Fitting the integrated Spectral Energy Distributions of Galaxies

Fitting the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of galaxies is an almost universally used technique that has matured significantly in the last decade. Model predictions and fitting procedures have improved significantly over this time, attempting to keep up with the vastly increased volume and quality of available data. We review here the field of SED fitting, describing the modelling of ultraviolet to infrared galaxy SEDs, the creation of multiwavelength data sets, and the methods used to fit model SEDs to observed galaxy data sets. We touch upon the achievements and challenges in the major ingredients of SED fitting, with a special emphasis on describing the interplay between the quality of the available data, the quality of the available models, and the best fitting technique to use in order to obtain a realistic measurement as well as realistic uncertainties. We conclude that SED fitting can be used effectively to derive a range of physical properties of galaxies, such as redshift, stellar masses, star formation rates, dust masses, and metallicities, with care taken not to over-interpret the available data. Yet there still exist many issues such as estimating the age of the oldest stars in a galaxy, finer details ofdust properties and dust-star geometry, and the influences of poorly understood, luminous stellar types and phases. The challenge for the coming years will be to improve both the models and the observational data sets to resolve these uncertainties. The present review will be made available on an interactive, moderated web page (sedfitting.org), where the community can access and change the text. The intention is to expand the text and keep it up to date over the coming years.Comment: 54 pages, 26 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Pathological Changes In Muscle Caused By Haemorrhagic And Proteolytic Factors From Bothrops Jararaca Snake Venom

Haemorrhagic factor HF2 and bothropasin, two metalloproteins isolated from the venom of Bothrops jararaca, caused haemorrhage followed by myonecrosis and arterial necrosis after i.m. injection in mice. The effects of HF2 were qualitatively similar to those of bothropasin and crude B. jararaca venom, but its potency was about 20 times higher. The haemorrhagic and necrotizing actions of these components are unrelated to their proteolytic activity on casein. © 1985.232341345NSERC; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaBrazil, (1914) La Défense Contre l'Ophidisme, , 2nd Edn., Pocai & Weiss, São PauloHoussay, Acción local de los venenos de serpientes (1923) Revta Asoc. méd. Argent., 36, p. 39de Lacerda, (1881) Provas Experimentaes de que a Peçonha das Cobras é um Succo Digestivo, , Museu Nacional, Rio de JaneiroMandelbaum, Reichl, Assakura, Some physical and biochemical characteristics of HF2, one of the hemorrhagic factors in the venom of Bothrops jararaca (1976) Animal, Plant and Microbial Toxins, 1, p. 111. , A. Ohsaka, K. Hayashi, Y. Saway, Plenum Press, LondonMandelbaum, Reichl, Assakura, Isolation and characterization of a proteolytic enzyme from the venom of the snake Bothrops jararaca (jararaca) (1982) Toxicon, 20, p. 955Ownby, Bjarnason, Tu, Hemorrhagic toxins from rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom (1978) Pathogenesis of hemorrhage induced by three purified toxins, 93, p. 201. , Am. J. PathQueiroz, Santo Neto, Rodrigues-Simioni, Prado-Franceschi, Muscle necrosis and regeneration after envenomation by Bothrops jararacussu snake venom (1984) Toxicon, 22, p. 339Queiroz, Santo Neto, Brandeburgo, Simioni, Giglio, Histopathological changes caused by a myotoxin from Bothrops jararacussu snake venom (1985) Comparison with the effects of whole venom. Abstract, 23, p. 17. , Toxico

Grafting By Epidermal Scraping In Stable Vitiligo: A Therapeutic Option

Vitiligo is an acquired depigmentation characterized by partial or total loss of epidermal melanocytes. Many therapeutic modalities have been proposed for its treatment. In cases of stable vitiligo surgical treatments are preferred. Grafting by epidermal scraping is a variant of micrografts by punch technique. It is a new, simple and low cost technique, with high rates of repigmentation. The objective of this report is to demonstrate the authors' experience with this technique and discuss the results in an initial series of two cases (three lesions).8217317

Muscular Lesions Induced By A Hemorrhagic Factor From Bothrops Neuwiedi Snake Venom

The local tissue effects of crude Bothrops neuwiedi snake venom and of its hemorrhagic factor (NHF) were studied on mouse tibialis anterior muscle in vivo. After 6 h, 8 days and 6 weeks the muscles were examined in paraffin sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Both NHF and crude venom produced hemorrhage and myonecrosis, later followed by muscle fiber regeneration. Intramuscular arteries also suffered necrosis. The minimal dose of NHF necessary to produce detectable hemorrhage and myonecrosis was 50 ng, while the minimal venom dose needed to produce the same effect was 20 times higher. The results indicate that NHF is one of the major factors responsible for the local effects of B. neuwiedi venom.18333734

Desmoplastic melanoma: A diagnostic challenge [Melanoma Desmoplásico - um desafio diagnóstico]

Made available in DSpace on 2019-09-12T16:32:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015Desmoplastic melanoma is a rare variant of melanoma characterized by an invasive lesion of spindle cells and varying degrees of desmoplasia. It is more frequent in men of an advanced age having a history of chronic exposure to sunlight. The extremely variable and nonspecific clinical appearance makes it a challenging diagnosis. The authors present an exuberant case of desmoplastic melanoma in an unusual location, with an initial diagnosis of dermatofibrosarcoma.Ferreira, F.R., Dermatologia do Departamento de Medicina, Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Taubaté (SP), Brazil, Universitário de Taubaté (HUT), Taubaté (SP), BrazilFerrari, B., Universitário de Taubaté (HUT), Taubaté (SP), BrazilAcedo, L.M.S., Universitário de Taubaté (HUT), Taubaté (SP), BrazilUjihara, J.E.D., Universitário de Taubaté (HUT), Taubaté (SP), BrazilDe Alvarenga Lira, M.L., Patologia do Departamento de Medicina, Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Taubaté (SP), BrazilMandelbaum, S.H., Universitário de Taubaté (HUT), Taubaté (SP), Brazil, Departamento de Medicina, Universidade de Taubaté (Unitau), Taubaté (SP), Brazi

Caracterização individual do veneno de Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril em função da distribuição geográfica no Brasil (Serpentes,Viperidae) Individual characterization of Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril venoms, according to their geographic distribution in Brazil (Serpentes, Viperidae)

Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 é uma serpente de importância em saúde pública, com ampla distribuição geográfica, desde o Mato Grosso do Sul até o sudeste do Brasil, chegando até a Argentina e Uruguai, ocupando vários domínios morfoclimáticos. Neste trabalho investigou-se a variação do veneno de adultos de Bothrops alternatus, em função de sua distribuição geográfica no Brasil, comparativamente ao veneno elaborado sob a forma de "pool" desta espécie (veneno referência), que inclui serpentes, em sua maioria, da região do estado de São Paulo. Foram analisadas as atividades letal, coagulante sobre o plasma, proteolítica sobre a caseína e miotóxica, bem como os padrões eletroforéticos de 61 amostras individuais de veneno contrapostas ao "pool". Os resultados mostraram que o veneno de B. alternatus é pouco ativo, comparativamente ao de outros Bothrops Wagler, 1824. A variação individual prevaleceu, não apresentando correlação com as áreas de distribuição geográfica e domínios morfoclimáticos, porém a atividade coagulante das amostras de veneno provenientes do nordeste da distribuição geográfica apresentaram-se menos ativas comparativamente às da porção central da distribuição. Os venenos provenientes das bordas da distribuição apresentaram ações proteolíticas e miotóxicas mais intensas, que estatisticamente não foram significativamente diferentes. As variações individuais prevaleceram.<br>Bothrops alternatus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 snakebites are an important public health problem in Brazil. Such snakes are found from Mato Grosso do Sul (central Brazil) to southeastern Brazil, reaching even Argentina and Uruguay and thereby occupying different morphoclimatic domains. This work investigated venom variation occurring in adult specimens of B. alternatus specimens, according to their geographic distribution in Brazil. The standard venom pool (reference venom) produced by Instituto Butantan, which includes mostly venoms from B. alternatus specimens captured in São Paulo State, was also used for comparison. Lethal, myotoxic, proteolytic (on casein), and coagulant (on human plasma) activities, as well as the electrophoretic patterns of 61 individual venom samples, were evaluated and compared to those of the reference venom pool. Results showed that B. alternatus venom activities are less potent than those of other Bothrops Wagler, 1824 species. A great individual variation was noticed, which could not be correlated with either geographic distribution or morphoclimatic domains. Coagulant activity of venom samples obtained from specimens captured in the northeastern area of B. alternatus distribution was less intense if compared to those obtained from the central zone. Venoms from the peripheric area of B. alternatus distribution presented higher proteolytic and myotoxic activities, but no statistically significant difference was observed. In summary, individual variation predominated over geographic distribution

Biochemical profile of amniotic fluid for the assessment of fetal and renal development

Creatinine plays a key role in the function and maturation of fetal kidneys throughout pregnancy. It is important to identify other markers that may help in the diagnosis of renal dysfunction. Our aim was to determine the profile of and the correlation between biochemical markers to be used to assess renal function and maturation of the fetus in the amniotic fluid during pregnancy and to determine the distribution of normal values for creatinine, N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), ß2-microglobulin, glucose, urea, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, uric acid, albumin, and osmolality in three gestational age groups. This was a cross-section study that assessed 115 samples of amniotic fluid during three different periods of pregnancy, i.e., 13 to 20, 27 to 34, and 36 to 42 weeks. Concentrations of creatinine, NAG, urea, potassium and uric acid increased during pregnancy (P<0.05). ß2-Microglobulin, glucose, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and albumin concentration and osmolality decreased (P<0.05), whereas ß2-microglobulin, glucose and uric acid presented significant correlations with gestational age and creatinine, respectively (r>0.6, P<0.05). Urea, potassium and phosphorus showed mild correlations with both (r>0.5, P<0.05). NAG, sodium, albumin and osmolality did not show significant correlations (r<0.5, P<0.05). These tests confirmed the important role of creatinine in terms of correlation with gestational age. ß2-Microglobulin, glucose and uric acid were significant as markers of function and maturation of fetal kidneys, whereas NAG did not demonstrate a useful role for the assessment of renal maturation