High Level Of Similarity Research Articles

Nakamurella leprariae sp. nov., isolated from a lichen sample.

A novel actinobacterium, YIM 132084T, was isolated from Lepraria sp. lichen collected from Yunnan province, south-west PR China and identified by a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strain was Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, non-motile and coccus-shaped. Colonies were round, convex, smooth and light orange yellow in color. It grew at 10-40°C (optimum 28°C), at pH 6.0-11.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-4% NaCl (optimum 0%). Strain YIM 132084T comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol as the major polar lipids, MK-8(H4) as the predominant menaquinone, and anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, iso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0 as major fatty acids. Strain YIM 132084T had meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan, and mannose, ribose, glucose and rhamnose as whole-cell sugars. The 16S rRNA gene sequence showed high level of similarity with Nakamurella flavida KCTC 19127T (97.7%) and Nakamurella flava CGMCC 4.7524T (97.7%). The G + C content of the genomic DNA was 72.4mol%. Based on draft genome sequences, strain YIM 132084T showed an average nucleotide identity value of 76.1% and 74.9%, a digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of 20.9% and 20.6% with the reference strains Nakamurella flavida and Nakamurella flava, respectively. The results of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses showed that strain YIM 132084T represents a novel species of the genus Nakamurella, for which the name Nakamurella leprariae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 132084T (= CGMCC 4.7667T = NBRC 114280T = KCTC 49367T).

Molecular characterization and genetic diversity studies of Indian soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars using SSR markers

BackgroundThe genetic base of soybean cultivars in India has been reported to be extremely narrow, due to repeated use of few selected and elite genotypes as parents in the breeding programmes. This ultimately led to the reduction of genetic variability among existing soybean cultivars and stagnation in crop yield. Thus in order to enhance production and productivity of soybean, broadening of genetic base and exploring untapped valuable genetic diversity has become quite indispensable. This could be successfully accomplished through molecular characterization of soybean genotypes using various DNA based markers. Hence, an attempt was made to study the molecular divergence and relatedness among 29 genotypes of soybean using SSR markers.Methods and resultsA total of 35 SSR primers were deployed to study the genetic divergence among 29 genotypes of soybean. Among them, 14 primer pairs were found to be polymorphic producing a total of 34 polymorphic alleles; and the allele number for each locus ranged from two to four with an average of 2.43 alleles per primer pair. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values of SSRs ranged from 0.064 to 0.689 with an average of 0.331. The dendrogram constructed based on dissimilarity indices clustered the 29 genotypes into two major groups and four sub-groups. Similarly, principal coordinate analysis grouped the genotypes into four major groups that exactly corresponded to the clustering of genotypes among four sub-groups of dendrogram. Besides, the study has reported eight unique and two rare alleles that could be potentially utilized for genetic purity analysis and cultivar identification in soybean.ConclusionIn the present investigation, two major clusters were reported and grouping of large number of genotypes in each cluster indicated high degree of genetic resemblance and narrow genetic base among the genotypes used in the study. With respect to the primers used in the study, the values of PIC and other related parameters revealed that the selected SSR markers are moderately informative and could be potentially utilized for diversity analysis of soybean. The clustering pattern of dendrogram constructed based on SSR loci profile displayed good agreement with the cultivar’s pedigree information. High level of genetic similarity observed among the genotypes from the present study necessitates the inclusion of wild relatives, land races and traditional cultivars in future soybean breeding programmes to widen the crop gene pool. Thus, hybridization among diverse gene pool could result in more heterotic combinations ultimately enhancing genetic gain, crop yield and resistance to various stress factors.

Epigenomic Changes after Acupuncture Treatment in Patients Suffering from Burnout

Introduction: The effects of acupuncture treatment in patients suffering from burnout may imply an epigenetic control mediated by DNA methylation changes. In this observational study, a genome-wide characterization of epigenetic changes in blood DNA, before and after acupuncture treatment, was performed in a cohort of 11 patients suffering from burnout. Methods: Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and DNA was extracted from blood samples and analyzed by Illumina EPIC BeadChip. Results: Before acupuncture, all patients suffered of emotional exhaustion (EE) (MBI-EE score, 44 ± 6), 81% suffered of depersonalization (DP) (MBI-DP score, 16 ± 6), and 72% of low feelings of personal accomplishment (PA) (MBI-PA score, 29 ± 9). After acupuncture, all MBI dimensions improved significantly (EE, 16 ± 11 [p = 1.5 × 10^–4]; DP, 4 ± 5 [p = 5.3 × 10^–4]; and PA, 40 ± 6 [p = 4.1 × 10^–3]). For each patient, both methylomes obtained before and after acupuncture co-clustered in the multidimensional scaling plot, indicating a high level of similarity. Genes corresponding to the 10 most differentially methylated CpGs showed enrichment in the brain dopaminergic signaling, steroid synthesis and in the insulin sensitivity pathways. Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment was found to be highly effective on all burnout dimensions and the epigenetic targets identified were involved in some major disturbances of this syndrome.

Molecular dynamics study of droplet electrocoalescence in the oil phase and the gas phase

• Dispersive attraction and steric effect of oil molecules affect droplet coalescence. • Solvent accessible surface area could determine when droplets contact and coalesce. • The migration of molecules causes uneven distribution of charges in water droplets. • The electro-coalescence behavior of droplets in oil and gas are highly similar. Under a uniform electric field, water droplets in a water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion approach and coalesce by dipole–dipole forces, which fundamentally affect the efficiency of electric dehydration. In order to unravel the molecular mechanism of droplet electrocoalescence, we explored the coalescence behavior of droplets in the oil phase and the simplified oil phase (nitrogen) under an external electric field using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results indicated that the coalescence process of droplets can be divided into three stages based on the solvent accessible surface area (SASA), before coalescence, coalescing and after coalescence. The two droplets completely coalesced when the center-of-mass distance between droplets was 2.73 nm. Weak interaction and interaction energy analysis revealed that the electrostatic attraction between water molecules dominated the coalescence process of water droplets due to the significant characteristics of electrostatic potential (ESP). The dispersion attraction of C 6 H 14 H 2 O and C 6 H 14 C 6 H 14 was very pronounced while the interactions related to nitrogen molecules were negligible, which was the underlying reason for the differences between droplet coalescence behaviors in the two media. Nevertheless, the coalescence behaviors of a droplet pair in oil and gas had a high level of similarity, which implied that the MD simulation results of the electric coalescence based on nitrogen is acceptable to some extent. The field-induced hydrogen and oxygen atoms migrated toward both ends of the droplet, causing the redistribution of charges and changing the overall dipole moment of the droplets. This study made it possible to use oil-phase molecules for MD simulation study on the electrostatic coalescence behavior of droplets in the W/O emulsion, and confirmed the feasibility of nitrogen replacing with the oil phase.

The burial ground on Tankovoye Lake (Iturup Island): brief history and results of researches

The burial ground located on a bank of Tankovoye Lake (Kuibyshevskoye) is one of the key sites in the archaeology of the Kuril Islands. This is due not only to the fact that huge archaeological collections reflecting all stages of peopling of the region have been collected here over many years of excavations but also to the fact that this burial ground still remains the only object of this kind throughout the entire islands chain. Moreover, apart of the burials themselves, the stone burial structures, which have not yet been recorded on other sites of the Kuril Islands, but have analogies in the Jōmon culture, were also revealed at the site. Interest in this site is also enhanced by recent genetic studies, which unexpectedly demonstrated a high level of genetic similarity of a person buried here with modern Koryaks and Itelmens. At the same time, despite the site’s uniqueness, it is heavily underrepresented in available scientific publications. Information about it can be found only in the field reports and in few the hard-to-reach regional publications. Therefore, this article provides a brief overview of all data gathered at this site. It is based on the field reports, data from the private archive of Y. Knorozov, museum collections of the Sakhalin Regional Museum, and on the results of the author’s own research as well. Summing up the outcomes of long-term researches, we have to state that the site’s unique objects remain almost unexplored. For many years, studies here were limited to visual examination, cleaning up of the dune opening, and surface artifact gathering. Therefore, the nature of the burial objects found at the site might be recognized only in the most general terms. Their cultural affiliation also remains questionable. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the early Epi-Jōmon epoch is most powerfully represented near the lake, while the bulk of the ceramics collected here belongs to the later stage of this epoch (in accordance with archaeological data from Hokkaido). In addition, artifacts of Middle and Final Jōmon, Okhotsk culture, Satsumon-Tobinitai culture, and Ainu are presented here as well. Presumably, people could bury their dead here during the epochs of Final Jōmon, Epi-Jōmon and, possibly, the Okhotsk culture.

Experimental evaluation of the similarity in the interface fracture energy between PMMA/epoxy/PMMA and PMMA/epoxy joints

In this investigation, a comparison of the interface fracture energy in the adhesive joints PMMA/PMMA bonded by epoxy and PMMA/epoxy is presented. The work focuses on the question of how similar is the fracture energy in these joints, including its dependence on the fracture mode mixity. Series of tests for Brazilian disk specimens subjected to compressive loading were carried out in order to obtain the fracture energy as a function of the fracture mode mixity. A careful observation with a high-speed camera of the steps of crack growth allowed to determine the validity of each sample and explore the different forms of failure. The present results show a high level of similarity in the fracture energy prediction for the two configurations, having the largest differences for the largest fracture mode-mixity angles. The similarity between the results for the two configurations is useful to simplify some analyzes in practical applications. Nonlinear finite element models, including plastic effects, show that different process zones in the two configurations could be the source of the small discrepancy found between the two configurations in the experimental results. These results pinpoint the relevance of the constraining effect of the thin adhesive layer on the process zone.

The morphological character variation analysis of Schizostachyum lima (Blanco) Merr in Central Lombok Regency

The small diameter size with thin wall thickness is the unique character of S. lima, so it is appropriate to be used as raw material for environmentally friendly bamboo straws. This environmentally friendly bamboo straw has become one of the mainstay export commodities from Lombok Island. This research aimed at determining the diversity of S.lima in Central Lombok Regency through morphological characteristics and analyzing the phenetic relationship. The research was conducted from November 2020 to June 2021 in Central Lombok Regency. Determination of sampling locations based on literature and the community, especially bamboo craftsmen and S.lima collectors. There are 45 phenetic characters used in this research, consisting of qualitative data and quantitative data. Data analysis was used the NTSYS PC version 2.11a to analyze phenetic relationships. The phenogram was analyzed and subsequently used to develop descriptions of each S.lima which was found in the Central Lombok Regency. As a result, most of S.lima was found growing in community plantations with variations in the soil texture. The results of the cluster analysis resulted in 2 large groups, the first group consisting of 21 locations S.lima was found, and the second group only consisted of 1 location, namely Lantan. The level of similarity between the first group and the second group 2 was only 40%. Another group consisting of 21 locations showed a varying degree of similarity from one location to another (52%-93%). There are 6 locations that have the highest level of similarity (93%), namely, between Jurit and Presak bat, Bebante with Mekar Damai and Montong Terep, and Gunung Ise. The results of this study indicate that S.lima found in all locations in Central Lombok did not show significant variation when the growth factor was optimal. Further research by molecular approach is needed to determine the genetic variation of S. lima in Central Lombok Regency.

Design, computational studies, synthesis and in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of benzimidazole based thio-oxadiazole and thio-thiadiazole analogues

BackgroundTwo series of benzimidazole based thio-oxadiazole and thio-thiadiazole analogues were designed and synthesised as novel antimicrobial drugs through inhibition of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS), which is a promising antimicrobial target. Compounds were designed to mimic the structural features of phenylalanyl adenylate (Phe-AMP) the PheRS natural substrate.MethodsA 3D conformational alignment for the designed compounds and the PheRS natural substrate revealed a high level of conformational similarity, and a molecular docking study indicated the ability of the designed compounds to occupy both Phe-AMP binding pockets. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation comparative study was performed to understand the binding interactions with PheRS from different bacterial microorganisms. The synthetic pathway of the designed compounds proceeded in five steps starting from benzimidazole. The fourteen synthesised compounds 5a-d, 6a-c, 8a-d and 9a-c were purified, fully characterised and obtained in high yield.ResultsIn vitro antimicrobial evaluation against five bacterial strains showed a moderate activity of compound 8b with MIC value of 32 μg/mL against S. aureus, while all the synthesised compounds showed weak activity against both E. faecalis and P. aeruginosa (MIC 128 μg/mL).ConclusionCompound 8b provides a lead compound for further structural development to obtain high affinity PheRS inhibitors.

The effects of bimodal action of photodynamic and photothermal therapy on antimicrobial and shear bond strength properties of orthodontic composite containing nano-graphene oxide

Background: White spot lesions are a common adverse effect of fixed orthodontic treatment and represent the main challenge to achieving esthetic appearance. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate physico-mechanical and antimicrobial potency of orthodontic composite (OC; Transbond XT) containing nano-structured graphene oxide (nGO) (OC-nGO) as a novel composite following photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) against Streptococcus mutans. Materials and methods: Following preparation of OC-nGO, shear bond strength (SBS) and adhesive remnant index (ARI) of the test OC-nGO (containing 1, 2, 5, and 10% wt. nGO) were measured using a universal testing machine and stereomicroscope, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of test OC contained different concentrations of nGO were determined by disk agar diffusion (DAD), biofilm formation inhibition, and eluted components assays. After continuously rinsed in the aging process (up to 180 days), the antimicrobial activity of OC-nGO containing the highest concentration of nGO which had simultaneously the highest antimicrobial activity and SBS value were determined by DAD, biofilm formation, metabolic activity, and gtfB gene expression assays following photo-activation using diode laser irradiation against S. mutans. Data were analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The Bonferroni post hoc test was used for comparison between the experimental groups. The significant difference was considered at P values < 0.05. Results: OC with 5% wt. nGO showed simultaneously the highest SBS value (10.64 ± 2.76 MPa, P < 0.05) an antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities. The OC-nGO in all test concentrations of nGO had ARI scores as same as control group (Transbond XT without the nGO) (P < 0.05). In microbial biofilm formation and gene expression assays, the reduction of photothermal disinfection and anti-virulence activities of the 5% wt. OC-nGO against test bacterium was associated with the time of aging process, so they were reduced significantly up to day 150. Diode laser irradiated 5% wt. OC-nGO suppressed 15.6 and 8.1-fold gtfB mRNA expressions in the biofilm growth of the S. mutans at days 120 and 150 of rinsing (P < 0.05). Microbial biofilm formation and gtfB gene expression in S. mutans at day 180 following PAD had a high level of similarity with OOC as the control group. 5% wt. OC-nGO following photo-activation was not colonized by the S. mutans at day 90 and significant suppressed 91.98% and 76.37% of S. mutans biofilm formation at day 120 and 150, respectively (both P < 0.05). From day 120 onwards, metabolic activity was progressively increased on laser-irradiated 5% wt. OC-nGO discs compared to the control group (OC alone). Photo-activated OC-nGO containing 5% wt. nGO suppressed 86.94% and 46.82% metabolic activity of the S. mutans at days 120 and 150 of rinsing (both P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our data support that the photo-activated 5% wt. OC-nGO can serve as an orthodontic composite/adhesive additive to control cariogenic bacterial biofilms.

Study on the genetic diversity of wax trees (Rhus succedanea L.) in Northern mountainous region of Vietnam by SSR and SCoT markers

Wax tree has been cultivated to get lacquer, a valuable source of material that is necessary for many industries and handicrafts. Evaluating not only phenotype but also genotype is essential in order to increase the efficiency of new breeding program. In this study, the genetic relationship at the molecular level of 90 wax trees collected in three regions, i.e., Tam Nong, Thanh Son (Phu Tho) and Chiem Hoa (Tuyen Quang), was analyzed by SSR and ScoT markers. The results revealed a significant diversity among the individuals, with similarity coefficient from 0.41 to 0.98. The sample group collected in Chiem Hoa was significantly different from that in Tam Nong. Most of samples which had a high level of genetic similarity, from 0.95 to 0.98, were pairs of samples at the same geographical origin. The high similarity degree of these samples is likely due to the practice of selecting seeds from high-yield wax tree to be kept for seeds. These results provide the necessary information for new wax tree breeding program.

Automated detection of former field systems from airborne laser scanning data: a new approach for Historical Ecology

Former field systems (FFS) are the most widespread traces of ancient activities in present European landscapes and represent significant perturbations to ecosystems. Through its ability to penetrate forest canopies and detect microlandforms, Airborne Laser Scanning data reveal archaeological relics over large areas, from periods older than the first available Historical Topographic Maps. Mapping these traces from ALS-derived data (e.g. Digital Elevation Model (DEM)) thus allows for a determination of a new temporal baseline in order to evaluate the effects of a longer history on current patterns of biodiversity. Here, we evaluate the ability of traditional machine learning (Random Forest-RF) and deep learning (Fully Connected Networks-FCN) models to detect Medieval Terraced slopes and Ridges and Furrows (RaF) from an ALS-derived DEM in the southern Vosges (1462 km2). We used a combination of Local Binary Patterns and topographical metrics to measure properties of FFS and to train detection models. We then assessed the relative performance of each model semantically and spatially. Our results demonstrated the high suitability of our approach for reproducing major trends in the landscape with a high level of similarity between the predicted and reference spatial patterns (Structural Similarity Index - SSIM > 0.75). RF outperformed FCN for Terraced Slopes, whilst minimizing the false positive rate. FCN slightly outperformed RF for the RaF dataset but showed promising abilities to survey unseen data with a low sensitivity to annotation errors. We suggest that this approach has the potential to offer new spatio-temporal possibilities in Historical Ecology studies as a means of automatically detecting past archaeological ecosystems from a landscape to a regional scale.

Insights into the discrepancy between Azadinium spp. and azaspiracid toxins near strategically important aquaculture operations in the west and southwest of Ireland

Apparent increases in harmful algal blooms worldwide have fostered attempts at mitigating their impacts on the aquaculture industry. The dinoflagellate species Azadinium spinosum has been described as the de novo azaspiracid (AZA) toxin producer of AZA-1 and -2 and been implicated in shellfish poisoning incidents (AZP) around Europe, regularly affecting shellfish mariculture operations.Several species of Azadinium have been confirmed in Irish coastal waters, and routine monitoring has shown disparities between Azadinum spp. cell count estimates in the water column and AZA concentrations in shellfish.A survey of bays on the southwest and west coasts of Ireland, carried out in August 2016, investigated the late summer distribution of Azadinium spp. and AZAs. Molecular analysis of water column samples showed very low levels of Az. spinosum. However, AZAs were found in 44% of samples, including in Az. spinosum negative samples. PCR-DGGE analysis was carried out using Amphidomataceae family specific primers on a selection of Az. spinosum negative, but AZA positive, samples. Subsequently sequenced DNA amplicons showed a high level of similarity with other Azadinium species suggesting that the species-specific molecular assays, in current use for monitoring Azadinium spp., are not capturing the likely greater diversity of the genus in Irish waters.

Molecular Characterization of Novel x-Type HMW Glutenin Subunit 1B × 6.5 in Wheat.

A novel high molecular weight glutenin subunit encoded by the Glu-1B locus was identified in the French genotype Bagou, which we named 1B × 6.5. This subunit differed in SDS-PAGE from well-known 1B × 6 and 1B × 7 subunits, which are also encoded at this locus. Subunit 1B × 6.5 has a theoretical molecular weight of 88,322.83 Da, which is more mobile than 1B × 6 subunit, and isoelectric point (pI) of about 8.7, which is lower than that for 1B × 6 subunit. The specific primers were designed to amplify and sequence 2476 bp of the Glu-1B locus from genotype Bagou. A high level of similarity was found between the sequence encoding 1B × 6.5 and other x-type encoding alleles of this locus.

Electoral Performance of New Political Parties in Ukraine: The Context of Electoral Volatility at the Parliamentary Level (1998–2019)

This article is devoted to study and comparative analysis of the features and levels of support for new political parties during parliamentary elections in Ukraine, in particular the period 1998–2019. With this in mind, mainly based on the calculations of the indices of overall electoral volatility, intra-system electoral volatility and extra-system electoral volatility, we analyze the parameters of changes in electoral support (by voters) for political parties, in particular new ones, during the 1998–2019 parliamentary elections in Ukraine. In addition, we correlate overall, intra-system and extra-system electoral volatility, and present the correlation of overall electoral volatility in the sample of all political parties as the subjects of electoral processes in Ukraine and political parties elected to the national parliament (the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine). As a result, the study outlines two clusters of extra-system electoral volatility, which show the highest level of similarity, and calculates the dependence of the level of electoral volatility and stability of the party system in Ukraine. With this background, we conclude that electoral volatility in Ukraine is largely determined by the effect of party affiliation or desire to belong to the government or opposition, and is regulated by the special context of identity politics in this country.

Expression and Functional Analyses of Nymphaea caerulea MADS-Box Genes Contribute to Clarify the Complex Flower Patterning of Water Lilies.

Nymphaeaceae are early diverging angiosperms with large flowers characterized by showy petals and stamens not clearly whorled but presenting a gradual morphological transition from the outer elements to the inner stamens. Such flower structure makes these plant species relevant for studying flower evolution. MADS-domain transcription factors are crucial components of the molecular network that controls flower development. We therefore isolated and characterized MADS-box genes from the water lily Nymphaea caerulea. RNA-seq experiments on floral buds have been performed to obtain the transcript sequences of floral organ identity MADS-box genes. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses confirmed their belonging to specific MADS-box gene subfamilies. Their expression was quantified by RT-qPCR in all floral organs at two stages of development. Protein interactions among these transcription factors were investigated by yeast-two-hybrid assays. We found especially interesting the involvement of two different AGAMOUS-like genes (NycAG1 and NycAG2) in the water lily floral components. They were therefore functionally characterized by complementing Arabidopsis ag and shp1 shp2 mutants. The expression analysis of MADS-box genes across flower development in N. caerulea described a complex scenario made of numerous genes in numerous floral components. Their expression profiles in some cases were in line with what was expected from the ABC model of flower development and its extensions, while in other cases presented new and interesting gene expression patterns, as for instance the involvement of NycAGL6 and NycFL. Although sharing a high level of sequence similarity, the two AGAMOUS-like genes NycAG1 and NycAG2 could have undergone subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization, as only one of them could partially restore the euAG function in Arabidopsis ag-3 mutants. The hereby illustrated N. caerulea MADS-box gene expression pattern might mirror the morphological transition from the outer to the inner floral organs, and the presence of transition organs such as the petaloid stamens. This study is intended to broaden knowledge on the role and evolution of floral organ identity genes and the genetic mechanisms causing biodiversity in angiosperm flowers.

The Legionella Effector SdjA Is a Bifunctional Enzyme That Distinctly Regulates Phosphoribosyl Ubiquitination.

ABSTRACTLegionella pneumophila promotes its survival and replication in phagocytes by actively modulating cellular processes using effectors injected into host cells by its Dot/Icm type IV secretion system. Many of these effectors function to manipulate the ubiquitin network of infected cells, thus contributing to the biogenesis of the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV), which is permissive for bacterial replication. Among these, members of the SidE effector family (SidEs) catalyze ubiquitination of functionally diverse host proteins by a mechanism that is chemically distinct from the canonical three-enzyme cascade. The activity of SidEs is regulated by two mechanisms: reversal of the phosphoribosyl ubiquitination by DupA and DupB and direct inactivation by SidJ, which is a calmodulin-dependent glutamylase. In many L. pneumophila strains, SidJ belongs to a two-member protein family. Its homolog SdjA appears to function differently from SidJ despite the high-level similarity in their primary sequences. Here, we found that SdjA is a bifunctional enzyme that exhibits distinct activities toward members of the SidE family. It inhibits the activity of SdeB and SdeC by glutamylation. Unexpectedly, it also functions as a deglutamylase that reverses SidJ-induced glutamylation on SdeA. Our results reveal that an enzyme can catalyze two completely opposite biochemical reactions, which highlights the distinct regulation of phosphoribosyl ubiquitination by the SidJ effector family.

Morphology and Fine Organization of the Midgut of Poecilimon ataturki Ünal, 1999 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

In order to do detailed experiments about the internal organs of the insects or to improve new methods relevant to pest management, the biology of the species should be well known. For this reason, this paper deals with Poecilimon ataturki Ünal, 1999 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) which is a bush crickets and is known to be harmful to the nature. Morphology and structure of the midgut of P. ataturki have been investigated by using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The midgut of this species has two main regions called the ventriculus and the gastric caecum. The ventriculus has a tubular structure morphologically, whereas the gastric caecum has a bulbous structure. The ventriculus has two cell types in epithelial layer as the principle and the regenerative cells. The fine structure of the ventriculus and the gastric caecum cells revealed that the secretion activity moves from cell to lumen. These structures show a high level of similarity compared with the midgut structure of the previously studied species in the Orthoptera order despite some differences.

Explainable robotic systems: understanding goal-driven actions in a reinforcement learning scenario

Robotic systems are more present in our society everyday. In human–robot environments, it is crucial that end-users may correctly understand their robotic team-partners, in order to collaboratively complete a task. To increase action understanding, users demand more explainability about the decisions by the robot in particular situations. Recently, explainable robotic systems have emerged as an alternative focused not only on completing a task satisfactorily, but also on justifying, in a human-like manner, the reasons that lead to making a decision. In reinforcement learning scenarios, a great effort has been focused on providing explanations using data-driven approaches, particularly from the visual input modality in deep learning-based systems. In this work, we focus rather on the decision-making process of reinforcement learning agents performing a task in a robotic scenario. Experimental results are obtained using 3 different set-ups, namely, a deterministic navigation task, a stochastic navigation task, and a continuous visual-based sorting object task. As a way to explain the goal-driven robot’s actions, we use the probability of success computed by three different proposed approaches: memory-based, learning-based, and introspection-based. The difference between these approaches is the amount of memory required to compute or estimate the probability of success as well as the kind of reinforcement learning representation where they could be used. In this regard, we use the memory-based approach as a baseline since it is obtained directly from the agent’s observations. When comparing the learning-based and the introspection-based approaches to this baseline, both are found to be suitable alternatives to compute the probability of success, obtaining high levels of similarity when compared using both the Pearson’s correlation and the mean squared error.

QbD based formulation optimization of semi-solid lipid nanoparticles as nano-cosmeceuticals

Nano-cosmeceuticals are cosmetic formulations containing nano-drug delivery systems to carry cosmetic active molecules to the relevant skin tissues. The purpose of this research is to develop and optimize the semi-solid nanostructured lipid carriers for caffeine delivery to the deeper skin layers. It is also aimed to achieve a novel nanotechnology-based cosmeceutical formulation with predetermined quality. Hence both caffeine and argan oil encapsulated semi-solid NLCs were developed by following QbD steps. An artificial neural network (ANN) program was employed to reach optimized formulation with desired critical quality attributes (CQAs). The optimized formulation suggested by the ANN exhibited a particle size of 186.5 nm with a PDI value of 0.208 and the occlusion factor of the optimized formulation reached 50.25% after 12 h. A high level of similarity was obtained between the CQAs predicted by ANN and experimental results for the optimum formulation. The present study concluded that the novel caffeine-loaded semi-solid NLC formulation which also contains argan oil is a promising candidate for local treatment of cellulite and it may possess the measurable skin effect. Moreover; a high-quality nano-cosmeceutical product was obtained with the help of artificial intelligence by following QbD steps for the first time to the best of our knowledge.

Analysis of the Morphological Diversity of Inflorescence of Six Tunisian Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Pollinators

Six Tunisian date palm pollinators were morphologically characterized at the inflorescence level. The aim was to assess the level of similarity between the spathe of the three flowering stages. Nineteen qualitative and quantitative characteristics were explored and subjected to multivariate analyzes. The results showed that inflorescences morphological similarity oscillated between 97.9 and 62.2% with an average of 80.1%, which testifies strong genetic relations among the six genotypes and among flowering stages/cycles within each genotype. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) analysis shows that weight of the spathe (SW), number of spathe (NS), shape of spathe (SS), total length of the spathe (TLS), shape of spikelets (SPS), number of spikelets per spathe (NS), These characteristics are defined by axis 1 and 2 which absorbing a total of 56.3% of total variability. Phylogenetic relationship analysis showed that two groups were distinguished by a high level of genetic similarity of inflorescences at each flowering stage. According to the analysis, the second flowering stage is the most distinguished morphologically with the highest sizes of the quantitative characteristics studied.