Fullerenes In Asphaltenes And Other Carbonaceous Materials: Natural Constituents Or Laser Artifacts.

The presence of fullerenes as natural constituents of carbonaceous materials or their formation as laser artifacts during laser desorption ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry (MS) analysis is reinvestigated and reviewed. The results using asphaltene samples with varying composition as well as standard polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and fullerene samples as models have demonstrated that indeed Cn ring fullerenes are not natural constituents but they are formed as common and often as predominant artifacts upon laser radiation, and a series of incorrect assignments based on LDI-MS data of several carbonaceous materials seems unfortunately to have been made. When the present results are evaluated also in the light of the vast literature on LDI-MS of carbonaceous materials, the formation of fullerene artifacts seems particularly common for LDI-MS analysis of asphaltenes and other carbonaceous samples with considerably high levels of PAH and varies according to the type of laser used, and the intensity of the laser beam.14

Prediction of total acid number in distillation cuts of crude oil by ESI(-) FT-ICR MS coupled with chemometric tools

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESCompetitive adaptive reweighted sampling-partial least squares (CARS-PLS) and negative-ion mode electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI(-) FT-ICR MS) data were adopted to assess the total acid number (TAN)28918221829FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESSEM INFORMAÇÃOSEM INFORMAÇÃOSEM INFORMAÇÃOThis research was generously funded by PETROBRAS/CENPES, FAPESP, CNPq, CAPES, and FINE

Anthocyanins content and chemical composition of the essential oil of three blackberry cultivars from southern Brazil

In this work, fruits of three cultivars, Caingangue, Cherokee and Guarani, originated from collections from Embrapa, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, were analyzed concerning the anthocyanin content and the essential oils composition. The anthocyanin content were determined by spectrophotometry, resulting in 0.606 ± 0.018 g/ 100 g, 0.728 ± 0.020 g/100 g and 0.854 ± 0.065 g/ 100 g expressed as cyanidin-3- glucoside, for the three cultivars, respectively. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and the chemical characterization was performed by GC-FID and GCMS. The oil composition of Caingangue cultivar presented predominance of monoterpenes, especially piperitone (50.5%) and camphor (15.5%). The oil fractions of Cherokee and Guarani cvs. were characterized by sesquiterpenes. Cherokee fruits presented high amount of β-caryophyllene (29.6%) followed by the hexadecanoic acid (11.7%), whereas in Guarani fruits spathulenol (22.4%), globulol (16.9%), epi-globulol (11.3%), δ-cadinene (10.0%) and α-cadinene (10.0%) were the main constituents.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Silage production, chemical composition and fermentative capacity of wilted sweet potato vines

A varia??o na disponibilidade de forragem ao longo do ano, aliada ? necessidade de se utilizar alimentos de menor custo para ruminantes, t?m contribu?do para um aumento na procura por novas alternativas para alimenta??o animal. Objetivou-se avaliar a produtividade de massa seca (PMS) de ramas e o efeito do emurchecimento na composi??o bromatol?gica e capacidade fermentativa (CF) de ramas de batata-doce visando a produ??o de silagens. Foram avaliados os gen?tipos BD-08, BD-23, BD-25, BD-31TO, BD-38, BD-43 e Brazl?ndia Roxa, utilizando-se o arranjo fatorial 7 x 2 (gen?tipos x ramas emurchecidas ou n?o), em delineamento em blocos ao acaso, com 4 repeti??es. Foram determinados a produ??o de massa seca e os teores de mat?ria seca (MS), prote?na bruta (PB), fbra em detergente neutro (FDN), fbra em detergente ?cido (FDA), hemicelulose, celulose, lignina, cinzas, carboidratos sol?veis (CS), nitrog?nio insol?vel em detergente ?cido (NIDA), capacidade tamp?o (CT) e capacidade fermentativa (CF) das ramas in natura e emurchecidas. A PMS das ramas variou de 4,2 a 7,9 t ha-1, com destaque para BD-25, BD-08 e BD-23 com produtividades superiores a 7,0 t ha-1. O emurchecimento promoveu aumento nos teores de MS (15,7 para 25,7%), de PB (11,0 para 11,9%), FDA (29,2 para 41,7%), lignina (8,6 para 15,5%), celulose (19,3 para 24,3%), cinzas (8,9 para 10,0%) e NIDA (9,7 para 32,8%), e redu??o nos teores de CS (15,0 para 7.6%), tornando as ramas emurchecidas de pior qualidade. O emurchecimento n?o infuenciou a CF das ramas (m?dia de 37,2) e promoveu eleva??o nos teores de FDN de forma diferenciada para cada gen?tipo. Os teores mais elevados de MS nas ramas emurchecidas compensaram o mais baixo teor de CS, tornando a CF das ramas semelhante. As ramas de batata-doce de todos os gen?tipos apresentaram elevado potencial de ensilabilidade.Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecu?ria de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq)Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES)The variation in the availability of forage throughout the year and the need to use low-cost food for ruminants contributed to an increase in the search for new food alternatives. This study aimed to evaluate the yield of the dry mass of vines and the effect of wilting on the chemical composition and fermentative capacity of sweet potato vines for silage production. The evaluated genotypes were BD-08, BD-23, BD-25, BD-31TO, BD-38, BD-43 and Brazl?ndia Roxa, using a 7x2 factorial arrangement (genotype x wilted vines or not), in a randomized block design, with four replications. We determined the dry matter yield (PMS) and dry matter (MS), crude protein (PB), neutral detergent fiber (FDN), acid detergent fiber (FDA), cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, ash, water soluble carbohydrates (CS), acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (NIDA), buffering capacity (CT) and fermentative capacity (CF) of fresh and wilted vines. The MS of vines ranged from 4.2 to 7.9 t ha-1, with emphasis on BD-25, BD-08 and BD-23 with yields higher than 7.0 t ha-1. Wilting promoted increase in MS (15.7 to 25.7%), PB (11.0 to 11.9%), FDA (29.2 to 41.7%), lignin (8.6 to 15.5%), cellulose (19.3 to 24.3%), ash (8.9 to 10.0%) and NIDA (9.7 to 32.8%), and reduced levels of CS (15.0 to 7.6%), making the wilted branches of poorer quality. Wilting did not affect the CF of the vines (average 37.2) and promoted an increase in FDN differently for each genotype. The highest levels of MS in wilted vines offset the lower level of CS, making similar the CF of vines.The sweet potato vines of all genotypes presented high potential for silage

Participation, knowledge production, and evaluative research: participation by different actors in a mental health study

This article reflects on the interrelations between participation, knowledge production, and public policy evaluation in light of issues from our own experience with evaluative research on a municipal network of Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) in Brazil. The article discusses the coordination of the complex process and the potentials and limits of partnerships for conducting qualitative evaluative studies in mental health with participation by different social actors. The authors conclude that qualitative evaluative research aligned with the perspective of including different points of view representing various segments is the best approach for understanding the numerous spin-offs from the implementation of services linked to the Brazilian psychiatric reform movement, given the inherent specificities of the mental health field.No presente texto apresentamos considerações sobre pesquisa avaliativa qualitativa e participativa com base em investigação desta natureza realizada junto a uma rede municipal de Centros de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) ligados ao Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). A coordenação do complexo processo, bem como as potencialidades e limites do estabelecimento de parcerias para a realização de trabalhos de investigação avaliativa qualitativa em saúde mental, com a inclusão de diferentes atores sociais, são aqui discutidas. Concluímos que a pesquisa avaliativa qualitativa aliada à perspectiva de inclusão de distintos pontos de vista dos vários segmentos envolvidos é a que melhor se adequa à compreensão dos muitos desdobramentos oriundos da implementação de serviços ligados ao movimento de reforma psiquiátrica brasileira, dado as especificidades inerentes ao campo da saúde mental.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Estadual de Campinas FCMUNIFESPSciEL

Lipidomic Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles from the Pathogenic Phase of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

Background: Fungal extracellular vesicles are able to cross the cell wall and transport molecules that help in nutrient acquisition, cell defense, and modulation of the host defense machinery.Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we present a detailed lipidomic analysis of extracellular vesicles released by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis at the yeast pathogenic phase. We compared data of two representative isolates, Pb3 and Pb18, which have distinct virulence profiles and phylogenetic background. Vesicle lipids were fractionated into different classes and analyzed by either electrospray ionization- or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found two species of monohexosylceramide and 33 phospholipid species, including phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol. Among the phospholipid-bound fatty acids in extracellular vesicles, C181 predominated in Pb3, whereas C18:2 prevailed in Pb18. the prevalent sterol in Pb3 and Pb18 vesicles was brassicasterol, followed by ergosterol and lanosterol. Inter-isolate differences in sterol composition were observed, and also between extracellular vesicles and whole cells.Conclusions/Significance: the extensive lipidomic analysis of extracellular vesicles from two P. brasiliensis isolates will help to understand the composition of these fungal components/organelles and will hopefully be useful to study their biogenesis and role in host-pathogen interactions.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)National Institutes of Health (NIH)Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Texas El Paso, Dept Biol Sci, Border Biomed Res Ctr, El Paso, TX 79968 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 06/05095-6FAPESP: 07/04757-8FAPESP: 07/59768-4CNPq: 301666/2010-5National Institutes of Health (NIH): 5G12RR008124-16A1National Institutes of Health (NIH): 5G12RR008124-16A1S1National Institutes of Health (NIH): G12MD007592Web of Scienc