Association between race/color and incidence of hypertension in the ELSA-Brasil population: investigating the mediation of racial discrimination and socioeconomic position.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mediation effect of socioeconomic position and racial discrimination in the association between race/color and incidence of hypertension in 4-years follow up. METHODS: We included 8,370 participants of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). A latent variable was constructed to represent socioeconomic position (SEP). The perception of discrimination was measured through an adaptation of the Lifetime Major Events Scale; and hypertension was defined using standard criteria. We investigated Body Mass Index (BMI) due to its role in proximal risk for hypertension. To investigate the mediating role of SEP and racial discrimination, we used structural equation modeling. RESULTS: SEP had a direct and negative effect on HT incidence (HT incidence increased in worse SEP categories), while the effect of BMI on HT was direct and positive. We did not find significant direct effects of race/color and racial discrimination on HT. As for indirect effects, we observed associations between race/color and HT only through SEP mediation. CONCLUSION: According to our results, race/color is indirectly related to HT incidence, mediated by SEP. Racial discrimination was not a mediator in the relationship between race/color and HT in the follow-up period.

A comprehensive review of powering methods used in state-of-the-art miniaturized implantable electronic devices.

Microfabrication techniques that allow the integration of all the components in compact and effective volumes, along with the developments observed in sensor and actuator miniaturization, optimization of microelectronic circuits and, ultimately, wireless communication capabilities, have provided the tools required to develop implants for applications so far technically impossible. However, the scaling down of implantable devices raises the problem of how to power them, since batteries have not scaled down as much as the implants. Consequently, energy sources for implantable electronic devices that do not rely on, or at least mitigate, the requirement for a battery are emerging at an astonishing pace. This paper presents a comprehensive review of recent implantable bioelectronic devices that employ alternative powering methods such as energy harvesting and wireless power transfer. A comparison between the different powering methods is provided, along with a discussion of how these may be suited for the device of the future.

Heterotrophic flagellates (Amorpha and Diaphoretiches) in phytotelmata bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) / Flagelados heterotróficos (Amorpha e Diaphoretiches) em fitotelmata de bromélia (Bromeliaceae)

Abstract Many plants may accumulate rainwater, forming phytotelmata, aquatic microhabitats inhabited by various organisms. The aim of this study was to conduct an inventory of heterotrophic flagellates associated with phytotelmata of the bromeliad Aechmea distichantha Lem., found in rocky cliffs on the Upper Paraná River. The bromeliads were removed manually from the rocky wall, the water was removed and cultures of organisms of each plant were mounted in Petri dishes. Sixteen species of heterotrophic flagellate were recorded, drawn and described, among them one species belonging to the Amorpha Domain and 15 species to the Diaphoretiches Domain. The groups with most species were Euglenida and Kinetoplastea. The low diversity of heterotrophic flagellates recorded in this study, compared to the plankton of lakes and reservoirs, is probably related to the fact that phytotelmata are habitats with extreme environmental conditions, thus selecting organisms tolerant to these environments.

Resumo Em sua superfície externa, muitas plantas podem acumular água da chuva formando fitotelmata, ou seja, micro-habitat aquáticos colonizados por diversos organismos, entre eles, os flagelados protistas. Fez-se um inventário de flagelados heterotróficos associados ao fitotelmata da bromélia Aechmea distichantha Lem., encontrada em paredões rochosos em um trecho da bacia do alto rio Paraná. As bromélias foram retiradas manualmente de paredão rochoso e, em laboratório, a água foi retirada dos tanques de cada planta, e foram montadas culturas dos organismos em placas de Petri. Os flagelados heterotróficos foram, então, observados in vivo sob microscópio óptico Olympus BX51, com sistema de contraste de interferência diferencial (DIC) acoplado. Dezesseis espécies flagelados heterotróficos foram registradas, desenhadas e descritas, sendo uma espécie pertencente ao Domínio Amorpha e 15 espécies ao Domínio Diaphoretiches. Os grupos mais especiosos foram Euglenida e Kinetoplastea. A diversidade relativamente reduzida de flagelados heterotróficos, quando comparada ao plâncton de lagos e reservatórios, pode estar relacionada ao fato de os fitotelmata serem habitats limitados, com condições ambientais extremas, selecionando, assim, organismos tolerantes a esses ambientes.

Heterotrophic flagellates (Amorpha and Diaphoretiches) in phytotelmata bromeliad (Bromeliaceae).

Many plants may accumulate rainwater, forming phytotelmata, aquatic microhabitats inhabited by various organisms. The aim of this study was to conduct an inventory of heterotrophic flagellates associated with phytotelmata of the bromeliad Aechmea distichantha Lem., found in rocky cliffs on the Upper Paraná River. The bromeliads were removed manually from the rocky wall, the water was removed and cultures of organisms of each plant were mounted in Petri dishes. Sixteen species of heterotrophic flagellate were recorded, drawn and described, among them one species belonging to the Amorpha Domain and 15 species to the Diaphoretiches Domain. The groups with most species were Euglenida and Kinetoplastea. The low diversity of heterotrophic flagellates recorded in this study, compared to the plankton of lakes and reservoirs, is probably related to the fact that phytotelmata are habitats with extreme environmental conditions, thus selecting organisms tolerant to these environments.

Fabrication and characterization of polyimide-based 'smooth' titanium nitride microelectrode arrays for neural stimulation and recording.

OBJECTIVE: As electrodes are required to interact with sub-millimeter neural structures, innovative microfabrication processes are required to enable fabrication of microdevices involved in such stimulation and/or recording. This requires the development of highly integrated and miniaturized systems, comprising die-integration-compatible technology and flexible microelectrodes. To elicit selective stimulation and recordings of sub-neural structures, such microfabrication process flow can beneficiate from the integration of titanium nitride (TiN) microelectrodes onto a polyimide substrate. Finally, assembling onto cuffs is required, as well as electrode characterization. APPROACH: Flexible TiN microelectrode array integration and miniaturization was achieved through microfabrication technology based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor processing techniques and materials. They are highly reproducible processes, granting extreme control over the feature size and shape, as well as enabling the integration of on-chip electronics. This design is intended to enhance the integration of future electronic modules, with high gains on device miniaturization. MAIN RESULTS: (a) Fabrication of two electrode designs, (1) 2 mm long array with 14 TiN square-shaped microelectrodes (80 × 80 µm2), and (2) an electrode array with 2 mm × 80 µm contacts. The average impedances at 1 kHz were 59 and 5.5 kΩ, respectively, for the smaller and larger contacts. Both designs were patterned on a flexible substrate and directly interconnected with a silicon chip. (b) Integration of flexible microelectrode array onto a cuff electrode designed for acute stimulation of the sub-millimeter nerves. (c) The TiN electrodes exhibited capacitive charge transfer, a water window of -0.6 V to 0.8 V, and a maximum charge injection capacity of 154 ± 16 µC cm-2. SIGNIFICANCE: We present the concept, fabrication and characterization of composite and flexible cuff electrodes, compatible with post-processing and MEMS packaging technologies, which allow for compact integration with control, readout and RF electronics. The fabricated TiN microelectrodes were electrochemically characterized and exhibited a comparable performance to other state-of-the-art electrodes for neural stimulation and recording. Therefore, the presented TiN-on-polyimide microelectrodes, released from silicon wafers, are a promising solution for neural interfaces targeted at sub-millimeter nerves, which may benefit from future upgrades with die-electronic modules.

Heterotrophic flagellates (Amorpha and Diaphoretiches) in phytotelmata bromeliad (Bromeliaceae)

Abstract Many plants may accumulate rainwater, forming phytotelmata, aquatic microhabitats inhabited by various organisms. The aim of this study was to conduct an inventory of heterotrophic flagellates associated with phytotelmata of the bromeliad Aechmea distichantha Lem., found in rocky cliffs on the Upper Paraná River. The bromeliads were removed manually from the rocky wall, the water was removed and cultures of organisms of each plant were mounted in Petri dishes. Sixteen species of heterotrophic flagellate were recorded, drawn and described, among them one species belonging to the Amorpha Domain and 15 species to the Diaphoretiches Domain. The groups with most species were Euglenida and Kinetoplastea. The low diversity of heterotrophic flagellates recorded in this study, compared to the plankton of lakes and reservoirs, is probably related to the fact that phytotelmata are habitats with extreme environmental conditions, thus selecting organisms tolerant to these environments.

Resumo Em sua superfície externa, muitas plantas podem acumular água da chuva formando fitotelmata, ou seja, micro-habitat aquáticos colonizados por diversos organismos, entre eles, os flagelados protistas. Fez-se um inventário de flagelados heterotróficos associados ao fitotelmata da bromélia Aechmea distichantha Lem., encontrada em paredões rochosos em um trecho da bacia do alto rio Paraná. As bromélias foram retiradas manualmente de paredão rochoso e, em laboratório, a água foi retirada dos tanques de cada planta, e foram montadas culturas dos organismos em placas de Petri. Os flagelados heterotróficos foram, então, observados in vivo sob microscópio óptico Olympus BX51, com sistema de contraste de interferência diferencial (DIC) acoplado. Dezesseis espécies flagelados heterotróficos foram registradas, desenhadas e descritas, sendo uma espécie pertencente ao Domínio Amorpha e 15 espécies ao Domínio Diaphoretiches. Os grupos mais especiosos foram Euglenida e Kinetoplastea. A diversidade relativamente reduzida de flagelados heterotróficos, quando comparada ao plâncton de lagos e reservatórios, pode estar relacionada ao fato de os fitotelmata serem habitats limitados, com condições ambientais extremas, selecionando, assim, organismos tolerantes a esses ambientes.

Electrochemical communication with the inside of cells using micro-patterned vertical carbon nanofibre electrodes.

With the rapidly increasing demands for ultrasensitive biodetection, the design and applications of new nano-scale materials for development of sensors based on optical and electrochemical transducers have attracted substantial interest. In particular, given the comparable sizes of nanomaterials and biomolecules, there exist plenty of opportunities to develop functional nanoprobes with biomolecules for highly sensitive and selective biosensing, shedding new light on cellular behaviour. Towards this aim, herein we interface cells with patterned nano-arrays of carbon nanofibers forming a nanosensor-cell construct. We show that such a construct is capable of electrochemically communicating with the intracellular environment.

Nafion-stabilised bimetallic Pt-Cr nanoparticles as electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).

The current study investigated the unique combination of alloying (Pt with Cr) and Nafion stabilisation to reap the benefits of catalyst systems with enhanced catalytic activity and improved durability in PEMFCs. Pt-Cr alloy nanoparticles stabilised with Nafion were chosen in the current study owing to their higher stability in acidic and oxidising media at high temperatures compared to other Pt-transition metal alloys (e.g. Pt-Ni, Pt-Co). Two different precursor : reducing agent (1 : 10 and 1 : 20) ratios were used in order to prepare two different alloys, denoted as Pt-Cr 10 and Pt-Cr 20. The Pt-Cr 20 alloy system (with composition Pt80Cr20) demonstrated higher electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction compared to commercial Pt/C (TKK) catalysts. Accelerated stress tests and single cell tests revealed that Nafion stabilised alloy catalyst systems displayed significantly enhanced durability (only ∼20% loss of ECSA) compared with Pt/C (50% loss of ECSA) due to improved catalyst-ionomer interaction. Furthermore, the Pt-Cr 20 alloy system demonstrated a current density comparable to that of Pt/C making them promising potential electrocatalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Phytotoxicity as an indicator of stability of broiler production residues.

Beddings used for successive broiler lots act as substrate to absorb water and feed from the excreta and may be subsequently used as agricultural fertilizers. This study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and the phytotoxicity of beddings used to raise five consecutive broiler lots in five aviaries. Samples were collected for beddings not used yet and for beddings used at each of the five broiler lots. Lettuce and cucumber seeds were considered as phytotoxicity bioindicators. As beddings were used for greater number of lots, N, Ca, K, Mg and P contents generally increased, but the C content decreased, the pH alkalinized and humidity was reduced (P < 0.05). The germination index for lettuce and cucumber seeds was reduced with increased bedding (P < 0.05). Beddings used for at least five broiler lots presented decreased C:N ratio and would not recommended for agricultural use due to its toxicity for both tested seeds.

Pt Diffusion Dynamics for the Formation Cr-Pt Core-Shell Nanoparticles.

Layered core-shell bimetallic Cr-Pt nanoparticles were prepared by the formation and later reduction of an intermediate Pt-ion-containing supramolecular complex onto preformed Cr nanoparticles. The resultant nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. The results are consistent with the presence of Pt diffusion during or after bimetallic nanoparticle formation, which has resulted in a Pt/Cr-alloyed core and shell. We postulate that such Pt diffusion occurs by an electric-field-assisted process according to Cabrera-Mott theory and that it originates from the low work function of the preformed oxygen-defective Cr nanoparticles and the rather large electron affinity of Pt.

Performance assessment of an RFID system for automatic surgical sponge detection in a surgery room.

A retained surgical instrument is a frequent incident in medical surgery rooms all around the world, despite being considered an avoidable mistake. Hence, an automatic detection solution of the retained surgical instrument is desirable. In this paper, the use of millimeter waves at the 60 GHz band for surgical material RFID purposes is evaluated. An experimental procedure to assess the suitability of this frequency range for short distance communications with multiple obstacles was performed. Furthermore, an antenna suitable to be incorporated in surgical materials, such as sponges, is presented. The antenna's operation characteristics are evaluated as to determine if it is adequate for the studied application over the given frequency range, and under different operating conditions, such as varying sponge water content.

Equilíbrio ácido-básico de embriões e pintos de corte em momentos críticos da incubação e submetidos a diferentes períodos de transferência para o nascedouro / Acid-base balance of embryos and broiler chicks in critical moments of incubation and submitted to different periods of transfer to the hatcher

Foram analisados os níveis de pCO2, pO2, pH e HCO3 - de embriões e pintos de corte provenientes de matrizes novas e velhas, nos momentos anteriores à bicagem interna e externa da casca e ao nascimento, submetidos a diferentes períodos de transferência para as condições ambientais dos nascedouros. Os tratamentos foram definidos pela idade da matriz (33 e 63 semanas) e pela transferência para o nascedouro (aos 15, 17 e 19 dias). O delineamento experimental foi em parcelas subdivididas, sendo a parcela os três momentos de transferência e a subparcela as duas idades das matrizes. Foram utilizadas seis repetições para cada tratamento, e o embrião ou o pinto foi considerado uma repetição. Os dados normais e homogêneos foram submetidos às análises de variância, e as médias comparadas pelos testes F, de Tukey e SNK. Embriões cujos ovos foram transferidos aos 15 dias para o nascedouro apresentaram melhor equilíbrio ácido-básico durante as fases pré-natal e perinatal. Durante o último terço da incubação, independentemente das diferentes condições ambientais às quais os embriões são submetidos e da idade da matriz, há capacidade de resposta fisiológica que permite uma estabilidade no equilíbrio ácido-básico dos pintos após a eclosão...

We analyzed the levels of pCO2, pO2, pH and HCO3 - in embryos and chicks from young and older breeders, in the moments before internal pipping, external pipping and at hatch and submitted to different periods in the environmental conditions of hatchers. The treatments were defined by breeder age (33 and 63 weeks) and transfer to the hatcher (at 15, 17 and 19 days). The experimental design was split plots with three periods in the hatcher and the plots were the two breeder ages. We used six replicates per treatment and the embryo or chick was considered a repetition. The normal data forms were submitted to analysis of variance and means were compared by F, Tukey and SNK tests. Embryos transferred at 15 days to the hatcher had better acid-base balance during the pre-and perinatal phases. During the last third of incubation, regardless of the different environmental conditions which the embryos are subjected and breeder age, there is physiological responsiveness that allows for stability in acid-base balance of the chicks after hatching...

Influência do aquecimento artificial de ovos de matrizes pesadas sobre o rendimento de incubação / Influence of artificial heating on hatchability of broiler breeder eggs

O desenvolvimento embrionário nas aves tem início antes mesmo da postura. A variabilidade do estágio de desenvolvimento embrionário no momento da oviposição é conhecida e influencia a taxa de eclosão, uma vez que estágios muito avançados ou muito precoces são prejudiciais por tornarem os embriões mais sensíveis ao estresse do armazenamento. O aquecimento de ovos férteis no período entre a postura e o armazenamento vem sendo estudado como forma de reduzir os efeitos negativos do armazenamento sobre o rendimento de incubação por permitir que os embriões progridam até um estágio em que são mais aptos a suportar o estresse do armazenamento. Este experimento teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos do aquecimento artificial de ovos de matrizes pesadas no período entre a coleta e o armazenamento sobre o rendimento de incubação e o peso do pinto ao nascimento. Foram utilizados 5.760 ovos de matrizes pesadas Cobb(r) com 57 semanas de idade. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, constituído por quatro tratamentos definidos com base no tempo de aquecimento dos ovos (zero, três, seis e nove horas). O aquecimento foi feito em câmara de fumigação a 30°C, e os ovos foram armazenados por três dias. O aquecimento artificial no período entre a coleta e o armazenamento não influenciou a eclodibilidade, a mortalidade embrionária e o peso do pinto ao nascimento, tendo sido, nessas circunstâncias, uma prática injustificada...

In birds, embryonic development begins before laying. The embryonic development variability at the time of egg laying is known and influences hatching rate, since very early or advanced stages are detrimental for embryos because they become more sensitive to stress storage. The heating of fertile eggs in the period between posture and storage has been studied as a way to reduce the negative effects of storage on hatchability since it allows embryos to progress to a stage where they are more able to survive during storage. This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of artificial heating of fertile broiler breeder eggs in the period between the collection and storage on hatchability and chick weight at birth. For this, 5760 eggs from Cobb(r) broiler breeders, 57 weeks old, were used. The experimental design was completely randomized. It consisted of four defined treatments based on the heating time of eggs (zero, three, six and nine hours). Heating was done in a fumigation chamber at 30°C, and eggs were stored for three days. The artificial heating in the period between collection and storage didn't affect hatchability, embryo mortality and chick weight at birth, being, in this case, an unjustified practice...

A middleware for intelligent environments in ambient assisted living.

The increasing elderly population is changing the demography of many countries, becoming a major issue for society. As a direct consequence of this demographic phenomenon, allied to technological developments and pressure to reduce healthcare costs, new healthcare technologies for proactive health and elder care is needed. However, interoperability issues among different levels of available technologies restricts a wider deployment among intermediate and end-users. This work presents a service-oriented middleware that was developed to provide access to the functionality offered by virtually any existing device, or application, in a residential setting, in a transparent and intuitive form. The proposed middleware abstracts the communication technologies involved, allowing to seemingly integrate different communication protocols, making possible the distributed cooperation of devices that were built as stand-alone products. As a test case, an application was built with the middleware to monitor blood pressure and electromyography signal using typical health devices.

Efeitos do momento de transferência dos ovos para o nascedouro e da idade da matriz pesada sobre o rendimento de incubação / Effects of the moment of egg transfer to the hatcher and broiler breeder age on the incubation yield

Foram avaliados os efeitos do momento de transferência dos ovos da incubadora para o nascedouro e da idade da matriz pesada sobre o rendimento de incubação. Os tratamentos foram definidos pela idade das matrizes Cobb®, sendo considerados ovos de matrizes novas (33 semanas) e ovos de matrizes velhas (63 semanas), e pelos momentos de transferência da câmara de incubação para os nascedouros (aos 15, 17 e 19 dias). O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso em parcelas subdivididas, sendo o fator da parcela os três momentos das transferências e as subparcelas as duas idades das matrizes, com 18 repetições por tratamento. A bandeja com 96 ovos foi considerada a repetição, totalizando 1.728 ovos para cada tratamento. Ovos de matrizes velhas são mais pesados, perdem mais peso durante a incubação e têm percentual de fertilidade menor (P<0,05), qualquer que seja o momento de transferência dos ovos. Independentemente da idade das matrizes, a transferência dos ovos da incubadora para o nascedouro aos 15, 17 ou 19 dias de incubação não interfere na mortalidade embrionária, eclodibilidade e peso dos pintos ao nascimento. É possível adaptar o manejo de transferência à necessidade logística do incubatório ou reduzir o período dos ovos na máquina de incubação para aumentar o fluxo de produção, sem prejuízo ao rendimento de incubação.

We evaluated the effects of the moment of egg transfer to the hatcher and broiler breeder age on the incubation yield. The treatments were defined by Cobb ® broiler breeder age, separating young breeders (33 weeks old) from older breeders (63 weeks old) and the moment of transfer from incubation chamber to the hatcher (at 15, 17 and 19 days). The experimental design was completely randomized split plot. The plots factor was the three times of transfers and the subplots the two breeder ages, with 18 replicates per treatment. A tray of 96 eggs was considered replay, totaling 1728 eggs for each treatment. Eggs from older breeders are heavier, lose more weight during incubation and fertility rate is lower (p<0.05), regardless of the moments of eggs transfer. Regardless of the breeder age, the transfer of eggs from the incubator to the hatcher at 15, 17 or 19 days of incubation does not interfere in embryonic mortality, hatchability and chick weight at hatch. You can adapt the transfer management to the logistic needs of the hatchery or reduce the period of egg incubation in the machine to increase the flow of production with no losses in incubation yield.

Efeito do armazenamento e da cantaxantina dietética sobre a qualidade do ovo fértil e o desenvolvimento embrionário / The effect of storage and dietary canthaxanthin on fertile egg quality and embryonic development

O presente experimento foi conduzido em lote de matrizes Cobb desde 46 até 60 semanas de idade. Os tratamentos foram definidos pelas dietas (com e sem adição de 6ppm de cantaxantina na dieta das matrizes) e pelos períodos de armazenamento dos ovos (três e sete dias), em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 2x2 (duas dietas x dois períodos de armazenamento). A cantaxantina dietética elevou o escore de cor da gema de sete para 14. O armazenamento dos ovos por sete dias prejudicou a qualidade dos ovos, promoveu oxidação de ácidos graxos da gema e retardou o desenvolvimento embrionário.

This trial was done with Cobb broiler breeders. Treatments were defined by the diets (with and without 6ppm canthaxanthin added to broiler breeder diets) and periods of egg storage (three and seven days) in a completely randomized factorial 2 x 2 design (two diets x two periods of egg storage). The dietary canthaxanthin increased the yolk color score from 7 to 14. Egg storage for seven days reduced egg quality, promoted oxidation of yolk fatty acids and delayed embryonic development.

Tailoring 3D single-walled carbon nanotubes anchored to indium tin oxide for natural cellular uptake and intracellular sensing.

The ability to monitor intracellular events in real time is paramount to advancing fundamental biological and clinical science. We present the first demonstration of a direct interface of vertically aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (VASWCNTs) with eukaryotic cells, RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell line. The cells were cultured on indium tin oxide with VASWCNTs. VASWCNTs entered the cells naturally without application of any external force and were shown to sense the intracellular presence of a redox active moiety, methylene blue. The technology developed provides an alluring platform to enable electrochemical study of an intracellular environment.

Avaliação da qualidade da casca dos ovos provenientes de matrizes pesadas com diferentes idades / Evaluation of eggshell quality from broiler breeder hens with different ages

Foi realizado um estudo sobre qualidade da casca dos ovos incubáveis provenientes de matrizes pesadas com diferentes idades, por meio da avaliação da relação entre peso da casca e peso do ovo e análises de peso específico, espessura, porosidade, resistência e microscopia eletrônica. Os dois tratamentos foram definidos pela idade da matriz, sendo considerados ovos de matrizes novas - 33 semanas - e de matrizes velhas - 63 semanas. Os ovos de matrizes com 33 semanas foram mais leves, e o número de poros por cm² foi menor que o de ovos das aves mais velhas. Ovos de aves com 63 semanas apresentaram menor percentual de casca em relação ao peso do ovo, menor peso específico e menores resistência e espessura da casca. A proporção das membranas da casca em relação à sua espessura total foi maior nas matrizes mais novas. Concluiu-se que ovos de matrizes velhas têm qualidade de casca inferior aos ovos das matrizes novas e que as membranas da casca nos ovos de matrizes novas desempenham papel relevante em sua estrutura.

We conducted a study on eggshell quality from Cobb® broiler breeders at different ages by assessing the relationship between eggshell weight and egg weight and analysis of specific weight, thickness, porosity, strength and electron microscopy. Both treatments were defined by broiler breeder age, considering eggs from young breeders (33 weeks) and eggs from old breeders (63 weeks). It was observed that eggs from breeders at 33 weeks have lower weight and number of pores per cm² compared with eggs from older birds. 63 weeks broiler breeders had lower percentage of eggshell in relation to egg weight, lower specific weight, strength and thickness, when compared with eggs from young breeders. The proportion of shell membranes in relation to its total thickness was significantly higher in young breeders. It was concluded that eggs from older broiler breeders have lower eggshell quality than the young breeders. The shell membranes in young breeder's eggs play a significant role in its structure, making it necessary to focus on this layer in future studies on eggshell quality and their relationship between breeder age and incubation yield.

Flexible PDMS -based dry electrodes for electro-optic acquisition of ECG signals in wearable devices.

We present a new type of flexible dry copper electrodes based on Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings, requiring no electrical contact with the body. Tests were performed in order to evaluate the performance of these types of electrodes using electro-optic techniques, suitable for wearable devices. Conductive and insulated PDMS layers were fabricated through a spin coating process, reaching a thickness of 100µ. These layers were then deposited on top of a flexible copper sheet. In a first set of experiments PDMS-based electrodes were compared with Ag/AgCl pre-gelled electrodes, showing comparable performances and lower noise signals. In order to test the influence of electrode area into signal strength, different sizes were chosen: 10.14 cm(2), 17.55 cm(2), 25.3 cm(2) and 39 cm(2). The results have shown that the signal strength increases with electrode area. We have also tested the influence of PDMS conductivity in signal strength, by adding two types of nickel to the pre-polymer solution. PDMS conductive electrodes have shown slightly better performances, with amplitudes higher than 200mV, which is the maximum value recorded with PDMS insulated electrodes.