Pratylenchus jaehni sp n. from citrus in Brazil and its relationship with P-coffeae and P-loosi (Nematoda : Pratylenchidae)

A lesion nematode population infecting citrus in the state of São Paulo, Brazil is described and named Pratylenchus jaehni sp. n. Biological, molecular and morphological characteristics of this new species are compared with those of the morphologically similar P. coffeae and P. loosi. Results of mating experiments showed that R jaehni is reproductively isolated from P coffeae. Molecular (D2/D3 DNA sequences) dissimilarities among P. jaehni sp, n., P. coffeae and P. loosi were documented in a previous study. The morphology of seven R coffeae populations from tropical America and eastern Java and a P loosi population from Sri Lanka is used for comparison with the morphology of P. jaehni sp. n. Pratylenchus jaehni differs from R coffeae and P. loosi by only a few morphological ;characters of the females. The mean values of stylet length, stylet knob height, and vulva position are smaller (less than or equal to15 vs greater than or equal to15 mum, less than or equal to2.7 vs greater than or equal to2.7 mum, less than or equal to79 vs greater than or equal to79%) than those in P coffeae and P loosi. The tail terminus is usually subhemispherical and smooth in P jaehni sp. n.. whereas it is commonly truncate and indented in most P. coffeae populations and bluntly or finely pointed in P. loosi. Because of the morphological similarities among P. jaehni sp. n., P. coffeae and P. loosi, examination of at least ten specimens is required to obtain a reliable diagnosis based on morphology. Nineteen morphometric parameters for P. jaehni sp. n. and P. coffeae ranged from 0-13% smaller in fixed than in live specimens.

Determination of copper in different ethanolic matrices using a chloropropyl silica gel modified with a nanostructured cubic octa(3-aminopropyl)octasilsesquioxane

The chloropropyl silica gel was modified with octa(3-aminopropyl) octasilsesquioxane and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), spectroscopies, and surface and area porosity. The specific sorption capacity of metallic ions (Cu2+ and Ni2+) increases in the following solvent order: water < ethanol 42% < ethanol < ketone. The high values of the constant (K) in the order of 103 L mol-1 suggested the high adsorbent capacity of the modified silica (SGAPC) for Cu2+ and Ni2+. SGAPC was applied to a separation column and shows recoveries of around 100% of copper in samples of sugar cane spirit, vodka, ginger brandy, and ethanol fuel. © 2013 Devaney Ribeiro Do Carmo et al.

Larvae of proceratophrys melanopogon (amphibia: anura), with emphasis on internal oral morphology and comparisons with p. cururu and p. moratoi

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of a Lys49-phospholipase A(2) homologue from Bothrops pirajai venom complexed with p-bromophenacyl bromide and alpha-tocopherol inhibitors

PrTX-I, a non-catalytic and myotoxic Lys49-PLA(2) from Bothrops pirajai venom has been crystallized alone and in complex with bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol acetate inhibitors. These crystals have shown to diffract X-rays between 2.34 and 1.65 angstrom resolution. All complexes crystals are isomorphous and belong to the space group P2(1) whereas native PrTX-I crystals belong to the P3(1)21.

Almost p-compact groups

We show that if p is a selective ultrafilter, then for each cardinal alpha <= omega(1), there exists a topological group G such that G(beta) is almost p-compact (in particular, countably compact), for beta < alpha, but G(alpha) is not countably compact. If in addition, we assume Martin's Axiom, then the result above holds for every alpha < c. (C) 2012 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.

Carbon nanotubes modified with antimony nanoparticles: A novel material for electrochemical sensing

In this study, a novel material for the electrochemical determination of bisphenol A using a nanocomposite based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes modified with antimony nanoparticles has been investigated. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance of the nanocomposite electrodes were characterised by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. A scan rate study and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the bisphenol A oxidation product is adsorbed on nanocomposite electrode surface. Differential pulse voltammetry in phosphate buffer solution at pH 6, allowed the development of a method to determine bisphenol A levels in the range of 0.5-5.0 mu mol L-1, with a detection limit of 5.24 nmol L-1 (1.19 mu g L-1). (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exponential stability for a plate equation with p-Laplacian and memory terms

This paper is concerned with the energy decay for a class of plate equations with memory and lower order perturbation of p-Laplacian type, utt+?2u-?pu+?0tg(t-s)?u(s)ds-?ut+f(u)=0inOXR+, with simply supported boundary condition, where O is a bounded domain of RN, g?>?0 is a memory kernel that decays exponentially and f(u) is a nonlinear perturbation. This kind of problem without the memory term models elastoplastic flows.

Synthesis and characterization of hydroxyapatite modified with (9r)-9-hydroxystearic acid

(9R)-9-hydroxystearic acid (9R-HSA) has been proven to have antitumoral activity because it is shown to inhibit histone deacetylase 1, an enzyme which activates DNA replication, and the (R)-enantiomer has been shown to be more active than the (S)-enantiomer both in vitro and by molecular docking. Hydroxyapatite is the main mineral component of bone and teeth and has been used for over 20 years in prostheses and their coating because it is biocompatible and bioactive. The goal of incorporating 9R-HSA into hydroxyapatite is to have a material that combines the bioactivity of HA with the antitumoral properties of 9R-HSA. In this work, 9R-HSA and its potassium salt were synthesized and the latter was also incorporated into hydroxyapatite. The content of (R)-9-hydroxystearate ion incorporated into the apatitic structure was shown to be a function of its concentration in solution and can reach values higher than 8.5%. (9R)-9-hydroxystearic acid modified hydroxyapatite was extensively characterized to determine the effect of the incorporation of the organic molecule. This incorporation does not significantly alter the unit cell but reduces the size of both the crystals as well as the coherent domains, mainly along the a-axis of hydroxyapatite. This is believed to be due to the coordination of the negatively charged carboxylate group to the calcium ions which are more exposed on the (100) face of the crystal, therefore limiting the growth mainly in this direction. Further analyses showed that the material becomes hydrophobic and more negatively charged with the addition of 9R-HSA but both of these properties reach a plateau at less than 5% wt of 9R-HSA.

Styrene Based Ion Exchange Resins with Oxine Functionalized Groups

Oxine ligands placed on styrene base ion exchange resins selectively remove iron and gallium from acidic solutions. After loading, the oxine resin is stripped of the loaded metals and used again for further metal removal. The resins can be used for process streams, acid rock drainages, or any other iron or gallium containing solution.

Cervical cancer screening in Hispanic women as compared with other ethnic groups on an urban campus

Although Pap screening has decreased morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer, reported statistics indicate that among ethnic groups, Hispanic women are one of the least likely to follow screening guidelines. Human papillomavirus (HPV), a major risk factor for cervical cancer, as well as pre-cancerous lesions, may be detected by early Pap screening. With a reported 43% prevalence of HPV infection in college women, regular Pap screening is important. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional survey was to examine self-reported cervical cancer screening rates in a target population of primarily Mexican-American college women, and to discover if recognized correlates for screening behavior explained differences in screening rates between this and two other predominant groups on the University of Houston Downtown campus, non-Hispanic white and African-American. The sample size consisted of 613 women recruited from summer 2003 classes. A survey, adapted from an earlier El Paso study, and based on constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM), was administered to women ages 18 and older. It was found that although screening rates were similar across ethnic groups, overall, the Hispanic group obtained screening less frequently, though this did not reach statistical significance. However, a significant difference in lower screening rates was found in Mexican American women ages <25. Additionally, of the predicted correlates, the construct of perceived barriers from the HBM was most significant for the Mexican American group for non-screening. For all groups, knowledge about cervical cancer was negatively correlated with ever obtaining Pap screening and screening within the past year. This implies that if health counseling is given at the time of women's screening visits, both adherence to appropriate screening intervals and risk factor avoidance may be more likely. Studies such as these are needed to address both screening behaviors and likelihood of follow-up for abnormal results in populations of multicultural, urban college women. ^

A systematic review of community-based colorectal cancer screening randomized controlled trials with multi-ethnic groups

Background. The CDC estimates that 40% of adults 50 years of age or older do not receive time-appropriate colorectal cancer screening. Sixty percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented by regular screening of adults 50 years of age and older. Yet, in 2000 only 42.5% of adults age 50 or older in the U.S. had received recommended screening. Disparities by health care, nativity status, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity are evident. Disparities in minority, underserved populations prevent us from attaining Goal 2 of Healthy People 2010 to “eliminate health disparities.” This review focuses on community-based screening research among underserved populations that includes multiple ethnic groups for appropriate disparities analysis. There is a gap in the colorectal cancer screening literature describing the effectiveness of community-based randomized controlled trials. ^ Objective. To critically review the literature describing community-based colorectal cancer screening strategies that are randomized controlled trials, and that include multiple racial/ethnic groups. ^ Methods. The review includes a preliminary disparities analysis to assess whether interventions were appropriately targeted in communities to those groups experiencing the greatest health disparities. Review articles are from an original search using Ovid Medline and a cross-matching search in Pubmed, both from January 2001 to June 2009. The Ovid Medline literature review is divided into eight exclusionary stages, seven electronic, and the last stage consisting of final manual review. ^ Results. The final studies (n=15) are categorized into four categories: Patient mailings (n=3), Telephone outreach (n=3), Electronic/multimedia (n=4), and Counseling/community education (n=5). Of 15 studies, 11 (73%) demonstrated that screening rates increased for the intervention group compared to controls, including all studies (100%) from the Patient mailings and Telephone outreach groups, 4 of 5 (80%) Counseling/community education studies, and 1 of 4 (25%) Electronic/multimedia interventions. ^ Conclusions. Patient choice and tailoring education and/or messages to individuals have proven to be two important factors in improving colorectal cancer screening adherence rates. Technological strategies have not been overly successful with underserved populations in community-based trials. Based on limited findings to date, future community-based colorectal cancer screening trials should include diverse populations who are experiencing incidence, survival, mortality and screening disparities. ^

Study of the effect of four warm mix asphalt additives on bitumen modified with 15% crumb rubber

Due to a growing concern over global warming, the bituminous mixture industry is making a constant effort to diminish its emissions by reducing manufacturing and installation temperatures without compromising the mechanical properties of the bituminous mixtures. The use of mixtures with tyre rubber has demonstrated that these mixtures can be economical and ecological and that they improve the behaviour of the pavements. However, bituminous mixtures with a high rubber content present one major drawback: they require higher mixing and installation temperatures due to the elevated viscosity caused by the high rubber content and thus they produce larger amounts of greenhouse gas emissions than conventional bituminous mixtures. This article presents a study of the effect of four viscosity-reducing additives (Sasobit®, Asphaltan A®, Asphaltan B® and Licomont BS 100®) on a bitumen modified with 15% rubber. The results of this study indicate that these additives successfully reduce viscosity, increase the softening temperature and reduce penetration. However, they do not have a clear effect on the test for elastic recovery and ductility at 25 °C.

Massive targeting of liposomes, surface-modified with anionized albumins, to hepatic endothelial cells

Human serum albumin (HSA) derivatized with cis-aconitic anhydride was covalently coupled to liposomes with a size of approximately 100 nm [polyaconitylated HSA (Aco-HSA) liposomes]. Within 30 min after injection into a rat, Aco-HSA liposomes were completely cleared from the blood and almost exclusively taken up by the liver, whereas in control liposomes 80% was still present in the blood at that time. Endothelial cells were shown to account for almost two-thirds of the hepatic uptake of the Aco-HSA liposomes, the remainder being recovered mainly in the liver macrophages (Kupffer cells). With fluorescently labeled liposomes it was shown that the Aco-HSA liposomes target a vast majority (>85%) of the cells in the endothelial cell population. Control liposomes were not taken up to a significant extent by the endothelial cells. Uptake of Aco-HSA liposomes by both endothelial and Kupffer cells was inhibited by preinjection with polyinosinic acid, indicating the involvement of scavenger receptors in the uptake process. The uptake of Aco-HSA liposomes by liver endothelial cells was dependent on liposome size; with increasing liposome diameter endothelial cell uptake decreased in favor of Kupffer cell uptake. We have demonstrated that massive in vivo targeting of liposomes to a defined cell population other than macrophages is possible. Aco-HSA liposomes thus may represent an attractive drug carrier system for treatment of various liver or liver endothelium-associated disorders.