Genes involved in carotene synthesis and mating in Blakeslea trispora

Mating of Blakeslea trispora and other molds of the order Mucorales requires the interaction of mycelia of opposite sex, (+) and (-), leading to the development of specialized structures and to an enhanced accumulation of beta-carotene. Industry obtains beta-carotene by co-cultivating appropriate strains of Blakeslea (mated cultures). Gene transcription in single and mated cultures was assayed by cDNA-AFLP, a technique to observe the differential expression of subsets of mRNA fragments. Overexpression in mated cultures is about ten times more frequent than underexpression. We obtained and sequenced fragments of 97 candidate genes that appeared to be overexpressed during mating and confirmed four of them by reverse transcription and real-time PCR. Comparisons with gene sequences from other organisms suggest functions in carotene biosynthesis (4 genes), energy metabolism (8), cell wall synthesis (1), transfer of acetyl groups (1), and regulatory processes (10). Sodium acetate inhibited sexual overexpression in about two-thirds of the candidate genes and acted as a signal with broad effects on the metabolism and the morphology of mated cultures. Our work offers new materials for the study of carotene biosynthesis and its regulation and for the improvement of carotene production with Mucorales

Localized states influence spin transport in epitaxial graphene

We developed a spin transport model for a diffusive channel with coupled localized states that result in an effective increase of spin precession frequencies and a reduction of spin relaxation times in the system. We apply this model to Hanle spin precession measurements obtained on monolayer epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) (MLEG). Combined with newly performed measurements on quasi-free-standing monolayer epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) our analysis shows that the different values for the diffusion coefficient measured in charge and spin transport measurements in MLEG and the high values for the spin relaxation time can be explained by the influence of localized states arising from the buffer layer at the interface between the graphene and the SiC surface.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, including supplementary materia

Traveling-wave deceleration of SrF molecules

We report on the production, deceleration and detection of a SrF molecular beam. The molecules are captured from a supersonic expansion and are decelerated in the X$^2\Sigma^+ (v=0, N=1)$ state. We demonstrate the removal of up to 40% of the kinetic energy with a 2 meter long modular traveling-wave decelerator. Our results demonstrate a crucial step towards the preparation of ultracold gases of heavy diatomic molecules for precision spectroscopy

Hospital-related costs of sepsis around the world:A systematic review exploring the economic burden of sepsis

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the quality of manuscripts reporting sepsis health care costs and to provide an overview of hospital-related expenditures for sepsis in adult patients around the world. Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies between January 2010 and January 2022. We selected articles that provided costs and cost-effectiveness analyses, defined sepsis and described their cost calculation method. All costs were adjusted to 2020 US dollars. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) for various costs of sepsis were calculated. The quality of economic studies was assessed using the Drummond 10-item checklist. Results: Overall, 26 studies met our eligibility criteria. The mean total hospital costs per patient varied largely, between €1101 and €91,951. The median (IQR) of the total sepsis costs per country were €36,191 (€17,158 - €53,349), which equals €50 (€34 - €84) per capita annually. The relative amount of healthcare budget spent on sepsis was 2.65%, which equals 0.33% of the gross national product (GNP). Conclusion: While general sepsis costs are high, there is considerable variability between countries regarding the costs of sepsis. Further studies examining the impact on sepsis costs, especially on the general ward, can help justify, design and monitor initiatives on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this time-critical and potentially preventable disease

Crescimento diamétrico de maçaranduba (Manilkara Huberi Chevalier) após a colheita da madeira.

Conhecer o crescimento das espécies de um povoamento florestal, principalmente daquelas de interesse econômico, é de fundamental importância para o manejo florestal. Nesse sentido, avaliou-se o processo dinâmico do crescimento diamétrico da população de maçaranduba (Manilkara huberi Chevalier), no período de 1981-1997, em uma área de 64 hectares localizada na Floresta Nacional do Tapajós, área experimental sob responsabilidade da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. Os dados foram coletados em 36 parcelas permanentes de 0,25ha (50mx50m), divididas em 25 subparcelas de 10mx10m, onde foram medidas e identificadas todas as árvores com DAP (diâmetro a 1,30 do solo) e 5cm. A espécie teve, no período de 1981-1997, crescimento médio em diâmetro de 0,39cm/ano. As árvores cujas copas receberam iluminação total cresceram 0,67cm/ano, superior àquelas que receberam iluminação parcial (0,58cm/ano) e às que estavam totalmente sombreadas (0,26cm/ano). Portanto, as árvores necessitam de iluminação para acelerar seu crescimento. As árvores sem cipós na copa cresceram em média 0,60cm/ano, enquanto que aquelas com cipós cresceram 0,45cm/ano, indicando que a infestação de cipós nas árvores afeta o seu crescimento.Disponível também on-line

Mid-pregnancy genetic terminations of pregnancy - postnatal assessment and management

No Abstract

The protein puzzle : the consumption and production of meat, dairy and fish in the European Union

In het rapport 'The protein puzzle. The consumption and production of meat, dairy and fish in the European Union' brengen onderzoekers van het Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving (PBL) in kaart wat de gevolgen van de productie en consumptie van dierlijke eiwitten zijn voor milieu, natuur en gezondheid. Vervolgens schetst het PBL welke opties er in Europees verband zijn om de negatieve effecten te verminderen. Met deze studie verschaft het PBL relevante feiten en cijfers ten behoeve van het debat over eiwitconsumptie, inclusief een indicatie van de onzekerheden daarbij