Synthesis and fluorescence properties of side-chain carboxylated 5,9-diaminobenzo[a]phenoxazinium salts

The efficient synthesis of a series of novel side-chain carboxylated 5,9-diaminobenzo[a]phenoxazinium salts is described. The ring system was prepared by the reaction of 5-alkylamino-2-nitrosophenol hydrochlorides with the appropriate N-alkylated-naphthylamine. Evaluation of the visible and fluorescence properties of the cationic dyes was carried out in ethanol and water at physiological pH. In both solvents they showed intense visible absorption maxima in the range 500-638 nm (ethanol) and 625-650 (water), and fluoresced strongly, with fluorescence maxima from 612 to 669 nm (ethanol) and from 654 to 685 nm (water). A wide variation in fluorescence quantum yields is observed, ranging from 0.051 to 0.50 and 0.065 to 0.32 in ethanol and water, respectively.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)

Differential mesenteric fat deposition in bovines fed on silage or concentrate is independent of glycerol membrane permeability

© The Animal Consortium 2011In the meat industry, the manipulation of fat deposition in cattle is of pivotal importance to improve production efficiency, carcass composition and ultimately meat quality. There is an increasing interest in the identification of key factors and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of specific fat depots. This study aimed at elucidating the influence of breed and diet on adipose tissue membrane permeability and fluidity and their interplay on fat deposition in bovines. Two Portuguese autochthonous breeds, Alentejana and Barrosã, recognized as late- and early-maturing breeds, respectively, were chosen to examine the effects of breed and diet on fat deposition and on adipose membrane composition and permeability. Twenty-four male bovines from these breeds were fed on silage-based or concentrate-based diets for 11 months. Animals were slaughtered to determine their live slaughter and hot carcass weights, as well as weights of subcutaneous and visceral adipose depots. Mesenteric fat depots were excised and used to isolate adipocyte membrane vesicles where cholesterol content, fatty acid profile as well as permeability and fluidity were determined. Total accumulation of neither subcutaneous nor visceral fat was influenced by breed. In contrast, mesenteric and omental fat depots weights were higher in concentrate-fed bulls relative to silage-fed animals. Membrane fluidity and permeability to water and glycerol in mesenteric adipose tissue were found to be independent of breed and diet. Moreover, the deposition of cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids, which may influence membrane properties, were unchanged among experimental groups. Adipose membrane lipids from the mesenteric fat depot of ruminants were rich in saturated fatty acids, and unaffected by polyunsaturated fatty acids dietary levels. Our results provide evidence against the involvement of cellular membrane permeability to glycerol on fat accumulation in mesenteric fat tissue of concentrate-fed bovines, which is consistent with the unchanged membrane lipid profile found among experimental groups.This study was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through grant PTDC/CVT/2006/66114 and individual fellowships to Ana P. Martins (SFRH/BD/2009/65046), Ana S. H. Costa (SFRH/BD/2009/61068) and Susana V. Martins (SFRH/BPD/2009/63019). Paula A. Lopes is a researcher from the program ‘‘Ciência 2008’’ from FC

Unparticle physics and neutrino phenomenology

We have constrained unparticle interactions with neutrinos and electrons using available data on neutrino-electron elastic scattering and the four CERN LEP experiments data on mono photon production. We have found that, for neutrino-electron elastic scattering, the MUNU experiment gives better constraints than previous reported limits in the region d>1.5. The results are compared with the current astrophysical limits, pointing out the cases where these limits may or may not apply. We also discuss the sensitivity of future experiments to unparticle physics. In particular, we show that the measurement of coherent reactor neutrino scattering off nuclei could provide a good sensitivity to the couplings of unparticle interaction with neutrinos and quarks. We also discuss the case of future neutrino-electron experiments as well as the International Linear Collider.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures. Minor changes, final versio

Ganho esperado na seleção de progênies de Pinus elliottii var. elliottii em idade precoce para produção de madeira.

Pinus elliotti var. elliottii é a segunda espécie mais utilizada em reflorestamentos nas regiões subtropicais do Brasil, devida a sua boa performance na produção de madeira e resina. Assim, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi estimar os parâmetros genéticos e predizer os ganhos genéticos possíveis mediante seleções em idade precoce em progênies de P. elliottii para a produção de madeira. O experimento foi estabelecido no delineamento em blocos completos casualizados, com 76 tratamentos (75 progênies de um pomar de sementes clonal e um controle de plantio comercial), no espaçamento de 3 m x 3 m. A altura total foi avaliada no primeiro, segundo e terceiro anos após o plantio e o diâmetro a 1,30 m do solo (DAP) somente no terceiro ano após o plantio. O volume individual de madeira e o incremento médio anual foram calculados com base nesses caracteres. As análises de deviance e as estimativas dos parâmetros genéticos foram realizadas com o programa Selegen-REML/BLUP. Variação genética significativa foi detectada entre progênies. As herdabilidades individuais no sentido restrito foram de 0,25 e 0,42 em DAP e altura, respectivamente. Conclui-se que a variação genética é suficientemente alta para possibilitar ganhos genéticos mediante seleção dos indivíduos e progênies mais produtivos, visando à composição de pomares de sementes e plantios comerciais, tendo sido observado genótipos mais produtivos do que o plantio comercial

Integrated Reasoning and Proof Choice Point Selection in the Jahob System – Mechanisms for Program Survival

In recent years researchers have developed a wide range of powerful automated reasoning systems. We have leveraged these systems to build Jahob, a program specification, analysis, and verification system. In contrast to many such systems, which use a monolithic reasoning approach, Jahob provides a general integrated reasoning framework, which enables multiple automated reasoning systems to work together to prove the desired program correctness properties. We have used Jahob to prove the full functional correctness of a collection of linked data structure implementations. The automated reasoning systems are able to automatically perform the vast majority of the reasoning steps required for this verification. But there are some complex verification conditions that they fail to prove. We have therefore developed a proof language, integrated into the underlying imperative Java programming language, that developers can use to control key choice points in the proof search space. Once the developer has resolved these choice points, the automated reasoning systems are able to complete the verification. This approach appropriately leverages both the developer’s insight into the high-level structure of the proof and the ability of the automated reasoning systems to perform the mechanical steps required to prove the verification conditions. Building on Jahob’s success with this challenging program verification problem, we contemplate the possibility of verifying the complete absence of fatal errors in large software systems. We envision combining simple techniques that analyze the vast majority of the program with heavyweight techniques that analyze those more sophisticated parts of the program that may require arbitrarily sophisticated reasoning. Modularity mechanisms such as abstract data types enable the sound division of the program for this purpose. The goal is not a completely correct program, but a program that can survive any remaining errors to continue to provide acceptable service

An information system for air quality monitoring using mobile sensor networks

Engineering the information system that runs a heterogeneous mobile sensor network is a complex task. In this paper we present the solution that was developed in the context of the ExpoLIS project. The goal of this project is to deploy a network of mobile (low-cost) sensors in city buses. Besides the software that needs to transfer, process, and store sensor data, we also developed a mobile application to increase awareness on air pollution, and a tool that allows scientists to subscribe to sensor data. We present the engineering solutions that form the backbone of the information system, and the structure and design of developing supporting tools. We discuss our choices regarding how sensor data are processed in order to make these data available for the common citizen. We mention possible future directions for the software that we have developed.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Relação entre sintomas, infecção viral e genótipos de videiras.

No Brasil, são plantadas cultivares(cvs.) de Vitis vinifera(uva vinífera), videira mais sensível a viroses, e cvs. de Vitis labrusca e híbridas (uva comum), tolerantes a viroses. O objetivo deste trabalho foi relacionar a expressão de sintomas com infecção Viral e genótipos de videira