Influence of seismic activity on the atmospheric electric field in Lisbon (Portugal) from 1955 to 1991

In the present study, we considered the influence of seismic activity on the atmospheric electric field recorded at Portela meteorological station (Lisbon, Portugal) for the period from 1955 to 1991. To this end, an exploratory method was developed, which involved the selection of events for which the distance from the atmospheric electrical field sensor to the earthquake epicenter is smaller than the preparation radius of the event. This enabled the correlation of the atmospheric electric field variations with a quantity S, defined basically as the ratio of the earthquake preparation radius to the distance between the sensor and the event epicenter. The first results show promising perspectives, but clearly a more profound study is required, in which a careful analysis of the weather conditions and other variables, like atmospheric radon levels, must be considered

Initial in vitro evaluations of antibacterial activities of glucosinolate enzymatic hydrolysis products against plant pathogenic bacteria

Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial effects of glucosinolate hydrolysis products (GHP) against plant pathogenic micro-organisms namely Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Erwinia chrysanthemi, Pseudomonas cichorii, Pseudomonas tomato, Xanthomonas campestris and Xanthomonas juglandis. Methods and Results: Using a disc diffusion assay, seven different doses of 10 GHP were tested against each bacteria. The results showed that the isothiocyanates were potent antibacterials, whilst the other GHP were much less efficient. Moreover, the antibacterial effects were dose-dependent, increasing with the dose applied; 2-phenylethylisothiocyanate and sulforaphane showed the strongest inhibitory effects. The overall results show a great potential for using the isothiocyanates as an alternative tool to control undesired bacterial growth in plants. Conclusions: Glucosinolate hydrolysis products and more specifically the isothiocyanates: benzylisothiocyanate, 2-phenylethylisothiocyanate, the isothiocyanate Mix and sulforaphane, were effective phytochemicals against the in vitro growth of the phytopathogenic bacteria. The antibacterial activity exhibited by these phytochemicals reinforces their potential as alternatives to the traditional chemical control of phytopathogenic bacteria. Significance and Impact of the Study: This current in vitro study is the first providing comparative data on GHP as potential control agents for plant pathogenic bacteria. However, more studies are needed to determine their possible allelopathic impacts e.g. inhibition of plant growth and negative effects on beneficial soil bacteria and fungi (mycorrhizae

Heterogeneity of proliferative markers in pancreatic β-cells of patients with severe hypoglycemia following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Severe postprandial hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenia is an increasingly recognized, debilitating complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Increased secretion of insulin and incretin hormones is implicated in its pathogenesis. Histopathologic examination of pancreas has demonstrated increased islet size and/or nuclear diameter in post-RYGB patients who underwent pancreatectomy for severe refractory hypoglycemia with neuroglycopenia (RYGB + NG). We aimed to determine whether β-cell proliferation or apoptosis is altered in RYGB + NG. We performed an observational study to analyze markers of proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and transcription factor expression in pancreatic tissue from affected RYGB + NG patients (n = 12), normoglycemic patients undergoing pancreatic surgery for benign lesions (controls, n = 6), and individuals with hypoglycemia due to insulinoma (n = 52). Proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression was increased in insulin-positive cells in RYGB + NG patients (4.5-fold increase, p < 0.001 vs. controls) and correlated with β-cell mass. Ki-67 immunoreactivity was low in both RYGB + NG and controls, but did not differ between groups. Phospho-histone H3 levels did not differ between RYGB + NG and controls. PCNA and Ki-67 were both significantly lower in both controls and RYGB + NG than insulinomas. Markers of apoptosis and cell cycle (M30, p27, and p21) did not differ between groups. PDX1 and menin exhibited similar expression patterns, while FOXO1 appeared to be more cytosolic in RYGB + NG. Markers of proliferation are heterogeneous in patients with severe post-RYGB hypoglycemia. Increased β-cell proliferation in some individuals may contribute to increased β-cell mass observed in severely affected patients

Treatment of Nonmotor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease

Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) are integral to Parkinson's disease (PD) and the management can often be challenging. In spite of the growing evidence that NMS have a key impact on the quality of life of patients and caregivers, most clinical trials still focus on motor symptoms as primary outcomes. As a consequence strong evidence-based treatment recommendations for NMS occurring in PD are spare. In this chapter, the current data addressing the treatment of major NMS such as sleep, cognitive and autonomic dysfunction, and depression and anxiety are described

Papilomavírus humano e anormalidades cervicais em mulheres do sistema de saúde privado e público no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

This article reports the HPV status and cervical cytological abnormalities in patients attended at public and private gynecological services from Rio de Janeiro State. It also comments the performance of each HPV DNA tests used. A set of 454 women from private health clinics was tested by routine Capture Hybrid II HPV DNA assay. Among these, 58.4% presented HPV and nearly 90% of them were infected by high risk HPV types. However, this group presented few premalignant cervical lesions and no invasive cervical cancer was registered. We also studied 220 women from low income class attended at public health system. They were HPV tested by polymerase chain reaction using My09/11 primers followed by HPV typing with E6 specific primers. The overall HPV prevalence was 77.3%. They also showed a high percentage of high squamous intraepithelial lesion-HSIL (26.3%), and invasive cervical carcinoma (16.3%). HPV infection was found in 93.1% and 94.4% of them, respectively. The mean ages in both groups were 31.5 and 38 years, respectively. In series 1, HPV prevalence declined with age, data consistent with viral transient infection. In series 2, HPV prevalence did not decline, independent of age interval, supporting not only the idea of viral persistence into this group, but also regional epidemiological variations in the same geographic area. Significant cytological differences were seen between both groups. Normal and benign cases were the most prevalent cytological findings in series 1 while pre-malignant lesions were the most common diagnosis in the series 2. HPV prevalence in normal cases were statistically higher than those from series 1 (p < 0.001), indicating a higher exposure to HPV infection. Women from both samples were referred for previous abnormal cytology. However, socio-demographic evidence shows that women from series 1 have access to treatment more easily and faster than women from series 2 before the development of pre-malignant lesions. These data provides baseline support for the role of social inequalities linked to high risk HPV infection leading to cervical cancer. Broadly screening programs and the development of safe and effective vaccines against HPV would diminish the toll of this disease that affect mainly poor women.Este artigo analisa a infecção por HPV e anormalidades citológicas cervicais encontradas em pacientes atendidas em serviços ginecológicos dos sistemas de saúde público e privado do estado do Rio de Janeiro. O trabalho também avalia os testes utilizados para detecção de DNA do HPV em cada população estudada. Um grupo de 454 mulheres oriundas de serviços da rede privada de saúde foi testado por Captura do Híbrido II. Destas, 58,4% apresentaram infecção por HPV e cerca de 90% delas estavam infectadas por HPV de alto risco. Este grupo, entretanto, apresentava poucos casos de lesões cervicais pré-malígnas e nenhum caso de câncer. Estudamos, também, 220 mulheres de baixo nível econômico atendidas no serviço de saúde pública que foram testadas para HPV pela reação da polimerase em cadeia utilizando-se os oligonucleotídeos My09/My11. A identificação dos tipos foi efetuada por amplificação com oligonucleotídeos específicos para a região E6 do genoma viral. A prevalência de HPV nesta população foi de 77.3%, observando-se uma alta porcentagem de casos de neoplasias intraepiteliais cervicais de alto grau (26,3%) e de carcinoma cervical invasivo (16,3%). A infecção por HPV foi achada em, respectivamente, 93,1% e 94,4% destes casos. A média de idade em ambos os grupos era de 31,5 e 38 anos, respectivamente. Na série 1, a prevalência da infecção por HPV decresce com a idade, enquanto na série 2 ela não desaparece, dando suporte não só à idéia de persistência viral neste grupo, mas também a variações epidemiológicas na mesma área geográfica. Diferenças significativas foram vistas nos dois grupos. Casos normais e benignos foram incidentes na série 1, enquanto as lesões malígnas predominaram na série 2. Ao contrário, casos normais infectados por HPV eram prevalentes na série 2 (p < 0.001), indicando maior exposição ao vírus. Embora as mulheres de ambos os grupos tenham sido incluídas no estudo por apresentarem citologia anormal, evidências sócio-demográficas demonstram que mulheres da série 1 tem acesso mais fácil e rápido ao tratamento do que as mulheres da série 2 antes que as lesões pré-malígnas se desenvolvam. Estes resultados fornecem dados sobre o papel das desigualdades sociais associadas à infecção por HPV de alto risco na progressão do câncer cervical. Programas de prevenção abrangentes e o desenvolvimento de vacinas eficazes e seguras contra o HPV poderiam reduzir o tributo desta doença que afeta principalmente mulheres pobres

The Repetitive Element RLEP Is a Highly Specific Target for Detection of Mycobacterium leprae

YesDamien Foundation, Belgium, and R2Stop, Canada. B.C.D.J. and C.J.M. were supported by the European Research Council-INTERRUPTB starting grant 311725

Pulsar-wind nebulae and magnetar outflows: observations at radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray wavelengths

We review observations of several classes of neutron-star-powered outflows: pulsar-wind nebulae (PWNe) inside shell supernova remnants (SNRs), PWNe interacting directly with interstellar medium (ISM), and magnetar-powered outflows. We describe radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations of PWNe, focusing first on integrated spectral-energy distributions (SEDs) and global spectral properties. High-resolution X-ray imaging of PWNe shows a bewildering array of morphologies, with jets, trails, and other structures. Several of the 23 so far identified magnetars show evidence for continuous or sporadic emission of material, sometimes associated with giant flares, and a few possible "magnetar-wind nebulae" have been recently identified.Comment: 61 pages, 44 figures (reduced in quality for size reasons). Published in Space Science Reviews, "Jets and Winds in Pulsar Wind Nebulae, Gamma-ray Bursts and Blazars: Physics of Extreme Energy Release

Physics of Seismo-electromagnetic Phenomena

The seismo-electromagnetic phenomena (SEMG) are integrated in a relatively recent research field that studies diverse phenomena such as: unusual seismo-electrical signals [1], abnormal ultra-low-frequency (ULF) seismo-electromagnetic emissions [2], very-low-frequency (VLF) and low-frequency (LF) radiobroadcast anomalies associated with ionosphere perturbations [3], variation of total electron content of the ionosphere [4], and atypical infrared emissions [5], all related with the preparatory stage of impending earthquakes. In the past, like many other branches of science like Quantum Mechanics, SEMG have been responsible for intense debates about its credibility, in this case concerning its applicability to short-term earthquake prediction [6]. In fact, the development of a truly pre-quake forecasting system is still an elusive plan, but SEM emissions are now a very well established effect extensively reported in literature. Nevertheless, much of the Physics implicated is still not fully understood. Thus, our main effort is directed towards a systematic field observation of SEMG effects and the development of both constructive theoretical models and laboratorial experiments to promote a better understanding of the Physics engaged in these phenomena. In this presentation we will present a sum up of our recent achievements [7,8,9], focusing future work and improvements. [1] A. Konstantaras, et al., On the electric field transient anomaly observed at the time of the Kythira M=6.9 earthquake on January 2006, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 7, 677 (2007). [2] T. Bleier, et al., Investigation of ULF magnetic pulsations, air conductivity changes, and infra red signatures associated with the 30 October Alum Rock M5.4 earthquake, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 9, 585 (2009). [3] P. Biagi, et al., An overview on preseismic anomalies in LF radio signals revealed in Italy by wavelet analysis, Annals of Geophysics 51, 237 (2008). [4] V. Chauhan, et al., Ultra-low-frequency (ULF) and total electron content (TEC) anomalies observed at Agra and their association with regional earthquakes, Journal of Geodynamics 48, 68 (2009). [5] D. Ouzounov, et al., Outgoing long wave radiation variability from IR satellite data prior to major earthquakes, Tectonophysics 431, 211 (2007). [6] S. Uyeda, et al., Short-term earthquake prediction: Current status of seismo-electromagnetics, Tectonophysics 470, 205 (2009). [7] H.G. Silva, et al., Atmospheric electrical field anomalies associated with seismic activity, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 11, 987 (2011). [8] H. G. Silva, et al., Electric transport in different granitic rocks, EGU General Assembly 2011 (EGU 2011), 3-8 April 2011, Vienna (Austria). [9] H.G. Silva, et al., Piezoelectric effect during solid fracture causing electromagnetic emissions, International Conference on Computational Modelling of Fracture and Failure (CFRAC 2011), 6-8 June 2011, Barcelona (Spain)

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

Jet size dependence of single jet suppression in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions at the LHC provide direct sensitivity to the physics of jet quenching. In a sample of lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s) = 2.76 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 7 inverse microbarns, ATLAS has measured jets with a calorimeter over the pseudorapidity interval |eta| < 2.1 and over the transverse momentum range 38 < pT < 210 GeV. Jets were reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with values for the distance parameter that determines the nominal jet radius of R = 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5. The centrality dependence of the jet yield is characterized by the jet "central-to-peripheral ratio," Rcp. Jet production is found to be suppressed by approximately a factor of two in the 10% most central collisions relative to peripheral collisions. Rcp varies smoothly with centrality as characterized by the number of participating nucleons. The observed suppression is only weakly dependent on jet radius and transverse momentum. These results provide the first direct measurement of inclusive jet suppression in heavy ion collisions and complement previous measurements of dijet transverse energy imbalance at the LHC.Comment: 15 pages plus author list (30 pages total), 8 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Physics Letters B. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/HION-2011-02