The Atmospheric Response to Meridional Shifts of the Gulf Stream SST Front and Its Dependence on Model Resolution

The Gulf Stream (GS) plays a key role in shaping the North Atlantic climate. Moreover, the associated sea surface temperature (SST) front undergoes interannual-to-decadal variability that is thought to force significant atmospheric circulation anomalies. However, general circulation models do not accurately reproduce the atmospheric response to SST front variability as estimated from observations. In this work we analyze the atmospheric response to the GS SST front (GSF) shifts in a multimodel ensemble of atmosphere-only simulations forced with observed SSTs (1950-2014). The atmospheric response is found to be resolution dependent. Only the high-resolution simulations produce a wintertime response similar to observed anomalies. More specifically, (i) analysis of the atmospheric thermodynamic balance close to the GSF showed that the anomalous diabatic heating associated to the GSF displacement is mainly balanced by vertical motion and by meridional transient eddy heat transport (not the case for low-resolution models), while (ii) the large-scale response includes a meridional shift of the North Atlantic eddy-driven jet and storm track homodirectional to the GSF displacement. This atmospheric response is accompanied by changes in low-level baroclinicity close to and north of the GSF, resulting from the oceanic forcing and the zonal atmospheric circulation anomalies respectively. The low-level baroclinicity anomalies lead to changes in baroclinic eddy activity and, ultimately, in the jet via eddy-mean flow interaction. Considering the two-way nature of air-sea interactions, using historical atmosphere-only simulations is a powerful way to isolate the impact of realistic oceanic variability on the atmosphere. Our results suggest that interannual-to-decadal predictability may be higher than what low-resolution models currently indicate

New records of the genus Pachygrapsus (Crustacea : Decapoda) from the central Mediterranean Sea with a review of its Mediterranean zoogeography

The occurrence of Pachygrapsus maurus and Pachygrapsus transversus is reported from the Maltese Islands for the first time on the basis of one specimen of P. maurus collected in 1990 and numerous recent specimens, and the distribution of the two species is mapped. The controversial presence of P. maurus in Italy is confirmed and two new sites for this species are reported, including the first for the mainland of Italy. The examination of the historical specimen of P. maurus from the Genova area revealed a misidentification of P. transversus; this record could be a result of ship-mediated transport. First notes on the habitat of P. maurus in the central Mediterranean Sea are given. Updated maps of the distribution of P. maurus and P. transversus in the Mediterranean are provided and the zoogeography of these species is revisited.peer-reviewe

Elective endovascular and open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms in octogenarians

ObjectivesEndovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is an increasingly popular treatment option for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), although open repair is considered the standard by virtue of its durability. Octogenarians, as a subgroup, may stand to benefit the most by EVAR. The purpose of this study is to review operative results and durability of open AAA repair and EVAR in octogenarians.MethodsFrom May 1996 to August 2006, 150 patients aged ≥80 years underwent elective repair of their infrarenal AAA. Eighty-one underwent EVAR and 69 had open repair. Demographic data, aneurysm specifics, comorbidities, operative morbidity and mortality, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and late outcomes were analyzed.ResultsIn the EVAR group, 27 of 81 (33%) patients died during a mean follow-up of 25 months. In the open repair group, 34 of 69 (49%) patients died during a mean follow-up of 43 months. The median survival time for EVAR was 350 weeks (range, 145-404 weeks) compared with 317 weeks (range, 233-342 weeks) for the open repair group. A Kaplan-Meier log-rank analysis showed no difference in early or long-term survival between EVAR and open repair (P = .13). EVAR was associated with decreased blood loss, decreased length of intensive care unit and hospital stays, and a greater number of patients discharged to home.ConclusionsEVAR and open repair are comparable in safety and efficacy in octogenarians. Operative repair outcomes remain acceptable. Mid- and long-term survival are similar, indicating no survival advantage of one procedure compared with the other

Results of the engineering run of the coherent neutrino nucleus interaction experiment (CONNIE)

The CONNIE detector prototype is operating at a distance of 30 m from the core of a 3.8 GWth nuclear reactor with the goal of establishing Charge-Coupled Devices (CCD) as a new technology for the detection of coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. We report on the results of the engineering run with an active mass of 4 g of silicon. The CCD array is described, and the performance observed during the first year is discussed. A compact passive shield was deployed around the detector, producing an order of magnitude reduction in the background rate. The remaining background observed during the run was stable, and dominated by internal contamination in the detector packaging materials. The in-situ calibration of the detector using X-ray lines from fluorescence demonstrates good stability of the readout system. The event rates with the reactor ON and OFF are compared, and no excess is observed coming from nuclear fission at the power plant. The upper limit for the neutrino event rate is set two orders of magnitude above the expectations for the standard model. The results demonstrate the cryogenic CCD-based detector can be remotely operated at the reactor site with stable noise below2 e RMS and stable background rates. The success of the engineering test provides a clear path for the upgraded 100 g detector to be deployed during 2016.Fil: Aguilar Arevalo, A.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Bertou, Xavier Pierre Louis. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Fundación José A. Balseiro; ArgentinaFil: Bonifazi, C.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Butner, M.. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Cancelo, G.. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Castañeda Vazquez, A.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Cervantes Vergara, B.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Chavez, C. R.. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; ParaguayFil: Da Motta, H.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: D'Olivo, J. C.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Dos Anjos, J.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: Estrada, J.. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Fernández Moroni, Guillermo. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto ; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ford, R.. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Foguel, A.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Hernandez Torres, K. P.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Izraelevitch, F.. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Kavner, A.. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Kilminster, B.. Universitat Zurich; SuizaFil: Kuk, K.. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Lima Jr, H. P.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: Makler, M.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; BrasilFil: Molina, J.. Universidad Nacional de Asunción; ParaguayFil: Moreno Granados, G.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Moro, Juan Manuel. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Paolini, Eduardo Emilio. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Instituto ; ArgentinaFil: Sofo Haro, Miguel Francisco. Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica. Gerencia D/area de Energia Nuclear; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tiffenberg, Javier Sebastian. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Trillaud, F.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Wagner, S.. Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas; Brasil. Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasi

Local and global modes of drug action in biochemical networks

It becomes increasingly accepted that a shift is needed from the traditional target-based approach of drug development to an integrated perspective of drug action in biochemical systems. We here present an integrative analysis of the interactions between drugs and metabolism based on the concept of drug scope. The drug scope represents the set of metabolic compounds and reactions that are potentially affected by a drug. We constructed and analyzed the scopes of all US approved drugs having metabolic targets. Our analysis shows that the distribution of drug scopes is highly uneven, and that drugs can be classified into several categories based on their scopes. Some of them have small scopes corresponding to localized action, while others have large scopes corresponding to potential large-scale systemic action. These groups are well conserved throughout different topologies of the underlying metabolic network. They can furthermore be associated to specific drug therapeutic properties

Continuous Team Semantics

We study logics with team semantics in computable metric spaces. We show how to define approximate versions of the usual independence/dependence atoms. For restricted classes of formulae, we show that we can assume w.l.o.g.~that teams are closed sets. This then allows us to import techniques from computable analysis to study the complexity of formula satisfaction and model checking

Continuous Team Semantics

Peer reviewe

Exploring young people’s experiences and perceptions of mental health and well-being using photography

© 2019 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Introduction: The mental health of young people is a major global public health concern. A shift in focus towards children and young people’s mental health in the UK has emphasized young people’s voices, as of paramount importance in shaping the path for future quality care provision. The paper examines a study that aimed to explore young people’s perceptions of mental health and well-being using photographs. Method: The methodology employed for this study placed young people at the centre of the research process by using photographs to capture their experiences. Ten young people who attended a youth group used disposable cameras to take photographs of their experiences and perceptions of mental health and well-being. Semi-structured interviews with the young people elicited their narratives behind the images. Data were analysed using photo-elicitation and thematic analysis. Findings: Young people’s experiences of mental health and well-being were internalized and located predominantly in the private and hidden regions of their everyday lives. Stigma, social isolation and marginalization were prevalent whilst spirituality and connection with the environment expressed hope. Conclusion: Mental health appears to be firmly located in the private ‘back regions’ of young individuals’ lives, demonstrating that young people conceptualize these experiences as a vulnerable and hidden part of their being. Understanding the needs of this new generation of youth including the prevalence of stigma, risk of isolation and social exclusion are paramount. Future service provision needs to recognize the extent stigma impacts upon young people’s experiences of mental health and well-being

ChEMBL: a large-scale bioactivity database for drug discovery

ChEMBL is an Open Data database containing binding, functional and ADMET information for a large number of drug-like bioactive compounds. These data are manually abstracted from the primary published literature on a regular basis, then further curated and standardized to maximize their quality and utility across a wide range of chemical biology and drug-discovery research problems. Currently, the database contains 5.4 million bioactivity measurements for more than 1 million compounds and 5200 protein targets. Access is available through a web-based interface, data downloads and web services at: https://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembldb

4-Deoxyphorbol inhibits HIV-1 infection in synergism with antiretroviral drugs and reactivates viral reservoirs through PKC/MEK activation synergizing with vorinostat.

Latent HIV reservoirs are the main obstacle to eradicate HIV infection. One strategy proposes to eliminate these viral reservoirs by pharmacologically reactivating the latently infected T cells. We show here that a 4-deoxyphorbol ester derivative isolated from Euphorbia amygdaloides ssp. semiperfoliata, 4β-dPE A, reactivates HIV-1 from latency and could potentially contribute to decrease the viral reservoir. 4β-dPE A shows two effects in the HIV replication cycle, infection inhibition and HIV transactivation, similarly to other phorboids PKC agonists such PMA and prostratin and to other diterpene esters such SJ23B. Our data suggest 4β-dPE A is non-tumorigenic, unlike the related compound PMA. As the compounds are highly similar, the lack of tumorigenicity by 4β-dPE A could be due to the lack of a long side lipophilic chain that is present in PMA. 4β-dPE activates HIV transcription at nanomolar concentrations, lower than the concentration needed by other latency reversing agents (LRAs) such as prostratin and similar to bryostatin. PKCθ/MEK activation is required for the transcriptional activity, and thus, anti-latency activity of 4β-dPE A. However, CD4, CXCR4 and CCR5 receptors down-regulation effect seems to be independent of PCK/MEK, suggesting the existence of at least two different targets for 4β-dPE A. Furthermore, NF-κb transcription factor is involved in 4β-dPE HIV reactivation, as previously shown for other PKCs agonists. We also studied the effects of 4β-dPE A in combination with other LRAs. When 4β-dPE A was combined with another PKC agonists such as prostratin an antagonic effect was achieved, while, when combined with an HDAC inhibitor such as vorinostat, a strong synergistic effect was obtained. Interestingly, the latency reversing effect of the combination was synergistically diminishing the EC50 value but also increasing the efficacy showed by the drugs alone. In addition, combinations of 4β-dPE A with antiretroviral drugs as CCR5 antagonist, NRTIs, NNRTIs and PIs, showed a consistent synergistic effect, suggesting that the combination would not interefer with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Finally, 4β-dPE A induced latent HIV reactivation in CD4 + T cells of infected patients under ART at similar levels than the tumorigenic phorbol derivative PMA, showing a clear reactivation effect. In summary, we describe here the mechanism of action of a new potent deoxyphorbol derivative as a latency reversing agent candidate to decrease the size of HIV reservoirs.This work was supported by Ministry of Education of the Peruvian government (PRONABEC), the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM-Santander PR87/19), the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII-FIS PI16CIII/00034) and the Spanish AIDS Research Network RD12/0017/0015 that is included in the Spanish I D I Plan and is co-financed by ISCIII-Subdirección General de Evaluación and European Funding for Regional Development (FEDER). This work has also benefited from an “Investissement d’Avenir” grant managed by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (CEBA, ANR- 10-LABX-25-01).S