Recovery of Rare-Earth Elements from Brazilian Ion-Adsorption Clay: A Preliminary Study

Ion-adsorption clays (IAC) are alumino-silicate ores, considered an essential source of heavy rare-earth elements (REE). With the increasing discovery and exploitation of IAC deposits, the present work sought to evaluate different methods of solubilization of REE through the use of different concentrations of inorganic acids (H2SO4, HCl, and HNO3), as well as different concentrations of ammonium sulfate and lactic acid. According to the results, the sulfuric acid solution favored the solubilization of both La3+ and Sm3+ elements. The solubilization of REE in the presence of ammonium sulfate showed no significant differences as a function of the leaching time but favored the solubilization of Y3+ and Tb3+. More efficient solubilization of Sm3+ was observed with the addition of lactic acid at a concentration of 30 g L-1, leading to 90% (4.5 ppm) of Sm3+ extraction. The solubilization of La3+ was favored by the contact time, with higher Sm3+ extraction yields in 14 days of leaching. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v14i1.156

Meta-analysis of the effects of sanitizing treatments on Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes inactivation in fresh produce

The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the effects of sanitizing treatments of fresh produce on Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. From 55 primary studies found to report on such effects, 40 were selected based on specific criteria, leading to more than 1000 data on mean log reduction of these three bacterial pathogens impairing the safety of fresh produce. Data were partitioned to build three meta-analytical models that could allow the assessment of differences in mean log reductions among pathogens, fresh produce and sanitizers. Moderating variables assessed in the meta-analytical models included type of fresh produce, type of sanitizer, concentration, treatment time and temperature. Further, a proposal was done to classify the sanitizers according to their bactericidal efficacy by means of a meta-analytical dendrogram. The results indicated that both time and temperature significantly affected the mean log reductions of the sanitizing treatment (p<0.0001). In general, sanitizer treatments led to lower mean log reductions when applied to leafy greens (for example, 0.68 log-reductions [0.00-1.37] achieved in lettuce) as compared to other non-leafy vegetables (for example, 3.04 mean log-reductions [2.32-3.76] obtained for carrots). Among the pathogens, E. coli 0157:H7 was more resistant to ozone (1.6 mean log reductions), while L. monocytogenes and Salmonella presented high resistance to organic acids such as, citric acid, acetic acid and lactic acid (∼3.0 mean log reductions). With regards to the sanitizers, it has been found that slightly acidic electrolysed water, acidified sodium chlorite and the gaseous chlorine dioxide clustered together, indicating they possessed the strongest bactericidal effect. The results reported seem to be an important achievement for advancing the global understanding of the effectiveness of sanitizers for microbial safety of fresh produce

Overview of stimuli-responsive mesoporous organosilica nanocarriers for drug delivery

The application of nanomaterials is regarded nowadays as a highly promising approach for overcoming the limitations of the currently available cancer treatments, contributing for the creation of more effective, precise, and safer therapies. In the last years, organosilica nanoparticles arisen as alternatives to the most common mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The organosilica nanoparticles combine the advantages of the mesoporous silica, such as structural stability and mesoporous structure, with the increased biocompatibility and biodegradability of organic materials. Therefore, the variety of organic bridges that can be incorporated into the silica matrix allowed the development of new and exciting compositions, properties, and functions for improving the therapeutic effectiveness of the anticancer nanomedicines. In this review, the strategies that have been explored to create stimuli-responsive organosilica-based drug delivery systems are highlighted, describing the practical approaches and mechanisms controlling the drug release. Additionally, the organosilica nanoparticles surface modifications aimed for increasing the blood circulation time and the tumor targeting are also described.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sagittal Abdominal Diameter As A Surrogate Marker Of Insulin Resistance In An Admixtured Population-brazilian Metabolic Syndrome Study (brams)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Background Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) has been proposed as a surrogate marker of insulin resistance (IR). However, the utilization of SAD requires specific validation for each ethnicity. We aimed to investigate the potential use of SAD, compared with classical anthropometrical parameters, as a surrogate marker of IR and to establish the cutoff values of SAD for screening for IR. Methods A multicenter population survey on metabolic disorders was conducted. A race-admixtured sample of 824 adult women was assessed. The anthropometric parameters included: BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio and SAD. IR was determined by a hyperglycemic clamp and the HOMA-IR index. Results After adjustments for age and total body fat mass, SAD (r = 0.23 and r = -0.70) and BMI (r = 0.20 and r = -0.71) were strongly correlated with the IR measured by the HOMA-IR index and the clamp, respectively (p < 0.001). In the ROC analysis, the optimal cutoff for SAD in women was 21.0 cm. The women with an increased SAD presented 3.2 (CI 95%: 2.1-5.0) more likelihood of having IR, assessed by the HOMA-IR index compared with those with normal SAD (p < 0.001); whereas women with elevated BMI and WC were 2.1 (95% CI: 1.4-3.3) and 2.8 (95% CI: 1.7-4.5) more likely to have IR (p < 0.001), respectively. No statistically significant results were found for waist-to-hip ratio. Conclusions SAD can be a suitable surrogate marker of IR. Understanding and applying routine and simplified methods is essential because IR is associated with an increased risk of obesity-related diseases even in the presence of normal weight, slight overweight, as well as in obesity. Further prospective analysis will need to verify SAD as a determinant of clinical outcomes, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events, in the Brazilian population.105Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq [563664/2010-0

Comparison of the effects of different anesthetics on serum haemolysis and glycogenolysis in rats

The anesthetics can differently affect the structure and biological function of tissues and systems. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of three injectable anesthetics generally used in experiments with animals on the degree of haemolysis and glycogenolysis after deep anesthesia. 20 Wistar male rats (330-440g) were used. The animals were divided into three groups: Cloral Hydrate (CH), Ketamine + Xylazine (KX), Zoletil 50® (zolazepam and tiletamina) + Xylazine (ZTX). After deep anesthesia the total blood was collected. Immediately the liver, the white and red gastrocnemius muscles were also withdrawn. The degree of serum haemolysis was quantified by the hemoglobin concentration (g/dL) and the hepatic and muscular glycogen concentration through spectrophotometer analyses. The CH and KX groups presented serum haemolysis (0.49 ± 0.06 g/dL and 0.18 ± 0.06 g/dL, respectively). ZTX group presented no detectable values. The average value of the hepatic and muscular glycogen concentrations exhibited no significant difference between CH and ZTX groups. The data were similar to other studies in the literature. However, the KX induced accentuated glycogenolysis in all tissues. Our data suggest that the anesthetic ZTX seems to be the most appropriate for studies that need simultaneously to quantify the concentration of glycogen and blood markers without interferences. It neither causes glycogenolysis nor haemolysis. ZTX possesses accessible cost, is easily found at veterinary markets, quickly induces deep anesthesia and presents low mortality rate

Does predation exacerbate the risk of endosymbiont loss in heat stressed hermatypic corals? molecular cues provide insights into species-specific health outcomes in a multi-stressor ocean

Ocean warming has been a major driver of coral reef bleaching and mass mortality. Coupled to other biotic pressures, corals' ability for acclimatization and adaptation may become compromised. Here, we tested the combined effects of warming scenarios (26, 30, and 32 degrees C) and predation (wound vs. no wound) in coral health condition (paleness, bleaching, and mortality), cellular stress responses (heat shock protein 70 kDa Hsp70, total ubiquitin Ub, and total antioxidant capacity TAC), and physiological state (integrated biomarker response index, IBR) of seven Scleractinian coral species, after being exposed for 60 days. Results show that although temperature was the main factor driving coral health condition, thermotolerant species (Galaxea fascicularis, Psammocora contigua, and Turbinaria reniformis) displayed increased paleness, bleaching, and mortality in predation treatments at high temperature, whereas thermosensitive species (Acropora tenuis, Echinopora lamellosa, and Montipora capricornis brown and green morphotypes) all died at 32 degrees C, regardless of predation condition. At the molecular level, results show that there were significant main and interactive effects of species, temperature, and predation in the biomarkers assessed. Temperature affected Hsp70, Ub, and TAC, evidencing the role of protein folding and turnover, as well as reactive oxygen species scavenging in heat stress management. Predation increased Hsp70 and Ub, suggesting the activation of the pro-phenoloxidase system and cytokine activity, whereas the combination of both stressors mainly affected TAC during moderate stress and Ub under severe stress, suggesting that redox balance and defense of homeostasis are crucial in tissue repair at high temperature. IBR levels showed an increasing trend at 32 degrees C in predated coral fragments (although non-significant). We conclude that coral responses to the combination of high temperature and predation pressure display high inter-species variability, but these stressors may pose a higher risk of endosymbiont loss, depending on species physiology and stress intensity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Macroalgae from S. Miguel Island as a potential source of antiproliferative and antioxidant products

Ulva compressa, Gelidium microdon, Osmundea pinnatifida, Fucus spiralis and Cystoseira abies-marina from the coast of S. Miguel Island were screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity against HeLa tumour cell line, antioxidant potential and total phenolic content. From each alga, the hexane fraction (HF) of the methanol extract, the methanol residue (MF) and the dichloromethane extract (DE), were obtained and evaluated. The highest antiproliferative activity against HeLa cell line was found in C. abies-marina and F. spiralis DE (IC50 8.8 μg/mL and 10.7 μg/mL, respectively), and presented selective cytotoxicity, when tested against Vero cell line. Fluorescence microscopy studies of the two most active extracts suggest an apoptosis-inducing activity. Concerning the antioxidant activity, high values were found on F. spiralis MF and HF (EC50 0.62 μg/mL and 2.01 μg/mL, respectively), even higher than those obtained for trolox and quercetin. This high antioxidant activity in F. spiralis MF can be explained by its content in phenolic compounds, but not for HF, where the antioxidant compounds must be less polar. These results suggest that some macroalgae from the Azorean sea have great potential which could be considered for future applications in medicine, food production or cosmetics industry

Inspection Score And Grading System For Food Services In Brazil: The Results Of A Food Safety Strategy To Reduce The Risk Of Foodborne Diseases During The 2014 Fifa World Cup

In 2014, Brazil hosted one of the most popular sport competitions in the world, the FIFA World Cup. Concerned about the intense migration of tourists, the Brazilian government decided to deploy a food safety strategy based on inspection scores and a grading system applied to food services. The present study aimed to evaluate the results of the food safety strategy deployed during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. To assess food safety, an evaluation instrument was applied twice in 1927 food service establishments from 26 cities before the start of the competition. This instrument generated a food safety score for each establishment that ranged from 0.0 (no flaws observed) to 2565.95, with four possible grades: A (0.0-13.2); B (13.3-502.6); C (502.7-1152.2); and pending (more than 1152.3). Each food service received a stamp with the grade of the second evaluation. After the end of the World Cup, a study was conducted with different groups of the public to evaluate the acceptance of the strategy. To this end, 221 consumers, 998 food service owners or managers, 150 health surveillance auditors, and 27 health surveillance coordinators were enrolled. These participants completed a survey with positive and negative responses about the inspection score system through a 5-point Likert scale. A reduction in violation scores from 393.1 to 224.4 (p < 0.001) was observed between the first and second evaluation cycles. Of the food services evaluated, 38.7% received the A stamp, 41.4% the B stamp, and 13.9% the C stamp. All positive responses on "system reliability" presented a mean of 4.0 or more, indicating that the public believed this strategy is reliable for communicating risks and promoting food safety. The strategy showed positive results regarding food safety and public acceptance. The deployed strategy promoted improvements in the food safety of food services. The implementation of a permanent policy may be well accepted by the public and may greatly contribute to a reduction in foodborne diseases (FBDs).7FUNCAMP - Fundacao de Desenvolvimento da Unicamp [2169/16