Medições de longo termo, in situ à superfície, de propriedades ópticas dos aerossóis em Évora, Portuga

Ponencia presentada en: XXXI Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el XI Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Sevilla, del 1 al 3 de marzo de 2010.This work was supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under grant (SFRH/BD/29008/2006)

THE ANKLE-HIP TRANSVERSE PLANE COUPLING DURING THE STANCE PHASE OF NORMAL WALKING

The aim of this study was to investigate the strength and features of a possibly existent ankle-hip transverse plane coupling during the stance of walking. Fifteen healthy volunteers walked on a 10m walkway in their natural speed using sandals. Kinematic data were obtained with a 3-dimensional motion analysis system. Calculation of the cross-correlation (r=-0.78) indicated a strong ankle-hip coupling, with ankle external rotation (foot pronation) coupled with hip internal rotation, and ankle internal rotation (foot supination) coupled with hip external rotation. Vector coding technique (Φ=41.01°) showed that ankle and hip joints present similar displacement magnitudes. The results agree with suggestions of ankle-hip transverse plane interdependency and an important kinetic energy transmission between the shank and thigh in this plane of movement

EFFECTS OF SIMULATING FOREFOOT VARISM INCREASES ON LOWER EXTREMITY KINEMATICS DURING THE STANCE PHASE OF WALKING

This study investigates the effects of simulating forefoot varism increases on lower extremity kinematics during the stance phase. Sixteen volunteers walked on a walkway in three conditions: wearing flat sandals; wearing a 5º and a 10º laterally wedged sandal. Data were obtained with a 3-D motion analysis system. The variables analyzed were: subtalar eversion/inversion; shank internal/external rotation; knee internal/external rotation; hip internal/external rotation. The simulations of 5º and 10º increases in forefoot varism increased subtalar pronation (P≤.007) and the simulation of 10º increased internal rotation of the shank in relation to the pelvis and of the hip (P=.001). The results suggest that forefoot varism can lead to kinematic patterns related to the occurrence of overuse injuries

Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of quercetin against clinical isolates of Staphyloccocus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus with resistance profile

The aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of quercetin against clinical isolates of Staphyloccocus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus with resistance profile. The antibacterial activity of quercetin was performed by the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) through the microdilution method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The percentage of inhibition of Staphylococcus spp. biofilm, after treatment with sub-inhibitory concentrations of quercetin (MIC/2 and MIC/4), was evaluated by the violet crystal assay. Quercetin showed an antimicrobial activity against clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) (MIC = 250 µg/ml), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (MIC = 500 µg/ml), vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) (MIC = 125 and 150 µg/ml), S. saprophyticus resistant to oxacillin (MIC = 62.5 to 125 µg/ml), vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) and S. saprophyticus resistant to oxacillin and vancomycin (MIC = 500 to 1000 µg/ml). At MIC/2 and MIC/4 the quercetin inhibit 46.5 ± 2.7% and 39.4 ± 4.3% of the S. aureus biofilm, respectively, and 51.7 ± 5.5% and 46.9 ± 5.5% of the S. saprophyticus biofilm, respectively. According to the results of this study, it was noticed that the quercetin presented an antibacterial activity against strains of Staphylococcus spp. with resistance profile and also inhibited the bacterial biofilm production even in sub-inhibitory concentrations

Combining high pressure and electric fields towards nannochloropsis oculata eicosapentaenoic acid-rich extracts

Nannochloropsis oculata is naturally rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). To turn this microalga into an economically viable source for commercial applications, extraction efficiency must be achieved. Pursuing this goal, emerging technologies such as high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and moderate electric fields (MEF) were tested, aiming to increase EPA accessibility and subsequent extraction yields. The innovative approach used in this study combined these technologies and associated tailored, less hazardous different solvent mixtures (SM) with distinct polarity indexes. Although the classical Folch SM with chloroform: methanol (PI 4.4) provided the highest yield concerning total lipids (166.4 mglipid/gbiomass), diethyl ether: ethanol (PI 3.6) presented statistically higher values in terms of EPA per biomass, corresponding to 1.3-fold increase. When SM were used in HHP and MEF, neither technology independently improved EPA extraction yields, although the sequential combination of technologies did result in 62% increment in EPA extraction. Overall, the SM and extraction methodologies tested (HHP—200 MPa, 21 °C, 15 min, followed by MEF processing at 40 °C, 15 min) enabled increased EPA extraction yields from wet N. oculata biomass. These findings are of high relevance for the food and pharmaceutical industries, providing viable alternatives to the “classical” extraction methodologies and solvents, with increased yields and lower environmental impact.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Soil biochemistry and microbial activity in vineyards under conventional and organic management at Northeast Brazil.

The São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that orgThe São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that organic fertilization can improve soil quality, we compared the effects of conventional and organic soil management on microbial activity and mycorrhization of seedless grape crops. We measured glomerospores number, most probable number (MPN) of propagules, richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, AMF root colonization, EE-BRSP production, carbon microbial biomass (C-MB), microbial respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity (FDA) and metabolic coefficient (qCO2). The organic management led to an increase in all variables with the exception of EE-BRSP and qCO2. Mycorrhizal colonization increased from 4.7% in conventional crops to 15.9% in organic crops. Spore number ranged from 4.1 to 12.4 per 50 g-1 soil in both management systems. The most probable number of AMF propagules increased from 79 cm-3 soil in the conventional system to 110 cm-3 soil in the organic system. Microbial carbon, CO2 emission, and FDA activity were increased by 100 to 200% in the organic crop. Thirteen species of AMF were identified, the majority in the organic cultivation system. Acaulospora excavata, Entrophospora infrequens, Glomus sp.3 and Scutellospora sp. were found only in the organically managed crop. S. gregaria was found only in the conventional crop. Organically managed vineyards increased mycorrhization and general soil microbial activity

TESS asteroseismology of the known red-giant host stars HD 212771 and HD 203949

International audienc

A Worldwide Phylogeography for the Human X Chromosome

BACKGROUND: We reasoned that by identifying genetic markers on human X chromosome regions where recombination is rare or absent, we should be able to construct X chromosome genealogies analogous to those based on Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms, with the advantage of providing information about both male and female components of the population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We identified a 47 Kb interval containing an Alu insertion polymorphism (DXS225) and four microsatellites in complete linkage disequilibrium in a low recombination rate region of the long arm of the human X chromosome. This haplotype block was studied in 667 males from the HGDP-CEPH Human Genome Diversity Panel. The haplotypic diversity was highest in Africa (0.992+/-0.0025) and lowest in the Americas (0.839+/-0.0378), where no insertion alleles of DXS225 were observed. Africa shared few haplotypes with other geographical areas, while those exhibited significant sharing among themselves. Median joining networks revealed that the African haplotypes were numerous, occupied the periphery of the graph and had low frequency, whereas those from the other continents were few, central and had high frequency. Altogether, our data support a single origin of modern man in Africa and migration to occupy the other continents by serial founder effects. Coalescent analysis permitted estimation of the time of the most recent common ancestor as 182,000 years (56,700-479,000) and the estimated time of the DXS225 Alu insertion of 94,400 years (24,300-310,000). These dates are fully compatible with the current widely accepted scenario of the origin of modern mankind in Africa within the last 195,000 years and migration out-of-Africa circa 55,000-65,000 years ago. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: A haplotypic block combining an Alu insertion polymorphism and four microsatellite markers on the human X chromosome is a useful marker to evaluate genetic diversity of human populations and provides a highly informative tool for evolutionary studies