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In this research, the combined effects of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and different conditions of oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa) on lipase production by Staphylococcus warneri EX17 were studied and optimized in bioreactor cultures. Raw glycerol from biodiesel synthesis was used as the sole carbon source. Full-factorial central composite design and the response surface methodology were employed for the experimental design and analysis of the results. The optimal polydimethylsiloxane concentration and mass coefficient transfer (kLa) were found to be 13.5% (v/v) and 181 h−1, respectively. Under these conditions, the maximal cell production obtained was 10.0 g/l, and the volumetric lipase activities of approximately 490 U/l, after 6 h of cultivation. These results are in close agreement with the model predictions. Results obtained in this work reveal the positive effects of PDMS on oxygen volumetric mass transfer coefficient (kLa) in the Staphylococcus warneri EX17 cultivation and lipase production.

The present study evaluated 13 strains of yeast for ethanol and xylitol production from xylose. Among them, Spathaspora hagerdaliae UFMG-CM-Y303 produced ethanol yields (YP/S) of 0.25 g g− 1 and 0.39 g g− 1 under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions, respectively, from a mixture of glucose and xylose in flasks. A pH of 5.0 and an inoculum of 3.0 × 108 cells mL− 1r resulted in the highest ethanol yields. These conditions were tested in a bioreactor for fermenting a medium containing an enzymatic hydrolysate of sugarcane bagasse with 15.5 g L− 1 of glucose and 3 g L− 1 of xylose, and achieved a YP/S of 0.47 g g− 1, in relation to total available sugar. These results suggest that S. hagerdaliae UFMG-CM-Y303 has potential for use in second-generation ethanol studies.

IntroductionAxial skeleton arthropathy and osteoporotic vertebral fractures are common findings in acromegalic patients and can result in severe spinal deformity.ObjectiveTo investigate the presence of spinal fractures and deformities, sagittal imbalances, and spinopelvic compensatory mechanisms in acromegalics.Patients and methods58 patients with acromegaly from a referral neuroendocrinology center were prospectively evaluated by panoramic spine radiographs to detect the presence of fractures and scoliosis, to measure thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA). Sagittal imbalance criteria were considered: thoracic kyphosis > 50°, PI-LL > 10°, PT > 20° and SVA > 5 cm. Their medical records were analyzed for clinical and laboratorial data.ResultsThe prevalence of fractures was 13.8%, predominantly in the thoracic spine, with mild and anterior wedge compressions. Scoliosis was present in 34.5% of the cases, all with degenerative lumbar curve apex. Thoracic kyphosis > 50º occurred in 36.8% of patients, PI-LL > 10° in 48.3%, PT > 20° in 41.4% and SVA > 5 cm in 12.1%.ConclusionIncreased number of vertebral fractures and high prevalence of spinal deformities related to sagittal imbalance were detected, indicating the importance of monitoring bone comorbidities in acromegaly, with radiological evaluation of the spine as part of the follow up.

Meningiomas are considered the second most common neoplasm of the central nervous system in adults. Most of them are benign with slow growth, frequent in women and with a high recurrence rate. In tumors, DNA error repair processes lose efficacy, providing mutagenesis and genomic instability. This work evaluated the expression of proteins involved in cell synthesis (cyclin D1) and DNA errors repair (MUTYH, XPF, XPG) in meningiomas, relating them to clinical, tumor and survival variables. The study included 85 patients, with a mean age of 52 ± 13.3 years and most of them women (2:1 ratio). Sixty-seven cases were grade I (79%). Grade II tumors were independent predictors of recurrence-regrowth (HR: 2.8; p = 0.038). The high expression of cyclin D1 was associated with grade II (p = 0.001) and low MUTYH expression with grade I (p = 0.04). Strong expression of XPF and XPG was associated with grade II (p = 0.002; p < 0.001) and with recurrence-regrowth (p = 0.04; p = 0.003). Strong XPF expression was significantly related to large tumors (p = 0.03). An association of cyclin D1, MUTYH and XPF were found. Survival was not associated with the expression of any of the proteins studied. To know the role of DNA repair proteins and cell synthesis is important for understanding the processes of origin and tumor development. Grade II meningiomas and strong expression of XPF and XPG were predictors of recurrence or regrowth and may assist in clinical management, considering the high recurrence of meningiomas and the absence of consensus regarding treatment.

Meningiomas represent the most frequently diagnosed intracranial tumors. Inflammatory cells present in the tumor can modulate both antitumor and protumor functions, and modify the therapeutic response. Hematological inflammatory parameters have provided prognostic information useful in the treatment and clinical evaluation of several tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate preoperative hematological markers of patients with meningiomas and to relate them to clinical variables and recurrence-regrowth free survival. Eighty-nine patients without corticosteroid therapy were included. Blood test results and tumor characteristics were collected from medical records. Associations between clinical characteristics and the recurrence-regrowth free survival (RFS) were evaluated using Cox proportional hazard analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed. Of the 89 cases, 73 (82%) were grade I and 16 (18%) grade II. The mean age was 53 ± 13.9 years, with higher frequency in women. Anemia was observed in 23.6% and neutrophilia in 42% of the patients. In univariate analysis, anemia ( p  = 0.04), neutrophilia ( p  = 0.02) and neutrophil/lymphocyt ratio (NLR) ( p  = 0.02) were associated with an increased risk of recurrence-regrowth and shorter RFS. In multivariate analysis, anemia and NLR > 4.1 represented a higher risk of recurrence-regrowth ( p  = 0.003). The ROC curve analysis showed that only the lymphocyte/monocyte (L/M) > 2.5 was able to predict the tumor grade. The preoperative presence of anemia, neutrophilia, NLR > 4.1 and L/M > 2.5 were associated with a worse prognosis in meningiomas. The use of preoperative hematological inflammatory parameters as prognostic factors can be promissing for evaluation and follow-up of meningiomas.