Models for the lithium abundances of multiple populations in globular clusters and the possible role of the Big Bang lithium

Globular cluster stars show chemical abundance patterns typical of hot-CNO processing. Lithium is easily destroyed by proton capture in stellar environments, so its abundance may be crucial to discriminate among different models proposed to account for multiple populations. In order to reproduce the observed O-Na anticorrelation and other patterns typical of multiple populations, the formation of second generation stars must occur from the nuclearly processed stellar ejecta, responsible of the chemical anomalies, diluted with pristine gas having the composition of first generation stars. The lithium abundance in the unprocessed gas -which is very likely to be equal to the lithium abundance emerging from the Big Bang- affects the lithium chemical patterns among the cluster stars. This paper focuses on a scenario in which processed gas is provided by asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We examine the predictions of this scenario for the lithium abundances of multiple populations. We study the role of the non-negligible lithium abundance in the ejecta of massive AGB (A(Li)~2), and, at the same time, we explore how our models can constrain the extremely large ---and very model dependent--- lithium yields predicted by recent super--AGB models. We show that the super--AGB yields may be tested by examining the lithium abundances in a large set of blue main sequence stars in wCen and/or NGC2808. In addition, we examine the different model results obtained by assuming for the pristine gas either the Big Bang abundance predicted by the standard models (A(Li)=2.6-2.7), or the abundance detected at the surface of population II stars (A(Li)=2.2-2.3). Once a chemical model is well constrained, the O--Li distribution could perhaps be used to shed light on the primordial lithium abundance

Modelling soil carbon sequestration with biochar using RothC

The aim of this work was to assess and predict how biochar influences the soil C dynamics, by modifying the RothC model to simulate the findings of a long-term field experiment on biochar application to a short coppice rotation in Italy. We first modified the model to include two stocks of C input into the soil: the labile and the recalcitrant biochar pools. We also included a parametrized function to account for the priming effect on SOC dynamics in the soil. Secondly, we calibrated the model parameters with the data obtained from the field experiment. Finally, we validated the model results by estimating the remaining biochar amount in the site after 10 years from application, using an isotopic mass balance. The results confirm that biochar degradation can be faster in field conditions in comparison to laboratory experiments; nevertheless, it can contribute to substantially increase the C stock in the long-term. Moreover, the modified RothC model allowed to assess the SCS potential of biochar application in soils, at least in the specific conditions examined, and could represent a flexible tool to assess the effect biochar as a SCS strategy in the long-term. We are exploring the possibility to use data from other long-term field experiment to move in that direction. The results of this study could be added to the Italian biochar database, providing new knowledge about a topic that needs to be explored

The possible prognostic role of histone deacetylase and transforming growth factor β/Smad signaling in high grade gliomas treated by radio-chemotherapy: a preliminary immunohistochemical study

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive tumor of the central nervous system. Unfortunately, patients affected by this disease have a very poor prognosis, due to high level of invasiveness and resistance to standard therapies. Although the molecular profile of GBM has been extensively investigated, the events responsible for its pathogenesis and progression remain largely unknown. Histone Deacetylases (HDAC) dependent epigenetic modifications and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/Smad pathway seem to play an important role in GBM tumorigenesis, resistance to common therapies and poor clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement and the possible interaction between these two molecular cascades in the pathogenesis and prognosis of GBM. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed on microdissected GBM samples, collected from 14 patients (6 men and 8 women) ranging in age from 43 to 74 years. The patients were previously divided, on the basis of their overall survival (OS), into two groups: short and long OS. Patients with poor prognosis showed hyperexpression of HDAC4 and HDAC6, an activation of the TGF-β/Smad pathway, with high levels of IL-13, Smad2, PDGF and MMP3 expression, compared to the long survivors. The short OS group exhibits a decrease in Smad 7 expression and also low levels of p21 immunostaining, which represents a common target of the two pathways. The IHC data was confirmed by quantitative analysis and Immunoblotting. Our preliminary results suggest that both HDAC4 and HDAC6 together with the TGF-β/Smad pathway may be involved in progression of GBM and this cross talking could be a useful prognostic marker in this deadly disease

How collaboration can lead to innovation : an exploratory study of portuguese startups

Mestrado em Gestão e Estratégia IndustrialA literatura reconhece que a inovação resulta, em parte, da colaboração entre diferentes entidades presentes nos mercados. Igualmente, têm sido estudados os obstáculos que limitam o crescimento e que podem levar ao insucesso das startups. No caso particular das startups tecnológicas, é necessário aumentar continuamente a sua base de know-how. Nesse sentido, para aumentar a probabilidade de sucesso e aumentar a inovação no longo prazo, a literatura sugere que as startups procurem colaborar. No entanto, na literatura portuguesa, ainda não foi estabelecida de forma clara a relação entre a colaboração das startups e a inovação que desta pode resultar. Primeiramente, a presente investigação pretende explorar as diferentes entidades que colaboram com as Startups Tecnológicas Portuguesas e identificar a inovação resultante. Posteriormente, procura-se perceber a diferença entre a ligação de cooperação startups - grandes empresas e as ligações com universidades, PMEs, centros de investigação, fornecedores especializados e distribuidores. Adicionalmente, pretende-se identificar as principais barreiras à inovação para as startups. Por forma a explorar as possíveis interações entre os conceitos, foram utilizadas 66 respostas fornecidas por startups, recolhidas através de um questionário online, enviado por email. Os resultados demonstraram que poderá existir uma associação entre Inovação de Produto - PMEs, Inovação Organizacional - Grandes Empresas, Inovação de Marketing - Universidades e PMEs. Observou-se uma tendência futura por parte dos respondentes em aumentar a colaboração com diferentes entidades e, em particular, com as Grandes Empresas, conforme sugerido pela literatura. Por fim, conclui-se que a principal limitação à inovação passa por restrições financeiras.The literature recognizes that innovation comes, in part, from the collaboration between different entities in the markets. Likewise, it has been strongly studied that startups have obstacles limiting their growth and that can lead to their lack of success. Further, technological startups have increased limitations since they must keep developing their technological know-how. In this sense, to grow the likelihood of success and increase the innovation in the long run, the literature suggests that startups should increase collaboration. However, in the Portuguese literature, the relationship between the startups' collaboration with other entities and the innovation that may result has not been well established. First, the present study intends to analyze the different entities that collaborate with Portuguese Technological Startups and identify the resulting Innovation. Second, is intended to understand the difference between the cooperation links startups - big companies and the links with universities, SMEs, research centers, specialized suppliers, and distributors. Further, it is intended to identify their main barriers to innovation. To analyze and explore the possible interactions between the concepts, 66 responses given by startups were used, collected through an online questionnaire, sent by email. The results show that there may be an association between Product Innovation - SMEs, Organizational Innovation - Big Companies, Marketing Innovation - Universities and SMEs. There is a future tendency for respondents to increase collaboration with the different entities and especially with Big Companies, as suggested by the literature. Likewise, it can be concluded that respondents have strong financial constraints limiting their innovation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Visual impairment impact on the quality of life of the elderly population that uses the public health care system from the western countryside of Pernambuco State, Brazil

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o impacto das doenças oculares sobre a qualidade de vida de uma população idosa do sertão de Pernambuco, localizado na região nordeste do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Foram entrevistados 580 indivíduos acima de 59 anos, por meio do questionário de avaliação de qualidade de vida "Visual Functioning Questionnaire" (VFQ). Todos os indivíduos foram submetidos a exame oftalmológico completo. Os resultados das variáveis quantitativas foram expressos por suas médias e desvios- padrão. Os resultados das variáveis qualitativas foram expressos por suas frequências absolutas e relativas. RESULTADOS: A média de idade foi de 70 ± 8,1 anos. Cerca de 86,0% dos entrevistados declararam ser analfabetos ou ter o ensino fundamental incompleto. As principais queixas foram: baixa visual (71,1%) e ardor/prurido (69,0%). A acuidade visual não era normal em 37,4% dos idosos. Por volta de 75,0% dos entrevistados relataram ter saúde regular ou ruim, e 77,0% diziam ter uma visão regular ou ruim. A qualidade de vida foi considerada pior conforme a piora da condição visual do idoso. CONCLUSÃO: O déficit visual representou um impacto negativo sobre a qualidade de vida dos idosos do sertão Pernambucano

Predictive role of vitamin A serum concentration in psoriatic patients treated with IL-17 inhibitors to prevent skin and systemic fungal infections

The use of biological drugs in psoriasis is replacing traditional therapies due to their specific mechanism and limited side effects. However, the use of Interleukin 17 inhibitors and the modification of its cytokine pathway could favor the risk of fungal infections.All-trans retinoic acid is an active metabolite of vitamin A with anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties through its capacity to stimulate both innate and adaptive immunity and to its effects on proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in a variety of immune cells. Furthermore, it has been recently discovered that All-trans retinoic acid has a direct fungistatic effect against Candida and Aspergillus Fumigatus.On the basis of these new insights, in the current review, we suggest that the evaluation of serum level of All-trans retinoic acid or vitamin A should be considered as a predictive marker for the development of fungal infections among psoriatic patients treated with Interleukin 17 inhibitors.In clinical practice, vitamin A test could be added in the routine hospital diagnostic management for a better selection of psoriatic patients eligible to Interleukin 17 inhibitors

Evolutionary history of chromosome 11 featuring four distinct centromere repositioning events in Catarrhini.

Abstract Panels of BAC clones used in FISH experiments allow a detailed definition of chromosomal marker arrangement and orientation during evolution. This approach has disclosed the centromere repositioning phenomenon, consisting in the activation of a novel, fully functional centromere in an ectopic location, concomitant with the inactivation of the old centromere. In this study, appropriate panels of BAC clones were used to track the chromosome 11 evolutionary history in primates and nonprimate boreoeutherian mammals. Chromosome 11 synteny was found to be highly conserved in both primate and boreoeutherian mammalian ancestors. Amazingly, we detected four centromere repositioning events in primates (in Old World monkeys, in gibbons, in orangutans, and in the Homo–Pan–Gorilla (H-P-G) clade ancestor), and one in Equidae. Both H-P-G and Lar gibbon novel centromeres were flanked by large duplicons with high sequence similarity. Outgroup species analysis revealed that this duplicon was absent in phylogenetically more distant primates. The chromosome 11 ancestral centromere was probably located near the HSA11q telomere. The domain of this inactivated centromere, in humans, is almost devoid of segmental duplications. An inversion occurred in chromosome 11 in the common ancestor of H-P-G. A large duplicon, again absent in outgroup species, was found located adjacent to the inversion breakpoints. In Hominoidea, almost all the five largest duplicons of this chromosome appeared involved in significant evolutionary architectural changes

Antimicrobial Action of 1,10-Phenanthroline-Based Compoundson Carbapenemase-Producing Acinetobacter Baumannii Clinical Strains: Efficacy Against Planktonic- and Biofilm-Growing Cells

Therapeutic options are limited for patients infected with Acinetobacter baumannii due to its multidrug-resistance profile. So, the search for new antimicrobials against this gram-negative bacterial pathogen has become a worldwide priority. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phendione), [Ag(phendione)2]ClO4 (Ag-phendione) and [Cu(phendione)3](ClO4)2.4H2O (Cu-phendione) on 26 carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii strains. The susceptibility to carbapenems was performed by detecting the metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) genes by PCR and by determining the MIC. Also, disk diffusion method was applied to evaluate the susceptibility to other antimicrobial classes. The test compounds were evaluated on both planktonic- and biofilm-growing bacterial cells. The results revealed that all A. baumannii strains had the intrinsic blaOXA-51 gene, and at least one of the blaOXA-23 or blaOXA-24 genes. The geometric mean MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values, respectively, were as follows: Cu-phendione (1.56 and 2.30 μM), Ag-phendione (2.48 and 3.63 μM), phendione (9.44 and 9.70 μM) and phen (70.46 and 184.28 μM). The test compounds (at 0.5×MIC) affected the biofilm formation and disrupted the mature biofilm, in a typically dose-dependent manner, reducing biomass and viability parameters. Collectively, silver- and copper-phendione derivatives presented potent antimicrobial action against planktonic- and biofilm-forming cells of carbapenemase-producing A. baumannii