A multi-temporal dataset of forest mensuration of reforestations: a case study in peri-urban Rome, Italy

The dataset supplied in this article provides data from continuous forest inventory carried out in the Castel di Guido estate, located in the Italian Tyrrhenian coast. The reforestation project started over 30 years ago using native and non-native species: 29 forested plot areas have been surveyed in 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2013 and 2017 where information about species and stem diameters have been collected for a total of 2’215 tree stems. The dataset also contains height-diameter curves modelled for 1997, 2006 and 2017 years to let the user to estimate growing stock and total biomass easily. These data can be exploited to assess net primary productivity, pollutant uptake, and as comparisons with other European artificial reforestations programs with similar species. The database is finalized to narrow the knowledge gap on long-term growth pattern of urban and peri-urban reforestations, providing comparative data on different species performances, grown in pure and mixed stands. Dataset and metadata here presented are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2633972

Identification of two species of Binema Travassos, 1925 (Oxyurida: Travassosinematidae) and Cameronia arecoensis Marchissio and Miralles, 1987 (Oxyurida: Thelastomatidae) based on morphological and 18S rRNA partial sequence

Oxyurid nematodes parasitizing the mole cricket Neoscapteriscus vicinus were isolated in the framework of sampling fields of mole-crickets from the pampean region, in Argentina. In this work, molecular characterization of the 18S rRNA partial sequence of nematodes belonging to the families Thelastomatidae (Cameronia arecoensis Marchissio and Miralles 1987) and Travassosinematidae (Binema korsakowi Sergiev 1923 and Binema klossae, Marchissio and Miralles 1993) were carried out. This is the first world report of sequences belonging to B. klossae and C. arecoensis and first Argentinian report of B. korsakowi sequence. Also, morphological and morphometric features of B. klossae, B. korsakowi and C. arecoensis from Argentinian populations are reported.Fil: Rusconi, José Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Montes, Martin Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Ferrari, Walter Antonio Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Achinelly, Maria Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; Argentin

Qualidade de vida de pacientes com degeneração macular relacionada à idade com cegueira legal monocular e binocular

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life for persons affected by age-related macular degeneration that results in monocular or binocular legal blindness. METHODS: An analytic transversal study using the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) was performed. Inclusion criteria were persons of both genders, aged more than 50 years old, absence of cataracts, diagnosis of age-related monocular degeneration in at least one eye and the absence of other macular diseases. The control group was paired by sex, age and no ocular disease. RESULTS: Group 1 (monocular legal blindness) was composed of 54 patients (72.22% females and 27.78% males, aged 51 to 87 years old, medium age 74.61 ± 7.27 years); group 2 (binocular legal blindness ) was composed of 54 patients (46.30% females and 53.70% males aged 54 to 87 years old, medium age 75.61 ± 6.34 years). The control group was composed of 40 patients (40% females and 60% males, aged 50 to 81 years old, medium age 65.65 ± 7.56 years). The majority of the scores were statistically significantly higher in group 1 and the control group in relation to group 2 and higher in the control group when compared to group 1. CONCLUSIONS: It was evident that the quality of life of persons with binocular blindness was more limited in relation to persons with monocular blindness. Both groups showed significant impairment in quality of life when compared to normal persons.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida de portadores de degeneração macular relacionada à idade com cegueira legal monocular e binocular. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo transversal analítico por meio do questionário National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). Os critérios de inclusão foram: indivíduos de ambos os sexos, idade maior que 50 anos, ausência de catarata, diagnóstico de degeneração macular relacionada à idade avançada em pelo menos um dos olhos, sem outras maculopatias. O Grupo Controle foi pareado por sexo, idade e sem doença ocular. RESULTADOS: O Grupo 1 (cegueira monocular) foi composto por 54 pacientes (72,22% de mulheres e 27,78% de homens, idade entre 51 e 87 anos, média de 74,61 anos ± 7,27 anos); o Grupo 2 (cegueira binocular), por 54 (46,30% de mulheres e 53,70% de homens, idade entre 54 e 87 anos, média de 75,61 anos ± 6,34 anos). O Grupo Controle foi composto por 40 pacientes (40% de mulheres e 60% de homens, idade entre 50 e 81 anos, média de 65,65 anos ± 7,56 anos). A maioria dos escores foi significativamente maior no Grupo 1 e no Controle em relação ao Grupo 2 e maior no Controle comparado ao Grupo 1. CONCLUSÕES: Evidenciou-se que a qualidade de vida de indivíduos com cegueira binocular foi mais limitada em relação aos portadores de cegueira monocular. Quando comparados com indivíduos normais, ambos os grupos tiveram prejuízo na qualidade de vida foi significativo

Mutation in a D-alanine-D-alanine ligase of Azospirillum brasilense Cd results in an overproduction of exopolysaccharides and a decreased tolerance to saline stress

Bacteria of the genus Azospirillum are free-living nitrogen-fixing, rhizobacteria that are found in close association with plant roots, where they exert beneficial effects on plant growth and yield in many crops of agronomic importance. Unlike other bacteria, little is known about the genetics and biochemistry of exopolysaccharides in Azospirillum brasilense. In an attempt to characterize genes associated with exopolysaccharides production, we generated an A. brasilense Cd Tn5 mutant that showed exopolysaccharides overproduction, decreased tolerance to saline conditions, altered cell morphology, and increased sensitivity to detergents. Genetic characterization showed that the Tn5 was inserted within a ddlB gene encoding for a d-alanine-d-alanine ligase, and located upstream of the ftsQAZ gene cluster responsible for cell division in different bacteria. Heterologous complementation of the ddlB Tn5 mutant restored the exopolysaccharides production to wild-type levels and the ability to grow in the presence of detergents, but not the morphology and growth characteristics of the wild-type bacteria, suggesting a polar effect of Tn5 on the fts genes. This result and the construction of a nonpolar ddlB mutant provide solid evidence of the presence of transcriptional coupling between a gene associated with peptidoglycan biosynthesis and the fts genes required to control cell division.Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Mutation in a D-alanine-D-alanine ligase of Azospirillum brasilense Cd results in an overproduction of exopolysaccharides and a decreased tolerance to saline stress

Bacteria of the genus Azospirillum are free-living nitrogen-fixing, rhizobacteria that are found in close association with plant roots, where they exert beneficial effects on plant growth and yield in many crops of agronomic importance. Unlike other bacteria, little is known about the genetics and biochemistry of exopolysaccharides in Azospirillum brasilense. In an attempt to characterize genes associated with exopolysaccharides production, we generated an A. brasilense Cd Tn5 mutant that showed exopolysaccharides overproduction, decreased tolerance to saline conditions, altered cell morphology, and increased sensitivity to detergents. Genetic characterization showed that the Tn5 was inserted within a ddlB gene encoding for a d-alanine-d-alanine ligase, and located upstream of the ftsQAZ gene cluster responsible for cell division in different bacteria. Heterologous complementation of the ddlB Tn5 mutant restored the exopolysaccharides production to wild-type levels and the ability to grow in the presence of detergents, but not the morphology and growth characteristics of the wild-type bacteria, suggesting a polar effect of Tn5 on the fts genes. This result and the construction of a nonpolar ddlB mutant provide solid evidence of the presence of transcriptional coupling between a gene associated with peptidoglycan biosynthesis and the fts genes required to control cell division.Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plat

O Trabalho das Passagens

Tradução do alemão, cotejada com a versão francesa.O Trabalho das passagens de Walter Benjamin é uma obra inacabada “em torno da qual se teceram muitas lendas” (Rolf Tiedemann, na introdução à edição alemã), depois que Adorno a ele se referiu pela primeira vez em 1950

Code intercomparison and benchmark for muon fluence and absorbed dose induced by an 18-GeV electron beam after massive iron shielding

In 1974, Nelson, Kase, and Svenson published an experimental investigation on muon shielding using the SLAC high energy LINAC. They measured muon fluence and absorbed dose induced by a 18 GeV electron beam hitting a copper/water beam dump and attenuated in a thick steel shielding. In their paper, they compared the results with the theoretical mode ls available at the time. In order to compare their experimental results with present model calculations, we use the modern transport Monte Carlo codes MARS15, FLUKA2011 and GEANT4 to model the experimental setup and run simulations. The results will then be compared between the codes, and with the SLAC data.Comment: 10 pp. Presented paper at the 12th Workshop on Shielding Aspects of Accelerators, Targets and Irradiation Facilities, SATIF-12, Fermilab, April 28-30, 201

Potential Use of Quantum Dots in Flow Cytometry

QDs may offer significant advantages in environmental and bead-based applications where the target cells need to be discriminated above background fluorescence. We have examined the possible applications of QDs for flow cytometric measurements (FCM) by studying their excitation - emission spectra and their binding to paramagnetic beads. We labelled beads with either QDs or a commonly-used fluorochrome (FITC) and studied their fluorescence intensity by FCM. Flow cytometric comparisons indicated that the minimum fluorophore concentration required for detection of QDs above autofluorescent background was 100-fold less than for FITC