Decay-Accelerating Factor 1 Deficiency Exacerbates Leptospiral-Induced Murine Chronic Nephritis and Renal Fibrosis

Leptospirosis is a global zoonosis caused by pathogenicLeptospira, which can colonize the proximal renal tubules andpersist for long periods in the kidneys of infected hosts. Here, we characterized the infection of C57BL/6J wild-type andDaf12/2mice, which have an enhanced host response, with a virulentLeptospira interrogansstrain at 14 days post-infection,its persistence in the kidney, and its link to kidney fibrosis at 90 days post-infection. We found thatLeptospira interroganscan induce acute moderate nephritis in wild-type mice and is able to persist in some animals, inducing fibrosis in theabsence of mortality. In contrast, Daf12/2mice showed acute mortality, with a higher bacterial burden. At the chronic stage,Daf12/2mice showed greater inflammation and fibrosis than at 14 days post-infection and higher levels at all times thanthe wild-type counterpart. Compared with uninfected mice, infected wild-type mice showed higher levels of IL-4, IL-10 andIL-13, with similar levels ofa-smooth muscle actin, galectin-3, TGF-b1, IL-17, IFN-c, and lower IL-12 levels at 90 days post-infection. In contrast, fibrosis in Daf12/2mice was accompanied by high expression ofa-smooth muscle actin, galectin-3, IL-10, IL-13, and IFN-c, similar levels of TGF-b1, IL-12, and IL-17 and lower IL-4 levels. This study demonstrates the link betweenLeptospira-induced murine chronic nephritis with renal fibrosis and shows a protective role of Daf1.Fil: Ferrer, Maria Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Scharrig Fernandez, Maria Emilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Alberdi, Maria Lucrecia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Cédola, Maia Tatiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Prêtre, Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Drut, Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Cs.médicas. Cátedra de Patología Ii; ArgentinaFil: Song, Wen-Chao. University of Pennsylvania; Estados UnidosFil: Gomez, Ricardo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentin

Total electron content PCA-NN model for middle latitudes

A regression-based model was previously developed to forecast the total electron content (TEC) at middle latitudes. We present a more sophisticated model using neural networks (NN) instead of linear regression. This regional model prototype simulates and forecasts TEC variations in relation to space weather conditions. The development of a prototype consisted of the selection of the best set of predictors, NN architecture and the length of the input series. Tests made using the data from December 2014 to June 2018 show that the PCA-NN model based on a simple feed-forward NN with a very limited number (up to 6) of space weather predictors performs better than the PCA-MRM model that uses up to 27 space weather predictors. The prototype is developed on a TEC series obtained from a GNSS receiver at Lisbon airport and tested on TEC series from three other locations at middle altitudes of the Eastern North Atlantic. Conclusions on the dependence of the forecast quality on longitude and latitude are made.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2201.0347

Associations between a one-shot delay discounting measure and age, income, education and real-world impulsive behavior

There has been discussion over the extent to which delay discounting – as prototypically shown by a preference for a smaller-sooner sum of money over a larger-later sum – measures the same kind of impulsive preferences that drive non-financial behavior. To address this issue, a dataset was analyzed containing 42,863 participants’ responses to a single delay-discounting choice, along with self-report behaviors that can be considered as impulsive. Choice of a smaller-sooner sum was associated with several demographics: younger age, lower income, and lower education; and impulsive behaviors: earlier age of first sexual activity and recent relationship infidelity, smoking, and higher body mass index. These findings suggest that at least an aspect of delay discounting preference is associated with a general trait influencing other forms of impulsivity, and therefore that high delay discounting is another form of impulsive behavior

Control constitucional y garantía de los derechos sociales fundamentales para una democracia sustancial en colombia

Este breve ensayo ofrece diversos interrogantes respecto a la labor de los jueces constitucionales en una democracia como la Colombiana. La democracia es una de las instituciones políticas más antiguas y consolidadas de las sociedades contemporáneas. Desde luego su complejidad ha aumentado con el paso del tiempo. Sin embargo, uno de los elementos esenciales para su estructuración real aún la constituye la autonomía de los individuos, los ciudadanos. Sin la existencia de una posibilidad cierta y veraz de ser autónomo, se quiebra el principio de funcionamiento adecuado de una democracia, incluso la posibilidad de su existencia. Luego entonces, la concepción sustancial de democracia requiere condiciones normativas y materiale

Numerical simulations of ICME-ICME interactions

We present hydrodynamical simulations of interacting Coronal Mass Ejections in the Interplanetary medium (ICMEs). In these events, two consecutive CMEs are launched from the Sun in similar directions within an interval of time of a few hours. In our numerical model, we assume that the ambient solar wind is characterized by its velocity and mass-loss rate. Then, the CMEs are generated when the flow velocity and mass-loss rate suddenly change, with respect to the ambient solar wind conditions during two intervals of time, which correspond to the durations of the CMEs. After their interaction, a merged region is formed and evolve as a single structure into the interplanetary medium. In this work, we are interested in the general morphology of this merged region, which depends on the initial parameters of the ambient solar wind and each of the CMEs involved. In order to understand this morphology, we have performed a parametric study in which we characterize the effects of the initial parameters variations on the density and velocity profiles at 1 AU, using as reference the well-documented event of July 25th, 2004. Based on this parametrization we were able to reproduce with a high accuracy the observed profiles. Then, we apply the parametrization results to the interaction events of May 23, 2010; August 1, 2010; and November 9, 2012. With this approach and using values for the input parameters within the CME observational errors, our simulated profiles reproduce the main features observed at 1 AU. Even though we do not take into account the magnetic field, our models give a physical insight into the propagation and interaction of ICMEs

Optimal leader-following consensus of fractional opinion formation models

This paper deals with a control strategy enforcing consensus in a fractional opinion formation model with leadership, where the interaction rates between followers and the influence rate of the leader are functions of deviations of opinions between agents. The fractional-order derivative determines the impact of the memory during the opinion evolution. The problem of leader-following consensus control is cast in the framework of nonlinear optimal control theory. We study a finite horizon optimal control problem, in which deviations of opinions between agents and with respect to the leader are penalized along with the control that is applied only to the leader. The existence conditions for optimal consensus control are proved and necessary optimality conditions for the considered problem are derived. The results of the paper are illustrated by some examples.publishe

Pharmacological effect of one icv dose of Allopregnanolone in female rat: behavioural profile

We have previously observed that intracerebroventricular allopregnanolone (ALLO) injection produced an anxiolytic effect and inhibited sexual receptivity when the test was performed in a separate manner. Also, ALLO reverts learning deficit in female rats in the hippocampi. To study the behavioral effects of an acute treatment with ALLO in the right lateral ventricle we used two approaches: a- A battery test to analyze the anxiety and mating behavior. And b- The avoidance test and novel object recognition test to evaluate its effect on memory and learning. Ovariectomized rats were injected with estrogen and progesterone. After it ALLO or vehicle were administered into the right lateral ventricle. To reach the objective (a) rats were put in a sequential battery test in the next order: 1-Open field. 2- Plus maze task. 3- Mating behavior. For the aim (b) it was performed a Novel Object Recognition Test and Step-down Inhibitory Avoidance Task. ALLO did not affect locomotors-exploratory behavior. Animals treated with ALLO, spent more time and had more entries into the open arm in a plus maze task and lordosis quotient was lower than in the control group. ALLO increased the latency in step down test and had no effects on discrimination index test in NORT. Here we demonstrated that one pharmacological dose of ALLO in ovariectomized primed rats is enough to generate all changes observed in the battery test. Moreover, the acute treatment with ALLO in lateral ventricle enhanced the memory acquisition in an avoidance task.Fil: Pelegrina, Laura Tatiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Escudero, Carla Gimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Giuliani, Fernando Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: García Menéndez, Sebastián Marcelo Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Cabrera Kreiker, Ricardo Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Laconi, Myriam Raquel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; Argentin