Probing RG flows, symmetry resolution and quench dynamics through the capacity of entanglement

We compare the capacity of entanglement with the entanglement entropy by considering various aspects of these quantities for free bosonic and fermionic models in one spatial dimension, both in the continuum and on the lattice. Substantial differences are observed in the subleading terms of these entanglement quantifiers when the subsystem is made by two disjoint intervals, in the massive scalar field and in the fermionic chain. We define $c$-functions based on the capacity of entanglement similar to the one based on the entanglement entropy, showing through a numerical analysis that they display a monotonic behaviour under the renormalisation group flow generated by the mass. The capacity of entanglement and its related quantities are employed to explore the symmetry resolution. The temporal evolutions of the capacity of entanglement and of the corresponding contour function after a global quench are also discussed.Comment: 63 pages, 12 figure

Scenedesmus incrassatulus CLHE-Si01: A potential source of renewable lipd for high quality biodiesel production

The potential of microalgal oil from Scenedesmus incrassatulus as a feedstock for biodiesel production was studied. Cell concentration of S. incrassatulus and lipid content obtained during mixotrophic growth were 1.8 g/L and 19.5 ? 1.5% dry cell weight, respectively. The major components of biodiesel obtained from S.incrassatulus oil were methyl palmitate (26%) and methyl linoleate (49%), which provided a strong indication of high quality biodiesel. Fuel properties were determined by empirical equations and found to be within the limits of biodiesel standard ASTM D6751 and EN 14214. The quality properties of the biodiesel were high cetane number (62), low density (803 kg/m3), low viscosity (3.78 mm2/s), oxidation stability (9 h) and cold filter plugging point (-4 ?C). Hence, S. incrassatulus has potential as a feedstock for the production of excellent quality biodiesel

(+)-Catharanthine and (-)-18-methoxycoronaridine induce antidepressant-like activity in mice by differently recruiting serotonergic and norepinephrinergic neurotransmission

The antidepressant-like activity of (+)-catharanthine and (-)-18-methoxycoronaridine [(-)-18-MC] was studied in male and female mice using forced swim (FST) and tail suspension tests (TST). The underlying molecular mechanism was assessed by electrophysiological, radioligand, and functional experiments. The FST results showed that acute administration (40 mg/kg) of (+)-catharanthine or (-)-18-MC induces similar antidepressant-like activity in male and female mice at 1 h and 24 h, whereas the TST results showed a lower effect for (-)-18-MC at 24 h. Repeated treatment at lower dose (20 mg/kg) augmented the efficacy of both congeners. The FST results showed that (-)-18-MC reduces immobility and increases swimming times without changing climbing behavior, whereas (+)-catharanthine reduces immobility time, increases swimming times more markedly, and increases climbing behavior. To investigate the contribution of the serotonin and norepinephrine transporters in the antidepressant effects of (+)-catharanthine and (-)-18-MC, we conducted in vitro radioligand and functional studies. Results obtained demonstrated that (+)-catharanthine inhibits norepinephrine transporter with higher potency/affinity than that for (-)-18-MC, whereas both congeners inhibit serotonin transporter with similar potency/affinity. Moreover, whereas no congener activated/inhibited/potentiated the function of serotonin receptor 3A or serotonin receptor 3AB, both increased serotonin receptor 3A receptor desensitization. Depletion of serotonin decreased the antidepressant-like activity of both congeners, whereas norepinephrine depletion only decreased (+)-catharanthine’s activity. Our study shows that coronaridine congeners induce antidepressant-like activity in a dose- and time-dependent, and sex-independent, manner. The antidepressant-like property of both compounds involves serotonin transporter inhibition, without directly activating/inhibiting serotonin receptors 3, while (+)-catharanthine also mobilizes norepinephrinergic neurotransmission

Evaluation of manure management systems in Europe

The gross value of the agricultural goods in 2014 amounted up to 370 billion Euros. Almost 50% of all agricultural production is provided by livestock farming.Postprint (published version

Post-entry blockade of small ruminant lentiviruses by wild ruminants

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) infection causes losses in the small ruminant industry due to reduced animal production and increased replacement rates. Infection of wild ruminants in close contact with infected domestic animals has been proposed to play a role in SRLV epidemiology, but studies are limited and mostly involve hybrids between wild and domestic animals. In this study, SRLV seropositive red deer, roe deer and mouflon were detected through modified ELISA tests, but virus was not successfully amplified using a set of different PCRs. Apparent restriction of SRLV infection in cervids was not related to the presence of neutralizing antibodies. In vitro cultured skin fibroblastic cells from red deer and fallow deer were permissive to the SRLV entry and integration, but produced low quantities of virus. SRLV got rapidly adapted in vitro to blood-derived macrophages and skin fibroblastic cells from red deer but not from fallow deer. Thus, although direct detection of virus was not successfully achieved in vivo, these findings show the potential susceptibility of wild ruminants to SRLV infection in the case of red deer and, on the other hand, an in vivo SRLV restriction in fallow deer. Altogether these results may highlight the importance of surveilling and controlling SRLV infection in domestic as well as in wild ruminants sharing pasture areas, and may provide new natural tools to control SRLV spread in sheep and goats.Funded by CICYT (AGL2010-22341-C04-01 and AGL2013-49137-C3-1-R) and Navarra’s Government (IIQ010449.RI1 and IIQ14064.RI1). L. Sanjosé was a FPI fellow of the Spanish MINECO and R. Reina had contracts from the Public University of Navarra and CSIC. The auhors acknowledge support in the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

Flower Development as an Interplay between Dynamical Physical Fields and Genetic Networks

In this paper we propose a model to describe the mechanisms by which undifferentiated cells attain gene configurations underlying cell fate determination during morphogenesis. Despite the complicated mechanisms that surely intervene in this process, it is clear that the fundamental fact is that cells obtain spatial and temporal information that bias their destiny. Our main hypothesis assumes that there is at least one macroscopic field that breaks the symmetry of space at a given time. This field provides the information required for the process of cell differentiation to occur by being dynamically coupled to a signal transduction mechanism that, in turn, acts directly upon the gene regulatory network (GRN) underlying cell-fate decisions within cells. We illustrate and test our proposal with a GRN model grounded on experimental data for cell fate specification during organ formation in early Arabidopsis thaliana flower development. We show that our model is able to recover the multigene configurations characteristic of sepal, petal, stamen and carpel primordial cells arranged in concentric rings, in a similar pattern to that observed during actual floral organ determination. Such pattern is robust to alterations of the model parameters and simulated failures predict altered spatio-temporal patterns that mimic those described for several mutants. Furthermore, simulated alterations in the physical fields predict a pattern equivalent to that found in Lacandonia schismatica, the only flowering species with central stamens surrounded by carpels

Is adenomyosis the neglected phenotype of an endomyometrial dysfunction syndrome?

Since the dissociation between adenomyoma and endometriosis in the 1920s and the laparoscopic progress in the diagnosis and surgery of endometriosis, the literature has been greatly focused on the disease endometriosis. The study of adenomyosis, on the other hand, has been neglected as the diagnosis remained based on hysterectomy specimens. However, since the introduction of magnetic resonance and sonographic imaging techniques in the 1980s, the myometrial junctional zone has been identified as a third uterine zone and interest in adenomyosis was renewed. This has also been the start for the interest in the role of the myometrial junctional zone dysfunction and adenomyosis in reproductive and obstetrical disorders

Patterns of oral anticoagulant use and outcomes in Asian patients with atrial fibrillation:a post-hoc analysis from the GLORIA-AF Registry

Background: Previous studies suggested potential ethnic differences in the management and outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF). We aim to analyse oral anticoagulant (OAC) prescription, discontinuation, and risk of adverse outcomes in Asian patients with AF, using data from a global prospective cohort study. Methods: From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase II–III (November 2011–December 2014 for Phase II, and January 2014–December 2016 for Phase III), we analysed patients according to their self-reported ethnicity (Asian vs. non-Asian), as well as according to Asian subgroups (Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other Asian). Logistic regression was used to analyse OAC prescription, while the risk of OAC discontinuation and adverse outcomes were analysed through Cox-regression model. Our primary outcome was the composite of all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). The original studies were registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01468701, NCT01671007, and NCT01937377. Findings: 34,421 patients were included (70.0 ± 10.5 years, 45.1% females, 6900 (20.0%) Asian: 3829 (55.5%) Chinese, 814 (11.8%) Japanese, 1964 (28.5%) Korean and 293 (4.2%) other Asian). Most of the Asian patients were recruited in Asia (n = 6701, 97.1%), while non-Asian patients were mainly recruited in Europe (n = 15,449, 56.1%) and North America (n = 8378, 30.4%). Compared to non-Asian individuals, prescription of OAC and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) was lower in Asian patients (Odds Ratio [OR] and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 0.23 [0.22–0.25] and 0.66 [0.61–0.71], respectively), but higher in the Japanese subgroup. Asian ethnicity was also associated with higher risk of OAC discontinuation (Hazard Ratio [HR] and [95% CI]: 1.79 [1.67–1.92]), and lower risk of the primary composite outcome (HR [95% CI]: 0.86 [0.76–0.96]). Among the exploratory secondary outcomes, Asian ethnicity was associated with higher risks of thromboembolism and intracranial haemorrhage, and lower risk of major bleeding. Interpretation: Our results showed that Asian patients with AF showed suboptimal thromboembolic risk management and a specific risk profile of adverse outcomes; these differences may also reflect differences in country-specific factors. Ensuring integrated and appropriate treatment of these patients is crucial to improve their prognosis. Funding: The GLORIA-AF Registry was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH.</p

The Skeletal Organic Matrix from Mediterranean Coral Balanophyllia europaea Influences Calcium Carbonate Precipitation

Scleractinian coral skeletons are made mainly of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite. The mineral deposition occurs in a biological confined environment, but it is still a theme of discussion to what extent the calcification occurs under biological or environmental control. Hence, the shape, size and organization of skeletal crystals from the cellular level through the colony architecture, were attributed to factors as diverse as mineral supersaturation levels and organic mediation of crystal growth. The skeleton contains an intra-skeletal organic matrix (OM) of which only the water soluble component was chemically and physically characterized. In this work that OM from the skeleton of the Balanophyllia europaea, a solitary scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, is studied in vitro with the aim of understanding its role in the mineralization of calcium carbonate. Mineralization of calcium carbonate was conducted by overgrowth experiments on coral skeleton and in calcium chloride solutions containing different ratios of water soluble and/or insoluble OM and of magnesium ions. The precipitates were characterized by diffractometric, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that both soluble and insoluble OM components influence calcium carbonate precipitation and that the effect is enhanced by their co-presence. The role of magnesium ions is also affected by the presence of the OM components. Thus, in vitro, OM influences calcium carbonate crystal morphology, aggregation and polymorphism as a function of its composition and of the content of magnesium ions in the precipitation media. This research, although does not resolve the controversy between environmental or biological control on the deposition of calcium carbonate in corals, sheds a light on the role of OM, which appears mediated by the presence of magnesium ions