Effects of sub-optimal temperatures on seed germination of three warm-season turfgrasses with perspectives of cultivation in transition zone

Warm-season turfgrass species prevail in tropical and subtropical areas, but can also be grown in the transition zone. In this case, cold tolerance is a key aspect for germination and successful turfgrass establishment. The germination response to sub-optimal temperatures was investigated for Cynodon dactylon (cvs Jackpot, La Paloma, Transcontinental, Yukon, Riviera), Buchloe dactyloides (cv SWI 2000) and Paspalum vaginatum (cv Pure Dynasty). Four temperature regimes were applied, i.e., 20/30 °C, 15/25 °C, 10/20 °C and 5/15 °C, with a 12:12 h (light:dark) photoperiod. Germination assays were performed twice, with six replicates (Petri dishes) per treatment in each experiment, fifty seeds per dish. The final germinated percentages at last inspection time (FGP) were obtained for each Petri dish and processed by using a generalized linear mixed model (binomial error and logit link). Germination curves were fitted to each Petri dish by using time-to-event methods and germination rates (GR) for the 10th, 20th and 30th percentiles were derived and used to fit a linear thermal-time model. For all cultivars, FGP decreased with decreasing mean daily temperatures. Base temperatures (Tb) ranged between 11.4 °C and 17.0 °C, while the thermal time to obtain 30% germination ranged from 51.3 °C day for SWI 2000 to 144.0 °C day for Pure Dynasty. The estimated parameters were used to predict germination time in the field, considering the observed soil temperatures in Legnaro. The estimated date for the beginning of germination in the field would range from early April for SWI 2000 and Transcontinental to mid-May for Riviera. These results might be used as a practical support for planning spring sowing, which is crucial for successful turfgrass establishment, especially without irrigation

Labeling of Activity Recognition Datasets: Detection of Misbehaving Users

Automatic recognition of user’s activities by means of wearable devices is a key element of many e-health applications, ranging from rehabilitation to monitoring of elderly citizens. Activity recognition methods generally rely on the availability of annotated training sets, where the traces collected using sensors are labelled with the real activity carried out by the user. We propose a method useful to automatically identify misbehaving users, i.e. the users that introduce inaccuracies during the labeling phase. The method is semi-supervised and detects misbehaving users as anomalies with respect to accurate ones. Experimental results show that misbehaving users can be detected with more than 99% accuracy

The upgrade of the Pierre Auger Observatory: AugerPrime

Over the last 15 years the Pierre Auger Observatory has accumulated the world’s largest exposure to ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and the analysis of this dataset led to major advances in our understanding of the nature of UHECRs. The new perspectives opened by the current results call for an upgrade of the Observatory (dubbed AugerPrime), whose main aim is the collection of new information about the primary mass of UHECRs, mandatory to interpret all the observations into a unified picture. The upgrade program includes: the installation of a plastic scintillator detector on top of each water-Cherenkov detector (WCD) of the surface array; the addition of a small photomultiplier tube in each WCD to extend the dynamic range of measurement; an array of underground scintillator detectors to measure the muonic component of extensive air showers; the deployment of a radio antenna atop each WCD; and new electronics to process the signals from all the detectors. An overview of the upgrade is provided, together with the expected performances and the improved physics sensitivity

New insights into cortico-basal-cerebellar connectome: clinical and physiological considerations

The current model of the basal ganglia system based on the 'direct', 'indirect' and 'hyperdirect' pathways provides striking predictions about basal ganglia function that have been used to develop deep brain stimulation approaches for Parkinson's disease and dystonia. The aim of this review is to challenge this scheme in light of new tract tracing information that has recently become available from the human brain using MRI-based tractography, thus providing a novel perspective on the basal ganglia system. We also explore the implications of additional direct pathways running from cortex to basal ganglia and between basal ganglia and cerebellum in the pathophysiology of movement disorders

Immunofluorescence evaluation of Myf5 and MyoD in masseter muscle of unilateral posterior crossbite patients

A unilateral posterior crossbite is a malocclusion where the low activity of the affected masseter muscle is compensated by the contralateral muscle hypertrophy. It is still unknown if, in the same condition, myogenesis with new fibre formation takes place. Aim: the aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression of myogenesis markers, such as Myf5 and MyoD, in masseter muscles of unilateral posterior crossbite patients. Materials and methods: biopsies from fifteen surgical patients with unilateral posterior crossbites have been analysed by immunofluorescence reactions. The results show the expression of Myf5 and MyoD in the contralateral muscle but not in the ipsilateral one. Moreover, statistical analysis shows the higher number of satellite cells in the contralateral side if compared to the ipsilateral one. Conclusions: these results suggest that in contralateral muscle, hyperplastic events take place, as well as hypertrophy

Structure and Pharmacological Actions of Physalaemin, the Main Active Polypeptide of the Skin of Physalaemus fuscumaculatus

Viene descritto il procedimento che ha permesso l’isolamento e il chiarimento della struttura chimica della fisalemina, il principale dei polipeptidi attivi della pelle di Physalaemus fuscumaculatus, anfibio dell’Argen- tina. La fisalemina, strettamente vicina all’eledoisina anche da un punto di vista chimico è, come questa, dotata di potente azione sulla muscolatura liscia vasale ed extra- vasale. Essa è nettamente distinguibile, mediante saggi paralleli, da tutti gli altri polipeptidi biogeni finora noti.Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Real causes of apparent abnormal results in heavy ion reactions

We study the effect of the static characteristics of nuclei and dynamics of the nucleus-nucleus interac- tion in the capture stage of reaction, in the competition between quasifission and complete fusion processes, as well as the angular momentum dependence of the competition between fission and evaporation processes along the de-excitation cascade of the compound nucleus. The results calculated for the mass-asymmetric and less mass-asymmetric reactions in the entrance channel are analyzed in order to investigate the role of the dynamical effects on the yields of the evaporation residue nuclei. We also discuss about uncertainties at the extraction of such relevant physical quantities as Γn/Γtot ratio or also excitation functions from the experimental results due to the not always realistic assumptions in the treatment and analysis of the detected events. This procedure can lead to large ambiguity when the complete fusion process is strongly hindered or when the fast fission contri- bution is large. We emphasize that a refined multiparameter model of the reaction dynamics as well as a more detailed and checked data analysis are strongly needed in heavy-ion collisions

Structure and pharmacological actions of phyllocaerulein, a caerulein-like nonapeptide: its occurrence in extracts of the skin of Phyllomedusa sauvagei and related Phyllomedusa species

The present communication gives an account of the isolation, structure and pharmacological properties of the caerulein-like polypeptide occurring in the skin of Phyllomedusa sauvagei from north-western regions of Argentina. For the new polypeptide, a nonapeptide closely resembling caerulein both from a biological and chemical point of view, the name phyllocaerulein is proposed. This paper also describes the occurrence of phyllocaerulein or related peptides in the skin of other Phyllomedusa species. A complete description of methods used in the isolation of phyllocaerulein as well as in the determination of amino-acid composition and amino-acid sequence of the polypeptide may be found in a preceding paper dealing with the isolation and the amino acid sequence of caerulein (Anastasi, Erspamer & Endean, 1968 ; Anastasi, 1969).Material digitalizado en SEDICI gracias a la colaboración del Dr. Jorge Williams (FCNM-UNLP).Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse