Reductive decolorization of the azo dye RR2 in the absence and presence of redox mediator and the electrons acceptor nitrate

This paper aimed at evaluating the effect of nitrate on anaerobic azo dye reduction by using mesophilic bioreactors, in the absence and in the presence of redox mediators. Two anaerobic bioreactors were operated in parallel with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of ten hours; ethanol was used as co-substrate. The results showed that the bioreactors were efficient on dye reduction, and the ethanol showed to be a good electron donor to sustain it. The redox mediator AQDS increased the rates of reductive decolourisation, but its effect was not so remarkable compared to the previous experiments conducted. Contrary to the raised hypothesis that nitrate addition could decrease the colour removal efficiency and catalytic properties of the redox mediators, no effect of nitrate was observed in the bioreactor

Comportamento de variedades de arroz de sequeiro em diferentes populações de plantas, com e sem irrigação suplementar

Four experiments were carried out in a cerrado soil to study the effect of row spacing and seed density on rice (Oryza sativa) yield and some byometric characteristics, with and without supplemental sprinkler irrigation. Two experiments used the Araguaia variety and the other two, the Guarani variety. Irrigation enhanced in 90 and 35% the yield of the varieties Araguaia and Guarani, respectively. Irrigation significantly affected biometric characteristics. The highest yield of Guarani v. was obtained with 30 cm row spacing and density of 130 seeds per m², and its harvest index (HI) was linearly and positively correlated with grain yield. The highest yield of Araguaia v. was obtained with 40 cm spacing, independently of the density and presence of irrigation. The variety Guarani showed to be more competitive than the Araguaia, having smaller HI and its grain yield being more affected by plant population.Visando determinar os efeitos do espaçamento entre linhas (30, 40 e 50 cm) e da densidade de semeadura (50, 100 e 150 sementes/m²) sobre o rendimento de grãos e algumas características biométricas de duas variedades de arroz (Oryza sativa L.), com e sem irrigação suplementar, foram conduzidos quatro experimentos em solo de cerrado, sendo dois com a variedade Araguaia e os outros com a 'Guarani'. A irrigação propiciou incremento de 90 e 35% no rendimento de grãos das v. Araguaia e Guarani, respectivamente, influenciando significativamente todas as características biométricas estudadas. A v. Guarani apresentou maior produção de grãos no menor espaçamento e na densidade de 130 sementes por m², e o seu índice de colheita (IC) foi correlacionado linear e positivamente com o rendimento de grãos. Na v. Araguaia, o maior rendimento de grãos foi observado no espaçamento de 40 cm, independente da irrigação e da densidade de semeadura. A 'Guarani' mostrou ser uma variedade mais competitiva que a 'Araguaia', apresentando menor IC e maior influência da densidade de semeadura, sobre o rendimento de grãos

Polinização de pepino, Cucumis sativus L. (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae), pelas abelhas sem ferrão Scaptotrigona aff. depilis moure e Nannotrigona testaceicornis lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) em casas de vegetação

When for a successful fruit development the fertilization of flowers is necessary, bees can be used as crop-pollinators in greenhouses. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of the stingless bees Scaptotrigona aff. depilis Moure and Nannotrigona testaceicornis Lepeletier as pollinators of cucumber plants (Cucumus sativus var. caipira) in greenhouses during the Brazilian winter season. The study was conducted in four greenhouses (GH), of which two greenhouses contained bee colonies to ascertain pollination of the cucumber plants (GH I, with S. aff. depilis, GH II, with N. testaceicornis), whereas the other two greenhouses (GH III, GH IV) had no bee colonies and served as control groups. Furthermore, we planted cucumbers in an open field plot (OA) where pollination by any/various visiting insects could occur. Each of the experimental areas measured 87.5 m². Without pollination (GH III, GH IV), the plants produced a low number of cucumbers, and the fruits were smaller and less heavy than in those experimental areas where pollination occurred. In the open field area, not protected against unfavorable climatic conditions, the plants produced fewer flowers than the plants in the greenhouses. The highest cucumber yield (with the highest amount of perfect fruits) was found in those greenhouses which housed the stingless bees as pollinators (GH I, GH II). Our results demonstrate that stingless bees can be successfully and efficiently used as pollinators of greenhouse cucumbers during the winter season.Quando a fertilização de flores é necessária para o desenvolvimento de frutos, abelhas podem ser utilizadas como polinizadores sob cultivo protegido. No presente estudo, a efetividade das abelhas sem ferrão Scaptotrigona aff. depilis Moure e Nannotrigona testaceicornis Lepeletier como polinizadoras de pepino (Cucumis sativus var. caipira) foi investigada sob cultivo protegido durante o inverno. O estudo foi conduzido em quatro casas de vegetação (GH), das quais duas continham colônias de abelhas para averiguar a polinização dos pepinos (GH I, com S. aff. depilis, GH II, com N. testaceicornis), e duas (GH III, GH IV) não continham colônias e serviram como grupos controle. Além disso, pepinos foram plantados numa área aberta (AO) onde polinização por vários insetos poderia ocorrer. Sem polinização (GH III, GH IV), as plantas produziram menor número de pepinos, e os frutos eram menores e menos pesados do que aqueles nas áreas experimentais onde a polinizacão ocorreu. Na área aberta, não protegida contra condições climáticas desfavoráveis, as plantas produziram menos flores do que as plantas nas casas de vegetação. A maior produção de pepinos (com a maior quantidade de frutos perfeitos) foi encontrada nas casas de vegetação com as abelhas como polinizadoras (GH I, GH II). Os resultados demonstraram que abelhas sem ferrão podem ser usadas com sucesso e eficiência como polinizadoras de pepinos sob cultivo protegido durante o inverno.FAPESPCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)CNP

Automatic Counting of Aedes aegypti Eggs in Images of Ovitraps

Non

Metabolic oscillations on the circadian time scale in <i>Drosophila</i> cells lacking clock genes.

Circadian rhythms are cell-autonomous biological oscillations with a period of about 24 h. Current models propose that transcriptional feedback loops are the primary mechanism for the generation of circadian oscillations. Within this framework, &lt;i&gt;Drosophila&lt;/i&gt; S2 cells are regarded as "non-rhythmic" cells, as they do not express several canonical circadian components. Using an unbiased multi-omics approach, we made the surprising discovery that &lt;i&gt;Drosophila&lt;/i&gt; S2 cells do in fact display widespread daily rhythms. Transcriptomics and proteomics analyses revealed that hundreds of genes and their products, and in particular metabolic enzymes, are rhythmically expressed in a 24-h cycle. Metabolomics analyses extended these findings and demonstrate that central carbon metabolism and amino acid metabolism are core metabolic pathways driven by protein rhythms. We thus demonstrate that 24-h metabolic oscillations, coupled to gene and protein cycles, take place in nucleated cells without the contribution of any known circadian regulators. These results therefore suggest a reconsideration of existing models of the clockwork in &lt;i&gt;Drosophila&lt;/i&gt; and other eukaryotic systems

Cofactors revisited - Predicting the impact of flavoprotein-related diseases on a genome scale

Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and its precursor flavin mononucleotide (FMN) are redox cofactors that are required for the activity of more than hundred human enzymes. Mutations in the genes encoding these proteins cause severe phenotypes, including a lack of energy supply and accumulation of toxic intermediates. Ideally, patients should be diagnosed before they show symptoms so that treatment and/or preventive care can start immediately. This can be achieved by standardized newborn screening tests. However, many of the flavin-related diseases lack appropriate biomarker profiles. Genome-scale metabolic models can aid in biomarker research by predicting altered profiles of potential biomarkers. Unfortunately, current models, including the most recent human metabolic reconstructions Recon and HMR, typically treat enzyme-bound flavins incorrectly as free metabolites. This in turn leads to artificial degrees of freedom in pathways that are strictly coupled. Here, we present a reconstruction of human metabolism with a curated and extended flavoproteome. To illustrate the functional consequences, we show that simulations with the curated model - unlike simulations with earlier Recon versions - correctly predict the metabolic impact of multiple-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase deficiency as well as of systemic flavin-depletion. Moreover, simulations with the new model allowed us to identify a larger number of biomarkers in flavoproteome-related diseases, without loss of accuracy. We conclude that adequate inclusion of cofactors in constraint-based modelling contributes to higher precision in computational predictions.FWN – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide

Inelastic Scattering Time for Conductance Fluctuations

We revisit the problem of inelastic times governing the temperature behavior of the weak localization correction and mesoscopic fluctuations in one- and two-dimensional systems. It is shown that, for dephasing by the electron electron interaction, not only are those times identical but the scaling functions are also the same.Comment: 10 pages Revtex; 5 eps files include