Discrimination of three bacteria species using a potentiometric electronic tongue

[Excerpt] The detection, monitoring and/or prevention of microorganism growing is of utmost relevance in several research fields, from food to environmental areas, being an important topic either from an academic or an industrial point of view. Conventional methods like plating techniques are the most widely used, being needed novel and faster screening methodologies like electronic noses, electronic tongues (E-tongues) and impedance based methods. In the present work, a potentiometric E-tongue (Fig. 1), comprising 40 lipid polymeric sensor membranes with cross-sensitivity, was used to identify and discriminate three bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis ATCC29212; Staphylococcus aureus ATCC653 and Escherichia coli ATCC29998) at two concentration levels (low and high). [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Culturas urbanas e resistência da juventude negra: ressonâncias do tambor nas escolas de periferia de São Paulo

Com uma preocupação voltada para a construção de novas práticas educacionais com base em uma epistemologia do sul, esta pesquisa propôs-se a realizar docências compartilhadas entre professores (as), artistas populares e pesquisadores (as), de modo a proporcionar outras perspectivas de atuação em sala de aula, com a introdução de práticas e saberes dos afrodescendentes nos conteúdos a serem abordados na escola. Neste artigo, abordaremos alguns momentos da docência compartilhada, denominada Hiphopnagô, promovida por duas pesquisadoras, das áreas de música e de dança breaking, com uma professora da Língua Portuguesa do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública de São Paulo. Com ênfase nos elementos musicais e de dança contemporâneos, procurou-se contemplar o contexto sócio histórico no qual se inserem as culturas cultivadas especialmente pela juventude afrodescendente. Pretende-se, desse modo, pensar em novas estratégias de ensino, assim como sobre os fundamentos de uma epistemologia do Sul brasileira afrocentrada

Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae Control at a Pig Abattoir: Are We Missing Lairage Time Effect, Pig Skin, and Internal Carcass Surface Contamination?

This article belongs to the Special Issue Foodborne Pathogens Control: Current State of the Art and Future Prospects.To provide meat safety and consumer protection, appropriate hygiene control measures at an abattoir are required. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of visual fecal contamination level (VFCL) and lairage time (LT) on pig skin (PS) and external (ECS) and internal (ICS) carcass surfaces. The presence of Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella in PS, ECS, and ICS were evaluated. A total of 300 paired samples were collected from 100 pigs. Results underlined the importance of the skin (Enterobacteriaceae: 3.27 ± 0.68 log CFU/cm2; E. coli: 3.15 ± 0.63 log CFU/cm2; Salmonella: 21% of samples) as a direct or indirect source of carcass contamination. Although VFCL revealed no significant effect (p > 0.05), the increase of LT had a significant impact (p < 0.001) on Enterobacteriaceae and E. coli levels across all analysed surfaces, and Salmonella presence on ICS (p < 0.01), demanding attention to LT. Also, the ICS showed a higher level of these bacteria compared to ECS. These results highlight the need of food business operators to consider ICS as an alternative area to sample for Salmonella, as a criterion for process hygiene based on EC Regulation No. 2073/2005, and as a potential contamination source to be integrated in the hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) plans.This work was supported by the projects UIDP/00772/2020, LA/P/0059/2020 funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB) research unit, grant number UIDB/04033/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Synthesis of new donor/acceptor 5-cyclopentadienyl and 5-indenyliron(II) complexes with p-benzonitrile derivatives. Crystal structures of [Fe( 5-C5H5)(CO)(P(OC6H5)3)(p-NCC6H4NO2)][BF4]·CH2Cl2 and [Fe( 5-C9H7)(CO)(P(OC6H5)3)(p-NCC6H4NO2)][BF4]

New complexes of the type [Fe( 5-Cp or Ind)(L)(L )(p-NCR)][BF4] (L, L =CO, P(OC6H5)3, P(C6H5)3; R=C6H4N(CH3)2, C6H4NO2, (E)-C(H) C(H)C6H4NO2, (E)-C(H) C(H)C6H4N(CH3)2) have been synthesised and characterised. Spectroscopic data were analysed in order to evaluate the tuning of the electronic density at the metal centre and the extension of the -delocalisation on the molecule, due to the presence of coligands with different acceptor/donor abilities. The structures of two complexes [Fe( 5-C5H5)(CO)(P(OC6H5)3)(p-NCC6H4NO2)][BF4] and [Fe( 5-C9H7)(CO)(P(OC6H5)3)(p-NCC6H4NO2)][BF4] were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The compounds crystallised in the centrosymmetric space groups P1 and P21/n, respectively. Bond distances within the nitrile ligand are discussed in order to evaluate the nature of iron–nitrile bonding in these complexes

MarinEye - A tool for marine monitoring

This work presents an autonomous system for marine integrated physical-chemical and biological monitoring – the MarinEye system. It comprises a set of sensors providing diverse and relevant information for oceanic environment characterization and marine biology studies. It is constituted by a physicalchemical water properties sensor suite, a water filtration and sampling system for DNA collection, a plankton imaging system and biomass assessment acoustic system. The MarinEye system has onboard computational and logging capabilities allowing it either for autonomous operation or for integration in other marine observing systems (such as Observatories or robotic vehicles. It was designed in order to collect integrated multi-trophic monitoring data. The validation in operational environment on 3 marine observatories: RAIA, BerlengasWatch and Cascais on the coast of Portugal is also discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brood-guarding behaviour in Bulwer's Petrel (Bulweria bulwerii)at two East Atlantic colonies

We characterized the brood-guarding behaviour of the Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii at two Atlantic colonies. Our results suggest that predation avoidance might be a major factor driving broodguarding duration on this species.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT); POPH/QREN/FSE; European Regional Development Fun

HPV in women assisted by the family health strategy

OBJECTIVE: Estimate the prevalence of cervical HPV infection among women assisted by the Family Health Strategy and identify the factors related to the infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 2,076 women aged 20–59 years old residing in Juiz de Fora, State of Minas Gerais, who were asked to participate in an organized screening carried out in units were the Family Health Strategy had been implemented. Participants answered the standardized questionnaire and underwent a conventional cervical cytology test and HPV test for high oncogenic risk. Estimates of HPV infection prevalence were calculated according to selected characteristics referenced in the literature and related to socioeconomic status, reproductive health and lifestyle. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 12.6% (95%CI 11.16–14.05). The prevalence for the pooled primer contained 12 oncogenic HPV types (31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) was 8.6% (95%CI 7.3–9.77). In the multivariate analysis, it was observed that the following variables were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of HPV infection: marital status (single: adjusted PR = 1.40, 95%CI 1.07–1.8), alcohol consumption (any lifetime frequency: adjusted PR = 1.44, 95%CI 1.11–1.86) and number of lifetime sexual partners (≥ 3: adjusted PR = 1.35, 95%CI 1.04–1.74). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HPV infection in the study population ranges from average to particularly high among young women. The prevalence of HPV16 and HPV18 infection is similar to the worldwide prevalence. Homogeneous distribution among the pooled primer types would precede the isolated infection by HPV18 in magnitude, which may be a difference greater than the one observed. The identification of high-risk oncogenic HPV prevalence may help identify women at higher risk of developing preneoplastic lesions.