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The purpose of this study was to assess the motor competence of children with and without amblyopia. Study participants were 165 primary school children, aged 6–9 years, divided into three groups based on their visual acuity with the Snellen chart: (a) non-amblyopia, (b) corrected amblyopia, and (c) non-corrected amblyopia. We assessed the children’s motor competence with the Motor Competence Assessment battery (MCA) and their physical activity with the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). The non-amblyopia group presented significantly better motor competence on the MCA than either the corrected amblyopia group or the non-corrected amblyopia group; there were no statistically significant motor differences between the two amblyopia subgroups. Amblyopia versus non-amblyopia differences on the MCA were mainly in stability and locomotor components, involving dynamic balance and the change of spatial position and direction of movement, but not in the manipulative component (ball throwing velocity and ball kicking velocity). Predictably, from within an integrated visual motor perspective of child development, our findings suggest that intact vision played an important role in children’s motor competence. The development of fundamental motor skills, especially of stability and locomotor skills, may be affected by poor visual processing in that participants with uncorrected amblyopia showed poor movement accuracy, uncoordinated movement, and impaired balance.

Nowadays, there is an increasing concern regarding the shelf life of food products, leading producers to research natural antimicrobial agents to use in food preparation. In this study, we evaluated the antifungal activity of Lactobacillus plantarum fermented whey and then added the whey during preparation of pita bread to study shelf-life improvement. The fermented whey showed a satisfactory inhibitory (antifungal) effect against Penicillium expansum and Penicillium brevicompactum strains: the minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentrations ranged from 3.9 to 39.0 g/L and from 62.5 to 250 g/L, respectively. Addition of fermented whey increased the shelf life of the pita bread. After inoculation of the bread surface with Penicillium, an increase in shelf life until d 8 was achieved compared with the positive control, whereas under natural contamination conditions, an extension of shelf life until d 19 was observed. In terms of antimicrobial activity, the greatest reduction (100%) in fungal growth was achieved when all of the water in the dough was replaced with fermented whey. An untrained sensory panel could not identify differences between bread produced with fermented whey and control pita breads. These results suggest the possibility of using fermented whey in food preservation.

Highlights • Portuguese children (boys and girls) outperformed U.S. children in the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run test; additionally, Portuguese boys displayed better performance in the standing long jump. • Portuguese children demonstrated lower levels of handgrip strength and throwing speed than U.S. children. • There were no differences in kicking speed between boys from the 2 countries; however, the older group of U.S. girls demonstrated better performance than Portuguese girls. • Physical education curricula and sports participation may explain the differences between the countries., Background Motor competence and health-related fitness are important components for the development and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle in children. This study examined cross-cultural performances on motor competence and health-related fitness between Portuguese and U.S. children. Methods Portuguese (n = 508; 10.14 ± 2.13 years , mean ± SD) and U.S. (n = 710; 9.48 ± 1.62 years) children performed tests of cardiorespiratory fitness (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run), upper body strength (handgrip), locomotor skill performance (standing long jump), and object projection skill performance (throwing and kicking). Portuguese and U.S. children were divided into 2 age groups (6–9 and 10–13 years) for data analysis purposes. A two–factor one–way analysis of covariance (ANOVA) was conducted with the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run, handgrip, standing long jump scores, kicking, and throwing speed (km/h) as dependent variables. Results Results indicated that Portuguese children, irrespective of sex, presented better performances in locomotor and cardiorespiratory performance (standing long jump and Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) than U.S. children in both age bands. U.S. children outperformed Portuguese children during throwing and handgrip tests. Kicking tests presented gender differences: Portuguese boys and U.S. girls outperformed their internationally matched counterparts. Conclusion Cultural differences in physical education curricula and sports participation may impact differences in motor competence and fitness development in these countries.

Fungal spoilage is one of the main reasons of economic losses in the food industry, especially in the wine sector. Consequently, the search for safer and new preservation techniques has gained importance in recent years. The objective of this study was to investigate the antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic activity from 28 microorganisms (MO) isolated from red grape. The antifungal activity of a cell free supernatant of fermented medium by the isolated MO (CFS) was tested with the agar diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) assay. Additionally, different antifungal compounds from the CFS were identified and quantified (organic acids, phenolic compounds, and volatile organic compounds). Finally, the most active CFS were tested as red grape bio-preservative agents. Results evidenced that CFS fermented by the strain UTA 6 had the highest antifungal activity, above all isolates, and produced a wide pool of antifungal compounds. The use of UTA 6 CFS as bio-preservative agent showed a reduction of 0.4 and 0.6 log10 spores per gram of fruit in grapes contaminated by A. flavus and B. cinerea, respectively. Moreover, UTA 6 CFS treatment reduced the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 and fumonisin (B2, B3, and B4) production in grapes contaminated by 28–100%.

Aim: This study aimed to compare the MC levels of Brazilian and Portuguese schoolchildren from 4 to 11 years. Methods: One hundred and forty-eight Brazilian children were evaluated using the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) instrument and were later compared to the existent normative values of Portuguese children for a similar age range. Results: Our findings showed that MC increased with age, and boys outperformed girls, especially in the older age group. The distribution of the Brazilian children showed that while Brazilian boys perform above Portuguese normative values in 4 of the 6 tasks of the MCA, Brazilian girls perform below those values in all tasks, except for the standing long jump. Conclusion: The differences found, especially in girls, may be related to differences in the Physical Education curricula and how school recess periods are used. 4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodrigues N/A

RESUMO Adaptou-se para o português do Brasil o Motor Competence Assessment (MCA). Dois profissionais proficientes em português do Brasil traduziram, de forma independente, o MCA para a língua portuguesa (T1 e T2). Em seguida, gerou-se a versão traduzida de consenso (TU). Dois tradutores realizaram duas retroversões para português de Portugal (RT1 e RT2) da versão TU. Um novo processo de consenso entre tradutores e pesquisadores resultou em uma versão em português de Portugal (RTfinal), que foi comparada à versão original em busca de possíveis diferenças semânticas. A versão do instrumento em português do Brasil (TU), denominada “Avaliação da Competência Motora”, foi revisada por uma comissão de especialistas composta por um fisioterapeuta e dois educadores físicos para verificação do conteúdo, o que gerou a segunda versão de concordância (Tfinal). A Tfinal foi encaminhada a um dos autores da avaliação original para verificar a pertinência da versão em português do Brasil. Após essa etapa, 20 fisioterapeutas e 20 educadores físicos verificaram a aplicabilidade da avaliação. O MCA foi, então, adaptado culturalmente para o Brasil, sendo um instrumento relevante dado que ele avalia a competência motora sem limite de idade, podendo auxiliar no acompanhamento do desenvolvimento motor de indivíduos. RESUMEN Se adaptó al portugués brasileño la Motor Competence Assessment (MCA). Dos profesionales con dominio del portugués brasileño tradujeron de forma independiente la MCA al portugués (T1 y T2). Luego, se generó una versión traducida por consenso (TU). Dos traductores realizaron dos retrotraducciones al portugués de Portugal (RT1 y RT2) de la versión TU. Un nuevo proceso de consenso entre traductores e investigadores dio como resultado una versión al portugués de Portugal (RTfinal), que se comparó con la versión original en busca de posibles diferencias semánticas. La versión del instrumento en portugués brasileño (TU), denominada “Evaluación de la Competencia Motora”, fue revisada por un comité de especialistas compuesto por un fisioterapeuta y dos educadores físicos para verificar el contenido, lo que generó la segunda versión de acuerdo (Tfinal). La Tfinal fue enviada a uno de los autores de la evaluación original para verificar la relevancia de la versión al portugués brasileño. Luego, 20 fisioterapeutas y 20 educadores físicos verificaron la aplicabilidad de la evaluación. Así la MCA tuvo adaptación cultural para Brasil y resulta ser un instrumento relevante para evaluar la competencia motora sin límite de edad y ayudar en el seguimiento del desarrollo motor de los individuos. ABSTRACT We adapted the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) to Brazilian Portuguese. Two professionals proficient in Brazilian Portuguese independently translated the MCA into the Portuguese language (T1 and T2). Then, the translated version of consensus (TU) was generated. Two translators performed two back-translations in European Portuguese (BT1 and BT2) of the TU version. A new consensus process between translators and researchers resulted in a European Portuguese version (BTfinal), which was compared to the original version in search of possible semantic differences. A committee of experts, composed of a physical therapist and two physical educators to verify the content, reviewed the version of the instrument in Brazilian Portuguese (TU), called “Avaliação da Competência Motora,” which generated the second version of agreement (Tfinal). We sent the Tfinal to one of the authors of the original evaluation to verify the relevance of the Brazilian Portuguese version. After this step, 20 physical therapists and 20 physical educators verified the applicability of the evaluation model. The MCA was then culturally adapted for Brazil. It is a relevant instrument as it evaluates motor competence without age limit, and can assist in monitoring the motor development of individuals.

Objectives To understand the role of household variables on the percentage of physical activity (%PA) during the COVID-19 confinement in Portugal. Study Design A Cross-sectional study design using an anonymous online survey was launched to assess how Portuguese families with children under 13 years of age adjusted their daily routines to the confinement. Methods Separate ANOVAs were performed to investigate how factors, such as the number of children, age, sex, the housing characteristics, and the adults’ job situation, can affect the percentage of time for physical activity (%PA). Results Findings, based on data from 2159 children, indicate that: I) Boys and girls did not differ in the %PA on any of the age groups; II) Children with an outdoor space and who had other children in the household were significantly more active (p, Highlights • This study analyzes the role of household variables on the %PA of children under 13 years old, in confinement due to the COVID-19 situation. • Although confined to their house, boys and girls still allocate some time to PA tasks. • For children of both sexes and of all ages, the %PA showed to be positively affected by the existence of a big outdoor space, and by the presence of other children in the house. A negative effect was found when all adults were working from home. • Parents must be aware of the need to prioritize PA time for their children, and governments can regulate about both parents working from home when there are children confined with them.

During fish production processes, great amounts of by-products are generated, representing &asymp, 30&ndash, 70% of the initial weight. Thus, this research study is investigating 30 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) derived from the sea bass gastrointestinal tract, for anti-fungal activity. It has been previously suggested that LAB showing high proteolitic activity are the most suitable candidates for such an investigation. The isolation was made using a MRS (Man Rogosa Sharpe) broth cultivation medium at 37 &ordm, C under anaerobiosis conditions, while the evaluation of the enzymatic activity was made using the API&reg, ZYM kit. Taking into account the selected bacteria, a growing research was made fermenting two kinds of broths: (i) by-products (WB), and (ii) meat (MB). Both were fermented at three different times (24, 48 and 72 h). Then, the antifungal activities of both fermented by-products and meat broths were determined qualitatively and quantitatively in solid and liquid medium against two different strains of the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus and Fusarium. After the experiments, a total of 30 colonies were isolated, observing a proteolytic activity in 7 of the isolated strains, which belong to Lactobacillus genus, and the two more active strains were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as L. plantarum. Several strains evidenced antifungal activity showing an inhibition halo and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) values between 1&ndash, 32 g/L and 8&ndash, 32 g/L, respectively. In conclusion, the isolated bacteria of sea bass had the ability to promote the antifungal activity after the fermentation process, thus being a useful tool to give an added value to fish industry by-products.

Microbial fermentations have long represented a way of natural biopreservation of raw materials, which frequently originated new food products. Among them, traditionally fermented products still manufactured by native populations all around the world are source of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains with high biotechnological potential. LAB are food grade microorganisms and therefore a good alternative to chemicals to be applied in food preservation. A total of 130 LAB isolates recovered from “chicha” and “tocosh”, traditional fermented Andean products of vegetal origin, were screened for antimicrobial activities against spoiler fungi Meyerozyma guilliermondii CECT 1021 (synonym Pichia guilliermondii ), Penicillium roqueforti CECT 2905 NT , Aspergillus oryzae CECT 2094 NT and Aspergillus niger CECT 2807 as well as against foodborne pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 CECT 5947, Listeria innocua CECT 910 T and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi CECT 4138. LAB isolates represented nine species and four genera that exhibited a general inhibition of food pathogens and were also active against A. oryzae and M. guilliermondii while a poor inhibition of A. niger and P. roqueforti was produced. Antifungal activity of cell free supernatants (CFS) from seven selected strains grown in MRS was confirmed against toxigenic fungi Aspergillus parasiticus CECT 2681, Penicillium expansum CECT 2278 and Fusarium verticilloides CECT 2987 and also on the three foodborne bacteria included in the study. Phenyllactic and 3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acids were identified as the predominant bioactive compounds in CFS by QuEChERS extraction with LC-MS-LIT detection approach. Four out of seven strains free of antibiotic resistances involving L. plantarum M5MA1 and M9MM1 from chicha and L. fermentum T3M3 and Lc. mesenteroides T1M3 from tocosh showed high potential to be used as biopreservatives in food applications.

The aim of the present research was to obtain antioxidant compounds through the fermentation of fish byproducts by bacteria isolated from sea bass viscera. To that purpose, bacteria from sea bass stomach, intestine, and colon were isolated. With the selected bacteria, growing research was undertaken, fermenting different broths prepared with sea bass meat or byproducts. After the fermentation, the antioxidant activity, phenolic acids, and some proteins were evaluated. The main phenolic acids obtained were DL-3-phenyl-lactic acid and benzoic acid at a maximum concentration of 466 and 314 ppb, respectively. The best antioxidant activity was found in the extracts obtained after the fermentation of fish byproducts broth by bacteria isolated from the colon (6502 &mu, M TE) and stomach (4797 &mu, M TE). Moreover, a positive correlation was found between phenolic acids obtained after the fermentation process and the antioxidant activity of the samples. It was also concluded that the lactic acid bacteria isolated from sea bass had an important proteolytic capacity and were able to synthesize phenolic acids with antioxidant capacity. This work has shown the relevance of fermentation as a useful tool to valorize fish byproducts, giving them an added economic value and reducing their environmental impact.

Objectives: Growing evidence of the importance of motor competence for developing a healthy lifestyle has been established in the last decade. Nonetheless, no single instrument or observation tool have been able to fully measure this construct, particularly because most were built for the diagnosis of children in risk for motor impairment; are limited to a few years of the developmental span; lack objectivity in the assessment protocols; or do not include the locomotor, stability, and manipulative components. This led to the difficulty of comparing researches, and longitudinally follow children into adulthood. Recently, a novel proposal to assess motor competence was presented - the Motor Competence Assessment (MCA) - and this study aims to present the MCA normative data from 3-to-23 years. Design and methods: Two thousand and eighty-seven participants (1102 boys) between 3 and 23 years of age were evaluated in the MCA (standing long jump, 10 m shuttle run,throwing velocity, kicking velocity, lateral jumps, shifting platforms). Results for each test were introduced in the LMS Chartmaker 2.3. The best model for test and sex was used, resulting in normative curves and percentile values. Results: Final norms showed a good fit to the instrument developmental expectations, allowing to differ entiate and classify performances along the age interval. Conclusions: The MCA age- and sex- normative values allow to assess motor competence from childhood to early adulthood. Future directions will include obtaining a total MCA score and the normative scores for the MCA components (stability, locomotion, object control), and to expand the norms to adulthood and old age 4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodrigues info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

During long periods without school, children are more susceptible to unhealthy behaviors, such as an increase in sedentary behaviors, which has a negative impact on children?s motor competence (MC). The COVID-19 lockdown offered us a unique opportunity to test, in a quasi-experimental setting, the impact of lockdown movement restrictions on children?s MC. We assessed the motor competence of 114 children aged 6?9 years using the motor competence assessment. All children were tested before and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Chi-square and 2 ? 2 ANOVA (sex by moment) were used to further analyze the data. Regardless of sex, motor performances in all tests (except for jumping sideways in boys) were lower when compared with performances before lockdown. There was a marked decreasing trend in children?s levels of MC, shifting from an upper to a lower quartile in different tests. The results after the lockdown were always significantly inferior to the results before lockdown in all motor tests (except jumping sideways), in the three components of MC, and in global MC. Children?s global MC score decreased by an average of 13 points in boys and 16 points in girls. The imposed movement restrictions had a negative effect on children?s motor competence development. 4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodrigues N/A

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most important cereal diseases worldwide, causing yield losses and contamination of harvested products with mycotoxins. Fusarium graminearum is one of the most common FHB-causing species in wheat and barley cropping systems. We assessed the ability of different botanical extracts to suppress essential stages of the fungal life cycle using three strains of F. graminearum (FG0410, FG2113, and FG1145). The botanicals included aqueous extracts from white mustard (Sinapis alba) seed flour (Pure Yellow Mustard [PYM] and Tillecur [Ti]) as well as milled Chinese galls (CG). At 2% concentration (wt/vol), PYM and Ti completely inhibited growth of mycelium of all F. graminearum strains whereas, at 1%, CG reduced the growth by 65 to 83%, depending on the strain. While PYM and Ti reduced the germination of both conidia and ascospores at 2% (wt/vol), CG was only effective in reducing conidia germination. Perithecia formation of FG0410 but not FG2113 was suppressed by all botanicals. Moreover, application of botanicals on mature perithecia led to a two- to fourfold reduction in discharge of ascospores. Using liquid chromatography (LC) with diode array detection, we quantified the principal glucosinolate component sinalbin of PYM and Ti. LC time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to demonstrate that the bioactive matrix of CG contains different gallotannins as well as gallic and tannic acids. Possible antifungal mechanisms of the botanical matrices are discussed. The results of this study are promising and suggest that PYM, Ti, and CG should be explored further for efficacy at managing FHB. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by the metabolism of fungus belonging to the genus Aspergillus and Penicillium. In this paper we report, the capacity of different cultures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to degrade OTA present in MRS broth at both pH 3.5 and 6.5. A study of OTA reduction during gastrointestinal digestion carried out with the LAB was also performed. Taking into account the two reduction mechanisms of OTA studied in this work as the enzymatic one and the adsorption on the cell wall, as well as at pH 3.5 and 6.5 the reduction values of OTA were in a range of 30–99%, being the strains with greater reduction (97% and 95%) Lb. rhamnosus CECT 278T and Lb. plantarum CECT 749 respectively. In the experiments carried out digesting the OTA in MRS medium with LAB, the highest bioaccessibility reduction was observed by the strain of Lb. johnsonii CECT 289, showing a mean reduction around all the gastrointestinal digestion process of 97.4%. The mass spectrometry associated to the linear ion trap method identified ochratoxin alpha (OTα) m/z = 256.1 and phenylalanine (Phe) m/z = 166.1 as the major metabolites of OTA degradation in LAB cultures.

Background and aims In the last twenty years, there has been increasing evidence that Motor Competence (MC) is vital for developing an active and healthy lifestyle. This study analyses the associations between motor competence and its components, with health-related fitness (HRF). Methods A random sample of 546 children (278 males, mean = 10.77 years) divided into four age groups (7?8; 9?10; 11?12; 13?14 years old) was evaluated. A quantitative MC instrument (evaluating stability, locomotor and manipulative skills), a maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test and the handgrip test, height and BMI were used in the analyses. Pearson correlations and standard regression modelling were performed to explore the associations between variables. Results Moderate to strong significant correlations (0.49 < r < 0.73) were found between MC and HRF, for both sexes, and correlation values were stable across the age groups. The MC model explained 74% of the HRF variance, with the locomotor component being the highest predictor for the entire sample (? = .302; p < .001). Gender-related differences were found when boys and girls were analysed at each age group. Locomotor MC for girls was the most consistent significant predictor of HRF across all age groups (0.47 < ? < 0.65; all p .001). For boys, significant predictors were locomotor and manipulative MC (0.21 < ? < 0.49; all p < .05) in the two younger age groups (7?8 and 9?10 years) and stability (0.50 < ? < 0.54; all p .001) for the older two age groups (11?12 and 13?14 years). Conclusion These results support the idea that: (1) the relationship between overall MC and HRF is strong and stable across childhood and early adolescence; (2) when accounting for the different MC components, boys and girls show different relationship patterns with HFR across age. 4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodrigues info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

The development of motor competence (MC) is essential in childhood. In this respect, previous studies have found several positive associations of the MC with physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical fitness, and perceived physical competence, as well as an inverse association with weight status. The lack of MC during this stage might, therefore, compromise the future adoption of active and healthier lifestyles. This review aimed at listing and examining the different instruments that have been used to evaluate MC in typically developing children, pointing the weakness and strengths from the perspective of Physical Education (PE) teachers. A systematic search of six electronic databases was conducted. Research designs included cross-sectional, longitudinal or experimental/quasi-experimental. Forty-two articles were identified according to the inclusion criteria. A preference for quantitative measures (21 studies) was verified comparatively to a more qualitative approach (13 studies), although eight studies used both measures. Additionally, we have found that 34 studies used standardized protocol tests and eight studies used protocols developed by the authors. In general the protocols exhibited some strong points, however several presented weaknesses that can limit their application in PE classes, such as the excessive amount of time required, the large number of tasks, the ceiling or floor effects, and the fact that not all MC components are simultaneously evaluated. Different instruments and methodologies have been used to evaluate MC. Finally, a quantitative standardized protocol test is suggested, with proper reliability and validity, which can be used by physical education professionals. RESUMO O desenvolvimento da competência motora é essencial na infância. Estudos anteriores encontraram várias associações positivas da CM com a atividade física, aptidão cardiorrespiratória, aptidão física e competência motora percebida, bem como uma associação inversa com o peso. A falta de CM durante a infância pode, portanto, comprometer a futura adopção de estilos de vida ativos e saudáveis. Esta revisão tem como objetivo verificar e examinar os diferentes instrumentos que têm sido utilizados para avaliar CM em crianças com desenvolvimento típico, referindo ainda a fraqueza e os pontos fortes do ponto de vista dos professores de Educação Física. Foi realizada uma pesquisa sistemática em seis bases de dados electrónicas. Foram incluídos estudos transversais, longitudinais e experimentais/quasi-experimentais. Quarenta e dois artigos foram identificados de acordo com os critérios de inclusão. A preferência por medidas quantitativas (21 estudos) foi verificada relativamente a uma abordagem mais qualitativa (13 estudos), embora oito estudos utilizaram ambas as medidas. Além disso, descobrimos que 34 estudos usaram protocolos estandardizados e oito estudos protocolos desenvolvidos pelos autores utilizados. Em geral, os protocolos exibiram alguns pontos fortes, no entanto várias deficiências foram apresentadas que podem limitar a sua aplicação em aulas de educação física, tais como a quantidade excessiva de tempo necessário para avaliar, o grande número de tarefas, os efeitos de teto ou de chão, e o facto de que nem todos as componentes da CM são avaliadas simultaneamente. Diferentes instrumentos e metodologias têm sido utilizadas para avaliar a CM, no entanto não parece existir um instrumento ideal. Por fim, é sugerido um protocolo quantitativo padronizado, com fiabilidade e validade adequada, que pode ser usado por profissionais de educação física.

Food spoilage caused by mycotoxigenic moulds represents an important problem in food security. The antimicrobial peptides are compounds of natural origin constituted by a variable number (5–100) of amino acids held together through peptide bonds. In this work, the cell free supernatants (CFSs) containing peptides obtained from four strains of LAB were lyophilized, filtered and tested to determine the antifungal activity against Aspergillus Parasiticus and Penicillium expansum . CFS obtained by Lactobacillus plantarum showed the highest inhibition activity. CFS was fractionated by size exclusion chromatography and injected into the liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector. One of the recollected fractions resulted interesting for the presence of three peaks that were purified by the technique of the LC-DAD using a semi preparative C18 column. Finally, the antifungal activity of the purified peptides was studied against A. Parasiticus and P. expansum in liquid medium. The MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry was used for the peptides identification. The three purified peptides presented an amino acidic sequence identified by a bioinformatics program of SGADTTFLTK, LVGKKVQTF, and GTLIGQDYK. The first peptide purified reduced 58% and 73% the growth of P. expansum and A. parasiticus , respectively, in liquid medium after 48 h incubation.

Wheat, the main source of carbohydrates worldwide, can be attacked by a wide number of phytopathogenic fungi, included Alternaria species. Alternaria species commonly occur on wheat worldwide and produce several mycotoxins such as tenuazonic acid (TA), alternariol (AOH), alternariol-monomethyl ether (AME), and altenuene (ALT), provided of haemato-toxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic activities. The contamination by Alternaria species of wheat kernels, collected in Tuscany, Italy, from 2013 to 2016, was evaluated. Alternaria contamination was detected in 93 out of 100 field samples, with values ranging between 1 and 73% (mean of 18%). Selected strains were genetically characterized by multi-locus gene sequencing approach through combined sequences of allergen alt1a, glyceraldeyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and translation elongation factor 1&alpha, genes. Two well defined groups were generated, namely sections Alternaria and Infectoriae. Representative strains were analyzed for mycotoxin production. A different mycotoxin profile between the sections was shown. Of the 54 strains analyzed for mycotoxins, all strains included in Section Alternaria produced AOH and AME, 40 strains (99%) produced TA, and 26 strains (63%) produced ALT. On the other hand, only a very low capability to produce both AOH and AME was recorded among the Section Infectoriae strains. These data show that a potential mycotoxin risk related to the consumption of Alternaria contaminated wheat is high.

Filter paper and stickers containing allyl isothiocyanate (AIT), as well as pouches containing mustard meal and water for intrinsic production of AIT, were tested against aflatoxigenic strains of Penicillium digitatum CECT 2954 and Aspergillus parasiticus CECT 2681 in sliced mozzarella. Slices were inoculated with either fungus, packaged in plastic bags or plastic trays with one antimicrobial device (2–16 µL/L of AIT). Control groups presented visual growth of P. digitatum after 19.0 ± 1.5 d in bags and 26.1 ± 2.1 d in trays. A. parasiticus was visually detectable after 41.4 ± 1.7 d and 28.4 ± 1.5 d in trays and bags, respectively. AIT‐treated samples did not present visual fungal growth for 60 d. In trays, aflatoxin B₁ was present only in the control; and in plastic bags it was found in the control (6.03 ± 1.23 mg/kg) and in groups treated with 2‐µL/L AIT: filter 0.03 ± 0.05, sticker 0.56 ± 0.13 and pouches 2.02 ± 0.05 mg/kg. Results show that all devices could increase the shelf life and safety of mozzarella. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: AIT is a component of brown/black mustard essential oil with antimicrobial activity. This natural substance was used in a newly designed bioactive packaging system to inhibit fungal growth. The device was an effective alternative to inhibit the growth of P. digitatum and A. parasiticus in sliced mozzarella cheese packaged in plastic bags or plastic trays. The antimicrobial sticker could be easily applied in products that are sliced in supermarkets and specialized shops, as well as in the industry avoiding the use of synthetic preservatives, such as sorbates and propionates.

Objectives: This study was aimed at developing a quantitative model to evaluate motor competence (MC) in children and adolescents, to be applicable in research, education, and clinical contexts. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: A total of 584 children (boys n = 300) with ages between 6 and 14 years were assessed using nine well known quantitative motor tasks, divided into three major components (stability, locomotor and manipulative). Structural equation modelling through EQS 6.1 was used to find the best model for representing the structural and measurement validity of MC. Results: The final MC model was composed by three latent factors closely related with each other. Each factor was best represented by two of the initial three motor tasks chosen. The model was shown to give a very good overall fit (X2 = 12.04, p = .061; NFI = .982; CFI = .991; RMSEA= .059). Conclusions: MC can be parsimoniously represented by six quantitative motor tasks, grouped into three interrelated factors. The developed model was shown to be robust when applied to different samples, demonstrating a good structural and measurement reliability. The use of a quantitative protocol with few, simple to administer and well known, motor tasks, is an important advantage of this model, since it can be used in several contexts with different objectives. We find it especially beneficial for physical educations teachers who have to regularly assess their students. 4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodrigues info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Observations in studies of estimation compared to actual performance in motor skills revealed that children are not always accurate and have a tendency to overestimate the maximum distance at which an action can be performed. The relationship between estimated and real motor competences was analyzed for several tasks: standing long jump (SLJ), throwing and kicking, and walking backwards (WB) on a balance beam. Children were asked to predict their maximum distance prior to performing those tasks. Participants were 303 children (160 boys), which were between 6 and 10 years of age (M=8.63, SD=1.16). Children’s estimations were compared with their real performance to determine their accuracy. Absolute error (|real performance − estimation|) and error tendency, that is, the direction of the error (overestimation, accuracy, and underestimation bias), were calculated. Children had a tendency to overestimate their performance and were more conservative in the WB task, a noncommon action. In general, it is possible to conclude that children, in the studied age span, tend to overestimate their performance, particularly in familiar skills. This fact may be determinant to the development of their motor competences, since they are more likely to engage and persist in motor tasks, but it might also be a problem in terms of child safety because it could increase the occurrence of unintended injuries.

We present a rare case of pelvic splenosis, and its imaging findings, in a 54-year-old female complaining of pelvic pain and vaginal bleeding for several months. Splenosis is a benign acquired condition defined as heterotopic auto-transplantation of splenic tissue to other compartments of the body and occurs after rupture of the spleen, either traumatic or iatrogenic. Symptoms are unspecific and vary according to the location of the implants; commonly the presenting symptom is abdominal pain or enlarging abdominal mass. Owing to its intrinsic properties and safety, magnetic resonance imaging is a valuable imaging modality, in which the splenosis implants may be securely identified, showing the same signal characteristics and enhancing patterns of the normal spleen, especially visualization of serpiginous enhancement on the arterial phase is virtually diagnostic.

This study examined motor competence (MC) behavior in 6- to 14-year-old children, and investigated the differences in health-related fitness (HRF) between high and low MC groups, according to sex and age. A sample of 564 children (288 males) participated in this study, divided into three age groups (6?8 years; 9?11 years; 12?14 years). Total MC and its three components (stability, locomotor, and manipulative) were assessed with a quantitative instrument. HRF was evaluated using a maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test and the handgrip test. Participants were divided into tertiles according to their MC level and high and low MC groups were analyzed. Overall, MC increased across age groups for both sexes, but boys presented better results than girls. The high MC group outperformed their low MC peers in all HRF variables, independent of their age group. Although cardiovascular fitness increased with age for both the high and low MC groups, the differences between these groups were greater in older children compared to younger children, within the study age range. The findings suggest that MC interventions should be considered as an important strategy to enhance HRF, and girls at a young age should be a priority target. 4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo Rodrigues info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

ɛ‐Poly‐l‐lysine (ɛ‐PL) is a cationic peptide with a broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activity. This study investigates the use of ɛ‐PL as natural antimicrobial to inhibit fungal growth and to reduce aflatoxins (AFs) production. Antifungal activity of starch biofilms with different concentrations of ɛ‐Poly‐l‐lysine (ɛ‐PL) was determined in solid medium against Aspergillus parasiticus (AFs producer) and Penicillium expansum. Then, biofilms were tested as antimicrobial devices for the preservation of bread loaf inoculated with A. parasiticus CECT 2681 and P. expansum CECT 2278. Shelf life and AFs content were examined. Biofilms with concentrations of ɛ‐PL less than 1.6 mg/cm2 showed no fungal growth inhibition in solid medium, while the antifungal activity of the films with greater than 1.6 mg/cm2 of ɛ‐PL was dose dependent. The shelf life of bread inoculated with A. parasiticus was increased by 1 day with the use of films containing 1.6–6.5 mg ɛ‐PL/cm2, while shelf life of bread tainted with P. expansum was increased by 3 day with 6.5 mg ɛ‐PL/cm2. AFs production was greatly inhibited by ɛ‐PL biofilms (93–100%). Thus, ɛ‐PL biofilms could be potentially used as antimicrobial device during bread storage as a natural alternative to the synthetic preservatives. Practical applications Ɛ‐Polylysin is a natural substance from microbial metabolism. Polylysine has a function to prevent a microbe from proliferating by ionic adsorption in the microbe. ɛ‐polylysine has a wide antibacterial spectrum and has an obvious lethal effect on Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, yeast, mold, viruses, etc. It has a good antibacterial effect on the Gram‐negative bacteria E. coli and Salmonellae, which are difficult to control with other natural preservatives. ɛ‐Polylysine has already been used generally as a food additive in Japan, Korea and other part of world. In the United States, FDA has recognized the polylysine as a GRAS material. Considered the positive results obtained in the study, this compound could be used for the production of antimicrobial biofilms, applied as separator slices in the loaf bread production, to prevent the growth of the mycotoxigenic fungi A. parasiticus and P. expansum, contributing to reduce the use of the synthetically preservatives in bakery industry and also of the negative impact that these compounds could generate on the health of the end users.