Infrared complex refractive index of N-containing astrophysical ices free of water processed by cosmic-ray simulated in laboratory.

Several nitrogen-containing molecules have been unambiguously identified in the Solar System and in the Interstellar Medium. It is believed that such a rich inventory of species is a result of the energetic processing of astrophysical ices during the interaction with ionizing radiation. An intrinsic parameter of matter, the complex refractive index, stores all the "chemical memory" triggered by energetic processing, and therefore might be used to probe ice observations in the infrared. In this study, four N-containing ices have been condensed in an ultra-high vacuum chamber and processed by heavy ions (O and Ni) with energies between 0.2 and 15.7 MeV at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL), in Caen, France. All chemical changes were monitored in situ by Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy. The complex refractive index was calculated directly from the absorbance spectrum, by using the Lambert-Beer and Kramers-Kroning relations, and the values are available in an online database: https://www1.univap.br/gaa/nkabs-database/data.htm. As a result, other than the database, it was observed that non-polar ices are more destroyed by sputtering than polar ones. Such destruction and chemical evolution lead to variation in the IR albedo of samples addressed in this paper.

Sequestrating anionic and cationic dyes from wastewater using spray dried biopolymeric magnetic composite: Experimental and theoretical studies.

Spray dried cross-linked chitosan/cobalt ferrite composite was synthesized and applied as an adsorbent for the removal of acid orange II and methylene blue. The composite was structurally, thermally, morphologically and magnetically characterized. The result obtained shows that the magnetic composite was in form of microspheres, while cobalt ferrite was encapsulated in the cross-linked chitosan with saturation magnetization of 10.79 emu g-1. Adsorption studies revealed that acid orange II adsorbed more favorably on the composite than methylene blue. The adsorption process is spontaneous and exothermic. Liu isotherm model was found to be applicable for the adsorption process. Computational studies showed that the formation of hydrogen bond between acid orange II and the magnetic composite (at both acidic and alkaline pH) contributed to its better adsorption than methylene blue. Adsorption capacity of acid orange II at pH 3 and methylene blue at pH 12 are 542 and 173 mg g-1 respectively at 303 K base on Liu isotherm model.

Virulence factors of Candida spp. obtained from blood cultures of patients with candidemia attended at tertiary hospitals in Northeast Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Yeasts of the Candida genus are one of the most common causes of bloodstream infections associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, mainly affecting immunocompromised patients. We aimed to identify yeasts obtained from blood cultures of patients interned at tertiary hospitals in Brazil. METHODS: We evaluated some of the major virulence factors of Candida spp., including the ability to adhere to human buccal epithelial cells, biofilm formation, hemolytic and phospholipase activity. RESULTS: We analyzed 70 isolates of Candida spp. obtained from March 2011 and March 2015. Candida spp. showed different peculiarities in terms of expression of virulence factors evaluated in vitro. C. albicans strains were more adherent to HBEC than all the other Candida species. C. tropicalis strains were considered strong biofilm producers. Strains belonging to the C. parapsilosis species complex were able to produce hemolysins, while C. glabrata was also able to lyse erythrocytes and to produce phospholipase. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Non-Candida albicans Candida species are also able to express virulence factors which play an important role in bloodstream infectious caused by these yeasts.

Screening and optimizing fermentation production of l-asparaginase by Aspergillus terreus strain S-18 isolated from the Brazilian Caatinga Biome.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to find new eukaryotic sources of the l-asparaginase (l-ASNase), since the prokaryotic sources of the enzyme are well-reported as causing allergic hypersensitivity reactions in a significant number of patients. This report describes screening for l-ASNase production by filamentous fungi isolated from the Brazilian Caatinga, and the optimization of fermentation parameters to increase fungal growth and improve yield in the production of l-ASNase. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-two filamentous fungi were investigated in this study. When Aspergillus terreus strain S-18 was cultured in a proline-enriched medium, intracellular l-ASNase was expressed in concurrence with reduced l-glutaminase (l-GLUase) and protease activities. Fermentation conditions were then optimized in a 5-l bioreactor system to produce a maximum volumetric yield of 108 U total of l-ASNase activity. CONCLUSIONS: The work reported here represents the first attempt to produce l-ASNase by filamentous fungi isolated from Brazil and offers a promising alternative eukaryotic source for l-ASNase production. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: In order to minimize the side effects caused by bacterial l-ASNase, the search of eukaryotic micro-organism for l-ASNase was carried out in fungi. This study demonstrates the diversity of filamentous fungi isolated from the Brazilian Caatinga Biome and the importance of knowledge of the microbial metabolism to obtain high concentrations of biotechnological products.

Photochemistry and desorption induced by X-rays in water rich astrophysical ice analogs: implications for the moon Enceladus and other frozen space environments.

Soft X-rays are an important agent for chemical processing in the Solar System and in the interstellar medium. The photolysis and photodesorption processes of H2O-rich ices triggered by soft X-rays was, experimentally, addressed in this paper. The experiments were performed at the Brazilian synchrotron facility LNLS/CNPEN employing broadband radiation (from 6 to 2000 eV; mainly soft X-rays and a small fraction of VUV) in solid samples at temperatures of 20 and 80 K. The icy samples were monitored by infrared spectroscopy. We determined the effective destruction cross section (in the order 10-18 cm2) as well as the formation cross section for the new species produced after the irradiation. Among them, we list OCN-, CO, CO3, CH3OH, H2O2, HCOO-, NH4 +, HCONH2 and CH3HCO, mostly formed in the experiment at 80 K. The chemical equilibrium stage was characterized and molecular abundances were quantified. In addition, we discuss a methodology to estimate the amount of unknown species in the ice produced by photolysis. The samples reach chemical equilibrium at fluences around 2-3 × 1018 cm-2. Timescales for reaching chemical equilibrium in space environments illuminated by X-rays were given, as well as the desorption yields induced by X-rays. The astrophysical implication on the surface chemistry and desorption processes at the moon Enceladus are provided.

Radiolysis of N2-rich astrophysical ice by swift oxygen ions: implication for space weathering of outer solar system bodies.

In order to investigate the role of medium mass cosmic rays and energetic solar particles in the processing of N2-rich ice on frozen moons and cold objects in the outer solar system, the bombardment of an N2 : H2O : NH3 : CO2 (98.2 : 1.5 : 0.2 : 0.1) ice mixture at 16 K employing 15.7 MeV 16O5+ was performed. The changes in the ice chemistry were monitored and quantified by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results indicate the formation of azide radicals (N3), and nitrogen oxides, such as NO, NO2, and N2O, as well as the production of CO, HNCO, and OCN-. The effective formation and destruction cross-sections are roughly on the order of 10-12 cm2 and 10-13 cm2, respectively. From laboratory molecular analyses, we estimated the destruction yields for the parent species and the formation yields for the daughter species. For N2, this value was 9.8 × 105 molecules per impact of ions, and for the most abundant new species (N3), it was 1.1 × 105 molecules per impact of ions. From these yields, an estimation of how many species are destroyed or formed in a given timescale (108 years) in icy bodies in the outer solar system was calculated. This work reinforces the idea that such physicochemical processes triggered by cosmic rays, solar wind, and magnetospheric particles (medium-mass ions) in nitrogen-rich ices may play an important role in the formation of molecules (including pre-biotic species precursors such as amino acids and other "CHON" molecules) in very cold astrophysical environments, such as those in the outer region of the solar system (e.g. Titan, Triton, Pluto, and other KBOs).

Characterization of virulence factors of vaginal and anal isolates of Candida albicans sequentially obtained from patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis in north-east Brazil.

In order to better understand the pathogenesis of VVC, focusing on the role of C. albicans virulence factors in triggering this infirmity; we evaluated four virulence factors of 62 clinical isolates of C. albicans sequentially obtained from the vagina and anus of patients with sporadic and recurrent VVC. Virulence factors were phenotypically evaluated in vitro, including: adhesion capacity to epithelial cells obtained from healthy individuals, morphogenesis in the presence of fetal bovine serum, biofilm formation in polystyrene microtiter plates and proteinase activity using bovine serum albumin. Colonizing anal isolates were as able as infecting vaginal isolates to express the virulence factors evaluated in vitro. It was observed an association between the expression of virulence factors studied and the signs and symptoms of VVC presented by the patients. No statistically significant difference was observed in the expression of virulence factors between vaginal isolates of C. albicans obtained from patients with sporadic VVC and those obtained from patients with recurrent VVC. Our results suggest that the ability to express virulence factors is important for the pathogenesis of VVC, but it seems not to be crucial for the transition from colonization to infection.

Ion irradiation of pure and amorphous CH4 ice relevant for astrophysical environments.

This work presents a physicochemical study of frozen amorphous methane (at 16 K) under bombardment by medium-mass ions (15.7 MeV 16O5+) with implications for icy bodies in the outer Solar System exposed to the action of cosmic rays and energetic particles. The experiment was performed at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL) located in Caen, France. The results demonstrate that irradiation of CH4-containing ices by swift medium mass ions with delivered energy covering both stopping power regimes until its implantation on ice (i.e. electronic and nuclear) leads to the production of many hydrocarbons, such as C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, and C3H8 (the most abundant daughter species produced). Values for the effective dissociation cross section of CH4 and the average value for the effective formation cross-sections of its daughter species were about 10-14 cm2 and 10-15 cm2, respectively. The half-life of methane ice in the presence of swift medium mass ions extrapolated to some outer Solar System environments is estimated to be around 106 years. The measured sputtering yield of methane due to incoming swift ions was about 7.30 × 105 molecules per impact. Such parameters can be used as models to estimate the amount of CH4 and other molecular species desorbed from the icy surfaces that are constantly being incorporated to the gaseous atmosphere in the vicinity of these outer Solar System bodies due to the presence of energetic particles and cosmic rays.

Effects of increasing inclusion of sodium hydroxide treatment on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and feeding behavior of steers fed 50% DDGS.

Objectives were to determine the dietary inclusion level of NaOH in a dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS)-based diet needed to improve growth performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot steers, and to determine the effects of NaOH treatment of DDGS on pattern of feed intake. Based on previous research regarding the acidity of DDGS, we hypothesized that using NaOH in cattle fed 50% DDGS-based diets to neutralize the acidity inherent in DDGS would improve growth performance of cattle but shift intake patterns. Angus-cross steers (120 total) were blocked into 2 BW blocks (light, initial BW = 211 ± 27 kg; and heavy, initial BW = 261 ± 27 kg) and allotted randomly within block to 20 pens (6 steers per pen; = 30). Pens within block were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 dietary treatments: 1) 50% DDGS, untreated; 2) 50% DDGS, treated with 0.5% NaOH (DM basis); 3) 50% DDGS, treated with 1.0% NaOH (DM basis); or 4) 50% DDGS, treated with 1.5% NaOH (DM basis). The remainder of the diets contained 20% dry-rolled corn, 20% corn silage, and 10% mineral and vitamin supplement, on a DM basis. Cattle were fed in a GrowSafe system. There were no effects ( ≥ 0.21) of increasing NaOH inclusion on final BW, ADG, or G:F. Increasing NaOH in the diet increased meal duration (linear; = 0.02) and tended to increase meal size (linear; = 0.06), but did not affect overall number of meals per day (linear; = 0.21) or overall DMI ( ≥ 0.40) for the course of the trial. Relative to cattle fed DDGS treated with 0, 0.5 or 1% NaOH (DM basis), steers fed DDGS treated with 1.5% NaOH consumed a larger proportion of their meals in the afternoon. However, regardless of treatment, all steers consumed 78% or more of their feed in the first 12 h post-feeding. There were no effects ( ≥ 0.19) of increasing NaOH inclusion on HCW, LM area, dressing percentage, KPH, back fat thickness, and marbling. There was a linear ( = 0.02) decrease in USDA Yield Grade (YG) 3 and a tendency ( = 0.09) for a quadratic response in carcasses grading USDA YG 4 as NaOH concentration increased in the diets; however, there were no other YG differences. The quality grade response followed marbling score and was not different ( ≥ 0.11) among treatments. Thus, there were no effects of feeding DDGS treated with NaOH on growing cattle performance or carcass characteristics. However, NaOH inclusion shifted the pattern of intake slightly to the afternoon hours, and increased meal duration without increasing the total number of meals per day.

Epidemiology and fungal species distribution of superficial mycoses in Northeast Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: Dermatomycoses are superficial fungal infections which affect the skin, hair and nails of humans and animals. Male and female patients of all ages are affected by this condition. The main etiological agents of dermatomycoses are the dermatophytes fungi of the genera Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton, while the main yeasts belong to the genera Candida, Malassezia and Trichosporon. The variation in the distribution of dermatomycoses worldwide justify the conduction of epidemiological studies in order to contribute for the better understanding of patterns of mycological cutaneous infections. This study was conducted from April 2013 to December 2014. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 205 patients were evaluated, while 235 clinical specimens were obtained. From our positive cases of mycological examination, 73 (64.6%) patients were female, while 40 (35.4%) were male. Scales from the skin and nails were collected and observed at optical microscopy after potassium hydroxide clarification. Cultures were performed on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar added chloramphenicol. Identification was performed by classic methodology. RESULTS: We found that the glabrous skin was the largest source of dermatomycoses (30.11%), followed by toenails (27.4%) and fingernails (17.7%). Regarding onychomycosis, the most affected population was over 50 years old. Trichophyton rubrum was the dermatophyte fungal species more commonly found. Most of the patients with pityriasis versicolor were adults and female. Another important fact observed is that Candida parapsilosis was the most prevalent species. Finally, a high incidence of T. tonsurans in cases of superficial mycoses was observed. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly demonstrate peculiarities in terms of etiological agents of dermatophytoses distribution in a specific region of Brazil.

Classification of biodegradable materials using QSAR modelling with uncertainty estimation.

The ability to determine the biodegradability of chemicals without resorting to expensive tests is ecologically and economically desirable. Models based on quantitative structure-activity relations (QSAR) provide some promise in this direction. However, QSAR models in the literature rarely provide uncertainty estimates in more detail than aggregated statistics such as the sensitivity and specificity of the model's predictions. Almost never is there a means of assessing the uncertainty in an individual prediction. Without an uncertainty estimate, it is impossible to assess the trustworthiness of any particular prediction, which leaves the model with a low utility for regulatory purposes. In the present work, a QSAR model with uncertainty estimates is used to predict biodegradability for a set of substances from a publicly available data set. Separation was performed using a partial least squares discriminant analysis model, and the uncertainty was estimated using bootstrapping. The uncertainty prediction allows for confidence intervals to be assigned to any of the model's predictions, allowing for a more complete assessment of the model than would be possible through a traditional statistical analysis. The results presented here are broadly applicable to other areas of modelling as well, because the calculation of the uncertainty will clearly demonstrate where additional tests are needed.

Drought impact on forest carbon dynamics and fluxes in Amazonia.

In 2005 and 2010 the Amazon basin experienced two strong droughts, driven by shifts in the tropical hydrological regime possibly associated with global climate change, as predicted by some global models. Tree mortality increased after the 2005 drought, and regional atmospheric inversion modelling showed basin-wide decreases in CO2 uptake in 2010 compared with 2011 (ref. 5). But the response of tropical forest carbon cycling to these droughts is not fully understood and there has been no detailed multi-site investigation in situ. Here we use several years of data from a network of thirteen 1-ha forest plots spread throughout South America, where each component of net primary production (NPP), autotrophic respiration and heterotrophic respiration is measured separately, to develop a better mechanistic understanding of the impact of the 2010 drought on the Amazon forest. We find that total NPP remained constant throughout the drought. However, towards the end of the drought, autotrophic respiration, especially in roots and stems, declined significantly compared with measurements in 2009 made in the absence of drought, with extended decreases in autotrophic respiration in the three driest plots. In the year after the drought, total NPP remained constant but the allocation of carbon shifted towards canopy NPP and away from fine-root NPP. Both leaf-level and plot-level measurements indicate that severe drought suppresses photosynthesis. Scaling these measurements to the entire Amazon basin with rainfall data, we estimate that drought suppressed Amazon-wide photosynthesis in 2010 by 0.38 petagrams of carbon (0.23-0.53 petagrams of carbon). Overall, we find that during this drought, instead of reducing total NPP, trees prioritized growth by reducing autotrophic respiration that was unrelated to growth. This suggests that trees decrease investment in tissue maintenance and defence, in line with eco-evolutionary theories that trees are competitively disadvantaged in the absence of growth. We propose that weakened maintenance and defence investment may, in turn, cause the increase in post-drought tree mortality observed at our plots.

Determination of optical constants n and k of thin films from absorbance data using Kramers-Kronig relationship.

We present a code, called NKABS, to determine optical constants (complex refractive index) of thin films directly from the absorbance data in the infrared. The code is written in the Python language, which is more accurate and faster than previous methods in the literature. For solving the Kramers-Kronig relationship, we used the Maclaurin's methodology. Unlike other codes, which found convergence in 30-40 iterations, the NKABS reach the convergence in just 4 or 5 iterations. Additionally, to evaluate the error, this code calculates the MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) and the chi-square χ(2). The typical MAPE error obtained using NKABS is less than 1×10(-3)%. To illustrate the functionality of this code, we calculate the optical constants in the infrared spectral region of 28 different samples of astrophysical interest at different temperatures (10-300K), which simulates molecules in space environments, mostly the ones called astrophysical ices. The samples were obtained from the condensation of pure gases (e.g. CO, CO2, NH3, SO2), from the sublimation in vacuum of pure liquids (e.g. water, acetone, acetonitrile, acetic acid, formic acid, ethanol and methanol) and from mixtures of different species (e.g. H2O:CO2, H2O:CO:NH3, H2O:CO2:NH3:CH4). Additionally films of solid biomolecules samples of astrochemistry/astrobiology interest (e.g. glycine, adenine) were probed. The code and the data-base obtained here are available on-line. The NKABS can also be employed to calculate refractive index of processed samples (by heating or radiation). Such data and the refractive index of virgin samples are required as input in several astrophysical models that calculate the radiative transfer in dusty astrophysical environments such as protoplanetary disks and circumstellar environments as well as dense molecular clouds.

Ants of three adjacent habitats of a transition region between the cerrado and caatinga biomes: the effects of heterogeneity and variation in canopy cover.

Habitat heterogeneity and complexity associated with variations in climatic conditions are important factors determining the structure of ant communities in different terrestrial ecosystems. The objective of this study was to describe the horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of the ant community associated with three adjacent habitats in a transition area between the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes at the Pandeiros River, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) the richness and composition of ant species and functional group structure changes between different habitats and strata; (2) habitats with higher tree species richness and density support higher ant species richness; and (3) habitats with lower variation in canopy cover support higher ant species richness. Sampling was conducted in three adjacent habitats and at three vertical strata. Ant species richness was significantly different among vertical strata. Ant species composition was different among both habitats and vertical strata and functional group structure was divergent among habitats. Partitioning of the diversity revealed that the diversity for the three components was statistically different from the one expected by the null model; α and ß 2 were higher and ß 1 was lower than the values expected by chance. Tree density and variation in canopy cover negatively affected ant species richness. The occurrence of different species and the changing of functional group structures in different habitats and strata suggest an ecological-evolutionary relationship between ants and their habitats and emphasize the need to implement local conservation strategies in the ecotones between biomes.

Human papillomavirus infection among sexual partners attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cervical cancer is a major source of illness and death among women worldwide and genital infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) its principal cause. There is evidence of the influence of the male factor in the development of cervical neoplasia. Nevertheless, the pathogenic processes of HPV in men are still poorly understood. It has been observed that different HPV types can be found among couples. The objective of the present study was to investigate HPV infections in female patients (n = 60 females/group) as well as in their sexual partners and to identify the concordance of HPV genotypes among them. By using the polymerase chain reaction, we detected a 95% prevalence of HPV DNA in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) compared to 18.3% in women with normal cervical epithelium, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). The HPV DNA prevalence was 50% in male partners of women with CIN and 16.6% in partners of healthy women. In the control group (healthy women), only 9 couples were simultaneously infected with HPV, and only 22.2% of them had the same virus type, showing a weak agreement rate (kappa index = 0.2). Finally, we observed that HPV DNA was present in both partners in 30 couples if the women had CIN, and among them, 53.3% shared the same HPV type, showing moderate agreement, with a kappa index of 0.5. This finding supports the idea of circulation and recirculation of HPV among couples, perpetuating HPV in the sexually active population, rather than true recurrences of latent infections.

Human papillomavirus infection among sexual partners attending a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Cervical cancer is a major source of illness and death among women worldwide and genital infection with oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) its principal cause. There is evidence of the influence of the male factor in the development of cervical neoplasia. Nevertheless, the pathogenic processes of HPV in men are still poorly understood. It has been observed that different HPV types can be found among couples. The objective of the present study was to investigate HPV infections in female patients (n = 60 females/group) as well as in their sexual partners and to identify the concordance of HPV genotypes among them. By using the polymerase chain reaction, we detected a 95% prevalence of HPV DNA in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) compared to 18.3% in women with normal cervical epithelium, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). The HPV DNA prevalence was 50% in male partners of women with CIN and 16.6% in partners of healthy women. In the control group (healthy women), only 9 couples were simultaneously infected with HPV, and only 22.2% of them had the same virus type, showing a weak agreement rate (kappa index = 0.2). Finally, we observed that HPV DNA was present in both partners in 30 couples if the women had CIN, and among them, 53.3% shared the same HPV type, showing moderate agreement, with a kappa index of 0.5. This finding supports the idea of circulation and recirculation of HPV among couples, perpetuating HPV in the sexually active population, rather than true recurrences of latent infections.

Influência do horário de colheita sobre o rendimento e composição do óleo essencial de erva-cidreira brasileira [Lippia alba (Mill. ) N. E. Br. ] / Influence of harvest time on the yield and composition of essential oil from the Brazilian "erva-cidreira" [Lippia alba (Mill. ) N. E. Br. ]

Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar se o horário de colheita da erva-cidreira brasileira [Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. Br.], fenotipo carvona-limoneno, tem influência sobre a produção de massa foliar, rendimento e composição do óleo essencial. Foram avaliados cinco horários de colheita quando a cultura estava com 145 dias desde o transplante: 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 e 16:00 h com cinco repetições, distribuídos em blocos casualizados. O experimento foi conduzido na Fazenda Experimental Lageado da FCA-UNESP/Botucatu no Setor de Horticultura do Departamento de Produção Vegetal. A colheita foi realizada a 15 cm da superfície do solo e o óleo essencial obtido através de hidrodestilação, em aparelho tipo Clevenger. Levou-se em consideração os fatores agronômicos e o rendimento obtido por hidrodestilação. O óleo essencial foi analisado em cromatógrafo gasoso acoplado a espectrômetro de massas (CG/EM). Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância (Teste F) e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey. Não houve diferença estatística para produção de massa foliar, teor de óleo essencial e produtividade de óleo essencial em massa fresca e seca. No entanto, entre os compostos majoritários do óleo essencial das folhas, carvona e limoneno, a melhor produtividade de carvona foi obtida às 10:00 h, em matéria fresca (2,050 L ha-1) e em matéria seca (2,068 L ha-1), e para o limoneno às 16:00 h, em matéria fresca (1,068 L ha-1) e em matéria seca (1,060 L ha-1).

This study aimed to verify whether the harvest time of the "Brazilian erva-cidreira" [Lippia alba (Mill.) N. E. Br.], limonene-carvone chemotype, influences leaf mass production and essential oil yield and composition. Five different harvest times were evaluated at 145 days after transplanting: 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00, with five replicates, distributed in randomized blocks. The experiment was carried out at Lageado Experimental Farm of the School of Agronomical Sciences FCA-UNESP/Botucatu, Horticulture Sector, Department of Plant Production. Harvest was conducted from 15 cm above the soil surface and essential oil was obtained through steam distillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus. Both the agronomical factors and the yield obtained through steam distillation were considered. The essential oil was analyzed in a gas chromatographer coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Results were subjected to analysis of variance (F Test) and means were compared according to Tukey's test. There was no statistical difference for leaf mass production, essential oil content and essential oil yield in fresh and dry matter. However, considering the major essential oil compounds, carvone and limonene, the best yield was obtained at 10:00 for carvone in fresh (2050 L ha-1) and dry matter (2068 L ha-1), and at 16:00 for limonene in fresh (1068 L ha-1) and dry matter (1060 L ha-1).

Complete genome sequence of pepper yellow mosaic virus, a potyvirus, occurring in Brazil.

The complete genomic sequence of pepper yellow mosaic virus (PepYMV), a member of the genus Potyvirus, was determined. The sequence was 9745 nucleotides long, excluding the 3' poly(A) tail. The genome contained a large open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of 3085 amino acids, which contained the typically conserved motifs found in members of the genus Potyvirus and an additional P3-PIPO (pretty interesting potyvirus ORF). In a pairwise comparison with other potyvirus sequences, the full genome of PepYMV shared a maximum of 63.84 % nucleotide sequence identity with pepper mottle virus (PepMoV), followed by verbena virus Y (VVY, 62.11 %), potato virus Y (PVY, 62.07 %) and Peru tomato mosaic virus (PTV, 62.00 %). Based upon a phylogenetic analysis, PepYMV was most closely related to PepMoV and PTV, within the PVY subgroup cluster, like most potyviruses isolated in solanaceous hosts in South America.

Kinetics of cardiac and vascular remodeling by spontaneously hypertensive rats after discontinuation of long-term captopril treatment.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors reduce blood pressure and attenuate cardiac and vascular remodeling in hypertension. However, the kinetics of remodeling after discontinuation of the long-term use of these drugs are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the temporal changes occurring in blood pressure and vascular structure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Captopril treatment was started in the pre-hypertensive state. Rats (4 weeks) were assigned to three groups: SHR-Cap (N = 51) treated with captopril (1 g/L) in drinking water from the 4th to the 14th week; SHR-C (N = 48) untreated SHR; Wistar (N = 47) control rats. Subgroups of animals were studied at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after discontinuation of captopril. Direct blood pressure was recorded in freely moving animals after femoral artery catheterism. The animals were then killed to determine left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the aorta fixed at the same pressure measured in vivo. Captopril prevented hypertension (105 + or - 3 vs 136 + or - 5 mmHg), LVH (2.17 + or - 0.05 vs 2.97 + or - 0.14 mg/g body weight) and the increase in cross-sectional area to luminal area ratio of the aorta (0.21 + or - 0.01 vs 0.26 + or - 0.02 microm(2)) (SHR-Cap vs SHR-C). However, these parameters increased progressively after discontinuation of captopril (22nd week: 141 + or - 2 mmHg, 2.50 + or - 0.06 mg/g, 0.27 + or - 0.02 microm(2)). Prevention of the development of hypertension in SHR by using captopril during the prehypertensive period prevents the development of cardiac and vascular remodeling. Recovery of these processes follows the kinetic of hypertension development after discontinuation of captopril.

Kinetics of cardiac and vascular remodeling by spontaneously hypertensive rats after discontinuation of long-term captopril treatment

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors reduce blood pressure and attenuate cardiac and vascular remodeling in hypertension. However, the kinetics of remodeling after discontinuation of the long-term use of these drugs are unknown. Our objective was to investigate the temporal changes occurring in blood pressure and vascular structure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Captopril treatment was started in the pre-hypertensive state. Rats (4 weeks) were assigned to three groups: SHR-Cap (N = 51) treated with captopril (1 g/L) in drinking water from the 4th to the 14th week; SHR-C (N = 48) untreated SHR; Wistar (N = 47) control rats. Subgroups of animals were studied at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after discontinuation of captopril. Direct blood pressure was recorded in freely moving animals after femoral artery catheterism. The animals were then killed to determine left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the aorta fixed at the same pressure measured in vivo. Captopril prevented hypertension (105 ± 3 vs 136 ± 5 mmHg), LVH (2.17 ± 0.05 vs 2.97 ± 0.14 mg/g body weight) and the increase in cross-sectional area to luminal area ratio of the aorta (0.21 ± 0.01 vs 0.26 ± 0.02 ìm²) (SHR-Cap vs SHR-C). However, these parameters increased progressively after discontinuation of captopril (22nd week: 141 ± 2 mmHg, 2.50 ± 0.06 mg/g, 0.27 ± 0.02 ìm²). Prevention of the development of hypertension in SHR by using captopril during the prehypertensive period prevents the development of cardiac and vascular remodeling. Recovery of these processes follows the kinetic of hypertension development after discontinuation of captopril.