Gravitational Wave Signatures of Highly Magnetized Neutron Stars

Motivated by the recent gravitational wave detection by the LIGO-VIRGO observatories, we study the Love number and dimensionless tidal polarizability of highly magnetized stars. We also investigate the fundamental quasi-normal mode of neutron stars subject to high magnetic fields. To perform our calculations we use the chaotic field approximation and consider both nucleonic and hyperonic stars. As far as the fundamental mode is concerned, we conclude that the role played by the constitution of the stars is far more relevant than the intensity of the magnetic field and if massive stars are considered, the ones constituted by nucleons only present frequencies somewhat lower than the ones with hyperonic cores, a feature that can be used to point out the real internal structure of neutron stars. Moreover, our studies clearly indicate that strong magnetic fields play a crucial role in the deformability of low mass neutron stars, with possible consequences on the interpretation of the detected gravitational waves signatures.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, 6 table

Modeling of celiac disease immune response and the therapeutic effect of potential drugs

BACKGROUND: Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that occurs in genetically predisposed people and is caused by a reaction to the gluten protein found in wheat, which leads to intestinal villous atrophy. Currently there is no drug for treatment of CD. The only known treatment is lifelong gluten-free diet. The main aim of this work is to develop a mathematical model of the immune response in CD patients and to predict the efficacy of a transglutaminase-2 (TG-2) inhibitor as a potential drug for treatment of CD. RESULTS: A thorough analysis of the developed model provided the following results: 1. TG-2 inhibitor treatment leads to insignificant decrease in antibody levels, and hence remains higher than in healthy individuals. 2. TG-2 inhibitor treatment does not lead to any significant increase in villous area. 3. The model predicts that the most effective treatment of CD would be the use of gluten peptide analogs that antagonize the binding of immunogenic gluten peptides to APC. The model predicts that the treatment of CD by such gluten peptide analogs can lead to a decrease in antibody levels to those of normal healthy people, and to a significant increase in villous area. CONCLUSIONS: The developed mathematical model of immune response in CD allows prediction of the efficacy of TG-2 inhibitors and other possible drugs for the treatment of CD: their influence on the intestinal villous area and on the antibody levels. The model also allows to understand what processes in the immune response have the strongest influence on the efficacy of different drugs. This model could be applied in the pharmaceutical R&D arena for the design of drugs against autoimmune small intestine disorders and on the design of their corresponding clinical trials

Qualidade de pêssegos cultivares Granada e Maciel colhidos em diferentes graus de maturidade em armazenamento refrigerado

In this study the effects of ripening stages on the quality of peaches cultivars Granada and Macielduring cold storage were evaluated. Peaches of both cultivars at ripening stages: green, semi-green, semi-ripen and ripen, were kept during 30 days (‘Granada’) or 40 days (‘Maciel’) in a cold room, at 0 ± 0,5oC cold storage temperature and 85% to 90% relative humidity. At every-ten-days period fruits were taken out of the cold room and after three days under room temperature, the following variables were evaluated: weight loss; color, firmness;total soluble solids (TSS); total titratable acidity (TTA); decay; internal browning; mealiness; polyphenoloxidase activity; phenols and sensorial aspects. It was concluded that for regular cold storage, peaches of ‘Granada’should be harvested at the semi-green stage and cold stored for up to 30 days; harvested at the semi-ripen stage and cold stored for up to 20 days; harvested at the ripen stage for immediate marketing. Peaches of the ‘Maciel’should be harvested at the semi-green ripening stage and cold stored for up to 20 days; harvested at the semiripen stage and cold stored for up to ten days and or harvested at the ripen stage for immediate marketing.Nesse estudo foi avaliado o efeito do grau de maturação na qualidade pós-colheita de pêssegoscultivares Granada e Maciel, durante o armazenamento refrigerado. As frutas foram selecionadas nos estádiosde maturação verde, meio-verde, meio-maduro e maduro, sendo armazenadas por até 30 dias as da cultivarGranada e até 40 dias as da cultivar Maciel, em temperatura de 0 ± 0,5oC e 85% a 90% de umidade relativa. A cadadez dias as frutas foram retiradas da câmara, e após três dias em temperatura de 20 ± 0,5oC avaliou-se a perdade peso, a firmeza de polpa, os sólidos solúveis totais (SST), a acidez total titulável (ATT), as porcentagens depodridões, o escurecimento interno, a farinosidade, a atividade da polifenoloxidase, os fenóis e característicassensoriais. A partir dos resultados, pode-se concluir que pêssegos ‘Granada’, colhidos nos estádios de maturaçãomeio-verde e meio-maduro são conservados com qualidade comercial, durante 30 e 20 dias, respectivamente; eos pêssegos ‘Maciel’, durante 20 dias, quando colhidos no estádio de maturação meio-verde e por dez dias no estádiomeio-maduro

Measuring access to medicines: a review of quantitative methods used in household surveys

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Medicine access is an important goal of medicine policy; however the evaluation of medicine access is a subject under conceptual and methodological development. The aim of this study was to describe quantitative methodologies to measure medicine access on household level, access expressed as paid or unpaid medicine acquisition.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Searches were carried out in electronic databases and health institutional sites; within references from retrieved papers and by contacting authors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nine papers were located. The methodologies of the studies presented differences in the recall period, recruitment of subjects and medicine access characterization.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The standardization of medicine access indicators and the definition of appropriate recall periods are required to evaluate different medicines and access dimensions, improving studies comparison. Besides, specific keywords must be established to allow future literature reviews about this topic.</p

Epidemiología molecular y análisis filogenético de la infección por el virus del papiloma humano en mujeres con lesiones cervicales y cáncer en la región litoral del Ecuador

The aim of the present study was to gather information regarding the molecular epidemiology of Human papillomavirus (HPV) and related risk factors in a group of women with low- and high-grade cervical lesions and cancer from the coastal region of Ecuador. In addition, we studied the evolution of HPV variants from the most prevalent types and provided a temporal framework for their emergence, which may help to trace the source of dissemination within the region. We analyzed 166 samples, including 57 CIN1, 95 CIN2/3 and 14 cancer cases. HPV detection and typing was done by PCR-sequencing (MY09/MY11). HPV variants and estimation of the time to most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) was assessed through phylogeny and coalescence analysis. HPV DNA was found in 54.4% of CIN1, 74.7% of CIN2/3 and 78.6% of cancer samples. HPV16 (38.9%) and HPV58 (19.5%) were the most prevalent types. Risk factors for the development of cervical lesions/cancer were the following: three or more pregnancies (OR = 4.3), HPV infection (OR = 3.7 for high-risk types; OR = 3.5 for HPV16), among others. With regard to HPV evolution, HPV16 isolates belonged to lineages A (69%) and D (31%) whereas HPV58 isolates belonged only to lineage A. The period of emergence of HPV16 was in association with human populations (tMRCA = 91. 052 years for HPV16A and 27. 000 years for HPV16D), whereas HPV58A preceded Homo sapiens evolution (322. 257 years). This study provides novel data on HPV epidemiology and evolution in Ecuador, which will be fundamental in the vaccine era.Fil: Bedoya Pilozo, Cesar H.. Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral; Ecuador. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Medina Magües, Lex G.. Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral; EcuadorFil: Espinosa García, Maylen. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Sánchez, Martha. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Parrales Valdiviezo, Johanna V.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Molina, Denisse. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Ibarra, María A.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Quimis Ponce, María. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: España, Karool. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Párraga Macias, Karla E.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Cajas Flores, Nancy V.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Solon, Orlando A.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; Ecuador. Universidad Agraria del Ecuador; EcuadorFil: Robalino Penaherrera, Jorge A.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones en Salud Pública; EcuadorFil: Chedraui, Peter. Hospital Gineco-Obstétrico Enrique C. Sotomayor; EcuadorFil: Escobar, Saul. Universidad Católica de Guayaquil; EcuadorFil: Loja Chango, Rita D.. Universidad Católica de Guayaquil; EcuadorFil: Ramirez Morán, Cecibel. Universidad Católica de Guayaquil; EcuadorFil: Espinoza Caicedo, Jasson. Universidad Católica de Guayaquil; EcuadorFil: Sánchez Giler, Sunny. Universidad Especialidades Espíritu Santo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; EcuadorFil: Limia, Celia M.. Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri; CubaFil: Alemán, Yoan. Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri; CubaFil: Soto, Yudira. Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri; CubaFil: Kouri, Vivian. Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri; CubaFil: Culasso, Andrés Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Microbiología, Inmunología y Biotecnología. Cátedra de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Badano, Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación; Ecuador. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales. Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Aplicada; Argentin

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London