Efficient differentiation of Corynebacterium striatum, Corynebacterium amycolatum and Corynebacterium xerosis clinical isolates by multiplex PCR using novel species-specific primers

A multiplex-PCR (mPCR) assay was designed with species-specific primers which generate amplicons of 226 bp, 434 bp and 106 bp for differentiating the species C. striatum, C. amycolatum, and C. xerosis, respectively. mPCR results were 100% in agreement with identifications achieved by 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing and by VITEK-MS.This work was supported by grants from FAPESB (JCB0031/2013) and CAPES (PROCAD 071/2013)

The rapid atmospheric monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10(17) eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e. g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or 'rapid') monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction

Depth Of Maximum Of Air-shower Profiles At The Pierre Auger Observatory. I. Measurements At Energies Above 1017.8ev

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The Rapid Atmospheric Monitoring System of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10^17 eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e.g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or "rapid") monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction

Search for patterns by combining cosmic-ray energy and arrival directions at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Energy-dependent patterns in the arrival directions of cosmic rays are searched for using data of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We investigate local regions around the highest-energy cosmic rays with E > = 6×1019 eV by analyzing cosmic rays with energies above E > = 5×1018 eV arriving within an angular separation of approximately 15°. We characterize the energy distributions inside these regions by two independent methods, one searching for angular dependence of energy-energy correlations and one searching for collimation of energy along the local system of principal axes of the energy distribution. No significant patterns are found with this analysis. The comparison of these measurements with astrophysical scenarios can therefore be used to obtain constraints on related model parameters such as strength of cosmic-ray deflection and density of point sources

Serological secretome analysis of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) is a chronic disease affecting small ruminants caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and is responsible for significant economic losses. Previous studies have reported that a set of C. pseudotuberculosis secreted proteins react with sera from infected goats. Mapping of the secretome will shed light on the pathogenesis of CLA. We have hereby identified six immunoreactive secreted proteins of C. pseudotuberculosis by 2D Western blotting using sera from goats with CLA and characterized them by mass spectrometry. The information retrieved will support studies leading to the development of efficient vaccines and diagnostic kits

Desempenho e avaliação econômica da terminação de tourinhos em confinamento alimentados com diferentes níveis de concentrado na dieta Performance and economic evaluation of young finished feedlot bulls fed different concentrate levels in the diet

Este estudo foi conduzido para avaliar o desempenho animal e a viabilidade econômica da utilização de diferentes níveis de concentrado na dieta no confinamento de tourinhos para abate entre 14-16 meses de idade. Foram utilizados 16 bovinos não-castrados alimentados com 22, 40, 59 ou 79% de concentrado na dieta, distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro repetições por tratamento. A idade e o peso médio inicial dos animais foram de 9,32 meses e 192 kg, respectivamente. A idade de abate, o peso final, o consumo de fibra em detergente neutro, a conversão alimentar e a lucratividade mensal diminuíram com o aumento do nível de concentrado. O consumo de matéria seca em porcentagem do peso vivo e do tamanho metabólicoapresentaram comportamento quadrático, aumentando até os níveis de 67 e 75% de concentrado na dieta, respectivamente. O consumo de energia digestível e o ganho de peso vivo médio diário apresentaram aumentos lineares com a elevação do nível de concentrado. O aumento do nível de concentrado da dieta de 22 para 79% aumenta o desempenho animal, mas reduz a lucratividade da terminação de tourinhos dos 14 aos 16 meses de idade.<br>This study was conducted to evaluate the performance and economic viability of young bulls slaughtered at 14-16 months old, fed on different concentrate levels in the diet. Sixteen young bulls were randomly distributed and fed with 22, 40, 59 or 79% concentrate in the diet, resulting in four replications per treatment. The initial age and weight were 9.32 months and 192.44 kg, respectively. Final age, final weight, neutral fiber detergent intake, feed conversion and monthly profit decreased with increasing concentrate levels. The dry matter intake as percentage of live weight and metabolic size showed quadratic variation, increasing to 67 and 75% concentrate in the diet, respectively. The digestible energy intake and average daily weight gain increased with increases in concentrate levels. The increase in the level of dietary concentrate from 22 to 79% increased the animal performance, but decreased the profitability of young finished feedlot bulls at 14-16 months old

Reconstruction Of Inclined Air Showers Detected With The Pierre Auger Observatory

20148NSF; National Science Foundatio

Muons In Air Showers At The Pierre Auger Observatory: Mean Number In Highly Inclined Events

We present the first hybrid measurement of the average muon number in air showers at ultrahigh energies, initiated by cosmic rays with zenith angles between 62\ub0 and 80\ub0. The measurement is based on 174 hybrid events recorded simultaneously with the surface detector array and the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The muon number for each shower is derived by scaling a simulated reference profile of the lateral muon density distribution at the ground until it fits the data. A 10^19\u2009\u2009eV shower with a zenith angle of 67\ub0, which arrives at the surface detector array at an altitude of 1450 m above sea level, contains on average (2.68\ub10.04\ub10.48(sys)) 710^7 muons with energies larger than 0.3 GeV. The logarithmic gain dlnN\u3bc/dlnE of muons with increasing energy between 4 710^18\u2009\u2009eV and 5 710^19\u2009\u2009eV is measured to be (1.029\ub10.024\ub10.030(sys))

The rapid atmospheric monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory

University of Adelaide members of the Pierre Auger Collaboration: K.B. Barber, J.A. Bellido, R.W. Clay, M.J. Cooper, B.R. Dawson, T.A. Harrison, A.E. Herve, V.C. Holmes, J. Sorokin, P. Wahrlich and B.J. WhelanThe Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10^17 eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e.g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or "rapid") monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction.The Pieree Auguer Collaboratio