Brewer's spent grain from different types of malt: Evaluation of the antioxidant activity and identification of the major phenolic compounds

The antioxidant activity and phenolic composition of brewer's spent grain (BSG) extracts obtained by microwave-assisted extraction from twomalt types (light and darkmalts) were investigated. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity among the light BSG extracts (pilsen, melano, melano 80 and carared)were significantly different (p b 0.05) compared to dark extracts (chocolate and black types), with the pilsen BSG showing higher TPC (20 �� 1 mgGAE/g dry BSG). In addition, the antioxidant activity assessed by 2,2-diphenyl- 1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2���-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and deoxyribose assays decreased as a result of increasing kilning temperatures in the following order: pilsen N melano N melano 80 N carared N chocolate N black. HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS/MS analysis indicated the presence of phenolic acids, such as ferulic, p-coumaric and syringic acids, as well as several isomeric ferulate dehydrodimers and one dehydrotrimer. Chocolate and black extracts, obtained frommalts submitted to the highest kilning temperatures, showed the lowest levels of ferulic and p-coumaric acids. These results suggested that BSG extracts from pilsen malt might be used as an inexpensive and good natural source of antioxidants with potential interest for the food, pharmaceutical and/or cosmetic industries after purification.

PAH air pollution at a Portuguese urban area: carcinogenic risks and sources identification

This study aimed to characterize air pollution and the associated carcinogenic risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) at an urban site, to identify possible emission sources of PAHs using several statistical methodologies, and to analyze the influence of other air pollutants and meteorological variables on PAH concentrations.The air quality and meteorological data were collected in Oporto, the second largest city of Portugal. Eighteen PAHs (the 16 PAHs considered by United States Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) as priority pollutants, dibenzo[a,l]pyrene, and benzo[j]fluoranthene) were collected daily for 24 h in air (gas phase and in particles) during 40 consecutive days in November and December 2008 by constant low-flow samplers and using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane filters for particulate (PM10 and PM2.5 bound) PAHs and pre-cleaned polyurethane foam plugs for gaseous compounds. The other monitored air pollutants were SO2, PM10, NO2, CO, and O3; the meteorological variables were temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, total precipitation, and solar radiation. Benzo[a]pyrene reached a mean concentration of 2.02 ngm���3, surpassing the EU annual limit value. The target carcinogenic risks were equal than the health-based guideline level set by USEPA (10���6) at the studied site, with the cancer risks of eight PAHs reaching senior levels of 9.98��10���7 in PM10 and 1.06��10���6 in air. The applied statistical methods, correlation matrix, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis, were in agreement in the grouping of the PAHs. The groups were formed according to their chemical structure (number of rings), phase distribution, and emission sources. PAH diagnostic ratios were also calculated to evaluate the main emission sources. Diesel vehicular emissions were the major source of PAHs at the studied site. Besides that source, emissions from residential heating and oil refinery were identified to contribute to PAH levels at the respective area. Additionally, principal component regression indicated that SO2, NO2, PM10, CO, and solar radiation had positive correlation with PAHs concentrations, while O3, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed were negatively correlated.

Identifica����o de compostos que modulam a patog��nese da doen��a de Machado-Joseph em C.elegans: autofagia como alvo terap��utico: identification of small compounds that modulate pathogenesis of Machado-Joseph disease in a C.elegans model: targeting autophagy

A doen��a de Machado-Joseph (DMJ) ou ataxia espinocerebelosa do tipo 3 (SCA3), conhecida por ser a mais comum das ataxias heredit��rias dominantes em todo o mundo, �� uma doen��a neurodegenerativa autoss��mica dominante que leva a uma grande incapacidade motora, embora sem alterar o intelecto, culminando com a morte do doente. Atualmente n��o existe nenhum tratamento eficaz para esta doen��a. A DMJ �� resultado de uma altera����o gen��tica causada pela expans��o de uma sequ��ncia poliglutam��nica (poliQ), na regi��o C-terminal do gene que codifica a prote��na ataxina-3 (ATXN3). Os mecanismos celulares das doen��as de poliglutaminas que provocam toxicidade, bem como a fun����o da ATXN3, n��o s��o ainda totalmente conhecidos. Neste trabalho, usamos, pela sua simplicidade e potencial gen��tico, um pequeno animal invertebrado, o nem��tode C. elegans, com o objetivo de identificar f��rmacos eficazes para o combate contra a patog��nese da DMJ, analisando simultaneamente o seu efeito na agrega����o da ATXN3 mutante nas c��lulas neuronais in vivo e o seu impacto no comportamento motor dos animais. Este pequeno invertebrado proporciona grandes vantagens no estudo dos efeitos t��xicos de prote��nas poliQ nos neur��nios, uma vez que a transpar��ncia das suas 959 c��lulas (das quais 302 s��o neur��nios) facilita a dete����o de prote��nas fluorescentes in vivo. Para al��m disso, esta esp��cie tem um ciclo de vida curto, �� econ��mica e de f��cil manuten����o. Neste trabalho test��mos no nosso modelo transg��nico da DMJ com 130Qs em C.elegans dois compostos potencialmente moduladores da agrega����o da ATXN3 mutante e da resultante disfun����o neurol��gica, atuando pela via da autofagia. De modo a validar a poss��vel import��ncia terap��utica da ativa����o da autofagia os compostos candidatos escolhidos foram o Lit��o e o an��logo da Rapamicina CCI-779, testados independentemente e em combina����o. A neuroprote����o conferida pelo Lit��o e pelo CCI-779 independentemente sugere que o uso destes f��rmacos possa ser considerado uma boa estrat��gia como terapia para a DMJ, a testar em organismos evolutivamente mais pr��ximos do humano. A manipula����o da autofagia, segundo v��rios autores, parece ser ben��fica e pode ser a chave para o desenvolvimento de novos tratamentos para v��rias doen��as relacionadas com a agrega����o proteica e o envelhecimento.

Dual source/dual energy-renal applications

Development of Dual Source Computed Tomography (Definition, Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlanger, Germany) allowed advances in temporal resolution, with the addition of a second X-ray source and an array of detectors to the TCM 64 slices. The ability to run exams on Dual Energy, allows greater differentiation of tissues, showing differences between closer attenuation coefficients. In terms of renal applications, the distinction of kidney stones and masses become one of the main advantages of the use of dual-energy technology. This article pretends to demonstrate operating principles of this equipment, as its main renal applications.

Espresso coffee residues: a valuable source of unextracted compounds

Espresso spent coffee grounds were chemically characterized to predict their potential, as a source of bioactive compounds, by comparison with the ones from the soluble coffee industry. Sampling included a total of 50 samples from 14 trademarks, collected in several coffee shops and prepared with distinct coffee machines. A high compositional variability was verified, particularly with regard to such water-soluble components as caffeine, total chlorogenic acids (CGA), and minerals, supported by strong positive correlations with total soluble solids retained. This is a direct consequence of the reduced extraction efficiency during espresso coffee preparation, leaving a significant pool of bioactivity retained in the extracted grounds. Besides the lipid (12.5%) and nitrogen (2.3%) contents, similar to those of industrial coffee residues, the CGA content (478.9 mg/100 g), for its antioxidant capacity, and its caffeine content (452.6 mg/100 g), due to its extensive use in the food and pharmaceutical industries, justify the selective assembly of this residue for subsequent use.

Identification of neuronal alterations induced by Shank3 mutations using iPS cells from Phelan-McDermid Patients' Fibroblasts

A fam��lia de prote��nas Shank �� o principal conjunto de proteinas de suporte e est�� localizada na densidade p��s-sin��ptica das sinapses excitat��rias. Existem 3 genes na fam��lia Shank, Shank1, Shank2 e Shank3 e s��o caracterizados por m��ltiplos dom��nios repetidos de anquirina pr��ximo ao N-terminal seguido pelos dom��nios Src homologo 3 e PDZ, uma regi��o longa rica em prolina e um dom��nio de motivo �� est��ril pr��ximo ao C-terminal. Shank prote��nas conectam duas subunidades de receptors glutamat��rgicos, recetores NMDA e recetores metabotr��picos de glutamato do tipo-I (mGluRs). O dom��nio PDZ da Shank conecta-se ao C-terminal do GKAP e este, liga-se, ao complexo recetor PSD-95-NMDA. Por outro lado, a prote��na Homer interage com o dom��nio rico em prolina para confirmar a associa����o entre a prote��na Shank com o mGluR tipo-I. A prote��na espec��fica em estudo, Shank3, �� haploinsuficiente em pacientes com sindrome Phelan-McDermid devido �� dele����es no bra��o comprido do cromossoma 22 levando �� danos intelectuais, aus��ncia ou atraso no discurso, comportamentos semelhantes ao autismo, hipotonia e caracter��sticas dism��rficas. Neste trabalho, investigamos o papel da Shank3 na fun����o sin��ptica para compreender a rela����o entre altera����es nesta prote��na e as caracter��sticas neurol��gicas presente em Pacientes com s��ndrome Phelan-McDermid. Foram utilizados dois modelos diferentes, ratinhos knockout Shank3 e hiPSC de pacientes com PMS. Ratinhos geneticamente modificados s��o ferramentas uteis no estudo de genes e na compreens��o dos mecanismos que experi��ncias in vitro n��o s��o capazes de reproduzir, mas de maneira a compreender melhor as patologias humanas, decidimos trabalhar tamb��m com c��lulas humanas. Os fibroblastos dos pacientes com s��ndrome Phelan-McDermid fora reprogramados em hiPS cells, diferenciados em neur��nios e comparados com os neur��nios obtidos a partir de doadores saudav��is e da mesma idade. A reprograma����o em iPSC foi realizada por infec����o de lentivirus com quatro genes de reprograma����o OCT4, c-MYC, SOX2 e KFL4 para posteriormente serem diferenciados em neur��nios, com cada passo sendo positivamente confirmado atrav��s de marcadores neuronais. Atrav��s dos neur��nios diferenciados, analisamos a express��o de prote��nas sin��pticas. Pacientes com haploinsuficiencia na prote��na Shank3 apresentam n��veis elevados de prote��na mGluR5 e decrescidos de prote��na Homer sugerindo que a haploinsuficiencia leva a desregula����o do complexo mGluR5-Homer-Shank3 conduzindo tamb��m, a defeitos na matura����o sin��ptica. Assim, a express��o da prote��na mGluR5 est�� alterada nos pacientes com PMS podendo estar relacionada com defeitos encontrados na diferencia����o neuronal e matura����o sin��ptica observados nos neur��nios de pacientes. Conclusivamente, iPS cells representam um modelo fundamental no estudo da prote��na Shank3 e a sua influ��ncia no sindrome de Phelan-McDermid.

Exploring bioactive properties of marine cyanobacteria Isolated from the Portuguese coast: high potential as a source of anticancer compounds

The oceans remain a major source of natural compounds with potential in pharmacology. In particular, during the last few decades, marine cyanobacteria have been in focus as producers of interesting bioactive compounds, especially for the treatment of cancer. In this study, the anticancer potential of extracts from twenty eight marine cyanobacteria strains, belonging to the underexplored picoplanktonic genera, Cyanobium, Synechocystis and Synechococcus, and the filamentous genera, Nodosilinea, Leptolyngbya, Pseudanabaena and Romeria, were assessed in eight human tumor cell lines. First, a crude extract was obtained by dichloromethane:methanol extraction, and from it, three fractions were separated in a Si column chromatography. The crude extract and fractions were tested in eight human cancer cell lines for cell viability/toxicity, accessed with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactic dehydrogenase release (LDH) assays. Eight point nine percent of the strains revealed strong cytotoxicity; 17.8% showed moderate cytotoxicity, and 14.3% assays showed low toxicity. The results obtained revealed that the studied genera of marine cyanobacteria are a promising source of novel compounds with potential anticancer activity and highlight the interest in also exploring the smaller filamentous and picoplanktonic genera of cyanobacteria.

Contribution of hospital effluents to the load of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters: Identification of ecologically relevant pharmaceuticals

The impact of effluent wastewaters from four different hospitals: a university (1456 beds), a general (350 beds), a pediatric (110 beds) and a maternity hospital (96 beds), which are conveyed to the same wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), was evaluated in the receiving urban wastewaters. The occurrence of 78 pharmaceuticals belonging to several therapeutic classes was assessed in hospital effluents and WWTP wastewaters (influent and effluent) as well as the contribution of each hospital in WWTP influent in terms of pharmaceutical load. Results indicate that pharmaceuticals are widespread pollutants in both hospital and urban wastewaters. The contribution of hospitals to the input of pharmaceuticals in urban wastewaters widely varies, according to their dimension. The estimated total mass loadings were 306 g d��� 1 for the university hospital, 155 g d��� 1 for the general one, 14 g d��� 1 for the pediatric hospital and 1.5 g d��� 1 for the maternity hospital, showing that the biggest hospitals have a greater contribution to the total mass load of pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, analysis of individual contributions of each therapeutic group showed that NSAIDs, analgesics and antibiotics are among the groups with the highest inputs. Removal efficiency can go from over 90% for pharmaceuticals like acetaminophen and ibuprofen to not removal for ��-blockers and salbutamol. Total mass load of pharmaceuticals into receiving surface waters was estimated between 5 and 14 g/d/1000 inhabitants. Finally, the environmental risk posed by pharmaceuticals detected in hospital and WWTP effluents was assessed by means of hazard quotients toward different trophic levels (algae, daphnids and fish). Several pharmaceuticals present in the different matrices were identified as potentially hazardous to aquatic organisms, showing that especial attention should be paid to antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin and clarithromycin, since their hazard quotients in WWTP effluent revealed that they could pose an ecotoxicological risk to algae.

Demo: automatic personal identification system for security in critical services: a case study

The demonstration proposal moves from the capabilities of a wireless biometric badge [4], which integrates a localization and tracking service along with an automatic personal identification mechanism, to show how a full system architecture is devised to enable the control of physical accesses to restricted areas. The system leverages on the availability of a novel IEEE 802.15.4/Zigbee Cluster Tree network model, on enhanced security levels and on the respect of all the users' privacy issues.

Open-ZB: an open-source implementation of the IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee protocol stack on TinyOS

The IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee protocols are gaining increasing interests in both research and industrial communities as candidate technologies for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) applications. In this paper, we present an open-source implementation of the IEEE 802.15.4/Zigbee protocol stack under the TinyOS operating system for the MICAz motes. This work has been driven by the need for an open-source implementation of the IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee protocols, filling a gap between some newly released complex C implementations and black-box implementations from different manufacturers. In addition, we share our experience on the challenging problem that we have faced during the implementation of the protocol stack on the MICAz motes. We strongly believe that this open-source implementation will potentiate research works on the IEEE 802.15.4/Zigbee protocols allowing their demonstration and validation through experimentation.

On the use of the ZigBee protocol for wireless sensor networks

This project was developed within the ART-WiSe framework of the IPP-HURRAY group (http://www.hurray.isep.ipp.pt), at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (http://www.ipp.pt). The ART-WiSe ��� Architecture for Real-Time communications in Wireless Sensor networks ��� framework (http://www.hurray.isep.ipp.pt/art-wise) aims at providing new communication architectures and mechanisms to improve the timing performance of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The architecture is based on a two-tiered protocol structure, relying on existing standard communication protocols, namely IEEE 802.15.4 (Physical and Data Link Layers) and ZigBee (Network and Application Layers) for Tier 1 and IEEE 802.11 for Tier 2, which serves as a high-speed backbone for Tier 1 without energy consumption restrictions. Within this trend, an application test-bed is being developed with the objectives of implementing, assessing and validating the ART-WiSe architecture. Particularly for the ZigBee protocol case; even though there is a strong commercial lobby from the ZigBee Alliance (http://www.zigbee.org), there is neither an open source available to the community for this moment nor publications on its adequateness for larger-scale WSN applications. This project aims at fulfilling these gaps by providing: a deep analysis of the ZigBee Specification, mainly addressing the Network Layer and particularly its routing mechanisms; an identification of the ambiguities and open issues existent in the ZigBee protocol standard; the proposal of solutions to the previously referred problems; an implementation of a subset of the ZigBee Network Layer, namely the association procedure and the tree routing on our technological platform (MICAz motes, TinyOS operating system and nesC programming language) and an experimental evaluation of that routing mechanism for WSNs.

Domesticated domesticated! Some comments on the translation into English of Jos�� Carlos Somoza's La Caverna de las ideas

In order to cater for an extended readership, crime fiction, like most popular genres, is based on the repetition of a formula allowing for the reader's immediate identification. This first domestication is followed, at the time of its translation, by a second process, which wipes out those characteristics of the source text that may come into conflict with the dominant values of the target culture. An analysis of the textual and paratextual strategies used in the English translation of Jos�� Carlos Somoza's La caverna de las ideas (2000) shows the efforts to make the novel more easily marketable in the English-speaking world through the elimination of most of the obstacles to easy readability.

Multi-elemental analysis of ready-to-eat ���baby leaf��� vegetables using microwave digestion and high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry

The mineral content (phosphorous (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu)) of eight ready-to-eat baby leaf vegetables was determined. The samples were subjected to microwave-assisted digestion and the minerals were quantified by High-Resolution Continuum Source Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS-AAS) with flame and electrothermal atomisation. The methods were optimised and validated producing low LOQs, good repeatability and linearity, and recoveries, ranging from 91% to 110% for the minerals analysed. Phosphorous was determined by a standard colorimetric method. The accuracy of the method was checked by analysing a certified reference material; results were in agreement with the quantified value. The samples had a high content of potassium and calcium, but the principal mineral was iron. The mineral content was stable during storage and baby leaf vegetables could represent a good source of minerals in a balanced diet. A linear discriminant analysis was performed to compare the mineral profile obtained and showed, as expected, that the mineral content was similar between samples from the same family. The Linear Discriminant Analysis was able to discriminate different samples based on their mineral profile.

Mitochondria are the main source and one of the targets of Pb (lead)-induced oxidative stress in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a useful model organism for studying lead (Pb) toxicity. Yeast cells of a laboratory S. cerevisiae strain (WT strain) were incubated with Pb concentrations up to 1,000 ��mol/l for 3 h. Cells exposed to Pb lost proliferation capacity without damage to the cell membrane, and they accumulated intracellular superoxide anion (O2 .���) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The involvement of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by Pb was evaluated. For this purpose, an isogenic derivative ��0 strain, lacking mitochondrial DNA, was used. The ��0 strain, without respiratory competence, displayed a lower intracellular ROS accumulation and a higher resistance to Pb compared to the WT strain. The kinetic study of ROS generation in yeast cells exposed to Pb showed that the production of O2 .��� precedes the accumulation of H2O2, which is compatible with the leakage of electrons from the mitochondrial ETC. Yeast cells exposed to Pb displayed mutations at the mitochondrial DNA level. This is most likely a consequence of oxidative stress. In conclusion, mitochondria are an important source of Pb-induced ROS and, simultaneously, one of the targets of its toxicity.

Nanoparticles based Permeable Reactive Barriers as an Eco-efficient Technology for nitrate remediation in soil and groundwater

The need to increase agricultural yield led, among others, to an increase in the consumption of nitrogen based fertilizers. As a consequence, there are excessive concentrations of nitrates, the most abundant of the reactive nitrogen (Nr) species, in several areas of the world. The demographic changes and projected population growth for the next decades, and the economic shifts which are already shaping the near future are powerful drivers for a further intensification in the use of fertilizers, with a predicted increase of the nitrogen loads in soils. Nitrate easily diffuses in the subsurface environments, portraying high mobility in soils. Moreover, the presence of high nitrate loads in water has the potential to cause an array of health dysfunctions, such as methemoglobinemia and several cancers. Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRB) placed strategically relatively to the nitrate source constitute an effective technology to tackle nitrate pollution. Ergo, PRB avoid various adverse impacts resulting from the displacement of reactive nitrogen downstream along water bodies. A four stages literature review was carried out in 34 databases. Initially, a set of pertinent key words were identified to perform the initial databases searches. Then, the synonyms of those initial key words were used to carry out a second set of databases searches. The third stage comprised the identification of other additional relevant terms from the research papers identified in the previous two stages. Again, databases searches were performed with this third set of key words. The final step consisted of the identification of relevant papers from the bibliography of the relevant papers identified in the previous three stages of the literature review process. The set of papers identified as relevant for in-depth analysis were assessed considering a set of relevant characterization variables.