The Luminosity Function Evolution of Soft X--ray selected AGN in the RIXOS survey

A sample of 198 soft X--ray selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the ROSAT International X--ray Optical Survey (RIXOS), is used to investigate the X--ray luminosity function and its evolution. RIXOS, with a flux limit of 3E-14 erg s-1 cm-2 (0.5 to 2.0 keV), samples a broad range in redshift over 20 deg^2 of sky, and is almost completely identified; it is used in combination with the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey (EMSS), to give a total sample of over 600 AGN. We find the evolution of AGN with redshift to be consistent with pure luminosity evolution (PLE) models in which the rate of evolution slows markedly or stops at high redshifts z>1.8. We find that this result is not affected by the inclusion, or exclusion, of narrow emission line galaxies at low redshift in the RIXOS and EMSS samples, and is insensitive to uncertainties in the conversion between flux values measured with ROSAT and Einstein. We confirm, using a model independent Ve/Va test, that our survey is consistent with no evolution at high redshifts.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX file, PS figures and mn.sty. Accepted in MNRA

Application of temperature and ultrasound as corrective measures to decrease the adhesiveness in dry-cured ham. Influence on free amino acid and volatile compound profile

The impact of low temperature treatment and its combination with ultrasound has been evaluated in order to correct texture defects in dry-cured hams. A total of 26 dry-cured hams, classified as high proteolysis index (PI>36%), were used. From these hams, ten slices from each ham sample were cut, vacuum packed and submitted to three different treatments: control (without treatment), conventional thermal treatments (CV) and thermal treatment assisted by power ultrasound (US). The impact of these treatments on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acid and volatile compounds profile were assessed. Statistical analysis showed that both US and CV treatments, significantly (P < .001) decreased the instrumental adhesiveness of dry-cured hams from 85.27 g for CO to 40.59 and 38.68 g for US and CV groups, respectively. The total free amino acid content was significantly (P < .001) affected by both treatments, presenting higher values the samples from the US group (6691.5 vs. 6067.5 vs. 5278.2 mg/100 g dry matter for US, CV and CO groups, respectively). No significant differences were observed between US and CV treatments. All the individual free amino acids were influenced by ultrasound and temperature treatments, showing the highest content in sliced dry-cured ham submitted to ultrasounds at 50 °C, except for isoleucine which presented the highest level in samples from CV group. Similarly, significant differences (P < .05) were also detected in the total volatile compound content between CO and US groups, with a higher concentration in the CO batch (56,662.84 AU × 103/g of dry-cured ham) than in the US treatment (45,848.47 AU × 103/g of dry-cured ham), being the values in the CV treatment intermediate (48,497.25 AU × 103/g of dry-cured ham). Aldehydes, ethers and esters, carboxylic acids and sulphur compounds were more abundant in the CO group, while CV group showed higher concentrations of ketones, alcohols and nitrogen compounds.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Optical and X-ray properties of the RIXOS AGN: II - Emission lines

We present the optical and UV emission line properties of 160 X-ray selected AGN taken from the RIXOS survey (including Halpha, Hbeta, [OIII]5007, MgII2798 and CIII]1909). This sample is believed to contain a mixture of absorbed and unabsorbed objects, with column densities up to 4e21 cm-2. Although the distribution of the [OIII] EW for the RIXOS AGN is typical of optically selected samples, the Balmer line EWs are relatively low. This is consistent with the presence of a dust absorber between the broad and narrow line regions (eg. a molecular torus), and intrinsically weak optical line emission. We find Baldwin effects in CIII] and MgII, and a positive response of the MgII line to its ionizing continuum. There is a strong correlation between the EW and FWHM of MgII, which may be similar to that seen in other samples for Hbeta. We demonstrate that this is consistent with models which suggest two line-emitting zones, a `very broad line region' (VBLR) and an `intermediate line region' (ILR). The correlation between EW and FWHM in MgII may be a physical characteristic of the ILR or it may reflect a geometric dependence. We found no correlation between the Hbeta FWHM and the slope of the X-ray spectrum, however this may be due to the effects of dust absorption which suppresses the broad Hbeta component, masking any relationship. The Halpha FWHM does tend to be narrow when alpha_X is soft, and broadens as alpha_X hardens, although the formal probability for this correlation is low (91 per cent). If the distribution of alpha_X in the RIXOS sample reflects the level of intrinsic absorption in these AGN, the data suggest a possible link between the velocity of the Balmer line-emitting region and the amount of absorbing material beyond.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figures, to be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Also available from http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/www_astro/preprints/preprints.htm

Application of temperature and ultrasound as corrective measures to decrease the adhesiveness in dry-cured ham. Influence on free amino acid and volatile compound profile

[EN] The impact of low temperattire treatment and its combination with ultrasound has been evaluated in order to correct texture defects in dry-cured hams. A total of 26 dry-cured hams, classified as high proteolysis index (PI > 36%), were used. From these hams, ten slices from each ham sample were cut, vacuum packed and submitted to three different treatments: control (without treatment), conventional thermal treatments (CV) and thermal treatment assisted by power ultrasound (US). The impact of these treatments on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acid and volatile compounds profile were assessed. Statistical analysis showed that both US and CV treatments, significantly (P<.001) decreased the instrumental adhesiveness of dry-cured hams from 85.27 g for CO to 40.59 and 38.68 g for US and CV groups, respectively. The total free amino acid content was significantly (P<.001) affected by both treatments, presenting higher values the samples from the US group (6691.5 vs. 6067.5 vs. 5278.2 mg/100 g dry matter for US, CV and CO groups, respectively). No significant differences were observed between US and CV treatments. All the individual free amino acids were influenced by ultrasound and temperature treatments, showing the highest content in sliced dry-cured ham submitted to ultrasounds at 50 degrees C, except for isoleucine which presented the highest level in samples from CV group. Similarly, significant differences (P<.05) were also detected in the total volatile compound content between CO and US groups, with a higher concentration in the CO batch (56,662.84 AU x 10(3)/g of dry-cured ham) than in the US treatment (45,848.47 AU x 10(3)/g of dry-cured ham), being the values in the CV treatment intermediate (48,497.25 AU x 10(3)/g of dry-cured ham). Aldehydes, ethers and esters, carboxylic acids and sulphur compounds were more abundant in the CO group, while CV group showed higher concentrations of ketones, alcohols and nitrogen compounds.This research was supported by Grant RTA 2013-00030-CO3-03 from INIA (Spain). Acknowledgements to INIA for granting Cristina Perez Santaescolastica with a predoctoral scholarship (grant number CPD2015-0212). Jose M. Lorenzo is member of the MARCARNE network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503).Pérez-Santaescolástica, C.; Carballo, J.; Fulladosa, E.; Garcia-Perez, J.; Benedito Fort, JJ.; Lorenzo, J. (2018). Application of temperature and ultrasound as corrective measures to decrease the adhesiveness in dry-cured ham. Influence on free amino acid and volatile compound profile. Food Research International. 114:140-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.08.006S14015011

Effect of proteolysis index level on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acids content and volatile compounds profile of dry-cured ham

[EN] Defective textures in dry-cured ham are a common problem that causes important economic losses in the ham industry. An increase of proteolysis during the dry-cured ham processing may lead to high adhesiveness and consumer rejection of the product. Therefore, the influence of proteolysis index (PI) on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acids and volatile profile of dry-cured ham was assessed. Two hundred Spanish dry-cured ham units were firstly classified according to their PI: low PI ( 36%). Instrumental adhesiveness was affected by PI, showing the lowest values in the batch with low PI. Significant differences (P < 0.05) among groups were found in six amino acids: serine, taurine, cysteine, methionine, isoleucine and leucine. The content of leucine, serine, methionine, and isoleucine significantly (P < 0.05) increased as the proteolysis index rose. However, taurine and cysteine content showed an opposite behaviour, reaching the highest values in the dry-cured hams with low PI. Significant differences (P < 0.001) in the total content of volatile compounds among ham groups were observed, with the highest concentration in the batch with low PI, and decreasing the concentration as the PI increased. Regarding the different chemical families of volatiles, the hydrocarbons (the main family), alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and acids were more abundant in the hams showing the lowest PI. Esters did not show significant differences among the three batches of hams studied. The present study demonstrated that, apart from the effect on the adhesiveness, an excessive proteolysis seems to be associated with negative effects on the taste and aroma of the dry-cured ham.This research was supported by Grant RTA 2013-00030-CO3-03 from INIA (Spain). Acknowledgements to INIA for granting Cristina Perez Santaescolastica with a predoctoral scholarship. Jose M. Lorenzo is member of the MARCARNE network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503).Pérez-Santaescolástica, C.; Carballo, J.; Fulladosa, E.; Garcia-Perez, J.; Benedito Fort, JJ.; Lorenzo, J. (2018). Effect of proteolysis index level on instrumental adhesiveness, free amino acids content and volatile compounds profile of dry-cured ham. Food Research International. 107:559-566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.03.001S55956610

Relationship Between Flicker Modulation Sensitivity and Retinal Ganglion Cell Related Layer Thicknesses

Purpose: Early detection of structural changes in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and corresponding changes in visual function is important in early degenerative diseases of the retina, but the sensitivity of both measurements is limited by the inherent variability in healthy subjects. This study investigates the relationships between RGC-related layer thicknesses and foveal and parafoveal flicker modulation sensitivity (FMS) across photopic and mesopic light levels in healthy subjects. Methods: Photopic and mesopic FMS was measured in 56 young adults, at the point of fixation and at an eccentricity of 5 degrees, in each of the four quadrants. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used to measure retinal thicknesses. Relationships between foveal and parafoveal FMS and the retinal thickness in the corresponding region were examined after adjusting for confounding variables. Results: Total macular and inner retinal layer (IRL) thicknesses in the parafoveal ring were significant predictors of photopic (P = 0.034) and mesopic (P = 0.034) parafoveal FMS, respectively. The superior peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness was a contributing factor to the inferior parafoveal FMS (photopic: P = 0.006 and mesopic: P = 0.021) and the inferior pRNFL thickness was also a contributing factor to the superior parafoveal FMS (photopic: P < 0.001 and mesopic: P = 0.015). Conclusions: The pRNFL thicknesses predict parafoveal FMS for both mesopic and photopic conditions in healthy eyes. Translational Relevance: The measurement of rapid flicker sensitivity in the parafoveal retina together with the pRNFL thickness profiles measured before the onset of disease, may provide a more sensitive biomarker for detecting loss of sensitivity caused by the earliest neurodegenerative changes in the eyes

Stability of childhood anxiety disorder diagnoses: a follow-up naturalistic study in psychiatric care

Few studies have examined the stability of major psychiatric disorders in pediatric psychiatric clinical populations. The objective of this study was to examine the long-term stability of anxiety diagnoses starting with pre-school age children through adolescence evaluated at multiple time points. Prospective cohort study was conducted of all children and adolescents receiving psychiatric care at all pediatric psychiatric clinics belonging to two catchment areas in Madrid, Spain, between 1 January, 1992 and 30 April, 2006. Patients were selected from among 24,163 children and adolescents who received psychiatric care. Patients had to have a diagnosis of an ICD-10 anxiety disorder during at least one of the consultations and had to have received psychiatric care for the anxiety disorder. We grouped anxiety disorder diagnoses according to the following categories: phobic disorders, social anxiety disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), stress-related disorders, and "other" anxiety disorders which, among others, included generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Complementary indices of diagnostic stability were calculated. As much as 1,869 subjects were included and had 27,945 psychiatric/ psychological consultations. The stability of all ICD-10 anxiety disorder categories studied was high regardless of the measure of diagnostic stability used. Phobic and social anxiety disorders showed the highest diagnostic stability, whereas OCD and "other" anxiety disorders showed the lowest diagnostic stability. No significant sex differences were observed on the diagnostic stability of the anxiety disorder categories studied. Diagnostic stability measures for phobic, social anxiety, and "other" anxiety disorder diagnoses varied depending on the age at first evaluation. In this clinical pediatric outpatient sample it appears that phobic, social anxiety, and stress-related disorder diagnoses in children and adolescents treated in community outpatient services may have high diagnostic stability

Negative Feedback Regulation of the Yeast Cth1 and Cth2 mRNA Binding Proteins Is Required for Adaptation to Iron Deficiency and Iron Supplementation

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for all eukaryotic organisms because it functions as a cofactor in a wide range of biochemical processes. Cells have developed sophisticated mechanisms to tightly control Fe utilization in response to alterations in cellular demands and bioavailability. In response to Fe deficiency, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae activates transcription of the CTH1 and CTH2 genes, which encode proteins that bind to AU-rich elements (AREs) within the 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of many mRNAs, leading to metabolic reprogramming of Fe-dependent pathways and decreased Fe storage. The precise mechanisms underlying Cth1 and Cth2 function and regulation are incompletely understood. We report here that the Cth1 and Cth2 proteins specifically bind in vivo to AREs located at the 3′UTRs of their own transcripts in an auto- and cross-regulated mechanism that limits their expression. By mutagenesis of the AREs within the CTH2 transcript, we demonstrate that a Cth2 negative-feedback loop is required for the efficient decline in Cth2 protein levels observed upon a rapid rise in Fe availability. Importantly, Cth2 autoregulation is critical for the appropriate recovery of Fe-dependent processes and resumption of growth in response to a change from Fe deficiency to Fe supplementation

Effect of oral anticoagulants on the outcome of faecal immunochemical test

Background: We aimed to evaluate whether oral anticoagulants (OACs) alter faecal immunochemical test (FIT) performance in average-risk colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Methods: Individuals aged 50–69 years were invited to receive one FIT sample (cutoff 75¿ng¿ml–1) between November 2008 and June 2011. Results: Faecal immunochemical test was positive in 9.3% (21 out of 224) of users of OAC and 6.2% (365 out of 5821) of non-users (P-trend=0.07). The positive predictive value (PPV) for advanced neoplasia (AN) in non-users was 50.4% vs 47.6% in users (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.3–1.8; P=0.5). The PPV for AN in OAC more antiplatelets (aspirin or clopidogrel) was 75% (odds ratio, 2; 95% CI, 0.4–10.8; P=0.4). Conclusions: Oral anticoagulant did not significantly modify the PPV for AN in this population-based colorectal screening program. The detection rate of advanced adenoma was higher in the combination OAC more antiplatelets

Evaluation of different bowel preparations for small bowel capsule endoscopy: a prospective, randomized, controlled study

To obtain an adequate view of the whole small intestine during capsule endoscopy (CE) a clear liquid diet and overnight fasting is recommended. However, intestinal content can hamper vision in spite of these measures. Our aim was to evaluate tolerance and degree of intestinal cleanliness during CE following three types of bowel preparation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled study. Two-hundred ninety-one patients underwent one of the following preparations: 4 L of clear liquids (CL) (group A; 92 patients); 90 mL of aqueous sodium phosphate (group B; 89 patients); or 4 L of a polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution (group C; 92 patients). The degree of cleanliness of the small bowel was classified by blinded examiners according to four categories (excellent, good, fair or poor). The degree of patient satisfaction, gastric and small bowel transit times, and diagnostic yield were measured. RESULTS: The degree of cleanliness did not differ significantly between the groups (P = 0.496). Interobserver concordance was fair (k = 0.38). No significant differences were detected between the diagnostic yields of the CE (P = 0.601). Gastric transit time was 35.7 +/- 3.7 min (group A), 46.1 +/- 8.6 min (group B) and 34.6 +/- 5.0 min (group C) (P = 0.417). Small-intestinal transit time was 276.9 +/- 10.7 min (group A), 249.7 +/- 13.1 min (group B) and 245.6 +/- 11.6 min (group C) (P = 0.120). CL was the best tolerated preparation. Compliance with the bowel preparation regimen was lowest in group C (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: A clear liquid diet and overnight fasting is sufficient to achieve an adequate level of cleanliness and is better tolerated by patients than other forms of preparation