Effects of consumption of galactooligosaccharides obtained through whey enzymatically modified on the faecal flora and nutritional parameters of hamsters

The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of wheyenzymatically modified rich in galactooligosaccharides in thenutritional characteristics and effects in the microflora of cecumcontents by the study with Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetusauratus) for 28 days (controlled conditions). Three isoproteic dietswere prepared (20% w/w): C (casein), W (whey) and G (wheymodified). The groups studied differed positively from the C regardingfeed and protein efficiency ratio. The relationships (w/w) oforgan/body were found proportional in all diets. The counts ofprobiotics from the cecum contents the groups showed no difference.The pHs of studied groups were lower than C, this acidity can atimpairs the ability of pathogens to grow in the intestine. Resultssuggest that using whey enzymatically modified rich ingalactooligosaccharides could replace the standard diet withnutritional efficiency and possible inhibit the microorganismspathogenic without induce damage in health.Fil: Dos Santos Da Fonseca, Renata Aline. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Rodrigues Machado, Adriana. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Muniz Moreira, Lidiane. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Rodrigues, Rosane S.. Universidade Federal de Pelotas; BrasilFil: Machado, Mirian. Universidade Federal de Pelotas; BrasilFil: Souza Soares, Leonor A.. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Burkert, Carlos André V.. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; BrasilFil: Burkert, Janaína Fernandes de Medeiros. Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande; Brasi

Shear behaviour of rammed earth walls repaired by means of grouting

Southern Portugal presents a rich heritage constituted by several constructions made from unstabilised rammed earth (URE), which are threatened by several factors, ranging from lack of conservation to a non-negligible seismic hazard. These threatens are enhanced by the fact that little is known about the shear behaviour of URE constructions. The preservation of this heritage requires definitely the development of this knowledge and, in addition, the development of adequate intervention solutions. This paper presents an experimental program where the shear behaviour of URE is assessed by means of diagonal compression tests on representative wallet-specimens. Furthermore, the use of mud grouts in repairing cracks was also assessed. The results showed that the shear behaviour of URE depends on the binding capacity promoted by the clay fraction and on the friction and interlocking promoted by the coarse aggregates. The repair by injection was shown to promote satisfactory shear strength recovery of the specimens, but was less effective in recovering the initial shear stiffness.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Development of bio-hybrid piezoresistive nanocomposites using silk-elastin protein copolymers

Recombinant silk-elastin-like protein (SELP)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) nanocomposite films with different amounts of CNTs (1, 3 and 6wt%) were prepared by solvent casting. The produced films were stabilized by exposure to methanol that induces an increase of the -structure content. The CNTs were homogeneously distributed into the SELP matrix and did not induce significant alterations into its chemical structure. The incorporation of CNTs also increased the thermal stability of the films. Further, the incorporation of 1wt% of CNTs greatly improved the mechanical properties of the SELP matrix leading to a 6-fold increase in strain-to-failure and to increase the ultimate tensile strength with minor differences in modulus of elasticity. The nanocomposites exhibited a good linearity between deformation and electrical resistance variation with electrical conductivity increasing with the nanofiller content up to 0.8Sm1. Finally, the produced nanocomposites were non-cytotoxic indicating their suitability for biomedical applications.This work was supported by national funds through FCT I.P. (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal) and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through COMPETE2020 Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI, Portugal) in the framework of the Strategic Programs UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) and UID/FIS/04650/2013. This work was also supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2019 funded by national funds through FCT I.P. The present work was also supported by FCT I.P. within the ERA-NET IB-2 project FunBioPlas (ERA-IB-2-6/0004/2014), EuroNanoMed 2016 call and project LungChek ENMed/0049/2016. DMC, SR and CR also thank FCT I.P. for the grants SFRH/BPD/121526/2016, SFRH/BD/111478/2015, and SFRH/BPD/90870/2012, respectively. This article is a result of the project EcoAgriFood [NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000009], supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Finally, the authors acknowledge funding by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the project MAT2016-76039-C4-3-R (AEI/FEDER, UE) and from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK and HAZITEK programs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Early Trauma and Cognitive Functions of Patients With Schizophrenia

Aim: The following work aims to investigate the putative correlation between early trauma and cognitive functions, as well as psychotic symptoms and cognitive functions, in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.Methods: A quantitative assessment was performed with 20 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria and who were in ongoing outpatient treatment in Psychosocial Care Centres in Brazil. Clinical measurements comprised a semistructured clinical interview, a screening questionnaire for common mental disorders, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report—Short Form (ETISR-SF). Cognitive assessment included Beta III test, Concentrated Attention (CA) test, Color Trails Test (CTT), and Visual Face Memory (VFM) test.Results: Age-adjusted analysis showed a negative correlation between early trauma and visual memory performance (r = −0.585, p = 0.007) and negative symptoms and attention performance (r = −0.715, p = 0.000).Conclusion: Although a cause–effect relationship cannot be firmly stated, an association between early trauma experience and cognitive impairment such as visual memory, as well as a relationship between negative symptoms and attention domains, is suggested by our preliminary findings. Future studies with larger sample sizes and prospective design will clarify the long-term effects of early exposure to trauma and its clinical meaning in terms of developing psychotic-related illness

First Latin American clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus : Latin American Group for the Study of Lupus (GLADEL, Grupo Latino Americano de Estudio del Lupus)–Pan-American League of Associations of Rheumatology (PANLAR)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex and heterogeneous autoimmune disease, represents a significant challenge for both diagnosis and treatment. Patients with SLE in Latin America face special problems that should be considered when therapeutic guidelines are developed. The objective of the study is to develop clinical practice guidelines for Latin American patients with lupus. Two independent teams (rheumatologists with experience in lupus management and methodologists) had an initial meeting in Panama City, Panama, in April 2016. They selected a list of questions for the clinical problems most commonly seen in Latin American patients with SLE. These were addressed with the best available evidence and summarised in a standardised format following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. All preliminary findings were discussed in a second face-to-face meeting in Washington, DC, in November 2016. As a result, nine organ/system sections are presented with the main findings; an ’overarching’ treatment approach was added. Special emphasis was made on regional implementation issues. Best pharmacologic options were examined for musculoskeletal, mucocutaneous, kidney, cardiac, pulmonary, neuropsychiatric, haematological manifestations and the antiphospholipid syndrome. The roles of main therapeutic options (ie, glucocorticoids, antimalarials, immunosuppressant agents, therapeutic plasma exchange, belimumab, rituximab, abatacept, low-dose aspirin and anticoagulants) were summarised in each section. In all cases, benefits and harms, certainty of the evidence, values and preferences, feasibility, acceptability and equity issues were considered to produce a recommendation with special focus on ethnic and socioeconomic aspects. Guidelines for Latin American patients with lupus have been developed and could be used in similar settings

Prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and risk factor assessment in cattle in rural livestock areas of Govuro District in the Southeast of Mozambique

BACKGROUND: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, is an infectious disease of cattle that also affects other domestic animals, free-ranging and farmed wildlife, and also humans. In Mozambique, scattered surveys have reported a wide variation of bTB prevalence rates in cattle from different regions. Due to direct economic repercussions on livestock and indirect consequences for human health and wildlife, knowing the prevalence rates of the disease is essential to define an effective control strategy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Govuro district to determine bTB prevalence in cattle and identify associated risk factors. A representative sample of the cattle population was defined, stratified by livestock areas (n = 14). A total of 1136 cattle from 289 farmers were tested using the single comparative intradermal tuberculin test. The overall apparent prevalence was estimated at 39.6% (95% CI 36.8-42.5) using a diagnostic threshold cut-off according to the World Organization for Animal Health. bTB reactors were found in 13 livestock areas, with prevalence rates ranging from 8.1 to 65.8%. Age was the main risk factor; animals older than 4 years were more likely to be positive reactors (OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 2.2-4.7). Landim local breed showed a lower prevalence than crossbred animals (Landim × Brahman) (OR = 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.8). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The findings reveal an urgent need for intervention with effective, area-based, control measures in order to reduce bTB prevalence and prevent its spread to the human population. In addition to the high prevalence, population habits in Govuro, particularly the consumption of raw milk, clearly may potentiate the transmission to humans. Thus, further studies on human tuberculosis and the molecular characterization of the predominant strain lineages that cause bTB in cattle and humans are urgently required to evaluate the impact on human health in the region.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 221948, ICONZ (Integrated Control of Neglected Zoonoses). The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Disturbance of Ultisol soil based on interactions between furrow openers and coulters for the no-tillage system

The present study evaluated the effect of different associations between coulters and fertilizer furrow openers on soil disturbance, furrow depth and width, according to forward speed. The study was conducted on a farm in Santa Maria (Brazil/RS), in soil classified as sandy loam Ultisol. The experiment consisted of 24 combinations of treatments with three replications in a 2×3×4 factorial experiment. The combinations were formed by the interaction of the factors including: two types of furrow openers (hoe and double-disc), three types of coulters (no-coulter, smooth and offset fluted) and four levels of forward speed (1.11, 1.67, 2.22 and 2.78 m/s). Soil elevation and soil disturbance area profiles were obtained with the use of a micro profilometer, and disturbance values were calculated with the aid of computer software program Auto Cad. The disturbance area was not affected by speed; it was greater when using the hoe opener, and in association with the offset fluted coulter. Speed was inversely proportional to the depth of the furrows made by the hoe opener. Furthermore, the hoe caused the greatest furrow width (0.26 m) in comparison with the double-disc (0.24 m). The use of different coulters associated with furrow openers increased this variable (0.23 m for the no-coulter condition, 0.25 m with smooth and 0.26 m with offset fluted). The use of coulters combined with furrow openers reduces soil swelling, in approximately 8% for the smooth and 20% for the offset fluted

Antibacterial protein-based fibres: combining recombinant DNA technology with electrospinning

[Excerpt] With the increasing healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms there is a demand not only for new antimicrobial compounds but also for antimicrobial materials. Genetically engineered protein polymers functionalized with bioactive domains offer potential as multifunctional versatile materials for biomedical use. The present work describes the fabrication and characterization of antimicrobial fibre mats comprising the antimicrobial elastin-like recombinamer CM4-A200 [1]. [...]This work was supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2013 (POCI-01- 0145-FEDER- 007569) through FCT I.P. and by ERDF through COMPETE2020 - POCI. The authors are grateful for funding from FCT (project “FunBioPlas” ERA-IB-2-6/0004/2014) and a fellowship to RM (SFRH-BPD/86470/2012). The authors also thank support from the COST Action MP1206

Genetically engineered protein-based polymers with broad antimicrobial activity for biomedical applications

With increasing healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic-resistant microorganisms there is a demand not only for new antimicrobial compounds but also for antimicrobial materials. With the use of synthetic protein biotechnology approaches and recombinant DNA technology, we can now create new tailor-made materials with precise control over its sequence. Indeed, by combining antimicrobial activity of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with recombinant protein-based polymers, such as elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs), it is possible to create novel materials that can be explored for the development of advanced antimicrobial medical devices. In the present work, we have functionalized an ELR with AMPs for the development of biopolymers with antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial ELRs were designed by cloning the DNA sequence coding for d