Effect of altitude on Mistletoe’s distribution in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BNIP), Uganda

This study examined mistletoes in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in South Western Uganda. In 6.4 ha, comprising 64 plots, divided between disturbed and less disturbed forests, spanning on an elevation range of 1160 to 2607 m a.s.l. 1,496 mistletoescounts were recorded, comprising of 21 species in seven genera and two families. These were hosted on 542 host trees comprising of 45 species in 18 unique mistletoes –host families. These mistletoes showed a preference for stems growing in open conditions with the mean density of 356 ha-1 versus 129 ha-1 in denser forest. The most abundant mistletoe species were found in the altitudinal range of a1000.5-1500m and 1500.5-2000.5m a.s.l with minimum numbers of counts dominated by Englerina woodfordiodes (with a count of 151 contributing to 23.18 %.) and Phragamenthera usuiensis (with155 counts contributing to f 42.8% of mistletoes in Bwindi forest).Mistletoe abundance differed significantly between altitude ranges (P < 0.001) although it was similar between the forest edge and interior sites (P= 0.565).Nevertheless, six mistletoe species were recorded over one hundred times each and another six species were recorded only once implying that the species list is incomplete. Application of Chao’s estimator indicated that mistletoe species richness is likely to exceed 40 species suggesting that mistletoes represent a significant component of the forest’s botanical diversity.

Differential expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs during male germ-like cell differentiation in human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells by RNA-seq

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of various biological processes and crucial for cell development and differentiation. However, their roles in the differentiation of human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) into male germ-like cells remain largely unknown. Method: Here, the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in undifferentiated HUMSCs and HUMSCs undergoing differentiation into male germ-like cells was analyzed. RNA-sequencing was performed to profile the expression of non-coding RNAs. We analyzed the total expression of lncRNAs/mRNAs at three time points during HUMSC differentiation [day (D)7, D14, and D21]. Result: Expression profiling revealed 110 lncRNAs, 584 mRNAs, and 21 miRNAs common to the three experimental groups during HUMSC male germ-like cell differentiation. The maximum and minimum total overall lncRNA expression occurred on D14 (638) and D21 (283), respectively. The maximum and minimum numbers of up-regulated mRNAs were observed on D21 (2,398) and D7 (2,106), respectively. The maximum and minimum numbers of down-regulated mRNAs were observed on D14 (3,357) and D21 (202), respectively. The expression level of mRNA ENST00000486554 was up-regulated on D7, D14, and D21 after induction. Pathway analysis identified meiotic signaling pathways and nitrogen metabolism as being associated with the differentiation potential of HUMSC male germ-like cells. Non-coding RNA expression profiles significantly differed in HUMSC male germ-like cell differentiation. One mRNA, ENST00000486554, was crucial for differentiation. Conclusions: Our results provide a systematic perspective on the potential functions of non-coding RNAs and novel insights into the complicated regulatory mechanisms underlying the differentiation of HUMSCs into male germ-like cells.

National mapping and estimation of forest area by dominant tree species using Sentinel-2 data

Nation-wide Sentinel-2 mosaics were used with National Forest Inventory (NFI) plot data for modelling and subsequent mapping of spruce-, pine- and deciduous-dominated forest in Norway at a 16m×16m resolution. The accuracies of the best model ranged between 74% for spruce and 87% for deciduous forest. An overall accuracy of 90% was found on stand level using independent data from more than 42,000 stands. Errors mostly resulting from a forest mask reduced the model accuracies by approximately 10%. The produced map was subsequently used to generate model-assisted (MA) and post stratified (PS) estimates of species-specific forest area. At the national level, efficiencies of the estimates increased by 20% to 50% for MA and up to 90% for PS. Greater minimum numbers of observations constrained the use of PS. For MA estimates of municipalities, efficiencies improved by up to a factor of 8 but were sometimes also less than 1. PS estimates were always equally as or more precise than direct and MA estimates but were applicable in fewer municipalities. The tree species prediction map is part of the Norwegian forest resource map and is used, among others, to improve maps of other variables of interest such as timber volume and biomass.

The Minimum Numbers for Certain Positive Operators

In this paper we give upper and lower bounds of the infimum of k&nbsp; such that kI+2ReT&otimes;Sm&nbsp; is positive, where Sm&nbsp; is the m&times;m&nbsp; matrix whose entries are all 0&rsquo;s except on the superdiagonal where they are all 1&rsquo;s and T&isin;BH&nbsp; for some Hilbert space H. When T&nbsp; is self-adjoint, we have the minimum of k. When m=3&nbsp; and T&isin;B(H)&nbsp; , we obtain the minimum of k&nbsp; and an inequality Involving the numerical radius w(T) .

The Neglected Microbial Components of Commercial Probiotic Formulations

Producers of probiotic products are legally required to indicate on the label only the minimum numbers of viable microorganisms at the end of shelf life expressed as colony-forming units (CFUs). Label specifications, however, describe only a fraction of the actual microbiological content of a probiotic formulation. This paper describes the microbiological components of a probiotic product that are not mentioned on the label, such as the actual number of CFUs, the presence of viable cells that cannot generate colonies on agar plates, and the abundance of dead cells. These “hidden” microbial fractions in probiotic products, the abundance of which may change during the shelf life, can promote biological responses in the host. Therefore, they should not be ignored because they may influence the efficacy and can be relevant for immunocompromised or fragile consumers. In conclusion, we propose the minimum requirements for microbiological characterization of probiotic products to be adopted for label specifications and clinical studies.

A combined loading transducer for calculating the bending moment and torque in a slender circular beam using the minimum numbers of strain gauges, strain grids, and measurement channels

The purpose of this work is to develop a new methodology that uses the minimum numbers of strain gauges, strain grids, and measurement channels to calculate the bending moment and torque in a slender circular beam under combined loading from measured strains in it. In general, each independent variable requires a minimum of one independent measurement. Two grids of a single-rosette strain gauge located at 45° and −45° from the longitudinal axis of the beam are used in conjunction with two measurement channels to gather all measurements and form a combined loading transducer. A theoretical set of equations of the new methodology is developed to minimize numbers of strain grids and measurement channels, and an experimental configuration was tested in a variety of scenarios. Calibration factors were independently developed for the bending moment and torque of the beam by separately loading it in their respective directions. These calibration factors were applied to different combined loading scenarios, where errors were found to be on average 1.6% for moment comparison and 6.7% for torque comparison.