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A well-known reduced model employed to study the wave dynamics is the Boussinesq model. Despite being extensively studied, to our knowledge, there is no research available on a Boussinesq model featuring a sponge layer. Therefore, in this work, we present a Boussinesq model with a sponge layer. Furthermore, we carry out a numerical investigation to explore the advantages and limitations of the proposed model. For this purpose, we compare the numerical solutions of the model with and without the sponge in certain scenarios. The numerical solutions are computed by a pseudospectral method. Our results show that the Boussinesq model with a sponge layer is numerically stable and advantageous because it is able to absorb low-amplitude waves, allowing it to run the numerical simulations for long periods of time without requiring a large spatial domain, but it is not able to absorb high-amplitude waves.

This study investigates numerically the interaction between a Gaussian pulse and variable topography using the linear Euler equations. The impact of topography variation on the amplitude and behavior of the wave pulse is examined through numerical simulations and statistical analysis. On one hand, we show that for slowly varying topographies, the incoming pulse almost retains its shape, and little energy is transferred to the small reflected waves. On the other hand, we demonstrate that for rapidly varying topographies, the shape of the pulse is destroyed, which is different from previous studies.

Summary: Background: Integrase inhibitor (INSTI) with boosted darunavir (DRV/r), a regimen with a high-resistance barrier, avoiding NRTI toxicities, might be a switching option in children living with HIV (CLWHIV). Methods: SMILE is a randomised non-inferiority trial evaluating safety and antiviral efficacy of once-daily INSTI + DRV/r vs. continuing on current standard-of-care (SOC) triple ART (2NRTI + boosted PI/NNRTI) in virologically-suppressed CLWHIV aged 6–18 years. The primary outcome is the proportion with confirmed HIV-RNA ≥50 copies/mL by week 48, estimated by Kaplan–Meier method. Non-inferiority margin was 10%. Registration number for SMILE are: ISRCTN11193709, NCT #: NCT02383108. Findings: Between 10th June 2016 and 30th August 2019, 318 participants were enrolled from Africa 53%, Europe 24%, Thailand 15% and Latin America 8%, 158 INSTI + DRV/r [153 Dolutegravir (DTG); 5 Elvitegravir (EVG)], 160 SOC. Median (range) age was 14.7 years (7.6–18.0); CD4 count 782 cells/mm3 (227–1647); 61% female. Median follow-up was 64.3 weeks with no loss to follow-up. By 48 weeks, 8 INSTI + DRV/r vs. 12 SOC had confirmed HIV-RNA ≥50 copies/mL; difference (INSTI + DRV/r-SOC) −2.5% (95% CI: −7.6, 2.5%), showing non-inferiority. No major PI or INSTI resistance mutations were observed. There were no differences in safety between arms. By week 48, difference (INSTI + DRV/r-SOC) in mean CD4 count change from baseline was −48.3 cells/mm3 (95% CI: −93.4, −3.2; p = 0.036). Difference (INSTI + DRV/r-SOC) in mean HDL change from baseline was −4.1 mg/dL (95% CI: −6.7, −1.4; p = 0.003). Weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) increased more in INSTI + DRV/r than SOC [difference: 1.97 kg (95% CI: 1.1, 2.9; p

Introduction Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by cognitive deficits and/or behavioral disturbances. The symptoms begin before 12 years and must cause an impact in different contexts. It is now recognized that in 40–60% of cases, ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood and old age, representing nearly 4% of adults and seniors. Executive and memory deficits have been described in other neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, and older adults with these disorders are observed, later in life, with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. MCI is conceptualized as a prodromal stage of a neurodegenerative process, for which the pathological processes are not yet known. The term “MCI” is currently used to designate subjective complaints and performance below expected levels, in any cognitive domain. There is, therefore, an overlap between ADHD and MCI in older adults, related to cognitive and behavioral symptoms. This overlap makes both syndromes difficult to distinguish, particularly in older patients. Objectives To highlight the importance of understanding the key processes of ADHD and MCI and how these entities may be related to each other. Methods Non-systematic review of the literature using Pubmed database. Papers were selected according to their relevance. Results Sleep disturbances are present in about 70% of adults with ADHD, and 59% of those with MCI. Depression and anxiety, respectively, are observed in about 44% and 35% of adults with ADHD, and 27% and 14% of those with MCI. In the literature, the relationship between ADHD and MCI/Dementia remains unclear, although there are some hypotheses: (a) ADHD and MCI represent two points along a single pathophysiological continuum; (b) ADHD increases the risk for MCI and dementia (through an unrelated mediator); (c) ADHD and MCI manifest highly similar neurobehavioral symptoms through fundamentally distinct mechanisms (are unrelated). However, these three hypotheses are not mutually exclusive, i.e. ADHD may share common antecedent causal factors with MCI/Dementia and also increase the risk of MCI/Dementia through an unrelated mediator. Neuroimaging evidence tends to support the hypothesis that neurobehavioral symptoms in ADHD and MCI manifest via distinct processes within the brain, with frontostriatal, frontal-temporo-parietal, and fronto-cerebellar abnormal networks in ADHD and progressive neurodegeneration in MCI. Conclusions Whether or not ADHD is a phase of a neurodegenerative process, the current criteria for the diagnosis of MCI or Dementia may not be appropriate or valid in individuals with a premorbid history of ADHD. The criteria for the diagnosis of MCI/Dementia in adults with a previous diagnosis of ADHD should therefore be revised to rely more on functional outcomes. Future neurobiological and epidemiological studies are needed, to explore the relationship between MCI/Dementia and ADHD, in older adults. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Introduction Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impairments in social cognition and repetitive behaviors with onset in early infancy. Deficits in emotion recognition, social perception, and communication have been identified as core symptoms of ASD. Comorbid disorders are frequent, namely psychiatric illness, epilepsy, sleep disruption, and hyperactivity. Immune profile changes during early life may contribute to pathogenesis of ASD. Other risk factors include advanced parental age, fetal environment, fertility treatments, medications, and nutritional and toxic factors. Several brain regions are involved in the pathophysiology of ASD but the cerebellum is the structure most consistently found altered. An increased risk of ASD is associated with cerebellar damage. Objectives To highlight the importance of understanding the key processes of cerebellar development and how altered cerebellar function leads to social and cognitive impairments, and consequently ASD. Methods Non-systematic review of the literature using Pubmed database. Papers were selected according to their relevance. Results From imaging studies, we can understand that cerebellum is not just about motor function. Different tasks like adding working memory, emotional and social processing, and language seem to be part of core functions of the cerebellar circuit. Adults with lesions in the cerebellum can develop cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS), with core symptoms of impaired executive function, difficulties in spatial cognition, blunted affect, or inappropriate behavior. Some children who have tumor resection surgery for medulloblastomas also exhibit symptoms of CCAS, and some experience posterior fossa syndrome (PFS). The linguistic, cognitive, and behavioral deficits in CCAS and PFS may contribute to explaining how cerebellar alterations are related to ASD, which is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by an earlier onset and broader spectrum of these symptoms. Conclusions The literature has suggested an important role for cerebellar dysfunction in etiology of ASD, under certain premises: (a) cerebellar expansion temporarily coincides with onset of ASD; (b) cerebellum is prone to lesions during this period; (3) cerebellar lesions contribute to dysfunctional social and language abilities. Disturbances in cerebellar development lead to alterations in higher cognitive functions, due to changes in Purkinje cells. These dysfunctional neurons, once integrated into a brain circuit that controls complex tasks, lead to these functions becoming aberrant. It is therefore fair to say that cerebellum is important for development of the so-called “cognitive and social brain” since it is itself part of this network. So, the cerebellum certainly plays a relevant role in pathophysiology of ASD. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and a source of energy. Recovering this gas means lower greenhouse gas emission and potential reduction of energetic costs. The lack of full-scale results, the use of different methodologies to detect dissolved methane (d-CH4) and the fact that no process to remove d-CH4 from anaerobic effluents is energetically or economically viable at full-scale urged a different approach to the problem. To avoid methodological interference and facilitate comparison of results the Standard Test Method number D8028-17 published by ASTM International can be used to determine d-CH4. The use of real anaerobic reactor effluent also helps results to be compared. In this study, 80 samples from a full-scale anaerobic reactor showed an average concentration of dissolved methane of 14.9 mg·L−1, meaning an emission of 229 kg of CO2 eq·h−1 and an average of 113.5 kW wasted. Using spray nozzles, an alternative to the methods being researched, the average methane recovery was 11.5 mg·L−1 of CH4, an efficiency of 81.6%, meaning 177 kg of CO2 eq·h−1 emissions avoided and 87.9 kW of recoverable energy. HIGHLIGHTS Use of standard method to detect dissolved methane.; Use of real Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor effluent.; Simple alternative method to recover dissolved methane.; High efficiency.;

Background: Connective tissue diseases (CTD) are frequently associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD), significantly impacting their morbidity and mortality. Aim: Analyze the experience of an autoimmune specialized unit on treating CTD-ILD and characterize the population based on most frequent diseases, imaging patterns, lung function tests results, serology and treatment. Assess mortality and mortality predictors in these patients. Methods: Retrospective, descriptive and statistical analysis of the CTD-ILD patients followed up at an autoimmune diseases unit during a 6-year period. Results: Over the study period, 75 patients with CTD-ILD were treated with a mean follow-up of 49 ± 31 months.The most frequent CTD were systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. ILD was diagnosed prior to CTD in 8% of patients and concomitantly in 35%. Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia was the CT pattern in 60% and 35% had an isolated diminished DLCO on lung function tests. Pulmonary hypertension was present in 12% and it was the single most important mortality predictor (OR 14.41, p = 0.006). Corticosteroids are the mainstay of treatment but biologics were prescribed in 39% of the patients (mostly tocilizumab and rituximab). Two scleroderma patients were recently treated with nintedanib. Conclusions: ILD is a potential complication of every CTD and can impose a dramatic burden on these patients. The clinical relevance of ILD together with their early expression in the course of the disease underlines the importance of the presence of chest physicians in these units.

This work presents the results of a direct numerical simulation of the nonlinear free surface evolution of a finite-depth fluid with a linear shear flow under the action of horizontal electric fields. The method of time-dependent conformal transformation for the description of the combined effects of the electric fields and constant vorticity is generalized for the first time. The simulation results show that strong shear flow co-directed in the wave propagation direction leads to the formation of large-amplitude surface waves, and, for some limiting vorticity value, a wave breaking process with the formation of an air bubble in the liquid is possible. The oppositely directed shear flow can cause the retrograde motion of a surface wave (wave propagation in the opposite direction to the linear wave speed). The simulations conducted taking into account the electro-hydrodynamic effects demonstrate that a high enough external horizontal electric field suppresses these strongly nonlinear processes, and the surface waves tend to preserve their shape.

In this work we present a numerical study of surface water waves over variable topographies for the linear Euler equations based on a conformal mapping and Fourier transform. We show that in the shallow-water limit the Jacobian of the conformal mapping brings all the topographic effects from the bottom to the free surface. Implementation of the numerical method is illustrated by a MATLAB program. The numerical results are validated by comparing them with exact solutions when the bottom topography is flat, and with theoretical results for an uneven topography.

There is a synergy between the large quantities of organics-rich effluents generated by the dairy industry and the continually increasing water needs for crop irrigation. In this sense, this study aimed at evaluating the effect of decreasing the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the stability and efficiency of a hybrid anaerobic biofilm baffled reactor (HABBR) treating simulated fat- and salt-rich dairy wastewater, followed by its agricultural reuse. The reactor was monitored over 328 days, during which 72, 24, and 12 h were the hydraulic detention times. After achieving steady-state, the reactor presented organic matter removal greater than 90% and produced biogas with 41 ± 23%, 53 ± 3%, and 64 ± 12% of methane for HRTs of 72, 24, and 12 h, respectively. The best process performance was observed for an HRT of 24 h, and thus, a lettuce culture was irrigated with the treated effluent. The irrigation was performed in five different treatments, for which the amount of treated effluent added to tap water varied from 0 to 100%. Both the effluent and the harvested vegetables were evaluated for microbial contamination. Apart from the 75% effluent supply condition, there were no losses in leaf mass or area observed; instead, there was an increase of these parameters for the 25% and 50% effluent supply treatment. The use of dairy effluent treated by the HABBR allowed for microbiologically safe food production. Therefore, the process offered both potential cost reduction for fertilizers, preservation of water resources, and a renewable energy source. HIGHLIGHTS The anaerobic baffled reactor was stable during treatment of fat-rich salt dairy wastewater.; The methane content was enhanced with hydraulic retention time reduction.; The use of dairy effluent reduced the needs related to N fertilizer by up to 50%.; The use of drinking water for lettuce irrigation has been reduced by 50%.; The effluent did not present a risk of contamination in lettuce production.;

The Covid19 pandemic is an unexpected reality. If, for many difficult to understand, accept and comply with the guidelines recommended by the general direction of health; for others, a monstrous reality that we could experience, and all care is little. And in this panoply of feelings, confusion and difficulty in similar to how much is said/heard; the urgency of psychology arises both clinical and social and even educational, having a look and a proposal of intervention, which is as simple as possible, lucid and with a good dose of optimism; to be able to reach everyone as soon as possible. Thus, thinking about how we behave, think and communicate, is extremely urgent to avoid, to point the finger by pointing, to say bad ly by saying; that we can realize and accept that we are ALL INTERCONNECTED. A word, a gesture, a behavior can have both assertive and positive, as negative and catastrophic (cavernously speaking can be “something beasty”, such as being an attitude, word or behavior of “beast”); the wonderful thing is that we can all DECIDE how we want to be, how we want to act, how we want to communicate! Here is our look and possible interventions as Psychologists, with whom you can ALWAYS COUNT!

Background: In maternal PKU, protein substitute (PS) is provided by phenylalanine (PHE)-free l-amino acids (AA), but glycomacropeptide-based protein substitute (GMP) is an alternative consideration. Objective: To describe the first Portuguese Maternal Phenylketonuria (MPKU) partially managed with GMP. Case report: A 31 year old MPKU female with classical PKU (mutations P281L/P281L), diagnosed by newborn screening, had a lifelong history of poor metabolic control. She has a history of partial bicornuate uterus and had a previous miscarriage in the first trimester. Pre-conception, her median blood PHE was 462 μmol/L but throughout pregnancy the median reduced to 258 μmol/L. GMP provided 30 g/day protein equivalent (46 mg/day PHE). Total protein equivalent from PS increased from 58 to 86 g/day during pregnancy but AA provided all additional protein equivalent intake. Both GMP and AA were well tolerated with no morning sickness. Normal morphologic evaluation and adequate fetal growth with cephalic biometry near the 5th percentile was determined. The infant was born at 39.3 weeks: weight 2570 g (3rd percentile), length 47.5 cm (10th percentile) and head circumference (HC) of 31.5 cm (1st percentile). In the neonatal period, the infant had craniofacial dimorphism with metopic suture prominence. Father also had bitemporal narrowing. By 12 months of age, the infant's weight (15th percentile), length (50th percentile) and HC (10th–50th percentile) were normal although bitemporal narrowing persisted. Conclusions: This is the first case reporting the use of GMP in MPKU. Its PHE content did not adversely affect metabolic control although it only provided part of the PS intake. Some intrauterine development delay occurred in the last trimester, although we consider that this is unlikely to be associated with MPKU syndrome or the use of GMP. More published data is essential to examine the impact of using GMP in MPKU on morning sickness severity and aversion, maternal weight gain, blood amino acid concentrations and variability of blood PHE concentrations.

Abstract The Brazilian Amazon Satellite Monitoring Program (PRODES Amazonia) tracks forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon but excludes about 6.6% ( ~ 280,000 km²) of non-forest vegetation (NF). Here we developed the PRODES NF system to address this gap by adapting the well-established methodology of PRODES Amazonia. Initial findings from PRODES NF show that the Brazilian Amazon lost 10.46% ( ~ 30,000 km²) of NF area, mainly in the last two decades, with the estates of Mato Grosso, Roraima, and Amapá being primary hotspots of losses. Savannas were the most affected (13.3% of their extent). NF loss strongly correlates (r = 0.87; p

The inflammatory response to wear particles derived from hip prothesis is considered a hallmark of periprosthetic osteolysis, which can ultimately lead to the need for revision surgery. Exosomes (Exos) have been associated with various bone pathologies, and there is increasing recognition in the literature that they actively transport molecules throughout the body. The role of wear particles in osteoblast-derived Exos is unknown, and the potential contribution of Exos to osteoimmune communication and periprosthetic osteolysis niche is still in its infancy. Given this, we investigate how titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), similar in size and composition to prosthetic wear particles, affect Exos biogenesis. Two osteoblastic cell models commonly used to study the response of osteoblasts to wear particles were selected as a proof of concept. The contribution of Exos to periprosthetic osteolysis was assessed by functional assays in which primary human macrophages were stimulated with bone-derived Exos. We demonstrated that TiO2 NPs enter multivesicular bodies, the nascent of Exos, altering osteoblast-derived Exos secretion and molecular cargo. No significant differences were observed in Exos morphology and size. However, functional assays reveal that Exos cargo enriched in uPA stimulates macrophages to a mixed M1 and M2 phenotype, inducing the release of pro- and anti-inflammatory signals characteristic of periprosthetic osteolysis. In addition, we demonstrated the expression of uPA in exosomes derived from the urine of patients with osteolysis. These results suggest that uPA can be a potential biomarker of osteolysis. In the future, uPa may serve as a possible non-invasive biomarker to identify patients at risk for peri-implant osteolysis.

Abstract 2D MXenes find applications in several technology fields. Solution processing techniques can facilitate the integration of these materials within the technological supply chain. Here, a highly concentrated (up to 1.5 g L−1) and stable dispersion of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes is produced by an environmentally friendly liquid phase exfoliation process (LPE) in dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene). The flakes preserve their elemental composition after 6 months, while those exfoliated in N‐Methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), a commonly used solvent, undergo significant oxidation. The cytotoxicity of the MXene flakes in Cyrene and in NMP is investigated by assessing the cellular viability in a human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell line, which is a relevant model for skin applications. The data show that the MXene flakes in Cyrene induce cytotoxic effects for a dose > 1 µg cm−2, as similarly observed for the MXene flakes in NMP. Efforts are made to overcome this by collecting the MXene flakes and redispersing them in a solution of bovine serum albumin (BSA). MXene in BSA does not affect cellular viability and cell morphology, possibly due to the formation of a protective protein corona around the individual MXene flakes. These findings illustrate an environmentally friendly strategy to produce biocompatible 2D MXene for biomedical applications.

In order to develop and optimize a syngas fermentation using a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor (HFMB), this study proposes to characterize the surface of Clostridium carboxidivorans, a strictly anaerobic and gram- positive bacterium capable of producing biofuels and other chemicals. The choice for using syngas as substrate arises from the necessity to give a better destination to urban and industrial residues, which are destined to landfills. In a HFMB, a Clostridium carboxidivorans biofilm can be used for the purpose of enhancing cell density in the system, which is normally a problem for anaerobe bacterium; and the membrane can increase the mass transfer coefficient, a bottleneck in this process due to the gas-liquid mass transfer. The knowledge of the interactions between cells and surfaces, cell hydrophobicity and/or hydrophilicity, and how to enhance the force balance between electrostatic and van der Waals interactions, could enhance celladhesion, biofilm formation and cell interaction with substrate. The Contact Angle Measurement (CAM) showed that C. carboxidivorans have a total surface tension (?TOT) of 56.0 mJ m-2, and its components: Lifshitz-van der Waals (?LW) of 24.3 mJ m-2 and Lewis acid-base (?AB) of 31.7 mJ m-2. Also, the free energy of interaction between cells and water (?Gmwm) was 9.6 mJ m-2 and the free energy of interaction between cells and hexadecane when immersed in water (?Gmwh) was -14.7 mJ m-2. With these values, it was possible to determine that Clostridium carboxidivorans presents a hydrophilic surface character but is also capable ofbeing attracted by hydrophobic molecules, liquids and surfaces and capable of interacting with them when immersed in water. Moreover, Clostridium carboxidivorans presented an electron-donor character, which already appeared in previous studies but was confirmed with this test. Therefore, this strain, when immersed in an aqueous culture medium, has an affinity to a hydrophobic membrane, which would favor its adhesion.

Several experimental studies of pulmonary emphysema using animal models have been described in the literature. However, only a few of these studies have focused on the assessment of ergometric function as a non-invasive technique to validate the methodology used for induction of experimental emphysema. Additionally, functional assessments of emphysema are rarely correlated with morphological pulmonary abnormalities caused by induced emphysema. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of elastase administered by tracheal puncture on pulmonary parenchyma and their corresponding functional impairment. This was evaluated by measuring exercise capacity in C57Bl/6 mice in order to establish a reproducible and safe methodology of inducing experimental emphysema. Thirty six mice underwent ergometric tests before and 28 days after elastase administration. Pancreatic porcine elastase solution was administered by tracheal puncture, which resulted in a significantly decreased exercise capacity, shown by a shorter distance run (â30.5%) and a lower mean velocity (â15%), as well as in failure to increase the elimination of carbon dioxide. The mean linear intercept increased significantly by 50% in tracheal elastase administration. In conclusion, application of elastase by tracheal function in C57Bl/6 induces emphysema, as validated by morphometric analyses, and resulted in a significantly lower exercise capacity, while resulting in a low mortality rate. Resumo: Vários estudos experimentais de enfisema pulmonar em modelos animais têm sido descritos na literatura científica. No entanto, apenas alguns destes estudos têm sido concentrados na avaliação da função ergométrica como técnica não-invasiva para validar a metodologia utilizada para a indução do enfisema experimental. Além disso, as avaliações funcionais de enfisema raramente se encontram correlacionadas com anomalias morfológicas pulmonares causadas por enfisema induzido. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da elastase administrada por punção traqueal no parênquima pulmonar e a sua disfunção funcional correspondente. Esta foi avaliada através da medição da capacidade de exercício em ratos C57Bl/6, de forma a estabelecer uma metodologia reprodutível e segura de induzir o enfisema experimental. Trinta e seis ratos foram submetidos a testes ergométricos antes e 28 dias após a administração de elastase. A solução de elastase pancreática suína foi administrada por punção traqueal, o que resultou numa diminuição significativamente da capacidade de exercício, demonstrada pela diminuição da distância percorrida (menos de 30,5%) e por uma velocidade média inferior (menos de 15%), assim como pela incapacidade de aumentar a eliminação de dióxido de carbono. A intersecção linear média aumentou significativamente em 50% na administração traqueal da elastase. Em conclusão, a aplicação de elastase por punção traqueal em ratos C57Bl/6 induz enfisema, conforme foi validado por análises morfométricas, e resultou numa capacidade de exercício significativamente mais baixa, embora se tenha obtido uma baixa taxa de mortalidade. Keywords: Pulmonary emphysema, Ergometric test, Porcine elastase, C57Bl/6, Palavras-chave: Enfisema pulmonar, ensaio ergométrico, Elastase suína, C57Bl/6

O soro de leite é um resíduo originado da indústria de laticínios, seu descarte é preocupante, considerando o apelo em relação à preservação do meio ambiente. Além disso, as proteínas do soro de leite são desperdiçadas como resíduo podendo, essas, serem utilizadas em diversas aplicações alimentícias devido aos seus e benefícios para a saúde, sendo uma excelente fonte de aminoácidos indispensáveis. O aproveitamento dessas proteínas é sugerido no enriquecimento ou desenvolvimento de novos produtos, inserindo-as na alimentação como uma forma nutritiva e sensorialmente aceita, além de uma alternativa para o gerenciamento do resíduo. Outra forma de aproveitamento dessas proteínas é na elaboração de embalagens de alimentos como os filmes e revestimentos comestíveis. Esses apresentam vantagens como: extensão da validade comercial e melhoria na qualidade nutricional dos alimentos, além disso, atuam na redução às embalagens sintéticas. Desta forma, essa revisão teve como objetivo elucidar as vantagens do aproveitamento do soro lácteo, bem como de suas proteínas, na elaboração ou enriquecimento de alimentos e principalmente na produção de embalagens biodegradáveis. O trabalho foi realizado por meio de uma abordagem qualitativa utilizando consultas a bases de dados nacionais e internacionais. O reaproveitando do soro de leite na elaboração de produtos como: bebidas lácteas, pães, e biscoitos é desejável uma vez os alimentos são nutricionalmente enriquecidos e inclui uma série de benefícios à saúde. E na produção de embalagens as proteínas apresentam vantagens como melhorias de qualidade nutricional e garantia de segurança do alimento, além do fato de poderem ser comestíveis e biodegradáveis. Whey protein: use and application in the production of biodegradable packaging Abstract: The whey is a residue of the dairy industry. The waste of whey is worrying appeal the regarding the preservation of the environment. Furthermore, the whey proteins are wasted as a residuum and may, however, be used in various food applications due to their health benefits, being an excellent source of essential amino acids. The use of these proteins is suggested mainly enrichment or developing new products, entering it in food as a form nutritious and sensory supports, and a viable alternative for the management of this waste. Another way to use the whey proteins is the preparation of food packaging, such as films and edible coating. The film and coating of whey protein have some advantage such as to extend shelf life and improve the nutritional quality of the food, furthermore, they reduce the use of synthetic packaging. This review aimed to report the advantages of the use of whey as well as their protein, in the development or enrichment of the food and production of biodegradable packaging. This study was conducted through a qualitative approach based on consultations with national and international databases. The reutilization of whey in the development of products such as milk drinks, breads, and cookies, it is desirable, once foods are nutritionally enriched and include a number of health benefits. And, in the production of packaging, the proteins have advantages as nutritional quality improvements and food safety assurance, beyond the fact that the packagings are biodegradable and it may be edible.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies in the world. Although PSA utilization as a serum marker has improved prostate cancer detection it still presents some limitations, mainly regarding its specificity. The expression of this marker, along with the detection of PCA3 mRNA in urine samples, has been suggested as a new approach for PCa detection. The goal of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of the urinary detection of PCA3 mRNA and PSA mRNA without performing the somewhat embarrassing prostate massage. It was also intended to optimize and implement a methodological protocol for this kind of sampling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urine samples from 57 patients with suspected prostate disease were collected, without undergoing prostate massage. Increased serum PSA levels were confirmed by medical records review. RNA was extracted by different methods and a preamplification step was included in order to improve gene detection by Real-Time PCR. RESULTS: An increase in RNA concentration with the use of TriPure Isolation Reagent. Despite this optimization, only 15.8% of the cases showed expression of PSA mRNA and only 3.8% of prostate cancer patients presented detectable levels of PCA3 mRNA. The use of a preamplification step revealed no improvement in the results obtained. CONCLUSION: This work confirms that prostate massage is important before urine collection for gene expression analysis. Since PSA and PCA3 are prostate specific, it is necessary to promote the passage of cells from prostate to urinary tract, in order to detect these genetic markers in urine samples.

Batch reactors are widely used in the polymer industry, especially for multi-purpose processes where different types of polymers are produced on demand. Batch polymerization reactors impose rather great operational difficulties due to the complex reaction kinetics and inherent process nonlinearities. Thus it is a difficult task to develop mathematical models for polymerization processes. If required for process control purposes the model should be accurate but simple, so that it can be used in a control loop. The present work shows the application of the neural network approach in the development of a predictive model for a styrene polymerization pilot plant, located at the Laboratory of Chemical Systems Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering at UNICAMP. Artificial Neural Networks have become a usual application in many areas of engineering, and are well suited for chemical processes due to their ability to describe multi-variable non-linear models. However to control purposes, the consideration of the variation of the process variables in real time is required as input to the model, to ensure the representation at the dynamics of the process. The experimental prototype consists of a jacketed stirred reactor, using thermal fluid as a heat source. Reaction progress was measured by a density sensor situated in a external recycle loop. Temperature sensors were positioned both inside the reactor and in the inlet and outlet of the jacket. Traditional feedforward neural networks with back-step inputs and the Elman network were applied to obtain the best model to be employed in a control loop. A comparison between the networks was performed, showing that, for process dynamics modeling, both networks were able to create suitable polymerization models.

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A trypanosome strain isolated from a sylvatic rodent (Echimys dasythrix) from Santa Catarina Island (Santa Catarina State, Brazil) was characterized by the following methods: experimental transmission and development in invertebrate hosts, morphometry, cross protection, complement sensitivity, lectin agglutination and isoenzyme profiles. Comparasions were made with standard Trypanosoma cruzi and T. rangeli strains. All methods except isoenzyne analysis led to the identification of the isolate as T. rangeli. The isoenzyme differences found could be explained on the basis of polymorphism. Therefore this is the first report of T. rangeli in southern Brazil, increasing the geographical distribution of this parasite.