Germination and anaerobic metabolism of seeds of Tabebuia cassinoides (Lam.) DC subjected to flooding and anoxia

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

Anaerobic contribution during maximal anaerobic running test: correlation with maximal accumulated oxygen deficit

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Electrocoagulation/flotation followed by fluidized bed anaerobic reactor applied to tannery effluent treatment

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

Electromyographic study of the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles during respiration

The authors studied the trapezius (pars media) and rhomboideus major muscles during deep inspiration and expiration. The electromyographic records demonstrated that these muscles showed no activity in either phase of breathing.

Effect of organic synthetic food colours on mitochondrial respiration

Eleven organic synthetic dyes, currently or formerly used as food colours in Brazil, were tested to determine their effect on mitochondrial respiration in mitochondria isolated from rat liver and kidney. The compounds tested were: Erythrosine, Ponceau 4R, Allura Red, Sunset yellow, Tartrazine, Amaranth, Brilliant Blue, Indigotine Blue, Fast Red E, Orange GGN and Scarlet GN. All food colours tested inhibited mitochondrial respiration (State III respiration, uncoupled) supported either by α-ketoglutarate or succinate. this inhibition varied largely, e.g. from 100% to 16% for Erythrosine and Tartrazine respectively, at a concentration of 0.1 mg food colour per mitochondrial protein. Both rat liver and kidney mitochondria showed similar patterns of inhibition among the food colours tested. This effect was dose related and the concentration to give 50% inhibition was determined for some of the dyes. The xanthene dye Erythrosine, which showed the strongest effect, was selected for further investigation on mitochondria in vivo.

Anaerobic microorganisms in root canals of human teeth with chronic apical periodontitis detected by indirect immunofluorescence

Aiming to assess the presence of selected anaerobic microorganisms in root canals of human teeth with chronic apical periodontitis, 25 central and lateral upper incisors presenting with radiographic evidence of chronic apical periodontitis were studied. The pulp chamber was opened under aseptic conditions and samples of the root canal content were collected with sterile absorbent paper points, which were placed and dispersed in test tubes containing reduced transport medium (RTF). Aliquots were dried on glass slides and stained by indirect immunofluorcscencc for detection of Actinomyces viscosus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia. The results showed a positive indirect immunofluorescence reaction in 24 of the 25 samples. Fourteen were positive for the specie Actinomyces viscosus, 12 for Prevotella intermedia, 10 for Fusobacterium nucleatum and 4 for Porphyromonas gingivalis. A semiquantitative assay was easily implemented for assessment of degree of infection by the organisms in individual cases. © Munksgaard, 1996.

Influence of temperature on larval survival, development and respiration in Chasmagnathus granulata (Crustacea, Decapoda)

Larvae of an estuarine grapsid crab Chasmagnathus granulata Dana 1851, from temperate and subtropical regions of South America, were reared in seawater (32 ‰) at five different constant temperatures (12, 15, 18, 21, 24 °C). Complete larval development from hatching (Zoea I) to metamorphosis (Crab I) occurred in a range from 15 to 24 °C. Highest survival (60% to the first juvenile stage) was observed at 18°C, while all larvae reared at 12°C died before metamorphosis. The duration of development (D) decreased with increasing temperature (T). This relationship is described for all larval stages as a power function (linear regressions after logarithmic transformation of both D and T). The temperature-dependence of the instantaneous developmental rate (D-1) is compared among larval stages and temperatures using the Q10 coefficient (van't Hoff's equation). Through all four zoeal stages, this index tends to increase during development and to decrease with increasing T (comparing ranges 12-18, 15-21, 18-24 °C). In the Megalopa, low Q10 values were found in the range from 15 to 24 °C. In another series of experiments, larvae were reared at constant 18°C and their dry weight (W) and respiratory response to changes in T were measured in all successive stages during the intermoult period (stage C) of the moulting cycle. Both individual and weight-specific respiration (R, QO2) increased exponentially with increasing T. At each temperature, R increased significantly during growth and development through successive larval stages. No significantly different QO2 values were found in the first three zoeal stages, while a significant decrease with increasing W occurred in the Zoea IV and Megalopa. As in the temperature-dependence of D, the respiratory response to changes in temperature (Q10) depends on both the temperature range and the developmental stage, however, with different patterns. In the zoeal stages, the respiratory Q10 was minimum (1.7-2.2) at low temperatures (12-18 °C), but maximum (2.2-3.0) at 18-24 °C. The Megalopa, in contrast, showed a stronger metabolic response in the lower than in the upper temperature range (Q10 = 2.8 and 1.7, respectively). We interpret this pattern as an adaptation to a sequence of temperature conditions that should typically be encountered by C. granulata larvae during their ontogenetic migrations: hatching in and subsequent export from shallow estuarine lagoons, zoeal development in coastal marine waters, which are on average cooler, return in the Megalopa stage to warm lagoons. We thus propose that high metabolic sensitivity to changes in temperature may serve as a signal stimulating larval migration, so that the zoeae should tend to leave warm estuaries and lagoons, whereas the Megalopa should avoid remaining in the cooler marine waters and initiate its migration towards shallow coastal lagoons.

Assessment of Anaerobic Power of Swimmers: The Correlation of Laboratory Tests on an Arm Ergometer with Field Tests in a Swimming Pool

The aim of this study was to verify the correlation between the Wingate arm crank test outputs (peak power, mean power, and fatigue index), obtained on a specific ergometer, and the performance in crawl stroke swim sprints of 14, 25, 50, and 400 m. The experiment was conducted with 9 healthy male volunteers (18.1 ± 2.2 years of age; 172 ± 0.04 cm; 67.7 ± 5.92 kg and 15.7 ± 4.57% body fat). On determined days, all individuals were submitted to the Wingate arm crank test and crawl freestyle sprints of 14, 25, 50, and 400 m as they were timed with a stopwatch. The peak power, the mean power, and the fatigue index, which were obtained during the Wingate arm crank test, were not significantly correlated with the maximum swim velocities during the crawl freestyle tests of 14 (r = 0.40; r = 0.64; r = 0.11), 25 (r = 0.28; r = 0.39; r = -0.17), 50 (r = 0.03; r = 0.09; r = -0.31), and 400 (r = -0.52; r = -0.37; r = -0.65) m, respectively. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the Wingate arm crank test is not suitable to assess the anaerobic power of swimmers under the described experimental conditions.

Assessment of anaerobic sewage sludge quality for agricultural application after metal bioleaching

The effects of metal bioleaching on nutrient solubilization, especially nitrogen and phosphorous, from anaerobically-digested sewage sludge were investigated in this work. The assessment of the sanitary quality of the anaerobic sludge after bioleaching was also carried out by enumerating indicator (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci) and total heterotrophic bacteria. The experiments of bioleaching were performed using indigenous sulphur-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus spp.) as inoculum and samples of anaerobically-digested sludge. Nitrogen and phosphorous solubilization from sewage sludge was assessed by measuring, respectively, the concentration of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate/nitrite, and soluble and total phosphorous before and after the bioleaching assays. At the end of the experiment, after 4 days of incubation (final pH of 1.4), the following metal solubilization yields were obtained: zinc, 91%; nickel, 87%; copper, 79%; lead, 52%; and chromium, 42%. As a result of sludge acidification, the viable counts of selected indicator bacteria were decreased to below the detection limit (4 × 103 cfu 100 ml-1), followed by an increase in the mineral fraction of nitrogen (from 6 to 10%) and in the soluble fraction of phosphorous (from 15 to 30%). Although some loss of sludge nutrients can occur during solid-liquid separation following bioleaching, its beneficial effects as metal removal and reduction of pathogenic bacteria are sufficient to consider the potential of this treatment before sludge disposal onto agricultural fields.

Exercise training in the aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition prevents glucose intolerance in alloxan-treated rats

Background: Ninety percent of cases of diabetes are of the slowly evolving non-insulin-dependent type, or Type 2 diabetes. Lack of exercise is regarded as one of the main causes of this disorder. In this study we analyzed the effects of physical exercise on glucose homeostasis in adult rats with type 2 diabetes induced by a neonatal injection of alloxan. Methods: Female Wistar rats aged 6 days were injected with either 250 mg/ kg of body weight of alloxan or citrate buffer 0.01 M (controls). After weaning, half of the animals in each group were subjected to physical training adjusted to meet the aerobic-anaerobic metabolic transition by swimming 1 h/day for 5 days a week with weight overloads. The necessary overload used was set and periodically readjusted for each rat through effort tests based on the maximal lactate steady state procedure. When aged 28, 60, 90, and 120 days, the rats underwent glucose tolerance tests (GTT) and their peripheral insulin sensitivity was evaluated using the HOMA index. Results: The area under the serum glucose curve obtained through GTT was always higher in alloxan-treated animals than in controls. A decrease in this area was observed in trained alloxan-treated rats at 90 and 120 days old compared with non-trained animals. At 90 days old the trained controls showed lower HOMA indices than the non-trained controls. Conclusion: Neonatal administration of alloxan induced a persistent glucose intolerance in all injected rats, which was successfully counteracted by physical training in the aerobic/anaerobic metabolic transition. © 2008 Mota et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Anaerobic treatment of wastewater from coffee pulping in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) in two stages

In this work, the efficiency of two-stage upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors was evaluated in bench scale, for treating a liquid effluent from coffee pulping. Hydraulic detention times (HDT) were 4.0; 5.2 and 6.2 days, resulting in organic loading rates (OLR) of 5.8; 3.6 and 3.0g total COD per (L-d) in the first reactor (Rl) and HDT of 2.0; 2.6 and 3.1 days with OLR of 5.8; 0.5 and 0.4 g total COD per (L-d) in the second reactor (R2). The medium values of total COD affluent varied from 15.440 to 23.040 mg O 2/L, and in the effluent to the reactors 1 and 2 were from l.lOO to 11.500 mg 0 2/L and 420 to 9.000 mg O 2/L, respectively. The medium values of removal efficiencies of total COD and TSS varied from 66 to 98% and 93 to 97%, respectively, in the system of treatment with the UASB reactors, in two stages. The content of methane in the biogas varied from 69 to 89% in the Rl and from 52 to 73% in the R2. The maximum volumetric methane production of 0.483 m 3 CH 4per (m 3 reactor d) was obtained with OLR of 3.6 g total COD per (L reactor d) and HDT of 6.2 days in the Rl. The volatile fatty acids concentration was kept below 100mg/L with HDT of 5.2 and 6.2 days in the Rl and HDT of 2.6 and 3.1 days in the R2.

Exercise at anaerobic threshold intensity and insulin secretion by isolated pancreatic islets of rats

To evaluate the effect of acute exercise and exercise training at the anaerobic threshold (AT) intensity on aerobic conditioning and insulin secretion by pancreatic islets, adult male Wistar rats were submitted to the lactate minimum test (LMT) for AT determination. Half of the animals were submitted to swimming exercise training (trained), 1 h/day, 5 days/week during 8 weeks, with an overload equivalent to the AT. The other half was kept sedentary. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were submitted to an oral glucose tolerance test and to another LMT. Then, the animals were sacrificed at rest or immediately after 20 minutes of swimming exercise at the AT intensity for pancreatic islets isolation. At the end of the experiment mean workload (% bw) at AT was higher and blood lactate concentration (mmol/L) was lower in the trained than in the control group. Rats trained at the AT intensity showed no alteration in the areas under blood glucose and insulin during OGTT test. Islet insulin content of trained rats was higher than in the sedentary rats while islet glucose uptake did not differ among the groups. The static insulin secretion in response to the high glucose concentration (16.7 mM) of the sedentary group at rest was lower than the sedentary group submitted to the acute exercise and the inverse was observed in relation to the trained groups. physical training at the AT intensity improved the aerobic condition and altered insulin secretory pattern by pancreatic islets. © 2010 Landes Bioscience.