Perceptions of Self of Persons

Not much is known about the self-perceptions of persons using prosthetic devices. The purpose of the literature review was to explore the self-perceptions of persons living with visible artificial devices from published articles between 2010 and 2017. Using key words to search for published literature in the PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Proceedings, and Scopus indices showed 680 articles. Braun and Clarke's six phases of qualitative thematic analysis were used on 25 articles meeting the inclusion criteria, revealing 29 data extracts (themes) as data summaries. Three key thematic categories were revealed : Body image and ownership, integration of prosthetic device into the self-body, and suspended enjoyment or delight, reflecting the longings for completeness affecting persons' use of prosthetic devices. Consistent with self-perceptions understood through social biases and customs, completeness is achieved through the happy paradox of a person made whole through artificial devices. This experience informs nursing practice in helping people find meaning in their life. Further research into self-perceptions with prosthetic devices is essential, particularly those reflecting the cultural influences of artificial devices on quality of life

On the dynamics of nitrite, nitrate and other biomarkers of nitric oxide production in inflammatory bowel disease

Nitrite and nitrate are frequently used surrogate markers of nitric oxide (NO) production. Using rat models of acute and chronic DSS-induced colitis we examined the applicability of these and other NO-related metabolites, in tissues and blood, for the characterization of inflammatory bowel disease. Global NO dynamics were assessed by simultaneous quantification of nitrite, nitrate, nitroso and nitrosyl species over time in multiple compartments. NO metabolite levels were compared to a composite disease activity index (DAI) and contrasted with measurements of platelet aggregability, ascorbate redox status and the effects of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Nitroso products in the colon and in other organs responded in a manner consistent with the DAI. In contrast, nitrite and nitrate, in both intra- and extravascular compartments, exhibited variations that were not always in step with the DAI. Extravascular nitrite, in particular, demonstrated significant temporal instabilities, ranging from systemic drops to marked increases. The latter was particularly evident after cessation of the inflammatory stimulus and accompanied by profound ascorbate oxidation. Treatment with 5-ASA effectively reversed these fluctuations and the associated oxidative and nitrosative stress. Platelet activation was enhanced in both the acute and chronic model. Our results offer a first glimpse into the systemic nature of DSS-induced inflammation and reveal a greater complexity of NO metabolism than previously envisioned, with a clear dissociation of nitrite from other markers of NO production. The remarkable effectiveness of 5-ASA to abrogate the observed pattern of nitrite instability suggests a hitherto unrecognized role of this molecule in either development or resolution of inflammation. Its possible link to tissue oxygen consumption and the hypoxia that tends to accompany the inflammatory process warrants further investigation

Vertical electrical soundings in the mapping of vulnerability to contamination of the Adamantina aquifer in Urânia, São Paulo, Brazil

A cidade de Urânia enfrenta problemas de contaminação do Aquífero Adamantina desde a década de 1970, assim como muitas áreas urbanas paulistas. Uma das ferramentas fundamentais para o planejamento territorial é a cartografia da vulnerabilidade à contaminação de aquíferos. Uma das limitações de tal técnica é o difícil acesso ao aquífero, para o estabelecimento dos níveis aquíferos e das características litológicas da zona não saturada. Assim, este trabalho identificou as áreas de recarga do aquífero na região que são mais susceptíveis à degradação antrópica, a partir de uma técnica geofísica de sondagem elétrica vertical. Os resultados foram obtidos por meio das sondagens elétricas verticais e dos poços de monitoramento, e o índice de vulnerabilidade foi definido por meio do parâmetro de condutância longitudinal de Dar Zarrouk, aliado às características do aquífero, como o tipo de aquífero, o nível d’água e a litologia da zona não saturada. A partir do mapa de vulnerabilidade, foi possível indicar a área sudeste da região de estudo como a mais propensa à contaminação em razão do material geológico permeável e da pouca espessura da zona não saturada.The municipality of Urânia has faced problems with contamination of the Adamantina aquifer since the 1970s, as well as many urban areas in São Paulo State. One of the fundamental tools for territorial planning is the mapping of vulnerability to aquifer contamination. One of the limitations of such technique is the difficult access to the aquifer for defining aquifer levels and the lithological characteristics of the unsaturated zone. Thus, the present article identifies the aquifer recharge areas that are most susceptible to anthropogenic degradation, using a geophysical technique of vertical electrical sounding (VES). The results were obtained through VES and shallow monitoring wells. The vulnerability index was defined by the parameter of the longitudinal conductance of Dar Zarrouk, combined with the characteristics of the aquifer. The vulnerability map indicated the southeast study area as the most prone to contamination due to the permeable geological material and the low thickness of the unsaturated zone

Use of next generation sequencing to study the feasibilty to apply monitored natural recovery in freshwater sediments affected by ancient human activity

Aquatic environments in industrialized countries were frequently exposed to numerous pollutants generated by various discharges from municipal, hospital and industrial wastewaters, agricultural! effluents and nonpoint source pollution (Rabodonirina et al., 2015). Aquatic sediments are repositories of this debris and act as sources and sinks for a wide variety of organic and inorganic pollutants (Perelo, 2010). Therefore, even if water quality improves, sediment contamination will remain a 'legacy of the past' (Fórstner etal., 2004). Hydrocarbons may enter the aquatic ecosystem either directly, by effluents or spills, or ¡indirectly by terrestrial runoff or atmospheric deposition. Their persistence in the environment depends mainly on their chemical and physical characteristics (Perelo, 2010). Whereas polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are considered to be the most toxic component of oils, recalcitrant aliphatics and other high-molecular weight petroleum hydrocarbons are the primary hydrocarbon fractions found in sediment (Pettigrove and Hoffmann, 2005); although the latter might not be directly toxic to aquatic organisms, they can alter the physical properties of sediments, coat and smother organisms, and contribute to organic enrichment of sediments (Anson et al., 2008). The assessment and management of contaminated sediments is inherently more complex than managing many relatively small and simple contaminated soil and groundwater sites (Reible, 2013). The three main objectives of sediment management strategies are to minimize contaminant risk to human health and the environment, to minimize associated with the remediation technique itself, like habitat destruction and/or modification and to minimize cost (Perelo, 2010). Three sediment management options are currently used, dredging, capping or monitored natural recovery (MNR), and due to the complexity and expensive of sediment remediation process, high technology solutions are not forthcoming. Environmental dredging creates challenges including identification of disposal facilities or the design and construction of confined disposal facilities, controlling resuspension, and minimizing post dredging residual contamination. Installation of sand caps has its own set of challenges. This technology if not designed and placed correctly can cause advective flow that might result in rapid breakthrough of contaminants depending on geo-chemistry and characteristics of the sediments. The monitored natural recovery (MNR) is a remedial approach that relies on natural physical, chemical, and biological processes to reduce ecological and human health risks. MNR is a non-invasive technology which, carefully planned, allows remediation of sediment sites and can result in risk reduction in comparison with dredging and capping. The aim of this work was to evaluate the application of MNR from a freshwater course affected by human activity using sediment biological parameters and next generation sequencing methods (NGS) as potential indicators of biological processes.Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

First detection of two superoutbursts during rebrightening phase of a WZ Sge-type Dwarf Nova : TCP J21040470+4631129

We report on photometric and spectroscopic observations and analysis of the 2019 superoutburst of TCP J21040470+4631129. This object showed a 9 mag superoutburst with early superhumps and ordinary superhumps, which are the features of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. Five rebrightenings were observed after the main superoutburst. The spectra during the post-superoutburst stage showed Balmer, He I, and possible sodium doublet features. The mass ratio is derived as 0.0880(9) from the period of the superhump. During the third and fifth rebrightenings, growing superhumps and superoutbursts were observed, which have never been detected during a rebrightening phase among WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with multiple rebrightenings. To induce a superoutburst during the brightening phase, the accretion disk needs to have expanded beyond the 3 : 1 resonance radius of the system again after the main superoutburst. These peculiar phenomena can be explained by the enhanced viscosity and large radius of the accretion disk suggested by the higher luminosity and the presence of late-stage superhumps during the post-superoutburst stage, plus by more mass supply from the cool mass reservoir and/or from the secondary because of the enhanced mass transfer than those of other WZ Sge-type dwarf novae.peer-reviewe

First Detection of Two Superoutbursts during Rebrightening Phase of a WZ Sge-type Dwarf Nova: TCP J21040470+4631129

We report photometric and spectroscopic observations and analysis of the 2019 superoutburst of TCP J21040470+4631129. This object showed a 9-mag superoutburst with early superhumps and ordinary superhumps, which are the features of WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. Five rebrightenings were observed after the main superoutburst. The spectra during the post-superoutburst stage showed the Balmer, He I and possible sodium doublet features. The mass ratio is derived as 0.0880(9) from the period of the superhump. During the third and fifth rebrightenings, growing superhumps and superoutbursts were observed, which have never been detected during a rebrightening phase among WZ Sge-type dwarf novae with multiple rebrightenings. To induce a superoutburst during the brightening phase, the accretion disk was needed to expand beyond the 3:1 resonance radius of the system again after the main superoutburst. These peculiar phenomena can be explained by the enhanced viscosity and large radius of the disk suggested by the higher luminosity and the presence of late-stage superhumps during the post-superoutburst stage, plus by more mass supply from the cool mass reservoir and/or from the secondary because of the enhanced mass transfer than those of other WZ Sge-type dwarf novae.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

Joint Observation of the Galactic Center with MAGIC and CTA-LST-1

MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), designed to detect very-high-energy gamma rays, and is operating in stereoscopic mode since 2009 at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos in La Palma, Spain. In 2018, the prototype IACT of the Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array, a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory, was inaugurated at the same site, at a distance of approximately 100 meters from the MAGIC telescopes. Using joint observations between MAGIC and LST-1, we developed a dedicated analysis pipeline and established the threefold telescope system via software, achieving the highest sensitivity in the northern hemisphere. Based on this enhanced performance, MAGIC and LST-1 have been jointly and regularly observing the Galactic Center, a region of paramount importance and complexity for IACTs. In particular, the gamma-ray emission from the dynamical center of the Milky Way is under debate. Although previous measurements suggested that a supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* plays a primary role, its radiation mechanism remains unclear, mainly due to limited angular resolution and sensitivity. The enhanced sensitivity in our novel approach is thus expected to provide new insights into the question. We here present the current status of the data analysis for the Galactic Center joint MAGIC and LST-1 observations

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements