Morphological characterisation of biomass in wastewater treatment using partial least squares

A wastewater treatment plant was followed in order to determine the biomass morphological properties and relate them with other measures as the Total Suspended Solids (TSS) or Sludge Volume Index (SVI). Image analysis was used to provide morphological data, which was subsequently treated by Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results showed very good correlations between observed and model predicted TSS but, considerably lower for SVI

Potencial estabilizante de éster de sacarose em suco de graviola (Annona muricata, L.)

Esteres de sacarose são compostos com propriedades tensoativas (biosurfactantes), isto é, capazes de reduzir a tensão superficial e promover a emulsificação de líquidos imiscíveis. Como todas as emulsões, o suco de graviola não é fisicamente estável e é propenso a uma separação de fases. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a aplicação do éster de sacarose na estabilização de emulsões de suco de graviola. O éster de sacarose foi adicionado às amostras de suco de graviola nas proporções de 1:10, 1:50 e 1:100 (éster de sacarose:suco de graviola) e caracterizado de acordo com a tensão superficial, índice de emulsificação, potencial zeta e análise microscópica. A análise microscópica apresentou maior aglomerado de glóbulos na amostra B (1:10, éster de sacarose:suco de graviola, p/v). Os resultados das demais análises indicaram que a amostra C (1:50, éster de sacarose:suco de graviola, p/v) apresentou a melhor estabilidade, com uma tensão superficial de 35 N/m e um índice de emulsificação de 50.4 % durante 24 horas de experimento

Development of an image analysis methodology for animal cell cultures characterization

To establish a strong cell culture protocol and to evaluate experimental results, a quantitative determination of animal cells characteristics, such as confluence and morphology is quite often required. Quantitative image analysis using automated processing has become a routine methodology in a wide range of applications with the advantage of being non-invasive and non-destructive. However, in animal cells cultures automatic techniques giving valuable information based on visual inspection are still lacking. In the present work an image analysis procedure was developed to accurately detect animal cell cultures from images captured in phase-contrast microscopy. Image analysis results demonstrated that the methodology was successfully applied, leading to more efficient animal cell culturing with less variability

Image processing on animal cell cultures : a refined technique

The process of microscopic animal cell counting can be a time-consuming process, resulting in a subjective analysis varying according to the researcher’s perception. Regarding the ideal moment to divide the cells, the decision is performed in an empirical manner and is affected by the complexity of cell morphology and density. Searching for a way to overcome these problems, and considering the decreasing costs of computational data processing, a window was found for new methodologies to quickly characterize a given structure. Advances in digital imaging allow the extraction of quantitative information, opposite to the qualitative and subjective evaluation of human analysis. Thus, microscopy image analysis techniques have gained, during the last years, an unquestionable role in several fields of research. The purpose of an image processing step resides in obtaining a final image holding significant information for a given application. These techniques should be automated as much as possible to avoid subjectivity. Thus, several segmentation techniques have been already proposed. For segmentation to take place, usually a threshold value(s) must be defined to allow the differentiation between the objects and background. Other methods, such as region growing, mathematical morphology and watershed are also used for this purpose. These are simple algorithms that when appropriately used can provide promising results and oftentimes with a low computation complexity. Nevertheless, the previous methods have some limitations, including non-uniform intensity variations, low-contrast images, irregular segmentation and over-segmentation. More sophisticated methods based on frameworks of active contours (e.g. snakes, level-sets) or graph-cuts can also be applied to segment cells with positive results. Nonetheless, these algorithms present high computational complexity. The main goal of this work was to develop an image processing tool using several algorithms in order to improve cell segmentation processing for different morphological cells and densities. For that purpose, different cells were used ‒ MDA-MB-231 and -435, both cancer cell lines, and MCF-10-2A, a non-tumorigenic line. Cells were observed in a Leica DM IL inverted contrasting microscope, in phase-contrast at 100x total magnification, coupled with a Leica D-LUX 3 camera, ensuring the same acquisition conditions. Despite the variability in their morphology, preliminary results demonstrated that the segmentation process was fairly successfully. As a result, the previously described flaws were minimized, leading to more efficient animal cell culturing with less variability

"Bulking" filamentoso na ETAR de Braga: Análise, diagnóstico e soluções

No tratamento secundário de águas residuais o processo de lamas activadas é o mais comunmente utilizado. Este assenta no crescimento de bactérias formadoras de flocos que se separa por gravidade do sobrenadante clarificado, sendo indispensável para uma boa floculação um crescimento equilibrado entre estas bactérias e as bactérias filamentosas. Quando existe um crescimento excessivo destas últimas dá-se o fenómeno indesejado de “bulking” filamentoso. Neste trabalho procedeu-se ao estudo deste fenómeno na ETAR de Braga, tendo-se efectuado observações microscópicas das bactérias filamentosas presentes e caracterizado morfológicamente os flocos por análise de imagem. No período estudado registou-se o predomínio de M. parvicella, e após o seu desaparecimento dos tipos 1851, 1863 e N. limicola I e II. Verificou-se ainda que o “bulking“ filamentoso aparenta ser um problema “crónico” nesta estação de tratamento, principalmente devido ao elevado crescimento das espécies encontradas.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PRAXIS XXI/BD/20325/99

Maximization of fructose esters synthesis by response surface methodology

Enzymatic synthesis of fructose fatty acide sterwasper formed inorganic solventmedia, using apurified lipase from Candida antartica B immobilizedinacrylicresin. Response sur face methodology with a central composit erotatable design based on five levels was implemented to optimize three experimental operating conditions (temperature, agitation and reaction time). A statistical significant cubic model was established. Temperature andre action time were found to bethe most significant parameters. The optimum operational conditions for maximizing the synthesis of fructos e esters were 57.18C, 100rpm and 37.8h. The model was validated in the identified optimal condition stocheck its adequacy and accuracy, and an experimental esterification percentage of 88.4% ( 0.3%) was obtained. These results showed that animprovement of the enzymatic synthesis of fructose esters was obtained under the optimized conditionsThe authors acknowledge the AlBan Programme (European Union Programme of High Level Scholarships for Latin America) for financial support of N. Lopes through the research grant E07D401544BR. Also, the authors acknowledge the Department of Chemistry from University of Minho (Portugal) for running the infrared spectroscopy analysis

Lesão Tumoral Primária do Pulmão em Adolescente

Primary lung tumors in the pediatric age group are rare, histologically diverse and have different therapeutic approaches. The inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung accounts for 0.04% - 1.2% of all lung tumors, is more common in children and young adults and its etiology is unknown. The diagnosis is difficult as clinical and radiological findings are highly variable. We report a case of a 15-year-old adolescent who presented with a single pulmonary nodule on a chest radiograph, in the context of a respiratory infection, and whose etiological investigation revealed an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the lung. Atypical resection was performed by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, with full recovery. We highlight the rarity of this entity, the need for a high suspicion index and the diagnostic investigation undertaken to reach a definitive diagnosis and a successful outcome.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio