Biogeochemistry of carbon in the Amazonian Floodplains over a 2000-km reach: insights from a process-based model.

The influence of Amazonian floodplains on the hydrological, sedimentary, and biogeochemical river budget was investigated over a 2000-km reach. A process-based model relying on the closure of chemical fluxes and isotopic signals was implemented. On average for the whole studied reach, the overall fluxes of carbon associated with mineralization and aquatic photosynthesis were estimated to 35.7 and 15.3 Tg C yr21, respectively. Almost 57% of the carbon sequestrated by photosynthesis comes from aerial sources (flooded forest); the remaining 43% resulted from aquatic sources (va´rzea grasses and phytoplankton). The process rates substantially fluctuate over the annual cycle, depending particularly on the extension of flooded area and on the river?floodplain connectivity. As the river level declines, the drastic decrease of turbidity and the lower supply of carbon substrates promote autotrophy to the detriment of heterotrophy, leading to substantial changes of pH and gaseous equilibria in the river water. The main consequences are (i) the side-chain oxidation of dissolved organic matter leading to the concomitant rises of the carbon to nitrogen atomic ratio and nitrate contents and (ii) the sorption of hydrophobic humic acids, which fractionate 13C and thus lead to 13C-depleted particulate organic matter (fine fraction) compared to remaining dissolved organic matter. As the river flow rises, the heterotrophy prevails over autotrophy and this tends to attenuate the chemical signature imprinted by the latter. The significant contribution of aerial autochthonous sources to the budget of carbon indicates that the fluxes of mineralization are sustained by the net primary production of river corridors. The variable extension of submerged areas defines the proportions of CO2 exported by the river and released to the atmosphere. The rate of CO2 outgassing on the studied reach (18.8 Tg C yr21) represents about 50% of the incoming dissolved inorganic carbon flux. The rate of methane emission is estimated as 2.2 Tg C yr21 and that of denitrification is estimated as 0.87 Tg N yr21, representing 1.5 times the flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) exported by the Amazon River at the station of O ´ bidos (0.64 Tg N yr21)

Determinación de la curva tensión-deformación en madera de ‘Pinus sylvestris’ L. para la simulación numérica de vigas de madera libre de defectos

The objective of this paper is to develop a twodimensional numerical model to simulate the response of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) defect free timber members in order to predict the behaviour of these members when subjected to external forces. For this purpose, data of the mechanical properties of Scots pine were obtained by performing experimental tests on specimens. We determined the stresses and deformations of timber beams in the elastic-plastic and plastic phases. In addition, we developed a finite element software that considered the orthotropic nature of timber, the non-linearity of the compression-reduction branch and the differing moduli of elasticity in tension and compression for Scots pine beams free from defects. The software developed simulates an experimental four point bending test according to UNE-EN 408 Standard.El objetivo de este trabajo es el desarrollo de un modelo numérico bidimensional de piezas de madera de Pinus sylvestris L. libre de defectos que prediga su comportamiento frente a solicitaciones externas. Para su desarrollo, fue necesario realizar ensayos experimentales sobre probetas de pequeño tamaño con el fin de obtener los datos de las propiedades mecánicas para el Pinus sylvestris L. de procedencia española. A partir de los datos experimentales obtenidos, se desarrolla un programa de elementos finitos que considera la ortotropía de la madera, la no linealidad de la rama compresión-acortamiento y los distintos módulos de elasticidad a tracción y a compresión para vigas libres de defectos. El programa simula el ensayo experimental de flexión en cuatro puntos según la Norma UNE-EN 408 y aborda la determinación de las tensiones y deformaciones de las vigas de madera en las tres fases de comportamiento: elástica, elastoplástica y plástica

Long-term augmentation therapy with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin in an MZ-AAT severe persistent asthma

A young Caucasian female with severe bronchial asthma and Alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, MZ phenotype, experienced a quick and severe limitation of her physical capacity, which negatively affected her psychological state and social life, though she was under a strong antiasthmatic treatment. Given her declining health status and the significant chronic corticoid administration- related side-effects (including high reduction of muscle mass and bone density), a clinical trial with commercial intravenous AAT was proposed by the patient’s doctors, and accepted by the Spanish Ministry of Health, although it this therapy was not approved for MZ phenotypes yet. This new therapy quickly stopped lung function decline rate, dramatically reduced the number of hospital admissions of the patient, suppressed the oral administration of prednisone, reversed the corticosteroid-related health adverse effects, significantly improving her quality of life. Thus, although AAT replacement therapy is not approved nor indicated for the treatment of bronchial asthma in MZ patients, its favourable effects observed in this isolated case support the hypothesis that bronchial asthma could be due to pathogenic mechanisms related to a protease- antiprotease imbalance, what which could open new perspectives for future research on the field

Caracterización y potencial aplicación industrial de extractos enzimáticos de pacú (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

Fish production can generate considerable amounts of waste, whose inadequate final disposition could cause environmental damage. The use of these wastes to obtain high value-added products of industrial relevance is an alternative for sustainable aquaculture production. In this study, acidic extracts rich in pepsin-like enzymes (EP) and alkaline extracts rich in trypsin-like enzymes (ET) were obtained and characterized from the viscera of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus), evaluating their potential biotechnological applications. EP and ET showed maximum catalytic activity at pH 2 - 45°C and pH 7 - 45°C, respectively. They were stable in pH ranges of 1.0 to 3.5 and 7.5 to 10.5 and temperature ranges of 0 to 37°C and 0 to 45°C, respectively. The activity of EP was inhibited by pepstatin A, but not by PMSF and SBTI. EDTA and SDS caused partial inhibition, confirming the presence of pepsin-like enzymes. ET was inactivated in the presence of SBTI but not by SDS. PMSF and EDTA decreased the activity by 50%, confirming the presence of trypsin-like enzymes. Divalent ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) did not alter the proteolytic capacity of the extracts, but it decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. Moreover, ET and EP were effective in hydrolyzing the silver-impregnated gelatin coating of discarded x-ray films and generating F(ab’)2 fragments from equine IgG degradation, respectively. In conclusion, these extracts could be applicable in processes requiring maximum activity at moderate temperatures and low NaCl concentrations, in the recovery of metallic silver and PET sheet from used x-ray films and in the production of biological products. These results open up new perspectives for the circular economy of pacú aquaculture farms.La producción pesquera puede generar cantidades considerables de residuos cuya disposición final inadecuada puede causar daños ambientales. La utilización de estos desechos para la obtención de productos con alto valor agregado y de interés industrial, es una alternativa para la producción acuícola sostenible. En este trabajo se obtuvieron y caracterizaron extractos ácidos ricos en enzimas tipo pepsina (EP) y alcalinos ricos en enzimas tipo tripsina (ET) a partir de vísceras de pacú (Piaractus mesopotamicus) evaluando sus potenciales aplicaciones biotecnológicas. EP y ET exhibieron máxima actividad catalítica a pH 2 - 45°C y pH 7 - 45°C; mostraron ser estables en los rangos de pH 1,0 a 3,5 y 7,5 a 10,5 y de temperatura 0 a 37°C y 0 a 45°C, respectivamente. La actividad de EP fue inhibida por pepstatina A pero no por PMSF y SBTI; EDTA y SDS provocaron inhibición parcial, confirmando la presencia de enzimas de tipo pepsina. ET se inactivó en presencia de SBTI pero no por SDS; PMSF y EDTA disminuyeron en un 50% su actividad, confirmando la existencia de enzimas tipo tripsina. Los iones divalentes (Ca2+ y Mg2+) no modificaron la capacidad proteolítica de los extractos, en cambio se redujo a concentraciones crecientes de NaCl. Por otra parte, ET y EP fueron eficaces para hidrolizar el recubrimiento de gelatina impregnado con plata de placas radiográficas usadas y generar fragmentos F(ab’)2 a partir de la degradación de IgG equinas, respectivamente. En conclusión, estos extractos podrían ser aplicables en procesos donde se requiera máxima actividad a temperatura moderada y baja concentración de NaCl; en la recuperación de plata metálica y celuloide de placas radiográficas reveladas como así también la obtención de productos biológicos. Estos resultados abren nuevas perspectivas para la economía circular de las explotaciones acuícolas del pacú

Tool wear monitoring using neuro-fuzzy techniques: a comparative study in a turning process

Tool wear detection is a key issue for tool condition monitoring. The maximization of useful tool life is frequently related with the optimization of machining processes. This paper presents two model-based approaches for tool wear monitoring on the basis of neuro-fuzzy techniques. The use of a neuro-fuzzy hybridization to design a tool wear monitoring system is aiming at exploiting the synergy of neural networks and fuzzy logic, by combining human reasoning with learning and connectionist structure. The turning process that is a well-known machining process is selected for this case study. A four-input (i.e., time, cutting forces, vibrations and acoustic emissions signals) single-output (tool wear rate) model is designed and implemented on the basis of three neuro-fuzzy approaches (inductive, transductive and evolving neuro-fuzzy systems). The tool wear model is then used for monitoring the turning process. The comparative study demonstrates that the transductive neuro-fuzzy model provides better error-based performance indices for detecting tool wear than the inductive neuro-fuzzy model and than the evolving neuro-fuzzy model

Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars: Results From The Initial Detector Era

We present the results of searches for gravitational waves from a large selection of pulsars using data from the most recent science runs (S6, VSR2 and VSR4) of the initial generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory) and Virgo. We do not see evidence for gravitational wave emission from any of the targeted sources but produce upper limits on the emission amplitude. We highlight the results from seven young pulsars with large spin-down luminosities. We reach within a factor of five of the canonical spin-down limit for all seven of these, whilst for the Crab and Vela pulsars we further surpass their spin-down limits. We present new or updated limits for 172 other pulsars (including both young and millisecond pulsars). Now that the detectors are undergoing major upgrades, and, for completeness, we bring together all of the most up-to-date results from all pulsars searched for during the operations of the first-generation LIGO, Virgo and GEO600 detectors. This gives a total of 195 pulsars including the most recent results described in this paper.United States National Science FoundationScience and Technology Facilities Council of the United KingdomMax-Planck-SocietyState of Niedersachsen/GermanyAustralian Research CouncilInternational Science Linkages program of the Commonwealth of AustraliaCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research of IndiaIstituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare of ItalySpanish Ministerio de Economia y CompetitividadConselleria d'Economia Hisenda i Innovacio of the Govern de les Illes BalearsNetherlands Organisation for Scientific ResearchPolish Ministry of Science and Higher EducationFOCUS Programme of Foundation for Polish ScienceRoyal SocietyScottish Funding CouncilScottish Universities Physics AllianceNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOTKA of HungaryLyon Institute of Origins (LIO)National Research Foundation of KoreaIndustry CanadaProvince of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development and InnovationNational Science and Engineering Research Council CanadaCarnegie TrustLeverhulme TrustDavid and Lucile Packard FoundationResearch CorporationAlfred P. Sloan FoundationAstronom