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Data availability: The datasets analyzed for the current study reflect collaborative efforts of two research consortia: ALLFTD and GENFI. Each consortium provides clinical data access based on established policies for data use: processes for request are available for review at allftd.org/data for ALLFTD data and by emailing genfi@ucl.ac.uk. Certain data elements from both consortia (for example raw MRI images) may be restricted due to the potential for identifiability in the context of the sensitive nature of the genetic data. The deidentified combined dataset will be available for request through the FTD Prevention Initiative in 2023 (https://www.thefpi.org/). Code availability: Custom R code is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6687486. Copyright © The Author(s). Unlike familial Alzheimer’s disease, we have been unable to accurately predict symptom onset in presymptomatic familial frontotemporal dementia (f-FTD) mutation carriers, which is a major hurdle to designing disease prevention trials. We developed multimodal models for f-FTD disease progression and estimated clinical trial sample sizes in C9orf72, GRN and MAPT mutation carriers. Models included longitudinal clinical and neuropsychological scores, regional brain volumes and plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) in 796 carriers and 412 noncarrier controls. We found that the temporal ordering of clinical and biomarker progression differed by genotype. In prevention-trial simulations using model-based patient selection, atrophy and NfL were the best endpoints, whereas clinical measures were potential endpoints in early symptomatic trials. f-FTD prevention trials are feasible but will likely require global recruitment efforts. These disease progression models will facilitate the planning of f-FTD clinical trials, including the selection of optimal endpoints and enrollment criteria to maximize power to detect treatment effects. Data collection and dissemination of the data presented in this paper were supported by the ALLFTD Consortium (U19: AG063911, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke) and the former ARTFL and LEFFTDS Consortia (ARTFL: U54 NS092089, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences; LEFFTDS: U01 AG045390, funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke). The manuscript was reviewed by the ALLFTD Executive Committee for scientific content. The authors acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the study participants and families as well as the assistance of the support staffs at each of the participating sites. This work is also supported by the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (including the FTD Biomarkers Initiative), the Bluefield Project to Cure FTD, Larry L. Hillblom Foundation (2018-A-025-FEL (A.M.S.)), the National Institutes of Health (AG038791 (A.L.B.), AG032306 (H.J.R.), AG016976 (W.K.), AG062677 (Ron C. Peterson), AG019724 (B.L.M.), AG058233 (Suzee E. Lee), AG072122 (Walter Kukull), P30 AG062422 (B.L.M.), K12 HD001459 (N.G.), K23AG061253 (A.M.S.), AG062422 (RCP), K24AG045333 (H.J.R.)) and the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. Samples from the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD), which receives government support under a cooperative agreement grant (U24 AG021886 (T.F.)) awarded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), were used in this study. This work was also supported by Medical Research Council UK GENFI grant MR/M023664/1 (J.D.R.), the Bluefield Project, the National Institute for Health Research including awards to Cambridge and UCL Biomedical Research Centres and a JPND GENFI-PROX grant (2019–02248). Several authors of this publication are members of the European Reference Network for Rare Neurologic Diseases, project 739510. J.D.R. and L.L.R. are also supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) UCL/H Biomedical Research Centre, the Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre Clinical Research Facility and the UK Dementia Research Institute, which receives its funding from UK DRI Ltd, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. J.D.R. is also supported by the Miriam Marks Brain Research UK Senior Fellowship and has received funding from an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship (MR/M008525/1) and the NIHR Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration (BRC149/NS/MH). M.B. is supported by a Fellowship award from the Alzheimer’s Society, UK (AS-JF-19a-004-517). RC and C.G. are supported by a Frontotemporal Dementia Research Studentships in Memory of David Blechner funded through The National Brain Appeal (RCN 290173). J.B.R. is supported by NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (BRC-1215-20014; the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care), the Wellcome Trust (220258), the Cambridge Centre for Parkinson-plus and the Medical Research Council (SUAG/092 G116768); I.L.B. is supported by ANR-PRTS PREV-DemAls, PHRC PREDICT-PGRN, and several authors of this publication are members of the European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases (project 739510). J.L. is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy within the framework of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (EXC 2145 SyNergy – ID 390857198). R.S.-V. was funded at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (grant code PI20/00448 to RSV) and Fundació Marató TV3, Spain (grant code 20143810 to R.S.-V.). M.M. was, in part, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, the Italian Ministry of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as part of a Centres of Excellence in Neurodegeneration grant, by Canadian Institutes of Health Research operating grants (MOP- 371851 and PJT-175242) and by funding from the Weston Brain Institute. R.L. is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Chaire de Recherche sur les Aphasies Primaires Progressives Fondation Famille Lemaire. C.G. is supported by the Swedish Frontotemporal Dementia Initiative Schörling Foundation, Swedish Research Council, JPND Prefrontals, 2015–02926,2018–02754, Swedish Alzheimer Foundation, Swedish Brain Foundation, Karolinska Institutet Doctoral Funding, KI Strat-Neuro, Swedish Dementia Foundation, and Stockholm County Council ALF/Region Stockholm. J.L. is supported by Germany’s Excellence Strategy within the framework of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (German Research Foundation, EXC 2145 Synergy 390857198). The Dementia Research Centre is supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Brain Research UK, and The Wolfson Foundation. This work was supported by the National Institute for Health Research UCL/H Biomedical Research Centre, the Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre Clinical Research Facility and the UK Dementia Research Institute, which receives its funding from UK DRI Ltd, funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society, and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

© 2021 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., We describe maleic-acid derivatives as robust cysteine-selective reagents for protein labelling with comparable kinetics and superior stability relative to maleimides. Diamide and amido-ester derivatives proved to be efficient protein-labelling species with a common mechanism in which a spontaneous cyclization occurs upon addition to cysteine. Introduction of chlorine atoms in their structures triggers ring hydrolysis or further conjugation with adjacent residues, which results in conjugates that are completely resistant to retro-Michael reactions in the presence of biological thiols and human plasma. By controlling the microenvironment of the reactive site, we can control selectivity towards the hydrolytic pathway, forming homogeneous conjugates. The method is applicable to several scaffolds and enables conjugation of different payloads. The synthetic accessibility of these reagents and the mild conditions required for fast and complete conjugation together with the superior stability of the conjugates make this strategy an important alternative to maleimides in bioconjugation., This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement N° 836698 and under grant agreement N° 852985. Funding from the Scripps Research Institute (A.A.), FCT Portugal (PhD scholarship PD/BD/135512/2018 to C.F.A. and FCT Stimulus CEECIND/00453/2018 to G.J.L.B.) and Agencia Estatal Investigación of Spain (AEI; Grant RTI2018-099592-B-C21 to F.C.) is also acknowledged.

Nutritional status might contribute to variations induced by physical activity (PA) in redox status biomarkers. We investigated the influence of PA on redox status and nitric oxide (NO) production/metabolism biomarkers in nonoverweight and overweight/obese prepubertal children. We performed a cross-sectional evaluation of 313 children aged 8-9 years (163 nonoverweight, 150 overweight/obese) followed since birth in a cohort study (Generation XXI, Porto, Portugal). Plasma total antioxidant status (P-TAS), plasma and urinary isoprostanes (P-Isop, U-Isop), urinary hydrogen peroxide (U-H2O2), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and plasma and urinary nitrates and nitrites (P-NOx, U-NOx) were assessed, as well as their association with variables of reported PA quantification (categories of PA frequency (>1x/week and ≤1x/week)and continuous PA index (obtained by the sum of points)) in a questionnaire with increasing ranks from sedentary to vigorous activity levels. U-NOx was significantly higher in children who presented higher PA index scores and higher PA frequency. Separately by BMI classes, U-NOx was significantly higher only in nonoverweight children who practiced PA more frequently (p = 0.037). In overweight/obese children, but not in nonoverweight, P-TAS was higher among children with higher PA frequency (p = 0.007). Homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA-IR) was significantly lower in more active overweight/obese children, but no differences were observed in nonoverweight children. In the fully adjusted multivariate linear regression models for P-TAS, in the overweight/obese group, children with higher PA frequency presented higher P-TAS. In the U-NOx models, U-NOx significantly increased with PA index, only in nonoverweight children. Our results provide additional evidence in support of a protective effect of physical activity, in nonoverweight by increasing NO bioavailability and in overweight/obese children by enhancing systemic antioxidant capacity and insulin sensitivity. These results highlight the importance of engaging in regular physical exercise, particularly among overweight/obese children, in which a positive association between oxidant status and cardiometabolic risk markers has been described. This project was supported by FEDER funds from Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade – COMPETE [FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-028751], by national funds from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Lisbon, Portugal [PTDC/DTP-PIC/0239/2012] and by Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Liane Correia-Costa was supported by FCT [SFRH/SINTD/95898/2013] and Teresa Sousa was supported by FCT and POPH/FSE (EC) [Ciência 2008 and SFRH/BPD/112005].

BACKGROUND Sitophilus zeamais is one of the most economically impactful pests, attacking various grains and processed foods. Control of this insect has been achieved using synthetic insecticides, exacerbated and careless use of which has led to the development of resistant insect populations, toxicity to non-target organisms and environmental contamination. In this study, Piper corcovadensis leaf essential oil (PcLEO) and its major compound, 1-butyl-3,4-methylenedioxybenzene (BMDB), were investigated as alternative insecticidal agents against S. zeamais. RESULTS Characterization of PcLEO showed the presence of 40 compounds. The major components were the phenylpropanoid BMDB (35.77%) and the monoterpenes α-pinene (14.95%) and terpinolene (6.23%). PcLEO and BMDB were toxic by fumigation (half-maximal lethal concentration [LC50 ]: 9.46 and 0.85 μl L-1 of air, respectively), by contact (half-maximal lethal dose [LD50 ]: 9.38 and 6.16 μg g-1 of insect, respectively) and ingestion (LC50 : 16.04 and 14.30 mg g-1 , respectively). In the ingestion test, both PcLEO and BMDB promoted the loss of insect biomass and had a strong deterrent effect. In addition, both were able to inhibit trypsin and α-amylase activities. CONCLUSION PcLEO and BMDB exhibited insecticidal activity against S. zeamais, with a toxic effect by fumigation, contact and ingestion, in addition to food deterrence and inhibiting trypsin and α-amylase activities, suggesting their potential for use in the control of this pest.

This study focuses on the determination of the chemical profile of 24 non-aged Brazilian artisanal sugarcane spirits (cachaça) samples through chromatographic quantification and chemometric treatment via principal component analysis (PCA) and Kohonen’s neural network. In total, forty-seven (47) chemical compounds were identified in the samples of non-aged artisanal cachaça, in addition to determining alcohol content, volatile acidity, and copper. For the PCA of the chemical compounds’ profile, it could be observed that the samples were grouped into seven groups. On the other hand, the variables’ bearings were grouped together, making it difficult to separate the components in relation to the sample groups and reducing the chances of obtaining all the necessary information. However, by using a Kohonen’s neural network, samples were grouped into eight groups. This tool proved to be more accurate in the groups’ formation. Among the chemical classes of the compounds observed, esters stood out, followed by alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, phenol, and copper. The abundance of esters in these samples may suggest that these compounds would be part of the regional standard for cachaças produced in the region of Salinas, Minas Gerais.

This paper is focused on solving the problems of positioning and alignment of rivets in double-sided self-pierce riveting by means of flat-bottom holes that are previously machined in the overlapped sheets with greater mechanical strength. The work combines experimentation in joints made from dissimilar materials (aluminium AA5754-H111 and polyvinylchloride) with finite element modelling to investigate the influence of the flat-bottom hole geometry in the overall joining mechanisms. It is shown that the use of flat hole-bottom holes with rivets having identical chamfered angles in both ends is unable to create undercuts and to produce form-closed mechanical interlockings. Undercuts are created if different chamfered angles in the rivet ends are introduced to compensate the greater or lesser difficulty of the rivets to pierce through sheets with different mechanical strengths. Destructive shear and peel tests performed with different types of joints confirm the good performance of the joints produced by double-sided self-pierce riveting with flat-bottom holes.

Introduction/Purpose Obesity increases significantly every year worldwide. Since 1980, the prevalence of individuals with obesity has practically doubled. Obesity plays an important role in the pathophysiology of diseases that arise from a complex interaction of nutritional, genetic, and metabolic factors, characterizing a chronic inflammatory state. This study aimed to verify the systemic inflammatory response through the analysis of IGF-1, IL-23, and resistin levels and the lipid profile in severely obese women undergoing surgery for obesity and weight-related diseases. Materials and Methods This randomized controlled clinical trial includes female patients clinically diagnosed with severe obesity with an indication for bariatric surgery. Results In the initial evaluation, no significant difference was observed between the control (CG) and bariatric surgery (BSG) groups. The weight, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, total non-HDL cholesterol, and glucose in BSG patients showed a significant change after surgery. Pre- and post-surgery levels of resistin, IGF-1, and IL-23 showed a significant difference in the BSG group, but only IL-23 was changed after 6 months in the CG. Conclusion The results of this study confirmed that weight loss induced by surgery for obesity and weight-related diseases improved the lipid profile and reduced the chronic inflammatory status in women with severe obesity.

Aedes aegypti can transmit dengue, chikungunya, zika and yellow fever. Its control represents the main strategy for reducing the spreading of these diseases. In the present work, Plectranthus barbatus leaf saline extract (SE), decoction and infusion were studied for their effects on the survival of A. aegypti third instar larvae (L3), as well as for the presence of secondary metabolites, lectins, and trypsin inhibitors. The effects of SE (non-heated or heated) on digestive proteases, permeability of peritrophic membrane, morphophysiology, microbiota growth and melanogenesis of L3 are reported. SE killed L3 (LC50 of 0.48%, w/v), while decoction and infusion were not larvicides. HPLC analysis identified caffeic acid and flavonoids in SE, decoction, and infusion. SE also contained a ribose/galactose-binding lectin, trypsin inhibitor activities and polypeptides (34, 63 and 66 kDa) resistant to hydrolysis by L3 gut proteases. The incubation of SE with larval proteases did not alter lectin and trypsin inhibitor activities. Treatment of L3 with SE (at LC50) increased the permeability of peritrophic membrane and prevented the larvae from passing into the fourth instar. The morphology of larval midgut was not affected by SE, but the content of neutral polysaccharides in epithelial cells was reduced. SE stimulated in vitro the proliferation of L3 midgut microbiota and increased in vivo the production of melanin by larvae. The heating (100°C, 5 h) of SE increased lectin, trypsin inhibitor and larvicidal activities. In conclusion, SE larvicidal activity may be linked to the presence of lectin and trypsin inhibitor and involves the inhibition of digestive proteases, damage to larval midgut morphophysiology and induction of dysbiosis.

Bio-oils obtained from lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis are promising energetic resources. However, their high oxygen content is responsible for storage and corrosion issues and does not allow the...

International audience; Petroporphyrins, geoporphyrins, or metalloporphyrins are the original petroleum biomarkers, identified by Alfred Treibs more than a century ago and the first molecular evidence for the biogenic origins of petroleum. Since discovery, analytical strategies have been developed to identify porphyrins in petroleum and its fractions. This review focuses on the advances enabled by ultrahigh resolving power Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry in tribute to Professor Alan G. Marshall.

The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) W.W. Hay & H.P. Mohler has been receiving ever increasing attention as a result of its bioactivity potential. A strain of E. huxleyi recently isolated from Portuguese coastal waters (NE Atlantic) was cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions and the attained biomass was biochemically characterized (fatty acid (FA) profile, total phenolic and alkenone contents) and its bioactivity measured (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). Moreover, bioaccessibility of selected constituents and bioactivities was assessed. A total dry weight of 556 mg L−1 was attained. The biomass was characterized by a large polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) share of the total FA, 60.8 ± 1.8%, followed by saturated fatty acids (SFA), 22.8 ± 1.0%, and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 15.9 ± 0.7%. Furthermore, an ω3/ω6 ratio of 37 was calculated. The daily amount of freeze-dried E. huxleyi required to meet the EPA + DHA recommended daily intake (RDI) was 19.9 g. As to the phenolic content, both extracts had similar values, reaching 435.5–465.4 mg GAE (100 g dw)−1. Substantial antioxidant activity as measured by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), and ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) was observed. The levels of anti-inflammatory activity were also substantial, 38 ± 4% and 85 ± 11% of COX-2 inhibition in the aqueous and ethanolic extracts, respectively. Moreover, it was observed that the C37:3, C37:2, and C38:2 alkenones were the most abundant, with values exceeding 500 mg (100 g dw)−1 and total alkenone content was approximately 2,500 mg (100 g dw)−1. The bioaccessibility of studied compounds and bioactivities was always low or even nonexistent/undetected. Therefore, future work should aim at microalgal extraction and processing for achieving higher bioaccessibility levels.

Objective To describe the incidence of adverse reactions to indocyanine green (ICG) administered during sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for endometrial cancer, and to propose an ICG management algorithm for these patients. Methods All patients who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer with SLN biopsy using ICG from 1/2017 to 8/2020 were identified using a single-institution prospective database. Surgical adverse events (SAEs) related to the procedure were identified. A review of the literature was performed. Results In all, 1414 patients met inclusion criteria and were evaluated. Sixty-seven (4.7%) patients had a history of either an iodine or contrast allergy. No patients had a history of documented ICG allergy. Among patients with an iodine or contrast allergy, 65 (97%) received a corticosteroid with or without diphenhydramine prior to ICG administration. One hundred five patients (7.4%) experienced 116 SAEs. Among these patients, 3 experienced potentially allergic SAEs possibly related to ICG administration. After thorough chart review, however, the likelihood these SAEs were due to ICG appeared low. No patients experienced an anaphylactic response after ICG admission. Conclusion There were no anaphylactic reactions to ICG intracervical administration during 1414 consecutive SLN biopsies, including in patients with a documented iodine or contrast allergy. Intracervical injection of ICG is safe, and premedication using corticosteroids with or without diphenhydramine prior to SLN biopsy is a reasonable strategy in patients with iodinated contrast allergy.

Antibiotics have become a concern in the aquatic environments owing to the potential development of bacterial resistances. Thus, this study evaluated the removal of cephalexin (CEP) and erythromycin (ERY) from a local wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, mediated by microalgae-bacteria consortium. Likewise, the removal of correlated antibiotics resistance genes blaTEM and ermB was also assessed. The incubation results showed that the added concentrations of selected antibiotics did not restrain the consortium growth. Moreover, CEP and ERY were almost completely removed after the cultivation period, reaching total removals of 96.54% and 92.38%, respectively. The symbiotic interaction between microalgae and bacteria plays a role in the kinetics removal of CEP and ERY. The abundance of blaTEM and ermB was reduced by 0.56 and 1.75 logs, respectively. Lastly, our results suggest that technology based on natural microalgae-bacteria consortium could be a potential alternative to improve the quality of WWTP effluents.

O Brasil é considerado o segundo maior produtor mundial de alimentos destinados a cães e gatos, ficando atrás apenas dos EUA. Esses são classificado de acordo com a própria indústria em segmentos comerciais, em econômico, standard, premium e super premium, diferindo quanto a matéria prima utilizada e composição nutricional, sendo o MAPA responsável por realizar a fiscalização dos mesmos. Os cães nos dias atuais desempenham papel como companhia, vínculo emocional, considerados por alguns como membros da família, aumentando assim o contato e convívio com os seres humanos. Todo esse contato gera por meio dos tutores, maior preocupação quanto à saúde, qualidade de vida e alimentação do seu animal. Desta forma, objetivou-se determinar a composição nutricional de rações secas para cães adultos, avaliando se as informações declaradas nos rótulos são condizentes com o apresentado pelas mesmas e se atendem as necessidades nutricionais dos cães. Foram adquiridas doze amostras de rações e classificadas de acordo com o fabricante em econômica, standard, premium e super premium. Cada segmento era composto por três rações de fabricantes distintos. Foi realizado análise bromatológica das mesmas, avaliando quanto ao teor de umidade, matéria mineral, proteína bruta, extrato etéreo e fibra bruta. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com o valor observado e declarado pela fabricante, através de análise descritiva da média e desvio padrão. Todos os segmentos apresentaram diferenças significantes com relação ao demonstrado em rótulo, sendo o segmento econômico apresentou maiores diferenças entre o valor observado e o declarado no rótulo, seguido da linha super premium, premium e standard, respectivamente. Levando em consideração a legislação, o segmento econômico apresentou resultados que inviabilizam seu uso devido não atender as necessidades dos cães.

Several naturally occurring cyclopentenones, such as palmenones and nigrosporiones, exhibit antimicrobial activity. Herein we describe the antimicrobial activity of cyclopentenones and derivatives that can be easily accessed from biomass derivatives furfural and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural. Upon screening a range of functionalized trans‐diamino‐cyclopentenones (DCPs) and δ‐lactone‐fused cyclopentenones (LCPs), an oxime ether derivative of DCP was identified that exhibited remarkable antimicrobial activity against Gram‐positive bacteria, including resistant strains such as methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin‐resistant E. faecalis (VRE) strains., Readily sourced! The antimicrobial activity of biomass‐derived cyclopentenones reveals a novel scaffold, exhibiting activities in methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin‐resistant E. faecalis (VRE) strains (MIC values of 0.976 and 3.91 μg mL−1, respectively). The straightforward preparation from easily accessible furfurals provides a versatile scaffold that allows further hit‐to‐lead optimization.

Bacillus subtilis is a spore-forming bacterium and an important food contaminant. The aim of this study was to analyze the ability of B. subtilis spores to survive under conditions of low pH and high temperature. The package was purchased at a local supermarket, in Uberaba, Minas Gerais. A sample was collected, diluted and plated on Brain-Heart-Infusion agar (BHI). After incubation, suspected colonies of B. subtilis were transferred to BHI agar. Cell morphology, the presence of spores and Gram stain were examined, and the isolate was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing . The microscope evaluation indicated the presence of spores. The thermal tolerance of the spores was evaluated by the addition of 3x109spores/mL in test tubes containing peptone water. Heat treatments were carried out at 80 and 90°C at different incubation times (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min). After heating, the tubes were cooled and the number of viable spores was determined in BHI Agar. For the analysis of spore survival, D and Z values were calculated. Tolerance to acid conditions was evaluated using BHI broth with different pH values. After incubation, the bacterial concentration was determined by determining viable cell count on BHI Agar medium. The vegetative cells were transferred to the BHI broth and the pH was adjusted to different values (3, 4 or 5). Sampling were taken 8, 12 and 24 h after incubation. The samples were serially diluted in peptone water and spread in BHI Agar to determine the viable cell count . The 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated high similarity (99.99%) with B. subtilis. D values were 17.01 min at 80°C and 13.42 min at 90°C. The Z-value was 97.13°C. B. subtilis was not able to grow at pH 3 and pH 4, but its survival was confirmed after the growth of colonies on BHI agar. At pH 5, B. subtilis grew after 24 h and the final pH changed to 7. Our results suggest that the spores of B. subtilis isolated from fruit juice-added soy beverage are tolerant to low pH and high temperature.

In this study, the recovery of manganese, nickel, cobalt and lithium of electroactive components from spent lithium-ion batteries is described in detail. Experiments were performed in the presence of formic acid as leachant. Temperature, time, acid concentration and solid/liquid ratio were varied. Manganese, nickel and lithium were leached in high yields (> 99 wt.%) at ~ 80 °C for 3 h using 10 mol L−1 formic acid. This acid played the dual role of leachant and reductant for nickel and manganese. However, cobalt was only half leached under these conditions. The insoluble cobalt was rapidly dissolved after adding H2O2 to the leachant. Leached manganese, cobalt and nickel, in this order, were extracted from the leachates with di-2-ethylhexylphosphoric acid (D2EHPA) (25 °C, A/O = 1 v/v) after adjusting pH of the leachate using lithium carbonate. Stripping was run using 1 mol L−1 H2SO4. Lithium (99.5 wt.%) was recovered as formate, a high-value added byproduct, by careful evaporation of the aqueous final solution, thus reducing generation of final wastes.

Fluorescent nanostructures based on carbon, or carbon dots, are attracting much attention and interest because of their diverse properties which can be applied in several fields of knowledge, such as optics, biomedicine, environmental research, among others. Such properties are in part, derived from its intrinsic luminescence from tunable functional groups. In this work, we produced carbon nanodots (CND) using agro-industrial residues, such as Lolium perenne and malt bagasse. The methods used were conventional hydrothermal syntheses and microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that carbon dots synthesized from this ryegrass type are reported. The synthesis methods were one step (no catalyst, base, or acid were added for passivation), and the functional groups responsible for the luminescence and high solubility in water were identified by infrared spectroscopy, being mainly C=O, C–OH, C–N, and N–H. According to our theoretical studies, the C=O group introduced a new energy level for electronic transitions that can affect the emission properties. Fluorescence images of osteoblasts using CNDs were acquired and their chelating property towards Pb2+ and Cr6+ detection was tested.

O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar a remoção do fungicida Carbendazim da água durante a clarificação acoplada ou não à adsorção em carvão ativado em pó (CAP) em escala de bancada. Para a clarificação, utilizaram-se os coagulantes sulfato de alumínio, o cloreto de polialumínio e o cloreto férrico em dose e pH otimizados previamente para remoção de sólidos em suspensão de águas de baixa (20 NTU) ou alta (200 NTU) turbidez. A adsorção com CAP (2,5; 5 e 10 mg L-1) foi testada adicionando-o com o coagulante ou após a clarificação. A etapa de clarificação resultou em remoções variadas do agrotóxico, sendo o cloreto férrico mais eficiente para águas de alta turbidez (67%) e o cloreto de polialumínio para água de baixa turbidez (86%). A adição de CAP com o coagulante resultou em uma melhoria na eficiência de remoção apenas na dose mais elevada do adsorvente, chegando a 87% de eficiência para a dose de 10 mg L-1 de CAP em águas de baixa turbidez. Palavras-chave: Tratamento de água. Remoção de agrotóxico. Carvão ativado em pó.

Eugenia lisboae M.A.D. Souza (Myrtaceae) is a species found in the Amazon biome, recently described and has not yet been studied regarding its chemical properties. This study aims to identify the main chemical constituents of crude ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts from E. lisboae leaves. These crude extracts were fractionated using chromatographic methods (LC and HPLC). The identified compounds are a triterpene (1), three organic acids (2 - 4), and two flavonoids (5 and 6). These structures were determined by analyzing the spectroscopic (NMR and MS) data. Compound 6 was named lisboaeflavanonol A {(−)-2R,3R-dihydrokampferol 3-O-β- d -xylopyranosyl-(1”'→2”)-α- l -rhamnopyranoside}, undescribed in the literature. These were the first compounds described in this matrix, and the chemical composition is in line with chemistry of the Eugenia genus. In addition, preliminary molecular docking analysis indicated lisboaeflavanonol A as a potential inhibitor of 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CLpro) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which are important SARS-CoV-2 non-structural proteins (NSPs).

Summary Background Several de-escalation approaches are under investigation in patients with HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer. We assessed early metabolic responses to neoadjuvant trastuzumab and pertuzumab using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)-PET (18F-FDG-PET) and the possibility of chemotherapy de-escalation using a pathological response-adapted strategy. Methods We did a multicentre, randomised, open-label, non-comparative, phase 2 trial in 45 hospitals in Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Portugal. Eligible participants were women aged 18 years or older with centrally confirmed, HER2-positive, stage I–IIIA, invasive, operable breast cancer (≥1·5 cm tumour size) with at least one breast lesion evaluable by 18F-FDG-PET, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and a baseline left ventricular ejection fraction of at least 55%. We randomly assigned participants (1:4), via an interactive response system using central block randomisation with block sizes of five, stratified by hormone receptor status, to either docetaxel (75 mg/m2 intravenous), carboplatin (area under the concentration–time curve 6 mg/mL per min intravenous), trastuzumab (subcutaneous 600 mg fixed dose), and pertuzumab (intravenous 840 mg loading dose, 420 mg maintenance doses; group A); or trastuzumab and pertuzumab (group B). Hormone receptor-positive patients allocated to group B were additionally given letrozole if postmenopausal (2·5 mg/day orally) or tamoxifen if premenopausal (20 mg/day orally). Centrally reviewed 18F-FDG-PET scans were done before randomisation and after two treatment cycles. Patients assigned to group A completed six cycles of treatment (every 3 weeks) regardless of 18F-FDG-PET results. All patients assigned to group B initially received two cycles of trastuzumab and pertuzumab. 18F-FDG-PET responders in group B continued this treatment for six further cycles; 18F-FDG-PET non-responders in this group were switched to six cycles of docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab. Surgery was done 2–6 weeks after the last dose of study treatment. Adjuvant treatment was selected according to the neoadjuvant treatment administered, pathological response, hormone receptor status, and clinical stage at diagnosis. The coprimary endpoints were the proportion of 18F-FDG-PET responders in group B with a pathological complete response in the breast and axilla (ypT0/is ypN0) as determined by a local pathologist after surgery after eight cycles of treatment, and 3-year invasive disease-free survival of patients in group B, both assessed by intention to treat. The definitive assessment of pathological complete response was done at this primary analysis; follow-up to assess invasive disease-free survival is continuing, hence these data are not included in this Article. Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of study drug. Health-related quality-of-life was assessed with EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires at baseline, after two cycles of treatment, and before surgery. This trial is registered with EudraCT (2016-002676-27) and ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03161353 ), and is ongoing. Findings Between June 26, 2017, and April 24, 2019, we randomly assigned 71 patients to group A and 285 to group B. Median follow-up was 5·7 months (IQR 5·3–6·0). 227 (80%) of 285 patients in group B were 18F-FDG-PET responders, of whom 86 (37·9%, 95% CI 31·6–44·5; p Interpretation 18F-FDG-PET identified patients with HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer who were likely to benefit from chemotherapy-free dual HER2 blockade with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, and a reduced impact on global health status. Depending on the forthcoming results for the 3-year invasive disease-free survival endpoint, this strategy might be a valid approach to select patients not requiring chemotherapy. Funding F Hoffmann-La Roche.

The mineralogical and geochemical characterization of sediments of the Reconquista River allows analyzing the geochemical partition of trace elements in one of the most polluted water courses of Argentina. The low dissolved oxygen and high ammonia contents, together with the high chemical oxygen demand, attest to the poor water quality. Ammonia, Cd and Cu content in surficial water exceeds the maximum guidelines for freshwater in Argentina. The recent sediments of the uppermost bed are enriched in organic matter (OM), sulfur, Zn, Cu and Pb. The enrichment factor is moderate, and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) for Cu and Pb indicates uncontaminated to moderately contaminated sediments. The positive and significant correlation between As, Cr, Pb and Zn with the iron content suggests that their retention is controlled by the amount of iron oxy (hydr)oxides in the sediments, probably combined with the silt + clay abundance. In comparison with its tributary, the Las Catonas Stream, the Reconquista River, has less OM and trace elements in the sediments and more dissolved trace elements in the interstitial water. We interpret that OM is the main sorbent of the trace element. In the absence of OM, the iron oxy (hydr)oxides and the silt + clay fraction are a less efficient substitute. Consequently, the interstitial waters of the Reconquista River are enriched in these elements. Therefore, minor changes in the environmental conditions may generate significant release of hazardous trace elements from the sediments to the interstitial water and, in turn, to the surficial water of the river. As most of the big cities and the agricultural activities of Argentina are developed on the loessic substrate, the understanding of its interaction with polluted waters is crucial.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:16:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 This study analyzed the influence of solution heat treatment on the structure, microstructure, hardness, and elastic modulus of a ternary alloys Ti-25Ta-xZr system, where the zirconium content was varied to 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt%. The solution heat treatments (SHT) performed in this paper were conducted at 1273 K during 0, 3, and 6 h. Structural and microstructural analyses were performed using x-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, and scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. An analysis of the alloys’ selected mechanical properties was carried out using microhardness and dynamic elastic modulus measurements. The results showed that zirconium helped stabilize the β phase since by adding zirconium to the alloy, the tantalum volumetric fraction increased. SHT with longer duration induced precipitation of the β phase in the Ti-25Ta-Zr alloy system. With higher zirconium concentrations, Ti-25Ta-xZr alloys showed better mechanical compatibility with human bone with a low elastic modulus but higher hardness values, making the mechanical conformation of the alloy more difficult. The Ti-25Ta-30Zr alloy had high hardness and elastic modulus after being subjected to solution for 3 and 6 h, indicating ω phase precipitation, and Ti-25Ta-40Zr alloy showed the lowest value of elastic modulus of 57 GPa with good prospects for applications as a metallic biomaterial. Laboratório de Anelasticidade e Biomateriais UNESP – Univ. Estadual Paulista IBTN/BR –Brazilian Branch Institute of Biomaterials Tribocorrosion and Nanomedicine Materials Engineering Department (DEMa) Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar) Laboratório de Anelasticidade e Biomateriais UNESP – Univ. Estadual Paulista

Xanthone derivatives have a dibenzo-y-pyrone scaffold which has gained great interest in Medicinal Chemistry due to their diverse biological activities. Usually, its synthesis requires multi-step synthetic routes using harsh conditions and high catalyst loadings. In this communication, we report for the first time a one-pot synthesis of the xanthone scaffold based on a carbonylative Suzuki coupling. Iodophenol and (2-methoxyphenyl)boronic acid were coupled under carbon monoxide, generated from a carbon monoxide surrogate. An experimental data-based model was built to guide the reaction optimization. The optimized conditions were 1 mol% of a pincer complex as palladium catalyst, 5 equivalents of K2CO3 as base, and DMF:water (7 : 3) as solvent. The robustness of the synthetic method, namely in terms of the reactants scope, was also evaluated. This approach provided the xanthone scaffold in high yields and provided a deep insight into the carbonylative Suzuki couplings.

The sugarcane cystatin (CaneCPI-5) was recently cloned and showed strong binding force to dental enamel and protection against initial erosion. However, evaluations on its safety and efficacy in a situation closer to the clinical condition are necessary. In the present study we analyzed 1) the cytotoxicity of CaneCPI-5 on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs); 2) the ability of CaneCPI-5 to reduce enamel erosion and erosion+abrasion in situ. In part 1, HGFs were treated with CaneCPI-5 (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/mL) or no treatment (control). The cytotoxicity was assessed after 60 s and 24 h by mitochondrial activity (MTT), confocal microscopy, and hematoxylin/eosin staining. In part 2, 15 volunteers participated in a double-blind crossover protocol consisting of 3 phases, according to the following treatments: 1) 0.1 mg/mL CaneCPI-5; 2) SnCl2/NaF/AmF (Elmex; positive control); 3) water (negative control). The volunteers wore an appliance containing 4 bovine enamel specimens for 5 d. Each day, the specimens were individually treated with 50 µL of the tested solutions per 60 s and then subjected to erosive challenges (0.1% citric acid, pH 2.5, for 90 s, 4 times per day). After the first and last erosive challenge each day, 2 samples were abraded (toothbrushing, 15 s). Enamel wear was measured by contact profilometry. One or two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)/Tukey’s or Sidak’s tests ( P < 0.05) were applied. Regardless of the concentration and the experimental time, CaneCPI-5 did not decrease the cell viability compared to the negative control ( P < 0.05). Erosion+abrasion led to significantly greater wear compared to erosion only. For both conditions, the lowest wear was found for SnCl2 and CaneCPI-5, which did not differ significantly from each other, but showed significant protection when compared to the negative control. In conclusion, CaneCPI-5 is safe on HGFs and reduces enamel erosive wear to the same extent as a commercial solution used to control erosive tooth wear (ETW).

Carbon dots (CDs) are versatile nanoparticles with great potential for biological and environmental applications. CDs have unique characteristics such as high photostability, low cytotoxicity, size below 10 nm, rapid synthesis, and easy functionalization. These nanoparticles are promising for the development of fluorescent probes and the inactivation of microorganisms, especially viruses. This review covers several topics involving CDs, including synthesis methods, precursors, characterization techniques, sensitivity mechanisms, fluorescence origin, functionalization, and an overview of applications as nanosensors and virucidal agents. In addition, for the first time an economic analysis of the production of CDs from biomass using the Activity-Based Costing method was suggested. Finally, the main advances, gaps and future directions regarding the CDs were carefully analyzed.

In scenarios of climatic change when increased global temperatures can be expected, it is essential to search for technologies that favor sapling survival and growth after planting and increase yield in the field. Kaolin-based particle films (KBPF) have been applied as barriers against the deleterious effects of high levels of solar radiation. The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of applying purified calcined kaolin-based particle film to young eucalyptus plants. Five treatments were carried out: 0% (just water), 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% calcined kaolin applied to the adaxial part of the leaves. A complete randomized block design was used with five treatments and ten replicates. The plants were assessed for height, diameter at ground level, gas exchanges (net photosynthetic CO2 assimilation, stomatal conductance and transpiration), instantaneous (WUE) and intrinsic water use efficiency (IWUE), chlorophyll a fluorescence (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm), concentration of active reaction centers in relation to the quantity of photons absorbed (RC/ABS) and the maximum ratio of quantum yields of photochemical and concurrent non-photochemical processes in PSII (Fv/F0), SPAD reading and leaf ontogeny. The 3% KBPF concentration showed the best responses in biometric assessments 80 days after planting (DAP) and were corroborated by the responses of the leaf, stem and shoot dry matter production as a whole. The leaf ontogeny assessments showed positive responses following KBPF application when considering leaf development, with 7% KBPF concentration resulting in the highest mean values. The mean specific leaf mass had negative response to high KBPF concentrations. At 60 DAP, the gas exchange variables during both assessment periods declined with an increase in KBPF concentration. Significant differences as a result of KBPF applications were found only at the start of the assessments (34 DAP) for both WUE and for IWUE. Leaf ‘greenness’ (SPAD reading) at 47 days showed a quadratic relationship in both periods. The variables of chlorophyll fluorescence showed a linear response at 34 DAP and a quadratic response 60 DAP. KBPF application increased height and diameter growth in plants treated with 3% KBPF but this response was not associated with photochemical efficiency and photosynthetic carbon assimilation values on a single-leaf basis. The best performance among the variables was provided by 3% KBPF application.

Growth and photosynthetic capacity of Cattleya warneri T. Moore seedlings cultivated in vitro were evaluated in two environments: (1) growth room (GR) with constant light, humidity, and temperature; and (2) greenhouse (GH) with variable humidity, temperature, and light intensity and quality. In both environments, two different tissue culture vessel lids were used: transparent plastic lids (TCVplastic) and non-transparent metal lids (TCVmetal). After 11 months of in vitro cultivation, five seedlings from each tissue culture vessel were evaluated for growth and photosynthetic capacity, while the other five seedlings of each tissue culture vessel were transferred to a greenhouse for acclimatization. Increased biomass production in vitro was observed in GH and GR (GH>GR). However, the photosynthetic capacity was not altered by the GH environment, since the net photosynthetic rate at 300 μmol m−2 s−1 (NPR300) was low in the final of period in all treatments. Therefore, the increase in biomass production in C. warneri was mostly dependent on the exogenous carbon source through the addition of sucrose to the culture medium. The use of TCVplastic in vitro improved seedlings’ growth in both GR and GH, showing an advantage in relation to TCVmetal. GH environment with quality light spectrum and thermal amplitude, and use of TCVplastic, increased biomass production in vitro and improved the acclimatization process of C. warneri seedlings, which also reduced electricity costs since the use of artificial light and air conditioning is not required.

Fixed orthodontic appliances impair oral hygiene increasing the risk of non-cavitated lesions (NCLs) and tooth decay. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of fluoride and xylitol varnishes in preventing NCLs during comprehensive orthodontic treatment. The sample comprised 55 volunteers from 15 to 20 years of age under orthodontic treatment that were randomly divided into three groups: Fluoride Group (FG; n=17), Xylitol Group (XG; n=19), and Placebo Group (PG; n=19). The patients in each group received two applications of the following varnishes: DuraphatTM (5% NaF), 20% xylitol, and placebo (no F/Xylitol) in the three groups, respectively. The varnishes were applied in the first appointment (T0) and 3 months later (T1). Clinical examinations were carried out at T0 and 6 months after (T2) using the ICDAS index and the QLF system (fluorescence difference). The intergroup comparisons were performed by ANOVA/Tukey’s or Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn’s tests (P

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a common and severe X-linked myopathy, characterized by muscle degeneration due to altered or absent dystrophin. DMD has no effective cure, and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the metabolic changes in DMD using mass spectrometry-based imaging. Nine human muscle biopsies from DMD patients and nine muscle biopsies from control individuals were subjected to untargeted MSI using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Both univariate and pattern recognition techniques have been used for data analysis. This study revealed significant changes in 34 keys metabolites. Seven metabolites were decreased in the Duchenne biopsies compared to control biopsies including adenosine triphosphate, and glycerophosphocholine. The other 27 metabolites were increased in the Duchenne biopsies, including sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidic acids and phosphatidylserines. Most of these dysregulated metabolites are tightly related to energy and phospholipid metabolism. This study revealed a deep metabolic remodelling in phospholipids and energy metabolism in DMD. This systems-based approach enabled exploring the metabolism in DMD in an unprecedented holistic and unbiased manner with hypothesis-free strategies.

As an alternative for ordinary Portland cement, geopolymers are cost effective materials that can be prepared with relatively low energy consumption and substantial reduction of CO2 emissions. In the present study the characteristics of novel hybrid composite of geopolymer foam (GPF)/polylactic acid (PLA) and their efficiency in removing copper(II) and zinc(II) to treat high volumes of polluted water are investigated. Contrary to the conventional methods for removing heavy metals, the newly developed composites are ecological, low-cost, easily available, and economically viable alternatives providing good physical-chemical stability, ion-exchange properties, and a porous structure. Based on the sustainable advantage to produce geopolymers from recycled materials, GPFs were obtained from blast furnace slag (BFS) by reacting 20 mL of an 8 M alkaline solution of sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) with BFS particles and later addition of hydrogen peroxide. GPFs were produced with a stoichiometry of 1.4 and 1.6 g/L between BFS/alkali solution with a 1.6 ml solution of hydrogen peroxide 50% to develop porosity into the materials. Finally, the GPFs were coated with PLA. Specimens of GPF/PLA composites were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis, and field emission gun scanning electron microscopy. Adsorption analysis of Cu(II) and Zn(II), as well as ion-exchanges from aqueous solution through the composite with 1.4 and 1.6 stoichiometry, were performed using deionized water containing 0.80% Cu(II) or Zn(II). The test resulted in high performance for retaining Cu(II) and Zn(II). Under CO2 pressure at 50 bar, the gas permeation tests confirmed porous formations into the geopolymer foams coated with molten PLA.

this work describes a route for recovering nickel, cobalt, iron, zinc and lanthanides from spent nickel-metal hydride batteries. Formic acid was used as leachant. Experiments were run at 25-50°C for 1-4 h. Under the best conditions leaching yields surpassed 99 wt.%, except for iron. The insoluble matter contains almost solely iron as iron(III) basic formate. The leachate went through six separation procedures, combining solvent extraction with D2EHPA as extractant, and precipitation reactions. Fe2+ and Zn2+ were extracted together (> 99 wt.%) from the original leachate (pH ~1.5). Yttrium and lanthanides were precipitated as oxalates directly from the raffinate (> 99.9 wt.%) upon addition of sodium oxalate. In the next steps, Mn2+ and Co2+ were extracted with D2EHPA at buffered pH (3 and ~4.8, respectively), after adding NaOHaq. About 10 wt.% of leached Ni2+ was coextracted with Co2+. The remaining Ni2+ was precipitated from the raffinate after addition of aqueous sodium oxalate at pH 6. After precipitation of Al3+ upon addition of NaOHaq. until pH ~8, sodium formate was recovered after slow evaporation of the final aqueous solution at 60oC. It contains ~90 wt.% of the formate present in the leachant.

The in-depth isomeric and isobaric description of ultra-complex organic mixtures remains one of the most challenging analytical tasks. In the last two decades, ion mobility coupled to high-performance mass spectrometry added an additional structural dimension. Despite tremendous instrumental improvements, commercial devices are still limited in ion mobility and mass spectrometric resolving power and struggle to resolve isobaric species and complex isomeric patterns. To overcome these limitations, we explored the capabilities of cyclic ion mobility high-resolution mass spectrometry with special emphasis on petrochemical applications. We could show that quadrupole-selected ion mobility mass spectrometry gives closer insights into the isomeric distribution. In combination with slicing the specific parts of the ion mobility dimension, isobaric interferences could be drastically removed. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) allowed separating structural groups of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocycles (PAH/PASH), deploying up to 10 passes in the cyclic ion mobility device. Finally, we introduce a data processing workflow to resolve the 3.4 mDa SH4/C3 mass split by combining ion mobility and mass spectrometric resolving power. Cyclic ion mobility with the intelligent design of experiments and processing routines will be a powerful approach addressing the isobaric and isomeric complexity of ultra-complex mixtures.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T12:40:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-03-19 Coimbra Group Super-duplex stainless steel (SDSS) exhibits an austenite-ferrite dual-phase structure, which promotes many benefits upon single-phase grades, such as high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. Welding process results in an unbalanced microstructure, with large amount of ferrite, which compromise SDSS's properties. This paper investigates the effect of using electrolytic nickel foils as an addition metal on UNS S32750 SDSS Nd:YAG pulsed laser welding, through the evaluation of the microstructure, hardness, tensile strength, and corrosion resistance of the weld bead. Six conditions were investigated: autogenous welding and with addition of nickel, varying the thickness of nickel foil added. Microstructural analysis reveals an increase in volume fraction of austenite for the conditions with addition of nickel. Using a 30 mu m thick nickel foil, approximately equal amount of austenite and ferrite was obtained in the weld bead. The higher microhardness was obtained for the autogenous welding, 400 HV and decreased with the addition of nickel. The tensile strength decreased 4% in the experimental conditions with high nickel addition. The corrosion resistances were the same for all the conditions with addition on nickel, regardless of the nickel foil thickness added, but it compared to autogenous welding the CPT's increased approximately 14 degrees C. Fed Inst Sao Paulo, Ave Jeronimo Figueira Costa 3014, BR-15503110 Votuporanga, SP, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Mech Engn, Ave Brasil 56, BR-15385000 Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil Univ Padua, Dept Ind Engn, Via Gradenigo 6-A, I-35131 Padua, Italy Univ Padua, Dept Management & Engn, Stradella S Nicola 3, I-36100 Vicenza, Italy Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Mech Engn, Ave Brasil 56, BR-15385000 Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil

Nas últimas décadas, o setor de produtos de resina no Brasil está demonstrando uma perspectiva de demanda crescente para os produtores de goma de resina, o que exige avanços na parte técnica dos processos de extração e purificação. Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar, através de técnicas de planejamento experimental, os processos de lavagem e destilação da oleorresina de Pinus elliottii. A resina natural foi coletada na região costeira do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Os resultados da etapa de lavagem revelaram que as interações lineares de segunda ordem foi o modelo empírico mais adequado para este estudo. Portanto, o teste ideal foi determinado com os seguintes fatores: temperatura de 50ºC, tempo de 20 min e 20% de terebentina utilizada para a diluição. Para o processo de destilação, o melhor modelo foi o linear sem interações, considerando a resposta do Valor Monetário (Real – R$) por 100 g de resina processada. Assim, determinou-se que a região ótima obteve os seguintes fatores: temperatura entre 156 e 170ºC e tempo entre 61 e 100 minutos. Portanto, o uso de técnicas de planejamento experimental permitiu propor ao produtor algumas alternativas no processamento de resina natural, o que consequentemente causou o aumento do valor agregado ao produto comercializado.