Concentração de fluoreto em arroz, feijão e alimentos infantis industrializados

OBJECTIVE: To determine fluoride concentrations in the typical Brazilian meal (rice with beans) and in processed infant foods, and to estimate their contribution towards dental fluorosis. METHODS: The foods were purchased at supermarkets in the cities of Piracicaba and Campinas, Southeastern Brazil. The processed infant foods were bought in 2001 and the rice and beans in 2003, and they were analyzed immediately. Three brands of rice, three brands of beans and 36 samples of infant foods were analyzed, divided into five groups: ready-to-eat, porridges, formulated foods, powdered milk and others. For the rice and beans, fluoride concentrations were determined in the raw grains and after they were cooked with fluoridated (0.7 ppm) or distilled water. All the fluoride analyses were performed using a specific electrode. A dose of 0.07 mg/kg/day was considered to be the upper limit of fluoride exposure in terms of fluorosis risks. RESULTS: The fluoride concentrations found in the grains of rice and beans were low. However, they increased 100 to 200-fold after cooking in fluoridated water. Even so, they were lower than what is found in some processed foods. A meal of rice and beans prepared with fluoridated water would be responsible for 29% of the threshold dose for fluoride intake in terms of acceptable fluorosis; the contribution from some processed foods reaches 45%. CONCLUSIONS: The typical Brazilian food, even when prepared with fluoridated water, is safer in terms of the risk of dental fluorosis than are some processed infant foods.OBJETIVO: Determinar a concentração de fluoreto na refeição brasileira típica (arroz e feijão) e em alimentos infantis industrializados e estimar suas contribuições para fluorose dental. MÉTODOS: Os alimentos foram adquiridos de supermercados das cidades de Piracicaba e Campinas, SP, Brasil. Os alimentos infantis industrializados foram comprados em 2001 e o arroz e feijão em 2003, e imediatamente analisados. Foram analisadas três marcas de arroz, três de feijão e 36 amostras de alimentos infantis divididos em cinco grupos: prontos para o consumo; mingaus; alimentos formulados; leites em pó e outros alimentos. No arroz e feijão, foram determinadas as concentrações de fluoreto nas sementes "in natura" e após cozimento com água destilada ou fluoretada (0,7 ppm). Todas as análises de fluoreto foram feitas com eletrodo específico. Considerou-se 0,07 mg/kg/dia como a dose limite de exposição a fluoreto para risco de fluorose. RESULTADOS: A concentração de fluoreto encontrada nos grãos de arroz e feijão foi baixa. Porém, a concentração aumentou 100-200 vezes após cozimento em água fluoretada e mesmo assim, foi menor que a encontrada em alguns alimentos industrializados. Uma refeição com arroz e feijão preparada com água fluoretada seria responsável por 29% da dose limite de ingestão de fluoreto em termos de fluorose aceitável; a contribuição de alguns alimentos industrializados atingiria 45%. CONCLUSÕES: A alimentação típica brasileira, mesmo preparada com água fluoretada, é mais segura em termos de risco de fluorose dental que alguns alimentos infantis industrializados

Bright nanoparticles for an even brighter future: efficient production of luminescent carbon nanodots from olive mill wastewater

Este trabalho foi financiado pelo Concurso Anual para Projetos de Investigação, Desenvolvimento, Inovação e Criação Artística (IDI&CA) 2016 do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa. Código de referência IPL/2016/NANOLIVE/ISELCarbon nanodots (CNDs) are a very recent class of spherical-shaped nanosized carbon materials possessing average typical diameters < 10 nm. Since the very first reports on carbon dots,1,2 a variety of methods (top-down and bottom-up strategies), carbon sources and passivating agents, have dealt with their synthesis.3 The bottom-up approach, encompassing the use of pyrolytic/solvothermal processes, is more amenable for large-scale production and can cope with a large diversity of carbon precursors, either from natural or synthetic sources, typically endowed with acid, alcohol and amine functionalities.4 Some of the interesting CNDs properties include tunable photoluminescence, outstanding photostability and negligible cytotoxicity. These unique properties have prompted their intense and widespread use in several fields, such as fluorescent bioimaging and nanomedicine, chemo/biosensing, photocatalysis and optoelectronics.4info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ProtozoaDB: dynamic visualization and exploration of protozoan genomes

ProtozoaDB (http://www.biowebdb.org/protozoadb) is being developed to initially host both genomics and post-genomics data from Plasmodium falciparum, Entamoeba histolytica, Trypanosoma brucei, T. cruzi and Leishmania major, but will hopefully host other protozoan species as more genomes are sequenced. It is based on the Genomics Unified Schema and offers a modern Web-based interface for user-friendly data visualization and exploration. This database is not intended to duplicate other similar efforts such as GeneDB, PlasmoDB, TcruziDB or even TDRtargets, but to be complementary by providing further analyses with emphasis on distant similarities (HMM-based) and phylogeny-based annotations including orthology analysis. ProtozoaDB will be progressively linked to the above-mentioned databases, focusing in performing a multi-source dynamic combination of information through advanced interoperable Web tools such as Web services. Also, to provide Web services will allow third-party software to retrieve and use data from ProtozoaDB in automated pipelines (workflows) or other interoperable Web technologies, promoting better information reuse and integration. We also expect ProtozoaDB to catalyze the development of local and regional bioinformatics capabilities (research and training), and therefore promote/enhance scientific advancement in developing countries

Alocation of dry matter in maize cultivars in competition with weed

A capacidade competitiva das culturas com plantas daninhas depende de fatores relacionados ? habilidade destas em manter a produtividade ou de suprimir o crescimento das plantas concorrentes. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da competi??o entre tr?s cultivares de milho e seis esp?cies de plantas daninhas no crescimento inicial e aloca??o de mat?ria seca pelas plantas. Adotou-se arranjo fatorial em esquema 3 x 6 + 9, constitu?do pela combina??o de tr?s gen?tipos de milho (h?brido DKB 390 YG, variedade AL 25 e h?brido SHS 4080) em competi??o com seis esp?cies de plantas daninhas (Bidens pilosa, Cenchrus echinatus, Brachiaria brizantha, Commelina benghalensis, Brachiaria plantaginea e Euphorbia heterophylla), e ainda nove tratamentos adicionais, correspondentes aos cultivares de milho e ?s esp?cies daninhas ausentes de competi??o. Ambos os tratamentos foram delineados em blocos casualizados com quatro repeti??es, e cada vaso, contendo 5 L de substrato, representou uma unidade experimental. O per?odo de conviv?ncia entre os cultivares de milho e as plantas daninhas foi de 60 dias ap?s emerg?ncia do milho, sendo depois disso coletado o material vegetal para avalia??o da mat?ria seca e distribui??o entre os diferentes ?rg?os (ra?zes, folhas e caule). Os cultivares de milho apresentaram menor ac?mulo de mat?ria seca quando estavam em competi??o com as esp?cies de plantas daninhas. A folha e o caule foram os principais ?rg?os afetados negativamente. De forma contr?ria, as ra?zes das esp?cies competidoras, de maneira geral, foram os ?rg?os mais prejudicados. Observou-se, de modo geral, que a variedade de milho AL 25 foi a que menos tolerou a competi??o com plantas daninhas; B. plantaginea foi a esp?cie daninha que demonstrou possuir a menor habilidade competitiva; e B. brizantha e C. benghalensis mostraram ser as esp?cies com maior capacidade de competi??o com a cultura do milho.Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecu?ria de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq)Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES)The competitive ability of crops against weeds depends on factors related to their ability to maintain productivity or eliminate them in a situation of interference. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of competition between three varieties of maize and six weed species on the growth and dry mass allocation by plants. A factorial scheme 3 x 6 + 9 was arranged consisting of a combination of three genotypes of maize (DKB 390 YG, variety and hybrid AL 25 SHS 4080) in competition with six weed species (Bidens pilosa, Cenchrus echinatus, Brachiaria brizantha, Commelina benghalensis, Brachiaria plantaginea and Euphorbia heterophylla), plus nine treatments corresponding to the maize and weed cultivars under no competition. Both treatments were designed in randomized blocks with four replicates and each pot (containing 5 dm3) was an experimental unit. The period of coexistence among the maize and weed cultivars was 60 days after emergence, and thereafter the plant material collected was evaluated to assess the dry mass distribution among different organs (roots, leaves and stems). The maize cultivars presented lower dry mass accumulation when in competition with the weed species. The leaves and stems were the main organs negatively affected. On the other hand, the roots of the competing species were, in general, the most affected. AL 25 genotype was the least tolerant maize variety in competition with weeds and B. plantaginea was the least competitive weed. B. brizantha and C. benghalensis proved to be the species with the greatest capacity to compete with maize

Dry matter production and distribution of bean cultivars under weed competition

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos da competi??o entre tr?s cultivares de feij?o e seis esp?cies de plantas daninhas no crescimento inicial e na aloca??o de mat?ria seca pelas plantas. Adotou-se arranjo fatorial em esquema 3 x 6 + 9, constitu?do pela combina??o de tr?s gen?tipos de feij?o (IPR Colibri, IPR Eldorado e P?rola) em competi??o com seis esp?cies de plantas daninhas (Euphorbia heterophylla, Bidens pilosa, Cenchrus echinatus, Amaranthus spinosus, Commelina benghalensis e Brachiaria plantaginea), al?m de nove tratamentos adicionais, correspondentes aos cultivares de feij?o e ?s esp?cies daninhas ausentes de competi??o. O delineamento foi em blocos casualizados com quatro repeti??es, e cada vaso contendo 5 L de substrato representou uma unidade experimental. O per?odo de conviv?ncia entre os cultivares de feij?o e as plantas daninhas foi de 45 dias ap?s emerg?ncia da cultura; depois disso, coletou-se o material vegetal para avalia??o da mat?ria seca e distribui??o entre os diferentes ?rg?os (ra?zes, folhas e caule). Os cultivares de feij?o apresentaram menor ac?mulo de mat?ria seca quando estavam em competi??o com as esp?cies de plantas daninhas. A raiz foi o principal ?rg?o afetado negativamente pela competi??o. De forma contr?ria, as folhas e o caule das esp?cies daninhas foram os ?rg?os mais prejudicados. De maneira geral, o cultivar P?rola foi o gen?tipo que mais tolerou a competi??o com plantas daninhas, e E. heterophylla foi a esp?cie daninha menos competitiva. A. spinosus e B. plantaginea foram as esp?cies com maior capacidade de competi??o com a cultura do feij?o.Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecu?ria de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq)Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES)This study aimed to determine the competitive ability of three bean cultivars and six weed species and to quantify the effect of competition on the plants' growth and dry mass allocation. A factorial scheme 3 x 6 + 9 was adopted, consisting of a combination of three genotypes (Colibri IPR, IPR Eldorado, Pearl) in competition with six species of weeds (Euphorbia heterophylla, Bidens pilosa, Cenchrus echinatus, Amaranthus spinosus, Commelina benghalensis and Brachiaria plantaginea), plus nine additional treatments corresponding to the bean cultivars and weeds without competition. Both treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates, with each pot (containing 5 dm? soil) representing an experimental unit. The period of coexistence between the bean cultivars and weeds was 45 days after emergence, followed by collection of the plant material to assess the dry mass distribution among the different organs (roots, leaves and stems). The bean cultivars had a lower biomass accumulation when in competition with the weed species. The root was the main organ affected negatively. Conversely, the leaves and the stems of the competing species, in general, were the most affected. Overall, the cultivar Pearl was the genotype most tolerant to weed competition and E. heterophylla was the least competitive weed. A. spinosus and B. plantaginea were found to have a greater capacity to compete with the bean crop

Left ventricular T2 distribution in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although previous studies have helped define the natural history of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)-associated cardiomyopathy, the myocardial pathobiology associated with functional impairment in DMD is not yet known.</p> <p>The objective of this study was to assess the distribution of transverse relaxation time (T2) in the left ventricle (LV) of DMD patients, and to determine the association of myocardial T2 heterogeneity to the severity of cardiac dysfunction. DMD patients (n = 26) and normal control subjects (n = 13) were studied by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR). DMD subject data was stratified based on subject age and LV Ejection Fraction (EF) into the following groups: A (<12 years old, n = 12); B (≥12 years old, EF ≤ 55%, n = 8) and C (≥12 years old, EF = 55%, n = 6). Controls were also stratified by age into Groups N1 (<12 years, n = 6) and N2 (>12 years, n = 5). LV mid-slice circumferential myocardial strain (ε_cc) was calculated using tagged CMR imaging. T2 maps of the LV were generated for all subjects using a black blood dual spin echo method at two echo times. The Full Width at Half Maximum (<it>FWHM</it>) was calculated from a histogram of LV T2 distribution constructed for each subject.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In DMD subject groups, <it>FWHM </it>of the T2 histogram rose progressively with age and decreasing EF (Group A <it>FWHM</it>= 25.3 ± 3.8 ms; Group B <it>FWHM</it>= 30.9 ± 5.3 ms; Group C <it>FWHM</it>= 33.0 ± 6.4 ms). Further, <it>FWHM </it>was significantly higher in those with reduced circumferential strain (|ε_cc| ≤ 12%) (Group B, and C) than those with |ε_cc| > 12% (Group A). Group A <it>FWHM </it>was not different from the two normal groups (N1 <it>FWHM </it>= 25.3 ± 3.5 ms; N2 <it>FWHM</it>= 24.0 ± 7.3 ms).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Reduced EF and ε_cccorrelates well with increased T2 heterogeneity quantified by <it>FWHM</it>, indicating that subclinical functional impairments could be associated with pre-existing abnormalities in tissue structure in young DMD patients.</p

Comparison between observed children's tooth brushing habits and those reported by mothers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Information bias can occur in epidemiological studies and compromise scientific outcomes, especially when evaluating information given by a patient regarding their own health. The oral habits of children reported by their mothers are commonly used to evaluate tooth brushing practices and to estimate fluoride intake by children. The aim of the present study was to compare observed tooth-brushing habits of young children using fluoridated toothpaste with those reported by mothers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A sample of 201 mothers and their children (aged 24-48 months) from Montes Claros, Brazil, took part in a cross-sectional study. At day-care centres, the mothers answered a self-administered questionnaire on their child's tooth-brushing habits. The structured questionnaire had six items with two to three possible answers. An appointment was then made with each mother/child pair at day-care centres. The participants were asked to demonstrate the tooth-brushing practice as usually performed at home. A trained examiner observed and documented the procedure. Observed tooth brushing and that reported by mothers were compared for overall agreement using Cohen's Kappa coefficient and the McNemar test.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cohen's Kappa values comparing mothers' reports and tooth brushing observed by the examiner ranged from poor-to-good (0.00-0.75). There were statistically significant differences between observed tooth brushing habits and those reported by mothers (p < 0.001). When observed by the examiner, the frequencies of dentifrice dispersed on all bristles (35.9%), children who brushed their teeth alone (33.8%) and those who did not rinse their mouths during brushing (42.0%) were higher than those reported by the mothers (12.1%, 18.9% and 6.5%, respectively; p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In general, there was low agreement between observed tooth brushing and mothers' reports. Moreover, the different methods of estimation resulted in differences in the frequencies of tooth brushing habits, indicative of reporting bias. Data regarding children's tooth-brushing habits as reported by mothers should be considered with caution in epidemiological surveys on fluoridated dentifrice use and the risk of dental fluorosis.</p