Realistic fluids as source for dynamically accreting black holes in a cosmological background

We show that a single imperfect fluid can be used as a source to obtain the generalized McVittie metric as an exact solution to Einstein's equations. The mass parameter in this metric varies with time thanks to a mechanism based on the presence of a temperature gradient. This fully dynamical solution is interpreted as an accreting black hole in an expanding universe if the metric asymptotes to Schwarzschild-de Sitter at temporal infinity. We present a simple but instructive example for the mass function and briefly discuss the structure of the apparent horizons and the past singularity.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Updated references and minor changes to match the version accepted for publishing in PR

Poredbene hematološke i biokemijske analize divovske amazonske kornjače uzgajane pod lošim i normalnim hranidbenim uvjetima

Besides indicating the baseline values of the species, blood parameter assessments of chelonian may also be used as quick tools for diagnosing health status. An investigation was carried out to assess and compare red blood cells parameters, white blood cell (WBC) and total thrombocyte counts and certain blood biochemical parameters for freshwater turtles, Podocnemis expansa Schweigger, 1812 (Pelomedusidae) reared on normal (control group) and poor nutrition (malnourished group). For the malnourished turtles, a signififi cant decrease (P<0.05) in red blood cell counts was found, including hematocrit, plasma glucose, plasma total protein, cholesterol and urea levels, as well as WBC counts, azurophils and heterophils. Malnutrition did not alter the hemostasis, but caused severe normocytic-hypocromic anemia and marked immune depression, which were diagnosed here. This study was the fifi rst to characterize the physiological and immune status of giant turtles from the Amazon under adverse nutritional conditions.Osim za utvrđivanje osnovnih vrijednosti osebujnih za vrstu, pretraživanje krvnih pokazatelja može u kornjača biti rabljeno za brzo određivanje njihova zdravstvenoga stanja. Istraživanje je poduzeto da se odrede i usporede pokazatelji crvenih krvnih stanica, bijelih krvnih stanica, ukupnog broja trombocita i neki biokemijski pokazatelji za slatkovodne kornjače Podocnemis expansa Schweigger, 1812 (Pelomedusidae) uzgajane u normalnim (kontrolna skupina) i lošim hranidbenim uvjetima (pokusna skupina). U kornjača uzgajanih u lošim uvjetima ustanovljen je značajno smanjen (P<0,05) broj crvenih krvnih stanica kao i smanjene vrijednosti hematokrita, razine glukoze u plazmi, razine ukupnih proteina plazme, kolesterola i mokraćevine te broj bijelih krvnih stanica, azurofila i heterofila. Loša hranidba nije utjecala na hemostazu, ali je prouzročila tešku normocitnu hipokromnu anemiju i znatnu imunodepresiju. Ovo je prvo istraživanje u kojem je prikazan fiziološki i imunološki status divovske kornjače iz Amazone, držane u nepovoljnim hranidbenim uvjetima

Nanomedicine for the delivery of RNA in cancer

The complexity, and the diversity of the different types of cancers allied to the tendency to form metastasis make treatment efficiency so tricky and often impossible due to the advanced stage of the disease in the diagnosis. In recent years, due to tremendous scientific breakthroughs, we have witnessed exponential growth in the elucidation of mechanisms that underlie carcinogenesis and metastasis. The development of more selective therapies made it possible to improve cancer treatment. Although interdisciplinary research leads to encouraging results, scientists still have a long exploration journey. RNA technology represents a promise as a therapeutic intervention for targeted gene silencing in cancer, and there are already some RNA-based formulations in clinical trials. However, the use of RNA as a therapeutic tool presents severe limitations, mainly related to its low stability and poor cellular uptake. Thus, the use of nanomedicine employing nanoparticles to encapsulate RNA may represent a suitable platform to address the major challenges hampering its therapeutic application. In this review, we have revisited the potential of RNA and RNA-associated therapies to fight cancer, also providing, as support, a general overview of nanoplatforms for RNA delivery.This work received financial support from PT national funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) through project UIDB/50006/2020

Rashba spin precession in quantum Hall edge channels

Quasi--one dimensional edge channels are formed at the boundary of a two-dimensional electron system subject to a strong perpendicular magnetic field. We consider the effect of Rashba spin--orbit coupling, induced by structural inversion asymmetry, on their electronic and transport properties. Both our analytical and numerical results show that spin--split quantum--Hall edge channels exhibit properties analogous to that of Rashba--split quantum wires. Suppressed backscattering and a long spin life time render these edge channels an ideal system for observing voltage--controlled spin precession. Based on the latter, we propose a magnet--less spin--dependent electron interferometer.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figure

"Candidatus Fokinia solitaria", a novel "stand-Alone" symbiotic lineage of Midichloriaceae (Rickettsiales)

Recently, the family Midichloriaceae has been described within the bacterial order Rickettsiales. It includes a variety of bacterial endosymbionts detected in different metazoan host species belonging to Placozoa, Cnidaria, Arthropoda and Vertebrata. Representatives of Midichloriaceae are also considered possible etiological agents of certain animal diseases. Midichloriaceae have been found also in protists like ciliates and amoebae. The present work describes a new bacterial endosymbiont, "Candidatus Fokinia solitaria", retrieved from three different strains of a novel Paramecium species isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Symbionts were characterized through the full-cycle rRNA approach: SSU rRNA gene sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with three species-specific oligonucleotide probes. In electron micrographs, the tiny rod-shaped endosymbionts (1.2 × 0.25-0.35 μm in size) were not surrounded by a symbiontophorous vacuole and were located in the peripheral host cytoplasm, stratified in the host cortex in between the trichocysts or just below them. Frequently, they occurred inside autolysosomes. Phylogenetic analyses of Midichloriaceae apparently show different evolutionary pathways within the family. Some genera, such as "Ca. Midichloria" and "Ca. Lariskella", have been retrieved frequently and independently in different hosts and environmental surveys. On the contrary, others, such as Lyticum, "Ca. Anadelfobacter", "Ca. Defluviella" and the presently described "Ca. Fokinia solitaria", have been found only occasionally and associated to specific host species. These last are the only representatives in their own branches thus far. Present data do not allow to infer whether these genera, which we named "stand-Alone lineages", are an indication of poorly sampled organisms, thus underrepresented in GenBank, or represent fast evolving, highly adapted evolutionary lineages. Copyright

O IMPACTO DO SUICÍDIO NO CONTEXTO FAMILIAR

O estágio básico III no curso de Psicologia, tem como foco principal a identificação das demandas psicológicas em diferentes contexto da comunidade. Optou-se por abordar o tema do suicídio no contexto familiar, pois é um assunto pouco debatido em diversas áreas, até mesmo na psicologia. O pequeno município onde foi realizada a pesquisa chamou atenção dos acadêmicos após um levantamento no cartório municipal onde constatou-se que dos anos de 2005 a 2016 trinta e nove (39) casos de suicídio foram registrados. Entender o impacto que essa morte causa no contexto familiar é algo relevante, pois, quando um ente da família morre gera uma grande repercussão em todo contexto familiar. Para atingir os objetivos do estudo foi realizado uma pesquisa qualitativa, onde contou com a observação do grupo de apoio aos familiares de vítimas do suicídio do município e também duas entrevistas semiestruturadas. Constatou-se que os famliares se sentem culpados por não terem percebido qualquer mudança de comportamento, o que condiz com a literatura pesquisada. Além disso, percebeu-se a importância do apoio aos familiares para que possam lidar com os sentimentos envolvidos em função do falecimento e do luto.Palavras-chave: Teoria Sistêmica. Família. Suicídio

Two-dimensional hole precession in an all-semiconductor spin field effect transistor

We present a theoretical study of a spin field-effect transistor realized in a quantum well formed in a p--doped ferromagnetic-semiconductor- nonmagnetic-semiconductor-ferromagnetic-semiconductor hybrid structure. Based on an envelope-function approach for the hole bands in the various regions of the transistor, we derive the complete theory of coherent transport through the device, which includes both heavy- and light-hole subbands, proper modeling of the mode matching at interfaces, integration over injection angles, Rashba spin precession, interference effects due to multiple reflections, and gate-voltage dependences. Numerical results for the device current as a function of externally tunable parameters are in excellent agreement with approximate analytical formulae.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figure

Produção orgânica de alface e rabanete em cultivo solteiro e consorciado

O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a produção de alface e rabanete em cultivo solteiro e consorciado em sistema orgânico. O experimento foi realizado no campo experimental da UEMS, Glória de Dourados, MS, num solo classificado como Argissolo Vermelho, textura arenosa. O delineamento estatístico utilizado no experimento foi de blocos casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por três cultivares de alface consorciadas com uma de rabanete: 1) Alface americana em monocultivo, 2) Alface crespa em monocultivo, 3) Alface roxa em monocultivo, 4) Rabanete em monocultivo, 5) Alface americana consorciada com rabanete, 6) Alface crespa consorciada com rabanete e 7) Alface roxa consorciada com rabanete. Nas condições em que foi executado este experimento, pode-se concluir que o cultivo consorciado de alface com rabanete foi adequado do ponto de vista agronômico, pois a presença do rabanete não prejudicou a produção de alface, além de se apresentar como possibilidade concreta de gerar renda extra para o agricultor em uma mesma área física

Determination of masses of the central black holes in NGC524 and NGC2549 using Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

[abridged] We present observations of NGC524 and NGC2549 with LGS AO obtained at GEMINI North telescope using the NIFS IFU in the K band. The purpose of these observations, together with previously obtained observations with the SAURON IFU, is to determine the masses (Mbh) of the supermassive black holes (SMBH). The targeted galaxies were chosen to have central light profiles showing a core (NGC524) and a cusp (NGC2549), to probe the feasibility of using the galaxy centre as the NGS required for LGS AO. We employ an innovative `open loop' technique. The data have spatial resolution of 0.23" and 0.17" FWHM, showing that high quality LGS AO observations of these objects are possible. We construct axisymmetric three-integral dynamical models which are constrained with both the NIFS and SAURON data. The best fitting models yield Mbh=(8.3 +2.7 -1.3) x 10^8 Msun for NGC524 and Mbh=(1.4 +0.2 -1.3) x 10^7 Msun for NGC2549 (all errors are at the 3 sigma CL). We demonstrate that the wide-field SAURON data play a crucial role in the M/L determination increasing the accuracy of M/L by a factor of at least 5, and constraining the upper limits on Mbh. The NIFS data are crucial in constraining the lower limits of Mbh and in combination with the large scale data reducing the uncertainty by a factor of 2 or more. We find that the orbital structure of NGC524 shows significant tangential anisotropy, while at larger radii both galaxies are consistent with having almost perfectly oblate velocity ellipsoids. Tangential anisotropy in NGC524 coincides with the size of SMBH sphere of influence and the core region in the light profile. We test the accuracy to which Mbh can be measured using seeings obtained from typical LGS AO observations, and conclude that for a typical conditions and Mbh the expected uncertainty is of the order of 50%.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figure

Cryptosporidiosis Associated with Ozonated Apple Cider

We linked an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis to ozonated apple cider by using molecular and epidemiologic methods. Because ozonation was insufficient in preventing this outbreak, its use in rendering apple cider safe for drinking is questioned