Exogenous application of salicylic acid induces salinity tolerance in eggplant seedlings / Aplicação exógena de ácido salicílico induz tolerância à salinidade em mudas de berinjela

Abstract Under salt stress conditions, plant growth is reduced due to osmotic, nutritional and oxidative imbalance. However, salicylic acid acts in the mitigation of this abiotic stress by promoting an increase in growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, synthesis of osmoregulators and antioxidant enzymes. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid doses on the growth and physiological changes of eggplant seedlings under salt stress. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, where the treatments were distributed in randomized blocks using a central composite matrix Box with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (CEw) (0.50; 1.08; 2.50; 3.92 and 4.50 dS m-1), associated with five doses of salicylic acid (SA) (0.00; 0.22; 0.75; 1.28 and 1.50 mM), with four repetitions and each plot composed of three plants. At 40 days after sowing, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, electrolyte leakage, relative water content, and total dry mass were determined. ECw and SA application influenced the growth and physiological changes of eggplant seedlings. Increasing the ECw reduced growth in the absence of SA. Membrane damage with the use of SA remained stable up to 3.9 dS m-1 of ECw. The relative water content independent of the CEw increased with 1.0 mM of SA. The use of SA at the concentration of 1.0 mM mitigated the deleterious effect of salinity on seedling growth up to 2.50 dS m-1 of ECw.

Resumo Em condições de estresse salino, o crescimento das plantas é reduzido, em virtude, do desequilíbrio osmótico, nutricional e oxidativo. Contudo, o ácido salicílico atua na mitigação desse estresse abiótico por promover incremento no crescimento, fotossíntese, metabolismo do nitrogênio, síntese de osmorreguladores e enzimas antioxidantes. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de doses de ácido salicílico sobre o crescimento e alterações fisiológicas de mudas de berinjela sob estresse salino. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, onde os tratamentos foram distribuídos em blocos ao acaso utilizando uma matriz composta central Box com cinco níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação (CEa) (0,50; 1,08; 2,50; 3,92 e 4,50 dS m-1), associada a cinco doses de ácido salicílico (AS) (0,00; 0,22; 0,75; 1,28 e 1,50 mM), com quatro repetições e cada parcela composta por três plantas. Aos 40 dias após a semeadura, foram determinados a altura da planta, diâmetro do caule, número de folhas, área foliar, vazamento de eletrólito, teor relativo de água e massa seca total. A CEa e a aplicação de AS influenciaram no crescimento e nas alterações fisiológicas das mudas de berinjela. O aumento da CEa reduziu o crescimento na ausência de AS. O dano de membrana com o uso de AS manteve-se estável até 3,9 dS m-1 de CEa. O conteúdo relativo de água independentemente da CEa aumentou com 1 mM de SA. O uso de AS na concentração de 1 mM mitigou o efeito deletério da salinidade no crescimento das mudas até 2,50 dS m-1 de CEa.

Exogenous application of salicylic acid induces salinity tolerance in eggplant seedlings

Abstract Under salt stress conditions, plant growth is reduced due to osmotic, nutritional and oxidative imbalance. However, salicylic acid acts in the mitigation of this abiotic stress by promoting an increase in growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, synthesis of osmoregulators and antioxidant enzymes. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid doses on the growth and physiological changes of eggplant seedlings under salt stress. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, where the treatments were distributed in randomized blocks using a central composite matrix Box with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (CEw) (0.50; 1.08; 2.50; 3.92 and 4.50 dS m-1), associated with five doses of salicylic acid (SA) (0.00; 0.22; 0.75; 1.28 and 1.50 mM), with four repetitions and each plot composed of three plants. At 40 days after sowing, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, electrolyte leakage, relative water content, and total dry mass were determined. ECw and SA application influenced the growth and physiological changes of eggplant seedlings. Increasing the ECw reduced growth in the absence of SA. Membrane damage with the use of SA remained stable up to 3.9 dS m-1 of ECw. The relative water content independent of the CEw increased with 1.0 mM of SA. The use of SA at the concentration of 1.0 mM mitigated the deleterious effect of salinity on seedling growth up to 2.50 dS m-1 of ECw.

Resumo Em condições de estresse salino, o crescimento das plantas é reduzido, em virtude, do desequilíbrio osmótico, nutricional e oxidativo. Contudo, o ácido salicílico atua na mitigação desse estresse abiótico por promover incremento no crescimento, fotossíntese, metabolismo do nitrogênio, síntese de osmorreguladores e enzimas antioxidantes. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de doses de ácido salicílico sobre o crescimento e alterações fisiológicas de mudas de berinjela sob estresse salino. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, onde os tratamentos foram distribuídos em blocos ao acaso utilizando uma matriz composta central Box com cinco níveis de condutividade elétrica da água de irrigação (CEa) (0,50; 1,08; 2,50; 3,92 e 4,50 dS m-1), associada a cinco doses de ácido salicílico (AS) (0,00; 0,22; 0,75; 1,28 e 1,50 mM), com quatro repetições e cada parcela composta por três plantas. Aos 40 dias após a semeadura, foram determinados a altura da planta, diâmetro do caule, número de folhas, área foliar, vazamento de eletrólito, teor relativo de água e massa seca total. A CEa e a aplicação de AS influenciaram no crescimento e nas alterações fisiológicas das mudas de berinjela. O aumento da CEa reduziu o crescimento na ausência de AS. O dano de membrana com o uso de AS manteve-se estável até 3,9 dS m-1 de CEa. O conteúdo relativo de água independentemente da CEa aumentou com 1 mM de SA. O uso de AS na concentração de 1 mM mitigou o efeito deletério da salinidade no crescimento das mudas até 2,50 dS m-1 de CEa.

Potentially toxic elements capture by an active living wall in indoor environments: Effect of species in air phytoremediation.

Indoor air pollution is a serious health problem throughout the world. Plants are known to be able to reduce the effect of air pollution and improve indoor air quality (IAQ). The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of four plant species (Tradescantia zebrina hort. ex Bosse, Philodendron scandens K. Koch & Sello, Ficus pumila L. and Chlorophtytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques) planted in an active living wall (ALW) for capturing particle pollutants. The ALW was introduced in a glass chamber and exposed to large (10-40 µm) and fine (1.2-10 µm) airborne particles containing a fixed concentration of potentially toxic elements (Al, B, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb). The surface particle deposition (sPM) was estimated in the leaves from the four species and the potentially toxic element concentration in the particulate matter (PM) was measured in plants, medium culture and in the ALW support system. The distribution of different particle size fractions differed between species. The capacity to trap particles on leaf surfaces was similar among the species (4.7-13 ng cm-2) except when comparing Tradescantia and Chlorophytum with Ficus, being higher in the latter species. Differences in toxic elements accumulation capacity were observed between species depending on the elements considered. The percentage of reduction in indoor pollution using an ALW was in a range of 65-79% being similar between species. Plants were the most important component of the ALW in terms of accumulation of indoor potentially toxic elements. The data presented here could be used to model the effectiveness of ALW systems schemes in improving IAQ.

Purification of lipopeptide biosurfactant extracts obtained from a complex residual food stream using Tricine-SDS-PAGE electrophoresis.

Protocols to identify lipopeptide biosurfactant extracts contained in complex residual streams are very important, as fermented agri-food matrices are potential sources of these valuable compounds. For instance, corn steep liquor (CSL), a secondary stream of the corn wet-milling industry, is composed of a mixture of microbial metabolites, produced during the corn steeping process, and other natural metabolites released from corn, that can interfere with the purification and analysis of lipopeptides. Electrophoresis could be an interesting technique for the purification and further characterization of lipopeptide biosurfactant extracts contained in secondary residual streams like CSL, but there is little existing literature about it. It is necessary to consider that lipopeptide biosurfactants, like Surfactin, usually are substances that are poorly soluble in water at acidic or neutral pH, forming micelles what can inhibit their separation by electrophoresis. In this work, two lipopeptide biosurfactant extracts obtained directly from CSL, after liquid-liquid extraction with chloroform or ethyl acetate, were purified by applying a second liquid extraction with ethanol. Following that, ethanolic biosurfactant extracts were subjected to electrophoresis under different conditions. Lipopeptides on Tricine-SDS-PAGE (polyacrylamide gels) were better visualized and identified by fluorescence using SYPRO Ruby dye than using Coomassie blue dye. The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis of lipopeptide isoforms separated by electrophoresis revealed the presence of masses at 1,044, 1,058, and 1,074 m/z, concluding that Tricine-SDS-PAGE electrophoresis combined with MALDI-TOF-MS could be a useful tool for purifying and identifying lipopeptides in complex matrices.

Nitrogen and potassium synergism influences the yield and quality of Dioscorea cayennensis.

This study aimed to evaluate yield, quality, nematode incidence, chlorophyll content, and primary foliar macronutrients of yam in response to nitrogen and potassium fertilization. A complete randomized block design was used in a factorial scheme (5 x 5), with five nitrogen (0; 60; 120; 180 and 240 kg ha-1 of N) and five potassium doses (0; 60; 120; 180 and 240 kg ha-1 of K2O), with four replicates. The mass, total and commercial productivity of tubers, starch content, ash, leaf N, P, and K content, chlorophyll, and nematode incidence were evaluated. The average mass of tubers obtained was 1.935 kg with doses of 133 kg ha-1 of N and 105 kg ha-1 of K2O. The dose of 178 kg ha-1 of N promoted maximum total tuber productivity (22.56 t ha-1). The doses of 132 kg ha-1 of N and 118 kg ha-1 of K2O resulted in maximum productivity of commercial tubers with 20.35 t ha-1. Leaf N and K, starch, and ash contents were within the standards for yam. The incidence of Meloidogyne, Scutellonema, and Pratylenchus reduced with the increasing simple effect doses of N and K2O. The maximum chlorophyll content was obtained at the dose of 240 kg ha-1 of N. The nitrogen and potassium interaction, despite the antagonistic effects on the accumulation of foliar P and starch, increased the productivity and average mass of commercial tubers, consequently ensuring the profitability of yam cultivation.

Solubilization of cuprous oxide in water using biosurfactant extracts from corn steep liquor: a comparative study.

In this work the chemical characterization (elemental analysis and the content of phospholipids) and surface-active properties of two biosurfactants (BS) extracted with both chloroform or ethyl acetate from corn steep liquor were compared. The phospholipids content for the BS extracted with chloroform (BS1) was considerably higher (8.15%) than that obtained for the BS extracted with ethyl acetate (BS2), 0.11%. When comparing the FTIR spectra of the two BS studied in this work with the spectrum of the commercial surfactant lecithin, a greater similarity (75%) was observed with the spectrum of the BS1. The biosurfactant extract (BS2) provided the most favorable conditions for the solubilization of cuprous oxide (Cu-Ox) in water (12.54% of copper dissolved), in comparison with BS1. The results achieved were considerably better than those obtained with chemical surfactants (Tween 80, SDS and CTAB) on solubilizing Cu-Ox, resulting in the latter cases on percentages of Cu dissolved always lower than 0.21%. In addition, a factorial design was performed obtaining the optimum conditions to solubilize Cu-Ox, where the maximum water solubility of Cu-Ox (13.17%) was achieved using 3.93 g/L of BS2 with a contact time of 19.86 min and using a concentration of Cu-Ox of 1.96 g/L. Thus, the BS2 extract could have a promising future as solubilizing agent in the formulation of more sustainable Cu-Ox based pesticides. Moreover, it was confirmed that the presence of phospholipids prevents the solubilization of copper-based pesticides in water.

Exogenous application of salicylic acid induces salinity tolerance in eggplant seedlings.

Under salt stress conditions, plant growth is reduced due to osmotic, nutritional and oxidative imbalance. However, salicylic acid acts in the mitigation of this abiotic stress by promoting an increase in growth, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, synthesis of osmoregulators and antioxidant enzymes. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid doses on the growth and physiological changes of eggplant seedlings under salt stress. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, where the treatments were distributed in randomized blocks using a central composite matrix Box with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water (CEw) (0.50; 1.08; 2.50; 3.92 and 4.50 dS m-1), associated with five doses of salicylic acid (SA) (0.00; 0.22; 0.75; 1.28 and 1.50 mM), with four repetitions and each plot composed of three plants. At 40 days after sowing, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, electrolyte leakage, relative water content, and total dry mass were determined. ECw and SA application influenced the growth and physiological changes of eggplant seedlings. Increasing the ECw reduced growth in the absence of SA. Membrane damage with the use of SA remained stable up to 3.9 dS m-1 of ECw. The relative water content independent of the CEw increased with 1.0 mM of SA. The use of SA at the concentration of 1.0 mM mitigated the deleterious effect of salinity on seedling growth up to 2.50 dS m-1 of ECw.

Electrical Cochlear Response Consistency from different Cochlear Implant Users.

The Electrical Cochlear Response (ECR) is a scalp potential recently described in the literature which offers an alternative approach for objective adaptation of Cochlear Implant (CI) to individual patient requirements. Thus it is necessary to know about the consistency of this response across implanted patients using devices with different design criteria. This work shows that the ECR wave shape morphology is not affected by CI manufacture design differences. For this purpose and to contend with the sensibility to electric stimulation change along the cochlea, six contiguous intracochlear electrodes located at the apical end of the cochlea were studied. According to the CI manufacturer, the population of twelve implanted pediatric patients was divided into three groups. Artifacts due to the CI stimulation pip tone and operation during ECR acquisition were canceled using the Empirical Mode Decomposition method. For wave shape morphology comparison among electrodes, ECR amplitude was normalized, and the average intra- and inter-user group ECR Correlations were calculated. Intra and inter-group Correlation coefficient goes from 0.58 to 0.9 and from 0.63 to 0.85, respectively. For the same patient and group Correlation coefficient between ECR of the electrode located at the apical end of the cochlea and adjacent electrodes decreases from apex to base. These results support the consistency of the ECR waveshape morphology across users of different CI types.Clinical Relevance- ECR offers a new objective methodology for the initial programming and later readjustment of electrical stimulation provided by the cochlear implant. The patient uses the device in daily operation mode; the scenery is quite impossible with the current resources for evaluating CI performance. This methodology is compatible with all current CIs without special hardware or software requirements due to different devices type. It can be applied any time after initial device programming, regardless of patient age or previous training. Therefore, it is important to know that ECR wave shape morphology is not affected by the differences in design and operation of current cochlear stimulation systems.

Enfermedad podal en bovinos: prevalencia y asociación con algunas variables / Podal disease in cows: prevalence and association with some variables

RESUMEN La enfermedad podal constituye uno de los síndromes más difíciles de controlar en la industria lechera. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo cuantificar la prevalencia de enfermedad podal, evaluando su asociación con factores como raza, orden de parto y peso. Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo que utiliza los registros sanitarios y productivos de un hato lechero ubicado en el trópico alto de Colombia. Los componentes raciales presentes fueron Fl Holstein x Blanco Orejinegro, 3/4 Holstein 1/4 Blanco Orejinegro, 5/8 Holstein 3/8 Blanco Orejinegro y Holstein 100%. Se consideraron 6 órdenes de parto. La variable enfermedad podal presenta una distribución binomial. El efecto de los factores se verificó utilizando un modelo lineal generalizado, por medio de una regresión logística (PROC GENMOD SAS versión 9.4). En caso de existir diferencias significativas, se aplicó el procedimiento LSMEANS del SAS (versión 9.4) y un Odds Rattio entre los niveles que presentaron significancia. La prevalencia de enfermedad podal en el hato fue de 10,55%. Los factores de riesgo considerados fueron estadísticamente significativos: componente racial (p < 0,0009), orden parto (p < 0,0001) y peso medio de las vacas (p < 0,0001). Se observó un incremento en la prevalencia de la enfermedad asociado a la raza Holstein, orden de parto alto y bajo peso corporal. La prevalencia de enfermedad podal fue mayor en vacas Holstein puras y menor en vacas Holstein cruzadas con Blanco Orejinegro, debido a la resistencia por heterosis que la raza criolla aporta. El incremento del orden de parto al igual que el bajo peso se relacionan con una mayor prevalencia de esta enfermedad.

ABSTRACT Foot disease is one of the most difficult syndromes to control in the dairy industry. The goal of this study was to quantify the prevalence of foot disease, evaluating its association with factors such as race, calving order and weight. This is a retrospective study using the health and production records of a dairy herd located in the high tropics of Colombia. The racial components present were F1 Holstein x Blanco Orejinegro, 3/4 Holstein 1/4 Blanco Orejinegro, 5/8 Holstein 3/8 Blanco Orejinegro, Holstein 100%. 6 delivery orders were considered. The variable foot disease presents a binomial distribution. The effect of the factors was verified using a generalized linear model, by means of a logistic regression (PROC GENMOD SAS version 9.4). In the event of significant differences, the SAS LSMEANS procedure (version 9.4) and an Odds Ratio were applied between the levels that presented significance. The prevalence of foot disease in the herd was 10,55%. The risk factors considered were statistically significant: racial component (p < 0,0009), calving order (p < 0,0001) and average weight of the cows (p < 0,0001). An increase in the prevalence of the disease was observed associated with the Holstein breed, high calving order and low body weight. The prevalence of foot disease was higher in pure Holstein cows and lower in Holstein cows crossed with Blanco Orejinegro due to the resistance due to heterosis that the creole breed contributes. The increase in the delivery order as well as the low weight are related to a higher prevalence of this disease.

Electrical Cochlear Response as an Objective Measure of Hearing Threshold and Hearing Performance Evaluation in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users / Respuesta Coclear Eléctrica como Medida Objetiva del Umbral Auditivo y la Evaluación del Rendimiento Auditivo en Usuarios Pediátricos de Implante Coclear

ABSTRACT The difficulties of applying the audiometry in pediatric populations and its methodological limitations in implanted patients have spurred the development of new alternative auditory evaluation methods. This study aimed to show an objective method to estimate hearing thresholds in pediatric cochlear implanted patients through Electrical Cochlear Response (ECR) and to quantify the hearing performance by using an Auditory Skills Questionnaire (ASQ) and a Calibrated Sounds Test (CST) designed on purpose. Eighteen implanted patients, 1-6 years old underwent standard audiometry, ECR, and ASQ in two evaluation sessions T1 and T2. At T2, in addition, patients underwent CST. For patients ≤3 years old (G1), Pure Tone Averages (PTA and PTAECR)showed a statistically significant difference between them at T1 and T2. At T2 improvements in audiometric and ECR thresholds were observed (p<0.05), regarding T1. Patients older than 3 years (G2) had significantly better ASQ and CST scores. CST detection scores at 40 dBHL for groups G1 and G2, 36% and 70% respectively, showed a better relationship to ECR thresholds. The relationship observed between ECR thresholds and CST detection scores seems to confirm that ECR brings the feasibility of objective hearing threshold estimation and provides a better frequency resolution than audiometry.

RESUMEN Las dificultades para la aplicación de la audiometría en la población pediátrica además de sus limitaciones metodológicas en pacientes usuarios de implante coclear, señalan la necesidad de métodos audiométricos alternos. En el presente trabajo se utiliza el potencial eléctrico, denominado Respuesta Coclear Eléctrica (ECR) observado solamente en usuarios de implante coclear, para la estimación de umbrales auditivos prescindiendo de la participación consiente del paciente, además de evaluar el desempeño auditivo mediante un Cuestionario de Habilidades Auditivas (ASQ) y la Prueba de Sonidos Calibrados (CST). A dieciocho participantes de 1 a 6 años, se les practicó Audiometría, ECR y ASQ en dos sesiones, T1 y T2; adicionalmente, en T2 se aplicó CST. En T1 y T2 los promedios de tonos puros, PTA y PTAECR, de pacientes ≤ 3 años (G1), mostraron una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre ellos. En T2 los umbrales audiométricos y ECR (p <0.05), mejoraron respecto de T1. Pacientes > 3 años (G2) lograron puntuaciones ASQ y CST significativamente mejores. Los puntajes de detección CST a 40 dBHL, G1(36%) y G2(70%), mostraron mejor relación con los umbrales ECR. Esta relación entre los umbrales ECR y los puntajes de detección CST indican que la ECR permite estimar el umbral de audición, logrando adicionalmente mayor resolución en frecuencia que la audiometría.

First passage of an active particle in the presence of passive crowders.

We experimentally study the stochastic transport of a self-propelled camphor boat, driven by Marangoni forces, through a crowd of passive paper discs floating on water. We analyze the statistics of the first passage times of the active particle to travel from the center of a circular container to its boundary. While the mean times rise monotonically as a function of the covered area fraction φ of the passive paper discs, their fluctuations show a non-monotonic behavior - being higher at low and high value of φ compared to intermediate values. The reason is traced to an interplay of two distinct sources of fluctuations - one intrinsic to the dynamics, while the other due to the crowding.

Germination of Crotalaria and Lupinus (Fabaceae) seeds submitted to different pre-germination treatments and their effect on enzymatic activity during early germination / Germinação de sementes de Crotalaria e Lupinus (Fabaceae) submetidas a diferentes tratamentos pré-germinativos e o efeito da atividade enzimática na fase inicial da germinação

Abstract Most of the wild and native legume seeds has a hard and impermeable testa, which causes physical dormancy and prevents them from germinating even when environmental conditions are favorable. The study evaluated the effect of scarification treatments on germination and enzymatic activity of Crotalaria longirostrata (Cl) and Lupinus exaltatus (Le) seeds. After scarification treatments, germination percentage (GP) and rate (GR) were assessed during 30 days after seeding (DAS); and water absorption (WA) and specific enzymatic activity (SEA) during early germination (0, 6, 18, 36, 72, 120 h) in a growing chamber at 25 °C and photoperiod of 12 h. Scarification with 98% H2SO4 15 min increased GP and GR in both species. At 30 DAS, GP and GR of Le seeds were 34% and 0.97 seeds day-1, respectively. In Cl seeds, GP was 64% and GR 0.90 seeds day-1. Scarification with H2O at 80 °C 1 min also promoted germination in Cl (52%). At 120 h after seeding, Le and Cl seeds showed already a high GP with acid scarification (31% and 48%, respectively). In seeds of both species, scarification treatments affected WA and SEA during early germination. During this period, scarification treatments that increased GP also showed a higher α-D-galactosidase activity. The maximum enzyme activity was observed 72 h after hot water scarification in Cl (82.6 U/mg total protein), followed by acid scarification (54.5 U/mg total protein). In Le, the activity peak was 36 h after acid scarification (9.5 U/mg total protein). No relationship was observed between β-glucosidase activity and GP in both species. In conclusion, during early germination of both species, the increase in GP is accompanied by a rise in α-D-galactosidase activity between 36 and 72 h after seeding; and in Cl seeds, an alternative scarification treatment to increase GP may be the use of hot water.

Resumo A maioria das sementes de leguminosas nativas e selvagens têm um tegumento rígido e impermeável, ​​o que causa dormência física e impede a germinação, mesmo se as condições ambientais forem favoráveis. O estudo avaliou o efeito de tratamentos de escarificação sobre a germinação e a atividade enzimática de sementes de Crotalaria longirostrata (Cl) e Lupinus exaltatus (Le). Após os tratamentos de escarificação, a percentagem (PG) e a velocidade de germinação (VG) foram avaliadas durante 30 dias após a semeadura (DAS); absorção de água (AA) e atividade enzimática específica (AEE) na fase inicial da germinação (0, 6, 18, 36, 72 e 120 h) em uma câmara de crescimento a 25 °C e fotoperíodo de 12 h. A escarificação com 98% de H2SO4, durante 15 min aumentou PG e VG nas duas espécies. Aos 30 DDS, PG e VG de sementes de Le foram de 34% e 0,97 sementes dia -1, respectivamente. Em sementes de Cl, PG foi de 64% e VG 0,90 sementes dias-1. A escarificação com H2O a 80 °C 1 min também promoveu a germinação em Cl (52%). A 120 h após a semeadura, as sementes de Cl e Le já tinha atingido uma alta PG com escarificação ácida (31% e 48%, respectivamente). Nas sementes das duas espécies, os tratamentos de escarificação afetaram a AEE e a AA nafase inicial da germinação. Durante este período, os tratamentos de escarificação que aumentaram PG, também mostraram a atividade mais elevada de α-D-galactosidase. A atividade enzimática máxima foi observada 72 h após o tratamento com água quente em Cl (82,6 U/mg de proteína total), seguido por escarificação ácida (54,5 U/mg de proteína total). Em Le, o pico de atividade foi de 36 h após a aplicação do tratamento ácido (9,5 U/mg de proteína total). Em contraste, não foi observado nenhuma relação entre a actividade β-glicosidase e PG. Em conclusão, durante a germinação precoce das duas espécies, o aumento da GP é acompanhado por um aumento da atividade da α-D-galactosidase entre 36 e 72 h após a semeadura; e em sementes de Cl, um tratamento de escarificação alternativo para aumentar GP pode ser o uso de água quente.

Germination of Crotalaria and Lupinus (Fabaceae) seeds submitted to different pre-germination treatments and their effect on enzymatic activity during early germination.

Most of the wild and native legume seeds has a hard and impermeable testa, which causes physical dormancy and prevents them from germinating even when environmental conditions are favorable. The study evaluated the effect of scarification treatments on germination and enzymatic activity of Crotalaria longirostrata (Cl) and Lupinus exaltatus (Le) seeds. After scarification treatments, germination percentage (GP) and rate (GR) were assessed during 30 days after seeding (DAS); and water absorption (WA) and specific enzymatic activity (SEA) during early germination (0, 6, 18, 36, 72, 120 h) in a growing chamber at 25 °C and photoperiod of 12 h. Scarification with 98% H2SO4 15 min increased GP and GR in both species. At 30 DAS, GP and GR of Le seeds were 34% and 0.97 seeds day-1, respectively. In Cl seeds, GP was 64% and GR 0.90 seeds day-1. Scarification with H2O at 80 °C 1 min also promoted germination in Cl (52%). At 120 h after seeding, Le and Cl seeds showed already a high GP with acid scarification (31% and 48%, respectively). In seeds of both species, scarification treatments affected WA and SEA during early germination. During this period, scarification treatments that increased GP also showed a higher α-D-galactosidase activity. The maximum enzyme activity was observed 72 h after hot water scarification in Cl (82.6 U/mg total protein), followed by acid scarification (54.5 U/mg total protein). In Le, the activity peak was 36 h after acid scarification (9.5 U/mg total protein). No relationship was observed between ß-glucosidase activity and GP in both species. In conclusion, during early germination of both species, the increase in GP is accompanied by a rise in α-D-galactosidase activity between 36 and 72 h after seeding; and in Cl seeds, an alternative scarification treatment to increase GP may be the use of hot water.

Technical approaches to evaluate the surfactant-enhanced biodegradation of biodiesel and vegetable oils.

This research compared the effects of biosurfactant on the biodegradation of biodiesel and vegetable oils while validating two conceptually diverging methodologies. The two experimental setups were successfully modeled towards the effects of biosurfactants during biodegradation. We established the equivalence of both methodologies from the data output. As expected, the biosurfactants caused an increased oil uptake, thus increasing biodegradation performance. Cooking oils were favored by the microbial consortium as a carbon source when compared with biodiesel fuel, especially after use in food preparation. However, we found that biodiesel substrate standout with the highest biodegradation rates. Our results might indicate that a rapid metabolic change from the original compound initially favored biodiesels during the assimilation of organic carbon for a set specialized microbial inoculum. The data output was successfully combined with mathematical models and statistical tools to describe and predict the actual environmental behavior of biodiesel and vegetable oils. The models confirmed and predicted the biodegradation effectiveness with biosurfactants and estimated the required timeframe to achieve satisfactory contaminant removal.

Anti-Ascaris suum immunoglobulin Y as a novel biotechnological tool for the diagnosis of human ascariasis.

Human ascariasis is a neglected tropical disease of great relevance to public health and is considered the most frequent helminthiasis in poor regions. Accurately diagnosing this parasite has been challenging due to limitations of current diagnostic methods. Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) technology is a very effective alternative for the production of highly specific and profitable antibodies. This study aimed to produce and apply anti-Ascaris suum IgY antibodies in the immunodiagnosis of human ascariasis. Five immunizations comprising total saline extract from A. suum adult life forms were given at 14-day intervals to Gallus gallus domesticus hens of the Isa Brown line. Eggs and blood samples were collected weekly and fortnightly, respectively, to monitor the production of antibodies. The specificity of antibodies was confirmed by dot-blot, kinetic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), avidity ELISA, immunoblotting and indirect immunofluorescence antibody tests. The application for disease diagnosis was performed through the detection of immune complexes in human serum samples by sandwich ELISA. Peaks of IgY anti-A. suum production occurred at weeks 6 and 8. IgY showed high avidity levels after the second dose of immunization, ranging from 64% to 93%, with a mean avidity index of 78.30%. Purified IgY recognized 12 bands of proteins from A. suum saline extract. Eggs, the uterine portion and cuticles of A. suum female adult are reactive in immunofluorescence. The detection of immune complexes showed diagnostic values of 80% sensitivity and 90% specificity. In conclusion, specific IgY have been shown to be a potential immunodiagnostic tool with promising future applications in human ascariasis.

Pattern selection and regulation using noise in a liquid metal.

Electric forcing can be used to select and to regulate the shape of liquid metals. In this work, we present a transition among different patterns in a liquid mercury drop regulated by noise. A stochastic resonancelike phenomenon was observed for two different structural transitions of the liquid metal. In the first set of experiments, the transition from irregular (I) → triangular (T) → irregular (I) patterns was obtained by increasing the amplitude of biased white noise. In the second part, we observed the transition from irregular (I) → elliptical (E) → irregular (I) patterns using the same kind of noise. Periodic stochastic resonance was corroborated in our experiments by employing the cross-correlation coefficient technique.