Molecular evidence of Ebola Reston virus infection in Philippine bats

Background: In 2008-09, evidence of Reston ebolavirus (RESTV) infection was found in domestic pigs and pig workers in the Philippines. With species of bats having been shown to be the cryptic reservoir of filoviruses elsewhere, the Philippine government, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, assembled a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional team to investigate Philippine bats as the possible reservoir of RESTV. Methods: The team undertook surveillance of bat populations at multiple locations during 2010 using both serology and molecular assays. Results: A total of 464 bats from 21 species were sampled. We found both molecular and serologic evidence of RESTV infection in multiple bat species. RNA was detected with quantitative PCR (qPCR) in oropharyngeal swabs taken from Miniopterus schreibersii, with three samples yielding a product on conventional hemi-nested PCR whose sequences differed from a Philippine pig isolate by a single nucleotide. Uncorroborated qPCR detections may indicate RESTV nucleic acid in several additional bat species (M. australis, C. brachyotis and Ch. plicata). We also detected anti-RESTV antibodies in three bats (Acerodon jubatus) using both Western blot and ELISA. Conclusions: The findings suggest that ebolavirus infection is taxonomically widespread in Philippine bats, but the evident low prevalence and low viral load warrants expanded surveillance to elaborate the findings, and more broadly, to determine the taxonomic and geographic occurrence of ebolaviruses in bats in the region. © 2015 Jayme et al.

Expression of glucose transporter isoforms and the insulin receptor during hamster preimplantation embryo development

During preimplantation development, embryos of many species are known to express up to five isoforms of the facilitative glucose transporter proteins (GLUT). Development of hamster blastocysts is inhibited by glucose. We therefore investigated GLUT isoform and insulin receptor (IR) expression in hamster preimplantation embryos cultured in glucose-free medium from the 8-cell stage onwards. We show that GLUT1, 3 and 8 mRNA are constitutively expressed from the 8-cell to the blastocyst stage. The IR is expressed from the morula stage onwards. Messenger RNA of the insulin-responsive GLUT4 was not detected at any stage. GLUT1 and 3 were localised by immunocytochemistry. GLUT1 was expressed in both embryoblast and trophoblast, in the latter, mainly in basal and lateral membranes directed towards the blastocoel. and embryoblast. GLUT3 was exclusively localised in the apical. membrane of trophoblast cells. We show that hamster preimplantation embryos express several GLUT isoforms thus closely resembling embryos of other mammalian species. Despite endogenous IR expression, the insulin-sensitive isoform GLUT4 was not expressed, indicating that the insulin-mediated glucose uptake known from classical insulin target cells may not be relevant for hamster blastocysts.

Inhibition of Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Sperm Flagellar Proteins, Outer Dense Fiber Protein-2 and Tektin-2, Is Associated With Impaired Motility During Capacitation of Hamster Spermatozoa

In mammals, acquisition of fertilization competence of spermatozoa is dependent on the phenomenon of sperm capacitation. One of the critical molecular events of sperm capacitation is protein tyrosine phosphorylation. In a previous study, we demonstrated that a specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin-A47, inhibited hamster sperm capacitation, accompanied by a reduced sperm protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Interestingly, a high percentage of tyrphostin-A47-treated spermatozoa exhibited circular motility, which was associated with a distinct hypo-tyrosine phosphorylation of flagellar proteins, predominantly of Mr 45,000-60,000. In this study, we provide evidence on the localization of capacitation-associated tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins to the nonmembranous, structural components of the sperm flagellum. Consistent with this, we show their ultrastructural localization in the outer dense fiber, axoneme, and fibrous sheath of spermatozoa. Among hypo-tyrosine phosphorylated major proteins of tyrphostin-A47-treated spermatozoa, we identified the 45 kDa protein as outer dense fiber protein-2 and the 51 kDa protein as tektin-2, components of the sperm outer dense fiber and axoneme, respectively. This study shows functional association of hypo-tyrosine-phosphorylation status of outer dense fiber protein-2 and tektin-2 with impaired flagellar bending of spermatozoa, following inhibition of EGFR-tyrosine kinase, thereby showing the critical importance of flagellar protein tyrosine phosphorylation during capacitation and hyperactivation of hamster spermatozoa.

Expected Performance of the ATLAS Experiment - Detector, Trigger and Physics

A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN.

Probabilistic Inductive Querying Using ProbLog

We study how probabilistic reasoning and inductive querying can be combined within ProbLog, a recent probabilistic extension of Prolog. ProbLog can be regarded as a database system that supports both probabilistic and inductive reasoning through a variety of querying mechanisms. After a short introduction to ProbLog, we provide a survey of the different types of inductive queries that ProbLog supports, and show how it can be applied to the mining of large biological networks.

The curvature of the liquid-vapor reduced pressure curve and its relation with the critical region

For most fluids, there exist a maximum and a minimum in the curvature of the reduced vapor pressure curve, p(r) = p(r)(T-r) (with p(r) = p/p(c) and T-r = T/T-c, p(c) and T-c being the pressure and temperature at the critical point). By analyzing National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) data on the liquid-vapor coexistence curve for 105 fluids, we find that the maximum occurs in the reduced temperature range 0.5 <= T-r <= 0.8 while the minimum occurs in the reduced temperature range 0.980 <= T-r <= 0.995. Vapor pressure equations for which d(2)p(r)/dT(r)(2) diverges at the critical point present a minimum in their curvature. Therefore, the point of minimum curvature can be used as a marker for the critical region. By using the well-known Ambrose-Walton (AW) vapor pressure equation we obtain the reduced temperatures of the maximum and minimum curvature in terms of the Pitzer acentric factor. The AW predictions are checked against those obtained from NIST data. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Li3MRuO5 (M = Co, Ni), new lithium-rich layered oxides related to LiCoO2: promising electrochemical performance for possible application as cathode materials in lithium ion batteries

We describe the synthesis and crystal structure of Li3MRuO5 (M = Co and Ni), new rock salt related oxides. Both the oxides crystallize in the layered LiCoO2 (alpha-NaFeO2) structure, as revealed by powder XRD data. Magnetic susceptibility data suggest that the oxidation states of transition metals are Li3Co3+(ls)Ru4+(ls) O-5 (ls = low spin) for the M = Co compound and Li3Ni2+Ru5+O5 for the M = Ni compound. Electrochemical investigations of lithium deintercalation-intercalation behaviour reveal that both Co and Ni phases exhibit attractive specific capacities of ca. 200 mA h g(-1) at an average voltage of 4 V that has been interpreted as due to the oxidation of Co3+ and Ru4+ in Li3CoRuO5 and Ni2+ to Ni4+ in the case of Li3NiRuO5. Thus, a different role of Ru ions is played in the isostructural oxides. Finally, in both cases evidence of irreversible behaviour above 4.2 V is observed and interpreted as formation of high valent ions or alternatively oxidation of oxide ions.

New rock salt-related oxides Li3M2RuO6 (M=Co, Ni): Synthesis, structure, magnetism and electrochemistry

We describe the synthesis, crystal structure, magnetic and electrochemical characterization of new rock salt-related oxides of formula, Li3M2RuO6 (M=Co, Ni). The M=Co oxide adopts the LiCoO2 (R-3m) structure, where sheets of LiO6 and (Co-2/Ru)O-6 octahedra are alternately stacked along the c-direction. The M=Ni oxide also adopts a similar layered structure related to Li2TiO3, where partial mixing of Li and Ni/Ru atoms lowers the symmetry to monoclinic (C2/c). Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that in Li3Co2RuO6, the oxidation states of transition metal ions are Co3+ (S=0), Co2+ (S=1/2) and Ru4+ (S=1), all of them in low-spin configuration and at 10 K, the material orders antiferromagnetically. Analogous Li3Ni2RuO6 presents a ferrimagnetic behavior with a Curie temperature of 100 K. The differences in the magnetic behavior have been explained in terms of differences in the crystal structure. Electrochemical studies correlate well with both magnetic properties and crystal structure. Li-transition metal intermixing may be at the origin of the more impeded oxidation of Li3Ni2RuO6 when compared to Li3CO2RuO6. Interestingly high first charge capacities (between ca. 160 and 180 mAh g(-1)) corresponding to ca. 2/3 of theoretical capacity are reached albeit, in both cases, capacity retention and cyclability are not satisfactory enough to consider these materials as alternatives to LiCoO2. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxygen-participated electrochemistry of new lithium-rich layered oxides Li3MRuO5 M = Mn, Fe)

We describe the synthesis, crystal structure and lithium deinsertion-insertion electrochemistry of two new lithium-rich layered oxides, Li3MRuO5 (M = Mn, Fe), related to rock salt based Li2MnO3 and LiCoO2. The Li3MnRuO5 oxide adopts a structure related to Li2MnO3 (C2/m) where Li and (Li0.2Mn0.4Ru0.4) layers alternate along the c-axis, while the Li3FeRuO5 oxide adopts a near-perfect LiCoO2 (R (3) over barm) structure where Li and (Li0.2Fe0.4Ru0.4) layers are stacked alternately. Magnetic measurements indicate for Li3MnRuO5 the presence of Mn3+ and low spin configuration for Ru4+ where the itinerant electrons occupy a pi*-band. The onset of a net maximum in the chi vs. T plot at 9.5 K and the negative value of the Weiss constant (theta) of -31.4 K indicate the presence of antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions according to different pathways. Lithium electrochemistry shows a similar behaviour for both oxides and related to the typical behaviour of Li-rich layered oxides where participation of oxide ions in the electrochemical processes is usually found. A long first charge process with capacities of 240 mA h g(-1) (2.3 Li per f.u.) and 144 mA h g(-1) (1.38 Li per f.u.) is observed for Li3MnRuO5 and Li3FeRuO5, respectively. An initial sloping region (OCV to ca. 4.1 V) is followed by a long plateau (ca. 4.3 V). Further discharge-charge cycling points to partial reversibility (ca. 160 mA h g(-1) and 45 mA h g(-1) for Mn and Fe, respectively). Nevertheless, just after a few cycles, cell failure is observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterisation of both pristine and electrochemically oxidized Li3MRuO5 reveals that in the Li3MnRuO5 oxide, Mn3+ and Ru4+ are partially oxidized to Mn4+ and Ru5+ in the sloping region at low voltage, while in the long plateau, O2- is also oxidized. Oxygen release likely occurs which may be the cause for failure of cells upon cycling. Interestingly, some other Li-rich layered oxides have been reported to cycle acceptably even with the participation of the O2- ligand in the reversible redox processes. In the Li3FeRuO5 oxide, the oxidation process appears to affect only Ru (4+ to 5+ in the sloping region) and O2- (plateau) while Fe seems to retain its 3+ state.

An estimate of the number of tropical tree species

The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of Fisher's alpha and an approximate pantropical stem total to estimate the minimum number of tropical forest tree species to fall between similar to 40,000 and similar to 53,000, i.e., at the high end of previous estimates. Contrary to common assumption, the Indo-Pacific region was found to be as species-rich as the Neotropics, with both regions having a minimum of similar to 19,000-25,000 tree species. Continental Africa is relatively depauperate with a minimum of similar to 4,500-6,000 tree species. Very few species are shared among the African, American, and the Indo-Pacific regions. We provide a methodological framework for estimating species richness in trees that may help refine species richness estimates of tree-dependent taxa.

Diagnostico del estado reproductivo de las fincas bovinas en el municipio de San Francisco de Cuapa, Chontales

La presente investigación se realizó en base alos objetivos asignados: Realizar mediante palpaciones rectales un diagnóstico reproductivo de los hatos bovinos de doble propósito del municipio de cuapa-chontales y así determinar por comarcas el intervalo parto-concepción, intervalo parto-parto y diagnóstico reproductivo por eso se propuso este trabajo investigativo que lleva por título “Diagnóstico reproductivo de las fincas bovinas en el municipio de san francisco de cuapa-chontales “se realizó en el periodo comprendido de septiembre 2009 a marzo de 2010, el cual se basó en establecer el diagnóstico reproductivos mediante la palpación rectal en cada una de las vacas, incluyendo ganado parido y vacas horras de cada hato de los productores, la cantidad de productor para realizar este trabajo investigativo fue de 21 productor asociados a una cooperativa llamada La unión de dicho municipio. Las variables evaluadas fueron intervalo parto-concepción: con un índice de mayor de 150 días, intervalo parto-parto: con índice de 17 meses. El diagnóstico reproductivo total fue de 48.5% de vacas gestadas, el 45.1% de vacas vacías y 6.4 % de vacas servidas. Este trabajo investigativo se realizo en un periodo de seis meses mediante la estadía en el municipio de la investigación ,los datos recopilados se obtuvieron mediante formatos utilizados para cada productor ,dentro de ellos tenemos: inventarios de las fincas y diagnóstico reproductivo de cada fincas de los productores.Los resultados que obtuvimos de los productores hacia nosotros fueron satisfactorios para efectuar el trabajo investigativo y además pudimos recolectar toda la información que necesitábamos.

Identificacion de las principales especies de garrapatas que afectan al ganado bovino en el municipio de Mulukuku, RAAN

El presente estudio se realizó con el objetivo de identificar las principales especies de garrapatas y las regiones corporales afectadas que afectan el ganado bovino; este estudio fue realizado en 20 fincas del municipio de Mulukukú- RAAN, el cual se localiza entre las coordenadas 85° 05' latitud norte y 13° 07' latitud oeste. La altitud promedio es de 240 msnm. La temperatura promedio anual 26"; su precipitación pluvial varía entre 2000 - 2200 msnm al año. Se realizó un estudio observacional y no de intervención. La investigación se realizó en visitas a las fincas con intervalos de 13 días. Las 20 fincas fueron seleccionadas con criterios de conveniencia y se ubican en cuatros comunidades del municipio de mulukukú. Se muestrearon un total de 152 bovinos de diferentes edades, sexo y estados fisiológicos. Las garrapatas identificadas en mulukuku son de la familia Ixodidae de las especie Boophilus microplus Canestrini, (1887) y Amblyoma Canjennense, Fabricius (1787). Predominando el Boophilus microplus con 66.4% y luego Amblyoma Canjennense con un 33.5% en los animales muestreados. El área de mayor predilección de la especie Boophilus microplus en el cuerpo animal, fue el cuello y, del Amblioma Cajennense la región inguinal.

Influencia de diferentes períodos de enmalezamiento sobre el rendimiento del sorgo industrial (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) var. pinolero-1

El ensayo se realizó en la época de postrera del año 1990, en la estación experimental la Compañía (San Marcos). Con el propósito de evaluar el efecto de diferentes períodos enmalezados sobre el crecimiento y rendimiento del cultivo del sorgo. El diseño empleado fue en Bloques Completos al Azar con cuatro repeticiones. Se establecieron en total ocho tratamientos, los cuales incluían diferentes periodos de enmalezantiento con intervalos de 7 días entre uno y otro tratamiento. Un tratamiento recibió control durante todo el ciclo y otro tratamiento permaneció enmalezado hasta la cosecha Algunas variables evaluadas no presentaron diferencias estadísticas significativas entre los tratamientos, entre ellas podemos mencionar: número de panojas, longitud de la panoja, y peso de mil semillas, en cambio las variables altura de planta, número de ramillas por panícula, y diámetro del tallo, si presentaron diferencias estadísticas significativas entre los tratamientos. El peso fresco de malezas presento un incremento progresivo a partir de los 14 dds, acumulando materia fresca en cada semana adicional de competencia hasta llegar a su mayor valor a los 56 días después de la siembra, logrando notarse mayor incremento en el peso fresco a partir de los 35 días después de la siembra. Los mayores rendimientos se obtuvieron cuando el cultivo permaneció enmalezado durante un período de 35 días y el tratamiento que presentó el menor rendimiento fue el que permaneció enmalezado durante todo el ciclo. Con los resultados obtenidos es posible indicar que el cultivo del sorgo bajo las condiciones en que se desarrolló el experimento puede soportar competencia con las malezas durante un período de 35 días después de la siembra, sin ver afectados sus rendimientos de manera significativa.

Efecto de labranza, rotación y control de malezas sobre la cenosis de las malezas y el crecimiento, desarrollo y rendimiento del maíz (Zea mays L.) sorgo (Sorghum bicolor (L) Moench) y ocra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.)

El presente trabajo se realizó en la hacienda " LAS MERCEDES", Managua. El experimento se estableció en primera de 1992. La siembra se estableció el 15 de mayo, utilizando un experimento trifactorial en B.C.A en arreglo de parcelas divididas, para el factor A: sistemas de labranza (convencional y mínima), el factor B: rotación de cultivos (sorgo-soya, maíz-soya, otra-ajonjolí) y el factor C: métodos de control de malezas (control químico, control período crítico y control limpia periódica). Se evaluó el efecto de los factores de prueba sobre el comportamiento de la cenosis de malezas y el crecimiento, desarrollo y rendimiento de los cultivos. El nivel de enmalezamiento fue menor en las rotaciones sorgo-soya y maíz-soya que en las demás rotaciones para los dos sistemas de labranza, predominando las especies Rottboellia cochinchinensis y Kalistroemia maxima en mayor grado cuando se utiliza soya y ajonjolí como cultivos precedentes. En la rotación sorgo-soya se obtuvo los mayores rendimientos en labranza mínima cuando se realizó el control limpia periódica. Para el cultivo de maíz el nivel más alto de rendimiento se dio en labranza convencional con soya como cultivo precedente y el control limpia periódica de malezas. El rendimiento en el cultivo de ocra manifestó niveles mayores en labranza mínima en combinación con control químico.