Anatomical study and phytochemical screening of leaves from Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden et Cambage

O óleo essencial das folhas de Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden et Cambage, espécie de elevada resistência ao frio, contém α-pineno como constituinte majoritário. Este trabalho avaliou a anatomia foliar de E. benthamii e realizou um screening fitoquímico para investigar a presença de outros metabólitos secundários nas folhas desse táxon. A partir do material botânico fixado, foram conduzidas as análises anatômicas, utilizando os métodos usuais de microscopia fotônica e eletrônica. O screening fitoquímico foi desenvolvido por meio de reações específicas para triterpenos/esteróides, alcalóides, antraquinonas, cumarinas, flavonóides, saponinas e taninos. A anatomia foliar evidenciou estômatos anomocíticos em ambas as faces do limbo foliar, mesofilo heterogêneo simétrico isobilateral, nervura mediana plano-convexa e sistema vascular do tipo bicolateral em arco aberto. Também foram visualizados idioblastos contendo cristais de oxalato de cálcio, cavidades secretoras com conteúdo lipofílico e súber cicatricial. O estudo fitoquímico revelou a presença de triterpenos e/ou esteróides, glicosídeos flavônicos, glicosídeos saponínicos e taninos.Eucalyptus benthamii Maiden et Cambage is a species with remarkable cold tolerance. Its essential oil showed α-pinene as the major constituent. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the anatomy of leaves from E. benthamii. Also a phytochemical screening of others secondary metabolites was investigated. The anatomical analyses of previously fixed leaves from E. benthamii were performed by the usual light and scanning microtechniques. Phytochemical study was carried out by qualitative reactions for triterpenes/steroids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, coumarins, flavonoids, saponins and tannins. Anomocytic stomata were observed on both surfaces of leaves from E. benthamii. Foliar blade showed a heterogeneous and symmetrical mesophyll as isobilateral arrange. The midrib showed plain-convex cross-section and was traversed by a bicollateral vascular bundle in open arc. Idioblasts with calcium oxalate prisms, secretory cavities with oil content and lenticel-like structures were also reported. The phytochemical screening revealed triterpenes/steroids, flavonoid glycosides, saponin glycosides and tannins.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Inductive learning spatial attention

This paper investigates the automatic induction of spatial attention from the visual observation of objects manipulated on a table top. In this work, space is represented in terms of a novel observer-object relative reference system, named Local Cardinal System, defined upon the local neighbourhood of objects on the table. We present results of applying the proposed methodology on five distinct scenarios involving the construction of spatial patterns of coloured blocks

Cell Therapy Attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction Post Myocardial Infarction: Effect of Timing, Routes of Injection and a Fibrin Scaffold

Background: Cell therapy approaches for biologic cardiac repair hold great promises, although basic fundamental issues remain poorly understood. In the present study we examined the effects of timing and routes of administration of bone marrow cells (BMC) post-myocardial infarction (MI) and the efficacy of an injectable biopolymer scaffold to improve cardiac cell retention and function. Methodology/Principal Findings: (99m)Tc-labeled BMC (6x10(6) cells) were injected by 4 different routes in adult rats: intravenous (IV), left ventricular cavity (LV), left ventricular cavity with temporal aorta occlusion (LV(+)) to mimic coronary injection, and intramyocardial (IM). The injections were performed 1, 2, 3, or 7 days post-MI and cell retention was estimated by gamma-emission counting of the organs excised 24 hs after cell injection. IM injection improved cell retention and attenuated cardiac dysfunction, whereas IV, LV or LV* routes were somewhat inefficient (< 1%). Cardiac BMC retention was not influenced by timing except for the IM injection that showed greater cell retention at 7 (16%) vs. 1, 2 or 3 (average of 7%) days post-MI. Cardiac cell retention was further improved by an injectable fibrin scaffold at day 3 post-MI (17 vs. 7%), even though morphometric and function parameters evaluated 4 weeks later displayed similar improvements. Conclusions/Significance: These results show that cells injected post-MI display comparable tissue distribution profile regardless of the route of injection and that there is no time effect for cardiac cell accumulation for injections performed 1 to 3 days post-MI. As expected the IM injection is the most efficient for cardiac cell retention, it can be further improved by co-injection with a fibrin scaffold and it significantly attenuates cardiac dysfunction evaluated 4 weeks post myocardial infarction. These pharmacokinetic data obtained under similar experimental conditions are essential for further development of these novel approaches

Rat Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Transplantation Attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction Post Infarction and Biopolymers Enhance Cell Retention

Background: Cardiac cell transplantation is compromised by low cell retention and poor graft viability. Here, the effects of co-injecting adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) with biopolymers on cell cardiac retention, ventricular morphometry and performance were evaluated in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI). Methodology/Principal Findings: (99m)Tc-labeled ASCs (1 x 10(6) cells) isolated from isogenic Lewis rats were injected 24 hours post-MI using fibrin a, collagen (ASC/C), or culture medium (ASC/M) as vehicle, and cell body distribution was assessed 24 hours later by gamma-emission counting of harvested organs. ASC/F and ASC/C groups retained significantly more cells in the myocardium than ASC/M (13.8+/-2.0 and 26.8+/-2.4% vs. 4.8+/-0.7%, respectively). Then, morphometric and direct cardiac functional parameters were evaluated 4 weeks post-MI cell injection. Left ventricle (LV) perimeter and percentage of interstitial collagen in the spare myocardium were significantly attenuated in all ASC-treated groups compared to the non-treated (NT) and control groups (culture medium, fibrin, or collagen alone). Direct hemodynamic assessment under pharmacological stress showed that stroke volume (SV) and left ventricle end-diastolic pressure were preserved in ASC-treated groups regardless of the vehicle used to deliver ASCs. Stroke work (SW), a global index of cardiac function, improved in ASC/M while it normalized when biopolymers were co-injected with ASCs. A positive correlation was observed between cardiac ASCs retention and preservation of SV and improvement in SW post-MI under hemodynamic stress. Conclusions: We provided direct evidence that intramyocardial injection of ASCs mitigates the negative cardiac remodeling and preserves ventricular function post-MI in rats and these beneficial effects can be further enhanced by administrating co-injection of ASCs with biopolymers.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)[01/0009-0]Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)[05/54695-3]Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)[04/06784-4]Ministerio da Ciencia e Tecnologia/Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico/Ministerio da Saude/Departamento Ciencia e Tecnologia (MCT/CNPq/MS/DECIT)[552324/20005-1]Ministerio da Ciencia e Tecnologia/Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico/Ministerio da Saude/Departamento Ciencia e Tecnologia (MCT/CNPq/MS/DECIT)[10120104096700]CNPq[141276/2004-5

Reproductive aspects of the oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus (Elasmobranchii: Carcharhinidae), in the equatorial and southwestern Atlantic Ocean

The present study sought to study the reproductive biology of the oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, in the equatorial and southwestern Atlantic Ocean. A total of 234 specimens were collected as bycatch during pelagic longline fisheries targeting tunas and swordfish, between December 2003 and December 2010. The fishing area was located between latitudes 10N and 35S and longitudes 3E and 40W. Of the 234 individuals sampled, 118 were females (with sizes ranging from 81 to 227 cm TL, total length) and 116 males (ranging from 80 to 242 cm TL). The reproductive stages of the females were classed as immature, mature, preovulatory and pregnant, while males were divided into immature, maturing and mature. The size at maturity for females was estimated at 170.0 cm TL, while that for males was between 170.0 and 190.0 cm TL. Ovarian fecundity ranged from 1 to 10 follicles and uterine fecundity from 1 to 10 embryos. The reproductive cycle of this species is most likely biennial, with parturition occurring once every two years.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

As Oficinas Temáticas e a Experimentação utilizadas na Formação Continuada de professores de uma escola pública de Belém – PA

O presente artigo apresenta os resultados de um projeto desenvolvido em uma Escola Pública de Ensino Fundamental e Médio localizada na cidade de Belém-Pará. O desenvolvimento do projeto deu-se com os professores que atuam na disciplina Ciências desenvolvida no Ensino Fundamental – Séries Iniciais.Os conteúdos de Ciências selecionados foram trabalhados com professores através de Oficinas Temáticas e em seguida realizadas atividades experimentais com materiais alternatvos em consonância com as temáticas discutidas em sala de aula. Tais resultados indicaram a viabilidade de ações desta natureza e sua efetiva contribuição para a Formação Continuada de professores para este nível de ensino de forma complementar a reflexão desses professores sobre a disciplina Ciência