High-performance liquid chromatographic separation and identification of polyphenolic compounds from the infusion of Davilla elliptica St. Hill

The isolation of polyphenolic compounds from an infusion of the Brazilian plant Davilla elliptica (Dilleniaceae), used as tea by virtue of its digestive properties, is described. An improved preparative HPLC method was used in order to isolate pure polyphenols from the complex mixture. Liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction were employed to minimise the interference of polymeric compounds and to provide an enriched fraction of the compounds of interest. The identification of the isolated compounds was performed using analytical HPLC as well as direct injection electrospray ionisation ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS/MS). The high flavonoid content suggests that D. elliptica may be a promising source of compounds to produce natural phytomedicines. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Detection and Identification of Abnormalities in Customer Consumptions in Power Distribution Systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Neural Network-Based Approach for Identification of the Harmonic Content of a Nonlinear Load in a Single-Phase System

In this paper an alternative method based on artificial neural networks is presented to determine harmonic components in the load current of a single-phase electric power system with nonlinear loads, whose parameters can vary so much in reason of the loads characteristic behaviors as because of the human intervention. The first six components in the load current are determined using the information contained in the time-varying waveforms. The effectiveness of this method is verified by using it in a single-phase active power filter with selective compensation of the current drained by an AC controller. The proposed method is compared with the fast Fourier transform.

Identification of lubricant contamination by biodiesel using vibration analysis and neural network

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide information on lubricant contamination by biodiesel using vibration and neural network.Design/methodology/approach - The possible contamination of lubricants is verified by analyzing the vibration and neural network of a bench test under determinated conditions.Findings - Results have shown that classical signal analysis methods could not reveal any correlation between the signal and the presence of contamination, or contamination grade. on other hand, the use of probabilistic neural network (PNN) was very successful in the identification and classification of contamination and its grade.Research limitations/implications - This study was done for some specific kinds of biodiesel. Other types of biodiesel could be analyzed.Practical implications Contamination information is presented in the vibration signal, even if it is not evident by classical vibration analysis. In addition, the use of PNN gives a relatively simple and easy-to-use detection tool with good confidence. The training process is fast, and allows implementation of an adaptive training algorithm.Originality/value - This research could be extended to an internal combustion engine in order to verify a possible contamination by biodiesel.

Identification of the Communicative Abilities of Brazilian Children With Cerebral Palsy in the Family Context

This article highlights the importance of the information obtained from the family in the implementation of the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system. The objective was to investigate the communicative abilities of children with severe communication deficit through their parents' reports within the family routine. Eleven parents of children affiliated with a rehabilitation program in a public university in Brazil participated in this research. Per their parents' reports, the children demonstrated a variety of communication skills related to comprehension, expressive skills, and vocabulary. Parents further reported their children's daily communication routines including social partners, communication environment, and the materials the children enjoyed the most. These results emphasize the importance of family involvement in planning AAC so that it is functional within the family context.

Identification of a Microdeletion at the 7q33-q35 Disrupting the CNTNAP2 Gene in a Brazilian Stuttering Case

Speech and language disorders are some of the most common referral reasons to child development centers accounting for approximately 40% of cases. Stuttering is a disorder in which involuntary repetition, prolongation, or cessation of the sound precludes the flow of speech. About 5% of individuals in the general population have a stuttering problem, and about 80% of the affected children recover naturally. The causal factors of stuttering remain uncertain in most cases; studies suggest that genetic factors are responsible for 70% of the variance in liability for stuttering, whereas the remaining 30% is due to environmental effects supporting a complex cause of the disorder. The use of high-resolution genome wide array comparative genomic hybridization has proven to be a powerful strategy to narrow down candidate regions for complex disorders. We report on a case with a complex set of speech and language difficulties including stuttering who presented with a 10Mb deletion of chromosome region 7q33-35 causing the deletion of several genes and the disruption of CNTNAP2 by deleting the first three exons of the gene. CNTNAP2 is known to be involved in the cause of language and speech disorders and autism spectrum disorder and is in the same pathway as FOXP2, another important language gene, which makes it a candidate gene for causal studies speech and language disorders such as stuttering. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Injuries and envenoming by aquatic animals in fishermen of Coxim and Corumbá municipalities, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: identification of the causative agents, clinical aspects and first aid measures

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Identification of Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from patients with urinary tract infection using a simple set of biochemical tests correlating with 16S-23S interspace region molecular weight patterns

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Identification of dementia cases in the community: A Brazilian experience

OBJECTIVES: To describe the application in Brazil of a simple, low-cost procedure, developed in India by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group, for the identification of dementia cases in the community.DESIGN: Community-based dementia case-finding method.SETTING: Piraju, São Paulo, Brazil.PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five community health workers were trained to identify dementia cases in 2,222 people aged 65 and older in Piraju, a Brazilian town with 27,871 inhabitants.MEAUREMENTS: After the training, the health workers prepared a list of possible cases that afterward an experienced psychiatrist clinically evaluated, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), criteria and the Clinical Dementia Rating.RESULTS: of the 72 cases that were clinically assessed, 45 met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for dementia. Therefore, the positive predictive value of this case finding method was 62.5%; the estimated frequency of dementia was 2%. Most of the confirmed cases met clinical criteria for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.CONCLUSION: This simple method was appropriate to identify cases of dementia in the general population and can possibly be extended to other developing countries with limited resources to be applied in health programs.

Correlation between API 50 CH and multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the identification of vaginal lactobacilli in isolates

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

White piedra: molecular identification of Trichosporon inkin in members of the same family

INTRODUÇÃO: Piedra branca é micose superficial causada por fungos do gênero Trichosporon e caracterizado por nódulos firmemente aderidos à haste do pêlo. MÉTODOS: Os autores relatam casos familiares encaminhados como pediculose. Foram utilizados cultura em ágar Mycosel® e identificação molecular. RESULTADOS: Exame micológico revelou a infecção por Trichosporon spp. A identificação molecular demonstrou se tratar do Trichosporon inkin. CONCLUSÕES: Piedra branca e infecção pelo T. inkin são raramente relatados na região sudeste do Brasil. A identificação molecular é essencial para correta determinação de espécies no gênero Trichosporon.

First identification of Sarcocystis tenella (Railliet, 1886) Moule, 1886 (Protozoa: Apicomplexa) by PCR in naturally infected sheep from Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

First Identification of Canine Distemper Virus in Hoary Fox (Lycalopex vetulus): Pathologic Aspects and Virus Phylogeny

Canine distemper virus (CDV) has been reported in several wild animal species, but there have been no reports of CDV in hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus). This paper characterizes the first case of natural CDV infection in hoary fox, including the clinical and pathologic aspects of the disease as well as the viral strain phylogeny.

Short Report: Identification of Virulence-Associated Plasmids in Rhodococcus equi in Humans with and without Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Identification of the SP22 Sperm Protein in Santa Ines and Dorper Rams

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)