RESUMO
In Brazil, the leather industry is an important economic segment moving around U$ 3 billions of dollars a year. However, high amounts of water are requested to transform skin animals into leather, causing high wastewater amounts to be consequently produced. A major problem is attached to the presence of chromium in the wastewater from the tanning process. Chromium is a heavy metal potentially toxic both to the environment and to the human health. In order to control the levels of chrome dumped into the environment, Brazilian agencies require the treatment of effluents by the generating source. Thus, this study aimed to develop an alternative method to the removal of chromium in wastewater from the leather industry using the Opuntia ficus-indica biomass as eco-friendly biosorbent. Crude waste samples were collected in a tannery stabilization pond for chromium quantification and further treatments. The powdered Opuntia ficus-indica was obtained from species collected in Pernambuco, Brazil, and its physical parameters and pHPCZ were characterized. Adsorptions studies and acute toxicity were also carried out. The biomass remaining after the sorption was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The chromium content was above the limit allowed by the Brazilian regulatory agency. In sorption studies, biomass was able to remove 74.8% and 84.88% of Cr (III) using 2.0 g and 4.0 g of biomass, respectively. The surface of biomass is very favorable to biosorption and the chemical bindings among oxygen atoms present in the chemical components of this biomass and the heavy metal was confirmed through infrared spectrum. This study proved that Opuntia ficus-indica is effectively biosorbent to chromium, promising and with low costs for the leather industry, able to reduce its ecotoxicity as proven by chemical and biological assays.
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Cardiac fibrosis, characterized by net accumulation of extracellular matrix in the myocardium, is a common final pathway of heart failure. This myocardial fibrosis (MF) is not necessarily the primary cause of dysfunction; it often results from a reparative process activated in response to cardiomyocyte injury. In light of currently available treatments, late-identified MF could be definitive or irreversible, associated with worsening ventricular systolic function, abnormal cardiac remodeling, and increased ventricular stiffness and arrhythmia. T1 mapping should be used to detect incipient changes leading to myocardial damage in several clinical conditions and also in subclinical disease. This article reviews available techniques for MF detection, focusing on noninvasive quantification of diffuse fibrosis and clinical applications.
Assuntos
Cardiopatias/diagnóstico por imagem , Cardiopatias/patologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Fibrose , Coração/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Miocárdio/patologiaRESUMO
INTRODUÇÃO: A hipercolesterolemia é um fator de risco para aterosclerose. Segundo a Atualização brasileira de dislipidemias e prevenção de aterosclerose - 2017, a meta terapêutica de LDL colesterol (LDL-c) em pacientes com muito alto risco cardiovascular é menor que 50 mg/dL. OBJETIVO: Apresentar a porcentagem de pacientes de muito alto risco que atingiram as metas es-tabelecidas de LDL-c, tratados no ambulatório de dislipidemias de um hospital terciário, onde o acesso à atorvastatina é livre e gratuito e verificar indicação de prescrição de inibi-dores de PCSK9 de acordo com os critérios NICE (LDL-c >160). MÉTODO: Trata-se de um estudo transversal em que foram coletados dados de pacientes de muito alto risco cardiovascular - aterosclerose clinicamente manifesta, todos em uso de atorvastatina de 40 mg e 80 mg/dia, atendidos em um período de 60 dias no ano de 2018. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 280 pacientes, 62% do sexo masculino, média de idade foi de 66 (des-vio padrão 10) anos, 96% hipertensos, 86% diabéticos. Apenas 14% estavam com valor de LDL-c dentro da meta. Entre os que estavam fora da meta terapêutica, o LDL-c estava acima de 100 mg/ dL em 34% dos casos e acima de 160 mg/dL em 9%. CONCLUSÕES: Na prática clínica, a taxa de pacientes que atingem a meta terapêutica de LDL-c recomendada com o uso de estatina de alta potência é baixa. Segundo as recomendações do National Institute foi Health and Care Excellence (NICE), é indicado o uso inibidores de PCSK9 para pacientes de muito alto risco cardiovascular com hipercolesterolemia já em uso de estatina, mas que mantêm níveis de LDL acima de 160 mg/dL. Dessa forma, 9% dos pacientes fora da meta de LDL deste hospital terciário analisado poderiam se beneficiar do uso desses anticorpos monoclonais. (AU)
Assuntos
Humanos , Guia de Prática Clínica , Anticolesterolemiantes , Hipercolesterolemia/terapiaRESUMO
Multienzymatic complexes with plant lignocellulose-degrading activities have recently been identified in filamentous fungi secretomes. Such complexes have potential biotechnological applications in the degradation of agro-industrial residues. Fungal species from the Clonostachys genus have been intensively investigated as biocontrol agents; however so far their use as producers of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes has not been extensively explored. Secretomes of Clonostachys byssicola following growth on different carbon sources (passion fruit peel, soybean hulls, cotton gin trash, banana stalk, sugarcane bagasse, orange peel, and a composition of soybean hulls: cotton gin trash:orange peel) were subjected to enzymatic assays. Remarkable differences were observed among the samples, especially regarding levels of mannanase and pectinase activities. Secretomes were then subjected to Blue Native PAGE in order to resolve putative protein complexes which subsequently had their composition revealed by trypsin digestion followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The protein bands (named I, II, III and IV) were shown to be composed by holocellulolytic enzymes, mainly cellulases and xylanases as well as proteins involved in biocontrol processes, such as chitinases and proteases. The high diversity of proteins found in these multicatalytic assemblies confirms C. byssicola as a novel source of plant biomass-degrading enzymes.
Assuntos
Celulases/química , Hypocreales/enzimologia , Lignina/genética , Complexos Multienzimáticos/genética , Biotecnologia/tendências , Carbono/química , Celulases/genética , Hypocreales/genética , Lignina/química , Complexos Multienzimáticos/isolamento & purificação , Saccharum/química , Saccharum/genéticaRESUMO
Avanços no tratamento de crianças com cardiopatia congênita causou aumento dessa população em idade adulta, criando a necessidade de uma nova especialidade cardiológica: cardiopatia congênita em adulto...
Assuntos
Arritmias Cardíacas , Cardiopatias Congênitas , Morte SúbitaRESUMO
Grande parte das abordagens acerca da China trata de maneira insuficiente as suas estratégias internas de desenvolvimento, apenas conferindo a este país diferentes papéis no âmbito do capitalismo mundial. Este artigo busca identificar uma estratégia específica da China, a aquisição de terras pelo mundo, refletindo acerca dos possíveis motivos internos para essa atuação, bem como a abrangência deste fenômeno no plano mundial e, de maneira ilustrativa, considerando alguns impactos dessa ação sobre o Brasil.
Most of Chinas recent approaches have been focusing on its different roles within world capitalism. Internal strategies of development have been insufficiently treated. This article aims to identify a specific Chinese strategy, land acquisition around the world, reflecting on the possible internal reasons for this action, the international scope of this phenomenon and considering, in an illustrative way, some impacts of this action on Brazil.