Phase diagram study of a two-dimensional frustrated antiferromagnet via unsupervised machine learning

We apply unsupervised learning techniques to classify the different phases of the $J_1-J_2$ antiferromagnetic Ising model on the honeycomb lattice. We construct the phase diagram of the system using convolutional autoencoders. These neural networks can detect phase transitions in the system via `anomaly detection', without the need for any label or a priori knowledge of the phases. We present different ways of training these autoencoders and we evaluate them to discriminate between distinct magnetic phases. In this process, we highlight the case of high temperature or even random training data. Finally, we analyze the capability of the autoencoder to detect the ground state degeneracy through the reconstruction error.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figure

Studies on the clinical significance of nonesterified and total cholesterol in urine

Gas-liquid chromatographic determinations of nonesterified and total urinary cholesterol were performed in 137 normals, 264 patients with various internal diseases without evidence of neoplasias or diseases of the kidney or urinary tract, 497 patients with malignancies and 236 patients with diseases of the kidney, urinary tract infections or prostatic adenoma with residual urine. A normal range (mean±2 SD) of 0.2–2.2 mg/24 hours nonesterified cholesterol (NEC) and of 0.3–3.0 mg/24 hours total cholesterol (TC) was calculated. Values of urinary cholesterol excretion were independent of age and sex and did not correlate with cholesterol levels in plasma. Patients with various internal diseases, without evidence of neoplasias nor diseases of the kidney or obstruction of the urinary tract, showed normal urinary cholesterol excretions, as did patients with infections of the urinary tract. However, elevated urinary cholesterol was found in patients with diseases of the kidney or urinary tract obstruction (prostatic adenoma with residual urine), malignant diseases of the urogenital tract and metastasing carcinoma of the breast. In patients with other malignant diseases urinary cholesterol was usually normal. Lesions of the urothelial cell membranes are considered to be the most likely cause of urinary cholesterol hyperexcretion. The clinical value of urinary cholesterol determinations as a possible screening test for urogenital carcinomas in unselected populations is limited by lacking specificity, expensive methodology and low prevalence of the mentioned carcinomas, although elevated urinary cholesterol excretions have been observed in early clinical stages of urogenital cancers

Atypical Protein Kinase Cs in Melanoma Progression

Melanoma is one of the fastest growing types of cancer worldwide in terms of incidence. To date, reports show over 92,000 new cases in the United States in 2018. Previously, we introduced protein kinase C-iota (PKC-ι) as an oncogene in melanoma. PKC-ι promotes survival and cancer progression along with PKC-zeta(ζ). In addition, we reported that PKC-ι induced metastasis of melanoma cells by increasing Vimentin dynamics. Our previous results showed that PKC-ι inhibition downregulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), while inducing apoptosis. In this chapter, we summarized these findings which were based on the in-vitro applications of five specific atypical PKC (aPKC) inhibitors. In addition, the underlying mechanisms of the transcriptional regulation of PRKCI gene expression in melanoma is also discussed. Results demonstrated that c-Jun promotes PRKCI expression along with Interleukin (IL)-6/8. Furthermore, forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) acts as a downregulator of PRKCI expression upon stimulation of IL-17E and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in melanoma cells. Overall, the chapter summarizes the importance of PKC-ι/ζ in the progression of melanoma and discusses the cellular signaling pathways that are altered upon inhibitor applications. Finally, we established that aPKCs are effective novel biomarkers for use in the design of novel targeted therapeutics for melanoma

Sistema de produção de leite à base de pastagens cultivada e nativa melhorada na região de Bagé.

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Exergy assessment and exergy cost analysis of a renewable-based and hybrid trigeneration scheme for domestic water and energy supply

Exergy and exergy cost analyses are proposed as complementary methods for the assessment and better understanding of the efficiency of a hybrid trigeneration system based on renewable energy sources. The system combines photovoltaic/thermal collectors, an evacuated tube collector and a wind turbine and produces electricity, sanitary hot water and desalted fresh water for a single family house. The system includes two desalination technologies (reverse osmosis and membrane distillation) that consume power and heat respectively, and two kinds of energy storage devices (a hot water tank and two lead-acid batteries). The assessment is based on simulations developed by using TRNSYS software. As a first level of detail, exergy analysis is applied in ten-minute basis to selected plant components. As a second level of detail, it is proposed to apply exergy-based indicators that summarize the system behavior during a longer period of time (monthly basis). By using aggregated values, exergy accumulation terms become negligible, what allows applying symbolic thermoeconomics to calculate exergy cost and to analyze in depth the process of cost formation. The system has an exergy efficiency of 7.76% (6.68 due to electricity, 0.33 due to fresh water and 0.75 due to sanitary hot water)

Analysis of a domestic trigeneration scheme with hybrid renewable energy sources and desalting techniques

In this paper, experimental tests of a hybrid trigeneration pilot unit based on renewable energy sources are presented and analyzed. The plant provides electricity by coupling four photovoltaic/thermal collectors and a micro-wind turbine, fresh water by means of hybrid desalination (membrane distillation, and reverse osmosis), and sanitary hot water coming from the photovoltaic/thermal collectors and an evacuated tubes collector. Plant design was previously modeled to cover the power, freshwater and sanitary hot water for a typical family home (four residents) isolated from the power and water networks. The hybrid pilot unit has been tested from May 2017 to March 2018 in Zaragoza (Spain). Results from those tests show that daytime assessment of power, freshwater and sanitary hot water produced allowed a good coverage of scheduled energy and water demands. Flexible operation due to the combined production of power and heat was also observed. State of charge of the batteries and the temperature of the sanitary hot water tank are the key control variables, which allow to give priority to power, freshwater or sanitary hot water production according to the ordered demands or economic incentives. Environmental assessment of the pilot unit along its life cycle also has shown very low impacts with respect to the conventional supply of energy and water

Controller therapy for asthma: montelukast versus fluticasone

Introducción: El asma es un trastorno inflamatorio crónico de las vías aéreas. Esta inflamación genera un aumento asociado de la hiperreactividad de las vías aéreas a una variedad de estímulos y una limitación del flujo aéreo. El tratamiento controlador del asma tiene como objetivos lograr y mantener control de los síntomas, prevenir las exacerbaciones, mantener la función pulmonar lo mas cerca posible a la normalidad, evitar efectos adversos de la medicación, prevenir obstrucción irreversible de la vía aérea y disminuir la mortalidad. Los medicamentos utilizados para este fin son los antinflamatorios dentro de los cuales se incluyen los grupos de corticoesteroides, cromonas y antileucotrienos. Objetivo: El objetivo de esta revisión bibliográfica es indicar las evidencias encontradas sobre mayor efectividad en este cuadro clínico entre Fluticasona y Montelukast. Material y métodos: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica, en la cual se utilizo para la búsqueda de información las bases de datos PUBMED, MEDLINE y BIBLIOTECA VIRTUAL DE SALUD artículos científicos publicados en los últimos 5 años que comparan el tratamientote ambos fármacos. Conclusión: El fármaco más efectivo como monoterapia para el tratamiento controlador del asma en niños es la fluticasona frente al montelukast, por lo que esta es considerada la terapia de primera línea.Introduction: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. This inflammation is an associated increase in Nonspecific hyperresponsiveness airway to a variety of stimuli and airflow limitation. The asthma controller therapy aims to achieve and maintain control of symptoms, prevent exacerbations, maintaining lung function as close as possible to normal, avoid adverse effects of medication, prevent irreversible obstruction of the airway and reduce mortality . Medicines used for this purpose are the anti-inflammatory within which groups include corticosteroids, chromones and leukotriene. Objective: Fluticasone (inhaled corticosteroid) and montelukast (antileukotriene) are commonly used drugs for the treatment of pediatric asthma controller so that the objective of this review is to summarize the evidence on which of the two showed greater effectiveness in the treatment. Methods: A literature review, which was used to search for information databases PUBMED, MEDLINE and HEALTH LIBRARY scientific articles published over the past 5 years, comparing treatment with fluticasone and montelukast. Conclusion: The most effective drug as monotherapy for asthma controller therapy in children is fluticasone compared with montelukast, so this is considered first-line therapy.Fil: Acevedo, Maria E..Fil: Cano, Alejandra A..Fil: Lopez, Vanina A..Fil: Viola, Luciana S..Fil: Gerometta, Rosana María del Rosario. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Medicina; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vivo-expressed genes detection during active pulmonary tuberculosis

Indexación: Web of Science; ScieloEl estudio de la expresión génica de Mycobacterium tuberculosis ha involucrado la experimentación "in vitro ", "ex vivo " e "in vivo " (modelos animales), pero aún sin el éxito esperado. Proponemos que revelar los factores clave de la tuberculosis humana requiere investigar la expresión génica de M. tuberculosis dentro del ser humano ("in vivo "). Para ello, aislamos el mRNA total de M. tuberculosis, desde muestras clínicas respiratorias de pacientes con diagnóstico de tuberculosis pulmonar; posteriormente, sintetizamos el dscDNA y lo analizamos mediante RT-PCR cualitativo. Detectamos la expresión de la secuencia de inserción IS6110 y de los genes "housekeeping " 16SrRNA y sigA en M. tuberculosis creciendo in vivo (tuberculosis pulmonar) así como cultivado in vitro. La expresión de los genes mprA y mprB, que codifican el sistema de transducción de señales MprAB, sólo se detectó en M. tuberculosis crecido in vitro. Con nuestros resultados damos el primer paso hacia la implementación de un método no invasivo para el estudio del transcriptoma de M. tuberculosis, dentro de su único hospedero natural, con el fin de analizar la regulación "in vivo" de los determinantes genéticos requeridos para su virulencia y patogénesis.Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene expression studies have involved "in vitro", "ex vivo" and "in vivo" experiments (animal models), but without the expected success. We propose that key features of human tuberculosis could be discovered by studying the M. tuberculosis gene expression within the human host. Therefore, we isolated totalM. tuberculosis mRNA from human clinical respiratory specimens of patients diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis; after this, we synthesized the dscDNA and tested it by qualitative RT-PCR assays. We detected the expression of IS6110 insertion sequence and of the "housekeeping" genes 16SrRNA andsigA in M. tuberculosis grown in vivo (pulmonary tuberculosis) as well as grown in vitro M. tuberculosis. mprA and mprB genes expression, which code the MprAB signal transduction system, were only detected in M. tuberculosis grown in vitro. Our results provide the first step towards a non invasive methodfor the study of the transcriptome of M. tuberculosis within its native host, to analyze "in vivo" regulation of the genetic determinants required for virulence and pathogenesis.http://www.scielo.cl/pdf/rcher/v28n4/art04.pd