Anaerobic decolorization of an azo dye by a mixed culture

Wool dyeing wastewater contains xenobiotic compounds that can be removed by biotechnological processes. Studies on various dyes showed that anaerobic processes are suitable to alter azo dyes as a first step of the biodegradation process. These compounds are reduced by anaerobic consortia to aromatic amines and its ultimate degradation can be achieved by a further aerobic treatment. Studies on degradation rate of an wool acid dye were performed in batch systems inoculated with anaerobic biomass. A commercial diazo dye, Acid Red 73, was added to the synthetic medium in which glucose was used as sole carbon source. Results indicated that the Acid Red 73 was partially degraded by a mixed culture of anaerobic bacteria and a decolorization of 90% was obtained. Kinetics studies on removal of the colour showed that the decolorization rate was several times faster than the degradation rate of glucose for a range of dye concentrations between 60 mg/L and 400 mg/L. A first order kinetic model was used for dye concentrations up to 200 mg/L. For higher concentrations a model similar to the Michaelis-Menten equation was better fitted to the experimental data.(undefined

Containing the spread of mumps on college campuses

College campuses are vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks, and there is an urgent need to develop better strategies to mitigate their size and duration, particularly as educational institutions around the world adapt to in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Towards addressing this need, we applied a stochastic compartmental model to quantify the impact of university-level responses to contain a mumps outbreak at Harvard University in 2016. We used our model to determine which containment interventions were most effective and study alternative scenarios without and with earlier interventions. This model allows for stochastic variation in small populations, missing or unobserved case data and changes in disease transmission rates post-intervention. The results suggest that control measures implemented by the University\u27s Health Services, including rapid isolation of suspected cases, were very effective at containing the outbreak. Without those measures, the outbreak could have been four times larger. More generally, we conclude that universities should apply (i) diagnostic protocols that address false negatives from molecular tests and (ii) strict quarantine policies to contain the spread of easily transmissible infectious diseases such as mumps among their students. This modelling approach could be applied to data from other outbreaks in college campuses and similar small population settings

Containing the Spread of Infectious Disease on College Campuses [preprint]

College campuses are highly vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks, and there is a pressing need to develop better strategies to mitigate their size and duration, particularly as educational institutions around the world reopen to in-person instruction in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Towards addressing this need, we applied a stochastic compartmental model to quantify the impact of university-level responses to past mumps outbreaks in college campuses and used it to determine which control interventions are most effective. Mumps is a very relevant disease in such settings, given its airborne mode of transmission, high infectivity, and recurrence of outbreaks despite availability of a vaccine. Our model aims to simultaneously overcome three crucial issues: stochastic variation in small populations, missing or unobserved case data, and changes in disease transmission rates post-intervention. We tested the model and assessed various interventions using data from the 2014 and 2016 mumps outbreaks at Ohio State University and Harvard University, respectively. Our results suggest that in order to decrease infectious disease incidence on their campuses, universities should apply diagnostic protocols that address false negatives from molecular tests, stricter quarantine policies, and effective awareness campaigns among their students and staff. Our model can be applied to data from other outbreaks in college campuses and similar small-population settings

Inseminação artificial em ovinos.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this review is to show and illustrate an way clear and objective of the aspects involved in the artificial insemination in sheep. In this species the potential is great, therefore it is early in its productive and reproductive aspects, with eminence to the short interval between generations. In the program of artificial insemination (AI) the evaluation of the reproductive male is important and testicle, scrotal sac, penis and prepuce must be observed, and still, good libido, masculine aspects and espermograma inside of the normality standards. Some forms of collection and semen manipulation are described. The females must be selected by weight and age, or when reach 65% a 70% of adult weight, and that form reaches the sexual maturity. Beyond that the gynecological evaluation, verifying womb, cervix and vagina. The approaches of AI commented in that review are: vaginal, cervical, transcervical and intrauterine. They are related still the estrus induction and synchronization as tool for the intensification of the reproductive management, like: male effect, progestagenos, prostaglandina and their analogous synthetic.bitstream/CPAC-2009/27833/1/doc_156.pd

COVID-19 lockdowns reveal the resilience of Adriatic Sea fisheries to forced fishing effort reduction

The COVID-19 pandemic provides a major opportunity to study fishing effort dynamics and to assess the response of the industry to standard and remedial actions. Knowing a fishing fleet’s capacity to compensate for effort reduction (i.e., its resilience) allows differentiating governmental regulations by fleet, i.e., imposing stronger restrictions on the more resilient and weaker restrictions on the less resilient. In the present research, the response of the main fishing fleets of the Adriatic Sea to fishing hour reduction from 2015 to 2020 was measured. Fleet activity per gear type was inferred from monthly Automatic Identification System data. Pattern recognition techniques were applied to study the fishing effort trends and barycentres by gear. The beneficial effects of the lockdowns on Adriatic endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species were also estimated. Finally, fleet effort series were examined through a stock assessment model to demonstrate that every Adriatic fishing fleet generally behaves like a stock subject to significant stress, which was particularly highlighted by the pandemic. Our findings lend support to the notion that the Adriatic fleets can be compared to predators with medium-high resilience and a generally strong impact on ETP species

Mortality of Patients with Hematological Malignancy after Admission to the Intensive Care Unit

Background: The admission of patients with malignancies to an intensive care unit (ICU) still remains a matter of substantial controversy. The identification of factors that potentially influence the patient outcome can help ICU professionals make appropriate decisions. Patients and Methods: 90 adult patients with hematological malignancy (leukemia 47.8%, high-grade lymphoma 50%) admitted to the ICU were analyzed retrospectively in this single-center study considering numerous variables with regard to their influence on ICU and day-100 mortality. Results: The median simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II at ICU admission was 55 (ICU survivors 47 vs. 60.5 for non-survivors). The overall ICU mortality rate was 45.6%. With multivariate regression analysis, patients admitted with sepsis and acute respiratory failure had a significantly increased ICU mortality (sepsis odds ratio (OR) 9.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-99.7, p = 0.04; respiratory failure OR 13.72, 95% CI 1.39-136.15, p = 0.025). Additional factors associated with an increased mortality were: high doses of catecholamines (ICU: OR 7.37, p = 0.005; day 100: hazard ratio (HR) 2.96, p < 0.0001), renal replacement therapy (day 100: HR 1.93, p = 0.026), and high SAPS II (ICU: HR 1.05, p = 0.038; day 100: HR 1.2, p = 0.027). Conclusion: The decision for or against ICU admission of patients with hematological diseases should become increasingly independent of the underlying malignant disease

Conectividade Estrutural do Cérebro: Diferenças entre um Cérebro Normal e um Cérebro com Patologia

RESUMO: Perceber a rede estrutural formada pelos neurónios no cérebro a nível da macro escala é um desafio atual na área das neurociências. Neste estudo analisou-se a conectividade estrutural do cérebro em 22 indivíduos saudáveis e em dois doentes com epilepsia pós-traumática. Avaliaram-se as diferenças entre estes dois grupos. Também se pesquisaram diferenças a nível do género e idade no grupo de indivíduos saudáveis e os que têm valores médios mais elevados nas métricas de caracterização da rede. Para tal, desenvolveu-se um protocolo de análise recorrendo a diversos softwares especializados e usaram-se métricas da Teoria dos Grafos para a caracterização da conectividade estrutural entre 118 regiões encefálicas distintas. Dentro do grupo dos indivíduos saudáveis concluiu-se que os homens, no geral, são os que têm média mais alta para as métricas de caracterização da rede estrutural. Contudo, não se observaram diferenças significativas em relação ao género nas métricas de caracterização global do cérebro. Relativamente à idade, esta correlaciona-se negativamente, no geral, com as métricas de caracterização da rede estrutural. As regiões onde se observaram as diferenças mais importantes entre indivíduos saudáveis e doentes são: o sulco rolândico, o hipocampo, o pré-cuneus, o tálamo e o cerebelo bilateralmente. Estas diferenças são consistentes com as imagens radiológicas dos doentes e com a literatura estudada sobre a epilepsia pós-traumática. Preveem-se desenvolvimentos para o estudo da conectividade estrutural do cérebro humano, uma vez que a sua potencialidade pode ser combinada com outros métodos de modo a caracterizar as alterações dos circuitos cerebrais.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The BlueBio project’s database: web-mapping cooperation to create value for the Blue Bioeconomy

Funding innovation requires knowledge on previous/on-going research and identification of gaps and synergies among actors, networks and projects, but targeted databases remain scattered, incomplete and scarcely searchable. Here we present the BlueBio database: a first comprehensive and robust compilation of internationally and nationally funded research projects active in the years 2003–2019 in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Seafood Processing and Marine Biotechnology. Based on the previous research projects’ database realized in the framework of the COFASP ERA-NET, it was implemented within the ERA-NET Cofund BlueBio project through a 4-years data collection including 4 surveys and a wide data retrieval. After being integrated, data were harmonised, shared as open and disseminated through a WebGIS that was key for data entry, update and validation. The database consists of 3,254 “georeferenced” projects, described by 22 parameters that are clustered into textual and spatial, some directly collected while others deduced. The database is a living archive to inform actors of the Blue Bioeconomy sector in a period of rapid transformations and research needs and is freely available at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21507837.v3