On the development of a technological solution for long-term preservation of the commercial qualities in live oysters

The Pacific Oyster has adapted well to the southern Brazilian environmental conditions, where the combination of factors allows harvest in less than eight months. Although convenient for most of the year, it is during summer that water temperature can exceed 30 ºC, a summer condition that leads to high mortality rates. According to the literature, if spawning is not triggered, a substantial reduction in mortality can be achieved. Studies previously presented at CYTEF 2020 showed that confining oysters at temperatures close to those of basal metabolism can inhibit the effects of gametogenesis. Further research was conducted in order to verify the possible outcomes of long term confinement of late autumn harvested oysters, presenting high glycogen reserves. This article reports the experimental results of those tests, regarding the preservation of quality attributes and the reduction of mortality rates, when confining oysters under temperatures similar to those of basal metabolism regime

Distribuição geográfica potencial da cobra coral Micrurus decoratus Jan, 1858 (Serpentes, Elapidae) na Floresta Atlântica do Brasil

The coralsnake Micrurus decoratus is restricted to the Atlantic Rain Forest from southeastern Brazil and data on its geographic distribution and natural history are poorly known. In this paper, we modeled its geographic range using the GARP program. Map was generated by combining the 20 best models and predicted the occurrence of Micrurus decoratus in the Atlantic Rain Forest, indicating the importance of this biome for the preservation of this species. Our study showed that ecological niche modeling might be an important computational tool to supplement traditional field studies in herpetology, allowing the identification of areas to be protected, and for the formulation of specific public policies for threatened species.A cobra coral Micrurus decoratus é uma espécie restrita à Mata Atlântica do Sudeste do Brasil e dados quanto a sua distribuição geográfica e história natural são pouco conhecidos. Neste trabalho, a distribuição geográfica dessa espécie foi modelada utilizando-se o programa de modelagem GARP. Foi gerado um mapa de predição de ocorrência de M. decoratus na Mata Atlântica por meio da combinação dos 20 melhores modelos resultantes da modelagem, indicando a importância desse bioma para a preservação da espécie. Este estudo mostrou que a modelagem do nicho ecológico pode representar importante ferramenta computacional para suplementar estudos de campo em herpetologia, permitindo a identificação de áreas prioritárias para conservação e formulação de políticas públicas específicas para espécies ameaçadas

Efeitos da salinidade em algodoeiros tratados com produtos químicos

Studies were carried out to establish the effects of spray of polyethylene polysulfide (5%), oxyethylene docosanol (5%) and succinic acid-2,2-dimethylhydrazide (2,000 ppm), in the growth of cotton 'IAC-RM3', under application of N-P-K (5:10:5) and irrigation with solution of NaCl - CaCl2 - MgCl2 (1.00:0.85:0.15). The antitranspirants promote increase in leaf area of cotton; and the growth retardant causes diminution in the leaf area in relation to check in salinity conditions. The chemicals promote increase in the dry weight in relation to check. The net assimilation rate and the relative growth rate were superior in the plots that received the chemicals in relation to check in salinity conditions. It was not verified differences between the plants treated with antitranspirants and the check in relation to the leaf area ratio; that parameter was inferior in the treatment with the growth retardant.Estudaram-se os efeitos de polissulfeto de polietileno (0,5%), o-xietileno docosanol (5%) e ácido succínico - 2,2-dimetil-hidrazida (2000 ppm), aplicados em pulverização, no desenvolvimento de algo-doeiro cultivar 'IAC-RM3', submetido à adubação N-P-K (5:10 5) e à irrigação com solução de NaCl - CaCl2 - MgCl2 (1,000,85:0,15). Os antitranspirantes permitiram aumento em área foliar do algo-doeiro; sendo que o retardador de crescimento provocou redução na área foliar com relação ao controle, em condições de salinidade. Os produtos químicos promoveram maior aumento no peso seco em relação ao controle. A taxa assimilatória líquida e a taxa de crescimento relativo mostraram-se mais altas nas plantas tratadas com produtos químicos em relação ao controle, nas condições de salinidade. N ao ocorreram diferenças marcantes entre as plantas tratadas com antitranspirantes e o controle, com relação à razão de área foliar; sendo que este parâmetro mostrou-se inferior no tratamento com retardador de crescimento

Analysis of the alteration in the optical configuration of Raman spectrometer: Optimization of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in a specific wavelength range of clinical interest

Abstract. The present article is focused on the optimization of the optical parameters of a Raman spectrometer in order to obtain a minimum width of its spectral lines. In this way, using as reference the width of a fingerprint band of a calcified biological tissue, a spectral line without distortion or any loss of resolution was identified. This optimization is employed with the aim of improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A great improvement in the efficiency of the spectral collect was obtained, which can reduce significantly the time of diagnosis of target tissues, such as the calcified coronarian tissue. Therefore, the potential application of this new spectroscopic system increases the efficiency and precision, favoring the security of this technique to future in vivo applications. The excellent results obtained in this work become this spectroscopic system a powerful tool to the clinical diagnosis of several diseases

Uma nova espécie do gênero Atractus wagler, 1928 (Colubridae: Dipsadinae) do Cerrado do Brasil Central

Atractus edioi sp. n. is described from the region of the Cana Brava hydroelectric power plant, located on the extreme northern state of Goiás, municipality of Minaçu, within the limits of the Cerrado ecosystem of Central Brazil. It can be distinguished from other Atractus by the combination of a temporal formula 1+1, 5 supralabials, supralabials 2-3 bordering the orbit, 6 infralabials, infralabials 1-3 in contact with the anterior genials, 15 dorsal scales rows and a color pattern of dark colored spots on a ground color of the body.Atractus edioi sp. n. é descrita para a região da usina hidrelétrica Cana Brava, localizada no extremo norte do Estado de Goiás, município de Minaçu, dentro dos limites do ecossistema Cerrado no Brasil Central. Esta espécie se distingue das outras espécies de Atractus pela combinação da fórmula temporal 1+1, 5 supralabiais, supralabiais 2-3 margeando a órbita, 6 infralabiais, infralabiais 1-3 em contato com as gulares anteriores, 15 escamas nas fileiras dorsais e um padrão de coloração dorsal de manchas escuras sobre um fundo marrom-claro

Avaliação Preliminar da Fauna Silvestre Terrestre do Vale do Rio Caiapó, Goiás: implicações para a conservação da biodiversidade regional

Esse trabalho apresenta a listagem preliminar da fauna terrestre da bacia do rio Caiapó, no Estado de Goiás. Após a combinação de dados dos programas ambientais faunísticos das pequenas centrais hidrelétricas (PCHs) de Piranhas e Mosquitão os resultados foram 4 classes, 37 ordens, 130 famílias, 361 gêneros, e 485 espécies. Os dados também foram comparados com outras localidades do Cerrado e a bacia foi avaliada com os projetos de áreas de proteção ambiental

The Impact of Intermittent Umbilical Cord Occlusions on the Inflammatory Response in Pre-Term Fetal Sheep

Fetal hypoxic episodes may occur antepartum with the potential to induce systemic and cerebral inflammatory responses thereby contributing to brain injury. We hypothesized that intermittent umbilical cord occlusions (UCOs) of sufficient severity but without cumulative acidosis will lead to a fetal inflammatory response. Thirty-one chronically instrumented fetal sheep at ∼0.85 of gestation underwent four consecutive days of hourly UCOs from one to three minutes duration for six hours each day. Maternal and fetal blood samples were taken for blood gases/pH and plasma interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 levels. Animals were euthanized at the end of experimental study with brain tissue processed for subsequent counting of microglia and mast cells. Intermittent UCOs resulted in transitory fetal hypoxemia with associated acidemia which progressively worsened the longer umbilical blood flow was occluded, but with no cumulative blood gas or pH changes over the four days of study. Fetal arterial IL-1β and IL-6 values showed no significant change regardless of the severity of the UCOs, nor was there any evident impact on the microglia and mast cell counts for any of the brain regions studied. Accordingly, intermittent UCOs of up to three minutes duration with severe, but limited fetal hypoxemia and no cumulative acidemia, do not result in either a systemic or brain inflammatory response in the pre-term ovine fetus. However, fetal IL-1B and IL-6 values were found to be well correlated with corresponding maternal values supporting the placenta as a primary source for these cytokines with related secretion into both circulations. Female fetuses were also found to have higher IL-1β levels than males, indicating that gender may impact on the fetal inflammatory response to various stimuli

A life course approach to injury prevention: a "lens and telescope" conceptual model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although life course epidemiology is increasingly employed to conceptualize the determinants of health, the implications of this approach for strategies to reduce the burden of injuries have received little recognition to date.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The authors reviewed core injury concepts and the principles of the life course approach. Based on this understanding, a conceptual model was developed, to provide a holistic view of the mechanisms that underlie the accumulation of injury risk and their consequences over the life course.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A "lens and telescope" model is proposed that particularly draws on (a) the extended temporal dimension inherent in the life course approach, with links between exposures and outcomes that span many years, or even generations, and (b) an ecological perspective, according to which the contexts in which individuals live are critical, as are changes in those contexts over time.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>By explicitly examining longer-term, intergenerational and ecological perspectives, life course concepts can inform and strengthen traditional approaches to injury prevention and control that have a strong focus on proximal factors. The model proposed also serves as a tool to identify intervention strategies that have co-benefits for other areas of health.</p

Radiation chemistry of solid-state carbohydrates using EMR

We review our research of the past decade towards identification of radiation-induced radicals in solid state sugars and sugar phosphates. Detailed models of the radical structures are obtained by combining EPR and ENDOR experiments with DFT calculations of g and proton HF tensors, with agreement in their anisotropy serving as most important criterion. Symmetry-related and Schonland ambiguities, which may hamper such identification, are reviewed. Thermally induced transformations of initial radiation damage into more stable radicals can also be monitored in the EPR (and ENDOR) experiments and in principle provide information on stable radical formation mechanisms. Thermal annealing experi-ments reveal, however, that radical recombination and/or diamagnetic radiation damage is also quite important. Analysis strategies are illustrated with research on sucrose. Results on dipotassium glucose-1-phosphate and trehalose dihydrate, fructose and sorbose are also briefly discussed. Our study demonstrates that radiation damage is strongly regio-selective and that certain general principles govern the stable radical formation