Pectinolytic enzyme production by Bacillus species and their potential application on juice extraction

Five Bacillus strains isolated from decaying vegetable material were cultivated on wheat bran and endo-polygalacturonases, exo-polygalacturonase and pectin lyase activities in the crude enzymatic solution obtained were determined. Highest activity was observed for all enzymes when fermentation was carried out at 28 degreesC, the highest activity values were obtained after 120 h of cultivation for exo-PG and after 48 h for endo-PG and PL. The use of the enzymatic solution for treatment of fruits and vegetable mash afforded a high juice extraction and a pulp with good pressing characteristics.

Esterase patterns and phylogenetic relationships of species and strains included in the Drosophila buzzatii cluster

Ten strains of two species in the Drosophila buzzatii cluster (D. serido and D. seriema) were examined as to esterase patterns using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The migration rate of esterases, and their substrate specificity to alpha and beta naphthyl acetates, were analysed. Other esterase features such as inhibition behaviour, presence in males and females and location in the head, thorax or abdomen of flies, were also examined. The present data,together with results obtained by others for eight strains of D. koepferae, D. serido, D. seriema and D. buzzatii, show that 69 bands have been detected in the eighteen strains studied. This total number of bands was used for comparison of strains and species by similarity index, analysis of dependence and cluster analysis. The comparisons confirmed the existence of a high degree of similarity among D. seriema strains and among D. koepferae strains, but indicated differentiation among the D. serido strains. Two strains (D69R2 and D69R5) which differed from the others of the latter species, showed closer affinities with D. buzzatii, which indicates the need for further work on those strains classified as D. serido.

A new species and expanded distributions of freshwater Audouinella (Acrochaetiaceae, Rhodophyta) from Central Mexico and south-eastern Brazil

Eighteen collections of red-coloured Audouinella from Central Mexico and southeastern Brazil detected three species. The most common species, A. eugenea, is characterized by macroscopic thalli, the erect system consisting of filaments with cylindrical cells, undifferentiated into proximal and distal parts, and relatively large monosporangia (greater than or equal to 12.0 mum long). Spermatangia. and possible propagules were observed in some Mexican populations. This is the third Audouinella species observed to have gametangia and the first member of the Acrochaetiales with putative propagules. The second species, from Central Mexico, was characterized by the following features: macroscopic thalli, the erect system differentiated into proximal parts with cylindrical cells, unbranched or rarely branched, and distal parts with barrel-shaped cells, abundantly branched to form dense fascicles, with alternate or dichotomous branching, some at right-angles to the axis, and relatively large monosporangia (greater than or equal to 12.0 mum long). The morphologically distinct proximal and distal portions of the erect system, the latter forming dense fascicles, was a consistent character so far unknown in Audouinella; thus, we propose a new species, A. huastecana sp. nov. The third species is a microscopic epiphyte, A. meiospora, with a well-developed prostrate system composed of creeping and loosely aggregated filaments, and a short homogeneous erect system (less than or equal to 15 cells) of filaments with cylindrical or barrel-shaped cells and small monosporangia (less than or equal to 13.0 mum long). A. eugenea and A. meiospora are characterized for the first time from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, respectively, both occurring mostly in areas of tropical or subtropical rainforests. A. meiospora is reported from new macroalgal hosts. A. eugenea and A. huastecana tended to occur in warm, alkaline waters with a high ion content that were moderate to fast flowing, whereas A. meiospora was not associated with particular habitats.

Benzoic acid derivatives from piper species and their fungitoxic activity against Cladosporium cladosporioides and C-sphaerospermum

Piper crassinervium, P. aduncum, P. hostmannianum, and P. gaudichaudianum contain the new benzoic acid derivatives crassinervic acid (1), aduncumene (8), hostmaniane (18), and gaudichaudianic acid (20), respectively, as major secondary metabolites. Additionally, 19 known compounds such as benzoic acids, chromenes, and flavonoids were isolated and identified. The antifungal activity of these compounds was evaluated by bioautographic TLC assay against Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. sphaerospermum.

Cytogenetical characterization of six orb-weaver species and review of cytogenetical data for Araneidae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Platinum surface modification with cerium species and the effect against the methanol anodic reaction

Spontaneous deposition and electrochemical deposition by potential perturbation programs were used to place cerium-containing species on platinum surfaces in acid solution. Cyclic voltammetric profiles of cerium-modified platinum surfaces obtained after potentiostatic or potentiodynamic procedures (applied in the true hydrogen evolution region) differ from those recorded after spontaneous methods. However, the catalytic effects are nearly the same on these cerium-modified platinum surfaces for methanol electrooxidation, i.e. lower onset potential values for the anodic reaction. Besides, a different electrocatalytic effect was observed at large positive potentials on methanol oxidation due to the cerium oxide capability of oxygen storage. This effect is observed on platinum modified by a drastic potentiostatic procedure (by applying -2.0 V) in cerium(IV) acid solution. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Survival of submerged blowfly species and their parasitoids: Implications for postmortem submersion interval

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

TMD and GOHAI indices of Brazilian institutionalised and community-dwelling elderly

Considering the controversy in the literature regarding several aspects of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) in elderly populations and the absence of reliable data on elderly Brazilians in this field, this study consisted of an evaluation of TMD prevalence and the self-perception of oral health among institutionalised and community-dwelling elderly in Sao JosE dos Campos, Brazil.Two hundred and fifteen community-dwelling and 185 institutionalised elderly people were evaluated by the Helkimo anamnestic (Ai) and clinical dysfunction (Di) indices and answered a questionnaire using the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI).The major prevalence of TMD symptoms was for the Ai0 (symptom-free) group (69.5%), while the major prevalence of clinical signs was for the DiI (mild) group (56%). Women presented a higher AiII classification than men (chi(2) test, p = 0.049). Community-dwelling elderly presented a significantly lower Ai0 classification than the institutionalised ones (Two ratios equality test, p < 0.001). There was no relationship between the institutionalised status and the clinical dysfunction index for Di0 and DiIII classification (Two ratios equality test, p = 0.194 and 0.535 respectively). The institutionalised elderly presented greater (One-way anova = 0.005) self-perception of oral health (33.45) than did the community-dwelling group (32.66). There were only weak Pearson's correlations among the anamnestic (-33.0%) or clinical (-14.7%) findings by the TMD and GOHAI indices. Symptom-free (Ai0) institutionalised elderly presented better scores in all GOHAI dimensions and elderly representing an absence of clinical TMD signs (Di0) presented higher GOHAI physical dimension scores in both groups.The prevalence of TMD symptoms among this sample of elderly individuals was relatively low, self-perception of oral health was reasonable and a weak, inverse correlation was found between TMD signs and symptoms and elderly self-perception of oral health measured by the GOHAI index.

A Comparative Cytogenetic Analysis of 2 Bothriuridae Species and Overview of the Chromosome Data of Scorpiones

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

New species of Hemiodus (ostariophysi, characiformes, hemiodontidae) from the Rio Tocantins, Brazil, with comments on color patterns and tooth shapes within the species and genus

A new hemiodontid species, Hemiodus tocantinensis, is described from the rio Tocantins, Amazon basin, Brazil. It is most closely related to H. ternezi and H. thayeria based on the presence of a dark longitudinal stripe extending from behind the eye or the opercle to the tip of lower caudal fin lobe but is distinguished by the possession of 51 to 58 perforated lateral line scales and an oblique dark blotch on the dorsal fin extending from its anterior distal portion through the middle basal portion of the fin. The evolution of color patterns and tooth shapes present in the Hemiodus species is commented.

Does cotinine act upon reactive oxygen species and peroxidases?

Nicotine, an oxidizing agent, is certainly one of the most widely used alkaloids in the world. It is, together with its main metabolite, cotinine, responsible for tobacco-dependence. The use of tobacco is closely associated with lung disease, morphological leukocyte modification and generation of oxidant species. The aim of this study was to look for a possible relationship between cotinine, oxidant species generation and oxidative processes. After studying the action of cotinine in some chemical oxidation models and on the enzymatic kinetics of peroxidases (myeloperoxidase and horseradish peroxidase), we concluded that cotinine does not act directly upon H 2O 2, HOCl, taurine chloramines, horseradish peroxidase or myeloperoxidase.

Effectiveness of six different disinfectants on removing five microbial species and effects on the topographic characteristics of acrylic resin

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of disinfectant solutions (1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, 2% glutaraldehyde, 100% vinegar, tabs of sodium perborate-based denture cleanser, and 3.8% sodium perborate) in the disinfection of acrylic resin specimens (n = 10/group) contaminated in vitro by Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, S. aureus, Escherichia coli, or Bacillus subtilis as measured by residual colony-forming unit (CFU). In a separate experiment, acrylic resin was treated with disinfectants to monitor potential effects on surface roughness, Ra (μm), which might facilitate microbial adherence. Materials and Methods: Three hundred fifty acrylic resin specimens contaminated in vitro with 1×10 6 cells/ml suspensions of standard strains of the cited microorganisms were immersed in the disinfectants for 10 minutes; the control group was not submitted to any disinfection process. Final counts of microorganisms per ml were performed by plating method for the evaluation of microbial level reduction. Results were compared statistically by ANOVA and Tukey's test (p ≤ 0.05). In a parallel study aiming to evaluate the effect of the tested disinfectant on resin surface, 60 specimens were analyzed in a digital rugosimeter before and after ten cycles of 10-minute immersion in the disinfectants. Measurements of superficial roughness, Ra (μm), were compared statistically by paired t-test (p ≤ 0.05). Results: The results showed that 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde, and 2% chlorhexidine digluconate were most effective against the analyzed microorganisms, followed by 100% vinegar, 3.8% sodium perborate, and tabs of sodium perborate-based denture cleanser. Superficial roughness of the specimens was higher after disinfection cycles with 3.8% sodium perborate (p = 0.03) and lower after the cycles with 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Within the limits of this experiment, it could be concluded that 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% glutaraldehyde, 2% chlorexidine, 100% vinegar, and 3.8% sodium perborate are valid alternatives for the disinfection of acrylic resin. © 2008 by The American College of Prosthodontists.