Free radicals (FR) act on living organisms and present unpaired electrons in the molecular orbitals of oxygen or nitrogen species. They are classified as redox reactions and account for a wide range of processes in biological systems. Genetic and environmental factors may alter the levels of FR in the cell, leading to deleterious consequences such as membrane lipid peroxidation, protein nitration, enzyme, carbohydrate and DNA damage, ultimately resulting in premature aging and a pro-inflammatory microenvironment as observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). O2 radical ability to act as a Lewis base and to form a complex with metal transition such as iron and copper (Lewis acids) leads to biomolecules oxidation at physiological pH, thus increasing the possibility of injury and oxidative damage in biological tissues. In this review, we discuss the role of metals, like copper, and the amyloid precursor protein (APP) derivative (s-APP-alpha) as an antioxidant and a possible adjuvant in the treatment of some autistic spectrum disorder symptoms (ASD).
Full article Related workCurrently, there is still debate about the possible implications that the epistemological and pedagogical conceptions of science teachers may have on the construction of scientific knowledge in schools. This study explores, describes, and tentatively relates the epistemological conceptions of the Nature of Science (NoS) and the pedagogical views on teaching and learning of a heterogeneous group of teachers, with the aim of establishing their possible applications or implications according to current scenarios and consensuses in scientific literacy. From the statistical analysis and methodological triangulation, it is possible to assert that there was not enough evidence to establish that these conceptions influence the formation of pedagogical views on teaching and learning.
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Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology
University of Campinas
