Environmental education: a key tool for environmental management

Entendemos que el objeto de la educación ambiental no es el ambiente como tal, sino nuestra relación con él; la multiplicidad y diversidad de objetivos y la necesidad de anclar la intervención en cada contexto específico, hace de ésta una tarea inmensa y compleja. La provincia del Chubut registra desde el año 1999 un historial importante. Éste trabajo, toma lo realizado en la temática de eliminación de bolsas de polietileno en los espacios públicos, de forma interinstitucional y en ámbitos educativo formal y no formal. Con la hipótesis de que la educación ambiental constituye un instrumento de política ambiental preventivo atendiendo los problemas que afecten o pudieran afectar al ambiente; nos planteamos como objetivos: construir una ciudadanía ambientalmente responsable; Impulsar la formación y capacitación de docentes y actores sociales con una mirada ambiental; Contribuir a la conservación ambiental disponiendo de las nuevas tecnologías. La metodología se sustenta en una concepción que hace eje en el aumento de la participación de la sociedad. Desde el ámbito formal se trabajó durante el 2007-2011 con capacitaciones presenciales y a distancia, para docentes de nivel inicial y primario (434 capacitados), en forma conjunta con el Ministerio de Educación. El equipo de trabajo consta de cuatro profesionales del Ministerio de Ambiente y la colaboración de especialistas según el lugar y la temática. En el ámbito no formal se realizaron charlas y talleres con la comunidad (5826 capacitados); comunicación extrainstitucional por medios masivos de comunicación; campañas ambientales, trabajando en forma conjunta con organismos municipales, provinciales, no gubernamentales y privados. Se cubrieron 28 localidades en todo el territorio provincial. Se abarcó un gran número de docentes, quedando el trabajo con directores y supervisores, para pensar en la inclusión de las temáticas como los residuos sólidos urbanos, en el ámbito formal.We understand that the purpose of environmental education is not to study the environment per se, but our relationship with it. Its multiple and different aims along with the need to anchor actions in specific contexts make it a huge and complex task. This article is based on actions taken in the province of Chubut (Argentina) to eliminate plastic bags in public areas through the coordination of different institutions. Both formal and informal education was given. On the basis of the hypothesis that environmental education is a preventive environmental policy instrument addressing the issues which affect or could affect the environment, we proposed the following objectives: to build an environmentally responsible citizenship, to promote the training of teachers and social actors from an environmental perspective, and to contribute to environmental conservation through new technologies. The methodology applied focuses on increasing social participation .In the 2007-2011 period, classes and distance learning courses for high and primary school teachers were held together with the Education Ministry. A total of 434 teachers were trained. The working team consists of four professionals from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Control together with experts according to their location and subject of interest. In the field of non- formal education, the Ministry organized talks and workshops for the community (5826 trained people), extrainstitutional communication on mass media and different environmental campaigns. This was accomplished by working together with municipal and provincial authorities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. Twentyeight locations throughout the province and a large number of teachers were included in this work. It remains to do some work with directors and supervisors oriented towards the inclusion of issues such as municipal solid waste in formal education.Comité de Medio Ambient

Real-time MR tracking of AAV gene therapy with betagal-responsive MR probe in a murine model of GM1-gangliosidosis

Transformative results of adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy in patients with spinal muscular atrophy and Leber\u27s congenital amaurosis led to approval of the first two AAV products in the United States to treat these diseases. These extraordinary results led to a dramatic increase in the number and type of AAV gene-therapy programs. However, the field lacks non-invasive means to assess levels and duration of therapeutic protein function in patients. Here, we describe a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology for real-time reporting of gene-therapy products in the living animal in the form of an MRI probe that is activated in the presence of therapeutic protein expression. For the first time, we show reliable tracking of enzyme expression after a now in-human clinical trial AAV gene therapy (ClinicalTrials.gov: NTC03952637) encoding lysosomal acid beta-galactosidase (betagal) using a self-immolative betagal-responsive MRI probe. MRI enhancement in AAV-treated enzyme-deficient mice (GLB-1(-/-)) correlates with betagal activity in central nervous system and peripheral organs after intracranial or intravenous AAV gene therapy, respectively. With \u3e 1,800 gene therapies in phase I/II clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov), development of a non-invasive method to track gene expression over time in patients is crucial to the future of the gene-therapy field

Waste-to-energy conversion technologies in the UK: Processes and barriers – A review

This paper reviews the sector of waste-to-energy looking at the main processes and feedstock involved. Within this, incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion and hydrothermal liquefaction are named and discussed. Through the discussions and scrutiny, manure is highlighted as a significant source of ammonia, methane, and nitrogen oxides emission, estimated to be 40%, 22.5% and 28% respectively of the total UK's anthropogenic emissions. Manure, and indeed the pollution it poses, are shown to remain largely ignored. In waste to energy processing, manure is capable of providing biogas for a number of pathways including electricity generation. Anaerobic digestion is highlighted as a suitable process with the crucial capability of drastically reducing the pollution potential of manure and slurry compared to no processing, with up to 90% reduction in methane and 50% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions. If the majority of the 90 million tonnes of manure and slurry in the UK were to be processed through biogas harvesting, this could have the potential of producing more than 1.615 TWh of electricity. As such, the economics and legislation surrounding the implementation of anaerobic digestion for manure and slurry are discussed. In the end, restraining factors that limit the implementation of anaerobic digesters on farms in the UK are discussed. These are found to be mainly capital costs, lack of grants, insufficiently high tariff systems, rather than low gas yields from manure and slurry

Protocolo de reabilitação cardiorrespiratória no paciente pós-covid: relato de experiência / Protocol of cardiorespiratory rehabilitation in the post-covid patient: experience report

1 INTRODUÇÃOA COVID-19 é uma doença infectocontagiosa, causada pelo vírus SARS-CoV-2, caracterizada por grandes inflamações do sistema respiratório. Os pacientes graves podem desenvolver síndromes pós cuidados intensivos, e os não graves, limitações musculoesquelética e redução da capacidade cardiorrespiratória. No período agudizado da fase inflamatória, podem ocorrer injúrias cardíacas, principalmente miocardite e/ou pericardite. A fisioterapia atua desde os cuidados hospitalares, como nas sequelas, com a reabilitação cardiopulmonar e musculoesquelética dos pacientes acometidos pela doença. 2 OBJETIVO Descrever um protocolo de reabilitação cardiorrespitarória no paciente com sequelas de COVID-19. 3 METODOLOGIATrata-se de um relato de experiência, realizado na Clínica Escola de Fisioterapia do Centro Universitário do Estado do Pará, no mês de junho, com um paciente do sexo masculino acometido pela COVID-19. O protocolo proposto consistiu na avaliação e tratamento fisioterapêutico cardiorrespiratório com o total de 15 sessões, durante 5 semanas, com 50 minutos de atendimento. 4 RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIADurante a avaliação, as queixas principais eram o cansaço e a diminuição da SPo2 ao realizar as atividades de vida diária (AVD´s), como pegar um objeto no chão, subir escadas e correr. O objetivo fisioterapêutico era proporcionar o retorno as AVD´s. O tratamento, na 1° e 2° sessão, consistiu em exercícios de incursão respiratória simples. A partir da 3° sessão foi iniciado exercícios respiratórios fracionados, exercícios sustentados, respiração diafragmática, suspiros respiratórios, expiração forçada e respiração com freno labial, com isometria de membros superiores (MMSS) em sedestação. Na 4º sessão, iniciou-se exercícios respiratórios com movimentos ativos de MMSS e isometria de membros inferiores (MMII) em sedestação e bipedestação. Com a 5º e 6° sessão, iniciou-se exercícios na bicicleta, esteira e caminhada de baixa intensidade associado a exercícios respiratórios e de MMSS. Do 7º ao 15º atendimento foi realizado exercícios respiratórios associados a treino de força e condicionamento como correr, subir e descer escadas, polichinelo, corrida estacionária, agachamento, abdominal e exercícios com aumento de peso para MMSS e MMII. Paciente no decorrer das sessões conseguiu manter a Spo2 maior que 96% antes, durante e após os exercícios. 5 CONCLUSÃOA COVID-19 é uma doença infectocontagiosa, podendo evoluir com alterações no sistema cardiorrespiratório, necessitando da reabilitação fisioterapêutica. Através do tratamento com exercícios respiratórios diversos, associado aos MMSS e MMII e outros. Ao final, teve-se melhora significante do cansaço e da SPo2, não apresentando mais desconfortos respiratórios. Portanto, a fisioterapia tem papel importante na evolução e após a doença

EZH2 inhibition reactivates epigenetically silenced FMR1 and normalizes molecular and electrophysiological abnormalities in fragile X syndrome neurons

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a neurological disorder caused by epigenetic silencing of the FMR1 gene. Reactivation of FMR1 is a potential therapeutic approach for FXS that would correct the root cause of the disease. Here, using a candidate-based shRNA screen, we identify nine epigenetic repressors that promote silencing of FMR1 in FXS cells (called FMR1 Silencing Factors, or FMR1- SFs). Inhibition of FMR1-SFs with shRNAs or small molecules reactivates FMR1 in cultured undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and post-mitotic neurons derived from FXS patients. One of the FMR1-SFs is the histone methyltransferase EZH2, for which an FDA-approved small molecule inhibitor, EPZ6438 (also known as tazemetostat), is available. We show that EPZ6438 substantially corrects the characteristic molecular and electrophysiological abnormalities of cultured FXS neurons. Unfortunately, EZH2 inhibitors do not efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier, limiting their therapeutic use for FXS. Recently, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based approaches have been developed as effective treatment options for certain central nervous system disorders. We therefore derived efficacious ASOs targeting EZH2 and demonstrate that they reactivate FMR1 expression and correct molecular and electrophysiological abnormalities in cultured FXS neurons, and reactivate FMR1 expression in human FXS NPCs engrafted within the brains of mice. Collectively, our results establish EZH2 inhibition in general, and EZH2 ASOs in particular, as a therapeutic approach for FXS

In vitro and in vivo safety evaluation of Dipteryx alata Vogel extract

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Dipteryx alata </it>Vogel popularly known as "baru" is an important commercial leguminous tree species from the Brazilian Cerrado, which possess medicinal properties, besides its fruits consumption by animals and humans. The use of the "naturally occurring plants" as herbal remedies and foods mainly from leaves, seeds, flowers and roots of plants or extracts require precautions before ensuring these are safe and efficacious. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of <it>D. alata </it>barks extract.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Vegetal drugs of <it>D. alata </it>barks were submitted to quality control assays and further to the safety assays under 1) <it>in vitro </it>parameter by <it>Salmonella </it>(Ames) mutagenicity, and 2) <it>in vivo </it>parameter on the pregnancy of rats.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The extract was non-mutagenic to any of the assessed strains TA97a, TA98, TA100 and TA102 even after metabolic activation (+S9). All <it>in vivo </it>parameters (reproductive ability evaluation, physical development of rat offsprings, and neurobehavioral development assays) showed no changes related to control group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>D. alata </it>barks extract is neither mutagenic by the Ames test nor toxic in the pregnancy of rats, with no physical-neurobehavioral consequences on the rat offsprings development.</p

Scleroderma fibroblasts suppress angiogenesis via TGF-β/caveolin-1 dependent secretion of pigment epithelium-derived factor

Objectives: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterised by tissue fibrosis and vasculopathy with defective angiogenesis. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) plays a major role in tissue fibrosis, including downregulation of caveolin-1 (Cav-1); however, its role in defective angiogenesis is less clear. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a major antiangiogenic factor, is abundantly secreted by SSc fibroblasts. Here, we investigated the effect of TGF-β and Cav-1 on PEDF expression and the role of PEDF in the ability of SSc fibroblasts to modulate angiogenesis. Methods: PEDF and Cav-1 expression in fibroblasts and endothelial cells were evaluated by means of immunohistochemistry on human and mouse skin biopsies. PEDF and Cav-1 were silenced in cultured SSc and control fibroblasts using lentiviral short-hairpin RNAs. Organotypic fibroblast–endothelial cell co-cultures and matrigel assays were employed to assess angiogenesis. Results: PEDF is highly expressed in myofibroblasts and reticular fibroblasts with low Cav-1 expression in SSc skin biopsies, and it is induced by TGF-β in vitro. SSc fibroblasts suppress angiogenesis in an organotypic model. This model is reproduced by silencing Cav-1 in normal dermal fibroblasts. Conversely, silencing PEDF in SSc fibroblasts rescues their antiangiogenic phenotype. Consistently, transgenic mice with TGF-β receptor hyperactivation show lower Cav-1 and higher PEDF expression levels in skin biopsies accompanied by reduced blood vessel density. Conclusions: Our data reveal a new pathway by which TGF-β suppresses angiogenesis in SSc, through decreased fibroblast Cav-1 expression and subsequent PEDF secretion. This pathway may present a promising target for new therapeutic interventions in SSc

Histo-Blood Group Antigens Act as Attachment Factors of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Infection in a Virus Strain-Dependent Manner

Rabbit Hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), a calicivirus of the Lagovirus genus, and responsible for rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), kills rabbits between 48 to 72 hours post infection with mortality rates as high as 50–90%. Caliciviruses, including noroviruses and RHDV, have been shown to bind histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) and human non-secretor individuals lacking ABH antigens in epithelia have been found to be resistant to norovirus infection. RHDV virus-like particles have previously been shown to bind the H type 2 and A antigens. In this study we present a comprehensive assessment of the strain-specific binding patterns of different RHDV isolates to HBGAs. We characterized the HBGA expression in the duodenum of wild and domestic rabbits by mass spectrometry and relative quantification of A, B and H type 2 expression. A detailed binding analysis of a range of RHDV strains, to synthetic sugars and human red blood cells, as well as to rabbit duodenum, a likely gastrointestinal site for viral entrance was performed. Enzymatic cleavage of HBGA epitopes confirmed binding specificity. Binding was observed to blood group B, A and H type 2 epitopes in a strain-dependent manner with slight differences in specificity for A, B or H epitopes allowing RHDV strains to preferentially recognize different subgroups of animals. Strains related to the earliest described RHDV outbreak were not able to bind A, whereas all other genotypes have acquired A binding. In an experimental infection study, rabbits lacking the correct HBGA ligands were resistant to lethal RHDV infection at low challenge doses. Similarly, survivors of outbreaks in wild populations showed increased frequency of weak binding phenotypes, indicating selection for host resistance depending on the strain circulating in the population. HBGAs thus act as attachment factors facilitating infection, while their polymorphism of expression could contribute to generate genetic resistance to RHDV at the population level