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The newspaper Açores-América, published in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in1903, appears with the essential objective of bringing to light the conditions of Azorean emigration to America (recruitment, departure, arrival and reception) and promoting the debate on the socio-economic and labor environment in the Azorean community of New England. Founded and directed by Eugénio Pacheco, during his short passage through the city of Boston, this weekly newspaper was ephemeral but important, not only for launching the debate about the life of the Azorean community in the US East Coast, but also for the demonstrated commitment to the dissemination of Azorean culture and traditions. This study examines the axiological and semantic universe of Açores-América, approaching it on three levels: the newspaper in terms of its text; the profile of his founder; the historic setting in the Azorean islands at the start of the 20th century, with incidence on emigration to the United States and on the formation of a conscience of identity by the urban elites of the Azores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The concentrations and vertical distribution of 239,240Pu, 241Am and 137Cs in the bottom sediments and water samples of Lake Päijänne were investigated. This lake is important, since the Päijänne area received a significant deposition from the Chernobyl fallout. Furthermore Lake Päijänne is the raw water source for the Helsinki metropolitan area. In addition no previous data on the distribution of plutonium and americium in the sediment profiles of Lake Päijänne exist. Only data covering the surface layer (0–1cm) of the sediments are previously available. In the sediments the average total activities were 45±15Bq/m2 and 20±7Bq/m2 for 239,240Pu and 241Am, respectively. The average 241Am/239,240Pu ratio was 0.45±0.14. The 241Am/239,240Pu ratio is lowest in the surface layer of the sediments and increases as a function of depth. The 238Pu/239,240Pu ratio of the sediment samples varied between 0.012±0.025 and 0.162±0.079, decreasing as a function of depth. The average activity in water was 4.9±0.9mBq/m3 and 4.1±0.2mBq/m3 for 239,240Pu and 241Am, respectively. The 241Am/239,240Pu ratio of water samples was 0.82±0.17. 239,240Pu originating from the Chernobyl fallout calculated from the average total activities covers approximately 1.95±0.01% of the total 239,240Pu activity in the bottom sediments. The average total 137Cs activity of sediment profiles was 100±15kBq/m2 and 19.3±1.4Bq/m3 in water samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The uptake of nickel [Ni(II)] by Paenibacillus sp., Methylobacterium sp., Paraburkholderia sp., and Pseudomonas sp. strains isolated from a boreal bog was studied using batch experiments. All strains removed Ni(II) from the solution and the uptake efficiency was affected by the nutrient source, incubation temperature, time, and pH. As highest Ni uptake (with a maximum K d of 1890 L/kg DW) was recorded for the Pseudomonas sp. strains, these bacteria were used in the following protein expression (SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOFF), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and EDS experiments. In addition, Freundlich and Langmuir sorption isotherms were determined. In the Ni(II) treated cells, dense crystalline intra-cellular accumulations were observed in TEM examinations, which were identified as Ni accumulations using EDS. SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOFF spectra of Ni(II) treated cells showed several changes in the protein profiles, which can indicate active accumulation of Ni in these bacteria. Concurrently, we observed Ni(II) uptake to follow Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms, suggesting straight cellular biosorption in addition to the intra-cellular accumulation. The role of cellular (cell membrane and cell wall) functional groups involved in Ni(II) binding were therefore studied using Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy. These analyses supported the potential role of the alcoholic hydroxyl, carboxyl and amine groups in Ni(II) binding in these bacteria, therefore suggesting two different Ni(II) uptake mechanisms; (i) intra-cellular accumulation [possibly connected to detoxification of Ni(II)], and (ii) straight biosorption on cell membrane/wall functional groups., (Copyright © 2019 Knuutinen, Bomberg, Kemell and Lusa.)

The bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities were characterized in 17 top soil organic and mineral layer samples and in top sediment samples of the Paukkajanvaara area, a former pilot-scale uranium mine, located in Eno, Eastern Finland, using amplicon sequencing and qPCR. Soil and sediment samples were in addition analyzed for radium ( 226 Ra), sulfate (SO 4 2- ), nitrate (NO 3 - ) and phosphate (PO 4 3- ) concentrations. New bacterial strains, representing Pseudomonas spp., were isolated from the mine and reference area and used in laboratory experiments on uptake and leaching of radium (Ra). The effect of these strains on the sulfate leaching from the soil samples was also tested in vitro. Between 6 × 10 6 and 5 × 10 8 copies g -1 DW (dry weight) of bacterial 16S rRNA genes, 5 × 10 5 -1 × 10 8 copies g -1 DW archaeal 16S rRNA genes and 1 × 10 5 -1 × 10 8 copies g -1 DW fungal 5.8S rRNA genes were detected in the samples. A total of 814, 54 and 167 bacterial, archaeal and fungal genera, respectively, were identified. Proteobacteria, Euryarchaeota and Mortiriella were the dominant bacterial, archaeal and fungal phyla, respectively. All tested Pseudomonas spp. strains isolates from Paukkajanvaara removed Ra from the solution, but the amount of removed Ra depended on incubation conditions (temperature, time and nutrient broth). The highest removal of Ra (5320 L/kg DW) was observed by the Pseudomonas sp. strain T5-6-I at 37 °C. All Pseudomonas spp. strains decreased the release of Ra from soil with an average of 23% while simultaneously increasing the concentration of SO 4 2- in the solution by 11%. As Pseudomonas spp. were frequent in both the sequence data and the cultures, these bacteria may play an important role in the immobilization of Ra in the Paukkajanvaara mine area., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient but toxic when taken in excessive amounts. Therefore, understanding the metabolic processes related to selenium uptake and bacteria-plant interactions coupled with selenium metabolism are of high importance. We cultivated Brassica oleracea with the previously isolated heterotrophic aerobic Se(IV)-reducing Pseudomonas sp. T5-6-I strain to better understand the phenomena of bacteria-mediated Se(IV) reduction on selenium availability to the plants. B. oleracea grown on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS-salt agar) with and without of Pseudomonas sp. were amended with Se(IV)/ 75 Se(IV), and selenium transfer into plants was studied using autoradiography and gamma spectroscopy. XANES was in addition used to study the speciation of selenium in the B. oleracea plants. In addition, the effects of Se(IV) on the protein expression in B. oleracea was studied using HPLC-SEC. TEM and confocal microscopy were used to follow the bacterial/Se-aggregate accumulation in plants and the effects of bacterial inoculation on root-hair growth. In the tests using 75 Se(IV) on average 130% more selenium was translocated to the B. oleracea plants grown with Pseudomonas sp. compared to the plants grown with selenium, but without Pseudomonas sp.. In addition, these bacteria notably increased root hair density. Changes in the protein expression of B. oleracea were observed on the ∼30-58 kDa regions in the Se(IV) treated samples, probably connected e.g. to the oxidative stress induced by Se(IV) or expression of proteins connected to the Se(IV) metabolism. Based on the XANES measurements, selenium appears to accumulate in B. oleracea mainly in organic C-Se-H and C-Se-C bonds with and without bacteria inoculation. We conclude that the Pseudomonas sp. T5-6-I strain seems to contribute positively to the selenium accumulation in plants, establishing the high potential of Se 0 -producing bacteria in the use of phytoremediation and biofortification of selenium., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Selenite (Se(IV), SeO 3 2- ) uptake and the effect of selenite supplement on protein synthesis was investigated in two Pseudomonas sp. strains isolated from a boreal bog. These aerobic bacteria efficiently reduced Se(IV) with intracellular reduced Se 0 observed in the cytoplasm under dark aerobic conditions. The proteome analysis of Se(IV) supplement and temperature responses by SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis showed variations in the protein expression on the 40-60 kDa regions following these stress factors, probably through enzymes associated to oxidative stress or temperature adaptation. NO 3 - /NO 2 - /SO 4 2- addition enhanced Se(IV) uptake in both bacteria, but Se(IV) uptake sustained also under sulphur and nitrogen starvation. Our findings suggest two different transport mechanisms for Se(IV) uptake in these Pseudomonas sp. strains; a low affinity transport system up-regulated by NO 3 - /NO 2 - /SO 4 2- and a distinct Se(IV)O 3 2- regulated transport system. Following transport, Se(IV) is reduced in the cytoplasm, forming Se 0 granules, visible in TEM and verified using EDX., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

Radionuclides, like radioiodine ((129)I), may escape deep geological nuclear waste repositories and migrate to the surface ecosystems. In surface ecosystems, microorganisms can affect their movement. Iodide uptake of six bacterial strains belonging to the genera Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, Burkholderia and Rhodococcus isolated from an acidic boreal nutrient-poor bog was tested. The tests were run in four different growth media at three temperatures. All bacterial strains removed iodide from the solution with the highest efficiency shown by one of the Paenibacillus strains with >99% of iodide removed from the solution in one of the used growth media. Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus and one of the two Paenibacillus strains showed highest iodide uptake in 1% yeast extract with maximum values for the distribution coefficient (Kd) ranging from 90 to 270L/kg DW. The Burkholderia strain showed highest uptake in 1% Tryptone (maximum Kd 170L/kg DW). The Paenibacillus strain V0-1-LW showed exceptionally high uptake in 0.5% peptone +0.25% yeast extract broth (maximum Kd>1,000,000L/kg DW). Addition of 0.1% glucose to the 0.5% peptone +0.25% yeast extract broth reduced iodide uptake at 4°C and 20°C and enhanced iodide uptake at 37°C compared to the uptake without glucose. This indicates that the uptake of glucose and iodide may be competing processes in these bacteria. We estimated that in in situ conditions of the bog, the bacterial uptake of iodide accounts for approximately 0.1%-0.3% of the total sorption of iodide in the surface, subsurface peat, gyttja and clay layers., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study describes the development of a signal prediction model in gradient elution ion chromatography. The proposed model is based on a retention model and generalized logistic peak shape function which guarantees simplicity of the model and its easy implementation in method development process. Extensive analysis of the model predictive ability has been performed for ion chromatographic determination of bromate, nitrite, bromide, iodide, and perchlorate, using KOH solutions as eluent. The developed model shows good predictive ability (average relative error of gradient predictions 1.94%). The developed model offers short calculation times as well as low experimental effort (only nine isocratic runs are used for modeling).

In this work, three different methods for modeling of gradient retention were combined with several optimization objective functions in order to find the most appropriate combination to be applied in ion chromatography method development. The system studied was a set of seven inorganic anions (fluoride, chloride, nitrite, sulfate, bromide, nitrate, and phosphate) with a KOH eluent. The retention modeling methods tested were multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (MLP-ANN), radial-basis function artificial neural network (RBF-ANN), and retention model based on transfer of data from isocratic to gradient elution mode. It was shown that MLP retention model in combination with the objective function based on normalized retention difference product was the most adequate tool for optimization purposes.

When facing separation problems in ion chromatography, chromatographers often lack guidelines to decide a priori if isocratic elution will give enough separation in a reasonable analysis time or a gradient elution will be required. This situation may be solved by the prediction of retention in gradient elution mode by using isocratic experimental data. This work describes the development of an ion chromatographic gradient elution retention model for fluoride, chloride, nitrite, bromide, nitrate, sulfate and phosphate by using isocratic experimental data. The isocratic elution retention model was developed by applying a polynomial relation between the logarithm of the retention factor and logarithm of the concentration of competing ions; the gradient elution retention model was based on the stepwise numerical integration of the corresponding differential equation. It was shown that the developed gradient elution retention model was not significantly affected by transferring data form isocratic experiment. The root mean squared prediction error for gradient elution retention model was between 0.0863 for fluoride and 0.7027 for bromide proving a very good predictive ability of developed gradient elution retention model.