The diversity of yeasts collected from different sites in Antarctica (Admiralty Bay, King George Island and Port Foster Bay and Deception Island) and their ability to produce extracellular enzymes and mycosporines were studied. Samples were collected during the austral summer season, between November 2006 and January 2007, from the rhizosphere of Deschampsia antarctica, ornithogenic (penguin guano) soil, soil, marine and lake sediments, marine water and freshwater from lakes. A total of 89 isolates belonging to the following genera were recovered: Bensingtonia, Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, Dioszegia, Exophiala, Filobasidium, Issatchenkia (Pichia), Kodamaea, Leucosporidium, Leucosporidiella, Metschnikowia, Nadsonia, Pichia, Rhodotorula, and Sporidiobolus, and the yeast-like fungi Aureobasidium, Leuconeurospora and Microglossum. Cryptococcus victoriae was the most frequently identified species. Several species isolated in our study have been previously reported to be Antarctic psychophilic yeasts, including Cr. antarcticus, Cr. victoriae, Dioszegia hungarica and Leucosporidium scottii. The cosmopolitan yeast species A. pullulans, C. zeylanoides, D. hansenii, I. orientalis, K. ohmeri, P. guilliermondii, Rh. mucilaginosa, and S. salmonicolor were also isolated. Five possible new species were identified. Sixty percent of the yeasts had at least one detectable extracellular enzymatic activity. Cryptococcus antarcticus, D. aurantiaca, D. crocea, D. hungarica, Dioszegia sp., E. xenobiotica, Rh. glaciales, Rh. laryngis, Microglossum sp. 1 and Microglossum sp. 2 produced mycosporines. Of the yeast isolates, 41.7% produced pigments and/or mycosporines and could be considered adapted to survive in Antarctica. Most of the yeasts had extracellular enzymatic activities at 4ºC and 20ºC, indicating that they could be metabolically active in the sampled substrates.

The objective of this study was to determine the presence of Strongyloides stercoralis in urban garbage collectors through the use of immunological and parasitological methods. A total of 92 individuals were evaluated from August, 1997, to June, 1998. For the parasitological diagnosis Baermann and Lutz' methods were applied. The immunological diagnosis involved the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect specific IgG antibodies. Of the 92 workers examined, six (6.5%) were infected with larvae of S. stercoralis. The IFAT detected 19 (16.3%) and the ELISA 17 (18.5%) positive serum samples. The differences between the results of parasitological and immunological methods were statistically significant (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that there is a need to improve the health conditions of this category of city employees.

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é destacar o potencial da análise de imagens na interpretação de fotomicrografias de argilominerais. Foram usadas imagens de argilas obtidas com um microscópio eletrônico de transmissão de alta resolução e um programa de análise de imagens. A manipulação das imagens, usando as diferentes ferramentas do programa, permite melhorar sua qualidade e quantificar alguns parâmetros importantes, tais como a morfologia estrutural dos diferentes compostos, os espaçamentos interplanares e o ângulo de inclinação das franjas de rede, o tamanho e a morfologia de grãos do material, dentre outras medidas de interesse. Foram aplicados diversos filtros para melhorar a imagem inicial e a transformada rápida de Fourier foi aplicada em imagens individuais de grãos que apresentam franjas de rede. Além desses filtros, o programa tem outras ferramentas que podem ser usadas para fazer medidas (de diâmetros, áreas, comprimentos etc.), que permitem determinar distâncias interplanares dos planos (hkl) selecionados. Embora o programa possa ser usado em outras aplicações interessantes (por exemplo, em análise metalográfica de fotografias obtidas com microscópio óptico), neste trabalho são mostrados os resultados obtidos na análise de algumas franjas de rede de argilominerais.

The main objective of this paper is to show the potential image analysis on microscopy images interpretation of clay minerals. An image analysis software was applied to manipulate High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy images of clays to improve them. Afterwards some parameters such as interplanar spacing were measured. It is also possible to measure others parameters like the angle between crossed lattice fringes, grain morphology, orientation, elongation, and crystallite sizes. The technique involves the application of fast Fourier transforms to single particles, application of the spike-boost program accessory to improve the images, and after that it is applied the inverse FFT. Although the program can be used to other interesting applications (for example, metallographic analysis of optical photomicrographs) in this paper the results obtained from the analysis of some clays minerals lattice fringes are shown.

Uma avaliação sistemática de um eletrodo tubular de Fe2O3 em grafite epóxi foi realizada através de medições de pH em um sistema de injeção em fluxo de linha única. O eletrodo tubular foi obtido pela deposição de uma mistura de óxido de ferro(III), pó de grafite e resina epóxi no interior de um orifício feito previamente no canal de injeção (de resina poliuretana). O efeito da composição do eletrodo e dos parâmetros do sistema de injeção em fluxo (vazão e volume amostra) sobre a resposta do eletrodo foram avaliados em quintuplicata (limite de confiança de 95%). A melhor resposta potenciométrica (E/mV = 178,2 - 26,5 pH; r = 0,9995) foi obtida no intervalo de pH de 2 a 12 com um eletrodo de composição em massa 30% de Fe2O3, 20% de grafite e 50% de resina epóxi, volume de injeção de amostra de 300 mL e vazão de 3,2 mL min-1. A frequência analítica foi 90 h-1 e um tempo de vida útil de pelo menos 6 meses (mais de 2000 determinações) foi obtido.

A systematic evaluation of a Fe2O3 graphite-epoxy tubular electrode was investigated through pH measurements in a single-channel flow injection system. The tubular electrode was obtained by deposition of a mixture of iron(III) oxide, graphite powder and epoxy resin into a hole previously made in the injection channel (of a polyuretane resin block). The effect of electrode composition and flow injection parameters (flow rate and injection sample volume) on the Fe2O3-tubular-electrode response was initially evaluated in quintuplicate (confidence level of 95%). The best potentiometric response (E/mV = 178.2 - 26.5 pH; r = 0.9995) was reached in the pH range 2 to 12 with an electrode composition in mass of 30% Fe2O3, 20% graphite and 50% epoxy resin, injection sample volume of 300 mL and a flow rate of 3.2 mL min-1. The frequency rate was 90 h-1 and a useful lifetime of at least six months (more than 2000 determinations) was obtained.

Os autores estudam a influência de grãos pretos em ligas com cafés brasileiros de bebida Mole. Foram ensaiadas porcentagens crescentes de grãos pretos: 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 e 50%. Realizaram-se dois ensaios de degustação em blocos incompletos equilibrados, com t = 10 tratamentos, k = 4 parcelas por bloco, r = 6 repetições, b = 15 blocos, X = 2. Cada parcela era formada por 3 xícaras de tipo padrão e foi provada por 3 degustadores, que davam sua opinião xícara por xícara. Os dados coletados são, pois, 1080, isto é, 540 para cada um dos dois ensaios. Mas cada ensaio tinha realmente apenas 60 parcelas, a cada uma das quais correspondia a média das 9 opiniões sôbre ela emitidas (3 degustadores x 3 xícaras). As bases deste método experimental são as expostas em FAIRBANKS BARBOSA e outros (1962), com as modificações indicadas. Os dois ensaios deram resultados bem concordantes, que levaram às seguintes conclusões: 1 - Os grãos pretos prejudicam sensìvelmente a bebida, e seu efeito é aproximadamente linear. 2 - Porcentagens de grãos pretos de 10% para cima causam prejuizo sensível. 3 - A equação de regressão é Y = 3,792 - 0,0379 X, onde X é a porcentagem de grãos pretos e Y é o número de pontos correspondentes à bebida.

The authors study the influence of black coffee beans in mixture with Brasilian coffee of soft taste. Increasing percentages of black beans were tried: 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. Two experiments were carried out, in a balanced incomplete block design, with t = 10 treatments, k = 4 plots per block, r = 6 replications, b = 15 blocks, L = 2. Each plot had 3 standard cups and was tasted by 3 tasters, who gave their opinion for each cup. Data thus collected are, therefore, 1080 in number, that is, 540 for each of the two trials. But each trial had indeed only 60 plots, to every plot corresponding the average of 9 opinions (3 tasters x 3 cups). The experimental technique was that established by FAIRBANKS BARBOSA and others (1962), with the changes indicated. The experiments gave results in good agreement, which led to the following conclusions: Black coffee beans injure coffee taste, and their effect is approximately linear. Percentages of black beans from 10% upwards carry out a sensible injury to the tasting quality of coffee. The regression equation is: Y = 3.792 - 0.0379 X, where X is the percentage of black coffee beans, and Y is the score corresponding to tasting categories.