Suchergebnisse

O leite caprino tem grande importância socioeconômica na produção de alimentos no Nordeste brasileiro, sendo a pecuária caprina uma das principais atividades realizadas na região Semiárida. Ademais, é importante ressaltar que o Semiárido Paraibano se caracteriza por apresentar condições ambientais de terras áridas e de baixa pluviosidade, onde os caprinos têm no bioma Caatinga sua principal fonte alimentar. Uma vez que, o leite caprino apresenta várias particularidades, sendo um alimento de alta digestibilidade e de elevado valor nutricional, o consumo deste produto vem aumentando devido à procura por derivados lácteos (com ênfase aos queijos) e aos problemas de alergia ao leite bovino. Produtos lácteos caprinos apresentam potencial para diversificação e comercialização, mas são pouco encontrados no mercado. Neste sentido, o estudo teve por objetivo desenvolver queijo caprino Minas Frescal quanto a caracterização físico-química e avalição do perfil de textura. Os queijos foram denominados de Q+S (queijo Minas Frescal adicionado de sal à massa) e Q-S (queijo Minas Frescal sem adição de sal à massa, e analisados após 24 horas de armazenamento a 4 °C. Sendo assim, o desenvolvimento de queijo caprino Minas Frescal seguindo as boas práticas de fabricação possibilita a exploração desse nicho já existente na Paraíba que vem se difundindo cada vez mais na indústria de produtos lácteos e na sociedade, podendo dessa forma representar uma estratégia fundamental para a garantia da sustentabilidade do setor.

Producción Científica ; Cartilage diseases currently affect a high percentage of the world's population. Almost all of these diseases, such as osteoarthritis (OA), cause inflammation of this soft tissue. However, this could be controlled with biomaterials that act as an anti-inflammatory delivery system, capable of dosing these drugs over time in a specific area. The objective of this study was to incorporate etanercept (ETA) into porous three-layer scaffolds to decrease the inflammatory process in this soft tissue. ETA is a blocker of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). For this reason, the scaffold was built based on natural polymers, including chitosan and type I collagen. The scaffold was grafted next to subchondral bone using hydroxyapatite as filler. One of the biomaterials obtained was also crosslinked to compare its mechanical properties with the non-treated one. Both samples' physicochemical properties were studied with SEM, microCT and photoacoustic imaging, and their rheological properties were also compared. The cell viability and proliferation of the human chondrocyte C28/I2 cell line were studied in vitro. An in vitro and in vivo controlled release study was evaluated in both specimens. The ETA anti-inflammatory effect was also studied by in vitro TNF-α and IL-6 production. The crosslinked and non-treated scaffolds had rheological properties suitable for this application. They were non-cytotoxic and favoured the in vitro growth of chondrocytes. The in vitro and in vivo ETA release showed desirable results for a drug delivery system. The TNF-α and IL-6 production assay showed that this drug was effective as an anti-inflammatory agent. In an in vivo OA mice model, safranin-O and fast green staining was carried out. The OA cartilage tissue improved when the scaffold with ETA was grafted in the damaged area. These results demonstrate that this type of biomaterial has high potential for clinical applications in tissue engineering and as a controlled drug delivery system in OA articular cartilage. ; European Union through the Erasmus PLUS doctoral fellowship (project 2015-1-NL01-KA 107-008639) ; VIDI personal grant (project 723.012.110)

This survey was funded from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, Grant Agreement no. 693221 as part of the PROMISE project and was administered by the University of Tartu, Estonia.
It covers various areas of societal and political participation, conflict/support experiences, efficacy, and selected values of young and adult people in ten European countries, with a short standardized questionnaire being used to collect reports on perceptions, attitudes and behaviours.
The survey was administered using a central survey server at the Universtity of Tartu and used samples recruited from various standing online panels in the participating countries, i.e. effectively a quota sampling design was employed. Young persons in the age bracket 15-29 years were oversampled to achieve a realized case count of at least 600 such persons in each country.
More information on http://www.promise.manchester.ac.uk/en/home-page/

Pyruvate is a normal constituent of the body that participates in carbohydrate metabolism and functions as a scavenger of free radicals. Calcium pyruvate monohydrate (CPM) is a more stable derivative that has proved its anti-inflammatory effect in experimental colitis, among other disorders, and that could also be considered a source of calcium. Thus, it would be useful for the treatment of diseases with an inflammatory component and a high prevalence of osteoporosis like the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of CPM in a rat model of chronic post-inflammatory visceral pain induced by deoxycholic acid (DCA) that resembles IBS. Rats were administered DCA for three days intracolonically and then treated daily with CPM (40 and 100 mg/kg) or gabapentin (70 mg/kg) (positive control) by oral gavage for 17 days. The treatments reduced the visceral hypersensitivity measured by response to colorectal distension and referred pain. DCA induced changes in the colonic immune response characterized by increased expression of the cytokine Il-1b and the inducible enzyme Cox-2, which was reduced by the treatments. DCA also decreased the gut expression of the mucins Muc-2 and Muc-3, which was normalized by CPM, whereas gabapentin only increased significantly Muc-3. Moreover, DCA increased the expression of Tlr3, which was decreased to basal levels by all the treatments. However, the serotonin receptor Htr-4, which was also elevated, was not affected by any of the treatments, indicating no effect through this signalling pathway. In conclusion, CPM ameliorated the visceral hypersensitivity and the referred pain caused by DCA, being as effective as the control drug. Furthermore, it improved the immune status of the animals, which could contribute to the visceral analgesia and the regeneration of the intestinal epithelial barrier integrity. ; This work was supported by the Junta de Andalucía (CTS 164) and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2015-67995-C3-3-R) with funds from the European Union. The CIBER-EHD is funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III.

This issue of JKGE is devoted to the specific conditions of educational processes in the pluri-cultural and multilingual regions of Eastern Europe. In the context of globally oriented research on the Enlightenment epoch, issues at the forefront include knowledge diffusion, translation, networking, interferences, asynchronicities, and ambivalences.

The objective of this work was to analyze the socio-environmental conflict that develops in the community of Rio Carvão, in the municipality of Urussanga, in the south of the State of Santa Catarina. The conflict involves residents of the community and the company UM Urussanga Minérios Ltda. In the locality there are environmental liabilities arising from the activity of mining coal carried out in the past, currently the atmospheric pollution caused by the emission of gases from the processing of coal is directly impacting the lives of residents. The methodology used was based on historicity, temporality, characterization and context, seeking to establish a dialogue with the environmental and social sciences. It was identified that the social actors of the conflict are the Rio Carvão Community Association versus the UM company, with the involvement of the Public Ministry and the municipal government, represented by the city council of Urussanga. The conflict has historical origins in the use and appropriation of natural resources, enhanced by the increase in the emission of gases by the company that found itself in the community due to the harmful way it has been developing its activities.

Introduction: Phthalates, a group of ubiquitous industrial chemicals, have been widely used in occupational settings, mainly as plasticizers in a variety of applications. Occupational exposure to different phthalates has been studied in several occupational settings using human biomonitoring (HBM). Aim: To provide a comprehensive review of the available literature on occupational exposure to phthalates assessed using HBM and to determine future data needs on the topic as part of the HBM4EU project. Methods: A systematic search was carried out in the databases of Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published between 2000 and September 4, 2019 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 22 studies on the occupational HBM of phthalates was considered suitable for review. Results and discussion: Among the reviewed studies, 19 (86%) focused on DEHP, an old phthalate that is now subject to authorization and planned to be restricted in the EU. Concentrations of MEHHP, one of its metabolites, varied up to 13-fold between studies and across sectors when comparing extreme geometric means, ranging from 11.6 (similar to the general populations) to 151 μg/g creatinine. Only 2 studies focused on newer phthalates such as DiNP and DPHP. Concerning the geographical distribution, 10 studies were performed in Europe (including 6 in Slovakia), 8 in Asia, and 4 in North America, but this distribution is not a good reflection of phthalate production and usage levels worldwide. Most HBM studies were performed in the context of PVC product manufacturing. Future studies should focus on: i) a more uniform approach to sampling timing to facilitate comparisons between studies; ii) newer phthalates; and iii) old phthalates in waste management or recycling. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the lack of recent occupational HBM studies on both old and new phthalate exposure in European countries and the need for a harmonized approach. Considering the important policy actions taken in Europe regarding phthalates, it seems relevant to evaluate the impact of these actions on exposure levels and health risks for workers. ; publishersversion ; published

Neosporosis, a parasitic disease prevalent worldwide, is caused by the protozoan Neospora caninum, an obligatory intracellular parasite that can cause abortions and infertility in females, resulting in high economic losses. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies against N. caninum in dairy cattle, and the occurrence of antibodies in dogs from farms in the municipality of Cunha, São Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, eighteen months after the primary study, an analysis to determine the incidence, seroconversion, and occurrence of anti-N. caninum antibodies was conducted in cows. Sampling was carried out in two phases: during the first one, 400 dairy cattle and 50 dog blood samples from 40 farms were collected. During the second phase, blood samples were collected from 119 cows belonging to 16 farms visited 18 months before. Serum samples were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) with titers ? 100 for cattle and ? 50 for dogs considered as positives. The occurrence of antibodies against N. caninum was 15.0% (60/400) and 14.0% (7/50) for cattle and dogs, respectively. After 18 months, the observed incidence of antibodies was 7.4% (4/54), the conversion detected was 71.4% (seropositive to seronegative) and 7.4% (seronegative to seropositive animals), and the observed occurrence was 7.56% (9/119). The calculated odds ratio (OR) was significant (p < 0.05) for abortions, presence of dogs, and parturition stalls. However, protection factors were identified in 2- to 4-year-old dairy cattle and in the number of lactating cows ? 10 animals. Thus, the presence of antibodies against N. caninum in the studied suggested both vertical and horizontal transmission are occurring in cattle.

This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia - Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (FCT-MCTES, Portugal) projects PTDC/QUI-BIQ/112929/2009, PTDC/SAU-ENB/117013/2010 and PTDC/BBB-BQB/3494/2014, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (FCG, Portugal) project Science Frontiers Research Prize 2010, European Union Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange H2020-MSCA-RISE-2014 project INPACT (Grant 644167), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq, Brazil, grant numbers 471239/2012-7 and 306669/2013-7) and Fundacao Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ, Brazil, grant numbers E-26/110.636/2012, E-26/110.092/2013 and E-26/201.167/2014). AFF acknowledges FCT-MCTES fellowship SFRH/BD/77609/2011. MS acknowledges FCT-MCTES fellowship PD/BD/128202/2016. ICM acknowledges consecutive funding from the FCT-MCTES fellowship SFRH/BPD/74287/2010 and the Program "Investigador FCT" (IF/00772/2013 Research Contract). This work was also supported by LISBOA01-0145-FEDER-007391 project, cofunded by FEDER, through POR Lisboa 2020 -Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa, PORTUGAL 2020, and Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia. The NMR spectrometers at FCT NOVA are part of Rede Nacional de RMN (PTNMR), supported by FCT-MCTES (ROTEIRO/0031/2013 - PINFRA/22161/2016) co-funded by FEDER through COMPETE 2020, POCI, and PORL and FCT through PIDDAC. ; Understanding protein structure and dynamics, which govern key cellular processes, is crucial for basic and applied research. Intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) regions display multifunctionality via alternative transient conformations, being key players in disease mechanisms. IDP regions are abundant, namely in small viruses, allowing a large number of functions out of a small proteome. The relation between protein function and structure is thus now seen from a different perspective: as IDP regions enable transient structural arrangements, each conformer can play different roles within the cell. However, as IDP regions are hard and time-consuming to study via classical techniques (optimized for globular proteins with unique conformations), new methods are required. Here, employing the dengue virus (DENV) capsid (C) protein and the immunoglobulin-binding domain of streptococcal protein G, we describe a straightforward NMR method to differentiate the solvent accessibility of single amino acid N-H groups in structured and IDP regions. We also gain insights into DENV C flexible fold region biological activity. The method, based on minimal pH changes, uses the well-established 1 H- 15 N HSQC pulse sequence and is easily implementable in current protein NMR routines. The data generated are simple to interpret, with this rapid approach being an useful first-choice IDPs characterization method. ; publishersversion ; published

<b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> Personalised nutrition has potential to revolutionise dietary health promotion if accepted by the general public. We studied trust and preferences regarding personalised nutrition services, how they influence intention to adopt these services, and cultural and social differences therein. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 9,381 participants were quota-sampled to be representative of each of 9 EU countries (Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, and Norway) and surveyed by a questionnaire assessing their intention to adopt personalised nutrition, trust in service regulators and information sources, and preferences for service providers and information channels. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Trust and preferences significantly predicted intention to adopt personalised nutrition. Higher trust in the local department of health care was associated with lower intention to adopt personalised nutrition. General practitioners were the most trusted of service regulators, except in Portugal, where consumer organisations and universities were most trusted. In all countries, family doctors were the most trusted information providers. Trust in the National Health Service as service regulator and information source showed high variability across countries. Despite its highest variability across countries, personal meeting was the preferred communication channel, except in Spain, where an automated internet service was preferred. General practitioners were the preferred service providers, except in Poland, where dietitians and nutritionists were preferred. The preference for dietitians and nutritionists as service providers highly varied across countries. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> These results may assist in informing local initiatives to encourage acceptance and adoption of country-specific tailored personalised nutrition services, therefore benefiting individual and public health.

OBJECTIVES: Intestinal carriage constitutes an important reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, with some of the highest rates reported from Asia. Antibiotic resistance has been little studied in Laos, where some antibiotics are available without restriction, but others such as carbapenems are not available. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected stools from 397 healthy children in 12 randomly selected pre-school childcare facilities in and around Vientiane. Colonization with ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBLE) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) was detected using a disc diffusion screening test and ESBLE were characterized using WGS. Risk factor data were collected by questionnaire. RESULTS: Ninety-two children (23%) were colonized with ESBLE, mainly Escherichia coli carrying blaCTX-M and Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying blaSHV or blaCTX-M, which were frequently resistant to multiple antibiotic classes. Although residence in Vientiane Capital, foreign travel, higher maternal level of education, antibiotic use in the preceding 3 months and attending a childcare facility with a 'good' level of hygiene were all associated with ESBLE colonization on univariable analysis, a significant association remained only for antibiotic use when a stepwise approach was used with a multivariate random-effects model. WGS analysis suggested transmission in both childcare facilities and community settings. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of paediatric colonization with ESBLE in Laos, one of the highest reported in Asia, is probably the result of inappropriate antibiotic use. Paediatric colonization with CPE was not identified in this study, but it is important to continue to monitor the spread of antibiotic-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Laos.