Η ανάγνωση / κατανόηση των μύθων στο νηπιαγωγείο μέσω παιγνιώδους διδακτικής παρέμβασης

Please note: this article is in Greek. Reading and understanding myths through play in pre-school education: The present paper aims at evaluating the contribution of play to the procedure of reading and understanding myths in Greek pre-school education. Specifically, it describes the results of a pilot study that took place in kindergartens of Thessaloniki over a period of three months in 2006. Fifty pre-school children were involved in the study, forming two groups: a control-group and a group under experimentation. The research was carried out in two stages separated by a teaching intervention based on a game. In the first stage the two groups were given a pre-test, then the intervention took place and during the second stage both groups were given a meta-test. Statistical analysis of the test results yielded valuable conclusions concerning the extent to which, the aforementioned teaching intervention, contributed to the pre-schoolers’ reading and understanding of myths

Decoction, infusion and hydroalcoholic extract of Origanum vulgare L.: different performances regarding bioactivity and phenolic compounds

Bioactivity of oregano methanolic extracts and essential oils is well known. Nonetheless, reports using aqueous extracts are scarce, mainly decoction or infusion preparations used for therapeutic applications. Herein, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and phenolic compounds of the infusion, decoction and hydroalcoholic extract of oregano were evaluated and compared. The antioxidant activity is related with phenolic compounds, mostly flavonoids, since decoction presented the highest concentration of flavonoids and total phenolic compounds, followed by infusion and hydroalcoholic extract. The samples were effective against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. It is important to address that the hydroalcoholic extract showed the highest efficacy against Escherichia coli. This study demonstrates that the decoction could be used for antioxidant purposes, while the hydroalcoholic extract could be incorporated in formulations for antimicrobial features. Moreover, the use of infusion/decoction can avoid the toxic effects showed by oregano essential oil, widely reported for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for N. Martins Grant (SFRH/BD/87658/2012), L. Barros researcher contract under "Programa Compromisso com Ciencia - 2008" and financial support to the research centre CIMO (Strategic Project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011)

Phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives to promote growth and enhance host health

There are heightened concerns globally on emerging drug-resistant superbugs and the lack of new antibiotics for treating human and animal diseases. For the agricultural industry, there is an urgent need to develop strategies to replace antibiotics for food-producing animals, especially poultry and livestock. The 2nd International Symposium on Alternatives to Antibiotics was held at the World Organization for Animal Health in Paris, France, December 12-15, 2016 to discuss recent scientific developments on strategic antibiotic-free management plans, to evaluate regional differences in policies regarding the reduction of antibiotics in animal agriculture and to develop antibiotic alternatives to combat the global increase in antibiotic resistance. More than 270 participants from academia, government research institutions, regulatory agencies, and private animal industries from >25 different countries came together to discuss recent research and promising novel technologies that could provide alternatives to antibiotics for use in animal health and production; assess challenges associated with their commercialization; and devise actionable strategies to facilitate the development of alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) without hampering animal production. The 3-day meeting consisted of four scientific sessions including vaccines, microbial products, phytochemicals, immune-related products, and innovative drugs, chemicals and enzymes, followed by the last session on regulation and funding. Each session was followed by an expert panel discussion that included industry representatives and session speakers. The session on phytochemicals included talks describing recent research achievements, with examples of successful agricultural use of various phytochemicals as antibiotic alternatives and their mode of action in major agricultural animals (poultry, swine and ruminants). Scientists from industry and academia and government research institutes shared their experience in developing and applying potential antibiotic-alternative phytochemicals commercially to reduce AGPs and to develop a sustainable animal production system in the absence of antibiotics.Fil: Lillehoj, Hyun. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service; ArgentinaFil: Liu, Yanhong. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Calsamiglia, Sergio. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Fernandez Miyakawa, Mariano Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Patobiología; ArgentinaFil: Chi, Fang. Amlan International; Estados UnidosFil: Cravens, Ron L.. Amlan International; Estados UnidosFil: Oh, Sungtaek. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service; ArgentinaFil: Gay, Cyril G.. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Research Service; Argentin

Kemijski sastav te antioksidacijski, citotoksični i insekticidni potencijal valerijane Valeriana alliariifolia u Turskoj

Valeriana is a common plant species used for various healing purposes in folk medicine since antiquity. This study investigates the phytochemical profile, antioxidant, cytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of Valeriana alliariifolia Adams, a species that has traditionally been used in Turkey. For the analyses we prepared four root extracts of V. alliariifolia Adams using hexane (HM1), chloroform (CM1), ethanol (EM1), and water (WM1) for maceration. Additionally, two extracts were also prepared from its roots by maceration separately with ethanol (EM2) and water (WM2). One sample was prepared as a water infusion (WI), according to the procedure used in Turkish traditional medicine. The 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity tests showed that ethanol extracts had the strongest antioxidant activity: EM1 (IC50 – DPPH: 17.694 μg/mL; ABTS: 23.8 μg/mL) and EM2 (IC50 – DPPH: 20 μg/mL; ABTS: 21.5 μg/mL). The hexane extract, HM1, was the most cytotoxic (IC50<10 μg/mL against HepG2 and HUVEC) and EM2 strongly cytotoxic (IC50<10 μg/mL against HepG2 and IC50: 11.96 μg/mL against HUVEC). The extracts with demonstrated cytotoxic activities were further examined to check their insecticidal activity against adult female mosquito Aedes aegypti and first instar Ae. aegypti larvae. HM1 was the most effective (90±10 %), which was consistent with its cytotoxic activity. Because of the high antioxidant, cytotoxic, and insecticidal activities, we ran phytochemical analyses of the HM1, EM1, and EM2 extracts with GC-MS (for HM1) and LC-MS/MS (for EM1 and EM2). We also analysed the composition of the essential oil obtained from V. alliariifolia roots by micro-distillation in order to compare its content with HM1, which contains volatile compounds. Phytochemical analyses revealed that the major compound in HM1 was isovaleric acid (16 %) and in the essential oil 1,8-cineole (2.9 %). EM1 and EM2 contained 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid), verbascoside (acteoside), and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid as major components. In the light of our findings and available literature, we can conclude that V. alliariifolia has a good bioactive potential that could be used for different purposes, including the development of new agents for the treatment of various diseases. The difference in the content between the essential oil and HM1 was remarkable. It suggests that the variability observed in the activity of the samples was a result of composition and that, therefore, the aim of treatment should dictate which type of preparation is to be selected. An added value of our study is that it determined verbascoside and methylquercetin rutinoside for the first time in the Valeriana extracts.Valerijana (odoljen) česta je biljna vrsta koja se zbog svojih ljekovitih svojstava od davnina rabi u narodnoj medicini. U ovome se istraživanju utvrdio fitokemijski profil te antioksidacijsko, citotoksično i insekticidno djelovanje tradicionalne vrste koja se za liječenje rabi u Turskoj – Valeriana alliariifolia Adams. Za analizu je maceracijom pripremljeno šest ekstrakata njezina korijena pomoću heksana (HM1), kloroforma (CM1), etanola (EM1, EM2) i vode (WM1, WM2). Jedan je uzorak pripremljen infuzijom vodom (WI) prema tradicionalnom turskom receptu za ljekovite pripravke. Testovima antioksidacijskoga djelovanja pomoću 2,2-difenil-1-pikrilhidrazila (DPPH) i 2,2’-azino-bis(3-etilbenzotiazolin-6-sulfonične kiseline (ABTS) izdvojeni su sljedeći ekstrakti s najjačim antioksidacijskim djelovanjem: EM1 (IC50 – DPPH: 17,694 μg/mL; ABTS: 23,8 μg/mL) i EM2 (IC50 – DPPH: 20 μg/mL; ABTS: 21,5 μg/mL). Ekstrakt s heksanom, HM1, iskazao je najveću citotoksičnost (IC50<10 μg/mL protiv tumorskih stanica HepG2 i HUVEC), a EM2 snažnu citotoksičnost (IC50<10 μg/mL protiv HepG2 stanica te IC50 11,96 μg/mL protiv HUVEC stanica). Ekstrakte s najsnažnijim citotoksičnim djelovanjem također smo analizirali za insekticidno djelovanje protiv odraslih ženki komarca vrste Aedes aegypti te njihovih ličinki. U skladu sa svojom citotoksičnosti, HM1 se pokazao najdjelotvornijim (smrtnost 90±10 %). Zbog snažnog antioksidacijskog, citotoksičnog i insekticidnog djelovanja, napravili smo i fitokemijsku analizu ekstrakata HM1, EM1 i EM2 služeći se metodama GC-MS (za HM1) i LC-MS/MS (za EM1 i EM2). Također smo analizirali sastav esencijalnoga ulja dobivenoga mikrodestilacijom korijena V. alliariifolia kako bismo ga usporedili sa sastavom HM1, koji je sadržavao hlapljive sastojke. Fitokemijska je analiza pokazala da je glavni sastojak HM1 izovalerijanska kiselina (16 %), a esencijalnoga ulja 1,8-cineol (2,9 %). Glavni sastojci ekstrakata EM1 i EM2 bili su 5-O-kafeoilkvinska kiselina (klorogena kiselina), verbakozid (akteozid) i 3,5-dikafeoilkvinska kiselina. U svjetlu ovih rezultata i dostupne literature, možemo zaključiti da V. alliariifolia ima dobar bioaktivni potencijal, koji se može iskoristiti za različite svrhe poput razvoja novih tvari za liječenje bolesti. Razlika u sadržaju između esencijalnoga ulja i ekstrakta HM1 pokazala se golemom te upućuje na to da su razlike u aktivnosti između uzoraka rezultat sastava, zbog čega primjena/liječenje trebaju uvjetovati koja će se vrsta pripravka odabrati. Dodatna je vrijednost ovoga istraživanja što su se u ekstraktima valerijane prvi put otkrili verbaskozid i metilkvercetin rutinozid

STUDIES ON THE EXPRESSION OF THE GENETIC MATERIAL OF HERPES VIRUSES

NUCLEAR LOCALIZATION AND Β GENE INDUCING PROPERTIES OF THE Α4 ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE NH2 - TERMINAL 288 AMINO ACIDS OF THE PROTEIN. THE Α4 PROTEIN REGULATES POSITIVELY THE GD - 1, GG - 1 AND GG - 2 GENES OF HSV - 1 AND HSV - 2 RESPECTIVELY AS IS CONCLUDED FROM STABLE TRANSFORMED CELL LIVES EXPRESSING THE CORRESPONDING GENES. ALSO STABLE TRANSFORMED CELL LIVES WERE CONSTRUCTED WHICH CONSTITUTIVELY EXPRESS GLYCOPROTEINS GG - 1 AND GG - 2 OF HSV - 1 AND HSV - 2 RESPECTIVELY.ΤΑ 288 ΝΗ2 - ΤΕΛΙΚΑ ΑΜΙΝΟΞΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΩΤΕΙΝΗΣ Α4 ΤΟΥ ΙΟΥ HSV - 1 ΕΙΝΑΙ ΥΠΕΥΘΥΝΑ ΤΟΣΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΠΑΓΩΓΗ ΤΩΝ ΓΟΝΙΔΙΩΝ Β ΟΣΟ ΚΑΙ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΕΣΤΙΑΣΜΟ ΤΗΣ ΠΡΩΤΕΙΝΗΣ ΑΥΤΗΣ ΣΤΟΝ ΠΥΡΗΝΑ ΤΟΥ ΜΟΛΥΣΜΕΝΟΥ ΚΥΤΤΑΡΟΥ. Η ΠΡΩΤΕΙΝΗ Α4 ΡΥΘΜΙΖΕΙ ΘΕΤΙΚΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΚΦΡΑΣΗ ΤΩΝ Γ ΓΟΝΙΔΙΩΝ GD - 1, GG - 1 ΚΑΙ GG - 2 ΤΩΝ ΙΩΝ HSV - 1 ΚΑΙ HSV - 2 ΑΝΤΙΣΤΟΙΧΑ, ΟΠΩΣ ΠΡΟΕΚΥΨΕ ΑΠΟ ΜΕΛΕΤΕΣ ΜΕ ΣΤΑΘΕΡΑ ΜΕΤΑΜΟΡΦΩΜΕΝΕΣ ΚΥΤΤΑΡΙΚΕΣ ΣΕΙΡΕΣ ΣΤΙΣ ΟΠΟΙΕΣ ΕΚΦΡΑΖΟΝΤΑΙ ΤΑ ΑΝΤΙΣΤΟΙΧΑ ΓΟΝΙΔΙΑ. ΚΑΤΑΣΚΕΥΑΣΤΗΚΑΝ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ ΚΥΤΤΑΡΙΚΕΣ ΣΕΙΡΕΣ ΣΤΙΣ ΟΠΟΙΕΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΟΝΤΑΙ ΣΤΑΘΕΡΑ ΟΙ ΓΛΥΚΟΠΡΩΤΕΙΝΕΣ GG - 1 ΚΑΙ GG -2 ΤΩΝ ΙΩΝ HSV - 1 ΚΑΙ HSV - 2 ΑΝΤΙΣΤΟΙΧΑ