The Safe-Port project: an approach to port surveillance and protection

SAFE-PORT is a recently started project addressing the complex issue of determining the best configurations of resources for harbour and port surveillance and protection. More specifically, the main goal is to find, for any given scenario, an adequate set of configuration solutions — i.e., number and type of sensors and equipments, their locations and operating modes, the corresponding personnel and other support resources — that maximize protection over a specific area. The project includes research and development of sensors models, novel algorithms for optimization and decision support, and a computer-based decision support system (DSS) to assist decision makers in that task. It includes also the development of a simulation environment for modelling relevant aspects of the scenario (including sensors used for surveillance, platforms, threats and the environment), capable to incorporate data from field-trials, used to test and validate solutions proposed by the DSS. Test cases will consider the use of intelligent agents to model the behaviour of threats and of NATO forces in a realistic way, following experts’ definitions and parameters

Caracterização das frações fenólica, polissacarídica e lipídica de cogumelos silvestres do Nordeste de Portugal

O consumo de cogumelos tem vindo a aumentar consideravelmente pelas suas propriedades nutricionais (1) e medicinais (2) relacionadas com a presença de moléculas bioactivas que podem ser encontradas nas frações fenólica, polissacarídica e lipídica. Essas moléculas podem também ser encontradas em espécies não comestíveis e devidamente isoladas para utilização posterior. Neste trabalho, estudou-se a composição em compostos bioativos e a atividade antioxidante das frações mencionadas relativas a cinco espécies de cogumelos silvestres (Coprinopsis atramentaria, Lactarius bertillonii, Lactarius vellereus, Rhodotus palmatus e Xerocomus chrysenteron) (3). Os ácidos protocatéquico, p-hidroxibenzóico, p-cumárico e cinâmico foram identificados na fração fenólica. Os açúcares ramnose, xilose, fucose, arabinose, frutose, glucose, manose, manitol, sacarose, maltose e trealose foram identificados após hidrólise da fração polissacarídica. Na fracção lipídica, os ácidos linoleico e esteárico (apenas nas espécies do género Lactarius), o β- e o γ-tocoferol foram os constituintes maioritários. As frações fenólicas de C. atramentaria e X. chrysenteron foram as que revelaram maior potencial antioxidante, o que está de acordo com a maior quantidade de fenóis totais presentes nestas duas amostras. No que concerne às frações polissacarídicas, foi a de C. atramentaria que demonstrou maior atividade antioxidante, o que também está de acordo com a maior quantidade de polissacáridos totais e açúcares obtidos após hidrólise, presentes nesta amostra.FCT e FEDER, COMPETE/QREN/EU- Projeto PTDC/AGRALI/110062/2009, centros de investigação PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011 e PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011,L. Barros (Compromisso para a Ciência 2008) e S.A. Heleno (BD/70304/2010)

Phenolic acids in the wild mushroom Ganoderma lucidum and synthesis of some possible metabolites.

Ganoderma lucidum is one of the most extensive!) studied mushrooms due to its medicinal properties, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid found in this mushroom. after HPLC-DAD-MS analysis. In the present work we describe the synthesis of glucuronide and methyl derivatives of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which arc two of the main circulating metabolites found in humans. Their biological activity is going to be evaluated and compared to the parent compound in order to understand the in vivo mechanism of action of phenolic acids, considering their metabolis

Effects of exercise training on atrophy gene expression in skeletal muscle of mice with chronic allergic lung inflammation

We evaluated the effects of chronic allergic airway inflammation and of treadmill training (12 weeks) of low and moderate intensity on muscle fiber cross-sectional area and mRNA levels of atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in the mouse tibialis anterior muscle. Six 4-month-old male BALB/c mice (28.5 ± 0.8 g) per group were examined: 1) control, non-sensitized and non-trained (C); 2) ovalbumin sensitized (OA, 20 µg per mouse); 3) non-sensitized and trained at 50% maximum speed _ low intensity (PT50%); 4) non-sensitized and trained at 75% maximum speed _ moderate intensity (PT75%); 5) OA-sensitized and trained at 50% (OA+PT50%), 6) OA-sensitized and trained at 75% (OA+PT75%). There was no difference in muscle fiber cross-sectional area among groups and no difference in atrogin-1 and MuRF1 expression between C and OA groups. All exercised groups showed significantly decreased expression of atrogin-1 compared to C (1.01 ± 0.2-fold): PT50% = 0.71 ± 0.12-fold; OA+PT50% = 0.74 ± 0.03-fold; PT75% = 0.71 ± 0.09-fold; OA+PT75% = 0.74 ± 0.09-fold. Similarly significant results were obtained regarding MuRF1 gene expression compared to C (1.01 ± 0.23-fold): PT50% = 0.53 ± 0.20-fold; OA+PT50% = 0.55 ± 0.11-fold; PT75% = 0.35 ± 0.15-fold; OA+PT75% = 0.37 ± 0.08-fold. A short period of OA did not induce skeletal muscle atrophy in the mouse tibialis anterior muscle and aerobic training at low and moderate intensity negatively regulates the atrophy pathway in skeletal muscle of healthy mice or mice with allergic lung inflammation.FAPESPCNP

Relationship between the occurrence of filamentous bacteria on Bathymodiolus azoricus shell and the physiological and toxicological status of the vent mussel

En libre-accès sur Archimer : http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2009/publication-6821.pdfInternational audienceThe edifice walls of the Eiffel Tower hydrothermal vent site (Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Lucky Strike vent field) are populated with dense communities of dual symbioses harboring vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus, some of which are covered by white filamentous mats belonging to sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Mussels were collected in both the presence and absence of the filamentous bacteria. A sample of the filamentous bacteria was collected and water measurements of temperature, CH4 and H2S were recorded at the collection area. The whole soft tissues were analyzed for total lipid, carbohydrate and total protein. Metallothioneins and metals (Cu, Fe and Zn) levels were determined in the major organs. The results showed no significant physiological and toxicological evidence that emphasizes the influence of associated sulfur-oxidizing filamentous bacteria on B. azoricus mussel shells. However, B. azoricus mussel seems to be well adapted to the assorted physico-chemical characteristics from the surrounding environment since it is able to manage the constant fluctuation of physico-chemical compounds

Analysis of phenolic, polysaccharidic and lipidic fractions of mushrooms from northeast Portugal

Mushrooms consumption continues to increase due to their functional benefits and presence of bioactive compounds. Herein, phenolic, polysaccharidic and lipidic fractions of wild mushrooms from Northeast Portugal (Coprinopsis atramentaria, Lactarius bertillonii, Lactarius vellereus, Rhodotus palmatus and Xerocomus chrysenteron) were analysed. Protocatechuic, phydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric and cinnamic acids were found in the phenolic fraction; ramnose, xylose, fucose, arabinose, fructose, glucose, manose, mannitol, sucrose, maltose and trehalose were quantified in polysaccharidic fraction; linoleic and stearic (only in Lactarius sp.) acids, and β- and γ-tocopherols were the main compounds in the lipidic fraction

Coprinopsis atramentaria extract, organic acids and synthesized methylated derivatives as antibacterial and antifungal agents

Mushrooms have been studied for their antimicrobial activity and revealed promising results against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Coprinopsis atramentaria (Bull.: Fr.) Redhead, Vilgalys&Moncalvo, is a wild edible mushroom previously characterized by us for its nutritional composition, and the methanolic extract showed antioxidant and antitumor activities p-Hydroxybenzoic(HA) (4.71 mg/100 g dry weight), p-coumaric (CoA) (0.82 mg/100 g) and cinnamic (CA) (1.70 mg/100 g) acids were identified in the mentioned extract. Methylated derivatives of these identified organic acids were synthesized in order to obtain a complete series of methylated derivatives of each organic acid. The antimicrobial and demelanizing activities of C. atramentaria extract, identified organic acids and synthesized methylated derivatives were evaluated and compared. The antifungal activity was stronger than the antibacterial effects. The individual compounds (mostly organic acids) gave higher activity than the extract and even higher than the standards used in the assays. Methylated derivatives presented the highest demelanizing activity towards Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus and Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium. The inclusion of methyl groups in the parental compound CoA strongly increased its antibacterial and antifungal activities, while in the case of HA and CAthe inclusion of methyl groups increased the demelanizing activity, but decreased the antimicrobial properties. The present work contributes to the knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the antimicrobial properties of organic acids usually present in mushrooms and that suffer metabolism, namely methylation reactions. Organic acids and methylated derivatives could be used as antimicrobial agents

Cytotoxicity of Coprinopsis atramentaria extract, organic acids and their synthesized methylated and glucuronate derivatives

Coprinopsis atramentaria is a wild edible mushroom whose methanolic extract revealed a marked antioxidant activity; p-hydroxybenzoic (HA), p-coumaric (CoA) and cinnamic (CA) acids were identified in the extract. In the present work, the cytotoxicity of C. atramentaria extract, previously identified organic acids and their synthesized derivatives (methylated compounds and protected glucuronides) was evaluated. Among all the tested cell lines (MCF-7—breast adenocarcinoma, NCI-H460—non-small cell lung carcinoma, HCT15—colon carcinoma, HeLa—cervical carcinoma and HepG2—hepatocellular carcinoma), the extract presented good activity for the first three cell lines mentioned; in most of the cases methylated and glucuronide derivatives showed a higher activity than the corresponding parental compounds. The substitution of the carboxylic group (in parental organic acids) for an ester (in methylated derivatives) increased the cytotoxicity for tumor cell lines. Acetylated glucuronide derivatives showed higher cytotoxicity when compared with the corresponding parental acids

Bioacessibility studies related to antioxidant phenolic extracts from two edible species of the genus Hericium

Mushrooms are rich sources of nutrients, but also of bioactive molecules such as phenolic compounds. Phenolic acids are among the major low molecular weight bioactive components usually found in mushroom species, contributing to their antioxidant properties [1]. Following the ingestion, these molecules have to be released from the food matrix and further transformed by the organism, to became accessible and exert their bioactive properties [2]. Several in vitro methodologies have been developed in arder to evaluate the bioacessibility of bioactive compounds, proving to be easy, cheap and reproducible, being possible to evaluate the digestivo stability of the food constituents [3]. Herein, two wild edible mushroom species originated from Northeast Portugal (Herícium erinaceus (Buli.) Persoon and Hericium coralloides (Scop.) Pers.), were analysed for their nutritional value, detailed chemical composition and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, in arder to evaluate the bioaccessibiljty of the compounds responsible for the mushrooms antioxidant properties, a digestion of the dry powder and phenolic extracts was performed under in vitro conditions. The Hericium species showed similar chemical profiles (except for tocopherols), varying only in the concentration of these compounds. The phenolic extracts presented the highest antioxidant activity that is in agreement with the highest concentration in phenolic acids found in those samples before in vitro digestion. This means that after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, the bioactive compounds can suffer structural changes (losing the OH groups responsible for the antioxidant activity) that decreased the antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, they are bioaccessible and still display antioxidant activity

Antimicrobial and demelanizing activity of Ganoderma lucidum extract, p-hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic acids and their synthetic acetylated glucuronide methyl esters

Mushroom extracts or isolated compounds may be useful in the search of new potent antimicrobial agents. Herein, it is described the synthesis of protected (acetylated) glucuronide derivatives of p-hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic acids, two compounds identified in the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. Their antimicrobial and demelanizing activities were evaluated and compared to the parent acids and G. lucidum extract. p-Hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic acids, as also their protected glucuronide derivatives revealed high antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) activity, even better than the one showed by commercial standards. Despite the variation in the order of parent acids and the protected glucuronide derivatives, their antimicrobial activity was always higher than the one revealed by the extract. Nevertheless, the extract was the only one with demelanizing activity against A. niger. The acetylated glucuronide derivatives could be deprotected to obtain glucuronide metabolites, which circulate in the human organism as products of the metabolism of the parent compounds.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to the Portuguese NMR network and to FCT and FEDER-COMPETE/QREN/EU for the financial support through the research project PTDC/AGR-ALI/110062/2009 and the research centres (PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011 and PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011). S.A. Heleno (BD/70304/2010) also thanks FCT, POPH-QREN and FSE. The authors also thank to Serbian Ministry of Education and Science (grant number 173032) for financial support