A Micromechanical Model of Hardening, Rate Sensitivity and Thermal Softening in BCC Single Crystals

The present paper is concerned with the development of a micromechanical model of the hardening, rate-sensitivity and thermal softening of bcc crystals. In formulating the model we specifically consider the following unit processes: double-kink formation and thermally activated motion of kinks; the close-range interactions between primary and forest dislocations, leading to the formation of jogs; the percolation motion of dislocations through a random array of forest dislocations introducing short-range obstacles of different strengths; dislocation multiplication due to breeding by double cross-slip; and dislocation pair annihilation. The model is found to capture salient features of the behavior of Ta crystals such as: the dependence of the initial yield point on temperature and strain rate; the presence of a marked stage I of easy glide, specially at low temperatures and high strain rates; the sharp onset of stage II hardening and its tendency to shift towards lower strains, and eventually disappear, as the temperature increases or the strain rate decreases; the parabolic stage II hardening at low strain rates or high temperatures; the stage II softening at high strain rates or low temperatures; the trend towards saturation at high strains; the temperature and strain-rate dependence of the saturation stress; and the orientation dependence of the hardening rate.Comment: 27 pages (LaTeX) and 15 Figures (jpg

PDGFR-β and kidney fibrosis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the fastest growing global causes of death, estimated to rank among the top five by 2040 (Foreman et al, 2018). This illustrates current pitfalls in diagnosis and management of CKD. Advanced CKD requires renal function replacement by dialysis or transplantation. However, earlier CKD stages, even when renal function is still normal, are already associated with an increased risk of premature death (Perez-Gomez et al, 2019). Thus, novel approaches to diagnose and treat CKD are needed. The histopathological hallmark of CKD is kidney fibrosis, which is closely associated with local inflammation and loss of kidney parenchymal cells. Thus, kidney fibrosis is an attractive process to develop tests allowing an earlier diagnosis of CKD and represents a potential therapeutic target to slow CKD progression or promote regression

Magia barroca, hoy. Interpretación literaria y tradición demonológica para una lectura de Quevedo

El vínculo entre algunos textos de Quevedo y el lector actual que interpreta su versión satírica de los errores humanos tiene de fondo común la tradición contra las supersticiones que construyeron los tratados de demonología escritos durante el barroco. Las creencias alrededor de los demonios, el infierno y otros mitos, hoy pueden contrastarse con el horizonte cultural, incluso como argumento para criticarlas; sin embargo durante el barroco y especialmente en la obra de Quevedo, el tratamiento también podía ser ridiculizante por el afán de moralizar y parodiar las actitudes humanas, se trata del peso ético de la literatura que ahora parece ajeno. En realidad, frente a la exégesis, es posible y atractivo para cualquier lector contemporáneo reconocerse entre la galería crítica del autor, gracias a la interpretación del texto, de la tradición y de sí mismo

Benchmarking CKD: incidence of CKD in a European country with low prevalence of CKD and kidney replacement therapy

Iceland was one of six European countries with an adjusted incidence of kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in 2018 lower than 100 per million persons (pmp), along with Estonia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia and Finland. It was also one of 10 countries with an adjusted KRT prevalence 50% of the functioning kidney mass and/or wider use of albuminuria as a screening tool. The European Society of Cardiology just recommended assessing albuminuria for routine cardiovascular risk workups for allFunding was provided by FIS/Fondos FEDER (PI18/01 366, PI19/00 588, PI19/00 815, PI21/00 251, DTS18/00 032, ERAPerMed-JTC2018 (KIDNEY ATTACK AC18/00 064 and PERSTIGAN AC18/00 071, ISCIII-RETIC REDinREN RD016/0009), Sociedad Española de Nefrología, FRIAT, Comunidad de Madrid en Biomedicina B2017/BMD-3686 CIFRA2-CM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) RICORS program to RICORS2040 (RD21/0005/0001) and FEDER fund

Should we enlarge the indication for kidney biopsy in diabetics? the con part

Diabetes is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition found in 850 million persons and projected to become the fifth global cause of death by 2040. Research is needed that examines kidney tissue to characterize distinct phenotypes in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and CKD so as to identify non-invasive biomarker signatures and develop targeted therapeutic approaches. However, from a routine care point of view, kidney biopsy is likely overused in patients with CKD and DM, as most biopsy results are not expected to be associated with a therapeutic approach that differs from standard kidney protection with triple or quadruple therapy (renin–angiotensin system blockade, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists). Moreover, expanding the kidney biopsy criteria will increase the absolute number of complications from kidney biopsies, which may reach 27 000 to 108 000 deaths of persons that would derive little benefit from kidney biopsy if all people with DM and severe CKD were biopsied globally. Finally, limited resources should be optimally allocated. The cost of one kidney biopsy can fund 7000 semiquantitative urinary albumin:creatinine ratio assessments that could identify earlier stages of the disease and allow treatment that prevents progression to a stage at which kidney biopsy may be consideredFIS/Fondos FEDER (PI22/00469, PI22/00050, PI21/00251), ERAPerMed-JTC2022 (SPAREKID AC22/00027), Sociedad Española de Nefrología, Sociedad Madrileña de Nefrología (SOMANE), FRIAT, Comunidad de Madrid en Biomedicina P2022/BMD-7223, CIFRA_COR-CM. Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) RICORS program to RICORS2040 (RD21/0005/0001) funded by European Union NextGenerationEU, Mecanismo para la Recuperación y la Resiliencia (MRR) and SPACKDc PMP21/00109, FEDER funds. COST Action PERMEDIK CA21165, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). PREVENTCKD Consortium Project ID: 101101220, Programme: EU4H, DG/Agency: HADEA. KitNewCare, Project ID: 101137054, Call: HORIZONHLTH-2023-CARE-04, Programme: HORIZO