Exploiting Nonclassical Motion of a Trapped Ion Crystal for Quantum-Enhanced Metrology of Global and Differential Spin Rotations.

We theoretically investigate prospects for the creation of nonclassical spin states in trapped ion arrays by coupling to a squeezed state of the collective motion of the ions. The correlations of the generated spin states can be tailored for quantum-enhanced sensing of global or differential rotations of subensembles of the spins by working with specific vibrational modes of the ion array. We propose a pair of protocols to utilize the generated states and demonstrate their viability even for small systems, while assessing limitations imposed by spin-motion entanglement and technical noise. Our work suggests new opportunities for the preparation of many-body states with tailored correlations for quantum-enhanced metrology in spin-boson systems.

Control of the growth of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in industrialized orange juice using rosemary essential oil and nisin.

The use of rosemary essential oil (RO) and its combination with nisin (RO+N) in preventing the multiplication of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris in orange juice was evaluated. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC) for RO were both 125 µg ml-1 while RO+N displayed a synergistic effect. The use of RO and RO+N at concentrations of 1, 4 and 8× MIC in orange juice for 96 h was evaluated in terms of their sporicidal effectiveness. With regard to the action against A. acidoterrestris spores, RO at 8× MIC was sporostatic, whereas RO+N at 1× MIC was sporicidal. Morphological changes in the structure of the micro-organism after treatment were also observed by microscopy. Furthermore, flow cytometric analysis showed that most cells were damaged or killed after treatment. In general, the antioxidant activity after addition of RO+N decreased with time. The results demonstrate that using the combination of RO and nisin can prevent the A. acidoterrestris growth in orange juice.

Functional role of respiratory supercomplexes in mice: SCAF1 relevance and segmentation of the Qpool.

Mitochondrial respiratory complexes assemble into supercomplexes (SC). Q-respirasome (III2 + IV) requires the supercomplex assembly factor (SCAF1) protein. The role of this factor in the N-respirasome (I + III2 + IV) and the physiological role of SCs are controversial. Here, we study C57BL/6J mice harboring nonfunctional SCAF1, the full knockout for SCAF1, or the wild-type version of the protein and found that exercise performance is SCAF1 dependent. By combining quantitative data-independent proteomics, 2D Blue native gel electrophoresis, and functional analysis of enriched respirasome fractions, we show that SCAF1 confers structural attachment between III2 and IV within the N-respirasome, increases NADH-dependent respiration, and reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, the expression of AOX in cells and mice confirms that CI-CIII superassembly segments the CoQ in two pools and modulates CI-NADH oxidative capacity.

Molecular detection of Leishmania spp in Lutzomyia longipalpis in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects a large part of the world population. Knowing the sand fly fauna of a region is of fundamental importance for guiding health surveillance actions related to the prevention and control of leishmaniasis. A total of 86 specimens of sand flies (60 females and 26 males) were collected. Using the classification proposed by Galati (2003), the following species were identified: Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), Migonemyia migonei (França, 1920), Evandromyia cortelezzi (Brethes, 1923), Ev. sallesi (Galvão & Coutinho, 1939), Nyssomyia whitmani (Atunes & Coutinho, 1939), Psathyromyia lutziana (Costa Lima, 1932), Ev. lenti (Mangabeira, 1938), Brumptomyia sp. (França and Parrot, 1921), and Pressatia sp. (Mangabeira, 1942). Using PCR with internal transcribed spacer target to identify infected sand flies, five Lu. longipalpis females were infected with Leishmania spp. Despite the small number of specimens collected, considerable species diversity was found in the study area.

Molecular detection of Leishmania spp in Lutzomyia longipalpis in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects a large part of the world population. Knowing the sand fly fauna of a region is of fundamental importance for guiding health surveillance actions related to the prevention and control of leishmaniasis. A total of 86 specimens of sand flies (60 females and 26 males) were collected. Using the classification proposed by Galati (2003), the following species were identified: Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912), Migonemyia migonei (França, 1920), Evandromyia cortelezzi (Brethes, 1923), Ev. sallesi (Galvão & Coutinho, 1939), Nyssomyia whitmani (Atunes & Coutinho, 1939), Psathyromyia lutziana (Costa Lima, 1932), Ev. lenti (Mangabeira, 1938), Brumptomyia sp. (França and Parrot, 1921), and Pressatia sp. (Mangabeira, 1942). Using PCR with internal transcribed spacer target to identify infected sand flies, five Lu. longipalpis females were infected with Leishmania spp. Despite the small number of specimens collected, considerable species diversity was found in the study area.

A Novel Disease of Big-Leaf Mahogany Caused by Two Fusarium Species in Mexico.

Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) is valued for its high-quality wood and use in urban landscapes in Mexico. During surveys of mango-producing areas in the central western region of Mexico, symptoms of malformation, the most important disease of mango in the area, were observed on big-leaf mahogany trees. The objectives of this research were to describe this new disease and determine its cause. Symptoms on big-leaf mahogany at four sites in Michoacán, Mexico resembled those of the vegetative phase of mango malformation, including compact, bunched growth of apical and lateral buds, with greatly shortened internodes and small leaves that curved back toward the supporting stem. Of 163 isolates that were recovered from symptomatic tissues, most were identified as Fusarium pseudocircinatum (n = 121) and F. mexicanum (n = 39) using molecular systematic data; two isolates represented unnamed phylospecies within the F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC 20-d and FIESC 37-a) and another was in the F. solani species complex (FSSC 25-m). However, only F. mexicanum and F. pseudocircinatum induced malformation symptoms on 14-day-old seedlings of big-leaf mahogany. The results indicate that F. mexicanum and F. pseudocircinatum, previously reported in Mexico as causal agents of mango malformation disease, also affect big-leaf mahogany. This is the first report of this new disease and the first time that F. mexicanum was shown to affect a host other than mango.

Portable device for magnetic stimulation: assessment survival and proliferation in human lymphocytes.

A device's instrumentation for magnetic stimulation on human lymphocytes is presented. This is a new procedure to stimulate growing cells with ferrofluid in vortices of magnetic field. The stimulation of magnetic vortices was provided at five different frequencies, from 100 to 2500 Hz and intensities from 1.13 to 4.13 mT. To improve the stimulation effects, a paramagnetic ferrofluid was added on the cell culture medium. The results suggest that the frequency changes and the magnetic field variation produce an important increase in the number of proliferating cells as well as in the cellular viability. This new magnetic stimulation modality could trigger an intracellular mechanism to induce cell proliferation and cellular survival only on mitogen stimulated cells.

The effect of biomaterials and antifungals on biofilm formation by Candida species: a review.

Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis are able to form biofilms on virtually any biomaterial implanted in a human host. Biofilms are a primary cause of mortality in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients, as they cause recurrent and invasive candidiasis, which is difficult to eradicate. This is due to the fact that the biofilm cells show high resistance to antifungal treatments and the host defense mechanisms, and exhibit an excellent ability to adhere to biomaterials. Elucidation of the mechanisms of antifungal resistance in Candida biofilms is of unquestionable importance; therefore, this review analyzes both the chemical composition of biomaterials used to fabricate the medical devices, as well as the Candida genes and proteins that confer drug resistance.

Clinical significance of anaemia associated with prolactin-secreting pituitary tumours in men.

BACKGROUND: An association between prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas and anaemia in male patients has been recently reported. Our aim has been to evaluate the prevalence of anaemia in men with prolactinomas and to assess the relationships between haemoglobin concentrations and pituitary function at diagnosis in these patients. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis, 26 male patients with prolactinomas (22 macroprolactinomas and 4 microprolactinomas) were studied. Blood haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit value and baseline hormonal levels were collected at the time of prolactinoma diagnosis. The presence or absence of partial or total hypopituitarism was also evaluated at diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the presence of anaemia as a function of serum hormone concentrations and pituitary dysfunction. RESULTS: Patient bearing macroprolactinomas showed significant lower haemoglobin concentrations than those found in patients with microprolactinomas (13.5 ± 1.2 g/dl vs. 15.1 ± 0.9 g/dl, p < 0.05). Anaemia (haemoglobin < 13 g/dl) was present in nine (34.6%) patients, all of them with macroprolactinomas. The degree of anaemia was mild (haemoglobin > 11 g/dl) in all patients. No correlation between haemoglobin and serum prolactin was found. Haemoglobin concentration was significantly lower in men with hypogonadism (n = 14) than in eugonadal men. Haemoglobin value was also significantly lower in patients with total hypopituitarism in comparison with patients with partial hypopituitarism (12.4 ± 1.0 g/dl, n = 7 vs. 14.0 ± 1.2 g/dl, n = 13, p = 0.007). The number of affected pituitary axes was found to be related with the presence of anaemia. Logistic regression analysis showed that anaemia was related with FT4 (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.06-0.81, p = 0.02), cortisol (OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.68-0.96, p= 0.02) and the presence of hypopituitarism (OR 20.0; 95% CI 1.68-238.63, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Anaemia was found in about a third of men with prolactinomas. Our results also suggest that the presence of anaemia in these patients seems to be associated with panhypopituitarism.

Effects of raloxifene on the urethra of adult castrated female rats.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of raloxifene on the weight and epithelial thickness of the urethra of castrated female rats. METHODS: Forty castrated female rats were randomly separated into two groups: group I (control, n = 20) received only the vehicle, and group II (raloxifene, n = 20) received 750 microg/day of raloxifene for 30 days. On the 31st day, the animals were sacrificed and the urethras were removed for the study. A model for categorical data using the weighted minimum mean square error method and Student's t test were used for the data analysis (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The mean weights of the urethras in groups I and II were 22 +/- 1.6 mg and 24 +/- 1.7 mg, respectively (p = 0.371). There was an increase in the mean epithelial thickness of the distal segments in group II compared to group I (50.7 +/- 1.9 microm vs. 45.3 +/- 1.6 microm, respectively) (p < 0.04). No statistically significant difference was found in the mean epithelial thickness of the proximal urethra between the two groups (p = 0.187). CONCLUSION: Raloxifene administered to castrated female rats for 30 days increased the distal urethral epithelial thickness and did not alter the weight of the urethra.

Iris pigmentation and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss.

The purpose of this retrospective study is to examine the possible association between iris pigmentation and susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss in 2407 noise-exposed workers. The workers were between 16 to 65 years of age and were exposed to 2 to 42 years of work-related noise. Results demonstrated that dark-eyed workers presented a greater percentage of normal pure-tone thresholds than fair-eyed workers. Fair-eyed workers had threshold averages of 25.1 dB (right ear) and 26.0 dB (left ear) at 3, 4, and 6 kHz, which were significantly worse than workers with dark irises, with threshold averages of 15.8 dB and 17.2 dB in the right and left ear, respectively (p<0.01). Fair-eyed workers with less than 10 years of noise exposure had the same audiometric pattern as the dark-eyed workers exposed for more than 10 years. Workers not exposed to noise did not present significant differences in their audiometric pattern as a function of eye colour. These results suggest that iris pigmentation may be an additional indication of susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss.

Association between SLC11A1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to different clinical forms of tuberculosis in the Peruvian population.

Polymorphism in SLC11A1 has been implicated in host susceptibility to tuberculosis. We have studied associations between INT4, D543N, and 3'UTR polymorphisms of SLC11A1 and different clinical forms of TB. Analysis used 507 patients with pulmonary TB, 123 with extra pulmonary TB and 513 controls. INT4 and D543N showed allelic association with pulmonary TB (P=0.02 and 0.03 respectively). INT4-D543N-3'UTR haplotypes showed an association with pulmonary TB (P=0.03). No association of SLC11A1 with miliary TB was observed, and a possible association of D543N to the pleural form (P=0.08) was suggested. These results support association between SLC11A1 and TB, particularly to the common pulmonary form.

Correlations of structure and rates of energy transfer for through-bond energy-transfer cassettes.

Fluorescent DNA-labeling cassettes are designed to have a common absorbing chromophore matched to a single exciting laser wavelength, but up to four different emitters. Experiments reported here have examined the energy-transfer rates and fluorescence polarization characteristics for two different types of cassette, involving three distinct relative orientations of the donor and acceptor transition moments and the axis of the rigid linker. Energy-transfer times range from <200 fs to approximately 20 ps, the fastest transfer times occurring when the transition moments of the donor and acceptor species are aligned parallel to the linker axis. Experimental evidence is presented that supports a through-bond energy-transfer mechanism, in contrast with a commercial DNA-labeling agent, which exhibits much slower transfer times controlled by FRET. These rigid cassettes also exhibit polarized fluorescence from the acceptor species, so that this particular type of DNA-labeling probe has some of the advantages of single-molecule probes such as rhodamine and coumarin dyes.

Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness profile in normal eyes using third-generation optical coherence tomography.

AIMS: To establish four normal retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness radial profiles based on third-generation optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to compare them with previously reported histologic measurements. METHODS: A total of 20 normal eyes were studied. A circular scan was adjusted to the size of the optic disc and three scans were performed with this radius and every 200 microm thereafter, up to a distance of 1400 microm. Four different radial sections (superotemporal, superonasal, inferonasal, and inferotemporal) were studied to establish RNFL thickness OCT profiles. Additionally, two radial scans orientated at 45 and 135 degrees crossing the optic disc centre were performed in six of 20 eyes, and RNFL thickness was measured at disc margin. RESULTS: Quadrant location and distance from disc margin interaction in RNFL thickness was statistically significant (P<0.001). The RNFL thickness decreased (P<0.001) as the distance from the disc margin increased for all sections. The measurements automatically generated by the OCT built-in software were thinner (P<0.001) than histologic ones close to the disc margin. CONCLUSIONS: Four normal OCT RNFL profiles were established and compared with histological data obtained from the same area. RNFL measurements assessed by OCT 3 were significantly thinner close to the optic disc margin.

Magnetic field influence on electrical properties of human blood measured by impedance spectroscopy.

The impedance spectroscopy technique (IST) was used for studying the effect of a 0.5 T magnetic field on the electrical properties of whole human blood. A Solartron SI 1260 spectrometer was used to measure the impedance spectra of magnetic field exposed blood samples compared to non-exposed samples. An equivalent electrical circuit model, consisting in a resistance Rs in series with a parallel circuit formed by a constant phase element (CPE) and another resistance Rp, is proposed to fit the data in both cases. The experiment used 3 ml human blood samples from 160 healthy donors. A Wilcoxon matched pairs statistical test was applied to the data. The data analysis seems to show a statistically significant increase of the values of resistance Rp (Z = 5.06, P < 0.001) and capacitance CT (Z = 3.32, P < 0.001) of the blood exposed to magnetic field, by approximately 10.4% and 1.9%, respectively.

Measuring higher order optical aberrations of the human eye: techniques and applications.

In the present paper we discuss the development of "wave-front", an instrument for determining the lower and higher optical aberrations of the human eye. We also discuss the advantages that such instrumentation and techniques might bring to the ophthalmology professional of the 21st century. By shining a small light spot on the retina of subjects and observing the light that is reflected back from within the eye, we are able to quantitatively determine the amount of lower order aberrations (astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia) and higher order aberrations (coma, spherical aberration, etc.). We have measured artificial eyes with calibrated ametropia ranging from +5 to -5 D, with and without 2 D astigmatism with axis at 45 degrees and 90 degrees. We used a device known as the Hartmann-Shack (HS) sensor, originally developed for measuring the optical aberrations of optical instruments and general refracting surfaces in astronomical telescopes. The HS sensor sends information to a computer software for decomposition of wave-front aberrations into a set of Zernike polynomials. These polynomials have special mathematical properties and are more suitable in this case than the traditional Seidel polynomials. We have demonstrated that this technique is more precise than conventional autorefraction, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 0.1 micro m for a 4-mm diameter pupil. In terms of dioptric power this represents an RMSE error of less than 0.04 D and 5 degrees for the axis. This precision is sufficient for customized corneal ablations, among other applications.