SaDA: From Sampling to Data Analysis—An Extensible Open Source Infrastructure for Rapid, Robust and Automated Management and Analysis of Modern Ecological High-Throughput Microarray Data

One of the most crucial characteristics of day-to-day laboratory information management is the collection, storage and retrieval of information about research subjects and environmental or biomedical samples. An efficient link between sample data and experimental results is absolutely important for the successful outcome of a collaborative project. Currently available software solutions are largely limited to large scale, expensive commercial Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). Acquiring such LIMS indeed can bring laboratory information management to a higher level, but most of the times this requires a sufficient investment of money, time and technical efforts. There is a clear need for a light weighted open source system which can easily be managed on local servers and handled by individual researchers. Here we present a software named SaDA for storing, retrieving and analyzing data originated from microorganism monitoring experiments. SaDA is fully integrated in the management of environmental samples, oligonucleotide sequences, microarray data and the subsequent downstream analysis procedures. It is simple and generic software, and can be extended and customized for various environmental and biomedical studies

Soil Sampling Protocol to Certify the Changes of Organic Carbon Stock in Mineral Soils of the European Union

The Kyoto Protocol considers soils as an essential component to account to mitigate dangerous concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Two supplementary reports: (1) Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) and (2) Good practice Guidance for LULUCF identify soil organic carbon (SOC) monitoring to be an obligatory when implementing Articles 3.3 and 3.4 of the Protocol. However, these documents provide general rules on the countrywide SOC account and reporting which are insufficient to be practically applied in the agricultural fields and forests. The lack of agreed method to sample soil to certify changes of carbon stock in soils might be a serious constraint for the Kyoto implementation in EU. The urgency to set out common soil sampling extends beyond the protocol. The SOC is a parameter drving a majority of soil ecological functions, e.g. fertility, buffering capacity, absorption of dangerous chemicals, water quality, regulation of atmospheric gas composition etc. Thus this methodology contributes to establish common criteria of soil quality in EU. The scope of the guidance is to set out the main rules for soil-sampling to certify changes of carbon stock in soils caused by LULUCF activities in EU. It includes the following procedures: localization of points from which samples should be taken; identification of sample amount and composition; methods of the sample collection.JRC.H.6-Spatial data infrastructure

Face Recognition Performance Analysis: Impact of number of training samples and trade-off between number of individuals and images per individual

We present a performance analysis of face recognition by showing the impact on a recognition performance of the number of training samples and trade-off between the number of individuals and images per individual. We investigate how the recognition performance depends on factors such as the numberof individuals in the training set or the number of training images per individual. We will do that by using a face recognition system based on PCA and LDA

Thermal diffusivity from Fourier’s inverse problem supervised by an optimization model: Theoretical analysis and experimental validation

An original experimental device coupled with an optimization technique, for determining the thermal diffusivity () of solid materials, has been devised and experimentally validated. The inverse problem of the classical Fourier heat equation in transient condition is numerically supervised by an optimization procedure for the initial and boundary conditions from measurements. Imperfect adiabaticity on the insulated lateral surfaces is explained by modeling heat loss correction functions with additional time dependent Robin conditions. The optimization model identifies the optimal values of the heat transfer coefficients and of by minimizing the residual function between the model predictions and the experimental data. Incorporating the heat loss corrections in the solution of the heat equation significantly improves the estimation of the . Indeed, the time profile of the surface temperatures measured for a specimen of PPMA material is well reflected by the simulated curves. The estimated is in good agreement with an experimental inter-comparison of eleven laboratories equipped with Laser Flash, hot disk, and hot bridge certified devices. Our results reveal a reliable capability of the model to identify the value that explains the functional dependence underlying the experimental observations. The error lies in the range 5% or 34%, depending on whether the heat losses are accounted or not

GABAA_A Receptors Containing the α\alpha2 Subunit Are Critical for Direction-Selective Inhibition in the Retina

Far from being a simple sensor, the retina actively participates in processing visual signals. One of the best understood aspects of this processing is the detection of motion direction. Direction-selective (DS) retinal circuits include several subtypes of ganglion cells (GCs) and inhibitory interneurons, such as starburst amacrine cells (SACs). Recent studies demonstrated a surprising complexity in the arrangement of synapses in the DS circuit, i.e. between SACs and DS ganglion cells. Thus, to fully understand retinal DS mechanisms, detailed knowledge of all synaptic elements involved, particularly the nature and localization of neurotransmitter receptors, is needed. Since inhibition from SACs onto DSGCs is crucial for generating retinal direction selectivity, we investigate here the nature of the GABA receptors mediating this interaction. We found that in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of mouse and rabbit retina, GABA$_A$ receptor subunit $\alpha$2 (GABA$_A$R $\alpha$2) aggregated in synaptic clusters along two bands overlapping the dendritic plexuses of both ON and OFF SACs. On distal dendrites of individually labeled SACs in rabbit, GABA$_A$R $\alpha$2 was aligned with the majority of varicosities, the cell's output structures, and found postsynaptically on DSGC dendrites, both in the ON and OFF portion of the IPL. In GABA$_A$R $\alpha$2 knock-out (KO) mice, light responses of retinal GCs recorded with two-photon calcium imaging revealed a significant impairment of DS responses compared to their wild-type littermates. We observed a dramatic drop in the proportion of cells exhibiting DS phenotype in both the ON and ON-OFF populations, which strongly supports our anatomical findings that $\alpha$2-containing GABA$_A$Rs are critical for mediating retinal DS inhibition. Our study reveals for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the precise functional localization of a specific receptor subunit in the retinal DS circuit

Competitividad internacional de la cadena de vinos finos de la Argentina

p.149-157Se analizó la cadena de los vinos finos en la Argentina, con el objetivo de conocer los factores que hacen a la creciente competitividad de las exportaciones. En primer lugar, se calculó la distribución de la superficie plantada entre los productores primarios, se relevó el grado de concentración de las bodegas y se efectuó un análisis descriptivo de la distribución en el mercado interno y de las exportaciones. En segundo lugar, se elaboró un análisis FODA (Fortalezas, Oportunidades, Debilidades y Amenazas) de la cadena, particularmente enfocado a su desempeño en el mercado externo, con el fin de sugerir estrategias para mejorar la competitividad internacional de la cadena de vinos finos. Asimismo, a partir de la información relevada, se elaboró una aproximación cuantitativa al concepto de competitividad a través del índice de ventajas comparativas relevadas de Bela Ballasa. Por último, se resalta que el concepto de competitividad involucra un abordaje sistémico de la cadena, comprendiendo el estudio de distintos niveles de análisis, que deben ser considerados en conjunto para una mejor aproximación

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19):Characteristics in children and considerations for Dentists providing their care

The emergence of the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to a global pandemic and one of the most significant challenges to the healthcare profession. Dental practices are focal points for cross-infection, and care must be taken to minimise the risk of infection to, from, or between dental care professionals and patients. The COVID-19 epidemiological and clinical characteristics are still being collated but children's symptoms seem to be milder than those that adults experience. It is unknown whether certain groups, for example children with comorbidities, might be at a higher risk of more severe illness. Emerging data on disease spread in children, affected by COVID-19, have not been presented in detail. The purpose of this article was to report current data on the paediatric population affected with COVID-19 and highlight considerations for dentists providing care for children during this pandemic. All members of the dental team have a professional responsibility to keep themselves informed of current guidance and be vigilant in updating themselves as recommendations are changing so quickly.</p