Vesivirus 2117 capsids more closely resemble sapovirus and lagovirus particles than other known vesivirus structures

Vesivirus 2117 is an adventitious agent that in 2009, was identified as a contaminant of CHO cells propagated in bioreactors at a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant belonging to Genzyme. The consequent interruption in supply of Fabrazyme and Cerezyme (drugs used to treat Fabry and Gaucher disease respectively), caused significant economic losses. Vesivirus 2117 is a member of the Caliciviridae; a family of small icosahedral viruses encoding a positive sense RNA genome. We have used cryo-electron microscopy and three dimensional image reconstruction to calculate a structure of vesivirus 2117 virus like particles as well as feline calicivirus and a chimeric sapovirus. We present a structural comparison of several members of the Caliciviridae, showing that the distal P domain of vesivirus 2117 is morphologically distinct from that seen in other known vesivirus structures. Furthermore, at intermediate resolutions we found a high level of structural similarity between vesivirus 2117 and Caliciviridae from other genera, such as sapovirus and rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus. Phylogenetic analysis confirms vesivirus 2117 as a vesivirus closely related to canine vesiviruses. We postulate that morphological differences in virion structure seen between vesivirus clades may reflect differences in receptor usage

Aubry sets vs Mather sets in two degrees of freedom

We study autonomous Tonelli Lagrangians on closed surfaces. We aim to clarify the relationship between the Aubry set and the Mather set, when the latter consists of periodic orbits which are not fixed points. Our main result says that in that case the Aubry set and the Mather set almost always coincide.Comment: Revised and expanded version. New proof of Lemma 2.3 (formerly Lemma 14

Green Extraction Processes for Complex Samples from Vegetable Matrices Coupled with On-Line Detection System: A Critical Review

The detection of analytes in complex organic matrices requires a series of analytical steps to obtain a reliable analysis. Sample preparation can be the most time-consuming, prolonged, and error-prone step, reducing the reliability of the investigation. This review aims to discuss the advantages and limitations of extracting bioactive compounds, sample preparation techniques, automation, and coupling with on-line detection. This review also evaluates all publications on this topic through a longitudinal bibliometric analysis, applying statistical and mathematical methods to analyze the trends, perspectives, and hot topics of this research area. Furthermore, state-of-the-art green extraction techniques for complex samples from vegetable matrices coupled with analysis systems are presented. Among the extraction techniques for liquid samples, solid-phase extraction was the most common for combined systems in the scientific literature. In contrast, for on-line extraction systems applied for solid samples, supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and pressurized liquid extraction were the most frequent green extraction techniques

Duration of Protection Against Clinical Malaria Provided by Three Regimens of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Tanzanian Infants

BACKGROUND: Intermittent preventive treatment in infants (IPTi) is a new malaria control tool. However, it is uncertain whether IPTi works mainly through chemoprophylaxis or treatment of existing infections. Understanding the mechanism is essential for development of replacements for sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) where it is no longer effective. This study investigated how protection against malaria given by SP, chlorproguanil-dapsone (CD) and mefloquine (MQ), varied with time since administration of IPTi. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A secondary analysis of data from a randomised, placebo-controlled trial in an area of high antifolate resistance in Tanzania was conducted. IPTi using SP, CD, MQ or placebo was given to 1280 infants at 2, 3 and 9 months of age. Poisson regression with random effects to adjust for potential clustering of malaria episodes within children was used to calculate incidence rate ratios for clinical malaria in defined time strata following IPTi. The short-acting antimalarial CD gave no protection against clinical malaria, whereas long-acting MQ gave two months of substantial protection (protective efficacy (PE) 73.1% (95% CI: 23.9, 90.5) and 73.3% (95% CI: 0, 92.9) in the first and second month respectively). SP gave some protection in the first month after treatment (PE 64.5% (95% CI: 10.6, 85.9)) although it did not reduce the incidence of malaria up to 12 months of age. There was no evidence of either long-term protection or increased risk of malaria for any of the regimens. CONCLUSION: Post-treatment chemoprophylaxis appears to be the main mechanism by which IPTi protects children against malaria. Long-acting antimalarials are therefore likely to be the most effective drugs for IPTi, but as monotherapies could be vulnerable to development of drug resistance. Due to concerns about tolerability, the mefloquine formulation used in this study is not suitable for IPTi. Further investigation of combinations of long-acting antimalarials for IPTi is needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00158574

Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production: Combine Effluent Treatment with Energy Generation in UASB Reactor as Biorefinery Annex

The issue of residues and industrial effluents represents an unprecedented environmental challenge in terms of recovery, storage, and treatment. This work discusses the perspectives of treating effluents through anaerobic digestion as well as reporting the experience of using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor as biorefinery annex in a pulp and paper industrial plant to be burned in the boilers. The performance of the reactors has shown to be stable under considerable variations in load and showed a significant potential in terms of biogas production. The reactors UASB treated 3600.00 m3 of effluent daily from a production of 150.00 tons. The biogas generation was 234.000 kg/year/mill, equivalent in combustible oil. The results of methane gas generated by the anaerobic system UASB (8846.00 kcal/m3) dislocate the equivalent of 650.0 kg of combustible oil (10000.00 kcal/kg) per day (or 234.000 kg/year). The production of 8846.00 Kcal/m3 of energy from biogas can make a run at industrial plant for 2 hours. This substitution can save US$128.700 annually (or US$ 550.0 of fuel oil/tons). The companies are invested in the use of the biogas in diesel stationary motors cycle that feed the boilers with water in case of storage electricity

Development, manufacturing and testing of small launcher structures from Portugal

During the last decades the industry has seen the number of Earth orbiting satellites rise, mostly due to the need to monitor Earth as well as to establish global communication networks. Nano, micro, and small satellites have been a prime tool for answering these needs, with large and mega constellations planned, leading to a potential launch gap. An effective and commercially appealing solution is the development of small launchers, as these can complement the current available launch opportunity offer, serving a large pool of different types of clients, with a flexible and custom service that large conventional launchers cannot adequately assure. Rocket Factory Augsburg has partnered with CEiiA for the development of several structures for the RFA One rocket. The objective has been the design of solutions that are low-cost, light, and custom-made, applying design and manufacturing concepts as well as technologies from other industries, like the aeronautical and automotive, to the aerospace one. This allows for the implementation of a New Space approach to the launcher segment, while also building a supply chain and a set of solutions that enables the industrialisation of such structures for this and future small launchers. The two main systems under development have been a versatile Kick-Stage, for payload carrying and orbit insertion, and a sturdy Payload Fairing. Even though the use of components off-the-shelf have been widely accepted in the space industry for satellites, these two systems pose different challenges as they must be: highly reliable during the most extreme conditions imposed by the launch, so that they can be considered safe to launch all types of payloads. This paper thus dives deep on the solutions developed in the last few years, presenting also lessons learned during the manufacturing and testing of these structures.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, Manuscript presented at the 73rd International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2022, Paris, France, 18 - 22 September 202

Vortex states in 2D superconductor at high magnetic field in a periodic pinning potential

The effect of a periodic pinning array on the vortex state in a 2D superconductor at low temperatures is studied within the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau approach. It is shown that attractive interaction of vortex cores to a commensurate pin lattice stabilizes vortex solid phases with long range positional order against violent shear fluctuations. Exploiting a simple analytical method, based on the Landau orbitals description, we derive a rather detailed picture of the low temperatures vortex state phase diagram. It is predicted that for sufficiently clean samples application of an artificial periodic pinning array would enable one to directly detect the intrinsic shear stiffness anisotropy characterizing the ideal vortex lattice.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

CONCENTRACIÓN DE METALES PESADOS (Cu y Cd), EN TEJIDO GONADAL DE A. tuberculosa EN EL ESTERO FARFÁN, GOLFO DE MONTIJO

The concentration of heavy metals (copper and cadmium) in the gonadal tissue of Anadara tuberculosa was determined, in the Farfan estuary, located in the Montijo gulf, in six sampling stations, during six months, samples of Anadara tuberculosa were taken by collection Handbook. The state of sexual development could be identified through observations under a microscope and routine histology. For the gonadic cycle, a four-stage scale was used for both sexes: undifferentiated, development, spawning and reabsorption. The processing of the samples for the reading of trace metals was done by means of acid digestion and by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The sexual ratio presented of females and males in the Farfan estuary was 1: 1. Copper presented a significant correlation in the concentration of metal between sexes. A significant difference occurred between the female index and the cadmium metal. There was a highly significant difference in the concentration of copper and cadmium in gonads between the two annual seasons (rainy and dry). The levels of heavy metals in gonadal tissue did not exceed the maximum permissible limits. It is recommended to monitor other areas of the Montijo gulf with the inclusion of other metals toxic to coastal ecosystemsSe determinó la concentración de metales pesados (cobre y cadmio) en el tejido gonadal de Anadara tuberculosa, en el estero Farfán, localizado en el Golfo de Montijo, en seis estaciones de muestreo; durante seis meses, se tomaron muestras de Anadara tuberculosa mediante colecta manual. Se pudo identificar el estado de desarrollo sexual, a través de observaciones al microscopio e histología rutinaria. Para el ciclo gonádico se empleó una escala de cuatro estadios para ambos sexos: indiferenciado, desarrollo, desove y reabsorción. El procesamiento de las muestras para la lectura de metales trazas fue hecho mediante digestión ácida y por espectrofotometría de absorción atómica de horno grafito.  La proporción sexual presentada de hembras y machos en el estero Farfán fue de 1:1. El cobre presentó una correlación significativa en la concentración de metal entre sexos. Ocurrió una diferencia significativa entre el índice para hembras y el metal cadmio. Se dio una diferencia altamente significativa en la concentración de cobre y cadmio en gónadas entre las dos épocas anuales (lluviosa y seca). Los niveles de metales pesados en tejido gonadal no sobrepasaron los límites máximos permisibles. Se recomienda monitorear otras zonas del golfo de Montijo con la inclusión de otros metales tóxicos para los ecosistemas costeros. &nbsp

BIOMETRÍA Y DESARROLLO GONADAL DE LA CONCHA NEGRA Anadara tuberculosa EN EL ESTERO CATÉ, GOLFO DE MONTIJO

To find out the biometric relationships and gonadal development of the mangrove cockle Anadara tuberculosa, in Cate estuary, Gulf of Montijo, Panama, it was established six sampling stations collected manually each month from February to July 2017, the morphometrics characters were measured with a caliper and the weight with an analytic balance. The physicochemical properties were measured with a YSI multiparameter probe. The monthly growth was calculated by determining the length-frequency distribution and the modal analysis. A section of each gonad was extracted to determine the degree of maturity, based on a scale of four reproductive stages. The Sex Ratio was 1.06:1, the maximum spawning was in April coinciding with the maximum increase of salinity in the dry season. A. tuberculosa grew about 2.6 mm per month, the minimum length was 28.05 mm, and the highest 72.25, the weight varied between 10.5 to 126.2 g.Se determinó los aspectos biométricos, y el desarrollo gonadal de la concha negra Anadara tuberculosa en el estero Caté, localizado en el Golfo de Montijo, a los 7º 44’ 25” N y 81º 13’ 32” O. Se seleccionaron seis estaciones de muestreo, dos de ellas hacia los externos de la desembocadura. En cada sitio durante seis meses se tomaron muestras manualmente, se determinó la morfometría y el peso con ayuda de un vernier y una balanza analítica respectivamente.  El desplazamiento modal y la frecuencia de talla fueron estimados con histogramas. Cada gónada fue extraída para determinar el sexo y el grado de madurez, en base a cuatro etapas reproductivas. Se midieron los parámetros fisicoquímicos con una sonda multiparamétrica Marca YSI. A. tuberculosa creció 2,6 mm por mes; la talla máxima registrada fue de 72,25 mm y mínima de 28,05 mm. El mayor peso registrado fue de 126,2 g y el menor de 10,5 g. La proporción de sexos fue de 1,06:1 y el máximo desove se dio en el mes de abril, junto con el aumento de la salinidad en la temporada seca

Melting and transverse depinning of driven vortex lattices in the periodic pinning of Josephson junction arrays

We study the non-equilibrium dynamical regimes of a moving vortex lattice in the periodic pinning of a Josephson junction array (JJA) for {\it finite temperatures} in the case of a fractional or submatching field. We obtain a phase diagram for the current driven JJA as a function of the driving current I and temperature T. We find that when the vortex lattice is driven by a current, the depinning transition at $T_p(I)$ and the melting transition at $T_M(I)$ become separated even for a field for which they coincide in equilibrium. We also distinguish between the depinning of the vortex lattice in the direction of the current drive, and the {\it transverse depinning} in the direction perpendicular to the drive. The transverse depinning corresponds to the onset of transverse resistance in a moving vortex lattice at a given temperature $T_{tr}$. For driving currents above the critical current we find that the moving vortex lattice has first a transverse depinning transition at low T, and later a melting transition at a higher temperature, $T_{M}>T_{tr}$.Comment: 17 pages, 19 figure