Galactic cold dark matter as a Bose-Einstein condensate of WISPs

We propose here the dark matter content of galaxies as a cold bosonic fluid composed of Weakly Interacting Slim Particles (WISPs), represented by spin-0 axion-like particles and spin-1 hidden bosons, thermalized in the Bose-Einstein condensation state and bounded by their self-gravitational potential. We analyze two zero-momentum configurations: the polar phases in which spin alignment of two neighbouring particles is anti-parallel and the ferromagnetic phases in which every particle spin is aligned in the same direction. Using the mean field approximation we derive the Gross-Pitaevskii equations for both cases, and, supposing the dark matter to be a polytropic fluid, we describe the particles density profile as Thomas-Fermi distributions characterized by the halo radii and in terms of the scattering lengths and mass of each particle. By comparing this model with data obtained from 42 spiral galaxies and 19 Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies, we constrain the dark matter particle mass to the range $10^{-6}-10^{-4} eV$ and we find the lower bound for the scattering length to be of the order $10^{-14} fm$.Comment: 13 pages; 6 figures; references added; v.3: typo corrected in the abstract, published in JCA

Las garrapatas de Uruguay : especies, hospedadores, distribución e importancia sanitaria

Se presenta una actualización de las especies de garrapatas de Uruguay. La lista comprende 31 especies que se clasificaron en las siguientes categorías: residentes (15 especies); probablemente residentes (3 especies); accidentales (1 especie); a confirmar (4 especies); diagnóstico erróneo (6 especies) y mención incorrecta (2 especies). Se indica la nueva posición sistemática de algunas especies, así como las sinonimias más relevantes, hospedadoras y distribución de las mismas en el país. Entre las especies de importancia sanitaria, Boophilus microplus continúa siendo la única especie con repercusión en la ganadería de nuestro país, en tanto que, con respecto a la salud humana, se ha detectado que Amblyomma triste es la especie de mayor importancia. Esta es la única especie incriminada en la transmisión de rickettsias al humano en Uruguay. Otras especies como Ornithodoros talaje, Ixodes pararicinus y Rhipicephalus sanguineys se identificaron como vectores potenciales de enfermedades para los animales y los humanos en Uruguay. Factores tales como el ingreso de animales portadores de microorganismos transmisibles por esas especies de garrapatas, cambios ecológicos y climáticos, y la colonización humana de ciertas áreas del país, pueden favorecer que tal riesgo potencial se transforme en real.The Iist of Uruguay tick species is actualized. The 31 Iisted specis were cIassified in the following categories: residents (15 species), probably residents (3) accidentals (1), to confirm (4), erroneous diagnosis (6), and mistaken records (2 species). The new systematic status of some species is clarified, and the more outstanding synonymies, the host and the geographical distribution within Uruguay are indicated. As regards the sanitary impact, Boophilu microplus is still the only species with economic significance to livestock whereas for human health Amblyomma triste is the most important species because is the only one involved with rickettsia's transmission in our country. Several other species, such a Ornithodoros talaje, lxodes pararicinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus were identified as potential vector of diseases to animal and human. Factor as the introduction of transmissible microorganisms with carrier animals, ecological and climatic change and the human colonization of certain zone of the country, may occasione that this risk becomes a reality.EEA RafaelaFil: Venzal, José Manuel. Universidad de la República. CENUR Litoral Norte-Salto. Facultad de Veterinaria. Departamento de Parasitología; UruguayFil: Castro, Oscar. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Veterinaria. Departamento de Parasitología Veterinaria; UruguayFil: Cabrera, P.A. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Veterinaria. Departamento de Parasitología Veterinaria; UruguayFil: Souza, C.G. de. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Veterinaria. Departamento de Parasitología Veterinaria; UruguayFil: Guglielmone, Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela; Argentin

Structural Aspects of Two-Dimensional Anomalous Gauge Theories

A foundational investigation of the basic structural properties of two-dimensional anomalous gauge theories is performed. The Hilbert space is constructed as the representation of the intrinsic local field algebra generated by the fundamental set of field operators whose Wightman functions define the model. We examine the effect of the use of a redundant field algebra in deriving basic properties of the models and show that different results may arise, as regards the physical properties of the generalized chiral model, in restricting or not the Hilbert space as representation of the intrinsic local field algebra. The question referring to considering the vector Schwinger model as a limit of the generalized anomalous model is also discussed. We show that this limit can only be consistently defined for a field subalgebra of the generalized model.Comment: 40 pages. Latex, to appear in Annals of Physic

Phytochemicals and bioactive properties of Ilex paraguariensis: an in-vitro comparative study between the whole plant, leaves and stems

Leaves, stems and whole plant of Ilex paraguariensis (yerba mate) were characterized in terms of their chemical composition and biological activities in order to determine which part of the plant is more interesting to develop bioactive formulations. The yerba mate samples contain at least five free sugars, five organic acids, eighteen fatty acids, one tocopherol, nine hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives and two flavonols. The leaves extract revealed the highest antioxidant activity, correlating with its highest levels of phenolic compounds. By contrast, the stems extract showed the highest anti-inflammatory potential and was also the most potent against MCF-7 and HepG2 cell lines, probably due to the presence of other phytochemicals. The absence of hepatotoxicity of the extracts was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells. Although the yerba mate extracts have been widely studied, this report shows for the first time the distinct potentialities of each individual part of the plant.The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FTC, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (Pest-OE/AGR/UI0690/2014), L. Barros research contract (“Compromisso para a Ciência”) and R.C. Calhelha grant (SFRH/BPD/68344/2010). R.C.G. Correa and A. H. P. Souza thank CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil (CAPES fellows, process numbers BEX 3974/14-6 and BEX 3972/14-03, respectively). The authors also thank to A. Fernandes for all the support in some of the laboratorial work

Bioactive formulations prepared from fruiting bodies and submerged culture mycelia of the Brazilian edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatoroseus Singer

Pleurotus ostreatoroseus is a Brazilian edible mushroom whose chemical characterization and bioactivity still remain underexplored. In this study, the hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds as well as the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of formulations (ethanol extracts) prepared with its fruiting bodies and submerged culture mycelia were compared. The bioactive formulations contain at least five free sugars, four organic acids, four phenolic compounds and two tocopherols. The fruiting body-based formulation revealed higher reducing power, DPPH scavenging activity, β-carotene bleaching inhibition and lipid peroxidation inhibition in brain homogenates than the mycelium-based preparation, as well as higher anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. The absence of hepatotoxicity was confirmed in porcine liver primary cells. These functional responses can be related to the levels of bioactive components including phenolic acids, organic acids and tocopherols.The authors are grateful to Foundation for Science and Technology (FTC, Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (Pest-OE/AGR/UI0690/2014), L. Barros research contract (“Compromisso para a Ciência”) and R.C. Calhelha grant (SFRH/BPD/68344/2010), and to the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development for the Grant No 173032. R.C.G. Correa thanks CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil (CAPES fellow, process number BEX 3974/14-6). R.M. Peralta and A. Bracht are Research Fellows of CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico). The authors also thank to A. Fernandes for all the support in some of the laboratorial work

Potential anti-diabetic properties of Merlot grape pomace extract: an in vitro, in silico and in vivo study of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition

A practical approach to control glycemia in diabetes is to use plant natural products that delay hydrolysis of complex sugars and promote the diminution of the release of glucosyl units into the blood plasma. Polyphenolics have been described as being effective in inhibiting amylases and α-glucosidases. Grape pomace is an important sub product of the wine industry, still rich in many compounds such as polyphenolics. In this context, the purpose of this study was to search for possible effects of a grape pomace extract on salivary and pancreatic α-amylases and α-glucosidase, as well as on intestinal glucose absorption. The Merlot grape pomace extract (MGPE) was prepared using a hydroalcoholic mixture (40% ethanol + 60% water). In vitro inhibition was quantified using potato starch (for amylases) and maltose (for α-glucosidase) as substrates. In vivo inhibition was evaluated by running starch and maltose tolerance tests in rats with or without administration of MGPE. Ranking of the extract compounds for its affinity to the α-amylases was accomplished by computer simulations using three different programs. Both α-amylases, pancreatic and salivary, were inhibited by the MGPE. No inhibition on α-glucosidase, however, was detected. The IC50 values were 90 ± 10 μg/mL and 143 ± 15 μg/mL for salivary and pancreatic amylases, respectively. Kinetically this inhibition showed a complex pattern, with multiple binding of the extract constituents to the enzymes. Furthermore, the in silico docking simulations indicated that several phenolic substances, e.g., peonidin-3-O-acetylglucoside, quercetin-3-O-glucuronide and isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside, besides catechin, were the most likely polyphenols responsible for the α-amylase inhibition caused by MGPE. The hyperglycemic burst, an usual phenomenon that follows starch administration, was substantially inhibited by the MGPE. Our results suggest that the MGPE can be adequate for maintaining normal blood levels after food ingestion.The authors wish to thank to the Fundação Araucária (Brazil), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES, Brazil), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Brazil), Cesumar Institute of Science Technology and Innovation (ICETI, Brazil), and FEDER-Interreg España-Portugal for their financial help.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cytogenetic analysis on pterophyllum scalare (perciformes, cichlidae) from jari river, pará state

Cytogenetic studies were carried out on eighteen wild specimens of Pterophyllum scalare from Jari River, in Pará state, and the results were compared to literature. Mitotic chromosomes were obtained from kidney cells and the analysis was done using: C-banding, Ag-NOR staining, Chromomycin A3/DAPI sequential staining and fluorochrome in situ hybridization with human telomere probes. All individuals showed a chromosome number of 2n = 48 (12 M/SM and 36 ST/A) and FN = 60. No differences were detected between male and female karyotypes, indicating the absence of morphologically differentiated mitotic sexual chromosomes. Constitutive heterochromatin blocks were located at the centromeric and pericentromeric regions of all chromosomes. The largest submetacentric pair showed a differential staining on their short arms. Only two NOR bearing chromosomes were detected, and the stainings were observed at the distal region of the short arm of the largest chromosome pair, matching the secondary constriction. Chromomycin A3, stained the NOR and the centromeres of some chromosomes. DAPI-bands were observed at the centromeric regions of all chromosomes. Telomere sequences hybridised only at the terminal regions. © 2006 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC

Building The Sugarcane Genome For Biotechnology And Identifying Evolutionary Trends

Background: Sugarcane is the source of sugar in all tropical and subtropical countries and is becoming increasingly important for bio-based fuels. However, its large (10 Gb), polyploid, complex genome has hindered genome based breeding efforts. Here we release the largest and most diverse set of sugarcane genome sequences to date, as part of an on-going initiative to provide a sugarcane genomic information resource, with the ultimate goal of producing a gold standard genome.Results: Three hundred and seventeen chiefly euchromatic BACs were sequenced. A reference set of one thousand four hundred manually-annotated protein-coding genes was generated. A small RNA collection and a RNA-seq library were used to explore expression patterns and the sRNA landscape. In the sucrose and starch metabolism pathway, 16 non-redundant enzyme-encoding genes were identified. One of the sucrose pathway genes, sucrose-6-phosphate phosphohydrolase, is duplicated in sugarcane and sorghum, but not in rice and maize. A diversity analysis of the s6pp duplication region revealed haplotype-structured sequence composition. Examination of hom(e)ologous loci indicate both sequence structural and sRNA landscape variation. A synteny analysis shows that the sugarcane genome has expanded relative to the sorghum genome, largely due to the presence of transposable elements and uncharacterized intergenic and intronic sequences.Conclusion: This release of sugarcane genomic sequences will advance our understanding of sugarcane genetics and contribute to the development of molecular tools for breeding purposes and gene discovery. © 2014 de Setta et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.151European Commission: Agriculture and Rural Development: Sugar http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/sugar/index_en.htmKellogg, E.A., Evolutionary history of the grasses (2001) Plant Physiol, 125, pp. 1198-1205Grivet, L., Arruda, P., Sugarcane genomics: depicting the complex genome of an important tropical crop (2001) Curr Opin Plant Biol, 5, pp. 122-127Piperidis, G., Piperidis, N., D'Hont, A., Molecular cytogenetic investigation of chromosome composition and transmission in sugarcane (2010) Mol Genet Genomics, 284, pp. 65-73D'Hont, A., 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Pre-M Phase-promoting Factor Associates with Annulate Lamellae in Xenopus Oocytes and Egg Extracts

We have used complementary biochemical and in vivo approaches to study the compartmentalization of M phase-promoting factor (MPF) in prophase Xenopus eggs and oocytes. We first examined the distribution of MPF (Cdc2/CyclinB2) and membranous organelles in high-speed extracts of Xenopus eggs made during mitotic prophase. These extracts were found to lack mitochondria, Golgi membranes, and most endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but to contain the bulk of the pre-MPF pool. This pre-MPF could be pelleted by further centrifugation along with components necessary to activate it. On activation, Cdc2/CyclinB2 moved into the soluble fraction. Electron microscopy and Western blot analysis showed that the pre-MPF pellet contained a specific ER subdomain comprising "annulate lamellae" (AL): stacked ER membranes highly enriched in nuclear pores. Colocalization of pre-MPF with AL was demonstrated by anti-CyclinB2 immunofluorescence in prophase oocytes, in which AL are positioned close to the vegetal surface. Green fluorescent protein-CyclinB2 expressed in oocytes also localized at AL. These data suggest that inactive MPF associates with nuclear envelope components just before activation. This association may explain why nuclei and centrosomes stimulate MPF activation and provide a mechanism for targeting of MPF to some of its key substrates