Kaupunkipuron kunnostaminen

Tavoiteltaessa vesien hyvää ekologista tilaa valuma-alueiden maankäytön ja pienvesien merkitys korostuu. Valuma-alueelta tuleva, rehevöittävä ravinnekuormitus kulkeutuu isompiin vesistöihin purojen, valtaojien ja norojen kautta. Pienet virtavedet tarjoavat ainutlaatuisia elinympäristöjä monille eliölajeille. Tarve purojen laajamittaiselle kunnostamiselle tunnustetaan, ja purojen suuri merkitys kaupunkiluonnon monimuotoisuudelle on tullut tutkimuksissa selkeästi esille. Samalla purojen arvostus on noussut, kun yleinen tietoisuus puroista on kasvanut ja niiden kunnostamisen hyödyt ymmärretty. Kaupunkialueilla valuma-alueen merkitys kuormituksessa korostuu. Maankäyttö on usein tehokasta, erilaisia toimijoita on paljon ja hulevesien aiheuttamat virtaamavaihtelut aiheuttavat ongelmia. Kunnostustarpeen selvittäminen ja kunnostuksen suunnittelu tarkastelemalla puroa ja sen valuma-aluetta kokonaisuutena on keskeistä kaupunkialueiden pienvesien kunnostus- ja suojelutoimia suunniteltaessa. Kaupunkialueilla tärkeitä pienvesien kunnostustavoitteita ovat esimerkiksi hulevesien käsittely, tulvasuojelu sekä uoman morfologisen ja ekologisen monimuotoisuuden lisääminen. Keinoja kunnostamiseen on useita ja oikeiden menetelmien valitseminen edellyttää valuma-alueen perusteellista tuntemusta. Kaupunkialueiden purokunnostuksiin liittyy keskeisenä osana myös yhteistyö eri toimijoiden ja kaupunkilaisten välillä. Kunnostushankkeen etenemistä tarkastellaan oppaassa yleisellä tasolla sekä Vantaanjoen alimman sivupuron Longinojan valuma-alueella Helsingissä. Opas tarjoaa monipuolisen tietopaketin taajama-alueiden pienvesien kunnostamisesta kaavoituksen, ympäristön tilan, viheralueiden ja rakentamisen parissa työskenteleville henkilöille, jotka tekevät taajama-alueiden pienvesiä koskevia suunnitelmia ja päätöksiä

Intake of an Obesogenic Cafeteria Diet Affects Body Weight, Feeding Behavior, and Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in a Photoperiod-Dependent Manner in F344 Rats

We previously demonstrated that chronic exposure to different photoperiods induced marked variations in several glucose and lipid metabolism-related parameters in normoweight Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Here, we examined the effects of the combination of an obesogenic cafeteria diet (CAF) and the chronic exposure to three different day lengths (L12, 12 h light/day; L18, 18 h light/day; and L6, 6 h light/day) in this rat strain. Although no changes were observed during the first 4 weeks of adaptation to the different photoperiods in which animals were fed a standard diet, the addition of the CAF for the subsequent 7 weeks triggered profound physiologic and metabolic alterations in a photoperiod-dependent manner. Compared with L12 rats, both L6 and L18 animals displayed lower body weight gain and cumulative food intake in addition to decreased energy expenditure and locomotor activity. These changes were accompanied by differences in food preferences and by a sharp upregulation of the orexigenic genes Npy and Ghsr in the hypothalamus, which could be understood as a homeostatic mechanism for increasing food consumption to restore body weight control. L18 rats also exhibited higher glycemia than the L6 group, which could be partly attributed to the decreased pAkt2 levels in the soleus muscle and the downregulation of Irs1 mRNA levels in the gastrocnemius muscle. Furthermore, L6 animals displayed lower whole-body lipid utilization than the L18 group, which could be related to the lower lipid intake and to the decreased mRNA levels of the fatty acid transporter gene Fatp1 observed in the soleus muscle. The profound differences observed between L6 and L18 rats could be related with hepatic and muscular changes in the expression of circadian rhythm-related genes Cry1, Bmal1, Per2, and Nr1d1. Although further research is needed to elucidate the pathophysiologic relevance of these findings, our study could contribute to emphasize the impact of the consumption of highly palatable and energy dense foods regularly consumed by humans on the physiological and metabolic adaptations that occur in response to seasonal variations of day length, especially in diseases associated with changes in food intake and preference such as obesity and seasonal affective disorder

Potential Use of Mobile Phone Applications for Self-Monitoring and Increasing Daily Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Systematized Review

A wide range of chronic diseases could be prevented through healthy lifestyle choices, such as consuming five portions of fruits and vegetables daily, although the majority of the adult population does not meet this recommendation. The use of mobile phone applications for health purposes has greatly increased; these applications guide users in real time through various phases of behavioural change. This review aimed to assess the potential of self-monitoring mobile phone health (mHealth) applications to increase fruit and vegetable intake. PubMed and Web of Science were used to conduct this systematized review, and the inclusion criteria were: randomized controlled trials evaluating mobile phone applications focused on increasing fruit and/or vegetable intake as a primary or secondary outcome performed from 2008 to 2018. Eight studies were included in the final assessment. The interventions described in six of these studies were effective in increasing fruit and/or vegetable intake. Targeting stratified populations and using long-lasting interventions were identified as key aspects that could influence the effectiveness of these interventions. In conclusion, evidence shows the effectiveness of mHealth application interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Further research is needed to design effective interventions and to determine their efficacy over the long term

Prevalence, Cell Tropism, and Clinical Impact of Human Parvovirus Persistence in Adenomatous, Cancerous, Inflamed, and Healthy Intestinal Mucosa

Parvoviruses are single-stranded DNA viruses, infecting many animals from insects to humans. Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) causes erythema infectiosum, arthropathy, anemia, and fetal death, and human bocavirus (HBoV) 1 causes respiratory tract infections, while HBoV2-4 are enteric. Parvoviral genomes can persist in diverse non-permissive tissues after acute infection, but the host-cell tropism and the impact of their tissue persistence are poorly studied. We searched for parvoviral DNA in a total of 427 intestinal biopsy specimens, as paired disease-affected and healthy mucosa, obtained from 130 patients with malignancy, ulcerative colitis (UC), or adenomas, and in similar intestinal segments from 55 healthy subjects. Only three (1.6%) individuals exhibited intestinal HBoV DNA (one each of HBoV1, 2, and 3). Conversely, B19V DNA persisted frequently in the intestine, with 50, 47, 31, and 27% detection rates in the patients with malignancy, UC, or adenomas, and in the healthy subjects, respectively. Intra-individually, B19V DNA persisted significantly more often in the healthy intestinal segments than in the inflamed colons of UC patients. The highest loads of B19V DNA were seen in the ileum and colon specimens of two healthy individuals. With dual-RNAscope in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry assays, we located the B19V persistence sites of these intestines in mucosal B cells of lymphoid follicles and vascular endothelial cells. Viral messenger RNA transcription remained, however, undetected. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) identified 272 differentially expressed cellular genes between B19V DNA-positive and -negative healthy ileum biopsy specimens. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that B19V persistence activated the intestinal cell viability and inhibited apoptosis. Lifelong B19V DNA persistence thus modulates host gene expression, which may lead to clinical outcomes.Peer reviewe

Càlcul I : teoria i exercicis

Descripció del recurs: 21 de setembre de 2011Per cursar qualsevol carrera d'enginyeria, és necessari tenir uns bons fonaments en les disciplines científiques bàsiques, com ara el càlcul. Aquest llibre pretén posar a l'abast dels estudiants un resum complet de la teoria d'aquesta assignatura. Aquest resum va acompanyat d'una extensa col·lecció de problemes resolts, que creiem que poden ajudar l'estudiant a entendre millor i a consolidar els conceptes teòrics. Per afavorir l'aprenentatge autònom, s'ha inclòs un recull de problemes per resoldre amb les seves solucions respectives

Detailed prenatal and postnatal MRI findings and clinical analysis of RAF1 in Noonan syndrome

Noonan syndrome is a genetically heterogeneous developmental disorder, which usually includes findings such as short stature, facial dysmorphia, cardiac abnormalities and a varying degree of intellectual disability. We present a unique case of a rare variant of Noonan syndrome in a very preterm female infant born at 28 + 4 gestational weeks, with abnormal radiological findings visible at fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evolution of the brain lesions during infancy

The PIM1 kinase promotes prostate cancer cell migration and adhesion via multiple signalling pathways

The ability of cells to migrate and form metastases is one of the fatal hallmarks of cancer that can be conquered only with better understanding of the molecules and regulatory mechanisms involved. The oncogenic PIM kinases have been shown to support cancer cell survival and motility, but the PIM-regulated pathways stimulating cell migration and invasion are less well characterized than those affecting cell survival. Here we have identified the glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3B) and the forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) transcription factor as direct PIM targets, whose tumour-suppressive effects in prostate cancer cells are inhibited by PIM-induced phosphorylation, resulting in increased cell migration. Targeting GSK3B is also essential for the observed PIM-enhanced expression of the prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), which is an important regulator of both cell migration and adhesion. Accordingly, selective inhibition of PIM activity not only reduces cell migration, but also affects integrin-mediated cell adhesion. Taken together, these data provide novel mechanistic insights on how and why patients with metastatic prostate cancer may benefit from therapies targeting PIM kinases, and how such approaches may also be applicable to inflammatory conditions</p

Validation of OMI erythemal doses with multi-sensor ground-based measurements in Thessaloniki, Greece

The aim of this study is to validate the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) erythemal dose rates using ground-based measurements in Thessaloniki, Greece. In the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a Yankee Environmental System UVB-1 radiometer measures the erythemal dose rates every minute, and a Norsk Institutt for Luftforskning (NILU) multi-filter radiometer provides multi-filter based irradiances that were used to derive erythemal dose rates for the period 2005–2014. Both these datasets were independently validated against collocated UV irradiance spectra from a Brewer MkIII spectrophotometer. Cloud detection was performed based on measurements of the global horizontal radiation from a Kipp & Zonen pyranometer and from NILU measurements in the visible range. The satellite versus ground observation validation was performed taking into account the effect of temporal averaging, limitations related to OMI quality control criteria, cloud conditions, the solar zenith angle and atmospheric aerosol loading. Aerosol optical depth was also retrieved using a collocated CIMEL sunphotometer in order to assess its impact on the comparisons. The effect of total ozone columns satellite versus ground-based differences on the erythemal dose comparisons was also investigated. Since most of the public awareness alerts are based on UV Index (UVI) classifications, an analysis and assessment of OMI capability for retrieving UVIs was also performed. An overestimation of the OMI erythemal product by 3–6% and 4–8% with respect to ground measurements is observed when examining overpass and noontime estimates respectively. The comparisons revealed a relatively small solar zenith angle dependence, with the OMI data showing a slight dependence on aerosol load, especially at high aerosol optical depth values. A mean underestimation of 2% in OMI total ozone columns under cloud-free conditions was found to lead to an overestimation in OMI erythemal doses of 1–5%.While OMI overestimated the erythemal dose rates over the range of cloudiness conditions examined, its UVIs were found to be reliable for the purpose of characterising the ambient UV radiation impact

PCSK2 expression in neuroendocrine tumors points to a midgut, pulmonary, or pheochromocytoma-paraganglioma origin

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are often diagnosed from the metastases of an unknown primary tumor. Specific immunohistochemical (IHC) markers indicating the location of a primary tumor are needed. The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 2 (PCSK2) is found in normal neural and neuroendocrine cells, and known to express in NETs. We investigated the tissue microarray (TMA) of 86 primary tumors from 13 different organs and 9 metastatic NETs, including primary tumor-metastasis pairs, for PCSK2 expression with polymer-based IHC. PCSK2 was strongly positive in all small intestine and appendiceal NETs, the so-called midgut NETs, in most pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas, and in some of the typical and atypical pulmonary carcinoid tumors. NETs showing strong positivity were re-evaluated in larger tumor cohorts confirming the primary observation. In the metastases, the expression of PCSK2 mirrored that of the corresponding primary tumors. We found negative or weak staining in NETs from the thymus, gastric mucosa, pancreas, rectum, thyroid, and parathyroid. PCSK2 expression did not correlate with Ki-67 in well-differentiated NETs. Our data suggest that PCSK2 positivity can indicate the location of the primary tumor. Thus, PCSK2 could function in the IHC panel determined from screening metastatic NET biopsies of unknown primary origins.Peer reviewe

MicroRNA-Mediated Suppression of Oncolytic Adenovirus Replication in Human Liver

Peer reviewe