RESUMO
Faced with a global pandemic such as the one triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the medical supply chain has been highly demanded. An item in which this manifested itself more clearly, are the N95 masks, designed to be disposable items, in many cases they have had to be reused. In these emergency conditions, it was necessary to apply an effective and safe method that can be used locally. Here a device for disinfection by ultraviolet C light was developed that allows irradiating N95 masks with a known and reproducible dose. Thus being able to apply a safe and effective disinfection method according to existing information. The use of a common model of UV-C lamps and the simple construction of the device allows it to be built at low cost and with widely available materials. The effectiveness of the device was demonstrated against an enveloped RNA virus, characteristics shared with the virus that causes COVID19, being capable of reducing the viral load by 4 orders of magnitude.
RESUMO
Laboratory-scale silos were prepared to evaluate the efficacy of two different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on the fermentation quality and mycobiota of corn silage. Their influence on Aspergillus species' variability by using the q-PCR technique was studied. Silage inoculated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus RC007 or L. plantarum RC009 were compared with uninoculated silage. Silos were opened after 1, 7, 45, 90 and 120 days after ensiling. At the end of the ensiling period, silos were left open for 7 days to evaluate aerobic stability. Rapid lactic acid production and decline in pH values were seen in the early stages of fermentation in silage inoculated with L. rhamnosus RC007. After aerobic exposure, a significant decline in lactic acid content was observed in untreated and L. plantarum RC009-inoculated silages. Counts for yeasted and toxigenic fungus remained lower, after aerobic exposure, in L. rhamnosus RC007-inoculated silage, in comparison with L. plantarum RC009 and uninoculated silages. Comparing the influence exerted by both BAL, it was observed that L. rhamnosus RC007 was more efficient at inhibiting the three fungal species tested whose DNA concentrations, determined by q-PCR, oscillated near the initial value (pre-ensiling maize). The ability of L. rhamnosus RC007 to produce lactic acid rapidly and the decline in pH values in the early stages of the fermentation along with the reduction of yeast and mycotoxicogenic fungus after aerobic exposure shows its potential as a bio-control inoculant agent in animal feed.