Single-tree detection in high-density LiDAR data from UAV-based survey

UAV-based LiDAR survey provides very-high-density point clouds, which involve very rich information about forest detailed structure, allowing for detection of individual trees, as well as demanding high computational load. Single-tree detection is of great interest for forest management and ecology purposes, and the task is relatively well solved for forests made of single or largely dominant species, and trees having a very evident pointed shape in the upper part of the canopy (in particular conifers). Most authors proposed methods based totally or partially on search of local maxima in the canopy, which has poor performance for species that have flat or irregular upper canopy, and for mixed forests, especially where taller trees hide smaller ones. Such considerations apply in particular to Mediterranean hardwood forests. In such context, it is imperative to use the whole volume of the point cloud, however keeping computational load tractable. The authors propose the use of a methodology based on modelling the 3D-shape of the tree, which improves performance w.r.t to maxima-based models. A case study, performed on a hazel grove, is provided to document performance improvement on a relatively simple, but significant, case

S100B inhibitor pentamidine attenuates reactive gliosis and reduces neuronal loss in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Among the different signaling molecules released during reactive gliosis occurring in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the astrocytederived S100B protein plays a key role in neuroinflammation, one of the hallmarks of the disease. The use of pharmacological tools targeting S100B may be crucial to embank its effects and some of the pathological features of AD. The antiprotozoal drug pentamidine is a good candidate since it directly blocks S100B activity by inhibiting its interaction with the tumor suppressor p53. We used a mouse model of amyloid beta- (A-) induced AD, which is characterized by reactive gliosis and neuroinflammation in the brain, and we evaluated the effect of pentamidine on the main S100B-mediated events. Pentamidine caused the reduction of glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100B, and RAGE protein expression, which are signs of reactive gliosis, and induced p53 expression in astrocytes. Pentamidine also reduced the expression of proinflammatory mediators and markers, thus reducing neuroinflammation in AD brain. In parallel, we observed a significant neuroprotection exerted by pentamidine on CA1 pyramidal neurons. We demonstrated that pentamidine inhibits A-induced gliosis and neuroinflammation in an animal model of AD, thus playing a role in slowing down the course of the disease

Enzymatic Strategies to Detoxify Gluten: Implications for Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to the gliadin fraction of wheat gluten and to similar barley and rye proteins that occurs in genetically susceptible subjects. After ingestion, degraded gluten proteins reach the small intestine and trigger an inappropriate T cell-mediated immune response, which can result in intestinal mucosal inflammation and extraintestinal manifestations. To date, no pharmacological treatment is available to gluten-intolerant patients, and a strict, life-long gluten-free diet is the only safe and efficient treatment available. Inevitably, this may produce considerable psychological, emotional, and economic stress. Therefore, the scientific community is very interested in establishing alternative or adjunctive treatments. Attractive and novel forms of therapy include strategies to eliminate detrimental gluten peptides from the celiac diet so that the immunogenic effect of the gluten epitopes can be neutralized, as well as strategies to block the gluten-induced inflammatory response. In the present paper, we review recent developments in the use of enzymes as additives or as processing aids in the food biotechnology industry to detoxify gluten

Complementarity between Quantum and Classical Mechanics in Chemical Modeling. The H + HeH+ → H2+ + He Reaction: A Rigourous Test for Reaction Dynamics Methods

In this work we present a dynamical study of the H + HeH+ → H2+ + He reaction in a collision energy range from 0.1 meV to 10 eV, suitable to be used in applicative models. The paper extends and complements a recent work [ Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2014, 16, 11662 ] devoted to the characterization of the reactivity from the ultracold regime up to the three-body dissociation breakup. In particular, the accuracy of the quasi-classical trajectory method below the three-body dissociation threshold has been assessed by a detailed comparison with previous calculations performed with different reaction dynamics methods, whereas the reliability of the results in the high energy range has been checked by a direct comparison with the available experimental data. Integral cross sections for several HeH+ roto-vibrational states have been analyzed and used to understand the extent of quantum effects in the reaction dynamics. By using the quasi-classical trajectory method and quantum mechanical close coupling data, respectively, in the high and low collision energy ranges, we obtain highly accurate thermal rate costants until 15 000 K including all (178) the roto-vibrational bound and quasi-bound states of HeH+. The role of the collision-induced dissociation is also discussed and explicitly calculated for the ground roto-vibrational state of HeH+

Involvement of sperm acetylated histones and the nuclear isoform of Glutathione peroxidase 4 in fertilization

We previously demonstrated that the nuclear form of Glutathione peroxidase 4 (nGPx4) has a peculiar distribution in sperm head, being localized to nuclear matrix and acrosome and that sperm lacking nGPx4 are more prone to decondensation in vitro. In this study we have hypothesized that sperm retained acetylated histones and nGPx4 are implicated in paternal chromatin decondensation and male pronucleus formation at fertilization. Indeed, significant higher amounts of acetylated histone H4 and acetylated histone H3 were observed by both immunofluorescence and western blotting in nGPx4-KO sperm vs WT ones. In vitro fertilization of zona pellucida- deprived oocytes by WT sperm in the presence of trichostatin (TSA) also demonstrated that paternal histone acetylation was inversely related to the timing of sperm nucleus decondensation at fertilization. In contrast, TSA had no effect on nGPx4-KO sperm, indicating they had a maximal level of histone acetylation. Moreover the paternally imprinted gene Igf2/H19 was hypomethylated in KO sperm compared to WT ones. The lack of nGPx4 negatively affected male fertility, causing a marked decrease in total pups and pregnancies with delivery, a significant reduction in pronuclei (PN) embryos in in vitro fertilization assays and an approximately 2 h delay in egg fertilization in vivo. Because the zona pellucida binding and fusion to oolemma of nGPx4-KO and WT sperm were similar, the subfertility of nGPx4 sperm reflected a decreased sperm progression through egg cumulus/zona pellucida, pinpointing a defective acrosome in line with acrosomal nGPx4 localization. We conclude that paternal acetylated histones and acrosomal nGPx4 are directly involved in fertilization

Estrategias Lúdicas para desarrollar el pensamiento lógico matemático en los niños de educación inicial de 4 años de la Institución Educativa Enrique Paillardelle del Distrito Gregorio Albarracín Lanchipa-2015

El presente trabajo lleva por título Estrategias lúdicas para desarrollar el pensamiento lógico matemático en los niños de educación inicial de 4 años de la Institución educativa “Enrique Paillardelle” del Distrito Gregorio Albarracín Lanchipa– 2015. La cual tiene como finalidad de Determinar el efecto de las estrategias lúdicas para el desarrollo del pensamiento lógico matemático en los niños de educación inicial de 4 años de la institución educativa Enrique Paillardelle del Distrito Gregorio Albarracín Lanchipa -2015,se aplicó en una muestra de 25 niños de 4 años del nivel inicial, la presente investigación es de tipo experimental y con diseño cuasi experimental, porque solo se busca los resultados de un variable, mientras que la otra variable se mide el efecto que causa. Mientras tanto, después de la aplicación de la estrategia lúdica, ningún niño se encontraba en un nivel de aprendizaje de “Inicio” esto quiere decir que ningún estudiante (0.0%) tiene dificultades en reproducir movimientos o desplazamientos con su cuerpo, Luego en una minoría los niños se encontraban en un nivel de aprendizaje “En proceso” esto quiere decir que solo un niño que representa el 4.0% está próximo a alcanzar un nivel logrado. Y en una mayoría absoluta de los niños se encuentra en el nivel de aprendizaje “Logrado” esto quiere decir que el 96.00% de los niños lograron el aprendizaje esperado

CHEESE

modello disegno del visore per realtà aumentata ergonomico CHEESE elaborato nell'ambito del progetto PON dal titolo: “Esperienza Emozionale nel Patrimonio Culturale con Occhiali a Visione Aumentata - C.H.E.E.S.E. Cultural Heritage Emotional Experience See-through Eyewear”, finanziato nell’ambito del Bando PON START UP Linea 2 – Cultura ad Impatto Aumentato, Ambito – Spazi della Cultura 2.0. Responsabile Scientifico del progetto: Carla Langell

Biometrics measurements in Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the Picentini area. Discussion and conclusions

Techniques for assigning individual to age-classes and/or distinguish between sexes are necessary to understand population dynamics and behavioral interactions of Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Many studies have focused on separating juveniles from adults; age of captured live pups can be estimated from morphological changes, hind foot (HF) length, zygomatic (Z) width and body weight1. Methods that avoid capturing the animals would be particularly useful, but none is available. In this paper biometric differences between young adults and adults subjects and between sexes are investigated. Lower canine length (LCL), lower canine width (LCW), condilo-basal (CB) and scapular length resulted smaller than female adults, whereas male young adults had withers height, occipito-coccygeal (OC), ear length, and upper canine width (UCW) smaller than male adults. Almost all the parameters included in this study confirmed sexual dimorphism and some of the differences already present in young adults gained significance (from P<0.05 to P<0.01) in the adult foxes. In particular bodyweight, OC length, withers height, ear length, upper canine length and LCL, scapular and mandibular length, and inter-carnassial (IC) and Z width were significantly greater in male than in female adult foxes (P<0.01). Nasal-occipitalis (NO) length, total length, UCW and LCW, and upper dentition (UD) were significantly greater in male than in female adult foxes, as well (P<0.05). The low number of subjects included in each category, strictly due to hunting season, did not allow estimating an accurate range for the biometrics measurements performed and probably biased recordings, producing some contradictory results. Fox size varies geographically, thus mean adults measurements should be determined for each area in which they have to be applied1. HF method has been demonstrated to be an accurate method for assessing age of pups1; our data suggest that it might be as efficient in young adults, at least in female subjects. On the other hand, our results confirm the sexual dimorphism in the canine region to be higher than in the carnassial region (data not shown in our results)

Characterization of Coffee Silver Skin as Potential Food-Safe Ingredient

By-products from the coffee industry are produced in large amounts each year. Among other wastes, coffee silver skin (CSS) is highly available and more stable due to its lower content of water. This research aimed to characterize coffee silver skin composition and evidence its potentiality for use as a food-safe ingredient in new formulations. Results showed an average total dietary fiber content of 50% but with a higher ratio for insoluble than soluble fiber. A high content of total phenolic compounds, chlorogenic acid, caffeine, and caffeic acid was found and correlated with the high measured antioxidant capacity. Moreover, minerals (e.g., calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, copper, iron, manganese) important for human wellbeing were found at a high level in CSS, while toxic minerals (e.g., nickel) were found at low levels. In conclusion, coffee silver skin could have an advantageous role for the recovery of valuable compounds and as a potential food-safe ingredient

Spermatogonial kinetics in humans

The human spermatogonial compartment is essential for daily production of millions of sperm. Despite this crucial role, the molecular signature, kinetic behavior and regulation of human spermatogonia are poorly understood. Using human testis biopsies with normal spermatogenesis and by studying marker protein expression, we have identified for the first time different subpopulations of spermatogonia. MAGE-A4marks all spermatogonia, KITmarks all Bspermatogonia and UCLH1 all Apale-dark (Ap-d) spermatogonia. We suggest that at the start of the spermatogenic lineage there are Ap-d spermatogonia that are GFRA1High, likely including the spermatogonial stem cells. Next, UTF1 becomes expressed, cells become quiescent and GFRA1 expression decreases. Finally, GFRA1 expression is lost and subsequently cells differentiate into B spermatogonia, losing UTF1 and acquiring KIT expression. Strikingly, most human Ap-d spermatogonia are out of the cell cycle and even differentiating type B spermatogonial proliferation is restricted. A novel scheme for human spermatogonial development is proposed that will facilitate further research in this field, the understanding of cases of infertility and the development of methods to increase sperm output