Effects of overstory tree density, site preparation, and ground vegetation on natural Scots pine seedling emergence and survival in northern boreal pine forests

Natural regeneration is a commonly used forest regeneration method in northern Finland. It is not known, however, what would be the optimal overstory density and ground vegetation composition for seedling emergence and survival, and if site preparation is needed to accompany overstory density manipulation. We studied the effects of overstory density (unthinned control and thinning to 50,150, and 250 trees.ha(-1)) and ground vegetation removal (mechanical site preparation with disc trenching) on the number of naturally germinated pine seedlings and survival of individual seedlings over a period of 8 to 11 years. Bare mineral soil was a superior seedbed compared to intact vegetation cover, even though the mortality rate was high on mineral soil. Greater cover of lingonberry, crowberry, and slash had a negative effect on seedling number. Seedling mortality was initially high (60% died during the first 2 years) but decreased throughout the first 5 years. The survival rate of seedlings located in the mineral soil of the upper part of the disc trencher track was twice as high as that of seedlings located in the lower part of the track. High coverage of hair mosses (Polytrichum spp.) was associated with poorer seedling survival. An overstory density of 50-150 trees.ha(-1) with site preparation seems to be an efficient treatment to promote regeneration under these circumstances.Peer reviewe

Dye detoxification by Lentinula edodes INCQS 40220

Lentinula edodes belongs to the group of fungi known as ligninolytic fungi, due to its ability to degrade the aromatic structure of the lignin. Textile dyes also have aromatic structure, and after microbial degradation, some of them can be transformed into toxic compounds, when compared to the original structure, representing risk to environment and human health. Therefore, the potential of the fungus L. edodes INCQS 40220 to decolorize and to detoxify reactive red 198 (azo dye), reactive blue 214 (azo dye) and reactive blue 21 (cooper phthalocyanine dye) in a mixture (MXD), was evaluated. After 14 days of incubation, total decolorization in liquid media was obtained. The fungal treatment of MXD did not present toxic effects towards blood human cells. The genotoxicity of MXD, assessed by Comet assay, was efficiently reduced to 61% and in the Ames test presented negative response for mutagenicity for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102 strains. The results indicated L. edodes INCQS 40220 efficiency on decolorization and genotoxicity reduction of a mixture of different dyes. Therefore, based on these results, obtained under laboratory conditions, L. edodes INCQS 40220 has potential for textile effluent treatment.Título PT: Detoxificação de corante por Lentinula edodes INCQS 40220Lentinula edodes pertence ao grupo de fungos conhecidos como fungos ligninolíticos, devido a sua habilidade de degradar estruturas aromáticas da lignina. Corantes têxteis também possuem estruturas aromáticas e, após a degradação microbiana, alguns destes corantes podem ser transformados em compostos tóxicos quando comparados à estrutura original, representando risco à saúde ambiental e humana. Portanto, o potencial do fungo L. edodes INCQS 40220 para descolorir e detoxificar a mistura de vermelho reativo 198 (corante azo), azul reativo 214 (corante azo) e azul reativo 21 (corante ftalocianina de cobre) foi avaliada (MXD). Após 14 dias de incubação, foi obtida descoloração total em meio líquido. O tratamento fúngico de MXD não apresentou efeitos tóxicos em células sanguíneas humanas. A genotoxicidade de MXD, avaliada por meio do Ensaio Cometa, foi eficientemente reduzida para 61% e, no teste de Ames, apresentou resposta negativa à mutagenicidade para Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium TA97, TA98, TA100 e TA102 strains. Os resultados indicaram eficiência de L. edodes INCQS 40220 na descoloração e redução de genotoxicidade na mistura de diferentes corantes. Portanto, com base nos resultados obtidos em condições de laboratório, L. edodes INCQS 40220 tem potencial para o tratamento de efluente têxtil

Isolation and characterization of Treponema phagedenis-like spirochetes from digital dermatitis lesions in Swedish dairy cattle

© 2008 Pringle et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Robust T cell immunity in convalescent individuals with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. Here, we systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in unexposed individuals, exposed family members, and individuals with acute or convalescent COVID-19. Acute-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed a highly activated cytotoxic phenotype that correlated with various clinical markers of disease severity, whereas convalescent-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were polyfunctional and displayed a stem-like memory phenotype. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were detectable in antibody-seronegative exposed family members and convalescent individuals with a history of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19. Our collective dataset shows that SARS-CoV-2 elicits broadly directed and functionally replete memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19

The European Reference Genome Atlas: piloting a decentralised approach to equitable biodiversity genomics.

ABSTRACT: A global genome database of all of Earth’s species diversity could be a treasure trove of scientific discoveries. However, regardless of the major advances in genome sequencing technologies, only a tiny fraction of species have genomic information available. To contribute to a more complete planetary genomic database, scientists and institutions across the world have united under the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), which plans to sequence and assemble high-quality reference genomes for all ∼1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species through a stepwise phased approach. As the initiative transitions into Phase II, where 150,000 species are to be sequenced in just four years, worldwide participation in the project will be fundamental to success. As the European node of the EBP, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) seeks to implement a new decentralised, accessible, equitable and inclusive model for producing high-quality reference genomes, which will inform EBP as it scales. To embark on this mission, ERGA launched a Pilot Project to establish a network across Europe to develop and test the first infrastructure of its kind for the coordinated and distributed reference genome production on 98 European eukaryotic species from sample providers across 33 European countries. Here we outline the process and challenges faced during the development of a pilot infrastructure for the production of reference genome resources, and explore the effectiveness of this approach in terms of high-quality reference genome production, considering also equity and inclusion. The outcomes and lessons learned during this pilot provide a solid foundation for ERGA while offering key learnings to other transnational and national genomic resource projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

The genetic diversity, phylogeography and morphology of Elphidiidae (Foraminifera) in the Northeast Atlantic

Genetic characterisation (SSU rRNA genotyping) and Scanning ElectronMicroscope (SEM) imaging of individualtests were used in tandem to determine the modern species richness of the foraminiferal family Elphidiidae(Elphidium, Haynesina and related genera) across the Northeast Atlantic shelf biomes. Specimens were collectedat 25 locations fromthe High Arctic to Iberia, and a total of 1013 individual specimenswere successfully SEMimagedand genotyped. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out in combination with 28 other elphidiid sequencesfrom GenBank and seventeen distinct elphidiid genetic types were identified within the sample set, sevenbeing sequenced for the first time. Genetic types cluster into sevenmain cladeswhich largely represent their generalmorphologicalcharacter. Differences between genetic types at the genetic, morphological and biogeographiclevels are indicative of species level distinction. Their biogeographic distributions, in combination with elphidiidSSU sequences from GenBank and high resolution images from the literature show that each of them exhibitsspecies-specific rather than clade-specific biogeographies. Due to taxonomic uncertainty and divergent taxonomicconcepts between schools, we believe that morphospecies names should not be placed onto molecularphylogenies unless both the morphology and genetic type have been linked to the formally named holotype,or equivalent. Based on strictmorphological criteria,we advocate using only a three-stage approach to taxonomyfor practical application in micropalaeontological studies. It comprises genotyping, the production of a formalmorphological description of the SEM images associated with the genetic type and then the allocation of themost appropriate taxonomic name by comparison with the formal type description. Using this approach, wewere able to apply taxonomic names to fifteen genetic types. One of the remaining two may be potentially cryptic,and one is undescribed in the literature. In general, the phylogeographic distribution is in agreement with ourknowledge of the ecology and biogeographical distribution of the corresponding morphospecies, highlighting thegenerally robust taxonomic framework of the Elphidiidae in time and space

Streptococcal and staphylococcal tissue infections: therapeutic challenges and opportunities

Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus have been leading causes of human infections throughout history. S. pyogenes is of the top-ten pathogens responsible for most death globally, 0.5 million deaths per year. S. aureus is carried asymptomatically by half the population at any point in time and S. aureus bacteremia is probably the most common life-threatening infection worldwide. These bacteria colonize us, cause mild self-limiting infections such as impetigo and pharyngitis but also rare grave conditions such as streptococcal/staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) and necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTI). In STSS, patients are recommended to receive adjunctive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to dampen the mitogenic superantigen-response in T-lymphocytes. In NSTI, the benefit of IVIG treatment is unclear. The first randomized controlled trial of IVIG in NSTI by all microbiological etiologies showed no benefit, but the subgroup dominated by S. pyogenes and S. aureus infections indicated a trend of improved outcome. Here, we assessed plasma samples from these patients, demonstrating that a dose of 25g IVIG is effective at neutralizing toxins from most S. pyogenes strains. The neutralizing capacity of patient plasma correlated with the IVIG dose administered. In NSTI, the antibiotic treatment recommendations include a -lactam antibiotic such as penicillin, and a toxin-dampening antibiotic such as clindamycin. Using an organotypic 3D model of human skin, we treated S. pyogenes tissue infections with this standard treatment and observed only a minor effect on reduction of bacterial viability. When we added the antibiotic rifampicin as adjunctive treatment, we observed a significant reduction of bacterial viability and metabolism. Bacterial biofilm formation has been recognized as a complicating microbiological feature of S. pyogenes NSTI, and this could be the reason behind the treatment failure and high morbidity and mortality associated with the infections. S. aureus biofilm formation is regulated by the Accessory gene regulator or Agr system. Using an Agr-silent mutant, we measured biofilm formation by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). We observed impaired biofilm dispersal in the Agr-silent MRSA strain, resulting in sustained biofilm formation on polystyrene surfaces. When grown on collagen-coated surfaces, biofilm increased by both strains. In our skin tissue model, both isolates formed biofilm, but the Agr-silent strain did not affect the epithelial integrity while the Agr-signaling strain caused epithelial damage and disseminated into the deeper layers of the tissue. Host-pathogen interactions are complicated due to the multitude of cells and molecules involved. In this thesis, we have studied bacterial pathogens in their natural habitat: near human cells. Although not as complex as real tissue, our model systems are relevant by mimicking important features of the clinical setting. Our research questions are clinical, and our setup is experimental

Hel, ren och fräsch! : Betydelsen av en säljares framtoning inom hemelektronikbranschen

På senare tid har estetiken blivit en allt viktigare faktor när butikskedjor ska förmedla sinaerbjudanden till konsumenten, kedjan måste representeras på ett bra sätt. Här har personalensroll fått allt större utrymme och betydelse för att kunden ska få en positiv helhetsupplevelseav butiken. Personalen ska representera kedjan och vad denna står för på ett, för kunden,fördelaktigt sätt. Personalens framtoning har därmed hamnat mer och mer i fokus undersenare tid. Kraven på sökandes framtoning från arbetsgivare vid anställningar ökar och harblivit mer utförliga och omfattande, och hemelektronikbranschen är inget undantag. Inombranschen finns krav på att säljaren ska framstå som professionell, kompetent och trovärdig,men samtidigt sympatisk.Undersökningen i uppsatsen bygger på att vi har genomfört intervjuer med tre olika kedjorshuvudkontor inom hemelektronikbranschen där vi ville få reda på deras synsätt på hur derassäljare genom sin framtoning kan framstå som professionella, kompetenta, trovärdiga ochsympatiska. Då det är kundens perspektiv på frågan som vi är ute efter genomfördes vidarefokusgruppsintervjuer med konsumenter av varierande ålder, kön och bakgrund på sammatema.Uppsatsens syfte är att beskriva hur personalens framtoning kan se ut och hur den kanpåverka kundens helhetsupplevelse av, och förtroende för, personalen i enhemelektronikkedja. Vi har utgått ifrån en kvalitativ undersökningsmetod då vi är intresseradeav att gå på djupet och få mer nyanserad och detaljerad data.Resultatet av vår undersökning visar på att personalens framtoning är viktig för att kunden skakänna förtroende för, och få en positiv helhetsupplevelse av, personalen i enhemelektronikkedja. Vidare spelar det inte så stor roll hur personalen ser ut så länge derasframtoning bildar en sammanhängande positiv helhet. Så länge alla delar stämmer överenskan de se ut i stort sett hur som helst. Ett annat resultat av vår undersökning visar på attkunden inte föredrar en proper och strikt klädsel hos personalen utan istället efterfrågar enprofilklädsel av mer ledig sort. Intressant att nämna är att de kedjor vi har varit i kontakt medinte är medvetna om vad deras kunder efterfrågar, i någon större utsträckning, rörandepersonalens profilklädsel, då de bara har gjort antaganden utan egna undersökningar att luta sig emot

Designutmärkelser - Designutmärkelsers effekter på vinnande företag, sett ur företagets perspektiv, med fokus på den externa och interna konkurrenskraften.

Sammanfattning Titel: Designutmärkelser- Designutmärkelsers effekter på vinnande företag, sett ur företagets perspektiv, med fokus på den externa och interna konkurrenskraften. Seminariedatum: 2009-01-16. Ämne/Kurs: FEKK01, Examensarbete kandidatnivå, 15 poäng. Författare: Joakim Bergsten, Susanna Karlsson och Helena Ousbäck. Handledare: Björn Carlsson, Roland Knutsson. Fem nyckelord: Design, design management, designutmärkelser, konkurrensfördel, intern och extern konkurrenskraft. Syfte: Syftet är att belysa vilka effekter en designutmärkelse kan få på det vinnande företagets organisation, sett ur företagets perspektiv, i fråga om den externa och den interna konkurrenskraften Metod: Kvalitativ ansats och genom analys av telefonintervjuer med åtta företag som erhållit designutmärkelsen Design S. Teoretiska perspektiv: Teorier är hämtade inom områdena; design, marknadsföring, strategi och organisationsteori. Tillsammans ger de en bild av tänkbara områden som påverkas av en designutmärkelse. Empiri: Empirin grundar sig i åtta telefonintervjuer med företag som vunnit Design S år 2006 och år 2008. Även sekundärdata har använts för att beskriva de intervjuade företagen. Resultat: Resultatet visade att en designutmärkelse kan få en rad olika positiva effekter på ett företags konkurrenssituation, såväl externt som internt. Detta visade sig framför allt genom en styrkeposition gentemot företagets konkurrenter och som en motivationskälla för de anställda genom ett bevis på god designförmåga