214 research outputs found
Mutants of Taq DNA polymerase resistant to PCR inhibitors allow DNA amplification from whole blood and crude soil samples
Potent PCR inhibitors in blood and soil samples can cause false negative results from PCR-based clinical and forensic tests. We show that the effect of these inhibitors is primarily upon Taq DNA polymerase, since mutational alteration of the polymerase can overcome the inhibition to the extent that no DNA purification is now required. An N-terminal deletion (Klentaq1) is some 10–100-fold inhibition resistant to whole blood compared to full-length, wild-type (w.t.) Taq, which is strongly inhibited by 0.1–1% blood. Further mutations at codon 708, both in Klentaq 1 and Taq, confer enhanced resistance to various inhibitors of PCR reactions, including whole blood, plasma, hemoglobin, lactoferrin, serum IgG, soil extracts and humic acid, as well as high concentrations of intercalating dyes. Blood PCR inhibitors can predominantly reduce the DNA extension speed of the w.t. Taq polymerase as compared to the mutant enzymes. Single-copy human genomic targets are readily amplified from whole blood or crude soil extract, without pretreatment to purify the template DNA, and the allowed increase in dye concentration overcomes fluorescence background and quenching in real-time PCR of blood
Mutants of Taq DNA polymerase resistant to PCR inhibitors allow DNA amplification from whole blood
Galactic Abundances: Report of Working Group 3
We summarize the various methods and their limitations and strengths to derive galactic abundances from in-situ and remote-sensing measurements, both from ground-based observations and from instruments in space. Because galactic abundances evolve in time and space it is important to obtain information with a variety of different methods covering different regions from the Very Local Insterstellar Medium (VLISM) to the distant galaxy, and different times throughout the evolution of the galaxy. We discuss the study of the present-day VLISM with neutral gas, pickup ions, and Anomalous Cosmic Rays, the study of the local interstellar medium (ISM) at distances <1.5 kpc utilizing absorption line measurements in H I clouds, and the study of galactic cosmic rays, sampling contemporary (~15 Myr) sources in the local ISM within a few kiloparsec of the solar system. Solar system abundances, derived from solar abundances and meteorite studies are discussed in several other chapters of this volume. They provide samples of matter from the ISM from the time of solar system format ion, about 4.5 Gyr ago. The evolution of galactic abundances on longer time scales is discussed in the context of nuclear synthesis in the various contributing stellar objects
Neutrino Oscillations and the Early Universe
The observational and theoretical status of neutrino oscillations in
connection with solar and atmospheric neutrino anomalies is presented in brief.
The effect of neutrino oscillations on the early Universe evolution is
discussed in detail. A short review is given of the standard Big Bang
Nucleosynthesis and the influence of resonant and nonresonant neutrino
oscillations on active neutrinos and on primordial nucleosynthesis of He-4. BBN
cosmological constraints on neutrino oscillation parameters are discussed.Comment: 21 p., 6 figures, a review based on raview talk at NCYA Conference
and a presentation at CAPP200
Clinical case of the surgical treatment of complete rupture of distal biceps tendon using two cortical buttons
Distal biceps tendon injuries mainly occur in men from the active groups of population. Among the athletes and military personnel, the incidence rate is 2–10 % of the upper limb tendon injuries. Comparative studies have shown the achievement of better functional results in surgical treatment, while maintaining overall complication rate of 4.6–25 %. The aim. To demonstrate a new reinsertion technique with two cortical buttons in case of complete rupture of distal biceps tendon as part of a clinical case. Materials and methods. The article presents a clinical case of surgical treatment of a patient with complete rupture of dominant limb distal biceps tendon which was more than 2 weeks old and was accompanied by lacertus fibrosus provocation and persistent muscle retraction. Results. We obtained the following clinical results by the week 24 after the surgery: VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) score – 1 cm, ASES (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons) score – 99 points, DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) score – 15 points. Dynamometry results: Dex. 85; sin. 90 (2daN); range of motion corresponds to the same of a healthy joint. MRI at 1.5 T shows no signs of synostosis or heterotopic ossification; MSCT shows no signs of migration of cortical buttons in comparison with intraoperative X-ray control. Discussion. Extracortical methods of distal biceps tendon positioning in anatomical reinsertion have lower strength indicators, comparable with the use of transosseous sutures and anchor fixators. A larger area of contact of the studied zone in case of minimal tendon compression in the area of proximal radioulnar space or inside the formed radial bone canal provides high strength indicators and reduces the risk of repeated injury. Conclusion. The scores of the scales (VAS, DASH, ASES) turned out to be better than when using other common methods. The technique of dipping distal biceps tendon stump into the formed oval canal of the “anatomical impression” using the proposed method meets the objectives of careful attitude to the tendon and provides the largest area of its contact with the bone
Epidemiology of hip fractures in Bulgaria : development of a country-specific FRAX model
Summary
A retrospective population-based survey was undertaken in a region of Bulgaria to determine the incidence of hip fracture. The estimated number of hip fractures nationwide for 2015 was 9322 and is predicted to increase to 11,398 in 2050. The hip fracture rates were used to create a FRAX model.
Objective
To describe the epidemiology of hip fractures in Bulgaria, which was then used to develop the country-specific fracture prediction FRAX® tool.
Methods
We carried out a retrospective population-based survey in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, representing approximately 4.6% of the country’s population. We identified hip fractures occurring in 2015, 2016 and 2017 from hospital registers and primary care sources held by the regional health insurance agency. Age- and sex-specific incidence of hip fracture and national mortality rates were incorporated into a FRAX model for Bulgaria. Fracture probabilities were compared with those from neighbouring countries having FRAX models.
Results
The incidence of hip fracture applied nationally suggested that the estimated number of hip fractures nationwide in persons over the age of 50 years for 2015 was 9322 and is predicted to increase to 11,398 in 2050. FRAX-based probabilities were higher in Bulgaria than those in Serbia or Romania, lower than those in Turkey and similar to those in Greece.
Conclusion
The FRAX model should enhance accuracy of determining fracture probability among the Bulgarian population and help guide decisions about treatment
Proposal for SPS beam time for the baby MIND and TASD neutrino detector prototypes
The design, construction and testing of neutrino detector prototypes at CERN
are ongoing activities. This document reports on the design of solid state baby
MIND and TASD detector prototypes and outlines requirements for a test beam at
CERN to test these, tentatively planned on the H8 beamline in the North Area,
which is equipped with a large aperture magnet. The current proposal is
submitted to be considered in light of the recently approved projects related
to neutrino activities with the SPS in the North Area in the medium term
2015-2020
A Very Intense Neutrino Super Beam Experiment for Leptonic CP Violation Discovery based on the European Spallation Source Linac: A Snowmass 2013 White Paper
Very intense neutrino beams and large neutrino detectors will be needed in
order to enable the discovery of CP violation in the leptonic sector. We
propose to use the proton linac of the European Spallation Source currently
under construction in Lund, Sweden to deliver, in parallel with the spallation
neutron production, a very intense, cost effective and high performance
neutrino beam. The baseline program for the European Spallation Source linac is
that it will be fully operational at 5 MW average power by 2022, producing 2
GeV 2.86 ms long proton pulses at a rate of 14 Hz. Our proposal is to upgrade
the linac to 10 MW average power and 28 Hz, producing 14 pulses/s for neutron
production and 14 pulses/s for neutrino production. Furthermore, because of the
high current required in the pulsed neutrino horn, the length of the pulses
used for neutrino production needs to be compressed to a few s with the
aid of an accumulator ring. A long baseline experiment using this Super Beam
and a megaton underground Water Cherenkov detector located in existing mines
300-600 km from Lund will make it possible to discover leptonic CP violation at
5 significance level in up to 50% of the leptonic Dirac CP-violating
phase range. This experiment could also determine the neutrino mass hierarchy
at a significance level of more than 3 if this issue will not already
have been settled by other experiments by then. The mass hierarchy performance
could be increased by combining the neutrino beam results with those obtained
from atmospheric neutrinos detected by the same large volume detector. This
detector will also be used to measure the proton lifetime, detect cosmological
neutrinos and neutrinos from supernova explosions. Results on the sensitivity
to leptonic CP violation and the neutrino mass hierarchy are presented.Comment: 28 page
New constraints on neutrino physics from Boomerang data
We have performed a likelihood analysis of the recent data on the Cosmic
Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) anisotropy taken by the Boomerang
experiment. We find that this data places a strong upper bound on the radiation
density present at recombination. Expressed in terms of the equivalent number
of neutrino species the bound is N_nu < 13, and the standard model
prediction, N_nu = 3.04, is completely consistent the the data. This bound is
complementary to the one found from Big Bang nucleosynthesis considerations in
that it applies to any type of radiation, i.e. it is not flavour sensitive. It
also applies to the universe at a much later epoch, and as such places severe
limits on scenarios with decaying neutrinos. The bound also yields a firm upper
limit on the lepton asymmetry in the universe.Comment: 4 pages, 2 postscript figures, matches version to appear in PR
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