Influência da densidade de estocagem no cultivo de juvenis de robalo-flecha mantidos em laboratório

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a influência da densidade de estocagem no crescimento, conversão alimentar e sobrevivência de juvenis de robalo-flecha (Centropomus undecimalis). Os peixes foram coletados em ambiente natural e treinados a aceitar dietas artificiais. Os indivíduos, com comprimento total de 13±0,4 cm e peso de 23±0,3 g foram estocados em tanques circulares de fibra de vidro de 5 m³, com água do mar e aeração contínua, nas densidades de 3, 6 e 9 peixes/m³, por 180 dias. Os valores de amônia total (0 a 0,5 mg/L), temperatura da água (23,3 a 30,6ºC), salinidade (17 a 34 g/L), pH (7,8 a 8,4) e oxigênio dissolvido (4,8 a 6,9 mg/L) apresentaram padrão similar entre os tratamentos. A conversão alimentar (1,88, 2,06 e 2,31) e a sobrevivência (100%, 98,9% e 96,3%) foram significativamente melhores nos tratamentos com 3 e 6 peixes/m³. As médias finais de peso (110, 87 e 80 g) e comprimento total (20, 18,5 e 18 cm) apresentaram diferença significativa. A maior taxa de crescimento foi observada com 3 peixes/m³; entre as demais não houve diferença. Entretanto, a biomassa final (332, 511 e 703 g/m³) foi diretamente proporcional à densidade. A baixa densidade favorece o cultivo do robalo em relação ao crescimento, sobrevivência e conversão alimentar.

Somatostatin Subtype‑2 Receptor-Targeted Metal-Based Anticancer Complexes

Conjugates of a dicarba analogue of octreotide, a potent somatostatin agonist whose receptors are overexpressed on tumor cells, with [PtCl2(dap)] (dap = 1-(carboxylic acid)-1,2-diaminoethane) (3), [(η6-bip)Os(4-CO2-pico)Cl] (bip = biphenyl, pico = picolinate) (4), [(η6-p-cym)RuCl(dap)]+ (p-cym = p-cymene) (5), and [(η6-p-cym)RuCl(imidazole-CO2H)(PPh3)]+ (6), were synthesized by using a solid-phase approach. Conjugates 35 readily underwent hydrolysis and DNA binding, whereas conjugate 6 was inert to ligand substitution. NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics calculations showed that conjugate formation does not perturb the overall peptide structure. Only 6 exhibited antiproliferative activity in human tumor cells (IC50 = 63 ± 2 μM in MCF-7 cells and IC50 = 26 ± 3 μM in DU-145 cells) with active participation of somatostatin receptors in cellular uptake. Similar cytotoxic activity was found in a normal cell line (IC50 = 45 ± 2.6 μM in CHO cells), which can be attributed to a similar level of expression of somatostatin subtype-2 receptor. These studies provide new insights into the effect of receptor-binding peptide conjugation on the activity of metal-based anticancer drugs, and demonstrate the potential of such hybrid compounds to target tumor cells specifically.

Biologia comparada e exigências térmicas de Cryptoblabes gnidiella em dieta artificial

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de Cryptoblabes gnidiella em dietas artificiais e conhecer as exigências térmicas da espécie. A biologia do inseto foi estudada em laboratório (26±1ºC, umidade relativa de 70±10% e fotófase de 14 horas), em três dietas artificiais à base de feijão carioca (D1), feijão branco e "pellet" de alfafa (D2) e feijão branco (D3). As exigências térmicas das fases de desenvolvimento foram determinadas em laboratório, tendo-se criado o inseto na D2, nas temperaturas de 18ºC, 22ºC, 26ºC e 30ºC, umidade relativa de 70±10% e fotófase de 14 horas. Com base na tabela de vida de fertilidade, a D2 foi a mais adequada para criação de C. gnidiella em laboratório e proporcionou uma viabilidade total de 53,30%. A temperatura base e a constante térmica para o ciclo total (ovo-adulto) foram 12,26ºC e 569,91 graus-dia, respectivamente. Com base nas exigências térmicas, estimou-se que o inseto completa 3,25 gerações anuais em Caxias do Sul, RS e 9,19 em Petrolina, PE.

A aldraxe proverbial da preguiza nas dúas versións españolas de The Way to Wealth de Benjamin Franklin

A admiración que destilou no seu tempo e durante o século XIX o bo sentido común das obras de Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) plasmouse na tradución dos seus libros a un considerable número de linguas. The Way to Wealth (El camino de la fortuna o Cómo hacerse rico), publicado en 1758, contén máis de cen máximas que instan ao traballo honrado, á orde e ao aforro, condenando calquera sinal de preguiza ou desidia. O noso corpus nútrese dunha selección de trece aforismos que teñen relación precisamente con este vicio que condena á miseria, a preguiza. En cambio, o home de ben que aplique as virtudes contidas en The Way to Wealth, aconselladas a modo de refráns, verá, segundo o autor, prosperar esplendidamente a súa economía. Pretendemos analizar, dende os puntos de vista tradutolóxico e contrastivo, o corpus de dúas traducións españolas deste libriño de Franklin: unha anónima, publicada en Barcelona, en 1891; e a de Alberto Lena de 1999.

Conjugation of a Ru(II) Arene Complex to Neomycin or to Guanidinoneomycin Leads to Compounds with Differential Cytotoxicities and Accumulation between Cancer and Normal Cells

A straightforward methodology for the synthesis of conjugates between a cytotoxic organometallic ruthenium(II) complex and amino- and guanidinoglycosides, as potential RNA-targeted anticancer compounds, is described. Under microwave irradiation, the imidazole ligand incorporated on the aminoglycoside moiety (neamine or neomycin) was found to replace one triphenylphosphine ligand from the ruthenium precursor [(η6-p-cym)RuCl(PPh3)2]+, allowing the assembly of the target conjugates. The guanidinylated analogue was easily prepared from the neomycin-ruthenium conjugate by reaction with N,N′-di-Boc-N″-triflylguanidine, a powerful guanidinylating reagent that was compatible with the integrity of the metal complex. All conjugates were purified by semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and characterized by electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorptionionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was tested in MCF-7 (breast) and DU-145 (prostate) human cancer cells, as well as in the normal HEK293 (Human Embryonic Kidney) cell line, revealing a dependence on the nature of the glycoside moiety and the type of cell (cancer or healthy). Indeed, the neomycinruthenium conjugate (2) displayed moderate antiproliferative activity in both cancer cell lines (IC50 ≈ 80 μM), whereas the neamine conjugate (4) was inactive (IC50 ≈ 200 μM). However, the guanidinylated analogue of the neomycinruthenium conjugate (3) required much lower concentrations than the parent conjugate for equal effect (IC50 = 7.17 μM in DU-145 and IC50 = 11.33 μM in MCF-7). Although the same ranking in antiproliferative activity was found in the nontumorigenic cell line (3 2 > 4), IC50 values indicate that aminoglycoside-containing conjugates are about 2-fold more cytotoxic in normal cells (e.g., IC50 = 49.4 μM for 2) than in cancer cells, whereas an opposite tendency was found with the guanidinylated conjugate, since its cytotoxicity in the normal cell line (IC50 = 12.75 μM for 3) was similar or even lower than that found in MCF-7 and DU-145 cancer cell lines, respectively. Cell uptake studies performed by ICP-MS with conjugates 2 and 3 revealed that guanidinylation of the neomycin moiety had a positive effect on accumulation (about 3-fold higher in DU-145 and 4-fold higher in HEK293), which correlates well with the higher antiproliferative activity of 3. Interestingly, despite the slightly higher accumulation in the normal cell than in the cancer cell line (about 1.4-fold), guanidinoneomycinruthenium conjugate (3) was more cytotoxic to cancer cells (about 1.8-fold), whereas the opposite tendency applied for neomycinruthenium conjugate (2). Such differences in cytotoxic activity and cellular accumulation between cancer and normal cells open the way to the creation of more selective, less toxic anticancer metallodrugs by conjugating cytotoxic metal-based complexes such as ruthenium(II) arene derivatives to guanidinoglycosides.

Atributos topográficos e dados do Landsat7 no mapeamento digital de solos com uso de redes neurais

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar variáveis discriminantes no mapeamento digital de solos com uso de redes neurais artificiais. Os atributos topográficos elevação, declividade, aspecto, plano de curvatura e índice topográfico, derivados de um modelo digital de elevação, e os índices de minerais de argila, óxido de ferro e vegetação por diferença normalizada, derivados de uma imagem do Landsat7, foram combinados e avaliados quanto à capacidade de discriminação dos solos de uma área no noroeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Foram utilizados o simulador de redes neurais Java e o algoritmo de aprendizado "backpropagation". Os mapas gerados por cada um dos seis conjuntos de variáveis testados foram comparados com pontos de referência, para a determinação da exatidão das classificações. Esta comparação mostrou que o mapa produzido com a utilização de todas as variáveis obteve um desempenho superior (73,81% de concordância) ao de mapas produzidos pelos demais conjuntos de variáveis. Possíveis fontes de erro na utilização dessa abordagem estão relacionadas, principalmente, à grande heterogeneidade litológica da área, que dificultou o estabelecimento de um modelo de correlação ambiental mais realista. A abordagem utilizada pode contribuir para tornar o levantamento de solos no Brasil mais rápido e menos subjetivo.

Crescimento e produção de plantios comerciais de eucalipto estimados por duas categorias de modelos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar e comparar duas categorias de modelos de crescimento e produção em plantios comerciais de eucalipto. Para isso, foram ajustados um modelo de crescimento e produção para povoamento e outro para árvore individual, por meio de equações simultâneas e redes neurais artificiais, respectivamente. O volume de madeira por área foi estimado em diferentes idades e classes de produtividade. Foram avaliados dados de 63 parcelas permanentes de plantios clonais, não desbastados, do híbrido Eucalyptus grandis x E. urophylla, com os dados de 33 parcelas utilizados para o ajuste do modelo e o treinamento das redes neurais, e os das 30 parcelas restantes, para a validação dos modelos. As duas categorias de modelos ajustaram-se bem aos dados observados. No entanto, na validação dos modelos com dados independentes, o volume de madeira por área foi mais bem estimado com o modelo para árvore individual.

OBTENÇÃO DE BEBIDA A PARTIR DE SUCO DE CAJU (Anacardium occidentale, L.) E EXTRATO DE GUARANÁ (Paullinia cupana sorbilis Mart. Ducke)

A partir do extrato de semente de guaraná com 0,96% de cafeína, foram testadas várias formulações para obtenção de uma bebida, utilizando-se de suco de caju clarificado e concentrado, caramelo, aromatizantes artificiais de caju e guaraná e acidulante, tendo também como variável os diversos graus de doçura (ºBrix). As melhores formulações foram selecionadas de acordo com os resultados da avaliação sensorial, onde se utilizou o teste de ordenação. A formulação selecionada foi processada e envasada em embalagens de vidro. Para determinar a aceitabilidade, o produto final foi submetido a análises físico-químicas e sensoriais.

Quebra de dormência de pereira 'Hosui' com uso de óleo mineral em dois tipos de condução

Algumas cultivares de pereira asiática, quando plantadas em regiões onde ocorrem invernos com baixo número de horas de frio, comumente apresentam deficiência e desuniformidade na brotação e floração, necessitando de meios artificiais para a quebra de dormência. Visando a miminizar esse problema, foi instalado um experimento num pomar de 4 anos de pereiras 'Hosui' (Pyrus pyrifolia), em espaçamento 4,0m x 4,0m, na Estação Experimental do Canguiri-da Universidade Federal do Paraná, no município de Pinhais-PR (latitude 25º25' sul, longitude 49º08' e altitude 920m), onde a soma de horas de frio atingiu 141 horas abaixo de 7,2ºC durante o inverno de 2005. Os tratamentos foram aplicados quando as plantas estavam no estádio fenológico A1 (gema inchada), sendo o experimento realizado em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com 4 repetições, em esquema fatorial 2x4x7, onde foram testados dois tipos de condução, em taça e em líder central modificado, três concentrações de óleo mineral a 4%, 6% e 8%, e uma testemunha, durante o período de agosto a novembro de 2005, e sete avaliações realizadas semanalmente pelo número de gemas em início de brotação, gemas brotadas e gemas mortas, em 4 ramos de um ano de idade e em posição inclinada, previamente marcados por planta. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a aplicação de óleo mineral, nas concentrações de 4%, 6% e 8%, anteciparam a brotação de gemas em relação à testemunha e aumentaram a porcentagem de gemas brotadas nos dois tipos de condução, sendo que as concentrações de 6% e 8% foram mais efetivas para antecipar a brotação do que a de 4%. A porcentagem de gemas brotadas aos 84 dias após a aplicação do óleo mineral não diferiu entre os sistemas de condução, em líder central modificado e em taça.

Rendimento de uva 'Niagara Rosada' submetida à redução de área foliar

O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito da perda da área foliar da videira, no período compreendido entre a colheita e a queda natural das folhas, sobre o rendimento das safras futuras. Após colheita realizada em 15-12-2005, selecionaram-se plantas que apresentavam oito ramos de produção. Os tratamentos constituíram-se de plantas com duas intensidades de desfolhas artificiais (25% e 50%), em quatro datas distintas (30; 45; 60 e 75 dias após a colheita - DAC), plantas sem redução artificial da área foliar, com proteção química (controle) e plantas sem redução artificial da área foliar e sem proteção química (testemunha). Dois ciclos de produção foram avaliados: ciclo da poda seca de julho/2006 com colheita em dezembro/2006 e ciclo da poda verde de fevereiro/2007 com colheita em junho/2007. Analisaram-se o crescimento de ramos, o número de cachos por planta e o rendimento (kg/planta) para os dois ciclos. Análises de regressão foram realizadas para as diferentes intensidades de redução de área foliar. A intensidade de desfolha após a colheita reduz o rendimento dos ciclos de produção futuros, porém não influencia no crescimento de ramos e no número de cachos produzidos na safra subsequente à redução da área foliar. O rendimento da safra da poda seca é maior do que a da poda verde.

Complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) with 9-aminoacridine: reactions with DNA and study of their antiproliferative activity

Four new metal complexes {M = Pd(II) or Pt(II)} containing the ligand 9-aminoacridine (9AA) were prepared. The compounds were characterized by FT-IR and 1H, 13C, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopies. Crystal structure of the palladium complex of formulae [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 · 2DMF was determined by X-ray diffraction. Two 9-acridine molecules in the imine form bind symmetrically to the metal ions in a bidentate fashion through the imine nitrogen atom and the C(1) atom of the aminoacridine closing a new five-membered ring. By reaction with phosphine or pyridine, the Cl bridges broke and compounds with general formulae [Pd(9AA)Cl(L)] (where L = PPh3 or py) were formed. A mononuclear complex of platinum of formulae [Pt(9AA)Cl(DMSO)] was also obtained by direct reaction of 9-aminoacridine and the complex [PtCl2(DMSO)2]. The capacity of the compounds to modify the secondary and tertiary structures of DNA was evaluated by means of circular dichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Both palladium and platinum compounds proved active in the modification of both the secondary and tertiary DNA structures. AFM images showed noticeable modifications of the morphology of the plasmid pBR322 DNA by the compounds probably due to the intercalation of the complexes between base pairs of the DNA molecule. Finally, the palladium complex was tested for antiproliferative activity against three different human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that the palladium complex of formula [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 has significant antiproliferative activity, although it is less active than cisplatin.

Complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) with 9-aminoacridine: reactions with DNA and study of their antiproliferative activity

Four new metal complexes {M = Pd(II) or Pt(II)} containing the ligand 9-aminoacridine (9AA) were prepared. The compounds were characterized by FT-IR and 1H, 13C, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopies. Crystal structure of the palladium complex of formulae [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 · 2DMF was determined by X-ray diffraction. Two 9-acridine molecules in the imine form bind symmetrically to the metal ions in a bidentate fashion through the imine nitrogen atom and the C(1) atom of the aminoacridine closing a new five-membered ring. By reaction with phosphine or pyridine, the Cl bridges broke and compounds with general formulae [Pd(9AA)Cl(L)] (where L = PPh3 or py) were formed. A mononuclear complex of platinum of formulae [Pt(9AA)Cl(DMSO)] was also obtained by direct reaction of 9-aminoacridine and the complex [PtCl2(DMSO)2]. The capacity of the compounds to modify the secondary and tertiary structures of DNA was evaluated by means of circular dichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Both palladium and platinum compounds proved active in the modification of both the secondary and tertiary DNA structures. AFM images showed noticeable modifications of the morphology of the plasmid pBR322 DNA by the compounds probably due to the intercalation of the complexes between base pairs of the DNA molecule. Finally, the palladium complex was tested for antiproliferative activity against three different human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that the palladium complex of formula [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 has significant antiproliferative activity, although it is less active than cisplatin.

Complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) with 9-aminoacridine: reactions with DNA and study of their antiproliferative activity

Four new metal complexes {M = Pd(II) or Pt(II)} containing the ligand 9-aminoacridine (9AA) were prepared. The compounds were characterized by FT-IR and 1H, 13C, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopies. Crystal structure of the palladium complex of formulae [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 · 2DMF was determined by X-ray diffraction. Two 9-acridine molecules in the imine form bind symmetrically to the metal ions in a bidentate fashion through the imine nitrogen atom and the C(1) atom of the aminoacridine closing a new five-membered ring. By reaction with phosphine or pyridine, the Cl bridges broke and compounds with general formulae [Pd(9AA)Cl(L)] (where L = PPh3 or py) were formed. A mononuclear complex of platinum of formulae [Pt(9AA)Cl(DMSO)] was also obtained by direct reaction of 9-aminoacridine and the complex [PtCl2(DMSO)2]. The capacity of the compounds to modify the secondary and tertiary structures of DNA was evaluated by means of circular dichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Both palladium and platinum compounds proved active in the modification of both the secondary and tertiary DNA structures. AFM images showed noticeable modifications of the morphology of the plasmid pBR322 DNA by the compounds probably due to the intercalation of the complexes between base pairs of the DNA molecule. Finally, the palladium complex was tested for antiproliferative activity against three different human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that the palladium complex of formula [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 has significant antiproliferative activity, although it is less active than cisplatin.

Photocontrolled DNA Binding of a Receptor-Targeted Organometallic Ruthenium(II) Complex

A photoactivated ruthenium(II) arene complex has been conjugated to two receptor-binding peptides, a dicarba analogue of octreotide and the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) tripeptide. These peptides can act as"tumor-targeting devices" since their receptors are overexpressed on the membranes of tumor cells. Both ruthenium-peptide conjugates are stable in aqueous solution in the dark, but upon irradiation with visible light, the pyridyl-derivatized peptides were selectively photodissociated from the ruthenium complex, as inferred by UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy. Importantly, the reactive aqua species generated from the conjugates, [(η6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(H2O)]2+, reacted with the model DNA nucleobase 9-ethylguanine as well as with guanines of two DNA sequences, 5′dCATGGCT and 5′dAGCCATG. Interestingly, when irradiation was performed in the presence of the oligonucleotides, a new ruthenium adduct involving both guanines was formed as a consequence of the photodriven loss of p-cymene from the two monofunctional adducts. The release of the arene ligand and the formation of a ruthenated product with a multidentate binding mode might have important implications for the biological activity of such photoactivated ruthenium(II) arene complexes. Finally, photoreactions with the peptide-oligonucleotide hybrid, Phac-His-Gly-Met-linker-p5′dCATGGCT, also led to arene release and to guanine adducts, including a GG chelate. The lack of interaction with the peptide fragment confirms the preference of such organometallic ruthenium(II) complexes for guanine over other potential biological ligands, such as histidine or methionine amino acids.

Conjugation of a Ru(II) Arene Complex to Neomycin or to Guanidinoneomycin Leads to Compounds with Differential Cytotoxicities and Accumulation between Cancer and Normal Cells

A straightforward methodology for the synthesis of conjugates between a cytotoxic organometallic ruthenium(II) complex and amino- and guanidinoglycosides, as potential RNA-targeted anticancer compounds, is described. Under microwave irradiation, the imidazole ligand incorporated on the aminoglycoside moiety (neamine or neomycin) was found to replace one triphenylphosphine ligand from the ruthenium precursor [(η6-p-cym)RuCl(PPh3)2]+, allowing the assembly of the target conjugates. The guanidinylated analogue was easily prepared from the neomycin-ruthenium conjugate by reaction with N,N′-di-Boc-N″-triflylguanidine, a powerful guanidinylating reagent that was compatible with the integrity of the metal complex. All conjugates were purified by semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and characterized by electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR spectroscopy. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was tested in MCF-7 (breast) and DU-145 (prostate) human cancer cells, as well as in the normal HEK293 (Human Embryonic Kidney) cell line, revealing a dependence on the nature of the glycoside moiety and the type of cell (cancer or healthy). Indeed, the neomycin-ruthenium conjugate (2) displayed moderate antiproliferative activity in both cancer cell lines (IC50 ≈ 80 μM), whereas the neamine conjugate (4) was inactive (IC50 ≈ 200 μM). However, the guanidinylated analogue of the neomycin-ruthenium conjugate (3) required much lower concentrations than the parent conjugate for equal effect (IC50 = 7.17 μM in DU-145 and IC50 = 11.33 μM in MCF-7). Although the same ranking in antiproliferative activity was found in the nontumorigenic cell line (3 2 > 4), IC50 values indicate that aminoglycoside-containing conjugates are about 2-fold more cytotoxic in normal cells (e.g., IC50 = 49.4 μM for 2) than in cancer cells, whereas an opposite tendency was found with the guanidinylated conjugate, since its cytotoxicity in the normal cell line (IC50 = 12.75 μM for 3) was similar or even lower than that found in MCF-7 and DU-145 cancer cell lines, respectively. Cell uptake studies performed by ICP-MS with conjugates 2 and 3 revealed that guanidinylation of the neomycin moiety had a positive effect on accumulation (about 3-fold higher in DU-145 and 4-fold higher in HEK293), which correlates well with the higher antiproliferative activity of 3. Interestingly, despite the slightly higher accumulation in the normal cell than in the cancer cell line (about 1.4-fold), guanidinoneomycin-ruthenium conjugate (3) was more cytotoxic to cancer cells (about 1.8-fold), whereas the opposite tendency applied for neomycin-ruthenium conjugate (2). Such differences in cytotoxic activity and cellular accumulation between cancer and normal cells open the way to the creation of more selective, less toxic anticancer metallodrugs by conjugating cytotoxic metal-based complexes such as ruthenium(II) arene derivatives to guanidinoglycosides.