Four gene introduction methods affect the shoot regeneration and localization of transgene expression in greenhouse stem explants and in vitro-grown chrysanthemum stem thin cell layers

Gene introduction method (GIM) affected shoot regeneration capacity (SRC) in standard and spray-type chrysanthemums. SRC was both cultivar and GIM-dependent in both in vitro and greenhouse stem explants, the former significantly higher than the latter. Sonication had an SRC-stimulating effect on in vitro explants. Other GIMs (Agrobacterium, biolistics, Agrolistics) had an SRC-inhibiting effect on greenhouse explants. Genotype-dependence of SRC was observed in both in vitro and greenhouse material. SRC is influenced by the explant and regeneration media, which should be modified if altered by the GIM. Shoots derived from all GIM treatments showed normal growth under in vitro and greenhouse conditions, and flowered normally. In addition, this study further shows that explant origin (in vitro versus greenhouse) and cultivar significantly affect the regeneration process, even when an optimized medium is utilized. The integration of the GUS transgene is also GIM-dependent, but in all cases is shown to occur in the venation. (African Journal of Biotechnology: 2003 2(5): 114-123

Análise numérica da propagação de ondas sobre a plataforma continental interna e antepraia da costa sul do Brasil: de Torres a Mostardas

The shoreface and the inner shelf along the northern and the central coast of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, Brazil, between Torres and Mostardas, although displaying a homogeneous bottom relief show variations in slope and width. In the northern sector, between Torres and Pinhal, the inner shelf is wide, while the shoreface is narrow. Towards the south, these patterns are just the opposite. In this study, a model based on the parabolic approximation of the mild slope equation, REF/DIF.1, is used to simulate the wave propagation in this region. Wave refraction diagrams based on the predominant wave climate show a dominant and invariable divergent pattern for wave incidence from 90° to 135°. Numerical analyses of changes in wave energy, regarding differences in width and slope using a bottom friction coefficient fw = 0.01 in the different coastal sectors, show little influence of the bottom friction over the wave transformation processes. In general, a friction coefficient fw = 0.2 shows that wave energy reduction due to bottom friction over the wider shoreface south of Pinhal by comparison with the sector to the north is compensated by its shorter inner shelf width. The analyses show that lateral gradients of wave energy along the 10 m isobaths regarding the morphological differences between the two sectors are negligible.A plataforma continental interna e a antepraia ao longo do litoral norte e médio do estado do Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brasil, entre Torres e Mostardas, têm o relevo do fundo homogêneo, mas apresentam variações de inclinação e largura. No setor norte, entre Torres e Pinhal, a plataforma interna é mais larga, enquanto a largura de antepraia é mais estreita. Por outro lado, o oposto ocorre ao Sul de Pinhal. Este trabalho analisa numericamente a propagação de ondas nesta região através do REF/DIF 1, modelo que adota a aproximação parabólica da equação de declive suave. Os diagramas de refração de ondas, baseados em um clima de onda predominante, indicam que o padrão dominante é o divergente para ondas incidentes de 90° a 135°. Análises numéricas das variações de energia de ondas, investigando a influência das variações da largura da plataforma interna e da largura de antepraia, e da fricção com o fundo considerando um coeficiente de atrito fw = 0,01, revelam a pouca influência do atrito com o fundo sobre a transformação das ondas. Adotando-se um coeficiente de atrito fw = 0,2, constata-se, de forma geral, que a influência do aumento da largura da antepraia do sul de Pinhal para o norte no atrito com o fundo é compensada pela influência da diminuição da largura da plataforma continental interna. As análises mostram que os gradientes laterais da energia da onda ao longo da isobatimétrica de 10 m, mesmo considerando as diferenças morfológicas entre os dois setores, são desprezíveis

A maturity model for DevOps

Nowadays, businesses aim to respond to customer needs at unprecedented speed. Thus, many companies are rushing to the DevOps movement. DevOps is the combination of Development and Operations and a new way of thinking in the software engineering domain. However, no common understanding of what it means has yet been achieved. Also, no adoption models or fine-grained maturity models to assist DevOps maturation and implementation were identified. Therefore, this research attempt to fill these gaps. A systematic literature review is performed to identify the determining factors contributing to the implementation of DevOps, including the main capabilities and areas with which it evolves. Then, two sets of interviews with DevOps experts were performed and their experience used to build the DevOps Maturity Model. The DevOps maturity model was then developed grounded on scientific and professional viewpoints. Once developed the Maturity Model was demonstrated in a real organisation.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

New steroidal aromatase inhibitors: Suppression of estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell proliferation and induction of cell death

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Aromatase, the cytochrome P-450 enzyme (CYP19) responsible for estrogen biosynthesis, is an important target for the treatment of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. In fact, the use of synthetic aromatase inhibitors (AI), which induce suppression of estrogen synthesis, has shown to be an effective alternative to the classical tamoxifen for the treatment of postmenopausal patients with ER-positive breast cancer. New AIs obtained, in our laboratory, by modification of the A and D-rings of the natural substrate of aromatase, compounds <b>3a </b>and <b>4a</b>, showed previously to efficiently suppress aromatase activity in placental microsomes. In the present study we have investigated the effects of these compounds on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and induction of cell death using the estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell line stably transfected with the aromatase gene, MCF-7 aro cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The new steroids inhibit hormone-dependent proliferation of MCF-7aro cells in a time and dose-dependent manner, causing cell cycle arrest in G₀/G₁phase and inducing cell death with features of apoptosis and autophagic cell death.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our <it>in vitro </it>studies showed that the two steroidal AIs, <b>3a </b>and <b>4a</b>, are potent inhibitors of breast cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, it was also shown that the antiproliferative effects of these two steroids on MCF-7aro cells are mediated by disrupting cell cycle progression, through cell cycle arrest in G₀/G₁phase and induction of cell death, being the dominant mechanism autophagic cell death. Our results are important for the elucidation of the cellular effects of steroidal AIs on breast cancer.</p

Flutuação de infestação da broca-do-café (Hypothenemus Hampei, Ferrari) em Rondônia, 2002.

Introdução; Material e métodos; Resultados e discussão; Conclusões; Referências bibliográficas.bitstream/item/70954/1/BPD11-brocadocafe.pd

Isolamento e caracterização de bactérias presentes em explantes cultivados in vitro do clone FDR5865 de seringueira.

A seringueira é a fonte natural da borracha e sua cultura é explorada mundialmente. É uma planta alógama, suas sementes são recalcitrantes e a propagação vegetativa é o método mais recomendado. Com o preço elevado do petróleo, a borracha sintética, apesar de ser mais barata que a natural, fica menos competitiva, além disso, tem-se a pressão pelo uso de produtos naturais. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar isolados bacterianos oriundos de explantes de seringueira cultivados in vitro e testar a sua sensibilidade à antibióticos. Após desinfestação segmentos nodais do clone FDR5865 foram inoculados em meio de cultura WPM e mantidos em sala de crescimento. Após 30 dias, o material que apresentou contaminação bacteriana visível foi selecionado e os contaminantes foram purificados utilizando o método de esgotamento por estrias. Posteriormente, os isolados foram testados quanto a sua sensibilidade à antibióticos e caracterizados morfologicamente. Foram encontrados dois tipos de bactérias, que foram nomeadas de isolados 1 e 2, estas foram caracterizadas como Gram negativas e apresentaram forma de cocos. O isolado 1 foi a mais resistente, apresentando resistência a 19 dos 20 antibióticos testados. Este trabalho tem caráter pioneiro, visto que a utilização de explantes de plantas oriundas do campo é pouco relatada na literatura e apresenta um grau de dificuldade muito maior do que a utilização de material provindo de casa de vegetação

Most Preprint Servers Allow the Publication of Opinion Papers

Preprints are not only a raw form of research presentation, but also increasingly used as a gateway of entry into peer-reviewed journals. Several preprint servers are in existence, and some serve specific thematic groups or specialties, while others have a broader thematic scope. In this letter, we examined 36 preprint servers in March of 2023, noting that the majority (27/36 or 75%) accept opinion papers, two have an unclear, unstated, or unknown set of policies, while seven, including some of the most popular (biorXiv, medRxiv, Research Square), do not explicitly accommodate opinion papers. We opine that it would be in the interests of those preprint servers that do not publish opinion papers or evidence-based opinion papers to modify their scope of manuscript types in order to expand their user base and attract more participating scientists, but also to provide a more holistic set of scientific publishing objectives that accommodates a wider and more inclusive range of views

Using agro-industrial byproducts for a more sustainable production of natural pigments

Pigments have a vast record of enhancing product appeal in industries like food, cosmetics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and tanneries. A shift towards eco-consciousness has fueled the demand for biocompatible, natural pigments, prompting interest in microbial fermentation. Filamentous fungi, particularly Penicillium species, stand out as promising pigment producers. Recently, we have demonstrated that a Penicillium strain is able to produce different pigment mixtures under different fermentation conditions and culture media [1], [2]. Using agro-industrial byproducts, such as cheese whey and corn steep liquor, as substrates for microbial growth can be a sustainable approach to reduce production costs and byproduct accumulation. Both cheese whey and corn steep liquor are rich in valuable nutrients and were shown to enhance pigment production when used as medium supplements [1]. In this work, we present a comparative study involving three fermentation types (submerged, submerged with biomass immobilization, and solid-state fermentation) and employing two distinct culture media (synthetic medium composed of commercial substrates (A), and an alternative medium only composed of cheese whey and corn steep liquor (B)). Notably, we found that, under submerged fermentation either with free or immobilized biomass, the alternative medium (B) provides similar results in terms of pigment production to the reference synthetic medium (A). These results show that it is possible to obtain a value-added product exclusively using agro- industrial byproducts, which not only decreases the associated production costs but also contributes to the circular economy. Moreover, we describe a more sustainable approach to obtain natural pigments, which can also help to address environmental concerns, ethical issues, and/or consumer demands raised against synthetic pigments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio