Publications by authors named "V Vasquez"

We review existing approaches to optimizing the deployment of genetic biocontrol technologies-tools used to prevent vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue-and formulate a mathematical program that enables the incorporation of crucial ecological and logistical details. The model is comprised of equality constraints grounded in discretized dynamic population equations, inequality constraints representative of operational limitations including resource restrictions, and an objective function that jointly minimizes the count of competent mosquito vectors and the number of transgenic organisms released to mitigate them over a specified time period. We explore how nonlinear programming (NLP) and mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) can advance the state of the art in designing the operational implementation of three distinct transgenic public health interventions, two of which are presently in active use around the world.

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Mitochondrial dysfunction is a central aspect of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology, yet the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigates the link between α-Synuclein (α-Syn) pathology and the loss of translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 40 (TOM40), unraveling its implications for mitochondrial dysfunctions in neurons. We discovered that TOM40 protein depletion occurs in the brains of patients with Guam Parkinsonism-Dementia (Guam PD) and cultured neurons expressing α-Syn proteinopathy, notably, without corresponding changes in TOM40 mRNA levels.

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The treatment of food waste by anaerobic digestion (AD) still faces several challenges. Fractionating the waste, with a screw press separator, into a liquid phase rich in soluble compounds and a solid fraction could contribute to reduce these challenges, provided that the solid fraction is valorized. To do so, hydrothermal carbonization was shown to be a promising option.

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We present a direct electrospinning fabrication technique for the manufacture of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEDOT:PSS/PEO) polymer fibers containing embedded cubic lanthanum hexaboride (LaB) particles. We focus on the impact of relative humidity on the formation of uniform polymer fibers and show that a relative humidity of 5% is optimal, resulting in an average fiber thickness of 266 ± 88 nm. As the relative humidity is increased, the fibers contain beads as a consequence of Rayleigh instabilities.

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Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) poses acute fatality and long-term neurological risks due to hemin and iron accumulation from hemoglobin breakdown. Our observation that hemin induces DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), prompting a senescence-like phenotype in neurons, necessitating deeper exploration of cellular responses. Using experimental ICH models and human ICH patient tissue, we elucidate hemin-mediated DNA damage response (DDR) inducing transient senescence and delayed expression of heme oxygenase (HO-1).

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