First descriptions of two new amber species of Cyphomyrmex from Mexico and the Dominican Republic (Hymenoptera: Formididae).

Zwei neue fossile Arten von Cyphomyrmex aus Bernstein, jede durch ein einzelnes Exemplar belegt, werden beschrieben. C. maya basiert auf einer einzelnen Arbeiterin aus Mexikanischem Bernstein. C. taino wird nach einer geflügelten Gyne aus Dominikanischem Bernstein beschrieben. C. maya und C. taino gehören zur rimosus-Gruppe sensu Kempf (1964) und innerhalb dieser zur foxi-Subgruppe sensu Snelling & Longino (1992). Von den beiden bekannten jamaikanischen Vertretern der foxi-Subgruppe ähnelt C. maya vor allem C. foxi. Die Arbeiterinnen beider Arten besitzen gut ausgebildete mesosomale Dornen. C. maya kann von C. foxi vor allem durch das Profil des Propodeum leicht unterschieden werden, das zwei dornförmige Zähne trägt anstatt zweier Längskiele, die nur undeutliche Zähnchen bilden, durch einen kürzeren Scapus, durch kürzere und weniger scharf zugespitzte dorsale Fortsätze des Postpetiolus und durch die geringere Größe. Das äußere Erscheinungsbild der Gyne von C. taino ähnelt der Gyne von C. foxi, wobei sich C. taino von C. foxi durch die geringere Größe, einen kürzeren Scapus und durch einen Postpetiolus mit kürzeren, deutlich kleineren und abgerundeten dorsalen Fortsätzen unterscheidet. Bezüglich der Form des Kopfes gleicht die Gyne von C. taino auch der Arbeiterin von C. maya, aber C. taino kann leicht von C. maya durch die dichtere Behaarung und Skulptur unterschieden werden.Nomenklatorische Handlungenmaya de Andrade, 2003 (Cyphomyrmex), spec. n.taino de Andrade, 2003 (Cyphomyrmex), spec. n.Two new amber species of Cyphomyrmex represented by a single specimen each are described. C. maya n. sp. is based on a single worker from Mexican amber. C. taino n. sp. is described on an alate gyne from Dominican amber. C. maya and taino are members of the rimosus group of Kempf (1964) and of the foxi subgroup of Snelling & Longino (1992). Among the two known Jamaican representatives of the foxi subgroup, C. maya resembles foxi. The worker of maya shares with the one of foxi developed mesosomal spines. C. maya can be easily differentiated from foxi mainly by the propodeum profile with two spiniform teeth instead of a longitudinal carina forming two succeeding obtuse teeth, by the shorter scapes, by the postpetiole with smaller and less pointed dorsal projections and by the smaller size. The gyne of taino resembles the gyne of foxi in general shape, but taino differs from foxi by its smaller size, by the shorter scapes and by the postpetiole with lower, much smaller and rounded dorsal projections. The gyne of taino also resembles the worker of maya in head shape, but taino can be easily distinguished from maya by the denser pilosity and sculpture.Nomenclatural Actsmaya de Andrade, 2003 (Cyphomyrmex), spec. n.taino de Andrade, 2003 (Cyphomyrmex), spec. n

A remarkable Dominican amber species of Cylindromyrmex with Brazilian affinities and additions to the generic revision (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Nach zwei geflügelten Gynen aus Dominikanischem Bernstein wird Cylindromyrmex inopinatus sp. n. beschrieben. Die neue fossile Art scheint die Schwesterart der rezenten C. longiceps aus Brasilien zu sein. C. inopinatus und C. longiceps unterscheiden sich von allen anderen Arten der Gattung durch einen besonders langgestreckten Kopf, der etwa ein Drittel länger als breit ist, und durch einen schmaleren Abstand zwischen den Stirnleisten. Mit C. inopinatus sind nunmehr drei fossile Arten aus Bernstein bekannt, denen zehn rezente Arten gegenüberstehen. Das bislang unbekannte Männchen von C. longiceps André wird beschrieben, und es werden zusätzliche Daten zur Verbreitung von C. brasiliensis, brevitarsus, escobari, godmani, longiceps, meinerti und whymperi genannt. Der Bestimmungsschlüssel für die Männchen von Cylindromyrmex (de Andrade 1998) wurde zur Einfügung von C. longiceps teilweise überarbeitet.Nomenklatorische Handlungeninopinatus de Andrade, 2001 (Cylindromyrmex), spec. n.Cylindromyrmex inopinatus n. sp. from Dominican amber is described on two winged gynes. The new amber species appears to be the sister species of the Recent Brazilian longiceps. C. inopinatus and C. longiceps can be easily distinguished from all other members of the genus by the head about 1/3 longer than broad and by the narrowest known frontal carinae. C. inopinatus is the third amber fossil species of the genus as compared with 10 known extant species. The previously unknown male of C. longiceps André is also described. Additional distribution data are given for the species brasiliensis, brevitarsus, escobari, godmani, longiceps, meinerti and whymperi. The identification key to the males of de Andrade (1998) is partially re-worked in order to include longiceps. Nomenclatural Actsinopinatus de Andrade, 2001 (Cylindromyrmex), spec. n

Sex differences and correlates of poor glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in Brazil and Venezuela.

OBJECTIVE: Examine whether glycaemic control varies according to sex and whether the latter plays a role in modifying factors associated with inadequate glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Brazil and Venezuela. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cross-sectional, nationwide survey conducted in Brazil and Venezuela from February 2006 to June 2007 to obtain information about glycaemic control and its determinants in patients with diabetes mellitus attending outpatient clinics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was measured by liquid chromatography, and patients with HbA1c ≥7.0% (53 mmol/mol) were considered to have inadequate glycaemic control. The association of selected variables with glycaemic control was analysed by multivariate linear regression, using HbA1c as the dependent variable. RESULTS: A total of 9418 patients with T2D were enrolled in Brazil (n=5692) and in Venezuela (n=3726). They included 6214 (66%) women and 3204 (34%) men. On average, HbA1c levels in women were 0.13 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.24; p=0.015) higher than in men, after adjusting for age, marital status, education, race, country, body mass index, duration of disease, complications, type of healthcare, adherence to diet, adherence to treatment and previous measurement of HbA1c. Sex modified the effect of some factors associated with glycaemic control in patients with T2D in our study, but had no noteworthy effect in others. CONCLUSIONS: Women with T2D had worse glycaemic control than men. Possible causes for poorer glycaemic control in women compared with men include differences in glucose homeostasis, treatment response and psychological factors. In addition, sex modified factors associated with glycaemic control, suggesting the need to develop specific treatment guidelines for men and women

La realcalinización y la extracción electroquímica de los cloruros en las construcciones de hormigón armado

Realkalisation and electrochemical chloride removal techniques, developed for rehabiliting carbonated and chloride-containing structures, are presented. Electrolysis and electromigration mechanisms and consequences as well as electrochemical conditions at the reinforcement surface are discussed and compared with cathodic protection ones. Furthermore, possible side effects are commented

Antimycobacterial and cytotoxicity activities of free and liposome-encapsulated 3-(4'-bromo[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4-bromo-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine

The antimycobacterial activity of 3-(4'-bromo[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4-bromo-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine (BBAP), free or incorporated in preformed liposomes, on extracellular M. tuberculosis H37Rv was 8 and 25 μM (MIC), respectively. Extracellular antimycobacterial activity was not significantly improved by entrapment of BBAP in liposomes, but there was a 6.1-fold reduction of BBAP cytotoxicity on J774 macrophages. Liposomal BBAP or its free form showed IC50 values of 165 and 27 μM, resulting in a selectivity index (SI=IC50/MIC) of 3.4 and 6.6, respectively. Free BBAP in concentrations from 10 to 80 μM were quite effective in eliminating intracellular M. tuberculosis while liposomal formulation was less effective at these concentrations.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

In vitro assessment of antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of Saccharin-Tetrazolyl and-Thiadiazolyl derivatives: the simple dependence of the pH value on antimicrobial activity

The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities of a series of saccharin-tetrazolyl and -thiadiazolyl analogs were examined. The assessment of the antimicrobial properties of the referred-to molecules was completed through an evaluation of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. Scrutiny of the MIC and MBC values of the compounds at pH 4.0, 7.0, and 9.0 against four Gram-positive strains revealed high values for both the MIC and MBC at pH 4.0 (ranging from 0.98 to 125 µg/mL) and moderate values at pH 7.0 and 9.0, exposing strong antimicrobial activities in an acidic medium. An antioxidant activity analysis of the molecules was performed by using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method, which showed high activity for the TSMT (N-(1-methyl-2H-tetrazol-5-yl)-N-(1,1-dioxo-1,2-benzisothiazol-3-yl) amine, 7) derivative (90.29% compared to a butylated hydroxytoluene positive control of 61.96%). Besides, the general toxicity of the saccharin analogs was evaluated in an Artemia salina model, which displayed insignificant toxicity values. In turn, upon an assessment of cell viability, all of the compounds were found to be nontoxic in range concentrations of 0-100 µg/mL in H7PX glioma cells. The tested molecules have inspiring antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that represent potential core structures in the design of new drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases.Funding Agency Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology UID/QUI/00100/2019 UID/MULTI/04326/2019 -CCMAR Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology SFRH/BPD/99851/2014 IST-ID/115/2018info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antimycobacterial and cytotoxicity activities of free and liposome-encapsulated 3-(4'-bromo[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4-bromo-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine

The antimycobacterial activity of 3-(4'-bromo[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4-bromo-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine (BBAP), free or incorporated in preformed liposomes, on extracellular M. tuberculosis H37Rv was 8 and 25 μM (MIC), respectively. Extracellular antimycobacterial activity was not significantly improved by entrapment of BBAP in liposomes, but there was a 6.1-fold reduction of BBAP cytotoxicity on J774 macrophages. Liposomal BBAP or its free form showed IC50 values of 165 and 27 μM, resulting in a selectivity index (SI=IC50/MIC) of 3.4 and 6.6, respectively. Free BBAP in concentrations from 10 to 80 μM were quite effective in eliminating intracellular M. tuberculosis while liposomal formulation was less effective at these concentrations334871874CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQSem informaçã

Study of age-related changes in postural control during quiet standing through Linear Discriminant Analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The human body adopts a number of strategies to maintain an upright position. The analysis of the human balance allows for the understanding and identification of such strategies. The displacement of the centre of pressure (COP) is a measure that has been successfully employed in studies regarding the postural control. Most of these investigations are related to the analysis of individuals suffering from neuromuscular disorders. Recent studies have shown that the elderly population is growing very fast in many countries all over the world, and therefore, researches that try to understand changes in this group are required. In this context, this study proposes the analysis of the postural control, measured by the displacement of the COP, in groups of young and elderly adults.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In total 59 subjects participated of this study. They were divided into seven groups according to their age. The displacement of the COP was collected for each subject standing on a force plate. Two experimental conditions, of 30 seconds each, were investigated: opened eyes and closed eyes. Traditional and recent digital signal processing tools were employed for feature computation from the displacement of the COP. Statistical analyses were carried out in order to identify significant differences between the features computed from the distinct groups that could allow for their discrimination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results showed that Linear Discrimination Analysis (LDA), which is one of the most popular feature extraction and classifier design techniques, could be successfully employed as a linear transformation, based on the linear combination of standard features for COP analysis, capable of estimating a unique feature, so-called <it>LDA-value</it>, from which it was possible to discriminate the investigated groups and show a high correlation between this feature and age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results show that the analysis of features computed from the displacement of the COP are of great importance in studies trying to understand the ageing process. In particular, the <it>LDA-value </it>showed to be an adequate feature for assessment of changes in the postural control which can be related to functional changes that occur over the ageing.</p

Antimycobacterial and cytotoxicity activities of free and liposome-encapsulated 3-(4'-bromo[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4-bromo-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The antimycobacterial activity of 3-(4'-bromo[1,1'-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-(4-bromo-phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-2-propen-1-amine (BBAP), free or incorporated in preformed liposomes, on extracellular M. tuberculosis H37Rv was 8 and 25 &#956;M (MIC), respectively. Extracellular antimycobacterial activity was not significantly improved by entrapment of BBAP in liposomes, but there was a 6.1-fold reduction of BBAP cytotoxicity on J774 macrophages. Liposomal BBAP or its free form showed IC50 values of 165 and 27 &#956;M, resulting in a selectivity index (SI=IC50/MIC) of 3.4 and 6.6, respectively. Free BBAP in concentrations from 10 to 80 &#956;M were quite effective in eliminating intracellular M. tuberculosis while liposomal formulation was less effective at these concentrations.334871874Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq_Brasi

Cátions e ânions na solução do solo em área com aplicação de lodo de esgoto.

Estudos de longo prazo em áreas com sucessivas aplicações de lodo de esgoto (LE) são raros nas condições edafo-climáticas brasileiras. Uma destas áreas pertence ao Instituto Agronômico, em Campinas-SP. Entre os anos de 2001 e 2007 a área experimental recebeu anualmente duas doses de LE calculadas para fornecer 120 e 240 kg ha-1 de N para a cultura do milho ou fertilizante mineral nitrogenado na dose de 120 kg ha-1. De 2008 a 2011 a área não recebeu novas aplicações de LE, somente N mineral no tratamento em que era previsto. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a distribuição de cátions e ânions em extrato aquoso 1:1, simulando a solução do solo, após a interrupção do uso do LE. Para tanto, foram realizadas coletas de solo (camada 0-20 cm) em setembro de 2009 e março e dezembro de 2010. Foram determinados nos extratos os teores de cátions (Ca+2, Mg+2, K+, Na+, Al+3, Cu+2, Fe+2, Mn+2, Zn+2, Cd+2, Cr+3, Ni+2, Pb+2, NH4+) e ânions (NO3-, SO4-2, HxPO4x-, Cl- e F-), além do pH. A análise dos resultados por componentes principais evidenciou a formação de grupos correspondentes aos tratamentos testados e dentre as variáveis identificadas como mais importantes na formação dos componentes destacaram-se as formas nitrogenadas (NO3- e NH4+), cujos teores foram superiores na solução do solo tratado com lodo