Estudo bibliométrico e análise de patentes acerca da produção de ácidos carboxílicos e álcoois a partir de açúcares: parte 1: ácidos carboxílicos.

Esta publicação é o primeiro produto do trabalho do Setor de Prospecção e Avaliação de Tecnologias (SPAT) da Embrapa Agroenergia e trata da plataforma industrial de açúcares C5/C6, mais especificamente sobre as principais classes de produtos derivados dessas matérias-primas: os ácidos carboxílicos e álcoois. O objetivo geral do trabalho é determinar, com o uso de ferramentas bibliométricas, o cenário tecnológico atual da produção de ácidos carboxílicos (Parte 1) e álcoois (Parte 2), a partir da biomassa lignocelulósica, bem como avaliar o cenário mercadológico dos produtos em questão.bitstream/item/222433/1/Estudo-bibliome769trico-e-ana769lise-de-patentes.pd

Seasonal study of concentration of heavy metals in waters from lower São Francisco River basin, Brazil

In this study we determined the concentration of metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the water lower São Francisco River basin, to evaluate the influence of urbanization and industrialization on environmental changes in the water resource. All samples were analyzed using the IUPAC adapted method and processed in an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The sampling stations located near the industrial areas were influenced by industrialization because they presented higher concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni and Cu. The other sampled locations showed changes with regard the trace elements probably originating in the soil, like Fe, Zn and Pb. There was a gradual increase in the concentrations of metals, in general, in the period of highest rainfall of the hydrographic network. Overall, except for Zn and Mn, the trace elements exceeded the maximum allowed value established by national legislation (CONAMA). Lower São Francisco River basin has suffered interference from urbanization and industrialization, so awareness programs should be developed so as to control and lessen future problems

Dissolved inorganic nutrients and chlorophyll on the narrow continental shelf of Eastern Brazil

The eastern Brazilian continental shelf is narrow and subject to the influence of a western boundary current system, presenting lower biological productivity than other regions. In this study, the distribution of water masses, dissolved inorganic nutrients, chlorophyll-a and total suspended solids (TSS) on the inner shelf (< 35 m depth), between Itacaré and Canavieiras, eastern Brazil, is presented. Sampling surveys were carried out in March and August 2006 and March 2007. Tropical water (TW) prevailed during March 2006 and August 2007 with the lower salinity waters (< 36) found in most samples taken in March 2007, reflecting the influence of continental outflow and rain in coastal waters. Low concentrations of dissolved inorganic nutrients and Chl-a found were typical of TW and results suggested that the inner shelf waters were depleted in dissolved inorganic nitrogen in August 2006 and March 2007, and in phosphate in March 2006, potentially affecting phytoplankton growth. Stratification of the water column was observed due to differences in dissolved nutrient concentrations, chlorophyll-a and TSS when comparing surface and bottom samples, possibly the result of a colder water intrusion and mixing on the bottom shelf and a deep chlorophyll maximum and/or sediment resuspension effect. Despite this stratification, oceanographic processes such as lateral mixing driven by the Brazil Current as well as a northward alongshore drift driven by winds and tides transporting Coastal Water can lead to an enhanced mixing of these waters promoting some heterogeneity in this oligotrophic environment

Involvement of yeast HSP90 isoforms in response to stress and cell death induced by acetic acid

Acetic acid-induced apoptosis in yeast is accompanied by an impairment of the general protein synthesis machinery, yet paradoxically also by the up-regulation of the two isoforms of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) chaperone family, Hsc82p and Hsp82p. Herein, we show that impairment of cap-dependent translation initiation induced by acetic acid is caused by the phosphorylation and inactivation of eIF2 alpha by Gcn2p kinase. A microarray analysis of polysome-associated mRNAs engaged in translation in acetic acid challenged cells further revealed that HSP90 mRNAs are over-represented in this polysome fraction suggesting preferential translation of HSP90 upon acetic acid treatment. The relevance of HSP90 isoform translation during programmed cell death (PCD) was unveiled using genetic and pharmacological abrogation of HSP90, which suggests opposing roles for HSP90 isoforms in cell survival and death. Hsc82p appears to promote survival and its deletion leads to necrotic cell death, while Hsp82p is a pro-death molecule involved in acetic acid-induced apoptosis. Therefore, HSP90 isoforms have distinct roles in the control of cell fate during PCD and their selective translation regulates cellular response to acetic acid stress.This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia and COMPETE/QREN/EU (PTDC/BIA-MIC/114116/2009), and by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (MOP 89737 to MH). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

A utilização da modelagem ambiental para sistematização do conhecimento tácito: identificação de corredores preferenciais para linhas de transmissão de energia elétrica

A necessidade de expansão do setor elétrico requer o aprimoramento constante das formas de projetar e executar empreendimentos como linhas de transmissão de energia elétrica. Embora, a disseminação de tecnologias de geoinformação estejam auxiliando a modernização desse processo, um dos grandes desafios é preservar o conhecimento acumulado ao longo dos anos de desenvolvimento de projetos. Os padrões de execução de projetos passados podem ser encontrados nas paisagens em que os mesmos foram executados. A hipótese avaliada neste trabalho é a possibilidade de empregar geotecnologia para extrair o conhecimento tácito através de padrões de execução de projetos lineares desenvolvidos no passado por meio da análise da paisagem, e utilizar tais informações em um processo de analise multicriterial para auxiliar a modelagem novos corredores de transmissão de energia. Este procedimento representa a oportunidade de estabelecer termos comparativos e parametrizados para interfacear às novas tecnologias e ganho de produtividade para modernizar o planejamento do setor de distribuição de energia. A investigação se apóia na análise multitemporal. Para tanto, a elaboração de um modelo espacialmente explícito e dinâmico faz-se necessária visando reconhecer não só o padrão espacial de ocorrência do fenômeno, mas também a sua variação na história. O presente trabalho emprega metodologias robustas, como Peso de Evidências e Least Costly Pathpara estudar o padrão espacial da localização de linhas de transmissão de energia na paisagem. Os resultados demonstram a viabilidade do uso de geoprocessamento e análise da paisagem, bem como a possibilidade de identificação de variáveis de caráter geográfico não consideradas nas tratativas normativas do setor, além de indicarem os locais de preferência para locação destes empreendimentos

Dysregulation of autophagy and stress granule-related proteins in stress-driven Tau pathology

Imbalance of neuronal proteostasis associated with misfolding and aggregation of Tau protein is a common neurodegenerative feature in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other Tauopathies. Consistent with suggestions that lifetime stress may be an important AD precipitating factor, we previously reported that environmental stress and high glucocorticoid (GC) levels induce accumulation of aggregated Tau; however, the molecular mechanisms for such process remain unclear. Herein, we monitor a novel interplay between RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and autophagic machinery in the underlying mechanisms through which chronic stress and high GC levels impact on Tau proteostasis precipitating Tau aggregation. Using molecular, pharmacological and behavioral analysis, we demonstrate that chronic stress and high GC trigger mTOR-dependent inhibition of autophagy, leading to accumulation of Tau aggregates and cell death in P301L-Tau expressing mice and cells. In parallel, we found that environmental stress and GC disturb cellular homeostasis and trigger the insoluble accumulation of different RBPs, such as PABP, G3BP1, TIA-1, and FUS, shown to form stress granules (SGs) and Tau aggregation. Interestingly, an mTOR-driven pharmacological stimulation of autophagy attenuates the GC-driven accumulation of Tau and SG-related proteins as well as the related cell death, suggesting a critical interface between autophagy and the response of the SG-related protein in the neurodegenerative potential of chronic stress and GC. These studies provide novel insights into the RNA-protein intracellular signaling regulating the precipitating role of environmental stress and GC on Tau-driven brain pathology.We would like to thank Professor Juergen Gotz, (University of Queensland, Australia) for the kind offer of eGFP-P301LTau SH-SY5Y cells and Dr. Bruno Almeida for his technical assistance. J.M.S. was granted with a PhD fellowship (SRFH/BD/88932/2012) by Portuguese Foundation for Science & Technology (FCT); I.S. is holder of FCT Investigator grants (IF/01799/2013), C.D. is a recipient of PhD fellowship of PHDoc program and co-tutelle PhD student of UMinho-UPMC universities. This work was funded by FCT research grants "PTDC/SAU-NMC/113934/2009" (I.S.), the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON. 2) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) as well as the Project Estrategico co-funded by FCT (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013) and the European Regional Development Fund COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037298) as well as the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). In addition, this work was partly funded by Canon Foundation in Europe. This work has been also funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145FEDER-007038. This study was also supported to BW by grants from NIH (AG050471, NS089544, and ES020395), the BrightFocus Foundation, the Alzheimer Association and the Cure Alzeimer Foundation. Human brain tissue was generously provided by the National Institute of Aging Boston University AD Center (P30AG13846).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proteomic analysis of the action of the Mycobacterium ulcerans toxin mycolactone: targeting host cells cytoskeleton and collagen

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. The tissue damage characteristic of BU lesions is known to be driven by the secretion of the potent lipidic exotoxin mycolactone. However, the molecular action of mycolactone on host cell biology mediating cytopathogenesis is not fully understood. Here we applied two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) to identify the mechanisms of mycolactone's cellular action in the L929 mouse fibroblast proteome. This revealed 20 changed spots corresponding to 18 proteins which were clustered mainly into cytoskeleton-related proteins (Dync1i2, Cfl1, Crmp2, Actg1, Stmn1) and collagen biosynthesis enzymes (Plod1, Plod3, P4ha1). In line with cytoskeleton conformational disarrangements that are observed by immunofluorescence, we found several regulators and constituents of both actin- and tubulin-cytoskeleton affected upon exposure to the toxin, providing a novel molecular basis for the effect of mycolactone. Consistent with these cytoskeleton-related alterations, accumulation of autophagosomes as well as an increased protein ubiquitination were observed in mycolactone-treated cells. In vivo analyses in a BU mouse model revealed mycolactone-dependent structural changes in collagen upon infection with M. ulcerans, associated with the reduction of dermal collagen content, which is in line with our proteomic finding of mycolactone-induced down-regulation of several collagen biosynthesis enzymes. Our results unveil the mechanisms of mycolactone-induced molecular cytopathogenesis on exposed host cells, with the toxin compromising cell structure and homeostasis by inducing cytoskeleton alterations, as well as disrupting tissue structure, by impairing the extracellular matrix biosynthesis.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement Nu 241500 (BuruliVac), from Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian and from Projeto Estrategico - LA 26 - 2013-2014 (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013). JBG, TGM and AGF had a personal grant from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) (SFRH/BD/33573/2009, SFRH/BD/41598/2007 and SFRH/BPD/68547/2010, respectively). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript