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Simple climate models (also known as emulators) have re-emerged as critical tools for the analysis of climate policy. Emulators are efficient and highly parameterised, where the parameters are tunable to produce a diversity of global mean surface temperature (GMST) response pathways to a given emission scenario. Only a small fraction of possible parameter combinations will produce historically consistent climate hindcasts, a necessary condition for trust in future projections. Alongside historical GMST, additional observed (e.g. ocean heat content) and emergent climate metrics (such as the equilibrium climate sensitivity) can be used as constraints upon the parameter sets used for climate projections. This paper describes a multi-variable constraining package for the Finite-amplitude Impulse Response (FaIR) simple climate model (FaIR versions 2.1.0 onwards) using a Bayesian framework. The steps are, first, to generate prior distributions of parameters for FaIR based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) Earth system models or Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-assessed ranges; second, to generate a large Monte Carlo prior ensemble of parameters to run FaIR with; and, third, to produce a posterior set of parameters constrained on several observable and assessed climate metrics. Different calibrations can be produced for different emission datasets or observed climate constraints, allowing version-controlled and continually updated calibrations to be produced. We show that two very different future projections to a given emission scenario can be obtained using emissions from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) (fair-calibrate v1.4.0) and from updated emission datasets through 2022 (fair-calibrate v1.4.1) for similar climate constraints in both cases. fair-calibrate can be reconfigured for different source emission datasets or target climate distributions, and new versions will be produced upon availability of new climate system data.

Ecosystem conservation and restoration is recognized by the international community as a key strategy for human well-being as well as our planet’s health. Assessing the efficiency of actions implemented in this context is essential, as their application on the ground may prove challenging. In the present paper, we present a methodology for characterising vegetation regeneration. This methodology has been developed and tested at the scale of the Sao Paulo state. It is based on two successive steps. Firstly, annual land cover maps are produced with breakpoints detection and Random Forest classification. This process is performed on biophysical variables derived from more than 10 000 optical images (2016 – 2021 included) and 4774 reference data. Secondly, we applied an expert-based rules algorithm to derive land regeneration map from annual land cover time series. The distinction is made between natural and anthropogenic regeneration. The accuracy assessment shows an overall accuracy of more than 80% for both the annual land cover maps and the regeneration map.

Abstract Background Transfers of nursing home (NH) residents to the emergency department (ED) is frequent. Our main objective was to assess the cost of care pathways 6 months before and after the transfer to the emergency department among NH residents, according to the type of transfer (i.e. appropriate or inappropriate). Methods This was a part of an observational, multicenter, case-control study: the Factors associated with INappropriate transfer to the Emergency department among nursing home residents (FINE) study. Sixteen public hospitals of the former Midi-Pyrénées region participated in recruitment, in 2016. During the inclusion period, all NH residents arriving at the ED were included. A pluri-disciplinary team categorized each transfer to the ED into 2 groups: appropriate or inappropriate. Direct medical and nonmedical costs were assessed from the French Health Insurance (FHI) perspective. Healthcare resources were retrospectively gathered from the FHI database and valued using the tariffs reimbursed by the FHI. Costs were recorded over a 6-month period before and after transfer to the ED. Other variables were used for analysis: sex, age, Charlson score, season, death and presence inside the NH of a coordinating physician or a geriatric nursing assistant. Results Among the 1037 patients initially included in the FINE study, 616 who were listed in the FHI database were included in this economic study. Among them, 132 (21.4%) had an inappropriate transfer to the ED. In the 6 months before ED transfer, total direct costs on average amounted to 8,145€ vs. 6,493€ in the inappropriate and appropriate transfer groups, respectively. In the 6 months after ED transfer, they amounted on average to 9,050€ vs. 12,094€. Conclusions Total costs on average are higher after transfer to the ED, but there is no significant increase in healthcare expenditure with inappropriate ED transfer. Support for NH staff and better pathways of care could be necessary to reduce healthcare expenditures in NH residents. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02677272.

Resumen: Introducción: El tratamiento y el pronóstico de la diarrea crónica en el paciente inmunosuprimido dependen de la capacidad para detectar rápidamente los agentes etiológicos. Objetivos: Evaluar los resultados del panel gastrointestinal (GI) FilmArray® en pacientes con diarrea crónica e infección por VIH de reciente diagnóstico. Material y métodos: Muestreo no probabilístico a conveniencia de manera secuencial. Se incluyeron 24 pacientes a quienes se realizó el estudio molecular para la detección simultánea de 22 patógenos. Resultados: En 24 pacientes infectados por el VIH con diarrea crónica se detectaron bacterias enteropatógenas en el 69% de los casos, parásitos en el 18% y virus en el 13%. Escherichia coli enteropatógena y Escherichia coli enteroagregativa fueron las principales bacterias identificadas; Norovirus fue el agente viral más frecuente encontrado (33%), seguido de Giardia lamblia (25%). La mediana del número de agentes infecciosos por paciente fue 3 (rango de 0 a 7). Los agentes biológicos no identificados por este método fueron tuberculosis y hongos. Conclusiones: Utilizando el panel GI FilmArray® se detectaron simultáneamente varios agentes infecciosos en pacientes con diarrea crónica e infección por VIH. Abstract: Introduction: The treatment and diagnosis of chronic diarrhea in the immunocompromised patient depends on the ability to rapidly detect the etiologic agents. Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the results of the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection that presented with chronic diarrhea. Material and methods: Utilizing nonprobability consecutive convenience sampling, 24 patients were included that underwent molecular testing for the simultaneous detection of 22 pathogens. Results: In 24 HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea, enteropathogen bacteria were detected in 69% of the cases, parasites in 18%, and viruses in 13%. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli were the main bacteria identified, Giardia lamblia was found in 25%, and norovirus was the most frequent viral agent. The median number of infectious agents per patient was three (range of 0 to 7). The biologic agents not identified through the FilmArray® method were tuberculosis and fungi. Conclusions: Several infectious agents were simultaneously detected through the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients with HIV infection and chronic diarrhea.

Introduction: The treatment and diagnosis of chronic diarrhea in the immunocompromised patient depends on the ability to rapidly detect the etiologic agents. Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the results of the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection that presented with chronic diarrhea. Material and methods: Utilizing nonprobability consecutive convenience sampling, 24 patients were included that underwent molecular testing for the simultaneous detection of 22 pathogens. Results: In 24 HIV-infected patients with chronic diarrhea, enteropathogen bacteria were detected in 69% of the cases, parasites in 18%, and viruses in 13%. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and enteroaggregative Escherichia coli were the main bacteria identified, Giardia lamblia was found in 25%, and norovirus was the most frequent viral agent. The median number of infectious agents per patient was three (range of 0 to 7). The biologic agents not identified through the FilmArray® method were tuberculosis and fungi. Conclusions: Several infectious agents were simultaneously detected through the FilmArray® gastrointestinal panel in patients with HIV infection and chronic diarrhea. Resumen: Introducción: El tratamiento y el pronóstico de la diarrea crónica en el paciente inmunosuprimido dependen de la capacidad para detectar rápidamente los agentes etiológicos. Objetivos: Evaluar los resultados del panel gastrointestinal (GI) FilmArray® en pacientes con diarrea crónica e infección por VIH de reciente diagnóstico. Material y métodos: Muestreo no probabilístico a conveniencia de manera secuencial. Se incluyeron 24 pacientes a quienes se realizó el estudio molecular para la detección simultánea de 22 patógenos. Resultados: En 24 pacientes infectados por el VIH con diarrea crónica se detectaron bacterias enteropatógenas en el 69% de los casos, parásitos en el 18% y virus en el 13%. Escherichia coli enteropatógena y Escherichia coli enteroagregativa fueron las principales bacterias identificadas; Norovirus fue el agente viral más frecuente encontrado (33%), seguido de Giardia lamblia (25%). La mediana del número de agentes infecciosos por paciente fue 3 (rango de 0 a 7). Los agentes biológicos no identificados por este método fueron tuberculosis y hongos. Conclusiones: Utilizando el panel GI FilmArray® se detectaron simultáneamente varios agentes infecciosos en pacientes con diarrea crónica e infección por VIH.

Global studies of climate change impacts that use future climate model projections also require projections of land surface changes. Simulated land surface performance in Earth system models is often affected by the atmospheric models' climate biases, leading to errors in land surface projections. Here we run the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator Earth System configuration (JULES-ES) land surface model with the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project second-phase future projections (ISIMIP2b) bias-corrected climate model data from four global climate models (GCMs). The bias correction reduces the impact of the climate biases present in individual models. We evaluate the performance of JULES-ES against present-day observations to demonstrate its usefulness for providing required information for impacts such as fire and river flow. We include a standard JULES-ES configuration without fire as a contribution to ISIMIP2b and JULES-ES with fire as a potential future development. Simulations for gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET) and albedo compare well against observations. Including fire improves the simulations, especially for ET and albedo and vegetation distribution, with some degradation in shrub cover and river flow. This configuration represents some of the most current Earth system science for land surface modelling. The suite associated with this configuration provides a basis for past and future phases of ISIMIP, providing a simulation set-up, postprocessing and initial evaluation, using the International Land Model Benchmarking (ILAMB) project. This suite ensures that it is as straightforward, reproducible and transparent as possible to follow the protocols and participate fully in ISIMIP using JULES.

Abstract A 73-year-old man with a history of marginal zone lymphoma was admitted to the emergency room for diplopia and ipsilateral headache. The Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) demonstrated intense and symmetrical hypermetabolism of the cavernous sinuses, and hypermetabolic lesions diffusely in the lymph nodes and bones. The diagnosis of high-grade relapse of lymphomatous disease was made. In this context, the homogenous and symmetric lesion of the cavernous sinuses, without any other encephalic or meningeal lesions, raised the hypothesis of a paraneoplastic origin. A plausible paraneoplastic link between the neuro-ophthalmological lesion and the malignant disorder is IgG4-related disease, a condition that may be associated with lymphoma. As in our case, this diagnosis is often presumptive because histopathological confirmation is difficult to obtain.

Abstract Background Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonosis of public health and economic importance worldwide. It affects a number of domestic animals, wild animals and humans. Human brucellosis originates from either livestock or wildlife. The species of Brucella circulating in wild animals in Tanzania is largely unknown due to insufficient surveillance. This study was carried out to identify Brucella species found in selected wildlife hosts in the Serengeti ecosystem. Methodology The study used a total of 189 archived samples that were obtained from cross-sectional studies previously conducted between 2000 and 2017 in the Serengeti ecosystem in Tanzania. Whole blood, serum and amniotic fluid collected from buffalos, lions, wildebeest, impala, zebra and hyena were available for DNA extraction. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. ovis and B. suis (AMOS PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) targeting the bcsp31 and IS711 genes for Brucella genus detection and the IS711 targets alkB for B. abortus and BMEI1162 for B. melitensis were used to detect Brucella strains. Results Out of the 189 samples tested, 12 (6.35 %) and 22 (11.6 %) were positive to AMOS-PCR and qPCR, respectively. Most of the positive samples were from lions (52.6 %) and buffaloes (19.6 %). Other animals that were positive included: wildebeest (13.6 %), impala (13.6 %), zebra (4.5 %) and hyena (4.5 %). Out of 22 positive samples, 16 (66.7 %) were identified as B. abortus and the other six samples did not amplify for neither B. abortus nor B. melitensis. Conclusions The detection of Brucella DNA in archived wild animal samples shows testing potential of samples collected from this population. The zoonotic species B. abortus and B. melitensis detected in wild animals have previously been reported in livestock and humans in the region. The findings suggest that, due to the contact network, some of the identified wild animal hosts in this study could be reservoirs for infections in domestic animals and humans within the Serengeti ecosystem while others are likely dead-end hosts. One Health control strategies and continuous surveillance programs in other wildlife reserved areas should be implemented to help predicting transmission in livestock and humans in the region.

Drought is predicted to increase in the future due to climate change, bringing with it myriad impacts on ecosystems. Plants respond to drier soils by reducing stomatal conductance in order to conserve water and avoid hydraulic damage. Despite the importance of plant drought responses for the global carbon cycle and local and regional climate feedbacks, land surface models are unable to capture observed plant responses to soil moisture stress. We assessed the impact of soil moisture stress on simulated gross primary productivity (GPP) and latent energy flux (LE) in the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) vn4.9 on seasonal and annual timescales and evaluated 10 different representations of soil moisture stress in the model. For the default configuration, GPP was more realistic in temperate biome sites than in the tropics or high-latitude (cold-region) sites, while LE was best simulated in temperate and high-latitude (cold) sites. Errors that were not due to soil moisture stress, possibly linked to phenology, contributed to model biases for GPP in tropical savanna and deciduous forest sites. We found that three alternative approaches to calculating soil moisture stress produced more realistic results than the default parameterization for most biomes and climates. All of these involved increasing the number of soil layers from 4 to 14 and the soil depth from 3.0 to 10.8 m. In addition, we found improvements when soil matric potential replaced volumetric water content in the stress equation (the “soil14_psi” experiments), when the critical threshold value for inducing soil moisture stress was reduced (“soil14_p0”), and when plants were able to access soil moisture in deeper soil layers (“soil14_dr*2”). For LE, the biases were highest in the default configuration in temperate mixed forests, with overestimation occurring during most of the year. At these sites, reducing soil moisture stress (with the new parameterizations mentioned above) increased LE and increased model biases but improved the simulated seasonal cycle and brought the monthly variance closer to the measured variance of LE. Further evaluation of the reason for the high bias in LE at many of the sites would enable improvements in both carbon and energy fluxes with new parameterizations for soil moisture stress. Increasing the soil depth and plant access to deep soil moisture improved many aspects of the simulations, and we recommend these settings in future work using JULES or as a general way to improve land surface carbon and water fluxes in other models. In addition, using soil matric potential presents the opportunity to include plant functional type-specific parameters to further improve modeled fluxes.

Land-surface models (LSMs) typically simulate a single crop per year in a field or location. However, actual cropping systems are characterized by a succession of distinct crop cycles that are sometimes interspersed with long periods of bare soil. Sequential cropping (also known as multiple or double cropping) is particularly common in tropical regions, where the crop seasons are largely dictated by the main wet season. In this paper, we implement sequential cropping in a branch of the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) and demonstrate its use at sites in France and India. We simulate all the crops grown within a year in a field or location in a seamless way to understand how sequential cropping influences the surface fluxes of a land-surface model. We evaluate JULES with sequential cropping in Avignon, France, providing over 15 years of continuous flux observations (a point simulation). We apply JULES with sequential cropping to simulate the rice–wheat rotation in a regional 25 km resolution gridded simulation for the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and four single-grid-box simulations across these states, where each simulation is a 25 km grid box. The inclusion of a secondary crop in JULES using the sequential cropping method presented does not change the crop growth or development of the primary crop. During the secondary crop growing period, the carbon and energy fluxes for Avignon and India are modified; they are largely unchanged for the primary crop growing period. For India, the inclusion of a secondary crop using this sequential cropping method affects the available soil moisture in the top 1.0 m throughout the year, with larger fluctuations in sequential crops compared with single-crop simulations even outside the secondary crop growing period. JULES simulates sequential cropping in Avignon, the four India locations and the regional run, representing both crops within one growing season in each of the crop rotations presented. This development is a step forward in the ability of JULES to simulate crops in tropical regions where this cropping system is already prevalent. It also provides the opportunity to assess the potential for other regions to implement sequential cropping as an adaptation to climate change.

Summary: Nutritional equivalency feeding studies with diets containing genetically modified grain continue to be required by some regulatory agencies as part of the safety assessment of new events. These studies have long been conducted using broiler chickens, as they are very sensitive to nutritional deficiencies and antinutrients in the diet owing to their very rapid growth rate. A new transgenic maize product containing event DP-2Ø2216-6 (DP202216) with enhanced grain yield potential and an herbicide-tolerance trait has been developed. The nutritional equivalency of grain produced from maize containing this event with conventional grain was evaluated in a 42-D feeding trial with male and female Ross 708 broiler chickens. Broilers consuming diets produced with grain from DP202216 maize plants performed as well and produced similar organ, carcass, and parts yields as broilers consuming diets produced with nontransgenic near-isogenic control grain. In addition, the ranges of observed performance and carcass and organ yield trait values from DP202216 and control groups were similar to the respective ranges observed for broilers fed diets containing nontransgenic commercially available maize grains. Based on these results, it is concluded that grain from DP202216 maize is nutritionally equivalent to grain from nontransgenic near-isogenic maize, consistent with previously published reports on whole-food (where the edible crop tissue is incorporated in the feed) animal feeding studies for other genetically modified events.

Abstract Background Marking mosquitoes is vital for mark-release-recapture and many laboratory studies, but their small size precludes the use of methods that are available for larger animals such as unique identifier tags and radio devices. Fluorescent dust is the most commonly used method to distinguish released individuals from the wild population. Numerous colours and combinations can be used, however, dust sometimes affects longevity and behaviour so alternatives that do not have these effects would contribute substantially. Rhodamine B has previously been demonstrated to be useful for marking adult Aedes aegypti males when added to the sugar meal. Unlike dust, this also marked the seminal fluid making it possible to detect matings by marked males in the spermatheca of females. Here, marking of Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto with rhodamine B and uranine was performed to estimate their potential contribution. Methods Two fluorescent markers, rhodamine B and uranine, were dissolved in sugar water and fed to adult An. gambiae. Concentrations that are useful for marking individuals and seminal fluid were determined. The effects on adult longevity, the durability of the marking and detection of the marker in mated females was determined. Male mating competitiveness was also evaluated. Results Rhodamine B marking in adults is detectable for at least 3 weeks, however uranine marking declines with time and at low doses can be confused with auto-fluorescence. Both can be used for marking seminal fluid which can be detected in females mated by marked males, but, again, at low concentrations uranine-marking is more easily confused with the natural fluorescence of seminal fluid. Neither dye affected mating competitiveness. Conclusions Both markers tested could be useful for field and laboratory studies. Their use has substantial potential to contribute to a greater understanding of the bio-ecology of this important malaria vector. Rhodamine B has the advantage that it appears to be permanent and is less easily confused with auto-fluorescence. The primary limitation of both methods is that sugar feeding is necessary for marking and adults must be held for at least 2 nights to ensure all individuals are marked whereas dusts provide immediate and thorough marking.

This study examined whether the distribution of biochemical, physiological, and metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among children and youth in urban India vary by socioeconomic status (SES). Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey of students enrolled in the 2nd and 11th grades in 19 randomly selected schools in Delhi (N = 1329) in 2014–15. Mixed-effect regression models were used to determine the prevalence of risk factors for NCDs among private (higher SES) and government (lower SES) school students. After adjusting for age, gender, and grade we found the percentage of overweight (13.16% vs. 3.1%, p value

This essay reviews the following works: Electric Santeria: Racial and Sexual Assemblages of Transnational Religion. By Aisha M. Beliso-De Jesús. New York: Columbia University Press, 2015. Pp. ix + 271. $30.00 paperback. ISBN: 9780231173179. Embracing Protestantism: Black Identities in the Atlantic World. By John W. Catron. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2016. Pp. ix + 299. $74.95 hardcover. ISBN: 9780813061634. Black Saint of the Americas: The Life and Afterlife of Martín de Porres. By Celia Cussen. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp. xi + 285. $90.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9781107034372. Afro-Cuban Religious Arts: Popular Expressions of Cultural Inheritance in Espiritismo and Santería. By Kristine Juncker. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2014. Pp. xi + 169. $74.95 hardcover. ISBN: 9780813049700. The Black Christ of Esquipulas: Religion and Identity in Guatemala. By Douglass Sullivan-González. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2016. Pp. viii + 199. $55.00 hardcover. ISBN: 9780803268432.

Sowing and harvest dates are a significant source of uncertainty within crop models, especially for regions where high-resolution data are unavailable or, as is the case in future climate runs, where no data are available at all. Global datasets are not always able to distinguish when wheat is grown in tropical and subtropical regions, and they are also often coarse in resolution. South Asia is one such region where large spatial variation means higher-resolution datasets are needed, together with greater clarity for the timing of the main wheat growing season. Agriculture in South Asia is closely associated with the dominating climatological phenomenon, the Asian summer monsoon (ASM). Rice and wheat are two highly important crops for the region, with rice being mainly cultivated in the wet season during the summer monsoon months and wheat during the dry winter. We present a method for estimating the crop sowing and harvest dates for rice and wheat using the ASM onset and retreat. The aim of this method is to provide a more accurate alternative to the global datasets of cropping calendars than is currently available and generate more representative inputs for climate impact assessments. We first demonstrate that there is skill in the model prediction of monsoon onset and retreat for two downscaled general circulation models (GCMs) by comparing modelled precipitation with observations. We then calculate and apply sowing and harvest rules for rice and wheat for each simulation to climatological estimates of the monsoon onset and retreat for a present day period. We show that this method reproduces the present day sowing and harvest dates for most parts of India. The application of the method to two future simulations demonstrates that the estimated sowing and harvest dates are successfully modified to ensure that the growing season remains consistent with the internal model climate. The study therefore provides a useful way of modelling potential growing season adaptations to changes in future climate.

Abstract There is a growing need for collaborative and interdisciplinary research in addressing global ecological challenges, and early career researchers (ECRs) often play a vital role in such ventures. But despite the desire for such approaches, forming new and interdisciplinary collaborations is risky, and disproportionately so for ECRs, whose perspectives on this topic are rarely heard. Here, we present common perceptions among ECRs regarding opportunities for intra‐ and interdisciplinary collaboration, and barriers preventing such collaboration from taking place. We also discuss possible solutions, and the ecological outcomes of fostering more collaboration. The perceptions discussed have been distilled from a two‐day workshop in New Zealand, aiming to investigate the potential for collaboration between 34 ECRs in distinct ecological disciplines across ten research institutes. Commonality in methodology or research aims was vital for potential collaborations to be considered worthwhile, but differences in spatial or temporal scales were a key disconnect that hindered numerous potential crossovers. Individual connectivity and institutional structures were commonly perceived as barriers to acting collaboratively in general. Specifically, barriers included having a small peer network, lack of access to funding, and concerns over the risk/reward ratio of forming new collaborations. Overcoming barriers will require active, practical support from institutions, funding bodies and mentors, and participants commonly called for specific funding support and the creation of ECR‐focused spaces to better foster collaborative behavior. Fostering interdisciplinary ECR collaborations in ecology was perceived to be useful in creating larger and more useful datasets and tools, and more scalable and transferable models and outcomes. Adopting practices that facilitate more ECR‐led interdisciplinary collaboration will help generate a more integrative understanding of ecological systems globally.

Genome and transcriptome sequencing data are extremely useful resources for researchers in carrying out biological experiments that involves cloning and characterizing genes. We are presenting here genome sequence data from different clades of life including photosynthetic prokaryotes; oomycetes pathogens; probiotic bacteria; endophytic yeasts and filamentous fungus and pathogenic protozoa Leishmania donovani. In addition, we are also presenting paired control and treated stress response transcriptomes of Cyanobacteria growing in extreme conditions. The Cyanobacterial species that are included in this dataset were isolated from extreme conditions including desiccated monuments, hot springs and saline archipelagos. The probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei was isolated from Indian sub-continent. The Kala azar causing protozoan Leishmania donovani, whose early infectious stage is also included in this dataset. The endophyte Arthrinium malaysianum was isolated as a contaminant has significant bio-remediation property. Our collaborators have isolated endophyte Rhodotorula mucilaginosa JGTA1 from Jaduguda mines, West Bengal, India infested with Uranium. Our collaborators have isolated a heterozygous diploid oomycetes pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum causing sudden oak death in CA, USA coast is also part of the data. These dataset presents a unique heterogeneous collection from various sources that are analyzed using “Genome Annotator Light (GAL): A Docker-based package for genome analysis and visualization” (Panda et al., 2019) and are presented in a web site automatically created by GAL at http://www.eumicrobedb.org/cglab. Keywords: Annotation, Genome, Transcriptome

ABSTRACT Paramyxoviruses, specifically, the childhood pathogen human parainfluenza virus type 3, are internalized into host cells following fusion between the viral and target cell membranes. The receptor binding protein, hemagglutinin (HA)-neuraminidase (HN), and the fusion protein (F) facilitate viral fusion and entry into the cell through a coordinated process involving HN activation by receptor binding, which triggers conformational changes in the F protein to activate it to reach its fusion-competent state. Interfering with this process through premature activation of the F protein has been shown to be an effective antiviral strategy in vitro. Conformational changes in the F protein leading to adoption of the postfusion form of the protein—prior to receptor engagement of HN at the host cell membrane—render the virus noninfectious. We previously identified a small compound (CSC11) that implements this antiviral strategy through an interaction with HN, causing HN to activate F in an untimely process. To assess the functionality of such compounds, it is necessary to verify that the postfusion state of F has been achieved. As demonstrated by Melero and colleagues, soluble forms of the recombinant postfusion pneumovirus F proteins and of their six helix bundle (6HB) motifs can be used to generate postfusion-specific antibodies. We produced novel anti-HPIV3 F conformation-specific antibodies that can be used to assess the functionality of compounds designed to induce F activation. In this study, using systematic chemical modifications of CSC11, we synthesized a more potent derivative of this compound, CM9. Much like CSC11, CM9 causes premature triggering of the F protein through an interaction with HN prior to receptor engagement, thereby preventing fusion and subsequent infection. In addition to validating the potency of CM9 using plaque reduction, fusion inhibition, and binding avidity assays, we confirmed the transition to a postfusion conformation of F in the presence of CM9 using our novel anti-HPIV3 conformation-specific antibodies. We present both CM9 and these newly characterized postfusion antibodies as novel tools to explore and develop antiviral approaches. In turn, these advances in both our molecular toolset and our understanding of HN-F interaction will support development of more-effective antivirals. Combining the findings described here with our recently described physiologically relevant ex vivo system, we have the potential to inform the development of therapeutics to block viral infection. IMPORTANCE Paramyxoviruses, including human parainfluenza virus type 3, are internalized into host cells by fusion between viral and target cell membranes. The receptor binding protein, hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN), and the fusion protein (F) facilitate viral fusion and entry into cells through a process involving HN activation by receptor binding, which triggers conformational changes in F to activate it to reach its fusion-competent state. Interfering with this process through premature activation of the F protein may be an effective antiviral strategy in vitro. We identified and optimized small compounds that implement this antiviral strategy through an interaction with HN, causing HN to activate F in an untimely fashion. To address that mechanism, we produced novel anti-HPIV3 F conformation-specific antibodies that can be used to assess the functionality of compounds designed to induce F activation. Both the novel antiviral compounds that we present and these newly characterized postfusion antibodies are novel tools for the exploration and development of antiviral approaches.

The Nile Basin is one of the most important shared basins in Africa. Managing and developing the water resources within the basin must not only address different water uses but also the trade-off between developments upstream and water use downstream, often between different countries. Furthermore, decision-makers in the region need to evaluate and implement climate adaptation measures. Previous work has shown that the Nile flows can be highly sensitive to climate change and that there is considerable uncertainty in climate projections in the region with no clear consensus as to the direction of change. Modelling current and future changes in river runoff must address a number of challenges; including the large size of the basin, the relative scarcity of data, and the corresponding dramatic variety of climatic conditions and diversity in hydrological characteristics. In this paper, we present a methodology, to support climate adaptation on a regional scale, for assessing climate change impacts and adaptation potential for floods, droughts and water scarcity within the basin.

The zinc oxide thin films, highly transparent, doped aluminium were prepared on glass substrates by the reactive chemical spray method. The incorporation nature of Al atoms in the ZnO lattice was determined by X-ray diffraction and optical analyses. Indeed, for low doping ⩽2%, the results of X-ray spectra analysis show a simultaneous reduction of lattice parameters (a and c), this variation, which follows VEGARD’s law, tends to indicate a substitution of Zn by Al. By against for doping >2% the increase in the lattice parameters thus the grain sizes, in accordance with the VEGARD’s law can be explained by occupation of the interstitial sites by Al atoms. Beyond 4%, the material tends to get disorderly and the crystallites orientation is random. The studied optical properties show that the variation of the optical gap follows a law of the x3/2 form for x

South Asia is a region with a large and rising population, a high dependence on water intense industries, such as agriculture and a highly variable climate. In recent years, fears over the changing Asian summer monsoon (ASM) and rapidly retreating glaciers together with increasing demands for water resources have caused concern over the reliability of water resources and the potential impact on intensely irrigated crops in this region. Despite these concerns, there is a lack of climate simulations with a high enough resolution to capture the complex orography, and water resource analysis is limited by a lack of observations of the water cycle for the region. In this paper we present the first 25 km resolution regional climate projections of river flow for the South Asia region. Two global climate models (GCMs), which represent the ASM reasonably well are downscaled (1960–2100) using a regional climate model (RCM). In the absence of robust observations, ERA-Interim reanalysis is also downscaled providing a constrained estimate of the water balance for the region for comparison against the GCMs (1990–2006). The RCM river flow is routed using a river-routing model to allow analysis of present-day and future river flows through comparison with available river gauge observations. We examine how useful these simulations are for understanding potential changes in water resources for the South Asia region. In general the downscaled GCMs capture the seasonality of the river flows but overestimate the maximum river flows compared to the observations probably due to a positive rainfall bias and a lack of abstraction in the model. The simulations suggest an increasing trend in annual mean river flows for some of the river gauges in this analysis, in some cases almost doubling by the end of the century. The future maximum river-flow rates still occur during the ASM period, with a magnitude in some cases, greater than the present-day natural variability. Increases in river flow could mean additional water resources for irrigation, the largest usage of water in this region, but has implications in terms of inundation risk. These projected increases could be more than countered by changes in demand due to depleted groundwater, increases in domestic use or expansion of water intense industries. Including missing hydrological processes in the model would make these projections more robust but could also change the sign of the projections.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is one of the widely used nontraditional machining methods to produce die cavities by the erosive effect of electrical discharges. This method is popular due to the fact that a relatively soft electrically conductive tool electrode can machine hard work piece. Copper electrode is normally used for machining process. Electrode wear rate is the major drawback for EDM researchers. This research focus on fabrication of metal matrix composite (MMC) electrode by mixing copper powder with titanium carbide (TiC) and Tungsten carbide (WC) powder through powder metallurgy process, Copper powder is the major amount of mixing proportion with TiC and WC. However, this paper focus on the early stage of the project where powder metallurgy route was used to determine suitable mixing time, compaction pressure and sintering and compacting process in producing EDM electrode. The newly prepared composite electrodes in different composition are tested in EDM for OHNS steel.

This paper presents the Fuzzy controller based bridgeless buck converter has been estimated and the performance of the converter is analyzed. This converter has advantages like reduced switching losses, stresses and EMI. The method to predict the steady state and dynamic performance of the converter fed with PMDC motor operation has been presented. The proposed converter has been analyses with the closed loop and open loop condition. The simulation study indicates the superiority of fuzzy control over the conventional control methods. A prototype Buck converter is designed and experimentally demonstrated. The prototype is tested for the steady state and transient conditions. Comparison between experimental and simulations show a very good agreement and the reliability of fuzzy controller.

Il y a une tendance dans l'industrie minière vers une utilisation accrue de l'évaluation des risques, aux différents stades d'un projet minier : c'est le cas de l'utilisation des géosynthétiques dans le domaine minier, par exemple sur les aires de lixiviation en tas. L'évaluation des risques fait appel à des modèles dont les paramètres sont souvent entachés d'incertitude. On propose une évaluation des risques de fuite au travers d'une barrière multicouche sur une aire de lixiviation en tas, en tenant compte de deux types distincts d'incertitude : aléatoire (reflétant de la variabilité) et épistémique (reflétant la nature incomplète/imprécise de l'information disponible). Le traitement conjoint de ces deux types d'incertitudes permet de contribuer de manière plus cohérente au processus d'aide à la décision.

Islet transplantation is a promising treatment in type 1 diabetes, but the need for chronic immunosuppression is a major hurdle to broad applicability. Ex vivo introduction of agents by lentiviral vectors—improving β-cell resistance against immune attack—is an attractive path to pursue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether dissociation of islets to single cells prior to viral infection and reaggregation before transplantation would improve viral transduction efficacy without cytotoxicity. This procedure improved transduction efficacy with a LV-pWPT-CMV-EGFP construct from 11.2 ± 4.1% at MOI 50 in whole islets to 80.0 ± 2.8% at MOI 5. Viability (as measured by Hoechst/PI) and functionality (as measured by glucose challenge) remained high. After transplantation, the transfected pseudoislet aggregates remained EGFP positive for more than 90 days and the expression of EGFP colocalized primarily with the insulin-positive β-cells. No increased vulnerability to immune attack was observed in vitro or in vivo. These data demonstrate that dispersion of islets prior to lentiviral transfection and reaggregation prior to transplantation is a highly efficient way to introduce genes of interest into islets for transplantation purposes in vitro and in vivo, but the amount of β-cells needed for normalization of glycemia was more than eightfold higher when using dispersed cell aggregates versus unmanipulated islets. The high price to pay to reach stable and strong transgene expression in islet cells is certainly an important cell loss.

Article Highlights Garcinia gummi-gutta non-food grain low-cost feedstock grown in forest land is used for biodiesel production. Fuel properties of biodiesel were found to improve. Exhaust emissions were found to be less than diesel. This will lead to minimize pollution.

The Central Composite Design is used for the optimization of alkaline catalyzed transesterification parameters such as methanol quantity, catalytic concentration, and rotational speed by keeping the temperature and reaction time constant. The Central Composite Design method is employed to get the maximum safflower oil methyl ester yield. The combined effects of catalyst concentration, rotational speed, and molar ratio of alcohol to oil were investigated and optimized using response surface methodology. A statistical model has predicted the maximum yield of safflower oil methyl ester (94.69% volume of oil) parameters such as catalyst concentration (0.6 grams), methanol amount (30 mL), rotational speed (600 rpm), and keeping constant reaction temperature (55°C to 65°C) and reaction time (60 minutes). Experimental maximum yield of 91.66% was obtained at above parameters. XLSTAT is used to generate a linear model to predict the methyl ester yield as a function of methanol quantity, catalyst concentration, and rotational speed by keeping constant reaction temperature (55°C to 65°C) and reaction time (60 minutes). MINITAB is used to draw the 3D response surface plot and 2D contour plot to predict the maximum biodiesel yield.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae possess a new problem to health care professionals worldwide, which complicates and limits therapeutic options. It is one of the leading nosocomial bacterial pathogens, and the present study aims to determine the prevalence of ESβL producing K. pneumoniae isolates with their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in urine samples of the pregnant women with UTI. Materials and Methods: Using standard isolation and identification procedures a total of 41 isolates were obtained from 417 midstream urine samples of pregnant women with suspected UTI in Karnataka. The antibiotic resistance profile of each isolate was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and ESβL production by standard phenotypic method. Results: Isolation rate of K. pneumoniae in pregnant women was 19.9% and overall incidence rate was 9.8%. Among the 41 K. pneumoniae isolates, 26 (63.4%) were ESβL producers and all were found to be Multi Drug Resistance (MDR). The antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) for the isolates revealed that the highest number of K. pneumoniae were resistant to ampicillin (75.6%) followed by, nitrofurontoin and cefuroxime (73.1%) and least to chloramphenicol (12.1%). ESβL producers were highly resistance to nitrofurontoin (69.2%) and cotrimonazole (65.2%) and lower resistance was (7.6%) to amaikacin, observed. A higher resistance pattern to these two antibiotics was observed against ESβL non producing K. pneumonia but lowest to polymyxin B (13.3%) instead of amikacin (26.6%). All the isolates were found to be susceptible to imipenem. Conclusion: Present investigation revealed high prevalence of MDR- ESβL producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, which indicates dire need for effective ESβL surveillance in the community by using cost effective antimicrobials agents.

Hydroquinone (HQ) is a phenolic compound used in industry processes. We aim to demonstrate a rapid and simple procedure for the determination of HQ. This work has developed two techniques, including colorimetric and electrochemical sensors on paper-based devices. Firstly, we have developed the colorimetric detection for the rapid screening test of HQ using 1.5% 4-(dimethylamino) benzaldehyde with alkaline condition (5 M NaOH). Under suitable conditions, the calibration curve between the intensity and HQ concentration was in the range of 50-500 mg L -1 . Then, we developed a multi-walled carbon nanotube/graphene oxide/copper/palladium/platinum (MWCNT/GO/Cu/Pd/Pt) onto a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). The optimal amount of MWCNT/GO/Cu/Pd/Pt nanomaterial is 2 mg for HQ detection. The linear concentration range was found in the range 1 to 20 mg L -1  and a detection limit was found to be 0.40 mg L -1 (3.6 µM) for HQ. Moreover, the proposed device can be applied to determine HQ in real samples and is inexpensive technique, portable, and low consumer time., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry.)

We created novel Pd/CB-Ni@rGO nanomaterials for glucose detection. The as-synthesized nanomaterials were dropped on the electrode surface using the drop casting technique. The prepared electrode was then attached to a paper-based device containing the sample zone and the reaction zone, enabling plasma isolation and an enzymatic reaction for glucose detection in whole blood. The nanomaterials and surfaces of electrodes were characterized by FTIR, TEM, and SEM. The proposed approach is a disposable glucose detection method that is unaffected by protein fouling on the electrode, and it requires only one drop of human blood. Therefore, there is no need for extensive sample preparation, and there is less sample consumption. Under optimal conditions, Pd/CB-Ni@rGO can accurately measure blood glucose levels with a linear range of 7 to 7140 μM ( R 2 = 0.9986) and a low detection limit of 0.82 μM. Besides, the developed sensor shows excellent anti-interference capacity, stability, and satisfactory reproducibility and repeatability. Importantly, Pd/CB-Ni@rGO was successfully applied for glucose in whole blood from 4 volunteers, with results that correlated well with those obtained using an Accucheck glucometer at a 95% confidence level. Given its low cost, high accuracy, and ease of use, the blood glucose sensor holds significant potential for clinical use and broadens the area of future noninvasive sensor development.

Knowledge of the genetic units of species is fundamental to the conservation of biodiversity. This is true for all regions, including the Neotropics where the Earth has its greatest diversity, including roughly 34% of primate species, a group that has almost 60% of its taxa threatened with extinction. The untufted (gracile) capuchins are medium-sized Neotropical primates, traditionally classified in four species: Cebus albifrons, C. capucinus, C. olivaceus, and C. kaapori. They have a very confusing intra-specific systematics with a large number of fragmented and isolated populations throughout their geographical distributions. We sequenced a large sample of gracile capuchins, including all of the recognized species, to offset the paucity of phylogenic and phylogeographic data regarding this group and to try to understand their phylogeny and evolution. A set of 189 gracile and robust capuchins were sequenced for their mitogenomes whereas another set of 394 gracile and robust capuchins were sequenced at two individual mitochondrial genes (mtCOI-COII). Additionally, 41 Colombian gracile capuchins were geno typified at eight nuclear DNA microsatellites. Our main findings are as follows: (1) Nineteen different groups of gracile capuchin were detected with the mitogenomics data set and more than twenty significant groups and sub-groups were identified with the mtCOI-COII genes; (2) The temporal splits of the older gracile capuchin haplogroups expanded between 2 and 4 million years ago (MYA), during the Pliocene; (3) The two most northern taxa of Colombian C. albifrons (malitiosus and hypoleucus) are the same taxon (C. a. hypoleucus) as was claimed by Cabrera. This taxon represents an old colonization event from the Amazon to current northern Colombia. It is intensely hybridized (evidence from both mitochondrial and nuclear genes) with a haplogroup of C. capucinus (H3) and also has an influx of robust capuchins; (4) Three different and independent migrations of C. albifrons from the Amazon arrived to northern Colombia giving rise to C. a. hypoleucus (including malitiosus), C. a versicolor (including leucocephalus, cesarae, and pleei), and C. a. adustus; (5) On the Caribbean island of Trinidad, two different gracile capuchin taxa exist, one autochthonous, which could correspond to a fourth migration into northwestern South America (C. a. trinitatis) and probably another one, introduced more recently (C. olivaceus brunneus); (6) The values of the genetic distance analyses, the inexistence of reciprocal mitochondrial monophylia for many clades of gracile capuchins and the strong hybridization detected with nuclear microsatellites, especially among hypoleucus (malitiosus), C. capucinus-H3, versicolor, and cesarae, support that all the gracile capuchins belong to one unique superspecies: C. capucinus (senior name for all the gracile capuchins).

We sequenced the complete mitogenome of 39 sloths (19 Bradypus variegatus, 4 B. tridactylus, 1 B. pygmaeus, 1 B. torquatus, 4 Choloepus didactylus, and 10 C. hoffmanni). A Bayesian tree (BI) indicated a temporal split between Bradypus and Choloepus around 31 million years ago (MYA, Oligocene) and the other major splits within each genera during the Miocene and Pliocene. A haplotype network (MJN) estimated a lower temporal split between the sloth genera (around 23.5 MYA). Both methods detected the ancestor of B. torquatus as the first to diverge within Bradypus (21 for BI and 19 MJN), followed by that of the ancestor of B. tridactylus. The split of B. pygmaeus from the common ancestor with B. variegatus was around 12 MYA (BI) or 4.3 MYA (MJN). The splits among the previous populations of B. variegatus began around 8 MYA (BI) or 3.6 MYA (MJN). The trans-Andean population was the first to diverge from the remaining cis-Andean populations of B. variegatus. The genetic differentiation of the trans-Andean B. variegatus population relative to the cis-Andean B. variegatus is similar to that found for different species of sloths. The mitogenomic analysis resolved the differentiation of C. hoffmanni from the C. didactylus individuals of the Guiana Shield. However, one C. didactylus from the Colombian Amazon specimen was inside the C. hoffmanni clade. This could be the first example of possible natural hybridization in the Amazon of both Choloepus taxa or the existence of un-differentiable phenotypes of these two species in some Amazonian areas.