FERROCENYL ALKYLAMMONIUM N-SUBSTITUTED POLYPYRROLE CONTAINING Pt AND Pd AND ITS APPLICATION ON ELECTROANALYSIS OF ARSENITE

Indexación: Web of Science; Scopus; Scielo.Arsenic occurs in a variety of forms and oxidation states and is a very toxic element. The main inorganic arsenic species present in natural waters are arsenate (oxidation state V) and arsenite ions (oxidation state III). Arsenite is more toxic and mobile than arsenate. Therefore, it is important the development of new materials for analysis and control of these toxic species. This research proves that polymer-metal composite electrode materials synthesized by incorporation of Pt-0 and Pd-0 nanoparticles into a poly(pyrrole-ferrocenyl alkylammonium) matrix present electrocatalytic properties towards the oxidation of arsenite to arsenate. The polymer films displayed a stable electrochemical response in aqueous solution. However, when the polymer film modified electrode were transferred to aqueous solution in presence of arsenite anions, the CV curves for polymer films were deeply modified by the decrease in the electroactivity of the film. It can be concluded that the cationic polymer films present a strong affinity toward arsenite anions. The composite films containing Pt-0 or Pd-0 showed catalytic activity towards oxidation of As(III) to As(V) due to the presence of metal catalyst particles into the polymer films.http://ref.scielo.org/dgdvx

Plant communities of Italy. The vegetation prodrome

The Vegetation Prodrome of Italy was promoted in 2012 by the Italian "Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection", in collaboration with the "Italian Society of Botany", to provide a comprehensive and systematic catalogue and description of Italian plant communities. The Prodrome that is presented in this paper is the first full organic synthesis of the vegetation of Italy at the alliance syntaxonomic level. It fulfils several needs, the main one being a unified and comprehensive national framework that may make an important contribution to the definition of the European Vegetation Prodrome. Syntaxonomy, as well as taxonomy, is sometimes based on considerations that may in part diverge: several authors tend to favour models that are divisive or aggregative to a greater or lesser extent in terms of flora, biogeography and ecology. These different points of view stimulate the scientific debate and allow the adoption of a framework that is more widely supported. The Prodrome includes 75 classes, 2 subclasses, 175 orders, 6 suborders and 393 alliances. The classes were grouped into nine broad categories according to structural, physiognomic and synecological elements rather than to syntaxonomic criteria. The rank, full valid name, any synonymies and incorrect names are provided for each syntaxon. The short declaration highlights the physiognomy, synecology, syndynamics and distribution of the plant communities that belong to the syntaxon. The Prodrome of the Italian Vegetation is linked to the European Strategy for Biodiversity, the European Habitats Directive and the European Working Groups related to the ecosystems and their services. In addition to basic applications, the Prodrome can be used as a framework for scientific research related to the investigation of the relationships between plant communities and the environmental factors that influence their composition and distribution

Strong signature of natural selection within an FHIT intron implicated in prostate cancer risk

Previously, a candidate gene linkage approach on brother pairs affected with prostate cancer identified a locus of prostate cancer susceptibility at D3S1234 within the fragile histidine triad gene (FHIT), a tumor suppressor that induces apoptosis. Subsequent association tests on 16 SNPs spanning approximately 381 kb surrounding D3S1234 in Americans of European descent revealed significant evidence of association for a single SNP within intron 5 of FHIT. In the current study, resequencing and genotyping within a 28.5 kb region surrounding this SNP further delineated the association with prostate cancer risk to a 15 kb region. Multiple SNPs in sequences under evolutionary constraint within intron 5 of FHIT defined several related haplotypes with an increased risk of prostate cancer in European-Americans. Strong associations were detected for a risk haplotype defined by SNPs 138543, 142413, and 152494 in all cases (Pearson's χ2 = 12.34, df 1, P = 0.00045) and for the homozygous risk haplotype defined by SNPs 144716, 142413, and 148444 in cases that shared 2 alleles identical by descent with their affected brothers (Pearson's χ2 = 11.50, df 1, P = 0.00070). In addition to highly conserved sequences encompassing SNPs 148444 and 152413, population studies revealed strong signatures of natural selection for a 1 kb window covering the SNP 144716 in two human populations, the European American (π = 0.0072, Tajima's D= 3.31, 14 SNPs) and the Japanese (π = 0.0049, Fay & Wu's H = 8.05, 14 SNPs), as well as in chimpanzees (Fay & Wu's H = 8.62, 12 SNPs). These results strongly support the involvement of the FHIT intronic region in an increased risk of prostate cancer. © 2008 Ding et al

Restoration of european habitats in mainland, Portugal, using commercial seed mixtures. Considerations for its management and conservation

Permanent mountain pastures include meadows and other perennial pastures of high ecological, economic, cultural and scenic value. Increasing desertification limits the maintenance and conservation of its biodiversity and the associated landscape mosaic. A restoration experiment in permanent high altitude grasslands in Beira Alta (Centre East (CE) mainland Portugal) was made, by sowing adequate cultivars of existing grass and legume species. The main objectives addressed were: (1) comparison of floristic composition between reference communities included in the previous habitats and the improved communities; (2) evaluation of the success of sowing adequate cultivars of autochthonous species; (3) evaluation of the establishment of target species in terms of the maintenance of floristic composition of reference. The experiment was carried out in 2014 on nine farms situated in Beira Alta (Guarda District) and the phytosociological method was applied in the floristic surveys. The sown species with highest percentage of soil cover were Trifolium subterraneum, Lolium multiflorum, Ornithopus sativus and Trifolium vesiculosum. In the priority habitat 6220 it was observed a re-establishment of many species in their original composition and a high cover of several cultivars of Trifolium subterraneum. These results highlight the importance of using cultivars of autochthonous species in the improvement of altitude pasturesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mitochondrial and nuclear markers reveal a lack of genetic structure in the entocommensal nemertean Malacobdella arrokeana in the Patagonian gulfs

Abstract Malacobdella arrokeana is an entocommensal nemertean exclusively found in the bivalve geoduck Panopea abbreviata, and it is the only representative of the genus in the southern hemisphere. To characterize its genetic diversity, population structure and recent demographic history, we conducted the first genetic survey on this species, using sequence data for the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI), 16S rRNA (16S) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS2). Only four different ITS2 genotypes were found in the whole sample, and the two main haplotypes identified in the mitochondrial dataset were present among all localities with a diversity ranging from 0.583 to 0.939. Nucleotide diversity was low (p = 0.001?0.002). No significant genetic structure was detected between populations, and mismatch distribution patterns and neutrality tests results are consistent with a population in expansion or under selection. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that the largest level of variance observed was due to intrapopulation variation (100, 100 and 94.39 % for 16S, COI and ITS2, respectively). Fst values were also non-significant. The observed lack of population structure is likely due to high levels of genetic connectivity in combination with the lack or permeability of biogeographic barriers and episodes of habitat modification.Fil: Fernandez Alfaya, Jose Elias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Bigatti, Gregorio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Machordom, Annie. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Museo Nacional de Cs. Naturales; Españ

Testing for an Unusual Distribution of Rare Variants

Technological advances make it possible to use high-throughput sequencing as a primary discovery tool of medical genetics, specifically for assaying rare variation. Still this approach faces the analytic challenge that the influence of very rare variants can only be evaluated effectively as a group. A further complication is that any given rare variant could have no effect, could increase risk, or could be protective. We propose here the C-alpha test statistic as a novel approach for testing for the presence of this mixture of effects across a set of rare variants. Unlike existing burden tests, C-alpha, by testing the variance rather than the mean, maintains consistent power when the target set contains both risk and protective variants. Through simulations and analysis of case/control data, we demonstrate good power relative to existing methods that assess the burden of rare variants in individuals

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

SummaryBackground The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Proposal of a Nutritional Quality Index (NQI) to Evaluate the Nutritional Supplementation of Sportspeople

Background: Numerous supplements are used by sportspeople. They are not always appropriate for the individual or the sports activity and may do more harm than good. Vitamin and mineral supplements are unnecessary if the energy intake is sufficient to maintain body weight and derives from a diet with an adequate variety of foods. The study objectives were to evaluate the main nutrients used as supplements in sports and to propose a nutritional quality index (NQI) that enables sportspeople to optimize their use of supplements and detect and remedy possible nutritional deficits. Material and Methods: A nutritional study was performed in 485 sportspeople recruited from Centros Andaluces de Medicina del Deporte, (CAMD). All completed socio-demographic, food frequency, and lifestyle questionnaires. The nutritional quality of their diet and need for supplementation were evaluated by scoring their dietary intake with and without supplementation, yielding two NQI scores (scales of 0-21 points) for each participant. Results: A superior mean NQI score was obtained when the supplements taken by participants were not included (16. 28 (SD of 3.52)) than when they were included (15.47 (SD: 3.08)), attributable to an excessive intake of some nutrients through supplementation. Conclusions: These results indicate that sportspeople with a varied and balanced diet do not need supplements, which appear to offer no performance benefits and may pose a health risk.The authors are grateful to the Junta de Andalucía, Spain (Research Group AGR-255“Nutrition. Diet and Risk Assessment”), a collaboration agreement with the Andalusian Centres of Sports Medicine (Junta de Andalucía) and the FPU program of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Study participants were recruited through the project “Nutritional and diet assessment methodologies applied to the Andalusian sportsperson in Andalusian Sports centres”, Research project FMD2010SC0071 of the Junta de Andalucía