Identification of the long polar fimbriae gene variants in the locus of enterocyte effacement-negative Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from humans and cattle in Argentina

The long polar fimbriae (Lpf) is one of few adhesive factors of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and it is associated with colonization of the intestine. Studies have demonstrated the presence of lpf genes in several pathogenic E. coli strains, and classification of variants based on polymorphisms in the lpfA1 and lpfA2 genes has been adopted. Using a collection of Argentinean locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative STEC strains, we determined that the different lpfA types were present in a wide variety of serotypes with no apparent association between the types of lpfA1 or lpfA2 genes and the severity of human disease. The lpfA2-1 was the most prevalent variant identified, which was present in 95.8% of the isolates, and lpfA1-3 and lpfA2-2, proposed as specific biomarkers of E. coli O157:H7, were not found in any of the serotypes studied. The prevalence of lpf genes in a large number of strains is useful to understand the genetic diversity of LEE-negative STEC and to define the association of some of these isolates carrying specific lpf-variants with disease.Fil: Galli, Lucía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico CONICET- La Plata. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria "Ing. Fernando Noel Dulout". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Instituto de Genética Veterinaria; Argentina. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Alfredo G.. University of Texas Medical Branch; Estados UnidosFil: Rivas, Marta. Dirección Nacional de Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud “Dr. C. G. Malbrán”; Argentin

OTOC, complexity and entropy in bi-partite systems

There is a remarkable interest in the study of Out-of-time ordered correlators (OTOCs) that goes from many body theory and high energy physics to quantum chaos. In this latter case there is a special focus on the comparison with the traditional measures of quantum complexity such as the spectral statistics, for example. The exponential growth has been verified for many paradigmatic maps and systems. But less is known for multi-partite cases. On the other hand the recently introduced Wigner separability entropy (WSE) and its classical counterpart (CSE) provide with a complexity measure that treats equally quantum and classical distributions in phase space. We have compared the behavior of these measures in a system consisting of two coupled and perturbed cat maps with different dynamics: double hyperbolic (HH), double elliptic (EE) and mixed (HE). In all cases, we have found that the OTOCs and the WSE have essentially the same behavior, providing with a complete characterization in generic bi-partite systems and at the same time revealing them as very good measures of quantum complexity for phase space distributions. Moreover, we establish a relation between both quantities by means of a recently proven theorem linking the second Renyi entropy and OTOCs.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Classical to quantum correspondence in dissipative directed transport

We compare the quantum and classical properties of the (Quantum) Isoperiodic Stable Structures -- (Q)ISSs -- which organize the parameter space of a paradigmatic dissipative ratchet model, i.e. the dissipative modified kicked rotator. We study the spectral behavior of the corresponding classical Perron-Frobenius operators with thermal noise and the quantum superoperators without it for small $\hbar_{\rm eff}$ values. We find a remarkable similarity between the classical and quantum spectra. This finding significantly extends previous results -- obtained for the mean currents and asymptotic distributions only -- and on the other hand unveils a classical to quantum correspondence mechanism where the classical noise is qualitatively different from the quantum one. This is crucial not only for simple attractors but also for chaotic ones, where just analyzing the asymptotic distribution reveals insufficient. Moreover, we provide with a detailed characterization of relevant eigenvectors by means of the corresponding Weyl-Wigner distributions, in order to better identify similarities and differences. Finally, this model being generic, it allows us to conjecture that this classical to quantum correspondence mechanism is a universal feature of dissipative systems.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

Far from champions, close to midgets : international production sharing in Central and South America

This paper assesses the relative participation of Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala and Nicaragua in fragmented world production. Based on trade statistics from 2000 to 2004, it analyses whether the trade flows of these economies have evolved towards production sharing schemes, and how great this type of trade is, in order to sustain their presence in the world economy. Guatemala and Nicaragua have reached a moderate insertion in a production sharing scheme, following a North-South trade pattern. Nonetheless, their participation is still small, being threatened not only by international competition, but also by their dependence on a unique market. Brazil has consolidated participation in a few chains, showing a more diversified North–South trade pattern. Argentina has attained insertion in the automotive chain of production, whereas its participation in other ones seems still quite limited. The country has a more South-South trade pattern, which exposes it to a certain degree of dependence.

Tailor-made directional emission in nanoimprinted plasmonic-based light-emitting devices

We demonstrate an enhanced and tailor-made directional emission of light-emitting devices using nanoimprinted hexagonal arrays of aluminum nanoparticles. Fourier microscopy reveals that the luminescence of the device is not only determined by the material properties of the organic dye molecules but is also strongly influenced by the coherent scattering resulting from periodically arranged metal nanoparticles. Emitters can couple to lattice-induced hybrid plasmonic–photonic modes sustained by plasmonic arrays. Such modes enhance the spatial coherence of an emitting layer, allowing the efficient beaming of the emission along narrow angular and spectral ranges. We show that tailoring the separation of the nanoparticles in the array yields an accurate angular distribution of the emission. This combination of large-area metal nanostructures fabricated by nanoimprint lithography and light-emitting devices is beneficial for the design and optimization of solid-state lighting systems

Los concilios provinciales en Nueva España. Reflexiones e influencias. [Reseña]

Reseña de: María del Pilar MARTÍNEZ LÓPEZ CANO - Francisco Javier CERVANTES BELLO (coords.), Los concilios provinciales en Nueva España. Reflexiones e influencias, Instituto de Investigaciones Históricas, UNAM, México 2005, 430 pp

Coexistence of Paramagnetic-Charge-Ordered and Ferromagnetic-Metallic Phases in La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 evidenced by ESR

Throughout a complete Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and magnetization study of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3, we discuss about the nature of the complex phase-segregated state established in this compound below T~210 K. Between TN<T<TC, the ESR spectra shows two lines characteristic of two different magnetic phases. From the resonance field (Hr) derived for each line we argue that the incommensurate-charge-ordering phase (ICO) which coexists with ferromagnetic-metallic (FMM) clusters in this temperature interval, is mainly paramagnetic and not antiferromagnetic. The FMM/ICO ratio can be tuned with a relatively small field, which suggests that the internal energy associated with those phases is very similar. Below TN, there is an appreciable FM contribution to the magnetization and the ESR spectra indicates the presence of FM clusters in an antiferromagnetic matrix (canted). Our results show that ESR could be a very useful tool to investigate the nature of the phase-separated state now believed to play a fundamental role in the physics of mixed valent manganites.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure