Sugar Versatility—Chemical and Bioprocessing of Many Phytobiomass Polysaccharides Using a Milder Hydrolytic Catalyst: Diluted Thermopressurized Phosphoric Acid

Phytobiomasses, given the qualitative and quantitative dominance of polysaccharides, are a dominant wealth available in nature. Cellulose and hemicelluloses from softwoods, hardwoods and grasses, starch from tubercles and roots, pectins from fruits and gums from some seeds may be explored as such or following acid or alkaline pretreatments as well enzymatic deconstruction, and even simple chemical derivatization toward more added-value products. A general view in the chemistry of these valuable polymers is here broached, following a sharper focus on acid pretreatments for L(h)C—ligno(hemi)cellulosic materials from sugarcane and other feedstocks. Our particular experience using a gentler proton donor but keeping very advantageous aspects for polysaccharide chemo/biotechnological processing—thermopressurized diluted phosphoric acid (oPA)—is presented with a more detailed description as a result of its validity for the hydrolytic deconstruction of hemicelluloses—heteroxylans and heteromannans, cassava starch, dahlia inulin and mixed glucans from microalgae cell walls. The opportunity of NOs—nutraceutical oligosacchrides—generation from these particular glycopolymers is also shortly commented

Simultaneous determination of the tuberculostatic drugs rifampicin, isoniazid, and pyrazinamide by CZE

A simple and cost-effective method by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of the antituberculosis drugs isoniazid (INH), pyrazinamide (PYR), and rifampicin (RIF) in tablets. A 40 mmol L-1 sodium tetraborate background electrolyte (BGE) solution (pH 9.0) was found to be suitable for separation of all the analytes. An uncoated fused-silica capillary of 64.5 cm length (effective length 56 cm) was used for chromatography separation. All analytes were completely separated within 5 min at an applied voltage of 20 kV (max. 50 µA), and detection was performed at 269.5 nm with an UV detector. The method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, and robustness. The linearities of the calibration curves for INH, PYR, and RIF were 40-120 µg/mL (r2 = 0.9994), 20-100 µg/mL (r2 = 0.9997), and 40-100 µg/mL (r2 = 0.9999), respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of the tuberculostatic drugs RIF, INH, and PYR in tablets. Thus, the proposed CZE method is a potential alternative to the HPLC methods described by the US Pharmacopoeia for the quality control of tuberculostatic drugs.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Effect of Nitrogen and Carbon Sources on Lipase Production by Penicillium aurantiogriseum

A wild fungal strain isolated from soybean oil and identified as Penicillium aurantiogriseum initially presented a volumetric lipase activity of 0.4 U/mL in submerged culture in a medium containing 0.5 % yeast extract and 1 % olive oil. Studies were undertaken to improve lipase production. The effect of nitrogen source was studied by adding casein peptone, meat peptone, yeast extract or ammonium sulfate to a medium containing potassium nitrate and other mineral salts. The best yield, of 13 U/mL after 72 h, was obtained with the medium supplemented with ammonium sulfate. With the ammonium sulfate concentration increased to double the C/N ratio from 2.5 to 5, a lipolytic activity of 18 U/mL was obtained. Olive, corn, soy and sunflower oils were tested as carbon sources in this medium, with olive oil at 1 % giving a lipolytic activity of 25 U/mL after 48 h, the highest yield obtained in this study. Enzyme production was best at 29 °C, within a range tested from 26 to 32 °C. These results are promising because this strain produces lipase in an inexpensive inorganic medium and we succeeded in increasing the lipolytic activity 62-fold over the initial values obtained with the non-optimized medium

Resistência de picão-preto encontrada em lavoura de soja na metade sul do Rio Grande do Sul

Weed herbicide resistance is a phenomenon defined as ability of a biotype survives to herbicide sprayed, at a recommended rate that control a susceptible population. This research had the objective of determine, the level of resistance the herbicides of the Bidens subalternans. The herbicides treatments they were with bentazon, fomesafen, imazethapyr e chloransulam-methyl. Sprayed in post-emergency, when B. subalternans reached stage four-leaf pairs. The herbicide rates sprayed was crescents in a logarithm scale of 0,0; 0,001; 0,01; 0,1; 1,0; 10 e 100 times of the control recommended rate. Through visual evolution and with aid of the percentile scale they were obtained the control data. The ratio between the C50 of the resistant biotype, and C50 of the susceptible biotype (R/S) were 0,79, 1,87, 53,69 and 486,02 to the herbicides bentazon, fomesafen, imazethapyr and chloransulam-methyl, respectively. The weed herbicide resistance happen in Rio Grande do Sul soybean fields and the biotypes R of B. subalternans presented high level of cross-resistance the herbicides inhibitions of ALS, of the chemical groups of the imidazolinones and sulfonanilides.       A resistência de plantas daninhas a herbicidas é um fenômeno de ocorrência mundial e que se caracteriza pela capacidade de um biótipo em sobreviver a um tratamento herbicida que controla os demais indivíduos de outros biótipos, componentes dessa espécie. Este trabalho teve o objetivo de determinar, o nível de resistência de biótipos de Bidens subalternans a diferentes herbicidas. Foram selecionados para o teste os herbicidas bentazon, fomesafen, imazethapyr e chloransulam-metil, aplicados, em pós-emergência, quando as plantas de B. subalternans apresentavam quatro pares de folhas. Os tratamentos herbicidas foram utilizados em doses crescentes, obedecendo à escala logarítmica de 0,0; 0,001; 0,01; 0,1; 1,0; 10 e 100 vezes a dose recomendada para controle. Os dados obtidos para controle foram obtidos visualmente, com auxílio da escala percentual. As relações entre o C50 do biótipo resistente e o C50 do biótipo suscetível (R/S) foram de 0,79; 1,87, 53,69 e 486,02 para os herbicidas bentazon, fomesafen, imazethapyr e chloransulam-metil, respectivamente. A resistência de plantas daninhas a herbicidas ocorre nas lavouras de soja do sul do RS e o biótipo R de B. subalternans apresentou elevado nível de resistência cruzada a herbicidas inibidores da ALS, dos grupos químicos das imidazolinonas e sulfonanilidas

Effects of Enriched Physical and Social Environments on Motor Performance, Associative Learning, and Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Mice

We have studied the motor abilities and associative learning capabilities of adult mice placed in different enriched environments. Three-month-old animals were maintained for a month alone (AL), alone in a physically enriched environment (PHY), and, finally, in groups in the absence (SO) or presence (SOPHY) of an enriched environment. The animals' capabilities were subsequently checked in the rotarod test, and for classical and instrumental learning. The PHY and SOPHY groups presented better performances in the rotarod test and in the acquisition of the instrumental learning task. In contrast, no significant differences between groups were observed for classical eyeblink conditioning. The four groups presented similar increases in the strength of field EPSPs (fEPSPs) evoked at the hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapse across classical conditioning sessions, with no significant differences between groups. These trained animals were pulse-injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to determine hippocampal neurogenesis. No significant differences were found in the number of NeuN/BrdU double-labeled neurons. We repeated the same BrdU study in one-month-old mice raised for an additional month in the above-mentioned four different environments. These animals were not submitted to rotarod or conditioned tests. Non-trained PHY and SOPHY groups presented more neurogenesis than the other two groups. Thus, neurogenesis seems to be related to physical enrichment at early ages, but not to learning acquisition in adult mice

Relação treinador-atleta e exercício da liderança no desporto: a percepção de treinadores de alta competição

Neste artigo apresentamos os resultados de quatro entrevistas levadas a cabo com treinadores de alta competição portugueses, onde se procurou recolher informações sobre as competências necessárias para exercer a actividade de treinador, os princípios e filosofia adoptada no trabalho, as principais áreas de exercício da liderança e os valores defendidos na modalidade e na prática profissional. Os resultados permitiram verificar um acordo quanto à importância de possuírem boas competências conceptuais e pessoais, princípios claros e aceites pelos atletas, boas condições de trabalho e atletas com qualidade para a alta competição. Paralelamente, foi evidente a complexidade de tarefas assumidas na orientação dos atletas (nove dimensões do exercício da liderança). Por último, é de salientar a importância dada à obtenção dos resultados competitivos (objectivo principal) em conjunto com a análise satisfatória do trabalho realizado e a valorização do desenvolvimento pessoal, tanto no treinador como nos atletas (objectivos “periféricos”).Coach-athlete relationship and leadership practice: the perceptions of four high level competition coaches. On this article we present the results on interviewing four high level competition Portuguese coaches. The aim was to look for information on the essential coaching competences, the working principles and philosophy, the main leadership exercise areas and the defended values on sports and professional practice. The results showed the relevancy of gathering good conceptual and personal competencies, clear and accepted principals, good working conditions and qualified athletes. Also evident were the complex tasks assumed on guiding the athletes (nine leadership exercise dimensions were found). Finally, it is essential to point out the importance given to obtaining sporting results (main goal) as well as the satisfactory working analyses and the value given to coaches’ and athletes’ self-development (side goals).(undefined

Role of the Cellular Prion Protein in Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Proliferation and Differentiation in the Developing and Adult Mouse CNS

There are numerous studies describing the signaling mechanisms that mediate oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation and differentiation, although the contribution of the cellular prion protein (PrPc) to this process remains unclear. PrPc is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoprotein involved in diverse cellular processes during the development and maturation of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Here we describe how PrPc influences oligodendrocyte proliferation in the developing and adult CNS. OPCs that lack PrPc proliferate more vigorously at the expense of a delay in differentiation, which correlates with changes in the expression of oligodendrocyte lineage markers. In addition, numerous NG2-positive cells were observed in cortical regions of adult PrPc knockout mice, although no significant changes in myelination can be seen, probably due to the death of surplus cells