Isotretinoin and inflammatory bowel disease

[Excerpt] We read with great interest the recent review published in your Journal by Reddy et al., which suggests a possible association between isotretinoin use and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (1). Although IBD is described as a possible adverse drug reaction in the product information, little attention has been given in the literature to this association.[...

Caracterização de dois perfis com horizonte antrópico (Terra Preta de Índio) no Lago do Limão - AM.

O trabalho teve por objetivo caracterizar dois perfis com horizonte antrópico no Lago do Limão, município de Iranduba

O potencial do mercado de software para o agronegócio: uma análise quantitativa.

O objetivo desse artigo é discutir o potencial do mercado de software aplicado ao agronegócio no Brasil. A discussão é feita a partir de análises quantitativas e cruzamentos de dados de fontes do setor, como de órgão governamentais e instituições de pesquisa (IBGE, CNA-USP e IPEA). O método de análise utiliza ainda informações do Projeto Estudo do Mercado de Software para o Agronegócio, desenvolvido pela Embrapa Informática Agropecuária, que reúne dados desse mercado a partir de pesquisas recentes elaboradas junto aos agentes do setor, além de premissas sobre adoção de tecnologias no meio rural discutidas em painéis de especialistas em agroinformática. O documento conclui ser grande o potencial do mercado de TI no agronegócio para a próxima década no Brasil, servindo assim de auxílio para tomada de decisões nos setores privado e público.SBIAgro 2009

Resistência à penetração em cultivos de guaraná sob Latossolo Amarelo muito argiloso na Amazônia Central.

Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar a resistência à penetração do solo em áreas cultivadas com guaranazeiro e a floresta primária. Foram abertas trincheiras para observação do desenvolvimento do sistema radicular do guaranazeiro em áreas de cultivo sob Latossolo Amarelo muito argiloso na Amazônia Central

Evaluation of manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation in mixed cropping systems.

Avaliação da cultura da mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) em sistema e policultivo: Yields and survival rates will be presented for three manioc cultivars(Pao IM 226, Vinagre IM 157 and Mandioca IM 116), planted between the rows in two mixed cropping systems, which were treated by application of 30% or 100% of the recommended fertilizer dose and inoculation or not with mycorrhizal fungi spores. With regard to yield, there is no statistically significant difference between the treatments viewed in isolation. However, there are statistically significant differences between the cultivars Pao (10.6 tons/ha) and Vinagre (5.5 tons/ha) in system 2; between 100% fertilization (5.2 tons/ha) and 30% fertilization (3.7 tons/ha) in system 3, and between the Pao cultivars in systems 2 (10.6 tons/ha) and 3 (5.4 tons/ha). The resprouting rates of the cutting were considered to be low. There was no statistically significant difference in survival rates between the treatments. The yields are lower than those normally obtained in the region, i.e., 20.0 tons/ha for Pao, 14.0 tons/ha for Vinagre and 16,0 tons/ha for manioc in monoculture

Improving light harvesting in polymer photodetector devices through nanoindented metal mask films

To enhance light harvesting in organic photovoltaic devices, we propose the incorporation of a metal (aluminum) mask film in the system’s usual layout. We fabricate devices in a sandwich geometry, where the mask (nanoindented with a periodic array of holes of sizes d and spacing s) is added between the transparent electrode and the active layer formed by a blend of the semiconducting polymer P3HT and substituted fullerene. Its function is to promote trapping of the incident light into the device’s cavity (the region corresponding to the active layer). For d, we set a value that allows light diffraction through the holes in the relevant absorption range of the polymer. To optimize the mask structure, we consider a very simple model to determine the s leading to trapped fields that are relatively intense and homogeneous within the device. From measurements of the action spectra, we show that, indeed, such architecture can considerably improve the resulting photocurrent efficiencies—one order of magnitude in the best situation studied.

Purification and characterization of an intracellular aminopeptidase from a wild strain of Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from traditional Serra da Estrela cheese

An intracellular hydrolase able to cleave Image -lysine-p-nitroanilide was purified from Lactobacillus plantarum strain ESB5004 via two steps of precipitation with ammonium sulfate (at 30 and 50% (w/v)), followed by hydrophobic interaction and ion-exchange chromatographies. The aminopeptidase was purified up to 11-fold, with a final yield of ca. 1%. Its native molecular weight is ca. 70 kDa, and it is apparently composed of two subunits, the molecular weight of which is 34 kDa. The enzyme was assayed using a wide variety of p-nitroanilide (pNA) derivatives as substrates: it hydrolyzed preferentially pNA adducts of hydrophobic and basic amino acid residues; no hydrolysis was in particular observed of Glu-pNA, Gly-pNA or Pro-pNA. The enzyme activity was removed by the metal-chelating agent EDTA, thus suggesting that it is a metallo-enzyme; however, the EDTA-inhibited enzyme was reactivated in the presence of Co2+. Optimal aminopeptidase activity was obtained at 28 °C (pH 7.0) and pH 6.5 (37 °C). The enzyme was inhibited by 10 mM CaCl2 or MgCl2

Influence of native lactic acid bacteria on the microbiological, biochemical and sensory profiles of Serra da Estrela cheese

Cheesemaking from batches of raw ewe’s milk was carried out via inoculation with wild strains of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis ESB110019 and Lactobacillus plantarum ESB5004 independently, or combined with each other. Those two strains had been isolated from the native microflora of typical Serra da Estrela cheese. One control batch was processed in parallel without addition of any starter. The evolution in viable counts of the main micro-organisms (viz. lactic acid bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, staphylococci and yeasts), as well as in secondary proteolysis (WSN, 2% TCASN, 12% TCASN and 5% PTASN), was monitored throughout ripening time (over a 63-day period) in cheeses from each batch. The sensory features of the fully ripened cheeses were also assessed. Cheeses manufactured with starter showed significantly lower levels of viable Enterobacteriaceae than those manufactured without starter; viable counts of enterococci and staphylococci did significantly increase after addition of L. lactis or Lb. plantarum, respectively. Proteolysis in terms of WSN and 5% PTASN was not significantly affected by the lactic acid bacteria tested when compared to the control, but L. lactis played a significant role toward increasing the 2% TCASN content of cheeses; both strains led to a statistically significant increase of the 12% TCASN. The scores for flavor and texture of the control cheeses were somewhat above those for the experimental cheeses manufactured with starter