Valorization of used cooking oils through ionic liquid catalyzed biodiesel conversion processes

Why biodiesel? Biodiesel is a source of energy that can replace fossil diesel by reducing environmental impacts. It consists of a mixture of long chain fatty acid alkyl esters and is produced by converting vegetable oils or animal fats by transesterification or esterification processes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparação cinemática e neuromuscular de um exercício de abdominais no solo e na fitball

O objectivo deste estudo foi comparar a cinemática e a actividade neuromuscular em exercícios de abdominais no solo e na Fitball. Quinze jovens mulheres participaram voluntariamente neste estudo. Cada sujeito efectuou duas vezes, três séries de dez abdominais com um intervalo mínimo de 60 segundos entre cada série. O exercício foi efectuado uma vez no solo e outra na Fitball. Os dados cinemáticos e neuromusculares foram recolhidos ao longo de todo o protocolo. Foi avaliada a actividades neuromuscular do recto femoral, do recto abdominal superior, do recto abdominal inferior e do oblíquo externo. Um electrogoniómetro foi colocado entre a sexta costela e a crista ilíaca (coluna) e outro entre a crista ilíaca e a zona trocantérica (anca) para avaliação cinemática. O período do exercício entre as condições em estudo não foi significativo. O ângulo mínimo da anca e da coluna lombar foram significativamente inferiores durante a execução do exercício no solo do que na Fitball. A actividade neuromuscular foi significativamente superior quando o exercício foi realizado na Fitball do que no solo em todos os grupos musculares. Como conclusão, actividade neuromuscular é superior aquando da exercitação na Fitball do que no solo

Bioevaluation of the nutritional status of rice (Oriza sativa L. cv. IAC-165) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. carioca) plants using 15N and 32P

Arroz e feijão foram cultivados em soluções nutritivas em presença de três níveis de N, P e K. O método da bioavaliação do estado nutricional em que raízes destacadas absorvem elementos marcados, no caso presente 15N e 32P, foi comparado com o de diagnose foliar. Foram tiradas duas conclusões principais: 1) os bioensaios mostraram ser um procedimento rápido e útil para o diagnóstico do estado nutricional das duas espécies, visto haver correlação significativa negativa entre absorção e produção de matéria seca; 2) a absorção de dois isótopos pelas raízes da planta previamente submetida a níveis diferentes de N e de P na solução foi inversamente proporcional aos teores foliares desses elementos.Rice and bean plants were grown in nutrient solution in the presence of three levels of N, P and K. The method of the bioevaluation of the nutricional status, in which excised roots are allowed to take up tagged elements, in this case 15N and 32P, was compared with foliar analysis. Two main conclusions were drawn: 1) the bioevaluation proved to be an useful and rapid procedure for the diagnosis of the nutricional status of both species, since there was a significant negative correlation between absorption of N and P and dry matter yield; 2) the uptake of the tagged ions with either element by the roots of plants grown under deficient levels of N and P in the nutrient solution was inversely proportional to the leaf concentration of both nutrients

Comparation of antioxidants properties and polyphenols content of aqueous extract from seaweeds Bryothamnion triquetrum and Halimeda opuntia

Objetivos. Evaluar y comparar las propiedades antioxidantes mediante ensayos in vitro de extractos acuosos de las algas roja Bryothamnion triquetrum y verde Halimeda opuntia y su relación con el contenido de polifenoles. Material y Métodos. Se utilizaron las técnicas in vitro: DPPH, Capacidad reductora, Inhibición de la peroxidación lipídica e inhibición de la hemólisis inducida por AAPH. Resultados. B. triquetrum: DPPH; CI50=1,15 ± 0,06, capacidad reductora a concentración; 128 mg/mL, DO=2,798, inhibición de la peroxidación lipídica; CI50=5,09± 0,25 e inhibición de la hemólisis con 12 mg/ mL; 35 %. H. opuntia: DPPH; CI50=12,34 ± 0,30 mg/mL, capacidad reductora; DO=0,800, inhibición de la peroxidación lipídica; CI50=1,25± 0,31 mg/mL e inhibición de la hemólisis; 82%. Conclusiones. Los resultados evidencian que B triquetrum resulto mucho más eficiente en los ensayos de DPPH y Capacidad reductora mientras H opuntia resulta más eficiente en Inhibición de la peroxidación lipídica e inhibición de la hemólisis. Se discuten algunos aspectos acerca de sus posibles mecanismos de acción.Objective. To evaluate and compare the antioxidant activity displayed by seaweed H. opuntia and B. triquetrum using different experimental in vitro antioxidant assessment models. Material and Methods. The following techniques are utilized: DPPH, Reducing power, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and inhibition of haemolysis. Results. B. triquetrum: DPPH; IC50=1.15 ± 0.06, Reducing power (concentration 128 mg/mL), OD=2.798, inhibition of lipid peroxidation; IC50=5.09± 0.25 and inhibition of haemolysis; with 12 mg/mL; 35 %. H. opuntia: DPPH; IC50=12.34 ± 0.30 mg/mL, reducing power; OD=0.800, inhibition of lipid peroxidation; IC50=1.25± 0.31 mg/mL, inhibition of lipid peroxidation; IC50=1.25± 0.31 mg/mL and inhibition of haemolysis; 82%. Conclusion. It was demonstrated that B.triquetrum extract was more effective than H. opuntia in reducing power and DPPH assays while H.opuntia was more effective in inhibition of lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenates and the inhibition of red blood cell (RBC) haemolysis induced by AAPH. We discuss some aspects about their possible mechanisms of action.Este trabajo fue financiado parcialmente por CNPq (Brasil) a través del Proyecto No. 401852/2012-1

Actividad antioxidante y polifenoles de las algas marinas halimeda opuntia y halimeda monile

En este trabajo se estudió la actividad antioxidante de dos especies de algas marinas (H. opuntia y H. monile) mediante el ensayo de atrapamiento de radicales DPPH• y el sistema β-Caroteno-acido linoleico. Adicionalmente a las fracciones de ácidos fenolicos libres, ésteres solubles y ésteres insolubles de ácidos fenólicos se les determinó el contenido en fenoles totales mediante la técnica de Folin-Ciocalteu y posteriormente se identificaron y cuantificaron 8 ácidos fenólicos y cinámicos, resultando el componente mayoritario el ácido salicílico. En los ensayos utilizados se obtuvieron valores altos de actividad antioxidante para las diferentes fracciones. A partir de estos resultados se puede postular que la actividad antioxidante de los extractos polares de estas algas pudiera ser explicada, al menos parcialmente, por la presencia de los ácidos fenólicos y cinámicos. En el caso del alga Halimeda monile, de acuerdo con la literatura consultada, es el primer reporte de la actividad antioxidante.In this paper, the antioxidant activity displayed by two different green seaweed species (H. opuntia y H. monile) was studied using the β- carotene/ linoleic acid and the DPPH• scavenging.systems as different experimental in vitro antioxidant assessment models. Polar seaweed fractions containing free phenolic acids, soluble esters and insoluble esters of phenolic acids were chemically characterized in terms of their phenolic content and composition. In that direction, 8 phenolic acids were identified and quantified, and salycilic acid was shown to be the majoritary compound on the fractions from both species. In addition, the polar fractions were proved to exert antioxidant activity in the two used experimental systems with considerably low values of CI50. Thus, in view of these findings, the antioxidant activity of these polar Halimeda spp. extracts could be supported and at least partially related to the presence of phenolic acids. In case of Halimeda monile this is, at least to the extend of our knowledge, the first report of such biological activity

Bi-allelic JAM2 Variants Lead to Early-Onset Recessive Primary Familial Brain Calcification.

Primary familial brain calcification (PFBC) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a combination of neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive decline associated with calcium deposition on brain imaging. To date, mutations in five genes have been linked to PFBC. However, more than 50% of individuals affected by PFBC have no molecular diagnosis. We report four unrelated families presenting with initial learning difficulties and seizures and later psychiatric symptoms, cerebellar ataxia, extrapyramidal signs, and extensive calcifications on brain imaging. Through a combination of homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing, we mapped this phenotype to chromosome 21q21.3 and identified bi-allelic variants in JAM2. JAM2 encodes for the junctional-adhesion-molecule-2, a key tight-junction protein in blood-brain-barrier permeability. We show that JAM2 variants lead to reduction of JAM2 mRNA expression and absence of JAM2 protein in patient's fibroblasts, consistent with a loss-of-function mechanism. We show that the human phenotype is replicated in the jam2 complete knockout mouse (jam2 KO). Furthermore, neuropathology of jam2 KO mouse showed prominent vacuolation in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum and particularly widespread vacuolation in the midbrain with reactive astrogliosis and neuronal density reduction. The regions of the human brain affected on neuroimaging are similar to the affected brain areas in the myorg PFBC null mouse. Along with JAM3 and OCLN, JAM2 is the third tight-junction gene in which bi-allelic variants are associated with brain calcification, suggesting that defective cell-to-cell adhesion and dysfunction of the movement of solutes through the paracellular spaces in the neurovascular unit is a key mechanism in CNS calcification