Control of tissue growth by Yap relies on cell density and F-actin in zebrafish fin regeneration

This work was supported by funding from Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/62126/2009, PTDC/BEX-BID/1176/2012]; and Agence Nationale de la Recherche [ANR-11-BSV5-0021].Caudal fin regeneration is characterized by a proliferation boost in the mesenchymal blastema that is controlled precisely in time and space. This allows a gradual and robust restoration of original fin size. However, how this is established and regulated is not well understood. Here, we report that Yap, the Hippo pathway effector, is a chief player in this process: functionally manipulating Yap during regeneration dramatically affects cell proliferation and expression of key signaling pathways, impacting regenerative growth. The intracellular location of Yap is tightly associated with different cell densities along the blastema proximal-distal axis, which correlate with alterations in cell morphology, cytoskeleton and cell-cell contacts in a gradient-like manner. Importantly, Yap inactivation occurs in high cell density areas, conditional to F-actin distribution and polymerization. We propose that Yap is essential for fin regeneration and that its function is dependent on mechanical tension, conferred by a balancing act of cell density and cytoskeleton activity.publishersversionpublishe

Optimization and kinetic study of biodiesel production through esterification of oleic acid applying ionic liquids as catalysts

In this study, 1-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, [HMIM]HSO4, ionic liquid, was successfully applied as a catalyst in the biodiesel production through the esterification reaction of oleicacid withmethanol.A response surface methodology (RSM) known as Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was applied to optimize the main experimental reaction conditions,using a set of 27 experiments.This optimization was based on the maximization of both the conversion of oleic acid and the Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) content of the obtained biodiesel samples.It was concluded that the two most relevant parameters for both the conversionand the FAME content were the molar ratio between oleic acid and methanol and the catalyst dosage.Accordingly to the model,the optimum condition for the maximum conversion was determined as being 8h, 110 ± 2°C, 15:1M ratio methanol/oleic acid and a catalyst dosage of 15wt%,resulting in a 95% conversion and for the maximum FAME content were 8h,110 ± 2°C,14:1M ratio and a catalyst dosage of 14wt%,leading to a FAME content of 90%. The kinetics of the esterification reaction was also evaluated,and the experimental results were well described using a third-order reaction model. The kinetic parameters were experimentally determined,and the value of the activation energy was 6.8kJ/mol and the pre-exponential factor was 0.0765L2.mol−2.min−1 confirming that the ionic liquid,[HMIM]HSO4,is a good alternative for replacing traditional catalysts for biodiesel production through esterification reaction.The authors hereby acknowledge Dr. Isabel Patrícia Fernandes and Prof. Dr. Filomena Barreiro, for the support provided regarding the FTIR analysis, and Eng. Cristiana Brás Meireles. Also, the authors express their gratitude to Instituto Politécnico de Bragança and Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In situ Trametes versicolor laccase biocathode performance assessment in dual-chamber microbial fuel cells

White-rot fungi (WRF) synthesize ligninolytic extracellular oxidative enzymes such as laccase (Lcc), which has been described as one of the most interesting types of redox enzymes that can improve microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance. Therefore, and in order to test that performance, WRF Trametes versicolor MUM 04.100 was immobilized in nylon sponge and fixed in the MFC cathode chamber, while Lcc activity, bioelectricity production, and organic matter removal were monitored. It was found that current density measured in the MFC supplemented with fungi was 2.1 times higher (42.81±4.91 mA/m2) than current density obtained in the control MFC (absence of fungus in the cathode chamber, 20.31±4.30 mA/m2). Maximum Lcc activity (23.08 U/L) and the highest value of organic matter removal (COD) (92%) from domestic wastewater was obtained on the last cycle after biofilm maturation and glycerol pulse. This work evidences that Lcc continuously synthesized by MUM 04.100 immobilized in the biocathode is a promising approach to enhance MFC power performance and wastewater treatment.This work was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP; grant number 2020/12867–2) and Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EURISWEB – Web-based epidemiological surveillance of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci in Day Care Centers

BACKGROUND: EURIS (European Resistance Intervention Study) was launched as a multinational study in September of 2000 to identify the multitude of complex risk factors that contribute to the high carriage rate of drug resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae strains in children attending Day Care Centers in several European countries. Access to the very large number of data required the development of a web-based infrastructure – EURISWEB – that includes a relational online database, coupled with a query system for data retrieval, and allows integrative storage of demographic, clinical and molecular biology data generated in EURIS. METHODS: All components of the system were developed using open source programming tools: data storage management was supported by PostgreSQL, and the hypertext preprocessor to generate the web pages was implemented using PHP. The query system is based on a software agent running in the background specifically developed for EURIS. RESULTS: The website currently contains data related to 13,500 nasopharyngeal samples and over one million measures taken from 5,250 individual children, as well as over one thousand pre-made and user-made queries aggregated into several reports, approximately. It is presently in use by participating researchers from three countries (Iceland, Portugal and Sweden). CONCLUSION: An operational model centered on a PHP engine builds the interface between the user and the database automatically, allowing an easy maintenance of the system. The query system is also sufficiently adaptable to allow the integration of several advanced data analysis procedures far more demanding than simple queries, eventually including artificial intelligence predictive models

Application of microbial fuel cell technology for vinasse treatment and bioelectricity generation

Our study evaluated the performance of different two-chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC) prototypes, operated with variable distance between electrodes and Nafion membrane and specific inoculum concentration, applied for vinasse treatment.Instituto de Pesquisa Tecnológica do Estado de São Paulo/Programa Novos Talentos, through individual Research Grant attributed to Cristiane Angélica Ottoni.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

MINEO Southern Europe environment test site : contamination impact mapping and modelling : final Report

Relatório final do projeto MINEO: Assessing and monitoring the environmental impact of mining activities in Europe using advanced Earth Observation techniques. Project funded by the European Community under the “Information Society Technology” Programme (1998-2002)ABSTRACT: Under the framework of the MINEO project, the abandoned S.Domingos mining area as been selected as representative of Southern Europe Environment to test methods and tools for assessing and monitoring the environmental impact of mining activities using hyperspectral data and other relevant data sets. The S.Domingos mining area, is characterised by a long-term mining activity, since pre-roman times till the 1960’s, and is included in the group of Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide deposits of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The orebody contained Cu, and also Zn and Pb. Several facilities were developed for mining works and ore transportation, covering an area of 50km2, facilitating dispersion of related pollutants. The main environmental problems can be summarised as related to waste material and their pollutant content (Zn, Pb, Sb, Cu, As, Hg and Cd), acid waters (minimum pH value of 1.7) and associated dispersion, as well as landscape disruption. Hyperspectral images were able to identify mineralogical/chemical dispersion of waste material related to Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) following two approaches: one related to AMD waste material field spectra and the other based on AMD minerals, using standard spectral libraries. The processing techniques used were mainly based on the Spectral Angle Mapper classifier and Mixture Tunned Matched Filtering. Globally, both mapping results obtained, either in AMD waste material either in AMD minerals, were able to detect mineralogical/chemical characteristics of imaged ground data, which were validated by field data. The GIS geochemical modelling allowed the determination of effective AMD area of influence, based in water pH values, using geostatistical methods. The Indicator “Collocate-Cokriging” of the water pH using the distance to the highest correlated AMD waste material (mixed sulphur materials from hyperspectral classification) predicts the AMD dispersion in the area related to that material. This methodology achieved good results and could be applied in new areas using waste material hyperspectral image classification for AMD delimitation area.N/

Protecção integrada das culturas agrícolas e florestais no sul de Portugal

A b s t r a c t : A r e v i e w i s g i v e n o f t h e a c t i v i t i e s a i n n e d a t t h e i n t e g r a t e d p r o t e c t i o n o f a g r i c u l t u r a l c r o p s a n d f o r e s t t r e e s i n A l e n t e j o ( S o u t h e r n P o r t u g a l ) . T o m a t o c r o p s a r e i n f e s t e d b y m a n y s p e c i e s o f i n s e c t s a n d m i t e s , Heliothis armigera b e i n g t h e m a j o r p e s t . Trichogramma e g g - p a r a s i t e s a n d g r e e n l a c e w i n g s , Chrysoperla cárnea, a r e m a s s - p r o d u c e d a n d r e l e a s e d f o r t h e c o n t r o l o f Heliothis. T w o s t e m b o r e r s , Sesamia nonagrioides a n d Ostrinia nubilalis, h e a v i l y i n f e s t t h e m a i z e c r o p . S t u d i e s o n t h e i r p o p u l a t i o n d y n a m i c s a n d c o n t r o l b y a n t a g o n i s t s w e r e c a r r i e d o u t . A c e r a m b y c i d b e e t i e , Phoracantha semipunctata, i n t r o d u c e d r e c e n t l y i n t o E u r o p e , i s a n i m p o r t a n t p e s t i n Eucalyptus p l a n t a t i o n s . R e s e r a c h a c t i v i t i e s a r e c o n c e n t r a t e d o n i d e n t i f y i n g t h e c h e m i c a l s u b s t a n c e s e m i t t e d b y t h e t r e e s w h i c h a t t r a c t t h e b e e t i e s . I n o r d e r t o r e e s t a b l i s h n a t u r a l e q u i l i b r i u m i n c i t r u s o r c h a r d s , t h e m a s s - p r o d u c t i o n a n d s u b s e q u e n t r e l e a s e o f p r e d a t o r s ( l a d y b i r d - b e e t i e s a n d l a c e w i n g s ) i s p l a n n e d

Immobilization of coagulant Moringa oleifera lectin to remove humic acid from water

Humic acids are linked to carcinogenic by-products formation in water treatment. In this work coagulant Moringa oleifera lectin (cMoL) immobilized to matrices was used to remove humic acid from water. Seed proteins were extracted with 0.15 M NaCl (E) and precipitated with ammonium sulphate (0-60F). Fraction was guar gel column chromatographed and cMoL was eluted (1.0 M NaCl). E, 0-60F and cMoL affinity to bind humic acid was characterized using hemagglutinating activity (HA) with rabbit erythrocytes. Inhibition HA was evaluated with humic acid, humic acid and calcium or magnesium (5 and 10 mM), carbohydrates and halogenated compounds. cMoL immobilized in silica, clay, cellulose, agarose and sepharose was packed into columns. Humic acid (29 mg/L of carbon) was pumped through columns at 0.2 mL/min. Total organic carbon (TOC) was measured (600 nm) using the Method 10129 from Hach Lange GmbH (0.0 to 20.0 mg/L of carbon). HA was detected in E, 0-60F and cMoL. With humic acid SHA decreased 94 % for E and cMoL; diminished 50 % for 0-60F. K+ enhanced interaction of cMoL with humic acid in comparison to Ca2+, since a larger decrease of SHA was obtained, 97 % and 75 %, respectively. D(+)-Galactose and L(+)-arabinose inhibited cMoL SHA by 87.5 %. Trichloroacetic acid, dicholoroacetic acid and chloroform had no activity effect. The highest amount of cMoL was immobilized on cyanogen bromideactivated Sepharose 4B, 2.4 g/mg, followed by cyanogen bromide-activated Agarose, 0.2 g/mg. A considerable humic acid removal was obtained in the new purification protocol.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of tetracycline on the microbial community composition and activity of nitrifying biofilms

The present work aims to evaluate the bacterial composition and activity (carbon and nitrogen removal) of nitrifying biofilms exposed to 50 μg L−1 of tetracycline. The tetracycline removal efficiency and the occurrence of tetracycline resistance (tet) genes were also studied. Two sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) fed with synthetic wastewater were operated without (SBBR1) and with (SBBR2) the antibiotic. Both SBBRs showed similar organic matter biodegradation and nitrification activity. Tetracycline removal was about 28% and biodegradation was probably the principal removal mechanism of the antibiotic. Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of the bacterial community showed shifts leading to not only the fading of some ribotypes, but also the emergence of new ones in the biofilm with tetracycline. The study of the tet genes showed that tet(S) was only detected in the biofilm with tetracycline, suggesting a relationship between its occurrence and the presence of the antibiotic.The work described in this paper was financially supported by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal) - by the PhD student grant SFRH/BD/44596/2008