INTERACTIONS OF BIOCHAR AND ORGANIC COMPOUND FOR SEEDLINGS PRODUCTION OF Magonia pubescens A. St.-Hil.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that biochar, applied with cattle manure, promotes better development of seedlings of Magonia pubescens St. Hil. The experiment was conducted at the State University of Mato Grosso, Nova Xavantina, Brazil, in 2011. We used a completely randomized design, with twelve treatments and three replications. The substrates formed by the higher levels of cattle manure plus biochar (30%) provided better results of height, diameter and aerial biomass. However, the Dickson Quality Index has not confirmed the quality of seedlings in these treatments. We also observed that the doses of biochar (20 and 30%) when added separately to the Latosol, are not efficient for the growth improvement of the seedlings. Based on the present results, we validate the hypothesis that substrates formed with a mixture of cattle manure and biochar are effective to improve the production of seedlings of M. pubescens.

Geometric nonlinear dynamic analysis of plates and shells using eight-node hexahedral finite elements with reduced integration

This work presents a geometric nonlinear dynamic analysis of plates and shells using eight-node hexahedral isoparametric elements. The main features of the present formulation are: (a) the element matrices are obtained using reduced integrations with hourglass control; (b) an explicit Taylor-Galerkin scheme is used to carry out the dynamic analysis, solving the corresponding equations of motion in terms of velocity components; (c) the Truesdell stress rate tensor is used; (d) the vector processor facilities existing in modern supercomputers were used. The results obtained are comparable with previous solutions in terms of accuracy and computational performance.

Constitutive laws for strong geometric non-linearity

This paper is divided into two different parts. The first one provides a brief introduction to the fractal geometry with some simple illustrations in fluid mechanics. We thought it would be helpful to introduce the reader into this relatively new approach to mechanics that has not been sufficiently explored by engineers yet. Although in fluid mechanics, mainly in problems of percolation and binary flows, the use of fractals has gained some attention, the same is not true for solid mechanics, from the best of our knowledge. The second part deals with the mechanical behavior of thin wires subjected to very large deformations. It is shown that starting to a plausible conjecture it is possible to find global constitutive equations correlating geometrical end energy variables with the fractal dimension of the solid subjected to large deformations. It is pointed out the need to complement the present proposal with experimental work.

Compound 48/80, a histamine-depleting agent, blocks the protective effect of morphine against electroconvulsive shock in mice

We have shown that morphine has an anticonvulsive effect against maximal electroconvulsive shock (MES) in mice, and this effect is antagonized by histamine H1-receptor antagonists. Brain histamine is localized both in neurons and in mast cells, and morphine is known to enhance the turnover of neuronal histamine and to release histamine from mast cells. In the present experiments, compound 48/80 was injected chronically (0.5 mg/kg on day 1, 1 mg/kg on day 2, 2 mg/kg on day 3, 3 mg/kg on day 4, and 4 mg/kg on day 5, twice daily, ip) to deplete mast cell contents. Morphine (0.001-10 mg/kg, ip; N = 20) produced a dose-dependent anticonvulsive effect against MES seizure in mice with non-depleted mast cells, whereas it did not exert any anticonvulsive effect in mice with depleted mast cells. These results indicate that morphine produces its anticonvulsive effect against maximal electroconvulsive shock in mice by liberating histamine from mast cells.

Effects of terpineol on the compound action potential of the rat sciatic nerve

Terpineol, a volatile terpenoid alcohol of low toxicity, is widely used in the perfumery industry. It is an important chemical constituent of the essential oil of many plants with widespread applications in folk medicine and in aromatherapy. The effects of terpineol on the compound action potential (CAP) of rat sciatic nerve were studied. Terpineol induced a dose-dependent blockade of the CAP. At 100 µM, terpineol had no demonstrable effect. At 300 µM terpineol, peak-to-peak amplitude and conduction velocity of CAP were significantly reduced at the end of 180-min exposure of the nerve to the drug, from 3.28 ± 0.22 mV and 33.5 ± 7.05 m/s, respectively, to 1.91 ± 0.51 mV and 26.2 ± 4.55 m/s. At 600 µM, terpineol significantly reduced peak-to-peak amplitude and conduction velocity from 2.97 ± 0.55 mV and 32.8 ± 3.91 m/s to 0.24 ± 0.23 mV and 2.72 ± 2.72 m/s, respectively (N = 5). All these effects developed slowly and were reversible upon 180-min washout.

Evaluation of the cholinomimetic actions of trimethylsulfonium, a compound present in the midgut gland of the sea hare Aplysia brasiliana (Gastropoda, Opisthobranchia)

Trimethylsulfonium, a compound present in the midgut gland of the sea hare Aplysia brasiliana, negatively modulates vagal response, indicating a probable ability to inhibit cholinergic responses. In the present study, the pharmacological profile of trimethylsulfonium was characterized on muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In rat jejunum the contractile response induced by trimethylsulfonium (pD2 = 2.46 ± 0.12 and maximal response = 2.14 ± 0.32 g) was not antagonized competitively by atropine. The maximal response (Emax) to trimethylsulfonium was diminished in the presence of increasing doses of atropine (P<0.05), suggesting that trimethylsulfonium-induced contraction was not related to muscarinic stimulation, but might be caused by acetylcholine release due to presynaptic stimulation. Trimethylsulfonium displaced [³H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate from rat cortex membranes with a low affinity (Ki = 0.5 mM). Furthermore, it caused contraction of frog rectus abdominis muscles (pD2 = 2.70 ± 0.06 and Emax = 4.16 ± 0.9 g), which was competitively antagonized by d-tubocurarine (1, 3 or 10 µM) with a pA2 of 5.79, suggesting a positive interaction with nicotinic receptors. In fact, trimethylsulfonium displaced [³H]-nicotine from rat diaphragm muscle membranes with a Ki of 27.1 µM. These results suggest that trimethylsulfonium acts as an agonist on nicotinic receptors, and thus contracts frog skeletal rectus abdominis muscle and rat jejunum smooth muscle via stimulation of postjunctional and neuronal prejunctional nicotinic cholinoreceptors, respectively.

Effects of estragole on the compound action potential of the rat sciatic nerve

Estragole, a relatively nontoxic terpenoid ether, is an important constituent of many essential oils with widespread applications in folk medicine and aromatherapy and known to have potent local anesthetic activity. We investigated the effects of estragole on the compound action potential (CAP) of the rat sciatic nerve. The experiments were carried out on sciatic nerves dissected from Wistar rats. Nerves, mounted in a moist chamber, were stimulated at a frequency of 0.2 Hz, with electric pulses of 50-100-µs duration at 10-20 V, and evoked CAP were monitored on an oscilloscope and recorded on a computer. CAP control parameters were: peak-to-peak amplitude (PPA), 9.9 ± 0.55 mV (N = 15), conduction velocity, 92.2 ± 4.36 m/s (N = 15), chronaxy, 45.6 ± 3.74 µs (N = 5), and rheobase, 3.9 ± 0.78 V (N = 5). Estragole induced a dose-dependent blockade of the CAP. At 0.6 mM, estragole had no demonstrable effect. At 2.0 and 6.0 mM estragole, PPA was significantly reduced at the end of 180-min exposure of the nerve to the drug to 85.6 ± 3.96 and 13.04 ± 1.80% of control, respectively. At 4.0 mM, estragole significantly altered PPA, conduction velocity, chronaxy, and rheobase (P <= 0.05, ANOVA; N = 5) to 49.3 ± 6.21 and 77.7 ± 3.84, 125.9 ± 10.43 and 116.7 ± 4.59%, of control, respectively. All of these effects developed slowly and were reversible upon a 300-min wash-out. The data show that estragole dose-dependently blocks nerve excitability.

Triorganotin as a compound with potential reproductive toxicity in mammals

Organotin compounds are typical environmental contaminants and suspected endocrine-disrupting substances, which cause irreversible sexual abnormality in female mollusks, called "imposex". However, little is known about the capability of triorganotin compounds, such as tributyltin and triphenyltin, to cause disorders in the sexual development and reproductive functions of mammals, including humans and rodents. Moreover, these compounds can act as potential competitive inhibitors of aromatase enzyme and other steroidogenic enzymes, affecting the reproductive capacity of male and female mammals. In this review, we discuss the cellular, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms by which triorganotin compounds induce adverse effects in the mammalian reproductive function.

Production and characterization of lipid microparticles produced by spray cooling encapsulating a low molar mass hydrophilic compound

The objective of this research was to produce and characterize lipid particles (MpLs) that may be used as carriers of high amounts of hydrophilic core and evaluate the influence of the core amount on the performance of lipid microparticles. The MpLs were produced by spray cooling from solid and liquid lipid mixtures (stearic and oleic fatty acids and partly hydrogenated vegetable fat) containing glucose solution as core and soy lecithin as surfactant. The performance of MpLs was evaluated by means of the effective amount of encapsulated core, the core amount present on the surface of MpLs (superficial glucose) and the core release profile in aqueous solution. Morphological observations showed that MpLs presented spherical shape and a rugged and continuous surface, and an average diameter between 25 and 32 µm. The effective amount of encapsulated core was greater than 78% for all formulations evaluated. Larger amounts of superficial glucose were found in formulations in which more concentrated glucose solutions were used, regardless of the glucose lipid-solution ratio. The release results showed that core retention was significantly influenced by the glucose solution concentration, whereas release modulation was influenced by the glucose lipid-solution ratio.

Chemical quality parameters and bioactive compound content of brazilian berries

There is a growing consumer demand for higher healthy foods such as berries which are a rich source of phenolic compounds. The current work evaluated blackberry cultivars: Cherokee, Tupy and Xavante; raspberry cultivars: Heritage, Fallgold and Black; and the hybrid Boysenberry. All berries were grown under homogenous subtropical conditions in Brazil. Black raspberry, Cherokee and Tupy blackberry cultivars showed the highest ratio between soluble solid contents and titratable acidity, and Fallgold and Heritage raspberry showed the highest titratable acidity. Total phenolic content ranged from 2.03 to 5.33 g kg–1 fresh weight and total anthocyanin content registered values from 0.41 to 1.81 g kg–1 fresh weight. The most common phenolic acids were gallic, p-coumaric and ellagic, and for anthocyanins: cyanidin-3-glucoside and malvinidin-3-glucoside. Antioxidant capacity ranged from 14.13 to 21.51 mol equivalent trolox kg–1 fresh weight. Black raspberry, all blackberry cultivars and the Boysenberry hybrid are appropriate to be consumed fresh, while Fallgold and Heritage raspberries are recommended to the food industry. Due to their phenolic richness and antioxidant properties, these fruits are of great interest to the fresh fruit market and to pharmaceutical industries. These results could help breeders and growers when planning the cultivar selection according to their foreseeable destination.

Hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury caused by abuse of a parenteral veterinary compound containing vitamins A, D, and E

A previously healthy 19 year-old male presented to the hospital with anorexia, nausea, and vomiting. Laboratory studies were significant for hypercalcemia (peak calcium value of 14.8 mg/dL) and acute kidney injury (peak serum creatinine of 2.88 mg/dL). He admitted to using a parenteral formulation of vitamins A, D and E restricted for veterinary use containing 20,000,000 IU of vitamin A; 5,000,000 IU of vitamin D3; and 6,800 IU of vitamin E per 100 mL vial. The patient stated to have used close to 300 mL of the product over the preceding year. Interestingly, the young man was not interested in the massive amounts of vitamins that the product contained; he was only after the local effects of the oily vehicle. The swelling produced by the injection resulted in a silicone-like effect, which gave the impression of bigger muscles. Nevertheless, the product was absorbed and caused hypervitaminosis. The serum level of 25(OH) vitamin D was clearly elevated at 150 ng/mL (reference range from 30 to 60 ng/mL), but in most published cases of vitamin D toxicity, serum levels have been well above 200 ng/mL. His PTH level was undetectable and other potential causes of hypercalcemia were excluded. Therefore, we posit that the severity of the hypercalcemia observed in this case was the result of a synergistic effect of vitamins A and D. The patient was treated with normal saline, furosemide and zolendronic acid, with rapid normalization of calcium levels and renal function.