Spin and Statistics and First Principles

It was shown in the early Seventies that, in Local Quantum Theory (that is the most general formulation of Quantum Field Theory, if we leave out only the unknown scenario of Quantum Gravity) the notion of Statistics can be grounded solely on the local observable quantities (without assuming neither the commutation relations nor even the existence of unobservable charged field operators); one finds that only the well known (para)statistics of Bose/Fermi type are allowed by the key principle of local commutativity of observables. In this frame it was possible to formulate and prove the Spin and Statistics Theorem purely on the basis of First Principles. In a subsequent stage it has been possible to prove the existence of a unique, canonical algebra of local field operators obeying ordinary Bose/Fermi commutation relations at spacelike separations. In this general guise the Spin - Statistics Theorem applies to Theories (on the four dimensional Minkowski space) where only massive particles with finite mass degeneracy can occur. Here we describe the underlying simple basic ideas, and briefly mention the subsequent generalisations; eventually we comment on the possible validity of the Spin - Statistics Theorem in presence of massless particles, or of violations of locality as expected in Quantum Gravity.Comment: Survey based on a talk given at the Meeting on "Theoretical and experimental aspects of the spin - statistics connection and related symmetries", Trieste, Italy - October 21-25, 200

Bioinoculants industry for agricultural use in Colombia

Artículo científicoBio-products are primarily produced by using plant growthpromoting bacteria. This group of microorganisms is composed of different genera with the capability to stimulate plant growth increasing their productivity and promoting bio-control. The use of such microorganisms in Colombian agriculture has been highlighted to generate significant changes in production systems. The industry of bio-products was characterized using three parameters: i. records of bioproducts at the Colombian Agricultural Institute -ICA, ii. the patents recorded at the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce -SIC and iii. the Accession request to the genetic resources tool at the Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development - MADS, within 2004-2011. One hundred eleven records of bio inoculants were found in Colombia, destined mainly to ornamental crops (24.7%), vegetables (16.3%), and cereals (13.2%). At patent level thirteen ones were identified, nine found in the International Patent Classification IPC - recognized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD. The access to the database of MADS genetic resource allowed to identify 16 applications. Only one microorganism Bacillus thuringiensis was registered at all the assessed institutions. It was concluded that the development of bio-products in Colombia is only emerging in the encouragement research of the use of the microbial biodiversity, as well as the processes regarding patent register of production processes

Análisis de la relación entre el Yo-Yo Test y el consumo máximo de oxígeno en jóvenes jugadores de fútbol. [Analysis of the relationship between Yo-Yo Test and maximum oxygen uptake in young football players].

This work aimed to examine the validity of the Yo-Yo Endurance Test Level 1 to estimate the maximum oxygen uptake in football players. Participants were 15 male football players, ranging in age from 17 to 19 years old (M = 17,9; DT = 0,67), who developed a laboratory test until exhaustion and Yo-Yo Test Level 1. Results showed significant differences in the values directly and indirectly obtained, being the values lower in the oxygen uptake estimated with Yo-Yo Test. Furthermore, Yo-Yo Test performance was not related with maximum oxygen uptake relative to weight on laboratory, showing that Yo-Yo Endurance Test Level 1, through the equation described by Bangsbo, Iaia, and Krustrup (2008) is not a valid test to estimate maximum oxygen uptake in young football players

Diseño de un modelo basado en autómatas celulares para el cambio del uso del suelo en Bogotá

Trabajo de InvestigaciónEl saneamiento es ciertamente lo más importante a la hora de construir comunidad, pero con la evolución del suelo esto se deja a un lado, es decir; vamos cambiando el uso del suelo sin pensar como afectamos la convivencia de la comunidad. Es importante que haya una proyección del uso del suelo en cualquier comunidad ya que el saneamiento con el cambio del uso del suelo no será el mismo, este dependerá del uso y repercutirá directamente en la convivencia de la comunidad.PregradoIngeniero Civi

XIAP as a Target of New Small Organic Natural Molecules Inducing Human Cancer Cell Death

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is an emerging crucial therapeutic target in cancer. We report on the discovery and characterisation of small organic molecules from Piper genus plants exhibiting XIAP antagonism, namely erioquinol, a quinol substituted in the 4-position with an alkenyl group and the alkenylphenols eriopodols A–C. Another isolated compound was originally identified as gibbilimbol B. Erioquinol was the most potent inhibitor of human cancer cell viability when compared with gibbilimbol B and eriopodol A was listed as intermediate. Gibbilimbol B and eriopodol A induced apoptosis through mitochondrial permeabilisation and caspase activation while erioquinol acted on cell fate via caspase-independent/non-apoptotic mechanisms, likely involving mitochondrial dysfunctions and aberrant generation of reactive oxygen species. In silico modelling and molecular approaches suggested that all molecules inhibit XIAP by binding to XIAP-baculoviral IAP repeat domain. This demonstrates a novel aspect of XIAP as a key determinant of tumour control, at the molecular crossroad of caspasedependent/ independent cell

Global, regional, and national levels of maternal mortality, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the global community to provide benchmark targets for global development between 2015 and 2030 and to reframe the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to achieve sustainable global development. This report presents data on maternal mortality in 195 countries from 1990 to 2015. Maternal mortality data were categorized in 3 formats, namely, number of deaths, cause-specific mortality rate per capita, and cause fraction. The overall maternal mortality was modeled using cause-of-death ensemble modeling (CODEm). The number of deaths, maternal mortality ratios (MMRs), and 95% uncertainty intervals were reported for all estimates

Waste and Climate Change - Global Trends and Strategy Framework

71 páginas : gráficasThe sound management of waste can have substantial co-benefits for efforts to address climate change. As a first step to realize these co-benefits, this report seeks - To examine the potential of climate impacts and benefits of different waste management activities. - To present a UNEP-led framework strategy to assist countries in prioritizing their resources and efforts for waste management and climate change mitigation. The framework strategy is intended to align with the internationally recognized waste management hierarchy, in which waste prevention receives the highest priority, to optimize the co-benefits for climate change mitigation. The Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has directed its International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) branch to take action in the area of waste management.Incluye bibliografí

Migración de Leishmania panamensis y su persistencia en piel sana de Hamster

ABSTRACT: Leishmaniasis are endemic in >98 countries with 14 million people infected. Leishmania survives in mammal hosts even after treatment but the capacity to persist in healthy skin and infect sandflies from these sites is poorly understood. To demonstrate migration of Leishmania (V.) panamensis into healty skin, persistence in these sites during chronic stages of infection and infectivity of persistant parasites to Lutzomyia longipalpis 10 hamsters were inoculated intradermally in the hind footpad, with 2x107 L. (V.) panamensis promastigotes. Hamsters were sacrificed at 13 (acute phase) and 53 (chronic phase) weeks post-infection. Biopsies from lesion, healty skin and othert tissues were screened by Hsp70 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA polymerase qPCR. Transmission of parasites to sandflies was determined by xenodiagnosis. Positivity was observed in all samples of acute infection group except the contralateral ear and chronic infection group, although the percentage of positivity in chronic infection was lower than that for acute infection. Two animals of the acute infection group and one from the chronic infection group were infective to sand flies after feeding over the lesion site. No infections were found in sandflies fed from healthy skin. Dissemination and persistence of L. (V.) panamensis was reported for first time and persisntace is confirmed for a period of 53 weeks. However, parasite load in tissues different from the inoculation site was lower and transmission to the sand fly vectors from these sites was not observed. Hsp70 PCR and qPCR are useful techniques for determining infection status of vertebrate hosts.RESUMEN: Las leishmaniasis son endémicas en >98 países con 14 millones de infectados. Leishmania sobrevive en los mamíferos aún después del tratamiento pero se desconoce su capacidad de persistir en piel sana e infectar vectores. Para demostrar la migración de Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis a piel sana, su persistencia en estos sitios durante estados crónicos de infección y la infectividad de los parásitos persistentes para Lutzomyia longipalpis, se inocularon 10 hámsters intradérmicamente en pata con 2x107 promastigotes de L. (V.) panamensis. Los hámsters se sacrificaron a las 13 (fase aguda) y 53 (fase crónica) semanas post-infección. Biopsias de lesión, piel sana y otros tejidos se analizaron por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) con el gen Hsp70 y qPCR con el gen DNA polymerase. La transmisión de los parásitos a Lu. longipalpis se determinó mediante xenodiagnóstico. Todas las muestras de fase aguda (excepto oreja contralateral) y todas las muestras de fase crónica fueron positivas, aunque la positividad en fase crónica fue menor que en fase aguda. Dos animales de fase aguda y un animal de fase crónica fueron infecciosos al vector, después de alimentarse sobre la lesión. No hubo ningún insecto positivo en los alimentados sobre piel sana. Se reporta por primera vez la diseminación y persistencia de L. (V) panamensis, y se confirma la persistencia en un periodo de 53 semanas. Sin embargo, la carga parasitaria en tejidos diferentes al sitio de inóculo fue baja y no se detectó su transmisión al vector. La PCR con Hsp70 y qPCR con DNA polymerase son técnicas útiles en la determinación del estatus infeccioso en los hospederos vertebrados

Forrajeo de Zonotrichia capensis (Passeriformes: Emberizidae) y valor del parche en cercas vivas jóvenes de la sabana de Bogotá

The Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis is a widely distributed species in neotropical America, it is tolerant to human interventions, but we know little about its foraging ecology on the Colombian Andes. Therefore, we studied the foraging strategy and, additionally, the value of foraging patches along two young live fences (< 2 year planted) in relation to the Bogota River in Cajica, in an Andean highland plateau in Colombia. The Bogota River is one of few areas dominated by arboreal vegetation in an urban-rural matrix at the study site. We used artificial food patches made of aluminum trays with seeds mixed with sand. We measured the proportion of food consumed in patches with different initial food density to determine whether sparrows obtain information from the patch. We also used artificial patches to determine whether distance to the river affected the sparrow’s foraging in two young live fences. Our results indicate that Z. capensis did not gather any information from the patch and did not differentiate patches with different amounts of food. Furthermore, the distance to the river affected the value of food patches, but only in one of the live fences, where there was higher food consumption close to the river. Apparently, the food initial-density did not affect the patch exploitation level by sparrows, but the patch value in young live fences could be influenced by distance to the river.El copetón Zonotrichia capensis tiene una amplia distribución en América neotropical, es un ave tolerante a las intervenciones humanas, pero sabemos poco sobre su comportamiento de forrajeo en los Andes colombianos. Por ello, estudiamos la estrategia de forrajeo del copetón y, adicionalmente, el valor de parches alimentarios a lo largo de dos cercas vivas jóvenes (plantación < 2 años), en relación con la distancia a una zona de ronda del río Bogotá, en Cajicá, Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia. El río es un área dominada por árboles en una matriz rural a urbana. Utilizamos parches artificiales hechos de bandejas de aluminio con semillas mezcladas con arena. Determinamos la proporción de consumo entre tres parches con diferentes densidades de alimento inicial, para determinar si los copetones obtienen información del parche. Usamos también parches artificiales para determinar si la distancia al río a lo largo de dos cercas vivas jóvenes afectaba el forrajeo. Nuestros resultados indican que Z. capensis no obtuvo información del parche y no reconoció diferencias en parches con diferente densidad inicial de alimento. Adicionalmente, la distancia al río afectó el valor de los parches de forrajeo en solo una de las cercas vivas examinadas donde hubo mayor consumo cerca al río. Al parecer, la densidad inicial de alimento no afectó el nivel de explotación del parche por parte de los copetones, mientras que el valor del parche en las cercas vivas jóvenes puede estar influido por la distancia al río

A Trypanosoma cruzi Genome Tandem Repetitive Satellite DNA Sequence as a Molecular Marker for a LAMP Assay for Diagnosing Chagas' Disease

Chagas' disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi which is endemic throughout Latin America and is spread by worldwide migration. Diagnosis is currently limited to serological and molecular techniques having variations regarding their sensitivity and specificity. This work was aimed at developing a new sensitive, applicable, and cost-effective molecular diagnosis technique for loop-mediated isothermal amplification-based detection of T. cruzi (Tc-LAMP). The results led to determining a highly homologous satellite repeat region (231 bp) among parasite strains as a molecular marker for diagnosing the disease. Tc-LAMP was performed correctly for detecting parasite DNA (5 fg for the CL Brener strain and 50 fg for the DM28, TcVI, and TcI strains). Assay results proved negative for DNA from 16 helminth species and 7 protozoa, including Leishmania spp. Tc-LAMP based on the highly repeated T. cruzi satellite region is thus proposed as an important alternative for diagnosing T. cruzi infection, overcoming other methods' limitations such as their analytic capability, speed, and requiring specialized equipment or highly trained personnel. Tc-LAMP could be easily adapted for point-of-care testing in areas having limited resources