Superfícies de titânio modificadas termoquimicamente por plasma : avaliação da resposta biológica

This laboratory study involves the participation of a group with professionals from different areas that had contributed to the construction of a multidisciplinary knowledge, about biological response of titanium surfaces modified through thermochemical treatment by plasma. Thus, the crystalline phase was previously characterized in relation to the topography, roughness, molhability and nitrogen concentration in the samples surface. It s indispensable that materials implanted can influence in a good cellular response as well as promotes a bacteria action. Surfaces modified by plasma were exposed to different cultures such as: cellular (human osteoblastic) and bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC35984 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853) in order to evaluate the biological response. It was evaluated the adhesion, proliferation, morphology and cellular preference of human ostheoblastic cells (HOST), as well as the formation of a biofilm and bacteria proliferation. It was still analyzed the bacteria selectivity ability in relation to the surfaces. The software Image Pro Plus was used to the counting of cells and bacteria adhered to the surface of disks. The results were submitted to the variance analysis (ANOVA), and then, by the Kruskal-Wallis test, using GraphPad Instat ® software, version 3.5 to Windows. The nitrided samples in spite of show a higher roughness and molhability showed a smaller bacteria growing and higher cellular proliferation, when compared to non treated samples, indicating that the treated material present a high efficiency to biomedical implants

Avaliação de efeitos de um extrato de "três bailarinas" em modelos experimentais em diferentes níveis de organização biológica

Drogas naturais ou sintéticas podem ser capazes de alterar a sobrevivência de culturas bacterianas, interferir na marcação de estruturas sanguíneas com tecnécio- 99m (99mTc) e alterar a morfologia das hemácias. De acordo com as instruções do fabricante, a formula denominada de Três Bailarinas (TB) é sugerida para ser usada, como bebida, por pessoas que desejam ajustar o peso sem dieta. Os ingredientes dessa fórmula são a Cassia angustifolia e a Malva verticellate. Informações cientificas sobre TB não foram encontradas no indexador PubMed, e esse fato tem estimulado nossas investigações sobre seus efeitos biológicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar, em diferentes modelos experimentais, o efeito de um extrato aquoso de Três Bailarinas: (i) na sobrevivência de culturas de E. coli AB1157, ii) efeito do SnCl2 em culturas bacterianas, iii) na marcação das hemácias e proteínas plasmáticas e celulares com 99mTc e iv) na morfologia de hemácias de sangue de ratos Wistar. Os resultados encontrados demonstram que o extrato de TB não alterou a sobrevivência de cultura de E. coli AB1157 e aboliu o efeito letal do SnCl2 na sobrevivência dessa cultura bacteriana. Na marcação de estruturas sangüíneas com 99mTc o extrato de TB reduziu a percentagem de atividade (%ATI) referente ao 99mTc no compartimento celular e nas proteínas plasmáticas, mas não alterou a %ATI nas proteínas celulares. O extrato de TB não foi capaz de alterar a morfologia das hemácias. Os modelos experimentais realizados mostram a importância dos mesmos na avaliação de efeitos biológicos de agentes químicos, e contribui para um melhor entendimento das propriedades do extrato de Três Bailarinas. Esse trabalho abrange varias áreas do conhecimento, tais como: radiobiologia, botânica, fitoterapia e hematologia

Projeto Prevenir: uma pesquisa acerca das mudanças no perfil das infecções por DST/AIDS, com a perspectiva de detectar pontos vulneráveis da prevenção

Rio Grande do Norte is among the Brazilian States where the tourism and sexual violence increasingly grow in the country, occupying 4th place in 2004. Associated to this fact, it comes the problematic one of the contamination of the women by Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). Studies in Brazil have presented a considerable increase of the STDs, caused through lack of suitable protection in the sexual relationships. Due to the biological and psychosocial vulnerability, besides failures or inconsistencies in the condom use associated to the raised taxes of sexual activity with different partners, the STDs constitute the main risk of health. Many difficulties are found by the confrontation of this problem. In this context, this project had as aim to evaluate the vulnerability of this population of sexually active women in Natal-RN Ponta Negra neighbourhood to the infections by STDs, such as, Candida sp., Vaginoses Bacterial, Trichomonas Vaginalis and Chlamydia sp., arisen with the explosion of the sex market, showing a current statistical panorama. It was possible to detect vulnerable points in prevention through patient anamnesis, where the study it showed: high number of partners (8,3% with more than five), low age of first relationship and not the use of condoms (31,8% sometimes use and 45,8% had not used in the first relationship). Already consolidated by the preventive cytopathologic examination, these data were strengthened by high incidence of causing agents of STDs (58,6%). In this way, it is clear that the sexuality must to be thought on the context of the deep economic and socio-cultural transformations in which pass societies, and mainly the ones concerning to the sexuality exercise and to the sex market. With the profile change of the infections, new demands are placed in relation to the risk factors. Therefore, it can be concluded that the prevention vulnerable points detected as more important had been the deficiency in self-perception and wareness of the risk existence among the studied women

Fixação biológica do nitrogênio e crescimento de plantas de leucena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de wit.) sob salinidade

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of salinity in the growth and nitrogen fixation in leucaena. Plants were cultivated in Leonard pots containing clean and sterilized sand. The treatments were distributed in a completely randomized design, in a 3x3 factorial, with five replicates. The first factor corresponded to no inoculation and inoculation with Bradyrhizobium sp SEMIA 6070 and SEMIA 6153 strains. The second factor corresponded to NaCl concentrations: 0, 25 and 50 mol m(-3). Were analyzed the height and dry matter accumulation, the number of nodules and nitrogen in plants. The inoculation of plants with the strain SEMIA 6070 provided higher growth and greater nitrogen accumulation in plants thar were not subject to salinity. Nodulation was not affected by salinity. Inoculation with SEMIA 6153 strain provided greater tolerance to salinity.

Avaliação de diferentes processos oxidativos avançados no tratamento de resíduos de petróleo

The petroleum industry deals with problems which are difficult to solve because of their relation to environmental issues. This is because amounts of residue are generated which vary in type and danger level. The soil contamination by non aqueous liquid phase mixtures, specifically hydrocarbon petroleum has been a reason for great concern, mainly the aromatic and polycyclic aromatic, which present risk to human health due to its carcinogenic and mutagenic character. The Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOP) are efficient technologies for destruction of organic compounds of difficult degradation and, often, they are present in low concentrations. They can be considered clean technologies, because there is no formation of solid by-products or the transfer of pollutor phases. This work focuses on the study of the degradation of petroleum industrial waste, by Advanced Oxidation Processes. Treatments tackling petroleum residues, contaminated soil, and water occurring in the production of petroleum reached the following Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) degradation levels: solid residues 100% in 96 treatment hours; water residue - 100% in 6 treatment hours; soil contamination (COT degradation) - 50.3% in 12 treatment hours. AOP were effective in dealing with petroleum residues thus revealing themselves to be a promising treatment alternative

Crescimento e fixação biológica do nitrogênio em soja cultivada com doses de lodo de esgoto compostado

The use of sewage sludge is a highly promising practice for the development of sustainable agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate doses of sewage sludge composted with and without Rhizobium inoculation in leaf N content, nodule number, nodule dry weight and plant during flowering. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Department of Soil Science and Natural Resources College of Agricultural Sciences of Botucatu, using as substrate used in vessels of 30 liters a Red Yelow Latosol sandy texture with experimental design adopted was randomized blocks constituted for 10 treatments and five doses of composted sewage sludge (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 t ha(-1)) with or without inoculation Bradyrhizobium japonic with three replications. There was an increase in the number and dry weight of nodules and shoot dry mass of soybeans due to the increase of the dose of sludge up to a dose of 20 t ha(-1) and after this dose there was a decrease of these parameters. At a dose of 10 t ha(-1) sludge compost inoculated seeds showed higher for foliar concentrations of N and number of nodules compared with uninoculated seeds. At a dose of 30 t ha(-1) inoculated seeds were higher compared to uninoculated in all parameters.

Remoção de nitrogênio em biofiltros aerado e anóxico, com alto índice de vazios e sem remoção de lodo

The improper disposal of nitrogen in receiving water courses causes problems such as toxicity to living beings through the consumption of oxygen to meet the nitrogen demand, eutrophication and nitrate contamination of aquifers. For this reason it is often necessary to be carried out complementary treatment of wastewater to eliminate or reduce the concentration of this compound in the wastewater. The objective of this study is to evaluate the biological removal of nitrogen compounds using submerged aerated and anoxic filters as post-treatment of an anaerobic system, with low cost and innovative technology, which in previous studies has shown high removal efficiency of organic matter and great potential biological nitrogen compounds removal. The simple design with perforated hoses for air distribution and filling with plastic parts proved to be very efficient in relation to organic matter removal and nitrification. The system presented, in the best stage, efficiency in converting ammonia to nitrate by 71%, and produced a final effluent concentration below 10 mg / L of NH3-N. In addition, carbon concentration was removed by 77%, producing final effluent with 24 mg/L COD. However, denitrification in anoxic filter was not effective even with the addition of an external carbon source. There was a reduction of up to 56% of nitrogen caused by the process of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). The high voids space presented by this type of support material coupled with direct aeration of the sludge, allows the respiration of biomass retained between the endogenous phase, increased cell retention time and sludge retention capacity, producing a final effluent with turbidity less than 5 UT and total suspended solids around 5.0 mg/L

Caracterização biológica, histopatológica e análise de ácido nucléico de uma cepa Trypanosoma cruzi da região de Marília, SP

Estudou-se o comportamento biológico e histopatológico de uma cepa genuínamente mariliense de Trypanosoma cruzi, isolada em 1997 através de xenodiagnóstico artificial. Vinte e cinco camundongos swiss foram infectados intraperitonealmente, sendo 11 utilizados para a realização da curva parasitêmica e observação da morfologia dos tripomastigotas e 14 foram sacrificados após o 17, 23, 30, 60 e 180 dias pós-infecção e coletados coração, esôfago, fígado, cólon, e músculo esquelético (fragmento da coxa direita) para análise histopatológica. Cultura em meio LIT foi realizada para análise de DNA. Os resultados mostraram predomínio de formas largas, baixa parasitemia com picos médios de 860 tripomastigotas/5mil de sangue ao redor do 20º dia de infecção. Nenhum camundongo morreu na fase aguda da infecção. Exame histopatológico mostrou poucos ninhos de amastigotas em coração, raros em músculo esquelético e cólon com discreto processo inflamatório. Comparada com a cepa Y, que foi isolada de uma paciente da mesma região, notamos diferentes características biológicas e comportamentais, porém a análise de DNA as coloca no mesmo grupo, demonstrando a proximidade dessas cepas.

Método multirresíduo para monitoramento de contaminação ambiental de pesticidas na região de Bauru (SP) usando mel como bio-indicador

The presence of residues of the major groups of pesticides (organohalogen, organophosphorous, pyrethroids and organonitrogen) in representative samples of honey produced in Bauru (state of São Paulo, Brazil) was investigated from 1999 through2004. A multiresidue method was applied to honey samples to determine 48 pesticides with recoveries ranging from 76 to 95%. The limits of detection found were lower than 10 µg/kg for GC-MS-SIM. The results indicated that most pesticides found in the samples belonged to the organohalogen and organonitrogen groups. Residues of malathion were detected in almost all of the samples in high concentration.

Efeito da colhedora, velocidade e ponto de coleta na contaminação de sementes de soja por fungos

A pesquisa foi realizada com o objetivo de avaliar a qualidade sanitária de sementes de soja cv. Coodetec 217, colhidas por duas colhedoras operando em velocidades e pontos de coleta distintos. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, no esquema fatorial 2x2x2. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por duas máquinas Massey Ferguson (MF 2003 e MF 2004), duas velocidades (4 e 7 Km.h¹) e dois pontos de coleta (tanque graneleiro e saída do tubo de descarga). A sanidade foi avaliada pelo método do papel de filtro, com quatro repetições de 50 sementes. Houve interação significativa para os fatores colhedora e ponto de coleta para a incidência de Penicillium sp. e Fusarium sp., entre colhedora e velocidade para Aspergillus spp., e, entre velocidade e ponto de coleta para Penicillium sp.. A presença de fungos associados às sementes, principalmente, Cladosporium sp. e Fusarium sp., independe do tipo de colhedora. Uma menor contaminação fúngica é observada nas sementes coletadas na saída do tubo de descarga à 4 Km.h-1. Para Fusarium sp., Aspergillus spp., e Penicillium sp. existe uma dependência dos fatores sobre suas incidências nas sementes da cultivar analisada, sob as condições estudadas.

Atividade biológica de células-tronco da polpa de dentes decíduos humanos submetidas à criopreservação

Dental pulp stem cells have been widely investigated because of their ability to differentiate into both dental and non-dental cells, with potential use in therapies involving tissue engineering. The technique of cell cryopreservation represents a viable alternative for the conservation of these cells, since it stops reversibly, in a controlled manner, all of cell biological functions in an ultra low temperature. The present study aimed to evaluate, using in vitro experiments, the influence of a cryopreservation protocol on the biologic acti vity of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED). Cells obtained from the pulp of three deciduous teeth on end-stage exfoliation or with indicated extraction were expanded in α-MEM culture medium supplemented with antibiotics and 15% fetal bovine serum. At second subculture (P2), a group of cells were submitted to cryopreservation for 30 days in 10% DMSO diluted in fetal bovine serum, at -80º C, while the remind cells continued under normal conditions of cell culture. Cell proliferation was evaluated in both groups (not cryopreserved or cryopreserved) by Trypan blue stain essay at intervals of 24, 48 and 72h after plating. Cell cycle analysis of SHEDs submitted or not to the cryopreservation protocol was performed in the same intervals. Events related to cell death were studied by Annexyn V and PI expression under flow cytometry at the intervals of 24 and 72h. The presence of nuclear morphological changes was evaluated by DAPI staining at 72h interval. It was observed that both groups exhibited an upward cell proliferation curve, without considerable changes in cell viability throughout the experiment. The distribution of cell in the cell cycle phasis was consistent with cell proliferation in both groups. There were no nuclear morphological damages in the end range of the experiment. therefore, it is concluded that the proposed cryopreservation protocol is efficient for storing the studied cell type, allowing its use in future experimental studies

Revitalização do Rio Golandim (RN/Brasil) após décadas de contaminação por efluentes industriais e domésticos: este rio está recuperado?

Environmental pollution causes the loss of the quality of aquatic resources and also affects the health of human beings. The Golandim River is located in São Gonçalo do Amarante (RN Brazil) and had its water recovered seven years ago by measurements of parameters of the water s quality analyses physicochemistry, microbiological and heavy metals. However, it is not well established if this river is truly recovered, so this study provides a wide knowledge about the quality of these waters. Therefore, this investigation was accomplished by assays of ecotoxicology utilizing Ceriodaphnia dubia and of genotoxicity of the river s water using a biomarker Tradescantia Pallida (Trad-MCN). In set, it carried through a study of environmental perception through questionnaires that approached questions related to the profile of the interviewed one, knowledge on the environment and of the river Golandim with the community that lives in the neighborhoods of the river to diagnosis as they perceive the environment where live and its problems. The assays of the water had been carried out by collecting samples in three different sites of the Golandim River. They were collected between the periods of December 2010 (dry season in the northeast of Brazil) and July 2011 (rainy season in the northeast of). The analysis of the data allowed observing that the majority of the inhabitants are adult and presents a global vision of what it is part of the environment, the majority mentions the pollution of the river as one of the problems of the city, considering it serious. The ecotoxicology assay showed that there was not acute toxicity in all three samples collected. Meanwhile, all these three samples demonstrated significant chronic toxicity. The results from the Trad-MCN assay presented an increase in the frequency of micronucleus in one of the sites analyzed (S3) (p<0.01), in both seasons collected. On the other hand, the sites S1 and S2 did not presented a significant increase of micronucleus using this bioassay. The analyses of chemicals detected an increase in the levels of some metals, in different seasons and samples, which can be associates with some compounds found in urban and industrial areas. On the other hand, the physicochemistries parameters demonstrated that the Golandim River is recouped, when compared with the values presented at the CONAMA s legislation. However, these results indicate the presence of compounds capable of inducing chromosomal mutation in plants. On the other hand, the parameters physicistchemistries demonstrate that the river Golandim is if recouping, since when compares the values observed with the legislation of the CONAMA. All these results point to the fact that the Trad-MCN assay was sensitive and efficient biomarker for chromosomal instability and the C. dubia ecotoxicology assay was as though an efficient biomarker of toxicity of water s quality. The results from Trad-MCN associated with the ecotoxicology demonstrates that these analyses are important for environmental monitoring, once the first bioassay described above indicates alterations at the standards of cells and the other one indicates alterations at the standards of organisms. This study alerts for the necessity to carry out biological assays for the analyses of the water s quality

Avaliação da contaminação da câmara anterior na cirurgia de facoemulsificação com implante de lente intra-ocular

Objetivo: Avaliar a existência de contaminação da câmara anterior durante a facectomia por facoemulsificação com implante de lente intra-ocular. Método: Foi realizado estudo prospectivo, avaliando-se 30 pacientes submetidos a facectomia por facoemulsificação com implante de lente intra-ocular, colhendo-se duas amostras de humor aquoso, uma obtida no início e outra no final da cirurgia. As amostras foram semeadas em meio de cultura para germes aeróbios, anaeróbios e fungos. Resultado: Todas as amostras avaliadas resultaram negativas. Conclusão: A contaminação da câmara anterior na cirurgia de facoemulsificação com implante de lente intra-ocular, usando os cuidados necessários, é infreqüente.

Efeitos da laserterapia na atividade biológica de células de carcinoma epidermóide de língua humano

The low level laser therapy (LLLT) has shown to be effective in promoting the proliferation of different cells in vitro, including keratinocytes, osteoblasts, endothelial cells and stem cells. It has been speculated that the biostimulatory effect of LLLT could cause undesirable enhancement of tumor growth in neoplastic diseases, since the malignant cells are more susceptible to proliferative stimuli. Within this context, this study evaluated the effect of LLLT on epidermoid carcinoma of the tongue cell line (SCC25) proliferation and invasion. Cultured cells were irradiated with an InGaAIP diode laser, 660nm, 30mW using two energy densities (0.5J/cm2 and 1.0J/cm2). Proliferative activity was assessed through trypan blue staining method and through cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry. The invasive potential was measured through cell invasion assay using matrigel. Cyclin D1, E-cadherin, -catenin and MMP-9 expressions were analyzed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry and related to the investigated biological activities. Proliferation curve demonstrated that SCC25 irradiated with 1.0J/cm2 had the highest proliferative rate when compared to the control group and the group irradiated with 0.5J/cm2 (p<0.05). LLLT affected cell cycle distribution and energy density of 1.0 J/cm2 promoted a higher percentage of cells in S/G2/M phases, with statistically significant differences at 24h interval (p<0.05). LLLT, mainly with 1.0J/cm2, revealed significantly higher potential for invasion and influenced the expression of cyclin D1, E-cadherin, -catenin and MMP-9, promoting the malignant phenotype. In conclusion, our results indicate that LLLT has an important stimulatory effect on proliferation and invasion of SCC25 cells, likely due to altered expression of proteins associated with these processes

Caracterização de processos morfodinâmicos e hidrodinâmicos do cinturão lacustre meridional da Reserva Biológica do Lago Pirituba, Amapá

The Amapá State has an important natural lake system, known as The Amapá Lakes Region . Most of these lakes are on the southern part of Amapá s coastal plain, which has 300 km of extension and it s composed by holocenic sediments deposited at the northern part of Amazon River to the Orange Cape located on the northern part of Amapá state. This region is under influence of the Amazon River discharge which is the largest liquid discharge of about 209.000 m³/s and biggest sediment budget discharged on the ocean in the order 6.108 ton per day. The climate is influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone and El Niño Southern Oscillation which act mainly under precipitation, nebulosity, local rivers and tidal hidrology. In this region lake belts are Ocidental, Oriental and Meridional Lake Belts. The last one is formed by the by the lakes Comprido de Cima, Botos, Bacia, Lodão, Ventos, Mutuco and Comprido de Baixo. These lakes are the closest to the Araguari River and are characterized by pelitic sedimentation associated with fluvial and estuarine flood plains under influence of tides. The lakes are interconnected, suffer influence of flood pulses from the Tartarugal, Tartarugalzinho and Araguari rivers and the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic know edge is poor. Volume and area reduction, natural eutrophication, anthophic influence, hidrodynamic alterations, morphological changes and are factors which can contribute to the closing of such lakes on the Meridional Lake Belt. This belt is inside the boundaries of the Biological Reserve of Piratuba Lake, created in 1980 for integral protection. Due to the fragility of the environment together with the poor knowledge of the system and with the study area relevancy it is necessary to know the hydrodynamic and geoenvironmental processes. This work aims the characterization of morphodynamic and hydrodynamic processes in order to understand the geoambiental context of the Meridional Lake Belt, from the Comprido de Baixo Lake to the dos Ventos Lake, including the Tabaco Igarape. Methodology was based on the hydrodynamic data acquisition: liquid discharge (acoustic method), tides, bathymetry and the interpretation of multitemporal remote sensing images, integrated in a Geographic Information System (GIS). By this method charts of the medium liquid discharges of Lake Mutuco and Tabacco Igarape the maximum velocity of flow were estimated in: 1.1 m/s, 1.6 m/s and 1.6 m/s (rainy season) and 0.6 m/s, 0.6 m/s and 0.7 m/s (dry period), the maximum flow in: 289 m³/s, 297 m³/s and 379 m³/s (rainy season) and 41 m³/s , 79 m³/s and 105 m³/s (dry period), respectively. From the interpretation of multitemporal satellite images, maps were developed together with the analysis of the lakes and Tobaco Igarape evolution from 1972 to 2008, and were classified according to the degree of balance in the area: stable areas, eutrophic areas, areas of gain, and eroded areas. Troughout analysis of the balance of areas, it was possible to quantify the volume of lake areas occupied by aquatic macrophytes. The study sought to understand the hydrodynamic and morphodynamic processes occurring in the region, contributing to the elucidation of the processes which cause and/or favor geoenvironmental changes in the region; all such information is fundamental to making the management of the area and further definition of parameters for environmental monitoring and contributing to the development of the management plan of the Biological Reserve of Lake Piratuba. The work activities is a part of the Project "Integration of Geological, geophysical and geochemical data to Paleogeographic rebuilding of Amazon Coast, from the Neogene to the Recent