a quaternization route for CG using a quaternary ammonium reagent. The chemical features of the quaternized cashew gum derivatives (QCG) were analyzed by: FTIR, elemental analysis, degree of substitution, Zeta potential, 1H NMR and 1H-13C correlation (HSQC). QCG were evaluated for their anti-staphylococcal activity by determining minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations against pathogenic Staphylococcus spp. and by imaging using atomic force microscopy. Moreover, the mammalian cell biocompatibility were also assessed through hemolytic and cell toxicity assays. QCG presented promising antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus and biocompatibility on tested cells. These results show that QCG could be a promising tool in the development of biomaterials with an anti-septic action.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of organisms in hyporheic processes : gaps in current knowledge, needs for future research and applications

Fifty years after the hyporheic zone was first defined (Orghidan, 1959), there are still gaps in the knowledge regarding the role of biodiversity in hyporheic processes. First, some methodological questions remained unanswered regarding the interactions between biodiversity and physical processes, both for the study of habitat characteristics and interactions at different scales. Furthermore, many questions remain to be addressed to help inform our understanding of invertebrate community dynamics, especially regarding the trophic niches of organisms, the functional groups present within sediment, and their temporal changes. Understanding microbial community dynamics would require investigations about their relationship with the physical characteristics of the sediment, their diversity, their relationship with metabolic pathways, their inter- actions with invertebrates, and their response to environmental stress. Another fundamental research question is that of the importance of the hyporheic zone in the global metabolism of the river, which must be explored in relation to organic matter recycling, the effects of disturbances, and the degradation of contaminants. Finally, the application of this knowledge requires the development of methods for the estimation of hydro- logical exchanges, especially for the management of sediment clogging, the optimization of self-purification, and the integration of climate change in environmental policies. The development of descriptors of hyporheic zone health and of new metrology is also crucial to include specific targets in water policies for the long-term management of the system and a clear evaluation of restoration strategies

Perspectivas psicossociais para o estudo do cotidiano de trabalho

Cette étude visait à analyser le débat et l'approfondissement théorique et méthodologique développé dans les études sur la vie quotidienne au travail. L'investigation a démarré à partir du dialogue interdisciplinaire entre l'anthropologie du travail, l'ergologie et la psychologie sociale du travail et il a systématisé les contributions mutuels entre ces domaines scientifiques, leurs approches et leurs départs de la thématisation et l'appropriation de l'activité humaine au travail sous la perspective du quotidien. L'analyse comparative a mis en évidence des axes qui différencient les manières pour approcher l'objet, qui se réfèrent aux relations établies entre savoirs pratiques et technico-scientifiques et aux manières d'intervention sur les situations de travail. Les approches comparatives partagent l'intérêt de connaître le vrai travail, la valeur attribuée à les savoirs des travailleurs et la sensibilité aux dimensions micropolitiques du quotidien. On en conclut que la localisation dans chacun de ces axes dépend d'une plus grande ou plus petite affiliation à les traditions d'anthropologie ou d'ergonomie.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar el debate y la profundización teórica y metodológica desarrollada en los estudios acerca de la vida cotidiana en el trabajo. La investigación partió del diálogo interdisciplinario entre la antropología del trabajo, la ergología y la psicología social del trabajo y sistematizó las contribuciones mutuas entre eses campos científicos, sus aproximaciones y sus alejamientos de la tematización y la apropiación de la actividad humana en el trabajo bajo la perspectiva del cotidiano. El análisis comparativo destacó ejes que diferencian las formas de aproximación al objeto, que se refieren a las relaciones establecidas entre saberes prácticos y técnico-científicos y a los modos de intervención en las situaciones de trabajo. Los abordajes comparativos comparten el interés en conocer el trabajo real, el valor dado a los conocimientos de los trabajadores y la sensibilidad a las dimensiones micropolíticas del cotidiano. Se concluye que la localización en cada uno de eses ejes depende de la mayor o menor filiación a las tradiciones de la antropología o de la ergonomía.Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar o debate e o aprofundamento teórico e metodológico desenvolvido nos estudos sobre a vida cotidiana no trabalho. A investigação partiu do diálogo interdisciplinar entre a antropologia do trabalho, a ergologia e a psicologia social do trabalho e sistematizou as contribuições mútuas entre esses campos científicos, suas aproximações e seus afastamentos da tematização e da apropriação da atividade humana no trabalho sob a perspectiva do cotidiano. A análise comparativa destacou eixos que diferenciam as formas de aproximação ao objeto, que se referem às relações estabelecidas entre saberes práticos e técnico-científicos e aos modos de intervenção sobre as situações de trabalho. As abordagens comparativas compartilham o interesse em conhecer o trabalho real, o valor conferido aos conhecimentos dos trabalhadores e a sensibilidade às dimensões micropolíticas do cotidiano. Conclui-se que a localização em cada um desses eixos depende da maior ou menor filiação às tradições da antropologia ou da ergonomia.This study aimed to analyze the debate and the theoretical and methodological deepening of studies on daily life work. The investigation started from the interdisciplinary dialogue among anthropology of work, ergology, and social psychology of work and it systematized the mutual contributions among these scientific fields, their approximations and their departures from the thematization and appropriation of human activity at work from the perspective of daily life. The comparative analysis highlighted axes which differentiate the ways for approaching the object, that refer to the relations established between practical and technical-scientific kinds of knowledge and the modes of intervening on work situations. Comparative approaches share the interest in knowing the real work, the value attributed to workers' knowledge and sensitivity to the micropolitical dimensions of daily life. One concludes that the location in each of these axes depends on the greater or lesser affiliation to the traditions of anthropology or ergonomics