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•Obtaining biopolymeric films from different sources to study WVTR in best condition.•Beeswax was added in the polymeric matrix in order to improve the barrier ...properties.•Biopolymeric coatings obtained were beneficial in increasing the shelf life of guavas.•The analyzes show that films are a favorable alternative in post-harvest technology.•The sensorial attributes indicated better acceptability of the fruits covered.
Biopolymeric coatings are effective in maintaining the chemical and sensory characteristics of fruits and vegetables because they preserve innumerable nutrients effectively for long periods of storage. Coatings based on cornstarch (3%), cassava starch (2%) and gelatin (5%) were synthesized. Beeswax (BW) was added as a hydrophobic agent in the polymeric network at different concentrations relative to the dry base of biopolymer. The biofilm containing 10% BW presented the best results in the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and the effect of the BW incorporation was also evaluated from surface roughness and SEM. An 80% increase in elasticity and 15% decrease in solubility indicated resistance against unfavorable environmental conditions. Physical-chemical analysis showed that its use minimized weight loss, guaranteeing adequate ripening of the fruits during 15 days in a regulated environment: 15 °C ± 2 °C, 90% ±2% RH. The sensorial attributes indicated better acceptability of these fruits, demonstrating the potential of this coating.
Nickel-based superalloys are known for their high-temperature performance regarding oxidation, creep and fatigue resistance. For this reason, they are widely used as structural components in the ...aerospace industry. However, because of these properties, they are difficult to machine, and normally a rigorous control of the surface integrity and residual stresses are required to avoid structural premature failures. Residual stresses are present in all mechanical components regardless of the manufacturing process applied, and they are either of thermal or mechanical origins. In machining several variables affect the residual stresses, but the tool quality is one that is most influential. The present work studies the influence of the wear of coated cemented carbide tools on the surface integrity of Inconel 718 alloy in the face milling process. Tools with different stages of wear were tested under finishing, roughing, and moderate machining conditions. During milling tests, the machining forces and cutting temperatures were monitored, the latter by two different techniques, using a thermal camera and with J-type thermocouples welded on the workpiece surface close to the cutting region. The surface roughness, microhardness, and residual stresses were measured after each machining test. The results showed that there is a close relationship between the tool wear and the residual stresses that varied from compressive to tensile stresses – the latter being of thermal origin. A direct relationship between tool wear and machining forces and cutting temperature were also observed.
•The artificially produced tool wear types had a significant influence on the machinability.•The cutting temperatures were correlated with the residual stresses in the workpiece.•The cutting conditions significantly influenced the hardness of the machined surface.
Abstract Meat products represent an important component of the human diet and are a good source of nutrients. Food-borne microorganisms are the main pathogens that cause human diseases as a result of ...food consumption, especially products of animal origin. The objective of the present research was to verify the antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Thymus vulgaris against strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from meat products. For this, the analyses of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) were performed in microdilution plates. The association of the product with antimicrobials was also studied using disk diffusion. And the anti-adherent activity, which was determined in the presence of sucrose, in glass tubes. Thyme oil showed a strong inhibitory activity against K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and S. saprophyticus, with the MIC values ranging from 64 to 512 μg/mL, and bactericidal effect for most strains, with MBC values ranging from 256 to 1,024 μg/mL. T. vulgaris oil exhibited varied interactions in association with the antimicrobials, with synergistic (41.67%), indifferent (50%) and antagonistic (8.33%) effects. Regarding the anti-adherent activity, the test product was effective in inhibiting the adherence of all bacterial strains under study. Therefore, thyme oil presents itself as an antibacterial and anti-adherent agent against K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and S. saprophyticus, being a natural product that can represent an interesting alternative in the efforts to combat foodborne diseases.
Resumo Os produtos cárneos representam um importante componente da dieta humana e constituem uma boa fonte de nutrientes. Microrganismos de origem alimentar são os principais patógenos que causam doenças humanas como resultado do consumo de alimentos, principalmente, produtos de origem animal. O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi verificar a atividade antibacteriana do óleo essencial de Thymus vulgaris frente às cepas de Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa e Staphylococcus saprophyticus isoladas de produtos cárneos. Para isso, foram realizadas as análises de Concentração Inibitória Mínima (CIM) e a Concentração Bactericida Mínima (CBM) em placas de microdiluição. Assim como, o estudo de associação do produto com antimicrobianos, realizado por difusão em disco. E a atividade antiaderente, que foi determinada na presença de sacarose, em tubos de vidro. O óleo de tomilho apresentou uma forte atividade inibitória contra K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa e S. saprophyticus, com os valores de CIM variando entre 64 a 512 μg/mL, e efeito bactericida para a maioria das cepas, com valores de CBM entre 256 a 1.024 μg/mL. O óleo de T. vulgaris exibiu interações variadas na associação com os antimicrobianos, com efeitos sinérgicos (41,67%), indiferente (50%) e antagonista (8,33%). Em relação a atividade antiaderente, o produto teste foi eficaz na inibição a aderência de todas cepas bacterianas em estudo. Portanto, o óleo de tomilho apresenta-se como agente antibacteriano e antiaderente frente a K. pneumoniae, a P. aeruginosa e a S. saprophyticus, sendo um produto natural que pode representar uma alternativa interessante nos esforços para combater doenças transmitidas por alimentos.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of concurrent strength and endurance training on neuromuscular and hormonal parameters in elderly men. 23 healthy men (65±4 years) were ...randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: concurrent (CG, n=8), strength (SG, n=8) or endurance group (EG, n=7). The programs consisted, of strength training, endurance training on a cycle ergometer or a combination of both in the same session 3 times per week over a duration of 12 weeks. Subjects were evaluated on parameters related to muscle strength, muscle activation and serum hormones. There were significant increases in lower-body strength in all groups (P<0.05), with higher increases in SG (67%) than CG (41%) and both were higher than EG (25%) (p<0.01). Only SG and CG increased upper-body strength (p<0.01), with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Furthermore, there were significant decreases in free testosterone in EG after training. Significant increases in isometric strength and maximal muscle activation (p<0.05) as well as decreases in the submaximal muscle activation to the same load, were only seen in SG (p<0.05). The present results suggest that the interference effect observed due to concurrent strength and endurance training could be related to impairment of neural adaptations.
Linked Article
This article is commented on by Michel, M. C., pp. 429‐430 of this issue. To view this commentary visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.13379.
Background and Purpose
Mirabegron is the ...first β3‐adrenoceptor agonist approved for treatment of overactive bladder syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the effects of β3‐adrenoceptor agonist mirabegron in mouse urethra. The possibility that mirabegron also exerts α1‐adrenoceptor antagonism was also tested in rat smooth muscle preparations presenting α1A‐ (vas deferens and prostate), α1D‐ (aorta) and α1B‐adrenoceptors (spleen).
Experimental Approach
Functional assays were carried out in mouse and rat isolated tissues. Competition assays for the specific binding of 3Hprazosin to membrane preparations of HEK‐293 cells expressing each of the human α1‐adrenoceptors, as well as β‐adrenoceptor mRNA expression and cyclic AMP measurements in mouse urethra, were performed.
Key Results
Mirabegron produced concentration‐dependent urethral relaxations that were shifted to the right by the selective β3‐adrenoceptor antagonist L‐748,337 but unaffected by β1‐ and β2‐adrenoceptor antagonists (atenolol and ICI‐118,551 respectively). Mirabegron‐induced relaxations were enhanced by the PDE4 inhibitor rolipram, and the agonist stimulated cAMP synthesis. Mirabegron also produced rightward shifts in urethral contractions induced by the α1‐adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine. Schild regression analysis revealed that mirabegron behaves as a competitive antagonist of α1‐adrenoceptors in urethra, vas deferens and prostate (α1A‐adrenoceptor, pA2 ≅ 5.6) and aorta (α1D‐adrenoceptor, pA2 ≅ 5.4) but not in spleen (α1B‐adrenoceptor). The affinities estimated for mirabegron in functional assays were consistent with those estimated in radioligand binding with human recombinant α1A‐ and α1D‐adrenoceptors (pKi ≅ 6.0).
Conclusion and Implications
The effects of mirabegron in urethral smooth muscle are the result of β3‐adrenoceptor agonism together with α1A and α1D‐adrenoceptor antagonism.
This review addresses the different aspects of the use of titanium and its alloys in the production of dental implants, the most common causes of implant failures and the development of improved ...surfaces capable of stimulating osseointegration and guaranteeing the long-term success of dental implants. Titanium is the main material for the development of dental implants; despite this, different surface modifications are studied aiming to improve the osseointegration process. Nanoscale modifications and the bioactivation of surfaces with biological molecules can promote faster healing when compared to smooth surfaces. Recent studies have also pointed out that gradual changes in the implant, based on the microenvironment of insertion, are factors that may improve the integration of the implant with soft and bone tissues, preventing infections and osseointegration failures. In this context, the understanding that nanobiotechnological surface modifications in titanium dental implants improve the osseointegration process arouses interest in the development of new strategies, which is a highly relevant factor in the production of improved dental materials.
Highlights • Tilapia testis offers proper environment for catfish germ cell transplantation. • Jundia catfish spermatogonia are able to fully develop in the tilapia testis. • Successful ...spermatogonial transplantation is observed using two different fish orders.
Terpenoids, also named terpenes or isoprenoids, are a family of natural products found in all living organisms. Many plants produce terpenoids as secondary metabolites, and these make up a large part ...of essential oils. One of most important characteristic is that the compounds are volatile, have odor and can be used in a variety of applications in different industrial segments and traditional medicine. Brazil has a rich and diverse flora that can be used as a source of research for obtaining new molecules. Within the Brazilian flora, it is worth mentioning the Caatinga as an exclusively Brazilian biome where plants adapt to a specific series of weather conditions and therefore become a great storehouse of the terpenoid compounds to be described herein. Fungal infections have become increasingly common, and a great demand for new agents with low toxicity and side effects has thus emerged. Scientists must search for new molecules exhibiting antifungal activity to develop new drugs. This review aims to analyze scientific data from the principal published studies describing the use of terpenes and their biological applications as antifungals.
An important goal in animal breeding is to improve longitudinal traits; that is, traits recorded multiple times during an individual's lifetime or physiological cycle. Longitudinal traits were first ...genetically evaluated based on accumulated phenotypic expression, phenotypic expression at specific time points, or repeatability models. Until now, the genetic evaluation of longitudinal traits has mainly focused on using random regression models (RRM). Random regression models enable fitting random genetic and environmental effects over time, which results in higher accuracy of estimated breeding values compared with other statistical approaches. In addition, RRM provide insights about temporal variation of biological processes and the physiological implications underlying the studied traits. Despite the fact that genomic information has substantially contributed to increase the rates of genetic progress for a variety of economically important traits in several livestock species, less attention has been given to longitudinal traits in recent years. However, including genomic information to evaluate longitudinal traits using RRM is a feasible alternative to yield more accurate selection and culling decisions, because selection of young animals may be based on the complete pattern of the production curve with higher accuracy compared with the use of traditional parent average (i.e., without genomic information). Moreover, RRM can be used to estimate SNP effects over time in genome-wide association studies. Thus, by analyzing marker associations over time, regions with higher effects at specific points in time are more likely to be identified. Despite the advances in applications of RRM in genetic evaluations, more research is needed to successfully combine RRM and genomic information. Future research should provide a better understanding of the temporal variation of biological processes and their physiological implications underlying the longitudinal traits.
Carbapenemase-producing bacteria cause difficult-to-treat infections related to increased mortality in health care settings. Their occurrence has been reported in raw sewage, sewage-impacted rivers, ...and polluted coastal waters, which may indicate their spread to the community. We assessed the variety and concentration of carbapenemase producers in coastal waters with distinct pollution levels for 1 year. We describe various bacterial species producing distinct carbapenemases not only in unsuitable waters but also in waters considered suitable for primary contact.
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