Indole acetic acid and ACC deaminase fromendophytic bacteria improves the growth of Solanum lycopersicum

Background: Endophytic bacteria are ubiquitous in all plant species contributing in host plant\'s nutrient uptake and helping the host to improve its growth. Moringa peregrina which is a medicinal plant, growing in arid region of Arabia, was assessed for the presence of endophytic bacterial strains. Results: PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA of bacterial endophytes revealed the 5 endophytic bacteria, in which 2 strains were from Sphingomonas sp.; 2 strains from Bacillus sp. and 1 from Methylobacterium genus. Among the endophytic bacterial strains, a strain of Bacillus subtilis LK14 has shown significant prospects in phosphate solubilization (clearing zone of 56.71 mm after 5 d), ACC deaminase (448.3 ± 2.91 nM α-ketobutyrate mg-1 h-1) and acid phosphatase activity (8.4 ± 1.2 nM mg-1 min-1). The endophytic bacteria were also assessed for their potential to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Among isolated strains, the initial spectrophotometry analysis showed significantly higher IAA production by Bacillus subtilis LK14. The diurnal production of IAA was quantified using multiple reactions monitoring method in UPLC/MS–MS. The analysis showed that LK14 produced the highest (8.7 μM) IAA on 14th d of growth. Looking at LK14 potentials, it was applied to Solanum lycopersicum , where it significantly increased the shoot and root biomass and chlorophyll (a and b) contents as compared to control plants. Conclusion: The study concludes that using endophytic bacterial strains can be bio-prospective for plant growth promotion, which might be an ideal strategy for improving growth of crops in marginal lands.

Aperture effects on the oxygen abundance determinations from Califa data

This paper aims to provide aperture corrections for emission lines in a sample of spiral galaxies from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area Survey (CALIFA) database. In particular, we explore the behavior of the log([O III] λ5007/Hβ)/([N II] λ6583/Hα) (O3N2) and log[N II] lambda 6583/Hα (N2) flux ratios since they are closely connected to different empirical calibrations of the oxygen abundances in star-forming galaxies. We compute the median growth curves of Hα, Hα/Hβ, O3N2, and N-2 up to 2.5R(50) and 1.5 disk R-eff. These distances cover most of the optical spatial extent of the CALIFA galaxies. The growth curves simulate the effect of observing galaxies through apertures of varying radii. We split these growth curves by morphological types and stellar masses to check if there is any dependence on these properties. The median growth curve of the Hα flux shows a monotonous increase with radius with no strong dependence on galaxy inclination, morphological type, and stellar mass. The median growth curve of the Hα/HβH ratio monotonically decreases from the center toward larger radii, showing for small apertures a maximum value of ≈10% larger than the integrated one. It does not show any dependence on inclination, morphological type, and stellar mass. The median growth curve of N-2 shows a similar behavior, decreasing from the center toward larger radii. No strong dependence is seen on the inclination, morphological type, and stellar mass. Finally, the median growth curve of O3N2 increases monotonically with radius, and it does not show dependence on the inclination. However, at small radii it shows systematically higher values for galaxies of earlier morphological types and for high stellar mass galaxies. Applying our aperture corrections to a sample of galaxies from the SDSS survey at 0.02 ≤ z ≤ 0.3 shows that the average difference between fiber-based and aperture-corrected oxygen abundances, for different galaxy stellar mass and redshift ranges, reaches typically to ≈11%, depending on the abundance calibration used. This average difference is found to be systematically biased, though still within the typical uncertainties of oxygen abundances derived from empirical calibrations. Caution must be exercised when using observations of galaxies for small radii (e.g., below 0.5 R_eff) given the high dispersion shown around the median growth curves. Thus, the application of these median aperture corrections to derive abundances for individual galaxies is not recommended when their fluxes come from radii much smaller than either R_50 or R_eff.

Investigação do papel modulador do Haloperidol sobre os níveis de proteínas relacionadas à plasticidade e preferência por objetos novos em camudongos

Dopamine (DA) is known to regulate both sleep and memory formations, while sleep plays a critical role in the consolidation of different types of memories. We believe that pharmacological manipulation of dopaminergic pathways might disrupt the sleep-wake cycle, leading to mnemonic deficits, which can be observed in both behavioral and molecular levels. Therefore, here we investigated how systemic injections of haloperidol (0.3 mg/kg), immediately after training in dark and light periods, affects learning assessed in the novel object preference test (NOPT) in mice. We also investigated the hippocampal levels of the plasticity-related proteins Zif-268, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases II (CaMKII-P) in non-exposed (naïve), vehicle-injected controls and haloperidol-treated mice at 3, 6 and 12 hours after training in the light period. Haloperidol administration during the light period led to a subsequent impairment in the NOPT. In contrast, preference was not observed during the dark period neither in mice injected with haloperidol, nor in vehicle-injected animals. A partial increase of CaMKII-P in the hippocampal field CA3 of vehicle-injected mice was detected at 3h. Haloperidol-treated mice showed a significant decrease in the dentate gyrus of CaMKII-P levels at 3, 6 and 12h; of Zif-268 levels at 6h, and of BDNF levels at 12h after training. Since the mnemonic effects of haloperidol were only observed in the light period when animals tend to sleep, we suggest that these effects are related to REM sleep disruption after haloperidol injection

The treatment of oral lesions in Behçet's Syndrome: case report

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multi-systemic vascular disorder characterized by oral and genital ulcers, cutaneous, ocular, arthritic, vascular, central nervous system and gastrointestinal involvement. It usually affects young adults and the etiopathogenesis is unknown. A 21-year-old girl, Caucasian, with diagnostic BD, presented with rheumatoid arthritis, genital lesions and multiple recurrent ulcers inside the mouth, with an erythematous halo, covered by yellowish exudates exacerbated during menstrual periods, and in situations of stress and anxiety. The application of low power laser in ulcers was considered in order to decrease the inflammatory symptoms and pain, beyond getting the healing process accelerated. The proposed therapy was able to promote pain relief, increase local microcirculation and repair ulcerated lesions, eliminating the need for administration of systemic or topical medications, leading to improved quality of life.

Pseudomonas fluorescentes provenientes da rizosfera de solanáceas no controle de Ralstonia solanacearum em tomateiro

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Fitopatologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Fitopatologia, 2015.

Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of interrenal gland and chromaffin cell of matrinxa, Brycon cephalus Gunther 1869 (Teleostei-Characidae)

This work presents the structure and ultrastructure of the interrenal gland and chromaffin cells, as well as the morphology of the head kidney of Brycon cephalus, the head kidney is composed of fused bilateral lobes located anterior to the swim bladder and ventrolateral to the spinal column, the parenchyma revealed lympho-haematopoietic tissue, melano-macrophage centres, interrenal gland and chromaffin cells. The interrenal gland consisted of cords or strands of cells grouped around the posterior cardinal vein and their branches. Chromaffin cells are found in small groups, closely associated with the interrenal gland and/or under the endothelium of the posterior cardinal vein. So far, the ultrastructural analysis has revealed only one interrenal cell type which contained abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum and numerous mitochondria with tubulo-vesicular cristae, characteristic of steroid-producing cells. Two types of chromaffin cells were observed. The first type was characterized by the presence of vesicles with round, strongly electron-dense granules, which were eccentrically located, Such cells were interpreted as noradrenaline cells, Meanwhile, cells which contained smaller vesicles and electron-lucent granules, with a small halo separating the granule from the vesicular limiting membrane, were identified as adrenaline cells.

La construction des attitudes envers les Roms : le cas français

Représentant entre 10 et 12 millions d’individus en Europe, les Roms sont confrontés à des discriminations et à l’exclusion sociale. 40% des Européens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 70% de ceux-ci n’entretiennent même pas de contact direct avec eux dans leur vie. Face à la problématique qu’offrent ces statistiques, cette étude entend observer les mécanismes de construction des attitudes envers les Roms. Je propose d’analyser la production de ces attitudes au sein de deux milieux similaires, mais où les politiques d’intégration locales envers les Roms divergent, rendant ainsi les conditions des contacts intergroupes différent. Cette analyse part des postulats scientifiques selon lesquels l’intégration des migrants est un enjeu d’action publique locale, et que les interactions sociales de qualité structurent les attitudes des uns par rapport aux autres. Ainsi, à partir d’entrevues semi-dirigées réalisées dans les communes françaises de La Courneuve et d’Ivry-sur-Seine, je teste de manière empirique quatre théories dominantes dans le domaine des relations intergroupes: la théorie du contact, l’effet halo, l’impact des politiques locales d’intégration des immigrants et l’influence des médias.

Investigations of Cloud Microphysical Response to Mixing Using Digital Holography

Cloud edge mixing plays an important role in the life cycle and development of clouds. Entrainment of subsaturated air affects the cloud at the microscale, altering the number density and size distribution of its droplets. The resulting effect is determined by two timescales: the time required for the mixing event to complete, and the time required for the droplets to adjust to their new environment. If mixing is rapid, evaporation of droplets is uniform and said to be homogeneous in nature. In contrast, slow mixing (compared to the adjustment timescale) results in the droplets adjusting to the transient state of the mixture, producing an inhomogeneous result. Studying this process in real clouds involves the use of airborne optical instruments capable of measuring clouds at the `single particle' level. Single particle resolution allows for direct measurement of the droplet size distribution. This is in contrast to other `bulk' methods (i.e. hot-wire probes, lidar, radar) which measure a higher order moment of the distribution and require assumptions about the distribution shape to compute a size distribution. The sampling strategy of current optical instruments requires them to integrate over a path tens to hundreds of meters to form a single size distribution. This is much larger than typical mixing scales (which can extend down to the order of centimeters), resulting in difficulties resolving mixing signatures. The Holodec is an optical particle instrument that uses digital holography to record discrete, local volumes of droplets. This method allows for statistically significant size distributions to be calculated for centimeter scale volumes, allowing for full resolution at the scales important to the mixing process. The hologram also records the three dimensional position of all particles within the volume, allowing for the spatial structure of the cloud volume to be studied. Both of these features represent a new and unique view into the mixing problem. In this dissertation, holographic data recorded during two different field projects is analyzed to study the mixing structure of cumulus clouds. Using Holodec data, it is shown that mixing at cloud top can produce regions of clear but humid air that can subside down along the edge of the cloud as a narrow shell, or advect down shear as a `humid halo'. This air is then entrained into the cloud at lower levels, producing mixing that appears to be very inhomogeneous. This inhomogeneous-like mixing is shown to be well correlated with regions containing elevated concentrations of large droplets. This is used to argue in favor of the hypothesis that dilution can lead to enhanced droplet growth rates. I also make observations on the microscale spatial structure of observed cloud volumes recorded by the Holodec.

La construction des attitudes envers les Roms : le cas français

Représentant entre 10 et 12 millions d’individus en Europe, les Roms sont confrontés à des discriminations et à l’exclusion sociale. 40% des Européens refusent d’avoir des Roms comme voisins, alors que 70% de ceux-ci n’entretiennent même pas de contact direct avec eux dans leur vie. Face à la problématique qu’offrent ces statistiques, cette étude entend observer les mécanismes de construction des attitudes envers les Roms. Je propose d’analyser la production de ces attitudes au sein de deux milieux similaires, mais où les politiques d’intégration locales envers les Roms divergent, rendant ainsi les conditions des contacts intergroupes différent. Cette analyse part des postulats scientifiques selon lesquels l’intégration des migrants est un enjeu d’action publique locale, et que les interactions sociales de qualité structurent les attitudes des uns par rapport aux autres. Ainsi, à partir d’entrevues semi-dirigées réalisées dans les communes françaises de La Courneuve et d’Ivry-sur-Seine, je teste de manière empirique quatre théories dominantes dans le domaine des relations intergroupes: la théorie du contact, l’effet halo, l’impact des politiques locales d’intégration des immigrants et l’influence des médias.

The multiphase starburst-driven galactic wind in NGC 5394

We present a detailed study of the neutral and ionized gas phases in the galactic wind for the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 5394 based on new integral field spectroscopy obtained with the INTEGRAL fibre system at the William Herschel Telescope. The neutral gas phase in the wind is detected via the interstellar Na I D doublet absorption. After a careful removal of the stellar contribution to these lines, a significant amount of neutral gas (∼10^7 M_⊙) is detected in a central region of ∼1.75 kpc size. This neutral gas is blueshifted by ∼165 km s^−1 with respect to the underlying galaxy. The mass outflow of neutral gas is comparable to the star formation rate of the host galaxy. Simultaneously, several emission lines (Hα, [N II], [S II]) are also analysed looking for the ionized warm phase counterpart of the wind. A careful kinematic decomposition of the line profiles reveals the presence of a secondary, broader, kinematic component. This component is found roughly in the same region where the Na I D absorption is detected. It presents higher [N II]/Hα and [S II]/Hα line ratios than the narrow component at the same locations, indicative of contamination by shock ionization. This secondary component also presents blueshifted velocities, although smaller than those measured for the neutral gas, averaging to ∼−30 km s^−1. The mass and mass outflow rate of the wind is dominated by the neutral gas, of which a small fraction might be able to escape the gravitational potential of the host galaxy. The observations in this system can be readily understood within a bipolar gas flow scenario.

Breaking the curve with candels: a Bayesian approach to reveal the non-universality of the dust-attenuation law at high redshift

Dust attenuation affects nearly all observational aspects of galaxy evolution, yet very little is known about the form of the dust-attenuation law in the distant universe. Here, we model the spectral energy distributions of galaxies at z ~ 1.5–3 from CANDELS with rest-frame UV to near-IR imaging under different assumptions about the dust law, and compare the amount of inferred attenuated light with the observed infrared (IR) luminosities. Some individual galaxies show strong Bayesian evidence in preference of one dust law over another, and this preference agrees with their observed location on the plane of infrared excess (IRX, L_TIR/L_UV) and UV slope (β). We generalize the shape of the dust law with an empirical model, A_ λ,σ =E(B-V)k_ λ (λ / λ v)^ σ where k_λ is the dust law of Calzetti et al., and show that there exists a correlation between the color excess E(B-V) and tilt δ with δ =(0.62±0.05)log(E(B-V))+(0.26±0.02). Galaxies with high color excess have a shallower, starburst-like law, and those with low color excess have a steeper, SMC-like law. Surprisingly, the galaxies in our sample show no correlation between the shape of the dust law and stellar mass, star formation rate, or β. The change in the dust law with color excess is consistent with a model where attenuation is caused by scattering, a mixed star–dust geometry, and/or trends with stellar population age, metallicity, and dust grain size. This rest-frame UV-to-near-IR method shows potential to constrain the dust law at even higher redshifts (z>3).

Space density distribution of galaxies in the absolute magnitude - rotation velocity plane: a volume-complete Tully-Fisher relation from CALIFA stellar kinematics

We measured the distribution in absolute magnitude - circular velocity space for a well-defined sample of 199 rotating galaxies of the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area Survey (CALIFA) using their stellar kinematics. Our aim in this analysis is to avoid subjective selection criteria and to take volume and large-scale structure factors into account. Using stellar velocity fields instead of gas emission line kinematics allows including rapidly rotating early-type galaxies. Our initial sample contains 277 galaxies with available stellar velocity fields and growth curve r-band photometry. After rejecting 51 velocity fields that could not be modelled because of the low number of bins, foreground contamination, or significant interaction, we performed Markov chain Monte Carlo modelling of the velocity fields, from which we obtained the rotation curve and kinematic parameters and their realistic uncertainties. We performed an extinction correction and calculated the circular velocity v_circ accounting for the pressure support of a given galaxy. The resulting galaxy distribution on the M-r - v(circ) plane was then modelled as a mixture of two distinct populations, allowing robust and reproducible rejection of outliers, a significant fraction of which are slow rotators. The selection effects are understood well enough that we were able to correct for the incompleteness of the sample. The 199 galaxies were weighted by volume and large-scale structure factors, which enabled us to fit a volume-corrected Tully-Fisher relation (TFR). More importantly, we also provide the volume-corrected distribution of galaxies in the M_r - v_circ plane, which can be compared with cosmological simulations. The joint distribution of the luminosity and circular velocity space densities, representative over the range of -20 > M_r > -22 mag, can place more stringent constraints on the galaxy formation and evolution scenarios than linear TFR fit parameters or the luminosity function alone.

Visual outcomes after bilateral trifocal diffractive intraocular lens implantation

Background In recent years new models of intraocular lenses are appearing on the market to reduce requirements for additional optical correction. The purpose of this study is to assess visual outcomes following bilateral cataract surgery and the implant of a FineVision® trifocal intraocular lens (IOL). Methods Prospective, nonrandomized, observational study. Vision was assessed in 44 eyes of 22 patients (mean age 68.4 ± 5.5 years) before and 3 months after surgery. Aberrations were determined using the Topcon KR-1 W wave-front analyzer. LogMAR visual acuity was measured at distance (corrected distance visual acuity, CDVA 4 m), intermediate (distance corrected intermediate visual acuity, DCIVA 60 cm) and near (distance corrected near visual acuity, DCNVA 40 cm). The Pelli-Robson letter chart and the CSV-1000 test were used to estimate contrast sensitivity (CS). Defocus curve testing was performed in photopic and mesopic conditions. Adverse photic phenomena were assessed using the Halo v1.0 program. Results Mean aberration values for a mesopic pupil diameter were: total HOA RMS: 0.41 ± 0.30 μm, coma: 0.32 ± 0.22 μm and spherical aberration: 0.21 ± 0.20 μm. Binocular logMAR measurements were: CDVA −0.05 ± 0.05, DCIVA 0.15 ± 0.10, and DCNVA 0.06 ± 0.10. Mean Pelli-Robson CS was 1.40 ± 0.14 log units. Mean CSV100 CS for the 4 frequencies examined (A: 3 cycles/degree (cpd), B: 6 cpd, C: 12 cpd, D: 18 cpd) were 1.64 ± 0.14, 1.77 ± 0.18, 1.44 ± 0.24 and 0.98 ± 0.24 log units, respectively. Significant differences were observed in defocus curves for photopic and mesopic conditions (p < 0.0001). A mean disturbance index of 0.28 ± 0.22 was obtained. Conclusions Bilateral FineVision IOL implant achieved a full range of adequate vision, satisfactory contrast sensitivity, and a lack of significant adverse photic phenomena. Trial registration Eudract Clinical Trials Registry Number: 2014-003266-2.

The SHIVir Survey: A Dynamical Catalogue of Virgo Cluster Galaxies and their Scaling Relations

By virtue of its proximity and richness, the Virgo galaxy cluster is a perfect testing ground to expand our understanding of structure formation in the Universe. Here, we present a comprehensive dynamical catalogue based on 190 Virgo cluster galaxies (VCGs) in the "Spectroscopy and H-band Imaging of the Virgo cluster" (SHIVir) survey, including kinematics and dynamical masses. Spectroscopy collected over a multi-year campaign on 4-8m telescopes was joined with optical and near-infrared imaging to create a cosmologically-representative overview of parameter distributions and scaling relations describing galaxy evolution in a rich cluster environment. The use of long-slit spectroscopy has allowed the extraction and systematic analysis of resolved kinematic profiles: Halpha rotation curves for late-type galaxies (LTGs), and velocity dispersion profiles for early-type galaxies (ETGs). The latter are shown to span a wide range of profile shapes which correlate with structural, morphological, and photometric parameters. A study of the distributions of surface brightnesses and circular velocities for ETGs and LTGs considered separately show them all to be strongly bimodal, hinting at the existence of dynamically unstable modes where the baryon and dark matter fractions may be comparable within the inner regions of galaxies. Both our Tully-Fisher relation for LTGs and Fundamental Plane analysis for ETGs exhibit the smallest scatter when a velocity metric probing the galaxy at larger radii (where the baryonic fraction becomes sub-dominant) is used: rotational velocity measured in the outer disc at the 23.5 i-mag arcsec^{-2} level, and velocity dispersion measured within an aperture of 2 effective radii, respectively. Dynamical estimates for gas-poor and gas-rich VCGs are merged into a joint analysis of the stellar-to-total mass relation (STMR), stellar TFR, and Mass-Size relation. These relations are all found to contain strong bimodalities or dichotomies between the ETG and LTG samples, alluding to a "mixed scenario'' evolutionary sequence between morphological/dynamical classes that involves both quenching and dry mergers. The unmistakable differentiation between these two galaxy classes appears robust against different classification schemes, and supports the notion that they are driven by different evolutionary histories. Future observations using integral field spectroscopy and including lower-mass galaxies should solidify this hypothesis.

Near-infrared polarimetry in the galactic center. On properties of Sagittarius A* and a dusty S-cluster object

Near-infrared polarimetry observation is a powerful tool to study the central sources at the center of the Milky Way. My aim of this thesis is to analyze the polarized emission present in the central few light years of the Galactic Center region, in particular the non-thermal polarized emission of Sagittarius~A* (Sgr~A*), the electromagnetic manifestation of the super-massive black hole, and the polarized emission of an infrared-excess source in the literature referred to as DSO/G2. This source is in orbit about Sgr~A*. In this thesis I focus onto the Galactic Center observations at $\lambda=2.2~\mu m$ ($K_\mathrm{s}$-band) in polarimetry mode during several epochs from 2004 to 2012. The near-infrared polarized observations have been carried out using the adaptive optics instrument NAOS/CONICA and Wollaston prism at the Very Large Telescope of ESO (European Southern Observatory). Linear polarization at 2.2 $\mu m$, its flux statistics and time variation, can be used to constrain the physical conditions of the accretion process onto the central super-massive black hole. I present a statistical analysis of polarized $K_\mathrm{s}$-band emission from Sgr~A* and investigate the most comprehensive sample of near-infrared polarimetric light curves of this source up to now. I find several polarized flux excursions during the years and obtain an exponent of about 4 for the power-law fitted to polarized flux density distribution of fluxes above 5~mJy. Therefore, this distribution is closely linked to the single state power-law distribution of the total $K_\mathrm{s}$-band flux densities reported earlier by us. I find polarization degrees of the order of 20\%$\pm$10\% and a preferred polarization angle of $13^o\pm15^o$. Based on simulations of polarimetric measurements given the observed flux density and its uncertainty in orthogonal polarimetry channels, I find that the uncertainties of polarization parameters under a total flux density of $\sim 2\,{\mathrm{mJy}}$ are probably dominated by observational uncertainties. At higher flux densities there are intrinsic variations of polarization degree and angle within rather well constrained ranges. Since the emission is most likely due to optically thin synchrotron radiation, the obtained preferred polarization angle is very likely reflecting the intrinsic orientation of the Sgr~A* system i.e. an accretion disk or jet/wind scenario coupled to the super-massive black hole. Our polarization statistics show that Sgr~A* must be a stable system, both in terms of geometry, and the accretion process. I also investigate an infrared-excess source called G2 or Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO) moving on a highly eccentric orbit around the Galaxy's central black hole, Sgr~A*. I use for the first time the near-infrared polarimetric imaging data to determine the nature and the properties of DSO and obtain an improved $K_\mathrm{s}$-band identification of this source in median polarimetry images of different observing years. The source starts to deviate from the stellar confusion in 2008 data and it does not show a flux density variability based on our data set. Furthermore, I measure the polarization degree and angle of this source and conclude based on the simulations on polarization parameters that it is an intrinsically polarized source with a varying polarization angle as it approaches Sgr~A* position. I use the interpretation of the DSO polarimetry measurements to assess its possible properties.