Measuring DNI with a New Radiometer Based on an Optical Fiber and Photodiode.

A new cost-effective radiometer has been designed, built, and tested to measure direct normal solar irradiance (DNI). The proposed instrument for solar irradiance measurement is based on an optical fiber as the light beam collector, a semiconductor photodiode to measure the optical power, and a calibration algorithm to convert the optical power into solar irradiance. The proposed radiometer offers the advantage of separating the measurement point, where the optical fiber collects the solar irradiation, from the place where the optical power is measured.

Molecular and Cellular Characterization of Primary Endothelial Cells from a Familial Cavernomatosis Patient.

Cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) or familial cavernomatosis is a rare, autosomal dominant, inherited disease characterized by the presence of vascular malformations consisting of blood vessels with an abnormal structure in the form of clusters. Based on the altered gene (, , ) and its origin (spontaneous or familial), different types of this disease can be found. In this work we have isolated and cultivated primary endothelial cells (ECs) from peripheral blood of a type 1 CCM patient.

A melting pot of Roman dogs north of the Alps with high phenotypic and genetic diversity and similar diets.

Several dog skeletons were excavated at the Roman town of Augusta Raurica and at the military camp of Vindonissa, located in the northern Alpine region of Switzerland (Germania Superior). The relationships between them and the people, the nature of their lives, and the circumstances of their deaths are unclear. In order to gain insight into this dog population, we collected 31 dogs deposited almost simultaneously in two wells (second half of the third century CE), three dogs from burial contexts (70-200 CE and third to fifth century CE) at Augusta Raurica, and two dogs from burial contexts at Vindonissa (ca.

Pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma-an atypical clinical presentation.

HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma is an angioproliferative neoplasia caused by infection with human herpesvirus 8. It typically presents with mucocutaneous involvement. Pulmonary Kaposi's sarcoma is rare, and an uncommon form of initial presentation of the disease.

cutaneous infection: An opportunistic disease in an immunosuppressed patient with myasthenia gravis.

can cause chronic skin, soft-tissue or bone infections. and is often associated with the immunocompromised state.We describe a case of a 58-year-old male patient with myasthenia gravis, chronically immunosuppressed, with a four month progression of growing erythematous, nodular and hard cutaneous lesions in the left forearm, leg and foot.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis in non-endemic countries: An emerging yet neglected problem.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is the most common leishmaniasis syndrome, yet a neglected disease in industrialized non-endemic countries, where it has become an emergent problem. The lack of clinical experience, evidence-based literature and availability of some treatments complicates its management. We report a CL case in a 30 year-old man returned from Brazil, with a cutaneous ulcerated lesion, where it was possible to isolate complex (subgenus ).

Correction: Genetic diversity, genetic structure and diet of ancient and contemporary red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from north-eastern France.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Genetic diversity, genetic structure and diet of ancient and contemporary red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) from north-eastern France.

In north-eastern France, red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) populations were rebuilt from a few hundred individuals, which have subsisted in remote valleys of the Vosges mountains, and to a lesser extent from individuals escaped from private enclosures; at present times, this species occupies large areas, mainly in the Vosges Mountains. In this study, we examined the population dynamics of red deer in the Vosges Mountains using ancient and contemporary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 140 samples (23 ancient + 117 modern) spanning the last 7'000 years.

Culturable fungi of stored 'golden delicious' apple fruits: a one-season comparison study of organic and integrated production systems in Switzerland.

The effects of organic and integrated production systems on the culturable fungal microflora of stored apple fruits from five matched pairs of certified organic and integrated 'Golden Delicious' farms were studied at five representative production sites in Switzerland. Isolated fungi were identified morphologically. Colonization frequency (percentage of apples colonized), abundance (colony numbers), and diversity (taxon richness) were assessed for each orchard.

[Advances in hypertension and diabetes in 2007].

This article contains a review of some of the main developments reported in 2007 on the topics of hypertension and diabetes. The most important was the publication of the European Society of Cardiology's clinical practice guidelines on the two conditions, both of which have been adopted by the Spanish Society of Cardiology. Elsewhere, we have recently been witnessing crucial debates on the use of rosiglitazone for the treatment of diabetes and on the drug's effect on cardiovascular outcomes.

Large-scale analysis of 73 329 physcomitrella plants transformed with different gene disruption libraries: production parameters and mutant phenotypes.

Gene targeting in the moss Physcomitrella patens has created a new platform for plant functional genomics. We produced a mutant collection of 73 329 Physcomitrella plants and evaluated the phenotype of each transformant in comparison to wild type Physcomitrella. Production parameters and morphological changes in 16 categories, such as plant structure, colour, coverage with gametophores, cell shape, etc.

Functional analysis of genes involved in the synthesis of syringolin A by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B301 D-R.

Strains of the phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae secrete a family of structurally closely related peptide derivatives dubbed syringolins, of which syringolin A is the major variant. The function of syringolins in the interaction of P.

High frequency of phenotypic deviations in Physcomitrella patens plants transformed with a gene-disruption library.

Background: The moss Physcomitrella patens is an attractive model system for plant biology and functional genome analysis. It shares many biological features with higher plants but has the unique advantage of an efficient homologous recombination system for its nuclear DNA. This allows precise genetic manipulations and targeted knockouts to study gene function, an approach that due to the very low frequency of targeted recombination events is not routinely possible in any higher plant.

The pab1 gene of Coprinus cinereus encodes a bifunctional protein for para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) synthesis: implications for the evolution of fused PABA synthases.

The pab1 gene of the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus encodes PABA synthase, necessary for para-aminobenzoic acid production. The C. cinereus protein is bifunctional with an N-terminal glutamine amidotransferase domain and a C-terminal chorismate amination domain.

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection by Candida glabrata in an adult.

We describe the first case of infection of a neurosurgical shunt by Candida glabrata in an adult. The risk factors, clinical picture and response to therapy have been similar to similar cases caused by other Candida sp. We must emphasize the unequivocal features of infection and the rapid and probably complete response to removal of the device.

Syringolin-mediated activation of the Pir7b esterase gene in rice cells is suppressed by phosphatase inhibitors.

Inoculation of rice plants (Oryza sativa) with the nonhost pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae leads to the activation of defense-related genes and ultimately to induced resistance against the rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae. One of the molecular determinants of P.

Rapid isolation of genes from an indexed genomic library of C. cinereus in a novel pab1+ cosmid.

In this study we present an indexed genomic library of homokaryon AmutBmut constructed within a novel cosmid carrying pab1+ as a selectable Coprinus marker. The average insert size per cosmid comprises 41 kb. We screened the library and detected copies of known (a1-2, beta-tub, cgl1, ras, trp1) and of new Coprinus genes (cac, lac1, lac2, lac3).

The A mating type and blue light regulate all known differentiation processes in the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus.

Monokaryons of Coprinus cinereus constitutively form small spores (oidia) in the aerial mycelium. Some strains also produce large, inflated single cells (chlamydospores) at the agar/air interface, and hyphal aggregates (hyphal knots) that can develop into sclerotia. Monokaryons show various reactions upon transformation with heterologous A mating type genes.

Blue Light Overrides Repression of Asexual Sporulation by Mating Type Genes in the Basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus.

Monokaryotic mycelia of the homobasidiomycete Coprinus cinereus form asexual spores (oidia) constitutively in abundant numbers. Mycelia with mutations in both mating type loci (Amut Bmut homokaryons) also produce copious oidia but only when exposed to blue light. We used such an Amut Bmut homokaryon to define environmental and inherent factors that influence the light-induced oidiation process.

Restriction enzyme-mediated DNA integration in Coprinus cinereus.

Restriction enzyme-mediated DNA integration (REMI) has recently received attention as a new technique for the generation of mutants by transformation in fungi. Here we analyse this method in the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus using the homologous pabI gene as a selectable marker and the restriction enzymes BamHI, EcoRI and PstI. Addition of restriction enzymes to transformation mixtures results in an earlier appearance of transformants and influences transformation rates in an enzyme- and concentration-dependent manner.