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The Collective Thomson scattering technique has been implemented to study the stagnation of a single liner gas-puff. The plasma parameters are determined by theoretically modelling the scattering form factor in combination with Bayesian inference to provide the set of the most probable parameters that describe the experimental data. Analysis of the data reveal that incoming flows are able to interpenetrate partially. Estimation of the mean free path shows a gradual transition from a weakly collisional to a collisional regime as the plasma gets to the axis. Furthermore, we find that the ion energy at r = 2.5 mm is 13.6 - 0.9 + 1.0 keV and is mostly kinetic in nature and represents 98 - 9 + 10 % of the total energy. This kinetic energy is far greater than the value on axis of 3.7 - 0.5 + 0.4 keV which is 84 - 14 + 15 % of the total energy. Energy transfer to the electrons and radiation losses are found to be negligible by this time. A possible explanation for this energy imbalance is the presence of an azimuthal magnetic field larger than ∼ 4.7 T that deflect the ions vertically. The uncertainties quoted represent 68% credible intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The validation of any new methodological proposal demands several real-life implementations. However, organizations are reluctant to invest without the firm guarantee that they will be returned the entire expended amount of money. For this purpose, expert judgment techniques are very useful to provide a less-costly initial validation that, when positive, may encourage organizations to use these new proposals. Therefore, the primary goal of the paper will be to assess how expert judgment techniques based on the Delphi method can be applied to Web Engineering field and, more in particular, to assess the validity of the NDT-Agile framework. NDT-Agile is a framework that combines Agile and Web Engineering techniques to meet Capability Maturity Model Integration development goals. The paper presents a real example of an application of a Delphi-based expert judgment method to assess NDT-Agile framework validity, explaining the design as well as the selection and usage of the different techniques it involves. The application of the method will allow assessing benefits and limitations of use in Web Engineering. As a main conclusion, we will state the utility of the proposed methods to obtain a low-resource initial validation of a certain proposal. Finally, we will identify further lines of research related to the analyzed topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted reproductive technologies are a combination of medical strategies designed to treat infertility patients. Ideal stimulation treatment has to be individualized, but one of the main challenges which clinicians face in the everyday clinic is how to select the best medical protocol for a patient. This work aims to look for behavior patterns in this kind of treatments, using fuzzy logic models with the objective of helping gynecologists and embryologists to make decisions that could improve the process of in vitro fertilization. For this purpose, a real-world dataset composed of one hundred and twenty-three (123) patients and five hundred and fifty-nine (559) treatments applied in relation to such patients provided by an assisted reproduction clinic, has been used to obtain the fuzzy models. As conclusion, this work corroborates some known clinic experiences, provides some new ones and proposes a set of questions to be solved in future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to make a current diagnosis of the scientific production of Ibero-American researchers on information literacy and information competences during the last four decades. The literature output on information literacy was examined using the techniques of bibliometric analysis and information visualization. The literature considered was that constituted by the articles included in the Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), Scopus (Elsevier), Library and Information Science Abstracts, and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts databases. The occurrence of descriptors was analysed using VOSViewer, a program that groups them into clusters and generates a map of their connections. The results showed exponential growth of some 30 % annually between 2005 and 2011, with a mean of 14.45 documents per year. Spain, with 119 documents, was the top producing country, followed by Brazil with 76. The distribution of the more than 500 authors fitted a Lotka-law pattern, and the distribution of the 105 journals fitted the three zones of a Bradford-law pattern. The visualization map showed the 62 descriptors to group into seven clusters. For its centrality, there stood out 'Information literacy', strongly related with 'Information Science'. At the edge of the map were 'Digital literacy' and 'School library', indicative of their lack of any strong relationship with other terms. The 'Education', 'Knowledge management', 'Universities & colleges', and 'University libraries' descriptors were linked closely with the main IL theme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrative approach is taken to mapping the field of research on information literacy in health sciences and social sciences. The objective was to identify the conceptual structure of these areas, and to determine their main research fronts and descriptors, and the relationships between them. A further objective is to determine whether information literacy is a consistent area. The basis of the study is the use of the program VOSViewer to analyse the co-occurrence of the areas' descriptors, grouping them into clusters and generating a map of their connections. Information retrieval was by retrospective searches of the Web of Science (Thomson Reuters) and Scopus (Elsevier). The results for the health sciences area yielded four clusters. The centralmost descriptor was Education (with a total link strength of 1,470), which was strongly linked to the descriptor ' Information retrieval', and weakly linked to ' Information skills', ' Information seeking', and ' Information Science'. In social sciences, there were six clusters. ' Information literacy' was now the descriptor with most occurrences (812) as well as having the greatest weight-a total link strength of 2,340-followed by ' Education' with 839 occurrences. The resulting maps provide a graphical identification of the main research issues and trends in information literacy in these two areas of expertise which, according to the data of the present study, correspond to lesser (health sciences) and greater (social sciences) scientific production. Information literacy was seen to be conceptually more consistent in health sciences than in social sciences. However, at least for the moment, it is a still growing conceptual space that is in need of solider indices of consistency and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Proteomic and transcriptomic profiles of key enzymes were monitored in pineapple plants propagated under C3 and CAM-inducing metabolisms to obtain insight into the CAM-facultative metabolism and the relationship of CAM plants with oxidative stress. Abstract: Pineapple is one of the most important tropical crops worldwide. The use of temporary immersion bioreactors for the first stages of pineapple propagation enables precise control of plant growth, increases the rate of plant multiplication, decreases space, energy and labor requirements for pineapple plants in commercial micropropagation. Once the plantlets are ready to be taken from the reactors, they are carefully acclimatized to natural environmental conditions, and a facultative C3/CAM metabolism in the first 2 months of growth is the characteristic of pineapple plants, depending on environmental conditions. We subjected two sets of micropropagated pineapple plants to C3 and CAM-inducing environmental conditions, determined by light intensity/relative humidity (respectively 40 μmol m s/85 % and 260 μmol m s/50 %). Leaves of pineapple plants grown under CAM-inducing conditions showed higher leaf thickness and more developed cuticles and hypodermic tissue. Proteomic profiles of several proteins, isoenzyme patterns and transcriptomic profiles were also measured. Five major spots were isolated and identified, two of them for the first time in Ananas comosus (OEE 1; OEE 2) and the other three corresponding to small fragments of the large subunit of Rubisco (LSU). PEPC and PEPCK were also detected by immunobloting of 2DE at the end of both ex vitro treatments (C3/CAM) during the dark period. Isoenzymes of SOD and CAT were identified by electrophoresis and the transcript levels of OEE 1 and CAT were associated with CAM metabolism in pineapple plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hohenbergia penduliflora (A. Rich.) Mez. inhabits the protected ecological area of Cunagua Highland, Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. The availability of this plant for experimental purposes is exceedingly limited. Tissue cultured plants of this specie, would be useful for propagation purposes. Experiments were carried out to optimize the micropropagation process from the disinfection of fruits to ex vitro hardening of regenerated plantlets. The best results were obtained when seeds were disinfected with 2 % (v:v) sodium hypochlorite for 20 min and placed in vitro for 45 days for seed germination. Tissue cultured shoots (1 cm) with vertical wounds in the basal region (5 mm long) were placed in a medium containing Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts, 100 mg l myo-inositol, 0.1 mg l thiamine-HCl, 30 g l sucrose, 8.8 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 1.6 μM naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Shoots were proliferated for 45 days to obtain 8.21 new shoots per explant; they were subsequently divided and rooted on a medium containing 1.6 μM NAA for 30 days. For ex vitro hardening, plastic trays containing 82 cm of filter-cake-sugarcane ashes were used; 100 % survival rate was recorded. After 6 months of hardening, plants were established ex vitro and ready for protease extraction. Comparisons between protein contents, proteolytic activities and specific proteolytic activities of extracts from stems of macro- and micropropagated plants were acquired. Tissue cultured stems showed statistically lower figures which is why Ethrel was tested here to increase proteolytic activity in micropropagated plant stems. After Ethrel applications, protein contents, proteolytic activities and specific proteolytic activities of extracts from stems were the three main indicators recorded. However, other biochemical effects of Ethrel were also evaluated, such as, levels of chlorophyll pigments, malondialdehyde and other aldehydes; and superoxide dismutase, and guaiacol peroxidase activities. Rising concentrations of Ethrel (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 mg l) decreased protein contents at 72 h but increased proteolytic and specific proteolytic activities of stem extracts. Ethrel was effective in increasing proteolytic activity in in vitro culture-derived plant stems, at a level higher than in field-grown plant stems. Moreover, Ethrel increased superoxide dismutase and guaiacol peroxidase-specific activities in leaves; and decreased chlorophyll pigments. Ethrel did not affect levels of malondialdehyde and other aldehydes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many plant species grown under in vitro controlled conditions can be used as models for the study of physiological processes. Adult pineapple can display CAM physiology while in vitro it functions as a C3 plant. Ex vitro Ananas comosus has plastic morphology and physiology, both easy to modify from C3 to CAM by changing the environmental conditions. The yield of survival for a rentable propagation protocol of pineapple is closely related with the C3/CAM shift and the associated physiological characteristics. In the present work, ex vitro pineapple plants were divided in two sets and subjected to C3 and CAM-inducing environmental conditions, determined by light intensity and relative humidity, respectively, 40 μmol m s/85% and 260 μmol m s/50%. The results demonstrated that the stress imposed by the environmental conditions switched pineapple plants from C3 to CAM behavior. Comparing to CAM induced, C3-induced pineapple plants showed substandard growth parameters and morphological leaf characteristics but a better rooting process and a higher ABA production, a phenotype closer to adult plants, which are expected to produce fruits in a normal production cycle. We conclude that the upholding of these characteristics is conditioned by low light intensity plus high relative humidity, especially during the first 8 weeks of ex vitro growth. It is expected that the better understanding of pineapple acclimatization will contribute to the design of a protocol to apply as a rentable tool in the pineapple agronomic industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure for the mass propagation of pineapple plants ( Ananas comosus L. Merr) using a temporary immersion technique is described. This procedure involved three distinct phases in the automated temporary immersion system: shooting, bud differentiation and elongation. To establish this protocol, we used in vitro shoots obtained from established liquid culture as starting materials. Three culture methods (solid, liquid and temporary immersion) were compared. Temporary immersion increased the multiplication rate and fresh and dry weight after 42 days. Conventional micropropagation (liquid medium) and temporary immersion were compared in combination with paclobutrazol. Paclobutrazol promoted the formation of compact bud clusters with limited leaf development. The highest multiplication rate (106) was found when ex-plants were cultured in shooting medium (MS+2.1 mg/l BA+0.3 mg/l NAA) supplemented with 1 mg/l PB for 7 weeks. A 10-l temporary immersion bioreactor was used to test two approaches during elongation stage: reduction of the shoot-formation period or decrease of the initial number of explants. The highest number of competent and uniform plants (191.8 plant/l) was achieved when shoots were cultured for 4 weeks in shooting medium supplemented with PB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninu (greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis) are desert-dwelling, culturally and ecologically important marsupials. In collaboration with Indigenous rangers and conservation managers, we generated the Ninu chromosome-level genome assembly (3.66 Gbp) and genome sequences for the extinct Yallara (lesser bilby, Macrotis leucura). We developed and tested a scat single-nucleotide polymorphism panel to inform current and future conservation actions, undertake ecological assessments and improve our understanding of Ninu genetic diversity in managed and wild populations. We also assessed the beneficial impact of translocations in the metapopulation (N = 363 Ninu). Resequenced genomes (temperate Ninu, 6; semi-arid Ninu, 6; and Yallara, 4) revealed two major population crashes during global cooling events for both species and differences in Ninu genes involved in anatomical and metabolic pathways. Despite their 45-year captive history, Ninu have fewer long runs of homozygosity than other larger mammals, which may be attributable to their boom-bust life history. Here we investigated the unique Ninu biology using 12 tissue transcriptomes revealing expression of all 115 conserved eutherian chorioallantoic placentation genes in the uterus, an XY 1 Y 2 sex chromosome system and olfactory receptor gene expansions. Together, we demonstrate the holistic value of genomics in improving key conservation actions, understanding unique biological traits and developing tools for Indigenous rangers to monitor remote wild populations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)