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The search for alternatives that minimize the generation of tailings and enable their reuse, leads to characterization studies with the objective of a better understanding of the physical, chemical and mineralogical properties of iron ore tailings. The increase in demand for high-quality ore overlapping ore extraction with increasingly lower iron concentration levels, is part of the challenge of mineral exploitation. In view of the aforementioned needs, a more detailed characterization of the tailings contributes to the improvement of the mineral processing stage and the reuse of the generated tailings. To this end, an analysis of the characteristics of the tailings was carried out through physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization, with emphasis on quantitative electron microscopy - QEM. The tests revealed that the predominant phases are hematite and quartz and, to a lesser extent, goethite, gibbsite and kaolinite. As for the degree of release, hematite/magnetite has 88.13% of its particles totally free, 0.53% associated with quartz and 6.77% associated with goethite. The chemical composition is 32.29% Fe, 47.92% SiO2, 2.76% Al2O3, and 2.14% PPI. In this scenario, mineralogical characterization, as a main component of geometallurgy, makes it possible to propose alternatives that improve the ore beneficiation process and the reuse of tailings.

The cell entry mechanism of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is not fully understood. Previous studies showed that AcMNPV entered host cells primarily through clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and could efficiently infect cells via fusion with the plasma membrane after a low-pH trigger. However, whether AcMNPV enters cells via these two pathways simultaneously, and the exact manner in which AcMNPV particles are internalized into cells remains unclear. In this study, using single-virus tracking, we observed that AcMNPV particles were first captured by pre-existing clathrin-coated pits (CCP), and were then delivered to early endosomes. Population-based analysis of single-virus tracking and quantitative electron microscopy demonstrated that the majority of particles were captured by CCPs and internalized via invagination. In contrast, a minority of virus particles were not delivered to CCPs, and were internalized through direct fusion with the plasma membrane without invagination. Quantitative electron microscopy also showed that, while inhibition of CCP assembly significantly impaired viral internalization, inhibition of endosomal acidification blocked virus particles out of vesicles. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that approximately 90% of AcMNPV particles entered cells through clathrin-mediated endocytosis and 10% entered via direct fusion with the plasma membrane. This study will lead toward a better understanding of AcMNPV infection.

The effects of clofibrate on the fine structure and drug-metabolizing capacity of livers of normolipidemic young adult virgin (YA) and hypercholesterolemic retired breeder (RB) male rats were measured by morphometric and biochemical procedures. The oral administration of clofibrate for 7 days significantly increased liver weight and reduced the cholesterol concentrations in the serum and liver tissue in both groups of animals. The hepatic triglyceride (TG) concentration and the volume of cytoplasmic lipid droplets, presumably TG, as well as the serum TG concentration, increased only in the drug-treated RB rats. Clofibrate treatment resulted in significant increases in the volumes of the hepatocytes and their constituent mitochondria and microbodies and caused a proliferation of the smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum. Although the magnitude of the hypocholesterolemic response was considerably greater in the RB animals, the morphological changes were much more marked in the YA group. However, the surface area of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was reduced in the livers of the drug-treated RB rats. NADPH cytochrome c reductase specific activity was significantly increased in both the RB and YA animals, but the concentration of cytochrome P-450 (per mg microsomal protein) increased only in the YA rats. Neither the cytochrome b5 concentration nor the rate of ethylmorphine N-demethylation was significantly affected by clofibrate administration. The results suggest that there is no positive correlation between the hypocholesterolemic response to clofibrate and the degree of subcellular changes in the hepatocytes and that this hypolipidemic drug elicits a minimal effect on the concentrations of the components of the hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing system.