APPLICATIONS OF VORONOI AND DELAUNAY DIAGRAMS IN THE SOLUTION OF THE GEODETIC BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEM

Voronoi and Delaunay structures are presented as discretization tools to be used innumerical surface integration aiming the computation of geodetic problemssolutions, when under the integral there is a non-analytical function (e. g., gravityanomaly and height). In the Voronoi approach, the target area is partitioned intopolygons which contain the observed point and no interpolation is necessary, onlythe original data is used. In the Delaunay approach, the observed points are verticesof triangular cells and the value for a cell is interpolated for its barycenter. If theamount and distribution of the observed points are adequate, gridding operation isnot required and the numerical surface integration is carried out by point-wise. Evenwhen the amount and distribution of the observed points are not enough, thestructures of Voronoi and Delaunay can combine grid with observed points in orderto preserve the integrity of the original information. Both schemes are applied to thecomputation of the Stokes’ integral, the terrain correction, the indirect effect and thegradient of the gravity anomaly, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil area

Geometrical CP violation in multi-Higgs models

We introduce several methods to obtain calculable phases with geometrical values that are independent of arbitrary parameters in the scalar potential. These phases depend on the number of scalars and on the order of the discrete non-Abelian group considered. Using these methods we present new geometrical CP violation candidates with vacuum expectation values that must violate CP (the transformation that would make them CP conserving is not a symmetry of the potential). We also extend to non-renormalisable potentials the proof that more than two scalars are needed to obtain these geometrical CP violation candidates.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. v2: table added, accepted by JHE

Plasmid DNA recovery from fermentation broths by a combined process of micro- and ultrafiltration : modeling and application

Microfiltration and ultrafiltration operations were used in tandem to isolate and purify a 6050 bp plasmid DNA (pDNA). To achieve primary isolation of the plasmid from fermentation broths, immediately after cell lysis, a 0.2 μm microfiltration membrane was selected for solid/liquid separation, which was performed in a diafiltration mode, as an alternative to centrifugation. Then to attain plasmid concentration and purification, an ultrafiltration membrane with a pore radius of 4.1 nm was selected. Permeation of pDNA and RNA in the two membrane steps was modeled using recently published mass transfer models applicable to the permeation of closed segmented chains and freely-jointed chains, respectively. The permeation of proteins and genomic DNA (gDNA) was also studied in these operations. The microfiltration operation allowed high plasmid and RNA permeation, as expected. It was observed that significant amounts of gDNA, previously precipitated during the cell lysis step, reappear in solution during the diafiltration step. The effect of the ionic strength on this apparent re-solubilization was investigated, by testing the addition of two different salts to the diafiltration buffer: CH3COOK and CaCl2. The results show that these salts can be used to control gDNA apparent re-solubilization. During the ultrafiltration operation high plasmid retention with low adsorption was obtained under low ionic strength conditions. The results also show that a significant removal proteins and the re-solubilized gDNA is achieved, as well as some purification in respect to low molecular weight RNA, since all these components permeate through the ultrafiltration membrane

Influence of culture media on the physical and chemical properties of Ag–TiCN coatings

The aim of this study was to verify the possible physical and chemical changes that may occur on the surface of Ag–TiCN coatings after exposure to the culture media used in microbiological and cytotoxic assays, respectively tryptic soy broth (TSB) and Dulbecco's modified eagle's medium (DMEM). After sample immersion for 24 h in the media, analyses were performed by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy discharge radiation (GDOES), Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of GDOES profile, RBS and XPS spectra, of samples immersed in TSB, demonstrated the formation of a thin layer of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen that could be due to the presence of proteins in TSB. After 24 h of immersion in DMEM, the results showed the formation of a thin layer of calcium phosphates on the surface, since the coatings displayed a highly oxidized surface in which calcium and phosphorus were detected. All these results suggested that the formation of a layer on the coating surface prevented the release of silver ions in concentrations that allow antibacterial activity.IC acknowledges the financial support of FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through the grant SFRH/BD/67022/2009. REG acknowledges support from Ramon y Cajal programme (RyC2007-0026). This research is sponsored by FEDER funds through the program COMPETE-Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade and by national funds through FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia in the framework of the Strategic Projects PESTC/FIS/UI607/2011, PEST-C/EME/UI0285/2011, PTDC/CTM/102853/2008.The authors thank the FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 and the Project 'BioHealth-Biotechnology and Bioengineering approaches to improve health quality', Ref. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000027, co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2-O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER. The authors also thank the project 'Consolidating Research Expertise and Resources on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology at CEB/IBB', Ref. FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462

Parkinsonian motor impairment predicts personality domains related to genetic risk and treatment outcomes in schizophrenia

Identifying endophenotypes of schizophrenia is of critical importance and has profound implications on clinical practice. Here we propose an innovative approach to clarify the mechanims through which temperament and character deviance relates to risk for schizophrenia and predict long-term treatment outcomes. We recruited 61 antipsychotic naïve subjects with chronic schizophrenia, 99 unaffected relatives, and 68 healthy controls from rural communities in the Central Andes. Diagnosis was ascertained with the Schedules of Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry; parkinsonian motor impairment was measured with the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale; mesencephalic parenchyma was evaluated with transcranial ultrasound; and personality traits were assessed using the Temperament and Character Inventory. Ten-year outcome data was available for ~40% of the index cases. Patients with schizophrenia had higher harm avoidance and self-transcendence (ST), and lower reward dependence (RD), cooperativeness (CO), and self-directedness (SD). Unaffected relatives had higher ST and lower CO and SD. Parkinsonism reliably predicted RD, CO, and SD after correcting for age and sex. The average duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) was over 5 years. Further, SD was anticorrelated with DUP and antipsychotic dosing at follow-up. Baseline DUP was related to antipsychotic dose-years. Further, ‘explosive/borderline’, ‘methodical/obsessive’, and ‘disorganized/schizotypal’ personality profiles were associated with increased risk of schizophrenia. Parkinsonism predicts core personality features and treatment outcomes in schizophrenia. Our study suggests that RD, CO, and SD are endophenotypes of the disease that may, in part, be mediated by dopaminergic function. Further, SD is an important determinant of treatment course and outcome

Demethylation of oligogalacturonides by FaPE1 in the fruits of the wild strawberry Fragaria vesca triggers metabolic and transcriptional changes associated with defence and development of the fruit

Ectopic expression of the strawberry (Fragariaxananassa) gene FaPE1 encoding pectin methyl esterase produced in the wild species Fragaria vesca partially demethylated oligogalacturonides (OGAs), which conferred partial resistance of ripe fruits to the fungus Botrytis cinerea. Analyses of metabolic and transcriptional changes in the receptacle of the transgenic fruits revealed channelling of metabolites to aspartate and aromatic amino acids as well as phenolics, flavanones, and sesquiterpenoids, which was in parallel with the increased expression of some genes related to plant defence. The results illustrate the changes associated with resistance to B. cinerea in the transgenic F. vesca. These changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in the auxin content of the receptacle of the ripe fruits of transgenic F. vesca, and enhanced expression of some auxin-repressed genes. The role of these OGAs in fruit development was revealed by the larger size of the ripe fruits in transgenic F. vesca. When taken together these results show that in cultivated F. ananassa FaPE1 participates in the de-esterification of pectins and the generation of partially demethylated OGAs, which might reinforce the plant defence system and play an active role in fruit development

Genetic studies in sunflower broomrape

Much research has been conducted to identify sources of genetic resistance to sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana Wallr.) and to study their mode of inheritance. However, studies on the parasite have been scarce. This manuscript reviews three genetic studies in sunflower broomrape. First, the inheritance of the absence of pigmentation in a natural mutant of this species with yellow plant color phenotype was studied. In a first stage, lines from the unpigmented mutant and a normally pigmented population were developed by several generations of self-pollination. Plants of both lines were crossed and the F1, F2, and F3 generations were evaluated. The results indicated that plant pigmentation is controlled by a partially dominant allele at a single locus. Second, the unpigmented mutant was used to evaluate outcrossing potential of the species. Two experiments in which single unpigmented plants were surrounded by normally pigmented plants were conducted under pot and field conditions. The cross-fertilization rate was estimated as the percentage of F1 hybrids in the progenies of unpigmented plants, which averaged 21.5% in the pot and 28.8% in the field experiment. The results indicated that, under the conditions of this study, the species was not strictly self-pollinated. Finally, the inheritance of avirulence was studied in crosses of plants from lines of O. cumana races E and F, developed by several generations of self-pollination. The F1 and F3 generations were evaluated on the differential line P-1380 carrying the race-E resistance gene Or5. The results suggested that race E avirulence and race F virulence on P-1380 are allelic and controlled by a single locus, which confirmed the gene-for-gene theory for the O. cumana-sunflower interaction.The manuscript reviews research partially funded by Fundación Ramón Areces, Madrid. The contribution of Dr. Enrique Quesada Moraga, entomologist from the University of Córdoba, Spain, to taxonomic classification of pollinators is gratefully acknowledged. R. Pineda-Martos was the recipient of a PhD fellowship from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (JAEPre_08_00370)Peer Reviewe