Statistical properties of the GALEX spectroscopic stellar sample

The GALEX General Data Release 4/5 includes 174 spectroscopic tiles, obtained from slitless grism observations, for a total of more than 60,000 ultraviolet spectra. We have determined statistical properties of the sample of GALEX stars. We have defined a suitable system of spectroscopic indices, which measure the main mid-UV features at the GALEX low spectral resolution and we have employed it to determine the atmospheric parameters of of stars in the range 4500<Teff<9000 K. Our preliminary results indicate that the sample is formed by a majority of main sequence F- and G-type stars, with metallicity [M/H]>-1 dex.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Science, UV universe special issu

Systemic Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccination in Cattle Promotes Specific Antibody-Secreting Cells at the Respiratory Tract and Triggers Local Anamnestic Responses upon Aerosol Infection

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease affecting biungulate species. Commercial vaccines, formulated with inactivated FMD virus (FMDV), are regularly used worldwide to control the disease. Here, we studied the generation of antibody responses in local lymphoid tissues along the respiratory system in vaccinated and further aerosol-infected cattle. Animals immunized with a high-payload monovalent FMD vaccine developed high titers of neutralizing antibodies at 7 days postvaccination (dpv), reaching a plateau at 29 dpv. FMDV-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC), predominantly IgM, were evident at 7 dpv in the prescapular lymph node (LN) draining the vaccination site and in distal LN draining the respiratory mucosa, although in lower numbers. At 29 dpv, a significant switch to IgG1 was clear in prescapular LN, while FMDV-specific ASC were detected in all lymphoid tissues draining the respiratory tract, mostly as IgM-secreting cells. None of the animals (n = 10) exhibited FMD symptoms after oronasal challenge at 30 dpv. Three days postinfection, a large increase in ASC numbers and rapid isotype switches to IgG1 were observed, particularly in LN-draining virus replication sites already described. These results indicate for the first time that systemic FMD vaccination in cattle effectively promotes the presence of anti-FMDV ASC in lymphoid tissues associated with the respiratory system. Oronasal infection triggered an immune reaction compatible with a local anamnestic response upon contact with the replicating FMDV, suggesting that FMD vaccination induces the circulation of virus-specific B lymphocytes, including memory B cells that differentiate into ASC soon after contact with the infectiveInstituto de VirologíaFil: Pega, Juan Franco. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Di Giacomo, Sebastián. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Bucafusco, Danilo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Schammas, Juan Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Malacari, Darío Amilcar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Barrionuevo, Florencia Mariel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Capozzo, Alejandra Victoria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, L.L. USDA. Agricultural Research Service. Plum Island Animal Disease Center; Estados UnidosFil: Borca, Manuel Victor. USDA. Agricultural Research Service. Plum Island Animal Disease Center; Estados UnidosFil: Perez Filgueira, Daniel Mariano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Optimization of culture media to produce Bacillus subtilis strain QST 713 in a handcrafted bioreactor

El objetivo de esta investigación fue optimizar un medio nutritivo basado en fertilizantes para el cultivo de Bacillus subtilis en un biorreactor tipo Airlift. Para este fin se analizaron veintisiete medios preparados mediante la combinación de cinco factores con tres niveles que incluyen sacarosa, sulfato de amonio, superfosfato triple de calcio, fórmula UltraK® e inóculo (Serenade® Max).&nbsp; Este biorreactor es un Airlift de 50 L de capacidad, de diseño artesanal elaborado por los autores.&nbsp; Las variables monitoreadas en los medios fueron absorbencia, oxígeno disuelto, pH y temperatura. La primera fue la que se tomó más en cuenta para la optimización pues es el indicador indirecto del crecimiento bacteriano.&nbsp; Se eligió para Señal/Ruido la opción “Más grande es mejor”, obteniendo los análisis de varianza y gráficos de los efectos principales de acuerdo al método Taguchi.&nbsp; Los resultados indicaron que el nivel alto de sacarosa, conjuntamente con el nivel bajo de superfosfato de calcio son importantes para el máximo crecimiento en el tiempo estudiado. En cambio, los componentes como sulfato de amonio, fórmula UltraK® o la cantidad de inóculo no resultaron significativos, lo cual significa que se pueden adicionar en el nivel bajo.&nbsp; Esta nueva información se puede incorporar aplicada a biorreactores de &gt;2500 L que previamente hemos desarrollado.&nbsp; Como conclusión final es que el máximo crecimiento bacteriano depende de un buen suministro de sacarosa, limitando el superfosfato triple de calcio.&nbsp; Adicionalmente, es prudente disminuir las adiciones de sulfato de amonio debido a que reduce el oxígeno disuelto en el medio nutritivo.Objective. To optimize a nutrient medium based on fertilizers for the cultivation of Bacillus subtilis in an Airlift-type handcrafted bioreactor. Design/Methodology/Approach. Twenty-seven nutrient media, fixed by combining five factors with three levels, including sucrose, ammonium sulfate, triple superphosphate, UltraK® formula, and B. subtilis inoculum (Serenade® Max) were tested in a 50L handcrafted by the authors. The variables monitored in the media were absorbance, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. The first was the one that was considered for optimization as it is the indirect indicator of bacterial growth. On the statistical analysis, the option "Larger is better" was chosen for Signal/Noise for the ANOVA of the main effects according to the Taguchi method.     Results.  The highest level of sucrose, together with the lowest level of triple superphosphate were determinants for maximum growth of Bacillus in the time studied. On the other hand, the components such as ammonium sulfate, UltraK® formula, or the amount of inoculum were not significant, which means that they can be added from the mid to low levels. Study limitations/Implications.  This new information can be scaled to bioreactors of 2500 L for B. subtilis that we have previously developed. Finding/Conclusions. Maximum bacterial growth depends on a good supply of sucrose, limiting triple superphosphate. Additionally, it is prudent to decrease additions of ammonium sulfate because it reduces dissolved oxygen in the nutrient medium

Early Adaptive Immune Responses in the Respiratory Tract of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus-Infected Cattle

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease which affects both domestic and wild biungulate species. This acute disease, caused by the FMD virus (FMDV), usually includes an active replication phase in the respiratory tract for up to 72 h postinfection, followed by hematogenous dissemination and vesicular lesions at oral and foot epithelia. The role of the early local adaptive immunity of the host in the outcome of the infection is not well understood. Here we report the kinetics of appearance of FMDV-specific antibody-secreting cells (ASC) in lymphoid organs along the respiratory tract and the spleen in cattle infected by aerosol exposure. While no responses were observed for up to 3 days postinfection (dpi), all animals developed FMDV-ASC in all the lymphoid organs studied at 4 dpi. Tracheobronchial lymph nodes were the most reactive organs at this time, and IgM was the predominant isotype, followed by IgG1. Numbers of FMDV-ASC were further augmented at 5 and 6 dpi, with an increasing prevalence in upper respiratory organs. Systemic antibody responses were slightly delayed compared with the local reaction. Also, IgM was the dominant isotype in serum at 5 dpi, coinciding with a sharp decrease of viral RNA detection in peripheral blood. These results indicate that following aerogenous administration, cattle develop a rapid and vigorous genuine local antibody response throughout the respiratory tract. Time course and isotype profiles indicate the presence of an efficient T cell-independent antibody response which drives the IgM-mediated virus clearance in cattle infected by FMDV aerosol exposure.Instituto de VirologíaFil: Pega, Juan Franco. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Bucafusco, Danilo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Di Giacomo, Sebastián. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Schammas, Juan Manuel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Malacari, Darío Amilcar. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Capozzo, Alejandra Victoria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Arzt, J. USDA. Agricultural Research Service. Plum Island Animal Disease Center; Estados UnidosFil: Pérez Beascoeachea, C. Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria. Dirección de Laboratorios; ArgentinaFil: Maradei, E. Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria. Dirección de Laboratorios; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, L. USDA. Agricultural Research Service. Plum Island Animal Disease Center; Estados UnidosFil: Borca, Manuel Victor. USDA. Agricultural Research Service. Plum Island Animal Disease Center; Estados UnidosFil: Perez Filgueira, Daniel Mariano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Evaluation of Hungarian Wines for Resveratrol by Overpressured Layer Chromatography

A method, including solid phase extraction sample preparation, overpressured layer chromatographic separation and subsequent densitometric evaluation, was developed for measurement of total resveratrol (cis- and trans-isomers) content of wine. The amount of resveratrol was determined in wine samples from different winemaking regions of Hungary. The total resveratrol was high in Hungarian red wines (3.6–11 mg/L), and much lower in white ones (0.04–1.5 mg/L)

The CP violating phase \delta_{13} and the quark mixing angles \theta_{13}, \theta_{23} and \theta_{12} from flavour permutational symmetry breaking

The phase equivalence of the theoretical mixing matrix ${\bf V}^{th}$ derived from the breaking of the flavour permutational symmetry and the standard parametrization ${\bf V}^{PDG}$ advocated by the Particle Data Group is explicitly exhibited. From here, we derive exact explicit expressions for the three mixing angles $\theta_{12}$, $\theta_{13}$, $\theta_{23}$, and the CP violating phase $\delta_{13}$ in terms of the quark mass ratios $(m_{u}/m_{t}, m_{c}/m_{t}, m_{d}/m_{b}, m_{s}/m_{b})$ and the parameters $Z^{*1/2}$ and $\Phi^*$ characterizing the preferred symmetry breaking pattern. The computed values for the CP violating phase and the mixing angles are: $\delta^*_{13}=75^\circ$, $\sin\theta^*_{12}=0.221$, $\sin\theta^*_{13}=0.0034$, and $\sin\theta^*_{23}=0.040$, which coincide almost exactly with the central values of the experimentally determined quantities.Comment: 25 pages, we added an estimation of a reasonable range of values for the quark mass ratios and the corresponding quark mixing matrix elements. Accepted in Phys. Rev. D, 01 April 200

Influence of the length of hospitalisation in post-discharge outcomes in patients with acute heart failure: Results of the LOHRCA study

Objective: To investigate the relationship between length of hospitalisation (LOH) and post-discharge outcomes in acute heart failure (AHF) patients and to ascertain whether there are different patterns according to department of initial hospitalisation. Methods: Consecutive AHF patients hospitalised in 41 Spanish centres were grouped based on the LOH (15 days). Outcomes were defined as 90-day post-discharge all-cause mortality, AHF readmissions, and the combination of both. Hazard ratios (HRs), adjusted by chronic conditions and severity of decompensation, were calculated for groups with LOH >6 days vs. LOH <6 days (reference), and stratified by hospitalisation in cardiology, internal medicine, geriatrics, or short-stay units. Results: We included 8563 patients (mean age: 80 (SD = 10) years, 55.5% women), with a median LOH of 7 days (IQR 4–11): 2934 (34.3%) had a LOH 15 days. The 90-day post-discharge mortality was 11.4%, readmission 32.2%, and combined endpoint 37.4%. Mortality was increased by 36.5% (95%CI = 13.0–64.9) when LOH was 11–15 days, and by 72.0% (95%CI = 42.6–107.5) when >15 days. Conversely, no differences were found in readmission risk, and the combined endpoint only increased 21.6% (95%CI = 8.4–36.4) for LOH >15 days. Stratified analysis by hospitalisation departments rendered similar post-discharge outcomes, with all exhibiting increased mortality for LOH >15 days and no significant increments in readmission risk. Conclusions: Short hospitalisations are not associated with worse outcomes. While post-discharge readmissions are not affected by LOH, mortality risk increases as the LOH lengthens. These findings were similar across hospitalisation departments

RICORS2040 : The need for collaborative research in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a silent and poorly known killer. The current concept of CKD is relatively young and uptake by the public, physicians and health authorities is not widespread. Physicians still confuse CKD with chronic kidney insufficiency or failure. For the wider public and health authorities, CKD evokes kidney replacement therapy (KRT). In Spain, the prevalence of KRT is 0.13%. Thus health authorities may consider CKD a non-issue: very few persons eventually need KRT and, for those in whom kidneys fail, the problem is 'solved' by dialysis or kidney transplantation. However, KRT is the tip of the iceberg in the burden of CKD. The main burden of CKD is accelerated ageing and premature death. The cut-off points for kidney function and kidney damage indexes that define CKD also mark an increased risk for all-cause premature death. CKD is the most prevalent risk factor for lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the factor that most increases the risk of death in COVID-19, after old age. Men and women undergoing KRT still have an annual mortality that is 10- to 100-fold higher than similar-age peers, and life expectancy is shortened by ~40 years for young persons on dialysis and by 15 years for young persons with a functioning kidney graft. CKD is expected to become the fifth greatest global cause of death by 2040 and the second greatest cause of death in Spain before the end of the century, a time when one in four Spaniards will have CKD. However, by 2022, CKD will become the only top-15 global predicted cause of death that is not supported by a dedicated well-funded Centres for Biomedical Research (CIBER) network structure in Spain. Realizing the underestimation of the CKD burden of disease by health authorities, the Decade of the Kidney initiative for 2020-2030 was launched by the American Association of Kidney Patients and the European Kidney Health Alliance. Leading Spanish kidney researchers grouped in the kidney collaborative research network Red de Investigación Renal have now applied for the Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS) call for collaborative research in Spain with the support of the Spanish Society of Nephrology, Federación Nacional de Asociaciones para la Lucha Contra las Enfermedades del Riñón and ONT: RICORS2040 aims to prevent the dire predictions for the global 2040 burden of CKD from becoming true

Toward Male Individualization with Rapidly Mutating Y-Chromosomal Short Tandem Repeats

Peer reviewe