Optimization of peptide nucleic acid fluorescence in situ hybridization (PNA-FISH) method for the detection of bacteria: the effect of pH, dextran sulfate and probe concentration

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) appeared in the 1980’s and is nowadays widely used in the field of microbiology. FISH is affected by a wide variety of abiotic and biotic variables and their interplay. This is translated into a wide variability of FISH procedures that can be found in the literature. The aim of this work is to study the effects of pH, probe and dextran sulphate concentration in the FISH protocol. For this, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize FISH protocol for gram-negative (E. coli and P. fluorescens) and gram-positive bacteria (L. innocua, S. epidermidis and B. cereus), for these 3 parameters. The obtained results show a clear distinction between the two groups: higher pH (>9) combined with lower dextran sulphate concentration (7% [w/v]), for Gram-positive bacteria. The optimal probe concentration was the same for both groups (300 nM). These results seem to result from an interplay of pH and dextran sulphate ability to influence the probe concentration and migration inside the bacteria

Special issue: Innovations in farming systems approaches: Introduction

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Concentraciones de nutrientes en aguas costeras: impacto del Río Guadiana

Water samples were collected over an area of 900 km(2) adjacent to the outflow of the Guadiana River in January 1999 to characterize the concentrations and spatial distribution of nutrients (ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicate) in the water column. The purpose of the study was to characterize a winter situation of low discharge in terms of nutrient concentrations in the coastal area adjacent to the Guadiana outflow, before the reduction of the river flow due to the completion of the Alqueva Dam. The results show that the maximum influence of the Guadiana outflow was close to the mouth of the Guadiana River, where the highest nutrient concentrations and the minimum of salinity were registered. At the surface, the nutrient concentrations decreased gradually as the distance from the coast increased. The influence of the Guadiana outflow at the surface, despite being small, was evident in the area of about 90 km(2) that extends westwards from the mouth of the river. In this area, the increase in N compounds was more significant than in P and Si. The vertical influence of the outflow of the Guadiana River, until over the isobath lower than 30 m, was reflected in nutrient concentrations that decreased with the increase in depth. However, when the depth of the water column was greater than 30 m, the nutrient concentrations increased with the increase in depth. It is expected that with the completion of the Alqueva Dam, the outflow of the Guadiana River will be reduced even further. Nutrient concentrations will also be reduced and the influence of the river in the coastal zone will be even smaller. This could have a negative impact on the nutrient biogeochemical cycles and on the overall productivity of the area.En un área de 900 km2 alrededor de la desembocadura del Río Guadiana se recolectaron muestras de agua para caracterizar las concentraciones y distribución espacial de nutrientes (amonio, nitritos, nitratos, fosfatos y silicatos) en la columna de agua. El propósito de este estudio fue caracterizar la condición invernal de pocas descargas, en términos de concentración de nutrientes en el área costera adyacente a la desembocadura del Guadiana, antes de que el flujo del río se vea reducido por la conclusión de la Presa Alqueva. Los resultados indican que la mayor influencia de la descarga del Guadiana se observó cerca de la boca del río, donde se registraron las mayores concentraciones de nutrientes y la salinidad más baja. En superficie, las concentraciones de nutrientes disminuyeron gradualmente con el aumento de la distancia a la costa. La influencia de la descarga del Guadiana en superficie, aunque pequeña, fue evidente en el área de ~90 km2 que se extiende de la boca del río hacia el oeste. En esta área el incremento de compuestos de N fue más significativo que el de los de P y Si. La influencia vertical de la descarga del Río Guadiana, hasta por encima de la isóbata < 30 m se reflejó en las concentraciones de nutrientes que disminuyeron conforme aumentaba la profundidad. Sin embargo, cuando la profundidad de la columna de agua era > 30 m las concentraciones de nutrientes aumentaron con la profundidad. Es de esperar que con la terminación de la Presa Alqueva la descarga del río se vea aún más disminuida. Las concentraciones también se verán reducidas y la influencia del río en la zona costera será aún menor. Esto podría tener un impacto negativo en los ciclos biogeoquímicos de nutrientes y en la productividad global del área.proyecto SIRIA, financiado conjuntamente entre el Ministerio de Defensa y la Fundación de las Universidades de Portugal, en el marco del Programa Medio Ambiente y Defensainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Traumatic experiences in a lifetime: impact on the connection with others and the role of emotions

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Alcoóis lineares em solos arqueológicos da Amazônia.

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Developments in preparation and dyeing of CORONA discharged cellulosic materials

The preparation and dyeing of cellulosic fabrics hás important problems such as uniformity of aspect, cleaning efficiency, level of bleaching, conformity and fastness of colours, and ecological impact. Combination of preparation processes can give optimal solutions, regarding economy and ecology, especially if superior quality items are achieved in final products. In fact, high standards concerning whiteness, starch removal and hidrophilicity are considered a good basis for leveled, cleaner and intense dyeing. A better white basis, escellent hidrophilicity and enough removal of impurities are obtained if desizing is omitted and a CORONA discharge is made over dry grey material. Exhaustion dyeings with different classes of direct dyes show similar behavior concerning the positive influence of the discharge in the intensity of colours and their fastness. Good penetration of dyes in coronised cotton materials is assured and consequently a good fastness is abtained

A Clinico-epidemiological Study Of Bites By Spiders Of The Genus Phoneutrla

From January, 1984 to December, 1996, 422 patients (ages 9 m-99 y, median 29 y) were admitted after being bitten by spiders which were brought and identified as Phoneutria spp. Most of the bites occurred at March and April months (29.2%), in the houses (54.5%), during the day (76.5%), and in the limbs (feet 40.9%, hands 34.3%). Upon hospital admission, most patients presented only local complaints, mainly pain (92.1%) and edema (33.1%) and were classified as presenting mild (89.8%), moderate (8.5%) and severe (0.5%) envenomation. Few patients (1.2%) did not present signs of envenomation. Severe accidents were only confirmed in two children (9 m, 3 y). Both developed acute pulmonary edema, and the older died 9 h after the accident. Patients more than 70 yearold had a significantly greater (p<0.05) frequency of moderate envenomations compared to the 10-70-year-old individuals. Proceedings to relief local pain were frequently performed (local anesthesia alone 32.0%, local anesthesia plus analgesics 20.6% and oral analgesics alone 25.1%). Only 2.3% of the patients (two cases classified as severe and eight as noderate, eight of them in children) were treated with i.v. antiarachnid antivenom. No antivenom early reaction was observed. In conclusion, accidents involving the genus Phoneutria are common in the region of Campinas, with the highest risk groups being children under 10 years of age and adults over 70 years of age. Cases of serious envenomation are rare (0.5%).4211721Antunes, E., Marangoni, R.A., Brain, S.D., De Nucci, G., Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom induces increased vascular permeability in rat and rabbit skin in vivo (1992) Toxlcon, 30, pp. 1011-1016Antunes, E., Marangoni, R.A., Borges, N.C.C.T., Effects of Phoneutria nigriventer venom on rabbit vascular smooth muscle (1993) Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 26, pp. 81-91Bucaretchi, F.-., (1990) Análise das Principais Diferenças Clinicas e Epidemiológicas Dos Acidentes Por Escorplões Das Espécies Tityus Serrulatus e Tityus Bahiensis, e Por Aranhas do Gẽnero Phoneutria, Atendidos no CCI-HC-UNICAMP, no Período de Janeiro de 1984 a Julho de 1988, , Campinas, Dissertação de Mestrado -Faculdade de Ciẽncias Médicas da Universidade Estadual de CampinasBucaretchi, F., Acidentes por Phoneutria (1992) Plantas Venenosas e Animals Peçonhentos, pp. 196-201. , SCHVARTSMAN, S., ed. Sãu Paulo, SarvierBucaretchi, F., Collares, E.F., Effect of Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom on gastric emptying in rats (1996) Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 29, pp. 205-211Bücherl, W., A "armadeira": A aranha mais perigosa do mundo! (1985) Acúleos Que Matam, pp. 35-45. , BÜCHERL. W., ed. Rio De Janeiro. KosmosCosta, S.K.P., Moreno, J.R.H., Brain, S.D., The effect of Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom on arterial blood pressure of anaesthetised rats (1996) Europ. J. Pharmacol., 298, pp. 113-120Cruz-Hofling, M.A., Love, S., Brook, G., Duchen, L.W., Effects of Phoneutria nigriveter spider venom on mouse peripheral nerve (1985) Quart. J, Exp. Physlol., 70, pp. 623-640Fontana, M.D., Vital-Brazil, O., Mode of action of Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom at the isolated phrenic nerve-diaphragm of the rat (1985) Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 18, pp. 557-565Lopes-Martins, R.A.B., Antune, S.E., Oliva, M.L.V., Pharmacological characterization of rabbit corpus cavernosum relaxation mediated by the tissue kallikrein-kinin system (1994) Brit. J. Pharmacol., 113, pp. 81-86Lucas, M.S., Spiders in Brazil (1988) Toxicon, 26, pp. 759-772Marangoni, R.A., Antunes, E., Brain, S.D., De-Nucci, G., Activation by Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom of the tissue kallikrein-kininogen-kinin system in rabbit skin in viva (1993) Brit. J. Pharmacol., 109, pp. 539-543Acidentes por Phoneutria (1998) Manual de Diagnóstico e Tratamento de Acidentes Por Animals Peçonhentos, pp. 54-56. , Brasflia, Ministério da Saúde/Fundação Nacional da SaúdeAraneísmo (1998) Manual de Diagnóstico e Tratamento de Acidentes Por Animals Peçonhentos, pp. 49-53. , Brasfia, Ministério da Saúde/Fundação Nacional da SaúdeRamos, E.F., Almeida, C.E., Gouvêa, E., Carmo-Silva, M., Considernções sobre a atividade de locomoção, preferência por ecótopos e aspectos territoriais de phoneutria nigriventer (Keiserling, 1891) (1998) Rev. Bras. Biol., 58, pp. 71-78. , Aranae. CtenidaeRego, E., Bento, A.C., Lopes-Martins, A.B., Isolation and partial characterization of a polypeptide from Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom that relaxes rabbit corpus cavernosum in vitro (1996) Toxicon, 34, pp. 1141-1147Rosenfeld, G., Animais peçonhentos e tóxicos do Brasil (1972) Introdução à Geografia Médica do Brasil, pp. 430-475. , LACAZ. C.S.: BARUZZI, R.G. & SIQUEIRA Jr., W., ed. São Paulo, EDUSPVellard, J., Les araignées vraies. Les ctènes (1936) Le Venin des Araignèes. Monographies de L'institut Pasteur, pp. 169-184. , VELLARD, J., ed. Paris. MassonVital-Brazil, Vellard, J., Contribuição ao estudo do veneno das aranhas. II. Mem. Inst (1926) Butantan, 2, pp. 3-77Vital-Brazil, O., Bernardo-Leite, G.B., Fontana, M., Modo de ação da peçonha da aranha armadeira, phoneutria nigriventer (Keiserling, 1891), nas aurífculas isoladas de cobain (1988) Ciênc. Cult., 40, pp. 181-18

Quality improvement and shortcut of preparation of CORONA discharged cotton fabrics

Textile industry has an important impact in world economy and consequently on environmental quality of life. Textile processing uses huge amount of water, chemicals and energy and it is quite easy to conclude about the enormous meaning of pollution control and rationalization of energetic demands. CORONA treatment in the wet processing of cotton textile materials has a great potential concerning the improvement of all the operations included in it, namely in preparation, dyeing, printing or final finishing. Physical and chemical surface changes in cotton structure are noticed after CORONA discharge. The increase in oxidation potential and the creation of channels through cuticle are referred as responsible for the variation in cotton properties after plasmatic discharge, specially concerning absorption of water and treatment baths. Advantages as the use of less chemicals, namely alkalis, oxidants and other auxiliaries, the reduction of times and temperatures, less damages in the materials surely can have a strong impact in economical and ecological aspects of the process. Complete hidrophilization of cellulosic materials renders very easy the access of baths and consequently conditions to more efficient operations are found. Bleaching processes aim to give textile materials the adequate whiteness degree, the removal of sizing agents, the increase of hidrophility and cleaning by extraction of seeds, husks and waxes. The use of hydrogen peroxide in alkaline medium is a flexible and more ecological process when compared with methods based in chlorinated compounds. The present work concerns the study of half bleaching process when this operation is preceded by a CORONA discharge made on dry grey fabrics. The influence in the whiteness degree, hidrophility, starch removal and uniformity of properties of the cellulosic material after preparation is studied