Hidroquímica na Amazônia Central. II. Flutuações no fluxo de saída de nitrogênio e fósforo em dois ecossistemas na Amazônia ()

Waters analyses were done of four "igarapes", on which two of them are dryer a Campina\'s area in the Central Amazonia, third and fourth drying a "terra firme" of forest located along of the BR-174 Road. The study had been done during a whole year, in order to know the lost on a cycle of essencial nutrients by Campina ecosystem, in comparison with a "terra firme". The data permited to verify that there is a curve for each "igarapé", in a anual cycle, and that although the lost can be considerable, N and P are not limitant factors for the Campina ecosystem, because these elements are given by died organic matter (litter), droped on the soil from vegetables.Foram feitas análises de água de quatro igarapés, dos quais dois drenam uma área de campina na Amazônia Central, o terceiro e o quarto drenando "terra firme de floresta", situados ao longo da rodovia BR-174. O estudo foi feito durante um ano ininterrupto, com a finalidade de conhecer o fluxo de saída de nutrientes essenciais do ecossistema da campina em comparação com a floresta de terra firme. Os dados permitem verificar que existe uma curva para cada igarapé, em um ciclo anual, e que apesar das perdas N e P não constituem fatores limitantes para o ecossistema da campina visto que esses elementos são fornecidos pela manta orgânica morta, que é depositada no solo pelos vegetais, e também pela lixiviação de troncos e folhas e ainda pelas chuvas

Quadrupole Moment Measurements of TSD1 and TSD2 Bands in \u3csup\u3e167\u3c/sup\u3eLu

The triaxial strongly deformed (TSD) bands in 167Lu were populated by the 123Sb(48Ca, 4n) reaction with a beam energy of 203 MeV. Gamma rays, requiring fivefold or more in prompt coincidence, were detected with the Gammasphere spectrometer. Of particular interests are TSD bands 1 and 2 which have previously been interpreted as zero phonon and one phonon wobbling bands, respectively. Using the Doppler shift attenuation method (DSAM), a preliminary transition quadrupole moment of 6.9+0.3−0.3 eb was extracted for the TSD1 band. Data analysis continues for TSD2 which is considerably more weakly populated

Spectroscopy around 36^{36}Ca

Expérience GANILInternational audienceAn experiment was performed to study excited states in neutron-deficient nuclei around Ca. A one-neutron knockout reaction was used to produce $^{36}$Ca ions from a $^{37}$Ca secondary beam, and in-beam $\gamma$-rays were measured. The $2^+$ energy in $^{36}$Ca is compared to the mirror nucleus $^{36}$S to deduce information on the isospin dependence of the nuclear force near the proton drip line. The energy of the first excited $2^+$ state in $^{36}$Ca and the cross section for the 1-neutron knock-out reaction from $^{37}$Ca at $\sim$ 45 · AMeV were obtained. Furthermore, for two other $T_z$ = −2 nuclei, $^{28}$S and $^{32}$Ar, the de-excitation of the first $2^+$ state has been observed

Preliminary evaluation of the toxicity in water of the Tarumã, São Raimundo and Educandos basins

The Tarumã, São Raimundo and Educandos basins, and their tributaries, are impacted by antropic influence. This study tried to evaluate the water toxicity of the hydrographic basins, through acute toxicity bioassay using Daphnia similis as test-organism and physical and chemical analysis. The results showed that, of the three basins, the water from Tarumã caused the most deleterious effect on D. similis.As Bacias hidrográficas dos riosTarumã, São Raimundo e Educandos e seus afluentes estão sendo impactados, devido as influências antrópicas. Neste estudo foi realizada uma avaliação da toxicidade das águas destes ecossistemas, através de testes de toxicidade aguda com Daphnia similis e análises físico-químicas. Os resultados obtidos demostraram um maior efeito deletério sobre D. similis, nas amostras da microbacia Tarumã

Oral intake of Lactobacillus pentosus strain b240 accelerates salivary immunoglobulin A secretion in the elderly: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Immunoglobulin A (IgA) secretion in saliva decreases with age and may be the cause of increased vulnerability of the elderly to respiratory infections. The effect of oral intake of lactic acid bacteria on salivary secretory IgA (SIgA) in the elderly has not been reported. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the acceleration of salivary SIgA secretion by oral intake of <it>Lactobacillus pentosus </it>strain b240 (b240) in the elderly.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 80 healthy elderly individuals were randomly allocated to either an intervention (i.e., b240) or a control (i.e., placebo) group. The elderly individuals in the b240 group were given a sterile water beverage (125 mL) containing heat-killed b240 (4 × 10⁹cells), while those in the placebo group were given only a sterile water beverage (125 mL); both groups received their respective beverages once daily for 12 weeks. Saliva was collected before initiation of the study and every 2 weeks thereafter. Saliva flow rate and SIgA concentration were determined, and the SIgA secretion rate was calculated. The mean salivary SIgA secretion rate in the b240 group steadily increased until week 4 (exhibiting a 20% elevation relative to that at week 0), and then remained stable until week 12. Changes in SIgA secretion rate over the intervention period were significantly greater in the b240 group than in the placebo group. The treatment groups exhibited no significant differences in adverse events.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Oral intake of <it>L. pentosus </it>strain b240 for 12 weeks significantly accelerated salivary SIgA secretion, thereby indicating its potential utility in the improvement of mucosal immunity and resistance against infection in the elderly.</p

Methylobacterium Genome Sequences: A Reference Blueprint to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of C1 Compounds from Natural and Industrial Sources

Methylotrophy describes the ability of organisms to grow on reduced organic compounds without carbon-carbon bonds. The genomes of two pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacteria of the Alpha-proteobacterial genus Methylobacterium, the reference species Methylobacterium extorquens strain AM1 and the dichloromethane-degrading strain DM4, were compared. Methodology/Principal Findings The 6.88 Mb genome of strain AM1 comprises a 5.51 Mb chromosome, a 1.26 Mb megaplasmid and three plasmids, while the 6.12 Mb genome of strain DM4 features a 5.94 Mb chromosome and two plasmids. The chromosomes are highly syntenic and share a large majority of genes, while plasmids are mostly strain-specific, with the exception of a 130 kb region of the strain AM1 megaplasmid which is syntenic to a chromosomal region of strain DM4. Both genomes contain large sets of insertion elements, many of them strain-specific, suggesting an important potential for genomic plasticity. Most of the genomic determinants associated with methylotrophy are nearly identical, with two exceptions that illustrate the metabolic and genomic versatility of Methylobacterium. A 126 kb dichloromethane utilization (dcm) gene cluster is essential for the ability of strain DM4 to use DCM as the sole carbon and energy source for growth and is unique to strain DM4. The methylamine utilization (mau) gene cluster is only found in strain AM1, indicating that strain DM4 employs an alternative system for growth with methylamine. The dcm and mau clusters represent two of the chromosomal genomic islands (AM1: 28; DM4: 17) that were defined. The mau cluster is flanked by mobile elements, but the dcm cluster disrupts a gene annotated as chelatase and for which we propose the name “island integration determinant” (iid).Conclusion/Significance These two genome sequences provide a platform for intra- and interspecies genomic comparisons in the genus Methylobacterium, and for investigations of the adaptive mechanisms which allow bacterial lineages to acquire methylotrophic lifestyles.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

June 2013, Five Years Later: Polarization, Reconfiguration of Activism, and Challenges for the Brazilian Left

In this chapter we argue that the massive protests of June 2013 produced a social opening in Brazil. New spaces and actors emerged on the left and on the right. They have fostered a more conflictive public arena and have challenged the codes, actors and actions that had dominated the social and political scenario since the transition to democracy in the 1970s and 1980s. Although they have different, and mostly opposed, visions of the Brazilian society and projects for its future, the individual and collective actors that have emerged on the left and on the right of the political spectrum since 2013 are products of the same sociopolitical opening. They adopt forms of action and organization proper of the wave of movements seen in Brazil and the world in the 2010s. Among the features of this form of activism are its ability of swift emergence, wide media coverage and strong subjective and expressive dimensions