Structural and photomagnetic studies of two compounds in the system Cu(2+)/Mo(CN8)(4-): from trinuclear molecule to infinite network.

The syntheses and structural and physical characterization of the compounds [Cu(bipy)(2)](2)[Mo(CN)(8)].5H(2)O. CH(3)OH (1) with bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine and M(II)(2)[Mo(IV)(CN)(8)].xH(2)O (2 with M = Cu, x = 7.5; 3 with M = Mn, x = 9.5) are presented. 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1; (a = 11.3006(4) A, b = 12.0886(5) A, c = 22.9589(9) A, alpha = 81.799(2) degrees, beta = 79.787(2) degrees, gamma = 62.873(2) degrees, Z = 2). The structure of 1 consists of neutral trinuclear molecules in which a central [Mo(CN8)](4-) anion is linked to two [Cu(bipy)2](2+) cations through two cyanide bridges. 2 crystallizes poorly, and hence, structural information has been obtained from the wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) technique, by comparison with 3 and Fe(II)(2)(H(2)O)(4)[Mo(IV)(CN)(8)].4H(2)O whose X-ray structure has been previously solved. 2, 3, and Fe(II)(2)(H(2)O)(4)[Mo(IV)(CN)(8)].4H(2)O form extended networks with all the cyano groups acting as bridges. The magnetic properties have shown that 1 and 2 behave as paramagnets. Under irradiation with light, they exhibit important modifications of their magnetic properties, with the appearance at low temperature of magnetic interactions. For 1 the modifications are irreversible, whereas they are reversible for 2 after cycling in temperature. These photomagnetic effects are thought to be caused by the conversion of Mo(IV) (diamagnetic) to Mo(V)(paramagnetic) through a photooxidation mechanism for 1 and a photoinduced electron transfer in 2. These results have been correlated with the structural features.

Probiotic bacteria as biological control agents in aquaculture.

There is an urgent need in aquaculture to develop microbial control strategies, since disease outbreaks are recognized as important constraints to aquaculture production and trade and since the development of antibiotic resistance has become a matter of growing concern. One of the alternatives to antimicrobials in disease control could be the use of probiotic bacteria as microbial control agents. This review describes the state of the art of probiotic research in the culture of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and live food, with an evaluation of the results obtained so far. A new definition of probiotics, also applicable to aquatic environments, is proposed, and a detailed description is given of their possible modes of action, i.e., production of compounds that are inhibitory toward pathogens, competition with harmful microorganisms for nutrients and energy, competition with deleterious species for adhesion sites, enhancement of the immune response of the animal, improvement of water quality, and interaction with phytoplankton. A rationale is proposed for the multistep and multidisciplinary process required for the development of effective and safe probiotics for commercial application in aquaculture. Finally, directions for further research are discussed.

Microbial control of the culture of Artemia juveniles through preemptive colonization by selected bacterial strains.

The use of juvenile Artemia as feed in aquaculture and in the pet shop industry has been getting more attention during the last decade. In this study, the use of selected bacterial strains to improve the nutritional value of dry food for Artemia juveniles and to obtain control of the associated microbial community was examined. Nine bacterial strains were selected based on their positive effects on survival and/or growth of Artemia juveniles under monoxenic culture conditions, while other strains caused no significant effect, significantly lower rates of survival and/or growth, or even total mortality of the Artemia. The nine selected strains were used to preemptively colonize the culture water of Artemia juveniles. Xenic culture of Artemia under suboptimal conditions yielded better survival and/or growth rates when they were grown in the preemptively colonized culture medium than when grown in autoclaved seawater. The preemptive colonization of the culture water had a drastic influence on the microbial communities that developed in the culture water or that were associated with the Artemia, as determined with Biolog GN community-level physiological profiles. Chemotaxonomical characterization based on fatty acid methyl ester analysis of bacterial isolates recovered from the culture tanks was performed, and a comparison with the initially introduced strains was made. Finally, several modes of action for the beneficial effect of the bacterial strains are proposed.