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This study's aim was to determine the presence, as well as to evaluate the health and environmental impacts, of chemical elements from firearm shots during shooter practice at outdoor shooting ranges, both in the environment and on the shooters' hands. Two high-precision devices were used for measuring suspended particles that are released during discharge of Taurus PT 100 .40 caliber pistols. The analysis of collected data allowed the identification of specific distribution patterns of samples that were adsorbed. Moreover, samples were collected from the opisthenar area of the hand to investigate both the occurrence and deposition of particles and chemical elements through scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results indicate that copper, lead, and zinc concentration profiles will be able to delimit and reveal more precise details regarding shots made with nontoxic ammunition (NTA). In particular, the residual graphic analysis indicated that the majority of metal deposited in the shooter's hand is zinc. Further, the metals barium and lead also were detected. Due to the exposure to these elements, it could be concluded that engineering controls and administrative management should be sought in order to avoid human overexposure and environmental release of these airborne toxic metals.

Biofuels have been gaining more space in the global energy sector, with special attention to ethanol, which has shown growing demand. Ethanol is a potential and promising alternative fuel due to the use of abundant renewable sources and its combustion characteristics. From this scenario, this research aimed to optimize ethanol production by a flocculant Saccharomyces cerevisiae CCA008 using cashew apple juice (CAJ) as feedstock. The alcoholic fermentation of CAJ was influenced for all evaluated variables (inoculum and substrate concentration, temperature, and agitation) and statistical models were successfully applied to describe the interaction between these variables and to optimize the operating conditions. The optimum conditions were initial substrate concentration (S0) of 102 g L−1, inoculum concentration (X0) of 5 g L−1, temperature (T) and agitation (Agit) settings at 34 °C and 140 rpm, respectively. Last, but not least, the scale-up of ethanol production was carried out using the predicted optimum operating conditions, the fluid dynamics characteristics and applying the best scale-up criterion (power per unit of volume). The efficiencies of the processes (on bench and pilot-scale) were not significantly different and high efficiencies (96.6–98.2%) were achieved, demonstrating satisfactory results. Moreover, maximum ethanol concentration (Pmax), YP/S and productivity (QP) did not vary significatively when the process was scaled-up. On the pilot-scale, Pmax, YP/S and QP were 49.2 ± 2.2 g L−1, 0.493 ± 0.00 g g−1 and 5.0 ± 0.2 g L−1 h−1, respectively. Therefore, ethanol could be efficiently produced by the fermentation of CAJ using the flocculent yeast S. cerevisiae CCA008 and the process could be easily scaled up.

BACKGROUND: Serological tests for antibody measurement in leprosy have a series of limitations in discriminating contacts and patients. The present paper intends to evaluate if association of more than one antibody isotype in serum samples may be a useful tool in leprosy diagnosis. METHODS: This study evaluated 395 leprosy contacts and 71 leprosy index cases living in endemic municipalities in Northeastern Brazil. The participants were evaluated according to their anti-phenolic glycolipid antigen-I isotype (PGL-I) profile. Serum anti-PGL-I IgM, IgG, and IgA were measured by indirect ELISA. RESULTS: A strong association was found for antibody positivity in MB leprosy index cases. The odds ratios were 6.11 (95% CI 3.08 – 12.16) for IgM, 3.31 (1.66 – 6.61) for IgG, and 16.97 (8.39 – 34.2) for IgA. For IgM associated with one or more isotypes, the OR was 21.0 (95% CI 10.11 – 43.64), and for IgG + IgA, the OR was 17.58 (6.23 – 49.54). The highest diagnostic sensitivity of 76.0% (95% CI 61.8 – 86.9) was observed for IgM, and the lowest value was 24.1% (13.0 – 38.2), which was observed for IgG + IgA isotypes. Regarding presumptive positive predictive values, the lowest value was obtained for IgM at 24.7% (95% CI 18.1 – 32.3), and the highest values were observed for IgM+ one or more isotypes and for IgG + IgA isotype at 60.0% (44.3 – 74.3) and 66.7% (41.0 – 86.7), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present work demonstrated that by associating two or more positive antibody isotypes, the risk of facing a real case of leprosy may increase.

Background In 2015, the detection rate of leprosy in Santana do Ipanema municipality, Alagoas state, Brazil, was 39.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, and among young people below 15 years of age, it was 32.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Material and methods A prospective study was carried out from 2015 to 2017, in Santana do Ipanema city, with 69 leprosy contacts in the age group of 4-15 years. Measurement of serum IgM, IgG, and IgA against phenolic glycolipid antigen-1 (PGL-1) was done by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results A high frequency of positive anti-PGL-1 IgM was found in both paucibacillary and multibacillary contacts. Twenty-three participants presented suspected lesions and 45 did not. In both groups a high frequency of positive IgM was found. In regard to anti-PGL-1 IgG, it was found a strong association between its positivity and the presence of lesions (relative risk of 3.25). Eight new cases of leprosy were diagnosed, five of which were seropositive for anti-PGL-1. Again, a striking association was found between positive IgG and leprosy (relative risk of 8.5). No significant association was found between IgM isotype and disease, nor between IgA and disease. Conclusions The present study reinforces the importance of measuring the three anti-PGL-1 isotypes in follow-up studies of leprosy contacts. Moreover, positive anti-PGL-1 IgG is associated with a high associated risk of disease.

Lignins were extracted from different hydrolysates from the cashew apple bagasse (CAB). The hydrolysates, in turn, were obtained by pretreating the CAB with diluted acid (DA), acid/alkali (AA) and alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP). Lignin removal levels with AA and AHP were of 98.0% and 96.9%, resulting in high extraction yields and highly thermostable lignins. The lowest lignin yield was observed with the acid-only pretreatment. The FT-IR results showed that there was no significant difference between the main structures of the lignin isolated from the DA and AHP pretreatments, when compared to sugarcane lignin (SCL), the only exception being the lignin from AA. An 1H–13C HSQC NMR analysis demonstrated that AA pretreatment reduced the syringyl (S) and hydroxyphenyl (H) units, but increased the condensed guaiacyl (G) units, which may contribute to the higher thermal stability of the isolated lignins and to the absence of attached residues of carbohydrates. The detailed structural properties of the lignins extracted from CAB will enable the efficient utilization of these macromolecules within the biorefinery concept, with a positive impact on the economy.

A pore-expanded mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was investigated for the immobilization of a recombinant Candida antarctica lipase B (LIPB). The influence of contact time and medium pH during adsorption, as well as thermal and solvent stability of the immobilized enzyme were evaluated. The best prepared biocatalyst was then evaluated in a model esterification reaction, the production of two flavour esters (e.g. methyl and ethyl butyrate) and in a model hydrolysis reaction, the ethyl hexanoate hydrolysis. The biocatalyst maintained high activity and operational stability even after five successive cycles of synthesis. A commercial C. antarctica lipase B was also immobilized on SBA-15 and evaluated under the same conditions, achieving similar volumetric productivities. In addition, the biocatalyst SBA-15-LIPB was tested in ethyl hexanoate hydrolysis. The influence of reactional medium pH was conducted (pH 5, 7 and 9.2) and the highest biocatalyst activity was at pH 5 (about 636.3 U/genzyme). SBA-15-LIPB and SBA-15-LIPB-GA (crosslinked biocatalyst) were reused for 5 cycles, retaining, after the third cycle, 56.6 and 76.80%, respectively, of its initial activity. The prepared biocatalysts were able to catalyze the model reactions (esterification and hydrolysis) with high activity and reasonable stability.

Considering that the main route of Mycobacterium leprae transmission is the upper respiratory tract, detection of salivary antibodies can be a useful tool for diagnosing early infection. The study aimed to analyze salivary anti-PGL-1 IgA and IgM antibodies in 169 children aged 4–16 years old, who lived nearby or inside the house of multibacillary or paucibacillary leprosy patients in two endemic cities in Alagoas State – Brazil. Salivary anti-PGL-1 antibodies were quantified by modified ELISA method. The frequency of contact and clinical form of the index case were significantly associated with salivary antibody levels. High frequency of IgM positivity strongly suggests active transmission of M. leprae in these communities. We suggest in the present work that salivary anti-PGL IgA and IgM are important biomarkers to be used for identifying communities with probable active transmission of M. leprae. Keywords: Leprosy, Salivary antibodies, Phenolic glycolipid-1 antigen, Mycobacterium leprae

Superparamagnetic nanomaterials have attracted interest in many areas due to the high saturation magnetization and surface area. For enzyme immobilization, these properties favor the enzyme-support contact during the immobilization reaction and easy separation from the reaction mixture by use of low-cost magnetic processes. Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4, MNPs), produced by the co-precipitation method, functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and glutaraldehyde (GLU), were evaluated as a solid support for Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) immobilization. The nanomagnetic derivative (11nm) obtained after CALB immobilization (MNPs/APTES/GLU/CALB) was evaluated as biocatalyst in isoniazide (INH) synthesis using ethyl isonicotinate (INE) and hydrazine hydrate (HID) as substrates, in 1,4-dioxane. The results showed that MNPs/APTES/CALB had a similar performance when compared to a commercial enzyme Novozym 435, showing significant advantages over other biocatalysts, such as Rhizhomucor miehei lipase (RML) and CALB immobilized on non-conventional, low-cost, chitosan-based supports.

This article provides concepts about biorefinery from the observation of various reports registered in the literature. The main processes that have used microorganisms or enzymes in their platforms to produce high value-added substances from lignocellulosic materials, highlighting the obtained bioproducts, are described. Another main focus is related to recent biotechnological strategies for converting lignin into value-added products. From the use of renewable sources and the integration of Green Chemistry in biorefineries presenting low environmental impact technologies, sustainable production chains of fuels, materials and high added value chemicals can be established.

Phenol biodegradation by cells of Candida tropicalis ATCC 750, both free and immobilized onto cashew apple bagasse, an alternative support widely acknowledged as cheap and abundant, was studied. Microscopy analyses revealed that the yeast was successfully immobilized by adsorption with an efficiency of 45.4%. The best conditions for phenol biotransformation were found to be at 30 °C, pH 6.0, 150 RPM and with 1100 mg L−1 of initial phenol concentration, for both free and immobilized cells. The adapted and immobilized strain was more resistant to higher phenol concentrations. The metabolic pathway of the phenol biotransformation was the ortho-cleavage of the aromatic ring by the enzyme 1,2-dioxygenase. The biocatalyst showed a high operational stability and the storage studies revealed that 85% of the immobilized cells-CAB remained effectively retained during storage at 4 °C up to 30 days. The results obtained confirm the applicability of cashew apple bagasse as a support matrix for the immobilization of C. tropicalis ATCC 750 and endorses the protocol proposed as a potential biotechnological process for phenolic degradation in industrial wastewater.

In this work, natural cashew apple juice was used as cultivation medium as an alternative to substitute brain heart infusion medium. The effect of aeration and juice supplementation with yeast extract on the production of hyaluronic acid in batch fermentation was also investigated. Similar levels of cell mass were obtained in inoculum using cashew apple juice supplemented with yeast extract or the conventional brain heart infusion medium. Fermentation in Erlenmeyer flasks produced low biomass and hyaluronic acid concentrations. The hyaluronic acid concentration and viscosity increased from 0.15 g/L and 3.87 cP (no aeration or medium supplementation) to 1.76 g/L and 107 cP, when aeration (2 vvm) and 60 g/L of yeast extract were used. The results suggest the production of low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid oligomers instead of the high molecular weight polymer.

This work reported the full degradation of an azo dye in a synthetic effluent by Pseudomonas oleovorans immobilized in polyurethane foam (PUF). For each fed-batch experiment, a screw-top vessel containing 160 mL of nutrient broth was inoculated with 0.16 g L−1 of fresh culture, incubated at 32 °C and supplemented with 50 mg L−1 of dye every 24 hours. Afterwards, the P. oleovorans were immobilized in PUF and inoculated in an anoxic reactor. The results showed that at fed-batch conditions, P. oleovorans was capable of removing 50 mg of dye in 192 hours. However, when the decolorization was performed in an anoxic reactor, it was capable of fully degrading 25 mg of dye in only 24 hours.

Agricultural resource derivatives (ARDs) such as hydrolysate soy protein concentrate (HSPC), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and cashew apple juice (CAJ) were studied with focus on the production of hyaluronic acid (HA) by Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Supplementation of the media with corn steep liquor (CSL) was also evaluated. Synthetic medium containing glucose and yeast extract was used as control. CAJ was a promising medium for the production of HA. It produced the highest amount of HA (0.89 g L(-1)), similar to that of the control (0.86 g L(-1)). WPC and HSPC media were the most effective for the production of biomass. CSL did not influence the production of HA when HSPC and WPC were used. However, in the synthetic medium it doubled the yield of HA from glucose. The average molecular weight of HA ranged from 10(3) to 10(4)Da for the ARDs and 10(7)Da for the synthetic medium.

O ácido hialurônico é um polissacarídeo da família dos glicosaminoglicanos e está presente nos tecidos conjuntivos dos mamíferos. No olho, pode ser encontrado na córnea, na esclera e, principalmente, no humor vítreo. Atualmente, vem sendo empregado em várias especialidades médicas, incluindo a oftalmologia. O objetivo desse artigo é demonstrar as diversas aplicações oftalmológicas atuais e futuras dessa substância.Hyaluronic acid is a polysaccharide of the glycosaminoglycan family present in mammal tissues. In the eye, it can be found in the cornea, the sclera and the vitreous humor. Currently, it has been employed in several medical specialties, including ophthalmology. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the various current and future ophthalmic applications of this substance.

Objective The aim of this study was to compare serum anti-phenolic glycolipid-1 IgA, IgG, and IgM levels in leprosy patients and controls. Method Analysis of anti-PGL-1 IgA, IgG, or IgM in serum samples from multibacillary (MB, n=32) and paucibacillary (PB, n=22) leprosy patients, and in non-endemic controls (n=17), using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results A strong correlation between serum IgM and IgA isotypes was found (r=.745, P

Objectives: Leprosy household contacts represent a group at high risk of developing the disease. The aim of this study was to detect Mycobacterium leprae subclinical infection in this group through serological and molecular parameters. Methods: Serum anti-PGL1 IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM was investigated using an ELISA, and nasal carriage of M. leprae DNA was detected by PCR, in leprosy household contacts of paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) household leprosy patients (n = 135), their index cases (n = 30), and in persons living in a low endemic city (n = 17). Results: Salivary anti-PGL1 IgA and IgM and serum anti-PGL1 IgG showed good correlation comparing contacts and index cases (p < 0.01, p < 0.005, and p < 0.0001, respectively). This was not observed for serum anti-PGL1 IgM (p > 0.05). A high frequency of anti-PGL1 IgM positivity was found in IgG-negative samples (p < 0.0001). For IgG-positive samples, IgM antibodies were also positive in most of the samples. None of the 17 volunteers living in a low endemic city presented seropositivity for IgG; however, two of them showed positivity for anti-PGL1 IgM. M. leprae DNA was found in the nasal swabs of nine out of the 85 MB household leprosy contacts (10.6%) and in three out of the 50 PB household leprosy contacts (6.0%). Conclusion: We strongly suggest that serum IgG/IgM and salivary anti-PGL1 IgA/IgM measurements are used to follow leprosy household contacts.

The cashew fruit (Anacardium occidentale L.) has been used as a promising agricultural resource for the production of low-molecular weight (M(W)) hyaluronic acid (HA) (10(4)-10(5) Da). The cashew juice is a rich source of vitamin C containing, 1.2-2.0 g L(-1). This work explores the effects of the initial concentration of the ascorbate on the solid fermentation of the juice-moisturized bagasse from the cashew apple fruit. The results show that the M(W) reduction of HA is proportional to the initial ascorbate concentration. The presence of ascorbate did not influence the Streptococcus zooepidemicus metabolism. However, the HA productivity was increased from 0.18 to 0.28 mg g(-1) h(-1) when the ascorbate concentration ranged from 1.7 to 10 mg mL(-1). These findings contribute to the controlled production of HA in a low M(W) range, which is important in cell signalization, angiogenesis and nanoparticles production.

Hyaluronic acid is a polysaccharide of the glycosaminoglycan family present in mammal tissues. In the eye, it can be found in the cornea, the sclera and the vitreous humor. Currently, it has been employed in several medical specialties, including ophthalmology. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the various current and future ophthalmic applications of this substance.