Spatiotemporal changes in aerosol properties by hygroscopic growth and impacts on radiative forcing and heating rates during DISCOVER-AQ 2011

This research has been supported by the H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (grant no. 778349), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RTI2018101154.A.I00), and by the Russian Science Foundation (project 2117-00114, entitled Development of lidar retrieval algorithms).This work focuses on the characterization of vertically resolved aerosol hygroscopicity properties and their direct radiative effects through a unique combination of ground-based and airborne remote sensing measurements during the Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER-AQ) 2011 field campaign in the Baltimore-Washington DC metropolitan area. To that end, we combined aerosol measurements from a multiwavelength Raman lidar located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the airborne NASA Langley High Spectral Resolution Lidar-1 (HSRL-1) lidar system. In situ measurements aboard the P-3B airplane and ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network - Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observational Network (AERONET-DRAGON) served to validate and complement quantifications of aerosol hygroscopicity from lidar measurements and also to extend the study both temporally and spatially. The focus here is on 22 and 29 July 2011, which were very humid days and characterized by a stable atmosphere and increasing relative humidity with height in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Combined lidar and radiosonde (temperature and water vapor mixing ratio) measurements allowed the retrieval of the Hanel hygroscopic growth factor which agreed with that obtained from airborne in situ measurements and also explained the significant increase of extinction and backscattering with height. Airborne measurements also confirmed aerosol hygroscopicity throughout the entire day in the PBL and identified sulfates and water-soluble organic carbon as the main species of aerosol particles. The combined Raman and HSRL-1 measurements permitted the inversion for aerosol microphysical properties revealing an increase of particle radius with altitude consistent with hygroscopic growth. Aerosol hygroscopicity pattern served as a possible explanation of aerosol optical depth increases during the day, particularly for fine-mode particles. Lidar measurements were used as input to the libRadtran radiative transfer code to obtain vertically resolved aerosol radiative effects and heating rates under dry and humid conditions, and the results reveal that aerosol hygroscopicity is responsible for larger cooling effects in the shortwave range (7-10 W m(-2) depending on aerosol load) near the ground, while heating rates produced a warming of 0.12 K d(-1) near the top of PBL where aerosol hygroscopic growth was highest.H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions 778349Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness RTI2018101154.A.I00Russian Science Foundation (RSF) 2117-0011

Finishing lambs using an integral feed under a restricted-feeding program in an intensive production system in Northern Mexico

The objective of this study was to compare the productive performance of finishing lambs using an integral diet under a restricted-feeding program. Ten Dorper lambs were assigned to two homogenous groups according to live weight and age under a complete randomised block design. Group 1 was fed a traditional diet commonly used by the producer and group 2 was fed an integral feed restricted to 75% of dry matter requirement of lambs. The evaluated variables were: dry matter intake, initial and final live weight, daily weight gain, feed efficiency and body growth expressed in height, body length, thoracic diameter, cane length and cane width. A partial cost analysis was carried out to evaluate the economic viability. Lambs fed with the integral feed had better feed efficiency, higher dry matter intake, daily weight gain, height, body length and thoracic diameter when compared with the lambs fed the traditional diet. The use of an integral feed under a restricted-feeding program reduced the cost of finishing lambs by 2.46 dollars per head and finishing length by 120 days. Overall, providing an integral feed under a restricted-feeding program is a viable alternative for improving finishing lambs under intensive conditions in the Northern Mexico

High cooperativity coupling to nuclear spins on a circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture

Nuclear spins are candidates to encode qubits or qudits due to their isolation from magnetic noise and potentially long coherence times. However, their weak coupling to external stimuli makes them hard to integrate into circuit quantum electrodynamics architectures, the leading technology for solid-state quantum processors. Here, we study the coupling of 173Yb(III) nuclear spin states in an [Yb(trensal)] molecule to superconducting cavities. Experiments have been performed on magnetically dilute single crystals placed on the inductors of lumped-element LC superconducting resonators with characteristic frequencies spanning the range of nuclear and electronic spin transitions. We achieve a high cooperative coupling to all electronic and most nuclear [173Yb(trensal)] spin transitions, a necessary ingredient for the implementation of qudit protocols with molecular spins using a hybrid architecture

Functional upgrading in China’s export processing sector

Functional upgrading occurs when a firm acquires more sophisticated functions within an existing value chain. In this paper, we analyze if there is evidence of this type of upgrading in China’s export processing regime by investigating dynamics in the relative prevalence of Import & Assembly (IA) versus Pure Assembly (PA) processing trade over the period 2000-2013. Firms in both regimes provide similar manufacturing services to foreign companies, but IA firms also conduct the sophisticated tasks of quality control, searching, financing and storing imported materials. Consistent with a trend of functional upgrading, we show that the share of IA trade in total processing trade has increased rapidly during the period 2000-2006, both overall and within product categories. Furthermore, we find that this trend has gone hand in hand with improvements in a sector’s labor productivity and unit values. Against expectations, we find that this process has slowed down notably during the period 2006-2013.status: publishe

Macroalgal-Associated Dinoflagellates Belonging to the Genus Symbiodinium in Caribbean Reefs

Coral-algal symbiosis has been a subject of great attention during the last two decades in response to global coral reef decline. However, the occurrence and dispersion of free-living dinoflagellates belonging to the genus Symbiodinium are less documented. Here ecological and molecular evidence is presented demonstrating the existence of demersal free-living Symbiodinium populations in Caribbean reefs and the possible role of the stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) as Symbiodinium spp. dispersers. Communities of free-living Symbiodinium were found within macroalgal beds consisting of Halimeda spp., Lobophora variegata, Amphiroa spp., Caulerpa spp. and Dictyota spp. Viable Symbiodinium spp. cells were isolated and cultured from macroalgal beds and S. viride feces. Further identification of Symbiodinium spp. type was determined by length variation in the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2, nuclear rDNA) and length variation in domain V of the chloroplast large subunit ribosomal DNA (cp23S-rDNA). Determination of free-living Symbiodinium and mechanisms of dispersal is important in understanding the life cycle of Symbiodinium spp

Activating Transcription Factor 4 Modulates TGFβ-Induced Aggressiveness in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer via SMAD2/3/4 and mTORC2 Signaling

Purpose: On the basis of the identified stress-independent cellular functions of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), we reported enhanced ATF4 levels in MCF10A cells treated with TGFβ1. ATF4 is overexpressed in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but its impact on patient survival and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We aimed to determine ATF4 effects on patients with breast cancer survival and TNBC aggressiveness, and the relationships between TGFβ and ATF4. Defining the signaling pathways may help us identify a cell signaling-tailored gene signature.Experimental Design: Patient survival data were determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Relationship between TGFβ and ATF4, their effects on aggressiveness (tumor proliferation, metastasis, and stemness), and the underlying pathways were analyzed in three TNBC cell lines and in vivo using patient-derived xenografts (PDX).Results: ATF4 overexpression correlated with TNBC patient survival decrease and a SMAD-dependent crosstalk between ATF4 and TGFβ was identified. ATF4 expression inhibition reduced migration, invasiveness, mammosphere-forming efficiency, proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and antiapoptotic and stemness marker levels. In PDX models, ATF4 silencing decreased metastases, tumor growth, and relapse after chemotherapy. ATF4 was shown to be active downstream of SMAD2/3/4 and mTORC2, regulating TGFβ/SMAD and mTOR/RAC1-RHOA pathways independently of stress. We defined an eight-gene signature with prognostic potential, altered in 45% of 2,509 patients with breast cancer.Conclusions: ATF4 may represent a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in patients with TNBC, and we identified a cell signaling pathway-based gene signature that may contribute to the development of combinatorial targeted therapies for breast cancer

From recommendation to action: psychosocial factors influencing physician intention to use Health Technology Assessment (HTA) recommendations

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the impact of recommendations based upon health technology assessment (HTA) represents a challenge for both HTA agencies and healthcare policy-makers. Using a psychosocial theoretical framework, this study aimed at exploring the factors affecting physician intention to adopt HTA recommendations. The selected recommendations were prioritisation systems for patients on waiting lists for two surgical procedures: hip and knee replacement and cataract surgery. METHODS: Determinants of physician intention to use HTA recommendations for patient prioritisation were assessed by a questionnaire based upon the Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour. A total of 96 physicians from two medical specialties (ophthalmology and orthopaedic surgery) responded to the questionnaire (response rate 44.2%). A multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to assess differences between medical specialties on the set of theoretical variables. Given the main effect difference between specialties, two regression models were tested separately to assess the psychosocial determinants of physician intention to use HTA recommendations for the prioritisation of patients on waiting lists for surgical procedures. RESULTS: Factors influencing physician intention to use HTA recommendations differ between groups of specialists. Intention to use the prioritisation system for patients on waiting lists for cataract surgery among ophthalmologists was related to attitude towards the behaviour, social norms, as well as personal normative beliefs. Intention to use HTA recommendations for patient prioritisation for hip and knee replacement among orthopaedic surgeons was explained by: perception of conditions that facilitated the realisation of the behaviour, personal normative beliefs, and habit of using HTA recommendations in clinical work. CONCLUSION: This study offers a model to assess factors influencing the intention to adopt recommendations from health technology assessment into professional practice. Results identify determinant factors that should be considered in the elaboration of strategies to support the implementation of evidence-based practice, with respect to emerging health technologies and modalities of practice. However, it is important to emphasise that behavioural determinants of evidence-based practice vary according to the specific technology considered. Evidence-based implementation of HTA recommendations, as well as other evidence-based practices, should build on a theoretical understanding of the complex forces that shape the practice of healthcare professionals

Diet quality index as a predictor of treatment efficacy in overweight and obese adolescents: The EVASYON study

Background & aim: A diet quality index (DQI) is a tool that provides an overall score of an individual''s dietary intake when assessing compliance with food-based dietary guidelines. A number of DQIs have emerged, albeit their associations with health-related outcomes are debated. The aim of the present study was to assess whether adherence to dietary intervention, and the overall quality of the diet, can predict body composition changes. Methods: To this purpose, overweight/obese adolescents (n = 117, aged: 13–16 years; 51 males, 66 females) were recruited into a multi-component (diet, physical activity and psychological support) family-based group treatment programme. We measured the adolescents’ compliance and body composition at baseline and after 2 months (intensive phase) and 13 months (extensive phase) of follow-up. Also, at baseline, after 6 months, and at the end of follow-up we calculated the DQI. Results: Global compliance with the dietary intervention was 37.4% during the intensive phase, and 14.3% during the extensive phase. Physical activity compliance was 94.1% at 2-months and 34.7% at 13months and psychological support compliance were growing over the intervention period (10.3% intensive phase and 45.3% during extensive phase). Adolescents complying with the meal frequency criteria at the end of the extensive phase had greater reductions in FMI z-scores than those did not complying (Cohen''s d = 0.53). A statistically significant association was observed with the diet quality index. DQI-A variation explained 98.1% of BMI z-score changes and 95.1% of FMI changes. Conclusions: We conclude that assessment of changes in diet quality could be a useful tool in predicting body composition changes in obese adolescents involved in a diet and physical activity intervention programme backed-up by psychological and family support