Characterization of the Worthen Sparrow (Spizella wortheni)'s Nest Building Materials in Northeastern Mexico.

The study was conducted within a well-managed beef cattle operation in northeastern Mexico. Each nest was weighed and dissected to obtain the plant and animal material used to build the nests. The number of materials present per nest and relative frequency were determined. Twenty-one building materials were used. Over the years, Muhlenbergia torreyi represented 85.5% of the total biomass of the nests, and Aristida longiseta, Bouteloua gracilis, Brickellia canescens, Purshia mexicana and Cirsium ehrenbergii constituted 2.45, 2.80, 2.44, 1.34 and 1.11% of the total biomass, respectively. The above-mentioned grasses represented 95.62% of the total biomass. Material of animal origin was horse and cow hair, which represented 0.84 and 0.58% of the total biomass, respectively. It was concluded that, at the study site, Muhlenbergia torreyi was a key nest-building material for the Worthen sparrow nest.

Biodiversity and phylogeny of novel Trichoderma isolates from mangrove sediments and potential of biocontrol against Fusarium strains.

BACKGROUND: Studies carried out with novel 13 strains of Trichoderma, isolated from mangrove sediments (PE, Brazil) using morphophysiological and molecular characterization, followed evaluation of biocontrol using Fusarium strains isolated from Caatinga soil (PE, Brazil). Trichoderma strains were characterized by polyphasic taxonomic approach, and the extracted DNA was amplified with primers ITS 1 and 4, and sequenced. The biocontrol evaluation was conducted at 24 and 48 h of growth intervals by Tukey test, with a significance of 5%. Antibiosis tests were assessed in vitro by dual plate and partition plate techniques against Fusarium strains. RESULTS: Trichoderma molecular identification, sequences of 500 bp were amplified, deposited into GenBank, and used for phylogenetic analyses. The strains were identified as T. asperellum (10), as T. harzianum (2) and one as T. longibrachiatum. Growth rate presented an average of 0.1207 cm h-1 for Trichoderma and lower growth rate of 0.031 cm h-1 for Fusarium spp., respectively. Antibiosis tests presented the best antagonist level of efficiency for T. asperellum UCP 0149 against F. solani UCP 1395 (82.2%) and F. solani UCP 1075 (70.0%), followed by T. asperellum UCP 0319 against F. solani UCP1083 (73.4%) and T. asperellum UCP 0168 against F. solani UCP1098 (71.5%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The data obtained in this study as tool for identification of novel Trichoderma strains serve as basis for development of several sustainable use for biotechnological processes. Those Trichoderma strains found promising for the management antagonistic potential and interaction could aid the conduct of biotechnological biocontrol of contaminants, and improve environmental conditions for the health of plants.

Conversion of renewable substrates for biosurfactant production by Rhizopus arrhizus UCP 1607 and enhancing the removal of diesel oil from marine soil

BACKGROUND: The use of agro-industrial wastes to produce high value-added biomolecules such as biosurfactants is a promising approach for lowering the total costs of production. This study aimed to produce biosurfactants using Rhizopus arrhizus UCP 1607, with crude glycerol (CG) and corn steep liquor (CSL) as substrates. In addition, the biomolecule was characterized, and its efficiency in removing petroderivatives from marine soil was investigated. RESULTS: A 22 factorial design was applied, and the best condition for producing the biosurfactant was determined in assay 4 (3% CG and 5% CSL). The biosurfactant reduced the surface tension of water from 72 to 28.8 mN/m and produced a yield of 1.74 g/L. The preliminary biochemical characterization showed that the biosurfactant consisted of proteins (38.0%), carbohydrates (35.4%), and lipids (5.5%). The compounds presented an anionic character, nontoxicity, and great stability for all conditions tested. The biomolecule displayed great ability in dispersing hydrophobic substrates in water, thereby resulting in 53.4 cm2 ODA. The best efficiency of the biosurfactant in removing the pollutant diesel oil from marine soil was 79.4%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the ability of R. arrhizus UCP1607 to produce a low-cost biosurfactant characterized as a glycoprotein and its potential use in the bioremediation of the hydrophobic diesel oil pollutant in marine soil

Cadmium Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Strain of Pantoea agglomerans UCP1320 Isolated from Laundry Effluent.

BACKGROUND: Cadmium (Cd), which is a deadly heavy metal of work-related and environmental concern, has been recognized as a substance that is teratogenic and carcinogenic for humans. Therefore, the need to develop low-cost adsorbents to remove heavy metals from aqueous solution has greatly increased. Adsorbents such as Pantoea agglomerans biomass have been used. AIMS: We investigated the biotechnological potential of Pantoea agglomerans for the biosorption of cadmium from aqueous solution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pantoea agglomerans UCP1320 isolated from the effluent of a laundry industry was used to remove cadmium from aqueous solutions. Two approaches were compared using active or thermally inactivated biomass. Three different cadmium concentrations of 1, 10 and 100 ppm were used under constant stirring at temperatures of 25°C and 35°C as was pH of 3.0, 5.0 and 7.0. Variable incubation times of 1, 6, and 24h were also studied. RESULTS: The results showed that the temperature did not influence the uptake of metal by living cells nor by inactive bacterial biomass. However, increasing the pH had a positive effect on removing intermediate concentrations of cadmium. Low concentrations of cadmium were completely removed by both live and inactive biomass. CONCLUSION: Pantoea agglomerans biomass was shown to have a promising performance for the biotechnological removal of cadmium which had been dissolved in aqueous solution.

Spatial and temporal determinants of A-weighted and frequency specific sound levels-An elastic net approach.

BACKGROUND: Urban sound levels are a ubiquitous environmental stressor and have been shown to be associated with a wide variety of health outcomes. While much is known about the predictors of A-weighted sound pressure levels in the urban environment, far less is known about other frequencies. OBJECTIVE: To develop a series of spatial-temporal sound models to predict A-weighted sound pressure levels, low, mid, and high frequency sound for Boston, Massachusetts. METHODS: Short-term sound levels were gathered at n = 400 sites from February 2015 - February 2016. Spatial and meteorological attributes at or near the sound monitoring site were obtained using publicly available data and a portable weather station. An elastic net variable selection technique was used to select predictors of A-weighted, low, mid, and high frequency sound. RESULTS: The final models for low, mid, high, and A-weighted sound levels explained 59 - 69% of the variability in each measure. Similar to other A-weighted models, our sound models included transportation related variables such as length of roads and bus lines in the surrounding area; distance to road and rail lines; traffic volume, vehicle mix, residential and commercial land use. However, frequency specific models highlighted additional predictors not included in the A-weighted model including temperature, vegetation, impervious surfaces, vehicle mix, and density of entertainment establishments and restaurants. CONCLUSIONS: Building spatial temporal models to characterize sound levels across the frequency spectrum using an elastic net approach can be a promising tool for noise exposure assessments within the urban soundscape. Models of sound's character may give us additional important sound exposure metrics to be utilized in epidemiological studies.

Waste Soybean Oil and Corn Steep Liquor as Economic Substrates for Bioemulsifier and Biodiesel Production by Candida lipolytica UCP 0998.

Almost all oleaginous microorganisms are available for biodiesel production, and for the mechanism of oil accumulation, which is what makes a microbial approach economically competitive. This study investigated the potential that the yeast Candida lipolytica UCP0988, in an anamorphous state, has to produce simultaneously a bioemulsifier and to accumulate lipids using inexpensive and alternative substrates. Cultivation was carried out using waste soybean oil and corn steep liquor in accordance with 2² experimental designs with 1% inoculums (107 cells/mL). The bioemulsifier was produced in the cell-free metabolic liquid in the late exponential phase (96 h), at Assay 4 (corn steep liquor 5% and waste soybean oil 8%), with 6.704 UEA, IE24 of 96.66%, and showed an anionic profile. The emulsion formed consisted of compact small and stable droplets (size 0.2-5 µm), stable at all temperatures, at pH 2 and 4, and 2% salinity, and showed an ability to remove 93.74% of diesel oil from sand. The displacement oil (ODA) showed 45.34 cm² of dispersion (central point of the factorial design). The biomass obtained from Assay 4 was able to accumulate lipids of 0.425 g/g biomass (corresponding to 42.5%), which consisted of Palmitic acid (28.4%), Stearic acid (7.7%), Oleic acid (42.8%), Linoleic acid (19.0%), and γ-Linolenic acid (2.1%). The results showed the ability of C. lipopytica to produce both bioemulsifier and biodiesel using the metabolic conversion of waste soybean oil and corn steep liquor, which are economic renewable sources.

Copper-induced adaptation, oxidative stress and its tolerance in Aspergillus niger UCP1261

Background The effects of exposure to copper, during growth, on the production of biomass, total protein, catalase, glutathione-S transferase, glutathione peroxidase, peroxidase, polyphosphate, acid and alkaline phosphatases, ultrastructure and the ability to remove this metal from Aspergillus niger, obtained from caatinga soil, were evaluated. Results All parameters tested were influenced by the concentration of metal in the culture medium. The presence of metal induced high levels of antioxidant enzymes, including lipid peroxidation, thereby revealing the appearance of an oxidative stress response. The variation in polyphosphate levels indicates the participation of the polymer in response to stress induced by copper. The activities of the phosphatases were positively influenced by growing them in the presence of copper. Ultrastructure changes in the cell surface, electron density, thickness, and septation were visualized by exposing cells to increasingly larger concentrations of metal. The isolate was able to remove the agent from the growth medium, while maintaining its physiological functions. The metal removed from the cultures exposed to 0.5 mM, 1 mM and 2 mM copper exhibited percentages of removal equivalent to 75.78%, 66.04% and 33.51%. Conclusions The results indicate that the isolate was able to grow in high concentrations of copper, activates mechanisms for adaptation and tolerance in the presence of metal, and is highly efficient at removing the agent. Such data are fundamental if a better understanding is to be reached of the cellular and molecular abilities of native isolates, which can be used to develop bioprocesses in environmental and industrial areas.

The importance of retesting the hearing screening as an indicator of the real early hearing disorder / A importância do reteste da triagem auditiva como indicador da real alteração auditiva precoce

INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis of hearing loss minimizes its impact on child development. We studied factors that influence the effectiveness of screening programs.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between gender, weight at birth, gestational age, risk factors for hearing loss, venue for newborn hearing screening and "pass" and "fail" results in the retest.METHODS: Prospective cohort study was carried out in a tertiary referral hospital. The screening was performed in 565 newborns through transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in three admission units before hospital discharge and retest in the outpatient clinic. Gender, weight at birth, gestational age, presence of risk indicators for hearing loss and venue for newborn hearing screening were considered.RESULTS: Full-term infants comprised 86% of the cases, preterm 14%, and risk factors for hearing loss were identified in 11%. Considering the 165 newborns retested, only the venue for screening, Intermediate Care Unit, was related to "fail" result in the retest.CONCLUSIONS: Gender, weight at birth, gestational age and presence of risk factors for hearing loss were not related to "pass" and/or "fail" results in the retest. The screening performed in intermediate care units increases the chance of continued "fail" result in the Transient Otoacoustic Evoked Emissions test.

INTRODUÇÃO: O diagnóstico precoce da surdez minimiza impactos no desenvolvimento infantil. Fatores que interferem na efetividade dos programas de triagem são estudados.OBJETIVO: Verificar a relação entre sexo, peso ao nascimento, idade gestacional, presença de risco para deficiência auditiva, local de realização da triagem auditiva neonatal e resultados "passa" e "falha" no reteste.MÉTODO: Estudo de coorte prospectiva, em hospital de referência terciário. A triagem foi realizada em 565 neonatos, por meio das emissões otoacústicas evocadas transientes, em três unidades de internação antes da alta hospitalar e o reteste, no ambulatório. Sexo, peso ao nascimento, idade gestacional, presença de indicadores de risco para deficiência auditiva e local de realização do exame foram considerados.RESULTADOS: Nasceram a termo 86%, prematuros 14% e risco para deficiência auditiva, 11%. Dentre os 165 neonatos retestados, apenas o local de realização do exame, Unidade de Cuidados Intermediários, se relacionou com manutenção da "falha" no reteste.CONCLUSÕES: Sexo, peso ao nascimento, idade gestacional e presença de indicadores de risco para deficiência auditiva não se relacionaram com "passar" e/ou "falhar" no reteste. A realização do exame em unidades de cuidados intermediários aumenta a chance de permanência de "falha" no exame de Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas Transientes.

The importance of retesting the hearing screening as an indicator of the real early hearing disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Early diagnosis of hearing loss minimizes its impact on child development. We studied factors that influence the effectiveness of screening programs. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between gender, weight at birth, gestational age, risk factors for hearing loss, venue for newborn hearing screening and "pass" and "fail" results in the retest. METHODS: Prospective cohort study was carried out in a tertiary referral hospital. The screening was performed in 565 newborns through transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in three admission units before hospital discharge and retest in the outpatient clinic. Gender, weight at birth, gestational age, presence of risk indicators for hearing loss and venue for newborn hearing screening were considered. RESULTS: Full-term infants comprised 86% of the cases, preterm 14%, and risk factors for hearing loss were identified in 11%. Considering the 165 newborns retested, only the venue for screening, Intermediate Care Unit, was related to "fail" result in the retest. CONCLUSIONS: Gender, weight at birth, gestational age and presence of risk factors for hearing loss were not related to "pass" and/or "fail" results in the retest. The screening performed in intermediate care units increases the chance of continued "fail" result in the Transient Otoacoustic Evoked Emissions test.

Biosurfactant-and-bioemulsifier produced by a promising Cunninghamella echinulata isolated from Caatinga soil in the northeast of Brazil.

A Mucoralean fungus was isolated from Caatinga soil of Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil, and was identified as Cunninghamella echinulata by morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. This strain was evaluated for biosurfactant/bioemulsifier production using soybean oil waste (SOW) and corn steep liquor (CSL) as substrates, added to basic saline solution, by measuring surface tension and emulsifier index and activity. The best results showed the surface water tension was reduced from 72 to 36 mN/m, and an emulsification index (E24) of 80% was obtained using engine oil and burnt engine oil, respectively. A new molecule of biosurfactant showed an anionic charge and a polymeric chemical composition consisting of lipids (40.0% w/w), carbohydrates (35.2% w/w) and protein (20.3% w/w). In addition, the biosurfactant solution (1%) demonstrated its ability for an oil displacement area (ODA) of 37.36 cm², which is quite similar to that for Triton X-100 (38.46 cm²). The stability of the reduction in the surface water tension as well as of the emulsifier index proved to be stable over a wide range of temperatures, in pH, and in salt concentration (4%-6% w/v). The biosurfactant showed an ability to reduce and increase the viscosity of hydrophobic substrates and their molecules, suggesting that it is a suitable candidate for mediated enhanced oil recovery. At the same time, these studies indicate that renewable, relatively inexpensive and easily available resources can be used for important biotechnological processes.

Is rhabdomyolysis an additional factor in the pathogenesis of acute renal failure in leptospirosis?

Leptospirose e uma importante causa de insuficiencia renal aguda, em nosso ambiente. Embora varios sejam os mecanismos implicados, o papel da rabdomiolise na patogenese da insuficiencia renal aguda na leptospirose ainda nao foi analisado. Com esse objetivo, 16 pacientes com o diagnostico da forma icterohemorragica da leptospirose consecutivamenete admitidos no Hospital Couto Maia, Salvador, Bahia, foram prospectivamente estudados....

El error citológico en la evaluación de la neoplasia cervico-uterina: falsos positivos casos sobrevalorados y sub-valorados / The cytologic error neoplasia uterine cervix: false positive overdiagnosed cases and underdiagnosed

Para el método citilógico términos como especialidad, Falsos Positivos y Casos Sobre Evaluados están bien definidos. En 1.985 en el Departamento de Citología del Instituto Oncológico "Luis Razetti" 46.223 extedidos citológicos fueron procesados. 7.686 fueron de pacientes con historias clínicas en el Instituto. 227 de estos casos sugirieron cualquier tipo de alteración neoplásica del cuello uterino y el estudio fue complemantado por una Bx; simultáneamente o posterior, 21 de estos casos fueron encontrados falsos positivos y constituyeron la causa de un estudio. Cada uno de estos casos fueron reevaluados por 5 Citotecnólogos para confirmar el Dx; original. Las Bxs; también fueron revisadas por 3 Patólogos con la misma finalidad. Un análisis de los casos con lessiones histológicas menores a aquellas señaladas por la citología fue realizada (casos sobre evaluados). La relación cito-histológica entre los procesos neoplásicos y el diagnóstico inicial fue altamente notorio

El error citológico en la evaluación de la neoplasia cervico-uterina: falsos negativos; casos sub-valorados / The cytologic error in the evaluation of uterine cervix: false negative and underdiagnosed

El término de Sensibilidad, Falso Negativo y casos Subvalorados son definidos para así ser aplicados como parámetros de fidelidad del método. En una revisión de los archivos de Patología del Instituto Oncológico "Luis Razetti" de Caracas, correspondiente a los años 1.985, 390 casos de neoplasia intraepitelial y carcinoma fueron encontrados. Revisando las historias clínicas de dichos casos se encontró que 37 casos fueron citológicamente falsos negativos. Los casos que fueron tratados por cualquier tipo de cirugía o radioterapia fueron excluídos. Los 37 casos anteriormente citados fueron reevaludos por 5 Citotecnólogos para encontrar la causa del error inicial. Las biopsias correspondientes a esos casos también fueron reevaluados por tres (3) Patólogos con la misma finalidad. Una revisión de los casos con lesiones histológicas menores de aquellas obtenidas por citología fue hecha (casos sobre evaluados). La coincidencia cito histológica entre los procesos neoplásicos y los diagnósticos iniciales fue altamente notable

Peritonite por B. subtilis em diálise peritoneal intermitente, crônica / Peritonitis due to B. subtilis in chronic intermittent peritoneal dialysis

Peritonite constitui uma complicaçäo freqüente da diálise peritoneal, sendo importante causa de morbidade e mortalidade. A flora bacteriana mais freqüente envolvida é a de gram-positivos, destacando-se o S. aureus e S. epidermidis, seguidos de estreptococos e de bacilos gram-negativos. Relatamos, no presente, três casos de peritonite em pacientes atendendo programa de diálise peritoneal intemitente, causadas pelo Bacillus subtilis. Habitualmente, o isolamento de Bacillus do líquido de diálise e de secreçöes orgânicas variadas (à exceçäo do B. anthracis) é tido como "contaminaçäo". Nosso relato visa alertar para a importância desse gyenero de bactéria como agente infectante, somando-se áqueles que destacam o papel patogênico dessa bactéria, e chamamos a atençäo para a procura de outros fatores de infecçäo que näo a pele ou aparelho digestivo, nessas situaçöes