scholarly journals Macroinvertebrate Richness Importance in Coastal Tropical Streams of Esmeraldas (Ecuador) and Its Use and Implications in Environmental Management Procedures

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Martínez-Sanz ◽  
Sara María Puente-García ◽  
Eduardo Rodolfo Rebolledo ◽  
Pedro Jiménez-Prado
Keyword(s):  
Working Party ◽  
Tropical Streams ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Taxa Richness ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
River Quality ◽  
First Time ◽  
Ept Richness

This study was aimed at determining the performance of some indices and community attributes frequently used to assess river quality and test the role of macroinvertebrate taxa richness as element of bioindication in several coastal tropical streams of western Esmeraldas (Ecuador). In addition, a macroinvertebrate taxon list of this region was provided for the first time. Thirteen sampled points distributed across nine streams were selected for this study and nineteen parameters and attributes of bioindication were tested. The differences between nonimpact and impact places were evaluated mainly using one-way analysis of variance. Jackknife 2 and Clench were used to estimate the regional richness and the quality of the inventory, respectively. Seventy taxa (principally genus and family) of the main groups of macroinvertebrates were collected. Measured richness and family richness were the best metric followed by Biological Monitoring Working Party/Colombia (BMWP/Col), Odonata richness, Shannon-Weiner, and EPT richness (Ephemeroptera + Plecoptera + Trichoptera) indices. Only a slight right trend (Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, and Chironomidae attributes) or incorrect performances (Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) and % EPT) were showed by frequently used metrics. Finally, several recommendations were made about taxonomic level used, the ranks of quality of taxa richness, and the effort-results relationship in the field of bioindication.

Resveratrol: A new potential therapeutic agent for melanoma?

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Hossein Pourhanifeh ◽  
Kazem Abbaszadeh-Goudarzi ◽  
Mohammad Goodarzi ◽  
Sara G.M. Piccirillo ◽  
Alimohammad Shafiee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Treatment Resistance ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Apoptosis Inducer ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
First Time

: Melanoma is the most life-threatening and aggressive class of skin malignancies. The incidence of melanoma has steadily increased. Metastatic melanoma is greatly resistant to standard anti-melanomatreatments such as chemotherapy, and 5-year survival rate of cases with melanoma who have metastatic form of disease is less than 10%. The contributing role of apoptosis, angiogenesis and autophagy in the pathophysiology of melanoma has been previously demonstrated. Thus, it is extremely urgent to search for complementary therapeutic approachesthat couldenhance the quality of life of subjects and reduce treatment resistance and adverse effects. Resveratrol, known as a polyphenol component present in grapes and some plants, has anti-cancer properties due to its function as an apoptosis inducer in tumor cells, and anti-angiogenic agent to prevent metastasis. However, more clinical trials should be conducted to prove resveratrol efficacy. : Herein, for first time, we summarize current knowledge of anti-cancerous activities of resveratrol in melanoma.

scholarly journals How to Assess the Ecological Status of Highly Humic Lakes? Development of a New Method Based on Benthic Invertebrates

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 223
Author(s):  
Dāvis Ozoliņš ◽  
Agnija Skuja ◽  
Jolanta Jēkabsone ◽  
Ilga Kokorite ◽  
Andris Avotins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Status ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Humic Lakes ◽  
Raised Bog ◽  
Raised Bogs ◽  
Taxa Richness ◽  
Bog Lakes ◽  
Status Assessment

Highly humic lakes are typical for the boreal zone. These unique ecosystems are characterised as relatively undisturbed habitats with brown water, high acidity, low nutrient content and lack of macrophytes. Current lake assessment methods are not appropriate for ecological assessment of highly humic lakes because of their unique properties and differing human pressures acting on these ecosystems. This study proposes a new approach suitable for the ecological status assessment of highly humic lakes impacted by hydrological modifications. Altogether, 52 macroinvertebrate samples from 15 raised bog lakes were used to develop the method. The studied lakes are located in the raised bogs at the central and eastern parts of Latvia. Altered water level was found as the main threat to the humic lake habitats since no other pressures were established. A multimetric index based on macroinvertebrate abundance, littoral and profundal preferences, Coleoptera taxa richness and the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) Score is suggested as the most suitable tool to assess the ecological quality of the highly humic lakes.

scholarly journals Changes in Plasma Phospholipid Metabolism Are Associated with Clinical Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis

Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2116
Author(s):  
Marija Geroldinger-Simić ◽  
Thomas Bögl ◽  
Markus Himmelsbach ◽  
Norbert Sepp ◽  
Wolfgang Buchberger
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Sclerosis ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Plasma Phospholipid ◽  
Phospholipid Metabolism ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
New Biomarkers ◽  
First Time

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease with fibrosis of the skin and/or internal organs, causing a decrease in quality of life and survival. There is no causative therapy, and the pathophysiology of the SSc remains unclear. Studies showed that lipid metabolism was relevant for autoimmune diseases, but little is known about the role of lipids in SSc. In the present study, we sought to explore the phospholipid profile of SSc by using the lipidomics approach. We also aimed to analyze lipidomics results for different clinical manifestations of SSc. Experiments were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry for the lipidomic profiling of plasma samples from patients with SSc. Our study showed, for the first time, significant changes in the level of phospholipids such as plasmalogens and sphingomyelins from the plasma of SSc patients as compared to controls. Phosphatidylcholine plasmalogens species and sphingomyelins were significantly increased in SSc patients as compared to controls. Our results also demonstrated a significant association of changes in the metabolism of phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogens species and sphingomyelins) with different clinical manifestations of SSc. Further lipidomic studies might lead to the detection of lipids as new biomarkers or therapeutic targets of SSc.

scholarly journals To Kill a Mockingbird and Legal Ethics: On the Role of Atticus Finch’s Attic Rhetoric in Fulfillment of Duties to Client, to Court, to Society, and to Self

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-325
Author(s):  
Michelle Kundmueller
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Conduct ◽  
Professional Conduct ◽  
Legal Ethics ◽  
To Kill A Mockingbird ◽  
Public Citizen ◽  
First Time ◽  
Special Responsibility

Abstract Atticus Finch, protagonist of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and longtime hero of the American bar, is well known, but he is not well understood. This article unlocks the secret to his status as the most admired of fictional attorneys by demonstrating the role that his rhetoric plays in his exemplary fulfillment of the duties of an attorney to zealously represent clients, to serve as an officer of the court, and to act as a public citizen with a special responsibility for the quality of justice. Always using the simplest accurate wording, focusing on reason over emotion, and speaking in the same manner whether in private or in public, Atticus’s rhetoric exemplifies the ancient Roman style known by students of rhetoric as “Attic.” Using this style to navigate the potential for conflict among his duties, Atticus reveals the power, the elegance, and the ethical necessity of Attic rhetoric. Connecting Atticus’s name to the Attic style of rhetoric for the first time, this article advances several scholarly debates by demonstrating the mutual compatibility of the duties imposed by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and proffering a powerful tool to attorneys seeking to practice or to teach improved ethical conduct.

scholarly journals Rapid Assessment of Water Quality in Teluk Lake by Using Macroinvertebrates (A Family Level Biotic Index)

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 04006
Author(s):  
Siswanta Kaban ◽  
M. Edi Armanto ◽  
M. Rasyid Ridho ◽  
Poedji L. Hariani
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Running Water ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Polluted Waters

In this study the water quality of Teluk Lake, Jambi Province by biological indices using macroobenthic during December 2017 to March 2018 were evaluated. Macro obenthic have been the most commonly indicator of running water quality to rapidly detect water quality changes. The methodology consisted on three stages: 1) macro invertebrates sampling and and sorting of the organisms in laboratory, 2) taxonomic identification of organisms and 3) determination and scoring with the Biological Monitoring Working Party -Average Score per Taxon (BMWP-ASPT) index. Result of water quality of Teluk Lake based on the diversity of macroinvertebrates was degraded with BMWP-ASPT index below 4. Based on the BMWP-ASPT score of the macroinvertebrates, both of sampling 1 and 2 were polluted with the category of medium and heavily polluted. In general, the decreasing of water quality of Teluk Lake was due to anthropogenic activities, so that the intolerant macro invertebrates could not survive in polluted waters while the tolerant ones can adapt well to the polluted aquatic environment.

scholarly journals Neuroinflammation and cognition across psychiatric conditions

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Célia Fourrier ◽  
Gaurav Singhal ◽  
Bernhard T. Baune
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Kynurenine Pathway ◽  
Homeostatic Plasticity ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
First Time

Cognitive impairments reported across psychiatric conditions (ie, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder) strongly impair the quality of life of patients and the recovery of those conditions. There is therefore a great need for consideration for cognitive dysfunction in the management of psychiatric disorders. The redundant pattern of cognitive impairments across such conditions suggests possible shared mechanisms potentially leading to their development. Here, we review for the first time the possible role of inflammation in cognitive dysfunctions across psychiatric disorders. Raised inflammatory processes (microglia activation and elevated cytokine levels) across diagnoses could therefore disrupt neurobiological mechanisms regulating cognition, including Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity, neurogenesis, neurotrophic factor, the HPA axis, and the kynurenine pathway. This redundant association between elevated inflammation and cognitive alterations across psychiatric disorders hence suggests that a cross-disorder approach using pharmacological and nonpharmacological (ie, physical activity and nutrition) anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory strategies should be considered in the management of cognition in psychiatry.

Sound foundations: archaeology in Scotland's towns and cities and the role of the Scottish Burgh Survey

Antiquity ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (293) ◽  
pp. 802-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olwyn Owen
Keyword(s):  
Total Population ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
First Time

We shall not cease from explorationAnd the end of all our exploringWill be to arrive where we startedAnd know the place for the first time.T.S. ELIOTIntroductionThink of Scotland. The chances are that what springs to mind is a picture of mountains, lochs, glens and coasts — an outstanding natural heritage which uplifts the spirit and overflows the pages of the tourist brochures. Paradoxically, though, modern Scotland has an urban heart, with its people, the lifeblood of its economy and its cultural centres all concentrated in the towns and cities. Scotland is fortunate in the quantity and quality of its historic towns, with a preponderance of small and medium-sized towns, many of which escaped the insensitive 1960s and 1970s redevelopment so eloquently lamented elsewhere. Even Scotland’s cities are small by English standards; the population of Glasgow, our largest city, was about 650,000 in the 1991 census, and Dundee, the smallest (before Inverness’s elevation), only about 165,000. Today some 80% of the total population of around 5,000,000 live and work in towns and cities.

scholarly journals Non-financial corporations in Lebanon: Who governs? “The governance myopia”

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireille Chidiac El Hajj ◽  
Richard Abou Moussa ◽  
Maha Akiki ◽  
Anthony Sassine
Keyword(s):  
Capital Market ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Exchange Market ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
First Time

The purpose of this paper is to study governance practices in non-financial enterprises in Lebanon, and it is the first time that such enterprises are studied in the Lebanese context. Only three non-financial institutions are listed in the Beirut Stock Exchange (BSE), which constitute the whole population of this research. Built on Principles, Governance is based on transparency and on accurate, relevant, and timely information in order to support the Board members’ decision-making (OECD, 2015). Balanced between Jensen and Meckling’s (1976) agency theory and Donaldson and Davis’ (1991) Stewardship theory, the results of our Qualitative study showed that the main problems faced by the enterprises are not in the quality of information but rather in its selection and filtering, which opens doors to “Governance Myopia”. Face-to-face interviews showed that the primary conflict in our case is between the non-financial enterprises and the BSE, since the BSE is controlled by the enterprises and is not controlling them. The main reason of such practices come from the fear of the BSE of losing a potential position in the MENA Exchange Market, doubled with the fear of losing potential investors. All these reasons weigh heavily on the Administrators of the BSE in Lebanon, forcing them to choose the “Laisser passer” way. Referring to the soft Law when dealing with the companies, the BSE is playing the double role of a marketer and a controller, thus not willing to impose restrictions. A need for “harder laws”, for “Privatization” of the BSE, and a call to the Capital Market Authority (CMA) to put more restrictions on Corporations should be observed.

scholarly journals Impact assessment of an effluent discharge on benthic macroinvertebrates in a subtropical river using indexes

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. e45536
Author(s):  
Sharonn Martins Gonçalves Hartmann ◽  
Hérica Rozário ◽  
Ana Lucia Suriani Affonso
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Industrial Effluent ◽  
Working Party ◽  
Biotic Index ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Calculated Density ◽  
Taxa Richness ◽  
Effluent Discharge ◽  
High Degree

Benthic macroinvertebrates are used as environmental bioindicators in the assessment of water quality in rivers and lakes, due to the sensitivity of some taxa to pollution. The objective of this research was to evaluate the consequences of industrial effluent discharge on the structure of the benthic community present in a river in the subtropical region of Brazil. The organisms were collected at three points of the Coutinho River, in 2013 (September and November) and 2014 (January and March). To characterize the community were calculated density, Shannon diversity index (H´), Pielou equitability (J), taxa richness, Biotic Indices (Biological Monitoring Working Party - BMWP, Average Score Per Taxon - BMWP-ASPT, Family Biotic Index – FBI) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) between sampling points and biotic and abiotic variables. Fifteen taxa were identified and among the collected organisms, the family Chironomidae was the most representative, followed by Oligochaeta, Hirudinea, Bivalvia, Gastropoda. According to the results of the biological indices, point 1 indicated moderate pollution and the following points (2 and 3) showed severe pollution. These indices showed poor waters with a high degree of pollution. The results were efficient in detecting the environmental impacts suffered by the river and suggest the necessity of a continuous monitoring of the same.

Anti-Mullerian hormone and its predictive value for assessing oocyte quality

GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 21-26
Author(s):  
Natalia V. Aleksandrova
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Reserve ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Oocyte Quality ◽  
Laboratory Markers ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities ◽  
First Time

The article systematizes information on the diagnostic capabilities of modern clinical and laboratory markers of ovarian reserve. The diagnostic capabilities of anti-Mllerian hormone (AMH) as a marker of ovarian reserve are discussed, which make it possible to adjust the dose of hormonal drugs and predict the response of the ovary to stimulation in programs of assisted reproductive technologies. This paper discusses for the first time the role of AMH in assessing the quality of oocytes and subsequent embryos. Despite insufficient literature data, further study of AMH, as well as full-scale research in this direction, seems to be extremely promising.

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