Spot urine porphyrins/creatinine ratio profile of healthy Brazilian individuals adjusted for personal habits

Changes in urinary porphyrin excretion may be the result of hereditary causes and/or from environmental or occupational exposure. The objective of this study was to measure the amount of some porphyrins in spot urine samples obtained from volunteers randomly selected from a healthy adult population of São Paulo with a sensitive HPLC method and to estimate normal ranges for a non-exposed population. Spot urine samples were collected from 126 subjects (both genders, 18 to 65 years old) not occupationally exposed to porphyrinogenic agents. Porphyrin fractions were separated on RP-18 HPLC column eluted with a methanol/ammonium acetate buffer gradient, pH 4.0, and measured fluorometrically (excitation 405 nm/emission 620 nm). The amount of porphyrins was corrected for urinary creatinine excretion. Only 8-carboxyl (uro) and 4-carboxyl (copro) porphyrins were quantified as µg/g creatinine. Data regarding age, gender, occupational activities, smoking and drinking habits were analyzed by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Uroporphyrin results did not differ significantly between the subgroups studied. Copro and uro + copro porphyrins were significantly different for smokers (P = 0.008) and occupational activities (P = 0.004). With respect to alcohol consumption, only men drinking >20 g/week showed significant differences in the levels of copro (P = 0.022) and uro + copro porphyrins (P = 0.012). The 2.5-97.5th percentile limit values, excluding those for subjects with an alcohol drinking habit >20 g/week, were 0-20.8, 11.7-93.1, and 15.9-102.9 µg/g creatinine for uro, copro and uro + copro porphyrins, respectively. These percentile limit values can be proposed as a first attempt to provide urinary porphyrin reference values for our population, serving for an early diagnosis of porphyrinopathies or as biomarkers of exposure to porphyrinogenic agents.Universidade de São Paulo - LIM 03-HC-FM-US

Histología de los folículos post-ovulatorios en ovarios de Sardina pilchardus (Walb.) de la plataforma Nor-Atlántica de la Península Ibérica

Se describen los aspectos histológicos de los ovarios hidratados y tres niveles de degenaración de los folículos post-ovulatorios observados en 150 muestras histológicas de Sardina pilchardus de la plataforma Nor-Atlántica de la Península Ibérica. Se estimó la hora probable de puesta de la sardina entre las 19'00 h y las 21'00 h GMT.The histological aspects of hydrated ovaries and three levels of degeneration of follicles are described, based on the observation of 150 histologicas samples of Sardina pilchardus from the North-Atlantic continental shelf of the Iberian Peninsula. The estimated spawning time of the sardine was between 19'00 h and 21'00 h GMT.Versión del editor0,000

Statistical properties of the GALEX spectroscopic stellar sample

The GALEX General Data Release 4/5 includes 174 spectroscopic tiles, obtained from slitless grism observations, for a total of more than 60,000 ultraviolet spectra. We have determined statistical properties of the sample of GALEX stars. We have defined a suitable system of spectroscopic indices, which measure the main mid-UV features at the GALEX low spectral resolution and we have employed it to determine the atmospheric parameters of of stars in the range 4500<Teff<9000 K. Our preliminary results indicate that the sample is formed by a majority of main sequence F- and G-type stars, with metallicity [M/H]>-1 dex.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science, UV universe special issu

Estabilidad oxidativa de aceites de soja y maíz enriquecidos con extracto hidroalcohólico de Pluchea quitoc

Soybean and corn oils are among the most popular vegetable oils, and are ingredients which are widely used in cooking and in the food industry. These oils contain many unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids, which makes them easily oxidized by oxygen. Extensive efforts are being made to prevent or minimize vegetable oil oxidation through the development of antioxidants. Phenolic antioxidants which are present in some extracts can be used as food additives to prevent lipid oxidation. In this study chromatographic analyses (HPLC and GC) of the&nbsp;Pluchea quitoc&nbsp;hydroalcoholic extract were performed. The content of phenolic compounds by the Folin-Ciocalteau method and the antioxidant properties against radicals 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) were also evaluated. The effect of samples prepared with soybean and corn oils enriched with&nbsp;Pluchea quitoc&nbsp;hydroalcoholic extract was determined and compared with samples of these oils which were free of antioxidants and with samples containing the synthetic antioxidant BHT. The results showed potential for application of the extract. A high content of phenolic compounds (314 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g of extract) and good IC50 values were detected for the inhibition of the radicals DPPH and ABTS (13.2 µg·mL-1&nbsp;and 5.6 µg·mL-1). In the evaluation of the oxidative stability of the oils enriched with this extract, it was found that at 1% concentration it was possible to obtain values of induction period (IP) close to the samples with added BHT.Los aceites de soja y maíz se encuentran entre los aceites vegetales más populares, ingredientes ampliamente utilizados en la cocina y también en la industria alimentaria. Estos aceites contienen muchos ácidos grasos insaturados como los ácidos oleico, linoleico y linolénico que se oxidan fácilmente con el oxígeno. Se están realizando grandes esfuerzos para prevenir o minimizar la oxidación de los aceites vegetales mediante el desarrollo de antioxidantes. Los antioxidantes fenólicos presentes en algunos extractos se pueden utilizar como aditivos alimentarios para prevenir la oxidación de lípidos. En este estudio se realizó la obtención y análisis cromatográficos (HPLC y GC) del extracto hidroalcohólico de&nbsp;Pluchea quitoc. El contenido de compuestos fenólicos se evaluó por el método de Folin-Ciocalteau y las propiedades antioxidantes frente a radicales DPPH y ABTS. Se determinó el efecto de muestras preparadas con aceites de soja y maíz enriquecidas con extracto hidroalcohólico de&nbsp;Pluchea quitoc&nbsp;y se comparó con muestras de estos aceites libres de antioxidantes y con el antioxidante sintético BHT. Los resultados mostraron potencial para la aplicación del extracto. Se detectó un alto contenido de compuestos fenólicos (314 mg GAE) y buenos valores de IC50 para la inhibición de los radicales DPPH y ABTS (13.2 µg·mL-1&nbsp;y 5.6 µg·mL-1). En la evaluación de la estabilidad oxidativa de los aceites enriquecidos con este extracto, se encontró que para la concentración del 1% es posible obtener valores de período de inducción (IP) cercanos a las muestras adicionadas con BHT

Search for a CP-odd light Higgs boson in J/ψ →γA⁰

Using J/ψ radiative decays from 9.0 billion J/ψ events collected by the BESIII detector, we search for di-muon decays of a CP-odd light Higgs boson (A0), predicted by many new physics models beyond the Standard Model, including the next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model. No evidence for the CP-odd light Higgs production is found, and we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product branching fraction B(J/ψ→γA0)×B(A0→μ+μ-) in the range of (1.2-778.0)×10-9 for 0.212≤mA0≤3.0 GeV/c2. The new measurement is a 6-7 times improvement over our previous measurement, and is also slightly better than the BABAR measurement in the low-mass region for tanβ=1

Measurement of e⁺e⁻→γχ_c0,c1,c2 cross sections at center-of-mass energies between 3.77 and 4.60 GeV

The e+e−→γχcJ (J=0, 1, 2) processes are studied at center-of-mass energies ranging from 3.773 to 4.600 GeV, using a total integrated luminosity of 19.3  fb−1 e+e− annihilation data accumulated with the BESIII detector at BEPCII. We observe for the first time e+e−→γχc1,c2 signals at √s=4.180  GeV with statistical significances of 7.6σ and 6.0σ, respectively. The production cross section of e+e−→γχc1,c2 at each center-of-mass energy is also measured. We find that the line shape of the e+e−→γχc1 cross section can be described with conventional charmonium states ψ(3686), ψ(3770), ψ(4040), ψ(4160). Compared with this, for the e+e−→γχc2 channel, one more additional resonance is added to describe the cross section line shape. Its mass and width are measured to be M=4371.7±7.5±1.8  MeV/c2 and Γtot=51.1±17.6±1.9  MeV, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The significance of this resonance is estimated to be 5.8σ, and its parameters agree with the Y(4360) resonance previously reported in e+e−→π+π−ψ(3686), and the Y(4390) in e+e−→π+π−hc within uncertainties. No significant signal for the e+e−→γχc0 process is observed, and the upper limits of Born cross sections σB(e+e−→γχc0) at 90% confidence level are reported

Partial wave analysis of ψ(3686) → K⁺K⁻η

Using a sample of (448.1±2.9)×106 ψ(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector, we perform the first partial wave analysis of ψ(3686)→K+K-η. In addition to the well established states, φ(1020), φ(1680), and K3∗(1780), contributions from X(1750), ρ(2150), ρ3(2250), and K2∗(1980) are also observed. The X(1750) state is determined to be a 1-resonance. The simultaneous observation of the φ(1680) and X(1750) indicates that the X(1750), with previous observations in photoproduction, is distinct from the φ(1680). The masses, widths, branching fractions of ψ(3686)→K+K-η, and the intermediate resonances are also measured

Observation of ψ(3686) → Ξ(1530)⁰Ξ¯(1530)⁰ and Ξ(1530)⁰Ξ¯⁰

Using (448.1±2.9)×106 ψ(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector and a single-baryon tagging technique, we present the first observation of the decays ψ(3686)→Ξ(1530)0Ξ¯(1530)0 and Ξ(1530)0Ξ¯0. The branching fractions are measured to be B(ψ(3686)→Ξ(1530)0Ξ¯(1530)0)=(6.77±0.14±0.39)×10-5 and B(ψ(3686)→Ξ(1530)0Ξ¯0)=(0.53±0.04±0.03)×10-5. Here, the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. In addition, the parameter associated with the angular distribution for the decay ψ(3686)→Ξ(1530)0Ξ¯(1530)0 is determined to be α=0.32±0.19±0.07, in agreement with theoretical predictions within one standard deviation

Observation of the <i>Y</i>(4220) and <i>Y</i>(4390) in the process <i>e⁺e⁻ → ηJ/ψ</i>

The cross sections of the process e+e−→ηJ/ψ at center-of-mass energies (√s) between 3.81 and 4.60 GeV are measured with high precision by using data samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at the BEPCII storage ring. Three structures are observed by analyzing the line shape of the measured cross sections, and a maximum-likelihood fit including three resonances is performed by assuming the lowest lying structure is the ψ(4040). For the other resonances, we obtain masses of (4218.6±3.8±2.5) and (4382.0±13.3±1.7)  MeV/c2 with corresponding widths of (82.0±5.7±0.4) and (135.8±60.8±22.5)  MeV, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second ones systematic. The measured resonant parameters are consistent with those of the Y(4220) and Y(4390) from previous measurements of different final states. For the first time, we observe the decays of the Y(4220) and Y(4390) into ηJ/ψ final states