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Abstract Understanding shale petrophysical parameters is of interest due to its direct implications as cap rocks for CO2 or hydrogen storage, waste depositions, and as unconventional reservoirs. The generation and propagation of natural and induced fracture networks in such rocks is highly dependent on the mechanical behavior linked to several sedimentological parameters, as lithological discontinuities or bioturbation. This study is focused on a different sedimentological parameter that consists of trace fossils and their implication on the generation of fluid-assisted fractures, called bedding-parallel veins. In the Austral-Magallanes Basin, Southern Patagonia, Argentina, both geological features, Skolithos Ichnofacies (doomed pioneers trace fossils) and bedding-parallel veins, are numerous, especially at the top of the turbiditic bodies. The trace fossils exhibit U-shaped vertically oriented burrows composed of clean sandstone, partially cemented by calcite, and a spreite in the central part with heterogenous laminated siltstone. Bedding-parallel veins are composed of calcite fibers with some pyrite grains and bitumen. They are located on the top of the trace fossils along the lithological discontinuity between the turbiditic bodies and the impermeable shales. On their surfaces, a radial pattern starts growing from the trace fossils. Moreover, the number of bedding-parallel veins is dependent on the bioturbation intensity. With this study, we infer that trace fossils represent ichnological mechanical discontinuities (IMD) that have a key role in the generation and development of bedding-parallel veins. By correlation, we also suggest that these geological features must be thoroughly studied, especially regarding their potential for the development of induced fracturing networks.

The article illustrates the wide-synchronization control, a novel wide-area control for general application to inverter-based resources. The principle is first introduced from a theoretical point of view, including a mathematical proof of the concept, a technological assessment of grid-following and grid-forming converters as actuators, and the examination of the effects of the latencies. The wide-synchronization control is then demonstrated with the application to two case-studies, the standard two-area benchmark system and the large-scale European power system. Analysis and results indicate that the proposed control can remarkably improve the dynamic characteristics of the system, securing a stable operation with a high degree of flexibility and even under critical conditions.

Abstract The success of an on-line movement could be defined in terms of the shift to large-scale and the later off-line massive street actions of protests. The role of social media in this process is to facilitate the transformation from small or local feelings of disagreement into large-scale social actions. The way how social media achieves that effect is by growing clusters of people and groups with similar effervescent feelings, which otherwise would not be in touch with each other. It is natural to think that these kinds of macro social actions, as a consequence of the spontaneous and massive interactions, will attain the growth and divergence of those clusters, like the correlation length of statistical physics, giving rise to important simplifications on several statistics. In this work, we report the presence of signs of criticality in social demonstrations. Namely, similar power-law exponents are found whenever the distributions are calculated either considering time windows of the same length or with the same number of hashtag usages. In particular, the exponents for the distributions during the event were found to be smaller than before the event, and this is also observed either if we count the hashtags only once per user or if all their usages are considered. By means of network representations, we show that the systems present two kinds of high connectedness, characterised by either high or low values of modularity. The importance of analysing systems near a critical point is that any small disturbance can escalate and induce large-scale—nationwide—chain reactions.

Hyperpolarization of the membrane potential (Em), a phenomenon regulated by SLO3 channels, stands as a central feature in sperm capacitation—a crucial process conferring upon sperm the ability to fertilize the oocyte. In vitro studies demonstrated that Em hyperpolarization plays a pivotal role in facilitating the mechanisms necessary for the development of hyperactivated motility (HA) and acrosomal exocytosis (AE) occurrence. Nevertheless, the physiological significance of sperm Em within the female reproductive tract remains unexplored. As an approach to this question, we studied sperm migration and AE incidence within the oviduct in the absence of Em hyperpolarization using a novel mouse model established by crossbreeding of SLO3 knock-out (KO) mice with EGFP/DsRed2 mice. Sperm from this model displays impaired HA and AE in vitro. Interestingly, examination of the female reproductive tract shows that SLO3 KO sperm can reach the ampulla, mirroring the quantity of sperm observed in wild-type (WT) counterparts, supporting that the HA needed to reach the fertilization site is not affected. However, a noteworthy distinction emerges—unlike WT sperm, the majority of SLO3 KO sperm arrive at the ampulla with their acrosomes still intact. Of the few SLO3 KO sperm that do manage to reach the oocytes within this location, fertilization does not occur, as indicated by the absence of sperm pronuclei in the MII-oocytes recovered post-mating. In vitro, SLO3 KO sperm fail to penetrate the ZP and fuse with the oocytes. Collectively, these results underscore the vital role of Em hyperpolarization in AE and fertilization within their physiological context, while also revealing that Em is not a prerequisite for the development of the HA motility, essential for sperm migration through the female tract to the ampulla.

Abstract The nephron, functional unit of the vertebrate kidney, is specialized in metabolic wastes excretion and body fluids osmoregulation. Given the high evolutionary conservation of gene expression and segmentation patterning between mammalian and amphibian nephrons, the Xenopus laevis pronephric kidney offers a simplified model for studying nephrogenesis. The Lhx1 transcription factor plays several roles during embryogenesis, regulating target genes expression by forming multiprotein complexes with LIM binding protein 1 (Ldb1). However, few Lhx1-Ldb1 cofactors have been identified for kidney organogenesis. By tandem- affinity purification from kidney-induced Xenopus animal caps, we identified single-stranded DNA binding protein 2 (Ssbp2) interacts with the Ldb1–Lhx1 complex. Ssbp2 is expressed in the Xenopus pronephros, and knockdown prevents normal morphogenesis and differentiation of the glomus and the convoluted renal tubules. We demonstrate a role for a member of the Ssbp family in kidney organogenesis and provide evidence of a fundamental function for the Ldb1–Lhx1-Ssbp transcriptional complexes in embryonic development.

Abstract Conservation funding is currently limited; cost‐effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID‐19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km2 than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.

The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is one of the most extensively distributed kinases among intracellular signal cascades, with a pivotal role in the regulation of various processes, including the capacitation of sperm cells. Traditional assessments of PKA activity relies on the utilization of [γ-32P] ATP and the Kemptide substrate. This methodology presents several major drawbacks, including high-costs and health risks derived from the manipulation of radioactive isotopes. In this work we introduce an enhanced non-radioactive assay for quantifying PKA activity, termed KiMSA which relies on the use of a fluorescent-labeled Kemptide (Kemptide-FITC). Once the kinase reaction is terminated, the products can be easily resolved through electrophoresis on an agarose gel and quantified by fluorescence densitometry. We show that the KiMSA assay is suitable for purified PKA, and also to address both basal and capacitation induced PKA activity in mouse sperm cells. Furthermore, the assay enables monitoring the inhibition of PKA with inhibitors such as sPKI and H-89 in live cells. Therefore, the experimental and optimal assay conditions are set so that the KiMSA assay can be used to either assess in vitro as well as in vivo PKA activity in sperm cells. Finally, this method allows for measurement of cAMP concentrations, rendering a versatile technique for the study of cAMP/PKA pathways.

Abstract We study the dynamics of interactions between a traditional medium, the New York Times journal, and its followers in Twitter, using a massive dataset. It consists of the metadata of the articles published by the journal during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the posts published in Twitter by a large set of followers of the @nytimes account along with those published by a set of followers of several other media of different kind. The dynamics of discussions held in Twitter by exclusive followers of a medium show a strong dependence on the medium they follow: the followers of @FoxNews show the highest similarity to each other and a strong differentiation of interests with the general group. Our results also reveal the difference in the attention payed to U.S. presidential elections by the journal and by its followers, and show that the topic related to the “Black Lives Matter” movement started in Twitter, and was addressed later by the journal.

Luego de hacer un comentario general de la Elegía 3, 1 de Propercio, nos detenemos en el pasaje casi final del texto (que, por cierto, presenta varias dificultades textuales que analizamos oportunamente) en el que el poeta enumera una serie de héroes troyanos. Nuestra hipótesis es que la elección de esos héroes, en particular los nombrados en los versos 29 y 30, Deífobo, Héleno, Polidamante y Paris, se fundamenta en que el poeta se identifica con ellos y de ese modo enfatiza su programa poético.

The presented Mean-Shift Super Resolution (MSSR) algorithm can extend spatial resolution within a single microscopy image. Its applicability extends across a wide range of experimental and instrumental configurations and it is compatible with other super-resolution microscopy approaches.

Abstract Co‐occurring carnivore species that are phylogenetically related or of similar size, morphology, and ecological needs often reduce competition by partitioning shared resources through temporal, spatial, and dietary niche segregation via behavioral adaptations. Caracals (Caracal caracal) and jungle cats (Felis chaus) co‐occur in portions of their geographical ranges and are expected to display resource segregation in these ranges. We compiled scat, stomach content, and prey remains found data from published and unpublished sources to summarize information on the diets of caracals and jungle cats across their geographical ranges during 1842–2021. We obtained 63 sources from 26 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in which caracal diet included 151 species while jungle cat diet included 61 species. We found that caracals and jungle cats did not exhibit dietary niche partitioning and had greater dietary similarities in areas of range overlap. We also found that caracals consumed more diverse prey species including prey with greater average body mass compared to jungle cats. Our results suggest that greater prey diversity in areas of range overlap, caracal predation on wide range of prey, and opportunistic feeding behavior that facilitates consumption of more diverse prey species compared to jungle cats, may facilitate co‐occurrence between these two felid species.

The exclusive expression of CatSper in sperm and its critical role in sperm function makes this channel an attractive target for contraception. The strategy of blocking CatSper as a male, non-hormonal contraceptive has not been fully explored due to the lack of robust screening methods to discover novel and specific inhibitors. The reason for this lack of appropriate methodology is the structural and functional complexity of this channel. We have developed a high-throughput method to screen drugs with the capacity to block CatSper in mammalian sperm. The assay is based on removing external free divalent cations by chelation, inducing CatSper to efficiently conduct monovalent cations. Since Na+ is highly concentrated in the extracellular milieu, a sudden influx depolarizes the cell. Using CatSper1 KO sperm we demonstrated that this depolarization depends on CatSper function. A membrane potential (Em) assay was combined with fluorescent cell barcoding (FCB), enabling higher throughput flow cytometry based on unique fluorescent signatures of different sperm samples. These differentially labeled samples incubated in distinct experimental conditions can be combined into one tube for simultaneous acquisition. In this way, acquisition times are highly reduced, which is essential to perform larger screening experiments for drug discovery using live cells. Altogether, a simple strategy for assessing CatSper was validated, and this assay was used to develop a high-throughput drug screening for new CatSper blockers.

Abstract We present a study of the evolution of the political landscape during the 2015 and 2019 presidential elections in Argentina, based on data obtained from the micro-blogging platform Twitter. We build a semantic network based on the hashtags used by all the users following at least one of the main candidates. With this network we can detect the topics that are discussed in the society. At a difference with most studies of opinion on social media, we do not choose the topics a priori, they emerge from the community structure of the semantic network instead. We assign to each user a dynamical topic vector which measures the evolution of her/his opinion in this space and allows us to monitor the similarities and differences among groups of supporters of different candidates. Our results show that the method is able to detect the dynamics of formation of opinion on different topics and, in particular, it can capture the reshaping of the political opinion landscape which has led to the inversion of result between the two rounds of 2015 election.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Conocer los predictores de mala evolución en pacientes con Enfermedad por Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) permite identificar de forma temprana a los pacientes con peor pronóstico, aportando mejores herramientas a la hora de tomar decisiones clínicas. Se presenta el protocolo de un estudio de cohorte cuyo objetivo principal es identificar factores de riesgo de infección severa, critica y mortalidad en pacientes con COVID-19 internados en el Servicio de Clínica Médica del Hospital Durand (Buenos Aires, Argentina). MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte prospectivo con base en un único centro. Se incluirá a todos los pacientes que ingresen al servicio de Clínica Médica con diagnóstico de COVID-19 durante el periodo de estudio. Se recolectarán las características epidemiológicas, clínicas, de laboratorio, radiológicas y los datos de tratamiento, al ingreso y al momento del alta o muerte hospitalaria. El evento final primario es la muerte en la internación; los eventos secundarios son el desarrollo de enfermedad grave y enfermedad crítica, la internación en unidad cerrada y el requerimiento de asistencia respiratoria mecánica.

To acquire fertilization competence, mammalian sperm must undergo several biochemical and physiological modifications known as capacitation. Despite its relevance, the metabolic pathways that regulate the capacitation-related events, including the development of hyperactivated motility, are still poorly described. Previous studies from our group have shown that temporary energy restriction in mouse sperm enhanced hyperactivation, in vitro fertilization, early embryo development and pregnancy rates after embryo transfer, and it improved intracytoplasmic sperm injection results in the bovine model. However, the effects of starvation and energy recovery protocols on human sperm function have not yet been established. In the present work, human sperm were incubated for different periods of time in medium containing glucose, pyruvate and lactate (NUTR) or devoid of nutrients for the starving condition (STRV). Sperm maintained in STRV displayed reduced percentages of motility and kinematic parameters compared to cells incubated in NUTR medium. Moreover, they did not undergo hyperactivation and showed reduced levels of ATP, cAMP and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Similar to our results with mouse sperm, starvation induced increased intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Starved human sperm were capable to continue moving for more than 27 h, but the incubation with a mitochondrial uncoupler or inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation led to a complete motility loss. When exogenous nutrients were added back (sperm energy recovery (SER) treatment), hyperactivated motility was rescued and there was a rise in sperm ATP and cAMP levels in 1 min, with a decrease in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and no changes in sperm protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The finding that human sperm can remain motile for several hours under starvation due to mitochondrial use of endogenous metabolites implies that other metabolic pathways may play a role in sperm energy production. In addition, full recovery of motility and other capacitation parameters of human sperm after SER suggests that this treatment might be used to modulate human sperm fertilizing ability in vitro.

Resumen El dibujo siempre ha sido considerado un mero instrumento subordinado al objeto último de la arquitectura; la construcción material del edificio. Sin embargo, desde la institución de la disciplina en el siglo XV, la relación entre dibujo y arquitectura se ha visto en algunas ocasiones cuestionada, alterada, e incluso, invertida, llegando a confundir representación y realidad representada. A través del estudio del Museo de Arte Romano de Mérida, de Rafael Moneo; las primeras urbanizaciones realizadas por Ricardo Bofill en Francia a comienzos de los años 80; y el proyecto de restauración de la Capilla de san Isidro desarrollado por Javier Vellés entre 1986 y 1990, este artículo trata de abordar uno de los últimos episodios de este fenómeno. Pues, en el esfuerzo de sus autores por afirmar el ejercicio liberal de la profesión, mediante la restitución de sus instrumentos específicos, estas arquitecturas serían concebidas a través del dibujo, y en su configuración se adivinan las mismas especies de ilusiones del dibujo. Son unas obras que nos sugieren un deseo de aproximar la realidad a la representación, trasladar lo pictórico a lo estereotómico, y materializar con las técnicas que hacían posible la construcción física de la arquitectura, esas ilusiones que, previamente, habían sido depositadas en el papel. Unas obras, en definitiva, que delatan la voluntad de sus artífices por construir el dibujo, pero que, en último término, vendrán a poner de manifiesto las continuidades y las incompatibilidades entre la arquitectura atrapada en el papel, y el sistema productivo que lo hacía posible.

Abstract Drawing has always been considered an instrument subordinated to the ultimate object of architecture: the real construction of the building. However, since the foundation of the discipline in the fifteenth century, this relationship has sometimes been questioned, altered, and even inverted, coming to confuse reality and its representation. Through the study of the Museum of Roman Art of Mérida, by Rafael Moneo; the first urban projects carried out by Ricardo Bofill in France at the beginning of the 1980s; and the restoration project of the Chapel of San Isidro developed by Javier Vellés between 1986 and 1990, this article delves into the last episode of this phenomenon. Due to the effort of its authors to carry out the liberal exercise of the profession, by means of the restitution of their specific instruments, these architectures would be conceived through the drawing, and it is possible to appreciate in their configuration the same types of illusions of the drawing. These works suggest a wish to bring reality closer to representation, transfering something pictorial to something stereotomic, and materialize those illusions previously deposited on the paper, with the techniques that made possible the physical building of architecture. Eventually, these works reveal the desire of its architects to build the drawing, but, ultimately, they will come to highlight the continuities and incompatibilities between the architecture trapped in the paper, and the production system that make it possible.

Abstract As the first decentralized digital currency introduced in 2009 together with the blockchain, Bitcoin offers new opportunities both for developed and developing countries. Bitcoin peer-to-peer transactions are independent of the banking system, facilitating foreign exchanges with low transaction fees, such as remittances, and offering a high degree of anonymity. These opportunities together with other key factors led the Bitcoin to become extremely popular and caused its price to skyrocket during 2017 (Henry et al. in J Digit Bank 2(4):311–337, 2018). However, while the Bitcoin blockchain attracts a lot of attention, it remains difficult to investigate where this attention comes from, due to the pseudo-anonymity of the system, and consequently to appreciate its social impact. Here we make an attempt to characterize the adoption of the Bitcoin blockchain by country. In the first part of the work we show that information about the number of Bitcoin software client downloads, the IP addresses that act as relays for the transactions, and the Internet searches about Bitcoin provide together a coherent picture of the system evolution in different countries. Using these quantities as a proxy for user adoption, we identify several socio-economic indexes such as the GDP per capita, freedom of trade and the Internet penetration as key variables correlated with the degree of user adoption. In the second part of the work, we build a network of Bitcoin transactions between countries using the IP addresses of nodes relaying transactions and we develop an augmented version of the gravity model of trade in order to identify socio-economic factors linked to the flow of Bitcoin between countries. In a nutshell our study provides a new insight on Bitcoin adoption by country and on the potential socio-economic drivers of the international Bitcoin flow.

The operation of a power system with 100% converter-interfaced generation poses several questions and challenges regarding various aspects of the design and the control of the system. Existing literature on the integration of renewable energy sources in isolated systems mainly focuses on energy aspects or steady-state issues, and only a few studies examine the dynamic issues of autonomous networks operated with fully non-synchronous generation. A lack of research can be found in particular in the determination of the required amount of grid-forming power, the selection of the number and rated power of the units which should implement the grid-forming controls, and the relative locations of the grid-forming converters. The paper aims to address those research gaps starting from a theoretical point of view and then by examining the actual electrical network of an existing island as a case study. The results obtained from the investigations indicate specific observations and design opportunities, which are essential for securing the synchronization and the stability of the grid. Possible solutions for a fully non-synchronous operation of autonomous systems, in terms of dynamic characteristics and frequency stability, are presented and discussed.

Mammalian sperm acquire the ability to fertilize eggs by undergoing a process known as capacitation. Capacitation is triggered as the sperm travels through the female reproductive tract. This process involves specific physiological changes such as rearrangement of the cell plasma membrane, post-translational modifications of certain proteins, and changes in the cellular permeability to ions – with the subsequent impact on the plasma membrane potential (Em). Capacitation-associated Em hyperpolarization has been well studied in mouse sperm, and shown to be both necessary and sufficient to promote the acrosome reaction (AR) and fertilize the egg. However, the relevance of the sperm Em upon capacitation on human fertility has not been thoroughly characterized. Here, we performed an extensive study of the Em change during capacitation in human sperm samples using a potentiometric dye in a fluorimetric assay. Normospermic donors showed significant Em hyperpolarization after capacitation. Em values from capacitated samples correlated significantly with the sperm ability to undergo induced AR, highlighting the role of hyperpolarization in acrosomal responsiveness, and with successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) rates. These results show that Em hyperpolarization could be an indicator of human sperm fertilizing capacity, setting the basis for the use of Em values as a robust predictor of the success rate of IVF.

Abstract In Latin America, shopping malls seem to offer an open, safe and democratic version of the public space. However, it is often difficult to quantitatively measure whether they indeed foster, hinder, or are neutral with respect to social inclusion. In this work, we investigate if, and by how much, people from different social classes are attracted by the same malls. Using a dataset of mobile phone network records from 387,152 devices identified as customers of 16 malls in Santiago de Chile, we performed several analyses to study whether malls with higher social mixing attract more people. Our pipeline, which starts with the socio-economic characterization of mall visitors, includes the estimation of social mixing and diversity of malls, the application of the gravity model of mobility, and the definition of a co-visitation model. Results showed that people tend to choose a profile of malls more in line with their own socio-economic status and the distance from their home to the mall, and that higher mixing does positively contribute to the process of choosing a mall. We conclude that (a) there is social mixing in malls, and (b) that social mixing is a factor at the time of choosing which mall to go to. Thus, the potential for social mixing in malls could be capitalized by designing public policies regarding transportation and mobility to make some malls strong social inclusion hubs.

To become fertile, mammalian sperm must undergo a series of biochemical and physiological changes known as capacitation. These changes involve crosstalk between metabolic and signaling pathways and can be recapitulated in vitro. In this work, sperm were incubated in the absence of exogenous nutrients (starved) until they were no longer able to move. Once immotile, energy substrates were added back to the media and sperm motility was rescued. Following rescue, a significantly higher percentage of starved sperm attained hyperactivated motility and displayed increased ability to fertilize in vitro when compared with sperm persistently incubated in standard capacitation media. Remarkably, the effects of this treatment continue beyond fertilization as starved and rescued sperm promoted higher rates of embryo development, and once transferred to pseudo-pregnant females, blastocysts derived from treated sperm produced significantly more pups. In addition, the starvation and rescue protocol increased fertilization and embryo development rates in sperm from a severely sub-fertile mouse model, and when combined with temporal increase in Ca2+ ion levels, this methodology significantly improved fertilization and embryo development rates in sperm of sterile CatSper1 KO mice model. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) does not work in the agriculturally relevant bovine system. Here, we show that transient nutrient starvation of bovine sperm significantly enhanced ICSI success in this species. These data reveal that the conditions under which sperm are treated impact post-fertilization development and suggest that this “starvation and rescue method” can be used to improve assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in other mammalian species, including humans.

This work examines the operation of the autonomous power system of a geographical island assuming the integration of significant generation shares from renewable energy sources and the installation of the required storage systems. The frequency stability of the system is investigated considering different operating conditions, in terms of load demand and renewable power generation. The main focus of the work is an original control strategy specifically designed for power converters interfacing storage units to the grid. The proposed strategy is based on an extended frequency droop control, which selects specific droop settings depending on the operating mode—charge or discharge—of the storage unit. A simulation model of the whole electrical system is developed for dynamic analysis. The model also implements the possibility of including specific auxiliary frequency controls for synthetic inertia and primary reserve. The results of the simulation and analysis indicate that the proposed control strategy has a significant positive effect, making the storage units able to provide a fundamental and more effective support to the frequency stability of the system. The application of the proposed control strategy to storage units also reduces the need for a contribution to the frequency control from intermittent and variable sources, making the whole system more robust, stable and reliable.

Chikungunya virus causes fever and severe polyarthritis or arthralgia and is associated with neurologic manifestations that are sometimes challenging to diagnose. We demonstrate intrathecal synthesis of chikungunya antibodies in a patient with a history of acute infection complicated by encephalitis. The specificity of the intracerebral immune response supports early chikungunya-associated encephalitis diagnosis.

Mammalian sperm must undergo a complex process called capacitation in order to fertilize the egg. During this process, hyperpolarization of the sperm plasma membrane has been mostly studied in mouse, and associated to its importance in the preparation to undergo the acrosome reaction (AR). However, despite the increasing evidence of membrane hyperpolarization in human sperm capacitation, no reliable techniques have been set up for its determination. In this report we describe human sperm membrane potential (Em) measurements by a fluorimetric population assay, establishing optimal conditions for Em determination. In addition, we have conducted parallel measurements of the same human sperm samples by flow cytometry and population fluorimetry, before and after capacitation, to conclusively address their reliability. This integrative analysis sets the basis for the study of Em in human sperm allowing future work aiming to understand its role in human sperm capacitation.

Back in 1968, Misanin and his group posited that reactivation of consolidated memories could support changes in that trace, similar to what might happen during the consolidation process. Not until 2000, when Nader et al. (2000) studied the behavioral effect of a protein synthesis inhibitor on retrieved memories, could this previous statement be taken under consideration once again; suggesting that consolidated memories can become labile after reactivation. The process of strengthening after memory labilization was named memory reconsolidation. In recent years, many studies pointed towards a critical participation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway in different memory processes (e.g., consolidation, extinction, reconsolidation, among others). In this review article, we will focus on how this system might be modulating the processes triggered after retrieval of well-consolidated memories in mice.

The occurrence of system separations in the power system of Continental Europe has been observed in recent decades as a critical event which might cause power imbalances higher than the reference incident specified per system design, representing an actual challenge for the stability and safe operation of the system. This work presents an analysis and simulations of the primary frequency control in the Continental Europe synchronous area in conditions of system separation. The adopted approach is based on fundamental aspects of the frequency-containment reserve process. The analysis takes an actual event into consideration, which determined the separation of the system in January 2021. The main purpose of the work is the development of specific models and simulations able to reproduce the actual split event. Due to specific arrangements discussed in detail, it is possible to obtain a substantial match between the simulations and the frequencies registered after the system split. The work also provides insight into the importance of the temporal sequence of power imbalances and defensive actions in the primary frequency control process. The models developed in the work are finally used to investigate the separation event under different operating conditions, such as missing defensive actions and low inertia scenarios.

The nuclear heat loads due to gamma rays emitted from the decay of 16N and delayed neutrons from17N, generated by the activation of water in cooling circuits, are critical for ITER design. The assessment of nuclear heating from activated water is complex; it requires temporal and spatial dependent transport and activation calculations taking into account variation of irradiation, water flow conditions and cooling circuits’ parameters. A water activation experiment has been recently conducted at the14 MeV Frascati Neutron Generator (FNG) in order to validate the methodology for water activation assessment used for ITER and to reduce the safety factors applied to the calculation results, which have a large impact on the schedule, commissioning and licensing. Water circulating inside an ITER First Wall (FW) mock-up was irradiated with 14 MeV neutrons and then measured using a large CsI scintillator detector. The system consists of a closed water loop where the cooling water, transiting through an ITER FW mock-up, is irradiated by FNG. The induced 16N activity via 14 MeV neutrons interactions with 16O via the 16O(n,p)16N reaction is measured in a dedicated counting station via an expansion volume. The water then passes to a much larger holding delay tank, and after several 16N half-lives decay time, it is then recirculated and exposed again to neutrons in the ITER First Wall (FW) mock-up. The measured 16N activity is obtained measuring the emitted characteristic 6.13 and 7.12 MeV gamma-rays. Calculations were performed in an accurate model of the FW mock-up using the MCNP Monte Carlo code and FENDL-3.1 nuclear data library to obtain the predicted flux impinging on the water. The EASY-2007 inventory code was used to predict the 16N activity. In this work, a comparison between measurements and calculations is reported together with associated uncertainty analysis.

Background: Social media in scientific research offers a unique digital observatory of human behaviours and hence great opportunities to conduct research at large scale, answering complex sociodemographic questions. We focus on the identification and assessment of biases in social-media-administered surveys. Objective: This study aims to shed light on population, self-selection, and behavioural biases, empirically comparing the consistency between self-reported information collected traditionally versus social-media-administered questionnaires, including demographic and psychometric attributes. Methods: We engaged a demographically representative cohort of young adults in Italy (approximately 4,000 participants) in taking a traditionally administered online survey and then, after one year, we invited them to use our ad hoc Facebook application (988 accepted) where they filled in part of the initial survey. We assess the statistically significant differences indicating population, self-selection, and behavioural biases due to the different context in which the questionnaire is administered. Results: Our findings suggest that surveys administered on Facebook do not exhibit major biases with respect to traditionally administered surveys in terms of neither demographics nor personality traits. Loyalty, authority, and social binding values were higher in the Facebook platform, probably due to the platform's intrinsic social character. Conclusions: We conclude that Facebook apps are valid research tools for administering demographic and psychometric surveys, provided that the entailed biases are taken into consideration. Contribution: We contribute to the characterisation of Facebook apps as a valid scientific tool to administer demographic and psychometric surveys, and to the assessment of population, self-selection, and behavioural biases in the collected data.

In the early 1950s, Austin and Chang independently described the changes that are required for the sperm to fertilize oocytes in vivo. These changes were originally grouped under name of “capacitation” and were the first step in the development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in humans. Following these initial and fundamental findings, a remarkable number of observations led to characterization of the molecular steps behind this process. The discovery of certain sperm-specific molecules and the possibility to record ion currents through patch-clamp approaches helped to integrate the initial biochemical observation with the activity of ion channels. This is of particular importance in the male gamete due to the fact that sperm are transcriptionally inactive. Therefore, sperm must control all these changes that occur during their transit through the male and female reproductive tracts by complex signaling cascades that include post-translational modifications. This review is focused on the principal molecular mechanisms that govern human sperm capacitation with particular emphasis on comparing all the reported pieces of evidence with the mouse model.

Este trabajo revisa el estado actual de la investigación mediante Estudio de Casos (EC) en psicoterapia. El uso de esta metodología se remonta a los comienzos de la disciplina y es hoy una forma de investigación utilizada ampliamente. Sin embargo, frecuentemente se ha criticado su falta de rigurosidad y sus dificultades para extraer de ella conocimientos generalizables. Existe un cierto nivel de vaguedad en la forma en que es utilizado el término “Estudio de Caso” en la bibliografía. En este trabajo, primeramente se define un EC como una investigación en profundidad de un caso en su contexto, buscando ver sus particularidades y determinaciones dadas por su anclaje temporo–espacial. En segundo lugar, se enumeran diversos tipos de EC utilizados en psicoterapia así como las guías que diversos autores han sugerido para la realización sistemática y confiable de este tipo de trabajos. Se da cuenta de las ventajas de los EC y de las críticas más frecuentes. Se concluye en la importancia de sistematizar la forma en que deben realizarse este tipo de investigaciones a las que se considera una herramienta indispensable para comprender los procesos terapéuticos y para probar la plausibilidad de las hipótesis y proposiciones teóricas.

La utilización que han hecho los sociólogos tanto clásicos como contemporáneos de la distinción comunidad/sociedad, sociedad/comunidad, prefigura la forma de un pasaje (en una u otra dirección) que se lleva a cabo en un momento histórico que es interpretado como crisis de lo establecido y emergencia de algo nuevo que aún está por definirse. En estos casos el operador conceptual que permite centrar las referencias y atribuir al menos algún sentido a lo observado es la idea de comunidad. Esta “idea de comunidad” parece configurar, así, la forma de una autodescripción social del presente que se articula inevitablemente con la percepción de sus posibilidades futuras.

Purpose. To develop a technique to automate landmark selection for point-based interpolating transformations for nonlinear medical image registration. Materials and Methods. Interpolating transformations were calculated from homologous point landmarks on the source (image to be transformed) and target (reference image). Point landmarks are placed at regular intervals on contours of anatomical features, and their positions are optimized along the contour surface by a function composed of curvature similarity and displacements of the homologous landmarks. The method was evaluated in two cases (𝑛=5 each). In one, MRI was registered to histological sections; in the second, geometric distortions in EPI MRI were corrected. Normalized mutual information and target registration error were calculated to compare the registration accuracy of the automatically and manually generated landmarks. Results. Statistical analyses demonstrated significant improvement (𝑃

BackgroundTwo acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) subphenotypes (hyperinflammatory and hypoinflammatory) with distinct clinical and biological features and differential treatment responses have been identified using latent class analysis (LCA) in seven individual cohorts. To facilitate bedside identification of subphenotypes, clinical classifier models using readily available clinical variables have been described in four randomised controlled trials. We aimed to assess the performance of these models in observational cohorts of ARDS.MethodsIn this observational, multicohort, retrospective study, we validated two machine-learning clinical classifier models for assigning ARDS subphenotypes in two observational cohorts of patients with ARDS: Early Assessment of Renal and Lung Injury (EARLI; n=335) and Validating Acute Lung Injury Markers for Diagnosis (VALID; n=452), with LCA-derived subphenotypes as the gold standard. The primary model comprised only vital signs and laboratory variables, and the secondary model comprised all predictors in the primary model, with the addition of ventilatory variables and demographics. Model performance was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration plots, and assigning subphenotypes using a probability cutoff value of 0·5 to determine sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the assignments. We also assessed the performance of the primary model in EARLI using data automatically extracted from an electronic health record (EHR; EHR-derived EARLI cohort). In Large Observational Study to Understand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure (LUNG SAFE; n=2813), a multinational, observational ARDS cohort, we applied a custom classifier model (with fewer variables than the primary model) to determine the prognostic value of the subphenotypes and tested their interaction with the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) strategy, with 90-day mortality as the dependent variable.FindingsThe primary clinical classifier model had an area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0·92 (95% CI 0·90-0·95) in EARLI and 0·88 (0·84-0·91) in VALID. Performance of the primary model was similar when using exclusively EHR-derived predictors compared with manually curated predictors (AUC=0·88 [95% CI 0·81-0·94] vs 0·92 [0·88-0·97]). In LUNG SAFE, 90-day mortality was higher in patients assigned the hyperinflammatory subphenotype than in those with the hypoinflammatory phenotype (414 [57%] of 725 vs 694 [33%] of 2088; p