Chemical assays and chromatographíc analysis from tannins contents in Gomidesia palustris (DC.) Kausel (Myrtaceae)

Gomidesia palustris (DC.) Kausel é uma planta pertencente à família Myrtaceae, de ampla ocorrência na região sul do Brasil, conhecida popularmente como "pitangueira-do-mato" ou "guamirim". Não tendo sido encontradas referências a estudos anteriores, as folhas e os frutos foram analisados quanto à composição química. Os testes preliminares indicaram teor elevado de taninos. Os ensaios químicos e a análise cromatográfica indicaram a presença de taninos hidrolisáveis, com a predominância de taninos elágicos. Para a quantificação desse tipo de composto foi utilizado, com algumas adaptações, o método de hemoanálise com doseamento espectrofotométrico da hemoglobina residual, após precipitação dos taninos, sendo encontrado um valor médio de 12,71% de compostos tanantes nas folhas. Através de processos cromatográficos, foram isolados o ácido elágico e o ácido gálico.Gomidesia palustris (DC.) Kausel (Myrtaceae) is an evergreen tree widely spread in southern Brazil and surrounding regions, commonly known as "pitangueira-do-mato" or "guamirim". There is no former reference to the chemical studies of this species. Preliminary tests and further chemical assays and chromatographic analysís detected high tannins contents in the leaves, chiefly hydrolisable tannins with predominance of ellagitannins. Ellagic acid and gallic acid were isolated by chromatographic methods. The content of the tannins was determined by spectrophotometric haemoanalysis after a partial precipitation with tannins (modified Bate-Smith's method). A mean content of 12,71% was found in the leaves

Aminoácidos não protéicos de Ateleia glazioviana Baillon

Ateleia glazioviana Baillon, Leguminosae-Papilionoideae, árvore de ocorrência na região de Palmeira das Missões (RS), possui atividade tóxica para o gado, ictiotóxica e repelente de insetos, referida por populares do interior do estado. Do extrato de sementes e pericarpo alado, foram isolados três aminoácidos não protéicos, dois dos quais identificados como o ácido 1-aminociclobutano-1,3-dicarboxílico e δ-acetilornitina.Ateleia glazioviana Baillon, Leguminosae-Papilionoideae, is a tree widespread in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is reputed to be toxic to cattle, fish and repellent to insects. In this work, two of the main non proteinogenic amino acids were identified through spectroscopic methods as 1-aminociclobutane-1, 3-dicarboxilic and δ-acetylornithine

In Vitro additive effect on griseofulvin and terbinafine combinations against multidrug-resistant dermatophytes

Griseofulvin (GF) and terbinafine (TF) are commonly used drugs to treat dermatophytosis, a fungal infection of the skin. Today there is an increase in drug resistance to these antifungals which highlight the need for alternative synergistic therapies. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of GF and TF were determined against fungi clinical isolates from local hospitals with values ranging 0.03−2.0 µg mL-1 and 0.24−4.0 µg mL-1, respectively. A checkboard test was used to determine the combination of GF:TF which could induce an additive effect against the fungi isolates Multidrug-resistant isolates showed susceptibility after treatment with 16:2 µg mL-1 GF:TF. An MTT assay further verified that GF and TF combinations have greater additive effect against pathological and multidrug-resistant isolates than antifungals alone. Herein we disclose GF:TF combinations that could constitute as a possible new anti-dermatophyte therapy

Total flavonoid content determination in aereal parts of Passiflora alata Dryander (maracuja)

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo o desenvolvimento e validação do método espectrofotométrico de doseamento de flavonóides totais, presentes em partes aéreas de Passiflora alata. O material vegetal foi extraído sob refluxo, durante 30 minutos, utilizando etanol a 40 % (V/V), sem hidrólise prévia dos glicosídeos flavonoídicos e sem uso de outros solventes orgânicos. A interferência de substâncias lipofílicas no comprimento de leitura foi avaliado por remoção destas mediante extração em fase sólida, utilizando soluções extrativas obtidas com etanol a 20, 40 e 80 % (V/V). Os flavonóides foram complexados com cloreto de alumínio e a absorção lida, 30 minutos após, a 397 nm, utilizando amostra não complexada como branco. O teor de flavonóides foi expresso em gramas de apigenina por 100 g de droga vegetal seca. Os testes de reprodutibilidade, realizados com amostras diferentes e considerando análises realizadas em dias diferentes, foram satisfatórios. O teste de recuperação indicou, porém, que o teor de flavonóides calculado é dependente da proporção droga:solvente, utilizada na fase de preparação da solução extrativa. Para efeitos comparativos, a confiabilidade dos resultados fica restrita ao estabelecimento de condições experimentais precisas. O teor de flavonóides calculado para P. alata (0,55 g%) foi comparativamente menor ao calculado para P. incamata (0,94 g%) e P. edulis (0,90 g %), sob as mesmas condições experimentais. A análise comparativa utilizando o comprimento de onda de 425 nm, preconizado por diversas farmacopéias, revelou falta de especificidade e a presença de erros analíticos evidentes.This work aims the development and validation of an assay for the total flavonoid content determination, in aerial parts of Passiflora alata. The drug was extracted by refluxusing ethanol 40%(V/V), without previous acid hydrolysisnor other organic solvents. The interference effect due to lipophilic substances was determined by solid phase extraction using 20, 40 and 80%(V/V) hydroalcoolic mixtures. The flavonoids were complexed with aluminum chloride reagent and the absorption was determined at 397 nm, 30 min after the aluminum chloride addition. The total flavonoid content was expressed as apigenin (g %) related to 100 g of dried drug. The reproducibility tests led to satisfactory results when different samples and analysis daytimes were considered. The recovery assay, however, showed that different extraction drug:solventratios brought about unlike flavonoid contents. Consequently, for comparative purposes the results confidence is attached to well defined experimental parameters. Under the same analytical conditions, P. alata showed smaller flavonoid content (0.55 g %) than P. incamata (0.94 g %) and P. edulis (0.90 g %). On the other hand, a comparative study carried out using the 425 nm wavelength, as recommended by several pharmacopoeias, indicated lack of specificity and analytical errors occurrence

Molecular Detection and Characterization of Blastocystis sp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Cattle in Northern Spain

Some enteric parasites causing zoonotic diseases in livestock have been poorly studied or even neglected. This is the case in stramenopile Blastocystis sp. and the microsporidia Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Spain. This transversal molecular epidemiological survey aims to estimate the prevalence and molecular diversity of Blastocystis sp. and E. bieneusi in cattle faecal samples (n = 336) in the province of Álava, Northern Spain. Initial detection of Blastocystis and E. bieneusi was carried out by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing of the small subunit (ssu) rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, respectively. Intra-host Blastocystis subtype diversity was further investigated by next generation amplicon sequencing (NGS) of the ssu rRNA gene in those samples that tested positive by conventional PCR. Amplicons compatible with Blastocystis sp. and E. bieneusi were observed in 32.1% (108/336, 95% CI: 27.2-37.4%) and 0.6% (2/336, 95% CI: 0.0-1.4%) of the cattle faecal samples examined, respectively. Sanger sequencing produced ambiguous/unreadable sequence data for most of the Blastocystis isolates sequenced. NGS allowed the identification of 10 Blastocystis subtypes including ST1, ST3, ST5, ST10, ST14, ST21, ST23, ST24, ST25, and ST26. All Blastocystis-positive isolates involved mixed infections of 2-8 STs in a total of 31 different combinations. The two E. bieneusi sequences were confirmed as potentially zoonotic genotype BEB4. Our data demonstrate that Blastocystis mixed subtype infections are extremely frequent in cattle in the study area. NGS was particularly suited to discern underrepresented subtypes or mixed subtype infections that were undetectable or unreadable by Sanger sequencing. The presence of zoonotic Blastocystis ST1, ST3, and ST5, and E. bieneusi BEB4 suggest cross-species transmission and a potential risk of human infection/colonization.This research was funded by the Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain), grant numbers PI16CIII/00024 and USDA-ARS Project No: 8042–32000-112–00-D.S

First narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves from known pulsars in advanced detector data

Spinning neutron stars asymmetric with respect to their rotation axis are potential sources of continuous gravitational waves for ground-based interferometric detectors. In the case of known pulsars a fully coherent search, based on matched filtering, which uses the position and rotational parameters obtained from electromagnetic observations, can be carried out. Matched filtering maximizes the signalto- noise (SNR) ratio, but a large sensitivity loss is expected in case of even a very small mismatch between the assumed and the true signal parameters. For this reason, narrow-band analysis methods have been developed, allowing a fully coherent search for gravitational waves from known pulsars over a fraction of a hertz and several spin-down values. In this paper we describe a narrow-band search of 11 pulsars using data from Advanced LIGO’s first observing run. Although we have found several initial outliers, further studies show no significant evidence for the presence of a gravitational wave signal. Finally, we have placed upper limits on the signal strain amplitude lower than the spin-down limit for 5 of the 11 targets over the bands searched; in the case of J1813-1749 the spin-down limit has been beaten for the first time. For an additional 3 targets, the median upper limit across the search bands is below the spin-down limit. This is the most sensitive narrow-band search for continuous gravitational waves carried out so far

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1. The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG + Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version published in European Physical Journal

Compressed representation of a partially defined integer function over multiple arguments

In OLAP (OnLine Analitical Processing) data are analysed in an n-dimensional cube. The cube may be represented as a partially defined function over n arguments. Considering that often the function is not defined everywhere, we ask: is there a known way of representing the function or the points in which it is defined, in a more compact manner than the trivial one