Validation of a single-extraction procedure for sequential analysis of vitamin E, cholesterol, fatty acids, and total fat in seafood

Food lipid major components are usually analyzed by individual methodologies using diverse extractive procedures for each class. A simple and fast extractive procedure was devised for the sequential analysis of vitamin E, cholesterol, fatty acids, and total fat estimation in seafood, reducing analyses time and organic solvent consumption. Several liquid/liquid-based extractive methodologies using chlorinated and non-chlorinated organic solvents were tested. The extract obtained is used for vitamin E quantification (normal-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection), total cholesterol (normal-phase HPLC with UV detection), fatty acid profile, and total fat estimation (GC-FID), all accomplished in <40 min. The final methodology presents an adequate linearity range and sensitivity for tocopherol and cholesterol, with intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD) from 3 to 11 % for all the components. The developed methodology was applied to diverse seafood samples with positive outcomes, making it a very attractive technique for routine analyses in standard equipped laboratories in the food quality control field.

Redes “Fiber To The Home – FTTH”. O despertar de novos serviços de telecomunicações

Se ha poucos anos nao imaginavamos as nossas vidas sem o conforto proporcionado pela iluminacao artificial, fruto do desenvolvimento e proliferacao da producao, transporte e distribuicao de energia electrica, seguramente que nos dias de hoje e indissociavel juntar a esse mesmo conforto e estilo de vida a utilizacao dos meios de telecomunicacoes actuais. Com efeito, a vulgarizacao do uso de telemoveis, a recepcao e transmissao de dados a velocidades cada vez maiores, o aparecimento de televisao de alta definicao (TVAD) em substituicao do actual formato PAL, a surgimento de ofertas de novos servicos como o Video on Demand a par da emergente televisao digital terrestre constituem, seguramente, uma nova revolucao nas infra-estruturas de telecomunicacoes domesticas e profissionais. O sector das telecomunicacoes tem sido aquele que se encontra em pleno crescimento, com os fabricantes e operadores a lancarem novos produtos e solucoes de forma continuada, bem como uma atenta e perspicaz reaccao por parte dos legisladores. Assiste-se verdadeiramente na industria das telecomunicacoes a um movimento relacionado com a convergencia para as redes IP (“Internet Protocol”, ou Protocolo de Internet).

A filosofia da qualidade total aplicada a uma empresa do sector alimentar

Mestrado em Controlo de Gestão e dos Negócios

Castor fiber na gruta do Caldeirão. Existência, distribuição e extinção do castor em Portugal

Beaver only had been found in Portugal in a Chalcolithic locality, the Vila Nova de S. Pedro castrum. It has now been identified in the Upper Paleolithic (Solutrean) from Gruta do Caldeirão, near Tomar. The species has been found recently at «Gruta do Almonda»; 4 teeth were collected in bed C, older than a Solutrean sequence (see Anexo for details). The species seems to have been rare, as it was also the case with portuguese Miocene Castoridae Enroxenomys minutus and Chalicomys jaegeri. If account is taken of the presence in the Middle Ages until Castille of words meaning beaver (relared to the popular latin Fiber/Biber), it is obvious that these animais still existed then. Such nouns were largely predominant over rhe rather erudite latin (greek deríved) words as Castor,-óris and derived ones, as it could be expected. This allowed us to recognize that veiro should be the corresponding word with Fiber affinities in archaic portuguese. It was previously supposed to mean only expensive furs then imported into Portugal. Indeed it was also a zoonym. Anywày, beaver should be scarce by XIIIth century since it is not included in the quite detailed price list imposed by the «Lei da Almotaçaria» from December 26, 1253 (see Quadro II). Toponyms in veiro and derived words (fig. 2; Quadro III) (plural, feminines, diminutives, inhabited places) give a resrrictive view of rhe Middle Age distribution. Some of them are certainly older than Portugal itself (firsr half of XIlth cenrury); others existed by the XIVth century bur were probably older. Some rare toponyms seem to be derived from the erudite latin Castor,-óris. Nothing suggests that these words were still in use as zoonyms during the Middle Ages. All toponyms are located in regions near rivers and other freshwaters ecologically suitable for beavers, so we can approximately retrace its former, Middle Age disrribution in Portugal (fig. 2; Quadro III). Most of them are locared in the Center-West and Northwest of Portugal, with a suitable c1imate (rainfall in general over 800 mílimerers per year); the only sure geographical exception is Veiros, in Alto Alentejo province, in a region with comparable precipitations and less dry climate conditions than mosr of the territories South of rhe Tagus. There are less and less of these toponyms towards rhe South and the inner part of the country, and they are enrirely lacking in all drier regions from Trás-os-Montes, Beira, Alentejo beyond Tagus' basin, and in Algarve. Nothing suggests beavers lived there, No post-medieval toponym is known, nor any reference after middle XVth century. No such locality was at, or close by to, any frontier. Hence the hypothesis of veiro (et al.} as meaning but points where expensive furs (supposedly known as veiros in general but without c1early saying from what animal they were obrained from) is to be discarded. During the Middle Ages, beaver discriburion concerned all the main river basins from Minho to Tagus ones. Quite rarefied in rhe XIIIth, the beavers may have disappeared from Portugal during the XVth century. Ecological requiremenrs restricted their former distriburion. Vulnerability to natural causes (i.e., severe drought) and to human pressure may have accounted heavily for this species' extinction. Last (1446) reference for Portugal known to us suggests the species was by then almost extinct.

Fontes de fósforo total e o estado trófico de albufeiras em Portugal continental

O estudo realizado incidiu sobre 260 albufeiras, identificadas em diferentes fontes de informação e localizadas em Portugal continental. De entre as massas de água identificadas procedeu-se à classificação do estado trófico de 92 albufeiras, todas para as quais se dispõe de dados de qualidade da água para o efeito. Destas, de acordo com o critério de classificação adoptado em Portugal, 60 foram classificadas como eutróficas, em resultado principalmente das concentrações de fósforo total. Após a delimitação das bacias drenantes de 194 albufeiras, foram implementadas metodologias de quantificação de fósforo total afluente a essas massas de água. Com recurso a um modelo de balanço de massas foram simuladas as concentrações de fósforo total em 80 albufeiras, tendo sido considerados adequados os resultados obtidos em 42 albufeiras. Com base nos resultados obtidos concluiu-se que as metodologias de quantificação de fósforo total de origem urbana e de origem difusa são adequadas ao desenvolvimento de estudos de planeamento e de identificação das principais fontes de fósforo total, em águas doces superficiais.

Handling random errors and biases in methods used for short-term dietary assessment

Epidemiological studies have shown the effect of diet on the incidence of chronic diseases; however, proper planning, designing, and statistical modeling are necessary to obtain precise and accurate food consumption data. Evaluation methods used for short-term assessment of food consumption of a population, such as tracking of food intake over 24h or food diaries, can be affected by random errors or biases inherent to the method. Statistical modeling is used to handle random errors, whereas proper designing and sampling are essential for controlling biases. The present study aimed to analyze potential biases and random errors and determine how they affect the results. We also aimed to identify ways to prevent them and/or to use statistical approaches in epidemiological studies involving dietary assessments.

Dietary patterns in pregnancy and birth weight

OBJECTIVE To analyze if dietary patterns during the third gestational trimester are associated with birth weight.METHODS Longitudinal study conducted in the cities of Petropolis and Queimados, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Southeastern Brazil, between 2007 and 2008. We analyzed data from the first and second follow-up wave of a prospective cohort. Food consumption of 1,298 pregnant women was assessed using a semi-quantitative questionnaire about food frequency. Dietary patterns were obtained by exploratory factor analysis, using the Varimax rotation method. We also applied the multivariate linear regression model to estimate the association between food consumption patterns and birth weight.RESULTS Four patterns of consumption – which explain 36.4% of the variability – were identified and divided as follows: (1) prudent pattern (milk, yogurt, cheese, fruit and fresh-fruit juice, cracker, and chicken/beef/fish/liver), which explained 14.9% of the consumption; (2) traditional pattern, consisting of beans, rice, vegetables, breads, butter/margarine and sugar, which explained 8.8% of the variation in consumption; (3) Western pattern (potato/cassava/yams, macaroni, flour/farofa/grits, pizza/hamburger/deep fried pastries, soft drinks/cool drinks and pork/sausages/egg), which accounts for 6.9% of the variance; and (4) snack pattern (sandwich cookie, salty snacks, chocolate, and chocolate drink mix), which explains 5.7% of the consumption variability. The snack dietary pattern was positively associated with birth weight (β = 56.64; p = 0.04) in pregnant adolescents.CONCLUSIONS For pregnant adolescents, the greater the adherence to snack pattern during pregnancy, the greater the baby’s birth weight.

Factors associated with dietary supplement use by people who exercise at gyms

OBJECTIVE To assess the factors associated with the use of dietary supplements by people who exercise at gyms.METHODS A cross-sectional study with a sample defined by convenience, considering the number of gyms registered in the Conselho Regional de Educação Física (Regional Council of Physical Education) of Sao Luis, MA, Northeastern Brazil, from July 2011 to July 2012. The final sample comprised 723 individuals who exercise at gyms. The dependent variable was supplement use, and the explanatory variables were length of time and motivation of the physical exercises, duration, goal and self-perception of training, weekly frequency of gym attendance, sex, age, educational attainment, self-perception of body weight, smoking and self-perception of diet. The association between variables was analysed by hierarchical Poisson regression based on a theoretical model.RESULTS Supplement use was reported by 64.7% of the participants. Most of the sample was male (52.6%). The most frequent age group was 20 to 39 years (74.4%). Most participants (46.1%) had been exercising for over a year. The following variables were associated with supplement use: self-perceiving body weight as below ideal (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), exercising for 7 to 12 months (p = 0.028) or more than one year (p < 0.001), spending more than two hours at the gym (p = 0.051), and perceiving training as moderate (p = 0.024) or intense (p = 0.001).CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements lacks proper professional guidance, being motivated by individuals unsatisfied with their low body weight and who perceive their workout as intense, which raises the need for monitoring this population.

Increasing the wear resistance of molds for injection of glass fiber reinforced plastics

Abrasion by glass fibers during injection molding of fiber reinforced plastics raises new challenges to the wear performance of the molds. In the last few decades, a large number of PVD and CVD coatings have been developed with the aim of minimizing abrasion problems. In this work, two different coatings were tested in order to increase the wear resistance of the surface of a mold used for glass fiber reinforced plastics: TiAlSiN and CrN/CrCN/DLC. TiAlSiN was deposited as a graded monolayer coating while CrN/CrCN/DLC was a nanostructured coating consisting of three distinct layers. Both coatings were produced by PVD unbalanced magnetron sputtering and were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), micro hardness (MH) and scratch test analysis. Coating morphology, thickness, roughness, chemical composition and structure, hardness and adhesion to the substrate were investigated. Wear resistance was characterized through industrial tests with coated samples and an uncoated reference sample inserted in a feed channel of a plastic injection mold working with 30 wt.% glass fiber reinforced polypropylene. Results after 45,000 injection cycles indicate that the wear resistance of the mold was increased by a factor of 25 and 58, by the TiAlSiN and CrN/CrCN/DLC coatings, respectively, over the uncoated mold steel.

Halting the fuse discharge propagation using optical fiber microwires

We report and analyze the halting of the fuse effect propagation in optical fiber microwires. The increase of the mode field diameter in the tapered region decreases the optical intensity resulting in the extinction of the fuse effect. This fiber element presents a low insertion loss and can be introduced in the optical network in order to protect the active equipment from the damage caused by the fuse effect.

Complemento hemolítico total, C3 e taxa de conversão de C3 nas formas cardíaca e indeterminada da doença de Chagas

Os valores de complemento hemolítico total, C3 total (nativo + produtos de degradação) e o grau de conversão de C3 nativo foram estudados em dois subgrupos de pacientes chagásicos, nas formas cardíaca e indeterminada, e em um subgrupo de indivíduos não chagásicos, clinicamente sadios. Os níveis de C3 total e as taxas de conversão de C3 em seus produtos de degradação foram semelhantes nos três subgrupos. Os valores de complemento hemolítico total foram estatisticamente diferentes nos três subgrupos (nível de significância descritivo p = 0,0757), tendo sido observada média aritmética mais baixa no subgrupo de cardíacos e mais elevada no subgrupo de controles. Maior amplitude de variação dos níveis de complemento hemolítico total foi notada no subgrupo de cardíacos, no qual se encontraram os valores extremos (máximo e mínimo), considerando-se todos os subgrupos.

Halting the fuse discharge propagation Using optical fiber microwires

We report and analyze the halting of the fuse effect propagation in optical fiber microwires. The increase of the mode field diameter in the tapered region decreases the optical intensity resulting in the extinction of the fuse effect. This fiber element presents a low insertion loss and can be introduced in the optical network in order to protect the active equipment from the damage caused by the fuse effect. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

High-performance flexible hybrid field-effect transistors based on cellulose fiber paper

IEEE Electron Device Letters, VOL. 29, NO. 9,

Utilidad de las muestras de sangre total desecada en papel de filtro en la detección de anticuerpos antitoxoplasma

Se compara la técnica de Aglutinación Directa (AD) utilizando muestras de sangre total desecada en papel de filtro, con la técnica de ELISA y la misma AD utilizando muestras de suero de los mismos pacientes, para la detección de anticuerpos antitoxoplasma. Los resultados muestran la validez del método de la sangre desecada en papel de filtro para la detección de anticuerpos antitoxoplasma con la técnica de AD, y se considera su utilidad en los estudios epidemiológicos de campo.

Castor fiber na gruta do Caldeirão Existência, distribuição e extinção do castor em Portugal

Beaver only had been found in Portugal in a Chalcolithic locality, the Vila Nova de S. Pedro castrum. It has now been idenrified in the Upper Paleolithic (Solurrean) from Gruta do Caldeirão, near Tomar. The species has been found recently at «Gruta do Almonda»; 4 teeth were collected in bed C, older than a Solutrean sequence (see Anexo for details). The species seems to have been rare, as it was also the case with portuguese miocene Castoridae Enroxenomys minutus and Chalicomys jaegeri. If account is taken of the presence in the Middle Ages until Castille of words meaning beaver (related to the popular latin Fiber/Biber), it is obvious that these animals still existed then. Such nouns were largely predominant over the rather erudite larin (greek derived) words as Castor, -óris and derived ones, as it could be expected. This allowed us to recognize that veiro should be the corresponding word with Fiber affinities in archaic portuguese. It was previously supposed to mean only expensive furs then imported into Portugal. Indeed it was also a zoonym. Anyway, beaver should be scarce by XIIIth century since it is not included in the quite detailed price list imposed by the «Lei da Almotaçaria» from December 26, 1253 (see Quadro II). Toponyms in veiro and derived words (fig. 2; Quadro III) (plural, feminines, diminutives, inhabited places) give a restrictive view of the Middle Age distribution. Some of them are certainly older than Portugal itself (first half of XIIth century); others existed by the XIVth century but were probably older. Some rare toponyms seem to be derived from rhe erudite latin Castor, -óris. Nothing suggests that these words were still in use as zoonyms during the Middle Ages. All toponyms are located in regions near rivers and other freshwaters ecologically suitable for beavers, so wecan approximately retrace irs former, Middle Age distribution in Portugal (fig. 2; Quadro III). Most of them are located in the Center-West and Northwest of Portugal, with a suitable c1imate (rainfall in general over 800 milimeters per year); the only sure geographical exception is Veiros, in Alto Alentejo province, in a region with comparable precipitations and less dry climare conditions than most of the territories South of the Tagus. There are less and less of these toponyms towards the South and the inner part of the country, and they are enrirely lacking in ali drier regions from Trás-os-Montes, Beira, Alentejo beyond Tagus' basin, and in Algarve. Nothing suggests beavers lived there, No pose-medieval toponym is known, nor any reference after middle XVth century. No such locality was at, or close by to, any frontier. Hence the hypothesis of veiro (e: al.) as meaning but points where expensive furs(supposedly known as veiros in general but without clearly saying from what animal they were obtained from) is to be discarded. During the Middle Ages, beaver distribution concerned all the main river basins from Minho to Tagus ones. Quice racefied in the XIIIth, the beavers may have disappeared from Portugal during the XVth century. Ecological requirements restricted their former distribution. Vulnerability to natural causes (i.e., severe drought) and to human pressure may have accounted heavily for this species extinction. Last (1446) reference for Portugal known to us suggests the species was by then almost extinct.