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Published By Universidade Estadual De Maringa

1807-8664, 1807-8664

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e55043
Author(s):  
José Ariévilo Gurgel Rodrigues ◽  
Johnny Peter Macedo Feitosa ◽  
Sandra de Aguiar Soares ◽  
Norma Maria Barros Benevides

In vitro studies have described the sulfated agaran from Acanthophora muscoides as an intrinsic inhibitor of thrombin generation (TG), but not in ex vivo assay. This investigation partially characterized a pyruvate fraction with in vitro and ex vivo effects on an intrinsic/extrinsic pathway-induced thrombin generation (TG) continuous model using 36 or 60-fold diluted mice or defibrinated, normal human plasma. Fraction separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography exhibited charge homogeneity and non-sulfated polysaccharides (<100 kDa) by agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively, using Stains-all alone. Fourier Transform Infrared and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance studies indicated a 4,6-pyruvated agaran-structure. The fraction and heparin had no effect on prothrombin time, but there was a preponderant intrinsic rather than extrinsic pathway inhibition in TG assay; themselves, acting on both free and fibrin bound thrombin activity without chromogenic substrate interaction. Both fractions, desulfated and native, anticipated and induced thrombin formation in activators-devoid or normal plasma. In addition, mice pretreated with fraction (20 mg kg-1, intraperitoneally) reduced intrinsically plasma TG ex vivo after 2h. Heparin suppressed TG in vitro, but induced it ex vivo. Therefore, agaran from A. muscoides blocks TG on in vitro and ex vivo studies, suggesting to evaluate the blood coagulability status.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e55564
Author(s):  
Suelen Siqueira dos Santos ◽  
Carolina Moser Paraíso ◽  
Letícia Misturini Rodrigues ◽  
Grasiele Scaramal Madrona

Blueberry and raspberry pomace are a rich source of bioactive compounds that have not been commercially utilized yet, and ultrasound-assisted technology can efficiently extract these compounds. Also, the use of water as a solvent added to the ultrasound-assisted technology improves this eco-friendly process. Therefore, an aqueous eco-friendly extraction, including extraction time and ultrasound presence or absence (conventional extraction) was performed in order to extract bioactive compounds from blueberry and raspberry pomace. Response parameters included levels of anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids, and antioxidant activity determined by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods. Analysis of variance results indicated that ultrasound-assisted extraction for 45 min. was feasible to extract the bioactive compounds. The antioxidant content of the extract obtained by the ultrasound-assisted process was 1.4 times higher on average and the total phenolic concentration was 1.6 times higher (for blueberry 5.02 and for raspberry 2.53 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) compared with those obtained by the conventional process. Thus, the ultrasound-assisted extraction method can be a profitable alternative to extract bioactive compounds from blueberry and raspberry pomace, as it is energy efficient, requires fewer chemicals, and produces less effluent. This eco-friendly technology is therefore viable for food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries, and also for reducing food waste.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e55922
Author(s):  
Jéssica Aparecida Ribeiro ◽  
Clarissa Ane Gonçalves ◽  
Jéssica Ferreira Rodrigues ◽  
Natália Manzatti Machado Alencar ◽  
Eleonice Moreira Santos ◽  
...  

Jaboticaba (Plinia spp.) peel is an emerging co-product with high levels of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and differentiated sensory characteristics. During the industrial processing of jaboticaba, as in the production of juices, only the pulp is used, and the peel is discarded. This work aimed to produce sequilho biscuits with different concentrations of jaboticaba peel flour (JPF) and evaluate the technological and sensory properties of the products. Biscuits with four concentrations of JPF (B1= 0.75%, B2= 1.5% B3= 2.25% and B4= 3.0%) were prepared. The physicochemical analysis, instrumental texture, color, total flavonoids, and total anthocyanins were evaluated. Sensory perceptions were investigated using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) questionnaire, hedonic scale, and purchase intention scale. Jaboticaba peel flour had high levels of total flavonoids (227.9±14.6 mg 100 g-1) and total anthocyanins (114.2±4.2 mg cyanidin-3-glycoside 100 g-1). Specific volume and bite force were not affected by the addition of JPF. The global impression for all biscuits elaborated with JPF ranged from approximately 6.5 to 7.5. It positively influenced the global impression of the biscuits, with associations with the CATA terms of fruit flavor, jaboticaba flavor, and fruit aroma. However, terms related to the texture, such as fibrous and hard, negatively influenced the global impression. It is recommended to produce sequilho biscuits with JPF addition up to 1.5%. This study demonstrated that the food industry could better exploit the jaboticaba peel, meeting consumer demand for products with differentiated sensory characteristics


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e55825
Author(s):  
Roberto Outa ◽  
Fábio Roberto Chavarette ◽  
Aparecido Carlos Gonçalves ◽  
Sidney Leal da Silva ◽  
Vishnu Narayan Mishra ◽  
...  

The motivation for the development of this work arose from the observation of maintenance in pressure vessels, which are categorized as highly hazardous security risk products. The costs of detecting failures in the production systems allow the result of the process to be safe and of good quality, using standardized tests internally within the company. The main objective of this work demonstrates the efficiency and robustness of the artificial immune system (AIS) of negative selection in the detection of failures by recognizing the vibration signals and categorizing them in the degree of probability and level of severity of failures. The intrinsic objectives are the application of the elimination of signal noise by the Wiener filter, and the processing of data-Wiener data using experimental statistics. The result of this work successfully demonstrates the precision between the experimental statistical and AIS techniques of negative selection; the robustness of the algorithm in precision and signal recognition; and the classification of the degree of severity and probability of failure


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e56026
Author(s):  
Gabriela Leite Neves ◽  
Jorim Sousa das Virgens Filho ◽  
Maysa de Lima Leite ◽  
Frederico Fabio Mauad

Water is an essential natural resource that is being impacted by climate change. Thus, knowledge of future water availability conditions around the globe becomes necessary. Based on that, this study aimed to simulate future climate scenarios and evaluate the impact on water balance in southern Brazil. Daily data of rainfall and air temperature (maximum and minimum) were used. The meteorological data were collected in 28 locations over 30 years (1980-2009). For the data simulation, we used the climate data stochastic generator PGECLIMA_R. It was considered two scenarios of the fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and a scenario with the historical data trend. The water balance estimates were performed for the current data and the simulated data, through the methodology of Thornthwaite and Mather (1955). The moisture indexes were spatialized by the kriging method. These indexes were chosen as the parameters to represent the water conditions in different situations. The region assessed presented a high variability in water availability among locations; however, it did not present high water deficiency values, even with climate change. Overall, it was observed a reduction of moisture index in most sites and in all scenarios assessed, especially in the northern region when compared to the other regions. The second scenario of the IPCC (the worst situation) promoting higher reductions and dry conditions for the 2099 year. The impacts of climate change on water availability, identified in this study, can affect the general society, therefore, they must be considered in the planning and management of water resources, especially in the regional context


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e55134
Author(s):  
Luis Angel Cabanillas-Bojorquez ◽  
Octavio Valdez-Baro ◽  
Erick Paul Gutierrez-Grijalva ◽  
Jose Benigno Valdez-Torres ◽  
Ramón Ignacio Castillo-López ◽  
...  

Blueberry is a fruit consumed fresh and as an ingredient in formulations such as jam, juice, and wine. Wine is a widely consumed beverage and produced from different berries and fruits. Blueberry wine contains bio-compounds that could have a beneficial effect on health. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize blueberry wine by two response variables (total soluble solids and fermentation time) to obtain the highest alcohol percentage, pH, and lightness. In order to optimize the fermentation process, a central composite design was used. The optimized blueberry wine was obtained at total soluble solids of 25°Brix and fermentation time of 16 d. The optimized blueberry characteristics estimated were: alcohol percentage of 11.91%, pH of 2.98, and lightness (L*) of 26.22, and the optimized blueberry characteristics experimental were: alcohol percentage of 11.93±0.02%, pH of 2.97±0.01, and L* of 25.42±1.80. The optimized blueberry wine had a total phenolic content of 360.27±18.09 mg of gallic acid equivalents L-1, total anthocyanin content of 46.27±3.66 mg cyanidin-3 glucoside L-1, antioxidant capacity by ABTS and DDPH assays of 1,539.8±92.18 and 1,688.07±57.57 mM Trolox equivalent L-1, respectively. The results suggest that optimized blueberry wine can be considered a drink with potential health applications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e56211
Author(s):  
Kursat Tanriver ◽  
Savas Dilibal ◽  
Haydar Sahin ◽  
Aykut Kentli

The necessity for recycling of wastes has increased nowadays and there are various solutions according to the types of wastes which are presented accordingly. By observing these solutions, the recycling system from the waste collection and separation system of the long-term disappearing of polymer waste to the additive manufacturing design stage has been indicated. Waste collection and separation systems have been reviewed and systems to be used effectively in the systematic way have been exemplified. Among four different separating systems which are with rotating, rail and fixed containers, fixed container four-sorting waste separation systems were chosen and developed as a mechatronic system design. The mechatronic system design is very prominent in order to create efficient and economical mechanisms in fixed-container four-sorting waste separation collection system (FCWS) applications. In addition, physical mechatronic system design (MSD), mechanical design, material selection, electrical electronic design sub-heading and cost analysis were made. In this study, the necessity and importance of the waste separation plants are revealed


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e55196
Author(s):  
Karin Schwabe Meneguetti ◽  
Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira

Facing accelerated urbanization and landscape alteration, cities expand on the territory showing better or worse relationships between built environment and green spaces. Based on recent literature review, this article discusses the green wedges, green belts and greenway planning models in order to evaluate their capability in answering contemporary ecological and social issues. The article presents a conceptual overview of the selected planning models through a recent literature review, looking at the fundamental concepts of green infrastructure; then, it enlightens the connections between the spatial forms and the functions derived of these forms. These three models are connected infrastructures, varying between the ring, the star or linear forms. What differs the most is the capacity to encompass existing patches like forests or other valuable areas and the proximity and distribution of green spaces throughout the city. Whilst green belts, for their fringe condition, distance itself from the majority of inner-city dwellers, both green wedges and greenways can cross the urban fabric, and reach a greater number of neighborhoods, although the simple existence of these features does not guarantee their social functions. These findings have significant implications for the design of city expansions and can help to configure better neighborhoods in growing cities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e56383
Author(s):  
Sara Dias-Trindade ◽  
José Ant´ónio Moreira ◽  
António Gomes Ferreira

The current pandemic crisis the world is living in has brought new and emerging challenges to teachers, making it essential to acquire digital skills, especially in virtual learning environments and online technologies. In this sense, from the DigCompEdu CheckIn self-assessment questionnaire, validated for the Portuguese population by Dias-Trindade, Moreira, and Nunes (2019), the research presented in this paper aims to identify the most fragile and robust areas of digital skills of primary and secondary education (ISCED) perceived by teachers in Portugal. The quantitative methodological approach emphasizes teachers' perception of their digital skills in three dimensions: teachers’ professional competences, teachers’ pedagogical competences and students' competences and involved 434 teachers from mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions. The results allow us to conclude that teachers have an overall moderate level of digital proficiency – level B1 - Integrators – and the dimensions pedagogical competences and students’ competences are those where teachers have more weaknesses than in other levels. From a panorama observed before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible to understand their needs regarding work that involves digital technologies at different moments in the teaching activity. The results thus, show the need for teachers to increase their level of digital competence through specific training and the importance of developing public policies that prepare teachers for a more digital school.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. e52011
Author(s):  
Alan Kelbis Oliveira Lima ◽  
Arthur Abinader Vasconcelos ◽  
Renata Katsuko Takayama Kobayashi ◽  
Gerson Nakazato ◽  
Hugo de Campos Braga ◽  
...  

This study proposes the preparation, characterization, and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs were synthesized from the leaf extracts of plants from the Arecaceae family, which are abundant in the Amazon region. AgNPs were characterized using UV/Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. AgNPs presented maximum absorbance between 420 and 430 nm, the mean diameter obtained by DLS ranged from 130.43 to 352.93 nm and the polydispersity index (PdI) ranged from 0.523 to 0.689. The surface charge measured by the Zeta potential was negative and ranged from -17.2 to -26.97 mV. FTIR analysis suggests that the phenolic compounds and/or proteins in the chemical composition of the plants studied may have been responsible for the reduction of Ag+ ions and stabilization of AgNPs. The morphology of AgNPs observed was largely spherical and presented some agglomerates. Transmission electron microscopy analyses showed polydispersed AgNPs without the formation of large agglomerates. The synthesized AgNPs presented homogeneity and rapid bioreduction. The concentration of AgNPs required to eliminate microorganisms by up to 90% was lower for Gram-negative bacteria (2.75 μg mL-1) than for Gram-positive bacteria (21.75 μg mL-1). In addition, AgNPs synthesized from plant species that are native to the Amazon proved to be promising, since they showed excellent antimicrobial activity against microorganisms of clinical interest.


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