Determinação dos elementos-traço (Zn, Co e Ni) em sedimentos da Plataforma Continental Amazônica sob influência da descarga do rio Amazonas

Determination of trace elements (Zn, Co and Ni) in sediments at the Amazon Continental Shelf on influence of the Amazon River discharge This research was developed at Amazon Continental Shelf (ACS) between the Orange Cape (Amapá State) and the Maguari Cape (Pará State), to determine the levels of zinc, cobalt and nickel in the superficial sediments identifying its inputs and outputs. The rate of these metallic elements in the sediments decreases following Zn> Ni> Co. The concentrations of total metals in the surface sediments range from Zn = 52.8-159.5; Ni = 21.7-47.4 and Co = 14.3-48.8 (mg.kg-1). The levels of trace elements observed in the sediments at ACS are of natural occurrence. Pollution sources of metallic elements were not observed

Variação espacial de cátions, ânions e variáveis físico-químicas no rio Solimões-Amazonas entre Manaus e Jutaí, bacia amazônica

Cátions e ânions majoritários são espécies químicas de grande importância nos diversos compartimentos aquáticos, porém, pouco abordados de forma exclusiva na bacia amazônica. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a dinâmica espacial de Na+, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Cl- e SO4 2- em um trecho do rio Solimões-Amazonas, levando-se em consideração a alcalinidade, potencial hidrogeniônico (pH), condutividade elétrica (CE), sólidos totais em suspensão (STS) e carbono orgânico total (COT). As coletas foram realizadas em maio, julho e setembro de 2012 em sete pontos na calha principal do rio Solimões-Amazonas e na foz de alguns dos principais tributários: rios Jutaí, Juruá, Japurá e Purus. Os cátions e ânions foram analisados por cromatografia de íons, STS por gravimetria, pH por potenciometria, alcalinidade por titulação potenciométrica, CE por condutimetria e o COT por oxidação catalítica por combustão. As concentrações médias dos cátions seguiram esta ordem Ca2+>Na+>Mg2+>K+ e dos ânions SO4 2->Cl-. De montante à jusante a tendência foi diminuição nas concentrações de cátions e ânions, das variáveis pH, CE, STS e alcalinidade, além do aumento das concentrações de COT. O presente estudo evidenciou mudanças nas características químicas sofridas pelo rio Solimões em seu curso. O aporte dos tributários pode ser apontado como um dos fatores responsáveis por essas modificações

A first quantitative estimate of trace metal fluxes from Amazon river and its main tributaries

The trace metal (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, U) concentrations and temporal variabilities of the Amazon river and its main tributaries are studied on time series basis in the major tributaries of Amazon river (Negro, Madeira and Solimões Rivers) and at Obidos station on the Amazon mainsteem which represents 90% of the total discharge of Amazon river to the Ocean. Variations of river chemistry may reflect variations of the sources. The “Shield” rivers (as the Rio Negro) have typically depleted concentrations in As, Sr, Ba, Cu, and V as compared with Andean rivers. Elements such Mn and As are mainly transported by the flood flows. These elements are known to be concentrated in lateric (ferricrete) soils which represent 80% in the Amazon basin, suggesting that these elements are washed away in solution during the high discharge. Moreover, these elements can be stored in the surrounding floodplain areas (varzea) where deposition/resuspension cycles as well as the exchange rate between floodplain and mainstream channel may control at least partially the temporal variation of redox element concentrations such Mn and As. Implication on these results on the trace element flux from Amazon River to the Atlantic Ocean is discussed

The genome sequence of Trypanosoma cruzi, etiologic agent of Chagas disease

Whole-genome sequencing of the protozoan pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi revealed that the diploid genome contains a predicted 22,570 proteins encoded by genes, of which 12,570 represent allelic pairs. Over 50% of the genome consists of repeated sequences, such as retrotransposons and genes for large families of surface molecules, which include trans-sialidases, mucins, gp63s, and a large novel family (>1300 copies) of mucin-associated surface protein (MASP) genes. Analyses of the T. cruzi, T. brucei, and Leishmania major (Tritryp) genomes imply differences from other eukaryotes in DNA repair and initiation of replication and reflect their unusual mitochondrial DNA. Although the Tritryp lack several classes of signaling molecules, their kinomes contain a large and diverse set of protein kinases and phosphatases; their size and diver