Plasmid DNA recovery from fermentation broths by a combined process of micro- and ultrafiltration : modeling and application

Microfiltration and ultrafiltration operations were used in tandem to isolate and purify a 6050 bp plasmid DNA (pDNA). To achieve primary isolation of the plasmid from fermentation broths, immediately after cell lysis, a 0.2 μm microfiltration membrane was selected for solid/liquid separation, which was performed in a diafiltration mode, as an alternative to centrifugation. Then to attain plasmid concentration and purification, an ultrafiltration membrane with a pore radius of 4.1 nm was selected. Permeation of pDNA and RNA in the two membrane steps was modeled using recently published mass transfer models applicable to the permeation of closed segmented chains and freely-jointed chains, respectively. The permeation of proteins and genomic DNA (gDNA) was also studied in these operations. The microfiltration operation allowed high plasmid and RNA permeation, as expected. It was observed that significant amounts of gDNA, previously precipitated during the cell lysis step, reappear in solution during the diafiltration step. The effect of the ionic strength on this apparent re-solubilization was investigated, by testing the addition of two different salts to the diafiltration buffer: CH3COOK and CaCl2. The results show that these salts can be used to control gDNA apparent re-solubilization. During the ultrafiltration operation high plasmid retention with low adsorption was obtained under low ionic strength conditions. The results also show that a significant removal proteins and the re-solubilized gDNA is achieved, as well as some purification in respect to low molecular weight RNA, since all these components permeate through the ultrafiltration membrane

Assessing the role played by meteorological conditions on the interannual variability of fire activity in four subregions of Iberia

The Iberian Peninsula is recurrently affected by severe wildfires resulting from an interplay of human activities, landscape features and atmospheric conditions. Aims. The role played by atmospheric conditions on wildfire activity in 2001–2020 is assessed in four pyror- egions of the Iberian Peninsula. Methods. Wildfire activity is characterised by Fire Radiative Power (FRP) and meteorological danger is rated by the Fire Weather Index (FWI). The distribution of log 10 FRP in each pyroregion consists of a truncated lognormal central body with Generalised Pareto distributions as tails, and the model is improved using FWI as covariate. Synthetic time series of total annual FRP are generated using the models with and without FWI as covariate, and compared against observed FRP. Key results. Pyroregions NW, N, SW and E present increases of 1, 5, 6 and 7% in interannual explained variance of FRP when progressing from the model without to that with FWI as covariate. Conclusions. The models developed characterise the role of meteorological conditions on fire activity in the Iberian Peninsula, and are especially valuable when comparing expected impacts for different scenarios of climate change. Implications. The largest effects of atmospheric conditions on fire activity are in regions of the IP where the strongest impact of climate change is expectedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Plasmid DNA/RNA separation by ultrafiltration: modeling and application study

RNA is one of the main soluble contaminants that needs to be separated from plasmid DNA (pDNA) during its recovery process from fermentation broths. Although significantly different in molecular size, pDNA and RNA are difficult to separate by membrane filtration due to the fact that both types of molecules are highly deformable and therefore suffer flow-induced elongation when permeating through porous membranes. The possibility of performing this separation by ultrafiltration is investigated here with the aid of a theoretical model describing the interactions between two electrically charged, flexible macromolecules that simultaneously permeate through a porous membrane. The results of the simulations, applied to pDNA and the different types of RNA present in cell lysates under typical process conditions, show that only by a careful choice of the membrane pore size and the imposed permeate flux one can achieve the required selectivity in this operation. Ultrafiltration tests using microfiltered lysates from the production of two different plasmids, pVAX1-LacZ (6050 bp) and pCAMBIA-1303 (12,361 bp), were carried out to check the validity of the theoretical predictions; the experimental results confirm these predictions and the idea that this technique can be used in practice for pDNA purification.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Georeferenced analysis of urban nightlife and noise based on mobile phone data

Urban environments are characterized by a complex soundscape that varies across different periods and geographical zones. This paper presents a novel approach for analyzing nocturnal urban noise patterns and identifying distinct zones using mobile phone data. Traditional noise-monitoring methods often require specialized equipment and are limited in scope. Our methodology involves gathering audio recordings from city sensors and localization data from mobile phones placed in urban areas over extended periods with a focus on nighttime, when noise profiles shift significantly. By leveraging machine learning techniques, the developed system processes the audio data to extract noise features indicative of different sound sources and intensities. These features are correlated with geographic location data to create comprehensive city noise maps during nighttime hours. Furthermore, this work employs clustering algorithms to identify distinct noise zones within the urban landscape, characterized by their unique noise signatures, reflecting the mix of anthropogenic and environmental noise sources. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of using mobile phone data for nocturnal noise analysis and zone identification. The derived noise maps and zones identification provide insights into noise pollution patterns and offer valuable information for policymakers, urban planners, and public health officials to make informed decisions about noise mitigation efforts and urban development.This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia under Grant [UIDB/00315/2020]; and by the project “BLOCKCHAIN.PT (RE-C05-i01.01—Agendas/Alianças Mobilizadoras para a Reindustrialização, Plano de Recuperação e Resiliência de Portugal” in its component 5—Capitalization and Business Innovation and with the Regulation of the Incentive System “Agendas for Business Innovation”, approved by Ordinance No. 43-A/2022 of 19 January 2022)

Analyzing the social factors that influence willingness to pay for the management of invasive alien species under two different strategies: eradication and prevention

This an accepted author's manuscript (AAM) version of an article published in Environmental Management, 48 (2011): 418-43

Effect of Season and Year of Evaluation in the Selection of \u3cem\u3eBrachiaria humidicola\u3c/em\u3e Hybrids

Brachiaria humidicola is well adapted to infertile and acid soils with poor drainage or temporary flooding (Keller-Grein et al. 1996). It is widely used in Brazil in wetlands and areas of marginal land characterised by waterlogged soils. During the evaluation stages of the breeding program of this species, genotypes are generally tested using consecutive cuts within different seasons for at least 2 years. The ‘Cerrado’ region, where most animal production takes place in Brazil, has 2 well defined seasons: spring-summer with warm weather and rain; and autumn-winter with cooler, dry weather. Thus, owing to environmental variation, especially related to climate, it is important to investigate the main effects of environmental factors (years and seasons), as well as interactions between genotypes and environmental factors in order to have greater confidence in the selection of superior hybrids of B. humidicola on the basis of agronomic and nutritional traits

Use of organomolybdenum compounds for promoted hydrolysis of phosphoester bonds in aqueous media

Trabalho apresentado no 6th EuCheMs Chemistry Congress, 11-15 de setembro de 2016, Sevilha, EspanhaN/

Compatibility studies of Olanzapine pre-formulated with excipients by thermal analysis: preliminary study

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to investigate drug-excipient interactions and, in consequence, their compatibility. For this purpose, binary mixtures of olanzapine drug substance and the excipients croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate and microcrystalline cellulose, were prepared and analysed. By the analysis of the binary mixtures DSC and TG curves it were observed changes on the temperature and enthalpy values of the drug melting and decomposition peak, with the likely formation of intermediate substances.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Frequência e duração do ciclo estral e do estro em caprinos sem raça definida (SRD) no nordeste tropical do Brasil

In a one-year study conducted in the tropical, semi-and region of Northeast of Brazil, 30 genetically non-descript (SRD) does, 1.5 - 2.0year old, were grazed on native range (2.3 ha/head/year) with ad libitum water, salt and bone meal. Fourteen goats were supplemented with green chopped elephant grass (P. purpureum Schum.) at the proportion of 2% dry matter in relation to the mean body weight of goats, during the most critical part of the dry season (November 2 to February 26). The remaining 16 goats served as controls. The 480estrous cycles and 511 estrous period lengths were compared for the wet season (February 27 to July 10) and dry season (July 11 to February 26) as well as for level of feed. The incidence of estrus classified by month was evenly distributed throughout the year with a mean of 8.3% and 7% to 9.8% range (P>0.05) monthly variation. The average lengths of estrous periods were 55.8 vs 57.4 hours (P>0.05) and the estrous cycles 20.9 vs 21.5 days (P>0.05) for non-supplemented and supplemented groups, respectively. The same traits between wet and dry seasons were 62.0 vs 51.2 hours (P0,05). A duração média do estro foi de 55.8 e 57,4 horas (P>0,05), e a do ciclo estral foi de 20$ e 21,5 dias (P>0,05) para as cabras não suplementadas e suplementadas, respectivamente. A duração do estro foi de 62,0 e 51.2 horas (P <0,05) e do ciclo estral de 20,6 e 21,8 dias (P<0,06) para as estações chuvosa e seca, respectivamente

DEPM 2014. Preliminary Egg Results for the Atlanto-Iberian Sardine ICES VIII and IXa

The triennial DEPM for estimation of sardine spawning biomass for the Atlanto-Iberian stock areas IXa – VIIIc and VIIIb up to 45 º N took place in the S and W (IPMA) from 15th March to 26th April and in the N (Galicia, Cantabrian Sea and French coast, IEO) between 29th March and 21st April. The whole area was surveyed however the Portuguese survey occurred much later than usual and suffered several interruptions; part of IPMA´s DEPM survey was conducted simultaneously to the acoustics survey onboard the same vessel. The number of fishing samples was maintained at levels similar to other years but it was evident that sardine schools were less available than during previous surveys in particular in the western and northern shores. Preliminary estimates highlighted a sharp decrease in egg production from 2011 to 2014; this pattern was particularly clear in the northern stratum