The cultivation of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas Lam (Solanales: Convolvulaceae), is important for food security. Roots and vines of sweet potato are food for humans and animals and industrial raw ...materials. Sweet potato plants produce phytoalexins, latex and terpenoids with antibiosis effect, but insect pests can damage this plant. The leaf-mining microlepidoptera Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller, 1847) (Lepidoptera: Bedelliidae) is native to Eurasia and one of the main insect pests of the aerial part of sweet potato plants. Here, Cabral and Zanuncio discuss the predation of B. somnulentella caterpillars and pupae by P. sylveirae on sweet potato plants.
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•The presence of lignin in polyurethane foams increased oil sorption capacity.•The presence of lignin resulted in a decrease in the hydrophobicity of the foams.•Langmuir isotherm ...predicted a maximum oil adsorption of 28.9gg−1 by the PUF-10.•ΔG° (−4.4kJmol−1) indicated that adsorption process by PUF-10 was spontaneous.•The recyclability of the foam showed efficiency greater than 95% after five cycles.
The present study describes the influence of the concentration of lignin when used as a filler in polyurethane foam for crude oil sorption. The foams (lignin 0–20wt%) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, contact angle and density. The FTIR analysis confirmed urethane linkage formation, showing that the chemical structure of the polymer was preserved, despite the addition of different lignin concentrations. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the presence of lignin has altered the onset temperature (Tonset) of the foams, decreasing as the concentration of lignin is increased. The contact angle analysis showed a decrease in the hydrophobicity of the foams with increasing lignin concentration. All modified foams showed an improvement in the oil sorption capacity in a PUF/oil/water system, and the PUF-10 showed an improvement of about 35.5% compared to the PUF-blank. The Langmuir isotherm showed a better fit to the data and predicted a maximum oil adsorption of 28.9gg−1 by the PUF-10. The ΔG° value of −4.4kJmol−1 indicated that crude oil adsorption process by PUF-10 was spontaneous. The results of reuse of the PUF-10 showed that oil removal efficiency remained greater than 95% after five consecutive cycles.
A series of pyridyl analogues of rosamines was prepared by employing two methodologies: (i) the conventional‐heating condensation of a pyridinecarboxaldehyde with 3‐(diethylamino)phenol in propionic ...acid, and (ii) the novel ohmic‐heating assisted condensation under “on water” conditions, followed by oxidation. The 4‐pyridyl substituted rosamine was further converted into the N‐methylpyridinium derivative through N‐alkylation using methyl iodide. The influence of the position and cationization of the nitrogen atom of the pyridyl ring in the physicochemical properties of fluorophores was investigated by 1H, 13C, 15N NMR spectral analysis, UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (4‐pyridyl and N‐methylpyridinium derivatives) and thermal‐behavior analysis. Curiously, for ethanolic solutions of 4‐pyridyl and N‐methylpyridinium derivatives an extinction of color and fluorescence over time was observed. This phenomenon was further studied and the data revealed that it is the result of nucleophilic addition of ethoxide ion to the central 9‐position of the xanthene. The kinetics of the process is slower for the 4‐pyridyl rosamine, which emphasizes the importance of the charge in the N‐methylpyridinium analogue in the reactivity of the molecule towards a nucleophile agent. This phenomenon is reversible, meaning that the compounds can be rapidly recovered by decreasing the pH, opening new avenues in the sensing applications of this class of rosamines.
Pyridyl and N‐methylpyridinium analogues of rosamines: The ohmic‐heating approach to synthesize triarylmethane derivatives, followed by oxidative cyclization, is presented. The influence of the position and cationization of the nitrogen atom in the pyridyl ring was evaluated by photophysical and thermal behavior analysis. In addition, the quenching behavior of the highly reactive N‐methylpyridinium rosamine in ethanol is reported for the first time.
Public health concerns exist surrounding the epidemic of the Zika virus (ZIKV) and the rapid growth of transplantation in developing countries, including endemic zones of active arbovirus ...transmission, as well as travel to such regions by potential organ donors and recipients. Few data exist regarding the clinical characteristics of ZIKV infection in immunocompromised hosts. Laboratory screening protocols for transplantation to differentiate ZIKV infections from other endemic viral diseases and for the detection of possible donor‐derived infection have not been stated. The diagnosis of ZIKV infection remains a challenge, fueled by the lack of standardized commercially available diagnostic tests and validated reference diagnostic laboratories, as well as the limited duration of ZIKV viremia. In this small series, ZIKV infection in renal and liver recipients presented without rash, conjunctivitis, or neurological symptoms, and with abnormal graft function, thrombocytopenia, and bacterial superinfection. We report the first case series of ZIKV infection in solid organ recipients, with a description of clinical and laboratory features and therapeutic management.
In this study, the authors describe the features of Zika infection in solid organ transplant. See the editorial from Blumberg and Fishman on page 599.
Dairy industry has sought strategies for obtaining products that meet new market demands, focusing on foods of higher nutritional quality to be better options for consumers. In this competitive ...scenario, dairy foods have been developed to provide functional components and/or meet specific dietary needs, such as those observed in the setting of obesity and hypertension. Processed cheese, which originally has high-sodium and fat contents in its formulation, may also undergo a reformulation. In addition, nowadays, the addition of prebiotic ingredients into dairy products is a common technological practice to not only enhance their beneficial health effects but also to improve the final texture, replace fat components, and increase the fiber content. In the present review, we provide the state-of-the-art of the effects of fat and salt reduction and the positive impacts of adding prebiotics on the functional properties and sensory acceptance of processed cheeses.
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•Strategies for development of healthier processed cheeses•Starch is interesting option for reducing fat level.•Inulin confers technology function.•Potassium chloride is a best option to reduce sodium level.
Biodiversity loss from deforestation may be partly offset by the expansion of secondary forests and plantation forestry in the tropics. However, our current knowledge of the value of these habitats ...for biodiversity conservation is limited to very few taxa, and many studies are severely confounded by methodological shortcomings. We examined the conservation value of tropical primary, secondary, and plantation forests for 15 taxonomic groups using a robust and replicated sample design that minimized edge effects. Different taxa varied markedly in their response to patterns of land use in terms of species richness and the percentage of species restricted to primary forest (varying from 5% to 57%), yet almost all between-forest comparisons showed marked differences in community structure and composition. Cross-taxon congruence in response patterns was very weak when evaluated using abundance or species richness data, but much stronger when using metrics based upon community similarity. Our results show that, whereas the biodiversity indicator group concept may hold some validity for several taxa that are frequently sampled (such as birds and fruit-feeding butterflies), it fails for those exhibiting highly idiosyncratic responses to tropical land-use change (including highly vagile species groups such as bats and orchid bees), highlighting the problems associated with quantifying the biodiversity value of anthropogenic habitats. Finally, although we show that areas of native regeneration and exotic tree plantations can provide complementary conservation services, we also provide clear empirical evidence demonstrating the irreplaceable value of primary forests.
The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of antimicrobial edible coatings to wrap cheeses, throughout 60d of storage, as an alternative to commercial nonedible coatings. Coatings ...were prepared using whey protein isolate, glycerol, guar gum, sunflower oil, and Tween 20 as a base matrix, together with several combinations of antimicrobial compounds—natamycin and lactic acid, natamycin and chitooligosaccharides (COS), and natamycin, lactic acid, and COS. Application of coating on cheese decreased water loss (~10%, wt/wt), hardness, and color change; however, salt and fat contents were not significantly affected. Moreover, the antimicrobial edible coatings did not permit growth of pathogenic or contaminant microorganisms, while allowing regular growth of lactic acid bacteria throughout storage. Commercial nonedible coatings inhibited only yeasts and molds. The antimicrobial edible coating containing natamycin and lactic acid was the best in sensory terms. Because these antimicrobial coatings are manufactured from food-grade materials, they can be consumed as an integral part of cheese, which represents a competitive advantage over nonedible coatings.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 1 μmol/L zearalenone (ZEN) and 1 μmol/L enterolactone (ENL), alone or in combination, on the survival and morphology of in vitro cultured ovarian ...preantral follicles. Ovaries from 10 sheep were collected at a local abattoir and fragmented, and the ovarian pieces were submitted to in vitro culture for 3 days in the presence or absence of the test compounds. The morphology of primordial and primary follicles was impaired by ZEN, whereas that of cultured secondary follicles was improved by ENL. However, the combination of ENL with ZEN impaired the quality of primary and secondary follicles. Both ZEN and ENL induced apoptosis, but only ZEN was responsible for oocyte autophagy. None of these xenoestrogens affected endoplasmic reticulum stress as observed by the unaltered expression of ERP29. Differently from ZEN, ENL increased the expression of the efflux transporter ABCG2. In conclusion, although ENL can counteract the negative effects of ZEN on primordial and primary follicles, this positive effect is not similar to that observed in ovarian tissue cultures in the presence of ENL alone.
•The mammary lignin ENL decreased cell autophagy caused by ZEN.•Enterolactone counteracts the negative impact of ZEN on sheep ovarian primordial follicles.•However, ENL is not able to protect primary and secondary preantral follicles exposed to ZEN.
Secondary metabolites have been recognized for centuries as medicinal agents, in particular monoterpenes which have been the target of research in the discovery of antineoplastic drugs, as they have ...potential antitumor effect and low toxicity and are used as additives in foods and cosmetics. Another advantage of monoterpenes is structural diversity, which gives greater plasticity when interacting with cells. The purpose of this review was to summarize and critically discuss the anticancer potential of monoterpenes and their respective mechanisms of action. A systematic review of articles in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Science Direct electronic databases was independently conducted by three reviewers using the combination of the following keywords: monoterpenes AND anticancer AND in vitro. Restriction in selecting articles followed pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria by the reviewers, and also a time limitation with works published between 2015 and 2019 being selected. In total, 39 works were deemed eligible for inclusion in the final review. Monoterpenes have cytotoxic activity in a wide variety of tumor cell lines, and mainly appear to exert this effect by inducing apoptosis caused by oxidative stress. In addition, improved use of monoterpenes when used in drug delivery systems and the synergistic effect with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs are reported. These findings validate this class of compounds as a promising source of chemotherapeutic drugs yet to be explored.
Salinity reduces feijão-caupi production, and the search for tolerant varieties becomes important within the agricultural context, as, in addition to being used in the field, they can be used in ...genetic improvement. The objective was to for a identify variety that is tolerant to salinity considering the physiological quality of seeds and seedling growth. A 2 × 4 factorial scheme was used, referring to the varieties Pingo-de-ouro and Coruja, and four electrical conductivities of water (0; 3.3; 6.6 and 9.9 dS m-1). The physiological quality of seeds and the growth of seedlings were analyzed, in addition to the cumulative germination. The Pingo-de-ouro variety showed no germination, length of the shoot and root, dry mass of the shoot and root compromised up to electrical conductivity of 6 dS m-1 in relation to 0.0 dS m-1. On the other hand, the Coruja variety showed reduced germination, increased shoot and root length. The creole variety Pingo-de-ouro proved to be tolerant to salinity.
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