Solanum lycocarpum A. St. Hil. (Solanaceae) is a species from the Brazilian Cerrado, exhibiting several medicinal properties, being used by the population in the treatment of ulcers, bronchitis, ...asthma and hepatitis, which involve inflammatory processes.
This study aimed to chemically characterize the dichloromethane fraction (DCM), as well as verify its antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential.
The DCM fraction was obtained by partitioning the ethanol extract. The chemical constituents of the DCM fraction were characterized by LC-DAD-MS. The DPPH and FRAP assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant potential. The carrageenan-induced paw edema model was used to assess the anti-inflammatory effects, and the inflammatory infiltrate was evaluated by qualitative and quantitative histological analyses. The antinociceptive action of the DCM fraction was evaluated by acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test, formalin-induced nociception and hot-plate test.
Steroidal alkaloids solasonine, solasodine and solamargine, as well as the alkaloid peiminine/imperialine and caffeoylquinic acids, were annotated in DCM fraction by LC-DAD-MS. The DCM fraction showed antioxidative action in the in vitro DPPH and FRAP tests, as well as an anti-inflammatory effect for the three evaluated doses of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg in the fourth and sixth hours after the administration of carrageenan. The histological analyses evidenced considerably reduction in leukocyte migration and the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The study also demonstrated antinociceptive activity for the DCM fraction, which reduced abdominal writhing at three concentrations evaluated, as well as a decrease in paw licking in the formalin-induced nociception test both in the neurogenic phase and the inflammatory phase, with greater effectiveness compared to the anti-inflammatory indomethacin. The DCM fraction also increased the latency time of the animals in the hot plate test 60 min after treatment, although it did not seem to involve the opioidergic system.
This work evidenced that the dichloromethane fraction of S. lycocarpum fruit possesses antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory potential, which supports its use in folk medicine for management inflammatory conditions.
Studies of risk perception and risk communication concerning the nuclear area are quite common in scientific literature. However, though numerous studies on this topic point to the importance of ...scientific and technological knowledge in facilitating the reduction of perceived risks, there are few papers that effectively discuss the role of education in risk communication on the subject, particularly in Brazil. The objective of the present work was to reflect on this problem by analyzing the results obtained from two case studies on the implementation of the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor, in the city of Iperó, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. As was verified in the investigation, most participants of the study had high perception of risk with respect to the implementation of the reactor. Nevertheless, although important in the project of the reactor implementation, it was verified that the state, municipal and community schools of the city of Iperó had not participated, in the public hearings nor had they discussed the issue inside the school community, until the moment of the research.
Some researchers point out the decline in contemporary cities of the use of public spaces, whether free or restricted access. In this sense, the present essay proposes a reflection on a "public ...sphere of organized presence", according to Habermas classification, as a rescue of the importance of this space for the exercise of citizenship and social-environmental responsibility. The reflection was based on the results obtained from a study in the district of Riacho Grande, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil, in which the environmental perception of the participants of the meetings about the region was known by documentary analysis, direct observation and interviews with questionnaires. It was possible to verify that this public space can facilitate a greater integration between the public administrators and citizens, helping even in the defense to the environment.
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► The one-port aerobic oxidative esterification of benzyl alcohol was studied. ► Nanoparticles of gold supported on hexagonal mesoporous silica promote this reaction. ► The ...modification of the support with Ti, Fe or Ce improves the catalytic performance. ► Ce and Ti modified materials show high catalytic activity, selectivity and stability. ► Methyl benzoate was obtained in a 92% yield with a turnover number of ca. 4300.
The materials containing gold nanoparticles supported on pure and Ce, Ti, or Fe-modified hexagonal mesoporous silica were prepared and their structural and electronic properties were studied by XRD, TEM, XPS, and N
2 adsorption techniques. The materials were shown to be effective heterogeneous catalysts for the liquid-phase aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol in methanol solutions. It was found that the modifiers significantly improve the catalytic properties of supported gold particles and allow performing the selective one-pot oxidative esterification of benzyl alcohol resulting in methyl benzoate. The modified catalysts exhibited high activity (turnover frequencies of up to ca. 1000
h
−1), selectivity to methyl benzoate (up to 95%), and stability (turnover numbers of up to ca. 4300). Ce and Ti were found to be more effective promoters as compared with Fe in terms of catalyst stability.
This present study was aimed at analyzing the environmental perception of teachers from two Brazilian public schools located on opposite shores of a socio-environmentally vulnerable area by means of ...drawings as well as the data collected from questionnaires. The 2010 Brazilian Census reported that nearly 2.7 million people live in such conditions in the macrometropolis of São Paulo, including the municipalities of São Bernardo do Campo (SBC) and Diadema. Both schools included in this study are located in such cities as they are the most populated ones and surround a very important water reservoir called Billings dam. The SBC school is within a more environmentally preserved area, whereas the Diadema school is in a region with higher environmental impacts. In this sense, we formulated the following research question: "How will this influence the environmental perception of the teachers?" The activity was attended by 41 teachers from different academic backgrounds. These teachers have mostly shown a naturalistic view of the environment, followed by an anthropocentric view.
Scarce data are available on the quality of life and psychosocial distress of patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN2), a genetic cancer syndrome caused by
germline mutations. ...Carriers of
mutations can face several challenges, including fear for the future, guilt for transmission of a germline mutation to an offspring, side effects of cancer treatment, coping behaviors in the face of a chronic and frequently incurable cancer, and difficulties in access to adequate health care. We have addressed the effects of genetic testing on the quality of life of patients with MEN2 and the lifelong physical and psychosocial challenges experienced by these patients. We have also suggested strategies to minimize the burden of living with this chronic condition and the perspectives on future studies to improve the health-related quality of life of the patients.
Summary
Objective To assess the sizes of intra‐abdominal organs of adult subjects with untreated severe congenital isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) due to lack of functional GHRH receptor (GHRH‐R), and ...to verify whether there is proportionality between size of organ and adult stature and body surface area (BSA).
Subjects and methods By using ultrasound, we studied the sizes (absolute and corrected by height, weight and BSA) of the intra‐abdominal organs of 18 adult subjects with IGHD (eight females, IGHD group) who have never received GH replacement therapy. They were all homozygous for the same null mutation (IVS1 + 1G → A) in the GHRH receptor gene (GHRH‐R). They were compared with normal controls from the same region.
Results After correction for BSA, subjects lacking a functional GHRH‐R have normal prostate and ovaries size, small spleen and uterus, and large liver, pancreas and kidney.
Conclusions Size of individual abdominal organs is influenced in different ways by severe and congenital lack of GH due to a GHRH‐R mutation.
PtSn/C electrocatalyst with Pt:Sn molar ratio of 50:50 and PtSnNi/C electrocatalyst with a Pt:Sn:Ni molar ratio of 50:40:10 were prepared by the alcohol-reduction process using ethylene glycol as ...solvent and reducing agent. The electrocatalysts were characterized by EDX, XRD, TEM and cyclic voltammetry. The electro-oxidation of ethylene glycol was studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using the thin porous coating technique. PtSnNi/C electrocatalyst showed a superior performance compared to PtSn/C electrocatalysts in the potential range of interest for direct ethylene glycol fuel cell.
We describe a 47‐year‐old woman with a 3‐year history of a continuum mild‐moderate right‐side headache, with exacerbations, associated with stabbing volleys of pain on right orbit‐temporal region ...(10/10) and right eye ptosis and lacrimation with conjunctival injection. The pain was completely abolished with indomethacin (100 mg per day). The diagnosis of hemicrania continua was made according to the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. The headache presentation was precipitated by a stroke and a right‐side brainstem lesion was present at magnetic resonance imaging. This case report shows anatomoclinical evidence of the involvement of brainstem structures on the pathophysiology of hemicrania continua.
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