Characterization of bacteria with phenol-oxidase activity from soil in the La Laguna area (Spain)

A total of 168 bacterial strains isolated from soil of the La Laguna area (Tenerife Island, Spain) were characterized and assayed for phenol-oxidase enzymes (as an indicator of lignolytic capability).     

Mass balance and characterization of bio-oil from sludge pyrolysis generated in the treatment of effluent from the biodiesel industry

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The present work produced bio-oil from the pyrolysis of sludge from the biodiesel processing industry in a fixed bed reactor, aiming at industrial...     

Newborns and low to moderate prenatal environmental lead exposure: might fathers be the key?

This study is part of the BioMadrid Project, a bio-monitoring study designed to assess pollutants in the environment surrounding children born in the Madrid region. Our aim in this report is to evaluate the association between prenatal lead exposure and fetal development using three biological samples (maternal and paternal blood lead at around 34 weeks of gestation as well as cord blood lead levels), three biomarkers of effect in cord blood peripheral lymphocytes (micronucleus in binucleated cells, nucleoplasmic bridges, and nuclear buds), and different anthropometrical characteristics at birth. Maternal and cord blood lead were not associated with newborn measurements or genotoxicity biomarkers. In contrast, increases in father blood lead were coupled with lower weight (mean difference (MD), ?110.8 g; 95 % confidence intervals (95%CI), ?235.6 to 6.00; p?<?0.10) and shorter abdominal (MD, ?0.81 cm; 95%CI, ?1.64 to 0.00; p?<?0.05) and cephalic (MD, ?0.32 cm; 95%CI, ?0.65 to 0.00; p?<?0.05) circumferences at birth as well as with the presence of nucleoplasmic bridges (odds ratio, 1.03; 95%CI, 1.00 to 1.06; p?<?0.05) and nuclear buds (odds ratio, 1.02; 95%CI, 0.99 to 1.04; p?<?0.10). These associations were mainly confined to female babies, in whom paternal lead was also inversely associated with length. Our results support the hypothesis that paternal lead exposure may be affecting the development of newborns.     

Manganese toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster: extension of the life span by resveratrol

The effect of resveratrol was studied on the life span and motor activity of Drosophila melanogaster treated with manganese (Mn). Two days after emerging from the pupa, male wild type D. melanogaster were fed for 13 days with corn media containing 15?mM Mn. Thereafter, Drosophila were divided into six groups of 300 flies each: (1) the flies remained treated with Mn; (2) began treatment with 0.43?mM resveratrol (Mn-resveratrol group); (3) received no additional treatment (Mn-no treatment group); (4) simultaneously fed with Mn and resveratrol (Mn?+?resveratrol group). In addition, a control (5) with no treatment and another group (6) fed only with resveratrol after emerging from the pupa were included. All Mn-treated flies (group 1) were dead on the 25th day. The life span in the resveratrol group was 91?±?0.33 days (mean?±?S.E.M.) and in Mn-resveratrol flies was 83?±?2 days. These two values were significantly higher than those detected in the control (5) and Mn-no treatment (group 3) flies whose life span were 68?±?0.33 and 67?±?2.31 days, respectively. The Mn?+?resveratrol-fed flies had a markedly higher life span (31?±?1.53 days) than Mn-fed flies (23?±?0.88 days). In the flies that received Mn (Mn and Mn?+?resveratrol groups), the motor activity decreased significantly with respect to control (groups 5) and the Mn–resveratrol and resveratrol groups. In conclusion, resveratrol increased significantly the life span of Mn-treated D. melanogaster.