Quantum interference effects in resonant Raman spectroscopy of single- and triple-layer MoTe2_2 from first principles

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of resonant Raman spectroscopy in single- and triple-layer MoTe$_2$. Raman intensities are computed entirely from first principles by calculating finite differences of the dielectric susceptibility. In our analysis, we investigate the role of quantum interference effects and the electron-phonon coupling. With this method, we explain the experimentally observed intensity inversion of the $A^\prime_1$ vibrational modes in triple-layer MoTe2 with increasing laser photon energy. Finally, we show that a quantitative comparison with experimental data requires the proper inclusion of excitonic effects.Comment: Main Text (5 Figures, 1 Tables) + Supporting Information (6 Figures

The natural law in the scholasticism 1526-1617

Al interior de la tradición clásica del derecho natural, los teólogos escolásticos de los siglos XVI-XVII describen ese derecho como simplemente necesario, así como inmutable y universal. Lo describen, además, como un orden objetivo, independiente de la voluntad de Dios. Sin embargo, no todos los teólogos escolásticos entienden la inmutabilidad del derecho natural de la misma forma, ni llaman “derecho natural” exactamente a lo mismo: para unos este es el “derecho de la naturaleza”, mientras que para otros es el “derecho de la razón natural”. El artículo, así, aborda las principales diferencias que existen en las teorías de estos escolásticos sobre el derecho natural.Within the classical tradition of the natural law, the scholastic theologians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries describe this law as simply necessary, as well as immutable and universal. They conceive it, moreover, as an objective order independent of God’s will. However, not all scholastic theologians understand the immutability of natural law in the same way, nor does the term “natural law” refer to exactly the same thing: whereas for some it is the “law of nature”, for others it is the “law of natural reason”. So, the article addresses the main differences in the theories of these scholastics on natural law

Landscape restoration in a mixed agricultural-forest catchment: planning a buffer strip and hedgerow network in a Chilean biodiversity hotspot

Guidance for large-scale restoration of natural or semi-natural linear vegetation elements that takes into account the need to maintain human livelihoods such as farming is often lacking. Focusing on a Chilean biodiversity hotspot, we assessed the landscape in terms of existing woody vegetation elements and proposed a buffer strip and hedgerow network. We used spatial analysis based on Google Earth imagery and QGIS, field surveys, seven guidelines linked to prioritization criteria and seedling availability in the region’s nurseries, and estimated the budget for implementing the proposed network. The target landscapes require restoring 0.89 ha km−2 of woody buffer strips to meet Chilean law; 1.4 ha km−2 of new hedgerows is also proposed. The cost of restoration in this landscape is estimated in ca. USD 6900 per planted ha of buffer strips and hedgerows. Financial incentives, education, and professional training of farmers are identified as key issues to implement the suggested restoration actions

The Use of Flavylium Salts as Dynamic Inhibitor Moieties for Human Cb5R

Authors would like to acknowledge the Biochemistry Department in the Faculty of Medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid for the equipment and support for some of the required reagent purchases. FCT/MCTES is also acknowledged for supporting the National Portuguese NMR Network (ROTEIRO/0031/2013-PINFRA/22161/2016, co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE 2020, POCI, PORL. We thank José Paulo da Silva for the HRMS-ESI analysis. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Cytochrome b5 reductase (Cb5R) is a flavoprotein that participates in the reduction of multiple biological redox partners. Co-localization of this protein with nitric oxide sources has been observed in neurons. In addition, the generation of superoxide anion radical by Cb5R has been observed. A search for specific inhibitors of Cb5R to understand the role of this protein in these new functions has been initiated. Previous studies have shown the ability of different flavonoids to inhibit Cb5R. Anthocyanins are a subgroup of flavonoids responsible for most red and blue colors found in flowers and fruits. Although usually represented by the flavylium cation form, these species are only stable at rather acidic pH values (pH ≤ 1). At higher pH values, the flavylium cation is involved in a dynamic reaction network comprising different neutral species with the potential ability to inhibit the activities of Cb5R. This study aims to provide insights into the molecular mechanism of interaction between flavonoids and Cb5R using flavylium salts as dynamic inhibitors. The outcome of this study might lead to the design of improved specific enzyme inhibitors in the future.publishersversionpublishe

The Arabidopsis chromatin regulator MOM1 is a negative component of the defense priming induced by AZA, BABA and PIP

In plants, the establishment of broad and long-lasting immunity is based on programs that control systemic resistance and immunological memory or “priming”. Despite not showing activated defenses, a primed plant induces a more efficient response to recurrent infections. Priming might involve chromatin modifications that allow a faster/stronger activation of defense genes. The Arabidopsis chromatin regulator “Morpheus Molecule 1” (MOM1) has been recently suggested as a priming factor affecting the expression of immune receptor genes. Here, we show that mom1 mutants exacerbate the root growth inhibition response triggered by the key defense priming inducers azelaic acid (AZA), β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) and pipecolic acid (PIP). Conversely, mom1 mutants complemented with a minimal version of MOM1 (miniMOM1 plants) are insensitive. Moreover, miniMOM1 is unable to induce systemic resistance against Pseudomonas sp. in response to these inducers. Importantly, AZA, BABA and PIP treatments reduce the MOM1 expression, but not miniMOM1 transcript levels, in systemic tissues. Consistently, several MOM1-regulated immune receptor genes are upregulated during the activation of systemic resistance in WT plants, while this effect is not observed in miniMOM1. Taken together, our results position MOM1 as a chromatin factor that negatively regulates the defense priming induced by AZA, BABA and PIP.Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos VegetalesFil: Miranda de la Torre, Julián O. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas; ArgentinaFil: Miranda de la Torre, Julián O. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC). Departamento de Química Biológica-Ranwel Caputto; ArgentinaFil: Peppino Margutti, Micaela Y. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas; ArgentinaFil: Peppino Margutti, Micaela Y. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC). Departamento de Química Biológica-Ranwel Caputto; ArgentinaFil: Lescano Lopez, Carlos Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA) ; ArgentinaFil: Lescano Lopez, Carlos Ignacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Lescano Lopez, Carlos Ignacio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas; ArgentinaFil: Lescano Lopez, Carlos Ignacio.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC). Departamento de Química Biológica-Ranwel Caputto; ArgentinaFil: Cambiagno, Damian Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Unidad de Estudios Agropecuarios (UDEA) ; ArgentinaFil: Cambiagno, Damian Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Fisiología y Recursos Genéticos Vegetales; ArgentinaFil: Cambiagno, Damian Alejandro.Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, María E. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC). Departamento de Química Biológica-Ranwel Caputto; ArgentinaFil: Cecchini, Nicolás M. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba (CIQUIBIC). Departamento de Química Biológica-Ranwel Caputto; Argentin

Fire-induced loss of the world's most biodiverse forests in Latin America

The quantitative signal for the association of fires and land cover change is strong and the impact of frequent fires is vast. Fire plays a dominant role in deforestation, particularly in the tropics, but the relative extent of transformations and influence of fire frequency on eventual forest loss remain unclear. Here, we analyze the frequency of fire and its influence on postfire forest trajectories between 2001 and 2018. We account for ~1.1% of Latin American forests burnt in 2002-2003 (8,465,850 ha). Although 40.1% of forests (3,393,250 ha) burned only once, by 2018, ~48% of the evergreen forests converted to other, primarily grass-dominated uses. While greater fire frequency yielded more transformation, our results reveal the staggering impact of even a single fire. Increasing fire frequency imposes greater risks of irreversible forest loss, transforming forests into ecosystems increasingly vulnerable to degradation. Reversing this trend is indispensable to both mitigate and adapt to climate change globally. As climate change transforms fire regimes across the region, key actions are needed to conserve Latin American forests

Implementation of a microsurgical breast reconstruction program in Mexico

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146579/1/micr30383.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146579/2/micr30383_am.pd

La participació d’estudiants en projectes d’investigació. Exemples dins l’ecologia i restauració forestal

Un component, no només un complement, de la docència és la posada en pràctica, en institucions externes a l’àmbit estrictament docent, dels coneixements adquirits. Un exemple són les pràctiques en empreses i altres activitats que incrementen el currículum acadèmic. L’alumne guanya experiència i coneixements que difícilment podria obtenir a l’aula o al laboratori. Així mateix, l’empresa obté col·laboració de persones preparades i sovint interessades. Beneficiaris de la col·laboració d’alumnes son els instituts d’investigació. L’alumne veu a la pràctica la importància de conceptes expressats pel personal docent (per exemple disseny experimental, presa, anàlisi i presentació de dades, etc.), les satisfaccions, i també les dificultats a l’hora de fer un treball estricte. L’institut d’investigació obté un ajut sovint imprescindible per dur a terme projectes d’I+D+i. Aquest treball analitza la col·laboració d’alumnes en projectes d’investigació dins del programa forestal de la Fundació CEAM (www.ceam.es). Considera l’origen dels alumnes, les institucions i programes que faciliten la col·laboració, els projectes d’investigació beneficiats, i intenta valorar les millores personals i de currículum obtingudes per l’alumnat col·laborador

The TT Genotype of the STAT4 rs7574865 Polymorphism Is Associated with High Disease Activity and Disability in Patients with Early Arthritis

[Background] The number of copies of the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, and the minor alleles of the STAT4 rs7574865 and the PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphisms have all been linked with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of these genetic variants on disease activity and disability in patients with early arthritis. [Methodology and Results] We studied 640 patients with early arthritis (76% women; median age, 52 years), recording disease-related variables every 6 months during a 2-year follow-up. HLA-DRB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSO, while rs7574865 and rs2476601 were genotyped with the Taqman 5′ allelic discrimination assay. Multivariate analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations for repeated measures. After adjusting for confounding variables such as gender, age and ACPA, the TT genotype of rs7574865 in STAT4 was associated with increased disease activity (DAS28) as compared with the GG genotype (β coefficient [95% confidence interval] = 0.42 [0.01–0.83], p = 0.044). Conversely, the presence of the T allele of rs2476601 in PTPN22 was associated with diminished disease activity during follow-up in a dose-dependent manner (CT genotype = −0.27 [−0.56– −0.01], p = 0.042; TT genotype = −0.68 [−1.64– −0.27], p = 0.162). After adjustment for gender, age and disease activity, homozygosity for the T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 was associated with greater disability as compared with the GG genotype. [Conclusions] Our data suggest that patients with early arthritis who are homozygous for the T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 may develop a more severe form of the disease with increased disease activity and disability.This work was partially supported by the RETICS (Redes Tematicas de Investigación Cooperativa, Cooperative Research Thematic Networks) Program, RD08/0075 (RIER) and FIS (Fondo de Investigación en Salud) Health Research Fund grant FIS 08/0754 to IG-A from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; www.isciii.es) and by grants from the European Innovative Medicines Initiative and BTCure Program (http://www.life-sciences-europe.com/orga​nisation/btcure-project-imi-efpia-201103​-innovative-medicines-initiative-2001-28​657.html). The work of IG-A was in part supported by a Research Intensification Grant from the National Health Care System (Instituto Carlos III; www.isciii.es), Madrid, Spain

Toward the Rapid Diagnosis of Sepsis: Detecting Interleukin-6 in Blood Plasma Using Functionalized Screen-Printed Electrodes with a Thermal Detection Methodology

This paper reports the detection of the inflammatory and sepsis-related biomarker, interleukin-6 (IL-6), in human blood plasma using functionalized screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) in conjunction with a thermal detection methodology, termed heat-transfer method (HTM). SPEs are functionalized with antibodies specific for IL-6 through electrodeposition of a diazonium linking group and N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) coupling, which was tracked through the use of cyclic voltammetry and Raman spectroscopy. The functionalized SPEs are mounted inside an additively manufactured flow cell and connected to the HTM device. We demonstrate the ability to detect IL-6 at clinically relevant concentrations in PBS buffer (pH = 7.4) with no significant interference from the similarly sized sepsis-related biomarker procalcitonin (PCT). The limit of detection (3s) of the system is calculated to correspond to 3.4 ± 0.2 pg mL-1 with a working range spanning the physiologically relevant concentration levels in both healthy individuals and patients with sepsis, indicating the sensitivity of the sensor is suitable for the application. Further experiments helped provide a proof-of-application through the detection of IL-6 in blood plasma with no significant interference observed from PCT or the constituents of the medium. Due to the selectivity, sensitivity, straightforward operation, and low cost of production, this sensor platform has the potential for use as a traffic light sensor for the multidetection of inflammatory biomarkers for the diagnosis of sepsis and other conditions in which the rapid testing of blood biomarkers has vital clinical application