Studies of the nature of Burkholderia cepacia in cystic fibrosis

Burkholderia cepacia is an opportunistic pathogen that colonises of the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, with a frequently fatal outcome. Antibiotic resistance is common and highly transmissible epidemic strains have been described in the UK. 37 B. cepacia isolates from clinical and botanical sources were characterised via metabolic capabilities, antibiotic sensitivity, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles restriction digest analysis of chromosomal DNA by pulsed-gel electrophoresis (PFGE) (with the use of two separate restriction enzymes) and outer membrane protein (OMP) profiles. This revealed isolates of the UK CF epidemic strain to form a distinct group with a specific OMP profile. Cluster analysis of PFGE and FAME profiles revealed the species Burkholderia gladioli and Burkholderia vietnamiensis to be more closely related to each other and to laboratory strains of B. cepacia than to the CF epidemic strain considered a member of the latter species. The epidemic strain of B. cepacia may therefore be worthy of species definition in its own right. All the strains studied showed a high level of resistance to antibiotics, including the carbapenems. Considering this, carbapenemase production by isolates of B. cepacia was investigated. A metallo-β-lactamase from a clinical strain of B. cepacia was isolated and partially purified of using Cibacron blue F3GA-coupled agarose. The resulting preparation showed a single band of β-lactamase activity (pI 8.45) after analytical isoelectric focusing. The enzyme was particularly effective in the hydrolysis of imipenem. Meropenem, biapenem, cephaloridine, ceftazidime, benzylpenicillin, ampicillin and carbenicillin were hydrolysed at a lower rate. An unusual inhibition profile was noted. Inhibition by the metal ion chelators ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid and o-phenanthroline was reversed by addition of zinc, indicating a metallo-enzyme, whilst >90% inhibition was attainable with 0.1mM concentrations of tazobactam and clavulanic acid. A study of 8 other clinical isolates showed an enzyme of pI 8.45 to be present and inducible by imipenem in each case. This enzyme was assigned PCM-I (Pseudomonas cepacia metalloenzyme I).

Pairwise comparison matrices and the error-free property of the decision maker

Pairwise comparison is a popular assessment method either for deriving criteria-weights or for evaluating alternatives according to a given criterion. In real-world applications consistency of the comparisons rarely happens: intransitivity can occur. The aim of the paper is to discuss the relationship between the consistency of the decision maker—described with the error-free property—and the consistency of the pairwise comparison matrix (PCM). The concept of error-free matrix is used to demonstrate that consistency of the PCM is not a sufficient condition of the error-free property of the decision maker. Informed and uninformed decision makers are defined. In the first stage of an assessment method a consistent or near-consistent matrix should be achieved: detecting, measuring and improving consistency are part of any procedure with both types of decision makers. In the second stage additional information are needed to reveal the decision maker’s real preferences. Interactive questioning procedures are recommended to reach that goal.

Morphometry and biomass of the cultured mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae at the Urindeua river, eastern Amazonia, northern Brazil

The malacocultura, particularly oyster farming, appears on the world stage as one of the most viable alternatives to fishing decline and supply of fresh product. In Brazil, the development of mollusc cultivationis through the genus oyster cultivation Crassostrea, among them Crassostrea rhizophorae (Guilding, 1828), known for oyster-the-swamp, one of the main species of farmed bivalves in the state of Pará. This so it aimed to characterize the biomorphometrics relations, estimate the Shape Stabilization Index (IEF) of the shell and the yield of edible meat C. rhizophorae grown in an Amazonian coast, state of Pará, northern Brazil. When all is sampled 1,028 individuals, in April 2016, measuring the external morphometric measures (length, width and height) and total and visceral biomass. The results obtained are C. rhizophorae with (1) excellent biomorphometrics relationships among both external measures, the measures of the shell and biomass generating equations that satisfy morphometric pet species, (2) yield of edible meat 15% of the total biomass and variation in the shell along its development to adulthood, with a tendency to stabilize the reach 60mm in length.

Generalized atoms in molecules approach (GAIM approach)

This thesis involves two parts. The first is a new-proposed theoretical approach called generalized atoms in molecules (GAIM). The second is a computational study on the deamination reaction of adenine with OH⁻/nH₂O (n=0, 1, 2, 3) and 3H₂O. The GAIM approach aims to solve the energy of each atom variationally in the first step and then to build the energy of a molecule from each atom. Thus the energy of a diatomic molecule (A-B) is formulated as a sum of its atomic energies, EA and EB. Each of these atomic energies is expressed as, EA = Hᴬ + Vₑₑᴬᴬ + 1/2Vₑₑᴬ<>ᴮ EB = Hᴮ + Vₑₑᴮᴮ + 1/2Vₑₑᴬ<>ᴮ where; Hᴬ and Hᴮ are the kinetic and nuclear attraction energy of electrons of atoms A and B, respectively; Vₑₑᴬᴬ and Vₑₑᴮᴮ are the interaction energy between the electrons on atoms A and B, respectively; and Vₑₑᴬ<>ᴮ is the interaction energy between the electrons of atom A with the electrons of atom B. The energy of the molecule is then minimized subject to the following constraint, |ρA(r)dr + |ρB(r)dr = N where ρA(r) and ρB(r) are the electron densities of atoms A and B, respectively, and N is the number of electrons. The initial testing of the performance of GAIM was done through calculating dissociation curves for H₂, LiH, Li₂, BH, HF, HCl, N₂, F₂, and Cl₂. The numerical results show that GAIM performs very well with H₂, LiH, Li₂, BH, HF, and HCl. GAIM shows convergence problems with N₂, F₂, and Cl₂ due to difficulties in reordering the degenerate atomic orbitals Pₓ, Py, and Pz in N, F, and Cl atoms. Further work for the development of GAIM is required. Deamination of adenine results in one of several forms of premutagenic lesions occurring in DNA. In this thesis, mechanisms for the deamination reaction of adenine with OH⁻/nH₂O, (n = 0, 1, 2, 3) and 3H₂O were investigated. HF/6-31G(d), B3LYP/6-31G(d), MP2/6-31G(d), and B3LYP/6-31+G(d) levels of theory were employed to optimize all the geometries. Energies were calculated at the G3MP2B3 and CBS-QB3 levels of theory. The effect of solvent (water) was computed using the polarizable continuum model (PCM). Intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations were performed for all transition states. Five pathways were investigated for the deamination reaction of adenine with OH⁻/nH₂O and 3H₂O. The first four pathways (A-D) begin with by deprotonation at the amino group of adenine by OH⁻, while pathway E is initiated by tautomerization of adenine. For all pathways, the next two steps involve the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate followed by dissociation to yield products via a 1,3-hydrogen shift. Deamination with a single OH⁻ has a high activation barrier (190 kJ mol⁻¹ using G3MP2B3 level) for the rate-determining step. Addition of one water molecule reduces this barrier by 68 kJ mol⁻¹ calculated at G3MP2B3 level. Adding more water molecules decreases the overall activation energy of the reaction, but the effect becomes smaller with each additional water molecule. The most plausible mechanism is pathway E, the deamination reaction of adenine with 3H₂O, which has an overall G3MP2B3 activation energy of 139 and 137 kJ mol⁻¹ in the gas phase and PCM, respectively. This barrier is lower than that for the deamination with OH⁻/3H₂O by 6 and 2 kJ mol⁻¹ in the gas phase and PCM, respectively.

Age determination of sediments off western Svalbard

Late Quaternary sediment yields from the Isfjorden drainage area (7327 km**2), a high arctic region on Svalbard characterized by an alpine landscape, have been reconstructed by using seismic stratigraphy supported by sediment core analysis. The sediments that accumulated in the fjord during and since deglaciation can be divided into three stratigraphic units. The volumes of these units were determined and converted into sediment yield rates averaged over the drainage basin. During deglaciation, 13 to 10 ka, the sediment yield was ~860 tons(t)/km**2/yr. In the early Holocene it decreased to 190 t/km**2/yr, and then increased to 390t/km**2/yr during the late Holocene Little Ice Age. When normalized to the approximate glacierized area, these rates correspond to a sediment yield of ~800 t/km**2/yr . Sediment yield from non-glacierized parts of the drainage is estimated to be 35 t/km**2/yr. At times when ice advanced to the shelf edge, sediment was scoured from the fjord and deposited on the outer shelf and in a well-defined deep sea fan. Between 200 ka and 13 ka, 328 km**3 of sediment accumulated here, corresponding to a mean sediment yield rate of 335 t/km**2/yr. This is broadly consistent with calculations based on the above rates of sediment yield in glacierized and non-glacierized areas, and on estimates, based on glacial geology, of the temporal variation in degree of glacierization over the past 200 kyr. These figures indicate that much of the glacigenic sediment on the shelf and slope was eroded from the uplands of Svalbard by small glaciers during interstadials and interglacials. The sediments were temporarily stored in the fjord prior to redeposition on the shelf and slope during ice sheet advance. Taken into consideration, such redisposition of pre-eroded material will reduce estimates of primary ice sheet erosion rate.

Lianas and soil nutrients predict fine-scale distribution of above-ground biomass in a tropical moist forest

Acknowledgements. This study was supported by the FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IEF Marie-Curie Action – SPATFOREST. Tree data from BCI were provided by the Center for Tropical Forest Science of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and the primary granting agencies that have supported the BCI plot tree census. Data for the liana censuses were supported by the US National Science Foundation grants: DEB-0613666, DEB-0845071, and DEB-1019436 (to SAS). Soil data was funded by the National Science Foundation grants DEB021104, DEB021115, DEB0212284 and DEB0212818 supporting soils mapping in the BCI plot. We thank Helene Muller-Landau for providing some data on tree height for some BCI trees. We also thank all the people that contributed to obtain the data.

Rate of exposure of a sentinel species, invasive American mink (Neovison vison) in Scotland, to anticoagulant rodenticides

Open Access funded by Natural Environment Research Council Acknowledgements Field sample collection was funded by NERC grants NE/E006434/1 and NE/J01396X/1 to XL and a Marie Curie FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IEF 300288-grant to YM. We thank the Scottish Mink Initiative, staff, funders and multiple mink volunteers for the continued effort, samples and data. Also to Eduardo Salazar Villaverde for his assistance in the preparation of figures in early drafts of this manuscript, and Professor Colin Prescott (Reading University) for comments on the biochemistry of ARs. Finally, to Kenneth McNeill for providing data on farm sizes and distributions.

Maoístas y nueva izquierda en Argentina. Vanguardia Comunista y su reflexión sobre la construcción del partido

El presente trabajo es parte de una investigación sobre grupos intelectuales, revistas y organizaciones partidarias que se relacionaron con el maoísmo en la Argentina desde fines de los cincuenta a los ochenta. El objetivo es relevar la influencia maoísta en el movimiento estudiantil, obrero, campesino y otros sectores populares, y su relación con la izquierda tradicional, con el peronismo y con el resto del sistema político argentino. Tal campo de investigación, además de la amplitud, tiene el condicionamiento de su escaso estudio sistemático y la importante destrucción de archivos durante la última dictadura militar. En este sentido, hemos emprendido la organización parcial de materiales de archivos del Partido Comunista Maoísta (PCM), del Partido Comunista Marxista Leninista (PCML), Vanguardia Comunista (VC) y el Partido Comunista Revolucionario (PCR). Aquí abordo a Vanguardia Comunista, uno de los grupos resultantes de la disolución de Partido Socialista Argentino de Vanguardia (PSAV); luego de revisar en otra ponencia su construcción política a partir de su prensa, folletos, revistas teóricas (legales y clandestinas) y entrevistar a militantes. Se trata aquí de analizar ciertos aspectos programáticos, de crítica política nacional e internacional y formulaciones sobre cuestiones históricas argentinas, específicamente desde el balance de la historia del comunismo que elabora VC. A diferencia de las otras organizaciones, VC posee la trayectoria más extensa y numerosa como partido maoista. En este caso abordamos como se elabora, luego de su IICongreso Nacional, una historia del partido, donde se intenta el difícil entronque de uno de los mas importantes partidos de la nueva izquierda argentina, con una parte de la historia del Partido Comunista, uno de los exponentes de la "vieja" izquierda

Maoístas y nueva izquierda en Argentina. Vanguardia Comunista y su reflexión sobre la construcción del partido

El presente trabajo es parte de una investigación sobre grupos intelectuales, revistas y organizaciones partidarias que se relacionaron con el maoísmo en la Argentina desde fines de los cincuenta a los ochenta. El objetivo es relevar la influencia maoísta en el movimiento estudiantil, obrero, campesino y otros sectores populares, y su relación con la izquierda tradicional, con el peronismo y con el resto del sistema político argentino. Tal campo de investigación, además de la amplitud, tiene el condicionamiento de su escaso estudio sistemático y la importante destrucción de archivos durante la última dictadura militar. En este sentido, hemos emprendido la organización parcial de materiales de archivos del Partido Comunista Maoísta (PCM), del Partido Comunista Marxista Leninista (PCML), Vanguardia Comunista (VC) y el Partido Comunista Revolucionario (PCR). Aquí abordo a Vanguardia Comunista, uno de los grupos resultantes de la disolución de Partido Socialista Argentino de Vanguardia (PSAV); luego de revisar en otra ponencia su construcción política a partir de su prensa, folletos, revistas teóricas (legales y clandestinas) y entrevistar a militantes. Se trata aquí de analizar ciertos aspectos programáticos, de crítica política nacional e internacional y formulaciones sobre cuestiones históricas argentinas, específicamente desde el balance de la historia del comunismo que elabora VC. A diferencia de las otras organizaciones, VC posee la trayectoria más extensa y numerosa como partido maoista. En este caso abordamos como se elabora, luego de su IICongreso Nacional, una historia del partido, donde se intenta el difícil entronque de uno de los mas importantes partidos de la nueva izquierda argentina, con una parte de la historia del Partido Comunista, uno de los exponentes de la "vieja" izquierda

Maoístas y nueva izquierda en Argentina. Vanguardia Comunista y su reflexión sobre la construcción del partido

El presente trabajo es parte de una investigación sobre grupos intelectuales, revistas y organizaciones partidarias que se relacionaron con el maoísmo en la Argentina desde fines de los cincuenta a los ochenta. El objetivo es relevar la influencia maoísta en el movimiento estudiantil, obrero, campesino y otros sectores populares, y su relación con la izquierda tradicional, con el peronismo y con el resto del sistema político argentino. Tal campo de investigación, además de la amplitud, tiene el condicionamiento de su escaso estudio sistemático y la importante destrucción de archivos durante la última dictadura militar. En este sentido, hemos emprendido la organización parcial de materiales de archivos del Partido Comunista Maoísta (PCM), del Partido Comunista Marxista Leninista (PCML), Vanguardia Comunista (VC) y el Partido Comunista Revolucionario (PCR). Aquí abordo a Vanguardia Comunista, uno de los grupos resultantes de la disolución de Partido Socialista Argentino de Vanguardia (PSAV); luego de revisar en otra ponencia su construcción política a partir de su prensa, folletos, revistas teóricas (legales y clandestinas) y entrevistar a militantes. Se trata aquí de analizar ciertos aspectos programáticos, de crítica política nacional e internacional y formulaciones sobre cuestiones históricas argentinas, específicamente desde el balance de la historia del comunismo que elabora VC. A diferencia de las otras organizaciones, VC posee la trayectoria más extensa y numerosa como partido maoista. En este caso abordamos como se elabora, luego de su IICongreso Nacional, una historia del partido, donde se intenta el difícil entronque de uno de los mas importantes partidos de la nueva izquierda argentina, con una parte de la historia del Partido Comunista, uno de los exponentes de la "vieja" izquierda

Shooting for the Moon or Flying Too Near the Sun? Crossing the Value Rubicon in Precision Cancer Care

In his last two State of the Union addresses, President Barack Obama has focused on the need to deliver innovative solutions to improve human health, through the Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015 and the recently announced Cancer Moonshot in 2016. Precision cancer care has delivered clear patient benefit, but even for high-impact medicines such as imatinib mesylate (Glivec) in chronic myeloid leukaemia, the excitement at the success of this practice-changing clinical intervention has been somewhat tempered by the escalating price of this 'poster child' for precision cancer medicine (PCM). Recent studies on the costs of cancer drugs have revealed significant price differentials, which are a major causative factor behind disparities in the access to new generations of immunological and molecularly targeted agents. In this perspective, we will discuss the benefits of PCM to modern cancer control, but also emphasise how increasing costs are rendering the current approaches to integrating the paradigm of PCM unsustainable. Despite the ever increasing pressure on cancer and health care budgets, innovation will and must continue. Value-based frameworks offer one of the most rational approaches for policymakers committed to improving cancer outcomes through a public health approach.

La discapacidad en las estadísticas del Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas. Ejercicio 2011 (declaración 2012)

La finalidad principal de este trabajo es proporcionar información acerca de la incidencia social y económica del fenómeno de la discapacidad, tal y como se deduce de las estadísticas del Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas (en adelante, IRPF), elaboradas por la Agencia Estatal de Administración Tributaria (en adelante, AEAT) y, en particular, de la Muestra preparada por el Instituto de Estudios Fiscales (IEF), a partir de las declaraciones-liquidaciones que, de manera anual, presentan los contribuyentes del Impuesto. Los datos estadísticos son los correspondientes al ejercicio 2011, declaración 2012, pues a ellos hacen referencia las estadísticas proporcionadas por el IEF, cuya Muestra de declarantes se ha utilizado profusamente en este trabajo y sin cuyo esfuerzo, contribución y apoyo este informe no hubiera podido llevarse a cabo 1. Además de proporcionar información desglosada de estas estadísticas, utilizando como eje la variable discapacidad, se trata, asimismo, de analizarlas y, en particular, de extraer conclusiones que permitan comprender mejor las relaciones entre el fenómeno social de la discapacidad en España y el impuesto, sin duda, de mayor incidencia social, económica y política de nuestro sistema tributario, el IRPF.

Simulação de sistemas solares passivos usando materiais de mudança de fase (PCMs)

O gradual consumo de energia primária a nível mundial deu origem a uma crise não só ambiental como também económica, proveniente das limitações das reservas energéticas e do fornecimento. Estas inquietações têm levado a um estudo cada vez mais aprofundado no que concerne à eficiência energética de edifícios. É neste contexto que surge o estudo da aplicação dos materiais de mudança de fase (PCM) na térmica dos edifícios. O presente trabalho consiste no estudo da influência da introdução de materiais de mudança de fase no comportamento térmico de um edifício. Foi analisada uma simulação numérica para um sistema solar passivo de ganho direto, por um programa de simulação designado EXTEND™. Efetuou-se, também, o estudo paramétrico de determinadas propriedades associadas aos materiais de mudança de fase. Após a análise, foi testado o impacto, em termos de conforto, da utilização de materiais de mudança de fase em sistemas solares passivos de ganho direto.

Thermodynamic modeling and microcalorimetry of nanostructured materials for capacitive thermal management of electronics

Transient power dissipation profiles in handheld electronic devices alternate between high and low power states depending on usage. Capacitive thermal management based on phase change materials potentially offers a fan-less thermal management for such transient profiles. However, such capacitive management becomes feasible only if there is a significant enhancement in the enthalpy change per unit volume of the phase change material since existing bulk materials such as paraffin fall short of requirements. In this thesis I propose novel nanostructured thin-film materials that can potentially exhibit significantly enhanced volumetric enthalpy change. Using fundamental thermodynamics of phase transition, calculations regarding the enhancement resulting from superheating in such thin film systems is conducted. Furthermore design of a microfabricated calorimeter to measure such enhancements is explained in detail. This work advances the state-of-art of phase change materials for capacitive cooling of handheld devices.

Há alguma diferença entre as próteses de disco cervicais?

Objetivo: A artroplastia cervical na patologia degenerativa surgiu como alternativa à artrodese anterior com o objetivo de eliminar a “doença do nível adjacente”. As próteses de disco apresentam diferentes materiais, design, técnica e mobilidade. Os autores avaliaram dor, disfunção e complicações para comparar a eficácia de diferentes próteses de disco.