A
bstract
The measurement of the internal
222
Rn activity in the NEXT-White detector during the so-called Run-II period with
136
Xe-depleted xenon is discussed in detail, together with its ...implications for double beta decay searches in NEXT. The activity is measured through the alpha production rate induced in the fiducial volume by
222
Rn and its alpha-emitting progeny. The specific activity is measured to be (38.1 ± 2.2 (stat.) ± 5.9 (syst.)) mBq/m
3
. Radon-induced electrons have also been characterized from the decay of the
214
Bi daughter ions plating out on the cathode of the time projection chamber. From our studies, we conclude that radon-induced backgrounds are sufficiently low to enable a successful NEXT-100 physics program, as the projected rate contribution should not exceed 0.1 counts/yr in the neutrinoless double beta decay sample.
Abstract Background and aim Hypertension is one of the main cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly. The aims of this work were to evaluate if a one-year intervention with two Mediterranean diets ...(Med-diet) could decrease blood pressure (BP) due to a high polyphenol consumption, and if the decrease in BP was mediated by plasma nitric oxide (NO) production. Methods and results An intervention substudy of 200 participants at high cardiovascular risk was carried out within the PREDIMED trial. They were randomly assigned to a low-fat control diet or to two Med-diets, one supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (Med-EVOO) and the other with nuts (Med-nuts). Anthropometrics and clinical parameters were measured at baseline and after one year of intervention, as well as BP, plasma NO and total polyphenol excretion (TPE) in urine samples. Systolic and diastolic BP decreased significantly after a one-year dietary intervention with Med-EVOO and Med-nuts. These changes were associated with a significant increase in TPE and plasma NO. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between changes in urinary TPE, a biomarker of TP intake, and in plasma NO (Beta = 4.84; 95% CI: 0.57–9.10). Conclusions TPE in spot urine sample was positively correlated with plasma NO in Med-diets supplemented with either EVOO or nuts. The statistically significant increases in plasma NO were associated with a reduction in systolic and diastolic BP levels, adding to the growing evidence that polyphenols might protect the cardiovascular system by improving the endothelial function and enhancing endothelial synthesis of NO.
A
bstract
Excellent energy resolution is one of the primary advantages of electroluminescent high-pressure xenon TPCs. These detectors are promising tools in searching for rare physics events, such ...as neutrinoless double-beta decay (
ββ
0
ν
), which require precise energy measurements. Using the NEXT-White detector, developed by the NEXT (Neutrino Experiment with a Xenon TPC) collaboration, we show for the first time that an energy resolution of 1% FWHM can be achieved at 2.6 MeV, establishing the present technology as the one with the best energy resolution of all xenon detectors for
ββ
0
ν
searches.
Context: Aquaporin-7 is required for efflux of glycerol from adipocytes and influences whole-body glucose homeostasis in animal studies.
Objective: Our objective was to test the hypothesis that AQP7 ...gene expression levels may be affected by presence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.
Design: The obesity study cohort consisted of 12 lean, 22 nonseverely obese, and 13 severely obese subjects. The type 2 diabetes study cohort consisted of 17 lean and 39 obese type 2 diabetic patients. Circulating levels of plasma soluble proteins monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, TNF receptors 1 and 2, and IL-6 and glycerol were measured. The sc adipose tissue gene expression of AQP7, MCP-1, IL-6, TNFα, PPARγ, and SREBP1c genes was measured by real-time PCR. AQP7 gene mutation analysis was performed.
Results: Severely obese women showed lower AQP7 expression levels compared with lean and nonseverely obese (P < 0.001). Moreover, circulating glycerol concentration was lower in severely obese subjects, but no correlation with AQP7 adipose tissue expression was observed. AQP7 expression was negatively related with proinflammatory genes (for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, r = −0.203 and P = 0.044; for TNFα, r = −0.209 and P = 0.036). Concerning adipogenic factors, AQP7 expression levels were found to be positively determined by PPARγ mRNA expression levels (r = 0.265; P = 0.012). AQP7 expression did not show differences regarding the presence of type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion: Expression of AQP7 is down-regulated in women with severe obesity. The expression of this glycerol channel is not affected by type 2 diabetes.
PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the dietary total antioxidant capacity, the dietary intake of different antioxidants and mortality in a Mediterranean ...population at high cardiovascular disease risk. METHODS: A total of 7,447 subjects from the PREDIMED study (multicenter, parallel group, randomized controlled clinical trial), were analyzed treating data as an observational cohort. Different antioxidant vitamin intake and total dietary antioxidant capacity were calculated from a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire at baseline and updated yearly. Deaths were ascertained through contact with families and general practitioners, review of medical records and consultation of the National Death Index. Cox regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between dietary total antioxidant capacity and mortality. Dietary total antioxidant capacity was estimated using ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays. RESULTS: A total of 319 deaths were recorded after a median follow-up of 4.3 years. Subjects belonging to the upper quintile of antioxidant capacity were younger, ex-smokers, with high educational level, and more active and had higher alcohol intake. Multivariable-adjusted models revealed no statistically significant difference between total dietary antioxidant capacity and mortality (Q5 vs. Q1 ref HR 0.85; 95 % CI 0.60–1.20) neither for the intake of all the vitamins studied. CONCLUSIONS: No statistically significant association was found between antioxidant capacity and total mortality in elderly subjects at high cardiovascular risk.
•A dynamic model for cold hardiness estimation was developed for three representative cherry cultivars.•Equation coefficients of cultivar-specific models were determined.•LT10, LT50, and LT90 values ...were estimated using a logistic function.•Hardiness is highly dependent on the variations in maximum temperature.•The sensitivity of the parameters for each cultivar and for the three lethal temperatures was simulated.
Plants go through a physiological process of cold hardening to limit the damage, caused by low temperatures at the end of fall and winter. Under a variable climate, plants may be less or more cold hardened and hence more or less susceptible to the effects of an unexpected temperature drop. Seasonal patterns were estimated for three cherry cultivars that vary in freezing tolerance. Measures were taken during fall, winter and early spring for four consecutive seasons. The objective of the study was to develop an empirical dynamic cold hardiness model applicable to three cherry cultivars. The data used to develop the model came from cold hardiness measurements collected for cherry bud hardiness of Bing, Chelan, and Sweetheart during four consecutive seasons (2012–2015) consolidated from the 1st of October through April 30th per each season. Three quantitative lethal temperatures LT10, LT50 and LT90 of bud freezing were estimated from fitted sigmoid curves using a logistic function. Correlations and auto-correlations between lethal observed temperatures and air temperatures (maximum, minimum and average) were calculated. A nonlinear model then was fitted including the lethal temperature of the two days prior to freezing, the accumulative day for the studied period and the maximum temperature. Equation coefficients of cultivar-specific models were determined for each cultivar. Cold hardiness predictions were compared to actual observations for each cultivar and the confidence limits and uncertainty were derived. The model allowed for comparisons of cold hardening and de-hardening between the studied cultivars and between seasons. The information generated by the model can be valuable for frost protection management.
Several scoring systems predict mortality in alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), including the Maddrey discriminant function (mDF) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score developed in the ...United States, Glasgow alcoholic hepatitis score in the United Kingdom, and age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and creatinine score in Spain. To date, no global studies have examined the utility of these scores, nor has the MELD-sodium been evaluated for outcome prediction in AH. In this study, we assessed the accuracy of different scores to predict short-term mortality in AH and investigated additional factors to improve mortality prediction.
Patients admitted to hospital with a definite or probable AH were recruited by 85 tertiary centers in 11 countries and across 3 continents. Baseline demographic and laboratory variables were obtained. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 28 and 90 days.
In total, 3,101 patients were eligible for inclusion. After exclusions (n = 520), 2,581 patients were enrolled (74.4% male, median age 48 years, interquartile range 40.9-55.0 years). The median MELD score was 23.5 (interquartile range 20.5-27.8). Mortality at 28 and 90 days was 20% and 30.9%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for 28-day mortality ranged from 0.776 for MELD-sodium to 0.701 for mDF, and for 90-day mortality, it ranged from 0.773 for MELD to 0.709 for mDF. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for mDF to predict death was significantly lower than all other scores. Age added to MELD obtained only a small improvement of AUC.
These results suggest that the mDF score should no longer be used to assess AH's prognosis. The MELD score has the best performance in predicting short-term mortality.
The Puebla‐Morelos (Mexico) 2017 earthquake nucleated ∼250 km inland from the trench within the Cocos oceanic plate mantle. Here, we argue that the Puebla‐Morelos (Mexico) 2017 earthquake resulted ...from changes in effective stress due to the reaction brucite + antigorite = olivine + H2O leading to the reactivation of pre‐existing seafloor faults. Fluid release (∼185 kg of H2O per m3 of subducted hydrated harzburgite) and volume increase (ΔVr solid+fluid = ∼0.8%) likely occur along subducted seafloor‐inherited faults. The amount of H2O released, and magnitude of volume change depends on the degree of faults hydration; only highly hydrated (>40% of hydration) faults will stabilize brucite and experience this reaction at depth. The brucite + antigorite dehydration reaction may be key for intermediate seismicity worldwide.
Plain Language Summary
The Puebla‐Morelos (central Mexico) Mw7.1 earthquake occurred in an uncommon locality in Mexico compared to most of the catastrophic earthquakes that have occurred in this part of the world—it nucleated ∼250 km inland, almost below Mexico City. In this paper, we explore the role of mineralogical changes occurring in the Cocos tectonic plate, which is currently descending below the North America plate. Our model tracked the changes in the minerals within the rocks and show that the earthquake might have been triggered by the physical changes associated with the mineral reaction: brucite + antigorite = olivine + H2O. We suggest that this mineral reaction primarily occurred along faults in the subducting oceanic floor along which the mantle lithosphere was hydrated prior to subduction. The brucite + antigorite dehydration reaction may be key for intermediate seismicity worldwide.
Key Points
The dehydration of antigorite + brucite has a positive total volume change and leads to fluid‐induced fault reactivation
We hypothesize that fluid‐induced fault reactivation triggered the Puebla‐Morelos 2017 earthquake
The antigorite + brucite reaction only happens in highly hydrated regions of the upper lithospheric mantle
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