Publications by authors named "Sylvester O"
Agroecological producers shortening food chains during Covid-19: opportunities and challenges in Costa Rica.
Agric Human Values
February 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic has compounded the global food insecurity crisis, disproportionately affecting the consumers, farmers, and food workers (UN in Policy brief: impacts of COVID-19 on food security and nutrition, 2020, https://www.un.org/sites/un2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objective: Complications arising from groin hernias carry significant risks that task the resources of the surgeon and patient and, whenever feasible, should be avoided. In the past, obstructed groin hernia was the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in many parts of tropical Africa, but the trend appears to be changing. The aim of this study was to determine the severity and operative outcomes of complicated groin hernias in our centre.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTropical palms reach tree-like heights without a vascular cambium through sustained cell expansion and lignification of primary tissues, but only a fraction of palms have been explored in their allometric relationships. Here, our main question was to determine how palms depart from the traditional mechanical models developed for trees and how they approach the theoretical buckling limit. We analyzed the stem allometry of 1603 palms of 14 species from different strata at 10 sites in Costa Rica and Peru.
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- The study investigates the molecular mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by focusing on how protein phosphorylation interacts with oxidative stress.
- Researchers assessed biomarkers and protein interactions in models that resemble the characteristics of AMD, hypothesizing that specific protein changes are key to the disease's progression.
- Findings reveal that certain proteins and cellular processes are crucial for understanding and potentially treating AMD, highlighting therapeutic targets and the role of phosphorylation in cellular survival during oxidative stress.
Article Synopsis
- * The study explored whether natural compounds, particularly anthocyanins from African plants, can influence angiogenesis using a chick model to assess their effects on blood vessel formation.
- * Results showed that anthocyanin-rich extracts inhibited blood vessel growth in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, suggesting they could be potential treatments for diseases related to abnormal vessel formation.
Article Synopsis
- * This study quantitatively analyzed mitochondrial characteristics in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, revealing interactions involving the protein prohibitin that affect both cytoskeletal structure and mitochondrial behavior.
- * Findings suggest that the balance of mitochondrial movement is essential, and disruptions might contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting the importance of mitochondrial and cytoskeletal dynamics in cellular health.
Article Synopsis
- Prohibitin has been shown to interact with specific lipids like phosphatidylinositide and cardiolipin, particularly during stress conditions to help activate mitochondrial growth.
- The study focuses on the expression of prohibitin in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) related to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- Findings indicate that lower levels of prohibitin in the peripheral RPE contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction, potentially speeding up AMD progression.
Premise Of The Study: Knowledge on the growth responses of understory palms to changing light conditions within neotropical cloud forests is limited. The low light regime of these environments, in addition to persistent cloudiness, low ambient temperatures, and slow nutrient cycles, imposes significant constraints on biomass accumulation. Here, we evaluate how changes in the understory light conditions influenced the allometry and growth of G.
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