Production of tung oil epoxy resin using low frequency high power ultrasound.

Epoxy resins made from vegetable oils are an alternative to synthesize epoxy resins from renewable sources. Tung oil is rich in α -eleostearic fatty acid, which contains three double bonds producing epoxy resins with up to three epoxy groups per fatty acid. This work studied the production of tung oil epoxy resin using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent and acetic and formic acid as percarboxylic acid precursors, applying low frequency high power ultrasound. This study evaluated the effects of ultrasound power density, hydrogen peroxide concentration, acetic acid concentration, and formic acid concentration on the yield into epoxy resin, selectivity, and by-products formation. Application of ultrasound was carried out using a 19 kHz probe ultrasound (horn ultrasound) with a 1.3 cm diameter titanium probe, 500 W nominal power, 2940 W L-1 maximum effective power density applied to the reaction mixture. Ultrasound technology yielded up to 85% of epoxy resin in 3 h of reaction. The use of formic acid resulted in a slightly lower oil conversion than acetic acid but with a much higher selectivity towards epoxidized tung oil. However, using acetic acid resulted in the production of high-value by-products, such as 2-heptenal and 2,4-nonadienal. The ultrasound-assisted epoxidation showed to be particularly efficient when applied to oils containing conjugated double-bonds.

Interference of medicines in laboratory exams / Interferência dos medicamentos nos exames laboratoriais

ABSTRACT Objective: Conduct a survey on the interference of drugs in laboratory tests. Methodology: To identify the interference of each medication in laboratory tests, the Municipal List of Essential Medicines (Remume) of a medium-sized municipality in the state of Minas Gerais was used along with the following sources of information: Dynamed, Micromedex® and Nursing Reference Center. Results: We observed that the majority (67.7%) of Remume drugs can interfere in one or more laboratory tests; among them, the main classes of drugs are diuretics, beta blockers, ß-lactams, sulfonamides, macrolides, tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressants. Conclusion: It is extremely important to disseminate knowledge about these interferences so that health professionals are alert and know how to identify the possible changes, reducing analytical errors and subsequently misdiagnosis and erroneous monitoring. Continued education on drug interference in laboratory tests is equally important.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Llevar a cabo una encuesta acerca de la interferencia de los medicamentos en las pruebas de laboratorio. Métodos: Usamos la Relación Municipal de Medicamentos Esenciales (Remume) de una municipalidad mediana en el estado de Minas Gerais y las siguientes fuentes de información: Dynamed, Micromedex® y Nursing Reference Center. Resultados: Observamos que la mayor parte (67,7%) de los medicamentos de Remume puede interferir en una o más pruebas de laboratorio; entre ellos, las principales clases son los diuréticos, beta bloqueadores, betalactámicos, sulfonamidas, macrólidos, antidepresivos tricíclicos y antidepresivos inhibidores selectivos de la recaptación de serotonina. Conclusión: Es muy importante divulgar el conocimiento respecto a esas interferencias para que los profesionales de la salud puedan identificar las posibles alteraciones en las pruebas, reduciendo errores analíticos y diagnósticos y monitoreos equivocados. Por lo tanto, es necesaria una educación continuada acerca de las interferencias de medicamentos en las pruebas de laboratorio.

RESUMO Objetivo: Realizar um levantamento sobre a interferência dos medicamentos nos exames laboratoriais. Métodos: Utilizamos a Relação Municipal dos Medicamentos Essenciais (Remune) de um município de médio porte do estado de Minas Gerais e as seguintes fontes de informações: Dynamed, Micromedex® e Nursing Reference Center. Resultados: Observamos que a maioria (67,7%) dos medicamentos da Remune pode interferir em um ou mais exames laboratoriais; entre eles, as principais classes de medicamentos são os diuréticos, betabloqueadores, betalactâmicos, sulfonamidas, macrolídeos, antidepressivos tricíclicos e antidepressivos inibidores seletivos da recaptação de serotonina. Conclusão: É muito importante divulgar o conhecimento a respeito dessas interferências para que os profissionais da área da saúde possam identificar as possíveis alterações nos exames, reduzindo erros analíticos e diagnósticos e monitoramentos equivocados. Portanto, faz-se necessária a educação continuada sobre as interferências de medicamentos nos exames laboratoriais.

Genome-wide linkage and haplotype sharing analysis implicates the MCDR3 locus as a candidate region for a developmental macular disorder in association with digit abnormalities.

BACKGROUND: Developmental macular disorders are a heterogeneous group of rare retinal conditions that can cause significant visual impairment from childhood. Among these disorders, autosomal dominant North Carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD) has been mapped to 6q16 (MCDR1) with recent support for a non-coding disease mechanism of PRDM13. A second locus on 5p15-5p13 (MCDR3) has been implicated in a similar phenotype, but the disease-causing mechanism still remains unknown. METHODS: Two families affected by a dominant developmental macular disorder that closely resembles NCMD in association with digit abnormalities were included in the study. Family members with available DNA were genotyped using the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Mapping 250K Sty array. A parametric multipoint linkage analysis assuming a fully penetrant dominant model was performed using MERLIN. Haplotype sharing analysis was carried out using the non-parametric Homozygosity Haplotype method. Whole-exome sequencing was conducted on selected affected individuals. RESULTS: Linkage analysis excluded MCDR1 from the candidate regions (LOD < -2). There was suggestive linkage (LOD = 2.7) at two loci, including 9p24.1 and 5p15.32 that overlapped with MCDR3. The haplotype sharing analysis in one of the families revealed a 5 cM shared IBD segment at 5p15.32 (p value = 0.004). Whole-exome sequencing did not provide conclusive evidence for disease-causing alleles. CONCLUSIONS: These findings do not exclude that this phenotype may be allelic with NCMD MCDR3 at 5p15 and leave the possibility of a non-coding disease mechanism, in keeping with recent findings on 6q16. Further studies, including whole-genome sequencing, may help elucidate the underlying genetic cause of this phenotype and shed light on macular development and function.