Implementation of the Z-scan technique using NI cRIO 9074 system

This paper presents the implementation of Z-scan technique using NI cRIO 9074 system to characterize different types of nanofluids and films. This technique was implemented in the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico. For this experiment a chassis NI cRIO9074 of National Instruments, a linear translation stage NRT150E and a stepper motor controller BSC203 were used, both of Thorlabs. Three steps were followed for this implementation first, the connection between NI cRIO9074 and BSC203 controller. Second, the program on LabVIEW was developed and finally, all optic part of the z-scan technique was implemented. This implementation can be used to characterize relatively thin (< 5mm) optical materials. The system testing was done with gold nanoparticles. The results showed the nonlinear optical properties of these samples

Digital transformation model for the development of tourism companies

The way of consuming information and the way we communicate is evolving thanks to advances in technology, the digital transformation breaks new ground in the tourism sector when communicating its services, offers and messages to customers. One of the challenges facing tourism professionals is understanding technological trends to innovate and reinvent their services towards clients. For which we propose a model to adopt the digital transformation in the development of tourist companies. A questionnaire was carried out with 20 managers from the sector with 95% reliability related to customer management, competition and innovation strategy regarding digital transformation; organizational culture and change management regarding business development. The results show that 45% indicate that they rarely keep a record with updated customer data. 35% indicate that they sometimes evaluate business models to anticipate their competition. 35% rarely use any methodology to develop a business model. This reflects that companies must manage data for later use, invest resources in innovating the business model, and have technological professionals who reinvent business processes.Campus Lima Centr

Endometrial Biopsy: Indications, Techniques and Recommendations. An Evidence-Based Guideline for Clinical Practice

This practice guideline provides updated evidence for the gynecologist who performs endometrial biopsy (EB) in gynecologic clinical practice. An international committee of gynecology experts developed the recommendations according to AGREE Reporting Guideline. An adequate tissue sampling is mandatory when performing an EB. Blind methods should not be first choice in patients with suspected endometrial malignancy. Hysteroscopy is the targeted-biopsy method with highest diagnostic accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Blind suction techniques are not reliable for the diagnosis of endometrial polyps. In low resources settings, and in absence of the capacity to perform office hysteroscopy, blind techniques could be used for EB. Hysteroscopic punch biopsy allows to collect only limited amount of endometrial tissue. grasp biopsy technique should be considered first choice in reproductive aged women, bipolar electrode chip biopsy should be preferred with hypotrophic or atrophic endometrium. EB is required for the final diagnosis of chronic endometritis. There is no consensus regarding which endometrial thickness cut-off should be used for recommending EB in asymptomatic postmenopausal women. EB should be offered to young women with abnormal uterine bleeding and risk factors for endometrial carcinoma. Endometrial pathology should be excluded with EB in nonobese women with unopposed hyperestrogenism. Hysteroscopy with EB is useful in patients with abnormal bleeding even without sonographic evidence of pathology. EB has high sensitivity for detecting intrauterine pathologies. In postmenopausal women with uterine bleeding, EB is recommended. Women with sonographic endometrial thickness &gt; 4mm using tamoxifen should undergo hysteroscopic EB

Shared Oncogenic Pathways Implicated in Both Virus-Positive and UV-Induced Merkel Cell Carcinomas

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a highly malignant neuroendocrine tumor of the skin whose molecular pathogenesis is not completely understood, despite the role that Merkel cell polyomavirus can play in 55e90% of cases. To study potential mechanisms driving this disease in clinically characterized cases, we searched for somatic mutations using whole-exome sequencing, and extrapolated our findings to study functional biomarkers reporting on the activity of the mutated pathways. Confirming previous results, Merkel cell polyomavirus-negative tumors had higher mutational loads with UV signatures and more frequent mutations in TP53 and RB compared with their Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive counterparts. Despite important genetic differences, the two Merkel cell carcinoma etiologies both exhibited nuclear accumulation of oncogenic transcription factors such as NFAT or nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), P-CREB, and P-STAT3, indicating commonly deregulated pathogenic mechanisms with the potential to serve as targets for therapy. A multivariable analysis identified phosphorylated CRE-binding protein as an independent survival factor with respect to clinical variables and Merkel cell polyomavirus status in our cohort of Merkel cell carcinoma patients.This work was supported by grants from Instituto de Salud-Carlos III (ISCIII); cofinanced by the European Union; (FEDER) (PI12/00357), and a Ramón and Cajal research program (MINECO; RYC-2013-14097) to JPV, Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer and ISCIII grants (RD06/0020/0107, RD012/0036/0060) to MAP, and Coordinated Project of Excellence inter-Institutos de investigación acreditados institutes (ISCIII; PIE15/00081) to MAP. The Ramón and Cajal research program also supports IV. SD was supported by the Torres Quevedo subprogram (MICINN; PTQ-12-05391)

MyD88 Signaling Pathway Is Involved in Renal Fibrosis by Favoring a T(H)2 Immune Response and Activating Alternative M2 Macrophages

Inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Molecules released by the inflamed injured tissue\ud can activate toll-like receptors (TLRs), thereby modulating macrophage and CD4+ T-cell activity. We propose that in renal fibrogenesis,\ud M2 macrophages are recruited and activated in a T helper subset 2 cell (TH2)-prone inflammatory milieu in a MyD88-\ud dependent manner. Mice submitted to unilateral ureteral ligation (UUO) demonstrated an increase in macrophage infiltration with\ud collagen deposition after 7 d. Conversely, TLR2, TLR4 and MyD88 knockout (KO) mice had an improved renal function together with\ud diminished TH2 cytokine production and decreased fibrosis formation. Moreover, TLR2, TLR4 and MyD88 KO animals exhibited less M2\ud macrophage infiltration, namely interleukin (IL)-10+ and CD206+ CD11bhigh cells, at 7 d after surgery. We evaluated the role of a TH2\ud cytokine in this context, and observed that the absence of IL-4 was associated with better renal function, decreased IL-13 and TGF-\ud β levels, reduced arginase activity and a decrease in fibrosis formation when compared with IL-12 KO and wild-type (WT) animals.\ud Indeed, the better renal outcomes and the decreased fibrosis formation were restricted to the deficiency of IL-4 in the hematopoietic\ud compartment. Finally, macrophage depletion, rather than the absence of T cells, led to reduced lesions of the glomerular filtration\ud barrier and decreased collagen deposition. These results provide evidence that future therapeutic strategies against renal\ud fibrosis should be accompanied by the modulation of the M1:M2 and TH1:TH2 balance, as TH2 and M2 cells are predictive of fibrosis\ud toward mechanisms that are sensed by innate immune response and triggered in a MyD88-dependent pathway.Brazilian Foundation - FAPESP (Fundacao de Apoio a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo) [07/07139-3, 10/52180-4]Brazilian Foundation FAPESP (Fundacao de Apoio a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo)International Associated Laboratory (CNPq/Inserm)International Associated Laboratory (CNPq/Inserm)National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT)National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT

Utilidade do coágulo sangüíneo para o isolamento de Sporothrix schenckii de gatos naturalmente infectados

The diagnosis of disseminated sporotrichosis is usually obtained by necropsy and the isolation of Sporothrix schenckii from blood is rare. Fungemia was shown in vivo through the isolation of S. schenckii from peripheral blood of 13 (n=38, 34.2%) cats with naturally acquired sporotrichosis. The coinfection with FIV and with FeLV found, respectively, in 6 (n=34, 17.6%) cases and 1 (n=34, 2.9%), apparently did not alter the frequency of the isolation of S. schenckii from peripheral blood. There was agreement of 84.2% comparing these results to the blood culture results simultaneously achieved. In this way, we propose the clot culture as a practical alternative method, efficient and cheap for the diagnosis of disseminated sporotrichosis in cats in vivo.O diagnóstico de esporotricose disseminada costuma ser obtido através da necrópsia e o isolamento de Sporothrix schenckii do sangue é raro. Fungemia foi demonstrada in vivo através do isolamento do S. schenckii do sangue periférico de 13 (n=38; 34,2%) gatos com esporotricose naturalmente adquirida. A coinfecção com FIV e com FeLV encontradas, respectivamente, em 6 (n=34; 17,6%) casos e 1 (n=34; 2,9%), aparentemente não alterou a freqüência do isolamento de S. schenckii do sangue periférico. Comparando estes resultados aos dos hemocultivos realizados simultaneamente houve concordância de 84,2%. Assim, propomos o cultivo do coágulo como um método alternativo prático, eficiente e econômico para o diagnóstico de esporotricose disseminada em gatos in vivo

Measurement of the top quark-pair production cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at \sqrt{s}=7\TeV

A measurement of the production cross-section for top quark pairs(\ttbar) in $pp$ collisions at \sqrt{s}=7 \TeV is presented using data recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Events are selected in two different topologies: single lepton (electron $e$ or muon $\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least four jets, and dilepton ($ee$, $\mu\mu$ or $e\mu$) with large missing transverse energy and at least two jets. In a data sample of 2.9 pb-1, 37 candidate events are observed in the single-lepton topology and 9 events in the dilepton topology. The corresponding expected backgrounds from non-\ttbar Standard Model processes are estimated using data-driven methods and determined to be $12.2 \pm 3.9$ events and $2.5 \pm 0.6$ events, respectively. The kinematic properties of the selected events are consistent with SM \ttbar production. The inclusive top quark pair production cross-section is measured to be \sigmattbar=145 \pm 31 ^{+42}_{-27} pb where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measurement agrees with perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 30 pages plus author list (50 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, CERN-PH number and final journal adde

Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in diboson final states with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements are presented of production properties and couplings of the recently discovered Higgs boson using the decays into boson pairs, H →γ γ, H → Z Z∗ →4l and H →W W∗ →lνlν. The results are based on the complete pp collision data sample recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 25 fb−1. Evidence for Higgs boson production through vector-boson fusion is reported. Results of combined fits probing Higgs boson couplings to fermions and bosons, as well as anomalous contributions to loop-induced production and decay modes, are presented. All measurements are consistent with expectations for the Standard Model Higgs boson

Measurement of the top quark pair cross section with ATLAS in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV using final states with an electron or a muon and a hadronically decaying τ lepton

A measurement of the cross section of top quark pair production in proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is reported. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.05 fb -1. Events with an isolated electron or muon and a τ lepton decaying hadronically are used. In addition, a large missing transverse momentum and two or more energetic jets are required. At least one of the jets must be identified as originating from a b quark. The measured cross section, σtt-=186±13(stat.)±20(syst.)±7(lumi.) pb, is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011