427 research outputs found
Bacteriological quality and intake of acidified drinking water in Wistar rats is pH-dependent
The effects of acidification of drinking water on bacteriological quality and water intake in adult, male Wistar rats. was studied in 2 consecutive experiments. HCl was used to aeidify water to pH 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5. Control groups received untreatedtap or demineralized water. Acidification of water with HCl to pH 2.5 effectively prevented growth of aerobic bacteria in the drinking water bottles after a number of days, but also caused a reproducible decline in water intake when compared to untreated water. A reduced water intake may indicate disturbed wellbeing and may interfere with experimental results. Acidification to pH 3.0 also kept bacteriological counts low and did not reduce water intake when compared to rats drinkingnon-acidified water. Acidification to pH 3.5 led to high bacteriological counts after a few days. On the basis of these 2 experiments, acidification of drinking water with 1101 to pH 3.0 is advised
The 18S ribosomal RNA sequence of the sea anemone <i>Ammonia sulcata</i> and its evolutionary position among other eukaryotes
Evolutionary trees based on partial small ribosomal subunit RNA sequences of 22 metazoa species have been published [(1988) Science 239, 748-753]. In these trees, cnidarians (Radiata) seemed to have evolved independently from the Bilateria, which is in contradiction with the general evolutionary view. In order to further investigate this problem, the complete srRNA sequence of the sea anemone Ammonia sulcata was determined and evolutionary trees were constructed using a matrix optimization method. In the tree thus obtained the sea anemone and Bilateria together form a monophyletic cluster, with the sea anemone forming the first line of descent of the metazoan group
Thyroid Hormone Receptors in Two Model Species for Vertebrate Embryonic Development: Chicken and Zebrafish
Chicken and zebrafish are two model species regularly used to study the role of thyroid hormones in vertebrate development. Similar to mammals, chickens have one thyroid hormone receptor α (TRα) and one TRβ gene, giving rise to three TR isoforms: TRα, TRβ2, and TRβ0, the latter with a very short amino-terminal domain. Zebrafish also have one TRβ gene, providing two TRβ1 variants. The zebrafish TRα gene has been duplicated, and at least three TRα isoforms are expressed: TRαA1-2 and TRαB are very similar, while TRαA1 has a longer carboxy-terminal ligand-binding domain. All these TR isoforms appear to be functional, ligand-binding receptors. As in other vertebrates, the different chicken and zebrafish TR isoforms have a divergent spatiotemporal expression pattern, suggesting that they also have distinct functions. Several isoforms are expressed from the very first stages of embryonic development and early chicken and zebrafish embryos respond to thyroid hormone treatment with changes in gene expression. Future studies in knockdown and mutant animals should allow us to link the different TR isoforms to specific processes in embryonic development
Non-invasive estimation of increased LV filling pressures in LV hypertrophy with normal systolic function: Comparison between CMR and Doppler, validated by invasive PCWP measurements
Coverage determinants of breast cancer screening in Flanders:an evaluation of the past decade
Background Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women in the developed world. In order to find developing cancers in an early stage, BC screening is commonly used. In Flanders, screening is performed in and outside an organized breast cancer screening program (BCSP). However, the determinants of BC screening coverage for both screening strategies are yet unknown. Objective To assess the determinants of BC screening coverage in Flanders. Methods Reimbursement data were used to attribute a screening status to each woman in the target population for the years 2008-2016. Yearly coverage data were categorized as screening inside or outside BCSP or no screening. Data were clustered by municipality level. A generalized linear equation model was used to assess the determinants of screening type. Results Over all years and municipalities, the median screening coverage rate inside and outside BCSP was 48.40% (IQR: 41.50-54.40%) and 14.10% (IQR: 9.80-19.80%) respectively. A higher coverage rate outside BSCP was statistically significantly (P < 0.001) associated with more crowded households (OR: 3.797, 95% CI: 3.199-4.508), younger age, higher population densities (OR: 2.528, 95% CI: 2.455-2.606), a lower proportion of unemployed job seekers (OR: 0.641, 95% CI: 0.624-0.658) and lower use of dental care (OR: 0.969, 95% CI: 0.967-0.972). Conclusion Coverage rate of BC screening is not optimal in Flanders. Women with low SES that are characterized by younger age, living in a high population density area, living in crowded households, or having low dental care are less likely to be screened for BC in Flanders. If screened, they are more likely to be screened outside the BCSP
Advantages, disadvantages and feasibility of Pay-for-Quality programs in Belgium
Advantages, disadvantages and feasibility of the introduction of ‘Pay for Quality’ programmes in Belgiu
High rotarix™ vaccine effectiveness against different rotavirus genotypes: modest relative increase in the prevalence of G2P[4] in remaining RVGE cases
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Multiple D4-D2-D0 on the Conifold and Wall-crossing with the Flop
We study the wall-crossing phenomena of D4-D2-D0 bound states with two units
of D4-brane charge on the resolved conifold. We identify the walls of marginal
stability and evaluate the discrete changes of the BPS indices by using the
Kontsevich-Soibelman wall-crossing formula. In particular, we find that the
field theories on D4-branes in two large radius limits are properly connected
by the wall-crossings involving the flop transition of the conifold. We also
find that in one of the large radius limits there are stable bound states of
two D4-D2-D0 fragments.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures; v2: typos corrected, minor changes, a reference
adde
Black Hole Meiosis
The enumeration of BPS bound states in string theory needs refinement.
Studying partition functions of particles made from D-branes wrapped on
algebraic Calabi-Yau 3-folds, and classifying states using split attractor flow
trees, we extend the method for computing a refined BPS index, arXiv:0810.4301.
For certain D-particles, a finite number of microstates, namely polar states,
exclusively realized as bound states, determine an entire partition function
(elliptic genus). This underlines their crucial importance: one might call them
the `chromosomes' of a D-particle or a black hole. As polar states also can be
affected by our refinement, previous predictions on elliptic genera are
modified. This can be metaphorically interpreted as `crossing-over in the
meiosis of a D-particle'. Our results improve on hep-th/0702012, provide
non-trivial evidence for a strong split attractor flow tree conjecture, and
thus suggest that we indeed exhaust the BPS spectrum. In the D-brane
description of a bound state, the necessity for refinement results from the
fact that tachyonic strings split up constituent states into `generic' and
`special' states. These are enumerated separately by topological invariants,
which turn out to be partitions of Donaldson-Thomas invariants. As modular
predictions provide a check on many of our results, we have compelling evidence
that our computations are correct.Comment: 46 pages, 8 figures. v2: minor changes. v3: minor changes and
reference adde
Wall-crossing of D4-D2-D0 and flop of the conifold
We discuss the wall-crossing of the BPS bound states of a non-compact
holomorphic D4-brane with D2 and D0-branes on the conifold. We use the
Kontsevich-Soibelman wall-crossing formula and analyze the BPS degeneracy in
various chambers. In particular we obtain a relation between BPS degeneracies
in two limiting attractor chambers related by a flop transition. Our result is
consistent with known results and predicts BPS degeneracies in all chambers.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; v2: typos corrected; v3: minor changes, a
reference added, version to be published in JHE
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