Sensory evaluation and spectra evolution of two kiwifruit cultivars during cold storage

Kiwifruit consumption has increased due to its rich nutritional properties. Although ‘Hayward’ continues to be the main cultivar, others, such as yellow fleshed ‘Jintao’, are of increasing interest. The objective of this research was to evaluate the acceptability and storage performance of these two cultivars. Sensory evaluation of green ‘Hayward’ and yellow ‘Jintao’ kiwifruit were performed along cold storage for three seasons/years to follow the organoleptic characteristics through ripening, as well as the acquisition of their spectra by Vis-NIR. For ‘Jintao’ were performed two sensory evaluations per year at 2.5- and 4.5-months’ storage and for ‘Hayward’ at 2.5-, 4.5- and 5.5-months’ storage. The nonparametric Mann–Whitney test and Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA were performed to test the significant differences between the mean ranks among the storage time. A non-metric multidimensional scaling plot method using the ALSCAL algorithm in a seven-point Likert scale was applied to determine the relationships in the data, and a new approach using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was tested. The last revealed that, for both cultivars, sweetness, acidity and texture were the variables with better scores for General flavor. Aroma was also important on ‘Jintao’. A strong correlation between soluble solids content (SSC) and reflectance was found for both cultivars, with the 635–780 nm range being the most important. Regarding firmness, a good correlation with reflectance spectra was observed, particularly in ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit. Based on these results, Vis-NIR can be an objective alternative to explore for determination of the optimum eating-ripe stage.ALG-01-0247-FEDER-037303info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biodegradation of chiral pharmaceuticals by an activated sludge consortium followed by a Chiral HPLC-FD

Biodegradation tends to be enantioselective in contrast to abiotic degradation and it is necessary enantioselective analytical methods to quantify the enantiomeric fraction of chiral pharmaceuticals in the environment for correct risk assessment. In this work, we developed HPLC-FD methods to follow the biodegradation of four beta-blockers: alprenolol , propranolol , metoprolol and atenolol and the antidepressant fluoxetine during 15 days in batch mode. The biodegradation assays were performed using AS from the aerated tanks of a municipal wastewater treatment plant with a singly compound supplementation and a mixture compound supplementation similar to those found in wastewater influents. Abiotic degradation in the presence of light and in the dark was evaluated. Either the low concentration or the mixture effects are situations closer to those found in the environment. The results indicate the higher degradation extents for the S-enantiomer forms, as is shown in Figure 1

Degradation of fluoroanilines by the wild strain Labrys portucalensis

Aromatic amine compounds, many of them with halogenated substituents, constitute a major class of environmental pollutants that have been released into soil and water due to extensive use in industries and agriculture. Biodegradation has been found to be a major route for the removal of this kind of toxic and recalcitrant pollutants from the environment. Whereas the degradation of mono- and dichlorinated anilines has been studied, very little is known about fluorinated anilines. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate, under aerobic conditions, the degradation of 2-, 3- and 4-fluoroaniline by a previously isolated pure bacterium, designated as strain F11. This microorganism, identified as Labrys portucalensis, was isolated from a contaminated site in northern Portugal and has the unique capacity to utilize fluorobenzene as a sole carbon and energy source,. The results of the biodegradation of 2-, 3- and 4-fluoroaniline by strain F11 showed that this microorganism is able to completely degrade 2- fluoroaniline and partially degrade 4-fluoroaniline, when these compounds are present as a sole carbon and energy source. Biodegradation of these two compounds also occurred, although at a lower rate, in the absence of an external nitrogen source in the culture medium. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the biodegradation of 2- and 4-fluoroaniline as a sole carbon and energy source by a pure microbial culture. C.L. Amorim and M.F. Carvalho wish to acknowledge a research grant from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal (Ref. SFRH/BD/47109/2008 and SFRH/BPD/44670/2008, respectively) and Fundo Social Europeu (III Quadro Comunitário de Apoio). This work was supported by the FCT Project - PTDC/BIO/67306/200

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL: A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with ca. 26% of all species being included in the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associated to habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change and prey depletion for marine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems functionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is crucial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublished geo-referenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of Azores and Madeira that includes 107,852 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observations/captures (42%), sign surveys (38%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radio-tracking and inquiries that represent less than 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: 1) burrows | soil mounds | tunnel, 2) capture, 3) colony, 4) dead animal | hair | skulls | jaws, 5) genetic confirmation, 6) inquiries, 7) observation of live animal, 8), observation in shelters, 9) photo trapping | video, 10), predators diet | pellets | pine cones/nuts, 11) scat | track | ditch, 12) telemetry and 13) vocalization | echolocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n = 34,754) has the highest number of records followed by Chiroptera (n = 18,858), Carnivora (n = 18,594), Lagomorpha (n = 17,679), Cetartiodactyla (n = 11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n = 6400). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened (e.g., Oryctolagus cuniculus (n = 12,407), Monachus monachus (n = 1512), and Lynx pardinus (n = 197)]. We believe that this data set may stimulate the publication of other European countries data sets which would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications

Staff Assessment Person-Directed Care Questionnaire: Adaptation and Validation for the Portuguese Population

Person-centered care aims to increase and guarantee the quality of care at residential care facilities for older adults. The implementation and development of this approach requires validated assessment tools, which are still lacking in Portugal. This study aims to adapt and validate for the Portuguese population the internationally and widely used essential instrument that is the Staff Assessment Person-Directed Care (SAPDC). The adaptation of the SAPDC included its translation, back translation, and a pilot-study. For validation, staff members were recruited by distributing the study via email and on social media. Respondents included 546 native Portuguese-speaking staff members working at residential care facilities for over 6 months. The mean score of SAPDC was 165.74 (SD = 36.78). The exploratory factor analysis showed eight conceptually distinct dimensions, considered adequate by the expert team. The total scale showed a very good internal consistency (α = .96) and excellent temporal stability assessed by Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (> .90). Providing a Portuguese version of the SAPDC is useful to substantiate technical and scientific advancements and define policies with implications on evolving care approaches. This tool helps optimize the quality and dignification of gerontological practices, which is urgent at Portuguese residential care facilities.Maria Miguel Barbosa holds a PhD grant to PDGG ICBAS-UP, from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia [FCT, SFRH/BD/138897/2018], financed by national funds from Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MTCES) and Fundo Social Europeu (FSE-EU) through the Programa Operacional Regional Centro (PORC-UE).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biodegradation of Beta-Blockers and Fluoxetine followed by a Chiral HPLC-FD

Despite of the massive publications concerning pharmaceuticals in the environment, the problematic related with chiral compounds and enantioselective degradation are still largely unknown [1]. Enantiomers have different interactions with enzymes, receptors and other chiral molecules, leading to different biological activities. Thus, biodegradation tends to be enantioselective in contrast to abiotic degradation. However, biodegradation studies regarding enantioselectivity on the process are scarce [2].] MATERIALS AND METHODS [Four beta-blockers: alprenolol (ALP), propranolol (PHO), metoprolol (MET) and atenolol (ATE) and the antidepressant fluoxetine (FX) were enantiomerically separated by a macrocyclic antibiotic vancomycin CSP (ASTEC Chirobiotic V 5µm) under polar organic mode phase (methanol:ethanol:triethylamine:acetic acid.50:50 v/v) and fluorescence detection for enantiomeric fraction quantification. The developed methods were established using a minimal medium inoculated with activated sludge (AS) as a matrix.] RESULTS AND DISCUSSION [The Chirobiotic VTM was able to resolve ALP and PHO as well as MET, ATE and FX in two short runs. A separation factor (α) between 1.12 and 1.34 and resolution (Rs) between 1.30 and 4.35 were obtained. The methods demonstrated to be selective and linear within the range, with detection limits between 2.5 and 10ng/mL. These methods were applied to follow the biodegradation of the target compounds. The biodegradation assays were performed using AS from a municipal WWTP and the results indicate the higher degradation extents for the S- enantiomer forms at initial concentrations tenfold above those found in the environment (10ppm and 5ppm). The same assays were performed at an initial concentration of 1ppm for a singly supplementation and at 0,5ppm for a mixture of compounds, a closer situation to the real environment.] CONCLUSIONS [To our knowledge, chromatographic enantioseparations of the mixture of ALP and PHO and the mixture of MET, FX and ATE using the Chirobiotic™ V, have not been previously reported. The feasibility of this application was confirmed by two biodegradation studies using AS, with S-form being faster degraded, showing stereoselectivity

Escolha alimentar e fatores determinantes em idosos europeus

[resumo][abstract

Semi-analytical solutions for the poiseuille-couette flow of a generalised Phan-Thien-Tanner fluid

This work presents new analytical and semi-analytical solutions for the pure Couette and Poiseuille-Couette flows, described by the recently proposed (Ferras et al., A Generalised Phan-Thien-Tanner Model, JNNFM 2019) viscoelastic model, known as the generalised Phan-Thien-Tanner constitutive equation. This generalised version considers the Mittag-Leffler function instead of the classical linear or exponential functions of the trace of the stress tensor, and provides one or two new fitting constants in order to achieve additional fitting flexibility. The analytical solutions derived in this work allow a better understanding of the model, and therefore contribute to improve the modelling of complex materials, and will provide an interesting challenge to computational rheologists, to benchmarking and to code verification.This research was funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020-Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI) and by national funds through FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I. P. through Projects PTDC/EMS-ENE/3362/2014, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016665, UID-MAT-00013/2013, and UID/MAT/00297/2013 as well as grant number SFRH/BPD/100353/2014. This work was partially supported by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the project UID/MAT/00297/2019 (Centro de Matematica e Aplicacoes)

Adesão de brackets ortodônticos a superficies acrílicas. Uma revisão sistemática sobre estudos in vitro

Supplementary content Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at http://doi.org/10.24873/j.rpemd.2017.07.020.Objectives: The aim of this study was to systematically review the available literature about in vitro orthodontic bond strength tests regarding bonding brackets to acrylic teeth. Methods: A comprehensive electronic database search with no date or language limits was conducted. Relevant studies were selected based on predefined criteria: in vitro investigation on the shear/tensile bond strength of brackets evaluated and expressed in megapascals and/or considering the adhesive remnant index; and studies with a clear explanation of the bonding technique/protocol, bonding materials and type of surface acrylic material used. Results: 2044 published articles were presented by the four databases. Of the studies collected from all the databases, 28 based on their title and 14 based on their abstract, only 10 studies fulfilled the selection criteria after being examined twice by the two reviewers. Conclusion: The type of surface noticeably influenced the adhesion, and surface treatments should be performed to improve bond strength. (Rev Port Estomatol Med Dent Cir Maxilofac. 2017;58(2):65-70)Objetivos: O objetivo deste estudo foi efetuar uma revisao sistematica da literatura sobre testes in vitro de resistencia a adesao entre brackets ortodonticos e dentes acrilicos. Métodos: Foi realizada uma pesquisa abrangente em bases electronicas, sem limites de data ou idioma. Os estudos relevantes foram selecionados com base nos seguintes criterios pre-definidos: investigacao in vitro sobre resistencia ao cisalhamento/tracao dos brackets avaliada e apresentada em megapascais e/ou considerando o indice de adesivo remanescente; estudos com explicacao clara da tecnica/protocolo de adesao, adesivos e tipo de material acrilico das superficies. Resultados: dos 2044 artigos publicados apresentados pelas quatro bases de dados electronica, 28 foram selecionados com base no titulo e 14 com base no resumo. Apenas 10 obedeceram aos criterios definidos e foram incluidos apos analise por dois revisores, duas vezes. Conclusão: O tipo de superficie parece influenciar a adesao e o tratamentos destas deve ser realizado para melhorar a adesao. (Rev Port Estomatol Med Dent Cir Maxilofac. 2017;58(2):65-70)The author M.C. Manso acknowledges Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through grant UID/Multi/04546/2013 and UID/QUI/50006/2013 – POCI/01/0145/FERDER/007265