BRAZILIAN ARCHIVES OF BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY A N I N T E R N A T I O N A L J O U R N A L Influence of Static Magnetic Fields on S. cerevisae Biomass Growth

ABSTRACT Biomass growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DAUFPE-1012 was studied in eight batch fermentations exposed to steady magnetic fields (SMF) running at 23ºC (± 1ºC), for 24 h in a double cylindrical tube reactor with synchronic agitation. For every batch, one tube was exposed to 220mT flow intensity SMF, produced by NdFeB rod magnets attached diametrically opposed (N to S) magnets on one tube. In the other tube, without magnets, the fermentation occurred in the same conditions. The biomass growth in culture (yeast extract + glucose 2%) was monitored by spectrometry to obtain the absorbance and later, the corresponding cell dry weight. The culture glucose concentration was monitored every two hours so as the pH, which was maintained between 4 and 5. As a result, the biomass (g/L) increment was 2.5 times greater in magnetized cultures (n=8) as compared with SMF non-exposed cultures (n=8). The differential (SMF-control) biomass growth rate (135%) was slightly higher than the glucose consumption rate (130 %) leading to increased biomass production of the magnetized cell

Evaluation of the adsorption process of remazol black b dye in liquid effluents by green coconut mesocarp

The textile industry is economically important for the development of Brazil. However, the generated effluents from this activity present a complex molecular structure that gives a recalcitrant characteristic in its residuary waters. Due to this reality, it is necessary to develop viable technologies that remove those compounds, which are mostly dyes. In this study, the green coconut mesocarp was used to remove Remazol Black B dye of an aqueous solution using the adsorption technique. To perform the experiments, the green coconut mesocarp was dried at 60ºC, ground in a grinding mill, sifted, washed with distilled water and immersed in albumin for 24 hours. The process of adsorption was optimized in a batch mode, containing 0.5 g of adsorbent and 25 mL of synthetic solution of 10 mg L -1, at 30ºC, pH 4.0, stirring speed of 700 rpm, and granulometry G ￡ 0.149 mm. Afterwards, the influence of the pH of the solution, adsorbent granulometry and stirring speed were evaluated by means of factorial planning. Experiments of equilibrium and kinetics of adsorption were conducted in Erlenmeyer. Results indicated that among the main effects, the pH and the adsorbent granulometry significantly influenced the process of adsorption. Besides, the adsorption equilibrium was reached in 60 minutes of contact. The Langmuir model was adjusted to experimental results (R 2=0.9953) being obtained a maximum capacity of adsorptionof 2.93 mgg-1 and equilibrium constant of 0.26 Lmg-1. With the obtained results it could be concluded that the green coconut mesocarp could be a viable alternative for the treatment of textile effluents

Computational procedure to an accurate DFT simulation to solid state systems

The density functional theory has become increasingly common as a methodology to explain the properties of crystalline materials because of the improvement in computational infrastructure and software development to perform such computational simulations. Although several studies have shown that the characteristics of certain classes of materials can be represented with great precision, it is still necessary to improve the methods and strategies in order to achieve more realistic computational modeling. In the present work, strategies are reported in a systematic way for the accurate representation of crystalline systems. The crystalline compound chosen for the study as a case test was BaMoO4, both because of its potential technological application and because of the low accuracy of the simulations previously reported in the literature. The computational models were carried out with the B3LYP and WC1LYP functionals selected from an initial set containing eight hybrid functionals in conjunction with an all-electron basis set. Two different strategies were applied for improving the description of the initial models, both involving atomic basis set optimization and Hartree-Fock exchange percentage adjustment. The results obtained with the two strategies show a precision of structural parameters, band gap energy, and vibrational properties never before presented in theoretical studies of BaMoO4. Finally, a flowchart of good calculation practices is elaborated. This can be of great value for the organization and conduction of calculations in new research

Biochemical and thermodynamic characteristics of a new serine protease from Mucor subtilissimus URM 4133

A protease from the fungus Mucor subtilissimus URM 4133, capable of producing bioactive peptides from goat casein, was purified. SDS-PAGE and zymography showed a molecular mass of 30 kDa. The enzyme was active and stable in a wide pH range (6.0–10.5) and (5.0–10.5), respectively. Optimum temperature was at 45–50 °C and stability was above 80 % (40 °C/2 h). Activity was not influenced by ions or organic substances (Triton, Tween, SDS and DMSO), but was completely inhibited by PMSF, suggesting that it belongs to the serine protease family. The Km and Vmax were 2.35 mg azocasein.mL-1 and 333.33 U.mg protein-1, respectively. Thermodynamic parameters of irreversible denaturation (40–60 °C) were enthalpy 123.63 – 123.46 kJ.mol-1, entropy 120.24–122.28 kJ.mol-1 and Gibbs free energy 85.97 – 82.45 kJ.mol-1. Any peptide sequences compatible with this protease were found after analysis by MALDI-TOF, which suggests that it is a new serine protease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of methods to estimate lake-surface-water temperature using Landsat 7 ETM+ and MODIS imagery : case study of a large shallow subtropical lake in southern Brazil

Water temperature regulates many processes in lakes; therefore, evaluating it is essential to understand its ecological status and functioning, and to comprehend the impact of climate change. Although few studies assessed the accuracy of individual sensors in estimating lake-surface-water temperature (LSWT), comparative analysis considering different sensors is still needed. This study evaluated the performance of two thermal sensors, MODIS and Landsat 7 ETM+, and used Landsat methods to estimate the SWT of a large subtropical lake. MODIS products MOD11 LST and MOD28 SST were used for comparison. For the Landsat images, the radiative transfer equation (RTE), using NASA’s Atmospheric Correction Parameter Calculator (AtmCorr) parameters, was compared with the single-channel algorithm in different approaches. Our results showed that MOD11 obtained the highest accuracy (RMSE of 1.05 C), and is the recommended product for LSWT studies. For Landsat-derived SWT, AtmCorr obtained the highest accuracy (RMSE of 1.07 C) and is the recommended method for small lakes. Sensitivity analysis showed that Landsat-derived LSWT using the RTE is very sensitive to atmospheric parameters and emissivity. A discussion of the main error sources was conducted. We recommend that similar tests be applied for Landsat imagery on different lakes, further studies on algorithms to correct the cool-skin effect in inland waters, and tests of different emissivity values to verify if it can compensate for this effect, in an effort to improve the accuracy of these estimates

Optical characterization of europium-doped indium hydroxide nanocubes obtained by Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal method

Crystalline europium-doped indium hydroxide (In(OH)3:Eu) nanostructures were prepared by rapid and efficient Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal (MAH) method. Nanostructures were obtained at low temperature. FE-SEM images confirm that these samples are composed of 3D nanostructures. XRD, optical diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence (PL) measurements were used to characterize the products. Emission spectra of europium-doped indium hydroxide (IH:xEu) samples under excitation (350.7 nm) presented broad band emission regarding the indium hydroxide (IH) matrix and 5D0 → 7F0, 5D0 → 7F1, 5D0 → 7F2, 5D0 → 7F3 and 5D0 → 7F4 europium transitions at 582, 596, 618, 653 and 701 nm, respectively. Relative intensities of Eu3+ emissions increased as the concentration of this ion increased from 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mol %, of Eu3+, but the luminescence is drastically quenched for the IH matrix.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Centro de Tecnologia Departamento de Engenharia de MateriaisUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Física de São CarlosUniversidade Estadual Paulista Instituto de Química Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Eletroquímica e CerâmicaUNIFESPFAPESP: 2013/07296-2SciEL

Caracterização e potencial de degradabilidade natural da manipueira

A produção de farinha de mandioca gera, como efluente, a manipueira. Esta apresenta elevada concentração de matéria orgânica e nutrientes, aspectos que lhe conferem potencial como fonte de bioenergia ou fertilizante. Porém, para seu uso é necessário caracterizar o efluente, por meio de análises físicas, químicas e microbiológicas, para avaliar este potencial, de modo a dimensionar os sistemas, garantindo assim a viabilidade e segurança na sua aplicação. Por conta disso, o objetivo desse estudo foi caracterizar manipueiras oriundas de diferentes casas de farinha e avaliar a biodegradação natural desse efluente, visto que é o tipo de tratamento adotado pela maioria dos produtores. Foram coletadas 17 amostras de manipueira de casas de farinha dos estados de Pernambuco, Bahia e Piauí. As análises realizadas foram DBO5, DQO, pH, cianeto, macro e micronutrientes e bactérias heterotróficas. Foi realizado um experimento de degradação natural, que consistiu na digestão da manipueira em três reatores sem refrigeração, em repouso, ao abrigo da luz solar, simulando o que ocorre no campo. Observou-se variabilidade das variáveis físico-químicas, sendo a demanda bioquímica de oxigênio e fósforo as mais relevantes entre as amostras estudadas. Já o estudo da degradação natural revelou baixa eficiência desse tratamento para esse tipo de efluente, sendo necessário estudos de outros tratamentos

Endogenous iron as a photo-Fenton reaction catalyst for the degradation of Pah's in soils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components of diesel fuel are considered hazardous, due to their toxicity. We report the degradation of 16 PAHs using photo-Fenton and photo-Fenton-like processes in two different soil samples (S1 and S2) artificially contaminated with diesel oil. Experimental factorial designs were used to determine the most effective treatment conditions, with a view to achieving economical feasibility. For photo-Fenton reactions, the best degradation conditions resulted in an overall PAH concentration reduction of 94.6% and 95.6% for soils S1 and S2, respectively. The photo-Fenton-like processes also led to satisfactory degradation levels, obtained with only endogenous iron, low hydrogen peroxide concentration, short exposure time and no soil pH adjustment. These results demonstrate the viability of photo-Fenton-like processes to treat PAH contaminated areas.Hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPA) estão presentes no óleo diesel, sendo considerados perigosos devido à sua toxicidade. Neste estudo relatamos a degradação de 16 HPA em dois solos diferentes (S1 e S2) contaminados artificialmente com óleo diesel, usando processos foto-Fenton e pseudo-foto-Fenton. Planejamentos fatoriais foram usados para obter condições de tratamento mais eficientes e econômicas. Para a reação foto-Fenton, as condições mais favoráveis resultaram 94,6% e 95,6% de degradação dos HPA para os solos S1 e S2, respectivamente. O processo pseudo-foto-Fenton também apresentou um nível satisfatório de degradação, obtido em condições econômicas, com ferro endógeno, baixa concentração de peróxido, curto tempo de exposição à radiação e sem ajuste do pH do solo. Os resultados demonstram a eficiência do processo pseudo-foto-Fenton para tratar áreas contaminadas por HPA.329336Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Prostatic Artery Embolization as a Primary Treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Preliminary Results in Two Patients

Symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) typically occurs in the sixth and seventh decades, and the most frequent obstructive urinary symptoms are hesitancy, decreased urinary stream, sensation of incomplete emptying, nocturia, frequency, and urgency. Various medications, specifically 5-α-reductase inhibitors and selective α-blockers, can decrease the severity of the symptoms secondary to BPH, but prostatectomy is still considered to be the traditional method of management. We report the preliminary results for two patients with acute urinary retention due to BPH, successfully treated by prostate artery embolization (PAE). The patients were investigated using the International Prostate Symptom Score, by digital rectal examination, urodynamic testing, prostate biopsy, transrectal ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Uroflowmetry and postvoid residual urine volume complemented the investigation at 30, 90, and 180 days after PAE. The procedure was performed under local anesthesia; embolization of the prostate arteries was performed with a microcatheter and 300- to 500-μm microspheres using complete stasis as the end point. One patient was subjected to bilateral PAE and the other to unilateral PAE; they urinated spontaneously after removal of the urethral catheter, 15 and 10 days after the procedure, respectively. At 6-month follow-up, US and MRI revealed a prostate reduction of 39.7% and 47.8%, respectively, for the bilateral PAE and 25.5 and 27.8%, respectively, for the patient submitted to unilateral PAE. The early results, at 6-month follow-up, for the two patients with BPH show a promising potential alternative for treatment with PAE