Bacterial diversity of soil under eucalyptus assessed by 16S rDNA sequencing analysis

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

Histological study of the effect of some irrigating solutions on bacterial endotoxin in dogs

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

Seasonal fluctuations of bacterial population and microbial activity in soils cultivated with eucalyptus and pinus

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

Fermentation, losses, and aerobic stability of sugarcane silages treated with chemical or bacterial additives

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

Combining ability of Phaseolus vulgaris L. for resistance to common bacterial blight

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

Control of retention and fatigue-free characteristics in CaBi4Ti4O15 thin films prepared by chemical method

Ferroelectric CaBi4Ti4O15 (CBTi144) thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by the polymeric precursor method. The films present a single phase of layered-structured perovskite with polar axis orientation after annealing at 700 degrees C for 2 h in static air and oxygen atmosphere. The a/b-axis orientation of the ferroelectric film is considered to be associated with the preferred orientation of the Pt bottom electrode. It is noted that the films annealed in static air showed good polarization fatigue characteristics at least up to 10(10) bipolar pulse cycles and excellent retention properties up to 10(4) s. on the other hand, oxygen atmosphere seems to be crucial in the decrease of both, fatigue and retention characteristics of the capacitors. Independently of the applied electric field, the retained switchable polarization approached a nearly steady-state value after a retention time of 10 s. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interaction between vitamin K nutriture and bacterial overgrowth in hypochlorhydria induced by omeprazole

Subjects taking a hydrogen pump blocking agent (omeprazole) develop bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. We tested the hypothesis that this bacterial overgrowth produces menaquinones, which would meet the Vitamin requirement in situations of vitamin K deficiency. In a crossover-type design, 13 healthy Volunteers eating a phylloquinone-restricted diet for 35 d were randomly assigned to take omeprazole during the first period of study or starting on day 15 until the end of the study. Coagulation times, serum osteocalcin [total osteocalcin and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC)], plasma phylloquinone, urinary gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, and plasma undercarboxylated prothrombin (PIVKA-II) were measured. Plasma phylloquinone concentrations declined 82% with dietary phylloquinone restriction (P < 0.05) and were not significantly different in the period when the diet was combined with omeprazole treatment (P > 0.05), the mean value for PIVKA-II during the phylloquinone-restricted diet significantly increased 5.7-fold from baseline (P < 0.05); however, the combination of omeprazole treatment and the phylloquinone-restricted diet significantly reduced PIVKA-II values by 21% (P < 0.05) compared with the diet period alone. There were no alterations in total or percentage ucOC concentrations during the phylloquinone-restricted diet or during the period of diet plus omeprazole treatment. Our data support the hypothesis that bacterial overgrowth results in the synthesis and absorption of menaquinones. These menaquinones contribute to vitamin K nutriture during dietary phylloquinone restriction, but not enough to restore normal vitamin K status.

Removal of radionuclides from acid mine waters by retention on adsorbing materials

This study proposes a method for decontamination of acid drainage water from a uranium mine, as an alternative process to lime treatment. The research embodied the recovery of uranium with an ion-exchange resin, treatment of effluent resin with lime, or with inorganic adsorbents and biosorbents. The uranium decontamination level using the resin process was 94% and allowed the recovery of this element as a commercial product. Among the inorganic adsorbents studied, phosphogypsum was effective for Ra-226, Ra-228, and Pb-210 removal. Among the biosorbents, Sargassum sp.was superior in relation to its specific capacity to accumulate and remove Ra-226.

The effects of bacterial leaching on metal partitioning in sewage sludge

The partitioning of Mn, Al, Zn, Cu and Ti ions in municipal sewage sludge was investigated before and after bioleaching processes effectuated by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans. Oxidation reduction potential increase and pH decrease were obtained as a result of bacterial activity. A less pronounced and constant decrease was obtained with A. ferrooxidans, whereas A. thiooxidans presented a lag phase before a steep pH decrease. Metal solubilization was accomplished in experimental systems supplemented with energy source, Fe2+ for A. ferrooxidans and S-0 for A. thiooxidans. Solubilization efficiency differed for each metal except for Al, and was relatively similar for either organism. Metal partitioning was conducted using five-step sequential extraction procedure before and after the bioleaching. The results indicated that Zn and Mn ions were mostly associated with the organic fraction, whereas Cu, Al and Ti ions with the sulphide/ residue fraction. The bioleaching process caused prompt solubilization of metals mostly associated with the more labile fractions (exchangeable, adsorbed and organically bound metals), whereas those associated to the less labile ones (EDTA and sulphide/residue fractions) were exchanged towards more labile fractions.

Effect of different irrigation solutions and calcium hydroxide on bacterial LPS

Aim To evaluate the effect of biomechanical preparation with different irrigating solutions and calcium hydroxide dressing in dog root canals containing bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharides; LPS).Methodology One hundred and forty premolar roots from seven dogs were filled with Escherichia coli LPS for 10 days (three roots were lost during histological processing). The following irrigating solutions were used for biomechanical preparation: 1% (group I, n = 20), 2.5% (group II, n = 19) and 5% sodium hypochlorite (group III, n = 19), 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (group IV, n = 20) and physiological saline solution (group V, n = 19). In group VI (n = 20), the LPS solution was maintained in the root canal during the entire experiment and in group VII (n = 20), after biomechanical preparation with saline solution, the root canals were filled with a calcium hydroxide dressing (Calen; control). After 60 days, the animals were sacrificed and the following parameters of periapical disease were evaluated: (a) inflammatory infiltrate, (b) periodontal ligament thickness, (c) cementum resorption and (d) bone resorption. Scores were given and data were analysed statistically with the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests (P < 0.05).Results Histopathological evaluation showed that groups I-VI had more inflammatory infiltrate, greater periodontal ligament thickening and greater cementum and bone resorption (P < 0.05) compared to group VII, which received the calcium hydroxide intracanal dressing.Conclusions Biomechanical preparation with the irrigating solutions did not inactivate the effects of the endotoxin but the calcium hydroxide intracanal dressing did appear to inactivate the effects induced by the endotoxin in vivo.

BACTERIAL LEACHING OF URANIUM ORE FROM FIGUEIRA-PR, BRAZIL, AT LABORATORY AND PILOT-SCALE

A bacterial leaching program was carried out in order to evaluate the potential of applying this process to leach uranium from the ore of Figueira-PR, Brazil. The experiments were carried out in shake flasks, column percolation (laboratory and semipilot scale) and in heap leaching. In shake flasks and in column percolation experiments at laboratory scale, bacterial activity on the ore was confirmed: approximately 60% of uranium was leached, against around 30% in sterilized controls. Column percolation experiments at semipilot scale and heap leaching (850 tons of ore) showed uranium extractions of approximately 50%. In both experiments, a complementary sulfuric acid attack, after the bacterial leaching phase, was necessary to reach this level of uranium extraction.