Inner Core Translation and the Hemispheric Balance of the Geomagnetic Field

Bulk translation of the Earth’s inner core has been proposed as an explanation of observed quasi-hemispheric seismic structure. An important consequence of inner core translation would be the generation of a spherical harmonic degree one heat flow anomaly at the inner core boundary (ICB) that would provide an inhomogeneous forcing for outer core convection. We use geodynamo simulations to investigate the geomagnetic signature of such heterogeneity. Strong hemispheric heterogeneity at the ICB is found to produce a hemispheric signature in both the morphology of the magnetic field and its secular variation; in particular, we note the formation of high-intensity flux patches at high-latitudes and American longitudes in our model with strong ICB heterogeneity. In our simulations, this model provides the best match to the Earth’s field over the past 400 years according to previously proposed measures of field structure. However, these criteria do not include the hemispheric balance of the field. We propose new criteria to measure this balance and find that our model with strong ICB heterogeneity produces the poorest match to the hemispheric balance of the historical geomagnetic field. Resolution of the hemispheric balance of the magnetic field throughout the Holocene would provide a strong test of any proposal of rapid inner core translation

Peritonite por Rhizobium radiobacter

Rhizobium radiobacter (Agrobacterium radiobacter) is an aerobic Gram-negative rod belonging to Agrobacterium genus, a group of phytopathogenic bacteria present in the soil that has been implicated in human opportunistic infections. We report a clinical case of bacterial peritonitis in a 5-year-old child with chronic renal disease in peritoneal dialysis, who had a history of direct soil contact identified. The infection was treated with ceftazidime and piperaciline+tazobactam without relapses or the need to remove the peritoneal dialysis catheter

The PML-RAR alpha transcript in long-term follow-up of acute promyelocytic leukemia patients

Background and Objectives. Detection of PML-RAR alpha transcripts by RT-PCR is now established as a rapid and sensitive method for diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), Although the majority of patients in longterm clinical remission are negative by consecutive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, negative tests are still observed in patients who ultimately relapse. Conversion from negative to positive PCR has been observed after consolidation and found to be a much stronger predictor of relapse. This study reports on 47 APL patients to determine the correlation between minimal residual disease (MRD) status and clinical outcome in our cohort of patients. Design and Methods. The presence of PML-RAR alpha t transcripts was investigated in 47 APL patients (37 adults and 10 children) using a semi-nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the prognostic value of RT-PCR tests. Results. All patients achieved complete clinical remission (CCR) following induction treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and chemotherapy (CHT) or ATRA alone. Patients were followed up between 2 and 117.6 months (median: 37 months). Relapses occurred in 11 patients (9 adults and 2 children) between 11.4 and 19 months after diagnosis (median: 15.1 months) while 36 patients (28 adults and 8 children) remained in CCR, Seventy-five percent of patients carried the PML-RARa long isoform (bcr 1/2) which also predominated among the relapsed cases (9 of 11) but did not associate with any adverse outcome (p = 0.37), For the purpose of this analysis, minimal residual disease tests were clustered into four time-intervals: 0-2 months, 3-5 months, 5-9 months and 10-24 months. Interpretation and Conclusions. Children showed persisting disease for longer than adults during the first 2 months of treatment, At 2 months, 10 (50%) of 20 patients who remained in CCR and 4 (80%) of 5 patients who subsequently relapsed were positive. Patients who remained in CCR had repeatedly negative results beyond 5.5 months from diagnosis. A positive MRD test preceded relapse in 3 of 4 tested patients. The ability of a negative test to predict CCR (predictive negative value, PNV) was greater after 6 months (> 83%), while the ability of a positive test to predict relapse (predictive positive value, PPV) was most valuable only beyond 10 months (100%). This study (i) highlights the prognostic value of RT-PCR monitoring after treatment of APL patients but only from the end of treatment, (ii) shows an association between conversion to a positive test and relapse and (iii) suggests that PCR assessments should be carried out at 3-month intervals to provide a more accurate prediction of hematologic relapses but only after the end of treatment, (C) 2001, Ferrata Storti Foundatio

Violating the Weak Cosmic Censorship Conjecture in Four-Dimensional Anti–de Sitter Space

We consider time-dependent solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations using anti–de Sitter (AdS) boundary conditions, and provide the first counterexample to the weak cosmic censorship conjecture in four spacetime dimensions. Our counterexample is entirely formulated in the Poincaré patch of AdS. We claim that our results have important consequences for quantum gravity, most notably to the weak gravity conjecture

Ganglioglioma of the neurohypophysis

The normal infundibulum and neurohypophysis consist entirely of neuronal processes, the neuronal cell bodies of which lie within the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and supportive glial cells or pituicytes. The finding of neurons within the neurohypophysis is exceedingly rare, as are ganglion cell tumors at this site. In this paper, we report a ganglion cell tumor of the neurohypophysis found incidentally at autopsy. Despite chronic hypertension and the finding of some vasopressin immunoreactivity in lesional neurons, the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) was excluded on the basis of normal serum sodium levels. The morphologic and immunohistochemical features of the tumor are presented, cytogenetic considerations are discussed, and literature regarding neuronal lesions of the pituitary gland is reviewe

Initial requirements for embryogenic calluses initiation in thin cell layers explants from immature female oil palm inflorescences

This study highlights procedures for embryogenic calluses induction from immature female inflorescences of oil palm using thin-cell-layers explants (TCL). In three experiments, the ability of calluses induction were examined and identified through different types of basal media, position of the TCL explants in the rachillae and concentrations of 2,4-D and types of antioxidants added into the medium. Samples of embryogenic calluses obtained were isolated and transversal and longitudinal cross sections were obtained and stained for observations in light microscopy. The results achieved suggest that immature female inflorescences of oil palm can be reverted from the floral state to the embryogenic vegetative state and are excellent alternative sources of explants for the induction of somatic embryogenesis. In general, 225 to 450 μM of 2,4-D are required to induce embryogenic callus in explants composed of immature oil palm inflorescences and the composition formed by salts and vitamins of MS medium provides superior results than Y3 medium. The activated charcoal at concentration of 3.0 g l-1 is the most indicated antioxidant for preventing the oxidation of floral oil palm explants and its presence can be considered essential for the formation of embryogenic callus.Key words: Elaeis guineensis, somatic embryogenesis, micropropagation, floral explants, morphogenesis, agroenergy

Study of the combination of self-activating photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy for cancer treatment

Cancer is a very challenging disease to treat, both in terms of treatment eficiency and side-effects. To overcome these problems, there have been extensive studies regarding the possibility of improving treatment by employing combination therapy, and by exploring therapeutic modalities with reduced side-effects (such as photodynamic therapy (PDT)). Herein, this work has two aims: (i) to develop self-activating photosensitizers for use in light-free photodynamic therapy, which would eliminate light-related restrictions that this therapy currently possesses; (ii) to assess their co-treatment potential when combined with reference chemotherapeutic agents (Tamoxifen and Metformin). We synthesized three new photosensitizers capable of self-activation and singlet oxygen production via a chemiluminescent reaction involving only a cancer marker and without requiring a light source. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated the cytotoxic activity of all photosensitizers for prostate and breast tumor cell lines. Analysis of co-treatment effects revealed significant improvements for breast cancer, producing better results for all combinations than just for the individual photosensitizers and even Tamoxifen. By its turn, co-treatment for prostate cancer only presented better results for one combination than for just the isolated photosensitizers and Metformin. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the cytotoxicity of the isolated photosensitizers in prostate tumor cells was already very appreciable.This research was co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and FEDER through COMPETE-POFC, grant number PTDC/QEQ-QFI/0289/2014; funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020, grant POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006980; funded by FEDER through NORTE2020, grant number NORTE-01-0145-FEDER 000028; co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and FEDER through COMEPETE2020-POCI, grant number POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274; co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and FEDER, grant number IF/00092/2014/CP1255/CT0004; funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), grant number SFRH/BD/140734/2018; funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), grant number UID/QUI/50006/2013; funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), grant number PTDC/BIA-MIA/29059/2017; funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), grant number CEECIND/01425/2017; funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), grant number SFRH/BD/143211/2019

Exploring access to end of life care for ethnic minorities with end stage kidney disease through recruitment in action research

BACKGROUND: Variation in provision of palliative care in kidney services and practitioner concerns to provide equitable access led to the development of this study which focussed on the perspectives of South Asian patients and their care providers. As people with a South Asian background experience a higher risk of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) and end stage kidney failure (ESKF) compared to the majority population but wait longer for a transplant, there is a need for end of life care to be accessible for this group of patients. Furthermore because non English speakers and people at end of life are often excluded from research there is a dearth of research evidence with which to inform service improvement. This paper aims to explore issues relating to the process of recruitment of patients for a research project which contribute to our understanding of access to end of life care for ethnic minority patients in the kidney setting. METHODS: The study employed an action research methodology with interviews and focus groups to capture and reflect on the process of engaging with South Asian patients about end of life care. Researchers and kidney care clinicians on four NHS sites in the UK recruited South Asian patients with ESKF who were requiring end of life care to take part in individual interviews; and other clinicians who provided care to South Asian kidney patients at end of life to take part in focus groups exploring end of life care issues. In action research planning, action and evaluation are interlinked and data were analysed with emergent themes fed back to care providers through the research cycle. Reflections on the process of patient recruitment generated focus group discussions about access which were analysed thematically and reported here. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were recruited to interview and 45 different care providers took part in 14 focus groups across the sites. The process of recruiting patients to interview and subsequent focus group data highlighted some of the key issues concerning access to end of life care. These were: the identification of patients approaching end of life; and their awareness of end of life care; language barriers and informal carers' roles in mediating communication; and contrasting cultures in end of life kidney care. CONCLUSIONS: Reflection on the process of recruitment in this action research study provided insight into the complex scenario of end of life in kidney care. Some of the emerging issues such as the difficulty identifying patients are likely to be common across all patient groups, whilst others concerning language barriers and third party communication are more specific to ethnic minorities. A focus on South Asian ethnicity contributes to better understanding of patient perspectives and generic concepts as well as access to end of life kidney care for this group of patients in the UK. Action research was a useful methodology for achieving this and for informing future research to include informal carers and other ethnic groups.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Sex and lifestyle dictate learning performance in a neotropical wasp

In contrast to extensive investigations on bee cognition, the cognitive capacities of wasps remain largely unexplored despite their key role as pollinators and predators of insect pests. Here we studied learning and memory in the neotropical wasp Mischocyttarus cerberus using a Pavlovian conditioning in which harnessed wasps respond with conditioned movements of their mouthparts to a learned odorant. We focused on the different castes, sexes, and ages coexisting within a nest and found that adults of M. cerberus learned and memorized efficiently the odor-sugar associations. In contrast, newly emerged females, but not males, were unable to learn odorants. This difference concurs with their different lifestyle as young males perform regular excursions outside the nest while young females remain in it until older age. Our results thus highlight the importance of socio-ecological constraints on wasp cognition and set the basis for mechanistic studies on learning differences across ages and castes

Primary biliary cirrhosis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient treated with rituximab, a case-based review

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease in which intrahepatic bile ducts are targeted by an immune-mediated injury. This disease tends to progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis with hepatic failure. The authors report a case of a 50-year-old rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient, with erosions and seropositive for rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies, with 18 years disease duration refractory to prednisolone and several disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, either conventional or biological (adalimumab and etanercept). In April 2007, she started therapy with rituximab (RTX) with good European League Against Rheumatism response achieved 9 months later. In June 2008, she was admitted with intrahepatic cholestasis, steatorrhea, and spontaneous fractures of various ribs. After excluding cholelitiasis, as well as infectious and neoplastic diseases a liver biopsy was performed that was compatible with the diagnosis of PBC. The antinuclear antibodies (1/160) were positive as well as the antimitochondrial antibodies (1/640). Other antibodies were negative such as anti-SSA and anti-SSB. Afterwards, the patient started ursodesoxycholic acid 15 mg kg(-1) day(-1) with progressive improvement of cholestatic markers. A labial salivary gland biopsy was performed and showed findings compatible with the concomitant diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome. Based on this clinical report, a detailed review of the clinical aspects of PBC is presented as well as its association with other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, particularly, with RA