Chemical constituents and bactericidal and fungicide potential of the essential oil of Pimenta dioica Lindl against pathogenic microorganisms

This study evaluated the chemical profile and antimicrobial activity of essential oil (EO) of P. dioica. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation and chemically characterized by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The total phenolics were quantified by the Folin Ciocalteu method. For the antimicrobial assay, the Disc Diffusion and Broth Dilution method were applied to obtain the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration. The main constituent of the EO was eugenol. The EO showed bactericidal activity against E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, Salmonella sp., B. cereus, P. mirabilis, K. pneumoniae, S. sonnei, C. albicans, Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp. and Aspergilus sp. The results obtained are encouraged by the potential use of the EO studied in the control and combat of pathogenic microorganisms.

Longitudinal scattering coefficient obtained by hydroacoustic measurement and by conservative tracer

The objective of the present work was to determine the value of the longitudinal dispersion coefficient (DL) of the Chicamtoltina stream (Alta Gracia) by means of two different techniques, in order to compare the values obtained. The first technique consisted of applying a developed formula that includes a detailed description of hydrodynamic parameters obtained by gauging with a hydroacoustic instrument, while the second technique consisted of injecting a conservative tracer, using the same approach as the non-ideal chemical reactor theory of flow with dispersion. This work was carried out at low flow conditions (dry period) and at high flow conditions (wet period). It was found that, either for high flow or low flow, the values of the dispersion coefficient obtained by both techniques have good agreement, fitting better in the dry period than in the wet period. Due to the fact that frequent gauging campaigns are carried out in this stream, it is concluded that with similar flow characteristics and morphology of the section, the gauging data can be used to determine the DL coefficient, in order to incorporate reliable data that can be applied to pollutant transport models.

Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and its relationship with the lipid profile in patients in hospital from Encarnación

Thyroid dysfunctions are a cause of morbidity and disability worldwide. Little information has been found on the prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Paraguay, so this study provides data on their presentation. The objective was to determine the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and its relationship with the lipid profile in adult outpatients attending the laboratory of the Regional Hospital of Encarnación, during January-November 2016. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed, based on the review of 250 medical records, 84 % of whom were women; the median age was 39 (35-47) years in men and 36 (32-43) years in women. Thirty percent were hypothyroid and 3 % hyperthyroid; the most frequent thyroid dysfunction was subclinical hypothyroidism with 19 %. Highly significant differences were found for total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and thyrotrophin between hypothyroid vs euthyroid, with the former having more atherogenic profiles. Logistic regression was used to assess the contribution of dyslipidaemia, finding a significant association with hypothyroidism (OR=3.24(1.81-5.81), p<0.001). Thirty-three percent of this population sample, 1 in 3 individuals, had thyroid dysfunction. These could be managed appropriately and further complications could be avoided.

Kinetics of aqueous extraction of phenolic compounds from processed yerba mate leaves

In this study, the kinetics of aqueous extraction of phenolic compounds from the yerba mate leaves were analyzed. A temperature range between 40°C and 70°C and a ratio of 25 g of mate leaves in 200 mL of water were used. The extraction kinetic was studied adjustment of the kinetics models of first order, second order kinetic model and the second order diffusive model. The goodness of the fit was controlled by the magnitude of the coefficient of determination (R2), the percentage error (EP %) and the square root of the mean square error (RMSE).The second order kinetic models adequately described the extraction process, achieving the best fit with the second order diffusive model (EP%= 0,81 to 2,9; EP%= 11,24 to 14,99 and 4,72 and 6,92) that provided important information about the initial extraction process and the mechanism that occurs in the final extraction stage. The temperature influenced the kinetic parameters; however, the final equilibrium concentration of phenolic compounds was not affected by it. The results of this study allow us to obtain better overall knowledge of the times and temperatures for improved extraction rates and energy consumption for the industrialization of these compounds.

Urban collective housing: safety and hygiene on site. Contributions for the management of excavations, submurations and demolitions

In Argentina, public policies related to Safety and Hygiene started at the beginning of the 20th century, and it was not until the 1970s that the first regulations related to the subject were passed, when the current Law Nº 19587 on "Safety and Hygiene at Work" was sanctioned. In particular, the construction industry, since 1996, has had a complementary regulatory framework with Decree Nº 911. On the other hand, the demolition, excavation and submurder stages found an intervention mechanism with SRT Resolutions Nº 550/11 and SRT Nº 503/14. However, the regulatory framework does not provide specificity in relation to procedures and consequently does not guarantee efficiency/effectiveness in operational terms. This work exposes a gap, which, from a particular methodological approach, concludes with the obtaining of results, as it verifies the levels of compliance of the actions in the traceability of the work, aimed at framing the demolition, excavation and submuration tasks according to regulatory parameters of Health and Safety established by the instrument of analysis / matrix. As part of the final considerations, this work proposes to contribute with management guidelines for the aforementioned tasks in urban collective housing works.

Evaluation of phenotypic methods for the detection of carbapenemases applicable to low complexity laboratories

The spread of carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacilli is a global public health problem. Several authors have proposed phenotypic assays to presumptively detect these enzymes applicable to low and medium complexity laboratories. In the present study, we have developed and compared different phenotypic techniques using strains genetically identified as carbapenemase-producing. All the tested methods detected the presence of carbapenemases. The carbapenem inactivation method (MIC) and the modified carbapenem inactivation method with and without EDTA (mMIC-eMIC) were the simplest and easiest to interpret but their disadvantage was on the time required to obtain results. The direct Carba NP and Carba-Blue colourimetric methods were the fastest but they depend on reagent preparation and accurate pH adjustment of the solutions. Synergy methods with EDTA discs, boronic acid and the Triton Hodge Test (THT) require technical expertise to evaluate true synergism. Whereas, the Disk Carbapenemase Test (DCT) was the method that presented the greatest technical difficulties.

Impact of the packaging of plain soymilk on the intention to purchase of the consumer

The objective of this work was to evaluate the intention to purchase plain soymilk by correlating it with packaging characteristics through the conjoint analysis. Survey of attributes occurred by focus group (41 participants) and five samples of Brazilian original soymilk. Main attributes that interfered in the purchase decision: brand, presence of nutritional appeal, type of illustration of glass containing beverage and background color. Attributes were combined to generate eight packaging proposals, evaluated by 86 participants. SAS was used for data analysis, 85 of which were consistent. Participants were grouped by similarities/dissimilarities in three groups: G1 (48 participants), G2 (31) and G3 (6). G1 preferred packaging containing nutritional appeal and light background, being influenced by the brand. G2 opted for packaging containing nutritional appeal, lesser-known brand and filled glass. G3 preferred the presence of nutritional appeal, lesser known brand, full glass and dark background. Presence of nutritional appeal is the factor that most impacts the purchase decision, but the brand, type of glass illustration and background color are relevant. Packaging with the presence of nutritional appeal, glass with full filling and clear background is more likely to be of interest to consumers.

Human factors, artificial intelligence and autonomous cars: Perspectives for a complex implementation

The centuries-old near-inseparable human/automobile relationship faces a revolution thanks to artificial intelligence gradually creating new paradigms in terms of personal urban mobility. Still, would we be prepared to relinquish our vehicle control to autonomous systems? The main objective of this work is to elucidate the main elements of the complex relationship between human factors and artificial intelligence in the development and establishment of autonomous vehicles. Thus, this paper adopted a basic methodology with a qualitative approach with an exploratory objective and technical procedures, as well as technical procedures of a documentary and bibliographic nature. Notice that autonomous systems present plausible functioning in controlled environments, even so, in an environment with several variables and an almost infinite possibility of combinations, enforced the occurrence of failures and compromised the structuring of a mental model, based on human factors, applicable to artificial intelligence. That explains the little importance given to human factors in the planning of human/autonomous machine interactions.

Evaluation of resources in the study of industrial and culinary properties for the varietal characterization of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Different physicochemical tests have been used over time in the Oryza sativa species for the study of industrial and culinary properties. In this study, nine attributes were compared: amylose content, total whiteness, thousand grain weight, grain length and width, gelatinization time, apparent water absorption, expansion ratio, and gelatinization temperature. However, there is no single attribute that allows defining the concept of “culinary quality” in rice, since it depends on its behavior after cooking. The two varieties of long fine polished rice used for this study were: IRGA 424 (Rio Grandense Rice Institute) and Tranquilo FL INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) and a mixture of both. In this work, the characterization of industrial and culinary properties of the rice varieties mentioned above was achieved by evaluating five attributes using simple and low-cost physical-chemical techniques in two of the rice varieties most in demand by producers in the province of Corrientes. This finding would allow the study of rice varieties to be approached by optimizing: equipment, reagents and time in future trials.

The construction of the curricular design of the University Professor of Biology at the National University of Misiones and the formative pathway of Education for Health and the Environment

The aim of this paper is to share the results of the process of formulating the curriculum for the 2016 University Teacher Training in Biology at the Faculty of Exact, Chemical and Natural Sciences of the National University of Misiones (UNaM) based on a collective construction among various stakeholders in the educational community and especially the proposal of the formative pathway of Education for Health and the Environment (EpSyA). The research used a qualitative and interpretative methodology based on the analysis of curricular documents, institutional agreements, national regulations, interviews and classroom observations. The different instances of discussion in the reformulation of the curricular project are reconstructed chronologically, the macro-decisions in the construction of the formative path of EpSyA are analysed and the hourly loads and minimum contents of the subjects and the teaching strategies are made explicit.