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Nitrous acid (HONO) plays an important role in the formation of ozone and fine aerosols in the urban atmosphere. In this study, a new simulation approach is presented to calculate the HONO mixing ratios using a deep neural technique based on measured variables. The Reactive Nitrogen Species using a Deep Neural Network (RND) simulation is implemented in Python. The first version of RND (RNDv1.0) is trained, validated, and tested with HONO measurement data obtained in Seoul, South Korea, from 2016 to 2021. RNDv1.0 is constructed using k-fold cross validation and evaluated with index of agreement, correlation coefficient, root mean squared error, and mean absolute error. The results show that RNDv1.0 adequately represents the main characteristics of the measured HONO, and it is thus proposed as a supplementary model for calculating the HONO mixing ratio in a polluted urban environment.

Resumen: El envejecimiento cutáneo está influido por factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos y múltiples mecanismos patogénicos están involucrados. Los tratamientos utilizados en la actualidad son sobre todo tópicos o son procedimientos mínimamente invasivos. La evidencia sobre la utilidad de la terapia sistémica es limitada: los estudios son en su mayoría de pequeño tamaño, de reducida duración, incluyen a mujeres de manera mayoritaria, la metodología de evaluación es heterogénea y no hay parámetros consensuados de respuesta clínica relevante. Además, los suplementos o fármacos sistémicos no están exentos de efectos adversos. El colágeno hidrolizado oral y el ácido hialurónico oral son bien tolerados y múltiples ensayos clínicos muestran que pueden mitigar algunos signos de envejecimiento cutáneo. La isotretinoína oral en dosis bajas es otra alternativa, pero con un mayor potencial de efectos adversos. Múltiples suplementos, como vitaminas, flavonoides, diversos extractos de plantas y oligoelementos, presentan escasa evidencia clínica. El futuro del manejo del envejecimiento cutáneo parece ser el tratamiento con agentes senolíticos o senomórficos dirigidos específicamente contra células cutáneas senescentes. Abstract: Skin aging is influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors and involves multiple pathogenic mechanisms. The most widely used treatments are topical products and minimally invasive procedures. Evidence on the benefits of systemic therapy is limited for several reasons: Reliance on mostly small and predominantly female samples, short study durations, methodologic heterogeneity, and a lack of consensus on which outcome measures are clinically relevant. Furthermore, systemic drugs and oral supplements are not without adverse effects. Oral hydrolyzed collagen and oral hyaluronic acid are well tolerated, and numerous clinical trials show they can mitigate some signs of skin aging. Low-dose oral isotretinoin is another option, but it has a higher risk of adverse effects. Evidence is lacking on the effects of the many dietary supplements on offer, such as vitamins, flavonoids, plant extracts, and trace elements. The future of skin aging management would appear to lie in the use of senolytic and senomorphic agents targeting senescent cells in the skin.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from permafrost-affected terrestrial ecosystems have received little attention, largely because they have been thought to be negligible. Recent studies, however, have shown that there are habitats in the subarctic tundra emitting N2O at high rates, such as bare peat (BP) surfaces on permafrost peatlands. Nevertheless, the processes behind N2O production in these high-emission habitats are poorly understood. In this study, we established an in situ 15N-labeling experiment with two main objectives: (1) to partition the microbial sources of N2O emitted from BP surfaces on permafrost peatlands and (2) to study the fate of ammonium and nitrate in these soils and in adjacent vegetated peat (VP) surfaces showing low N2O emissions. Our results confirm the hypothesis that denitrification is mostly responsible for the high N2O emissions from BP. During the study period, denitrification contributed ∼ 79 % of the total N2O emissions from BP, whereas the contribution from ammonia oxidation was less (about 19 %). Both gross N mineralization and gross nitrification rates were higher in BP than in VP, with high C/N ratios and a low water content likely limiting N transformation processes and, consequently, N2O production in the latter soil type. Our results show that multiple factors contribute to high N2O production in BP surfaces on permafrost peatlands, with the most important factors being the absence of plants, an intermediate to high water content and a low C/N ratio, which all affect the mineral-N availability for soil microbes, including those producing N2O. The process understanding produced here is important for the development of process models that can be used to evaluate future permafrost–N feedbacks to the climate system.

Gas concentrations and isotopic signatures can unveil microbial metabolisms and their responses to environmental changes in soil. Currently, few methods measure in situ soil trace gases such as the products of nitrogen and carbon cycling or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that constrain microbial biochemical processes like nitrification, methanogenesis, respiration, and microbial communication. Versatile trace gas sampling systems that integrate soil probes with sensitive trace gas analyzers could fill this gap with in situ soil gas measurements that resolve spatial (centimeters) and temporal (minutes) patterns. We developed a system that integrates new porous and hydrophobic sintered polytetrafluoroethylene (sPTFE) diffusive soil gas probes that non-disruptively collect soil gas samples with a transfer system to direct gas from multiple probes to one or more central gas analyzer(s) such as laser and mass spectrometers. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility and versatility of this automated multiprobe system for soil gas measurements of isotopic ratios of nitrous oxide (δ18O, δ15N, and the 15N site preference of N2O), methane, carbon dioxide (δ13C), and VOCs. First, we used an inert silica matrix to challenge probe measurements under controlled gas conditions. By changing and controlling system flow parameters, including the probe flow rate, we optimized recovery of representative soil gas samples while reducing sampling artifacts on subsurface concentrations. Second, we used this system to provide a real-time window into the impact of environmental manipulation of irrigation and soil redox conditions on in situ N2O and VOC concentrations. Moreover, to reveal the dynamics in the stable isotope ratios of N2O (i.e., 14N14N16O, 14N15N16O, 15N14N16O, and 14N14N18O), we developed a new high-precision laser spectrometer with a reduced sample volume demand. Our integrated system – a tunable infrared laser direct absorption spectrometry (TILDAS) in parallel with Vocus proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), in line with sPTFE soil gas probes – successfully quantified isotopic signatures for N2O, CO2, and VOCs in real time as responses to changes in the dry–wetting cycle and redox conditions. Broadening the collection of trace gases that can be monitored in the subsurface is critical for monitoring biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem health, and management practices at scales relevant to the soil system.

Skin aging is influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors and involves multiple pathogenic mechanisms. The most widely used treatments are topical products and minimally invasive procedures. Evidence on the benefits of systemic therapy is limited for several reasons: reliance on mostly small and predominantly female samples, short study durations, methodologic heterogeneity, and a lack of consensus on which outcome measures are clinically relevant. Furthermore, systemic drugs and oral supplements are not without adverse effects. Oral hydrolyzed collagen and oral hyaluronic acid are well tolerated, and numerous clinical trials show they can mitigate some signs of skin aging. Low-dose oral isotretinoin is another option, but it has a higher risk of adverse effects. Evidence is lacking on the effects of the many dietary supplements on offer, such as vitamins, flavonoids, plant extracts, and trace elements. The future of skin aging management would appear to lie in the use of senolytic and senomorphic agents targeting senescent cells in the skin. Resumen: El envejecimiento cutáneo está influido por factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos y múltiples mecanismos patogénicos están involucrados. Los tratamientos utilizados en la actualidad son sobre todo tópicos o son procedimientos mínimamente invasivos. La evidencia sobre la utilidad de la terapia sistémica es limitada: los estudios son en su mayoría de pequeño tamaño, de reducida duración, incluyen a mujeres de manera mayoritaria, la metodología de evaluación es heterogénea y no hay parámetros consensuados de respuesta clínica relevante. Además, los suplementos o fármacos sistémicos no están exentos de efectos adversos. El colágeno hidrolizado oral y el ácido hialurónico oral son bien tolerados y múltiples ensayos clínicos muestran que pueden mitigar algunos signos de envejecimiento cutáneo. La isotretinoína oral en dosis bajas es otra alternativa, pero con un mayor potencial de efectos adversos. Múltiples suplementos, como vitaminas, flavonoides, diversos extractos de plantas y oligoelementos presentan escasa evidencia clínica. El futuro del manejo del envejecimiento cutáneo parece ser el tratamiento con agentes senolíticos o senomórficos dirigidos específicamente contra células cutáneas senescentes.

During permafrost thaw, nitrogen can be released as the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide, but the magnitude of this flux is unknown. Nitrous oxide emissions from ice-rich permafrost deposits are reported here, showing that emissions increase after thawing and stabilization and could represent an unappreciated positive climate feedback in the Arctic.

The effect of macropore flow on solute transport has spurred much research over the last forty years. In this study, non-reactive solute transport in water-saturated columns filled with porous media crossed by a macropore was experimentally and numerically investigated. The emphasis was put on the study of exit effects, whose very existence is inherent to the finite size of any experimental column. We specifically investigated the impact of a filter at the column outlet on water flow and solute transport in macroporous systems. Experiments involving breakthrough measurements and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that solute transport displayed some significant non-unidirectional features, with a strong mass exchange at the interface between the macropore and the matrix. Fluid dynamics and transport simulations indicated that this was due to the non-unidirectional nature of the flow field close to the outlet filter. The flow near the exit of the column was shown to be strongly impacted by the presence of the outlet filter, which acts as a barrier and redistributes water from the macropore to the matrix. This impact was apparent on the breakthrough curves and the MRI images. It was also confirmed by computer simulations and could, if not properly taken into account, impede the accurate inference of the transport properties of macroporous media from breakthrough experiments.

Introduction Cardiovascular events (CVE) are infrequent adverse effects in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Nonetheless, it constitutes a threat for patient’s life and may compromise continuing ECT. Objectives To describe a case of acute-onset atrial fibrillation under combined therapy with ECT and venlafaxine. Methods We present a 76-year-old man diagnosed of delusional disorder and without any previous CVE, who was hospitalized in our acute psychiatric unit by major depressive episode with psychotic symptoms resistant to pharmacological treatment (valproic-acid 100mg/d, haloperidol 6mg/d, venlafaxine 300mg/d). ECT was initiated presenting atrial fibrillation after first session of ECT, requiring amiodarone and anticoagulant treatment for stabilization. Second session of ECT was delayed for three-weeks, worsening the psychiatric symptoms. Haloperidol was discontinued initiating lurasidone with better cardiovascular profile. Results CVE occur in 2% of the patients receiving ECT, being acute arrhythmia the most frequent one. Among them, few cases of atrial fibrillation (AF) under ECT have been reported. It has been hypothesised that initial vagal response followed by catecholamine surge secondary to ECT could facilitate the development of AF. In addition venlafaxine, an antidepressant drug, may also predispose to arrhythmia in high-risk individuals. High doses of venlafaxine (>300mg/d) combined with ECT have been related with an increment of CVE. Conclusions Although clinically effective for the treatment of major depression disorder, combined therapy of ECT and venlafaxine could precipitate the start of a CVE in genetically susceptible individuals. Therefore, identify and clarify potential risk factors other than previous history of CVE is critical to reduce morbidity and mortality in these patients. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Abstract Background Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth, is an alternative for fossil fuels as a renewable feedstock for the production of second-generation biofuels and other chemicals. The discovery of novel, highly efficient β-glucosidases remains as one of the major bottlenecks for cellulose degradation. In this context, the ascomycete Talaromyces amestolkiae, isolated from cereal samples, has been studied as a promising source for these enzymes. Results BGL-2 is the major β-glucosidase secreted by this fungus in the presence of cellulosic inductors. This enzyme possesses a CBD (Cellulose Binding Domain), an unusual feature among this type of proteins. Besides, when growing on cellulose, the fungus produced two different bgl-2 mRNAs that were cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. A complete recombinant protein (BGL-2*) and its truncated form, lacking CBD (BGL-2T*), have been purified, characterized and compared with the native enzyme (BGL-2). The three BGL-2 forms studied are highly stable in a wide pH range, but BGL-2T* showed an improved thermal stability at 50 °C after 72 h. Using p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside as a substrate, the steady-state kinetic characterization of the three proteins showed a similar K m and k cat for BGL-2 and BGL-2*, while the truncated protein displayed a threefold higher value for k cat . All tested BGL-2 enzymes were as well highly efficient using cellobiose and other short oligosaccharides as a substrate. In view of biotechnological applications, the recombinant T. amestolkiae enzymes in saccharification of brewers’ spent grain were studied, being comparable to commercial β-glucosidase cocktails. Conclusion A new β-glucosidase from T. amestolkiae has been studied. The enzyme, containing a functional CBD, has been expressed in P. pastoris. The comparative analyses of the native protein and its recombinant forms, with and without CBD, suggest that they could be suitable tools for valorization of lignocellulosic biomass.

Variations in the stable oxygen isotope composition of atmospheric nitrate act as novel tools for studying oxidative processes taking place in the troposphere. They provide both qualitative and quantitative constraints on the pathways determining the fate of atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NO + NO2 = NOx). The unique and distinctive 17O excess (Δ17O = δ17O − 0.52 × δ18O) of ozone, which is transferred to NOx via oxidation, is a particularly useful isotopic fingerprint in studies of NOx transformations. Constraining the propagation of 17O excess within the NOx cycle is critical in polar areas, where there exists the possibility of extending atmospheric investigations to the glacial–interglacial timescale using deep ice core records of nitrate. Here we present measurements of the comprehensive isotopic composition of atmospheric nitrate collected at Dome C (East Antarctic Plateau) during the austral summer of 2011/2012. Nitrate isotope analysis has been here combined for the first time with key precursors involved in nitrate production (NOx, O3, OH, HO2, RO2, etc.) and direct observations of the transferrable Δ17O of surface ozone, which was measured at Dome C throughout 2012 using our recently developed analytical approach. Assuming that nitrate is mainly produced in Antarctica in summer through the OH + NO2 pathway and using concurrent measurements of OH and NO2, we calculated a Δ17O signature for nitrate on the order of (21–22 ± 3) ‰. These values are lower than the measured values that ranged between 27 and 31 ‰. This discrepancy between expected and observed Δ17O(NO3−) values suggests the existence of an unknown process that contributes significantly to the atmospheric nitrate budget over this East Antarctic region. However, systematic errors or false isotopic balance transfer functions are not totally excluded.

Volume changes accompanying the plastic deformation at 300 K of nanocrystalline samples of α-Fe with a columnar grain structure possessing a 〈11¯0〉 random fiber texture has been obtained from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The samples were strained in tension along the common axial direction of the columnar grains. After removal of the elastic volume change, the evolution of plastic volume strain was obtained. Small but non-negligible volume dilations or contractions are observed depending on size (samples of very small grain size show volume contraction). The rate of volume change is high during the first 10% plastic deformation and continues at a low pace thereafter; the first 10% deformation represents a transient in the stress–strain behavior too. The complex behavior observed is reasonably explained by the superposition of contributions from different plastically-induced structural changes to the mass density change: Mainly from changes of grain size, grain boundary structure, dislocation density and density of point-defects. The results are of interest for the development of crystal plasticity theories not restricted by the volume conserving assumption.

Se presenta la neotipificación del nombre Vicia aphylla C. Sm. ex Buch con un ejemplar procedente del antiguo herbario personal de Jens Wilken Hornemann depositado en el herbario del Museo de Historia Natural de Dinamarca (C). Además, se discute la conveniencia de usar este nombre frente a Vicia cirrhosa C. Sm. ex Webb & Berthel. [fr] Avec ce travail nous présentons la néotypification du nom Vicia aphylla C. Sm. ex Buch avec un échantillon de l’ancien herbier personnel de Jens Wilken Hornemann déposé dans l’herbier du Musée d’Histoire Naturelle du Danemark (C). En plus, on discute la convenance d’utiliser ce nom en contre de Vicia cirrhosa C. Sm. ex Webb & Berthel.

Objective: To determine whether obesity, physical fitness, and physical activity parameters are associated with the enzymatic activity of serum dipeptidyl peptidase IV (sDPPIV) in a sample of healthy women and men. Design and methods: We have correlated parameters of obesity, physical fitness, and physical activity with sDPPIV activity in 374 healthy subjects (age: 60.7 ± 6.9 years, body mass index: 26.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2). Enzymatic activity was analyzed using spectrofluorimetry, body composition was assessed by impedanciometry, physical fitness data were obtained using the Senior Fitness Test, and physical activity data were collected by accelerometer. Pearson's partial correlation analysis was applied to determine the relationship between DPPIV activity and the rest of parameters and significantly correlated variables were introduced into linear regression models to predict DPPIV. Results: Serum DPPIV activity was negatively associated with obesity parameters such as body mass (r = −0.112), body mass index (BMI) (r = −0.147), waist circumference (r = −0.164), waist-to-hip ratio (−0.104), and percentage of fat mass (r = −0.185). Serum DPPIV activity was positively associated with cardiovascular fitness (r = 0.138), total amount of physical activity (r = 0.153), and time spent doing light exercise (r = 0.184). Regression models revealed sex differences in enzyme activity with overall activity higher in women than in men (β = 0.437, p

The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is an important regulator of protein translation, and a lack of FMRP expression leads to a cognitive disorder known as fragile X syndrome (FXS). Clinical symptoms characterizing FXS include learning impairments and heightened anxiety in response to stressful situations. Here, we report that, in response to acute stress, mice lacking FMRP show a faster elevation of corticosterone and a more immediate impairment in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus (DG). These stress-induced LTP impairments were rescued by administering the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist RU38486. Administration of RU38486 also enhanced LTP in Fmr1−/y mice in the absence of acute stress to wild-type levels, and this enhancement was blocked by application of the NMDAR antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid. These results suggest that a loss of FMPR results in enhanced GR signaling that may adversely affect NMDAR dependent synaptic plasticity in the DG.

Peripheral Nerve Blocking (PNB) is a commonly used technique for performing regional anesthesia and managing pain. PNB comprises the administration of anesthetics in the proximity of a nerve. In this sense, the success of PNB procedures depends on an accurate location of the target nerve. Recently, ultrasound images (UI) have been widely used to locate nerve structures for PNB, since they enable a noninvasive visualization of the target nerve and the anatomical structures around it. However, UI are affected by speckle noise, which makes it difficult to accurately locate a given nerve. Thus, it is necessary to perform a filtering step to attenuate the speckle noise without eliminating relevant anatomical details that are required for high-level tasks, such as segmentation of nerve structures. In this paper, we propose an UI improvement strategy with the use of a pre-image-based filter. In particular, we map the input images by a nonlinear function (kernel). Specifically, we employ a correntropybased mapping as kernel functional to code higher-order statistics of the input data under both nonlinear and non-Gaussian conditions. We validate our approach against an UI dataset focused on nerve segmentation for PNB. Likewise, our Correntropy-based Pre-Image Filtering (CPIF) is applied as a pre-processing stage to segment nerve structures in a UI. The segmentation performance is measured in terms of the Dice coefficient. According to the results, we observe that CPIF finds a suitable approximation for UI by highlighting discriminative nerve patterns.

Concentrations of OH radicals and the sum of peroxy radicals, RO2, were measured in the boundary layer for the first time on the East Antarctic Plateau at the Concordia Station (Dome C, 75.10° S, 123.31° E) during the austral summer 2011/2012. The median concentrations of OH and RO2 radicals were 3.1 × 106 molecule cm−3 and 9.9 × 106 molecule cm−3, respectively. These values are comparable to those observed at the South Pole, confirming that the elevated oxidative capacity of the Antarctic atmospheric boundary layer found at the South Pole is not restricted to the South Pole but common over the high Antarctic plateau. At Concordia, the concentration of radicals showed distinct diurnal profiles with the median maximum of 5.2 × 106 molecule cm−3 at 11:00 and the median minimum of 1.1 × 106 molecule cm−3 at 01:00 for OH radicals and 1.7 × 108 molecule cm−3 and 2.5 × 107 molecule cm−3 for RO2 radicals at 13:00 and 23:00, respectively (all times are local times). Concurrent measurements of O3, HONO, NO, NO2, HCHO and H2O2 demonstrated that the major primary source of OH and RO2 radicals at Dome C was the photolysis of HONO, HCHO and H2O2, with the photolysis of HONO contributing ~75% of total primary radical production. However, photochemical modelling with accounting for all these radical sources overestimates the concentrations of OH and RO2 radicals by a factor of 2 compared to field observations. Neglecting the net OH production from HONO in the photochemical modelling results in an underestimation of the concentrations of OH and RO2 radicals by a factor of 2. To explain the observations of radicals in this case an additional source of OH equivalent to about (25–35)% of measured photolysis of HONO is required. Even with a factor of 5 reduction in the concentrations of HONO, the photolysis of HONO represents the major primary radical source at Dome C. To account for a possibility of an overestimation of NO2 observed at Dome C the calculations were also performed with NO2 concentrations estimated by assuming steady-state NO2 / NO ratios. In this case the net radical production from the photolysis of HONO should be reduced by a factor of 5 or completely removed based on the photochemical budget of OH or 0-D modelling, respectively. Another major factor leading to the large concentration of OH radicals measured at Dome C was large concentrations of NO molecules and fast recycling of peroxy radicals to OH radicals.

In order to introduce new chickpea germplasm in Argentina, two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations F6:7 of twenty lines, each one derived from crosses between kabuli and desi types, were evaluated for yield components in different sites and years. Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis was applied to study the performance of different genotypes in different environments. Genotype (G), environment (E) and GE interaction effects were highly significant in both populations for seeds/plant, yield/plant and seed size (100-seed weight). Large differences were observed between the two populations for seeds/plant and seed size. We recommend that some genotypes from these two populations with good performance in a range of environments could be used to introduce new germplasm to the Argentine chickpea breeding programme. The significant GE interactions seem to be related to differences between two geographical areas (Salta and Córdoba/San Luis), at different latitudes and altitudes. These results suggest that these regions should be considered as different macro-environments from the point of view of the chickpea breeding programme.

Se describe e ilustra Vicia vulcanorum J. Gil & M. L. Gil (Fabaceae), una nueva especie y endemismo de la isla de Lanzarote, Islas Canarias, perteneciente al subg. Cracca (Dumort.) Peterm., sect. Cracca Dumort. Se encuentra relacionada y es comparada con Vicia cirrhosa C. Sm. ex Webb & Berthel. y Vicia filicaulis Webb & Berthel., especies endémicas de las islas centrales y occidentales del archipiélago canario, y con Vicia ferreirensis Goyder, especie endémica de la isla de Porto Santo, en el archipiélago de Madeira.

From an environmental perspective, the underground metro system is one of the cleanest forms of public transportation in urban agglomerations. Current studies report contradicting results regarding air quality in the metro systems: whereas some reveal poor air quality, others report PM levels which are lower or of the same order of magnitude than those measured in traffic sites above ground level. The present work assesses summer and winter indoor air quality and passenger exposure in the Barcelona metro, focusing on PM levels and their metal contents. In addition, the impact on indoor air quality of platform screen door systems (automated systems consisting of closed rail track and platforms) is evaluated, to determine whether these systems reduce passenger exposure to PM when compared with conventional systems (open tracks and platforms). In the Barcelona metro PM levels inside the trains in summer are amongst the lowest reported for worldwide metro systems (11–32 μg m−3 PM2.5). This is most likely due to the air conditioning system working in all carriages of the Barcelona metro during the whole year. Levels were considerably higher on the platforms, reaching mean levels of 46 and 125 μg m3 in the new (L9) and old (L3) lines, respectively. PM10 data are also reported in the present study, but comparison with other metro systems is difficult due to the scarcity of data compared with PM2.5. Results showed distinct PM daily cycles, with a drastic increase from 06:00 to 07:00 a.m., a diurnal maximum from 07:00 to 10:00 p.m., and marked decrease between 10:00 p.m. and 05:00 a.m. The elements with the highest enrichment were those associated with wheel or brake abrasion products (Ba, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Sb, As, Mo, Co, Sr, among others). Laminar hematite (Fe2O3) was the dominant particle type, being mainly originated by mechanical abrasion of the rail track and wheels. Regarding passenger exposure to PM, the contribution of commuting by metro was estimated to account for around 10% of the daily exposure. However, this contribution may be one order of magnitude higher when specific matals are considered. Finally, we conclude that the implementation of platform screen door systems results in reductions of both PM levels and metal concentrations. In addition an advanced optimized ventilation system gave even a much higher efficiency in reducing exposure to PM of metro commuters. Combining these two features PM exposure levels in the platforms may be reduced down by a factor of 7 with respect the old subway lines in Barcelona.

Presència de Lophogaster spinosus Ortmann, 1906 (Crustacea, Lophogastrida) al golf de Cadis (Atlàntic nord-oriental) Es registra la presència del crustaci lofogàstrid Lophogaster spinosus en aigües del golf de Cadis, a l’Atlàntic nord-oriental. Aquesta és es la primera referència de l’espècie a les costes atlàntiques de la península Ibèrica. Les mostres es van obtenir mitjançant ròssec demersal durant una campanya de recerca pesquera al mes de març de 2008. Es van capturar un total de quatre individus. Les profunditats de captura estan compreses entre 363 i 548 m.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the selective loss of the expression of the Fmr1 gene. Key symptoms in FXS include intellectual impairment and abnormal anxiety-related behaviors. Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice exhibited reduced anxiety on two behavioral tests as well as a blunted corticosterone response to acute stress. Spatial learning and memory was not impaired when tested with both the classic Morris water and Plus-shaped mazes. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been associated with spatial learning and memory and emotions such as anxiety and depression. The process of neurogenesis appears abnormal in young adult Fmr1 KO mice, with significantly fewer bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells surviving for at least 4 weeks in the ventral subregion of the dentate gyrus (DG), a hippocampal subregion more closely associated with emotion than the dorsal DG. Within this smaller pool of surviving cells, we observed a concomitant increase in the proportion of surviving cells that acquire a neuronal phenotype. We did not observe a clear difference in cell proliferation using both endogenous and exogenous markers. This work indicates that loss of Fmr1 expression can alter anxiety-related behaviors in mice as well as produce region-specific alterations in hippocampal adult neurogenesis.

Las operaciones de mecanizado generan deformación plástica y calor en la zona próxima a la superficie de la pieza mecanizada, dando lugar a tensiones residuales. Dependiendo de su magnitud y signo, estas tensiones pueden ser perjudiciales o beneficiosas para la vida en servicio de la pieza. El estado final de tensiones depende del proceso de mecanizado aplicado, así como de los parámetros del mismo. Por tanto, el establecimiento de unas pautas de mecanizado adecuadas requiere una medida precisa de las tensiones residuales generadas, tanto en la superficie, como en el interior del material. En este trabajo se han medido, mediante difracción de rayos-X, las tensiones residuales en un acero F-522 templado y revenido, generadas por dos procesos de torneado (torneado duro convencional y torneado duro asistido por láser) y dos procesos de rectificado (de afino y de producción). Asimismo, se ha estudiado la evolución a lo largo de la profundidad de la fracción volumétrica de austenita retenida, de la microestructura y de nanodureza con el objetivo de relacionar estos resultados con los estados de tensiones obtenidos para cada mecanizado. Se ha observado que el torneado genera fuertes tensiones de tracción en la superficie y el rectificado tensiones de compresión. Inmediatamente, bajo la superficie, el rectificado genera tensiones ligeramente tractivas o nulas, mientras que el torneado genera tensiones fuertemente compresivas. Estos resultados indican que el proceso óptimo de mecanizado (prescindiendo de consideraciones económicas) sería aquel que combinase un torneado duro con un ligero rectificado final

The objective of this study was to compare the clinical and analytical repercussion of a new type of intestinal valve -which can be used in both massive resections and right hemicolectomies requiring the elimination of the ileocecal valve- on two historical series of patients: one group with ileocolic resections and end-to-end anastomoses (EE), and one group with Ricotta valves. We compared 23 patients with ileocolic resection and end-to-end anastomosis, 15 with Ricotta's valve, and 20 patients with a new valve made with a small intestinal invagination. There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics among patients. Patients with the new valve showed less relevant weight loss and fewer stools at 3 months and one year when compared to patients with Ricotta's valve, and particularly those with ileocolic resection. Moreover, with the new valve technique there was neither colonization of the ileal mucosa nor bacterial overgrowth. In conclusion, in massive intestinal resections and right hemicolectomies, including the ileocecal valve, the new valve technique would be of choice.El objetivo del estudio ha sido comparar la repercusión clínica y analítica de un nuevo tipo de válvula intestinal, aplicable tanto en las resecciones masivas intestinales como en las hemicolectomías derechas que requieren la eliminación de la válvula ileocecal, con dos series históricas: una con la técnica de resección ileocólica con anastomosis término-terminal (TT) y otra con la técnica válvular de Ricotta. Se han comparado 23 pacientes en los que se aplicó la resección ileocólica TT, en 15 pacientes la formación de la válvula de Ricotta y en 20 pacientes a los que se aplicó la neoválula formada con la invaginación del intestino delgado en el colon. No hubo diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el peso inicial de los pacientes. Los pacientes con la neovávula presentaron una menor pérdida de peso y menor número de deposiciones a los 3 meses y al año comparados con las técnicas de Ricotta y especialmente con la resección ileocólica TT. Además con la neoválvula no hubo colonización de la mucosa ileal ni sobrecrecimiento bacteriano. En conclusión ante las resecciones masivas intestinales y las hemicolectomías derechas que incluyan la válvula ileocecal, la técnica de elección sería la neoválvula.

A clear relationship exists between eustatic sea-level rises and falls recorded as cyclical depositional sequences and ammonite faunas during the Cenomanian-Santonian in the Iberian and West Portuguese basins. Most of the faunal turnovers correlate with stratigraphic intervals related to marine transgressions, maximum flooding of the shelf (locally associated to anoxic events), and marine regressions. Specifically, within each depositional sequence, three distinct and identical events of morphological change occur, involving ammonoids belonging to different groups. Transgressive sediments are characterized by moderately ornamented, inflated and evolute morphologies, which are replaced by smooth, involute and compressed oxycones (the most hydrodynamic shells) during maximum flooding (and to a lesser extent at the early highstand) of the sequences. The latter morphologies in turn are replaced by coarsely ornamented and evolute shells during late highstands. We conclude that ammonoid faunal analysis can be used to trace sea-level changes and provides an additional tool for sequence stratigraphy.

El objetivo del presente artículo es proyectar una visión de conjunto de la reciente técnica de procesado mecánico de materiales conocida como "extrusión en canal angular constante" (ECAE). Esta técnica es un método novedoso de refinamiento microestructural por deformación plástica muy intensa de un material, mediante cizalladura simple sin alteración práctica de sus dimensiones. Se aborda el origen histórico de la técnica, la descripción del proceso y el análisis macromecánico en detalle de la técnica ECAE. Se analizan sus ventajas sobre otras técnicas, para producir materiales de grano ultrafino en muestras masivas, con la potenciación consiguiente de sus propiedades mecánicas y, en especial, su posible comportamiento superplástico. Se abordan los factores determinantes del proceso y las técnicas experimentales para el seguimiento de la evolución de las microestructuras. Por último, se estudia una técnica estrechamente relacionada con la anterior que ha aparecido muy recientemente conocida por "estirado en canal angular" (ECAD).

En el Sifón de los Yesos (Torrelaguna), el Canal de Isabel II ha realizado un sondeo de reconocimiento hidrogeológico de 225 m de profundidad con recuperación de testigo continuo. En él se atraviesan materiales detrítico-evaporíticos paleógenos y la sucesión del Cretácico superior en facies dolomíticas muy monótonas en las que se han reconocido 6 unidades estratigráficas informales que de base a techo son: 1) Margas y dolomías tableadas con algunas intercalaciones arenosas (23,6 m); 2) Dolomías amarillas en bancos gruesos (23,4 m); 3) Dolomías margosas y margas grises (8 m); 4) Dolomías amarillas en bancos gruesos (17,4 m); 5) Dolomías blancas en bancos de tamaño medio a grueso (21,3 m); y 6) Brechas calcáreas alternando con calizas blancas y arcillas rojas (28,5 m). La correlación de estas unidades con las establecidas en un afloramiento de superficie cercano -el Barranco de las Cuevas (Patones, Madrid), que debido a su bajo grado de dolomitización se convierte en una sección clave para la interpretación del Cretácico del Borde sur del Sistema Central- permite establecer las unidades litoestratigráficas de los materiales atravesados en el sondeo. La unidad del sondeo 1) se correlaciona con la Fm. Tranquera; las unidades 2), 3) y la parte inferior de la 4) con la Fm. Hortezuelos; el resto de la unidad 4) y la unidad 5) se correlaciona con la Fm. Hontoria del Pinar; y finalmente la unidad 6) con la Fm. Burgo de Osma. Sobre estas unidades litoestratigráficas se establecen 3 secuencias deposicionales pudiendo precisar la edad de los materiales del sondeo (Turoniense superior-Campaniense inferior). La correlación de ambas secciones ayuda a interpretar mejor el origen de las superficies ferruginosas; a precisar las discontinuidades estratigráficas que limitan las secuencias deposicionales; y a señalar diferencias texturales y estructurales notables entre las facies de sondeo y las de superficie, tales como el diferente grado de coloración de los materiales, relacionado con el contenido en materia orgánica y su oxidación en superficie, o el diferente comportamiento reológico de los tramos margosos blandos que en profundidad se manifiestan como intervalos calcáreos más duros y compactados. El reconocimiento de las facies de sondeo del Cretácico superior de esta región se convierte en una herramienta de trabajo muy útil en futuras campañas de perforación permitiendo un seguimiento más detallado a pie de pozo.

Se describe un programa de ordenador que genera microestructuras virtuales en 3D. El sólido (normalmente un cubo) se descompone en vóxeles, en los que se distribuye al azar un número prescrito de semillas de "granos". El crecimiento de estas semillas puede activarse desde el principio de la simulación o, gradualmente, durante el proceso de crecimiento de los granos. El programa dispone de dos formas de asignar los vóxeles a un grano en concreto que se describen detalladamente. El programa reconoce los vóxeles situados en los límites de grano. Esto permite realizar fácilmente algunos cálculos estereológicos o resembrar semillas en los bordes de grano y simular posteriores recristalizaciones o transformaciones de fase nucleadas en intercaras.

Se comparan los resultados de tres técnicas de microscopía, SEM, TEM y AFM, aplicadas a resolver la zona de interfase carbonosa fibras-matriz de un material compuesto de matriz cerámica (CMC) reforzado con fibras continuas, SiC/C/SiC, fabricado por infiltración en fase gaseosa (CVI). La capa de interfase tiene un espesor entre 100 y 200 nm y es vital para que la tenacidad del compuesto sea correcta.

En este artículo se describe la preparación y caracterización de una superaleación de base níquel de microporosidad controlada, partiendo de una aleación pesada W-Ni-Fe de naturaleza densa y con métodos electrolíticos. Se ha conseguido un proceso factible de fabricación y, simultáneamente, una oportunidad de reciclado de las virutas de mecanizado de metal pesado. Tanto el nuevo material como el proceso de obtención han sido objeto de patente (Núm. P9700191, 1997). El nuevo material podría ser interesante como soporte de catalizadores, filtro de fluidos corrosivos a temperaturas elevadas, difusor en quemadores, etc.

RESUMO: Cum o objectivo de avaliarmos o perfil clinico, assim como o grau de adesâo á terapêutica e padrÄo de resistências aos antibacilares em doentes toxico-dependetes com tubereulose, efectuámos a revisÄo de 29 processos clinicos de doentes internados com estas patologias no Serviço de Pneumoligia 4 do Hospital de Pulido Valente, no período compreedido entre Janeiro de 1994 e Junho de 1996.Vinte e dois doentes (75.9%) eram do sexo maseulino, apresentando idade media de 28.6±6.4 anos e 7 (24.1%) do sexo feminine, com idade media de 28.1±3.3 anos. Eram de racça branca 88.5% dos doentes e 11.5% de raça negra. A grande maioria (96.6%) referiam hábitos tabágicos, com carga tabágica media de 20.3±16.0 U.M.A. e 83.3% referiam hábitos alcoólocos. A heroina foi a droga preferencialmente consumida (86.2%), embura muitos doentes consumida (86.2%), embura muitos doentes consumissem simultânearnente vários tipos de drogas, sendo a via endovenoso privilegiada por 72.4% dos doentes. A serolongia para VIH for positive em 969.0% dos casos e neste grupo 52.6% apresentavam Prova de Mantoux negative, 71.4% niveis de CD4 inferior a 500 e 76.9% CD4/CD8

En este trabajo se describen cinco nuevas especies de Ácaros Oribátidos, encontradas en muestras colectadas en suelos de pinares incendiados de varias localidades de la Sierra de Gredos (Provincia de Ávila, Centro de España): Brachychthonius amicabilis n. sp., Hermanniella issanielloides n. sp., Ctenobelba pulchellula n. sp., Xenillus arilloi n. sp., y Carabodes gregorioi n. sp.

El Sistema Central es un rejuvenecimiento alpino del zócalo hercínico de la Placa Ibérica. En su borde meridional afloran las terminaciones hacia el continente de las plataformas carbonatadas cretácicas del Surco Ibérico. Los depósitos cretácicos, en las proximidades de la Cordillera Ibérica (NE) son carbonatados, de ambientes litorales y marinos someros; mientras que hacia el interior de la Placa Ibérica, pasan a depósitos terrígenos, de medios litorales y continentales. Hay también una importante reducción de los espesores en esa misma dirección. El registro estratigráfico se organiza en dieciséis unidades litoestratigráficas y en ocho secuencias deposicionales, que se correlacionan con la carta de ciclos globales de Haq et al. Los materiales estudiados abarcan desde el Cenomanense al Campaniense. La estructura de apilamiento es agradacional, con un onlap poco marcado en la base, una truncación y una discordancia interna en el Santoniense. Las variaciones de espesor y de facies son controladas por fracturas sinsedimentarias, en un marco distensivo. Ellas tienen poco salto y son más modernas hacia el exterior de la cuenca sedimentaria.

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