Luminescence properties of the TRIMEB inclusion compound of a europium tris-beta-diketonate

The adduct TRIMEB:Eu(BTA)(3)center dot 2H(2)O was prepared and primarily characterized by photoluminescence (PL), and compared with free Eu(BTA)(3)center dot 2H(2)O. Both spectra show the Eu3+ ion emission, with subtle differences between lines for the free and encapsulated complex. The temperature dependence and chemical stability were studied, taking into account (in the latter case) the PL changes with time. The use of this new material as the emissive layer in OLEDs was tested by its successful incorporation into a device, using a conductive polymer as host. The use of the TRIMEB adduct increased the stability of the device (as compared with the free Eu complex). (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Macrofaunal abundance and composition on the West Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf: Evidence for a sediment `food bank` and similarities to deep-sea habitats

To assess the impact and fate of the summer phytoplankton bloom on Antarctic benthos, we evaluated temporal and spatial patterns in macrofaunal abundance and taxonomic composition along a transect crossing the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) continental shelf As part of the FOODBANCS project, we sampled three sites at 550-625 m depths during five cruises occurring in November 1999, February-March 2000, June 2000, October 2000 and March 2001. We used a combination of megacore and box-core samplers to take 81 samples, and collected over 30,000 macrofaunal individuals, one of the largest sampling efforts on the Antarctic shelf to date. Comparison of the two sampling methodologies (box core and megacore) indicates similar macrofaunal densities, but with significant differences in taxonomic composition, a reflection of the different spatial scales of sampling. Macrorfaunal abundances on the WAP shelf were relatively high compared to other Antarctic shelf settings. At two of the three sampling sites, macrofaunal abundance remained constant throughout the year, which is consistent with the presence of a sediment `food bank`. Differences were observed in taxonomic composition at the site closest to the coast (Station A), driven by higher abundances of subsurface-deposit feeders. A significant temporal response was observed in the ampharetid polychaetes at Station A, with an abundance peak in the late fall post-bloom period; this may have resulted from juvenile recruitment during the summer bloom. Familial composition of macrofaunal polychaetes on the WAP shelf is more closely related to deep-sea abyssal fauna than to other shelf regions, and we hypothesize that this is a result of both local ecological conditions (low temperatures) and a reflection of historical processes such as extinctions on the Antarctic shelf during previous glacial maxima followed by recolonization from the deep sea. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of the inclusion of fish residue oils in diets on the fatty acid profile of muscles of males and females lambari (Astyanax altiparanae)

This study evaluated the effects of two lipids sources of fish residue (tilapia and salmon) compared with a vegetable oil source (soybean oil) on the fatty acid profiles of male and female lambari. This experiment was developed in a completely randomized experimental design in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement, totaling 6 treatments resulting from the combination of the three experimental diets for both sexes, with four replications for each treatment. This study involved 120 male (2.58 +/- 0.13 g) and 72 female lambari (4.00 +/- 0.09 g), fed the experimental diets twice a day until apparent satiation for a period of 60 days. Oleic, linoleic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids were found at higher concentrations in all experimental oils and diets, as well in the muscle of male and female lambari. The low amounts of arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in the experimental diets and subsequent greater concentrations in muscle tissue, suggested that lambari are able to desaturate and elongate the chain of fatty acids with 18 carbons. The fish of both sexes that received the diet with soybean oil showed high levels of n-6 fatty acids, especially of C18: 2n-6 and low levels of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. The diet with salmon residue oil promoted higher levels of fatty acids of the n-3 series and resulted in the best n-3/n-6 ratio in the muscle of male and female lambari. The oils from fish residues can be a substitute for traditional fish oil and its use in the lambari diets does not impair its growth.

The Gracilariaceae Germplasm Bank of the University of So Paulo, Brazil-a DNA barcoding approach

The University of So Paulo Gracilariaceae Germplasm Bank has 50 strains collected mostly in Brazil, but also elsewhere in the world. This bank has been used as a source of material for research developed locally and abroad. With over 200 species, some of which have high economic value, the family Gracilariaceae has been extensively studied. Nonetheless, taxonomic problems still persist by the existence of cryptic species, phenotypic plasticity, and broad geographic distribution. In the case of algae kept in culture for long periods of time, the identification is even more problematic as a consequence of considerable morphological modification. Thus, the use of molecular markers has been shown to be an efficient tool to elucidate taxonomic issues in the group. In this work, we sequenced the 5'-end of the cox1 gene for 41 strains and the universal plastid amplicon (UPA) plastid region for 45 strains, covering all 50 strains in the bank. In addition, the rbcL for representatives of the cox1/UPA clusters was sequenced for 14 strains. The original species identification based on morphology was compared with the molecular data obtained in this work, resulting in the identification of 13 different species. Our analyses indicate that cox1 and UPA are suitable markers for the delineation of species of Gracilariales in the germplasm bank. The addition of DNA barcode tags to the samples in the Gracilariaceae germplasm bank and the molecular identification of the species will make this bank even more useful for future research as the species can be easily traced and confirmed.

Genome Sequence of the Bacterioplanktonic, Mixotrophic Vibrio campbellii Strain PEL22A, Isolated in the Abrolhos Bank

Vibrio campbellii PEL22A was isolated from open ocean water in the Abrolhos Bank. The genome of PEL22A consists of 6,788,038 bp (the GC content is 45%). The number of coding sequences (CDS) is 6,359, as determined according to the Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology (RAST) server. The number of ribosomal genes is 80, of which 68 are tRNAs and 12 are rRNAs. V. campbellii PEL22A contains genes related to virulence and fitness, including a complete proteorhodopsin cluster, complete type II and III secretion systems, incomplete type I, IV, and VI secretion systems, a hemolysin, and CTX Phi.

Brazilian psychiatric brain bank: a new contribution tool to network studies

There is an urgent need for expanding the number of brain banks serving psychiatric research. We describe here the Psychiatric Disorders arm of the Brain Bank of the Brazilian Aging Brain Study Group (Psy-BBBABSG), which is focused in bipolar disorder (BD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Our protocol was designed to minimize limitations faced by previous initiatives, and to enable design-based neurostereological analyses. The Psy-BBBABSG first milestone is the collection of 10 brains each of BD and OCD patients, and matched controls. The brains are sourced from a population-based autopsy service. The clinical and psychiatric assessments were done by an expert team including psychiatrists, through an informant. One hemisphere was perfused-fixed to render an optimal fixation for conducting neurostereological studies. The other hemisphere was comprehensively dissected and frozen for molecular studies. In 20 months, we collected 36 brains. A final report was completed for 14 cases: 3 BDs, 4 major depressive disorders, 1 substance use disorder, 1 mood disorder NOS, 3 obsessive compulsive spectrum symptoms, 1 OCD and 1 schizophrenia. The majority were male (64%), and the average age at death was 67.2 +/- 9.0 years. The average postmortem interval was 16 h. Three matched controls were collected. The pilot stage confirmed that the protocols are well fitted to reach our goals. Our unique autopsy source makes possible to collect a fairly number of high quality cases in a short time. Such a collection offers an additional to the international research community to advance the understanding on neuropsychiatric diseases.

The in vitro antioxidant properties of the Al-quercetin/beta CD and Al-catechin/beta CD inclusion compounds, rationalized in terms of their electrochemical behaviour

Inclusion compounds of Al-quercetin and Al-catechin complexes with beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD) were investigated. The complex and the inclusion compound of quercetin are more effective DPPHaEuro cent scavengers than the corresponding catechin compounds and the inclusion does not compromise their scavenging abilities, with only a slight decrease in the EC50 values. This is in accordance with the electrochemical data, which revealed that the inclusion compounds have lower diffusion coefficients in aqueous solution than the non-included compounds. For the quercetin compounds, some spectroscopic properties were also addressed by means of UV-visible and NMR measurements in aqueous media.

Work organization and the health of bank employees

The Brazilian banking sector has undergone an intense restructuring process and taken a leading position in the incorporation of new technologies and organizational innovations. Computerization in the industry, in association with forms of work organization, has resulted in changes that reflect on the workers' health. Based on the theoretical and methodological frameworks of historical and dialectical materialism, this qualitative study investigates the work conditions of bank employees in order to identify the extent to which changes in work organization interfere with these workers' health. Data were collected through interviews held with 11 bank employees. In addition to physical sickening due to occupational diseases directly related to work intensification, the results also show an increased incidence of mental suffering and a feeling of loss of professional identity. Work-related frustration, instability and concerns related to psychological pressure resulting from the need to achieve goals predominated in the reports.

Binary and ternary inclusion complexes of dapsone in cyclodextrins and polymers: preparation, characterization and evaluation

Dapsone (DAP) is a synthetic sulfone drug with bacteriostatic activity, mainly against Mycobacterium leprae. In this study we have investigated the interactions of DAP with cyclodextrins, 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP beta CD) and beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD), in the presence and absence of water-soluble polymers, in order to improve its solubility and bioavailability. Solid systems DAP/HP beta CD and DAP/beta CD, in the presence or absence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K30) or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), were prepared. The binary and ternary systems were evaluated and characterized by SEM, DSC, XRD and NMR analysis as well as phase solubility assays, in order to investigate the interactions between DAP and the excipients in aqueous solution. This study revealed that inclusion complexes of DAP and cyclodextrins (HP beta CD and beta CD) can be produced in order to improve DAP solubility and bioavailability in the presence or absence of polymers (PVP K30 and HPMC). The more stable inclusion complex was obtained with HP beta CD, and consequently HP beta CD was more efficient in improving DAP solubility than beta CD, and the addition of polymers had no influence on DAP solubility or on the stability of the DAP/CDs complexes.

Toward supramolecular architectures of the anti-HIV drug lamivudine: understanding the effect of the inclusion of water in a hydrochloride form

Two salts of the anti-HIV drug lamivudine, namely, lamivudine hydrochloride and lamivudine hydrochloride monohydrate, were prepared for the first time. Structural relationships and the role of water in crystal assembly and lamivudine conformation were established and allowed for a rational approach to understand how solid state properties could be changed by engineering new salts of the drug.

On the impact of disproportional samples in credit scoring models: An application to a Brazilian bank data

Statistical methods have been widely employed to assess the capabilities of credit scoring classification models in order to reduce the risk of wrong decisions when granting credit facilities to clients. The predictive quality of a classification model can be evaluated based on measures such as sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy, correlation coefficients and information theoretical measures, such as relative entropy and mutual information. In this paper we analyze the performance of a naive logistic regression model (Hosmer & Lemeshow, 1989) and a logistic regression with state-dependent sample selection model (Cramer, 2004) applied to simulated data. Also, as a case study, the methodology is illustrated on a data set extracted from a Brazilian bank portfolio. Our simulation results so far revealed that there is no statistically significant difference in terms of predictive capacity between the naive logistic regression models and the logistic regression with state-dependent sample selection models. However, there is strong difference between the distributions of the estimated default probabilities from these two statistical modeling techniques, with the naive logistic regression models always underestimating such probabilities, particularly in the presence of balanced samples. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.