Full Bayesian analysis for a class of jump-diffusion models

A new Bayesian significance test is adjusted for jump detection in a diffusion process. This is an advantageous procedure for temporal data having extreme valued outliers, like financial data, pluvial or tectonic forces records and others.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures; real data analysis adde

Quadratic Effective Action for QED in D=2,3 Dimensions

We calculate the effective action for Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) in D=2,3 dimensions at the quadratic approximation in the gauge fields. We analyse the analytic structure of the corresponding nonlocal boson propagators nonperturbatively in k/m. In two dimensions for any nonzero fermion mass, we end up with one massless pole for the gauge boson . We also calculate in D=2 the effective potential between two static charges separated by a distance L and find it to be a linearly increasing function of L in agreement with the bosonized theory (massive Sine-Gordon model). In three dimensions we find nonperturbatively in k/m one massive pole in the effective bosonic action leading to screening. Fitting the numerical results we derive a simple expression for the functional dependence of the boson mass upon the dimensionless parameter e^{2}/m .Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

The Borborema Pegmatite Province, NE-Brazil revisited

Considering the internal structure, mineralogical distribution and geochemical data on K-feldspar, white micas, Nb-Taoxides, tourmalines, garnet and spinel, it becomes clear that the pegmatites classified as "heterogeneous" (Johnston 1945) include examples of several types and subtypes of LCT family, Rare Element Class pegmatites if the modern pegmatite classification models of Černý & Ercit 2005 are applied: at least examples of the beryl-columbite, beryl-columbite-phosphate and complex-spodumene,complex-lepidolite (±gemmologic elbaite)and albite (± cassiterite) pegmatite types and subtypes were ntatively identified. The impossibility to determine a granitelinked zoned regional distribution of these types may be the result of the fact that there is no single central source pluton but several smaller granitic intrusions in the province and the zoning around them may overlap each other

Effective Action for QED with Fermion Self-Interaction in D=2 and D=3 Dimensions

In this work we discuss the effect of the quartic fermion self-interaction of Thirring type in QED in D=2 and D=3 dimensions. This is done through the computation of the effective action up to quadratic terms in the photon field. We analyze the corresponding nonlocal photon propagators nonperturbatively in % \frac{k}{m}, where k is the photon momentum and m the fermion mass. The poles of the propagators were determined numerically by using the Mathematica software. In D=2 there is always a massless pole whereas for strong enough Thirring coupling a massive pole may appear . For D=3 there are three regions in parameters space. We may have one or two massive poles or even no pole at all. The inter-quark static potential is computed analytically in D=2. We notice that the Thirring interaction contributes with a screening term to the confining linear potential of massive QED_{2}. In D=3 the static potential must be calculated numerically. The screening nature of the massive QED$_{3}$ prevails at any distance, indicating that this is a universal feature of % D=3 electromagnetic interaction. Our results become exact for an infinite number of fermion flavors.Comment: Latex, 13 pages, 3 figure

Investigation of Association between Susceptibility to Leprosy and SNPs inside and near the BCHE Gene of Butyrylcholinesterase

Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae and affects the skin and the peripheral nervous system. Butyrylcholinesterase is coded by the BCHE gene, and the atypical allele (70G; rs1799807) has been investigated as a leprosy risk factor, with conflicting results. The present study estimated the frequencies of variants of rs1799807 and of five additional SNPs at the BCHE gene or near it: rs1126680, rs1803274, rs2863381, rs4440084, and rs4387996. A total of 167 patients and 150 healthy controls were genotyped by TaqMan PCR. Significantly higher allelic (70G) and genotypic (70DG) frequencies in rs1799807 were found in the patient group, with odds ratio (OR) of 6.33 (1.40 to 28.53) for the heterozygote. This finding was replicated in a comparison of the cases against a control group of 361 blood donors. The present data suggest that the atypical BChE variant may predispose to leprosy per se

Accurate Identification of Candida parapsilosis (Sensu Lato) by Use of Mitochondrial DNA and Real-Time PCR

Candida parapsilosis is the Candida species isolated the second most frequently from blood cultures in South America and some European countries, such as Spain. Since 2005, this species has been considered a complex of 3 closely related species: C. parapsilosis, Candida metapsilosis, and Candida orthopsilosis. Here, we describe a real-time TaqMan-MGB PCR assay, using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) as the target, which readily distinguishes these 3 species. We first used comparative genomics to locate syntenic regions between these 3 mitochondrial genomes and then selected NADH5 as the target for the real-time PCR assay. Probes were designed to include a combination of different single-nucleotide polymorphisms that are able to differentiate each species within the C. parapsilosis complex. This new methodology was first tested using mtDNA and then genomic DNA from 4 reference and 5 clinical strains. for assay validation, a total of 96 clinical isolates and 4 American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) isolates previously identified by internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing were tested. Real-time PCR using genomic DNA was able to differentiate the 3 species with 100% accuracy. No amplification was observed when DNA from other species was used as the template. We observed 100% congruence with ITS rDNA sequencing identification, including for 30 strains used in blind testing. This novel method allows a quick and accurate intracomplex identification of C. parapsilosis and saves time compared with sequencing, which so far has been considered the gold standard for Candida yeast identification. in addition, this assay provides a useful tool for epidemiological and clinical studies of these emergent species.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)International Program of the Howard Hughes Medical InstituteUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Especial Micol, Disciplina Infectol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Genom Evolut & Biocomplexidade, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Pais Vasco Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Lab Micol Med, Dept Inmunol Microbiol & Parasitol, Fac Med & Odontol, Bilbao, SpainUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Especial Micol, Disciplina Infectol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Microbiol Imunol & Parasitol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Lab Genom Evolut & Biocomplexidade, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 2007/08575-1CNPq: 308011/2010-4FAPESP: 2010/02752-1FAPESP: 2009/01230-4FAPESP: 2010/17179-5CAPES: PNPD 23038.007393/2011-11Web of Scienc