Signals of spinodal hadronization: strangeness trapping

If the deconfinement phase transformation of strongly interacting matter is of first-order and the expanding chromodynamic matter created in a high-energy nuclear collision enters the corresponding region of phase coexistence, a spinodal phase separation might occur. The matter would then condense into a number of separate blobs, each having a particular net strangeness that would remain approximately conserved during the further evolution. We investigate the effect that such `strangeness trapping' may have on strangeness-related hadronic observables. The kaon multiplicity fluctuations are significantly enhanced and thus provide a possible tool for probing the nature of the phase transition experimentally.Comment: 15 pages, 11 eps figure

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in young Maine Coon cats caused by the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation - the clinical significance of having the mutation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Maine Coon (MC) cats the c.91G > C mutation in the gene <it>MYBPC3</it>, coding for cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C), is associated with feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (fHCM). The mutation causes a substitution of an alanine for a proline at residue 31 (p.A31P) of cMyBP-C. The pattern of inheritance has been considered autosomal dominant based on a single pedigree. However, larger studies are needed to establish the significance of cats being heterozygous or homozygous for the mutation with respect to echocardiographic indices and the probability of developing fHCM. The objective of the present study was to establish the clinical significance of being homozygous or heterozygous for the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation in young to middle-aged cats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The cohort consisted of 332 MC cats, 282 cats < 4 years (85%). All cats were examined by 2-D and M-mode echocardiography. DNA was extracted from blood samples or buccal swabs and screened for the p.A31P cMyBP-C mutation in exon 3 of the gene, using polymerase chain reaction followed by DNA sequencing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The fHCM prevalence was 6.3% in the cohort. Eighteen cats were homozygous and 89 cats were heterozygous for the mutation. The odds ratio for having fHCM for homozygous cats was 21.6 (95% confidence interval 7.01-66.2) - when the group of equivocal cats was categorized as non-affected. Overall, 50% of the cats that were homozygous for the mutation had fHCM. p.A31P heterozygosity was not associated with a significant odds ratio for fHCM. In cats in the 4 to 6 years of age range a similar, non significant, odds ratio was seen in heterozygous cats. Only two cats over four years were homozygous and both were diagnosed with fHCM.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>As there is no significant odds ratio associated with being heterozygous for the pA31P cMyBP-C mutation at this age, the mutation must have a very low penetrance in this group. From our data it would appear that most MC cats that develop fHCM due to the p.A31P mutation prior to the age of approximately 6 years do so because they are homozygous for this mutation.</p

Ultrastructural myocardial changes in seven cats with spontaneous hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

AbstractObjectivesHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease in cats and shares clinical and pathological characteristics with human HCM. Little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms underlying development of spontaneous feline HCM.AnimalsThe study population consisted of seven cats diagnosed with HCM and eight age-matched cats with no evidence of cardiac disease.MethodsFresh myocardial biopsies taken from the middle of the left ventricular posterior free wall were obtained and examined with transmission electron microscopy.ResultsElectron microscopic examination showed ultrastructural aberrations of the myocardial cytoarchitecture and of the interstitium in the seven cats with HCM. In the most severely affected cats the myofibrils were disorganized and subsarcolemmal mitochondria were depleted. In control cats, contraction band artifacts were commonly seen.ConclusionsIn this preliminary study we show that ultrastructural changes of the myocardium in seven cats with HCM involve the cytoskeleton and mitochondria. We suggest that our findings are important for future research aiming at elucidating the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the phenotypic expression of feline HCM.The results of this study prompt for a larger scale study, including quantitative measurements of mitochondrial distribution and cytoskeletal derangements in feline HCM

The Impact of Vegetation on Archaeological Sites in the Low Arctic in Light of Climate Change

Vegetation is changing across the Arctic in response to increasing temperatures, which may influence&nbsp;archaeological sites in the region. At the moment, very little is known about how different plant species influence archaeological remains. In this study we visited 14 archaeological sites stretching across a climatic gradient from the outer coast to the inner fjords in the Nuuk Fjord area of West Greenland to assess the impact of vegetation growth on archaeological preservation. Examination of the physical disturbance of archaeological layers and materials by roots from different plant species showed that horsetail (Equisetum arvense) was particularly destructive because of its deep penetrating rhizomes and ubiquity across the study area. Willow (Salix glauca) also caused physical disturbance due to a dense root network, but its roots were mainly found in the upper 30 cm of the soil. Focus was also given to the impact from vegetation on the visibility of sites, where growth of willow was found be the main problem, especially in the inner fjords. Historic descriptions and aerial photographs from the sites show that shrub growth was already widespread in the region by the 1930s, but photos of some of the sites investigated show that the willow shrubs are significantly taller today, which has decreased the visibility of site features. The impact from horsetail and willow on archaeological sites may be mitigated using geotextiles and grazing by livestock, but both methods&nbsp;require further studies before being implemented in the study area.À la grandeur de l’Arctique, la végétation change en réaction aux températures à la hausse, ce qui peut exercer une&nbsp;influence sur les sites archéologiques de la région. En ce moment, on en sait peu sur la manière dont les différentes espèces végétales influencent les restes archéologiques. Dans le cadre de cette étude, nous avons visité 14 sites archéologiques répartis sur un gradient climatique allant de la zone côtière extérieure aux fjords intérieurs de la région du fjord de Nuuk, dans l’ouest du Groenland, afin d’évaluer l’incidence de la croissance de la végétation sur la préservation archéologique. L’examen de la perturbation physique des couches et du matériel archéologiques au moyen des racines de différentes espèces végétales a permis de constater que la prêle (Equisetum arvense) jouait un rôle particulièrement destructeur en raison de ses rhizomes profonds et omniprésents dans toute la zone étudiée. Le saule (Salix glauca) entraîne aussi des perturbations physiques en raison de son réseau de racines denses, bien que ses racines se trouvent principalement dans la couche supérieure de sol de 30 cm. Nous avons aussi accordé de l’importance à l’incidence de la végétation sur la visibilité des sites, ce qui a permis de conclure que la croissance du saule constituait le problème principal, surtout dans la zone intérieure des fjords. Les descriptions historiques et les photographies aériennes des sites montrent que la croissance d’arbustes était déjà répandue dans la région dans les années 1930, bien que certaines photos des sites étudiés permettent de comprendre que les saules arbustifs sont beaucoup plus grands aujourd’hui, ce qui diminue la visibilité des caractéristiques des sites. L’incidence de la prêle et du saule sur les sites archéologiques pourrait être atténuée par l’utilisation de géotextiles et le broutage du bétail. Il y a toutefois&nbsp;lieu de se pencher de plus près sur ces deux méthodes avant de les adopter dans la zone étudiée

Human Dorset Remains from Igloolik, Canada

Skeletal remains of four Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo individuals were found at Alarnerk (NhHd-1), Melville Peninsula, in 1954 by the joint Danish National Museum-University of Pennsylvania Expedition, which was excavating Dorset and pre-Dorset sites. These remains included one complete mandible, two fragmentary mandibles, and a cranial fragment. One of the mandibular fragments, found in a grave, was from a child approximately nine months old. The other remains were found in middens at the site. These remains add to the otherwise very sparse Dorset human material. Analysis of the dental morphology, as well as morphometric analysis of the complete mandible, shows Eskimoid characters and resemblance with later period Greenlandic human skeletal remains.En 1954, à Alarnerk (NhHd-1) dans la péninsule de Melville, l'expédition menée conjointement par le Musée national du Danemark et l'université de Pennsylvanie pour effectuer des fouilles sur des sites de culture dorset et pré-dorset, a mis au jour des restes humains appartenant à quatre individus du paléo-esquimau du Dorset. Ces restes comprenaient une mâchoire inférieure complète, deux mâchoires inférieures partielles et un fragment de crâne. L'un des fragments mandibulaires, trouvé dans une sépulture, appartenait à un enfant âgé d'environ neuf mois. Les autres restes ont été découverts dans des tertres localisés sur le site. Ces restes viennent s'ajouter aux très rares éléments humains du Dorset déjà mis au jour. L'analyse de la morphologie dentaire du mandibule complet, ainsi que son analyse morphométrique, révèle des caractères esquimoïdes et une ressemblance avec des restes de squelettes humains groenlandais datant d'une période postérieure