Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency with recurrent infections: case report

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of rare neutrophil functional disorder with clinical and laboratory findings similar to those of chronic granulomatous disease. METHODS: Patient with extremely reduced level of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and recurrent infections that improved after continuous use of cotrimoxazole. The patient presented leukocytes with defective respiratory burst, similar to what occurs in chronic granulomatous disease. COMMENTS: The diagnosis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in neutrophils should be considered in any patient with hemolytic anemia whose level of G6PD is extremely low or in any patient that presents recurrent infections as differential diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease.OBJETIVO: relatar a ocorrência de uma deficiência funcional de neutrófilos rara, com quadro clínico e laboratorial semelhante ao da doença granulomatosa crônica. MÉTODOS: relato de caso de paciente com deficiência acentuada da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase e infecções de repetição. Realizada pesquisa bibliográfica utilizando as bases de dados Medline e Lilacs, abrangendo o período de 1972 a 2000. RESULTADOS: paciente com nível da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase extremamente reduzido e quadro de infeções graves com melhora clínica após uso de cotrimoxazol contínuo. Os leucócitos do paciente apresentam defeito no metabolismo oxidativo, similar ao da doença granulomatosa crônica. CONCLUSÕES: o diagnóstico da deficiência da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase em neutrófilos deve ser considerado em qualquer paciente com anemia hemolítica não esferocítica congênita no qual o nível da glicose-6-fosfato desidrogenase esteja anormalmente baixo ou apresente infeções de repetição. É diagnóstico diferencial da doença granulomatosa crônica.Univ. Federal de São Paulo Depto. de Pediatria Disc. de Alergia, Imunologia ClínicaUniv. Federal do Rio de Janeiro Fac. de Medicina Depto. de Medicina PreventivaUNICAMP Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Depto. de PediatriaUniv. de São Paulo Fac. de MedicinaUNIFESP-EPM Depto. de PediatriaUSP Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Depto. de ImunologiaUFRJ Fac. Med. Depto. de Medicina PreventivaUFRJ Fac. de Medicina Depto. de PediatriaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de PediatriaSciEL

Mass Spectrum of Strings in Anti de Sitter Spacetime

We perform string quantization in anti de Sitter (AdS) spacetime. The string motion is stable, oscillatory in time with real frequencies $\omega_n= \sqrt{n^2+m^2\alpha'^2H^2}$ and the string size and energy are bounded. The string fluctuations around the center of mass are well behaved. We find the mass formula which is also well behaved in all regimes. There is an {\it infinite} number of states with arbitrarily high mass in AdS (in de Sitter (dS) there is a {\it finite} number of states only). The critical dimension at which the graviton appears is $D=25,$ as in de Sitter space. A cosmological constant $\Lambda\neq 0$ (whatever its sign) introduces a {\it fine structure} effect (splitting of levels) in the mass spectrum at all states beyond the graviton. The high mass spectrum changes drastically with respect to flat Minkowski spacetime. For $\Lambda\sim \mid\Lambda\mid N^2,$ {\it independent} of $\alpha',$ and the level spacing {\it grows} with the eigenvalue of the number operator, $N.$ The density of states $\rho(m)$ grows like \mbox{Exp}[(m/\sqrt{\mid\Lambda\mid}\;)^{1/2}] (instead of \rho(m)\sim\mbox{Exp}[m\sqrt{\alpha'}] as in Minkowski space), thus {\it discarding} the existence of a critical string temperature. For the sake of completeness, we also study the quantum strings in the black string background, where strings behave, in many respects, as in the ordinary black hole backgrounds. The mass spectrum is equal to the mass spectrum in flat Minkowski space.Comment: 31 pages, Latex, DEMIRM-Paris-9404

Simulating maize yield in sub-tropical conditions of southern Brazil using Glam model

The objective of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of simulating maize yield in a sub‑tropical region of southern Brazil using the general large area model (Glam). A 16‑year time series of daily weather data were used. The model was adjusted and tested as an alternative for simulating maize yield at small and large spatial scales. Simulated and observed grain yields were highly correlated (r above 0.8; p<0.01) at large scales (greater than 100,000 km2), with variable and mostly lower correlations (r from 0.65 to 0.87; p<0.1) at small spatial scales (lower than 10,000 km2). Large area models can contribute to monitoring or forecasting regional patterns of variability in maize production in the region, providing a basis for agricultural decision making, and Glam‑Maize is one of the alternatives

Meta-analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies for Extraversion: Findings from the Genetics of Personality Consortium

Extraversion is a relatively stable and heritable personality trait associated with numerous psychosocial, lifestyle and health outcomes. Despite its substantial heritability, no genetic variants have been detected in previous genome-wide association (GWA) studies, which may be due to relatively small sample sizes of those studies. Here, we report on a large meta-analysis of GWA studies for extraversion in 63,030 subjects in 29 cohorts. Extraversion item data from multiple personality inventories were harmonized across inventories and cohorts. No genome-wide significant associations were found at the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) level but there was one significant hit at the gene level for a long non-coding RNA site (LOC101928162). Genome-wide complex trait analysis in two large cohorts showed that the additive variance explained by common SNPs was not significantly different from zero, but polygenic risk scores, weighted using linkage information, significantly predicted extraversion scores in an independent cohort. These results show that extraversion is a highly polygenic personality trait, with an architecture possibly different from other complex human traits, including other personality traits. Future studies are required to further determine which genetic variants, by what modes of gene action, constitute the heritable nature of extraversion

Limited cross-species virus transmission in a spatially restricted coral reef fish community

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) - the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world - supports over 1,200 fish species with some of the highest population densities and diversities observed in vertebrates, offering a high potential for virus transmission among species. As such, the GBR represents an exceptional natural ecosystem to determine the impact of host community diversity on virus evolution and emergence. In recent decades, the GBR has also experienced significant threats of extinction, making it one of the most vulnerable ecosystems on the planet. Despite the global importance of the GBR, our understanding of virus diversity and connectivity in tropical reef fishes remains poor. Here, we employed metatranscriptomic sequencing to reveal the viromes of sixty-one reef fish species. This identified transcripts representing 132 putative viral sequences, 38 of which exhibited strong phylogenetic relationships with known vertebrate-associated viral genera, including a novel Santee-Cooper ranavirus (Iridoviridae). We found little evidence for virus transmission between fish species living within a very restricted geographical space - a 100-m2 coral reef ecosystem - suggesting that there might be important host barriers to successful cross-species transmission despite regular exposure. We also identified differences in virome composition among reef fish families, such that cryptobenthic reef fishes - characterized by small body sizes and short life spans - exhibited greater virome richness compared to large reef fishes. This study suggests that there are important barriers to cross-species virus transmission and that successful emergence in a reef fish community likely requires active host adaptation, even among closely related host species

Henneguya schizodon n. sp. (Myxozoa, Myxobolidae), a parasite of the Amazonian teleost fish Schizodon fasciatus (Characiformes, Anostomidae)

A new histozoic species of myxosporean [Henneguya schizodon n. sp.) is described from the Amazon River teleost fish Schizodon fasciatus Spix & Agassiz, 1 892 [Characiformes, Anostomidae). The plasmodia, which showed asynchronous development, were located in the kidney of the host. The spore body was ellipsoidal and was 13.1 (12-14) μm long by 3.3 (3-4) μm wide. The total length of the spore was 28.9 (27-30) μm, and each valve had a caudal process measuring 16.3 (15-17) μm. The polar capsules were 5.4 (5-0) μm long by 1.3 (1-1.5) μm wide, and each had a polar filament with 8-10 coils. The characteristics of the species were compared with nearly all the species described so far, including all the species reported from South American fishes. This comparison allows to consider the material as a new species, and the name Henneguya schizodon n. sp. is proposed

Contamination of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) royal jelly by pesticides and sample preparation methods for Its determination: A critical appraisal

Producción CientíficaPesticides can easily enter the food chain, harming bee populations and ecosystems. Exposure of beehive products to various contaminants has been identified as one of the factors contributing to the decline in bee populations, and multiple food alerts have been reported. Despite this fact, royal jelly, a valuable bee product with nutritional and functional properties, has received less attention in this context. Pesticide residues of different chemical class can contaminate royal jelly when foraging bees collect pollen or nectar from pesticide-treated flowers, or in some cases, due to its frequent and inappropriate use in the treatment of mites in beehives. To monitor this issue and also make it more reliable, it is crucial to develop effective sample preparation methods for extracting pesticides from royal jelly for subsequent analysis. In this context, this review provides information about sample preparation methods (solid-phase extraction, solvent extraction, and QuEChERS—quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) and analytical methods that have been validated or improved to extract and analyze pesticides, respectively, in royal jelly samples of different origins. Finally, future perspectives are discussed. With this background, we aim to provide data that can guide future research related to this topic.Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) y Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) - (grant RTA2017-00004-C02-02

Measurement of the correlation between flow harmonics of different order in lead-lead collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Correlations between the elliptic or triangular flow coefficients vm (m=2 or 3) and other flow harmonics vn (n=2 to 5) are measured using √sNN=2.76 TeV Pb+Pb collision data collected in 2010 by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 7 μb−1. The vm−vn correlations are measured in midrapidity as a function of centrality, and, for events within the same centrality interval, as a function of event ellipticity or triangularity defined in a forward rapidity region. For events within the same centrality interval, v3 is found to be anticorrelated with v2 and this anticorrelation is consistent with similar anticorrelations between the corresponding eccentricities, ε2 and ε3. However, it is observed that v4 increases strongly with v2, and v5 increases strongly with both v2 and v3. The trend and strength of the vm−vn correlations for n=4 and 5 are found to disagree with εm−εn correlations predicted by initial-geometry models. Instead, these correlations are found to be consistent with the combined effects of a linear contribution to vn and a nonlinear term that is a function of v22 or of v2v3, as predicted by hydrodynamic models. A simple two-component fit is used to separate these two contributions. The extracted linear and nonlinear contributions to v4 and v5 are found to be consistent with previously measured event-plane correlations

Measurement of the cross section for isolated-photon plus jet production in pp collisions at √s=13 TeV using the ATLAS detector

The dynamics of isolated-photon production in association with a jet in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV are studied with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using a dataset with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb−1. Photons are required to have transverse energies above 125 GeV. Jets are identified using the anti- algorithm with radius parameter and required to have transverse momenta above 100 GeV. Measurements of isolated-photon plus jet cross sections are presented as functions of the leading-photon transverse energy, the leading-jet transverse momentum, the azimuthal angular separation between the photon and the jet, the photon–jet invariant mass and the scattering angle in the photon–jet centre-of-mass system. Tree-level plus parton-shower predictions from Sherpa and Pythia as well as next-to-leading-order QCD predictions from Jetphox and Sherpa are compared to the measurements

Search for vectorlike B quarks in events with one isolated lepton, missing transverse momentum, and jets at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search has been performed for pair production of heavy vectorlike down-type (B) quarks. The analysis explores the lepton-plus-jets final state, characterized by events with one isolated charged lepton (electron or muon), significant missing transverse momentum, and multiple jets. One or more jets are required to be tagged as arising from b quarks, and at least one pair of jets must be tagged as arising from the hadronic decay of an electroweak boson. The analysis uses the full data sample of pp collisions recorded in 2012 by the ATLAS detector at the LHC, operating at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb −1 . No significant excess of events is observed above the expected background. Limits are set on vectorlike B production, as a function of the B branching ratios, assuming the allowable decay modes are B → Wt/Zb/Hb. In the chiral limit with a branching ratio of 100% for the decay B → Wt, the observed (expected) 95% C.L. lower limit on the vectorlike B mass is 810 GeV (760 GeV). In the case where the vectorlike B quark has branching ratio values corresponding to those of an SU(2) singlet state, the observed (expected) 95% C.L. lower limit on the vectorlike B mass is 640 GeV (505 GeV). The same analysis, when used to investigate pair production of a colored, charge 5/3 exotic fermion T 5/3 , with subsequent decay T 5/3 → Wt, sets an observed (expected) 95% C.L. lower limit on the T 5/3 mass of 840 GeV (780 GeV)