A new vehicle for herbicide application using crude glycerin, a by-product of biodiesel production

The supply of glycerin derived from the pre-purification of biodiesel has increased considerably in Brazil, making it necessary to identify economic and environmentally friendly applications for this byproduct. This work aimed to develop oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions using crude glycerin treated with H3PO4 for use as a vehicle for the application the herbicide Togar. The work was conducted in the laboratory of Marlebologia at the Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi Campus. The preliminary emulsions were subjected to stability testing, and those that remained stable were diluted with the herbicide Togar (8% v v-1) and characterized with respect to pH, conductivity, viscosity, density and surface tension. The crude glycerin was used to develop five stable emulsions with promising physicochemical characteristics for use as vehicle for herbicide application. The conductivity and viscosity of the emulsions were high compared to diesel.Key words: Agrochemicals, residue, emulsions

Cardiac and vascular changes in elderly atherosclerotic mice: the influence of gender

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although advanced age is considered a risk factor for several diseases, the impact of gender on age-associated cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerotic processes and valvular diseases, remains not completely clarified. The present study was designed to assess aortic valve morphology and function and vascular damage in elderly using the apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mouse. Our hypothesis was that advanced age-related cardiovascular changes are aggravated in atherosclerotic male mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The grade (0 to 4) of aortic regurgitation was evaluated through angiography. In addition, vascular lipid deposition and senescence were evaluated through histochemical analyses in aged male and female ApoE KO mice, and the results were compared to wild-type C57BL/6J (C57) mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Aortic regurgitation was observed in 92% of the male ApoE KO mice and 100% of the male C57 mice. Comparatively, in age-matched female ApoE KO and C57 mice, aortic regurgitation was observed in a proportion of 58% and 53%, respectively. Histological analysis of the aorta showed an outward (positive) remodeling in ApoE KO mice (female: 1.86 ± 0.15; male: 1.89 ± 0.68) using C57 groups as reference values. Histochemical evaluation of the aorta showed lipid deposition and vascular senescence only in the ApoE KO group, which were more pronounced in male mice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The data show that male gender contributes to the progression of aortic regurgitation and that hypercholesterolemia and male gender additively contribute to the occurrence of lipid deposition and vascular senescence in elderly mice.</p

Detection of Human Bocavirus mRNA in Respiratory Secretions Correlates with High Viral Load and Concurrent Diarrhea

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a parvovirus recently identified in association with acute respiratory infections (ARI). Despite its worldwide occurrence, little is known on the pathogenesis of HBoV infections. In addition, few systematic studies of HBoV in ARI have been conducted in Latin America. Therefore, in order to test whether active viral replication of human bocavirus is associated with respiratory diseases and to understand the clinical impact of this virus in patients with these diseases, we performed a 3-year retrospective hospital-based study of HBoV in outpatients and inpatients with symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) in Brazil. Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from 1015 patients with respiratory symptoms were tested for HBoV DNA by PCR. All samples positive for HBoV were tested by PCR for all other respiratory viruses, had HBoV viral loads determined by quantitative real time PCR and, when possible, were tested by RT-PCR for HBoV VP1 mRNA, as evidence of active viral replication. HBoV was detected in 4.8% of patients, with annual rates of 10.0%, 3.0% and 3.0% in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. The range of respiratory symptoms was similar between HBoV-positive and HBoV-negative ARI patients. However, a higher rate of diarrhea was observed in HBoV-positive patients. High HBoV viral loads (>108 copies/mL) and diarrhea were significantly more frequent in patients with exclusive infection by HBoV and in patients with detection of HBoV VP1 mRNA than in patients with viral co-infection, detected in 72.9% of patients with HBoV. In summary, our data demonstrated that active HBoV replication was detected in a small percentage of patients with ARI and was correlated with concurrent diarrhea and lack of other viral co-infections