Study of in vitro and in vivo extraction of kavalactones of pharmaceutical form containing ground plant drug (Piper methysticum G. Forster)

An evaluation of the extraction of pharmacological markers (kavalactones) of the plant species Piper methysticum (kava-kava) was conducted. Capsules containing ground kava-kava were submitted to an in vitro method using a controlled dissolution system where the extractive mediums were a solution of 0.1M HCl, phosphate buffered solution (pH = 6.8) and distilled water, at 30 and 60 min, and in vivo that was based on the pylorus ligation method in rats. In the in vitro system starting from 6 capsules (3 g) containing the kava-kava powder, the following extractive concentrations of kavalactones were obtained: HCl (30 min.) = 0.93% (27.9 mg), HCl (60 min.) = 1.1% (33 mg), buff. (30 min) = 2.8% (84 mg), buff. (60 min.) = 0.7% (21 mg), water (30 min.) = 0.71% (21.3 mg) and water (60 min.) = 2.6% (78 mg), while in the in vivo method, 1 and 2 h after administration of 500 mg of the kava-kava powder through gavage, the extractive concentrations of total kavalactones were: 1h = 1.31% (6.55 mg) and 2h = 1.41 % (7.05 mg). In the in vitro system a slight difference was observed among the solutions, which were not statistically significant, and the same occurred with the in vivo experiment, although at the time of 2 h after administration it proved more effective in the extraction of kavalactones by the gastric juice, but below the dose recommended for therapeutic use.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Study of in vitro and in vivo extraction of kavalactones of pharmaceutical form containing ground plant drug (Piper methysticum G. Forster)

An evaluation of the extraction of pharmacological markers (kavalactones) of the plant species Piper methysticum (kava-kava) was conducted. Capsules containing ground kava-kava were submitted to an in vitro method using a controlled dissolution system where the extractive mediums were a solution of 0.1M HCl, phosphate buffered solution (pH = 6.8) and distilled water, at 30 and 60 min, and in vivo that was based on the pylorus ligation method in rats. In the in vitro system starting from 6 capsules (3 g) containing the kava-kava powder, the following extractive concentrations of kavalactones were obtained: HCl (30 min.) = 0.93% (27.9 mg), HCl (60 min.) = 1.1% (33 mg), buff. (30 min) = 2.8% (84 mg), buff. (60 min.) = 0.7% (21 mg), water (30 min.) = 0.71% (21.3 mg) and water (60 min.) = 2.6% (78 mg), while in the in vivo method, 1 and 2 h after administration of 500 mg of the kava-kava powder through gavage, the extractive concentrations of total kavalactones were: 1h = 1.31% (6.55 mg) and 2h = 1.41 % (7.05 mg). In the in vitro system a slight difference was observed among the solutions, which were not statistically significant, and the same occurred with the in vivo experiment, although at the time of 2 h after administration it proved more effective in the extraction of kavalactones by the gastric juice, but below the dose recommended for therapeutic use.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Oral bacterial microflora associated with total acrylic dentures: implant supported vs mucus supported

Poster presented at the 1st International Congress of CiiEM - From Basic Sciences to Clinical Research. 27-28 November 2015, Egas Moniz, Caparica, Portugal

Aqua­(4,4′-bipyridine-κN)bis­(1,4-dioxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-olato-κ2 O 1,O 2)zinc 4,4′-bipyridine mono­solvate dihydrate

The reaction of 2-hy­droxy-1,4-naphtho­quinone and 4,4′-bipyridine with zinc acetate produced the title compound, [Zn(C10H5O3)2(C10H8N2)(H2O)]·C10H8N2·2H2O. The bond lengths and angles around the metal atom indicate a deviation from octa­hedral geometry. The two naphtho­quinone ligands coordinate in a cis fashion, with the 4,4′-bipyridine ligand and the water mol­ecules completing the coordination sphere of the metal atom. The asymmetric unit contains also one free 4,4′-bipyridine mol­ecule and two uncoordinated water mol­ecules. These mol­ecules make contacts with the complex through O—H⋯N and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, creating a layer two-dimensional network parallel to (121)

Yeasts, the man’s best friend

1. Introduction In most cultures, bread making depends on a fermentation step. The flour leavening ability was, at first, most probably dependent on spontaneous fermentation. It became a controlled process by the maintenance of fresh innocula from one preparation to the next and this kind of environmental constraints eventually generated a particular type of yeast and bacteria biodiversity, adapted to ferment a certain brand of flour mixture, yielding specific organoleptic characteristics to the dough. Nowadays, although the baking industry generally uses commercially available strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for bread making, some types of bread are still prepared using dough carried over from previous makings as a starter. This trend decreased worldwide bread diversity and the cultural values associated, simultaneously increasing the dependence of local producers on world-scale yeast producers. Sustainability demands assessing yeast biodiversity, as well as devising simple and cheap methods for maintaining dough and multiply yeast.Este trabalho é financiado por Fundos FEDER através do Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE e por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia no âmbito do projecto PEst-C/BIA/UI4050/201

Unsupervised machine learning approaches to the qq-state Potts model

In this paper with study phase transitions of the $q$-state Potts model, through a number of unsupervised machine learning techniques, namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), $k$-means clustering, Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), and Topological Data Analysis (TDA). Even though in all cases we are able to retrieve the correct critical temperatures $T_c(q)$, for $q = 3, 4$ and $5$, results show that non-linear methods as UMAP and TDA are less dependent on finite size effects, while still being able to distinguish between first and second order phase transitions. This study may be considered as a benchmark for the use of different unsupervised machine learning algorithms in the investigation of phase transitions.Comment: Added computation of critical exponents; exposition improve

Study of in vitro and in vivo extraction of kavalactones of pharmaceutical form containing ground plant drug (Piper methysticum G. Forster)

An evaluation of the extraction of pharmacological markers (kavalactones) of the plant species Piper methysticum (kava-kava) was conducted. Capsules containing ground kava-kava were submitted to an in vitro method using a controlled dissolution system where the extractive mediums were a solution of 0.1M HCl, phosphate buffered solution (pH = 6.8) and distilled water, at 30 and 60 min, and in vivo that was based on the pylorus ligation method in rats. In the in vitro system starting from 6 capsules (3 g) containing the kava-kava powder, the following extractive concentrations of kavalactones were obtained: HCl (30 min.) = 0.93% (27.9 mg), HCl (60 min.) = 1.1% (33 mg), buff. (30 min) = 2.8% (84 mg), buff. (60 min.) = 0.7% (21 mg), water (30 min.) = 0.71% (21.3 mg) and water (60 min.) = 2.6% (78 mg), while in the in vivo method, 1 and 2 h after administration of 500 mg of the kava-kava powder through gavage, the extractive concentrations of total kavalactones were: 1h = 1.31% (6.55 mg) and 2h = 1.41 % (7.05 mg). In the in vitro system a slight difference was observed among the solutions, which were not statistically significant, and the same occurred with the in vivo experiment, although at the time of 2 h after administration it proved more effective in the extraction of kavalactones by the gastric juice, but below the dose recommended for therapeutic use.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

A Decade of Implantation of the Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering in the Western Amazon

This paper deals with the implementation of the Bachelor\u27s Degree in Electrical Engineering in Western Amazonia, as well as it presents an analysis of the academic performance of students in the Basic and Professional Core. The Federal University of Rondônia Foundation (UNIR), located in Porto Velho, Brazil, started the activities of the course in 2007 and continues to invest in the infrastructure and qualification of human resources in order to stimulate technological development in the region. Analyzing the performance data of the academics regarding the degree of difficulty established from the curricular offer, it is possible to infer some answers. In the course of the analysis, the databases emerged by taking note, such as students who only enroll and do not attend the course, among others. The disciplines diverged into two segments, Basic Core (NB) and Professional Core (NP). The data refers to the grades obtained by the students in all the disciplines studied and offered by the Academic Electrical Engineering Department (DAEE) in the period from 2007/1 to 2016/2. Along the analysis, two graphs demonstrated the evaluation. The analysis of the academic performance of students in the subjects during the NB and NP reinforces the result obtained in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), since Brazil has not obtained progress in science, reading, and mathematics averages. The results obtained indicate the necessity of effective measures in primary and secondary education since the deficit propagated to superior levels

Vancomycin-Loaded, Nanohydroxyapatite-Based Scaffold for Osteomyelitis Treatment: In Vivo Rabbit Toxicological Tests and In Vivo Efficacy Tests in a Sheep Model

The treatment for osteomyelitis consists of surgical debridement, filling of the dead space, soft tissue coverage, and intravenous administration of antimicrobial (AM) agents for long periods. Biomaterials for local delivery of AM agents, while providing controllable antibiotic release rates and simultaneously acting as a bone scaffold, may be a valuable alternative; thus, avoiding systemic AM side effects. V-HEPHAPC is a heparinized nanohydroxyapatite (nHA)/collagen biocomposite loaded with vancomycin that has been previously studied and tested in vitro. It enables a vancomycin-releasing profile with an intense initial burst, followed by a sustained release with concentrations above the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for MRSA. In vitro results have also shown that cellular viability is not compromised, suggesting that V-HEPHAPC granules may be a promising alternative device for the treatment of osteomyelitis. In the present study, V-HEPHAPC (HEPHAPC with vancomycin) granules were used as a vancomycin carrier to treat MRSA osteomyelitis. First, in vivo Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) toxicological tests were performed in a rabbit model, assuring that HEPHAPC and V-HEPHAPC have no relevant side effects. Second, V-HEPHAPC proved to be an efficient drug carrier and bone substitute to control MRSA infection and simultaneously reconstruct the bone cavity in a sheep model

Microtiming patterns and interactions with musical properties in Samba music

In this study, we focus on the interaction between microtiming patterns and several musical properties: intensity, meter and spectral characteristics. The data-set of 106 musical audio excerpts is processed by means of an auditory model and then divided into several spectral regions and metric levels. The resulting segments are described in terms of their musical properties, over which patterns of peak positions and their intensities are sought. A clustering algorithm is used to systematize the process of pattern detection. The results confirm previously reported anticipations of the third and fourth semiquavers in a beat. We also argue that these patterns of microtiming deviations interact with different profiles of intensities that change according to the metrical structure and spectral characteristics. In particular, we suggest two new findings: (i) a small delay of microtiming positions at the lower end of the spectrum on the first semiquaver of each beat and (ii) systematic forms of accelerando and ritardando at a microtiming level covering two-beat and four-beat phrases. The results demonstrate the importance of multidimensional interactions with timing aspects of music. However, more research is needed in order to find proper representations for rhythm and microtiming aspects in such contexts