Phytoextraction of gold and copper from mine tailings with Helianthus annuus L. and Kalanchoe serrata L.

To examine the feasibility of gold phytoextraction, and the corresponding uptake of copper that is induced at the same time, field and laboratory scale experiments were carried out using mine tailings from the Magistral mine in Sinaloa State, Mexico. The locally available plant species Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower) and Kalanchoe serrata L. (magic tower) were used in this work, in combination with the chemical amendments: sodium cyanide (NaCN), ammonium thiocyanate (NH₄SCN), ammonium thiosulphate (NH₄)₂S₂O₃, and thiourea [SC (NH₂)₂] to promote gold uptake. The results show that for K. serrata, average copper concentrations were increased to above 4 mg/kg and gold concentrations to above 9 mg/kg in the dry matter of aerial tissues. For H. annuus average copper concentrations were increased to 118 mg/kg in roots, 141 mg/kg in stem and, 119 mg/kg in leaves while average gold concentrations were increased to 15 mg/kg in leaves, 16 mg/kg in roots and, 21 mg/kg in plant stems. Poor health of plants after treatment with chemicals to induce gold uptake could be a function of toxic concentrations of other trace elements such as copper in the plants. Our results confirm that phytoextraction technology can be used to recover precious metals from mine tailings, and that at the current market price for gold, this recovery may be economic. However, our results also highlight the differential response of plant species to copper and gold in the ground, and the importance of choosing the correct chemical to induce metal uptake.     

Susceptibility analysis of arbitrarily shaped 2-D slotted screensusing a hybrid generalized scattering matrix finite-element technique

The electromagnetic susceptibility (EMS) inside slotted screens has been studied using a hybrid technique. The screen is characterized by a generalized admittance or impedance matrix, computed using the finite element method (FEM), which is then combined with a modal solution in free-space. The scattering matrix for the screen can then be easily computed. As a practical application, the electrical performance of a slotted square envelope has been studied. In general, it is shown that coupling to the interior of slotted screens is maximized at frequencies corresponding to resonances of the shorted screen, provided that the fields do not vanish near the aperture     

Petrous bone approach for the surgery of petroclival meningiomas

Adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated according to the ALL90 study, the second prospective study for ALL of the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG). Its characteristics included response-oriented individualized induction therapy with six drugs (doxorubicin, mitoxantrone, vincristine, prednisolone, [corrected] cyclophosphamide and L-asparaginase), and a prospective comparison between allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) and chemotherapy alone in patients below 45 years of age. The protocol consisted of one or two courses of induction, four courses of consolidation, and three courses of intensification including 12 month maintenance and six times of central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis. Of 180 evaluable patients (median age, 43), 125 (69%) achieved complete remission (CR). Predicted overall survival (OAS), event-free survival and disease-free survival (DFS) were 15, 10 and 14%, respectively at the median follow-up period of 62 months. No specific toxicities were observed. Leukocytes < 30,000/microliter, normal karyotype, and blasts < 10% in bone marrow at day 15 of induction therapy were significantly favorable prognostic factors for the achievement of CR, DFS and OAS by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed leukocytes < 30,000/microliter and blasts < 10% on day 15 was a significant factor for the achievement of CR, DFS and OAS. Ph-chromosome was found in 28% (36/130) of patients examined and was one of the worst prognostic factors. All Ph positive patients were predicted to die within 600 days. Allo-BMT was not significantly superior to chemotherapy with respect to DFS (P = 0.226). The overall results were inferior to those of the former ALL87 protocol. As reasons, the older median age of 43 years old (vs. 38 years old) and lower dose intensity, especially of l-asparaginase, etc. were suggested. However, patients with good prognostic factors (leukocyte < 30,000/microliter and age < 30 years old) showed better survival than others (P < 0.0001), and the result was similar to that of older children, the high risk group of childhood ALL, suggesting that ALL could be a disease of single entity, showing higher resistance to chemotherapy as patients become older.     

Nutritional Value of Various Ray Fish Liver Oils to the Pacific White Shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Litopenaeus vannamei</Emphasis>

A 32-day comparative feeding trial was performed to evaluate the nutritional value of four different ray fish liver oils to the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Four feeds were prepared with liver oil extracted from Dasyatis brevis, Rhinoptera steindachneri, Aetobatus narinari, and R. bonasus. A control feed was prepared with Menhaden fish oil. Ray fish liver oils were mainly composed of poly- and highly unsaturated fatty acids and contained levels of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 comparable in magnitude to those of Menhaden fish oil, except for A. narinari liver oil, which had moderately low concentrations of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 but showed a particularly high level of 20:4n-6, more than six times greater than that of Menhaden fish oil. Dietary fatty acids significantly influenced the fatty acid composition of shrimp muscle tissue, e.g., the diet with Menhaden fish oil elicited significantly higher shrimp muscle DHA level than diets with oil from D. brevis, and A. narinari, but not than diets with oil from R. steindachneri and R. bonasus. In spite of these differences, all four ray fish liver oils evaluated were as efficient in promoting growth and survival of L. vannamei as Menhaden fish oil, an ingredient known for its adequate nutritional quality to shrimp and fish. This study demonstrated one of the many possible applications of a locally-available resource that is currently being wasted.     

Expression of IL-8, IL-6 and IL-1β in Tears as a Main Characteristic of the Immune Response in Human Microbial Keratitis

Corneal infections are frequent and potentially vision-threatening diseases, and despite the significance of the immunological response in animal models of microbial keratitis (MK), it remains unclear in humans. The aim of this study was to describe the cytokine profile of tears in patients with MK. Characteristics of ocular lesions such as size of the epithelial defect, stromal infiltration, and hypopyon were analyzed. Immunological evaluation included determination of interleukine (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in tear samples obtained from infected eyes of 28 patients with MK and compared with their contralateral non-infected eyes. Additionally, frequency of CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD19⁺ and CD3⁻CD56⁺ cells was also determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with MK, and compared with 48 healthy controls. Non-significant differences were observed in the size of the epithelial defect, stromal infiltration, and hypopyon. Nevertheless, we found an immunological profile apparently related to MK etiology. IL-8 > IL-6 in patients with bacterial keratitis; IL-8 > IL-6 > IL-1β and increased frequency of circulating CD3⁻CD56⁺ NK cells in patients with gram-negative keratitis; and IL-8 = IL-6 > IL-1β in patients with fungal keratitis. Characterization of tear cytokines from patients with MK could aid our understanding of the immune pathophysiological mechanisms underlying corneal damage in humans.     

Partial removal of protein associated with arabinoxylans: Impact on the viscoelasticity,crosslinking content,and microstructure of the gels formed

Arabinoxylans (AX) treated with protease and dialyzed (AXP) or only dialyzed (AXD) formed gels showing an increase in the elastic modulus G′ (1291 and 1419 Pa, respectively) and the ferulic acid dimers (3.34 and 3.10 μg/mg polysaccharide, respectively) and trimers (0.51 and 0.53 μg/mg polysaccharide, respectively) in comparison to AX gels (767 Pa, 0.56 and 0.12 μg/mg polysaccharide, respectively). Nevertheless, the G′ values and crosslinking contents were not different among the AXP and AXD gels, suggesting that the amount of protein removed (54%) does not affect these parameters. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis showed that AXP treatment promotes the homogeneity of the gels. In addition, scanning electron microscopy observations indicated that AXD and particularly AXP gels had a more compact microstructure. Thus, the partial removal of protein associated with AX does not impact the viscoelasticity and crosslinking content of the gels formed but could improve their microstructural characteristics. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47300.     

Validation of a mutant of the pore-forming toxin sticholysin-I for the construction of proteinase-activated immunotoxins

The use of pore-forming toxins from sea anemones (actinoporins) in the construction of immunotoxins (ITs) against tumour cells is an alternative for cancer therapy. However, the main disadvantage of actinoporin-based ITs obtained so far has been the poor cellular specificity associated with the toxin's ability to bind and exert its activity in almost any cell membrane. Our final goal is the construction of tumour proteinase-activated ITs using a cysteine mutant at the membrane binding region of sticholysin-I (StI), a cytolysin isolated from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. The mutant and the ligand moiety would be linked by proteinase-sensitive peptides through the StI cysteine residue blocking the toxin binding region and hence the IT non-specific killing activity. To accomplish this objective the first step was to obtain the mutant StI W111C, and to evaluate the impact of mutating tryptophan 111 by cysteine on the toxin pore-forming capacity. After proteolysis of the cleavage sequence, a short peptide would remain attached to the toxin. The next step was to evaluate whether this mutant is able to form pores even with a residual peptide linked to cysteine 111. In this work we demonstrated that (i) StI W111C shows pore-forming capacity in a nanomolar range, although it is 8-fold less active than the wild-type recombinant StI, corroborating the previously reported importance of residue 111 for the binding of StI to membranes, and (ii) the mutant is able to form pores even with a residual seven-residue peptide linked to cysteine 111. In addition, it was demonstrated that binding of a large molecule to cysteine 111 renders an inactive toxin that is no longer able to bind to the membrane. These results validate the mutant StI W111C for its use in the construction of tumour proteinase-activated ITs.     

Production and Characterization of Surface-Active Lipopeptides by Haloalkaliphilic Bacteria Salibacterium sp. 4CTb

Surface-Active Biomolecules (SAB) obtained from microbial sources are safe alternatives to chemically synthesized counterparts for many environmental and industrial applications. These applications frequently involve the exposure of the SAB to extreme factors making necessary to seek for molecules that are able to function under such conditions. In this work, the polyextremophilic bacterium Salibacterium sp. 4CTb is reported as a SAB producer. Its emulsifier activity increased almost twofold when the C/N ratio and culture conditions were modified. The partially purified molecule was able to form stable emulsions under extreme conditions (70 °C, pH 12, and 4 M NaCl) better than other commercial molecules, and reduced the surface tension of the water to 49.78 mN m⁻¹ with critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 15.1 mg L⁻¹. Carbohydrate, lipid, and protein assays, accompanied by the Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) results, indicate the lipopeptide nature of the compound with masses around 645 and 746 Da. The SAB obtained from Salibacterium sp. 4CTb may be suitable for electrical, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, agriculture, and environmental applications, among others.     

Asset-based welfare in Brazil

Abstract

The idea of asset-based welfare (ABW) has been widely discussed since the 1990s. This paper presents a policy developed in Brazil in the 1960s that could also be perceived as an ABW policy. The Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Serviço (FGTS) is a compulsory savings scheme, managed by the state and financed through monthly deposits made by employers on behalf of their employees. The FGTS resembles a personalized public pension, but the balance of an individual FGTS account can also be used to facilitate access to homeownership. We do not argue that this is an inclusionary and redistributive policy, but we do argue that the FGTS acts as a facilitator of asset-building for those included in the formal labour market. Contrary to ABW practices in the Global North, in Brazil, the introduction of ABW policies represents the expansion rather than the retrenchment or readjustment of the welfare state.