First Record of leucism in Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) (Squamata: Tropiduridae) in north Brazil, Eastern Amazon

In vertebrates leucism does not occur frequently in nature but has been recorded in amphibians and reptiles. Herein we report the first record of leucism in Tropidurus hispidus from north Brazil, Eastern Amazon. During fieldwork in an amphibian and reptile assessment, we photographed on a rocky surface and leaf litter an individual T. hispidus with leucism.En los vertebrados el leucismo no ocurre con frecuencia en la naturaleza, pero se ha registrado en anfibios y reptiles. Aquí informamos el primer registro de leucismo en Tropidurus hispidus del norte de Brasil, Amazonas Oriental. Durante el trabajo de campo en una evaluación de anfibios y reptiles, fotografiamos sobre una superficie rocosa y hojarasca un individuo de T. hispidus con leucismo

Predation on <i>Iguana iguana</i> (Squamata: Iguanidae) by <i>Boa constrictor </i>(Squamata: Boidae) in a fluvial island in the Amazonas river, Brazil, including a list of saurophagy events with Boa constrictor as predator

Predation events known as saurophagy occurs when lizards are involved as prey. Whether by cannibalism or saurophagy such events has been well documented in the last years. This paper report a predation event on Iguana iguana by Boa constrictor recorded in a fluvial island in the Amazonas River, Brazil. Also, provides a list of saurophagy events involving B. constrictor as predator. During a field trip we found an individual of B. constrictor in the process of ingesting a common green iguana (I. iguana), swallowing the headfirst on an upland forest. We found a total of eight lizards as prey of B. constrictor, belonging to three families: Iguanidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Predation on <i>Iguana iguana</i> (Squamata: Iguanidae) by <i>Boa constrictor </i>(Squamata: Boidae) in a fluvial island in the Amazonas river, Brazil, including a list of saurophagy events with Boa constrictor as predator

Predation events known as saurophagy occurs when lizards are involved as prey. Whether by cannibalism or saurophagy such events has been well documented in the last years. This paper report a predation event on Iguana iguana by Boa constrictor recorded in a fluvial island in the Amazonas River, Brazil. Also, provides a list of saurophagy events involving B. constrictor as predator. During a field trip we found an individual of B. constrictor in the process of ingesting a common green iguana (I. iguana), swallowing the headfirst on an upland forest. We found a total of eight lizards as prey of B. constrictor, belonging to three families: Iguanidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Flexural response of HSC girders strengthened with non- and prestressed CFRP laminates

An experimental programme was carried out to characterise the flexural response of prestressed highstrength concrete (HSC) girders strengthened with CFRP laminates. For that purpose, four beams with 20 m span were subjected to four-point bending loads and the effectiveness of two distinct strengthening strategies was analysed. The following testing situations have been considered: one girder was externally strengthened with CFRP laminates, whereas one was externally strengthened with prestressed CFRP laminates; the two remaining girders were left unstrengthened and were used as control. The monitoring system included the measurement of deflections at critical sections, strains in pre-selected points of the concrete girder and CFRP laminates and the applied loading, respectively using displacement transducers, strain gages and load cells. Herein, the tests are thoroughly described and the most relevant results and conclusions are presented

Comportamento à rotura de vigas de betão de alta resistência reforçadas com CFRP

O presente artigo encontra-se inserido num projeto que visa caracterizar o comportamento de vigas de Betão de Alta Resistência (HSC) reforçadas com laminados de CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer). Para o efeito, foi definido um programa experimental que compreende o reforço de uma viga fabricada em HSC e o seu ensaio em flexão até à rotura. A realização de um estudo numérico prévio permitiu concluir que a aplicação de pré-esforço aos laminados de CFRP aumentaria de forma considerável a eficiência do reforço. Sendo assim a viga pré-esforçada de grande vão (20 m), fabricada com um betão de resistência à compressão de 120 MPa e de secção transversal em I (com altura de 0.5 m e largura de 0.30 m) foi reforçada com laminados de CFRP pré-esforçados. A operação de reforço das vigas foi precedida do carregamento das mesmas com uma carga correspondente a uma combinação quase permanente de ações, mantida constante durante a operação de reforço, de forma a simular o reforço de elementos estruturais em aplicações correntes de engenharia civil. Após reforço, a viga foi ensaiada até à rotura por flexão. Os resultados deste estudo foram comparados com os obtidos em ensaios à rotura de duas vigas de HSC não reforçadas com as mesmas dimensões e condições de ensaio, apresentando-se as principais conclusões

Influence of Insulin-like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) on the survival and the in vitro development of caprine preantral follicles

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the insulin-like growth factor -I (IGF-I) on survival, activation (transition from primordial to primary follicles) and growth of caprine preantral follicles cultured in vitro. Fragments of ovarian cortex were cultured for one and seven days in the absence or presence of IGF-I (0, 50 and 100ng/ml). The non-cultured and cultured tissues were processed and analyzed by histology and transmission electron microscopy. The culture for one day in a medium with 100ng/ml of IGF-I showed 86.7% of morphologically normal follicles. These results were similar (P>0.05) to the percentage of normal follicles found in the control (96.7%). It was also found that this medium increased the percentage of follicular activation (developing follicles) with one day of culture. The oocyte and follicular diameters remained similar to the control by culturing for one day in a medium containing 100ng/ml of IGF-I. The ultrastructural analysis did not confirm the integrity of the follicular fragments in a medium containing IGF-I (100ng/ml) after one and seven days of culture. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the addition of 100 ng/ml of IGF-I in the culture medium enables the development of preantral follicles of goats with one day of culture. However, it is not sufficient to maintain the follicular integrity and the follicular survival rate after seven days of culture.O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar os efeitos do fator de crescimento semelhante a insulina-I (IGF-I) na sobrevivência, ativação (transição de folículos primordiais para primários) e crescimento de folículos pré-antrais caprinos cultivados in vitro. Fragmentos de córtex ovariano foram cultivados por um e sete dias na ausência ou presença de IGF-I (0, 50 e 100ng/mL). Os tecidos não cultivados e cultivados foram processados e analisados por histologia e microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. O cultivo por um dia em meio com 100ng/mL de IGF-I apresentou 86,7% de folículos morfologicamente normais. Estes resultados foram semelhantes (P>0,05) ao percentual de folículos normais encontrados no controle (96,7%). Verificou-se ainda que este meio aumentou o percentual de ativação folicular (folículos em desenvolvimento) com um dia de cultivo. Os diâmetros ovocitário e folicular mantiveram-se semelhantes ao controle ao cultivar por um dia em meio contendo 100ng/mL de IGF-I. As análises ultraestruturais não confirmaram a integridade folicular dos fragmentos em meio contendo IGF-I (100 ng/mL) após um e sete dias de cultivo. Em conclusão, esse estudo demonstrou que a adição de 100 ng/mL de IGF-I no meio de cultivo ativa o desenvolvimento de folículos pré-antrais de caprinos com um dia de cultivo. Entretanto, não é suficiente para manter a integridade folicular e a taxa de sobrevivência folicular após sete dias de cultivo

Study of viability of high pressure extract from pomegranate peel to improve carrot juice characteristics

Extracts from fruit processing by-products usually present high amounts of bioactive compounds with several important activities such as antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities. In this work we studied (i) the cytotoxicity profile of pomegranate peel extract and (ii) safety and quality aspects after incorporating this extract in carrot juice – a beverage with low antioxidant potential and highly prone to microbial growth. The extract was obtained by high-pressure extraction and was non-cytotoxic towards the Caco-2 cell line after in vitro digestion. The non-cytotoxic pomegranate peel extract was added to carrot juice in a concentration of 5 mg mL−1. Fortified juices were processed by high-pressure and conventional heat and stored under refrigeration. On the 28th day of storage, microbial counts in PPE-fortified juices were reduced by 1.0 log10 CFU mL−1 and the pressurized juices showed significantly fewer counts than the thermal-treated ones. Just after processing, phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as ABTS and FRAP antioxidant capacities, increased 3.6, 3.5, 8.2, and 9.4-fold, respectively in the fortified juices. The extract addition did not affect any colour parameter and all studied physicochemical parameters i.e. total soluble solids, pH, colour, total phenolics, flavonoids, hydrolysable tannins, and antioxidant capacity remained constant throughout storage. These findings could pave the way towards the development of safe beverages with improved bioactive properties.N/

Impact of addition of pomegranate peel extract and high-pressure on carrot juice preservation: quality, safety and sensorial aspects

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A biosurfactant-producing and oil-degrading Bacillus subtilis strain enhances oil recovery under simulated reservoir conditions

Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) is potentially useful to increment oil recovery from reservoirs beyond primary and secondary recovery operations using microorganisms and their metabolites. In situ stimulation of microorganisms that produce biosurfactants and degrade heavy oil fractions reduces the capillary forces that retain the oil inside the reservoir and decreases oil viscosity, thus promoting its flow and increasing oil production. Bacillus subtilis #573, isolated from crude oil samples obtained from a Brazilian oil field with a moderate temperature (40ºC), was selected for further use in MEOR. This isolate can grow at temperatures up to 55ºC and salinities up to 100 g/l, and produces extracellular biosurfactants under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions in the presence of hydrocarbons. The biosurfactants produced reduced the surface tension to 30 mN/m, decrease the interfacial tension oil-water and exhibited a high emulsifying activity, as well as thermo- and salt-tolerance. The microbial isolate also showed the ability of degrading long-chain n-alkanes under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Mobilization of heavy crude oil by this isolate was evaluated using sand-pack columns at 40ºC. Growing in situ B. subtilis #573 for 14 days allowed a 17% recovery of the entrapped crude oil. The recovered crude oil showed a decrease in the percentage of n-alkanes higher than C25 and its viscosity was reduced about 32%, which contributed to enhance its mobility. A core flooding equipment was used for a better simulation of the oil reservoir conditions (40ºC and 32.4 bars). Preliminary results showed an additional oil recovery of 4%. The results obtained demonstrated that the selected isolate can be useful to recover residual oil from mature reservoirs