Search

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and volatile inorganic compounds (VICs) provide critical information across many scientific fields including atmospheric chemistry and soil and biological processes. Chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry has become a powerful tool for tracking these chemically complex and temporally variable compounds in a variety of laboratory and field environments. It is particularly powerful with time-of-flight mass spectrometers, which can measure hundreds of compounds in a fraction of a second and have enabled entirely new branches of VOC and/or VIC research in atmospheric and biological chemistry. To accurately describe each step of these chemical, physical, and biological processes, measurements across the entire range of gaseous products is crucial. Recently, chemically comprehensive gas-phase measurements have been performed using many CI mass spectrometers deployed in parallel, each utilizing a different ionization method to cover a broad range of compounds. Here we introduce the recently developed Vocus AIM (adduct ionization mechanism) ion–molecule reactor (IMR), which samples trace vapors in air and ionizes them via chemical ionization at medium pressures. The Vocus AIM supports the use of many different reagent ions of positive and negative polarity and is largely independent of changes in the sample humidity. Within the present study, we present the performance and explore the capabilities of the Vocus AIM using various chemical ionization schemes, including chloride (Cl−), bromide (Br−), iodide (I−), nitrate (NO3-), benzene cations (C6H6+), acetone dimers ((C3H6O)2H+), and ammonium (NH4+) reagent ions, primarily in laboratory and flow tube experiments. We report the technical characteristics and operational principles, and compare its performance in terms of time response, humidity dependence, and sensitivity to that of previous chemical ionization approaches. This work demonstrates the benefits of the Vocus AIM reactor, which provides a versatile platform to characterize VOCs and VICs in real time at trace concentrations.

Abstract The NEXT-White detector, a high-pressure gaseous xenon time projection chamber, demonstrated the excellence of this technology for future neutrinoless double beta decay searches using photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to measure energy and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) to extract topology information. This analysis uses 83m Kr data from the NEXT-White detector to measure and understand the energy resolution that can be obtained with the SiPMs, rather than with PMTs. The energy resolution obtained of (10.9 ± 0.6)%, full-width half-maximum, is slightly larger than predicted based on the photon statistics resulting from very low light detection coverage of the SiPM plane in the NEXT-White detector. The difference in the predicted and measured resolution is attributed to poor corrections, which are expected to be improved with larger statistics. Furthermore, the noise of the SiPMs is shown to not be a dominant factor in the energy resolution and may be negligible when noise subtraction is applied appropriately, for high-energy events or larger SiPM coverage detectors. These results, which are extrapolated to estimate the response of large coverage SiPM planes, are promising for the development of future, SiPM-only, readout planes that can offer imaging and achieve similar energy resolution to that previously demonstrated with PMTs.

Abstract Noble element time projection chambers are a leading technology for rare event detection in physics, such as for dark matter and neutrinoless double beta decay searches. Time projection chambers typically assign event position in the drift direction using the relative timing of prompt scintillation and delayed charge collection signals, allowing for reconstruction of an absolute position in the drift direction. In this paper, alternate methods for assigning event drift distance via quantification of electron diffusion in a pure high pressure xenon gas time projection chamber are explored. Data from the NEXT-White detector demonstrate the ability to achieve good position assignment accuracy for both high- and low-energy events. Using point-like energy deposits from $$^{83\textrm{m}}$$ 83 m Kr calibration electron captures ( $$E\sim 45$$ E ∼ 45 keV), the position of origin of low-energy events is determined to 2 cm precision with bias $$< 1~$$ < 1 mm. A convolutional neural network approach is then used to quantify diffusion for longer tracks ( $$E\ge ~1.5$$ E ≥ 1.5 MeV), from radiogenic electrons, yielding a precision of 3 cm on the event barycenter. The precision achieved with these methods indicates the feasibility energy calibrations of better than 1% FWHM at Q $$_{\beta \beta }$$ β β in pure xenon, as well as the potential for event fiducialization in large future detectors using an alternate method that does not rely on primary scintillation.

Mediterranean forests represent critical areas that are increasingly affected by the frequency of droughts and fires, anthropic activities and land use changes. Optical remote sensing data give access to several essential biodiversity variables, such as species traits (related to vegetation biophysical and biochemical composition), which can help to better understand the structure and functioning of these forests. However, their reliability highly depends on the scale of observation and the spectral configuration of the sensor. Thus, the objective of the SENTHYMED/MEDOAK experiment is to provide datasets from leaf to canopy scale in synchronization with remote sensing acquisitions obtained from multi-platform sensors having different spectral characteristics and spatial resolutions. Seven monthly data collections were performed between April and October 2021 (with a complementary one in June 2023) over two forests in the north of Montpellier, France, comprised of two oak endemic species with different phenological dynamics (evergreen: Quercus ilex and deciduous: Quercus pubescens) and a variability of canopy cover fractions (from dense to open canopy). These collections were coincident with satellite multispectral Sentinel-2 data and one with airborne hyperspectral AVIRIS-Next Generation data. In addition, satellite hyperspectral PRISMA and DESIS were also available for some dates. All these airborne and satellite data are provided from free online download websites. Eight datasets are presented in this paper from thirteen studied forest plots: (1) overstory and understory inventory, (2) 687 canopy plant area index from Li-COR plant canopy analyzers, (3) 1475 in situ spectral reflectances (oak canopy, trunk, grass, limestone, etc.) from ASD spectroradiometers, (4) 92 soil moistures and temperatures from IMKO and Campbell probes, (5) 747 leaf-clip optical data from SPAD and DUALEX sensors, (6) 2594 in-lab leaf directional-hemispherical reflectances and transmittances from ASD spectroradiometer coupled with an integrating sphere, (7) 747 in-lab measured leaf water and dry matter content, and additional leaf traits by inversion of the PROSPECT model and (8) UAV-borne LiDAR 3-D point clouds. These datasets can be useful for multi-scale and multi-temporal calibration/validation of high level satellite vegetation products such as species traits, for current and future imaging spectroscopic missions, and by fusing or comparing both multispectral and hyperspectral data. Other targeted applications can be forest 3-D modelling, biodiversity assessment, fire risk prevention and globally vegetation monitoring.

Abstract The NEXT experiment aims at the sensitive search of the neutrinoless double beta decay in 136Xe, using high-pressure gas electroluminescent time projection chambers. The NEXT-White detector is the first radiopure demonstrator of this technology, operated in the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc. Achieving an energy resolution of 1% FWHM at 2.6 MeV and further background rejection by means of the topology of the reconstructed tracks, NEXT-White has been exploited beyond its original goals in order to perform a neu- trinoless double beta decay search. The analysis considers the combination of 271.6 days of 136Xe-enriched data and 208.9 days of 136Xe-depleted data. A detailed background modeling and measurement has been developed, ensuring the time stability of the radiogenic and cosmogenic contributions across both data samples. Limits to the neutrinoless mode are obtained in two alternative analyses: a background-model-dependent approach and a novel direct background-subtraction technique, offering results with small dependence on the background model assumptions. With a fiducial mass of only 3.50 ± 0.01 kg of 136Xe-enriched xenon, 90% C.L. lower limits to the neutrinoless double beta decay are found in the T 1 / 2 0 ν $$ {T}_{1/2}^{0\nu } $$ > 5.5 × 1023 − 1.3 × 1024 yr range, depending on the method. The presented techniques stand as a proof-of-concept for the searches to be implemented with larger NEXT detectors.

The utilization of Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) in conjunction with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) and Brachytherapy (BT) boost in prostate cancer treatment is a subject of ongoing debate and evolving clinical practice. While contemporary trends lean towards underutilizing ADT with these modalities, existing evidence suggests that its omission may lead to potentially inferior oncologic outcomes. Recommendations for ADT use should be patient-centric, considering individual risk profiles and comorbidities, with a focus on achieving optimal oncologic outcomes while minimizing potential side effects.Ongoing clinical trials, such as PACE-C, SPA, SHIP 0804, and SHIP 36B, are anticipated to provide valuable insights into the optimal use and duration of ADT in both SBRT and BT settings. Until new evidence emerges, it is recommended to initiate ADT for unfavorable intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, with a minimum duration of 6 months for unfavorable intermediate-risk patients and at least 12 months for those with high-risk characteristics. The decision to incorporate ADT into these radiation therapy modalities should be individualized, acknowledging the unique needs of each patient and emphasizing a tailored approach to achieve the best possible oncologic outcomes.

In orbit since late 2017, the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) is offering new outstanding opportunities for better understanding the emission and fate of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the troposphere. In this study, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the spatio-temporal variability of TROPOMI NO2 tropospheric columns (TrC-NO2) over the Iberian Peninsula during 2018–2021, considering the recently developed Product Algorithm Laboratory (PAL) product. We complement our analysis with estimates of NOx anthropogenic and natural soil emissions. Closely related to cloud cover, the data availability of TROPOMI observations ranges from 30 %–45 % during April and November to 70 %–80 % during summertime, with strong variations between northern and southern Spain. Strongest TrC-NO2 hotspots are located over Madrid and Barcelona, while TrC-NO2 enhancements are also observed along international maritime routes close the strait of Gibraltar, and to a lesser extent along specific major highways. TROPOMI TrC-NO2 appear reasonably well correlated with collocated surface NO2 mixing ratios, with correlations around 0.7–0.8 depending on the averaging time. We investigate the changes of weekly and monthly variability of TROPOMI TrC-NO2 depending on the urban cover fraction. Weekly profiles show a reduction of TrC-NO2 during the weekend ranging from −10 % to −40 % from least to most urbanized areas, in reasonable agreement with surface NO2. In the largest agglomerations like Madrid or Barcelona, this weekend effect peaks not in the city center but in specific suburban areas/cities, suggesting a larger relative contribution of commuting to total NOx anthropogenic emissions. The TROPOMI TrC-NO2 monthly variability also strongly varies with the level of urbanization, with monthly differences relative to annual mean ranging from −40 % in summer to +60 % in winter in the most urbanized areas, and from −10 % to +20 % in the least urbanized areas. When focusing on agricultural areas, TROPOMI observations depict an enhancement in June–July that could come from natural soil NO emissions. Some specific analysis of surface NO2 observations in Madrid show that the relatively sharp NO2 minimum used to occur in August (drop of road transport during holidays) has now evolved into a much broader minimum partly de-coupled from the observed local road traffic counting; this change started in 2018, thus before the COVID-19 outbreak. Over 2019–2021, a reasonable consistency of the inter-annual variability of NO2 is also found between both datasets. Our study illustrates the strong potential of TROPOMI TrC-NO2 observations for complementing the existing surface NO2 monitoring stations, especially in the poorly covered rural and maritime areas where NOx can play a key role, notably for the production of tropospheric O3.

Volatile chemical products (VCPs) and other non-combustion-related sources have become important for urban air quality, and bottom-up calculations report emissions of a variety of functionalized compounds that remain understudied and uncertain in emissions estimates. Using a new instrumental configuration, we present online measurements of oxygenated organic compounds in a US megacity over a 10 d wintertime sampling period, when biogenic sources and photochemistry were less active. Measurements were conducted at a rooftop observatory in upper Manhattan, New York City, USA using a Vocus chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer, with ammonium (NH4+) as the reagent ion operating at 1 Hz. The range of observations spanned volatile, intermediate-volatility, and semi-volatile organic compounds, with targeted analyses of ∼150 ions, whose likely assignments included a range of functionalized compound classes such as glycols, glycol ethers, acetates, acids, alcohols, acrylates, esters, ethanolamines, and ketones that are found in various consumer, commercial, and industrial products. Their concentrations varied as a function of wind direction, with enhancements over the highly populated areas of the Bronx, Manhattan, and parts of New Jersey, and included abundant concentrations of acetates, acrylates, ethylene glycol, and other commonly used oxygenated compounds. The results provide top-down constraints on wintertime emissions of these oxygenated and functionalized compounds, with ratios to common anthropogenic marker compounds and comparisons of their relative abundances to two regionally resolved emissions inventories used in urban air quality models.

The rate at which freshly formed secondary aerosol particles grow is an important factor in determining their climate impacts. The growth rate of atmospheric nanoparticles may be affected by particle-phase oligomerization and decomposition of condensing organic molecules. We used the Model for Oligomerization and Decomposition in Nanoparticle Growth (MODNAG) to investigate the potential atmospheric significance of these effects. This was done by conducting multiple simulations with varying reaction-related parameters (volatilities of the involved compounds and reaction rates) using both artificial and ambient measured gas-phase concentrations of organic vapors to define the condensing vapors. While our study does not aim at providing information on any specific reaction, our results indicate that particle-phase reactions have significant potential to affect the nanoparticle growth. In simulations in which one-third of a volatility basis set bin was allowed to go through particle-phase reactions, the maximum increase in growth rates was 71 % and the decrease 26 % compared to the base case in which no particle-phase reactions were assumed to take place. These results highlight the importance of investigating and increasing our understanding of particle-phase reactions.

Introduction: Vitamin D is an essential micronutrient that participates in the body's fundamental physiological processes. The pharmacist should involve the patient in his medication adherence, leading to a change in the patient's attitude towards his medication and towards his health problem, in order to achieve the pharmacological objective set. Methods: Quasi-experimental multicenter study design with non-probabilistic convenience sampling. A pharmacist-led intervention in health education was carried out, divided in two groups, face-to-face interview and on-line survey, and the results were evaluated 3 months later to observe if there was any change in the patient's health status or in their vitamin D levels. Results: The study was conducted in four pharmacies through face-to-face interviews (n = 49 patients) and online surveys (n = 23). Pharmaceutical intervention improved habits of exercise (0.81 ± 1.44 days/week face-to-face interviews vs −0.09 ± 2.35 days/week online surveys (p = 0.048)). In face-to-face interviews, consumption of vitamin D-rich foods was increased (0.55 unit of tuna/week; p = 0.035 and 0.56 unit of avocado/week; p = 0.001) and was improved correct intake of vitamin D supplements (32.5% baseline to 69.8% at 3 months). The increase in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (11.5 ng/mL after 3 months (p = 0.021)) was correlated to salmon consumption (0.951; p = 0.013) and the improvement of quality of life was correlated to avocado consumption (1; p < 0.001). Conclusion: There are habits that improve vitamin D production such as increased physical activity, the correct use of vitamin D supplements and the consumption of foods with high vitamin D levels. The role of the pharmacist is crucial, involving the patient in the treatment making aware of the benefits for his/her health status of increasing vitamin D levels.

Abstract Flaws or cracks are one of the major failures in oil and gas pipeline networks. The early detection of these failures is very important for the safety of the industry, and this last requires of analysis for non-destructive testing (NDT), which is reliable, inexpensive and easy to implement. In this paper, we propose the development of an embedded prototype mounted on a mobile robot for the inspection of defects in ferromagnetic plates. This prototype has two embedded systems (control and data acquisition), which are based on a microcontroller of 8 and 32 bits, respectively. On the one hand, the first system for control has the logic to govern the sensors and motors that will allow to the robot moves with autonomous way during 45 min. While, the second system presents an algorithm for storing, processing and sending the data obtained from the sensors, being able to measure variations in the magnetic field in the order of 0.1 µT. Magnetic-field reading tests have been carried out on control ASTM A-27 ferromagnetic plates, obtaining experimental response in the 3 axes of the magnetic domains, which is very close to the expected results by the magnetic-flux density model that is calculated from the fields E and B derived from the equations of a Hertz dipole, and developed in the high-level Python programming language. The prototype proposed for NDT can detect geometric defects in the range of millimeters, producing changes in the density of the magnetic field in the order of thousands of µT.

People’s estimates are biased toward previously considered numbers (anchoring). We have aggregated all available data from anchoring studies that included at least two anchors into one large dataset. Data were standardized to comprise one estimate per row, coded according to a wide range of variables, and are available for download and analyses online (https://metaanalyses.shinyapps.io/OpAQ/). Because the dataset includes both original and meta-data it allows for fine-grained analyses (e.g., correlations of estimates for different tasks) but also for meta-analyses (e.g., effect sizes for anchoring effects).

The aim of this study is to explore the relevance of scientific production on venture capital using bibliometric and mapping tools.We performed a search in Scopus, involving any document published between 1978 and 2020. We used bibliometric indicators to explore documents production, dispersion, distribution, time of duplication, and annual growth, as Price’s law of scientific literature growth, Lotka’s law, the transient index, and the Bradford model. We also calculated the participation index of the different countries and institutions. Finally, we explored the co-occurrence and thematic networks for the most frequently used terms in venture capital research through bibliometric mapping.A total of 1,230 original articles were collected from the timeframe 1978–2020. The model confirms that Price’s law is not fulfilled. Scientific production was better adjusted to linear growth (r = 0.9290) than exponential (r = 0.9161). Literature on venture capital research has increased its growth in the last 43 years at a rate of 7.9% per year, with a production that doubles its size every 9.1 years. The transience index was 79.91%, which indicates that most of the scientific production is due to a lot of authors with a small number of publications on the research topic. Bradford´s law shows that the scientific production in this area is widely distributed in multiple journals, and Lotka’s law indicates that the author’s distribution is heavily concentrated on small producers. The United States of America (USA) and the University of Pennsylvania present the highest production, contributing 31.22% and 1.63% of the total production of research on venture capital.The venture capital task has undergone a linear growth, with a very high rate of transience, which indicates the presence of numerous authors who sporadically publish on this topic. No evidence of a saturation point was observed in the scientific production analyzed, which makes it possible to conclude that the research in venture capital will continue to be in demand by the scientific community.

The Pickering emulsion polymerization of styrene (St), divinylbenzene (DVB) as a crosslinking agent, and sodium 4-vinyl benzene sulfonate (VBS) used for in situ surface-modification of silica nanoparticles (SNps) was investigated. At 1.0 wt% DVB, amphiphilic SNps with hydrophobic patches were formed, further self-assembling into copolymer-SNps clusters occurred. Subsequently, these clusters grow by monomer swelling to finally lead to the formation of core-shell polymer microspheres. Unlike the hydrophilic patchy SNps, at 2.0 and 3.0 wt% DVB, surface-patterned SNps with higher effective hydrophobicity do not self-assemble in the water phase but rather lead to the formation of monoliths. The polymerization mechanisms related to the formation of polymer silica-coated microspheres hybrid-materials, or percolated monoliths with bi-continuous porosity, formed by interfacially jammed emulsion gel (bijels) templates, are discussed herein.

In September 2017, we conducted a proton-transfer-reaction mass-spectrometry (PTR-MS) intercomparison campaign at the CESAR observatory, a rural site in the central Netherlands near the village of Cabauw. Nine research groups deployed a total of 11 instruments covering a wide range of instrument types and performance. We applied a new calibration method based on fast injection of a gas standard through a sample loop. This approach allows calibrations on timescales of seconds, and within a few minutes an automated sequence can be run allowing one to retrieve diagnostic parameters that indicate the performance status. We developed a method to retrieve the mass-dependent transmission from the fast calibrations, which is an essential characteristic of PTR-MS instruments, limiting the potential to calculate concentrations based on counting statistics and simple reaction kinetics in the reactor/drift tube. Our measurements show that PTR-MS instruments follow the simple reaction kinetics if operated in the standard range for pressures and temperature of the reaction chamber (i.e. 1–4 mbar, 30–120∘, respectively), as well as a reduced field strength E∕N in the range of 100–160 Td. If artefacts can be ruled out, it becomes possible to quantify the signals of uncalibrated organics with accuracies better than ±30 %. The simple reaction kinetics approach produces less accurate results at E∕N levels below 100 Td, because significant fractions of primary ions form water hydronium clusters. Deprotonation through reactive collisions of protonated organics with water molecules needs to be considered when the collision energy is a substantial fraction of the exoergicity of the proton transfer reaction and/or if protonated organics undergo many collisions with water molecules.

Flood databases of high spatio-temporal resolution are a necessary tool for proper spatial planning, especially in areas with high levels of exposure and danger to floods. This study presents the preliminary results of the Spanish Mediterranean Coastal Flood (SMC-Flood) database covering the municipalities in this region. This database collects information on flood cases that occurred between 1960 and 2015 by systematically consulting the digital archives of the main newspapers in the study area. The search for flood information was conducted by means of using links between municipality names and seven keywords that correspond to the most common ways of referring to a situation that is likely to describe a flood in Spain. This methodology has enabled the reconstruction of 3008 flood cases at a municipal scale with daily resolution while gathering information on the types of damage, intensity, severity and area affected. The spatio-temporal analysis of the data reveals hotspots where flood cases are especially intense and damaging when compared to highly developed areas where the frequency of flood cases is very high. This situation is especially worrying insofar as we have detected a growing trend in the frequency and area affected by flood cases. However, one positive aspect is that the intensity and severity of flood cases follows a falling trend. The main novelty lies in the fact that the high-resolution spatial analysis has made it possible to detect a clear latitudinal gradient of growing intensity and severity in a north–south direction. This pattern calls for new actions by the coastal municipal authorities of southern Spain for adaptation to a more complex flood scenario.

Introduction: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients induces cytotoxic effects in in vitro cultured motor neurons. Materials and methods: We selected CSF with previously reported cytotoxic effects from 32 ALS patients. Twenty-eight adult male rats were intracerebroventricularly implanted with osmotic mini-pumps and divided into 3 groups: 9 rats injected with CSF from non-ALS patients, 15 rats injected with cytotoxic ALS-CSF, and 4 rats injected with a physiological saline solution. CSF was intracerebroventricularly and continuously infused for periods of 20 or 43 days after implantation. We conducted clinical assessments and electromyographic examinations, and histological analyses were conducted in rats euthanised 20, 45, and 82 days after surgery. Results: Immunohistochemical studies revealed tissue damage with similar characteristics to those found in the sporadic forms of ALS, such as overexpression of cystatin C, transferrin, and TDP-43 protein in the cytoplasm. The earliest changes observed seemed to play a protective role due to the overexpression of peripherin, AKTpan, AKTphospho, and metallothioneins; this expression had diminished by the time we analysed rats euthanised on day 82, when an increase in apoptosis was observed. The first cellular changes identified were activated microglia followed by astrogliosis and overexpression of GFAP and S100B proteins. Conclusion: Our data suggest that ALS could spread through CSF and that intracerebroventricular administration of cytotoxic ALS-CSF provokes changes similar to those found in sporadic forms of the disease. Resumen: Introducción: La exposición de líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR) de pacientes con esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA) induce efectos citotóxicos en cultivos celulares de neuronas motoras in vitro. Material y métodos: Se seleccionó LCR de 32 pacientes con ELA que previamente habían demostrado efectos citotóxicos. Se implantaron con minibombas osmóticas intracerebroventriculares (ICV) en 28 ratas macho adultas y se dividieron en 3 grupos: 9 ratas de LCR de pacientes no-ELA, 15 ratas de ELA-LCR citotóxico y 4 ratas de una solución salina fisiológica. El LCR se administró por vía ICV de forma continua durante periodos de 20 o 43 días. Se realizó la evaluación clínica, electromiográfica y análisis de tejidos después de sacrificio a los 20, 45 y 82 días tras la cirugía. Resultados: Los estudios inmunohistoquímicos muestran daño en los tejidos con características similares a las encontradas en formas esporádicas de ELA, tales como sobreexpresión de cistatina C, transferrina y la proteína en el TDP-43 citoplasmática. Los primeros cambios observados parecían jugar un papel protector por la sobreexpresión de periferina, panAKT, fosfoAKT y metalotioneínas; esta expresión habría disminuido al momento de analizar las ratas que se sacrificaron al día 82, en el que hay un aumento de apoptosis. Los primeros cambios celulares identificados fueron la constatación de activación de la microglía seguido por astrogliosis con sobreexpresión de GFAP y proteína S100B. Conclusiones: Nuestros datos parecen indicar que la ELA podría propagarse a través del LCR, y que la administración ICV de ELA-LCR citotóxico produce cambios similares a los encontrados en las formas esporádicas de la enfermedad. Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS experimental model, Peripherin, TDP-43, Neurodegenerative diseases, Cytotoxicity, Palabras clave: Esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, Modelo experimental ELA, Periferina, TDP-43, Enfermedades neurodegenerativas, Citotoxicidad

Resumen: Introducción: La exposición de líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR) de pacientes con esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (ELA) induce efectos citotóxicos en cultivos celulares de neuronas motoras in vitro. Material y métodos: Se seleccionó LCR de 32 pacientes con ELA que previamente habían demostrado efectos citotóxicos. Se implantaron con minibombas osmóticas intracerebroventriculares (ICV) en 28 ratas macho adultas y se dividieron en 3 grupos: 9 ratas de LCR de pacientes no-ELA, 15 ratas de ELA-LCR citotóxico y 4 ratas de una solución salina fisiológica. El LCR se administró por vía ICV de forma continua durante periodos de 20 o 43 días. Se realizó la evaluación clínica, electromiográfica y análisis de tejidos después de sacrificio a los 20, 45 y 82 días tras la cirugía. Resultados: Los estudios inmunohistoquímicos muestran daño en los tejidos con características similares a las encontradas en formas esporádicas de ELA, tales como sobre expresión de cistatina C, transferrina y la proteína en el TDP-43 citoplasmática. Los primeros cambios observados parecían jugar un papel protector por la sobreexpresión de periferina, panAKT, fosfoAKT y metalotioneínas; esta expresión habría disminuido al momento de analizar las ratas que se sacrificaron al día 82, en el que hay un aumento de apoptosis. Los primeros cambios celulares identificados fueron la constatación de activación de la microglía seguido por astrogliosis con sobreexpresión de GFAP y proteína S100B. Conclusiones: Nuestros datos parecen indicar que la ELA podría propagarse a través del LCR, y que la administración ICV de ELA-LCR citotóxico produce cambios similares a los encontrados en las formas esporádicas de la enfermedad. Abstract: Introduction: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients induces cytotoxic effects in in vitro cultured motor neurons. Material and methods: We selected CSF with previously reported cytotoxic effects from 32 ALS patients. Twenty-eight adult male rats were intracerebroventricularly implanted with osmotic mini-pumps and divided into 3 groups: 9 rats injected with CSF from non-ALS patients, 15 rats injected with cytotoxic ALS-CSF, and 4 rats injected with a physiological saline solution. CSF was intracerebroventricularly and continuously infused for periods of 20 or 43 days after implantation. We conducted clinical assessments and electromyographic examinations, and histological analyses were conducted in rats euthanised 20, 45, and 82 days after surgery. Results: Immunohistochemical studies revealed tissue damage with similar characteristics to those found in the sporadic forms of ALS, such as overexpression of cystatin C, transferrin, and TDP-43 protein in the cytoplasm. The earliest changes observed seemed to play a protective role due to the overexpression of peripherin, AKTpan, AKTphospho, and metallothioneins; this expression had diminished by the time we analysed rats euthanised on day 82, when an increase in apoptosis was observed. The first cellular changes identified were activated microglia followed by astrogliosis and overexpression of GFAP and S100B proteins. Conclusion: Our data suggest that ALS could spread through CSF and that intracerebroventricular administration of cytotoxic ALS-CSF provokes changes similar to those found in sporadic forms of the disease. Palabras clave: Esclerosis lateral amiotrófica, Modelo experimental ELA, Periferina, TDP-43, Enfermedades neurodegenerativas, Citotoxicidad, Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS experimental model, Peripherin, TDP-43, Neurodegenerative diseases, Cytotoxicity

Management of agricultural landscapes can influence the biodiversity and the ecological services provided by these ecosystems, such as natural biological pest control. Viticulture is a very important economic activity in most countries with Mediterranean climate, often shaping their landscapes and culture. Grape production is affected by a number of pests and diseases, and farmers use prophylactic and response-driven pesticides to control these pests. Here we quantified the main biotic causes of crop losses in four grape castes, two red (Touriga Nacional and Baga) and two white (Arinto and Chardonnay), and evaluated the potential effect of native biodiversity to provide biotic resistance to pest outbreaks and grape losses. Specifically, the diversity and abundance of bird and insect communities in these vineyards were quantified and divided into functional guilds (pest, neutral or auxiliary), to test whether these natural communities hold the potential to naturally control grape pests (biotic resistance hypothesis) under normal vineyard management (including pesticide application regimes). A potential association between distance to the vineyard edge and grape losses was also evaluated. We recorded a very small proportion of grape losses (mean = 0.6 %; max = 7.5 %), with insect pests showing a preference for the castes Baga (red) and Chardonnay (white), while bird pests avoided the caste Arinto (white). Grape color did not influence losses caused by insect pests, but birds showed a preference for red castes. The caste Baga was also more vulnerable to losses caused by fungi. Despite their low impact on grape production, most insects and birds detected in the six vineyards were pests, which entails a potentially low level of biotic resistance in this highly managed agricultural ecosystem. Further research is necessary to fully evaluate the role of functional biodiversity in vineyards, particularly if alternative production processes, such as organic farming, can increase the potential of native biodiversity to protect against grape losses from pests under lower regimes of chemical spraying.

The chemical link between isoprene and formaldehyde (HCHO) is a strong, nonlinear function of NOx (i.e., NO + NO2). This relationship is a linchpin for top-down isoprene emission inventory verification from orbital HCHO column observations. It is also a benchmark for overall photochemical mechanism performance with regard to VOC oxidation. Using a comprehensive suite of airborne in situ observations over the southeast US, we quantify HCHO production across the urban–rural spectrum. Analysis of isoprene and its major first-generation oxidation products allows us to define both a "prompt" yield of HCHO (molecules of HCHO produced per molecule of freshly emitted isoprene) and the background HCHO mixing ratio (from oxidation of longer-lived hydrocarbons). Over the range of observed NOx values (roughly 0.1–2 ppbv), the prompt yield increases by a factor of 3 (from 0.3 to 0.9 ppbv ppbv−1), while background HCHO increases by a factor of 2 (from 1.6 to 3.3 ppbv). We apply the same method to evaluate the performance of both a global chemical transport model (AM3) and a measurement-constrained 0-D steady-state box model. Both models reproduce the NOx dependence of the prompt HCHO yield, illustrating that models with updated isoprene oxidation mechanisms can adequately capture the link between HCHO and recent isoprene emissions. On the other hand, both models underestimate background HCHO mixing ratios, suggesting missing HCHO precursors, inadequate representation of later-generation isoprene degradation and/or underestimated hydroxyl radical concentrations. Detailed process rates from the box model simulation demonstrate a 3-fold increase in HCHO production across the range of observed NOx values, driven by a 100 % increase in OH and a 40 % increase in branching of organic peroxy radical reactions to produce HCHO.

Optical carrier reduction via the use of a Si3N4 ring resonator notch filter (RRNF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated as a means for improving the modulation efficiency in 10-GHz radio-over-fiber (RoF) links. The realized filter is characterized in both the optical and microwave domains and is then exploited in an RoF test bed. Experimental results show a modulation depth improvement of up to 9 dB.