Genetic Variability and Population Structure of Salvia lachnostachys: Implications for Breeding and Conservation Programs

The genetic diversity and population structure of Salvia lachnostachys Benth were assessed. Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) molecular markers were used to investigate the restricted distribution of S. lachnostachys in Parana State, Brazil. Leaves of 73 individuals representing three populations were collected. DNA was extracted and submitted to PCR-ISSR amplification with nine tested primers. Genetic diversity parameters were evaluated. Our analysis indicated 95.6% polymorphic loci (stress value 0.02) with a 0.79 average Simpson’s index. The Nei-Li distance dendrogram and principal component analysis largely recovered the geographical origin of each sample. Four major clusters were recognized representing each collected population. Nei’s gene diversity and Shannon’s information index were 0.25 and 0.40 respectively. As is typical for outcrossing herbs, the majority of genetic variation occurred at the population level (81.76%). A high gene flow (Nm = 2.48) was observed with a correspondingly low fixation index. These values were generally similar to previous studies on congeneric species. The results of principal coordinate analysis (PCA) and of arithmetic average (UPGMA) were consistent and all three populations appear distinct as in STRUCTURE analysis. In addition, this analysis indicated a majority intrapopulation genetic variation. Despite the human pressure on natural populations our study found high levels of genetic diversity for S. lachnostachys. This was the first molecular assessment for this endemic species with medicinal proprieties and the results can guide for subsequent bioprospection, breeding programs or conservation actions.     

Quality enhancement of the abundant under‐valued crustacean,lobster krill (Munida spp.), during its chilled storage

Lobster krill (Munida genus) represents an under‐valued crustacean frequently caught on European fishing banks. In this work, its sensory, microbiological and biochemical qualities were evaluated during chilled storage. Additionally, the effects of a prestorage antimelanosic treatment consisting of soaking in sodium metabisulphite (SMB) solutions at two different concentrations (0.25% and 0.75%) were also studied. SMB prestorage treatment provided lobster specimens that still exhibited acceptable sensory quality after 10 days of storage, while control specimens were unacceptable at that time. SMB treatment also resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of microbial growth, mainly of Enterobacteriaceae, psychrotrophes and proteolytic bacteria. Low lipid oxidation levels were observed for all batches; however, a significantly higher (P < 0.05) retention of polyunsaturated fatty acids was found in SMB‐treated lobster, especially in the 0.75% SMB batch. The results presented here open the way to the potential commercialisation of currently under‐utilised lobster krill as a chilled product.     

Digital inclusion of people with disabilities: a qualitative study of intra-disability diversity in the digital realm

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an in-depth study of intra-disability diversity in the digital realm and the related role of individuality and selectiveness in the digital choices and experiences of people with disabilities (PwD). The study adopts the interactionist model of disability and problematises conceptual uniformity in research that focuses on the medical and socially-constructed features of disability as those determining digital constraints and affordances for PwD. Through primary qualitative evidence, it argues that individuality and selectiveness shape a complex terrain of intra-disability diversity, which forms the nuances and experiences of digital inclusion for PwD. Thus, it invites researchers to move beyond disability-fixed categorisations and offers a 3-tier recommendation for future research to explain the range of PwD’ perceptions and experiences in the digital realm.     

人工湿地-微生物电解池耦合系统的脱氮特性

实验构建了人工湿地-微生物电解池耦合系统（CW-MEC），并考察了CW-MEC在阴极有无曝气及不同水力停留时间（HRT）的条件下对生活污水的处理效果。实验结果显示，降低HRT会让CW-MEC阴极、阳极的COD去除率由91.11%±7.76%、86.58%±9.54%降低为77.81%±14.84%、81.44%±11.11%，氨氮去除率由58.54%±5.80%、58.22%±5.03%降低为48.04%±12.94%、48.27%±13.40%；阴极增加曝气会让CW-MEC阴极、阳极的COD去除率分别提高到89.51%±3.92%、82.40%±1.63%，阴极氨氮去除率提高到71.51%±16.44%，而阳极氨氮去除率不受影响；增加阴极曝气条件后，系统阴、阳极开始有硝酸盐氮积累，而CW-MEC阴极的硝酸盐氮含量明显低于对照组（CW-MFC）；通过电化学性能分析，相对于CW-MFC系统，CW-MEC具有更低的内阻；通过微生物多样性分析，CW-MEC系统具有更丰富的微生物多样性。     

Diversity and functional characteristics of lactic acid bacteria from traditional kefir grains

Traditional kefir grains were collected from distinct parts of Turkey, and their microbial profile was determined. A wide bacterial biota was observed formed by distinct lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in which Lactococcus lactis strains appeared to be dominant. Yeast species were also identified in kefir grains. Significant levels of antifungal and antibacterial activities were monitored in kefir isolates. All tested LAB produced an exopolysaccharide (EPS) containing glucose and galactose, and some strains formed a fructan‐type EPS. Importantly, low levels of antibiotic resistance were observed among the kefir isolates.     

Computational color analysis of paintings for different artists of the XVI and XVII centuries

We have performed a computational color analysis of images of paintings for six master painters: Titian, Rubens, El Greco, Velázquez, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. These painters show the evolution from the renaissance to the baroque style. Different first and second‐order statistical parameters have been obtained and analyzed in order to fix which of them can be common for the different artists and which of them can be representative of a certain period of time or the evolution of the art. The firsts include the orientation and semi‐axes ratio of the ellipses that define the gamut in the chromaticity diagram and the dependencies with the frequency of the power of the Fourier transforms. Most differences among artists can be found in the volume and area of the gamut, the number of discernible colors which is greater for Titian, El Greco and Rubens, compared to Velázquez, Rembrandt and Vermeer, the average value of L* and the number of dark pixels.     

Performance improvement of microbial fuel cell through artificial intelligence

The current work introduces an enhancement in the performance of the microbial fuel cell through estimating the optimal set of controlling parameters. The maximization of both power density (PD) and the percentage of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were considered as the enhancement in the cell's performance. Three main parameters in terms of performance as well as commercialization are the system's inputs; the Pt which takes the range of 0.1‐0.5 mg/cm², the degree of sulphonation in sulfonated‐poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone that changes in the range of 20‐80%, and the rate of aeration of cathode which varies between 10 and 150 mL/min. From the experimental dataset, two robust adaptive neuro‐fuzzy inference system models based on the fuzzy logic technique have been constructed. The comparisons between the models' outputs and the experimental data showed well‐fitting in both training and testing datasets. The mean squared errors of the PD model, for testing and whole datasets, were found 2.575 and 0.909 while for the COD model it showed 19.242 and 6.791, respectively. Then, based on the two fuzzy models, a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm has been used to determine the best parameters that maximize both of the PD and the COD removal of the cell. The optimization process was utilized for single and multi‐object optimization processes. In the single optimization, the resulting maximums of the PD and the COD removal were found 62.844 (mW/m²) and 99.99 (%), respectively. Whereas, in the multi‐object optimization, the values of 61.787 (mW/m²) and 96.21 (%) were reached as the maximums for the PD and COD, respectively. This implies that, in both cases of optimization processes, the adopted methodology can efficiently enhance the microbial fuel cell performances than the previous work.