An Improved molecular tool for distinguishing monoecious and dioedious Hydrilla

Two biotypes of hydrilla [Hydrilla verticillata(L.f.) Royle] occur in the United States, a dioecious type centered in the southeast and a monoecious type in the central Atlantic and northeastern states. Ecosystem managers need tools to distinguish the types as the ranges of each type expand and begin to overlap. A molecular tool using the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) procedure is available but its use is limited by a need for reference samples. We describe an alternative molecular tool which uses “universal primers” to sequence the trnL intron and trnL-F intergenic spacer of the chloroplast genome. This sequence yields three differences between the biotypes (two gaps and one single nucleotide polymorphism). A primer has been designed which ends in a gap that shows up only in the dioecious plant. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using this primer produces a product for the monoecious but not the dioecious plant

Verification for Everyone? An Overview of Dynamic Logic

This note, reporting the homonym keynote presented in the International Symposium on Molecular Logic and Computational Synthetic Biology 2018, traces an informal roadmap on Dynamic Logic (DL) field, focusing on its versatility and resilience to be adjusted and adopted in a wide class of application domains and computational paradigms. The exposition argues the room for developments on tagging DL to the analysis of synthetic biologic domain.publishe

Teaching Laminar-flow reactors: From experimentation to CFD simulation

An integrated chemical engineering lab experiment is described in this paper. It makes use of a laminar-flow tubular reactor (LFTR) through consecutive lab sessions. In a first session (not described here), the pseudo first-order kinetic constant for the reaction between crystal violet and sodium hydroxide is determined at different temperatures in a batch reactor. Then a tracer experiment is used to characterize the flow, pattern in the LFTR, and finally the steady-state conversion of crystal violet in the reactor is measured. For computing the theoretical reactor conversion, students must use the previously collected kinetic and tracer data, in a concept-integration exercise. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code (Fluent) is also used to simulate both the tracer and the isothermal reaction experiments performed in the LFTR. A very good agreement is obtained between experimental and simulated results and both only differ slightly from the theoretical predictions. The use of the CFD program is particularly noteworthy. For instance, transient simulations allow a very nice visualization of the tracer concentration front evolution, while the steady-state profiles along the axial position provide a good perspective of how reactant concentration varies within the reactor

Seasonal proteome variation in intertidal shrimps under a natural setting: connecting molecular networks with environmental fluctuations

The ability of intertidal organisms to maintain their performance via molecular and physiological adjustments under low tide, seasonal fluctuations and extreme events ultimately determines population viability. Analyzing this capacity in the wild is extremely relevant since intertidal communities are under increased climate variability owing to global changes. We addressed the seasonal proteome signatures of a key intertidal species, the shrimp Palaemon elegans, in a natural setting. Shrimps were collected during spring and summer seasons at low tides and were euthanized in situ. Environmental variability was also assessed using hand-held devices and data loggers. Muscle samples were taken for 2D gel electrophoresis and protein identification through mass spectrometry. Proteome data revealed that 55 proteins (10.6% of the proteome) significantly changed between spring and summer collected shrimps, 24 of which were identified. These proteins were mostly involved in cytoskeleton remodelling, energy metabolism and transcription regulation. Overall, shrimps modulate gene expression leading to metabolic and structural adjustments related to seasonal differences in the wild (i.e. abiotic variation and possibly intrinsic cycles of reproduction and growth). This potentially promotes performance and fitness as suggested by the higher condition index in summer-collected shrimps. However, inter-individual variation (% coefficient of variation) in protein levels was quite low (min-max ranges were 0.6-8.3% in spring and 1.2-4.8% in summer), possibly suggesting reduced genetic diversity or physiological canalization. Protein plasticity is relevant to cope with present and upcoming environmental variation related to anthropogenic forcing (e.g. global change, pollution) but low inter-individual variation may limit evolutionary potential of shrimp populations.publishe

Computation of a three-dimensional flow in a square microchannel: a comparison between a particle method and a finite volume method

Traditional grid-based numerical methods, such as finite volume method (FVM), are not suitable to simulate multiphase biofluids (such as blood) at the microscale level. Alternatively, meshfree Lagrangian methods can deal with two or more finely dispersed phases moving relatively to each other. The Moving Particle Semi-Implicit Method (MPS), used in this study, is a deterministic particle method based on a Lagrangian technique to simulate incompressible flows. The advantages of particle methods over traditional grid-based numerical methods have motivated several researchers to implement them into a wide range of studies in computational biomicrofluidics. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate the accuracy of the MPS method by comparing it with numerical simulations performed by an FVM. Hence, simulations of a Newtonian fluid flowing through a constriction were performed for both methods. For the MPS, a section of the channel of 3011.511.5 m was simulated using periodic boundary conditions. The obtained results have provided indications that, if the initial particle distance is sufficiently small, the MPS method can calculate accurately velocity profiles in the proposed channel.The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by PTDC/SAU-ENB/116929/2010 and EXPL/EMSSIS/2215/2013 from FCT (Science and Technology Foundation), COMPETE, QREN and European Union (FEDER). D. Bento acknowledge the financial support provided by SFRH/BD/91192/2012 from FCT (Science and Technology Foundation), COMPETE, QREN and European Union (FEDER). The authors are also very grateful to Dr. Alberto Gambaruto (Bristol University) for helpful explanations and suggestions regarding the MPS method.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of Nanosized Gold-Based and Copper-Based Catalysts for the Low-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Reaction

In this paper the catalytic performances for the low-temperature water-gas shift reaction of Au/TiO(2) type A (from World Gold Council), Au/CeO(2) (developed at UPV-CSIC), CuO/Al(2)O(3) (from BASF), and CuO/ZnO/ Al(2)O(3) (from REB Research & Consulting) have been compared. The catalysts were characterized by different techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, BET surface area measurements, temperature-programmed reduction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, which gave additional information on the redox properties and textural and morphological structure of the investigated samples. The performances of these catalysts were evaluated in a wide range of operating conditions in a micro packed-bed reactor. It was observed that the presence of reaction products in the feed (CO(2) and H(2)), as well as CO and H(2)O feed concentrations, have significant effects on the catalytic performances. With a typical reformate feed the Au/CeO(2) catalyst reveals the highest CO conversion at the lowest temperature investigated (150 degrees C). However, while in the long tests performed the CuO/ZnO/Al(2)O(3) catalyst showed a good stability for the entire range of temperatures tested (150-300 degrees C), the Au/CeO(2) sample clearly showed two distinct behaviors: a progressive deactivation at lower temperatures and a good stability at higher ones. The selection of the best catalytic system is therefore clearly dependent upon the range of temperatures used

Information and telecommunications project for a digital city: a brazilian case study

Making information and telecommunications available is a permanent challenge for cities concerned to their social, urban and local planning and development, focused on life quality of their citizens and on the effectiveness of public management. Such a challenge requires the involvement of everyone in the city. The objective is to describe the information and telecommunications project from the planning of a digital city carried out in Vinhedo-SP, Brazil. It was built as a telecommunications infrastructure of the kind of "open access metropolitan area networks" which enables the integration of citizens in a single telecommunications environment. The research methodology was emphasized by a case study which turned to be a research-action, comprising the municipal administration and its local units. The results achieved describe, by means of a methodology, the phases, sub-phases, activities, approval points and resulting products, and formalize their respective challenges and difficulties. The contributions have to do with the practical feasibility of the project and execution of its methodology. The conclusion reiterates the importance of the project, collectively implemented and accepted, as a tool to help the management of cities, in the implementation of Strategic Digital City Projects, in the decisions of public administration managers, and in the quality of life of their citizens3119811

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