Search

Cancer stands out as a major global public health concern and a significant impediment to increasing life expectancy worldwide. Natural bioactives derived from plants are renowned for their efficacy in treating various types of cancer. Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) is a well-known plant traditionally employed in diverse medical systems across the globe. The 2-AEH2P monophosphoester, a molecule intricately involved in phospholipid turnover, demonstrates antiproliferative effects across a broad spectrum of cancer types. This study aims to assess the antitumor, antiproliferative, and pharmacological effects of andrographolide at different concentrations, both individually and in conjunction with 2-aminoethyl dihydrogen phosphate. The cytotoxicity of the treatments was evaluated using the colorimetric MTT method, cell cycle phases, mitochondrial electrical potential, and markers expression via flow cytometry, while the pharmacological effects were assessed using SynergyFinder software 3.0. Treatments with A. paniculata, isolated at concentrations of 10%, 30%, and 50% of andrographolide, induced cell death in tumor cells, resulting in a reduction in mitochondrial electrical potential and alterations in cell cycle phases, particularly a decrease in the population of MDA MB-231 cells in the G0/G1 phase. The combination treatments exhibited significant cytotoxicity toward tumor cells, with minimal toxicity observed in normal fibroblast cells FN1. This led to a reduction in mitochondrial electrical potential and cell cycle arrest in the S phase for MDA MB-231 cells. Across all concentrations, the combined treatments demonstrated a synergistic pharmacological effect, underscoring the efficacy of the association. There was a change in the markers involved in cell death, such as p53, caspase 3, Bcl-2, and cytochrome c, suggesting the induction of regulated cell death. Markers associated with progression and proliferation, such as cyclin D1 and p21, corroborate the findings for cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest.

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is a progressively growing pathology to afford by a spinal surgeon due to the aging of the population, associated with better treatment management and the best diagnosis and treatment solutions are greatly discussed. Nowadays that scientific literature is progressively increasing to identify the gold standard in diagnosis and treatment can be very challenging. This is particularly evident in spinal surgery with many different indications not only in different countries but also in the same local reality. In this scenario, many neurosurgical societies works to identify some guideline or recommendations to help spinal surgeons in daily practice. Furthermore, in an era in which legal issues are increasingly present in clinical practice to have some indications globally accepted can be very useful. World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) few years ago starts this process creating a list of recommendations originating from a worldwide steering committee to respect all the local reality. The spinal section of Italian Neurosurgical Society decides to adopt the WFNS recommendations with some revision basing on Italian scenario. The steering committee of the Spinal Section of Italian Neurosurgical Society identify 7 groups to review the literature of the last 10 years about different topics on CSM and to analyses the WFNS recommendations to adapt it to the Italian daily practice. The statements were discussed and voted in 2 sessions to obtain the final version. A list of recommendations on natural course and clinical presentation; diagnostic tests; conservative and surgical treatment; anterior, posterior and combined surgical treatment; role of neurophysiological monitoring and follow-up and outcome was created with only few new or revised statements respect the ones of WFNS. The Spine Section of Italian Neurosurgical Society create a list of recommendations that represent the more contemporary treatment concepts for CSM as presented in the highest quality clinical literature and best clinical practices available on this subject.

This work presents a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) that aims to engage students in learning core biological knowledge and well-informed conceptions about the nature of science through a historical case study: Alfred Russel Wallace's (1823–1913) research on palm trees in the Amazon. He observed, illustrated, described, and collected several specimens to understand the region's biological diversity. We took it as a starting point for students to use a dichotomous identification key and develop a phylogenetic tree. We also mention an evaluation of the TLS applied in second-year high school classes involving sixty students from a public school in the city of São Paulo in 2013. The activity produced several positive effects, especially regarding motivation for learning phylogenetic classification from exemplary historical contexts. The experience illustrates in a more general way how the use of nature investigations carried out in the past can contribute to a more complete scientific education, as described in the new curricular standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) that aims to engage students in learning core biological knowledge and well-informed conceptions about the nature of science through a historical case study: Alfred Russel Wallace's (1823–1913) research on palm trees in the Amazon. He observed, illustrated, described, and collected several specimens to understand the region's biological diversity. We took it as a starting point for students to use a dichotomous identification key and develop a phylogenetic tree. We also mention an evaluation of the TLS applied in second-year high school classes involving sixty students from a public school in the city of São Paulo in 2013. The activity produced several positive effects, especially regarding motivation for learning phylogenetic classification from exemplary historical contexts. The experience illustrates in a more general way how the use of nature investigations carried out in the past can contribute to a more complete scientific education, as described in the new curricular standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]