Movement evaluation of overerupted upper molars with absolute anchorage: An in-vitro study

Introduction: The overeruption of upper molars due to the premature loss of antagonist teeth can be treated with the help of miniscrews. The aim of this study was to evaluate the movement of a typodont molar according to the biomechanical approach used with miniscrews. Study design: The study was conducted with four plaster models filled with typodont wax. In each model we used one absolute anchorage on the palatal side and another on the buccal side in different positions, thus generating four different biomechanical systems. A force of 150 g was applied to each side of the resin tooth. Periapical radiographs were taken preintrusion and immediately after completion of the intrusion. Photographs were taken in both the sagittal and occlusal planes every 3 min. The radiographic films and photographs were measured and compared. Results: A vertical movement of the molar was observed in all the models, with system 4 showing the greatest movement. Rotation in the occlusal plane only occurred in system 2, while in system 1 there was a change in the axial axis of 37 degrees. Conclusions: The anchorage site and the combination of forces applied may determine the resulting tooth movement

Características anatômicas de mudas de morangueiro micropropagadas com diferentes fontes de silício

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes fontes de silício, utilizadas na micropropagação, nas características anatômicas de mudas de morangueiro (Fragaria x ananassa). Foram utilizados propágulos da cv. Oso Grande cultivados em meio Murashige e Skoog (MS), acrescido de 30 gL-1 de sacarose, 6 gL-1 de ágar e 1 mgL-1 de 6-benzilaminopurina. Os tratamentos consistiram da adição ao meio MS dos silicatos de cálcio, de sódio e de potássio, na dosagem de 1 gL-1. O tratamento testemunha foi o meio MS sem fonte de silício. Odelineamento experimental foi o inteiramente ao acaso, com dez repetições. Os propágulos foram mantidos por 45 dias em sala de crescimento, em condições controladas. Avaliaram-se características fitotécnicas e anatômicas dos propágulos in vitro. Verificou-se que o aumento da massa de matéria fresca e seca dos propágulos de morangueiro ocorreu na presença de silicato de sódio. Asuplementação do meio de cultura com silício proporcionou maior teor de clorofila. Aadição de silicato de sódio ao meio MS resultou em aumento da espessura dos tecidos do limbo foliar e da deposição de cera epicuticular e na formação de depósito de silício nas células.

Molecular analysis of a novel gene cluster encoding an insect toxin in plant-associated strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens

Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 and the related strain Pf-5 are well-characterized representatives of rhizosphere bacteria that have the capacity to protect crop plants from fungal root diseases, mainly by releasing a variety of exoproducts that are toxic to plant pathogenic fungi. Here, we report that the two plant-beneficial pseudomonads also exhibit potent insecticidal activity. Anti-insect activity is linked to a novel genomic locus encoding a large protein toxin termed Fit (for P. fluorescensinsecticidal toxin) that is related to the insect toxin Mcf (Makes caterpillars floppy) of the entomopathogen Photorhabdus luminescens, a mutualist of insect-invading nematodes. When injected into the haemocoel, even low doses of P. fluorescens CHA0 or Pf-5 killed larvae of the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta and the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. In contrast, mutants of CHA0 or Pf-5 with deletions in the Fit toxin gene were significantly less virulent to the larvae. When expressed from an inducible promoter in a non-toxic Escherichia coli host, the Fit toxin gene was sufficient to render the bacterium toxic to both insect hosts. Our findings establish the Fit gene products of P. fluorescens CHA0 and Pf-5 as potent insect toxins that define previously unappreciated anti-insect properties of these plant-colonizing bacteria

Morfologia de frutos de goiabeira

A eficiência na absorção de nutrientes pelos frutos pode sofrer interferências em função da estrutura morfológica presente. Assim, frente à importância do conhecimento da morfologia dos frutos para um manejo mais adequado dos pomares em termos de adubação foliar, ou de tratamentos pós-colheita para ampliar a vida útil dos mesmos, desenvolveu-se o presente estudo, cujo objetivo foi descrever a morfologia do pericarpo dos frutos de goiabeira. Para isto, amostras do pericarpo de goiabas (cv. Paluma) foram observadas ao microscópio ótico e eletrônico de varredura. Algumas das características observadas, como a presença de cutícula espessa, cêra epicuticular, três camadas subepidérmicas de células compactas e grande quantidade de esclereídeos, bem como a presença esporádica e dispersa de estômatos, podem constituir-se em barreiras para a absorção e movimentação de nutrientes e substâncias aplicadas aos frutos de goiabeira.

Conservação de goiabas tratadas com emulsões de cera de carnaúba

A goiaba é um fruto muito perecível. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos de ceras à base de carnaúba na conservação pós-colheita de goiabas Pedro Sato sob condição ambiente. Utilizaram-se cinco ceras comerciais: Citrosol AK (18%), Citrosol M (10%), Fruit wax (18 a 21%), Meghwax ECF-100 (30%) e Cleantex wax (18,5 a 20,5%), as quais foram aplicadas manualmente, na proporção de 0,15 a 0,20mL por fruta. Frutas sem aplicação de cera foram utilizadas como controle. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com 6 tratamentos, 4 repetições e 5 frutas por parcela. As goiabas foram caracterizadas imediatamente após a colheita e avaliadas aos 2, 4 e 6 dias após a aplicação dos tratamentos. As ceras exerceram pouca influência nos teores de sólidos solúveis totais, acidez total titulável e ácido ascórbico, porém, foram eficientes em retardar o amadurecimento, reduzir a perda de massa e a incidência de podridões. A cera Meghwax ECF-100 apresenta potencial para utilização em goiabas, porém há necessidade de ser avaliada em maior diluição, para evitar alterações indesejáveis.

Uso de cera e 1-metilciclopropeno na conservação refrigerada de graviola (Annona muricata L.)

Graviolas 'Morada', provenientes de pomar comercial localizado em Limoeiro do Norte, Ceará, foram colhidas na maturidade fisiológica com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da aplicação pós-colheita de 1-meticiclopropeno (1-MCP) e cera na conservação, durante o armazenamento refrigerado. Os frutos foram armazenados por 0; 4; 8; 11; 13 e 15 dias, a 15,4±1,1ºC e 86,0±7,3% UR. Os tratamentos pós-colheita foram os seguintes: controle, 200 nL L-1 de 1-MCP (SmartFresh™), pulverização com a cera Fruit wax® e pulverização com Fruit wax® seguida de aplicação de 200 nL L-1 de 1-MCP. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em fatorial 4x6 (tratamentos pós-colheita x tempo de armazenamento), com quatro repetições. As variáveis analisadas foram: cor da casca e da polpa, a partir da luminosidade (L), cromaticidade (C) e ângulo de cor (Hº); perda de massa; pH; acidez titulável (AT); sólidos solúveis totais (SST); açúcares solúveis totais (AST) e açúcares redutores (AR). Os tratamentos cera e cera+1-MCP mantiveram estáveis os valores de L da casca e da polpa até o 8º e o 4º dia de armazenamento, respectivamente. O aumento em SST foi temporariamente atrasado pelos tratamentos pós-colheita. A AT, pH, AST e AR não foram influenciados pela cera e pelo 1-MCP. O uso da cera diminuiu a perda de massa em 23%, quando comparado ao controle.

Uso de cera de carnaúba e saco plástico poliolefínico na conservação pós-colheita do maracujá-amarelo

A alta perecibilidade do maracujá-amarelo reduz sua vida de prateleira limitando sua comercialização. Este trabalho teve por objetivo aumentar a conservação pós-colheita do maracujá-amarelo pelo uso de cera e saco plástico poliolefínico. Os frutos, após colhidos, selecionados, lavados e desinfestados com hipoclorito a 1%, foram submetidos aos tratamentos: 1-imersão em cera de carnaúba (Fruit wax®), diluída na proporção 1:4 (m/v); 2 embalagem em saco plástico poliolefínico com 0,015 mm; 3 associação entre a imersão na cera de carnaúba e embalagem plástica; 4 testemunha, onde os frutos foram imersos em água com hipoclorito a 1%. Foram feitas análises da porcentagem de perda de matéria fresca, do teor relativo de água na casca, de sólidos solúveis, da acidez titulável, da relação sólidos solúveis/acidez titulável da polpa, das porcentagens de casca e polpa, e da relação casca/polpa. Houve menor porcentagem de perda de matéria fresca ao utilizar os tratamentos 2 e 3 ao longo do período de armazenamento. Entretanto, não houve diferença entre os tratamentos com relação à matéria fresca do fruto, casca e polpa, havendo redução destas variáveis durante o período de armazenamento. Também não houve diferença com relação às porcentagens de casca e de polpa, e relação polpa/casca, sendo que a primeira reduziu, e as duas seguintes aumentaram no armazenamento. Em geral, houve redução dos sólidos solúveis e da acidez.

Maslinic acid-enriched diet decreases intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice through transcriptomic and metabolomic reprogramming

Chemoprevention is a pragmatic approach to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancerrelated death in western countries. In this regard, maslinic acid (MA), a pentacyclic triterpene extracted from wax-like coatings of olives, is known to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines without affecting normal intestinal cells. The present study evaluated the chemopreventive efficacy and associated mechanisms of maslinic acid treatment on spontaneous intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice. Twenty-two mice were randomized into 2 groups: control group and MA group, fed with a maslinic acid-supplemented diet for six weeks. MA treatment reduced total intestinal polyp formation by 45% (P,0.01). Putative molecular mechanisms associated with suppressing intestinal polyposis in ApcMin/+ mice were investigated by comparing microarray expression profiles of MA-treated and control mice and by analyzing the serum metabolic profile using NMR techniques. The different expression phenotype induced by MA suggested that it exerts its chemopreventive action mainly by inhibiting cell-survival signaling and inflammation. These changes eventually induce G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, the metabolic changes induced by MA treatment were associated with a protective profile against intestinal tumorigenesis. These results show the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of MA against intestinal tumor development in the ApcMin/+ mice model, suggesting its chemopreventive potential against colorectal cancer.

Maslinic acid-enriched diet decreases intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice through transcriptomic and metabolomic reprogramming

Chemoprevention is a pragmatic approach to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, one of the leading causes of cancerrelated death in western countries. In this regard, maslinic acid (MA), a pentacyclic triterpene extracted from wax-like coatings of olives, is known to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in colon cancer cell lines without affecting normal intestinal cells. The present study evaluated the chemopreventive efficacy and associated mechanisms of maslinic acid treatment on spontaneous intestinal tumorigenesis in ApcMin/+ mice. Twenty-two mice were randomized into 2 groups: control group and MA group, fed with a maslinic acid-supplemented diet for six weeks. MA treatment reduced total intestinal polyp formation by 45% (P,0.01). Putative molecular mechanisms associated with suppressing intestinal polyposis in ApcMin/+ mice were investigated by comparing microarray expression profiles of MA-treated and control mice and by analyzing the serum metabolic profile using NMR techniques. The different expression phenotype induced by MA suggested that it exerts its chemopreventive action mainly by inhibiting cell-survival signaling and inflammation. These changes eventually induce G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, the metabolic changes induced by MA treatment were associated with a protective profile against intestinal tumorigenesis. These results show the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of MA against intestinal tumor development in the ApcMin/+ mice model, suggesting its chemopreventive potential against colorectal cancer.

Kiertoasetonin puhdistus aldehydeistä fenolin tuotantoprosessissa

Tämä opinnäytetyö tehtiin Borealis Polymers Oy:n Porvoon tuotantolaitokselle. Työn ta-voitteena oli kehittää Borealiksen fenolin tuotantoprosessiin kiertoasetonin aldehydien poisto ratkaisu siltä varalta, että uuden hajotusteknologian käyttöön oton jälkeen ensisijai-nen aldehydien poistoratkaisu osoittautuisi riittämättömäksi ja asetonituotteessa ilmenisi spesifikaatio-ongelmia. Tutkimuksen kokeellinen osuus suoritettiin pienellä paineen kestävällä reaktorilla, jossa eri parametreja olivat: paine, lämpötila, reagenssit ja konsentraatiot ja reaktioaika. Tavoittee-na oli käyttää saatuja tutkimustuloksia asetonituotteen pitämisessä spesifikaatioiden mu-kaisena erityisesti aldehydien suhteen. Tutkimuksen suurimpina ongelmina olivat tuotantoprosessin monimutkaisuus, näytemat-riisin kompleksisuus, tuotehävikki, uusien epäpuhtauksien syntyminen ja poistettujen epä-puhtauksien stabiilisuus. Matriisin kompleksisuus ja reaktioista johtuvat koostumuksen vaihtelut vaikeuttivat analyysejä ja matriisin emäksisyys aiheutti analyysilaitteiston huolto-välin kaventumista. Näytteiden analysointi tapahtui Hewlett Packard 5890-kaasukromatografilla käyttäen FID-detektoria ja J&W Scientific/Agilent DB Wax-kapillaarikolonnia. Tutkimuksen tavoitteet saavutettiin ja tislauskolonnista valmistetun reaktorin osoitettiin olevan toimiva ratkaisu aldehydien poistamiseksi uudessa fenolin tuotantoprosessissa. Samalla tuoteasetonin laatua parannettiin ja aldehydipuhdistuksen turvamarginaalia kas-vatettiin. Tutkimustulosten perusteella tehtiin reaktorinkäytöstä vastaavalle operaattorille käyttöohje.

Characterization and genetic mapping of eceriferum-ym (cer-ym), a cutin deficient barley mutant with impaired leaf water retention capacity.

The cuticle covers the aerial parts of land plants, where it serves many important functions, including water retention. Here, a recessive cuticle mutant, eceriferum-ym (cer-ym), of Hordeum vulgare L. (barley) showed abnormally glossy spikes, sheaths, and leaves. The cer-ym mutant plant detached from its root system was hypersensitive to desiccation treatment compared with wild type plants, and detached leaves of mutant lost 41.8% of their initial weight after 1 h of dehydration under laboratory conditions, while that of the wild type plants lost only 7.1%. Stomata function was not affected by the mutation, but the mutant leaves showed increased cuticular permeability to water, suggesting a defective leaf cuticle, which was confirmed by toluidine blue staining. The mutant leaves showed a substantial reduction in the amounts of the major cutin monomers and a slight increase in the main wax component, suggesting that the enhanced cuticle permeability was a consequence of cutin deficiency. cer-ym was mapped within a 0.8 cM interval between EST marker AK370363 and AK251484, a pericentromeric region on chromosome 4H. The results indicate that the desiccation sensitivity of cer-ym is caused by a defect in leaf cutin, and that cer-ym is located in a chromosome 4H pericentromeric region.

Adaptation of a Gaussia princeps Luciferase reporter system in Candida albicans for in vivo detection in the Galleria mellonella infection model.

For the past 10 years, mini-host models and in particular the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella have tended to become a surrogate for murine models of fungal infection mainly due to cost, ethical constraints and ease of use. Thus, methods to better assess the fungal pathogenesis in G. mellonella need to be developed. In this study, we implemented the detection of Candida albicans cells expressing the Gaussia princeps luciferase in its cell wall in infected larvae of G. mellonella. We demonstrated that detection and quantification of luminescence in the pulp of infected larvae is a reliable method to perform drug efficacy and C. albicans virulence assays as compared to fungal burden assay. Since the linearity of the bioluminescent signal, as compared to the CFU counts, has a correlation of R(2) = 0.62 and that this method is twice faster and less labor intensive than classical fungal burden assays, it could be applied to large scale studies. We next visualized and followed C. albicans infection in living G. mellonella larvae using a non-toxic and water-soluble coelenterazine formulation and a CCD camera that is commonly used for chemoluminescence signal detection. This work allowed us to follow for the first time C. albicans course of infection in G. mellonella during 4 days.

Defensive Metabolites from Antarctic Invertebrates: Does Energetic Content Interfere with Feeding Repellence?

Many bioactive products from benthic invertebrates mediating ecological interactions have proved to reduce predation, but their mechanisms of action, and their molecular identities, are usually unknown. It was suggested, yet scarcely investigated, that nutritional quality interferes with defensive metabolites. This means that antifeedants would be less effective when combined with energetically rich prey, and that higher amounts of defensive compounds would be needed for predator avoidance. We evaluated the effects of five types of repellents obtained from Antarctic invertebrates, in combination with diets of different energetic values. The compounds came from soft corals, ascidians and hexactinellid sponges; they included wax esters, alkaloids, a meroterpenoid, a steroid, and the recently described organic acid, glassponsine. Feeding repellency was tested through preference assays by preparing diets (alginate pearls) combining different energetic content and inorganic material. Experimental diets contained various concentrations of each repellent product, and were offered along with control compound-free pearls, to the Antarctic omnivore amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus. Meridianin alkaloids were the most active repellents, and wax esters were the least active when combined with foods of distinct energetic content. Our data show that levels of repellency vary for each compound, and that they perform differently when mixed with distinct assay foods. The natural products that interacted the most with energetic content were those occurring in nature at higher concentrations. The bioactivity of the remaining metabolites tested was found to depend on a threshold concentration, enough to elicit feeding repellence, independently from nutritional quality.

Determinação de compostos de massa molecular alta em folhas de plantas da Amazônia

The fractIons of dichloromethane extracts of leaves from andiroba (Carapa guianensis - Meliaceae), caapi (Banisteriopsis caapi - Malpighiaceae), cocoa (Theobroma cacao - Sterculiaceae), Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa - Lecytidaceae), cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum - Sterculiaceae), marupá (Simaruba amara - Simaroubaceae) and rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis - Euphorbiaceae), were analyzed by HT-HRGC and HT-HRGC-MS. Esters of homologous series of fatty acids and long chain alcohols, phytol, amyrines and tocopherols were characterized. The characterization of the compounds was based mainly in mass spectra data and in addition by usual spectrometric data (¹H and 13C NMR, IR).

Uutto-olosuhteiden vaikutus kasviperäisen indigon saantoon

Indigo on väriaine, jota valmistetaan petrokemianteollisuuden välituotteena syntyvästä aniliinista. Indigolla on kuitenkin pitkä historia. Sitä on valmistettu perinteisesti eri viljelykasveista, joista Euroopassa merkittävin on ollut morsinko. Luonnonmukaisten tuotteiden suosion kasvaessa on ryhdytty selvittämään morsingon viljelyn potentiaalia. Viljelyn kannattavuuden kannalta olennaista on kasvin lehdissä esiintyvien indigon esiasteiden mahdollisimman täydellinen eristäminen. Indigoa tuotetaan uuttamalla indigon esiasteet veteen. Esiasteet hajoavat synnyttäen indoksyyliä, josta hapen vaikutuksella muodostuu indigoa. Syntynyt indigo saostuu ja laskeutuu pohjalle. Samalla kuitenkin tapahtuu epätoivottuja sivureaktioita, jotka vähentävät indigon saantoa. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli laboratorio- ja kenttäkokeiden avulla löytää indigon saantoa parantavat uutto-olosuhteet. Kokeiden perusteella havaittiin, että indigon saantoon vaikuttavat positiivisesti pH:n laskeminen, lämpötilan nostaminen, morsingon lehtien pilkkominen ja uuttoliuoksen sekoittaminen. Uuttoliuoksen suolapitoisuuden havaittiin puolestaan vaikuttavan indigon saantoon negatiivisesti. Laboratoriokokeiden perusteella havaittu pH:n laskemisen vaikutus indigon saantoon todistettiin myös kenttäolosuhteissa. Kokeiden havaintojen perusteella esitettiin olosuhteiden indigosaantoa parantavien vaikutusten johtuvan kahdesta tekijästä: indoksyylin stabiloitumisesta happamassa ympäristössä, jolloin sivureaktioiden osuus vähenee, sekä aineensiirron paranemisella sekoituksen, faasien rajapinnan kasvamisen ja etenkin lehtien vahakerroksen rikkoutumisen kuuman veden ja hapon vaikutuksesta.