Long Term Aggresome Accumulation Leads to DNA Damage, p53-dependent Cell Cycle Arrest, and Steric Interference in Mitosis.

Juxtanuclear aggresomes form in cells when levels of aggregation-prone proteins exceed the capacity of the proteasome to degrade them. It is widely believed that aggresomes have a protective function, sequestering potentially damaging aggregates until these can be removed by autophagy. However, most in-cell studies have been carried out over a few days at most, and there is little information on the long term effects of aggresomes. To examine these long term effects, we created inducible, single-copy cell lines that expressed aggregation-prone polyglutamine proteins over several months. We present evidence that, as perinuclear aggresomes accumulate, they are associated with abnormal nuclear morphology and DNA double-strand breaks, resulting in cell cycle arrest via the phosphorylated p53 (Ser-15)-dependent pathway. Further analysis reveals that aggresomes can have a detrimental effect on mitosis by steric interference with chromosome alignment, centrosome positioning, and spindle formation. The incidence of apoptosis also increased in aggresome-containing cells. These severe defects developed gradually after juxtanuclear aggresome formation and were not associated with small cytoplasmic aggregates alone. Thus, our findings demonstrate that, in dividing cells, aggresomes are detrimental over the long term, rather than protective. This suggests a novel mechanism for polyglutamine-associated developmental and cell biological abnormalities, particularly those with early onset and non-neuronal pathologies

SF6 scattering from graphite surfaces: comparison of effects induced by thermal and laser controlled vibrational excitation.

We report scattering experiments of multiphoton vibrationally excited SF6 molecules from graphite surfaces demonstrating ro-vibrational excitation in the collision. The beam scattering experiments were carried out at different initial kinematic conditions and as a function of the surface temperature. The energy transfer depends both on the initial state of the molecule and on the momentum transferred as well as on the temperature of the surface. The role of surface atomic corrugation is evidenced

Contenidos de fósforo total en suelos con características vérticas de la Provincia de Entre Ríos

p.53-58En Entre Ríos, los suelos con características vérticas ocupan el 69 por ciento del total de la superficie provincial, sin contar el D elta del río Paraná (Proyecto PN U D-FA O -INTA, 1980), generalmente estos suelos son deficientes en fósforo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el contenido de fósforo total y su distribución en las fracciones orgánicas e inorgánicas en perfiles de suelos con características vérticas de Entre Ríos. Se tomaron muestras de suelo provenientes de cuatro Vertisoles, tres Alfisoles y un Molisol con características vérticas. En superficie los contenidos de fósforo total (Pt) de los suelos de los tres ordenes estudiados fueron de 200 a 300 mg kg. Del P total superficial de estos suelos predomina la fracción de P orgánico (Po) en relación a las formas inorgánicas (Pi). La distribución del P orgánico total en el perfil sigue un patrón general de disminución con el aumento de la profundidad, mientras que el Pi tiene una tendencia opuesta. Los horizontes C mostraron valores de P inorgánico de 150 a 200 mg de P kg `1 de suelo, reduciéndose aproximadamente a la mitad en los horizontes superficiales. Como resultado de este estudio, se puede concluir que los suelos del centro norte de la provincia de Entre Ríos presentan valores bajos de Pt. En estos suelos son im portantes las proporciones de Po en superficie, las cuales oscilan entre el 60 por ciento el 70 por ciento del Pt

The pandemic curvature of democratic space/time. A legal perspective.

The paper outlines if and how the pandemic contributed to the curvature of the democratic space/time. The entire legal toolbox was deployed and shaped to counter the pandemic's many impacts: not only regulatory strategies and decision-making processes, but also governance and even the legal lexicon. The short distance travelled in the journey towards recovery and resilience - which per se is a pandemic output - has already revealed the goal-oriented and performative face of the new NRRP/dedicated governance and regulatory framework, which seems able to temper the future and the risks it brings. It also paves the way to longer journeys, including the big transitions of our time - environmental and digital transitions, but also cultural and social ones - together with their transformative potential. Democracy is at a crossroad: it has the opportunity to be fit for the future (future-proof), or simply lost in transition(s). In this respect a few lessons emerge from the pandemic

Combining ASTER multispectral imagery analysis and support vector machines for rapid and cost-effective post-fire assessment: a case study from the Greek wildland fires of 2007

Remote sensing is increasingly being used as a cost-effective and practical solution for the rapid evaluation of impacts from wildland fires. The present study investigates the use of the support vector machine (SVM) classification method with multispectral data from the Advanced Spectral Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) for obtaining a rapid and cost effective post-fire assessment in a Mediterranean setting. A further objective is to perform a detailed intercomparison of available burnt area datasets for one of the most catastrophic forest fire events that occurred near the Greek capital during the summer of 2007. For this purpose, two ASTER scenes were acquired, one before and one closely after the fire episode. Cartography of the burnt area was obtained by classifying each multi-band ASTER image into a number of discrete classes using the SVM classifier supported by land use/cover information from the CORINE 2000 land nomenclature. Overall verification of the derived thematic maps based on the classification statistics yielded results with a mean overall accuracy of 94.6% and a mean Kappa coefficient of 0.93. In addition, the burnt area estimate derived from the post-fire ASTER image was found to have an average difference of 9.63% from those reported by other operationally-offered burnt area datasets available for the test region

Diabetic striatopathy: an updated overview of current knowledge and future perspectives

Purpose: Diabetic striatopathy (DS) is a rare complication of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM), characterized by hyperglycemia associated with chorea/ballism and characteristic reversible basal ganglia abnormalities on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We propose a narrative review of the literature on this topic, currently unknown to most, and about which physicians should be aware. We intend to summarize, critically review, and take to mean the evidence on this disorder, describing its typical features. Methods: We searched Pubmed for English-language sources using the following keywords in the title and the abstract: diabetic striatopathy, hyperglycemic non-ketotic hemichorea/hemiballism, chorea/hemichorea associated with non-ketotic hyperglycemia, diabetic hemiballism/hemichorea, chorea, hyperglycemia, and basal ganglia syndrome. We collected scientific articles, including case reports, reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses from the years 1975 to 2023. We eliminated duplicate, non-English language or non-related articles. Results: Older Asian women are more frequently affected. Suddenly or insidiously hemichorea/hemiballism, mainly in the limbs, and high blood glucose with elevated HbA1c in the absence of ketone bodies have been observed. Furthermore, CT striatal hyperdensity and T1-weighted MRI hyperintensity have been observed. DS is often a treatable disease following proper hydration and insulin administration. Histopathological findings are variable, and no comprehensive hypothesis explains the atypical cases reported. Conclusion: DS is a rare neurological manifestation of DM. If adequately treated, although treatment guidelines are lacking, the prognosis is good and life-threatening complications may occur occasionally. During chorea/hemiballism, we recommend blood glucose and HbA1c evaluation. Further studies are needed to understand the pathogenesis

APPLICATION OF HEATING MICROSCOPY ON SINTERING AND MELTING BEHAVIOUR OF NATURAL SANDS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTEREST

In antiquity, beach sand was one of the main raw materials for glass-making and for the production of other vitreous materials, like Egyptian blue and faience. During the 1st century AD, glass and pigments manufacturing industry was active along the Gulf of Naples, Italy, where we sampled four littoral sands. Samples were analyzed with different techniques: chemical analysis was performed by means of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and mineralogical analyses with X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Raman Spectroscopy. The complete sintering to melting thermal behaviour of the four sands was studied by heating microscopy or hot-stage microscope (HSM) equipped with an high resolution camera capable to collect sample profile during heating. The effect of the grain size on the sintering curves, which were automatically elaborated by specimen profile transformation, was also investigated. Finally, some deductions about the granulometry effect and the presence of alkaline and alkaline-earth oxides on sintering and melting behaviour were drawn. All the four sands were found suitable for highly sintered manufacts rather than glasses, to reach complete amorphous materials the addition of fluxes was necessary