Câncer e agentes antineoplásicos ciclo-celular específicos e ciclo-celular não específicos que interagem com o DNA: uma introdução

The chemotherapy agents against cancer may be classified as "cell cycle-specific" or "cell cycle-nonspecific". Nevertheless, several of them have their biological activity related to any kind of action on DNA such as: antimetabolic agents (DNA synthesis inhibition), inherently reactive agents (DNA alkylating electrophilic traps for macromolecular nucleophiles from DNA through inter-strand cross-linking - ISC - alkylation) and intercalating agents (drug-DNA interactions inherent to the binding made due to the agent penetration in to the minor groove of the double helix). The earliest and perhaps most extensively studied and most heavily employed clinical anticancer agents in use today are the DNA inter-strand cross-linking agents.

Estresse oxidativo, lesões no genoma e processos de sinalização no controle do ciclo celular

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be both beneficial to cells, performing functions in intracellular signaling and detrimental, modifying cellular biomolecules. ROS can cause DNA damage, such as base damage and strand breaks. Organisms respond to chromosome insults by activation of a complex and hierarchical DNA-damage response pathway. The extent of DNA damages determines cell fate: cell cycle arrest and DNA repair or cell death. The ATM is a central protein in the response to DNA double-strand breaks by acting as a transducer protein. Collected evidences suggest that ATM is also involved in the response to oxidative DNA damage.

Plantas medicinais: fatores de influência no conteúdo de metabólitos secundários

Since secondary metabolites represent a chemical interface between plants and surrounding environment, their syntheses are frequently affected by environmental conditions. Thus, variations in the total content and/or of the relative proportions of secondary metabolites in plants can take place. We review the main environmental factors that can streamline or alter the production or concentration of secondary metabolites in plants. How seasonality, circadian rhythm, developmental stage and age, temperature, water availability, UV radiation, soil nutrients, altitude, atmospheric composition and tissue damage influence secondary metabolism are discussed.

Decomposição térmica de espumas de poliuretano para fabricação de vitrocerâmica celular de Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2-Al2O3 (LZSA)

Characterization of the thermal decomposition of polyurethane (PUR) foams was performed by Fourier-transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Three main weight loss paths were observed by TGA, the residue being lower than 3 wt.% for 3 different PUR foams analyzed. FT-IR spectra indicated CO2, CO, NH3 and isocyanides as main decomposition products. PUR foams of different cell sizes were immersed in a slurry of the parent glass ceramic of composition Li2O-ZrO2-SiO2-Al 2O3 (LZSA) and submitted to heat treatment. The LZSA cellular glass ceramics obtained after sintering and crystallization resembled the original morphology of the PUR foams.

Conteúdo lipídico e composição de ácidos graxos de microalgas expostas aos gases CO2, SO2 e NO

The objective of the present work was to verify the lipid content and the fatty acid composition of the microalgae Spirulina sp., Scenedesmus obliquus, Synechococcus nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris cultivated in a medium containing CO2, SO2 and NO. The microalga Scenedesmus obliquus presented the highest lipid content (6.18%). For the other microalgae the lipid content ranged from 4.56 to 5.97%. The major monounsaturated fatty acids content was 66.01% for S. obliquus. The PUFA were obtained in major amount by the microalgae Spirulina sp. (29.37%) and S. nidulans (29.54%). The palmitoleic acid was in larger amount, with 41.02% concentration (Spirulina sp.).

Perda química de carbono e cinética do crescimento celular em cultivos de Spirulina

Photosynthetic microorganism cultures, such as microalgae, represent one of the alternatives for fossil CO2 emissions mitigation. Carbon supply is the major cost component in microalgal cultures. Aiming to enhance the dissolved inorganic carbon uptake efficiency in microalgal cultures, Spirulina sp LEB-18 was cultivated in mediums containing NaHCO3 concentrations ranging from 2.8 to 100 g L-1. Results indicated that lower dissolved inorganic carbon concentratios (2.8 g L-1 NaHCO3) produce higher growth parameters (Xmax = 0.75 g L-1; Pmax = 0.145 g L-1 d-1; µmax = 0.254 d-1) and lower carbon losses (13.61%). At 50 g L-1 of NaHCO3 cell growth was inhibited and carbon losses reached 38.73%.

Isolamento de polímeros da parede celular de Saccharomyces cerevisiae e avaliação da atividade antioxidante da manana-proteína isolada

Yeast cell wall contains polymers glucan and mannan-protein that have received much attention with respect to their biological activities. Conventional isolation process involving treatments with hot alkali and acids cause degradation of these polymers. The aim of this paper was to study a low-degrading process for the isolation of glucan and mannan-protein from S. cerevisiae cell wall comprising physic and enzymatic treatments. Yeast cell glucan was obtained in a purity of 87.4% and a yield of 33.7%. The isolated mannan-protein presented antioxidant activity that was increased after thirty minutes of protease treatment. Antioxidant activity was determined by β-carotene/linoleate model system.

Estudo da oxidação dos sulfetos sintéticos molibdenita (MoS2) e covelita (CuS) por Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans via respirometria celular

This paper analyses the oxidation of covellite and molybdenite by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans strain LR using respirometric experiments. The results showed that both sulfides were oxidized by A. ferrooxidans, however, the covellite oxidation was much higher than molybdenite. Regarding the kinetic oxidation, the findings revealed that just molybdenite oxidation followed the classical Michaelis-Menten kinetic. It is probably associated with the pathway which these sulfides react to chemistry-bacterial attack, what is influenced by its electronic structures. Besides, experiments conducted in the presence of Fe3+ did not indicate alterations in molybdenite oxidation. Thus, ferric ions seem not to be essential to the sulfide oxidations.

Método hidrometalúrgico para reciclagem de metais terras raras, cobalto, níquel, ferro e manganês de eletrodos negativos de baterias exauridas de Ni-MH de telefone celular

A hydrometallurgical method for the recovery of rare earth metals, cobalt, nickel, iron, and manganese from the negative electrodes of spent Ni - MH mobile phone batteries was developed. The rare earth compounds were obtained by chemical precipitation at pH 1.5, with sodium cerium sulfate (NaCe(SO4)2.H2O) and lanthanum sulfate (La2(SO4)3.H2O) as the major recovered components. Iron was recovered as Fe(OH)3 and FeO. Manganese was obtained as Mn3O4.The recovered Ni(OH)2 and Co(OH)2 were subsequently used to synthesize LiCoO2, LiNiO2 and CoO, for use as cathodes in ion-Li batteries. The anodes and recycled materials were characterized by analytical techniques.

INFLUÊNCIA DO CONTEÚDO DE XILANAS NA BRANQUEABILIDADE, PROPRIEDADES HIGROSCÓPICAS, FISICO-MECÂNICAS E ÓPTICA DE POLPAS BRANQUEADAS DE EUCALIPTO

Bleached eucalypt kraft pulps are widely used in print and writing (P&W) and tissue paper manufacture. Among the quality requirements of pulp for these papers, xylan content has been controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of xylan content on bleachability, hygroscopic, physic-mechanical and optical properties of the pulp. In this study industrial unbleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (15.6% xylans) treated with different NaOH loads to change its xylan content was used. Subsequently, pulps were bleached by the ODHT(EP)D sequence to achieve 90% ISO of brightness, then refined and submitted to hygroscopic, physicomechanical and optical tests. NaOH treatments decreased the xylan content to 14.5-5.9% using NaOH loads of 10-70 g L-1. Pulp bleachability was not significantly affected by xylan content decrease. The decrease in xylan content negatively affected the water retention value and Klemm capillarity of the pulp, while water absorption capacity was positively affected. Tensile and tear index were negatively influenced by the reduction in xylan content, whereas bulk and light scattering coefficient increased.

ANÁLISE COMPARATIVA DO CONTEÚDO EM ESTEROIDES LIVRES DE DIFERENTES ÓLEOS, GORDURAS E BIODIESEIS POR CROMATOGRAFIA GASOSA

In this study, the percentage content of free steroid in oils, fats and biodiesel was analyzed. For this, the saponification reaction on a microscale was used, and this procedure for extraction of unsaponifiable fraction was studied in several experimental steps. After the process of saponification, the unsaponifiable fraction was analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector, where all steroids present in each oil, fat and biodiesel were identified and their contents determined and compared to their respective biodiesel. A reduction in unsaponifiable fraction of each oil and fat and its biodiesel was noted, as well as a reduction in the content of free steroids. The results showed that, compared to the sedimentation problem of steroids in biodiesel, some raw materials, such as chicken fat and babassu oil may be promising because they have low content and high reduction percentages of steroids when converted to biodiesel.

Conteúdo não conceitual, holismo e normatividade

A atribuição de conteúdos não conceituais serve à explicação da riqueza da experiência. No entanto, a integração de estados perceptivos, através do tempo e entre diferentes modalidades, necessários à constituição da experiência, parece dever apelar a um vocabulário conceitualista, ao qual se aplicam princípios de racionalidade. Procuro neste artigo contestar esta segunda tese: conteúdos não conceituais são parte da experiência humana, que é organizada de acordo com princípios racionais. A integração da experiência não depende de um vocabulário conceitualista, no entanto, princípios de racionalidade aplicam-se à integração própria à experiência humana. Conteúdos não conceituais são parte da experiência e a eles se aplicam princípios de racionalidade, mesmo se só podem ser atribuídos em um determinado curso de ações e identificados por meio de mecanismos demonstrativos, precisamente porque não são recrutados em conceitos.

Efeito da temperatura na multiplicação celular, no desenvolvimento embrionário e na eclosão de juvenis do segundo estádio de Meloidogyne javanica

Fatores abióticos influenciam a multiplicação celular, o desenvolvimento embrionário, bem como a sobrevivência e eclosão de juvenis do segundo estádio (J2) de Meloidogyne spp. O efeito relativo à temperatura constante tem sido estudado com várias espécies e populações de Meloidogyne. Entretanto, tem sido pouco pesquisado a flutuação de temperatura, a qual predomina no campo entre o dia e a noite ou durante períodos de predominância de massas polares. Assim, objetivou-se estudar o efeito da flutuação de temperatura em ovos de M. javanica com estádios de desenvolvimento padronizados. Quando foram usados ovos com juvenis já formados, maior percentual de eclosão ocorreu em temperatura fixa de 28 ºC, mas a redução do tempo de exposição a esta temperatura reduziu a eclosão. A exposição dos ovos por 10 horas a 10 ºC, seguido de 14 horas a 28 ºC, proporcionou maior eclosão dos J2 em relação ao mesmo período de exposição mas a 5 ºC seguido de 14 horas a 28 ºC. Já a incubação em temperatura constante de 10 ºC proporcionou menor taxa de eclosão. Ovos no estádio de duas células incubados em temperatura constante de 28 ºC tiveram a multiplicação celular e o desenvolvimento embrionário acelerado em relação às alternadas. Em temperatura constante de 10 ºC ocorreu apenas a multiplicação celular, após a incubação dos ovos por 12 dias. Entretanto, quando incubados por períodos de 10 horas a 10 ºC seguido de 14 horas a 28 ºC ocorreram a formação de juvenis e eclosão de J2, porém significativamente inferior às observadas em temperatura constante de 28 ºC. Em temperaturas de 5 ºC por 10 horas seguida de 28 ºC por 14 horas, não proporcionou eclosão de juvenis no período de 12 dias. Nos ovos ocorreram apenas os estádios pluricelulares, gástrula e "tadpole". Portanto, a temperatura constante de 10 ºC permite apenas a multiplicação celular, e o intervalo de temperatura entre 5 ºC e 10 ºC afeta drasticamente os processos envolvidos no desenvolvimento embrionário de M. javanica.

Conteúdo e exportação de micronutrientes em acácia-negra (Acacia Mearnsii De Wild.) procedência batemans bay (Austrália)

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estimar o conteúdo e a exportação de micronutrientes (Mn, B, Cu, Zn e Fe) e o Na nos diferentes componentes de árvores de um povoamento de acácia-negra (Acacia mearnsii De Wild.), procedência australiana Batemans Bay, com 2,4 anos de idade, em Butiá-RS (Brasil). A biomassa total estimada foi de 36.155 kg/ha, apresentando distribuição de 46,0, 20,0, 19,5, 12,0 e 3,0%, na madeira do lenho, nas folhas, nos galhos vivos, na casca e nos galhos mortos, respectivamente. A proporção de micronutrientes acumulados na biomassa dos componentes da árvore foram 43,76% nas folhas, 26,94% na madeira do tronco, 19,56% nos galhos vivos, 7,21% na casca e 2,54% nos galhos mortos. A quantidade estimada de micronutrientes contidos na biomassa acima do solo foi 10,4 kg/ha, acumulados da seguinte forma: Na (58,84%), Fe (21,79%), Zn (9,16%), B (4,09%), Mn (4,59%) e Cu (1,54%). A casca e a madeira do lenho acumulou Na (21,47%), Fe (6,71%), Mn (2,11%), Zn (1,66%), B (1,58%) e Cu (0,63%). A copa (folhas e galhos vivos e mortos) acumularam Na (37,36%), Fe (15,07%), Zn (7,49%), B (2,53%), Mn (2,48%) e Cu (0,91%). A exploração intensiva de áreas com a procedência Batemans Bay gera suspeitas de possíveis ocorrências de deficiências nutricionais de Na nas rotações futuras, tornando necessário o emprego de fertilizantes para manter a produtividade do sítio.