205 research outputs found
Halotolerant bacteria in the efflorescences of a deteriorated church
7 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, 18 references.--Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium, celebrado del 5-8, abril, 2000, en Sevilla, España.[EN]: A study on the composition of the efflorescences from the Church of Saint Jerome, Granada,
Spain, and their influence on the distribution ofthe bacterial communities was carried out. The composition of the
efflorescences varied depending on the location of the sampling point. The colony foming units (cfu) was related
with the type of salt, with a clear difference between halite and epsomite/hexahydrite. The most abundant genera
were Bacillus and Micrococcus and the abundance of bacilli could be explained by their osmotic adaptation to
halophilic environments.[ES]: Se ha determinado la composición de las eflorescencias de la iglesia de San Jerónimo, en Granada,
España, y relacionado con la presencia de comunidades específicas de bacterias. Existe una conexión entre el tipo
de sales y las comunidades bacterianas; así, la epsomita, la sal más abundante en el templo, origina la selección de
comunidades capaces de crecer a concentraciones de hasta,15% de esta sal. Sin embargo, las bacterias que basan
su halotolerancia en la halita presentan un crecimiento comparativamente menor y no son significativamente
estimuladas por la presencia de epsomita. Los géneros más abundantes son Bacillus y Micrococcus. La abundancia
de bacilos se debe a su adaptación osmótica a ambientes salinos.This work was supported by the European Commission,
project ENV4-CT98-0705, and the Research Groups
RNM-179 and 201 from the Community of Andalusia.Peer reviewe
Quasispecies structure and persistence of RNA viruses.
Viral quasispecies are closely related (but nonidentical) mutant and recombinant viral genomes subjected to continuous genetic variation, competition, and selection. Quasispecies structure and dynamics of replicating RNA enable virus populations to persist in their hosts and cause disease. We review mechanisms of viral persistence in cells, organisms, and populations of organisms and suggest that the critical interplay between host and viral influences (including in some cases the quasispecies organization) is the main driving force for long-term survival of viruses in nature
An Extreme Solar Event of 20 January 2005: Properties of the Flare and the Origin of Energetic Particles
The extreme solar and SEP event of 20 January 2005 is analyzed from two
perspectives. Firstly, we study features of the main phase of the flare, when
the strongest emissions from microwaves up to 200 MeV gamma-rays were observed.
Secondly, we relate our results to a long-standing controversy on the origin of
SEPs arriving at Earth, i.e., acceleration in flares, or shocks ahead of CMEs.
All emissions from microwaves up to 2.22 MeV line gamma-rays during the main
flare phase originated within a compact structure located just above sunspot
umbrae. A huge radio burst with a frequency maximum at 30 GHz was observed,
indicating the presence of a large number of energetic electrons in strong
magnetic fields. Thus, protons and electrons responsible for flare emissions
during its main phase were accelerated within the magnetic field of the active
region. The leading, impulsive parts of the GLE, and highest-energy gamma-rays
identified with pi^0-decay emission, are similar and correspond in time. The
origin of the pi^0-decay gamma-rays is argued to be the same as that of lower
energy emissions. We estimate the sky-plane speed of the CME to be 2000-2600
km/s, i.e., high, but of the same order as preceding non-GLE-related CMEs from
the same active region. Hence, the flare itself rather than the CME appears to
determine the extreme nature of this event. We conclude that the acceleration,
at least, to sub-relativistic energies, of electrons and protons, responsible
for both the flare emissions and the leading spike of SEP/GLE by 07 UT, are
likely to have occurred simultaneously within the flare region. We do not rule
out a probable contribution from particles accelerated in the CME-driven shock
for the leading GLE spike, which seemed to dominate later on.Comment: 34 pages, 14 Postscript figures. Solar Physics, accepted. A typo
corrected. The original publication is available at
http://www.springerlink.co
Impact of previous tobacco use with or without cannabis on first psychotic experiences in patients with first-episode psychosis
Objective: There is high prevalence of cigarette smoking in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP) prior to psychosis onset. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of previous tobacco use with or without cannabis on first psychotic experiences in FEP and the impact of this use on age of onset of symptoms, including prodromes. Methods: Retrospective analyses from the naturalistic, longitudinal, multicentre, “Phenotype-Genotype and Environmental Interaction. Application of a Predictive Model in First Psychotic Episodes (PEPs)” Study. The authors analysed sociodemographic/clinical data of 284 FEP patients and 231 matched healthy controls, and evaluated first psychotic experiences of patients using the Symptom Onset in Schizophrenia Inventory. Results: FEP patients had significantly higher prevalence of tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine use than controls. The FEP group with tobacco use only prior to onset (N = 56) had more sleep disturbances (42.9% vs 18.8%, P = 0.003) and lower prevalence of negative symptoms, specifically social withdrawal (33.9% vs 58%, P = 0.007) than FEP with no substance use (N = 70), as well as lower prevalence of ideas of reference (80.4% vs 92.4%, P = 0.015), perceptual abnormalities (46.4% vs 67.4%, P = 0.006), hallucinations (55.4% vs 71.5%, P = 0.029), and disorganised thinking (41.1% vs 61.1%, P = 0.010) than FEP group with previous tobacco and cannabis use (N = 144). FEP patients with cannabis and tobacco use had lower age at first prodromal or psychotic symptom (mean = 23.73 years [SD = 5.09]) versus those with tobacco use only (mean = 26.21 [SD = 4.80]) (P = 0.011). Conclusions: The use of tobacco alone was not related to earlier age of onset of a first psychotic experience, but the clinical profile of FEP patients is different depending on previous tobacco use with or without cannabis. © 2021 The Author
Mass-to-light ratio gradients in early-type galaxy haloes
Since the near future should see a rapidly expanding set of probes of the
halo masses of individual early-type galaxies, we introduce a convenient
parameter for characterising the halo masses from both observational and
theoretical results: \dML, the logarithmic radial gradient of the mass-to-light
ratio. Using halo density profiles from LCDM simulations, we derive predictions
for this gradient for various galaxy luminosities and star formation
efficiencies . As a pilot study, we assemble the available \dML\
data from kinematics in early-type galaxies - representing the first unbiassed
study of halo masses in a wide range of early-type galaxy luminosities - and
find a correlation between luminosity and \dML, such that the brightest
galaxies appear the most dark-matter dominated. We find that the gradients in
most of the brightest galaxies may fit in well with the LCDM predictions, but
that there is also a population of fainter galaxies whose gradients are so low
as to imply an unreasonably high star formation efficiency .
This difficulty is eased if dark haloes are not assumed to have the standard
LCDM profiles, but lower central concentrations.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication on MNRA
From Sun to Interplanetary Space: What is the Pathlength of Solar Energetic Particles?
Solar energetic particles (SEPs), accelerated during solar eruptions, propagate in turbulent solar wind before being
observed with in situ instruments. In order to interpret their origin through comparison with remote sensing
observations of the solar eruption, we thus must deconvolve the transport effects due to the turbulent magnetic
fields from the SEP observations. Recent research suggests that the SEP propagation is guided by the turbulent
meandering of the magnetic fieldlines across the mean magnetic field. However, the lengthening of the distance the
SEPs travel, due to the fieldline meandering, has so far not been included in SEP event analysis. This omission can
cause significant errors in estimation of the release times of SEPs at the Sun. We investigate the distance traveled
by the SEPs by considering them to propagate along fieldlines that meander around closed magnetic islands that
are inherent in turbulent plasma. We introduce a fieldline random walk model which takes into account the
physical scales associated to the magnetic islands. Our method remedies the problem of the diffusion equation
resulting in unrealistically short pathlengths, and the fractal dependence of the pathlength of random walk on the
length of the random-walk step. We find that the pathlength from the Sun to 1au can be below the nominal Parker
spiral length for SEP events taking place at solar longitudes 45E to 60W, whereas the western and behind-the-limb
particles can experience pathlengths longer than 2au due to fieldline meandering
A longitudinal study of gene expression in first-episode schizophrenia; exploring relapse mechanisms by co-expression analysis in peripheral blood
Little is known about the pathophysiological mechanisms of relapse in first-episode schizophrenia, which limits the study of potential biomarkers. To explore relapse mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers for relapse prediction, we analyzed gene expression in peripheral blood in a cohort of first-episode schizophrenia patients with less than 5 years of evolution who had been evaluated over a 3-year follow-up period. A total of 91 participants of the 2EPs project formed the sample for baseline gene expression analysis. Of these, 67 provided biological samples at follow-up (36 after 3 years and 31 at relapse). Gene expression was assessed using the Clariom S Human Array. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was applied to identify modules of co-expressed genes and to analyze their preservation after 3 years of follow-up or at relapse. Among the 25 modules identified, one module was semi-conserved at relapse (DarkTurquoise) and was enriched with risk genes for schizophrenia, showing a dysregulation of the TCF4 gene network in the module. Two modules were semi-conserved both at relapse and after 3 years of follow-up (DarkRed and DarkGrey) and were found to be biologically associated with protein modification and protein location processes. Higher expression of DarkRed genes was associated with higher risk of suffering a relapse and early appearance of relapse (p = 0.045). Our findings suggest that a dysregulation of the TCF4 network could be an important step in the biological process that leads to relapse and suggest that genes related to the ubiquitin proteosome system could be potential biomarkers of relapse. © 2021, The Author(s)
Sources of SEP Acceleration during a Flare-CME Event
A high-speed halo-type coronal mass ejection (CME), associated with a GOES
M4.6 soft X-ray flare in NOAA AR 0180 at S12W29 and an EIT wave and dimming,
occurred on 9 November 2002. A complex radio event was observed during the same
period. It included narrow-band fluctuations and frequency-drifting features in
the metric wavelength range, type III burst groups at metric--hectometric
wavelengths, and an interplanetary type II radio burst, which was visible in
the dynamic radio spectrum below 14 MHz. To study the association of the
recorded solar energetic particle (SEP) populations with the propagating CME
and flaring, we perform a multi-wavelength analysis using radio spectral and
imaging observations combined with white-light, EUV, hard X-ray, and
magnetogram data. Velocity dispersion analysis of the particle distributions
(SOHO and Wind in situ observations) provides estimates for the release times
of electrons and protons. Our analysis indicates that proton acceleration was
delayed compared to the electrons. The dynamics of the interplanetary type II
burst identify the burst source as a bow shock created by the fast CME. The
type III burst groups, with start times close to the estimated electron release
times, trace electron beams travelling along open field lines into the
interplanetary space. The type III bursts seem to encounter a steep density
gradient as they overtake the type II shock front, resulting in an abrupt
change in the frequency drift rate of the type III burst emission. Our study
presents evidence in support of a scenario in which electrons are accelerated
low in the corona behind the CME shock front, while protons are accelerated
later, possibly at the CME bow shock high in the corona.Comment: Solar Physics, November 2007, in pres
Acceleration of Relativistic Protons during the 20 January 2005 Flare and CME
The origin of relativistic solar protons during large flare/CME events has
not been uniquely identified so far.We perform a detailed comparative analysis
of the time profiles of relativistic protons detected by the worldwide network
of neutron monitors at Earth with electromagnetic signatures of particle
acceleration in the solar corona during the large particle event of 20 January
2005. The intensity-time profile of the relativistic protons derived from the
neutron monitor data indicates two successive peaks. We show that microwave,
hard X-ray and gamma-ray emissions display several episodes of particle
acceleration within the impulsive flare phase. The first relativistic protons
detected at Earth are accelerated together with relativistic electrons and with
protons that produce pion decay gamma-rays during the second episode. The
second peak in the relativistic proton profile at Earth is accompanied by new
signatures of particle acceleration in the corona within approximatively 1
solar radius above the photosphere, revealed by hard X-ray and microwave
emissions of low intensity, and by the renewed radio emission of electron beams
and of a coronal shock wave. We discuss the observations in terms of different
scenarios of particle acceleration in the corona.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure
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