Millimetric observations with a high-altitude 2.6-m ground based telescope

High atmospheric performances are necessary to ensure efficient sub/millimetre cosmological observations from ground. Low atmospheric components fluctuations along the line of sight are a must for best detector applications. Such site constraints are attained only at in specific places around the world: highaltitude observatories or, equivalently, polar regions. We are currently involved in cosmological observations with the MITO project from an Alpine ground station which satisfies such requirements: the Testa Grigia mountain at 3500 m a.s.l., AO—Italy. The Chacaltaya laboratory at 5200 m a.s.l. could also be an appropriate mm-site. One of the goals of MITO is the multifrequency observation of nearby rich clusters of galaxies for measuring the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect. Combined S-Z and X-ray measurements yield the Hubble constant and other cosmological information. A dedicated instrument has been designed to minimize spurious contaminations on the signals. The telescope is a 2.6 m Cassegrain with a wobbling subreflector and a 4-band single pixel photometer installed at the focal plane. The bolometric detectors are cooled down to 300 mK by a double stage He3-He4 fridge

Millimetric observations with a high-altitude 2.6-m ground based telescope

High atmospheric performances are necessary to ensure efficient sub/millimetre cosmological observations from ground. Low atmospheric components fluctuations along the line of sight are a must for best detector applications. Such site constraints are attained only at in specific places around the world: highaltitude observatories or, equivalently, polar regions. We are currently involved in cosmological observations with the MITO project from an Alpine ground station which satisfies such requirements: the Testa Grigia mountain at 3500 m a.s.l., AO—Italy. The Chacaltaya laboratory at 5200 m a.s.l. could also be an appropriate mm-site. One of the goals of MITO is the multifrequency observation of nearby rich clusters of galaxies for measuring the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect. Combined S-Z and X-ray measurements yield the Hubble constant and other cosmological information. A dedicated instrument has been designed to minimize spurious contaminations on the signals. The telescope is a 2.6 m Cassegrain with a wobbling subreflector and a 4-band single pixel photometer installed at the focal plane. The bolometric detectors are cooled down to 300 mK by a double stage He3-He4 fridge

Colombian consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of candida Spp. disease in children and adults

La Candidiasis Invasora (CI) y la candidemia, como su manifestación más frecuente, se ha convertido en la principal causa de micosis oportunista a nivel hospitalario. Este manuscrito realizado por miembros de la Asociación Colombiana de Infectología (ACIN), tuvo como objetivo proporcionar un conjunto de recomendaciones para manejo, seguimiento y prevención de la CI/candidemia y de la infección candidiásica de mucosas, en población adulta, pediátrica y neonatal, en un entorno hospitalario, incluyendo las unidades hemato-oncológicas y unidades de cuidado crítico. Todos los datos obtenidos mediante una búsqueda exhaustiva, fueron revisados y analizados de manera amplia por todos los miembros del grupo, y las recomendaciones emitidas se elaboraron luego de la evaluación de la literatura científica disponible, y el consenso de todos los especialistas involucrados, reconociendo el problema de la emergencia de las infecciones por Candida Spp. y brindando una correcta orientación a los profesionales de la salud sobre el manejo de pacientes con enfermedad candidiásica, de una forma racional y práctica, enfatizando en la evaluación del paciente, estrategias de diagnóstico, profilaxis, tratamiento empírico, tratamiento dirigido y terapia preventiva.Invasive Candidiasis (IC) and candidemia (as its most frequent manifestation) have become the main cause of opportunistic mycosis at hospital settings. This study, made by members of the Colombian Association of Infectious Diseases (ACIN), was aimed at providing a set of recommendations for the management, follow-up and prevention of IC / candidemia and mucous membrane candida infection in adult, pediatric and neonatal patients in a hospital setting, including the hemato-oncological and critical care units. All the data obtained through an exhaustive search were reviewed and analyzed in a comprehensive manner by all the members of the group, and the recommendations issued are being made after a careful review of the scientific literature available and the consensus of all specialists involved; the emergence of Candida Spp. problem is highlighted and a correct orientation to health professionals regarding the management of patients with candidiasis is provided in a rational and practical way, emphasizing patient evaluation, diagnostic strategies, prophylaxis, empirical treatment, directed treatment and preventative therap

Genome of the Avirulent Human-Infective Trypanosome—Trypanosoma rangeli

Background: Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite infecting humans and other wild and domestic mammals across Central and South America. It does not cause human disease, but it can be mistaken for the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, Trypanosoma cruzi. We have sequenced the T. rangeli genome to provide new tools for elucidating the distinct and intriguing biology of this species and the key pathways related to interaction with its arthropod and mammalian hosts.  Methodology/Principal Findings: The T. rangeli haploid genome is ,24 Mb in length, and is the smallest and least repetitive trypanosomatid genome sequenced thus far. This parasite genome has shorter subtelomeric sequences compared to those of T. cruzi and T. brucei; displays intraspecific karyotype variability and lacks minichromosomes. Of the predicted 7,613 protein coding sequences, functional annotations could be determined for 2,415, while 5,043 are hypothetical proteins, some with evidence of protein expression. 7,101 genes (93%) are shared with other trypanosomatids that infect humans. An ortholog of the dcl2 gene involved in the T. brucei RNAi pathway was found in T. rangeli, but the RNAi machinery is non-functional since the other genes in this pathway are pseudogenized. T. rangeli is highly susceptible to oxidative stress, a phenotype that may be explained by a smaller number of anti-oxidant defense enzymes and heatshock proteins.  Conclusions/Significance: Phylogenetic comparison of nuclear and mitochondrial genes indicates that T. rangeli and T. cruzi are equidistant from T. brucei. In addition to revealing new aspects of trypanosome co-evolution within the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts, comparative genomic analysis with pathogenic trypanosomatids provides valuable new information that can be further explored with the aim of developing better diagnostic tools and/or therapeutic targets

AGENTES ASOCIADOS Y SU PAPEL EN LA DECLINACIÓN Y MUERTE DE ENCINOS (QUERCUS, FAGACEAE) EN EL CENTRO-OESTE DE MÉXICO

This study was carried out to identify bioticand abiotic agents and to determine theirrole in oak decline and death in five statesof the Mexican Republic: Aguascalientes,Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco and Nayarit.Two 0.1-ha permanent plots wereestablished at the most representativeforested areas with tree death, diebackand bleeding cankers in these statesand sampled during 2003, 2004 and 2005(10 plots in total). Field observations weremade, and foliage, branch, trunk and soilsamples were collected to identify theassociated agents in each plot. Isolates frombleeding cankers were made in situ. Themost commonly found biotic agents were:Phytophthora cinnamomi, Pythium sp.,Hypoxylon antropunctatum, Ganodermaspp., Armillaria sp., Apiognomoniaquercina, the dwarf mistletoe(Phoradendron villosum), bark borers,insect defoliators and livestock overgrazing.Among the abiotic stress factors commonlyfound were the effects due to lowtemperature-lack of water and fire. Basedon their incidence, P. cinnamomi, H.antropunctatum and low temperature-lackof water were considered the most importantcontributors to the decline and death of theoaks. P. cinnamomi was identified in four ofthe 10 plots, mainly in Colima and Jalisco;H. antropunctatum was detected in sixplots, particularly in Nayarit andAguascalientes. Stem cankers (cracks) dueto low temperature-lack of water wereobserved in four plots, damaging 52% of the trees in Aguascalientes and 24% inGuanajuato. It was concluded that P.cinnamomi is killing some oak species, H.antropunctatum is colonizing weakenedtrees, and low temperature-lack of water iscausing stress and in some cases death inoaks.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificary determinar el papel tanto de los factoresbióticos como de los abióticos asociados ala declinación y muerte del encino en cincoestados de la República mexicana: Aguascalientes, Colima, Guanajuato, Jalisco yNayarit. Para esto, se establecieron dossitios permanentes de 0.1 ha en cada una delas áreas más representativas (con arboladomuerto, con muerte regresiva y cancros conexudado) de los estados mencionados (10sitios en total), los cuales fueron muestreados durante 2003, 2004 y 2005. Sehicieron observaciones y colectas en campode follaje, ramas, tronco y suelo, paraidentificar a los diferentes agentes de dañoen cada sitio. Se realizaron aislamientosin situ de cancros con exudado en mediosespecíficos. Los agentes bióticos máscomunes fueron: Phytophthora cinnamomi,Pythium sp., Hypoxylon antropunctatum,Ganoderma sp., Armillaria sp.,Apiognomonia quercina, el muérdagoenano (Phoradendron villosum), barrenadores, defoliadores y sobrepastoreo. Entre los abióticos causantes de estrés ymuerte, destacaron los daños ocasionadospor las bajas temperaturas-falta de aguay fuego. Con base en su incidencia, P.cinnamomi, H. antropunctatum y las bajastemperaturas-falta de agua son considerados los factores de mayor importanciaen la declinación y muerte del encino. P.cinnamomi fue identificado en cuatro delos diez sitios, particularmente de Colimay Jalisco; H. antropunctatum fué detectadoen seis de diez, principalmente en losrodales de Nayarit y Aguascalientes. Loscancros de troncos (rajaduras), debido a lasbajas temperaturas-falta de agua, seobservaron en cuatro sitios, afectando al52% de los árboles en Aguascalientes y24% en Guanajuato. Se concluye que P.cinnamomi está ocasionando la muertede algunas especies de encino, H.antropunctatum está coloni-zando árbolesdebilitados y las bajas temperaturas-faltade agua están participando como agentescausantes de estrés y muerte en algunoscasos

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

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

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

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