Degradation Risk Assessment: Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change on Geoheritage

Several factors and processes, both natural and anthropogenic, can threaten the integrity of any geosite, leading to their degradation. For this reason, geoheritage degradation risks should be considered a fundamental step in any geoconservation strategy, all the more when the aim is to tackle the effects of climate change. The present work proposes a quantitative methodology for the degradation risk assessment of geosites by considering the extrinsic factors that can damage the geoheritage. The methodology has been tested on the Maltese Islands, where considerable previous research has been undertaken in order to highlight the international significance of the Maltese landscapes. Three criteria to assess the degradation risk are proposed: natural vulnerability, anthropogenic vulnerability and public use. For each criterion, several parameters have been identified in order to propose a detailed numerical evaluation. The results show that the degradation risk of geosites is mainly related to negligence and lack of knowledge of its inherent geological heritage, and which leads to public misuse and mismanagement of the geosites. The results give an overview of the condition of the geosites and provide information for the design and management of suitable protection measures, especially in the light of future threats related to climate change

Effects of supplementation frequency on the ruminal fermentation and enteric methane production of beef cattle grazing in tropical pastures.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of ruminal fermentation and enteric methane production in beef cattle subjected to different supplementation frequencies while grazing on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures. Nine cattle (325±65.7 kg BW) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in the ruminal fermentation study, and 12 cattle (399±32.6 kg BW) were used in the enteric methane production study. The treatments included supplementation once daily, supplementation once daily except Saturdays and Sundays, or supplementation on alternate days. The supplementation was equivalent to 10 g kg ?1 BW day ?1 for all treatments. The design employed was completely randomized with three treatments and three replications. When all supplements were provided (day 1), no effects of supplementation frequency were observed on ruminal pH; concentration of NH 3 -N; concentration of acetic, propionic, or butyric acids; or total volatile fatty acids (VFA), but there were month effects. During the day on which only daily supplements were provided (day 2), significant differences were observed only on the molar concentration of acetic acid and total VFA; and month effects were noted on all variables. No significant differences were observed in ruminal fluid volume, dilution rate, N intake, bacterial N synthesis and enteric methane production among the studied supplementation frequencies. Differences were observed in the enteric methane production in the different months, with 85 g kg ?1 of gross energy intake observed in September and 123 g kg ?1 of gross energy intake observed in November. Lower supplementation frequency is a good option to lower labor costs with little or no consequences on ruminal fermentation characteristics and enteric methane production

STAT3 inhibition with Galiellalactone effectively targets the prostate cancer stem-like cell population."

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of quiescent cells with the potential to differentiate into tumor cells. CSCs are involved in tumor initiation and progression and contribute to treatment failure through their intrinsic resistance to chemo- or radiotherapy, thus representing a substantial concern for cancer treatment. Prostate CSCs’ activity has been shown to be regulated by the transcription factor Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3). Here we investigated the effect of galiellalactone (GL), a direct STAT3 inhibitor, on CSCs derived from prostate cancer patients, on docetaxel-resistant spheres with stem cell characteristics, on CSCs obtained from the DU145 cell line in vitro and on DU145 tumors in vivo. We found that GL significantly reduced the viability of docetaxel-resistant and patient-derived spheres. Moreover, CSCs isolated from DU145 cells were sensitive to low concentrations of GL, and the treatment with GL suppressed their viability and their ability to form colonies and spheres. STAT3 inhibition down regulated transcriptional targets of STAT3 in these cells, indicating STAT3 activity in CSCs. Our results indicate that GL can target the prostate stem cell niche in patient-derived cells, in docetaxel-resistant spheres and in an in vitro model. We conclude that GL represents a promising therapeutic approach for prostate cancer patients, as it reduces the viability of prostate cancer-therapy-resistant cells in both CSCs and non-CSC populations

Proteomic Changes of Alveolar Lining Fluid in Illnesses Associated with Exposure to Inhaled Non-Infectious Microbial Particles

Peer reviewe

Novos conversores retificadores Sepic ZCS-PWM, operando como abaixadores de tensao, com elevados rendimento e fator de potencia - um estudo comparativo

A comparative evaluation regarding a new zero-current-switching (ZCS) pulse width modulated (PWM) Sepic rectifier, operating in voltage step-down mode, employing two different techniques, in order to obtain high power factor and reduced total harmonic distortion (THD) at the input current, is presented. The methods are those in continuous-current mode operation, known as peak current mode control with slope compensation, and average-current mode control. The principle of operation, the theoretical analysis, a design example and the main experimental results are presented for both proposed control techniques