A Y-like social chromosome causes alternative colony organization in fire ants.

Intraspecific variability in social organization is common, yet the underlying causes are rarely known. In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, the existence of two divergent forms of social organization is under the control of a single Mendelian genomic element marked by two variants of an odorant-binding protein gene. Here we characterize the genomic region responsible for this important social polymorphism, and show that it is part of a pair of heteromorphic chromosomes that have many of the key properties of sex chromosomes. The two variants, hereafter referred to as the social B and social b (SB and Sb) chromosomes, are characterized by a large region of approximately 13 megabases (55% of the chromosome) in which recombination is completely suppressed between SB and Sb. Recombination seems to occur normally between the SB chromosomes but not between Sb chromosomes because Sb/Sb individuals are non-viable. Genomic comparisons revealed limited differentiation between SB and Sb, and the vast majority of the 616 genes identified in the non-recombining region are present in the two variants. The lack of recombination over more than half of the two heteromorphic social chromosomes can be explained by at least one large inversion of around 9 megabases, and this absence of recombination has led to the accumulation of deleterious mutations, including repetitive elements in the non-recombining region of Sb compared with the homologous region of SB. Importantly, most of the genes with demonstrated expression differences between individuals of the two social forms reside in the non-recombining region. These findings highlight how genomic rearrangements can maintain divergent adaptive social phenotypes involving many genes acting together by locally limiting recombination.

Science Bound, Spring 2013, Vol. 12, no. 1

Science Bound is Iowa State University’s premier pre-college program to increase the number of ethnically diverse Iowa students who pursue ASTEM (agricultural, scientific, technical, engineering and mathematics) degrees. The program draws students with potential from middle and high schools.

Susceptibility of clinical isolates of Leishmania aethiopica to miltefosine, paromomycin, amphotericin B and sodium stibogluconate using amastigote-macrophage in vitro model.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania aethiopica is a public health and social problem with a sequel of severe and mutilating skin lesions. It is manifested in three forms: localized CL (LCL), mucosal CL (MCL) and diffuse CL (DCL). Unresponsiveness to sodium stibogluconate (Sb(V)) is common in Ethiopian CL patients. Using the amastigote-macrophage in vitro model the susceptibility of 24 clinical isolates of L. aethiopica derived from untreated patients was investigated. Eight strains of LCL, 9 of MCL, and 7 of DCL patients together with a reference strain (MHOM/ET/82/117/82) were tested against four antileishmanial drugs: amphotericin B, miltefosine, Sb(V) and paromomycin. In the same order of drugs, IC(50) (μg/ml±SD) values for the 24 strains tested were 0.16±0.18, 5.88±4.79, 10.23±8.12, and 13.63±18.74. The susceptibility threshold of isolates originating from the 3 categories of patients to all 4 drugs was not different (p>0.05). Maximal efficacy was superior for miltefosine across all the strains. Further susceptibility test could validate miltefosine as a potential alternative drug in cases of sodium stibogluconate treatment failure in CL patients.

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys: structural and thermal properties

The most extensively studied Heusler alloys are those based on the Ni-Mn-Ga system. However, to overcome the high cost of Gallium and the usually low martensitic transformation temperature, the search for Ga-free alloys has been recently attempted, particularly, by introducing In, Sn or Sb. In this work, two alloys (Mn50Ni35.5In14.5 and Ni50Mn35In15) have been obtained by melt spinning. We outline their structural and thermal behaviour. Mn50Ni35.5In14.5 alloy has the transformation above room temperature whereas Ni50Mn35In15 does not have this transformation in the temperature range here analyzed

Degree of previous cutting in explaining the differences in diameter distributions between mature managed and natural Norway spruce forests

Abstract

Biofiltração da água e tipos de substrato na larvicultura do pacamã

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de diferentes biofiltros e substratos na qualidade da água e no desempenho de larvas de Lophiosilurus alexandri. Os tratamentos usados foram: sistema sem biofiltro (SB); biofiltro interno ao tanque com substrato de cascalho de diâmetro médio de 1,6 cm (CMe); biofiltro interno ao tanque com cascalho de diâmetro médio de 2,1 cm (CMa); biofiltro interno ao tanque com substrato constituído de uma mistura de 70% de brita (diâmetro médio de 1,3 cm) e 30% de concha (diâmetro médio de 1,1 cm) (CB); e sistema fechado (SF) com biofiltro externo aos tanques, com substrato de brita e concha. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e cinco repetições, durante 16 dias. Para íon amônio, nitrito, nitrato e ortofosfato, houve interação entre sistemas x dias de cultivo. Os sistemas SF, CMe e CB registraram menores concentrações de íon amônio e nitrito; o sistema SB, maiores concentrações de íon amônio e menores concentrações de nitrato; o SF, concentrações de ortofosfato superiores. A sobrevivência de L. alexandri foi inferior no SF. O crescimento não foi afetado pelos diferentes sistemas. Os biofiltros melhoraram a qualidade da água quanto aos compostos nitrogenados emfunção do tipo de substrato.

Atributos químicos de um Latossolo Amarelo sob diferentes sistemas de manejo

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os atributos químicos de um Latossolo Amarelo sob diferentes sistemas de manejo do solo, no cerrado piauiense. Foram avaliados quatro sistemas de manejo: plantio convencional por três anos; plantio direto por três anos (PD3) e cinco anos (PD5), com uso de milheto como cultivo de cobertura; e plantio direto por nove anos (PD9), dos quais sete com uso de milheto e dois com forrageira. Utilizou-se área de cerrado nativo como referência. As amostras do solo foram coletadas em períodos chuvosos e secos, nas camadas 0,00-0,05, 0,05-0,10, 0,10-0,20 e 0,20-0,40 m, para determinação de pH, Al3+, H+Al, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, P disponível, carbono orgânico total (COT), soma de bases (SB), capacidade de troca de cátions efetiva (t) e potencial (T), e saturação por bases (V) e por alumínio (m%). O sistema PD9 apresentou maiores valores de pH e menores de Al3+, H+Al e m%. Observaram-se maiores valores de Ca2+, K+, SB, t, T, V e P sob PD5 e PD9, até 0,20 m. Os maiores valores de COT foram verificados sob PD5 e PD9, exceto na camada de 0,00-0,05 m. O acúmulo de material orgânico associado ao uso de forrageira em PD favorece o aumento dos teores de COT nas camadas mais profundas do solo, no período seco.

Comparative genomics of emerging pathogens in the Candida glabrata clade

BACKGROUND: Candida glabrata follows C. albicans as the second or third most prevalent cause of candidemia worldwide. These two pathogenic yeasts are distantly related, C. glabrata being part of the Nakaseomyces, a group more closely related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although C. glabrata was thought to be the only pathogenic Nakaseomyces, two new pathogens have recently been described within this group: C. nivariensis and C. bracarensis. To gain insight into the genomic changes underlying the emergence of virulence, we sequenced the genomes of these two, and three other non-pathogenic Nakaseomyces, and compared them to other sequenced yeasts. RESULTS: Our results indicate that the two new pathogens are more closely related to the non-pathogenic N. delphensis than to C. glabrata. We uncover duplications and accelerated evolution that specifically affected genes in the lineage preceding the group containing N. delphensis and the three pathogens, which may provide clues to the higher propensity of this group to infect humans. Finally, the number of Epa-like adhesins is specifically enriched in the pathogens, particularly in C. glabrata. CONCLUSIONS: Remarkably, some features thought to be the result of adaptation of C. glabrata to a pathogenic lifestyle, are present throughout the Nakaseomyces, indicating these are rather ancient adaptations to other environments. Phylogeny suggests that human pathogenesis evolved several times, independently within the clade. The expansion of the EPA gene family in pathogens establishes an evolutionary link between adhesion and virulence phenotypes. Our analyses thus shed light onto the relationships between virulence and the recent genomic changes that occurred within the Nakaseomyces.

Evaluation d'un Espace de Prévention dans le cadre du Festival de Jazz de Montreux 2001: la Scène Bleue

L'initiative Scène Bleue (SB) se veut un espace, lieu de rencontre de jeunes adolescents âgés de 10 à 18 ans, dans le cadre de l'édition 2001 du Festival de Jazz de Montreux. Il s'agit de proposer une série d'animations permettant de faire la fête sans consommation de substances (légales et/ou illégales). Ce document fait l'historique du projet et de l'évaluation conduite par l'IUMSP. Cette évaluation comprend trois volets, correspondant à des temps différents : 1. Avant - documenter la perception des objectifs et les attentes des jeunes et des animateurs, avant le démarrage du projet SB. 2. Pendant - analyser la réalisation du projet in situ et recueillir informations et réactions auprès de la clientèle de la SB. 3. Après - examiner l'évolution des perceptions des différents acteurs, après le festival. Les résultats peuvent être résumés comme suit : la SB a rencontré un vif succès. La démonstration a été faite que le public concerné pouvait être attiré par un lieu avec des interdits relatifs à la consommation de substances : ainsi l'objectif de prévention primaire ciblant des jeunes âgés de 13 ans en moyenne a été atteint. Les visiteurs plus âgés, moins impliqués, ont malgré tout pu réaliser que faire la fête sans alcool ni drogues était possible. Le projet peut à l'avenir être consolidé en définissant des objectifs et des stratégies de prévention explicites. La participation des jeunes à cette entreprise collective partagée avec les animateurs et les reponsables peut être sollicitée davantage, notamment pour ce qui est de l'organisation et des choix concrets relatifs aux diverses animations. [Résumé]

Resposta de mudas de goiabeira à aplicação de escória de siderurgia como corretivo de acidez do solo

A escória de siderurgia pode constituir-se em uma fonte alternativa de Ca e Mg, bem como corretivo de acidez do solo, melhorando o estado nutricional de mudas de goiabeira, podendo contribuir para o sucesso da implantação de um pomar. O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar os efeitos da escória de siderurgia nas alterações dos atributos químicos do solo, na nutrição das plantas e no crescimento de mudas de goiabeira. Para tanto, instalou-se um experimento em Taquaritinga-SP, em condições de vasos, com doses crescentes de escória de siderurgia: zero; metade; uma vez; uma vez e meia; duas vezes e duas vezes e meia a dose para elevar a saturação por bases para 70%. Após 90 dias da incubação da escória no solo, procedeu-se o plantio das mudas de goiabeira (cv. Paluma), propagadas vegetativamente por estaquia, em substrato de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo ácido (vaso com 2,8 dm³), cultivando-as por 105 dias. A aplicação de escória de siderurgia elevou os valores de pH, SB, V%, e as concentrações de Ca, Mg e P, diminuindo H+Al do solo. Nas mudas de goiabeira, houve aumento significativo na altura, no número de folhas, na área foliar, nas concentrações de Ca, Mg e P da parte aérea e das raízes das plantas e, conseqüentemente, na matéria seca da parte aérea e das raízes. Portanto, a escória de siderurgia mostrou-se viável na produção de mudas de goiabeira como corretivo de acidez do solo e fonte de nutrientes (Ca e Mg ).

Associated anomalies in multi-malformed infants with cleft lip and palate: An epidemiologic study of nearly 6 million births in 23 EUROCAT registries.

We studied 5,449 cases of cleft lip (CL) with or without cleft palate (CL/P) identified between 1980 and 2000 from the EUROCAT network of 23 registers (nearly 6 million births) in 14 European countries. We investigated specific types of defects associated with clefts. Among CL/P cases (prevalence = 9.1 per 10,000), 1,996 (36.6%) affected only the lip (CL) and 3,453 (63.4%) involved CL and palate (CLP). A total of 3,860 CL/P cases (70.8%) occurred as isolated anomalies and 1,589 (29.2%) were associated with other defects such as multiple congenital anomalies of unknown origin (970), chromosomal (455) and recognized syndromes (164). Associated malformations were more frequent in infants who had CLP (34.0%) than in infants with CL only (20.8%). Among multi-malformed infants, 2 unrelated anomalies were found in 351 cases, 3 in 242 cases, and 4 or more in 377 cases. Among 5,449 CL/P cases, 4,719 were live births (LB) (86.6%), 203 stillbirths (SB) (3.7%), while 508 (9.3%) were terminations of pregnancy (ToP). CL/P occurred significantly more frequently in males (M/F = 1.70), especially among total isolated cases (M/F = 1.87) and CLP isolated cases (M/F = 1.92). The study confirmed that musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and central nervous system defects are frequently associated with CL/P. An association with reduction anomalies of the brain was found. This association suggests that clinicians should seek to identify structural brain anomalies in these patients with CL/P as the potential functional consequences may be important for rehabilitation and clinical management.

Formation and Control of Trace Metal Emissions in Co-Firing of Biomass, Peat, and Wastes in Fluidised Bed Combustors

Environmentally harmful consequences of fossil fuel utilisation andthe landfilling of wastes have increased the interest among the energy producers to consider the use of alternative fuels like wood fuels and Refuse-Derived Fuels, RDFs. The fluidised bed technology that allows the flexible use of a variety of different fuels is commonly used at small- and medium-sized power plants ofmunicipalities and industry in Finland. Since there is only one mass-burn plantcurrently in operation in the country and no intention to build new ones, the co-firing of pre-processed wastes in fluidised bed boilers has become the most generally applied waste-to-energy concept in Finland. The recently validated EU Directive on Incineration of Wastes aims to mitigate environmentally harmful pollutants of waste incineration and co-incineration of wastes with conventional fuels. Apart from gaseous flue gas pollutants and dust, the emissions of toxic tracemetals are limited. The implementation of the Directive's restrictions in the Finnish legislation is assumed to limit the co-firing of waste fuels, due to the insufficient reduction of the regulated air pollutants in the existing flue gas cleaning devices. Trace metals emission formation and reduction in the ESP, the condensing wet scrubber, the fabric filter, and the humidification reactor were studied, experimentally, in full- and pilot-scale combustors utilising the bubbling fluidised bed technology, and, theoretically, by means of reactor model calculations. The core of the model is a thermodynamic equilibrium analysis. The experiments were carried out with wood chips, sawdust, and peat, and their refuse-derived fuel, RDF, blends. In all, ten different fuels or fuel blends were tested. Relatively high concentrations of trace metals in RDFs compared to the concentrations of these metals in wood fuels increased the trace metal concentrations in the flue gas after the boiler ten- to hundred-folds, when RDF was co-fired with sawdust in a full-scale BFB boiler. In the case of peat, lesser increase in trace metal concentrations was observed, due to the higher initial trace metal concentrations of peat compared to sawdust. Despite the high removal rate of most of the trace metals in the ESP, the Directive emission limits for trace metals were exceeded in each of the RDF co-firing tests. The dominat trace metals in fluegas after the ESP were Cu, Pb and Mn. In the condensing wet scrubber, the flue gas trace metal emissions were reduced below the Directive emission limits, whenRDF pellet was used as a co-firing fuel together with sawdust and peat. High chlorine content of the RDFs enhanced the mercuric chloride formation and hence the mercury removal in the ESP and scrubber. Mercury emissions were lower than theDirective emission limit for total Hg, 0.05 mg/Nm3, in all full-scale co-firingtests already in the flue gas after the ESP. The pilot-scale experiments with aBFB combustor equipped with a fabric filter revealed that the fabric filter alone is able to reduce the trace metal concentrations, including mercury, in the flue gas during the RDF co-firing approximately to the same level as they are during the wood chip firing. Lower trace metal emissions than the Directive limits were easily reached even with a 40% thermal share of RDF co-firing with sawdust.Enrichment of trace metals in the submicron fly ash particle fraction because of RDF co-firing was not observed in the test runs where sawdust was used as the main fuel. The combustion of RDF pellets with peat caused an enrichment of As, Cd, Co, Pb, Sb, and V in the submicron particle mode. Accumulation and release oftrace metals in the bed material was examined by means of a bed material analysis, mass balance calculations and a reactor model. Lead, zinc and copper were found to have a tendency to be accumulated in the bed material but also to have a tendency to be released from the bed material into the combustion gases, if the combustion conditions were changed. The concentration of the trace metal in the combustion gases of the bubbling fluidised bed boiler was found to be a summary of trace metal fluxes from three main sources. They were (1) the trace metal flux from the burning fuel particle (2) the trace metal flux from the ash in the bed, and (3) the trace metal flux from the active alkali metal layer on the sand (and ash) particles in the bed. The amount of chlorine in the system, the combustion temperature, the fuel ash composition and the saturation state of the bed material in regard to trace metals were discovered to be key factors affecting therelease process. During the co-firing of waste fuels with variable amounts of e.g. ash and chlorine, it is extremely important to consider the possible ongoingaccumulation and/or release of the trace metals in the bed, when determining the flue gas trace metal emissions. If the state of the combustion process in regard to trace metals accumulation and/or release in the bed material is not known,it may happen that emissions from the bed material rather than the combustion of the fuel in question are measured and reported.

De València a Vannes: culte, devoció i relíquies de Sant Vicent Ferrer

Saint Vicent Ferrer’s personality (1350-1419) has been tackled by researchers in different points of view, and this has meant a proliferation of very diverse studies. There isn’t much, however, the works which has done analysis relating to popular piety and devotion. In this sense, the different hagiographic sources puts us faced with a saint with a very widespread cult in some areas, for instance, the Crown of Aragon and Castille, but also in other european places. As for the last, we detect an import focus of devotion in Brittany, where the saint arrived to preach after being called by Jean V. He died at Vannes (1419), the political capital of the duchy of Brittany, and he was buried in Saint Pierre’s cathedral. Previously to his canonization, his fame as a miracle worker during his life was the reason for his tomb became a real locus sanctus, a place where pilgrims arrived to venerate his relics. These relics had healing and prophylactic properties. Apart from these ones, we have many references of “contact relics” with properties of this kind.

Influência da adubação orgânica no crescimento de tangerineira cv Clemenules e nos atributos químicos e microbiológicos do solo

O estudo objetivou avaliar o efeito de adubos orgânicos de diferentes origens, empregados como fontes de nitrogênio, sobre a atividade vegetativa das plantas de tangerineira (cv Clemenules/Poncirus trifoliata) durante a fase inicial de desenvolvimento e atributos químicos e microbiológicos do solo, nas condições pedológicas e climáticas da região de Pelotas-RS. O experimento foi conduzido durante dois anos (2002-2003), utilizando-se de plantas de 18 meses de idade, em vasos de 35 kg de capacidade, irrigadas por gotejamento, com seis repetições, sendo cada unidade experimental constituída por uma planta. Os tratamentos confrontados foram os seguintes: Controle (sem adubação); Adubação mineral (AM); Vermicomposto (VC); Vermicomposto + sangue bovino seco (VC + SB) e Resíduo da indústria de transformação de sucos cítricos (RITC). Ao final de cada estação vegetativa, foram avaliados os seguintes parâmetros biométricos: área de seção do porta-enxerto, altura da copa, número de brotações, folhas totais produzidas por planta e massa fresca e seca das folhas. Ao fim do experimento, três plantas de cada tratamento foram desplantadas, separados os principais órgãos, determinando-se a área total das folhas produzidas, a massa fresca e seca dos ramos principal e secundários e das raízes, separadas em grossas e finas. Na mesma época, amostras de solo de cada vaso foram coletadas e utilizadas para as análises químicas e microbiológicas. Em ambos os anos, foram coletadas folhas avaliando-se a concentração dos macronutrientes. Os efeitos mais marcantes sobre o desenvolvimento das plantas foram observados naquelas em que, além do vermicomposto (VC), foi fornecido periodicamente sangue seco (VC + SB). No solo desses tratamentos, também foi observado aumento do teor de nitrogênio total e da atividade microbiana do solo, avaliada pela respiração basal. O aporte de sangue seco (VC + SB) supriu satisfatoriamente as necessidades de N ocorrido nas plantas fertilizadas com adubo orgânico mesmo que estas últimas tenham recebido, no biênio de experimentação, cerca de 40% a menos de nitrogênio em relação às plantas adubadas com a fonte mineral (AM). Por isso, os tratamentos VC e RITC induziram um efeito limitado no desenvolvimento das plantas, enquanto, provavelmente, estas duas últimas fontes, e nas quantidades utilizadas, não forneceram suficientemente nitrogênio disponível para suprir a demanda das plantas. De maneira geral, a concentração dos macronutrientes foliares foi adequada em relação ao P, K, Ca e Mg e abaixo do normal para o N, demonstrando a elevada exigência desse nutriente na fase inicial de crescimento e desenvolvimento de tangerineiras cv. Clemenules.

Clorofila e carotenoides em maracujazeiro-amarelo irrigado com águas salinas no solo com biofertilizante bovino

Os efeitos deletérios provocados pelo estresse salino resultam em modificações nos mecanismos bioquímicos e fisiológicos das plantas, alterando, dentre outros, os teores foliares de clorofila e carotenoides, comprometendo a atividade fotossintética e, consequentemente, o crescimento, o desenvolvimento, a produção e a adaptabilidade aos ambientes adversos. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de diferentes condutividades elétricas da água de irrigação (CEai), associadas às épocas de aplicação de biofertilizante, sobre os teores de pigmentos fotossintéticos para a determinação dos pigmentos cloroplastídicos (clorofila a, b, total e carotenoides) do maracujazeiro-amarelo. Os tratamentos foram distribuídos em arranjo fatorial 5 x 4, referentes aos valores de CEai: 0,5; 1,5; 2,5; 3,5 e 4,5 dS m-1, em quatro épocas de aplicação do biofertilizante: sem biofertilizante (SB); aplicação uma semana antes do transplantio (1SAT); a cada 90 dias, a partir do transplantio (90DAT); uma semana antes e a cada 90 dias, após o transplantio (1SAT+90DAT). O aumento da concentração salina da água de irrigação reduziu a eficiência fotossintética nas folhas do maracujazeiro-amarelo, sendo mais drástico na condutividade superior a 2,5 dS m-1. As frequências de aplicação do biofertilizante não influenciaram nas concentrações dos pigmentos fotossintéticos.