Evolution of Henrik Kacser's thought: Early publications on the organization of the whole system.

Although the papers of Kacser and Burns (1973) and Heinrich and Rapoport (1974a,b) are commonly taken as the birth of metabolic control analysis, many of the ideas in them are foreshadowed in earlier papers, from 1956 onwards, when Kacser first argued for taking a systemic view of genetics and biochemistry.

Integrated Meta-omics Approaches To Understand the Microbiome of Spontaneous Fermentation of Traditional Chinese Pu-erh Tea.

The microbiome in fermentation has direct impacts on the quality of fermented foods and is of great scientific and commercial interest. Despite considerable effort to explain the microbial metabolism associated with food fermentation, the role of the microbiome in pu-erh tea fermentation remains unknown. Here, we applied integrated meta-omics approaches to characterize the microbiome in two repeated fermentations of pu-erh tea. Metabarcoding analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed a decrease in the proportion of Proteobacteria and an increase in the abundance of Firmicutes during fermentation. Metabarcoding analysis of fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence demonstrated that Rasamsonia, Thermomyces, and Aspergillus were dominant at the intermediate stage, whereas Aspergillus was dominant at other stages in fermentation. Metaproteomics analysis assigned primary microbial metabolic activity to metabolism and identified microbial carbohydrate-active enzymes involved in the degradation of polysaccharides including cellulose, xylan, xyloglucan, pectin, starch, lignin, galactomannan, and chitin. Metabolomics and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that levels of phenolic compounds, including gallates, decreased whereas contents of gallic acid and ellagic acid significantly increased after fermentation (P < 0.05). The changes in levels of gallates and gallic acid were associated with the hydrolysis of tannase. Glycoside hydrolases, phenol 2-monooxygenase, salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase, salicylate 1-monooxygenase, catechol O-methyltransferase, catechol dioxygenase, and quercetin 2,3-dioxygenases were hypothesized to be related to oxidation, conversion, or degradation of phenolic compounds. We demonstrated microbiota in fermentation and their function in the production of enzymes related to the degradation of polysaccharides, and metabolism of phenolic compounds, resulting in changes in metabolite contents and the quality of pu-erh tea.IMPORTANCE Fermented foods play important roles in diets worldwide and account for approximately one-third of all foods and beverages consumed. To date, traditional fermentation has used spontaneous fermentation. The microbiome in fermentation has direct impacts on the quality and safety of fermented foods and contributes to the preservation of traditional methods. Here, we used an integrated meta-omics approach to study the microbiome in the fermentation of pu-erh tea, which is a well-known Chinese fermented food with a special flavor and healthful benefits. This study advanced the knowledge of microbiota, metabolites, and enzymes in the fermentation of pu-erh tea. These novel insights shed light onto the complex microbiome in pu-erh fermentation and highlight the power of integrated meta-omics approaches in understanding the microbiome in food fermentation ecosystems.

Participatory approach to quality development in infection prevention and control (IPC) in Nigerian health facilities.

The development of an educational concept of a training programme for infection prevention and control (IPC) was seen as a key issue to successfully address the complexity of change processes of professional IPC routines in clinical procedures. Therefore, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Nigeria, and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany established an interdisciplinary project framework, involving knowledge and competences from different disciplines and professions like health professionals, epidemiologists and educators (MAURICE project). A multi-module training programme for health care workers to improve IPC standards was developed and implemented based on the participatory approach and a systemic view for organizational change.

Ciência ambiental: reflexões sobre o monitoramento de resíduos de agrotóxicos em águas potável, superficial e subterrânea / Environmental science: reflections on the monitoring of pesticide residues in drinking, superficial, and underground water

RESUMO As análises da água, na perspectiva da química, são realizadas, normalmente, a partir da definição dos parâmetros a serem analisados e sobre as técnicas para determinação da concentração. Desse modo, considera-se essa abordagem essencialmente cartesiana, que engessa outras possibilidades, tais como o conhecimento de outras áreas da ciência, assim como o conhecimento de fatores sociais, econômicos e de políticas públicas. Portanto, este trabalho de revisão bibliográfica pretendeu apresentar uma visão mais próxima do pensamento sistêmico e da interdisciplinaridade aplicada à análise química, com a finalidade de gerar uma discussão mais integrada sobre a análise de agrotóxicos. Os resultados revelam que a legislação ambiental brasileira sobre gestão de recursos hídricos é omissa em alguns aspectos, ainda não é plenamente aplicada em razão das carências na fiscalização e que há deficiências de integração e interação entre os diversos agentes públicos: universidades e instituições de pesquisa, agências reguladoras e demais órgãos do Poder Executivo.

ABSTRACT Water analysis, from a chemical perspective, is usually performed based on the definition of the parameters to be analyzed and on the techniques for determining the concentration. Thus, this essentially Cartesian approach is considered, which engenders other possibilities, such as knowledge of other areas of science, as well as knowledge of social, economic, and public policy factors. Therefore, this bibliographic review work aims to present a closer view of systemic thinking and interdisciplinarity applied to chemical analysis, with the purpose of generating a more integrated discussion about the analysis of pesticides. The results show that the Brazilian environmental legislation on water resources management is not yet fully implemented due to the lack of surveillance; moreover, there is a lack of integration and interaction between the various public agents: universities and research institutions, regulatory agencies, and other branches of the executive power.

Inclusão do indicador "impactos ambientais" na ferramenta "Diagnóstico do Sistema Embalagem": um estudo de caso em vinícola / Adding the indicator "environmental impacts" in the "Diagnosis of the Packaging System" tool: a case study at winery

O objetivo deste estudo foi ampliar o escopo da ferramenta "Diagnóstico do Sistema Embalagem", criada para avaliar e gerenciar adequadamente o Sistema Embalagem Foram incluídos no escopo procedimentos que possibilitem avaliar impactos ambientais causados em suas operações. Aos três indicadores atuais - custo sistêmico, inovação e competências -, foi adicionado o quarto, que engloba tratamento de resíduos sólidos, emissão de gás carbônico, consumo de água e energia. Assim, o método de pesquisa empregado foi o de caráter qualitativo exploratório, por meio de um estudo de caso, a fim de verificar se a empresa participante da pesquisa tem uma visão sistêmica nas etapas do desenvolvimento do produto e, com isso, aprimorar a metodologia "Diagnóstico do Sistema Embalagem" em todo o processo que envolve a embalagem do produto escolhido. Os resultados obtidos mostram que é possível desenhar um cenário básico, a partir do qual devem ser tomadas ações estratégicas que permitirão aprimorar o desempenho do sistema em estudo. Pela sua concepção, a ferramenta pode ser adaptada a diversos produtos da empresa. A inclusão do indicador auxilia o correto posicionamento estratégico frente às políticas ambientais mundiais que estão sendo elaboradas.

The objective of this study was to expand the "Diagnosis of the Packing System" tool, created to evaluate and properly manage the Packing System, adding procedures that allow the evaluation of the environmental impacts, trigged in its operations. The three current indicators are systemic cost, innovation and competences. A fourth indicator was added and comprehends the treatment of solid waste, carbon dioxide emissions, water and energy consumption. Thus, the methodology that was applied in this research was exploratory and qualitative, and it was carried out through a case study, aiming to verify if the company has a systemic perspective in the phases of the development of the product, as well as to improve the tool "Diagnosis of the Packing System" in the process that is related to the chosen product. The results of the research show that it is possible to design a basic scenario, and, through it, to plan some strategies that enable the improvement of the studied system. Through its conception, the tool can be adapted to many different products of the company. The inclusion of the indicator helps the correct strategic attitude towards the world environmental policies that have been created.