ABSTRACT
Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) have been produced on a large scale because they can be applied across various fields, especially in nano-enabled healthcare and agricultural products. However, the increasing use of CuONPs leads to their release and accumulation into the environment. The CuONPs uptaken by seeds and their implications on germination behavior have been reported, but little is known or understood about their impact on photosynthesis in seed tissues. To fill knowledge gaps, this study evaluated the effects of CuONP concentrations (0-300 mg L-1) on the photosynthetic activity of Inga laurina seeds. The microscopy data showed that CuONPs had an average size distribution of 57.5 ± 0.7 nm. Copper ion release and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by CuONPs were also evaluated by dialysis and spectroscopy experiments, respectively. CuONPs were not able to intrinsically generate ROS and released a low content of Cu2⺠ions (4.5%, w/w). Time evolution of chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy were used to monitor the seeds subjected to nanoparticles during 168 h. The data demonstrate that CuONPs affected the steady-state maximum chlorophyll fluorescence ( F m ' ), the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II ( F v / F m ), and non-photochemical quenching ( NPQ ) of Inga laurina seeds over time. Besides, the NPQ significantly increased at the seed development stage, near the root protrusion stage, probably due to energy dissipation at this germination step. Additionally, the results indicated that CuONPs can change the oscillatory rhythms of energy dissipation of the seeds, disturbing the circadian clock. In conclusion, the results indicate that CuONPs can affect the photosynthetic behavior of I. laurina seeds. These findings open opportunities for using chlorophyll fluorescence as a non-destructive tool to evaluate nanoparticle impact on photosynthetic activity in seed tissues.
Subject(s)
Copper , Fabaceae , Photosynthesis , Seeds , Photosynthesis/drug effects , Seeds/drug effects , Fabaceae/drug effects , Germination/drug effects , Nanoparticles , Chlorophyll/metabolismABSTRACT
Problems related to oil authenticity make it difficult to obtain the benefits associated with each type of vegetable oil. Fraudulent practices have been revealed by several targeted and nontargeted methods. In this paper, spectroscopic techniques (FT-IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR) were applied to determine the chemical profiles of 23 Brazilian commercial vegetable oils obtained from five different high-value aggregated matrices (andiroba, babassu, baru, castor, and sweet almond oils) and investigate their adulteration, by comparison with the corresponding reference samples. Each technique is useful for the particular information it provides: differences in free fatty acids by FT-IR; adulteration with omega-3-enriched oils by 1H NMR, and adulteration of unsaturated-enriched oil with another unsaturated oil without linoleic acid by regiospecific analysis. Our findings highlight the importance of fusion-based methods in providing precise information for use in oil quality authentication.
Subject(s)
Food Contamination , Plant Oils , Brazil , Food Contamination/analysis , Plant Oils/analysis , Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform InfraredABSTRACT
Resumo Objetivo Traduzir e adaptar transculturalmente a escala espanhola de Avaliação Sociofamiliar em Idosos (Escala de Gijón) para o contexto brasileiro. Métodos Procedimento metodológico de adequação transcultural, com tradução (espanhol-português), retrotradução (português-espanhol), avaliação de equivalências semântica, idiomática, experimental e conceitual, e pré-teste da versão brasileira em uma amostra de 30 idosos. Para análise de concordância foram medidos proporcionalidade e índice Kappa Cohen-Fleiss (κ). Em adição, confirmou-se a consistência interna pelo alfa de Cronbach. Resultados A condução das traduções (T1 e T2), e retrotraduções (RT1 e RT2), e avaliações da versão síntese (T12) por comitê de especialistas e juiz neutro garantiram em T12 a essência avaliativa da versão original da escala. A avaliação dos 34 componentes de T12 mostrou adequação semântica (100%) e idiomática (94%), e adequação superior a 70% para equivalências experimental e conceitual. Houve concordância quase-perfeita entre os especialistas do comitê: semântica (κ=0,95), idiomática (κ=0,97), experimental (κ=0,98) e conceitual (κ=0,99). O pré-teste de T12 resultou confiabilidade substancial para o instrumento, com alpha de Cronbach de 0,77. Conclusão Este estudo garante a adaptação transcultural da escala de Avaliação Sociofamiliar em Idosos para o contexto da pessoa idosa que vive no Brasil. A avaliação das equivalências resultou em concordância quase-perfeita entre os especialistas. O público-alvo não reportou dificuldades para compreender as assertivas da escala. Demonstrou-se um instrumento confiável, considerando o alfa de Cronbach obtido. Após a validação da escala, estudo em andamento, será disponibilizado um instrumento confiável para o rastreio da situação sociofamiliar da pessoa idosa no contexto brasileiro.
Abstract Objective To cross-culturally translate and adapt the Spanish Older Adults Socio-familial Evaluation Scale (Gijón Scale) to the Brazilian context. Methods A methodological procedure of cross-cultural adaptation with translation (Spanish-Portuguese), back-translation (Portuguese-Spanish), evaluation of semantic, idiomatic, experimental, and conceptual equivalences, and pretest of the Brazilian version in a sample of 30 older adults. For the concordance analysis, proportionality and the Kappa Cohen-Fleiss index (κ) were measured. In addition, internal consistency was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. Results Translations (T1 and T2), back-translations (RT1 and RT2), and evaluations of the synthesis version (T12) were carried out by a Committee of Experts, and a neutral judge ensured the evaluative essence of the original version of the scale in T12. The evaluation of the 34 components of T12 showed semantic (100%) and idiomatic (94%) adequacy, and adequacy greater than 70% for experimental and conceptual equivalences. There was almost perfect concordance among the experts of the Committee: semantics (κ=0.95), idiomatic (κ=0.97), experimental (κ=0.98), and conceptual (κ=0.99). The T12 pretest resulted in substantial reliability of the instrument with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.77. Conclusion The present study ensures the cross-cultural adaptation of the Socio-familial Evaluation Scale to the context of the older person living in Brazil. The equivalence evaluation resulted in almost perfect concordance among experts. The target audience did not report difficulties in understanding the assertions of the scale. The instrument proved to be reliable considering the Cronbach's alpha obtained. After validating the scale, an ongoing study, a reliable instrument will be made available for tracking the socio-familial situation of older adults in the Brazilian context.
Subject(s)
Humans , Aged , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Health of the Elderly , Surveys and Questionnaires , Family Relations , Translating , Brazil , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
A significant increase in the use of the herbicide glyphosate has generated many questions about its residual accumulation in the environment and possible damage to crops. In this study, changes in chlorophyll a (chl-a) fluorescence induced by glyphosate in three varieties of glyphosate-resistant soybean plants were determined with an in vivo analysis based on a portable laser-induced fluorescence system. Strong suppression of chl-a fluorescence was observed for all plants treated with the herbicide. Moreover, the ratio of the emission bands in the red and far-red regions (685 nm/735 nm) indicates that the application of glyphosate led to chlorophyll degradation. The results also indicated that the use of glyphosate, even at concentrations recommended by the manufacturer, suppressed chl-a fluorescence. In summary, this study shows that fluorescence spectroscopy can detect, in vivo, very early changes in the photosynthetic status of transgenic soybeans treated with this herbicide.