The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure

The expression of HSP60 and HSP10 in large bowel carcinomas with lymph node metastase

BACKGROUND: The involvement of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) in cancer development and progression is a widely debated topic. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence and expression of HSP60 and HSP10 in a series of large bowel carcinomas and locoregional lymph nodes with and without metastases. METHODS: 82 Astler and Coller's stage C2 colorectal cancers, of which 48 well-differentiated and 34 poorly-differentiated, were selected along with 661 lymph nodes, including 372 with metastases and 289 with reactive hyperplasia only, from the same tumours. Primitive tumours and both metastatic and reactive lymph nodes were studied; specifically, three different compartments of the lymph nodes, secondary follicle, paracortex and medullary sinus, were also analysed. An immunohistochemical research for HSP60 and HSP10 was performed and the semiquantitative results were analysed by statistical analysis to determine the correlation between HSPs expression and 1) tumour grading; 2) degree of inflammation; 3) number of lymph nodes involved; 4) lymph node compartment hyperplasia. Moreover, western blotting was performed on a smaller group of samples to confirm the immunohistochemical results. RESULTS: Our data show that the expression of HSP60, in both primary tumour and lymph node metastasis, is correlated with the tumoral grade, while the HSP10 expression is not. Nevertheless, the levels of HSP10 are commonly higher than the levels of HSP60. In addition, statistical analyses do not show any correlation between the degree of inflammation and the immunopositivity for both HSP60 and HSP10. Moreover, we find a significant correlation between the presence of lymph node metastases and the positivity for both HSP60 and HSP10. In particular, metastatic lymph nodes show a higher percentage of cells positive for both HSP60 and HSP10 in the secondary follicles, and for HSP10 in the medullary sinuses, when compared with hyperplastic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: HSP60 and HSP10 may have diagnostic and prognostic significance in the management of this tumour and their overexpression in tumoral cells may be functionally related to tumoral progression. We hypothesise that their expression in follicular and medullary cells of lymph nodes may be induced by formation of metastases. Further studies based on these observations could lead to a better understanding of the HSPs involvement in colorectal cancer progression, as well as other neoplasms

Long Distance Dispersal and Connectivity in Amphi-Atlantic Corals at Regional and Basin Scales

Among Atlantic scleractinian corals, species diversity is highest in the Caribbean, but low diversity and high endemism are observed in various peripheral populations in central and eastern Atlantic islands and along the coasts of Brazil and West Africa. The degree of connectivity between these distantly separated populations is of interest because it provides insight into processes at both evolutionary and ecological time scales, such as speciation, recruitment dynamics and the persistence of coral populations. To assess connectivity in broadly distributed coral species of the Atlantic, DNA sequence data from two nuclear markers were obtained for six coral species spanning their distributional ranges. At basin-wide scales, significant differentiation was generally observed among populations in the Caribbean, Brazil and West Africa. Concordance of patterns in connectivity among co-distributed taxa indicates that extrinsic barriers, such as the Amazon freshwater plume or long stretches of open ocean, restrict dispersal of coral larvae from region to region. Within regions, dispersal ability appears to be influenced by aspects of reproduction and life history. Two broadcasting species, Siderastrea siderea and Montastraea cavernosa, were able to maintain gene flow among populations separated by as much as 1,200 km along the coast of Brazil. In contrast, brooding species, such as Favia gravida and Siderastrea radians, had more restricted gene flow along the Brazilian coast

Sandy coastlines under threat of erosion

Sandy beaches occupy more than one-third of the global coastline(1) and have high socioeconomic value related to recreation, tourism and ecosystem services(2). Beaches are the interface between land and ocean, providing coastal protection from marine storms and cyclones(3). However the presence of sandy beaches cannot be taken for granted, as they are under constant change, driven by meteorological(4,5), geological(6) and anthropogenic factors(1,7). A substantial proportion of the world's sandy coastline is already eroding(1,7), a situation that could be exacerbated by climate change(8,9). Here, we show that ambient trends in shoreline dynamics, combined with coastal recession driven by sea level rise, could result in the near extinction of almost half of the world's sandy beaches by the end of the century. Moderate GHG emission mitigation could prevent 40% of shoreline retreat. Projected shoreline dynamics are dominated by sea level rise for the majority of sandy beaches, but in certain regions the erosive trend is counteracted by accretive ambient shoreline changes; for example, in the Amazon, East and Southeast Asia and the north tropical Pacific. A substantial proportion of the threatened sandy shorelines are in densely populated areas, underlining the need for the design and implementation of effective adaptive measures. Erosion is a major problem facing sandy beaches that will probably worsen with climate change and sea-level rise. Half the world's beaches, many of which are in densely populated areas, could disappear by the end of the century under current trends; mitigation could lessen retreat by 40%.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Circulating microparticles: square the circle

Background: The present review summarizes current knowledge about microparticles (MPs) and provides a systematic overview of last 20 years of research on circulating MPs, with particular focus on their clinical relevance. Results: MPs are a heterogeneous population of cell-derived vesicles, with sizes ranging between 50 and 1000 nm. MPs are capable of transferring peptides, proteins, lipid components, microRNA, mRNA, and DNA from one cell to another without direct cell-to-cell contact. Growing evidence suggests that MPs present in peripheral blood and body fluids contribute to the development and progression of cancer, and are of pathophysiological relevance for autoimmune, inflammatory, infectious, cardiovascular, hematological, and other diseases. MPs have large diagnostic potential as biomarkers; however, due to current technological limitations in purification of MPs and an absence of standardized methods of MP detection, challenges remain in validating the potential of MPs as a non-invasive and early diagnostic platform. Conclusions: Improvements in the effective deciphering of MP molecular signatures will be critical not only for diagnostics, but also for the evaluation of treatment regimens and predicting disease outcomes

Market information and food insecurity response analysis

Acute food insecurity, Chronic food insecurity, Emergency response, Food aid, Food security, Local and regional purchase, Markets analysis,

Qualidade de vida no trabalho de profissionais de enfermagem, atuantes em unidades do bloco cirúrgico, sob a ótica da satisfação Calidad de vida en el trabajo entre profesionales de enfermería actuantes en unidades del centro quirúrgico Quality of life at work among nursing professionals at surgical wards from the perspective of satisfaction

Estudo descritivo, de corte transversal, que avaliou a qualidade de vida no trabalho (QVT) de profissionais de enfermagem, atuantes em unidades do Bloco Cirúrgico (BC) em quatro hospitais de Londrina, PR. Participaram 105 trabalhadores, sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (82,9%), com média de idade de 38 anos. Dentre eles, 69,5% eram auxiliares de enfermagem, 11,4% eram enfermeiros. A QVT foi medida através do Índice de Satisfação no Trabalho (ISP) e os valores obtidos variaram entre 114 e 227 e média de 169,7±25,9. O valor médio dos 44 itens foi de 3,85, significando que os trabalhadores estavam entre insatisfeitos e nem satisfeitos/nem insatisfeitos com a QVT. A remuneração foi considerada como fonte de menor satisfação entre os trabalhadores, enquanto o domínio status profissional, o de maior satisfação. O instrumento mostrou-se confiável à população estudada, sendo o valor obtido para o alpha de Cronbach igual a 0,81.<br>Estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal, cuyo objetivo fue evaluar la calidad de vida en el trabajo de profesionales de enfermería actuantes en unidades del Centro Quirúrgico (CQ), utilizando el Índice de Satisfacción en el Trabajo. Participaron del estudio 105 trabajadores, la mayoría de ellos mujeres (82,9%), con un promedio de edad de 38 años. Entre todos, el 69,5% era ayudante de enfermería y el 11,4% enfermeros. En cuanto a la calidad de vida en el trabajo, los valores obtenidos variaron entre 114 y 227, con promedio de 169,7±25,9. El valor promedio obtenido para los 44 ítem fue de 3.85, mostrando que los trabajadores estaban entre insatisfechos y ni satisfechos/ ni insatisfechos con la calidad de vida en el trabajo. La remuneración fue considerada como fuente de menor satisfacción, mientras el dominio de status profesional es el de mayor satisfacción. El instrumento se mostró confiable para el grupo estudiado, con alpha de Cronbach igual a 0,81.<br>This transversal and descriptive study aimed at evaluating the life quality of nursing professionals working at a surgical ward, using the Index of Work Satisfaction. Study participants were 105 workers; most of them women (82.9%), with an average age of 38. In this group, 69.5% were nursing auxiliaries and 11.4% were nurses. As to quality of life at work, scores varied between 114 and 227 (possible range of 44 to 308), with an average score of 169.7±25.9. The average score for the 44 items was 3.85, showing that workers were either dissatisfied or neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the aspects mentioned in the instrument on quality of life at work. Satisfaction levels were lowest for remuneration and highest for the professional status domain. Authors found the instrument reliable for the study population, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.81