Vegetation Changes Following Biosolids Applications at an Old Boer Lovegrass Pasture in Northern Sonora, México

Short grass prairies (Bouteloua-Aristida) are the main vegetation type in northern Sonora, México, however, factors such as land fragmentation, overgrazing, severe droughts and lack of infrastructure in most ranches poor grazing management has caused land degradation. Boer lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula var. conferta) is an introduced species planted to increase productivity on deteriorated rangelands. Forage production with Boer lovegrass increases two to three fold as compared to native grasses after range seeding but productivity declines as stands become old. Biosolids have been recognized as a useful soil amendment and source of nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter and other nutrients, which can enhance soil physical properties as well as plant yield (US Environmental Protection Agency 1999, Kinney et al. 2006). These organic compounds of human origins may play an important role in rangelands increasing soil fertility, however data do not exist to justify its use in México. This study was conducted to evaluate forage responses of old Boer lovegrass stands to biosolids applications

Experimental behavior of novel GFRP reinforcing bars under compressive loads

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars have been used in RC structures due to their high tensile strength capacity and resistance to corrosion in comparison with steel. However, international standards do not recommend their use in RC structure elements subjected to compressive loads. Currently, there is no standard method to determine the compressive characteristics of FRP bars. This article presents a new type of GFRP bars designed specially to support compressive loads: they have additional winding GFRP layers around the longitudinal fibers. An exhaustive experimental study was carried out to obtain compressive properties of the bars: compressive strength, Young’s modulus and stress-strain relation. After post-processing the experimental results of the study, this paper showed compressive strength between 50% and 60% of tensile strength, which allows employing the bars as internal reinforcement in RC structures. Their obtained Young’s modulus is the same in both tensile and compression, which enables the linear stress-strain relation to be extended to the entire range of deformations. This is most advantageous for structural analysis procedures in the linear elastic regime. Finally, based on the experimental results of failure modes, some limitations about the cross-sectional area or the slenderness were proposed for the use as internal reinforcing in RC structures, which helps the researchers in the design procedure for members reinforced with FRP bars

A Stochastic Multi-scale Approach for Numerical Modeling of Complex Materials - Application to Uniaxial Cyclic Response of Concrete

In complex materials, numerous intertwined phenomena underlie the overall response at macroscale. These phenomena can pertain to different engineering fields (mechanical , chemical, electrical), occur at different scales, can appear as uncertain, and are nonlinear. Interacting with complex materials thus calls for developing nonlinear computational approaches where multi-scale techniques that grasp key phenomena at the relevant scale need to be mingled with stochastic methods accounting for uncertainties. In this chapter, we develop such a computational approach for modeling the mechanical response of a representative volume of concrete in uniaxial cyclic loading. A mesoscale is defined such that it represents an equivalent heterogeneous medium: nonlinear local response is modeled in the framework of Thermodynamics with Internal Variables; spatial variability of the local response is represented by correlated random vector fields generated with the Spectral Representation Method. Macroscale response is recovered through standard ho-mogenization procedure from Micromechanics and shows salient features of the uniaxial cyclic response of concrete that are not explicitly modeled at mesoscale.Comment: Computational Methods for Solids and Fluids, 41, Springer International Publishing, pp.123-160, 2016, Computational Methods in Applied Sciences, 978-3-319-27994-

Redundant roles of the phosphatidate phosphatase family in triacylglycerol synthesis in human adipocytes.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: In mammals, the evolutionary conserved family of Mg(2+)-dependent phosphatidate phosphatases (PAP1), involved in phospholipid and triacylglycerol synthesis, consists of lipin-1, lipin-2 and lipin-3. While mutations in the murine Lpin1 gene cause lipodystrophy and its knockdown in mouse 3T3-L1 cells impairs adipogenesis, deleterious mutations of human LPIN1 do not affect adipose tissue distribution. However, reduced LPIN1 and PAP1 activity has been described in participants with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to characterise the roles of all lipin family members in human adipose tissue and adipogenesis. METHODS: The expression of the lipin family was analysed in adipose tissue in a cross-sectional study. Moreover, the effects of lipin small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated depletion on in vitro human adipogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: Adipose tissue gene expression of the lipin family is altered in type 2 diabetes. Depletion of every lipin family member in a human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (SGBS) pre-adipocyte cell line, alters expression levels of adipogenic transcription factors and lipid biosynthesis genes in early stages of differentiation. Lipin-1 knockdown alone causes a 95% depletion of PAP1 activity. Despite the reduced PAP1 activity and alterations in early adipogenesis, lipin-silenced cells differentiate and accumulate neutral lipids. Even combinatorial knockdown of lipins shows mild effects on triacylglycerol accumulation in mature adipocytes. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Overall, our data support the hypothesis of alternative pathways for triacylglycerol synthesis in human adipocytes under conditions of repressed lipin expression. We propose that induction of alternative lipid phosphate phosphatases, along with the inhibition of lipid hydrolysis, contributes to the maintenance of triacylglycerol content to near normal levels.This study was supported by research grants from the ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness) (PI10/00967 and CP11/0 0021 to MM); the R. Barri Private Foundation (PV12142S to MM); the Medical Research Council (G0701446 to SS); and National Institutes of Health Grant (GM028140 to GMC). CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas asociadas (CB07708/0012) is an initiative of the ISCIII. MM acknowledges support from the ‘Miguel Servet’ tenure track programme (CP11/00021), from the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and supported by a Salvador de Madariaga Mobility fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Education (PR2011-0584). AT is the recipient of a FI-DGR fellowship (9015-97318/2012) from the Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR)This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently under an indefinite embargo pending publication by Springer

Epigenetic modifiers as potential therapeutic targets in diabetic kidney disease

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the fastest growing causes of death worldwide. Epigenetic regulators control gene expression and are potential therapeutic targets. There is functional interventional evidence for a role of DNA methylation and the histone post-translational modifications—histone methylation, acetylation and crotonylation—in the pathogenesis of kidney disease, including diabetic kidney disease. Readers of epigenetic marks, such as bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) proteins, are also therapeutic targets. Thus, the BD2 selective BET inhibitor apabetalone was the first epigenetic regulator to undergo phase-3 clinical trials in diabetic kidney disease with an endpoint of kidney function. The direct therapeutic modulation of epigenetic features is possible through pharmacological modulators of the specific enzymes involved and through the therapeutic use of the required substrates. Of further interest is the characterization of potential indirect effects of nephroprotective drugs on epigenetic regulation. Thus, SGLT2 inhibitors increase the circulating and tissue levels of β-hydroxybutyrate, a molecule that generates a specific histone modification, β-hydroxybutyrylation, which has been associated with the beneficial health effects of fasting. To what extent this impact on epigenetic regulation may underlie or contribute to the so-far unclear molecular mechanisms of cardio-and nephroprotection offered by SGLT2 inhibitors merits further in-depth studies.This research was funded by FIS/FEDER funds (PI15/00298, CP14/00133, PI16/01900, PI18/01386, PI18/0133, PI19/00588, PI19/00815, DTS18/00032, ERA-PerMed-JTC2018 (KIDNEY ATTACK AC18/00064 and PERSTIGAN AC18/00071), ISCIII-RETIC REDinREN RD016/0009), Sociedad Española de Nefrología, FRIAT, Comunidad de Madrid en Biomedicina B2017/BMD- 3686 CIFRA2-CM. Salary support: ISCIII Miguel Servet to ABS and MDS-N, ISCIII Sara Borrell to JM-MM, REDinREN RD016/0009 to MF-B, and MICIU to JG-M

CryoSIM: super-resolution 3D structured illumination cryogenic fluorescence microscopy for correlated ultrastructural imaging

Rapid cryopreservation of biological specimens is the gold standard for visualizing cellular structures in their true structural context. However, current commercial cryo-fluorescence microscopes are limited to low resolutions. To fill this gap, we have developed cryoSIM, a microscope for 3D super-resolution fluorescence cryo-imaging for correlation with cryo-electron microscopy or cryo-soft X-ray tomography. We provide the full instructions for replicating the instrument mostly from off-the-shelf components and accessible, user-friendly, open-source Python control software. Therefore, cryoSIM democratizes the ability to detect molecules using super-resolution fluorescence imaging of cryopreserved specimens for correlation with their cellular ultrastructure.Funding: Wellcome Trust (091911/Z/11/Z, 096144/Z/11/Z, 105605/Z/14/Z, 107457/Z/15/Z, 203141/Z/16/Z, 209412/Z/17/Z); H2020Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (700184)

Topo-Iberia Project: CGPS crustal velocity field in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco

A new continuous GPS network was installed under the umbrella of a research project called 'Geociencias en Iberia: Estudios integrados de topografı´a y evolución 4D (Topo-Iberia)', to improve understanding of kinematic behavior of the Iberian Peninsula region. Here we present a velocity field based on the analysis of the 4 years of data from 25 stations constituting the network, which were analyzed by three different analysis groups contributing to the project. Different geodetic software packages (GIPSY-OASIS, Bernese and GAMIT) as well as different approaches were used to estimate rates of present day crustal deformation in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco. In order to ensure the consistency of the velocity fields determined by the three groups, the velocities obtained by each analysis center were transformed into a common Eurasia Reference Frame. After that, the strain rate field was calculated. The results put in evidence more prominent residual motions in Morocco and southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula. In particular, the dilatation and shear strain rates reach their maximum values in the Central Betics and northern Alboran Sea. A small region of high shear strain rate is observed in the east-central part of the peninsula and another deformation focus is located around the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz

Describing Complexity in Palliative Home Care Through HexCom : A Cross-Sectional, Multicenter Study

Complexity has become a core issue in caring for patients with advanced disease and/or at the end-of-life. The Hexagon of Complexity (HexCom) is a complexity assessment model in the process of validation in health-care settings. Our objective is to use the instrument to describe differences in complexity across disease groups in specific home care for advanced disease and/or at the end-of-life patients, both in general and as relates to each domain and subdomain. Cross-sectional study of home care was conducted in Catalonia. The instrument includes 6 domains of needs (clinical, psychological/emotional, social/family, spiritual, ethical, and death-related), 4 domains of resources (intrapersonal, interpersonal, transpersonal, and practical), and 3 levels of complexity (High (H), Moderate (M), and Low (L)). Interdisciplinary home care teams assessed and agreed on the level of complexity for each patient. Forty-three teams participated (74.1% of those invited). A total of 832 patients were assessed, 61.4% of which were cancer patients. Moderate complexity was observed in 385 (47.0%) cases and high complexity in 347 (42.4%). The median complexity score was 51 for cancer patients and 23 for patients with dementia (p<0.001). We observed the highest level of complexity in the social/family domain. Patients/families most frequently used interpersonal resources (80.5%). This study sheds light on the high-intensity work of support teams, the importance of the social/family domain and planning the place of death, substantial differences in needs and resources across disease groups, and the importance of relationship wellbeing at the end-of-life