Discovery of Gamma Rays from the Quiescent Sun with HAWC

We report the first detection of a TeV γ-ray flux from the solar disk (6.3σ), based on 6.1 years of data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory. The 0.5-2.6 TeV spectrum is well fit by a power law, dN/dE=A(E/1  TeV)^{-γ}, with A=(1.6±0.3)×10^{-12}  TeV^{-1} cm^{-2} s^{-1} and γ=3.62±0.14. The flux shows a strong indication of anticorrelation with solar activity. These results extend the bright, hard GeV emission from the disk observed with Fermi-LAT, seemingly due to hadronic Galactic cosmic rays showering on nuclei in the solar atmosphere. However, current theoretical models are unable to explain the details of how solar magnetic fields shape these interactions. HAWC's TeV detection thus deepens the mysteries of the solar-disk emission.

Bacterial community of sediments under the Eastern Boundary Current System shows high microdiversity and a latitudinal spatial pattern

The sediments under the Oxygen Minimum Zone of the Eastern Boundary Current System (EBCS) along Central-South Peru and North-Central Chile, known as Humboldt Sulfuretum (HS), is an organic-matter-rich benthic habitat, where bacteria process a variety of sulfur compounds under low dissolved-oxygen concentrations, and high sulfide and nitrate levels. This study addressed the structure, diversity and spatial distribution patterns of the HS bacterial community along Northern and South-Central Chile using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The results show that during the field study period, the community was dominated by sulfur-associated bacteria. Indeed, the most abundant phylum was Desulfobacterota, while Sva0081 sedimentary group, of the family Desulfosarcinaceae (the most abundant family), which includes sulfate-reducer and H2 scavenger bacteria, was the most abundant genus. Furthermore, a spatial pattern was unveiled along the study area to which the family Desulfobulbaceae contributed the most to the spatial variance, which encompasses 42 uncharacterized amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), three assigned to Ca. Electrothrix and two to Desulfobulbus. Moreover, a very high microdiversity was found, since only 3.7% of the ASVs were shared among localities, reflecting a highly diverse and mature community.

Constraints on Lorentz Invariance Violation from HAWC Observations of Gamma Rays above 100 TeV

Because of the high energies and long distances to the sources, astrophysical observations provide a unique opportunity to test possible signatures of Lorentz invariance violation (LIV). Superluminal LIV enables the decay of photons at high energy. The high altitude water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is among the most sensitive gamma-ray instruments currently operating above 10 TeV. HAWC finds evidence of 100 TeV photon emission from at least four astrophysical sources. These observations exclude, for the strongest of the limits set, the LIV energy scale to 2.2×10^{31}  eV, over 1800 times the Planck energy and an improvement of 1 to 2 orders of magnitude over previous limits.

Multiple Galactic Sources with Emission Above 56 TeV Detected by HAWC

We present the first catalog of gamma-ray sources emitting above 56 and 100 TeV with data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory, a wide field-of-view observatory capable of detecting gamma rays up to a few hundred TeV. Nine sources are observed above 56 TeV, all of which are likely galactic in origin. Three sources continue emitting past 100 TeV, making this the highest-energy gamma-ray source catalog to date. We report the integral flux of each of these objects. We also report spectra for three highest-energy sources and discuss the possibility that they are PeVatrons.

Publisher Correction: Very-high-energy particle acceleration powered by the jets of the microquasar SS 433

In this Letter, owing to a production error, the penultimate version of the PDF was published. The HTML version was always correct. The PDF has been corrected online.

Genomic features of "Candidatus Venteria ishoeyi", a new sulfur-oxidizing macrobacterium from the Humboldt Sulfuretum off Chile

The Humboldt Sulfuretum (HS), in the productive Humboldt Eastern Boundary Current Upwelling Ecosystem, extends under the hypoxic waters of the Peru-Chile Undercurrent (ca. 6°S and ca. 36°S). Studies show that primeval sulfuretums held diverse prokaryotic life, and, while rare today, still sustain species-rich giant sulfur-oxidizing bacterial communities. We here present the genomic features of a new bacteria of the HS, "Candidatus Venteria ishoeyi" ("Ca. V. ishoeyi") in the family Thiotrichaceae.Three identical filaments were micro-manipulated from reduced sediments collected off central Chile; their DNA was extracted, amplified, and sequenced by a Roche 454 GS FLX platform. Using three sequenced libraries and through de novo genome assembly, a draft genome of 5.7 Mbp, 495 scaffolds, and a N50 of 70 kbp, was obtained. The 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis showed that "Ca. V. ishoeyi" is related to non-vacuolate forms presently known as Beggiatoa or Beggiatoa-like forms. The complete set of genes involved in respiratory nitrate-reduction to dinitrogen was identified in "Ca. V. ishoeyi"; including genes likely leading to ammonification. As expected, the sulfur-oxidation pathway reported for other sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were deduced and also, key inorganic and organic carbon acquisition related genes were identified. Unexpectedly, the genome of "Ca. V. ishoeyi" contained numerous CRISPR repeats and an I-F CRISPR-Cas type system gene coding array. Findings further show that, as a member of an eons-old marine ecosystem, "Ca. V. ishoeyi" contains the needed metabolic plasticity for life in an increasingly oxygenated and variable ocean.

Ascariasis as cause of intestinal occlusion and concurrent appendicitis

Intestinal occlusion by ascariasis is a commonly seen socio-economic status low, is associated with poor sanitary hygiene. It is rare to see a case with both intestinal occlusion and appendicitis at the same time, as described in this report.

Cisgenesis and intragenesis: new tools for improving crops

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) could be the answer for many relevant problems affecting crops. However, improving crops through GMO is also often associated with safety concerns, environmental risks and health issues due to the presence of foreign DNA. These limitations have prompted the development of alternative technologies. Recently, cisgenesis and intragenesis have been developed as new tools aimed to modify crops. While cisgenesis involves genetic modification using a complete copy of natural genes with their regulatory elements that belong exclusively to sexually compatible plants, intragenesis refers to the transference of new combinations of genes and regulatory sequences belonging to that particular species. So far, application of cisgenesis and intragenesis as alternatives to conventional transgenesis are limited to a few species, mainly due to the lack of knowledge of the regulatory sequences required. The grape is one of the most cultivated crops worldwide and is the most economically relevant crop in Chile. Its genomic sequence has been completed, making available new sources of information to improve grape traits by genetic manipulation. This review is focused on the current alternatives to transgenesis in plants, including new approaches to develop marker-free crops, their application to economically relevant crops and future perspectives in the area. Also, the identification of grapevine promoters with a wide range of expression profiles is shown. The expression pattern of these genes was analyzed in different tissues and developmental stages, as well as under several stresses and stimuli, giving a broad range of expression patterns, including genes expressed exclusively during ripening, in response to sugars, senescence and biotic stress, among others. Genes with strong and constitutive expression were also identified. Functional analysis using reporter genes has been conducted in order to confirm the promoter's transcription activity, opening new possibilities for developing cisgenic/intragenic grapevines.

Sulfur-cycling fossil bacteria from the 1.8-Ga Duck Creek Formation provide promising evidence of evolution's null hypothesis

The recent discovery of a deep-water sulfur-cycling microbial biota in the ∼ 2.3-Ga Western Australian Turee Creek Group opened a new window to life's early history. We now report a second such subseafloor-inhabiting community from the Western Australian ∼ 1.8-Ga Duck Creek Formation. Permineralized in cherts formed during and soon after the 2.4- to 2.2-Ga "Great Oxidation Event," these two biotas may evidence an opportunistic response to the mid-Precambrian increase of environmental oxygen that resulted in increased production of metabolically useable sulfate and nitrate. The marked similarity of microbial morphology, habitat, and organization of these fossil communities to their modern counterparts documents exceptionally slow (hypobradytelic) change that, if paralleled by their molecular biology, would evidence extreme evolutionary stasis.

Microbial life in a fjord: metagenomic analysis of a microbial mat in Chilean patagonia

The current study describes the taxonomic and functional composition of metagenomic sequences obtained from a filamentous microbial mat isolated from the Comau fjord, located in the northernmost part of the Chilean Patagonia. The taxonomic composition of the microbial community showed a high proportion of members of the Gammaproteobacteria, including a high number of sequences that were recruited to the genomes of Moritella marina MP-1 and Colwelliapsycherythraea 34H, suggesting the presence of populations related to these two psychrophilic bacterial species. Functional analysis of the community indicated a high proportion of genes coding for the transport and metabolism of amino acids, as well as in energy production. Among the energy production functions, we found protein-coding genes for sulfate and nitrate reduction, both processes associated with Gammaproteobacteria-related sequences. This report provides the first examination of the taxonomic composition and genetic diversity associated with these conspicuous microbial mat communities and provides a framework for future microbial studies in the Comau fjord.

The effect of a topical anesthetic on the sensitivity of calf dehorning wounds

The objective was to determine the effect of a topical local anesthetic on the sensitivity of dehorning wounds in calves. Thirty 2-mo-old Holstein-Friesian calves were randomly allocated to sham dehorning control (CON), scoop dehorning without treatment with topical anesthetic (SnoTA), or scoop dehorning with an application of a topical anesthetic (STA). Sensitivity was measured by providing mechanical stimulation to the dehorned wound and peri-wound area using von Frey monofilaments calibrated at 10 and 300 g. Calf responses were categorized as absent, minor, moderate, or severe. Sensitivity measurements were performed before treatment and at various time points up to 24h posttreatment. Sham dehorned calves displayed unchanging absent or minor responses to stimulation. Regardless of whether topical anesthetic was applied, scoop dehorned calves were more likely to display minor, moderate, or severe responses than sham dehorned control calves, and responses tended to be most extreme at 4h postdehorning. Calves in the STA group tended to be less likely to display minor, moderate, or severe responses than calves in the SnoTA group at most time points (exception at 4h postdehorning). Responses were significantly more likely to be less severe in STA calves than in SnoTA calves at 40 min and 1.5h following dehorning. Thus, the use of the topical anesthetic for calves reduced the short-term sensitivity of scoop dehorning wounds.

Gypsum-permineralized microfossils and their relevance to the search for life on Mars

Orbital and in situ analyses establish that aerially extensive deposits of evaporitic sulfates, including gypsum, are present on the surface of Mars. Although comparable gypsiferous sediments on Earth have been largely ignored by paleontologists, we here report the finding of diverse fossil microscopic organisms permineralized in bottom-nucleated gypsums of seven deposits: two from the Permian (∼260 Ma) of New Mexico, USA; one from the Miocene (∼6 Ma) of Italy; and four from Recent lacustrine and saltern deposits of Australia, Mexico, and Peru. In addition to presenting the first report of the widespread occurrence of microscopic fossils in bottom-nucleated primary gypsum, we show the striking morphological similarity of the majority of the benthic filamentous fossils of these units to the microorganisms of a modern sulfuretum biocoenose. Based on such similarity, in morphology as well as habitat, these findings suggest that anaerobic sulfur-metabolizing microbial assemblages have changed relatively little over hundreds of millions of years. Their discovery as fossilized components of the seven gypsiferous units reported suggests that primary bottom-nucleated gypsum represents a promising target in the search for evidence of past life on Mars. Key Words: Confocal laser scanning microscopy-Gypsum fossils-Mars sample return missions-Raman spectroscopy-Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument-Sulfuretum.

Magnifying lens for 800 MeV proton radiography

This article describes the design and performance of a magnifying magnetic-lens system designed, built, and commissioned at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for 800 MeV flash proton radiography. The technique of flash proton radiography has been developed at LANL to study material properties under dynamic loading conditions through the analysis of time sequences of proton radiographs. The requirements of this growing experimental program have resulted in the need for improvements in spatial radiographic resolution. To meet these needs, a new magnetic lens system, consisting of four permanent magnet quadrupoles, has been developed. This new lens system was designed to reduce the second order chromatic aberrations, the dominant source of image blur in 800 MeV proton radiography, as well as magnifying the image to reduce the blur contribution from the detector and camera systems. The recently commissioned lens system performed as designed, providing nearly a factor of three improvement in radiographic resolution.

New communities of large filamentous sulfur bacteria in the eastern South Pacific

New complex communities of morphologically diverse and sometimes abundant large, multicellular, filamentous bacteria were discovered in the oxygen-deficient, organically laden, shelf sediments under the oxygen minimum zone off the coast of the eastern Pacific, i.e., off the coasts of central and northern Chile; central and northern Perú; Roca Redonda, Galápagos Archipielago, Ecuador; and off the Pacific coasts of Panamá and Costa Rica. Similar microbial communities were also observed in the reduced layer of a muddy-sand beach adjacent to a mangrove swamp on Coiba Island, Pacific Panamá, and in the organically laden bottom underneath a salmon culture pen in southern Chile (region X). Of varying morphology, the diameters of the bacteria range from 1 to 10 mum, and their lengths from around 10 mum to usually several hundreds but at times several thousands of micrometers. The new filamentous bacterial component is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the also multicellular "megabacteria" Thioploca spp. and Beggiatoa spp., and is collectively referred to as "macrobacteria". A recent review only mentioned a few of these free-living filamentous bacteria, remarking on their scarcity despite the obvious advantages of a large size. This prokaryote size-window has been rarely investigated optically by researchers; thus, assemblages that appear to have had world-wide distribution probably since pre-Cambrian times have been overlooked.

Senescence-associated genes induced during compatible viral interactions with grapevine and Arabidopsis

The senescence process is the last stage in leaf development and is characterized by dramatic changes in cellular metabolism and the degeneration of cellular structures. Several reports of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) have appeared, and an overlap in some of the genes induced during senescence and pathogen infections has been observed. For example, the enhanced expression of SAGs in response to diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses that trigger the hypersensitive response (HR) or during infections induced by virulent fungi and bacteria that elicit necrotic symptoms has been observed. The present work broadens the search for SAGs induced during compatible viral interactions with both the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and a commercially important grapevine cultivar. The transcript profiles of Arabidopsis ecotype Uk-4 infected with tobacco mosaic virus strain Cg (TMV-Cg) and Vitis vinifera cv. Carménère infected with grapevine leafroll-associated virus strain 3 (GLRaV-3) were analysed using microarray slides of the reference species Arabidopsis. A large number of SAGs exhibited altered expression during these two compatible interactions. Among the SAGs were genes that encode proteins such as proteases, lipases, proteins involved in the mobilization of nutrients and minerals, transporters, transcription factors, proteins related to translation and antioxidant enzymes, among others. Thus, part of the plant's response to virus infection appears to be the activation of the senescence programme. Finally, it was demonstrated that several virus-induced genes are also expressed at elevated levels during natural senescence in healthy plants.

Gene expression associated with compatible viral diseases in grapevine cultivars

Viral diseases affect grapevine cultures without inducing any resistance response. Thus, these plants develop systemic diseases and are chronically infected. Molecular events associated with viral compatible infections responsible for disease establishment and symptoms development are poorly understood. In this study, we surveyed viral infection in grapevines at a transcriptional level. Gene expression in the Vitis vinifera red wine cultivars Carménère and Cabernet-Sauvignon naturally infected with GLRaV-3 were evaluated using a genome-wide expression profiling with the Vitis vinifera GeneChip from Affymetrix. We describe numerous genes that are induced or repressed in viral infected grapevines leaves. Changes in gene expression involved a wide spectrum of biological functions, including processes of translation and protein targeting, metabolism, transport, and cell defense. Considering cellular localization, the membrane and endomembrane systems appeared with the highest number of induced genes, while chloroplastic genes were mostly repressed. As most induced genes associated with the membranous system are involved in transport, the possible effect of virus in this process is discussed. Responses of both cultivars are analyzed and the results are compared with published data from other species. This is the first study of global gene profiling in grapevine in response to viral infections using DNA microarray.

Echocardiographic texture analysis using the wavelet transform: differentiation of early heart muscle disease

Echocardiographic quantitation of myocardial texture for diagnosis of early cardiomyopathy (CMP) remains problematic. Conventional statistical methods are limited, contributed by a small image region-of-interest (ROI) and difficulty in discrimination from noise. This study was performed to evaluate the 2-D Haar wavelet decomposition method as a tool to identify textural changes in a rat model of early CMP, focusing on changes that occur before development of M-mode structural abnormalities. Early diabetic CMP, ethanol CMP and diabetic-ethanol CMP rat models were evaluated. Echocardiography was performed on two groups of rats. Group I (5 week cohort, n = 4 per subgroup) included controls, rats on 12% ethanol, a diabetic subgroup, and diabetic rats on 4% ethanol. Group II (10 week cohort, n = 5 per subgroup) included the same categories as group I with an additional subgroup taking 4% ethanol was also studied. M-mode left ventricular measurements were comparable in all subgroups of group I. However, diabetic rats in group II had an increased left ventricular dimension (LVD) compared to all others and an increased septal dimension (IVSD) and posterior wall dimension (PWD) were noted in the 4% and 12% ethanol groups. End-diastolic digital images of all rats in the parasternal short axis view, at the papillary muscle level, were downloaded to a computer. A 16 x 16 (ROI) was selected from the anterior interventricular septum. Although standard statistical methods could not differentiate any of the groups, calculation of textural energy and normalized textural energy with the 2-D Haar wavelet decomposition method found at 5 weeks increased normalized texture energy in diabetics compared to all others. At 10 weeks increased texture energy was noted in diabetics. Diabetic-ethanol rats at both 5 and 10 weeks revealed a blunted textural energy compared to diabetic rats. In a rat model of diabetic cardiomyopathy, the 2-D wavelet decomposition method identified textural energy changes before development of echocardiographic structural changes. Ethanol-associated blunting of textural changes in diabetic rats was also noted. This method for quantitation of ventricular texture may be relevant for diagnosis of early cardiomyopathy.

TeV Observations of Markarian 501 with the Milagrito Water Cerenkov Detector

The Milagrito water Cerenkov detector near Los Alamos, New Mexico, was operated as a sky monitor at energies of a few TeV between 1997 February and 1998 May, including the period of the strong, long-lasting 1997 flare of Markarian 501. Milagrito served as a test run for the full Milagro detector. An event excess with a significance of 3.7 sigma from Markarian 501 was observed, in agreement with expectations.

Expression and inheritance of multiple transgenes in rice plants

The ability to control integration, inheritance, and expression of multiple transgenes is a prerequisite for manipulating biosynthetic pathways and complex agronomic characteristics in plants. One hundred and twenty-five independent transgenic rice plants were regenerated after cobombarding embryogenic tissues with a mixture of 14 different pUC-based plasmids. Eighty-five percent of the R0 plants contained more than two, and 17% more than nine, of the target genes. Plants containing multiple transgenes displayed normal morphologies and 63% set viable seed. Multigene cotransformation efficiency was correlated with the ratio in which the plasmids were mixed with respect to the selectable marker. All target genes had an equal chance of integration, indicating that the nature of the coding region had no effect on the efficiency of integration. Three plant lines containing 11, 10, and 9 transgenes, respectively, were analyzed for patterns of integration and inheritance until the R3 generation. Integration of multiple transgenes occurred at either one or two genetic loci, with inheritance conforming to a 3:1 Mendelian ratio. Coexpression of four marker genes was investigated until the R2 generation.

[Aneurysms of the left ventricle. Surgical treatment]

Left ventricular aneurysm as a complication of myocardial infarction is observed in 10% of patients. In recent years, all surgical teams have observed a significant decrease of this complication. There is no doubt that this is due to the current medical treatment in the acute phase of myocardial infarction. Surgical treatment is considered only when the ventricular aneurysm presents complications such as congestive heart failure, thromboembolism, malignant ventricular arrhythmias or angina. In this review, we comment on the principle surgical procedures reported up to now. The indication of surgery is based on good functional results and long-term survival.

Ketanserin and anxiety levels: influence of gender, estrous cycle, ovariectomy and ovarian hormones in female rats

The influence of gender, estrous cycle, ovariectomy and ovarian hormones on the behavioral effects of the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist, ketanserin (KET), was studied. Intact males, female rats in the four stages of the estrous cycle and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats 14 days after surgery were used. The OVX rats received progesterone [PROG, 25 mg/kg, subcutaneously (SC)] and/or estradiol benzoate (EB, 10 micrograms/kg, SC). KET (3 mg/kg, SC) was injected 30 min before testing. All the animals were subjected to the following behavioral tests: exploration of an elevated plus-maze and retention of a passive-avoidance response. KET enhanced the exploration of the open arms in diestrous female rats but inhibited this behavior during the other stages of the cycle and in OVX rats injected either with oil or EB. This dose of KET was ineffective in males and in OVX rats injected with PROG. Furthermore, KET inhibited the retention of the passive avoidance response in males, in diestrous and metestrous female rats and in OVX rats injected with oil. In estrous females and in OVX rats injected with EB, KET enhanced the passive-avoidance response. These results demonstrate that the sensitivity to KET differs with the gender, estrous cycle and hormonal treatment and suggest that central serotonergic activity is influenced by the hormonal status of the animal.

Infectious bronchitis: effect of viral doses and routes on specific lacrimal and serum antibody responses in chickens

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the effect of various infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) (strain H-120) vaccine doses and routes of immunization on specific lacrimal and serum antibody responses. The results of the first trial showed that the maximum dose, 10(6) median embryo infective doses (EID50s), delivered by the ocular route elicited both a systemic and a local antibody response in the vaccinated chickens. Lower doses of vaccinal virus, 10(4) (median dose) and 10(2) (minimum dose) EID50 delivered by the same route did not induce a detectable systemic antibody response. A significant increase of IBV-specific lacrimal IgA was elicited by both the maximum and the median vaccine doses. The low vaccine dose (10(2) EID50) did not induce a detectable increase of lacrimal IgA. In a second trial approximately the same vaccine dose was administered to different chicken groups by ocular instillation, drinking water, spray, and cloaca. The results showed that all routes of vaccination tested, including the cloacal route, resulted in an increase of specific serum antibodies. Higher IgG levels were detected throughout the experimental period after vaccination by the ocular route as compared with vaccination via the drinking water. All routes of vaccination tested resulted in an increase of specific IgA in lacrimal fluid. The vaccine application methods spray, ocular instillation, and drinking water induced similar lacrimal IgA responses.

Cost-benefit analysis for the use of Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine in Santiago, Chile

Cost-benefit analyses can be integral to the evaluation of interventions in developing countries. The authors compare the potential benefits to the Chilean Ministry of Health, in terms of treatment costs averted, by prevention of Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB) invasive disease, with the costs of adding HIB conjugate vaccine to the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) immunization routinely administered to infants. In their basecase model, over a 10-year period (1991-2000), vaccination against HIB will prevent 1,229 cases of HIB invasive disease, including 713 cases of meningitis, 107 of whom would suffer severe, long-term sequelae, and between 29 and 116 deaths. Assuming a cost of US$1 for a full three-dose regimen of vaccine, the benefit/cost ratio of 1.66, with a net discounted savings of over $403,225, illustrates that HIB vaccine can be cost-beneficial. Sensitivity analyses which alter each of the variables in the analysis indicate that if the true incidence of HIB disease is twice the published rate, then three doses of vaccine remains cost-beneficial at US#3.

Sipple syndrome with lichen amyloidosis as a paracrinopathy: pleiotropy, heterogeneity, or a contiguous gene?

A five-generation white family with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A had six affected members. Two, a mother and her daughter, had interscapular cutaneous pruritic lesions resembling macular/lichen amyloidosis. In the daughter, light microscopy showed homogeneous aggregates in the papillary dermis. Crystal violet staining showed metachromasia and indicated that the deposits were amyloid. This is the fourth family with familial medullary thyroid carcinoma with cutaneous amyloidosis and as such it allowed comparative analysis. Genetic heterogeneity, a contiguous gene, and pleiotropy were considered. It appears that multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A/familial medullary thyroid carcinoma with cutaneous amyloidosis represents the phenotypic variability of the expression of a pleiotropic gene. The condition is one of the predominantly ectodermal autosomal dominant phakomatoses and is most likely a paracrinopathy.