The microbial culture collections of the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and the new consortium towards the establishment of BRC-UFPE

The UFPE from Recife in Brazil hosts a bacterial (UFPEDA) and a fungal (URM) collections since 1951 and 1954, respectively. The UFPEDA was established by Prof. Oswaldo Gonçalves de Lima and is register in WDCM as 114. It is hosted at Antibiotic Department (DA) of UFPE and started out with 200 species mainly of the genus Streptomyces. Nowadays this collection holds 4000 strains of actinomycetes isolated from all the Brazilian places and from the International Streptomyces Project (ISP). The URM – University of Recife Mycology was established by Prof. Augusto Chaves Batista and is register in WDCM as 604. Actual it holds 9000 identified species including 1400 yeasts and 7600 filamentous fungi. All major fungal taxonomic groups are cover by this collection. The collections preserve each strain at least by two different techniques. Water and mineral oil storage were used for long operation time while freeze-drying and freezing at -80 ºC become the main techniques used at this stage. Special care is taken to test whether cultures recovered from preserved material conform to the original deposit. These collections have a range of services which are acceptance of free and confidential deposits, supply strains for academia, industry and services, support research and education (graduate and post-graduate students, as well as advanced training courses), identification services and confidential contracts (e.g. fungal medical diagnosis, starters for agro-industry companies, etc.). The OECD initiative related to guidance for the operation of Biological Resource Centres (BRC) is now a key reference for these collections. The right management of biological resources and their associate information including quality control are perused by these collections. The recent national projects, with reasonable budgets to support their activities, either on networking activities or requalification and management create a new breath and responsibilities to these collections. Taking advantage of good and well equipped premises of LIKA these collections are now open new avenues working in consortium to improve the quality control of their holdings using new tools from molecular biology and spectral analysis (MALDI-TOF) to achieve in the future a certified BRC for the UFPE microbial culture collections

Crescimento e desenvolvimento de plantas em solo de cerrado adicionado de pó de balão I. Altura, diâmetro e produção de biomassa de Eucalyptus urograndis.

Devido a grande produçãoo de residuo de siderurgia nao integrada a carvão vegetal, torna-se cada vez mais relevante o desenvolvimento de ferramentas que promovam o reaproveitamento e reinserção destes em diversos setores da economia. Dentre os coprodutos gerados neste processo produtivo, inclui-se o residuo sólido conhecido como pó do balao ou charcok. Neste estudo, propos-se avaliar o crescimento e desenvolvimento de plantas de eucalipto na presença de diferentes dosagens de balao. 0 experimento foi conduzido em viveiro telado, utilizando-se urn clone de plantas de eucalipto cultivadas em vasos, contendo 5 kg de solo, durante 60 dias. Foram testadas as doses equivalentes a 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 t h-1 para solos adubados e um tratamento adicional com 50 t h-1, em solo sem adubo. Os tratamentos foram dispostos em delineamento de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Como resultados, observou-se que houve diferença significativa entre os tratamentos para as variaveis massa seca da parte aerea e de raizes e diferença nao significativa para a relação raiz/parte aerea. Observou-se acrescimo de 58% para massa seca da parte aerea das plantas cultivadas com 50 t ha de pó de balao, em relação as plantas que cresceram na ausencia desse residuo. Concluiu-se que a aplicação de pó de balao no solo pode contribuir para ganhos no crescimento e desenvolvimento de plantas de eucalipto dependendo da dosagem aplicada

Distribuição da atividade da urease em agregados do solo de Cerrado sob diferentes sistemas de manejo.

Neste trabalho, avaliou-se o papel de classes de agregados sobre a ciclagem de N potencial no solo de cerrado sob diferentes ecossistemas, determinado através da atividade da urease.1 CD-ROM

Ferromagnetic Levan Composite: An Affinity Matrix to Purify Lectin

A simple and inexpensive procedure used magnetite and levan to synthesize a composite recovered by a magnetic field. Lectins from Canavalia ensiformis (Con A) and Cratylia mollis (Cramoll 1 and Cramoll 1, 4) did bind specifically to composite. The magnetic property of derivative favored washing out contaminating proteins and recovery of pure lectins with glucose elution. Cramoll 1 was purified by this affinity binding procedure in two steps instead of a previous three-step protocol with ammonium sulfate fractionation, affinity chromatography on Sephadex G-75, and ion exchange chromatography through a CM-cellulose column

Socio-Demographic Determinants of Condom Use Among Sexually Active Young Adults in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

AIM: To investigate patterns, levels and socio-demographic determinants of condom use and consistency of use among young adults aged 15-24 years.BACKGROUND: Condoms are known to prevent HIV infection. However, HIV prevalence and incidence remain high.METHODS: This study was conducted in the Africa Centre Demographic Surveillance Area (ACDSA) in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Analysis focused on resident young adults aged 15-24 years in 2005. In univariable and multivariable analyses, determinants of condom use and consistency of use among 15-24 year olds were estimated using data collected in 2005. 'Ever' condom use was defined as the proportion who reported having used a condom; consistent use among those ever using as "always" using condoms with most recent partner in the last year.RESULTS: 3,914 participants aged 15-24 years reported ever having sex, of whom 52% reported condom use. Adjusting for age, sex, number of partners, residence of partner, partner age difference, type of partner and socio-economic status (SES), having an older partner decreased likelihood (aOR=0.69, p<0.01), while belonging to a household in a higher SES increased likelihood of ever using condoms (aOR=1.82, p<0.01). Being female (aOR=0.61 p<0.01) and having a regular partner (aOR=0.65 p<0.01) were independently associated with low consistent condom use.CONCLUSIONS: In this rural South African setting, condom use remains low, especially among females and with an older partner, situations commonly associated with increased HIV acquisition. Targeted supportive interventions to increase condom use need to be developed if HIV prevention programmes are to be successful