Simulating International Shipments of Vegetable Oils: Focus on Quality Changes

This investigation evaluated the quality changes of commercial vegetable oils after different simulated shipments. In particular, the oils were placed in containers with or without thermal insulation and subjected to two simulated shipments, from Italy to Los Angeles and to Quebec. The temperature profiles were monitored to simulate the real shipments conditions in laboratory through properly developed climate chambers. Different quality parameters were evaluated before and after the simulations, showing a high degree of oxidation for samples shipped to Los Angeles in standard containers. In this study, the thermal insulation container was effective in protecting samples from potential oxidative damage during simulated shipping.The authors would like to thank Enhancement of the Palestinian University System (E- PLUS) for PhD scholarship grants financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Directorate General for Cooperation and Development (coordinated by the University of Pavia)

Direct on-surface synthesis of gold-phthalocyanine: Via cyclization of cyano-groups with gold adatoms

We report the synthesis of gold-phthalocyanines on an Au(111) surface via cyclization of dibenzo[fg,op]tetracene-5,6,12,13-tetracarbonitrile molecules. Scanning tunnelling microscopic images unambiguously reveal that gold adatoms act as linkers via metal coordination bonding to form metastable supra-molecular structures, and simultaneously replace metal ions within the final products, metal phthalocyanines

Recomendações para avaliação de iscas tóxicas sobre as moscas-das-frutas Anastrepha fraterculus e Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) em laboratório.

As iscas tóxicas têm sido uma ferramenta importante para o manejo das moscas-das-frutas no Brasil. De maneira geral, a tecnologia consiste na associação entre um atrativo alimentar e um agente letal que controla os adultos do inseto ao entrarem em contato ou se alimentarem da mistura. Como vantagens do uso da tecnologia, destaca-se o emprego de doses reduzidas de inseticidas e a possibilidade de diminuir a presença de resíduos tóxicos nos frutos, devido a aplicação ser realizada nas bordas dos pomares, nos troncos e/ou folhas, evitando atingir os frutos.bitstream/item/201146/1/Doc109.pd

Amerindian Helicobacter pylori Strains Go Extinct, as European Strains Expand Their Host Range

We studied the diversity of bacteria and host in the H. pylori-human model. The human indigenous bacterium H. pylori diverged along with humans, into African, European, Asian and Amerindian groups. Of these, Amerindians have the least genetic diversity. Since niche diversity widens the sets of resources for colonizing species, we predicted that the Amerindian H. pylori strains would be the least diverse. We analyzed the multilocus sequence (7 housekeeping genes) of 131 strains: 19 cultured from Africans, 36 from Spanish, 11 from Koreans, 43 from Amerindians and 22 from South American Mestizos. We found that all strains that had been cultured from Africans were African strains (hpAfrica1), all from Spanish were European (hpEurope) and all from Koreans were hspEAsia but that Amerindians and Mestizos carried mixed strains: hspAmerind and hpEurope strains had been cultured from Amerindians and hpEurope and hpAfrica1 were cultured from Mestizos. The least genetically diverse H. pylori strains were hspAmerind. Strains hpEurope were the most diverse and showed remarkable multilocus sequence mosaicism (indicating recombination). The lower genetic structure in hpEurope strains is consistent with colonization of a diversity of hosts. If diversity is important for the success of H. pylori, then the low diversity of Amerindian strains might be linked to their apparent tendency to disappear. This suggests that Amerindian strains may lack the needed diversity to survive the diversity brought by non-Amerindian hosts

Influence of ovarian hormones deprivation on gene expression in the lower urinary tract of rats

OBJECTIVE: Identify the influence of ovarian hormone deprivation in expression genes on the lower urinary tract of rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study deals with gene screening on lower urinary tract of rats. Fifty isogenic rats divided in two groups of twenty-five animals have their lower urinary tract surgically removed: group I, ovariectomized rats 30 days prior to surgery; group II, non-ovariectomized rats. Total RNA was isolated from bladder and urethra, and differential expression of genes was analyzed quantitative, qualitative and comparatively by array technology and RT-PCR. RESULTS: A total of 76 candidate genes were identified as differentially expressed between the groups, 26 being lower expressed in group II, and 50 in group I. Among them, differential expression validation was confirmed by RT-PCR for three lower expressed genes in group I: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Beta-2 Microglobulin (B2M) and Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COX I). CONCLUSION: Ovarian hormone deprivation influences the expression genes on lower urinary tract. We demonstrated that a 30-day period of castration down regulate the expression of VEGF, B2M and COX I in adult rats which are involved in activities of angiogenesis, immune responses and cellular metabolism respectively.Federal University of São Paulo Department of GynecologyUNIFESP, Department of GynecologySciEL