Cold Accretion Disks and Lineless Quasars

The optical-UV continuum of quasars is broadly consistent with the emission from a geometrically thin optically thick accretion disk (AD). The AD produces the ionizing continuum which powers the broad and narrow emission lines. The maximum AD effective temperature is given by Teff=fmax(Mdot/M^2)^1/4, where M is the black hole mass, Mdot the accretion rate, and fmax is set by the black hole spin a_*. For a low enough value of Mdot/M^2 the AD may become too cold to produce ionizing photons. Such an object will form a lineless quasar. This occurs for a local blackbody (BB) AD with a luminosity Lopt=10^46 erg/s for M>3.6E9 Msun, when a_*=0, and for M>1.4E10 Msun, when a_*=0.998. Using the AD based Mdot, derived from M and Lopt, and the reverberation based M, derived from Lopt and the Hbeta FWHM, v, gives Teff \propto Lopt^-0.13v^-1.45. Thus, Teff is mostly set by v. Quasars with a local BB AD become lineless for v> 8,000 km/s, when a_*=0, and for v> 16,000 km/s, when a_*=0.998. Higher values of v are required if the AD is hotter than a local BB. The AD becoming non-ionizing may explain why line emitting quasars with v>10,000 km/s are rare. Weak low ionization lines may still be present if the X-ray continuum is luminous enough, and such objects may form a population of weak emission line quasars (WLQ). If correct, such WLQ should show a steeply falling SED at lambda<1000A. Such an SED was observed by Hryniewicz et al. in SDSS J094533.99+100950.1, a WLQ observed down to 570A, which is well modeled by a rather cold AD SED. UV spectroscopy of z~1-2 quasars is required to eliminate potential intervening Lyman limit absorption by the intergalactic medium (IGM), and to explore if the SEDs of lineless quasars and some additional WLQ are also well fit by a cold AD SED.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA

Clinical Amyloid Typing by Proteomics: Performance Evaluation and Data Sharing Between Two Centres

Amyloidosis is a relatively rare human disease caused by the deposition of abnormal protein fibres in the extracellular space of various tissues, impairing their normal function. Proteomic analysis of patients' biopsies, developed by Dogan and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic, has become crucial for clinical diagnosis and for identifying the amyloid type. Currently, the proteomic approach is routinely used at National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC, London, UK) and Istituto di Tecnologie Biomediche-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (ITB-CNR, Milan, Italy). Both centres are members of the European Proteomics Amyloid Network (EPAN), which was established with the aim of sharing and discussing best practice in the application of amyloid proteomics. One of the EPAN's activities was to evaluate the quality and the confidence of the results achieved using different software and algorithms for protein identification. In this paper, we report the comparison of proteomics results obtained by sharing NAC proteomics data with the ITB-CNR centre. Mass spectrometric raw data were analysed using different software platforms including Mascot, Scaffold, Proteome Discoverer, Sequest and bespoke algorithms developed for an accurate and immediate amyloid protein identification. Our study showed a high concordance of the obtained results, suggesting a good accuracy of the different bioinformatics tools used in the respective centres. In conclusion, inter-centre data exchange is a worthwhile approach for testing and validating the performance of software platforms and the accuracy of results, and is particularly important where the proteomics data contribute to a clinical diagnosis

Exposure of humans to the zoonotic nematode Dirofilaria immitis in Northern Portugal

Dirofilariosis caused by Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) is a zoonosis, considered an endemic disease of dogs and cats in several countries of Western Europe, including Portugal. This study assesses the levels of D. immitis exposure in humans from Northern Portugal, to which end, 668 inhabitants of several districts belonging to two different climate areas (Csa: Bragança, Vila Real and Csb: Aveiro, Braga, Porto, Viseu) were tested for anti-D. immitis and anti-Wolbachia surface proteins (WSP) antibodies. The overall prevalence of seropositivity to both anti-D. immitis and WSP antibodies was 6.1%, which demonstrated the risk of infection with D. immitis in humans living in Northern Portugal. This study, carried out in a Western European country, contributes to the characterisation of the risk of infection with D. immitis among human population in this region of the continent. From a One Health point of view, the results of the current work also support the close relationship between dogs and people as a risk factor for human infectio

Atenção ao idoso na estratégia de Saúde da Família: atuação do enfermeiro

Este estudo objetivou descrever a consulta de enfermagem ao idoso realizada na ESF; identificar possíveis dificuldades na atenção à saúde do idoso, bem como os cursos de qualificação profissional realizados e as necessidades de aprendizagem. Os dados foram coletados por meio da entrevista semiestruturada e submetidos à análise descritiva e temática. Foram entrevistadas 12 enfermeiras, a maioria estando na faixa etária de anos de formada (41%) em instituição particular (75%). Emergiram duas categorias temáticas: consulta de enfermagem ao idoso na ESF e qualificação profissional para a atenção à saúde do idoso. Foi considerado como desafio na realização da consulta de enfermagem a obtenção de dados fidedignos, a resolutividade e o apoio familiar. Os cursos para qualificar a atenção ao idoso ocorreram durante o período de graduação, destacando a falta de oportunidade, a pouca oferta e a necessidade de se aprofundar sobre o processo de envelhecimento.Este estudio tuvo como objetivo describir la consulta de enfermería realizada por el anciano en la ESF; identificar posibles dificultades en la atención a la salud del anciano, así como los cursos de calificación profesional realizados y las necesidades de aprendizaje. Los datos fueron recogidos a través de la entrevista semiestructurada y sometidos al análisis descriptivo temático. Fueron entrevistadas doce enfermeras, estando la mayoría situadas en la faja etaria de 23 a 28 años (66%), con 1-2 años de graduadas (41%) en instituciones particulares (75%). Emergieron dos categorías temáticas: consulta de enfermería del anciano en la ESF y calificación profesional para la atención de la salud del anciano. Fue considerado como desafío en la realización de la consulta de enfermería la obtención de datos fidedignos, la resolutividad y el apoyo familiar. Los cursos para calificar la atención al anciano, tuvieron lugar durante el período de graduación, destacándose la falta de oportunidad, la poca oferta y la necesidad de profundizar sobre el proceso de envejecimiento.This study aimed to describe the nursing consultation for the elderly provided at the Family Health Strategy (ESF, acronym in Portuguese); identify possible difficulties in delivering health care to the elderly, as well as the professional qualification courses performed and the learning needs. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and submitted to descriptive and thematic analysis. Interviews were performed with 12 nurses, most with ages between years since graduation (41%) in private institutions (75%). Two thematic categories emerged from the analysis: nursing consultation for the elderly performed at ESF and professional qualification in health care for the elderly. Obtaining reliable data in the nursing consultation, resolution and family support were considered as challenges. The courses to qualify professionals for elderly care occurred during their graduation course, highlighting the lack of opportunity, the short supply and the need for deeper studies about the aging process

High sensitivity (1)H-NMR spectroscopy of homeopathic remedies made in water

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of homeopathy is controversial. Homeopathic remedies are made via iterated shaking and dilution, in ethanol or in water, from a starting substance. Remedies of potency 12 C or higher are ultra-dilute (UD), i.e. contain zero molecules of the starting material. Various hypotheses have been advanced to explain how a UD remedy might be different from unprepared solvent. One such hypothesis posits that a remedy contains stable clusters, i.e. localized regions where one or more hydrogen bonds remain fixed on a long time scale. High sensitivity proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has not previously been used to look for evidence of differences between UD remedies and controls. METHODS: Homeopathic remedies made in water were studied via high sensitivity proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of 57 remedy samples representing six starting materials and spanning a variety of potencies from 6 C to 10 M were tested along with 46 controls. RESULTS: By presaturating on the water peak, signals could be reliably detected that represented H-containing species at concentrations as low as 5 μM. There were 35 positions where a discrete signal was seen in one or more of the 103 spectra, which should theoretically have been absent from the spectrum of pure water. Of these 35, fifteen were identified as machine-generated artifacts, eight were identified as trace levels of organic contaminants, and twelve were unexplained. Of the unexplained signals, six were seen in just one spectrum each. None of the artifacts or unexplained signals occurred more frequently in remedies than in controls, using a p < .05 cutoff. Some commercially prepared samples were found to contain traces of one or more of these small organic molecules: ethanol, acetate, formate, methanol, and acetone. CONCLUSION: No discrete signals suggesting a difference between remedies and controls were seen, via high sensitivity (1)H-NMR spectroscopy. The results failed to support a hypothesis that remedies made in water contain long-lived non-dynamic alterations of the H-bonding pattern of the solvent

Specific Inhibition of Phosphodiesterase-4B Results in Anxiolysis and Facilitates Memory Acquisition

Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of dementia and a prominent feature in psychiatric disease. As non-redundant regulators of intracellular cAMP gradients, phosphodiesterases (PDE) mediate fundamental aspects of brain function relevant to learning, memory, and higher cognitive functions. Phosphodiesterase-4B (PDE4B) is an important phosphodiesterase in the hippocampal formation, is a major Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) binding partner and is itself a risk gene for psychiatric illness. To define the effects of specific inhibition of the PDE4B subtype, we generated mice with a catalytic domain mutant form of PDE4B (Y358C) that has decreased ability to hydrolyze cAMP. Structural modelling predictions of decreased function and impaired binding with DISC1 were confirmed in cell assays. Phenotypic characterization of the PDE4BY358C mice revealed facilitated phosphorylation of CREB, decreased binding to DISC1, and upregulation of DISC1 and β-Arrestin in hippocampus and amygdala. In behavioural assays, PDE4BY358C mice displayed decreased anxiety and increased exploration, as well as cognitive enhancement across several tests of learning and memory, consistent with synaptic changes including enhanced long-term potentiation and impaired depotentiation ex vivo. PDE4BY358C mice also demonstrated enhanced neurogenesis. Contextual fear memory, though intact at 24 hours, was decreased at 7 days in PDE4BY358C mice, an effect replicated pharmacologically with a non-selective PDE4 inhibitor, implicating cAMP signalling by PDE4B in a very late phase of consolidation. No effect of the PDE4BY358C mutation was observed in the pre-pulse inhibition and forced swim tests. Our data establish specific inhibition of PDE4B as a promising therapeutic approach for disorders of cognition and anxiety, and a putative target for pathological fear memory

Measurement of the Forward-Backward Asymmetry in the B -> K(*) mu+ mu- Decay and First Observation of the Bs -> phi mu+ mu- Decay

We reconstruct the rare decays $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$, $B^0 \to K^{*}(892)^0\mu^+\mu^-$, and $B^0_s \to \phi(1020)\mu^+\mu^-$ in a data sample corresponding to $4.4 {\rm fb^{-1}}$ collected in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96 {\rm TeV}$ by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Using $121 \pm 16$ $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$ and $101 \pm 12$ $B^0 \to K^{*0}\mu^+\mu^-$ decays we report the branching ratios. In addition, we report the measurement of the differential branching ratio and the muon forward-backward asymmetry in the $B^+$ and $B^0$ decay modes, and the $K^{*0}$ longitudinal polarization in the $B^0$ decay mode with respect to the squared dimuon mass. These are consistent with the theoretical prediction from the standard model, and most recent determinations from other experiments and of comparable accuracy. We also report the first observation of the $B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^- decay and measure its branching ratio${\mathcal{B}}(B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^-) = [1.44 \pm 0.33 \pm 0.46] \times 10^{-6}$using$27 \pm 6$signal events. This is currently the most rare$B^0_s$ decay observed.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Search for a New Heavy Gauge Boson Wprime with Electron + missing ET Event Signature in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

We present a search for a new heavy charged vector boson $W^\prime$ decaying to an electron-neutrino pair in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96\unit{TeV}. The data were collected with the CDF II detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.3\unit{fb}^{-1}. No significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed and we set upper limits on $\sigma\cdot{\cal B}(W^\prime\to e\nu)$. Assuming standard model couplings to fermions and the neutrino from the $W^\prime$ boson decay to be light, we exclude a $W^\prime$ boson with mass less than 1.12\unit{TeV/}c^2 at the 95\unit{%} confidence level.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Submitted to PR