The matrix effect on the delivery and functionality of pre and probiotics : dynamic colonic model study

Orientador: Adriane Elisabete Antunes de MoraesDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências AplicadasResumo: Embora aparentemente exista uma equivalência entre a veiculação de probióticos ser feita em alimentos ou na forma de suplementos, estudos comparativos são escassos. Diante disso, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi comparar sorvete e suplemento dietético liofilizado na veiculação de pre e probióticos em um simulador do ecossistema microbiano humano (SEMH®). Foram empregados nesta pesquisa um suplemento dietético comercial, composto pelos probióticos Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 e Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 e pelo prebiótico inulina; sendo os mesmos pre e probióticos incorporados nas mesmas quantidades na elaboração de sorvete. Previamente ao estudo no SEMH® foi realizada digestão simulada das amostras em modelo estático e avaliadas a atividade metabólica dos probióticos por citometria de fluxo, viabilidade das culturas por contagens em placa e a morfologia celular por meio de microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Nesta etapa da pesquisa foi elaborado um leite fermentado como controle contendo as mesmas cepas probióticas e inulina em quantidades equivalentes aos do sorvete e suplemento. Resultados obtidos na primeira etapa da pesquisa indicaram superioridade da veiculação de probióticos em matriz alimentar. O sorvete elaborado foi caracterizado quanto ao teor de sólidos totais, acidez titulável, pH e composição centesimal. O SEMH® foi inoculado com a microbiota de humanos eutróficos para estudo de digestão simulada em modelo colônico dinâmico para avaliação do sorvete e suplemento. Amostras coletadas dos reatores do SEMH® foram avaliadas quanto à composição da microbiota intestinal pelos métodos de PCR real time e sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA. Paralelamente foi analisado o metabolismo microbiano por dosagem de amônia e de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta. Todos os resultados foram computados e analisados quanto à sua distribuição. As análises referentes à microbiota passaram por tratamento de bioinformática. Os resultados da segunda etapa da pesquisa indicaram que a matriz sorvete apresenta bom potecial de veiculação de pre e probióticos, no entanto, também pode apresentar algumas limitaçõesAbstract: Although there is apparently an equivalence between the placement of probiotics in food or supplement forms, comparative studies are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare ice cream and lyophilized dietary supplement in the delivery of pre and probiotics in a Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®). A commercial dietary supplement, composed of the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and the prebiotic inulin was selected; the same pre and probiotics in the same quantities were incorporated on ice cream. Prior to the SHIME® study, simulated digestion of the samples was performed in a static model where the metabolic activity of probiotics was evaluated by flow cytometry, viability of cultures by plate counts and cell morphology by scanning electron microscopy. At this stage of the research, a fermented milk was elaborated as control containing the same probiotic strains and inulin in amounts equivalent to the ice cream and supplement. Results obtained in the first stage of the research indicated superiority of the probiotic delivery in the food matrix. The elaborated ice cream was characterized as total solids content, titratable acidity, pH and centesimal composition. The SHIME® was inoculated with eutrophic human microbiota to evaluate the simulated digestion of ice cream and supplementation in a dynamic colonic model. Samples collected from the SHIME® reactors were evaluated for the composition of the intestinal microbiota by real time PCR methods and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In parallel, the microbial metabolism was analyzed by the dosage of ammonia and short chain fatty acids. All the results were computed and analyzed for their distribution. The microbiota analysis underwent bioinformatics treatment. The results of the second stage of the research indicated that the ice cream matrix presents good potential for pre and probiotic delivery, however, it may also present some limitationsMestradoNutriçãoMestra em Ciências da Nutrição e do Esporte e Metabolismo0012017/25007-9CAPESFAPESPFAEPE

EFEITOS DA VITRIFICAÇÃO NA PRESERVAÇÃO MORFOLÓGICA DO TECIDO TESTICULAR DE GATO DOMÉSTICO

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of domestic cats (Felis Catus) testicular parenchyma vitrification by Ovarian Tissue Cryosystem and conventional straw. Three (n=3) adult cats were submitted to routine orchiectomy. For the vitrification, the samples were exposed to equilibrium solution composed by RPMI, containing 20% of ethylene glycol (EG) and 0,1M of sucrose at 20 °C, for 3 minutes. Subsequently, exposed to vitrification solution, containing RPMI added to 40% of EG and 0,1 M of sucrose at 20 °C, for 2 minutes. After devitrification, 10 seminiferous tubules of each treatment were analyzed by histology assay. The viability of spermatic and Sertoli cells were analysed with light histology, as well as the seminiferous tubules morphometry. The vitrified groups were inferior to the control group in the morphologically integral cells analysis. However, the OTC was superior to straw in terms of morphological preservation of the germinative cells. Nevertheless, in morphometric analysis there was no statistical difference between the treatments (control, OTC and straw). Therefore, the vitrification in OTC method showed better results than vitrification in straw based on histological evaluation of germ and Sertoli cells of domestic cats.Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da vitrificação do parênquima testicular de gatos domésticos (Felis Catus) pelo criossistema de tecido ovariano e palha convencional. Três (n=3) gatos adultos foram submetidos à orquiectomia de rotina. Para a vitrificação, as amostras foram expostas a solução de equilíbrio composta por RPMI, contendo 20% de etilenoglicol (EG) e 0,1M de sacarose a 20 °C, por 3 minutos. Posteriormente, expostos à solução de vitrificação, contendo RPMI adicionado a 40% de EG e 0,1 M de sacarose a 20 °C, por 2 minutos. Após a desvitrificação, 10 túbulos seminíferos de cada tratamento foram analisados por ensaio histológico. A viabilidade das células espermáticas e de Sertoli foram analisadas com histologia de luz, bem como a morfometria dos túbulos seminíferos. Os grupos vitrificados foram inferiores ao grupo controle na análise de células morfologicamente integrais. No entanto, o OTC foi superior à palha em termos de preservação morfológica das células germinativas. No entanto, na análise morfométrica não houve diferença estatística entre os tratamentos (controle, COT e palha). Portanto, a vitrificação em OTC apresentou melhores resultados do que a vitrificação em palha com base na avaliação histológica de células germinativas e de Sertoli de gatos domésticos

Neurostimulation Combined With Cognitive Intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease (NeuroAD): Study Protocol of Double-Blind, Randomized, Factorial Clinical Trial

Despite advances in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), there is currently no prospect of a cure, and evidence shows that multifactorial interventions can benefit patients. A promising therapeutic alternative is the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) simultaneously with cognitive intervention. The combination of these non-pharmacological techniques is apparently a safe and accessible approach. This study protocol aims to compare the efficacy of tDCS and cognitive intervention in a double-blind, randomized and factorial clinical trial. One hundred participants diagnosed with mild-stage AD will be randomized to receive both tDCS and cognitive intervention, tDCS, cognitive intervention, or placebo. The treatment will last 8 weeks, with a 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be the improvement of global cognitive functions, evaluated by the AD Assessment Scale, cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). The secondary outcomes will include measures of functional, affective, and behavioral components, as well as a neurophysiological marker (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF). This study will enable us to assess, both in the short and long term, whether tDCS is more effective than the placebo and to examine the effects of combined therapy (tDCS and cognitive intervention) and isolated treatments (tDCS vs. cognitive intervention) on patients with AD.Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02772185—May 5, 2016

Uso de drogas e o aumento das infecções sexualmente transmissíveis: uma revisão sistemática: Drug use and the increase in sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review

Populações de usuários de drogas têm sido associadas a epidemias de infecções ou Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis, especialmente a infecção pelo HIV (que está associada a drogas injetáveis, uso de equipamentos contaminados para drogas injetáveis e sexo inseguro). A droga mais associada às DSTs é a cocaína fumável de base livre (crack), devido ao aumento dos comportamentos sexuais de risco. Diante disso, o presente estudo teve como objetivo compreender o impacto do uso de drogas no aumento das infecções sexualmente transmissíveis. Para isso, adotou-se como metodologia a revisão sistemática de literatura, realizando buscas nas bases de dados Scielo, Pubmed e BVS/Medline a partir do uso de descritores DeCS/MeSH e aplicação de critérios de inclusão e exclusão. A partir da análise e interpretação dos dados, concluiu-se que que pessoas que fazem uso abusivo de drogas lícitas ou ilícitas, sejam elas mulheres, homens, adolescentes, jovens, adultos, idosos, em situação de rua ou não, tendem a desenvolver comportamentos vulneráveis que pode resultar em IST. Somado a isso, enquanto comportamento de risco, tem-se a preferência por não usar preservativo, seja em relações sexuais com pessoas monogâmicas como com dois ou mais parceiros. Nesses casos, tanto o uso exacerbado de drogas como a falta de informação sobre comportamento sexual demonstram-se insuficientes

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe