A pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) gives birth at a cleaning station in the Philippines

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00338-014-1249-8This article discusses photographic evidence captured on April 4, 2013, as the first record of a thresher shark giving birth

Can We Really Prevent Suicide?

Every year, suicide is among the top 20 leading causes of death globally for all ages. Unfortunately, suicide is difficult to prevent, in large part because the prevalence of risk factors is high among the general population. In this review, clinical and psychological risk factors are examined and methods for suicide prevention are discussed. Prevention strategies found to be effective in suicide prevention include means restriction, responsible media coverage, and general public education, as well identification methods such as screening, gatekeeper training, and primary care physician education. Although the treatment for preventing suicide is difficult, follow-up that includes pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, or both may be useful. However, prevention methods cannot be restricted to the individual. Community, social, and policy interventions will also be essentia

Biofilms of non-Candida albicans Candida species : quantification, structure and matrix composition

Most cases of candidiasis have been attributed to C. albicans, but recently, non- Candida albicans Candida (NCAC) species have been identified as common pathogens. The ability of Candida species to form biofilms has important clinical repercussions due to their increased resistance to antifungal therapy and the ability of yeast cells within the biofilms to withstand host immune defenses. Given this clinical importance of the biofilm growth form, the aim of this study was to characterize biofilms produced by three NCAC species, namely C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata. The biofilm forming ability of clinical isolates of C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata recovered from different sources, was evaluated by crystal violet staining. The structure and morphological characteristics of the biofilms were also assessed by scanning electron microscopy and the biofilm matrix composition analyzed for protein and carbohydrate content. All NCAC species were able to form biofilms although these were less extensive for C. glabrata compared with C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis. It was evident that C. parapsilosis biofilm production was highly strain dependent, a feature not evident with C. glabrata and C. tropicalis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed structural differences for biofilms with respect to cell morphology and spatial arrangement. Candida parapsilosis biofilm matrices had large amounts of carbohydrate with less protein. Conversely, matrices extracted from C. tropicalis biofilms had low amounts of carbohydrate and protein. Interestingly, C. glabrata biofilm matrix was high in both protein and carbohydrate content. The present work demonstrates that biofilm forming ability, structure and matrix composition are highly species dependent with additional strain variability occurring with C. parapsilosis.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BD/28341/2006, PDTC/BIO/61112/200

Adult 'PICC' Device May be Used as a Tunnelled Central Venous Catheter in Children

Purpose: Central venous access in children, in particular small children and infants, is challenging. We have developed a technique employing adult peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) as tunnelled central venous catheters (TCVCs) in children. The principal advantage of this novel technique is that the removal technique is less complex than that of conventional cuffed TCVCs. The catheter can be removed simply by being pulled out and does not require general anaesthesia. The purpose of this study is to determine the success, safety and utility of this technique and to identify the rate of late complications. We describe the 6-year experience in our unit.Materials and methods: Electronic and paper medical records were reviewed for consecutive paediatric patients who had a PICC device inserted as a TCVC over a 6-year period (September 2009 through July 2015). The following data were recorded-patient demographics, setting for PICC as TCVC insertion, use of ultrasound and fluoroscopy, PICC device type, early or late complications and date of and reason for removal.Results: Twenty-one PICCs were inserted as TCVCs in 19 children, all aged less than 10 years. Mean patient age at the time of placement was 3.7 years. Average patient weight was 15.7 kg. All insertions were successful with no significant immediate complications recorded. The most common indication for insertion in our patient sample was pseudo-obstruction secondary to gastrointestinal dysmotility disorder (24%), with cystic fibrosis infective exacerbation being the second most frequent diagnosis (14%). Suspected catheter-related infection led to early device removal in one case (4.8%). Inadvertent dislodgement occurred in one case (4.8%). Nineteen of the 21 devices (90.4%) lasted for the total intended duration of use.Conclusion: Using a PICC device as a TCVC in small children appears to be a safe technique, with an acceptable complication profile.</p

Rapidity and Centrality Dependence of Proton and Anti-proton Production from Au+Au Collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130GeV

We report on the rapidity and centrality dependence of proton and anti-proton transverse mass distributions from Au+Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130GeV as measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. Our results are from the rapidity and transverse momentum range of |y|<0.5 and 0.35 <p_t<1.00GeV/c. For both protons and anti-protons, transverse mass distributions become more convex from peripheral to central collisions demonstrating characteristics of collective expansion. The measured rapidity distributions and the mean transverse momenta versus rapidity are flat within |y|<0.5. Comparisons of our data with results from model calculations indicate that in order to obtain a consistent picture of the proton(anti-proton) yields and transverse mass distributions the possibility of pre-hadronic collective expansion may have to be taken into account.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted to PR

Quantitative imaging of concentrated suspensions under flow

We review recent advances in imaging the flow of concentrated suspensions, focussing on the use of confocal microscopy to obtain time-resolved information on the single-particle level in these systems. After motivating the need for quantitative (confocal) imaging in suspension rheology, we briefly describe the particles, sample environments, microscopy tools and analysis algorithms needed to perform this kind of experiments. The second part of the review focusses on microscopic aspects of the flow of concentrated model hard-sphere-like suspensions, and the relation to non-linear rheological phenomena such as yielding, shear localization, wall slip and shear-induced ordering. Both Brownian and non-Brownian systems will be described. We show how quantitative imaging can improve our understanding of the connection between microscopic dynamics and bulk flow.Comment: Review on imaging hard-sphere suspensions, incl summary of methodology. Submitted for special volume 'High Solid Dispersions' ed. M. Cloitre, Vol. xx of 'Advances and Polymer Science' (Springer, Berlin, 2009); 22 pages, 16 fig

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente

Distribution of sulfur in power supply lignite from North Hungary

Abstract The present article discusses the results of measurements carried out to assess the distribution of different sulfur types in lignite samples deriving from two opencast lignite mines near the villages of Bükkábrány and Visonta. These mines ensure the continuous supply of fuel for one of Hungary's largest thermal power plant. According to our findings no significant differences could be identified between the samples of the two mines based on their total sulfur (St) content. Both lignite types were classified as coals with medium-sulfur content according to the system of Chou (1990). A majority of total sulfur is accumulated in lignite, while in the intercalated carbonaceous shale total sulfur is present in minor amounts. Usually the sequence of the distribution of sulfur among the different bond forms in lignite collected from opencast mine of Visonta is as follows: pyritic sulfur (Sp) > organic sulfur (Sorg) > sulfate sulfur (SSOorg4). In the samples collected from Visonta and Bükkábrány quantities of total sulfur were similar. However, some difference in their distribution among various sulfur types were noted. Although half of the samples were weathered and the amount of pyrite sulfur must have been higher in the weathered lignite of Bükkábrány preceding the oxidation process, the sequence of the distribution of sulfur was likely as follows Sorg ≥ Sp ≥ SSO4

Repeated evolution of self-compatibility for reproductive assurance

Sexual reproduction in eukaryotes requires the fusion of two compatible gametes of opposite sexes or mating types. To meet the challenge of finding a mating partner with compatible gametes evolutionary mechanisms such as hermaphroditism and self-fertilisation have repeatedly evolved. Combining insight from comparative genomics, computer simulations and experimental evolution in fission yeast, we shed light on the conditions promoting separate mating types or self-compatibility by mating-type switching. Analogous to multiple independent transitions between switchers and non-switchers in natural populations mediated by structural genomic changes, novel switching genotypes were readily evolving under selection in experimental populations. Detailed fitness measurements accompanied by computer simulations show the benefits and costs of switching during sexual and asexual reproduction governing the occurrence of both strategies in nature. Our findings illuminate the trade-off between the benefits of reproductive assurance and its fitness costs under benign conditions governing the evolution of self-compatibility

Measurement of the top quark mass using the matrix element technique in dilepton final states

We present a measurement of the top quark mass in pp¯ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. The data were collected by the D0 experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.7  fb−1. The matrix element technique is applied to tt¯ events in the final state containing leptons (electrons or muons) with high transverse momenta and at least two jets. The calibration of the jet energy scale determined in the lepton+jets final state of tt¯ decays is applied to jet energies. This correction provides a substantial reduction in systematic uncertainties. We obtain a top quark mass of mt=173.93±1.84  GeV