Determination of coffee origin by using 28S rDNA fingerprinting of fungal communities by PCR-DGGE: Application to the Cameroonian coffee

The new European regulation 178/2002 imposes the determination of the geographical origin in the traceability process of foodstuffs at the moment of commercial transactions. In practice, it is difficult to determine with accuracy the geographical origin of foodstuffs. For this purpose, the total analysis of fungal communities in samples of coffee is used. In the present study the molecular technique using 28S rDNA profiles generated by PCR-DGGE was used in order to detect the variation in fungal community structures of coffee from five different locations in West and Coastal plain in Cameroon and the effect of treatment and coffee species on these fungal profiles. When the 28S rDNA profiles were analyzed by multivariate analysis, distinct microbial communities were detected. The band profiles obtained from different samples of coffee and specific for each location and could be used as a bar code to certify the origin of the coffee. This method is a new traceability tool which provides coffee products with a unique biological bar code and makes it possible to trace back the coffee to their original location. (Résumé d'auteur

Results of the BiPo-1 prototype for radiopurity measurements for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils

The development of BiPo detectors is dedicated to the measurement of extremely high radiopurity in $^{208}$Tl and $^{214}$Bi for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils. A modular prototype, called BiPo-1, with 0.8 $m^2$ of sensitive surface area, has been running in the Modane Underground Laboratory since February, 2008. The goal of BiPo-1 is to measure the different components of the background and in particular the surface radiopurity of the plastic scintillators that make up the detector. The first phase of data collection has been dedicated to the measurement of the radiopurity in $^{208}$Tl. After more than one year of background measurement, a surface activity of the scintillators of $\mathcal{A}$($^{208}$Tl) $=$ 1.5 $\mu$Bq/m$^2$ is reported here. Given this level of background, a larger BiPo detector having 12 m$^2$ of active surface area, is able to qualify the radiopurity of the SuperNEMO selenium double beta decay foils with the required sensitivity of $\mathcal{A}$($^{208}$Tl) $<$ 2 $\mu$Bq/kg (90% C.L.) with a six month measurement.Comment: 24 pages, submitted to N.I.M.

Spectral modeling of scintillator for the NEMO-3 and SuperNEMO detectors

We have constructed a GEANT4-based detailed software model of photon transport in plastic scintillator blocks and have used it to study the NEMO-3 and SuperNEMO calorimeters employed in experiments designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. We compare our simulations to measurements using conversion electrons from a calibration source of $\rm ^{207}Bi$ and show that the agreement is improved if wavelength-dependent properties of the calorimeter are taken into account. In this article, we briefly describe our modeling approach and results of our studies.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figure

Elastase-2, a tissue alternative pathway for angiotensin II generation, plays a role in circulatory sympathovagal balance in mice

In vitro and ex vivo experiments indicate that elastase-2 (ELA-2), a chymotrypsin-serine protease elastase family member 2A, is an alternative pathway for angiotensin II (Ang II) generation. However, the role played by ELA-2 in vivo is unclear. We examined ELA-2 knockout (ELA-2KO) mice compared to wild-type (WT) mice and determined whether ELA-2 played a role in hemodynamics [arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR)], cardiocirculatory sympathovagal balance and baroreflex sensitivity. The variability of systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and pulse interval (PI) for evaluating autonomic modulation was examined for time and frequency domains (spectral analysis), whereas a symbolic analysis was also used to evaluate PI variability. In addition, baroreflex sensitivity was examined using the sequence method. Cardiac function was evaluated echocardiographically under anesthesia. The AP was normal whereas the HR was reduced in ELA-2KO mice (425 ± 17 vs. 512 ± 13 bpm from WT). SAP variability and baroreflex sensitivity were similar in both strains. The LF power from the PI spectrum (33.6 ± 5 vs. 51.8 ± 4.8 nu from WT) and the LF/HF ratio (0.60 ± 0.1 vs. 1.45 ± 0.3 from WT) were reduced, whereas the HF power was increased (66.4 ± 5 vs. 48.2 ± 4.8 nu from WT) in ELA-2KO mice, indicating a shift toward parasympathetic modulation of HR. Echocardiographic examination showed normal fractional shortening and an ejection fraction in ELA-2KO mice; however, the cardiac output, stroke volume, and ventricular size were reduced. These findings provide the first evidence that ELA-2 acts on the sympathovagal balance of the heart, as expressed by the reduced sympathetic modulation of HR in ELA-2KO mice

Two-loop O(GF2MH4){\rm O}\left(G_F^2M_H^4\right) corrections to the fermionic decay rates of the Higgs boson

We calculate the dominant ${\rm O}\left(G_F^2M_H^4\right)$ two-loop electroweak corrections to the fermi\-onic decay widths of a heavy Higgs boson in the Standard Model. Use of the Goldstone-boson equivalence theorem reduces the problem to one involving only the physical Higgs boson $H$ and the Goldstone bosons $w^\pm$ and $z$ of the unbroken theory. The two-loop corrections are opposite in sign to the one-loop electroweak corrections, exceed the one-loop corrections in magnitude for $M_H>1114\ {\rm GeV}$, and increase in relative magnitude as $M_H^2$ for larger values of $M_H$. We conclude that the perturbation expansion in powers of $G_FM_H^2$ breaks down for $M_H\approx 1100\ {\rm GeV}$. We discuss briefly the QCD and the complete one-loop electroweak corrections to $H\rightarrow b\bar{b}, \,t\bar{t}$, and comment on the validity of the equivalence theorem. Finally we note how a very heavy Higgs boson could be described in a phenomenological manner.Comment: 24 pages, RevTeX file, 4 figures in a separate compressed uuencoded Postscript file or available by mail on request. Fig. 1 not included see Figs. 1, 2 in Phys. Rev. D 48, 1061 (1993

Escala do comportamento do treinador: versão treinador (ECT-T) e versão atleta (ECT-A): o que o treinador diz é confirmado pelos seus atletas?

Objetivou-se verificar o nível de associação entre as percepções de atletas e treinadores de esportes coletivos e individuais nas seis dimensões do comportamento do treinador - Treinamento Físico (TF), Treinamento Técnico (TT), Preparação Mental (PM), Estabelecimento de Objetivos (EO), Reforço Pessoal Positivo (RPP), Reforço Pessoal Negativo (RPN) - acessado pela Escala do Comportamento do Treinador - Versão Treinador (ECT-T) e Versão Atleta (ECT-A). Participaram 181 atletas (114 homens e 67 mulheres) de nove modalidades esportivas com idade média de 17,15 anos (± 1,48) e seus respectivos treinadores (N = 32), todos do sexo masculino, com idade média de 32,88 (± 8,91). Treinadores e atletas responderam aos 38 itens de mesmo conteúdo dos questionários mencionados. A correlação não-paramétrica de Spearman mostrou a inexistência de associação significativa, ao nível a = 0,05, entre as percepções treinadores e atletas de modalidades coletivas nas dimensões TT, PM, EO e RPP. Entre treinadores e atletas de modalidades individuais também não foram verificadas associações significativas em cinco dimensões: TF, TT, PM, EO e RPP. Dentre outras razões, a baixa compatibilidade entre as percepções de atletas treinadores, pode estar relacionada a falhas no processo de organização do treinamento. Além disso, o relacionamento de cada treinador com os atletas sob o seu comando parece informar mais do que a simples categorização: modalidades coletivas versus individuaisThe purpose of this study was to verify the level of association between athletes and their coaches' perceptions, according to the kind of sport (individual or group), in the six dimensions of coaching behavior - Physical Training (PT); Technical Training (TT); Mental Preparation (MP); Goal Setting (GS); Personal Positive Rapport (PPR) Personal Negative Rapport (PNR) - accessed by the two Brazilian versions of Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport: Coaches (ECT-T) and Athletes Versions (ECT-A). Participated 181 athletes (114 male and 67 female) of nine different sports with mean age of 17.15 years (± 1.48) and their respective coaches (N = 32), all male, with mean age of 32.88 years (± 8.91). Coaches and athletes answered the 38 items, which have the same content, in the mentioned questionnaires. The non-parametric Spearman correlation showed the inexistence of significant association, at a level = 0.05, between the coaches and athletes perception of group sports in the dimensions TT, MP, GS and PPR. In addition, there were no significant correlations between coaches and athletes perceptions of individual sports in the following dimensions: PT, TT, MP, GS and PPR. Among others reasons, the low compatibility involving the coaches and athletes perceptions can be associated with failures in the training organization process. Besides, the relationship of each coach with their athletes appears to add more information than the simple categorization: group modalities versus individual modalitie

Risk of End-Stage Renal Disease in HIV-Positive Potential Live Kidney Donors

New federal regulations allow HIV-positive individuals to be live kidney donors; however, potential candidacy for donation is poorly understood given the increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) associated with HIV infection. To better understand this risk, we compared the incidence of ESRD among 41 968 HIV-positive participants of North America AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design followed for a median of 5 years with the incidence of ESRD among comparable HIV-negative participants of National Health and Nutrition Examination III followed for a median of 14 years. We used risk associations from multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to derive cumulative incidence estimates for selected HIV-positive scenarios (no history of diabetes, hypertension, AIDS, or hepatitis C virus coinfection) and compared these estimates with those from similarly selected HIV-negative scenarios. For 40-year-old HIV-positive individuals with health characteristics that were similar to those of age-matched kidney donors, viral load &lt;400 copies/mL, and CD4+ count ≥500 cells/μL, the 9-year cumulative incidence of ESRD was higher than that of their HIV-negative peers, yet still low: 2.5 versus 1.1 per 10 000 among white women, 3.0 versus 1.3 per 10 000 among white men, 13.2 versus 3.6 per 10 000 among black women, and 15.8 versus 4.4 per 10 000 among black men. HIV-positive individuals with no comorbidities and well-controlled disease may be considered low-risk kidney donor candidates