3,198 research outputs found
REDD+ on the rocks? Conflict over forest and politics of justice in Vietnam
In Vietnam, villagers involved in a REDD+ (reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) pilot protect areas with rocks which have barely a tree on them. The apparent paradox indicates how actual practices differ from general ideas about REDD+ due to ongoing conflict over forest, and how contestations over the meaning of justice are a core element in negotiations over REDD+. We explore these politics of justice by examining how the actors involved in the REDD+ pilot negotiate the particular subjects, dimensions, and authority of justice considered relevant, and show how politics of justice are implicit to practical decisions in project implementation. Contestations over the meaning of justice are an important element in the practices and processes constituting REDD+ at global, national and local levels, challenging uniform definitions of forest justice and how forests ought to be managed
Transcriptional profiling reveals altered biological characteristics of chorionic stem cells from women with gestational diabetes
Background
Gestational diabetes (GDM) is a common complication of pregnancy. The impact of pregnancy complications on placental function suggests that extraembryonic stem cells in the placenta may also be affected during pregnancy. Neonatal tissue-derived stem cells, with the advantages of their differentiation capacity and non-invasive isolation processes, have been proposed as a promising therapeutic avenue for GDM management through potential cell therapy approaches. However, the influence of GDM on autologous stem cells remains unclear. Thus, studies that provide comprehensive understanding of stem cells isolated from women with GDM are essential to guide future clinical applications.
Methods
Human chorionic membrane-derived stem cells (CMSCs) were isolated from placentas of healthy and GDM pregnancies. Transcriptional profiling was performed by DNA microarray, and differentially regulated genes between GDM- and Healthy-CMSCs were used to analyse molecular functions, differentiation, and pathway enrichment. Altered genes and biological functions were validated via real-time PCR and in vitro assays.
Results
GDM-CMSCs displayed, vs. Healthy-CMSCs, 162 upregulated genes associated with increased migration ability, epithelial development, and growth factor-associated signal transduction while the 269 downregulated genes were strongly linked to angiogenesis and cellular metabolic processes. Notably, significantly reduced expression of detoxification enzymes belonging to the aldehyde dehydrogenase gene families (ALDH1A1/1A2, ALDH2, ALDH3) accounted for downregulation across several metabolic pathways. ALDH activity and inhibitor assays indicated that reduced gene expression of ALDHs affected ALDH enzymatic functions and resulted in oxidative stress dysregulation in GDM-CMSCs.
Conclusion
Our combined transcriptional analysis and in vitro functional characterisation have provided novel insights into fundamental biological differences in GDM- and Healthy-CMSCs. Enhanced mobility of GDM-CMSCs may promote MSC migration toward injured sites; however, impaired cellular metabolic activity may negatively affect any perceived benefit
Analytic structure of the S-matrix for singular quantum mechanics
The analytic structure of the S-matrix of singular quantum mechanics is examined within a multichannel framework, with primary focus on its dependence with respect to a parameter (Ω) that determines the boundary conditions. Specifically, a characterization is given in terms of salient mathematical and physical properties governing its behavior. These properties involve unitarity and associated current-conserving Wronskian relations, time-reversal invariance, and Blaschke factorization. The approach leads to an interpretation of effective nonunitary solutions in singular quantum mechanics and their determination from the unitary family.Fil: Camblong, Horacio E.. University of San Francisco; Estados UnidosFil: Epele, Luis Nicolas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Física. Laboratorio de Física Teórica; ArgentinaFil: Fanchiotti, Huner. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Física. Laboratorio de Física Teórica; ArgentinaFil: García Canal, Carlos Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Física La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Física. Laboratorio de Física Teórica; Argentin
Properties of High-Latitude CME-Driven Disturbances During Ulysses Second Northern Polar Passage
Ulysses observed five coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their associated disturbances while the spacecraft was immersed in the polar coronal hole (CH) flow above 70° N in late 2001. Of these CMEs, two were very fast (\u3e850 km s−1) driving strong shocks in the wind ahead, and two others were over-expanding. The two fast CMEs were observed leaving the Sun by LASCO/SOHO, and were observed in the ecliptic by Genesis and ACE. These were large events, spanning at least from the northern heliospheric pole to the ecliptic. One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations indicate that these could be described as overpressured CMEs launched from the Sun at speeds initially faster than ambient, but then decelerating to the ambient solar wind speed as they propagated outward. The two over-expanding CMEs mark their first occurrence since Ulysses’ first orbit when such CMEs were only observed in polar CH flow
Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor does not prevent in vitro cisplatin-induced germ cell reduction in immature human and mouse testis
Brian: The Typographical Error that Brought Early Career Neuroscientists and Artists Together
In the project “Do You Mind?” early career neuroscientists and artists collaborated to produce artworks for exhibition
Spin Susceptibility and Superexchange Interaction in the Antiferromagnet CuO
Evidence for the quasi one-dimensional (1D) antiferromagnetism of CuO is
presented in a framework of Heisenberg model. We have obtained an experimental
absolute value of the paramagnetic spin susceptibility of CuO by subtracting
the orbital susceptibility separately from the total susceptibility through the
Cu NMR shift measurement, and compared directly with the theoretical
predictions. The result is best described by a 1D antiferromagnetic
Heisenberg (AFH) model, supporting the speculation invoked by earlier authors.
We also present a semi-quantitative reason why CuO, seemingly of 3D structure,
is unexpectedly a quasi 1D antiferromagnet.Comment: 7 pages including 4 tables and 9 figure
A systematic review of the impacts and management of introduced deer (family Cervidae) in Australia
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