809 research outputs found
A polymorphic microsatellite from the Squalius alburnoides complex (Osteichthyes, Cyprinidae) cloned by serendipity can be useful in genetic analysis of polyploids
A new microsatellite locus (SAS1) for Squalius alburnoides was obtained through cloning by serendipity. The possible usefulness of this new species-specific microsatellite in genetic studies of this hybrid-species complex, was explored. The polymorphism exhibited by SAS1 microsatellite is an important addition to the set of microsatellites previously used in genetic studies in S. alburnoides complex, that mostly relied in markers described for other species. Moreover, the SAS1 microsatellite could be used to identify the parental genomes of the complex, complementing other methods recently described for the same purpose.
A new concept for the combination of optical interferometers and high-resolution spectrographs
The combination of high spatial and spectral resolution in optical astronomy
enables new observational approaches to many open problems in stellar and
circumstellar astrophysics. However, constructing a high-resolution
spectrograph for an interferometer is a costly and time-intensive undertaking.
Our aim is to show that, by coupling existing high-resolution spectrographs to
existing interferometers, one could observe in the domain of high spectral and
spatial resolution, and avoid the construction of a new complex and expensive
instrument. We investigate in this article the different challenges which arise
from combining an interferometer with a high-resolution spectrograph. The
requirements for the different sub-systems are determined, with special
attention given to the problems of fringe tracking and dispersion. A concept
study for the combination of the VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer)
with UVES (UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph) is carried out, and several other
specific instrument pairings are discussed. We show that the proposed
combination of an interferometer with a high-resolution spectrograph is indeed
feasible with current technology, for a fraction of the cost of building a
whole new spectrograph. The impact on the existing instruments and their
ongoing programs would be minimal.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures, Experimental Astronomy; v2: accepted versio
Clinical and morphological characteristics of head-facial haemangiomas
BACKGROUND: Haemangiomas of the head or face are a frequent vascular pathology, consisting in an embryonic dysplasia that involves the cranial-facial vascular network. Haemangiomas show clinical, morphological, developmental and structural changes during their course. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of head-facial haemagiomas were studied in 28 individuals (9 males and 19 females) admitted in our Hospital. Sixteen of these patients(n = 16) underwent surgery for the removal of the haemangiomas. All the removed tissues were transferred in experimental laboratories for the staining of microanatomical details, somatic and visceral nerve fibres, adrenergic and catecholaminergic nerve fibres. Beta-adrenergic receptors were died with a fluorescent method. All results were submitted to the quantitative analysis of images and statistical evaluation of the data. RESULTS: The morphological results revealed numerous micro-anatomical characteristics of the haemangiomatous vessels. The somatic and visceral nerve fibres were poor and located exclusively in the adventitial layer. There was a marked decrease of adrenergic nerve fibres in the haemangiomatous vessels. The fluorescence of catecholaminergic nerve fibres and the overall area of fluorescent structures were also decreased in haemangiomatous vessels. Beta adrenergic receptors are strongly decreased in haemangiomatous vessels. The morphometrical analysis of images and statistical evaluation of the data confirmed all our experimental results. CONCLUSION: The catecholaminergic innervation of the human haemangiomatous vessels comprises nerve fibres containing the main catecholaminergic neurotransmitters that are sympathetic in nature. These neurotransmitters are closely related to beta-adrenergic receptors. The sympathetic nervous system plays a key role in the control of the vascular bed flow and vascular motility in both normal and haemangiomatous vessels
Asteroseismology and Interferometry
Asteroseismology provides us with a unique opportunity to improve our
understanding of stellar structure and evolution. Recent developments,
including the first systematic studies of solar-like pulsators, have boosted
the impact of this field of research within Astrophysics and have led to a
significant increase in the size of the research community. In the present
paper we start by reviewing the basic observational and theoretical properties
of classical and solar-like pulsators and present results from some of the most
recent and outstanding studies of these stars. We centre our review on those
classes of pulsators for which interferometric studies are expected to provide
a significant input. We discuss current limitations to asteroseismic studies,
including difficulties in mode identification and in the accurate determination
of global parameters of pulsating stars, and, after a brief review of those
aspects of interferometry that are most relevant in this context, anticipate
how interferometric observations may contribute to overcome these limitations.
Moreover, we present results of recent pilot studies of pulsating stars
involving both asteroseismic and interferometric constraints and look into the
future, summarizing ongoing efforts concerning the development of future
instruments and satellite missions which are expected to have an impact in this
field of research.Comment: Version as published in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, Volume
14, Issue 3-4, pp. 217-36
Interaction Between Convection and Pulsation
This article reviews our current understanding of modelling convection
dynamics in stars. Several semi-analytical time-dependent convection models
have been proposed for pulsating one-dimensional stellar structures with
different formulations for how the convective turbulent velocity field couples
with the global stellar oscillations. In this review we put emphasis on two,
widely used, time-dependent convection formulations for estimating pulsation
properties in one-dimensional stellar models. Applications to pulsating stars
are presented with results for oscillation properties, such as the effects of
convection dynamics on the oscillation frequencies, or the stability of
pulsation modes, in classical pulsators and in stars supporting solar-type
oscillations.Comment: Invited review article for Living Reviews in Solar Physics. 88 pages,
14 figure
High prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the surgical units of Mulago hospital in Kampala, Uganda
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is limited data on Methicillin resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>(MRSA) in Uganda where, as in most low income countries, the routine use of chromogenic agar for MRSA detection is not affordable. We aimed to determine MRSA prevalence among patients, healthcare workers (HCW) and the environment in the burns units at Mulago hospital, and compare the performance of CHROMagar with oxacillin for detection of MRSA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>One hundred samples (from 25 patients; 36 HCW; and 39 from the environment, one sample per person/item) were cultured for the isolation of <it>Staphylococcus aureus</it>. Forty one <it>S. aureus </it>isolates were recovered from 13 patients, 13 HCW and 15 from the environment, all of which were oxacillin resistant and <it>mecA/femA/nuc</it>-positive. MRSA prevalence was 46% (41/89) among patients, HCW and the environment, and 100% (41/41) among the isolates. For CHROMagar, MRSA prevalence was 29% (26/89) among patients, HCW and the environment, and 63% (26/41) among the isolates. There was high prevalence of multidrug resistant isolates, which concomitantly possessed virulence and antimicrobial resistance determinants, notably biofilms, hemolysins, toxin and <it>ica </it>genes. One isolate positive for all determinants possessed the <it>bhp </it>homologue which encodes the biofilm associated protein (BAP), a rare finding in human isolates. SCC<it>mec </it>type I was the most common at 54% prevalence (22/41), followed by <it>SCCmec </it>type V (15%, 6/41) and <it>SCCmec </it>type IV (7%, 3/41). <it>SCCmec </it>types II and III were not detected and 10 isolates (24%) were non-typeable.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Hyper-virulent methicillin resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>is prevalent in the burns unit of Mulago hospital.</p
A dusty, normal galaxy in the epoch of reionization
Candidates for the modest galaxies that formed most of the stars in the early
universe, at redshifts , have been found in large numbers with extremely
deep restframe-UV imaging. But it has proved difficult for existing
spectrographs to characterise them in the UV. The detailed properties of these
galaxies could be measured from dust and cool gas emission at far-infrared
wavelengths if the galaxies have become sufficiently enriched in dust and
metals. So far, however, the most distant UV-selected galaxy detected in dust
emission is only at , and recent results have cast doubt on whether
dust and molecules can be found in typical galaxies at this early epoch. Here
we report thermal dust emission from an archetypal early universe star-forming
galaxy, A1689-zD1. We detect its stellar continuum in spectroscopy and
determine its redshift to be from a spectroscopic detection of
the Ly{\alpha} break. A1689-zD1 is representative of the star-forming
population during reionisation, with a total star-formation rate of about
12M yr. The galaxy is highly evolved: it has a large stellar
mass, and is heavily enriched in dust, with a dust-to-gas ratio close to that
of the Milky Way. Dusty, evolved galaxies are thus present among the fainter
star-forming population at , in spite of the very short time since they
first appeared.Comment: Nature in press. 14 pages, 10 figures, including methods sectio
Effects of orofacial myofunctional therapy on the symptoms and physiological parameters of sleep breathing disorders in adults: a systematic review
Cuidados prestados à mulher na visita domiciliar da “Primeira Semana de Saúde Integral”
Objetivo: Avaliar o cuidado prestado à mulher na visita domiciliar da “Primeira Semana de Saúde Integral”.Método: Estudo transversal realizado em serviço especializado do Recife, Pernambuco. Entre setembro e dezembro de 2013, 190 puérperas cadastradas na Estratégia Saúde da Família responderam a um questionário para verificar a existência de associação entre a visita domiciliar e as variáveis investigadas, utilizando o teste Qui-quadrado, com nível de confiança de 95%.Resultados: Predominou idade de até 29 anos (68,5%) e risco gestacional alto (59,5%), sendo 46,9% primíparas. Na primeira semana pós-alta, 42,1% receberam visita. Constatou-se associação entre atenção pré-natal em nível local e visita na primeira semana (p=0,049). A participação do enfermeiro na visita estava associada à maior realização de exame de mama (p=0,000), abdômen (p=0,000) e investigação de condições emocionais (p=0,029).Conclusões: Evidencia-se a necessidade de instituir um planejamento rotineiro para efetuar a visita domiciliar programática, priorizando as puérperas de risco.Palavras-chave: Período pós-parto. Visita domiciliar. Estratégia Saúde da Família. Saúde da mulher. Avaliação em saúde
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