Electroweak Corrections to the Charm-Top-Quark Contribution to ϵK\epsilon_K

We calculate the leading-logarithmic and next-to-leading-logarithmic electroweak corrections to the charm-top-quark contribution to the effective $|\Delta S| = 2$ Lagrangian, relevant for the parameter $\epsilon_K$. We find that these corrections lead to a $-0.5\%$ shift in the corresponding Wilson coefficient. Moreover, our calculation removes an implicit ambiguity in the standard-model prediction of $\epsilon_K$, by fixing the renormalization scheme of the electroweak input parameters.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

The Impact of a Post-Prescription Review and Feedback Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Lebanon

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are effective means to optimize prescribing practices. They are under-utilized in the Middle East where many challenges exist for ASP implementation. We assessed the effectiveness of infectious disease physician-driven post-prescription review and feedback as an ASP in Lebanon. This prospective cohort study was conducted over an 18-month period in the medical, surgical, and intensive care units of a tertiary care hospital. It consisted of three phases: the baseline, intervention, and follow-up. There was a washout period of two months between each phase. Patients aged ≥16 years receiving 48 h of antibiotics were included. During the intervention phase, the AMS team reviewed antimicrobial use within 72 h post-prescription and gave alternate recommendations based on the guidelines for use. The acceptance of the recommendations was measured at 72 h. The primary outcome of the study was days of therapy per 1000 study patient days. A total of 328 patients were recruited in the baseline phase (August-October 2020), 467 patients in the intervention phase (January-June 2021), and 301 patients in the post-intervention phase (September-December 2021). The total days of therapy decreased from 11.46 during the baseline phase to 8.64 during the intervention phase (p \u3c 0.001). Intervention acceptance occurred 88.5% of the time. The infectious disease physician-driven implementation of an ASP was successful in reducing antibiotic utilization in an acute care setting in Lebanon

Selenoprotein T as a new positive inotrope in the goldfish, Carassius auratus.

Selenoprotein T (SELENOT) is a thioredoxin-like protein, which mediates oxidoreductase functions via its redox active motif Cys-X-X-Sec. In mammals, SELENOT is expressed during ontogenesis and progressively decreases in adult tissues. In the heart, it is re-expressed after ischemia and induces cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. SELENOT is present in teleost fish, including the goldfish Carassius auratus. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiac expression of SELENOT, and the effects of exogenous PSELT (a 43-52 SELENOT derived-peptide) on the heart function of C. auratus, a hypoxia tolerance fish model. We found that SELENOT was expressed in cardiac extracts of juvenile and adult fish, located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) together with calsequestrin-2. Expression increased under acute hypoxia. On ex vivo isolated and perfused goldfish heart preparations, under normoxia, PSELT dose-dependently increased Stroke Volume (SV), Cardiac Output (Q̇), and Stroke Work (SW), by involving cAMP, PKA, L-type calcium channels, SERCA2a pumps, and pAkt. Under hypoxia, PSELT did not affect myocardial contractility. Only at higher concentrations (10−8 -10−7 M) an increase of SV and Q̇ was observed. It also reduced the cardiac expression of 3-NT, a tissue marker of nitrosative stress which increases under low oxygen availability. These data are the first to propose SELENOT 43-52, PSELT, as a cardiac modulator in fish, with a potential protective role under hypoxia

Relevance of obesity and overweight to salivary and plasma proteomes of human young adults from Brazil / Relevância da obesidade e sobrepeso para os proteomas salivares e plasmáticos de adultos jovens humanos do Brasil

Obesity is a chronic condition related to multiple comorbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, periodontal and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity can lead to a metabolic change, creating a prolonged and low-intensity inflammatory process. This study aims to analyze the plasma and saliva proteomes of young adults with obesity and overweight comparing to normal weight individuals, to reveal if the rise on body mass influences the proteomic profiles. The reported population consisted of 18 students and/or employees of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, aged between 18 and 35 years. Individuals were categorized according to their anthropometric measures in the Normal Weight, Overweight and Obese groups. Proteomic characterization was assessed by quantitative Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI Q/TOF). In addition, cytokines were identified by Multiplex analysis. A total of 118 human proteins from saliva and plasma were identified, including 7 that were common between both fluids. The salivary and plasma proteomes seemed to be related to the body mass index, once the three groups showed distinct proteome profiles. Altogether 49 proteins presented different abundances between the obese, overweight, and normal weight individuals. The main functional category modified in both fluids was the immune response. Most of the modified proteins were previously reported as related to inflammatory diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, in particular alpha-1 antitrypsin, C3 complement, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein, apolipoprotein AI and lysozyme, that could be tested to possible use as early biomarkers of obesity comorbidities

Geno-and cytotoxicity induced on Cyprinus carpio by aluminum, iron, mercury and mixture thereof.

Metals such as Al, Fe and Hg are used in diverse anthropogenic activities. Their presence in water bodies is due mainly to domestic, agricultural and industrial wastewater discharges and constitutes a hazard for the organisms inhabiting these environments. The present study aimed to evaluate geno- and cyto- toxicity induced by Al, Fe, Hg and the mixture of these metals on blood of the common carp Cyprinus carpio. Specimens were exposed to the permissible limits in water for human use and consumption according to the pertinent official Mexican norm [official Mexican norm NOM-127-SSA1-1994] Al (0.2 mg L 1), Fe (0.3 mg L 1), Hg (0.001 mg L 1) and their mixture for 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. Bio- markers of genotoxicity (comet assay and micronucleus test) and cytotoxicity (caspase-3 activity and TUNEL assay) were evaluated. Significant increases relative to the control group (po0.05) were observed in all biomarkers at all exposure times in all test systems; however, damage was greater when the metals were present as a mixture. Furthermore, correlations between metal concentrations and biomarkers of geno- and cytotoxicity were found only at certain exposure times. In conclusion, Al, Fe, Hg and the mixture of these metals induce geno- and cytotoxicity on blood of C. carpio.CONACyT-Mexico, Project 18154

Development of an In Situ Biosurfactant Production Technology for Enhanced Oil Recovery

The long-term economic potential for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is large with more than 300 billion barrels of oil remaining in domestic reservoirs after conventional technologies reach their economic limit. Actual EOR production in the United States has never been very large, less than 10% of the total U. S. production even though a number of economic incentives have been used to stimulate the development and application of EOR processes. The U.S. DOE Reservoir Data Base contains more than 600 reservoirs with over 12 billion barrels of unrecoverable oil that are potential targets for microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). If MEOR could be successfully applied to reduce the residual oil saturation by 10% in a quarter of these reservoirs, more than 300 million barrels of oil could be added to the U.S. oil reserve. This would stimulate oil production from domestic reservoirs and reduce our nation's dependence on foreign imports. Laboratory studies have shown that detergent-like molecules called biosurfactants, which are produced by microorganisms, are very effective in mobilizing entrapped oil from model test systems. The biosurfactants are effective at very low concentrations. Given the promising laboratory results, it is important to determine the efficacy of using biosurfactants in actual field applications. The goal of this project is to move biosurfactant-mediated oil recovery from laboratory investigations to actual field applications. In order to meet this goal, several important questions must be answered. First, it is critical to know whether biosurfactant-producing microbes are present in oil formations. If they are present, then it will be important to know whether a nutrient regime can be devised to stimulate their growth and activity in the reservoir. If biosurfactant producers are not present, then a suitable strain must be obtained that can be injected into oil reservoirs. We were successful in answering all three questions. The specific objectives of the project were (1) to determine the prevalence of biosurfactant producers in oil reservoirs, and (2) to develop a nutrient regime that would stimulate biosurfactant production in the oil reservoir