Emerging Role for the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 in Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Leishmania parasites utilize adaptive evasion mechanisms in infected macrophages to overcome host defenses and proliferate. We report here that the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 signaling branch of the integrated endoplasmic reticulum stress response (IERSR) is activated by Leishmania and this pathway is important for Leishmania amazonensis infection. Knocking down PERK or ATF4 expression or inhibiting PERK kinase activity diminished L. amazonensis infection. Knocking down ATF4 decreased NRF2 expression and its nuclear translocation, reduced HO-1 expression and increased nitric oxide production. Meanwhile, the increased expression of ATF4 and HO-1 mRNAs were observed in lesions derived from patients infected with the prevalent related species L.(V.) braziliensis. Our data demonstrates that Leishmania parasites activate the PERK/eIF2α/ATF-4 pathway in cultured macrophages and infected human tissue and that this pathway is important for parasite survival and progression of the infection

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

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Low-Cost WSN Monitoring and Location of Small Ruminants Using Transmission-Loss Inversion on Open Grassland in Brazil

The practical engineering plausibility of transmission-loss inversion methods using low-cost sensor network technologies for location and tracking of small ruminants is investigated experimentally. Transmission loss is measured in representative outdoor environments using IEEE 802.15.4 technology. The simplest possible propagation model is shown to reflect the general features of the measured propagation data. Its absolute accuracy, however, is probably inadequate for use in a location algorithm based on model inversion without optimization of its parameters. Model calibration to reflect inter-site variation of the propagation environment is suggested as a possible way of realizing a location system with useful accuracy and adequate portability

Tendência genética para características produtivas em bovinos da raça Pardo-Suíça Genetic trend in productive traits to Brown Swiss breed

Neste estudo foram analisados registros de produção de leite e de gordura de 4.959 lactações, de 2.414 vacas da raça Pardo-Suiça, filhas de 70 reprodutores, com partos observados de 1985 a 1998, em 51 rebanhos. Foram estimadas as tendências genéticas para as produções de leite (PL305ME) e de gordura (PG305ME), ajustadas à idade adulta e 305 dias de lactação. A tendência genética para os reprodutores foi estimada pela regressão linear dos valores genéticos dos reprodutores, em função do ano de parto de suas filhas, ponderados pelo número de filhas do reprodutor em cada ano de parto. O modelo animal utilizado para estimar os valores genéticos incluiu os efeitos fixos de rebanho, ano-época de parto e grupo genético do animal, além dos efeitos aleatórios, genético aditivo, de ambiente permanente e ambiente temporário. As médias para as produções de leite e gordura foram 6085,79 ± 1627,73 kg e 225,60 ± 60,46 kg, respectivamente. A tendência genética estimada para os reprodutores foi 33,01 ± 15,27 e 1,98 ± 0,61 kg/ano para PL305ME e PG305ME, respectivamente. Para vacas a tendência genética correspondeu a 20,54 ± 2,04 e 0,93 ± 0,06 kg/ano para PL305ME e PG305ME, ajustadas para idade adulta, respectivamente.<br>Records of 4959 lactation in 1985 to 1998 of 2414 Brown Swiss cows breed, daughters of 70 sires in 51 herds, were used to estimate the genetic trend for milk and fat yield adjusted for 305 days of lactation and mature age of cows (PL305ME and PG305ME). The genetic trend for sires was estimated using a linear regression of the breeding values of the sires to their daughters calving year, averaged to number of daughters in each calving year. The genetic trend of the cows was estimated using a linear regression of their estimates breeding values averaged to number of observation in each year of calving. The animal model used to estimate the breeding values, inclued the fixed effects of herd, year-season of calving, genetic group of the animals, and random effects of animal, permanent and temporary environment. The means of PL305ME and PG305ME were 6085.79 ± 1627.73 and 225.60 ± 60.46 kg, respectivelly. The genetic trend estimated to sires were 33.01 ± 15.27 and 1.98 ± 0,61 kg/year to PL305ME and PG305ME, respectivelly. The genetic trend estimated for cows were 20.54 ± 2.04 and .93 ± .06 kg/year para PL305ME and PG305ME, respectively