Two-Fermion Bound States within the Bethe-Salpeter Approach

To solve the spinor-spinor Bethe-Salpeter equation in Euclidean space we propose a novel method related to the use of hyperspherical harmonics. We suggest an appropriate extension to form a new basis of spin-angular harmonics that is suitable for a representation of the vertex functions. We present a numerical algorithm to solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation and investigate in detail the properties of the solution for the scalar, pseudoscalar and vector meson exchange kernels including the stability of bound states. We also compare our results to the non relativistic ones and to the results given by light front dynamics.Comment: 32 pages, XIII Tables, 8 figure

Interactions and potential implications of Plasmodium falciparum-hookworm coinfection in different age groups in south-central Côte d'Ivoire

BACKGROUND: Given the widespread distribution of Plasmodium and helminth infections, and similarities of ecological requirements for disease transmission, coinfection is a common phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere in the tropics. Interactions of Plasmodium falciparum and soil-transmitted helminths, including immunological responses and clinical outcomes of the host, need further scientific inquiry. Understanding the complex interactions between these parasitic infections is of public health relevance considering that control measures targeting malaria and helminthiases are going to scale.METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in April 2010 in infants, young school-aged children, and young non-pregnant women in south-central Côte d'Ivoire. Stool, urine, and blood samples were collected and subjected to standardized, quality-controlled methods. Soil-transmitted helminth infections were identified and quantified in stool. Finger-prick blood samples were used to determine Plasmodium spp. infection, parasitemia, and hemoglobin concentrations. Iron, vitamin A, riboflavin, and inflammation status were measured in venous blood samples.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Multivariate regression analysis revealed specific association between infection and demographic, socioeconomic, host inflammatory and nutritional factors. Non-pregnant women infected with P. falciparum had significantly lower odds of hookworm infection, whilst a significant positive association was found between both parasitic infections in 6- to 8-year-old children. Coinfected children had lower odds of anemia and iron deficiency than their counterparts infected with P. falciparum alone.CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings suggest that interaction between P. falciparum and light-intensity hookworm infections vary with age and, in school-aged children, may benefit the host through preventing iron deficiency anemia. This observation warrants additional investigation to elucidate the mechanisms and consequences of coinfections, as this information could have important implications when implementing integrated control measures against malaria and helminthiases

Structural Variants Create New Topological-Associated Domains and Ectopic Retinal Enhancer-Gene Contact in Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa

The cause of autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP), which leads to loss of vision and blindness, was investigated in families lacking a molecular diagnosis. A refined locus for adRP on Chr17q22 (RP17) was delineated through genotyping and genome sequencing, leading to the identification of structural variants (SVs) that segregate with disease. Eight different complex SVs were characterized in 22 adRP-affected families with >300 affected individuals. All RP17 SVs had breakpoints within a genomic region spanning YPEL2 to LINC01476. To investigate the mechanism of disease, we reprogrammed fibroblasts from affected individuals and controls into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and differentiated them into photoreceptor precursor cells (PPCs) or retinal organoids (ROs). Hi-C was performed on ROs, and differential expression of regional genes and a retinal enhancer RNA at this locus was assessed by qPCR. The epigenetic landscape of the region, and Hi-C RO data, showed that YPEL2 sits within its own topologically associating domain (TAD), rich in enhancers with binding sites for retinal transcription factors. The Hi-C map of RP17 ROs revealed creation of a neo-TAD with ectopic contacts between GDPD1 and retinal enhancers, and modeling of all RP17 SVs was consistent with neo-TADs leading to ectopic retinal-specific enhancer-GDPD1 accessibility. qPCR confirmed increased expression of GDPD1 and increased expression of the retinal enhancer that enters the neo-TAD. Altered TAD structure resulting in increased retinal expression of GDPD1 is the likely convergent mechanism of disease, consistent with a dominant gain of function. Our study highlights the importance of SVs as a genomic mechanism in unsolved Mendelian diseases

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Construction and validation of indicators and respective definitions for the nursing outcome Swallowing Status

;;OBJETIVO:;; construir e validar por especialistas e clinicamente os indicadores para o resultado de enfermagem Estado da deglutição e suas definições conceituais e operacionais em pacientes após acidente vascular cerebral.;;;;MÉTODO:;; estudo metodológico, com análise de conceito e validações de conteúdo e clínica. Verificou-se o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo para as notas atribuídas por 11 especialistas aos indicadores revisados. Na validação clínica, examinaram-se 81 pacientes por duas duplas de enfermeiros, uma usando instrumento com as definições construídas e outra com instrumento sem definições. As avaliações foram comparadas pelo Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse, teste de Friedman e Diferença Mínima Significante.;;;;RESULTADOS:;; exceto o indicador Captura do alimento, todos apresentaram Índice de Validade de Conteúdo superior a 0,80. A dupla de enfermeiros com instrumento contendo as definições construídas apresentou Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse superior a 0,80 para todos os indicadores e pelo cálculo da Diferença Mínima Significante houve similaridade entre todas as avaliações. Na dupla que estava sem as definições elaboradas, o coeficiente foi baixo (ρ;;;;CONCLUSÃO:;; os dados evidenciaram aumento na uniformidade e acurácia entre as avaliações dos enfermeiros ao utilizar as definições conceituais e operacionais para os indicadores do resultado de enfermagem Estado da deglutição.;;;;OBJECTIVE:;; to develop indicators for the nursing outcome Swallowing Status and the respective conceptual and operational definitions validated by experts and in a clinical setting among patients after having experienced a stroke.;;;;METHOD:;; methodological study with concept analysis and content and clinical validations. The Content Validation Index was verified for the scores assigned by 11 experts to indicators. Two pairs of nurses assessed 81 patients during the clinical validation: one pair used an instrument with definitions and the other used an instrument without definitions. The resulting assessments were compared using Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, Friedman's test, and Minimal Important Difference calculation.;;;;RESULTS:;; All the indicators, with the exception of the indicator Ability to bring food to mouth, presented Content Validation Index above 0.80. The pair using the instrument with definitions presented an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient above 0.80 for all the indicators and similarity was found in all the assessments, according to the Minimal Important Difference calculation. The pair using the instrument without definitions presented a low coefficient (ρ;;OBJETIVO:;; construir y validar por especialistas y clínicamente los indicadores para el resultado de enfermería Estado de la deglución y sus definiciones conceptuales y operacionales en pacientes después de accidente vascular cerebral.;;;;MÉTODO:;; estudio metodológico, con análisis de concepto y validaciones de contenido y clínicas. Se verificó el Índice de Validez de Contenido para las notas atribuidas por 11 especialistas a los indicadores revisados. En la validación clínica, fueron examinados 81 pacientes por dos parejas de enfermeros, una usando instrumento con las definiciones construidas y la otra con instrumento sin definiciones. Las evaluaciones fueron comparadas por el Coeficiente de Correlación Intraclase, test de Friedman y Diferencia Mínima Significativa.;;;;RESULTADOS:;; exceptuando el indicador Captura del alimento, todos presentaron Índice de Validez de Contenido superior a 0,80. La pareja de enfermeros con instrumento conteniendo las definiciones construidas presentó Coeficiente de Correlación Intraclase superior a 0,80 para todos los indicadores y por el cálculo de la Diferencia Mínima Significativa hubo semejanza entre todas las evaluaciones. En la pareja que estaba sin las definiciones elaboradas, el coeficiente fue bajo (