Quasi-Prototype Size Testing of Wedge-Shaped Block for Armoring Embankment Dams and Levees

A series of tests of wedge-shaped blocks intended for armoring embankment dams and levees was carried out in a new experimental facility (‘Hydraulic Experimentation Facility—Luis Ruano’) under quasi-prototype conditions. This unique facility is located in the canal leading to the Laverné reservoir (Zaragoza, Spain) with a maximum vertical drop of 7 m and discharge up to 9 m3s −1. The aim was to conduct experimental research on technologies to protect embankment dams and dikes against overflowing erosion under quasi-prototype conditions. The results of the tests demonstrate the ability of the WSBs to withstand high unit discharges under extremely negative conditions at the upstream and downstream ends of the armoring. The tests also helped to identify potential failure modes for the armoring blocks

Lipoteichoic acid and molecular weight of hyaluronic acid could explain the late inflammatory response trigger by hyaluronic acid fillers

Introduction: Hyaluronic acid is a safe dermal filler, but sometimes late granuloma is generated. This adverse effect is an inflammatory process, and its causes are not clear. Late granuloma generation could be due to the reaction to residual components of the bacterial wall present into hyaluronic acid, such as lipoteichoic acid (LTA). Other possibility is hyaluronic acid degraded could be trigger this inflammatory reaction. // Objective: Study possible molecular mechanism that could be implicated into the late granuloma formation. We wonder whereas inflammatory response activation is triggered by lower molecular weight hyaluronic acid or Gram-positive bacterial components as LTA. // Methods: We analyzed one adverse case generated by hyaluronic acid injections. Our study with one nodule through chemical and immunofluorescence histologic technics. // Results: In this case, observe a late granuloma without infectious process. Histological analysis shown few large Langerhans cells around fillers and multiple immunological cells infiltrated. Immunofluorescent study shown immunological cells (CD45 positives cells) with high TLR2 expression (hyaluronic acid and LTA receptor). // Limitations: The difficulty of obtaining biopsy samples of nodules implies that the number of cases analyzed is very low. // Conclusion: New model is proposed in which weight of hyaluronic acid and LTA could be able to trigger inflammation. This process could be mediated by TLR2 expressed in infiltrated immune cells

Exploring Energy Saving Opportunities in Fault Tolerant HPC Systems

Nowadays, improving the energy efficiency of high-performance computing (HPC) systems is one of the main drivers in scientific and technological research. As large-scale HPC systems require some fault-tolerant method, the opportunities to reduce energy consumption should be explored. In particular, rollback-recovery methods using uncoordinated checkpoints prevent all processes from re-executing when a failure occurs. In this context, it is possible to take actions to reduce the energy consumption of the nodes whose processes do not re-execute. This work is an extension of a previous one, in which we proposed a series of strategies to manage energy consumption at failure-time. In this work, we have enriched our simulator and the experimentation by including non-blocking communications (with and without system buffering) and a largest number of candidate processes to be analyzed. We have called the latter as \textit{cascade analysis}, because it includes processes that gets blocked by communication indirectly with the failed process. The simulations show that the savings were negligible in the worst case, but in some scenarios, it was possible to achieve significant ones; the maximum saving achieved was 90\% in a time interval of 16 minutes. As a result, we show the feasibility of improving energy efficiency in HPC systems in the presence of a failure.Comment: This is the accepted version of the manuscript that was sent to review to Journal of Parallel and Distributed Computing (ISSN 1096-0848). arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2012.1139

Structural Failure of the Cohesive Core of Rockfill Dams: An Experimental Research Using Sand-Bentonite Mixtures

This article presents experimental research focusing on the structural failure of the central core of a rockfill dam using sand-bentonite mixtures. It comprised an extensive geotechnical characterization of soil materials and mixtures, including compaction and strength tests, as well as the construction of 1 m high and 1.5 m wide physical models. The displacements of the cohesive cores were recorded using a tailored measuring system, based on a laser pointer and a mirror, designed to amplify the real displacements. The cohesive cores were extremely sensitive to small oscillations and behaved as rigid bodies, similar to concrete slabs with three fixed sides and another free. The shape and dimensions of the breach formed on the cohesive cores had roughly the same shape and dimensions as the unprotected area. This experimental research has the potential to be used as validation tool for several models available in the literature to predict the failure of embankment dams

Gestión integral de residuos sólidos: estrategias de implementación en los gobiernos locales para la conservación del medio ambiente

El presente estudio tiene como objetivo principal diseñar estrategias de gestión de residuos sólidos en gobiernos locales para la conservación del medio ambiente. Además, esta indagación fue de tipo descriptiva, con paradigma naturalista y métodos cualitativos, asimismo, se aplicó una entrevista como técnica y una entrevista semiestructurada como instrumento, la muestra estuvo conformada por 4 expertos en gestión de residuos sólidos, por la cual brindaron respuesta a 25 preguntas abiertas. Como resultados se obtuvo que, según lo vertido por los expertos las estrategias deben estar en base a la problemática de la municipalidad en estudio, como la falta de una planta procesadora de reciclaje, desconocimiento de la población, carencia de charlas informativas, talleres aplicativos tanto para la población como para los colaboradores del municipio y estás actividades deben ser realizadas por expertos de los entes gubernamentales como el MINAM, OEFA, etc. Por la cual se concluye que, las autoridades y colaboradores no aplican una adecuada segregación y la implementación es inadecuada debido a que no se alinea a la Ley 27314, además no ha generado conciencia en la población que son los generadores de residuos sólidos, por ende, el incremento de esto no ha conllevado a una adecuada segregación

Registering New Drugs for Low-Income Countries: The African Challenge

Mary Moran and colleagues discuss the best strategies for African regulators to be supported in their efforts to evaluate and approve drugs for their own populations

Yin-Yang 1 regulation of Epstein-Barr virus BRLF1 transcription is altered during mTORC1 inhibition in a cell type-specific manner

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous herpesvirus that infects individuals worldwide. EBV actively replicates and establishes a latent infection in epithelial cells and B cells, which can lead to diseases such as infectious mononucleosis and Burkitt’s lymphoma. The reactivation of EBV from latency is contingent upon the expression of immediate-early genes BZLF1 and BRLF1. During EBV latency, BZLF1 and BRLF1 are negatively regulated by Yin-Yang 1 (YY1). YY1 is a highly expressed protein that participates in various cellular and viral processes. It has been demonstrated that the effects of rapamycin, a mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor, on YY1 in epithelial cells and B cells alters EBV lytic replication. Rapamycin’s effects on YY1 cause it to positively regulate BZLF1 in epithelial cells and negatively regulate BZLF1 in B cells. While the effects of rapamycin on YY1 regulation of BZLF1 have been studied, the effects on BRLF1 have not. For this study, I investigated the effects of rapamycin on YY1 regulation of BRLF1 in epithelial cells and B cells during lytic replication. I wanted to determine if the effects of rapamycin on YY1 regulation of BRLF1 would be like the effects of rapamycin on YY1 regulation of BZLF1. The results of this study show that they are indeed similar. YY1 positively regulates BRLF1 in epithelial cells and negatively regulates BRLF1 in B cells during mTORC1 inhibition and lytic replication. This suggests that rapamycin alters YY1 transcriptional regulation of BRLF1 in a cell type-specific manner. Using rapamycin in combination with YY1-targeted therapies could reduce EBV infectivity and decrease the likelihood of developing EBV-associated diseases

Characterization of volatile compounds of cooked wild Iberian red deer meat extracted with solid phase microextraction and analysed by capillary gas chromatography - mass spectrometry

Wild Iberian red deer meat demand and interest are increasing and, therefore, an in-depth characterization of meat quality is needed to meet consumer demands. The objective of the present work was to assess, for the first time, the volatile profile of cooked wild sport-hunted Iberian red deer meat. Twenty-three loin samples from male red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) were cooked and the volatile profile was analysed using solid phase microextraction, followed by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fifty-five volatile compounds were found. The major ones in number and relative abundance were aldehydes (84%), followed by alcohols (11%), hydrocarbons (2.4%), ketones (1.7%), furans (0.34%) and sulphur compounds (0.18%). Hexadecanal was the major compound and other long-chain compounds such as (E)-2-tetradecen-1-ol or 2-pentadecanone were also reported in considerable abundance. Several compounds related to grass-based diets were identified (2,3-octanedione, hexadecane or 1-pentadecanol). Odour impact ratio of volatile compounds was calculated and dimethyl trisulphide, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, decanal and dodecanal were the most odorant compounds affecting the flavour of the cooked deer meat.Gobierno Vasco | Ref. IT944-16Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. RTC-2016-5327-2Axencia Galega de Innovación | Ref. IN607A2019/01CYTED | Ref. 119RT056

Legitimidad de la financiación pública de la enseñanza diferenciada en España

El presente trabajo tiene por objeto la problemática existente en España en torno a los centros de educación diferenciada: reconocimiento legal y posibilidad de financiación pública. Todo ello abordado desde el marco de la libertad de enseñanza y del derecho a la educación