Chemical investigation of a biologically active schinus molle L. leaf extract

The pepper tree Schinus molle L. is an evergreen ornamental plant belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, native to South America and widespread throughout the world. It has biological activities and is used in folk medicine. This paper aims to contribute to a deeper knowledge of its chemical composition and biological properties. S. molle leaf extracts were obtained by sequential extraction with solvents of different polarities and subsequently tested on the HL-60 human leukaemia cell line to define a possible cytotoxic activity. Among the investigated extracts, the petroleum ether extract revealed a high cytotoxic activity, and its chemical composition was further investigated. By a silica column chromatography, eight fractions were obtained, and their compositions were determined by GC-MS analysis. Compounds and relative abundance differed widely among the fractions; sesquiterpenes resulted the main component and alcoholic sesquiterpenes the most abundant

Mental imagery of object motion in weightlessness

Mental imagery represents a potential countermeasure for sensorimotor and cognitive dysfunctions due to spaceflight. It might help train people to deal with conditions unique to spaceflight. Thus, dynamic interactions with the inertial motion of weightless objects are only experienced in weightlessness but can be simulated on Earth using mental imagery. Such training might overcome the problem of calibrating fine-grained hand forces and estimating the spatiotemporal parameters of the resulting object motion. Here, a group of astronauts grasped an imaginary ball, threw it against the ceiling or the front wall, and caught it after the bounce, during pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight experiments. They varied the throwing speed across trials and imagined that the ball moved under Earth's gravity or weightlessness. We found that the astronauts were able to reproduce qualitative differences between inertial and gravitational motion already on ground, and further adapted their behavior during spaceflight. Thus, they adjusted the throwing speed and the catching time, equivalent to the duration of virtual ball motion, as a function of the imaginary 0 g condition versus the imaginary 1 g condition. Arm kinematics of the frontal throws further revealed a differential processing of imagined gravity level in terms of the spatial features of the arm and virtual ball trajectories. We suggest that protocols of this kind may facilitate sensorimotor adaptation and help tuning vestibular plasticity in-flight, since mental imagery of gravitational motion is known to engage the vestibular cortex

Il mito nell’antico Egitto nel caso dei Testi delle Piramidi: nuovi approcci e metodologie

The presence or absence of myth in the Pyramid Texts has always been a matter of contention for Egyptologists since German scholars started to deal with the subject in the second half of the 19th century, making the status of myth one of the most problematic aspects concerning Egyptian religion and texts. Proceeding from a revisionist approach, this study examines the textual evidence from a "mythical point of view". Going through different features of this corpus, in particular the funerary ideology and the religious ideas therein enclosed, all the spells of the Pyramid Texts have been inspected looking for myths concealed behind the allusive language and the magical power of the words. The attention has been focused on those texts which displayed some kind of mythical traces and, collecting those referring to the same mythical account, it has been possible to identify and reconstruct the mythical traditions spread throughout the spells, proceeding also from their versions which have been passed on at later times. After his detailed analysis of the whole corpus, the author feels it to be like a sort of huge myth in itself, allowing the king to enter a new world after his death and creating a new form of – mythical – existence for him who is destined to live his eternity in company of the gods. The innovative conclusion of this study thus is that myth in the Pyramid Texts exists, but not in the narrative form which had always been looked for, instead through mythical allusion

Cultura de café (Coffea arábica L.) com princípios agroecológicos como opção para a agricultura familiar na região de Penápolis/SP.

O município de Penápolis e região, localizados no noroeste do estado de São Paulo, foram desbravados para implantação da cafeicultura e tornaram-se fortes produtores no início do século passado, influenciando no traçado das ferrovias e na dispersão dos imigrantes. Porém, devido a fatores econômicos, climáticos e políticos, essa cultura foi substituída por outras atividades agropecuárias, desenvolvidas para as grandes propriedades, como a cana-de-açúcar e a pastagem, oprimindo assim, a agricultura familiar que se tornou inviável em moldes convencionais de produção, provocando a retirada do agricultor familiar para a cidade em busca de outras fontes de renda. O objetivo desse trabalho é o acompanhamento da formação e manejo de uma lavoura experimental de café em moldes agroecológicos e a definição de indicadores de sustentabilidade, para avaliação e comparação de resultados com outros cultivos de princípios convencionais, orgânico e um fragmento de mata natural, como parâmetros para a análise, avaliação e implementação desse sistema de cultivo na região, em busca de um resgate da tradição local. Neste trabalho, concluiu-se que a cafeicultura em moldes agroecológicos promoveu sensíveis transformações físico-químicas e biológicas no sistema, indicando que, com a utilização de técnicas alternativas de produção aliadas à tradição do cultivo do café e à aptidão do agricultor, é possível viabilizar a cafeicultura como alternativa para a agricultura familiar na região. Palavras-chave: Colonização, cafeicultura, agroecologia, agricultura familiar, sustentabilidade.Dissertação (Mestrado em Agroecologia e Desenvolvimento Rural) - Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Araras. Orientador: José Maria Gusman Ferra

PGM-Free Biomass-Derived Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Energy Conversion Devices: Promising Materials

Biomass is a low-cost, abundant and renewable resource that can be used to manufacture porous carbon-based materials for a variety of applications. Different mesoporous carbon supports can be obtained from the various synthetic approaches that are aimed at increasing the specific surface area and functionalization. Currently, most of the biomass is used for energy recovery. The circular economy approach could lead to the development of cheap and sustainable materials, and turning of wastes into a precious resource. In this review, we provide the recent advances in the field of electrochemistry for porous carbon materials derived from biomass, which offers wider applications in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) and Zn-air batteries (ZABs). The focus is on understanding the required properties of the materials and the role of synthetic pathways in platinum group metal (PGM) free electrocatalysts. The most promising materials are evaluated towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in PEMFC, AEMFC, and ZAB. The results achieved showed that the expected performances on these energy conversion devices still lack for deployment in practice, especially if compared with commercially available PGM-free electrocatalysts. This review article provides insights on how to improve the actual electrocatalytic activity of biomass-derived materials. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Effects of sex, host-plant deprivation and presence of conspecific immatures on the cannibalistic behavior of wild Ascia monuste orseis (Godart) (Lepidoptera, Pieridae)

Effects of sex, host-plant deprivation and presence of conspecific immatures on the cannibalistic behavior of wild Ascia monuste orseis (Godart) (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). The specialist cabbage caterpillar Ascia monuste orseis (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) feeds on plants of the Brassicaceae family, but may eventually ingest conspecific eggs and larvae during the larval stage. The present study examines feeding behavior of 4th and 5th instar cabbage caterpillars in relation to sex, host-plant deprivation and presence of conspecifics. We recorded number of egg ingested per larvae, developmental indices and duration of feeding, exploratory and resting behavior. Kale deprived caterpillars presented high rates of cannibalism, development delay and decreased fecundity. Cannibalism rates were not influenced by the sex of the larvae. In general, the presence of conspecific eggs did not interfere with the frequency and duration of the categorical behavioral events. We conclude that food availability is a strong factor influencing the extent to which A. monuste orseis caterpillars cannibalize.Influência do sexo, da privação de plantas hospedeiras e da presença de imaturos coespecíficos no comportamento canibal de Ascia monuste orseis (Godart) (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) selvagens. A curuquerê-da-couve, A. monuste orseis (Lepidoptera, Pieridae), alimenta-se de plantas da família Brassicaceae, mas ingere ovos e larvas coespecíficos, quando disponíveis, durante a fase larval. O comportamento alimentar de lagartas de 4º e 5º ínstares foi estudado em relação ao sexo e à privação de alimento afetando as taxas de canibalismo, e a presença de ovos coespecíficos afetando o comportamento alimentar. Foram mensurados: número de ovos ingeridos/larva, tempo de desenvolvimento, tamanho do adulto, fecundidade e duração dos comportamentos de alimentação, exploração e repouso. Lagartas privadas de couve apresentaram altas taxas de canibalismo, atraso no desenvolvimento e diminuição do número de oócitos. As taxas de canibalismo não foram influenciadas pelo sexo da larva. De um modo geral, a presença de ovos coespecíficos não interferiu na duração e na freqüência dos comportamentos de repouso, exploratório e alimentar. Concluímos que a disponibilidade de alimento é um fator que influencia fortemente na extensão do canibalismo por lagartas de A. monuste orseis.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)CNP

The meaning of religious beliefs for a group of cancer patients during rehabilitation

Este estudo exploratório teve o objetivo de identificar como a religião influencia a sobrevivência de um grupo de pacientes oncológicos. Consistiu em estudo de caso etnográfico, com a participação de seis laringectomizados, de ambos os sexos, na faixa etária de 51 a 72 anos, operados de dois a cinco anos. Os dados foram coletados por entrevistas semi-estruturadas e analisados segundo os conceitos de cultura e religião. Sintetizou-se os resultados em três categorias descritivas: a representação moral do câncer, as crenças religiosas na trajetória do câncer e a negociação com a religião para a sobrevivência. O significado que emerge - "a expectativa por uma segunda chance" - enfatiza a importância da religião como parte das redes de apoio que se articulam com o enfrentamento do estigma do câncer, com a expectativa da cura e com as formas de organizar a vida cotidiana, na sobrevivência.La finalidad de este estudio exploratorio fue identificar cómo la religión influencia la supervivencia de un grupo de pacientes oncológicos. Consistió en un estudio de caso etnográfico con la participación de seis laringectomizados, de ambos sexos, con edad de 51 a 72 años, que habían sido operados de dos a cinco años antes. Los datos fueron recogidos por entrevistas semi-estructuradas y analizados según los conceptos de cultura y religión. Sintetizamos los resultados en tres categorias descriptivas: la representación moral del cáncer, las creencias religiosas en el trayecto del cáncer y la negociación con la religión por la supervivencia. El significado que resulta - "la expectativa por una segunda oportunidad" - enfatiza la importancia de la religión como parte de las redes de apoyo que se encadenan con la conciliación con el estigma del cáncer, con la expectativa de cura y con las formas de arreglar la vida cotidiana, en la supervivenvia.The objective of this exploratory study was to identify how religion influences the survival of a group of cancer patients. The study consisted of an ethnographic case with the participation of six laryngectomized male and female patients between 51 and 72 years old, who had been operated on two to five years earlier. Data were collected by semistructured interviews and analyzed on the basis of the concepts of culture and religion. The results were synthesized into three descriptive categories: the moral representation of cancer, religious beliefs about the cancer trajectory, and negotiation with religion for survival. These categories give rise to the meaning "the hope for a second chance", which emphasizes the importance of religion as part of the support networks that articulate with the patient's coping with the stigma of cancer, with the hope for cure, and with the ways of organizing everyday life, during survival

Influence of estimated training status on anti and pro-oxidant activity, nitrite concentration, and blood pressure in middle-aged and older women

The purpose of this study was to compare the association between anti and pro-oxidant activity, nitrite concentration, and blood pressure (BP) in middle-aged and older women with different levels of estimated training status (TS). The sample consisted of 155 females (50-84 years) who were submitted to a physical examination to evaluate estimated TS through the "Functional Fitness Battery Test," BP measurements, and plasma blood samples to evaluate pro-oxidant and antioxidant activity and nitrite concentrations. Participants were separated by age into a middle-aged group (< 65 years) and an older (≥65 years) group and then subdivided in each group according to TS. Blood biochemistry was similar between groups. On the other hand, protein oxidation was lower in participants with higher TS, independent of age. Older females with higher TS presented higher nitrite concentrations, lower lipoperoxidation, and lower values of BP compared with those with lower TS. Lower GPx activity was observed in participants with higher TS compared with middle-aged with lower TS. Thus, our results suggest that good levels of TS may be associated with lower oxidative stress and higher nitrite concentration and may contribute to maintain normal or reduced blood pressure values.Fil: Jacomini, André M.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Dias, Danielle da Silva. Universidade Nove de Julho; BrasilFil: Brito, Janaina de Oliveira. Universidade Nove de Julho; BrasilFil: da Silva, Roberta F.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Monteiro, Henrique L.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Llesuy, Susana Francisca. Universidade Nove de Julho; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad Medicina. Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular; ArgentinaFil: De Angelis, Kátia. Universidade Nove de Julho; BrasilFil: Amaral, Sandra L.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Zago, Anderson S.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasi

Influence of biological maturation on postural control in young soccer players

Biological maturation does not follow a linear development path; the process presents inter- individual differences concerning the timing of psychophysical development. The nonlinear nature of the biological maturation process often results in sudden and rapid modifications that can influence the sensorimotor functions, in particular when the peak height velocity (PHV) is approaching. Static standing balance and postural control are fundamental skills, both for daily living and sport performance, that can be strongly affected by PHV. We examined the influence of biological maturation on the performance of static standing balance, an index for sensorimotor control. Two-hundred and 38 young healthy soccer players (U9 to U17), playing in a sub-\ue9lite club (at least two training sessions and an official match per week), were evaluated. After anthropometric measurement, standing balance was assessed using a baropodometric platform (BTS P-Walk, Italy). Subjects stood barefooted on the platform and were recorded at 20 Hz during two 30-s tests, the first with eyes open and the second keeping eyes closed. Participants were split into six groups based on the Maturity Offset (MO), representing the estimated time to/from the PHV and calculated according to Mirwald et al1. The body center of pressure (CoP) sway area and velocity were calculated. Differences between MO groups were tested using a 2-factor (MO and condition) ANOVA with repeated measures on the condition factor (eyes open/closed). The sway area showed a decreasing trend as the MO increased, in particular in MO&lt;-1.5 was higher than in MO&gt;0.5 (p&lt;0.001). Likewise, CoP velocity presented a similar pattern (p&lt;0.001), with a marked decline in groups with MO&gt;0.5. The results suggest that biological maturation is associated with changes in standing balance control. The reduction of CoP sway area and velocity as the MO increase represents the improved efficiency of the postural control system