Rayleigh wave dispersion measurements reveal low-velocity zones beneath the new crust in the Gulf of California

Rayleigh wave tomography provides images of the shallow mantle shear wave velocity structure beneath the Gulf of California. Low-velocity zones (LVZs) are found on axis between 26 and 50 km depth beneath the Guaymas Basin but mostly off axis under the other rift basins, with the largest feature underlying the Ballenas Transform Fault. We interpret the broadly distributed LVZs as regions of partial melting in a solid mantle matrix. The pathway for melt migration and focusing is more complex than an axis-centered source aligned above a deeper region of mantle melt and likely reflects the magmatic evolution of rift segments. We also consider the existence of solid lower continental crust in the Gulf north of the Guaymas Basin, where the association of the LVZs with asthenospheric upwelling suggests lateral flow assisted by a heat source. These results provide key constraints for numerical models of mantle upwelling and melt focusing in this young oblique rift

Highly HLA sensitized kidney transplant patients in a transplant center

Q4Q3Artículo original436-440Introduction. Approximately 10% to 30% of patients on renal transplant waiting lists are sensitized, which gives them more time on the waiting list. Transplantation in this setting has a greater risk of rejection and decreased graft survival. New strategies of donor allocation through virtual crossmatching and optimization of immunosuppressive therapies in induction and maintenance have allowed the allocation of organs for this population, which in other circumstances would not be chosen for a kidney transplant. Objective. To describe the experience of renal transplantation in highly sensitized patients with a panel reactive antibody of >80% in a transplant center, through virtual crossmatching, discarding unacceptable antigens, and without desensitization treatment. Methods. An observational, descriptive, retrospective case series study was conducted on highly sensitized kidney transplant patients with a panel reactive antibody of 80% from 2010 to 2016. Results. A total of 10 highly sensitized transplant patients were identified. Six patients were women, all of whom had a history of pregnancy; all patients had undergone blood transfusions, and 40% had undergone a first transplant. Average time spent on dialysis was 148.5 months, and on the waiting list, 45.8 months. Average follow-up was 42 months (range, 10e84 months). The estimated glomerular filtration rate by the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration method at year 1 was 75 mL/min/1.73 m2 body surface. Nine patients at 1 year posttransplantation had graft and patient survivals of 100%, as did 5 patients at >3 years posttransplantation. Conclusions. Renal transplantation based on virtual crossmatching is a good alternative for highly sensitized patients

Fluctuación físico-química, costo ambiental y predicción ecotoxicológica mediante programa computacional Gecotoxic® en la laguna de oxidación Yaurilla, Ica-Perú

El tratamiento inadecuado y sus posibles efectos sociales es una de las preocupaciones ambientales. El propósito del estudio fue evaluar las fluctuaciones de parámetros físicoquímicos, costo ambiental y predicción ecotoxicológica mediante programa computacional Gecotoxic® en la laguna de oxidación de Yaurilla, Ica-Perú. Mediante un muestreo probabilístico aleatorio se midió el pH, sólidos totales, conductividad eléctrica y la temperatura del efluente en mayo, junio, julio y diciembre de 2019. Con los parámetros se estimó el costo ambiental sostenible relativo (COASOR) mediante un cociente entre el costo de evaluación (COA) y el costo de prevención normativo (CONP). Los valores hallados se introdujeron al descriptor análisis residual del programa computacional Gecotoxic® para su predicción ecotoxicológica. El rango de variación para los parámetros fue: pH = 6,01–8,01; sólidos totales = 451–818,9 mg.L-1; conductividad eléctrica = 921–1737,5 uS/cm y la temperatura = 25,75– 25,65°C. La estimación promedio del COASOR fue de recurso sostenible relativo y Gecotoxic® indicó, predicción ecotoxicológica de tipo bajo (30%). Se concluyó que, a pesar de las fluctuaciones entre los valores de los parámetros físico-químicos, el efluente mostró valor de uso como recurso, además, no representó ningún tipo riesgo. No obstante, se recomienda analizarse otros parámetros incluyendo los microbiológicos para la correcta toma de decisiones

Illness behavior in patients on long-term sick leave due to chronic musculoskeletal pain

Background and purpose Methods for identification of patients with illness behavior in orthopedic settings are still being debated. The purpose of this study was to test the association between illness behavior, depressed mood, pain intensity, self-rated disability, and clinical status in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP)

Migration, Agribusiness and Nutritional Status of Children under Five in Northwest Mexico

The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status of children of Mexican migrant worker families under five years of age within the context of global food markets. The sample included 404 children less than five years old from farms and agricultural communities in northwest Mexico. Prevalence of stunting and underweight of children appeared very similar to that of indigenous children from the national sample survey (difference 0.9 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively). Compared to the national sample of Mexican children, stunting and underweight seemed higher in migrant children (difference 17.7 and 4.5 percentage points, respectively), but wasting, an indicator of both chronic and acute undernutrition, appeared to indicate a process of nutritional recuperation. Migrant children living in poverty and suffering from chronic undernutrition, poor performance and scarce education opportunities, can be expected to eventually become agricultural workers with low productivity and poor general health. Consumer’s demands on social and environmental standards of fresh food production in developed countries could be an opportunity to impact the lives of migrant agricultural workers, their families and communities

Hypothalamic AMPK-ER Stress-JNK1 Axis Mediates the Central Actions of Thyroid Hormones on Energy Balance

Thyroid hormones (THs) act in the brain to modulate energy balance. We show that central triiodothyronine (T3) regulates de novo lipogenesis in liver and lipid oxidation in brown adipose tissue (BAT) through the parasympathetic (PSNS) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS), respectively. Central T3 promotes hepatic lipogenesis with parallel stimulation of the thermogenic program in BAT. The action of T3 depends on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-induced regulation of two signaling pathways in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH): decreased ceramide-induced endoplasmic reticulum(ER) stress, which promotes BAT thermogenesis, and increased c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation, which controls hepatic lipid metabolism. Of note, ablation of AMPK alpha 1 in steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1) neurons of the VMH fully recapitulated the effect of central T3, pointing to this population in mediating the effect of central THs on metabolism. Overall, these findings uncover the underlying pathways through which central T3 modulates peripheral metabolism.Peer reviewe

Characterization of the VVV Survey RR Lyrae Population across the Southern Galactic Plane

This is an author created, un-copyedited version of an article published in The Astronomical Journal. Under embargo. Embargo end date: 27 March 2018. IOP Publishing is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The Version of Record is available online at doi: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa5be4.Deep near-IR images from the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey were used to search for RR Lyrae stars in the Southern Galactic plane. A sizable sample of 404 RR Lyrae of type ab stars was identified across a thin slice of the fourth Galactic quadrant (295° < ℓ < 350°, −2°.24 < b < −1°.05). The sample’s distance distribution exhibits a maximum density that occurs at the bulge tangent point, which implies that this primarily Oosterhoff type I population of RRab stars does not trace the bar delineated by their red clump counterparts. The bulge RR Lyrae population does not extend beyond ℓ ∼ 340°, and the sample’s spatial distribution presents evidence of density enhancements and substructure that warrants further investigation. Indeed, the sample may be employed to evaluate Galactic evolution models, and is particularly lucrative since half of the discovered RR Lyrae are within reach of Gaia astrometric observations.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Bone metabolism and inflammatory biomarkers in radiographic and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients: a comprehensive evaluation

IntroductionAxial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a heterogeneous disease that can be represented by radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA) and non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA). This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the markers of inflammation and bone turnover in r-axSpA patients and nr-axSpA patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study included 29 r-axSpA patients, 10 nr-axSpA patients, and 20 controls matched for age and sex. Plasma markers related to bone remodeling such as human procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), sclerostin, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP5b), receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were measured by an ELISA kit. A panel of 92 inflammatory molecules was analyzed by proximity extension assay.ResultsR-axSpA patients had decreased plasma levels of P1NP, a marker of bone formation, compared to controls. In addition, r-axSpA patients exhibited decreased plasma levels of sclerostin, an anti-anabolic bone hormone, which would not explain the co-existence of decreased plasma P1NP concentration; however, sclerostin levels could also be influenced by inflammatory processes. Plasma markers of osteoclast activity were similar in all groups. Regarding inflammation-related molecules, nr-axSpA patients showed increased levels of serum interleukin 13 (IL13) as compared with both r-axSpA patients and controls, which may participate in the prevention of inflammation. On the other hand, r-axSpA patients had higher levels of pro-inflammatory molecules compared to controls (i.e., IL6, Oncostatin M, and TNF receptor superfamily member 9). Correlation analysis showed that sclerostin was inversely associated with IL6 and Oncostatin M among others.ConclusionAltogether, different inflammatory profiles may play a role in the development of the skeletal features in axSpA patients particularly related to decreased bone formation. The relationship between sclerostin and inflammation and the protective actions of IL13 could be of relevance in the axSpA pathology, which is a topic for further investigation