244 research outputs found
Performance of outdoor seawater treatment systems for recirculation in an intensive turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) farm
Water treatment systems are mandatory in recirculating aquaculture facilities facing existing regulations, but data on system efficiency, especially for marine species, are scarce. The present work aimed at contributing to the evaluation of the effluent characteristics and the performance of a combined outdoor biological and non-biological treatment system in an intensive turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) farm, operating under different hydraulic regimes. A preliminary study on the biofilter bacterial populations
was also undertaken. Changes in effluent characteristics with pumping, season of the year and fish biomass were observed. The treatment system showed performance instability under the conditions assayed (outdoors, changeable recycle rates). Maximum removal of solids was observed in winter, with microscreen or biological filtration (up to 60%) and nitrite removal (40–98%) was achieved with ozonation.
Reduction in ammonium levels was higher in summer, either mechanically (74%) or biologically (33%). Phosphate removal was higher in winter with both systems (37 and 60%, respectively). Compliance with Portuguese discharge standards was achieved. For improvements in the treatment loop, further studies on biofilter bacteria under outdoor conditions are needed, and biological denitrification is encouraged
Expression of a hantavirus N protein and its efficacy as antigen in immune assays
Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) has been recognized as an important public heath problem. Five hantaviruses associated with HCPS are currently known in Brazil: Juquitiba, Araraquara, Laguna Negra-like, Castelo dos Sonhos, and Anajatuba viruses. The laboratory diagnosis of HCPS is routinely carried out by the detection of anti-hantavirus IgM and/or IgG antibodies. The present study describes the expression of the N protein of a hantavirus detected in the blood sample of an HCPS patient. The entire S segment of the virus was amplified and found to be 1858 nucleotides long, with an open reading frame of 1287 nucleotides that encodes a protein of 429 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence described here showed a high identity with the N protein gene of Araraquara virus. The entire N protein was expressed using the vector pET200D and the Escherichia coli BL21 strain. The expression of the recombinant protein was confirmed by the detection of a 52-kDa protein by Western blot using a pool of human sera obtained from HCPS patients, and by specific IgG detection in five serum samples of HCPS patients tested by ELISA. These results suggest that the recombinant N protein could be used as an antigen for the serological screening of hantavirus infection.FAPES
New In Vitro studies on the bioprofile of Genista tenera antihyperglycemic extract
The inhibition of a-glucosidase and glucose-6-phosphatase, two enzymes involved in the carbohydrate metabolism, is an important target to control glycaemia on individuals with type 2 diabetes. In this work we report for the first
time the inhibition of both enzymes by the antihyperglycemic n-butanol extract from Genista tenera (Fabaceae). This
extract decreased a-glucosidase and glucose-6-phosphatase activities to 0.97 and 80.25 %, respectively, being more
effective than acarbose, and phlorizin, the positive controls, which reduced enzymes activities only to 17.39 and 96.06 %.
Once inflammation and oxidative stress are related to diabetic impairments, the anti-inflammatory activity of the extract
was also evaluated, through its inhibitory activity over COX-1 enzyme (47.5 % inhibition). Moreover, after induction of
oxidative stress by UV radiation, the viability of irradiated rat liver hepatoma cells exposed to the extract was significantly
higher (67.82 %) than that promoted by ascorbic acid, the positive control (45.05 %). In addition, the stability of the
extract under gastrointestinal conditions was evaluated by HPLC–DAD-ESI–MS/MS. Flavonoid diglycosides were
identified as the main constituents of the extract, and no alterations in the chemical composition nor in the antioxidant
activity were observed after in vitro digestion with artificial gastric and pancreatic juices.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia e Comissão Europeiainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Charging Effects and Quantum Crossover in Granular Superconductors
The effects of the charging energy in the superconducting transition of
granular materials or Josephson junction arrays is investigated using a
pseudospin one model. Within a mean-field renormalization-group approach, we
obtain the phase diagram as a function of temperature and charging energy. In
contrast to early treatments, we find no sign of a reentrant transition in
agreement with more recent studies. A crossover line is identified in the
non-superconducting side of the phase diagram and along which we expect to
observe anomalies in the transport and thermodynamic properties. We also study
a charge ordering phase, which can appear for large nearest neighbor Coulomb
interaction, and show that it leads to first-order transitions at low
temperatures. We argue that, in the presence of charge ordering, a non
monotonic behavior with decreasing temperature is possible with a maximum in
the resistance just before entering the superconducting phase.Comment: 15 pages plus 4 fig. appended, Revtex, INPE/LAS-00
Comment on "Critique of q-entropy for thermal statistics" by M. Nauenberg
It was recently published by M. Nauenberg [1] a quite long list of objections
about the physical validity for thermal statistics of the theory sometimes
referred to in the literature as {\it nonextensive statistical mechanics}. This
generalization of Boltzmann-Gibbs (BG) statistical mechanics is based on the
following expression for the entropy:
S_q= k\frac{1- \sum_{i=1}^Wp_i^q}{q-1} (q \in {\cal R}; S_1=S_{BG} \equiv
-k\sum_{i=1}^W p_i \ln p_i) .
The author of [1] already presented orally the essence of his arguments in
1993 during a scientific meeting in Buenos Aires. I am replying now
simultaneously to the just cited paper, as well as to the 1993 objections
(essentially, the violation of "fundamental thermodynamic concepts", as stated
in the Abstract of [1]).Comment: 7 pages including 2 figures. This is a reply to M. Nauenberg, Phys.
Rev. E 67, 036114 (2003
Classical Infinite-Range-Interaction Heisenberg Ferromagnetic Model: Metastability and Sensitivity to Initial Conditions
A N-sized inertial classical Heisenberg ferromagnet, which consists in a
modification of the well-known standard model, where the spins are replaced by
classical rotators, is studied in the limit of infinite-range interactions. The
usual canonical-ensemble mean-field solution of the inertial classical
-vector ferromagnet (for which recovers the particular Heisenberg
model considered herein) is briefly reviewed, showing the well-known
second-order phase transition. This Heisenberg model is studied numerically
within the microcanonical ensemble, through molecular dynamics.Comment: 18 pages text, and 7 EPS figure
Nonextensivity of the cyclic Lattice Lotka Volterra model
We numerically show that the Lattice Lotka-Volterra model, when realized on a
square lattice support, gives rise to a {\it finite} production, per unit time,
of the nonextensive entropy . This finiteness only occurs for for the growth mode
(growing droplet), and for for the one (growing stripe). This
strong evidence of nonextensivity is consistent with the spontaneous emergence
of local domains of identical particles with fractal boundaries and competing
interactions. Such direct evidence is for the first time exhibited for a
many-body system which, at the mean field level, is conservative.Comment: Latex, 6 pages, 5 figure
Efficacy of direct current generated by multiple-electrode arrays on F3II mammary carcinoma: experiment and mathematical modeling
BACKGROUND: The modified Gompertz equation has been proposed to fit experimental data for direct current treated tumors when multiple-straight needle electrodes are individually inserted into the base perpendicular to the tumor long axis. The aim of this work is to evaluate the efficacy of direct current generated by multiple-electrode arrays on F3II mammary carcinoma that grow in the male and female BALB/c/Cenp mice, when multiple-straight needle electrodes and multiple-pairs of electrodes are inserted in the tumor. METHODS: A longitudinal and retrospective preclinical study was carried out. Male and female BALB/c/Cenp mice, the modified Gompertz equation, intensities (2, 6 and 10 mA) and exposure times (10 and 20 min) of direct current, and three geometries of multiple-electrodes (one formed by collinear electrodes and two by pair-electrodes) were used. Tumor volume and mice weight were measured. In addition, the mean tumor doubling time, tumor regression percentage, tumor growth delay, direct current overall effectiveness and mice survival were calculated. RESULTS: The greatest growth retardation, mean doubling time, regression percentage and growth delay of the primary F3II mammary carcinoma in male and female mice were observed when the geometry of multiple-pairs of electrodes was arranged in the tumor at 45, 135, 225 and 325o and the longest exposure time. In addition, highest direct current overall effectiveness (above 66%) was observed for this EChT scheme. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that electrochemical therapy may be potentially addressed to highly aggressive and metastic primary F3II murine mammary carcinoma and the modified Gompertz equation may be used to fit data of this direct current treated carcinoma. Additionally, electrochemical therapy effectiveness depends on the exposure time, geometry of multiple-electrodes and ratio between the direct current intensity applied and the polarization current induced in the tumor
Energy and protein requirements of 3/4 Zebu × 1/4 Holstein crossbreds fed different calcium and phosphorus levels in the diet
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