The biorefinery of the heterotrophic marine microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii grown on low-cost substrates: Production of DHA and biodiesel

Mestrado em Engenharia Alimentar. Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de AgronomiaThe present work explored the use of low-cost substrates for the cultivation of the marine heterotrophic microalga Crypthecodinium cohnii, to produce high concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and fatty acids for biodiesel production. Three cultivations were conducted, in a benchtop bioreactor operated under fed-batch regime, using different nutrient sources: crude glycerol, sugarcane molasses and corn steep liquor (CSL), all industrial by-products. The use of crude glycerol and CSL as carbon and nitrogen sources (Assay I), presented the best results, with a biomass concentration of 10.69 g L-1, total fatty acids (TFA) content of 28.29% (w/w), TFA productivity of 19.31 mg L-1 h-1 and DHA productivity of 6.64 mg L-1 h-1. After the cultivation, the lyophilized biomass obtained underwent a saponification reaction, to produce fatty acid soaps, which were further converted into fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE). These compounds were fractionated, using the urea complexation method at different temperatures, to obtain a polyunsaturated FAEE rich fraction (with potential for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes) and a saturated and monounsaturated FAEE rich fraction (potentially for biodiesel purposes). At the crystallization temperature of -18ºC, in Assay I fractions with 91.6% purity of DHA ethyl ester and 88.0% purity of saturated and monounsaturated FAEE were obtained. In Assay III, fractions with 69.91% purity of DHA ethyl ester and 97.4% purity of saturated and monounsaturated FAEE were attained. Finally, physical parameters of the fractions rich in saturated and monounsaturated FAEE were estimated and confirmed to be appropriate for biodiesel production, after a hydrogenation step, according to limits defined by the European Standard EN 14214. The attained results represent an innovative and sustainable method for producing DHA and biodiesel from C. cohnii, increasing the potential revenue generated by the entire process, since all compounds produced are valorised and no waste is generated, respecting the circular economy.O presente estudo permitiu explorar a utilização de substratos de baixo custo no cultivo da microalga heterotrófica marinha Crypthecodinium cohnii, para produzir elevadas concentrações de ácido docosahexaenóico (DHA) e ácidos gordos para produção de biodiesel. Foram realizados três ensaios em biorreator de bancada, em regime fed-batch, utilizando subprodutos industriais como substrato: glicerol bruto, melaço de cana-de-açúcar e corn step liquor (CSL). Foi possível concluir que a utilização de glicerol bruto e CSL (Ensaio I), conduziu a melhores resultados, atingindo-se uma concentração em biomassa de 10.69 g de L-1, um teor em ácidos gordos totais (TFA) de 28.29% (m/m), produtividade em TFA de 19.31 mg L-1 h-1 e produtividade em DHA de 6.64 mg L-1 h-1. Após cultivo, a biomassa liofilizada produzida foi saponificada, permitindo formação de sabões de ácidos gordos, que foram convertidos em ésteres etílicos e, seguidamente, fracionados, através do método de complexação com ureia a diferentes temperaturas. Este método permitiu a obtenção de uma fração rica em ésteres etílicos polinsaturados (com potencial utilização nas indústrias alimentar, farmacêutica e cosmética) e uma fração rica em ésteres etílicos saturados e monoinsaturados (potencialmente para produção de biodiesel). À temperatura de cristalização de -18ºC foram obtidas frações com 91.6% e 69.91% de pureza em ésteres etílicos de DHA e frações com 88.0% e 97.4% de pureza de esteres etílicos saturados e monoinsaturados nos Ensaios I e III, respetivamente. Por último, foram estimados os parâmetros físicos das frações para biodiesel, verificando-se que, após uma etapa de hidrogenação, são adequadas para produção deste biocombustível, de acordo com os limites definidos pela Norma Europeia EN 14214. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que este se trata de um método inovador e sustentável para produção de DHA e biodiesel, uma vez que todos os compostos produzidos são valorizados e não são gerados resíduos, respeitando a economia circular.N/

Comportamento alimentar restritivo e excesso de peso em jovens portugueses

Dar atenção às dimensões emocionais do comportamento alimentar, incluindo a restrição, é fundamental na compreensão do excesso de peso/obesidade. Neste estudo, procurouse analisar a relação entre comportamentos alimentares restritivos e o Índice de Massa Corporal (IMC) numa amostra de 128 jovens e adultos portugueses. Para a recolha de dados foi utilizado o Three Factor Eating Questionary (TFEQ), tendo sido analisada apenas a subescala da restrição alimentar. As análises estatísticas (Rho de Spearman) foram realizadas com recurso ao SPSS IBM 22. Constatou-se que os valores mais elevados de restrição alimentar se registaram nos sujeitos com excesso de peso, mais velhos e do género feminino. Entre o IMC e a restrição alimentar verificou-se uma correlação positiva, moderada e altamente significativa (rho=.304, p=.001), apontando os resultados para a necessidade de se ter em consideração as dimensões emocionais (restrição) no planeamento de intervenções, por exemplo, no âmbito da perda de peso.Abstract: Attention to emotional dimensions of eating behavior, including restriction, is critical to the study of overweight/obesity. This study sought to examine the relationship between restrictive eating behavior and Body Mass Index (BMI) in a sample of 128 Portuguese young adults. For data collection was used the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) – but only the subscale of restriction was analyzed. IBM SPSS 22 was used specifically to perform the Spearman Rho test. Overweight individuals, older and females had higher levels of restriction. The correlation between BMI and restriction was positive, moderate and statistically significant (rho = .304, p = .001). The results indicate the need to take into account emotional dimensions in planning interventions, for example, in the context of weight loss

Quality of life and self-esteem in patients submitted to surgical treatment of skin carcinomas: long-term results

BACKGROUND:Cancer is a multifactorial disease and skin carcinomas are the most common type of cancer. Assessing quality of life and self-esteem outcomes in skin cancer patients is important because these are indicators of the results of the treatment, translating how patients face their lives and their personal relationships.OBJECTIVE:To assess the late impact of the surgical treatment of head and/or neck skin carcinomas on quality of life and self-esteem of the patients.METHODS:Fifty patients with head or neck skin carcinomas were enrolled. Their age ranged between 30 and 75 years, 27 were men and 23 were women. Patients were assessed with regard to quality of life and self-esteem, preoperatively and five years postoperatively. Validated instruments were used: the MOS 36-item Short-form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem/EPM-UNIFESP Scale. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for the statistical analysis.RESULTS:Twenty-two patients completed the five-year follow-up, 54.5% women and 45.5% men. Compared to the preoperative assessment, patients had an improvement in mental health (p=0.011) and in self-esteem (p=0.002). There was no statistical difference with regard to the other domains of the SF-36.CONCLUSION:Patients submitted to surgical treatment of skin carcinoma improved mental health and self-esteem in the late postsurgical testing.Universidade do Vale do SapucaíUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Development of a mechanical maintenance training simulator in OpenSimulator for F-16 aircraft engines

Mechanical maintenance of F-16 engines is carried out as a team effort involving 3–4 skilled engine technicians, but the details of its procedures and requisites change constantly, to improve safety, optimize resources, and respond to knowledge learned from field outcomes. This provides a challenge for development of training simulators, since simulated actions risk becoming obsolete rapidly and require costly reimplementation. This paper presents the development of a 3D mechanical maintenance training simulator for this context, using a low-cost simulation platform and a software architecture that separates simulation control from simulation visualization, in view of enabling more agile adaptation of simulators. This specific simulator aims to enable technician training to be enhanced with cooperation and context prior to the training phase with actual physical engines. We provide data in support of the feasibility of this approach, describing the requirements that were identified with the Portuguese Air Force, the overall software architecture of the system, the current stage of the prototype, and the outcomes of the first field tests with users

Bringing user experience empirical data to gesture-control and somatic interaction in virtual reality videogames: an exploratory study with a multimodal interaction prototype

Comunicação apresentada na SciTecIn15 - Conferência Ciências e Tecnologias da Interação, realizada em Coimbra, de 12-13 de novembro de 2015With the emergence of new low-cost gestural interaction devices various studies have been developed on multi-modal human-computer interaction to improve user experience. We present an exploratory study which analysed the user experience with a multimodal interaction game prototype. As a result, we propose a set of preliminary recommendations for combined use of such devices and present implications for advancing the multimodal field in human-computer interaction

PROCEDIMENTO DE MEDIDA E INTERPRETAÇÃO DA TAXA METABÓLICA DE REPOUSO

The resting metabolic rate (RMR) is defined as the minimum rate of energy consumption required to support all cellular functions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the calculation of daily energy expenditure is obtained as a multiple of RMR. Thus, the precision in measuring the RMR is necessary to determine the effectiveness of nutrition plans, but studies show differences regarding the procedures adopted in implementing the measure by the method of gas exchange. Thus, aim to organize the knowledge developed in the area, propose a procedure for measuring the RMR using the method of gas exchange using the indirect calorimetry open circuit in healthy individuals and assist in its interpretation. The cares observed before and during the indirect calorimetry to achieve the correct measure of RMR, are related to the environment, individual, equipment and evaluation. Achieving the measure of RMR through gas exchange is complex and sensitive to many variables, which can lead to a wrong interpretation is not controlled by the evaluator.A Taxa Metabólica de Repouso (TMR) é definida como a taxa mínima de energia consumida necessária para sustentar todas as funções celulares. A World Health Organization (WHO) aconselha que o cálculo de gasto energético diário seja obtido como múltiplo da TMR. Desta forma, a precisão na medida da TMR é necessária para determinar a eficiência dos planos de nutrição, porém os estudos apresentam diferenças em relação aos procedimentos adotados na realização da medida pelo método da troca gasosa. Assim, objetivamos organizar o conhecimento desenvolvido na área, propor um procedimento para a medida da TMR pelo método de troca gasosa utilizando a calorimetria indireta de circuito aberto em indivíduos saudáveis e auxiliar na sua interpretação. Os cuidados observados antes e durante a realização da calorimetria indireta para se obter a medida correta da TMR, estão relacionados ao ambiente, indivíduo, equipamento e avaliação. A obtenção da medida da TMR por meio da troca gasosa é complexa e sensível a inúmeras variáveis, as quais podem levar a uma interpretação equivocada se não controladas por parte do avaliador

Antimicrobial Resistance and Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Production in Enterobacteriaceae Isolates from Household Cats (Felis silvestris catus)

Background: In Brazil, cats in households has recently increased dramatically, likely due to their lower space and care requirements. We need to know the health of these companion animal species, since they have behavioral patterns that make them an important link in the epidemiological chain. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producer strains (ESBL) are resistant to penicillin, cephalosporin and monobactam, but they are susceptible to clavulanate. The goal of this study is to detect strains of Enterobacteriaceae that produce extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and evaluate the bacterial resistance profile in isolated cats (Felis silvestris catus) that live in a city located at west of Parana state, Brazil.Materials, Methods & Results: Swabs were aseptically collected from the anal orifice and oral cavity of 49 female domestic cats that were healthy upon clinical and physical examination, a minimum age of one year, weighing up to 3 kg, and had attended a veterinary clinic specializing in cats, in order to, later, perform the isolation and bacterial identification, antimicrobial sensibility phenotypic test and the phenotypic test to detect ESBL producer strains. From the 98 swabs collected it was possible to perform the bacterial isolation in 68 samples; 40.81% isolated from anal orifice and 28.57% isolated from oral cavity. From rectal and oral cavities 77.50% and 71.42% of the isolated were identified as Escherichia coli respectively, being 2.94% considered ESBL producer strains. In relation to bacterial resistance the antibiotics that shown more resistance in anal orifice were ampicillin, amoxicillin, nalidixic acid, sulfazotrim, tetracycline and aztreonam. In oral cavity they were ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefoxitin, amoxicillin + clavulanate, aztreonam, ceftriaxone and nalidixic acid; and the bacterial resistance index shown that 39.70% were considered high level risk.Discussion: Household cats have a very important role in society, since the benefits they provide to their owners are clear, however, it is worth pointing out that these animals also pose risks to human health, caused by the transmission of zoonoses and also the possibility of transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria of animal and human origin, as well as between bacteria of the normal microbiota and pathogenic microorganisms of diferents origins. Therefore, it is important to understand the health of these companion animal species, because they exhibit behavioral patterns that make them an important link in the epidemiological chain of potentially infectious microorganisms, which may show antimicrobial resistance. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producer strains (ESBL) are resistant to penicillin, cephalosporin and monobactam, but they are susceptible to clavulanate. These enzymes hydrolyze the beta-lactam ring of the antibiotic structure, inactivating them. Nowadays bacterial resistance is considered to be one of the greatest problems in public health worldwide, as infections and diseases outbraks are caused by multiresistant bacteria are more and more frequent. The results of this study demonstrate the presence of strains of Enterobacteriaceae family associated to the high bacterial resistance, with samples that indicate ESBL producer strains in domiciled cats, in a city of west Parana state in Brazil. These results confirm that these cats can be considered as reservoirs of different microbial agents and resistance gens, being a health problem by the possibility of dissemination. The cat population is multiplying in a higher proportion compared to dogs and may probably became predominant in less than one decade. Due this situation and thinking about human, animal and environmental health new phenotypic studies to confirm the resistance gens and ESBL producers should be conducted in this specie

Sublineage A1 Drives Multi-Organ Carcinogenesis

by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT/MCTES, Portugal) through national funds to iNOVA4Health (UIDB/04462/2020 and UIDP/ 04462/2020); from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020—Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Pro- Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 12371 8 of 10 gramme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). This work was also supported by Fundos FEDER through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade—COMPETE and by Fundos Nacionais through the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within the scope of the project UID/BIM/00009/2019 (Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health-ToxOmics); and from LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/00511/2020 and UIDP/00511/2020 (LEPABE), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); 2SMART (NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-000054), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).The study of human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced carcinogenesis uses multiple in vivo mouse models, one of which relies on the cytokeratin 14 gene promoter to drive the expression of all HPV early oncogenes. This study aimed to determine the HPV16 variant and sublineage present in the K14HPV16 mouse model. This information can be considered of great importance to further enhance this K14HPV16 model as an essential research tool and optimize its use for basic and translational studies. Our study evaluated HPV DNA from 17 samples isolated from 4 animals, both wild-type (n = 2) and HPV16-transgenic mice (n = 2). Total DNA was extracted from tissues and the detection of HPV16 was performed using a qPCR multiplex. HPV16-positive samples were subsequently whole-genome sequenced by next-generation sequencing techniques. The phylogenetic positioning clearly shows K14HPV16 samples clustering together in the sub-lineage A1 (NC001526.4). A comparative genome analysis of K14HPV16 samples revealed three mutations to the human papillomaviruses type 16 sublineage A1 representative strain. Knowledge of the HPV 16 variant is fundamental, and these findings will allow the rational use of this animal model to explore the role of the A1 sublineage in HPV-driven cancer.publishersversionpublishe

Dificuldades na amamentação: sentimentos e percepções paternas

Objetivo: compreender a percepção paterna frente às dificuldades no aleitamento materno. Métodos: estudo qualitativo, junto à 12 pais. A coleta de dados ocorreu por entrevista semiestruturada, em janeiro de 2017. O referencial metodológico utilizado foi o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo. Resultados: após a análise emergiram quatro ideias centrais: conhecimento versus desconhecimento sobre o aleitamento materno; o pai não é inserido no aleitamento materno pela equipe; sentimentos despertados diante das dificuldades na amamentação; oferecendo ajuda através de apoio, com os cuidados do bebê e com os afazeres domésticos. Considerações Finais: por meio do presente estudo foi possível perceber que os pais tinham interesse em participar e apoiar suas companheiras, porém não são inseridos e estimulados pela equipe de saúde. Expressaram sentimentos de preocupação e tristeza diante das dificuldades, e estas quando superadas o sentimento foi de alívio