Unraveling Trichoderma species in attine ant environment: description of three new taxa

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Lipidic and proteic absorption in digestive tract of tropical fat snook (Centropomus parallelus, POEY 1860)

The tropical fat snook Centropomus parallelus is a species of recognized ecological importance and with a high economical potential for fisheries and aquaculture. The investigations of digestive tube morphology in association with their feeding abilities are fundamental to improve techniques for aquaculture feeding procedures. Sudan black staining and Perl`s method were used to evaluate their absorption capacity of fat and protein respectively. The Sudan black stain was performed 12 h after the ingestion of lipids. The lipids are intensely absorbed in the ceca epithelium and less intensely in the intestine and rectum. The Perl`s method was performed 12 h after the ingestion of ferritin. The proteins are absorbed only in the rectum. This is the first description of fat and protein absorption ability by the digestive tube of fat snook. These data enhance the possibility of the addition of macromolecules in rations that can show a diversity of physiological effects. The histological implications of each segment of the digestive tube in association with fish biology are further discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aspisoma lineatum (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) Firefly: Description of the Immatures, Biological, and Ecological Aspects

(Gyllenhal) is a common firefly in the Southeastern region of Brazil. Adults and larvae were collected in the municipality of Campinas, state of So Paulo, Brazil, and the immature stages were described and reared in the laboratory. Four generations were reproduced in the laboratory, and a method for its rearing was established. The life cycle usually lasts 6 months, but under optimal laboratory conditions, it lasted from 2 to 4 months. Larvae were fed with and snails since the beginning of the larval stage. This species was found to be easily adapted to environments under anthropic influence, such as urban areas and farms.

New Isomers in the Full Seniority Scheme of Neutron-Rich Lead Isotopes: The Role of Effective Three-Body Forces

The neutron-rich lead isotopes, up to Pb-216, have been studied for the first time, exploiting the fragmentation of a primary uranium beam at the FRS-RISING setup at GSI. The observed isomeric states exhibit electromagnetic transition strengths which deviate from state-of-the-art shell-model calculations. It is shown that their complete description demands the introduction of effective three-body interactions and two-body transition operators in the conventional neutron valence space beyond Pb-208.

Platelet-rich plasma stimulates cytokine expression and alkaline phosphatase activity in osteoblast-derived osteosarcoma cells

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PRP on SAOS-2 cells in terms of cytokine expression, cell activity and oxidative stress. Design: Cell line SAOS-2 (1 x 10(5) cells/mL) were grown in culture medium alpha-MEM with 10% FBS for 24 h and stimulated (or not) with PRP at concentrations of 3, 10 and 20%, LPS (E. coli, 10 g/mL) and IL-1 beta (1 mg/mL) for 24 h. The supernatant was collected and analyzed for the expression of cytokines in a panel array, ALP using a commercial kit and NO2- with Griess reaction method. Also, the cells were analyzed using Western blot for RANKL and slot blotting for nitrotyrosine expression. Result: There were no significant differences amongst the groups in terms of NO2-, protein nitrotyrosine content and RANKL expression. However, all stimuli increased ALP activity and in case of PRP, it was in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.001). Also, all stimuli induced an increase in cytokines and chemokines expression, but only PRP promoted an increase of component C5, sICAM-1 and RANTES expression. Whilst IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) expression was down-regulated by PRP, both LPS and IL-1 beta caused up-regulation of this cytokine. Conclusions: PRP can stimulate osteoblast activity and cytokine/chemokine release, as well as indicate some of the mediators that can (and cannot) be involved in this activation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interfacial concentrations of chloride and bromide in zwitterionic micelles with opposite dipoles: Experimental determination by chemical trapping and a theoretical description

Interfacial concentrations of chloride and bromide ions, with Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, Cs+, trimethylammonium (TMA(+)), Ca2+, and Mg2+ as counterions, were determined by chemical trapping in micelles formed by two zwitterionic surfactants, namely N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate (HPS) and hexadecylphosphorylcholine (HDPC) micelles. Appropriate standard curves for the chemical trapping method were obtained by measuring the product yields of chloride and bromide salts with 2,4,6-trimethyl-benzenediazonium (BF4) in the presence of low molecular analogs (N,N,N-trimethyl-propane sulfonate and methyl-phosphorylcholine) of the employed surfactants. The experimentally determined values for the local Br- (Cl-) concentrations were modeled by fully integrated non-linear Poisson Boltzmann equations. The best fits to all experimental data were obtained by considering that ions at the interface are not fixed at an adsorption site but are free to move in the interfacial plane. In addition, the calculation of ion distribution allowed the estimation of the degree of ion coverage by using standard chemical potential differences accounting for ion specificity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Translocation capture sequencing: A method for high throughput mapping of chromosomal rearrangements

Chromosomal translocations require formation and joining of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). These events disrupt the integrity of the genome and are involved in producing leukemias, lymphomas and sarcomas. Translocations are frequent, clonal and recurrent in mature B cell lymphomas, which bear a particularly high DNA damage burden by virtue of activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression. Despite the ubiquity of genomic rearrangements, the forces that underlie their genesis are not well understood. Here, we provide a detailed description of a new method for studying these events, translocation capture sequencing (TC-Seq). TC-Seq provides the means to document chromosomal rearrangements genome-wide in primary cells, and to discover recombination hotspots. Demonstrating its effectiveness, we successfully estimate the frequency of c-myc/IgH translocations in primary B cells, and identify hotspots of AID-mediated recombination. Furthermore. TC-Seq can be adapted to generate genome-wide rearrangement maps in any cell type and under any condition. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of CuO/CeO2 catalyst with for preferential CO oxidation reaction in hydrogen-rich feed (PROX-CO)

The CuO/CeO2 system was investigated as a catalyst for preferential CO oxidation reaction in hydrogen-rich feed (PROX-CO). The catalysts were prepared by deposition-precipitation (DEP) and co-precipitation (COP) methods and the catalytic performance reveals that the preparation method influences the properties of solids prepared, where a direct consequence is the difference in behavior of the catalysts in the PROX-CO reaction. A high specific area and a better dispersion of the metallic phase were obtained in the catalyst prepared by co-precipitation. The redox properties during the reaction were reported by measures of temperature programmed reduction (TPR), OSC measurements and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES-TPR) in situ showed the relationship between the preparation method, the physicochemical characteristics and redox properties in the PROX-CO reaction. By this means, the good dispersion of CuO and the best oxygen capacity are the response of the high performance of CuO/CeO2-COP catalysts for the PROX-CO reaction. Crown Copyright (c) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gaussian deconvolution: a useful method for a form-free modeling of scattering data from mono- and multilayered planar systems

A new method for analysis of scattering data from lamellar bilayer systems is presented. The method employs a form-free description of the cross-section structure of the bilayer and the fit is performed directly to the scattering data, introducing also a structure factor when required. The cross-section structure (electron density profile in the case of X-ray scattering) is described by a set of Gaussian functions and the technique is termed Gaussian deconvolution. The coefficients of the Gaussians are optimized using a constrained least-squares routine that induces smoothness of the electron density profile. The optimization is coupled with the point-of-inflection method for determining the optimal weight of the smoothness. With the new approach, it is possible to optimize simultaneously the form factor, structure factor and several other parameters in the model. The applicability of this method is demonstrated by using it in a study of a multilamellar system composed of lecithin bilayers, where the form factor and structure factor are obtained simultaneously, and the obtained results provided new insight into this very well known system.

Ultrasonic tissue characterization of vulnerable carotid plaque: correlation between videodensitometric method and histological examination

Abstract Background To establish the correlation between quantitative analysis based on B-mode ultrasound images of vulnerable carotid plaque and histological examination of the surgically removed plaque, on the basis of a videodensitometric digital texture characterization. Methods Twenty-five patients (18 males, mean age 67 ± 6.9 years) admitted for carotid endarterectomy for extracranial high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis (≥ 70% luminal narrowing) underwent to quantitative ultrasonic tissue characterization of carotid plaque before surgery. A computer software (Carotid Plaque Analysis Software) was developed to perform the videodensitometric analysis. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to symptomatology (group I, 15 symptomatic patients; and group II, 10 patients asymptomatic). Tissue specimens were analysed for lipid, fibromuscular tissue and calcium. Results The first order statistic parameter mean gray level was able to distinguish the groups I and II (p = 0.04). The second order parameter energy also was able to distinguish the groups (p = 0,02). A histological correlation showed a tendency of mean gray level to have progressively greater values from specimens with < 50% to >75% of fibrosis. Conclusion Videodensitometric computer analysis of scan images may be used to identify vulnerable and potentially unstable lipid-rich carotid plaques, which are less echogenic in density than stable or asymptomatic, more densely fibrotic plaques.

A detailed description of an economical setup for electroporation of chick embryos in ovo

One of the challenges of the postgenomic era is characterizing the function and regulation of specific genes. For various reasons, the early chick embryo can easily be adopted as an in vivo assay of gene function and regulation. The embryos are robust, accessible, easily manipulated, and maintained in the laboratory. Genomic resources centered on vertebrate organisms increase daily. As a consequence of optimization of gene transfer protocols by electroporation, the chick embryo will probably become increasingly popular for reverse genetic analysis. The challenge of establishing chick embryonic electroporation might seem insurmountable to those who are unfamiliar with experimental embryological methods. To minimize the cost, time, and effort required to establish a chick electroporation assay method, we describe and illustrate in great detail the procedures involved in building a low-cost electroporation setup and the basic steps of electroporation

Sostanzialismo e relazionalismo dello spaziotempo alla luce della relatività generale

Until recently the debate on the ontology of spacetime had only a philosophical significance, since, from a physical point of view, General Relativity has been made "immune" to the consequences of the "Hole Argument" simply by reducing the subject to the assertion that solutions of Einstein equations which are mathematically different and related by an active diffeomorfism are physically equivalent. From a technical point of view, the natural reading of the consequences of the "Hole Argument” has always been to go further and say that the mathematical representation of spacetime in General Relativity inevitably contains a “superfluous structure” brought to light by the gauge freedom of the theory. This position of apparent split between the philosophical outcome and the physical one has been corrected thanks to a meticulous and complicated formal analysis of the theory in a fundamental and recent (2006) work by Luca Lusanna and Massimo Pauri entitled “Explaining Leibniz equivalence as difference of non-inertial appearances: dis-solution of the Hole Argument and physical individuation of point-events”. The main result of this article is that of having shown how, from a physical point of view, point-events of Einstein empty spacetime, in a particular class of models considered by them, are literally identifiable with the autonomous degrees of freedom of the gravitational field (the Dirac observables, DO). In the light of philosophical considerations based on realism assumptions of the theories and entities, the two authors then conclude by saying that spacetime point-events have a degree of "weak objectivity", since they, depending on a NIF (non-inertial frame), unlike the points of the homogeneous newtonian space, are plunged in a rich and complex non-local holistic structure provided by the “ontic part” of the metric field. Therefore according to the complex structure of spacetime that General Relativity highlights and within the declared limits of a methodology based on a Galilean scientific representation, we can certainly assert that spacetime has got "elements of reality", but the inevitably relational elements that are in the physical detection of point-events in the vacuum of matter (highlighted by the “ontic part” of the metric field, the DO) are closely dependent on the choice of the global spatiotemporal laboratory where the dynamics is expressed (NIF). According to the two authors, a peculiar kind of structuralism takes shape: the point structuralism, with common features both of the absolutist and substantival tradition and of the relationalist one. The intention of this thesis is that of proposing a method of approaching the problem that is, at least at the beginning, independent from the previous ones, that is to propose an approach based on the possibility of describing the gravitational field at three distinct levels. In other words, keeping the results achieved by the work of Lusanna and Pauri in mind and following their underlying philosophical assumptions, we intend to partially converge to their structuralist approach, but starting from what we believe is the "foundational peculiarity" of General Relativity, which is that characteristic inherent in the elements that constitute its formal structure: its essentially geometric nature as a theory considered regardless of the empirical necessity of the measure theory. Observing the theory of General Relativity from this perspective, we can find a "triple modality" for describing the gravitational field that is essentially based on a geometric interpretation of the spacetime structure. The gravitational field is now "visible" no longer in terms of its autonomous degrees of freedom (the DO), which, in fact, do not have a tensorial and, therefore, nor geometric nature, but it is analyzable through three levels: a first one, called the potential level (which the theory identifies with the components of the metric tensor), a second one, known as the connections level (which in the theory determine the forces acting on the mass and, as such, offer a level of description related to the one that the newtonian gravitation provides in terms of components of the gravitational field) and, finally, a third level, that of the Riemann tensor, which is peculiar to General Relativity only. Focusing from the beginning on what is called the "third level" seems to present immediately a first advantage: to lead directly to a description of spacetime properties in terms of gauge-invariant quantites, which allows to "short circuit" the long path that, in the treatises analyzed, leads to identify the "ontic part” of the metric field. It is then shown how to this last level it is possible to establish a “primitive level of objectivity” of spacetime in terms of the effects that matter exercises in extended domains of spacetime geometrical structure; these effects are described by invariants of the Riemann tensor, in particular of its irreducible part: the Weyl tensor. The convergence towards the affirmation by Lusanna and Pauri that the existence of a holistic, non-local and relational structure from which the properties quantitatively identified of point-events depend (in addition to their own intrinsic detection), even if it is obtained from different considerations, is realized, in our opinion, in the assignment of a crucial role to the degree of curvature of spacetime that is defined by the Weyl tensor even in the case of empty spacetimes (as in the analysis conducted by Lusanna and Pauri). In the end, matter, regarded as the physical counterpart of spacetime curvature, whose expression is the Weyl tensor, changes the value of this tensor even in spacetimes without matter. In this way, going back to the approach of Lusanna and Pauri, it affects the DOs evolution and, consequently, the physical identification of point-events (as our authors claim). In conclusion, we think that it is possible to see the holistic, relational, and non-local structure of spacetime also through the "behavior" of the Weyl tensor in terms of the Riemann tensor. This "behavior" that leads to geometrical effects of curvature is characterized from the beginning by the fact that it concerns extensive domains of the manifold (although it should be pointed out that the values of the Weyl tensor change from point to point) by virtue of the fact that the action of matter elsewhere indefinitely acts. Finally, we think that the characteristic relationality of spacetime structure should be identified in this "primitive level of organization" of spacetime.

Kinematic description of the rupture from strong motion data: strategies for a robust inversion

We present a non linear technique to invert strong motion records with the aim of obtaining the final slip and rupture velocity distributions on the fault plane. In this thesis, the ground motion simulation is obtained evaluating the representation integral in the frequency. The Green’s tractions are computed using the discrete wave-number integration technique that provides the full wave-field in a 1D layered propagation medium. The representation integral is computed through a finite elements technique, based on a Delaunay’s triangulation on the fault plane. The rupture velocity is defined on a coarser regular grid and rupture times are computed by integration of the eikonal equation. For the inversion, the slip distribution is parameterized by 2D overlapping Gaussian functions, which can easily relate the spectrum of the possible solutions with the minimum resolvable wavelength, related to source-station distribution and data processing. The inverse problem is solved by a two-step procedure aimed at separating the computation of the rupture velocity from the evaluation of the slip distribution, the latter being a linear problem, when the rupture velocity is fixed. The non-linear step is solved by optimization of an L2 misfit function between synthetic and real seismograms, and solution is searched by the use of the Neighbourhood Algorithm. The conjugate gradient method is used to solve the linear step instead. The developed methodology has been applied to the M7.2, Iwate Nairiku Miyagi, Japan, earthquake. The estimated magnitude seismic moment is 2.6326 dyne∙cm that corresponds to a moment magnitude MW 6.9 while the mean the rupture velocity is 2.0 km/s. A large slip patch extends from the hypocenter to the southern shallow part of the fault plane. A second relatively large slip patch is found in the northern shallow part. Finally, we gave a quantitative estimation of errors associates with the parameters.

Development of a field method to assess root parasites of woody plants - ecological analyses of the grapevine-phylloxera interaction

The development and the growth of plants is strongly affected by the interactions between roots, rootrnassociated organisms and rhizosphere communities. Methods to assess such interactions are hardly torndevelop particularly in perennial and woody plants, due to their complex root system structure and theirrntemporal change in physiology patterns. In this respect, grape root systems are not investigated veryrnwell. The aim of the present work was the development of a method to assess and predict interactionsrnat the root system of rootstocks (Vitis berlandieri x Vitis riparia) in field. To achieve this aim, grapernphylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch, Hemiptera, Aphidoidea) was used as a graperoot parasitizingrnmodel.rnTo develop the methodical approach, a longt-term trial (2006-2009) was arranged on a commercial usedrnvineyard in Geisenheim/Rheingau. All 2 to 8 weeks the top most 20 cm of soil under the foliage wallrnwere investigated and root material was extracted (n=8-10). To include temporal, spatial and cultivarrnspecific root system dynamics, the extracted root material was analyzed digitally on the morphologicalrnproperties. The grape phylloxera population was quantified and characterized visually on base of theirrnlarvalstages (oviparous, non oviparous and winged preliminary stages). Infection patches (nodosities)rnwere characterized visually as well, partly supported by digital root color analyses. Due to the knownrneffects of fungal endophytes on the vitality of grape phylloxera infested grapevines, fungal endophytesrnwere isolated from nodosity and root tissue and characterized (morphotypes) afterwards. Further abioticrnand biotic soil conditions of the vineyards were assessed. The temporal, spatial and cultivar specificrnsensitivity of single parameters were analyzed by omnibus tests (ANOVAs) and adjacent post-hoc tests.rnThe relations between different parameters were analyzed by multiple regression models.rnQuantitative parameters to assess the degeneration of nodosity, the development nodosity attachedrnroots and to differentiate between nodosities and other root swellings in field were developed. Significantrndifferences were shown between root dynamic including parameters and root dynamic ignoringrnparameters. Regarding the description of grape phylloxera population and root system dynamic, thernmethod showed a high temporal, spatial and cultivar specific sensitivity. Further, specific differencesrncould be shown in the frequency of endophyte morphotypes between root and nodosity tissue as wellrnas between cultivars. Degeneration of nodosities as well as nodosity occupation rates could be relatedrnto the calculated abundances of grape phylloxera population. Further ecological questions consideringrngrape root development (e.g. relation between moisture and root development) and grape phylloxerarnpopulation development (e.g. relation between temperature and population structure) could be answeredrnfor field conditions.rnGenerally, the presented work provides an approach to evaluate vitality of grape root systems. Thisrnapproach can be useful, considering the development of control strategies against soilborne pests inrnviticulture (e.g. grape phylloxera, Sorospheara viticola, Roesleria subterranea (Weinm.) Redhaed) as well as considering the evaluation of integrated management systems in viticulture.

A mesoscopic simulation method for electrolyte solutions

This thesis deals with the development of a novel simulation technique for macromolecules in electrolyte solutions, with the aim of a performance improvement over current molecular-dynamics based simulation methods. In solutions containing charged macromolecules and salt ions, it is the complex interplay of electrostatic interactions and hydrodynamics that determines the equilibrium and non-equilibrium behavior. However, the treatment of the solvent and dissolved ions makes up the major part of the computational effort. Thus an efficient modeling of both components is essential for the performance of a method. With the novel method we approach the solvent in a coarse-grained fashion and replace the explicit-ion description by a dynamic mean-field treatment. Hence we combine particle- and field-based descriptions in a hybrid method and thereby effectively solve the electrokinetic equations. The developed algorithm is tested extensively in terms of accuracy and performance, and suitable parameter sets are determined. As a first application we study charged polymer solutions (polyelectrolytes) in shear flow with focus on their viscoelastic properties. Here we also include semidilute solutions, which are computationally demanding. Secondly we study the electro-osmotic flow on superhydrophobic surfaces, where we perform a detailed comparison to theoretical predictions.