Molecular dynamics of flows in the Knudsen regime

Novel technological applications often involve fluid flows in the Knudsen regime in which the mean free path is comparable to the system size. We use molecular dynamics simulations to study the transition between the dilute gas and the dense fluid regimes as the fluid density is increased.Comment: REVTeX, 15 pages, 4 EPS figures, to appear in Physica

The impact of networks on clinical trials in the United Kingdom

The conduct of clinical trials in the UK has been affected by the recent introduction of managed clinical networks, clinical research networks and rigorous governance regulations. This commentary considers the challenges that these changes have posed for clinical triallists in the UK, based on experiences derived in the conduct of a multicentre neonatal clinical trial under the conditions that now prevail. We conclude that the considerable skills and knowledge that are now required to be an effective Principal Investigator should be recognised and that application processes, including issuing honorary contracts, should be simplified and centralised

Human papillomavirus and vaccination: knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural intention in adolescents and young women in Italy

This study assesses knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural intention towards human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaccination in a random sample of 1348 adolescents and young women aged 14–24 years in Italy. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire covered demographics; knowledge about HPV infection, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine; the perceived risk for contracting HPV infection and/or for developing cervical cancer, the perceived benefits of a vaccination to prevent cervical cancer, and willingness to receive an HPV vaccine. Only 23.3% have heard that HPV is an infection of the genital mucosa and about cervical cancer. Those older, with at least one parent who is a health care professional, with personal, familiar, or friendly history of cervical cancer, and having underwent a health checkup in the last year with information about HPV vaccination were significantly more knowledgeable. Risk perception scores (range: 1–10) of contracting HPV infection and of developing cervical cancer were 5.8 and 6.5. Older age, not having a parent who is a health care professional, having had a personal, familiar, or friendly history of cervical cancer, and need of additional information were predictors of the perceived susceptibility of developing cervical cancer. The vast majority professed intent to receive an HPV vaccine and the significant predictors were having at least one parent who is a health care professional, a high perceived risk of contracting HPV infection and of developing cervical cancer, and a high belief towards the utility of a vaccination for preventing cervical cancer. Knowledge about HPV infection and cervical cancer should be improved with more attention to the benefit of HPV vaccination

The RhoA GEF Syx Is a Target of Rnd3 and Regulated via a Raf1-Like Ubiquitin-Related Domain

Background: Rnd3 (RhoE) protein belongs to the unique branch of Rho family GTPases that has low intrinsic GTPase activity and consequently remains constitutively active [1,2]. The current consensus is that Rnd1 and Rnd3 function as important antagonists of RhoA signaling primarily by activating the ubiquitous p190 RhoGAP [3], but not by inhibiting the ROCK family kinases. Methodology/Principal Findings: Rnd3 is abundant in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells and in an unbiased two-step affinity purification screen we identified a new Rnd3 target, termed synectin-binding RhoA exchange factor (Syx), by mass spectrometry. The Syx interaction with Rnd3 does not occur through the Syx DH domain but utilizes a region similar to the classic Raf1 Ras-binding domain (RBD), and most closely related to those in RGS12 and RGS14. We show that Syx behaves as a genuine effector of Rnd3 (and perhaps Rnd1), with binding characteristics similar to p190-RhoGAP. Morpholinooligonucleotide knockdown of Syx in zebrafish at the one cell stage resulted in embryos with shortened anterior-posterior body axis: this phenotype was effectively rescued by introducing mouse Syx1b mRNA. A Rnd3-binding defective mutant of Syx1b mutated in the RBD (E164A/R165D) was more potent in rescuing the embryonic defects than wild-type Syx1b, showing that Rnd3 negatively regulates Syx activity in vivo. Conclusions/Significance: This study uncovers a well defined Rnd3 effector Syx which is widely expressed and directl

X-ray emission from the Sombrero galaxy: discrete sources

We present a study of discrete X-ray sources in and around the bulge-dominated, massive Sa galaxy, Sombrero (M104), based on new and archival Chandra observations with a total exposure of ~200 ks. With a detection limit of L_X = 1E37 erg/s and a field of view covering a galactocentric radius of ~30 kpc (11.5 arcminute), 383 sources are detected. Cross-correlation with Spitler et al.'s catalogue of Sombrero globular clusters (GCs) identified from HST/ACS observations reveals 41 X-rays sources in GCs, presumably low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). We quantify the differential luminosity functions (LFs) for both the detected GC and field LMXBs, whose power-low indices (~1.1 for the GC-LF and ~1.6 for field-LF) are consistent with previous studies for elliptical galaxies. With precise sky positions of the GCs without a detected X-ray source, we further quantify, through a fluctuation analysis, the GC LF at fainter luminosities down to 1E35 erg/s. The derived index rules out a faint-end slope flatter than 1.1 at a 2 sigma significance, contrary to recent findings in several elliptical galaxies and the bulge of M31. On the other hand, the 2-6 keV unresolved emission places a tight constraint on the field LF, implying a flattened index of ~1.0 below 1E37 erg/s. We also detect 101 sources in the halo of Sombrero. The presence of these sources cannot be interpreted as galactic LMXBs whose spatial distribution empirically follows the starlight. Their number is also higher than the expected number of cosmic AGNs (52+/-11 [1 sigma]) whose surface density is constrained by deep X-ray surveys. We suggest that either the cosmic X-ray background is unusually high in the direction of Sombrero, or a distinct population of X-ray sources is present in the halo of Sombrero.Comment: 11 figures, 5 tables, ApJ in pres

Awareness and knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and vaccines in young women after first delivery in São Paulo, Brazil : a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The success of HPV vaccination programs will require awareness regarding HPV associated diseases and the benefits of HPV vaccination for the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, cervical cancer prevention, vaccines, and factors associated with HPV awareness among young women after birth of the first child. METHODS: This analysis is part of a cross-sectional study carried out at Hospital Maternidade Leonor Mendes de Barros, a large public maternity hospital in Sao Paulo. Primiparous women (15-24 years) who gave birth in that maternity hospital were included. A questionnaire that included questions concerning knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and vaccines was applied. To estimate the association of HPV awareness with selected factors, prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using a generalized linear model (GLM). RESULTS: Three hundred and one primiparous women were included; 37% of them reported that they "had ever heard about HPV", but only 19% and 7%, respectively, knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and that it can cause cervical cancer. Seventy-four percent of interviewees mentioned the preventive character of vaccines and all participants affirmed that they would accept HPV vaccination after delivery. In the multivariate analysis, only increasing age (P for trend = 0.021) and previous STI (P < 0.001) were factors independently associated with HPV awareness ("had ever heard about HPV"). CONCLUSIONS: This survey indicated that knowledge about the association between HPV and cervical cancer among primiparous young women is low. Therefore, these young low-income primiparous women could benefit greatly from educational interventions to encourage primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention programs.This study was supported by a research grant from Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization (ref: V20-181-13). The authors are grateful to Dr M.T. Aguado for helpful discussions. We are also grateful to Dr Corintio Mariani Neto for the unconditional support provided during field work and to nurses from Hospital Maternidade Leonor Mendes de Barros

Autosub Long Range 1500: A continuous 2000 km field trial

Long Range Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (LRAUVs) offer the potential to monitor the ocean at higher spatial and temporal resolutions compared to conventional ship-based techniques. The multi-week to multi-month endurance of LRAUVs enables them to operate independently of a support vessel, creating novel opportunities for ocean observation. The National Oceanography Centre’s Autosub Long Range is one of a small number of vehicles designed for a multi-month endurance. The latest iteration, Autosub Long Range 1500 (ALR1500), is a 1500 m depth-rated LRAUV developed for ocean science in coastal and shelf seas or in the epipelagic and meteorologic regions of the ocean. This paper presents the design of the ALR1500 and results from a five week continuous deployment from Plymouth, UK, to the continental shelf break and back again, a distance of approximately 2000km which consumed half of the installed energy. The LRAUV was unaccompanied throughout the mission and operated continuously beyond visual line of sight

Pravastatin for early-onset pre-eclampsia:a randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled trial

Objective: Women with pre-eclampsia have elevated circulating levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1). Statins can reduce sFlt-1 from cultured cells and improve pregnancy outcome in animals with a pre-eclampsia-like syndrome. We investigated the effect of pravastatin on plasma sFlt-1 levels during pre-eclampsia. Design: Blinded (clinician and participant), proof of principle, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Fifteen UK maternity units. Population: We used a minimisation algorithm to assign 62 women with early-onset pre-eclampsia (24 +0–31 +6 weeks of gestation) to receive pravastatin 40 mg daily (n = 30) or matched placebo (n = 32), from randomisation to childbirth. Primary outcome: Difference in mean plasma sFlt-1 levels over the first 3 days following randomisation. Results: The difference in the mean maternal plasma sFlt-1 levels over the first 3 days after randomisation between the pravastatin (n = 27) and placebo (n = 29) groups was 292 pg/ml (95% CI −1175 to 592; P = 0.5), and over days 1–14 was 48 pg/ml (95% CI −1009 to 913; P = 0.9). Women who received pravastatin had a similar length of pregnancy following randomisation compared with those who received placebo (hazard ratio 0.84; 95% CI 0.50–1.40; P = 0.6). The median time from randomisation to childbirth was 9 days [interquartile range (IQR) 5–14 days] for the pravastatin group and 7 days (IQR 4–11 days) for the placebo group. There were three perinatal deaths in the placebo-treated group and no deaths or serious adverse events attributable to pravastatin. Conclusions: We found no evidence that pravastatin lowered maternal plasma sFlt-1 levels once early-onset pre-eclampsia had developed. Pravastatin appears to have no adverse perinatal effects. Tweetable abstract: Pravastatin does not improve maternal plasma sFlt-1 or placental growth factor levels following a diagnosis of early preterm pre-eclampsia #clinicaltrial finds

Search for neutral MSSM Higgs bosons decaying to a pair of tau leptons in pp collisions

Peer reviewe

Measurement of top quark–antiquark pair production in association with a W or Z boson in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe