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

Chemical Functionalization of Cellulosic Materials — Main Reactions and Applications in the Contaminants Removal of Aqueous Medium

The cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in the world and presents a higher chemical variability for presence of several hydroxyl groups. These hydroxyl groups allow surface modification of biomaterials, with insertion of several chemical groups which change cellulose characteristics. This natural biopolymer and its derivatives have been used a lot as adsorbent, from several contaminants of aqueous medium due to biocompatibility, chemical degradability, and variability. Therefore, this chapter has the objective to review the literature about several cellulose surfaces or cellulosic material (incorporation of carboxymethyl, phosphorus, carboxyl, amines, and sulfur), presenting the main characteristics of reactions and showing its adsorption in application of aqueous medium (metals, dyes, and drugs), locating the main interactions between biomaterial/contaminant

The structure of information in the internationalization processes of universities

In this work we were interested in the relation between internationalization of universities and the information demands associated with it. The internationalization process of universities is accompanied by a process of dissemination of information, which fulfills several purposes. The aim of this work was to evaluate, in a systematic way, the international indicators and rankings that are proposed in the literature and that are used by the higher education institutions (HEI), and to propose an information model based on that analysis. The research methodology was based on a literature review, documental analysis, informal interviews and observation of events related to internationalization of universities. An exercise of compilation, analysis and synthesis of indicators of the internationalization process of universities resulted in the proposal of a structure of information that includes the most common used indicators, and that can be related to the various perspectives that drive the internationalization process. The structure can be used to guide the process of construction of models of information by universities, particularly in the process of design of web pages, which is nowadays a preferred vehicle of information dissemination from the part of the universities and of information gathering from the part of entities interested in universities.This work has been supported by FCT -Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

In vitro tests of suitability of bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria, as potential biopreservation cultures in vacuum-packaged cold-smoked salmon

The objectives of this study were to ascertain the in vitro potential of nine bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, isolated from vacuum-packaged cold-smoked salmon (CSS), for possible use as biopreservative cultures against Listeria monocytogenes. The antilisterial activity of cultures’ supernatants was assessed at 0.5%, 3.0% and 5.0% w/v of salt, at 5ºC, 10ºC and 25ºC both in aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres, simulating the conditions pertaining in vacuum-packaged CSS. The kinetics of growth, bacteriocin biosynthesis, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ten antibiotics, histamine and tyramine production of LAB strains, were determined jointly with the haemolytic activity for the enterococci. Only five strains were able to secrete active bacteriocins into the culture medium, at high salt concentrations and low temperatures, both in aerobic and anaerobic atmospheres. Enterococci showed neither haemolyt ic activity nor vancomycin resistance. The production of histamine was not observed for any of the bacteriocin-producing strains

Antispasmodic activity of aqueous extracts from Mentha x piperita native from Trás-os-Montes region (Portugal)

The wild mint Mentha x piperita (Mentha rotundifolia Huds.), has been used by the local people in a northern region of Portugal to prepare infusions for treating digestive pain and spasms, as an appetite stimulant and for treating headache and migraine. This suggests that these aqueous extracts have analgesic; antispasmodic and stomachic properties. In the present study the antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts of Mentha x piperita is investigated since natural antioxidants can scavenge the reactive oxygen species, ROS, and thus might attenuate inflammation pathways. The antispasmodic activity was also checked. The antioxidant potential of the extract was evaluated by the DPPH* method, by the quantification of the total phenolic compounds and by characterization of the main phenolic compounds. The antispasmodic effects were investigated by performing pharmacological assays using the distal ileum of guinea pigs. The aqueous extract exhibits antioxidant properties that may be due to its phenolic content. The main phenolic compounds were quinic, caffeic, rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids. The antispasmodic affects are observed after electrical stimulation of segments of distal ileum of guinea pigs and may be attributed, at least, to a alfa1 blockage

Relevâncias da Experiência e Critérios de Potabilidade: conflito de interpretações sobre a água “boa” em uma localidade do Cariri

Este artigo apresenta uma análise dos usos e das percepções da água em Granjeiro (CE), localidade que conta com uma interessante pluralidade de ofertas de águas. Tal pluralidade permitiu que os granjeirences formulassem estratégias diversificadas para a sua utilização, dependendo da fonte, da localidade no município e da estação do ano, ou ainda das experiências sensoriais advindas do manejo das águas e que levavam à atribuição de adjetivos para cada tipo de água e findaram por determinar seus usos. Estas variáveis sensoriais, no entanto, não são reconhecidas pelo serviço técnico de saneamento do estado, o que gerou desentendimentos. Para dar conta do descompasso entre moradores e responsáveis técnicos pelas águas, este artigo lança mão de uma perspectiva fenomenológica que permite perceber como a proximidade com o manejo cotidiano das águas ou o distanciamento dele define o tipo de verdade acionada pelos diferentes atores, já que torna possível compreender as práticas sociais em seu poder de constituição de sentidos, que se processa no ir e vir entre ações no mundo, percepções do mundo e verificação de conhecimentos sobre o mundo. Viver em Granjeiro e lidar com as diferentes águas produziram, esta é a nossa aposta interpretativa, antecipações próprias sobre suas qualidades e usos apropriados

Nanoencapsulation of bovine lactoferrin for food and biopharmaceutical applications

Lactoferrin has for long captured the interest of many researchers as a natural compound with a wide variety of uses. Lactoferrin is a monomeric, iron-binding 80 kDa glycoprotein, and appears to be the subfraction of whey with the best documented antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer and immune modulating/enhancing effects. It belongs to the family of transferrin proteins, and serves to control iron levels in body fluids by sequestering and solubilizing ferric iron. In the present research effort, production of lactoferrin derivatives (starting from a purified commercial extract), encompassing full stabilization of its three-dimensional structure, has been attempted via nanoencapsulation within lipid nanovesicles, integrating a multiple water-in-oil-in-water emulsion. Long-term storage of the multiple nanoemulsions produced did not lead to leaching of protein, thus proving the effectiveness of the encapsulation procedure. Furthermore, lactoferrin nanovesicle derivatives prepared under optimal conditions were successfully employed at lab-scale antimicrobial trials.Financial support from Fundacao Ensino e Cultura Fernando Pessoa (FECFP, Porto, Portugal) and from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT, Lisbon, Portugal) as pluriannual funding, is gratefully acknowledged. Financial support to Victor M. Balcao, via an Invited Research Scientist fellowship (FAPESP Ref. No. 2011/51077-8) by Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil), is hereby gratefully acknowledged. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Madalena Vieira (affiliated with the IBB) for technical help

Saccharomyces cerevisiae oxidative response evaluation by cyclic voltammetry and gas chromatography−mass spectrometry

This study is focused on the evaluation of the impact of Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism in the profile of compounds with antioxidant capacity in a synthetic wine during fermentation. A bioanalytical pipeline, which allows for biological systems fingerprinting and sample classification by combining electrochemical features with biochemical background, is proposed. To achieve this objective, alcoholic fermentations of a minimal medium supplemented with phenolic acids were evaluated daily during 11 days, for electrochemical profile, phenolic acids, and the volatile fermentation fraction, using cyclic voltametry, high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection, and headspace/solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (target and nontarget approaches), respectively. It was found that acetic acid, 2-phenylethanol, and isoamyl acetate are compounds with a significative contribution for samples metabolic variability, and the electrochemical features demonstrated redox-potential changes throughout the alcoholic fermentations, showing at the end a similar pattern to normal wines. Moreover, S. cerevisiae had the capacity of producing chlorogenic acid in the supplemented medium fermentation from simple precursors present in the minimal medium.C.C.C. (SFRH/BD/46737/2008) gratefully acknowledges the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) for her Doctoral grant. This research was funded by the projects: "Open-Microbio (PTDC/BIO/69310/2006)-Framework for Computational Simulation of Cellular Communities during BioProcess Engineering" (FCT), "A Metrica do Vinho: Elucidar o Padrao Molecular Volatile Responsavel pelo aroma "Tipo-Vinho" Fundamental para a Definicao da Qualidade" (PTDC/AGR-ALI/121062/2010), and partially supported by CBMA, IBB, and ESB/UCP plurianual funds through the POS-Conheci-mento Program that includes FEDER funds

Photon-number-resolving segmented avalanche-photodiode detectors

We investigate the feasibility and performance of photon-number-resolved photodetection employing avalanche photodiodes (APDs) with low dark counts. The main idea is to split n photons over m modes such that every mode has no more than one photon, which is detected alongside propagation by an APD. We characterize performance by evaluating the purities of positive-operator-valued measurements (POVMs), in terms of APD number and photon loss.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures, submitted for publicatio