Sugarcane (Saccharum X officinarum): A Reference Study for the Regulation of Genetically Modified Cultivars in Brazil

Global interest in sugarcane has increased significantly in recent years due to its economic impact on sustainable energy production. Sugarcane breeding and better agronomic practices have contributed to a huge increase in sugarcane yield in the last 30 years. Additional increases in sugarcane yield are expected to result from the use of biotechnology tools in the near future. Genetically modified (GM) sugarcane that incorporates genes to increase resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses could play a major role in achieving this goal. However, to bring GM sugarcane to the market, it is necessary to follow a regulatory process that will evaluate the environmental and health impacts of this crop. The regulatory review process is usually accomplished through a comparison of the biology and composition of the GM cultivar and a non-GM counterpart. This review intends to provide information on non-GM sugarcane biology, genetics, breeding, agronomic management, processing, products and byproducts, as well as the current technologies used to develop GM sugarcane, with the aim of assisting regulators in the decision-making process regarding the commercial release of GM sugarcane cultivars

Two New Species of Marcetia (Melastomataceae) from the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Two new species of Marcetia (Marcetia paganuccii and M. cardosoana) are described and compared with their closely related species. The two new species were found exclusively in mountainous areas of the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil. Illustrations, distribution maps, conservation status and SEM photographs of leaves and seeds for both species are provided.383714722Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Instituto do Milenio do Semiarido (IMSEAR), Projeto de Pesquisa de Biodiversidade do Semiarid (PPBIO)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia [FAPESB / PPP T.O. 0038/2011]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia [FAPESB / PPP T.O. 0038/2011

Rheology of supersaturated sucrose solutions

Sucrose solutions, with concentrations near or superior to saturation, present high potentialities for the candy and pastry industries. Creep measurements under small stresses were done to obtain the rheological properties of highly concentrated sucrose solutions, since such solutions could be in a metastable state and tend to crystallise. The viscosities of these solutions, from 70.0% to 85.2% (w/w), were determined experimentally at different temperatures, from 0 to 90 degrees C. The temperature dependence of viscosity was studied using experimental and published data for, respectively, high and low concentrations (< 70% (w/w)). Results showed that the Arrhenius model describes better the temperature dependence of viscosity for concentrations under saturation and in the high concentration regime the WLF model had a better predicting ability. The effect of concentration on viscosity was observed and included in the Arrhenius and WLF models' parameters. The proposed models were able to successfully describe the data in the corresponding concentration range. These results can be used in predicting the viscosities of syrups for either process design or new products formulation. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.77484485

Modelling viscosity temperature dependence of supercooled sucrose solutions - The random-walk approach

Sucrose and its supersaturated or supercooled solutions are of the utmost importance in areas as different as food and pharmaceutical industries or cryopreservation of biological systems. In the supercooled 'state', such amorphous solutions are fragile systems, presenting extremely high viscosity with decreased mobility of molecules, impairing experimental determinations at low temperatures (below critical temperature, T(c)). This work proposes the random walk (RW) approach to study relaxation behavior in the supercooled melt, using only viscosity data at temperatures above T(c). For comparison purposes, the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman (VFT) model was fitted to th data. The random walk approach is based on the distribution of molecular energies, thus having a theoretical support not found in the VFT model. The RW estimated parameters can be correlated with system characteristics, showing their dependence on water content or sucrose concentration. RW and VFT model description was evaluated from the mathematical and physical points of view, but the random walk model led to more consistent regression results and parameter estimates with improved precision.111123192319