Amazonian plants from ethnomedicine to biotechnology through pharmaceutical biology approaches: a PhD experience in connecting forest with laboratory

The South american Natives, Shuar and Achuar people and their ethnomedical culture constitute the background subject of the Phd research, performed both in Ecuador (Salesian Politechnic University, Quito), and in Italy (Pharmaceutical biology labs, University of Ferrara). Based on ethnomedical responses, Piper aduncum, Maytenus macrocarpa, Schinus molle, Tecoma stans and Eugenia hallii were chosen as amazonian plant species subject of the research. AIMS The research has been focused on: − checking the presence of endophytic fungi in plants; − isolating and subculturing pure endophytic strains; − checking the biotransformation capacity of the isolated endophytes on pure compounds; the most performing endophytes were also tested on phytocomplexes and pure chemicals obtained by the plant from which the fungi were isolated; − phytochemical characterization and bioactivity assays of plant extracts: P. aduncum. − METHODS Biotransformations. Fresh aerial plant parts were properly washed in sanitizing solutions and in vitro cultured using adequate solid media to isolate endophytes. (+/-)-cis-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one, acetophenone, 1-indanone, 2-furyl methyl ketone, 2-methylcyclopentanone, 2-methylcyclohexanone, 2- methoxycyclohexanone were chosen as substrate model for biotransformations. The cultures were sampled after 1, 3, 7, 10 days of culturing, and ethyl acetate extracted to verify by GC-MS the presence of possible biotransformation products. Biotransformations were also checked on P. aduncum whole essential oil and on dillapiol, cis-ocimene, piperitone, (-)-terpinen-4-ol as most abundant chemicals. Chemical fingerprinting of P. aduncum essential oil. Steam distillation was adopted to obtain the essential oil, then characterized by GC-MS, NMR analyses. In vitro bioassays of P. aduncum essential oil. Antimicrobial activities were checked in vitro using proper agarized media to reach MIC. Antioxidant capacities were checked through DPPH test, ABTS and photochemiluminescence assays. Born's turbidimetric method and Writhing test were respectively adopted to check platelet-aggregation and anti-nociceptive properties. Mutagenic, antimutagenic properties and toxicity were assayed using classical and modified Ames test. MAIN RESULTS 364 fungal strains were in vitro isolated. Among all, 5 strains performed biotransformations on acetophenone to (S)-1-phenylethanol, with important yields (78-97%) and enantiomeric excess (78- 100%). Three strains gave also phenols probably by enzymatic reactions (Baeyer-Villiger oxidations). 15 fungal strains gave the lactones (-)-(1S,5R)-2-oxabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-6-en-3-one and (-)-(1R,5S)-3- oxabicyclo[3.3.0]oct-6-en-2-one from (+/-)-cis-bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one, probably as result of monooxygenase activation. Phytochemical characterization of P. aduncum essential oil has evidenced dillapiol as the most abundant terpene, followed by cis-ocimene, piperitone and terpinen-4-ol. Only cisocimene and piperitone gave several biotransformation products through dehydrogenation and hydroxylation reactions. The essential oil has evidenced non-mutagenic properties and interesting antifungal and antioxidant activities. CONCLUSIONS Several endophytic fungal strains from Amazonian plants were isolated and checked for biotransformations on pure chemicals and on P. aduncum essential oil. Data obtained will be useful for possible following patents about micro-organisms able to transform pharmaceutically interesting chemicals. Taxonomical characterization of the most performing fungal strains is still in progress. P. aduncum essential oil can be considered genotoxically safe and provides interesting antifungal and antioxidant properties, supporting its ethnomedical use as cicatrising and disinfectant crude drug and suggesting an extension of its employ as preservative ingredient

Petroleum Degradation: Promising Biotechnological Tools for Bioremediation

One of the most common chemicals involved in the soil contamination or soil pollution is petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs). As we know that PH-contaminated soil affects human health directly, such as (i) contact with soil, (ii) via inhalation of vaporized contaminants, and (iii) infiltration of soil contamination into groundwater aquifers used for human consumption. Microbiological processes play an important role in the removal of PHs and take advantage of the catabolic versatility of these organisms to degrade such compounds either partially or completely (mineralization). Thus, the present chapter moves around the relationship of microorganisms with PHs. Based on this concept, this chapter has been designed to address the following relevant issues: How to isolate PH-degrading microorganisms by co-enrichment and optimized enrichment methods? How to study the microbial community structure by high-throughput sequencing method? What are the metabolic versatilities of microorganisms for degrading PHs? How to treat the environmental problems through biological means? What are the available ecotoxicity studies for the analysis of residual PHs after the microbiological treatment at the PHs-contaminated sites? Thus, the aim of this chapter is to explain the importance of microorganisms in cleaning the oil-contaminated environments

Assessment and retrofitting of a RC building through a multi-hazard approach: Seismic resistance and robustness

Most of the existing buildings in seismic prone regions have been built before the publication of modern design provisions against seismic events and progressive collapse. Nonetheless, some studies have highlighted the possible interaction between earthquake resistance and structural robustness, the latter being of interest to either individual extreme hazards (e.g., blast, impact, fire) or interacting hazards (e.g., landslides produced by seismic events). While retrofit strategies to improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures have been widely investigated since many years, the topic of mitigation strategies against progressive collapse received very little attention. Progressive collapse can be described as a special type of structural collapse that involves several components of the structure as consequence of an initial localised damage. The present study aims at investigating whether and how much seismic retrofitting may improve not only the earthquake resistance but also robustness. A four-storey, five-bay, RC frame building designed according to Eurocode 2 is considered as a case study. The frame was assessed by evaluating: 1) the capacity of the structure to redistribute loads after a local damaging event; 2) the seismic capacity of the structure. Non-linear static analyses, i.e., PushDown and PushOver analyses, were carried out in OpenSees to evaluate the robustness and seismic resistance of the structure, respectively. The progressive collapse capacity was evaluated under two relevant column-removal scenarios, i.e., the sudden loss of an internal and an external column, while the seismic resistance was assessed under two load distributions, i.e., proportional to the first vibration mode and to the inertia masses. Subsequently, the impact of retrofitting with carbon fibrereinforced polymers on both structural robustness and seismic resistance was evaluated. The use of the retrofit measure allowed, on the one hand, the removal of all the shear failures due to horizontal seismic actions and, on the other hand, to increase the robustness of the structure

Impact of seismic retrofitting on progressive collapse resistance of RC frame structures

Most of the existing buildings in seismic prone regions have been built before the publication of modern design provisions against earthquakes, resulting in the need for structural retrofitting. Furthermore, some of those buildings are also subjected to additional hazards that may be either triggered by earthquakes (e.g., landslides, soil liquefaction, tsunamis) or associated with other natural or anthropogenic events, such as floods, vehicle collision, blast, and fire. A multi-hazard performance assessment of building structures is thus of paramount importance to implement integrated retrofit strategies, which otherwise would not be economically sustainable if oriented to structural risk mitigation against a single hazard. While retrofit strategies to improve the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) structures have been widely investigated, structural retrofitting against progressive collapse has received very little attention. Within this context, the present paper illustrates a numerical investigation on the influence of seismic retrofitting on structural robustness of a four-storey, five-bay, RC frame building designed only to gravity loads. Seismic performance and structural robustness were respectively evaluated in OpenSees through pushover and pushdown analyses of a fibre-based finite element model. Structural robustness was evaluated under two relevant column-removal scenarios, i.e., the sudden loss of a central and a corner column, whereas earthquake resistance was assessed according to the N2 method, evidencing the need for seismic retrofitting. A retrofit measure based on carbon fibre reinforced polymers was then considered to avoid premature brittle failures. Analysis results show that this retrofit strategy was able to increase both seismic safety and structural robustness. Subsequently, a parametric analysis was carried out in order to evaluate the impact of beam span length and shear strength of the retrofitting system

Bullous Fixed Drug Eruption Induced by Paracetamol: Report of a Pediatric Case

Drug eruptions are among the most common adverse drug reactions, affecting approximately 3% of hospitalized patients. A fixed drug eruption (FDE) is a distinct drug-induced reaction pattern that characteristically recurs at the same skin or mucosal site. We report a case of a 2-year-old girl with bullous FDE due to Tachipirina syrup, a preparation containing paracetamol, a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in Italy

O ensino de música na EJA

Resumo: O presente estudo teve como objetivo investigar, a partir das falas das professoras da disciplina Arte de alguns CEEBJAs da cidade de Curitiba - PR, quais são os saberes necessários para ensinar música. Tardif (2010) serve como referencial teórico principal, além de outros autores da educação, como Freire (2011a, 2003), e da educação musical, como Souza (2000). A metodologia de pesquisa adotada foi o Estudo de Entrevista. Os participantes dessa pesquisa foram sete professoras da disciplina Arte de alguns CEEBJAs, que lecionam na forma organizacional individual ou coletiva, como também em ambas, atuantes no Ensino Fundamental 2 ou Ensino Médio. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e os dados coletados foram submetidos à análise a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa. Os resultados são apresentados e discutidos em capítulo, cuja a discussão sobre os saberes docentes presentes nas falas das professoras é feita. Nas considerações finais, os saberes citados pelas professoras são sintetizados e organizados de acordo com o referencial teórico da presente pesquisa. Por fim, são apresentadas algumas sugestões para estudos futuros

Zoon's Balanitis: Benign or Premalignant Lesion?

Zoon's balanitis or balanitis circumscripta plasmacellularis is a chronic disease of unknown origin. This condition usually manifests in middle-aged or elderly uncircumcised men. Although of unknown etiology, different factors have been reported to be involved in its genesis (local infections, poor hygiene, heat, friction, and constant rubbing). It is generally considered to be a benign condition, and its association with malignancies has been rarely reported. We report the case of an uncircumcised man, who developed clinically and histopathologically evident squamous cell carcinoma of the penis in an area affected by Zoon's balanitis

Dermoscopy of uncommon variants of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Darier-Ferrand dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a locally aggressive fibrohistiocytic tumour with a low metastatic potential.(1) Because of its rarity, slow progression and lack of early clinical clues, the diagnosis of DFSP is often delayed. Classical DFSP clinically appeared like an indurated, irregularly-shaped plaques exhibiting flesh to reddish-brown colour. Some lesions also showed thin teleangectasia on the surface (Fig. 1, a). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Cutaneous Bowen’s Disease: an Analysis of 182 Cases according To Age, Sex, and Anatomical Site from an Italian Center

Bowen's disease (BD), also known as squamous cell carcinoma in situ, is a type of non-melanocytic intraepidermal malignancy characterised by a slowly enlarging erythematous to pink, scaly patch or plaque with irregular and well-demarcated borders. These lesions are usually persistent and progressive; it has been estimated that in general population around 3% to 5% of Bowen's disease transform into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. This report describes our experience with cutaneous BD and assesses the differences found about age, sex and anatomical site. Bowen’s disease was seen more frequently in male patients rather than in female patients in contrast to what confirmed in literature - this difference is probably because being head-neck an exposed region, patients are more easily induced to autoexam and to consult the dermatologist

Tungiasis: Case Report of a Traveller to Kenya

Tungiasis is a neglected parasitic skin disease caused by the permanent penetration of the female sand flea Tunga penetrans (also called jigger flea) into the skin of its host. Growing urbanisation, improved housing and the use of appropriate footwear have presumably led to an overall reduction of the occurrence of this ectoparasitosis within the last few decades. However, it is still highly prevalent in regions where people live in extreme poverty, such as in many Latin American and African countries [1, 2]. We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who returned from an excursion trip to Kenya's savannah with an infection of T. penetrans located on her right big toe around the nail. The natural history, pathology, epidemiology, diagnosis, therapy and control of this parasitic skin disease are discussed [1]