Asociación de cefalópodos y secuencias deposicionales en el Cenomaniense superior y Turoniense inferior de la Península Ibérica (España y Portugal)

The comparison and correlation of the biostratigraphic successions identified in the upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian of the Iberian Trough (IT, Spain) and the Western Portuguese Carbonate Platform (WPCP, Portugal) allows differentiating nine cephalopod assemblages (1 to 9), with notably different taxa, and two (3rd order) depositional sequences (A and B). Some of these main intervals can be divided in minor ones, such as assemblage 4 (in 41 and 42) and sequence B (in B1 and B2). Assemblages 1 to 3 are related with sequence A, and assemblage 4 to 9 with sequence B (specifically, 4 to 6 with B1, and 7 to 9 with B2). The analysis and interpretation of these biostratigraphic data allows us to infer certain palaeoecologic turnovers that happened in the studied basins, both with external origin or due to local tectonic and palaeogeographical changes. Though partially altered by hypoxic phenomena (especially the sequence B1, assemblage 4) and local tectonics (mainly in the WPCP), in each of these cycles there were events of extinction of the cephalopods from shallow environments and survival of those from pelagic or deep environments, of settling of new environments, and of adaptation to them caused, successively, by intervals of low, ascending and high sea-level.La comparación y correlación de las sucesiones bioestratigráficas identificadas en el Cenomaniense superior y Turoniense inferior del Surco Ibérico (IT, España) y la Plataforma Carbonatada Occidental Portuguesa (WPCP, Portugal) permiten diferenciar nueve asociaciones de cefalópodos (1 a 9), con taxones notablemente diferentes, y dos secuencias deposicionales principales (3er orden) (A y B). Algunos de estos intervalos principales pueden dividirse en secundarios, como la Asociación 4 (en 41 and 42) y la Secuencia B (en B1 y B2). Las asociaciones 1 a 3 pueden se pueden relacionar con la secuencia A, y la asociación 4 a 9 con la secuencia la B (concretamente, 4 a 6 con B1, y 7 a 9 con B2). El análisis y la interpretación de estos datos bioestratigráficos permiten deducir ciertos cambios paleoecológicos sucedidos en las cuencas estudiadas, tanto de origen externo como debidos a la tectónica local ó a cambios paleogeográficos. Aunque parcialmente alterados por fenómenos de hipoxia (especialmente la secuencia B1, asociación 4) y de tectónica local (principalmente en el WPCP), en cada uno de estos ciclos se produjeron fenómenos de extinción de los cefalópodos de medios someros y de supervivencia de los de ambientes pelágicos ó profundos, de colonización de nuevos espacios, y de adaptación a los mismos provocados, sucesivamente, por intervalos de nivel de mar bajo, ascendente y alto

Breast Density In Women With Premature Ovarian Failure Or Postmenopausal Women Using Hormone Therapy: Analytical Cross-sectional Study [densidade Mamária Em Mulheres Com Falência Ovariana Prematura Ou Na Pós-menopausa E Em Uso De Terapia Hormonal: Estudo Transversal Analítico]

Context and objective: Studies on postmenopausal women have reported increased risk of breast cancer relating to the type and duration of hormone therapy (HT) used. Women with premature ovarian failure (POF) represent a challenge, since they require prolonged HT. Little is known about the impact of prolonged HT use on these women's breasts. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of one type of HT on the breast density of women with POF, compared with postmenopausal women. Design and setting: Cross-sectional study at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp). Methods: 31 women with POF and 31 postmenopausal women, all using HT consisting of conjugated equine estrogen combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate, and matched according to HT duration, were studied. Mammography was performed on all subjects and was analyzed by means of digitization or Wolfe's classification, stratified into two categories: Non-dense (N1 and P1 patterns) and dense (P2 and Dy). Results: No significant difference in breast density was found between the two groups through digitization or Wolfe's classification. From digitization, the mean breast density was 24.1% ± 14.6 and 18.1% ± 17.2 in the POF and postmenopausal groups, respectively (P = 0.15). Wolfe's classification identified dense breasts in 51.6% and 29.0%, respectively (P = 0.171). Conclusion: There was no difference in breast density between the women with POF and postmenopausal women, who had used HT for the same length of time. These results may help towards compliance with HT use among women with POF.1284211214Rossouw, J.E., Anderson, G.L., Prentice, R.L., Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: Principal results From the Women's Health Initiative randomized controlled trial (2002) JAMA, 288 (3), pp. 321-333Beral, V., Breast cancer and hormone-replacement therapy in the Million Women Study (2003) Lancet, 362 (9382), pp. 419-427. , Million Women Study CollaboratorsConner, P., Svane, G., Azavedo, E., Mammographic breast density, hormones, and growth factors during continuous combined hormone therapy (2004) Fertil Steril, 81 (6), pp. 1617-1623Chen, F.P., Cheung, Y.C., Teng, L.F., Soong, Y.K., The relationship between mammographic density and duration of hormone therapy: Effects of estrogen and estrogen-progestin (2005) Hum Reprod, 20 (6), pp. 1741-1745Harvey, J., Scheurer, C., Kawakami, F.T., Hormone replacement therapy and breast density changes (2005) Climacteric, 8 (2), pp. 185-192Junkermann, H., von Holst, T., Lang, E., Rakov, V., Influence of different HRT regimens on mammographic density (2005) Maturitas, 50 (2), pp. 105-110Christodoulakos, G.E., Lambrinoudaki, I.V., Vourtsi, A.D., The effect of low dose hormone therapy on mammographic breast density (2006) Maturitas, 54 (1), pp. 78-85Kavanagh, A.M., Mitchell, H., Giles, G.G., Hormone replacement therapy and accuracy of mammographic screening (2000) Lancet, 355 (9200), pp. 270-274Banks, E., Hormone replacement therapy and the sensitivity and specificity of breast cancer screening: A review (2001) J Med Screen, 8 (1), pp. 29-34Warren, R., Hormones and mammographic breast density (2004) Maturitas, 49 (1), pp. 67-78Armitage, M., Nooney, J., Evans, S., Recent concerns surrounding HRT (2003) Clin Endocrinol (Oxf), 59 (2), pp. 145-155Mann, R.D., Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer risk: Studies of the last fifteen years (1992) Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer risk, pp. 1-8. , In: Mann RD, editor, New Jersey: Parthenon Publishing GroupBoyd, N.F., Byng, J.W., Jong, R.A., Quantitative classification of mammographic densities and breast cancer risk: Results from the Canadian National Breast Screening Study (1995) J Natl Cancer Inst, 87 (9), pp. 670-675Byrne, C., Schairer, C., Wolfe, J., Mammographic features and breast cancer risk: Effects with time, age, and menopause status (1995) J Natl Cancer Inst, 87 (21), pp. 1622-1629Maskarinec, G., Meng, L., A case-control study of mammographic densities in Hawaii (2000) Breast Cancer Res Treat, 63 (2), pp. 153-161Vachon, C.M., Kuni, C.C., Anderson, K., Anderson, V.E., Sellers, T.A., Association of mammographically defined percent breast density with epidemiologic risk factors for breast cancer (United States) (2000) Cancer Causes Control, 11 (7), pp. 653-662Noh, J.J., Maskarinec, G., Pagano, I., Cheung, L.W., Stanczyk, F.Z., Mammographic densities and circulating hormones: A cross-sectional study in premenopausal women (2006) Breast, 15 (1), pp. 20-28Laya, M.B., Gallagher, J.C., Schreiman, J.S., Effect of postmenopausal hormonal replacement therapy on mammographic density and parenchymal pattern (1995) Radiology, 196 (2), pp. 433-437Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer (1997) Lancet, 350 (9084), pp. 1047-1059. , Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy: collaborative reanalysis of data from 51 epidemiological studies of 52,705 women with breast cancer and 108,411 women without breast cancerMarugg, R.C., van der Mooren, M.J., Hendriks, J.H., Rolland, R., Ruijs, S.H., Mammographic changes in postmenopausal women on hormonal replacement therapy (1997) Eur Radiol, 7 (5), pp. 749-755Koukoulis, G.N., Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer risk (2000) Ann N Y Acad Sci, 900, pp. 422-428Lundström, E., Wilczek, B., von Palffy, Z., Söderqvist, G., von Schoultz, B., Mammographic breast density during hormone replacement therapy: Effects of continuous combination, unopposed transdermal and low-potency estrogen regimens (2001) Climacteric, 4 (1), pp. 42-48Greendale, G.A., Palla, S.L., Ursin, G., The association of endogenous sex steroids and sex steroid binding proteins with mammographic density: Results from the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions Mammographic Density Study (2005) Am J Epidemiol, 162 (9), pp. 826-834de Moraes-Ruehsen, M., Jones, G.S., Premature ovarian failure (1967) Fertil Steril, 18 (4), pp. 440-461Cymberknoh, M., Mamografia digital (1994) Mastologia atual, pp. 75-78. , In: Dias EN, Caleffi M, Silva HMS, Figueira-Filho ASS, eds., Rio de Janeiro: RevinterWolfe, J.N., Breast patterns as an index of risk for developing breast cancer (1976) AJR Am J Roentgenol, 126 (6), pp. 1130-1137Snedecor, W.G., Cochram, W.G., The comparison of two samples (1989) Statistical methods, pp. 83-102. , In: Snedecor WG, Cochram WG, editors., 8thed Ames: Iowa State University PressPersson, I., Thurfjell, E., Holmberg, L., Effect of estrogen and estrogen-progestin replacement regimens on mammographic breast parenchymal density (1997) J Clin Oncol, 15 (10), pp. 3201-3207Harvey, J.A., Bovbjerg, V.E., Quantitative assessment of mammographic breast density: Relationship with breast cancer risk (2004) Radiology, 230 (1), pp. 29-4

Surveys of rice sold in Canada for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A and fumonisins

Approximately 200 samples of rice (including white, brown, red, black, basmati and jasmine, as well as wild rice) from several different countries, including the United States, Canada, Pakistan, India and Thailand, were analysed for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisins by separate liquid Chromatographic methods in two different years. The mean concentrations for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were 0.19 and 0.17 ng g−1 with respective positive incidences of 56% and 43% (≥ the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.002 ng g−1). Twenty-three samples analysed in the second year also contained aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) at levels ≥LOD of 0.002 ng g−1 The five most contaminated samples in each year contained 1.44–7.14 ng AFB1 g−1 (year 1) and 1.45–3.48 ng AFB1 g−1 (year 2); they were mostly basmati rice from India and Pakistan and black and red rice from Thailand. The average concentrations of ochratoxin A (OTA) were 0.05 and 0.005 ng g−1 in year 1 and year 2, respectively; incidences of samples containing ≥LOD of 0.05 ng g−1 were 43% and 1%, respectively, in the 2 years. All positive OTA results were confirmed by LC-MS/MS. For fumonisins, concentrations of fumonisin B1 (FB1) averaged 4.5 ng g−1 in 15 positive samples (≥0.7 ng g−1) from year 1 (n = 99); fumonisin B2 (FB2) and fumonisin B3 (FB3) were also present (≥1 ng g−1). In the second year there was only one positive sample (14 ng g−1 FB1) out of 100 analysed. All positive FB1 results were confirmed by LC-MS/MS

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photon cross-section in pp collisions at sqrt(s)= 7 TeV using 35 pb-1 of ATLAS data

A measurement of the differential cross-section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The measurement covers the pseudorapidity ranges |eta|<1.37 and 1.52<=|eta|<2.37 in the transverse energy range 45<=E_T<400GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 35 pb-1, collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The yields of the signal photons are measured using a data-driven technique, based on the observed distribution of the hadronic energy in a narrow cone around the photon candidate and the photon selection criteria. The results are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and found to be in good agreement over four orders of magnitude in cross-section.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 4 tables, final version published in Physics Letters

Measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector with an integrated luminosity of 0.30 pb^-1 for jets with transverse momentum between 25 and 70 GeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta| < 2.5. D*+/- mesons found in jets are fully reconstructed in the decay chain: D*+ -> D0pi+, D0 -> K-pi+, and its charge conjugate. The production rate is found to be N(D*+/-)/N(jet) = 0.025 +/- 0.001(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.) for D*+/- mesons that carry a fraction z of the jet momentum in the range 0.3 < z < 1. Monte Carlo predictions fail to describe the data at small values of z, and this is most marked at low jet transverse momentum.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (22 pages total), 5 figures, 1 table, matches published version in Physical Review

Search for scalar top quark pair production in natural gauge mediated supersymmetry models with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The results of a search for pair production of the lighter scalar partners of top quarks in 2.05 fb-1 of pp collisions at sqrt(s) =7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are reported. Scalar top quarks are searched for in events with two same flavour opposite-sign leptons (electrons or muons) with invariant mass consistent with the Z boson mass, large missing transverse momentum and jets in the final state. At least one of the jets is identified as originating from a b-quark. No excess over Standard Model expectations is found. The results are interpreted in the framework of R-parity conserving, gauge mediated Supersymmetry breaking `natural' scenarios, where the neutralino is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Scalar top quark masses up to 310 GeV are excluded for the lightest neutralino mass between 115 GeV and 230 GeV at 95% confidence level, reaching an exclusion of the scalar top quark mass of 330 GeV for the lightest neutralino mass of 190 GeV. Scalar top quark masses below 240 GeV are excluded for all values of the lightest neutralino mass above the Z boson mass.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 4 figures, 1 table, matches published PLB versio