Potencial energético da co-digestão da biomassa de microalgas no tratamento de esgoto sanitário em reatores UASB

O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de estimar o potencial energético de uma nova modalidade de estação de tratamento de esgoto sanitário, cujo sistema foi concebido pela equipe do Núcleo Água da UFES e visa maximizar o aproveitamento de energia, de nutrientes e de água para reuso. O sistema de tratamento é composto pela associação em série de uma etapa de tratamento preliminar, reator UASB, lagoa de alta taxa e por uma etapa de separação sólido líquido para coleta e reciclagem das microalgas. Essa biomassa de microalgas é enviada ao reator UASB para maximizar a produção de biogás durante a digestão anaeróbia e aumentar a disponibilidade energética do sistema. Para quantificar a Disponibilidade Energética (DIE), através da realização do balanço de massa e de energia individualizado para cada processo e também para o sistema integrado, foram utilizados modelos matemáticos de dimensionamento e experimentos relatados na literatura. Estimou-se a DIE, sob a forma de biogás, em 5,78 W/hab (0,99 KWh/m3) no reator UASB, sem a digestão da biomassa do pós-tratamento, e para o sistema integrado, após a co-digestão das microalgas uma DIE de 10,21 W/hab (1,75 KWh/m3). Os resultados indicaram um balanço positivo de energia sendo a energia disponível do sistema (1,75 KWh/m3), 13 (treze) vezes maior que a demanda requerida para o seu funcionamento (0,13 KWh/m3.d), e 03 (três) vezes maior que o valor produzido quando convertido em energia elétrica. (0,50KWh/m3). Esse novo modelo de estação de tratamento de esgoto sanitário pode ser considerado superavitário em energia, apresenta simplicidade operacional, atua no nível terciário do tratamento do esgoto sanitário, propicia a recuperação de nutrientes nitrogênio e fósforo, opera no sequestro de CO2 e contribui para a redução da concentração deste gás na atmosfera

Evaluation of the health-related targets of the sustainable development goals in portuguese-speaking countries

Introdução: No contexto dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, torna-se importante o monitoramento do desempenho dos países signatários. Objetivo: analisar indicadores de saúde dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, estimados pelo Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation para os Estados que integram a Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa, referentes ao ano de 2017 e projeções para 2030. Materiais e métodos: Foram utilizadas as estimativas do estudo “Carga Global de Doenças”. Para cada país, e comparativamente entre eles, foram analisados um índice que sintetiza 41 indicadores de saúde dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, e os próprios indicadores, cujos valores foram transformandoos em escala de 0 a 100. Também se analisou a evolução do índice para cada país no período compreendido entre 1990 e 2017 e as tendências projetadas até o ano de 2030. Resultados: Os melhores desempenhos foram observados para Portugal e Brasil, nesta ordem. Nestes países, os maiores problemas de saúde referem-se às doenças crónicas não transmissíveis e fatores de risco correlatos, e, no Brasil,destaca-se também a violência. Nos demais países, observam-se: tripla carga de doenças, doenças infeciosas, problemas relacionados ao saneamento, elevadas taxas de mortalidade na infância, materna e por doenças crónicas não transmissíveis, além da violência sexual e agressões físicas. Conclusão: A CPLP apresenta assimetrias internas económico-sanitárias e na carga de doenças, o que torna premente o estabelecimento de uma rede de cooperação para o cumprimento da Agenda 2030. Introduction: In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to monitor the performance of the signatory countries. Objective: This study aims at analyzing the Sustainable Development Goals’s health indicators for 2017 and projections for 2030 estimated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, regarding the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries. Materials and methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study were used. In order to compare countries performances, it was analyzed an index that synthesizes 41 Sustainable Development Goals’s health indicators and also the values of each indicator, rescaled to a range from 0 through 100. The evolution of the index comprising the years of 1990 to 2017 and the projected trends until the year 2030 were analyzed for each country. Results: The best performances were observed for Portugal and Brazil, in that order. In these countries, the greatest health problems are related to and related risk factors, and in Brazil violence is also highlighted. In other countries, there is a triple burden of diseases, infectious diseases, problems related to water supply and sanitation, high infant and maternal mortality rates, and high mortality rates due to noncommunicable diseases, sexual violence and physical aggression. Conclusion: The Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries presents internal disparities concerning economic and health status and the burden of diseases, which makes it urgent to establish a cooperation network to accomplish the 2030 agenda.publishersversionpublishe

Aggregation of αSynuclein promotes progressive in vivo neurotoxicity in adult rat dopaminergic neurons

Fibrillar αSynuclein is the major constituent of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, the protein deposits characteristic for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Multiplications of the αSynuclein gene, as well as point mutations cause familial PD. However, the exact role of αSynuclein in neurodegeneration remains uncertain. Recent research in invertebrates has suggested that oligomeric rather than fibrillizing αSynuclein mediates neurotoxicity. To investigate the impact of αSynuclein aggregation on the progression of neurodegeneration, we expressed variants with different fibrillation propensities in the rat substantia nigra (SN) by means of recombinant adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors. The formation of proteinase K-resistant αSynuclein aggregates was correlated to the loss of nigral dopaminergic (DA) neurons and striatal fibers. Expression of two prefibrillar, structure-based design mutants of αSynuclein (i.e., A56P and A30P/A56P/A76P) resulted in less aggregate formation in nigral DA neurons as compared to human wild-type (WT) or the inherited A30P mutation. However, only the αSynuclein variants capable of forming fibrils (WT/A30P), but not the oligomeric αSynuclein species induced a sustained progressive loss of adult nigral DA neurons. These results demonstrate that divergent modes of αSynuclein neurotoxicity exist in invertebrate and mammalian DA neurons in vivo and suggest that fibrillation of αSynuclein promotes the progressive degeneration of nigral DA neurons as found in PD patients

Critical review on biofilm methods

Biofilms are widespread in nature and constitute an important strategy implemented by microorganisms to survive in sometimes harsh environmental conditions. They can be beneficial or have a negative impact particularly when formed in industrial settings or on medical devices. As such, research into the formation and elimination of biofilms is important for many disciplines. Several new methodologies have been recently developed for, or adapted to, biofilm studies that have contributed to deeper knowledge on biofilm physiology, structure and composition. In this review, traditional and cutting-edge methods to study biofilm biomass, viability, structure, composition and physiology are addressed. Moreover, as there is a lack of consensus among the diversity of techniques used to grow and study biofilms. This review intends to remedy this, by giving a critical perspective, highlighting the advantages and limitations of several methods. Accordingly, this review aims at helping scientists in finding the most appropriate and up-to-date methods to study their biofilms.The authors would like to acknowledge the support from the EU COST Action BacFoodNet FA1202

Susceptibility and Response of Human Blood Monocyte Subsets to Primary Dengue Virus Infection

Human blood monocytes play a central role in dengue infections and form the majority of virus infected cells in the blood. Human blood monocytes are heterogeneous and divided into CD16− and CD16+ subsets. Monocyte subsets play distinct roles during disease, but it is not currently known if monocyte subsets differentially contribute to dengue protection and pathogenesis. Here, we compared the susceptibility and response of the human CD16− and CD16+ blood monocyte subsets to primary dengue virus in vitro. We found that both monocyte subsets were equally susceptible to dengue virus (DENV2 NGC), and capable of supporting the initial production of new infective virus particles. Both monocyte subsets produced anti-viral factors, including IFN-α, CXCL10 and TRAIL. However, CD16+ monocytes were the major producers of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in response to dengue virus, including IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, 3 and 4. The susceptibility of both monocyte subsets to infection was increased after IL-4 treatment, but this increase was more profound for the CD16+ monocyte subset, particularly at early time points after virus exposure. These findings reveal the differential role that monocyte subsets might play during dengue disease

Thermal and mechanical properties of chitosan nanocomposites with cellulose modified in ionic liquids

In this paper, ionic liquid treatment was applied to produce nanometric cellulose particles of two polymorphic forms. A complex characterization of nanofillers including wide-angle X-ray scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and particle size determination was performed. The evaluated ionic liquid treatment was effective in terms of nanocrystalline cellulose production, leaving chemical and supermolecular structure of the materials intact. However, nanocrystalline cellulose II was found to be more prone to ionic liquid hydrolysis leading to formation larger amount of small particles. Each nanocrystalline cellulose was subsequently mixed with a solution of chitosan, so that composite films containing 1, 3, and 5% mass/mass of nanometric filler were obtained. Reference samples of chitosan and chitosan with micrometric celluloses were also solvent casted. Thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of films were tested and correlated with properties of filler used. The results of both, tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis showed a significant discrepancy between composites filled with nanocrystalline cellulose I and nanocrystalline cellulose II

The national inventory of geological heritage: methodological approach and results

A existência de um inventário nacional de património geológico é fundamental para se poderem implementar estratégias de geoconservação. Este trabalho apresenta a metodologia usada no desenvolvimento do mais completo inventário de geossítios, realizado até ao momento em Portugal, assim como os principais resultados obtidos. O inventário vai integrar o Sistema de Informação do Património Natural e o Cadastro Nacional dos Valores Naturais Classificados, ambos geridos pelo Instituto de Conservação da Natureza e da Biodiversidade.The existence of a national inventory of the geological heritage is of paramount importance for the implementation of a geoconservation strategy. This paper presents the methodological approach used to produce the most complete geosites inventory in Portugal, so far, and the obtained results. This inventory will be uploaded into the National Database of Natural Heritage managed by the Portuguese authority for nature conservation.Este trabalho é apoiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, através do financiamento plurianual do CGUP e do projecto de investigação “Identificação, caracterização e conservação do património geológico: uma estratégia de geoconservação para Portugal” (PTDC/CTE-GEX/64966/2006).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio