Endophytic fungi from the genus Colletotrichum are abundant in the Phaseolus vulgaris and have high genetic diversity

To evaluate the diversity of endophytic fungi from the leaves of the common bean and the genetic diversity of endophytic fungi from the genus Colletotrichum using IRAP (inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism) and REMAP (retrotransposon-microsatellite amplified polymorphism) analyses. The fungi were isolated by tissue fragmentation and identified by analysing the morphological features and sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the rDNA large subunit (LSU). Twenty-seven different taxa were identified. Colletotrichum was the most commonly isolated genera from the common bean (32.69% and 24.29% of the total isolates from the Ouro Negro and Talismã varieties, respectively). The IRAP and REMAP analyses revealed a high genetic diversity in the Colletotrichum endophytic isolates and were able to discriminate these isolates from the phytopathogen Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Fungi from the genus Colletotrichum are abundant in the Phaseolus vulgaris endophytic community, and the IRAP and REMAP markers can be used to rapidly distinguish between C. lindemuthianum and other Colletotrichum members that are frequently found as endophytes. This is the first report of the diversity of endophytic fungi present in the common bean and the use of IRAP and REMAP markers to assess the genetic diversity of endophytic fungi from the genus Colletotrichum

Spontaneous emission between an unusual pair of plates

We compute the modification in the spontaneous emission rate for a two-level atom when it is located between two parallel plates of different nature: a perfectly conducting plate $(\epsilon\to \infty)$ and an infinitely permeable one $(\mu\to \infty)$. We also discuss the case of two infinitely permeable plates. We compare our results with those found in the literature for the case of two perfectly conducting plates.Comment: latex file 4 pages, 4 figure

Effect of chronic infusion of leptin and nutrition on sexual maturation of zebu heifers

The amount of fat in the carcass has been proposed as a regulator of initiation of puberty in cattle. To test if changes in energy intake and in circulating leptin concentration are each capable of altering age, BW, and body composition at puberty, 36 prepubertal Nellore heifers, 18 to 20 mo old, 275.8 ± 17.2kg BW, and BCS of 5 ± 0.5 (1 to 9 scale), were randomly assigned to each of 3 treatments (n = 12): High (high energy diet), Low (low energy diet), and LL [low energy diet + ovine leptin (oLeptin)]. Diets were formulated to promote BW gain of 0.4 kg/d (groups Low and LL) or 1.2 kg/d (High group). After 14 d of adjustment to diet, heifers in LL group received subcutaneous injections of oLeptin at 4.8 μg/kg BW twice a day for 56 d. Groups High and Low received similar injections of 2 mL saline solution. Age at puberty was considered to be the age on first detection of a corpus luteum, confirmed by plasma concentrations of progesterone of >1 ng/mL. Heifers were slaughtered on the second day after first corpus luteum detection. Expression of leptin gene was quantified by real-time PCR using ribosomal protein-L19 (RPL19) as a control gene. Leptin administration increased (P = 0.04) leptin serum concentration but had no effect (P > 0.05) on age, BW, or BCS at puberty. High energy intake increased (P < 0.01) leptin concentration, accelerated (P = 0.02) puberty, and increased (P < 0.01) BCS at puberty, without altering (P = 0.17) BW at puberty. High energy intake also accelerated (P = 0.04) follicular development. Leptin administration caused a significant (P < 0.05) but transient increase in follicular development, which was similar to the transient increase in leptin serum concentration. Results from leptin gene expression demonstrated that high energy intake increased (P < 0.01) and leptin administration decreased (P < 0.01) leptin expression in 3 adipose tissues. The observed decrease in leptin gene expression after administration of leptin could explain the reduction in leptin serum concentration after 30 d of treatment and consequently the failure of leptin to accelerate puberty. Our findings did not support the hypothesis that reduced serum concentration of leptin is an important hindrance for puberty onset in malnourished zebu heifers. Although exogenous administration of leptin temporarily enhanced rate of follicular growth, it did not accelerate puberty

Quantum Dynamics of Atom-molecule BECs in a Double-Well Potential

We investigate the dynamics of two-component Bose-Josephson junction composed of atom-molecule BECs. Within the semiclassical approximation, the multi-degree of freedom of this system permits chaotic dynamics, which does not occur in single-component Bose-Josephson junctions. By investigating the level statistics of the energy spectra using the exact diagonalization method, we evaluate whether the dynamics of the system is periodic or non-periodic within the semiclassical approximation. Additionally, we compare the semiclassical and full-quantum dynamics.Comment: to appear in JLTP - QFS 200

Modelling stream-fish functional traits in reference conditions: regional and local environmental correlates

Identifying the environmental gradients that control the functional structure of biological assemblages in reference conditions is fundamental to help river management and predict the consequences of anthropogenic stressors. Fish metrics (density of ecological guilds, and species richness) from 117 least disturbed stream reaches in several western Iberia river basins were modelled with generalized linear models in order to investigate the importance of regional- and local-scale abiotic gradients to variation in functional structure of fish assemblages. Functional patterns were primarily associated with regional features, such as catchment elevation and slope, rainfall, and drainage area. Spatial variations of fish guilds were thus associated with broad geographic gradients, showing (1) pronounced latitudinal patterns, affected mainly by climatic factors and topography, or (2) at the basin level, strong upstream-downstream patterns related to stream position in the longitudinal gradient. Maximum native species richness was observed in midsize streams in accordance with the river continuum concept. The findings of our study emphasized the need to use a multi-scale approach in order to fully assess the factors that govern the functional organization of biotic assemblages in ‘natural’ streams, as well as to improve biomonitoring and restoration of fluvial ecosystems

A search for spectral features in the XMM-Newton observation of UGC11763

This is an electronic version of an article published in Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica. Cardaci, M.V. et al. A search for spectral features in the XMM-Newton observation of UGC11763. Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica 32 (2008): 13

Normal solution and transport coefficients to the Enskog-Landau kinetic equation for a two-component system of charged hard spheres. The Chapman-Enskog method

An Enskog-Landau kinetic equation for a many-component system of charged hard spheres is proposed. It has been obtained from the Liouville equation with modified boundary conditions by the method of nonequilibrium statistical operator. On the basis of this equation the normal solutions and transport coefficients such as bulk kappa and shear eta viscosities, thermal conductivity lambda, mutual diffusion D^{\alpha\beta} and thermal diffusion D_T^\alpha have been obtained for a binary mixture in the first approximation using the Chapman-Enskog method. Numerical calculations of all transport coefficients for mixtures Ar-Kr, Ar-Xe, Kr-Xe with different concentrations of compounds have been evaluated for the cases of absence and presence of long-range Coulomb interactions. The results are compared with those obtained from other theories and experiment.Comment: 24 LaTeX209 pages, 3 EPS figures (4 files). To be published in Physica

A qualidade das bases de dados como factor crucial em estudos ambientais: condições de referência e tipologia com base piscícola para rios portugueses

Com base num conjunto superior a 1000 amostragens piscícolas em rios portugueses (troços vadeáveis) realizadas por diversas entidades nacionais nos últimos 10 anos, seleccionou-se um grupo de 459 locais que cumprem critérios de normalização de amostragem, procedimentos no terreno, e acuidade nas identificações taxonómicas. Estes locais representam a diversidade de condições naturais e de impactos humanos em Portugal Continental. Para caracterizar a magnitude e tipo de perturbação humana em cada local foram aplicadas 15 variáveis de pressão – ao nível do troço, segmento e bacia – classificadas de acordo com o desvio às condições naturais (de 1 para ausência de desvio, até 5 para forte degradação). Este passo envolveu um longo período de trabalho e baseou-se na análise de várias fontes de informação geográfica e documental, em inquéritos e no conhecimento do terreno. Durante as fases de selecção de locais e construção das bases de dados ambientais e biológicas, toda a informação foi sujeita a procedimentos de controle de qualidade de dados. É proposta uma metodologia para a selecção de sítios de referência; desta forma, foram incluídos neste grupo os locais com pontuação 1 ou 2 em, pelo menos, 80% das variáveis, permitindo a classificação 3 em 20% (três variáveis), excepto para a variável “abundância de indivíduos exóticos”, que obrigatoriamente correspondeu à pontuação 1 ou 2. Uma abordagem estatística multivariada suportou os dois passos seguintes: a definição da tipologia com base nas ictiocomunidades e a alocação de todos os locais num tipo. Utilizando os sítios de referência, e com base na classificação de grupos funcionais piscícolas, foram estabelecidos 6 tipos (t.): t. salmonícola da região norte; t. transição salmonícola-ciprinícola da região norte; t. ciprinícola de pequena dimensão das regiões norte interior e sul; t. ciprinícola de média dimensão da região norte; t. ciprinícola de média dimensão da região sul e t. ciprinícola da região norte litoral. A análise discriminante múltipla (ADM) suportou a tipologia piscícola, alocando correctamente 71 a 93% dos locais para os seis grupos; temperatura média em Julho, área de drenagem, altitude, precipitação média anual e uma variável categórica de enquadramento geográfico foram as variáveis retidas pelo modelo final. A ADM evidenciou elevada robustez ao classificar a maioria dos locais de não referência num dos tipos da respectiva região geográfica e ao detectar variações longitudinais das comunidades piscícolas ao longo de vários rios

Crataegus monogyna buds and fruits phenolic extracts: growth inhibitory activity on human tumor cell lines and chemical characterization by HPLC–DAD–ESI/MS

Crataegus monogyna has been extensively studied due to its various alleged health benefits. This study aimed to determine the human tumor cells growth inhibitory activity of phenolic extracts of its flower buds and fruits in three phenological stages, and further characterize the extracts by HPLC–DAD–ESI/MS. Flower bud extract showed the highest antiproliferative activity as indicated by the lowest GI50 values obtained in all the tested cell lines: MCF-7, breast adenocarcinoma; NCI-H460, non-small cell lung cancer; HeLa, cervical carcinoma; HepG2, hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, porcine liver primary cell culture (PLP2) was used to evaluate toxicity to non-tumor cells. Flavonoids, particularly flavonols and flavones (higher in flower buds) and proanthocyanidins (higher in unripe fruits) were the main classes in the studied samples. Phenolic acids (mainly hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives) were also detected in significant amounts, especially in flower bud extract. Regarding anthocyanins, over ripened fruits gave the highest content. The higher bioactivity observed in flower buds might be related with its higher content in phenolic compounds

A comparison of the bioactivity and phytochemical profile of three different cultivars of globe amaranth: red, white, and pink

The phytochemical profiles and bioactivities of red, white and pink globe amaranth (Gomphrena haageana K., Gomphrena globosa var. albiflora and Gomphrena sp., respectively), much less studied than the purple species (G. globosa L.), were compared. The chemical characterization of the samples included the analysis of macronutrients and individual profiles of sugars, organic acids, fatty acids, tocopherols, and phenolic compounds. Their bioactivity was evaluated by determining the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities; the absence of cytotoxicity was also determined. Red and pink samples showed the highest sugar content. Otherwise, the white sample gave the highest level of organic acids, and together with the pink one showed the highest tocopherol and PUFA levels. Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside was the major flavonol in white and pink samples, whereas a tetrahydroxy-methylenedioxyflavone was the major compound in the red variety, which revealed a different phenolic profile. The pink globe amaranth hydromethanolic extract revealed the highest antioxidant activity, followed by those of red and white samples. The anti-inflammatory activity was more relevant in red and pink varieties. None of the samples presented toxicity in liver cells. Overall, these samples can be used in bioactive formulations against inflammatory processes and in free radical production.The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support to the research center CIMO (strategic project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2014), R. Calhelha grant (SFRH/BPD/68344/2010) and L. Barros researcher contract under “Programa Compromisso com Ciência – 2008”