Fenomenološka analiza s lokalnim potencijalom raspršenja π +

π +-nucleus scattering cross section are calculated by solving a Schr¨odinger equation reduced from the Klein-Gordon equation. Local potentials are assumed, and phenomenological potential parameters are searched energy dependently for π + scattering from 12C, 40Ca, and 208Pb to reproduce not only differential elastic cross sections but also inelastic and total and reaction cross sections at 800 MeV/c pion laboratory momentum. The collective model is used to calculate the angular distributions of differential inelastic cross sections for pions leading to the lowest 2 + and 3− states of 12C. The deformation parameters and lengths are extracted and compared to the corresponding ones from other works. Local potentials well describe the scattering of pions from nuclei.Izračunali smo udarne presjeke za raspršenje π +-jezgra kao rješenja Schrödingerove jednadžbe koju smo izveli iz Klein-Gordononove jednadžbe. Primijenili smo lokalne potencijale, a parametre fenomenološkog potencijala smo odredili u ovisnosti o energiji za raspršenje π + na 12C, 40Ca i 208Pb, tražeći sklad ne samo s elastičnim diferencijalnim udarnim presjecima, već i s totalnim i reakcijskim udarnim presjecima za pione s laboratorijskim impulsom 800 MeV/c. Primijenili smo kolektivni model za računanje kutne ovisnosti neelastičnih diferencijalnih udarnih presjeka za najniža 2+ i 3− stanja 12C. Izveli smo parametre i duljine deformacije koje uspoređujemo s odgovarajućim vrijednostima drugih radova. Lokalni potencijali dobro opisuju raspršenje piona u jezgrama

Herbivore-Induced Changes in Cotton Modulates Reproductive Behavior in the Moth Spodoptera littoralis

Plants produce chemical defense compounds to resist herbivore attack either by repelling the herbivores or attracting natural enemies of the herbivores. We have previously shown that volatile compounds from cotton released in response to herbivory by conspecifics reduce oviposition in cotton leafworm moth Spodoptera littoralis. It remained, however, unclear whether herbivore-induced changes also affect moth pre-mating and mating behaviors. In this study we examined the effect of herbivore-induced changes in cotton on reproductive behaviors i.e., female calling, male attraction and investment, and mating behavior in S. littoralis. We found a reduction in the number of females calling i.e., females releasing pheromone, in the presence of cotton plants damaged by larvae of S. littoralis compared to undamaged plants. Females also spent significantly less time calling and showed a delay in calling in the presence of damaged plants. Furthermore, males exhibited significantly delayed activation and reduced attraction toward female sex pheromone in the presence of damaged plants. We also found that mating success and the number of matings were significantly reduced in the presence of damaged plants whereas male investment i.e., spermatophore weight, was not affected. Thus, our study provides evidence that herbivory by conspecifics on host plants affect pre-mating and mating behaviors in an insect herbivore

Pionic Degrees of Freedom in Atomic Nuclei and Quasielastic Knockout of Pions by High-Energy Electrons

The nonlinear model of pionic condensate in nuclei by G. Preparata can be efficiently verified by investigation of the quasielastic knockout process of pions out of nuclei by high energy electrons. First, a momentum distribution (MD) of the collective pions has a bright maximum at q=0.3 Gev.Second the excitation spectrum of a recoil nucleus is concentrated at low energies E lesser than 1MeV. The results for the pion knockout from mesonic clouds of individual nucleons are absolutely different. The latter results are presented both for pion and rho-meson clouds localized on nucleons.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Functional integration of "undead" neurons in the olfactory system.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is widespread during neurodevelopment, eliminating the surpluses of neuronal production. Using the Drosophila olfactory system, we examined the potential of cells fated to die to contribute to circuit evolution. Inhibition of PCD is sufficient to generate new cells that express neural markers and exhibit odor-evoked activity. These "undead" neurons express a subset of olfactory receptors that is enriched for relatively recent receptor duplicates and includes some normally found in different chemosensory organs and life stages. Moreover, undead neuron axons integrate into the olfactory circuitry in the brain, forming novel receptor/glomerular couplings. Comparison of homologous olfactory lineages across drosophilids reveals natural examples of fate change from death to a functional neuron. Last, we provide evidence that PCD contributes to evolutionary differences in carbon dioxide-sensing circuit formation in Drosophila and mosquitoes. These results reveal the remarkable potential of alterations in PCD patterning to evolve new neural pathways

Hedgehog-mediated gut-taste neuron axis controls sweet perception in Drosophila

Dietary composition affects food preference in animals. High sugar intake suppresses sweet sensation from insects to humans, but the molecular basis of this suppression is largely unknown. Here, we reveal that sugar intake in Drosophila induces the gut to express and secrete Hedgehog (Hh) into the circulation. We show that the midgut secreted Hh localize to taste sensilla and suppresses sweet sensation, perception, and preference. We further find that the midgut Hh inhibits Hh signalling in the sweet taste neurons. Our electrophysiology studies demonstrate that the midgut Hh signal also suppresses bitter taste and some odour responses, affecting overall food perception and preference. We further show that the level of sugar intake during a critical window early in life, sets the adult gut Hh expression and sugar perception. Our results together reveal a bottom-up feedback mechanism involving a “gut-taste neuron axis” that regulates food sensation and preference

10 A noninvasive approach for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy

This chapter introduces one of the most critical problems in ophthalmology, specifically the diagnosis and detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Developing a fast, accurate, and reliable method for the early detection of DR is of great clinical importance to prevent blindness in patients. For this reason, various methods for early detection of DR have been investigated and used such as a dilated eye examination, tonometry, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and ultrawide-field retinal imaging. With the increased popularity of machine learning, researchers have formulated their own algorithms and methods to detect DR with various rates of success. This chapter overviews past and current diagnostic methods that have been developed for DR. In addition, this chapter addresses new methodologies being developed/researched and some challenges that researchers face in developing fast, accurate, and reliable diagnosis

Mate discrimination among subspecies through a conserved olfactory pathway.

Communication mechanisms underlying the sexual isolation of species are poorly understood. Using four subspecies of Drosophila mojavensis as a model, we identify two behaviorally active, male-specific pheromones. One functions as a conserved male antiaphrodisiac in all subspecies and acts via gustation. The second induces female receptivity via olfaction exclusively in the two subspecies that produce it. Genetic analysis of the cognate receptor for the olfactory pheromone indicates an important role for this sensory pathway in promoting sexual isolation of subspecies, in combination with auditory signals. Unexpectedly, the peripheral sensory pathway detecting this pheromone is conserved molecularly, physiologically, and anatomically across subspecies. These observations imply that subspecies-specific behaviors arise from differential interpretation of the same peripheral cue, reminiscent of sexually conserved detection but dimorphic interpretation of male pheromones in Drosophila melanogaster. Our results reveal that, during incipient speciation, pheromone production, detection, and interpretation do not necessarily evolve in a coordinated manner

Evaluation of the DREAM Technique for a High-Throughput Deorphanization of Chemosensory Receptors in Drosophila

In the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster, the majority of olfactory receptors mediating the detection of volatile chemicals found in their natural habitat have been functionally characterized (deorphanized) in vivo. In this process, receptors have been assigned ligands leading to either excitation or inhibition in the olfactory sensory neuron where they are expressed. In other, non-drosophilid insect species, scientists have not yet been able to compile datasets about ligand–receptor interactions anywhere near as extensive as in the model organism D. melanogaster, as genetic tools necessary for receptor deorphanization are still missing. Recently, it was discovered that exposure to artificially high concentrations of odorants leads to reliable alterations in mRNA levels of interacting odorant receptors in mammals. Analyzing receptor expression after odorant exposure can, therefore, help to identify ligand–receptor interactions in vivo without the need for other genetic tools. Transfer of the same methodology from mice to a small number of receptors in D. melanogaster resulted in a similar trend, indicating that odorant exposure induced alterations in mRNA levels are generally applicable for deorphanization of interacting chemosensory receptors. Here, we evaluated the potential of the DREAM (Deorphanization of receptors based on expression alterations in mRNA levels) technique for high-throughput deorphanization of chemosensory receptors in insect species using D. melanogaster as a model. We confirmed that in some cases the exposure of a chemosensory receptor to high concentration of its best ligand leads to measureable alterations in mRNA levels. However, unlike in mammals, we found several cases where either confirmed ligands did not induce alterations in mRNA levels of the corresponding chemosensory receptors, or where gene transcript-levels were altered even though there is no evidence for a ligand–receptor interaction. Hence, there are severe limitations to the suitability of the DREAM technique for deorphanization as a general tool to characterize olfactory receptors in insects

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London