Asymptotics for the heat kernel in multicone domains

A multi cone domain $\Omega \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n$ is an open, connected set that resembles a finite collection of cones far away from the origin. We study the rate of decay in time of the heat kernel $p(t,x,y)$ of a Brownian motion killed upon exiting $\Omega$, using both probabilistic and analytical techniques. We find that the decay is polynomial and we characterize $\lim_{t\to\infty} t^{1+\alpha}p(t,x,y)$ in terms of the Martin boundary of $\Omega$ at infinity, where $\alpha>0$ depends on the geometry of $\Omega$. We next derive an analogous result for $t^{\kappa/2}\mathbb{P}_x(T >t)$, with $\kappa = 1+\alpha - n/2$, where $T$ is the exit time form $\Omega$. Lastly, we deduce the renormalized Yaglom limit for the process conditioned on survival.Comment: 31 page

Association of anti-pad4 antibodies with erosion and biological treatment use in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Novel biomarkers have been described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, including antibodies to carbamylated proteins (anti-CarP) and to protein-arginine deiminases (PAD). Anti-PAD4 antibodies are associated with anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and worse baseline radiographic joint damage [1]. A subset of anti-PAD4 antibodies that cross-react with PAD3 and are associated with erosive disease, ACPA and progress despite treatment have also been described [1]. Objectives: To evaluate several novel RA markers in a cohort of RA and controls and their association with erosive disease and biological treatment use in RA. Methods: Sera from 116 RA patients [63 young onset RA (YORA) and 53 elderly onset RA (EORA)] and 155 controls [134 polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) patients and 21 healthy individuals (HI) older than 60 years old] were included. Information on erosion status and biological treatment was available for 56 of the RA patients. The samples were tested for anti-PAD3 and anti-PAD4 IgG using the novel particle-based multi-analyte technology (PMAT, research use only, RUO), as well as for ACPA [CCP3 IgG ELISA and chemiluminescent immunoassay (CIA)] and anti-CarP IgG (ELISA, RUO). Results: Significantly higher levels of anti-PAD3, anti-PAD4 and ACPA (ELISA and CIA) but not CarP were observed in YORA vs. EORA (p<0.0001 for anti-PAD3 and ACPA ELISA and CIA, p=0.0016 for anti-PAD4). In the RA patients with erosion and treatment information available, anti-PAD4 antibody levels, but not ACPA, anti-CarP or anti-PAD3, were significantly higher in patients on biologic treatment vs. patients that were not on biologics (p=0.0017). Anti-PAD4 positive patients, were 10.1 [95% CI 2.5-52.0, p=0.0002] times more likely to be on biologic treatment vs. the negative group. Similarly, anti-PAD4 antibodies, but neither ACPA nor anti-CarP or anti-PAD3, were also significantly higher in patients with joint erosions (p=0.0354). All patients that were positive for anti-PAD4 antibodies (n=21) had erosive disease. Anti-PAD4 positive patients, were 20.2 [95% CI 1.1-363.2, p=0.0041] times more likely to have erosive disease.post-print247 K

Significance of the particle physical properties and the Geldart group in the use of correlations for the prediction of minimum fluidization velocity of biomass–sand binary mixtures

The present study explores the relevance of the physical properties of biomass particles on the determination of the minimum fluidization velocity (U-mf) of binary mixtures. Fluidization experiments were performed in a cold flow unit with diverse biomasses mixed with sand in different mass fractions. Gas velocity and pressure drop across the bed were used to determine U-mf. Different correlations reported in the literature were evaluated on their ability to accurately predict U-mf of the mixtures. Results showed satisfactory predictions when appropriately identifying correlations according to the corresponding Geldart groups for the biomass particles. This perspective opens new possibilities toward the generalization of correlation factors and helps in improving the accuracy of the prediction for highly heterogeneous mixtures. The methodology also allows the analysis of mixtures for which the experimental approach is difficult, such as those including char particle, with the only requirement of carefully measuring the physical properties of the particles

Influence of conservation tillage and soil water content on crop yield in dryland compacted alfisol of Central Chile

Chilean dryland areas of the Mediterranean climate region are characterized by highly degraded and compacted soils, which require the use of conservation tillage systems to mitigate water erosion as well as to improve soil water storage. An oat (Avena sativa L. cv. Supernova-INIA) - wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Pandora-INIA) crop rotation was established under the following conservation systems: no tillage (Nt), Nt + contour plowing (Nt+Cp), Nt + barrier hedge (Nt+Bh), and Nt + subsoiling (Nt+Sb), compared to conventional tillage (Ct) to evaluate their influence on soil water content (SWC) in the profile (10 to 110 cm depth), the soil compaction and their interaction with the crop yield. Experimental plots were established in 2007 and lasted 3 yr till 2009 in a compacted Alfisol. At the end of the growing seasons, SWC was reduced by 44 to 51% in conservation tillage systems and 60% in Ct. Soil water content had a significant (p < 0.05) interaction with tillage system and depth; Nt+Sb showed lower SWC between 10 to 30 cm, but higher and similar to the rest between 50 to 110 cm except for Ct. Although, SWC was higher in conservation tillage systems, the high values on soil compaction affected yield. No tillage + subsoiling reduced soil compaction and had a significant increment of grain yield (similar to Ct in seasons 2008 and 2009). These findings show us that the choice of conservation tillage in compacted soils of the Mediterranean region needs to improve soil structure to obtain higher yields and increment SWC

Picking teams in Physical Education. A literature review

[Resumen] La formación de grupos en Educación Física parece perpetuarse como un proceso desatendido, reproducido automáticamente e irreflexivo. Así al menos se desprende de la escasísima literatura en español al respecto. Por ello, los objetivos de este artículo pasan por explicitar el estado de la cuestión, problematizando la formación de grupos y aflorando el currículo oculto que este proceder contiene. Para ello, se ha llevado a cabo una revisión de la literatura en las bases de datos Dialnet y Web of Science y completada posteriormente de forma manual. Los términos de búsqueda han sido ‘formación de grupos’ o ‘agrupamientos’ y ‘Educación Física’, y en inglés los vocablos ‘the formation of groups’ o ‘picking teams’ y ‘Physical Education’. Los resultados de la misma son escasos pues arrojan 4 estudios encontrados en las bases de datos, a los que manualmente se les han añadido otros 26, lo que confirma la desatención académica de este proceder. Además, los documentos constatan efectos negativos y recurrentes sobre todo en el alumnado menos hábil y en muchas de las alumnas. Sin embargo, se explicitan algunas propuestas que, entre otras cosas, relativizan la estigmatización y se acercan a los postulados de la justicia social.[Abstract] Picking teams in Physical Education seems to perpetuate itself as a neglected, automatically reproduced, and thoughtless process. So at least it is clear from the very scarce literature in Spanish on the matter. Therefore, the aims of this article are to put the state of the art on the table, problematizing picking teams and surfacing the hidden curriculum that this procedure contains. For this, a review of the literature has been carried out in Dialnet and Web of Science databases and completed manually. The search terms have been ‘formación de grupos’ or ‘agrupamientos’ and ‘Educación Física’ in Spanish, and in English the words ‘the formation of groups’ or ‘picking teams’ and ‘Physical Education’. The few results of the search shows only 4 studies, included in the present review, and 26 studies have been manually added, confirm the academic neglect of this procedure. In addition, the documents confirm negative and recurring effects, especially in the less skilled students and in many of the female students. However, some proposals are made explicit that, among other things, relativize stigmatization and come closer to the postulates of social justice

Case Report: A Case Study Documenting the Activity of Atezolizumab in a PD-L1-Negative Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Biomarcadores; Cáncer de mama; InmunoterapiaBiomarcadors; Càncer de mama; ImmunoteràpiaBiomarkers; Breast cancer; ImmunotherapyThe immune checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab is approved for PD-L1-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, no activity of atezolizumab in PD-L1-negative TNBC has been reported to date. Here, we present the case study of a woman with TNBC with low tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1-negative disease, which achieved a significant response to atezolizumab monotherapy and durable response after the combination of atezolizumab and nab-paclitaxel. The comprehensive genomic analysis that we performed in her tumor and plasma samples revealed high tumor mutational burden (TMB), presence of the APOBEC genetic signatures, high expression of the tumor inflammation signature, and a HER2-enriched subtype by the PAM50 assay. Some of these biomarkers have been shown to independently predict response to immunotherapy in other tumors and may explain the durable response in our patient. Our work warrants further translational studies to identify biomarkers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in TNBC beyond PD-L1 expression and to better select patients that will benefit from immunotherapy.This study has received funding from Instituto de Salud Carlos III—PI19/01846 (to AP), Breast Cancer Now—2018NOVPCC1294 (to AP), Breast Cancer Research Foundation-AACR Career Development Awards for Translational Breast Cancer Research 19-20-26-PRAT (to AP), Fundació La Marató TV3 201935-30 (to AP), the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020 (to AP), Asociación de Cáncer de Mama Metastásico CMM_CHIARAG19_001 (to AP), Pas a Pas (to AP), Save the Mama (to AP), Fundación Científica Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer AECC_Postdoctoral17-1062 (to FB-M) and INVES19056SANS (to MiS), FERO-ghd 2020 breast cancer award (MS), and Generalitat de Catalunya Peris PhD4MD 2019 SLT008/18/00122 (to NC)