Archaeal diversity in deep-sea sediments estimated by means of different Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (T-RFLP) protocols

Despite the increasing recognition of the quantitative importance of Archaea in all marine systems, the protocols for a rapid estimate of Archaeal diversity patterns in deep-sea sediments have been only poorly tested yet. We collected sediment samples from 11 deep-sea sites covering a wide latitudinal range (from 79°N to 36°N, at depths comprised from 469 to 5500 m) and compared the performance of two different primer sets (ARCH21f/ARCH958r and ARCH109f/ARCH 915r) and three restriction enzymes (AluI, Rsa I and HaeIII) for the fingerprinting analysis (T-RFLP) of Archaeal diversity. In silico and experimental analyses consistently indicated that different combinations of primer sets and restriction enzymes can result in different values of benthic Archaeal ribotype richness and different Archaeal assemblage compositions. The use of the ARCH109f/ARCH 915r primer set in combination with AluI provided the best results (a number ribotypes up to 4-folds higher than other combinations), suggesting that this primer set should be used in future studies dealing with the analysis of the patterns of Archaeal diversity in deep-sea sediments. Multivariate, multiple regression analysis revealed that, whatever the T-RFLP protocol utilized, latitude and temperature explained most of the variance in benthic Archaeal ribotype richness, while water depth had a negligible role

Four-wave mixing mediated by the capture of carriers in semiconductor quantum-well amplifiers

We demonstrate a technique to measure the intrinsic capture lifetime, using frequency-resolved four wave mixing (FWM). The work is based on a frequency-domain measurement of the response function associated with the transfer of a modulation from three-dimensional states above the QW to the quantum-confined two dimensional states. The principle of the experiment is shown using two DFB semiconductor quantum well lasers

Hematology, Biochemistry and Serum Protein Analyses of Antarctic and non-Antarctic Skuas

Determination of hematological and biochemical parameters provides important data to assess the physiological condition in wild birds. Therefore, to carry out ecophysiology or conservation studies it is essential to establish baseline physiological parameters and how these change with age and life history events. Hematological (hematocrit, hemoglobin and erythrocyte sedimentation) and biochemical (glucose, total lipids and proteins, aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities and electrolyte concentration) reference values were determined in two Antarctic migratory bird species, the Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus) and South Polar Skua (S. maccormicki), from South Shetland Island during breeding season. Also, hematological data (hematocrit) were determined for non-Antarctic skuas, with Chilean (S. chilensis) and Falkland (S. antarcticus antarcticus) skuas sampled in the Beagle Channel islands (Tierra del Fuego Province) and Viana Island (Chubut Province), Argentina, respectively. Differences between adult Antarctic skua species were observed in hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation, total lipids and aspartate aminotransferase activity. In addition, age-related differences in Antarctic skuas in hematocrit, hemoglobin, glucose and total protein values were observed. Serum reference protein fractions (Albumin, α1, α2, and globulins) were assessed by electrophoresis for Antarctic and non-Antarctic skuas. Similar protein patterns were observed between South Polar and Chilean skuas as well between Falkland Skua and Brown Skua. The differences between adult sympatric Antarctic skuas may be related to their nutritional status and species-specific migrations, feeding habits and the differential use of the breeding niches, while the age variation may be related to physiological development processes in chicks or to the energy expenditure in adults during breeding.Fil: Ibañez, Andres Esteban. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Zoología de Vertebrados. Sección Ornitología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Najle, Roberto. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Larsen, Karen Elizabeth. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Montalti, Diego. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico Zoología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

WHY BRAZIL DOESN’T INNOVATE: A COMPARISON AMONG NATIONS

In this paper, we analyze the relevance of innovation concerning the emergence of important changes in the society. In order to verify which are the most relevant factors when it comes to the allocation of countries in an innovation ranking (Global Innovation Index), we accomplished a quantitative study, in which the procedure of multiple linear regression was used. The sample of our study comprised 33 countries and the analysis of the theoretical framework was carried out conducive to the creation of six independent variables. As result, the variables "GDP per capita”, “Public expenditures on R&D”, “Exports of high-tech goods”, “Public expenditures on education”, “Number of large companies” and “Number of patents” are in descending order the ones most related to the innovation level reached by some countries. The only variable negatively correlated to innovation is the number of patents registered in a determined country; in other words, one may conclude that patents are not the most relevant indicator linked with the development of innovation. We also emphasize the role played by the government when providing a favorable institutional environment in order to encourage and support innovation

Minimum Action Path theory reveals the details of stochastic biochemical transitions out of oscillatory cellular states

Cell state determination is the outcome of intrinsically stochastic biochemical reactions. Tran- sitions between such states are studied as noise-driven escape problems in the chemical species space. Escape can occur via multiple possible multidimensional paths, with probabilities depending non-locally on the noise. Here we characterize the escape from an oscillatory biochemical state by minimizing the Freidlin-Wentzell action, deriving from it the stochastic spiral exit path from the limit cycle. We also use the minimized action to infer the escape time probability density function

Treatment of a mixed acinar-endocrine carcinoma with uptake on 68Gallium-DOTATOC positron emission tomography-computed tomography : a case report

The case of a 35-year old female patient with a diagnosis of metastatic mixed acinar-endocrine carcinoma (MAEC) is investigated in the present study. The patient was believed to have a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (NET) with a high Ki-67 index and uptake on (68)Gallium-DOTATOC positron emission tomography-computed tomography for 9 years, and was treated accordingly. The patient had long lasting disease control by treatment with sunitinib, and a response was observed in numerous lesions with peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). Following treatment for metastatic disease for >4 years, liver transplantation was performed, as an exception to normal recommendations, at the time of progression of a centrally located liver lesion inducing obstructive jaundice. Following transplantation, the diagnosis of a Grade 3 NET, as defined by the WHO 2010 classification, was challenged and changed to MAEC. MAEC is a rare type of tumor of the pancreas, exhibiting endocrine and acinar differentiation. It is difficult to diagnose, often being misidentified as acinar cell carcinoma or predominantly as neuroendocrine neoplasms. Immunohistochemical labelling provides the only evidence for the dual differentiation of neuroendocrine (synaptophysin and chromogranin) and acinar (lipase, trypsin and chymotrypsin) cell markers. Studies investigating MAECs with a clear histopathological diagnosis are scarce, in addition to evidence of disease behaviour and treatment options. It is generally agreed that surgery is the primary treatment in patients with resectable tumors. The responses to sunitinib and PRRT suggested that treatments considered or developed for NETs may be beneficial in MAEC cases

Risk communication : climate change as a human-health threat, a survey of public perceptions in Malta

Background: Scientific evidence shows that climate change is very likely the product of human behaviour and lifestyle. The effects of climate change on human health are diverse in nature and range from direct effects due to extreme weather events such as heat waves, floods and storms, to indirect effects such as those caused by water and food shortages. Methods: A telephone survey was conducted between January and February 2009, on a stratified representative random sample of the Maltese population over the age of 18 years (N= 310 819). Results: Five hundred and forty-three individuals successfully participated in the survey giving a response rate of 92.7%. The respondent sample was very similar to the target population by gender ( P = 0.977), age (P = 0.767) and district (P = 0.812). The results of the study demonstrate a very strong relationship between the perception of climate change as a threat to health and well-being, support for climate change mitigation policy and a willingness to implement measures to address climate change. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that the perception that climate change may claim lives, cause disease, reduce the standard of living and worsen water shortages, may be the strongest driver behind support for climate change mitigation policy and a willingness to act. It is recommended that, in order to gain more public support, climate change campaigns and risk communication strategies should frame climate change as a threat to human health and general well-being.peer-reviewe

Regional, Economic, and Environmental Implications of Dual Ethanol Technologies in Brazil

Climate change, food security, and energy efficiency have become universal challenges for global economic development and environmental conservation that demand in-depth multidisciplinary research. Biofuels have emerged as a decisive factor in the fight against global warming and air pollution from fossil fuel use, and they can play an important role in the development of poor as well as rich regions. In this work, we investigate the implications of biofuels for regional development in Brazil given its historic experience as an ethanol producer. We compare the environmental and economic impacts of the two predominant ethanol production techniques, in order to understand their effects on output, employment and income and also their potential to reduce the intensity of fossil fuel use and emissions of greenhouse gases. As we focus on a developing country, we also examine the distributional impacts of ethanol technology deployment, in terms of its potential contributions to poverty alleviation and the reduction of regional income inequalities. The production technologies currently used to produce ethanol differ spatially in Brazil, with a capital-intensive technology being used in the Southern regions of the country, and a traditional labor-intensive technology in the Northern regions. We take advantage of this regional variation to conduct a comparative regional analysis of ethanol production technology choice. We evaluate and compare the direct and indirect relationship between output, employment, income, energy intensity, and pollution emissions at the subnational level for the two ethanol production technologies, showing quantitatively the interrelations between the ethyl alcohol industry and the rest of the economy. We hypothesize that the adoption of capital-intensive ethanol production technology provides greater output and employment and lower environmental and energy costs than more traditional technologies and, in contrast, that the implementation of the traditional technology alleviates income inequality by increasing the income received by households in economically deprived regions

A bioprinted cardiac patch composed of cardiac-specific extracellular matrix and progenitor cells for heart repair

Congenital heart defects are present in 8 of 1000 newborns and palliative surgical therapy has increased survival. Despite improved outcomes, many children develop reduced cardiac function and heart failure requiring transplantation. Human cardiac progenitor cell (hCPC) therapy has potential to repair the pediatric myocardium through release of reparative factors, but therapy suffers from limited hCPC retention and functionality. Decellularized cardiac extracellular matrix hydrogel (cECM) improves heart function in animals, and human trials are ongoing. In the present study, a 3D-bioprinted patch containing cECM for delivery of pediatric hCPCs is developed. Cardiac patches are printed with bioinks composed of cECM, hCPCs, and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA). GelMA-cECM bioinks print uniformly with a homogeneous distribution of cECM and hCPCs. hCPCs maintain >75% viability and incorporation of cECM within patches results in a 30-fold increase in cardiogenic gene expression of hCPCs compared to hCPCs grown in pure GelMA patches. Conditioned media from GelMA-cECM patches show increased angiogenic potential (>2-fold) over GelMA alone, as seen by improved endothelial cell tube formation. Finally, patches are retained on rat hearts and show vascularization over 14 d in vivo. This work shows the successful bioprinting and implementation of cECM-hCPC patches for potential use in repairing damaged myocardium