Strain dependence of the acoustic properties of amorphous metals below 1K: Evidence for the interaction between tunneling states

We have conducted a thorough study of the acoustic properties between 10^-4 and 1 Kelvin for the amorphous metal Zr_x Cu_1-x (x=0.3 and x=0.4), by measuring the relative change of sound velocity dv/v and internal friction Q^-1 as a function of temperature and also of the applied strain, in both superconducting and normal state. We have found that when plotted versus the ratio of strain energy to thermal energy, all measurements display the same behavior: a crossover from a linear regime of ``independent'' tunneling systems at very low strains and/or high enough temperatures to a nonlinear regime where dv/v and Q^-1 depend on applied strain and the tunneling systems cannot be considered as independent.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (submitted to PRL

Effectiveness assessment of an artificial reef off Tabarca Island (Alicante, southeastern Iberian Peninsula)

The efficiency of an artificial reef off Tabarca Island in aggregating a fish assemblage was studied by comparing it with natural rock sea beds and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 seagrass beds located in the island's marine preserve. A study of the fish assemblage's density, number of species, diversity, and biomass showed that the artificial reef was, in ecological terms, situated between the natural rock grounds and the P. oceanica seagrass bed, with some tendency towards greater similarity to the former as time of submersion increased. Multivariant analysis showed that those variables related to habitat complexity were the most important in structuring the fish assemblage.En el área protegida de la reserva marina de Tabarca (Alicante) se levanta un arrecife artificial construido con módulos alveolares muy abiertos y un relieve vertical de 4,5 m de altura. Su eficiencia se ha estudiado mediante la comparación con fondos de roca natural y de pradera de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 en condiciones de protección. Del análisis de las variables del poblamiento íctico (densidad, número de especies, diversidad y biomasa) se desprende que el arrecife artificial de Tabarca se sitúa entre los dos tipos de fondos naturales estudiados (roca y pradera), con tendencia a semejarse a los fondos de roca natural según aumenta el tiempo de inmersión de los módulos. El análisis multivariante del poblamiento, en relación con las variables estructurales y ambientales utilizadas, evidencia la mayor importancia de la complejidad del hábitat respecto a otras variables, como la estacionalidad o la temperatura.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Submarine Active Faults and MorphoTectonics Around the Iberian Margins: Seismic and Tsunamis Hazards

The aim of this work is to make a synthesis at regional scale focused on the geophysical characterization of submarine faults around the Iberian margin to identify active structures and analyze their development in the framework of the present plate organization. Most of these submarine faults show seabed morphological expressions mapped with high-resolution swath bathymetry data, high-resolution parametric sub-bottom profiles and multichannel seismic profiles. Present active tectonics, deformation, seismicity, and tsunami-affected coastal areas is mainly focused on south Iberia at the Eurasian and Nubia plate boundary. Submarine active faults in these areas are represented by long strike-slip fault systems and arcuate fold-thrust systems. Their development takes place in response to present NW-SE convergence between the Eurasian and Nubia plates. We propose a strain partitioning model of the plate boundary into simple and pure shear zones to explain the distribution and mechanisms of active submarine faults along the Gulf of Cádiz, Gibraltar Arc and Alborán Sea in response to the present-day shear stress orientation. Nevertheless, deformation is also focused in the NW Iberian margin. Thus, along the Galician and Portuguese margin, several submarine faults mapped as thrust fault systems with high-seismic activity along the Iberian ocean-continent transition reflect the re-activation of former structures. We suggest that submarine active faults in the NW and W Iberia are also the response to the eastwards transfer of short-offset transform faults of the Mid Atlantic Ridge into the oceanic Iberian along a weakness as the former plate boundary between the oceanic Iberia and Eurasia domains. The distribution and activity of submarine faults mapped in this work from geophysical and bathymetric data are in good agreement with geodetic data and focal mechanisms.Versión del edito

Gallium-67 Imaging In A Patient With Paracoccidioidomycosis: A Case Report

A 26 year-old female was admitted with abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. The clinical and laboratory investigations led to the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis. Gallium-67 whole body images correlated well with the clinical course of the disease and with the patient's prognosis.423167170Barbosa, W., Paracoccidioidomicose (Blastomicose sul-americana) (1989), pp. 653-662. , AMATO NETO, V. & BALDY, J.L.S., ed. Doenças transmissíveis. 3. ed. São Paulo, SarvierBarbosa, W., Daher, R.R., Blastomicose sul-americana (Paracoccidioidomicose) (1995), pp. 634-646. , VERONESI, R.FOCACCIA, R. & DIETZE, R., ed. Doenças infecciosas e parasitárias. 8. ed. São Paulo, Guanabara-KooganBecker, W., The contribution of nuclear medicine to the patient with infection (1995) Europ. J. Nucl. Med., 22, pp. 1195-1211Bethlem, N.M., Lemle, A., Bethlem, E., Wanke, B., Paracoccidioidomycosis (1991) Semin. Resp. Med., 12, pp. 81-97Braga, F.J.H.N., Abreu, P.R., Rivitti, M.C.M., La paracoccidioidomycose chéloide étudiée avec le gallium (1992) Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., 85, pp. 118-119Braga, F.J.H.N., Camargo, E.E., Segurado, A.A.C., La paracoccidioidomycose évaluée par quatre études isotopiques (1992) Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., 85, pp. 115-117Dayaniki, B.F., Weissman, A.F., Wahl, R.L., Successful gallium-67 imaging of North American pulmonary blastomycosis (1993) J. Nucl. Med., 34, pp. 958-960Del Negro, G.M.B., Garcia, N.M., Rodrigues, E.G., The sensitivity, specificity and efficiency values of some serological tests used in the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis (1991) Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. S. Paulo, 33, pp. 277-280Giorgi, M.C.P., Camargo, E.E., Pinto, W.P., Del Negro, G., Gallium-67 imaging in the diagnosis of blastomycosis (1987) Europ. J. Nucl. Med., 13, pp. 300-304Negroni, R., Paracoccidioidomycosis (1993) Int. J. Derm., 32, pp. 847-859Palestro, C.J., The current role of gallium imaging in infection (1994) Semin. Nucl. Med., 24, pp. 128-141Peters, A.M., The use of nuclear medicine in infections (1998) Brit. J. Radiol., 71, pp. 252-26

Field-induced single-ion magnetic behaviour in a highly luminescent Er3+ complex

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New locus underlying auriculocondylar syndrome (ARCND): 430 kb duplication involving TWIST1 regulatory elements

Background Auriculocondylar syndrome (ARCND) is a rare genetic disease that affects structures derived from the first and second pharyngeal arches, mainly resulting in micrognathia and auricular malformations. To date, pathogenic variants have been identified in three genes involved in the EDN1-DLX5/6 pathway (PLCB4, GNAI3 and EDN1) and some cases remain unsolved. Here we studied a large unsolved four-generation family. Methods We performed linkage analysis, resequencing and Capture-C to investigate the causative variant of this family. To test the pathogenicity of the CNV found, we modelled the disease in patient craniofacial progenitor cells, including induced pluripotent cell (iPSC)-derived neural crest and mesenchymal cells. Results This study highlights a fourth locus causative of ARCND, represented by a tandem duplication of 430 kb in a candidate region on chromosome 7 defined by linkage analysis. This duplication segregates with the disease in the family (LOD score=2.88) and includes HDAC9, which is located over 200 kb telomeric to the top candidate gene TWIST1. Notably, Capture-C analysis revealed multiple cis interactions between the TWIST1 promoter and possible regulatory elements within the duplicated region. Modelling of the disease revealed an increased expression of HDAC9 and its neighbouring gene, TWIST1, in neural crest cells. We also identified decreased migration of iPSC-derived neural crest cells together with dysregulation of osteogenic differentiation in iPSC-affected mesenchymal stem cells. Conclusion Our findings support the hypothesis that the 430 kb duplication is causative of the ARCND phenotype in this family and that deregulation of TWIST1 expression during craniofacial development can contribute to the phenotype.Molecular Technology and Informatics for Personalised Medicine and Healt

Sub-femto-g free fall for space-based gravitational wave observatories: LISA pathfinder results

We report the first results of the LISA Pathfinder in-flight experiment. The results demonstrate that two free-falling reference test masses, such as those needed for a space-based gravitational wave observatory like LISA, can be put in free fall with a relative acceleration noise with a square root of the power spectral density of 5.2 ± 0.1 fm s−2/√Hz or (0.54 ± 0.01) × 10−15 g/√Hz, with g the standard gravity, for frequencies between 0.7 and 20 mHz. This value is lower than the LISA Pathfinder requirement by more than a factor 5 and within a factor 1.25 of the requirement for the LISA mission, and is compatible with Brownian noise from viscous damping due to the residual gas surrounding the test masses. Above 60 mHz the acceleration noise is dominated by interferometer displacement readout noise at a level of (34.8 ± 0.3) fm/√Hz, about 2 orders of magnitude better than requirements. At f ≤ 0.5 mHz we observe a low-frequency tail that stays below 12 fm s−2/√Hz down to 0.1 mHz. This performance would allow for a space-based gravitational wave observatory with a sensitivity close to what was originally foreseen for LISA

Impact of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis immunization during pregnancy on subsequent infant immunization seroresponses : follow-up from a large randomized placebo-controlled trial

Background: Pertussis immunization during pregnancy results in high pertussis antibody concentrations in young infants but may interfere with infant immune responses to post-natal immunization. Methods: This phase IV, multi-country, open-label study assessed the immunogenicity and safety of infant primary vaccination with DTaP-HepB-IPV/Hib and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Enrolled infants (6\u201314 weeks old) were born to mothers who were randomized to receive reduced-antigen-content diphtheria-tetanus-three-component acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap group) or placebo (control group) during pregnancy (270/7\u2013366/7 weeks\u2019 gestation) with crossover immunization postpartum. All infants received 2 or 3 DTaP-HepB-IPV/Hib and PCV13 doses according to national schedules. Immunogenicity was assessed in infants pre- and 1 month post-primary vaccination. The primary objective was to assess seroprotection/vaccine response rates for DTaP-HepB-IPV/Hib antigens 1 month post-primary vaccination. Results: 601 infants (Tdap group: 296; control group: 305) were vaccinated. One month post-priming, seroprotection rates were 100% (diphtheria; tetanus), 6598.5% (hepatitis B), 6595.9% (polio) and 6594.5% (Hib) in both groups. Vaccine response rates for pertussis antigens were significantly lower in infants whose mothers received pregnancy Tdap (37.5\u201377.1%) versus placebo (90.0\u201399.2%). Solicited and unsolicited adverse event rates were similar between groups. Serious adverse events occurred in 2.4% (Tdap group) and 5.6% (control group) of infants, none were vaccination-related. Conclusions: Pertussis antibodies transferred during pregnancy may decrease the risk of pertussis infection in the first months of life but interfere with the infant's ability to produce pertussis antibodies, the clinical significance of which remains unknown. Safety and reactogenicity results were consistent with previous experience

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results