Fourth order gravity and experimental constraints on Eddington parameters

PPN-limit of higher order theories of gravity represents a still controversial matter of debate and no definitive answer has been provided, up to now, about this issue. By exploiting the analogy between scalar-tensor and fourth-order theories of gravity, one can generalize the PPN-limit formulation. By using the definition of the PPN-parameters $\gamma$ and $\beta$ in term of the $f(R)$ derivatives, we show that a family of third-order polynomial theories, in the Ricci scalar $R$, turns out to be compatible with the PPN-limit and the deviation from General Relativity theoretically predicted agree with experimental data.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Reconciling dark energy models with f(R) theories

Higher order theories of gravity have recently attracted a lot of interest as alternative candidates to explain the observed cosmic acceleration without the need of introducing any scalar field. A critical ingredient is the choice of the function f(R) of the Ricci scalar curvature entering the gravity Lagrangian and determining the dynamics of the universe. We describe an efficient procedure to reconstruct f(R) from the Hubble parameter $H$ depending on the redshift z. Using the metric formulation of f(R) theories, we derive a third order linear differential equation for f(R(z)) which can be numerically solved after setting the boundary conditions on the basis of physical considerations. Since H(z) can be reconstructed from the astrophysical data, the method we present makes it possible to determine, in principle, what is the f(R) theory which best reproduces the observed cosmological dynamics. Moreover, the method allows to reconcile dark energy models with f(R) theories finding out what is the expression of f(R) which leads to the same H(z) of the given quintessence model. As interesting examples, we consider "quiessence" (dark energy with constant equation of state) and the Chaplygin gas.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication on Physical Review

A screening method for ranking chemicals by their fate and behaviour in the environment and potential toxic effects in humans following non-occupational exposure

A large number of chemicals are released intentionally or unintentionally into the environment each year. These include thousands of substances that are currently listed worldwide and several hundred new substances added annually (Mücke et al., 1986). When these compounds are used, they can reach microorganisms, plants, animals and man either in their original state or in the form of reaction and degradation products via air, water, soil or foodstuffs. Hence environmental chemicals can occur in practically all environmental compartments and ecosystems. It is not feasible to conduct assessments of human exposure and possible associated health effects for all chemicals. Even if the necessary resources were available, reliable data for a quantitative evaluation are likely to be absent in most cases. This has led to the development of schemes for prioritising compounds likely to be of environmental significance. Such schemes can be used to direct future research efforts towards the prioritised compounds. This study was commissioned by the Department of Health (DH) as part of a broader research activity that aims to identify key priority chemicals of concern to human health at routine levels of environmental exposure. The main pathways of human exposure are shown in Figure 1.1. A review of the principal prioritisation schemes used by different organisations to assess the significance of chemical release into the environment has been conducted by the MRC Institute for Environment and Health (IEH, 2003). This review showed that the approaches used by different organisations vary widely, depending on the initial reasons for which the schemes were developed. The basic information presented in the review was used to develop a simple screening method for ranking chemicals. The model used in this prioritisation scheme is outlined in Figure 1.2. The main purpose in developing the prioritisation scheme for DH was to develop a dedicated priority setting method capable of identifying chemicals in air, water, soil and foodstuffs that might pose a significant risk to human health following low level environmental exposure. The methodology was developed in order to identify compounds that required further assessment and those that had data gaps. More detailed risk assessments were conducted at a later stage on those compounds prioritised as being of high importancea. The screening methodology was developed for ‘existing chemicals’ as these are of greatest concern because data on their toxicity and/or fate and behaviour are often unknownb. The production of a priority list was designed to highlight compounds that required further regulatory measures to reduce exposure of the general population and for which an in-depth risk characterisation would be necessary to assist in the evaluation and implementation of activities for reducing environmental risks. This might include an assessment of the costs of such risks to human health and the costs of reduction measures. As the scheme also aimed to identify data gaps that might warrant further investigation, the application of default categories for chemicals with no data was also considered. The overall aim was to develop a screening methodology that is quick, clear and simple to use and that can easily be revised to take into account new information on compounds as and when it becomes available. a Benzene (IEH Report on Benzene in the Environment, R12); 4,6-dichlorocresol, hexachloro-1,3-butadiene, tetrachlorobenzene, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (reports to DH; available from MRC Institute for Environment and Health b ‘Existing Substances’ are those that were placed in the European Union (EU) market before 1981. Prior to 1981 regulatory requirements were related to products intended for certain uses (e.g. veterinary medicines) and did not require assessment of the hazardous properties of any substance before they were released into the market. For substances placed on the market after 1981 (classified as ‘New Substances’) there is a legal requirement to conduct such assessments. Regulatory agencies require the collection of extensive documentation for safety before a chemical, for example, can be used in foods or commercial products. IEH Web Report W14, posted March 2004 at http://www.le.ac.uk/ieh/ 4 This report describes how physicochemical properties and toxicological data were incorporated into a screening model to assess the potential fate and transfer of chemicals between different environmental compartments and to predict the potential human exposure to toxic chemicals through the inhalation of contaminated air and the ingestion of water and food. It must be stressed, however, that the method devised is a simple screening process and that a more detailed assessment is necessary to determine the potential transfer through the foodchain of a chemical and the full extent of any adverse health effects. Sections 2 and 4 present the physicochemical properties, toxicological data and algorithms used to screen the compounds. Section 3 summarises the groups of chemicals that were included in the screening process. The results of the prioritisation scheme and comments on their limitations and constraints are presented in Section 5

Cholesterol in coronary heart disease and psychiatric disorders: same or opposite effects on morbidity risk?

The goal of this article is to review the studies that have linked low cholesterol levels with psychiatric symptoms or behavioral disorders in order to clarify which cholesterol fractions may influence psychological well being and mental health. The distinction between "bad" (i.e., pro-atherogenic) and "good" (i.e., anti-atherogenic) cholesterol is crucial to decide if the clinical benefits of low cholesterol levels for cardiovascular health might turn into a risk factor for psychiatric morbidity. Although the data from studies linking low cholesterol to aggression, suicide and self-harm, impulsivity, negative mood, postnatal depression, and cognitive dysfunction are far from unequivocal, the balance of evidence from new randomized controlled trials is reassuring. However, there are some subgroups of vulnerable individuals who, unlike the majority of persons in the general population, are susceptible to the psychological and behavioral adverse outcomes associated with low cholesterol levels. Because in some cases pro-atherogenic lipid and lipoprotein fractions are involved in this vulnerability, reaching the double goal of promoting both cardiovascular and mental health may be problematic for some individuals. A major task of future research is to identify these vulnerable individuals

Bioaccumulation of PCB & DDE methyl sulfones in marine mammals and their interactions with receptor proteins

PCB and DDE-Methyl sulphone metabolites are the product of enzymatic and bile acid entero hepatic metabolism in the final phase (III) of PCB and DDE detoxification in mammals following hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450-dependent metabolism (phase I) and conjugation (phase II). There is good evidence that PCB and DDE methyl sulphone (MSF) metabolites interfere with steroid binding to a receptor protein in uterine epithelium (uteroglobin - UG2 and bronchial epithelium (clara cell secretory protein - CCSP). UG and CCSP are homologous 16,000 Da proteins with different tissue-specific functions. UG binds progesterone in the pre-implantation uterus to signal localised endometrial thickening and capillary formation, vital for successful attachment of the fertilised embryo. PCB-MSFs can displace progesterone in the mammalian uterus due to their higher affinity for UG, resulting in implantation failure or early fetal death. CCSP however, functions to sequester phospholipase A2 (PLA2) released in response to stress (pathogenic infection / injury) to suppress inflammatory responses triggered by PLA2 in bronchial epithelium. CCSP is also known as retinol-binding protein (RBP) transporting retinol (vit A) to target epithelia for a functional immune response*. Studies with Harbour Seals demonstrated displacement of retinol from RBP by hydroxy-PCB metabolites resulting in immunosuppression. PCB-MSFs have been shown to accumulate in clara cells and uterine epithelium in laboratory radioactive tracer studies and CCSP-knock out studies with mice. PCB and DDE -MSFs burdens have been found in marine mammals, suggesting they may be subject to reproductive and immuno-toxic effects of these metabolites. This study determines PCB and DDE-MSFs burdens in tissues (including lung & uterus) of Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) and Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) morbillivirus victims and characterises the marine mammalian UG/CCSP protein

Intergroup food transfers in wild golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia)

The research was supported in part by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation (40128) and the European Research Council (232823) to K. N. Laland.The transfer of food between adults is uncommon in primates. Although golden lion tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) are unique among primates in the extent to which they transfer food, reports of food transfers between adults have so far been restricted to captive or reintroduced individuals. Here, I report the first recorded events of adult–adult food transfers in golden lion tamarins between individuals belonging to different groups in the wild. Given that individuals emigrate from their natal group to find reproductive opportunities, I suggest that intergroup food transfers could be a way for individuals to estimate the quality or availability of potential mates or social partners. I propose an additional function of food transfers in wild golden lion tamarins: that they create and strengthen social bonds with individuals outside of the family group.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

T-cell responses in oiled guillemots and swans in a rehabilitation setting

This article has been accepted for publication in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. The final version can be accessed from the link below.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Aquatic birds are commonly affected by oil spills. Despite rehabilitation efforts, the majority of rehabilitated common guillemots (Uria aalge) do not survive, whereas mute swans (Cygnus olor) tend to have higher post-release survival. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in crude oil and diesel are immunotoxic in birds affecting cell-mediated responses to immunogens. Because it is a target of PAH toxicity, T-lymphocyte response to controlled mitogen administration (phytohemagglutinnin test) was investigated in a scoping study as a potentially useful minimally invasive in vivo test of cell-mediated immunity. The test was performed on 69 mute swans and 31 common guillemots stranded on the Norfolk and Lincolnshire coastline and inland waterways in England (UK)either due to injury or to contamination with crude or diesel oil. T-lymphocyte response was significantly decreased in swans with greater oil scores. T-lymphocyte responses were also decreased in guillemots, but this finding was not statistically significant

Cosmological consequences of an inhomogeneous space-time

Astrophysical observations provide a picture of the universe as a 4-dim homogeneous and isotropic flat space-time dominated by an unknown form of dark energy. To achieve such a cosmology one has to consider in the early universe an inflationary era able to overcome problems of standard cosmological models. Here an inhomogeneous model is proposed which allows to obtain a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker behaviour far away from the inhomogeneities and it naturally describes structures formation. We also obtain that the cosmological term does not prevent structure formation, avoiding a fine tuning problem in initial conditions. The asymptotic exact solution have been calculated. A simple test with universe age prediction has been performed. A relation between the inhomogeneity, the breaking of time reversal, parity and the matter-antimatter asymmetry is briefly discussed.Comment: 13 pages, accepted for publication in Gen. Rel. Gra

Variation in the μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) moderates the influence of early maternal care on fearful attachment

There is evidence that both early experience and genetic variation play a role in influencing sensitivity to social rejection. In this study, we aimed at ascertaining if the A118G polymorphism of the k-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) moderates the impact of early maternal care on fearful attachment, a personality trait strongly related to rejection sensitivity. In 112 psychiatric patients, early maternal care and fearful attachment were measured using the Parental Bonding Inventory and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ), respectively. The pattern emerging from the RQ data was a crossover interaction between genotype and maternal caregiving. Participants expressing the minor 118 G allele had similar and relatively high scores on fearful attachment regardless of the quality of maternal care. By contrast, early experience made a major difference for participants carrying the A/A genotype. Those who recalled higher levels of maternal care reported the lowest levels of fearful attachment whereas those who recalled lower levels of maternal care scored highest on fearful attachment. Our data fit well with the differential susceptibility model which stipulates that plasticity genes would make some individuals more responsive than others to the negative consequences of adversity and to the benefits of environmental support and enrichment