Structure of the medium formed in heavy ion collisions

We investigate the structure of the medium formed in heavy ion collisions using three different models: the Color String Percolation Model (CSPM), the Core-Shell-Color String Percolation Model (CSCSPM), and the Color Glass Condensate (CGC) framework. We analyze the radial distribution function of the transverse representation of color flux tubes in each model to determine the medium's structure. Our results indicate that the CSPM behaves as an ideal gas, while the CSCSPM exhibits a structural phase transition from a gas-like to a liquid-like structure. Additionally, our analysis of the CGC framework suggests that it produces systems that behave like interacting gases for AuAu central collisions at RHIC energies and liquid-like structures for PbPb central collisions at LHC energies.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Depletion-Driven Morphological Control of Bundled Actin Networks

The actin cytoskeleton is a semiflexible biopolymer network whose morphology is controlled by a wide range of biochemical and physical factors. Actin is known to undergo a phase transition from a single-filament state to a bundled state by the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules in sufficient concentration. While the depletion interaction experienced by these biopolymers is well-known, the effect of changing the molecular weight of the depletant is less well understood. Here, we experimentally identify a phase transition in solutions of actin from networks of filaments to networks of bundles by varying the molecular weight of PEG polymers, while holding the concentration of these PEG polymers constant. We examine the states straddling the phase transition in terms of micro and macroscale properties. We find that the mesh size, bundle diameter, persistence length, and intra-bundle spacing between filaments across the line of criticality do not show significant differences, while the relaxation time, storage modulus, and degree of bundling change between the two states do show significant differences. Our results demonstrate the ability to tune actin network morphology and mechanics by controlling depletant size, a property which could be exploited to develop actin-based materials with switchable rigidity.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures. Authors James Clarke and Francis Cavanna contributed equally; Changes: Added modeling work, extended dynamic light scattering analysi

AGENTES ASOCIADOS Y SU PAPEL EN LA DECLINACIÓN Y MUERTE DE ENCINOS (QUERCUS, FAGACEAE) EN EL CENTRO-OESTE DE MÉXICO

This study was carried out to identify bioticand abiotic agents and to determine theirrole in oak decline and death in five statesof the Mexican Republic: Aguascalientes,Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco and Nayarit.Two 0.1-ha permanent plots wereestablished at the most representativeforested areas with tree death, diebackand bleeding cankers in these statesand sampled during 2003, 2004 and 2005(10 plots in total). Field observations weremade, and foliage, branch, trunk and soilsamples were collected to identify theassociated agents in each plot. Isolates frombleeding cankers were made in situ. Themost commonly found biotic agents were:Phytophthora cinnamomi, Pythium sp.,Hypoxylon antropunctatum, Ganodermaspp., Armillaria sp., Apiognomoniaquercina, the dwarf mistletoe(Phoradendron villosum), bark borers,insect defoliators and livestock overgrazing.Among the abiotic stress factors commonlyfound were the effects due to lowtemperature-lack of water and fire. Basedon their incidence, P. cinnamomi, H.antropunctatum and low temperature-lackof water were considered the most importantcontributors to the decline and death of theoaks. P. cinnamomi was identified in four ofthe 10 plots, mainly in Colima and Jalisco;H. antropunctatum was detected in sixplots, particularly in Nayarit andAguascalientes. Stem cankers (cracks) dueto low temperature-lack of water wereobserved in four plots, damaging 52% of the trees in Aguascalientes and 24% inGuanajuato. It was concluded that P.cinnamomi is killing some oak species, H.antropunctatum is colonizing weakenedtrees, and low temperature-lack of water iscausing stress and in some cases death inoaks.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificary determinar el papel tanto de los factoresbióticos como de los abióticos asociados ala declinación y muerte del encino en cincoestados de la República mexicana: Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco yNayarit. Para esto, se establecieron dossitios permanentes de 0.1 ha en cada una delas áreas más representativas (con arboladomuerto, con muerte regresiva y cancros conexudado) de los estados mencionados (10sitios en total), los cuales fueron muestreados durante 2003, 2004 y 2005. Sehicieron observaciones y colectas en campode follaje, ramas, tronco y suelo, paraidentificar a los diferentes agentes de dañoen cada sitio. Se realizaron aislamientosin situ de cancros con exudado en mediosespecíficos. Los agentes bióticos máscomunes fueron: Phytophthora cinnamomi,Pythium sp., Hypoxylon antropunctatum,Ganoderma sp., Armillaria sp.,Apiognomonia quercina, el muérdagoenano (Phoradendron villosum), barrenadores, defoliadores y sobrepastoreo. Entre los abióticos causantes de estrés ymuerte, destacaron los daños ocasionadospor las bajas temperaturas-falta de aguay fuego. Con base en su incidencia, P.cinnamomi, H. antropunctatum y las bajastemperaturas-falta de agua son considerados los factores de mayor importanciaen la declinación y muerte del encino. P.cinnamomi fue identificado en cuatro delos diez sitios, particularmente de Colimay Jalisco; H. antropunctatum fué detectadoen seis de diez, principalmente en losrodales de Nayarit y Aguascalientes. Loscancros de troncos (rajaduras), debido a lasbajas temperaturas-falta de agua, seobservaron en cuatro sitios, afectando al52% de los árboles en Aguascalientes y24% en Guanajuato. Se concluye que P.cinnamomi está ocasionando la muertede algunas especies de encino, H.antropunctatum está coloni-zando árbolesdebilitados y las bajas temperaturas-faltade agua están participando como agentescausantes de estrés y muerte en algunoscasos

Paleogene Radiation of a Plant Pathogenic Mushroom

Background: The global movement and speciation of fungal plant pathogens is important, especially because of the economic losses they cause and the ease with which they are able to spread across large areas. Understanding the biogeography and origin of these plant pathogens can provide insights regarding their dispersal and current day distribution. We tested the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin of the plant pathogenic mushroom genus Armillaria and the currently accepted premise that vicariance accounts for the extant distribution of the species. Methods: The phylogeny of a selection of Armillaria species was reconstructed based on Maximum Parsimony (MP), Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI). A timeline was then placed on the divergence of lineages using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock approach. Results: Phylogenetic analyses of sequenced data for three combined nuclear regions provided strong support for three major geographically defined clades: Holarctic, South American-Australasian and African. Molecular dating placed the initial radiation of the genus at 54 million years ago within the Early Paleogene, postdating the tectonic break-up of Gondwana. Conclusions: The distribution of extant Armillaria species is the result of ancient long-distance dispersal rather than vicariance due to continental drift. As these finding are contrary to most prior vicariance hypotheses for fungi, our result

Infectious Diseases, Social, Economic and Political Crises, Anthropogenic Disasters and Beyond: Venezuela 2019 – Implications for Public Health and Travel Medicine

During last months, there have been a significant increase in the evidences showing the catastrophic health situation in Venezuela. There are multiple epidemics, increase in emerging and reemerging infectious, tropical and parasitic diseases as consequences of the social, economic and political crises, which would be considered today a clearly anthropogenic disaster. Venezuela is facing in 2019, the worse sanitary conditions, with multiple implications for public health and travel medicine. So far, from a global perspective, this situation will be an impediment for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) in 2030. In this multiauthor review, there is a comprehensive analysis of the situation for infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, their impact in the Americas region, given the migration crisis as well as the comparative status of the SDG 2030. This discussion can provide input for prioritizing emerging health problems and establish a future agenda

Infectious Diseases, Social, Economic and Political Crises, Anthropogenic Disasters and Beyond: Venezuela 2019 – Implications for Public Health and Travel Medicine

During last months, there have been a significant increase in the evidences showing the catastrophic health situation in Venezuela. There are multiple epidemics, increase in emerging and reemerging infectious, tropical and parasitic diseases as consequences of the social, economic and political crises, which would be considered today a clearly anthropogenic disaster. Venezuela is facing in 2019, the worse sanitary conditions, with multiple implications for public health and travel medicine. So far, from a global perspective, this situation will be an impediment for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) in 2030. In this multiauthor review, there is a comprehensive analysis of the situation for infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, their impact in the Americas region, given the migration crisis as well as the comparative status of the SDG 2030. This discussion can provide input for prioritizing emerging health problems and establish a future agenda

Genetic Modifier Screens Reveal New Components that Interact with the Drosophila Dystroglycan-Dystrophin Complex

The Dystroglycan-Dystrophin (Dg-Dys) complex has a capacity to transmit information from the extracellular matrix to the cytoskeleton inside the cell. It is proposed that this interaction is under tight regulation; however the signaling/regulatory components of Dg-Dys complex remain elusive. Understanding the regulation of the complex is critical since defects in this complex cause muscular dystrophy in humans. To reveal new regulators of the Dg-Dys complex, we used a model organism Drosophila melanogaster and performed genetic interaction screens to identify modifiers of Dg and Dys mutants in Drosophila wing veins. These mutant screens revealed that the Dg-Dys complex interacts with genes involved in muscle function and components of Notch, TGF-β and EGFR signaling pathways. In addition, components of pathways that are required for cellular and/or axonal migration through cytoskeletal regulation, such as Semaphorin-Plexin, Frazzled-Netrin and Slit-Robo pathways show interactions with Dys and/or Dg. These data suggest that the Dg-Dys complex and the other pathways regulating extracellular information transfer to the cytoskeletal dynamics are more intercalated than previously thought

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe