Publications by authors named "Agra M"

Solanum jabrense is an endemic species from Brazil, distributed in the phytogeographic domains of the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest, in the states of Northeast. Solanum L. species have great economic importance not only because they are used in human food, but also because they present several secondary metabolites, especially glycosylated steroidal alkaloids, giving them medicinal properties.

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Seven new abietane diterpenoids, comprising medusanthol A-G (-, , -) and two previously identified analogs ( and ), were isolated from the hexane extract of the aerial parts of The structures of the compounds were elucidated by HRESIMS, 1D/2D NMR spectroscopic data, IR spectroscopy, NMR calculations with DP4+ probability analysis, and ECD calculations. The anti-neuroinflammatory potential of compounds - was evaluated by determining their ability to inhibit the production of nitric oxide (NO) and the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α in BV2 microglia stimulated with LPS and IFN-γ. Compounds - and exhibited decreased NO levels at a concentration of 12.

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Article Synopsis
  • BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome (TPDS) is linked to an increased risk for several types of cancer, making early detection crucial for patients and their families.
  • A study examined nail abnormalities in 47 individuals with known BAP1 variants, revealing that 87.2% of participants had some form of nail issue, including leukonychia and onychopapilloma.
  • The findings highlight the prevalence of nail abnormalities among BAP1 TPDS patients, suggesting that these changes could serve as a clinical indicator for further evaluation and monitoring of cancer risk.
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Extending the access to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to a wider public is an important step in increasing survivability of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, often price and maintenance of CPR manikins are barriers that prevent training at schools. This study aims to evaluate the learning of hands-only (HO) CPR by practicing with a low-cost manikin (LoCoMan) with visual qualitative feedback and to compare the results with the skills acquired by practice on a conventional manikin.

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Rationale: Tropane alkaloids represent an important class of secondary metabolites, but many of these compounds are already described in the scientific literature, so the use of guided identification and isolation strategies, such as dereplication, represent a fast and safe alternative.

Methods: For the annotation of the tropane alkaloids the chloroform phases of the four Erythroxylum species were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with positive-mode electrospray ionization, then the ions of their protonated molecules, molecular formulas and fragmentation patterns were observed and a comparison of the obtained data with those present in the scientific literature was performed. The compounds not fully annotated were isolated and characterized by H and C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on plants from the Hyptidinae subtribe in the Lamiaceae family, known for producing bioactive molecules that could be potential drug candidates.* -
  • Researchers isolated and chemically characterized four diterpenes (Pomiferin D, Salviol, Pomiferin E, and 2α-hydroxysugiol) along with two phenolic compounds (rosmarinic and caffeic acids) using NMR techniques.* -
  • The biological activity of the isolated compounds was tested, resulting in certain minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC), with varying levels of effectiveness against specific targets, but some compounds showed no significant activity at the tested concentrations.*
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L. is known as the most relevant vector mosquito for viruses such as yellow fever, chikungunya, dengue, and Zika, especially in places with unplanned urbanization, and erratic water supply. Plants used in folk medicine have become a useful source of active compounds with the potential to control the dissemination of Compounds isolated from Malvaceae have been previously reported as larvicides, repellents, and insecticides.

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(Thunb.) Hyl, family Lamiaceae, is an important and popular anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). However, there are limited scientific studies on its anatomy and pharmacological activities.

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Article Synopsis
  • PARP inhibition with olaparib was tested in a phase 2 trial on patients with refractory mesothelioma to see if it could improve treatment outcomes through synthetic lethality.
  • The study involved 23 patients who received olaparib, showing only one partial response, with most experiencing stable disease, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.6 months while overall survival (OS) was 8.7 months.
  • Results indicated that patients with germline mutations had poorer outcomes compared to wild-type patients, but olaparib was deemed safe with no significant safety issues reported.
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Article Synopsis
  • BAP1 is a gene that helps suppress tumors and is crucial for DNA repair and cell growth, with mutations significantly raising cancer risk, especially for mesotheliomas and melanomas.
  • Individuals with BAP1 mutations can develop aggressive meningiomas that often show more severe features.
  • The study highlights four families carrying the BAP1 mutation, detailing their experiences with pleural mesotheliomas and meningiomas, including their cancer history and management strategies.
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Recent biological invasions offer 'natural' laboratories to understand the genetics and ecology of adaptation, hybridization, and range limits. One of the most impressive and well-documented biological invasions of the 20th century began in 1957 when Apis mellifera scutellata honey bees swarmed out of managed experimental colonies in Brazil. This newly-imported subspecies, native to southern and eastern Africa, both hybridized with and out-competed previously-introduced European honey bee subspecies.

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Three new caryophyllane-type sesquiterpenoids, linariophyllenes A-C (-), two new hamamelitol derivatives, linaritols A ( and B (), two new chromones, linariosides A () and B (), and three known chromones, cnidimol C (), monnieriside A (), and undulatoside A (), were identified from the aerial parts of . The structures of these compounds were elucidated by NMR, MS, and IR data. The absolute configurations of compounds - and were established via electronic circular dichroism data.

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Micromorphological studies were carried out using multiple microscopic techniques on the leaves and stem bark of Byrsonima sericea DC. (Malpighiaceae), a species popularly known as "murici" and used medicinally, in order to identify both qualitative and quantitative features of leaf and stem anatomy and histochemistry as differential parameters to support both the quality control of its ethnodrugs and the taxonomy of the genus. The study was conducted using traditional techniques of plant anatomy, histochemical tests, and the stomatal index (SI).

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Introduction: Areas at risk of transmission of arboviruses have been monitored using ovitraps. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial distribution of Aedes aegypti in vulnerable areas for the transmission of arboviruses and assess the influence of climatic conditions on the infestation of these culicids.

Methods: Ovitraps were installed in Agrestina, Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil.

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The essential oil from leaves of Croton grewioides Baill was obtained by hydrodistillation using Clevenger apparatus, and its chemical composition was analyzed by GC-MS, where 18 compounds were identified, mostly as monoterpenes (55.56%) and sesquiterpenes (44.44%), in which the major constituent was the α-pinene (47.

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Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal tumor that is very uncommon in the conjunctiva. Nevertheless, we describe here the clinical manifestations, management, and prognosis of a rare case of leiomyosarcoma in this location. An 81-year-old male presented at a tertiary hospital with a rapidly growing mass.

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The follow-up of phytochemical and pharmacological studies of L. (Malvaceae) aims to strengthen the chemosystematics and pharmacology of genera and support the ethnopharmacological use of this species as hypotensive herb. The present work reports phytoconstituents isolated and identified from aerial parts of by using chromatographic and spectroscopic methods.

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Introduction:: The sandfly fauna is well studied globally. In Brazil, sandfly fauna is very diverse in the Northeast region, especially in states such as Maranhão, Ceará, and Bahia. However, in the State of Pernambuco, the distribution of these insects is still not well known.

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This study reports the first phenolics from Wissadula genus (Malvaceae) and the anti-inflammatory activity of 7,4'-di-O-methylisoscutellarein. Using chromatographic methods, five phenolic compounds were isolated from aerial parts of Wissadula periplocifolia (L.) C.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wissadula periplocifolia is a plant in Brazil known for treating bee stings and having antiseptic properties, prompting research into its antioxidant and bioactive compounds.
  • Five new sulphated flavonoids were discovered through phytochemical investigations, along with several known flavonoids, using methods like column chromatography and NMR analysis.
  • Preliminary tests indicated that some flavonoids, particularly acacetin and tiliroside, show potential antitumor effects against specific cancer cell lines.
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Dolichandra is a genus of lianas found in dry and wet Neotropical forests. The genus currently includes eight species and is well characterized by molecular and morphological synapomorphies. Here, Macfadyenahispida (DC.

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In this work the leaf anatomy of three species of Ficus section Americanae (Miq.) Miq. from Brazil, whose leaves and latex are used in folk medicine is reported.

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Investigation of the green fruits of Clusia paralicola (Clusiaceae) led to the isolation and characterization of two 3,8"-biflavonoids, 2R, 3S, 2"R, 3"R-GB1-7"-O-beta-glucoside (1) and 2R, 3S, 2"R, 3,8"-binaringenin-7"-O-beta-glucoside (2), together with four known compounds: beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, beta-amyrin, and epicatechin. The structures were established from the IR, LC-ESI-MS and NMR spectral data, including 2D-NMR experiments. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by CD spectra.

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Combretum duarteanum Cambess. is found in South America, particularly in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil. In Paraiba state (Brazil), the species usually occurs in the Caatinga biome.

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