10 research outputs found
Multiplexity in food sharing and cooperative networks: Implications for household vulnerability in the Alaskan North
No full textObsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with panic disorder
No full textComorbidity studies have shown an important association between panic disorder (PD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and OCD in patients with PD. Forty-eight consecutive PD cases (DSM-IV diagnostic criteria) referred to a Brazilian university hospital clinic were studied. The Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) checklist was used to identify the OCS. Subclinical OCD was considered when subjects met all but one DSM-IV criteria for OCD (symptoms did not cause significant distress and interference, did not last more than 1 hour per day, or were not considered excessive or irrational), and OCS when only the criterion for presence of obsessions or compulsions was met. Twenty-nine (60.4%) of the 48 patients evaluated (19 men and 29 women) had at least one OCS: nine (18.8%) had mild OCS, 11 (22.9%) had subclinical OCD, and nine (18.8%) had comorbid OCD. Therefore, 41.7% of the patients had either clinical or subclinical OCD. OCS occurred more frequently in women and, in 70.4% of the cases, preceded the onset of PD. Our results suggest that it is important to evaluate systematically the co-occurrence of OCS in patients with PD, due to the considerable overlap found in symptoms, which may have therapeutic implications. As panic symptoms are usually the main complaint, OCS are often found only when directly investigated. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Med, Dept Neurol & Psiquiat, BR-18618970 Botucatu, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Sch Med, Dept Psychiat, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Fac Med, Dept Neurol & Psiquiat, BR-18618970 Botucatu, SP, Brazi
Measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above 10(18) eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory
No full textWe report a measurement of the flux of cosmic rays with unprecedented precision and statistics using the Pierre Auger Observatory. Based on fluorescence observations in coincidence with at least one surface detector we derive a spectrum for energies above 10¹⁸ eV. We also update the previously published energy spectrum obtained with the surface detector array. The two spectra are combined addressing the systematic uncertainties and, in particular, the influence of the energy resolution on the spectral shape. The spectrum can be described by a broken power law E−γ with index γ=3.3 below the ankle which is measured at log10(Eankle/eV)=18.6. Above the ankle the spectrum is described by a power law with index 2.6 followed by a flux suppression, above about log10(E/eV)=19.5, detected with high statistical significance.J. Abraham... K. B. Barber... J. A. Bellido... R. W. Clay... M. J. Cooper... B. R. Dawson... A. E. Herve... V. C. Holmes... J. Sorokin... P. Wahrlich... B. J. Whelan... M. G. Winnick..
Development of ion trap HPLC-MS detection methods for the determination of prevalent mycotoxins in grain and application to real samples
No full textThe prevalent trichothecenes deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and HT-2 as well as zearalenone, zearalenol, ochratoxin A and citrinin are typical widespread mycotoxins in temperate climate zones mainly produced by the genus Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. Consequently, they co-occur frequently in the same agricultural commodities, especially in grain. Their simultaneous determination is highly desirable for screening method devices, due to the continuous need to protect the health of humans and animals by limiting their exposure to mycotoxins.
A rapid quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of the above mentioned mycotoxins was developed using HPLC coupled to an ion trap mass spectrometer equipped with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source. It has been specifically developed for the rapid primary screening of cereal samples. The fast HPLC separation and APCI(+) detection which allows to detect mycotoxins of highly different polarity (lipophilic to ionic), make this method suitable for high sample throughput and routine analysis. Additionally, a fast and easy sample cleanup method was developed applying C18 and SAX SPE cartridges for the elution of mycotoxins with a wide range of polarity. Recoveries were in the range of 46-106 % and the limits of detection were between 25 and 125 ppb for different mycotoxins. Wheat and corn was chosen for the analysis of real samples.
Fumonisins belong to a substance class of mycotoxins, which was discovered recently (1988) and consists of long-chain methyl branched amino alcohols. Even nowadays the analysis of fumonisins is a big challenge not only because of the risk of the already known fumonisins in food, but also due to the fact that they form degradation and reaction products during food processing, which are not sufficiently characterized yet.
A method was developed for the quantification of fumonisins in corn based on reversed phase HPLC/MS and multiple MS. This lead for FB1 to a improved LOD of 0.6 ppb and a LOQ of 8 ppb, which is a factor of five better compared to the former fluorescence method. Furthermore, a reduced chromatographic run time of up to 50 % could be applied successfully even for the analysis of real samples. Various corn products were examined for fumonisin contaminations. Products from the Swiss market were all below the tolerance level of 1 ppm.
To overcome matrix effects and guarantee to a reliable quantification of analytes an adequate ISTD was searched. Several approaches using uncomplicated and easy to perform synthesis was carried out adding protection groups to fumonisins. Unfortunately, the obtained products had either a too low stability under acidic conditions or the synthesis was not complete.
A total of 48 winter wheat samples from 1998 and 2000 were investigated by HPLC-MS for the presence of the trichothecenes nivalenol (NIV), deoxynivalenol (DON), neosolaniol (NEO), fusarenon-X (F-X), diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), HT-2-toxin (HT-2) and T-2-toxin (T-2). Robustness of the applied technique under routine conditions was good and corresponding quality control information is given. The wheat samples were cultivated on a long-term field trial in
Switzerland with three different farming systems (biodynamic, bioorganic and conventional). DON was detected in 100%, NIV in 67% and HT-2 in 25% of all wheat samples. Only 48% of the detectable DON concentrations were above the limit of quantification (LOQ, 50 μg/kg). The range varied between 10-206 μg/kg. NIV and HT-2 were detected at concentrations around or below their LOQ (NIV: 100 μg/kg; HT-2: 10 μg/kg).
Statistically significant differences between the three farming systems could not be found although there were some indications that wheat from organic farming had lower DON contaminations than that from conventional farming. However, the results indicated that the presence and levels of (selected) trichothecenes may not be suitable as marker to differentiate between the three given farming systems. Furthermore, the results showed that even in years with low or nearly no fungal infection (warm and dry summers) low contaminations of DON in wheat are inevitable
The northern site of the Pierre Auger Observatory
No full textThe Pierre Auger Observatory is an international facility dedicated to the full-sky study of the highest-energy cosmic rays. The southern site of the Auger Observatory was completed in June 2008. Data collected since January 2004 have yielded important information on the energy spectrum, the primary particle composition, the fluxes of photons and neutrinos and on the anisotropic distribution of the arrival directions of the most energetic particles. On this basis, the scientific motivation for the northern Auger Observatory site in Colorado, USA, is discussed. The overall layout, the key components and the expected performance of this 20 000 km2 hybrid observatory comprised of an array of 4400 surface detectors and 39 fluorescence telescopes are describedThe Pierre Auger Collaboration: P. Abreu...K.B. Barber, J.A. Bellido,...R.W. Clay, M.J. Cooper, ...B.R. Dawson,...A.E. Herve,...V.C. Holmes,...J.S. Sorokin,...P.S. Wahrlich, B.J.Whelan, M. Winnick...M. Ziolkowski, et al
5G-MoNArch use case for ETSI ENI: elastic resource management and orchestration
No full textProceeding of: 2018 IEEE Conference on Standards for Communications and Networking (CSCN)5G networks will grant spectacular improvements of the most relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) while allowing resource multi-tenancy through network slicing. However, the other side of the coin is represented by the huge increase of the management complexity and the need for efficient algorithms for resource orchestration. Therefore, the management and orchestration of the network through Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms is considered a promising solution, as it allows to reduce the human interaction (usually expensive and error-prone) and scale to large scenario composed by thousands of slices in heterogeneous environments. In this paper, we provide a review of the current standardization efforts in this field, mostly due to the work performed by the Experiential Network Intelligence (ENI) industry specification group (ISG) within the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Then, we thoroughly describe an exemplary use case on elastic network management and orchestration through learning solutions proposed by the 5GPPP project 5G-MoNArch and recently approved at ETSI ENI
Measurement of the depth of maximum of extensive air showers above 10(18) eV
No full textWe describe the measurement of the depth of maximum, Xmax, of the longitudinal development of air showers induced by cosmic rays. Almost 4000 events above 10¹⁸ eV observed by the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory in coincidence with at least one surface detector station are selected for the analysis. The average shower maximum was found to evolve with energy at a rate of (106-₂₁⁺³⁵) g/cm2/decade below 10¹⁸.²⁴±⁰.⁰⁵ eV, and (24±3) g/cm²/decade above this energy. The measured shower-to-shower fluctuations decrease from about 55 to 26 g/cm². The interpretation of these results in terms of the cosmic ray mass composition is briefly discussed.J. Abraham... K. B. Barber... M. J. Cooper... B. R. Dawson... V. C. Holmes... et al.(Pierre Auger Collaboration
A study of the effect of molecular and aerosol conditions in the atmosphere on air fluorescence measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory
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84338.pdf (Author’s version preprint ) (Open Access)21 p
Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory
No full textThe surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory consists of 1600 water-Cherenkov detectors, for the study of extensive air showers (EAS) generated by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We describe the trigger hierarchy, from the identification of candidate showers at the level of a single detector, amongst a large background (mainly random single cosmic ray muons), up to the selection of real events and the rejection of random coincidences. Such trigger makes the surface detector array fully efficient for the detection of EAS with energy above 3 × 1018 eV, for all zenith angles between 0{ring operator} and 60{ring operator}, independently of the position of the impact point and of the mass of the primary particle. In these range of energies and angles, the exposure of the surface array can be determined purely on the basis of the geometrical acceptance. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.J. Abraham... K.B. Barber... J.A. Bellido... R.W. Clay... M.J. Cooper... B.R. Dawson... A.E. Herve... V.C. Holmes... J. Sorokin... P. Wahrlich... B.J. Whelan... M.G. Winnick... et al.http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505701/description#descriptio
