Horizontal patterns of water temperature and salinity in an estuarine tidal channel: Ria de Aveiro

This work presents results from two complementary and interconnected approaches to study water temperature and salinity patterns in an estuarine tidal channel. This channel is one of the four main branches of the Ria de Aveiro, a shallow lagoon located in the Northwest coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Longitudinal and cross-sectional fields of water temperature and salinity were determined by spatial interpolation of field measurements. A numerical model (Mohid) was used in a 2D depth-integrated mode in order to compute water temperature and salinity patterns. The main purpose of this work was to determine the horizontal patterns of water temperature and salinity in the study area, evaluating the effects of the main forcing factors. The field results were depth-integrated and compared to numerical model results. These results obtained using extreme tidal and river runoff forcing, are also presented. The field results reveal that, when the river flow is weak, the tidal intrusion is the main forcing mechanism, generating saline and thermal fronts which migrate with the neap/spring tidal cycle. When the river flow increases, the influence of the freshwater extends almost as far as the mouth of the lagoon and vertical stratification is established. Results of numerical modelling reveal that the implemented model reproduces quite well the observed horizontal patterns. The model was also used to study the hydrology of the study area under extreme forcing conditions. When the model is forced with a low river flow (1 m3 s−1) the results confirm that the hydrology is tidally dominated. When the model is forced with a high river flow (1,000 m3 s−1) the hydrology is dominated by freshwater, as would be expected in such an area

Migraine aura: retracting particle-like waves in weakly susceptible cortex

Cortical spreading depression (SD) has been suggested to underlie migraine aura. Despite a precise match in speed, the spatio-temporal patterns of SD and aura symptoms on the cortical surface ordinarily differ in aspects of size and shape. We show that this mismatch is reconciled by utilizing that both pattern types bifurcate from an instability point of generic reaction-diffusion models. To classify these spatio-temporal pattern we suggest a susceptibility scale having the value [sigma]=1 at the instability point. We predict that human cortex is only weakly susceptible to SD ([sigma]<1), and support this prediction by directly matching visual aura symptoms with anatomical landmarks using fMRI retinotopic mapping. We discuss the increased dynamical repertoire of cortical tissue close to [sigma]=1, in particular, the resulting implications on migraine pharmacology that is hitherto tested in the regime ([sigma]>>1), and potentially silent aura occurring below a second bifurcation point at [sigma]=0 on the susceptible scale

Prevalence of Disorders Recorded in Dogs Attending Primary-Care Veterinary Practices in England

Purebred dog health is thought to be compromised by an increasing occurence of inherited diseases but inadequate prevalence data on common disorders have hampered efforts to prioritise health reforms. Analysis of primary veterinary practice clinical data has been proposed for reliable estimation of disorder prevalence in dogs. Electronic patient record (EPR) data were collected on 148,741 dogs attending 93 clinics across central and south-eastern England. Analysis in detail of a random sample of EPRs relating to 3,884 dogs from 89 clinics identified the most frequently recorded disorders as otitis externa (prevalence 10.2%, 95% CI: 9.1-11.3), periodontal disease (9.3%, 95% CI: 8.3-10.3) and anal sac impaction (7.1%, 95% CI: 6.1-8.1). Using syndromic classification, the most prevalent body location affected was the head-and-neck (32.8%, 95% CI: 30.7-34.9), the most prevalent organ system affected was the integument (36.3%, 95% CI: 33.9-38.6) and the most prevalent pathophysiologic process diagnosed was inflammation (32.1%, 95% CI: 29.8-34.3). Among the twenty most-frequently recorded disorders, purebred dogs had a significantly higher prevalence compared with crossbreds for three: otitis externa (P = 0.001), obesity (P = 0.006) and skin mass lesion (P = 0.033), and popular breeds differed significantly from each other in their prevalence for five: periodontal disease (P = 0.002), overgrown nails (P = 0.004), degenerative joint disease (P = 0.005), obesity (P = 0.001) and lipoma (P = 0.003). These results fill a crucial data gap in disorder prevalence information and assist with disorder prioritisation. The results suggest that, for maximal impact, breeding reforms should target commonly-diagnosed complex disorders that are amenable to genetic improvement and should place special focus on at-risk breeds. Future studies evaluating disorder severity and duration will augment the usefulness of the disorder prevalence information reported herein

Cytokine Production but Lack of Proliferation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Chronic Chagas' Disease Cardiomyopathy Patients in Response to T. cruzi Ribosomal P Proteins

Background:Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal P proteins, P2β and P0, induce high levels of antibodies in patients with chronic Chagas' disease Cardiomyopathy (CCC). It is well known that these antibodies alter the beating rate of cardiomyocytes and provoke apoptosis by their interaction with β1-adrenergic and M2-muscarinic cardiac receptors. Based on these findings, we decided to study the cellular immune response to these proteins in CCC patients compared to non-infected individuals.Methodology/Principal findings:We evaluated proliferation, presence of surface activation markers and cytokine production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with P2β, the C-terminal portion of P0 (CP0) proteins and T. cruzi lysate from CCC patients predominantly infected with TcVI lineage. PBMC from CCC patients cultured with P2β or CP0 proteins, failed to proliferate and express CD25 and HLA-DR on T cell populations. However, multiplex cytokine assays showed that these antigens triggered higher secretion of IL-10, TNF-α and GM-CSF by PBMC as well as both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells subsets of CCC subjects. Upon T. cruzi lysate stimulation, PBMC from CCC patients not only proliferated but also became activated within the context of Th1 response. Interestingly, T. cruzi lysate was also able to induce the secretion of GM-CSF by CD4+ or CD8+ T cells.Conclusions/Significance:Our results showed that although the lack of PBMC proliferation in CCC patients in response to ribosomal P proteins, the detection of IL-10, TNF-α and GM-CSF suggests that specific T cells could have both immunoregulatory and pro-inflammatory potential, which might modulate the immune response in Chagas' disease. Furthermore, it was possible to demonstrate for the first time that GM-CSF was produced by PBMC of CCC patients in response not only to recombinant ribosomal P proteins but also to parasite lysate, suggesting the value of this cytokine to evaluate T cells responses in T. cruzi infection.Fil: Longhi, Silvia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Atienza, Augusto. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Ramos Mejía"; ArgentinaFil: Perez Prados, Graciela. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Juan A. Fernández"; ArgentinaFil: Buying, Alcinette. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Balouz, Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Buscaglia, Carlos Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Santos, Radleigh. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Tasso, Laura Mónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Bonato, Ricardo. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Ramos Mejía"; ArgentinaFil: Chiale, Pablo. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Agudos "Ramos Mejía"; ArgentinaFil: Pinilla, Clemencia. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Judkowski, Valeria A.. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Gomez, Karina Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentin

In vitro mycorrhization of micropropagated plants: studies on Castanea sativa Mill.

In vitro mycorrhization can be made by several axenic and nonaxenic techniques but criticism exists about their artificiality and inability to reproduce under natural conditions. However, artificial mycorrhization under controlled conditions can provide important information about the physiology of symbiosis. Micropropagated Castanea sativa plants were inoculated with the mycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius after in vitro rooting. The mycorrhizal process was monitored at regular intervals in order to evaluate the mantle and hartig net formation, and the growth rates of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants. Plant roots show fungal hyphae adhesion at the surface after 24 hours of mycorrhizal induction. After 20 days a mantle can be observed and a hartig net is forming although the morphology of the epidermal cells remains unaltered. At 30 days of root–fungus contact the hartig net is well developed and the epidermal cells are already enlarged. After 50 days of mycorrhizal induction, growth was higher for mycorrhizal plants than for nonmycorrhizal ones. The length of the major roots was lower in mycorrhizal plants after 40 days. Fresh and dry weights were higher in mycorrhizal plants after 30 days. The growth rates of chestnut mycorrhizal plants are in agreement with the morphological development of the mycorrhizal structures observed at each mycorrhizal time. The assessment of symbiotic establishment takes into account the formation of a mantle and a hartig net that were already developed at 30 days, when differences between fresh and dry weights of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants can be quantified. In vitro conditions, mycorrhization influences plant physiology after 20 days of root–fungus contact, namely in terms of growth rates. Fresh and dry weights, heights, stem diameter and growth rates increased while major root growth rate decreased in mycorrhizal plants.Springe

Comparing the effectiveness of the 0.018-inch versus the 0.022-inch bracket slot system in orthodontic treatment:study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Edgewise fixed orthodontic appliances are available in two different bracket slot sizes (0.018 and 0.022 inch). Both systems are used by clinicians worldwide with some orthodontists claiming the superiority and clinical advantages of one system over the other. However, the scientific evidence supporting this area is scarce and weak. This leaves the clinician’s choice of bracket slot system to clinical preference. We aim to compare the 0.018-inch and 0.022-inch pre-adjusted bracket slot systems in terms of the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial, undertaken in the secondary care hospital environment in the NHS Tayside region of Scotland (United Kingdom). A total of 216 orthodontic patients will be recruited in three centers in secondary care hospitals in NHS Tayside. The participants will be randomly allocated to treatment with either the 0.018-inch or 0.022-inch bracket slot systems (n = 108 for each group) using Victory series™ conventional pre-adjusted bracket systems (3 M Unitek, Monrovia, United States). Baseline records and outcome data collected during and at the end of orthodontic treatment will be assessed. The primary outcome measures will be the duration of orthodontic treatment in the maxillary and mandibular arches. The secondary outcome measures will be the number of scheduled appointments for orthodontic treatment in the maxillary and mandibular arches, treatment outcome using Peer Assessment Rating index (PAR), orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption (as measured using periapical radiographs) and the patient’s perception of wearing orthodontic appliances. DISCUSSION: The results from the current study will serve as evidence to guide the clinician in deciding whether the difference in bracket slot size has a significant impact on the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 5 March 2014, registration number: NCT02080338

Performance of the CMS Cathode Strip Chambers with Cosmic Rays

The Cathode Strip Chambers (CSCs) constitute the primary muon tracking device in the CMS endcaps. Their performance has been evaluated using data taken during a cosmic ray run in fall 2008. Measured noise levels are low, with the number of noisy channels well below 1%. Coordinate resolution was measured for all types of chambers, and fall in the range 47 microns to 243 microns. The efficiencies for local charged track triggers, for hit and for segments reconstruction were measured, and are above 99%. The timing resolution per layer is approximately 5 ns

Cardiac afferent activity modulates the expression of racial stereotypes

Negative racial stereotypes tend to associate Black people with threat. This often leads to the misidentification of harmless objects as weapons held by a Black individual. Yet, little is known about how bodily states impact the expression of racial stereotyping. By tapping into the phasic activation of arterial baroreceptors, known to be associated with changes in the neural processing of fearful stimuli, we show activation of race-threat stereotypes synchronized with the cardiovascular cycle. Across two established tasks, stimuli depicting Black or White individuals were presented to coincide with either the cardiac systole or diastole. Results show increased race-driven misidentification of weapons during systole, when baroreceptor afferent firing is maximal, relative to diastole. Importantly, a third study examining the positive Black-athletic stereotypical association fails to demonstrate similar modulations by cardiac cycle. We identify a body–brain interaction wherein interoceptive cues can modulate threat appraisal and racially biased behaviour in context-dependent ways

Review on the influence of process parameters in incremental sheet forming

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) is a relatively new flexible forming process. ISF has excellent adaptability to conventional milling machines and requires minimum use of complex tooling, dies and forming press, which makes the process cost-effective and easy to automate for various applications. In the past two decades, extensive research on ISF has resulted in significant advances being made in fundamental understanding and development of new processing and tooling solutions. However, ISF has yet to be fully implemented to mainstream high-value manufacturing industries due to a number of technical challenges, all of which are directly related to ISF process parameters. This paper aims to provide a detailed review of the current state-of-the-art of ISF processes in terms of its technological capabilities and specific limitations with discussions on the ISF process parameters and their effects on ISF processes. Particular attention is given to the ISF process parameters on the formability, deformation and failure mechanics, springback and accuracy and surface roughness. This leads to a number of recommendations that are considered essential for future research effort

Surface modification of starch based biomaterials by oxygen plasma or UV-irradiation

Radiation is widely used in biomaterials science for surface modification and sterilization. Herein, we describe the use of plasma and UV-irradiation to improve the biocompatibility of different starch-based blends in terms of cell adhesion and proliferation. Physical and chemical changes, introduced by the used methods, were evaluated by complementary techniques for surface analysis such as scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The effect of the changed surface properties on the adhesion of osteoblast-like cells was studied by a direct contact assay. Generally, both treatments resulted in higher number of cells adhered to the modified surfaces. The importance of the improved biocompatibility resulting from the irradiation methods is further supported by the knowledge that both UV and plasma treatments can be used as cost-effective methods for sterilization of biomedical materials and devices.I. P. thanks the FCT for providing her a postdoctoral scholarship (SFRH/BPD/8491/2002). This work was partially supported by FCT, through funds from the POCTI and/or FEDER programs, The European Union funded STREP Project HIPPOCRATES (NNM-3-CT-2003-505758) and the European NoE EXPERTISSUES (NMP3-CT-2004-500283)