Apresentação/editorial

Apresentação/editoria

Functional independence and mobility in kidney transplanted patients: cross-sectional study

<div><p>Abstract AIMS To assess functional independence, balance and mobility of kidney transplant recipients, to verify transplant time, donor type, regular exercise practice, musculoskeletal complaints, as well as association among these variables METHODS Observational study with 86 kidney transplant individuals, subjected to evaluation of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Timed Up and Go test (TUG). RESULTS The mean age of the study population was 43.98 years old, 50% of these individuals were between 5-10 years of transplantation and 50% between 10-15 years. Changes in mobility and balance (TUG) were found in 9.3% of transplant patients, while 2.3% had deficits in functional independence (FIM). The association between TUG and the FIM (χ2= 19.964, p< 0.001) was found in 25% of the 9.3% of individuals who showed changes in TUG. It was found that only 20.9% of kidney transplant between 5-10 years and 14.0% between 11 and 15 years performed regular physical exercises (χ2= 0.727, p= 0.394) and 67.4% presented prevalent complaints on lower limbs musculoskeletal. CONCLUSION Although the level of dependence and impairments in mobility and balance found in renal transplants are low, deficits in mobility and balance may lead to changes in the ability to perform their functional activities independently.</p></div

Effect of hemicellulolytic enzymes to improve sugarcane bagasse saccharification and xylooligosaccharides production

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is limited by economic considerations arising from enzyme production costs and specific activities. The effect of six hemicellulases on raw sugarcane bagasse and two types of pretreated sugarcane bagasse was investigated using experimental designs. Our strategy was successful for developing more efficient and less expensive enzymatic mixture, and also revealed that hemicellulase mixtures with multiple activities could be less effective than expected. In this study, only two hemicelulases, the endo-1,4-xylanases (GH11) from Penicillium funiculosum (XynC11/CAC15487) and the feruloyl esterase (CE1) from Clostridium thermocellum (CtFAEIATCC27405), effectively broke down hemicellulose from pretreated sugarcane bagasse (up to 65%), along with the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS). Our results also demonstrated that GH11 and CE1 can improve biomass saccharification by cellulases. Treatment with these two enzymes followed by a commercial cellulase cocktail (Accellerase (R) 1500) increased saccharifi cation of pretreated lignocellulose by 24%. Collectively, our data contributes to the rational design of more efficient and less expensive enzyme mixtures, targeting the viable production of bioethanol and other biorefinery products. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is limited by economic considerations arising from enzyme production costs and specific activities. The effect of six hemicellulases on raw sugarcane bagasse and two types of pretreated sugarcane bagasse was1313646FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNQP - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)2012/18859-52012/20549-4SEM INFORMAÇÃOWe are grateful to FAPESP (The State of São Paulo Research Foundation) for the pos-doctoral scholarship and financial support (2012/18859-5 to RG2012/20549-4 to ARLD, respectively).This work was also financially supported by the CNPq (National Counci

Enhancing Sensory Quality of Coffee: The Impact of Fermentation Techniques on <i>Coffea arabica</i> cv. Catiguá MG2

Fermentation, a critical post-harvest process, can be strategically manipulated to augment coffee quality. This enhancement is achieved through the activity of microorganisms, which generate metabolites instrumental in the formation of distinct sensory profiles. This study investigated the impact of different fermentation methods on the quality of coffee beverages, specifically utilizing the Catiguá MG2 variety. The experimental setup involved fermenting the coffee in 200 L bioreactors, employing both natural and pulped coffee beans. The fermentation process utilized was self-induced anaerobic fermentation (SIAF), conducted in either a solid-state or submerged medium over a 96 h period. Analytical sampling was conducted initially and at 24 h intervals thereafter to quantify the concentration of sugars, alcohols, and organic acids. Sensory evaluation was performed using the established protocols of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). The outcomes of this investigation reveal that fermentation substantially enhances the quality of coffee, with each treatment protocol yielding divergent profiles of acids and alcohols, thereby influencing the sensory characteristics of the resulting beverage. Notably, superior quality beverages were produced from naturally processed coffee subjected to solid-state fermentation for durations exceeding 24 h. These findings underscore the significant influence of fermentation techniques and duration on the sensory attributes and overall quality of coffee

Matching metal pollution with bioavailability, bioaccumulation and biomarkers response in fish (Centropomus parallelus) resident in neotropical estuaries

Two neotropical estuaries affected by different anthropogenic factors were studied. We report levels of metals and metalloids in water and sediment as well as their influence on genetic, biochemical and morphological biomarkers in the native fish Centropomus parallelus. Biomarkers reflected the fish health status. Multivariate statistics indicated both spatial and temporal changes in both water and sediment, which are linked to the elemental composition and health status of inhabitant fish, showing the biggest influence of surface water, followed by sediments and interstitial water. Bioaccumulation in fish muscle was useful to identify elements that were below detection limits in water, pointing out the risk of consuming fish exceeding allowance limits for some elements (As and Hg in this case). Multivariate statistics, including physical, chemical and biological issues, presents a suitable tool, integrating data from different origin allocated in the same estuary, which could be useful for future studies on estuarine systems.Fil: Souza, Iara C.. Universidade Federal do Sao Carlos; BrasilFil: Duarte, Ian D.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Pimentel, Natieli Q.. Universidade Federal do Sao Carlos; BrasilFil: Rocha, Lívia D.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Morozesk, Mariana. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Bonomo, Marina M.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Azevedo, Vinicius C.. Universidade Federal do Sao Carlos; BrasilFil: Pereira, Camilo D.S.. Universidade Santa Cecília; BrasilFil: Monferran, Magdalena Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Milanez, Camilla R. D.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Matsumoto, Silvia T.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Wunderlin, Daniel Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Fernandes, Marisa N.. Universidade Federal do Sao Carlos; Brasi