Importance Of Information Research Articles

Corrections of alpha- and proton-decay energies in implantation experiments

Energies from alpha- and proton-decay experiments yield information of capital importance for deriving the atomic masses of superheavy and exotic nuclides. We present a procedure to correct the published decay energies in case the recoiling daughter nuclides were not considered properly in implantation experiments. A program has been developed based on Lindhard's integral theory, which can accurately predict the energy deposition of heavy atomic projectiles in matter.

The cooperation of the police in the Republic of Srpska with other entities in obtaining and analyzing information of importance for control of terrorism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Terrorism, as a negative social phenomenon, is attracting a lot of attention because of its relevance and consequences that causes. Many countries are investing large amounts in terms of its control. The fight against terrorism is a very difficult and laborious task and it requires a multidisciplinary approach as well as multiple cooperation and exchange of information between the various institutions of domestic and international character. Police in the Republic of Srpska, as an important subject of security, undertakes significant activities in obtaining and analyzing information of importance for the control of terrorism in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this regard, it has permanent cooperation with citizens, as well as various police and non-police institutions. This form of cooperation should be constantly improved and raised to a higher level, in order to create conditions for better opposition to terrorist threats. The subject of the above mentioned co-operation are members of the Wahhabi movement and other groups that represent a real threat in terms of terrorist activities. The paper presents the empirical research, based on which it is clear that cooperation between the police of the Republic of Srpska and other entities (citizens, police and other non-police institutions) should be continually improved and perfected, as they are not at the top level. Also, the legislation that regulates the crime of terrorism should be adjusted to police agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or else the police would come in jurisdictional disputes with other police agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Limitation of Infarct Size and the Open Artery Hypothesis: A Conversation With Eugene Braunwald, MD.

Eugene Braunwald received an MD from the New York University School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and cardiology fellowships at Mount Sinai Hospital, Columbia University, and the National Heart Institute. He served as chief of cardiology and subsequently clinical director of the institute. From 1968 to 1972, he was the founding chair of medicine at the University of California, San Diego. From 1972 to 1996, he served as chair of medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In 1975, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He is now the Distinguished Hersey Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a senior investigator of the TIMI Study Group, which he founded in 1984. Dr Braunwald replies: I became aware of the importance of AMI in 1951 during an elective in cardiology during my senior year at the New York University School of Medicine. At the time, AMI was by far the most common cause of death in adults in the United States. Of the patients who survived to be admitted to hospitals (no one knew how many AMI patients failed to reach hospital emergency departments), about one third died before discharge, either suddenly, presumably from an arrhythmia, or secondary to pump failure. Of the patients who were discharged alive, about one quarter died within a year, most frequently as a consequence of heart failure or recurrent MI. Pathologists had taught that AMI was usually associated with coronary thrombosis. Indeed, during my cardiology elective, Herrick’s classic article describing AMI was required reading. Its title, “Clinical Features of Sudden Obstruction of the Coronary Arteries,” showed how these 2 conditions (coronary occlusion and AMI) were intertwined.1 My direct involvement in the care of several patients who did not survive the acute event left …

Interactions Tracks Retrieving in Learning Management System Context: Case Study of Sharable Content Object Reference Model Based Environment

Most of methodologies of educational research requires in majority of its forms and objectives that traces be observed and subsequently processed. Particularly, in e-learning environments, tracks of Interactions are considered as a source of information of obvious importance. According to learners activities and their perpetual changing profiles, the learning system need to get decisions on the available learning resources and approaches of knowledge delivering. The analysis of the generated tracks of interactions is essential in many ways to enhance the effectiveness of the support of users in their interactions within the learning system. Particularly, learning management systems (LMS), often modular, are now based largely on web services and have, indeed, to integrate the evolution of web technologies. In this paper we propose a Service Oriented architecture (SOA) based system for tracks retrieving and processing. A Service oriented layer for data collecting is introduced and implemented for the Sharable content object reference model (SCORM) standard compliant environment. The tracks collection service is particularly based on the standardized data model defined by the IEEE 1484.11.1 specification adopted by SCORM. To construct a complete data set which match the needs of learning tracking, an expansion of the IEEE 1484.11.1 data model is integrated to take into consideration other activities of interest, the most considered are the communication between different learning actors within the learning management system.

Characterization of the T-cell receptor beta chain repertoire in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are direct effectors of tumor immunity, and their characterization is important for further development of immunotherapy. Recent advances in high‐throughput sequencing technologies have enabled a comprehensive analysis of T‐cell receptor (TCR) complementarity‐determining region 3 (CDR3) sequences, which may provide information of therapeutic importance. We developed a high‐fidelity target sequencing method with the ability for absolute quantitation, and performed large‐scale sequencing of TCR beta chain (TCRB) CDR3 regions in TILs and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). The estimated TCRB repertoire sizes of PBLs from four healthy individuals and TILs from four colorectal cancer tissue samples were 608,664–1,003,098 and 90,228–223,757, respectively. The usage of J‐ and V‐regions was similar in PBLs and TILs. Proportions of CDR3 amino acid (aa) sequences occupying more than 0.01% of the total molecular population were 0.33–0.43% in PBLs and 1.3–3.6% in TILs. Additional low coverage sequencing of 15 samples identified five CDR3 aa sequences that were shared by nine patients, one sequence shared by 10 patients, and one sequence shared by 12 patients. The estimated size of the TCRB repertoire in TILs was significantly smaller than that in PBLs. The proportion of abundant species (>0.01%) in TILs was larger than that in PBLs. Shared CDR3 aa sequences represent a response to common antigens, and the identification of such CDR3 sequences may be beneficial in developing clinical biomarkers.

Aspects of the Imaginary of the Romanian Principalities in the Stories of the British Travelers of the 18th Century

Abstract The present study aims to be a resynthesis of some of the most important pieces of memoir and travel literature of the 18th century, used as historical source that is essential for the understanding an epoch. Located in a geographical and historical meeting area of the political and economic interests of the European and extra-European empires, Walachia, Moldavia and Transylvania aroused the complex interests of the Great Powers, including, of course, the British Empire. The validity of this fact is supported by the remaining diplomatic reports that can be found in the diplomatic archives, by memoirs (today of an undeniable historical value), and by other memorialistic writings of numerous travelers, including those coming from the Anglo-Saxon space. The information of the utmost importance provided by these writings (the diplomatic reports also being included here) reconstruct not only historical and ethnographic realities, but also anthropological and economic history ones.

Information and Communication Technology: Design, Delivery, and Outcomes from a Nursing Informatics Boot Camp

Information and communication technology (ICT) is integral in today’s healthcare as a critical piece of support to both track and improve patient and organizational outcomes. Facilitating nurses’ informatics competency development through continuing education is paramount to enhance their readiness to practice safely and accurately in technologically enabled work environments. In this article, we briefly describe progress in nursing informatics (NI) and share a project exemplar that describes our experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a NI educational event, a one-day boot camp format that was used to provide foundational knowledge in NI targeted primarily at frontline nurses in Alberta, Canada. We also discuss the project outcomes, including lessons learned and future implications. Overall, the boot camp was successful to raise nurses’ awareness about the importance of informatics in nursing practice.

A study by 1H NMR on the influence of some factors affecting lipid in vitro digestion

This article focuses on the impact of several experimental factors, including gastric acidification, intestinal transit time, presence of gastric lipase, sample/digestive fluids ratio, concentration and nature of the enzymes in intestinal juice, and bile concentration, on the extent of in vitro lipolysis when using a static model that simulates human digestion processes in mouth, stomach and small intestine. The study was carried out by Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR). This technique provides a complete molecular picture of lipolysis, evidencing for the first time, whether preferential hydrolysis of certain glycerides over others occurs. A lipolysis degree similar to that reported in vivo was reached by varying certain variables within a physiological range; among them, bile concentration was found to be crucial. The holistic view of this 1H NMR study provides information of paramount importance to design sound in vitro digestion models to determine the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of lipophilic compounds.

Effects Of Montmorency Tart Cherry (Prunus Cerasus L.) Consumption On Vascular Function In Males With Early Hypertension.

PURPOSE: Tart cherries contain numerous polyphenols that have the potential to improve endothelial function and reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. The objective was to examine the acute effects of Montmorency tart cherry juice on vascular function in early hypertensive males. METHODS: A single-blind, randomized, cross-over design that employed a controlled dietary intervention with a wash-out period of at least 14 days was conducted. Fifteen males with early hypertension [systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥ 130 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≤ 80 mmHg, or both] received either a 60 mL dose of a Montmorency tart cherry concentrate (MC) or a placebo (PLA). Microvascular reactivity (laser Doppler imaging with iontophoresis), arterial stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV), pulse wave analysis], blood pressure and phenolic acid [protocatechuic (PCA) and vanillic (VA)] absorption was assessed at baseline and 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 h after consumption. RESULTS: Significant differences in SBP (p=0.002) and MAP (p=0.014) were observed between groups, with peak reductions in postprandial SBP of 16 ± 3 mmHg 2 h post MC consumption. In addition, there was an overall reduction in PWV following MC supplementation when compared to the PLA trial (p=0.014). These vascular improvements returned to near baseline at 8 h post MC consumption. No other vascular variables were altered after consumption of the MC concentrate compared with baseline or after consumption of PLA. Finally, there were significant rises in the phenolic acids PCA and VA peaking at 1-2 h post MC ingestion (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Montmorency, tart cherry intake acutely improves measures of vascular function in males with early hypertension. These benefits are likely to be mechanistically linked to the actions of circulating phenolic acids that are seen to increase following juice consumption. This work provides additional information of the potential importance of polyphenol-rich foods in health maintenance; critically this study shows new information on the application of Montmorency tart cherries, in particular positively impacting on vascular function.

What surgeons tell patients and what patients want to know before major cancer surgery: a qualitative study.

BackgroundThe information surgeons impart to patients and information patients want about surgery for cancer is important but rarely examined. This study explored information provided by surgeons and patient preferences for information in consultations in which surgery for oesophageal cancer surgery was discussed.MethodsPre-operation consultations in which oesophagectomy was discussed were studied in three United Kingdom hospitals and patients were subsequently interviewed. Consultations and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed in full and anonymized. Interviews elicited views about the information provided by surgeons and patients’ preferences for information. Thematic analysis of consultation-interview pairs was used to investigate similarities and differences in the information provided by surgeons and desired by patients.ResultsFifty two audio-recordings from 31 patients and 7 surgeons were obtained (25 consultations and 27 patient interviews). Six consultations were not recorded because of equipment failure and four patients declined an interview. Surgeons all provided consistent, extensive information on technical operative details and in-hospital surgical risks. Consultations rarely included discussion of the longer-term outcomes of surgery. Whilst patients accepted that information about surgery and risks was necessary, they really wanted details about long-term issues including recovery, impact on quality of life and survival.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated a need for surgeons to provide information of importance to patients concerning the longer term outcomes of surgery. It is proposed that “core information sets” are developed, based on surgeons’ and patients’ views, to use as a minimum in consultations to initiate discussion and meet information needs prior to cancer surgery.

Classification of Vegetation Type in Iraq Using Satellite-Based Phenological Parameters

Primary information of great importance to various grand challenges such as sustainable agricultural intensification, food insecurity, and climate change impacts, can be obtained indirectly from land cover monitoring. However, in arid-to-semiarid regions, such as Iraq, accurate discrimination of different vegetation types is challenging due to their similar spectral responses. Moreover, Iraq has been subjected to major disturbances, both natural and anthropogenic which have affected the distribution of land cover types through space and time. Reliable information about croplands and natural vegetation in such regions is generally scarce. This research aimed to develop a phenology-based classification approach using support vector machines for the assessment of space-time distribution of the dominant vegetation land cover (VLC) types in Iraq, particularly croplands, from 2002 to 2012. Thirteen successive years of 8-day composites of MODIS-NDVI data at a spatial resolution of 250 m were employed to estimate 11 phenological parameters. The classification methodology was assessed using reference samples taken from fine spatial resolution imagery and independent testing data obtained through fieldwork. Overall accuracies were generally ${>} {85}\,\% $ , with relatively high Kappa coefficients $\left({ {>} {0}.{86}} \right)$ across the classified land cover types. The predicted cropland class area and the Global MODIS land cover product were compared with ground statistical data at the governorate level, revealing a significantly larger coefficient of determination for the present phenology-based approach $\left({{{\textit{R}}^{\text {2}}} = 0.70\;\text{against} \;{{\text {R}}^{\text {2}}} = 0.33\;\text{for\;MODIS},\;{\text{p}{ . The resulting maps delimit for the first time, at a fine spatial resolution, the spatial and interannual variability in the dominant VLC classes across Iraq.

Documentation of Early Caddo Period Ceramic Vessels from the George C. Davis Site on the Neches River in Cherokee County, Texas

The George C. Davis site (41CE19)/Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Cherokee County, Texas, is a Caddo site that was occupied by ancestral Caddo peoples between ca. A.D. 940 and the late 1200s (based on an extensive suite of calibrated radiocarbon dates, see below) on a large alluvial terrace of the Neches River in East Texas. The site is a planned civic-ceremonial center that has three earthen mounds—Mound A, a large platform mound with elite residences and special purpose structures; Mound B, a second platform mound; and Mound C, a burial mound used as a cemetery for the elite or ranked members of the society—a borrow pit, and a large associated village (estimated at more than 110 acres) with more than 100 known or suspected structures. The structures include the domestic residences of the commoners that lived at the site as well as the residences for the elites. The George C. Davis site is an archaeological site that has yielded information of major scientific importance concerning the origins and development of the Caddo peoples, a still little-known but significant stratified and complex society that lived in the far western reaches of the Southeastern United States and whose cultural traditions have lasted for more than 1000 years. The expansive nature of the archaeological investigations at the George C. Davis site since 1939 has obtained unique information on Caddo community organization and social logic, the nature of Caddo symbolism and ideology, as well as the early existence of important community political, social, and religious activities within special precincts near Mounds A and B. The archaeological work has also obtained key insights into the domestic nature of the community, with residential domiciles dated as early as ca. A.D. 940 organized into compounds with small courtyards; this was not a vacant mound center. Demonstrating great continuity in Caddo community and social organization, the same kinds of domestic compounds seen ca. A.D. 940 and after at the George C. Davis site have also been documented from a 1691 map prepared by a Spanish expedition to a Nasoni Caddo civic-ceremonial center on the Red River in East Texas. The George C. Davis site archaeological record from sacred as well as domestic contexts contains important Caddo data relevant to each of these broad themes. This includes evidence from features for the earliest origins of the community at ca. A.D. 940 as well as features that demonstrate a continuous occupation that lasted until the late A.D. 1200s. The use of tropical cultigens preserved in features has been shown to have been an important subsistence resource in the community, intensifying in use after ca. A.D. 1200 among East Texas Caddo societies, during a period of climate (the Medieval Warm Period) favorable for agriculture in the Caddo area. A crystallization of religion, ideology, and iconographic practice as a measure of complexity is seen in the archaeological record of these early Caddos, denoted by the development of platform mounds with temples and other specialized structures for use by the political and religious elite, the acquisition and exchange of non-local prestige goods, details of architecture and mound construction (the use of berms and selective use of brightly colored soils), and the kinds of elaborate burial features (several with multiple individuals, probably indicative of retainer sacrifice) and associated grave goods in the Mound C mortuary at the site. The George C. Davis has had the most extensive investigations of any Caddo mound site, including very large scale archaeo-geophysical work, and archaeologists have done an exemplary job in publishing the results of their investigations, beginning with the seminal 1949 study prepared by H. Perry Newell and Alex D. Krieger. Taken together, the extensive nature of the work, the quality of the archaeological investigations, and the unique archaeo-geophysical data set, suggest that the George C. Davis site strongly exemplifies the character of a Caddo civic-ceremonial community in the Caddo archaeological area, and through its study has shed unique light on the origins and elaboration of the Caddo cultural tradition. In this article, I document, using a standardized protocol, the ancestral Caddo vessels and vessel sections that have been recovered from various kinds of features at the George C. Davis site since excavations began at the site in 1939. I also discuss the stylistic and functional character of this unique vessel assemblage. The analysis of the recovered ceramic vessels and sherds from the George C. Davis site has been ongoing since the 1940s, and has included innovative work in the chemical characterization of the ceramics as well as the preservation of lipids in samples of ceramic vessels and sherds. Dr. Robert Z. Selden has also obtained 3-D scans of many of the vessels discussed in this article.

Partial ordering of life cycle inventory databases

Purpose Life cycle inventory (LCI) databases provide information of fundamental importance to the mainstream practice of life cycle assessment (LCA). Development and management of LCI data resources is a tremendous task. This paper seeks to develop design principles for organizing efforts around distributed database management by considering the structure of inventory networks.

Direct detection of toxigenic Bacillus cereus in dietary complement for children and cassava starch

&lt;p&gt;Bacillus cereus es un contaminante de alimentos&lt;br /&gt;conocido por ser patogénico para los humanos,&lt;br /&gt;causando síndromes de vómito y diarrea.&lt;br /&gt;En este estudio se evaluó la presencia de B.&lt;br /&gt;cereus toxigénicos utilizando PCR múltiple&lt;br /&gt;directamente en complementos dietarios&lt;br /&gt;para niños y en almidón de yuca colectados&lt;br /&gt;en Medellín, Colombia. De 75 muestras de&lt;br /&gt;complemento dietario para niños, 70,7%&lt;br /&gt;estuvieron contaminadas con B. cereus&lt;br /&gt;toxigénicos y se detectaron cuatro diferentes&lt;br /&gt;consorcios toxigénicos: I: nheA, hblC, cytK&lt;br /&gt;(9,8%), II: nheA, hblC (2%), III: hblC, cytK&lt;br /&gt;(41.2%), IV: hblC (47%). De 75 muestras de&lt;br /&gt;almidón de yuca, 44% estuvieron contaminadas&lt;br /&gt;con B. cereus toxigénicos y se determinaron&lt;br /&gt;cuatro diferentes consorcios toxigénicos: I:&lt;br /&gt;nheA, hblC, cytK (48.5%), II: nheA, hblC, cytK,&lt;br /&gt;cesB (3%), III: hblC, cytK (30,3%), IV: hblC&lt;br /&gt;(18.2%). En general, en los complementos&lt;br /&gt;dietarios para niños sólo se detectaron&lt;br /&gt;consorcios enterotoxigénicos, mientras que en&lt;br /&gt;el almidón los consorcios enterotoxigénicos&lt;br /&gt;predominaron sobre el emético. La PCR&lt;br /&gt;múltiple fue de utilidad para detectar&lt;br /&gt;contaminación con B. cereus toxigénicos&lt;br /&gt;permitiendo la detección directa y simultánea&lt;br /&gt;de todos los genes tóxicos en los alimentos. Este&lt;br /&gt;estudio es el primero en Colombia en evaluar B.&lt;br /&gt;cereus toxigénicos y proporciona información&lt;br /&gt;importante para la evaluación de riesgos&lt;br /&gt;microbiológicos en los alimentos pulverizados&lt;/p&gt;

Quantitative myocardial perfusion PET parametric imaging at the voxel-level

Quantitative myocardial perfusion (MP) PET has the potential to enhance detection of early stages of atherosclerosis or microvascular dysfunction, characterization of flow-limiting effects of coronary artery disease (CAD), and identification of balanced reduction of flow due to multivessel stenosis. We aim to enable quantitative MP-PET at the individual voxel level, which has the potential to allow enhanced visualization and quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and flow reserve (MFR) as computed from uptake parametric images. This framework is especially challenging for the 82Rb radiotracer. The short half-life enables fast serial imaging and high patient throughput; yet, the acquired dynamic PET images suffer from high noise-levels introducing large variability in uptake parametric images and, therefore, in the estimates of MBF and MFR. Robust estimation requires substantial post-smoothing of noisy data, degrading valuable functional information of physiological and pathological importance. We present a feasible and robust approach to generate parametric images at the voxel-level that substantially reduces noise without significant loss of spatial resolution. The proposed methodology, denoted physiological clustering, makes use of the functional similarity of voxels to penalize deviation of voxel kinetics from physiological partners. The results were validated using extensive simulations (with transmural and non-transmural perfusion defects) and clinical studies. Compared to post-smoothing, physiological clustering depicted enhanced quantitative noise versus bias performance as well as superior recovery of perfusion defects (as quantified by CNR) with minimal increase in bias. Overall, parametric images obtained from the proposed methodology were robust in the presence of high-noise levels as manifested in the voxel time-activity-curves.

44P - Gene expression of breast cancer related genes in circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from patients with metastatic breast cancer

Introduction: Detection of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood has an established prognostic significance in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Change in the number of detected CTCs is also an indication of response to therapy. Characterisation of CTCs could provide easily accessible treatment predictive information of present cancer cells within the patient and could reveal important knowledge about the metastatic process. The aim of this pilot study was to characterize CTCs with regard to both treatment predictive and more experimental markers by analysing the expression of genes associated with breast cancer.Methods: Blood samples from twelve patients with metastatic breast cancer included in the ongoing CTC-MBC study at Lund University, Sweden (Clinical Trials Id. NCT01322893) were analysed in this pilot study. Systemic treatment included endocrine, targeted and chemotherapy regimen. Blood samples were collected before start of 1st line therapy and at four time points. If progression occurred, a new round of samples was taken. CTCs were isolated from whole blood using the commercial kits AdnaTest EMT1/stem cell and AdnaTest EMT2/stem cell (AdnaGen AG, Langenhagen, Germany). With this method, CTCs are captured using antibodies directed against EpCAM and MUC-1 (EMT1-kit) or EpCAM, HER2 and EGFR (EMT2-kit). Gene expression analyses from CTCs at each time point was performed by TATAA Biocenter (Gothenburg, Sweden) using qPCR. 38 breast cancer related genes were analysed including the oestrogen receptor (ESR), HER2, VEGFR2, ALDH1, PI3K, PTEN and TWIST1.Results: Using positive expression of pseudo-markers EpCAM, MUC1 and HER2 as definition of CTCs, 6 of 12 patients were positive for CTCs. However, gene expression of additional markers in potential CTCs suggests complex patterns such as an increase in TWIST1, ALDH1 and SATB1 at time of progression.Conclusions: We present gene expression data from CTCs isolated before and during therapy in metastatic breast cancer patients. This type of characterisation could provide information of importance for treatment response and clinical outcome.Clinical trial identification: NCT01322893, March 24 2011 (Less)

Complex hydraulic interactions between compartmentalized carbonate aquifers and heterogeneous siliciclastic successions: a case study in southern Italy

The sedimentary sequences containing lithologic units with low permeability represent hydrogeologic systems, which, as of now, have been little studied despite their diffusion worldwide. A hydrogeologic study, aimed to assess the main factors controlling the groundwater flow dynamics in such systems and their hydraulic interactions with nearby carbonate aquifers, has been carried out in Longano (Isernia, Southern Italy). The analysis of the hydraulic heads, combined with the regimes of the springs and the electric conductivity of the groundwater, mainly reflect vertical and lateral heterogeneities of the media in terms of hydraulic properties. In particular, the flow system is controlled by lateral heterogeneities, which characterize a surficial horizon made up of clayey colluviums and talus deposits, separated from the deeper saturated, fissured bedrock. One-to-ten relationships in hydraulic heads, monitored in piezometers crossing the fissured media, further uphold the crucial role played by the lateral contrasts of permeability in controlling the flow dynamics. On the whole, significant interactions with the nearby carbonate hydrostructure take place. Nevertheless, the heterogeneities of the siliciclastic succession and surficial horizon, coupled with the compartmentalization of the carbonate system, lead to a complex hydrogeological scenario. In a wider perspective, this study gives information of utmost importance in order to improve the implementation of mathematical models and configuration of tapping works within these heterogeneous and complex settings. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fine Structure of Antennal Sensilla of Paysandisia archon and Electrophysiological Responses to Volatile Compounds Associated with Host Palms.

Paysandisia archon (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) is a serious pest of palm trees. A comprehensive knowledge of the insect olfactory system is essential for the development of efficient semiochemical-based control methods. The olfactory sensilla are located particularly on the antennae, and these can detect plant volatiles that provide important cues for the insects in the search for their host plants. To date, the fine structure of P. archon antennal sensilla studies and their role in host-plant perception have not been investigated in great detail. Using light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy, the antennae of both sexes of P. archon are described here in detail, according to the different types, quantities and distributions of the sensilla. Six types of sensilla were identified. The most widespread are sensilla trichoidea, sensilla basiconica and sensilla auricilica, which are associated with olfactory function. These have cuticular shafts characterised by numerous pores, and they are innervated by two or three sensory neurons. Sensilla coeloconica, sensilla chaetica and sensilla ampullacea are associated with olfactory or olfactory-thermoreception, mechano-gustatory, and thermo-hygroreception functions, respectively. Moreover, the role of P. archon antennae in locating of the host palms was evaluated using electroantennograms, to monitor responses to ester and terpene compounds previously identified as volatiles of damaged/fermenting palm tissues. P. archon showed responses to all of the synthetic chemicals tested, with greater responses in the females, providing a significant sex*dose effect. Among the compounds tested, ethyl isobutyrate elicited the strongest antenna responses. The fine structure of the cuticular and cellular components of the P. archon antenna sensory equipment is described for the first time. The results of this study form an important starting point and complement physiological and behavioural studies, to provide valuable information of practical importance for the development of efficient semiochemical-based control methods.

Proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer's disease: wanted dead or alive.

Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) relying on symptomatic features has a low specificity, emphasizing the importance of the pragmatic use of neurochemical biomarkers. The most advanced and reliable markers are amyloid-β (Aβ42), total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with relatively high levels of sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy. Recent advances within the field of proteomics offer the potential to search for novel biomarkers in CSF by using modern methods, such as microarrays. The purpose of this study was to identify pathognostic proteins in CSF obtained from patients whose clinical AD diagnosis was confirmed by the "core" biomarkers. CSF samples were obtained from 25 AD patients and 25 control individuals. The levels of Aβ42, t-tau, and p-tau were measured by ELISA. In the microarray experiments, ultrasensitive slides representing of 653 antigens were used. Apolipoprotein E genotyping was also determined. A decrease of seven CSF proteins in AD were found, four of them (POLG, MGMT, parkin, and ApoD) have a protective function against neuronal death, while the remaining three proteins (PAR-4, granzyme B, Cdk5) trigger multiple pathways facilitating neuronal cell death. Since these proteins from CSF samples could not be identified by western blot, their decreased levels in AD patients were not verified. Our results provide new information of pathognostic importance of POLG and granzyme B in AD. Although the function of MGMT, parkin, ApoD, PAR-4, and Cdk5 was previously known in AD, the findings presented here provide novel evidence of the significance of CSF analysis in the mapping of the AD pathomechanism.

Identifying the origin and geochemical evolution of groundwater using hydrochemistry and stable isotopes in the Subei Lake basin, Ordos energy base, Northwestern China

Abstract. A series of changes in groundwater systems caused by groundwater exploitation in energy base have been of great concern to hydrogeologists. The research aims to identify the origin and geochemical evolution of groundwater in the Subei Lake basin under the influence of human activities. Water samples were collected, and major ions and stable isotopes (δ18O, δD) were analyzed. In terms of hydrogeological conditions and the analytical results of hydrochemical data, groundwater can be classified into three types: the Quaternary groundwater, the shallow Cretaceous groundwater and the deep Cretaceous groundwater. Piper diagram and correlation analysis were used to reveal the hydrochemical characteristics of water resources. The dominant water type of the lake water was Cl-Na type, which was in accordance with hydrochemical characteristics of inland salt lakes; the predominant hydrochemical types for groundwater were HCO3–Ca, HCO3–Na and mixed HCO3–Ca–Na–Mg types. The groundwater chemistry is mainly controlled by dissolution/precipitation of anhydrite, gypsum, halite and calcite. The dedolomitization and cation exchange are also important factors. Rock weathering is confirmed to play a leading role in the mechanisms responsible for the chemical composition of groundwater. The stable isotopic values of oxygen and hydrogen in groundwater are close to the local meteoric water line, indicating that groundwater is of modern local meteoric origin. Unlike significant differences in isotopic values between shallow groundwater and deep groundwater in the Habor Lake basin, shallow Cretaceous groundwater and deep Cretaceous groundwater have similar isotopic characteristics in the Subei Lake basin. Due to the evaporation effect and dry climatic conditions, heavy isotopes are more enriched in lake water than in groundwater. The low slope of the regression line of δ18O and δD in lake water could be ascribed to a combination of mixing and evaporation under conditions of low humidity. Comparison of the regression line for δ18O and δD showed that lake water in the Subei Lake basin contains more heavily isotopic composition than that in the Habor Lake basin, indicating that lake water in the discharge area has undergone stronger evaporation than lake water in the recharge area. Hydrochemical and isotopic information of utmost importance has been provided to decision makers by the present study so that a sustainable groundwater management strategy can be designed for the Ordos energy base.