Laccase Production by the Aquatic Ascomycete Phoma sp. UHH 5-1-03 and the White Rot Basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus DSM 1833 During Submerged Cultivation on Banana Peels and Enzyme Applicability for the Removal of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals

This work aimed to study the production of laccase from Pleurotus ostreatus DSM 1833 and Phoma sp. UHH 5-1-03 using banana peels as alternative carbon source, the subsequent partial purification and characterization of the enzyme, as well the applicability to degrade endocrine disruptors. The laccase stability with pH and temperature, the optimum pH, the K _m and V _max parameters, and the molar mass were determined. Tests were conducted for assessing the ability of degradation of the endocrine disruptors t-nonylphenol, bisphenol A, and 17??-ethinylestradiol. Laccase production of 752 and 1,117?U?L^?1 was obtained for Phoma sp. and P. ostreatus, respectively. Phoma sp. laccase showed higher stability with temperature and pH. The laccase from both species showed higher affinity by syringaldazine. The culture broth with banana peels induced the production of two isoforms of P. ostreatus (58.7 and 21?kDa) and one of Phoma sp. laccase (72?kDa). In the first day of incubation, the concentrations of bisphenol A and 17??-ethinylestradiol were reduced to values close to zero and after 3?days the concentration of t-nonylphenol was reduced in 90% by the P. ostreatus laccase, but there was no reduction in its concentration by the Phoma sp. laccase.     

Reactions with Weakly Bound Nuclei,at near Barrier Energies,and the Breakup and Transfer Influences on the Fusion and Elastic Scattering

We present a brief review of the reaction mechanisms involved in collisions of weakly bound projectiles with tightly bound targets, at near-barrier energies. We discuss systematic behaviors of the data, with emphasis in fusion, breakup, nucleon transfer and elastic scattering. The dependence of the breakup cross section on the charge and mass of the target is discussed, and the influence of the breakup channel on complete fusion is investigated. For this purpose, we compare reduced fusion cross sections with a benchmark universal curve. The behaviors observed in the comparisons are explained in terms of polarization potentials and of nucleon transfer followed by breakup. The influence of the breakup process on elastic scattering is also discussed. Some apparent contradictions between results of different authors are explained and some perspectives of the field are presented.     

Response surface methodology for optimization of cyanamide analysis by in situ derivatization and dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction

Cyanamide is widely used for agricultural purposes; therefore, its residues can be found in water. A new method was developed for its quantification using in situ derivatization with 2,6‐dimethyl‐4‐quinolinecarboxylic acid N‐hydroxysuccinimide ester followed by dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) and high‐performance liquid chromatography/fluorescence analysis. Multivariate chemometric techniques were successfully used to obtain the optimum conditions for direct derivatization and DLLME extraction. Derivatization parameters and DLLME extraction conditions were optimized by a two‐step design, 2^k factorial design for screening, and central composite design for optimization. Best derivatization conditions were addition of 600 μL of derivatizing reagent, a temperature of 4 ºC, and pH 8.5, whereas for optimum extraction 800 μL of solvent, 30% NaCl conc. w/v, and pH 3.8 were chosen. The analytical performance of the method for routine analysis was evaluated. Excellent linearity was achieved from 10 to 200 µg L⁻¹ with a correlation factor of 0.9996. Precision ranged from 3.5% to 5.5% for intraday assays and 8.5% to 8.6% for interday assays. The mean recoveries performed on water from different origins (ground, river, sea, tap, and mineral) at three levels of concentration (20, 75, and 200 µg L⁻¹) ranged from 90.2% to 110.2%. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Graphene Quantum Dots Modified Screen‐printed Electrodes as Electroanalytical Sensing Platform for Diethylstilbestrol

In present work a simple methodology for electroanalytical sensing of diethylstilbestrol (DES) using graphene quantum dots (GQD) surface modified screen‐printed electrodes (SPE) is reported. GQD was synthesized by simple bottom‐up method based on citric acid pyrolysis at 200 °C and electrodeposited directly at electrode surface under cyclic voltammetric conditions. The obtained GQD presented an average diameter of 7 nm and was characterized by techniques such as transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The proposed sensor exhibits a linear response from 0.05 to 7.5 μmol L^?1, with limit of detection and quantification of 8.8 nmol L^?1 and 29.0 nmol L^?1, respectively. The repeatability study presented RSD=3.6 % for 6 consecutive measurements using the same electrode surface and the reproducibility study showed RSD=6.6 % for measurements with 6 different electrode surfaces. The proposed sensor was successfully applied for DES determination in synthetic urine and tap water spiked samples and good recoveries were obtained without any sample pre‐treatment, showing its promising analytical performance.     

Evaluation of bone repair in the femur of rats submitted to laser therapy in different wavelengths: An image segmentation method of analysis

The aim of this study was to histologically assess the effect of laser therapy (LILT, 660 and 780 nm) on the repair of standardized bone defects on the femur of Wistar albinus rats. The sample was composed of 12 Wistar albinus young adult rats of both genders. Three randomized groups were studied: group I (control, n = 4), group II (LILT, 660 nm, n = 4), and group III (LILT, 780 nm, n = 4). Samples were prepared using a bone defect on the left-side femur surface of the animals, with a total dimension of approximately 3 mm³. Groups II and III were irradiated every 48 h from the second application, where the first dose was given immediately after surgery and the second application came 24 h after surgery. The irradiations were applied transcutaneously at four points around the wound for 14 days. At each point, a dose of 50 J/cm² (2 J) was given (s ～ 0.04 cm², 40 mW) and the total dose per session was 200 J/cm² (8 J). The sacrifices were made 15 days after surgery and the specimens were routinely processed to wax, serially cut, stained with an H&;E stain, and analyzed under light microscopy. The images were submitted to morphometric analysis using the image segmentation method using the K-means algorithm. The data obtained through the morphometric analysis were submitted to statistical analysis using the Tukey test. The results showed that the group treated with laser therapy in the infrared spectrum resulted in an increase in the repair of bone defects when compared with the group treated with the laser in the red spectrum and control group, which, in turn, had a very similar pattern of repair. A statistical significance (p < 0.01) was observed when comparing the results of group III and the results of Groups I and II. We concluded that the LILT in the infrared spectrum produced a positive biomodulation effect on the repair of bone defects in the femur of rats.     

Geometry in the Entanglement Dynamics of the Double Jaynes–Cummings Model

We report on the geometric character of the entanglement dynamics of two pairs of qubits evolving according to the double Jaynes–Cummings model. We show that the entanglement dynamics for the initial states | ψ ₀〉 = cos α | 10〉 + sin α | 01〉 and | ? ₀〉 = cos α | 11〉 + sin α | 00〉 cover three-dimensional surfaces in the diagram C _ij × C _ik × C _il , where C _mn stands for the concurrence between qubits m and n, varying 0 ≤ α ≤ π / 2. In the first case, projections of the surfaces on a diagram C _ij × C _kl are conics. In the second case, curves can be more complex. We relate those conics with a measurable quantity, the predictability. We also derive inequalities limiting the sum of the squares of the concurrence of every bipartition and show that sudden death of entanglement is intimately connected to the size of the average radius of a hypersphere.     

CO2 sequestration by high initial strength Portland cement pastes

During the formation of pastes, mortar and concretes have been used to capture CO₂. This work presents a methodology to estimate the carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestered by high strength and sulfate-resistant Portland cement pastes during their early stages of hydration, by Thermogravimetry and Derivative Thermogravimetry. Water to cement ratio equal to 0.50 and 0.70 were evaluated and the captured CO₂ amount was determined through TG/DTG curve data on initial cement mass basis, obtained during accelerated carbonation from the fluid state and accelerated carbonation after a first hydration process. The experiments were performed in a controlled chamber, maintaining the CO₂ content at 20 vol % and the temperature at 25 °C, at different relative humidity (RH) (60 and 80 %) ambient. The procedure allows one to estimate the amount of CO₂ sequestered by the initial cement mass of a given volume of paste, as well as to evaluate the RH and W/C ratio influence on the amount of hydrated formed products, mainly on the Ca(OH)₂, important for CO₂ fixation.     

How Climatic Seasons of the Amazon Biome Affect the Aromatic and Bioactive Profiles of Fermented and Dried Cocoa Beans?

In addition to the vast diversity of fauna and flora, the Brazilian Amazon has different climatic periods characterized by periods with greater and lesser rainfall. The main objective of this research was to verify the influence of climatic seasons in the Brazilian Amazon (northeast of Pará state) concerning the aromatic and bioactive profiles of fermented and dried cocoa seeds. About 200 kg of seeds was fermented using specific protocols of local producers. Physicochemical analyzes (total titratable acidity, pH, total phenolic compounds, quantification of monomeric phenolics and methylxanthines) and volatile compounds by GC-MS were carried out. We observed that: in the summer, the highest levels of aldehydes were identified, such as benzaldehyde (6.34%) and phenylacetaldehyde (36.73%), related to the fermented cocoa and honey aromas, respectively; and a total of 27.89% of this same class was identified during winter. There were significant differences (p ≤ 0.05, Tukey test) in the profile of bioactive compounds (catechin, epicatechin, caffeine, and theobromine), being higher in fermented almonds in winter. This study indicates that the climatic seasons in the Amazon affect the aromatic and bioactive profiles and could produce a new identity standard (summer and winter Amazon) for the cocoa almonds and their products.     

Compounds from the Root Bark of Bowdichia virgilioides

Chemistry of Natural Compounds -