A randomised double-blind clinical trial of two yellow fever vaccines prepared with substrains 17DD and 17D-213/77 in children nine-23 months old

This randomised, double-blind, multicentre study with children nine-23 months old evaluated the immunogenicity of yellow fever (YF) vaccines prepared with substrains 17DD and 17D-213/77. YF antibodies were tittered before and 30 or more days after vaccination. Seropositivity and seroconversion were analysed according to the maternal serological status and the collaborating centre. A total of 1,966 children were randomised in the municipalities of the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais and São Paulo and blood samples were collected from 1,714 mothers. Seropositivity was observed in 78.6% of mothers and 8.9% of children before vaccination. After vaccination, seropositivity rates of 81.9% and 83.2%, seroconversion rates of 84.8% and 85.8% and rates of a four-fold increase over the pre-vaccination titre of 77.6% and 81.8% were observed in the 17D-213/77 and 17DD subgroups, respectively. There was no association with maternal immunity. Among children aged 12 months or older, the seroconversion rates of 69% were associated with concomitant vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella. The data were not conclusive regarding the interference of maternal immunity in the immune response to the YF vaccine, but they suggest interference from other vaccines. The failures in seroconversion after vaccination support the recommendation of a booster dose in children within 10 years of the first dose.

Usage of Calendula officinalis in the prevention and treatment of radiodermatitis: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of Calendula officinalis in relation to Essential Fatty Acids for the prevention and treatment of radiodermatitis. METHOD This is a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial with 51 patients with head and neck cancer in radiotherapy treatment divided into two groups: control (27) and experimental (24). RESULTS There is statistically significant evidence (p-value = 0.0120) that the proportion of radiodermatitis grade 2 in Essential Fatty Acids group is higher than Calendula group. Through the Kaplan-Meier survival curve we observed that Essential Fatty Acids group has always remained below the Calendula group survival curve, due to the lower risk of developing radiodermatitis grade 1, which makes the usage of Calendula more effective, with statistical significance (p-value = 0.00402). CONCLUSION Calendula showed better therapeutic response than the Essential Fatty Acids in the prevention and treatment of radiodermatitis. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR-237v4b.

Health-Related Quality of Life in patients with hepatitis C in double and triple therapy

Abstract OBJECTIVE Comparing Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scores in patients with chronic hepatitis C undergoing double and triple antiviral therapy and analyzing possible factors related to HRQoL. METHOD HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 36 and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire, which were applied at baseline and at weeks 4, 12 and 16 of treatment to 32 patients divided into two groups: double therapy with pegylated interferon (IFN-PEG) and ribavirin, and triple therapy with PEG-IFN, ribavirin and telaprevir. RESULTS The reduction of HRQoL was greater in patients receiving triple therapy compared to those treated with two drugs, the most critical time is at 12 weeks in both groups. After removal of telaprevir, the triple therapy group significantly improved their HRQoL scores. Anxiety and depression before treatment, employment status and race are significantly related to diminished HRQoL. CONCLUSION Patients undergoing double and triple therapy have diminished HRQoL indexes, but the addition of telaprevir chooses a more significant decrease.

Cobalt and molybdenum concentrated suspension for soybean seed treatment

The concentrated suspension (CS), the basis of Mo trioxide, allows high Mo concentrations and is therefore a technical advance for seed treatment, since it allows the recommendation of the Mo at lower dosage than with the liquid solution formulations (LS). The purpose of this research was to evaluate the efficiency and doses of fertilizer with Mo and Co in concentrated suspension in comparison with liquid solution as well as fertilizers associated with phytohormones, applied in seed treatments, and their effect on soybean yield. Two experiments were carried out in the growing seasons of 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 at the Universidade Federal de Uberlandia (UFU).The first was conducted in an experimental area on the Fazenda Capim Branco, with six treatments and four replications: (1) Mo and Co (CS) - 22 g ha-1 + 1.08 g ha-1; (2) Mo and Co (CS) - 22 g ha-1 + + 1.08 g ha-1 + phytohormone -200 mL ha-1; 3) Mo and Co (LS), 20.7 g ha-1 + 4.13 g ha-1; 4) Mo and Co (LS), 20.7 g ha-1 + 4.13 g ha-1 + phytohormone -200 mL ha-1; (5) + control phytohormone-200 mL ha-1; and (6) control (free of Mo and Co in the seed treatment). The phytohormone consisted of: auxin (11 mg L-1) and cytokynin (0.031 mg L-1). The soybean cultivar Monsoy 8004 was used and a fertilization of 400 kg ha-1 of 02-20-20 NPK fertilizer was applied at sowing. Based on the results of the first experiment, the second was conducted on the Fazenda Floresta do Lobo, in Uberlândia, MG, evaluated in a randomized block design with nine treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of Mo and Co (g ha-1) doses applied to soybean seeds, as CS formulation (15, 25, 35, 45, 60 and 0.74; 1.23; 1.72; 2.21; 2.95) and LS- (15; 20; 25 and 3.18; 4.25; 5.31), respectively, and the control (free of Mo and Co in the seed treatment). The variety Monarch was used, fertilized with 300 kg ha-1 of NPK fertilizer (03-32-06) at sowing; and 78 kg ha-1 (K2O) in topdressing 30 days after soybean emergence. The Mo and Co doses in the seed treatment with LS and CS resulted in higher soybean yields than in the control, from 20 g ha-1 Mo and 4.25 g ha-1 Co in liquid solution and 35 g ha-1Mo and 1.72 g ha-1 Co in the concentrated suspension.

LAYERED DOUBLE HYDROXIDES: NANOMATERIALS FOR APPLICATIONS IN AGRICULTURE

The current research aims to introduce Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) as nanomaterials to be used in agriculture, with particular reference to its use as storage and slow release matrix of nutrients and agrochemicals for plant growing. Structural characteristics, main properties, synthesis methods and characterization of LDH were covered in this study. Moreover, some literature data have been reported to demonstrate their potential for storage and slow release of nitrate, phosphate, agrochemicals, besides as being used as adsorbent for the wastewater treatment. This research aims to expand, in near future, the investigation field on these materials, with application in agriculture, increasing the interface between chemistry and agronomy.

Sucrose metabolizing enzymes in cell suspension cultures of Bauhinia forficata, Curcuma zedoaria and Phaseolus vulgaris

The objective of this work was to study the activity of sucrose metabolizing enzymes in extracts of cell suspension cultures of Bauhinia forficata Link, Curcuma zedoaria Roscoe and Phaseolus vulgaris L. Invertase pathway was identified in the three studied species. Sucrose synthase pathway was also responsible for sucrose metabolism in Curcuma zedoaria and Phaseolus vulgaris cells. Activity values higher than 300 nmol min-1 mg-1 of protein were found for acid and neutral invertases, UDPglucose pyrophosphorylase and phosphoglucomutase in the cell extract of the three plant species. Sucrose synthase showed low activity in Bauhinia forficata cells. As sucrose concentration in the culture medium decreased, sucrose synthase activity increased in C. zedoaria and P. vulgaris cells. The glycolytic enzymes activity gradually reduced at the end of the culture period, when carbohydrate was limited.

Cell suspension culture and plant regeneration of a Brazilian plantain, cultivar Terra

The objective of this study was to establish cell suspension culture and plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis of a Brazilian plantain, cultivar Terra Maranhão, AAB. Immature male flowers were used as explant source for generating highly embryogenic cultures 45 days after inoculation, which were used for establishment of cell suspension culture and multiplication of secondary somatic embryos. Five semisolid culture media were tested for differentiation, maturation, somatic embryos germination and for plant regeneration. An average of 558 plants per one milliliter of 5% SCV (settled cell volume) were regenerated in the MS medium, with 11.4 µM indolacetic acid and 2.2 µM 6-benzylaminopurine. Regenerated plants showed a normal development, and no visible somaclonal variation was observed in vitro. It is possible to regenerate plants from cell suspensions of plantain banana cultivar Terra using MS medium supplemented with 11.4 µM of IAA and 2.2 µM of BAP.

Síntese e caracterização dos nanocompósitos K0,1(PEO)xMoS2 (X= 0,5; 1,2)

The reaction of an aqueous solution of poly(ethylene oxide) (peo - mw 100.000) with a neutral aqueous suspension of single layers of MoS2 was studied. The single layers aqueous suspension was prepared by first intercalating lithium (using n-Butyllithium in n-hexane) and reaction of these ternary compound with water under ultrasound stirring. The suspension was washed several times with water until neutral pH. The suspension was mixed with the PEO aqueous solution in the presence of KCl. Two single phase compounds were obtained with the expansion of 4,8 and 9,0Å, attributed to the solvation of the intercalated potassium cations with mono and double layers, respectively.

Models for the estimation of thermodynamic properties of layered double hydroxides: application to the study of their anion exchange characteristics

Several models for the estimation of thermodynamic properties of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are presented. The predicted thermodynamic quantities calculated by the proposed models agree with experimental thermodynamic data. A thermodynamic study of the anion exchange process on LDHs is also made using the described models. Tables for the prediction of monovalent anion exchange selectivities on LDHs are provided. Reasonable agreement is found between the predicted and the experimental monovalent anion exchange selectivities.

Review of the synthesis of layered double hydroxides: a thermodynamic approach

The synthesis of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) by hydrothermal-LDH reconstruction and coprecipitation methods is reviewed using a thermodynamic approach. A mixture model was used for the estimation of the thermodynamics of formation of LDHs. The synthesis and solubility of LDHs are discussed in terms of standard molar Gibbs free energy change of reaction. Data for numerous divalent and trivalent metals as well as for some monovalent and tetravalent metals that may be part of the LDH structure have been compiled. Good agreement is found between theoretical and experimental data. Diagrams and tables for the prediction of possible new LDH materials are provided.

Enhanced triterpene production in Tabernaemontana catharinensis cell suspension cultures in response to biotic elicitors

Cell suspension cultures of Tabernaemontana catharinensis were treated with autoclaved homogenates of Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium avelanium and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The effects caused by the concentration, exposure time and the type of elicitor on the accumulation of pentacyclic triterpenes were monitored. When exposed to biotic elicitors for longer periods, some cell lines redoubled the production of those triterpenes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae homogenate was the best elicitor of triterpenes in all cell lines investigated.

Double-bilayer: a new phase formed by lysophospholipids and the corresponding fatty acid

The product of catalytic activity of the enzyme phospholipase A2, which resembles the core unit of animal toxins, on phospholipids is a 1:1 mixture of lysolipid and fatty acid. This mixture was studied by time-resolved simultaneous small- and wide angle x-ray diffraction over the temperature range from 23 to 53.5ºC. An unusually large lamellar structure was observed, with d = 11 nm, contradicting the complex functional dimer model between lysolipid and fatty acid. It can be explained by formation of a "double-bilayer", a new phase consisting of two different bilayers, one formed by lysophospholipid and other by fatty acid, bound together by head group interactions. Its strucutre was confirmed by simulations of the X-ray scattering pattern.

Immobilization of laccase on hybrid layered double hydroxide

Crystals of Mg/Al layered double hydroxide were synthesized by alkaline precipitation and treated in an aqueous solution of glutamic acid. The glutamate ions were not intercalated into the interlayer space, but were detected in the material by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, suggesting that only the external surfaces of crystals were modified with glutamate ions. The resulting hybrid material was tested as a support for immobilization of the enzyme laccase (Myceliophthora thermophila). The immobilized enzyme preparation was characterized by electronic paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and by assays of catalytic activity. The activity of the immobilized laccase was 97% of the activity in the free enzyme. Layered double hydroxide is a suitable support for use in remediation of soil studies.

Development and validation of a stability-indicating HPLC method for the determination of buclizine hydrochloride in tablets and oral suspension and its application to dissolution studies

A method using liquid chromatography has been developed and validated for determination of buclizine in pharmaceutical formulations and in release studies. Isocratic chromatography was performed on a C18 column with methanol:water (80:20 v/v, pH 2.6) as mobile phase, at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and UV detection at 230 nm. The method was linear, accurate, precise, sensible and robust. The dissolution test was optimized and validated in terms of dissolution medium, apparatus agitation and rotation speed. The presented analytical and dissolution procedures can be conveniently adopted in the quality and stability control of buclizine in tablets and oral suspension.

Effects of single and double infections with Potato virus X and Tobacco mosaic virus on disease development, plant growth, and virus accumulation in tomato

The tomato cv. Fukuju nº. 2 was used for studying the effect of single and double infections with Potato virus X (PVX) and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Mixed infection resulted in a synergistic increase of disease severity, where more growth reduction was seen with simultaneous inoculations than with sequential inoculations at four-day intervals. At five and 12 days post-inoculation, the increased severity of the disease coincided with enhancement of virus accumulation in the rapidly expanding upper leaves. The PVX concentration in leaves nº 5 to 7 of doubly infected plants was three to six fold that of singly infected ones, as determined by DAS-ELISA. Mixed infection with the L strain led to higher enhancement of PVX than with the TMV-L11A strain. The concentration of TMV-L was lower in double infection and significantly higher than TMV-L11A in both singly and doubly infected plants. Analyses of the PVX ORF2 by Western blot and Northern hybridization revealed the pattern of accumulation of the 25 kDa protein and the RNAs, respectively, following those of the virion and coat protein. The strain TMV-L11A overcame the resistance gene in cv. GCR 237 (Tm-1). In the upper leaf nº. 8, the concentration of PVX was three times higher in plants with mixed infection than with L11A. The concentrations of the L and OM (TMV strains) in both singly and doubly infected plants were at very low levels, and the synergistic effect on PVX concentration and disease severity was not observed.