338 research outputs found
Enhanced surveillance of invasive listeriosis in the Lombardy region, Italy, in the years 2006-2010 reveals major clones and an increase in serotype 1/2a.
Background
Invasive listeriosis is a rare, life-threatening foodborne disease. Lombardy, an Italian region accounting for 16% of the total population, reported 55% of all listeriosis cases in the years 2006-2010. The aim of our study was to provide a snapshot of listeriosis epidemiology in this region after the implementation of a voluntary laboratory-based surveillance system.
Methods
We characterized by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing and detection of epidemic clone markers, 134 isolates from 132 listeriosis cases, including 15 pregnancy-related cases, occurring in the years 2006-2010 in Lombardy. Demographic and clinical characteristics of cases have also been described.
Results
The mean age of non pregnancy-associated cases was 64.7\u2009years, with 55.9% of cases being older than 65\u2009years. Cases having no underlying medical conditions accounted for 11.6%. The all-cause fatality rate of 83 cases with a known survival outcome was 25.3%.
Serotypes 1/2a and 4b comprised 52.2% and 38.8% of isolates, respectively. Seventy-three AscI pulsotypes and 25 sequence types assigned to 23 clonal complexes were recognized. Moreover, 53 (39.5%) isolates tested positive for the epidemic clone markers. Twelve molecular subtype clusters including at least three isolates were detected, with cluster 11 (1/2a/ST38) including 31 isolates identified during the entire study period. No outbreaks were notified to public health authorities during this period.
Conclusions
The findings of our study proved that epidemiology of listeriosis in Lombardy is characterized by a high prevalence of major clones and the increasing role of serotype 1/2a. Molecular subtyping is an essential tool in the epidemiology and surveillance of listeriosis. Rapid molecular cluster detection could alert about putative outbreaks, thus increasing the chance of detecting and inactivating routes of transmission
Peering through the holes: the far UV color of star-forming galaxies at z~3-4 and the escaping fraction of ionizing radiation
We aim to investigate the effect of the escaping ionizing radiation on the
color selection of high redshift galaxies and identify candidate Lyman
continuum (LyC) emitters. The intergalactic medium prescription of Inoue et
al.(2014) and galaxy synthesis models of Bruzual&Charlot (2003) have been used
to properly treat the ultraviolet stellar emission, the stochasticity of the
intergalactic transmission and mean free path in the ionizing regime. Color
tracks are computed by turning on/off the escape fraction of ionizing
radiation. At variance with recent studies, a careful treatment of IGM
transmission leads to no significant effects on the high-redshift broad-band
color selection. The decreasing mean free path of ionizing photons with
increasing redshift further diminishes the contribution of the LyC to
broad-band colors. We also demonstrate that prominent LyC sources can be
selected under suitable conditions by calculating the probability of a null
escaping ionizing radiation. The method is applied to a sample of galaxies
extracted from the GOODS-S field. A known LyC source at z=3.795 is successfully
recovered as a LyC emitter candidate and another convincing candidate at
z=3.212 is reported. A detailed analysis of the two sources (including their
variability and morphology) suggests a possible mixture of stellar and
non-stellar (AGN) contribution in the ultraviolet. Conclusions: Classical
broad-band color selection of 2.5<z<4.5 galaxies does not prevent the inclusion
of LyC emitters in the selected samples. Large fesc in relatively bright
galaxies (L>0.1L*) could be favored by the presence of a faint AGN not easily
detected at any wavelength. A hybrid stellar and non-stellar (AGN) ionizing
emission could coexist in these systems and explain the tensions found among
the UV excess and the stellar population synthesis models reported in
literature.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 13 pages, 7
figure
Constraining Lyman-alpha spatial offsets at from VANDELS slit spectroscopy
We constrain the distribution of spatially offset Lyman-alpha emission
(Ly) relative to rest-frame ultraviolet emission in high
redshift () Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) exhibiting Ly emission
from VANDELS, a VLT/VIMOS slit-spectroscopic survey of the CANDELS Ultra Deep
Survey and Chandra Deep Field South fields (
total). Because slit spectroscopy compresses two-dimensional spatial
information into one spatial dimension, we use Bayesian inference to recover
the underlying Ly spatial offset distribution. We model the
distribution using a 2D circular Gaussian, defined by a single parameter
, the standard deviation expressed in polar
coordinates. Over the entire redshift range of our sample (), we find
kpc ( conf.),
corresponding to arcsec at . We also find that
decreases significantly with redshift. Because
Ly spatial offsets can cause slit-losses, the decrease in
with redshift can partially explain the increase
in the fraction of Ly emitters observed in the literature over this
same interval, although uncertainties are still too large to reach a strong
conclusion. If continues to decrease into the
reionization epoch, then the decrease in Ly transmission from galaxies
observed during this epoch might require an even higher neutral hydrogen
fraction than what is currently inferred. Conversely, if spatial offsets
increase with the increasing opacity of the IGM, slit losses may explain some
of the drop in Ly transmission observed at . Spatially resolved
observations of Ly and UV continuum at are needed to settle the
issue.Comment: Submitted to MNRA
Eficiencia energética de fachadas ventiladas con baldosas cerámicas reflectantes al infrarrojo cercano
The growing social awareness with regard to sustainable construction and energy efficiency in buildings is leading specifications writers and end users to take into account new construction solutions. However, the introduction of these construction solutions into the market is slow and difficult owing to the limitations of the recognised thermal simulation tools, which do not allow estimations to be made when integrating innovative systems, and to the difficulty of validating their efficiency in actual buildings before marketing them. The present study analyses the energy efficiency of a ventilated façade made up of near-infrared reflective ceramic tiles, by integrating a mathematical model validated in the CIES Living Lab experimental building in Castellón into the EnergyPlus program.La creciente concienciación social respecto a la construcción sostenible y el ahorro energético en edificios está conduciendo a prescriptores y usuarios finales a tomar en consideración nuevas soluciones constructivas. Sin embargo, su introducción en el mercado es lenta y difícil, debido tanto a las limitaciones de las herramientas reconocidas de simulación térmica, que no permiten efectuar estimaciones integrando sistemas innovadores, como a la dificultad para validar su eficiencia en edificios reales previamente a su comercialización. En el presente trabajo se analiza la eficiencia energética de una fachada ventilada resuelta con baldosas cerámicas reflectantes al infrarrojo cercano, mediante la integración en el programa EnergyPlus de un modelo matemático que ha sido validado en el edificio experimental CIES Living Lab de Castellón
The VANDELS survey: A strong correlation between Ly equivalent width and stellar metallicity at
We present the results of a new study investigating the relationship between
observed Ly equivalent width ((Ly)) and the
metallicity of the ionizing stellar population () for a sample of
star-forming galaxies at drawn from the VANDELS survey.
Dividing our sample into quartiles of rest-frame (Ly)
across the range -58 \unicode{xC5} \lesssim (Ly)
\lesssim 110 \unicode{xC5} we determine from full spectral
fitting of composite far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra and find a clear
anti-correlation between (Ly) and . Our results
indicate that decreases by a factor between the lowest
(Ly) quartile
((Ly)\rangle=-18\unicode{xC5}) and the highest
(Ly) quartile
((Ly)\rangle=24\unicode{xC5}). Similarly,
galaxies typically defined as Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs;
(Ly) >20\unicode{xC5}) are, on average, metal poor with
respect to the non-LAE galaxy population ((Ly)
\leq20\unicode{xC5}) with
. Finally, based on the best-fitting stellar models, we
estimate that the increasing strength of the stellar ionizing spectrum towards
lower is responsible for of the observed variation
in (Ly) across our sample, with the remaining contribution
() being due to a decrease in the HI/dust covering fractions in
low galaxies.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, MNRAS accepte
Limits on the LyC signal from z~3 sources with secure redshift and HST coverage in the E-CDFS field
Aim: We aim to measure the LyC signal from a sample of sources in the Chandra
deep field south. We collect star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and active galactic
nuclei (AGN) with accurate spectroscopic redshifts, for which Hubble Space
Telescope (HST) coverage and multi-wavelength photometry are available. Method:
We selected a sample of about 200 sources at z~3. Taking advantage of HST
resolution, we applied a careful cleaning procedure and rejected sources
showing nearby clumps with different colours, which could be lower-z
interlopers. Our clean sample consisted of 86 SFGs (including 19 narrow-band
selected Lya emitters) and 8 AGN (including 6 detected in X-rays). We measured
the LyC flux from aperture photometry in four narrow-band filters covering
wavelengths below a 912 A rest frame (3.11<z<3.53). We estimated the ratio
between ionizing (LyC flux) and 1400 A non-ionizing emissions for AGN and
galaxies. Results: By running population synthesis models, we assume an average
intrinsic L(1400 A)/L(900 A) ratio of 5 as the representative value for our
sample. With this value and an average treatment of the lines of sight of the
inter-galactic medium, we estimate the LyC escape fraction relative to the
intrinsic value (fesc_rel(LyC)). We do not directly detect ionizing radiation
from any individual SFG, but we are able to set a 1(2)sigma upper limit of
fesc_rel(LyC)<12(24)%. This result is consistent with other non-detections
published in the literature. No meaningful limits can be calculated for the
sub-sample of Lya emitters. We obtain one significant direct detection for an
AGN at z=3.46, with fesc_rel(LyC) = (72+/-18)%. Conclusions: Our upper limit on
fescrel(LyC) implies that the SFGs studied here do not present either the
physical properties or the geometric conditions suitable for efficient
LyC-photon escape.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A on Jan 5th, 201
Doll therapy intervention for women with dementia living in nursing homes: a randomized single-blind controlled trial protocol
TRACING the REIONIZATION EPOCH with ALMA: [C II] EMISSION in z ∼ 7 GALAXIES
We present new results on [CII]158 m emission from four galaxies in the
reionization epoch. These galaxies were previously confirmed to be at redshifts
between 6.6 and 7.15 from the presence of the Ly emission line in their
spectra. The Ly emission line is redshifted by 100-200 km/s compared to
the systemic redshift given by the [CII] line. These velocity offsets are
smaller than what is observed in z~3 Lyman break galaxies with similar UV
luminosities and emission line properties. Smaller velocity shifts reduce the
visibility of Ly and hence somewhat alleviate the need for a very
neutral IGM at z~7 to explain the drop in the fraction of Ly emitters
observed at this epoch.
The galaxies show [CII] emission with L[CII]=0.6-1.6 x10: these
luminosities place them consistently below the SFR-L[CII] relation observed for
low redshift star forming and metal poor galaxies and also below z =5.5 Lyman
break galaxies with similar star formation rates. We argue that previous
undetections of [CII] in z~7 galaxies with similar or smaller star formation
rates are due to selection effects: previous targets were mostly strong
Ly emitters and therefore probably metal poor systems, while our
galaxies are more representative of the general high redshift star forming
population .S.C. and R.M. acknowledge financial support from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the Institute of Physics via http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/829/1/L1
Annexin A6 Is Critical to Maintain Glucose Homeostasis and Survival During Liver Regeneration in Mice
Background and Aims:
Liver regeneration requires the organized and sequential activation of events that lead to restoration of hepatic mass. During this process, other vital liver functions need to be preserved, such as maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis, balancing the degradation of hepatic glycogen stores, and gluconeogenesis (GNG). Under metabolic stress, alanine is the main hepatic gluconeogenic substrate, and its availability is the rate‐limiting step in this pathway. Na+‐coupled neutral amino acid transporters (SNATs) 2 and 4 are believed to facilitate hepatic alanine uptake. In previous studies, we demonstrated that a member of the Ca2+‐dependent phospholipid binding annexins, Annexin A6 (AnxA6), regulates membrane trafficking along endo‐ and exocytic pathways. Yet, although AnxA6 is abundantly expressed in the liver, its function in hepatic physiology remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the potential contribution of AnxA6 in liver regeneration.
Approach and Results:
Utilizing AnxA6 knockout mice (AnxA6−/−), we challenged liver function after partial hepatectomy (PHx), inducing acute proliferative and metabolic stress. Biochemical and immunofluorescent approaches were used to dissect AnxA6−/− mice liver proliferation and energetic metabolism. Most strikingly, AnxA6−/− mice exhibited low survival after PHx. This was associated with an irreversible and progressive drop of blood glucose levels. Whereas exogenous glucose administration or restoration of hepatic AnxA6 expression rescued AnxA6−/− mice survival after PHx, the sustained hypoglycemia in partially hepatectomized AnxA6−/− mice was the consequence of an impaired alanine‐dependent GNG in AnxA6−/− hepatocytes. Mechanistically, cytoplasmic SNAT4 failed to recycle to the sinusoidal plasma membrane of AnxA6−/− hepatocytes 48 hours after PHx, impairing alanine uptake and, consequently, glucose production.
Conclusions:
We conclude that the lack of AnxA6 compromises alanine‐dependent GNG and liver regeneration in mice
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