Valorization of okara by-product for obtaining soluble dietary fibers and their use in biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose-based film.

In the face of mounting environmental concerns and the need for sustainable innovation, the use of agro-industrial wastes as raw materials offers a promising pathway. In this context, this study investigated the okara, a by-product of soy processing, as a novel source of soluble dietary fiber for the enrichment of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) biodegradable films based on environmental benefits of waste reduction with the creation of renewable packaging alternatives. Okara soluble dietary fiber (OSDF)-enriched CMC film was compared with films made from traditional and innovative soluble dietary fibers, such as pectin, inulin, and β-glucan.

Fructan-type prebiotic dietary fibers: Clinical studies reporting health impacts and recent advances in their technological application in bakery, dairy, meat products and beverages.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin are the most used fructans in food manufacturing, including bakery, dairy, meat products and beverages. In this context, this review investigated the recent findings concerning health claims associated with a diet supplemented with fructans according to human trial results. Fructans have been applied in different food classes due to their proven benefits to human health.

Evaluation of a graphitic porous carbon modified with iron oxides for atrazine environmental remediation in water by adsorption.

In the last decades, the growth of world agricultural activity has significantly contributed to the increased presence of emerging pollutants such as atrazine (ATZ) in aquatic ecosystems. Due to its high stability to the natural or artificial degradation processes, the ATZ environmental remediation by adsorption has been investigated. In this study, a graphitic-porous-carbon- (GPC) based material with magnetic domains was applied to remove ATZ from aqueous solution.

UV-Vis spectrophotometry coupled to chemometric analysis for the performance evaluation of atrazine photolysis and photocatalysis.

In this study, a spectrophotometric-chemometric (Spec-Chem) approach was applied as an alternative to chromatography to monitor ATZ and by-products after photolytic and photocatalytic oxidation aiming to unveil the ATZ degradation mechanism. Spec-Chem is an accessible, easy-to-operate, low-cost analytical approach to monitor atrazine (ATZ) and by-products, and its applicability was validated by HPLC, the reference technique for the evaluation of pollutant degradation mechanisms. The chromatographic (DChro) and spectrophotometric (DSpec) data found 95% and 57% ATZ removal after 30 min, respectively, proving that the DSpec erroneously induces a 38% loss in removal efficiency.

ATLANTIC ANTS: a data set of ants in Atlantic Forests of South America.

Ants, an ecologically successful and numerically dominant group of animals, play key ecological roles as soil engineers, predators, nutrient recyclers, and regulators of plant growth and reproduction in most terrestrial ecosystems. Further, ants are widely used as bioindicators of the ecological impact of land use. We gathered information of ant species in the Atlantic Forest of South America.

Effects of metals on activity and community of sulfate-reducing bacterial enrichments and the discovery of a new heavy metal-resistant SRB from Santos Port sediment (São Paulo, Brazil).

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can be used to remove metals from wastewater, sewage, and contaminated areas. However, metals can be toxic to this group of bacteria. Sediments from port areas present abundance of SRB and also metal contamination.

Transparent Glasses and Glass-Ceramics in the Ternary System TeO-NbO-PbF.

Transparent fluorotellurite glasses were prepared by melt-quenching in the ternary system TeO-NbO-PbF. The synthesis conditions were adjusted to minimize fluorine loss monitored as HF release. It was found that 10 mol% of NbO is the optimum content for PbF incorporation up to 35 mol% in the tellurite matrix without loss of glass forming ability.

Heavy metal concentrations in Brazilian port areas and their relationships with microorganisms: can pollution in these areas change the microbial community?

The objectives of this study were to analyze the difference in ways in which metals polluting Brazilian port areas influence bacterial communities and the selection of resistant strains. The hypothesis tested was that port areas would have microbial communities significantly different from a pristine area, mainly due to a greater load of metals found in these areas. Sediment samples were collected in two port areas (Santos and São Sebastião) and one pristine area (Ubatuba).

Using hypothesis testing on the mass-transfer effect with sulfate removal as an application.

Sulfate and chemical oxygen demand removal by an anaerobic batch reactor treating of acid mine drainage is modelled. Available models are abundant but excessively complex, with large numbers of free parameters. Here, maximum likelihood and chi-squared hypothesis tests are applied to three simple models, with Malthus-Monod and Fick description, in increasing order of complexity: (i) planktonic single population (of sulfate-reducing bacteria); (ii) planktonic double-competing populations (adding fermentative bacteria); (iii) granule bound double-competing populations.

Assessment of the ecotoxicity of the pharmaceuticals bisoprolol, sotalol, and ranitidine using standard and behavioral endpoints.

The pharmaceuticals bisoprolol (BIS), sotalol (SOT), and ranitidine (RAN) are among the most consumed pharmaceuticals worldwide and are frequently detected in different aquatic ecosystems. However, very few ecotoxicity data are available in the literature for them. To help fill these data gaps, toxicity tests with the algae Raphidocelis subcapitata, the macrophyte Lemna minor, the cnidarian Hydra attenuata, the crustacean Daphnia similis, and the fish Danio rerio were performed for assessing the ecotoxicity of these pharmaceuticals.

Single and mixture toxicity of four pharmaceuticals of environmental concern to aquatic organisms, including a behavioral assessment.

Pharmaceuticals are frequently detected in aquatic environments as mixtures and can cause toxic effects to non-target organisms. We aimed to evaluate the single and mixture effects of the pharmaceuticals metformin, bisoprolol, ranitidine and sotalol using Daphnia similis and Danio rerio. In addition, we aimed to test the predictive accuracy of the mathematical models concentration addition and independent action and to evaluate the nature of the possible toxicological interactions among these pharmaceuticals using the combination index-isobologram model.

Ecotoxicological effects, water quality standards and risk assessment for the anti-diabetic metformin.

Metformin (MET) is among the most consumed pharmaceuticals worldwide. This compound has been frequently detected in fresh surface water. However, ecotoxicological information for MET is still too limited, particularly regarding chronic and behavioral data.

Modelling runoff on ceramic tile roofs using the kinematic wave equations.

Generally, roofs are the best candidates for rainwater harvesting. In this context, the correct evaluation of the quantity and quality of runoff from roofs is essential to effectively design rainwater harvesting systems. This study aims to evaluate the performance of a kinematic wave based numerical model in simulating runoff on sloping roofs, by comparing the numerical results with the ones obtained from laboratory rainfall simulations on a real-scale Lusa ceramic tile roof.

Electromyographic pelvic floor activity: Is there impact during the female life cycle?

Aim: To evaluate the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) electromyographic activity in different phases of the female life cycle, correlating electromyographic activity with age, Body Mass Index (BMI), parity as well as the presence and severity of urinary symptoms.

Methods: A clinical, observational, transversal and controlled study was conducted in 384 women: 49 nulliparous, 103 primigravid pregnant, 92 primiparous postpartum (vaginal delivery: n = 43; cesarean section delivery: n = 49), 22 climacteric, 65 postmenopausal, and 53 women identified as being unable to perform voluntary maximum contraction. All subjects were evaluated with digital palpation and PFM surface electromyography (sEMG) and completed the questionnaires: International Consultation on Incontinence Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ IU-SF) and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB).