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Nothofagus antarctica (G.Forst.) Oerst. (Ñire) leaves are a valuable source of (poly)phenolic compounds and represent a high-value non-timber product from Patagonian forests. However, information on the variability of their chemical profile is limited or non-existent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the (poly)phenolic variability in Ñire leaf infusions. To this end, different tree populations growing under different temperature regimes and soil characteristics were considered. Interestingly, a cup of Ñire leaf infusion could be considered as a rich source of quercetin. Significant differences in the (poly)phenolic content, especially in flavonoid conjugates and cinnamic acids, were found among the populations studied. These results suggest metabolic variability among the forests studied, which could be related to the species response to its growing conditions, and also provide some clues about the performance of N. antarctica under future climate scenarios. The N. antarctica forests growing in environments with lower frequency of cold and heat stress and high soil fertility showed better infusion quality. This study showed how a South American beech interacts with its local environment at the level of secondary metabolism. In addition, the information obtained is useful for defining forest management strategies in the Patagonian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural products are recognized as potential analgesics since many of them are part of modern medicine to relieve pain without serious adverse effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of an aqueous extract of Brassica oleracea var. italica sprouts (AEBS) and one of its main reported bioactive metabolites sulforaphane (SFN). Antinociceptive activity of the AEBS (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, i.p. or 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, p.o.) and SFN (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated in the plantar test in rats to reinforce its analgesic-like activity at central level using the reference drug tramadol (TR, 50 mg/kg, i.p.). The anti-inflammatory-like response was determined in the carrageenan-induced oedema at the same dosages for comparison with ketorolac (KET, 20 mg/kg, i.p.) or indomethacin (INDO, 20 mg/kg, p.o.). A histological analysis of the swollen paw was included to complement the anti-inflammatory response. Additionally, acute toxicity observed in clinical analgesics as the most common adverse effects, such as sedation and/or gastric damage, was also explored. As a result, central and peripheral action of the AEBS was confirmed using enteral and parenteral administration, in which significant reduction of the nociceptive and inflammatory responses resembled the effects of TR, KET, or INDO, respectively, involving the presence of SFN. No adverse or toxic effects were observed in the presence of the AEBS or SFN. In conclusion, this study supports that Brassica oleracea var. italica sprouts are a potential source of antinociceptive natural products such as SFN for therapy of pain alone and associated to an inflammation condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a graph G (with multiple edges allowed), a k-restricted edge-cut of G is an edge-cut R ⊆ E (G) of G such that every connected component in G - R has order at least k. A graph G is λ k -connected if k-restricted edge cuts exist. Given an edge-coloring of G, an edge-cut of G will be called heterochromatic if all its edges receive different colors. Given a graph G and an integer k ≥ 2 , let h(G, k) be the minimum integer p such that every p-coloring of the edges of G produces an heterochromatic k-restricted edge-cut of G. In this paper we prove that for a λ k -connected graph G of size m, order n ≥ 3 k - 2 , and with no k-restricted edge-cut of size 1, we have that m - n + min { κ 0 (G) - 2 , t (G , k) } + 2 ≤ h (G , k) ≤ m - n + t (G , k) + 2 , where κ 0 (G) is the vertex-connectivity of G and t(G, k) is the maximum cardinality of a set S ⊆ V (G) such that the connected components in G[S] have order at most k - 1 . As a corollary we see that h (G , k) ≤ m - n + α (G) (k - 1) + 2 , with α (G) the independence number of G. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viviparity, an innovation enhancing maternal control over developing embryos, has evolved >150 times in vertebrates, and has been proposed as an adaptation to inhabit cold habitats. Yet, the behavioral, physiological, morphological, and life history features associated with live-bearing remain unclear. Here, we capitalize on repeated origins of viviparity in phrynosomatid lizards to tease apart the phenotypic patterns associated with this innovation. Using data from 125 species and phylogenetic approaches, we find that viviparous phrynosomatids repeatedly evolved a more cool-adjusted thermal physiology than their oviparous relatives. Through precise thermoregulatory behavior viviparous phrynosomatids are cool-adjusted even in warm environments, and oviparous phrynosomatids warm-adjusted even in cool environments. Convergent behavioral shifts in viviparous species reduce energetic demand during activity, which may help offset the costs of protracted gestation. Whereas dam and offspring body size are similar among both parity modes, annual fecundity repeatedly decreases in viviparous lineages. Thus, viviparity is associated with a lower energetic allocation into production. Together, our results indicate that oviparity and viviparity are on opposing ends of the fast-slow life history continuum in both warm and cool environments. In this sense, the 'cold climate hypothesis' fits into a broader range of energetic/life history trade-offs that influence transitions to viviparity. There have been five independent transitions from egg laying to live birth in the phrynosomatid lizards. Here, Domínguez-Guerrero et al. identify parallel changes in physiology, life history and behaviour that characterize these transitions to live birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documenting biotic interactions is pivotal for understanding ecosystem processes, and although there is a large amount of data in the scientific literature, it is overly dispersed in thousands of different sources with varying degrees of availability. Despite recent and partially successful efforts to integrate biotic interaction data at a global scale into single databases, those have mostly incorporated data for natural and conserved locations, while urban and densely populated areas remain largely under-sampled. Considering that filling these gaps is essential to make ecological inferences regarding human settlements and their adjacent surrounding environments, we employed Bogotá D.C. (Colombia) as a suitable and biogeographically interesting location to extensively compile interaction data into a database by conducting an exhaustive revision of the scientific literature and documenting interactions during field work in several locations within the study area. Moreover, we also developed an online tool to visualize and explore this database in a graphical and interactive way as a large network, with the aim of facilitating both simple and complex inferences from the data and attracting the non-scientific public. The resulting database comprises 4342 unique interaction records, consisting of 1566 species across most of the major clades of the tree of life. Titled as Biotic Interaction Network of Bogota, the interaction record database is continuously updated as new studies and datasets are published, aiming to display a holistic and up-to-date representation of the ecosystem dynamics of Bogotá, a nearly unprecedented approach carried out in an area that includes an urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 3D printing and distributed manufacturing represent a paradigm shift in the health system that is becoming critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. University hospitals are also taking on the role of manufacturers of custom-made solutions thanks to 3D printing technology. Case Presentation: We present a monocentric observational case study regarding the distributed manufacturing of three groups of products during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic from 14 March to 10 May 2020: personal protective equipment, ventilatory support, and diagnostic and consumable products. Networking during this period has enabled the delivery of a total of 17,276 units of products manufactured using 3D printing technology. The most manufactured product was the face shields and ear savers, while the one that achieved the greatest clinical impact was the mechanical ventilation adapters and swabs. The products were manufactured by individuals in 57.3% of the cases, and our hospital acted as the main delivery node in a hub with 10 other hospitals. The main advantage of this production model is the fast response to stock needs, being able to adapt almost in real time. Conclusions: The role of 3D printing in the hospital environment allows the reconciliation of in-house and distributed manufacturing with traditional production, providing custom-made adaptation of the specifications, as well as maximum efficiency in the working and availability of resources, which is of special importance at critical times for health systems such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manufacture of consumer goods from thermoplastic polymers leads to a considerable amount of scrap or off-specifications products, generating post-industrial waste that is typically landfilled. In present study, polypropylene (PP) wastes from the cotton swabs manufacture were used to the preparation of polymeric composites with agro-industrial waste of rice husk (RH). The RH was employed in the natural form as well as it was also treated by controlled pyrolysis for surface modification before incorporation to the PP. The PP/RH composites prepared by extrusion with contents from 2 to 20 wt% of non-pyrolyzed (NRH) and pyrolyzed (PRH) rice husk were submitted to the injection molding for preparation of tensile and impact specimens and characterized by mechanical testing, thermal analysis, melt flow rate, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The controlled pyrolysis treatment on the RH caused significant changes in the thermal, chemical, rheological and mechanical properties of the PP/RH composites, mainly on the mechanical properties Young's modulus, elongation at break and impact resistance that presented variation up to 100% when compared the composites containing NRH. The recycled PP/RH composites present suitable properties for several applications such as wood-plastic, furniture, doors and are an alternative for decrease the pollution generated by cotton swab waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most abundant biological particles present in the air are bacteria, fungal propagules and pollen grains. Many of them are proved allergens or even responsible for airborne infectious diseases, which supports the increase of studies in recent years on their composition, diversity, and factors involved in their variability. However, most studies in urban areas are conducted close to ground level and a factor such as height is rarely taken into account. Thus, the information about how the composition of biological particles changes with this variable is scarce. Here, we examined the differential distribution of bacteria, fungi, and plants at four altitudes (up to ∼ 250 m) in a metropolitan area using high-throughput DNA sequencing. Most taxa were present at all levels (common taxa). However, a transitional layer between 80 and 150 m seemed to affect the scattering of these bioaerosols. Taxa not present at all altitudes (non-common) showed an upward tendency of diversity for bacteria and plants with height, while the opposite trend was observed for fungi. Certain patterns were observed for fungi and specific plant genera, while bacterial taxa showed a more arbitrary distribution and no patterns were found. We detected a wide variety of aeroallergens and potential pathogens at all heights, which summed a substantial portion of the total abundance for fungi and plants. We also identified potential connections between the biological particles based on their abundances across the vertical section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of rubber aggregates from tire wastes into mortar is a way to reach new properties of materials based on Portland cements and to generate alternatives for the mechanical recycling of tire rubber waste. However, the rubber aggregates present distinct chemical characteristics when compared to the others mortar components, leading to a low interface interaction between the rubber and the cementitious matrix and consequent reduction of mechanical properties of the material. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the compatibilization in rubberized mortar, using unsaturated polyester resin as coupling agent to cover the rubber particles and chemically bond them to the others mortar components. The compatibilization methods employing the adhesion systems rubber–sand, rubber–cement and rubber–sand–cement were analysed and the compatibilized materials were characterized by mechanical test and scanning electron microscopy. The compatibilization caused positive changes in the rubberized mortar, generating perspectives for development and application of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (Fabaceae) is a medicinal plant used as a folk remedy for inflammation and pain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive actions of an ethanol extract of Senna septemtrionalis aerial parts (SSE). The in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of SSE were assessed using LPS-stimulated macrophages and the subsequent quantification of the levels of cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) with ELISA kits, nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The in vivo anti-inflammatory actions of SSE were evaluated with the TPA-induced ear oedema test and the carrageenan-induced paw oedema test. The antinociceptive actions of SSE (10–200 mg/kg p.o.) were assessed using three models: two chemical assays (formalin-induced orofacial pain and acetic acid-induced visceral pain) and one thermal assay (hot plate). SSE showed in vitro anti-inflammatory actions with IC50 values calculated as follows: 163.3 µg/ml (IL-6), 154.7 µg/ml (H2O2) and > 200 µg/ml (IL-1β, TNF-α, and NO). SSE showed also in vivo anti-inflammatory actions in the TPA test (40% of inhibition of ear oedema) and the carrageenan test (ED50 = 137.8 mg/kg p.o.). SSE induced antinociceptive activity in the formalin orofacial pain test (ED50 = 80.1 mg/kg) and the acetic acid-induced writhing test (ED50 = 110 mg/kg). SSE showed no antinociceptive actions in the hot plate assay. The pre-treatment with glibenclamide abolished the antinociceptive action shown by SSE alone. Overall, SSE exerted in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory actions, and in vivo antinociceptive effects by the possible involvement of ATP-sensitive K + channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ribonuclease III (RNase III) cleaves dsRNA in specific positions generating mature RNAs. RNase III enzymes play important roles in RNA processing, post-transcriptional gene expression, and defense against viral infection. The enzyme's active site contains Mg2+ ions bound by a network of acidic residues and water molecules, but there is a lack of information about their specific roles. In this work, multiple steered molecular dynamics simulations at QM/MM level were performed to explore the hydrolysis reaction carried out by the enzyme. Free energy profiles modifying the features of the active site are obtained and the role of Mg2+ ions, the solvent molecules and the residues of the active site are discussed in detail. Our results show that Mg2+ ions carry out different roles in the hydrolysis process positioning the substrate for the attack from a coordinated nucleophile and activating it to perform hydrolysis reaction, cleaving the dsRNA backbone in a SN2 substitution. In addition, water molecules present in the active site lower the energy barrier of the process. RNase III hydrolyzes dsRNA to generate mature RNAs. For this purpose, its active site contains Mg2+ which has an important role during the reaction. Results show that the Mg2+ activates the solvent molecule that produces the nucleophilic attack and the surrounding waters contribute significantly to the hydrolysis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have considerably impacted human developmental biology and regenerative medicine, notably because they circumvent the use of cells of embryonic origin and offer the potential to generate patient-specific pluripotent stem cells. However, conventional reprogramming protocols produce developmentally advanced, or primed, human iPSCs (hiPSCs), restricting their use to post-implantation human development modeling. Hence, there is a need for hiPSCs resembling preimplantation naive epiblast. Here, we develop a method to generate naive hiPSCs directly from somatic cells, using OKMS overexpression and specific culture conditions, further enabling parallel generation of their isogenic primed counterparts. We benchmark naive hiPSCs against human preimplantation epiblast and reveal remarkable concordance in their transcriptome, dependency on mitochondrial respiration and X-chromosome status. Collectively, our results are essential for the understanding of pluripotency regulation throughout preimplantation development and generate new opportunities for disease modeling and regenerative medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae threaten human health, since carbapenems are last resort drugs for infections by such organisms. Metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs) are the main mechanism of resistance against carbapenems. Clinically approved inhibitors of MBLs are currently unavailable as design has been limited by the incomplete knowledge of their mechanism. Here, we report a biochemical and biophysical study of carbapenem hydrolysis by the B1 enzymes NDM-1 and BcII in the bi-Zn(II) form, the mono-Zn(II) B2 Sfh-I and the mono-Zn(II) B3 GOB-18. These MβLs hydrolyse carbapenems via a similar mechanism, with accumulation of the same anionic intermediates. We characterize the Michaelis complex formed by mono-Zn(II) enzymes, and we identify all intermediate species, enabling us to propose a chemical mechanism for mono and binuclear MβLs. This common mechanism open avenues for rationally designed inhibitors of all MβLs, notwithstanding the profound differences between these enzymes’ active site structure, β-lactam specificity and metal content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider a symmetric common-value Tullock contest with incomplete information in which the players' cost of effort is the product of a random variable and a deterministic real function of effort, d. We show that the Arrow-Pratt curvature of d, $$R_{d},$$ determines the effect on equilibrium efforts and payoffs of the increased flexibility/reduced commitment that more information introduces into the contest: If $$R_{d}$$ is increasing, then effort decreases (increases) with the level of information when the cost of effort (value) is independent of the state of nature. Moreover, if $$R_{d}$$ is increasing (decreasing), then the value of public information is nonnegative (nonpositive). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-term antiviral therapy has resulted in viral suppression and biochemical response in chronic hepatitis B, although the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma has not been abolished. The Page-B score could be useful to estimate the probability of HCC.Aims: To analyze the effectiveness and safety of entecavir or tenofovir for more than 4 years and the usefulness of Page-B score in the real-world setting.Methods: Analysis of Caucasian chronic hepatitis B subjects treated with entecavir or tenofovir from the prospective, multicenter database CIBERHEP.Results: A total of 611 patients were enrolled: 187 received entecavir and 424 tenofovir. Most were men, mean age 50 years, 32% cirrhotic and 16.5% HBeAg-positive. Mean follow-up was 55 (entecavir) and 49 (tenofovir) months. >90% achieved HBV DNA <69 IU/mL and biochemical normalization by months 12 and 36, respectively. Cumulative HBeAg loss and anti-HBe seroconversion were achieved by 33.7 and 23.8%. Four patients lost HBsAg; three HBeAg-positive. Renal function remained stable on long-term follow-up. Fourteen (2.29%) developed HCC during follow-up all of them with baseline Page-B ≥10. Nine were diagnosed within the first 5 years of therapy. This contrasts with the 27 estimated by Page-B, a difference that highlights the importance of regular HCC surveillance even in patients with virological suppression.Conclusions: Entecavir and tenofovir achieved high biochemical and virological response. Renal function remained stable with both drugs. A Page-B cut-off ≥10 selected all patients at risk of HCC development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work was to study the absorption and metabolism of sulforaphane (SFN) from broccoli sprouts, their major glucosinolate glucoraphanin and its hydrolysis product SFN. This was done by monitoring SFN's main metabolites, i.e. SFN, SFN-glutathione and SFN-cysteine, in two different cell models of absorption and metabolism (Caco-2 colorectal carcinoma cells and HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells), during 3, 6, and 24 h of treatment, using a selective UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS procedure. Concentrations ranging 0.5-90 nmol/l were found within the cells and released in the medium, depending on the type of analyte under study. Cells were capable of conjugative metabolism, since the SFN mercapturic derivatives could be identified in the cell medium. The antiproliferative activity of broccoli sprouts, glucoraphanin and sulforaphane was compared in Caco-2 and HT-29 human colorectal carcinoma cells, and HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells, establishing the minimal concentration of a given compound to achieve half inhibition of the maximal cell growth (IC) for broccoli sprouts extract and sulforaphane. However, glucoraphanin did not show an antiproliferative effect in the cells under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of recent appeals for the adoption of historical perspectives emerging in environmental and conservation studies, 'biodiversification processes' would be considered as specific historical and historiographical topics. However, as highlighted in this paper, a broader discussion of the biodiversification processes as historical processes is needed. This paper discusses some consequences that are presented during the study of biodiversification processes when focusing on the links between cultural and biological diversity at the individual landscape level rather than on an overview of the current literature on the subject. In this discussion, we briefly underline dissimilarities in the methods adopted in historical ecology to those in the conventional historical approach nurtured in global environmental history where biodiversification processes, as subjects of historical study, are largely ignored or subsumed into general observations concerning global change or embedded in presumed ahistorical 'traditional' economies and practice systems. Such a broad reassessment is required before multi- or inter-disciplinary applications seek to answer 'common questions' (Szabó, Environ Conserv 37:380-387, ) in the field of environmental and cultural conservation studies. This paper comments on field and documentary evidence collected during multidisciplinary historical ecology approaches to research in the Northern Apennines (Italy) and Pyrenees (Franco-Spanish) sites. These site-level investigations suggest that medieval and post-medieval changes in local practices and systems of environmental resource production and activation appear to have been key drivers in co-related variations observed in the past biodiversity dynamics of the sites. In order to corroborate the sedimentary evidence (or traces of evidence) concerning taxonomic and habitat changes, historical ecology has proposed the adoption of a local approach in which a specific historical analysis and use of documentary and archival sources-as well as the archaeological and sedimentary evidence-has posed a number of new questions to the traditional use of archival and textual sources by professional historians. In doing so, it becomes clear that when observed at a local, topographical site-scale or on an individual landscape-scale, the links between biological and cultural diversity appear more clearly as historical products, rather than broad co-evolutionary issues relating to the 'co-evolution of nature and culture'. These historically produced links between biological and cultural diversity-identified as biodiversification processes that can be uncovered and explored through the adoption of approaches from historical ecology-are the driving forces that 'generate' processes of circulation in local ecological knowledge and its related practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential energy surface of the ethanol dimer is systematically explored via density functional theory and high level ab initio computations. A picture with a multitude of local minima very close in energy emerges. Three groups of interactions are at play stabilizing the dimers. On one hand, electrostatic attraction leads to a number of structures where dimers interact via hydrogen bonds. Our computations also reveal a large number of structures where the dominant stabilization arises from C–H···O hydrogen bonds and a smaller set of structures stabilized by purely dispersive interactions between the alkyl chains. Calculated shifts of the stretching O–H frequencies are in very good agreement with experimental values. Energy decomposition analysis shows that the electrostatic term dominates the stabilization of the O–H···O hydrogen bond clusters, while for the other dimers, polarization, charge transfer, and dispersion become the major stabilizing effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential energy surface of the hypothetical NaMgAlSiPSCl system (heavy periodane) is exhaustively analyzed via the gradient embedded genetic algorithm (GEGA) in combination with density functional theory (DFT) computations. The electronegativity differences among the elements in both the second and third rows of the periodic table indicate that low-energy heavy periodane structures are obtained when highly electronegative and electropositive elements are bound together, but the global minimum of the heavy periodane system is completely different to its second-row analog (LiBeBCNOF). [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many bioactive peptides, such as hormones and neuropeptides, require amidation at the C terminus for their full biological activity. Peptidylglycine α-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) performs the first step of the amidation reaction-the hydroxylation of peptidylglycine substrates at the Cα position of the terminal glycine. The hydroxylation reaction is copper- and O-dependent and requires 2 equiv of exogenous reductant. The proposed mechanism suggests that O is reduced by two electrons, each provided by one of two nonequivalent copper sites in PHM (Cu and Cu). The characteristics of the reduced oxygen species in the PHM reaction and the identity of the reactive intermediate remain uncertain. To further investigate the nature of the key intermediates in the PHM cycle, we determined the structure of the oxidized form of PHM complexed with hydrogen peroxide. In this 1.98-Å-resolution structure (hydro)peroxide binds solely to Cu in a slightly asymmetric side-on mode. The O-O interatomic distance of the copper-bound ligand is 1.5 Å, characteristic of peroxide/hydroperoxide species, and the Cu-O distances are 2.0 and 2.1 Å. Density functional theory calculations using the first coordination sphere of the Cu active site as a model system show that the computed energies of the side-on LCu(II)-O species and its isomeric, end-on structure LCu(I)-O are similar, suggesting that both these intermediates are significantly populated within the protein environment. This observation has important mechanistic implications. The geometry of the observed side-on coordinated peroxide ligand in LCu(II)O is in good agreement with the results of a hybrid quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical optimization of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that strategy-proof allocation mechanisms for economies with public goods are dictatorial-i.e., they always select an allocation in their range that maximizes the welfare of the same single individual (the dictator). Further, strategy-proof and efficient allocation mechanisms are strongly dictatorial-i.e., they select the dictator's preferred allocation on the entire feasible set. Thus, our results reveal the extent to which the conflict between individual incentives and other properties that may be deemed desirable (e.g., fairness, equal treatment, distributive justice) pervades resource allocation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonality of cholera and its spatial variability remain unexplained. Uncovering the role of environmental drivers in these seasonal patterns is critical to understand temporal variability at longer time scales, including trends and interannual variability. Rainfall has been proposed as a key driver of the seasonality of cholera. To address this hypothesis, we examine the association between rainfall and cholera in both time and space using the extensive historical records for the districts of Madras in former British India (1901–1940). We show the existence of two main spatial clusters that differ not just in the effect of rainfall but also in the seasonal pattern and frequency of periods with and without cholera mortality. The results support a model of cholera seasonality with two different routes of transmission: one is enhanced by increasing rainfall (in areas with abundant water), the other is buffered by increasing water. We discuss how the dual nature of the influence of rainfall creates different temporal patterns in regions where cholera is either “endemic” or “epidemic.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this work is to assess the impact on the Esteros del Ibera wetland ecosystem caused by the Yacyreta dam, a large hydroelectric power plant on the Parana River, Argentina, in comparison to other factors of environmental change. The project of the dam started around 1970. The power plant began operating in 1994. In 1989, the neighboring Ibera wetland ecosystem showed a substantial increase in the water level for which several different causes were conceivable, including climate change and the dam construction. We analyzed all existing hydrometeorological data and studied other changes that were observed in this ecosystem. A water balance model was used to analyze different scenarios. Increased groundwater inflow, generated since the construction of the dam, appears to be affecting the wetland more than any other factor. The study has implications for the assessment of global and regional consequences of building dams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study upper semi-continuity of the private and coarse core and the Walrasian expectations equilibrium correspondences for economies with differential information, with Boylan (1971) topology on agents’ information fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. We study the core and competitive allocations in exchange economies with a continuum of traders and differential information. We show that if the economy is "irreducible", then a competitive equilibrium, in the sense of Radner (1968, 1982), exists. Moreover, the set of competitive equilibrium allocations coincides with the "private core" (Yannelis, 1991). We also show that the "weak fine core" of an economy coincides with the set of competitive allocations of an associated symmetric information economy in which the traders information is the joint information of all the traders in the original economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. We study the Mas-Colell bargaining set of an exchange economy with differential information and a continuum of traders. We established the equivalence of the private bargaining set and the set of Radner competitive equilibrium allocations. As for the weak fine bargaining set, we show that it contains the set of competitive equilibrium allocations of an associated symmetric information economy in which each trader has the "joint information" of all the traders in the original economy, but unlike the weak fine core and the set of fine value allocations, it may also contain allocations which are not competitive in the associated economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. We study the core of a non-atomic game v which is uniformly continuous with respect to the DNA-topology and continuous at the grand coalition. Such a game has a unique DNA-continuous extension v on the space B[sub 1] of ideal sets. We show that if the extension v is concave then the core of the game v is non-empty iff v is homogeneous of degree one along the diagonal of Bi. We use this result to obtain representation theorems for the core of a nonatomic game of the form v = f omicron mu where mu is a finite dimensional vector of measures and f is a concave function. We also apply our results to some nonatomic games which occur in economic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental problem in public finance is that of allocating a given budget to financing the provision of public goods (education, transportation, police, etc.). In this paper it is established that when admissible preferences are those representable by continuous and increasing utility functions, then strategy-proof allocation mechanisms whose (undominated) range contains three or more outcomes are dictatorial on the set of profiles of strictly increasing utility functions, a dense subset of the domain in the topologies commonly used in this context. If admissible utility functions are further restricted to be strictly increasing, or if mechanisms are required to be non-wasteful, then strategy-profness leads to (full) dictatorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. We study the least core, the kernel and bargaining sets of coalitional games with a countable set of players. We show that the least core of a continuous superadditive game with a countable set of players is a non-empty (norm-compact) subset of the space of all countably additive measures. Then we show that in such games the intersection of the prekernel and the least core is non-empty. Finally, we show that the Aumann-Maschler and the Mas-Colell bargaining sets contain the set of all countably additive payoff measures in the prekernel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the social choice literature studying the problem of designing institutions for collective decision making, it is customary to (implicitly) assume that each dimension of the social outcome is of public interest (i.e., that each individual's welfare depends on every dimension of the outcome). Thus, the scope of the conclusions obtained is very limited. Here social decision problems with and without that public character are considered and it is shown that the same negative results arise in most cases; namely, that only dictatorial mechanisms are immune to the participants' manipulations. These results are obtained without requiring that the mechanisms produce Pareto optimal outcomes (they must simply be minimally responsive to the participants' preferences), which deepens their pessimistic character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent papers by Barberá and Peleg and by Zhou have established that the Gibbard-Satterthwaite Theorem remains valid when individuals are restricted to reporting only 'reasonable' preferences. We present a theorem that covers situations in which, as in Barberá-and-Peleg and Zhou, preferences may be restricted to reasonable ones, but in which, additionally, it may be known in advance that some dimensions of the social decision do not affect all the participants - i.e., in which the social decisions are partially decomposable into decisions that affect only subsets of the participants. As in the previous theorems, the conclusion of this new theorem is that nonmanipulable voting schemes must be dictatorial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs of ∼21 nt that regulate multiple biological pathways in multicellular organisms. They derive from longer transcripts that harbor an imperfect stem-loop structure. In plants, the ribonuclease type III DICER-LIKE1 assisted by accessory proteins cleaves the precursor to release the mature miRNA. Numerous studies highlight the role of the precursor secondary structure during plant miRNA biogenesis; however, little is known about the relevance of the precursor sequence. Here, we analyzed the sequence composition of plant miRNA primary transcripts and found specifically located sequence biases. We show that changes in the identity of specific nucleotides can increase or abolish miRNA biogenesis. Most conspicuously, our analysis revealed that the identity of the nucleotides at unpaired positions of the precursor plays a crucial role during miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis. The secondary structure of miRNA precursor sequences is known to affect processing by DICER-like proteins. Here Rojas et al. show that additional sequence features also play a regulatory role in plants with nucleotide identity at unpaired positions substantially impacting processing efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talks about the 13th International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Symposium in Madrid, Spain, from September 4 to 9, 2005. Difference between the first symposia in 1968 and the recent symposia; Groups and individuals who helped with the organization of the 13th symposia, including Carlos Ranninger; Dedication of the 13th symposia to Harold W. Rossmoore, founder and president of the International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation Society.

Based on the premise that plant biomass can be efficiently degraded by mixed microbial cultures and/or enzymes, we here applied a targeted metagenomics-based approach to explore the metabolic potential of two forest soil-derived lignocellulolytic microbial consortia, denoted RWS and TWS (bred on wheat straw). Using the metagenomes of three selected batches of two experimental systems, about 1.2 Gb of sequence was generated. Comparative analyses revealed an overrepresentation of predicted carbohydrate transporters (ABC, TonB and phosphotransferases), two-component sensing systems and β-glucosidases/galactosidases in the two consortia as compared to the forest soil inoculum. Additionally, 'profiling' of carbohydrate-active enzymes showed significant enrichments of several genes encoding glycosyl hydrolases of families GH2, GH43, GH92 and GH95. Sequence analyses revealed these to be most strongly affiliated to genes present on the genomes of Sphingobacterium, Bacteroides, Flavobacterium and Pedobacter spp. Assembly of the RWS and TWS metagenomes generated 16,536 and 15,902 contigs of ≥10 Kb, respectively. Thirteen contigs, containing 39 glycosyl hydrolase genes, constitute novel (hemi)cellulose utilization loci with affiliation to sequences primarily found in the Bacteroidetes. Overall, this study provides deep insight in the plant polysaccharide degrading capabilities of microbial consortia bred from forest soil, highlighting their biotechnological potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiological studies of spent nuclear fuel pools at the Cofrentes Nuclear Power Plant (Valencia, Spain) were initiated to determine the microbial populations in the pools' water. Biofilm formation at the nuclear power plant facilities and the potential use of those microbial populations in the bioremediation of radioactive water were also studied. Biofilm formation was analyzed by immersing different austenitic stainless steel coupons (UNS S30400, UNS S30466, UNS S31600), as well as balls of stainless steel (UNS S44200) and titanium (99.9%) in a spent nuclear fuel pool (under static and dynamic conditions) for 34 months. Epifluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that biofilm formed on the samples, in spite of the radioactive and oligotrophic conditions of the water. Based on standard culture methods and sequencing of 16S rDNA fragments, 57 bacteria belonging to α-, beta;-, and γ-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteridae were identified in the biofilms. The radioactivity of the biofilm was measured using γ-ray spectrometry, which revealed that biofilms were able to retain radionuclides, especially 60Co. Using metallic materials to decontaminate radioactive water could become a new approach for bioremediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The air we breathe contains microscopic biological particles such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and pollen, some of them with relevant clinic importance. These organisms and/or their propagules have been traditionally studied by different disciplines and diverse methodologies like culture and microscopy. These techniques require time, expertise and also have some important biases. As a consequence, our knowledge on the total diversity and the relationships between the different biological entities present in the air is far from being complete. Currently, metagenomics and next-generation sequencing (NGS) may resolve this shortage of information and have been recently applied to metropolitan areas. Although the procedures and methods are not totally standardized yet, the first studies from urban air samples confirm the previous results obtained by culture and microscopy regarding abundance and variation of these biological particles. However, DNA-sequence analyses call into question some preceding ideas and also provide new interesting insights into diversity and their spatial distribution inside the cities. Here, we review the procedures, results and perspectives of the recent works that apply NGS to study the main biological particles present in the air of urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first part of this review ("Monitoring of airborne biological particles in outdoor atmosphere. Part 1: Importance, variability and ratios") describes the current knowledge on the major biological particles present in the air regarding their global distribution, concentrations, ratios and influence of meteorological factors in an attempt to provide a framework for monitoring their biodiversity and variability in such a singular environment as the atmosphere. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, pollen and fragments thereof are the most abundant microscopic biological particles in the air outdoors. Some of them can cause allergy and severe diseases in humans, other animals and plants, with the subsequent economic impact. Despite the harsh conditions, they can be found from land and sea surfaces to beyond the troposphere and have been proposed to play a role also in weather conditions and climate change by acting as nucleation particles and inducing water vapour condensation. In regards to their global distribution, marine environments act mostly as a source for bacteria while continents additionally provide fungal and pollen elements. Within terrestrial environments, their abundances and diversity seem to be influenced by the land-use type (rural, urban, coastal) and their particularities. Temporal variability has been observed for all these organisms, mostly triggered by global changes in temperature, relative humidity, et cetera. Local fluctuations in meteorological factors may also result in pronounced changes in the airbiota. Although biological particles can be transported several hundreds of meters from the original source, and even intercontinentally, the time and final distance travelled are strongly influenced by factors such as wind speed and direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing recognition of the right ventricle (RV) necessitates the development of RV-focused interventions, devices and testbeds. In this study, we developed a soft robotic model of the right heart that accurately mimics RV biomechanics and hemodynamics, including free wall, septal and valve motion. This model uses a biohybrid approach, combining a chemically treated endocardial scaffold with a soft robotic synthetic myocardium. When connected to a circulatory flow loop, the robotic right ventricle (RRV) replicates real-time hemodynamic changes in healthy and pathological conditions, including volume overload, RV systolic failure and pressure overload. The RRV also mimics clinical markers of RV dysfunction and is validated using an in vivo porcine model. Additionally, the RRV recreates chordae tension, simulating papillary muscle motion, and shows the potential for tricuspid valve repair and replacement in vitro. This work aims to provide a platform for developing tools for research and treatment for RV pathophysiology., Competing Interests: Competing interests E.T.R. is a member of the board of directors at Affluent Medical and also serves on the board of advisors for Pumpinheart and Helios Cardio. E.T.R. offers consulting services for Holistick Medical and is a co-founder of Spheric Bio and Fada Medical. E.T.R., along with C.P. and C.T.N., holds a patent for the “Organosynthetic dynamic heart model” under U.S. Patent Application No. 17/193,910. The remaining authors have stated that they have no competing interests.