Creation of strange-quark-matter droplets as a unique signature for quark-gluon plasma formation in relativistic heavy-ion collisions

We demonstrate that strangeness separates in the Gibbs-phase coexistence between a baryon-rich quark-gluon plasma and hadron matter, even at T=0. For finite temperatures this is due to the associated production of kaons (containing s¯ quarks) in the hadron phase while s quarks remain in the deconfined phase. The s-s¯ separation results in a strong enhancement of the s-quark abundance in the quark phase. This mechanism is further supported by cooling and net strangeness enrichment due to the prefreezeout evaporation of pions and K+, K0, which carry away entropy and anti- strangeness from the system. Metastable droplets (i.e., stable as far as weak interactions are not regarded) of strange-quark matter (‘‘strangelets’’) can thus be formed during the phase transition. Such cool, compact, long-lived clusters could be experimentally observed by their unusually small Z/A ratio (≤0.1–0.3). Even if the strange-quark-matter phase is not stable under strong interactions, it should be observable by the delayed correlated emission of several hyperons. This would serve as a unique signature for the transient formation of a quark-gluon plasma

Electrical weed control in sugar beet - A comparison of pre-emergence methods

Im Zuckerrübenanbau können schon geringe Unkrautdichten zu enormen Ertragseinbußen führen. Diese wurden in der Vergangenheit durch den Einsatz von chemischen Herbiziden effektiv begrenzt. Mit Blick auf den zunehmenden Wegfall verfügbarer chemischer Wirkstoffe, wachsender Unkrautresistenzen, einen nachhaltigeren Bodenschutz und die Einhaltung anspruchsvollerer Ernährungssicherungsstandards müssen neue Managementansätze für einen moderneren Pflanzenschutz umgesetzt werden. Aus diesem Grund wurde die elektrische Unkrautbekämpfung im Vorauflauf in der Zuckerrübe, im Mulchsaatverfahren angebaut, in chemische und mechanische Unkrautbekämpfungsstrategien integriert. Es wurde ein randomisiertes Blockfeldversuchsdesign mit dreimal replizierten Versuchsplots und acht Varianten angewendet, wobei einzelne Plots (100 m Länge) jeweils in 50 m getrennt, mit und ohne Glyphosat als Vorsaatanwendung behandelt wurden. Das Electroherb™ der Firma Zasso wurde mit 3 und 5 km h‑1 Fahrgeschwindigkeit und 72 kW elektrischer Nennleistung in einer 3 m Flächenbehandlung angewendet. Der Unkrautdichte nach der Vorauflauf-Applikation setzte sich hauptsächlich aus Ausfallgetreide und zweikeimblättrigen Unkrautpflanzen zusammen und betrug 5 bis 23 Pflanzen 10 m-2, während ohne Glyphosatanwendung 5 bis 97 Pflanzen 10 m-2 gezählt wurden. Der Vergleich der Wirkungsgrade zeigte, dass die Verunkrautung am besten mit der Electroherb™ Technologie kontrolliert wurde, so dass in den Parzellen ohne Glyphosatanwendung deutlich geringere Unkrautzahlen (von 5 bis 11 Pflanzen 10 m-2) vor dem Auflaufen der Zuckerrüben zurückblieben. Mechanisches Eggen auf der anderen Seite zeigte eine geringe Effizienz bei der Reduzierung von Ausfallgetreide; die durchschnittliche Unkrautdichte betrug hier 72 Pflanzen 10 m-2. Die Ergebnisse zum Zuckerrübenertrag und -qualität werden in den Datensatz integriert und erlauben so umfassende Schlussfolgerungen zur Wirtschaftlichkeit des Electroherb™ Verfahrens zu schlussfolgern. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Integration von elektrischen Unkrautbekämpfungsmethoden in bestehende Strategien den Einsatz von synthetisch-chemischen Herbiziden reduzieren kann und auch einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur Vermeidung von Herbizidresistenzen leisten kann.Competition between sugar beet and weeds can result in tremendous yield losses, which were confined by the use of chemical herbicides in the past. In view to address soil conservation, a reducing number of available chemical herbicides, the need to prevent weed resistances and exacting food security standards, new management approaches must be implemented into modern crop protection. In this context, electrical weed control for pre-emergence in sugar beet, cultivated in mulch sowing to prevent erosion and to improve water infiltration after heavy rainfall, was integrated in chemical and mechanical weed control strategies. A randomized complete block field trial design with three times replicated plots and eight variants was applied, whereby individual plots (100 m length in total) were separated in 50 m, with and without glyphosate as pre-sowing application. The Zasso Electroherb™ was applied with 3 and 5 km h‑1 speed and 72 kW nominal electrical power in a 3 m area application. Weed infestation after the pre-emergence weed control, mainly volunteer grain and dicotyledonous weed plants, with glyphosate averaged densities of 5 to 23 plants 10 m-2, whereas without glyphosate application 5 to 97 plants 10 m-2 were counted, respectively. Weed control efficiency indicated that the weed community was controlled best by Electroherb™, leaving in the plots without glyphosate application significantly lower weed numbers (of 5 to 11 plants 10 m-2) behind. Mechanical harrowing on the other side showed here minor efficiency in reducing the volunteer grain weed; averaging weed densities of 72 plants 10 m-2. Results on sugar beet yields and quality are pending but will be included in the data set for comprehensive conclusions. Our results indicate that the integration of electrical weed control methods into existing strategies can reduce the use of synthetic-chemical herbicides and can also make a significant contribution to the prevention of ongoing and future herbicide resistances

Basic comparison of particle size distribution measurements of pigments and fillers using commonly available industrial methods

The Nanobiosciences Unit of the Joint Research Centre’s Institute for Health and Consumer Protection and Eurocolour, the association of European pigments, dyes and fillers industry, have carried out a program of work to evaluate a number of instrumental methods of measuring particle size distributions as required for assessing compliance versus the EU Recommendation for the definition on nanomaterials. The study has examined the use of five instrumental methods applied to a range of eight widely different but industrially relevant powder pigments. The techniques examined were Laser Diffraction (LD), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Centrifugal Liquid Sedimentation (CLS), Volume Specific Surface Area (VSSA) and Electron Microscopy (EM). This report describes the materials studied and the preparative and analytical methods used. Individual chapters provide an overview of the single analytical methods used together with a summary of the results obtained using each particular method. In considering the results of this study it is important to note that the aim was not to determine the optimum conditions for every individual sample but rather to produce and evaluate data which could be considered representative of that obtainable in industrial laboratories using existing instrumental facilities operated by experienced but not specialised operators. The report discusses the challenges of using these instrumental methods to obtain a simple unambiguous classification of the test materials according to the EC definition.JRC.I.4-Nanobioscience

The economics of debt clearing mechanisms

We examine the evolution of decentralized clearinghouse mechanisms from the 13th to the 18th century; in particular, we explore the clearing of non- or limitedtradable debts like bills of exchange. We construct a theoretical model of these clearinghouse mechanisms, similar to the models in the theoretical matching literature, and show that specific decentralized multilateral clearing algorithms known as rescontre, skontrieren or virement des parties used by merchants were efficient in specific historical contexts. We can explain both the evolutionary self-organizing emergence of late medieval and early modern fairs, and its robustness during the 17th and 18th century

Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Kidney Transplant Patients

Background: Kidney transplantation (RTx) leads to amelioration of endothelial function in patients with advanced renal failure. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may play a key role in this repair process. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of RTx and immunosuppressive therapy on the number of circulating EPCs. Methods: We analyzed 52 RTx patients (58613 years; 33 males, mean 6 SD) and 16 age- and gender-matched subjects with normal kidney function (57617; 10 males). RTx patients received a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based (65%) or a CNI-free therapy (35%) and steroids. EPC number was determined by double positive staining for CD133/VEGFR2 and CD34/VEGFR2 by flow cytometry. Stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1) levels were assessed by ELISA. Experimentally, to dissociate the impact of RTx from the impact of immunosuppressants, we used the 5/6 nephrectomy model. The animals were treated with a CNI-based or a CNI-free therapy, and EPCs (Sca+cKit+) and CD26+ cells were determined by flow cytometry. Results: Compared to controls, circulating number of CD34+/VEGFR2+ and CD133+/VEGFR2+ EPCs increased in RTx patients. There were no correlations between EPC levels and statin, erythropoietin or use of renin angiotensin system blockers in our study. Indeed, multivariate analysis showed that SDF-1 – a cytokine responsible for EPC mobilization – is independently associated with the EPC number. 5/6 rats presented decreased EPC counts in comparison to control animals. Immunosuppressive therapy was able to restore normal EPC values in 5/6 rats. These effects on EPC number were associated with reduced number of CD26+ cells, which might be related to consequent accumulation of SDF-1. Conclusions: We conclude that kidney transplantation and its associated use of immunosuppressive drugs increases the number of circulating EPCs via the manipulation of the CD26/SDF-1 axis. Increased EPC count may be associated to endothelial repair and function in these patients.

Quantitative detection of small molecule/DNA complexes employing a force-based and label-free DNA-microarray

Force-based ligand detection is a promising method to characterize molecular complexes label-free at physiological conditions. Because conventional implementations of this technique, e.g., based on atomic force microscopy or optical traps, are low-throughput and require extremely sensitive and sophisticated equipment, this approach has to date found only limited application. We present a low-cost, chip-based assay, which combines high-throughput force-based detection of dsDNA·ligand interactions with the ease of fluorescence detection. Within the comparative unbinding force assay, many duplicates of a target DNA duplex are probed against a defined reference DNA duplex each. The fractions of broken target and reference DNA duplexes are determined via fluorescence. With this assay, we investigated the DNA binding behavior of artificial pyrrole-imidazole polyamides. These small compounds can be programmed to target specific dsDNA sequences and distinguish between D- and L-DNA. We found that titration with polyamides specific for a binding motif, which is present in the target DNA duplex and not in the reference DNA duplex, reliably resulted in a shift toward larger fractions of broken reference bonds. From the concentration dependence nanomolar to picomolar dissociation constants of dsDNA·ligand complexes were determined, agreeing well with prior quantitative DNAase footprinting experiments. This finding corroborates that the forced unbinding of dsDNA in presence of a ligand is a nonequilibrium process that produces a snapshot of the equilibrium distribution between dsDNA and dsDNA·ligand complexes

Long-term thermal sensitivity of Earth’s tropical forests

The sensitivity of tropical forest carbon to climate is a key uncertainty in predicting global climate change. Although short-term drying and warming are known to affect forests, it is unknown if such effects translate into long-term responses. Here, we analyze 590 permanent plots measured across the tropics to derive the equilibrium climate controls on forest carbon. Maximum temperature is the most important predictor of aboveground biomass (−9.1 megagrams of carbon per hectare per degree Celsius), primarily by reducing woody productivity, and has a greater impact per °C in the hottest forests (>32.2°C). Our results nevertheless reveal greater thermal resilience than observations of short-term variation imply. To realize the long-term climate adaptation potential of tropical forests requires both protecting them and stabilizing Earth’s climate

Determination of nutrient salts by automatic methods both in seawater and brackish water: the phosphate blank

9 páginas, 2 tablas, 2 figurasThe main inconvenience in determining nutrients in seawater by automatic methods is simply solved: the preparation of a suitable blank which corrects the effect of the refractive index change on the recorded signal. Two procedures are proposed, one physical (a simple equation to estimate the effect) and the other chemical (removal of the dissolved phosphorus with ferric hydroxide).Support for this work came from CICYT (MAR88-0245 project) and Conselleria de Pesca de la Xunta de GaliciaPeer reviewe

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease.

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes

EuReCa ONE—27 Nations, ONE Europe, ONE Registry A prospective one month analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in 27 countries in Europe

AbstractIntroductionThe aim of the EuReCa ONE study was to determine the incidence, process, and outcome for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) throughout Europe.MethodsThis was an international, prospective, multi-centre one-month study. Patients who suffered an OHCA during October 2014 who were attended and/or treated by an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) were eligible for inclusion in the study. Data were extracted from national, regional or local registries.ResultsData on 10,682 confirmed OHCAs from 248 regions in 27 countries, covering an estimated population of 174 million. In 7146 (66%) cases, CPR was started by a bystander or by the EMS. The incidence of CPR attempts ranged from 19.0 to 104.0 per 100,000 population per year. 1735 had ROSC on arrival at hospital (25.2%), Overall, 662/6414 (10.3%) in all cases with CPR attempted survived for at least 30 days or to hospital discharge.ConclusionThe results of EuReCa ONE highlight that OHCA is still a major public health problem accounting for a substantial number of deaths in Europe.EuReCa ONE very clearly demonstrates marked differences in the processes for data collection and reported outcomes following OHCA all over Europe. Using these data and analyses, different countries, regions, systems, and concepts can benchmark themselves and may learn from each other to further improve survival following one of our major health care events