The Level of NMDA Receptor in the Membrane Modulates Amyloid-β Association and Perforation

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects mostly the elderly. The main histopathological markers are the senile plaques formed by amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) aggregates that can perforate the plasma membrane of cells, increasing the intracellular calcium levels and releasing synaptic vesicles that finally lead to a delayed synaptic failure. Several membrane proteins and lipids interact with Aβ affecting its toxicity in neurons. Here, we focus on NMDA receptors (NMDARs) as proteins that could be modulating the association and neurotoxic perforation induced by Aβ on the plasma membrane. In fact, our results showed that decreasing NMDARs, using enzymatic or siRNA approaches, increased the association of Aβ to the neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of NMDARs also resulted in an enhanced association between NMDA and Aβ. Functionally, the reduction in membrane NMDARs augmented the process of membrane perforation. On the other hand, overexpressing NMDARs had a protective effect because Aβ was now unable to cause membrane perforation, suggesting a complex relationship between Aβ and NMDARs. Because previous studies have recognized that Aβ oligomers are able to increase membrane permeability and produce amyloid pores, the present study supports the conclusion that NMDARs play a critical protective role on Aβ actions in hippocampal neurons. These results could explain the lack of correlation between brain Aβ burden and clinically observed dementia

The genus Huperzia (Lycopodiaceae) in the Azores and Madeira

The taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus Huperzia Bernh. in the Azores and Madeira have been reviewed. Plants collected in the Azores and Madeira were characterized morphologically. The independence between two endemic species common to Madeira and the Azores Islands – Huperzia suberecta (Lowe) Tardieu and Huperzia dentata (Herter) Holub – is clearly shown. A clear-cut morphological separation between these taxa and Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank & Mart. of continental Europe is established

The genus Huperzia (Lycopodiaceae) in the Azores and Madeira

The taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus Huperzia Bernh. in the Azores and Madeira have been reviewed. Plants collected in the Azores and Madeira were characterized morphologically. The independence between two endemic species common to Madeira and the Azores Islands – Huperzia suberecta (Lowe) Tardieu and Huperzia dentata (Herter) Holub – is clearly shown. A clear-cut morphological separation between these taxa and Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank & Mart. of continental Europe is established

Review of some statistical methods for constructing composite indicators

The methodology for the construction process of composite indicators is reviewed in a step-by-step approach ranging from the ex-ante definition of the latent variable that is intended to be measure, through the construction process of the composite indicators. We focus particularly on four aggregations methods in order analayze weighting and aggregation approach, Distance P_2, Principal Component Analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis and Mazziotta-Pareto Index. An empirical comparison among them is provided and the composite indices divergences are shown

Gold phosphide complexes

6 pages, 9 schemes, 6 figures.The vast majority of gold complexes with five group-element donor ligands contain tertiary phosphines, although compounds with amine, arsine or stibine ligands are also known. Although phosphide ligands, which are formed by deprotonation of non-tertiary phosphines, are closely related to the former, they have been employed to a lesser extent, mainly due to their lower stability. Thus, the chemistry of phosphido-bridged derivatives of the main group elements1-3 or transition metals4-6 has been a matter of interest for various research groups in the last few years. While there are many phosphido complexes with metals, mainly of groups 67-12 or 10,13-20 the chemistry of gold derivatives has experienced less progress in this field of research in spite of the possible catalytic behaviour of di- and polynuclear phosphido-bridged compounds.21 This is an interesting field of research, because the substitution of one or more protons by metal atoms allows the synthesis of homo- or hetero-polynuclear compounds in which the presence of a small bridging atom, such as phosphorus, may give rise to intermetallic contacts, which, as is known, are often responsible for surprising and interesting optical properties, such as luminescence, area with an increasing importance in the last years. This review focuses on gold phospide complexes derived from secondary phosphines (PR2H), primary phosphines (PRH2), primary diphosphines (PH2(CH2)nPH2) or from PH3. The moieties derived from all these complexes usually act as bridging ligands between more than one gold centre or between gold and other transition metal centres.Peer reviewe

Anthropometric measures as predictive indicators of metabolic risk in a population of “holy week costaleros”

Preventive measures are a priority in those groups that perform intense physical efforts without physical preparation and that can also be overweight or obese. One of the groups that reflect these characteristics is the costaleros of the Holy Week of Andalusia, Spain. This paper aims to describe the effect of obesity on blood pressure. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 costaleros. The anthropometric measures were determined through segmental impedance. Cardiac recovery and anaerobic power were measured through the Ruffier–Dickson test and the Abalakov test, respectively. Blood pressure was measured when the individuals were at rest. The Kruskal–Wallis test was applied for of continuous parameters and the X2 test for dichotomous measures. Binary logistic regression models were used for the subsequent analysis with R-square and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. The average population was 28 years of age, 173.7 cm tall, and 82.59 Kg weigh. The excess of body fat was 11.27 Kg and Body Mass Index was 27.33 Kg/m2. 72.3% showed abnormal blood pressure and 68.2% were overweight. 32.7% had a waist-hip ratio higher than 0.94. The probability of presenting abnormal blood pressure was higher among the subjects whose fat content was higher and muscle content was lower

Educación ambiental y complejidad: el uso de las hipótesis de transición

En esta comunicación presentamos las hipótesis de transición como herramienta didáctica en el ámbito de la Educación Ambiental. El uso de este término se deriva del de hipótesis de progresión más utilizado tradicionalmente, pero este nuevo término implica considerar no solo las progresiones que se producen en el análisis de los contenidos sino también sus regresiones, y lo presentamos como una herramienta que resuelve el problema de dar sentido al proceso de construcción del conocimiento, tanto desde el punto de vista del que enseña como del participante. Para potenciar esta utilidad pensamos que deben estar basadas en el paradigma de la complejidad

Cádiz, una economía por descubrir

Este trabajo intenta avanzar en el análisis de la economía de la provincia de Cádiz desde el siglo XIX hasta el XXI, poniendo en evidencia la función de los factores de desarrollo provinciales y la débil integración de las medidas de política económica de localización industrial en el entorno económico existente.This work tries to make advance the analysis of the evolution of the economy in the province of Cadiz, from the XIXth century to the XXIst century, putting forth the role of the factors of provincial development and the low integration of the measures oftheeconomical policyof industrial localisation in the existent economical environement

A charge-coupled device photometric study of south hemispheric contact binary ae phoenicis

The complete charge-coupled device light curves in B, V, R, and I bands of the short-period binary system, AE Phe, are presented. It is found that the light curves of AE Phe belong to typical EW-type light variation. Photometric solutions were derived by using the 2003 version of the Wilson-Devinney code. It showed that AE Phe is a W-subtype shallow-contact system (f = 14.6%(0.5%)) with a mass ratio of q = 2.5491(0.0092). The temperature difference between the two components is 227 K. Analysis of the O - C curve suggests that the period of AE Phe shows a long-term continuous increase at a rate of dP/dt = +6.17(0.44) × 10-8 days year-1. The long-term period increase, the marginal-contact configuration, and the astrophysical parameters of the binary system, all suggest that it is a shallow-contact binary undergoing a thermal relaxation oscillation evolving into a detached binary.Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y GeofísicasInstituto de Astrofísica de La Plat