| 1. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(författare)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.522.7) and 16.5 cm (13.319.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 4. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(författare)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 5. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
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Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
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The Seventeenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys : Complete Release of MaNGA, MaStar, and APOGEE-2 Data
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 259:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper documents the seventeenth data release (DR17) from the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys; the fifth and final release from the fourth phase (SDSS-IV). DR17 contains the complete release of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey, which reached its goal of surveying over 10,000 nearby galaxies. The complete release of the MaNGA Stellar Library accompanies this data, providing observations of almost 30,000 stars through the MaNGA instrument during bright time. DR17 also contains the complete release of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment 2 survey that publicly releases infrared spectra of over 650,000 stars. The main sample from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), as well as the subsurvey Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey data were fully released in DR16. New single-fiber optical spectroscopy released in DR17 is from the SPectroscipic IDentification of ERosita Survey subsurvey and the eBOSS-RM program. Along with the primary data sets, DR17 includes 25 new or updated value-added catalogs. This paper concludes the release of SDSS-IV survey data. SDSS continues into its fifth phase with observations already underway for the Milky Way Mapper, Local Volume Mapper, and Black Hole Mapper surveys.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(författare)
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Underlying Event measurements in pp collisions at root s=0.9 and 7 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different p(T) thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/c. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track p(T) threshold considered. Data are compared to PYTHIA 6.4, PYTHIA 8.1 and PHOJET. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed p(T) in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.
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| 10. |
- Abolfathi, Bela, et al.
(författare)
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The Fourteenth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey : First Spectroscopic Data from the Extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey and from the Second Phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : IOP Publishing Ltd. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 235:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The fourth generation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) has been in operation since 2014 July. This paper describes the second data release from this phase, and the 14th from SDSS overall (making this Data Release Fourteen or DR14). This release makes the data taken by SDSS-IV in its first two years of operation (2014-2016 July) public. Like all previous SDSS releases, DR14 is cumulative, including the most recent reductions and calibrations of all data taken by SDSS since the first phase began operations in 2000. New in DR14 is the first public release of data from the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey; the first data from the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory (APO) Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2), including stellar parameter estimates from an innovative data-driven machine-learning algorithm known as "The Cannon"; and almost twice as many data cubes from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) survey as were in the previous release (N = 2812 in total). This paper describes the location and format of the publicly available data from the SDSS-IV surveys. We provide references to the important technical papers describing how these data have been taken (both targeting and observation details) and processed for scientific use. The SDSS web site (www.sdss.org) has been updated for this release and provides links to data downloads, as well as tutorials and examples of data use. SDSS-IV is planning to continue to collect astronomical data until 2020 and will be followed by SDSS-V.
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| 11. |
- Alonso-Rosa, Manuel, et al.
(författare)
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An IoT based mobile augmented reality application for energy visualization in buildings environments
- 2020
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Ingår i: Applied Sciences. - : MDPI. - 2076-3417. ; 10:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Augmented reality (AR) improves how we acquire, understand, and display information without distracting us from the real world. These technologies can be used in different applications and industries as they can incorporate domain-specific visualizations on a real-world screen. Mobile augmented reality (MAR) essentially consists of superimposing virtual elements over real objects on the screen, to give added value and enrich the interaction with reality. In numerous plants, it is being used for maintenance and repair tasks, as well as training. The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly pervading every aspect of our lives, including the power infrastructure of our buildings. IoT-enabled devices offer many connectivity options for helping supervise all-important energy assets. Aggregating data to cloud-based platforms enables operations teams to have on-time information access to make fast decisions and have a fast response regarding energy use, while maintenance teams keep on top of the appliance power quality and reliability needed by using MAR. This paper presents a novel approximation for visualizing appliance-related power quality to enhance awareness about the consumed electricity. A combined solution of MAR with IoT technologies is employed. Engineered solutions’ hands-free way to get data about surrounding appliances reduces the complexity, saves energy, and speeds up the operations. An innovative way to measure things at the right time leads to a competitive advantage.
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| 12. |
- Appendino, Giovanni, et al.
(författare)
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A meroterpenoid NF-kappa B inhibitor and drimane sesquiterpenoids from asafetida
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Natural Products. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0163-3864 .- 1520-6025. ; 69:7, s. 1101-1104
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Investigation of an acetone extract from asafetida afforded two drimane sesquiterpene dienones (fetidones A and B, 1a,b) and several known sesquiterpene coumarin ethers, one of which (8-acetoxy-5-hydroxyumbelliprenin, 2a) showed potent and specific NF-kappa B-inhibiting properties. This, coupled to a negligible cytotoxicity, qualifies 2a as a new anti-inflammatory chemotype, and its occurrence in asafetida might rationalize the use of this gum resin to alleviate and prevent colon inflammatory disturbances.
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| 13. |
- Appendino, Giovanni, et al.
(författare)
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Arzanol, an anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV-1 phloroglucinol alpha-pyrone from Helichrysum italicum ssp microphyllum
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Natural Products. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0163-3864 .- 1520-6025. ; 70:4, s. 608-612
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An acetone extract of Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum afforded the phloroglucinol alpha-pyrone arzanol (1a) as a potent NF-kappa B inhibitor. Arzanol is identical with homoarenol (2a), whose structure should be revised. The phloroglucinol-type structure of arzanol and the 1,2,4-trihydroxyphenyl-type structure of the base-induced fragmentation product of homoarenol could be reconciled in light of a retro-Fries-type fragmentation that triggers a change of the hydroxylation pattern of the aromatic moiety. On the basis of these findings, the structure of arenol, the major constituent of the clinically useful antibiotic arenarin, should be revised from 2b to 1b, solving a long-standing puzzle over its biogenetic derivation. An alpha-pyrone (micropyrone, 7), the monoterpene rac-E-omega-oleoyloxylinalol (10), four known tremetones (9a-d), and the dimeric pyrone helipyrone (8) were also obtained. Arzanol inhibited HIV-1 replication in T cells and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated primary monocytes, qualifying as a novel plant-derived anti-inflammatory and antiviral chemotype worth further investigation.
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| 14. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(författare)
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Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
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Ingår i: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
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| 15. |
- Blaschikoff, Ludmilla, et al.
(författare)
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A multidisciplinary study of Iberian Chalcolithic dogs
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Archaeological Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-409X .- 2352-4103. ; 42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Domesticated dogs have been present in the Iberian Peninsula long before other domesticated species, back to the late Palaeolithic period. Their origin is still uncertain, but dogs were already well established during the Chalcolithic period (ca. 5000-4000 BP). This study employed a multidisciplinary approach comprising osteometric, radiographic and palaeogenomic analyses to characterize Chalcolithic Iberian Canis remains. Two Chalcolithic archaeological sites - Leceia, Oeiras, in Portugal, and El Caset ' on de la Era, Villalba de los Alcores, Valladolid, in Spain - were the main focus of this study. Osteometric and odontometric data from eleven other sites in Iberia were also included. Osteometric results show signs of phenotypic variability, likely the result of human-driven selective pressure. Dental radiographic and dental wear analyses allowed age at death estimation for four individuals (two juvenile and two adults). Three Chalcolithic Iberian dogs had their mitogenomes resequenced and the mitochondrial DNA analysis allowed to assign each individual to two of the major known haplogroups - A and C. Molecular sex infered by the chromosomeX/chromosome1 coverage ratio allowed to identify one female and two males. This study unveils some aspects of the Iberian Chalcolithic dogs: these dogs already exhibited various morphotypes whose profiles might be associated to the performance of certain tasks, as well as mitogenomes of two distinct lineages that help tracking the evolutionary paths of Iberian dogs.
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| 16. |
- Calderón-Contreras, Rafael, et al.
(författare)
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A regional PECS node built from place-based social-ecological sustainability research in Latin America and the Caribbean
- 2022
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Ingår i: Ecosystems and People. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2639-5908 .- 2639-5916. ; 18:1, s. 1-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sustainability requires a combination of meaningful co-production of locally relevant solutions, synthesis of insights gained across regions, and increased cooperation between science, policy and practice. The Programme for Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) has been coordinating Place-Based Social-Ecological Sustainability Research (PBSESR) across the globe and emphasizes the need for regional scientific nodes from diverse biocultural regions to inform sustainability science and action. In this paper, we assess the strengths of the PBSESR communities in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). We provide an overview of PBSESR literature associated with this region and highlight the achievements of two prominent regional networks: The Social-Ecological Systems and Sustainability Research Network from Mexico (SocioEcoS) and the South American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies from Uruguay (SARAS Institute). Finally, we identify the potential in these nodes to constitute a regional PECS node in Latin America and discuss the capacity needed to ensure such function. The results of the literature review show that while still loosely interconnected across the region, networks play key roles in connecting otherwise cloistered teams and we illustrate how the SocioEcoS network (focusing on transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge towards sustainability) and the SARAS Institute (focusing on innovative approaches for looking at complex social-ecological problems, rooted in slow science and arts) operate as key connectors in the region. We conclude that these organizations combined can embody a Latin American node for PECS, and would thereby not only contribute to regional but also global capacities to advance the sustainability agenda.
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| 17. |
- Chazdon, Robin L., et al.
(författare)
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Carbon sequestration potential of second-growth forest regeneration in the Latin American tropics
- 2016
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 2:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Regrowth of tropical secondary forests following complete or nearly complete removal of forest vegetation actively stores carbon in aboveground biomass, partially counterbalancing carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, burning of fossil fuels, and other anthropogenic sources. We estimate the age and spatial extent of lowland second-growth forests in the Latin American tropics and model their potential aboveground carbon accumulation over four decades. Our model shows that, in 2008, second-growth forests (1 to 60 years old) covered 2.4 million km2 of land (28.1% of the total study area). Over 40 years, these lands can potentially accumulate a total aboveground carbon stock of 8.48 Pg C (petagrams of carbon) in aboveground biomass via low-cost natural regeneration or assisted regeneration, corresponding to a total CO2 sequestration of 31.09 Pg CO2. This total is equivalent to carbon emissions from fossil fuel use and industrial processes in all of Latin America and the Caribbean from 1993 to 2014. Ten countries account for 95% of this carbon storage potential, led by Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. We model future land-use scenarios to guide national carbon mitigation policies. Permitting natural regeneration on 40% of lowland pastures potentially stores an additional 2.0 Pg C over 40 years. Our study provides information and maps to guide national-level forest-based carbon mitigation plans on the basis of estimated rates of natural regeneration and pasture abandonment. Coupled with avoided deforestation and sustainable forest management, natural regeneration of second-growth forests provides a low-cost mechanism that yields a high carbon sequestration potential with multiple benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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| 18. |
- Coomar, Poulomee, et al.
(författare)
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Contrasting controls on hydrogeochemistry of arsenic-enriched groundwater in the homologous tectonic settings of Andean and Himalayan basin aquifers, Latin America and South Asia
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 689, s. 1370-1387
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High groundwater arsenic (As) across the globe has been one of the most well researched environmental concerns during the last two decades. Consequently, a large scientific knowledge-base has been developed on As distributions from local to global scales. However, differences in bulk sediment As concentrations cannot account for the As concentration variability in groundwater. Instead, in general, only aquifers in sedimentary basins adjacent to mountain chains (orogenic foreland basins) along continental convergent tectonic margins are found to be As enriched. We illustrate this association by integrating observations from long-term studies of two of the largest orogenic systems (i.e., As sources) and the aquifers in their associated foreland basins (As sinks), which are located in opposite hemispheres and experience distinct differences in climate and land-use patterns. The Andean orogenic system of South America (AB), an active continental margin, is in principle a modern analogue of the Himalayan orogenic system associated with the Indus-Ganges-Brahmaputra river systems in South Asia (HB). In general, the differences in hydrogeochemistry between AB and HB groundwaters are conspicuous. Major-solute composition of the arid, oxic AB groundwater exhibits a mixed-ion hydrochemical facies dominated by Na-Ca-Cl-SO4-HCO3. Molar calculations and thermodynamic modeling show that although groundwater of AB is influenced by cation exchange, its hydrochemical evolution is predominated by feldspar dissolution and relationships with secondary clays. In contrast, humid, strongly reducing groundwater of HB is dominated by Ca-HCO3 facies, suggestive of calcite dissolution, along with some weathering of silicates (monosiallitization). This work demonstrates that although hydrogeochemical evolutionary trends may vary with local climate and lithology, the fundamental similarities in global tectonic settings can still lead to the elevated concentrations of groundwater As.
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| 19. |
- Don-Doncow, Nicholas, et al.
(författare)
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Galiellalactone is a Direct Inhibitor of STAT3 in Prostate Cancer Cells.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Biological Chemistry. - 1083-351X. ; 289:23, s. 15969-15978
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transcription factor STAT3 is constitutively active in several malignancies including castration-resistant prostate cancer and has been identified as a promising therapeutic target. The fungal metabolite galiellalactone, a STAT3 signaling inhibitor, inhibits the growth, both in vitro and in vivo, of prostate cancer cells expressing active STAT3 and induces apoptosis of prostate cancer stem cell-like cells expressing pSTAT3. However, the molecular mechanism of this STAT3 inhibiting effect by galiellalactone has not been clarified. A biotinylated analogue of galiellalactone (GL-biot) was synthesized to be used for identification of galiellalactone target proteins. By adding streptavidin-sepharose beads to GL-biot treated DU145 cell lysates, STAT3 was isolated and identified as a target protein. Confocal microscopy revealed GL-biot in both the cytoplasm and nucleus of DU145 cells treated with GL-biot, appearing to co-localize with STAT3 in the nucleus. Galiellalactone inhibited STAT3 binding to DNA in DU145 cell lysates without affecting phosphorylation status of STAT3. Mass spectrometry analysis of recombinant STAT3 protein pretreated with galiellalactone revealed three modified cysteines (cys-367, cys-468 and cys-542). We here demonstrate with chemical and molecular pharmacological methods that galiellalactone is a cysteine reactive inhibitor that covalently binds to one or more cysteines in STAT3 and that this leads to inhibition of STAT3 binding to DNA and thus blocks STAT3 signaling without affecting phosphorylation. This further validates galiellalactone as a promising direct STAT3 inhibitor for treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer.
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| 20. |
- Downey, Harriet, et al.
(författare)
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Training future generations to deliver evidence-based conservation and ecosystem management
- 2021
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Ingår i: Ecological Solutions and Evidence. - : Wiley. - 2688-8319. ; 2:1
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. To be effective, the next generation of conservation practitioners and managers need to be critical thinkers with a deep understanding of how to make evidence-based decisions and of the value of evidence synthesis.2. If, as educators, we do not make these priorities a core part of what we teach, we are failing to prepare our students to make an effective contribution to conservation practice.3. To help overcome this problem we have created open access online teaching materials in multiple languages that are stored in Applied Ecology Resources. So far, 117 educators from 23 countries have acknowledged the importance of this and are already teaching or about to teach skills in appraising or using evidence in conservation decision-making. This includes 145 undergraduate, postgraduate or professional development courses.4. We call for wider teaching of the tools and skills that facilitate evidence-based conservation and also suggest that providing online teaching materials in multiple languages could be beneficial for improving global understanding of other subject areas.
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| 21. |
- Escobar, Zilma, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis of poinsettifolin A
- 2014
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Ingår i: Tetrahedron. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-4020. ; 70:47, s. 9052-9056
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A synthesis of poinsettifolin A (1), a prenylated flavonol isolated from Dorstenia poinsettifolia, is described. Two routes starting from quercetin were explored, and 1 could be prepared if a prenyl group first was incorporated at C-6 of the protected quercetin followed by a condensation with citral at C-8. The key synthetic steps are a Mitsunobu reaction, an europium (III)-catalysed Claisen rearrangement coupled with cross-metathesis, and a benzopyran-forming geranylation. The two geranylated 3,5,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavonols prepared, 1 and 3, were assayed for antileishmanial activity against Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania braziliensis, and found to be active. Compound 3 showed cytotoxic activity against leukaemia and lung cancer cells while 1 lacked cytotoxicity. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 22. |
- García, Víctor, et al.
(författare)
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Galiellalactone induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis through the ATM/ATR pathway in prostate cancer cells.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Oncotarget. - : Impact Journals, LLC. - 1949-2553.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Galiellalactone (GL) is a fungal metabolite that presents antitumor activities on prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. In this study we show that GL induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase, caspase-dependent apoptosis and also affected the microtubule organization and migration ability in DU145 cells. GL did not induce double strand DNA break but activated the ATR and ATM-mediated DNA damage response (DDR) inducing CHK1, H2AX phosphorylation (fH2AX) and CDC25C downregulation. Inhibition of the ATM/ATR activation with caffeine reverted GL-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and DNA damage measured by fH2AX. In contrast, UCN-01, a CHK1 inhibitor, prevented GL-induced cell cycle arrest but enhanced apoptosis in DU145 cells. Furthermore, we found that GL did not increase the levels of intracellular ROS, but the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) completely prevented the effects of GL on fH2AX, G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In contrast to NAC, other antioxidants such as ambroxol and EGCG did not interfere with the activity of GL on cell cycle. GL significantly suppressed DU145 xenograft growth in vivo and induced the expression of fH2AX in the tumors. These findings identify for the first time that GL activates DDR in prostate cancer.
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| 23. |
- Gei, Maga, et al.
(författare)
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Legume abundance along successional and rainfall gradients in Neotropical forests
- 2018
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Ingår i: Nature Ecology & Evolution. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-334X. ; 2:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nutrient demands of regrowing tropical forests are partly satisfied by nitrogen-fixing legume trees, but our understanding of the abundance of those species is biased towards wet tropical regions. Here we show how the abundance of Leguminosae is affected by both recovery from disturbance and large-scale rainfall gradients through a synthesis of forest inventory plots from a network of 42 Neotropical forest chronosequences. During the first three decades of natural forest regeneration, legume basal area is twice as high in dry compared with wet secondary forests. The tremendous ecological success of legumes in recently disturbed, water-limited forests is likely to be related to both their reduced leaflet size and ability to fix N2, which together enhance legume drought tolerance and water-use efficiency. Earth system models should incorporate these large-scale successional and climatic patterns of legume dominance to provide more accurate estimates of the maximum potential for natural nitrogen fixation across tropical forests.
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| 24. |
- Gracia-Espino, Eduardo, et al.
(författare)
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Temperature Dependence of Sensors Based on Silver-Decorated Nitrogen-Doped Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Journal of Sensors. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 1687-725X .- 1687-7268.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vapor sensors are easily fabricated onto alumina substrates using foils of silver-decorated nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNX-MWNTs-Ag) as active sensing material. The vapor sensors are tested using carbon disulfide, acetone, ethanol, and chloroform vapors. The CNX-MWNTs are produced by chemical vapor deposition process and then decorated with 14 nm Ag nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). The samples are characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Our results demonstrate that Ag-decorated CNX-MWNTs exhibit a better response and sensitivity when compared with pristine CNX-MWNTs based sensors, making them promising candidates for air-pollutants environmental monitoring. The temperature effect on the sensor performance is also studied; we found that the detection mechanism could be tuned from physisorption, at room temperature, to chemisorption at higher working temperature. Finally, first-principles density functional calculations are carried out to understand the interactions between the systems involved in the sensors, finding good agreement between experimental results and the theoretical approach.
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| 25. |
- Huenchuguala, Sandro, et al.
(författare)
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Glutathione transferase mu 2 protects glioblastoma cells against aminochrome toxicity by preventing autophagy and lysosome dysfunction
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8627 .- 1554-8635. ; 10:4, s. 618-630
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- U373MG cells constitutively express glutathione S-transferase mu 2 (GSTM2) and exhibit H-3-dopamine uptake, which is inhibited by 2 mu M of nomifensine and 15 mu M of estradiol. We generated a stable cell line (U373MGsiGST6) expressing an siRNA against GSTM2 that resulted in low GSTM2 expression (26% of wild-type U373MG cells). A significant increase in cell death was observed when U373MGsiGST6 cells were incubated with 50 mu M purified aminochrome (18-fold increase) compared with wild-type cells. The incubation of U373MGsiGST6 cells with 75 mu M aminochrome resulted in the formation of autophagic vacuoles containing undigested cellular components, as determined using transmission electron microscopy. A significant increase in autophagosomes was determined by measuring endogenous LC3-II, a significant decrease in cell death was observed in the presence of bafilomycin A(1), and a significant increase in cell death was observed in the presence of trehalose. A significant increase in LAMP2 immunostaining was observed, a significant decrease in bright red fluorescence of lysosomes with acridine orange was observed, and bafilomycin A(1) pretreatment reduced the loss of lysosome acidity. A significant increase in cell death was observed in the presence of lysosomal protease inhibitors. Aggregation of TUBA/-tubulin (tubulin, ) and SQSTM1 protein accumulation were also observed. Moreover, a significant increase in the number of lipids droplets was observed compared with U373MG cells with normal expression of GSTM2. These results support the notion that GSTM2 is a protective enzyme against aminochrome toxicity in astrocytes and that aminochrome cell death in U373MGsiGST6 cells involves autophagic-lysosomal dysfunction.
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| 26. |
- Islam, Md. Aminul, et al.
(författare)
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An opinion on Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring (WBEM) with Clinical Diagnostic Test (CDT) for detecting high-prevalence areas of community COVID-19 infections
- 2023
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Ingår i: CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH. - : Elsevier BV. - 2468-5844. ; 31
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wastewater-Based Epidemiological Monitoring (WBEM) is an efficient surveillance tool during the COVID-19 pandemic as it meets all requirements of a complete monitoring system including early warning, tracking the current trend, prevalence of the disease, detection of genetic diversity as well as the upsurging SARS-CoV-2 new variants with mutations from the wastewater samples. Subsequently, Clinical Diagnostic Test (CDT) is widely acknowledged as the global gold standard method for disease monitoring, despite several drawbacks such as high diagnosis cost, reporting bias, and the difficulty of tracking asymptomatic patients (silent spreaders of the COVID-19 infection who manifest no symptoms of the disease). In this current review and opinion-based study, we first propose a combined approach for detecting COVID-19 infection in communities using wastewater and clinical sample testing, which may be feasible and effective as an emerging public health tool for the long-term nationwide surveillance system. The viral concentrations in wastewater samples can be used as indicators to monitor ongoing SARS-CoV-2 trends, predict asymptomatic carriers, and detect COVID-19 hotspot areas, while clinical samples help in detecting mostly symptomatic individuals for isolating positive cases in communities and validate WBEM protocol for mass vaccination including booster doses for COVID-19.
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| 27. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 28. |
- Letcher, Susan G., et al.
(författare)
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Environmental gradients and the evolution of successional habitat specialization : a test case with 14 Neotropical forest sites
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0022-0477 .- 1365-2745. ; 103:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- * Successional gradients are ubiquitous in nature, yet few studies have systematically examined the evolutionary origins of taxa that specialize at different successional stages. Here we quantify successional habitat specialization in Neotropical forest trees and evaluate its evolutionary lability along a precipitation gradient. Theoretically, successional habitat specialization should be more evolutionarily conserved in wet forests than in dry forests due to more extreme microenvironmental differentiation between early and late-successional stages in wet forest. * We applied a robust multinomial classification model to samples of primary and secondary forest trees from 14 Neotropical lowland forest sites spanning a precipitation gradient from 788 to 4000 mm annual rainfall, identifying species that are old-growth specialists and secondary forest specialists in each site. We constructed phylogenies for the classified taxa at each site and for the entire set of classified taxa and tested whether successional habitat specialization is phylogenetically conserved. We further investigated differences in the functional traits of species specializing in secondary vs. old-growth forest along the precipitation gradient, expecting different trait associations with secondary forest specialists in wet vs. dry forests since water availability is more limiting in dry forests and light availability more limiting in wet forests. * Successional habitat specialization is non-randomly distributed in the angiosperm phylogeny, with a tendency towards phylogenetic conservatism overall and a trend towards stronger conservatism in wet forests than in dry forests. However, the specialists come from all the major branches of the angiosperm phylogeny, and very few functional traits showed any consistent relationships with successional habitat specialization in either wet or dry forests. * Synthesis. The niche conservatism evident in the habitat specialization of Neotropical trees suggests a role for radiation into different successional habitats in the evolution of species-rich genera, though the diversity of functional traits that lead to success in different successional habitats complicates analyses at the community scale. Examining the distribution of particular lineages with respect to successional gradients may provide more insight into the role of successional habitat specialization in the evolution of species-rich taxa.
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| 29. |
- Mariscal-Munoz, Eduardo, et al.
(författare)
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Osteoblast differentiation is enhanced by a nano-to-micro hybrid titanium surface created by Yb:YAG laser irradiation
- 2016
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Ingår i: Clinical Oral Investigations. - : Springer. - 1432-6981 .- 1436-3771. ; 20:3, s. 503-511
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to analyze the capacity of a new modified laser surface to stimulate calvarial osteoblasts isolated from neonatal mouse bones to differentiate and form mineralized nodules. Titanium discs were subjectezd or not to laser irradiation according to specific parameters and characterized. Osteoblasts isolated from neonatal mouse calvaria were cultured over the discs, and the capacity of these cells to proliferate (MTT assay), form mineralized nodules (Alizarin red assay), and enhance alkaline phosphatase activity (ALPase activity) was analyzed. Real-time PCR was used for quantification of gene expression. Laser-irradiated titanium discs (L) presented a rough nano-to-micrometric oxidized surface contrasting with the smooth pattern on polished discs (P). The R-a on the micrometric level increased from 0.32 +/- 0.01 mu m on P surfaces to 10.57 +/- 0.39 mu m on L surfaces. When compared with P, L promoted changes in osteoblast morphology, increased mineralized nodule formation in osteoblasts cultured on the surfaces for 14 days, and enhanced ALPase activity at days 7 and 14. Transcription factors triggering osteoblast differentiation (Runx2 and Sp7) and genes encoding the bone extracellular matrix proteins collagen type-1 (Col1a1), osteopontin (Spp1), and osteocalcin (Bglap) were upregulated in cells on L surfaces compared with those on P surfaces at days 1-14. Laser treatment of titanium surfaces created a rough surface that stimulated osteoblast differentiation. Laser treatment of titanium generates a reproducible and efficient surface triggering osteoblast differentiation that can be of importance for osteointegration.
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| 30. |
- Muñoz, John E., et al.
(författare)
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Taxonomy of Physiologically Adaptive Systems and Design Framework
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. - Cham : Springer Publishing Company. - 9783030778576 - 9783030778569 ; , s. 559-576
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The design of physiologically adaptive systems entails several complex steps from acquiring human body signals to create responsive adaptive behaviors that can be used to enhance conventional communication pathways between human and technological systems. Categorizing and classifying the computing techniques used to create intelligent adaptation via physiological metrics is an important step towards creating a body of knowledge that allows the field to develop and mature accordingly. This paper proposes the creation of a taxonomy that groups several physiologically adaptive (also called biocybernetic) systems that have been previously designed and reported. The taxonomy proposes two subcategories of adaptive techniques: control theoretics and machine learning, which have multiple sub-categories that we illustrate with systems created in the last decades. Based on the proposed taxonomy, we also propose a design framework that considers four fundamental aspects that should be defined when designing physiologically adaptive systems: the medium, the application area, the psychophysiological target state, and the adaptation technique. We conclude the paper by discussing the importance of the proposed taxonomy and design framework as well as suggesting research areas and applications where we envision biocybernetic systems will evolve in the following years.
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| 31. |
- Navarrete, Carmen, et al.
(författare)
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Basiliolides, a class of tetracyclic C19 dilactones from Thapsia garganica, release Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum and regulate the activity of the transcription factors nuclear factor of activated T cells, nuclear factor-kappa B, and activator protein 1 in T lymphocytes
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. - : American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). - 1521-0103 .- 0022-3565. ; 319:1, s. 422-430
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Calcium concentration within the endoplasmic reticulum ER) plays an essential role in cell physiology. We have investigated the effects of basiliolides, a novel class of C19 dilactones isolated from Thapsia garganica, on Ca2+ mobilization in T cells. Basiliolide A1 induced a rapid mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ in the leukemia T-cell line Jurkat. First, a rapid calcium peak was observed and inhibited by 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl ester. This initial calcium mobilization was followed by a sustained elevation, mediated by the entry of extracellular calcium through store-operated calcium release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels and sensitive to inhibition by EGTA, and by the CRAC channel inhibitor N-{4-[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1Hpyrazol1-yl] phenyl}-4-methyl-1,2,3-thiadiazole-5-carboxamide (BTP-2). Basiliolide A1 mobilized Ca2+ from ER stores, but in contrast to thapsigargin, it did not induce apoptosis. Basiliolide A1 induced nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 dephosphorylation and activation that was inhibited by BTP-2 and cyclosporine A. In addition, we found that basiliolide A1 alone did not mediate IKB alpha degradation or RelA phosphorylation (ser536), but it synergized with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate to induce a complete degradation of the nuclear factor-KB inhibitory protein and to activate the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase. Moreover, basiliolide A1 regulated both interleukin-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene expression at the transcriptional level. In basiliolide B, oxidation of one of the two geminal methyls to a carboxymethyl group retained most of the activity of basiliolide A1. In contrast, basiliolide C, where the 15-carbon is oxidized to an acetoxymethine, was much less active. These findings qualify these compounds as new probes to investigate intracellular calcium homeostasis.
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| 32. |
- Ormachea Muñoz, Mauricio, 1971-, et al.
(författare)
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Arsenic and other trace elements in thermal springs and in cold waters from drinking water wells on the Bolivian Altiplano
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of South American Earth Sciences. - : Elsevier. - 0895-9811 .- 1873-0647. ; 60, s. 10-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Numerous hot springs and fumaroles occur along the Andes Mountains, in the Bolivian Altiplano, where people use thermal springs for recreational purposes as pools, baths and also for consumption as drinking water and irrigation once it is mixed with natural surface waters; most of these thermal springs emerge from earth surface and flow naturally into the rivers streams which drain further into the Poopo Lake. Physicochemical characteristics of the thermal water samples showed pH from 6.3 to 8.3 with an average of 7.0, redox potential from +106 to +204 mV with an average of +172 mV, temperatures from 40 to 75 °C with an average of 56 °C and high electrical conductivity ranging from 1.8 to 75 mS/cm and averaged 13 mS/cm. Predominant major ions are Naþ and Cl and the principal water types are 37.5% Na-Cl type and 37.5% Na-Cl-HCO3 type. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 7.8 to 65.3 μg/L and arsenic speciation indicate the predominance of As(III) species. Sediments collected from the outlets of thermal waters show high iron content, and ferric oxides and hydroxides are assumed to be principal mineral phases for arsenic attenuation by adsorption/co-precipitation processes. Arsenic concentrations in cold water samples from shallow aquifers are higher than those in thermal springs (range < 5.6-233.2 μg/L), it is likely that thermal water discharge is not the main source of high arsenic content in the shallow aquifer as they are very immature and may only have a small component corresponding to the deep geothermal reservoir. As people use both thermal waters and cold waters for consumption, there is a high risk for arsenic exposure in the area.
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| 33. |
- Pérez, Moisés, et al.
(författare)
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The fungal metabolite galiellalactone interferes with the nuclear import of NF-κB and inhibits HIV-1 replication.
- 2014
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Ingår i: Chemico-Biological Interactions. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-7786 .- 0009-2797. ; 214:Mar 11, s. 69-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Galiellalactone (GL) is a metabolite produced by the fungus Galiella rufa that presents antitumor and immunomodulatory activities. GL interferes with the binding to DNA of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 and also inhibits other signal pathways such as NF-κB, but the mechanism of action in this pathway remains unknown. In this study we report that GL inhibits vesicular stomatitis virus-recombinant HIV-1 infection and the NF-κB-dependent transcriptional activity of the HIV-LTR promoter. We found that GL prevents the binding of NF-κB to DNA but neither affects the phosphorylation and degradation of NF-κB inhibitory protein, IκBα, nor the phosphorylation and acetylation of the NF-κB p65 subunit. However, GL prevents the association of p65 with the importin α3 impairing the nuclear translocation of this transcription factor. Using a biotinylated probe we found that GL binds to p65 but not to importin α3. Therefore, GL is a dual NF-κB/STAT3 inhibitor that could serve as a lead compound for the development of novel drugs against HIV-1, cancer and inflammatory diseases.
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Quino Lima, Israel, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Geochemical mechanisms and spatio-temporal variation of the mobility of natural arsenic in shallowgroundwater and surface water in the hydrogeologic system of Lower Katari Basin, Bolivian Altiplano.
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Arsenic (As) contamination of drinking water is a world-wide problem. The natural origin of As, its mobility and transport are of great interest in Bolivian Altiplano due to its presence in mineral deposits, brines, hot springs and volcanic rocks. In this study a geochemical spatial-temporal approach was used to understand the sources and factors that control the mobilization and fate of As in water bodies as well as sediments of Lower Katari Basin (LKB). The results reveal that high levels of As, boron (B), manganese (Mn) and high salinity are present in shallow drinking water wells, which exceed the guideline values of the Bolivian regulation (NB-512) and WHO. The seasonal variation and its impact on water quantity, in addition to the load of solids and liquids of residual origin (Pallina River) represent risk of significant negative health impact for the communities at the banks of the Katari River. The first evaluation of the hydrogeological study indicates that the groundwater flow was observed in the direction southeast - northwest (SE - NW), which are showed in the sectors with interaction between groundwater and surface water. The spatial distribution of As varies considerably due to geological characteristics of the area as well as due to the heterogeneously distributed evaporites in the sediments; however, the highest concentrations of As are found in the alluvial sediments of the northern region. Sequential extraction of sediment along with geochemical modeling (mineral saturation indices) indicates that the iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) oxides as well as their hydroxides are most important adsorbent minerals of As in central and southern region of LKB. The hydrochemistry of water bodies in LKB is strongly influenced by the interaction with the sediment constituents and by the spatial-temporal variations. Therefore, the determination of the distribution of As among the different geochemical fractions was useful to find the relative proportions of As transported by different chemical mechanisms and their spatial-temporal variation.
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| 36. |
- Quino Lima, Israel, Doctoral student, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Geochemical mechanisms of natural arsenic mobility in the hydrogeologic system of Lower Katari Basin, Bolivian Altiplano
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Journal of Hydrology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-1694 .- 1879-2707. ; 594
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Arsenic (As) contamination of drinking water is a worldwide problem. The natural origin of As, its mobility, and transport are of paramount interest in Bolivian Altiplano due to its presence in mineral deposits, brines, hot springs, and volcanic rocks. In this study, a geochemical spatial-temporal approach was used to understand the sources and factors that regulate the mobilization and fate of As in water bodies as well as sediments of Lower Katari Basin (LKB). The study reveals that high levels of As (288 mu g/L), boron (B) (2473 mu g/L), manganese (Mn) (7259 mu g/L), and high salinity (23850 mu S/cm) are present in shallow drinking water wells, which exceed the guideline values of the Bolivian regulation (NB-512) and WHO. Seasonal changes (mean monthly rainfall in the dry and rainy period: 6-89 mm) and their impact on water quantity (0.9-5.1 m(3)/s), in addition to the load of solids and liquids of residual origin (Pallina River), pose health risks for the communities at the banks of the Katari River. The hydrogeological study indicates that the groundwater flows from southeast to northwest (SE-NW), which indicate interaction between groundwater and surface water in this region. The spatial distribution of As varies considerably due to geological characteristics of the area as well as due to the heterogeneously distributed evaporites in the sediments (alluvial, fluvial-lacustrine); however, the highest concentrations of As are observed in the alluvial sediments of the northern region. Sequential extraction (BCR) of sediments along with geochemical modeling (mineral saturation indices) indicates that iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) (hydr)oxides are the most important adsorbent minerals of As in the central and southern region of LKB. The hydrochemistry of water bodies in LKB is strongly influenced by the interaction with the sediment constituents and by the spatial-temporal variations. Therefore, the determination of the distribution of As among the different geochemical fractions was useful to find the relative proportions of As transported by different chemical mechanisms (adsorption/dissolution) and their spatial-temporal variation.
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| 37. |
- Quino Lima, Israel, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Hydrochemical assessment with respect to arsenic and other trace elementsin the Lower Katari Basin, Bolivian Altiplano
- 2019
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Ingår i: Groundwater for Sustainable Development. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-801X. ; 8, s. 281-293
-
Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Hydrochemical investigations of groundwater and surface water were carried out to better understand the spatial distribution of As, major ions and trace elements.The study was carried out to evaluate the sources of dissolved species and elucidate the processes that govern the evolution of natural water in the Lower Katari Basin.The study area is close to the Titicaca Lake (Cohana Bay) formed by sediments of the Quaternary system, deposited in the fluvio-glacial to fluvio-lacustrineenvironment and geologic formations of the Devonian and Neogene system of volcanic origin. The study area has several environmental problems mainly caused bycontaminants such as heavy metals, nutrients, and bacteria. These problems are linked to the urban and industrial wastes, natural geologic conditions, and miningactivities carried out upstream of the Katari Basin, where rivers discharge into the Cohana Bay.A total of 37 water samples were collected during wet season, 31 groundwater samples including drinking water wells and six surface water samples. Thehierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were applied to hydrochemical data. Results show high salinity in groundwater related to theevaporation causing serious problems for the groundwater quality and rendering it unsuitable for drinking. Dissolved As concentration ranges from 0.7 to 89.7 μg/L;the principal source of As could be the alteration of volcanic rocks, more than 48% of the shallow groundwater samples exceeded the WHO guideline value for As andmore than 22% for NO3-. Groundwater has neutral to slightly alkaline pH, and moderately oxidizing character. The groundwater chemistry reveals considerablevariability, ranging from Na-SO4,Cl type through mixed Na-HCO3 type and Ca,Na-HCO3,Cl type. The distribution of trace elements shows a large range of concentrations.Speciation of As indicates that the predominant oxidation state is As (V). The geochemical modelling indicates that As could be associated with ironoxides and hydroxides which are probably the most important mineral phases for the As adsorption. The spatial distribution and the variation of dissolved Asconcentration in groundwater is governed by the variability in geological characteristics of the region that raises a significant concern about drinking water quality.
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| 38. |
- Quino Lima, Israel, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Hydrogeochemical contrasts in the shallow aquifer systems of the Lower Katari Basin and SouthernPoopó Basin, Bolivian Altiplano.
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Water sources for human consumption in regions such as the southeast of Lake Titicaca (Lower Katari Basin: LKB) and the south of Lake Poopó (Southern Poopó Basin: SPB) have high concentrations of arsenic (As) (>10 μg/L; WHO and NB-512 guideline value). These regions belong to the Bolivian Altiplano and characterized by a semiarid climate, slow hydrological flow, with geological formations of volcanic origin, in addition to brines and other mineral deposits. This study focuses in the comparision of the geochemical processes for the occurance of As, sources and its mobilization in groundwater (GW) in LKB and SPB. Samples of GW, surface water and sediments were collected from both the basins. The study found As (LKB: 0.8 - 288 μg/L and SPB: 2.6 - 207 μg/L), boron (B) (LKB: 96 - 2473 μg/L and SPB: 507 - 4359 μg/L), manganese (Mn) (LKB: 0.6 - 7259 μg/L) and salinity (LKB: 125 - 11740 μS/cm) are higher than the WHO guideline. The results indicate serious deterioration of GW quality that is apparently not safe for human consumption. The spatial distribution of As was observed in diverse geology of both the basins and it was heterogeneously distributed within the sediments. The highest As concentrations are found in the northern region of LKB and the PACK belt in SPB (both alluvial sediments). The dissolution and exchange of bases are the processes that govern the mineralization of GW. Whereas, sequential extraction of sediment and mineral saturation indices indicate the iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) oxides as well as hydroxides are the most predominant mineral as potential sorbent of As. Nevertheless, solids and liquid from anthropogenic origin in surface water (LKB) are causing environmental problem for communities on the banks of river.
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| 39. |
- Ramos Ramos, Oswaldo Eduardo, et al.
(författare)
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Sources and behavior of arsenic and trace elements in groundwater and surface water in the Poopó Lake Basin, Bolivian Altiplano
- 2012
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Ingår i: Environmental Earth Sciences. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1866-6280 .- 1866-6299. ; 66:3, s. 793-807
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Water management in semiarid and arid catchments such as the Poopó Lake Basin requires improved understanding of the complex behavior of the various contaminants, which affect the drinking water quality and considered as crucial for sustainable development of the region. Mechanisms of arsenic (As) release in the surface and groundwater were studied. Hydrochemical data for surface water (4 samples) and groundwater (28 samples) were collected in a small watershed in the Poopó catchment at the highland of the Bolivian Andes (Altiplano). All of them show high electrical conductivity values and moderately oxidizing conditions. The surface water contains high concentration of sulfate and the trace elements As, Zn and Pb in the zone affected by acid mine drainage. There is a large variability of the concentration of As and of the trace elements in the groundwater in the five different regions within the Poopó catchment. The metal concentrations sensitive to changes of redox state and results of speciation modeling suggest that As (V) is a predominant aqueous species, which conforms to the prevailing oxidizing conditions in the shallow groundwater environment. Two generalized trends for As distribution were identified in groundwater: (a) high concentrations are found in the arid zone (100-250 Όg/L) in the southern (region III) and in the northwestern (region V) regions, and (b) low concentrations (< 50 Όg/L) are found in the remaining part of the basin (region I, II and IV). However, the spatial distribution within these regions needs to be investigated further. A conclusion from the present study is that there are multiple sources of As as well as other trace elements (such as Cd, Mn and Zn) in the Poopó Lake Basin. Among the sources and the processes which led to the mobility of As and other trace metals in the region are: (a) weathering of sulfide minerals, (b) oxidation of pyrite and/or arsenopyrite in mineralized areas and (c) desorption from hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) surfaces. In non-mining areas, volcanic ash is suggested to be a significant source of As.
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| 40. |
- Valdivia, Carola, et al.
(författare)
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Bioactive alkenylphenols from Piper obliquum.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0968-0896. ; 16:7, s. 4120-4126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Various parts of Piper obliquum Ruíz & Pavon yielded the new alkenylphenols obliquol A (1) and obliquol B (2), the new 4-chromanone 3 together with the known compounds 4 and 5. A synthesis of obliquol B (2) was developed in order to confirm its structure and to provide sufficient amounts for biological testing. Compounds 1 and 2 have antibacterial activity comparable to that of ampicillin, 2 in addition possesses potent anti-NF-kappaB activity by targeting early events in the TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB inflammatory pathway, which may explain the effects reported for the traditional use of the plant.
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| 41. |
- Velez Quintero, Luis Eduardo, et al.
(författare)
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Excite-O-Meter : Software Framework to Integrate Heart Activity in Virtual Reality
- 2021
-
Ingår i: 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality (ISMAR). - : IEEE. - 9781665401586 ; , s. 357-366
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bodily signals can complement subjective and behavioral measures to analyze human factors, such as user engagement or stress, when interacting with virtual reality (VR) environments. Enabling widespread use of (also the real-time analysis) of bodily signals in VR applications could be a powerful method to design more user-centric, personalized VR experiences. However, technical and scientific challenges (e.g., cost of research-grade sensing devices, required coding skills, expert knowledge needed to interpret the data) complicate the integration of bodily data in existing interactive applications. This paper presents the design, development, and evaluation of an open-source software framework named Excite-O-Meter. It allows existing VR applications to integrate, record, analyze, and visualize bodily signals from wearable sensors, with the example of cardiac activity (heart rate and its variability) from the chest strap Polar H10. Survey responses from 58 potential users determined the design requirements for the framework. Two tests evaluated the framework and setup in terms of data acquisition/analysis and data quality. Finally, we present an example experiment that shows how our tool can be an easy-to-use and scientifically validated tool for researchers, hobbyists, or game designers to integrate bodily signals in VR applications.
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| 42. |
- Vialas, Vital, et al.
(författare)
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A multicentric study to evaluate the use of relative retention times in targeted proteomics
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Proteomics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1874-3919. ; 152, s. 138-149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the maturity reached by targeted proteomic strategies, reliable and standardized protocols are urgently needed to enhance reproducibility among different laboratories and analytical platforms, facilitating a more widespread use in biomedical research. To achieve this goal, the use of dimensionless relative retention times (iRT), defined on the basis of peptide standard retention times (RT), has lately emerged as a powerful tool. The robustness, reproducibility and utility of this strategy were examined for the first time in a multicentric setting, involving 28 laboratories that included 24 of the Spanish network of proteomics laboratories (ProteoRed-ISCIII). According to the results obtained in this study, dimensionless retention time values (iRTs) demonstrated to be a useful tool for transferring and sharing peptide retention times across different chromatographic set-ups both intra- and inter-laboratories. iRT values also showed very low variability over long time periods. Furthermore, parallel quantitative analyses showed a high reproducibility despite the variety of experimental strategies used, either MRM (multiple reaction monitoring) or pseudoMRM, and the diversity of analytical platforms employed. Biological significance From the very beginning of proteomics as an analytical science there has been a growing interest in developing standardized methods and experimental procedures in order to ensure the highest quality and reproducibility of the results. In this regard, the recent (2012) introduction of the dimensionless retention time concept has been a significant advance. In our multicentric (28 laboratories) study we explore the usefulness of this concept in the context of a targeted proteomics experiment, demonstrating that dimensionless retention time values is a useful tool for transferring and sharing peptide retention times across different chromatographic set-ups.
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| 43. |
- Villagomez, Rodrigo, et al.
(författare)
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Multiple Anticancer Effects of Damsin and Coronopilin Isolated from Ambrosia arborescens on Cell Cultures.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Anticancer research. - 1791-7530. ; 33:9, s. 3799-3805
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Terpenoids in plants are important sources for drug discovery. In this study, we extracted damsin and coronopilin, two sesquiterpene lactones, from Ambrosia arborescens and examined their anticancer effects on cell cultures. Damsin and coronopilin inhibited cell proliferation, DNA biosynthesis and formation of cytoplasmic DNA histone complexes in Caco-2 cells, with damsin being more potent than coronopilin. Further studies using the luciferase reporter system showed that damsin and coronopilin also inhibited expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), indicating that these sesquiterpenes can interfere with NF-κB and STAT3 pathways. Finally, we examined the effects of two synthetic dibrominated derivatives of damsin, 11α,13-dibromodamsin and 11β,13-dibromodamsin. While bromination appeared to weaken the antiproliferative effects of damsin, the β epimer had strong inhibitory effects on STAT3 activation. In conclusion, the sesquiterpene lactones damsin and coronopilin have inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, DNA biosynthesis and NF-κB and STAT3 pathways, thus being potentially important for discovery of drugs against cancer.
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