THROES: a caTalogue of HeRschel Observations of Evolved Stars. I. PACS range spectroscopy

This is the first of a series of papers presenting the THROES (A caTalogue of HeRschel Observations of Evolved Stars) project, intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the spectroscopic results obtained in the far-infrared (55-670 microns) with the Her- schel space observatory on low-to-intermediate mass evolved stars in our Galaxy. Here we introduce the catalogue of interactively reprocessed PACS (Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer) spectra covering the 55-200 microns range for 114 stars in this category for which PACS range spectroscopic data is available in the Herschel Science Archive (HSA). Our sample includes objects spanning a range of evolutionary stages, from the asymptotic giant branch to the planetary nebula phase, displaying a wide variety of chemical and physical properties. The THROES/PACS catalogue is accessible via a dedicated web-based inter- face (https://throes.cab.inta-csic.es/) and includes not only the science-ready Herschel spectroscopic data for each source, but also complementary photometric and spectroscopic data from other infrared observatories, namely IRAS (Infrared Astronomical Satellite), ISO (Infrared Space Observatory) or AKARI, at overlapping wavelengths. Our goal is to create a legacy-value Herschel dataset that can be used by the scientific community in the future to deepen our knowledge and understanding of these latest stages of the evolution of low-to-intermediate mass stars.Comment: 38 page

Isolation and characterization of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii from calves and piglets.

The goal of our study was to isolate and characterize Faecalibacterium prausnitzii from fecal samples of healthy calves and piglets, in order to develop a novel probiotic for livestock animals. We identified 203 isolates of Faecalibacterium sp., which were clustered in 40 genetically distinct groups. One representative isolate from each cluster was selected for further characterization. The concentrations of the short chain fatty acids (SCFA) acetate, butyrate, propionate and isobutyrate in the culture media were measured by gas chromatography. We observed reduction in the concentration of acetate followed by concomitant increase in the concentration of butyrate, suggesting that the isolates were consuming acetate present in the media and producing butyrate. Butyrate production correlated positively with bacterial growth. Since butyrate has many benefits to the colonic epithelial cells, the selection of strains that produce higher amounts of butyrate is extremely important for the development of this potential probiotic. The effect of pH and concentration of bile salts on bacterial growth was also evaluated in order to mimic the conditions encountered by F. prausnitzii in vivo. The optimal pH for growth ranged between 5.5 and 6.7, while most isolates were inhibited by of the lowest concentration of bile salts tested (0.1%). Antimicrobial resistance profile showed that most isolates of Faecalibacterium sp. were resistant against ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. More than 50% of the isolates were resistant to tetracycline, amikacin, cefepime and cefoxitin. A total of 19 different combinations of multidrug resistance were observed among the isolates. Our results provide new insights into the cultural and physiological characteristics of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii illustrating large variability in short chain fatty acid production, in vitro growth, sensitivity to bile salts, and antibiotic resistance and suggesting that future probiotic candidates should be carefully studied before elected for in vivo studies

Profile of vegetable consumers of Santo Antônio do Descoberto town, Goiás State, Brazil

A cidade de Santo Antônio do Descoberto está localizada a 46 km de Brasília e grande parte da sua população vive abaixo da linha de pobreza. Neste trabalho, o perfil e o padrão de consumo de hortaliças na cidade foi avaliado. Setenta e três consumidores freqüentadores do Mercado Municipal e 30 de uma região periférica (Bairro do Queiroz) foram entrevistados para a coleta de informações sobre hortaliças adquiridas no dia, número de indivíduos na família e renda familiar. No Mercado Municipal, 92% das famílias adquiriam hortaliças semanalmente e consumiam os produtos em no máximo três dias. Trinta e cinco por cento das famílias tinham renda que as situava baixo da linha de pobreza. Alface, tomate e batata eram os produtos mais comumente consumidos. Por outro lado, na região periférica, 86% das famílias entrevistadas estavam abaixo da linha de pobreza e apenas 44% delas adquiriam hortaliças semanalmente. Alface e cebola eram os produtos mais consumidos e nenhuma família comprava tomate, provavelmente devido ao preço elevado deste produto. O tipo e freqüência de hortaliças adquiridos são influenciados pela renda familiar, com as famílias mais pobres consumindo menos. ________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTSanto Antônio do Descoberto is located 46 km away from Brasília and the great majority of its population lives under the poverty line. In this work, vegetable consumption and consumers profile of Santo Antônio do Descoberto town were evaluated. Seventy consumers in the Municipal Market and 30 in a peripheral region ('Bairro do Queiroz') were interviewed. Information about vegetables bought in that day, number of people in the family and family income were obtained. The results showed that 92% of the families interviewed at the Municipal Market bought vegetables weekly and consumed them in nearly three days; 35% of the families were under the poverty line. Lettuce, tomato and potato were the most consumed vegetables. On the other hand, in the peripheral region, only 44% of the families bought vegetables weekly; 86% of the families were under the poverty line. Lettuce and onion were the main vegetables consumed in the region. None of the families consumed tomato, probably due to its high cost. The type and frequency of vegetable consumption was influenced by the families' income, where poor families consumed less vegetables