The obstacle problem at zero for the fractional p-Laplacian

In this paper we establish a multiplicity result for a class of unilateral, nonlinear, nonlocal problems with nonsmooth potential (variational-hemivariational inequalities), using the degree map of multivalued perturbations of fractional nonlinear operators of monotone type, the fact that the degree at a local minimizer of the corresponding Euler functional is equal one, and controlling the degree at small balls and at big balls.publishe

Cabo Verde’s Poaceae Flora: A Reservoir of Crop Wild Relatives Diversity for Crop Improvement

Africa is home to important centers of origin and diversity of crop wild relatives (CWR), including many species adapted to adverse agroecological conditions, namely drought and poor soils. Plant genetic resources from Cabo Verde Islands have been poorly explored for their potential to supplement the genetic pool of cultivated species. In this paper we identify Cabo Verde's CWR from the Poaceae family and provide a checklist of priority CWR taxa, highlighting those of particular conservation concern and the areas which should be the focus of the most intensive conservation efforts in these islands. Our results revealed that Cabo Verde archipelago is an important center of CWR diversity of West African crop millets, namely fonio (e.g., white fonio, Digitaria exilis, and black fonio, Digitaria iburua) and other African millets [e.g., pearl millet (Cenchrus americanus = Pennisetum glaucum), teff millet (Eragrostis tef), finger millet (Eleusine coracana), barnyard millet (Echinochloa colona), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum), and foxtail millet (Setaria italica)], which represent a diverse group of cereal crops, and important components in agriculture and food security of this country. Also, hotspot areas of diversity for in situ conservation were identified in Cabo Verde, as well as several populations occurring under extreme habitats conditions that are well adapted to drylands and poor soils. The evaluation of their potential for new ecologically important adaptive characteristics associated with tolerance to abiotic stresses is discussed. The survey of international Germplasm Banks revealed that very few accessions from Cabo Verde are conserved, contributing to the loss of genetic diversity of plant genetic resources in this archipelago. Particularly, the diversity of millets and the associated indigenous knowledge are critical for the food security and cultural identity of many poor farmers in Cabo Verde.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intact perineum : what are the predictive factors in spontaneous vaginal birth?

Introduction: Perineal trauma at birth is distressing for women and can cause serious short and long term morbidity. Aim: Investigate the prevalence and predictive factors of intact perineum after normal vaginal birth among Portuguese women who had spontaneous vaginal births. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out among pregnant women who had spontaneous vaginal births, between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017, in a single birth centre in Portugal. Following ethical approval, the prevalence of intact perineum was calculated and multivariate analysis with logistic regression was carried out, to identify the predictive factors of having an intact perineum after spontaneous vaginal birth. Results: A total of 1748 pregnant women had spontaneous vaginal births. Four hundred and forty-one women (25.2%) had intact perineum whereas in 1307 (74.8%) of women, the perineum was not intact. First-degree tears occurred in 23.2% (405/1748) of women, second-degree tears occurred in 4% (70/1748) of women while three women (0.2%) experienced a third-degree tear. The rate of episiotomies was 43.8% (766/1748). Episiotomy and first-degree tears occurred in 2.6% (45/1748), episiotomy and second-degree tears occurred in 0.7% (12/1748), while episiotomy and third-degree tears occurred in 0.3% (6/1748) of women. Having a previous caesarean section reduced the odds of intact perineum by 60%, while nulliparity reduced the odds by 70%. For every 250 grams increase in birth weight, the odds of sustaining an intact perineum were decreased by 13%. Alternative birth positions (excluding lithotomy) doubled the odds of maintaining an intact perineum. Conclusion: The prevalence of intact perineum is 25,2%. Predictive factors for intact perineum include birth weight, parity, previous caesarean section and birthing position. Recognizing these factors could support and facilitate the management of spontaneous vaginal birth to promote an intact perineum. Further research is needed to gain better understanding of this phenomenon.peer-reviewe

Diversity, chemical constituents and biological activities of endophytic fungi isolated from Schinus terebinthifolius raddi

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi is a medicinal plant widely used for the treatment of various diseases. The secondary metabolites responsible for the pharmacological properties can be produced directly by the plant or by endophytic fungi. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of endophytic fungi of di erent parts of S. terebinthifolius and to identify chemical compounds produced by endophytes and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. For this, fruits, stem bark and roots were dried, ground and placed in fungal growth medium. The selected endophytes were grown and subjected to extraction with ethyl acetate. DPPH, FRAP, -carotene bleaching and antimicrobial assays were performed. The phylogenetic tree was elaborated, encompassing 15 di erent species. The fungal extracts showed hydroxybenzoic acids and 1-dodecanol as predominant compounds. All fungal extracts exhibited antioxidant activity. The fungal extracts exhibited bactericidal and bacteriostatic activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial ATCC strains and against methicillin-resistant nosocomial bacteria. Among the 10 endophytic fungi evaluated, the extract of the fungus Ochrocladosporium elatum showed higher phenolic content and exhibited higher antioxidant and antibacterial activities in all tests. Together, the results increase the known diversity of S. terebinthifolius endophytic fungi, secondary metabolites produced and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities.Thisworkwas supported by grants fromFoundation to Support to Fundação deApoio aoDesenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado deMato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Chemodynamical Nature of the Triangulum-Andromeda Overdensity

We present a chemodynamical study of the Triangulum-Andromeda overdensity (TriAnd) employing a sample of 31 candidate stars observed with the GRACES high-resolution ($R$=40,000) spectrograph at the Gemini North (8.1 m) telescope. TriAnd is a stellar substructure found toward the outer disk of the Milky Way, located at $R_{\rm GC}\sim 18$ kpc from the Sun, toward Galactic latitude $b \sim 25${\deg}. Most stars in our sample have dynamical properties compatible with a disk stellar population. In addition, by applying an eccentricity cut, we are able to detect a stellar contamination that seems to be consistent with an accreted population. In chemical abundance space, the majority of our TriAnd candidates are similar to the outer thin-disk population, suggesting that the overdensity has an \textit{in situ} origin. Finally, the found accreted halo interlopers spatially overlapping with TriAnd should explain the historical discussion of the overdensity's nature due to its complex chemical patterns.Comment: Published in The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ

The nucleation of protein crystals as a race against time with on- and off-pathways

High supersaturation levels are a necessary but insufficient condition for the crystallization of purified proteins. Unlike most small molecules, proteins can take diverse aggregation pathways that make the outcome of crystallization assays quite unpredictable. Here, dynamic light scattering and optical microscopy were used to show that the nucleation of lysozyme crystals is preceded by an initial step of protein oligomerization and by the progressive formation of metastable clusters. Because these steps deplete the concentration of soluble monomers, the probability of obtaining protein crystals decreases as time progresses. Stochastic variations of the induction time are thus amplified to a point where fast crystallization can coexist with unyielding regimes in the same conditions. With an initial hydrodynamic radius of similar to 100 nm, the metastable clusters also promote the formation of protein crystals through a mechanism of heterogeneous nucleation. Crystal growth (on-pathway) takes place in parallel with cluster growth (off-pathway). The Janus-faced influence of the mesoscopic clusters is beneficial when it accelerates the formation of the first precrystalline nuclei and is detrimental as it depletes the solution of protein ready to crystallize. Choosing the right balance between the two effects is critical for determining the success of protein crystallization trials. The results presented here suggest that a mild oligomerization degree promotes the formation of a small number of metastable clusters which then catalyze the nucleation of well differentiated crystals

All-sky Kinematics and Chemistry of Monoceros Stellar Overdensity

We explore the kinematic and chemical properties of Monoceros stellar overdensity by combining data from 2MASS, WISE, APOGEE, and $\text{Gaia}$. Monoceros is a structure located towards the Galactic anticenter and close to the disk. We identified that its stars have azimuthal velocity in the range of $200 < v_{\phi}\,{\rm(km\,s^{-1})}< 250$. Combining their kinematics and spatial distribution, we designed a new method to select stars from this overdensity. This method allows us to easily identify the structure in both hemispheres and estimate their distances. Our analysis was supported by comparison with simulated data from the entire sky generated by $\texttt{Galaxia}$ code. Furthermore, we characterized, for the first time, the Monoceros overdensity in several chemical-abundance spaces. Our results confirm its similarity to stars found in the thin disk of the Galaxy and suggest an $\textit{in situ}$ formation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the southern (Mon-S) and northern (Mon-N) regions of Monoceros exhibit indistinguishable chemical compositions.Comment: Paper accepted for publication in Ap

The phase separation-dependent FUS interactome reveals nuclear and cytoplasmic function of liquid–liquid phase separation

Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and RNAs has emerged as the driving force underlying the formation of membrane-less organelles. Such biomolecular condensates have various biological functions and have been linked to disease. The protein Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) undergoes LLPS and mutations in FUS have been causally linked to the motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS-FUS). LLPS followed by aggregation of cytoplasmic FUS has been proposed to be a crucial disease mechanism. However, it is currently unclear how LLPS impacts the behaviour of FUS in cells, e.g. its interactome. Hence, we developed a method allowing for the purification of LLPS FUS-containing droplets from cell lysates. We observe substantial alterations in the interactome, depending on its biophysical state. While non-LLPS FUS interacts mainly with factors involved in pre-mRNA processing, LLPS FUS predominantly binds to proteins involved in chromatin remodelling and DNA damage repair. Interestingly, also mitochondrial factors are strongly enriched with LLPS FUS, providing a potential explanation for the observed changes in mitochondrial gene expression in mouse models of ALS-FUS. In summary, we present a methodology to investigate the interactomes of phase separating proteins and provide evidence that LLPS shapes the FUS interactome with implications for function and disease

Effects of pollen collection on colony development and in the bromatological composition Apis mellifera L. pupae

Africanized bees (Apis mellifera L.) were studied in the Botucatu region (São Paulo State), Brazil, from August to November, 1996, with the objective of quantifying pollen trapping and its effects on colony development and composition of worker bee pupae. Mean trapped pollen yield was 1.47 kg/beehive. Trapping had little effect on brood production, causing only a 9.7% reduction in total worker brood area and a 4.0% reduction in drone brood area, as compared to the treatment without pollen types. Pollen harvest did not affect the bromatological composition of worker pupae (white bodies and slightly pigmented eyes), mean values obtained for both treatments being 18.87% dry matter, 48.07% crude protein, 18.52% ether extract and 3.72% ash