Relaxed skin tension lines (RSTL) versus other skin lines

The seven best known skin tension lines are presented. The directions they convey are schematically compared with those of the relaxed skin tension lines. Commentaries and discussion by the author are given in order to help the reader arrive at his or her own conclusions on which directions his or her incisions should take so as to obtain the best scarring.     

Metals and arsenic in marine fish commercialized in the NE Brazil: Risk to human health

Abstract

Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in fish is the result of long-term biomagnification in the food chain and is of public concern, due to the toxicity they engender. The objective of this research was to determine the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in 13 species of marine fish broadly commercialized in Aracaju, SE, Brazil and to evaluate the risks of fish consumption associated with these trace elements, using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ). As, Cd, and Pb levels were measured with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and mercury was analyzed via cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicate a large variability in concentrations for arsenic (0.07–2.03?mg kg^–1) and mercury (0.01–1.44?mg kg^–1), associated with the animal dietary category. Cadmium (0.04–0.19?mg kg^–1) and lead (<0.01–0.45?mg kg^–1), on the other hand showed a mild variability. None of the evaluated specimens had As, Cd, and Pb THQ values higher than 1. The THQ values for mercury were higher but indicated no consumption risk, except for amberjack, and snook fish. Overall THQ indicates lower risk of consumption in fish that are at the base of the food chain, than in those that are top predators.     

Development and validation of an experimental and theoretical method for the chiral discrimination of dinotefuran

Dinotefuran is a low-cost agrochemical considered a highly toxic product. In this sense, there is a need for its constant environmental, biological, and food control, aiming to ensure its use to humans as well as to preserve biodiversity and ecosystems. In the present work, we developed an experimental and theoretical method for dinotefuran chiral discrimination. According to the main results, the dinotefuran enantioselective separation was efficiently optimized by high-performance liquid chromatography evaluating the influence of different percentage compositions in the mobile phase to improve the resolution of the peaks in the chromatogram. The novelty of this work was the proposition of a reduced molecular model for the chiral selector amylose-Tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) polysaccharide that was able to adequately describe at the molecular level its interaction with the dinotefuran enantiomers. Besides, the thermodynamic and structural parameters obtained via density functional theory calculations pointed out the chiral discrimination as well as the enantiomeric elution order of the analyte studied, confirming the experimental data, thus validating our proposed method. Finally, hydrogen bonds and repulsive interactions played a key role in the discrimination between the diastereomeric complexes, and consequently, for the dinotefuran enantioselective separation.     

Distribution and content of calcium and potassium in eucalyptus leaves infected with Calonectria pteridis

Calonectria leaf spot, caused by Calonectria pteridis, is a serious problem in Eucalyptus crops in both nursery and the field. Under ideal conditions, the disease can cause severe defoliation. It is known that calcium and potassium are directly related to the plant's resistance to pathogens. Thus, the knowledge of how a balanced fertilization of Ca and K interferes in the distribution of these nutrients at the infection site would contribute to elucidate the resistance of the plant related to its nutrition. This study investigated the effect of calcium and potassium fertilizer application on the content and distribution of these nutrients in the symptomatic leaf area, transition zone and asymptomatic leaf area over time. Eucalyptus seedlings were grown in nutrient solution under different Ca and K treatments (6 mmol/L K + 4 mmol/L Ca, 6 mmol/L K + 8 mmol/L Ca and 9 mmol/L K + 12 mmol/L Ca) and inoculated with C. pteridis. Leaves were removed at 24, 48 and 72 hr after inoculation (hai) and evaluated by X-ray microanalysis. The highest calcium content among the different leaf areas was observed in the symptomatic area, and the levels in this area increased over time, with the highest mean value observed at 72 hai in the 6K + 8Ca treatment. In the other treatments, the mean calcium content peaked at 48 hai and then decreased. A similar pattern in asymptomatic tissue was observed for potassium in the 6K + 8Ca treatment. Fertilization with calcium and potassium directly affected the demand and availability of nutrients at different times during infection. These results demonstrate that plant defence responses and their continuity over time during infection rely on balanced calcium and potassium fertilization because these nutrients are directly involved in plant resistance to the pathogen.     

Production of Lactic Acid Enantiomers by Lactobacillus Strains under Limited Dissolved Oxygen Conditions in the Presence of a Pentose Fraction

Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology - Lactic acid has a privileged position in the family of carboxylic substances due to its several applications, including the production of biodegradable...     

Aerobic training prevents cardiometabolic changes triggered by myocardial infarction in ovariectomized rats

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of aerobic training (AT) on autonomic, cardiometabolic, ubiquitin‐proteasome activity, and inflammatory changes evoked by myocardial infarction (MI) in ovariectomized rats. Female Wistar rats were ovariectomized and divided into four groups: sedentary + sham (SS), sedentary + MI (SI), AT + sham surgery (TS), AT + MI (TI). AT was performed on a treadmill for 8 weeks before MI. Infarcted rats previously subjected to AT presented improved physical capacity, increased interleukin‐10, and decreased pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Metabolomic analysis identified and quantified 62 metabolites, 9 were considered significant by the Vip Score. SS, SI, and TS groups presented distinct metabolic profiles; however, TI could not be distinguished from the SS group. MI dramatically increased levels of dimethylamine, and AT prevented this response. Our findings suggest that AT may be useful in preventing the negative changes in functional, inflammatory, and metabolic parameters related to MI in ovariectomized rats.     

Lipopolysaccharide reduces urethral smooth muscle contractility via cyclooxygenase activation

Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry - Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of gram-negative bacteria wall that elicits inflammatory response in the host through the toll-like receptor 4...     

cis-Jasmone indirect action on egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and its application in biological control of soybean stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

In many plants, the secondary metabolite cis-jasmone activates the metabolic pathway that produces volatile organic compounds attractive to natural enemies and, sometimes, repellent to herbivores. Previous studies indicate that the feeding damage caused by the herbivore Euschistus heros or the exogenous application of cis-jasmone in soybean plants induces the release of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) with a similar chemical profile and these compounds can attract the stink bug egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi (Scelionidae). Herein we tested in field conditions the effect of exogenous application of cis-jasmone in soybean plants on the parasitoid and stink bug community and on stink bug egg parasitism. In two areas, one within a soybean and another within a Crotalaria matrix, we randomly distributed 2 m² plots, with soybean plants induced (treatment, n = 5) or not induced by cis-jasmone (control, n = 5) in the field. We sampled the parasitoid community weekly with yellow sticky traps (n = 3/plot) and monitored parasitism with sentinel eggs of E. heros (n = 150/plot). We also monitored the population of stink bugs weekly, by sampling each plot with shake-cloth technique. The abundance of Scelionidae was highest overall and also in treated plots during the first four weeks in the area with a soybean matrix, but decreased thereafter. The richness of parasitoid families was similar between treatment and control plots in the area with a soybean matrix, but higher in control plots in the area with a Crotalaria matrix. Evenness was higher in control plots in the area with soybean matrix, whereas the reverse occurred in the area with a Crotalaria matrix. Results suggest that treatment with cis-jasmone effectively attracted and enhanced the population of scelionid parasitoids, but had no effect on the occurrence and intensity of parasitism and in the number of stink bugs.