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The temporal relationship between global glaciations and the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) suggests that climate change played an important role in Earth's oxygenation. The potential role of temperature is captured by the stratigraphic proximity between glacial deposits and sediments containing mass‐independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes (MIF‐S). We use a time‐dependent one‐dimensional photochemical model to investigate whether temperature changes associated with global glaciations can drive oscillations in atmospheric O2 levels and MIF‐S production across the GOE. We find that extreme climate change can cause atmospheric O2 to oscillate between pre (<10−6 times the present atmospheric level, PAL) and post‐GOE (>10−5 PAL) levels. Post‐glacial hot‐moist greenhouse climates lead to post‐GOE O2 levels because the abundant H2O vapor and oxidizing radicals drive the depletion of reduced species. This pattern is generally consistent with the MIF‐S signal observed in the sedimentary record, suggesting a link between global glaciations and O2 oscillations across the GOE. Plain Language Summary: The Great Oxidation Event was the most significant environmental and chemical transformation in Earth's history, marking the first time oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere around 2.4 billion years ago. Oxygen increased from below one millionth (low) to at least one‐thousandth of a percent (intermediate) of the present oxygen concentration during this event. However, measurements of geochemical oxygen proxies suggest that oxygen levels oscillated between low and intermediate levels before stabilizing after this event. The first rise of atmospheric oxygen occurred during a period of extreme climate variability indicated by the presence of glacial rock deposits around this time. In this study, we use a time‐dependent photochemical model to show that extreme temperature changes caused by global glaciations can drive oscillations in atmospheric oxygen levels across the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). Our results can help explain why atmospheric oxygen shows drastic changes across the GOE in a way that is consistent with the geochemical record. Key Points: Across the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), extreme climate change linked to global glaciations can drive oscillations in atmospheric O2 levels and mass‐independent fractionation of sulfur isotopes (MIF‐S) productionGlacial climates and hot‐moist greenhouse climates were likely characterized by pre‐GOE and post‐GOE O2 levels respectivelyTemperature changes associated with global glaciations can help explain the MIF‐S record across the GOE [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, unreinforced earthen buildings have shown poor performance during earthquakes, causing deaths and loss of property. The Spaniards that conquest the Americas built with earthen materials for about four centuries and therefore, there are a large number of historic buildings in the northern Andean zone of South America. This territory is geographically located in intermediate and high seismic hazard zones. Over the last few years, the authors proposed a seismic reinforcement system for historic earthen buildings based on A36 steel plates (100 × 6.35 mm) installed on both sides of the walls. However, to date, the studies had been focused on tests of one-story buildings subjected to in-plane pseudo-static loads or uniaxial dynamic loads. For this reason, this research assesses the seismic performance of two-story rammed-earth walls subjected to ground motions using a bidirectional shaking table. Two 1:2 scale RE walls (one retrofitted with steel plates and another unreinforced) were tested. The specimens were two-story walls with a "Cˮ shape, similar to that found in heritage buildings of the Historic Center of Bogota. Based on the experimental tests, the unreinforced wall presented irreparable damage at acceleration levels higher than 0.34 g. In contrast, the retrofitted wall had excellent performance with lower damage levels and residual drifts; this specimen was highly resilient, withstanding earthquakes with peak ground acceleration ( PGA ) greater than 0.76 g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthen buildings are a fundamental part of Colombia's historical architectural heritage. This heritage has been deteriorating due to a lack of knowledge, disconnection from cultural roots, and because of the structural vulnerability of these buildings, mainly caused by earthquakes and moisture. Throughout recent years, research has been carried out in order to structurally intervene and preserve these buildings, however, within the Colombian context there are few studies regarding the location, distribution, and main characteristics of earthen buildings. Therefore, this research is presented from general to specific, beginning with an approach to Andean earthen architecture in Colombia, and ending with a case study of an urban environment: The Historic Centre of Bogotá (HCB). Based on this context, the most important earthen construction techniques and rehabilitation techniques were identified. Regarding the HCB case analysed, it was possible to identify the location, relationships, geometric characteristics, and intervention techniques of one-and-two-storey earthen buildings, by means of a procedure that can be replicated in other Colombian cities. The relevance of analysing Colombian earthen constructions is to contribute to the development of intervention techniques for, firstly, facilitating the conservation of their architectural heritage characteristics, and secondly, improving their structural behaviour to survive major earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has been spreading rapidly worldwide, creating a pandemic. This article describes the evaluation of the antiviral activity of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), a molecule found in Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) leaves, against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. A 35 µM concentration of NDGA was not toxic to Vero cells and exhibited a remarkable inhibitory effect on the SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effect, viral plaque formation, RNA replication, and expression of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. The 50% effective concentration for NDGA was as low as 16.97 µM. Our results show that NDGA could be a promising therapeutic candidate against SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorella spp., Spirulina spp., and fucoidan dry powders, are commercialized as food supplements and are considered safe for human consumption. Their broad-spectrum antiviral properties have been studied, however, their effect against SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown. We investigated the potential antiviral activity of three algae powders: Chlorella vulgaris, Arthrospira maxima (Spirulina) and fucoidan purified from marine brown algae Sargassum spp. against SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Vero cells were incubated with 70 μg/ml of each algae powder and either 50 or 100 TCID50/ml of SARS-CoV-2, in two types of experiments (pretreatment and simultaneous) and comparing two kinds of solvents (DMEM and DMSO). Chlorella vulgaris powder, inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in all assays; viral RNA was significantly reduced in supernatants at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-infection, the highest difference in viral load (8000-fold) was observed after 96 h. Arthrospira maxima powder inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection using 50 TCID50/ml for both experimental schemes, but protection percent was lower when viral inoculum was increase to 100 TCID50/ml; viral RNA decreased 48 h after infection, reaching a 250-fold difference at 72 h. Fucoidan powder partially inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection since no CPE was observed in 62.5% of trated cultures in DMEM, but the antiviral activity was increased to 100% of protection when DMSO was used as solvent. All the algae samples showed high antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 with a SI above of 18. These results suggest that all three algae samples are potential therapeutic candidates for the treatment of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focus on rare diseases as a challenge to the Welfare State, particularly for the effectiveness of the right to health protection; a situation derived from the scientific uncertainty, intensifying the budgetary restrictions, but which can improve thanks to technological progress, specifically big data (studies). In order to find some legal remedy, the work deeps in the application of the notion of human dignity as a pillar of the human rights and all the public intervention in the Society; an option that seems conceptually clearer in Spain than in the European Union legal system. Particularly, given the framework of competences applicable in matters of public health and the controversial nature of the notion of human dignity. Finally, it is verified that the use of this notion is not fully supported by Spanish jurisprudence either. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) have been observed in epithelial ovarian tumors. They can resist antimitotic drugs, thus participating in tumor maintenance and recurrence. Although their origin remains unclear, PGCC formation seems to be enhanced by conditions that trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR) such as hypoxia or chemotherapeutic drugs like paclitaxel. Hypoxia has been shown to promote the formation of ovarian PGCCs by cell fusion. We thus hypothesized that the UPR could be involved in EOC cell fusion, possibly explaining the occurrence of PGCCs and the aggressiveness of EOC.Methods: The UPR was induced in two ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and COV318). The UPR activation was assessed by Western blot and polyploidy indexes were calculated. Then, to confirm the implication of cell fusion in PGCC formation, two populations of SKOV3 cells were transfected with plasmids encoding for two distinct nuclear fluorescent proteins (GFP and mCherry) associated with different antibiotic resistance genes, and the two cell populations were mixed in co-culture. The co-culture was submitted to a double-antibiotic selection. The resulting cell population was characterized for its morphology, cyclicity, and proliferative and tumorigenic capacities, in addition to transcriptomic characterization.Results: We demonstrated that cell fusion could be involved in the generation of ovarian PGCCs and this process was promoted by paclitaxel and the UPR activation. Double-antibiotic treatment of PGCCs led to the selection of a pure population of cells containing both GFP- and mCherry-positive nuclei. Interestingly, after 3 weeks of selection, we observed that these cells were no longer polynucleated but displayed a single nucleus positive for both fluorescent proteins, suggesting that genetic material mixing had occurred. These cells had reinitiated their normal cell cycles, acquired an increased invasive capacity, and could form ovarian tumors in ovo.Conclusions: The UPR activation increased the in vitro formation of PGCCs by cell fusion, with the newly generated cells further acquiring new properties. The UPR modulation in ovarian cancer patients could represent an interesting therapeutic strategy to avoid the formation of PGCCs and therefore limit cancer relapse and drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's society faces great global challenges, but none more pressing than eradicating the inequalities that are present everywhere on the planet. The effort being made by the international community with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is notorious. Education, in this global context, becomes one of the essential instruments that will allow a solution to these new challenges. The University, from its three main functions, teaching, research and innovation, must play a key role in leading social change in this regard. SDG 4, under the rubric of "quality education", poses a tremendously ambitious challenge: to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. This lofty aspirational goal focuses its efforts on minimum targets to alleviate the enormous global inequalities in education. From this perspective, it ties in with other sustainable development goals such as ending poverty (SDG 1) or gender equality (SDG 5). Formal education is essential to change people's attitudes and to train them in a critical awareness that enables them to assess the problems, address them and use the necessary tools to reverse them. In this research, the work carried out by the Department of Social Practices of the Francisco de Vitoria University, promoting inclusive, sustainable and egalitarian education through the active participation of students in their own learning, is presented and analysed. The results obtained show that comprehensive training and the implementation of activities in vulnerable social contexts improve students' commitment to society, while they are trained in plurality, diversity and multiculturalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deleterious mutations continuously accumulate in populations, building up a burden that can threaten their survival, particularly in small populations when inbreeding exposes recessive deleterious effects. Notwithstanding, this process also triggers genetic purging, which can reduce the deleterious burden and mitigate fitness inbreeding depression. Here, we analyzed 20 whole genomes from the endangered Iberian lynx and 28 from the widespread Eurasian lynx, sister species which constitute a good model to study the dynamics of deleterious mutation burden under contrasting demographies, manifested in the consistently smaller population size and distribution area of the Iberian lynx. We also derived analytical predictions for the evolution of the deleterious burden following a bottleneck. We found 11% fewer derived alleles for the more putatively deleterious missense category in the Iberian lynx than in the Eurasian lynx, which, in light of our theoretical predictions, should be ascribed to historical purging. No signs of purging were found in centromeres nor in the X chromosome, where selection against recessive deleterious alleles is less affected by demography. The similar deleterious burden levels for conspecific populations despite their contrasting recent demographies also point to sustained differences in historical population sizes since species divergence as the main driver of the augmented purging in the Iberian lynx. Beyond adding to the ongoing debate on the relationship between deleterious burden and population size, and on the impact of genetic factors in endangered species viability, this work contributes a whole-genome catalog of deleterious variants, which may become a valuable resource for future conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work exploits simplifications arising in weakly exothermic detonations when the postshock conditions are supersonic to investigate the structure of wedge-induced oblique detonations. These simplifications enable the linearized Euler equations (employed here in characteristic form) to be efficiently solved numerically, subject to the linearized Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions across the leading oblique shock. A first set of computations employs one-step first-order Arrhenius chemistry appropriate for describing detonations when the postshock chemistry exhibits a thermal-explosion character. In that case, the relevant chemical-kinetic parameter of order unity ß is the product of the heat release and the activation energy divided by the square of the postshock thermal enthalpy. The transition from the shock to the detonation wave is continuous at small ß, begins to develop spatially decaying oscillations as ß increases, and develops a singularity at the shock at a critical value of ß; above which, the transition must become discontinuous and involve a triple point. Parametric results are presented in a plane of the wedge angle and the incident-flow Mach number: the two important controlling parameters. The triple point is found to develop when the incident-flow Mach number falls below a critical value that exhibits a U-shaped dependence on the wedge angle, becoming large at both high and low wedge angles and reflecting large differences between shock angles with and without heat release in those two extremes. Additional computations are performed for a three-step branched-chain scheme with the heat-release step having zero activation energy and for very fuel-lean hydrogen-air detonations with postshock temperatures above crossover. These cases, for which ignition develops as a chain-branching explosion, do not develop a singularity at the shock; although they display many of the features identified with the Arrhenius chemistry, including oscillations and appearance of a precursor point indicative of criticality. The results suggest a strong potential influence of the chemistry on the transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic bottlenecks generally reduce genetic diversity through more intense genetic drift, but their net effect may vary along the genome due to the random nature of genetic drift and to local effects of recombination, mutation, and selection. Here, we analyzed the changes in genetic diversity following a bottleneck by comparing whole‐genome diversity patterns in populations with and without severe recent documented declines of Iberian (Lynx pardinus, n = 31) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx, n = 29). As expected, overall genomic diversity correlated negatively with bottleneck intensity and/or duration. Correlations of genetic diversity with divergence, chromosome size, gene or functional site content, GC content, or recombination were observed in nonbottlenecked populations, but were weaker in bottlenecked populations. Also, functional features under intense purifying selection and the X chromosome showed an increase in the observed density of variants, even resulting in higher θW diversity than in nonbottlenecked populations. Increased diversity seems to be related to both a higher mutational input in those regions creating a large collection of low‐frequency variants, a few of which increase in frequency during the bottleneck to the point they become detectable with our limited sample, and the reduced efficacy of purifying selection, which affects not only protein structure and function but also the regulation of gene expression. The results of this study alert to the possible reduction of fitness and adaptive potential associated with the genomic erosion in regulatory elements. Further, the detection of a gain of diversity in ultra‐conserved elements can be used as a sensitive and easy‐to‐apply signature of genetic erosion in wild populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IThe paper focus, first, exposes the general framework of public intervention in the real estate market, in which the impact on property rights is inherent. After that, secondly, are described some of the challenges that the Pandemic has posed in that industry and, finally, are critically examined some regulatory initiatives adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometry of the parameter space is encoded by the quantum geometric tensor, which captures fundamental information about quantum states and contains both the quantum metric tensor and the curvature of the Berry connection. We present a formulation of the Berry connection and the quantum geometric tensor in the framework of the phase space or Wigner function formalism. This formulation is obtained through the direct application of the Weyl correspondence to the geometric structure under consideration. In particular, we show that the quantum metric tensor can be computed using only the Wigner functions, which opens an alternative way to experimentally measure the components of this tensor. We also address the non-Abelian generalization and obtain the phase space formulation of the Wilczek–Zee connection and the non-Abelian quantum geometric tensor. In this case, the non-Abelian quantum metric tensor involves only the non-diagonal Wigner functions. Then, we verify our approach with examples and apply it to a system of N coupled harmonic oscillators, showing that the associated Berry connection vanishes and obtaining the analytic expression for the quantum metric tensor. Our results indicate that the developed approach is well adapted to study the parameter space associated with quantum many-body systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An automatic region of interest segmentation method • A set of rules as a metric to measure the region of interest segmentation results • Analysis of thermal matrices as new data source for feature extraction • Design of experiments in a more robust manner taking into account most of the images in the database • Genetic algorithm for hyperparameter tunning for the Artificial Neural Network Breast thermography images are a new type of data that has been analyzed in recent years in order to detect abnormalities, which can lead to a future breast cancer. This paper proposes a methodology for breast thermal image classification, which is useful in Computer-Aided Detection Systems. The main contribution is an automatic method to segment the region of interest (ROI) based on local operations, local analysis, interpolation and statistical operators. For our experiments, we used an image database that is widely used in this research area, obtaining accuracy results between 90.17% and 98.33%, which are competitive with respect to related works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The villous cytotrophoblastic cells have the ability to fuse and differentiate, forming the syncytiotrophoblast (STB). The syncytialisation process is essential for placentation. Nevertheless, the mechanisms involved in cell fusion and differentiation are yet to be fully elucidated. It has been suggested that cell surface glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) was involved in this process. In multiple cancer cells, cell membrane-located GRP78 has been reported to act as a receptor binding to the active form of α2-macroglobulin (α2M*), activating thus several cellular signalling pathways implicated in cell growth and survival. We hypothesised that GRP78 interaction with α2M* may also activate signalling pathways in trophoblastic cells, which, in turn, may promote cell fusion. Here, we observed that α2M mRNA is highly expressed in trophoblastic cells, whereas it is not expressed in the choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo. We thus took advantage of forskolin-induced syncytialisation of BeWo cells to study the effect of exogenous α2M* on syncytialisation. We first demonstrated that α2M* induced trophoblastic cell fusion. This effect is dependent on α2M*-GRP78 interaction, ERK1/2 and CREB phosphorylation, and unfolded protein response (UPR) activation. Overall, these data provide novel insights into the signalling molecules and mechanisms regulating trophoblastic cell fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified formulation, based on treating the ratio of the heat release to the postshock thermal enthalpy as a small parameter, accommodating arbitrary chemistry descriptions, is shown to reproduce computationally the same variety of phenomena as more complex formulations for oblique detonations with supersonic postshock flow. The resulting small relative variations of velocity and thermodynamic properties across the reaction region are described by linearized Euler equations written in characteristic form, supplemented by the linearized Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions across the leading shock. The simplified formulation is used to analyze the interaction of the oblique detonation with a weak vortex sheet, for an Arrhenius irreversible reaction with an activation energy large compared with the postshock thermal enthalpy. The analysis reveals that, as β, the product of the activation energy and the heat release divided by the square of the postshock thermal enthalpy, increases through values of order unity, decaying spatial oscillations, found for small values, are replaced by persistent nonlinear oscillations of finite amplitude for larger values. Beyond a critical value of β the growth of the oscillation amplitude leads to the development of a singularity at the shock, an explosion, consistent with the formation of a triple point. Many related problems can be clarified with this formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation of low-Lewis-number premixed flames is analyzed in a partially confined Hele-Shaw chamber formed by two parallel plates separated a distance h apart. An asymptotic-numerical study can be performed for small gaps compared to the flame thickness δ T. In this narrow-channel limit, the problem formulation simplifies to a quasi-2D description in which the velocity field is controlled by dominant viscous effects. After accounting for conductive heat losses through the plates in our formulation, we found that the reaction front breaks into one or several isolated flame cells where the temperature is large enough to sustain the reaction, both in absence and in presence of buoyancy effects. Under these near-limit conditions, the isolated flame cells either travel steadily or undergo a slow random walk over the chamber in which the reacting front splits successively to form a tree-like pathway, burning only a small fraction of the fuel before reaching the end of the chamber. The production of quasi-2D circular or comet-like flames under specific favorable conditions is demonstrated in this paper, with convection, conductive heat losses and differential diffusion playing an essential role in the formation of the isolated one and two-headed flame cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tolylfluanid (TF) is a fungicide that disrupts glucocorticoid receptor signaling. • Gestational plus lactational exposure to TF disrupts metabolism in adult offspring. • The metabolic impact of developmental TF exposure is sex-specific. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are implicated in the developmental mis-programming of energy metabolism. This study examined the impact of combined gestational and lactational exposure to the fungicide tolylfluanid (TF) on metabolic physiology in adult offspring. C57BL/6 J dams received standard rodent chow or the same diet containing 67 mg/kg TF. Offspring growth and metabolism were assessed up to 22 weeks of age. TF-exposed offspring exhibited reduced weaning weight. Body weight among female offspring remained low throughout the study, while male offspring matched controls by 17 weeks of age. Female offspring exhibited reduced glucose tolerance, markedly enhanced systemic insulin sensitivity, reduced adiposity, and normal gluconeogenic capacity during adulthood. In contrast, male offspring exhibited impaired glucose tolerance with unchanged insulin sensitivity, no differences in adiposity, and increased gluconeogenic capacity. These data indicate that developmental exposure to TF induces sex-specific metabolic disruptions that recapitulate key aspects of other in utero growth restriction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have shown efficacy in reducing severe cases and fatalities. However, their effectiveness against infection caused by emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants has waned considerably, necessitating the development of variant vaccines. Ideally, next-generation vaccines will be capable of eliciting broader and more sustained immune responses to effectively counteract new variants. Additionally, in vitro assays that more closely represent virus neutralization in humans would greatly assist in the analysis of protective vaccine-induced antibody responses. Here, we present findings from a SARS-CoV-2 VLP vaccine encompassing three key structural proteins: Spike (S), Envelope (E), and Membrane (M). The VLP vaccine effectively produced neutralizing antibodies as determined by surrogate virus neutralization test, and induced virus-specific T-cell responses: predominantly CD4+, although CD8+ T cell responses were detected. T cell responses were more prominent with vaccine delivered with AddaVax compared to vaccine alone. The adjuvanted vaccine was completely protective against live virus challenge in mice. Furthermore, we utilized air–liquid-interface (ALI)-differentiated human nasal epithelium (HNE) as an in vitro system, which authentically models human SARS-CoV-2 infection and neutralization. We show that immune sera from VLP-vaccinated mice completely neutralized SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, demonstrating the potential of ALI-HNE to assess vaccine induced Nab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of reinforced concrete walls has become popular in Latin America as a structural system for the construction of residential buildings. However, this system is characterized by a low ductility capacity, compromising its seismic performance during the last strong earthquakes. This study uses three real buildings composed of reinforced concrete walls located in a high seismic region and soil type D, designed based on the Colombian building code. Nonlinear models of these three buildings were generated to evaluate the seismic response under actual ground motions. The three buildings were then redesigned using seismic isolation and the same analysis procedure was carried out to obtain the seismic response of the isolated buildings, comparing the results with those of the fixed base. The results show that the seismically isolated buildings exhibited a higher seismic performance, moving from a life safety performance level of the fixed-base buildings to an immediate occupancy performance level. In addition, the isolated buildings required up to 50% less reinforced steel and up to 100% fewer boundary elements compared to the fixed-base buildings, while keeping the architectural and building advantages of the wall structural system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We present a case of severe dehydration, muscle cramping, and rhabdomyolysis in a high school football player followed by a suggested program for gradual return to play. Background: A 16-year-old male football player (body mass = 69.1 kg, height = 175.3 cm) reported to the ATC after the morning session on the second day of two-a-days complaining of severe muscle cramping. Differential Diagnosis: The initial assessment included severe dehydration and exercise-induced muscle cramps. The differential diagnosis was severe dehydration, exertional rhabdomyolysis, or myositis. CK testing revealed elevated levels indicating mild rhabdomyolysis. Treatment: The emergency department administered 8 L of intravenous (IV) fluid within the 48-hr hospitalization period, followed by gradual return to activity. Uniqueness: To our knowledge, no reports of exertional rhabdomyolysis in an adolescent football player exist. In this case, a high school quarterback with a previous history of heat-related cramping succumbed to severe dehydration and exertional rhabdomyolysis during noncontact preseason practice. We provide suggestions for return to activity following exertional rhabdomyolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current growth of the urban population has led to an increment in the housing demand, increasing the seismic exposure, especially in developing countries that struggle to provide efficient and safe housing solutions. To address this issue, it is necessary to develop structural systems that provide sufficient seismic performance while allowing reduced building time and cost. This paper presents the structural identification and seismic performance assessment of a structural system based on unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete walls. These structural walls are composed of precast concrete panels connected through shear connectors and post-tensioned using unbonded steel bars. Three unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete wall specimens were subjected to a cyclic loading test, obtaining several structural parameters from the analysis of the experimental campaign results. In addition, the seismic response of the proposed system was identified by characterizing its hysteretic behavior and by defining several experimental damage limit states. Based on these results, a numerical model was calibrated using the Pinching4 material of the OpenSees software. Finally, a numerical seismic performance assessment of the in-plane response was carried out by proposing an archetype building and using the FEMA P695 far-field ground motion set as seismic input. These analyses allowed the development of fragility functions of the diverse damage states observed on the tested specimens. The results show that the proposed structural system based on unbonded post-tensioned precast concrete walls is a feasible option for its implementation as a lateral load structural system on low-rise buildings, providing sufficient seismic capacity and allowing further improvements in its implementation. • Structural identification of Unbonded Post-tensioned Precast Concrete Walls. • Feasible implementation as a structural system for affordable low-rise housing. • The studied structural system is characterized by a low energy dissipation capacity. • Three damage limit states were defined based on the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of different lipid levels (10, 15, 20 and 25%) and oil sources (fish oil: FO and soybean lecithin oil: LO) on growth, survival, digestive enzymatic activity, gene expression acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) of Mayan cichlid larvae Cichlasoma urophthalmus were evaluated by a bi-factorial design. The larvae were fed from hatching with eight different experimental isoproteic diets (45% protein) and a commercial diet for tilapia as a control diet. The results showed that larvae fed the LO15 diet had the highest growth in weight and total length and higher trypsin activity. The lowest values in FAS and ACC1 expression were obtained exclusively with the lipid type (soybean lecithin). It is concluded that the inclusion of soybean lecithin at a concentration of 15% allows the 100% replacement of fish oil in balanced feed for the culture of Mayan cichlid larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Graphite oxide enables separation of cyclic and linear architectures. • Cyclic penta(ethylene oxide) intercalates much slower than its linear analog. • Cyclic component remains in the non-intercalated phase allowing its collection. • Separation ocurrs in both melt and solution from non-penetrating solvents. • Non-penetrating solvents allow the isolation of 99% pure cyclic component. Abstract Cyclic oligomers of poly(ethylene oxide)s intercalate slower into graphite oxide (GO) than their linear analogs from the melt. In present study these kinetic differences are exploited to isolate 15-crown-5 (15C5) from mixtures with linear penta(ethylene glycol) (5EG) by using two approaches: a) melt intercalation and solvent extraction and b) intercalation from solution and filtration. In both cases we found that fractions highly enriched in the cyclic component are obtained by using an appropriate selection of the solvent. Solvents that do not penetrate the interlayer space of GO (such as CCl 4 and toluene) lead to an increase of the cyclic fraction from 50 wt% in the initial mixture to values as high as 99 wt%. On the contrary, solvents that penetrate the interlayer space of GO produce fractions with low content of 15C5. The ability of non-penetrating solvents to achieve an effective isolation of 15C5 demonstrates that separation is driven by a faster intercalation of 5EG into unswollen GO, without solvent assistance, and the permanence of 15C5 in solution. These results are discussed in the light of data collected by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and gel permeation chromatography. This study provides substantial evidence of a very promising separation method for a topological purification of cyclic poly(ethylene oxide)s with GO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An experimental study of methane, propane and dimethyl ether (DME) premixed flames propagating in a quasi-two-dimensional Hele-Shaw cell placed horizontally is presented in this paper. The flames are ignited at the open end of the combustion chamber and propagate towards the closed end. Our experiments revealed two distinct propagation regimes depending on the equivalence ratio of the mixture as a consequence of the coupling between the heat-release rate and the acoustic waves. The primary acoustic instability induces a small-amplitude, of around 8 mm, oscillatory motion across the chamber that is observed for lean propane, lean DME, and rich methane flames. Eventually, a secondary acoustic instability emerges for sufficiently rich (lean) propane and DME (methane) flames, inducing large-amplitude oscillations in the direction of propagation of the flame. The amplitude of these oscillations can be as large as 30 mm and drastically changes the outline of the flame. The front then forms pulsating finger-shaped structures that characterize the flame propagation under the secondary acoustic instability. The experimental setup allows the recording of the flame propagation from two different points of view. The top view is used to obtain accurate quantitative information about the flame propagation, while the lateral view offered a novel three dimensional perspective of the flame that gives relevant information on the transition between the two oscillatory regimes. The influence of the geometry of the Hele-Shaw cell and of the equivalence ratio on the transition between the two acoustic-instability regimes is analyzed. In particular, we find that the transition to the secondary instability occurs for values of the equivalence ratio ϕ above (below) a critical value ϕ c for propane and DME (methane) flames. In all the tested fuels, the transition to the secondary instability emerges for values of the Markstein number M below a critical value M c. The critical Markstein number varies with the gap size h formed by the two horizontal plates that bound the Hele-Shaw cell. As h is reduced, the critical Markstein number is shifted towards larger values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Hysteretic and seismic behaviors of the Recycled Plastic Lumber walls are presented. • Structural parameters of the Recycled Plastic Lumber walls are determined. • Recycled Plastic Lumber walls do not exhibit fragile failure modes under cyclic test. • Multilinear hysteretic model fits well the nonlinear dynamical behavior of the walls. • Recycled Plastic Lumber walls have a satisfactory performance under seismic loads. Abstract Recycled Plastic Lumber (RPL) is a wood-like material made from recycled plastics that aims to diminish the environmental pollution resulting from plastic wastes. This material is used in different kinds of nonstructural and structural applications. Recently, RPL has been proposed as a suitable material to develop structural walls that comprise the seismic resistant system of housings, in order to lessen the housing deficiency. This article presents the results drawn from an experimental campaign carried out over three full-scale RPL walls, which were tested under cycling loading conditions to determine structural parameters such as strength, hysteretic behavior, ductility, energy dissipation, equivalent damping and characteristic failure modes of the RPL walls, which are necessary to design and to assess seismically the housings. Finally, a multilinear hysteretic model capable of simulating the nonlinear dynamic behavior exhibited by RPL walls was implemented, in order to simulate and to assess the seismic behavior of them under strong and destructive real earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a one-dimensional atmospheric photochemical model to investigate the effect of temperature and humidity variations on the evolution of O 2 and O 3 across the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), and find that changes to the atmospheric temperature profile can change O 2 and O 3 levels by up to three orders of magnitude. Cold temperatures (<280 K) result in stable low O 2 levels (mixing ratio of 10 − 4), whereas temperate (280 K − 310 K) and hot (>310 K) temperatures result in stable high O 2 levels (mixing ratio of 10 − 2) after the GOE. Warm and wet climates lead to an increased atmospheric oxidation power through the increased production of hydrogen oxide (HO x) radicals, catalyzing the oxidation and depletion of the principal reduced species (CH 4 , CO and H 2). Consequently, warmer temperatures lead to less O 2 lost through the oxidation of reduced species, resulting in higher O 2 and O 3 levels relative to colder temperatures. The GOE occurred around the same period as the onset of the Snowball Earth Huronian glaciations. Cold climates during the glaciations were eventually terminated by the build-up of volcanic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to Hot-Moist Greenhouse climates. Temperature and humidity likely varied extensively from Snowball Earth climates during the glaciations to Hot-Moist Greenhouse climates. However, current photochemical models of the GOE do not consider the effect of this climate variability on the evolution of O 2 and O 3 across the GOE. Our results show that temperature and humidity exert a strong control on atmospheric chemistry through O 2 , O 3 , and HO x feedbacks, which has important implications for our understanding of the climate-redox evolution of the GOE. • We model the Great Oxidation Event (GOE) for different climates. • Temperature and humidity exert a strong control on O 2 and O 3 across the GOE. • Cold and dry climates result in scarce O 2 and O 3 after the GOE. • Warmer climates have more O 2 and O 3 , but O 3 decreases again above 340 K. • The ozone layer peaks at higher altitudes in warm climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiently solving saddle point systems like Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) systems is crucial for many algorithms in constrained nonlinear continuous optimization. Such systems can be very ill conditioned, in particular when the (1,1) block has few very small eigenvalues (see Rusten and Winther [SIAM J. Matrix Anal. Appl., 13 (1992), pp. 887-904]). However, it is commonly observed that despite these small eigenvalues, some sort of interaction between this (1,1) block and the (1,2) block actually occurs that may influence strongly the convergence of Krylov subspace methods like Minres. In this paper, we highlight some aspects of this interaction. We illustrate in particular, with some examples, how and in which circumstances the convergence of Minres might be affected by these few very small eigenvalues in the (1,1) block. We further derive theoretically a tighter lower bound on the positive eigenvalues of saddle point matrices of the KKT form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the steady interaction of a shear layer separating two uniform supersonic streams of Mach numbers M1 and M2 with an oblique shock approaching from the faster stream at an incident angle σi sufficiently small for the postshock flow to remain supersonic everywhere. The development begins by considering the related problem of oblique-shock impingement on a supersonic vortex sheet of infinitesimal thickness, for which the region of existence of regular shock refractions with downstream supersonic flow is delineated in the parametric space (M1,M2,σi). The interaction region located about the impingement point, scaling with the shear-layer thickness, is described next by integrating the Euler equations in the postshock region, formulated in characteristic form, subject to the Rankine-Hugoniot jump conditions at the shock front. The results are used to investigate the accuracy and limitations of a simplified treatment, the so-called Moeckel-Chisnell approach, commonly employed for determining the shape of the shock wave in these scenarios, which does not account for the influence of the postshock flow. It is found that, although the Moeckel-Chisnell method predicts accurately the shape of the shock front as it evolves across the shear layer, it is unable to predict the final transition to the transmitted-shock solution, which occurs beyond the edge of the shear layer. The structure of the shear layer in the far field also is addressed here for the first time, with the objective being to lay the groundwork for future studies of shock-induced ignition in supersonic fuel-air mixing layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burgeoning epidemiological, animal, and cellular data link environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to metabolic dysfunction. Disproportionate exposure to diabetes-associated EDCs may be an underappreciated contributor to disparities in metabolic disease risk. The burden of diabetes is not uniformly borne by American society; rather, this disease disproportionately affects certain populations, including African Americans, Latinos, and low-income individuals. The purpose of this study was to review the evidence linking unequal exposures to EDCs with racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diabetes disparities in the U.S.; discuss social forces promoting these disparities; and explore potential interventions. Articles examining the links between chemical exposures and metabolic disease were extracted from the U.S. National Library of Medicine for the period of 1966 to 3 December 2016. EDCs associated with diabetes in the literature were then searched for evidence of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic exposure disparities. Among Latinos, African Americans, and low-income individuals, numerous studies have reported significantly higher exposures to diabetogenic EDCs, including polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, multiple chemical constituents of air pollution, bisphenol A, and phthalates. This review reveals that unequal exposure to EDCs may be a novel contributor to diabetes disparities. Efforts to reduce the individual and societal burden of diabetes should include educating clinicians on environmental exposures that may increase disease risk, strategies to reduce those exposures, and social policies to address environmental inequality as a novel source of diabetes disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe an MHC class II (I-Ab)-restricted TCR transgenic mouse line that produces CD4+ T cells specific for Plasmodium species. This line, termed PbT-II, was derived from a CD4+ T cell hybridoma generated to blood-stage Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA). PbT-II cells responded to all Plasmodium species and stages tested so far, including rodent (PbA, P. berghei NK65, Plasmodium chabaudi AS, and Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL) and human (Plasmodium falciparum) blood-stage parasites as well as irradiated PbA sporozoites. PbT-II cells can provide help for generation of Ab to P. chabaudi infection and can control this otherwise lethal infection in CD40L-deficient mice. PbT-II cells can also provide help for development of CD8+ T cell-mediated experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) during PbA infection. Using PbT-II CD4+ T cells and the previously described PbT-I CD8+ T cells, we determined the dendritic cell (DC) subsets responsible for immunity to PbA blood-stage infection. CD8+ DC (a subset of XCR1+ DC) were the major APC responsible for activation of both T cell subsets, although other DC also contributed to CD4+ T cell responses. Depletion of CD8+ DC at the beginning of infection prevented ECM development and impaired both Th1 and follicular Th cell responses; in contrast, late depletion did not affect ECM. This study describes a novel and versatile tool for examining CD4+ T cell immunity during malaria and provides evidence that CD4+ T cell help, acting via CD40L signaling, can promote immunity or pathology to blood-stage malaria largely through Ag presentation by CD8+ DC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) has been acknowledged as the most endangered felid species in the world. An intense contraction and fragmentation during the twentieth century left less than 100 individuals split in two isolated and genetically eroded populations by 2002. Genetic monitoring and management so far have been based on 36 STRs, but their limited variability and the more complex situation of current populations demand more efficient molecular markers. The recent characterization of the Iberian lynx genome identified more than 1.6 million SNPs, of which 1536 were selected and genotyped in an extended Iberian lynx sample. Methods: We validated 1492 SNPs and analysed their heterozygosity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and linkage disequilibrium. We then selected a panel of 343 minimally linked autosomal SNPs from which we extracted subsets optimized for four different typical tasks in conservation applications: individual identification, parentage assignment, relatedness estimation, and admixture classification, and compared their power to currently used STR panels. Results: We ascribed 21 SNPs to chromosome X based on their segregation patterns, and identified one additional marker that showed significant differentiation between sexes. For all applications considered, panels of autosomal SNPs showed higher power than the currently used STR set with only a very modest increase in the number of markers. Conclusions: These novel panels of highly informative genome-wide SNPs provide more powerful, efficient, and flexible tools for the genetic management and non-invasive monitoring of Iberian lynx populations. This example highlights an important outcome of whole-genome studies in genetically threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work attempts to assess the influence of order phenomena on the magnetostriction of high Fe-Si alloys for electrical applications. The magnetostriction of high silicon electrical steels in the range of 4 to 6 wt. % Si was studied regarding the effect of processing and thermal treatment. In addition, power losses and saturation magnetization measurements were performed and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to evaluate and quantify the degree of order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The largest full-scale earthen wall (two-storey) with openings tested to date in a structural laboratory. • A retrofitting technique is proposed to enhance the seismic performance of two-story historic earthen walls. • The seismic reinforcement based on steel plates increases strength and ductility of the historic earthen walls. • Seismic performance of two-storey historic earthen wall with openings retrofitted with steel plates. • Laser scanner-LIDAR (light detection and ranging or 3-D laser scanning) technology was used to measure the position of the points on the wall's outer faces to determine the displacements. The Spanish conquerors that came to Latin America built earthen dwellings (one- and two- stories). In this way, construction with earthen materials was introduced in the history and the cultural heritage of the Northern South American territory. Unfortunately, past earthquakes have shown that historic earthen buildings are highly vulnerable. Research on this subject has focused on the evaluation of seismic retrofitting alternatives, especially in one-story earthen walls without openings, or studying reduced-scale earthen models. According to the scientific literature consulted, few pseudo-static tests have been conducted on full-scale earthen walls with openings. For this reason, in this research, a full-scale two-story earthen wall specimen with dimensions of 5.95 m long, 6.20 m high, and 0.65 m thick (both floors with openings) was subjected to cyclic lateral loads (in-plane shear load). Based on the authors' knowledge, this is the largest full-scale two-story earthen wall tested to date in a structures laboratory. After inducing repairable damage to the unreinforced wall, a rehabilitation strategy based on steel plates (conforming to a grid) was installed on both sides of the wall. The steel plates were connected (welded) with pass-through steel rods. Subsequently, the repaired and reinforced wall was retested and the experimental results showed that the in-plane stiffness was improved or at least restored. In addition, the lateral load capacity increased by 208 % on average compared to the unreinforced wall test results. Lastly, the unreinforced wall had a drift capacity of 0.5 % while the reinforced wall reached a maximum drift of 1.8 %. Therefore, it was found that the proposed reinforcement with steel plates significantly improves the seismic performance of two-story historic earthen walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated preferences and perceived differences between virgin and recycled polyester sports t-shirts, while monitoring participants’ use and care behaviour during real-life wear. A two-month-long wear trial was conducted with 244 participants who were asked to report their t-shirt preferences, perceived differences between t-shirts, as well as their t-shirt use and care via an online survey. T-shirts with nearly identical textile parameters were used for the trial made from virgin polyester, mechanically recycled polyester, and mechanically recycled polyester containing ocean plastics. The responses to the wear trial questionnaires showed that participants struggled to perceive a difference between the different types of polyester t-shirts, and none of the t-shirt materials was significantly preferred over another. The study gives insights into the participants’ care and use habits of sports t-shirts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a new technique for reducing the number of iterations of the block Cimmino method by replicating rows in the partitioned system, so that we obtain a nondisjoint partitioning of the rows. Since rows in different partitions that are close to colinear produce a poorly conditioned iteration matrix for the block Cimmino method, row replication can get around this problem. With intelligent replication choices, we can reduce the number of iterations for convergence of the replicated block Cimmino method. The downside is a slight increase of the computational workload associated with each partition. In order to find a trade-off between a lower number of iterations and a higher cost per iteration, selecting the proper set of rows for replication is crucial. In this paper, we use graph-based techniques to find good candidates for replication. Since the block Cimmino method can be interpreted as a nonoverlapping additive Schwartz method applied to the normal equations, the replication techniques correspond to introducing an overlap between the subdomains defined by the partitions. We show analytically in the case of a two-block partitioning how the replication improves the condition number of the block Cimmino iteration matrix. We then use challenging two-dimensional PDE problems to show that our algebraic approach targets physically meaningful phenomena on the interface between partitions. We demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in improving the performance of the block Cimmino solver, even with a small amount of replication, on problems from the SuiteSparse Matrix Collection. Finally, we compare our approach to a BiCGStab preconditioned with an additive Schwartz method and show that our replication technique can be used to define the subdomains and overlaps in the context of domain decomposition methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-activation-energy asymptotic techniques are used to describe the effects of non-unity Lewis numbers of the fuel on strain-induced extinction of axisymmetric counterflow diffusion flames. The present work extends and clarifies previous investigations by accounting also for variable density and variable transport properties of the gas. In our asymptotic analysis the flame structure near extinction is, at leading order, given by the Burke–Schumann limit of infinitely fast reaction; i.e. two outer regions of equilibrium flow, with the fuel and the oxygen separated by an infinitesimally thin reaction layer where they arrive by diffusion in stoichiometric proportions. The leading-order description provides the basic flow structure, including the flame-sheet location, the fuel-consumption rate, the temperature gradients on both sides of the flame, and the peak value of the temperature, which plays a dominant role in flame extinction and differs significantly from the adiabatic-flame value for non-unity Lewis numbers. In the near-extinction regime small departures, due to finite rates, from the fast-reaction limit are enough to dominate the structure of the reaction layer, and must be taken into account in this thin layer and in the outer chemically frozen regions, where the corrections are associated with the reactants leaking, with small mass fractions, through the flame. The main effect of the differential diffusion in the near-extinction regime is due to the strong modification of the reaction rates resulting from the changes in the Burke–Schumann peak temperature, with only moderate corrections due to leakage of the reactants through the flame. For large values of the overall stoichiometric ratio S of the diffusion flame, defined as the mass of the air stream needed to burn to completion the unit mass of the fuel stream, the extinction conditions occur in a premixed-flame regime, in which the reaction layer is displaced towards the fuel side with respect to the Burke–Schumann flame sheet position and a fraction of the arriving fuel mass flux leaks through the reaction layer, while the mass fraction of the leaking oxygen decreases to negligibly small values. The asymptotic predictions are tested by comparison with numerical integrations of extinction curves based on continuation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary In recent years, various intervention strategies have reduced malaria morbidity and mortality, but further improvements probably depend upon development of a broadly protective vaccine. To better understand immune requirement for protection, we examined liver-stage immunity after vaccination with irradiated sporozoites, an effective though logistically difficult vaccine. We identified a population of memory CD8 + T cells that expressed the gene signature of tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells and remained permanently within the liver, where they patrolled the sinusoids. Exploring the requirements for liver Trm cell induction, we showed that by combining dendritic cell-targeted priming with liver inflammation and antigen recognition on hepatocytes, high frequencies of Trm cells could be induced and these cells were essential for protection against malaria sporozoite challenge. Our study highlights the immune potential of liver Trm cells and provides approaches for their selective transfer, expansion, or depletion, which may be harnessed to control liver infections or autoimmunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recent study, Harrison et al. (Science 2019;363;eaat6280) report that RORγt-expressing skin commensal-specific T cells rapidly respond to tissue wounding by producing type 2 T helper cell (Th2) cytokines in mice. The cells constitutively coexpress GATA-3 and type 2 cytokine mRNAs that are translated after injury. These T cells act as sentinels, linking T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of commensals, tissue damage, and wound repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell fusion is a physiological cellular process essential for fertilization, viral entry, muscle differentiation and placental development, among others. In this review, we will highlight the different cancer cell-cell fusions and the advantages obtained by these fusions. We will specially focus on the acquisition of metastatic features by cancer cells after fusion with bone marrow-derived cells. The mechanism by which cancer cells fuse with other cells has been poorly studied thus far, but the presence in several cancer cells of syncytin, a trophoblastic fusogen, leads us to a cancer cell fusion mechanism similar to the one used by the trophoblasts. The mechanism by which cancer cells perform the cell fusion could be an interesting target for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address environmental aspects during redesign, the product specification must include related targets that are reachable and challenging. To do so, this article presents a stepwise approach for combining benchmarking information and component impact, out of life cycle assessment (LCA) scaling. This approach requires allocating environmental impacts to each subsystem, which is not commonly done for some life cycle phases in LCAs, most particularly for use phases. This article includes a methodology for allocating such impacts. The underlying criterion is avoiding complex calculations, to make the method more agile. This methodology is presented in a full case study of a complex product: a knuckle boom crane. The case study results in the percentage of impact reduction needed to meet the market average or best competitors. In particular, the results show that the cylinders of the crane have a high contribution to environmental impact, not only because of their weight, but also because of the active power consumed to activate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a Latin American context, few studies exist regarding the construction of churches during the colonial period using adobe and rammed-earth techniques. Investigations of their spatial characteristics, systems of construction, and structural behavior, therefore, are also scarce. This lack of research has led to poor results in restoration attempts for these kinds of churches, which has caused the loss of important Colombian architectural and historical heritage. Additionally, Colombia is at a high seismic risk, and adobe and rammed-earth buildings are particularly vulnerable during earthquakes. This paper presents the results of an investigation of these kinds of structures, developed by the investigative groups investigation group on materials and structures (GRIME) and Estructuras & Construcción (at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) during the period 2002-2013. The investigation focuses on churches in the geographical area within the central Colombian highlands built during the 16th and 17th centuries. The study takes an architectural and historical approach coupled with structural laboratory work (involving shake table tests on 1:50 models), where the authors applied a reinforcement alternative with confinement wood elements to improve the seismic performance of the structural system of rammed-earth churches. According to these results, the use of confining wood elements as reinforcements reduces the relative displacement induced by earthquakes to doctrinal earth-built churches and diminishes the propagation of cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impacts caused by human activity, affects all productive and commercial activities that support the day to day. The products of massive consume such as footwear drive large impacts according to the materials and processes used for their manufacture. This paper present a literature review with the main aim to identify which are the phases and materials that cause greater environmental impacts to the environment, focusing on leather shoes. The results demonstrate that different authors reach similar results in terms of phases and high impact materials. The results permit change the current way of action and to focus the main efforts of research on tanning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an iterative algorithm which asymptotically scales the ∞-norm of each row and each column of a matrix to one. This scaling algorithm preserves symmetry of the original matrix and shows fast linear convergence with an asymptotic rate of 1/2. We discuss extensions of the algorithm to the 1-norm, and by inference to other norms. For the 1-norm case, we show again that convergence is linear, with the rate dependent on the spectrum of the scaled matrix. We demonstrate experimentally that the scaling algorithm improves the conditioning of the matrix and that it helps direct solvers by reducing the need for pivoting. In particular, for symmetric matrices the theoretical and experimental results highlight the potential of the proposed algorithm over existing alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A retrofitting technique is proposed to enhance the performance of earthen walls. • Analytical model based on composite beam theory validate the experiments. • The reinforcement increases strength and ductility of the earthen walls. • A design equation was proposed for the resisting moment of a reinforced earthen wall. • The influence of the amount of steel plates on the out-of-plane strength is studied. During past earthquakes, earthen buildings have collapsed causing significant human, economic and heritage losses. In recent years, the authors proposed a seismic rehabilitation technique used to enhance out-of-plane strength and ductility of earthen buildings. This retrofitting solution consists on adding A36 structural steel plates (6.35-mm-thickness and 101.6-mm-width) on both faces of the earthen walls. This proposal enhances seismic performance of earthen structures while protecting occupant lives and reducing expected damages. In this paper, a comprehensive experimental, analytical and numerical study is conducted to evaluate the influence exerted by the amount of steel plates on the out-of-plane strength in reinforced earthen walls. The experimental program includes tests for rammed earth specimens reinforced with different sizes of steel plates. Experimental results are complemented with finite element simulations and analytical formulations based on partially composite beams with interlayer slip. Despite the high variability involved in the mechanical properties of earthen materials and uncertainty in the interaction between the steel plates and the rammed earth, models used in this study predict out-of-plane strength of reinforced earthen specimens within 15% error. In addition, based on experimental evidence, the authors proposed an empirical design equation to calculate the moment or flexural capacity that could be included in retrofitting provisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a novel approach to solve the authorship identification task on a cross-topic and open-set scenario. Authorship verification is the task of determining whether or not two texts were written by the same author. We model the documents in a graph representation and then a graph neural network extracts relevant features from these graph representations. We present three strategies to represent the texts as graphs based on the co-occurrence of the POS labels of words. We propose a Siamese Network architecture composed of graph convolutional networks along with pooling and classification layers. We present different variants of the architecture and discuss the performance of each one. To evaluate our approach we used a collection of fanfiction texts provided by the PAN@CLEF 2021 shared task in two settings: a "small" corpus and a "large" corpus. Our graph-based approach achieved average scores (AUC ROC, F1, Brier score, F0.5u, and C@1) between 90% and 92.83% when training on the "small" and "large" corpus, respectively. Our model obtain results comparable to those of the state of the art in this task and greater than traditional baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Multi-model ensembles could overcome challenges resulting from uncertainties in models' initial conditions, parameterization and structural imperfections. They could also quantify in a probabilistic way uncertainties in future climatic conditions and their impacts. Methods A four-malaria-model ensemble was implemented to assess the impact of long-term changes in climatic conditions on Plasmodium falciparum malaria morbidity observed in Kericho, in the highlands of Western Kenya, over the period 1979-2009. Input data included quality controlled temperature and rainfall records gathered at a nearby weather station over the historical periods 1979-2009 and 1980-2009, respectively. Simulations included models' sensitivities to changes in sets of parameters and analysis of non-linear changes in the mean duration of host's infectivity to vectors due to increased resistance to anti-malarial drugs. Results The ensemble explained from 32 to 38% of the variance of the observed P. falciparum malaria incidence. Obtained R2-values were above the results achieved with individual model simulation outputs. Up to 18.6% of the variance of malaria incidence could be attributed to the +0.19 to +0.25°C per decade significant long-term linear trend in near-surface air temperatures. On top of this 18.6%, at least 6% of the variance of malaria incidence could be related to the increased resistance to anti-malarial drugs. Ensemble simulations also suggest that climatic conditions have likely been less favourable to malaria transmission in Kericho in recent years. Conclusions Long-term changes in climatic conditions and non-linear changes in the mean duration of host's infectivity are synergistically driving the increasing incidence of P. falciparum malaria in the Kenyan highlands. User-friendly, online-downloadable, open source mathematical tools, such as the one presented here, could improve decision-making processes of local and regional health authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To follow the fate of CD8+ T cells responsive to Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection, we generated an MHC I-restricted TCR transgenic mouse line against this pathogen. T cells from this line, termed PbT-I T cells, were able to respond to blood-stage infection by PbA and two other rodent malaria species, P. yoelii XNL and P. chabaudi AS. These PbT-I T cells were also able to respond to sporozoites and to protect mice from liver-stage infection. Examination of the requirements for priming after intravenous administration of irradiated sporozoites, an effective vaccination approach, showed that the spleen rather than the liver was the main site of priming and that responses depended on CD8α+ dendritic cells. Importantly, sequential exposure to irradiated sporozoites followed two days later by blood-stage infection led to augmented PbT-I T cell expansion. These findings indicate that PbT-I T cells are a highly versatile tool for studying multiple stages and species of rodent malaria and suggest that cross-stage reactive CD8+ T cells may be utilized in liver-stage vaccine design to enable boosting by blood-stage infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As long as a square non-negative matrix A has total support then it can be balanced, that is, we can find a diagonal scaling of A that has row and column sums equal to one. A number of algorithms have been proposed to achieve the balancing, the most well known of these being Sinkhorn–Knopp. In this paper, we derive new algorithms based on inner–outer iteration schemes. We show that Sinkhorn–Knopp belongs to this family, but other members can converge much more quickly. In particular, we show that while stationary iterative methods offer little or no improvement in many cases, a scheme using a preconditioned conjugate gradient method as the inner iteration converges at much lower cost (in terms of matrix–vector products) for a broad range of matrices; and succeeds in cases where the Sinkhorn–Knopp algorithm fails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]