AHI POKE (RAW TUNA SALAD) CONSUMPTION AND CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS IN HAWAII

Ahi poke (raw tuna salad) has a significant role in Hawaiian culture and economy. A consumer survey in Hawaii was used to examine consumers’ purchasing intentions for ahi poke. A censored regression analysis was conducted to analyze these purchases and connect with various consumer characteristics. Results show that many consumers eat ahi poke frequently and different consumer profiles will lead to large differences in the quantity consumed. Information obtained in this study may help producers and retailers to better target their marketing strategies and increase sales.     

Release of doxycycline through cellulose acetate symmetric and asymmetric membranes produced from recycled agroindustrial residue: Sugarcane bagasse

Cellulose acetate is one of the components employed in drug controlled-release systems in the form of membranes. The aim of this study was to examine the controlled-release of doxycycline employing cellulose acetate symmetric and asymmetric membranes as matrices. The cellulose triacetate was produced from sugarcane bagasse through a homogeneous acetylation reaction, using acetic acid as the solvent, acetic anhydride as the acetylating agent and sulfuric acid as the catalyst. The viscosity average molecular weight of the cellulose acetate produced was 39,000 g mol⁻¹. The symmetric membranes were produced using a system solvent of dichloromethane/ethanol (9:1, v/v) and the asymmetric membranes were produced from the same solvent system and 10% of water. For the formulation of both, 5% of doxycycline was used. The membranes were characterized by thermal analysis (DSC and TGA) and scanning electron microscopy SEM. The release of doxycycline through cellulose triacetate matrices was examined using spectrophotometric analysis in the ultraviolet-visible region, at 275 nm. The results revealed that asymmetric membranes release 80% of the drug in 100 min, while symmetric membranes release 14% of the drug during the same time interval.     

Biosorption of macronutrients by Brazilian tropical peats

The objective of this work was to evaluate the adsorption of macronutrients calcium, potassium, magnesium, nitrogen, and phosphorus in two Brazilian tropical peat samples, investigating the effect of pH and determining the kinetics of the adsorption process. Two different Brazilian tropical peat samples were characterized using FTIR, TG, and SEM techniques. Different pH conditions were tested, as well as different mass concentrations of the peats. Differences in the chemical structures of the peat samples directly influenced the adsorptive capacities for the macronutrients. The adsorptive capacity for nitrogen was highest at pH 3, while the best adsorption of calcium and potassium was obtained at pH 6. The best fit to the data was provided by the pseudo-second-order model, which confirmed the rapid adsorption of calcium by both peats.     

Evaluation of Magnetic Coagulant (α-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>-MO) and its Reuse in Textile Wastewater Treatment

The textile industries are characterized as one of the biggest consumers of potable water and chemical products throughout its process, being responsible for the elevated wastewater generation with intense coloration and wide polluting potential. In this context, the present study proposes the development and application of a new coagulant material for textile wastewater treatment. The proposed coagulant (α-Fe₂O₃-MO) was composed by hematite nanoparticles (α-Fe₂O₃) obtained by a simple non-pollutant methodology, associated with Moringa oleifera (MO) seeds saline extract compounds. Coagulation/flocculation (CF) efficiency was evaluated by removal of physicochemical parameters such as apparent color, turbidity, and compounds with absorption at UV_254nm (UV_254nm) through CF tests carried out on Jar test equipment and sedimentation carried out in the presence and absence of external magnetic field (600 k Am^?1). Kinetics sedimentation was from 0 to 90 min. The use of this new coagulant allowed the removal of 92.37% for apparent color, 91.43% for turbidity, and 46.09% for UV_254nm, indicating that the proposed coagulant association was efficient in the treatment of this type of wastewater under external magnetic field with only 10 min of sedimentation. In addition, the resulting sludge from CF process was tested as base material for a new coagulant synthesis, demonstrating great reuse potential. Therefore, the new proposed coagulant, composed of α-Fe₂O₃ and the compounds present in the seed extract of MO, has applicability for textile wastewater treatment demonstrating high removal rate for all evaluated parameters with cost reduction in the proposed treatment for this wastewater.     

A comparison of indexes to estimate corn S uptake and S mineralization in the field

The development of simple predictors of sulfur (S) mineralization and its correlation with field-derived data may help improving corn S availability diagnosis. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare methods to estimate soil S mineralization, (2) to develop a model to predict soil S mineralization from S mineralization indexes and edaphic variables, and (3) to predict field-grown corn S uptake (S_uptake) and apparent S mineralization (S_min-app) from different S mineralization indexes and edaphic-climatic variables. We evaluated 26 experimental sites where we measured edaphic variables as soil organic C (SOC), organic C in the particulate fraction (C-PF), S mineralization potential (S_min-10wk), S mineralized during a short-term (7 days) aerobic incubation + initial inorganic S (S_min-7d?+?S_inorg), and N mineralized during a short-term (7 days) anaerobic incubation (N_an). Additionally, 18 field experiments were carried out to quantify S_uptake and S_min-app. The C-PF, S_min-7d?+?S_inorg, N_an, and SOC were variables significantly correlated with S_min-10wk (r?=?0.89, 0.89, 0.88, and 0.85, respectively). We developed a simple model to predict S_min-10wk from selected edaphic variables (S_min-10wk?=?0.038*N_an?+?0.106*SOC?+?0.74; R_a² =?0.87). The S_min-10wk, C-PF, and S_min-7d?+?S_inorg showed a liner-plateau association with S_uptake (R²?=?0.73, 0.53, and 0.48, respectively). We modified the method to estimate S_min-app to account for S losses (S_{min-app (modified)}) and developed a model to predict S_{min-app (modified)} from C-PF (S_{min-app (modified)}?=?4.65*C-PF?+?9.86; R²?=?0.62) or S_min-10wk (S_{min-app (modified)}?=?3.0*S_min-10wk?+?7.4; R²?=?0.54). Our results demonstrate that S mineralization indexes can be used to predict corn S availability under field conditions.     

Immortalization and characterization of a new canine mammary tumour cell line FR37‐CMT

Here we describe the establishment of a new canine mammary tumour (CMT) cell line, FR37‐CMT that does not show dependence on female hormonal signaling to induce tumour xenografts in NOD‐SCID mice. FR37‐CMT cell line has a stellate or fusiform shape, displays the ability to reorganize the collagen matrix, expresses vimentin, CD44 and shows the loss of E‐cadherin which is considered a fundamental event in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). The up‐regulation of ZEB1, the detection of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and the downregulation of DICER1 and miR‐200c are also in accordance with the mesenchymal characteristics of FR37‐CMT cell line. FR37‐CMT shows a higher resistance to cisplatin (IC₅₀>50 µM) and to doxorubicin (IC₅₀>5.3 µM) compared with other CMT cell lines. These results support the use of FR37‐CMT as a new CMT model that may assist the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT, CMT drug resistance, fostering the development of novel therapies targeting CMT.     

Effect of microbial‐based inoculants on nutrient concentrations and early root morphology of corn (Zea mays)

Microbial‐based inoculants have been reported to stimulate plant growth and nutrient uptake. However, their effect may vary depending on the growth stage when evaluated or fertilizer applied. Thus, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that microbial‐based inoculants known to promote root growth and nutrient uptake will promote plant growth, enhance early root development, and increase nutrient concentrations of corn (Zea mays L.). Plants were evaluated at four different growth stages and in the presence of three different nitrogen (N) fertilizers. The microbial‐based treatments evaluated were: SoilBuilder™ (SB), a filtered metabolite extract of SoilBuilder™ (SBF), a mixture of four strains of plant growth‐promoting Bacillus spp (BM), and a water‐inoculated control. The experiment also included four fertilizer treatments: urea (U), urea‐ammonium nitrate (UAN), calcium‐ammonium nitrate (CAN), and an unfertilized control. Corn plants were evaluated at growth stages V2, V4, V6, and VT. Plant growth parameters for biomass, height, and SPAD readings were enhanced by the three microbial‐based treatments. A greater effect of microbial‐based treatments was observed when plants were evaluated at V6 and VT stages. Parameters of early root development such as total root length (TRL), root surface area (RSA), and length of fine roots were enhanced when microbial‐based treatments were applied. Concentrations of N, P, and K were also increased by microbial‐based treatments compared to the non‐inoculated control. Increases in plant N concentration due to microbial‐based treatments were on average 72% for CAN, 61% for UAN, 72% for urea, and 54% for the unfertilized control. Phosphorus concentration was increased most (138%) when BM was applied with CAN. In the same way, when CAN was present, K concentration was increased by 95% with BM and 65% when SB and SBF were applied. Overall, the results demonstrate that microbial‐based inoculants evaluated in this study can positively impact corn growth and nutrient concentration, especially during the late vegetative stages. Furthermore, the results indicate that the enhancement of nutrient concentrations (N, P, and K) in this case was related to the capacity of microbial‐based treatments to impact root morphology at early stages of corn growth.     

Yield and nutritional requirements of cassava in response to potassium fertilizer in the second cycle

Potassium (K) is one of the most absorbed nutrients by cassava because it acts on the synthesis and starch accumulation in the storage roots. Here, we show that K application at the beginning of the second vegetative cycle of cassava submitted to shoot pruning increased the yield of roots and starch, and the nutrient demand of plants. Application of 45–89 kg ha^?1 dipotassium oxide (K₂O) in the second cycle increased the yield of storage roots and starch from 36–49% and K applied at this time had a greater effect on the synthesis and allocation of starch in the storage roots. K supply increased the accumulation of N and S by 2.0- to 3.0-fold and the accumulation of other nutrients by 1.4- to 1.7-fold. The removal of phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) by storage roots was not affected by K application, whereas the removal of other nutrients increased by 1.3- to 4.3-fold.