Analysis and results of the 104Sn Coulomb excitation experiment

G. Guastalla, et al. XX International School on Nuclear Physics, Neutron Physics and Applications (Varna 2013); 5 pags.; 1 fig.The analysis of the Coulomb excitation experiment conducted on 104Sn required a strict selection of the data in order to reduce the large background present in the γ-ray energy spectra and identify the γ-ray peak corresponding to the Coulomb excitation events. As a result the B(E2; 0+ →2+) value could be extracted, which established the downward trend towards 100Sn and therefore the robustness of the N=Z=50 core against quadrupole excitations. Published under licence by IOP Publishing LtdA. J. would like to thank the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion for financial support under Contract No. FPA2011-29854- C04Peer Reviewe

Representación mediática de la inadecuación de la víctima. Estrategia legitimadora de nuevas violencias

El propósito de este estudio es determinar la representación de la construcción mediática de la inadecuación en un conjunto de narrativas. Se estudia una muestra de cuatro storytelling del Especial de ElTiempo.com (2017) “Treinta encuentros con la paz”. El objetivo del estudio es verificar las estrategias semiótico-discursivas apropiadas por el medio de comunicación y, establecer la relación que se genera entre la formulación del sujeto inadecuado – víctima-   y las formas de proponer su revictimización. Se formula una correlación entre la inadecuación social y la evaluación mass mediática de carácter negativo, que implica legitimación de formas de violencia. El estudio propone la representación de la inadecuación como parte de la estrategia de construcción de miedo. Se reconoce el efecto que procede de la mediatización y, en particular, se verifican las consecuencias socio políticas, culturales y psicológicas que se instalan en las maneras como se construye la inadecuación de la víctima en la narrativa virtual. La reflexión conceptual procede de los trabajos más recientes que, sobre la visualidad gráfica, se han venido elaborando en estudios multimodales y multimediales, así como desde la semiótica visual que atraviesa los principios de la multimodalidad.   Palabras clave: Inadecuación, miedo, percepción de evaluación negativa, mass media, Storytelling, estudios críticos del discurso multimodal y multimedial (ECDMM)   &nbsp

Laccaria bicolor pectin methylesterases are involved in ectomycorrhiza development with Populus tremula x Populus tremuloides

The development of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbioses between soil fungi and tree roots requires modification of root cell walls. The pectin-mediated adhesion between adjacent root cells loosens to accommodate fungal hyphae in the Hartig net, facilitating nutrient exchange between partners. We investigated the role of fungal pectin modifying enzymes in Laccaria bicolor for ECM formation with Populus tremula x Populus tremuloides. We combine transcriptomics of cell-wall-related enzymes in both partners during ECM formation, immunolocalisation of pectin (Homogalacturonan, HG) epitopes in different methylesterification states, pectin methylesterase (PME) activity assays and functional analyses of transgenic L. bicolor to uncover pectin modification mechanisms and the requirement of fungal pectin methylesterases (LbPMEs) for ECM formation. Immunolocalisation identified remodelling of pectin towards de-esterified HG during ECM formation, which was accompanied by increased LbPME1 expression and PME activity. Overexpression or RNAi of the ECM-induced LbPME1 in transgenic L. bicolor lines led to reduced ECM formation. Hartig Nets formed with LbPME1 RNAi lines were shallower, whereas those formed with LbPME1 overexpressors were deeper. This suggests that LbPME1 plays a role in ECM formation potentially through HG de-esterification, which initiates loosening of adjacent root cells to facilitate Hartig net formation

Hemoptysis as an unusual manifestation of thoracic aortic aneurysm

Mujer de 82 años, con antecedentes de hipertensión arterial, tabaquismo pasivo por 20 años. Presentó dolor torácico y disnea por un mes. Ingresó por hemoptisis en la última semana. Al sexto día de hospitalizada, mientras se le realizaban los estudios, presentó hemoptisis masiva con choque hipovolémico. Luego de administrársele medidas de soporte, los estudios de imágenes mostraron un aneurisma sacular en la porción inicial de la aorta descendente con un trombo mural y compresión del parénquima pulmonar adyacente. El aortograma evidenció una úlcera penetrada en la aorta torácica descendente. Se realizó un implante de endoprótesis. La evolución fue favorable.An 82-year-old woman with a history of high blood pressure, passive smoking for 20 years. She had chest pain and dyspnea for one month. She was admitted for hemoptysis in the last week. On the sixth day of hospitalization, while the studies were being performed, she presented massive hemoptysis with hypovolemic shock. After being given supportive measures, imaging studies showed a saccular aneurysm in the initial portion of the descending aorta with a mural thrombus and compression of the adjacent pulmonary parenchyma. The aortogram showed a penetrated ulcer in the descending thoracic aorta. An endoprosthesis implant was performed. The evolution was favorable

Mode-locking in ac-driven vortex lattices with random pinning

We find mode-locking steps in simulated current-voltage characteristics of ac-driven vortex lattices with {\it random} pinning. For low frequencies there is mode-locking above a finite ac force amplitude, while for large frequencies there is mode-locking for any small ac force. This is correlated with the nature of temporal order in the different regimes in the absence of ac drive. The mode-locked state is a frozen solid pinned in the moving reference of frame, and the depinning from the step shows plastic flow and hysteresis.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Mode-locking in driven vortex lattices with transverse ac-drive and random pinning

We find mode-locking steps in simulated current-voltage characteristics of driven vortex lattices with {\it random} pinning when an applied ac-current is {\it perpendicular} to the dc-current. For low frequencies there is mode-locking only above a non-zero threshold ac force amplitude, while for large frequencies there is mode-locking for any small ac force. This is consistent with the nature of {\it transverse} temporal order in the different regimes in the absence of an applied ac-drive. For large frequencies the magnitude of the fundamental mode-locked step depends linearly with the ac force amplitude.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, .tar.gz fil

Scaling properties of protein family phylogenies

One of the classical questions in evolutionary biology is how evolutionary processes are coupled at the gene and species level. With this motivation, we compare the topological properties (mainly the depth scaling, as a characterization of balance) of a large set of protein phylogenies with a set of species phylogenies. The comparative analysis shows that both sets of phylogenies share remarkably similar scaling behavior, suggesting the universality of branching rules and of the evolutionary processes that drive biological diversification from gene to species level. In order to explain such generality, we propose a simple model which allows us to estimate the proportion of evolvability/robustness needed to approximate the scaling behavior observed in the phylogenies, highlighting the relevance of the robustness of a biological system (species or protein) in the scaling properties of the phylogenetic trees. Thus, the rules that govern the incapability of a biological system to diversify are equally relevant both at the gene and at the species level.Comment: Replaced with final published versio

The need for establishing a universal CTG sizing method in myotonic dystrophy type 1

The number of cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG) repeats (‘CTG expansion size’) in the 3′untranslated region (UTR) region of the dystrophia myotonica-protein kinase (DMPK) gene is a hallmark of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), which has been related to age of disease onset and clinical severity. However, accurate determination of CTG expansion size is challenging due to its characteristic instability. We compared five different approaches (heat pulse extension polymerase chain reaction [PCR], long PCR-Southern blot [with three different primers sets—1, 2 and 3] and small pool [SP]-PCR) to estimate CTG expansion size in the progenitor allele as well as the most abundant CTG expansion size, in 15 patients with DM1. Our results indicated variability between the methods (although we found no overall differences between long PCR 1 and 2 and SP-PCR, respectively). While keeping in mind the limited sample size of our patient cohort, SP-PCR appeared as the most suitable technique, with an inverse significant correlation found between CTG expansion size of the progenitor allele, as determined by this method, and age of disease onset (r = −0.734, p = 0.016). Yet, in light of the variability of the results obtained with the different methods, we propose that an international agreement is needed to determine which is the most suitable method for assessing CTG expansion size in DM1

High-spin states in 212Po above the α-decaying (18+) isomer

The nucleus Po has been produced through the fragmentation of a U primary beam at 1 GeV/nucleon at GSI, separated with the FRagment Separator, FRS, and studied via isomer γ-decay spectroscopy with the RISING setup. Two delayed previously unknown γ rays have been observed. One has been attributed to the E3 decay of a 21 isomeric state feeding the α-emitting 45-s (18) high-spin isomer. The other γ-ray line has been assigned to the decay of a higher-lying 23 metastable state. These are the first observations of high-spin states above the Po (18) isomer, by virtue of the selectivity obtained via ion-by-ion identification of U fragmentation products. Comparison with shell-model calculations points to shortfalls in the nuclear interactions involving high-j proton and neutron orbitals, to which the region around Z∼100 is sensitive.This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Science, and Generalitat Valenciana, Spain, under the Grants SEV-2014-0398, FPA2017-84756-C4, PID2019-104714GB-C21, PROMETEO/2019/005 and by the EU FEDER funds. The support of the UK STFC, of the Swedish Research Council under Contract No. 2008-4240 and No. 2016-3969 and of the DFG (EXC 153) is also acknowledged. The experimental activity has been partially supported by the EU under the FP6-Integrated Infras-tructure Initiative EURONS, Contract No. RII3-CT-2004-506065 and FP7-Integrated Infrastructure Initiative ENSAR, Grant No. 262010