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Abstract Water security involves ensuring that water is available in sufficient quality and quantity to meet the needs of human health, livelihoods, ecosystems, and productive activities. This opinion paper highlights the crucial role of Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) in shaping strategies to achieve water security. We begin by defining both water security and LTER, and by illustrating how LTER contributes to securing water resources. We then briefly discuss the significance of early long-term studies that have laid the foundation for water security efforts. Following this, we examine LTER programs focused on freshwater ecosystems in Brazil, with particular emphasis on two case studies in the Upper Paraná River: the LTER program in the Upper Paraná River floodplain and the monitoring of macrophytes in the Itaipu Reservoir. We show that long-term studies in Brazil have supported the implementation of strategies that benefit various dimensions of water security, positively impacting supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services. Finally, we discuss the incorporation of water security into Brazilian legislation. While Brazilian scientists and managers possess experience in both LTER and water security issues, ensuring the implementation and enhancement of the benefits through legislative measures and other instruments that prioritize most of the society, rather than catering solely to the most influential economic sectors is challenging. Resumo A segurança hídrica busca garantir que a água esteja disponível em qualidade e quantidade suficientes para atender às necessidades da saúde humana, dos meios de subsistência, dos ecossistemas e das atividades produtivas. Este artigo de opinião destaca o papel crucial da Pesquisa Ecológica de Longa Duração (PELD) na formulação de estratégias para alcançar a segurança hídrica. Começamos definindo tanto a segurança hídrica quanto a PELD, e ilustrando como a PELD contribui para a proteção dos recursos hídricos. Em seguida, discutimos brevemente a importância de estudos de longa duração que lançaram as bases para os esforços de segurança hídrica. Posteriormente, examinamos os programas de PELD focados em ecossistemas aquáticos continentais do Brasil, com ênfase em dois estudos de caso no Rio Paraná: o programa de PELD na planície de inundação do Alto Rio Paraná e o monitoramento de macrófitas aquáticas no Reservatório de Itaipu. Nós mostramos que estudos de longa duração no Brasil têm subsidiado a implementação de estratégias que beneficiam várias dimensões da segurança hídrica, impactando positivamente os serviços ecossistêmicos de suporte, provisão, regulação e culturais. Por fim, discutimos a incorporação da segurança hídrica na legislação brasileira. Embora cientistas e gestores brasileiros possuam vasta experiência tanto com PELD quanto com questões de segurança hídrica, garantir que esses benefícios sejam plenamente realizados por meio de medidas legislativas e outros instrumentos continua sendo um desafio. Esses esforços devem priorizar a sociedade em geral, em vez de atender apenas aos setores econômicos mais influentes.

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and many other neurodegenerative disorders. Chronic activation of astrocytes and microglia fuels neuronal damage via cytokine secretion, oxidative stress, and proteolysis, yet glial inflammatory regulation remains poorly understood. Using chemoproteomics, we identified CK2, particularly the brain-enriched catalytic subunit CK2α2, as a key driver of astrocytic inflammation. CK2 enhances NF-κB activity by phosphorylating NF-κB S529 and IκBα S32, promoting pro-inflammatory gene expression. Genetic or chemical CK2 inhibition dampens inflammation, including IL-6 and IL-8 expression in a TNFα acute neuroinflammation mouse model. CK2α2 is upregulated in AD postmortem tissues and patient-derived astrocytes. AD astrocytes exhibit a hyperinflammatory state that can be attenuated by CK2 inhibition. Overexpression of CK2α2 in cortical organoids mimics AD pathology, whereas CK2 inhibition using the potent, selective, and brain-penetrant probe TAL606 rescues inflammatory markers in AD APP/PS1 mice. These findings position CK2 as a central regulator of neuroinflammation and a promising therapeutic target for AD and related disorders.

This study provides the sedimentation rates (SR) of three drainage basins at Itaipu Reservoir (Paraná State, Brazil) by applying 210 Pb and 137 Cs geochronological methods (CFCS and CRS models). The results based on the CRS model showed SR increasing in São Francisco Verdadeiro (SFV) and Ocoí (OCO) over the last decades (0.61 and 0.43 g cm 2  yr −1 , respectively). Arroio Fundo (ARF) showed the opposite trend with decreasing accumulation (0.19 g cm 2  yr −1 ). The SR results indicate that precipitation changes in a period of rapid agricultural development influence each sub-basin differently depending on its drainage size area and watershed conditions.

PurposeGlyphosate is the world’s most used herbicide and monitoring glyphosate in the environment is a relevant topic. The present study aims to develop a methodology to extract glyphosate from the soil and sediments, and assess the potential of the terracing system to mitigate contamination by glyphosate and AMPA in soil and water.Materials and methodsCollections were performed on a weekly basis in two different periods of the agricultural calendar, totaling 24 Latosol soil samples, 12 sediment samples, and 10 water samples. The sampling was performed in two distinct areas: in the cultivation area where the lots with and without terrace were installed (soil and water of the reservoirs) and in the creek (sediment) present in the middle of the property. The analytes were extracted from the soil and sediment samples using alkaline extraction with KH2PO4 and NH4OH. The supernatant resulting from the extraction and the water samples were submitted to the derivatization (FMOC-Cl) and solid-phase extraction steps. The samples were then analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FD).Results and discussionThe soil samples showed AMPA content in all samples ranging from 0.50 to 1.11 μg g−1 of soil. Glyphosate could be quantified in 37.5% of the samples, and the concentrations ranged from 0.21 to 0.49 μg g−1. High concentrations of glyphosate were detected in the water samples (20.74 and 31.24 μg L−1) in the first rain events after application, decreasing significantly in the following rainfall events. The concentrations found were similar for both lots, but the volume of runoff water was higher in the lot without terrace, thus a greater mass of analyte was transported. None of the analytes under investigation could be quantified in the analysis of riverbed sediments. Glyphosate and AMPA, however, were detected in 50 and 75% of the sediment samples respectively.ConclusionsThe results indicate the presence of analytes in the cultivation areas and prove the effectiveness of the terracing system in agricultural areas, limiting the dumping of the material originated from the surface runoff into water bodies and reducing the risk of contamination.

Artificial reservoirs have been used for drinking water supply, other human activities, flood control and pollution abatement worldwide, providing overall benefits to downstream water quality. Most reservoirs in Brazil were built during the 1970s, but their long-term patterns of trophic status, water chemistry, and nutrient removal are still not very well characterized. We aimed to evaluate water quality time series (1985–2010) data from the riverine and lacustrine zones of the transboundary Itaipu Reservoir (Brazil/Paraguay). We examined total phosphorus and nitrogen, chlorophyll a concentrations, water transparency, and phytoplankton density to look for spatial and temporal trends and correlations with trophic state evolution and nutrient retention. There was significant temporal and spatial water quality variation (P < 0.01, ANCOVA). The results indicated that the water quality and structure of the reservoir were mainly affected by one internal force (hydrodynamics) and one external force (upstream cascading reservoirs). Nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations tended to be lower in the lacustrine zone and decreased over the 25-year timeframe. Reservoir operational features seemed to be limiting primary production and phytoplankton development, which exhibited a maximum density of 6050 org/mL. The relatively small nutrient concentrations in the riverine zone were probably related to the effect of the cascade reservoirs upstream of Itaipu and led to relatively low removal percentages. Our study suggested that water quality problems may be more pronounced immediately after the filling phase of the artificial reservoirs, associated with the initial decomposition of drowned vegetation at the very beginning of reservoir operation.

The gene is implicated in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, with patient mutations leading to intellectual disability, microcephaly, and autistic behavior. While AUTS2's chromatin-and RNA-related functions are recognized, its direct binding to RNA in human neural progenitors has not been previously demonstrated. Here, we used ChIP-seq and eCLIP-seq in human neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to map AUTS2's chromatin targets and, for the first time, its direct RNA interactome. AUTS2 knockdown in NPCs led to widespread gene expression changes and impaired cell proliferation, migration, and neurite outgrowth. Integrated analysis revealed downregulation of Wnt pathway genes, notably , among targets directly bound by AUTS2 at both chromatin and RNA levels. Supplementation with WNT7A rescued cellular phenotypes in AUTS2-deficient NPCs, underscoring the significance of Wnt signaling. These findings highlight AUTS2's central role in human neurodevelopment and provide mechanistic insight into how its disruption may contribute to the pathology of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders. Chronic activation of astrocytes and microglia fuels neuronal damage via cytokine secretion, oxidative stress, and proteolysis. However, glial inflammatory regulation remains poorly understood. Using chemoproteomics, we identified CK2, particularly the brain-enriched catalytic subunit CK2α2, as a key driver of astrocytic inflammation. CK2 enhances NF-κB activity by phosphorylating NF-κB S529 and IκBα S32, promoting pro-inflammatory gene expression. CK2 inhibition via genetic or chemical approaches dampens inflammation, including IL-6 and IL-8 expression in an acute neuroinflammation mouse model. CK2α2 is upregulated in AD postmortem tissues and patient-derived astrocytes. AD astrocytes exhibit a hyperinflammatory state that can be attenuated by CK2 inhibition. Overexpression of CK2α2 in cortical organoids mimics AD pathology, whereas CK2 inhibition using the potent, selective, and brain-penetrant probe TAL606 rescues inflammatory markers in transgenic AD mice. These findings position CK2 as a central regulator of neuroinflammation and a promising therapeutic target for AD and related disorders.

Interpersonal space (IPS) is the area around the body that individuals maintain between themselves and others during social interactions. When others violate our IPS, feeling of discomfort rise up, urging us to move farther away and reinstate an appropriate interpersonal distance. Previous studies showed that when individuals are exposed to closeness of an unknown person (a confederate), the skin conductance response (SCR) increases. However, if the SCR is modulated according to participant’s preferred IPS is still an open question. To test this hypothesis, we recorded the SCR in healthy participants when a confederate stood in front of them at various distances simulating either an approach or withdrawal movement (Experiment 1). Then, the comfort-distance task was adopted to measure IPS: participants stop the confederate, who moved either toward or away from them, when they felt comfortable with other’s proximity (Experiment 2). We found higher SCR when the confederate stood closer to participants simulating an IPS intrusion, compared to when the confederate moved farther away. Crucially, we provide the first evidence that SCR, acting as a warning signal, contributes to interpersonal distance preference suggesting a functional link between behavioral components of IPS regulation and the underlying physiological processes.

To investigate the modulation of genes whose expression level is indicative of stress and toxicity following exposure to three anaesthesia techniques, general anaesthesia (GA), regional anaesthesia (RA), or integrated anaesthesia (IA). Patients scheduled for hip arthroplasty receiving GA, RA and IA were enrolled at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute of Bologna, Italy and the expression of genes involved in toxicology were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected before (T0), immediately after surgery (T1), and on the third day (T2) after surgery in association with biochemical parameters. All three anaesthesia methods proved safe and reliable in terms of pain relief and patient recovery. Gene ontology analysis revealed that GA and mainly IA were associated with deregulation of DNA repair system and stress-responsive genes, which was observed even after 3-days from anaesthesia. Conversely, RA was not associated with substantial changes in gene expression. Based on the gene expression analysis, RA technique showed the smallest toxicological effect in hip arthroplasty. ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT03585647.

We explore the structure of two ionic liquids based on the choline cation and the monoanion of the maleic acid. We consider two isomers of the anion (H-maleate, the cis-isomer and H-fumarate, the trans-isomer) having different physical chemical properties. H-maleate assumes a closed structure and forms a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond whereas H-fumarate has an open structure. X-ray diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics have been used to provide a reliable picture of the interactions which characterize the structure of the fluids. All calculations indicate that the choline cation prefers to connect mainly to the carboxylate group through OH⋯O interactions in both the compounds and orient the charged head N(CH3)3+ toward the negative portion of the anion. However, the different structure of the two anions affects the distribution of the ionic components in the fluid. The trans conformation of H-fumarate allows further interactions between anions through COOH and CO2− groups whereas intramolecular hydrogen bonding in H-maleate prevents this association. Our theoretical findings have been validated by comparing them with experimental X-ray data and infrared and Raman spectra.