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The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological and biochemical responses to three different water regimes in two castor bean genotypes (BRS Energia and BRS Nordestina) with different drought tolerance. After 67 days of sowing and 28 days under different water stress levels, some growth parameters were affected by increased stress, resulting in lower height, root, and shoot biomass, leaf area, and number of mature leaves. The increase in cuticular wax load on leaves was prominent under higher water stress. Triterpene and primary alcohols were the main constituent classes identified, but their content did not change under water deficit. Changes primarily occurred in the n-alkane and fatty acid classes. Water stress caused an increase in hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content, a decrease in soluble protein content, and an increase in the activity of key enzymes of the antioxidant defense system (SOD, CAT, and APX). The BRS Nordestina genotype demonstrated a more efficient protection mechanism against drought compared to BRS Energia.

A fast and non-destructive voltammetric method to detect cocaine in confiscated samples based on carbon paste electrode modified with methoxy-substituted N,N'-ethylene-bis(salcylideneiminato)uranyl(VI)complexes, [UO2(X-MeOSalen)(H2O)]·H2O, where X corresponds to the positions 3, 4 or 5 of the methoxy group on the aromatic ring, is described. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode and the electrochemical detection of cocaine were investigated using cyclic voltammetry. Using 0.1 mol·L−1 KCl as supporting-electrolyte, a concentration-dependent, well-defined peak current for cocaine at 0.62 V, with an amperometric sensitivity of 6.25 × 104 μA·mol·L−1 for cocaine concentrations ranging between 1.0 × 10−7 and 1.3 × 10−6 mol·L−1 was obtained. Chemical interference studies using lidocaine and procaine were performed. The position of the methoxy group affects the results, with the 3-methoxy derivative being the most sensitive.

Fluoride pollution is a global problem because of its high phytotoxicity. Fluoride is released in air, water and soil through industrial processes, where it damages various plant species. is widely distributed in Brazil, India and China and has been extensively used as a phytoremediation species in heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, few studies regarding the effect of air pollutants on have been published, and no information about the exposure of this species to fluoride is available. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of fluoride on morphoanatomical and physiological responses using simulated rainfall containing potassium fluoride (KF). Young plants at approximately 10 days after emergence were treated daily with KF using simulated rainfall at 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 mg L , for 37 consecutive days. Chlorophyll fluorescence, gas exchange, anatomical characteristics and fluoride accumulation in the roots and leaves were evaluated after this period. No visual or anatomical symptoms were observed for the first three treatments. Necrosis and chlorosis were visually evident after the 37th day of KF application at 4.5 mg L , followed by changes in parenchyma tissues, cell collapse and phenolic compound accumulation at the end of the experiment. No damage was observed in terms of photosynthetic photochemical and biochemical stages. Maintenance of physiological characteristics in the presence of fluoride accumulation in roots and leaves were shown to be important fluoride biomarkers. These characteristics suggest that is tolerant to 1.5 and 3.0 mg L KF, and is anatomically sensitive at 4.5 mg L KF.

Background Heterogeneity in the etiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features of schizophrenia challenges clinicians and researchers. A helpful approach could be stratifying patients according to the presence or absence of clinical features of the deficit syndrome (DS). DS is characterized by enduring and primary negative symptoms, a clinically less heterogeneous subtype of the illness, and patients with features of DS are thought to present abnormal brain network characteristics, however, this idea has received limited attention. We investigated functional brain network topology in patients displaying deficit features and those who do not. Design We applied graph theory analytics to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 61 antipsychotic medication-naïve first episode psychosis patients, 18 DS and 43 non-deficit schizophrenia (NDS), and 72 healthy controls (HC). We quantified small-worldness, global and nodal efficiency measures, shortest path length, nodal local efficiency, and synchronization and contrasted them among the 3 groups. Results DS presented decreased network integration and segregation compared to HC and NDS. DS showed lower global efficiency, longer global path lengths, and lower global local efficiency. Nodal efficiency was lower and the shortest path length was longer in DS in default mode, ventral attention, dorsal attention, frontoparietal, limbic, somatomotor, and visual networks compared to HC. Compared to NDS, DS showed lower efficiency and longer shortest path length in default mode, limbic, somatomotor, and visual networks. Conclusions Our data supports increasing evidence, based on topological perturbations of the functional connectome, that deficit syndrome may be a distinct form of the illness.

Schizophrenia is highly heterogeneous in its neurobiological and clinical presentations, which hinders attempts to understand its pathophysiology, limits efforts to identify biomarkers, and deters optimal patient care. A way to parse clinical heterogeneity is to subtype patients based on clinical presentations. The deficit syndrome (DS) is a possible subtype, characterized by primary and enduring negative symptoms. Evidence for neurobiological abnormalities dissociating DS from other forms of schizophrenia is inconsistent as most studies do not account for heterogeneity within patient groups due to limitations of group-level comparisons. The question remains whether DS presents a unique and less heterogeneous neurobiological phenotype. The goals of this work are to (1) systematically review the literature on magnetic resonance imaging studies of DS, (2) to test deficit/non-deficit (NDS) distinctions in the functional connectome, and (3) to parse clinical and neurobiological heterogeneity among first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients with and without features of DS. Therefore, we used graph theory to characterize group-level differences in the functional connectome. We hypothesized that functional network segregation would be lower in clinical subgroups compared to healthy controls (HCs), and that functional network integration, would be higher in FEP-DS compared to FEP-NDS, and HCs. Furthermore, we used normative modeling to assess individual-level abnormalities, enabling us to capture inter-individual variability and to dissect neurobiological heterogeneity. We hypothesized that FEP-DS patients would be less heterogeneous in individual-level structural and functional abnormalities, compared to FEP-NDS. Graph theory group-level analyses revealed that only FEP-DS patients had lower integration and segregation in the functional connectome, compared to HCs. Normative modeling analyses showed that, at the individual level, FEP-DS and FEP-NDS patients were not different in abnormalities of cortical thickness and resting-state functional connectivity. Importantly, FEP-DS patients showed similar neurobiological heterogeneity compared to FEP-NDS. This challenges the idea that DS is a more homogeneous subtype of schizophrenia which, so far, has only been tested in group-level comparisons. Normative models are useful for capturing inter-individual variability in schizophrenia, which can help to determine whether clinical subgroups differ in neurobiological heterogeneity. Defining neurobiologically more homogeneous subgroups may lead to clinically useful applications, such as tailored treatments with better treatment responses.

A new voltammetric method for the determination of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is described. The voltammetric experiments were accomplished in N-N dimethylformamide/water (9:1, v/v), using tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBATFB) 0.1mol/L as supporting electrolyte and a glassy carbon disk electrode as the working electrode. The anodic peak current was observed at 0.0V (vs. Ag/AgCl) after a 30s pre-concentration step under an applied potential of −1.2V (vs. Ag/AgCl). A linear dependence of Δ9-THC detection was obtained in the concentration range 2.4–11.3ng/mL, with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.999 and a detection limit of 0.34ng/mL. The voltammetric method was used to measure the content of Δ9-THC in samples (hemp and hashish) confiscated by the police. The elimination of chemical interferences from the samples was promptly achieved through prior purification using the TLC technique, by employing methanol/water (4:1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The results showed excellent correlation with results attained by HPLC.

A new voltammetric method for the determination of I9-tetrahydrocannabinol (I9-THC) is described. The voltammetric experiments were accomplished in N-N dimethylformamide/water (9: 1, v/v), using tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBATFB) 0.1 mol/L as supporting electrolyte and a glassy carbon disk electrode as the working electrode. The anodic peak current was observed at 0.0 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) after a 30 s pre-concentration step under an applied potential of a1.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). A linear dependence of I9-THC detection was obtained in the concentration range 2.4-11.3 ng/mL, with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.999 and a detection limit of 0.34 ng/mL. The voltammetric method was used to measure the content of I9-THC in samples (hemp and hashish) confiscated by the police. The elimination of chemical interferences from the samples was promptly achieved through prior purification using the TLC technique, by employing methanol/water (4: 1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The results showed excellent correlation with results attained by HPLC.

A fast and non-destructive voltammetric method to detect cocaine in confiscated samples based on carbon paste electrode modified with methoxy-substituted N,N'-ethylene-bis(salcylideneiminato)uranyl(VI)complexes, [UO2(X-MeOSalen)(H2O)] · H2O, where X corresponds to the positions 3, 4 or 5 of the methoxy group on the aromatic ring, is described. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode and the electrochemical detection of cocaine were investigated using cyclic voltammetry. Using 0.1 mol · L(-1) KCl as supporting-electrolyte, a concentration-dependent, well-defined peak current for cocaine at 0.62 V, with an amperometric sensitivity of 6.25 × 104 μA · mol · L(-1) for cocaine concentrations ranging between 1.0 × 10(-7) and 1.3 × 10(-6) mol · L-1 was obtained. Chemical interference studies using lidocaine and procaine were performed. The position of the methoxy group affects the results, with the 3-methoxy derivative being the most sensitive.A fast and non-destructive voltammetric method to detect cocaine in confiscated samples based on carbon paste electrode modified with methoxy-substituted N,N'-ethylene-bis(salcylideneiminato)uranyl(VI)complexes, [UO2(X-MeOSalen)(H2O)] · H2O, where X corresponds to the positions 3, 4 or 5 of the methoxy group on the aromatic ring, is described. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode and the electrochemical detection of cocaine were investigated using cyclic voltammetry. Using 0.1 mol · L(-1) KCl as supporting-electrolyte, a concentration-dependent, well-defined peak current for cocaine at 0.62 V, with an amperometric sensitivity of 6.25 × 104 μA · mol · L(-1) for cocaine concentrations ranging between 1.0 × 10(-7) and 1.3 × 10(-6) mol · L-1 was obtained. Chemical interference studies using lidocaine and procaine were performed. The position of the methoxy group affects the results, with the 3-methoxy derivative being the most sensitive.

A new voltammetric method for the determination of Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 -THC) is described. The voltammetric experiments were accomplished in N-N dimethylformamide/water (9:1, v/v), using tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBATFB) 0.1mol/L as supporting electrolyte and a glassy carbon disk electrode as the working electrode. The anodic peak current was observed at 0.0V (vs. Ag/AgCl) after a 30s pre-concentration step under an applied potential of -1.2V (vs. Ag/AgCl). A linear dependence of Δ9 -THC detection was obtained in the concentration range 2.4-11.3ng/mL, with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.999 and a detection limit of 0.34ng/mL. The voltammetric method was used to measure the content of Δ9 -THC in samples (hemp and hashish) confiscated by the police. The elimination of chemical interferences from the samples was promptly achieved through prior purification using the TLC technique, by employing methanol/water (4:1, v/v) as the mobile phase. The results showed excellent correlation with results attained by HPLC.

The follow-up of phytochemical and pharmacological studies of Sida rhombifolia L. (Malvaceae) aims to strengthen the chemosystematics and pharmacology of Sida genera and support the ethnopharmacological use of this species as hypotensive herb. The present work reports phytoconstituents isolated and identified from aerial parts of S. rhombifolia by using chromatographic and spectroscopic methods. The study led to the isolation of scopoletin (1), scoporone (2), ethoxy-ferulate (3), kaempferol (4), kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glycosyl-6′′-α-d-rhamnose (5), quindolinone (6), 11-methoxy-quindoline (7), quindoline (8), and the cryptolepine salt (9). The alkaloids quindolinone (6) and cryptolepine salt (9) showed vasorelaxant activity in rodent isolated mesenteric arteries.