(ONTO)2 Agent: an Ontology-based WWW broker to select ontologies

Knowledge reuse by means of ontologies now faces three important problems: (1) there are no standardized identifying features that characterize ontologies from the user point of view; (2) there are no web sites using the same logical organization, presenting relevant information about ontologies; and (3) the search for appropriate ontologies is hard, timeconsuming and usually fruitless. To solve the above problems, we present: (1) a living set of features that allow us to characterize ontologies from the user point of view and have the same logical organization; (2) a living domain ontology about ontologies (called Reference Ontology) that gathers, describes and has links to existing ontologies; and (3) (ONTO)2Agent, the ontology-based www broker about ontologies that uses the Reference Ontology as a source of its knowledge and retrieves descriptions of ontologies that satisfy a given set of constraints. (ONTO)2Agent is available at http://delicias.dia.fi.upm.es/REFERENCE_ONTOLOGY

Fungal microbiota from rain water and pathogenicity of Fusarium species isolated from atmospheric dust and rainfall dust

In order to determine the presence of Fusarium spp. in atmospheric dust and rainfall dust, samples were collected during September 2007, and July, August, and October 2008. The results reveal the prevalence of airborne Fusarium species coming from the atmosphere of the South East coast of Spain. Five different Fusarium species were isolated from the settling dust: Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, F. equiseti, F. dimerum, and F. proliferatum. Moreover, rainwater samples were obtained during significant rainfall events in January and February 2009. Using the dilution-plate method, 12 fungal genera were identified from these rainwater samples. Specific analyses of the rainwater revealed the presence of three species of Fusarium: F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum and F. equiseti. A total of 57 isolates of Fusarium spp. obtained from both rainwater and atmospheric rainfall dust sampling were inoculated onto melon (Cucumis melo L.) cv. Piñonet and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cv. San Pedro. These species were chosen because they are the main herbaceous crops in Almeria province. The results presented in this work indicate strongly that spores or propagules of Fusarium are able to cross the continental barrier carried by winds from the Sahara (Africa) to crop or coastal lands in Europe. Results show differences in the pathogenicity of the isolates tested. Both hosts showed root rot when inoculated with different species of Fusarium, although fresh weight measurements did not bring any information about the pathogenicity. The findings presented above are strong indications that long-distance transmission of Fusarium propagules may occur. Diseases caused by species of Fusarium are common in these areas. They were in the past, and are still today, a problem for greenhouses crops in Almería, and many species have been listed as pathogens on agricultural crops in this region. Saharan air masses dominate the Mediterranean regions. The evidence of long distance dispersal of Fusarium spp. by atmospheric dust and rainwater together with their proved pathogenicity must be taken into account in epidemiological studies

Effects of water potential on spore germination and viability of Fusarium species

Germination of macroconidia and/or microconidia of 24 strains of Fusarium solani, F. chlamydosporum, F. culmorum, F. equiseti, F. verticillioides, F. sambucinum, F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum isolated from fluvial channels and sea beds of the south-eastern coast of Spain, and three control strains (F. oxysporum isolated from affected cultures) was studied in distilled water in response to a range of water potentials adjusted with NaCI. (0, -13.79, -41.79, -70.37, -99.56 and -144.54 bars). The vialibility (UFC/ml) of suspension was also tested in three time periods (0,24 and 48h). Conidia always germinated in distilled water. The pattern of conidial germination obseved of F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum, F. chlamydosporum and F. culmorum was similar. A great diminution of spore germination was found in -13.79 bars solutions. Spore germination percentage for F. solani isolates was maximal at 48 h. and -13.79 bars with 21.33% spore germination, 16% higher than germination in distilled water. F. equiseti shows the maximum germination percentage in -144.54 bars solution in 24 h time with 12.36% germination. These results did not agree with those obtained in the viability test where maximum germination was found in distilled water. The viability analysis showed the great capacity of F. verticilloides strains to form viable colonies, even in such extreme conditions as -144,54 bars after 24 h F. proliferatum colony formation was prevented in the range of -70.37 bars. These results show the clear affectation of water potential to conidia germination of Fusaria. The ability of certain species of Fusarium to develop a saprophytic life in the salt water of the Mediterraneam Sea could be certain. Successful germination, even under high salty media conditions, suggests taht Fusarium spp. could have a competitive advantage over other soil fungi in crops irrigated with saline water. In the specific case of F. solani, water potential of -13.79 bars affected germination positively. It could indicate that F. solani has an special physiological mechanism of survival in low water potential environments

Left-right symmetry at LHC and precise 1-loop low energy data

Despite many tests, even the Minimal Manifest Left-Right Symmetric Model (MLRSM) has never been ultimately confirmed or falsified. LHC gives a new possibility to test directly the most conservative version of left-right symmetric models at so far not reachable energy scales. If we take into account precise limits on the model which come from low energy processes, like the muon decay, possible LHC signals are strongly limited through the correlations of parameters among heavy neutrinos, heavy gauge bosons and heavy Higgs particles. To illustrate the situation in the context of LHC, we consider the "golden" process $pp \to e^+ N$. For instance, in a case of degenerate heavy neutrinos and heavy Higgs masses at 15 TeV (in agreement with FCNC bounds) we get $\sigma(pp \to e^+ N)>10$ fb at $\sqrt{s}=14$ TeV which is consistent with muon decay data for a very limited $W_2$ masses in the range (3008 GeV, 3040 GeV). Without restrictions coming from the muon data, $W_2$ masses would be in the range (1.0 TeV, 3.5 TeV). Influence of heavy Higgs particles themselves on the considered LHC process is negligible (the same is true for the light, SM neutral Higgs scalar analog). In the paper decay modes of the right-handed heavy gauge bosons and heavy neutrinos are also discussed. Both scenarios with typical see-saw light-heavy neutrino mixings and the mixings which are independent of heavy neutrino masses are considered. In the second case heavy neutrino decays to the heavy charged gauge bosons not necessarily dominate over decay modes which include only light, SM-like particles.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figs, KL-KS and new ATLAS limits taken into accoun

A model of neutrino mass and dark matter with large neutrinoless double beta decay

We propose a model where neutrino masses are generated at three loop order but neutrinoless double beta decay occurs at one loop. Thus we can have large neutrinoless double beta decay observable in the future experiments even when the neutrino masses are very small. The model receives strong constraints from the neutrino data and lepton flavor violating decays, which substantially reduces the number of free parameters. Our model also opens up the possibility of having several new scalars below the TeV regime, which can be explored at the collider experiments. Additionally, our model also has an unbroken Z2 symmetry which allows us to identify a viable Dark Matter candidate

Effective Lagrangian approach to neutrinoless double beta decay and neutrino masses

Neutrinoless double beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay can in general produce electrons of either chirality, in contrast with the minimal Standard Model (SM) extension with only the addition of the Weinberg operator, which predicts two left-handed electrons in the final state. We classify the lepton number violating (LNV) effective operators with two leptons of either chirality but no quarks, ordered according to the magnitude of their contribution to \znbb decay. We point out that, for each of the three chirality assignments, $e_Le_L, e_Le_R$ and $e_Re_R$, there is only one LNV operator of the corresponding type to lowest order, and these have dimensions 5, 7 and 9, respectively. Neutrino masses are always induced by these extra operators but can be delayed to one or two loops, depending on the number of RH leptons entering in the operator. Then, the comparison of the $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay rate and neutrino masses should indicate the effective scenario at work, which confronted with the LHC searches should also eventually decide on the specific model elected by nature. We also list the SM additions generating these operators upon integration of the heavy modes, and discuss simple realistic examples of renormalizable theories for each case.Comment: Accepted for publication. Few misprints corrected and new references adde

Risky business: factor analysis of survey data – assessing the probability of incorrect dimensionalisation

This paper undertakes a systematic assessment of the extent to which factor analysis the correct number of latent dimensions (factors) when applied to ordered categorical survey items (so-called Likert items). We simulate 2400 data sets of uni-dimensional Likert items that vary systematically over a range of conditions such as the underlying population distribution, the number of items, the level of random error, and characteristics of items and item-sets. Each of these datasets is factor analysed in a variety of ways that are frequently used in the extant literature, or that are recommended in current methodological texts. These include exploratory factor retention heuristics such as Kaiser’s criterion, Parallel Analysis and a non-graphical scree test, and (for exploratory and confirmatory analyses) evaluations of model fit. These analyses are conducted on the basis of Pearson and polychoric correlations.We find that, irrespective of the particular mode of analysis, factor analysis applied to ordered-categorical survey data very often leads to over-dimensionalisation. The magnitude of this risk depends on the specific way in which factor analysis is conducted, the number of items, the properties of the set of items, and the underlying population distribution. The paper concludes with a discussion of the consequences of overdimensionalisation, and a brief mention of alternative modes of analysis that are much less prone to such problems

Early visual ERPs show stable body-sensitive patterns over a 4-week test period

Event-related potential (ERP) studies feature among the most cited papers in the field of body representation, with recent research highlighting the potential of ERPs as neuropsychiatric biomarkers. Despite this, investigation into how reliable early visual ERPs and body-sensitive effects are over time has been overlooked. This study therefore aimed to assess the stability of early body-sensitive effects and visual P1, N1 and VPP responses. Participants were asked to identify pictures of their own bodies, other bodies and houses during an EEG test session that was completed at the same time, once a week, for four consecutive weeks. Results showed that amplitude and latency of early visual components and their associated body-sensitive effects were stable over the 4-week period. Furthermore, correlational analyses revealed that VPP component amplitude might be more reliable than VPP latency and specific electrode sites might be more robust indicators of body-sensitive cortical activity than others. These findings suggest that visual P1, N1 and VPP responses, alongside body-sensitive N1/VPP effects, are robust indications of neuronal activity. We conclude that these components are eligible to be considered as electrophysiological biomarkers relevant to body representation

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Human and Canine Echinococcosis Infection in Informal, Unlicensed Abattoirs in Lima, Peru

Echinococcus granulosus infections are a major public health problem in livestock-raising regions around the world. The life cycle of this tapeworm is sustained between dogs (definitive host, canine echinococcosis), and herbivores (intermediary host, cystic hydatid disease). Humans may also develop cystic hydatid disease. Echinococcosis is endemic in rural areas of Peru; nevertheless, its presence or the extension of the problem in urban areas is basically unknown. Migration into Lima, an 8-million habitant's metropolis, creates peripheral areas where animals brought from endemic areas are slaughtered without veterinary supervision. We identified eight informal, unlicensed abattoirs in a peripheral district of Lima and performed a cross-sectional study in to assess the prevalence of canine echinococcosis, evaluated by coproELISA followed by PCR evaluation and arecoline purge. Eight of 22 dogs (36%) were positive to coproELISA, and four (18%) were confirmed to be infected with E. granulosus tapeworms either by PCR or direct observation (purge). Later evaluation of the human population living in these abattoirs using abdominal ultrasound, chest X-rays and serology, found 3 out of 32 (9.3%) subjects with echinococcal cysts in the liver (two viable, one calcified), one of whom had also lung involvement and a strongly positive antibody response. Autochthonous transmission of E. granulosus is present in Lima. Informal, unlicensed abattoirs may be sources of infection to neighbouring people in this urban environment