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Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, and the prevalence of CVDs increases markedly with age. Due to the high energetic demand, the heart is highly sensitive to mitochondrial dysfunction. The complexity of the cardiac mitochondrial proteome hinders the development of effective strategies that target mitochondrial dysfunction in CVDs. Mammalian mitochondria are composed of over 1000 proteins, most of which can undergo post-translational modifications (PTMs). Top-down proteomics is a powerful technique for characterizing and quantifying proteoform sequence variations and PTMs. However, there are still knowledge gaps in the study of age-related mitochondrial proteoform changes using this technique. In this study, we used top-down proteomics to identify intact mitochondrial proteoforms in young and old hearts and determined changes in protein abundance and PTMs in cardiac aging. Methods: Intact mitochondria were isolated from the hearts of young (4-month-old) and old (24-25-month-old) mice. The mitochondria were lysed, and mitochondrial lysates were subjected to denaturation, reduction, and alkylation. For quantitative top-down analysis, there were 12 runs in total arising from 3 biological replicates in two conditions, with technical duplicates for each sample. The collected top-down datasets were deconvoluted and quantified, and then the proteoforms were identified. Results: From a total of 12 LC-MS/MS runs, we identified 134 unique mitochondrial proteins in the different sub-mitochondrial compartments (OMM, IMS, IMM, matrix). 823 unique proteoforms in different mass ranges were identified. Compared to cardiac mitochondria of young mice, 7 proteoforms exhibited increased abundance and 13 proteoforms exhibited decreased abundance in cardiac mitochondria of old mice. Our analysis also detected PTMs of mitochondrial proteoforms, including N-terminal acetylation, lysine succinylation, lysine acetylation, oxidation, and phosphorylation. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD051505. Conclusion: By combining mitochondrial protein enrichment using mitochondrial fractionation with quantitative top-down analysis using ultrahigh-pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC)-MS and label-free quantitation, we successfully identified and quantified intact proteoforms in the complex mitochondrial proteome. Using this approach, we detected age-related changes in abundance and PTMs of mitochondrial proteoforms in the heart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sortilin is a protein with tumour-suppressor activity. Among other functions, sortilin moves around other proteins in the cell and also out of it by leading them to small vesicles termed exosomes. The aim of this study was to establish the degree of abnormal expression of the gene in non-small cell lung cancer. We show here that the alternative forms of the gene are affected both qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, the ratio of their expression changes. We demonstrate that expression changes of the SORT1 form are due to DNA methylation of its regulatory region. As sortilin is involved in trafficking EGFR, a known target of current drugs, it is possible that these alterations, beyond their involvement in cancer development, may be predictive of the response to these therapies. Sortilin is an important regulator with potential tumour-suppressor function by limiting EGFR signalling. In this study, we undertook a comprehensive expression analysis of sortilin transcript variants and the DNA methylation status of their corresponding promoters in human non-small cell carcinomas (NSCLCs). RNA/DNA was extracted from 81 NSCLC samples and paired normal tissue. mRNA expression was measured by qPCR and DNA methylation determined by pyrosequencing. BigDye-terminator sequencing was used to confirm exon-8 alternative splicing. Results demonstrated that both SORT1A and SORT1B variants were downregulated in lung tumours. The SORT1A/SORT1B expression ratio was higher in tumours compared to normal tissue. SORT1B promoter hypermethylation was detected in lung tumours compared to normal lung (median difference 14%, Mann–Whitney test p = 10−6). Interestingly, SORT1B is hypermethylated in white blood cells, but a small and very consistent drop in methylation (6%, p = 10−15) was observed in the lung cancer cases compared to control subjects. We demonstrate that the SORT1B exon-8 splice variation, reported in sequence databases, is also a feature of SORT1A. The significantly altered quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sortilin mRNA in NSCLC indicate a significant involvement in tumour pathogenesis and may have significant impact for its utility as a predictive marker in lung cancer management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research objective considered examining the perception of chilean teachers about entrepreneurship, innovation and gamification through a non-experimental study of a transversal nature, with a quantitative approach and a descriptive-correlational scope. 106 teachers from six educational establishments were surveyed through a Likert-type questionnaire and a comparative analyzes of mean differences were carried out through ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson was used to examine the relationships between variables and sociodemographic data. The main findings support the idea that the promotion of innovation, entrepreneurship and gamification in education should not be considered in isolation, but rather as complementary components that can strengthen each other to enrich the teaching-learning process and encourage the development of essential skills in students. It is concluded that there is a solid commitment to innovation in teaching, but it is necessary to consider improvements in the field of entrepreneurship and gamification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En el presente artículo se realiza el análisis filológico del volumen 3169 de la Biblioteca Nacional de España en el cual se encuentran foliados importantes manuscritos incunables de la cultura andina. En primer lugar, se revisan algunos de los fenómenos textuales que se repiten en los márgenes a lo largo de todo el volumen, proponiendo hipótesis inter-pretativas sobre su aparición y uso. Luego, se reflexiona acerca de las fechas y autoría de los manuscritos, distinguiendo aquellas reales de las que se ha propuesto a partir de datos contextuales con distinto grado de fiabilidad. Finalmente, se discute una hipótesis sobre el proyecto textual del volumen en cuestión. The present article performs a philological analysis of volume 3169 of the National Library of Spain, wherein numbered folios of incunabula of Andean culture can be found. First, some of the textual phenomena that recur throughout volume 3169 are examined and interpretive hypotheses about their appearance and use are proposed. Second, the dates and authorship of the manuscripts are discussed, distinguishing between those actually known and those that have been deduced from contextual data with varying degrees of trustworthiness. Finally, a hypothesis is put forward about what underlying project the creation of this volume would have intended to further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of interdisciplinary research on the topic of diet and mobility in the arheic zone of northern Chile during the Late Intermediate period (AD 900–1450), based on the study of the Pica-8 cemetery. A strategic location between the Altiplano and the coast, Pica-8 was used by an agrarian population that grew tropical and semitropical species of plants, especially maize, and engaged in highly sophisticated craft production. During the development of the Pica-Tarapacá complex, resources moved between inland oases and the coast, based on the evidence of marine species found in the valleys and vice versa. We describe the Pica-8 population using radiocarbon dates and stable isotope analysis to gain insight into diet and mobility. We also consider the relationship between diet, mobility, and funerary contexts. Results demonstrate that diet was quite variable, with groups eating a mix of marine and terrestrial resources, as well as maize. The presence of nonlocal objects suggests that Pica acted as a contact point between the coast and the Altiplano. No relationship was found between funerary context and diet. We conclude that coastal and Pica oasis populations were in permanent contact and that their relations were characterized by social harmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sexual identity is a construct that has been installed in communities as a way of understanding diversity. It is composed of gender identity, gender role, biological sex, and sexual orientation. From an integrative approach, the objective of the research focused on unveiling in the academic experience the configurations of meaning in prescriptive and active discourses regarding sexual identity in a higher education institution that trains educators from the perspectives of inclusion and diversity. The study was based on an interpretative-qualitative approach with a hermeneutic phenomenological design, focusing on the lived experiences of the subjects. The work was divided into two stages, the first in interviews, the second in a documentary analysis. Within the active discourses, the academics staff configure their sexual identity as a gender self-concept and maintain a relationship of tension between the personal and work worlds. From the prescriptive discourses, the sexual identity of the subjects is understood from their gender self-concept, in which the roles and functions assumed by them are evaluated according to their efficiency, leaving underhand the self-esteem or authenticity of the subjects. In conclusion, sexual identity is manifested as a gender self-concept. That is to say, the subjects' evaluation of themselves is based on their self-esteem, self-efficiency, and authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seemingly normal tissues progressively become populated by mutant clones over time. Most of these clones bear mutations in well-known cancer genes but only rarely do they transform into cancer. This poses questions on what triggers cancer initiation and what implications somatic variation has for cancer early detection. We analyzed recent mutational screens of healthy and cancer-free diseased tissues to compare somatic drivers and the causes of somatic variation across tissues. We then reviewed the mechanisms of clonal expansion and their relationships with age and diseases other than cancer. We finally discussed the relevance of somatic variation for cancer initiation and how it can help or hinder cancer detection and prevention. The extent of somatic variation is highly variable across tissues and depends on intrinsic features, such as tissue architecture and turnover, as well as the exposure to endogenous and exogenous insults. Most somatic mutations driving clonal expansion are tissue-specific and inactivate tumor suppressor genes involved in chromatin modification and cell growth signaling. Some of these genes are more frequently mutated in normal tissues than cancer, indicating a context-dependent cancer-promoting or -protective role. Mutant clones can persist over a long time or disappear rapidly, suggesting that their fitness depends on the dynamic equilibrium with the environment. The disruption of this equilibrium is likely responsible for their transformation into malignant clones and knowing what triggers this process is key for cancer prevention and early detection. Somatic variation should be considered in liquid biopsy, where it may contribute cancer-independent mutations, and in the identification of cancer drivers, since not all mutated genes favoring clonal expansion also drive tumorigenesis. Somatic variation and the factors governing homeostasis of normal tissues should be taken into account when devising strategies for cancer prevention and early detection. • Somatic tissues become a patchwork of mutant clones as we age. • The extent of somatic variation depends on tissue features and exposure to insults. • Ninety percent of genes driving somatic clonal expansion are well-known cancer drivers. • Mutations in multiple drivers and chromosomal instability are needed for cancer transformation. • Somatic variation poses challenges but also provides promising opportunities for cancer early detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) has two main pathological hallmarks, the loss of nigral dopamine neurons and the proteinaceous aggregations of ⍺-synuclein (⍺Syn) in neuronal Lewy pathology. These two co-existing features suggest a causative association between ⍺Syn aggregation and the underpinning mechanism of neuronal degeneration in PD. Both increased levels and post-translational modifications of ⍺Syn can contribute to the formation of pathological aggregations of ⍺Syn in neurons. Recent studies have shown that the protein is also expressed by multiple types of non-neuronal cells in the brain and peripheral tissues, suggesting additional roles of the protein and potential diversity in non-neuronal pathogenic triggers. It is important to determine (1) the threshold levels triggering ⍺Syn to convert from a biological to a pathologic form in different brain cells in PD; (2) the dominant form of pathologic ⍺Syn and the associated post-translational modification of the protein in each cell type involved in PD; and (3) the cell type associated biological processes impacted by pathologic ⍺Syn in PD. This review integrates these aspects and speculates on potential pathological mechanisms and their impact on neuronal and non-neuronal ⍺Syn in the brains of patients with PD. • Cell type-specific levels of ⍺Syn in Parkinson's disease. • Cell type-specific dominant forms of ⍺Syn in Parkinson's disease. • The toxic effects of ⍺Syn on cellular biological processes in Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent use of a new ensemble in density functional theory (DFT) to produce direct corrections to the Kohn-Sham transitions yields the elusive double excitations that are missed by time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) with the standard adiabatic approximation. But accuracies are lower than for single excitations, and formal arguments about TDDFT suggest that a correction kernel is needed. In principle, ensemble DFT with direct corrections at the exchange level must yield accurate doubles in the weakly correlated limit. We illustrate with exact calculations and analytic results on the Hubbard dimer. We also explain the error in formal arguments in TDDFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article exposes a historical panoramic once the occupation phases have been verified and analyzed after the recent archaeological interventions (2009-2018). As a support of that study more than thirty radiocarbon datings have been added to the sectors presenting less alterations and with more constructive evidence. Nevertheless, it has been proved an origin of the use of this redoubt in the 5th century BC. This data allows the opening of a new perspective in the investigation of the north peninsular fortifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Last Glacial Termination (T1) featured major changes in global circulation systems that led to a shift from glacial to interglacial climate. While polar ice cores attest to an antiphased thermal pattern at millennial timescales, recent well-dated moraine records from both hemispheres suggest in-phase fluctuations in glaciers through T1, which is inconsistent with the bipolar see-saw paradigm. Here, we present a glacier chronology based on 30 new 10Be surface exposure ages from well-preserved moraines in the Lago Palena/General Vintter basin in northern Patagonia (~ 44°S). We find that the main glacier lobe underwent profound retreat after 19.7 ± 0.7 ka. This recessional trend led to the individualization of the Cerro Riñón glacier by ~ 16.3 ka, which underwent minor readvances at 15.9 ± 0.5 ka during Heinrich Stadial 1, during the Antarctic Cold Reversal with successive maxima at 13.5 ± 0.4, 13.1 ± 0.4, and 13.1 ± 0.5 ka, and a minor culmination at 12.5 ± 0.4 ka during Younger Dryas time. We conclude that fluctuations of Patagonian glaciers during T1 were controlled primarily by climate anomalies brought by shifts in the Southern Westerly Winds (SWW) locus. We posit that the global covariation of mountain glaciers during T1 was linked to variations in atmospheric CO2 (atmCO2) promoted by the interplay of the SWW-Southern Ocean system at millennial timescales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial cells express multiple receptors mediating estrogen responses; including the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER). Past studies on nitric oxide (NO) production elicited by estrogens raised the question whether 17-β-estradiol (E2) and natural phytoestrogens activate equivalent mechanisms. We hypothesized that E2 and phytoestrogens elicit NO production via coupling to distinct intracellular pathways signalling. To this aim, perfusion of E2 and phytoestrogens to the precontracted rat mesentery bed examined vasorelaxation, while fluorescence microscopy on primary endothelial cells cultures quantified single cell NO production determined following 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluoroescein diacetate (DAF) incubation. Daidzein (DAI) and genistein (GEN) induced rapid vasodilatation associated to NO production. Multiple estrogen receptor activity was inferred based on the reduction of DAF-NO signals; G-36 (GPER antagonist) reduced 75 % of all estrogen responses, while fulvestrant (selective nuclear receptor antagonist) reduced significantly more the phytoestrogens responses than E2. The joint application of both antagonists abolished the E2 response but not the phytoestrogen-induced DAF-NO signals. Wortmannin or LY-294002 (PI3K inhibitors), reduced by 90% the E2-evoked signal while altering significantly less the DAI-induced response. In contrast, H-89 (PKA inhibitor), elicited a 23% reduction of the E2-induced signal while blocking 80% of the DAI-induced response. Desmethylxestospongin-B (IP3 receptor antagonist), decreased to equal extent the E2 or the DAI-induced signal. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induced NO production, cell treatment with AG-1478, an EGF receptor kinase inhibitor reduced 90% DAI-induced response while only 53% the E2-induced signals; highlighting GPER induced EGF receptor trans-modulation. Receptor functional selectivity may explain distinct signalling pathways mediated by E2 and phytoestrogens. [Display omitted] • Estradiol, daidzein and genistein produce nitric oxide in endothelial cells. • The estrogen or phytoestrogen-induced NO production is coupled to vasorelaxation. • Endothelial cells express multiple estrogen receptors. • Estradiol and daidzein elicit EGFR transactivation. • Estradiol-induced NO production signalling differs from the daidzein-induced signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miRNAs are short noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by inhibiting translation or inducing degradation of target mRNAs. miRNAs are often expressed as polycistronic transcripts, so-called miRNA clusters, containing several miRNA precursors. The largest mammalian miRNA cluster, the miR-379-410 cluster, is expressed primarily during embryonic development and in the adult brain; however, downstream regulation of this cluster is not well understood. Here, we investigated adenosine deamination to inosine (RNA editing) in the miR-379-410 cluster by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes as a possible mechanism modulating the expression and activity of these miRNAs in a brain-specific manner. We show that the levels of editing in the majority of mature miRNAs are lower than the editing levels of the corresponding site in primary miRNA precursors. However, for one miRNA, miR-376b-3p, editing was significantly higher in the mature form than in the primary precursor. We found miR-376b-3p maturation is negatively regulated by ADAR2 in an editing activity-independent manner, whereas ADAR1- mediated and ADAR2-mediated editing were observed to be competitive. In addition, the edited miR-376b-3p targets a different set of mRNAs than unedited miR-376b-3p, including 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, encoding the enzyme responsible for the catabolism of the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Expression of edited miR-376b-3p led to increased intracellular GABA levels as well as increased cell surface presentation of GABA type A receptors. Our results indicate that both editing and editing-independent effects modulate the expression of miR-376b-3p, with the potential to regulate GABAergic signaling in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a geomorphic map of the glacial landforms associated with the Golfo Corcovado ice lobe in northwestern Patagonia. Built upon prior studies, our map elaborates on the central and southern sectors of Isla Grande de Chiloé and neighboring islands. Through a combination of remote sensing techniques and exhaustive fieldwork, we identified a suite of ice-marginal, subglacial, and glaciofluvial features created by the Golfo Corcovado ice lobe during four maxima within the last glacial cycle, in none of which the ice-front reached the Pacific coast of Isla Grande de Chiloé. Our mapping builds a foundation and provides insights for future interdisciplinary research on the Late Quaternary sequence of glacial and paleoclimatic events in this key sector of northwestern Patagonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research sought to determine the attitudes and capabilities of teachers towards educational innovation from the perspective of 828 students from 19 educational establishments in the Biobío region of Chile. In order to answer the research questions, we conducted comparative analyses of mean differences using ANOVA, the t-test, and correlations using Pearson’s coefficient. The main results show that teachers are generally highly rated by students in terms of the characteristics of an innovative teacher, particularly regarding respect (84.7%), disposition (86.9%), commitment (82%), and vocation (81.1%). However, they are less well rated on the use of technological tools such as email and social networks to support the teaching-learning process. In addition, women appear to have a higher opinion of some characteristics of teachers linked to interpersonal relationships. Finally, the correlations revealed a positive and significant relationship for the variables examined with respect to the students’ gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Growing old together: hemodynamic coupling of the left ventricle, arterial system, and brain" explores the relationship between aging, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function. The authors discuss the prevalence of dementia and cardiovascular diseases in the aging population and highlight the correlation between cognitive decline and impaired cardiac function. They use a computational model to study the effects of age-related changes in the arterial system and left ventricle on brain hemodynamics. The findings suggest that increased LV contractility and aortic stiffness can lead to elevated levels of harmful pulsatile energy transmission to the brain, which may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. However, increasing heart rate or LV contractility levels could potentially compensate for reduced cerebral blood flow caused by aortic stiffening and maintain brain perfusion. The study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between the heart, arteries, and brain in the context of aging. [Extracted from the article]

Quantum homogeneous spaces are noncommutative spaces with quantum group covariance. Their semiclassical counterparts are Poisson homogeneous spaces, which are quotient manifolds of Lie groups M = G/H equipped with an additional Poisson structure π which is compatible with a Poisson–Lie structure Π on G. Since the infinitesimal version of Π defines a unique Lie bialgebra structure δ on the Lie algebra , we exploit the idea of Lie bialgebra duality in order to study the notion of complementary dual homogeneous space M⊥ = G*/H⊥ of a given homogeneous space M with respect to a coisotropic Lie bialgebra. Then, by considering the natural notions of reductive and symmetric homogeneous spaces, we extend these concepts to M⊥ thus showing that an even richer duality framework between M and M⊥ arises from them. In order to analyze physical implications of these notions, the case of M being a Minkowski or (anti-) de Sitter Poisson homogeneous spacetime is fully studied, and the corresponding complementary dual reductive and symmetric spaces M⊥ are explicitly constructed in the case of the well-known κ-deformation, where the cosmological constant Λ is introduced as an explicit parameter in order to describe all Lorentzian spaces simultaneously. In particular, the fact that M⊥ is a reductive space is shown to provide a natural condition for the representation theory of the quantum analogue of M that ensures the existence of physically meaningful uncertainty relations between the noncommutative spacetime coordinates. Finally, despite these dual spaces M⊥ are not endowed in general with a G*-invariant metric, we show that their geometry can be described by making use of K-structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycystin‐1 (PC1) is a transmembrane protein found in different cell types, including cardiomyocytes. Alterations in PC1 expression have been linked to mitochondrial damage in renal tubule cells and in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. However, to date, the regulatory role of PC1 in cardiomyocyte mitochondria is not well understood. The analysis of mitochondrial morphology from cardiomyocytes of heterozygous PC1 mice (PDK1+/−) using transmission electron microscopy showed that cardiomyocyte mitochondria were smaller with increased mitochondria density and circularity. These parameters were consistent with mitochondrial fission. We knocked‐down PC1 in cultured rat cardiomyocytes and human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)‐derived cardiomyocytes to evaluate mitochondrial function and morphology. The results showed that downregulation of PC1 expression results in reduced protein levels of sub‐units of the OXPHOS complexes and less functional mitochondria (reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial respiration, and ATP production). This mitochondrial dysfunction activates the elimination of defective mitochondria by mitophagy, assessed by an increase of autophagosome adapter protein LC3B and the recruitment of the Parkin protein to the mitochondria. siRNA‐mediated PC1 knockdown leads to a loss of the connectivity of the mitochondrial network and a greater number of mitochondria per cell, but of smaller sizes, which characterizes mitochondrial fission. PC1 silencing also deregulates the AKT‐FoxO1 signaling pathway, which is involved in the regulation of mitochondrial metabolism, mitochondrial morphology, and processes that are part of cell quality control, such as mitophagy. Together, these data provide new insights about the controls that PC1 exerts on mitochondrial morphology and function in cultured cardiomyocytes dependent on the AKT‐FoxO1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is a Ca2+‐activated and voltage‐dependent monovalent cation channel, which depolarizes the plasma cell membrane, thereby modulating Ca2+ influx across Ca2+‐permeable pathways. TRPM4 is involved in different physiological processes such as T cell activation and the migration of endothelial and certain immune cells. Overexpression of this channel has been reported in various types of tumors including prostate cancer. In this study, a significant overexpression of TRPM4 was found only in samples from cancer with a Gleason score higher than 7, which are more likely to spread. To evaluate whether TRPM4 overexpression was related to the spreading capability of tumors, TRPM4 was knockdown by using shRNAs in PC3 prostate cancer cells and the effect on cellular migration and invasion was analyzed. PC3 cells with reduced levels of TRPM4 (shTRPM4) display a decrease of the migration/invasion capability. A reduction in the expression of Snail1, a canonical epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, was also observed. Consistently, these cells showed a significant change in the expression of key EMT markers such as MMP9, E‐cadherin/N‐cadherin, and vimentin, indicating a partial reversion of the EMT process. Whereas, the overexpression of TRPM4 in LnCaP cells resulted in increased levels of Snail1, reduction in the expression of E‐cadherin and increase in their migration potential. This study suggests a new and indirect mechanism of regulation of migration/invasion process by TRPM4 in prostate cancer cells, by inducing the expression of Snail1 gene and consequently, increasing the EMT. TRPM4 expression and function modulate the inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK‐3β promoting the β‐Catenin stability and its transcriptional activity on several genes involved in proliferation as Myc and CCND1 and EMT markers, such as Zeb, Vimentin, and Snail1. Also, this effect could regulate the stability of Snail1, promoting the invasive phenotype thought the regulation of the EMT markers as E‐Cadherin, N‐Cadherin, MMPs, and others. Interestingly, TRPM4 it is involved directly in the focal adhesion turnover promoting the cellular migration. These finding highlight this ion channel as a new potential target for future cancer therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research studies the behavior of the optimal parameters and the efficiency of the Tuned Combined Damper (TCD) in the control of a structure subjected to seismic excitation, when uncertainty is incorporated in the mass ratio and the length ratio. The TCD is a device made up of a tuned liquid column damper (TLCD), and a tuned mass damper (TMD). Seismic excitation is modeled as a stationary type zeromean Gaussian stochastic process. It is considered a seismic excitation with a high frequency content. The equivalent statistical linearization method is used to linearize the nonlinear equation associated with the tuned fluid damper. The sensitivity of the optimal parameters, the tuning ratio and the head loss coefficient of the TLCD, and the tuning and damping ratio of the AMS are analyzed by including an uncertainty in the mass ratio and the length ratio. Reduction of displacement of the main structure is used as optimization criterion. The TCD efficiency and root mean square RMS of the main system displacement are obtained. The results show that the most sensitive parameter is the head loss coefficient, when faced with an uncertainty in the length ratio. It is concluded that the efficiency of the TCD and RMS of displacement of the main structure is insensitive to an uncertainty of less than 10%, both of the mass ratio and the length ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aims of this study are (a) to assess the psychometric quality of an instrument of acceptance of new technologies adapted from the UTAUT model, (b) to validate the UTAUT model as a valid measure to be applied in dental education, and (c) to determine which factors of the UTAUT model predict the behavioural intention of using a haptic virtual simulator (HVS). Methods: A cross‐sectional design study with a sample of 265 dentistry students was carried out. Results: Using structural equation modelling, confirmatory factor analysis verified the adequacy of four‐factor model, although the only factor that directly predicts behavioural intention is performance expectancy. Internal consistency coefficients of each factor ranged from 0.800 to 0.969. Discussion: These findings, as well as the predictive power of performance expectancy on behaviour intention, are in line with previous evidence found in the literature. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the UTAUT scale has adequate reliability and construct factorial validity; therefore, UTAUT model could be a valuable approach to assess haptic virtual simulator acceptance in dental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A PCI to the RCA (functional occlusion) is attempted in a patient with a previous ACS in the LAD. • The anterograde wire make a distal dissection with occlusion of the RCA. • A retrograde wire from the LAD is advanced to the RCA proximal to the stenosis, but there is an acute occlusion of the LAD. • Finally, three DES are implanted in the proximal-mid RCA with TIMI 3 flow but with residual distal dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present and assess human isotopic data (δ13C and δ15N) available for Southern Chile. We analyze 24 cases from six different geographical zones, dated 200-1850 AD. This new information allows us to characterize individuals who had different subsistence patterns, social organization and historical trajectories, vis-a-vis phenomena like the adoption of ceramics (150 BC), cultigens (750-1000 AD) and the arrival of Europeans (1550 AD). This is complemented by a regional baseline of 45 archaeological faunal and plant resources. Based on our results, three dietary patterns can be identified over time (from 1000 to 1850 AD): one oriented towards marine resources, another towards C 3 plants and terrestrial protein, and the last focused on a mixed consumption of C 3 and C 4 plants, complemented by intake of terrestrial and marine protein. These cases show significant intra-zone consistency over time, and high inter-zone variability. This heterogeneous situation is evident even in synchronous individuals ascribed to the same cultural-historical unit or inhabiting the same geographical macro-zone (valley, coast, islands). It also contrasts with results from adjacent areas to Southern Chile. This highlights the complex diet variability that existed in societies which otherwise appear to be extremely alike in their archaeological record (burials, pottery) and ethnographic features (language, rituals). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long non-coding RNAs compose an important level of epigenetic regulation in normal physiology and disease. Despite the plethora of publications of lncRNAs in human cancer, the landscape is still unclear.Methods: Microarray analysis in 44 NSCLC paired specimens was followed by qPCR-based validation in 29 (technical) and 38 (independent) tissue pairs. Cross-validation of the selected targets was achieved in 850 NSCLC tumours from TCGA datasets.Results: Twelve targets were successfully validated by qPCR (upregulated: FEZF1-AS1, LINC01214, LINC00673, PCAT6, NUTM2A-AS1, LINC01929; downregulated: PCAT19, FENDRR, SVIL-AS1, LANCL1-AS1, ADAMTS9-AS2 and LINC00968). All of them were successfully cross validated in the TCGA datasets. Abnormal DNA methylation was observed in the promoters of FENDRR, FEZF1-AS1 and SVIL-AS1. FEZF1-AS1 and LINC01929 were associated with survival in the TCGA set.Conclusions: Our study provides through multiple levels of internal and external validation, a comprehensive list of dysregulated lncRNAs in NSCLC. We therefore envisage this dataset to serve as an important source for the lung cancer research community assisting future investigations on the involvement of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of the disease and providing novel biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic nanoparticles of nickel ferrite were synthesized by using the high-temperature thermal decomposition method. The crystal structure and the size of the nanoparticles were determined. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were studied in detail, as well as the heating power of a magnetic fluid prepared with the synthesized nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction revealed that the nanoparticles crystallized in the cubic spinel structure. Transmission electron microscopy showed two populations of dispersed nanoparticles. The mean particle size of the most abundant population is approximately 13 nm. Magnetization measurements showed that the nanocompound is in the superparamagnetic regime at room temperature. It was found that nanoparticles have giant magnetic moments of more than 16 $\text{k}\mu _{\mathrm {B}}$. Self-heating experiments carried out in ac magnetic fields indicate that the nanoparticles have high efficiency as heating agents. Specific power absorption (SPA) and intrinsic loss power (ILP) values as large as 997 W/g and 3.6 nH $\cdot \text{m}^{2}$ /kg, respectively, were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Un trabajo de rescate arqueológico en la cuenca alta del Río Loa (norte de Chile) resultó en el hallazgo de una inhumación prehispánica de un infante asociado a variados atavíos y ofrendas, junto a los restos óseos parciales de una adolescente. Ambos individuos fueron sometidos a análisis de isótopos estables para establecer paleodieta (δ13C y δ15N) y movilidad (δ18O y 87Sr/86Sr). Además, se efectuaron dataciones radiocarbónicas pareadas de los restos bioantropológicos y culturales con el fin establecer la cronología de la inhumación y, a la vez, evaluar la existencia de un posible efecto reservorio marino. Los resultados isotópicos sugieren consumo de dieta principalmente terrestre y un origen local para los individuos, aunque con una ingesta moderada de recursos marinos. Los fechados radiocarbónicos presentan una inesperada diferencia entre las edades de las ofrendas y los restos humanos, indicando la existencia de un importante efecto reservorio. Dichos resultados dan nuevas luces sobre el consumo de alimentos marinos durante el Formativo temprano en la región, a la vez que permiten ejemplificar los alcances de efectuar dataciones pareadas de restos humanos y culturales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the Late Intermediate Period (AD 900–1450) in northern Chile has been strongly influenced by two mobility models: John Murra's classic vertical ecological archipelago model, with highland colonies in the lowlands; and the gyratory mobility model, with pastoralists and their llama caravans controlling trade. The widespread application of these two models, however, suffers from a lack of supporting archaeological evidence. Stable isotope analysis provides a more direct approach for studying both diet and mobility patterns, complementing material culture studies. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the presence of colonies and/or specialised highland caravans in the lowlands of northern Chile through the application of δ13C, δ15N and δ18O to human tooth enamel, bone collagen and bone apatite. The results show strong local traditions in terms of diet and mobility associated with the Loa-San Pedro, Antofagasta and Pica-Tarapacá cultural groups. Our results suggest a non-local origin for some individuals in Pica-Tarapacá and Loa-San Pedro, but provide little evidence to support either the presence of 'colonies' or of specialised 'caravans'. Mobility patterns were, instead, diverse and flexible, including female and male individuals that moved at different moments of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine glaciers are sensitive indicators of changes in climate, and their ubiquity in mountainous regions make them valuable proxies for terrestrial climate reconstructions worldwide. However, the timing and extent of glacier change across the South American mid-latitudes through the Holocene are still poorly constrained relative to their counterparts in the Northern Hemisphere. Here we report a new 10Be surface exposure-based chronology of moraines recording a series of progressively less-extensive glacier advances of Glaciar Torre (Argentina, 49.3°S/73.0°W) since the Last Glacial Maximum, with expansions culminating at 17,600 ± 900, 13,500 ± 500, 9700 ± 400, 6900 ± 200, 6100 ± 300, 4500 ± 200, and 530 ± 60 yr BP. The declining magnitude of Holocene glacier expansions parallels a gradual rise in local summer insolation intensity during the Holocene, while individual advances occurred during inferred negative Southern Annular Mode (SAM)-like states at centennial to millennial timescales. These observations suggest that (i) summer insolation intensity modulated antiphased trends in glacier extent in the polar hemispheres during the Holocene, and that (ii) centennial-scale 'SAM-like' temperature and precipitation anomalies paced glacier fluctuations throughout Patagonia. Given the persistence of the inferred 'SAM-like' anomalies throughout the Holocene, the modern measured trend towards positive SAM index conditions could mark the onset of a fundamental shift in the climate of the Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes that warrants consideration in projections of future climate. Image 1 • Seven advances of the Torre glacier, Argentina (49°S), are dated using cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating. • Progressively less-extensive advances occurred at 17.1 ka, 13.5 ka, 9.7 ka, 6.9 ka, 6.1 ka, 4.5 ka, and 0.5 ka. • Late-glacial advances correspond to the onset of the Last Glacial Termination and the ACR. • Repeated expansions after an early Holocene glacier maximum define a new pattern in Patagonia, reminiscent of New Zealand. • We propose Holocene glaciers in Patagonia were controlled by trends in summer insolation and the Southern Annular Mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The (3+1)-dimensional κ -(A)dS noncommutative spacetime is explicitly constructed by quantizing its semiclassical counterpart, which is the κ -(A)dS Poisson homogeneous space. This turns out to be the only possible generalization of the well-known κ -Minkowski spacetime to the case of non-vanishing cosmological constant, under the condition that the time translation generator of the corresponding quantum (A)dS algebra is primitive. Moreover, the κ -(A)dS noncommutative spacetime is shown to have a quadratic subalgebra of local spatial coordinates whose first-order brackets in terms of the cosmological constant parameter define a quantum sphere, while the commutators between time and space coordinates preserve the same structure of the κ -Minkowski spacetime. When expressed in ambient coordinates, the quantum κ -(A)dS spacetime is shown to be defined as a noncommutative pseudosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide or spinozian interfictium is at first sight a marginal category in Spinoza's thought. The vast philosophical production on who has been considered the philosopher of the "savage anomaly" or at the same time the "cheerful affects" thinker, ignores or, in the best-case scenario, obliquely addresses the notions of death and suicide. The paradox is complete because the rejection towards the thought of death contrasts with the profuse questioning of the aforesaid category in its Ethics. The goal of this article is to show that the negative expression of suicide, as pure impossibility and servitude with respect to external causes is however, less literal and clear when some central elements of its most emblematic work are incorporated in its analysis. Liberty, Need, and Substance, among others, are concepts that from suicide get tensioned showing the own limits of the geometric order insinuated by Spinoza. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The space of time-like geodesics on Minkowski spacetime is constructed as a coset space of the Poincaré group in (3+1) dimensions with respect to the stabilizer of a worldline. When this homogeneous space is endowed with a Poisson homogeneous structure compatible with a given Poisson-Lie Poincaré group, the quantization of this Poisson bracket gives rise to a noncommutative space of worldlines with quantum group invariance. As an oustanding example, the Poisson homogeneous space of worldlines coming from the κ -Poincaré deformation is explicitly constructed, and shown to define a symplectic structure on the space of worldlines. Therefore, the quantum space of κ -Poincaré worldlines is just the direct product of three Heisenberg-Weyl algebras in which the parameter κ − 1 plays the very same role as the Planck constant ħ in quantum mechanics. In this way, noncommutative spaces of worldlines are shown to provide a new suitable and fully explicit arena for the description of quantum observers with quantum group symmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was aimed at identifying learning styles and strategies most used by freshmen (N=147), and examining the relation between learning strategies and their sex, age, and origin. It is also examined whether styles are connected or not with intentional action taken by freshmen to learn. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the differences among group means in the sample. Student's t-test was also used. The results show that metacognition and self-regulation are the most used strategies, and that female freshmen usually draw diagrams and write summaries as learning aids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract The endocannabinoid system exerts a crucial neuromodulatory role in many brain areas that is essential for proper regulation of neuronal activity. The role of cannabinoid signalling controlling neuronal activity in the adult brain is also evident when considering its contribution to adult brain insults or neurodegenerative diseases. In the context of brain genetic or acquired encephalopathies administration of cannabinoid-based molecules has demonstrated to exert symptomatic relief and hence, they are proposed as new potential therapeutic compounds. This review article summarizes the main evidences indicating the beneficial action of cannabinoid-derived molecules in preclinical models of neonatal hypoxia/ischemic damage. In a second part, we discuss the available evidences of therapeutic actions of cannabidiol in children with refractory epilepsy syndromes. Finally, we discuss the current view of cannabinoid signalling mechanisms active in the immature brain that affect in neural cell fate and can contribute to long-term neural cell plasticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Angiotensin-(19), a peptide of the non-classical renin angiotensin system, has been shown to prevent and revert hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. We hypothetized that systemic delivery of angiotensin-(1–9) following myocardial infarction will also be protective and extend to provide protection during reperfusion of the ischemic heart. Adult Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to left anterior descending artery ligation and treated with angiotensin-(1–9) via osmotic mini-pump for 2 weeks in the presence or absence of Mas receptor or AT 2 R antagonists (A779 and PD123319, respectively). Myocardial death and left ventricular function were evaluated after infarction. Infarct size and functional parameters were determined in isolated rat hearts after global ischemia/reperfusion in the presence of angiotensin-(1–9) plus receptor antagonists or Akt inhibitor at reperfusion. in vitro , neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes underwent simulated ischemia/reperfusion and angiotensin-(1–9) was co-incubated with A779, PD123319 or Akt inhibitor. Systemic delivery of angiotensin-(1–9) significantly decreased cell death and improved left ventricular recovery after in vivo myocardial infarction. Perfusion with the peptide reduced the infarct size and improved functional recovery after ex vivo ischemia/reperfusion. In vitro, angiotensin-(1–9) decreased cell death in isolated neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes subjected to simulated ischemia/reperfusion. The cardioprotective effects of angiotensin-(1–9) were blocked by PD123319 and Akti VIII but not by A779. Angiotensin-(1–9) limits reperfusion-induced cell death by an AT 2 R- and Aktdependent mechanism. Angiotensin-(1–9) is a novel strategy to protect against cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elucidating the timing and regional extent of abrupt climate events during the last glacial-interglacial transition (∼18–11.5 ka) is critical for identifying spatial patterns and mechanisms responsible for large-magnitude climate events. The record of climate change in the Southern Hemisphere during this time period, however, remains scarce and unevenly distributed. We present new geomorphic, chronological, and equilibrium line altitude (ELA) data from a climatically sensitive mountain glacier at Monte San Lorenzo (47°S), Central Patagonia. Twenty-four new cosmogenic 10 Be exposure ages from moraines provide a comprehensive glacial record in the mid-latitudes of South America, which constrain the timing, spatial extent and magnitude of glacial fluctuations during the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR, ∼14.5–12.9 ka). Río Tranquilo glacier advanced and reached a maximum extent at 13.9 ± 0.7 ka. Three additional inboard moraines afford statistically similar ages, indicating repeated glacier expansions or marginal fluctuations over the ACR. Our record represents the northernmost robust evidence of glacial fluctuations during the ACR in southern South America, documenting not only the timing of the ACR maximum, but also the sequence of glacier changes within this climate event. Based on ELA reconstructions, we estimate a cooling of >1.6–1.8 °C at the peak of the ACR. The Río Tranquilo record along with existing glacial reconstructions from New Zealand (43°S) and paleovegetation records from northwestern (41°S) and central-west (45°S) Patagonia, suggest an uniform trans-Pacific glacier-climate response to an ACR trigger across the southern mid-latitudes. We posit that the equatorial migration of the southern westerly winds provides an adequate mechanism to propagate a common ACR signal across the Southern Hemisphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embedding optical fibers sensors into composite structures for Structural Health Monitoring purposes is not just one of the most attractive solutions contributing to smart structures, but also the optimum integration approach that insures maximum protection and integrity of the fibers. Nevertheless this intended integration level still remains an industrial challenge since today there is no mature integration process in composite plants matching all necessary requirements. This article describes the process developed to integrate optical fiber sensors in the Production cycle of a test specimen. The sensors, Bragg gratings, were integrated into the laminate during automatic tape lay-up and also by a secondary bonding process, both in the Airbus Composite Plant. The test specimen, completely representative of the root joint of the lower wing cover of a real aircraft, is comprised of a structural skin panel with the associated stringer run out. The ingress-egress was achieved through the precise design and integration of miniaturized optical connectors compatible with the manufacturing conditions and operational test requirements. After production, the specimen was trimmed, assembled and bolted to metallic plates to represent the real triform and buttstrap, and eventually installed into the structural test rig. The interrogation of the sensors proves the effectiveness of the integration process; the analysis of the strain results demonstrate the good correlation between fiber sensors and electrical gauges in those locations where they are installed nearby, and the curvature and load transfer analysis in the bolted stringer run out area enable demonstration of the consistency of the fiber sensors measurements. In conclusion, this work presents strong evidence of the performance of embedded optical sensors for structural health monitoring purposes, where in addition and most importantly, the fibers were integrated in a real production environment and the ingress-egress issue was solved by the design and integration of miniaturized connectors compatible with the manufacturing and structural test phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deciphering the climate changes that influenced the glacial fluctuations of the last millennium requires documenting the spatial and temporal patterns of these glacial events. Here, we estimate the change in equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) between the most prominent glacial advance of the last millennium and the present for four alpine glaciers located in different climatic regimes along the Andes. For each glacier, we reconstruct scenarios of climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation anomalies) that accommodate the observed ELA changes. We focus on the following glaciers: an alpine glacier in the Cordillera Vilcanota (13°S), Tapado glacier (30°S), Cipreses glacier (34°S), and Tranquilo glacier (47°S). Our results show that the range of possible temperature and precipitation anomalies that accommodate the observed ELA changes overlap significantly at three of the four sites (i.e. Vilcanota, Cipreses, and Tranquilo). Only Tapado glacier exhibits a set of climate anomalies that differs from the other three sites. Assuming no change in precipitation, the estimated ELA changes require a cooling of at least 0.7°C in the Cordillera Vilcanota, 1.0°C at Tapado glacier, 0.6°C at Cipreses glacier, and 0.7°C at Tranquilo glacier. Conversely, assuming no change in temperature, the estimated ELA changes are explained by increases in precipitation exceeding 0.52 m yr-1 (64% of the annual precipitation) in the Cordillera Vilcanota, 0.3 1 m yr-1 (89%) at Tapado glacier, 0.22 m yr-1 (27%) at Cipreses glacier, and 0.3 m yr-1 (27%) at Tranquilo glacier. By mapping the ELA changes and modeling the potential climate forcing across diverse climate settings, we aim to contribute toward documenting the spatial variability of climate conditions during the last millennium, a key step to decipher the mechanisms underlying the glacial fluctuation that occurred during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores data retrieved from Educational Immersive Virtual Worlds to describe pre-service teachers’ skills and perceptions about the simulation tasks. This project had 10 participants who were immersed for 3 years in the Technology and Pedagogical Models in Immersive Worlds island, a multi-user virtual environment in Second Life and Open Simulator. In this project, we evaluated how three-dimensional virtual environments can facilitate the achievement of teaching and learning processes. Based on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, two data collection instruments were applied. Through observation grids and personal log books, professional performance of the 18 pedagogical challenges implemented was collected. The statistical analysis shows that the students improved their technology skills and educational aspects about good practices in classes, regardless of the type of platform used. The analysis through Constant Comparing Method reported a positive assessment of the use of virtual environments, especially about the use of teaching strategies. Main conclusions regarding the pedagogical context reflect the importance of peer assessment on teaching performance, as well as the complexity of role-plays as intellectual challenges to enhance pre-service teachers’ skills. The main difficulties identified during the development of the activities were technical in nature, reporting hardware and connectivity issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Animalsmoving in groups coordinate theirmotion to remain cohesive.Alarge amount of data and analysis of movement coordination has been obtained in several species, but we are lacking theoretical frameworks that can derive the form of coordination rules. Here, we examine whether optimal control theory can predict the rules underlying social interactions from first principles. We find that a control rule which is designed to minimize the time it would take a pair of schooling fish to form a cohesively moving unit correctly predicts the characteristics of social interactions in fish. Our methodology explains why social attraction is negativelymodulated by self-motion velocity and posi- tively modulated by partner motion velocity, and how the biomechanics of fish swimming can shape the form of social forces. Crucially, the values of all parameters in our model can be estimated from independent experiments that need not relate to measurement of social interactions. We test our theory by showing a good match with experimentally observed social inter- action rules in zebrafish. In addition to providing a theoretical rationale for observed decision rules, we suggest that this framework opens new questions about tuning problems and learnability of collective behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several cannabinoids afforded neuroprotection in experimental models of Huntington’s disease (HD). We investigated whether a 1:1 combination of botanical extracts enriched in either ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) or cannabidiol (CBD), which are the main constituents of the cannabis-based medicine Sativex®, is beneficial in R6/2 mice (a transgenic model of HD), as it was previously shown to have positive effects in neurotoxin-based models of HD. We recorded the progression of neurological deficits and the extent of striatal deterioration, using behavioral, in vivo imaging, and biochemical methods in R6/2 mice and their corresponding wild-type mice. The mice were daily treated, starting at 4 weeks after birth, with a Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids (equivalent to 3 mg/kg weight of pure CBD + ∆9-THC) or vehicle. R6/2 mice exhibited the characteristic deterioration in rotarod performance that initiated at 6 weeks and progressed up to 10 weeks, and elevated clasping behavior reflecting dystonia. Treatment with the Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids did not recover rotarod performance, but markedly attenuated clasping behavior. The in vivo positron emission tomography (PET) analysis of R6/2 animals at 10 weeks revealed a reduced metabolic activity in the basal ganglia, which was partially attenuated by treatment with the Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H+-MRS) analysis of the ex vivo striatum of R6/2 mice at 12 weeks revealed changes in various prognostic markers reflecting events typically found in HD patients and animal models, such as energy failure, mitochondrial dysfunction, and excitotoxicity. Some of these changes (taurine/creatine, taurine/N-acetylaspartate, and N-acetylaspartate/choline ratios) were completely reversed by treatment with the Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids. A Sativex-like combination of phytocannabinoids administered to R6/2 mice at the onset of motor symptoms produced certain benefits on the progression of striatal deterioration in these mice, which supports the interest of this cannabinoid-based medicine for the treatment of disease progression in HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent paper (Morris (2015) [1] ), an inhomogeneous compactification of the extra dimension of a five-dimensional Kaluza–Klein metric has been shown to generate a position-dependent mass (PDM) in the corresponding four-dimensional system. As an application of this dimensional reduction mechanism, a specific static dilatonic scalar field has been connected with a PDM Lagrangian describing a well-known nonlinear PDM oscillator. Here we present more instances of this construction that lead to PDM systems with radial symmetry, and the properties of their corresponding inhomogeneous extra dimensions are compared with the ones in the nonlinear oscillator model. Moreover, it is also shown how the compactification introduced in this type of models can alternatively be interpreted as a novel mechanism for the dynamical generation of curvature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called Darboux III oscillator is an exactly solvable N -dimensional nonlinear oscillator defined on a radially symmetric space with non-constant negative curvature. This oscillator can be interpreted as a smooth (super)integrable deformation of the usual N -dimensional harmonic oscillator in terms of a non-negative parameter λ which is directly related to the curvature of the underlying space. In this paper, a detailed study of the Shannon information entropy for the quantum version of the Darboux III oscillator is presented, and the interplay between entropy and curvature is analysed. In particular, analytical results for the Shannon entropy in the position space can be found in the N -dimensional case, and the known results for the quantum states of the N -dimensional harmonic oscillator are recovered in the limit of vanishing curvature λ → 0. However, the Fourier transform of the Darboux III wave functions cannot be computed in exact form, thus preventing the analytical study of the information entropy in momentum space. Nevertheless, we have computed the latter numerically both in the one and three-dimensional cases and we have found that by increasing the absolute value of the negative curvature (through a larger λ parameter) the information entropy in position space increases, while in momentum space it becomes smaller. This result is indeed consistent with the spreading properties of the wave functions of this quantum nonlinear oscillator, which are explicitly shown. The sum of the entropies in position and momentum spaces has been also analysed in terms of the curvature: for all excited states such total entropy decreases with λ , but for the ground state the total entropy is minimized when λ vanishes, and the corresponding uncertainty relation is always fulfilled. • Shannon entropy for a ND quantum oscillator on a curved space is computed. • Shannon entropy on momentum space is computed in the 1D and 3D cases. • Entropies on position space grow as a function of the curvature parameter λ. • Entropies on momentum space decrease as a function of λ. • When λ vanishes, all known results for the ND harmonic oscillator are recovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of the semiconductor compound CuMnInSe was analysed using X-ray powder diffraction data. CuMnInSe crystallizes, with a stannite structure, in the tetragonal space group I $\boldsymbol {\overline {4}}$ 2m (No. 121), Z = 2, with unit cell parameters a = 5.8111(2) Å, c = 11.5739(8) Å and V = 390.84(3) Å. The refinement of 28 instrumental and structural parameters led to R = 8.1%, R = 10.5%, R = 6.5% and S = 1.6, for 86 independent reflections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-morphology control of films is fundamental to adapt a particular material for their final application. The strategy depicted in this study permits the spontaneous formation of corrugated patterns using a two-step procedure involving an initial thermal pre-polymerization followed by UV exposure. Two deposition methods, electrospray and spin coating were explored; interestingly, spin coating forms homogeneous topography that cover large areas of the substrate, permitting an ease control of the micro-structure. Equally, the wrinkle pattern was modulated through the variation of intrinsic material characteristics, in particular molecular weight of the crosslinking agent. The results obtained indicate that their increase produces the same effect in wrinkle amplitude and wavelength, and therefore, in their roughness. This behavior can be explained by the stiffness decrease according to the PEGDA molecular weight increase. As a result, an increase of available surface from ∼14% up to ∼29% was observed. Consequently, this versatile approach allows to modulate the surface pattern according to the application needed just by finely tuning the hydrogel composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a forward semi-Lagrangian numerical method for systems of transport equations able to advect smooth and discontinuous fields with high-order accuracy. The numerical scheme is composed of an integration of the transport equations along the trajectory of material elements in a moving grid and a reconstruction of the fields in a reference regular mesh using a non-linear mapping and adaptive moment-preserving interpolations. The nonlinear mapping allows for the arbitrary deformation of material elements. Additionally, interpolations can represent discontinuous fields using adaptive-order interpolation near jumps detected with a slope-limiter function. Due to the large number of operations during the interpolations, a serial implementation of this scheme is computationally expensive. The scheme has been accelerated in many-core parallel architectures using a thread per grid node and parallel data gathers. We present a series of tests that show the scheme to be an attractive option for simulating advection equations in multidimensions with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]