A crowdsourcing-based system for monitoring em radiation exposure in Chile

Indexación: Scopus.Public concern about the possible effects on health due to electromagnetic (EM) radiation exposure has led to the definition of regulations worldwide. In Chile, the so-called "Ley de Antenas" provides a regulatory framework that establishes limits and special conditions in this regard. Although the official record of measurements is available in a public information portal, this approach is not scalable and intuitive enough for all interested users. This paper propose a participatory measurement system to extend the monitored areas based on the concern of citizens themselves. © 2018 CEUR-WS. All rights reserved.http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2178/SSN2018_paper_7.pd

Curvature singularity of the distributional BTZ black hole geometry

For the non-rotating BTZ black hole, the distributional curvature tensor field is found. It is shown to have singular parts proportional to a $\delta$-distribution with support at the origin. This singularity is related, through Einstein field equations, to a point source. Coordinate invariance and independence on the choice of differentiable structure of the results are addressed.Comment: Latex, 7 page

Condensed-phase signaling can expand kinase specificity and respond to macromolecular crowding

Phase separation can concentrate biomolecules and accelerate reactions. However, the mechanisms and principles connecting this mesoscale organization to signaling dynamics are difficult to dissect because of the pleiotropic effects associated with disrupting endogenous condensates. To address this limitation, we engineered new phosphorylation reactions within synthetic condensates. We generally found increased activity and broadened kinase specificity. Phosphorylation dynamics within condensates were rapid and could drive cell-cycle-dependent localization changes. High client concentration within condensates was important but not the main factor for efficient phosphorylation. Rather, the availability of many excess client-binding sites together with a flexible scaffold was crucial. Phosphorylation within condensates was also modulated by changes in macromolecular crowding. Finally, the phosphorylation of the Alzheimer’s-disease-associated protein Tau by cyclin-dependent kinase 2 was accelerated within condensates. Thus, condensates enable new signaling connections and can create sensors that respond to the biophysical properties of the cytoplasm

Therapeutic potential of delivering arsenic trioxide into HPV-infected cervical cancer cells using liposomal nanotechnology

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been used successfully to treat acute promyelocytic leukaemia, and since this discovery, it has also been researched as a possible treatment for other haematological and solid cancers. Even though many positive results have been found in the laboratory, wider clinical use of ATO has been compromised by its toxicity at higher concentrations. The aim of this study was to explore an improved method for delivering ATO using liposomal nanotechnology to evaluate whether this could reduce drug toxicity and improve the efficacy of ATO in treating human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers. HeLa, C33a, and human keratinocytes were exposed to 5 μm of ATO in both free and liposomal forms for 48 h. The stability of the prepared samples was tested using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) to measure the intracellular arsenic concentrations after treatment. Fluorescent double immunocytochemical staining was carried out to evaluate the protein expression levels of HPV-E6 oncogene and caspase-3. Cell apoptosis was analysed by flow cytometry. Results showed that liposomal ATO was more effective than free ATO in reducing protein levels of HPV-E6 and inducing cell apoptosis in HeLa cells. Moreover, lower toxicity was observed when liposomal-delivered ATO was used. This could be explained by lower intracellular concentrations of arsenic. The slowly accumulated intracellular ATO through liposomal delivery might act as a reservoir which releases ATO gradually to maintain its anti-HPV effects. To conclude, liposome-delivered ATO could protect cells from the direct toxic effects induced by higher concentrations of intracellular ATO. Different pathways may be involved in this process, depending on local architecture of the tissues and HPV status

Fungos associados e fitopatogênicos a espécies florestais nativas e exóticas na Amazônia.

Os ambientes amazônicos possuem grande diversidade de fungos fitopatogênicos e associados a manchas foliares em espécies florestais, entretanto são pouco estudados. A importância do levantamento de doenças no viveiro é fundamental para o sucesso na obtenção de mudas sadias, visto que as condições de alta umidade e densidade de plantas, temperatura, substrato e tecido vegetal tenro presentes neste ambiente favorecem o estabelecimento e desenvolvimento de doenças em níveis epidêmicos. Assim a identificação de novos registros e a descoberta de novas espécies de fungos fitopatogênicos contribuem para a ciência da sistemática e filogenia, assim como possibilita a tomada de decisão quanto ao melhor manejo das doenças com menor impacto arnbiental e econômico. Por outro lado, tem-se como limitações a ausência de esporulação desses fungos in vitro, o pequeno numero de micologistas, e a não identificação da espécie hospedeira

Busca de fontes de resistência ao Groundnut ringspot vírus (GRSV) e Potato virus Y (PVY).

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