Preliminary Measurements of Be-10/Be-7 Ratio in Rainwater for Atmospheric Transport Analysis

The meteoric cosmogenic beryllium has been used as an essential geophysical tracer in the analysis of atmospheric flows and erosion soils since 1960. The first measurements Be-7 and Be-10 concentrations in rainwater from Mexico, have been carried out by using gamma decay spectroscopy and AMS techniques, respectively for each isotope. With this it was possible to report a preliminar value for the Be-10/Be-7 isotopic ratio in such environmental samples. The present work described preliminary results related to rainwater collected at mountain and metropolitan areas. Results are compared with predictions and previous measurements for both radioisotopes, observing a very sensible behavior particularly for the case of Be-7 activities

Relationship between the Daily Rhythm of Distal Skin Temperature and Brown Adipose Tissue 18F-FDG Uptake in Young Sedentary Adults

The present study examines whether the daily rhythm of distal skin temperature (DST) is associated with brown adipose tissue (BAT) metabolism as determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake in young adults. Using a wireless thermometer (iButton) worn on the nondominant wrist, DST was measured in 77 subjects (26% male; age 22 ± 2 years; body mass index 25.2 ± 4.8 kg/m2) for 7 consecutive days. The temperatures to which they were habitually exposed over the day were also recorded. The interday stability of DST was calculated from the collected data, along with the intraday variability and relative amplitude; the mean temperature of the 5 and 10 consecutive hours with the maximum and minimum DST values, respectively; and when these hours occurred. Following exposure to cold, BAT volume and mean and peak standardized 18F-FDG uptake (SUVmean and SUVpeak) were determined for each subject via static 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography scanning. Relative amplitude and the time at which the 10 consecutive hours of minimum DST values occurred were positively associated with BAT volume, SUVmean, and SUVpeak (p ≤ 0.02), whereas the mean DST of that period was inversely associated with the latter BAT variables (p ≤ 0.01). The interday stability and intraday variability of the DST were also associated (directly and inversely, respectively) with BAT SUVpeak (p ≤ 0.02 for both). All of these associations disappeared, however, when the analyses were adjusted for the ambient temperature to which the subjects were habitually exposed. Thus, the relationship between the daily rhythm of DST and BAT activity estimated by 18F-FDG uptake is masked by environmental and likely behavioral factors. Of note is that those participants exposed to the lowest ambient temperature showed 3 to 5 times more BAT volume and activity compared with subjects who were exposed to a warmer ambient temperature

Dryland cropping systems influence the microbial biomass and enzyme activities in a semiarid sandy soil

Indicators of soil quality, such as microbial biomass C and N (MBC, MBN) and enzyme activities (EAs), involved in C, P, N, and S cycling, as affected by dryland cropping systems under conventional (ct) and no tillage (nt) practices were evaluated for 5 years. The soil is sandy loam with an average of 16.4% clay, 67.6% sand, and 0.65 g kg−1 OM at 0– 10 cm. The crops evaluated were rotations of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) or forage sorghum (also called haygrazer), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), and winter rye (Secale cereale): grain sorghum–cotton (Srg–Ct), cotton–winter rye– sorghum (Ct–Rye–Srg), and forage sorghum–winter rye (Srf– Rye). The tillage treatments did not affect soil MB and EAs of C cycling (i.e., β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, α- galactosidase), P cycling (alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase), and S cycling (arylsulfatase)—except for separation due to tillage for Srf–Rye and Ct–Rye–Srg observed in PCA plots when all EAs were evaluated together. After 3 years, rotations with a winter cover crop history (Ct–Rye–Srg and Srf–Rye) enhanced soil MBN (up to 63%) and EAs (21-37%) compared to Srg–Ct. After 5 years, Srg–Ct and Ct–Rye–Srg showed similar soil MBC, MBN, EAs, total carbon (TC), and organic carbon (OC). A comparison of Srg–Ct plots with nearby continuous cotton (Ct–Ct) research plots in the same soil revealed that it took 5 years to detect higher TC (12%), MBC (38%), and EAs (32–36%, depending on the enzyme) under Srg–Ct. The significant improvements in MB and EAs found, as affected by dryland cropping systems with a history of winter cover crops and/or higher biomass return crops than cotton, can represent changes in soil OM, nutrient cycling, and C sequestration for sandy soils in the semiarid Texas High Plains region. It is significant that these soil changes occurred despite summer crop failure (2003 and 2006) and lack of winter cover crops (2006) due to lack of precipitation in certain years

Impact of an intermittent and localized cooling intervention on skin temperature, sleep quality and energy expenditure in free-living, young, healthy adults

Where people live and work together it is not always possible to modify the ambient temperature; ways must therefore be found that allow individuals to feel thermally comfortable in such settings. The Embr Wave (R) is a wrist-worn device marketed as a 'personal thermostat' that can apply a local cooling stimulus to the skin. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of an intermittent mild cold stimulus of 25 degrees C for 15-20 s every 5 min over 3.5 days under free-living conditions on 1) skin temperature, 2) perception of skin temperature, 3) sleep quality and 4) resting energy expenditure (REE) in young, healthy adults. Ten subjects wore the device for 3.5 consecutive days. This intervention reduced distal skin temperature after correcting for personal ambient temperature (P = 0.051). Thus, this intermittent mild cold regime can reduce distal skin temperature, and wearing it under free-living conditions for 3.5 days does not seem to impair the perception of skin temperature and sleep quality or modify REE.The study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness via the Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI13/01393 and CB16/10/00239) and PTA 12264-I, Retos de la Sociedad (DEP2016-79512-R), and European Regional Development Funds (ERDF). Other funders included the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU 16/05159, 15/04059 and 19/02326), the Fundacion Iberoamericana de Nutricion (FINUT), the Redes Tematicas De Investigacion Cooperativa RETIC (Red SAMID RD16/0022), the AstraZeneca Health Care Foundation, the University of Granada Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016 (Excellence actions: Unit of Excellence on Exercise, Nutrition and Health [UCEENS]), and by the Junta de Andalucia, Consejeria de Conocimiento, Investigacion y Universidades (ERDF, SOMM17/6107/UGR). AMT was supported by Seneca Foundation through grant 19899/GERM/15 and the Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities RTI2018-093528-B-I0, as well as DJP (MINECO; RYC-2014-16938). BMT was supported by an individual postdoctoral grant from the Fundacion Alfonso Martin Escudero. We thank Dr. Matt Smith of Embr Labs Inc. for configuring the Embr Wave (R) devices used in this experiment

The Mediating Role of Brown Fat and Skeletal Muscle Measured by 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose in the Thermoregulatory System in Young Adults

The authors would like to thank all the participants who took part in this investigation. This study is part of a PhD thesis conducted in the Biomedicine Doctoral Studies of the University of Granada, Spain. We are grateful to Alberto Quesada-Aranda for helping with the development of the Temperatus software (free trial at http://profith.ugr.es/ temperatus?lang=en). We are grateful to Ms Carmen Sainz-Quinn for assistance with English-language editingObjective: This study aimed to examine whether brown adipose tissue (BAT) or skeletal muscle activity mediates the relationship between personal level of environmental temperature (Personal-ET) and wrist skin temperature (WT). Moreover, we examined whether BAT and skeletal muscle have a mediating role between Personal-ET and WT (as a proxy of peripheral vasoconstriction/vasodilation). Methods: The levels of BAT were quantified by cold-induced 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan and measured the Personal-ET and WT by using iButtons (Maxim Integrated, Dallas, Texas) in 75 participants (74.6% women). Results: The study found that BAT volume and metabolic activity played a positive and significant role (up to 25.4%) in the association between Personal-ET and WT. In addition, at the coldest temperatures, the participants with lower levels of WT (inducing higher peripheral vasoconstriction) had higher levels of BAT outcomes, whereas in warm temperatures, participants with higher levels of WT (inducing higher peripheral vasodilation) had lower levels of BAT outcomes. The study did not find any mediating role of skeletal muscle activity. Conclusions: BAT volume and metabolic activity play a role in the relationship between Personal-ET and WT. Moreover, the data suggest that there are two distinct phenotypes: individuals who respond better to the cold, both through nonshivering thermogenesis and peripheral vasoconstriction, and individuals who respond better to the heat.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI13/01393), Retos de la Sociedad (DEP2016‐79512‐R), and Fondos Estructurales de la Unión Europea (FEDER); by the Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU 13/04365); by the Fundación Iberoamericana de Nutrición; by the Redes Temáticas de Investigación Cooperativa RETIC (Red SAMID RD16/0022); by AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation; by the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES); and by the Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR, Programa Contratos‐Puente. MAR is supported by a predoctoral research grant from University Jaume I (PREDOC/2015/13). AMN was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CB16/10/00239), and grant 19899/GERM/15 (cofinanced by FEDER)

Kaluza-Klein Consistency, Killing Vectors, and Kahler Spaces

We make a detailed investigation of all spaces Q_{n_1... n_N}^{q_1... q_N} of the form of U(1) bundles over arbitrary products \prod_i CP^{n_i} of complex projective spaces, with arbitrary winding numbers q_i over each factor in the base. Special cases, including Q_{11}^{11} (sometimes known as T^{11}), Q_{111}^{111} and Q_{21}^{32}, are relevant for compactifications of type IIB and D=11 supergravity. Remarkable ``conspiracies'' allow consistent Kaluza-Klein S^5, S^4 and S^7 sphere reductions of these theories that retain all the Yang-Mills fields of the isometry group in a massless truncation. We prove that such conspiracies do not occur for the reductions on the Q_{n_1... n_N}^{q_1... q_N} spaces, and that it is inconsistent to make a massless truncation in which the non-abelian SU(n_i+1) factors in their isometry groups are retained. In the course of proving this we derive many properties of the spaces Q_{n_1... n_N}^{q_1... q_N} of more general utility. In particular, we show that they always admit Einstein metrics, and that the spaces where q_i=(n_i+1)/\ell all admit two Killing spinors. We also obtain an iterative construction for real metrics on CP^n, and construct the Killing vectors on Q_{n_1... n_N}^{q_1... q_N} in terms of scalar eigenfunctions on CP^{n_i}. We derive bounds that allow us to prove that certain Killing-vector identities on spheres, necessary for consistent Kaluza-Klein reductions, are never satisfied on Q_{n_1... n_N}^{q_1... q_N}.Comment: Latex, 43 pages, references added and typos correcte

Estudios previo inversionistas para la producción de furfural-etanol y tableros a partir de bagazo de caña de azúcar

Atualmente, aproveitem as facilidades da indústria para modificar, reanimação ou reconversão suas produções, é importante para a redução dos custos de investimento e o aumento da disponibilidade dasplantas. Nesse sentido, a investigação visa a realização de um estudo prévio com investidor, em um complexo sucroalcooleiro com usinas de derivados instaladas, para a produção conjunta de furfural, etanol e placas a partir do bagaço, considerando a reconversão no parque industrial. Para tanto, partimos das modificações e resultados obtidos por Mesa [1], na etapa de fracionamento do bagaço para a obtençãode glicose, xilose e furfural, e a utilização de resíduos na planta de papelão Morales-Zamora [2]. Os estudos de pré-viabilidade econômica são realizados para as usinas separadamente e com a proposta de integração e reconversão. Na análise integrada, é proposto um planejamento fatorial 24 considerando a influência das variáveis fluxo da cana, fluxo do etanol, confiabilidade e preços, para um cenário otimista de preços e capacidades. Os resultados econômicos são favorecidos por aumentos no escoamento de etanol, com menor escoamento de cana, considerando a confiabilidade com a reconversão e com aumentos no preço do açúcar. A reconversão para a obtenção de açúcar, eletricidade, furfural, placas e etanol possibilitará o resgate de usinas e equipamentos instalados, o que impactaria a minimização de investimentos, bem como um desenvolvimento prospectivo de adaptação da indústria açucareira ao conceito de biorrefinaria.En la actualidad, aprovechar instalaciones en la industria para modificar, reanimar o reconvertir sus producciones, resulta importante para la disminución de costos inversionistas y el incremento de ladisponibilidad de las plantas. En este sentido, la investigación tiene como objetivo realizar un estudio previo inversionista, en un complejo azucarero con plantas de derivados instaladas, para la producción conjunta de furfural, etanol y tableros a partir de bagazo, considerando la reconversión en la instalación industrial. Para ello, se parten de modificaciones y resultados obtenidos por Mesa [1], en la etapa de fraccionamiento del bagazo hacia la obtención de glucosa, xilosa y furfural, y el aprovechamiento de los residuos en la planta de tableros Morales-Zamora [2]. Se realizan estudios de prefactibilidad económica a las plantas por separado y con la propuesta de integración y reconversión. En el análisis integrado, se plantea un diseño factorial 24 considerando la influencia de las variables flujo de caña, flujo de etanol, fiabilidad y precios, para un escenario optimista de precios y capacidades. Los resultados económicos se favorecen para incrementos del flujo de etanol, con menor flujo de caña, considerando la fiabilidad con la reconversión y con incrementos del precio del azúcar. La reconversión hacia la obtención de azúcar, electricidad, furfural, tableros y etanol permitirá rescatar plantas y equipamientos instalados, lo cual incidiría a minimizar las inversiones, así como a un desarrollo prospectivo de adaptación de la industria azucarera hacia el concepto de biorrefinería.Nowadays, take advantage of facilities in the industry to modify, reanimation or revamping their productionsis necessary for the reduction of investment costs and the increase of the availability of the plants. In this sense, the investigation aims to carry out a prior investor study in a sugar complex with installed derivatives plants, for the joint production of furfural, ethanol, and boards from bagasse, considering the revamp of the industrial facility. For this, it starts from modifications and results obtained by Mesa [1], in the bagasse fractionation stage towards getting glucose, xylose, and furfural and the use of residues in the board plant for Morales-Zamora [2]. Economic pre-feasibility studies are carried out for the plants separately along with the integration and revamp proposal. In the integrated analysis, a factorial design is proposed 24 considering the influence of the variables: sugarcane flow, ethanol flow, reliability and prices, for an optimistic scenario of prices and capacities. The economic results are favored for increases in the flow of ethanol, with a lower flow of cane, considering the reliability with the reconversion and with increases in the price of sugar. The reconversion towards obtaining sugar, electricity, furfural, boards and ethanol will be able to rescue installed plants and equipment, which would have an impact on minimizing investments, as well as a prospective development of adaptation of the sugar industry towards the concept of biorefinery

Utility of a Short Neuropsychological Protocol for Detecting HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders in Patients with Asymptomatic HIV-1 Infection

Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is a chronic disease that affects ~40 million people worldwide. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are common in individuals with HIV-1 Infection, and represent a recent public health problem. Here we evaluate the performance of a recently proposed short protocol for detecting HAND by studying 60 individuals with HIV-1-Infection and 60 seronegative controls from a Caribbean community in Barranquilla, Colombia. The short evaluation protocol used significant neuropsychological tests from a previous study of asymptomatic HIV-1 infected patients and a group of seronegative controls. Brief screening instruments, i.e., the Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and the International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS), were also applied. Using machine-learning techniques, we derived predictive models of HAND status, and evaluated their performance with the ROC curves. The proposed short protocol performs exceptionally well yielding sensitivity, specificity, and overall prediction values >90%, and better predictive capacity than that of the MMSE and IHDS. Community-specific cut-off values for HAND diagnosis, based on the MMSE and IHDS, make this protocol suitable for HAND screening in individuals from this Caribbean community. This study shows the effectivity of a recently proposed short protocol to detect HAND in individuals with asymptomatic HIV-1-Infection. The application of community-specific cut-off values for HAND diagnosis in the clinical setting may improve HAND screening accuracy and facilitate patients’ treatment and follow-up. Further studies are needed to assess the performance of this protocol in other Latin American populations

Strangeness, Charm and Beauty in Quark Matter: SQM 2007 Experimental Overview

This paper aims at providing an experimental overview of the Strangeness in Quark Matter 2007 ConferenceComment: Proceedings of Strangeness in Quark Matter 2007, submitted to Journal of Physics

T helper cell subsets specific for pseudomonas aeruginosa in healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis

Background: We set out to determine the magnitude of antigen-specific memory T helper cell responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in healthy humans and patients with cystic fibrosis. Methods: Peripheral blood human memory CD4+ T cells were co-cultured with dendritic cells that had been infected with different strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The T helper response was determined by measuring proliferation, immunoassay of cytokine output, and immunostaining of intracellular cytokines. Results: Healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis had robust antigen-specific memory CD4+ T cell responses to Pseudomonas aeruginosa that not only contained a Th1 and Th17 component but also Th22 cells. In contrast to previous descriptions of human Th22 cells, these Pseudomonal-specific Th22 cells lacked the skin homing markers CCR4 or CCR10, although were CCR6+. Healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis had similar levels of Th22 cells, but the patient group had significantly fewer Th17 cells in peripheral blood. Conclusions: Th22 cells specific to Pseudomonas aeruginosa are induced in both healthy individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis. Along with Th17 cells, they may play an important role in the pulmonary response to this microbe in patients with cystic fibrosis and other conditions