Performance of the ATLAS Hadronic Tile Calorimeter at the LHC Startup

The Tile hadronic calorimeter is the central hadronic barrel calorimeter of the ATLAS experiment at CERN. Its performance has a direct impact on physics for the LHC start up. Good signal timing is required for good off-detector energy reconstruction, where the digital samples are calibrated to the electromagnetic scale. We present the current status on detector timing with latest results from beam data, initial electronic noise characterization with cosmic data and the status of the energy intercalibration to the electromagnetic scale

TileCal TDAQ/DCS communication

This document describes the communication between the TDAQ and DCS systems of the Hadronic Tile Calorimeter detector of the ATLAS experiment, currently under commissioning phase at CERN. It is a further step on the TDAQ and DCS communication for TileCal operation. The aim of the implementation is to increase the robustness and understanding of the detector from the two systems involved. The basic principle observed is that the two systems operate independently in parallel. Hence, the knowledge of the status of the whole detector from each of the two systems is required for further analysis of the archived data

Complexes of Pd(II) and Pt(II) with 9-Aminoacridine: Reactions with DNA and Study of Their Antiproliferative Activity

Four new metal complexes {M = Pd(II) or Pt(II)} containing the ligand 9-aminoacridine (9AA) were prepared. The compounds were characterized by FT-IR and 1H, 13C, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopies. Crystal structure of the palladium complex of formulae [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 · 2DMF was determined by X-ray diffraction. Two 9-acridine molecules in the imine form bind symmetrically to the metal ions in a bidentate fashion through the imine nitrogen atom and the C(1) atom of the aminoacridine closing a new five-membered ring. By reaction with phosphine or pyridine, the Cl bridges broke and compounds with general formulae [Pd(9AA)Cl(L)] (where L = PPh3 or py) were formed. A mononuclear complex of platinum of formulae [Pt(9AA)Cl(DMSO)] was also obtained by direct reaction of 9-aminoacridine and the complex [PtCl2(DMSO2]. The capacity of the compounds to modify the secondary and tertiary structures of DNA was evaluated by means of circular dichroism and electrophoretic mobility. Both palladium and platinum compounds proved active in the modification of both the secondary and tertiary DNA structures. AFM images showed noticeable modifications of the morphology of the plasmid pBR322 DNA by the compounds probably due to the intercalation of the complexes between base pairs of the DNA molecule. Finally, the palladium complex was tested for antiproliferative activity against three different human tumor cell lines. The results suggest that the palladium complex of formula [Pd(9AA)(μ-Cl)]2 has significant antiproliferative activity, although it is less active than cisplatin

Palladium doping of In2O3 towards a general and selective catalytic hydrogenation of amides to amines and alcohols

Herein, the first general heterogeneous catalytic protocol for the hydrogenation of primary, secondary and tertiary amides to their corresponding amines and alcohols is described. Advantageously, this catalytic protocol works under additive-free conditions and is compatible with the presence of aromatic rings, which are fully retained in the final products. This hydrogenative C–N bond cleavage methodology is catalyzed by a Pd-doped In2O3 catalyst prepared by a microwave hydrothermal-assisted method followed by calcination. This catalyst displays highly dispersed Pd2+ ionic species in the oxide matrix of In2O3 that have appeared to be essential for its high catalytic performance

Capillary glucose concentration during oral glucose tolerance test for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes

Objective: To assess concordance between two point-of-care testing (POCT) devices and the standard laboratory method in screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Huesca. Methods: Pregnant women who met criteria for an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and attended the laboratory between October 2017 and November 2018 were recruited in this prospective observational study. Glucose was measured in venous (laboratory) and capillary blood (Accu-Chek or Contour Next glucometers). GDM was diagnosed attending to NDDG criteria for venous samples or capillary-specific cut-off. Linear regression, Passing–Bablok, Bland–Altman, and the kappa coefficient were used to study concordance between POCT and laboratory method. Results: Data from 109 women were analyzed (57 for Accu-Chek, 52 for Contour Next). Statistical analyses showed good agreement between both POCT and laboratory method. There were no statistical differences in fasting glucose measurements between capillary and venous samples and both POCT devices meet the ISO 15197 standard. Accu-Chek showed good agreement (k=0.629) regarding the laboratory method in classifying GDM, with an acceptable inter-evaluator bias of 3.5% (P<0.001). Conclusion: POCT can be used to obtain fasting values and reduce overall waiting times for patients. Additionally, Accu-Chek can be used to diagnose GDM in remote areas applying specific cut-off values

The PhoP-Dependent ncRNA Mcr7 Modulates the TAT Secretion System in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The PhoPR two-component system is essential for virulence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis where it controls expression of approximately 2% of the genes, including those for the ESX-1 secretion apparatus, a major virulence determinant. Mutations in phoP lead to compromised production of pathogen-specific cell wall components and attenuation both ex vivo and in vivo. Using antibodies against the native protein in ChIP-seq experiments (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing) we demonstrated that PhoP binds to at least 35 loci on the M. tuberculosis genome. The PhoP regulon comprises several transcriptional regulators as well as genes for polyketide synthases and PE/PPE proteins. Integration of ChIP-seq results with high-resolution transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq) revealed that PhoP controls 30 genes directly, whilst regulatory cascades are responsible for signal amplification and downstream effects through proteins like EspR, which controls Esx1 function, via regulation of the espACD operon. The most prominent site of PhoP regulation was located in the intergenic region between rv2395 and PE_PGRS41, where the mcr7 gene codes for a small non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Northern blot experiments confirmed the absence of Mcr7 in an M. tuberculosis phoP mutant as well as low-level expression of the ncRNA in M. tuberculosis complex members other than M. tuberculosis. By means of genetic and proteomic analyses we demonstrated that Mcr7 modulates translation of the tatC mRNA thereby impacting the activity of the Twin Arginine Translocation (Tat) protein secretion apparatus. As a result, secretion of the immunodominant Ag85 complex and the beta-lactamase BlaC is affected, among others. Mcr7, the first ncRNA of M. tuberculosis whose function has been established, therefore represents a missing link between the PhoPR two-component system and the downstream functions necessary for successful infection of the host

X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, and Raman scattering study of K2BeF4 and comparation to other member of the (beta)-K2SO4 family with ferroelectric -paraelectric transition

Thermal analysis, powder diffraction, and Raman scattering as a function of the temperature were carried out on K2BeF4. Moreover, the crystal structure was determined at 293 K from powder diffraction. The compound shows a transition from Pna21 to Pnam space group at 921 K with a transition enthalpy of 5 kJ/mol. The transition is assumed to be first order because the compound shows metastability. Structurally and spectroscopically the transition is similar to those observed in (NH4)2SO4, which suggests that the low-temperature phase is ferroelectric. In order to confirm it, the spontaneous polarization has been computed using an ionic model

Comportamiento sísmico de presas de relaves construidas aguas abajo y línea central

The growth of ore treatment rates during the last decades has required an increase in the tailings impoundment capacity. Consequently, the height and volume of the designed sand dams have reached unprecedented dimensions. This has been caused by environmental constraints according to current regulations. In this context, the sand dam design with the centreline method is an alternative to reduce the sand volume without affecting the global dam stability. This method of construction has been applied successfully in seismic countries with high tailings dams such as Canada and more recently in Peru. This article presents 2D numerical modelling of high tailings dams under a strong seismic event. For this analysis it has been considered a standard section of dam built by downstream in one case. A second case considers the same section modifying its growth method to centreline from a certain height. The seismic response for both methods and the effect of variation in the upstream slope, in terms of seismic deformations, crest accelerations, amplification respect to free field and among others, are compared