Sistemas agrarios sustentables y transiciones en el metabolismo agrario: desigualdad social, cambios institucionales y transformaciones del paisaje en Catalunya (1850-2010)

How did farmers maintain soil fertility as they cultivated the same land over decades and centuries? How did they transfer energy and nutrients (nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous) across the landscape to fertilize crops? How did farmers structure landscapes (field, pasture, woodland) to sustain communities, ensure long-term productivity, and produce profits? We summarize in this article the results of the ongoing research on the last stage of organic agriculture in Catalonia carried out by our project. We also outline the forthcoming steps to continue our research.

Autoevaluación: Fisiopatología del metabolismo

La respiración, la circulación sanguínea, la contracción de un músculo o el mero pensamiento son fenómenos que obligan a que nuestro organismo esté en constante cambio, produciendo y consumiendo energía. La palabra metabolismo deriva del griego metabolé y significa"cambio". Entendemos como metabolismo a todo el conjunto de reacciones bioquímicas y procesos físicos que ocurren en la célula y en el organismo. Todos estos procesos metabólicos tienen lugar en dos fases. Una fase, llamada anabolismo, en la que se consume energía para transformar moléculas pequeñas (como los aminoácidos) en moléculas mayores (proteínas), y otra fase, llamada catabolismo o fase destructiva, en la que moléculas mayores (glucógeno) se transforman en otras más pequeñas (ácido pirúvico) liberando energía en el proceso. Estos dos procesos son conjugados y cada uno depende del otro. Estas reacciones bioquímicas están organizadas de forma que se siga siempre una determinada ruta metabólica, de tal forma que un sustrato determinado es transformado en un producto concreto, y éste a su vez es el sustrato para crear otro producto. Dentro de esta vía existen unas proteínas llamadas enzimas que posibilitan estas reacciones, comportándose como factores reguladores de estas rutas metabólicas. El siguiente cuestionario tiene la finalidad de profundizar en algunos conceptos importantes dentro de la fisiopatología del metabolismo.

A tomografia por emissão de pósitrons com 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-desoxi-D-glicose é custo-efetiva em pacientes com câncer de pulmão não pequenas células no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Comparar a acurácia e a custo-efetividade do estadiamento metabólico (EM) com o FDG-PET em relação ao estadiamento convencional (EC) no estadiamento inicial de pacientes com câncer de pulmão não pequenas células (CPNPC). MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Noventa e cinco pacientes com diagnóstico inicial de CPNPC foram estadiados antes do início do tratamento. Os resultados do EC e EM foram comparados quanto a definição do tratamento e incidência de toracotomia fútil em cada estratégia. RESULTADOS: O EM com FDG-PET classificou 48,4% dos pacientes como estádio mais avançado e 5,3% como menos avançado. O resultado do EM modificaria o tratamento em 41% dos pacientes. A toracotomia foi considerada fútil em 47% dos pacientes com EC e em 19% dos casos com EM. O custo das toracotomias fúteis em oito pacientes no EM foi de R$ 79.720, enquanto em 31 pacientes no EC seria de R$ 308.915. Apenas esta economia seria mais que suficiente para cobrir os custos de todos os exames de FDG-PET nos 95 pacientes (R$ 126.350) ou de FDG-PET/CT (R$ 193.515). CONCLUSÃO: O EM com FDG-PET tem maior acurácia que o EC em pacientes com CPNPC. A FDG-PET e FDG-PET/CT são custo-efetivas e sua utilização se justifica economicamente na saúde pública no Brasil.

Influência de efluentes têxteis e alimentícios sobre o metabolismo e propriedades físicas e químicas do rio Piauitinga (Sergipe)

Metabolic rates were determined by dissolved oxigen changes in light and dark bottles, filled with river water and after input of mixed effluent concentrations. In another experiment, dissolved inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll-alpha and other physico-chemical parameters were analyzed. Water column showed higher decomposition than production rates. Waste inputs increased primary production rates, but in higher concentrations forced the system to heterotrophy. The natural richness of macrophytes and macroalgae could be limiting the phytoplanktonic production by phosphorus assimilation. Observation of the nitrogenated inorganic nutrients suggest that the natural pelagic system is directed to nitrification. Mixed waste input inverted this trend, toward denitrification.

Aplicação de algoritmos genéticos na seleção de variáveis em espectroscopia no infravermelho médio: determinação simultânea de glicose, maltose e frutose

Genetic algorithm was used for variable selection in simultaneous determination of mixtures of glucose, maltose and fructose by mid infrared spectroscopy. Different models, using partial least squares (PLS) and multiple linear regression (MLR) with and without data pre-processing, were used. Based on the results obtained, it was verified that a simpler model (multiple linear regression with variable selection by genetic algorithm) produces results comparable to more complex methods (partial least squares). The relative errors obtained for the best model was around 3% for the sugar determination, which is acceptable for this kind of determination.

Flujo de energía en el ecosistema fluvial : análisis del metabolismo

Capítol 20 del llibre 'Conceptos y técnicas en ecología fluvial' que es refereix al metabolisme fluvial

Reações de carbociclização radicalar de orto-iodoaliloxibenzoatos derivados de d-glicose e d-galactose e comparação com as reações de seus análogos benzamidas

Two ortho-iodoallyloxybenzoates, methyl 4-O-allyl-2,3-di-O-benzyl-6-O-(2-iodobenzoyl)- alpha-D-glucopyranoside (3) and methyl 4-O-allyl-2,3-di-O-benzyl-6-O-(2-iodobenzoyl)- alpha-D-galactopyranoside (4) were synthesized in seven conventional steps from methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside and methyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside, respectively. Bu3SnH-mediated aryl radical cyclization of 3 provided exclusively the hydrogenolysis product 12. The reaction of 4 gave the reduced uncyclized product 13 and only traces of 4A, resulting from 11-endo aryl radical cyclization. In previous papers we described that in similar Bu3SnH-mediated radical reaction of ortho-iodoallyloxybenzamides, analogs of 3 and 4, we obtained macrolactams resulting from 11-endo cyclization. An hypothesis to explain the differences is presented. It was assumed that in the aryl radical formed from iodobenzamides there is a suitable conformation to cyclization, which is stabilized by an intramolecular hydrogen bond.

Síntese de aliloxi-orto-iodobenzamida derivada de d-glicose e reação de ciclização radicalar mediada por hidreto de tri-n-butilestanho

Methyl 6-O-allyl-2,3-di-O-benzyl-4-deoxy-4-(2 -iodobenzoylamine)-alpha-D-glucopyranoside was synthesized in nine conventional steps from methyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside. Its Bu3SnH-mediated aryl radical cyclization provided a benzomacrolactam, resulting from 11-endo aryl radical cyclization and the reduced uncyclized product methyl 6-O-allyl-4-benzoylamine-2,3-di-O-benzyl-4-deoxy- alpha-D-glucopyranoside. The structures of the three new products were supported by ¹H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and DEPT, COSY and HMQC experiments.

Importância do metabolismo no planejamento de fármacos

It is widely recognized that pharmacokinetic optimization needs to be addressed early in drug discovery to reduce the high failure rate in bringing drugs to market. Poor absorption, too short duration of action due to high elimination rate, or the presence of active metabolites are examples of properties that can potentially lead to unsuccessful clinical programmes. Here I describe a brief overview of advantages and molecular strategies for improving metabolic and pharmacokinetic properties applied to the discovery of fluconazol, beta-blockers, ritonavir and ezetimibe and to the development of the prodrugs enalapril and bambuterol.

Síntese e modificações de derivados heterocíclicos de D-arabinose: potenciais inibidores de glicose-6-fosfato isomerase e de glicosamina-6-fosfato sintase

The synthesis of -5-(D-arabino-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)tetrazole and -2-(D-arabino-1,2,3,4-tetra-acetoxybutyl)-5-methyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole from D-arabinose is described. Attempts at removing the protecting groups of the oxadiazole derivative were unsuccessful, leading to products resulting from the opening of the oxadiazole ring. The unprotected tetrazole derivative was selectively phosphorylated at the primary hydroxyl group with diethylphosphoryl chloride. The resulting 5-[D-arabino-4-(diethylphosphoryloxy)-1,2,3-trihydroxybutyl]tetrazole is a protected form of a potential inhibitor of the enzymes glucose-6-phosphate isomerase and glucosamine synthase.

Territorio y sostenibilidad : diagnosis del metabolismo social de Amorebieta-Etxano : con los pies en el suelo

Postprint (published version)

Metabolismo, oxidação e implicações biológicas do ácido docosahexaenoico em doenças neurodegenerativas

Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6, n-3, DHA) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) present in large concentrations in the brain and, due to the presence of six double bonds in its structure, is highly susceptible to oxidation by enzymes and reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. The peroxidation of PUFAs has been implicated in an increasing number of human disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, a better understanding of the metabolism pathways of DHA should provide new insights about its role in neurodegenerative diseases. Here we review the main aspects related to DHA metabolism, as well as, the recent findings showing its association with neurodegenerative diseases.

Cromatografia gasosa-espectrometria de massas e derivatização assistida por micro-ondas na identificação de isômeros de glicose: uma prática para o ensino avançado em análise e caracterização de compostos orgânicos

This work reports a practical case based on the use of microwave-assisted derivatization and GC-MS for the analysis of glucose. Using two different methods for derivatization, one reference compound and the calculated dipole moment, all the isomers of glucose were identified. Identification was corroborated for the assignment of structures using the mass spectra. With this work, students are expected to associate different types of information to solve the complex problem of the analysis of glucose.

ARSÊNIO E ARROZ: TOXICIDADE, METABOLISMO E SEGURANÇA ALIMENTAR

Arsenic is considered a semimetal, and its wide distribution in the Earth's crust in different chemical forms, including organic and inorganic species, has a great deal of influence on the mechanisms of toxicity. Exposure to arsenic can be either through occupational practice (use of pesticides) or by the consumption of water and food containing the element. Rice is considered a fundamental constituent of the basic diet of Brazilians and is usually cultivated in flooded conditions. Such a plantation system results in an increased amount of As in the soil and hence a greater accumulation of As in the plant, which is highlighted by the inorganic species' classification as highly toxic. Besides the use of mitigation techniques to reduce the toxicological risk, monitoring the concentration of As and its chemical species in rice and rice products is required through the establishment of legislation in the area. Thus, some world organizations are conducting improved research to determine and establish acceptable concentrations of As and its chemical species in rice, e. g., in 2012, FDA researchers described a chemical speciation methodology for As in rice and rice products. Hence, the application of existing chemical speciation methods and the establishment of parameters for ensuring food security and exposure risk assessment deserve particular consideration.