Kinetics of antibodies in sera, saliva, and urine samples from adult patients with primary or secondary dengue 3 virus infections

SummaryObjectivesThe kinetics of three serological markers (IgM, IgA, and IgG) in serum, saliva, and urine samples from adult patients with primary or secondary dengue infection were studied.DesignSerum, saliva, and urine samples were collected from 22 patients with clinical and confirmed dengue 3 virus infection during the outbreak in Havana City in 2001. They were tested by capture IgM (MAC-ELISA), IgA (AAC-ELISA), and IgE (EAC-ELISA) and IgG ELISA inhibition method (EIM) to detect specific dengue antibodies.ResultsSimilar kinetics were observed in IgM, IgA, and IgG antibodies in saliva and IgA and IgG in urine samples from secondary cases compared with kinetics in serum samples, although the values were lower. No IgG antibody was detected in saliva and urine samples in primary cases and IgM antibody was not detected in urine samples from either primary or secondary infection. All secondary cases were positive for IgG in saliva and urine samples at day 7. The kinetics of specific IgE antibodies in primary and secondary cases were different.ConclusionsThe kinetics of three serological markers (IgM, IgA, and IgG) in serum, saliva, and urine samples from adult patients with primary or secondary dengue 3 virus infection were studied for the first time, showing its behavior and usefulness in dengue virus diagnosis. The specific IgE could play a role as a serological marker in secondary infections

Effective interactions of colloids on nematic films

The elastic and capillary interactions between a pair of colloidal particles trapped on top of a nematic film are studied theoretically for large separations $d$. The elastic interaction is repulsive and of quadrupolar type, varying as $d^{-5}$. For macroscopically thick films, the capillary interaction is likewise repulsive and proportional to $d^{-5}$ as a consequence of mechanical isolation of the system comprised of the colloids and the interface. A finite film thickness introduces a nonvanishing force on the system (exerted by the substrate supporting the film) leading to logarithmically varying capillary attractions. However, their strength turns out to be too small to be of importance for the recently observed pattern formation of colloidal droplets on nematic films.Comment: 13 pages, accepted by EPJ

Brucella ceti infection in dolphins from the Western Mediterranean sea

Background: Brucella ceti infections have been increasingly reported in cetaceans. Brucellosis in these animals is associated with meningoencephalitis, abortion, discospondylitis’, subcutaneous abscesses, endometritis and other pathological conditions B. ceti infections have been frequently described in dolphins from both, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the Mediterranean Sea, only two reports have been made: one from the Italian Tyrrhenian Sea and the other from the Adriatic Sea. Results: We describe the clinical and pathological features of three cases of B. ceti infections in three dolphins stranded in the Mediterranean Catalonian coast. One striped dolphin had neurobrucellosis, showing lethargy, incoordination and lateral swimming due to meningoencephalitis, A B. ceti infected bottlenose dolphin had discospondylitis, and another striped dolphin did not show clinical signs or lesions related to Brucella infection. A detailed characterization of the three B. ceti isolates was performed by bacteriological, molecular, protein and fatty acid analyses. Conclusions: All the B. ceti strains originating from Mediterranean dolphins cluster together in a distinct phylogenetic clade, close to that formed by B. ceti isolates from dolphins inhabiting the Atlantic Ocean. Our study confirms the severity of pathological signs in stranded dolphins and the relevance of B. ceti as a pathogen in the Mediterranean Sea

The Minimum-Uncertainty Squeezed States for for Atoms and Photons in a Cavity

We describe a six-parameter family of the minimum-uncertainty squeezed states for the harmonic oscillator in nonrelativistic quantum mechanics. They are derived by the action of corresponding maximal kinematical invariance group on the standard ground state solution. We show that the product of the variances attains the required minimum value 1/4 only at the instances that one variance is a minimum and the other is a maximum, when the squeezing of one of the variances occurs. The generalized coherent states are explicitly constructed and their Wigner function is studied. The overlap coefficients between the squeezed, or generalized harmonic, and the Fock states are explicitly evaluated in terms of hypergeometric functions. The corresponding photons statistics are discussed and some applications to quantum optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and superfocusing in channeling scattering are mentioned. Explicit solutions of the Heisenberg equations for radiation field operators with squeezing are found.Comment: 27 pages, no figures, 174 references J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys., Special Issue celebrating the 20th anniversary of quantum state engineering (R. Blatt, A. Lvovsky, and G. Milburn, Guest Editors), May 201

FeCo Nanowire-Strontium Ferrite Powder Composites for Permanent Magnets with High-Energy Products

Due to the issues associated with rare-earth elements, there arises a strong need for magnets with properties between those of ferrites and rare-earth magnets that could substitute the latter in selected applications. Here, we produce a high remanent magnetization composite bonded magnet by mixing FeCo nanowire powders with hexaferrite particles. In the first step, metallic nanowires with diameters between 30 and 100 nm and length of at least 2 {\mu}m are fabricated by electrodeposition. The oriented as-synthesized nanowires show remanence ratios above 0.76 and coercivities above 199 kA/m and resist core oxidation up to 300 {\deg}C due to the existence of a > 8 nm thin oxide passivating shell. In the second step, a composite powder is fabricated by mixing the nanowires with hexaferrite particles. After the optimal nanowire diameter and composite composition are selected, a bonded magnet is produced. The resulting magnet presents a 20% increase in remanence and an enhancement of the energy product of 48% with respect to a pure hexaferrite (strontium ferrite) magnet. These results put nanowire-ferrite composites at the forefront as candidate materials for alternative magnets for substitution of rare earths in applications that operate with moderate magnet performance

Caracterización del subsistema de plantas me-dicinales en los patios traseros (Patyotyoty) de la comunidad de Amado Nervo, Municipio de Yajalón, Chiapas; México

Se realizó un estudio con el propósito de hacer una caracterización de los traspatios (PATY OTYOTY), en la comunidad Amado Nervo, municipio de Yajalón Chiapas, que contempló un inventario de las plantas medicinales que se encuentran en ellos, además del uso y manejo de las mismas. El estudio hace una descripción en general de los recursos naturales con que cuentan los PATY OTYOTY (atrás de la casa) y aborda con mayor minuciosidad las plantas medicinales. Para recabar la información se utilizó la técnica de entrevista semi estructurada, observación directa y diario de campo. El tamaño de la muestra se calculó por muestreo aleatorio simple (Zar, 1999), y se aplicó a 39 traspatios. Los resultados indican que en la comunidad de Amado Nervo cuenta con 1391 habitantes y 277 familias, existen siete parteras que se encuentran registradas por la clínica del IMSS. El inventario realizado indica que las plantas son para uso familiar, no hay comercialización con fines de lucro y las más frecuentemente encontradas son: albaca, ajenjo, ajo, cempasúchil, chanita, hierbabuena, hinojo, maguey morado, chaya, orozúz, árnica, yäxbak, orégano, poleo, ruda, té de zacate, sábila y perejil. Se encontró que el 26% de los Paty Otyoty no tienen plantas medicinales mientras que el 61 % aplican abono orgánico para la producción. Se concluye que el uso de medicamentos alópatas como el de plantas medicinales es utilizado con frecuencia para recuperar el estado de salud de las personas, se reconoce que el 39% de los habitantes recurre a ellas como única alternativa debido a la escases de recursos económicos

Caracterización de las (nuevas) relaciones románticas de adolescentes

The current study synthesizes some of the main contributions from recent research about the new forms and elements of heterosexual romantic relationships that individuals are adopting  uring the adolescent stage. These relationships are currently divided into formal and informal, the existence of the last ones is due to the replacement of the strict traditional environment because many changes that make up the postmodern era which, in turn, involves marked divergences in the process and content in current relationships and different areas of daily life. As a result of the analysis carried out, it is important to mention the limited existence of information about the subject and even more in the new relationships of couple in specific populations such as homosexual, indigenous or rural areas.Esta revisión narrativa sintetiza algunos de los principales aportes de investigaciones recientes acerca de las nuevas formas, los principales elementos y la importancia de las relaciones de parejas románticas heterosexuales que están adoptando los individuos durante la etapa adolescente, para ello se han considerado tres ámbitos importantes que en diversas épocas han sufrido variaciones modificando así estas relaciones de pareja, a saber: individual, familiar y social. La revisión narrativa de los textos incluidos indica que actualmente las relaciones son reconocidas como relaciones formales e informales, la existencia de éstas últimas es debido al reemplazo del estricto ambiente tradicional que fue modificado por los diversos cambios que integran la época posmoderna lo cual, a su vez implica marcadas divergencias en el proceso, contenido y estandarización de las relaciones  de pareja y los diversos términos que encontramos acerca de ellas. Como resultado añadido del análisis realizado se destaca la permanencia de algunos elementos de las relaciones de pareja de años pasados que aún se encuentran hasta el día de hoy, aunque son entendidos y operan de manera diferente, ejemplo de ello es el amor, el cariño, el compromiso, entre otros. Así mismo es importante mencionar la limitada existencia de información acerca de las relaciones de pareja, sobre todo en poblaciones específicas como aquellas procedentes de zonas rurales, homosexuales, indígenas o no escolarizadas

VAMOS: a Pathfinder for the HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory

VAMOS was a prototype detector built in 2011 at an altitude of 4100m a.s.l. in the state of Puebla, Mexico. The aim of VAMOS was to finalize the design, construction techniques and data acquisition system of the HAWC observatory. HAWC is an air-shower array currently under construction at the same site of VAMOS with the purpose to study the TeV sky. The VAMOS setup included six water Cherenkov detectors and two different data acquisition systems. It was in operation between October 2011 and May 2012 with an average live time of 30%. Besides the scientific verification purposes, the eight months of data were used to obtain the results presented in this paper: the detector response to the Forbush decrease of March 2012, and the analysis of possible emission, at energies above 30 GeV, for long gamma-ray bursts GRB111016B and GRB120328B.Comment: Accepted for pubblication in Astroparticle Physics Journal (20 pages, 10 figures). Corresponding authors: A.Marinelli and D.Zaboro