Energy Resolution from a Silicon Detector's Interstrip Regions.

In this work, we present a novel approach for improving the energy resolution from particles impinging on the interstrip regions of silicon strip detectors. We employed three double-sided strip detectors from the GRIT array and a triple α-source under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the interstrip resolution depends not only on the impinging side but also on whether it is a P- or an N-interstrip. We obtained the interstrip energy resolution down to 0.4%, and, depending on the scenario, the resolution was enhanced by a factor of 2. We believe that this new rotation method allows for the possibility of applying particle identification methods on interstrip events, which in most cases are dismissed during data recording.

Integral evaluation of effective conversion of sewage sludge from WWTP into highly porous activated carbon.

Urban sewage sludge (SL) is a major concern due to the number of environmental problems it causes. Its application for different purposes is strictly regulated, limiting the possibilities of recycling and reusing this material. Thus, in this work, a complete study of a simple method to convert SL into activated carbon (AC) was carried out. The comprehensive study involves an evaluation of the main process parameters, such as the activating agent (AA) content (25 %, 33 %, 50 %), using the lowest amount of AA as novelty, different pyrolysis temperatures (600 and 800 °C), and purification conditions (6 M HCl:AC ratio, v:w). Under controlled and optimised conditions and through a single combined activation and pyrolysis step followed by acid purification, ACs with well-developed porosity can be obtained. Surface area values of around 870 m2/g and over 60 % carbon content were achieved, demonstrating that the prepared ACs could have applications in a wide variety of fields as high-value products. As an innovative aspect in this research, the gases streams and liquid effluents generated during the global process were analysed, achieving elimination of over 63 % of the concentration of the chemical elements contained in the SL during the chemical purification stage. Finally, mass, energy, and economic balances were carried out to estimate the production cost of AC derived from SL (<€ 8/kg AC).

Association between COMMD1 gene polymorphism rs11125908 and rheumatoid arthritis in the Cuban population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of the rs11125908 polymorphism in the COMMD1 gene in the Cuban population with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: In this case-control study, 161 RA patients and 150 control subjects were genotyped for rs11125908 by the allele-specific polymerase chain reaction method. DNA sequencing was used to verify the assignation of the polymorphism. The odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval were calculated by logistic regression to determine the associations between genotypes and RA using the SNPStats software. RESULTS: An association of the single nucleotide polymorphism with the disease was found in the overdominant model (p=0.025; OR=1.91) for the AG genotype. Our analyses revealed an association between rs11125908 and the subgroup of patients with swollen joints < median under the codominant model for AG (p=0.034; OR=2.30) and GG genotype (p=0.034; OR=0.82) and with the overdominant model (p=0.01; OR=2.38). The subgroup of patients with an age of onset lower than the mean and AG genotype showed an association in the overdominant model (p=0.027; OR=2.27). Disease activity score 28 with erythrocyte sedimentation rate and disease duration variables were not associated with the rs11125908 polymorphism. CONCLUSIONS: rs11125908 was associated with RA and with the number of swollen joints and age of onset subgroup analyses. We provide concepts for treatments for RA, based on pharmacological management of COMMD1 expression.

Test Bench for Highly Segmented GRIT Double-Sided Silicon Strip Detectors: A Detector Quality Control Protocol.

This work deals with the characteristics of highly segmented double-sided silicon detectors. These are fundamental parts in many new state-of-the-art particle detection systems, and therefore they must perform optimally. We propose a test bench that can handle 256 electronic channels with off-the-shelf equipment, as well as a detector quality control protocol to ensure that the detectors meet the requirements. Detectors with a large number of strips bring new technological challenges and issues that need to be carefully monitored and understood. One of the standard 500 µm thick detectors of the GRIT array was investigated, undergoing studies that revealed its IV curve, charge collection efficiency, and energy resolution. From the data obtained, we calculated, among other things, the depletion voltage (110 V), the resistivity of the bulk material (9 kΩ·cm), and the electronic noise contribution (8 keV). We present, for the first time, a methodology called "the energy triangle'' to visualize the effect of charge sharing between two adjacent strips and to study the hit distribution with the interstrip-to-strip hit ratio (ISR).

Hypovitaminosis D, oral potentially malignant disorders, and oral squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and potentially malignant oral disorders (OPMDs) could be associated with low levels of vitamin D. This systematic review aimed to determine the relationship between serum levels of vitamin D with OPMDs and OSCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This review was conducted according to Cochrane guidelines (PROSPERO CRD42020207382) on literature retrieved from the PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. The antecedents extracted were study design, methodology, sample (country, number of patients, age, and sex), oral manifestations (type of lesion, location, prevalence, and follow-up), serum vitamin D levels or use of vitamin D supplements, results, and conclusions. RESULTS: Twelve articles were selected. Some of the most relevant findings were alterations in vitamin D could favor the progress of OPMDs to OSCC. Higher levels of vitamin D can increase levels of anti-inflammatory mediators, CD4+ T lymphocytes and CD8+ T lymphocytes and CD3+ T lymphocytes in intratumoral tissue. The normalization of vitamin D levels in patients with OSCC can increased cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, favoring antitumor immune response. Vitamin D supplemented can lower adverse effects associated with chemotherapy like mucositis and pain. Tobacco can increase risk of developing OSCC altering vitamin D levels. CONCLUSIONS: Hypovitaminosis D could increase risk of developing OSCC from OPMDs, thus altering the immune response and it is associated with a lower survival rate in patients with OSCC, a greater recurrence of tumors in patients who underwent surgical treatment, and an increase in adverse reactions to chemotherapy. The use of vitamin D supplements can be a complement to primary therapy to prevent the recurrence of lesions and reduce adverse events associated with treatment.

Towards the Limits of Existence of Nuclear Structure: Observation and First Spectroscopy of the Isotope

The most remote isotope from the proton dripline (by 4 atomic mass units) has been observed: ^{31}K. It is unbound with respect to three-proton (3p) emission, and its decays have been detected in flight by measuring the trajectories of all decay products using microstrip detectors. The 3p emission processes have been studied by the means of angular correlations of ^{28}S+3p and the respective decay vertices. The energies of the previously unknown ground and excited states of ^{31}K have been determined. This provides its 3p separation energy value S_{3p} of -4.6(2) MeV. Upper half-life limits of 10 ps of the observed ^{31}K states have been derived from distributions of the measured decay vertices.

Belimumab alters transitional B-cell subset proportions in patients with stable systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effects of the B-cell activating factor (BAFF)-targeting antibody Belimumab on human nonmemory B-cell pools. Human B-cell pools were identified using surface markers adapted from mouse studies that specifically assessed reductions in immature B cells due to BAFF depletion. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have high levels of both BAFF and immature B cells. Mechanistic mouse studies provide a framework for understanding human responses to therapies that target B cells. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from healthy donors and SLE patients on Belimumab or standard-of-care therapy (SCT). Cells were stained for flow cytometry to identify B-cell subsets based on CD21/CD24. Differences in subset proportions were determined by one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. RESULTS: Patients treated with Belimumab show alterations in the nonmemory B-cell pool characterized by a decrease in the Transitional 2 (T2) subset (p = 0.002), and an increase in the proportion of Transitional 1 (T1) cells (p = 0.005) as compared with healthy donors and SCT patients. The naïve B-cell compartment showed no significant differences between the groups (p = 0.293). CONCLUSION: Using a translational approach, we show that Belimumab-mediated BAFF depletion reduces the T2 subset in patients, similar to observations in mouse models with BAFF depletion.

Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment.

The operation of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor plant which treated the effluent of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor was optimised. Biomass retention times of 4.5, 6, and 9 days were tested. At a biomass retention time of 4.5 days, maximum nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios, photosynthetic efficiencies and carbon biofixations of 51.7 ±â€¯14.3 mg N·mol-1, 4.4 ±â€¯1.6% and 0.50 ±â€¯0.05 kg CO2·m3influent, respectively, were attained. Minimum membrane fouling rates were achieved when operating at the shortest biomass retention time because of the lower solid concentration and the negligible amount of cyanobacteria and protozoa. Hydraulic retention times of 3.5, 2, and 1.5 days were tested at the optimum biomass retention times of 4.5 days under non-nutrient limited conditions, showing no significant differences in the nutrient recovery rates, photosynthetic efficiencies and membrane fouling rates. However, nitrogen recovery rate:light irradiance ratios and photosynthetic efficiency significantly decreased when hydraulic retention time was further shortened to 1 day, probably due to a rise in the substrate turbidity which reduced the light availability in the culture. Optimal carbon biofixations and theoretical energy recoveries from the biomass were obtained at hydraulic retention time of 3.5 days, which accounted for 0.55 ±â€¯0.05 kg CO2·m-3influent and 0.443 ±â€¯0.103 kWh·m-3influent, respectively.

Differential Impact of Index Stroke on Dementia Risk in African-Americans Compared to Whites.

OBJECTIVE: To compare whites and African-Americans in terms of dementia risk following index stroke. METHODS: The data consisted of billing and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis codes from the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office on all hospital discharges within the state between 2000 and 2012. The sample consisted of 68,758 individuals with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke prior to 2010 (49,262 white [71.65%] and 19,496 African-Americans [28.35%]). We identified individuals in the dataset who were subsequently diagnosed with any of 5 categories of dementia and evaluated time to dementia diagnosis in Cox Proportional Hazards models. We plotted cumulative hazard curves to illustrate the effect of race on dementia risk after controlling for age, sex, and occurrence of intervening stroke. RESULTS: Age at index stroke was significantly different between the 2 groups, with African-Americans being younger on average (70.0 [SD 12.5] in whites versus 64.5 [SD 14.1] in African-Americans, P < .0001). Adjusted hazard ratios revealed that African-American race increased risk for all 5 categories of dementia following incident stroke, ranging from 1.37 for AD to 1.95 for vascular dementia. Age, female sex, and intervening stroke likewise increased risk for dementia. CONCLUSIONS: African-Americans are at higher risk for dementia than whites within 5 years of ischemic stroke, regardless of dementia subtype. Incident strokes may have a greater likelihood of precipitating dementia in African-Americans due to higher prevalence of nonstroke cerebrovascular disease or other metabolic or vascular factors that contribute to cognitive impairment.

Resource recovery from sulphate-rich sewage through an innovative anaerobic-based water resource recovery facility (WRRF).

This research work proposes an innovative water resource recovery facility (WRRF) for the recovery of energy, nutrients and reclaimed water from sewage, which represents a promising approach towards enhanced circular economy scenarios. To this aim, anaerobic technology, microalgae cultivation, and membrane technology were combined in a dedicated platform. The proposed platform produces a high-quality solid- and coliform-free effluent that can be directly discharged to receiving water bodies identified as sensitive areas. Specifically, the content of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent was 45 mg COD·L-1, 14.9 mg N·L-1 and 0.5 mg P·L-1, respectively. Harvested solar energy and carbon dioxide biofixation in the form of microalgae biomass allowed remarkable methane yields (399 STP L CH4·kg-1 CODinf) to be achieved, equivalent to theoretical electricity productions of around 0.52 kWh per m3 of wastewater entering the WRRF. Furthermore, 26.6% of total nitrogen influent load was recovered as ammonium sulphate, while nitrogen and phosphorus were recovered in the biosolids produced (650 ± 77 mg N·L-1 and 121.0 ± 7.2 mg P·L-1).

Scattering of the Halo Nucleus

Angular distributions of the elastic, inelastic, and breakup cross sections of the halo nucleus ^{11}Be on ^{197}Au were measured at energies below (E_{lab}=31.9 MeV) and around (39.6 MeV) the Coulomb barrier. These three channels were unambiguously separated for the first time for reactions of ^{11}Be on a high-Z target at low energies. The experiment was performed at TRIUMF (Vancouver, Canada). The differential cross sections were compared with three different calculations: semiclassical, inert-core continuum-coupled-channels and continuum-coupled-channels ones with including core deformation. These results show conclusively that the elastic and inelastic differential cross sections can only be accounted for if core-excited admixtures are taken into account. The cross sections for these channels strongly depend on the B(E1) distribution in ^{11}Be, and the reaction mechanism is sensitive to the entanglement of core and halo degrees of freedom in ^{11}Be.

Few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier with photonic lantern for pump spatial mode control.

We demonstrate a few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier employing a mode-selective photonic lantern for controlling the modal content of the pump light. Amplification of six spatial modes in a 5 m long erbium-doped fiber to ∼6.2 dBm average power is obtained while maintaining high modal fidelity. Through mode-selective forward pumping of the two degenerate LP21 modes operating at 976 nm, differential modal gains of <1 dB between all modes and signal gains of ∼16 dB at 1550 nm are achieved. In addition, low differential modal gain for near-full C-band operation is demonstrated.

Microbiome and its impact on gastrointestinal atopy.

The prevalence of allergic conditions has continuously increased in the last few decades in Westernized countries. A dysbiotic gut microbiome may play an important role in the development of allergic diseases. Genetic, environmental, and dietary factors may alter the commensal microbiota leading to inflammatory dysregulation of homeostasis. Murine and human studies have begun to elucidate the role of the microbiota in the pathogenesis of atopic diseases including asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergies. However, the role of the microbiome in most eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) is not yet known. This review provides an overview of what is currently known about the development of tolerance from both molecular and clinical standpoints. We also look at the gut-specific microbiome and its role in atopic conditions with the hope of applying this knowledge to the understanding, prevention, and treatment of EGIDs, particularly EoE.

Phytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds from the endophyte Hypoxylon anthochroum strain Blaci isolated from Bursera lancifolia (Burseraceae).

AIMS: To evaluate the phytotoxic, antifungal and antioomycete activity; and, determine the chemical composition of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semi-volatile metabolites produced by the endophyte Hypoxylon anthochroum strain Blaci isolated from Bursera lancifolia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Based on its macro- and micro-morphological features, the strain Blaci was identified as Nodulisporium sp.; partial analysis of its ITS1-5.8-ITS2 ribosomal gene sequence revealed the identity of the teleomorphic stage of the fungus as H. anthochroum. Phytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of VOCs, and culture medium and mycelium organic extracts from H. anthochroum Blaci were determined by simple and multiple antagonism bioassays, and gas phase and agar dilution bioassays respectively. The volatile and semi-volatile metabolites were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. VOCs from a 5-day H. anthochroum strain Blaci culture caused the inhibition of seed germination, root elongation and seedling respiration on Amaranthus hypochondriacus, Panicum miliaceum, Trifolium pratense and Medicago sativa. In addition, extracts, phenylethyl alcohol and eucalyptol main compounds present in the VOCs and extract displayed a high phytotoxic activity, inhibiting the three physiological processes on the four test plants in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that H. anthochroum strain Blaci produces a mixture of VOCs. These VOCs showed a strong phytotoxic activity on seed germination, root elongation, and seedling respiration of four plants and slightly affected the growth of phytopathogenic fungi and oomycetes. Also, the culture medium and mycelium extracts of H. anthochroum showed a high phytotoxic activity on the four test plants and, generally, the culture medium extract was more phytotoxic than the mycelium extracts. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This work firstly reports the phytotoxic activity of volatile and semi-volatile compounds produced by the endophyte H. anthochroum strain Blaci on seed germination, root elongation, and seedling respiration of four different plants; consequently, these compounds could be useful in biocontrol of weeds and plant pathogens.

Time-division-multiplexed few-mode passive optical network.

We demonstrate the first few-mode-fiber based passive optical network, effectively utilizing mode multiplexing to eliminate combining loss for upstream traffic. Error-free performance has been achieved for 20-km low-crosstalk 3-mode transmission in a commercial GPON system carrying live Ethernet traffic. The alternative approach of low modal group delay is also analyzed with simulation results over 10 modes.

Six mode selective fiber optic spatial multiplexer.

Low-loss all-fiber photonic lantern (PL) mode multiplexers (MUXs) capable of selectively exciting the first six fiber modes of a multimode fiber (LP01, LP11a, LP11b, LP21a, LP21b, and LP02) are demonstrated. Fabrication of the spatial mode multiplexers was successfully achieved employing a combination of either six step or six graded index fibers of four different core sizes. Insertion losses of 0.2-0.3 dB and mode purities above 9 dB are achieved. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the use of graded index fibers in a PL eases the length requirements of the adiabatic tapered transition and could enable scaling to large numbers.

Observation and Spectroscopy of New Proton-Unbound Isotopes ³°Ar and ²9Cl: An Interplay of Prompt Two-Proton and Sequential Decay.

Previously unknown isotopes (30)Ar and (29)Cl have been identified by measurement of the trajectories of their in-flight decay products (28)S+p+p and (28)S+p, respectively. The analysis of angular correlations of the fragments provided information on decay energies and the structure of the parent states. The ground states of (30)Ar and (29)Cl were found at 2.25(-0.10)(+0.15) and 1.8±0.1 MeV above the two- and one-proton thresholds, respectively. The lowest states in (30)Ar and (29)Cl point to a violation of isobaric symmetry in the structure of these unbound nuclei. The two-proton decay has been identified in a transition region between simultaneous two-proton and sequential proton emissions from the (30)Ar ground state, which is characterized by an interplay of three-body and two-body decay mechanisms. The first hint of a fine structure of the two-proton decay of (30)Ar*(2(+)) has been obtained by detecting two decay branches into the ground and first-excited states of the (28)S fragment.

T-lymphocyte phenotype and function triggered by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is serotype-dependent.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigenicity, different Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans serotypes have been described. Serotype b strains have demonstrated a stronger capacity to trigger cytokine production on dendritic cells (DCs). As DCs regulate the development of T-lymphocyte lineages, the objective of this investigation was to study the response of T lymphocytes after being stimulated with autologous DCs primed with different bacterial strains belonging to the most prevalent serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans in humans: a-c. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Human DCs were primed with increasing multiplicity of infection (10(-1) -10(2) ) or the purified LPS (10-50 ng/mL) of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes a-c and then used to stimulate autologous naïve CD4(+) T lymphocytes. The T-helper (Th) type 1, Th2, Th17 and T-regulatory transcription factors T-bet, GATA-3, RORC2 and Foxp3, which are the master-switch genes implied in their specific differentiation, as well as T-cell phenotype-specific cytokine patterns were quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the intracellular expression of T-bet/interferon-γ, GATA-3/interleukin-4, RORC2/interleukin-17A and Foxp3/transforming growth factor-ß1 was analysed by double staining and flow cytometry. RESULTS: All the A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes led to T-lymphocyte activation; however, when T lymphocytes were stimulated with DCs primed with the A. actinomycetemcomitans serotype b strain or their purified LPS, higher levels of Th1- and Th17-associated transcription factors and cytokines were detected compared with similar experiments with the other serotypes. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that serotype b of A. actinomycetemcomitans has a higher capacity of trigger Th1 and Th17 phenotype and function and it was demonstrated that their LPS is a more potent immunogen compared with the other serotypes.

Selection of yeasts with multifunctional features for application as starters in natural black table olive processing.

Yeasts are unicellular eukaryotic microorganisms with a great importance in the elaboration on many foods and beverages. In the last years, researches have focused their attention to determine the favourable effects that these microorganisms could provide to table olive processing. In this context, the present study assesses, at laboratory scale, the potential technological (resistance to salt, lipase, esterase and ß-glucosidase activities) and probiotic (phytase activity, survival to gastric and pancreatic digestions) features of 12 yeast strains originally isolated from Greek natural black table olive fermentations. The multivariate classification analysis carried out with all information obtained (a total of 336 quantitative input data), revealed that the most promising strains (clearly discriminated from the rest of isolates) were Pichia guilliermondii Y16 (which showed overall the highest resistance to salt and simulated digestions) and Wickerhamomyces anomalus Y18 (with the overall highest technological enzymatic activities), while the rest of strains were grouped together in two clearly differentiated clusters. Thus, this work opens the possibility for the evaluation of these two selected yeasts as multifunctional starters, alone or in combination with lactic acid bacteria, in real table olive fermentations.

Thermocapillary flow in glass tubes coated with photoresponsive layers.

Thermocapillary flow has proven to be a good alternative to induce and control the motion of drops and bubbles in microchannels. Temperature gradients are usually established by implanting metallic heaters adjacent to the channel or by including a layer of photosensitive material capable of absorbing radiative energy. In this work we show that single drops can be pumped through capillaries coated with a photoresponsive composite (PDMS + carbon nanopowder) and irradiated with a light source via an optical fiber. Maximum droplet speeds achieved with this approach were found to be ~300 µm/s, and maximum displacements, around 120% of the droplet length. The heat generation capacity of the coatings was proven having either a complete coating over the capillary surface or a periodic array of pearls of the photoresponsive material along the capillary produced by the so-called Rayleigh-Plateau instability. The effect of the photoresponsive layer thickness and contact angle hysteresis of the solid-liquid interface were found to be important parameters in the photoinduced thermocapillary effect. Furthermore, a linear relationship between the optical intensity I(o) and droplet velocity v was found for a wide range of the former, allowing us to analyze the results and estimate response times for heat transfer using heat conduction theory.