On the exponent of convergence of negatively curved manifolds without Green's function

In this paper we prove that for every complete n-dimensional Riemannian manifold without Green's function and with its sectional curvatures satisfying K ≤−1, the exponent of convergence is greater than or equal to n − 1. Furthermore, we show that this inequality is sharp. This result is well known for manifolds with constant sectional curvatures K = −1

Magma emission rates fromshallow submarine eruptions using airborne thermal imaging

The effusion rate is the most important parameter to gatherwhen a volcanic eruption occurs, because it controls the way inwhich a lava body grows, extends and expands, influencing its dimensional properties. Calculation of lava flow volume from thermal images collected by helicopter surveys has been largely used during the last decade for monitoring subaerial effusive eruptions. However, due to the depths where volcanic activity occurs, monitoring submarine volcanic eruptions is a very difficult task. The 2011–2012 submarine volcanic eruption at El Hierro, Canary Islands, has provided a unique and excellent opportunity to monitor eruptive processes occurring on the seabed. The use of a hand-held thermal camera during daily helicopter flights allowed us to estimate for the first time the daily and total erupted magma volumes from a submarine eruption. The volume of magma emitted during this eruption has been estimated at 300 Mm3, giving an average effusion rate of ~25 m3 s−1. Thermal imagery by helicopter proved to be a fast, inexpensive, safe and reliable technique of monitoring volcanic eruptions when they occur on the shallow seabed.This research was financially supported by the projects MAKAVOL (MAC/3/C161) from the European Union MAC 2007–2013 Transnational Cooperation Program as well as from the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife. We are also grateful to the staff of El Hierro airport (AENA) for providing logistical support.Published219-2255V. Sorveglianza vulcanica ed emergenzeJCR Journalrestricte

Tractography dissection variability: What happens when 42 groups dissect 14 white matter bundles on the same dataset?

White matter bundle segmentation using diffusion MRI fiber tractography has become the method of choice to identify white matter fiber pathways in vivo in human brains. However, like other analyses of complex data, there is considerable variability in segmentation protocols and techniques. This can result in different reconstructions of the same intended white matter pathways, which directly affects tractography results, quantification, and interpretation. In this study, we aim to evaluate and quantify the variability that arises from different protocols for bundle segmentation. Through an open call to users of fiber tractography, including anatomists, clinicians, and algorithm developers, 42 independent teams were given processed sets of human whole-brain streamlines and asked to segment 14 white matter fascicles on six subjects. In total, we received 57 different bundle segmentation protocols, which enabled detailed volume-based and streamline-based analyses of agreement and disagreement among protocols for each fiber pathway. Results show that even when given the exact same sets of underlying streamlines, the variability across protocols for bundle segmentation is greater than all other sources of variability in the virtual dissection process, including variability within protocols and variability across subjects. In order to foster the use of tractography bundle dissection in routine clinical settings, and as a fundamental analytical tool, future endeavors must aim to resolve and reduce this heterogeneity. Although external validation is needed to verify the anatomical accuracy of bundle dissections, reducing heterogeneity is a step towards reproducible research and may be achieved through the use of standard nomenclature and definitions of white matter bundles and well-chosen constraints and decisions in the dissection process

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19

Interindividual clinical variability in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is vast. We report that at least 101 of 987 patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia had neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against interferon-w (IFN-w) (13 patients), against the 13 types of IFN-a (36), or against both (52) at the onset of critical disease; a few also had auto-Abs against the other three type I IFNs. The auto-Abs neutralize the ability of the corresponding type I IFNs to block SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. These auto-Abs were not found in 663 individuals with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and were present in only 4 of 1227 healthy individuals. Patients with auto-Abs were aged 25 to 87 years and 95 of the 101 were men. A B cell autoimmune phenocopy of inborn errors of type I IFN immunity accounts for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in at least 2.6% of women and 12.5% of men

Nurses' perceptions of aids and obstacles to the provision of optimal end of life care in ICU

Contains fulltext : 172380.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Nano-Photocatalytic Materials: Possibilities and Challenges

Photocatalysis is one of the most promising processes within catalysis, due to its increasing potential and the possibility of its being combined with renewable solar energy [...

Nano-Photocatalytic Materials: Possibilities and Challenges.

Photocatalysis is one of the most promising processes within catalysis, due to its increasing potential and the possibility of its being combined with renewable solar energy [...]

Risk of Secondary Infection Waves of COVID-19 in an Insular Region: The Case of the Balearic Islands, Spain

The Spanish government declared the lockdown on March 14th, 2020 to tackle the fast-spreading of COVID-19. As a consequence, the Balearic Islands remained almost fully isolated due to the closing of airports and ports, these isolation measures and the home-based confinement have led to a low prevalence of COVID-19 in this region. We propose a compartmental model for the spread of COVID-19 including five compartments (Susceptible, Exposed, Presymptomatic Infective, Diseased, and Recovered), and the mobility between municipalities. The model parameters are calibrated with the temporal series of confirmed cases provided by the Spanish Ministry of Health. After calibration, the proposed model captures the trend of the official confirmed cases before and after the lockdown. We show that the estimated number of cases depends strongly on the initial dates of the local outbreak onset and the number of imported cases before the lockdown. Our estimations indicate that the population has not reached the level of herd immunization necessary to prevent future outbreaks. While the low prevalence, in comparison to mainland Spain, has prevented the saturation of the health system, this low prevalence translates into low immunization rates, therefore facilitating the propagation of new outbreaks that could lead to secondary waves of COVID-19 in the region. These findings warn about scenarios regarding after-lockdown-policies and the risk of second outbreaks, emphasize the need for widespread testing, and could potentially be extrapolated to other insular and continental regions.VE and JF-G acknowledge funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain) and FEDER through project SPASIMM [FIS2016-80067-P (AEI/FEDER, UE)]. JF-G acknowledges funding from the Vicerrectorado de Investigación e Internacionalización of the University of the Balearic Islands and Campus de Excelencia Internacional CEI15-09 (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spain) through its talent attraction program.Peer reviewe