Carbon nanofiber-supported tantalum oxides as durable catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media

Active and durable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), capable of replacing noble metal catalysts, are required to develop efficient and competitive devices within the frame of the water electrolysis technology for hydrogen production. In this work, we have investigated tantalum based catalysts supported on carbon nanofibers (CNF) for the first time. The effect of CNF characteristics and the catalyst annealing temperature on the electrochemical response for the OER have been analyzed in alkaline environment using a rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE). The best OER activity and oxygen efficiency were found with a highly graphitic CNF, despite its lower surface area, synthesized at 700 °C, and upon a catalyst annealing temperature of 800 °C. The ordering degree of carbon nanofibers favors the production of oxygen in combination with a low oxygen content in tantalum oxides. The most active catalyst exhibited also an excellent durability.The authors want to thank the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MICINN) and FEDER for the received funding in the project of reference ENE2017-83976-C2-1-R, and to the Gobierno de Aragón (DGA) for the funding to Grupo de Investigación Conversión de Combustibles ( T06_17R ). J.C. Ruiz-Cornejo acknowledges DGA for his PhD grant. D. Sebastián acknowledges the MICINN for the Ramón y Cajal research contract (RyC-2016-20944

Electrochemical Impedance Biosensor for Chagas Disease Diagnosis in Clinical Samples

Chagas disease (CD) is one of the main neglected tropical diseases, diagnosed mainly by serological tests performed in centralized laboratories, which severely limits the clinical management of the disease in communities with scarce resources. Herein, an electrochemical impedance biosensor for the detection of CD was developed for the first time using a cruzipain-based sensor surface. The protein, highly immunogenic and isolated from Trypanosoma cruzi, was immobilized over the surface of gold disc electrodes modified with 11-mercaptoundecanoic (MUA) and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Reproducible sensor surfaces, yielding 38 ± 3% coverage as measured by Surface Plasmon Resonance, were obtained by amide coupling of 120 μg/mL cruzipain onto 1/10 MUA/MCH SAMs for 30 min. Under optimized operational conditions, the impedimetric immunosensor recognized specific interactions for anti-T. cruzi antibodies in 1/800 diluted human serum patient samples. The charge transfer resistance of the biosensors increases by ∼18% in the presence of the positive samples, whereas the negative samples give rise to a negligible increase of around 6%. An excellent selectivity to clinical samples from patients infected with T. cruzi was obtained. The clear signal difference obtained for positive and negative clinical samples highlights the applicability of the sensors for the point-of-care diagnosis of CD.</p

Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in Spanish children. The COSACO nationwide surveillance study

Objective: To assess the prevalence and risk factors for S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization in Spanish children. Methods: Cross-sectional study of patients <14 years from primary care centers all over Spain. Clinical data and nasal aspirates were collected from March to July 2018. Results: A total of 1876 patients were enrolled. Prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA colonization were 33% (95% CI 30.9–35.1) and 1.44% (95% CI 0.9–2), respectively. Thirtythree percent of the children (633/1876) presented chronic conditions, mainly atopic dermatitis, asthma and/or allergy (524/633). Factors associated with S. aureus colonization were age =5 years (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.07–1.12), male sex (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.17–1.76), urban setting (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.08–1.97) and the presence of asthma, atopic dermatitis or allergies (OR 1.25; 95% CI: 1.093–1.43). Rural residence was the only factor associated with MRSA colonization (OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.57–8.36). MRSA was more frequently resistant than methicillin-susceptible S. aureus to ciprofloxacin [41.2% vs 2.6%; p<0.0001], clindamycin [26% vs 16.9%; p=0.39], and mupirocin [14.3% vs 6.7%; p=0.18]. None of the MRSA strains was resistant to tetracycline, fosfomycin, vancomycin or daptomycin. Conclusions: The main risk factors for S. aureus colonization in Spanish children are being above five years of age, male gender, atopic dermatitis, asthma or allergy, and residence in urban areas. MRSA colonization is low, but higher than in other European countries and is associated with rural settings

Branched-chain amino acids promote endothelial dysfunction through increased reactive oxygen species generation and inflammation

Branched‐chain amino acids (BCAA: leucine, isoleucine and valine) are essential amino acids implicated in glucose metabolism and maintenance of correct brain function. Elevated BCAA levels can promote an inflammatory response in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. However, there are no studies analysing the direct effects of BCAA on endothelial cells (ECs) and its possible modulation of vascular function. In vitro and ex vivo studies were performed in human ECs and aorta from male C57BL/6J mice, respectively. In ECs, BCAA (6 mmol/L) increased eNOS expression, reactive oxygen species production by mitochondria and NADPH oxidases, peroxynitrite formation and nitrotyrosine expression. Moreover, BCAA induced pro‐inflammatory responses through the transcription factor NF‐κB that resulted in the release of intracellular adhesion molecule‐1 and E‐selectin conferring endothelial activation and adhesion capacity to inflammatory cells. Pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1 intracellular signalling pathway decreased BCAA-induced pro‐oxidant and pro‐inflammatory effects in ECs. In isolated murine aorta, BCAA elicited vasoconstrictor responses, particularly in pre‐contracted vessels and after NO synthase blockade, and triggered endothelial dysfunction, effects that were inhibited by different antioxidants, further demonstrating the potential of BCAA to induce oxidative stress with functional impact. In summary, we demonstrate that elevated BCAA levels generate inflammation and oxidative stress in ECs, thereby facilitating inflammatory cells adhesion and endothelial dysfunction. This might contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in patients with elevated BCAA blood levels.This study was supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO SAF2016‐80305‐P), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) a way to build Europe (PI14/00386, PI14/0041, PIE13/00051, PI13/01488; PI17‐01495, CiberCV, CiberDEM), FP7 grant e‐PREDICE, by the Fundación Renal Iñigo Álvarez de Toledo (FRIAT)/Instituto Reina Sofía de Investigación Nefrológica and from Roche‐IdiPa

iNNk: A Multi-Player Game to Deceive a Neural Network

This paper presents iNNK, a multiplayer drawing game where human players team up against an NN. The players need to successfully communicate a secret code word to each other through drawings, without being deciphered by the NN. With this game, we aim to foster a playful environment where players can, in a small way, go from passive consumers of NN applications to creative thinkers and critical challengers

Uso de plasma rico en plaquetas autólogo en el tratamiento quirúrgico de pseudoartrosis atrófica de fémur y tibia

Objetivo: Describir y evaluar los resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico de pseudoartrosis atrófica de fémur o tibia mediante el uso de plasma rico en plaquetas (PRP) autólogo. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo longitudinal de 20 casos (19 pacientes) de pseudoartrosis atrófica de fémur o tibia tratados quirúrgicamente con PRP autólogo en el Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia de Lima, desde enero del 2008 hasta enero del 2012. El PRP fue preparado en el banco de sangre del hospital a partir de una unidad de sangre autóloga. Se evaluó el tiempo de consolidación ósea mediante radiografías seriadas y se registraron las complicaciones. Resultados: Se incluyeron 12 varones y 7 mujeres, con edad promedio de 33,8 años (15 a 67 años). Se evidenció consolidación en el 95% de los pacientes, el tiempo promedio para la consolidación fue 25 semanas. Se observó un caso de persistencia de infección con cultivo positivo a E. coli y un caso de refractura. Conclusiones: El PRP autólogo tiene un efecto beneficioso en la reparación del tejido óseo en casos de pseudoartrosis atrófica

Caracterización de la estructura y composición florística de dos tipos forestales del noroeste de la provincia del Chaco = Characterizing the Structure and Floristic Composition of two forest types in the northwest of the province of Chaco

Una gestión sostenible de los bosques requiere conocer aspectos ecológicos y el diseño de pautas silvícolas ajustadas a ellos. El objetivo del trabajo fue caracterizar la composición arbórea, la diversidad, la estructura horizontal y vertical de dos tipos de forestales del noroeste de la provincia del Chaco, Argentina, los cuales fueron identificados como Bosque Alto Abierto y Bosque Bajo Abierto. Los datos usados provienen de un inventario forestal de 3.665 ha boscosas efectuado en un predio de 4.978 ha. En el Bosque Alto Abierto, fueron halladas 14 especies y ocho familias botánicas; en el Bosque Bajo Abierto se encontraron ocho especies y seis familias. El coeficiente de mezcla, arrojó valores de 1:19 y 1:26 respectivamente. Con base en el índice de valor de importancia y los valores de cobertura, las especies más importantes fueron Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco, Ziziphus mistol y Schinopsis lorentzii. Ambos tipos forestales presentaron diferencias notables tanto en la continuidad de los estratos de altura como en la presencia de individuos en las clases diamétricas mayores.A sustainable forest management requires knowing ecological aspects and the design of silvicultural guidelines adjusted to them. The objective of the work was to characterize the tree composition, diversity, horizontal and vertical structure of two types of forest in the northwest of the province of Chaco, Argentina identified as High Open Forest and Low Open Forest. The data collected come from a forest inventory of 3,665 ha of woodlands covering 4,978 ha. In the High Open Forest, 14 species and 8 botanical families were found while in the Low Open Forest 8 species and 6 families. The mixing coefficient reached values of 1:19 and 1:26 respectively. On the basis of the importance value index together with the cover values, the most important species were Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco, Ziziphus mistol and Schinopsis lorentzii. Both forest types showed notable differences concerning the continuity of the height strata as well as in the presence of individuals in the largest diameter classes.EEA Sáenz PeñaFil: Kees, Sebastian Miguel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Sáenz Peña. Campo Anexo Presidente de la Plaza; ArgentinaFil: Torres, Silvana C. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Morales, A. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Giraudo, Lucas M. Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible. Programa Bosques Nativos y Comunidad. UEL Chaco; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz Diaz, S. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Giodarno, M.A. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Galeano, V.H. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; Argentina. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Kloster, N.A. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; ArgentinaFil: Kronemberger, R.Z. Provincia de Chaco. Ministerio de la Producción. Dirección de Bosques; Argentin

Multi-Messenger Astronomy with Extremely Large Telescopes

The field of time-domain astrophysics has entered the era of Multi-messenger Astronomy (MMA). One key science goal for the next decade (and beyond) will be to characterize gravitational wave (GW) and neutrino sources using the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). These studies will have a broad impact across astrophysics, informing our knowledge of the production and enrichment history of the heaviest chemical elements, constrain the dense matter equation of state, provide independent constraints on cosmology, increase our understanding of particle acceleration in shocks and jets, and study the lives of black holes in the universe. Future GW detectors will greatly improve their sensitivity during the coming decade, as will near-infrared telescopes capable of independently finding kilonovae from neutron star mergers. However, the electromagnetic counterparts to high-frequency (LIGO/Virgo band) GW sources will be distant and faint and thus demand ELT capabilities for characterization. ELTs will be important and necessary contributors to an advanced and complete multi-messenger network.Comment: White paper submitted to the Astro2020 Decadal Surve