It is well established that non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts, considered in the past as undesired or spoilage yeasts, can enhance the analytical composition, and aroma profile of the wine. The ...contribution of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, including the ability to secret enzymes and produce secondary metabolites, glycerol and ethanol, release of mannoproteins or contributions to color stability, is species- and strain-specific, pointing out the key importance of a clever strain selection. The use of mixed starters of selected non-Saccharomyces yeasts with strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae represents an alternative to both spontaneous and inoculated wine fermentations, taking advantage of the potential positive role that non-Saccharomyces wine yeast species play in the organoleptic characteristics of wine. In this context mixed starters can meet the growing demand for new and improved wine yeast strains adapted to different types and styles of wine. With the aim of presenting old and new evidences on the potential of non-Saccharomyces yeasts to address this market trend, we mainly review the studies focused on non-Saccharomyces strain selection and design of mixed starters directed to improve primary and secondary aroma of wines. The ability of non-Saccharomyces wine yeasts to produce enzymes and metabolites of oenological relevance is also discussed.
O campo de estudo “saúde e migrações” é relativamente novo, tanto entre as ciências da saúde como nas ciências sociais, quer a problemática seja abordada com metodologias quantitativas e/ou ...qualitativas tradicionais. O recurso a metodologias participativas tem sido uma exceção, embora estas ofereçam uma oportunidade concreta de intervenção, quer com os usuários dos serviços de saúde como com os profissionais de saúde. Recorrendo a um caso específico de investigação sobre saúde materno-infantil e reprodutiva nas populações migrantes, este artigo pretende contribuir para o debate sobre o uso dessas metodologias e os desafios e as possibilidades que oferecem como ferramenta metodológica em investigação direcionada à mudança social.
The field of “health and migration” is relatively new, both among health sciences and social sciences, using either traditional quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies. The use of participative methodologies has been an exception although they provide an opportunity for intervention, both with users of health services or with providers. Using an example of research in the field of maternal-child and reproductive health among migrant populations, this paper hopes to contribute to the debate about the use of participative methodologies, their challenges and possibilities as a methodological tool in applying research for social change.
El campo de estudio “salud y migraciones” es relativamente nuevo, tanto entre las ciencias de la salud como en las ciencias sociales, tanto si la problemática es abordada con metodologías cuantitativas y/o con metodologías cualitativas tradicionales. Recurrir a metodologías participativas ha sido una excepción, aunque ellas ofrezcan una oportunidad concreta de intervención, tanto con los usuarios de los servicios de salud como con los profesionales de salud. Recurriendo a un caso específico de investigación sobre salud materno-infantil y reproductiva en las poblaciones migrantes, este artículo pretende contribuir al debate sobre el uso de estas metodologías y los desafíos y las posibilidades que ofrecen como herramienta metodológica en investigación dirigida al cambio social.
Studies of the relationship between diverse populations, healthcare access and health outcomes have been dominated by approaches focusing on ethno-national groups or specific healthcare sectors. ...Healthcare bricolage conceptualises the processes by which individuals use multiple resources to address health concerns. It is relevant in superdiverse neighbourhoods with complex populations. This paper is original in its application of mixed methods to examine the extent to which, and the reasons why, individuals engage in healthcare bricolage.
The study utilized a parallel sequential methodology. Eight superdiverse neighbourhoods were selected, two in each of Bremen, Birmingham, Lisbon and Uppsala. Ethnographic research scoping the nature of each healthcare ecosystem was followed by 160 interviews (20 each neighbourhood) with a maximum variation sample of residents undertaken October 2015 to December 2016. Interviewees were asked to recall a health concern and describe actions taken to attempt resolution. Data was coded with a MAXQDA codebook checked for inter-coder reliability. Interview findings enabled identification of five types of bricolage, the nature of healthcare resources utilised and the factors which influenced residents' tactics. Results were used to design a household survey using new questions and validated epidemiological instruments implemented January to October 2017. Respondents were identified using random address files and interviewed in person or by telephone. Multinomal logistic regressions were used to estimate the effect of changing the values of determinants on the probability of observing an outcome.
Age, gender, level of education, migration background and extent of functional limitation were associated with bricolage tactics. Individuals demonstrating high levels of agency were more likely than those with low levels to engage in bricolage. Residents with high levels of trust in physicians were less likely to bricolage than those with lower levels of trust. Levels of health literacy showed no significant effects.
The nature and severity of health concern, trust in physicians and agency shaped residents' bricolage tactics. The concept of bricolage enabled us to make visible the actions and resources utilised around public healthcare systems that would otherwise remain outwith healthcare access research. Actions were frequently undertaken via networks offering insights into healthcare-seeking behaviour.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This paper applies, for the first time, the concept of bricolage to understand the experiences of superdiverse urban populations and their practices of improvisation in accessing health services ...across healthcare ecosystems. By adopting the concept of healthcare bricolage and an ecosystem approach, we render visible the agency of individuals as they creatively mobilise, utilise, and re-use resources in the face of constraints on access to healthcare services. Such resources include multiple knowledges, ideas, materials, and networks. The concept of bricolage is particularly useful given that superdiverse populations are by definition heterogeneous, multilingual and transnational, and frequently in localities characterised as ‘resource-poor’, in which bricolage may be necessary to overcome such constraints, and where mainstream healthcare providers have limited understanding of the challenges that populations experience in accessing services. The ‘politics of bricolage’ as neoliberal strategies of self-empowerment legitimising the withdrawal of the welfare state are critically discussed. Conflicting aspects of bricolage are made explicit in setting out tactics of relevance to researching the practices of bricolage.
The research work presented in this paper is related to water reuse and facility management concepts for the main circuits in different steel plants through the salt elimination techniques. In ...particular the study concerned two water circuits belonging to two integrated steelworks where high salts concentrations caused relevant problems. In the first circuit, the high chloride and carbonate concentration in the cooling water of the hot strip mill can affect the quality of the strips, due to the salt depositions on the strip surfaces, and causes corrosion of equipment. In the second circuit, the high content of chlorides and fluorides in the process waters of a Blast Furnace gas cleaning system causes corrosion of various components.
In both cases tests were carried out to assess the possibility to apply Reverse Osmosis implementation and to evaluate the stability of its qualitative performance to the brackish water. The tests showed that pre-treatments are actually needed for colloids removal, and, consequently, to protect Reverse Osmosis membranes: in the first circuit, ultrafiltration, and in the second circuit conventional coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation system followed by sand filtration have been implemented.
Results showed that, through Reverse Osmosis system, most salts, such as chlorides, fluorides, calcium, sulphates, etc. can be removed and other parameters, such as electrical conductivity, alkalinity and Total Dissolved Solids dramatically decreased. Accordingly significant results have been achieved, such as fresh water consumption and water discharged decrease, and the pipe service life improvement, due to the reduction of corrosion problems. The economic viability at industrial scale was also evaluated and their implementation resulted feasible.
•Two water circuits in two integrated steelworks have been considered.•The investigation of salt elimination and water reuse has been carried out.•The effectiveness of techniques for salts removal have been investigated.•The economic and technical feasibilities of the RO integration have been assessed.
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) involves the nonsexual transmission of genetic material across species boundaries. Although often detected in prokaryotes, examples of HGT involving animals are ...relatively rare, and any evolutionary advantage conferred to the recipient is typically obscure. We identified a gene (HhMAN1) from the coffee berry borer beetle, Hypothenemus hampei, a devastating pest of coffee, which shows clear evidence of HGT from bacteria. HhMAN1 encodes a mannanase, representing a class of glycosyl hydrolases that has not previously been reported in insects. Recombinant HhMAN1 protein hydrolyzes coffee berry galactomannan, the major storage polysaccharide in this species and the presumed food of H. hampei. HhMAN1 was found to be widespread in a broad biogeographic survey of H. hampei accessions, indicating that the HGT event occurred before radiation of the insect from West Africa to Asia and South America. However, the gene was not detected in the closely related species H. obscurus (the tropical nut borer or "false berry borer"), which does not colonize coffee beans. Thus, HGT of HhMAN1 from bacteria represents a likely adaptation to a specific ecological niche and may have been promoted by intensive agricultural practices.
Nowadays it is widely accepted that non-Saccharomyces yeasts, which prevail during the early stages of alcoholic fermentation, contribute significantly to the character and quality of the final wine. ...Among these yeasts, Wickerhamomyces anomalus (formerly Pichia anomala, Hansenula anomala, Candida pelliculosa) has gained considerable importance for the wine industry since it exhibits interesting and potentially exploitable physiological and metabolic characteristics, although its growth along fermentation can still be seen as an uncontrollable risk. This species is widespread in nature and has been isolated from different environments including grapes and wines. Its use together with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in mixed culture fermentations has been proposed to increase wine particular characteristics. Here, we review the ability of W. anomalus to produce enzymes and metabolites of oenological relevance and we discuss its potential as a biocontrol agent in winemaking. Finally, biotechnological applications of W. anomalus beyond wine fermentation are briefly described.
Studies of factors associated with the use of Internet-based health information generally focus on general, rather than migrant populations. This study looked into the reasons why Internet-based ...health information is used and the effects of migration-related factors, other socio-demographic characteristics and health-related factors on the tendency to consult the Internet.
In a cross-sectional survey conducted in eight superdiverse neighbourhoods - two each in Birmingham, United Kingdom; Bremen, Germany; Lisbon, Portugal and Uppsala, Sweden - participants were presented with six scenarios and asked to indicate the resources they most relied on when addressing a health concern from a given list. The scenarios included establishing the underlying causes of a health concern and seeking information about prescription drugs, treatments and services available as part of the public healthcare system. The list of resources included the public healthcare system, alternative medicine, family and friends, and the Internet. Frequencies for which the Internet was consulted for each different scenario were calculated and compared across the participating cities. The association between consulting Internet-based health information and migration-related factors, and further socio-demographic characteristics as well as health-related factors such as self-reported health and health literacy was assessed using multivariable logistic regressions.
Of the 2570 participants from all four cities who were included in the analyses, 47% had a migrant background and 35% originated from non-EU countries. About a third reported relying on Internet-based health information for at least one of the given scenarios. The two most frequently chosen scenarios were to find out about other possible treatments and prescription drugs. Generally, using Internet-based health information was negatively associated with being a first generation migrant (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46-0.93), having poor local language competency (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.14-0.45), older age (≥60 years, OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.15-0.31), low education (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.24-0.50) and positively associated with low trust in physicians (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.47-3.10).
Our findings indicate the need to consider migration background and language competency when promoting the provision of healthcare services via the Internet so that information and services are widely accessible.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Delivery systems, including peptide‐based ones, that destabilize endosomes in a pH‐dependent manner are increasingly used to deliver cargoes of therapeutic interest, such as nucleic acids ...and proteins into mammalian cells.
Methods
The negatively charged amphipathic alpha‐helicoidal forming peptide named HELP (Helical Erythrocyte Lysing Peptide) is a derivative from the bee venom melittin and was shown to have a pH‐dependent activity with the highest lytic activity at pH 5.0 at the same time as becoming inactive when the pH is increased. The present study aimed to determine whether replacement in the HELP peptide of the glutamic acid residues by histidines, for which the protonation state is sensitive to the pH changes that occur during endosomal acidification, can transform this fusogenic peptide into a carrier able to deliver different nucleic acids into mammalian cells.
Results
The resulting HELP‐4H peptide displays high plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA and mRNA delivery capabilities. Importantly, in contrast to other cationic peptides, its transfection activity was only marginally affected by the presence of serum. Using circular dichroism, we found that acidic pH did not induce significant conformational changes for HELP‐4H.
Conclusions
In summary, we were able to develop a new cationic histidine rich peptide able to efficiently deliver various nucleic acids into cells.
The newly designed cationic amphipathic histidine‐rich peptide HELP‐4H displays high DNA, small interfering and mRNA transfection capabilities. We also found that the transfection activity is poorly affected by the presence of serum and that HELP‐4H adopts an alpha‐helix in a pH‐independent manner.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a defining global health crisis of our time. While the impact of COVID-19, including its mental health impact, is increasingly being documented, there remain important gaps ...regarding the specific consequences of the pandemic on particular population groups, including refugees and migrants. This study aims to uncover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of refugees and migrants worldwide, disentangling the possible role of social and daily stressors, i.e., experiences of discrimination and daily living conditions. Descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the responses of N = 20,742 refugees and migrants on the self-reporting global ApartTogether survey. Survey findings indicated that the mental health of refugees and migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly impacted, particularly for certain subgroups, (i.e., insecure housing situation and residence status, older respondents, and females) who reported experiencing higher levels of increased discrimination and increases in daily life stressors. There is a need to recognize the detrimental mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on particular refugee and migrant groups and to develop interventions that target their unique needs.
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