Measurement of σ(Hνeνeˉ)×BR(H→ZZ∗){\sigma(H\nu_e\bar{\nu_e})\times BR(H\rightarrow ZZ^\ast)} and Higgs production in ZZZZ fusion at a 1.4 TeV CLIC collider

This paper presents the potential measurement at 1.4 TeV CLIC of the cross-section (times branching ratio) of the Higgs production via $WW$ fusion with the Higgs subsequently decaying in $ZZ^\ast$, ${\sigma(H\nu_e\bar{\nu_e})\times BR(H\rightarrow ZZ^\ast)}$, and of the Higgs production via $ZZ$ fusion with the Higgs subsequently decaying in $b\bar{b}$, ${\sigma(He{^+}e{^-})\times BR(H\rightarrow b\bar{b})}$. For the $H\rightarrow ZZ^\ast$ decay the hadronic final state, ${ZZ^\ast\rightarrow q\bar{q}q\bar{q}}$, and the semi-leptonic final state, ${ZZ^\ast\rightarrow q\bar{q}l^+l^-}$, are considered. The results show that ${\sigma(H\nu_e\bar{\nu_e})\times BR(H\rightarrow ZZ^\ast)}$ can be measured with a precision of 18.3% and 6% for the hadronic and semi-leptonic channel, respectively. ${\sigma(He{^+}e{^-})\times BR(H\rightarrow b\bar{b})}$ can be measured with a precision of 1.7%. This measurement also contributes to the determination of the Higgs coupling to the $Z$ boson, $g_{H_{ZZ}}$.Comment: Talk presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS14), Belgrade, Serbia, 6-10 October 201

Makroporozni kopolimer na bazi glicidilmetakrilata funkcionalizovan sa dietilentriaminom kao sorbent tekstilne boje Reactive Black 5

In this paper, macroporous glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate copolymer functionalized with diethylene triamine (PGME-deta), was evaluated as Reactive Black 5 (RB5) sorbent. Batch RB5 removal from aqueous solution by PGME-deta was investigated by varying pH, contact time, sorbent dosage, initial dye concentration and temperature. The sorption is pH sensitive having maximum at pH 2 (dye removal of 85%), decreasing with the increase of pH (dye removal of 24% at pH 11) after 60 min. Sorption kinetics was fitted to chemical-reaction and particle-diffusion models (pseudo-first-, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion and Mckay models). The pseudo-second-order kinetic model accurately predicted the RB5 amount sorbed under all investigated operating conditions, while the intraparticle diffusion was the dominant rate-limiting mechanism. The diffusion mechanism was more prevalent with the decrease in temperature and the increase in concentration. The isotherm data was best fitted with the Langmuir model, indicating homogeneous distribution of active sites on PGME-deta and monolayer sorption, with the maximum sorption capacity of 353 mg g(-1). The calculated sorption rates improved with increasing temperature and an activation energy close to 40 kj mol(-1) was determined, suggesting that chemisorption was also rate-controlling.U okviru ovog rada ispitana je mogućnost korišćenja makroporoznog kopolimera glicidilmetakrilata i etilenglikoldimetakrilata funkcionalizovanog reakcijom otvaranja epoksidnih grupa sa dietilentriaminom (PGME-deta) kao sorbenta reaktivne tekstilne boje Reactive Black 5 (RB5). U šaržnim uslovima je ispitano uklanjanje RB5 iz vodenog rastvora pomoću PGME-deta, variranjem pH, vremena kontakta, mase sorbenta, početne koncentracije boje i temperature. PGME-deta je pokazao afinitet za sorpciju RB5 zbog prisustva protonovanih amino grupa koje privlače anjonske sulfonatne grupe u molekulu boje i mogućnosti stvaranja vodoničnih veza između sorbenta i sorbata. Kinetika sorpcije je analizirana pomoću četiri kinetička modela (pseudo-prvog, pseudo-drugog reda, unutarčestične difuzije i Mekej) da bi se odredilo koji model najbolje opisuje sorpciju RB5. Zapažen je izrazit uticaj pH vrednosti na sorpciju RB5, sa maksimumom na pH 2 (pri čemu je efikasnost uklanjanja boje 85%), i smanjenjem količine sorbovane boje sa povećanjem pH (količina uklonjene boje na pH 11 posle 60 min iznosi samo 24%). Izučavanjem kinetike sorpcije pokazalo se da sorpcija RB5 pomoću PGME-deta sledi kinetički model pseudo-drugog reda (PSO), sugerišući da je brzina sorpcije kontrolisana kapacitetom sorbenta i koncentracijom sorbata. Mehanizam procesa dominantno čini unutarčestična difuzija, uz manji uticaj difuzije kroz film. Ovi mehanizmi difuzije su izraženiji pri nižim temperaturama i većim koncentracijama. Langmirov model najbolje opisuje ravnotežnu izotermu, ukazujući na homogenu raspodelu aktivnih mesta na površini PGME-deta i monoslojnu sorpciju. Maksimalni sorpcioni kapacitet izračunat iz Langmirove izoterme iznosi 353 mg g-1. Zapaženo je da se brzina sorpcije povećava sa povećanjem temperature. Izračunata vrednost aktivacione energije od oko 40 kJ mol-1 potvrđuje da se radi o procesu koji dominantno kontroliše hemisorpcija

Microcystin-LR activates the ERK1/2 kinases and stimulates the proliferation of the monkey kidney-derived cell line Vero-E6

Microcystin-LR (MCLR) is a peptide produced by freshwater cyanobacteria that induces severe hepatotoxicity in humans and animals. MCLR is also a potent tumour promoter and it has been proposed that this activity is mediated by the inhibition of protein phosphatases PP1/PP2A, possibly through the activation of proto-oncogenes c-jun, c-fos and c-myc. However, the mechanisms underlying MCLR-induced tumour promotion are still largely unknown, particularly in non-liver cells. In previous studies we have demonstrated that micromolar concentrations of MCLR induce cytotoxic effects in the kidney Vero-E6 cell line. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate whether the exposure to subcytotoxic concentrations of MCLR was sufficient to induce the proliferation of Vero-E6 cells. Through BrdU incorporation assay we show that at nanomolar concentrations MCLR stimulates cell cycle progression in Vero-E6 kidney cell line. Moreover, the analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinases p38, JNK and ERK1/2 activity revealed that the proliferative effect of MCLR is associated with the activation of the pro-proliferative ERK1/2 pathway. These results emphasise the importance to confirm in vivo the impact of MCLR on tumour promotion at kidney level

Infection routes matter in population-specific responses of the red flour beetle to the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis

Background: Pathogens can infect their hosts through different routes. For studying the consequences for host resistance, we here used the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis and the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum for oral and systemic (i. e. pricking the cuticle) experimental infection. In order to characterize the molecular mechanisms underpinning the two different infection routes, the transcriptomes of beetles of two different T. castaneum populations – one recently collected population (Cro1) and a commonly used laboratory strain (SB) – were analyzed using a next generation RNA sequencing approach. Results: The genetically more diverse population Cro1 showed a significantly larger number of differentially expressed genes. While both populations exhibited similar reactions to pricking, their expression patterns in response to oral infection differed remarkably. In particular, the Cro1 population showed a strong response of cuticular proteins and developmental genes, which might indicate an adaptive developmental flexibility that was lost in the SB population presumably as a result of inbreeding. The immune response of SB was primarily based on antimicrobial peptides, while Cro1 relied on responses mediated by phenoloxidase and reactive oxygen species, which may explain the higher resistance of this strain against oral infection. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that immunological and physiological processes underpinning the two different routes of infection are clearly distinct, and that host populations particularly differ in responses to oral infection. Furthermore, gene expression upon pricking infection entailed a strong signal of wounding, highlighting the importance of pricking controls in future infection studies

Synthesis, Characterization and Adsorptive Properties of Organobentonites

In this paper partial and complete substitution of cations in the interlayer region of clay with different amounts of two aliphatic ammonium cations was performed with aim of synthesis of organobentonites with multipurpose adsorption properties. Domestic clay from Bogovina was submitted according to a common procedure used for the obtention of organobentonite, which comprises the following steps: grinding, sieving, Na-exchange, cation exchange and drying. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. The incorporation of surfactant molecules into smectite structure lead to constant increase of d(001) basal spacing. IR absorption bands assigned to methyl and methylene vibrations increased with the increase of surfactant/bentonite ratio and length of aliphatic chain in surfactant molecules. Adsorptive properties of the obtained materials were in accordance with their organophylicity: the adsorption of organic dye increased while the rate of removal of Pb2+ by adsorption decreased

Stres na radu i zdravlje medicinskih sestara u jedinicama intenzivne njege u Srbiji

The aim of this study was to identify and analyse professional stressors, evaluate the level of stress in nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICU), and assess the correlation between the perception of stress and psychological and somatic symptoms or diseases shown by nurses. The research, designed as a crosssectional study, was carried out in the Intensive Care Units (ICU), in health centres in Serbia. The sample population encompassed 1000 nurses. Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS) was used as the research instrument. ENSS revealed a valid metric characteristic within our sample population. Nurses from ICUs rated situations involving physical and psychological working environments as the most stressful ones, whereas situations related to social working environment were described as less stressful; however, the differences in the perception of stressfulness of these environments were minor. Socio-demographic determinants of the participants (age, marital status and education level) significantly affected the perception of stress at work. Significant differences in the perception of stressfulness of particular stress factors were observed among nurses with respect to psychological and somatic symptoms (such as headache, insomnia, fatigue, despair, lower back pain, mood swings etc.) and certain diseases (such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes mellitus etc). In view of permanent escalation of professional stressors, creating a supportive working environment is essential for positive health outcomes, prevention of job-related diseases and better protection of already ill nurses.Cilj je ovoga rada bio identifi cirati i analizirati profesionalne stresore, procijeniti razinu stresa kod medicinskih sestara u jedinicama intenzivne njege te procijeniti korelaciju između percepcije stresa i prisutnosti psiholoških i somatskih simptoma ili bolesti kod medicinskih sestara. Istraživanje je provedeno u obliku studije presjeka u Jedinicama intenzivne njege u zdravstvenim centrima u Srbiji. Uzorak se sastojao od 1000 medicinskih sestara-tehničara. Za procjenu i analizu profesionalnih stresora korišten je upitnik Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS), koji je pokazao validne metrijske karakteristike na našoj ispitanoj populaciji. Medicinske sestre u Jedinicama intenzivne njege ocijenile su situacije iz fizičkoga i psihološkoga radnog okruženja kao izrazito opterećujuće, a situacije iz socijalnoga radnog okruženja kao manje opterećujuće. Razlika u percepciji stresogenosti navedenih radnih okruženja nije bila statistički značajna. Sociodemografske determinante ispitanika (dob, bračno stanje i stupanj obrazovanja) značajno utječu na percepciju stresa na radnom mjestu. Utvrđena je statistički značajna razlika u opažanju stresogenosti pojedinih stresnih situacija na radnom mjestu između medicinskih sestara u odnosu na postojanje psihosomatskih simptoma (kao što su glavobolja, nesanica, umor, očaj, bol u leđima, česte promjene raspoloženja) ili određenih bolesti (kao što su povišena hipertenzija, infarkt miokarda, cerebrovaskularni inzult, šećerna bolest). Zbog sve izraženije prisutnosti profesionalnih stresora nužno je poduzeti određene strateške mjere kod medicinskih sestara u Jedinicama intenzivne njege. Strateške mjere podrazumijevaju unaprjeđenje psihosocijalne radne klime, što bi unaprijedilo njihovo zdravlje i spriječilo nastanak bolesti u svezi s radom, ali i omogućilo bolju zaštitu već oboljelim medicinskim sestrama

Perrhenate sorption by amino-functionalized glycidyl methacrylate copolymer: investigation of rhenium as an analogue of radioactive technetium

In order to define the favorable conditions for radioactive technetium (99Tc) uptake, the sorption behavior of its non-active chemical analogue rhenium ( 75Re) on amino-functionalized macroporous hydrophilic copolymer was studied. The pseudo-second-order (PSO) model provided the best fit for the kinetic data, while the intraparticle diffusion (IPD) model indicated a pronounced influence of the porous structure on the sorption rates. The maximum sorption capacity was found to be 84 mg g-1 and 74 % removal efficiency was reached after 180 min in citrate buffer at pH 5.0

A population of weak metal-line absorbers surrounding the Milky Way

We report on the detection of a population of weak metal-line absorbers in the halo or nearby intergalactic environment of the Milky Way. Using high-resolution ultraviolet absorption-line spectra of bright QSOs obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), along six sight lines we have observed unsaturated, narrow absorption in OI and SiII together with mildly saturated CII absorption at high radial velocities (|v_LSR|=100-320 km/s). The measured OI column densities are small, implying that these structures represent Lyman-Limit Systems and sub-Lyman-Limit System with HI column densities < 3x10^18 cm^-2, thus below the detection limits of current 21cm all-sky surveys of high-velocity clouds (HVCs). The absorbers apparently are not directly associated with any of the large high-column density HVC complexes, but rather represent isolated, partly neutral gas clumps embedded in a more tenuous, ionized gaseous medium situated in the halo or nearby intergalactic environment of the Galaxy. We speculate that this absorber population represents the local analog of weak MgII systems that are commonly observed in the circumgalactic environment of low- and high-redshift galaxies.Comment: 45 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap