Meson production in two-photon interactions at energies available at CERN Large Hadron Collider

The meson production cross sections are estimated considering photon-photon interactions in hadron - hadron collisions at CERN LHC energies. We consider a large number of mesons with photon-photon partial decay width well constrained by the experiment and some mesons which are currently considered as hadronic molecule and glueball candidates. Our results demonstrate that the experimental analysis of these states is feasible at CERN - LHC.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, 4 tables. Version published in Physical Review

Circulating testosterone and prostate-specific antigen in nipple aspirate fluid and tissue are associated with breast cancer.

Preliminary evidence has associated testosterone and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) with breast cancer. Our objective was to determine whether a) testosterone levels in nipple aspirate fluid (NAF), serum, or breast tissue are associated with breast cancer; b) testosterone levels in serum are associated with levels in NAF; c) PSA in NAF, serum, or breast tissue is associated with breast cancer; and d) serum PSA is associated with NAF PSA levels. We obtained 342 NAF specimens from 171 women by means of a modified breast pump. Additionally, we collected 201 blood samples from 99 women and 51 tissue samples from 41 subjects who underwent surgical resection for suspected disease. Women currently using birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy were excluded from the study. Controlling for age and menopausal status, serum testosterone was significantly increased in women with breast cancer (p = 0.002). NAF and serum testosterone levels were not associated. Neither NAF nor tissue testosterone was associated with breast cancer. Controlling for menopausal status and age, NAF PSA was significantly decreased in women with breast cancer (p \u3c 0.001). We did not find serum PSA to be associated with breast cancer, although we found an indication that, in postmenopausal women, its levels were lower in women with cancer. Serum PSA was associated with NAF PSA in postmenopausal women (p \u3c 0.001). PSA levels in cancerous tissue were significantly lower than in benign breast specimens from subjects without cancer (p = 0.011), whereas levels of PSA in histologically benign specimens from subjects with cancer were intermediate. Our results suggest that serum testosterone is increased and NAF PSA is decreased in women with breast cancer, with PSA expression being higher in normal than in cancerous breast tissues. NAF and serum PSA levels in postmenopausal women are correlated, suggesting that as laboratory assessment of PSA becomes more sensitive, serum PSA may become useful in identifying women with breast cancer

Produtividade de milho para ensilagem e feijão-miúdo em cultivo consorciado no noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul.

A bovinocultura de leite no noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul está em expansão e vem se mostrando uma alternativa rentável para pequenas propriedades. O feijão-miúdo é uma leguminosa tropical que vem se difundindo rapidamente, porém informações sobre seu cultivo e potencial de uso são escassos. O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a produtividade de milho para ensilagem e de feijão-miúdo em cultivo consorciado no noroeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Os tratamentos foram quatro variedades de feijão-miúdo cultivadas em consórcio com milho para ensilagem. Foram determinadas a estatura e a densidade real de plantas e as produções de massas verde e seca de milho e de feijão-miúdo na ocasião da colheita do milho. Não foram verificadas diferenças estatísticas nas variáveis analisadas, devido, provavelmente, aos altos coeficientes de variação obtidos. Foram encontrados valores expressivos de produções de massas verde e seca de milho, apesar de a densidade real de plantas de milho ter sido inferior à recomendada. As produções de massas verde e seca das variedades de feijão-miúdo ficaram aquém das obtidas em outras pesquisas regionais, sendo explicadas pela baixa densidade populacional no cultivo consorciado, época tardia de semeadura e avaliação de apenas um corte. A produção de forragem não foi afetada pelas variedades da leguminosa. O consórcio de milho e feijão-miúdo tem desempenho satisfatório e é uma alternativa na composição de sistemas de produção mais sustentáveis e racionais

Produção de forragem e grãos de variedades de feijão-miúdo em consórcio com milho.

Espécies leguminosas tropicais são melhoradoras de solos, pela capacidade de fixação biológica de nitrogênio e pelo residual de fertilidade que permitem aos cultivos subsequentes. O feijãomiúdo é uma espécie que tem se destacado na região Sul do Brasil devido à sua multiplicidade de uso. Seu cultivo vem se difundindo rapidamente, principalmente nas bacias leiteiras, mas informações sobre seu cultivo e potencial de uso são escassos. Um experimento foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar a produção de forragem e grãos de quatro variedades de feijão-miúdo em cultivo consorciado com milho. Foram determinadas a densidade real de plantas e as produções de massa verde e seca totais e de massa seca de lâminas foliares, colmos e de grãos (kg ha-1) de feijão-miúdo, na ocasião da colheita do milho. Não foram verificadas diferenças estatísticas nas variáveis analisadas, devido, provavelmente, aos altos coeficientes de variação obtidos. Contudo, verificam-se diferenças numéricas expressivas entre os tratamentos. As produções podem ser consideradas satisfatórias para o sistema e região de cultivo, mas outros estudos deverão ser realizados para que sejam possíveis conclusões mais pontuais sobre as características das variedades de feijão-miúdo e seu cultivo consorciado com milho. Mesmo sem respaldo estatístico, podem ser destacadas as produções de massa seca total, de lâminas foliares e de grãos obtidas pela variedade Amendoim

Nipple aspirate fluid - a liquid biopsy for diagnosing breast health

YesPurpose: Nipple secretions are protein-rich and a potential source of breast cancer biomarkers for breast cancer screening. Previous studies of specific proteins have shown limited correlation with clinicopatholigical features. Our aim, in this pilot study, was to investigate the intra- and inter-patient protein composition of nipple secretions and the implications for their use as liquid biopsies. Experimental design: Matched pairs of NAF (n=15) were characterised for physicochemical properties and SDS PAGE. Four pairs were selected for semi-quantitative proteomic profiling and trypsin-digested peptides analysed using 2D LC Orbitrap Fusion mass spectrometry. The resulting data was subject to bioinformatics analysis and statistical evaluation for functional significance. Results: A total of 1990 unique proteins were identified many of which are established cancer associated markers. Matched pairs shared the greatest similarity (average Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.94), but significant variations between individuals was observed. Conclusions: This was the most complete proteomic study of NAF to date providing a valuable source for biomarker discovery. The high level of milk proteins in healthy volunteer samples compared to the cancer patients was associated with galactorrhoea. Using matched pairs increased confidence in patient-specific protein levels but changes relating to cancer stage require investigation of a larger cohort.Proteomics research was supported by Yorkshire Cancer Research projects, BPP047 and B381PA

Speaker Sex Perception from Spontaneous and Volitional Nonverbal Vocalizations.

In two experiments, we explore how speaker sex recognition is affected by vocal flexibility, introduced by volitional and spontaneous vocalizations. In Experiment 1, participants judged speaker sex from two spontaneous vocalizations, laughter and crying, and volitionally produced vowels. Striking effects of speaker sex emerged: For male vocalizations, listeners' performance was significantly impaired for spontaneous vocalizations (laughter and crying) compared to a volitional baseline (repeated vowels), a pattern that was also reflected in longer reaction times for spontaneous vocalizations. Further, performance was less accurate for laughter than crying. For female vocalizations, a different pattern emerged. In Experiment 2, we largely replicated the findings of Experiment 1 using spontaneous laughter, volitional laughter and (volitional) vowels: here, performance for male vocalizations was impaired for spontaneous laughter compared to both volitional laughter and vowels, providing further evidence that differences in volitional control over vocal production may modulate our ability to accurately perceive speaker sex from vocal signals. For both experiments, acoustic analyses showed relationships between stimulus fundamental frequency (F0) and the participants' responses. The higher the F0 of a vocal signal, the more likely listeners were to perceive a vocalization as being produced by a female speaker, an effect that was more pronounced for vocalizations produced by males. We discuss the results in terms of the availability of salient acoustic cues across different vocalizations

The human renal lymphatics under normal and pathological conditions

Ishikawa Y, Akasaka Y, Kiguchi H, Akishima-Fukasawa Y, Hasegawa T, Ito K, Kimura-Matsumoto M, Ishiguro S, Morita H, Sato S, Soh S & Ishii T (2006) Histopathology 49, 265–273 The human renal lymphatics under normal and pathological conditions AIMS: The renal lymphatics have not been fully documented in humans. The aim of this study was to clarify the morphology of the human renal lymphatic system under normal and pathological conditions by immunohistochemistry using anti-D2-40 antibody. METHODS AND RESULTS: Normal and pathological renal tissues obtained at autopsy as well as nephrectomy specimens with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were used. Thin sections were immunostained with antibodies against D2-40 and CD31. In normal kidney, D2-40+ lymphatics were abundant in the interstitium around the interlobar and arcuate arteries/veins but sporadic in those around the glomeruli or between the tubules in the cortex. A few lymphatics contained erythrocytes in their lumina. Lymphatics were seldom present in the medulla. In RCC cases, lymphatics were evident at the tumour margin, whereas CD31+ capillaries were abundant throughout the tumour and lymphatics were increased in the fibrous interstitium around the tumour. Lymphatic invasion by RCC cells was also detectable. D2-40+ lymphatics were evident in other pathological conditions and end-stage kidney had a denser lymphatic distribution than normal kidney. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphatics are abundant around the arteries/veins and are also present in the renal cortex and medulla. D2-40 immunostaining is helpful for investigating the pathophysiological role of renal lymphatics

Recognizing Emotions in a Foreign Language

Expressions of basic emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust) can be recognized pan-culturally from the face and it is assumed that these emotions can be recognized from a speaker's voice, regardless of an individual's culture or linguistic ability. Here, we compared how monolingual speakers of Argentine Spanish recognize basic emotions from pseudo-utterances ("nonsense speech") produced in their native language and in three foreign languages (English, German, Arabic). Results indicated that vocal expressions of basic emotions could be decoded in each language condition at accuracy levels exceeding chance, although Spanish listeners performed significantly better overall in their native language ("in-group advantage"). Our findings argue that the ability to understand vocally-expressed emotions in speech is partly independent of linguistic ability and involves universal principles, although this ability is also shaped by linguistic and cultural variables