Photocatalytic Degradation Of Ofloxacin And Evaluation Of The Residual Antimicrobial Activity.

Ofloxacin is an antimicrobial agent frequently found in significant concentrations in wastewater and surface water. Its continuous introduction into the environment is a potential risk to non-target organisms or to human health. In this study, ofloxacin degradation by UV/TiO2 and UV/TiO2/H2O2, antimicrobial activity (E. coli) of samples subjected to these processes, and by-products formed were evaluated. For UV/TiO2, the degradation efficiency was 89.3% in 60 min of reaction when 128 mg L(-1) TiO2 were used. The addition of 1.68 mmol L(-1) hydrogen peroxide increased degradation to 97.8%. For UV/TiO2, increasing the catalyst concentration from 4 to 128 mg L(-1) led to an increase in degradation efficiency. For both processes, the antimicrobial activity was considerably reduced throughout the reaction time. The structures of two by-products are presented: m/z 291 (9-fluoro-3-methyl-10-(methyleneamino)-7-oxo-2,3-dihydro-7H-[1,4]oxazino[2,3,4-ij]quinoline-6-carboxylic acid) and m/z 157 ((Z)-2-formyl-3-((2-oxoethyl)imino)propanoic acid).

Theobromine Increases Nad⁺/sirt-1 Activity And Protects The Kidney Under Diabetic Conditions.

Reduction in sirtuin 1 (Sirt-1) is associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in the diabetic kidney. Theobromine may reduce kidney ECM accumulation in diabetic rats. In the current study, we aimed to unravel, under diabetic conditions, the mechanism of kidney ECM accumulation induced by a reduction in Sirt-1 and the effect of theobromine in these events. In vitro, we used immortalized human mesangial cells (iHMCs) exposed to high glucose (HG; 30 mM), with or without small interfering RNA for NOX4 and Sirt-1. In vivo, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were rendered diabetic by means of streptozotocin and studied after 12 wk. The effects of treatment with theobromine were investigated under both conditions. HG leads to a decrease in Sirt-1 activity and NAD(+) levels in iHMCs. Sirt-1 activity could be reestablished by treatment with NAD(+), silencing NOX4, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) blockade, or with theobromine. HG also leads to a low AMP/ATP ratio, acetylation of SMAD3, and increased collagen IV, which is prevented by theobromine. Sirt-1 or AMPK blockade abolished these effects of theobromine. In diabetic SHR, theobromine prevented increases in albuminuria and kidney collagen IV, reduced AMPK, elevated NADPH oxidase activity and PARP-1, and reduced NAD(+) levels and Sirt-1 activity. These results suggest that in diabetes mellitus, Sirt-1 activity is reduced by PARP-1 activation and NAD(+) depletion due to low AMPK, which increases NOX4 expression, leading to ECM accumulation mediated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 signaling. It is suggested that Sirt-1 activation by theobromine may have therapeutic potential for diabetic nephropathy.

Imatinib Restores Vasp Activity And Its Interaction With Zyxin In Bcr-abl Leukemic Cells.

Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and Zyxin are interacting proteins involved in cellular adhesion and motility. PKA phosphorylates VASP at serine 157, regulating VASP cellular functions. VASP interacts with ABL and is a substrate of the BCR-ABL oncoprotein. The presence of BCR-ABL protein drives oncogenesis in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) due to a constitutive activation of tyrosine kinase activity. However, the function of VASP and Zyxin in BCR-ABL pathway and the role of VASP in CML cells remain unknown. In vitro experiments using K562 cells showed the involvement of VASP in BCR-ABL signaling. VASP and Zyxin inhibition decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, BCL2 and BCL-XL. Imatinib induced an increase in phosphorylation at Ser157 of VASP and decreased VASP and BCR-ABL interaction. VASP did not interact with Zyxin in K562 cells; however, after Imatinib treatment, this interaction was restored. Corroborating our data, we demonstrated the absence of phosphorylation at Ser157 in VASP in the bone marrow of CML patients, in contrast to healthy donors. Phosphorylation of VASP on Ser157 was restored in Imatinib responsive patients though not in the resistant patients. Therefore, we herein identified a possible role of VASP in CML pathogenesis, through the regulation of BCR-ABL effector proteins or the absence of phosphorylation at Ser157 in VASP.

Antimycobacterial and cytotoxicity activity of synthetic and natural compounds

Antimycobacterial and cytotoxicity activity of synthetic and natural compounds. Secondary metabolites from Curvularia eragrostidis and Drechslera dematioidea, Clusia sp. floral resin, alkaloids from Pilocarpus alatus, salicylideneanilines, piperidine amides, the amine 1-cinnamylpiperazine and chiral pyridinium salts were assayed on Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. N-(salicylidene)-2-hydroxyaniline was the most effective compound with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 8 µmol/L. Dihydrocurvularin was moderately effective with a MIC of 40 µmol/L. Clusia sp. floral resin and a gallocatechin-epigallocatechin mixture showed MIC of 0.02 g/L and 38 µmol/L, respectively. The cytotoxicity was evaluated for N-(salicylidene)-2-hydroxyaniline, curvularin, dihydrocurvularin and Clusia sp. floral resin, and the selectivity indexes were > 125, 0.47, 0.75 and 5, respectively.

The relationship between physical aspects of quality of life and extreme levels of regular physical activity in adults

This study aimed to check for any significant differences in perceived quality of life, specifically aspects of a physical nature, among volunteers who are more physically active and those less physically active in a university community. The sample consisted of 1,966 volunteers in a university community in Brazil. To assess physical activity levels, volunteers responded to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and to analyse the perception of quality of life they responded to WHOQOL-bref, which is classified into three groups according to level of physical activity, taking into account the metabolic equivalent index (MET) over a full week. For comparison, consideration was given to the first and third tertiles, respectively, namely groups of more and less active students. The results indicated that individuals who engaged in more physical activity had a more positive perception of quality of life compared to those who were less active in physical aspects related to the ability to work, energy for day-to-day activities and locomotion.

Flicker perimetry in healthy subjects: influence of age and gender, learning effect and short-term fluctuation

PURPOSE: To determine the mean critical fusion frequency and the short-term fluctuation, to analyze the influence of age, gender, and the learning effect in healthy subjects undergoing flicker perimetry. METHODS: Study 1 - 95 healthy subjects underwent flicker perimetry once in one eye. Mean critical fusion frequency values were compared between genders, and the influence of age was evaluated using linear regression analysis. Study 2 - 20 healthy subjects underwent flicker perimetry 5 times in one eye. The first 3 sessions were separated by an interval of 1 to 30 days, whereas the last 3 sessions were performed within the same day. The first 3 sessions were used to investigate the presence of a learning effect, whereas the last 3 tests were used to calculate short-term fluctuation. RESULTS: Study 1 - Linear regression analysis demonstrated that mean global, foveal, central, and critical fusion frequency per quadrant significantly decreased with age (p<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in mean critical fusion frequency values between males and females (p>0.05), with the exception of the central area and inferonasal quadrant (p=0.049 and p=0.011, respectively), where the values were lower in females. Study 2 - Mean global (p=0.014), central (p=0.008), and peripheral (p=0.03) critical fusion frequency were significantly lower in the first session compared to the second and third sessions. The mean global short-term fluctuation was 5.06±1.13 Hz, the mean interindividual and intraindividual variabilities were 11.2±2.8% and 6.4±1.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, in healthy subjects, critical fusion frequency decreases with age, that flicker perimetry is associated with a learning effect, and that a moderately high short-term fluctuation is expected.

Sensitivity and specificity of machine learning classifiers for glaucoma diagnosis using Spectral Domain OCT and standard automated perimetry

PURPOSE: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of machine learning classifiers (MLCs) for glaucoma diagnosis using Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) and standard automated perimetry (SAP). METHODS: Observational cross-sectional study. Sixty two glaucoma patients and 48 healthy individuals were included. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, achromatic standard automated perimetry (SAP) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) imaging with SD-OCT (Cirrus HD-OCT; Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, California). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were obtained for all SD-OCT parameters and global indices of SAP. Subsequently, the following MLCs were tested using parameters from the SD-OCT and SAP: Bagging (BAG), Naive-Bayes (NB), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Radial Basis Function (RBF), Random Forest (RAN), Ensemble Selection (ENS), Classification Tree (CTREE), Ada Boost M1(ADA),Support Vector Machine Linear (SVML) and Support Vector Machine Gaussian (SVMG). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (aROC) obtained for isolated SAP and OCT parameters were compared with MLCs using OCT+SAP data. RESULTS: Combining OCT and SAP data, MLCs' aROCs varied from 0.777(CTREE) to 0.946 (RAN).The best OCT+SAP aROC obtained with RAN (0.946) was significantly larger the best single OCT parameter (p<0.05), but was not significantly different from the aROC obtained with the best single SAP parameter (p=0.19). CONCLUSION: Machine learning classifiers trained on OCT and SAP data can successfully discriminate between healthy and glaucomatous eyes. The combination of OCT and SAP measurements improved the diagnostic accuracy compared with OCT data alone.

Imigrantes bolivianos em São Paulo : a Praça Kantuta e o futebol

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Esgrima em cadeira de rodas : pedagogia de ensino a partir das dimensões e contexto da modalidade

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Estrategias para a aprendizagem esportiva : um abordagem pedagogica da atividade motora para cegos e deficientes visuais

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

A influencia dos agentes sociais nos interesses fisico-esportivos do lazer

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Modelo de inclusão digital para construção do conhecimento em qualidade de vida e atividade fisica

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Pedagogia da roda ginástica (alemã) : análise da proposta metodológica desenvolvida no clube Bayer Leverkusen na Alemanha

Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Faculdade de Educação Física

Aspectos motores da Paralisia Cerebral Espástica diparética : o Nintendo WII 'MARCA REGISTRADA' como atividade motora complementar = Motor aspects of Spastic Cerebral Palsy : the Nintendo WII 'TRADEMARK' as a supplementary motor activity

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física

Pedagogia do esporte : pressupostos para uma teoria da avaliação da aprendizagem = Sport pedagogy: presuppositions for a learning assessment theory

Universidade Estadual de Campinas . Faculdade de Educação Física