Observation of environment-induced double sudden transitions in geometric quantum correlations

Correlations in quantum systems exhibit a rich phenomenology under the effect of various sources of noise. We investigate theoretically and experimentally the dynamics of quantum correlations and their classical counterparts in two nuclear magnetic resonance setups, as measured by geometric quantifiers based on trace-norm. We consider two-qubit systems prepared in Bell diagonal states, and perform the experiments in decohering environments resulting from Bell diagonal-preserving Markovian local noise. We then report the first observation of environment-induced double sudden transitions in the geometric quantum correlations, a genuinely nonclassical effect not observable in classical correlations. The evolution of classical correlations in our physical implementation reveals in turn the finite-time relaxation to a pointer basis under nondissipative decoherence, which we characterize geometrically in full analogy with predictions based on entropic measures.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. v2: Minor corrections. Published versio

Micotoxinas: Contributos da Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM) para a segurança alimentar

Micotoxinas são metabolites produzidos por fungos que quando ingeridos, inalados ou absorvidos através da pele causam no homem, ou em animais, problemas de saúde ou mesmo, em situações extremas, a morte. Nos últimos anos, no seio da Micoteca da Universidade do Minho, tem-se desenvolvido projectos que procuram dar resposta aos riscos alimentares derivados da contaminação fúngica. Assim, usando a técnica de cromatografia em camada fina (TLC), a patulina e a citrinina foram estudadas para avaliar o potencial micotoxigénico de Penicillium expansum isolados de uvas utilizadas na produção de vinho. Citrinina foi produzida por todas as estirpes estudadas quando estas forma crescidas em meio de sacarose e extracto de levedura (YES) mas somente uma estirpe das 51 foi capaz de produzir esta micotoxina quando foram crescidas em meio de sumo de uva (GJ). Patulina foi produzida por 20 e 31 estirpes quando as 51 estirpes cresceram respectivamente em YES ou GJ. Pelos resultados obtidos as uvas contaminadas com patulina parecem não contribuir para a contaminação do sumo de uva com esta micotoxina. Por sua vez a micoflora das uvas saudáveis utilizadas para a produção de vinho em Portugal foram analisadas quanto ao potencial de produzirem ocratoxina A (OTA). Num total de 386 estirpes foram isoladas pelo método de plaqueamento. Os géneros mais frequentes não-ocratoxigénicos foram Cladosporium (28%), Penicillium (24%), Botrytis (13%) e Aspergillus (9%). Estirpes produtoras de OTA pertenceram às espécies de Aspergillus carbonarius e A. ochraceus. Neste estudo houve ainda a possibilidade de descriminar do grupo dos aspergilli negros a nova espécie Aspergillus ibericus não produtora de OTA. Esta espécie foi totalmente caracterizada fenotipicamente, pela biologia molecular e, mais recentemente, pela análise espectral de MALDI-TOF MS. Mais recentemente, na Micoteca da Universidade do Minho, a contaminação dos frutos secos, nomeadamente, na amêndoa, tem sido um tópico de estudo. As espécies aflatoxigénicas Aspergillus flavus e A. parasiticus têm sido isoladas e identificadas seguindo a abordagem polifásica. A biologia molecular e a análise espectral por MALDI-TOF MS têm-se revelado técnicas robustas em paralelo com a análise por HPLC das aflatoxinas B1/B 2 e G1/G2 e o ácido ciclopiazónico para a compreensão dos contributos destes contaminantes neste alimento

Avaliação de diferentes métodos de destruição de restos culturais do algodoeiro.

Resumo: O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar, nas safras agrícolas de 1996/97 e 1997/98, diferentes métodos de destruição dos restos culturais do algodoeiro, em campo de produção de sementes e em condições de sequeiro, no município de Palmas de Monte Alto, BA. Foram determinados a eficiência de arranquio, o tempo operacional e os custos de diferentes métodos, como arranquio manual, arrancadores tratorizados, gradagem com grade aradora, aração com arado de disco e roço, de forma isolada e associados aos dois últimos métodos. Pelos resultados obtidos pode-se concluir que, para as condições de cultivo do algodoeiro em sequeiro na região Sudoeste da Bahia, os métodos mais eficientes para a destruição dos restos culturais do algodoeiro foram: o arranquio manual com enxadão, a aração de forma isolada e o roço seguido de uma aração com arado de disco, que proporcionaram uma percentagem de arranquio de plantas acima de 97% e de rebrota inferior a 2%. Abstract: A field experiment was conducted in 1996/97 and 1997/98, in Palmas de Monte Alto, BA, Brazil, to investigate the efficiency of different methods of cotton stalk destruction under dry-farming conditions. The efficiency, operational timing, and cost of cotton stalk destruction of methods such as manual hoeing, stalk clearing machines, disk harrow, plowing with a disk plow and a cutter-shredder alone and associated with the last two methods were evaluated. The results showed that for the cultivation conditions of Southwest Bahia, the most efficient methods were: manual hoeing, plowing with disk plow and the association of plowing with disc plow and cutter-shredder. In these methods, 97% of crop residue destruction and a regrowth of less than 2% were registered.Título em inglês: Evaluation of different methods of cotton stalk destruction

Biochemical and histopathological impacts of rutile and anatase (TiO2 forms) in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles have been widely used in various industrial applications and consumer products. Due to their large production and use, they will eventually enter into aquatic environments. Once in the aquatic environment TiO2 particles may interact with the organisms and induce toxic effects. Since the most common crystallographic forms of TiO2 are rutile and anatase, the present study evaluated the effect of these two forms of TiO2 particles in Mytilus galloprovincialis. For this, mussels were exposed to different concentrations of rutile and anatase particles (0, 5, 50, 100 µg/L) for twenty-eight days. Ti concentrations, histopathological alterations and biochemical effects were evaluated. Similar Ti concentrations were found in mussels exposed to rutile and anatase, with the highest values in mussels exposed to the highest exposure concentration. Histopathological results demonstrated that both forms of TiO2 induced alterations on gills and digestive glands along the increasing exposure gradient. Biochemical markers showed that mussels exposed to rutile maintained their metabolic capacity (assessed by the activity of the Electron Transport System, ETS), while anatase increased the metabolism of mussels. Mussels exposed to rutile increased their detoxifying defences which, due to the low tested concentrations, were sufficient to avoid cellular damage. On the other hand, mussels exposed to anatase suffered cellular damages despite the increase of the antioxidant defences which may be related to the high ETS activity. Both rutile and anatase particles were toxic to M. galloprovincialis, being the highest oxidative stress exerted by the crystalline form anatase.publishe

Application of PEG400 in the one-pot synthesis of 7-[4-alkyl- or (hetero) aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl]thieno[3,2-b]pyridines via SNAr and Cu(I)- Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition and preliminary evaluation of their anti-tumour activity

Several novel 7-[4-alkyl- or (hetero)aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl]thieno[3,2-b]pyridines were prepared in good to high yields, using the environmentally friendly solvent PEG400 in a one-pot procedure from 7- chlorothieno[3,2-b]pyridine to form the corresponding azide via SNAr with NaN3, followed by Cu(I)-catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC) using different types of alkynes. This one-pot reaction in PEG400 starting from a halogenated heteroaromatic system is reported for the first time and demonstrated a wide scope of application for alkynes. Preliminary anti-tumour activity on human tumour cell lines using the prepared 1,4-di(hetero)aryl-1,2,3-triazoles was evaluated, together with their toxicity in non-tumour cells. Among the tested compounds the most promising one was a 2-ethynylpyridine derivative.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)–Portugal financially supports CQUM (UID/QUI/686/2019), CIMO-IPBragança (UID/ AGR/690/2019), the research project PTDC/QUI-QFI/28020/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028020) also financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), COMPETE2020 and Portugal2020, the PTNMR network also supported by Portugal2020 and the PhD grant of J.M.R. (SFRH/BD/115844/2016) also financed by ESF (European Social Fund) and HCOP (Human Capital Operational Programme).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Content of inorganic solutes in lettuce grown with brackish water in different hydroponic systems

A B S T R A C T The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and accumulation of ions in lettuce grown in different hydroponic systems and recirculation frequencies. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 8 treatments and 4 replicates. The evaluated hydroponic systems were Nutrient Flow Technique (NFT) and an adapted Deep Flow Technique (DFT), the latter with recirculation frequencies of 0.25, 2 and 4 h. Both systems used fresh water and brackish water. Plant growth, accumulation of inorganic solutes (Na + , K + , Cl -and NO 3 -) and the correlation between dry matter production and Na + /K + and Cl -/NO 3 -were evaluated. The salinity of the water used to prepare the nutrient solution caused decrease in growth and K + and NO 3 -levels, and increased contents of Na + and Cl -in the plants. When using fresh water the highest dry matter production was obtained in the NFT system. In case of brackish water the adapted DFT system increased the production, in relation to NFT system (at same recirculation frequency: 0.25 h). It was found that the choice of the type of hydroponic system and recirculation interval for the cultivation of lettuce depends on the quality of the water used to prepare the nutrient solution. Teor de solutos inorgânicos em alface cultivada com água salobra em diferentes sistemas hidropônicos . A salinidade da água utilizada no preparo da solução nutritiva proporcionou diminuição no crescimento e nos teores de K + e NO 3 -e aumentou os teores de Na + e Cl -nas plantas. Quando foi empregada água doce, o sistema NFT proporcionou maior produção de massa de matéria seca. No caso de água salobra o sistema DFT adaptado aumentou a produção, em relação ao sistema NFT (na mesma frequência de recirculação: 0,25 h). Verificou-se que a escolha do sistema hidropônico e do intervalo de recirculação para o cultivo da alface depende da qualidade da água utilizada no preparo da solução nutritiva. R E S U M

Avaliação e perspectivas da abordagem à conservação do patrimônio organístico no Brasil

Órgãos de tubos são construídos no Brasil, ou importados do exterior, desde as primeiras décadas do período colonial. Estes instrumentos, apesar de constituírem um conjunto relativamente exíguo, representam um testemunho histórico e musical de valor inestimável. No entanto, de um modo geral, encontram-se em condições precárias de funcionamento e, em parte, mais ou menos descaracterizados profundamente, quanto à sua estrutura e configuração original, às vezes em estado de abandono e, por incrível que pareça, ainda sujeitos ao risco de intervenções arbitrárias e desprovidas de bases técnicas e de preocupação histórica e musicológica. Neste artigo, busca-se percorrer o caminho que levou à atual situação e discutem-se os princípios e os critérios de processos de recuperação, manutenção e conservação preventiva desse patrimônio, partindo dos pressupostos do respeito à sua originalidade e do direito a restauros segundo os rigorosos cânones já definidos para objetos com plena condição de bem cultural, cujo reconhecimento para os órgãos de qualquer época deve ser urgentemente garantido.Pipe organs have been built in Brazil or imported from elsewhere since the very first decades of the colonial period. Albeit relatively small in number, such instruments have inestimable historical and musical value. Notwithstanding, they are generally in very poor working condition and some have lost much of their original structure and configuration; they are often found in a state of abandonment and, incredible as it may seem, still under the threat of arbitrary interventions performed with no technical expertise or any concern for their historical and musicological significance. This article is an effort to understand how this state of affairs came to be, and discusses principles and criteria for the restoration, maintenance and preventive conservation of this legacy, based on assumptions regarding its original conditions and entitlement to restoration in accordance with the stringent standards already set for artifacts that enjoy the full status of cultural assets, which should also be urgently granted to pipe organs of any time and age

Chromosome copy number changes carry prognostic information independent of KIT/PDGFRA point mutations in gastrointestinal stromal tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oncogenic point mutations in <it>KIT </it>or <it>PDGFRA </it>are recognized as the primary events responsible for the pathogenesis of most gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), but additional genomic alterations are frequent and presumably required for tumor progression. The relative contribution of such alterations for the biology and clinical behavior of GIST, however, remains elusive.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present study, somatic mutations in <it>KIT </it>and <it>PDGFRA </it>were evaluated by direct sequencing analysis in a consecutive series of 80 GIST patients. For a subset of 29 tumors, comparative genomic hybridization was additionally used to screen for chromosome copy number aberrations. Genotype and genomic findings were cross-tabulated and compared with available clinical and follow-up data.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We report an overall mutation frequency of 87.5%, with 76.25% of the tumors showing alterations in <it>KIT </it>and 11.25% in <it>PDGFRA</it>. Secondary <it>KIT </it>mutations were additionally found in two of four samples obtained after imatinib treatment. Chromosomal imbalances were detected in 25 out of 29 tumors (86%), namely losses at 14q (88% of abnormal cases), 22q (44%), 1p (44%), and 15q (36%), and gains at 1q (16%) and 12q (20%). In addition to clinico-pathological high-risk groups, patients with <it>KIT </it>mutations, genomic complexity, genomic gains and deletions at either 1p or 22q showed a significantly shorter disease-free survival. Furthermore, genomic complexity was the best predictor of disease progression in multivariate analysis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In addition to <it>KIT/PDGFRA </it>mutational status, our findings indicate that secondary chromosomal changes contribute significantly to tumor development and progression of GIST and that genomic complexity carries independent prognostic value that complements clinico-pathological and genotype information.</p

Evaluation of a Previously Suggested Plasma Biomarker Panel to Identify Alzheimer's Disease

There is an urgent need for biomarkers in plasma to identify Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has previously been shown that a signature of 18 plasma proteins can identify AD during pre-dementia and dementia stages (Ray et al, Nature Medicine, 2007). We quantified the same 18 proteins in plasma from 174 controls, 142 patients with AD, and 88 patients with other dementias. Only three of these proteins (EGF, PDG-BB and MIP-1δ) differed significantly in plasma between controls and AD. The 18 proteins could classify patients with AD from controls with low diagnostic precision (area under the ROC curve was 63%). Moreover, they could not distinguish AD from other dementias. In conclusion, independent validation of results is important in explorative biomarker studies

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date