Sustentabilidade e educação ambiental na escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental Waldemar Sampaio Barros

With the growing concern with the natural resources, environmental education has been gaining importance in school learning. Simple practices such as the reuse of organic waste in the production of fertilizer and the correct separation of household waste are responsible attitudes that should be expected from a population concerned with the preservation of the environment. Thinking about contributing to human awareness in favor of the environment, academic course o Environmental Engineering UFSM - Campus of Frederico Westphalen began to work in a university extension project focused on practices on environmental education in public School Elementary School Waldemar Sampaio Barros, located in Oswaldo Cruz, District of FW/RS. Involving the students in lectures, recreational activities and the cultivation of a garden with organic production. The learning was clearly significant, since, the knowledge about sustainable practices among students has spread increasingly, as well as the changes of daily attitudes involving the separation of waste, care of the maintenance and the importance of horta school and the involvement of the school community that is committed to the teachings of the project. This way, it was observed that the effectiveness and scope of the work performed, a clear change in environmental awareness of those involved.Com a crescente preocupação com os recursos naturais, a Educação Ambiental vem ganhando relevância no aprendizado escolar. Simples práticas como o reaproveitamento de resíduos orgânicos na produção de adubo e a correta separação dos resíduos domésticos são atitudes responsáveis que se esperam de uma população preocupada com a preservação do Meio Ambiente. Pensando em contribuir com a sensibilização humana em favor do Meio Ambiente, acadêmicos do curso de Engenharia Ambiental da UFSM – Campus de Frederico Westphalen passaram a trabalhar em um projeto de extensão universitária focado em práticas sobre Educação ambiental na Escola Estadual de Ensino Fundamental Waldemar Sampaio Barros, localizada em Oswaldo Cruz, Distrito de FW/RS. Envolveram-se os alunos em palestras, atividades lúdicas e no cultivo de uma horta com produção orgânica. O aprendizado foi visivelmente significativo, visto que o conhecimento acerca de práticas sustentáveis entre os alunos difundiu-se crescentemente, assim como as mudanças de atitudes diárias envolvendo a separação de resíduos, cuidados com a manutenção e importância da horta da escola e o envolvimento da comunidade escolar que se comprometeu com os ensinamentos do projeto. Dessa maneira, observou-se a eficácia e abrangência do trabalho realizado, uma evidente modificação na conscientização ambiental dos envolvidos

Detecção da Doença "Olho de Boi" em Imagens de Maçãs

Diseases in fruit cause a devastating problem in the production of the agricultural industry worldwide, which leads to enormous economic losses. Therefore, to increase productivity and, consequently, the economic growth of a country, the identification of the diseases during production is the extremely importance. Considering this scenario, this paper describes an ongoing research to detect one of the most common diseases that affect apples - the "bull’s eye" rot, through the use of image processing techniques

Collagen-coated magnetic nanoparticles to capture pathogens from biological samples

Conventional methods of diagnosing bacterial infections such as microbial culture and molecular techniques, while highly sensitive, rely on expensive equipment and highly skilled operators. There is a need for affordable and portable diagnostic systems which are simple to operate while preserving reliability. Pre-enrichment of bacteria present in a sample coupled with subsequent bacterial identification steps can serve as a simple yet effective diagnostic technique. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with collagen were used to demonstrate enrichment of E.coli recombinantly expressing adhesins YadA and UspA2 since these adhesins are known to target and adhere to host collagen. The MNPs were synthesized chemically and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Dynamic light scattering and the most stable MNPs were selected. Adhesion assays were performed together with fluorescent microscopy imaging to assess the pre-enrichment of bacteria by the collagen MNPs. Capture of bacteria by the collagen MNPs was successfully observed and capture efficiency of the collagen MNPs for E.coli YadA and E.coli UspA2 was calculated to be 50% and 68% respectively.VibrANT H2020-MSCA-ITN-2017, agreement no. 765042. FCT UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Selection of aptamers against triple negative breast cancer cells using high throughput sequencing

Triple-negative breast cancer is the most aggressive subtype of invasive breast cancer with a poor prognosis and no approved targeted therapy. Hence, the identification of new and specific ligands is essential to develop novel targeted therapies. In this study, we aimed to identify new aptamers that bind to highly metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells using the cell-SELEX technology aided by high throughput sequencing. After 8 cycles of selection, the aptamer pool was sequenced and the 25 most frequent sequences were aligned for homology within their variable core region, plotted according to their free energy and the key nucleotides possibly involved in the target binding site were analyzed. Two aptamer candidates, Apt1 and Apt2, binding specifically to the target cells with Kd values of 44.3 ± 13.3 nM and 17.7 ± 2.7 nM, respectively, were further validated. The binding analysis clearly showed their specificity to MDA-MB-231 cells and suggested the targeting of cell surface receptors. Additionally, Apt2 revealed no toxicity in vitro and showed potential translational application due to its affinity to breast cancer tissue sections. Overall, the results suggest that Apt2 is a promising candidate to be used in triple-negative breast cancer treatment and/or diagnosis. © 2021, The Author(s).Tis study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Débora Ferreira (DF) is the recipient of a fellowship supported by a doctoral advanced training (call NORTE-69-2015-15) funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Joaquim Barbosa (JB) and Diana A. Sousa (DAS) acknowledge FCT for the Grants SFRH/BD/51109/2010 and PD/BD/139083/2018, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tomato processing by-products valorisation through ohmic heating approach

Tomato by-products from processing industries have a higher potential to be reused as a source of bioactive compounds. Reliable national data on tomato by-products and physicochemical characterisation that will inform and find effective planning on tomato waste management in Portugal is absent. To help obtain this knowledge, selected Portugal companies were recruited to obtain representative samples of by-products generation, and physicochemical composition was evaluated. Furthermore, an environmental-friendly method (the ohmic heating (OH) method, which allows the recovery of bioactive compounds in absence of hazardous reagents) was also used and compared with conventional methods to explore new safe value-added ingredients. Total antioxidant capacity and total and individual phenolic compounds were also evaluated by spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. Tomato processing by-products have revealed a higher potential since both collected samples from companies were rich in protein (between 16.3 to 19.4 g/100 g DW, with fibre content ranging from 57.8 to 59.0 g/100 g DW). In addition, these samples contain 17.0 g/100 g of fatty acids (mainly polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated, such as linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acid, respectively). Also, they present mainly chlorogenic acid and rutin as phenolic compounds. After understanding its composition, the OH was applied to determine added-value solutions to tomato by-products. With extractions, two types of fractions were obtained, namely liquid fraction rich in phenols, free sugars, and carotenoids and a solid fraction rich in fibre bound to phenols and carotenoids. This treatment has been shown to have the ability to preserve carotenoids, such as lycopene relative to conventional methods. Nevertheless, new molecules were identified by LC-ESI-UHR-OqTOF-MS analysis, such as phene-di-hexane and N-acethyl-D-tryptophan. According to the results, the OH boosts the potential of tomato by-products and can be directly introduced into the process, contributing to the circular economy and zero by-products.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comportamento ao fogo de paredes de blocos de terra compactados (btc) com incorporação de resíduos

Diante da crescente busca por métodos de construção sustentáveis, blocos de terra compactados (BTC) vêm se tornando uma alternativa cada vez mais utilizada em construções. Além de serem compostos majoritariamente por solo, os BTC oferecem ainda a possibilidade de inclusão de resíduos diversos em suas composições, o que resulta na redução de impactos ambientais [1]. Dentre os desafios da utilização desse material destaca-se a heterogeneidade e grande variabilidade entre os solos disponíveis, o que dificulta padronizações na execução e nas propriedades dos blocos. Desse modo, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo a avaliação do comportamento ao fogo de paredes de BTC, analisando influências da inclusão de resíduos. Para tal finalidade, recorre-se à análise experimental do fenómeno, por meio de ensaio em laboratório e simulação numérica do mesmo, via Método dos Elementos Finitos (FEM). Para realização dos ensaios experimentais, estão a ser executadas paredes de 1 m2 compostas por blocos de terra compactados assentados com argamassa. As paredes são submetidas a ensaios conforme o Eurocódigo 1364-1 [2], avaliando-se critérios de estanqueidade e isolamento. Paralalelamente à execução das paredes, estão a ser caracterizadas as propriedades térmicas dos BTC, de modo a permitir simulações computacionais que apresentem resultados condizentes àqueles observados em laboratório. Após a execução dos ensaios experimentais e das simulações computacionais, busca-se avaliar as influências da incorporação de resíduos orgânicos aos blocos quando submetidos ao fogo. Além disso, espera-se também identificar na caracterização das propriedades térmicas dos BTC as influências que a inclusão de resíduos pode causar no comportamento dos blocos, estabelecendo-se assim proporções e características adequadas do resíduo a ser incorporado.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tomato processing by-products valorisation through ohmic heating approach

Tomato by-products from processing industries have a higher potential to be reused as a source of bioactive compounds. Reliable national data on tomato by-products and physicochemical characterisation that will inform and find effective planning on tomato waste management in Portugal is absent. To help obtain this knowledge, selected Portugal companies were recruited to obtain representative samples of by-products generation, and physicochemical composition was evaluated. Furthermore, an environmental-friendly method (the ohmic heating (OH) method, which allows the recovery of bioactive compounds in absence of hazardous reagents) was also used and compared with conventional methods to explore new safe value-added ingredients. Total antioxidant capacity and total and individual phenolic compounds were also evaluated by spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. Tomato processing by-products have revealed a higher potential since both collected samples from companies were rich in protein (between 16.3 to 19.4 g/100 g DW, with fibre content ranging from 57.8 to 59.0 g/100 g DW). In addition, these samples contain 17.0 g/100 g of fatty acids (mainly polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated, such as linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acid, respectively). Also, they present mainly chlorogenic acid and rutin as phenolic compounds. After understanding its composition, the OH was applied to determine added-value solutions to tomato by-products. With extractions, two types of fractions were obtained, namely liquid fraction rich in phenols, free sugars, and carotenoids and a solid fraction rich in fibre bound to phenols and carotenoids. This treatment has been shown to have the ability to preserve carotenoids, such as lycopene relative to conventional methods. Nevertheless, new molecules were identified by LC-ESI-UHR-OqTOF-MS analysis, such as phene-di-hexane and N-acethyl-D-tryptophan. According to the results, the OH boosts the potential of tomato by-products and can be directly introduced into the process, contributing to the circular economy and zero by-products.This research was funded by “MultiBiorefinery: Estratégias multiuso para a valorização de uma gama alargada de subprodutos agroflorestais e das pescas: Um passo em frente na criação de uma biorrefinaria” financiado pelo Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403) e pelo Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa (LISBOA-01-0145- FEDER-016403), na sua componente FEDER e pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. na componente nacional (SAICTPAC/0040/2015).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Métodos de campo para o estudo de formigas em cultivo de cana-de-açúcar na região sudeste do Brasil

The harvest of sugarcane is still traditionally done manually with the burning of straw in most cultivated areas in Brazil. However, burning has been gradually eliminated with the relatively recent use of mechanical harvesting. This will result in significant changes in the agroecosystem, as the straw will remain in the field. No investigation on Formicidae found in sugarcane plantations in Southeastern Brazil harvested by this new system has been done yet. Because of their feeding habits, many species of this family may act as predators of several sugarcane pests. In this study, the sampling efficacy of pitfall traps, baits, and underground traps with two types of attractants were evaluated. Pitfall traps gave the largest richness, while abundance was the highest from baiting. Community composition and structure differed in relation to the sampling methods used. The myrmecofauna collected with the same method with different baits was similar. Pitfall trapping was the most efficient method in this type of ecosystem; and sardine, the best attractant, due to its easy handing in the field.A colheita de cana-de-açúcar é efetuada manualmente e com a queima da palha em grande parte da área de cultivo. Porém, esse manejo deverá ser completamente substituído pela mecanizado. O emprego desse sistema de colheita é relativamente recente e pode resultar em alterações significativas no agroecossistema, em função da manutenção da palha no ambiente. Descrições sobre métodos de coleta de Formicidae, cujas espécies podem ser predadoras de diversas pragas da cultura, ainda são inexistentes em agroecossistemas que usam esse novo tipo de manejo. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o uso de diferentes métodos de coleta: pitfall, isca e armadilhas subterrâneas; sendo os dois últimos com dois tipos de atrativos. A maior riqueza foi obtida com pitfall e a maior abundância com isca; a composição e a estrutura das comunidades diferem em relação ao método usado. A fauna coletada com um mesmo método, porém com atrativos diferentes, é similar. O uso de pitfall proporciona a amostragem da fauna predadora do cultivo, o que é importante para os programas de controle natural de pragas; e para quantificar a abundância da maior parte dessa fauna, a sardinha é o melhor material atrativo, devido à facilidade de manipulação no campo

Conhecimento dos cirurgiões-dentistas sobre a infecção pelo vírus do herpes simples Tipo 1/ Knowledge of dental surgeons about infection with Type 1 herpes simple virus

O Herpes simples tipo 1 é um vírus pertencente à família Herpesviridae. A maioria da população se infecta por meio da saliva contaminada ou por lesões periorais ativas. O Vírus do Herpes Simples tipo 1 (HSV-1) pode permanecer em latência, ou desenvolver manifestações clínicas quando reativado. Após o contato primário a infecção torna-se recorrente devido a memória do sistema imunológico ao vírus. O diagnóstico precoce da doença favorece, significativamente, o tratamento. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o nível de conhecimento dos cirurgiões-dentistas sobre as condutas terapêuticas, e sobre a fisiopatologia desta infecção por meio de questionário específico. O resultado da pesquisa mostrou que a maioria dos cirurgiões-dentistas entrevistados tinham conhecimento satisfatório sobre a etiologia, diagnóstico e conduta terapêutica frente o Herpes Labial. Entretanto, uma pequena parcela mostrou-se confusa quanto ao diagnóstico e ao tratamento desta infecção. É de suma importância o conhecimento da sintomatologia e das manifestações bucais decorrentes da infecção pelo vírus herpes simples tipo 1 por parte dos cirurgiões-dentistas, para o correto diagnóstico e conduta terapêutica

Orthodontic and orthopaedic treatment for anterior open bite in children (Review)

Background: Anterior open bite occurs when there is a lack of vertical overlap of the upper and lower incisors. The aetiology is multifactorial including: oral habits, unfavourable growth patterns, enlarged lymphatic tissue with mouth breathing. Several treatments have been proposed to correct this malocclusion, but interventions are not supported by strong scientific evidence. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate orthodontic and orthopaedic treatments to correct anterior open bite in children. Search methods: The following databases were searched: the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register (to 14 February 2014); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)(The Cochrane Library 2014, Issue 1); MEDLINE via OVID (1946 to 14 February 2014); EMBASE via OVID (1980 to 14 February 2014); LILACS via BIREME Virtual Health Library (1982 to 14 February 2014); BBO via BIREME Virtual Health Library (1980 to 14 February 2014); and SciELO (1997 to 14 February 2014). We searched for ongoing trials via ClinicalTrials.gov (to 14 February 2014). Chinese journals were handsearched and the bibliographies of papers were retrieved. Selection criteria: All randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials of orthodontic or orthopaedic treatments or both to correct anterior open bite in children. Data collection and analysis: Two review authors independently assessed the eligibility of all reports identified. Risk ratios (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for dichotomous data. The continuous data were expressed as described by the author. Main results: Three randomised controlled trials were included comparing: effects of Frankel's function regulator-4 (FR-4) with lip-seal training versus no treatment; repelling-magnet splints versus bite-blocks; and palatal crib associated with high-pull chincup versus no treatment.The study comparing repelling-magnet splints versus bite-blocks could not be analysed because the authors interrupted the treatment earlier than planned due to side effects in four of ten patients.FR-4 associated with lip-seal training (RR = 0.02 (95% CI 0.00 to 0.38)) and removable palatal crib associated with high-pull chincup (RR = 0.23 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.48)) were able to correct anterior open bite.No study described: randomisation process, sample size calculation, there was not blinding in the cephalometric analysis and the two studies evaluated two interventions at the same time. These results should be therefore viewed with caution. Authors' conclusions: There is weak evidence that the interventions FR-4 with lip-seal training and palatal crib associated with high-pull chincup are able to correct anterior open bite. Given that the trials included have potential bias, these results must be viewed with caution. Recommendations for clinical practice cannot be made based only on the results of these trials. More randomised controlled trials are needed to elucidate the interventions for treating anterior open bite