Multitemporal LMDI index decomposition analysis to explain the changes of ACI by the power sector in Latin America and the Caribbean between 1990-2017

This paper analyzes the drivers behind the changes of the Aggregate Carbon Intensity (ACI) of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) power sector in five periods between 1990 and 2017. Since 1990 the carbon intensity of the world has been reduced almost 8.8% whereas the carbon intensity of LAC countries only decreased 0.8%. Even though by 2017 the regional carbon intensity is very similar to the one observed by 1990, this index has showed high variability, mainly in the last three years when the ACI of LAC fell from 285 gCO2/kWh in 2015 to 257.7 gCO2/kWh. To understand what happened with the evolution of the carbon intensity in the region, in this paper a Logarithmic Mean Divisia for Index Decomposition Analysis (IDA-LMDI) is carried out to identify the accelerating and attenuating drivers of the ACI behavior along five periods. The proposal outperforms existing studies previously applied to LAC based upon a single period of analysis. Key contributions are introduced by considering the type of fuel used in power plants as well as specific time-series of energy flows and CO2 emissions by country. Results reveal structural reasons for the increase of the ACI in 1995-2003 and 2008-2015, and intensity reasons for the decrease of the ACI in 1990-1995, 2003-2008 and 2015-2017

Broad Kinase Inhibition Mitigates Early Neuronal Dysfunction in Tauopathy

Tauopathies are a group of more than twenty known disorders that involve progressive neurodegeneration, cognitive decline and pathological tau accumulation. Current therapeutic strategies provide only limited, late-stage symptomatic treatment. This is partly due to lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking tau and cellular dysfunction, especially during the early stages of disease progression. In this study, we treated early stage tau transgenic mice with a multi-target kinase inhibitor to identify novel substrates that contribute to cognitive impairment and exhibit therapeutic potential. Drug treatment significantly ameliorated brain atrophy and cognitive function as determined by behavioral testing and a sensitive imaging technique called manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) with quantitative R1 mapping. Surprisingly, these benefits occurred despite unchanged hyperphosphorylated tau levels. To elucidate the mechanism behind these improved cognitive outcomes, we performed quantitative proteomics to determine the altered protein network during this early stage in tauopathy and compare this model with the human Alzheimer’s disease (AD) proteome. We identified a cluster of preserved pathways shared with human tauopathy with striking potential for broad multi-target kinase intervention. We further report high confidence candidate proteins as novel therapeutically relevant targets for the treatment of tauopathy. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD023562

A comprehensive multilocus phylogeny for the wood-warblers and a revised classification of the Parulidae (Aves)

The birds in the family Parulidae—commonly termed the New World warblers or wood-warblers—are a classic model radiation for studies of ecological and behavioral differentiation. Although the monophyly of a ‘core’ wood-warbler clade is well established, no phylogenetic hypothesis for this group has included a full sampling of wood-warbler species diversity. We used parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods to reconstruct relationships among all genera and nearly all wood-warbler species, based on a matrix of mitochondrial DNA (5840 nucleotides) and nuclear DNA (6 loci, 4602 nucleotides) characters. The resulting phylogenetic hypotheses provide a highly congruent picture of wood-warbler relationships, and indicate that the traditional generic classification of these birds recognizes many non-monophyletic groups. We recommend a revised taxonomy in which each of 14 genera (Seiurus, Helmitheros, Mniotilta, Limnothlypis, Protonotaria, Parkesia, Vermivora, Oreothlypis, Geothlypis, Setophaga, Myioborus, Cardellina, Basileuterus, Myiothlypis) corresponds to a well-supported clade; these nomenclatural changes also involve subsuming a number of well-known, traditional wood-warbler genera (Catharopeza, Dendroica, Ergaticus, Euthlypis, Leucopeza, Oporornis, Parula, Phaeothlypis, Wilsonia). We provide a summary phylogenetic hypothesis that will be broadly applicable to investigations of the historical biogeography, processes of diversification, and evolution of trait variation in this well studied avian group

Virtual intracranial EEG signals reconstructed from MEG with potential for epilepsy surgery

Modelling the interactions that arise from neural dynamics in seizure genesis is challenging but important in the effort to improve the success of epilepsy surgery. Dynamical network models developed from physiological evidence offer insights into rapidly evolving brain networks in the epileptic seizure. A limitation of previous studies in this field is the dependence on invasive cortical recordings with constrained spatial sampling of brain regions that might be involved in seizure dynamics. Here, we propose virtual intracranial electroencephalography (ViEEG), which combines non-invasive ictal magnetoencephalographic imaging (MEG), dynamical network models and a virtual resection technique. In this proof-of-concept study, we show that ViEEG signals reconstructed from MEG alone preserve critical temporospatial characteristics for dynamical approaches to identify brain areas involved in seizure generation. We show the non-invasive ViEEG approach may have some advantage over intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG). Future work may be designed to test the potential of the virtual iEEG approach for use in surgical management of epilepsy

Humedales interiores de Colombia: identificación, caracterización y establecimiento de límites según criterios biológicos y ecológicos

Con la presente obra, el Instituto Alexander von Humboldt busca difundir múltiples aportes de reconocidos especialistas y con ello propone una serie de criterios conceptuales y metodológicos asociados al estudio de la biota acuática, para la caracterización e identificación de límites en los humedales interiores de Colombia.Bogotá, D. C., ColombiaInstituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humbold

Broad Kinase Inhibition Mitigates Early Neuronal Dysfunction in Tauopathy

Tauopathies are a group of more than twenty known disorders that involve progressive neurodegeneration, cognitive decline and pathological tau accumulation. Current therapeutic strategies provide only limited, late-stage symptomatic treatment. This is partly due to lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking tau and cellular dysfunction, especially during the early stages of disease progression. In this study, we treated early stage tau transgenic mice with a multi-target kinase inhibitor to identify novel substrates that contribute to cognitive impairment and exhibit therapeutic potential. Drug treatment significantly ameliorated brain atrophy and cognitive function as determined by behavioral testing and a sensitive imaging technique called manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) with quantitative R1 mapping. Surprisingly, these benefits occurred despite unchanged hyperphosphorylated tau levels. To elucidate the mechanism behind these improved cognitive outcomes, we performed quantitative proteomics to determine the altered protein network during this early stage in tauopathy and compare this model with the human Alzheimer’s disease (AD) proteome. We identified a cluster of preserved pathways shared with human tauopathy with striking potential for broad multi-target kinase intervention. We further report high confidence candidate proteins as novel therapeutically relevant targets for the treatment of tauopathy. Proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD023562

Volumen I. Catálogo de Biodiversidad para la Región Orinoquense

Bogotá, D. C.Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humbold