Circular economy: the case of the ecological production of "terrazzo" tiles, Questions & Answers

The Eco Tiles project fits well within the objectives of the life topic. It fosters the reuse/recycling of high quantities of Construction & Demolition Waste: ▪ today one of the biggest volumes of waste discarded in Europe. Construction and demolition are among the sectors that generate higher volumes of waste in Europe. Each year it produces one ton per capita, or 500 million tons in the EU; ▪ and also products of energy-intensive processes needed to fire/treat the original raw materials. The Life Eco Tiles project will demonstrate the possibility to produce recycled (up to nearly 70%) high-grade pre-casted cement-based products (Terrazzo tiles) using recycled glass (approximately 50-60% of total weight) from urban and industrial waste, ceramic and Construction & Demolition Waste (CDW). Main innovations are related to the adding of CDW and/or construction waste precursors (up to 15% weight of the tile) to the traditional commercially available cement with the purpose to reduce cement intake although maintaining the properties

Neurodegenerative Disease Risk in Carriers of Autosomal Recessive Disease

Genetics has driven significant discoveries in the field of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). An emerging theme in neurodegeneration warrants an urgent and comprehensive update: that carrier status of early-onset autosomal recessive (AR) disease, typically considered benign, is associated with an increased risk of a spectrum of late-onset NDDs. Glucosylceramidase beta (GBA1) gene mutations, responsible for the AR lysosomal storage disorder Gaucher disease, are a prominent example of this principle, having been identified as an important genetic risk factor for Parkinson disease. Genetic analyses have revealed further examples, notably GRN, TREM2, EIF2AK3, and several other LSD and mitochondria function genes. In this Review, we discuss the evidence supporting the strikingly distinct allele-dependent clinical phenotypes observed in carriers of such gene mutations and its impact on the wider field of neurodegeneration

Glucocerebrosidase mutations: A paradigm for neurodegeneration pathways

Biallelic (homozygous or compound heterozygous) glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA) mutations cause Gaucher disease, whereas heterozygous mutations are numerically the most important genetic risk factor for Parkinson disease (PD) and are associated with the development of other synucleinopathies, notably Dementia with Lewy Bodies. This phenomenon is not limited to GBA, with converging evidence highlighting further examples of autosomal recessive disease genes increasing neurodegeneration risk in heterozygous mutation carriers. Nevertheless, despite extensive research, the cellular mechanisms by which mutations in GBA, encoding lysosomal enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase), predispose to neurodegeneration remain incompletely understood. Alpha-synuclein (A-SYN) accumulation, autophagic lysosomal dysfunction, mitochondrial abnormalities, ER stress and neuroinflammation have been proposed as candidate pathogenic pathways in GBA-linked PD. The observation of GCase and A-SYN interactions in PD initiated the development and evaluation of GCase-targeted therapeutics in PD clinical trials

Listado residuos aprovechables

En esta lista se identifican tipos de residuos valorizables, aptos para reciclaje y recuperación en la República Dominicana. La lista incluye materiales como papel, cartón, vidrios, plásticos (PET, PVC), metales ferrosos y no ferrosos, madera, electrónicos, chatarras, entre otros. Se enfatiza la separación en origen y su disposición adecuada para incrementar la circularidad, reducir la disposición en vertederos y contribuir al desarrollo sostenible

Sistematización de prácticas innovadoras, lecciones aprendidas y manejos adaptativos

Este documento contiene la sistematización del proyecto “Demostrando el manejo sostenible en el sistema de cuencas altas de la presa de Sabana Yegua” ("Sabana Yegua Sostenible"), en el suroeste de República Dominicana, ejecutado por la Fundación Sur Futuro, en alianza con el Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales y el PNUD, con el financiamiento del Fondo para el Medio Ambiente Mundial. Este proyecto surgió como una respuesta a los graves niveles de degradación de los recursos naturales –especialmente de tierras, bosques y fuentes hídricas– con la consecuente vulnerabilidad de la población local, trastornos del medio ambiente, producción agrícola disminuida, reducción al acceso de los servicios básicos (agua y electricidad), inestabilidad demográfica, pérdidas de reservas de carbono, pérdidas de la resiliencia del ecosistema, etc

Fortalecimiento de las capacidades de comunicación y del trabajo en red de las organizaciones que trabajan en la conservación de las áreas clave de la biodiversidad de la República Dominicana : informe final

El proyecto desarrollado por Kiunzi SRL se centra en el resultado 3 del perfil de ecosistemas para el Hotspot de las Islas caribeñas: “apoyar la sociedad civil caribeña par lograr la conservación de la biodiversidad a través de la construcción de capacidades institucionales locales y regionales y fomentando el trabajo en redes”. Así como en sus dos indicadores respectivos: 3.1. “Número de organizaciones de la sociedad civil con capacidad institucional fortalecida”. 3.2. “Número de iniciativas locales y regionales apoyadas para fortalecer la participación de las partes interesadas”

Listado residuos peligrosos y controlados

Listado que identifica 30 tipos de residuos considerados peligrosos o controlados en la República Dominicana, detallando para cada uno si requieren manifiesto, están clasificados, su unidad de medida y el destino final recomendado (incineración, descontaminación, reciclaje, bioremediación o exportación). Ejemplos incluyen residuos biomédicos, farmacéuticos, lámparas fluorescentes, filtros de aceite usados, pilas recargables, solventes, transformadores, neumáticos y cartuchos de tinta. La ficha contribuye a la gestión responsable y segura de desechos industriales y hospitalarios en el país, así como a la educación ambiental de su ciudadanía

In their own words: what bothers children online?

In an open-ended survey question to European 9- to 16-year-olds, some 10,000 children reported a range of risks that concern them on the internet. Pornography (named by 22% of children who mentioned risks), conduct risk such as cyber-bullying (19%) and violent content (18%) were at the top of children’s concerns. The priority given to violent content is noteworthy insofar as this receives less attention than sexual content or bullying in awareness-raising initiatives. Many children express shock and disgust on witnessing violent, aggressive or gory online content, especially that which graphically depicts realistic violence against vulnerable victims, including from the news. Video-sharing websites such as YouTube were primary sources of violent and pornographic content. The findings discussed in relation to children’s fear responses to screen media and the implications for the public policy agenda on internet safety are identified

Final assessment of the CEPF Caribbean Islands Programme in the Dominican Republic

Project overview: Support the final assessment process of CEPF's investment portfolio in the Dominican Republic through a stakeholder consultation, site visit to a CEPF project, outreach to local media, and production of newsletter articles and a video

Peripheral administration of lactate produces antidepressant-like effects.

In addition to its role as metabolic substrate that can sustain neuronal function and viability, emerging evidence supports a role for l-lactate as an intercellular signaling molecule involved in synaptic plasticity. Clinical and basic research studies have shown that major depression and chronic stress are associated with alterations in structural and functional plasticity. These findings led us to investigate the role of l-lactate as a potential novel antidepressant. Here we show that peripheral administration of l-lactate produces antidepressant-like effects in different animal models of depression that respond to acute and chronic antidepressant treatment. The antidepressant-like effects of l-lactate are associated with increases in hippocampal lactate levels and with changes in the expression of target genes involved in serotonin receptor trafficking, astrocyte functions, neurogenesis, nitric oxide synthesis and cAMP signaling. Further elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of l-lactate may help to identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of depression