Screening and Production Study of Microbial Xylanase Producers from Brazilian Cerrado

Hemicelluloses are polysaccharides of low molecular weight containing 100 to 200 glycosidic residues. In plants, the xylans or the hemicelluloses are situated between the lignin and the collection of cellulose fibers underneath. The xylan is the most common hemicellulosic polysaccharide in cell walls of land plants, comprising a backbone of xylose residues linked by beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds. So, xylanolytic enzymes from microorganism have attracted a great deal of attention in the last decade, particularly because of their biotechnological characteristics in various industrial processes, related to food, feed, ethanol, pulp, and paper industries. A microbial screening of xylanase producer was carried out in Brazilian Cerrado area in Selviria city, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. About 50 bacterial strains and 15 fungal strains were isolated from soil sample at 35 A degrees C. Between these isolated microorganisms, a bacterium Lysinibacillus sp. and a fungus Neosartorya spinosa as good xylanase producers were identified. Based on identification processes, Lysinibacillus sp. is a new species and the xylanase production by this bacterial genus was not reported yet. Similarly, it has not reported about xylanase production from N. spinosa. The bacterial strain P5B1 identified as Lysinibacillus sp. was cultivated on submerged fermentation using as substrate xylan, wheat bran, corn straw, corncob, and sugar cane bagasse. Corn straw and wheat bran show a good xylanase activity after 72 h of fermentation. A fungus identified as N. spinosa (strain P2D16) was cultivated on solid-state fermentation using as substrate source wheat bran, wheat bran plus sawdust, corn straw, corncob, cassava bran, and sugar cane bagasse. Wheat bran and corncobs show the better xylanase production after 72 h of fermentation. Both crude xylanases were characterized and a bacterial xylanase shows optimum pH for enzyme activity at 6.0, whereas a fungal xylanase has optimum pH at 5.0-5.5. They were stable in the pH range 5.0-10.0 and 5.5-8.5 for bacterial and fungal xylanase, respectively. The optimum temperatures were 55C and 60 A degrees C for bacterial and fungal xylanase, respectively, and they were thermally stable up to 50 A degrees C.

Production, purification and characterization of a minor form of xylanase from Aspergillus versicolor

A strain of Aspergillus versicolor produces a xylanolytic complex containing two components, the minor component being designated xylanase II. The highest production of xylanase II was observed in cultures grown for 5 days in 1% wheat bran as carbon source, at pH 6.5. Xylanase II was purified 28-fold by DEAE-Sephadex and HPLC GF-5 10 gel filtration. Xylanase II was a monomeric glycoprotein, exhibiting a molecular mass of 32 kDa with 14.1% of carbohydrate content. Optimal pH and temperature values for the enzyme activity were about 6.0-7.0 and 55 degreesC, respectively. Xylanase II thermoinactivation at 50degreesC showed a biphasic curve. The ions Hg2+, Cu2+ and the detergent SDS were strong inhibitors, while Mn2+ ions and dithiothreitol were stimulators of the enzyme activity. The enzyme was specific for xylans, showing higher specific activity on birchwood xylan. The Michaelis-Menten constant (K-m) for birchwood xylan was estimated to be 2.3 mg ml(-1) while maximal velocity (V-max) was 233.1 mumol mg(-1) min(-1) of protein. The hydrolysis of oat spell xylan released only xylooligosaccharides. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Selection of thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi for the production of cellulases and xylanases under solid-state fermentation

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

Neutrino masses through a type II seesaw mechanism at TeV scale

In this work we show that we can generate neutrino masses through the type II seesaw mechanism working at TeV scale in the context of a 331 model. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Consistency of superspace low energy equations of motion of 4D Type II superstring with Type II sigma model at tree-level

We derive the torsion constraints and show the consistency of equations of motion of four-dimensional Type II supergravity in superspace. with Type II sigma model. This is achieved by coupling the four-dimensional compactified Type II Berkovits' superstring to an N = 2 curved background and requiring that the sigma-model has superconformal invariance at tree-level. We compute this in a manifestly 4D N = 2 supersymmetric way. The constraints break the target conformal and SU(2) invariances and the dilaton will be a conformal, SU(2) x U(1) compensator. For Type II superstring in four dimensions, worldsheet supersymmetry requires two different compensators. One type is described by chiral and anti-chiral superfields. This compensator can be identified with a vector multiplet. The other Type II compensator is described by twist-chiral and twist-anti-chiral superfields and can be identified with a tensor hypermultiplet. Also, the superconformal invariance at tree-level selects a particular gauge, where the matter is fixed, but not the compensators. After imposing the reality conditions, we show that the Type II sigma model at tree-level is consistent with the equations of motion for Type II supergravity in the string gauge. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Search for a heavy neutral gauge boson in the dielectron channel with 5.4 fb(-1) of p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for CP violation in B-s(0) -> mu(+) D-s(-) X decays in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

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

Binuclear cyclopalladated compounds with antitubercular activity: synthesis and characterization of [{Pd(C-2,N-dmba)(X)}(2)(mu-bpp)] (X = Cl, Br, NCO, N-3; bpp=1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane)

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

Synthesis, characterization, and thermal behavior of palladium(II) coordination compounds containing isonicotinamide

Palladium(II) coordination compounds of general formula trans-[PdX(2)(isn)(2)], X = Cl(-) (1), N(3) (-) (2), SCN(-) (3), NCO(-) (4), isn = isonicotinamide; were synthesized and characterized in solid state by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and simultaneous TG-DTA. TG experiments reveal that the compounds 1-4 undergo thermal decomposition in three or four stages, yielding Pd(0) as final residue, according to calculus and identification by X-ray powder diffraction.

Desempenho de escolares de 1ª a 4ª série do ensino fundamental nas provas de habilidades metafonológicas e de leitura - PROHMELE

OBJETIVO: Elaborar uma bateria de provas que se propõe a avaliar o processamento de habilidades necessárias para a aquisição do sistema de escrita alfabético do Português do Brasil, e caracterizar e comparar o desempenho dos escolares de 1ª a 4ª série do ensino fundamental nas provas desta bateria. MÉTODOS: Foram elaboradas provas específicas para este fim, seguindo os princípios fonológicos da língua portuguesa do Brasil. Foram avaliados 120 escolares de 1ª a 4ª séries, sendo 30 de cada série escolar divididos em quatro grupos, respectivamente GI, GII, GIII e GIV. As provas elaboradas e aplicadas foram: prova de habilidades metafonológicas (identificação e manipulação de sílabas e fonemas, além de repetição de não-palavras); prova de leitura (leitura de palavras reais e de pseudopalavras). RESULTADOS: Houve diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os grupos nas habilidades metafonológicas com as médias diminuindo da 1ª à 4ª série sucessivamente. Também houve diferenças quanto ao tempo de leitura de palavras reais e de pseudopalavras, com as médias diminuindo da 1ª à 3ª série, mantendo-se igual ou próximo entre esta e a 4ª série. CONCLUSÃO: Os desempenhos foram se tornando superiores da 1ª à 4ª série, sendo que os escolares obtiveram desempenhos superiores nas provas de identificação em relação às provas de manipulação, assim como os desempenhos nas provas silábicas foram superiores aos das provas fonêmicas. Há uma prevalência da rota fonológica nas séries iniciais (1ª e 2ª) com as outras séries, especialmente a 4ª, usando mais a rota lexical.

Aplicação em jato dirigido em cana-de-açúcar. II: espaçamento entre bicos turbo floodjet para a aplicação de herbicidas

Aplicações de herbicidas em estádios mais avançados de desenvolvimento da cana-de-açúcar, em pré ou em pós-emergência inicial das plantas infestantes, podem ser feitas em jato dirigido, para que o produto atinja diretamente o alvo. Com esse fim, avaliaram-se 10 bicos TF-VS4 a 30 lbf/pol2, determinando-se as vazões e os padrões de deposição em 6 alturas (entre 9 e 36cm), em mesa de prova com 67 canaletas. Após isso, um programa computacional simulou o padrão de deposição de dois bicos separados entre 20 e 70cm no centro da entre linha da cana-de-açúcar. Os resultados indicaram que as vazões obtidas com bicos individuais apresentaram média de 2,3 l/min, com coeficiente de variação 2,5% e os padrões de deposição mostraram boa precisão com um intervalo de confiança estreito. Foi possível selecionar as melhores combinações de altura (A) e espaçamento (E) entre dois bicos, para os espaçamentos usuais de cana-de-açúcar; sendo que as melhores combinações mostraram relação E/A próxima de 1,4. Por exemplo, A = 35 cm e E = 50 cm para cana-de-açúcar a 140cm entrelinhas.

Interaction between paraventricular nucleus and septal area in the control of physiological responses induced by angiotensin II

We determined the effects of losartan (40 nmol) and PD 123319 (40 nmol) (both non-peptides and selective antagonists of the AT1 and AT2 angiotensin receptors, respectively), and [Sar¹, Ala8] angiotensin II (ANG II) (40 nmol) (a non-selective peptide antagonist of angiotensin receptors) injected into the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) on the water and salt appetite, diuresis and natriuresis and mean arterial pressure (MAP) induced by administration of 10 nmol of ANG II into the medial septal area (MSA) of male Holtzman rats weighing 250-300 g. The volume of drug solution injected was 0.5 µl over a period of 10-15 s. The responses were measured over a period of 120 min. ANG II alone injected into the MSA induced an increase in all the above parameters (8.1 ± 1.2, 1.8 ± 0.3, and 17.1 ± 1.0 ml, 217 ± 25 µEq/120 min, and 24 ± 4 mmHg, respectively, N = 10-12) compared with vehicle-treated rats (1.4 ± 0.2, 0.6 ± 0.1, and 9.3 ± 0.5 ml, 47 ± 5 µEq/120 min, and 4.1 ± 0.8 mmHg, respectively, N = 10-14). Pretreatment with losartan and [Sar¹, Ala8] ANG II completely abolished the water and sodium intake, and the pressor increase (0.5 ± 0.2, 1.1 ± 0.2, 0.5 ± 0.2, and 0.8 ± 0.2 ml, and 1.2 ± 3.9, 31 ± 4.6 mmHg, respectively, N = 9-12), whereas losartan blunted the urinary and sodium excretion induced by ANG II (13.9 ± 1.0 ml and 187 ± 10 µEq/120 min, respectively, N = 9). Pretreatment with PD 123319 and [Sar¹, Ala8] ANG II blocked the urinary and sodium excretion (10.7 ± 0.8, 9.8 ± 0.7 ml, and 67 ± 13 and 57 ± 17 µEq/120 min, respectively, N = 9), whereas pretreatment with PD 123319 partially blocked the water and sodium intake, and the MAP induced by ANG II administration (2.3 ± 0.3, 1.1 ± 0.1 ml, and 12 ± 3 mmHg, respectively, N = 9-10). These results suggest the angiotensinergic effect of the MSA on the AT1 and AT2 receptors of the PVN in terms of water and sodium homeostasis and MAP modulation.

Analgesia pós-operatória para crianças com menos de 1 ano: análise retrospectiva

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A dor pós-operatória continua sendo uma das principais complicações pós-operatórias e motivo de desconforto, principalmente em crianças. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o uso de analgésicos desde o término da cirurgia até a alta da sala de recuperação pós-anestésica (SRPA), como medida terapêutica ou profilática, para crianças com menos de 1 ano de idade. MÉTODO: Utilizando o banco de dados do Departamento de Anestesiologia, foi realizada análise retrospectiva, envolvendo o período de janeiro de 2000 a abril de 2001, das anestesias de crianças menores que 1 ano de idade submetidas a procedimentos cirúrgicos diversos, avaliando aspectos relacionados à analgesia pós-operatória. RESULTADOS: No período do estudo, foram anestesiadas 402 crianças menores que 1 ano, sendo que 194 (48,2%) não receberam analgésicos e 208 (51,8%) receberam. Com relação ao uso ou não de analgésicos, foi observado o que se segue: Sem analgésicos: (1) Idade: até 1 mês, 68/99; entre 1 e 6 meses, 53/126; entre 6 meses e 1 ano, 73/177. (2) Peso: 6,7 ± 3,1 kg (3). Sexo: masculino, 106/240; feminino, 88/162. (4) Estado físico ASA: ASA I, 69/187; ASA II, 56/113; ASA III, 46/79; ASA IV, 23/23. (5) Anestesia peridural sacral: 3/4. (6) Tempo de anestesia: 106 ± 32 minutos. (7) Encaminhamento para unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI): 93/119. Uso de analgésicos: (1) Idade: até 1 mês, 31/99; entre 1 e 6 meses, 73/126; entre 6 meses e 1 ano, 104/177. (2) Peso: 9 ± 2,3 kg. (3) Sexo: masculino, 134/240; feminino, 74/162. (4) Estado físico ASA: ASA I, 118/187; ASA II, 57/113; ASA III, 33/79; ASA IV, 0/23. (5) Anestesia peridural sacral: 1/4. (6) Tempo de anestesia: 130 ± 38 minutos. (7) Encaminhamento para UTI: 26/119. Os fármacos empregados para promover analgesia foram: dipirona (60,6%), dipirona + tramadol (25,5%), dipirona + nalbufina (5,3%), tramadol (3,8%), nalbufina (3,8%), meperidina (0,5%) e fentanil (0,5%). CONCLUSÕES: Utilizar analgésicos em crianças desde o término da cirurgia até a alta da SRPA não foi habitual, principalmente nas crianças menores e mais graves e em procedimentos cirúrgicos mais rápidos. O uso de dipirona, isoladamente, ou a associação dipirona/tramadol, foram as drogas analgésicas mais freqüentemente empregadas.

Synthesis, spectral and thermal studies on pyrazolate-bridged palladium(II) coordination polymers

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and thermal behavior of pyrazolate-bridged palladium complexes [Pd(mu-Pz)(2)](n) (1), [Pd(mu-mPz)(2)](n) (2), [Pd(mu-dmPz)(2)](n) (3), [Pd(mu-IPz)(2)](n) (4) {pyrazolate (Pz(-)), 4-methylpyrazolate (mPz(-)), 3,5-dimethylpyrazolate (dmPz(-)), 4-iodopyrazolate (IPz(-))} have been described in this work. The exobidentate coordination mode of pyrazolato ligands in 1-4 was inferred on basis of IR spectroscopic evidences. TG investigations indicated that the introduction of substituents at the 4 position in the pyrazolyl moiety into coordination polymers do not affect significantly their thermal stability, whereas at the 3 and 5 position reduced the stability of the main chain. Metal palladium was the final product of the thermal decompositions, which was identified by X-ray powder diffraction.

REACTIONS OF MERCURIC ACETATE WITH PENTACARBONYLIRON IN ALCOHOLS - CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURES OF HG[FE(COOR)(CO)(4)](2) (R=CH3, C2H5)

Reactions of Hg(CH3COO)(2) with [Fe(CO)(5)] in MeOH and EtOH lead to the compounds Hg[Fe(COOR)(CO)(4)](2) (I for R = CH3 and II for R = C2H5). Crystals of I are triclinic, P (1) over bar, with a = 6.272(2), b = 6.441(3), c = 11.703(4) Angstrom, a = 92.94(3)degrees, beta = 103.77(3)degrees, gamma = 96.10(2)degrees, and Z = 1. Crystals of II are tetragonal, I4(1)/a, with a = 17.906(3) Angstrom, c = 12.756(2) Angstrom, and Z = 8. The geometry around Hg is linear for compound I and approximately linear for compound II. The Hg-Fe distances are 2.5716(8) and 2.575(4) Angstrom for compounds I and II, respectively. The geometry around the Fe in both compounds is approximately octahedral. The carboalkoxy group is cis to Hg in both compounds with Fe-C distances equal to 2.034(6) and 2.05(4) Angstrom for compounds I and II, respectively.