Eurashe - Conferência do 10º Aniversário "Pan Metro Ariston"

Foi nos passados dias 26 e 27 de Maio, em Chania (Creta, Grécia), no âmbito da 10ª Conferência da Eurashe (European Association for Higher Education – uma associação europeia de instituições de ensino superior não universitário), que tive o prazer de, pela primeira vez, ouvir Sócrates Kaplanis, uma figura sui generis, de quem tinha já ouvido falar por diversas vezes, conhecida pela sua saudável irreverência e perturbante personalidade. Professor no Technological Educational Institute de Patras (Grécia), e membro fundador da Eurashe, Sócrates tem sido uma presença constante nas conferências anuais desta Associação e um elemento indispensável no reavivamento dos ensinamentos clássicos (ao mesmo tempo tão contemporâneos), não fosse ele um verdadeiro grego, até mesmo de semblante. Assim, só poderia ter iniciado a sua intervenção (tarde mas não tardia) com alguns diálogos de Platão e tê-la intitulado PAN METRON ARISTON

Facing the future : time for the EU to meet global challenges

There is a clear and growing need for the capacity to anticipate change to be embedded in policy. This is critical not only to be able to respond and adapt to new situations before they occur, but also to shape the future, building upon mutual understanding and common visions to be jointly pursued. For policy responses to address all the pressing current global challenges, especially when these are seen separately from one another, is clearly a demanding task. Institutions face greater complexity and difficulty in providing solutions in due time. In particular, this is true when the policy focus extends beyond the challenges that societies face today, seeking to anticipate future challenges and transform them into opportunities. This is the rationale for the report “Facing the future: time for the EU to meet global challenges” based on a study carried out in the course of 2009 by the Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (JRC-IPTS) for the Bureau of European Policy Advisors (BEPA) of the European Commission. The aim is to provide a comprehensive picture of the main trends ahead and possible future disruptive global challenges, and to examine how the EU could position itself to take an active role in shaping a response to them. The work described in this report brings a fresh perspective, by linking widely accepted quantified trends towards 2025 and beyond with experts’ and policy makers’ opinions on the likely consequences of these trends and wild cards

Use of pectin in the storage of mangaba fruits (Hancorniaspeciosa Gomes) associated with refrigeration

The objective of this study was to evaluate the storage potential of mangaba fruits coated with pectin biofilm stored in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (22 ± 1°C) under modified atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the physical and chemical changes, vitamin C content, soluble solid, titratable acidity and turgor pressure, and colour and physical structure of the fruits during storage. The physico-chemical and colour analyses of the fruit were done with four treatment groups: control and pectin solutions of 4, 6 and 8% (w / v) at three day intervals for two weeks. The pectin solution and BOD were effective for the conservation of soluble solids of mangaba. However, the levels of acidity, vitamin C and turgor pressure showed that the fruits got ripe during the study and were kept until the sixth day of the test compared to control fruits. The best results were determined for the mangaba coated with 6 to 8% pectin.Key words: Conservation, film solution, post-harvest, firmness

Application of biofilms in the post-harvest conservation of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.)

Pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.), fruit characteristic of the Brazilian cerrado, has sensory and nutritional characteristics, pleasant flavor and aroma and considerable presence of lipids and fiber, essential for human consumption. The aim of this study was to assess the post-harvest conservation of this fruit by using different sources of biofilms as a means to ensure the maintenance of fruit physical and chemical characteristics in order to increase its shelf life. Fruits were submitted to four treatments: control (no coating) (T1); 0.5% w/w carnauba wax (T2); 1% w/w cassava starch (T3) and 1.5% w/w xanthan gum (T4) stored during 15 days at BOD at 22 ± 0.1°C and submitted every three days to analyses of titratable acidity, soluble solid, pH, turgor pressure, vitamin C, weight loss and physical structure by scanning electron microscopy. The pH levels and turgor pressure showed expected values for control and coated pequi fruits. The vitamin C, titratable acidity, soluble solids contents and weight loss showed that coatings did not achieve satisfactory results. However, fruits coated with cassava starch showed the best conservation results during the experimental period.Key words: Coatings, shelf life, storage

Avaliação dos impactos econômico, social e ambiental do uso da alfafa em sistemas de produção de leite.

Foram avaliados os impactos econômico, social e ambiental do uso da alfafa na produção de leite. Compararam-se dois sistemas de produção: a) confinamento com fornecimento de silagem de milho (seca) e pastejo rotacionado de forrageira tropical (chuvas); b) pastejo rotacionado de alfafa e suplementação com silagem de milho (seca), e pastejo rotacionado de alfafa e de forrageira tropical (chuvas). Utilizou-se a metodologia do sistema Ambitec, composto por indicadores sociais e ambientais agrupados em planilhas eletrônicas. Na análise econômica calculou-se o custo operacional efetivo (COE), do custo operacional total (COT), do custo total de produção (CT) e do lucro operacional (LO). Utilizou-se a análise de probabilidade para avaliar o risco econômico da adoção da tecnologia, por meio de uma função de lucro operacional. Os coeficientes técnicos utilizados foram fornecidos por pesquisadores da Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, com dados da unidade de demonstração da tecnologia, e por técnicos extensionistas e produtores rurais, com dados de propriedades dos Estados do PR e de SP. A tecnologia teve índice de 1,76 para o impacto social e índice de 0,43 para o impacto ambiental. O uso da alfafa reduziu em 40% o consumo de silagem de milho na estação seca e possibilitou a redução de 8% no teor de proteína bruta do concentrado, sem prejuízo da produção média das vacas em lactação (25 L/vaca.dia em ambos os sistemas). A introdução da alfafa na dieta (20% do consumo de matéria seca) reduziu em 9% e 7% o COE e o COT de produção de leite, respectivamente. Na análise de risco, o sistema sem alfafa teve LO de R$/L 0,26 (19,2$/L 0,26)

Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen-Immunoglobulin M complex levels predict survival in patients with cirrhosis

Complications of chronic liver diseases - particularly hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - are a major cause of mortality worldwide. Several studies have shown that high or increasing levels of serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen-Immunoglobulin M complex (SCCA-IgM) are associated with development of HCC in patients with advanced liver disease and worse survival in patients with liver cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess, in patients with advanced liver disease, differences in long-term clinical outcomes in relation to baseline levels of serum SCCA-IgM. Ninety one consecutive outpatients with liver cirrhosis of different etiologies, without hepatocellular carcinoma at presentation, were enrolled from April 2007 to October 2012 in a prospective study. For a median time of 127 months, patients were bi-annually re-evaluated. SCCA-IgM complex levels were determined with a validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results provided evidence that serum SCCA-IgM is a predictor of overall survival. The best cut-off to discriminate both HCC-free and overall survival rates was 120\u2009AU/mL. Patients with baseline values higher than this threshold showed a substantial increase in both HCC incidence rate and all-cause mortality rate. In conclusion, a single measurement of serum SCCA-IgM helps to identify those patients with liver cirrhosis with increased risks of HCC development and mortality

The enhancement of cultural landscapes in mountain environments : an artificial channel history (Torrent-Neuf, Canton Valais, Switzerland) and the role of trees as natural archives of water flow changes

Cultural landscapes represent one of the best examples of the interaction between human and natural environment and cultural trails are an effective way for their valorization. The Torrent-Neuf (Canton Valais, Switzerland) is a cultural trail realized in 2009 along one of the artificial channels used in the region since Medieval times to move water resources from tributary valleys to irrigated lands. Slope instability processes and high maintenance costs provoked the abandonment of the artificial channel in 1934. In 2005 water flow was restored in it. Dendrochronological analyses, carried out on trees growing along the artificial channel banks, allowed collecting information about natural and man-induced hydrological changes, contributing to increase the global value of the whole area

Helicobacter pylori Dampens HLA-II Expression on Macrophages via the Up-Regulation of miRNAs Targeting CIITA

Macrophages have a major role in infectious and inflammatory diseases, and the available data suggest that Helicobacter pylori persistence can be explained in part by the failure of the bacterium to be killed by professional phagocytes. Macrophages are cells ready to kill the engulfed pathogen, through oxygen-dependent and -independent mechanisms; however, their killing potential can be further augmented by the intervention of T helper (Th) cells upon the specific recognition of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-II\u2013peptide complexes on the surface of the phagocytic cells. As it pertains to H. pylori, the bacterium is engulfed by macrophages, but it interferes with the phagosome maturation process leading to phagosomes with an altered degradative capacity, and to megasomes, wherein H. pylori resists killing. We recently showed that macrophages infected with H. pylori strongly reduce the expression of HLA-II molecules on the plasma membrane and this compromises the bacterial antigen presentation to Th lymphocytes. In this work, we demonstrate that H. pylori hampers HLA-II expression in macrophages, activated or non-activated by IFN-\u3b3, by down-regulating the expression of the class II major histocompatibility complex transactivator (CIITA), the \u201cmaster control factor\u201d for the expression of HLA class II genes. We provided evidence that this effect relies on the up-regulation of let-7f-5p, let-7i-5p, miR-146b-5p, and -185-5p targeting CIITA. MiRNA expression analysis performed on biopsies from H. pylori-infected patients confirmed the up-regulation of let-7i-5p, miR-146b-5p, and -185-5p in gastritis, in pre-invasive lesions, and in gastric cancer. Taken together, our results suggest that specific miRNAs may be directly involved in the H. pylori infection persistence and may contribute to confer the risk of developing gastric neoplasia in infected patients

The geometrical nature of optical resonances : from a sphere to fused dimer nanoparticles

We study the electromagnetic response of smooth gold nanoparticles with shapes varying from a single sphere to two ellipsoids joined smoothly at their vertices. We show that the plasmonic resonance visible in the extinction and absorption cross sections shifts to longer wavelengths and eventually disappears as the mid-plane waist of the composite particle becomes narrower. This process corresponds to an increase of the numbers of internal and scattering modes that are mainly confined to the surface and coupled to the incident field. These modes strongly affect the near field, and therefore are of great importance in surface spectroscopy, but are almost undetectable in the far field

Evaluation of the postharvest quality of Cagaita fruits (Eugenia dysenterica DC.) coated with chitosan and associated with refrigeration

Cagaita fruits are subject to seasonality and perishability. This work aims to use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics, texture, color and physical structure of cagaita fruits coated with different chitosan concentrations. The fruits were divided as follows: T0 (uncoated fruits), T1 (fruits coated with 1% (v/v) chitosan), T2 (fruits coated with 2% (v/v) chitosan) and T3 (fruits coated with 3% (v/v) chitosan). They were analyzed at 0, 10, 20 and 30 days of storage. Titratable acidity and soluble solids content showed no conservation of fruit characteristics; they showed better results for uncoated fruits, as well as weight loss, vitamin C and peak strain. The color of cagaita fruits confirmed ripening during storage regardless of treatment. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the film solution did not adhere, as desired, to the cell wall of fruits. As the results of fruits coated with 3% pectin were close to control, further studies should be carried out with higher coating percentages so that the fruit quality is maintained during storage.Keywords: Physical structure, film solution, quality, shelf life