Genome Sequence of Exiguobacterium antarcticum B7, Isolated from a Biofilm in Ginger Lake, King George Island, Antarctica

Exiguobacterium antarcticum is a psychotropic bacterium isolated for the first time from microbial mats of Lake Fryxell in Antarctica. Many organisms of the genus Exiguobacterium are extremophiles and have properties of biotechnological interest, e. g., the capacity to adapt to cold, which make this genus a target for discovering new enzymes, such as lipases and proteases, in addition to improving our understanding of the mechanisms of adaptation and survival at low temperatures. This study presents the genome of E. antarcticum B7, isolated from a biofilm sample of Ginger Lake on King George Island, Antarctic peninsula.

Nuculidae (Bivalvia) in the Cape Melville Formation, King George Island, Antarctica, with an overview of the bivalve fauna

Nuculid bivalves of the Cape Melville Formation (Early Miocene, King George Island) are reviewed. Ten bivalve taxa are listed from the formation in the families Nuculidae (two species), Sareptidae, Malletiidae, Limopsidae (two species), Limidae, Pectinidae, Hiatellidae, and Periplomatidae. The Nuculidae consist of two species of Leionucula Quenstedt, 1930. One of these, L. melvilleana n. sp., is described and the other consists of the two species named previously by Anelli et al. (2006), which are demonstrated to be synonymous and are assigned to the species Leionucula frigida (Anelli, Rocha-Campos, Santos, Perinotto & Quaglio 2006). This assemblage, dominated by protobranchs (89% of specimens), is a typical fauna of offshore soft substrates, with a few specimens transported from hard substrates nearby. The diversity of Nuculidae has decreased in the Antarctic region through the Cenozoic.

Prediction of retail beef yield, trim fat and proportion of high-valued cuts in Nellore cattle using ultrasound live measurements

The objective of this study was to develop equations to predict retail product and fat trim (weights and percentages) for Nellore (Bos indicus) cattle. Live ultrasound measurements of the longissimus muscle area, backfat thickness at the 12th rib and rump fat depth and shrunk body weight were obtained from 218 Nellore steers to predict weights and percentages of carcass retail product, pistola retail product and fat trimmings. After slaughter, carcasses were deboned and weighed and percentages of retail cuts were obtained directly. Measurements taken directly in the carcasses explained 97% and 36% of variation in carcass retail product weight and percentage, and 94% and 36% of variation in pistola retail weight and percentage, respectively. Live measurements explained 93% of carcass retail product weight and 39% of carcass retail product percentage. Lower accuracies were observed for pistola retail product weight (R-2=0.87) and percentage (R-2=0.33). Accuracies for fat trimmings weight and percentage were 79% and 55%, respectively. Ultrasound rump fat thickness showed greater correlations with retail product and fat trimmings (weights and percentages) when compared with ultrasound backfat thickness. The weight and percentage of retail products and of trimmable fat can be estimated in Nellore steers from live animal measurements, with similar accuracy to equations developed based on carcass measurements obtained at slaughter.

A crucial role for IL-6 in the CNS of rats during fever induced by the injection of live E. coli

Interleukin (IL)-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and IL-6 have been established as important mediators of fever induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria. Whether these pro-inflammatory cytokines are also important in mediating fever induced by live bacteria remains less certain. We therefore investigated the following: (1) the synthesis of TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 during E. coli-induced fever and (2) the effect of blocking the action of cytokines within the brain on E. coli-induced fever. Body or tail skin temperature (bT or Tsk, respectively) was measured by biotelemetry or telethermometry, every 30 min, during 6 or 24 h. Depending on the number of colony-forming units (CFU) injected i.p., administration of E. coli induced a long-lasting increase in bT of male Wistar rats. The duration of fever did not correlate with the number of CFU found in peritoneal cavity or blood. Because 2.5 x 10(8) CFU induced a sustained fever without inducing a state of sepsis/severe infection, this dose was used in subsequent experiments. The E. coli-induced increase in bT was preceded by a decrease in Tsk, reflecting a thermoregulatory response. TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 were detected at 3 h in serum of animals injected i.p. with E. coli. In the peritoneal exudates, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6 were detected at 0.5 and 3 h after E. coli administration. Moreover, both IL-1 beta and IL-6, but not TNF-alpha, were found in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and hypothalamus of animals injected with E. coli. Although pre-treatment (i.c.v., 2 mu l, 15 min before) with anti-IL-6 antibody (anti-IL-6, 5 mu g) reduced E. coli-induced fever, pre-treatment with either IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra, 200 mu g) or soluble TNF receptor I (sTNFRI, 500 ng) had no effect on the fever response. In conclusion, replicating E. coli promotes an integrated thermoregulatory response in which the central action of IL-6, but not IL-1 and TNF, appears to be important.

Bilayer segmentation of live video in uncontrolled environments for background substitution: an overview and main challenges

Bilayer segmentation of live video in uncontrolled environments is an essential task for home applications in which the original background of the scene must be replaced, as in videochats or traditional videoconference. The main challenge in such conditions is overcome all difficulties in problem-situations (e. g., illumination change, distract events such as element moving in the background and camera shake) that may occur while the video is being captured. This paper presents a survey of segmentation methods for background substitution applications, describes the main concepts and identifies events that may cause errors. Our analysis shows that although robust methods rely on specific devices (multiple cameras or sensors to generate depth maps) which aid the process. In order to achieve the same results using conventional devices (monocular video cameras), most current research relies on energy minimization frameworks, in which temporal and spacial information are probabilistically combined with those of color and contrast.

Effects of volume resuscitation on splanchnic perfusion in canine model of severe sepsis induced by live Escherichia coli infusion

Abstract Introduction We conducted the present study to investigate whether early large-volume crystalloid infusion can restore gut mucosal blood flow and mesenteric oxygen metabolism in severe sepsis. Methods Anesthetized and mechanically ventilated male mongrel dogs were challenged with intravenous injection of live Escherichia coli (6 × 109 colony-forming units/ml per kg over 15 min). After 90 min they were randomly assigned to one of two groups – control (no fluids; n = 13) or lactated Ringer's solution (32 ml/kg per hour; n = 14) – and followed for 60 min. Cardiac index, mesenteric blood flow, mean arterial pressure, systemic and mesenteric oxygen-derived variables, blood lactate and gastric carbon dioxide tension (PCO2; by gas tonometry) were assessed throughout the study. Results E. coli infusion significantly decreased arterial pressure, cardiac index, mesenteric blood flow, and systemic and mesenteric oxygen delivery, and increased arterial and portal lactate, intramucosal PCO2, PCO2 gap (the difference between gastric mucosal and arterial PCO2), and systemic and mesenteric oxygen extraction ratio in both groups. The Ringer's solution group had significantly higher cardiac index and systemic oxygen delivery, and lower oxygen extraction ratio and PCO2 gap at 165 min as compared with control animals. However, infusion of lactated Ringer's solution was unable to restore the PCO2 gap. There were no significant differences between groups in mesenteric oxygen delivery, oxygen extraction ratio, or portal lactate at the end of study. Conclusion Significant disturbances occur in the systemic and mesenteric beds during bacteremic severe sepsis. Although large-volume infusion of lactated Ringer's solution restored systemic hemodynamic parameters, it was unable to correct gut mucosal PCO2 gap.

A hearing report from Brazil

The past several decades, the need for hearing health services is still great, especially in the northeast, the Amazonian, and the southern regions Brazil, officially Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest Portuguese-speaking country, and the fifth largest country in the world by population and by land. The vast land not only brings rich natural resources but also large varieties of exotic vegetation and wildlife. One hundred and ninety-three million inhabitants live in five geographical regions with diverse cultural practices influenced by immigrants from Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany, and other countries. Brazilian people generally are warm-hearted, very welcoming, and resilient. They are optimistic and creative despite having encountered many economic downturns and political challenges throughout history. A bachelor's degree is the entry level for the profession. As only 19 percent of the population aged 18–24 years have access to higher education, the competition for admissions is fierce, especially in government institutions. High school students need to pass tests of general knowledge in a national examination and a university-specific examination. Government educational institutions offer good education without charging tuition. The majority of scientific papers are also produced by scholars working in government institutions. Private institutions are generally ranked lower in academic rigor (Behlau and Gasparini, 2006), except for a few top-ranking institutions. The fields of speech-language pathology and audiology are marked by rapid changes in recent years. Currently, there are 104 undergraduate programs recognized by the Ministry of Education and distributed in all but three federal states of Brazil.

Comparison of flow cytometry and indirect immunofluorescence assay in the diagnosis and cure criterion after therapy of American tegumentary leishmaniasis by anti-live Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis immunoglobulin G

The aim of this study was to compare the techniques of indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and flow cytometry to clinical and laboratorial evaluation of patients before and after clinical cure and to evaluate the applicability of flow cytometry in post-therapeutic monitoring of patients with American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). Sera from 14 patients before treatment (BT), 13 patients 1 year after treatment (AT), 10 patients 2 and 5 years AT were evaluated. The results from flow cytometry were expressed as levels of IgG reactivity, based on the percentage of positive fluorescent parasites (PPFP). The 1:256 sample dilution allowed us to differentiate individuals BT and AT. Comparative analysis of IFA and flow cytometry by ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) showed, respectively, AUC (area under curve) = 0.8 (95% CI = 0.64–0.89) and AUC = 0.90 (95% CI = 0.75–0.95), demonstrating that the flow cytometry had equivalent accuracy. Our data demonstrated that 20% was the best cut-off point identified by the ROC curve for the flow cytometry assay. This test showed a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 77% while the IFA had a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 85%. The after-treatment screening, through comparative analysis of the technique performance indexes, 1, 2 and 5 years AT, showed an equal performance of the flow cytometry compared with the IFA. However, flow cytometry shows to be a better diagnostic alternative when applied to the study of ATL in the cure criterion. The information obtained in this work opens perspectives to monitor cure after treatment of ATL.

Effect of different live prey, Grapsus grapsus Linnaeus 1758 and Plagusia depressa Fabricius, 1775 zoeas,over histology and biochemical composition of common octopus, octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 paralarvae

[EN] Since paralarval rearing is still the main bottleneck for the development of octopus culture, the aim of the present study was to obtain some information on the feeding strategy and nutritional requirements during paralarval stage. For that purpose just hatched out octopus paralarvae were fed with live preys in three different combinations, trying to match their natural food: Enriched Artemia metanauplii, Grapsus grapsus zoeas supplemented with enriched Artemia, and Plagusia depressa zoeas supplemented with enriched Artemia. Paralarval treatments were carried out during 28 days in triplicates; fibre glass 120 l tanks in flow through system were used. Growth, in terms of dry body weight, mantle length and width, was determined each seven days. A histological study of the paralarval development was carried out. Biochemical composition of preys and paralarvae were determined. Growth was significantly better in paralarvae fed with zoeas and Artemia than in those fed only with Artemia, from day 8 after hatching. Besides a clear effect on the digestive gland histology morphology was observed.