473 research outputs found
Effect of farnesol on Candida dubliniensis morphogenesis
Cell–cell signalling in Candida albicans is a known phenomenon and farnesol was identified as a quorum sensing molecule determining the yeast morphology. The aim of this work was to verify if farnesol had a similar effect on Candida dubliniensis, highlighting the effect of farnesol on Candida spp. morphogenesis.
Methods and Results: Two different strains of C. dubliniensis and one of C. albicans were grown both in RPMI 1640 and in serum in the presence of absence of farnesol. At 150 μmol l -1 farnesol the growth rate of both Candida species was not affected. On the contrary, farnesol inhibited hyphae and pseudohyphae formation in C. dubliniensis.
Conclusion: Farnesol seems to mediate cell morphology in both Candida species.
Significance and Impact of the Study: The effect of farnesol on C. dubliniensis
morphology was not reported previously.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT
The Sachs-Wolfe Effect: Gauge Independence and a General Expression
In this paper we address two points concerning the Sachs-Wolfe effect: (i)
the gauge independence of the observable temperature anisotropy, and (ii) a
gauge-invariant expression of the effect considering the most general situation
of hydrodynamic perturbations. The first result follows because the gauge
transformation of the temperature fluctuation at the observation event only
contributes to the isotropic temperature change which, in practice, is absorbed
into the definition of the background temperature. Thus, we proceed without
fixing the gauge condition, and express the Sachs-Wolfe effect using the
gauge-invariant variables.Comment: 5 pages, closer to published versio
Markov Chain Monte Carlo Exploration of Minimal Supergravity with Implications for Dark Matter
We explore the full parameter space of Minimal Supergravity (mSUGRA),
allowing all four continuous parameters (the scalar mass m_0, the gaugino mass
m_1/2, the trilinear coupling A_0, and the ratio of Higgs vacuum expectation
values tan beta) to vary freely. We apply current accelerator constraints on
sparticle and Higgs masses, and on the b -> s gamma branching ratio, and
discuss the impact of the constraints on g_mu-2. To study dark matter, we apply
the WMAP constraint on the cold dark matter density. We develop Markov Chain
Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques to explore the parameter regions consistent with
WMAP, finding them to be considerably superior to previously used methods for
exploring supersymmetric parameter spaces. Finally, we study the reach of
current and future direct detection experiments in light of the WMAP
constraint.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure
Characterization of microaneurysm closure after focal laser photocoagulation in diabetic macular edema
Purpose: To characterize microaneurysm closure following focal laser photocoagulation in diabetic macular edema (DME) using simultaneous fluorescein angiography (FA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Design: Retrospective observational case series. Methods: Leaking microaneurysms (n\ua0= 123) were analyzed in eyes (n\ua0= 29) with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) that underwent navigated focal laser photocoagulation in DME and were followed at 3, 6, and 12\ua0months. Closure of diabetic microaneurysms was characterized in detail following focal laser using SD-OCT. Results: Closure rate of microaneurysms by both FA and SD-OCT was 69.9% (84/123), 79.7% (98/123), and 82.9% (102/123) at 3, 6, and 12\ua0months, respectively. Microaneurysm closure rate increased at 6 and 12\ua0months compared to 3\ua0months (P < .003, P < .001). Over half of closed microaneurysms (45/86, 52.3%) left hyperreflective spots while the remaining half (41/86, 47.7%) disappeared without any hyperreflectivity by SD-OCT at 3\ua0months. Hyperreflective spots decreased at 6 (36/99, 36.4%) and 12\ua0months (17/102, 16.7%) with a concomitant increase in complete loss of reflectivity at 6 (63/99, 63.6%) and 12\ua0months (85/102, 83.3%). Smaller outer and inner diameters and heterogeneous lumen reflectivity were positively associated with microaneurysm closure at 12\ua0months (P < .0001, P < .001, P < .03). Conclusions: Characterization of microaneurysms following focal laser photocoagulation resulted in hyperreflective spots and complete resolution of all reflectivity using SD-OCT. Smaller microaneurysms and those with heterogeneous lumen were positively associated with microaneurysm closure. These findings provide greater understanding of localized retinal changes following focal laser photocoagulation in DME treatment
Effect of tensor couplings in a relativistic Hartree approach for finite nuclei
The relativistic Hartree approach describing the bound states of both
nucleons and anti-nucleons in finite nuclei has been extended to include tensor
couplings for the - and -meson. After readjusting the parameters
of the model to the properties of spherical nuclei, the effect of
tensor-coupling terms rises the spin-orbit force by a factor of 2, while a
large effective nucleon mass sustains. The overall
nucleon spectra of shell-model states are improved evidently. The predicted
anti-nucleon spectra in the vacuum are deepened about 20 -- 30 MeV.Comment: 31 pages, 4 postscript figures include
Possible origins of macroscopic left-right asymmetry in organisms
I consider the microscopic mechanisms by which a particular left-right (L/R)
asymmetry is generated at the organism level from the microscopic handedness of
cytoskeletal molecules. In light of a fundamental symmetry principle, the
typical pattern-formation mechanisms of diffusion plus regulation cannot
implement the "right-hand rule"; at the microscopic level, the cell's
cytoskeleton of chiral filaments seems always to be involved, usually in
collective states driven by polymerization forces or molecular motors. It seems
particularly easy for handedness to emerge in a shear or rotation in the
background of an effectively two-dimensional system, such as the cell membrane
or a layer of cells, as this requires no pre-existing axis apart from the layer
normal. I detail a scenario involving actin/myosin layers in snails and in C.
elegans, and also one about the microtubule layer in plant cells. I also survey
the other examples that I am aware of, such as the emergence of handedness such
as the emergence of handedness in neurons, in eukaryote cell motility, and in
non-flagellated bacteria.Comment: 42 pages, 6 figures, resubmitted to J. Stat. Phys. special issue.
Major rewrite, rearranged sections/subsections, new Fig 3 + 6, new physics in
Sec 2.4 and 3.4.1, added Sec 5 and subsections of Sec
Association of interatrial septal abnormalities with cardiac impulse conduction disorders in adult patients: experience from a tertiary center in Kosovo
Interatrial septal disorders, which include: atrial septal defect, patent foramen ovale and atrial septal aneurysm, are frequent congenital anomalies found in adult patients. Early detection of these anomalies is important to prevent their hemodynamic and/or thromboembolic consequences. The aims of this study were: to assess the association between impulse conduction disorders and anomalies of interatrial septum; to determine the prevalence of different types of interatrial septum abnormalities; to assess anatomic, hemodynamic, and clinical consequences of interatrial septal pathologies. Fifty-three adult patients with impulse conduction disorders and patients without ECG changes but with signs of interatrial septal abnormalities, who were referred to our center for echocardiography, were included in a prospective transesophageal echocardiography study. Interatrial septal anomalies were detected in around 85% of the examined patients. Patent foramen ovale was encountered in 32% of the patients, and in combination with atrial septal aneurysm in an additional 11.3% of cases. Atrial septal aneurysm and atrial septal defect were diagnosed with equal frequency in 20.7% of our study population. Impulse conduction disorders were significantly more suggestive of interatrial septal anomalies than clinical signs and symptoms observed in our patients (84.91% vs 30.19%, P=0.002). Right bundle branch block was the most frequent impulse conduction disorder, found in 41 (77.36%) cases. We conclude that interatrial septal anomalies are highly associated with impulse conduction disorders, particularly with right bundle branch block. Impulse conduction disorders are more indicative of interatrial septal abnormalities in earlier stages than can be understood from the patient’s clinical condition
Production and Decay of D_1(2420)^0 and D_2^*(2460)^0
We have investigated and final states and
observed the two established charmed mesons, the with mass
MeV/c and width MeV/c and
the with mass MeV/c and width
MeV/c. Properties of these final states, including
their decay angular distributions and spin-parity assignments, have been
studied. We identify these two mesons as the doublet predicted
by HQET. We also obtain constraints on {\footnotesize } as a function of the cosine of the relative phase of the two
amplitudes in the decay.Comment: 15 pages in REVTEX format. hardcopies with figures can be obtained by
sending mail to: [email protected]
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