High genetic variability in a small toad from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest / Alta variabilidade genética num pequeno sapo da Mata Atlântica brasileira

The fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest is one of the main causes of habitat loss in this important global biodiversity hotspot. Amphibians are an integral part of this biodiversity and are the most threatened group of vertebrates on the planet, with some species declining mainly due to habitat loss; therefore, they are an important parameter to understand the effects of fragmentation. One of the least known aspects of this process is how the surrounding matrix fragments influence frog diversity and gene flow among these forest remnants. Moreover, few studies have analyzed genetic variability of populations. Frogs are key targets for such studies because of their role as bioindicators.  This study aimed to determine whether a  matrix  with predominance  of  coffee  plantations,  sugar  plantations   or   pasture  influence  the  genetic diversity of Rhinella ornata estimated by analyzing the D-loop region of mitochondrial DNA. The results showed that not all tested matrices restricted genetic diversity of this toad, which showed little tendency for population structure even between the most distant fragments tested 39 (102 km)

PERSPECTIVAS TECNOLÓGICAS PARA O ENVELHECIMENTO POPULACIONAL: O BENEFÍCIO DA INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL EM IDOSOS

The increase in global life expectancy brings with it the growing challenge of population aging, marked by the increase in chronic diseases such as dementia and cancer, demanding personalized medical care. At the same time, there is a worrying trend towards a reduction in physical activity levels and an increase in sedentary lifestyle, influenced by public policies, social support and individual, cultural and environmental factors. The social and psychological impact of aging, including loneliness in old age, highlights the need for innovative interventions such as the use of educational robotic technologies, such as "RoboLS", which aim to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly. Advances in clinical artificial intelligence and socially assistive robotics are also explored as promising tools to support healthy aging and improve social interaction among older. OBJECTIVE: Analyze and highlight technological perspectives to promote healthy aging in the population. METHODOLOGY: This study reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2023, obtained from the PubMed database using descriptors such as Artificial Intelligence, Aging and technology. 16 articles were selected from a total of 63 initially found, after applying inclusion criteria that considered complete studies in Portuguese, English, Spanish or French, including reviews and meta-analyses relevant to the research. RESULTS: The studies highlight significant advances in the application of technologies such as Social Assistance Robots (SARs) and artificial intelligence (AI) programs to improve the quality of life of the elderly. Telemonitoring and the use of advanced sensors have proven effective in managing chronic diseases and early detection of adverse events. SARs equipped with tactile and light sensors promoted beneficial social interactions, reducing the burden on caregivers. However, challenges such as cultural adaptation and patient safety remain critical to the widespread acceptance of these technologies. Personalization of care and ethical algorithm development are essential to maximizing the potential of AI and robotics-based solutions in elderly care. CONCLUSION: Recent advances in AI for elderly care are highlighted by the implementation of SARs, which improve health and quality of life, although they face technical and ethical challenges in their continued acceptance and effectiveness.O aumento da expectativa de vida global traz consigo o desafio crescente do envelhecimento populacional, marcado pelo aumento das doenças crônicas como demência e câncer, demandando cuidados médicos personalizados. Paralelamente, observa-se uma tendência preocupante de redução nos níveis de atividade física e aumento do sedentarismo, influenciados por políticas públicas, apoio social e fatores individuais, culturais e ambientais. O impacto social e psicológico do envelhecimento, incluindo a solidão na terceira idade, ressalta a necessidade de intervenções inovadoras como o uso de tecnologias robóticas educativas, como o "RoboLS", que visam melhorar a saúde física e mental dos idosos. Avanços na inteligência artificial clínica e robótica socialmente assistencial também são explorados como ferramentas promissoras para apoiar o envelhecimento saudável e melhorar a interação social entre os idosos. OBJETIVO: Analisar e destacar as perspectivas tecnológicas para promover um envelhecimento saudável na população. METODOLOGIA: Este estudo revisou artigos publicados entre 2018 e 2023, obtidos da base de dados PubMed usando descritores como Inteligência Artificial, Envelhecimento e tecnologia. Foram selecionados 16 artigos de um total de 63 inicialmente encontrados, após aplicação de critérios de inclusão que consideraram estudos completos em português, inglês, espanhol ou francês, incluindo revisões e meta-análises relevantes para a pesquisa. RESULTADOS: Os estudos destacam avanços significativos na aplicação de tecnologias como os Robôs de Assistência Social (SARs) e programas de inteligência artificial (IA) para melhorar a qualidade de vida dos idosos. O telemonitoramento e o uso de sensores avançados mostraram-se eficazes na gestão de doenças crônicas e na detecção precoce de eventos adversos. SARs equipados com sensores táteis e de luz promoveram interações sociais benéficas, reduzindo o fardo dos cuidadores. No entanto, desafios como a adaptação cultural e a segurança dos pacientes continuam a ser críticos para a aceitação generalizada dessas tecnologias. A personalização dos cuidados e o desenvolvimento ético de algoritmos são essenciais para maximizar o potencial das soluções baseadas em IA e robótica no cuidado aos idosos. CONCLUSÃO: Recentes avanços na IA para cuidados com idosos destacam-se pela implementação de SARs, que melhoram saúde e qualidade de vida, embora enfrentem desafios técnicos e éticos em sua aceitação e eficácia contínuas

The effect of triterpenoids quinonamethide on the regulation of microRNAs associated with proliferation and apoptosis in head and neck cancer.

Um dos tipos de câncer mais frequentes no mundo é o carcinoma epidermoide de cabeça e pescoço. A dificuldade de resposta eficiente aos tratamentos está relacionada à complexidade molecular deste tumor. MicroRNAs regulam uma parte significativa dos genes humanos, dentre os quais genes responsáveis por controlar proliferação e apoptose, caracterizando seu papel na progressão tumoral e resistência a quimioterápicos. O entendimento sobre como moléculas com ação antineoplásica atuam sobre a regulação de microRNAs pode contribuir para a compreensão de resultados terapêuticos. Neste estudo avaliamos o efeito dos triterpenos quinonametídeos maitenina e 22-β-hidroximaitenina sobre a viabilidade celular e sobre a regulação de microRNAs associados com proliferação e apoptose. O efeito destas moléculas foi avaliado frente a linhagens tumorais e em queratinócitos orais livres de tumor. Os resultados indicam que os dois triterpenos avaliados reduzem eficazmente a viabilidade das células cancerígenas e a regulação de microRNAs faz parte dos mecanismos envolvidos neste efeito.Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most frequent cancer types in the world. The difficulty of effective response to treatment is related to the molecular complexity of this tumor. MicroRNAs, small non-coding RNA molecules, regulate a significant proportion of human genes, among which genes involved in cell growth, apoptosis and response to chemotherapy. The comprehension on how anticancer molecules interfere with microRNA expression should contribute to the understanding of treatment outcome. This study evaluated the effect of two quinonamethide triterpenoids, maytenin and 22-β-hidroxymaytenin, on cell viability and on the regulation of microRNAs associated with proliferation and apoptosis. The effect of these molecules was evaluated in tumor cells and oral keratinocytes. The results show that the two triterpenoids effectively reduced cell viability of cancer-derived cell lines and that microRNA regulation is one of the mechanisms involved in this effect

Anticancer Activities of the Quinone-Methide Triterpenes Maytenin and 22-β-hydroxymaytenin Obtained from Cultivated Maytenus ilicifolia Roots Associated with Down-Regulation of miRNA-27a and miR-20a/miR-17-5p

Natural triterpenes exhibit a wide range of biological activities. Since this group of secondary metabolites is structurally diverse, effects may vary due to distinct biochemical interactions within biological systems. In this work, we investigated the anticancer-related activities of the quinone-methide triterpene maytenin and its derivative compound 22-β-hydroxymaytenin, obtained from Maytenus ilicifolia roots cultivated in vitro. Their antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activities were evaluated in monolayer and three-dimensional cultures of immortalized cell lines. Additionally, we investigated the toxicity of maytenin in SCID mice harboring tumors derived from a squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Both isolated molecules presented pronounced pro-apoptotic activities in four cell lines derived from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, including a metastasis-derived cell line. The molecules also induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and down-regulated microRNA-27a and microRNA-20a/miR-17-5p, corroborating with the literature data for triterpenoids. Intraperitoneal administration of maytenin to tumor-bearing mice did not lead to pronounced histopathological changes in kidney tissue, suggesting low nephrotoxicity. The wide-ranging activity of maytenin and 22-β-hydroxymaytenin in head and neck cancer cells indicates that these molecules should be further explored in plant biochemistry and biotechnology for therapeutic applications

Resumos concluídos - Educação

Resumos concluídos - Educaçã

Resumos concluídos - Educação

Resumos concluídos - Educaçã

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora