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Mechanotherapy is a groundbreaking approach to impact carcinogenesis. Cells sense and respond to mechanical stimuli, trans-lating them into biochemical signals in a process known as mechanotransduction. The impact of stress on tumor growth has been studied in the last three decades, and many papers highlight the role of mechanics as a critical self-inducer of tumor fate at the in vitro and in vivo biological levels. Meanwhile, mathematical models attempt to determine laws to reproduce tumor dynamics. This review discusses biological mechanotransduction mechanisms and mathematical-biomechanical models together. The aim is to provide a common framework for the different approaches that have emerged in the literature from the perspective of tumor avascularity and to provide insight into emerging mechanotherapies that have attracted interest in recent years., the MINECO-FEDER (Spain) research grant number EQC2018-004508-P, PID2019-106947RA-C22 RTI2018-098850-B-I00, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain, project numbers PID2020-115372RB-I00, Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía P18-RT-1653 PY18-RT-2422 & B-FQM-580-UGR20, Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación from Junta de Andalucía, P21.00182, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Univer-sities of Spain, FPU2017/01415, Universidad de Granada / CBUA

The hypothesis of this paper is to demonstrate the motivation of LGBT+ art to transform society, so we focus on the social contributions, policies and culture of the selected artists. We take as its axis the exposed art in the permanent collection of MUSEARI, Museum of the Imagine. We visit this online museum, focusing only on the six authors related to the comic and the picture book that have been exhibited to date. We discuss with Sara Colaone, Sebas Martín, Juan Sepúlveda, Nazario Luque, Laerte Coutinho and Victoria Rubio. Six projects of MUSEARI for meeting first hand, their visual narratives, their personal and artistic contributions, to art and life. Art it’s a social reflex, it promotes reflection, it influences and brings about changes in society. The art that emanates from activism LGTBIQ+ is made up of committed people, and their motivation is essential to stimulate changes in different orders. La hipótesis de este trabajo es demostrar la motivación del arte LGTBIQ+ para transformar la sociedad, y para ello nos centramos en las aportaciones sociales, políticas y culturales de los ilustradores e ilustradoras seleccionadas. Tomamos como eje al arte expuesto en la colección permanente de MUSEARI, Museu de l’Imaginari. Visitamos este museo online, centrándonos únicamente en los seis autores relacionados con el cómic y el álbum ilustrado que han expuesto hasta la fecha. Conversamos con Sara Colaone, Sebas Martín, Juan Sepúlveda, Nazario Luque, Laerte Coutinho y Victoria Rubio. Seis proyectos de MUSEARI para conocer de primera mano sus narrativas visuales, sus motivaciones personales y artísticas, a favor del arte y de la vida. El arte es el reflejo social, promueve la reflexión, influye y provoca cambios en la sociedad. El arte que emana del activismo LGTBIQ+ está formado por personas comprometidas, y su motivación resulta imprescindible para estimular cambios en diferentes órdenes.

Conversion of methanol to light olefins (MTO) using SAPO-34 molecular-sieve as the reaction catalyst was studied in a fluidized bed reactor within the temperature range of 400–550 °C by 50 °C increments and under 50, 66.6 and 90 vol% of methanol in the feed, diluted with water or an inert. SAPO-34-based catalyst was prepared by agglomeration with clay and alumina to allow proper fluidization. Catalytic results show the highest olefin yield for 500 °C and a reduction in catalyst deactivation for 1:1 methanol:water molar ration in the feed.

In the planar circular restricted three-body problem and for any value of the mass parameter $$\mu \in (0,1)$$ μ ∈ ( 0 , 1 ) and $$n\ge 1$$ n ≥ 1 , we prove the existence of four families of n-ejection–collision (n-EC) orbits, that is, orbits where the particle ejects from a primary, reaches n maxima in the (Euclidean) distance with respect to it and finally collides with the primary. Such EC orbits have a value of the Jacobi constant of the form $$C=3\mu +Ln^{2/3}(1-\mu )^{2/3}$$ C = 3 μ + L n 2 / 3 ( 1 - μ ) 2 / 3 , where $$L>0$$ L > 0 is big enough but independent of $$\mu $$ μ and n. In order to prove this optimal result, we consider Levi-Civita’s transformation to regularize the collision with one primary and a perturbative approach using an ad hoc small parameter once a suitable scale in the configuration plane and time has previously been applied. This result improves a previous work where the existence of the n-EC orbits was stated when the mass parameter $$\mu >0$$ μ > 0 was small enough. Moreover, for decreasing values of C, there appear some bifurcations which are first numerically investigated and afterward explicit expressions for the approximation of the bifurcation values of C are discussed. Finally, a detailed analysis of the existence of n-EC orbits when $$\mu \rightarrow 1$$ μ → 1 is also described. In a natural way, Hill’s problem shows up. For this problem, we prove an analytical result on the existence of four families of n-EC orbits, and numerically, we describe them as well as the appearing bifurcations.

The increase in energy and fertilizer consumption makes it necessary to develop sustainable alternatives for agriculture. Anaerobic digestion and digestates appeared to be suitable options. However, untreated digestates still have high water content and can increase greenhouse gas emissions during storage and land application. In this study, manure-derived digestate and solid fraction of digestate after separation were treated with a novel solar drying technology to reduce their water content, combined with acidification to reduce the gaseous emissions. The acidified digestate and acidified solid fraction of digestate recovered more nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen than their respective non-acidified products (1.5–1.3 times for TN; 14 times for TAN). Ammonia and methane emissions were reduced up to 94% and 72% respectively, compared to the non-acidified ones, while N2O increased more than 3 times. Dried digestate and dried acidified digestate can be labeled as NPK organic fertilizer regarding the European regulation, and the dried solid fraction and the improved dried acidified solid fraction can be labeled as N or P organic fertilizer. Moreover, plant tests showed that N concentrations in fresh lettuce leaves were within the EU limit with all products in all the cases. However, zinc concentration appeared to be a limitation in some of the products as their concentration exceeded the European legal limits. This work was funded by the European Union under the Circular Agronomics project (H2020 research and innovation project Nº.773649) and Nutry2Cycle project (H2020 research and innovation project Nº.773682). IRTA thanks the support of the CERCA Program and the Consolidated Research Group TERRA (ref.2017SGR1292), both from the Generalitat de Catalunya. L. Morey thanks the financial support of AGAUR, of the Generalitat de Catalunya (grant reference number 2019FI_B00694). We would like to thank the help of Celia Segura Godoy and Pau Berenguer i Planas during the sampling campaigns.

Background The aim of this study was the production of bioethanol generated during the fermentation of CCN-51 Cocoa mucilage with Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and the fitting of experimental data to the mathematical models: Logistic, modified Gompertz, and Andrews and Levenspiel. There are limited studies regarding the high energy potential of cocoa mucilage from Ecuador for bioethanol production as a gasoline additive. Currently, this by-product of the cocoa industry is considered as waste. Methods Discontinuous fermentation was performed in a batch bioreactor under different conditions of pH, temperature and yeast concentration. During the reaction, bioethanol concentration, yeast and consumed substrate were evaluated by means of microdiffusion, dry weight by lyophilization and UV spectrophotometry, respectively. Significant Findings The result of the final bioethanol concentration was 25.41 g/L at a temperature of 35 °C, pH of 4 and yeast concentration of 3 g/L. The models were fitted with determination coefficients greater than 0.9. From the results, the logistic model was used to describe yeast growth. Modified Gompertz model is considered appropriate for modeling bioethanol production. Both models fit the data adequately; however, Andrews and Levenspiel model, besides of the good adjustment, considered inhibition terms of the substrate and product.

Avian feathers need to be replaced periodically to fulfill their functions, with natural, social, and sexual selection presumably driving the evolution of molting strategies. In temperate birds, a common pattern is to molt feathers immediately after the breeding season, the pre- basic molt. However, some species undergo another molt in winter- spring, the pre-alternate molt. Using a sample of 188 European passerine species, Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models, and correlated evolution analyses, we tested whether the occurrence of the pre-alternate molt was positively associated with prox-ies for sexual selection (sexual selection hypothesis) and nonsexual social selection (social selection hypothesis), and with factors related to feather wear (feather wear hypothesis) and time constraints on the pre- basic molt (time constraints hypothesis). We found that the pre-alternate molt was more frequent in migratory and less gre-garious species inhabiting open/xeric habitats and feeding on the wing, and margin-ally more frequent in species with strong sexual selection and those showing a winter territorial behavior. Moreover, an increase in migratory behavior and sexual selection intensity preceded the acquisition of the pre-alternate molt. These results provide support for the feather wear hypothesis, partial support for the sexual selection and time constraints hypotheses, and no support for the social selection hypothesis.KEYWORDSbirds, feather wear, pre-alternate molt, sexual selection, social selection, time constraintsTAXONOMY CLASSIFICATIONBehavioural ecology; Evolutionary ecology; Life history ecology, European Regional Development Fund; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Grant/Award Number: CGL2013-48193-C3-1-P, CGL2013-48193-C3-3-P, CGL2017-83103-P, CGL2017-83843-C2-1-P and RYC-2014-15145; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Grant/Award Number: PID2019-106032GB-I00

Resume Introduction Le trouble depressif est une comorbidite frequente au cours de la broncho-pneumopathie chronique obstructive (BPCO) et retentit negativement sur la qualite de vie. Cette etude a pour but d’evaluer l’impact du reentrainement a l’exercice (RE) sur les symptomes cliniquement significatifs de depression. Methodes Parmi les 515 patients atteints de BPCO inclus dans un programme de RE a domicile, la qualite de vie (questionnaire de Saint-George : SGRQ), les symptomes de depression (score de Beck version courte [BDI-SF]), et le temps d’endurance (TE) ont ete mesures a l’inclusion (T0) et a 12 mois (T12) chez 182 patients (deces n = 10 ; abandons n = 84 ; donnees manquantes n = 239). Ce RE comportait des seances initiales hospitalieres, puis a domicile encadrees periodiquement par un professionnel de sante. Resultats Le BDI-SF etait de 4,2 ± 5,1 et 2,7 ± 4,3 (p Conclusion Le RE ameliore les symptomes cliniquement significatifs de depression au cours de la BPCO. Ces resultats sont correles a l’amelioration du test d’endurance.

Ditercalinium (2,2'-([4,4'-bipiperidine-1,1'-diyl] di-2,1-ethane diyl) bis (10-methoxy-7H-pyrido[4,3c] carbazolium) tetra(methyl sulphonate--NSC 366241), a DNA bis-intercalating compound presently under clinical trial, elicits an original mechanism of action and thus appears as the first of a new class of anti-tumour drugs. Previous studies have shown that a reduced flexibility of the linking chain of these dimers is essential for their biological activity. In order to analyze their mechanism of action at the molecular level and to obtain structure-activity relationships in this series, new derivatives with additional methylene groups between the two piperidine rings have been synthesized. Whereas the addition of a single methylene group in the chain preserves the anti-tumour activity of the dimers, the addition of a second methylene diminishes it; the addition of three methylenes completely abolishes it. Lengthening of sonicated DNA and unwinding of supercoiled DNA support a bis-intercalation mechanism for these drugs. In addition, analyses of poly d(A-T) melting curves in the presence of the drugs, and competition experiments with ethidium dimer, show that these compounds bind to DNA with high affinity (10(7)-10(8) M-1). N.m.r. studies of the dimers in aqueous medium show that the introduction of a single methylene group in the linker leads to compounds with a conformationally-induced decrease of intermolecular stacking interactions, which might be related to the DNA affinity enhancement observed for these dimers. Different hypotheses concerning structure-activity relationships in the different series are discussed.

Resume Introduction L’atteinte respiratoire liee a la maladie associee aux IgG4, proteiforme et d’intensite variable, peut etre grave. Nous rapportons un cas de maladie associee aux IgG4 revelee par une pneumopathie infiltrante diffuse d’aggravation rapidement progressive. Observation Il s’agit d’un homme âge de 69 ans, ancien fumeur, hospitalise initialement pour enquete etiologique d’une pneumopathie interstitielle diffuse revelee par une toux, une dyspnee febrile et une alteration de l’etat general evoluant depuis 3 mois. L’aggravation rapide de l’hypoxemie imposait un transfert en soins intensifs respiratoires pour instauration d’une ventilation non invasive (VNI) et d’une oxygenotherapie a haut debit. Le scanner thoracique revelait des condensations lobaires inferieure droite et moyenne, des plages de verre depoli diffuses, un epaississement des septa inter-lobulaires ainsi que des adenomegalies mediastinales et une pleuresie bilaterale de faible abondance. Une maladie associee aux IgG4 etait suspectee devant une augmentation des IgG4 seriques. La confirmation diagnostique fut obtenue par une biopsie renale montrant une glomerulonephrite aigue avec une infiltration lympho-plasmocytaire, une fibrose d’aspect storiforme et plus de 60 plasmocytes IgG4+ par champ a fort grossissement. L’evolution etait rapidement favorable sous corticotherapie systemique. Conclusion Habituellement au second plan, l’atteinte respiratoire de la maladie associee aux IgG4 peut egalement se reveler par une insuffisance respiratoire severe avec ou sans atteinte extra-thoracique.

Deactivation of SAPO-34 catalyst is a common problem in methanol to olefins (MTO) process. Due to its shape selectivity to olefins, SAPO-34 is one of the best zeolites for this purpose, but this advantage also makes its deactivation faster and more pronounced due to pore blockage or coke formation. Commonly, deactivation can be reduced by feeding water alongside with methanol, but this option only reduces but does not fully avoids deactivation. To solve this problem, we propose the use of a reactor in which reaction and regeneration of the catalyst take place simultaneously in the same unit. In this work, the comparison between conventional (CFBR) and two zone (TZFBR) fluidized bed reactors is presented, as well as a parametric study of some of the most important variables that define the TZFBR operation.

Background and Purpose: Reliable recognition of large vessel occlusion (LVO) on noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) may accelerate identification of endovascular treatment candidates. We aim to validate a machine learning algorithm (MethinksLVO) to identify LVO on NCCT. Methods: Patients with suspected acute stroke who underwent NCCT and computed tomography angiography (CTA) were included. Software detection of LVO (MethinksLVO) on NCCT was tested against the CTA readings of 2 experienced radiologists (NR-CTA). We used a deep learning algorithm to identify clot signs on NCCT. The software image output trained a binary classifier to determine LVO on NCCT. We studied software accuracy when adding National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and time from onset to the model (MethinksLVO+). Results: From 1453 patients, 823 (57%) had LVO by NR-CTA. The area under the curve for the identification of LVO with MethinksLVO was 0.87 (sensitivity: 83%, specificity: 71%, positive predictive value: 79%, negative predictive value: 76%) and improved to 0.91 with MethinksLVO+ (sensitivity: 83%, specificity: 85%, positive predictive value: 88%, negative predictive value: 79%). Conclusions: In patients with suspected acute stroke, MethinksLVO software can rapidly and reliably predict LVO. MethinksLVO could reduce the need to perform CTA, generate alarms, and increase the efficiency of patient transfers in stroke networks.

[Background]: Sperm chromatin structure provides valuable information for the prediction of male fertility and can be altered during different procedures. Previous studies have shown that sperm chromatin condensation decreased during in vitro capacitation. Moreover, cryopreservation can affect sperm DNA integrity and chromatin compaction., [Objectives]: This study aimed to investigate dynamic modifications produced in the chromatin structure of ram spermatozoa during in vitro capacitation before and after cryopreservation., [Materials and methods]: Chromatin decondensation (AB+), DNA methylation, DNA fragmentation index (%DFI) and high DNA stainability (HDS) were evaluated in fresh and frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa incubated under capacitating (CAP) conditions at 1, 5, 15, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes and under non-capacitating (NC) conditions at 0, 15 and 240 minutes., [Results]: Incubation in NC conditions did not induce significant changes in chromatin condensation (P > .05; AB + and HDS). However, incubation of fresh and cryopreserved ram spermatozoa under CAP conditions significantly increased chromatin decondensation (P < .05), reaching the highest percentage of AB + and HDS from 180 to 240 minutes in fresh samples and from 5 to 30 minutes in cryopreserved samples. Both variables (HDS and AB+) were positively correlated with tyrosine phosphorylation, total motility, progressive motility, curvilinear velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement, as well as between them under CAP conditions in fresh and cryopreserved spermatozoa. DNA methylation significantly increased in cryopreserved spermatozoa (P < .05), but only after extended incubation under CAP conditions (60-240 minutes), while the %DFI, albeit higher in cryopreserved samples, remained constant under CAP and NC conditions in both types of sample (P > .05)., [Discussion and conclusions]: Our results suggest that sperm chromatin condensation decreased progressively during in vitro capacitation of ram spermatozoa, while sperm DNA integrity remained intact. Such changes in chromatin condensation appeared faster after sperm cryopreservation., PFP and DAMC were supported by a University of Castilla-La Mancha scholarship. MIC and AMM were supported by a Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness scholarship. The study was supported by grants from ALF-Research (Region Östergötland, LIO-698951), FORSS (Forskningsrådet i Sydöstra Sverige, 473121 and 745971), Lions Forskningsfond (DNRLIU-2016-00641), Linköping and the Swedish Research Council FORMAS, Stockholm (Project 2017-00946 and Project 2019-00288) and by the MINECO (AGL2013-48421-R).

Guidelines of treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) identify symptom reduction and prevention of exacerbations as the main goals of therapy. Initial pharmacological treatment must be guided by these parameters, and effectiveness must be assessed at each clinical visit. However, there is no clear guidance as to how this assessment must be performed. The concept of control has been well developed in asthma, but it has been elusive in COPD. Patients with COPD may not be completely free from symptoms or exacerbations even under optimized therapy; therefore, control in COPD does not mean cure or absence of symptoms, but rather reaching the best clinical status possible according to the level of disease severity. A control tool has been developed based on a cross sectional evaluation of the impact of the disease and a longitudinal evaluation of stability. Low impact is a disease status defined by at least 3 of the following: low levels of dyspnoea, absence of or white sputum, low use of rescue medication and self-declared walking time of more than 30 minutes a day, and stability is the absence of moderate or severe exacerbations in the previous 3 months. Control can also be defined by COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores ≤ 10 units for patients with FEV1 ≥ 50% and 16 for patients with FEV1 < 50% and stability as a change in CAT ≤ 2 units. Control of COPD is then defined as a status of low impact and stability. The control tool has been validated prospectively in several studies and has demonstrated to be sensitive to clinical changes and to have a good predictive value for poor outcomes. Clinical criteria are more reliable than CAT scores for the evaluation of control. The control tool is a quick and inexpensive method to evaluate clinical status and future risk of exacerbations that can be used at all levels of healthcare.

Juan Soler and Nicola Bellomo acknowledge the support by the MINECO-Feder (Spain) research Grant Number RTI2018-098850-B-I00, the Junta de Andalucia (Spain) Project PY18-RT-2422, A-FQM-311-UGR18 & B-FQM-580-UGR20. Youshan Tao is partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 12171316), and he also acknowledges support of Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Modern Analysis. MichaelWinkler acknowledges support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in the context of the Project Emergence of Structures and Advantages in CrossDiffusion Systems (No. 411007140, GZ: WI 3707/5-1)., This paper proposes a review focused on exotic chemotaxis and cross-diffusion models in complex environments. The term exotic is used to denote the dynamics of models interacting with a time-evolving external system and, specifically, models derived with the aim of describing the dynamics of living systems. The presentation first, considers the derivation of phenomenological models of chemotaxis and cross-diffusion models with particular attention on nonlinear characteristics. Then, a variety of exotic models is presented with some hints toward the derivation of new models, by accounting for a critical analysis looking ahead to perspectives. The second part of the paper is devoted to a survey of analytical problems concerning the application of models to the study of real world dynamics. Finally, the focus shifts to research perspectives within the framework of a multiscale vision, where different paths are examined to move from the dynamics at the microscopic scale to collective behaviors at the macroscopic scale., Spanish Government RTI2018-098850-B-I00, Junta de Andalucia European Commission PY18-RT-2422 A-FQM-311-UGR18 B-FQM-580-UGR20, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 12171316, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Modern Analysis, German Research Foundation (DFG) 411007140, GZ: WI 3707/5-1

Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) process transforms methanol to hydrocarbons within the boiling point range of gasoline. The result is a wide spectrum of products (olefins, paraffins, aromatics and naphthenics, among others), with the total conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons and water. Catalyst deactivation by coke is a main problem in this process. This work aims to determine the feasibility of carrying out the production of gasoline from methanol in a two-zone fluidized bed reactor (TZFBR). The hypothesis is that the formation of carbonaceous deposits (coke) on the catalyst particles can be counteracted by its combustion in the regeneration zone that this novel reactor presents, thus achieving stable and continuous operation. In this way, both processes (reaction and regeneration) would be being carried out simultaneously in the same reactor (process intensification). The comparison of results between a conventional fluidized bed reactor and a TZFBR shows that the second one actually provides a better stability over time.

We demonstrate a suspended germanium waveguide platform with a propagation loss of 5.3 dB/cm at a wavelength of 7.7 µm, with potential applications in free-space optical communications and absorption sensing. Furthermore, our simulations show low-loss propagation up to ~15-µm wavelength., 2021 IEEE 17th International Conference on Group IV Photonics (GFP), December 7-10, 2021, Malaga, Spain

This article belongs to the Special Issue Factors Affecting In Vitro Assessment of Sperm Quality., The heterogeneous nature of ejaculates highlights the relevance of studying the behavior of different sperm subpopulations. Changes in sperm motility and the increase in tyrosine phosphorylation are key events that usually occur during capacitation and can be modified by the cryopreservation process. However, the relationship between both events remains poorly defined throughout capacitation in the different sperm subpopulations. Fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa were incubated in capacitating (CAP) and non-capacitating (NC) media up to 240 min. Sperm kinematics, tyrosine phosphorylation and mitochondrial activity were measured by the CASA system and imaging flow cytometry. Four motile sperm subpopulations (SP) were identified in fresh and frozen-thawed ram semen after the cluster analysis. Incubation under CAP conditions over time led to greater changes in the percentage of spermatozoa included in each subpopulation compared to NC conditions, being different between fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The SP1, characterized by slow spermatozoa, progressively increased after 15 min in frozen-thawed samples incubated in both media but not in fresh ones. The SP4, characterized by fast and non-linear spermatozoa, showed a marked increase during CAP, but not under NC conditions, occurring more rapidly in frozen-thawed spermatozoa. This subpopulation (SP4) was also the only one positively and strongly correlated with mitochondrial activity and all phosphorylated sperm regions during capacitation, either in fresh or frozen-thawed samples. Our results indicated that in vitro capacitation induced significant changes in the distribution of motile sperm subpopulations, being affected by cryopreservation. Notwithstanding, the subpopulation which probably represents hyperactivated-like spermatozoa (SP4) also increased in frozen-thawed samples, occurring faster and simultaneously to the increment of mitochondrial activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of different sperm regions., This research was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (AGL2013-48421-R and AGL2017-89017-R). A.M.M. was supported by a Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness scholarship and P.P.-F. was supported by a University of Castilla-La Mancha scholarship [2015/4062].

This article belongs to the Special Issue In Vitro Embryo Production in Domestic Animals., To date, the underlying mechanisms by which cAMP modulators act during in vitro maturation to improve oocyte developmental competence are poorly understood. Here, we sought to fill this knowledge gap by evaluating the use of phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) and adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin during a culture period of 2 h before in vitro maturation (pre-IVM) on the nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation features in essential organelles, cumulus cells activity, and in vitro developmental potential of sheep oocytes. Results showed that pre-IVM treatment significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the DNA damage of mature oocytes (pre-IVM = 2.08% ± 3.51% vs. control = 20.58% ± 3.51%) and increased (p ≤ 0.05) expanded blastocyst rates compared to the control (from the total of oocytes: pre-IVM = 23.89% ± 1.47% vs. control = 18.22% ± 1.47%, and from the cleaved embryos: pre-IVM = 45.16% ± 1.73% vs. control = 32.88% ± 1.73%). Considering that oocytes are highly vulnerable to the accumulation of DNA damage because of exposure to in vitro culture conditions, our results suggest that the modulation of intra-oocyte cAMP levels with forskolin and IBMX before IVM might afford oocytes a more effective DNA repair mechanism to overcome damage obstacles and ultimately improve developmental competence. This previously unappreciated action of cAMP modulators could help to develop improved methods for assisted reproduction technologies in animal and clinical research., This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, grant number “AGL2017-89017-R”. P.P.-F. and D.-A.M.-C. were supported by University of Castilla-La Mancha scholarships. C.M. was supported by Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha.

The Patch-seq approach is a powerful variation of the patch-clamp technique that allows for the combined electrophysiological, morphological, and transcriptomic characterization of individual neurons. To generate Patch-seq datasets at scale, we identified and refined key factors that contribute to the efficient collection of high-quality data. We developed patch-clamp electrophysiology software with analysis functions specifically designed to automate acquisition with online quality control. We recognized the importance of extracting the nucleus for transcriptomic success and maximizing membrane integrity during nucleus extraction for morphology success. The protocol is generalizable to different species and brain regions, as demonstrated by capturing multimodal data from human and macaque brain slices. The protocol, analysis and acquisition software are compiled at https://githubcom/AllenInstitute/patchseqtools. This resource can be used by individual labs to generate data across diverse mammalian species and that is compatible with large publicly available Patch-seq datasets.

Methanol can be obtained through CO2 hydrogenation in a membrane reactor with higher yield or lower pressure than in a conventional packed bed reactor. In this study, we explore a new kind of membrane with the potential suitability for such membrane reactors. Silicone–ceramic composite membranes are synthetized and characterized for their capability to selectively remove water from a mixture containing hydrogen, CO2, and water at temperatures typical for methanol synthesis. We show that this membrane can achieve selective permeation of water under such harsh conditions, and thus is an alternative candidate for use in membrane reactors for processes where water is one of the products and the yield is limited by thermodynamic equilibrium.

Renewable methanol, obtained from CO2 and hydrogen provided from renewable energy, was proposed to close the CO2 loop. In industry, methanol synthesis using the catalyst CuO/ZnO/Al2O3 occurs at a high pressure. We intend to make certain modification on the traditional catalyst to work at lower pressure, maintaining high selectivity. Therefore, three heterogeneous catalysts were synthesized by coprecipitation to improve the activity and the selectivity to methanol under mild conditions of temperature and pressure. Certain modifications on the traditional catalyst Cu/Zn/Al2O3 were employed such as the modification of the synthesis time and the addition of Pd as a dopant agent. The most efficient catalyst among those tested was a palladium-doped catalyst, 5% Pd/Cu/Zn/Al2O3. This had a selectivity of 64% at 210 °C and 5 bar.

Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and function) implies a worse prognosis. However, its diagnosis is complex and is not made in routine clinical care. A biomarker has been proposed as a surrogate estimator of skeletal muscle mass, the so-called sarcopenia index ([serum creatinine/cystatine C] x100) which is associated with prognostic features in various diseases including patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of our study was to prospectively evaluate the potential clinical and prognostic information of this biomarker in COPD exacerbation. This is a one-year prospective study of consecutive patients admitted for COPD exacerbation. A total of 89 patients, 70 men (79%) and 19 women (21%) were included. Those with lower values of the sarcopenia index had a higher level of dyspnoea and a longer hospitalization. In the correlation analysis, the index had statistically significant values with FEV1 (r = 0.23), PaCO2 (r = -0.30), bicarbonate (r = -0.31), dyspnoea (r = -0.25) and length of admission (r = -0.30). In patients admitted for COPD exacerbation, the sarcopenia index was related to prognostic characteristics, so that lower values were associated with longer duration of hospital admission, more dyspnoea and greater functional impairment. As this is an index associated with muscle mass, its determination may identify patients who could be the subject of a differentiated therapeutic plan.La presencia de sarcopenia (pérdida de masa y función muscular) implica peor pronóstico. Sin embargo, su diagnóstico es complejo y no se realiza en la atención clínica habitual. Se ha propuesto un biomarcador como estimador subrogado de la masa muscular esquelética, el denominado índice de sarcopenia ([creatinina sérica/cistatina C] x100) que se asocia a características pronósticas en diversas enfermedades incluyendo pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) estable. El objetivo de nuestro estudio ha sido evaluar de forma prospectiva la potencial información clínica y pronóstica de este biomarcador en agudización de la EPOC. Se trata de un estudio prospectivo, durante un año, de los pacientes consecutivos que ingresan por agudización de su EPOC. Se incluyeron 89 pacientes, 70 varones (79%) y 19 mujeres (21%). Aquellos con valores disminuidos del índice de sarcopenia tenían más disnea y requerían una internación más prolongada. En el análisis de correlación se obtuvo valores con significación estadística del índice con FEV1 (r = 0.23), PaCO2 (r = -0.30) y bicarbonato (r = -0.31), y con la disnea (r = -0.25) y la duración del ingreso (r =- 0.30). En los ingresados por agudización de la EPOC el índice de sarcopenia se relacionó con características pronósticas, de modo que los valores inferiores se asociaron a mayor duración de la internación, más disnea y mayor afectación funcional. Al tratarse de un índice asociado a la masa muscular, su determinación podría identificar a pacientes a incluir en un plan terapéutico diferenciado.