384 research outputs found
Desenvolvimento de um método susténtavel para a extração de licopeno e β-caroteno a partir de resíduos alimentares
Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Biotecnologia AlimentarThe main objective of the present work is the study of a profitable process not only in the extraction and selective separation of lycopene and β-carotene, two compounds present in tomato, but also in its potential application to food industry wastes. This is one of the industries that produce larger amounts of wastes, which are rich in high value biomolecules with great economic interest. However, the conventional methods used to extract this kind of compounds are expensive which limits their application at large scale. Lycopene and βcarotene are carotenoids with high commercial value, known for their antioxidant activity and benefits to human health. Their biggest source is tomato, one of the world’s most consumed fruits, reason for which large quantities of waste is produced. This work focuses on the study of diverse solvents with a high potential to extract carotenoids from tomato, as well as the search for more environmentally benign solvents than those currently used to extract lycopene and β-carotene from biomass. Additionally, special attention was paid to the creation of a continuous process that would allow the fractionation of the compounds for further purification. Thus, the present work started with the extraction of both carotenoids using a wide range of solvents, namely, organic solvents, conventional salts, ionic liquids, polymers and surfactants. In this stage, each solvent was evaluated in what regards their capacity of extraction as well as their penetration ability in biomass. The results collected showed that an adequate selection of the solvents may lead to the complete extraction of both carotenoids in one single step, particularly acetone and tetrahydrofuran were the most effective ones. However, the general low penetration capacity of salts, ionic liquids, polymers and surfactants makes these solvents ineffective in the solid-liquid extraction process. As the organic solvents showed the highest capacity to extract lycopene and βcarotene, in particular tetrahydrofuran and acetone, the latter solvent used in the development process of fractionation, using to this by strategic use of solvents. This step was only successfully developed through the manipulation of the solubility of each compound in ethanol and n-hexane. The results confirmed the possibility of fractionating the target compounds using the correct addition order of the solvents. Approximately, 39 % of the β-carotene was dissolved in ethanol and about 64 % of lycopene was dissolved in n-hexane, thus indicating their separation for two different solvents which shows the selective character of the developed process without any prior stage optimization. This study revealed that the use of organic solvents leads to selective extraction of lycopene and β-carotene, allowing diminishing the numerous stages involved in conventional methods. At the end, it was possible to idealize a sustainable and of high industrial relevance integrated process, nevertheless existing the need for additional optimization studies in the future.O principal objetivo do presente trabalho recai no estudo de um processo eficiente para a extração e fracionamento de licopeno e β-caroteno presentes no tomate, bem como na aplicação do processo a resíduos provenientes da indústria alimentar. Esta é uma das indústrias que produz das maiores quantidades de resíduos ricos em biomoléculas com valor acrescentado e com um elevado potencial económico. No entanto, os métodos convencionais para a extração deste tipo de compostos tornam-se dispendiosos, o que inviabiliza a sua aplicação em larga escala. O licopeno e o β-caroteno são carotenóides com elevado valor comercial, conhecidos pela sua atividade antioxidante e efeitos benéficos para a saúde humana. A sua maior fonte é o tomate, um dos frutos mundialmente mais consumidos, razão pela qual as quantidades de resíduos produzidos são consideráveis. Este trabalho centra-se no desenvolvimento de um processo que permita a extração e fracionamento eficientes destes carotenóides a partir do tomate, considerando o uso de solventes mais benignos que os estudados até ao momento. Adicionalmente, foi igualmente desenvolvido o processo de fracionamento em contínuo, considerando a futura aplicação industrial do mesmo. Assim, iniciou-se o presente trabalho com a extração destes dois carotenóides utilizando um conjunto de solventes comuns e alternativos, nomeadamente, solventes orgânicos, sais convencionais, líquidos iónicos, polímeros e surfatantes. Nesta etapa avaliou-se a capacidade de extração de cada um dos solventes. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que uma seleção adequada do solvente pode conduzir à extração completa dos dois carotenóides numa única etapa de extração, sendo que a acetona e o tetrahidrofurano se revelaram os mais eficazes, sendo os sais, líquidos iónicos, polímeros e surfatantes pouco eficazes no processo de extração sólido-líquido, pela sua geral baixa capacidade de penetração na biomassa. Após demonstrar a elevada capacidade dos solventes orgânicos na extração do licopeno e β-caroteno, nomeadamente tetrahidrofurano e acetona, este último solvente foi usado no desenvolvimento de processo de fracionamento, recorrendo-se para isso ao uso de solventes estratégicos. Este passo foi desenvolvido com sucesso a partir da manipulação das solubilidades de cada um dos compostos de interesse em etanol e n-hexano. Os resultados obtidos confirmaram a possibilidade de fracionamento dos compostos alvo, pela adição ordenada dos solventes. Cerca de 39% do β-caroteno ficou dissolvido no etanol e cerca de 64% de licopeno encontrava-se dissolvido no n-hexano, indicando assim a sua separação para dois solventes distintos o que demonstra o caráter seletivo do processo desenvolvido, sem qualquer etapa prévia de otimização. Este estudo revelou que a utilização de solventes orgânicos conduz à extração seletiva de licopeno e β-caroteno, permitindo a eliminação de inúmeras etapas descritas pelos métodos convencionais. Por fim, foi possível idealizar e desenvolver um processo integrado sustentável e de relevância industrial
Arbustus unedo essence: morphological and genetic characterization of the strawberry tree of Castelo de Paiva
O medronheiro é um arbusto da região mediterrânica que pode ser encontrada por todo
o país. Ao contrário do que verifica na região sul do país, no concelho de Castelo de Paiva
é atribuída uma reduzida importância económica a esta espécie. Com o intuito de
preservar e potenciar a produção desta espécie e contribuir para a dinamização da
economia do concelho, procedeu-se à caracterização morfológica e genética de uma
amostra da população de medronheiros de Castelo de Paiva. A caracterização
morfológica e genética foi realizada para um total de 10 genótipos. Para tal recolheram-se
70 folhas aleatoriamente em cada árvore. Em 40 folhas mediu-se o comprimento, largura,
comprimento do pedúnculo, peso fresco, peso seco e determinou-se a área foliar. Dos
caracteres morfológicos analisados, aqueles que se revelaram mais úteis na distinção dos
vários genótipos foram: comprimento do pedúnculo, peso fresco e peso seco. As
restantes 30 folhas foram utilizadas para a caracterização genética. Esta caracterização foi
realizada recorrendo a um marcador de DNA, ISSR. Os 5 primeiros exemplaresutilizados
na técnica de ISSR demonstraram-se polimórficos. Os resultados da caracterização
genética sugerem que a variabilidade genética na população é média a alta.The strawberry tree is a shrub native in the Mediterranean region and it can be found
throughout Portugal. Unlike the case in the southern region of the country, in Castelo de
Paiva a minor economic importance is given to this species. In order to preserve, to
enhance the production of this species and to contribute to the boosting of the economy
of the region, we proceeded to the characterization of a small sample population of this
fruit tree of Castelo de Paiva in what concerns to its morphology and genetics. The
morphological and genetic characterization was performed for a total of 10 genotypes.
For this, 70 leaves were randomly collected from each tree. For 40 leaves, it was
measured the length, the width, the peduncle length, the wet weight, the dry weight and
determined the leaf area. Of the morphological characteristics analyzed, the ones that proved most useful in distinguishing the various genotypes were: the length peduncle, the
wet weight and the dry weight. The remaining 30 leaves were used in the genetic
characterization. This characterization was performed using a DNA marker, the ISSR.
The 5 primers used in the ISSR technique proved to be polymorphic. The results from
the genetic characterization suggest that variability in population genetics is medium to
high
The diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large plant clades: Apocynaceae as a case study
Background and Aims Large clades of angiosperms are often characterized by diverse interactions with pollinators, but how these pollination systems are structured phylogenetically and biogeographically is still uncertain for most families. Apocynaceae is a clade of >5300 species with a worldwide distribution. A database representing >10 % of species in the family was used to explore the diversity of pollinators and evolutionary shifts in pollination systems across major clades and regions. Methods The database was compiled from published and unpublished reports. Plants were categorized into broad pollination systems and then subdivided to include bimodal systems. These were mapped against the five major divisions of the family, and against the smaller clades. Finally, pollination systems were mapped onto a phylogenetic reconstruction that included those species for which sequence data are available, and transition rates between pollination systems were calculated. Key Results Most Apocynaceae are insect pollinated with few records of bird pollination. Almost three-quarters of species are pollinated by a single higher taxon (e.g. flies or moths); 7 % have bimodal pollination systems, whilst the remaining approx. 20 % are insect generalists. The less phenotypically specialized flowers of the Rauvolfioids are pollinated by a more restricted set of pollinators than are more complex flowers within the Apocynoids + Periplocoideae + Secamonoideae + Asclepiadoideae (APSA) clade. Certain combinations of bimodal pollination systems are more common than others. Some pollination systems are missing from particular regions, whilst others are over-represented. Conclusions Within Apocynaceae, interactions with pollinators are highly structured both phylogenetically and biogeographically. Variation in transition rates between pollination systems suggest constraints on their evolution, whereas regional differences point to environmental effects such as filtering of certain pollinators from habitats. This is the most extensive analysis of its type so far attempted and gives important insights into the diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large clades
Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in -tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV
Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton
collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against
a boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and
transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 GeV and in the pseudorapidity range . The
data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy
of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb. Triple
differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum
fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also
measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent
fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the
measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into
the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any
supplementary material and additional information, are available at
https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb
public pages
Study of the decay
The decay is studied
in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of TeV
using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5
collected by the LHCb experiment. In the system, the
state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is
resolved into two narrower states, and ,
whose masses and widths are measured to be where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second
systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a
prompt sample. Evidence of a new
state is found with a local significance of , whose mass and width
are measured to be and , respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode
is found with a significance of
. The relative branching fraction of with respect to the
decay is measured to be , where the first
uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from
the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb
public pages
Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions and
The ratios of branching fractions
and are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a
sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb of
integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The
tau lepton is identified in the decay mode
. The measured values are
and
, where the first uncertainty is
statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these
measurements is . Results are consistent with the current average
of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the
predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb
public pages
Arte, saúde mental e atenção pública: traços de uma cultura de cuidado na história da cidade de São Paulo
Multiple sclerosis in South America: month of birth in different latitudes does not seem to interfere with the prevalence or progression of the disease
Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study
Summary
Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally.
Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies
have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of
the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income
countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality.
Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to
hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis,
exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a
minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical
status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary
intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause,
in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status.
We did a complete case analysis.
Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital
diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal
malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome
countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male.
Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3).
Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income
countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups).
Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome
countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries;
p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients
combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11],
p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20
[1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention
(ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety
checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed
(ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of
parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65
[0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality.
Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome,
middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will
be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger
than 5 years by 2030
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