256 research outputs found

    The association of diabetes, subclinical hypothyroidism and carotid intima-media thickness: results from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brazil)

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    Introduction: The association of diabetes with subclinical thyroid diseases may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. We analyzed the association of subclinical hypothyroidism, diabetes, and both diseases with carotid Intima-Media Thickness (cIMT) as a surrogate maker for early cardiovascular disease in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Methods: Cross-sectional analysis with data from the 3rd visit (2017‒2019). Linear regression models were used to evaluate the association of subclinical hypothyroidism, diabetes and of both diseases with a cIMT presented as Beta (95% Confidence Interval ‒ 95% CI) without adjustment, with adjustment for sociodemographic variables (Model 1) and multivariable adjustment (Model 1 more cardiovascular risk factors). We also used logistic regression models to analyze the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% CI for the association of both diseases using cIMT > P75%. Results: After the exclusion of patients with previous cardiovascular disease, 5,077 participants with no diseases, 1578 with diabetes, 662 with subclinical hypothyroidism, and 234 with both diseases were included in the analysis. Linear regression models showed an association of cIMT with only diabetes (β = 0.019; 95% CI 0.012 to 0.027; p < 0.0001) and subclinical hypothyroidism more diabetes (β = 0.03; 95% CI 0.010‒0.047, p < 0.0001). The logistic regression model reported an association between diabetes and CIMT higher than P75% (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.30‒1.71). No interaction between diabetes and subclinical hypothyroidism was detected using cIMT respectively as a continuous (p = 0.29) or as a categorical variable (p = 0.92). Discussion: Diabetes was associated with higher cIMT values. However, no additive effect of subclinical hypothyroidism associated with diabetes over cIMT was detected

    Magnetic field and wind of Kappa Ceti: toward the planetary habitability of the young sun when life arose on earth

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    We report magnetic field measurements for κ1 Cet, a proxy of the young Sun when life arose on Earth. We carry out an analysis of the magnetic properties determined from spectropolarimetric observations and reconstruct the large-scale surface magnetic field to derive the magnetic environment, stellar winds, and particle flux permeating the interplanetary medium around k1 Cet. Our results show a closer magnetosphere and mass-loss rate of M = 9.7 ́ 10-13 M yr-1, i.e., a factor of 50 times larger than the current solar wind mass-loss rate, resulting in a larger interaction via space weather disturbances between the stellar wind and a hypothetical young-Earth analogue, potentially affecting the planet’s habitability. Interaction of the wind from the young Sun with the planetary ancient magnetic field may have affected the young Earth and its life conditions

    Infrared nanoscopy of Dirac plasmons at the graphene-SiO2 interface

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    We report on infrared (IR) nanoscopy of 2D plasmon excitations of Dirac fermions in graphene. This is achieved by confining mid-IR radiation at the apex of a nanoscale tip: an approach yielding two orders of magnitude increase in the value of in-plane component of incident wavevector q compared to free space propagation. At these high wavevectors, the Dirac plasmon is found to dramatically enhance the near-field interaction with mid-IR surface phonons of SiO2 substrate. Our data augmented by detailed modeling establish graphene as a new medium supporting plasmonic effects that can be controlled by gate voltage.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure

    Superconductor-insulator quantum critical point in 1+\epsilon dimensions

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    A system of spinless fermions in d=1+ϵd=1+\epsilon dimensions, at zero-temperature and in random potential is studied using the perturbative renormalization group to first order in disorder and to second order in interaction. We find a superconductor-to- Anderson insulator quantum fixed point at an infinitesimal value of disorder and calculate the correlation length and the dynamical exponents to the lowest order in ϵ\epsilon and in interaction. The scaling of conductivity with temperature and the behavior of characteristic temperature scales on both sides of the transition is determined. The model may have relevance for a p-wave superconductor at low temperatures in strongly disordered media.Comment: 8 pages, LaTex, one figure available upon request, typos corrected, discussion of conductivity made more precis

    Gene expression and interactome analysis of candidate effectors associated with pre- and post-haustorial hemileia vastatrix-coffee interaction.

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    The present study sought to analyze the putative secreted proteins of Hemileia vastatrix, with potential to function as effector proteins. The H. vastatrix secretome was subjected to functional categorization and the greatest similarities were observed between species of the genus Puccinia sp (398), and Melampsora larici-populina (82). Based on the secretome, 415 Gene Ontology terms were extracted. The putative secretome was also compared to the high-throughput transcriptome of coffee-H. vastatrix interactions. By the transcriptome comparison data and the results of functional annotation and characteristics associated with effector proteins, 15 genes were selected and analyzed using RT-qPCR during compatible and incompatible coffee-H. vastatrix interactions. The expression patterns suggested that the EHv33-18 and EHv33-25 candidate effector may be responsible for faster communication between pathogen and the host during incompatible interaction. Other six candidate are involved in the biotrophic stage of infection, which is characterized by an increase in the expression of effectors, and in enzymes involved in secondary metabolism. Phylogenetic analysis suggest that these eight genes follow evolutionary mechanisms exclusive to the coffee-H. vastatrix interaction, making them important targets in studies aimed at obtaining durable resistance to this disease. Interactomic network made between coffee proteins and H. vastatrix proteins was obtained for the first time and revealed a wide network of interactions between effector EHv33-19 and coffee proteins. The obtained results suggest that there may be communication between the pathogen and the host in the early stage of infection during the urediniospores germination phase. This indicated pre-haustorial resistance complementary to post-haustorial resistance

    HLA haplotypes associated with hemochromatosis mutations in the Spanish population

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    BACKGROUND: The present study is an analysis of the frequencies of HLA-A and -B antigens and HLA haplotypes in two groups of individuals homozygous for the two main HFE mutations (C282Y and H63D) and a group heterozygous for the S65C mutation. METHODS: The study population includes: 1123 healthy individuals, 100 homozygous for the C282Y mutation, 138 homozygous for the H63D mutation and 17 heterozygous for the S65C mutation. HFE and HLA alleles were detected using DNA-based and microlymphocytotoxicity techniques respectively. RESULTS: An expected significant association between C282Y and the HLA-A3/B7 haplotype was found, but other HLA haplotypes carrying the -A3 antigen were found: HLA-A3/B62 and HLA-A3/B44. Also, a significant association between H63D mutation and HLA-A29/B44 haplotype was found, and again other HLA haplotypes carrying the HLA-A29 antigen were also found: HLA-A29/B14 and HLA-A29/B62. In addition, the S65C mutation seems to be associated with a HLA haplotype carrying the HLA-A26 antigen. CONCLUSION: These findings clearly suggest that HLA-A3/B7 and HLA-A29/B44 are the ancestral haplotypes from which the C282Y and H63D mutations originated, respectively. The frequencies of these mutations in different populations, their geographical distribution, and the degree of the statistical association to the ancestral haplotypes, suggest that the H63D mutation must have occurred earlier than the C282Y mutation

    Violence Against the Elderly: Social Representations of Portuguese and Brazilian Caregivers

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    The increase in life expectancy and elderly people in society, coupled with changes in family structure, have highlighted the importance of formal and informal caregivers of elderly people. Objective: To analyse the social representations of violence against the elderly, of two groups of formal and informal caregivers. Methods: Exploratory, quantitative and qualitative research, supported by the theoretical-methodological reference of the Social Representations Theory and in the context of this, the Central Core Theory. The sample was participated in by 81 formal caregivers from the project “Aging in Safety in the Alentejo - Understanding to Act, of the University of Évora” and 20 informal caregivers from the project “Qualification of caregivers and aspects related to the quality of life of the elderly people dependent on primary and tertiary care: Implementation and protocol evaluation, of the State University of Southwest of Bahia”. We used the Free Word Association Technique. The data was analysed by prototypical analysis based on two matrices by the software IRAMUTEQ (Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires) 0.7 alpha 2. Results: In Portugal, the elements “bad, mistreatment, I will be, sad, anger, patience, physical, injustice, irritation and meanness” stood out in the central core. In Brazil the mention of “hitting” was emphasized. Conclusions: In both Portugal and Brazil, physical violence takes on particular significance in the social representations of caregivers, rather than verbal and psychological violence, which is not present in the central core of social representations of violence against the elderly in either of the countries
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