Efeito da diluição na caracterização da biomassa de sistemas de tratamentos de efluentes por análise de imagem

O estudo da biomassa de sistemas de tratamento de efluentes por análise de imagem permite avaliar o seu estado de agregação assim como acompanhar as modificações por ela sofrida quando submetida a choques orgânicos ou hidráulicos. Certos processos de tratamento trabalham com uma forte concentração em biomassa, o que obriga a uma diluição prévia. O presente estudo avalia o efeito desta diluição sobre a caracterização da biomassa aeróbia e anaeróbia (agregada sob a forma de flocos ou grânulos ou isolada). Os resultados obtidos indicam que este efeito varia segundo a origem e tipo da biomassa e o tipo de água utilizada na diluição. Foi observado que a diluição provoca inicialmente um aumento do tamanho dos flocos para em seguida provocar a sua ruptura. Devido a fortes variações sofridas sobretudo em relação à quantificação das bactérias filamentosas, recomenda-se a opção por uma diluição e sua manutenção até o fim do experimento.The study by image analysis of biomass in wastewater treatment systems allow us to evaluate its aggregation state and to relate its changes to changes in the process operation conditions. In some processes, a high biomass concentration is used and dilution is necessary for visualisation by optical microscopy. The effect of the dilution factor on the measured characteristics of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (aggregated as flocs or granules, or isolated) has been investigated. The results indicate that the effect depends on the origin and type of biomass and on the kind of water used for dilution. Dilution induces initially an increase of the floc size. The flocs are disrupted when the dilution factor is high. Due to the observed variations on the quantification of filamentous bacteria, it is recommended to select initially an appropriate dilution factor and to maintain it for the whole experiment.Brasil. Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).Embaixada de França em Portugal.Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia. Instituto de Cooperação Científica e Tecnológica Internacional (ICCTI)

Factors associated with thrombocytopenia in severe leptospirosis (Weil's disease)

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate factors associated with thrombocytopenia in a large cohort of patients with leptospirosis in an endemic area. METHODS: This retrospective study included 374 consecutive patients with leptospirosis who were admitted to tertiary hospitals in Fortaleza, Brazil. All patients had a diagnosis of severe leptospirosis (Weil's disease). Acute kidney injury was defined according to the RIFLE criteria. Thrombocytopenia was defined as a platelet coun

Bilirubin is independently associated with oxidized LDL levels in young obese patients

BACKGROUND: Bilirubin can prevent lipid oxidation in vitro, but the association in vivo with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) levels has been poorly explored. Our aim is to the association of Ox-LDL with total bilirubin (TB) levels and with variables related with metabolic syndrome and inflammation, in young obese individuals. FINDINGS: 125 obese patients (13.4 years; 53.6% females) were studied. TB, lipid profile including Ox-LDL, markers of glucose metabolism, and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and adiponectin were determined. Anthropometric data was also collected. In all patients, Ox-LDL correlated positively with BMI, total cholesterol, LDLc, triglycerides (TG), CRP, glucose, insulin and HOMAIR; while inversely with TB and HDLc/Total cholesterol ratio (P < 0.05 for all). In multiple linear regression analysis, LDLc, TG, HDLc and TB levels were significantly associated with Ox-LDL (standardized Beta: 0.656, 0.293, -0.283, -0.164, respectively; P < 0.01 for all). After removing TG and HDLc from the analysis, HOMAIR was included in the regression model. In this new model, LDLc remained the best predictor of Ox-LDL levels (β = 0.665, P < 0.001), followed by TB (β = -0.202, P = 0.002) and HOMAIR (β = 0.163, P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Lower bilirubin levels may contribute to increased LDL oxidation in obese children and adolescents, predisposing to increased cardiovascular risk

Application of coated urea at different phenological stages on second crop corn.

The response of second crop corn to nitrogen application was evaluated at different stages of development. The experiment was conducted on the São Carlos farm in Vilhena ? Rondônia/Brazil. The factors under study included the splitting of N associated with the application of coated urea with NBPT (45-00-00) in top dressing. The control group (witness) showed the highest productivity among all treatments, with 7962 kg ha-1 , followed by V3+V7 (7895 kg ha-1) and V4+V8 (7821 kg ha-1). The lowest productivity was 6630 kg ha-1 in V5+V9, indicating that the later the urea application in defining the productive potential of the crop (V4), the lower the yields achieved. Avaliou-se a resposta do milho safrinha à aplicação de nitrogênio em diferentes estádios de desenvolvimento. O experimento foi conduzido na fazenda São Carlos em Vilhena ? Rondônia/Brasil. Os fatores em estudo consistiram no parcelamento de N associados a aplicação de uréia revestida com NBPT (45-00-00) em cobertura. A testemunha apresentou a maior produtividade dentre todos os tratamentos, com 7962 kg ha-1, sendo seguida, respectivamente, por V3+V7 (7895 kg ha-1) e V4+V8 (7821 kg ha-1). A menor produtividade foi 6630 kg ha-1 ocorrida em V5+V9, indicando que quanto mais tardia for a aplicação de ureia da definição do potencial produtivo da cultura (V4), menores serão os rendimentos alcançados

Seroprevalence of Protective Antibodies Against Influenza and the Reduction of the Influenza Incidence Rate: An Annual Repeated Cross-Sectional Study From 2014 to 2019

Background: Seroepidemiological studies provide estimates of population-level immunity, prevalence/incidence of infections, and evaluation of vaccination programs. We assessed the seroprevalence of protective antibodies against influenza and evaluated the correlation of seroprevalence with the cumulative annual influenza incidence rate. Methods: We conducted an annual repeated cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey, during June-August, from 2014 to 2019, in Portugal. A total of 4326 sera from all age groups, sex, and regions was tested by hemagglutination inhibition assay. Seroprevalence and geometric mean titers (GMT) of protective antibodies against influenza were assessed by age group, sex, and vaccine status (65+ years old). The association between summer annual seroprevalence and the difference of influenza incidence rates between one season and the previous one was measured by Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Results: Significant differences in seroprevalence of protective antibodies against influenza were observed in the population. Higher seroprevalence and GMT for A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) were observed in children (5-14); influenza B seroprevalence in adults 65+ was 1.6-4.4 times than in children (0-4). Vaccinated participants (65+) showed significant higher seroprevalence/GMT for influenza. A strong negative and significant correlation was found between seroprevalence and ILI incidence rate for A(H1N1)pdm09 in children between 5 and 14 (r = -0.84; 95% CI, -0.98 to -0.07); a weak negative correlation was observed for A(H3N2) and B/Yamagata (r ≤ -0.1). Conclusions: The study provides new insight into the anti-influenza antibodies seroprevalence measured in summer on the ILI incidence rate in the next season and the need for adjusted preventive health care measures to prevent influenza infection and transmission.Luís Ribeiro and Ana Sofia Marinho from Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, E. P. E.; Lídia Santos, Patrícia Miguel, Paula Branquinho, and Paula Soares from Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, E. P. E.; Margarida Figueiredo and Daniela Cochicho from Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa, Francisco Gentil, E.P. E.; Diana Barros from Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, E. P. E.; Ivo Rosa, Ana Mira, and José Brito from Hospital do Espírito Santo de Évora, E. P. E., are acknowledged for their work at hospital laboratories as members of the Portuguese Laboratory Network for Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Diagnosis. The authors acknowledge the coordinators of WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at Francis Crick Institute, London, for supporting the Portuguese National Influenza Reference Laboratory, with technical advice and reference reagents