Searches for new physics in the charm and beauty sector at the Tevatron

We report a few recent results from the CDF and D0 Collaborations in the sector of Heavy Flavors. They include measurements of CP-violating asymmetries in B hadron charmless decays, studies of the kinematical properties of flavor changing neutral current decays characterized by the transition of a quark b to a quark s and a muon pair, a search for Bs decay into a muon pair, and measurements of mixing asymmetries in semi-leptonic decays of Bs mesons. All these measurements are sensitive to the possible presence of new physics

Respuesta prehospitalaria al evento con múltiples víctimas

ResumenLas situaciones catastróficas con múltiples víctimas son eventos esporádicos que requieren una respuesta coordinada de múltiples organismos para hacer eficientes los recursos médicos destinados a darle respuesta, los que se harán insuficientes.Se describe una forma de enfrentarlos, en la llamada Fase I de su evolución, la subordinación de estos organismos a un objetivo prioritario, la conformación local de un Puesto de Mando Multi - institucional y un Puesto Médico Avanzado, las funciones de cada uno y la estructura básica de este último, con zonas de recepción, estabilización y evacuación de lesionados.Se ofrecen algunos modelos de Triage para una mejor selección de víctimas para priorizar su manejo y traslado, señalando quién, dónde y cuándo se hacen.A su vez, se describe la responsabilidad de la central operativa del dispositivo sanitario, para recabar y trasmitir la alarma, coordinar los traslados y preparar la Fase II.Se sugiere la redacción de un Protocolo.SummaryCatastrophic situations with multiple victims are sporadic events that require a coordinated response of multiple agencies in order to render efficient medical resources, which will inevitably prove insufficient.We describe a way of addressing these situations, in its so-called Phase I of evolution: the subordination of these organisms to a priority objective, and the local creation of a Multi-institutional Command Post and a Advanced Medical Post. We describe the functions of each and the basic structure of the latter, with reception areas, stabilization, and evacuation of the injured.We offer some models of Triage for a better selection of victims in order to prioritize its handling and transfer, pointing out where, whom and when they do.In turn, we also describe the responsibilities of the central health device operational unit to collect and transmit the alarm, coordinate shipments, and prepare phase II.It is suggested that a subsequent Protocol be drafted

A Statistical Prescription to Estimate Properly Normalized Distributions of Different Particle Species

We describe a statistical method to avoid biased estimation of the content of different particle species. We consider the case when the particle identification information strongly depends on some kinematical variables, whose distributions are unknown and different for each particles species. We show that the proposed procedure provides properly normalized and completely data-driven estimation of the unknown distributions without any a priori assumption on their functional form. Moreover, we demonstrate that the method can be generalized to any kinematical distribution of the particles

Arquitectura e Historia: consideraciones sobre la arquitectura española.

Sin resume

Coincident onset of multiple sclerosis and herpes simplex virus 1 encephalitis. a case report

Background: Along with vitamin D, smoking, body mass index and others, Epstein Barr virus, other herpesviruses and human endogenous retroviruses represent plausible environmental risk factors for multiple sclerosis. However, it is difficult to obtain direct proof of their involvement in the etiology of this condition. Case presentation: In order to contribute further evidence of the importance of these viruses, and speculate about disease-relevant interactions between these agents and a predisposed genetic background of the host, we describe the temporal association between multiple sclerosis onset and Herpes simplex 1-encephalitis in a female patient. Conclusions: This case illustrates a possible relationship between HSV-1 encephalitis and multiple sclerosis. Bearing in mind that association does not imply causation, some speculations about the etiology and pathophysiology of the two diseases can be made. The hypothesis of a genetic background predisposing to HSV-1 encephalitis and to immune-mediated demyelination is supported by the coincidence of the two conditions in this patient, along with data from animal models and genetic studies

Noise in multiple sclerosis: unwanted and necessary

As our knowledge about the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) increases, deterministic paradigms appear insufficient to describe the pathogenesis of the disease, and the impression is that stochastic phenomena (i.e. random events not necessarily resulting in disease in all individuals) may contribute to the development of MS. However, sources and mechanisms of stochastic behavior have not been investigated and there is no proposed framework to incorporate nondeterministic processes into disease biology. In this report, we will first describe analogies between physics of nonlinear systems and cell biology, showing how small-scale random perturbations can impact on large-scale phenomena, including cell function. We will then review growing and solid evidence showing that stochastic gene expression (or gene expression “noise”) can be a driver of phenotypic variation. Moreover, we will describe new methods that open unprecedented opportunities for the study of such phenomena in patients and the impact of this information on our understanding of MS course and therapy

Leptomeningitis in a person with radiologically isolated syndrome and latent tuberculosis. A case report with implications for clinical research

A 39-year-old man, followed with serial MRI of CNS for a radiologically isolate syndrome (RIS, a recently described condition considered a subclinical form of MS), was hospitalized for the occurrence of a leptomeningitis. Routine blood tests and contrast enhanced total body CT scan were unremarkable. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed increase of cells (22 mononuclear cells/mm3), albumin (294 mg/L), immunoglobilins G (161 mg/L) and Link Index (1.9), with 17 oligoclonal bands. Microbiological examinations of CSF (including those for Koch’s Bacillus) were negative. The Mantoux reaction and the QuantiFERON test were positive, featuring a latent tuberculosis (TB). The patient started prophylaxis with rifampicin and isoniazid for four months, until a new MRI showed the disappearance of the leptomeningeal enhancement, and the stability of white matter brain and spinal cord lesions. Two other MRI scans showed a new brain Gd-enhancing lesion nine month after anti-tubercular therapy and, after additional six months, new cerebral and spinal cord areas. This case provides the following suggestions about the effects of TB infection and related therapies on the underlying autoimmune status: the infection, while actively present, did not exacerbate the RIS condition; the worsening nine months after the prophylaxis discontinuation might have been the ‘natural’ evolution of RIS condition. Alternative speculative hypotheses include a remote effect of the infection, of isoniazid (that was reported in some cases to trigger MS), or the result of the clearance of the infection itself. Irrespective of the existence of any interaction between RIS and TB infection, It seems important to collect cases with MS-related diseases and concomitant infections, that may provide clues about disease pathogenesis and treatment