Onset of Absolute Instability Induced by Viscous Dissipation in the Poiseuille-Darcy-Benard Convection of a Newtonian Fluid

The present paper investigates the transition from convective to absolute instability induced by viscous dissipation. As far as the authors are aware, this is the first time such a study is reported in the literature. Its framework is provided by the Poiseuille-Darcy-B ́enard convection of a Newtonian fluid. We found the same behaviour observed in the absence of viscous dissipation whenever the Gebhart number is smaller than Ge 4.31, the cross flow always destabilises this onset. The latter two conditions create a scenario where viscous dissipation is capable of inducing a transition to absolute instability in the absence of wall heating, i.e. with a zero Rayleigh number

Efficiency of threonine utilization in the growing pigs

ABSTRACT Objective. This study aimed to determine the marginal efficiency of threonine utilization in growing pigs by using the nitrogen balance technique. Materials and methods. Twelve castrated pigs with an average live weight of 72±2 kg were housed in metabolic cages maintained in a temperature controlled room of 22±3°C. The treatments consisted of four diets calculated to meet 30, 45, 60 and 70% of the nutritional requirements of standardized ileal digestible threonine. The amino acids others than threonine were maintained at least 15% above threonine requirements, expressed in terms of ideal levels. The amount of feed supplied was calculate to provide 2.6 times the metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance and adjusted daily according to an expected daily gain rate of 0.8 kg. Results. Pigs consumed 1.65 g kg-1 BW0.75 nitrogen daily, on average and 61% was retained and, as a result, 39% was excreted, being 31% through the feces and the remainder (69%) in the urine. The pigs showed a linear retention of threonine in response to the increase of standardized threonine intake. For each gram of standardized threonine intake 0.37 g were lost during the metabolism. Conclusions. It is concluded that for calculating nutritional requirements of standardized threonine of pigs by the factorial method, it is possible to use the utilization marginal efficiency of 0.63. RESUMEN Objetivo. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la eficiencia marginal del uso de treonina para cerdos en fase de crecimiento, por medio de la técnica de balance de nitrógeno. Material y métodos. Fueron utilizados doce cerdos machos castrados con peso promedio de 72±2 kg alojados en jaulas metabólicas climatizadas a una temperatura ambiente de 22±3°C. Los tratamientos consistieron en cuatro dietas calculadas para 30, 45, 60 y 70% de las necesidades nutricionales de treonina digestible estandarizada. Los demás aminoácidos se añadieron a las dietas para lograr una proporción de al menos 15% de sus necesidades expresadas con relación a la treonina. La cantidad de alimento proporcionado se calculó para suministrar 2.6 veces la energía metabolizable y ajustada todos los dias, según una tasa de ganancia media diaria de 0.8 kg. Resultados. Los cerdos consumieron 1.65 g kg-1 PV0.75 de nitrógeno por dia. En promedio 61% de nitrógeno ingerido se conservó y 39% fue excretado por el animal. El 31% se excretó en las heces y el resto (69%) en la orina. Los cerdos mostraron una retención lineal de treonina, con relación al aumento en la ingesta de treonina digestible estandarizada. Por cada gramo de treonina digestible estandarizada ingerido 0.37 g se perdieron durante el metabolismo. Conclusiones. Se concluye que, para el cálculo de las necesidades nutricionales de treonina digestible estandarizada para cerdos por método factorial, es posible utilizar la eficiencia marginal del uso de treonina a 0.63.  

Disease awareness campaigns in printed and online media in Latvia : Cross-sectional study on consistency with WHO ethical criteria for medicinal drug promotion and European standards

Funding Information: Teresa Leonardo Alves declares no conflicts of interest. She has worked in the past for not-for-profit organizations which have advocated against the relaxation of the direct-to-consumer advertising ban in the European Union, namely Prescrire (2012–2016) and Health Action International (2006–2011). Elita Poplavska is a board member of not-for-profit organizations - Health Projects for Latvia and Health Action International (which aim to promote rational use of medicines and reduce influence of pharmaceutical advertisement). Signe Mezinska is a board member of not-for-profit organizations - Health Projects for Latvia and Health Action International (which aim to promote rational use of medicines and reduce influence of pharmaceutical advertisement). Ieva Salmane-Kulikovska declares no conflicts of interest. Liga Andersone declares no conflicts of interest. Aukje Mantel-Teeuwisse is the Managing Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Pharmaceutical Policy & Regulation, which receives no direct funding or donations from private parties, including the pharmaceutical industry. Research funding from public-private partnerships, e.g. IMI, Lygature (https://www.lygature.org), is accepted under the condition that no company-specific product or company-related study is conducted. The Centre has received unrestricted research funding from public sources, e.g. Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW), Zorg Instituut Nederland (ZIN), the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), and the Dutch Ministry of Health. Barbara Mintzes has acted as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs in a Canadian class action suit on cardiovascular risks of testosterone therapy. Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s).Background: European legislation prohibits direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines, but allows drug manufacturers to provide information to the public on health and diseases. Our aim was to measure the frequency of disease awareness campaigns in Latvian media and assess their compliance with international and European standards. Methods: Materials on health/disease and treatments were collected between April and September 2015 from 12 newspapers and magazines and six online portals. Disease awareness campaigns were assessed using a previously developed instrument based on the WHO Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug promotion and European standards (EU law and pharmaceutical industry self-regulatory guidelines). Collected materials were used to examine the information provided on medical conditions and their diagnosis and treatment. The inter-rater reliability was calculated. Results: We collected 263 materials from print (n = 149) and online media (n = 114); 94 were news items and 169 were disease-awareness advertisements. Cancer, cardiovascular problems, allergies and respiratory diseases were common topics. Of the 157 campaigns assessed, non-compliance was identified in 149 cases (inter-rater reliability 90%), mainly due to misleading or incomplete information, lack of balance and the absence of a listed author/sponsor. Six disease awareness campaigns directly mentioned a pharmaceutical product by brand name and other four included the logo or name of a manufacturer, referred to a condition and indirectly mentioned a treatment, all in contravention with European law. Conclusions: The compliance of disease awareness campaigns in Latvian media with international and European standards is low. This raises concerns about the nature of information being conveyed. Through lack of balance, missing sponsorship information, and misleading or incomplete information, these campaigns could contribute to inaccurate self-diagnosis and generate demand among those who might not need medical treatment.publishersversionPeer reviewe

ReRep: Computational detection of repetitive sequences in genome survey sequences (GSS)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genome survey sequences (GSS) offer a preliminary global view of a genome since, unlike ESTs, they cover coding as well as non-coding DNA and include repetitive regions of the genome. A more precise estimation of the nature, quantity and variability of repetitive sequences very early in a genome sequencing project is of considerable importance, as such data strongly influence the estimation of genome coverage, library quality and progress in scaffold construction. Also, the elimination of repetitive sequences from the initial assembly process is important to avoid errors and unnecessary complexity. Repetitive sequences are also of interest in a variety of other studies, for instance as molecular markers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We designed and implemented a straightforward pipeline called ReRep, which combines bioinformatics tools for identifying repetitive structures in a GSS dataset. In a case study, we first applied the pipeline to a set of 970 GSSs, sequenced in our laboratory from the human pathogen <it>Leishmania braziliensis</it>, the causative agent of leishmaniosis, an important public health problem in Brazil. We also verified the applicability of ReRep to new sequencing technologies using a set of 454-reads of an <it>Escheria coli</it>. The behaviour of several parameters in the algorithm is evaluated and suggestions are made for tuning of the analysis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ReRep approach for identification of repetitive elements in GSS datasets proved to be straightforward and efficient. Several potential repetitive sequences were found in a <it>L. braziliensis </it>GSS dataset generated in our laboratory, and further validated by the analysis of a more complete genomic dataset from the EMBL and Sanger Centre databases. ReRep also identified most of the <it>E. coli </it>K12 repeats prior to assembly in an example dataset obtained by automated sequencing using 454 technology. The parameters controlling the algorithm behaved consistently and may be tuned to the properties of the dataset, in particular to the length of sequencing reads and the genome coverage. ReRep is freely available for academic use at <url>http://bioinfo.pdtis.fiocruz.br/ReRep/</url>.</p

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE