Shell-model half-lives for r-process waiting point nuclei including first-forbidden contributions

We have performed large-scale shell-model calculations of the half-lives and neutron-branching probabilities of the r-process waiting point nuclei at the magic neutron numbers N=50, 82, and 126. The calculations include contributions from allowed Gamow-Teller and first-forbidden transitions. We find good agreement with the measured half-lives for the N=50 nuclei with charge numbers Z=28-32 and for the N=82 nuclei 129Ag and 130Cd. The contribution of forbidden transitions reduce the half-lives of the N=126 waiting point nuclei significantly, while they have only a small effect on the half-lives of the N=50 and 82 r-process nuclei.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Modified Debye-Huckel Electron Shielding and Penetration Factor

Screened potential, modified by non standard electron cloud distributions responsible for the shielding effect on fusion of reacting nuclei in astrophysical plasmas, is derived. The case of clouds with depleted tails in space coordinates is discussed. The modified screened potential is obtained both from statistical mechanics arguments based on fluctuations of the inverse of the Debye-Huckel radius and from the solution of a Bernoulli equation used in generalized statistical mechanics. Plots and tables useful in evaluating penetration probability at any energy are provided.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 3 table

Probing the role of point mutations in the cyp51A gene from Aspergillus fumigatus in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Azole-resistant strains of Aspergillus fumigatus have been detected and the underlying molecular mechanisms of resistance characterized. Point mutations in the cyp51A gene have been proved to be related to azole resistance in A. fumigatus clinical strains and with different resistance profiles depending on the amino acid change (G54E, G54V, G54R, G54W, M220V, M220K, M220T, M220I). The aim of this work was to express A. fumigatus cyp51A genes in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in order to better assess the contribution of each independent amino acid substitution to resistance. A tetracycline regulatable system allowing repression of the endogenous essential ERG11 gene was used. The expression of Aspergillus cyp51A alleles could efficiently restore the absence of ERG11 in S. cerevisiae. In general, S. cerevisiae clones expressing. A. fumigatus cyp51A alleles from azole-resistant isolates showed higher MICs to all azoles tested than those expressing alleles from susceptible isolates. The azole susceptibility profiles obtained in S. cerevisiae upon expression of specific cyp51A alleles recapitulated susceptibility profiles observed from their A. fumigatus origins. In conclusion this work supports the concept that characteristics of specific A. fumigatus cyp51A alleles could be investigated in the heterologous host S. cerevisia

Instrumentos relacionados con la actividad textil de época tardoantigua y altomedieval en Cantabria

Los instrumentos relacionados con la actividad textil son relativamente abundantes en el repertorio de cultura material de época tardoantigua y altomedieval en Cantabria. Muchos de estos objetos han pasado desapercibidos o no han sido correctamente identificados en trabajos previos. Recogemos en este estudio un inventario detallado de los diferentes instrumentos, relacionados con el hilado (fusayolas, ganchos de huso, ruecas de mano) y con el tejido (punzones, pesas de telar), con numerosos paralelos en diferentes zonas de Europa. La mayor parte de los hallazgos procede de cuevas, algunas con depósitos sepulcrales, y se pueden datar en líneas generales entre los siglos VI y X

Meeting Notes 2006-03-09

Caracterización de la variabilidad climática en la Cordillera de los Andes necesita un de un análisis especial debido a que en esto región, la precipitación y temperatura ser extremadamente variables tanto a escala espacial como en escala temporal. En este artículo se examina las anomalías de datos mensuales de precipitación y temperatura media observada en 25 y 16 estaciones respectivamente, que datan desde inicios de 1960 hasta 1990, y los compara versus las anomalías de diferentes influencias climáticas externas de la región en bloques de periodos anuales y trimestrales. Las estaciones están ubicadas en la cuenca del Río Paute en el sur de los andes ecuatorianos. Las estaciones se encuentran en un rango de elevación entre 1800 y 4200 m s.n.m. y principalmente están afectados por influencias climáticas externas correspondientes al Pacifico tropical, la Amazonía y el Atlántico tropical. Los resultados muestran variaciones de temperatura homogéneas en toda la región, las mismas que están altamente influenciadas por el ENSO (El Nino South Oscillation) especialmente durante el trimestre Diciembre-Enero-Febrero. Durante Junio-Julio-Agosto, la correlación es menor, mostrando posibles influencias de otros factores climáticos. Se encontró valores altos y significativos de anomalías en temperatura en sitios de alta elevación, mientras que en los valles interandinos las anomalías son menores y de menor grado significativo. La variación en precipitación depende, además de la elevación, a factores adicionales como la orientación del terreno, la pendiente y el MASKANA, Vol. 2, No. 1, 2011 Revista semestral de la DIUC 32 régimen hidrológico. Los valores altos y significativos de anomalías en precipitación fueron encontrados en los sitios ubicados en la región oriental de la cuenca.Characterization of climate variability in the Andes mountain range needs special assessment as rainfall and temperature are extremely variable in space and time. This paper examines the anomalies of observed month rainfall and temperature data of respectively 25 and 16 stations, from the early 1960‟s to the 1990‟s and compare them against anomalies from different external climate influences in annual and 3-month seasonal block periods. The stations are located in the Río Paute Basin in the Ecuador‟s southern Andes. All stations are within the elevation band 1800 and 4200 m a.s.l. and affected by the Tropical Pacific, Amazon and Tropical Atlantic climate. The results show similar temperature variations for the entire region, which are highly influenced by the ENSO, especially during the DJF season. During JJA, the correlation is weaker showing the influence of other climate factors. Higher temperature anomalies are found at the high elevation sites while in deep valleys the anomalies are less significant. Rainfall variations depend, in addition to elevation, on additional factors such as the aspect orientation, slope and hydrological regime. Highest and most significant rainfall anomalies are found in the eastern sites.CuencaVol. 2; no. 1 (julio 2011

A Novel Mouse Model of Peritoneal Dialysis: Combination of Uraemia and Long-Term Exposure to PD Fluid

Different animal models for peritoneal dialysis (PD) have been used in the past decades to develop PD fluids compatible with patient life and to identify markers of peritoneal fibrosis and inflammation. Only few of those studies have taken into account the importance of uraemia-induced alterations at both systemic and peritoneal levels. Moreover, some animal studies which have reported about PD in a uremic setting did not always entirely succeed in terms of uraemia establishment and animal survival. In the present study we induced uraemia in the recently established mouse PD exposure model in order to obtain a more clinically relevant mouse model for kidney patients. This new designed model reflected both the slight thickening of peritoneal membrane induced by uraemia and the significant extracellular matrix deposition due to daily PD fluid instillation. In addition the model offers the opportunity to perform long-term exposure to PD fluids, as it is observed in the clinical setting, and gives the advantage to knock out candidate markers for driving peritoneal inflammatory mechanisms.Marie Curie actionsPeer Reviewe

The management and integration of biomedical knowledge: Application in the health-e-child project (position paper)

The Health-e-Child project aims to develop an integrated healthcare platform for European paediatrics. In order to achieve a comprehensive view of children’s health, a complex integration of biomedical data, information, and knowledge is necessary. Ontologies will be used to formally define this domain knowledge and will form the basis for the medical knowledge management system. This paper introduces an innovative methodology for the vertical integration of biomedical knowledge. This approach will be largely clinician-centered and will enable the definition of ontology fragments, connections between them (semantic bridges) and enriched ontology fragments (views). The strategy for the specification and capture of fragments, bridges and views is outlined with preliminary examples demonstrated in the collection of biomedical information from hospital databases, biomedical ontologies, and biomedical public databases

First Report of an OXA-23 Carbapenemase-Producing Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolate Related to Tn2006 in Spain

A carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolate belonging to European clone II and sequence type 2 was recov-ered from a patient in the Son Espases hospital in Mallorca, Spain. Genetic analysis showed the presence of the bla OXA-23 gene in association with the widely disseminated transposon Tn2006. This is the first reported identification of A. baumannii carrying bla OXA-23 in Spain