Valorization of agro-industrial wastes towards the production of rhamnolipids

In this work, oil mill wastewater (OMW), a residue generated during olive oil extraction, was evaluated as an inducer of rhamnolipid production. Using a medium containing as sole ingredients corn steep liquor (10%, v/v), sugarcane molasses (10%, w/v) and OMW (25%, v/v), Pseudomonas aeruginosa #112 produced 4.5 and 5.1 g of rhamnolipid per liter in flasks and reactor, respectively, with critical micelle concentrations as low as 13 mg/l. Furthermore, in the medium supplemented with OMW, a higher proportion of more hydrophobic rhamnolipid congeners was observed comparing with the same medium without OMW. OMW is a hazardous waste which disposal represents a serious environmental problem; therefore, its valorization as a substrate for the production of added-value compounds such as rhamnolipids is of great interest. This is the first report of rhamnolipid production using a mixture of these three agro-industrial by-products, which can be useful for the sustainable production of rhamnolipids.This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI- 01-0145-FEDER-006684). The authors also thank the FCT for the financial support under the scope of the Project RECI/BBBEBI/ 0179/2012 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462). E.J. Gudiña was supported by the Post-Doctoral fellowship CEB-BPD/01/2015/07 from the project UID/BIO/04469/2013, financed by FCT. A.I. Rodrigues was supported by the doctoral Grant SFRH/BD/111600/2015 provided by FCT

Jogos eletrônicos e o uso de software livre na escola: um relato de experiência

Este trabalho descreve a experiência do uso pedagógico de um jogo eletrônico na escola, relatando seu processo de inserção como conteúdo das aulas que foram realizadas na sala informatizada. A proposta da utilização do jogo, além de motivar aos alunos, contemplou os interesses da professora, que alcançou por meio dele os objetivos por ela propostos. Percebe-se que uma abordagem interdisciplinar ao jogo poderia contribuir para a problematização das diversas questões por ele levantadas

Mortars with incorporation of PCM based in different binders: mechanical and thermal behavior

Currently we are witnessing a huge concern of society with the parameters of comfort of the buildings and the energetic consumptions. It is known that there is a huge consumption of non-renewable sources of energy. Thus, it is urgent to develop and explore ways to take advantage of renewable sources of energy by improving the energy efficiency of buildings. The mortars with incorporation of phase change materials (PCM) have the ability to regulate the temperature inside buildings, contributing to the thermal comfort and reduction of the use of heating and cooling equipment, using only the energy supplied by the sun. However, the incorporation of phase change materials in mortars modifies its characteristics. The main purpose of this study was mechanical and thermal characterization of mortars with incorporation of PCM in mortars based in different binders. The binders studied were aerial lime, hydraulic lime, gypsum and cement. For each type of binder a reference composition (0% PCM) and a composition with incorporation of 40% of PCM were developed. It was possible to observe that the incorporation of PCM in mortars caused differences in properties such as workability, compressive strength, flexural strength and adhesion, however leads to an improvement of thermal behavior.Foundation for Science and Technology(FCT

Bait attractiveness changes community metrics in dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Species relative abundance (SRA) is an essential attribute of biotic communities, which can provide an accurate description of community structure. However, the sampling method used may have a direct influence on SRA quantification, since the use of attractants (e.g., baits, light, and pheromones) can introduce additional sources of variation in trap performance. We tested how sampling aided by baits affect community data and therefore alter derived metrics. We tested our hypothesis on dung beetles using data from flight interception traps (FITs) as a baseline to evaluate baited pitfall trap performance. Our objective was to assess the effect of bait attractiveness on estimates of SRA and assemblage metrics when sampled by pitfall traps baited with human feces.Dung beetles were sampled at three terra firme primary forest sites in the Brazilian Amazon. To achieve our objective, we (i) identified species with variable levels of attraction to pitfall baited with human feces; (ii) assessed differences in SRA; and (iii) assessed the effect of bait on the most commonly used diversity metrics derived from relative abundance (Shannon and Simpson indices). We identified species less and highly attracted to the baits used, because most attracted species showed greater relative abundances within baited pitfall traps samples compared with our baseline. Assemblages sampled by baited pitfall traps tend to show lower diversity and higher dominance than those sampled by unbaited FITs. Our findings suggest that for ecological questions focused on species relative abundance, baited pitfall traps may lead to inaccurate conclusions regarding assemblage structure. Although tested on dung beetles, we suggest that the same effect could be observed for other insect taxa that are also sampled with baited traps. We highlight a need for further studies on other groups to elucidate any potential effects of using baits

Diversity in the Architecture of ATLs, a Family of Plant Ubiquitin-Ligases, Leads to Recognition and Targeting of Substrates in Different Cellular Environments

Ubiquitin-ligases or E3s are components of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) that coordinate the transfer of ubiquitin to the target protein. A major class of ubiquitin-ligases consists of RING-finger domain proteins that include the substrate recognition sequences in the same polypeptide; these are known as single-subunit RING finger E3s. We are studying a particular family of RING finger E3s, named ATL, that contain a transmembrane domain and the RING-H2 finger domain; none of the member of the family contains any other previously described domain. Although the study of a few members in A. thaliana and O. sativa has been reported, the role of this family in the life cycle of a plant is still vague. To provide tools to advance on the functional analysis of this family we have undertaken a phylogenetic analysis of ATLs in twenty-four plant genomes. ATLs were found in all the 24 plant species analyzed, in numbers ranging from 20–28 in two basal species to 162 in soybean. Analysis of ATLs arrayed in tandem indicates that sets of genes are expanding in a species-specific manner. To get insights into the domain architecture of ATLs we generated 75 pHMM LOGOs from 1815 ATLs, and unraveled potential protein-protein interaction regions by means of yeast two-hybrid assays. Several ATLs were found to interact with DSK2a/ubiquilin through a region at the amino-terminal end, suggesting that this is a widespread interaction that may assist in the mode of action of ATLs; the region was traced to a distinct sequence LOGO. Our analysis provides significant observations on the evolution and expansion of the ATL family in addition to information on the domain structure of this class of ubiquitin-ligases that may be involved in plant adaptation to environmental stress

Arboviral Etiologies of Acute Febrile Illnesses in Western South America, 2000–2007

Over recent decades, the variety and quantity of diseases caused by viruses transmitted to humans by mosquitoes and other arthropods (also known as arboviruses) have increased around the world. One difficulty in studying these diseases is the fact that the symptoms are often non-descript, with patients reporting such symptoms as low-grade fever and headache. Our goal in this study was to use laboratory tests to determine the causes of such non-descript illnesses in sites in four countries in South America, focusing on arboviruses. We established a surveillance network in 13 locations in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay, where patient samples were collected and then sent to a central laboratory for testing. Between May 2000 and December 2007, blood serum samples were collected from more than 20,000 participants with fever, and recent arbovirus infection was detected for nearly one third of them. The most common viruses were dengue viruses (genera Flavivirus). We also detected infection by viruses from other genera, including Alphavirus and Orthobunyavirus. This data is important for understanding how such viruses might emerge as significant human pathogens