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There is a high demand for natural agrochemicals to control postharvest phytopathogens in fruit. In this study, the Colletotrichum magnum strain was isolated from Maradol papaya fruits showing symptoms of anthracnose, identified based on its morphological characteristics and confirmed by an analysis of its 5.8S ribosomal DNA sequence. The antifungal activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts from Acacia pennatula, Acalypha gaumeri, Bonellia flammea, Calea urticifolia and Croton chichenensis was evaluated against Colletotrichum magnum by agar dilution bioassay at a concentration of 1 mg mL−1 and recording mycelial growth inhibition (MGI), sporulation inhibition (SI) and spore germination inhibition (SGI) were recorded. The extracts that caused MGI of C. magnum by more than 30% were re-evaluated. It was concluded that the aqueous and ethanol extracts from B. flammea stem bark were the most effective in the MGI (91.53–94.49%), SI (99.32–99.65%), and SGI (91.65–100%) of C. magnum at a 3% (w/v) concentration. A serial dilution of the aqueous extract of B. flammea demonstrated that 2.35% and 3% (w/v) were highly effective against C. magnum in vitro, and both concentrations were randomly applied to postharvest Maradol papaya fruit by dip. The results found that both concentrations caused an anthracnose disease severity of 0.92–0.97% in papaya fruits, which was lower than the commercial fungicide Tecto 60®. The aqueous extract from B. flammea stem bark represents a promising opportunity for developing a natural biopesticide to effectively control anthracnose in papaya fruits induced by C. magnum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isothermal molecular dynamics simulations were carried out with the embedded-atom method as a potential to predict the melting and crystallization temperatures of nanometric sized aluminum particles in the range of 2 – 4 nm . Simulated data predicted a decrease in the melting point T m of aluminum nanoparticles with an increase in their inverse radius r - 1 according to an almost linear law. The data obtained predicted a higher value of melting temperature compared to crystallization by Δ T = 272 K for a size of 4 nm and, Δ T = 193 K for 2 nm . The T m of the nanoparticles augmented with increasing size, from 720 K for 2 nm to 827 K for 4 nm . Furthermore, a linear extrapolation of the T m as a function of the inverse of the cubic root of the number of atoms yielded a melting temperature of aluminum of 947 ± 8 K , which is similar to previous estimations. Finally, when the number of atoms increased the number of face-centered cubic (FCC) structural units also increased, and the amorphous structure decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic hydroxyapatite (BHAp) is a widely used material in the biomedical area due to its similarities with the bone tissue mineral phase. Several works have been spotlighted on the thermal behavior of bone. However, little research has focused on determining the influence of calcination temperature in the physicochemical and bioactive properties of BHAp. In this work, a study of the physicochemical properties' changes and bioactive response of BHAp produced from porcine femur bones using calcination temperatures between 900 to 1200 °C was conducted. The samples' structural, morphological, and compositional changes were determined using XRD, SEM, and FTIR techniques. XRD results identified three temperature ranges, in which there are structural changes in BHAp samples and the presence of additional phases. Moreover, FTIR results corroborated that B-type substitution is promoted by increasing the heat treatment temperature. Likewise, samples were immersed in a simulated biological fluid (SBF), following the methodology described by Kokubo and using ISO 23317:2014 standard, for 3 and 7 days. FTIR and SEM results determined that the highest reaction velocity was reached for samples above 1000 °C, due to intensity increasing of phosphate and carbonate bands and bone-like apatite morphologies, compared to other temperatures evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, WTiN thin films were produced on silicon substrates using the DC magnetron sputtering technique varying the working pressure and keeping the power constant at 90 W and conducting the process at room temperature. The structure and morphology of the coatings were analyzed using the x-ray diffraction technique, which allowed the identification of a rock salt type FCC structure, with a relatively low micro-strain, and a grain size in the order of nm exhibiting a nanostructure formation. Elemental composition and the binding energies of samples were obtained using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and showed W-Ti-N chemical bonds and hence the formation of the ternary nitride. Moreover, a great influence of the pressure on the stoichiometry was identified, as a result of the differences in the deceleration and diffusion behavior of W and Ti atoms. The surface grain size and roughness (on average approximately 34 and 8.7 nm, respectively) of the coatings were determined using atomic force microscopy. Changes in the morphology can be attributed to re-sputtering and the adatoms mobility processes, as a part of the growth mechanism. Finally, for determining the tribological behavior, scratch and pin on disk tests were conducted. According to the results, the roughness and the pressure had a great influence on the coefficient of friction and the wear rate; however, the working pressure had no significant influence on the adherence of the films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganitesof La0.7Ca0.3−xSrxMnO3 have been produced using the hydrothermal method. The influence of the concentration of La, Ca, and Sr on the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties was studied and analyzed. The x-ray diffraction studies showed the occurrence of orthorombic and trigonal symmetries in the crystalline structure, depending on the stoichiometry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies were performed, showing the presence of the elements La3d, Ca2p, Sr3d, Mn2p, and O1s. In all samples, a deficiency of oxygen was observed and ascribed to hydroxide formation. The FTIR spectra shows the Mn–O–Mn bonds in the stretching vibration mode; on the other hand, a great relative amount of Mn4+ ions that are not included in the manganite phase was observed. Furthermore, morphology analyses developed using scanning electron microscopy showed cauliflower-type microstructures in all samples. The dependence of magnetization on magnetic field was also studied where a low coercivity and a high-saturation magnetization were evidenced. Values of the squareness ratio coefficient ranged between 0.0587 and 0.0867, indicating that the individual particles exhibit a strong random anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La1−x(Ca,Sr)xMnO3 manganites have been produced using the hydrothermal method. The influence of the concentration of La, Ca, and Sr on the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties was studied and analyzed. The X-ray diffraction analysis showed that samples crystallized in rhombohedral or trigonal symmetries depending on the stoichiometry. The morphological analyses obtained by using scanning electron microscopy showed cauliflower-type microstructures in all samples. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy studies were also performed, evidencing not only the presence of the constituent elements but an oxygen deficiency and manganese-relative excess in all the samples. This fact is suggested as the cause of the unusual magnetic behavior where a low-temperature re-entrant phase was observed within the ferromagnetic matrix in some of the samples attributed to spin frustration. Furthermore, for some samples, a critical Curie temperature higher than the reported values is attributed to the relative excess of manganese ions, which can occupy other sites in the lattices as interstices or La, Ca, and Sr sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document presents a study of the influence of the dipolar interactions and geometrical parameters on the magnetic properties of single-walled ferromagnetic nanotubes built by using square and hexagonal unit cells. For this study, a Hamiltonian, which includes dipolar interactions and nearest neighbor classical Heisenberg model, was used; furthermore, the Monte Carlo method combined with the Metropolis algorithm was used to determine the observables required. The analyses were focused on the magnetization per magnetic site and the critical temperature that was obtained by using specific heat peaks. These properties were calculated varying the length, diameter, boundary conditions, dipolar parameter and unit cell type. It was observed that the system showed different behaviors depending on the use of periodic or free boundary conditions; moreover, there is a strong influence of the unit cell type on the magnetic properties, caused by the difference of the number coordination between them. For both cases, square and hexagonal unit cells, the critical temperature increased as the nanotube length was increased; nevertheless, the diameter produced an inverse effect. On the other hand, the dipolar interaction always generated an increase in the critical temperature. This behavior allows us to conclude that longrange dipolar interactions have a strong effect on the magnetic properties of the single-walled magnetic nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An atomistic scale study of ultra-thin ferromagnetic films was carried out using Monte Carlo simulations with Metropolis dynamics, and the simulations were performed using a Heisenberg Hamiltonian, surface and crystalline anisotropies, and dipolar interaction. We defined an 휖 parameter to bind the dipolar interaction with the anisotropy in order to show how the system would behave at different ratios and scale up the dipolar interaction to observe its effects on small manageable systems. The results show a strong dependency of the shape of the magnetization curves for in-plane and out-of-plane measurements with our 휖 parameter. We also included several measures of the magnetization direction at T = 2.5 K after a cooling process, and they show a critical thickness for an 휖 below which the magnetization will spontaneously beat the shape anisotropy and become perpendicular to the surface at low temperatures. As a side note, our study also shows results consistent with previous simulations that focused in a in-plane to out-of-plane transition of the magnetization when going from high temperature to low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abnormalities of mineral metabolism and inflammation may affect the cardiovascular system. We have assessed the relationship of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with inflammation and mineral metabolism. Methods: LVH was measured in 146 outpatients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) using echocardiography. Calcidiol (a vitamin D metabolite), parathyroid hormone (PTH), fibroblast growth factor-23, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1), galectin-3, NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin), and sTWEAK (soluble TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis) plasma levels were studied. Results: LVH, defined as septal thickness ≥11 mm, was present in 19.9% of cases. These patients were older [75.0 (61.0-81.0) vs 64.0 (51.0-76.0) years; p=0.002], had higher prevalence of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)>40%, and had higher PTH [84.7 (59.6-104.7) vs 63.2 (49.2-85.2) pg/ml; p=0.007], galectin-3 [9.6 (8.0-11.1) vs 8.3 (6.9-9.9) ng/ml; p=0.037], and NGAL (208.5±87.6 vs 173.9±73.4 ng/ml; p=0.031) plasma levels than those without LVH. Glomerular filtration rate was lower in patients with LVH than in those without it (65.1±20.0 vs 74.7±19.9 mL/min/1.73 m; p=0.021). There were no significant differences in hypertension (79.3 vs 68.4%; p=0.363) or sex between both groups. Variables showing differences based on univariate analysis and hypertension were entered into a logistic regression analysis. Only age [odds ratio (OR) =1.052 (1.011-1.096); p=0.013], PTH plasma levels [OR=1.017 (1.003-1.031); p=0.021], and LVEF>40% [OR=7.595 (1.463-39.429); p=0.016] were independent predictors of LVH. Conclusions: In patients with SCAD, elevated PTH levels are independently associated with the presence of LVH. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of PTH in the development of myocardial hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AC magnetic susceptibility of LaCaMnO ( x = 0.25, 0.33, 04, 0.5) thin films was obtained using Monte Carlo simulations combined with Fourier transform. The material stoichiometry was varied depending on the combination of Mn and Mn ions. Hamiltonian used includes the Heisenberg interaction, magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and Zeeman effect. For determining AC susceptibility, a time-dependent external magnetic field h( t) was applied. The study was conducted for various angular frequencies and temperatures. The simulations were obtained using a graphical interface that allowed the online monitoring of the results. According to the results, the AC susceptibility decreases not only with the temperature but also with the frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical trees of Calophyllum genus (Calophyllaceae) have chemical and biological importance as potential source of secondary active metabolites which can lead to the development of new drugs. Research on this species has been rising since 1992 due to the discovering of anti-HIV properties of Calanolide A found in Calophyllum inophyllum leaves. This compound is the most important natural product for potential development of new anti-HIV drugs and phytomedicines. The scientometric analysis (1953-2014) here performed revealed that the most studied species of Calophyllum genus are: C. inophyllum and C. brasiliense, distributed in the Asian, and American continents, respectively. Current research on these species is carried out mainly in India and Brazil, respectively, where these species grow. Research on C. brasiliense is focused mainly on ecological, antiparasitic, cytotoxic properties, and isolation of new compounds. Chemical studies and biodiesel development are the main topics in the case of C. inophyllum. Text mining analysis revealed that coumarins, and xanthones are the main secondary active metabolites responsible for most of the reported pharmacological properties, and are potential compounds for the treatment of leukemia and against intracellular parasites causing American Trypanosomiasis and Leshmaniasis. On the other hand, C. inophyllum represents an important source for the development of 2nd generation biodiesel. Medicinal and industrial applications of these species may impulse sustainable forest plantations. To our knowledge this is the first scientometric and text mining analysis of chemical and biomedical research on Calophyllum genus, C. brasiliense and C. inophyllum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ATP binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) promotes lipidation of nascent high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, acting as an intracellular transporter. SNP rs1893590 (c.-204A > C) of ABCG1 gene has been previously studied and reported as functional over plasma HDL-C and lipoprotein lipase activity. This study aimed to investigate the relationships of SNP rs1893590 with plasma lipids and lipoproteins in a large Brazilian population. Were selected 654 asymptomatic and normolipidemic volunteers from both genders. Clinical and anthropometrical data were taken and blood samples were drawn after 12 h fasting. Plasma lipids and lipoproteins, as well as HDL particle size and volume were determined. Genomic DNA was isolated for SNP rs1893590 detection by TaqMan OpenArray Real-Time PCR Plataform (Applied Biosystems). Mann-Whitney U, Chi square and two-way ANOVA were the used statistical tests. No significant differences were found in the comparison analyses between the allele groups for all studied parameters. Conversely, significant interactions were observed between SNP and age over plasma HDL-C, were volunteers under 60 years with AA genotype had increased HDL-C (p = 0.048). Similar results were observed in the group with body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m, where volunteers with AA genotype had higher HDL-C levels (p = 0.0034), plus an increased HDL particle size (p = 0.01). These findings indicate that SNP rs1893590 of ABCG1 has a significant impact over HDL-C under asymptomatic clinical conditions in an age and BMI dependent way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, magnetic and magnetotransport properties of ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AF) (LaCaMnO/LaCaMnO) n ( n = 1, 3, 5, 8) manganite multilayers using the standard Monte Carlo method were studied. Simulations of a three-dimensional classical Heisenberg model implemented with a single spin-flip Metropolis dynamics were performed. The Hamiltonian included four different superexchange interactions, according with the two different types of ions Mn and Mn. Also, the orbital differences accounting for the Mn ions were considered. Likewise, the Hamiltonian included terms dealing with magnetocrystalline anisotropy and the influence of an external magnetic field. Samples were simulated with dimensions L( d + d), where L stands for the lateral dimension along which periodic boundary conditions were implemented and d and d stand for the thicknesses of FM and AF layers, respectively, with free boundary conditions. In particular, low-temperature results reveal the behavior of the magnetoresistance depending of the thickness and the number of bilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geometric fitting is present in different fields of science, engineering and astronomy. In particular, ellipse shapes are some of the most commonly employed geometric features in digital image analysis and visual pattern recognition. Most geometric and algebraic methods are sensitive to noise and outlier points and so the results are not usually acceptable. In this paper, a robust geometric multicriteria method based on the mean absolute geometric error and the eccentricity to fit an ellipse to set of points is proposed. It is well known that the least mean absolute error criterion leads to robust estimations. The experimental results on different real and synthetic data have shown that the proposed algorithm is robust to outliers. Moreover, it allows us to identify outliers and remove them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the magnetic properties of manganite fine particles using Monte Carlo simulations in the framework of a core-shell model. A single-spin movement Metropolis dynamics was implemented to compute equilibrium averages. Calculations were performed on the basis of a three-dimensional classical Heisenberg Hamiltonian, involving the presence of Mn ( $\mathrm{Mn}^{3+e_{g}}$ and $\mathrm{Mn}^{3+e_{g}'}$) and Mn ( $\mathrm{Mn}^{4 + d^{3}}$) cations, and their nearest neighbor interaction. The Hamiltonian includes a surface anisotropy term applied to surface ions, and cubic anisotropy for ions belonging to the core. Different diameters were considered in order to figure out different off-stoichiometric scenarios and the influence on the magnetic properties. Results reveal a well-defined linear particle size inverse dependence of the Curie temperature. No evidence for surface spin disorder was detected. Finally, susceptibility data reveal that the ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic transition occurs in a gradual fashion ascribed to a differentiated behavior between the core and surface. Initially, the surface contribution to magnetic properties is high; as the nanoparticle size increases, the core contribution becomes stronger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ims/hypothesis: We report a genome-wide association study of type 2 diabetes in an admixed sample from Mexico City and describe the results of a meta-analysis of this study and another genome-wide scan in a Mexican-American sample from Starr County, TX, USA. The top signals observed in this meta-analysis were followed up in the Diabetes Genetics Replication and Meta-analysis Consortium (DIAGRAM) and DIAGRAM+ datasets. Methods: We analysed 967 cases and 343 normoglycaemic controls. The samples were genotyped with the Affymetrix Genome-wide Human SNP array 5.0. Associations of genotyped and imputed markers with type 2 diabetes were tested using a missing data likelihood score test. A fixed-effects meta-analysis including 1,804 cases and 780 normoglycaemic controls was carried out by weighting the effect estimates by their inverse variances. Results: In the meta-analysis of the two Hispanic studies, markers showing suggestive associations ( p < 10) were identified in two known diabetes genes, HNF1A and KCNQ1, as well as in several additional regions. Meta-analysis of the two Hispanic studies and the recent DIAGRAM+ dataset identified genome-wide significant signals ( p < 5 × 10) within or near the genes HNF1A and CDKN2A/CDKN2B, as well as suggestive associations in three additional regions, IGF2BP2, KCNQ1 and the previously unreported C14orf70. Conclusions/interpretation: We observed numerous regions with suggestive associations with type 2 diabetes. Some of these signals correspond to regions described in previous studies. However, many of these regions could not be replicated in the DIAGRAM datasets. It is critical to carry out additional studies in Hispanic and American Indian populations, which have a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ims/hypothesis: We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses to identify and characterise risk loci for type 2 diabetes in Mexican-Americans from Starr County, TX, USA. Method: Using 1.8 million directly interrogated and imputed genotypes in 837 unrelated type 2 diabetes cases and 436 normoglycaemic controls, we conducted Armitage trend tests. To improve power in this population with high disease rates, we also performed ordinal regression including an intermediate class with impaired fasting glucose and/or glucose tolerance. These analyses were followed by meta-analysis with a study of 967 type 2 diabetes cases and 343 normoglycaemic controls from Mexico City, Mexico. Result: The top signals (unadjusted p value <1 × 10) included 49 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in eight gene regions ( PER3, PARD3B, EPHA4, TOMM7, PTPRD, HNT [also known as RREB1], LOC729993 and IL34) and six intergenic regions. Among these was a missense polymorphism (rs10462020; Gly639Val) in the clock gene PER3, a system recently implicated in diabetes. We also report a second signal (minimum p value 1.52 × 10) within PTPRD, independent of the previously implicated SNP, in a population of Han Chinese. Top meta-analysis signals included known regions HNF1A and KCNQ1. Annotation of top association signals in both studies revealed a marked excess of trans-acting eQTL in both adipose and muscle tissues. Conclusions/Interpretation: In the largest study of type 2 diabetes in Mexican populations to date, we identified modest associations of novel and previously reported SNPs. In addition, in our top signals we report significant excess of SNPs that predict transcript levels in muscle and adipose tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monte Carlo simulation study of LaCaMnO/LaCaMnO bilayers exchange bias (EB) properties by using a classical Heisenberg model and Monte Carlo method with Metropolis algorithm is addressed. Samples were built atom-by-atom in order to resemble the real roughness. In this model, several contributions included nearest neighbors exchange interactions; two different interface couplings, magnetocrystalline anisotropy and Zeeman term, were considered. Here, an influence of the relaxation steps on the interface roughness is present. Our study focuses on the influence of interface roughness on hysteresis loops, particularly EB field ( H) and coercive force ( H). Results reveal that H and H decrease as the interface roughness increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the role of the geometrical shape, using the Minkowski's metrics, upon the temperature dependence of the magnetic and electrical transport properties of LaCaMnO nanoparticles was carried out. We considered a set of small particles with different shapes containing approximately the same amount of Mn ions (~6500) and distributed as a simple cubic structure in agreement with the manganites perovskite structure. The model is based on the standard Monte Carlo-Metropolis method and the classical Heisenberg Hamiltonian involving nearest magnetic neighbors interactions. Results dealing with the dependence of the Curie temperature for nanoparticles is lower than material in bulk. Moreover, magnetization and magnetic susceptibility as a function of the metric for some field cooled values. As the field cooled increased the transition temperature T increased. On the other hand, low temperature coercive force and resistivity with the shape of the nanoparticles, having different metric parameters, are present and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eukaryotic chromatin is a highly structured macromolecular complex of which DNA is wrapped around a histone-containing core. DNA can be methylated at specific C residues and each histone molecule can be covalently modified at a large variety of amino acids in both their tail and core domains. Furthermore, nucleosomes are not static entities and both their position and histone composition can also vary. As a consequence, chromatin behaves as a highly dynamic cellular component with a large combinatorial complexity beyond DNA sequence that conforms the epigenetic landscape. This has key consequences on various developmental processes such as root and flower development, gametophyte and embryo formation and response to the environment, among others. Recent evidence indicate that posttranslational modifications of histones also affect cell cycle progression and processes depending on a correct balance of proliferating cell populations, which in the context of a developing organisms includes cell cycle, stem cell dynamics and the exit from the cell cycle to endoreplication and cell differentiation. The impact of epigenetic modifications on these processes will be reviewed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune cell airway infiltration and the bronchovascular remodeling process have shown to be promising in the understanding of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) pathogenesis. In this study we sought to validate the importance of immune cells, whether diffusely distributed or forming lymphoid follicles, collagen density, and vascular factors. Eight weeks after a single nitric acid (NA) nasal instillation, lung changes were characterized by lumen distortion, epithelial layer folding, reduction or total obliteration of terminal bronchiole (TB) lumen, and wall thickness increase. The morphologic changes in the TB and TA (terminal artery) lumen coincide with the measurement difference in the three groups. The TB diameter and lumen were significantly decreased in BO when compared with non-BO lungs (0.76 ± 0.05 μm vs. 0.81 ± 0.05 μm and 12286.13 ± 378.83 μm vs. 18182.27 ± 5593.98 μm, p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). Equally significant was the increase in TB thickness in BO when compared with the non-BO group (201.72 ± 35.75 μm vs. 149.75 ± 40.61 μm, p = 0.007). The morphologic changes in immune cells seen in TB, TA, and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) also coincide with the quantification differences observed in the three groups. We concluded that immune cell infiltration and collagen/vascular remodeling are related to the spectrum of histologic changes in a BO nasal-induced model in mice and may be an appropriate target for prospective studies of human bronchiolitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin pigmentation is a central element of most discussions on 'race' and genetics. Research on the genetic basis of population variation in this phenotype, which is important in mediating both social experiences and environmental exposures, is sparse. We studied the relationship between pigmentation and ancestry in five populations of mixed ancestry with a wide range of pigmentation and ancestral proportions (African Americans from Washington, DC; African Caribbeans living in England; Puerto Ricans from New York; Mexicans from Guerrero; and Hispanics from San Luis Valley). The strength of the relationship between skin color and ancestry was quite variable, with the correlations ranging in intensity from moderately strong (Puerto Rico,?= 0.633) to weak (Mexico,?= 0.212). These results demonstrate the utility of ancestry-informative genetic markers and admixture methods and emphasize the need to be cautious when using pigmentation as a proxy of ancestry or when extrapolating the results from one admixed population to another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of high intensity 100-ps laser pulses with micron-sized noble gas (argon and krypton) droplets is experimentally investigated via a series of pump-probe experiments monitoring the delay-dependent X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission, and by imaging frequency-doubled probe light scattered from the interaction region. An understanding of the time scales for this interaction is important for optimization of EUV sources for next-generation lithography that utilizes laser-produced plasmas (LPP). Depending on the spectral region of interest, the type of emission, and the droplet characteristics, the effective emission lifetime was found to extend from a few hundred picoseconds to as long as several nanoseconds, in agreement with the expected plasma expansion, EUV excitation, and recombination emission time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is higher in people of west African descent than in Europeans. The objective of this study was to distinguish between genetic and environmental explanations for this ethnic difference by examining the relationship of disease risk to individual admixture (defined as the proportion of the genome that is of west African ancestry); 124 cases of SLE and 219 matched controls resident in Trinidad were studied. Analysis of admixture was restricted to 52 cases and 107 controls who reported no Indian or Chinese ancestry. These individuals were typed with a panel of 26 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and five insertion/deletion polymorphisms chosen to have large allele frequency differentials between west African, European and Native American populations. A Bayesian model for population admixture, individual admixture and locus ancestry was fitted by Markov chain simulation. Mean west African admixture (M) was 0.81 in cases and 0.74 in controls (P=0.01). The risk ratio for SLE associated with unit change in M was estimated as 32.5 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.0–518. Adjustment for measures of socioeconomic status (household amenities in childhood and years of education) altered this risk ratio only slightly (adjusted risk ratio: 28.4, 95% CI 1.7–485). These results support an additive genetic model for the ethnic difference in risk of SLE between west Africans and Europeans, rather than an environmental explanation or an "overdominant" model in which risk is higher in heterozygous than in homozygous individuals. This conclusion lays a basis for localizing the genes underlying this ethnic difference in risk of SLE by admixture mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SODA is a system by which the schedule of ships in a port can be found in order to minimize the demurrage and operating costs associated with shipping operations. SODA constructs and resolves binary programming models using shipping data (arrival dates, demurrage costs, berths to be used, etc.) and available berths in a planning horizon. The model is of an adjustable precision: major accuracy implies greater calculation time. SODA provides an optimal result to a complex problem in a resolution time which is generally better than that needed for a manual solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetocaloric effect and the universal character for the magnetic entropy change regarding the cubic crystal structures (SC, BCC, FCC) were investigated, in a qualitative way, using Monte Carlo simulations. A classical Heisenberg Hamiltonian with nearest neighbors, and next nearest neighbors interactions was implemented. In order to compute the critical temperature of the system depending on the coordination number, it was calculated the dependence of the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature. Magnetic field dependence on the magnetization for isothermal processes was performed considering a magnetocrystalline anisotropy term. In this way, the magnetic entropy change (ΔSm) was computed. Results show that the rescaled ΔSm as well as the exponent (n) characterizing the field dependence of the magnetic entropy change curves, collapse onto a single curve for the studied crystal structures. By this reason, it can be assured that ΔSm exhibits a universal behavior regarding the strength and contribution of the magnetic exchange energy to the total magnetic energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dissipative magnetic soliton, or magnetic droplet, is a structure that has been predicted to exist within a thin magnetic layer when non-linearity is balanced by dispersion, and a driving force counteracts the inherent damping of the spin precession. Such a soliton can be formed beneath a nano-contact (NC) that delivers a large spin-polarized current density into a magnetic layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Although the existence of droplets has been confirmed from electrical measurements and by micromagnetic simulations, only a few attempts have been made to directly observe the magnetic landscape that sustains these structures, and then only for a restricted set of experimental parameter values. In this work we use and x-ray holography technique HERALDO, to image the magnetic structure of the [Co/Ni]x4 multilayer within a NC orthogonal pseudo spin-valve, for different range of magnetic fields and injected electric currents. The magnetic configuration imaged at −33 mA and 0.3 T for devices with 90 nm NC diameter reveals a structure that is within the range of current where the droplet soliton exist based on our electrical measurements and have it is consistent with the expected size of the droplet (∼100 nm diameter) and its spatial position within the sample. We also report the magnetisation configurations observed at lower DC currents in the presence of fields (0-50 mT), where it is expected to observe regimes of the unstable droplet formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A study on the prevalence of rotavirus G and P genotypes was carried out based on 253 stool specimens obtained from children living in the Colombia northern coast region who were less than 3-years-old and who suffered from acute diarrhea. A previous study had detected the presence of rotavirus A in 90 (36.5%) of the 246 samples tested by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and these strains were investigated in the present study. Of these, 50 strains yielded an RNA electropherotype, most of which (80.0%) had long profiles and 20.0% of which had short profiles. Genotyping of 84 positive samples indicated that 67.9% of the strains could be typed. G1 (57.9%), was the most predominant VP7 genotype, followed by G3 (21.1%), G9 (15.8%) and G2 (5.3%). Among the VP4 genotypes, P[4] (49.1%) was the most prevalent, followed by P[6] 36.4% and P[8] (14.5%). Neither G4 nor G8 nor P[9] types were detected. The most common G-P combinations were G3 P[4] (8.8%) and G9 P[6] (7.0%), followed by G1 P[4] and G1 P[8] (5.3% each). All G1 P[8] strains showed long RNA profiles, whereas G3 P[4] and G9 P[6] displayed both long and short patterns. Mixed infections involved 21.0% of strains. There was a marked diversity among strains collected, and novel strains, including G9, as well as other atypical combinations of G and P genotypes, such as G9 P[6] and G3 P[4], were found.

The present study, conducted from March 1998 to July 2000, determined the etiology of acute diarrhea in 253 young children and infants from Cartagena and Sincelejo, Colombia. In 253 stool samples, the following enteric pathogens were recovered: rotavirus type A (36.6%) as the major agent, Salmonella spp (9.0%), Shigella spp (8.0%), enteric pathogenic Escherichia coli (6.0%), enteric hemorragic Esc. coli (2.8%), Providencia alcalifaciens (2.8%), Aeromonas hydrophila (2.0%), Yersinia enterocolitica (0.8%), Entamoeba hystolitica (10%), Giardia lamblia (4%), Endolimax nana (3.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (2.8%), Ent. coli (1.2%), Balantidium coli (0.8%), Blastocystis hominis (0.8%), Dypilidium caninum (0.4%) and hook worm sp. (0.4%). Infection with more than one pathogen occurred in 96 (37.9%) patients. Rotavirus and enteric pathogenic Esc. coli were frequent. Concurrent infection by more than one parasite occurred in 18.6% of the infants. Most rotavirus infections (76.7%) occurred in infants under 12 months. Vomiting, severe dehydration and fever were frequent in children with rotavirus infection. At least one fecal marker of inflammatory diarrhea was registered in patients with bacterial infection. To our knowledge, this is first report of P. alcalifaciens associated with infantile diarrhea in Colombia and the first description of Esc. coli O157:H7 and Y. enterocolitica in our region.