Evaluation of urban ants (hymenoptera: formicidae) as vectors of microorganisms in residential and industrial environments: II. Fungi

Collections in households and industrial kitchens were done aiming at evaluating the potential of urban ants in spreading fungi. The most abundant ant species in households were Tapinoma melanocephalum and Paratrechina longicornis. In industrial kitchens Paratrechina longicornis and Monomorium floricola were the most common. Tapinoma melanocephalum was the species that most carried fungi, followed by Paratrechina longicornis, Tetramorium sp., Monomorium pharaonis and Monomorium floricola. An aflatoxigenic strain of Aspergillus flavus was isolated.

Developed and studies on technical and economical viability of an environmental efficient urinal

This work introduces an innovative urinal for public convenience, that promotes at the same time water reuse and personal higiene, in a safe and economical way . Furthermore it demonstrates the latest technology and its technical and economical viabillity of utilization in new and already existing buildings facilities. This new model of personal higiene equipment offers as main benefits the improved economy with subsequent decrease in drinkable water consumption, sanitary safety, low cost and easy installation due to its simplicity and to the fact that it can be installed in already existing facilities. The proposal is constituted by a higienic, ecological and smart system for flushing of public urinals. It is a conjugated system of lavatory and urinal that reuses hands higienization water from the lavatory for flushing purpose. The proposed urinal can be operated manually or automatically by means of a presential sensor. The system promotes drinkable water economy by a rational utilization by avoiding the use of waste water from hand washing in place of clean water for flushing. The proposed equipment increases the economy of clean water in a simple and economical way and it can be installed in any type of public lavatory facilitie such as schools, public buildings, hospitals, commercial buildings, bus terminals, airports, stadiums, parking buildings and shopping centers. Additional benefits of the proposed system is the suggestion of hands washing before and after the use of the urinal without contamination risks from focet handling.and render more attractive the installation for a rational use of clean water in commercial and industrial buildings. Pay-back has shown to be very attractive for a number of internal return rates and also very attractive from the point of view of environmental protection.

Pectin and pectinases: Production, characterization and industrial application of microbial pectinolytic enzymes

Pectinases are a big group of enzymes that break down pectic polysaccharides of plant tissues into simpler molecules like galacturonic acids. It has long been used to increase yields and clarity of fruit juices. Since pectic substances are a very complex macromolecule group, various pectinolytic enzymes are required to degrade it completely. These enzymes present differences in their cleavage mode and specificity being basically classified into two main groups that act on pectin smooth regions or on pectin hairy regions. Pectinases are one of the most widely distributed enzymes in bacteria, fungi and plants. This review describes the pectinolytic enzymes and their substrates, the microbial pectinase production and characterization, and the industrial application of these enzymes. © Pedrolli et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

Mexico: economic growth, exports and industrial performance after NAFTA

Includes bibliography

Lidar observation campaign of sugar cane fires and industrial emissions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Brazil has an important role in the biomass burning, with the detection of approximately 100,000 burning spots in a single year (2007). Most of these spots occur in the southern part of the Amazon basin during the dry season (from August to november) and these emissions reach the southeast of the country, a highly populated region and with serious urban air pollution problems. With the growing demand on biofuels, sugarcane is considerably expanding in the state of São Paulo, being a strong contributor to the bad air quality in this region. In the state of São Paulo, the main land use are pasture and sugarcane crop, that covers around 50% and 10% of the total area, respectively. Despite the aerosol from sugarcane burning having reduced atmospheric residence time, from a few days to some weeks, they might get together with those aerosol which spread over long distances (hundreds to thousands of kilometers). In the period of June through February 2010 a LIDAR observation campaign was carried in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in order to observe and characterize optically the aerosols from two distinct sources, namely, sugar cane biomass burning and industrial emissions. For this purpose 2 LIDAR systems were available, one mobile and the other placed in a laboratory, both working in the visible (532 nm) and additionally the mobile system had a Raman channel available (607 nm). Also this campaign counted with a SODAR, a meteorological RADAR specially set up to detect aerosol echoes and gas-particle analyzers. To guarantee a good regional coverage 4 distinct sites were available to deploy the instruments, 2 in the near field of biomass burning activities (Rio Claro and Bauru), one for industrial emissions (Cubatão) and others from urban sources (São Paulo). The whole campaign provide the equivalent of 30 days of measurements which allowed us to get aerosol optical properties such as backscattering/extinction coefficients, scatter and LIDAR ratios, those were used to correlate with air quality and meteorological indicators and quantities. In this paper we should focus on the preliminary results of the Raman LIDAR system and its derived aerosol optical quantities. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.

Trade liberalization and industrial pollution in Brazil

Includes bibliography

Urbanization and industrial development in Latin American countries

Includes bibliography

Business strategies and industrial adjustments: the case of Argentina

Includes bibliography

The political economy of trade and industrial policy reform in Brazil in the 1990s

Includes bibliography

Technology and industrial exports: a micro-economic analysis of Argentina's recent experience

Includes bibliography

Characterization and genome organization of a repetitive element associated with the nucleolus organizer region in leporinuselongatus (anostomidae: Characiformes)

Chromosome mapping and studies of the genomic organization of repetitive DNA sequences provide valuable insights that enhance our evolutionary and structural understanding of these sequences, as well as identifying chromosomal rearrangements and sex determination. This study investigated the occurrence and organization of repetitive DNA sequences in Leporinus elongatus using restriction enzyme digestion and the mapping of sequences by chromosomal fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). A 378-bp fragment with a 54.2% GC content was isolated after digestion with the SmaI restriction enzyme. BLASTN search found no similarity with previously described sequences, so this repetitive sequence was named LeSmaI. FISH experiments were conducted using L. elongatus and other Anostomidae species, i.e. L. macrocephalus,L. obtusidens, L. striatus, L. lacustris, L. friderici, Schizodon borellii, S. isognathus, and Abramites hypselonotus which detected signals that were unique to male and female L. elongatus individuals. Double-FISH using LeSmaI and 18S rDNA showed that LeSmaI was located in a nucleolus organizer region (NOR) in the male and female metaphases of L. elongatus. This report also discusses the role of repetitive DNA associated with NORs in the diversification of Anostomidae species karyotypes. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Productivity, growth and industrial exports in Brazil

Includes bibliography

Changes in the industrial development of Latin America

Includes bibliography

Technological changes and industrial dynamics in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Changes in Chile's production structure, 1986-1996: output and industrial interdependence

Includes bibliography