Glucose and Fructose Fermentation by Wine Yeasts in Media Containing Structurally Complex Nitrogen Sources

Glucose and fructose fermentations by industrial yeasts strains are strongly affected by both the structural complexity of the nitrogen source and the availability of oxygen. In this study two Saccharomyces cerevisiae industrial wine strains were grown, under shaken and static conditions, in a media containing either a) 20% (w/v) glucose, or b) 10% (w/v) fructose and 10% (w/v) glucose or c) 20% (w/v) fructose, all supplemented with nitrogen sources varying from a single ammonium salt (ammonium sulfate) to free amino acids (casamino acids) and peptides (peptone). Data suggest that a complex structured nitrogen source is not submitted to the same control mechanisms as those involved in the utilization of simpler structured nitrogen sources, and mutual interaction between carbon and nitrogen sources, including the mechanisms involved in the regulation of aerobic/anaerobic metabolism, may play an important role in defining yeast fermentation performance and the differing response to the structural complexity of the nitrogen source, with a strong impact on fermentation performance.     

Importance of Reservoir Tributaries to Spawning of Migratory Fish in the Upper Paraná River

Regulation of rivers by dams transforms previously lotic reaches above the dam into lentic ones and limits or prevents longitudinal connectivity, which impairs access to suitable habitats for the reproduction of many migratory fish species. Frequently, unregulated tributaries can provide important habitat heterogeneity to a regulated river and may mitigate the influence of impoundments on the mainstem river. We evaluated the importance of tributaries to spawning of migratory fish species over three spawning seasons, by comparing several abiotic conditions and larval fish distributions in four rivers that are tributaries to an impounded reach of the Upper Paraná River, Brazil. Our study confirmed reproduction of at least 8 long‐distance migrators, likely nine, out of a total of 19 occurring in the Upper Paraná River. Total larval densities and percentage species composition differed among tributaries, but the differences were not consistent among spawning seasons and unexpectedly were not strongly related to annual differences in temperature and hydrology. We hypothesize that under present conditions, densities of larvae of migratory species may be better related to efficiency of fish passage facilities than to temperature and hydrology. Our study indicates that adult fish are finding suitable habitat for spawning in tributaries, fish eggs are developing into larvae, and larvae are finding suitable rearing space in lagoons adjacent to the tributaries. Our findings also suggest the need for establishment of protected areas in unregulated and lightly regulated tributaries to preserve essential spawning and nursery habitats. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Karhunen-Loeve decomposition in the presence of symmetry. I

The Karhunen-Loeve (KL) decomposition is widely used for data which very often exhibit some symmetry, afforded by a group action. For a finite group, we derive an algorithm using group representation theory to reduce the cost of determining the KL basis. We demonstrate the technique on a Lorenz-type ODE system. For a compact group such as tori or SO(3,R) the method also applies, and we extend results to these cases. As a short example, we consider the circle group S(1 ).     

Biased TCR repertoire in infiltrating lesional T cells in human Bancroftian filariasis

To investigate the hypothesis that T cells recognizing specific Ags localize to the site of disease activity in human bancroftian filariasis, we have compared the repertoire of TCR Vbeta gene segments in lesions vs blood in individual patients by RT-PCR ELISA. Vbeta14 and Vbeta24 were overrepresented (5% greater in tissue compared with PBMCs and/or tissue/PBMC ratios in the highest 5% of all tissue/PBMC ratios for all Vbetas for all subjects) in 50% and 40% of study subjects, respectively. Overrepresentation of these two Vbetas did not occur in any control subject. In comparing three patient groups, the proportion of individuals meeting at least one criterion for Vbeta14 overrepresentation was shown to increase in tandem with our current concepts of disease progression (asymptomatic filariasis = 25%; clinical filariasis with active infection = 60%; clinical filariasis without active infection = 71%). In 6 of the 10 individuals with Vbeta14 overrepresentation, Vbeta14 represented >20% of the entire lesional Vbeta repertoire. All but one of the 20 study subjects had at least one Vbeta gene segment that was overrepresented in tissue compared with PBMCs. Only a small number of Vbetas, usually three or less, were overrepresented in any single filariasis patient. However, in the same tissue, no differences between patient groups were found when IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-12 mRNA expression were examined. Taken together, these findings suggest that, in principle, in essentially all patients, whether with subclinical or with clinical filariasis, distinct and limited T cell populations are concentrated in affected tissue.     

A new approach to analyze the degradation and breakdown of thin SiO2 films under static and dynamic electrical stress

A test procedure, which provokes the oxide breakdown in two stages, is proposed to analyze the degradation and breakdown of thin SiO ₂ films. This procedure can partially overcome the problems associated with dynamic tests and allows a direct comparison of static and dynamic stresses. The analysis of the data obtained using the proposed method has allowed us to conclude that the oxide breakdown is strongly affected by the degradation induced at the beginning of the test. This result provides a high sensibility to the method, helping it to study the oxide degradation under tests closer to operation conditions keeping reasonable testing times     

Philosophically Based Limitations to Freedom of Speech in Virtual Communities

This paper applies political philosophy to the question of freedom of speech in virtual communities. It takes as its starting point the philosophical justifications given for freedom of speech in (Greenawalt, in Computers, Ethics and Social Values, Prentice-Hall, 1995). For each of these justifications I discuss the types of speech to which they apply, and implications for virtual communities. The justifications imply several limitations to freedom of speech within a well-run virtual community. I give some examples in which the existence of virtual communities can be used to reflect on extant philosophical arguments and practices. By applying the list of steps for thinking about systems given in (Churchman, in The Systems Approach, New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1968), I obtain a classification framework for thinking about the merits and demerits of a particular speech act, and describe a justification for freedom of speech, missing from Greenawalt's list, that this classification helped me to identify. I give a summary of practical suggestions for administrators of virtual communities. Finally, I discuss why I consider the question of how to regulate speech in virtual communities matters, from a global perspective.     

Endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs depends on current mood state.

In two studies we tested the hypothesis that endorsement of dysfunctional beliefs depends on current mood state for persons who are vulnerable to depression. The first study showed that reports of dysfunctional beliefs vary with spontaneous diurnal mood fluctuations in 47 depressed psychiatric patients. The effect of mood state was highly significant (p?     

Hepatic hemangioma. Analysis of 103 cases. Clinical considerations and imaging methods

Hemangiomas are the most common benign vascular tumor found in the liver. In this study, 103 cases of hepatic hemangiomas were analysed in a retrospective manner. Image aspects such as those seen in ultrassonography, computed tomography, nuclear magnetic resonance and arteriography are discussed. The incidence was higher amongst the female sex, between individuals from 40 to 60 years old, which presented predominantly without symptoms (66%) and localized mainly in the right hepatic lobe (74%). The meaning of those aspects, when adopted, permits the clinicians to differentiate benign from malignant nodular lesions in the liver.     

On the Internet: Turbulence and 1001 Nights of Networked Performance

In this issue, Art Beat looks at networked performance, featuring Turbulence, a net art portal. Turbulence's Helen Thorington and Jo-Ann Green discuss their blog, Networked_Performance, which provides an extensive archive of networked performances. We also profile performance artist Barbara Campbell's 1,001 Nights Cast, a durational networked performance project. Multimedia researchers interested in Web 2.0 might want to help develop a template or standard that lets performance artists share and search their work on the Web. Such work could also ensure that certain software, when it fades away, is translatable or included in new versions of software so that viewing art isn't contingent on outdated file formats.