Starter culture production in fluidized bed reactor with a flocculent strain ofL. plantarum

A lactic starter culture of a flocculentLactobacillus plantarum was produced in a fluidized bed reactor with higher cell volumetric productivities than in a continuous stirred tank reactor. The fluidized bed reactor was operated at optimised parameters obtained in batch reactor performed with and without pH control

High cell density reactor for the production of Lactobacillus plantarum

The production of a flocculent strain of Lactobacillus plantarum was performed in a high cell density reactor: a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) with a settler and an external cell recirculation. Two variables were assessed, the recirculation rate (R) and the dilution rate (D). The effect of the latter is much more important than the effect of the former in ensuring a quick start up in the flocculation process. The cell volumetric productivities obtained with this system increase directly with dilution rate and recirculation rate. The values of cell volumetric productivities obtained are considerably higher than those obtained in continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) and much higher than in batch reactors

Caracterização e classificação dos solos do Campo Experimental do Cerrado da Embrapa Amapá, Estado do Amapá.

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An Imaging Survey of Early-Type Barred Galaxies

This paper presents the results of a high-resolution imaging survey, using both ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope images, of a complete sample of nearby barred S0--Sa galaxies in the field, with a particular emphasis on identifying and measuring central structures within the bars: secondary bars, inner disks, nuclear rings and spirals, and off-plane dust. A discussion of the frequency and statistical properties of the various types of inner structures has already been published. Here, we present the data for the individual galaxies and measurements of their bars and inner structures. We set out the methods we use to find and measure these structures, and how we discriminate between them. In particular, we discuss some of the deficiencies of ellipse fitting of the isophotes, which by itself cannot always distinguish between bars, rings, spirals, and dust, and which can produce erroneous measurements of bar sizes and orientations.Comment: LaTeX, 66 pages (including 42 figures, 36 in color). To appear in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement. Full-resolution and text-only versions available at http://www.iac.es/galeria/erwin/research

A Search for "Dwarf" Seyfert Nuclei. III. Spectroscopic Parameters and Properties of the Host Galaxies

We have completed an optical spectroscopic survey of the nuclear regions (r < 200 pc) of a large sample of nearby galaxies. Although the main objectives of the survey are to search for low-luminosity active galactic nuclei and to quantify their luminosity function, the database can be used for a variety of other purposes. This paper presents measurements of the spectroscopic parameters for the 418 emission-line nuclei, along with a compilation of the global properties of all 486 galaxies in the survey. Stellar absorption generally poses a serious obstacle to obtaining accurate measurement of emission lines in nearby galactic nuclei. We describe a procedure for removing the starlight from the observed spectra in an efficient and objective manner. The main parameters of the emission lines (intensity ratios, fluxes, profile widths, equivalent widths) are measured and tabulated, as are several stellar absorption-line and continuum indices useful for studying the stellar population. Using standard nebular diagnostics, we determine the probable ionization mechanisms of the emission-line objects. The resulting spectral classifications provide extensive information on the demographics of emission-line nuclei in the local universe. This new catalog contains over 200 objects showing spectroscopic evidence for recent star formation and an equally large number of active galactic nuclei, including 46 which show broad H-alpha emission. These samples will serve as the basis of future studies of nuclear activity in nearby galaxies.Comment: To appear in the Astrophysical Journal Supplements. LaTex, 31 pages, plus an additional 23 figures and 5 tables. AASTex macro aaspp4.st

Host defense responses restricts the growth of the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum in cowpea, TE 97 411-1E resistant genotype.

Cowpea is the main subsistence crop in the semiarid North-east of Brazil. However, very few is known concerning to its defense mechanisms against fungi. The objective of this present work was to evaluate the infection strategies of the hemibiotrophic fungi Colletotrichum lindemuthianum and the associated cytological defense responses of two cowpea genotypes, TE 97-411-1E (resistant) and BR 3 Tracuateua (susceptible). The infection process of the fungi in both genotypes occurred preferentially through the leaf epidermal cells by penetration tubes emerged from appressoria. The resistant cowpea genotype, TE 97-411-1E, showed enhanced penetration resistance to C. lindemuthianum associated with higher epidermal H2O2 accumulation, papilla formation, and increase in phenylalanine ammonialyase activity, possibly related to accumulation of phenolic compounds and host cell wall lignification. Macroscopic examination of the primary leaves revealed the presence of shrunken necrotic lesions characteristic of anthracnose in infected BR 3 Tracuateua, whereas in TE 97-411-1E cell death was also observed but only in a reduced percentage of the infection sites. In summary the results obtained in the present study suggested that TE 97-411-1E genotype is more resistant to C. lindemuthianum compared to BR 3 Tracuateua, as it developed more effective defense responses against the establishment of the pathogen

Respostas de defesa da planta impedem o crescimento do fungo Colletotrichum gloeosporioides no genótipo de feijão-caupi BR 3 Tracuateua.

O feijão-caupi [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] é uma das culturas mais importantes no semiárido do Nordeste do Brasil. Embora tolerante às condições climáticas adversas, esta espécie é constantemente atacada por patógenos, ocasionando perdas na produção. Assim, o presente trabalho foi conduzido para avaliar que estratégias de infecção o patógeno Colletotrichum gloeosporioides utiliza para infectar e se desenvolver nos genótipos de feijão-caupi BR 3 Tracuateua e TE 97-411-1E e para verificar as respostas citológicas de defesa do feijão-caupi, como também o papel da fenilalanina amônia liase (PAL) no processo de infecção. Exame macroscópico mostrou um alto número de folhas primárias com lesões necróticas em TE 97-411-1E comparado com BR 3-Tracuateua. O processo de infecção foi iniciado indiretamente, via abertura dos estômatos, por tubos germinativos, sem formação de apressório. A atividade da PAL nas folhas de feijão-caupi aumentou em dois diferentes tempos após inoculação em ambos os genótipos. O primeiro pico pode estar associado a biossíntese inicial de compostos fenólicos e o segundo ao acúmulo posterior de compostos fenólicos e lignificação da parede celular do hospedeiro. O presente trabalho fornece evidências que a PAL tem um importante papel nas estratégias de defesa que o feijão-caupi emprega para se defender contra o fungo C. gloeosporioides. O crescimento do patógeno foi mais evidente no genótipo TE 97-411-1E, sugerindo que este é mais suscetível ao fungo do que BR 3-Tracuateua

Infection process and host defense responses in compatible and incompatible interactions between Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

The infection process of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was examined by light microscopy on two cowpea genotypes, BR 3 Tracuateua and TE 97-411. In the susceptible genotype BR 3 Tracuateua, the pathogen acted as an intracellular hemibiotroph. Invasion of cowpea primary leaves occurred preferentially through the leaf epidermal cells by penetration tubes that emerged from appressoria. The penetration tube swelled within 48 h to form a spherical infection vesicle inside the epidermal cell in a biotrophic interaction. Subsequently, it became multilobed and multiseptated. By 4 d after inoculation, one or more large primary hyphae emerged from the lateral lobes and grew intracellularly and further colonized several adjacent epidermal host cells, characterizing the necrotrophic phase of infection. Primary leaves of the resistant cowpea genotype, TE 97-411, showed enhanced penetration resistance to C. gloeosporioides associated with higher epidermal H2O2 accumulation beneath appressoria and primary germ tubes, papilla formation, and increased phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity, possibly related to accumulation of phenolic compounds and host cell wall lignification. Macroscopic examination of the primary leaves revealed the presence of shrunken necrotic lesions characteristic of anthracnose in infected BR 3 Tracuateua, whereas in the genotype TE 97-411, cell death was also observed but only in a reduced percentage of the infection sites. In summary, the results obtained in this study suggested that TE 97-411 is the resistant genotype to C. gloeosporioides compared with BR 3 Tracuateua because it developed more effective defense responses against the establishment of the pathogen

Genomic prediction in multi-environment trials in maize using statistical and machine learning methods.

In the context of multi-environment trials (MET), genomic prediction is proposed as a tool that allows the prediction of the phenotype of single cross hybrids that were not tested in field trials. This approach saves time and costs compared to traditional breeding methods. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the genomic prediction of single cross maize hybrids not tested in MET, grain yield and female flowering time. We also aimed to propose an application of machine learning methodologies in MET in the prediction of hybrids and compare their performance with Genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) with non-additive effects. Our results highlight that both methodologies are efficient and can be used in maize breeding programs to accurately predict the performance of hybrids in specific environments. The best methodology is case-dependent, specifically, to explore the potential of GBLUP, it is important to perform accurate modeling of the variance components to optimize the prediction of new hybrids. On the other hand, machine learning methodologies can capture non-additive effects without making any assumptions at the outset of the model. Overall, predicting the performance of new hybrids that were not evaluated in any field trials was more challenging than predicting hybrids in sparse test designs

Exact correlation functions of Bethe lattice spin models in external fields

We develop a transfer matrix method to compute exactly the spin-spin correlation functions of Bethe lattice spin models in the external magnetic field h and for any temperature T. We first compute the correlation function for the most general spin - S Ising model, which contains all possible single-ion and nearest-neighbor pair interactions. This general spin - S Ising model includes the spin-1/2 simple Ising model and the Blume-Emery-Griffiths (BEG) model as special cases. From the spin-spin correlation functions, we obtain functions of correlation length for the simple Ising model and BEG model, which show interesting scaling and divergent behavior as T approaches the critical temperature. Our method to compute exact spin-spin correlation functions may be applied to other Ising-type models on Bethe and Bethe-like lattices.Comment: 19 page