Database of the Amazon aromatic plants and their essential oils

The aromatic flora of the Amazon has been inventoried for 30 years. In this sense, were made over 500 field trips to collect over 2500 plants and to obtain more than 2000 essential oils and aroma concentrates, all of them submitted to GC and GC-MS. This work led to the creation of a database for the aromatic plants of the Amazon, which catalogs general information about 1250 specimens. The database has allowed the publication of the chemical composition of the oils and aromas of more than 350 species, associated with a larger number of chemical types. The essential oils of many species offer optimum conditions for economic exploitation and use in national and international market of fragrances, cosmetics, agricultural and household pesticides.

Effect of thermal modification on the physical properties of juvenile and mature woods of Eucalyptus grandis

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thermal treatment on the physical properties of juvenile and mature woods of Eucalyptus grandis. Boards were taken from 30-year-old E. grandis trees. The boards were thermally modified at 180 °C in the Laboratory of Wood Drying and Preservation at UNESP, Botucatu, Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The results showed that thermal modification caused: (1) decrease of 6.8% in the density at 0% equilibrium moisture content of mature wood; (2) significant decreases of 14.7% and 35.6% in the maximum volumetric swellings of juvenile and mature woods, respectively; (3) significant decreases of 13.7% and 21.3% in the equilibrium moisture content of juvenile and mature woods, respectively. The influence of thermal modification in juvenile wood was lower than in mature wood and caused greater uniformity in the physical variations between these types of wood in E. grandis.

In vitro and in vivo acaricide action of juvenoid analogs produced from the chemical modification of Cymbopogon spp. and Corymbia citriodora essential oil on the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Effects of acetylation and acetylation-hydroxypropylation (dual-modification) on the properties of starch from Carioca bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Zirconium-methacrylate oxoclusters as new hybrid materials for the modification of epoxy systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The modification of structural and optical properties of nano- and submicron ZnO powders by variation of solvothermal syntheses conditions

Nano- (30-60 nm) and submicron (100-350 nm) ZnO particles were synthesized using solvothermal method at 200 degrees C from an ethanolic solution of zinc acetate dihydrate, applying different reaction conditions, i.e., pH value of precursor and time of the reaction. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis diffuse reflectance (DR), Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy have been employed for characterization of synthesized ZnO powders. It was shown that the structural, morphological, and optical properties are largely determined by reaction conditions during solvothermal synthesis. The particle crystallinity improves with the decrease of pH value and/or the increase of time of the reaction. The Raman and PL spectra analyses indicate that the oxygen interstitials are dominant intrinsic defects in solvothermally synthesized ZnO powders. It was observed that concentration of defects in wurtzite ZnO crystal lattices slightly changes with the variation of pH value of the precursor and time of the solvothermal reaction. The correlation between structural ordering and defect structure of particles and corresponding growth processes was discussed.

Fish immunology: the modification and manipulation of the innate immune system: Brazilian studies

The understanding of fish immune system structure and function is essential for the development of new technologies and products to improve productivity. This is the first review on immune system of fish with Brazilian studies. Aquaculture in Brazil has shown massive growth in recent years due to methods of culture intensification. However, these procedures led to disease outbreaks, as well as the chemotherapy and the misuse of antibiotics. A viable alternative to avoid the use of chemicals and prevent economic losses is the administration of immunostimulants and prebiotcs, which act by increasing the innate immune system. In Brazil there is a lack of studies on fish immune system, except by some groups that have studied the effects of the immunostimulants administration in various species.

Thermal and spectroscopic study of the 3,4-(methylenedioxy) cinnamate compounds of transition metals in the solid state

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Development and validation of the quantitative analysis of cefuroxime sodium in powder for injection by infrared spectroscopy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Leaves of Lolium multiflorum 'Lema' and tropical tree species as biomonitors of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

This study extends the current knowledge regarding the use of plants for the passive accumulation of anthropogenic PAHs that are present in the atmospheric total suspended particles (TSP) in the tropics and sub-tropics. It is of major relevance because the anthropic emissions of TSP containing PAHs are significant in these regions, but their monitoring is still scarce. We compared the biomonitor efficiency of Lolium multiflorum 'Lema' and tropical tree species (Tibouchina pukka and Psidium guajava 'Paluma') that were growing in an intensely TSP-polluted site in Cubatao (SE Brazil), and established the species with the highest potential for alternative monitoring of PAHs. PAHs present in the TSP indicated that the region is impacted by various emission sources. L. multiflorum showed a greater efficiency for the accumulation of PAH compounds on their leaves than the tropical trees. The linear regression between the logBCF and logKoa revealed that L. multiflorum is an efficient biomonitor of the profile of light and heavy PAHs present in the particulate phase of the atmosphere during dry weather and mild temperatures. The grass should be used only for indicating the PAHs with higher molecular weight in warmer and wetter periods. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extended regimens of the contraceptive vaginal ring versus hormonal oral contraceptives: effects on lipid metabolism

Background: Combined oral contraceptives used in an extended regimen have been studied because of their potential benefits; however, there have been few publications on extended regimens of contraceptive vaginal rings. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of these two extended regimens on the lipid metabolism of women using these contraceptive methods during 1 year. Study Design: This prospective study enrolled 150 women: 75 used a vaginal contraceptive ring (11.7 mg etonogestrel and 2.7 mg ethinyl estradiol), and 75 used oral contraceptives (30 mcg ethinyl estradiol and 150 mg desogestrel). Both groups used their respective method for 84 days followed by a 7-day pause during I year. At baseline and every 3 months during the study period, blood was collected to assess total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and B. The analysis of variance test was used to analyze differences in the results of these exams over time. Results: A total of 62 vaginal ring and 61 oral contraceptive users completed the study. There were no significant differences in the discontinuation rate, mean total cholesterol and fraction levels, apo B concentration or apo A-I/apo B ratio. Vaginal ring users had significantly higher apo A-I levels than oral contraceptive users. Conclusion: Despite the vaginal route of administration, the steroids released by the ring had the same effects on the lipid metabolism and lipoprotein levels typically seen with ethinyl estradiol given either by oral or parenteral routes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Activation and Repression of the Plasmodium falciparum rif Gene Family and Their Relation to Chromatin Modification

The regulation of variant gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum is still only partially understood. Regulation of var genes, the most studied gene family involved in antigenic variation, is orchestrated by a dynamic pattern of inherited chromatin states. Although recent evidence pointed to epigenetic regulation of transcribed and repressed rif loci, little is known about specific on/off associated histone modifications of individual rif genes. To investigate the chromatin marks for transcribed and repressed rif loci, we cultivated parasites and evaluated the transcriptional status of chosen rif targets by qRT-PCR and performed ChIP assays using H3K9ac and H3K9me3 antibodies. We then monitored changes in the epigenetic patterns in parasites after several reinvasions and also evaluated the "poised'' mark in trophozoites and schizonts of the same erythrocytic cycle by ChIP using H3K4me2 specific antibodies. Our results show that H3K9 is acetylated in transcribed rif loci and trimethylated or even unmodified in repressed rif loci. These transcriptional and epigenetic states are inherited after several reinvasions. The poised modification H3K4me2 showed a tendency to be more present in loci in trophozoites that upon progression to schizonts strongly transcribe the respective locus. However, this effect was not consistently observed for all monitored loci. While our data show important similarities to var transcription-associated chromatin modifications, the observed swiftly occurring modifications at rif loci and the absence of H3K9 modification point to a different dynamic of recruitment of chromatin modifying enzymes.

Comparison of the n-Alkanes and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Concentrations in the Atmosphere during the Preparation of Warm and Hot Mixtures Asphalt for Pavements

Asphalt binder is used in the production of hot mixes asphalt (HMA) for paving and, due to the high temperatures used, generates fumes thatcontainn-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Asphalt mixes prepared at lower temperatures, such as warm mixes asphalt (WMA), may contribute to reduce the emissions of those compounds and save energy. This paper investigatesn-alkanes and PAH in the total suspended particles during the preparation of WMA, in comparison with HMA, in laboratory. The results showed that the n-alkanes of the WMA and HMA presented C-max at n-C-26 and n-C-28, respectively; also, the total content of n-alkanes was higher for the HMA than forthe WMA. Besides, benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[a]anthracene were the major PAH in the WMA, while the higher temperatures of the HMA were observed to volatilize all larger PAH, demonstrating higher potential of inhalation exposure.

Tumors as complex organs: are cancers manageable through the modification of their microenvironment?

FAPESP (Center for Cell-based Therapy Research), Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia- Redoxoma and UICC-Yamagiwa Yoshida Grant.

Comparison of the n-alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons concentrations in the atmosphere during the preparation of warm and hot mixtures asphalt for pavements

O asfalto é utilizado na produção de misturas asfálticas a quente (HMA) para a pavimentação e, devido às altas temperaturas empregadas, gera fumos que contêm n-alcanos e hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPAs). As misturas asfálticas preparadas em temperaturas mais baixas, como as misturas asfálticas mornas (WMA), podem contribuir na redução das emissões daqueles compostos e economizar energia. Este trabalho investiga os n-alcanos e os HPAs nas partículas totais em suspensão durante a preparação de uma WMA, em comparação com uma HMA, em laboratório. Os resultados mostraram que os n-alcanos da WMA e da HMA apresentaram Cmáx no n-C26 e n-C28, respectivamente, e o teor de n-alcanos total foi maior na HMA do que na WMA. Ademais, verificou-se que o benzo[b]fluoranteno e benzo[a]antraceno constituíam os maiores HPAs na WMA, enquanto as temperaturas mais altas da HMA volatilizaram todos seus grandes HPAs, demonstrando maior potencial de exposição por inalação.