Morphological, mechanical, barrier and properties of films based on acetylated starch and cellulose from barley.

BACKGROUND: Biodegradable films of native or acetylated starches with different concentrations of cellulose fibers (0%, 10% and 20%) were prepared. The films were characterized by morphological, mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties. RESULT: The tensile strength of the acetylated starch film was lower than those of the native starch film, without fibers. The addition of fibers increased the tensile strength and decreased the elongation and the moisture of native and acetylated starches films. The acetylated starch film showed higher water solubility when compared to native starch film. The addition of cellulose fibers reduced the water solubility of the acetylated starch film. The films reinforced with cellulose fiber exhibited a higher initial decomposition temperature and thermal stability. CONCLUSION: The mechanical, barrier, solubility, and thermal properties are factors which direct the type of the film application in packaging for food products. The films elaborated with acetylated starches of low degree of substitution were not effective in a reduction of the water vapor permeability. The addition of the cellulose fiber in acetylated and native starches films can contribute to the development of more resistant films to be applied in food systems that need to maintain their integrity. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Surgical Treatment of Complications 55 Years After Extraperiosteal Lucite Ball Plombage for Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION: In the 1930-50s, before the introduction of antimicrobial drugs and development of techniques of pulmonary resssection, collapse therapy was the mainstream of treatment for cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis. The methods to achieve the collapse included artificial pneumothorax with air refills, phrenic nerve crush, thoracoplasty and extrapleural plombage. The plombage involves creating a cavity surgically under the ribs in the upper chest wall and filling the space with inert material, such fat, paraffin wax, rubber ballons, oil and methyl-methacrylate (Lucite) balls. The theory behind Plombage treatment is that collapse of the lung promote de healing process and limit the spread of tuberculous infection to other areas of the lung. However, with time, the presence of these materials for a prolonged period of time resulted in complications, such as erosion of major vessels, respiratory insufficiency, infection and migration. METHODS: We present a clinical case of one patient presented with a late complication of lucite ball plombage after 55 years. RESULTS: An 78-year-old man with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis treated with plombage in 1962, ischemic heart disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, was admitted to hospital for axillary swelling and pleurocutaneous fistula. The x-ray of the chest and computed tomography showed the apex of the left hemithorax filled with multiple lucite balls, each approximately 2,5cm in diameter, and extrusion of a ball into the axillary fistuluous tract. In this context, the patient complied with multiple antibiotic regimens without success. So, the patient was submitted to surgical extraction of 21 lucite balls, pleurocutaneous drainage and thoracoplasty (7 ribs and the tip of the scapula was remove). The cultures turned out to be negative and the patient made an uneventful recovery with discharge on the 19th postoperative day. Pathologic examination revealed active chronic inflammatory process and negative microorganism screening. CONCLUSION: Despite the rapid decline in collapse therapy since the appearance of antitubercular chemotherapy, there are still such elderly patients who remain asymptomatic while carrying residual plombage material. There is no need for routine ablation of any this material, however if any foreign material becames a source of complication should be extracted without delay. As the number of living patients treated by plombage is attenuating rapidly, fewer and fewer will be seen in the future, and no one is likely to accumulate considerable experience with this problem.

Juvenile morphology of the ornamental crab Mithraculus forceps A. Milne-Edwards, 1875 (Crustacea, Brachyura).

The morphology of juveniles of Mithraculus forceps A. Milne-Edwards, 1875, raised in the laboratory, is described. The larvae were obtained from ovigerous females collected in the wild, maintained in the rearing system for culture of crabs (400 L). A total of 229 larvae (zoea I), from 7 females were distributed in lots of 20 larvae kept in glass flasks (500 ml), with seawater circulation and temperature and salinity constants, which were checked daily for molts or deaths. After the larvae reached the juvenile stage, exuviae and dead specimens were deposited in a scientific collection. We analyzed the external morphology (N = 10 ind.) of each size class (total = 8). We determined the number of size classes, based on carapace width CW vs. carapace length CL (mm) and its dispersion points, in which we can observe non-hierarchical groupings with no size classes overlapping. We analyzed the relative growth of the juveniles using the technique "Standard Major Axis'' (Type II regression). The relationships CW vs. CL and CW vs. AW showed negative allometry (b < 1; p < 0.05). The relationships CW vs. CPH and CW vs. CPL are isometric (b = 1; p > 0.05). The most remarkable morphological characters of the juveniles (first size class) are the following: spines at the anterior margin of the carapace, inner marginal teeth in the propodus and dactylus of the chelipeds, number of articles in the antennular endopod and the maxillular endopod, absence of setae on the maxillar endopod, and absence of rudimentary pleopods.

New record of the sponge-dwelling shrimp Typton distinctus Chace, 1972 (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae) in São Paulo State, Brazil.

Among the Caridea Infraorder, the palaemonid shrimp from the genus Typton Costa, 1844 are commonly found in association with sponges, frequently feeding on the tissues of their hosts ((Duris et al. 2011; Almeida et al. 2014; Pachelle et al. 2015; Soledade et al. 2017). Typton is mostly characterized by morphological features related to their sponge-dwelling lifestyle, as a simple and compressed rostrum, carapace smooth and antennal spines present, antennae extremely reduced and scaphocerite rudimentary. Mandible without palp, incisor process normal, reduced or absent. Second legs unequal, asymmetrical, without molar process on major chela (Bruce, 1972).

Antimicrobial electrospun ultrafine fibers from zein containing eucalyptus essential oil/cyclodextrin inclusion complex.

The aim of this study was to produce ultrafine fibers from zein incorporated with a complex of eucalyptus essential oil (EEO) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) with antimicrobial properties by electrospinning technique. The EEO was characterized by chemical composition and antimicrobial tests against three Gram positive and four Gram negative bacteria. The inclusion complex (IC) was prepared with ß-CD and EEO by co-precipitation technique and added at different concentrations in zein polymer solution using aqueous ethanol as solvent. The morphology, thermal properties, functional groups, and antimicrobial activity against L. monocytogenes and S. aureus of the ultrafine fibers were evaluated. The composite membranes containing 24% IC exhibited a greater reduction of growth as compared to the fibers without addition of IC. For L. monocytogenes the growth reduction was 28.5% and for S. aureus it was 24.3%. The electrospun IC-ß-CD/EEO composite membranes are promising for use in antimicrobial applications, such as food packaging.

Propriedades antimicrobianas dos cimentos ionoméricos sobre cepas de S. mutans / Antimicrobials properties from glass ionomers on S. mutans strains

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, in vitro, a capacidade antimicrobiana dos cimentos de ionômeros de vidro: Vidrion R (VD). Bioglass (B) e Vitremer (VT) sobre cepas padrão de S. mutans. Adicionalmente uma gota do liquido do Vidrion R (LDV). Bioglass (LB). Vitremer (LVT). Primer do Vitremer (PVT) e Fishing Gloss (FGVT) e os materiais VD, B, VT fotopolimerizado e VT sem fotopolimerização foram inseridos de maneira eqüidistante nas placas de Müeller-Hilton (MH) contendo a cepa padrão GS-5 de S. mutans. O LVT e o PVT apresentaram os maiores halos de inibição com diferenças estatisticamente significantes em relação ao LB, LVD, FGVT, HP e SF (p<0,05). O VT fotopolimerizado não apresentou o maior halo de inibição em relação ao VD e B (p<0,01).

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of glass ionomer cements: Vidrion R (VD), Bioglass (B) and Vitremer (VT) on S. mutans indicator strains. Solution drop of Vidrion R (LVD), Bioglass (LB), Vitremer (LVT), Vitremer's primer (PVT) and Vitremer's Finishing gloss (FGVT) and the materiaIs VD, B, VT light cured and VT without light cured were placed on a Müeller-Hilton plate in a standard distance with GS-5 S. mutans standard strains. The LVT and the PVT presented the higher inhibition zones, which were statistically different in comparison with LB, LVD, FGVT, HP and SF (p<0,05). The VT light cured or without light cured presented the higher inhibition zone, than with VD and B (p<0,01).