Tendências e inovações tecnológicas em biorrefino

A Biorrefinaria propõe a substituição dos produtos derivados da indústria petroquímica por produtos obtidos a partir de biomassa. Por definição, a Biorrefinaria engloba uma série de etapas de processos e reações químicas e/ou bioquímicas formando um complexo industrial que visa a produção de diferentes intermediários da indústria química. Pesquisas vêm sendo realizadas principalmente nos Estados Unidos e na Europa contando com o apoio de empresas como a DuPont e o Departamento de Energia dos Estado Unidos (NRELL), que se uniram numa pesquisa para fundar a primeira Biorrefinaria Integrada do mundo. Juntas investiram um valor de US$ 7,7 milhões para desenvolverem uma planta piloto para fabricação de 1,3 propanediol a partir do milho. As Biorrefinarias são classificadas de acordo com o tipo de biomassa utilizada, podendo ser chamadas de Biorrefinaria Verde quando utiliza folhagens e cereais; Biorrefinaria Lignocelulósica que utiliza madeira e palha, como a celulose; e por último, a Biorrefinaria a Base de Resíduos Agrícolas , que faz uso de grãos, como cereais e milho. Um estudo de prospecção tecnológica foi feito, usando como fonte de dados o banco de patentes da USPTO (United State Patent and Trademark Office) e do INPI (Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial), cujas informações foram obtidas via internet. Neste estudo, utilizou as palavras-chave biorefinery, biorefining, lignocellulose, biocombustível, biodiesel e produção de etanol, obtendo-se assim cerca de 116 patentes relacionadas à produção de biocombustível, bioprodutos, químicos, energia e alimentos. A partir desses dados foi possível identificar os principais países e empresas depositantes, período de publicação e setores de aplicação

Prevalence of radiological findings among cases of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT2) are prone to develop heterotopic calcifications and severe bone disease. Determination of the sites most commonly affected would decrease costs and patients' exposure to X-ray radiation. The aim here was to determine which skeletal sites produce most radiographic findings, in order to evaluate hemodialysis patients with HPT2, and to describe the most prevalent radiographic findings. DESIGN AND SETTING: This study was cross-sectional, conducted in one center, the Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho (HUCFF), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS: Whole-body radiographs were obtained from 73 chronic hemodialysis patients with indications for parathyroidectomy due to severe HPT2. The regions studied were the skull, hands, wrists, clavicles, thoracic and lumbar column, long bones and pelvis. All the radiographs were analyzed by the same two radiologists, with great experience in bone disease interpretation. RESULTS: The most common abnormality was subperiosteal bone resorption, mostly at the phalanges and distal clavicles (94% of patients, each). "Rugger jersey spine" sign was found in 27%. Pathological fractures and deformities were seen in 27% and 33%, respectively. Calcifications were presented in 80%, mostly at the forearm fistula (42%), abdominal aorta and lower limb arteries (35% each). Brown tumors were present in 37% of the patients, mostly on the face and lower limbs (9% each). CONCLUSION: The greatest prevalence of bone findings were found on radiographs of the hands, wrists, lateral view of the thoracic and lumbar columns and femurs. The most prevalent findings were bone resorption and ectopic calcifications

Ectopic and extranumerary parathyroid glands location in patients with hyperparathyroidism secondary to end stage renal disease Localização de paratireóides ectópicas e extranumerárias em pacientes com hiperparatireoidismo secundário à insuficiência renal crônica

Supranumerary or ectopic parathyroid glands are the main cause of persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) submitted to parathyroidectomy (PTx). PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence and location of parathyroid glands in these patients. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with ESRD and severe secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT2) had been submitted to total PTx at HUCFF from December 2001 to July 2005. Surgery was always performed by the same surgeon, who described in details the location of the glands. RESULTS: Sixteen patients (45.7%) had ectopic glands, which were also extranumerary in five of them (14.3%). The most common locations were the thyroid parenchyma (33.3%), thyroid-thymus conduit (18.5%), and thymus (14.8%). Before PTx, the sensibility of ultrasonography and scintigraphy with technetium-99m Sestamibi was low (48.3% and 35.3%, respectively). Moreover, 51.4% of the nodules found at US were thyroid nodules. However, 99mTc-Sestamibi was useful to identify ectopic glands in those two patients with persistent HPT after PTx. CONCLUSION: The presence of extranumerary and ectopic parathyroid glands in HPT2 is sufficiently important to justify their exhaustive search. As the preoperative image exams present low sensibility to locate them, it is necessary to develop an exploratory routine embracing the most common sites of location.<br>A principal causa cirúrgica de persistência da doença após paratireoidectomia no hiperparatireoidismo secundário à insuficiência renal crônica (HPT2) é a existência de paratireóides supranumerárias e/ou ectópicas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o número, prevalência de ectopia e localizações mais comuns das paratireóides nestes pacientes. MÉTODOS: Acompanhamos prospectivamente pacientes com HPT2, submetidos à paratireoidectomia no HUCFF, entre dezembro/2001 e julho/2005. Todos foram operados pelo mesmo cirurgião, que descreveu detalhadamente a localização das paratireóides encontradas. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 35 pacientes: em cinco (14,3%) foi encontrada uma quinta glândula, supranumerária; dezesseis (45,7%) possuíam glândulas ectópicas; as localizações mais comuns foram parênquima intratireoidiano (33,3%), trajeto conduto tireotímico (18,5%) e timo (14,8%). As principais glândulas ausentes na presença de ectopia foram as inferiores esquerdas (29,6%) e direitas (25,9%). A sensibilidade da ultra-sonografia e da cintigrafia com sestamibi na detecção dos nódulos foi baixa (48,3% e 35,3%, respectivamente). Além disso, 51,4% das ultra-sonografias mostraram incidentalomas tireoidianos. CONCLUSÃO: A presença de paratireóides supranumerárias e ectópicas no HPT2 é suficientemente relevante para justificar sua procura exaustiva. Como os exames de imagem pré-operatórios contribuem muito pouco para localizá-los, é necessário que se desenvolva uma rotina de exploração abrangendo as localizações mais comuns

O26 Polysaccharides as Key Players in Enteropathogenic <i>E. coli</i> Immune Evasion and Vaccine Development

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) produce a capsule of polysaccharides identical to those composing the O-antigen polysaccharide of its LPS (lipopolysaccharide) molecules. In light of this, the impact of O26 polysaccharides on the immune evasion mechanisms of capsulated O26 EPEC compared to non-capsulated enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) was investigated. Our findings reveal that there was no significant difference between the levels in EPEC and EHEC of rhamnose (2.8:2.5), a molecule considered to be a PAMP (Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns). However, the levels of glucose (10:1.69), heptose (3.6:0.89) and N-acetylglucosamine (4.5:2.10), were significantly higher in EPEC than EHEC, respectively. It was also observed that the presence of a capsule in EPEC inhibited the deposition of C3b on the bacterial surface and protected the pathogen against lysis by the complement system. In addition, the presence of a capsule also protected EPEC against phagocytosis by macrophages. However, the immune evasion provided by the capsule was overcome in the presence of anti-O26 polysaccharide antibodies, and additionally, these antibodies were able to inhibit O26 EPEC adhesion to human epithelial cells. Finally, the results indicate that O26 polysaccharides can generate an effective humoral immune response, making them promising antigens for the development of a vaccine against capsulated O26 E. coli.</i

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background: Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods: The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results: A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P < 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion: Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)