Towards a model for aerosol removal by rain scavenging: the role of physical-chemical characteristics of raindrops

[EN] A one-year study was carried out in León, Spain, in order to characterize physically and chemically the precipitation. With the aim of studying the scavenging process of atmospheric pollutants, scavenging ratio and removal coefficients were calculated through physical parameters of raindrops (obtained by disdrometer data) and through chemical properties of aerosols. Finally, linear models for the prediction of the chemical composition of rainwater and the efficiency of the removal effect were established. In general, the rainwater was dominated by NH4+ > SO42− > NO3− in all seasons. Higher ion concentrations and conductivity and lowest pH were observed in summer, due to the low volume of rain. In winter, the high values of Na+ and Cl− in the rainwater showed the contribution from marine sources, while in summer the high concentrations of Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, NH4+ and NO3− reflected the contribution from both crustal and anthropogenic sources. The linear models revealed that the amount of dissolved organic carbon and of the water-soluble ions in rain samples, Ca2+, SO42−, NO3−, increases with the volume swept by the falling drops. Insoluble carbon fraction has a negative dependence with the volume swept and positive with the diameter of the raindrop. Removal coefficients are affected by the concentration in the air of each species before precipitation, the duration of the event and the time elapsed between two precipitation eventsSISpanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Grant RTI2018-098189-B-I00), the AERORAIN project (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Grant CGL2014-52556-R, co-financed with FEDER funds), the University of León (Programa Propio 2015/00054/001 and 2018/00203/001), the AEROHEALTH project (Ministry of Science and Innovation, Grant PID2019-106164RB-I00, co-financed with European FEDER funds) and the Junta de Castilla y León co-financed with European FEDER funds (Grant LE025P20). F. Oduber acknowledges the grant BES-2015-074473 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. C. Blanco-Alegre acknowledges the grant FPU16-05764 from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. The authors are also grateful to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDB/50017/2020+UIDP/50017/2020), through national fund

Estudo de uma breve intervenção fonoaudiológica em ligeira deficiência cognitiva

One of the main symptoms that people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) present are changes in language and communication. These changes can be difficulties in semantic memory, in tasks of naming and semantic knowledge, the production of narrative discourse... This study aims to verify the benefits of speech therapy intervention in people with MCI, and to analyse their self-perception of the language and speech therapy intervention. It is carried out through a quasi-experimental pre-test design with a control group from a mixed data collection paradigm, the participants are 12 women (x = 87.33 years), divided into two groups of 6 people in each: The Control Group (CG) that do not receive speech therapy intervention and the Experimental Group (EG) that receive 20 sessions. Participants are evaluated using the Neurobel battery, and the semi-structured interview. The results show significant differences in the post-test scores of the EG and the CG in four variables: phoneme discrimination, repetition, naming of pictures and in the total results of the Neurobel, although the effect size is small. The opinions of the participants on the speech therapy intervention and on the self-perception of their language improved after receiving the intervention. In conclusion, speech therapy is beneficial for people with MCI, although they are unaware that this intervention can be beneficial for them, this opinion changes after receiving therapy. It is convenient to continue with this line of work, expanding the sample and deepening its opinions.Los cambios en el lenguaje y en la comunicación de las personas con Deterioro Cognitivo Leve (DCL) son uno de los principales signos que presentan estos pacientes. Estos cambios pueden ser: dificultades en la memoria semántica, en tareas de denominación y conocimiento semántico, la producción del discurso narrativo… Este estudio pretende comprobar los beneficios de la intervención logopédica en las personas con DCL y analizar su autopercepción del lenguaje y de la intervención logopédica. Se lleva a cabo a través de un diseño cuasiexperimental pre-post test con grupo de control desde un paradigma de recogida de datos mixto. Los participantes son 12 mujeres (x=87.33 años), divididas en dos grupos de 6 personas en cada uno: el Grupo Control (GC) que no recibe intervención logopédica y el Grupo Experimental (GE) que recibe 20 sesiones. Se evalúa a los participantes utilizando el Neurobel, y la entrevista semiestructurada. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas en las puntuaciones postest del GE y del GC en cuatro variables: discriminación de fonemas, repetición, denominación de dibujos y en los resultados totales del Neurobel, aunque el tamaño del efecto es pequeño. Las opiniones de las participantes sobre la intervención logopédica y sobre la autopercepción de su lenguaje mejoran tras recibir la intervención. Como conclusión, la terapia logopédica es beneficiosa para las personas con DCL, aunque desconocen que esta intervención pueda ser beneficiosa para ellas; esta opinión cambia después de recibir la terapia. Es conveniente continuar con esta línea de trabajo, ampliando la muestra y profundizando en sus opiniones.   As mudanças na linguagem e na comunicação nas pessoas com Deficiência Cognitiva Suave (MCI) são um dos principais sinais que estes pacientes apresentam. Estas mudanças podem ser: dificuldades na memória semântica, na nomeação de tarefas e conhecimentos semânticos, a produção do discurso narrativo... Este estudo visa testar os benefícios da intervenção fonoaudiológica em pessoas com ICM e analisar a sua auto-percepção da intervenção fonoaudiológica e da linguagem. É realizado através de um desenho de pré-teste-pós-teste quase experimental com um grupo de controlo utilizando um paradigma de recolha mista de dados. Os participantes são 12 mulheres (x=87,33 anos), divididas em dois grupos de 6 pessoas em cada: o Grupo de Controlo (GC) que não recebe qualquer intervenção fonoaudiológica e o Grupo Experimental (GE) que recebe 20 sessões. Os participantes foram avaliados utilizando a Neurobel, e a entrevista semi-estruturada. Os resultados mostram diferenças significativas nas pontuações pós-teste do GE e CG em quatro variáveis: discriminação fonêmica, repetição, nome da imagem e nas pontuações totais da Neurobel, embora a dimensão do efeito seja pequena. As opiniões dos participantes sobre a intervenção fonoaudiológica e sobre a sua autopercepção da sua língua melhoram após terem recebido a intervenção. Em conclusão, a terapia da fala é benéfica para as pessoas com ICM, embora estas não saibam que esta intervenção pode ser benéfica para elas; esta opinião muda depois de receberem a terapia. É aconselhável continuar com esta linha de trabalho, alargando a amostra e aprofundando as suas opiniões. Traduzido com a versão gratuita do tradutor - www.DeepL.com/Translato

Trigeminal intersubnuclear neurons: morphometry, topology and input-dependent structural plasticity in adult rats

Issue Online: 18 March 2014; Version of Record online: 18 March 2014; Accepted manuscript online: 01 November 2013; Manuscript accepted: 15 October 2013; Manuscript revised: 11 October 2013; Manuscript received: 04 June 2013Intersubnuclear neurons in the caudal division of the spinal trigeminal nucleus that project to the principal nucleus (Pr5) play an active role in shaping the receptive fields of other neurons, at different levels in the ascending sensory system that processes information originating from the vibrissae. Using retrograde labeling and digital reconstruction, we investigated the morphometry and topology of the dendritic trees of these neurons and the changes induced by long-term experience-dependent plasticity in adult male rats. Primary afferent input was either eliminated by transection of the right infraorbital nerve (IoN), or selectively altered by repeated whisker clipping on the right side. These neurons do not display asymmetries between sides in basic metric and topologic parameters (global number of trees, nodes, spines or dendritic ends), although neurons on the left tend to have longer terminal segments. Ipsilaterally, both deafferentation (IoN transection) and deprivation (whisker trimming) reduced the density of spines, and the former also caused a global increase in total dendritic length and a relative increase in more complex arbors. Contralaterally, deafferentation reduced more complex dendritic trees, and caused a moderate decline in dendritic length and spatial reach, and a loss of spines in number and density. Deprivation caused a similar, but more profound, effect on spines. Our findings provide original quantitative descriptions of a scarcely known cell population, and show that denervation- or deprivation-derived plasticity is expressed not only by neurons at higher levels of the sensory pathways, but also by interneurons in key local circuits for subcortical sensory processing.Depto. de Análisis Matemático y Matemática AplicadaFac. de Ciencias MatemáticasTRUEpu

Trigeminothalamic barrelette neurons: natural structural side asymmetries and sensory input-dependent plasticity in adult rats

In the rodent trigeminal principal nucleus (Pr5) the barrelette thalamic-projecting neurons relay information from individual whiskers to corresponding contralateral thalamic barreloids. Here we investigated the presence of lateral asymmetries in the dendritic trees of these neurons, and the morphometric changes resulting from input-dependent plas- ticity in young adult rats. After retrograde labeling with dex- tran amines from the thalamus, neurons were digitally recon- structed with NeurolucidaTM, and metrically and topologically analyzed with NeuroExplorerTM. The most unexpected and remarkable result was the observation of side-to-side asym- metries in the barrelette neurons of control rats. These asym- metries more significantly involved the number of low-grade trees and the total dendritic length, which were greater on the left side. Chronic global input loss resulting from infraorbital nerve (IoN) transection, or loss of active touch resulting from whisker clipping in the right neutralized, or even reversed, the observed lateral differences. While results after IoN tran- section have to be interpreted in the context of partial neuron death in this model, profound bilateral changes were found after haptic loss, which is achieved without inflicting any nerve damage. After whisker trimming, neurons on the left side closely resembled neurons on the right in controls, the natural dendritic length asymmetry being reversed mainly by a shortening of the left trees and a more moderate elongation of the right trees. These results demonstrate that dendritic morphometry is both side- and input-dependent, and that unilateral manipulation of the sensory periphery leads to bilateral morphometric changes in second order neurons of the whisker-barrel system. The presence of anatomical asym- metries in neural structures involved in early stages of so- matosensory processing could help explain the expression of sensory input-dependent behavioral asymmetriesMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España)Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y EvoluciónFac. de Óptica y OptometríaTRUEpu

Additional file 2: Table S1. of Gene expression profiling during adventitious root formation in carnation stem cuttings

Oligonucleotides used in this work. (DOC 30 kb

La Petite presse : journal quotidien... / [rédacteur en chef : Balathier Bragelonne]

15 septembre 18661866/09/15 (N149)