CHRONOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF BRAZILIAN GLYPTODON SP REMAINS: A DIRECT (14)C DATE FOR A SPECIMEN FROM IPORANGA, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Glyptodon sp. fossil remains can be found throughout Brazil. However, little information is available about their chronological distribution. With the intention to contribute to this issue, we present, as far as we know, the first direct radiocarbon date for 1 specimen of this genus found in Brazil. The osteoderm MZSP-PV660 found in Abismo do Fossil Cave (SP-145), Iporanga, Sao Paulo, Brazil, was dated by accelerator mass spectrometry at the Beta Analytic Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory. The (14)C date obtained was between 20,680 and 21,370 calibrated years before the present. Unfortunately, the scant (and often imprecise or unreliable) chronological data regarding this species and genus in Brazil and elsewhere in South America precludes a robust comparison among the dates available and the one presented here. Nevertheless, our finding supports the existence of this genus in South America at least until the Last Glacial Maximum.

Fluoride in the groundwater of the Tubarao and Crystaline aquifers, Salto-Indaiatuba region (SP)

Anomalous concentrations of fluoride in groundwater were identified in 19 drilling wells in the Salto-Indaiatuba region, Sao Paulo State, with an average concentration of 3.03 mg dm(-3) and a maximum of 6.95 mg dm(-3), which constitute a restriction for the water`s usage in terms of human consumption. The wells exploit water from the Tubarao Aquifer (sedimentary, granular) and Crystalline Aquifer (granitic, fractured), used for sanitary or industrial purposes. These groundwaters are typically HCO(3) and HCO(3)-SO(4) types, with high concentrations of HCO(3) -and Na(+) and high pH-values between 7.5 and 10.0. The highest concentrations of F-are associated to the Tubarao and Tubarao/Crystalline aquifer drilling wells. The presence of F-in groundwater is controlled by these high pH-values, alkalinity, and fluorine availability. The source of fluoride in the Tubarao and Crystalline Aquifers can be related to the percolation of hydrothermal fluids associated with Mesozoic lava flow, emplaced due to the opening of Atlantic Ocean and/or hydrolysis of fluorine-rich minerals and clay minerals.

Neopaleozoic striated surfaces in the granitic basement and clast pavement remains of Salto, SP

Near Guarau Ceramic, localized southwest of Salto city in the State of Sao Paulo, two granite outcrops, distant some tens of meters from each other, display Neopaleozoic striated surfaces. These surfaces are in contact with diamictites from the Itarare Subgroup. The striae correspond to sub parallel grooves with millimetric spacing and depth, oriented about N48E and dipping 12 degrees to 42 degrees towards SE. Observed features and association with diamictites indicate an origin by glacial abrasion due to ice movement from southeast towards northwest. About 1.8 km east of Salto, unconsolidated material containing flat-iron-shaped and striated clasts was found on top of granite outcrops, interpreted as clasts pavement remains.

Cearania heterophylla gen. nov et sp nov., a fossil gymnosperm with affinities to the Gnetales from the Early Cretaceous of northern Gondwana

Vegetative and fertile shoots of a shrub-like seed plant from the late Aptian Crato Formation of Brazil are described as Cearania heterophylla Kunzmann, Mohr and Bernardes-de-Oliveira, gen. nov. et sp. nov. Anatomical details of the axes, epidermal features and separate ovulate and pollen producing organs indicate the gymnospermous nature of this plant. The vascular tissue of the axes includes tracheids with bordered pits and fiber tracheids. Vegetative shoots comprising at least three branching orders bear opposite-decussately arranged ovate to lanceolate, dorsiventrally flattened, parallelodromous, rather thick leaves that vary tremendously in size. The amphistomatic leaves bear (brachy-)paracytic stomatal complexes arranged in simple longitudinal files. The ovulate structure is interpreted as a terminally attached single globular ovule/seed surrounded by at least five to six lanceolate bracts. A terminally attached pollen-cone like structure grows on a lateral leafy shoot. The unusual character combination may indicate that the fossils belong to a hitherto unknown group with affinities to ephedroid Gnetales. Sterile shoots formerly often described as Podozamites, Nageiopsis or Lilites that are at least partly congeneric with C. heterophylla Kunzmann, Mohr and Bernardes-de-Oliveira, gen. nov. et sp. nov. had a wide geographic distribution during the Early Cretaceous. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and Calcium-Binding Activity of LipL32, the Major Surface Antigen of Pathogenic Leptospira sp.

Leptospixosis, a spirochaetal zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira, has been recognized as an important emerging infectious disease. LipL32 is the major exposed outer membrane protein found exclusively in pathogenic leptospires, where it accounts for up to 75% of the total outer membrane proteins. It is highly immunogenic, and recent studies have implicated LipL32 as an extracellular matrix binding protein, interacting with collagens, fibronectin, and laminin. In order to better understand the biological role and the structural requirements for the function of this important lipoprotein, we have determined the 2.25-angstrom-resolution structure of recombinant LipL32 protein corresponding to residues 21-272 of the wild-type protein (LipL32(21-272)). The LipL32(21-272) monomer is made of a jelly-roll fold core from which several peripheral secondary structures protrude. LipL32(21-272) is structurally similar to several other jelly-roll proteins, some of which bind calcium ions and extracellular matrix proteins. Indeed, spectroscopic data (circular dichroism, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, and extrinsic 1-amino-2-naphthol-4-sulfonic acid fluorescence) confirmed the calcium-binding properties of LipL32(21-272). Ca(2+) binding resulted in a significant increase in the thermal stability of the protein, and binding was specific for Ca(2+) as no structural or stability perturbations were observed for Mg(2+), Zn(2+), or Cu(2+). Careful examination of the crystal lographic structure suggests the locations of putative regions that could mediate Ca(2+) binding as well as binding to other interacting host proteins, such as collagens, fibronectin, and lamixidn. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sesquiterpenes from Xylaria sp., an endophytic fungus associated with Piper aduncum (Piperaceae)

Two new presilphiperfolane sesquiterpenes, 1 and 2, were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Xylaria sp., obtained from the leaves of Piper aduncum, along with two known eremophilane sesquiterpenes, phaseolinone (3) and phomenone (4). Chemical structures of 1 and 2 were established by analysis of spectroscopic data. The four compounds were tested in vitro for antifungal and cytotoxicity activities using CHO (Chinese hamster ovary). Compounds 1 and 2 did not show any antifungal and cytotoxic activity. Compounds 3 and 4 displayed moderate cytotoxic activities, as well as 4 antifungal activity. (C) 2010 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Valet för livet? : En kvantitativ undersökning om hur elever på SP- programmet motiverar sitt gymnasieval och hur skolornas marknadsföring ser ut.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar samhällsprogrammets elevers val av skola. För att undersöka detta genomfördes en enkätundersökning på tre gymnasieskolor och skolornas respektive marknadsföring undersöktes. Undersökningen visade att samhällsprogramseleverna i sitt skolval framförallt påverkats mest av skolornas Öppna hus samt at skolorna hade rykte om att ha bra lärare, valbara kurser, skolmat och allmän stämning på skolan. Dessutom spelar skolans geografiska läge en roll. Vi kom fram till att de flesta eleverna vill att skolan ligger nära tåg och buss och ganska centralt. I den kommunala skolan var närheten till hemmet avgörande. Eleverna anser själva att föräldrarna och kompisarnas påverkan inte är avgörande för deras gymnasieval. Dessutom kom vi fram till att den större delen av eleverna hade högutbildade föräldrar och de flesta hade en svensk bakgrund. På den kommunala skolan, som låg på landsbygden, var andelen elever med utländska föräldrar störst. Vårt resultat stämmer överrens med tidigare forskning, då det redan tidigare har kommit fram till att elever med utländsk bakgrund oftast går till skolor som ligger i förorter från större städer. Dessutom är andelen elever med utländska föräldrar mycket mindre på fristående skolor än på kommunala skolor. I tidigare forskning har ytterligare kommit fram att högutbildade föräldrar gör ett mer medvetet och aktivt val när de väljer gymnasium och att fler högutbildade föräldrar väljer en fristående skola, än lågutbildade föräldrar. På de skolors SP-programelever vi undersökte såg vi att den största delen av föräldrarna var högutbildade och att en stor grupp var lärare. SP-programmet är studieförberedande och därför kan det vara så att eleverna påverkats av föräldrarnas socioekonomiska status i sitt val, vilket skulle stämma överens med tidigare forskning, även om de själva ser det som ett fritt och självständigt val.

Description of loxocythere (novoloxocythere) pelius subgen. sp. nov. (ostracoda) from the cenozoic of S.E. Australia with comments on species of antarctiloxoconcha hartmann, 1986 and loxoreticulatum benson, 1964 from Australian and Antarctic marine waters

Loxocythere (Novoloxocythere) pelius subgen. et sp. nov. is described from Upper Miocene strata of the Port Phillip and Western Port Basins. Victoria. It has its acme in shallow open marine facies of latest Miocene (Cheltenhamian) age. This species, along with Loxocythere<span style="font-style: italic;"> span>(Novoloxocythere) kerryswansoni Yassini and Jones, 1995, forms a discrete group of rotund Australian Loxocythere species that possess posterior extremities in both valves that are positioned well above mid carapace height (i.e. adjacent to dorsal margin). This feature along with a sub-triangular inner margin outline, defines a carapace shape that is distinct from that of rotund species of Loxocythere (loxocythere) Hornibrook, 1952 and<span style="font-style: italic;"> span>Antarctiloxoconcha Hartmann, 1986. The type species of Antarctiloxoconcha – A.frigida (Neale. 1967), possesses internal carapace features that are very similar to the type species of Loxocythere - L. crassa Hornibrook, 1952. Both have relatively short carapaces and sub-quadrate inner margin outlines with posterior extremities in both valves positioned below mid carapace height. Species of Loxocythere (Novoloxocythere), in particular L. (N.) kerryswansoni, have a carapace shape that is transitional between<span style="font-style: italic;"> span>Loxocythere and Loxoreticulatum Benson, 1964. Species of Loxoreticulatum generally possess a sub-parallelogram shaped carapace/inner margin and arched median hinge element. The latter feature is distinct from the mostly straight median hinge elements of Loxocythere (Loxocythere) and<span style="font-style: italic;"> span>Loxocythere (Novoloxocythere) species. Species of Loxocythere (Novoloxocythere) are also readily distinguishable from relatively elongate species of Loxocythere, such as L. (L.) hornibrooki McKenzie, 1967, as the latter possess long (for genus), sub-rectangular shaped carapaces/inner margin outlines and posterior extremities below mid height.

Degradation of phenanthrene and pyrene in soil slurry reactors with immobilized bacteria Zoogloea sp.

The environmental fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils is motivated by their wide distribution, high persistence, and potentially deleterious effect on human health. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons constitute the largest group of environmental contaminants released in the environment. Therefore, the potential biodegradation of these compounds is of vital importance. A biocarrier suitable for the colonization by micro-organisms for the purpose of purifying soil contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was developed. The optimized composition of the biocarrier was polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) 10%, sodium alginate (SA) 0.5%, and powdered activated carbon (PAC) 5%. There was no observable cytotoxicity of biocarriers on immobilized cells and a viable cell population of 1.86 × 10¹⁰ g^–1 was maintained for immobilized bacterium. Biocarriers made from chemical methods had a higher biodegradation but lower mechanical strengths. Immobilized bacterium Zoogloea sp. had an ideal capability of biodegradation for phenanthrene and pyrene over a relative wide concentration range. The study results showed that the biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene reached 87.0 and 75.4%, respectively, by using the optimal immobilized method of Zoogloea sp. cultivated in a sterilized soil. Immobilized Zoogloea sp. was found to be effective for biodegrading the soil contaminated with phenanthrene and pyrene. Even in "natural" (unsterilized) soil, the biodegradation of phenanthrene and pyrene using immobilized Zoogloea sp. reached 85.0 and 67.1%, respectively, after 168 h of cultivation, more than twice that achieved if the cells were not immobilized on the biocarrier. Therefore, the immobilization technology enhanced the competitive ability of introduced micro-organisms and represents an effective method for the biotreatment of soil contaminated with phenanthrene and pyrene.

Biodegradation of benzo[a]pyrene in soil by Mucor sp. SF06 and Bacillus sp. SB02 co-immobilized on vermiculite

Two indigenous microorganisms, Bacillus sp. SB02 and Mucor sp. SF06, capable of degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were co-immobilized on vermiculite by physical adsorption and used to degrade benzo[a] pyrene (BaP). The characteristics of BaP degradation by both free and co-immobilized microorganism were then investigated and compared. The removal rate using the immobilized bacterial-fungal mixed consortium was higher than that of the freely mobile mixed consortium. 95.3% of BaP was degraded using the co-immobilized system within 42 d, which was remarkably higher than the removal rate of that by the free strains. The optimal amount of inoculated co-immobilized system for BaP degradation was 2%. The immobilized bacterial-fungal mixed consortium also showed better water stability than the free strains. Kinetics of BaP biodegradation by co-immobilized SF06 and SB02 were also studied. The results demonstrated that BaP degradation could be well described by a zero-order reaction rate equation when the initial BaP concentration was in the range of 10—200 mg/kg. The scanning electronic microscope (SEM) analysis showed that the co-immobilized microstructure was suitable for the growth of SF06 and SB02. The mass transmission process of co-immobilized system in soil is discussed. The results demonstrate the potential for employing the bacterial-fungal mixed consortium, co-immobilized on vermiculite, for in situ bioremediation of BaP.

The Physiological, Enzymatic, and Genetic Characterization of Staphylococcus sp. Chromium (VI) Reductase Function

A strain of Staphylococcus isolated by Dr. Fekete at the Sandia National Laboratory toxic metal dumping site in Sandia, New Mexico. has been found to reduce toxic Cr(VI) to the less toxic Cr(IlI) state. We have ascertained the environmental parameters for optimal bacterial growth and Cr(VI) reduction. This knowledge may be employed in a comprehensive bioremediation scheme designed to accelerate natural reparation of that Sandia ecosystem. In addition we have investigated the genetic and enzymatic basis for this Cr(VI) reducing ability. This information may allow us to create more effective bioremediation schemes based on the comprehensive knowledge of enzyme and gene function. Preliminary investigations have been carried out toward this end which may serve as the basis for a more thorough investigation.

Influence of chemical oxidant on degradation of benzo[a]pyrene metabolites by the bacterium-Zoogloea sp.

It is neither comprehensive nor appropriate that the bioremediation of a benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)-contaminated environment be assessed only by its high degradation extent because its metabolites' chemical structures are similar to the parent compound and maybe equally toxic. Therefore, further degradation of BaP metabolites is significant. Three methods, combining the Zoogloea sp. with potassium permanganate, combining the Zoogloea sp. with H₂O₂, Zoogloea sp. alone, were investigated to degrade cis-BP4,5-dihydrodiol and cis-BP7,8-dihydrodiol, which are the metabolites of BaP formed by bacterium-Zoogloea sp. Optimum parameters of degradation in the best method are that: of the three methods, coupling the Zoogloea sp. and KMnO₄ is the best; compared with cis-BP7,8-dihydrodiol, cis-BP4,5-dihydrodiol is the more liable to be accumulated in pure cultures; the degradation effect of the two metabolites is optimal when the initial concentration of KMnO₄ in the cultures is 0.05%; initial concentration of cis-BP4,5-dihydrodiol and cis-BP7,8-dihydrodiol is 4 mg L⁻¹, 8 mg L⁻¹, respectively; cometabolic substance is salicylic acid or sodium succinate. The degradation extent of cis-BP4,5-dihydrodiol and cis-BP7,8-dihydrodiol using combining the Zoogloea sp. and KMnO₄ reach 76.1% and 85.9% after 12 days of cultivation, respectively, which were more than twice compared with conventional method.

Evaluation of fatty acid extraction methods for Thraustochytrium sp. ONC-T18

Various extraction methods were assessed in their capacity to extract fatty acids from a dried biomass of Thraustochytrium sp. ONC-T18. Direct saponification using KOH in ethanol or in hexane:ethanol was one of the most efficient techniques to extract lipids (697 mg g^-1). The highest amount of fatty acids (714 mg g^-1) was extracted using a miniaturized Bligh and Dyer extraction technique. The use of ultrasonics to break down cell walls while extracting with solvents (methanol:chloroform) also offered high extraction yields of fatty acids (609 mg g^-1). Moreover, when the transesterification mixture used for a direct transesterification method was doubled, the extraction of fatty acids increased approximately 77% (from 392 to 696 mg g^-1). This work showed that Thraustochytrium sp. ONC-T18 has the ability to produce over 700 mg g^-1 of lipids, including more than 165 mg g-1 of docosahexaenoic acid, which makes this microorganism a potential candidate for the commercial production of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Finally, other lipids, such as myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, and oleic acids, were also produced and recovered in significant amounts (54, 196, 123, and 81 mg g^-1), respectively.