O presente trabalho consiste em um estudo que tem como objetivo geral promover análise acerca de uma das maiores ameaças às democracias modernas: a disseminação de desinformação na Era Digital, sendo ...o foco voltado ao contexto do pleito eleitoral brasileiro. A discussão tratada aqui tem como objetivos específicos: identificar as irregularidades legalmente previstas na veiculação de propaganda eleitoral, além do papel das instituições públicas, privadas e da sociedade civil no combate a notícias falsas. Ademais, se busca conhecer quais os impactos da educação digital frente ao constitucionalismo abusivo, interpretando-se a adequação da participação eleitoral a partir de preceitos constitucionais essenciais, especialmente os da liberdade de expressão e da isonomia. Quanto à metodologia, adotou-se a pesquisa bibliográfica, uma vez que o estudo foi realizado e embasado a partir do levantamento de referências teóricas já publicadas em veículos diversos; documental, através da análise de dispositivos legais, em especial da Constituição Federal de 1988 e da legislação eleitoral; e exploratória, por observar o fenômeno a partir da cultura político-jurídica nacional, fazendo breve comparação com sistemas de outros países. As conclusões apresentadas demonstram que a disseminação de fake news é amplamente difundida nas sociedades contemporâneas e que a participação civil-insitucional tem impacto essencial no combate desse fenômeno.O trabalho é original e se dirige com enfoque específico ao campo de atuação do direito e da justiça eleitoral. De forma geral, alcança todas as sociedades que prezam pela proteção democrática.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and worsening renal function (WRF) have been associated with poor outcome in heart failure (HF).
Articles were identified by literature search of MEDLINE (from inception ...to 1 July 2012) and Cochrane. We included studies on HF patients and mortality risk with CKD and/or WRF. In a secondary analysis, we selected studies investigating predictors of WRF. We retrieved 57 studies (1,076,104 patients) that investigated CKD and 28 studies (49,890 patients) that investigated WRF. The prevalence of CKD was 32% and associated with all-cause mortality: odds ratio (OR) 2.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.20-2.50, P < 0.001). Worsening renal function was present in 23% and associated with unfavourable outcome (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.55-2.12, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, moderate renal impairment: hazard ratio (HR) 1.59, 95% CI 1.49-1.69, P < 0.001, severe renal impairment, HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.95-2.40, P < 0.001, and WRF, HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.45-2.62, P < 0.001 were all independent predictors of mortality. Across studies, baseline CKD, history of hypertension and diabetes, age, and diuretic use were significant predictors for the occurrence of WRF.
Across all subgroups of patients with HF, CKD, and WRF are prevalent and associated with a strongly increased mortality risk, especially CKD. Specific conditions may predict the occurrence of WRF and thereby poor prognosis.
Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of low-mass stars undergo strong tidal effects that modify their spin states. These planets are expected to host dense atmospheres that can also play an ...important role in the spin evolution. On one hand, gravitational tides tend to synchronise the rotation with the orbital mean motion, but on the other hand, thermal atmospheric tides push the rotation away and may lead to asynchronous equilibria. Here, we investigate the complete tidal evolution of Earth-like planets by taking into account the effect of obliquity and eccentric orbits. We adopted an Andrade rheology for the gravitational tides and benchmarked the unknown parameters with the present rotation of Venus. We then applied our model to Earth-like planets, and we show that asynchronous rotation can be expected for planets orbiting stars with masses between 0.4 and 0.9 M ⊙ and semi-major axes between 0.2 and 0.7 au. Interestingly, we find that Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of stars with masses ~0.8 M ⊙ may end up with an equilibrium rotation of 24 h. We additionally find that these planets can also develop high obliquities, which may help sustain temperate environments.
Abstract
Monitoring compliance with environmental laws is essential to overcoming possible implementation shortfalls jeopardizing their effectiveness. Besides improving our ecological understanding ...of wildlife, remote tracking technologies also allow us to take advantage of such ecological knowledge to use wildlife as sentinels of compliance with law.
We illustrate this sentinel potential of wildlife using GPS tracking of large scavengers with complementary functional traits (i.e. 21 griffon vultures and 13 wolves) to assess compliance with EU sanitary regulations allowing livestock carcass disposal in the field.
Wildlife sentinels allowed the systematic evaluation of 489 livestock carcasses left in the field, which revealed an important mismatch between on‐paper and in‐reality implementation of these regulations. While <45% of the carcasses were placed in authorized areas, compliance with all the criteria required by the regulations on livestock carcass disposal (e.g. from carcass characteristics such as species, age or production system to its location far away from water, buildings or roads) ranged from 0% to 4.2%, with no major differences between regions with uneven implementation.
Major gaps in compliance pointed towards insufficient and over‐bureaucratized designation of scavenger feeding zones, where livestock carcass disposal is authorized. The indiscriminate nature of distance criteria from carcasses to watercourses, buildings and infrastructure further affected compliance.
Synthesis and applications
. GPS‐tagged scavengers allow the on‐ground monitoring of carcasses, the addressing of potential risks for wildlife, livestock and human health, the quantitative assessment of compliance with the law and would improve estimates of carcass availability, substantially contributing to more effective legislation enforcement. Our results show the huge potential of GPS‐tagged wildlife as sentinels for monitoring compliance to enhance the environmental rule of law.
Resumen
Evaluar el grado de cumplimiento de las normativas ambientales resulta clave a la hora de corregir posibles fallos de implementación que comprometan su efectividad. Además de mejorar nuestro conocimiento sobre la ecología de la fauna silvestre, las tecnologías de seguimiento remoto permiten utilizar a las especies silvestres como centinelas del cumplimiento de las leyes que afectan a la conservación de la naturaleza.
En este trabajo ilustramos ese potencial como especies centinelas mediante el seguimiento GPS de grandes carnívoros y aves carroñeras con rasgos funcionales complementarios. En concreto, se utilizaron 21 buitres leonados y 13 lobos para evaluar el nivel de cumplimiento de las normativas sanitarias europeas que permiten abandonar carroñas de ganado en el campo.
Con la ayuda de las especies centinelas, pudimos evaluar de forma sistemática 489 carroñas de ganado abandonadas en el campo, que revelaron una notable falta de correspondencia entre lo que recoge la normativa, y lo que se observa en la realidad. Menos del 45% de las carroñas se encontraron en áreas autorizadas, mientras que el nivel de cumplimiento simultáneo de todos los criterios requeridos por las normativas (ej. desde características como la edad, especie u origen de las carroñas hasta su ubicación lejos de puntos de agua, edificios o carreteras) osciló entre 0 y 4,2%, sin grandes diferencias entre regiones administrativas con distinta implementación.
El correcto cumplimento de las normativas se ve afectado por la insuficiente y excesivamente burocratizada designación de Zonas para la Alimentación de Especies Necrófagas, dónde se permite dejar carroñas de ganado. Las distancias de las carroñas a puntos de agua, edificios e infraestructuras limitaron aún más el cumplimiento.
Síntesis y aplicaciones
. El uso como centinelas de las especies carroñeras equipadas con dispositivos GPS permite el seguimiento de carroñas de ganado en el campo, la detección de riesgos para la fauna silvestre, el ganado y la salud humana, la valoración cuantitativa del grado de cumplimiento de la legislación, y mejoraría las estimas de carroña disponible en el campo, contribuyendo sustancialmente a una aplicación más efectiva de la normativa vigente. Nuestros resultados muestran el enorme potencial del seguimiento GPS de fauna silvestre para monitorizar el cumplimiento de la legislación ambiental y mejorar su aplicación.
Resumo
A avaliação do grau de cumprimento da legislação ambiental é fundamental para corrigir possíveis falhas de implementação que comprometam a sua eficácia. Para além de melhorar o nosso conhecimento sobre a ecologia da fauna silvestre, as tecnologias de seguimento remoto também nos permitem utilizar as espécies silvestres como sentinelas do cumprimento das leis relacionadas com a conservação da natureza e da biodiversidade.
Neste estudo, ilustramos esse potencial de espécies sentinelas utilizando o seguimento por GPS de aves necrófagas e grandes carnívoros com características funcionais complementares. Concretamente, utilizámos 21 grifos e 13 lobos para avaliar o grau de cumprimento dos regulamentos sanitários da União Europeia que permitem disponibilizar cadáveres de espécies pecuárias no campo.
Através das espécies sentinelas usadas, fomos capazes de avaliar, de forma sistemática, 489 cadáveres de espécies pecuárias abandonadas no campo, as quais revelaram um desfasamento considerável entre aquilo que está previsto nos regulamentos e o que se observa na realidade. Menos de 45% dos cadáveres foram encontrados em áreas autorizadas, enquanto o grau de cumprimento simultâneo de todos os critérios exigidos pelos regulamentos (e.g. desde características do cadáver como a espécie, a idade ou o sistema de produção, até à sua localização relativamente a pontos de água, edifícios ou estradas) variou entre 0 e 4,2%, sem grandes diferenças entre regiões administrativas com implementação distinta.
As principais falhas no cumprimento dos regulamentos estiveram relacionadas com a designação insuficiente e excessivamente burocratizada das Zonas para Alimentação de Espécies Necrófagas, onde é autorizada a disponibilização de cadáveres de espécies pecuárias. A distância dos cadáveres em relação a pontos de água, edifícios e outras infraestruturas afetou ainda mais o grau de cumprimento.
Síntese e aplicações
. O uso, como sentinelas, de espécies necrófagas equipadas com dispositivos GPS permite a monitorização de cadáveres de animais no terreno, a deteção de ameaças para a fauna silvestre, animais domésticos e saúde humana, a avaliação quantitativa do grau de cumprimento da legislação e poderia, ainda, melhorar as estimativas acerca da disponibilidade de cadáveres no campo, contribuindo substancialmente para uma aplicação mais eficaz da legislação vigente. Os nossos resultados demonstram o enorme potencial das espécies de fauna silvestre equipadas com dispositivos GPS para monitorizar o cumprimento da legislação ambiental e melhorar a sua aplicação.
We established two iPSC lines starting from skin fibroblasts of two healthy individuals using Sendai-virus-based technique. The obtained iPSCs were characterized showing same STR profile as starting ...fibroblasts, normal karyotype, loss of stemness vectors, expression of stemness markers, both through real-time PCR and immunofluorescence, (OCT4, SOX2, TRA-1–60, NANOG and SSEA4) and in vitro differentiation into three germ layers.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Joubert Syndrome Poretti, A; Boltshauser, E; Loenneker, T ...
American journal of neuroradiology : AJNR,
11/2007, Letnik:
28, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Neuropathologic findings and preliminary imaging studies demonstrated the absence of pyramidal tract and superior cerebellar peduncular decussation in individual patients with Joubert syndrome (JS). ...We hypothesized that functional-structural neuroimaging findings do not differ between the genetic forms of JS.
MR imaging was performed with a 3T MR imaging-unit. Multiplanar T2- and T1-weighted imaging was followed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Isotropic diffusion-weighted images, apparent diffusion coefficient maps, and color-coded fractional anisotropy maps, including tractography, were subsequently calculated.
In all 6 patients studied, DTI showed that the fibers of the superior cerebellar peduncles did not decussate in the mesencephalon and the corticospinal tract failed to cross in the caudal medulla. The patients represented various genetic forms of JS.
In JS, the fibers of the pyramidal tract and the superior cerebellar peduncles do not cross, irrespective of the underlying mutation.
The glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor pathway plays an essential role in posttranslational modification of proteins to facilitate proper membrane anchoring and trafficking to lipid rafts, which ...is critical for many cell functions, including embryogenesis and neurogenesis. GPI biosynthesis is a multi-step process requiring the activity of over 25 distinct genes, most of them belonging to the phosphatidylinositol glycan (PIG) family and associated with rare neurodevelopmental disorders.
PIGQ
encodes the phosphatidylinositol glycan class Q protein and is part of the GPI-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase complex that initiates GPI biosynthesis from phosphatidylinositol (PI) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) on the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Pathogenic variants in the
PIGQ
gene have been previously reported in 10 patients with congenital hypotonia, early-infantile epileptic encephalopathy, and premature death occurring in more than half cases. We detected a novel homozygous variant in
PIGQ
(NM_004204.5: c.1631dupA; p.Tyr544fs*79) by WES trio-analysis of a male patient with a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by nonprogressive congenital ataxia, intellectual disability, generalized epilepsy, and cerebellar atrophy. Flow cytometry confirmed deficiency of several GPI-anchored proteins on leukocytes (CD14, FLAER). Clinical features of this case broaden the phenotypic spectrum of
PIGQ
-related GPI deficiency, outlining the importance of glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor pathway in the pathogenesis of cerebellar ataxia.
Ergot alkaloid mycotoxins interfere in many functions associated with serotonergic neurotransmitters. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate whether the association of serotonin ...(5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and ergot alkaloids during a 24 h pre-incubation could affect the vascular contractile response to ergot alkaloids. To evaluate the effects of 24 h exposure to 5-HT and ergot alkaloids (ergovaline, ERV), two assays were conducted. The first assay determined the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
) following the 24 h pre-exposure period, while the second assay evaluated the effect of IC
concentrations of 5-HT and ERV either individually or in combination. There was an interaction between previous exposure to 5-HT and ERV. Previous exposure to 5-HT at the IC
concentration of 7.57 × 10
M reduced the contractile response by more than 50% of control, while the exposure to ERV at IC
dose of 1.57 × 10
M tended to decrease (
= 0.081) vessel contractility with a response higher than 50% of control. The 24 h previous exposure to both 5-HT and ERV did not potentiate the inhibitory response of blood vessels in comparison with incubation with each compound alone. These results suggest receptor competition between 5-HT and ERV. More studies are necessary to determine the potential of 5-HT to treat toxicosis caused by ergot alkaloids.
In a previous work (Andreu and Vega, J. Phys. Chem. B 2008, 111, 16028), we presented a simple model for the imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) with the bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide anion Tf2N− in ...the context of the soft-SAFT equation of state. The model was successfully used to predict the solubility of several gases in these ILs. However, the small amount of experimental data made the predictions less accurate when going into more complex mixtures and one or two fitted binary parameters were needed in some cases. In this work, we have reparameterized our previous model and evaluated its reliability to predict the behavior of these ionic liquids in binary mixtures with other associating compounds. Model parameters for the ionic liquids were estimated using new experimental density data at atmospheric pressure in an extended range of temperatures, from 273 until 473 K, consistent within the range of temperatures previously measured by other authors. The new set of molecular parameters has been tested to predict the density of several members of the family at higher pressures up to 60 MPa with the same degree of accuracy than at atmospheric values. In addition to density−temperature data, interfacial tensions and the isothermal compressibility of some compounds were predicted in reasonable good agreement with experimental data. The molecular parameters of the pure compounds were used then, in a predictive manner, to describe the behavior of binary mixtures with other imidazolium ionic liquids, changing either the cation or the anion. Predictions for some mixtures with methanol, ethanol, and water were compared with experimental data, providing an excellent description of the systems, with no fitting to mixture data in almost all the cases. The excellent results obtained in this work reinforce the need to have accurate data, showing that molecular based models can be used to assess the validity of these data. In addition, this work also shows that a simple model in which the physics of the system is kept is good enough to describe the complex behavior of associating mixtures of ionic liquids, without the need of additional parameters that may obscure the real physics of the system.
Abstract Heterozygous mutations in the PINK1 gene are considered a susceptibility factor to develop early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD), as supported by dopamine hypometabolism in asymptomatic ...mutation carriers and subtle alterations of dopamine-dependent striatal synaptic plasticity in heterozygous PINK1 knockout (PINK1+/− ) mice. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to low-dose rotenone of heterozygous PINK1+/− mice, compared to their wild-type PINK1+/+ littermates, could impact on dopamine-dependent striatal synaptic plasticity, in the absence of apparent structural alterations. Mice were exposed to a range of concentrations of rotenone (0.01–1 mg/kg). Chronic treatment with concentrations of rotenone up to 0.8 mg/kg did not cause manifest neuronal loss or changes in ATP levels both in the striatum or substantia nigra of PINK1+/− and PINK1+/+ mice. Moreover, rotenone (up to 0.8 mg/kg) treatment did not induce mislocalization of the mitochondrial membrane protein Tom20 and release of cytochrome c in PINK1+/− striata. Accordingly, basic electrophysiological properties of nigral dopaminergic and striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) were normal. Despite the lack of gross alterations in neuronal viability in chronically-treated PINK1+/− , a complete loss of both long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) was recorded in MSNs from PINK1+/− mice treated with a low rotenone (0.1 mg/kg) concentration. Even lower concentrations (0.01 mg/kg) blocked LTP induction in heterozygous PINK1+/− MSNs compared to PINK1+/+ mice. Of interest, chronic pretreatment with the antioxidants alpha-tocopherol and Trolox, a water-soluble analog of vitamin E and powerful antioxidant, rescued synaptic plasticity impairment, confirming that, at the doses we utilized, rotenone did not induce irreversible alterations. In this model, chronic exposure to low-doses of rotenone was not sufficient to alter mitochondrial integrity and ATP production, but profoundly impaired the expression of long-term plasticity at corticostriatal synapses in PINK1 heterozygous knockout mice, suggesting that disruption of synaptic plasticity may represent an early feature of a pre-manifesting state of the disease, and a potential tool to test novel neuroprotective agents.
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