Yeasts from Canastra cheese production process: Isolation and evaluation of their potential for cheese whey fermentation

Canastra cheese is a cheese with geographical indication recognized by the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Protection under number IG201002. It is produced in seven municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais in a region called Serra da Canastra. In thiswork, samples of milk, “pingo” (natural starter),whey and Canastra cheese were collected on a farm inMedeiros-MG/Brazil to evaluate the yeast microbiota and select yeasts for whey fermentation to produce ethanol and volatile aromatic compounds of relevance in the production of cheese. Thirtynine isolates capable of fermenting lactose in a synthetic medium were identified by MALDI-TOF as Kluyveromyces lactis (29), Torulaspora delbrueckii (7) and Candida intermedia (3). Eleven isolates of K. lactis and three of T. delbrueckii efficiently fermented lactose until 4th day, and due to this reason were selected for cheese whey fermentation with Brix 12, 14 and 18. Generally, the isolates T. delbrueckii B14, B35, and B20 and K. lactis B10 were the most effective regardless of the initial Brix value. The identification of these four isolates by MALDI TOF was confirmed by sequencing of the ITS region. In the fermentation of cheese whey 14 Brix, T. delbrueckii B14 and B35, respectively yielded 24.06 g/L and 16.45 g/L of ethanol, while K. lactis B10 was more efficient in the consumption of lactose. In sequential culture with K. lactis B10 inoculated 48 h after T. delbrueckii B14, 97.82% of the total sugars were consumed resulting in the production of 19.81 g/L ethanol and 39 aromatic volatile compounds. The most abundant compounds were 3-methyl-1-butanol, octanoic acid and ethyl decanoate, which are reported as important for the aroma and flavor of cheeses. Based in our results, B10 isolate inoculated 48 h after B14 isolate is a promising yeast inoculum to be used for fermentation of dairy substrates.The authors thank CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Brasil), CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) and FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais) for financial support. The authors also thank J.C Amorim for her help in MALDI TOF analysis and Dr. P.S Geraldino for her help in sequences analysis

Estudo pós-keynesiano do comportamento recente da taxa de câmbio nos BRICS

Based on a post-Keynesian perspective of an open monetary economy, this paper investigates trajectories of exchange rates in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa during the period after the effects of the recent international financial crisis. The crises affected several economies in the world. This paper also seeks to highlight the cyclical differences and long-term trends in the behavior checked for the BRICS countries over the past few years. The research is moved due to the importance that these economies have presented for world trade and for attracting investment flows, due to the relative position that they occupy in the group of emerging economies. The results are made from the perspective of using the Hodrick-Prescott filter, which shows long-term different paths between the economies of the BRICS. In addition, those results show a short-term reactionary behavior that depends on the exchange rate regime that each economy of this group adopts.Sob perspectiva pós-keynesiana de uma economia monetária aberta, pretende- se investigar trajetórias das taxas de câmbio no Brasil, Rússia, Índia, China e na África do Sul em relação ao dólar no período após o pico da crise financeira internacional recente, cujo impacto esteve sobre diversas economias no mundo. Buscar-se-á, portanto, delinear as diferenças cíclicas e tendências de longo prazo no comportamento cambial verificados pelos países que compõem o BRICS ao longo dos últimos anos. A pesquisa está associada à importância que estas economias têm revelado no comércio mundial e na atração de fluxos de investimentos, e à posição relativa que as mesmas ocupam no conjunto das chamadas economias emergentes. O resultado da análise, à luz da utilização do filtro Hodrick-Prescott, evidencia trajetórias distintas de longo prazo para as economias do grupo, além de realçar comportamento reacionário de curto prazo que se diferenciam pelo regime cambial que cada um dos BRICS adota

The Role of Isotretinoin Therapy for Cushing’s Disease: Results of a Prospective Study

Objective. This prospective open trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD). Methods. Sixteen patients with CD and persistent or recurrent hypercortisolism after transsphenoidal surgery were given isotretinoin orally for 6–12 months. The drug was started on 20 mg daily and the dosage was increased up to 80 mg daily if needed and tolerated. Clinical, biochemical, and hormonal parameters were evaluated at baseline and monthly for 6–12 months. Results. Of the 16 subjects, 4% (25%) persisted with normal urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels at the end of the study. UFC reductions of up to 52.1% were found in the rest. Only patients with UFC levels below 2.5-fold of the upper limit of normal achieved sustained UFC normalization. Improvements of clinical and biochemical parameters were also noted mostly in responsive patients. Typical isotretinoin side-effects were experienced by 7 patients (43.7%), though they were mild and mostly transient. We also observed that the combination of isotretinoin with cabergoline, in relatively low doses, may occasionally be more effective than either drug alone. Conclusions. Isotretinoin may be an effective and safe therapy for some CD patients, particularly those with mild hypercortisolism

The deindustrialization phenomenum in Brazil and Argentina: a comparative analysis

Este trabalho visa analisar comparativamente o fenômeno da desindustrialização na Argentina e no Brasil, dadas as similaridades entre eles. Utilizou-se, primeiramente, de um levantamento histórico sobre os processos de industrialização argentino e brasileiro para, na sequência, verificar a conjuntura econômica e industrial dos anos mais recentes com o intuito de levantar as possíveis causas da desindustrialização. Além do resgate histórico, fez-se a apreciação, tanto para o Brasil quanto para a Argentina, de dois indicadores usuais quando se trata deste tema, quais sejam: participação da indústria de transformação no PIB e participação da indústria de transformação no emprego total. Os dados mostram que existem evidências de desindustrialização na economia brasileira e na economia argentina. Diante disso, destaca-se a importância de uma postura mais ativa do Estado, brasileiro e argentino, no sentido de incentivar mais ativamente o setor industrial, seja de forma direta ou indireta, através de uma política macroeconômica mais coerente e estável.This current essay investigates the deindustrialization phenomenon for Argentina and Brazil, due to the similarities between them. The first procedure used for this effort was a historical survey of Argentine and Brazilian industrialization processes, used to verify the economic and industrial situation of recent years in order to identify the causes of deindustrialization. The additional method is an empirical attempt to evaluate two usual indicators for this topic: the participation of the manufacturing industry in GDP growth and the participation of the manufacturing industry in total employment. The analysis reveals evidences of deindustrialization both for the Brazilian and Argentine economies. Therefore, the results emphasized the importance of a more active stance of the Brazilian and Argentinean State, in order to encourage more actively the industrial sector, either directly or indirectly, through a more coherent and stable macroeconomic policy

The deindustrialization phenomenum in Brazil and Argentina: a comparative analysis

Este trabalho visa analisar comparativamente o fenômeno da desindustrialização na Argentina e no Brasil, dadas as similaridades entre eles. Utilizou-se, primeiramente, de um levantamento histórico sobre os processos de industrialização argentino e brasileiro para, na sequência, verificar a conjuntura econômica e industrial dos anos mais recentes com o intuito de levantar as possíveis causas da desindustrialização. Além do resgate histórico, fez-se a apreciação, tanto para o Brasil quanto para a Argentina, de dois indicadores usuais quando se trata deste tema, quais sejam: participação da indústria de transformação no PIB e participação da indústria de transformação no emprego total. Os dados mostram que existem evidências de desindustrialização na economia brasileira e na economia argentina. Diante disso, destaca-se a importância de uma postura mais ativa do Estado, brasileiro e argentino, no sentido de incentivar mais ativamente o setor industrial, seja de forma direta ou indireta, através de uma política macroeconômica mais coerente e estável.This current essay investigates the deindustrialization phenomenon for Argentina and Brazil, due to the similarities between them. The first procedure used for this effort was a historical survey of Argentine and Brazilian industrialization processes, used to verify the economic and industrial situation of recent years in order to identify the causes of deindustrialization. The additional method is an empirical attempt to evaluate two usual indicators for this topic: the participation of the manufacturing industry in GDP growth and the participation of the manufacturing industry in total employment. The analysis reveals evidences of deindustrialization both for the Brazilian and Argentine economies. Therefore, the results emphasized the importance of a more active stance of the Brazilian and Argentinean State, in order to encourage more actively the industrial sector, either directly or indirectly, through a more coherent and stable macroeconomic policy

Effect of lung recruitment and titrated Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) vs low PEEP on mortality in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome - A randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: The effects of recruitment maneuvers and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration on clinical outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To determine if lung recruitment associated with PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance decreases 28-day mortality of patients with moderate to severe ARDS compared with a conventional low-PEEP strategy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multicenter, randomized trial conducted at 120 intensive care units (ICUs) from 9 countries from November 17, 2011, through April 25, 2017, enrolling adults with moderate to severe ARDS. INTERVENTIONS: An experimental strategy with a lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration according to the best respiratory-system compliance (n = 501; experimental group) or a control strategy of low PEEP (n = 509). All patients received volume-assist control mode until weaning. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was all-cause mortality until 28 days. Secondary outcomes were length of ICU and hospital stay; ventilator-free days through day 28; pneumothorax requiring drainage within 7 days; barotrauma within 7 days; and ICU, in-hospital, and 6-month mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1010 patients (37.5% female; mean [SD] age, 50.9 [17.4] years) were enrolled and followed up. At 28 days, 277 of 501 patients (55.3%) in the experimental group and 251 of 509 patients (49.3%) in the control group had died (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.42; P = .041). Compared with the control group, the experimental group strategy increased 6-month mortality (65.3% vs 59.9%; HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.38; P = .04), decreased the number of mean ventilator-free days (5.3 vs 6.4; difference, −1.1; 95% CI, −2.1 to −0.1; P = .03), increased the risk of pneumothorax requiring drainage (3.2% vs 1.2%; difference, 2.0%; 95% CI, 0.0% to 4.0%; P = .03), and the risk of barotrauma (5.6% vs 1.6%; difference, 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.5% to 6.5%; P = .001). There were no significant differences in the length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, ICU mortality, and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with moderate to severe ARDS, a strategy with lung recruitment and titrated PEEP compared with low PEEP increased 28-day all-cause mortality. These findings do not support the routine use of lung recruitment maneuver and PEEP titration in these patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01374022