Using Twitter to assess the influence of urban environment on well-being in Lisbon population

The shape and morphology of the city can be determinants of well-being, and it is essential to determine which factors can contribute to achieving this objective, in order to design the city in this sense. The transformation of urban space, simultaneously with the digitization of society, enables knowledge about how much individual well-being is influenced by the surrounding built environment. The content generated by internet users on social networks provides information about users and their environment, allowing access to their preferences. opinions and interactions. This study aimed to identify which features of the urban environment of the city of Lisbon affected well-being in 2019 through the use of georeferenced Twitter comments.N/

Fast axonal transport of the proteasome complex depends on membrane interaction and molecular motor function

Protein degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system in neurons depends on the correct delivery of the proteasome complex. In neurodegenerative diseases, aggregation and accumulation of proteins in axons link transport defects with degradation impairments; however, the transport properties of proteasomes remain unknown. Here, using in vivo experiments, we reveal the fast anterograde transport of assembled and functional 26S proteasome complexes. A high-resolution tracking system to follow fluorescent proteasomes revealed three types of motion: actively driven proteasome axonal transport, diffusive behavior in a viscoelastic axonema and proteasome-confined motion. We show that active proteasome transport depends on motor function because knockdown of the KIF5B motor subunit resulted in impairment of the anterograde proteasome flux and the density of segmental velocities. Finally, we reveal that neuronal proteasomes interact with intracellular membranes and identify the coordinated transport of fluorescent proteasomes with synaptic precursor vesicles, Golgi-derived vesicles, lysosomes and mitochondria. Taken together, our results reveal fast axonal transport as a new mechanism of proteasome delivery that depends on membrane cargo ‘hitch-hiking’ and the function of molecular motors. We further hypothesize that defects in proteasome transport could promote abnormal protein clearance in neurodegenerative diseases.Fil: Otero, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Alloatti, Matías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Cromberg, Lucas Eneas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Almenar Queralt, Angels. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Encalada, Sandra E.. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Pozo Devoto, Victorio Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Bruno, Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Goldstein, Lawrence S. B.. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Falzone, Tomas Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; Argentin

A comparative analysis of lung function and spirometry parameters in genotype-controlled natives living at low and high altitude

Background: The reference values for lung function are associated to anatomical and lung morphology parameters, but anthropometry it is not the only influencing factor: altitude and genetics are two important agents affecting respiratory physiology. Altitude and its influence on respiratory function has been studied independently of genetics, considering early and long-term acclimatization. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate lung function through a spirometry study in autochthonous Kichwas permanently living at low and high-altitude. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of spirometry differences between genetically matched lowland Kichwas from Limoncocha (230 m) at Amazonian basin and high-altitude Kichwas from Oyacachi (3,180 m) in Andean highlands. Chi-square method was used to analyze association or independence of categorical variables, while Student's t test was applied to comparison of means within quantitative variables. ANOVA, or in the case that the variables didn't meet the criteria of normality, Kruskal Wallis test were used to compare more than two groups. Results: People from Oyacachi (high altitude) showed a higher predicted values than those from Limonocha (low altitude). The FVC and the FEV1 were significantly greater among highlanders than lowlanders (p value < 0.001). The FEV1/FVC was significantly higher among lowlanders than highlanders for men and women. A restrictive pattern was found in 12.9% of the participants. Conclusion: Residents of Oyacachi had greater lung capacity than their peers from Limoncocha, a finding physiologically plausible according to published literature. When analyzing the spirometric patterns obtained in these populations, it was evident that no person had an obstructive pattern, while on the other hand, the restrictive pattern appeared in Limoncocha and Oyacachi populations in 12.9% although it is clear that there is a predominance of this in the individuals belonging to Limoncocha

Mamas supernumerarias: presentación de caso y revisión bibliográfica

Presentamos el caso de una paciente con mamas supernumerarias bilaterales funcionantes, dolorosas, extirpadas sin complicaciones en su totalidad (mama, piel y pezón) de forma estética (siguiendo el pliegue): este tratamiento conservador da los mejores resultados, siempre que se encuentren “masas nodulares” tumorales hay que realizar cortes por congelación para descartar malignidad

Eruption type probability and eruption source parameters at Cotopaxi and Guagua Pichincha volcanoes (Ecuador) with uncertainty quantification

Future occurrence of explosive eruptive activity at Cotopaxi and Guagua Pichincha volcanoes, Ecuador, is assessed probabilistically, utilizing expert elicitation. Eight eruption types were considered for each volcano. Type event probabilities were evaluated for the next eruption at each volcano and for at least one of each type within the next 100&nbsp;years. For each type, we elicited relevant eruption source parameters (duration, average plume height, and total tephra mass). We investigated the robustness of these elicited evaluations by deriving probability uncertainties using three expert scoring methods. For Cotopaxi, we considered both rhyolitic and andesitic magmas. Elicitation findings indicate that the most probable next eruption type is an andesitic hydrovolcanic/ash-emission (~ 26–44% median probability), which has also the highest median probability of recurring over the next 100&nbsp;years. However, for the next eruption at Cotopaxi, the average joint probabilities for sub-Plinian or Plinian type eruption is of order 30–40%—a significant chance of a violent explosive event. It is inferred that any Cotopaxi rhyolitic eruption could involve a longer duration and greater erupted mass than an andesitic event, likely producing a prolonged emergency. For Guagua Pichincha, future eruption types are expected to be andesitic/dacitic, and a vulcanian event is judged most probable for the next eruption (median probability ~40–55%); this type is expected to be most frequent over the next 100&nbsp;years, too. However, there is a substantial probability (possibly &gt;40% in average) that the next eruption could be sub-Plinian or Plinian, with all that implies for hazard levels

Anti-proliferative effect of melissa officinalis on human colon cancer cell line

Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) is consumed as a traditional herbal tea in the Mediterranean region. The cytotoxic effect of the 50% ethanolic and aqueous extract, determined by the MTT and NR assays, was evaluated in vitro on Human Colon Cancer Cell Line (HCT-116), using Triton 10% as positive control. The 50 % ethanolic extract showed significant differences after 72 hours of treatment, reducing cell proliferation to values close to 40%, even the lowest dose tested (5 μg/ml). In the MTT assay, the same extract caused the lowest cell viability with 13% at a concentration of 1000 μg/ml after 72 h of treatment, being a value lower than triton 10%. The antioxidant activity was also confirmed evaluating the capacity of the extracts to scavenge ABTS and DPPH radicals, and IC50 values were highly correlated with the total phenolic and flavonoid content. Bioassay guided fractionation led to the isolation of an anti-proliferative compound, rosmarinic acid. Its structural elucidation was performed by HPLC/DAD/ESI/MS analysis. High dose of rosmarinic acid (1000 μg/ml) was clearly cytotoxic against HCT-116 cells, with a significant decrease in cell number since the earliest time point (24 h)

Global distribution of a key trophic guild contrasts with common latitudinal diversity patterns

Most hypotheses explaining the general gradient of higher diversity toward the equator are implicit or explicit about greater species packing in the tropics. However, global patterns of diversity within guilds, including trophic guilds (i.e., groups of organisms that use similar food resources), are poorly known. We explored global diversity patterns of a key trophic guild in stream ecosystems, the detritivore shredders. This was motivated by the fundamental ecological role of shredders as decomposers of leaf litter and by some records pointing to low shredder diversity and abundance in the tropics, which contrasts with diversity patterns of most major taxa for which broad-scale latitudinal patterns haven been examined. Given this evidence, we hypothesized that shredders are more abundant and diverse in temperate than in tropical streams, and that this pattern is related to the higher temperatures and lower availability of high-quality leaf litter in the tropics. Our comprehensive global survey (129 stream sites from 14 regions on six continents) corroborated the expectedlatitudinal pattern and showed that shredder distribution (abundance, diversity and assemblage composition) was explained by a combination of factors, including water temperature (some taxa were restricted to cool waters) and biogeography (some taxa were more diverse in particular biogeographic realms). In contrast to our hypothesis, shredder diversity was unrelated to leaf toughness, but it was inversely related to litter diversity. Our findings markedly contrast with global trends of diversity for most taxa, and with the general rule of higher consumer diversity at higher levels of resource diversity. Moreover, they highlight the emerging role of temperature in understanding global patterns of diversity, which is of great relevance in the face of projected global warming. © 2011 by the Ecological Society of America.Peer Reviewe

Impact of monopolar radiofrequency energy on subchondral bone viability

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of monopolar radiofrequency energy treatment on subchondral bone viability. The femoral grooves of six chinchilla bastard rabbits were exposed bilaterally to monopolar radiofrequency energy for 2, 4 and 8 s, creating a total of 36 defects. An intravital fluorescence bone-labeling technique characterized the process of subchondral bone mineralization within the 3 months following exposure to radiofrequency energy and was analyzed by widefield epifluorescence optical sectioning microscopy using an ApoTome. After 2 s of radiofrequency energy exposure, regular fluorescence staining of the subchondral bone was evident in all samples when compared to untreated areas. The depth of osteonecrosis after 4 and 8 s of radiofrequency energy treatment averaged 126 and 942 µm at 22 days (P < .05; P < .01). The 4 s treatment group showed no osteonecrosis after 44 days whereas the depth of osteonecrosis extended from 519 µm at 44 days (P < .01), to 281 µm at 66 days (P < .01) and to 133 µm at 88 days (P < .05) after 8 s of radiofrequency energy application. Though radiofrequency energy may induce transient osteonecrosis in the superficial zone of the subchondral bone, the results of this study suggest that post-arthroscopic osteonecrosis appears to be of only modest risk given the current clinical application in humans

Roles of Dynein and Dynactin in Early Endosome Dynamics Revealed Using Automated Tracking and Global Analysis

Microtubule-dependent movement is crucial for the spatial organization of endosomes in most eukaryotes, but as yet there has been no systematic analysis of how a particular microtubule motor contributes to early endosome dynamics. Here we tracked early endosomes labeled with GFP-Rab5 on the nanometer scale, and combined this with global, first passage probability (FPP) analysis to provide an unbiased description of how the minus-end microtubule motor, cytoplasmic dynein, supports endosome motility. Dynein contributes to short-range endosome movement, but in particular drives 85–98% of long, inward translocations. For these, it requires an intact dynactin complex to allow membrane-bound p150Glued to activate dynein, since p50 over-expression, which disrupts the dynactin complex, inhibits inward movement even though dynein and p150Glued remain membrane-bound. Long dynein-dependent movements occur via bursts at up to ∼8 µms−1 that are linked by changes in rate or pauses. These peak speeds during rapid inward endosome movement are still seen when cellular dynein levels are 50-fold reduced by RNAi knock-down of dynein heavy chain, while the number of movements is reduced 5-fold. Altogether, these findings identify how dynein helps define the dynamics of early endosomes