Modeling the Subsurface Structure of Sunspots

While sunspots are easily observed at the solar surface, determining their subsurface structure is not trivial. There are two main hypotheses for the subsurface structure of sunspots: the monolithic model and the cluster model. Local helioseismology is the only means by which we can investigate subphotospheric structure. However, as current linear inversion techniques do not yet allow helioseismology to probe the internal structure with sufficient confidence to distinguish between the monolith and cluster models, the development of physically realistic sunspot models are a priority for helioseismologists. This is because they are not only important indicators of the variety of physical effects that may influence helioseismic inferences in active regions, but they also enable detailed assessments of the validity of helioseismic interpretations through numerical forward modeling. In this paper, we provide a critical review of the existing sunspot models and an overview of numerical methods employed to model wave propagation through model sunspots. We then carry out an helioseismic analysis of the sunspot in Active Region 9787 and address the serious inconsistencies uncovered by \citeauthor{gizonetal2009}~(\citeyear{gizonetal2009,gizonetal2009a}). We find that this sunspot is most probably associated with a shallow, positive wave-speed perturbation (unlike the traditional two-layer model) and that travel-time measurements are consistent with a horizontal outflow in the surrounding moat.Comment: 73 pages, 19 figures, accepted by Solar Physic

Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency leading to liver cirrhosis: a case report of a rare variant mutation

Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency is a poorly diagnosed genetic disorder, leading to accumulation of cholesterol esters and triglycerides in the liver, with progression to chronic liver disease, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular complications. Lack of awareness on diagnosis of this condition may hamper specific treatment, which consists on enzymatic replacement. It may prevent the progression of liver disease and its complications. We describe the case of a 53-year-old Brazilian man who was referred to our center due to the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis of unknown etiology. He was asymptomatic and had normal body mass index. He had dyslipidemia, and family history of myocardial infarction and stroke. Abdominal imaging tests showed liver cirrhosis features and the presence of intrahepatic calcifications. Initial investigation of the etiology of the liver disease was not elucidated, but liver biopsy showed microgoticu-lar steatosis and cholesterol esters deposits in Kuppfer cells. The dosage of serum lysosomal acid lipase was undetectable and we found the presence of a rare homozygous mutation in the gene associated with the lysosomal acid lipase deficiency, (allele c.386A > G homozygous p.H129R)18123023

Desempenho e qualidade dos ovos de poedeiras semipesadas alimentadas com dietas contendo óleos de soja e canola Performance and eggs quality in laying hens fed diets with soybean and canola oils

Objetivou-se analisar a influência da adição de níveis crescentes de óleo de soja e canola sobre os índices de desempenho e qualidade interna e externa dos ovos de poedeiras comerciais semipesadas da linhagem Bovans Goldline durante cinco períodos de 28 dias. Foram utilizadas 280 aves com 18 semanas de idade, em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com sete tratamentos em um esquema fatorial 2 × 3 + 1 (dois tipos de óleo e três níveis de óleo mais um testemunha adicional) com cinco repetições e oito aves por unidade experimental. Os níveis de óleo de soja e de canola não alteraram o consumo de ração, os pesos dos ovos, de albúmen, de gema e de casca, as porcentagens de albúmen, de gema e de casca e a gravidade específica dos ovos. Houve influência significativa da interação tipo × nível de óleo sobre a produção de ovos e a conversão por massa e por dúzia de ovos. Com o aumento do nível de óleo de soja, os resultados obtidos para estas variáveis melhoraram, entretanto, a conversão por massa de ovo piorou com o aumento dos níveis de óleo de canola. A adição de óleo de soja promoveu desempenho melhor que o obtido com óleo de canola.<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of soybean and canola oil added in crescent levels on production performance indexes and internal and external egg quality of brown commercial layers of the strain Bovans Goldline during five periods of 28 days. Two hundred and eighty hens with 18 weeks old were distributed in a completely randomized design, with seven diets in a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement (oil type and oil level, and an additional control), with 5 replicates of 8 hens per experimental unit. The soybean and canola oil levels did not affect the feed consumption; egg, albumen, yolk and shell weights; albumen, yolk and shell percentages, neither the specific gravity. There was an interaction between type and oils levels on egg production and mass conversion and per egg dozen. Better results for those characteristics were obtained as soybean oil increased. However, the egg mass conversion was negatively influenced by increase of canola oil. The addition of soybean oil promoted better performance as compared to canola oil

Influência do óleo de linhaça sobre o desempenho e a qualidade dos ovos de poedeiras semipesadas Influence of linseed oil on performance and egg quality of semi-heavy laying hens

O experimento foi conduzido para avaliar a influência da adição de óleo de linhaça em substituição ao óleo de soja em rações para poedeiras semipesadas sobre o desempenho e a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos. Utilizaram-se 192 poedeiras da linhagem Bovans Godline com 29 semanas de idade, distribuídas em seis tratamentos, que consistiram de uma dieta controle (sem óleo vegetal) e de cinco dietas contendo 0,0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5 e 2,0% de óleo de linhaça em substituição, respectivamente, a 100, 75, 50, 25 ou 0% do óleo de soja. Avaliaram-se a produção (PROD), o peso (PO) e a massa de ovo (MO), as conversões por massa (CMO) e por dúzia de ovos (CDZ), os pesos e as porcentagens de albúmen, gema e casca, a gravidade específica, os teores de matéria seca, cinzas e proteína do albúmen e da gema e o teor de colesterol e a coloração da gema. A produção, o peso do ovo, a massa de ovo e as conversões por massa e por dúzia de ovos, bem como a qualidade interna e externa dos ovos, não foram influenciados pelos níveis de óleo de linhaça na ração. Do mesmo modo, não houve efeito da inclusão de óleo de linhaça sobre a composição química dos ovos e somente a coloração da gema foi intensificada quando utilizados níveis acima de 1% de óleo de linhaça na dieta. A adição de até 2% de óleo de linhaça na ração não altera o desempenho de poedeiras semipesadas nem a qualidade interna e externa e o teor de colesterol dos ovos.<br>This experiment was carried out to evaluate the influence of the linseed oil addition in replacement of soybean oil in laying hens diets on performance and internal and external egg quality. A total of 192 laying hens Bovans Godline line with 29 week-old, were distributed to six treatments, that consisted of a control diet (without vegetal oil) and of five diets containing 2% of linseed oil in replacement of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of soybean oil, generating levels of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 % of linseed oil in the diets. The evaluated parameters were: production (PROD), egg weight (EW) and mass (EM), feed:egg mass ratio (FEM) and feed:egg dozen ratio (FED), albumen, yolk and shell weights and percentages, specific gravity, albumen and yolk dry matter, ashes and protein, yolk cholesterol and coloration. The production , EW, EM, FEM and FED, as for internal and external egg quality, were not influenced by the linseed oil levels in the diet. Likewise, no effect was observed on egg chemical composition and only yolk coloration was intensified with the levels above 1% of linseed oil in the diet. The addition of up to 2% f linseed oil on diet did not alter the performance on semi-heavy laying hens, and the internal and external egg quality and cholesterol