Action of phosphorylated mannanoligosaccharides on immune and hematological responses and fecal consistency of dogs experimentally infected with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains

The therapeutic action of phosphorylated mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) was investigated regarding its prebiotic activity on enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). Diarrhea was induced in dogs by experimental infection with EPEC strains. Then MOS was supplied once a day, in water for 20 days. Immunological (IgA and IgG), hematological (lymphocytes, neutrophils and monocytes) and bacteriological variables (PCR detection of the eae gene of EPEC recovered from stool culture), as well as occurrence of diarrhea were evaluated. All strains caused diarrhea at 24, 48 and 72 h after infection. PCR results indicated that E. coli isolated from stool culture of all infected animals had the eae gene. There was no significant difference among groups as to number of blood cells in the hemogram and IgA and IgG production. MOS was effective in recovering of EPEC-infected dogs since prebiotic-treated animals recovered more rapidly from infection than untreated ones (p < 0.05). This is an important finding since diarrhea causes intense dehydration and nutrient loss. The use of prebiotics for humans and other animals with diarrhea can be an alternative for the treatment and prophylaxis of EPEC infections

Conservation units in the core area of the Cerrado domain: an overview on the small nonvolant mammals (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia)

A review of small non-volant mammal species of the APA Gama e Cabeça de Veado was carried out, including new surveys in the "Estação Ecológica do Jardim Botânico" (EEJBB) and "Reserva Ecológica do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatí­stica" (REIBGE). Thirty-one small mammal's species are registered for the APA Gama and Cabeça de Veado, including one exotic species. Didelphis albiventris, Hylaeamys megacephalus, and Oxymycterus delator were collected for the first time in EEJBB. The APA Gama-Cabeça de Veado has a central position in the Cerrado domain sharing six species with the Amazon domain, five with Atlantic Forest, and 13 with Caatinga. The APA Gama-Cabeça de Veado encompasses the home range of at least six non-volant small mammal species endemic of Cerrado domain, and it has an important role in the protection of these endemic species and species that occurs in those four South America morphoclimatic domains

Incised valley paleoenvironments interpreted by seismic stratigraphic approach in Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil

<div><p>ABSTRACT: The Rio Grande do Sul (RS) coastal plain area (33,000 km 2 ) had its physiography modified several times through the Quaternary, responding to allogenic and autogenic forcings. The Patos Lagoon covers a significant area of RS coastal plain (10,000 km 2 ), where incised valleys were identified in previous works. About 1,000 km of high resolution (3.5 kHz) seismic profiles, radiocarbon datings, Standard Penetration Test (SPT) and gravity cores were analyzed to interpret the paleoenvironmental evolution as preserved in incised valley infills. Seismic facies were recognized by seismic parameters. The sediment cores were used to ground-truth the seismic interpretations and help in the paleoenvironmental identification. Key surfaces were established to detail the stratigraphical framework, and seismic facies were grouped into four seismic units, which one classified in respective system tracts within three depositional sequences. The oldest preserved deposits are predominantly fluvial and estuarine facies, representing the falling stage and lowstand system tracts. The Holocene transgressive records are dominated by muddy material, mainly represented by estuarine facies with local variations. The transgression culminated in Late Holocene deposits of Patos Lagoon, representing the highstand system tract. The depositional pattern of the vertical succession was controlled by eustatic variations, while the autogenic forcing (paleogeography and sediment supply) modulated the local facies variation.</p></div

Kinetics of mass loss of arabica coffee during roasting process

Roasting is one of the most complex coffee processing steps due to simultaneous transfers of heat and mass. During this process, beans lose mass because of fast physical and chemical changes that will set color and flavor of the commercial coffee beverage. Therefore, we aimed at assessing the kinetics of mass loss in commercially roasted coffee beans according to heating throughout the processing. For that, we used samples of 350-g Arabica coffee processed grains with water content of 0.1217 kga kg-1, in addition to a continuous roaster with firing gas. The roaster had initial temperatures of 285, 325, 345 and 380 °C, decreasing during the process up to 255, 285, 305 and 335 °C respectively. Mass loss was calculated by the difference between grain weight before and after roasting. We observed a linear variation directly dependent on roaster temperature. For each temperature during the process was obtained a constant mass loss rate, which was reported by the Arrhenius model with r2 above 0.98. In a roaster in non-isothermal conditions, the required activation energy to start the mass loss in a commercial coffee roasting index was 52.27 kJ mol -1.A torrefação é uma das etapas mais complexa do processamento do café devido à transferência simultânea de calor e massa, em que os grãos perdem massa devido à rapidez das mudanças físicas e químicas, necessárias para produzir a cor e o aroma do café comercial. Assim, objetivou-se com este trabalho determinar a cinética da perda de massa dos grãos de café torrados comercialmente em função da temperatura do processo. Foram usadas amostras de 350 g de grãos beneficiados de café arábica com teor de água de 0,1217 kga kg-1 . Usou-se um torrador com queima de gás constante e temperaturas iniciais de 285; 325; 345 e 380 °C, que diminuíram durante a operação até equilibrar-se em 255; 285; 305 e 335 °C, respectivamente. A perda de massa foi calculada a partir do peso dos grãos antes e depois da torração, sendo observada uma variação linear dependente diretamente da temperatura do torrador. Para cada temperatura do processo, foi obtida uma taxa constante de perda de massa, que foi relacionada pelo modelo de Arrhenius com r2 acima de 0,98. Em condições não isotérmicas do torrador, a energia de ativação necessária para iniciar a perda de massa, em índices de torração comercial do café, foi 52,27 kJ mol-1 .Universidad de Costa Rica/[]/UCR/Costa RicaConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/[]/CNPq/BrasilCoordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior/[]/CAPES/ BrasilFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais/[]/FAPEMIG/BrasilUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Centro para Investigaciones en Granos y Semillas (CIGRAS