Pilot study of an online intervention for young people with a first psychotic episode: Thinkapp

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SNe 2013K and 2013am: observed and physical properties of two slow, normal Type IIP events

We present one year of optical and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy of the Type IIP SNe 2013K and 2013am. Both objects are affected by significant extinction, due to their location in dusty regions of their respective host galaxies, ESO 009-10 and NGC 3623 (M65). From the photospheric to nebular phases, these objects display spectra congruent with those of underluminous Type IIP SNe (i.e. the archetypal SNe 1997D or 2005cs), showing low photospheric velocities (~2 X 10**3 km/s at 50d) together with features arising from Ba II which are particularly prominent in faint SNe IIP. The peak V-band magnitudes of SN 2013K (-15.6 mag) and SN 2013am (-16.2 mag) are fainter than standard-luminosity Type IIP SNe. The ejected Nickel masses are 0.012+-0.010 and 0.015+-0.006 Msol for SN 2013K and SN 2013am, respectively. The physical properties of the progenitors at the time of explosion are derived through hydrodynamical modelling. Fitting the bolometric curves, the expansion velocity and the temperature evolution, we infer total ejected masses of 12 and 11.5 Msol, pre-SN radii of ~460 and ~360 Rsol, and explosion energies of 0.34 foe and 0.40 foe for SN 2013K and SN 2013am. Late time spectra are used to estimate the progenitor masses from the strength of nebular emission lines, which turn out to be consistent with red supergiant progenitors of ~15 Msol. For both SNe, a low-energy explosion of a moderate-mass red supergiant star is therefore the favoured scenario.Comment: accepted for publication MNRA

Sistema de processamento de imagens aéreas múlti espectrais para agricultura de precisão

Cuban agriculture has the growing need to increase its productivity. To achieve this, precision agriculture can play a fundamental role. It is necessary to develop an image processing system able to process all the crops information and calculate vegetation indexes in a satisfactory way. This will entail in accurate measurements of the nitrogen lack, the hydric stress, and the vegetal strength, among other aspects, seeking to improve the accuracy in the care of these aspects. This document reports the results of an investigation pointed to develop a procedure for capturing and processing multispectral aerial images obtained from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [UAV]. This procedure searched to measure the vegetation indexes of sugarcane crops that may be correlated with the level of vegetal strength, the number of stems, and the foliar mass per lot. We used a USENSE-X8 UAV together with a Sequoia multispectral sensor and the QGIS processing software. The procedure was experimentally validated.La agricultura cubana tiene la necesidad creciente de aumentar su productividad, para lograrlo, la agricultura de precisión puede desempeñar un papel fundamental. Es necesario entonces desarrollar un sistema de procesamiento de imágenes capaz de procesar toda la información de los cultivos y calcular índices vegetativos de forma satisfactoria, para así medir con precisión el déficit de nitrógeno, el estrés hídrico y el vigor vegetal, entre otros aspectos, para que la atención de estos aspectos sea también precisa. Este documento reporta los resultados de una investigación dirigida al desarrollo de un procedimiento para la toma y procesamiento de imágenes multiespectrales aéreas obtenidas desde Vehículos Aéreos No Tripulados [VANT], para obtener índices vegetativos de sembrados de caña de azúcar que puedan ser correlacionados con el nivel de vigor vegetal, el número de tallos o la masa foliar por parcela. Se utilizó un VANT USENSE-X8 y sus componentes, un sensor multiespectral Sequoia y el software de procesamiento QGIS. El procedimiento fue validado de forma experimental.A agricultura cubana tem uma necessidade crescente de aumentar sua produtividade, e para isso, a agricultura de precisão pode desempenhar um papel fundamental. É necessário, portanto, desenvolver um sistema de processamento de imagens capaz de processar toda a informação dos plantios e calcular de forma satisfatória índices de vegetação, de forma de poder medir com precisão o déficit de nitrogênio, o estresse hídrico e o vigor vegetal, entre outros aspectos, para que a atenção desses aspectos também seja precisa. Este documento relata os resultados de uma pesquisa focada ao desenvolvimento de um procedimento para a obtenção e processamento de imagens aéreas múlti espectrais obtidas desde veículos aéreos não tripulados [VANT], para obter índices de vegetação de plantios de cana-de-açúcar que podem ser correlacionados com o nível de vigor vegetal, o número de hastes ou a massa foliar por parcela. Foi utilizado um VANT USENSE-X8 e seus componentes, um sensor múlti espectral Sequoia e o software de processamento QGIS. O procedimento foi validado experimentalmente

Association between IL-18 gene polymorphisms and biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis

7 pages, 1 figure, 1 table.-- Research article.[Introduction] The objective was to investigate the potential implication of the IL18 gene promoter polymorphisms in the susceptibility to giant-cell arteritis (GCA).[Methods] In total, 212 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven GCA were included in this study. DNA from patients and matched controls was obtained from peripheral blood. Samples were genotyped for the IL18-137 G>C (rs187238), the IL18-607 C>A (rs1946518), and the IL18-1297 T>C (rs360719) gene polymorphisms with polymerase chain reaction, by using a predesigned TaqMan allele discrimination assay.[Results] No significant association between the IL18-137 G>C polymorphism and GCA was found. However, the IL18 -607 allele A was significantly increased in GCA patients compared with controls (47.8% versus 40.9% in patients and controls respectively; P = 0.02; OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.69). It was due to an increased frequency of homozygosity for the IL18 -607 A/A genotype in patients with GCA (20.4%) compared with controls (13.4%) (IL18 -607 A/A versus IL18 -607 A/C plus IL18 -607 C/C genotypes: P = 0.04; OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.46). Also, the IL18-1297 allele C was significantly increased in GCA patients (30.7%) compared with controls (23.0%) (P = 0.003; OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.95). In this regard, an increased susceptibility to GCA was observed in individuals carrying the IL18-1297 C/C or the IL18-1297 C/T genotypes compared with those carrying the IL18-1297 T/T genotype (IL18-1297 C/C plus IL18-1297 T/C versus IL18-1297 T/T genotype in GCA patients compared with controls: P = 0.005; OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.25). We also found an additive effect of the IL18 -1297 and -607 polymorphisms with TLR4 Asp299Gly polymorphism. The OR for GCA was 1.95 for combinations of genotypes with one or two risk alleles, whereas carriers of three or more risk alleles have an OR of 3.7.[Conclusions] Our results show for the first time an implication of IL18 gene-promoter polymorphisms in the susceptibility to biopsy-proven GCA. In addition, an additive effect between the associated IL18 and TLR4 genetic variants was observed.This study was supported by a grant from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias PI06-0024 (Spain) and in part by Junta de Andalucía, grupo CTS-180 (Spain). This work was partially supported by the RETICS Program, RD08/0075 (RIER), from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII).Peer reviewe

Lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to a vaginal leiomioma the female prostate: case report

This is a case report of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to a vaginal leiomioma “the female prostate”. A 45-year-old female patient with no significant personal history, sensation of a vaginal foreign body accompanied by lower urinary tract symptoms, on vaginal physical examination with a 7×7 cm deep tumor, increased consistency, not painful, without hemorrhage. Magnetic resonance imaging with hypointense T1 and T2 images, few linear hyperintense areas in T2, homogeneous postgadolinium enhancement 69×66×53 mm, solid tumor dependent on the vaginal vault. Tumor markers CA 19-9: 5.98 U/ml, CEA: 1.09 ng/ml and CA 125: 11.73 U/ml. Open surgery was performed in which a 8×6 cm tumor was found in the vaginal vault dependent on the posterior wall of the vagina. Histopathological report: conventional leiomyoma measuring 9×7.5 cm in long axes, without nuclear atypia. With resolution of symptoms in the lower urinary tract, with normal urinary frequency, without presence of urgency, without urinary incontinence or voiding symptoms. It is important to identify and diagnose lower urinary tract symptoms always, since they could be an initial manifestation of pelvic tumors in which the treatment approach should not be delayed.

An RxLR effector from phytophthora infestans prevents re-localisation of two plant NAC transcription factors from the endoplasmic reticulum to the nucleus

The plant immune system is activated following the perception of exposed, essential and invariant microbial molecules that are recognised as non-self. A major component of plant immunity is the transcriptional induction of genes involved in a wide array of defence responses. In turn, adapted pathogens deliver effector proteins that act either inside or outside plant cells to manipulate host processes, often through their direct action on plant protein targets. To date, few effectors have been shown to directly manipulate transcriptional regulators of plant defence. Moreover, little is known generally about the modes of action of effectors from filamentous (fungal and oomycete) plant pathogens. We describe an effector, called Pi03192, from the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans, which interacts with a pair of host transcription factors at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) inside plant cells. We show that these transcription factors are released from the ER to enter the nucleus, following pathogen perception, and are important in restricting disease. Pi03192 prevents the plant transcription factors from accumulating in the host nucleus, revealing a novel means of enhancing host susceptibility

Modular reorganization of the global network of gene regulatory interactions during perinatal human brain development.

BACKGROUND During early development of the nervous system, gene expression patterns are known to vary widely depending on the specific developmental trajectories of different structures. Observable changes in gene expression profiles throughout development are determined by an underlying network of precise regulatory interactions between individual genes. Elucidating the organizing principles that shape this gene regulatory network is one of the central goals of developmental biology. Whether the developmental programme is the result of a dynamic driven by a fixed architecture of regulatory interactions, or alternatively, the result of waves of regulatory reorganization is not known. RESULTS Here we contrast these two alternative models by examining existing expression data derived from the developing human brain in prenatal and postnatal stages. We reveal a sharp change in gene expression profiles at birth across brain areas. This sharp division between foetal and postnatal profiles is not the result of pronounced changes in level of expression of existing gene networks. Instead we demonstrate that the perinatal transition is marked by the widespread regulatory rearrangement within and across existing gene clusters, leading to the emergence of new functional groups. This rearrangement is itself organized into discrete blocks of genes, each targeted by a distinct set of transcriptional regulators and associated to specific biological functions. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence of an acute modular reorganization of the regulatory architecture of the brain transcriptome occurring at birth, reflecting the reassembly of new functional associations required for the normal transition from prenatal to postnatal brain development