6,469 research outputs found
Strong evidences for a nonextensive behavior of the rotation period in Open Clusters
Time-dependent nonextensivity in a stellar astrophysical scenario combines
nonextensive entropic indices derived from the modified Kawaler's
parametrization, and , obtained from rotational velocity distribution. These
's are related through a heuristic single relation given by , where is the cluster age. In a nonextensive
scenario, these indices are quantities that measure the degree of
nonextensivity present in the system. Recent studies reveal that the index
is correlated to the formation rate of high-energy tails present in the
distribution of rotation velocity. On the other hand, the index is
determined by the stellar rotation-age relationship. This depends on the
magnetic field configuration through the expression , where
and denote the saturation level of the star magnetic field and its
topology, respectively. In the present study, we show that the connection
is also consistent with 548 rotation period data for single
main-sequence stars in 11 Open Clusters aged less than 1 Gyr. The value of
2.5 from our unsaturated model shows that the mean magnetic field
topology of these stars is slightly more complex than a purely radial field.
Our results also suggest that stellar rotational braking behavior affects the
degree of anti-correlation between and cluster age . Finally, we suggest
that stellar magnetic braking can be scaled by the entropic index .Comment: 6 pages and 2 figures, accepted to EPL on October 17, 201
A nonextensive insight to the stellar initial mass function
the present paper, we propose that the stellar initial mass distributions as
known as IMF are best fitted by -Weibulls that emerge within nonextensive
statistical mechanics. As a result, we show that the Salpeter's slope of
2.35 is replaced when a -Weibull distribution is used. Our results
point out that the nonextensive entropic index represents a new approach
for understanding the process of the star-forming and evolution of massive
stars.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, Accepted to EP
Frequência de isolados clÃnicos de escherichia coli produtores de β-lactamases de largo espectro
Foi objectivo deste estudo determinar a frequência de
isolados de E. coli produtores de β-lactamases de largo
espectro (ESBLs) tanto em infecções nosocomiais como da
comunidade, e avaliar a susceptibilidade aos antibióticos
entre as estirpes produtoras e não produtoras de ESBLs. Dos
131 isolados investigados apenas 9 (6.8%) se enquadraram
nos critérios definidos pelo CLSI para screening de ESBLs,
e a sua presença foi confirmada por Etest ESBL. Estes
isolados provieram maioritariamente de infecções da
comunidade em doentes com idade avançada e história de
hospitalização prévia. A maioria (66.6%) mostrou resistência
simultânea aos β-lactâmicos estudados, às quinolonas e aos
aminoglicosÃdeos.It was the purpose of this study to determine the frequency
of extendedÂspectrum βÂLactamases (ESBLs) producing
isolates in E. coli, from hospital acquired and community
infections, and to evaluate antibiotic susceptibility between
ESBL producing and nonÂproducing strains. Of 131 isolates
investigated only 9 (6.8%) fulfil CLSI screening criteria for
ESBL, and its production was confirmed by ESBL Etest. This
strains were mainly recovered form community infections in
old aged patients, with an history of previous hospitalisation.
The majority (66.6%) showed simultaneous resistance to the
studied βÂlactams, the quinolones and aminoglycosides
Screening of fungal metabolites in Brazil nuts using LC/MS/MS
The aim of this study was to evaluate quantitatively the occurrence of fungal metabolites in Brazil nuts. Nuts were collected from Agroforest production areas in Amazon basin region. A total of 235 mycotoxins were investigated/screened by a multi-mycotoxin method based on HPLC-MS/MS. The recovery was between 56 and 136%. Fifteen mycotoxins were detected and quantified, in at least one sample; namely, aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and M1, kojic acid, sterigmatocystin, methyl-sterigmatocystin, citrinin, cyclosporin A, cyclosporin C, cyclosporin D, cyclosporin H, rugulosin, altenariol-methylether and emodin. Aflatoxins were detected in just 1 sample (20%), but above its legal limit in Brazil and EU. Ochratoxin A and Fusarium toxins were not detected. Alternariol-methylether (from 0.75 to 3.2 g.kg-1) was detected in all five samples. This is the first study dealing with the detection of kojic acid, citrinin, cyclosporin A, cyclosporin C, cyclosporin D, cyclosporin H, rugulosin, altenariol-methylether and emodin in Brazil nuts
Pyrazoles as potential modulators of inflammation through the inhibition of COX2 activity and human leukocytes' oxidative burst
The inflammatory process is a complex and tightly regulated cascade of events that involves the production of prostaglandins (PG) by the inducible isoform cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and the production of reactive pro-oxidant species. When the production of these mediators becomes excessive, it can lead to chronic inflammation and associated diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Unfortunately, many existing anti-inflammatory agents are associated with unwanted side effects. Therefore, there is a critical need to discover new and effective compounds that can modulate the inflammatory cascade. In this study, an extensive panel of structurally related pyrazoles holding diverse structures and substitutions were tested in vitro against human COX-2, and ex vivo in human whole blood, through the measurement of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. Their potential inhibitory effect against human leukocytes’ oxidative burst was also studied. The results showed that some of the tested compounds had a significant inhibitory effect on COX2 activity, and pyrazoles 4 and 11 (Figure 1) excelled as the most potent inhibitors, with IC50 < 25 µM. Nonetheless, among the tested compounds only 1 was able to inhibit both the COX-2 activity and the PGE2 production. The tested pyrazoles, namely pyrazole 4, also demonstrated a potential inhibitory effect (IC50 < 5 µM) against human leukocytes’ oxidative burst. These results represent a significant contribution for the design and development of new anti-inflammatory molecules.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Chemical Differentiation of Sugarcane Cultivars Based on Volatile Profile and Chemometric Analysis
Sugarcane (SC) is a perennial grass widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. However, its cultivation in
Europe is residual, where Madeira Island, Portugal, is the only region where SC continues to be extensively cultivated. For the first
time, the volatile profiles of regional cultivars were established by solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography−
mass spectrometry. Different volatile profiles for each cultivar were recognized, identifying 260 volatile organic compounds
belonging to 15 chemical classes, such as aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, hydrocarbons, esters, and terpenes. Chemometric analysis
procedure, namely, one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s test, principal component analysis, partial least-square analysis, linear
discriminant analysis, and hierarchical clustering analysis, allowed the differentiation between all regional cultivars. This study
represents an important contribution for the maintenance of biodiversity and subsistence of the SC industry in Europe. Furthermore,
it is also a valuable contribution to establish the typicality of traditional SC-based products, such as SC honey.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Effect of processing and storage on the volatile profile of sugarcane honey: A four-year study
Sugarcane honey (SCH) is a syrup from Madeira Island recognized by its unique and excellent aroma, associated
to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generated during the well-defined five stages of its traditional making
process. The establishment of volatile profile throughout all SCH-making stages during four years, allowed the
evaluation of the influence of each stage in the typical characterisitcs of SCH. One hundred eighthy seven VOCs
were identified, being associated to several origins and formation pathways. VOCs formed during stage 1 and 2
were originate from raw material, and its oxidation (i.e. enzymatic browning) and thermal degradation (i.e. lipid
oxidation, Maillard reactions, Strecker degradation). In stage 3 and 4, the caramelization and melanoidin
degradation also occurred, while in stage 5, the thermal degradation continues, followed by microbial activity.
Chemometric analysis allowed to identify 35 VOCs as potential markers for processing control by the producers
and as guarantee of the typicality and authenticity of SCH. Based on the obtained results, we propose for the first
time an innovative schematic diagram explaining the potential reactions and pathways for VOCs formation
during the different steps of the SCH production.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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