Long-term Prospects For The Environmental Profile Of Advanced Sugar Cane Ethanol.

This work assessed the environmental impacts of the production and use of 1 MJ of hydrous ethanol (E100) in Brazil in prospective scenarios (2020-2030), considering the deployment of technologies currently under development and better agricultural practices. The life cycle assessment technique was employed using the CML method for the life cycle impact assessment and the Monte Carlo method for the uncertainty analysis. Abiotic depletion, global warming, human toxicity, ecotoxicity, photochemical oxidation, acidification, and eutrophication were the environmental impacts categories analyzed. Results indicate that the proposed improvements (especially no-til farming-scenarios s2 and s4) would lead to environmental benefits in prospective scenarios compared to the current ethanol production (scenario s0). Combined first and second generation ethanol production (scenarios s3 and s4) would require less agricultural land but would not perform better than the projected first generation ethanol, although the uncertainties are relatively high. The best use of 1 ha of sugar cane was also assessed, considering the displacement of the conventional products by ethanol and electricity. No-til practices combined with the production of first generation ethanol and electricity (scenario s2) would lead to the largest mitigation effects for global warming and abiotic depletion. For the remaining categories, emissions would not be mitigated with the utilization of the sugar cane products. However, this conclusion is sensitive to the displaced electricity sources.

Phylogenetic Analysis Of The Microbial Community In Hypersaline Petroleum Produced Water From The Campos Basin.

In this work the archaea and eubacteria community of a hypersaline produced water from the Campos Basin that had been transported and discharged to an onshore storage facility was evaluated by 16S recombinant RNA (rRNA) gene sequence analysis. The produced water had a hypersaline salt content of 10 (w/v), had a carbon oxygen demand (COD) of 4,300 mg/l and contains phenol and other aromatic compounds. The high salt and COD content and the presence of toxic phenolic compounds present a problem for conventional discharge to open seawater. In previous studies, we demonstrated that the COD and phenolic content could be largely removed under aerobic conditions, without dilution, by either addition of phenol degrading Haloarchaea or the addition of nutrients alone. In this study our goal was to characterize the microbial community to gain further insight into the persistence of reservoir community members in the produced water and the potential for bioremediation of COD and toxic contaminants. Members of the archaea community were consistent with previously identified communities from mesothermic reservoirs. All identified archaea were located within the phylum Euryarchaeota, with 98 % being identified as methanogens while 2 % could not be affiliated with any known genus. Of the identified archaea, 37 % were identified as members of the strictly carbon-dioxide-reducing genus Methanoplanus and 59 % as members of the acetoclastic genus Methanosaeta. No Haloarchaea were detected, consistent with the need to add these organisms for COD and aromatic removal. Marinobacter and Halomonas dominated the eubacterial community. The presence of these genera is consistent with the ability to stimulate COD and aromatic removal with nutrient addition. In addition, anaerobic members of the phyla Thermotogae, Firmicutes, and unclassified eubacteria were identified and may represent reservoir organisms associated with the conversion hydrocarbons to methane.

Iis--integrated Interactome System: A Web-based Platform For The Annotation, Analysis And Visualization Of Protein-metabolite-gene-drug Interactions By Integrating A Variety Of Data Sources And Tools.

High-throughput screening of physical, genetic and chemical-genetic interactions brings important perspectives in the Systems Biology field, as the analysis of these interactions provides new insights into protein/gene function, cellular metabolic variations and the validation of therapeutic targets and drug design. However, such analysis depends on a pipeline connecting different tools that can automatically integrate data from diverse sources and result in a more comprehensive dataset that can be properly interpreted. We describe here the Integrated Interactome System (IIS), an integrative platform with a web-based interface for the annotation, analysis and visualization of the interaction profiles of proteins/genes, metabolites and drugs of interest. IIS works in four connected modules: (i) Submission module, which receives raw data derived from Sanger sequencing (e.g. two-hybrid system); (ii) Search module, which enables the user to search for the processed reads to be assembled into contigs/singlets, or for lists of proteins/genes, metabolites and drugs of interest, and add them to the project; (iii) Annotation module, which assigns annotations from several databases for the contigs/singlets or lists of proteins/genes, generating tables with automatic annotation that can be manually curated; and (iv) Interactome module, which maps the contigs/singlets or the uploaded lists to entries in our integrated database, building networks that gather novel identified interactions, protein and metabolite expression/concentration levels, subcellular localization and computed topological metrics, GO biological processes and KEGG pathways enrichment. This module generates a XGMML file that can be imported into Cytoscape or be visualized directly on the web. We have developed IIS by the integration of diverse databases following the need of appropriate tools for a systematic analysis of physical, genetic and chemical-genetic interactions. IIS was validated with yeast two-hybrid, proteomics and metabolomics datasets, but it is also extendable to other datasets. IIS is freely available online at: http://www.lge.ibi.unicamp.br/lnbio/IIS/.

Synthesis And Antiproliferative Activity Of 8-hydroxyquinoline Derivatives Containing A 1,2,3-triazole Moiety.

Twelve novel 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives were synthesized with good yields by performing copper-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click reaction) between an 8-O-alkylated-quinoline containing a terminal alkyne and various aromatic or protected sugar azides. These compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antiproliferative activity on various cancer cell types. Protected sugar derivative 16 was the most active compound in the series, exhibiting potent antiproliferative activity and high selectivity toward ovarian cancer cells (OVCAR-03, GI50 < 0.25 μg mL(-1)); this derivative was more active than the reference drug doxorubicin (OVCAR-03, GI50 = 0.43 μg mL(-1)). In structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, the physico-chemical parameters of the compounds were evaluated and docking calculations were performed for the α-glucosidase active site to predict the possible mechanism of action of this series of compounds.

Albumin Is Synthesized In Epididymis And Aggregates In A High Molecular Mass Glycoprotein Complex Involved In Sperm-egg Fertilization.

The epididymis has an important role in the maturation of sperm for fertilization, but little is known about the epididymal molecules involved in sperm modifications during this process. We have previously described the expression pattern for an antigen in epididymal epithelial cells that reacts with the monoclonal antibody (mAb) TRA 54. Immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses suggest that the epitope of the epididymal antigen probably involves a sugar moiety that is released into the epididymal lumen in an androgen-dependent manner and subsequently binds to luminal sperm. Using column chromatography, SDS-PAGE with in situ digestion and mass spectrometry, we have identified the protein recognized by mAb TRA 54 in mouse epididymal epithelial cells. The ∼65 kDa protein is part of a high molecular mass complex (∼260 kDa) that is also present in the sperm acrosomal vesicle and is completely released after the acrosomal reaction. The amino acid sequence of the protein corresponded to that of albumin. Immunoprecipitates with anti-albumin antibody contained the antigen recognized by mAb TRA 54, indicating that the epididymal molecule recognized by mAb TRA 54 is albumin. RT-PCR detected albumin mRNA in the epididymis and fertilization assays in vitro showed that the glycoprotein complex containing albumin was involved in the ability of sperm to recognize and penetrate the egg zona pellucida. Together, these results indicate that epididymal-derived albumin participates in the formation of a high molecular mass glycoprotein complex that has an important role in egg fertilization.

Interplay Between Cell Growth And Cell Cycle In Plants.

The growth of organs and whole plants depends on both cell growth and cell-cycle progression, but the interaction between both processes is poorly understood. In plants, the balance between growth and cell-cycle progression requires coordinated regulation of four different processes: macromolecular synthesis (cytoplasmic growth), turgor-driven cell-wall extension, mitotic cycle, and endocycle. Potential feedbacks between these processes include a cell-size checkpoint operating before DNA synthesis and a link between DNA contents and maximum cell size. In addition, key intercellular signals and growth regulatory genes appear to target at the same time cell-cycle and cell-growth functions. For example, auxin, gibberellin, and brassinosteroid all have parallel links to cell-cycle progression (through S-phase Cyclin D-CDK and the anaphase-promoting complex) and cell-wall functions (through cell-wall extensibility or microtubule dynamics). Another intercellular signal mediated by microtubule dynamics is the mechanical stress caused by growth of interconnected cells. Superimposed on developmental controls, sugar signalling through the TOR pathway has recently emerged as a central control point linking cytoplasmic growth, cell-cycle and cell-wall functions. Recent progress in quantitative imaging and computational modelling will facilitate analysis of the multiple interconnections between plant cell growth and cell cycle and ultimately will be required for the predictive manipulation of plant growth.

Apoplastic And Intracellular Plant Sugars Regulate Developmental Transitions In Witches' Broom Disease Of Cacao.

Witches' broom disease (WBD) of cacao differs from other typical hemibiotrophic plant diseases by its unusually long biotrophic phase. Plant carbon sources have been proposed to regulate WBD developmental transitions; however, nothing is known about their availability at the plant-fungus interface, the apoplastic fluid of cacao. Data are provided supporting a role for the dynamics of soluble carbon in the apoplastic fluid in prompting the end of the biotrophic phase of infection. Carbon depletion and the consequent fungal sensing of starvation were identified as key signalling factors at the apoplast. MpNEP2, a fungal effector of host necrosis, was found to be up-regulated in an autophagic-like response to carbon starvation in vitro. In addition, the in vivo artificial manipulation of carbon availability in the apoplastic fluid considerably modulated both its expression and plant necrosis rate. Strikingly, infected cacao tissues accumulated intracellular hexoses, and showed stunted photosynthesis and the up-regulation of senescence markers immediately prior to the transition to the necrotrophic phase. These opposite findings of carbon depletion and accumulation in different host cell compartments are discussed within the frame of WBD development. A model is suggested to explain phase transition as a synergic outcome of fungal-related factors released upon sensing of extracellular carbon starvation, and an early senescence of infected tissues probably triggered by intracellular sugar accumulation.

Characterization Of A Protein-protein Interaction Network Of The Cbl-interacting Protein Kinase 8 From Sugarcane.

Plants are sessile organisms and have evolved to tolerate a constantly changing environment. After the onset of different stress conditions, calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins can sense calcium signals and activate CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) proteins, which can phosphorylate downstream proteins to reestablish plant homeostasis. Previous studies in the bioenergy crop sugarcane showed that the ScCIPK8 gene is induced by drought stress and is also related to sucrose content. Here, we have characterized the protein-protein interactions of ScCIPK8 with six CBL proteins (ScCBL1, ScCBL2, ScCBL3, ScCBL6, ScCBL9, and ScCBL10). Yeast two-hybrid assays showed that ScCIPK8 interacts with ScCBL1, ScCBL3, and ScCBL6. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays confirmed in planta the interactions that were observed in yeast cells. These findings give insights on the regulatory networks related to sugar accumulation and drought stress responses in sugarcane.

Enhanced D1 And D2 Inhibitions Induced By Low-frequency Trains Of Conditioning Stimuli: Differential Effects On H- And T-reflexes And Possible Mechanisms.

Mechanically evoked reflexes have been postulated to be less sensitive to presynaptic inhibition (PSI) than the H-reflex. This has implications on investigations of spinal cord neurophysiology that are based on the T-reflex. Preceding studies have shown an enhanced effect of PSI on the H-reflex when a train of ~10 conditioning stimuli at 1 Hz was applied to the nerve of the antagonist muscle. The main questions to be addressed in the present study are if indeed T-reflexes are less sensitive to PSI and whether (and to what extent and by what possible mechanisms) the effect of low frequency conditioning, found previously for the H-reflex, can be reproduced on T-reflexes from the soleus muscle. We explored two different conditioning-to-test (C-T) intervals: 15 and 100 ms (corresponding to D1 and D2 inhibitions, respectively). Test stimuli consisted of either electrical pulses applied to the posterior tibial nerve to elicit H-reflexes or mechanical percussion to the Achilles tendon to elicit T-reflexes. The 1 Hz train of conditioning electrical stimuli delivered to the common peroneal nerve induced a stronger effect of PSI as compared to a single conditioning pulse, for both reflexes (T and H), regardless of C-T-intervals. Moreover, the conditioning train of pulses (with respect to a single conditioning pulse) was proportionally more effective for T-reflexes as compared to H-reflexes (irrespective of the C-T interval), which might be associated with the differential contingent of Ia afferents activated by mechanical and electrical test stimuli. A conceivable explanation for the enhanced PSI effect in response to a train of stimuli is the occurrence of homosynaptic depression at synapses on inhibitory interneurons interposed within the PSI pathway. The present results add to the discussion of the sensitivity of the stretch reflex pathway to PSI and its functional role.

A pilot study of topiramate in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

We conducted an open, add-on study with topiramate (TPM) as adjunctive therapy in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), to assess the long-term efficacy and safety and to evaluate quality of life (QL) measurements in the chronic use of TPM. We studied 19 patients (11 male; age ranging from 4 to 14 years) with uncontrolled seizures receiving 2-3 anti-epileptic drugs. Patients were followed up to 36 months of treatment. A questionnaire was used to query parents about QL. Seven patients completed the study at 36 months and seizure frequency was reduced > 75% in 4, and < 50% in 3 patients. Two children became seizure free for more than 24 months. Most side effects were CNS related, with the most frequent being somnolence and anorexia. These were generally transient. One patient dropped-out due to powder in the urine. None of the patients required hospitalization. At 36 months, patients' alertness (2/7), interaction with environment (5/7), ability to perform daily activities (5/7), and verbal performance (6/7) improved on TPM. We conclude that TPM may be useful as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of LGS. The efficacy of TPM was maintained in long-term treatment in more than 40% of patients, long term safety was confirmed and QL improved on TPM.

Determinação de açúcar total em café cru por espectroscopia no infravermelho próximo e regressão por mínimos quadrados parciais

In this work a fast method for the determination of the total sugar levels in samples of raw coffee was developed using the near infrared spectroscopy technique and multivariate regression. The sugar levels were initially obtained using gravimety as the reference method. Later on, the regression models were built from the near infrared spectra of the coffee samples. The original spectra were pre-treated according to the Kubelka-Munk transformation and multiplicative signal correction. The proposed analytical method made possible the direct determination of the total sugar levels in the samples with an error lower by 8% with respect to the conventional methodology.

Produção de isomaltulose, um substituto da sacarose, utilizando glicosiltransferase microbiana

Isomaltulose, a functional isomer of sucrose, is a non-cariogenic reducing disaccharide; has a low glycemic index; selectively promotes growth of beneficial bifidobacteria in the human intestinal microflora; and has greater stability than sucrose in some foods and beverages. Isomaltulose is a nutritional sugar that is digested more slowly than sucrose, and has health advantages for diabetics and nondiabetics. Immobilization techniques, especially entrapment of the cells, are widely used for conversion of sucrose into isomaltulose. Immobilization offers advantages such as minimum downstream processing, continuous operation and reusability of cells. Isomaltulose is currently considered to be a promising sugar substitute.

Caracterização reológica das diferentes fases de extrato de inulina de raízes de chicória, obtidas por abaixamento de temperatura

Inulin is a functional food ingredient, generally employed as sugar or fat substitute in food systems. This ingredient can be found in several vegetal products, including chicory roots. As the solubility of inulin is susceptible to temperature changes, the product suffers a fractionalization resulting in two phases when cooled, originating a precipitated phase, more viscose, and a liquid phase, of lesser viscosity. The study of rheological properties of different phases of inulin extract is important for equipment designing, such as mixer and bombs. In this work, rheological behavior at three different temperatures (25; 40 and 50 ºC) was determined for liquid and precipitated phases of inulin liquid extract, extracted from chicory roots by hot water diffusion and cooled at two different temperatures (8 and -10 ºC), suffering phases separation. The precipitated phase was analyzed in two conditions: pure and with the addition of microencapsulating agents (maltodextrin and hydrolized starch). All of them presented a linear behavior, similar to that of the Plastics of Bingham. Some of them, however, were not an adequate fit to this model.

Sistema de monitoramento de perdas visíveis de cana-de-açúcar em colhedora de cana picada

In the last few years the sugar-cane mechanical harvested area has increased, especially in regions with appropriated slop. The use of this technology brings some inconveniences, such as, the increase in the percentage of extraneous matter, which causes the reduction of technological quality of the raw material, and losses in the field. Extraneous matter (trash) is composed of tops and leaves in major percentage, plus soil and roots, and eventually some metal parts. In the green cane harvest system the percentage of extraneous matter has a tendency to increase due to the great amount of vegetal matter to be processed. The increase in the blower fan speed to reduce the amount of extraneous matter can lead to an unacceptable economic level of raw material losses. The main objective of this work was, using a cane loss monitor, to evaluate and quantify the amount of visible losses of sugar cane through the primary extractor at two different fan speeds. Afterwards these losses were related to the harvester cleaning efficiency. The piezoelectric transducer shows a reasonable sensibility. The results show that the cleaning efficiency in the primary extractor (85% mean), the cane losses (between 5.68% and 2.15%) and fan speed are interrelated. The total losses and specially splinters (between 3.19% and 0.91%), showed a significant difference among the treatments.

Projeto de um cortador de base para colhedora de cana-de-açúcar utilizando otimização matemática

A base-cutter represented for a mechanism of four bars, was developed using the Autocad program. The normal force of reaction of the profile in the contact point was determined through the dynamic analysis. The equations of dynamic balance were based on the laws of Newton-Euler. The linkage was subject to an optimization technique that considered the peak value of soil reaction force as the objective function to be minimized while the link lengths and the spring constant varied through a specified range. The Algorithm of Sequential Quadratic Programming-SQP was implemented of the program computational Matlab. Results were very encouraging; the maximum value of the normal reaction force was reduced from 4,250.33 to 237.13 N, making the floating process much less disturbing to the soil and the sugarcane rate. Later, others variables had been incorporated the mechanism optimized and new otimization process was implemented .