Chemical weathering of the volcanic soils of Isla Santa Cruz (Galápagos Islands, Ecuador)

We present a study on weathering of volcanic soils using 43 profiles (131 horizons) sampled in Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos Islands). Several weathering indices, based on chemical composition, are used. Since the geological material is highly homogeneous the intensity of weathering is mostly related to climatic conditions controlled by topography. There is a gradient of increasing weathering from the arid conditions predominant in the coast to elevations of 400-500 m a.s.l. where much more humid conditions prevail

Detection and Quantification of Grass and Olea Airborne Pollen Allergens in Outdoor Air Samples and its Correlation with Pollen Counts

Detection and Quantification of Grass and Olea Airborne Pollen Allergens in Outdoor Air Samples and its Correlation with Pollen Counts R Ferro1*, R Ribeiro1*, MR Martins1,2, AT Caldeira1,3, E Caeiro6, CM Antunes1,5 & R Brandão2,4 and the HIALINE working group7 1Dep. of Chemistry, University of Evora, Portugal; 2Mediterranean Inst. Crop and Environment Sciences, Univ.Evora, Portugal; 3Centro Química, University of Évora, Portugal; 4Dep. Biology, University of Evora; 5Center for NeuroSciences and Cell Biology-University of Coimbra, Portugal; 6Soc.Portuguesa Alergol.Imunologia Clínica , Portugal 7 M. Thibaudon, France, M. Smith, United Kingdom, C. Galan, Spain R. Albertini, Italy, L. Grewling, Poland, G. Reese, Germany, A. Rantio-Lehtimäki, Finland, S. Jäger and U. Berger, Austria, M. Sofiev, Finland, I. Sauliene, Lithuania, L. Cecchi, Italy Presenting author: [email protected] tel: +351 266760889 Introduction: Allergic respiratory diseases broken out after an exposure to airborne pollen, as asthma and allergic rhinitis, are deeply increasing and they represent one of the major public health problems nowadays, affecting about 40% of European population. In Portugal, grass and Olea europaea pollen are certainly one of the main sources of athmospheric aeroallergens and as such, one of the main causes of respiratory allergy. For these reasons, it is useful the development of new strategies for prevention and treatment of these pathologies. The execution of aerobiological analysis including pollen calendars and/or immunoassays for the detection and quantification of allergens which could forecast the allergenic potential of the athmosphere are quite relevant since they would contribute to develop prevention measures of allergic respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the putative correlation between the concentration of some of the major allergens of and with their pollen counts. Methodology: On a meteorological platform at the town center of Evora (south Portugal), ambient air was sampled at 800L/min with a Chemvol high-volume cascade impactor equipped with stages PM>10µm, 10 µm>PM>2.5µm. The polyurethane impacting substrate was extracted with 0.1M NH4HCO3, pH8.1, supplemented with 0.1% BSA. The major pollen allergens from grass Phleum p 5 and olive Ole e 1 were determined with allergen specific ELISA´s. Airborne pollen of and Olea europaea simultaneously monitored with a Burkard Seven Day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap* , between the 30th of April and the 8th of July of 2009. Both samplers were placed side-by-side with air input at the same level. Results: During the pollen season of 2009, high values of grass pollen were recorded between May 2th and June 1 th. It was also observed that the air content of Phl p5 or Ole e1 aeroallergens were directly correlated with airborne pollen counts of Poaceae and Oleaceae, respectively. Conclusions: These results suggest that the directly quantification of aeroallergens may contribute, together with pollen counts of air samples, to define the allergic risk with higher precision. Acknowledgments: This study is integrated in the european project HIALINE (Executive Agency for Health and Consumers under grant agreement No 2008 11 07

Spectral Classification; Old and Contemporary

Beginning with a historical account of the spectral classification, its refinement through additional criteria is presented. The line strengths and ratios used in two dimensional classifications of each spectral class are described. A parallel classification scheme for metal-poor stars and the standards used for classification are presented. The extension of spectral classification beyond M to L and T and spectroscopic classification criteria relevant to these classes are described. Contemporary methods of classifications based upon different automated approaches are introduced.Comment: To be published in "Principles and Perspectives in Cosmochemistry" Lecture Notes on Kodai School on Synthesis of Elements in Stars: Ed Aruna Goswami & Eswar Reddy, Springer Verlag, 2009, 17 pages, 10 figure

Echelle long-slit optical spectroscopy of evolved stars

We present echelle long-slit optical spectra of a sample of objects evolving off the AGB, most of them in the pre-planetary nebula (pPN) phase, obtained with the ESI and MIKE spectrographs at Keck-II and Magellan-I, respectively. The total wavelength range covered with ESI (MIKE) is ~3900 to 10900 A (~3600 to 7200A). In this paper, we focus our analysis mainly on the Halpha profiles. Prominent Halpha emission is detected in half of the objects, most of which show broad Halpha wings (up to ~4000 km/s). In the majority of the Halpha-emission sources, fast, post-AGB winds are revealed by P-Cygni profiles. In ~37% of the objects Halpha is observed in absorption. In almost all cases, the absorption profile is partially filled with emission, leading to complex, structured profiles that are interpreted as an indication of incipient post-AGB mass-loss. All sources in which Halpha is seen mainly in absorption have F-G type central stars, whereas sources with intense Halpha emission span a larger range of spectral types from O to G. Shocks may be an important excitation agent of the close stellar surroundings for objects with late type central stars. Sources with pure emission or P Cygni Halpha profiles have larger J-K color excess than objects with Halpha mainly in absorption, which suggests the presence of warm dust near the star in the former. The two classes of profile sources also segregate in the IRAS color-color diagram in a way that intense Halpha-emitters have dust grains with a larger range of temperatures. (abridged)Comment: 68 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in ApJS (abstract abridged

Advanced breast cancer clinical nursing curriculum: review and recommendations

Purpose The needs and concerns of patients with advanced breast cancer are changing at every phase of the care intervention. Management and coordination of hospital resources and services are also steadily evolving. The objective of the present expert report is to define a new oncology nursing role specialising in advanced breast cancer, to help guide patients throughout the whole healthcare itinerary. Methods A group of eight experts in oncology nursing and medical oncology defined the content index of the curriculum document. A systematic review of bibliography was carried out, and the relevant contents were extracted. Based on these contents and the participants’ experience recommendations were formulated and validated through a Delphi questionnaire and a participative meeting. Results The advanced breast cancer clinical nurse (ABCCN) should develop a clinical, psychosocial role focused on coordinating patients in the healthcare network. The nurse would be in charge of evaluating and supervising the care administered and the healthcare resources used. The ABCCN should be aware and participate in the protocols and available resources, be able to solve conflicts, deal with burn-out signs and have clinical, coaching and team-working abilities. The proposed curriculum provides a specific process for the care of patients, as well as an implementation process. Conclusions The ABCCN’s role is crucial to assume the best care and the optimisation of available resources. This review and consensus document provides the required tools for the implementation in hospitalsThe development of this work has been possible thanks to the financial support of Novartis Oncolog

Identification of New Genes Related to Virulence of Xanthomonas axonopodis Pv. Citri during Citrus Host Interactions

A mutant library of the bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri strain 306 pathotype A (Xac), the causative agent of most aggressive Asiatic type A citrus canker, was screened regarding altered canker symptoms after inoculations into Citrus sinensis and Citrus limonia host leaves. Twenty-six mutants have shown phenotypic virulence changes and have respectively knocked out gene identified by sequencing. In vivo growth curves were obtained for nine mutants to quantify how the mutations could affect pathogen's adaptability to growth inside and attack host plant infected tissue. Among identified genes in mutated strains, we could find those that until now had not been reported as being involved in Xac adaptation and/or virulence, such as predicted to encode for xylose repressor-like protein (XAC Delta xylR), Fe-S oxidoredutase (XAC Delta aslB), helicase IV (XAC Delta helD), ubiquinol cytochrome c oxidoreductase iron-sulfur subunit (XAC Delta petA), chromosome partitioning protein (XAC Delta parB) and cell division protein FtsB (XAC Delta ftsB), in addition to genes predicted to encode for hypothetical proteins. The new genes found in this study as being relevant to adaptation and virulence, improve the understanding of Xac fitness during citrus plant attack and canker symptoms development.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo-FAPESPCoordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior-CAPESCNPqFundo de Defesa da Citricultura (FUNDECITRUS)CAPESFUNDECITRUSFAPESPSao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Fac Agr Sci & Vet, Dept Technol, Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilCitriculture Res Ctr Sylvio Moreira IAC Campinas, Campinas, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Ouro Preto, Inst Exact & Biol Sci, Dept Biol Sci, Ouro Preto, MG, BrazilUniv Fed Ouro Preto, Res Ctr Biol Sci NUPEB, Inst Exact & Biol Sci, Dept Biol Sci, Ouro Preto, MG, BrazilSao Paulo State Univ UNESP, Fac Agr Sci & Vet, Plant Hlth Dept, Jaboticabal, SP, BrazilFed Univ Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Biol Sci, Diadema, SP, BrazilFed Univ Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Biol Sci, Diadema, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 04/02006-7Web of Scienc

Prevalence of significant liver disease in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients exposed to Didanosine: A cross sectional study

AIM: To identify significant liver disease [including nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH)] in asymptomatic Didanosine (DDI) exposed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients. METHODS: Patients without known liver disease and with > 6 mo previous DDI use had liver stiffness assessed by transient elastography (TE). Those with alanine transaminase (ALT) above upper limit normal and/or TE > 7.65 kPa underwent ultrasound scan (U/S). Patients with: (1) abnormal U/S; or (2) elevated ALT plus TE > 7.65 kPa; or (3) TE > 9.4 kPa were offered trans-jugular liver biopsy (TJLB) with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) assessment. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients were recruited, median age 50 years (range 31-70), 81% male and 70% men who have sex with men. Ninety-five percent with VL 9.4 kPa. Seventeen (17%) met criteria for TJLB, of whom 12 accepted. All had HVPG < 6 mmHg. Commonest histological findings were steatosis (n = 6), normal architecture (n = 4) and NRH (n = 2), giving a prevalence of previously undiagnosed NRH of 2% (95%CI: 0.55%, 7.0%). CONCLUSION: A screening strategy based on TE, liver enzymes and U/S scan found a low prevalence of previously undiagnosed NRH in DDI exposed, asymptomatic HIV positive patients. Patients were more likely to have steatosis highlighting the increased risk of multifactorial liver disease in this population

Fundamental parameters of Cepheids. V. Additional photometry and radial velocity for southern Cepheids

I present photometric and radial velocity data for Galactic Cepheids, most of them being in the southern hemisphere. There are 1250 Geneva 7-color photometric measurements for 62 Cepheids, the average uncertainty per measurement is better than 0.01 mag. A total of 832 velocity measurements have been obtained with the CORAVEL radial velocity spectrograph for 46 Cepheids. The average accuracy of the radial velocity data is 0.38 km/s. There are 33 stars with both photometry and radial velocity data. I discuss the possible binarity or period change that these new data reveal. I also present reddenings for all Cepheids with photometry. The data are available electronically.Comment: To appear in ApJS. Data available electronically at ftp://cfa-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/dbersier

Nonextensive statistical effects in protoneutron stars

We investigate the bulk properties of protoneutron stars in the framework of a relativistic mean field theory based on nonextensive statistical mechanics, characterized by power-law quantum distributions. We study the relevance of nonextensive statistical effects on the beta-stable equation of state at fixed entropy per baryon, in presence and in absence of trapped neutrinos, for nucleonic and hyperonic matter. We show that nonextensive statistical effects could play a crucial role in the structure and in the evolution of the protoneutron stars also for small deviations from the standard Boltzmann-Gibbs statistics.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Pulsational instability of yellow hypergiants

Instability of population I (X=0.7, Y=0.02) massive stars against radial oscillations during the post-main sequence gravitational contraction of the helium core is investigated. Initial stellar masses are in the range from 65M_\odot to 90M_\odot. In hydrodynamic computations of self-exciting stellar oscillations we assumed that energy transfer in the envelope of the pulsating star is due to radiative heat conduction and convection. The convective heat transfer was treated in the framework of the theory of time-dependent turbulent convection. During evolutionary expansion of outer layers after hydrogen exhaustion in the stellar core the star is shown to be unstable against radial oscillations while its effective temperature is Teff > 6700K for Mzams=65M_\odot and Teff > 7200K for mzams=90M_\odot. Pulsational instability is due to the \kappa-mechanism in helium ionization zones and at lower effective temperature oscillations decay because of significantly increasing convection. The upper limit of the period of radial pulsations on this stage of evolution does not exceed 200 day. Radial oscillations of the hypergiant resume during evolutionary contraction of outer layers when the effective temperature is Teff > 7300K for Mzams=65M_\odot and Teff > 7600K for Mzams=90M_\odot. Initially radial oscillations are due to instability of the first overtone and transition to fundamental mode pulsations takes place at higher effective temperatures (Teff > 7700K for Mzams=65M_\odot and Teff > 8200K for Mzams=90M_\odot). The upper limit of the period of radial oscillations of evolving blueward yellow hypergiants does not exceed 130 day. Thus, yellow hypergiants are stable against radial stellar pulsations during the major part of their evolutionary stage.Comment: 20 pages, 7 gigures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy Letter