368 research outputs found

    Hall-Petch strengthening of the constrained metallic binder in WC-Co cemented carbides: Experimental assessment by means of massive nanoindentation and statistical analysis

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    WC–Co cemented carbides are geometrically complex composites constituted for two interpenetrating networks of the constitutive ceramic and metal phases. Accordingly, assessment of microstructural effects on the local mechanical properties of each phase is a challenging task, especially for the metallic binder. In this work, it is attempted by combining massive nanoindentation, statistical analysis, and implementation of a thin film model for deconvolution of the intrinsic hardness and flow stress of the metallic phase. Plotting of yield stress values as a function of the binder mean free path results in a Hall-Petch strengthening relationship with a slope (ky) of 0.98 MPa m1/2. This value points out the effectiveness of WC–Co phase boundaries as strong obstacles to slip propagation; and thus, for toughening of the brittle phase (WC) by means of crack-bridging ductile (Co) reinforcement.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

    Mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition as a possible therapeutic target in peritoneal metastasis of ovarian cancer.

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    Peritoneal dissemination is the primary metastatic route of ovarian cancer (OvCa), and is often accompanied by the accumulation of ascitic fluid. The peritoneal cavity is lined by mesothelial cells (MCs), which can be converted into carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) through mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (MMT). Here, we demonstrate that MCs isolated from ascitic fluid (AFMCs) of OvCa patients with peritoneal implants also undergo MMT and promote subcutaneous tumour growth in mice. RNA sequencing of AFMCs revealed that MMT-related pathways – including transforming growth factor (TGF)- signalling – are differentially regulated, and a gene signature was verified in peritoneal implants from OvCa patients. In a mouse model, pre-induction of MMT resulted in increased peritoneal tumour growth, whereas interfering with the TGF- receptor reduced metastasis. MC-derived CAFs showed activation of Smad-dependent TGF- signalling, which was disrupted in OvCa cells, despite their elevated TGF- production. Accordingly, targeting Smad-dependent signalling in the peritoneal pre-metastatic niche in mice reduced tumour colonization, suggesting that Smad-dependent MMT could be crucial in peritoneal carcinomatosis. Together, these results indicate that bidirectional communication between OvCa cells and MC-derived CAFs, via TGF--mediated MMT, seems to be crucial to form a suitable metastatic niche. We suggest MMT as a possible target for therapeutic intervention and a potential source of biomarkers for improving OvCa diagnosis and/or prognosis.post-print2310 K

    Foro 18 de Historia y Crítica de la Arquitectura Moderna.

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    Grupo de Investigación Aprendizaje en el hábitat Comunitario.Selección de textos del Foro 18 de Historia y Crítica de la Arquitectura Moderna. Libro núm. 7 de la colección de libros del ForoEn un contexto histórico en donde es clara la relación de la humanidad con la arquitectura, en tanto nos han aportado un inmenso legado ético y estético, y que, sin embargo, en la situación actual de la arquitectura se muestra en contradicción ya que prevalece el interés económico y la pronta ganancia por sobre el cuidado de la naturaleza, la sustentabilidad en las ciudades, la identificación estética de la arquitectura y el encuentro social a través del espacio público, se podría tener una primera caracterización de la arquitectura de emergencia. Los once trabajos aquí presentados colocan al centro el quehacer arquitectónico y desde ese punto ofrecen un contexto y diversidad de prácticas y respuestas. Dichos textos cuentan con reflexiones teóricas, exposición de búsquedas a manera de prácticas y valoraciones críticas de ejercicios de distintas escalas. Destaca en esta ocasión la práctica profesional del ejercicio “Reconstrucción de la vivienda Chiapas... una reflexión”, misma que nace del ejercicio mismo, de la búsqueda de soluciones en campo y no del ejercicio de investigación.Día 1: https://youtu.be/Vacp2el_N2ADía 2: https://youtu.be/ujfc8JZsbQwDía 3: https://youtu.be/vD2NxcFjLy

    FICARAM-15 Cruise Report 20th March – 22nd May 2013 on board BIO Hespérides by the Group FICARAM

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    54 páginas, 19 figuras, 3 anexosThe FICARAM-15 is the fifteenth repetition of a section conducted in 1994. This section is part of the international program GOSHIP (http://www.go-ship.org/CruisePlans.html) to develop a globally coordinated network of sustained hydrographic sections as part of the global ocean/climate observing system. The objective of the FICARAM-15 cruise is to investigate the temporal evolution of the anthropogenic carbon and evaluate the CO2 absorption capacity of the South Atlantic region, the Equatorial zone, and the subtropical region of Azores-Gibraltar in the North Atlantic. This cruise is supported by the CATARINA project funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2010-17141) and is part of the European Union FP7 project CARBOCHANGE (http://carbochange.b.uib.no/). The objective of FICARAM-15 cruise is framed in the CATARINA project conducted by the tasks I.2.1 (air-sea CO2 exchange) I.3 (ventilation of water masses), I.4.1 (zonal variability of N2O and CH4), I.4.2 (anthropogenic carbon storage), I.4.4 (saturation horizon of calcium carbonate along the section) and I.5.4 (evolution of the acidification rates). Another component of the FICARAM-15 cruise aims to examine the biological and biogeochemical mechanisms that hinder total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) remineralisation in marine systems, taking a multidisciplinary perspective and applying many different approaches. This is the global objective of the Spanish project DOREMI (CTM2012-34294) that joins this FICARAM-15 cruise.During the FICARAM cruise the physical oceanography group was responsible for collecting the following data sets: CTD and XBT data; vessel-mounted ADCP and lowered ADCP; continuous thermosalinograph. Physical oceanographers participated in the cruise financed through Project “Tipping Corners in the Meridional Overturning Circulation” (TIC-MOC), CTM2011-28867. The FICARAM-15 cruise was organized in two phases with a common sampling. LEG 1: From Punta Arenas (Chile) to Recife (Brazil): 62 stations. Chief Scientist: Aida F. Ríos, PI of CATARINA project LEG 2: From Recife (Brazil) to Cartagena (Spain): 46 stations Chief Scientist: Celia Marrasé, PI of DOREMI project This report contains the sampling of all the variables at each station along the FICARAM section, as well as the analysis of the biogeochemical variables and the preliminary results. The principal investigator of the DOREMI project produced another report with the common sampling section, showing the analysis and results of the experiments on dissolved organic matter carried out on board.This cruise is supported by the CATARINA project funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CTM2010-17141) and is part of the European Union FP7 project CARBOCHANGE (http://carbochange.b.uib.no/)Peer reviewe

    Understanding different dominance patterns in western Amazonian forests

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    Dominance of neotropical tree communities by a few species is widely documented, but dominant trees show a variety of distributional patterns still poorly understood. Here, we used 503 forest inventory plots (93,719 individuals ≥2.5 cm diameter, 2609 species) to explore the relationships between local abundance, regional frequency and spatial aggregation of dominant species in four main habitat types in western Amazonia. Although the abundance-occupancy relationship is positive for the full dataset, we found that among dominant Amazonian tree species, there is a strong negative relationship between local abundance and regional frequency and/or spatial aggregation across habitat types. Our findings suggest an ecological trade-off whereby dominant species can be locally abundant (local dominants) or regionally widespread (widespread dominants), but rarely both (oligarchs). Given the importance of dominant species as drivers of diversity and ecosystem functioning, unravelling different dominance patterns is a research priority to direct conservation efforts in Amazonian forests.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

    Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

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    [Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

    Measurement of the W-boson mass in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

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    A measurement of the mass of the W boson is presented based on proton–proton collision data recorded in 2011 at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, and corresponding to 4.6 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The selected data sample consists of 7.8×106 candidates in the W→μν channel and 5.9×106 candidates in the W→eν channel. The W-boson mass is obtained from template fits to the reconstructed distributions of the charged lepton transverse momentum and of the W boson transverse mass in the electron and muon decay channels, yielding mW=80370±7 (stat.)±11(exp. syst.) ±14(mod. syst.) MeV =80370±19MeV, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second corresponds to the experimental systematic uncertainty, and the third to the physics-modelling systematic uncertainty. A measurement of the mass difference between the W+ and W−bosons yields mW+−mW−=−29±28 MeV
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