Measurement of paraben concentrations in human breast tissue at serial locations across the breast from axilla to sternum

The concentrations of five esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (parabens) were measured using HPLC-MS/MS at four serial locations across the human breast from axilla to sternum using human breast tissue collected from 40 mastectomies for primary breast cancer in England between 2005 and 2008. One or more paraben esters were quantifiable in 158/160 (99%) of the tissue samples and in 96/160 (60%) all five esters were measured. Variation was notable with respect to individual paraben esters, location within one breast and similar locations in different breasts. Overall median values in nanograms per gram tissue for the 160 tissue samples were highest for n-propylparaben [16.8 (range 0–2052.7)] and methylparaben [16.6 (range 0–5102.9)]; levels were lower for n-butylparaben [5.8 (range 0–95.4)], ethylparaben [3.4 (range 0–499.7)] and isobutylparaben 2.1 (range 0–802.9). The overall median value for total paraben was 85.5 ng g−1 tissue (range 0–5134.5). The source of the paraben cannot be identified, but paraben was measured in the 7/40 patients who reported never having used underarm cosmetics in their lifetime. No correlations were found between paraben concentrations and age of patient (37–91 years), length of breast feeding (0–23 months), tumour location or tumour oestrogen receptor content. In view of the disproportionate incidence of breast cancer in the upper outer quadrant, paraben concentrations were compared across the four regions of the breast: n-propylparaben was found at significantly higher levels in the axilla than mid (P = 0.004 Wilcoxon matched pairs) or medial (P = 0.021 Wilcoxon matched pairs) regions (P = 0.010 Friedman ANOVA).

Comparison of polar ozone loss rates simulated by one-dimensional and three-dimensional models with Match observations in recent Antarctic and Arctic winters

Simulations of ozone loss rates using a three-dimensional chemical transport model and a box model during recent Antarctic and Arctic winters are compared with experimental loss rates. The study focused on the Antarctic winter 2003, during which the first Antarctic Match campaign was organized, and on Arctic winters 1999/2000, 2002/2003. The maximum ozone loss rates retrieved by the Match technique for the winters and levels studied reached 6 ppbv/sunlit hour and both types of simulations could generally reproduce the observations at 2-sigma error bar level. In some cases, for example, for the Arctic winter 2002/2003 at 475 K level, an excellent agreement within 1-sigma standard deviation level was obtained. An overestimation was also found with the box model simulation at some isentropic levels for the Antarctic winter and the Arctic winter 1999/2000, indicating an overestimation of chlorine activation in the model. Loss rates in the Antarctic show signs of saturation in September, which have to be considered in the comparison. Sensitivity tests were performed with the box model in order to assess the impact of kinetic parameters of the ClO-Cl2O2 catalytic cycle and total bromine content on the ozone loss rate. These tests resulted in a maximum change in ozone loss rates of 1.2 ppbv/sunlit hour, generally in high solar zenith angle conditions. In some cases, a better agreement was achieved with fastest photolysis of Cl2O2 and additional source of total inorganic bromine but at the expense of overestimation of smaller ozone loss rates derived later in the winter.

Evaluating adjusted forcing and model spread for historical and future scenarios in the CMIP5 generation of climate models

We utilize energy budget diagnostics from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) to evaluate the models' climate forcing since preindustrial times employing an established regression technique. The climate forcing evaluated this way, termed the adjusted forcing (AF), includes a rapid adjustment term associated with cloud changes and other tropospheric and land-surface changes. We estimate a 2010 total anthropogenic and natural AF from CMIP5 models of 1.9 ± 0.9 W m−2 (5–95% range). The projected AF of the Representative Concentration Pathway simulations are lower than their expected radiative forcing (RF) in 2095 but agree well with efficacy weighted forcings from integrated assessment models. The smaller AF, compared to RF, is likely due to cloud adjustment. Multimodel time series of temperature change and AF from 1850 to 2100 have large intermodel spreads throughout the period. The intermodel spread of temperature change is principally driven by forcing differences in the present day and climate feedback differences in 2095, although forcing differences are still important for model spread at 2095. We find no significant relationship between the equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) of a model and its 2003 AF, in contrast to that found in older models where higher ECS models generally had less forcing. Given the large present-day model spread, there is no indication of any tendency by modelling groups to adjust their aerosol forcing in order to produce observed trends. Instead, some CMIP5 models have a relatively large positive forcing and overestimate the observed temperature change.

Glacial-interglacial temperature change in the tropical West Pacific: a comparison of stalagmite-based paleo-thermometers

In the tropics, geochemical records from stalagmites have so far mainly been used to qualitatively reconstruct changes in precipitation, but several new methods to reconstruct past temperatures from stalagmite material have emerged recently: i) liquid–vapor homogenization of fluid inclusion water ii) noble gas concentrations in fluid inclusion water, iii) the partitioning of oxygen isotopes between fluid inclusion water and calcite, and iv) the abundance of the 13C18O16O (‘clumped’) isotopologue in calcite. We present, for the first time, a direct comparison of these four paleo-thermometers by applying them to a fossil stalagmite covering nearly two glacial–interglacial cycles (Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 12–9) and to two modern stalagmites, all from northern Borneo. The temperature estimates from the different methods agree in most cases within errors for both the old and recent samples; reconstructed formation temperatures of the recent samples match within 2-sigma errors with measured cave temperatures. However, slight but systematic deviations are observed between noble gas and liquid–vapor homogenization temperatures. Whereas the temperature sensitivity of fluid inclusion δ18O and clumped isotopes is currently debated, we find that the calibration of Tremaine et al. (2011) for fluid inclusion δ18O and a synthetic calcite-based clumped isotope calibration (Ziegler et al., in prep.) yield temperature estimates consistent with the other methods. All methods (with the potential exception of clumped isotopes) show excellent agreement on the amplitude of glacial–interglacial temperature change, indicating temperature shifts of 4–5 °C. This amplitude is similar to the amplitude of Mg/Ca-based regional sea surface temperature records, when correcting for sea level driven changes in cave elevation. Our reconstruction of tropical temperature evolution over the time period from 440 to 320 thousand years ago (ka) adds support to the view that climate sensitivity to varying greenhouse forcing is substantial also in the deep tropics.

An accelerating cosmology without dark energy

The negative pressure accompanying gravitationally-induced particle creation can lead to a cold dark matter (CDM) dominated, accelerating Universe (Lima et al. 1996 [1]) without requiring the presence of dark energy or a cosmological constant. In a recent study, Lima et al. 2008 [2] (LSS) demonstrated that particle creation driven cosmological models are capable of accounting for the SNIa observations [3] of the recent transition from a decelerating to an accelerating Universe, without the need for Dark Energy. Here we consider a class of such models where the particle creation rate is assumed to be of the form Gamma = beta H + gamma H(0), where H is the Hubble parameter and H(0) is its present value. The evolution of such models is tested at low redshift by the latest SNe Ia data provided by the Union compilation [4] and at high redshift using the value of z(eq), the redshift of the epoch of matter - radiation equality, inferred from the WMAP constraints on the early Integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect [5]. Since the contributions of baryons and radiation were ignored in the work of LSS, we include them in our study of this class of models. The parameters of these more realistic models with continuous creation of CDM are constrained at widely-separated epochs (z(eq) approximate to 3000 and z approximate to 0) in the evolution of the Universe. The comparison of the parameter values, {beta, gamma}, determined at these different epochs reveals a tension between the values favored by the high redshift CMB constraint on z(eq) from the ISW and those which follow from the low redshift SNIa data, posing a potential challenge to this class of models. While for beta = 0 this conflict is only at less than or similar to 2 sigma, it worsens as beta increases from zero.

Photoproduction of J/psi and of high mass e(+)e(-) in ultra-peripheral Au plus Au collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

We present the first measurement of photoproduction of J/psi and of two-photon production of high-mass e(+)e(-) pairs in electromagnetic (or ultra-peripheral) nucleus-nucleus interactions, using Au + Au data at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. The events are tagged with forward neutrons emitted following Coulomb excitation of one or both Au* nuclei. The event sample consists of 28 events with m(e+e-) > 2 GeV/c(2) with zero like-sign background. The measured cross sections at midrapidity of d sigma/dy (J/psi + Xn, y = 0) = 76 +/- 33 (stat) +/- 11 (syst) pb and d(2)sigma /dm dy (e(+) e(-) + Xn, y = 0) = 86 +/- 23(stat) +/- 16(syst) mu b/ (GeV/c(2)) for m(e+e-) epsilon vertical bar 2.0, 2.8 vertical bar GeV/c(2) have been compared and found to be consistent with models for photoproduction of J/psi and QED based calculations of two-photon production of e(+)e(-) pairs. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scrutinizing the ZW(+)W(-) vertex at the Large Hadron Collider at 7 TeV

We analyze the potential of the CERN Large Hadron Collider running at 7 TeV to search for deviations from the Standard Model predictions for the triple gauge boson coupling ZW(+)W(-) assuming an integrated luminosity of 1 fb(-1). We show that the study of W(+)W(-) and W(+/-)Z productions, followed by the leptonic decay of the weak gauge bosons can improve the present sensitivity on the anomalous couplings Delta g(1)(Z), Delta kappa(Z), lambda(Z), g(4)(Z), and (lambda) over bar (Z) at the 2 sigma level. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

P-T-Fluid evolution and graphite deposition during retrograde metamorphism in Ribeira Fold Belt, SE Brazil: Oxygen fugacity, fluid inclusions and C-O-H isotopic evidence

Combined fluid inclusion (FI) microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, C-O-H isotopes and oxygen fugacities of granulites from central Ribeira Fold Belt, SE Brazil, provided the following results: i) Magnetite-Hematite fO(2) estimates range from 10(-11.5) bar (QFM + 1) to 10(-18.3) bar (QFM - 1) for the temperature range of 896 degrees C-656 degrees C, implying fO(2) decrease from metamorphic peak temperatures to retrograde conditions; ii) 5 main types of fluid inclusions were observed: a) CO(2) and CO(2)-N(2) (0-11 mol%) high to medium density (1.01-0.59 g/cm(3)) FI; b) CO(2) and CO(2)-N(2) (0-36 mol%) low density (0.19-0.29 g/cm(3)) FI; c) CO(2) (94-95 mol%)-N(2) (3 mol%)-CH(4) (2-3 mol%)-H(2)O (water phi(v) (25 degrees C) = 0.1) FI; d) low-salinity H(2)O-CO(2) FI; and e) late low-salinity H(2)O FI; iii) Raman analyses evidence two graphite types in khondalites: an early highly ordered graphite (T similar to 450 degrees C) overgrown by a disordered kind (T similar to 330 degrees C); iv) delta(18)O quartz results of 10.3-10.7 parts per thousand, imply high-temperature CO(2) delta(18)O values of 14.4-14.8 parts per thousand, suggesting the involvement of a metamorphic fluid, whereas lower temperature biotite delta(18)O and delta D results of 7.5-8.5 parts per thousand and -54 to -67 parts per thousand respectively imply H(2)O delta(18)O values of 10-11 parts per thousand and delta D(H2O) of -23 to -36 parts per thousand suggesting delta(18)O depletion and increasing fluid/rock ratio from metamorphic peak to retrograde conditions. Isotopic results are compatible with low-temperature H(2)O influx and fO(2) decrease that promoted graphite deposition in retrograde granulites, simultaneous with low density CO(2), CO(2)-N(2) and CO(2)-N(2)-CH(4)-H(2)O fluid inclusions at T = 450-330 degrees C. Graphite delta(13)C results of -10.9 to -11.4 parts per thousand imply CO(2) delta(13)C values of -0.8 to -1.3 parts per thousand suggesting decarbonation of Cambrian marine carbonates with small admixture of lighter biogenic or mantle derived fluids. Based on these results, it is suggested that metamorphic fluids from the central segment of Ribeira Fold Belt evolved to CO(2)-N(2) fluids during granulitic metamorphism at high fO(2), followed by rapid pressure drop at T similar to 400-450 degrees C during late exhumation that caused fO(2) reduction induced by temperature decrease and water influx, turning carbonic fluids into CO(2)-H(2)O (depleting biotite delta(18)O and delta D values), and progressively into H(2)O. When fO(2) decreased substantially by mixture of carbonic and aqueous fluids, graphite deposited forming khondalites. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

U-Pb zircon and (40)Ar-(39)Ar K-feldspar dating of syn-sedimentary volcanism of the Neoproterozoic Marica Formation: constraining the age of foreland basin inception and inversion in the Camaqua Basin of southern Brazil

New U-Pb zircon and (40)Ar-(39)Ar K-feldspar data are presented for syn-sedimentary volcanogenic rocks from the Neoproterozoic Marica Formation, located in the southern Brazilian shield. Seven (of nine) U-Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe analyses of zircons from pyroclastic cobbles yield an age of 630.2 +/- 3.4 Ma (2 sigma), interpreted as the age of syn-sedimentary volcanism, and thus of the deposition itself. This result indicates that the Marica Formation was deposited during the main collisional phase (640-620 Ma) of the Brasiliano II orogenic system, probably as a forebulge or back-bulge, craton-derived foreland succession. Thus, this unit is possibly correlative of younger portions of the Porongos, Brusque, Passo Feio, Abapa (Itaiacoca) and Lavalleja (Fuente del Puma) metamorphic complexes. Well-defined, step-heating (40)Ar-(39)Ar K-feldspar plateau ages obtained from volcanogenic beds and pyroclastic cobbles of the lower and upper successions of the Marica Formation yielded 507.3 +/- 1.8 Ma and 506.7 +/- 1.4 Ma (2 sigma), respectively. These data are interpreted to reflect total isotopic resetting during deep burial and thermal effects related to magmatic events. Late Middle Cambrian cooling below ca. 200 degrees C, probably related to uplift, is tentatively associated with intraplate effects of the Rio Doce and/or Pampean orogenies (Brasiliano III system). In the southern Brazilian shield, these intraplate stresses are possibly related to the dominantly extensional opening of a rift or a pull-apart basin, where sedimentary rocks of the Camaqua Group (Santa Barbara and Guaritas Formations) accumulated.

The low-lying electronic states of BeP: a reliable and accurate quantum mechanical prediction

A very high level of theoretical treatment (complete active space self-consistent field CASSCF/MRCI/aug-cc-pV5Z) was used to characterize the spectroscopic properties of a manifold of quartet and doublet states of the species BeP, as yet experimentally unknown. Potential energy curves for 11 electronic states were obtained, as well as the associated vibrational energy levels, and a whole set of spectroscopic constants. Dipole moment functions and vibrationally averaged dipole moments were also evaluated. Similarities and differences between BeN and BeP were analysed along with the isovalent SiB species. The molecule BeP has a X (4)Sigma(-) ground state, with an equilibrium bond distance of 2.073 angstrom, and a harmonic frequency of 516.2 cm(-1); it is followed closely by the states (2)Pi (R(e) = 2.081 angstrom, omega(e) = 639.6 cm(-1)) and (2)Sigma(-) (R(e) = 2.074 angstrom, omega(e) = 536.5 cm(-1)), at 502 and 1976 cm(-1), respectively. The other quartets investigated, A (4)Pi (R(e) = 1.991 angstrom, omega(e) = 555.3 cm(-1)) and B (4)Sigma(-) (R(e) = 2.758 angstrom, omega(e) = 292.2 cm(-1)) lie at 13 291 and 24 394 cm(-1), respectively. The remaining doublets ((2)Delta, (2)Sigma(+)(2) and (2)Pi(3)) all fall below 28 000 cm(-1). Avoided crossings between the (2)Sigma(+) states and between the (2)Pi states add an extra complexity to this manifold of states.

Aspectos da biologia reprodutiva de Eretmochelys imbricata (testudines, cheloniidae) no litoral sul do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

Female hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting along the southeastcoastline of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil (6º13'40"S, 35º03'05"W) were captured and weighed during the four months from January to April 2007, in the course of the annual egglaying season, which extended from 06 rd November 2006 to 30 rd May 2007. In all, 99 weight measurements were performed. On first contact the females exhibited an average post-oviposition weight of 79.1 kg (range 56.2-98.9 kg, SD = 10.9 kg, n = 44 females). Those individuals which were subsequently recaptured showed a mean weight loss of 1.7 kg (range 0.7-4.5 kg, SD = 1.0 kg, n = 39 sets of measurements on 20 females) in the interval between two consecutive post-ovipositions, separated by a maximum time interval of 17 days. In the cases where the female aborted the nesting process, the pre-oviposition weight was measured. The clutch weight, that is to say, the weight loss between consecutive pre-oviposition and post-oviposition measurements (separated by a maximum time interval of 3 days), was found to be 5.2 kg (range 4.3-6.0 kg, SD = 0.9 kg, n = 6 sets of measurements). This value is significantly higher (t-test, p<0.001) than the loss between two consecutive post-oviposition measurements with the same female. The mean recovery in body weight, that is to say, the average gain in weight between successive post-oviposition and pre-oviposition captures of the same individual (separated by a time interval of 12 to 17 days), was found to be 3.0 kg (range 1.9-4.3 kg, SD = 1.0 kg, n = 4 sets of measurements) Although the small sample size makes it unwise to generalise, the recovery in body weight was found to be always significantly lower (t-test, p<0.005) than the clutch weight. This fact is in agreement with the observed weight loss tendency throughout the breeding season for this species. Considering the clutch weight and the internidal recovery in body weight we found that the total weight loss of the adult hawksbill females after three to five nesting events varied from 10.4% (range 8.7-11.9%, SD = 1.6%, n = 3) to 14.1% (range 11.8-15.4%, SD = 1.3%, n = 6) in relation to their initial pre-oviposition weight. If there were no body weight recovery during the internesting interval we estimate that a female that nests three to five times in the course of the season would lose from 19% to 31% of its initial weight. We emphasise that our clutch weight estimate was performed by weighing the females and not by multiplying the number of eggs in the nest by their average unit weight. In this way, our measurements take into account the loss of liquid during the oviposition. Despite the unequivocal evidence of body weight recovery during the internidal interval, it is not clear if the cause of this process is rehydration or feeding

Critical behavior at edge singularities in one-dimensional spin models

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Características anatomoclínicas dos linfomas caninos na região de Botucatu, São Paulo

Estudaram-se as características anatomoclínicas dos linfomas em cães da região de Botucatu, São Paulo. O material utilizado foi colhido de 34 cães portadores de linfoma maligno, dos quais nove eram da raça Pastor-Alemão, nove sem raça definida, cinco da raça Boxer, três animais da raça Dobermann e oito outros cada um de uma raça, 68% deles machos. A idade variou de 1 a 13 anos, com média de 6,2 anos. O estabelecimento do estádio dos linfomas foi baseado nos critérios estabelecidos pela Organização Mundial de Saúde. No momento do diagnóstico, 32 animais apresentavam-se nos estádios clínicos III, IV ou V. Apenas dois foram enquadrados no estádio II. A forma anatômica mais freqüente foi a multicêntrica, diagnosticada em 31 animais. A forma tímica, diagnosticada em dois animais, e a digestiva, em um animal, foram as outras formas anatômicas encontradas.

Pulmonary infection in two sympatric lizards, Mabuya arajara (Scincidae) and Anolis brasiliensis (Polychrotidae) from a cloud forest in Chapada do Araripe, Ceará, Northeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Convolutions and zeros of orthogonal polynomials

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)