Soil amendment with activated charcoal can reduce dieldrin uptake by cucumbers

Organochlorine pesticides (OCP) were once applied world wide but have been banned meanwhile in most countries because of their ecotoxicity, bioaccumulation and persistence. However, residues can still be present in soils even many years after applications have been stopped and taken up by crop plants. OCP accumulation from bound residues was found to be a particular problem in Cucurbitaceae plants. Two soil surveys performed in 2002 and 2005 in Switzerland revealed that OCP residues were taken up by cucumbers grown in soils that have been converted to organic production in the meantime. Even if legal tolerance values are not exceeded, this is a serious economic problem for the farmers affected by contaminated crops, because consumers of organically grown crops are only willing to pay the higher prices for these than for conventional products because they are particularly concerned about health and environmental quality and therefore expect pristine food. One approach to address the problem would be to increase the capacity of affected soils to bind OCP residues in order to prevent their uptake by the crops. In this study, we wanted to test the potential use of activated charcoal (AC) for this purpose. In addition, we wanted to assess the possibility of using OCP sorption in soil by Tenax® beads as a predictor for the phytoavailability of these compounds to cucumbers. We performed two pot experiments in which the cash crop cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was grown in soil with bound residues of dieldrin (70 µg/kg), pentachloroaniline (<0.01 µg/kg) and p,p-DDE. The soil was taken from a field under organic farming in which these residues were found in the 2005 survey. In the first experiment, cucumbers were grown for 12 to 13 weeks (until fruits were ripe) in soil into which AC had been mixed at concentrations of 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg and in untreated controls. In the second experiment, Tenax® beads were added to the soil and cucumbers, grown with and without AC amendment (800 mg/kg soil), were harvested after 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13 weeks. Dieldrin was the only pesticide detected in the sampled cucumbers and extracted from soil by the Tenax beads. Dieldrin concentrations in the cucumbers were significantly reduced in the treatments with 400 and 800 mg/kg AC. Also significantly less dieldrin was sorbed by Tenax from the soil amended with 800 mg/kg AC than from the untreated control soil. More dieldrin was found to be sorbed by Tenax in the last 3-4 weeks of the experiment, particularly in the control soil, but this trend was not significant. The correlation between the amounts of Tenax-sorbed dieldrin and dieldrin accumulation in the cucumber fruits was significant in control soil and 800 mg/kg AC soil. Hence, Tenax appeared to be suited for the assessment of dieldrin solubility in soil and of phytoavailability to cucumbers

Association of sperm protein 17 with A-kinase anchoring protein 3 in flagella

BACKGROUND: Sperm protein 17 (Sp17) is a three-domain protein that contains: 1) a highly conserved N-terminal domain that is 45% identical to the human type II alpha regulatory subunit (RII alpha) of protein kinase A (PKA); 2) a central sulphated carbohydrate-binding domain; and 3) a C-terminal Ca++/calmodulin (CaM) binding domain. Although Sp17 was originally discovered and characterized in spermatozoa, its mRNA has now been found in a variety of normal mouse and human tissues. However, Sp17 protein is found predominantly in spermatozoa, cilia and human neoplastic cell lines. This study demonstrates that Sp17 from spermatozoa binds A-kinase anchoring protein 3 (AKAP3), confirming the functionality of the N-terminal domain. METHODS: In this study in vitro precipitation and immunolocalization demonstrate that Sp17 binds to AKAP3 (AKAP110) in spermatozoa. RESULTS: Sp17 is present in the head and tail of spermatozoa, in the tail it is in the fibrous sheath, which contains AKAP3 and AKAP4. Recombinant AKAP3 and AKAP4 RII binding domains were synthesized as glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins immobilized on glutathione-agarose resin and added to CHAPS extracts of human spermatozoa. Western blots of bound and eluted proteins probed with anti-Sp17 revealed that AKAP3 bound and precipitated a significant level of Sp17 while AKAP4 did not. AKAP4 binds AKAP3 and expression of AKAP3 is reduced in AKAP4 knockout sperm, therefore we tested AKAP4 knockout spermatozoa for Sp17 and found that there was a reduction in the amount of Sp17 expressed when compared to wild type spermatozoa. Co-localization of AKAP3 and Sp17 by immunofluorescence was demonstrated along the length of the principal piece of the flagella. CONCLUSIONS: As predicted by its N-terminal domain that is 45% identical to the human RIIα of PKA, Sp17 from spermatozoa binds the RII binding domain of AKAP3 along the length of the flagella

Scientainment for sustainability : the eco-confessional as a new approach for life cycle thinking

For educating a wide audience on the environmental impact of their daily life decisions, the Eco-Confessional has been developed as an interactive exhibit and a serious game. In this, the effectiveness of promoting sustainable lifestyles through life cycle thinking was explored. Based upon life cycle assessments, the eco-confessional reveals the environmental impact of eco-sins and good deeds performed in everyday life in a playful way. As the Eco-Confessional was being exhibited, it was evaluated to measure the impact of the new communication format. The goal of the project was to increase sustainable behavior by influencing both the desire and the ability to make sustainable decisions. The evaluation revealed that these goals were mostly achieved. By combining life cycle data with gamification elements, the Eco-Confessional succeeded in implementing a new scientainment approach to environmental education, which promotes life cycle thinking among the public

Migrantes colombianos en Santiago: experiencias y reflexiones en torno al derecho a habitar la ciudad

Immigration is one of the defining features of our time and calls into question processes of the construction of identity in relation to the experience of belonging and ties to space, territory and social worlds. This paper presents the perspectives of 14 Colombian immigrants regarding their lives in Santiago, analyzing how some features of the space make cultural trends and particular ways of dwelling visible. Santiago plays the role of the main character in their narratives, as it illustrates, reflects and participates in the construction of social issues. The article discusses how moving beyond localisms and incorporating a peripheral perspective can contribute to adding dynamism and depth to the understanding of social cohesion.La inmigración, uno de los fenómenos más característicos de nuestro tiempo, cuestiona los procesos de construcción de identidad en relación a la experiencia de pertenencia y vinculación con el espacio, el territorio y los mundos sociales. Este trabajo explora la mirada de un grupo de 14 inmigrantes colombianos sobre la vida en Santiago, indagando cómo ciertas características del espacio dan cuenta de tendencias culturales y formas de habitar particulares. En sus relatos, Santiago es un personaje importante, ilustrando, reflejando y construyendo tensiones sociales. Se discute cómo salir de los localismos e incorporar una mirada construida desde una posición periférica, que puede contribuir a dinamizar la conceptualización de cohesión social, yendo más allá de la ausencia de conflictos

Neural correlates of RDoC-specific cognitive processes in a high-functional autistic patient: a statistically validated case report

The level of functioning of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) varies widely. To better understand the neurobiological mechanism associated with high-functioning ASD, we studied the rare case of a female patient with an exceptional professional career in the highly competitive academic field of Mathematics. According to the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach, which proposes to describe the basic dimensions of functioning by integrating different levels of information, we conducted four fMRI experiments targeting the (1) social processes domain (Theory of mind (ToM) and face matching), (2) positive valence domain (reward processing), and (3) cognitive domain (N-back). Patient's data were compared to data of 14 healthy controls (HC). Additionally, we assessed the subjective experience of our case during the experiments. The patient showed increased response times during face matching and achieved a higher total gain in the Reward task, whereas her performance in N-back and ToM was similar to HC. Her brain function differed mainly in the positive valence and cognitive domains. During reward processing, she showed reduced activity in a left-hemispheric frontal network and cortical midline structures but increased connectivity within this network. During the working memory task patients' brain activity and connectivity in left-hemispheric temporo-frontal regions were elevated. In the ToM task, activity in posterior cingulate cortex and temporo-parietal junction was reduced. We suggest that the high level of functioning in our patient is rather related to the effects in brain connectivity than to local cortical information processing and that subjective report provides a fruitful framework for interpretation

Resolución de obstáculos semánticos en castellano, inglés y búlgaro

Esta herramienta permite enriquecer textos mediante la detección de obstáculos semánticos en tres lenguas: castellano, inglés y búlgaro. En concreto, estos obstáculos son: palabras raras, palabras especializadas, palabras polisémicas, palabras largas. Para ello dispone de una utilidad de consola y un servicio web. El proceso es el siguiente: primero, se realiza un pre-proceso del texto donde se realiza un análisis morfológico, así como una desambiguación las palabras por el sentido más frecuente; después, se detectan los posibles obstáculos de un texto; y, como resultado, para cada uno de ellos ofrece su definición, sus sinónimos y su complejidad.Investigación realizada gracias a la financiación de los proyectos: FIRST: A Flexible Interactive Reading Support Tool (ACOMP/2013/067) de la Generalitat Valenciana; A FLEXIBLE INTERACTIVE READING SUPPORT TOOL (FP7-287607) de la Unión Europea

Burden of infectious disease studies in Europe and the United Kingdom: a review of methodological design choices

This systematic literature review aimed to provide an overview of the characteristics and methods used in studies applying the Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) concept for infectious diseases within European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA)/European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the United Kingdom. Electronic databases and grey literature were searched for articles reporting the assessment of DALY and its components. We considered studies in which researchers performed DALY calculations using primary epidemiological data input sources. We screened 3,053 studies of which 2,948 were excluded and 105 studies met our inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 22 were multi-country and 83 were single-country studies, of which 46 were from the Netherlands. Food- and water-borne diseases were the most frequently studied infectious diseases. Between 2015 and 2022, the number of burden of infectious disease studies was 1.6 times higher compared to that published between 2000 and 2014. Almost all studies (97%) estimated DALYs based on the incidence- and pathogen-based approach and without social weighting functions; however, there was less methodological consensus with regards to the disability weights and life tables that were applied. The number of burden of infectious disease studies undertaken across Europe has increased over time. Development and use of guidelines will promote performing burden of infectious disease studies and facilitate comparability of the results.Incluye referencias bibliográfica

Cultural flies:Conformist social learning in fruitflies predicts long-lasting mate-choice traditions

Despite theoretical justification for the evolution of animal culture, empirical evidence for it beyond mammals and birds remains scant, and we still know little about the process of cultural inheritance. In this study, we propose a mechanism-driven definition of animal culture and test it in the fruitfly. We found that fruitflies have five cognitive capacities that enable them to transmit mating preferences culturally across generations, potentially fostering persistent traditions (the main marker of culture) in mating preference. A transmission chain experiment validates a model of the emergence of local traditions, indicating that such social transmission may lead initially neutral traits to become adaptive, hence strongly selecting for copying and conformity. Although this situation was suggested decades ago, it previously had little empirical support.</p

orbitize!: A Comprehensive Orbit-fitting Software Package for the High-contrast Imaging Community

orbitize! is an open-source, object-oriented software package for fitting the orbits of directly imaged objects. It packages the Orbits for the Impatient (OFTI) algorithm and a parallel-tempered Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm into a consistent and intuitive Python API. orbitize! makes it easy to run standard astrometric orbit fits; in less than 10 lines of code, users can read in data, perform one fit using OFTI and another using MCMC, and make two publication-ready figures. Extensive pedagogical tutorials, intended to be navigable by both orbit-fitting novices and seasoned experts, are available on our documentation page. We have designed the orbitize! API to be flexible and easy to use/modify for unique cases. orbitize! was designed by members of the exoplanet imaging community to be a central repository for algorithms, techniques, and know-how developed by this community. We intend for it to continue to expand and change as the field progresses and new techniques are developed, and call for community involvement in this process. Complete and up-to-date documentation is available at orbitize.info, and the source code is available at github.com/sblunt/orbitize

PERCURSOS INDIVIDUAIS EM CONEXÃO À AÇÕES CORPÓREAS NA EDUCAÇÃO ESPECIAL

This paper reports the impressions of the final activity Performance and Performativity discipline in the contemporary scene performed in the professional master's degree in Arts (Prof. Arts) in UFU. Bring the construction and deconstruction in related research experiences in progress made in transit through space, reliving stages of life in our memories, with objects, narratives, plastic elements along with the studies and artistic practices that have led us to bodily actions to art teaching and learning with students with special educational needs. The group intended to embody the path of experiences from childhood to the present day, as well as the body's relations with the seasons perceived at the time, related to the daily work with the individual academic research. During the process the body also happens to experience the "do plastic" that envisions the construction of images to "drift", which leads all the aesthetic experience of the performance. The element "drift" becomes something fluid accompanying performative activity of the group producing marks, symbols and impressions which are completed at the end of the presentation. This process during the studies resulted in a performance presented disassembly bodily to the entire class. The possibility of understanding of other people's limitations is revealed in our own inferring trajectory positively as they seek the best ways to overcome. Plastic work with drawings and paintings, gives meaning to reports, contributing visually with tangible actions, integrated into the scenario of removal, widening the path of understanding opportunities related research.O presente trabalho relata as impressões da atividade final da disciplina Performance e Performatividade na cena contemporânea realizada no mestrado profissional em Artes (Prof. Artes) na UFU. Trazer a construção e desconstrução em experiências vinculadas à pesquisa em andamento nos fez transitar pelo espaço, revivenciando as etapas da vida em nossas memórias, com os objetos, narrativas, elementos plásticos juntamente com os estudos e práticas artísticas que nos conduziram a ações corporais voltadas para o ensino e aprendizagem da arte com alunos com necessidades educacionais especiais. O grupo teve a intenção de corporificar o trajeto de experiências desde a infância até os dias atuais, bem como, as relações do corpo com as estações do ano percebidas no momento, relacionado ao cotidiano profissional com a pesquisa acadêmica individual. Durante o processo com o corpo, acontece também a experiência do “fazer plástico†que vislumbra a construção de imagens a “derivaâ€, o qual conduz toda a experiência estética da performance. O elemento “a deriva†se torna algo fluidor que acompanha a atividade performática do grupo produzindo marcas, símbolos e impressões onde são concluídos ao final da apresentação. Esse processo durante os estudos resultou em uma desmontagem performática apresentada corporalmente para toda a classe. A possibilidade de compreensão das limitações alheias se revela em nossa própria trajetória inferindo de forma positiva a medida que buscamos os melhores caminhos para a superação. O trabalho plástico com desenhos e pinturas, atribui significado aos relatos, contribuindo visualmente com as ações corpóreas, integrado ao cenário da desmontagem, alargando as possibilidades de entendimento do percurso relacionados a pesquisa