Studies on an alkali-thermostable xylanase from Aspergillus fumigatus MA28

An alkalitolerant fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus strain MA28 produced significant amounts of cellulase-free xylanase when grown on a variety of agro-wastes. Wheat bran as the sole carbon source supported higher xylanase production (8,450 U/L) than xylan (7,500 U/L). Soybean meal was observed to be the best nitrogen source for xylanase production (9,000 U/L). Optimum medium pH for xylanase production was 8 (9,800 U/L), though, significant quantities of the enzyme was also produced at pH 7 (8,500 U/L), 9 (8,200 U/L) and 10 (4,600 U/L). The xylanase was purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography, and was found to have a molecular weight of 14.4 kDa with a Vmax of 980 μmol/min/mg of protein and a Km of approximately 4.9 mg/mL. The optimum temperature and pH for enzyme activity was 50 °C and pH 8, respectively. However, the enzyme also showed substantial residual activity at 60–70 °C (53–75%) and at alkaline pH 8–9 (56–88%)

The influence of demographic characteristics, living conditions, and trauma exposure on the overall health of a conflict-affected population in Southern Sudan

BACKGROUND: There remains limited evidence on how armed conflict affects overall physical and mental well-being rather than specific physical or mental health conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of demographic characteristics, living conditions, and violent and traumatic events on general physical and mental health in Southern Sudan which is emerging from 20 years of armed conflict. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1228 adults was conducted in November 2007 in the town of Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to investigate the associations and relative influence of variables in three models of demographic characteristics, living conditions, and trauma exposure, on general physical and mental health status. These models were run separately and also as a combined model. Data quality and the internal consistency of the health status instrument (SF-8) were assessed. RESULTS: The variables in the multivariate analysis (combined model) with negative coefficients of association with general physical health and mental health (i.e. worse health), respectively, were being female (coef. -2.47; -2.63), higher age (coef.-0.16; -0.17), absence of soap in the household (physical health coef. -2.24), and experiencing within the past 12 months a lack of food and/or water (coef. -1.46; -2.27) and lack of medical care (coef.-3.51; -3.17). A number of trauma variables and cumulative exposure to trauma showed an association with physical and mental health (see main text for data). There was limited variance in results when each of the three models were run separately and when they were combined, suggesting the pervasive influence of these variables. The SF-8 showed good data quality and internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence on the pervasive influence of demographic characteristics, living conditions, and violent and traumatic events on the general physical and mental health of a conflict-affected population in Southern Sudan, and highlights the importance of addressing all these influences on overall health

Práticas educativas de trabalhadores de saúde: vivência de graduandos de enfermagem Prácticas educativas de trabajadores de servicios de salud: vivencia de graduados de enfermería Educational practices of health practioners: nursing estudents experiences

Os serviços de saúde podem constituir-se em espaços de construção e reconstrução de propostas educacionais voltadas aos trabalhadores, a partir dos problemas vivenciados no cotidiano. Esta pesquisa objetivou apreender os significados atribuídos pelos egressos do Curso de Enfermagem de uma universidade no Norte do Paraná, às experiências vivenciadas na realização de atividades educativas, junto aos trabalhadores de saúde. Trata-se de um estudo de abordagem qualitativa. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, nos meses de agosto a outubro de 2004, em Unidades Básicas de Saúde. Da análise das entrevistas, emergiram cinco categorias. Concluiu-se que é nítido que o aluno reproduz o ensino tradicional, apresentando limitada análise crítica e problematizadora da realidade.<br>Los servicios de salud pueden constituirse en espacios de construcción y reconstrucción de propuestas educacionales volcadas a los trabajadores, partiendo de problemas vividos cotidianamente. La pesquisa tuvo por objetivo comprender los conceptos aplicados por los egresados del Curso de Enfermería de la Universidad del Norte de Paraná, sumado a las experiencias vividas en actividades educativas, junto a trabajadores de la salud. El studio es de abordaje cualitativo. Los datos fueron obtenidos por medio de entrevistas semi-estructuradas, entre los períodos de agosto a octubre del 2004 con diez egresados, en Centros de Salud. Se concluye que el alumno reproduce la enseñanza tradicional, presentando un limitado análisis crítico de la problemática de la realidad.<br>Health work could exist by building and rebuilding educational proposals concerning the practiones, considering the everyday problems. This research aimed at understanding the meanings attributed by the egressed nursing students at the university in the northwet region of Paraná State, to the lived experiences in their educative experiences with health workers. This is a qualtitative aaproach study. Data were obtained by means of semi-structured interviews, from August to October, 2004, in Basic Health Units. Through the interviews analises, five categories emerged. It can be clearly concluded that the student acts in the traditional teaching, presenting limited critical analisis of the reality