Production cross sections of residual nuclei obtained by knockout and fragmentation reactions of different tin isotopes accelerated at 1A GeV have been measured with the fragment separator (FRS) at ...GSI, Darmstadt. The new measurements are used to investigate the neutron-excess dependence of the neutron- and proton-knockout cross sections. These cross sections are compared toGlauber model calculations coupled to a nuclear de-excitation code in order to investigate the role of the remnant excitations. This bench marking shows an overestimation of the cross sections for the removal of deeply bound nucleons. A phenomenological increase in the excitation energy induced in the remnants produced in these cases allows us to reproduce the measured cross sections.
We attempted to characterize zooplankton community response following spills of the unconventional crude oil, diluted bitumen (dilbit), into 10-m diameter, ~ 100 m
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, ~ 1.5-m deep boreal lake ...limnocorrals, including two controls and seven dilbit treatments ranging from 1.5 to 180 L (1:100,000 to 1:1,000 v/v, dilbit:water). Community composition and abundances were monitored weekly to bi-weekly over three months. Total zooplankton biomass and abundance seemingly collapsed in all limnocorrals, regardless of treatment, though some rotifer species persisted. As a result, it was not possible to determine the impacts of dilbit. We theorize several potential non-oil-related reasons for the sudden community collapse – including elevated zinc levels, fish grazing pressures, and sampling biases – and provide guidance for future work using in-lake enclosures.
We describe the highly variable X-ray and UV emission of V458 Vul (Nova Vul 2007), observed by Swift between 1 and 422 days after outburst. Initially bright only in the UV, V458 Vul became a variable ...hard X-ray source due to optically thin thermal emission at kT=0.64 keV with an X-ray band unabsorbed luminosity of 2.3x10^{34} erg s^{-1} during days 71-140. The X-ray spectrum at this time requires a low Fe abundance (0.2^{+0.3}_{-0.1} solar), consistent with a Suzaku measurement around the same time. On day 315 we find a new X-ray spectral component which can be described by a blackbody with temperature of kT=23^{+9}_{-5} eV, while the previous hard X-ray component has declined by a factor of 3.8. The spectrum of this soft X-ray component resembles those typically seen in the class of supersoft sources (SSS) which suggests that the nova ejecta were starting to clear and/or that the WD photosphere is shrinking to the point at which its thermal emission reaches into the X-ray band. We find a high degree of variability in the soft component with a flare rising by an order of magnitude in count rate in 0.2 days. In the following observations on days 342.4-383.6, the soft component was not seen, only to emerge again on day 397. The hard component continued to evolve, and we found an anticorrelation between the hard X-ray emission and the UV emission, yielding a Spearman rank probability of 97%. After day 397, the hard component was still present, was variable, and continued to fade at an extremely slow rate but could not be analysed owing to pile up contamination from the bright SSS component.
Las colecciones microbianas preservan cepas ex situ con el propósito de mantener los microorganismos viables, puros y estables en el tiempo. Para esto se recomienda preservar idealmente por ...criopreservación y liofilización. Actualmente, la Colección de Microorganismos de la Escuela de Microbiología de la Universidad de Antioquia (CM-EM-UDEA) preserva bacterias únicamente por criopreservación y requiere estandarizar la liofilización para que posibilite la viabilidad de los microorganismos por un mayor tiempo, optimice el almacenamiento y facilite el transporte manteniendo estables sus características. El objetivo fue evaluar el proceso de liofilización en diferentes bacterias de la CM-EM-UDEA. Se seleccionaron seis bacterias, se estandarizaron los inóculos y se usaron diferentes lioprotectores, evaluando la eficiencia de liofilización mediante viabilidad, pureza y estabilidad de cada microorganismo antes y después de liofilizar. En la mayoría de microorganismos el lioprotector que presentó mejores resultados de viabilidad y características físicas del producto seco fue la sacarosa, sin embargo, la efectividad observada en los otros lioprotectores frente a microorganismos específicos los convierte en una alternativa de uso de acuerdo a su disponibilidad. Este estudio permitió estandarizar el proceso de liofilización manteniendo 100 % de pureza, viabilidad y estabilidad en altos porcentajes, en la mayoría de los microorganismos evaluados.
•This is the first study examining inflammation and brain volumes in children.•Inflammation might influence brain health in children with overweight or obesity.•Inflammation may lead to academic ...failure and behavioural/emotional dysfunctions.•Inflammatory biomarkers could not alter executive function and total brain volumes.
Chronic inflammation plays an important role on the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as on brain function and behaviour. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and a wide range of brain health indicators (i.e., academic performance, executive function, behavioural and emotional functioning, and brain volume) in children with overweight/obesity.
A total of 107 children (10.0 ± 1.1 years, 41% girls) from the ActiveBrains project were included in the analysis. Five inflammatory biomarkers were analysed in plasma: white blood cell (WBC) count, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Academic performance was assessed by Woodcock-Muñoz Tests of Achievement. Executive function was assessed through the Design Fluency Test for cognitive flexibility, the Stroop test for cognitive inhibition, and the Delayed Non-Match-to-Sample task for working memory. Behavioural and emotional functioning was evaluated through the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) questionnaire. Total and regional brain volume was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging.
IL-6 was inversely associated with adaptive skills (β = −0.228; p = 0.030), while TNF-α was related to mathematics (β = −0.198; p = 0.034). In addition, CRP was positively associated with externalizing (β = 0.246; p = 0.046) and internalizing problems (β = 0.234; p = 0.039), as well as the behavioural symptoms index (β = 0.236; p = 0.047). However, these significant associations disappeared after multiple comparisons correction. Inflammatory biomarkers were not associated with executive function and total brain volumes. Regarding regional brain analyses, WBC was positively associated with gray matter volume in the left middle temporal gyrus (β = 0.387; p < 0.001, k = 44), and CRP was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right superior temporal gyrus (β = 0.439; p < 0.001, k = 29). Additionally, when adjusting by total brain volume, CRP was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right supplementary motor cortex (β = 0.453; p < 0.001, k = 51). Moreover, both, IL-6 (β = 0.366; p < 0.001, k = 81) and TNF-α (β = 0.368; p < 0.001, k = 62) were positively associated with white matter volume around the right inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, while CRP was inversely associated with white matter volume around the left superior frontal gyrus (β = -0.482; p < 0.001, k = 82). After adjusting by total brain volume, CRP was also inversely associated with white matter volume in 3 additional clusters (β ranging from −0.473 to −0.404; p < 0.001, k = 87).
Inflammation was slightly associated with brain health (i.e., academic performance, behavioural and emotional functioning and regional brain volume) in children with overweight or obesity. Further larger longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to elucidate the short-term and long-term effect of systemic low-grade inflammation on children’s brain health.
To review our series of 416 renal transplants, with special reference to the surgical complications and their management.
From June, 1986 to October 1997, we are performed 416 heterotopic renal ...transplants, harvested from cadavers. Reconstruction of the urinary tract reconstruction was by ureteroneocystostomy in practically all the cases.
There were some urological complications in 80 patients (19.2%). The most common urological complication was obstruction of the urinary tract arising from stenosis (3.3%), lymphocele (4.3%) and clotting (1.2%). 78.1% of these urological complications were resolved by endourological techniques. Urinary fistula was observed in 12 cases (2.8%). Vascular complications in 22 (6.9%), lithiasis in 5 (1.2%), and eventrations in 11 (2.6%). The treatment of these complications is described. The actuarial survival rates were 87.8% and 77.3% at one and five years respectively for the graft, and 92.4% and 83.5% for the patients.
Our surgical complication rate in patients undergoing renal transplantation was 19.2%. The most common complication was urinary tract obstruction from stenosis (3.3%), lymphocele (4.3%) and clotting (1.6%); 78.1% of these obstructive complications were resolved by endourologic techniques. Percutaneous drainage and esclerotherapy of the lymphoceles resolved 66.6% of them. Renal biopsy performed with a 14G needle caused 5 severe hemorrhagic complications. There were no complications when an 18G needle was utilized.
We aimed to describe and characterize the gut microbiota composition and diversity in children with obesity according to their metabolic health status.
Anthropometry, Triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, ...HOMA-IR, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) were evaluated (and z-score calculated) and faecal samples were collected from 191 children with obesity aged from 8 to 14. All children were classified depending on their cardiometabolic status in either a “metabolically healthy” (MHO; n = 106) or “metabolically unhealthy” (MUO; n = 85) group. Differences in gut microbiota taxonomies and diversity between groups (MUO vs MHO) were analysed. Alpha diversity index was calculated as Chao1 and Simpson’s index, and β-diversity was calculated as Adonis Bray–Curtis index. Spearman’s correlations and logistic regressions were performed to study the association between cardiometabolic health and the microbiota.
Children in the MUO presented significantly lower alpha diversity and richness than those in the MHO group (Chao1 index p = 0.021, Simpson’s index p = 0.045, respectively), whereas microbiota β-diversity did not differ by the cardiometabolic health status (Adonis Bray–Curtis, R2 = 0.006; p = 0.155). The MUO group was characterized by lower relative abundances of the genera Christensenellaceae R7 group (MHO:1.42% 0.21–2.94; MUO:0.47% 0.02–1.60, p < 0.004), and Akkermansia (MHO:0.26% 0.01–2.19; MUO:0.01% 0.00–0.36, p < 0.001) and higher relative abundances of Bacteroides (MHO:10.6% 4.64–18.5; MUO:17.0% 7.18–27.4, p = 0.012) genus. After the adjustment by sex, age, and BMI, higher Akkermansia (OR: 0.86, CI: 0.75–0.97; p = 0.033), Christensenellaceae R7 group (OR: 0.86, 95% CI: 075–0.98; p = 0.031) and Chao1 index (OR: 0.86, CI: 0.96–1.00; p = 0.023) represented a lower risk of the presence of one or more altered cardiovascular risk factors.
Lower proportions of Christensenellaceae and Akkermansia and lower diversity and richness seem to be indicators of a metabolic unhealthy status in children with obesity.
This work is divided into two parts. In the first one, a study of radiative properties (such as monochromatic and the Rosseland and Planck mean opacities, monochromatic emissivities, and radiative ...power loss) and of the average ionization and charge state distribution of xenon plasmas in a range of plasma conditions of interest in laboratory astrophysics and extreme ultraviolet lithography is performed. We have made a particular emphasis in the analysis of the validity of the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium and the influence of the atomic description in the calculation of the radiative properties. Using the results obtained in this study, in the second part of the work we have analyzed a radiative shock that propagated in xenon generated in an experiment carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System. In particular, we have addressed the effect of plasma self-absorption in the radiative precursor, the influence of the radiation emitted from the shocked shell and the plasma self-emission in the radiative precursor, the cooling time in the cooling layer, and the possibility of thermal instabilities in the postshock region.
The potential of nicotinamide (NAM) to prevent atherosclerosis has not yet been examined. This study investigated the effect of NAM supplementation on the development of atherosclerosis in a mouse ...model of the disease. The development of aortic atherosclerosis was significantly reduced (NAM low dose: 45%; NAM high dose: 55%) in NAM-treated, apolipoprotein (Apo)E-deficient mice challenged with a Western diet for 4 weeks. NAM administration significantly increased (1.8-fold) the plasma concentration of proatherogenic ApoB-containing lipoproteins in NAM high-dose (HD)-treated mice compared with untreated mice. However, isolated ApoB-containing lipoproteins from NAM HD mice were less prone to oxidation than those of untreated mice. This result was consistent with the decreased (1.5-fold) concentration of oxidized low-density lipoproteins in this group. Immunohistochemical staining of aortas from NAM-treated mice showed significantly increased levels of IL-10 (NAM low-dose (LD): 1.3-fold; NAM HD: 1.2-fold), concomitant with a significant decrease in the relative expression of TNFα (NAM LD: −44%; NAM HD: −57%). An improved anti-inflammatory pattern was reproduced in macrophages cultured in the presence of NAM. Thus, dietary NAM supplementation in ApoE-deficient mice prevented the development of atherosclerosis and improved protection against ApoB-containing lipoprotein oxidation and aortic inflammation.
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