Search results for "science and technology"
showing 10 items of 1592 documents
Greater mitochondrial energy production provides resistance to ocean acidification in "winning" hermatypic corals
2021
Coral communities around the world are projected to be negatively affected by ocean acidification. Not all coral species will respond in the same manner to rising CO2 levels. Evidence from naturally acidified areas such as CO2 seeps have shown that although a few species are resistant to elevated CO2, most lack sufficient resistance resulting in their decline. This has led to the simple grouping of coral species into “winners” and “losers,” but the physiological traits supporting this ecological assessment are yet to be fully understood. Here using CO2 seeps, in two biogeographically distinct regions, we investigated whether physiological traits related to energy production [mitochondrial e…
A SUMOylation-defective MITF germline mutation predisposes to melanoma and renal carcinoma
2011
International audience; So far, no common environmental and/or phenotypic factor has been associated with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The known risk factors for melanoma include sun exposure, pigmentation and nevus phenotypes; risk factors associated with RCC include smoking, obesity and hypertension. A recent study of coexisting melanoma and RCC in the same patients supports a genetic predisposition underlying the association between these two cancers. The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) has been proposed to act as a melanoma oncogene; it also stimulates the transcription of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF1A), the pathway of which is targeted by kidney canc…
A genomic reappraisal of symbiotic function in the aphid/Buchnera symbiosis: reduced transporter sets and variable membrane organisations.
2011
International audience; Buchnera aphidicola is an obligate symbiotic bacterium that sustains the physiology of aphids by complementing their exclusive phloem sap diet. In this study, we reappraised the transport function of different Buchnera strains, from the aphids Acyrthosiphon pisum, Schizaphis graminum, Baizongia pistaciae and Cinara cedri, using the re-annotation of their transmembrane proteins coupled with an exploration of their metabolic networks. Although metabolic analyses revealed high interdependencies between the host and the bacteria, we demonstrate here that transport in Buchnera is assured by low transporter diversity, when compared to free-living bacteria, being mostly bas…
It takes time to see the menu from the body: an experiment on stable isotope composition in freshwater crayfishes
2015
For many applications and ecological studies in which wild individuals are brought to laboratory it would be essential to know accurately how fast novel diet is reflected in composition of different tissues. To study the effects of two different diets on the stable isotope composition of freshwater crayfish muscle and hemolymph, we conducted a three month experiment on noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) and signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) by feeding them sweet corn (Zea mays) or Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) as novel food. During the experiment, the crayfish were given 0.4 g of selected food daily and the amount consumed was recorded. The samples for the stable isotope a…
Water distribution network robust design based on energy surplus index maximization
2015
The aim of this paper is to show that energy surplus indices, such as resilience index, besides providing a very good indirect measure of water distribution network reliability to be adopted during the design phase, represent also a valuable and effective indicator of the robustness of the network in alternative network scenarios, and can thus be profitably used in condition of future demands uncertainty. The methodology adopted consisted of (I) multi-objective design optimization performed in order to minimize construction costs while maximizing the resilience index; (II) retrospective performance assessment of the alternative solutions of the Pareto front obtained, under demand conditions…
Gravity-derived Moho map for Latvia
2020
A precise understanding of crustal structure is essential to the fields of geodynamics, seismology and certain branches of geophysics. A boundary between the crust and the mantle is known as the MohoroviÄiÄ discontinuity, simply referred to as the âMohoâ. Moho geometry and depth have been extensively studied in Europe, but there are still regions with little information about it. One such area is the northern Baltics, Latvia in particular. So far, only one seismic refraction profile, spanning from Sovetsk (Kaliningrad) to Kohtla-Järve (Estonia), has been used to study the deep structure of the Earth in Latvia. We propose gravity inversion (ParkerâOldenburg algorithm) to gain more insight i…
Modeling the probability distribution of peak discharge for infiltrating hillslopes
2017
Hillslope response plays a fundamental role in the prediction of peak discharge at the basin outlet. The peak discharge for the critical duration of rainfall and its probability distribution are needed for designing urban infrastructure facilities. This study derives the probability distribution, denoted as GABS model, by coupling three models: (1) the Green-Ampt model for computing infiltration, (2) the kinematic wave model for computing discharge hydrograph from the hillslope, and (3) the intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) model for computing design rainfall intensity. The Hortonian mechanism for runoff generation is employed for computing the surface runoff hydrograph. Since the antecede…
Biological and Proteomic Characterization of the Anti-Cancer Potency of Aqueous Extracts from Cell-Free Coelomic Fluid of Arbacia lixula Sea Urchin i…
2022
Echinoderms are an acknowledged source of bioactive compounds exerting various beneficial effects on human health. Here, we examined the potential in vitro anti-hepatocarcinoma effects of aqueous extracts of the cell-free coelomic fluid obtained from the sea urchin Arbacia lixula using the HepG2 cell line as a model system. This was accomplished by employing a combination of colorimetric, microscopic and flow cytometric assays to determine cell viability, cell cycle distribution, the possible onset of apoptosis, the accumulation rate of acidic vesicular organelles, mitochondrial polarization, cell redox state and cell locomotory ability. The obtained data show that exposed HepG2 cells under…
Flooding in the Digital Twin Earth: The Case Study of the Enza River Levee Breach in December 2017
2023
The accurate delineation of flood hazard maps is a key element of flood risk management policy. Flood inundation models are fundamental for reproducing the boundaries of flood-prone areas, but their calibration is limited to the information available on the areas affected by inundation during observed flood events (typically fragmentary photo, video or partial surveys). In recent years, Earth Observation data have supported flood monitoring and emergency response (e.g., the Copernicus Emergency Service) thanks to the proliferation of available satellite sensors, also at high spatial resolution. Under this umbrella, the study investigates a levee breach that occurred in December 2017 along t…
La colaboración científica: principales líneas de investigación y retos de futuro
2014
The construction of knowledge is a collaborative process that has seen a dramatic growth over recent decades, since almost all research activities now involve increasing numbers of researchers, institutions, disciplines and countries. The present study provides a bibliographic review of the literature on research collaboration and identifies pioneering work on the topic, the types of studies undertaken and the variables analyzed. Several approaches are discussed: the “classical” approach, based on bibliometric indicators, which has taken on a new dimension with Social Network Analysis; and quantitative and qualitative approaches, which attempt to investigate the motivations and dynamics of …