Composition of fungal communities in soil and endophytic in raspberry production systems.

Fungi play important roles as decomposers, plant symbionts and pathogens in soil. While endophytes are microorganisms that dwell within plant tissues and have a symbiotic association with the host. The structures of fungal communities in the soil and in endophytic association are dependent up complex interactions with the environment and the host. These two communities have a great influence on plant health and development. Using culture-independent fungal community profiling, we investigated the effects of fertilizer (composted dairy solids + mustard seed meal) on fungal communities in soil and endophytic in a raspberry production system. During the study we evaluated the impact of primer selection ITS1 vs ITS2. We characterized the communities for both spring and fall time periods. The results show that the soil communities are dominated by Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota in soil, while the endophytes were primarily Ascomycota. The relative abundances of certain taxa, such as Capnodiales, were more predominant in composted soil (8%) than the control (4%). There were no significant differences identified in the endophytic communities between the two treatments. Further research should elucidate the specific roles of these fungal taxa in raspberry soils and endophyte, and on the heath of the plant. To advance the ecological management of crop soils, understanding is needed of how beneficial microbial relationships can be fostered in these production systems

Enhancing intangible cultural heritage for sustainable tourism development in rural areas: the case of the “Marche food and wine memories” project (Italy)

In the context of increasing interest in the contribution made by culture to the implementation of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the present research investigates how intangible cultural heritage (ICH) can help sustainable tourism in rural areas. Adopting a case study methodology, we analyzed the “Marche Food and Wine Memories” project, an initiative promoted by CiùCiù, a winery based in Offida, a small village in the Marche region (Italy). After discussing the strategies and tools adopted to enhance rural heritage, the analysis focuses on the involvement of local communities and businesses in the different phases of the process. The research aimed to understand: (1) the project’s current contribution to the economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainability; and (2) its strengths and weaknesses and possible future improvements. The research findings confirm the high potentialities of ICH-based initiatives for sustainable tourism development in rural areas, but also reveal the need to improve the level of networking with local businesses and highlight gaps in marketing and management skills. Finally, the results provide policy and managerial implications for similar ICH-based initiatives

Dynamic control strategies for a solar-ORC system using first-law dynamic and data-driven machine learning models

In this study, we developed and assessed the potential of dynamic control strategies for a domestic scale 1-kW solar thermal power system based on a non-recuperated organic Rankine cycle (ORC) engine coupled to a solar energy system. Such solar-driven systems suffer from part-load performance deterioration due to diurnal and inter-seasonal fluctuations in solar irradiance and ambient temperature. Real-time control strategies for adjusting the operating parameters of these systems have shown great potential to optimise their transient response to time-varying conditions, thus allowing significant gains in the power output delivered by the system. Dynamic model predictive control strategies rely on the development of computationally efficient, fast-solving models. In contrast, traditional physics-based dynamic process models are often too complex to be used for real-time controls. Machine learning techniques (MLTs), especially deep learning artificial neural networks (ANN), have been applied successfully for controlling and optimising nonlinear dynamic systems. In this study, the solar system was controlled using a fuzzy logic controller with optimised decision parameters for maximum solar energy absorption. For the sake of obtaining the optimal ORC thermal efficiency at any instantaneous time, particularly during part-load operation, the first-law ORC model was first replaced by a fast-solving feedforward network model, which was then integrated with a multi-objective genetic algorithm, such that the optimal ORC operating parameters can be obtained. Despite the fact that the feedforward network model was trained using steady-state ORC performance data, it showed comparable results compared with the first-principle model in the dynamic context, with a mean absolute error of 3.3 percent for power prediction and 0.186 percentage points for efficiency prediction

Sugar cane bagasse affects bacterial community dynamics in the sheep rumen.

Ruminants are herbivores and have evolved a symbiotic host-microbe relationship with a complex microbial community inhabiting the rumen allowing the use of lignocellulosic biomass as their main energy source. Considering that diet is one of the main drivers shaping the structure of the rumen microbiome, we investigated the impact of sugarcane bagasse in the rumen bacterial community dynamic using 16S rRNA (V3 and V6 regions) amplicon sequencing. We assessed three rumencannulated adult male sheep (Ovis aries) fed on a diet consisted of 30% concentrate and 70% roughage (control treatment) and three sheep fed on the same diet, but with 14% of the roughage portion replaced by sugarcane bagasse. Fluid and fiber were separately sampled 3 hours and 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after starting the experiment. Total genomic DNA was extracted from 60 independent samples (2 treatments X 3 replicates X 5 time points X 2 types of samples, i.e. fluid or fiber) for downstream analysis. The DNA was used as a template for amplification of V3 and V6 regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and then sequenced using the PGMTM (Ion Torrent). Overall, the two dominant phyla were Bacteroidetes (42%) and Firmicutes (37%). The most abundant bacterial genus was Prevotella (20%), followed by Clostridium (9%), Ruminococcus (8%) and Butyrivibrio (2%). The principal coordinate analysis (PcoA) showed that the bacterial community was significantly different in both treatments at 60 days. Bacteroidales, Actinomycetales and Clostridiales were the top dynamic bacterial orders that significantly increased in relative abundance in the treatment with sugar cane bagasse after 60 days. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that the Clostridiales and Bacteroidales are positively correlated with propionate, butyrate, ammonia, and pH. These results indicate that a small replacement in the diet roughage portion influences de dynamic of specific bacterial taxa. This strategy can be used to reshape the bacterial community in the sheep rumen aiming to enrich the targeted bacterial taxa. Support FAPESP 2012/03848-8, 2012/24588-4 and 2014/00448-4.13th BAGECO1

The transbonchial lung biopsy for diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung disease; Pro

The diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) may require invasive procedures after all noninvasive tools have failed. The clinical context in which these diseases develop and the radiological patterns are crucial for defining the timing and the methods to be used. After the introduction in clinical practice of HRCT scan, the evaluation of imaging patterns, along with the immunological status of the patient and the clinical course of the disease (acute vs. chronic) seem to be crucial to choose the best diagnostic procedure

Therapeutic Options in Hereditary Optic Neuropathies

Options for the effective treatment of hereditary optic neuropathies have been a long time coming. The successful launch of the antioxidant idebenone for Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), followed by its introduction into clinical practice across Europe, was an important step forward. Nevertheless, other options, especially for a variety of mitochondrial optic neuropathies such as dominant optic atrophy (DOA), are needed, and a number of pharmaceutical agents, acting on different molecular pathways, are currently under development. These include gene therapy, which has reached Phase III development for LHON, but is expected to be developed also for DOA, whilst most of the other agents (other antioxidants, anti-apoptotic drugs, activators of mitobiogenesis, etc.) are almost all at Phase II or at preclinical stage of research. Here, we review proposed target mechanisms, preclinical evidence, available clinical trials with primary endpoints and results, of a wide range of tested molecules, to give an overview of the field, also providing the landscape of future scenarios, including gene therapy, gene editing, and reproductive options to prevent transmission of mitochondrial DNA mutations

Integrated polarizers based on tapered highly birefringent photonic crystal fibers

COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPFINANCIADORA DE ESTUDOS E PROJETOS - FINEPThis paper proposes and demonstrates the creation of sections with a high polarization dependent loss (PDL) in a commercial highly birefringent (polarization maintaining) photonic crystal fiber (PCF), via tapering with pressure applied to the holes. The tapers had a 1-cm-long uniform section with a 66% scale reduction, in which the original microstructure aspect ratio was kept by the pressure application. The resulting waveguides show polarizing action across the entire tested wavelength range, 1510-1600 nm, with a peak PDL of 35.3 dB/cm (c.f. ∼1 dB/cm for a typical commercial polarizing fiber). The resulting structure, as well as its production, is extremely simple, and enable a small section with a high PDL to be obtained in a polarization maintaining PCF, meaning that the polarization axes in the polarizing and polarization maintaining sections are automatically aligned. © 2014 Optical Society of America.This paper proposes and demonstrates the creation of sections with a high polarization dependent loss (PDL) in a commercial highly birefringent (polarization maintaining) photonic crystal fiber (PCF), via tapering with pressure applied to the holes. The tapers had a 1-cm-long uniform section with a 66% scale reduction, in which the original microstructure aspect ratio was kept by the pressure application. The resulting waveguides show polarizing action across the entire tested wavelength range, 1510-1600 nm, with a peak PDL of 35.3 dB/cm (c.f. similar to 1 dB/cm for a typical commercial polarizing fiber). The resulting structure, as well as its production, is extremely simple, and enable a small section with a high PDL to be obtained in a polarization maintaining PCF, meaning that the polarization axes in the polarizing and polarization maintaining sections are automatically aligned.22151776917775COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPFINANCIADORA DE ESTUDOS E PROJETOS - FINEPCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESCONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPFINANCIADORA DE ESTUDOS E PROJETOS - FINEPSem informaçãoSem informaçãoSem informação0.1.06.1177.00Chraplyvy, A.R., High-capacity lightwave transmission experiments (1999) Bell Labs Tech. 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Am., 55 (10), pp. 1205-1209Gerosa, R.M., Spadoti, D.H., Menezes, L.S., De Matos, C.J.S., In-fiber modal Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on the locally post-processed core of a photonic crystal fiber (2011) Opt. Express, 19 (4), pp. 3124-3129The authors thank CAPES, Mackpesquisa, INCT Fotonicom (CNPq and FAPESP) and FINEP (SIA Project- proc. 0.1.06.1177.00) for financial support