Giant magnetoimpedance: new electrochemical option to monitor surface effects?

Magnetoimpedance, MI, change due to surface modification of the sensitive element caused by biofluids was studied with the aim of creating a robust sensor capable of separating the chemical surface modification from the sensing process. A MI sensor prototype with an as-quenched FeCoSiB amorphous ribbon sensitive element was designed and calibrated for a frequency range of 0.5 to 10 MHz at an intensity of the current of 60 mA. Measurements as a function of the exposure time were made, first, in a regime where chemical surface modification and sensing were separated and then, in a regime where they were not separated (in a bath for fluids). The MI variation was explained by the change of the surface magnetic anisotropy. It was shown that the magnetoimpedance effect can be successfully employed as a new electrochemical option to probe the electric features of surface-modified magnetic electrodes when the biofluid, the material of the sensitive element, and the detection conditions are properly selected and synergetically adjusted.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figure

Satellite derived shorelines at an Eexposed meso-tidal beach

Shoreline position data offer extremely valuable information for understanding coastal dynamism and beach changes. This research applies SHOREX system for defining the shoreline position from free mid-resolution Landsat-8 (L8) and Sentinel-2 (S2) satellite imagery. This system allows an automatic definition of Satellite Derived Shorelines (SDS) over large regions and periods. Accuracy and utility of the resulting SDS have been previously assessed with positive results at low energy, microtidal, Mediterranean beaches. This work assesses SDS extracted using SHOREX at a mesotidal and moderate to highly (during storms) energetic environment, namely at Faro Beach, a barrier beach located in Ria Formosa (Algarve, South Portugal). Accuracy was defined for 14 SDS derived from S2 and 10 from L8 by measuring the differences in position with respect to the shoreline inferred from profiles obtained on close dates (or simultaneously) to imagery acquisition. For non-simultaneous datasets, the water level was estimated for the time of the satellite images acquisition using oceanographic data and run-up formulations. The measured and estimated shoreline positions were then compared with the extracted SDS. The overall accuracy is good, with errors about 5 m RMSE, supporting the application of the used methodology to define shoreline dynamics and evolution at challenging environments, as mesotidal exposed and dynamic beaches.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [CGL2015-69906-R]; Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports [FPU15/04501]info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

Recovery of bioactive compounds from Arbutus unedo L. fruits: Comparative optimization study of maceration/microwave/ultrasound extraction techniques

The aim of this work was to produce an extract rich in different bioactive compounds from Arbutus unedo L. fruits to enhance its possible valorization and commercialization. The conditions of the main variables of maceration, microwave, and ultrasound assisted extractions (MA, MAE and UAE, respectively) were optimized and compared in terms of its composition (based on the total material extracted, total content in carbohydrates, phenolic and flavonoid compounds) and its preservative potential (based on the response of four in vitro antioxidant assays). The key variables of each extraction technique (time, temperature or power and hydroalcoholic mixture) were evaluated by specific experimental designs using response surface methodology. Mathematical models were developed and numerical optimal values for each extraction technique and response were achieved. Regarding the extraction of target compositional compounds, MAE was the most efficient, closely followed by MA. In terms of its preservative potential, MAE was the most suitable solution, but MA gave similar results at lower temperatures (~90 °C). Globally, MA and MAE were the best options conducting to optimal solutions using reduced amounts of ethanol. UAE required higher ethanol contents (~60%). The results showed alternatives to obtain extracts of A. unedo fruits, supporting their potential to be exploited at industrial level.The authors thank the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) and L. Barros contract. The authors are also grateful to FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal programme for financial support through the project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E; and to the European Structural and Investment Funds (FEEI) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project NORTE- 01-0145-FEDER-023289: DeCodE. To POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 (LA LSRE-LCM), funded by FEDER, through POCI-COMPETE2020 and FCT. To Xunta de Galicia for financial support for the post-doctoral researcher of M.A. Prieto. B. Albuquerque thanks Celeide Pereira (UTFPR, Brazil) for her master co-supervision. Finally, the authors want to express their gratitude to Araceli Menduiña Santomé (Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas, IIM-CSIC) for her professional work and dedication on the production of the laboratory results.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of eleven Mexican cultivars of prickly pear cactus trees for possibly utilization as animal fed: in vitro gas production

In production systems of prickly pear fruit and prickly pear cactus, significant amounts of pruned material, which could be used as an ingredient in animal feeding, is generated. The aim of this study was to measure the nutrient content, fermentation kinetics and in vitro digestibility of eleven cultivars of cladodes of prickly pear cactus. The fermentation was measured indirectly using the gas production technique, where 500 mg of DM substrate (prickly pear cactus cultivars) were placed in amber glass flasks of 125 mL with 90 mL of ruminal inoculum under a continuous flow of CO2. Flaskswere hermeticallywrapped upwith a rubber stopper and ametal ring, and were placed in a water bath at 39 C. The fermentation gas pressure was measured using a monometer at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 38, 50 and 72 h incubation. Results show that the chemical composition ranged between (g kg-1 DM): 64 and 160 g kg-1 dry matter (DM), 137–293 g kg-1 DM ash, 52–101 g kg-1 DM crude protein, 3–22 g kg-1 DM ether extract, 251–393 neutral detergent fiber and 132–192 acid detergent fiber. The gas volume was different (p\0.05) among cultivars, with the Red Vigor cultivar having the largest volume at 378 mL g-1 DM.The highest volumeof gas was produced during the first 24 h in on average 67 % of the total produced. The in vitroDMdigestibility displayed values of up to 82 % in the Roja Pelota cultivar. It can be concluded that the cladodes of prickly pear cactus from different cultivars can be used in animal feed for its good rumen fermentation characteristic

MONITOREO DE UNA ESTACIÓN DE TRATAMIENTO DE EFLUENTES PROVENIENTE DE UNA EMPRESA DE RECICLAJE DE PLÁSTICO DEL MUNICIPIO DE CAÇADOR, SANTA CATARINA, BRASIL

La contaminación de los recursos hídricos es uno de los principales problemas ambientales, ya que su contaminación puede ser difusa, lineal y puntual, necesitando una gestión de las fuentes con potencia de contaminación hídrica. Ante el expuesto este trabajo tiene como objetivo, desarrollar el monitoreo de una estación de tratamiento de efluentes a partir de análisis químico-físico en una empresa de reciclaje de plástico del municipio de Caçador/SC, buscando analizar su eficiencia e interacción con el cuerpo receptor. El monitoreo fue realizado en el año 2014, 2015 y 2016, a través de análisis de pH, DBO, DQO, Sólidos Totales y Sedimentables, Nitrógeno Amoniacal, Aceites y Grasas Minerales y Grasas Animales. El estudio presenta que el sistema de tratamiento no cumple con las legislaciones pertinentes para el parámetro de DBO y Sólidos sedimentables. Así, la estación de tratamiento de efluentes del estudio necesita una readecuación de su sistema, buscando la utilización de un sistema de tratamiento químico y otros que disminuyen la cantidad de sólidos del efluente tratado, ya que los sólidos se disuelven o totales es uno de Los principales contaminantes de los cuerpos hídricos

Slow dynamics of the contact process on complex networks

The Contact Process has been studied on complex networks exhibiting different kinds of quenched disorder. Numerical evidence is found for Griffiths phases and other rare region effects, in Erd˝os Rényi networks, leading rather generically to anomalously slow (algebraic, logarithmic,...) relaxation. More surprisingly, it turns out that Griffiths phases can also emerge in the absence of quenched disorder, as a consequence of sole topological heterogeneity in networks with finite topological dimension. In case of scalefree networks, exhibiting infinite topological dimension, slow dynamics can be observed on tree-like structures and a superimposed weight pattern. In the infinite size limit the correlated subspaces of vertices seem to cause a smeared phase transition. These results have a broad spectrum of implications for propagation phenomena and other dynamical process on networks and are relevant for the analysis of both models and empirical data

Artes visuais e tecnologias na educação : história e contemporaneidade

Resumo não disponíve

Artes visuais e tecnologias na educação: história e contemporaneidade

Apresentaçã

Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae From Transplanted Patients in Brazil: Phylogeny, Resistome, Virulome and Mobile Genetic Elements Harboring blaKPC-2 or blaNDM-1.

Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (CP-Kp) is a major cause of infections in transplanted patients and has been associated with high mortality rates in this group. There is a lack of information about the Brazilian structure population of CP-Kp isolated from transplanted patients. By whole-genome sequencing (WGS), we analyzed phylogeny, resistome, virulome of CP-Kp isolates, and the structure of plasmids encoding blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 genes. One K. pneumoniae isolated from each selected transplanted patient colonized or infected by CP-Kp over a 16-month period in a hospital complex in Porto Alegre (Brazil) was submitted for WGS. The total number of strains sequenced was 80. The hospital complex in Porto Alegre comprised seven different hospitals. High-resolution SNP typing, core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST), resistance and virulence genes inference, and plasmid reconstruction were performed in 80 CP-Kp. The mortality rate of CP-Kp colonized or infected transplanted inpatients was 21.3% (17/80). Four CP-Kp epidemic clones were described: ST11/KPC-2, ST16/KPC-2, and ST15/NDM-1, all responsible for interhospital outbreaks; and ST437/KPC-2 affecting a single hospital. The average number of acquired resistance and virulence genes was 9 (range = 2-14) and 27 (range = 6-36), respectively. Two plasmids carrying the blaKPC-2 were constructed and belonged to IncN and IncM types. Additionally, an IncFIB plasmid carrying the blaNDM-1 was described. We detected intrahospital and interhospital spread of mobile structures and international K. pneumoniae clones as ST11, ST16, and ST15 among transplanted patients, which carry a significant range of acquired resistance and virulence genes and keep spreading across the world.This work was supported by Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013–2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, and Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD16CIII/0004/0002), and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund ERDF “A way to achieve Europe,” Operative Program Intelligent Growth 2014–2020. This work was also supported in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.S