A Porpoise, Australophocaena dioptrica, Previously Identified As Phocoena spinipinnis, From Heard Island

Guiler, Burton and Gales (1987) reported a cranium (Tasmanian Museum No. A141 1) they identified as belonging to Burmeister’s porpoise, Phocoena spinipinnis Burmeister, 1865 from Heard Island (53°S 73°30’E). They noted that P. spinipinnis was previously known only from the cold-temperate coastal waters of South America and claimed that this cranium was evidence that the species has a much wider distribution than previously known. We have examined the photographs and details of their specimen and re-identify it here as Australophocaena dioptrica (Lahille, 1912) (family Phocoenidae). Barnes (1985) listed several features that distinguish the skulls of species within the subfamily Phocoenoidinae (including A. dioptrica) from those species within the Phocoeninae (including Phocoena spp.). Features that distinguish A. dioptrica from P. spinipinnis, dearly visible in the published photographs of the cranium from Heard Island, include: a relatively small, oval-shaped temporal fossa; an elevated, high-vaulted braincase that slopes abruptly onto the narial region; relatively large, high and convex premaxillary bosses; dorso-ventrally expanded zygomatic process of the squamosal; short and antetoposteriorly expanded postorbital process of the fronds; and maxillae extendmg nearly to the dorsal margin of the supraoccipital on the top of the skull. In all these features, the Heard Island specimen conforms with those of A. dioptrica. Crania of A. dioptrica have been illustrated by Hamilton (1941), Norris and McFarland (1958), Brownell (1975), Fordyce et al. (1984), and Barnes (1985). Crania of P. spinipinnis have been illustrated by Norris and McFarland (1958) and Brownell and Praderi (1984).

Olfactory impairment in familial ataxias

The main clinical manifestations of the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) result from the involvement of the cerebellum and its connections. Cerebellar activity has been consistently observed in functional imaging studies of olfaction, but the anatomical pathways responsible for this connection have not yet been elucidated. Previous studies have demonstrated olfactory deficit in SCA2, Friedreich's ataxia and in small groups of ataxia of diverse aetiology. The authors used a validated version of the 16-item smell identification test from Sniffin' Sticks (SS-16) was used to evaluate 37 patients with genetically determined autosomal dominant ataxia, and 31 with familial ataxia of unknown genetic basis. This data was also compared with results in 106 Parkinson's disease patients and 218 healthy controls. The SS-16 score was significantly lower in ataxia than in the control group (p<0.001, 95% CI for beta=0.55 to 1.90) and significantly higher in ataxia than in Parkinson's disease (p<0.001, 95% CI for beta=-4.58 to -3.00) when adjusted for age (p=0.001, 95% CI for beta=-0.05 to -0.01), gender (p=0.19) and history of tobacco use (p=0.41). When adjusted for general cognitive function, no significant difference was found between the ataxia and control groups. This study confirms previous findings of mild hyposmia in ataxia, and further suggests this may be due to general cognitive deficits rather than specific olfactory problems.

Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation Parameters from Muon Neutrino Disappearance with an Off-Axis Beam

The T2K collaboration reports a precision measurement of muon neutrino disappearance with an off-axis neutrino beam with a peak energy of 0.6 GeV. Near detector measurements are used to constrain the neutrino flux and cross section parameters. The Super-Kamiokande far detector, which is 295 km downstream of the neutrino production target, collected data corresponding to 3.01×1020 protons on target. In the absence of neutrino oscillations, 205±17 (syst.) events are expected to be detected and only 58 muon neutrino event candidates are observed. A fit to the neutrino rate and energy spectrum assuming three neutrino flavors, normal mass hierarchy and θ23≤π/4 yields a best-fit mixing angle sin2(2θ23)=1.000 and mass splitting |Δm232|=2.44×10−3 eV2/c4. If θ23≥π/4 is assumed, the best-fit mixing angle changes to sin2(2θ23)=0.999 and the mass splitting remains unchanged.

Observation of Electron Neutrino Appearance in a Muon Neutrino Beam

The T2K experiment has observed electron neutrino appearance in a muon neutrino beam produced 295 km from the Super-Kamiokande detector with a peak energy of 0.6 GeV. A total of 28 electron neutrino events were detected with an energy distribution consistent with an appearance signal, corresponding to a significance of 7.3σ when compared to 4.92 ± 0.55 expected background events. In the PMNS mixing model, the electron neutrino appearance signal depends on several parameters including three mixing angles θ12, θ23, θ13, a mass difference Δm232 and a CP violating phase δCP. In this neutrino oscillation scenario, assuming |Δm232|=2.4×10−3 eV2, sin2θ23=0.5, δCP=0, and Δm232>0 (Δm232<0), a best-fit value of sin22θ13 = 0.140+0.038−0.032 (0.170+0.045−0.037) is obtained.

Airliner cabin air quality exposure assessment

The airliner cabin environment and its effects on occupant health have not been fully characterized. This dissertation is: (1) A review of airliner environmental control systems (ECSs) that modulate the ventilation, temperature, relative humidity (RH), and barometric pressure (PB) of the cabin environment---variables related to occupant comfort and health. (2) A review and assessment of the methods and findings of key cabin air quality (CAQ) investigations. Several significant deficiencies impede the drawing of inferences about CAQ, e.g., lack of detail about investigative methods, differences in methods between investigations, limited assessment of CAQ variables, small sample sizes, and technological deficiencies of data collection. (3) A comprehensive evaluation of the methods used in the subsequent NIOSH-FAA Airliner CAQ Exposure Assessment Feasibility Study (STUDY) in which this author participated. A number of problems were identified which limit the usefulness of the data. (4) An analysis of the reliable 10-flight STUDY data. Univariate and multivariate methods applied to CO2 (a surrogate for air contaminants), temperature, RH, and PB, in association with percent passenger load, ventilation system, flight duration, airliner body type, and measurement location within the cabin, revealed neither the measured values nor their variability exceeded established health-based exposure limits. Regression analyses suggest CO2, temperature, and RH were affected by percent passenger load. In-flight measurements of CO2 and RH were relatively independent of ventilation system type or flight duration. Cabin temperature was associated with percent passenger load, ventilation system type, and flight duration. (5) A synthesis of the implications of the airliner ECS and cabin O2 environment on occupant health. A model was developed to predict consequences of the airliner cabin pressure altitude 8,000 ft limit and resulting model-estimated PO2 on cardiopulmonary status. Based on the PB, altitude, and environmental data derived from the 10 STUDY flights, the predicted PaO2 of adults with COPD, or elderly adults with or without COPD, breathing ambient cabin air could be < 55 mm Hg (SaO2 < 88%). Reduction in cabin PB found in the STUDY flights could aggravate various medical conditions and require the use of in-flight supplemental O2. ^

Solar radiation over and under sea ice at ROV station PS86/081-1 during POLARSTERN cruise PS86 (AURORA) in July 2014

The observed changes in physical properties of sea ice such as decreased thickness and increased melt pond cover severely impact the energy budget of Arctic sea ice. Increased light transmission leads to increased deposition of solar energy in the upper ocean and thus plays a crucial role for amount and timing of sea-ice-melt and under-ice primary production. Recent developments in underwater technology provide new opportunities to study light transmission below the largely inaccessible underside of sea ice. We measured spectral under-ice radiance and irradiance using the new Nereid Under-Ice (NUI) underwater robotic vehicle, during a cruise of the R/V Polarstern to 83°N 6°W in the Arctic Ocean in July 2014. NUI is a next generation hybrid remotely operated vehicle (H-ROV) designed for both remotely piloted and autonomous surveys underneath land-fast and moving sea ice. Here we present results from one of the first comprehensive scientific dives of NUI employing its interdisciplinary sensor suite. We combine under-ice optical measurements with three dimensional under-ice topography (multibeam sonar) and aerial images of the surface conditions. We investigate the influence of spatially varying ice-thickness and surface properties on the spatial variability of light transmittance during summer. Our results show that surface properties such as melt ponds dominate the spatial distribution of the under-ice light field on small scales (<1000 m**2), while sea ice-thickness is the most important predictor for light transmission on larger scales. In addition, we propose the use of an algorithm to obtain histograms of light transmission from distributions of sea ice thickness and surface albedo.

ASSISTÊNCIA DE SAÚDE ÀS MULHERES MUÇULMANAS NO BRASIL: UMA ANÁLISE DA RELAÇÃO ENTRE O SISTEMA RELIGIOSO ISLÂMICO E A POLÍTICA NACIONAL DE ATENÇÃO INTEGRAL À SAÚDE DA MULHER.

A presente dissertação tem por objetivo analisar os aspectos religiosos islâmicos e as implicações das relações de gênero no islam sobre a assistência de saúde às mulheres muçulmanas, e através disto, discutir a importância do conhecimento prévio do islamismo pelos profissionais de saúde para propor uma assistência de saúde congruente a estas mulheres, tendo por referência a Política Nacional de Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher. Esta pesquisa tem abordagem qualitativa, com o desenvolvimento de pesquisa de campo e aplicação de um roteiro de perguntas semi-estruturado, com questões relacionadas ao islamismo e à saúde das mulheres. Ao todo, foram entrevistadas dez pessoas, sendo estas: quatro mulheres revertidas ao islam, três mulheres de família muçulmana, dois sheiks e uma assistente social. As entrevistas foram realizadas no Centro de Divulgação do Islam para a América Latina e o Caribe (CDIAL) e na Assembléia Mundial da Juventude Islâmica na América Latina (WAMY).

A cytomegalovirus-encoded mitochondria-localized inhibitor of apoptosis structurally unrelated to Bcl-2

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpesvirus that causes congenital disease and opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals, encodes functions that facilitate efficient viral propagation by altering host cell behavior. Here we show that CMV blocks apoptosis mediated by death receptors and encodes a mitochondria-localized inhibitor of apoptosis, denoted vMIA, capable of suppressing apoptosis induced by diverse stimuli. vMIA, a product of the viral UL37 gene, inhibits Fas-mediated apoptosis at a point downstream of caspase-8 activation and Bid cleavage but upstream of cytochrome c release, while residing in mitochondria and associating with adenine nucleotide translocator. These functional properties resemble those ascribed to Bcl-2; however, the absence of sequence similarity to Bcl-2 or any other known cell death suppressors suggests that vMIA defines a previously undescribed class of anti-apoptotic proteins.

Fine specificity of the antibody response to myelin basic protein in the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis: the minimal B-cell epitope and a model of its features.

T cells, B cells, and antibody are found in the white matter of the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis. The epitope center for the antibody response to human myelin basic protein (MBP) fits precisely the minimal epitope Pro85-Val-Val-His-Phe-Phe-Lys-Asn-Ile-Val-Thr-Pro96 for that reported for HLA DR2b (DRB1*1501)-restricted T cells that recognize MBP [Wucherpfenning, K.W., Sette, A., Southwood, S., Oseroff, C., Matsui, M., Strominger, J. & Hafler, D. (1994) J. Exp. Med. 179, 279-290], and overlaps with the reported DR2a-restricted epitope for T cells reactive to MBP [Martin, R., Howell, M. D., Jaraquemada, D., Furlage, M., Richert, J., Brostoff, S., Long, E. O., McFarlin, D. E. & McFarland, H. F. (1991) J. Exp. Med. 173, 19-24]. We describe a molecular model of this epitope.