Drug-induced stress granule formation protects sensory hair cells in mouse cochlear explants during ototoxicity

Stress granules regulate RNA translation during cellular stress, a mechanism that is generally presumed to be protective, since stress granule dysregulation caused by mutation or ageing is associated with neurodegenerative disease. Here, we investigate whether pharmacological manipulation of the stress granule pathway in the auditory organ, the cochlea, affects the survival of sensory hair cells during aminoglycoside ototoxicity, a common cause of acquired hearing loss. We show that hydroxamate (-)-9, a silvestrol analogue that inhibits eIF4A, induces stress granule formation in both an auditory cell line and ex-vivo cochlear cultures and that it prevents ototoxin-induced hair-cell death. In contrast, preventing stress granule formation using the small molecule inhibitor ISRIB increases hair-cell death. Furthermore, we provide the first evidence of stress granule formation in mammalian hair cells in-vivo triggered by aminoglycoside treatment. Our results demonstrate that pharmacological induction of stress granules enhances cell survival in native-tissue, in a clinically-relevant context. This establishes stress granules as a viable therapeutic target not only for hearing loss but also other neurodegenerative diseases.EI:595 - Action on Hearing Loss; 091092/Z/09/Z - Wellcome Trust (Wellcome); MR/N004329/1 - RCUK | Medical Research Council (MRC)Published versio

Chapter Above‐Ground Biomass Estimation with High Spatial Resolution Satellite Images

Assessment and monitoring of forest biomass are frequently done with allometric functions per species for inventory plots. The estimation per area unit is carried out with an extrapolation method. In this chapter, a review of the recent methods to estimate forest above‐ground biomass (AGB) using remote sensing data is presented. A case study is given with an innovative methodology to estimate above‐ground biomass based on crown horizontal projection obtained with high spatial resolution satellite images for two evergreen oak species. The linear functions fitted for pure, mixed and both compositions showed a good performance. Also, the functions with dummy variables to distinguish species and compositions adjusted had the best performance. An error threshold of 5% corresponds to stand areas of 8.7 and 5.5 ha for the functions of all species and compositions without and with dummy variables. This method enables the overall area evaluation, and it is easily implemented in a geographic information system environment

Satisfaction with human resource management practices and turnover intention in a five-star hotel : the mediating role of perceived organizational support

Employees’ satisfaction with human resources management (HRM) practices has been envisaged as a solid predictor of turnover; nonetheless, how these practices may influence employee’s behavior is still an unclear process. There are suggestions that HRM practices may be distal determinants of turnover, as their effects may be mediated by more proximal variables such as perceived organizational support. This study empirically tested a model of research arising from these theoretical suggestions in a five-star hotel. The data collected from the survey of 152 workers were subjected to structural equation analyses. The results showed that the theoretical model had a strong fit to the data, giving empirical support to the prediction that satisfaction with HRM practices reduces turnover intentions, by increasing perceived organizational support. The importance of these results is discussed and interpreted from the point of view of strategic gains associated to the quality of HRM practices for the management of voluntary turnover.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Integrated system for macroalgae production and conversion into biogas

Recently research on energy from macroalgae is being reconsidered driven by the following factors: fuel price increase, CO2 mitigation policies and interest on renewable energy sources after the Kyoto protocol, and need for energy crops not competing with land for food production. However, the commercial expansion of this energy source is limited by its economic feasibility. In this presentation we analyse the development of integrated systems that promote synergies between macroalgae/biogas production and activities such as aquaculture and urban wastewater treatment. The recycling of nutrients and CO2 by macroalgae can be an opportunity to reduce the biomass-biogas production cost. Other advantage is the proximity between biomass production, conversion into energy and its consumption, thus avoiding energy losses and pollution in transportation. Experimental work is underway and includes batch tests to evaluate biodegradability of Ulva spp. and Gracilaria sp. and co-digestion of these macroalgae with sewage sludge from Beirolas wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Furthermore, continuous co-digestion experiments are planned to be carried out in a 30 L experimental reactor to be placed in the same WWTP. The objectives are to reproduce sludge digestion in Beirolas WWTP and evaluate algae/sludge co-digestion performance. Preliminary results indicate methane yields in accordance with similar batch experiments, whereby our CH4 yields per volatile solids added range between 0.14-0.20 m3 CH4 kg-1 VSadded against 0.16-0.27 m3 CH4 kg-1 VSadded [1,2] depending on the algae species and pretreatment. Overall, Ulva sp. shows a better performance over Gracilaria sp. as also confirmed in other experiments [1]

genesis, development and main conclusions of the research project

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sweet cherries from Fundão possess antidiabetic potential and protect human erythrocytes against oxidative damage

Cherries are one of the most appreciated summer fruits due to their attractive colour, sweet taste, high water content, low level of calories and composition in bioactive compounds which, in turn, are important to prevent some pathologies like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. In this work we evaluated the phenolic profile and biological potential of 5 varieties of sweet cherries from Fundão region (Portugal) (Saco, Sweetheart, Satin, Maring and Hedelfinger). A total of 23 phenolic compounds were identified by LC-DAD and distributed by the several classes: 6 anthocyanins, 1 hydroxybenzoic acid, 8 hydroxycinnamic acids, 3 flavan-3-ols and 5 flavonols. Maring revealed higher contents in anthocyanins, while Hedelfinger was the richest in non-coloured phenolics. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated against DPPH and nitric oxide radicals. Hedelfinger was the most active against DPPH• (IC50=12.1μg/mL) and Maring against nitric oxide (IC50=140.9μg/mL). Afterwards, antidiabetic capacity was evaluated through the inhibition of α-glucosidase activity, pointing Hedelfinger as the most active (IC50=10.3μg/mL). The capacity of Saco extracts to inhibit the hemoglobin oxidation and the hemolysis of human erythrocytes was also evaluated. Both assays revealed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect (IC50=38.6μg/mL and IC50=73.0μg/mL, respectively). The results obtained in this study allow us to conclude that sweet cherries possess a great biological potential, and further investigation should be done to promote commercialization and encourage its use in food supplements and in new pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Goat Kidding Dataset

The detection of kidding in production animals is of the utmost importance, given the frequency of problems associated with the process, and the fact that timely human help can be a safeguard for the well-being of the mother and kid. The continuous human monitoring of the process is expensive, given the uncertainty of when it will occur, so the establishment of an autonomous mechanism that does so would allow calling the human responsible who could intervene at the opportune moment. The present dataset consists of data from the sensorization of 16 pregnant and two non-pregnant Charnequeira goats, during a period of four weeks, the kidding period. The data include measurements from neck to floor height, measured by ultrasound and accelerometry data measured by an accelerometer existing at the monitoring collar. Data was continuously sampled throughout the experiment every 10 s. The goats were monitored both in the goat shelter (day and night) and during the grazing period in the pasture. The births of the animals were also registered, both in terms of the time at which they took place, but also with details regarding how they took place and the number of offspring, and notes were also added.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sheep Nocturnal Activity Dataset

Monitoring sheep’s behavior is of paramount importance, because deviations from normal patterns may indicate nutritional, thermal or social stress, changes in reproductive status, health issues, or predator attacks. The night period, despite being a more restful period in which animals are theoretically sleeping and resting, represents approximately half of the life cycle of animals; therefore, its study is of immense interest. Wearable sensors have become a widely recognized technique for monitoring activity, both for their precision and the ease with which the sensorized data can be analyzed. The present dataset consists of data from the sensorization of 18 Serra da Estrela sheep, during the nocturnal period between 18 November 2021 and 16 February 2022. The data contain measurements taken by ultrasound and accelerometry of the height from neck to ground, as well as measurements taken by an accelerometer in the monitoring collar. Data were collected every 10 s when the animals were in the shelter. With the collection of data from various sensors, active and inactive periods can be identified throughout the night, quantifying the number and average time of those periods.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A kinematic study of planetary nebulae in the dwarf irregular galaxy IC10

We present positions, kinematics, and the planetary nebula luminosity function (PNLF) for 35 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the nearest starburst galaxy IC10 extending out to 3kpc from the galaxy's centre. We take advantage of the deep imaging and spectroscopic capabilities provided by the spectrograph FOCAS on the 8.2m Subaru telescope. The PN velocities were measured through the slitless-spectroscopy technique, which allows us to explore the kinematics of IC10 with high precision. Using these velocities, we conclude that there is a kinematic connection between the HI envelope located around IC10 and the galaxy's PN population. By assuming that the PNe in the central regions and in the outskirts have similar ages, our results put strong observational constraints on the past tidal interactions in the Local Group. This is so because by dating the PN central stars, we, therefore, infer the epoch of a major episode of star formation likely linked to the first encounter of the HI extended envelope with the galaxy. Our deep [OIII] images also allow us to use the PNLF to estimate a distance modulus of 24.1+/-0.25, which is in agreement with recent results in the literature based on other techniques.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA