An alternative experimental methodology to determine the diagonal cracking resistance of steel-reinforced concrete beams

[EN]An alternative experimental method for predicting the diagonal shear cracking resistance of steel-reinforced concrete beams is developed in this paper. Conventional extensometric strain-gauge rosettes are placed on the lateral surfaces of a set of four beams. As diagonal cracking propagates through the beams, the load-strain curves flatten out at a plateau and the mechanical property under consideration may be determined. The method is applied to four beams cast from pumpable and self-compacting concrete mixes with cement types I and IV containing electric arc furnace slag aggregates. The feasibility of applying standard design code formulas to the concretes containing these aggregates may therefore be studied and compared with other recent research works. Accurate experimental results were obtained with this method without having to interrupt the test for subjective visual appraisals of the test specimen.The authors wish to express their gratitude to: the Spanish Ministry MICINN, AEI and ERDF [RTI2018097079BC31; PID2020113837RBI00; 10.13039/501100011033; FPU17/03374] ; the Junta de Castilla y Leon (Regional Government) and ERDF [UIC231, BU119P17] ; Youth Employment Initiative (JCyL) and ESF [UBU05B_1274] ; and the University of the Basque Country [PPGA20/26] and University of Burgos [SUCONS, Y135.GI] for additional funding. Our thanks also go to the Basque Government research group [IT131419] and likewise to CHRYSO and HORMOR for supplying the materials used in this research

Does imbalance in chest X-ray datasets produce biased deep learning approaches for COVID-19 screening?

[Abstract] Background The health crisis resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted more than ever the need for rapid, reliable and safe methods of diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory diseases. To study pulmonary involvement in detail, one of the most common resources is the use of different lung imaging modalities (like chest radiography) to explore the possible affected areas. Methods The study of patient characteristics like sex and age in pathologies of this type is crucial for gaining knowledge of the disease and for avoiding biases due to the clear scarcity of data when developing representative systems. In this work, we performed an analysis of these factors in chest X-ray images to identify biases. Specifically, 11 imbalance scenarios were defined with female and male COVID-19 patients present in different proportions for the sex analysis, and 6 scenarios where only one specific age range was used for training for the age factor. In each study, 3 different approaches for automatic COVID-19 screening were used: Normal vs COVID-19, Pneumonia vs COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 vs COVID-19. The study was validated using two public chest X-ray datasets, allowing a reliable analysis to support the clinical decision-making process. Results The results for the sex-related analysis indicate this factor slightly affects the system in the Normal VS COVID-19 and Pneumonia VS COVID-19 approaches, although the identified differences are not relevant enough to worsen considerably the system. Regarding the age-related analysis, this factor was observed to be influencing the system in a more consistent way than the sex factor, as it was present in all considered scenarios. However, this worsening does not represent a major factor, as it is not of great magnitude. Conclusions Multiple studies have been conducted in other fields in order to determine if certain patient characteristics such as sex or age influenced these deep learning systems. However, to the best of our knowledge, this study has not been done for COVID-19 despite the urgency and lack of COVID-19 chest x-ray images. The presented results evidenced that the proposed methodology and tested approaches allow a robust and reliable analysis to support the clinical decision-making process in this pandemic scenario.This research was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Government of Spain, DTS18/00136 research project; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Universidades, Government of Spain, RTI2018-095894-B-I00 research project; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Government of Spain through the research project with reference PID2019-108435RB-I00; Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidade, Xunta de Galicia, Grupos de Referencia Competitiva, grant ref. ED431C 2020/24; postdoctoral grant ref. ED481B 2021/059; Axencia Galega de Innovación (GAIN), Xunta de Galicia, grant ref. IN845D 2020/38; CITIC, Centro de Investigación de Galicia ref. ED431G 2019/01, receives financial support from Consellería de Educación, Universidade e Formación Profesional, Xunta de Galicia, through the ERDF (80%) and Secretaría Xeral de Universidades (20%)Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2020/24Xunta de Galicia; ED481B 2021/059Xunta de Galicia; IN845D 2020/38Xunta de Galicia; ED431G 2019/0

Coupling a polarizable water model to the hydrated ion–water interaction potential: A test on the Cr3+ hydration

A strategy to build interaction potentials for describing ionic hydration of highly charged monoatomic cations by computer simulations, including the polarizable character of the solvent, is proposed. The method is based on the hydrated ion concept that has been previously tested for the case of Cr3+ aqueous solutions [J. Phys. Chem. 100, 11748 (1996)]. In the present work, the interaction potential of [Cr(H2O6)]3+ with water has been adapted to a water model that accounts for the polarizable character of the solvent by means of a mobile charge harmonic oscillator representation (MCHO model) [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 6448 (1990)]. Monte Carlo simulations of the Cr3+ hexahydrate plus 512 water molecules have been performed to study the energetics and structure of the ionic solution. The results show a significant improvement in the estimate of the hydration enthalpy [ LlHhydr(Cr3+)=-1109.6:±70 kcal/mol] that now matches the experimental value within the uncertainty of this magnitude. The use of the polarizable water model lowers by �140 kcal/mol the statistical estimation of the [Cr(H2O6)]3+ hydration enthalpy compared to the nonpolarizable model. (-573 kcal/mol for the polarizable model vs -714 kcal/mol for the nonpolarizable one.) This improvement reflects a more accurate treatment of the many-body nonadditive effects.Dirección General de Investigaciones Científica y Técnica PB95-0549DGAPA-UNAM ES-112896CONACyT L004-

La incidencia de la planificación operativa en la capitalización económica campesina durante los años 2018-2019, unión de campesinos organizados de la cuenca de San Dionisio ,en las comunidades de Susulí y el Jicaro

En el presente trabajo se dan a conocer los resultados obtenidos de producción, de cada uno de los productores de esta investigación, que responden a la Planificación Operativa, pero con énfasis a la Productividad y su Incidencia en la Capitalización Económica Campesina en las comunidades de San Dionisio en los años 2018 y 2019; donde cada uno de los productores son socios de la organización y forman parte de la población bajo estudio. Para el proceso investigativo se utilizaron técnicas que permitieron, establecer el diálogo participativo entre los actores y el equipo investigador que facilitó este proceso, entre las que se destacan, la aplicación de una entrevista estructurada y un cuestionario en forma de encuesta, donde la interacción y el intercambio de información causaron una serie de aprendizajes para todos los actores del proceso. Para la realización del marco metodológico la investigación se realizó a base de una encuesta que se aplicó a cada uno de los productores socios a la UCOSD en distintas comunidades conociendo de esta forma las necesidades que cada productor enfrenta, al igual el apoyo que la organización como tal les brinda con la iniciativa de mejorar en sus procesos, medios y ciclos de producción. El tipo de investigación usada en la recolección de datos fue mediante el enfoque descriptiva, de corte transversal y con un énfasis inductivo-deductivo. Además, se muestra como conclusiones los resultados obtenidos en todo el proceso investigativo, a través del análisis de cada uno de los objetivos planteados en la investigació

Two-step ATP-driven opening of cohesin head

The cohesin ring is a protein complex composed of four core subunits: Smc1A, Smc3, Rad21 and Stag1/2. It is involved in chromosome segregation, DNA repair, chromatin organization and transcription regulation. Opening of the ring occurs at the "head" structure, formed of the ATPase domains of Smc1A and Smc3 and Rad21. We investigate the mechanisms of the cohesin ring opening using techniques of free molecular dynamics (MD), steered MD and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics MD (QM/MM MD). The study allows the thorough analysis of the opening events at the atomic scale: I) ATP hydrolysis at the Smc1A site, evaluating the role of the carboxy-terminal domain of Rad21 in the process; ii) the activation of the Smc3 site potentially mediated by the movement of specific amino acids; and iii) opening of the head domains after the two ATP hydrolysis events. Our study suggests that the cohesin ring opening is triggered by a sequential activation of the ATP sites in which ATP hydrolysis at the Smc1A site induces ATPase activity at the Smc3 site. Our analysis also provides an explanation for the effect of pathogenic variants related to cohesinopathies and cancer

Association of muscular strength and targeted proteomics involved in brain health in children with overweight/obesity

Muscular strength has been positively associated with better brain health indicators during childhood obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the positive impact of muscular strength in brain health are poorly understood. We aimed to study the association of muscular strength with neurology-related circulating proteins in plasma in children with overweight/obesity and to explore the role of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as a confounder. The participants were 86 Caucasian children (10.1 ± 1.1 years old; 41% girls) from the ActiveBrains project. Muscular strength was measured by field and laboratory tests. CRF was assessed with an incremental treadmill test. Olink's technology was used to quantify 92 neurology-related proteins in plasma. Protein–protein interactions were computed using the STRING website. Muscular strength was positively associated with 12 proteins (BetaNGF, CDH6, CLEC10A, CLM1, FcRL2, HAGH, IL12, LAIR2, MSR1, SCARB2, SMOC2, and TNFRSF12A), and negatively associated with 12 proteins (CLEC1B, CTSC, CTSS, gal-8, GCP5, NAAA, NrCAM, NTRK2, PLXNB3, RSPO1, sFRP3, and THY1). After adjustment for CRF, muscular strength was positively associated with eight proteins (BetaNGF, CDH6, CLEC10A, FcRL2, LAIR2, MSR1, SCARB2, and TNFRSF12A) and negatively associated with two proteins (gal-8 and NrCAM). After applying FDR correction, only CLEC10A remained statistically significant. In conclusion, muscular strength was associated with blood circulating proteins involved in several biological processes, particularly anti-inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, beta amyloid clearance, and neuronal action potential propagation. More powered studies are warranted in pediatric populations to contrast or confirm our findings

Two-step ATP-driven opening of cohesin head.

The cohesin ring is a protein complex composed of four core subunits: Smc1A, Smc3, Rad21 and Stag1/2. It is involved in chromosome segregation, DNA repair, chromatin organization and transcription regulation. Opening of the ring occurs at the “head” structure, formed of the ATPase domains of Smc1A and Smc3 and Rad21. We investigate the mechanisms of the cohesin ring opening using techniques of free molecular dynamics (MD), steered MD and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics MD (QM/MM MD). The study allows the thorough analysis of the opening events at the atomic scale: i) ATP hydrolysis at the Smc1A site, evaluating the role of the carboxy-terminal domain of Rad21 in the process; ii) the activation of the Smc3 site potentially mediated by the movement of specific amino acids; and iii) opening of the head domains after the two ATP hydrolysis events. Our study suggests that the cohesin ring opening is triggered by a sequential activation of the ATP sites in which ATP hydrolysis at the Smc1A site induces ATPase activity at the Smc3 site. Our analysis also provides an explanation for the effect of pathogenic variants related to cohesinopathies and cancer.post-print4709 K

Properties of Concrete Paving Blocks and Hollow Tiles with Recycled Aggregate from Construction and Demolition Wastes

In recent years there has been an increasing tendency to recycle the wastes generated by building companies in the construction industry, demolition wastes being the most important in terms of volume. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of using recycled aggregates from construction and demolition wastes in the preparation of precast non-structural concretes. To that purpose, two different percentages (15% and 30%) of natural aggregates were substituted by recycled aggregates in the manufacture of paving blocks and hollow tiles. Dosages used by the company have not been changed by the introduction of recycled aggregate. Precast elements have been tested by means of compressive and flexural strength, water absorption, density, abrasion, and slipping resistance. The results obtained show the possibility of using these wastes at an industrial scale, satisfying the requirements of the Spanish standards for these elements.Authors of this study would like to thank the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) for financing the project IDI-20120868

In vitro toxicological assessment of an organosulfur compound from Allium extract: Cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity studies

Garlic (Allium sativum) and onion (Allium cepa) are being used in the food industry as flavoring but also for their antimicrobial activities. These activities are mainly derived from the organosulfur compounds (OSCs). Propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS) is an OSC with potential use in the active packaging, but its safety should be guaranteed before being commercialized. The aim of this work was to investigate for the first time the cytotoxicity of PTS as well as its in vitro mutagenic/genotoxic potential using the following battery of genotoxicity tests:(1)the bacterial reverse-mutation assay in S. typhimurium (Ames test, OECD 471, 1997); (2) the micronucleus test (MN, OECD 487, 2016); (3) the mouse lymphoma thymidine-kinase assay (MLA, OECD 476, 2015), and (4) the comet assay (standard and modified with restriction enzymes). The results revealed that PTS was not mutagenic neither in the Ames test nor in MLA. However, genotoxic effects were recorded in the MN test on mammalian cells (L5178YTk+/−cells) after PTS exposure at the highest concentration tested (17.25 μM) without S9, and also its metabolites (+S9, from 20 μM). Moreover, in the comet assay, PTS induced DNA breaks damage in Caco-2 cells at the highest concentration tested (280 μM) but it did not induce oxidative DNA damage.Spanish Ministry of Scienceand Innovation (AGL2012-38357-C02-01) co-financed by FEDER fundsJunta de Andalucía (AGR-7252

Aircraft icing: in-cloud measurements and sensitivity to physical parameterizations

The prediction of supercooled cloud drops in the atmosphere is a basic tool for aviation safety, owing to their contact with and instant freezing on sensitive locations of the aircraft. One of the main disadvantages for predicting atmospheric icing conditions is the acquisition of observational data. In this study, we used in‐cloud microphysics measurements taken during 10 flights of a C‐212 research aircraft under winter conditions, during which we encountered 37 regions containing supercooled liquid water. To investigate the capability of the Weather Research and Forecasting model to detect regions containing supercooled cloud drops, we propose a multiphysics ensemble approach. We used four microphysics and two planetary boundary layer schemes. The Morrison parameterization yielded superior results, whereas the planetary boundary layer schemes were essential in evaluating the presence of liquid water content. The Goddard microphysics scheme best detected the presence of ice water content but tended to underestimate liquid water content