Focus-and-Context Skeleton-Based Image Simplification Using Saliency Maps

Medial descriptors offer a promising way for representing, simplifying, manipulating, and compressing images. However, to date, these have been applied in a global manner that is oblivious to salient features. In this paper, we adapt medial descriptors to use the information provided by saliency maps to selectively simplify and encode an image while preserving its salient regions. This allows us to improve the trade-off between compression ratio and image quality as compared to the standard dense-skeleton method while keeping perceptually salient features, in a focus-and-context manner. We show how our method can be combined with JPEG to increase overall compression rates at the cost of a slightly lower image quality. We demonstrate our method on a benchmark composed of a broad set of images

Generation and validation of genetic markers for the selection of carioca dry bean genotypes with the slow-darkening seed coat trait

Slow darkening (SD) is a trait that helps to maintain a brighter seed coat appearance in certain market classes of dry beans. The aim of this study was to generate new fluorescence-based markers and validate previously identified microsatellite markers for linkage to the SD trait in lines of the carioca market class. Four segregating populations were generated by Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, from crosses between the SD cultivar BRSMG Madrepe´rola and the regular-darkening cultivars BRS Estilo, BRS Cometa, BRS Nota´vel and BRS Sublime. These populations were screened with the simple-sequence markers Pvsd- 1158 and PVM02TC116 and with a TaqManTM marker designed for the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) PvbHLHp12804. A KASP marker was also designed for the PvbHLHp12804 marker for testing on advanced carioca lines developed by the University of Saskatchewan. In the carioca lines developed by Embrapa, PVM02TC116 proved unsuitable for marker-assisted selection (MAS). Both the Pvsd-1158 and PvbHLHp12804 markers were found to be tightly linked to the gene responsible for the SD trait, with genetic distances calculated at 2.8 cM for Pvsd-1158 and 2.0 and 3.1 cM for PvbbHLHp12804, respectively. These markers presented more than 97% of selection efficiency. The genotypic scoring using the PvbHLHp12804 KASP marker was perfectly correlated with the phenotype in all lines of the University of Saskatchewan. The results of this study validates the use of Pvsd-1158 as a gel-based marker for SD in carioca beans. The new fluorescence-based SNP PvbHLHp12804 markers exhibited very tight linkage to SD in carioca and pinto bean lines. These markers will be ideal for MAS for the SD trait in these market classes

The characterization of a new set of EST-derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers as a resource for the genetic analysis of Phaseolus vulgaris

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Over recent years, a growing effort has been made to develop microsatellite markers for the genomic analysis of the common bean (<it>Phaseolus vulgaris</it>) to broaden the knowledge of the molecular genetic basis of this species. The availability of large sets of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in public databases has given rise to an expedient approach for the identification of SSRs (Simple Sequence Repeats), specifically EST-derived SSRs. In the present work, a battery of new microsatellite markers was obtained from a search of the <it>Phaseolus vulgaris </it>EST database. The diversity, degree of transferability and polymorphism of these markers were tested.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>From 9,583 valid ESTs, 4,764 had microsatellite motifs, from which 377 were used to design primers, and 302 (80.11%) showed good amplification quality. To analyze transferability, a group of 167 SSRs were tested, and the results showed that they were 82% transferable across at least one species. The highest amplification rates were observed between the species from the <it>Phaseolus </it>(63.7%), <it>Vigna </it>(25.9%), <it>Glycine </it>(19.8%), <it>Medicago </it>(10.2%), <it>Dipterix </it>(6%) and <it>Arachis </it>(1.8%) genera. The average PIC (Polymorphism Information Content) varied from 0.53 for genomic SSRs to 0.47 for EST-SSRs, and the average number of alleles per locus was 4 and 3, respectively. Among the 315 newly tested SSRs in the BJ (BAT93 X Jalo EEP558) population, 24% (76) were polymorphic. The integration of these segregant loci into a framework map composed of 123 previously obtained SSR markers yielded a total of 199 segregant loci, of which 182 (91.5%) were mapped to 14 linkage groups, resulting in a map length of 1,157 cM.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A total of 302 newly developed EST-SSR markers, showing good amplification quality, are available for the genetic analysis of <it>Phaseolus vulgaris</it>. These markers showed satisfactory rates of transferability, especially between species that have great economic and genomic values. Their diversity was comparable to genomic SSRs, and they were incorporated in the common bean reference genetic map, which constitutes an important contribution to and advance in <it>Phaseolus vulgaris </it>genomic research.</p

Simultaneous presence of bovine papillomavirus in blood and in short-term lymphocyte cultures from dairy cattle in Pernambuco, Brazil

Bovine papillomaviruses (BPV) are the causal agents of benign and malignant lesions; they can cause dramatic economic losses in cattle. Although 10 virus types have been described, three types are most common in tumors, namely BPV-1, -2 and -4. Previous studies have reported BPV in blood cells and the possibility of blood acting as a latent virus site and/or transmission agent of virus dissemination. We studied a Holstein dairy herd in Pernambuco, Brazil, in which several animals showed severe cutaneous papillomatosis, without previous determination of BPV types. Blood samples and short-term lymphocyte cultures were collected from 54 cows. We compared the BPV types detected in peripheral blood to those identified in the respective lymphocyte cultures: BPV-1 was detected in 74% and BPV-2 in 87% of the whole blood samples. Simultaneous virus presence (BPV-1 and BPV-2) was found in 65% of the blood samples. BPV-1 or BPV-2 were detected in the lymphocyte cultures in 93% of the samples, and both in 89%. The detection of viral DNA in whole blood and in lymphocyte cultures is evidence that this virus is carried by lymphocytesFAPESP 2006/02439-6MCT/CNPq 554816/2006-7Departamento de Ciência e Tecnologia do Ministério da Saúde - DECIT, Fundo Setorial de Biotecnologia (CT-Biotecnologia) e Saúde (CT-Saúde) 559043/2008-

Regulation of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle during contraction

O ciclo glicose-ácido graxo explica a preferência do tecido muscular pelos ácidos graxos durante atividade moderada de longa duração. Em contraste, durante o exercício de alta intensidade, há aumento na disponibilidade e na taxa de oxidação de glicose. A produção de espécies reativas de oxigênio (EROs) durante a atividade muscular sugere que o balanço redox intracelular é importante na regulação do metabolismo de lipídios/carboidratos. As EROs diminuem a atividade do ciclo de Krebs e aumentam a atividade da proteína desacopladora mitocondrial. O efeito oposto é esperado durante a atividade moderada. Assim, as questões levantadas nesta revisão são: Por que o músculo esquelético utiliza preferencialmente os lipídios no estado basal e de atividade moderada? Por que o ciclo glicose-ácido graxo falha em exercer seus efeitos durante o exercício intenso? Como o músculo esquelético regula o metabolismo de lipídios e carboidratos em regime envolvendo o ciclo contração-relaxamento555303313CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informaçãoThe glucose-fatty acid cycle explains the preference for fatty acid during moderate and long duration physical exercise. In contrast, there is a high glucose availability and oxidation rate in response to intense physical exercise. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during physical exercise suggests that the redox balance is important to regulate of lipids/carbohydrate metabolism. ROS reduces the activity of the Krebs cycle, and increases the activity of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins. The opposite effects happen during moderate physical activity. Thus, some issues is highlighted in the present review: Why does skeletal muscle prefer lipids in the basal and during moderate physical activity? Why does glucose-fatty acid fail to carry out their effects during intense physical exercise? How skeletal muscles regulate the lipids and carbohydrate metabolism during the contraction-relaxation cycle

Regulation of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle during contraction

O ciclo glicose-ácido graxo explica a preferência do tecido muscular pelos ácidos graxos durante atividade moderada de longa duração. Em contraste, durante o exercício de alta intensidade, há aumento na disponibilidade e na taxa de oxidação de glicose. A produção de espécies reativas de oxigênio (EROs) durante a atividade muscular sugere que o balanço redox intracelular é importante na regulação do metabolismo de lipídios/carboidratos. As EROs diminuem a atividade do ciclo de Krebs e aumentam a atividade da proteína desacopladora mitocondrial. O efeito oposto é esperado durante a atividade moderada. Assim, as questões levantadas nesta revisão são: Por que o músculo esquelético utiliza preferencialmente os lipídios no estado basal e de atividade moderada? Por que o ciclo glicose-ácido graxo falha em exercer seus efeitos durante o exercício intenso? Como o músculo esquelético regula o metabolismo de lipídios e carboidratos em regime envolvendo o ciclo contração-relaxamento.The glucose-fatty acid cycle explains the preference for fatty acid during moderate and long duration physical exercise. In contrast, there is a high glucose availability and oxidation rate in response to intense physical exercise. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) production during physical exercise suggests that the redox balance is important to regulate of lipids/carbohydrate metabolism. ROS reduces the activity of the Krebs cycle, and increases the activity of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins. The opposite effects happen during moderate physical activity. Thus, some issues is highlighted in the present review: Why does skeletal muscle prefer lipids in the basal and during moderate physical activity? Why does glucose-fatty acid fail to carry out their effects during intense physical exercise? How skeletal muscles regulate the lipids and carbohydrate metabolism during the contraction-relaxation cycle