Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XIII. CoRoT-13b: a dense hot Jupiter in transit around a star with solar metallicity and super-solar lithium content

We announce the discovery of the transiting planet CoRoT-13b. Ground-based follow-up in CFHT and IAC80 confirmed CoRoT's observations. The mass of the planet was measured with the HARPS spectrograph and the properties of the host star were obtained analyzing HIRES spectra from the Keck telescope. It is a hot Jupiter-like planet with an orbital period of 4.04 days, 1.3 Jupiter masses, 0.9 Jupiter radii, and a density of 2.34 g cm(-3). It orbits a G0V star with T(eff) = 5 945 K, M(*) = 1.09 M(circle dot), R(*) = 1.01 R(circle dot), solar metallicity, a lithium content of +1.45 dex, and an estimated age of between 0.12 and 3.15 Gyr. The lithium abundance of the star is consistent with its effective temperature, activity level, and age range derived from the stellar analysis. The density of the planet is extreme for its mass, implies that heavy elements are present with a mass of between about 140 and 300 M(circle plus).

Planetary transit candidates in Corot-IRa01 field

Context. CoRoT is a pioneering space mission devoted to the analysis of stellar variability and the photometric detection of extrasolar planets. Aims. We present the list of planetary transit candidates detected in the first field observed by CoRoT, IRa01, the initial run toward the Galactic anticenter, which lasted for 60 days. Methods. We analysed 3898 sources in the coloured bands and 5974 in the monochromatic band. Instrumental noise and stellar variability were taken into account using detrending tools before applying various transit search algorithms. Results. Fifty sources were classified as planetary transit candidates and the most reliable 40 detections were declared targets for follow-up ground-based observations. Two of these targets have so far been confirmed as planets, CoRoT-1b and CoRoT-4b, for which a complete characterization and specific studies were performed.

Education in Human Rights: Reflections on Power, Violence and Authority in the School

This article explores human rights and education based on an intervention experience conducted in three schools located in Sao Paulo City, which had as its main goal a substantial reduction in violence (2004-2005). The guideline was that education should be considered a basic human right, taking into consideration the power and authority relations that exist within this institution. What are the problems that we face, nowadays, to consider education as a human right, in the difficult Brazilian history? Is it possible to think about some kind of democratic authority within the school, when our vision of authority is linked to despotic leaders, or even when there is no space for any authority? How does this discussion associate with the violence in our daily life in school? These are some of the questions included in the debate proposed by this article.

Gastrointestinal transit, appetite, and energy balance in gastrectomized patients

Background: Alterations in gastrointestinal tract physiology after gastrectomy may affect appetite and energy balance. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine energy balance, appetite, and gastrointestinal transit in subjects with gastrectomy. Design: Seven subjects with total gastrectomy (TG) and 14 subjects with partial gastrectomy (PG), who were free from signs of recurrent disease, and 10 healthy control subjects were studied. Resting energy expenditure (REE) was measured by indirect calorimetry and compared with REE predicted by the Harris-Benedict equation (mREE/pREE%). Gastrointestinal transit was measured by scintigraphy. Habitual food intake was assessed, and appetite was measured during scintigraphy after ingestion of a test meal (361 kcal). Results: Body mass index was not different among the groups. mREE/pREE% was higher in patients with PG (P < 0.01) than in control subjects. The TG group showed higher energy intake (P < 0.05) than the PG group and control subjects. Gastric emptying was faster in the PG group than in control subjects, and gastrointestinal transit was accelerated in both PG and TG groups. An intense, precocious postprandial fullness and a relatively early recovery of hunger and prospective consumption sensations were seen in these patients. Conclusions: Patients with PG or TG have higher than predicted energy expenditure, which in TG seems to be compensated for by increased energy intake. These patients have preserved postprandial appetite responses and precocious postprandial fullness, which seem to be associated with disturbances in gastrointestinal transit of the ingested meal and are likely to be independent of vagal fiber integrity or stomach-released ghrelin. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 89: 231-9.

Oral and pharyngeal transit of a paste bolus in Chagas` disease

We measured the oral and pharyngeal transit of a paste bolus in 20 patients with Chagas` disease and 21 controls. Each subject swallowed of a 10-ml paste bolus prepared with 50 ml of water and 4.5 g of instant food thickener labeled with 55.5 MBq of 99(m) technetium phytate. After the scintigraphic recording of the transit, we delineated regions of interest (ROI) corresponding to mouth, pharynx, and proximal esophagus. Time-activity curves were generated for each ROI. There was no difference between patients with Chagas` disease and controls with respect to the duration of oral and pharyngeal transit, amount of pharyngeal residue, or flux of bolus entry into the proximal esophagus. The amount of oral residue was higher in patients with Chagas` disease (median = 0.71 ml) than in controls (median = 0.45 ml). The pharyngeal clearance duration was longer in patients with Chagas` disease (median = 0.85 s) than in controls (median = 0.60 s). The oral transit duration of the patients with Chagas` disease and dysphagia (median = 0.55 s, n = 14) was shorter than the oral transit duration of chagasic patients without dysphagia (median = 0.80 s, n = 6). We conclude that when swallowing a paste bolus, patients with Chagas` disease may have an increased amount of oral residue and a longer pharyngeal clearance duration than asymptomatic volunteers.

The Essential Oil of Eucalyptus tereticornis and its Constituents, alpha- and beta-Pinene, Show Accelerative Properties on Rat Gastrointestinal Transit

The essential oil of Eucalyptus tereticornis (EOET) has pharmacological activities but their effects on the gastrointestinal tract are yet unknown. It possesses alpha- and beta-pinene as minor constituents, isomers largely used as food or drink additives. In this work, we studied their actions on gut motility. After feeding with a liquid test meal, conscious rats received perorally EOET, alpha-, or beta-pinene, and the fractional dye retention was determined. EOET and its constituents decreased the gastric retention. In anesthetized rats, pinenes increased gastric tonus, while enhancing the meal progression in the small intestine of conscious rats. Both alpha- and beta-pinene contracted gastric strips in vitro but relaxed the duodenum. Conversely, EOET relaxed both the gastric and duodenal strips. In conclusion, EOET accelerates the gastric emptying of liquid, and part of its action is attributed to the contrasting effects induced by alpha- and beta-pinene on the gut.

Determinants of Accelerated Small Intestinal Transit in Alcohol-Related Chronic Pancreatitis

Patients with chronic pancreatitis may have abnormal gastrointestinal transit, but the factors underlying these abnormalities are poorly understood. Gastrointestinal transit was assessed, in 40 male outpatients with alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis and 18 controls, by scintigraphy after a liquid meal labeled with (99m)technetium-phytate. Blood and urinary glucose, fecal fat excretion, nutritional status, and cardiovascular autonomic function were determined in all patients. The influence of diabetes mellitus, malabsorption, malnutrition, and autonomic neuropathy on abnormal gastrointestinal transit was assessed by univariate analysis and Bayesian multiple regression analysis. Accelerated gastrointestinal transit was found in 11 patients who showed abnormally rapid arrival of the meal marker to the cecum. Univariate and Bayesian analysis showed that diabetes mellitus and autonomic neuropathy had significant influences on rapid transit, which was not associated with either malabsorption or malnutrition. In conclusion, rapid gastrointestinal transit in patients with alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis is related to diabetes mellitus and autonomic neuropathy.