Valorization of Cistus ladanifer and Erica arborea shrubs for fuel: Wood and bark thermal characterization

As a form of upgraded biomass characterized by its high energy density, low production costs, and low process energy requirements, wood pellets are an environmentally friendly fuel allowing for carbon neutral heating with high energy efficiency. In this work, the suitability of a valorization of the woods from the two most representative shrub species from the Iberian Peninsula (namely Cistus ladanifer and Erica arborea) for heating has been assessed. Whereas Erica arborea met the requirements of ISO 17225-2:2014 for ENplus-B class (the calorific content for both wood and bark was high and not significantly different, and the ash content was permissible for specimens with branch diameter =2, 8 cm), Cistus ladanifer was in the limit of the normative and only met the requirements in terms of acceptable ash percentage (1, 9%) and heating value (19 kJ·g-1) for old specimens with branch diameters > 3, 4 cm. Consequently, while the harvest of E. arborea for its use as fuel does not need to be selective, that of C. ladanifer should be limited to the most robust specimens and foliage should be avoided

Mediterranean shrublands as carbon sinks for climate change mitigation: new root-to-shoot ratios

Shrublands play an important role in the reduction of atmospheric CO2 and contribute to the mitigation of the effects of climate change, due to their ability to act as carbon sinks and the large expanses of land involved. Two of the most representative shrub species in the Iberian Peninsula, Cistus ladanifer L. and Erica arborea L., were studied in terms of biomass distribution and carbon and nitrogen contents in the different fractions. With a view to fast and cost-effective estimation of radical biomass, a new procedure for easy root-to-shoot calculation based on vibrational data was proposed, resulting in an excellent agreement with the values obtained from conventional direct belowground and aerial biomass measurements: 0.23 for C. ladanifer and 0.54 for E. arborea. Carbon sequestration, estimated at 45 and 73 t CO2 eq·ha-1 for C. ladanifer and E. arborea, respectively, was subsequently determined. Since these values are substantially higher than those of other shrubs, these two key species can be deemed particularly promising for ecological restoration and carbon offsetting

Architecture of the ESCPE-1 membrane coat

Recycling of membrane proteins enables the reuse of receptors, ion channels and transporters. A key component of the recycling machinery is the endosomal sorting complex for promoting exit 1 (ESCPE-1), which rescues transmembrane proteins from the endolysosomal pathway for transport to the trans-Golgi network and the plasma membrane. This rescue entails the formation of recycling tubules through ESCPE-1 recruitment, cargo capture, coat assembly and membrane sculpting by mechanisms that remain largely unknown. Herein, we show that ESCPE-1 has a single-layer coat organization and suggest how synergistic interactions between ESCPE-1 protomers, phosphoinositides and cargo molecules result in a global arrangement of amphipathic helices to drive tubule formation. Our results thus define a key process of tubule-based endosomal sorting.This work was funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (PID2020- 119132GB-I00, CEX2021-001136-S) (to A.H.), the Intramural Program of NICHD, NIH (ZIA HD001607 to J.S.B.), the Swiss National Science Foundation grant 205321 179041 (to D.C.-D.), the Human Frontiers Science Program grant RGP0017/2020 (to D.C.-D.) and the PID2021- 127309NB-I00 funded by AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ FEDER, UE (to D.C.-D.). This study made use of the Diamond Light Source proposal MX20113, ALBA synchrotron beamline BL13-XALOC, the cryo-EM facilities at the UK Electron Bio-Imaging Centre, proposals EM17171- 6 and EM17171, and the Midlands Regional Cryo-EM Facility at the Leicester Institute of Structural and Chemical Biology (LISCB). We thank C. Savva (LISCB, University of Leicester) for his help in cryo-EM data collection. With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2021-001136-S

Long-term immune response accompanies clinical outcomes in severe asthmatics treated with anti-IL-5/IL-5R biologics

This work was supported by ISCIII - Instituto de Salud Carlos III, FIS (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria - Spanish Health Research Fund) grants PI21/00896 and FI19/00067; Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES); SEAIC grants 22A07; BASEAS STUDY (Basophils in EosinophilicAsthma) Study Code ESR-20-20764 AstraZeneca International; Comunidad de Madrid grant PEJ2021-AI_BMD-22320 and FEDER funds (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regiona

Search for New Physics with Jets and Missing Transverse Momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for new physics is presented based on an event signature of at least three jets accompanied by large missing transverse momentum, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns collected in proton--proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. No excess of events is observed above the expected standard model backgrounds, which are all estimated from the data. Exclusion limits are presented for the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Cross section limits are also presented using simplified models with new particles decaying to an undetected particle and one or two jets

“It ain’t (just) what you do, it’s (also) the way that you do it”: The role of Procedural Justice in the Implementation of Anti-social Behaviour Interventions with Young People

This paper provides an analysis of the introduction and implementation of hybrid powers to regulate anti-social behaviour, during a period of regulatory ‘hyperactivity’ in the UK. It explores the role of procedural justice by drawing on findings from a study conducted in England which investigated the implementation practices and experiences of young people and parents. These are considered against seven characteristics of procedural justice: voice; voluntariness; respectful treatment; parsimony; accuracy of information; fairness; and neutrality. The paper analyses the manner in which principles of voluntary cooperation can be corrupted by threats of punitive sanctions. It questions the extent to which the use of such hybrid orders fosters perceptions of legitimacy and supports the capacity of young people to avoid criminalisation

Variation in antiosteoporotic drug prescribing and spending across Spain. A population-based ecological cross-sectional study

Introduction: Evidence has shown that utilization of antiosteoporotic medications does not correspond with risk, and studies on other therapies have shown that adequacy of pharmaceutical prescribing might vary between regions. Nevertheless, very few studies have addressed the variability in osteoporotic drug consumption. We aimed to describe variations in pharmaceutical utilization and spending on osteoporotic drugs between Health Areas (HA) in Spain. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional ecological study of expenditure and utilization of the five therapeutic groups marketed for osteoporosis treatment in Spain in 2009. Small area variation analysis (SAVA) methods were used. The units of analysis were the 168 HA of 13 Spanish regions, including 7.2 million women aged 50 years and older. The main outcomes were the defined daily dose (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants and day (DDD/1000/Day) dispensed according to the pharmaceutical claims reimbursed, and the expenditure on antiosteoporotics at retail price per woman =50 years old and per year. Results: The average osteoporosis drug consumption was 116.8 DDD/1000W/Day, ranging from 78.5 to 158.7 DDD/1000W/Day between the HAs in the 5th and 95th percentiles. Seventy-five percent of the antiosteoporotics consumed was bisphosphonates, followed by raloxifene, strontium ranelate, calcitonins, and parathyroid hormones including teriparatide. Regarding variability by therapeutic groups, biphosphonates showed the lowest variation, while calcitonins and parathyroid hormones showed the highest variation. The annual expenditure on antiosteoporotics was €426.5 million, translating into an expenditure of €59.2 for each woman =50 years old and varying between €38.1 and €83.3 between HAs in the 5th and 95th percentiles. Biphosphonates, despite accounting for 79% of utilization, only represented 63% of total expenditure, while parathyroid hormones with only 1.6% of utilization accounted for 15% of the pharmaceutical spending. Conclusion: This study highlights a marked geographical variation in the prescription of antiosteoporotics, being more pronounced in the case of costly drugs such as parathyroid hormones. The differences in rates of prescribing explained almost all of the variance in drug spending, suggesting that the difference in prescription volume between territories, and not the price of the drugs, is the main source of variation in this setting. Data on geographical variation of prescription can help guide policy proposals for targeting areas with inadequate antiosteoporotic drug use