The K-theoretic Farrell-Jones Conjecture for hyperbolic groups

We prove the K-theoretic Farrell-Jones Conjecture for hyperbolic groups with (twisted) coefficients in any associative ring with unit.Comment: 33 pages; final version; to appear in Invent. Mat

Interspecies discrimination of A. fumigatus and siblings A. lentulus and A. felis of the Aspergillus section Fumigati using the AsperGenius® assay

The AsperGenius® assay detects several Aspergillus species and the A. fumigatus Cyp51A mutations TR34/L98H/T289A/Y121F that are associated with azole resistance. We evaluated its contribution in identifying A. lentulus and A. felis, 2 rare but intrinsically azole-resistant sibling species within the Aspergillus section Fumigati. Identification of these species with conventional culture techniques is difficult and time-consuming. The assay was tested on (i) 2 A. lentulus and A. felis strains obtained from biopsy proven invasive aspergillosis and (ii) control A. fumigatus (n=3), A. lentulus (n=6) and A. felis species complex (n=12) strains. The AsperGenius® resistance PCR did not detect the TR34 target in A. lentulus and A. felis in contrast to A. fumigatus. Melting peaks for L98H and Y121F markers differed and those of the Y121F marker were particularly suitable to discriminate the 3 species. In conclusion, the assay can be used to rapidly discriminate A. fumigatus, A. lentulus and A. felis.

Direct molecular versus culture-based assessment of Gram-positive cocci in biopsies of patients with major abscesses and diabetic foot infections

Major abscesses and diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are predominant subtypes of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSIs), and are mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus and β-hemolytic streptococci. This study evaluates the potential benefit of direct pathogen-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in the identification of causative organisms of cSSSIs. One-hundred and fifty major abscess and 128 DFI biopsy samples were collected and microbial DNA was extracted by using the Universal Microbe Detection kit for tissue samples. Pathogen-specific PCRs were developed for S. aureus and its virulence factor Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL), Streptococcus pyogenes, S. agalactiae, S. dysgalactiae, and the S. anginosus group. Identification by pathogen-specific PCRs was compared to routine culture and both methods were considered as the gold standard for determination of the sensitivity and specificity of each assay. Direct real-time PCR assays of biopsy samples resulted in a 34 % higher detection of S. aureus, 37 % highe

The ANTARES Optical Beacon System

ANTARES is a neutrino telescope being deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of a three dimensional array of photomultiplier tubes that can detect the Cherenkov light induced by charged particles produced in the interactions of neutrinos with the surrounding medium. High angular resolution can be achieved, in particular when a muon is produced, provided that the Cherenkov photons are detected with sufficient timing precision. Considerations of the intrinsic time uncertainties stemming from the transit time spread in the photomultiplier tubes and the mechanism of transmission of light in sea water lead to the conclusion that a relative time accuracy of the order of 0.5 ns is desirable. Accordingly, different time calibration systems have been developed for the ANTARES telescope. In this article, a system based on Optical Beacons, a set of external and well-controlled pulsed light sources located throughout the detector, is described. This calibration system takes into account the optical properties of sea water, which is used as the detection volume of the ANTARES telescope. The design, tests, construction and first results of the two types of beacons, LED and laser-based, are presented.Comment: 21 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instr. and Meth. Phys. Res.

Age-related craniofacial differences based on spatio-temporal face image atlases

A number of studies have been developed recently in order to explore associations between craniofacial differences and genetics. Most of these works have been based on spatial face image models, adjusted for the counter effects of age. This approach provides a limited understanding of normal and abnormal craniofacial development owing to the lack of age progression information. Here, the authors propose and implement an imaging framework that combines facial landmark positioning, non-rigid registration, novel age-dependent face modelling and common distance metrics to disclose the most facial differences that vary across the time due to the subjects' age. All the experiments carried out and corresponding results presented here are based on a database comprising ordinary two-dimensional (2D) frontal face images of Down Syndrome (DS) and control sample groups. A number of craniofacial metrics have been successfully identified that highlight statistically significant and clinically relevant differences between the controls and the faces associated with DS within the age range from 1 to 18 years old, producing realistic unbiased face models with similar level of detail at all age-intervals, despite the small sample size available

Adenovirus-mediated correction of the genetic defect in hepatocytes from patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited deficiency of LDL receptors that has been an important model for liver-directed gene therapy. We are developing approaches for treating FH that are based on direct delivery of recombinant LDL receptor genes to liver in vivo. As a first step towards this goal, replication-defective recombinant adenoviruses were constructed which contained either the lacZ gene or the human LDL receptor cDNA expressed from a β-actin promoter. Primary cultures of hepatocytes were established from two patients with homozygous FH and one nonFH patient, and subsequently exposed to recombinant adenoviruses at MOIs ranging from 0.1 to 5. Essentially all of the cells expressed high levels of the transgene without demonstrable expression of an early or late adenoviral gene product; the level of recombinant-derived LDL receptor protein in transduced FH hepatocytes exceeded the endogenous levels by at least 20-fold. These studies support the utility of recombinant adenoviruses for efficient transduction of recombinant LDL receptor genes into human FH hepatocytes without expression of viral proteins.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/45545/1/11188_2005_Article_BF01233250.pd

Departure from the vogel behaviour in the glass transition region-thermally stimulated recovery, creep and dynamic mechanical analysis studies

In this work the study of the dynamics of the segmental motions close to Tg of a poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, network was analysed by distinct mechanical spectroscopy techniques. Three techniques were employed: dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), creep and thermally stimulated recovery (TSR). The time–temperature superposition principle was applied to the DMA and creep results, and master curves were successfully constructed. A change from a Vogel to an Arrhenius behaviour was observed in these results. Above Tg it was found a distinct temperature dependence for the retardation times calculated from creep and the relaxation times calculated from DMA. This unexpected behaviour was attributed to the merging of the a and the b relaxations that occurs in PMMA systems. The apparent activation energies ðEaÞ were also calculated from DMA, creep and TSR experiments. Above Tg the Ea values obtained agreed very well for all the techniques. In addition, the fragility exhibited by this material was investigated by the mechanical spectroscopy techniques referred above and by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The obtained values of the fragility index m indicated that the PMMA network is a kinetically fragile system. The thermodynamic manifestation of the fragility was also analysed

Anisotropy studies around the galactic centre at EeV energies with the Auger Observatory

Data from the Pierre Auger Observatory are analyzed to search for anisotropies near the direction of the Galactic Centre at EeV energies. The exposure of the surface array in this part of the sky is already significantly larger than that of the fore-runner experiments. Our results do not support previous findings of localized excesses in the AGASA and SUGAR data. We set an upper bound on a point-like flux of cosmic rays arriving from the Galactic Centre which excludes several scenarios predicting sources of EeV neutrons from Sagittarius $A$. Also the events detected simultaneously by the surface and fluorescence detectors (the `hybrid' data set), which have better pointing accuracy but are less numerous than those of the surface array alone, do not show any significant localized excess from this direction.Comment: Matches published versio

First results of the Instrumentation Line for the deep-sea ANTARES neutrino telescope

In 2005, the ANTARES Collaboration deployed and operated at a depth of 2500 m a so-called Mini Instrumentation Line equipped with Optical Modules (MILOM) at the ANTARES site. The various data acquired during the continuous operation from April to December 2005 of the MILOM confirm the satisfactory performance of the Optical Modules, their front-end electronics and readout system. as well as the calibration devices of the detector. The in situ measurement of the Optical Module time response yields a resolution better than 0.5 ns. The performance of the acoustic positioning system, which enables the spatial reconstruction of the ANTARES detector with a precision of about 10 cm, is verified. These results demonstrate that with the full ANTARES neutrino telescope the design angular resolution of better than 0.3 degrees can be realistically achieved