Interactively modelling land profitability to estimate European agricultural and forest land use under future scenarios of climate, socio-economics and adaptation

Studies of climate change impacts on agricultural land use generally consider sets of climates combined with fixed socio-economic scenarios, making it impossible to compare the impact of specific factors within these scenario sets. Analysis of the impact of specific scenario factors is extremely difficult due to prohibitively long run-times of the complex models. This study produces and combines metamodels of crop and forest yields and farm profit, derived from previously developed very complex models, to enable prediction of European land use under any set of climate and socio-economic data. Land use is predicted based on the profitability of the alternatives on every soil within every 10' grid across the EU. A clustering procedure reduces 23,871 grids with 20+ soils per grid to 6,714 clusters of common soil and climate. Combined these reduce runtime 100 thousand-fold. Profit thresholds define land as intensive agriculture (arable or grassland), extensive agriculture or managed forest, or finally unmanaged forest or abandoned land. The demand for food as a function of population, imports, food preferences and bioenergy, is a production constraint, as is irrigation water available. An iteration adjusts prices to meet these constraints. A range of measures are derived at 10' grid-level such as diversity as well as overall EU production. There are many ways to utilise this ability to do rapidWhat-If analysis of both impact and adaptations. The paper illustrates using two of the 5 different GCMs (CSMK3, HADGEM with contrasting precipitation and temperature) and two of the 4 different socio-economic scenarios ("We are the world", "Should I stay or should I go" which have contrasting demands for land), exploring these using two of the 13 scenario parameters (crop breeding for yield and population) . In the first scenario, population can be increased by a large amount showing that food security is far from vulnerable. In the second scenario increasing crop yield shows that it improves the food security problem

Fabricación de películas ultradelgadas de redes metal-orgánicas y polímeros para procesos de separación

La presente tesis doctoral, que lleva como título “Fabricación de películas ultradelgadas de redes metal-orgánicas y polímeros para procesos de separación” se ha realizado en el Departamento de Química Física de la Universidad de Zaragoza bajo la dirección de los doctores Ignacio Gascón Sabaté y Santiago Martín Soláns.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto europeo denominado “Energy efficient MOF-based Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2 Capture” con acrónimo “M4CO2” contrato número 608490. El proyecto M4CO2 se centra en el desarrollo de membranas de matriz mixta basadas en redes metal-orgánicas (MOF) para la captura de CO2 en industrias de alto consumo energético (como por ejemplo las centrales eléctricas) tanto en procesos de pre-combustión como de post-combustión.En el marco de dicho proyecto, esta tesis tiene como objetivo la preparación de películas ultradelgadas de polímeros, MOF y mezclas de estos que sean de interés para el consorcio. Para ello se utiliza la técnica de Langmuir-Blodgett o una variante de la misma conocida como técnica de Langmuir-Schaefer. De esta forma se pretende profundizar en las propiedades fisicoquímicas de las componentes que forman las películas y en las interacciones que se dan entre los distintos materiales. Asimismo, se pondrá en marcha un dispositivo basado en la microbalanza de cuarzo a fin de llevar a cabo el estudio de las propiedades de adsorción de CO2 de las películas preparadas. Finalmente, se estudiará la aplicabilidad de las películas delgadas de MOF y polímeros en otro campo donde el uso de membranas está ganando interés en los últimos tiempos, como es la nanofiltración de disolventes orgánicos.<br /

22^{22}Na Activation Level Measurements of Fused Silica Rods in the LHC Target Absorber for Neutrals (TAN) Compared to FLUKA Simulations

The Target Absorbers for Neutrals (TANs) are located in a high-intensity radiation environment inside the tunnel of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). TANs are positioned about $140$ m downstream from the beam interaction points. Seven $40$ cm long fused silica rods with different dopant specifications were irradiated in the TAN by the Beam RAte of Neutrals (BRAN) detector group during $p$+$p$ data taking from 2016 to 2018 at the LHC. The peak dose delivered to the fused silica rods was $18$ MGy. We report measurements of the $^{22}$Na activation of the fused silica rods carried out at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Argonne National Laboratory. At the end of the irradiation campaign, the maximum $^{22}$Na activity observed was $A=21$ kBq$/{\rm cm^3}$ corresponding to a density, $\rho= 2.5\times 10^{12} /{\rm cm^3}$, of $^{22}$Na nuclei. FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations have been performed by the CERN FLUKA team to estimate $^{22}$Na activities for the irradiated BRAN rod samples. The simulations reproduce the $^{22}$Na activity profile measured along the rods, with a 35% underestimation of the experimental measurement results.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, to be submitted to PRA

Optical Transmission Characterization of Fused Silica Materials Irradiated at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

The Target Absorbers for Neutrals (TANs) represent one of the most radioactive regions in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Seven 40 cm long fused silica rods with different dopant specifications, manufactured by Heraeus, were irradiated in one of the TANs located around the ATLAS experiment by the Beam RAte of Neutrals (BRAN) detector group. This campaign took place during the Run 2 p+p data taking, which occurred between 2016 and 2018. This paper reports a complete characterization of optical transmission per unit length of irradiated fused silica materials as a function of wavelength (240 nm - 1500 nm), dose (up to 18 MGy), and level of OH and H$_2$ dopants introduced in the manufacturing process. The dose delivered to the rods was estimated using Monte Carlo simulations performed by the CERN FLUKA team.Comment: 29 pages, 15 figures, to be submitted to NIM-

Thioflavin-T excimer formation upon interaction with amyloid fibers.

International audienceThe molecular mechanism of the Thioflavin-T (Th-T) binding to amyloids remains unknown. By combining experimental analysis of Th-T excitation and emission spectra with theoretical calculations we suggest that Th-T fluorescence changes upon interaction with amyloids may arise from the formation of an excimer with an oblique angle of ∼120 degrees

Effect of sildenafil on right ventricular performance in an experimental large-animal model of postcapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Right ventricle (RV) dysfunction is a main determinant of morbidity and mortality in postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, currently there are not available therapies. Since reduced nitric oxide (NO) availability and cyclic guanylate monophosphate (cGMP) levels are central in this disease, therapies targeting the NO pathway might have a beneficial effect on RV performance. In this regard, sildenafil has shown contradictory results. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of sildenafil on RV performance in an experimental pig model of postcapillary PH induced by a fixed banding of the venous pulmonary confluent. Animals were evaluated by right heart catheterization and cardiac magnetic resonance before randomization and after 8 weeks on sildenafil (n = 8) or placebo (n = 8), and myocardial tissues were analyzed with histology and molecular biology. At the end of the study, animals receiving sildenafil showed better RV performance as compared with those on placebo (improvement in RV ejection fraction of 7.3% ± 5.8% versus -0.6% ± 5.0%, P= 0.021) associated with less apoptotic cells and gene expression related with reduced oxidative stress and increased anti-inflammatory activity in the myocardium. No differences were observed in pulmonary hemodynamics. In conclusion, in a translational large animal model of chronic postcapillary PH, sildenafil improved RV systolic function independently of afterload. Further research with pharmacological approaches able to manipulate the NO-cGMP axis are needed to confirm this potential cardioprotective effect.This work was partially funded by the grant Ajut a la Recerca “Josep Font” 2015 (to Dr. Santiago-Vacas) and by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria PI17/00995 (to Dr. García-Álvarez). The CNIC is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505). Part of this work was developed at the Centre de Recerca Biomèdica Cellex, IDIBAPS, Barcelona. The IDIBAPS belongs to the CERCA Programme and receives partial funding from the Generalitat de CatalunyaS

Contrasting effects of polysaccharide components on the cooking properties of roots, tubers and bananas

International audienceBACKGROUND : Consumer preferences for boiled or fried pieces of roots, tubers and bananas (RTBs) are mainly related to their texture. Different raw and cooked RTBs were physiochemically characterized to determine the effect of biochemical components on their cooking properties. RESULTS Firmness in boiled sweetpotato increases with sugar and amylose contents but no significant correlation was observed between other physicochemical characteristics and cooking behaviour. Hardness of boiled yam can be predicted by dry matter (DM) and galacturonic acid (GalA) levels. For cassava, no significant correlation was found between textural properties of boiled roots and DM, but amylose and Ca 2+ content were correlated with firmness, negatively and positively, respectively. Water absorption of cassava root pieces boiled in calcium chloride solutions was much lower, providing indirect evidence that pectins are involved in determining cooking quality. A highly positive correlation between textural attributes and DM was observed for fried plantain, but no significant correlation was found with GalA, although frying slightly reduced GalA. CONCLUSION :The effect of main components on texture after cooking differs for the various RTBs. The effect of global DM and major components (i.e. starch, amylose) is prominent for yam, plantain and sweetpotato. Pectins also play an important role on the texture of boiled yam and play a prominent role for cassava through interaction with Ca 2+ . © 2023 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry

Autochthonous yeast populations from different brazilian geographic indications

Yeasts are versatile microorganisms which show heterogeneity in their abilities of aromatic molecules formation. The metabolic conversions may improve the production of a particular compound already formed by the microorganism or promote the production of a completely new biochemicals. These conversions depend on the environment. The microbiome of terroir is unique. If the term terroir is a set of physical properties of a vineyard that contribute to the specific characteristics of its wine, the microorganisms will undoubtedly form an integral part of this concept. There are yeasts, filamentous fungi and bacteria that can affect the quality of the wine. The aim of the present study was to identify the autochthonous yeast populations of grape berries collected from regions with Geographic Indications or under construction. The identification was carried out by an approach, combining Maldi-Tof-MS, PCR-RFLP of the internal transcribed spacer with 5.8S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) and sequences of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA gene. Some species are common to different GIs and in some of them other species are completely absent, besides some places are contiguous areas. In some areas, Hanseniaspora opuntiae, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia myanmarensis and Hanseniaspora uvarum were the predominant species