Zein/MnO2 Nanosheet Composites Integrated with a Smartphone for Colorimetric Sensors for On-Site Detection of Adulterants in Milk.

ABSTRACT: Milk and its derivatives are essential sources of nutrients for humans. However, the widespread adulteration of milk poses a significant challenge for ensuring the safety and integrity of these products. Here, a zein/manganese dioxide nanosheet (MnO2 NS) composite-based colorimetric sensor integrated with a smartphone platform was developed for on-site and quantitative analysis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and lactic acid, two common adulterants in milk samples. Sensing platforms were fabricated by spraying composite solutions onto various costeffective and environmentally friendly substrates, including filter paper and masking tape, using a simple airbrush system. These platforms displayed remarkable sensitivity and suitable limit of detection (LOD) of 7.2 × 10−4 mol L−1 for H2O2 and 7.5 × 10−4 mol L−1 for lactic acid, respectively. These concentrations fall within the ranges established by diverse international regulatory bodies responsible for quality assurance protocols. Therefore, the dual detection of H2O2 and lactic acid in milk samples was successfully achieved in a rapid and cost-effective way, which opens possibilities for the design and implementation of field-deployable sensors for food safety surveillance and quality control

Biotransformation of progesterone by endophytic fungal cells immobilized on electrospun nanofibrous membrane.

Abstract Biotransformation of steroids by fungi has been raised as a successful, eco-friendly, and cost-effective biotechnological alternative for chemical derivatization. Endophytic fungi live inside vegetal tissues without causing damage to the host plant, making available unique enzymes that carry out uncommon reactions. Moreover, using nanofibrous membranes as support for immobilizing fungal cells is a powerful strategy to improve their performance by enabling the combined action of adsorption and transformation processes, along with increasing the stability of the fungal cell. In the present study, we report the use of polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membrane (PAN NFM) produced by electrospinning as supporting material for immobilizing the endophytic fungus Penicillium citrinum H7 aiming the biotransformation of progesterone. The PAN@ H7 NFM displayed a high progesterone transformation efficiency (above 90%). The investigation of the biotransformation pathway of progesterone allowed the putative structural characterization of its main fungal metabolite by GC–MS analysis. The oxidative potential of P. citrinum H7 was selective for the C-17 position of the steroidal nucleus

Estimativas de correlações entre caracteres morfofisiológicos de genótipos de feijão-caupi de porte ereto e semi-ereto.

Publicação original em CD

Estimativas de herdabilidade para caracteres agronômicos de feijão-caupi de porte ereto e semi-ereto.

Publicação original em CD

Testing the persistence of Carcharodontosauridae (Theropoda) in the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia based on dental evidence

The deposits corresponding to the Upper Cretaceous Neuquén and San Jorge Gulf basins from northern and central Patagonia have provided two of the most complete sequences of terrestrial vertebrate faunas of all Gondwanan landmasses. Among the carnivorous components, the carcharodontosaurid theropods appeared as common elements during the Early Cretaceous and the earliest Late Cretaceous in northern and central Patagonia. Although recorded mostly in the lower Turonian, isolated teeth suggest their presence in younger strata in northern and central Patagonia, reaching the clade in the region as late as the early Maastrichtian. Here, we verify the assignment of such isolated teeth previously identified as belonging to Carcharodontosauridae from the Upper Cretaceous strata of northern and central Patagonia. Using three different methods, namely a cladistic analysis performed on a dentition-based data matrix, and discriminant and cluster analyses conducted on a large dataset of theropod crown measurements, we assign a tooth from Candeleros Formation to carcharodontosaurid theropods and teeth from Cerro Lisandro, Bajo Barreal, Portezuelo, Plottier and Allen formations to abelisaurid theropods. These new reappraisals provide additional evidence about the extinction of Carcharodontosauridae in South America at about the late Turonian–earliest Coniacian as part of a general faunistic turnover event, with the last clear evidence of this lineage in Patagonia coming from the early–middle Turonian.Fil: Meso, Jorge Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; ArgentinaFil: Juárez Valieri, R. D.. Gobierno de la Provincia de Río Negro. Ministerio de Turismo, Cultura y Deporte. Secretaría de Cultura; ArgentinaFil: Porfiri, Juan Domingo. Museo del Desierto Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Museo de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; ArgentinaFil: Da Silva Correa, Samuel Aparecido. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; ArgentinaFil: Martinelli, Agustín Guillermo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Casal, G. A.. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Canudo, J. I.. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Poblete, F.. Museo del Desierto Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Dos Santos, D.. Museo del Desierto Patagónico; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Museo de Ciencias Naturales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Facultad de Ingeniería; Argentin

FIBRAS ELETROFIADAS COMO CURATIVOS INTELIGENTES PARA O TRATAMENTO DE FERIDAS NA PELE.

A pele é o maior órgão do corpo humano, tendo como função proteger os tecidos internos contra a ação de microrganismos, agentes térmicos e químicos, além de manter a homeostase. A pele é composta por duas camadas distintas, denominadas epiderme e derme, as quais são sustentadas pela hipoderme (Fig. 8.1). A epiderme é a camada mais externa da pele, sendo formada principalmente por queratinócitos. A derme está localizada logo abaixo da epiderme e é constituída pela matriz extracelular (MEC) e rede de fibras colágenas, além de células residentes tais como macrófagos, adipócitos e fibroblastos.1 Na pele são observadas também vasos sanguíneos, nervos sensoriais e estruturas acessórias tais como glândulas, pelos e músculo eretor dos pelos. A hipoderme, por sua vez, é formada por tecido conjuntivo frouxo e não faz parte da pele, sendo responsável pela fixação da derme à musculatura subjacente ou ao osso

Utilização de modelos de norma de reação com variancia residual heterogenea para estudo de valores geneticos de peso de codornas de corte em função de níveis de proteína bruta na dieta.

RESUMO - Avaliou-se a sensibilidade dos valores genéticos do peso de codornas de corte, mensurados ao 21º e 35º dias de idade, a dietas contendo diferentes níveis de proteína bruta. Observações obtidas de animais provenientes de duas linhagens (EV1 e EV2) foram utilizadas no ajuste de modelos de regressão aleatória, considerando-se heterogeneidade de variância residual. Os coeficientes de regressão aleatória do intercepto (b0) e linear (b1) apresentaram correlação positiva entre si em todas as análises, porém a linhagem EV2 apresentou maior magnitude dos valores deste parâmetro para ambas as idades. Houve heterogeneidade de variância genética aditiva e alteração na herdabilidade com a mudança no nível proteico da dieta para ambos os grupos genéticos e em todas as idades avaliadas. As normas de reação do grupo EV1 indicam presença de interação entre genótipo e ambiente (G x E) em ambas as idades, com alteração na ordem dos efeitos genéticos de peso em função do nível proteico da dieta. Modificação da dispersão dos valores genéticos em função do nível de proteína indica presença de G x E na linhagem EV2. Portanto, a avaliação genética de codornas de corte sob dietas contendo determinado nível de proteína bruta não permite a predição de valores genéticos para outros níveis proteicos da dieta. ABSTRACT - The sensitivity of genetic values for body weight of meat type quails predicted at 21 and 35 days of age under diets with different crude protein levels was evaluated. Data from subjects belonging to two strains (EV1 and EV2) were used to fit a random regression model under heterogeneity of residual variance assumption. The random regression coefficients for intercept (bo) and slope (b1) were positively correlated in all analyses results, but the correlation was higher in the EV2 data analyses for both ages. Results indicated that additive genetic variance and heritability change as a function of the environment gradient for both genetic strains and ages. The reaction norms for EV1 strain suggest there is genotype by environment interaction (G x E) for both ages as there were remarkable changes in the ranking of body weight breeding values for different crude protein levels. Furthermore, changes in the magnitude of the genetic effects dispersion as a function of protein level of diet indicates there is G x E in EV1 and EV2 strains. Therefore, the prediction of breeding values for body weight of quails under a specific level of crude protein in the diet does not hold for different environments regarding the level of this nutrient

Ferulic acid: a key component in grass lignocellulose recalcitrance to hydrolysis

In the near future, grasses must provide most of the biomass for the production of renewable fuels. However, grass cell walls are characterized by a large quantity of hydroxycinnamic acids such as ferulic and p-coumaric acids, which are thought to reduce the biomass saccharification. Ferulic acid (FA) binds to lignin, polysaccharides and structural proteins of grass cell walls cross-linking these components. A controlled reduction of FA level or of FA cross-linkages in plants of industrial interest can improve the production of cellulosic ethanol. Here, we review the biosynthesis and roles of FA in cell wall architecture and in grass biomass recalcitrance to enzyme hydrolysis