Improved meteorology and surface fluxes in mesoscale modelling using adjusted initial vertical soil moisture profiles

The Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is being used for different and diverse purposes, ranging from atmospheric and dispersion of pollutants forecasting to agricultural meteorology and ecological modelling as well as for hydrological purposes, among others. The current paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the RAMS forecasts, comparing the results not only with observed standard surface meteorological variables, measured at FLUXNET stations and other portable and permanent weather stations located over the region of study, but also with non-standard observed variables, such as the surface energy fluxes, with the aim of evaluating the surface energy budget and its relation with a proper representation of standard observations and key physical processes for a wide range of applications. In this regard, RAMS is assessed against in-situ surface observations during a selected period within July 2011 over Eastern Spain. In addition, the simulation results are also compared with different surface remote sensing data derived from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) (MSG-SEVIRI) as well as the uncoupled Land Surface Models (LSM) Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). Both datasets complement the available in-situ observations and are used in the current study as the reference or ground truth when no observations are available on a selected location. Several sensitivity tests have been performed involving the initial soil moisture content, by adjusting this parameter in the vertical soil profile ranging from the most superficial soil layers to those located deeper underground. A refined adjustment of this parameter in the initialization of the model has shown to better represent the observed surface energy fluxes. The results obtained also show an improvement in the model forecasts found in previous studies in relation to standard observations, such as the air temperature and the moisture fields. Therefore, the application of a drier or wetter soil in distinct soil layers within the whole vertical soil profile has been found to be crucial in order to produce a better agreement between the simulation and the observations, thus reiterating the determining role of the initial soil moisture field in mesoscale modelling, but in this case considering the variation of this parameter vertically

Motivar el aprendizaje utilizando nuevas tecnologías: Monitorización continua de glucosa

La innovación pretende: motivar, cambiar “el saber por saber hacer”, “fomentar el uso de nuevas tecnologías”, etc. Creemos que este proyecto abarca todo lo expuesto. La diabetes es la enfermedad endocrina más prevalente y la 7ª causa de muerte en el mundo. Los monitores continuos de glucosa son de gran ayuda para controlar la glucemia y reducir el riesgo de patología diabética. Hemos aprovechado esta idea para motivar a los estudiantes, e involucrarlos en esta propuesta de Flipped learning que nos ha llevado a elaborar un vídeo titulado “Monitorización continua de la glucemia”, en el que ellos mismos explican el funcionamiento y utilidad de este avance tecnológico. Con este proyecto hemos logrado: a) que constataran la importancia del páncreas en el control de la glucemia (al comparar los resultados obtenidos en estudiantes sanos con los de pacientes diabéticos); b) fomentar el uso de nuevas tecnologías; c) motivar y favorecer el aprendizaje autónomo y colaborativo; d) hacerlos protagonistas del vídeo y responsables de trasladar lo aprendido a sus compañeros; e) crear un material docente de calidad, útil para estudiantes, profesionales de Ciencias de la Salud y pacientes diabéticos (usuarios potenciales de estos dispositivos), disponible a través de las redes sociales

Local fluctuations in quantum critical metals

We show that spatially local, yet low-energy, fluctuations can play an essential role in the physics of strongly correlated electron systems tuned to a quantum critical point. A detailed microscopic analysis of the Kondo lattice model is carried out within an extended dynamical mean-field approach. The correlation functions for the lattice model are calculated through a self-consistent Bose-Fermi Kondo problem, in which a local moment is coupled both to a fermionic bath and to a bosonic bath (a fluctuating magnetic field). A renormalization-group treatment of this impurity problem--perturbative in $\epsilon=1-\gamma$, where $\gamma$ is an exponent characterizing the spectrum of the bosonic bath--shows that competition between the two couplings can drive the local-moment fluctuations critical. As a result, two distinct types of quantum critical point emerge in the Kondo lattice, one being of the usual spin-density-wave type, the other ``locally critical.'' Near the locally critical point, the dynamical spin susceptibility exhibits $\omega/T$ scaling with a fractional exponent. While the spin-density-wave critical point is Gaussian, the locally critical point is an interacting fixed point at which long-wavelength and spatially local critical modes coexist. A Ginzburg-Landau description for the locally critical point is discussed. It is argued that these results are robust, that local criticality provides a natural description of the quantum critical behavior seen in a number of heavy-fermion metals, and that this picture may also be relevant to other strongly correlated metals.Comment: 20 pages, 12 figures; typos in figure 3 and in the main text corrected, version as publishe

High throughput toxicity screening and intracellular detection of nanomaterials

EC FP7 NANoREG (Grant Agreement NMP4-LA-2013-310584)Free PMC Article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5215403/With the growing numbers of nanomaterials (NMs), there is a great demand for rapid and reliable ways of testing NM safety—preferably using in vitro approaches, to avoid the ethical dilemmas associated with animal research. Data are needed for developing intelligent testing strategies for risk assessment of NMs, based on grouping and read-across approaches. The adoption of high throughput screening (HTS) and high content analysis (HCA) for NM toxicity testing allows the testing of numerous materials at different concentrations and on different types of cells, reduces the effect of inter-experimental variation, and makes substantial savings in time and cost.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans – anteaters, sloths, and armadillos – have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with 24 domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, ten anteaters, and six sloths. Our dataset includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data-paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the south of the USA, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to its austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n=5,941), and Cyclopes sp. has the fewest (n=240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n=11,588), and the least recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n=33). With regards to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n=962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n=12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other datasets of Neotropical Series which will become available very soon (i.e. Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans dataset

Perfil radiológico dos doentes com mal de Pott observados em uma unidade hospitalar terciária

Introdução: A tuberculose é um problema de saúde pública mundial e tem-se verificado um aumento de casos das formas extrapulmonares. A afecção da coluna vertebral constitui 1% de todos os casos de tuberculose. Os exames complementares de imagem têm um papel muito importante no seu diagnóstico. Objectivo: O presente trabalho tem como objectivo caracterizar o perfil radiológico dos pacientes com doença de Pott atendidos numa unidade terciária em Luanda entre 2016 e 2018. Materiais e Métodos: Trata-se de estudo descritivo retrospectivo, com um universo constituído por todos os doentes observados no hospital (Janeiro de 2016-Dezembro de 2018), com os códigos de diagnóstico à saída M49.0 (Tuberculose da coluna vertebral); A18 (Tuberculose óssea e das articulações) e M90.0 (Tuberculose óssea). De um total de 497 doentes, 465 foram excluídos por não apresentarem imagens e/ou relatórios sugestivos de mal de Pott ou informação clínica que comprovasse o diagnóstico. Foram ainda excluídos 3 casos por ausência de exames nos servidores, ficando a amostra constituída por 29 doentes. Resultados: Dos 29 doentes 79,3% eram do sexo masculino; a média de idade foi 39,52. A coluna lombar foi o segmento mais afetado. 48,3% tinham 2 vértebras afectadas; 82,8% tinham afecção em vértebras adjacentes; 4,7% apresentavam calcificações. As alterações radiológicas mais frequentes foram: redução da altura do disco intervertebral (12,6%), destruição do corpo vertebral (11.0%) , e abcesso pré-vertebral (12,6%). Conclusão: O nosso estudo revelou que os achados radiológicos mais frequentes nos pacientes com mal de Pott foram redução da altura do disco intervertebral, destruição do corpo vertebral, e abcesso pré-vertebral.Palavras-chave: Tuberculose da coluna vertebral; Doença de Pott; Tuberculos

Selective activation of ATP-ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation in skeletal muscles proximal to the tumor of Yoshida sarcoma bearing rats

International audienc

Activation of the ATP-Ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway in skeletal muscles proximal to the tumor of Yoshida sarcoma bearing rats

International audienc

Increased ATP-ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis in skeletal muscles of tumor-bearing rats

International audienc