Particle production in the outflow of a midlatitude storm

The concentrations of atmospheric gases and condensation nuclei (CN) or aerosol in the outflow of a storm were measured aboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft, as described in a companion paper [Twohy et al., 2002]. The data are used here to study the production of the aerosol. Major fluctuations in CN concentration are observed, in correlation with gas-phase species, but these are shown to arise as the result of the mixing of two distinct air masses. It is deduced that the CN originated in a storm outflow air mass and that its concentration before mixing was approximately uniform over a flight distance of about 200 km. The formation of the aerosol by nucleation followed by growth and coagulation is analyzed assuming that it consists of water and sulphuric acid produced locally by the oxidation of SO2. The analysis uses analytic models, and it is concluded that a 5 min burst of nucleation was followed by growth and coagulation over a period of about 5 hours. Both the mass and number concentrations of the observed aerosol can be reproduced by this analysis within a timescale consistent with that of the storm. The final number concentration is very insensitive to the initial SO2 concentration

Retinoic acids increase expression of GLUT4 in dedifferentiated and hypertrophied cardiac myocytes

Sufficient expression of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter GLUT4 may be crucial for the survival of cardiac myocytes in situations of stress. Expression of GLUT4 in cardiac myocytes correlates with cell differentiation and is reduced in the hypertrophied and failing myocardium. Adult rat cardiomyocytes (ARC) in primary culture undergo dedifferentiation and reduction of GLUT4 expression. Depending on the culture condition partial redifferentiation and/or hypertrophy follows. All-trans (at) and 9-cis retinoic acids (RA) are morphogenetic agents important for cell differentiation. Both atRA and 9-cisRA restored GLUT4 expression in dedifferentiated ARC, while only 9-cisRA could increase GLUT4 expression in hypertrophic ARC. The effects of RA were associated with improved differentiation of the cardiac myocytes, as assessed from the expression of atrial natriuretic factor and the morphology of the contractile apparatus. In neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, 9-cisRA, but not atRA, stimulated transcription from the glut4 promoter. In conclusion, treatment with RA can restore the down-regulated expression of GLUT4 in cardiomyocytes in association with a partial improvement of the differentiated phenotyp

Measurement of healing area using planimetry after applying low-intensity ultrasound to the skin of rats

CONTEXTUALIZAÇÃO: A planimetria é um método utilizado para avaliar a evolução da cicatrização de feridas. A planimetria computacional é um método ainda em experimentação, mas cujas vantagens têm sido demonstradas em várias investigações. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar os efeitos do ultra-som pulsado de baixa intensidade sobre a cicatrização de lesão cutânea produzida na região dorsal de ratos, por meio da planimetria computacional. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Utilizou-se 60 ratos machos Wistar (peso médio de 300g) divididos em dois grupos com 30 animais cada, de acordo com o tratamento: 1) irradiação simulada (controle); 2) irradiação efetiva (Freqüência fundamental de 1,5MHz, freqüência de repetição de pulsos de 1KHz, largura de pulso de 200µs, intensidade de 30mW/cm² SATA, dez minutos de aplicação em dias alternados). Cada grupo foi subdividido em três grupos, de acordo com o período de irradiação ultra-sônica, de três, sete e 14 dias, respectivamente, e a cicatrização foi avaliada por meio da planimetria, um decalque da lesão sendo obtido em papel especial, digitalizado e medido ao computador por meio de um programa gráfico. Análise estatística pelo método não-paramétrico de Mann-Whitney. RESULTADOS: Houve aumento significante (p<0,05) da área cicatrizada no grupo 2 (141,88±18,50mm²) em relação ao grupo 1 (117,38±15,14mm²), no 14º dia. Não houve diferenças significantes entre os grupos nos demais períodos. CONCLUSÕES: O ultra-som pulsado de baixa intensidade estimula a cicatrização cutânea por segunda intenção em condições experimentais. A planimetria computacional mostrou-se um recurso de baixo custo, fácil manuseio e de aplicabilidade clínica.BACKGROUND: Planimetry is a method used to evaluate the progression of skin wound healing. Computerized planimetry is still an experimental method, but its advantages have been demonstrated in several investigations. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on the healing of a skin lesion produced on the dorsal region of rats, by means of computerized planimetry. METHODS: Sixty male Wistar rats of mean weight 300g were used. They were divided into two groups according to the treatment applied: 1) simulated irradiation (control); 2) effective irradiation (fundamental frequency 1.5MHz, pulse repetition frequency 1KHz, pulse width 200µs, SATA intensity 30mW/cm² and application for ten minutes on alternate days). Each group was divided into three subgroups according to the length of time for which ultrasound irradiation was applied of three, seven and 14 days, respectively, and healing was evaluated by means of planimetry; a tracing of the wound was obtained on special paper and this was digitized and measured by means of a graphing software. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney non-parametric method. RESULTS: The healed area was significantly greater (p<0.05) in group 2 (141.88±18.50mm²) than in group 1 (117.38±15.14mm²) on the 14th day. There were no significant differences between the subgroups for the other experimental periods. CONCLUSIONS: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound irradiation stimulated secondary skin healing under these experimental conditions. Computerized planimetry was shown to be a low cost method that was easy to use and present clinical applicability

On quantum teleportation with beam-splitter-generated entanglement

Following the lead of Cochrane, Milburn, and Munro [Phys. Rev. A {\bf 62}, 062307 (2000)], we investigate theoretically quantum teleportation by means of the number-sum and phase-difference variables. We study Fock-state entanglement generated by a beam splitter and show that two-mode Fock-state inputs can be entangled by a beam splitter into close approximations of maximally entangled eigenstates of the phase difference and the photon-number sum (Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen -- EPR -- states). Such states could be experimentally feasible with on-demand single-photon sources. We show that the teleportation fidelity can reach near unity when such ``quasi-EPR'' states are used as the quantum channel.Comment: 7 pages (two-column), 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. A. Text unmodified, postscript error correcte

Education can improve the negative perception of a threatened long-lived scavenging bird, the Andean condor

Human-wildlife conflicts currently represent one of the main conservation problems for wildlife species around the world. Vultures have serious conservation concerns, many of which are related to people's adverse perception about them due to the belief that they prey on livestock. Our aim was to assess local perception and the factors influencing people's perception of the largest scavenging bird in South America, the Andean condor. For this, we interviewed 112 people from Valle Fértil, San Juan province, a rural area of central west Argentina. Overall, people in the area mostly have an elementary education, and their most important activity is livestock rearing. The results showed that, in general, most people perceive the Andean condor as an injurious species and, in fact, some people recognize that they still kill condors. We identified two major factors that affect this perception, the education level of villagers and their relationship with livestock ranching. Our study suggests that conservation of condors and other similar scavengers depends on education programs designed to change the negative perception people have about them. Such programs should be particularly focused on ranchers since they are the ones who have the worst perception of these scavengers. We suggest that highlighting the central ecological role of scavengers and recovering their cultural value would be fundamental to reverse their persecution and their negative perception by people.Fil: Cailly Arnulphi, Verónica Beatríz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Lambertucci, Sergio Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Borghi, Carlos Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; Argentin

Cancer Appetite and Symptom Questionnaire (CASQ) for Brazilian Patients: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation Study

Background Appetite and symptoms, conditions generally reported by the patients with cancer, are somewhat challenging for professionals to measure directly in clinical routine (latent conditions). Therefore, specific instruments are required for this purpose. This study aimed to perform a cultural adaptation of the Cancer Appetite and Symptom Questionnaire (CASQ), into Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties on a sample of Brazilian cancer patients. Methods This is a validation study with Brazilian cancer patients. The face, content, and construct (factorial and convergent) validities of the Cancer Appetite and Symptom Questionnaire, the study tool, were estimated. Further, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. The ratio of chi-square and degrees of freedom (χ2 /df), comparative fit index (CFI), goodness of fit index (GFI) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) were used for fit model assessment. In addition, the reliability of the instrument was estimated using the composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α), and the invariance of the model in independent samples was estimated by a multigroup analysis (Δχ2). Results Participants included 1,140 cancer patients with a mean age of 53.95 (SD = 13.25) years; 61.3% were women. After the CFA of the original CASQ structure, 2 items with inadequate factor weights were removed. Four correlations between errors were included to provide adequate fit to the sample (χ2 /df = 8.532, CFI = .94, GFI = .95, and RMSEA = .08). Themodel exhibited a low convergent validity (AVE = .32). The reliability was adequate (CR = .82 α = .82). The refined model showed strong invariance in two independent samples (Δχ2 : λ: p = .855; i: p = .824; Res: p = .390). A weak stability was obtained between patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Δχ2 : λ: p = .155; i: p < .001; Res: p < .001), and between patients undergoing chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and palliative care (Δχ2 : λ: p = .058; i: p < .001; Res: p < .001). Conclusion The Portuguese version of the CASQ had good face and construct validity and reliability. However, the CASQ still presented invariance in independent samples of Brazilian patients with cancer. However, the tool has low convergent validity and weak invariance in samples with different treatment

Possible Race and Gender Divergence in Association of Genetic Variations with Plasma von Willebrand Factor: A Study of ARIC and 1000 Genome Cohorts

The synthesis, secretion and clearance of von Willebrand factor (VWF) are regulated by genetic variations in coding and promoter regions of the VWF gene. We have previously identified 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), primarily in introns that are associated with VWF antigen levels in subjects of European descent. In this study, we conducted race by gender analyses to compare the association of VWF SNPs with VWF antigen among 10,434 healthy Americans of European (EA) or African (AA) descent from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Among 75 SNPs analyzed, 13 and 10 SNPs were associated with VWF antigen levels in EA male and EA female subjects, respectively. However, only one SNP (RS1063857) was significantly associated with VWF antigen in AA females and none was in AA males. Haplotype analysis of the ARIC samples and studying racial diversities in the VWF gene from the 1000 genomes database suggest a greater degree of variations in the VWF gene in AA subjects as compared to EA subjects. Together, these data suggest potential race and gender divergence in regulating VWF expression by genetic variations