Monitoring serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio and leptin during growth hormone treatment for disordered growth

OBJECTIVE: Serum IGF-I levels are monitored during GH replacement treatment in adults with GH defi- ciency (GHD) to guide GH dose adjustment and to minimize occurrence of GH-related side-effects. This is not routine practice in children treated with GH. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in (1) serum IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio, and (2) serum leptin, an indirect marker of GH response, during the first year of GH treatment in children with disordered growth. DESIGN: An observational prospective longitudinal study with serial measurements at five time points during the first year of GH treatment was carried out. Each patient served as his/her own control. PATIENTS The study included 31 patients, grouped as (1) GHD (n=20) and (2) non-GHD (Turner syndrome n=7; Noonan syndrome n=4), who had not previously received GH treatment. MEASUREMENTS: Serum IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and leptin levels were measured before treatment and after 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months of GH treatment, with a mean dose of 0.5 IU/kg/wk in GHD and 0.7 IU/kg/wk in non-GHD groups. IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and the calculated IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio were expressed as SD scores using reference values from the local population. RESULTS: In the GHD group, IGF-I SDS before treatment was lower compared with the non-GHD (-5.4 ± 2.5 vs. -1.8 ± 1.0; P < 0.001). IGF-I (-1.8 SDS ± 2.2) and IGFBP-3 (-1.1 SDS ± 0.6) levels and their molar ratios were highest at 6 weeks and remained relatively constant thereafter. In the non-GHD group, IGF-I levels increased throughout the year and were maximum at 12 months (0.3 SDS ± 1.4) while IGFBP-3 (1.1 SDS ± 0.9) and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 molar ratio peaked at 6 months. In both groups, IGF-I SDS and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 during treatment correlated with the dose of GH expressed as IU/m2/week (r-values 0.77 to 0.89; P = 0.005) but not as IU/kg/week. Serum leptin levels decreased significantly during GH treatment in the GHD (median before treatment 4.0 g/l; median after 12 months treatment 2.4 g/l; P = 0.02) but not the non-GHD (median before treatment 3.0 g/l; median after 12 months treatment 2.6 g/l). In the GHD group, serum leptin before treatment correlated with 12 month change in height SDS (r = 0.70, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and their molar ratio during the first year of GH treatment differed between the GHD and non-GHD groups. Calculation of GH dose by surface area may be preferable to calculating by body weight. As a GH dose-dependent increase in serum IGF-I and IGF-I/IGFBP-3 may be associated with adverse effects, serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 should be monitored routinely during longterm GH treatment. Serum leptin was the only variable that correlated with first year growth response in GHD

Cadmium Telluride Solar Cells on Ultrathin Glass for Space Applications

This paper details the preliminary findings of a study to achieve a durable thin film CdTe photovoltaic device structure onto ultra-thin space qualified cover glass. An aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) transparent conducting oxide (TCO) was deposited directly onto cover glass using metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). The AZO demonstrated a low sheet resistance of 10 Ω/□ and high optical transparency of 85% as well as an excellent adherence and environmental stability. Preliminary deposition of the photovoltaic layers onto the AZO on cover glass, by MOCVD, showed the possibility of such a structure yielding a device conversion efficiency of 7.2 %. High series resistance (10 Ω.cm2) and low Voc (586 mV) were identified as the limiting factors when compared to the authors platform process on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated aluminosilicate. The coverage of the Cd1-xZnxS window layer along with the front contacting of the device was shown to be the major cause of the low efficiency. Further deposition of the AZO/CdTe employing an oxygen plasma cleaning step to the cover glass and evaporated gold front contacts significantly improved the device performance. A best conversion efficiency of 10.2 % with series resistance improved to 4.4 Ω.cm2 and open circuit voltage (Voc) up to 667 mV and good adhesion has demonstrated for the first time direct deposition of CdTe solar cells onto 100 μm thick space qualified cover glass

CdCl2 treatment related diffusion phenomena in Cd1xZnxS/CdTe solar cells

Utilisation of wide bandgap Cd1_xZnxS alloys as an alternative to the CdS window layer is an attractive route to enhance the performance of CdTe thin film solar cells. For successful implementation, however, it is vital to control the composition and properties of Cd1_xZnxS through device fabrication processes involving the relatively high-temperature CdTe deposition and CdCl2 activation steps. In this study, cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy and depth profiling methods were employed to investigate chemical and structural changes in CdTe/Cd1_xZnxS/CdS superstrate device structures deposited on an ITO/boro-aluminosilicate substrate. Comparison of three devices in different states of completion—fully processed (CdCl2 activated), annealed only (without CdCl2 activation), and a control (without CdCl2 activation or anneal)—revealed cation diffusion phenomena within the window layer, their effects closely coupled to the CdCl2 treatment. As a result, the initial Cd1_xZnxS/CdS bilayer structure was observed to unify into a single Cd1_xZnxS layer with an increased Cd/Zn atomic ratio; these changes defining the properties and performance of the Cd1_xZnxS/CdTe device

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of systemic alkyl quinolones for P. aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis: a longitudinal study

Background Pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection is associated with poor outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF) and early diagnosis is challenging, particularly in those who are unable to expectorate sputum. Specific P. aeruginosa 2-alkyl-4-quinolones are detectable in the sputum, plasma and urine of adults with CF, suggesting that they have potential as biomarkers for P. aeruginosa infection. Aim To investigate systemic 2-alkyl-4-quinolones as potential biomarkers for pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection. Methods A multicentre observational study of 176 adults and 68 children with CF. Cross-sectionally, comparisons were made between current P. aeruginosa infection using six 2-alkyl-4-quinolones detected in sputum, plasma and urine against hospital microbiological culture results. All participants without P. aeruginosa infection at baseline were followed up for one year to determine if 2-alkyl-4-quinolones were early biomarkers of pulmonary P. aeruginosa infection. Results Cross-sectional analysis: the most promising biomarker with the greatest diagnostic accuracy was 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline (HHQ). In adults, areas under the ROC curves (95% confidence intervals) for HHQ analyses were 0.82 (0.75–0.89) in sputum, 0.76 (0.69–0.82) in plasma and 0.82 (0.77–0.88) in urine. In children, the corresponding values for HHQ analyses were 0.88 (0.77–0.99) in plasma and 0.83 (0.68–0.97) in urine. Longitudinal analysis: Ten adults and six children had a new positive respiratory culture for P. aeruginosa in follow-up. A positive plasma HHQ test at baseline was significantly associated with a new positive culture for P. aeruginosa in both adults and children in follow-up (odds ratio (OR) = 6.67;-95% CI:-1.48–30.1;-p = 0.01 and OR = 70; 95% CI: 5–956;-p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusions AQs measured in sputum, plasma and urine may be used to diagnose current infection with P. aeruginosa in adults and children with CF. These preliminary data show that plasma HHQ may have potential as an early biomarker of pulmonary P. aeruginosa. Further studies are necessary to evaluate if HHQ could be used in clinical practice to aid early diagnosis of P. aeruginosa infection in the future

Quintessence and variation of the fine structure constant in the CMBR

We study dependence of the CMB temperature anisotropy spectrum on the value of the fine structure constant $\alpha$ and the equation of state of the dark energy component of the total density of the universe. We find that bounds imposed on the variation of $\alpha$ from the analysis of currently available CMB data sets can be significantly relaxed if one also allows for a change in the equation of state.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Several references added and a few minor typos corrected in the revised versio

A global database of C4 photosynthesis in grasses

C3,C4 or Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathways represent a fundamental axis of trait variation in plants,with importance at scales from genome to biome. Knowing the distribution of these pathways among wild species is a crucial first step in understanding the patterns and processes of photosynthetic evolution and its role in ecological processes at large scales (e.g. changes in the composition of biomes under global change). C4 photosynthesis is most prevalent in the Poaceae (grasses), which account for about half of all C4 species (Sage et al.,1999a).Research on the evolution and ecology of these plants has undergone a renaissance during the last 7 yr, catalyzed by phylogenetic analyses showing multiple parallel C4 origins (e.g. Christin et al. , 2007; Vicentini et al., 2008; GPWG II, 2012), insights into the distribution of C4 species and assembly of the C4 grassland biome (Edwards & Still, 2008; Edwards & Smith, 2010; Edwards et al., 2010), and efforts to introduce the C4 pathway into rice (Hibberd et al., 2008; von Caemmerer et al., 2012). C4 photosynthesis is an excellent model for investigating complex trait evolution, because of the broad knowledge base describing its biochemical basis, evolutionary history, and ecological interactions (Christin et al., 2010)

Effects of Cd1-xZnxS alloy composition and post-deposition air anneal on ultra-thin CdTe solar cells produced by MOCVD

Ultra-thin CdTe:As/Cd1-xZnxS photovoltaic solar cells with an absorber thickness of 0.5 μm were deposited by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition on indium tin oxide coated boro-aluminosilicate substrates. The Zn precursor concentration was varied to compensate for Zn leaching effects after CdCl2 activation treatment. Analysis of the solar cell composition and structure by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling and X-ray diffraction showed that higher concentrations of Zn in the Cd1-xZnxS window layer resulted in suppression of S diffusion across the CdTe/Cd1-xZnxS interface after CdCl2 activation treatment. Excessive Zn content in the Cd1-xZnxS alloy preserved the spectral response in the blue region of the solar spectrum, but increased series resistance for the solar cells. A modest increase in the Zn content of the Cd1-xZnxS alloy together with a post-deposition air anneal resulted in an improved blue response and an enhanced open circuit voltage and fill factor. This device yielded a mean efficiency of 8.3% over 8 cells (0.25 cm2 cell area) and best cell efficiency of 8.8%

Efeito do tratamento com aminoetoxivinilglicina (AVG) na queda pré-colheita e na maturação dos frutos em macieiras

ABSTRACTApple trees cultivars Gala and Fuji were sprayed four weeks before commercial harvest with aminoethoxyvinilglycine (AVG), at doses of 0, 125, or 250 mg L-1, and assessed for preharvest fruit drop, fruit growth, and maturation on tree. In 'Gala', 64 days after AVG spraying, fruit drop for control treatment was 85%, and AVG (at 125 and 250 mg L-1) reduced it to 10%. In 'Fuji', 64 days after AVG spraying, fruit drop for control was 6%, while treatments with AVG (at 125 and 250 mg L-1) increased fruit drop to 10%. AVG was a powerful retardant of fruit maturation for 'Gala' but not for 'Fuji'. In 'Gala', the most affected attribute was the skin background color, followed, in decreasing order, by soluble solids content, the starch index, skin red color, the flesh firmness, and titratable acidity. In 'Gala', only flesh firmness retention was improved by increasing AVG dose from 125 mg L-1 to 250 mg L-1. The AVG at 250 mg L-1 inhibited "Gala" late fruit growth but not 'Fuji'. __________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMOMacieiras, das cultivares Gala e Fuji, foram pulverizadas quatro semanas antes do início da colheita comercial dos frutos com aminoetoxivinilglicina (AVG), nas concentrações de 0; 125 ou 250 mg L-1, e avaliadas quanto à queda de frutos na pré-colheita, o crescimento e maturação dos frutos. Na cultivar Gala, 64 dias após a pulverização com AVG, a queda pré-colheita no tratamento-controle era de 85%, mas os tratamentos com AVG (125 e 250 mg L-1) reduziram esta queda para 10%. Na cultivar Fuji, 64 dias após a pulverização com AVG, a queda de frutos no tratamento-controle era de 6%, e os tratamentos com AVG (125 e 250 mg L-1) aumentaram esta queda para 10%. Tratamentos com AVG retardaram substancialmente a maturação dos frutos da cultivar Gala, mas não da 'Fuji'. Na cultivar Gala, o atributo mais afetado foi a cor de fundo da casca, seguido, em ordem decrescente, pelo conteúdo de sólidos solúveis totais, índice de iodo-amido, cor vermelha da casca, firmeza de polpa e acidez titulável. Na cultivar Gala, apenas a retenção de firmeza de polpa foi significativamente aumentada com o aumento na concentração de AVG de 125 mg L-1 para 250 mg L-1. A concentração de 250 mg L-1 inibiu o crescimento final de frutos na cultivar Gala, mas não na 'Fuji'

Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey with The Hubble Space Telescope: Stellar Cluster Catalogs and First Insights Into Cluster Formation and Evolution in NGC 628

We report the large effort that is producing comprehensive high-level young star cluster (YSC) catalogs for a significant fraction of galaxies observed with the Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) Hubble treasury program. We present the methodology developed to extract cluster positions, verify their genuine nature, produce multiband photometry (from NUV to NIR), and derive their physical properties via spectral energy distribution fitting analyses. We use the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 628 as a test case for demonstrating the impact that LEGUS will have on our understanding of the formation and evolution of YSCs and compact stellar associations within their host galaxy. Our analysis of the cluster luminosity function from the UV to the NIR finds a steepening at the bright end and at all wavelengths suggesting a dearth of luminous clusters. The cluster mass function of NGC 628 is consistent with a power-law distribution of slopes $\sim -2$ and a truncation of a few times 105 ${M}_{\odot }$. After their formation, YSCs and compact associations follow different evolutionary paths. YSCs survive for a longer time frame, confirming their being potentially bound systems. Associations disappear on timescales comparable to hierarchically organized star-forming regions, suggesting that they are expanding systems. We find mass-independent cluster disruption in the inner region of NGC 628, while in the outer part of the galaxy there is little or no disruption. We observe faster disruption rates for low mass (≤104 ${M}_{\odot }$) clusters, suggesting that a mass-dependent component is necessary to fully describe the YSC disruption process in NGC 628