A large West Antarctic Ice Sheet explains early Neogene sea-level amplitude.

Early to Middle Miocene sea-level oscillations of approximately 40-60 m estimated from far-field records1-3 are interpreted to reflect the loss of virtually all East Antarctic ice during peak warmth2. This contrasts with ice-sheet model experiments suggesting most terrestrial ice in East Antarctica was retained even during the warmest intervals of the Middle Miocene4,5. Data and model outputs can be reconciled if a large West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) existed and expanded across most of the outer continental shelf during the Early Miocene, accounting for maximum ice-sheet volumes. Here we provide the earliest geological evidence proving large WAIS expansions occurred during the Early Miocene (~17.72-17.40 Ma). Geochemical and petrographic data show glacimarine sediments recovered at International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Site U1521 in the central Ross Sea derive from West Antarctica, requiring the presence of a WAIS covering most of the Ross Sea continental shelf. Seismic, lithological and palynological data reveal the intermittent proximity of grounded ice to Site U1521. The erosion rate calculated from this sediment package greatly exceeds the long-term mean, implying rapid erosion of West Antarctica. This interval therefore captures a key step in the genesis of a marine-based WAIS and a tipping point in Antarctic ice-sheet evolution.

Superoxidase dismutases (SODs) in the European eel: Gene characterization, expression response to temperature combined with hormonal maturation and possible migratory implications.

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are antioxidant enzymes that protect cells from oxidation. Three SODs have been identified in mammals, but there is limited information in teleosts. This study investigates SODs in the European eel and their expression patterns during testis maturation. Phylogenetic and synteny analyses revealed SODs paralogs and their evolution in vertebrates. The eel possesses one SOD1 and two SOD2/3 (a and b), indicating SOD2 and SOD3 duplication in elopomorphs. SODs expression were then evaluated in various male and female tissues. SOD1 is more expressed in females, while SOD2a and SOD2b dominate brain-pituitary-gonad tissues in both sexes. SOD3a showed predominant expression in the ovary and the male livers, whereas SOD3b was found in the pituitary and brain of both sexes. The effects of different maturation protocols (standard hormonal treatment vs. same protocol preceded with cold seawater pre-treatment) on SODs expression during testis maturation were evaluated. Salinity increase at the onset of standard treatment at 20 °C, simulating early migration, upregulated SOD1, SOD2a, and SOD2b, coinciding with spermatogonia type A differentiated cells dominance. Thereafter, SOD2a and SOD3a decreased, while SOD2b increased during hormonal treatment-induced spermatogenesis. Pre-treatment with seawater at 10 °C, mimicking the conditions at the beginning of the seawater migration, downregulated SOD1 but increased SOD3a expression. Finally, the standard hormonal treatment, replicating spawning at higher temperatures, downregulated SOD1 in eels without any pre-treatment while SOD2a expression increased in pre-treated eels. This study revealed tissue-specific, sex-dependent, and maturation-related SOD expression patterns, predicting SODs dynamic expression profiles during their reproductive migration.

Clinical relevance of interictal dysphoric disorder and its impact on quality of life in drug-resistant epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the prevalence of Interictal Dysphoric Disorder (IDD) in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and to describe its clinical and psychopathological profile, including personality, as well as its impact on quality of life (QOL). METHOD: A retrospective cross-sectional study from an Epilepsy Unit from January 2007 to December 2017. All patients were diagnosed with DRE. Patients underwent a battery of tests (HADS, SCL-90R, PDQ-4+, QOLIE-31) and a psychiatrist assessed the presence of Axis-I disorders and IDD. Statistical procedures were carried out using R-4.0.1 software. RESULTS: A total of 282 patients were included. A statistically significant association was found between IDD and mood and anxiety disorders (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively), and between IDD and higher scores in all HADS and SCL-90-R items compared to subjects without IDD (p < 0.001). A statistically significant association was also found between IDD and obsessive-compulsive, borderline and depressive personality disorder (p < 0.05). Scores in all QOLIE-31 items except for 'medication effects' were significantly lower in subjects with IDD compared with subjects without IDD (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In DRE, IDD subjects show differences in the psychopathological profile and QOL scores compared to subjects without a diagnosis of IDD. An early diagnosis of IDD could facilitate prompt interventions which might positively impact QOL.

Impact on physical function of the +AGIL Barcelona program in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment: an interventional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with cognitive impairment (CI) have higher multimorbidity and frailty prevalence, lower functional status and an increased likelihood to develop dementia, non-cognitive deficits, and adverse health-related events. +AGIL, a real-world program for frail older adults in a primary care area of Barcelona, is a pragmatic, multi-component and integrated intervention implemented since 2016. It includes physical activity, nutrition, sleep hygiene, revision and adequacy of pharmacological treatment, detection of undesired loneliness and screening for CI; to improve physical function in community-dwelling older adults. We aimed to assess the + AGIL longitudinal impact on physical function among community-dwelling frail older persons with CI. METHODS: An interventional cohort study included data from all the + AGIL consecutive participants from July 2016 until March 2020. Based on the comprehensive geriatric assessment, participants were offered a tailored multi-component community intervention, including a 10-week physical activity program led by an expert physical therapist. Physical performance was measured at baseline, three and six months follow-up. The pre-post impact on physical function was assessed by paired sample t-test for repeated samples. Linear mixed models were applied to analyze the + AGIL longitudinal impact. P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: 194 participants were included (82 with CI, based on previous diagnosis or the Mini-COG screening tool), 68% women, mean age 81.6 (SD = 5.8) yo. Participants were mostly independent in Activities of Daily Living (mean Barthel = 92.4, SD = 11.1). The physical activity program showed high adherence (87.6% attended ≥ 75% sessions). At three months, there was a clinically and statistically significant improvement in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and its subcomponents in the whole sample and after stratification for CI [CI group improvements: SPPB = 1.1 (SD = 1.8) points, gait speed (GS) = 0.05 (SD = 0.13) m/s, Chair stand test (CST)=-2.6 (SD = 11.4) s. Non-CI group improvements: SPPB = 1.6 (SD = 1.8) points, GS = 0.08 (SD = 0.13) m/s, CST=-6.4 (SD = 12.1) seg]. SPPB and gait speed remained stable at six months in the study sample and subgroups. CI had no significant impact on SPPB or GS improvements. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that older adults with CI can benefit from a multidisciplinary integrated and comprehensive geriatric intervention to improve physical function, a component of frailty.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in workers from a Colombian University Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Antibody (Ab) tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus allows for the estimation of incidence, level of exposure and duration of immunity acquired by a previous infection. In health workers, the hospital setting might convey a greater risk of infection. AIMS: To describe the frequency of immunoglobulin G (IgG) Abs (IgG-Abs) to the SARS-CoV-2 virus among workers at a third-level university hospital in Colombia. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included medical and non-medical personnel with at least one real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/antigen test between March 2020 and March 2021. In April 2021, an IgG-Ab test against SARS-CoV-2 was conducted for all participants and replicated 2 weeks later in a random sample (10%). The frequency of IgG-Abs is presented based on status (positive/negative) and time elapsed since RT-PCR/antigen test (<3 months, 3-6 months, >6 months). RESULTS: We included 1021 workers (80% women, median age 34 years (interquartile range 28-42), 73% medical personnel, 23% with previous positive RT-PCR/antigen). The overall seroprevalence was 35% (95% CI 31.6-37.4, 35% in medical and 33% in non-medical personnel). For those with a previous positive RT-PCR/antigen test, the seroprevalence was 90% (<3 months), 82% (3-6 months) and 48% (>6 months). In participants with a previous negative RT-PCR/antigen test, the seroprevalence was 17% (<3 months), 21% (3-6 months) and 29% (>6 months). CONCLUSIONS: High IgG-Ab positivity was found in hospital personnel, regardless of work activities. The prevalence of detectable Abs differed by previous RT-PCR/antigen status and time elapsed since the diagnostic test.

Machine learning models for estimating contamination across different curbside collection strategies.

Contaminated recyclables, which are frequently discarded as waste, pose a significant challenge to the implementation of a circular economy. These contaminated recyclables impede the circulation of resources, resulting in higher processing costs at material recovery facilities (MRFs). Over the past few decades, machine learning (ML) models such as linear regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF) have evolved to provide new methods for predicting inbound contamination rates in addition to traditional statistical models. In this study, we applied ML models to predict inbound contamination rates using demographic features from 15 counties in the U.S. with different curbside collection strategies. In general, we found that ML models outperformed linear mixed models. Specifically, SVM models had the highest performance (R2 = 0.75; mean absolute error (MAE) = 0.06), which may be due to their ability to model nonlinear relationships between features and inbound contamination rates. The key predictor was population, with poverty rate being positively correlated and median age negatively correlated with inbound contamination rates. To improve the management of contamination and enhance the implementation of a circular economy, better models are needed to understand and estimate inbound contamination rates as well as identify critical factors in the present and future.

Potentially harmful elements pollute soil and vegetation around the Atrevida mine (Tarragona, NE Spain).

Mining activity is one of the main sources to pollute soil, water and plants. An analysis of soil and plant samples around the Atrevida mining area in Catalonia (NE Spain) was preformed to determine potentially harmful elements (PHEs). Soil and plant samples were taken at eight locations around the mining area. The topsoil (0-15 cm) samples were analysed for physico-chemical properties by standard methods, by ICP-MS for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn, and were microwave-digested. Plant, root and shoot samples were digested separately, and heavy metals were analysed by AAS. Translocation factor (TF), biological concentration factor (BCF) and biological accumulation factor (BAF) were determined to assess the tolerance strategies developed by native species and to evaluate their potential for phytoremediation purposes. Soil pH was generally acid (5.48-6.72), with high soil organic matter (SOM) content and a sandy loamy or loamy texture. According to the agricultural soil values in southern Europe, our PHEs concentrations exceeded the toxicity thresholds. The highest root content of the most studied PHEs appeared in Thymus vulgaris L. and Festuca ovina L., while Biscutella laevigata L. accumulated more PHEs in shoots. The TF values were > 1 in B. laevigata L., but BAF obtained < 1, except Pb. B. laevigata L., and can be considered potentially useful for phytoremediation for having the capacity to restrict the accumulation of large PHEs amounts in roots and Pb translocation to shoots.

Cell-free DNA analysis in current cancer clinical trials: a review.

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis represents a promising method for the diagnosis, treatment selection and clinical follow-up of cancer patients. Although its general methodological feasibility and usefulness has been demonstrated, several issues related to standardisation and technical validation must be addressed for its routine clinical application in cancer. In this regard, most cfDNA clinical applications are still limited to clinical trials, proving its value in several settings. In this paper, we review the current clinical trials involving cfDNA/ctDNA analysis and highlight those where it has been useful for patient stratification, treatment follow-up or development of novel approaches for early diagnosis. Our query included clinical trials, including the terms 'cfDNA', 'ctDNA', 'liquid biopsy' AND 'cancer OR neoplasm' in the FDA and EMA public databases. We identified 1370 clinical trials (FDA = 1129, EMA = 241) involving liquid-biopsy analysis in cancer. These clinical trials show promising results for the early detection of cancer and confirm cfDNA as a tool for real-time monitoring of acquired therapy resistance, accurate disease-progression surveillance and improvement of treatment, situations that result in a better quality of life and extended overall survival for cancer patients.

Executive functions and their relationship with intellectual capacity and age in schoolchildren with intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: There is certain empirical evidence of, on the one hand, a positive correlation between executive functions (EFs) and intelligence in people with intellectual disability (ID) and, on the other hand, a slower rate of development of EFs in these people relative to people without ID. This evidence is not, however, unequivocal, and further studies are required. METHODS: We analysed the relationship between development of EFs and both age and intellectual capacity, in a sample of 106 students with either ID or borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) at a special education centre [63 boys and 43 girls, 11-18 years old, mean total intelligence quotient (TIQ) of 59.6]. We applied nine instruments to evaluate both neuropsychological development (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, processing speed and verbal fluency) and behavioural development [teachers' perceptions of the EFs of their students by Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Second Edition (BRIEF-2) School]. ID and BIF groups were statistically compared in terms of mean performance measures in EF tests. We looked at the correlation between EFs and age, and correlations between EFs and intelligence: TIQ, fluid intelligence [measured by the perceptual reasoning (PR) sub-index of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV)] and crystallised intelligence (measured by the verbal comprehension (VC) sub-index of WISC-IV). Regression models were built for variables with strong correlation. RESULTS: In most of the tests used to evaluate EFs, the ID subgroup performed significantly worse than the subgroup with BIF. In general, teachers' thought that participants had 'medium-low' levels of EFs. TIQ, by WISC-IV scale, correlated significantly with scores in all tests for all EFs. The PR sub-index correlated significantly with 14 of the tests for EFs; 35% of the variation in PR can be explained by variation in performance in Picture Span (working memory) and Mazes (planning). The VC sub-index correlated weakly with seven of the EF tests. We found significant correlations in the ID group between age and scores in all tests of working memory and inhibitory control. Age - considering all participants - did not correlate with any of the variables of teachers' perception except for working memory, and this correlation was not strong. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study are consistent with descriptions of the typical population: (1) fluid intelligence is more related to EFs than crystallised intelligence is; and (2) working memory capacity is the EF most strongly related with general, fluid and crystallised forms of intelligence. The results suggest that as children and adolescents with ID/BIF get older, their capacities for working memory and inhibitory control increase; development of the other EFs studied was less evident. Teachers' perceptions of the EFs of children with ID or BIF were independent of intellectual capacity and age. More research is needed to delve further into the development of EFs in people with ID/BIF.

Influence of higher-order modes on ferroconvection.

Using Fourier representations, an elaborate study of regular cellular-convective and chaotic motions in a ferrofluid is made. Investigation is made on the adequacy or otherwise of the minimal mode in studying such motions. Higher-order modes are also considered by adding modes (vertical/horizontal/combined extension). For higher modes, the extensions yield a dynamical system of order greater than three. The characteristic features of extended ferromagnetic-Lorenz models are analyzed using the largest Lyapunov exponent(LE), second largest LE, bifurcation diagram, and phase-space plots. The effect of additional modes on critical modal-Rayleigh (infinitesimal and finite-amplitude ones) numbers and the Rayleigh number at which transition to chaos occurs are examined to report features of ferroconvection hitherto unseen in previous studies. As both horizontal and vertical modes are increased, our findings infer that the dynamical system displays advanced onset of regular convection and delayed chaotic motion. Vigorous-chaotic motion is seen on adding vertical modes, whereas on adding horizontal modes, intense chaos appears with decreased intensity for large values of the scaled Rayleigh number. Most important finding from the study is that as modes are increased (vertical/horizontal), the transition from regular to chaotic motion is greatly modified and leads the system to a hyper-chaotic state. Conventionally, the chaotic or hyper-chaotic state is intermittent with a periodic/quasi-periodic state but it can be retained in the chaotic or hyper-chaotic state by considering moderate values of the Prandtl number and/or by bringing in the ferromagnetic effect.

Impact of the coronavirus pandemic on maxillofacial trauma: A retrospective study in southern Spain.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic has impacted health systems worldwide, with Spain being one of the most affected countries. However, little is known about the extent to which the effects of staying home, social distancing, and quarantine measures have influenced the epidemiology of patients with maxillofacial trauma. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the incidence, demographic patterns, and characteristics of maxillofacial fractures in the largest hospital in southern Spain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from patients who underwent surgery for maxillofacial fractures during the first year of the pandemic between 16 March 2020 and 14 March 2021 (pandemic group) were retrospectively compared with a control group during the equivalent period of the previous year (pre-pandemic group). The incidence was compared by weeks and by lockdown periods of the population. Demographic information, aetioloy, fracture characteristics, treatment performed, and days of preoperative stay were evaluated. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were calculated (p<0.05). RESULTS: During the first year of the pandemic, there was a 35.2% reduction in maxillofacial fractures (n=59) compared to the pre-pandemic year (n=91, p=0.040). A significant drop was detected during the total home lockdown period of the population (p=0.028). In the pandemic group, there was a reduction in fractures due to interpersonal aggressions, an increase in panfacial fractures, a significant increase in other non-facial injuries associated with polytrauma (p=0.037), a higher number of open reduction procedures with internal fixation, and a significantly longer mean preoperative stay (p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: The first pandemic year was associated with a decline in the frequency of maxillofacial trauma and a change in the pattern and characteristics of fractures. Inter-annual epidemiological knowledge of maxillofacial fractures may be useful for more efficient planning of resource allocation and surgical practice strategy during future coronavirus outbreaks and population lockdowns.

Effectiveness of a decision aid for patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a Patient Decision Aid (PtDA) for knee osteoarthritis. METHOD: Randomized controlled trial, in which 193 patients were allocated to the PtDA or usual care. Outcome measures were the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), knowledge of osteoarthritis and arthroplasty, satisfaction with the decision-making process (SDMP) and treatment preference, assessed immediately after the intervention. At 6 months, the same measures were applied in non-operated patients, whereas those who underwent arthroplasty completed the SDMP and the Decisional Regret Scale (DRS). RESULTS: The PtDA produced a significant immediate improvement of decisional conflict (MD = -11.65, 95%CI: -14.93, -8.37), objective knowledge (MD = 10.37, 99%IC: 3.15, 17.70) and satisfaction (MD = 6.77, 99%CI: 1.19, 12.34), and a different distribution of preferences (χ2 = 8.74, p = 0.033). Patients with less than secondary education obtained a stronger effect on decisional conflict (p = 0.015 for the interaction) but weaker for knowledge (p = 0.051). At 6 months, there were no significant differences in any variable, including the rate of total knee replacement. Operated patients showed a low level of regret, which was not affected by the intervention. CONCLUSION: The PtDA is effective immediately after its application, but it shows no effects in the medium-term. Future research should investigate which subgroups of patients could benefit more from this intervention, as well as the longitudinal evolution of decision-related psychological variables.

Inhibition of alternative respiration system of Scheffersomyces stipitis and effect on glucose or xylose fermentation.

Scheffersomyces stipitis is a Crabtree-negative pentose fermenting yeast, which shows a complex respiratory system involving a cytochrome and an alternative salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM)-sensitive respiration mechanism that is poorly understood. This work aimed to investigate the role of the antimycin A (AA) sensitive respiration and SHAM-sensitive respiration in the metabolism of xylose and glucose by S. stipitis, upon different agitation conditions. Inhibition of the SHAM-sensitive respiration caused a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in glycolytic flux and oxygen consumption when using glucose and xylose under agitation conditions, but without agitation, only a mild reduction was observed. The combination of SHAM and AA abolished respiration, depleting the glycolytic flux using both carbon sources tested, leading to increased ethanol production of 21.05 g/L at 250 rpm for 0.5 M glucose, and 8.3 g/L ethanol using xylose. In contrast, inhibition of only the AA-sensitive respiration, caused increased ethanol production to 30 g/L using 0.5 M glucose at 250 rpm, and 11.3 g/L from 0.5 M xylose without agitation. Results showed that ethanol production can be induced by respiration inhibition, but the active role of SHAM-sensitive respiration should be considered to investigate better conditions to increase and optimize yields.

Comparative in silico design and validation of GPS™ CoVID-19 dtec-RT-qPCR test.

AIMS: Providing a ready-to-use reverse transcriptase qPCR (RT-qPCR) method fully validated to detect the SARS-CoV-2 with a higher exclusivity than this shown by early published RT-qPCR designs. METHODS AND RESULTS: The specificity of the GPS™ CoVID-19 dtec-RT-qPCR test by analysis of sequence alignments was approached and compared with other RT-qPCR designs. The GPS™ CoVID-19 dtec-RT-qPCR test was validated following criteria of UNE/EN ISO 17025:2005 and ISO/IEC 15189:2012. Diagnostic validation was achieved by two independent reference laboratories, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, (Madrid, Spain), the Public Health England (Colindale, London, UK), and received the label CE-IVD. The GPS design showed the highest exclusivity and passed all parameters of validation with strict acceptance criteria. Results from reference laboratories 100% correlated with these obtained by using reference methods and showed 100% of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The CE-IVD GPS™ CoVID-19 dtec-RT-qPCR test, available worldwide with full analytical and diagnostic validation, is the more exclusive for SARS-CoV-2 by far. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Considering the CoVID-19 pandemic status, the exclusivity of RT-qPCR tests is crucial to avoid false positives due to related coronaviruses. This work provides of a highly specific and validated RT-qPCR method for detection of SARS-CoV-2, which represents a case of efficient transfer of technology successfully used since the pandemic was declared.

Exposure of Teramnus labialis (L.F.) Spreng Seeds to Liquid Nitrogen Does Not Affect Nutritional Status of Field Grown Adult Plants.

BACKGROUND: Teramnus labialis (L.f.) Spreng is a potentially important legume species, and can be used as an animal feed and to enhance soil physicochemical characteristics. Despite the biological and agricultural importance, the low availability of seeds, their small size and the low percentage germination limit their large-scale use by farmers. We previously reported a method to cryopreserve seeds of T. labialis which also allowed for the breaking of seed dormancy. OBJECTIVE: The current study reports on the nutritional status of 5 month old field grown plants regenerated from cryostored and control seeds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biomass (fresh and dry mass of leaves and stems) and contents of ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, crude protein, P, Ca, Mg and K were measured. RESULTS: Seeds germinated and emerged faster following immersion in liquid nitrogen (LN) which was supported by quantitative evaluations of fresh and dry weights per m2. However, the ratio of leaf:stem mass were not altered by seed exposure to LN. CONCLUSION: The results showed that exposure of seeds to cryogenic temperatures did not alter the nutritional composition of regenerated plants.

End-to-end image analysis pipeline for liquid-phase electron microscopy.

Liquid phase transmission electron microscopy allows the imaging of materials in liquid environments. The sample is encapsulated within electron-beam transparent windows and hence protected by the ultrahigh vacuum necessary within the electron gun. Such an approach allows to study biological and soft materials in their natural environment and offers the possibility of accessing their dynamic nature. Yet, the electron beam scattering from the windows and solvent increases the image noise and blur. Herein, we propose a pipeline to both de-noise and sharpen images obtained by liquid transmission electron microscopy. We develop the workflow in a way that it does not require any human interference, nor introduce artefacts, but actually unveils features of the imaged samples covered by the noise and the blur. LAY DESCRIPTION: Transmission Electron Microscopy TEM is one of the most powerful techniques for structural determination at the nanoscale, with the ability to image matter down to the atomic level. TEM is only possible by keeping the electron beam under high vacuum in order to avoid undesired scattering events in the beam path. High vacuum means that the TEM samples must conventionally be in solid-state. Thus, samples in liquid form or containing liquids, like water, need special preparation techniques which tend to alter the structure and chemical nature of the sample. Such alterations are particularly critical for biological and soft organic materials where the structures are controlled by the presence of water and/or other liquids. The development of new cameras, materials and sample holders have made possible for TEM to be performed on liquid samples. Liquid Phase Transmission Electron Microscopy (LTEM) offers the possibility to investigate nanoscopic structures in liquid state and monitor dynamic processes. However important limitations come from the liquid nature of samples in the imaging process such as the low contrast afforded by organic and biological materials and additional noise and blur introduced by the liquid sample and its thickness. Existing image analysis algorithms for TEM result inadequate for LTEM. The end-to-end image analysis method herein has the ability to recover the original images together with their sharpness, without introducing any artefacts. The proposed algorithms offer the great advantage of unveiling image details which are not usually seen during imaging, thus allowing a better understanding of the nature, structure and ultimately the function of the investigated structures. The fully automatised analysis method allows to efficiently process dozens of images in few hours, improving dramatically the performance of LTEM imaging.

Clofibrate improves myocardial ischemia-induced damage through regulation of renin-angiotensin system and favours a pro-vasodilator profile in left ventricle.

Myocardial ischemia initiates a chain of pathological conditions leading to cardiomyocyte death. Therefore, pharmacological treatment to stop ischemia-induced damage is necessary. Fibrates, have been reported to decrease inflammatory markers and to modulate the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Our aim was to explore if clofibrate treatment, administered one week after myocardial event, decreases MI-induced cardiac damage. Wistar rats were assigned to: 1. Sham or 2. Coronary artery ligation (MI). Seven days after, rats were subdivided to receive vehicle (V) or clofibrate [100 mg/kg (C)] daily for 7 days. Blood samples and left ventricle were analyzed. RAS components [angiotensin II, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), and AT1-receptor] decreased in MI-C compared to MI-V, while [Ang-(1-7), bradykinin, ACE-2, and AT2-receptor] raised in response to clofibrate treatment. Oxidative stress markers increased in MI-V rats, a profile reverted in MI-C rats. Nitric oxide (NO) pathway (Akt, eNOS, and NO) exhibits a lower participation in MI-V, but clofibrate raised NO-pathway components and its production. MI-induced fibrosis and structural damage was also improved by clofibrate-treatment. In conclusion, clofibrate administration to 7 days MI-rats exerts an antioxidant, pro-vasodilator expression profile, and anti-fibrotic effect suggesting that PPARα activation can be considered a therapeutic target to improve cardiac condition posterior to ischemia.

Chaotic convection in an Oldroyd viscoelastic fluid in saturated porous medium with feedback control.

The control effects on the convection dynamics in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous medium heated from below and cooled from above are studied. A truncated Galerkin expansion was applied to balance equations to obtain a four-dimensional generalized Lorenz system. The dynamical behavior is mainly characterized by the Lyapunov exponents, bifurcation, and isospike diagrams. The results show that within a range of moderate and high Rayleigh numbers, proportional controller gain is found to enhance the stabilization and destabilization effects on the thermal convection. Furthermore, due to the effect of viscoelasticity, the system exhibits remarkable topological structures of regular regions embedded in chaotic domains.

Periodicity characterization of the nonlinear magnetization dynamics.

In this work, we study numerically the periodicity of regular regions embedded in chaotic states for the case of an anisotropic magnetic particle. The particle is in the monodomain regime and subject to an applied magnetic field that depends on time. The dissipative Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation models the particle. To perform the characterization, we compute several two-dimensional phase diagrams in the parameter space for the Lyapunov exponents and the isospikes. We observe multiple transitions among periodic states, revealing complex topological structures in the parameter space typical of dynamic systems. To show the finer details of the regular structures, iterative zooms are performed. In particular, we find islands of synchronization for the magnetization and the driven field and several shrimp structures with different periods.

Light Induced Inverse-Square Law Interactions between Nanoparticles: "Mock Gravity" at the Nanoscale.

The interaction forces between identical resonant molecules or nanoparticles, optically induced by a quasimonochromatic isotropic random light field, are theoretically analyzed. In general, the interaction force exhibits a far-field oscillatory behavior at separation distances larger than the light wavelength. However, we show that the oscillations disappear when the frequency of the random field is tuned to an absorption Fröhlich resonance, at which the real part of the particle's electric polarizability is zero. At the resonant condition, the interaction forces follow a long-range gravitylike inverse square distance law which holds for both near- and far-field separation distances.