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Resumo Este trabalho objetivou analisar a tendência e a distribuição espacial da mortalidade de motociclistas em acidentes de transporte no estado de Alagoas. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico referente a todos os óbitos decorrentes de acidentes motociclísticos no estado no período 2001-2015. Os dados de mortalidade foram obtidos do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM). As taxas de mortalidade foram calculadas e estratificadas por sexo. Para a análise de tendência, foi empregado o modelo de regressão por pontos de inflexão. Calculou-se a Variação Percentual Anual (VPA). Significância de 5%. Para a análise espacial, aplicou-se modelagem bayesiana empírica local, estatística de Moran e estatística de varredura espacial. Foram registrados 1.458 óbitos de motociclistas no período estudado, sendo 91,3% homens. Três comportamentos temporais foram observados nessa população: crescimento (2001-2005), padrão estacionário (2005-2013) e declínio a partir de 2013. As maiores taxas foram observadas no agreste e sertão. Cinco aglomerados espaciais foram evidenciados no que se refere à mortalidade geral e masculina, todos situados no agreste e sertão alagoanos. A modelagem mostrou redução da mortalidade a partir de 2013 e a análise espacial evidenciou que o problema é mais grave no interior do estado. Abstract The scope of this work was to analyze the trend and distribution of mortality among motorcyclists in traffic accidents in the State of Alagoas. It involved an ecological study relating to all deaths resulting from motorcycle accidents in the state in the period from 2001 to 2015. Mortality data were obtained from the Mortality Information System (MIS). Mortality rates were calculated and stratified by gender. The joinpoint regression model was used for trend analysis and the Annual Percentage Variation (APV) was calculated with a significance rate of 5%. For the spatial analysis, local empirical Bayesian modeling and Moran statistics and spatial scanning statistics were applied. There were 1,458 deaths of motorcyclists in the period studied, 91.3% of which were men. Three temporal behaviors were observed in this population group: growth (2001-2005), stationary pattern (2005-2013) and decline from 2013 onwards. The highest rates were observed in the ‘agreste’ and ‘sertão’ regions of the state of Alagoas. Five spatial clusters were revealed with relation to general and male mortality, all located in the ‘agreste’ and ‘sertão’ hinterlands of Alagoas. The modeling showed a reduction of mortality from 2013 onwards and the spatial analysis revealed that the problem is more acute in the interior of the state.

Uganda is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa and third in the world. The country operates a progressive refugee integration and self-reliance policy whereby refugees are allowed access to land and other productive resources. The effectiveness of this unique approach to refugee integration has not been empirically investigated. We estimate a multinomial logistic regression model to investigate whether the food security of refugee households is not significantly different from that of Ugandan nationals. We use cross sectional data collected in July 2019 from 2400 national and refugee households across 10 control and 10 World Food Program (WFP) intervention districts in Uganda using a randomized control trial (RCT) design. As we hypothesized, Ugandan citizenship together with size of land holding, livestock ownership and consumption of animal source food, marital status and geographical location enhance the food security of the household. However, our study found surprisingly that households currently receiving WFP support remain food insecure compared to those not receiving support, something we did not anticipate finding. Another surprising finding was that women headed households were more food secure than male-headed households across other socioeconomic parameters. Our findings hence suggest that in terms of equalizing the food security of refugees with that of Ugandan nationals, Uganda’s progressive policy on refugees remains work in progress.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional and chronic gastrointestinal disorder that may cause abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, affecting the nutritional status and quality of life of its carriers. Its prevalence is high, affecting about 10% to 15% of the general population in developed countries, being more prevalent in women than in men in the proportion 2:1. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to compare the profile of body adiposity, life habits, and the quality of life of women with irritable bowel syndrome with a healthy control group. METHODS: Case-control study on 70 women, 34 with irritable bowel syndrome and 36 healthy. We applied the “Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life Questionnaire”to assess quality of life. Body adiposity was assessed from body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. We investigated the self-reporting of gastrointestinal symptoms with food deemed as problematic for carriers of irritable bowel syndrome and the presence of typical comorbidities. Assessment of life habits included: practice of physical activities, alcoholism, smoking, daytime sleepiness, and exclusion of foods from the feeding routine. For statistical analysis we used the IBM SPSS program, with a significance level at 5%. RESULTS: There was higher volume of central and general adiposity in the case group compared with the control group (P

Dengue is a viral disease, caused by an arbovirus of the genus Flavivirus. In Brazil, its incidence rate is high with a broad clinical spectrum. This report discusses a rare case of dengue associated with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis and pericardial effusion with eminence of cardiac tamponade in a previously healthy patient with no comorbidities. The serology for dengue was positive and the histopathological analysis of the cutaneous lesions confirmed the diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. After receiving treatment, the patient’s condition greatly improved.

Increasingly, issues with to multiculturalism have crossed into science classrooms. In this way, traditional knowledge has been pointed out as a pathway towards placing value on the culture of distinct social groups and thus addressing sociocultural dimensions of science. Taking this into account, this study proposed an approach for inserting historical, philosophical and sociocultural themes from traditional knowledge. This proposal was developed among chemistry students and it was characterized as a small research project. The students needed to identify traditional knowledge relating to chemistry in their community and to gather data on it. The students’ reports showed characteristics of scientific literacy, specially related to sociocultural dimension of the science.

Scholar laboratory: paths and mishaps during supervised traineeship at a public school Resumo Este trabalho apresenta a trajetória de uma licencianda em química durante o estágio supervisionado no que concerne ao uso do laboratório escolar. Para a pesquisa foram realizados registros de campo (escritos e fotográficos) posteriormente analisados sob um enfoque dos estudos culturais. Percebeu-se, durante o percurso, que a construção do laboratório na escola foi fruto de um sistema específico de relações, que compreendem a valorização do laboratório como espaço educativo. Já o desuso do laboratório parece ser decorrente de um deslocamento de enunciados e de responsabilidades que depende do grau de atitude e de interesses específicos de diversos agentes. Para a licencianda, a realização do estágio possibilitou um fortalecimento do espaço laboratório na escola e, a análise posterior de seus registros, como pesquisadora, uma compreensão mais crítica sobre o papel da experimentação. Palavras-chave: estudos culturais; laboratório de ciências, formação inicial de professores. Abstract This work presents paths of a chemistry student during supervised traineeship related to the use of the scholar laboratory. In the research was conducted field notes (writing and photographic) accordingly analyzed from cultural studies. The lab construction at the school was the result of specific relationships in which the laboratory is understood like an important space. In turn, lab disuse seems to be owing to a shift in statements and responsibilities that depend of attitudes and interests of diverse agents. For the student, from the teaching training stage was possible to strengthen the lab space in the school. Results analysis as a researcher allowed a more critical understanding about the role of practical activities. Keywords: cultural studies; science lab; pre-service teacher education.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional disorder that is characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and that has a major impact on quality of life, resulting in direct and indirect health care costs. The majority of patients with IBS suffer from food intolerances, most commonly related to the consumption of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs). This study aimed to develop and verify the validity and reproducibility of a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess typical FODMAP consumption in adults with IBS.The primary FFQ list consisted of source foods of FODMAPs that contributed at least 10% to the frequency of consumption among 855 adults from a population-based study in the municipality of Campinas in 2014/2015. In addition, source foods of FODMAPs (according to the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet application) and foods commonly consumed by the Brazilian population (according to the FFQ for adults validated in the city of São Paulo) were included. One hundred and five (n = 105) healthy subjects were recruited to respond to the FFQ twice and to respond the 24-h dietary recall (24HR) three times during a 3-month period. The relative validity of the proposed instrument was compared with the average of the three 24HRs, and the reproducibility of the instrument was assessed by comparing both FFQ applications. The following statistical analyses were used for validation and reproducibility: Wilcoxon's test, Spearman's correlation analysis, weighted kappa, Bland Altman's plot and index, and interclass correlation coefficient.The final list of items for the short FFQ included 54 different foods. The foods were organized by FODMAP groups: free fructose, lactose, total oligosaccharides and total polyols, with variations of categories of responses for consumption frequency between 0 and 10 times and the unit of time in days, weeks or months. In the validity analyses, the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.209 (polyols) to 0.652 (lactose) (p 0.05). There was no correlation between the methods in the fructose and oligosaccharide groups. The lactose group presented good agreement, and the remaining groups had a lack of agreement, with a mean of 15.7%. The Bland-Altman index values were 4.7% (fructose), 3.8% (lactose), 5.7% (oligosaccharides) and 6.6% (polyols). Regarding reproducibility, the interclass and Spearman's correlation coefficients varied from ICC = 0.781 and r = 0.725 (oligosaccharides) to ICC = 0.913 and r = 0.807 (lactose) (p 0.05), showing strongly reproducible results for lactose and polyols and good results for fructose and oligosaccharides. Accurate agreement between FFQ applications had a mean of 67.3%, and 3.0% showed disagreement between FFQ1 and FFQ2. The weighted kappa coefficient ranged from 0.576 (polyols) to 0.645 (lactose).The semi-quantitative short FFQ was developed to evaluate the consumption of FODMAPs in adults in São Paulo. The instrument presents good reproducibility for all groups of FODMAPs, good validity for lactose and weaker validity for fructose, polyols and oligosaccharides. As the short FFQ was carefully designed for the study population, its estimates are relatively reliable at the population group level. A future reanalysis of this questionnaire would be useful when the chemical composition data of FODMAPs are available.

The scope of this work was to analyze the trend and distribution of mortality among motorcyclists in traffic accidents in the State of Alagoas. It involved an ecological study relating to all deaths resulting from motorcycle accidents in the state in the period from 2001 to 2015. Mortality data were obtained from the Mortality Information System (MIS). Mortality rates were calculated and stratified by gender. The joinpoint regression model was used for trend analysis and the Annual Percentage Variation (APV) was calculated with a significance rate of 5%. For the spatial analysis, local empirical Bayesian modeling and Moran statistics and spatial scanning statistics were applied. There were 1,458 deaths of motorcyclists in the period studied, 91.3% of which were men. Three temporal behaviors were observed in this population group: growth (2001-2005), stationary pattern (2005-2013) and decline from 2013 onwards. The highest rates were observed in the 'agreste' and 'sertão' regions of the state of Alagoas. Five spatial clusters were revealed with relation to general and male mortality, all located in the 'agreste' and 'sertão' hinterlands of Alagoas. The modeling showed a reduction of mortality from 2013 onwards and the spatial analysis revealed that the problem is more acute in the interior of the state.Este trabalho objetivou analisar a tendência e a distribuição espacial da mortalidade de motociclistas em acidentes de transporte no estado de Alagoas. Trata-se de um estudo ecológico referente a todos os óbitos decorrentes de acidentes motociclísticos no estado no período 2001-2015. Os dados de mortalidade foram obtidos do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM). As taxas de mortalidade foram calculadas e estratificadas por sexo. Para a análise de tendência, foi empregado o modelo de regressão por pontos de inflexão. Calculou-se a Variação Percentual Anual (VPA). Significância de 5%. Para a análise espacial, aplicou-se modelagem bayesiana empírica local, estatística de Moran e estatística de varredura espacial. Foram registrados 1.458 óbitos de motociclistas no período estudado, sendo 91,3% homens. Três comportamentos temporais foram observados nessa população: crescimento (2001-2005), padrão estacionário (2005-2013) e declínio a partir de 2013. As maiores taxas foram observadas no agreste e sertão. Cinco aglomerados espaciais foram evidenciados no que se refere à mortalidade geral e masculina, todos situados no agreste e sertão alagoanos. A modelagem mostrou redução da mortalidade a partir de 2013 e a análise espacial evidenciou que o problema é mais grave no interior do estado.

A síndrome do intestino irritável (SII) é uma desordem gastrointestinal funcional causando dor e desconforto abdominal, inchaço e alteração do hábito intestinal. Sendo assim, o objetivo do estudo foi comparar o perfil de adiposidade corporal, os hábitos de vida e a qualidade de vida de indivíduos portadores da SII com um grupo controle saudável. Estudo caso-controle com 30 mulheres portadoras da SII e 32 mulheres saudáveis, de 20 a 59 anos, sem doenças que afetam o estado nutricional e ingestão alimentar. A adiposidade corporal foi avaliada a partir do IMC, circunferências da cintura e quadril e relação cintura-quadril. A prática de atividade física foi analisada pelo IPAQ versão curta. Para avaliação dos hábitos de vida observou-se etilismo, tabagismo e sonolência diurna pela Escala de Sonolência de Epworth. O Questionário de Qualidade de Vida para portadores da SII foi aplicado. Nos resultados observamos maior acúmulo de adiposidade central e periférica no grupo caso em comparação ao grupo controle (p < 0,05). A frequência de não fumantes no controle foi de 86,9% e nos casos 79,4%. O consumo de 1 a mais de 7 doses de bebida alcoólica no grupo controle foi de 52,8%, nos casos 82,4% consomem menos que 1 dose ao mês. Não houve diferença na sonolência diurna e atividade física entre os grupos. Casos apresentaram pior qualidade de vida (58,7±21,7) e em todos os domínios no grupo (p

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of thione-based metal priming agents on the adhesive behavior of a Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloy and component metals bonded with an acrylic resin.Disk specimens (10 mm in diameter by 3 mm thick) were prepared from a silver-palladium-copper-gold (Ag-Pd-Cu-Au) alloy (Castwell M.C.12), high-purity silver, palladium, copper and gold. Four single-liquid priming agents containing organic sulfur compound (Alloy Primer, Metaltite, M.L. Primer and V-Primer) and three acidic priming agents (All Bond II Primer B, Estenia Opaque Primer and Super-Bond Liquid) were assessed. The metal specimens were flat-ground with abrasive papers, primed with one of the agents and bonded with a tri-n-butylborane initiated resin. The shear bond strengths were determined both before and after repeated thermocycling (5°C and 55°C, 1 min each, 20,000 cycles). The results were statistically analyzed with a non-parametric procedure (p = 0.05 level).The post-thermocycling bond strengths in MPa (median; n = 11) associated with the Alloy Primer, Metaltite, M.L. Primer and V-Primer materials were, respectively, 20.8, 22.8, 17.8 and 18.4 for the Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloy; 19.6, 21.9, 14.4 and 20.1 for silver; 5.4, 4.5, 12.8 and 5.3 for palladium; 17.1, 19.2, 0.7 and 6.6 for copper; and 18.5, 17.7, 22.8 and 15.4 for gold.It can be concluded that the use of the four priming agents, which are based on organic sulfur compounds, effectively enhanced bonding to the Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloy and the component metals, although the bonding performance varied among the priming agents and metal elements. The priming agents appeared to have more of an effect on the alloy, silver and gold than on the palladium and copper.

The goal of this research was to evaluate the biodegradation of diesel by a microbial consortium collected in a region close to distributors of fuel. The experiments were monitored by SPME-GC-FID and SPME-GC-MS. The consortium showed a high potential for production of biosurfactants, presenting an emulsification index of 53%. The consortium degraded completely n-alkanes, while dimethylnaphtalene, hepthyl-cyclohexane and 2,6,10-trimethyl-undecane were partially degraded and pristane was not degraded. From this consortium five strains were isolated and identified as Acinetobacter baumannii. Based on this initial investigation this consortium appears to be effective for bioremediation in Porto Velho - RO region.

This study examined the effect of alumina air-abrasion with different pressure on bonding between an acrylic resin and casting alloys. Disk specimens (8 and 10 mm in diameter) were cast from a silver- palladium-copper-gold (Ag-Pd-Cu-Au, Castwell M.C.12) alloy and a titanium-aluminum-niobium alloy (Ti-6Al-7Nb, T-Alloy Tough). The disks were air- abraded with alumina particles (50-70 µm) under different air-pressures (0 unabraded, 0.1, and 0.6 MPa). The disk pairs were bonded together with a tri-n- butylborane (TBB)-initiated acrylic resin, and shear bond strengths were determined both before and after thermocycling. Bond strength varied from a maximum of 37.1 MPa to a minimum of 3.6 MPa for the Ag-Pd- Cu-Au alloy, whereas bond strength to Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy ranged from 34.7 MPa to 0.1 MPa. Specimens abraded with 0.6 MPa pressure recorded the greatest post-thermocycling bond strength (21.7 MPa and 17.9 MPa), and unabraded specimens showed the lowest strength (3.6 MPa and 0.1 MPa) for both alloys. Post- thermocycling bond strength to the Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloy was higher than that to the Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy under identical air-abrading conditions. It can be concluded that alumina air-abrasion with an air-pressure of 0.6 MPa is effective in enhancing retentive characteristics of the TBB-initiated resin joined to the alloys. (J Oral Sci 51, 161-166, 2009)

A plant tissue biosensor associated with flow injection analysis is proposed to determine epinephrine in pharmaceutical samples. The polyphenol oxidase enzymes present in the fibers of a palm tree fruits ( Livistona chinensis ), catalyses the oxidation of epinephrine to epinephrinequinone as a primary product. This product is then electrochemically reduced (at −0.10 V versus Ag/AgCl sat ) on the biosensor surface and the resulting current is used for the quantification of epinephrine. The biosensor provides a linear response for epinephrine in the concentration range from 5.0 × 10 −5 to 3.5 × 10 −4 mol l −1 . The limit of detection estimated for this interval was 1.5 × 10 −5 mol l −1 and the correlation coefficient of 0.998, working under a flow rate of 2.0 ml min −1 and using a sample loop of 100 μl. The repeatability (R.S.D. for 10 consecutive determinations of a 3.0 × 10 −4 mol l −1 epinephrine solution) was 3.1%. The results obtained by the method here proposed were compared with the official UV spectrophotometric procedure and also using a plant tissue reactor. The responses obtained with the proposed strategies were in good agreement with both ways of analyses, whereas the values obtained by the official spectrophotometric method was strongly affected by benzoic acid, present in the formulation of pharmaceutical product utilized for inhalation. Such favorable results obtained with the carbon paste biosensor or utilizing the bioreactor, joined with the simplicity of its preparation turns these procedures very attractive for epinephrine quantification in pharmaceutical products.

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) was immobilized on the silica gel surface modified with zirconium oxide, designated as Si:Zr, by the carboxylic groups of the PQQ molecule and the zirconium oxide on the silica surface. The electrochemistry of PQQ immobilized on the Si:Zr matrix, incorporated in a carbon paste electrode, was evaluated using the cyclic voltammetry technique. The Si:Zr:PQQ-modified electrode showed a redox couple at E(m)=(E(pa1)+E(pc))/2=-0.150 V vs SCE at pH 7, close to that observed in aqueous solution, and another oxidation peak, E(pa2)=-0.100 V vs SCE. Studies in different pH solutions in the range of 3-7 showed that the first oxidation peak, E(pa1), is highly dependent on the solution pH shifting from to -0.175 to 0.100 V vs SCE, while E(pa2) remains practically constant at 0.100 V as the pH decreases from 7 to 3. The immobilized PQQ electrode presented the property to electrocatalyze the NADH at 150 mV vs SCE. The effect of addition of Ca(2+) ions on the electrode electroactivity for the NADH oxidation was also verified. Different from that observed for the PQQ immobilized on other electrode materials, the Ca(2+) ions did not influence the electrocatalytical response; however, the electrode stability was considerably improved in the presence of Ca(2+) ions, indicating that the matrix surface has a great influence on the electrochemical behavior of PQQ.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) has been shown to be a chemoattractant in in vitro studies. The present study was carried out to determine whether LPA enhances infiltration of inflammatory cells in in vivo studies with guinea pigs. LPA (1 – 10 μg/ml), when by guinea pigs for 5 min, substantially increased the numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavege fluid (BALF), which was recovered at over 4 h after the inhalation of LPA. Infiltration in BALF was significantly inhibited by inhalation of Y-27632, an inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK). LPA also increased superoxide production of eosinophils and neutrophils. In contrast, Y-27632 inhibited superoxide production. These findings suggest that LPA may contribute to infiltration and activation of inflammatory cells in bronchial asthma; furthermore, the Rho/ROCK-mediated pathway may be involved.

We analyzed the effects of the new antirheumatic drug KE-298 on monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 and regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) production in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis and in interleukin (IL)-1beta-stimulated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synoviocytes. In rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis, the enhanced production of MCP-1 and RANTES and the development of arthritis were suppressed by oral treatment with 100 mg/kg per day of KE-298 for 18 days. Furthermore, KE-298 (10-100 microg/ml) suppressed MCP-1 and RANTES production by IL-1beta-stimulated RA synoviocytes through inhibition of NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation. These results suggest that the inhibitory effect of KE-298 on MCP-1 and RANTES production might partly explain its efficacy in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis and in patients with RA.

Prodigiosin is a red pigment characterizing S. marcescens and produced in abundance by the bacterium on peptone-glycerol (PG) agar plates incubated at 30°C. In a PG liquid culture, however, S. marcescens was unable to produce prodigiosin. On addition of silica gel (8.0 mg/ml) to the liquid medium, S. marcescens became able to proliferate better and produced prodigiosin and serrawettins (biosurfactant) profusely. The effect of the silica gel on the production of exolipids was dependent on source (manufacturers). By microscopic examination, sessile bacterial populations were recognized on the silica particles active in the promotion of prodigiosin production, but not on the particles unable to promote the production. Prodigiosin and serrawettins are structurally unrelated but seem to have the same production control systems responding to temperature (T. Matsuyama, et al., J. Gen. Microbiol., 132, 865-875, 1986) and silica gel.

The problem analysed is whether the electrochemical transfer in the doping of conducting polymer electrodes must be described as a macroscopic resistance localised at the outer boundaries of the polymer layer, or by a distributed process inside the film region. Impedance measurements of poly(thiophene-3-acetic acid) film in its oxidised state are reported for various values of pH in solution. The analysis shows that the observed response consists on the coupling, throughout the polymer film, of the transfer resistance with other conduction and polarisation processes. This is interpreted as evidence of a distributed charge-transfer resistance in the internal polymer/solution interface. Keywords: AC impedance, Conducting polymer, Conductivity, Equivalent circuit, Charge transfer resistance

A photoreactive and fluorescent ester, named KUP-I, was synthesized as a possible probe for studies at the primary site of action of pyrethroids. Nerve effects of the compound were fundamentally the same as those induced by conventional pyrethroids. KUP-I induced the depolarizing afterpotential in the falling phase of the action potential and depolarized the resting membranes in crayfish and cockroach giant axons. The compound slowed the decay of the sodium currents measured in the crayfish giant axon under the voltage-clamp conditions. The maximum wavelength of the emission spectrum was apart enough to distinguish the compound from proteins, indicating that the compound could be used as a tool for photoaffinity labeling.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adhesive systems based on a thiouracil monomer on bonding to silver-palladium-copper-gold (Ag-Pd-Cu- Au) alloy (Castwell M.C.12). Disk specimens were cast from the alloy and then air-abraded with alumina. The disks were bonded using six bonding systems selected from four primers and three luting materials. Shear bond strengths were determined both before and after thermocycling. Bond strength varied from 2.7 MPa to 32.0 MPa. Three systems based on a thiouracil monomer (MTU-6) showed durable bonding to the alloy, with post-thermocycling bond strengths of 22.4 MPa for the Metaltite (MTU-6) primer and Super- Bond, a tri-n-butylborane (TBB) initiated resin, 9.0 MPa for the Multi-Bond II resin, and 8.1 MPa for the Metaltite and Bistite II system. It can be concluded that a combination of thiouracil-based primer and TBB initiated resin is effective for bonding Ag-Pd-Cu-Au alloy. (J Oral Sci 52, 405-410, 2010)

We have developed esonarimod, (+/-)-2-acetylthiomethyl-4-(4-methylphenyl)-4-oxobutanoic acid, as a new antirheumatic drug. Now we describe herein the preparation of the enantiomers of (+/-)-deacetylesonarimod, the pharmaceutically active metabolites of esonarimod, and comparison of their antirheumatic activities. No significant difference has been observed between the two enantiomers. In a pre-clinical study of esonarimod, other metabolites were detected in rat blood or urine. We also synthesized these compounds as authentic samples to analyze the human metabolites in clinical studies of esonarimod.

Inhalation of oleoyl lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) induced airway hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine (ACh). In contrast, palmitoyl and stearoyl LPA exerted minimal effects. Airway hyperresponsiveness was inhibited by inhalation of Y-27632, an inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK). Mepyramine, an H1 histamine receptor antagonist and ketotifen, an inhibitor of histamine release and H1 histamine receptor antagonist, also inhibited airway hyperresponsiveness induced by LPA; however, aspirin failed to attenuate this response. The incubation of lung fragments with LPA gave rise to releases in histamine. On the other hand, LPA produced no significant changes on the smooth muscle contraction evoked by ACh. These findings suggest that LPA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness is attributable to activation of the Rho/ROCK-mediated pathway via endothelial cell differentiation gene (EDG) receptors, probably EDG 7. Moreover, histamine release may be involved.

We followed the fate of microcultured Bombyx mori prohemocytes in vitro. Prohemocytes isolated from larval hemolymph (day 1 of 4th instar) were maintained for 4-11 days in serum-free MGM-450 medium and some of them underwent mitotic division. Over 60% of the non-dividing prohemocytes differentiated to plasmatocytes or granulocytes. Some of the granulocytes subsequently transformed to spherulocytes. Of the dividing prohemocytes, 59.2% of the daughter cells differentiated into other types of hemocytes such as plasmatocytes, granulocytes and spherulocytes, and the remainder divided into new prohemocytes. Four of these renewed prohemocytes generated daughter cells composed of plasmatocytes and granulocytes. These results suggest that prohemocytes possess the properties of stem cells, and that plasmatocytes and spherulocytes may be terminally differentiated cells, whereas granulocytes, at least in part, may be a transient form of spherulocyte. Oenocytoids were not produced, suggesting that the lineage of oenocytoids differs from that of other types of hemocytes and that it is determined before release from hemopoietic organs.

Toxicity and uptake of heavy metals of sewage sludge by beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were evaluated in green house experiments. Treatments consisted of 1,0 ; 2,0 and 5,0% (m/m) of dry sewage sludge, collected from Londrina (Bom Retiro and ETE-Sul) and Curitiba (ETE-Belem and RALF). Bean ( variety IAPAR 57) was sown three times at 0, 120 and 240 days after the treatments have been applied. Contents of Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, and Pb in bean tissues cultivated with 5,0% (m/m) of all sewage sludge were similar to the control and Ba contents were reduced by increasing the quantity of sewage sludge in the soil. The Zn content in tissue bean incresed from 86 mg kg-1 of control to 462 mg kg-1 by applying 5% (m/m) of sewage sludge in soil, but plant beans did not show toxicity symptons. The addition of 5% (m/m) of sewage sludge increased Mn content in plants, from 193 mg kg-1 of control to 1.960 mg kg-1, showing toxity in bean leaves when the contents were more than 500 mg kg-1. The addition of sewage sludges in soils increased only available Zn carbonate and Cu organic species.

沢ワサビ根茎を通風乾燥し,この乾燥ワサビ粉末を密閉貯蔵し,貯蔵中の辛味成分をヘッドスペース法によりFig. 3 Changes of Rg value, x value and y value of “Wasabi-ko”検討して次の結果を得た。(1) 20°および30℃貯蔵では,iso-プロピル,sec-ブチル,n-ブチル,アリルおよび3-ブテニルの各からし油は,貯蔵中にいずれも減少し,とくに30℃では,iso-プロピルからし油は1週間後に,他のからし油は約4週間後に半減した。(2) 辛味成分生成量が減少した乾燥ワサビ粉末も,ミロシナーゼ活性化剤L-アスコルピン酸を添加すれば,辛味成分生成量は回復した。ミロシナーゼがほとんど失活した乾燥ワサビ粉末とセイヨウワサビ粉を混合して,“わさび粉”を試製し,これらの辛味成分を検討して次の結果を得た。(1) 辛味成分と混合成分割合との間には,規則性のある関係曲線が得られた。(2) Rg値,x値およびy値を算出することにより,“わさび粉”中の両者の混合割合を推定することができる。本研究の一部は日本食品工業学会第28回大会(1981年4月,於福岡市)で講演した。

The effect of methanol on the frequency of cytoplasmic respiration-deficient (RD) mutation induced by ethidium bromide was investigated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When growing cells were treated with ethidium bromide at concentrations higher than 1.0μg/ml, 95 to 100% of surviving cells were RD mutants as judged by the tetrazolium overlay method. The RD mutants induced by 1.0μg/ml ethidium bromide were drastically decreased by addition of 6-8% methanol in both growing and non-growing conditions. Methanol reduced uptake of ethidium bromide by yeast cells, but it did not modify the inhibitory effect of ethidium bromide on in vitro yeast mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis.