Canine Filamentous Dermatitis Associated with Borrelia Infection

Background: Although canine clinical manifestations of Lyme disease vary widely, cutaneous manifestations are not well documented in dogs. In contrast, a variety of cutaneous manifestations are reported in human Lyme disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. A recently recognized dermopathy associated with tickborne illness known as Morgellons disease is characterized by brightly-colored filamentous inclusions and projections detected in ulcerative lesions and under unbroken skin. Recent studies have demonstrated that the dermal filaments are collagen and keratin biofibers produced by epithelial cells in response to spirochetal infection. We now describe a similar filamentous dermatitis in canine Lyme disease. Methods and Results: Nine dogs were found to have cutaneous ulcerative lesions containing embedded or projecting dermal filaments. Spirochetes characterized as Borrelia spp. were detected in skin tissue by culture, histology, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing performed at five independent laboratories. Borrelia DNA was detected either directly from skin specimens or from cultures inoculated with skin specimens taken from the nine canine study subjects. Amplicon sequences from two canine samples matched gene sequences for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. PCR amplification failed to detect spirochetes in dermatological specimens from four healthy asymptomatic dogs. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that a filamentous dermatitis analogous to Morgellons disease may be a manifestation of Lyme disease in domestic dogs

Normal and intruder configurations in Si- 34 populated in the beta(-) decay of Mg-34 and Al-34

The structure of Si-34 was studied through gamma spectroscopy separately in the beta(-) decays of Mg-34 and Al-34 at the ISOLDE facility of CERN. Different configurations in Si-34 were populated independently from the two recently identified beta-decaying states in Al-34 having spin-parity assignments J(pi) = 4(-) dominated by the normal configuration pi(d(5/2))(-1) circle times nu(f(7/2)) and J(pi) = 1(+) by the intruder configuration pi(d(5/2))(-1) circle times nu(d(3/2))(-1) (f(7/2))(2). The paper reports on spectroscopic properties of Si-34 such as an extended level scheme, spin and parity assignments based on log(ft) values and gamma-ray branching ratios, absolute beta feeding intensities, and neutron emission probabilities. A total of 11 newly identified levels and 26 transitions were added to the previously known level scheme of Si-34. Large scale shell-model calculations using the SDPF-U-MIX interaction, able to treat higher order intruder configurations, are compared with the new results and conclusions are drawn concerning the predictive power of SDPF-U-MIX, the N = 20 shell gap, the level of mixing between normal and intruder configurations for the 0(1)(+), 0(2)(+), and 2(1)(+) states, and the absence of triaxial deformation in Si-3(4).Peer reviewe

Properties of intruder states in 34^{34}Al and 34^{34}Si

We report on two experimental results for nuclei located in the region of the N = 20 island of inversion. In the first experiment, performed at GANIL, we have discovered and studied the $0_{2}^{ + }$ state in $^{34}$Si and made the hypothesis that it was fed by the beta-decay of a predicted isomeric $1^{+}$ state in $^{34}$Al. In the second experiment, performed at ISOLDE, we have studied the beta-decay of $^{34}$Mg in order to obtain information on the structure of $^{34}$Al and in particular the position of the isomeric $1^{+}$ state

Properties of low-lying intruder states in 34Al and 34Si populated in the beta-decay of 34Mg

The results of the IS530 experiment at ISOLDE revealed new information concerning several nuclei close to the N ≈ 20 'Island of Inversion' - 34Mg, 34Al, 34Si. The half-life of 34Mgwas found to be three times larger than the adopted value (63(1) ms instead of 20(10) ms). The beta-gamma spectroscopy of 34Mgperformed for the first time in this experiment, led to the first experimental level scheme for 34Al, also showing that the full beta strength goes through the predicted 1+ isomer in 34Al[1] and/or excited states that deexcite to it. The subsequent beta-decay of the 1+ isomer in 34Alallowed the observation of new gamma lines in 34Si, (tentatively) associated with low-spin high-energy excited states previously unobserved

Laser driven nuclear physics at ELI–NP

Summarization: High power lasers have proven being capable to produce high energy γ-rays, charged particles and neutrons, and to induce all kinds of nuclear reactions. At ELI, the studies with high power lasers will enter for the first time into new domains of power and intensities: 10 PW and 1023 W/cm2. While the development of laser based radiation sources is the main focus at the ELI-Beamlines pillar of ELI, at ELI-NP the studies that will benefit from High Power Laser System pulses will focus on Laser Driven Nuclear Physics (this TDR, acronym LDNP, associated to the E1 experimental area), High Field Physics and QED (associated to the E6 area) and fundamental research opened by the unique combination of the two 10 PW laser pulses with a gamma beam provided by the Gamma Beam System (associated to E7 area). The scientific case of the LDNP TDR encompasses studies of laser induced nuclear reactions, aiming for a better understanding of nuclear properties, of nuclear reaction rates in laser-plasmas, as well as on the development of radiation source characterization methods based on nuclear techniques. As an example of proposed studies: the promise of achieving solid-state density bunches of (very) heavy ions accelerated to about 10 MeV/nucleon through the RPA mechanism will be exploited to produce highly astrophysical relevant neutron rich nuclei around the N~126 waiting point, using the sequential fission-fusion scheme, complementary to any other existing or planned method of producing radioactive nuclei. The studies will be implemented predominantly in the E1 area of ELI-NP. However, many of them can be, in a first stage, performed in the E5 and/or E4 areas, where higher repetition laser pulses are available, while the harsh X-ray and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) environments are less damaging compared to E1. A number of options are discussed through the document, having an important impact on the budget and needed resources. Depending on the TDR review and subsequent project decisions, they may be taken into account for space reservation, while their detailed design and implementation will be postponed. The present TDR is the result of contributions from several institutions engaged in nuclear physics and high power laser research. A significant part of the proposed equipment can be designed, and afterwards can be built, only in close collaboration with (or subcontracting to) some of these institutions. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is currently under preparation with each of these key partners as well as with others that are interested to participate in the design or in the future experimental program.Παρουσιάστηκε στο: Romanian Reports in Physic