The Growth Effects of El Nino and La Nina: Local Weather Conditions Matter

This paper contributes to the climate-economy literature by analysing the role of weather patterns in influencing the transmission of global climate cycles to economic growth. More specifically, we focus on El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and their interactions with local weather conditions, taking into account the heterogeneous and cumulative effects of weather patterns on economic growth and the asymmetry and nonlinearity in the global influence of ENSO on economic activity. Using data on 75 countries over the period 1975-2014, we provide evidence for the negative growth effects of ENSO events and show that there are substantial differences between its warm (El Nino) and cold (La Nina) phases and between climate zones. These differences are due to the heterogeneity in weather responses to ENSO events, known as teleconnections, which has so far not been taken into account by economists, and which will become more important in the climate-economy relationship given that climate change may substantially strengthen long-distance relationships between weather patterns around the world. We also show that the negative growth effects associated with these teleconnections are robust to the definition of ENSO events and more important over shorter meteorological onsets

Changes in the expression of extracellular regulated kinase (ERK 1/2) in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease after phosphodiesterase IV inhibition

The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) superfamily comprises three major signaling pathways: the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERKs), the c-Jun N-terminal kinases or stress-activated protein kinases (JNKs/SAPKs) and the p38 family of kinases.ERK 1/2 signaling has been implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). Phosphorylation patterns of ERK 1/2 and JNK are altered in cell models of HD. In this study, we aimed at studying the correlations between ERK 1/2 and the neuronal vulnerability to HD degeneration in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model of HD. Single and double-label immunofluorescence for phospho-ERK (pERK, the activated form of ERK) and for each of the striatal neuronal markers were employed on perfusion-fixed brain sections from R6/2 and wild-type mice. Moreover, Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibition through rolipram was used to study the effects on pERK expression in the different types of striatal neurons. We completed our study with western blot analysis. Our study shows that pERK levels increase with age in the medium spiny striatal neurons and in the parvalbumin interneurons, and that rolipram counteracts such increase in pERK. Conversely, cholinergic and somatostatinergic interneurons of the striatum contain higher levels of pERK in the R6/2 mice compared to the controls. Rolipram induces an increase in pERK expression in these interneurons. Thus, our study confirms and extends the concept that the expression of phosphorylated ERK 1/2 is related to neuronal vulnerability and is implicated in the pathophysiology of cell death in HD. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A mouse mammary tumor virus env-like exogenous sequence is strictly related to progression of human sporadic breast carcinoma

A viral etiology of human breast cancer (HBC) has been postulated for decades since the identification of mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV). The detection of MMTV env-like exogenous sequences (MMTVels) in 30% to 40% of invasive HBCs increased attention to this hypothesis. Looking for MMTVels during cancer progression may contribute to a better understanding of their role in HBC. Herein, we analyzed HBC preinvasive lesions for the presence of MMTVels. Samples were obtained by laser microdissection of FFPE tissues: 20 usual-type ductal hyperplasias, 22 atypical ductal hyperplasias (ADHs), 49 ductal carcinomas in situ (DCISs), 20 infiltrating ductal carcinomas (IDCs), and 26 normal epithelial cells collateral to a DCIS or an IDC. Controls included reductive mammoplastic tissue, thyroid and colon carcinoma, and blood samples from healthy donors. MMTVels were detected by fluorescence-nested PCR. DNA samples from the tissues of nine patients were analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR, revealing a different viral load correlated with stage of progression. Furthermore, as never previously described, the presence of MMTVels was investigated by chromogenic in situ hybridization. MMTVels were found in 19% of normal epithelial cells collateral to a DCIS or an IDC, 27% of ADHs, 82% of DCISs, and 35% of IDCs. No MMTVels were found in the control samples. Quantitative PCR and chromogenic in situ hybridization confirmed these results. These data could contribute to our understanding of the role of MMTVels in HBC. (Am J Pathol 2011, 179:2083-2090; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.06.046

Evaluation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and memory in adult rats survivors of the neonatal meningitis by Streptococcus agalactiae

AbstractStreptococcus agalactiae (GBS) is a major cause of severe morbidity and mortality in neonates and young infants, causing sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis. The survivors from this meningitis can suffer serious long-term neurological consequences, such as, seizures, hearing loss, learning and memory impairments. Neurotrophins, such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) control the neuronal cell death during the brain development and play an important role in neuronal differentiation, survival and growth of neurons. Neonate Wistar rats, received either 10μL of sterile saline as a placebo or an equivalent volume of GBS suspension at a concentration of 1×106cfu/mL. Sixty days after induction of meningitis, the animals underwent behavioral tests, after were killed and the hippocampus and cortex were retired for analyze of the BDNF and NGF levels. In the open-field demonstrated no difference in motor, exploratory activity and habituation memory between the groups. The step-down inhibitory avoidance, when we evaluated the long-term memory at 24h after training session, we found that the meningitis group had a decrease in aversive memory when compared with the long-term memory test of the sham group. BDNF levels decreased in hippocampus and cortex; however the NGF levels decreased only in hippocampus. These findings suggest that the meningitis model could be a good research tool for the study of the biological mechanisms involved in the behavioral alterations secondary to GBS meningitis

Avaliação microbiológica e físico-química de açúcares mascavo comerciais.

Este trabalho teve como objetivos analisar parâmetros microbiológicos e físico-químicos de 31 marcas de açúcares mascavos. Foram realizadas as análises microbiológicas (bactérias mesófi las totais, bolores e leveduras, coliformes totais, Escherichia coli e Salmonella) e físico-químicas (polarização, umidade, cinzas condutimétricas, cor ICUMSA, açúcar redutor, açúcar redutor total e pH). Os resultados microbiológicos indicaram que houve resultados acima do limite do of ?National Food Canners and Processors? apenas para bactérias mesófi las totais. A legislação brasileira estabelece o teor mínimo de 90oS para sacarose como único parâmetro para avaliação do açúcar mascavo, sendo que apenas sete amostras atendiam ao padrão. Os resultados de umidade variaram de 2,13 a 6,02% para cinzas; de 1,15 a 3,45%;açúcares redutores; de 1,17 a 8,51%, redutores totais de 68,90 a 98,21%; pH de 5,24 a 7,8 e cor ICUMSA de 174,6 a 574,5 U.I indicando que os açúcares mascavos comercializados no Brasil não possuem padrão de produção, armazenamento e qualidade fi nal, indicado pelas diferenças dos parâmetros avaliados

Detecting somaclonal variation during micropropagation of vine rootstocks using SSR molecular marker and flow cytometery analysis.

Resumo

Emissions of primary aerosol and precursor gases in the year 2000 and 1750 prescribed data-sets for AeroCom.

Inventories for global aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions have been collected (based on published inventories and published simulations), assessed and prepared for the year 2000 (present-day conditions) and for the year 1750 (pre-industrial conditions). These global datasets establish a comprehensive source for emission input to global modeling, when simulating the aerosol impact on climate with state-of-the-art aerosol component modules. As these modules stratify aerosol into dust, sea-salt, sulfate, organic matter and soot, for all these aerosol types global fields on emission strength and recommendations for injection altitude and particulate size are provided. Temporal resolution varies between daily (dust and sea-salt), monthly (wild-land fires) and annual (all other emissions). These datasets benchmark aerosol emissions according to the knowledge in the year 2004. They are intended to serve as systematic constraints in sensitivity studies of the AeroCom initiative, which seeks to quantify (actual) uncertainties in aerosol global modeling

Middle ear microbiome differences in indigenous Filipinos with chronic otitis media due to a duplication in the A2ML1 gene

Middle ear microbial profiles of indigenous Filipinos with chronic otitis media. All panels compare carriers with non-carriers of the A2ML1 duplication variant. Panel description: (A) ι-diversity by observed OTUs; (B) ι-diversity by the Shannon diversity index; (C) β-diversity from unweighted UniFrac principal coordinate analysis; (D) β-diversity from weighted UniFrac principal coordinate analysis. (PDF 1019 kb

CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein-mediated co-editing and counterselection in the rice blast fungus

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is the most serious pathogen of cultivated rice and a significant threat to global food security. To accelerate targeted mutation and specific genome editing in this species, we have developed a rapid plasmid-free CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing method. We show that stable expression of Cas9 is highly toxic to M. oryzae. However efficient gene editing can be achieved by transient introduction of purified Cas9 pre-complexed to RNA guides to form ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). When used in combination with oligonucleotide or PCR-generated donor DNAs, generation of strains with specific base pair edits, in-locus gene replacements, or multiple gene edits, is very rapid and straightforward. We demonstrate a co-editing strategy for the creation of single nucleotide changes at specific loci. Additionally, we report a novel counterselection strategy which allows creation of precisely edited fungal strains that contain no foreign DNA and are completely isogenic to the wild type. Together, these developments represent a scalable improvement in the precision and speed of genetic manipulation in M. oryzae and are likely to be broadly applicable to other fungal species