Culture-negative bivalvular endocarditis with myocardial destruction in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case report

Culture-negative endocarditis has long been associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, but is usually asymptomatic or involves a single valve. We present a patient with destructive culture-negative endocarditis that remains without a microbial etiology despite an exhaustive workup using advanced diagnostic techniques in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

Conflitos Socioambientais. Mosaico de Unidades de Conservação da Jureia Itatins. Sustentabilidade. Mata Atlântica. Estação Ecológica Jureia-Itatins. Recursos Naturais. Proteção Ambiental.

Dentre as questões ambientais, uma das mais importantes em relação à produção agrícola é a contradição que se estabelece entre a necessidade de conservação de importante patrimônio biofísico com restrições às práticas agropecuárias e agroflorestais e a sobrevivência de comunidades que vivem em estreita relação de dependência com a natureza. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir o percurso social e político de núcleos de população formados por agricultores familiares antigos, tradicionais e não tradicionais, residentes em área de preservação ambiental e que, embora venham há muitos anos lutando para a regularizaçãode sua permanência no local, ainda não encontraram uma solução que defina seus destinos. Foram utilizadas, como base as informações e análises contidas em trabalhos anteriores sobre o local, (PANZUTTI, 2001; PANZUTTI, 2002) em que foram focalizados, principalmente, os impactos causados pela criação Estação Ecológica Juréia Itatins – EEJI (1986) e o modo de vida da população de um dos núcleos – Itinguçu, situados dentro da Unidade de Conservação). Para análise dos encadeamentos da Lei 12.406 de 2006 que criou o Mosaico de Unidades de Conservação da Juréia-Itatins vigente até 2009, foram estabelecidos novos roteiros e, vinte (20) entrevistas semi-estruturadas foram colhidas (de julho a outubro) de 2007 entre os moradores, lideranças locais, organizações governamentais, não governamentais e representantes políticos municipais (Peruíbe) e estaduais. Agora em 2013, é assinada nova Lei Estadual, recriando o Mosaico das Unidades de Conservação da Jureia-Itatins. O acompanhamento das discussões sobre o Mosaico, feito através de participação presencial em audiências públicas na Câmara Municipal de Peruíbe e na Assembléia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo, permitiu agregar outros elementos às  nformações escolhidas in loco. Os eventos de revogação e recriação do Mosaico foram acompanhados através de contatos, mídia e redes. A conclusão sobre os eventos que sucederam a criação do Mosaico, a revogação da Lei (12.406) que o instituiu, e mais recentemente, aprovação de Lei Estadual no.14.982, em 08.03.2013 de autoria do Poder Executivo, recriando o Mosaico de Unidades de Conservação da Jureia-Itatins, indicam que a possibilidade dos moradores continuarem habitando em seus locais de origem continua em debate. Isto posto, pode-se dizer que as soluções para os conflitos de interesses entre moradores, Estado, organizações e sociedade ainda terão muitos desdobramentos. Portanto, no momento atual a população permanece ainda sob ameaça de expulsão de suas terras.At the heart of an important environmental issue related to agriculturalproduction lies the contradiction arising, on the one hand, from the need to conserve relevant biophysical heritage with restrictions to agricultural and agroforestry practices and, one the other, the survival of natural-resource dependent communities. This article analyzed the social and political path taken by population cores comprised by traditional and non-traditional farmers living in a conservation area who, despite their efforts to regularize their permanence in the localities, have not yet found a solution to their destiny. To that end, we drew on information and analyses from previous works on this issue, (PANZUTTI, 2001; PANZUTTI 2002), mainly focused on the impacts caused by the creation of the Juréia Itatins Ecological Station (EEJI), in 1986, on the life style of the Itinguçu group, which resides in this conservation area. To analyze the impact of Law 12,406 of 2006, which created the Juréia-Itatins conservation units network and was enforced until 2009, we created twenty semi-structured scripts that  here administered to residents, local leaders, government agencies and NGOs, as well as local political (Peruibe) and state agents in 2007. Now, in 2013, a new state law has recreated the Juréia-Itatins conservation units network. Our monitoring of the debate on this the new law, by personal attendance to public hearings at Peruíbe’s city hall and São Paulo’s legislative assembly threw a new light on our field data. We also followed the events regarding the revocation and recreation of the network through contacts, the media and networks. Our conclusion about the events that ensued the network’s creation, the repeal to Law 12 406, which established it and, more recently, the approval of state law no.14.982 of 3 August 2013 enacted by the executive bodies, recreating the Jureia-Itatins units network indicate that whether or not these residents will remain in their places of origin is still under debate. Thus, we can say that the solutions to the conflicts of interests between residents, state organizations and society are still unfolding and, therefore, this population presently remains under threat of eviction from their lands

Preserving the impossible: conservation of soft-sediment hominin footprint sites and strategies for three-dimensional digital data capture.

Human footprints provide some of the most publically emotive and tangible evidence of our ancestors. To the scientific community they provide evidence of stature, presence, behaviour and in the case of early hominins potential evidence with respect to the evolution of gait. While rare in the geological record the number of footprint sites has increased in recent years along with the analytical tools available for their study. Many of these sites are at risk from rapid erosion, including the Ileret footprints in northern Kenya which are second only in age to those at Laetoli (Tanzania). Unlithified, soft-sediment footprint sites such these pose a significant geoconservation challenge. In the first part of this paper conservation and preservation options are explored leading to the conclusion that to 'record and digitally rescue' provides the only viable approach. Key to such strategies is the increasing availability of three-dimensional data capture either via optical laser scanning and/or digital photogrammetry. Within the discipline there is a developing schism between those that favour one approach over the other and a requirement from geoconservationists and the scientific community for some form of objective appraisal of these alternatives is necessary. Consequently in the second part of this paper we evaluate these alternative approaches and the role they can play in a 'record and digitally rescue' conservation strategy. Using modern footprint data, digital models created via optical laser scanning are compared to those generated by state-of-the-art photogrammetry. Both methods give comparable although subtly different results. This data is evaluated alongside a review of field deployment issues to provide guidance to the community with respect to the factors which need to be considered in digital conservation of human/hominin footprints

Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E5 Protein as a Therapeutic Target

Cervical cancer is a progressive disease with an onset of one to two decades on average. During the productive replication stage, the Human papillomavirus (HPV) genome is maintained episomally in the infected cervical epithelium and early gene products, including E5, are expressed. Therefore, E5 has a potential to contribute to the HPV-associated carcinogenic process. In invasive malignancies, the HPV genomes are commonly integrated into the host genome, and E6 and E7 genes remain intact. However, the E5 is lost or, if present, under-expressed as compared with the E6 and E7 proteins. This suggests that E5 may play a critical role in the genesis of cervical cancer but less of a role in its persistence or progression. In the initiation of neoplasia and the premalignant stage, there are fewer malignant cells than in the invasive malignancies. Moreover, cells in the invasive malignant stage are found to have a very low level of MHC class I and II, which could hamper the presentation of the antigen and lead to a decreased immune response. Since the E5 protein is likely to play a role during the early tumorigenesis stage, a therapeutic vaccine to target and eliminate the E5-expressing cells may be a good strategy to prevent premalignant lesions from progressing toward invasive cervical cancers. This paper provides an overview of HPV-induced cervical carcinogenesis and strategies for designing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines to prevent and cure the cervical cancer. In particular, focus will be on the rationale of targeting the E5 protein to develop therapeutic vaccines

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Impact of Aetiological Treatment on Conventional and Multiplex Serology in Chronic Chagas Disease

The main criterion for treatment effectiveness in Chagas Disease has been the seronegative conversion of previously reactive serology, generally achieved many years post-treatment. The lack of reliable tests to ensure parasite clearance and to examine the effect of treatment is the main difficulty in evaluating treatment for chronic Chagas disease. Decreases of conventional and non-conventional serological titers can be useful tools to monitor the early impact of treatment. We serially measured changes in antibody levels, including seronegative conversion as well as declines in titers in 53 benznidazole-treated and 89 untreated chronically T. cruzi-infected subjects. Seronegative conversion as well as decreases of titers was significantly higher in treated compared with untreated patients. A strong concordance was found between decreases of titers of conventional and non-conventional serologic tests post-treatment, reaffirming the findings. When seronegative conversion plus decreases of titers were considered altogether, the impact of treatment was higher, in a shorter follow-up period than previously considered. New tools for monitoring the effectiveness of treatment of chronic Chagas disease are necessary, and the results showed in this study is a contribution to researchers and physicians who assist patients suffering from this disease

Expected Performance of the ATLAS Experiment - Detector, Trigger and Physics

A detailed study is presented of the expected performance of the ATLAS detector. The reconstruction of tracks, leptons, photons, missing energy and jets is investigated, together with the performance of b-tagging and the trigger. The physics potential for a variety of interesting physics processes, within the Standard Model and beyond, is examined. The study comprises a series of notes based on simulations of the detector and physics processes, with particular emphasis given to the data expected from the first years of operation of the LHC at CERN

Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species by Polyenylpyrroles Derivatives Causes DNA Damage Leading to G2/M Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

10.1371/journal.pone.0067603PLoS ONE86-POLN

Diagnostic Testing of Pediatric Fevers: Meta-Analysis of 13 National Surveys Assessing Influences of Malaria Endemicity and Source of Care on Test Uptake for Febrile Children under Five Years.

In 2010, the World Health Organization revised guidelines to recommend diagnosis of all suspected malaria cases prior to treatment. There has been no systematic assessment of malaria test uptake for pediatric fevers at the population level as countries start implementing guidelines. We examined test use for pediatric fevers in relation to malaria endemicity and treatment-seeking behavior in multiple sub-Saharan African countries in initial years of implementation. We compiled data from national population-based surveys reporting fever prevalence, care-seeking and diagnostic use for children under five years in 13 sub-Saharan African countries in 2009-2011/12 (n = 105,791). Mixed-effects logistic regression models quantified the influence of source of care and malaria endemicity on test use after adjusting for socioeconomic covariates. Results were stratified by malaria endemicity categories: low (PfPR2-10<5%), moderate (PfPR2-10 5-40%), high (PfPR2-10>40%). Among febrile under-fives surveyed, 16.9% (95% CI: 11.8%-21.9%) were tested. Compared to hospitals, febrile children attending non-hospital sources (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.56-0.69) and community health workers (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.23-0.43) were less often tested. Febrile children in high-risk areas had reduced odds of testing compared to low-risk settings (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.42-0.62). Febrile children in least poor households were more often tested than in poorest (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.39-1.91), as were children with better-educated mothers compared to least educated (OR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.16-1.54). Diagnostic testing of pediatric fevers was low and inequitable at the outset of new guidelines. Greater testing is needed at lower or less formal sources where pediatric fevers are commonly managed, particularly to reach the poorest. Lower test uptake in high-risk settings merits further investigation given potential implications for diagnostic scale-up in these areas. Findings could inform continued implementation of new guidelines to improve access to and equity in point-of-care diagnostics use for pediatric fevers