Galactic abundances as a relic neutrino detection scheme

We propose to use the threshold-free process of neutrino capture on beta-decaying nuclei (NCB) using all available candidate nuclei in the Milky Way as target material in order to detect the presence of the Cosmic neutrino background. By integrating over the lifetime of the galaxy one might be able to see the effect of NCB processes as a slightly eschewed abundance ratio of selected beta-decaying nuclei. First, the candidates must be chosen so that both the mother and daughter nuclei have a lifetime comparable to that of the Milky Way or the signal could be easily washed out by additional decays. Secondly, relic neutrinos have so low energy that their de Broglie wavelengths are macroscopic and they may therefore scatter coherently on the electronic cloud of the candidate atoms. One must therefore compare the cross sections for the two processes (induced beta-decay by neutrino capture, and coherent scattering of the neutrinos on atomic nuclei) before drawing any conclusions. Finally, the density of target nuclei in the galaxy must be calculated. We assume supernovae as the only production source and approximate the neutrino density as a homogenous background. Here we perform the full calculation for 187-Re and 138-La and find that one needs abundance measurements with 24 digit precision in order to detect the effect of relic neutrinos. Or alternatively an enhancement of of the relic neutrino density by a factor of $10^{15}$ to produce an effect within the current abundance measurement precision.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Detecting sterile neutrinos with KATRIN like experiments

A sterile neutrino with mass in the eV range, mixing with the electron antineutrino, is allowed and possibly even preferred by cosmology and oscillation experiments. If such eV-mass neutrinos exist they provide a much better target for direct detection in beta decay experiments than the active neutrinos which are expected to have sub-eV masses. Their relatively high mass would allow for an easy separation from the primary decay signal in experiments such as KATRIN.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures. References & Figures updated. Text reviewed and revised. Accepted for publication JCA

Best Practice Guidelines on molecular diagnostics in Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophies

Meeting participants: Rosário dos Santos, Porto, PortugalIntroduction: A meeting of 29 senior scientists from Europe, the USA, India and Australia, was held in Naarden, The Netherlands on November 14–16, 2008, to establish consensus Best Practice Guidelines for molecular diagnosis of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD). New therapeutic trials for DMD demand accurate diagnosis of the disorder, especially where the therapy is targeted towards specific mutations. These guidelines aim to help diagnostic laboratories attain that accuracy by describing the minimum standards for acceptable molecular diagnostic testing of DMD. For the different types of clinical referral received by a molecular diagnostic laboratory, the guidelines recommend the appropriate tests to be carried out, interpretation of the results and how those results should be reported.The workshop was jointly organised and sponsored by The European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (www.emqn.org); Euro- Gentest (www.eurogentest.org); EU Contract no. FP6-512148); TREAT-NMD (www.treat-nmd.org); EU Contract no. FP6-036825), and hosted by the European Neuro-Muscular Centre (www.enmc.org)

Hunting and Management of Beluga Whales (Delpinapterus leucas) in Greenland: Changing Strategies to Cope with New National and Local Interests

Modernization, as well as the rapid socioeconomic and political changes that have taken place in Greenland in the 20th century, have altered the interests and concerns of Greenland's hunters. For example, these changes can be observed in the way hunters divide a catch of beluga whales. This article focuses specifically on how beluga hunters have negotiated new ways of dividing the catch in order to respond to new needs and demands. Today, Greenland is a heterogeneous society with a number of different socioeconomic groups: a situation that has intensified conflicts and strategies based on social compartmentalization. The chosen strategies lead us to question the emphasis that social scientists usually place on community integration. Apart from considering local problems, hunters must also relate to a number of elaborate Home Rule regulations that influence their rights and control their activity. The Home Rule government has strengthened the regulations because biologists and international/regional management commissions have concluded that the stock of beluga whales is substantially depleted. The regional management commission, NAMMCO, thus warns that the present harvests are several times the sustainable yield, and, if continued, will likely lead to stock extinction within 20 years. This new concern has made it even more necessary to redefine the rules for catch division and make them locally flexible. The Home Rule regulations are discussed and compared to local ways of dealing with new concerns and interests.La modernisation, tout comme les changements brusques qui ont eu lieu au Groenland au cours du XXe siècle aux niveaux socio-économique et politique, ont modifié les intérêts et les préoccupations des chasseurs groenlandais. On peut ainsi observer ces changements dans la façon dont les chasseurs partagent une prise de béluga. Cet article se penche en particulier sur la façon dont les chasseurs de bélugas ont négocié de nouveaux modes de partage des prises afin de répondre aux demandes et aux besoins actuels. Aujourd'hui, le Groenland est une société hétérogène formée de plusieurs groupes socio-économiques différents, situation qui a intensifié les conflits et les stratégies fondés sur la compartimentation sociale. Les stratégies choisies nous amènent à remettre en question l'insistance généralement placée par les spécialistes des sciences sociales sur l'intégration au sein de la collectivité. En plus de tenir compte des problèmes locaux, les chasseurs doivent composer avec plusieurs règlements complexes de la Loi d'autonomie du Groenland, qui influencent leurs droits et contrôlent leur activité. Le gouvernement autonome a renforcé les règlements après que les biologistes et les commissions de gestion internationale et régionale ont conclu que le stock de bélugas connaît un important déclin. La commission de gestion régionale, NAMMCO, prédit ainsi que les prélèvements actuels représentent plusieurs fois un rendement équilibré et que, s'ils se poursuivent, ils mèneront probablement à l'extinction des stocks d'ici vingt ans. Ce nouveau sujet de préoccupation rend encore plus nécessaires une redéfinition des règles pour le partage des prises et leur assouplissement au niveau local. On discute les règlements du gouvernement autonome et on les compare à la façon dont les communautés abordent leurs intérêts et préoccupations actuels

Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein-15/Prolactin-Inducible Protein as a Biomarker for Keratoconus Disease

Keratoconus (KC) is a bilateral degenerative disease of the cornea characterized by corneal bulging, stromal thinning, and scarring. The etiology of the disease is unknown. In this study, we identified a new biomarker for KC that is present in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, tear samples were collected from age-matched controls with no eye disease (n = 36) and KC diagnosed subjects (n = 17). Samples were processed for proteomics using LC-MS/MS. In vitro, cells were isolated from controls (Human Corneal Fibroblasts-HCF) and KC subjects (Human Keratoconus Cells-HKC) and stimulated with a Vitamin C (VitC) derivative for 4 weeks, and with one of the three transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) isoforms. Samples were analyzed using real-time PCR and Western Blots. By using proteomics analysis, the Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15) or prolactin-inducible protein (PIP) was found to be the best independent biomarker able to discriminate between KC and controls. The intensity of GCDFP-15/PIP was significantly higher in healthy subjects compared to KC-diagnosed. Similar findings were seen in vitro, using a 3D culture model. All three TGF-β isoforms significantly down-regulated the expression of GCDFP-15/PIP. Zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (AZGP1), a protein that binds to PIP, was identified by proteomics and cell culture to be highly regulated. In this study by different complementary techniques we confirmed the potential role of GCDFP-15/PIP as a novel biomarker for KC disease. It is likely that exploring the GCDFP-15/PIP-AZGP1 interactions will help better understand the mechanism of KC disease