Leaf Growth and Anatomy During Winter Droughting of Tetrachne Dregei Plants

The purpose of this work was to study the leaf growth and anatomy of Tetrachne dregei plants when they were subjected to a winter drought period. Plants were grown in semicontrolled conditions under two soil moisture regimes: irrigated and non-irrigated. Anatomical characterization was made using optical and scanning electron microscopy. No differences were found in stomatal index, stomatal length and epidermal cell size, between irrigated and non-irrigated plants. The adaxial epidermis of water stressed plants was more pubescent. Leaf abaxial epidermis of non-irrigated plants showed more intercostal plates of crystallized epicuticular wax than that of the irrigated ones. Leaf tissue distribution was not affected by the different moisture regimes. The effect of water deficit was neither detected on plant height, nor on leaf width and length. Except for the enhanced adaxial pubescence and abaxial wax crystal content, no other xeroplastic changes were noticed

Emotional Intelligence in Ultra-Marathon Runners: Implications for Recovery Strategy and Stress Responses during an Ultra-Endurance Race.

The aim of this research was to investigate the role of trait emotional intelligence (EI) in recovery stress states in a mountain ultra-marathon (MUM) race. Recovery stress states of 13 finishers were assessed before, during, and immediately after the end of an extreme MUM, whereas emotional intelligence was assessed 2 days before the MUM race. Temporal evolutions of recovery stress states were examined. Stress states increased after the race whereas recovery states decreased in all participants. In addition, recovery states were influenced by the trait EI level assessed before the competition. Results supported the hypothesis that trait EI tends to have a positive effect by boosting recovery strategies. In this perspective, trait EI could have a protective role against stress and improve pre-competition mental preparation. High scores of trait EI (in comparison to low scores of trait EI) could have helped athletes to increase recovery states in order to improve their psychological adaptation to one of the most difficult races in the world

Developement of real time diagnostics and feedback algorithms for JET in view of the next step

Real time control of many plasma parameters will be an essential aspect in the development of reliable high performance operation of Next Step Tokamaks. The main prerequisites for any feedback scheme are the precise real-time determination of the quantities to be controlled, requiring top quality and highly reliable diagnostics, and the availability of robust control algorithms. A new set of real time diagnostics was recently implemented on JET to prove the feasibility of determining, with high accuracy and time resolution, the most important plasma quantities. With regard to feedback algorithms, new model–based controllers were developed to allow a more robust control of several plasma parameters. Both diagnostics and algorithms were successfully used in several experiments, ranging from H-mode plasmas to configuration with ITBs. Since elaboration of computationally heavy measurements is often required, significant attention was devoted to non-algorithmic methods like Digital or Cellular Neural/Nonlinear Networks. The real time hardware and software adopted architectures are also described with particular attention to their relevance to ITER.Comment: 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, 25-29 October 2004, Nice (France

Caracterización Proteómica del trombo coronario en pacientes con infarto agudo de miocardio con elevación del segmento ST

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Optimized method for black carbon analysis in ice and snow using the Single Particle Soot Photometer

In this study we attempt to optimize the method for measuring black carbon (BC) in snow and ice using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2). Beside the previously applied ultrasonic (CETAC) and Collison-type nebulizers we introduce a jet (Apex Q) nebulizer to aerosolize the aqueous sample for SP2 analysis. Both CETAC and Apex Q require small sample volumes (a few milliliters) which makes them suitable for ice core analysis. The Apex Q shows the least size-dependent nebulizing efficiency in the BC particle diameter range of 100–1000 nm. The CETAC has the advantage that air and liquid flows can be monitored continuously. All nebulizer-types require a calibration with BC standards for the determination of the BC mass concentration in unknown aqueous samples. We found Aquadag to be a suitable material for preparing calibration standards. Further, we studied the influence of different treatments for fresh discrete snow and ice samples as well as the effect of storage. The results show that samples are best kept frozen until analysis. Once melted, they should be sonicated for 25 min, immediately analyzed while being stirred and not be refrozen

Metabolomic Profiling for Identification of Novel Potential Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Diseases

Metabolomics involves the identification and quantification of metabolites present in a biological system. Three different approaches can be used: metabolomic fingerprinting, metabolic profiling, and metabolic footprinting, in order to evaluate the clinical course of a disease, patient recovery, changes in response to surgical intervention or pharmacological treatment, as well as other associated features. Characteristic patterns of metabolites can be revealed that broaden our understanding of a particular disorder. In the present paper, common strategies and analytical techniques used in metabolomic studies are reviewed, particularly with reference to the cardiovascular field

Dissipative soliton resonance in a full polarization-maintaining fiber ring laser at different values of dispersion

We investigated the dissipative solitons resonance in an ytterbium-doped fiber ring laser in which all the elements are polarization maintaining (PM). A semiconductor saturable absorber mirror was used as a mode-locker. The cavity included a normal dispersion single-mode fiber (SMF) and an anomalous dispersion photonic crystal fiber. The change of the length of the PM SMF allows the variation of the net-normal dispersion of the cavity in the range from 0.022 ps2 to 0.262 ps2. As the absolute value of the net-normal dispersion increases from 0.022 ps2 to 0.21 ps2, a square-shaped single pulse transformed to a single right-angle trapezoid-shaped pulse, and, at the dispersion of 0.262 ps2, to multiple right-angle trapezoid-shaped pulses, per round-trip

The old cemetery of the Salesian Mission, Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego: a taphonomic approach

En este trabajo se presenta un primer análisis tafonómico del cementerio de la antigua Misión Salesiana “La Candelaria” de Tierra del Fuego. Los indicadores postdepositacionales relevados en nueve individuos presentaron relativamente poca variabilidad entre ellos. Las variables con mayor incidencia fueron: la integridad ósea, la pérdida ósea, la preservación y la acción de raíces. Otras variables como la coloración diferencial, presencia de hongos, las fracturas y las adherencias afectaron en menor medida. Por último, las marcas de roedores y carnívoros no estaban presentes. La evaluación de las condiciones generales que presentan los restos para poder ser objeto de relevamientos paleopatológicos (especialmente enfermedades metabólico nutricionales e infecciosas) sugieren que los indicadores con mayor probabilidad de ser observados son: hiperostosis porótica y reacción perióstica costal (en el 89% de los casos), criba orbital (78% de los casos) y reacción perióstica apendicular (56% de los casos). La pérdida ósea constituye la variable postdepositacional que más afectó la muestra. El pH obtenido de sedimentos presentó valores próximos a la neutralidad. No se observaron variaciones asociables al sexo de los individuos analizados ni a su ubicación espacial o a la profundidad en la que se encontraba enterrado.This paper presents a first taphonomic analysis of the cemetery from the old Salesian Mission ‘La Candelaria’ in Tierra del Fuego. Post-depositional indicators surveyed in nine burials showed relatively small variability between individuals. The variables with the highest incidence were: bone integrity, bone loss, preservation and root action. Other variables such as differential staining, presence of fungi, fractures and adhesions affected to a lesser extent. Finally, marks from rodents and carnivores were not present. Furthermore, the general conditions of the remains were analyzed to allow surveying for nutritional, metabolic and infectious diseases. Specifically, indicators most likely to be observed are: porotic hyperostosis and rib periosteal reaction (in 89% of cases), cribra orbitalia (78 % of cases) and appendicular periosteal reaction (56 % of cases). Bone loss is the post-depositional variable that affected the sample the most. The pH obtained on sediment samples showed values near neutrality. Finally, sex of individuals, spatial location or depth of burial did not produce variation in the preservation of the remains

Proteomics: a poweful tool to deepen the molecular mechanisms of ischemic stroke

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