State-space modelling of the drivers of movement behaviour in sympatric species

Understanding animal movement behaviour is key to furthering our knowledge on intra- and inter-specific competition, group cohesion, energy expenditure, habitat use, the spread of zoonotic diseases or species management. We used a radial basis function surface approximation subject to minimum description length constraint to uncover the state-space dynamical systems from time series data. This approximation allowed us to infer structure from a mathematical model of the movement behaviour of sheep and red deer, and the effect of density, thermal stress and vegetation type. Animal movement was recorded using GPS collars deployed in sheep and deer grazing a large experimental plot in winter and summer. Information on the thermal stress to which animals were exposed was estimated using the power consumption of mechanical heated models and meteorological records of a network of stations in the plot. Thermal stress was higher in deer than in sheep, with less differences between species in summer. Deer travelled more distance than sheep, and both species travelled more in summer than in winter; deer travel distance showed less seasonal differences than sheep. Animal movement was better predicted in deer than in sheep and in winter than in summer; both species showed a swarming behaviour in group cohesion, stronger in deer. At shorter separation distances swarming repulsion was stronger between species than within species. At longer separation distances inter-specific attraction was weaker than intra-specific; there was a positive density-dependent effect on swarming, and stronger in deer than in sheep. There was not clear evidence which species attracted or repelled the other; attraction between deer at long separation distances was stronger when the model accounted for thermal stress, but in general the dynamic movement behaviour was hardly affected by the thermal stress. Vegetation type affected intra-species interactions but had little effect on inter-species interactions. Our modelling approach is useful in interpreting animal interactions, in order to unravel complex cooperative or competitive behaviours, and to the best of our knowledge is the first modelling attempt to make predictions of multi-species animal movement under different habitat mosaics and abiotic environmental conditions

Covalent Cross-Linking of 2H-MoS2 Nanosheets

The combination of 2D materials opens a wide range of possibilities to create new-generation structures with multiple applications. Covalently cross-linked approaches are a ground-breaking strategy for the formation of homo or heterostructures made by design. However, the covalent assembly of transition metal dichalcogenides flakes is relatively underexplored. Here, a simple covalent cross-linking method to build 2H-MoS2–MoS2 homostructures is described, using commercially available bismaleimides. These assemblies are mainly connected vertically, basal plane to basal plane, creating specific molecular sized spaces between MoS2 sheets. Therefore, this straightforward approach gives access to the controlled connection of sulfide-based 2D materials

Pretensado y comportamiento mecánico del pericardio de ternera utilizado en la construcción de bioprótesis cardíacas

Este trabajo analiza las propiedades mecánicas de un tejido biológico, pericardio de bovino empleado como biomaterial en la fabricación de bioprótesis cardíacas. Para ello se sometió pericardio de ternera a un estrés de tracción, uniaxial, en escalones de carga, con retirada de dicha carga tras cada escalón. Los escalones de carga fueron de aproximadamente 2,3 y 8 MPa sucesivamente, continuándose finalmente el ensayo hasta la rotura. Se ensayaron 32 muestras, 16 tratadas con glutaraldehído como grupo de control y 16 tratadas con cloroformo/metanol. La resistencia media a rotura estuvo entre 19.14 MPa y 32.60 MPa sin encontrar diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la comparación de las series ensayadas. Se estudio también el estrés remanente tras cada escalón de carga, siendo este constante en su valor para cada ensayo. Para un valor medio de estrés inicial de 2.14 MPa, el estrés remanente medio fue de 0.36 MPa (16.82 % del estrés inicial) muy similar al estrés máximo de trabajo descrito para un velo valvular. La aplicación de un estrés progresivo produce una disminución de la deformación con pérdida de la elasticidad ,pero un comportamiento mas homogéneo del pericardio. Este hallazgo no se afectó, por la región de pericardio de donde se obtuvo la muestra o por tratamiento químico recibido. Estos ensayos permiten, mediante una recta de regresión Xi=f(Ymax.),conocer la deformación (Xi) que puede sufrir el pericardio de ternera, tras un estrés de pretensado previo (Ymax.), cuando posteriormente se le somete a un estrés.Peer Reviewe

Dielectrophoretic assembly of liquid-phase-exfoliated TiS3 nanoribbons for photodetecting applications

Liquid-phase exfoliation is a technique capable of producing large quantities of two-dimensional materials in suspension. Despite many efforts in the optimization of the exfoliation process itself, not much has been done towards the integration of liquid-phase-exfoliated materials in working solid-state devices. In this article, we use dielectrophoresis to direct the assembly of liquid-phase-exfoliated TiS3 nanoribbons between two gold electrodes to produce photodetectors working in the visible region. Through electrical and optical measurements we characterize the responsivity of the device and we find values as large as 3.8 mA W-1, which are more than one order of magnitude higher compared to state-of-the-art devices based on liquid-phase-exfoliated two-dimensional materials assembled by drop-casting or ink-jet methods

Factibilidad y resultados de un programa de rehabilitación cardiaca intensiva. Perspectiva del estudio aleatorizado MxM (Más por Menos)

Introducción y objetivos Los programas de rehabilitación cardiaca (PRC) engloban intervenciones encaminadas a mejorar el pronóstico de la enfermedad cardiovascular influyendo en la condición física, mental y social de los pacientes, pero no se conoce su duración óptima. Nuestro objetivo es comparar los resultados de un PRC estándar frente a otro intensivo más breve tras un síndrome coronario agudo, mediante el estudio Más por Menos. Métodos Diseño prospectivo, aleatorizado, abierto, enmascarado a los evaluadores de eventos y multicéntrico (PROBE). Se aleatorizó a los pacientes al PRC estándar de 8 semanas u otro intensivo de 2 semanas con sesiones de refuerzo. Se realizó una visita final 12 meses después, tras la finalización del programa. Se evaluó: adherencia a la dieta, esfera psicológica, hábito tabáquico, tratamiento farmacológico, capacidad funcional, calidad de vida, parámetros cardiometabólicos y antropométricos, eventos cardiovasculares y mortalidad por cualquier causa durante el seguimiento. Resultados Se analizó a 497 pacientes (media de edad, 57, 8 ± 10, 0 años; el 87, 3% varones; programa intensivo, n = 262; estándar, n = 235). Las características basales de ambos grupos eran similares. Al año, más del 93% había mejorado en al menos 1 MET el resultado de la ergometría. Además, la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y la calidad de vida mejoraron significativamente con el PRC, sin diferencias significativas entre grupos. Los eventos cardiovasculares ocurrieron de manera similar en ambos grupos. Conclusiones La PRC intensiva podría ser tan efectiva como la PRC estándar en lograr la adherencia a las medidas de prevención secundaria y ser una alternativa para algunos pacientes y centros. Introduction and objectives: Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) are a set of interventions to improve the prognosis of cardiovascular disease by influencing patients’ physical, mental, and social conditions. However, there are no studies evaluating the optimal duration of these programs. We aimed to compare the results of a standard vs a brief intensive CRP in patients after ST-segment elevation and non–ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome through the Más por Menos study (More Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs in Less Time). Methods: In this prospective, randomized, open, evaluator-blind for end-point, and multicenter trial (PROBE design), patients were randomly allocated to either standard 8-week CRP or intensive 2-week CRP with booster sessions. A final visit was performed 12 months later, after completion of the program. We assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet, psychological status, smoking, drug therapy, functional capacity, quality of life, cardiometabolic and anthropometric parameters, cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality during follow-up. Results: A total of 497 patients (mean age, 57.8 ± 10.0 years; 87.3% men) were finally assessed (intensive: n = 262; standard: n = 235). Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. At 12 months, the results of treadmill ergometry improved by = 1 MET in = 93% of the patients. In addition, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and quality of life were significantly improved by CRP, with no significant differences between the groups. The occurrence of cardiovascular events was similar in the 2 groups. Conclusions: Intensive CRP could be as effective as standard CRP in achieving adherence to recommended secondary prevention measures after acute coronary syndrome and could be an alternative for some patients and centers. Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02619422)

Low-diffusion Xe-He gas mixtures for rare-event detection: electroluminescence yield

High pressure xenon Time Projection Chambers (TPC) based on secondary scintillation (electroluminescence) signal amplification are being proposed for rare event detection such as directional dark matter, double electron capture and double beta decay detection. The discrimination of the rare event through the topological signature of primary ionisation trails is a major asset for this type of TPC when compared to single liquid or double-phase TPCs, limited mainly by the high electron diffusion in pure xenon. Helium admixtures with xenon can be an attractive solution to reduce the electron diffu- sion significantly, improving the discrimination efficiency of these optical TPCs. We have measured the electroluminescence (EL) yield of Xe–He mixtures, in the range of 0 to 30% He and demonstrated the small impact on the EL yield of the addition of helium to pure xenon. For a typical reduced electric field of 2.5 kV/cm/bar in the EL region, the EL yield is lowered by ∼ 2%, 3%, 6% and 10% for 10%, 15%, 20% and 30% of helium concentration, respectively. This decrease is less than what has been obtained from the most recent simulation framework in the literature. The impact of the addition of helium on EL statistical fluctuations is negligible, within the experimental uncertainties. The present results are an important benchmark for the simulation tools to be applied to future optical TPCs based on Xe-He mixtures. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]