Chemometrics and elemental mapping by portable LIBS to identify the impact of volcanogenic and non-volcanogenic degradation sources on the mural paintings of Pompeii

This work has been supported by the Spanish Agency for Research AEI (MINECO-FEDER/UE) through the projects MADyLIN (BIA2017-87063-P) and MINECO-17-CTQ2016-77887-C2-1-R, and the Government of the Principality of Asturias (GRUPIN IDI/2018/000186).Pérez-Diez, S., Fernández-Menéndez, L.J., Veneranda, M., Morillas, H., Prieto-Taboada, N., Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, S., Bordel, N., Martellone, A., De Nigris, B., Osanna, M., Madariaga, J.M., Maguregui, M

Risk loci involved in giant cell arteritis susceptibility: a genome-wide association study

Background: Giant cell arteritis is an age-related vasculitis that mainly affects the aorta and its branches in individuals aged 50 years and older. Current options for diagnosis and treatment are scarce, highlighting the need to better understand its underlying pathogenesis. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have emerged as a powerful tool for unravelling the pathogenic mechanisms involved in complex diseases. We aimed to characterise the genetic basis of giant cell arteritis by performing the largest GWAS of this vasculitis to date and to assess the functional consequences and clinical implications of identified risk loci. Methods: We collected and meta-analysed genomic data from patients with giant cell arteritis and healthy controls of European ancestry from ten cohorts across Europe and North America. Eligible patients required confirmation of giant cell arteritis diagnosis by positive temporal artery biopsy, positive temporal artery doppler ultrasonography, or imaging techniques confirming large-vessel vasculitis. We assessed the functional consequences of loci associated with giant cell arteritis using cell enrichment analysis, fine-mapping, and causal gene prioritisation. We also performed a drug repurposing analysis and developed a polygenic risk score to explore the clinical implications of our findings. Findings: We included a total of 3498 patients with giant cell arteritis and 15 550 controls. We identified three novel loci associated with risk of giant cell arteritis. Two loci, MFGE8 (rs8029053; p=4·96 × 10–8; OR 1·19 [95% CI 1·12–1·26]) and VTN (rs704; p=2·75 × 10–9; OR 0·84 [0·79–0·89]), were related to angiogenesis pathways and the third locus, CCDC25 (rs11782624; p=1·28 × 10–8; OR 1·18 [1·12–1·25]), was related to neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). We also found an association between this vasculitis and HLA region and PLG. Variants associated with giant cell arteritis seemed to fulfil a specific regulatory role in crucial immune cell types. Furthermore, we identified several drugs that could represent promising candidates for treatment of this disease. The polygenic risk score model was able to identify individuals at increased risk of developing giant cell arteritis (90th percentile OR 2·87 [95% CI 2·15–3·82]; p=1·73 × 10–13). Interpretation: We have found several additional loci associated with giant cell arteritis, highlighting the crucial role of angiogenesis in disease susceptibility. Our study represents a step forward in the translation of genomic findings to clinical practice in giant cell arteritis, proposing new treatments and a method to measure genetic predisposition to this vasculitis. Funding: Institute of Health Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, UK Medical Research Council, and National Institute for Health and Care Researc

Investigation of two Fermi-LAT gamma-ray blazars coincident with high-energy neutrinos detected by IceCube

After the identification of the gamma-ray blazar TXS 0506+056 as the first compelling IceCube neutrino source candidate, we perform a systematic analysis of all high-energy neutrino events satisfying the IceCube realtime trigger criteria. We find one additional known gamma-ray source, the blazar GB6 J1040+0617, in spatial coincidence with a neutrino in this sample. The chance probability of this coincidence is 30% after trial correction. For the first time, we present a systematic study of the gamma-ray flux, spectral and optical variability, and multi-wavelength behavior of GB6 J1040+0617 and compare it to TXS 0506+056. We find that TXS 0506+056 shows strong flux variability in the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray band, being in an active state around the arrival of IceCube-170922A, but in a low state during the archival IceCube neutrino flare in 2014/15. In both cases the spectral shape is statistically compatible ($\leq 2\sigma$) with the average spectrum showing no indication of a significant relative increase of a high-energy component. While the association of GB6 J1040+0617 with the neutrino is consistent with background expectations, the source appears to be a plausible neutrino source candidate based on its energetics and multi-wavelength features, namely a bright optical flare and modestly increased gamma-ray activity. Finding one or two neutrinos originating from gamma-ray blazars in the given sample of high-energy neutrinos is consistent with previously derived limits of neutrino emission from gamma-ray blazars, indicating the sources of the majority of cosmic high-energy neutrinos remain unknown.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, 2 Table

Analysis of the common genetic component of large-vessel vasculitides through a meta- Immunochip strategy

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) are major forms of large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) that share clinical features. To evaluate their genetic similarities, we analysed Immunochip genotyping data from 1,434 LVV patients and 3,814 unaffected controls. Genetic pleiotropy was also estimated. The HLA region harboured the main disease-specific associations. GCA was mostly associated with class II genes (HLA-DRB1/HLA-DQA1) whereas TAK was mostly associated with class I genes (HLA-B/MICA). Both the statistical significance and effect size of the HLA signals were considerably reduced in the cross-disease meta-analysis in comparison with the analysis of GCA and TAK separately. Consequently, no significant genetic correlation between these two diseases was observed when HLA variants were tested. Outside the HLA region, only one polymorphism located nearby the IL12B gene surpassed the study-wide significance threshold in the meta-analysis of the discovery datasets (rs755374, P?=?7.54E-07; ORGCA?=?1.19, ORTAK?=?1.50). This marker was confirmed as novel GCA risk factor using four additional cohorts (PGCA?=?5.52E-04, ORGCA?=?1.16). Taken together, our results provide evidence of strong genetic differences between GCA and TAK in the HLA. Outside this region, common susceptibility factors were suggested, especially within the IL12B locus

Human migration: the big data perspective

How can big data help to understand the migration phenomenon? In this paper, we try to answer this question through an analysis of various phases of migration, comparing traditional and novel data sources and models at each phase. We concentrate on three phases of migration, at each phase describing the state of the art and recent developments and ideas. The first phase includes the journey, and we study migration flows and stocks, providing examples where big data can have an impact. The second phase discusses the stay, i.e. migrant integration in the destination country. We explore various data sets and models that can be used to quantify and understand migrant integration, with the final aim of providing the basis for the construction of a novel multi-level integration index. The last phase is related to the effects of migration on the source countries and the return of migrants

Multimessenger search for sources of gravitational waves and high-energy neutrinos: Initial results for LIGO-Virgo and IceCube

peer reviewe

PROPUESTA DE SISTEMATIZACIÓN AGROHIDROLÓGICA EN CUENCAS DE LLANURA CON ÉNFASIS PREDIAL Y CONSORCIADO

Existe escasa tecnología para el manejo de aguas superfi ciales en áreas de planicie extrema e inundable, aumentada por la controversia de opinión en cuanto al modo de encarar la solución de los excesos y défi cit hídricos. La Agrohidrología modular considera el importante rol que cumple el agua en el sistema de producción, manejándola mediante un conjunto de prácticas conservacionis- tas rurales, de ingeniería agronómica y civil destinadas a controlar los anegamientos periódicos en campos bajos o en llanuras extensas. La unidad agrohidrológica básica es el diseño de “circuitos hidrológicos” que evita la transferencia anárquica de agua a otras unidades, circuitos o sistemas hídricos, mediante un conjunto de obras estructurales de encauzamiento, conducción, retención, expansión y evacuación. Estableciendo un marco hídrico y edafológico apropiado para acumular los excedentes de agua en sectores menos productivos, protegiendo ambientes con riesgo de hidromorfi smo y halomorfi smo y su reincorporación a los esquemas agronómicos productivos

Propuesta de sistematización agrohidrológica en cuencas de llanura con énfasis predial y consorciado = Proposal for agro-hydrological systematization in basins plaines with emphasis predial and consortial

Existe escasa tecnología para el manejo de aguas superfi ciales en áreas de planicie extrema e inundable, aumentada por la controversia de opinión en cuanto al modo de encarar la solución de los excesos y défi cit hídricos. La Agrohidrología modular considera el importante rol que cumple el agua en el sistema de producción, manejándola mediante un conjunto de prácticas conservacionistas rurales, de ingeniería agronómica y civil destinadas a controlar los anegamientos periódicos en campos bajos o en llanuras extensas. La unidad agrohidrológica básica es el diseño de “circuitos hidrológicos” que evita la transferencia anárquica de agua a otras unidades, circuitos o sistemas hídricos, mediante un conjunto de obras estructurales de encauzamiento, conducción, retención, expansión y evacuación. Estableciendo un marco hídrico y edafológico apropiado para acumular los excedentes de agua en sectores menos productivos, protegiendo ambientes con riesgo de hidromorfi smo y halomorfi smo y su reincorporación a los esquemas agronómicos productivos.Available and technology for surface water management in such large plains is still scarce or site-specifi c. Controversy often arises about how to fi nd the best solution to manage alternated periods with water excesses and droughts in the same area. The best technical solution is “agrohydrology”, which can be considered a “conservation / interventionist” approach attempting to manage the soil-plant-atmosphere system. The concept here proposed is water management in lowlands using “hydrologic circuits” capable of temporarily storing great water volumes to retard downstream evacuation. This requires the design and engineering calculation of different earth structures for captation, conduction and temporal storage of excess water, using combined “engineering- rural” management. This solution attempts to cope the typical climatic alternation of the fl ooding Pampa region: fl oods and droughts occurring in subsequent seasons, and both related to groundwater and soil salinization processes in this region. Water management by agrohydrology can be then regarded as a fi rst step before the implementation of classical soil reclamation techniques in large plains.Instituto de Clima y AguaFil: Damiano, Francisco. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instuto de Clima y Agua; ArgentinaFil: Parodi, Gabriel N. University of Twente. Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation; HolandaFil: Taboada, Miguel Angel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instuto de Suelos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Prieto Garra, Daniel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santiago del Estero; Argentin