Diffuse Gamma Rays: Galactic and Extragalactic Diffuse Emission

"Diffuse" gamma rays consist of several components: truly diffuse emission from the interstellar medium, the extragalactic background, whose origin is not firmly established yet, and the contribution from unresolved and faint Galactic point sources. One approach to unravel these components is to study the diffuse emission from the interstellar medium, which traces the interactions of high energy particles with interstellar gas and radiation fields. Because of its origin such emission is potentially able to reveal much about the sources and propagation of cosmic rays. The extragalactic background, if reliably determined, can be used in cosmological and blazar studies. Studying the derived "average" spectrum of faint Galactic sources may be able to give a clue to the nature of the emitting objects.Comment: 32 pages, 28 figures, kapproc.cls. Chapter to the book "Cosmic Gamma-Ray Sources," to be published by Kluwer ASSL Series, Edited by K. S. Cheng and G. E. Romero. More details can be found at http://www.gamma.mpe-garching.mpg.de/~aws/aws.htm

FindFoci: a focus detection algorithm with automated parameter training that closely matches human assignments, reduces human inconsistencies and increases speed of analysis

Accurate and reproducible quantification of the accumulation of proteins into foci in cells is essential for data interpretation and for biological inferences. To improve reproducibility, much emphasis has been placed on the preparation of samples, but less attention has been given to reporting and standardizing the quantification of foci. The current standard to quantitate foci in open-source software is to manually determine a range of parameters based on the outcome of one or a few representative images and then apply the parameter combination to the analysis of a larger dataset. Here, we demonstrate the power and utility of using machine learning to train a new algorithm (FindFoci) to determine optimal parameters. FindFoci closely matches human assignments and allows rapid automated exploration of parameter space. Thus, individuals can train the algorithm to mirror their own assignments and then automate focus counting using the same parameters across a large number of images. Using the training algorithm to match human assignments of foci, we demonstrate that applying an optimal parameter combination from a single image is not broadly applicable to analysis of other images scored by the same experimenter or by other experimenters. Our analysis thus reveals wide variation in human assignment of foci and their quantification. To overcome this, we developed training on multiple images, which reduces the inconsistency of using a single or a few images to set parameters for focus detection. FindFoci is provided as an open-source plugin for ImageJ

Modelling UK house prices with structural breaks and conditional variance analysis

This paper differs from previous research by examining the existence of structural breaks in the UK regional house prices as well as in the prices of the different property types (flats, terraced, detached and semi-detached houses) in the UK as a whole, motivated by the uncertainty in the UK housing market and various financial events that may lead to structural changes within the housing market. Our paper enhances the conventional unit root tests by allowing for structural breaks, while including structural break tests strengthens our analysis. Our empirical results support the existence of structural breaks in the mean equation in seven out of thirteen regions of the UK as well as in three out of four property types, and in the variance equation in six regions and three property types. In addition, using a multivariate GARCH approach we examine both the behaviour of variances and covariances of the house price returns over time. Our results have significant implications for appropriate economic policy selection and investment management

Development and validation of Videogame Addiction Scale for Children (VASC)

The aim of the present study was to develop a valid and reliable Videogame Addiction Scale for Children (VASC). The data were derived from 780 children who completed the Videogame Addiction Scale (405 girls and 375 boys; 48.1% ranging in age from 9 to 12 years). The sample was randomly split into two different sub-samples (sample 1, n=400; sample 2, n= 380). Sample 1 was used to perform exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to define the factorial structure of VASC. As a result of EFA, a four-factor structure comprising 21 items was obtained and explained 55% of the total variance (the four factors being "self-control," "reward/reinforcement", "problems," and "involvement"). The internal consistency reliability of VASC has found 0.89. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to confirm the factorial structure obtained by EFA in the remaining half of sample (n= 390). The obtained fit indices from the CFA confirmed the structure of the EFA. The 21-item VASC has good psychometric properties that can be used among Turkish schoolchildren populations

The disruption of proteostasis in neurodegenerative diseases

Cells count on surveillance systems to monitor and protect the cellular proteome which, besides being highly heterogeneous, is constantly being challenged by intrinsic and environmental factors. In this context, the proteostasis network (PN) is essential to achieve a stable and functional proteome. Disruption of the PN is associated with aging and can lead to and/or potentiate the occurrence of many neurodegenerative diseases (ND). This not only emphasizes the importance of the PN in health span and aging but also how its modulation can be a potential target for intervention and treatment of human diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Longer pregnancy and slower fetal development in women with latent "asymptomatic" toxoplasmosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to confirm that women with latent toxoplasmosis have developmentally younger fetuses at estimated pregnancy week 16 and to test four exclusive hypotheses that could explain the observed data.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present retrospective cohort study we analysed by the GLM (general linear model) method data from 730 <it>Toxoplasma</it>-free and 185 <it>Toxoplasma</it>-infected pregnant women.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At pregnancy week 16 estimated from the date of the last menstruation, the mothers with latent toxoplasmosis had developmentally younger fetuses based on ultrasound scan (<it>P </it>= 0.014). Pregnancy of <it>Toxoplasma</it>-positive compared to <it>Toxoplasma</it>-negative women was by about 1.3 days longer, as estimated both from the date of the last menstruation (<it>P </it>= 0.015) and by ultrasonography (<it>P </it>= 0.025).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The most parsimonious explanation for the observed data is retarded fetal growth during the first weeks of pregnancy in <it>Toxoplasma</it>-positive women. The phenomenon was only detectable in multiparous women, suggesting that the immune system may play some role in it.</p

Geochemical characterization of oceanic basalts using Artificial Neural Network

The geochemical discriminate diagrams help to distinguish the volcanics recovered from different tectonic settings but these diagrams tend to group the ocean floor basalts (OFB) under one class i.e., as mid-oceanic ridge basalts (MORB). Hence, a method is specifically needed to identify the OFB as normal (N-MORB), enriched (E-MORB) and ocean island basalts (OIB)

Healthcare in schizophrenia: effectiveness and progress of a redesigned care network

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was designed to investigate the care-effectiveness of different healthcare models for schizophrenic patients and the impact of it on caregivers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sample cases were randomly selected from southern Taiwan, 257 patients in redesigned care network, including a general hospital, a chronic ward, 10 outpatient clinics, and multialternative community programs, was compared to 247 patients in other traditional healthcare provider that were utilized as the control group. The quality of life (QOL) questionnaire and the Chinese health questionnaire (CHQ) were used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The controls had longer duration of illness (<it>p </it>= 0.001) and were older (<it>p </it>= 0.004). The average resource utilization in the study group (US$2737/year, per case) was higher than the control group (US$ 2041) (<it>t </it>= 7.91, <it>p </it>< 0.001). For the study group, the average length of stay was shorter, but the admission rate was higher. The QOL of the patients in the study group was better than that of the controls (<it>p </it>= 0.01). The family burden of the study group was lower (<it>p </it>= 0.035) and the score of general health questionnaire higher (<it>p </it>= 0.019).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that patients in the redesigned care network had a better QOL, lower family burden, decreased days of hospital stay, higher medical resource utilization and less frequent admission to a hospital, and the caregivers had better mental health. Although the costs were higher, the continued care network was more helpful in providing comprehensive mental illness services.</p

The Recombinases Rad51 and Dmc1 Play Distinct Roles in DNA Break Repair and Recombination Partner Choice in the Meiosis of Tetrahymena

Repair of programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by meiotic recombination relies on the generation of flanking 3′ single-stranded DNA overhangs and their interaction with a homologous double-stranded DNA template. In various common model organisms, the ubiquitous strand exchange protein Rad51 and its meiosis-specific homologue Dmc1 have been implicated in the joint promotion of DNA–strand exchange at meiotic recombination sites. However, the division of labor between these two recombinases is still a puzzle. Using RNAi and gene-disruption experiments, we have studied their roles in meiotic recombination and chromosome pairing in the ciliated protist Tetrahymena as an evolutionarily distant meiotic model. Cytological and electrophoresis-based assays for DSBs revealed that, without Rad51p, DSBs were not repaired. However, in the absence of Dmc1p, efficient Rad51p-dependent repair took place, but crossing over was suppressed. Immunostaining and protein tagging demonstrated that only Dmc1p formed strong DSB–dependent foci on meiotic chromatin, whereas the distribution of Rad51p was diffuse within nuclei. This suggests that meiotic nucleoprotein filaments consist primarily of Dmc1p. Moreover, a proximity ligation assay confirmed that little if any Rad51p forms mixed nucleoprotein filaments with Dmc1p. Dmc1p focus formation was independent of the presence of Rad51p. The absence of Dmc1p did not result in compensatory assembly of Rad51p repair foci, and even artificial DNA damage by UV failed to induce Rad51p foci in meiotic nuclei, while it did so in somatic nuclei within one and the same cell. The observed interhomologue repair deficit in dmc1Δ meiosis is consistent with a requirement for Dmc1p in promoting the homologue as the preferred recombination partner. We propose that relatively short and/or transient Rad51p nucleoprotein filaments are sufficient for intrachromosomal recombination, whereas long nucleoprotein filaments consisting primarily of Dmc1p are required for interhomolog recombination

CORRELATION OF ENDOSCOPIC AND HISTOLOGICAL FEATURES IN ADULTS WITH SUSPECTED CELIAC DISEASE IN A REFERRAL CENTER OF MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL

Context Clinical presentation of celiac disease is extremely variable and the diagnosis relies on serologic tests, mucosal intestinal biopsy and clinic and serologic response to a gluten-free diet. Objectives To correlate the endoscopic and histological aspects of adult patients with suspicion of celiac disease and to evaluate the interobserver histological agreement. Methods Endoscopic aspects of 80 adult patients were evaluated and correlated with the histological features according the Marsh-Oberhuber classification system. The interobserver histological agreement was based on kappa values. Results The symptoms of the patients varied largely, with prominence for chronic diarrhea, present in 48 (60%) patients. The endoscopic aspects related with the duodenal villous atrophy had been observed in 32 (40%) patients. There were confirmed 46 cases of celiac disease, with prevalence of 57.5%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the endoscopic markers for celiac disease diagnosis were of 60.9%, 88.2%, 87.5% and 62.5%. There was moderate interobserver histological agreement (kappa = 0.46). Conclusions The endoscopic markers of villous atrophy, although not diagnostic, had assisted in the suspicion and indication of the duodenal biopsies for diagnosis proposal. Histology is sometimes contradictory and new biopsies or opinion of another professional can provide greater diagnostic agreement