Measuring and Modelling the In-Plane Bending Stiffness and Wrinkling Behaviour of Engineering Fabrics

In this investigation two simple tests are conducted to characterise the shear, out-of-plane bending stiffness and in-plane bending stiffness of engineering fabrics and to investigate their wrinkling response during shear. A cantilever bending test [1] is first used to measure the out-of-plane bending stiffness while a modified version of the uniaxial bias extension (UBE) test is used to explore both the in-plane shear and the in-plane bending stiffness of the fabric (see Figure 1a). An estimate of the shear resistance of the fabric is obtained using normalisation theory [2]. In [3] it was shown that, for a given tensile stiffness in the two fibre directions, the in-plane deformation kinematics of the specimen are determined by the ratio between the fabric’s in-plane shear stiffness and in-plane bending stiffness. Thus, by measuring the fabric kinematics together with the shear stiffness of the fabric, the in-plane bending stiffness of the fabric is inferred using an inverse modelling approach. This is the first occasion that the in-plane bending stiffness of an engineering fabric has been estimated based on experimental data

An epidemic model for COVID-19 transmission in Argentina: Exploration of the alternating quarantine and massive testing strategies

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged authorities at different levels of government administration aroundthe globe. When faced with diseases of this severity, it is useful for the authorities to have prediction tools to estimate in advance the impact on the health system as well as the human, material, and economic resources that will be necessary. In this paper, we construct an extended Susceptible?Exposed?Infected?Recovered modelthat incorporates the social structure of Mar del Plata, the 4◦ most inhabited city in Argentina and head ofthe Municipality of General Pueyrredón. Moreover, we consider detailed partitions of infected individualsaccording to the illness severity, as well as data of local health resources, to bring predictions closer to thelocal reality. Tuning the corresponding epidemic parameters for COVID-19, we study an alternating quarantinestrategy: a part of the population can circulate without restrictions at any time, while the rest is equally dividedinto two groups and goes on successive periods of normal activity and lockdown, each one with a durationof days. We also implement a random testing strategy with a threshold over the population. We found that = 7 is a good choice for the quarantine strategy since it reduces the infected population and, conveniently,it suits a weekly schedule. Focusing on the health system, projecting from the situation as of September 30,we foresee a difficulty to avoid saturation of the available ICU, given the extremely low levels of mobility thatwould be required. In the worst case, our model estimates that four thousand deaths would occur, of which30% could be avoided with proper medical attention. Nonetheless, we found that aggressive testing wouldallow an increase in the percentage of people that can circulate without restrictions, and the medical facilitiesto deal with the additional critical patients would be relatively low.Fil: Vassallo, Lautaro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Ignacio Augusto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez Zuzek, Lucila G.. University Of Georgetown; Estados UnidosFil: Amaya, Julián. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Física; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Marcos F.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Valdez, Lucas Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: la Rocca, Cristian Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Braunstein, Lidia Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Físicas de Mar del Plata; Argentin

Predictive Criteria to Study the Pathogenesis of Malaria-Associated ALI/ARDS in Mice

Malaria-associated acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) often results in morbidity and mortality. Murine models to study malaria-associated ALI/ARDS have been described; we still lack a method of distinguishing which mice will develop ALI/ARDS before death. This work aimed to characterize malaria-associated ALI/ARDS in a murine model and to demonstrate the first method to predict whether mice are suffering from ALI/ARDS before death. DBA/2 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA developing ALI/ARDS or hyperparasitemia (HP) were compared using histopathology, PaO2 measurement, pulmonary X-ray, breathing capacity, lung permeability, and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels according to either the day of death or the suggested predictive criteria. We proposed a model to predict malaria-associated ALI/ARDS using breathing patterns (enhanced pause and frequency respiration) and parasitemia as predictive criteria from mice whose cause of death was known to retrospectively diagnose the sacrificed mice as likely to die of ALI/ARDS as early as 7 days after infection. Using this method, we showed increased VEGF levels and increased lung permeability in mice predicted to die of ALI/ARDS. This proposed method for accurately identifying mice suffering from ALI/ARDS before death will enable the use of this model to study the pathogenesis of this disease.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Imunol, BR-05508900 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Med Trop São Paulo, BR-05403000 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Exatas & Terra, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Parasitol, BR-05508000 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med Vet & Zootecn, Dept Cirurgia, BR-05508270 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med Vet & Zootecn, Dept Med Vet Prevent & Saude Anim, BR-05508270 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut, Dept Anal Clin & Toxicol, BR-05508000 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Exatas & Terra, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilFAPESP: 2009/53256-7FAPESP: 2009/53889-0CNPq: 306668/2012-2CNPq: 470590/2009-2Web of Scienc

Multiple thermochronometers applied to the quantitative analysis of compressive systems: The southern sub-Andean fold and thrust belt of Bolivia: From source rock to trap

The evolution of fold and thrust belts requires time data restrictions to determine the rates related to the interaction of surface and subsurface processes and to quantify the time relationship between the components of the petroleum system: reservoir, seal, source rock and trap. The sub-Andean fold-and-thrust belt in the Bolivian territory in general, and the regional transect that links the structures of Curuyuqui-Carohuaicho-Tatarenda-Borebigua-Charagua and Mandeyapecua in particular, constitutes a complex multi-variable system in which the definition of time-Temperature (t-T) trajectories has led to new suitable structural and stratigraphic conclusions. The integration of multiple thermochronological-geochronological systems (Apatite Fission Track, Apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He and UPb SHRIMP on zircon) and the existing surface and subsurface geological constraints made it possible to develop a chrono-kinematic characterization of fault-related anticlines, defining their formation chronology, structural growth rate and link between them in the study area. Furthermore, it was also possible to perform a quantitative analysis of the subsidence-burial and exhumation-erosion phenomena that occurred from the deposition of Silurian-Devonian source rocks to the present time, providing relevant determinations to the modeling of the Oil & Gas system.Fil: Hernandez, Juan I.. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Hernández, Roberto M.. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Dalenz Farjat, Alejandra. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Cristallini, Ernesto Osvaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología. Laboratorio de Modelado Geológico; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Luis A.. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Dellmans, Luis M.. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Costilla, Marcos Roberto. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Andres F.. Geomap S.a.; ArgentinaFil: Becchio, Raul Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Bordese, Sofia. lA - Te Andes S.A. Laboratorio de Termocronología de Los Andes; ArgentinaFil: Arzadún, Guadalupe. lA - Te Andes S.A. Laboratorio de Termocronología de Los Andes; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Guibaldo, Cristina. lA - Te Andes S.A. Laboratorio de Termocronología de Los Andes; ArgentinaFil: Glasmacher, Ulrich A.. Ruprecht Karls Universitat Heidelberg; AlemaniaFil: Tomezzoli, Renata Nela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Stockli, Daniel F.. University of Texas; Estados UnidosFil: Fuentes, Facundo. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Soria Galvarro, Jaime. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Rosales, Adolfo. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Dzelalija, Francisco. YPF - Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Haring, Claudio. YPF - Tecnología; Argentin

Direct Integration and Non-Perturbative Effects in Matrix Models

We show how direct integration can be used to solve the closed amplitudes of multi-cut matrix models with polynomial potentials. In the case of the cubic matrix model, we give explicit expressions for the ring of non-holomorphic modular objects that are needed to express all closed matrix model amplitudes. This allows us to integrate the holomorphic anomaly equation up to holomorphic modular terms that we fix by the gap condition up to genus four. There is an one-dimensional submanifold of the moduli space in which the spectral curve becomes the Seiberg--Witten curve and the ring reduces to the non-holomorphic modular ring of the group $\Gamma(2)$. On that submanifold, the gap conditions completely fix the holomorphic ambiguity and the model can be solved explicitly to very high genus. We use these results to make precision tests of the connection between the large order behavior of the 1/N expansion and non-perturbative effects due to instantons. Finally, we argue that a full understanding of the large genus asymptotics in the multi-cut case requires a new class of non-perturbative sectors in the matrix model.Comment: 51 pages, 8 figure

Two interlinked bistable switches govern mitotic control in mammalian cells

Distinct protein phosphorylation levels in interphase and M phase require tight regulation of Cdk1 activity [1, 2]. A bistable switch, based on positive feedback in the Cdk1 activation loop, has been proposed to generate different thresholds for transitions between these cell-cycle states [3, 4, 5]. Recently, the activity of the major Cdk1-counteracting phosphatase, PP2A:B55, has also been found to be bistable due to Greatwall kinase-dependent regulation [6]. However, the interplay of the regulation of Cdk1 and PP2A:B55 in vivo remains unexplored. Here, we combine quantitative cell biology assays with mathematical modeling to explore the interplay of mitotic kinase activation and phosphatase inactivation in human cells. By measuring mitotic entry and exit thresholds using ATP-analog-sensitive Cdk1 mutants, we find evidence that the mitotic switch displays hysteresis and bistability, responding differentially to Cdk1 inhibition in the mitotic and interphase states. Cdk1 activation by Wee1/Cdc25 feedback loops and PP2A:B55 inactivation by Greatwall independently contributes to this hysteretic switch system. However, elimination of both Cdk1 and PP2A:B55 inactivation fully abrogates bistability, suggesting that hysteresis is an emergent property of mutual inhibition between the Cdk1 and PP2A:B55 feedback loops. Our model of the two interlinked feedback systems predicts an intermediate but hidden steady state between interphase and M phase. This could be verified experimentally by Cdk1 inhibition during mitotic entry, supporting the predictive value of our model. Furthermore, we demonstrate that dual inhibition of Wee1 and Gwl kinases causes loss of cell-cycle memory and synthetic lethality, which could be further exploited therapeutically

Seismic structure of the northern continental margin of Spain from ESCIN deep seismic profiles

By the end of the Carboniferous, the crust of the continental shelf in northwestern Spain was made up of deeply rooted structures related to the Variscan collision. From Permian to Triassic times the tectonic setting had changed to mainly extensional and the northern Iberian continental margin underwent rifting during Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times, along with sea-floor spreading and the opening of the Bay of Biscay until the Late Cretaceous. Subsequently, the northern Iberian margin was active during the north-south convergence of Eurasia and Iberia in the Tertiary. A multichannel seismic experiment, consisting of two profiles, one north-south (ESCIN-4) crossing the platform margin offshore Asturias, and another (ESCIN-3) crossing the platform margin to the northwest of Galicia, was designed to study the structure of the northern Iberian margin. The ESCIN-4 stacked section reveals inverted structures in the upper crust within the Le Danois Basin. North of the steep continental slope, ESCIN-4 shows a thick sedimentary package from 6 to 9.5 s, two-way travel time (TWT). Within this latter package, a 40-km-long, north-tapering wedge of inclined, mainly south-dipping reflections is thought to represent a buried, Alpine-age accretionary prism. In the north western part of the ESCIN-3 (ESCIN-3-1) stacked section, horizontal reflections from 6.5 to 8.5 s correspond to an undisturbed package of sediments lying above oceanic-type basement. In this part of the line, a few kilometres long, strong horizontal reflection at 11.2 s within the basement may represent an oceanic Moho reflection. Also, a band of reflections dips gently towards the southeast, from the base of the gently dipping continental slope. The part of ESCIN-3 line that runs parallel to the NW-Galicia coast (ESCIN-3-2), is characterized by bright, continuous lower crustal reflections from 8 to 10 s. Beneath the lower crustal reflectivity, a band of strong reflections dips gently toward the southwest from 10 to 13.5 s. The part of ESCIN-3 that parallels the northern margin (ESCIN 3-3), shows good reflectivity in all levels. Upper crustal reflections image the sedimentary fill of probable Mesozoic to recent basins. Mid-crustal reflectivity is characterized by dipping reflections until 8 s that are probably related to compressional Variscan features. The lower crustal level shows 'layered' reflections between 8 and 12 s. Dipping reflections are found below the continental Moho.J. Alvarez-Marrón held a post-doc research grant from the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain. The ESCI-N program was sponsored by the Spanish agencies CICYT (project GEO 90-0660) and FICYT, and STRIDE Program of the EU.Peer Reviewe

Mediterranean Sea response to climate change in an ensemble of twenty first century scenarios

The Mediterranean climate is expected to become warmer and drier during the twenty-first century. Mediterranean Sea response to climate change could be modulated by the choice of the socio-economic scenario as well as the choice of the boundary conditions mainly the Atlantic hydrography, the river runoff and the atmospheric fluxes. To assess and quantify the sensitivity of the Mediterranean Sea to the twenty-first century climate change, a set of numerical experiments was carried out with the regional ocean model NEMOMED8 set up for the Mediterranean Sea. The model is forced by air–sea fluxes derived from the regional climate model ARPEGE-Climate at a 50-km horizontal resolution. Historical simulations representing the climate of the period 1961–2000 were run to obtain a reference state. From this baseline, various sensitivity experiments were performed for the period 2001–2099, following different socio-economic scenarios based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios. For the A2 scenario, the main three boundary forcings (river runoff, near-Atlantic water hydrography and air–sea fluxes) were changed one by one to better identify the role of each forcing in the way the ocean responds to climate change. In two additional simulations (A1B, B1), the scenario is changed, allowing to quantify the socio-economic uncertainty. Our 6-member scenario simulations display a warming and saltening of the Mediterranean. For the 2070–2099 period compared to 1961–1990, the sea surface temperature anomalies range from +1.73 to +2.97 °C and the SSS anomalies spread from +0.48 to +0.89. In most of the cases, we found that the future Mediterranean thermohaline circulation (MTHC) tends to reach a situation similar to the eastern Mediterranean Transient. However, this response is varying depending on the chosen boundary conditions and socio-economic scenarios. Our numerical experiments suggest that the choice of the near-Atlantic surface water evolution, which is very uncertain in General Circulation Models, has the largest impact on the evolution of the Mediterranean water masses, followed by the choice of the socio-economic scenario. The choice of river runoff and atmospheric forcing both have a smaller impact. The state of the MTHC during the historical period is found to have a large influence on the transfer of surface anomalies toward depth. Besides, subsurface currents are substantially modified in the Ionian Sea and the Balearic region. Finally, the response of thermosteric sea level ranges from +34 to +49 cm (2070–2099 vs. 1961–1990), mainly depending on the Atlantic forcing

Cholinergic modulation of spontaneous hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity and its circadian variation in man

Controversy still exists regarding the role of cholinergic pathways in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in man. We studied the effects of the administration of placebo, pyridostigmine (PD); 120 mg, orally), and the combination of PD and pirenzepine (PZP; 100 mg, orally) on ACTH, cortisol, and GH secretion at 0730 and 2230 h in seven normal males. PD induced a clear decrease in ACTH levels at both times of the day compared to treatment with placebo, producing higher suppression in the nocturnal period (34.4 +/- 5.8% vs. 21.8 +/- 10.7%). The combination PD and PZP prevented the inhibitory action of PD on ACTH secretion in the morning, but not in the evening, when ACTH values showed a decrease similar to that seen after giving PD alone (38.1 +/- 5.6% vs. 34.4 +/- 5.8%, respectively). Cortisol values declined only when the association PD plus PZP was given in the evening. GH levels had a significant increase after PD administration in the morning (4.1 +/- 1.2 ng/mL) and in the evening (10.2 +/- 1.6 ng/mL), confirming that cholinergic stimulation was taking place, whereas the addition of PZP to PD induced a significant attenuation of these responses. It is concluded that cholinergic pathways have a inhibitory role in ACTH secretion in man. M1 muscarinic receptors seem to be involved in the diurnal inhibition of PD, whereas our observations are consistent with the mediation of another type of cholinergic receptors as an explanation for the nocturnal effect of PD on ACTH secretion. PD did not alter the circadian variation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, whereas the association of PD and PZP increased the differences between diurnal and nocturnal ACTH values, suggesting a modulatory effect of the cholinergic system on the circadian rhythm of ACTH secretion

Employment of a noninvasive magnetic method for evaluation of gastrointestinal transit in rats

AC Biosusceptometry (ACB) was previously employed towards recording gastrointestinal motility. Our data show a reliable and successful evaluation of gastrointestinal transit of liquid and solid meals in rats, considering the methods scarcity and number of experiments needed to endorsement of drugs and medicinal plants. ACB permits real time and simultaneous experiments using the same animal, preserving the physiological conditions employing both meals with simplicity and accuracy.This study was partially supported by the Brazilian agencies CNPq, Capes and FAPESP