2,449 research outputs found
Using phage Lytic Enzymes to Control Pathogenic Bacteria
Our laboratory has developed phage lytic enzymes to prevent infection by specifically destroying disease bacteria on mucous membranes and in blood. Enzymes specific for S. pneumoniae and S. pyogenes have been developed to be used nasally and orally to control these organisms in environments such as hospitals and nursing homes to prevent or markedly reduce serious infections by these pathogens. In addition, a B. anthracis-specific enzyme was developed to kill the vegetative forms of these bacteria in the blood of infected individuals. In animal studies, >80% of mice colonized mucosally or infected intravenously with pathogenic bacteria were decolonized or survived after a single enzyme treatment delivered to the same site of colonization or infection
Medicinal animals used in ethnoveterinary practices of the 'Cariri Paraibano', NE Brazil
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Zootherapy is important in various socio-cultural environments, and innumerous examples of the use of animal derived remedies can currently be found in many urban, semi-urban and more remote localities in all parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. However, although a number of ethnobiological inventories concerning the use of medicinal animals in human health care have been compiled in Brazil in recent years, zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) are poorly described and neglected in favor of human ethnomedicine. In this sense, the purpose of this study was to describe the local zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary medicine of semi-arid of NE Brazil (Caatinga biome) and to contribute to future research about the validation of the effects and side effects of these animal products</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The information obtained through semi-structured interviews was complemented by free interviews and informal conversations. A total of 67 people were interviewed (53 men and 14 women) about the use and commercialization of medicinal animals. To determine the relative importance of each local known species, their use-values (UV) were calculated. Diversity of species utilized was compared, between localities, using rarefaction curves and diversity estimate (Chao2)</p> <p>Results and Conclusions</p> <p>A total of 44 animal species (37 vertebrates and 7 invertebrates), distributed among 6 taxonomic categories were found to be used to treat 30 different ailments in livestock and pets. The results of our surveys revealed a rich traditional knowledge of local residents about the use of animals in traditional veterinary medicine. Although it is gradually being discontinued, the perceived efficacy, economic and geographic accessibility were main reasons for popularity of zootherapy in studied areas.</p
Neutrinoless double beta decay in seesaw models
We study the general phenomenology of neutrinoless double beta decay in
seesaw models. In particular, we focus on the dependence of the neutrinoless
double beta decay rate on the mass of the extra states introduced to account
for the Majorana masses of light neutrinos. For this purpose, we compute the
nuclear matrix elements as functions of the mass of the mediating fermions and
estimate the associated uncertainties. We then discuss what can be inferred on
the seesaw model parameters in the different mass regimes and clarify how the
contribution of the light neutrinos should always be taken into account when
deriving bounds on the extra parameters. Conversely, the extra states can also
have a significant impact, cancelling the Standard Model neutrino contribution
for masses lighter than the nuclear scale and leading to vanishing neutrinoless
double beta decay amplitudes even if neutrinos are Majorana particles. We also
discuss how seesaw models could reconcile large rates of neutrinoless double
beta decay with more stringent cosmological bounds on neutrino masses.Comment: 34 pages, 5 eps figures and 1 axodraw figure. Final version published
in JHEP. NME results available in Appendi
Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells enhance radiotherapy-induced cell death in tumor and metastatic tumor foci
We have recently shown that radiotherapy may not only be a successful local and regional treatment
but, when combined with MSCs, may also be a novel systemic cancer therapy. This study aimed to investigate the
role of exosomes derived from irradiated MSCs in the delay of tumor growth and metastasis after treatment with
MSC + radiotherapy (RT). The tumor cell loss rates found after treatment with the combination of MSC and RT and for exclusive RT, were:
44.4% % and 12,1%, respectively. Concomitant and adjuvant use of RT and MSC, increased the mice surviving time 22,5%
in this group, with regard to the group of mice treated with exclusive RT and in a 45,3% respect control group. Moreover,
the number of metastatic foci found in the internal organs of the mice treated with MSC + RT was 60% less than the
mice group treated with RT alone. We reasoned that the exosome secreted by the MSC, could be implicated in tumor
growth delay and metastasis control after treatment. Our results show that exosomes derived form MSCs, combined with radiotherapy, are determinant in
the enhancement of radiation effects observed in the control of metastatic spread of melanoma cells and suggest that
exosome-derived factors could be involved in the bystander, and abscopal effects found after treatment of the tumors
with RT plus MSC. Radiotherapy itself may not be systemic, although it might contribute to a systemic effect when used
in combination with mesenchymal stem cells owing the ability of irradiated MSCs-derived exosomes to increase the
control of tumor growth and metastasis.This work was supported by CNPq, Conselho Nacional de
Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – Brasil, Junta de Andalucía,
project of Excellence from Junta de Andalucía P12-CTS-383 to FJO, Spanish
Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness SAF2015-70520-R to FJO and
JMRdA, RTICC RD12/0036/0026 and CIBER Cáncer ISCIII CB16/12/00421 to
FJO
Fractionation of parietal function in bistable perception probed with concurrent TMS-EEG
When visual input has conflicting interpretations, conscious perception can alternate spontaneously between these possible interpretations. This is called bistable perception. Previous neuroimaging studies have indicated the involvement of two right parietal areas in resolving perceptual ambiguity (ant-SPLr and post-SPLr). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies that selectively interfered with the normal function of these regions suggest that they play opposing roles in this type of perceptual switch. In the present study, we investigated this fractionation of parietal function by use of combined TMS with electroencephalography (EEG). Specifically, while participants viewed either a bistable stimulus, a replay stimulus, or resting-state fixation, we applied single pulse TMS to either location independently while simultaneously recording EEG. Combined with participant’s individual structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, this dataset allows for complex analyses of the effect of TMS on neural time series data, which may further elucidate the causal role of the parietal cortex in ambiguous perception
Radio emission from Supernova Remnants
The explosion of a supernova releases almost instantaneously about 10^51 ergs
of mechanic energy, changing irreversibly the physical and chemical properties
of large regions in the galaxies. The stellar ejecta, the nebula resulting from
the powerful shock waves, and sometimes a compact stellar remnant, constitute a
supernova remnant (SNR). They can radiate their energy across the whole
electromagnetic spectrum, but the great majority are radio sources. Almost 70
years after the first detection of radio emission coming from a SNR, great
progress has been achieved in the comprehension of their physical
characteristics and evolution. We review the present knowledge of different
aspects of radio remnants, focusing on sources of the Milky Way and the
Magellanic Clouds, where the SNRs can be spatially resolved. We present a brief
overview of theoretical background, analyze morphology and polarization
properties, and review and critical discuss different methods applied to
determine the radio spectrum and distances. The consequences of the interaction
between the SNR shocks and the surrounding medium are examined, including the
question of whether SNRs can trigger the formation of new stars. Cases of
multispectral comparison are presented. A section is devoted to reviewing
recent results of radio SNRs in the Magellanic Clouds, with particular emphasis
on the radio properties of SN 1987A, an ideal laboratory to investigate
dynamical evolution of an SNR in near real time. The review concludes with a
summary of issues on radio SNRs that deserve further study, and analyzing the
prospects for future research with the latest generation radio telescopes.Comment: Revised version. 48 pages, 15 figure
Sternal plate fixation for sternal wound reconstruction: initial experience (Retrospective study)
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Median sternotomy infection and bony nonunion are two commonly described complications which occur in 0.4 - 5.1% of cardiac procedures. Although relatively infrequent, these complications can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate the initial experience of a transverse plate fixation system following wound complications associated with sternal dehiscence with or without infection following cardiac surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective chart review of 40 consecutive patients who required sternal wound reconstruction post sternotomy was performed. Soft tissue debridement with removal of all compromised tissue was performed. Sternal debridement was carried using ronguers to healthy bleeding bone. All patients underwent sternal fixation using three rib plates combined with a single manubrial plate (Titanium Sternal Fixation System<sup>®</sup>, Synthes). Incisions were closed in a layered fashion with the pectoral muscles being advanced to the midline. Data were expressed as mean ± SD, Median (range) or number (%). Statistical analyses were made by using Excel 2003 for Windows (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 40 consecutive patients, 31 males and 9 females. Twenty two patients (55%) were diagnosed with sternal dehiscence alone and 18 patients (45%) with associated wound discharge. Thirty eight patients went on to heal their wounds. Two patients developed recurrent wound infection and required VAC therapy. Both were immunocompromised. Median post-op ICU stay was one day with the median hospital stay of 18 days after plating.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sternal plating appears to be an effective option for the treatment of sternal wound dehiscence associated with sternal instability. Long-term follow-up and further larger studies are needed to address the indications, benefits and complications of sternal plating.</p
Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations at large transverse momenta in and Au+Au collisions at = 200 GeV
Results on high transverse momentum charged particle emission with respect to
the reaction plane are presented for Au+Au collisions at =
200 GeV. Two- and four-particle correlations results are presented as well as a
comparison of azimuthal correlations in Au+Au collisions to those in at
the same energy. Elliptic anisotropy, , is found to reach its maximum at
GeV/c, then decrease slowly and remain significant up to
-- 10 GeV/c. Stronger suppression is found in the back-to-back
high- particle correlations for particles emitted out-of-plane compared to
those emitted in-plane. The centrality dependence of at intermediate
is compared to simple models based on jet quenching.Comment: 4 figures. Published version as PRL 93, 252301 (2004
Azimuthal anisotropy in Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV
The results from the STAR Collaboration on directed flow (v_1), elliptic flow
(v_2), and the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the anisotropic azimuthal distribution
of particles from Au+Au collisions at sqrtsNN = 200 GeV are summarized and
compared with results from other experiments and theoretical models. Results
for identified particles are presented and fit with a Blast Wave model.
Different anisotropic flow analysis methods are compared and nonflow effects
are extracted from the data. For v_2, scaling with the number of constituent
quarks and parton coalescence is discussed. For v_4, scaling with v_2^2 and
quark coalescence is discussed.Comment: 26 pages. As accepted by Phys. Rev. C. Text rearranged, figures
modified, but data the same. However, in Fig. 35 the hydro calculations are
corrected in this version. The data tables are available at
http://www.star.bnl.gov/central/publications/ by searching for "flow" and
then this pape
Rapidity and Centrality Dependence of Proton and Anti-proton Production from Au+Au Collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130GeV
We report on the rapidity and centrality dependence of proton and anti-proton
transverse mass distributions from Au+Au collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 130GeV as
measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC. Our results are from the rapidity and
transverse momentum range of |y|<0.5 and 0.35 <p_t<1.00GeV/c. For both protons
and anti-protons, transverse mass distributions become more convex from
peripheral to central collisions demonstrating characteristics of collective
expansion. The measured rapidity distributions and the mean transverse momenta
versus rapidity are flat within |y|<0.5. Comparisons of our data with results
from model calculations indicate that in order to obtain a consistent picture
of the proton(anti-proton) yields and transverse mass distributions the
possibility of pre-hadronic collective expansion may have to be taken into
account.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, submitted to PR
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