Primary school attendance in Honduras

Honduras;statistical analysis;primary schools;school attendance

X-ray Emission Diagnostics from the M87 Jet

We use Chandra, HST and VLA observations of M87 to investigate the physics of X-ray emission from AGN jets. We find that X-ray hotspots in the M87 jet occur primarily in regions with hard optical-to-X-ray spectra and lower than average polarization. Particle injection appears to be required both continuously in the jet sheath as well as locally at X-ray hotspots.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to "The Physics of Relativistic Jets in the CHANDRA and XMM Era", Bologna 200

Polypill for prevention of cardiovascular disease in an Urban Iranian population with special focus on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial within a cohort (PolyIran - Liver) – Study protocol

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the most common causes of mortality in all populations. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a common finding in patients with CVD. Prevention of CVD in individual patients typically requires periodic clinical evaluation, as well as diagnosis and management of risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. However, this is resource consuming and hard to implement, especially in developing countries. We designed a study to investigate the effects of a simpler strategy: a fixed-dose combination pill consisting of aspirin, valsartan, atorvastatin and hydrochlorthiazide (PolyPill) in an unselected group of persons aged over 50 years. Design: The PolyIran-Liver study was performed in Gonbad city as an open label pragmatic randomized controlled trial nested within the Golestan Cohort Study. We randomly selected 2,400 cohort study participants aged above 50 years, randomly assigned them to intervention or usual care and invited them to participate in an additional measurement study (if they met the eligibility criteria) to measure liver related outcomes. Those agreeing and randomized to the intervention arm were offered a daily single dose of PolyPill. We will follow participants for 5 years. The primary outcome is major cardiovascular events, secondary outcomes include all-cause mortality and liver related outcomes: liver stiffness and liver enzyme levels. Cardiovascular outcomes and mortality will be determined from the cohort study and liver-related outcomes in those consenting to follow up. Analysis will be by allocated group. Trial Status: Between October and December 2011, 1,320 intervention and 1,080 control participants were invited to participate in the additional measurement study. For all these participants, the major cardiovascular events will be determined using blind assessment of outcomes through the cohort study. In the intervention and control arms, 875 (66%) and 721 (67%) respectively, met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the additional measurement study. Liver related outcomes will be measured in these participants. Of the 1,320 participants randomized to the intervention, 787 (60%) accepted the PolyPill. Conclusion: The PolyIran-liver urban study will provide us with important information on the effectiveness of PolyPill on major cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality and liver related outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01245608). © 2015, Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved

Establishing RNAi in a non-model organism: The Antarctic nematode Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1

The Antarctic nematode Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 is one of the only organisms known to survive extensive intracellular freezing throughout its tissues. Although the physiological mechanisms of this extreme adaptation are partly understood, the molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. RNAi is a method that allows the examination of gene function in a direct, targeted manner, by knocking out specific mRNAs and revealing the effects on the phenotype. In this study we have explored the viability of RNAi in Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1. In the first trial, nematodes were fed E. coli expressing Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 dsRNA of the embryonic lethal genes rps-2 and dhc, and the blister gene duox. Pd-rps-2(RNAi)-treated nematodes showed a significant decrease in larval hatching. However, qPCR showed no significant decrease in the amount of rps-2 mRNA in Pd-rps-2(RNAi)-treated animals. Several soaking protocols for dsRNA uptake were investigated using the fluorescent dye FITC. Desiccation-enhanced soaking showed the strongest uptake of FITC and resulted in a significant and consistent decrease of mRNA levels of two of the four tested genes (rps-2 and tps-2a), suggesting effective uptake of dsRNA-containing solution by the nematode. These findings suggest that RNAi by desiccation-enhanced soaking is viable in Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 and provide the first functional genomic approach to investigate freezing tolerance in this non-model organism. RNAi, in conjunction with qPCR, can be used to screen for candidate genes involved in intracellular freezing tolerance in Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1

Molecular analysis of the cold tolerant Antarctic nematode, Panagrolaimus davidi

Isolated and established in culture from the Antarctic in 1988, the nematode Panagrolaimus davidi has proven to be an ideal model for the study of adaptation to the cold. Not only is it the best-documented example of an organism surviving intracellular freezing but it is also able to undergo cryoprotective dehydration. As part of an ongoing effort to develop a molecular understanding of this remarkable organism, we have assembled both a transcriptome and a set of genomic scaffolds. We provide an overview of the transcriptome and a survey of genes involved in temperature stress. We also explore, in silico, the possibility that P. davidi will be susceptible to an environmental RNAi response, important for further functional studies

Molecular snapshot of an intracellular freezing event in an Antarctic nematode

The Antarctic nematode, Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 (formerly called Panagrolaimus davidi), is the best documented example of an organism able to survive intracellular ice formation in all of its compartments. Not only is it able to survive such extreme physiological disruption, but it is able to produce progeny once thawed from such a state. In addition, under slower rates, or less extreme degrees, of cooling, its body remains unfrozen and the vapour pressure difference between the supercooled body fluids and the surrounding ice leads to a process termed cryoprotective dehydration. In contrast to a fairly large body of work in building up our molecular understanding of cryoprotective dehydration, no comparable work has been undertaken on intracellular freezing. This paper describes an experiment subjecting cultures of Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 to a range of temperatures including a rapid descent to −10 °C, in a medium just prior to, and after, freezing. Through deep sequencing of RNA libraries we have gained a snapshot of which genes are highly abundant when P. sp. DAW1 is undergoing an intracellular freezing event. The onset of freezing correlated with a high production of genes involved in cuticle formation and subsequently, after 24 h in a frozen state, protease production. In addition to the mapping of RNA sequencing, we have focused on a select set of genes arising both from the expression profiles, as well as implicated from other cold tolerance studies, to undertake qPCR. Among the most abundantly represented transcripts in the RNA mapping is the zinc-metalloenzyme, neprilysin, which also shows a particularly strong upregulated signal through qPCR once the nematodes have frozen

Investigating trehalose synthesis genes after cold acclimation in the Antarctic nematode Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1

Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 is a freeze-tolerant Antarctic nematode which survives extensive intracellular ice formation. The molecular mechanisms of this extreme adaptation are still poorly understood. We recently showed that desiccation-enhanced RNAi-soaking can be used - in conjunction with qPCR - to screen for phenotypes associated with reduced expression of candidate genes in Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1. Here we present the use of this approach to investigate the role of trehalose synthesis genes in this remarkable organism. Previous studies have showed that acclimating Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 at 5 °C before freezing or desiccation substantially enhances survival. In this study the expression of tps-2 and other genes associated with trehalose metabolism, as well as lea-1, hsp-70 and gpx-1 in cold-acclimated and non-acclimated nematodes was analyzed using qPCR. Pd-tps-2 and Pd-lea-1 were significantly up-regulated after cold-acclimation, indicating an inducible expression in the cold-adaptation of Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1. The role of trehalose synthesis genes in Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1 was further investigated by RNAi. Compared to the controls, Pd-tps-2a(RNAi)-treated and cold-acclimated nematodes showed a significant decrease in mRNA, but no change in trehalose content or freezing survival. The involvement of two other trehalose synthesis genes (tps-2b and gob-1) was also investigated. These findings provide the first functional genomic investigation of trehalose synthesis genes in the non-model organism Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1. The presence of several trehalose synthesis genes with different RNAi sensitivities suggests the existence of multiple backup systems in Panagrolaimus sp. DAW1, underlining the importance of this sugar in preparation for freezing

Experimental Evidence of Giant Electron - Gamma Bursts Generated by Extensive Atmospheric Showers in Thunderclouds

The existence of a new phenomena - giant electron-gamma bursts is established. The bursts are generated in thunderclouds as a result of the combined action of runaway breakdown and extensive atmosphere showers (RB-EAS). The experiments were fulfilled at the Tien Shan Mountain Scientific Station using EAS-Radio installation. This specially constructed installation consists of a wide spread EAS trigger array and a high time resolution radiointerferometer.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figure