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AbstractPurposeMaterials and methodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONTo describe and analyze the methodological characteristics and quality of cross-sectional studies that have validated an ICF-CS.A systematic review was conducted to identify empirical studies published in English that validated any ICF-CS using a cross-sectional design. Databases searched included Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO. The search was conducted in November 2022 with an update in October 2023. Two independent reviewers coded studies that met the inclusion criteria and assessed their methodological quality and risk of bias using the AXIS tool. Synthesis was performed by calculating frequencies and percentages.87 articles validating 24 ICF-CSs were analyzed. Most articles showed strengths in consistency between study objectives and the outcome variables measured. However, a large majority did not report sample size calculation (up to 94.2% in Delphi studies), and few validation studies were conducted in the WHO regions of Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.The quality of cross-sectional studies validating ICF-CSs was satisfactory, although several articles did not describe aspects such as sample size calculation. Validity evidence for ICF-CS studies could be improved by conducting more multicenter studies, replicating ICF-CS validation studies in different WHO regions, and through synthesis of existing research.Cross-sectional validation studies of ICF-CSs have satisfactory quality, supporting the use of the CSs in clinical rehabilitation settings similar to those evaluated here.Additional validation studies are required for ICF-CSs that have not yet been validated or for which validity evidence is limited.The methodological findings of this review constitute a roadmap that could guide the development and improve the quality of future ICF-CS validation studies.Knowing which ICF-CSs are validated through cross-sectional designs is useful for planning and designing interventions and instrument development.Cross-sectional validation studies of ICF-CSs have satisfactory quality, supporting the use of the CSs in clinical rehabilitation settings similar to those evaluated here.Additional validation studies are required for ICF-CSs that have not yet been validated or for which validity evidence is limited.The methodological findings of this review constitute a roadmap that could guide the development and improve the quality of future ICF-CS validation studies.Knowing which ICF-CSs are validated through cross-sectional designs is useful for planning and designing interventions and instrument development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable films based on a blend of Peruvian tunta starch (TS) and tara gum (TG) (95:5) reinforced with TS nanocrystals (NC) were prepared using the casting method. The effect of ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation time (60 and 120 min) and the NC concentration (0, 5, and 10 g/100 g biopolymers) on the physicochemical and disintegrability properties of nanocomposite TS:TG films were investigated. Tensile strength and Young's modulus were increased from 4 to 14 MPa and 14 to 600 MPa, respectively; meanwhile, the elongation was reduced by about 90% by increasing NC amount, mainly at lower UV-time. The color parameters and the UV–vis light barrier showed a significant (p <.05) variation mainly due to the NC effect. The higher the NC content, the lower the moisture barrier (p <.05). Neither NC nor UV time significantly impacted the moisture content, water solubility, crystallinity, or chemical composition. SEM micrographs showed a roughness increase in the films' microstructure with a marked difference among treatments. All films were disintegrated more than 80% after 5 days of burying under composting conditions. The UV-irradiation combined with TS nanocrystal reinforcement caused a significant enhancement of some TS:TG films' properties, suggesting their possible use as eco-friendly packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentine cattle breeding requires the incorporation of analyses that allow us to reduce the number of unfit bulls in the herds. The objective of the study was to detect the presence of pathogen DNA in fresh semen samples using molec-ular techniques (PCR) and to evaluate its relationship with reproductive pa-rameters and sperm DNA fragmentation. Samples from a group of 24 asymp-tomatic bulls from 18 herds of Buenos Aires and La Pampa provinces were ob-tained. The minimum scrotal circumference value was 33 cm. Twenty-one per-cent of the bulls showed low mating capacity. Ureaplasma diversum DNA was detected in 30.4% and DNA fragmentation was found in 16.6% of the sperma-tozoa. Significant differences were only found when comparing prevalences of Ureaplasma diversum DNA detection and seminal volume (X2 = 8.39 p<0.05). No other studied pathogen DNA was detected. Incorporating techniques that allow us to evaluate seminal quality will allow us to reduce economic losses and the entry of risky genetic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ovarian Torsion (OT) is complete or partial rotation of the ovary above its vascular pedicle. The objective is to descriptively compare the Hospital Discharge Rates (HDR) for OT in the period 2018-2021 in Chile. Material and methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. The data of hospital discharge for OT in Chile between 2018-2021 (n=1,599) according to age group and days of hospital stay were obtained from the Department of Health Information Statistics. HDR was calculated. No ethics committee was required. Results: An HDR for OT of 4.33/100.000 population was determined between the years 2018 and 2021, with 2021 being the highest with 5.92. The age groups of 10-14 and 15-19 years old registered the highest HDR of 8.5 and 7.55, respectively. The average number of days of hospital stay for OT between the years 2018-2021 was 2.15 days, with 2018 being the longest year with 2.3 days. Patients 80 years and older had the longest hospital length of stay with 3.37 days. Discussion: The HDR for OT in Chile has increased in recent years. In 2020-2021 the highest HDR for OT were found between 10-19 years old, probably due to increases in the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in Chile. The oldest age groups recorded the longest average hospital length of stay, which may be due to increased susceptibility to postoperative complications. Considering the limited source of information in this regard, our study allows us to present an updated national epidemiological profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to identify the cybersecurity practices of high school students based on their social representations. This research was carried out with the participation of students from state and private institutions in the cities of Bogotá D.C. and Florencia-Caquetá in Colombia. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview. The analysis of the information was carried out using the qualitative software NVIVO v12. The study determines that the lack of cyber-education of high school students becomes an important vulnerable condition that deteriorates the trust and digital security in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), is a widely distributed pest of many economically important crops. Because of its economic impact, multiple examples of rearing methods and diets for N. viridula have been published. However, rearing this pest year-round consistently in all-vegetable diets has been challenging. Preliminary observations have shown that supplementing N. viridula diet with insect components improves the survival and reproduction of this insect. We hypothesized that taurine could be the nutrient present in insect components that was providing the benefits. Treatments consisting of three different watering regimes: 1) Reverse osmosis (RO) water only (W), 2) 2% taurine solution only (T), and 3) a choice between RO water and 2% taurine solution (T&W) were compared for their effects on life cycle and demographic parameters of N. viridula. Both taurine-containing treatments (T and T&W) resulted in a significant increase in nymphal and premating adult survival and egg viability as compared with treatment 'W'. Taurine supplementation did not have significant effect on fecundity and development time significantly increased in the 'T' treatment compared with W and W&T treatments. However, there were significant improvements in demographic parameters showing an increase in fitness levels after taurine supplementation. These results suggest that taurine is an important nutrient for N. viridula , which has been deficient in traditional diets consisting exclusively of vegetable components. Adoption of this new information will help to improve the survival of N. viridula in culture to facilitate this study to develop new methods for its control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of inheritance of quantitative traits of high plasticity in insects has been limited. The heritability of larval development time and body weight in Tenebrio molitor L. was determined using the method of parent-offspring regression. The parental group of adults obtained from a cohort from one day of oviposition from a stock colony was divided into 28 class groups according to their larval development time and pupal weight. The progeny resulting from these parental classes was grouped in experimental units and allowed to develop to the pupal stage. Means of larval development time and pupal weight of the progeny were compared with their parental class levels using linear regression. The selection of larval development time and pupal weight in the parental classes had a significant impact on the means of larval development time and pupal weight of the progeny. The regression coefficients for larval development time and pupal weight were 0.626 ± 0.02 and 0.408 ± 0.02, respectively. These values represent the proportion of genetic determination of these two traits based on the principles of the method of parent-offspring regression. The apparent independence of larval development time and pupal weight based on their poor linear correlation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the modelling, design, construction, and control of a wrist joint flexion/extension and abduction/adduction rehabilitation exoskeleton. The dynamic models of the wrist movements are obtained using Euler-Lagrange formulation and are built in Simulink of MATLAB in conjunction with a PID closed-loop control representing the human natural neuromusculoskeletal control. Simulations are carried out to estimate the joint torque required to produce the functional wrist movements in an average Colombian adult. The exoskeleton is designed in SolidWorks CAD software, built through 3D printing in polylactic acid (PLA), powered by two on-board servomotors, and controlled by an Arduino UNO board that establishes communication with an Android mobile app developed in MIT App Inventor for entering the rehabilitation therapy parameters. The result of this work is a lightweight exoskeleton with a total mass of 0.64 [kg] including servomotors, microcontroller, and batteries, with the ability to be used in telerehabilitation practices, guaranteeing angular displacement tracking errors under 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ESR1/ESR2 genes play a role in osteoporosis (OP). Our objective was to determine associations of polymorphisms in ESR genes with OP and fracture, SNP–SNP interactions, and involvement of comorbidities. We analyzed 170 Mexican osteoporotic women (FNOP), 173 with hip fracture (HFx), and 210 controls. The SNPs, ESR1 rs2234693CC, rs851982CC and rs1999805AA, were associated with reduced OP risk (odds ratios [ORs] = 0.35, 0.40 and 0.32, respectively; p < 0.05); rs2234693CC was associated with reduced fracture risk (OR = 0.24; p < 0.05). The obese/overweight carriers of rs9340799GG had a lower OP (OR = 0.15, p = 0.016) and fracture (OR = 0.12, p = 0.0057) risk. The rs9479055AA and rs3020404AA hypertensive carriers had a higher OP risk (OR = 5.96, p = 0.032; and OR = 5.29, p = 0.02, respectively). In addition, rs3020404AA had a higher risk of fracture (OR = 4.90, p = 0.045). The rs2228480GG hypertensive carriers had a higher risk of fracture (OR = 6.22, p = 0.0038). We found a synergic relation between the ESR1 rs3020331 and rs1999805 in femoral neck OP and HFx. The rs2234693 (PvuII) and rs9340799 (XbaI) polymorphisms are associated with a high risk forming a haplotype. The epistasis analysis suggests the contribution of both genes (ESR1/ESR2) to the risk of OP and fracture. Epistasis and involvement of obesity and hypertension lead to a significant modification of the risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Healthy sleeping is essential for the human body, which, when altered, will affect the individual's daytime and evening functioning. This sleep disturbance might appear in college, which is characterized by poor sleep habits. Given that in Chile there is a lack of information regarding medical students, therefore the following objectives were proposed: stablish the prevalence of sleep disorders and their characteristics in medical students of the Andrés Bello University, Viña del Mar (UNAB-VM), according to sex, the association between having sleep disorder and the academic year, sex, and consumption of hypnotic medications, and comparing the level of daytime sleepiness and level of morningness-eveningness in students with and without disorder. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study with analytical data from 234 students, from first to fifth, of medicine from UNAB-VM, year 2020. Measures performed were; quality of sleep using the Pittsburgh quality index, daytime sleepiness using the Epworth scale and level of morning-evening using the morningness-eveningness questionnaire by Horne and Östberg. Results: 86.3% of students had a sleep disorder. From those, 69.3% were women, 30.7% were men, 21.3% used hypnotic medications, and 26.7% of the prevalence corresponds to the second year. Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disorder in medical students is high. The consumption of hypnotic drugs revealed a significant figure and higher than the rest of the analyzed bibliography, which could probably be explained by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentina has records of Ureaplasma diversum in healthy cattle and those with reproductive disorders, but there is not information regarding semen up to date. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of Ureaplasma diversum in fresh semen samples obtained from bulls from central region of Argentina. A total of 110 semen samples from asymptomatic bulls of breed and natural service herds were collected. Samples were obtained from two groups of reproductive ages (up to 13 months and more than 13 months). Ureaplasma diversum DNA was detected in 28.2% of the samples. Significant differences were found when comparing prevalence between samples taken from breed vs natural service herds, and between the ages studied. This is the first report of presence of Ureaplasma diversum DNA in fresh semen of bulls in Argentina. It is important to improve the diagnosis system for detecting pathogenic microorganisms in national genetic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be classified as seropositive or seronegative according to the presence of autoantibodies. An abnormal B cell phenotype and function could be one of the main components of the immunopathology of seropositive patients; however, there is little information regarding B cell defects in these patients. This study shows a broad characterization of the B cell phenotype and function in patients with seropositive RA. We focused mainly on the evaluation of subsets, the expression of modulatory molecules of cell activation (CD22, FcɣRIIb and FcµR), calcium mobilization, global tyrosine phosphorylation, expression of activation markers, cytokine and immunoglobulin (Ig) production, proliferation and the in‐vitro generation of plasma cells. Increased frequency of CD27−IgM−IgD− and CD21− B cells was observed in patients with seropositive RA compared with healthy donors (HD). Decreased expression of CD22 was primarily found in memory B cells of patients with RA regardless of seropositivity. B cells from seropositive patients exhibited normal proliferation, calcium mobilization kinetics and global tyrosine phosphorylation, but showed an increased frequency of CD86+ B cells compared with HD. B cells of seropositive patients secrete less interleukin‐10 after in‐vitro activation and showed a decreased frequency of plasma cell differentiation and IgM production compared with HD. Our data indicate that patients with seropositive RA have an increased frequency of atypical B cell populations previously associated with chronic activation and antigen exposure. This may result in the observed low responsiveness of these cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the consideration of a dynamic charge to describe the non-Coulomb potential of the residual target for ionisation in bare ion–multielectron atom collisions is studied. This is based on the well-known Belkić's prescription. It is shown that using an emission-angle-dependent charge in the final residual target continuum state improves the doubly differential cross sections for backward emission angles. It appears as an excellent choice to avoid large time-consuming calculations, associated with the use of numerical continuum functions. Improving the physical description of the ionisation reaction whilst keeping calculation times as low as possible is necessary for multiple applications that require large cross sections databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a high percentage of error in the approach of patients with joint pain by primary care physicians. An algorithm can help improve this misdiagnosis problem. Our study seeks to determine the effectiveness of an algorithm when used by primary care physicians for the diagnosis of cases of joint pain patients. A randomized clinical experiment was carried out. Primary care physicians from five cities in Colombia developed a series of clinical cases, which were presented to them through a website on their personal cell phones. Half of the doctors developed the cases using the diagnostic algorithm, and the other half developed the cases without the use of the algorithm. Main measures were proportion of correct diagnosis, number, type of laboratory and diagnostic images requested for the diagnostic approach of clinical cases. Two hundred and twenty-four primary care physicians participated. The overall proportion of cases correctly diagnosed was 37.3% higher in the intervention group; we found a greater difference in cases of spondyloarthritis (60.8%), followed by systemic lupus erythematosus with joint involvement (32.2%), rheumatoid arthritis (30.3%) and osteoarthritis (25.9%). The average number of tests requested to develop clinical cases was lower in the intervention group than in the control group, both globally and for each of the four diseases, with statistically significant differences for each of the comparisons. The diagnostic algorithm proved to be an effective tool when used by primary care physicians; the proportion of correct diagnoses increased, and the number of tests requested in the development of the cases decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colour pattern is the main trait that drives mate recognition between Heliconius species that are phylogenetically close. However, when this cue is compromised such as in cases of mimetic, sympatric and closely related species, alternative mating signals must evolve to ensure reproductive isolation and species integrity. The closely related species Heliconius melpomene malleti and H. timareta florencia occur in the same geographical region, and despite being co-mimics, they display strong reproductive isolation. In order to test which cues differ between species, and potentially contribute to reproductive isolation, we quantified differences in the wing phenotype and the male chemical profile. As expected, the wing colour pattern was indistinguishable between the two species, while the chemical profile of the androconial and genital males' extracts showed marked differences. We then conducted behavioural experiments to study the importance of these signals in mate recognition by females. In agreement with our previous results, we found that chemical blends and not wing colour pattern drive the preference of females for conspecific males. Also, experiments with hybrid males and females suggested an important genetic component for both chemical production and preference. Altogether, these results suggest that chemicals are the major reproductive barrier opposing gene flow between these two sister and co-mimic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The house cricket, Acheta domesticus L. (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) is one of the most important species of industrialized insects in the United States. Within the past five years the market of cricket powder as a food ingredient has been growing with increasing consumer interest on more sustainable sources of food. However, high labor costs of cricket production and high prices of cricket feed formulations result in cricket powder market prices much higher than other protein-rich food ingredients, making cricket powder only competitive within the novelty food market. In this study new diets formulated using by-products were developed using dietary self-selection followed by regression analysis. Crickets selected among seven different combinations of ingredients. Consumption ratios of food ingredients and by-products were used to determine macro and micro-nutrient intake. Regression analysis was used to determine the individual nutrient intake effect on cricket biomass production. Intake of vitamin C, sterol, manganese, and vitamins B1 and B5 had the most significant impact on live biomass production. Four diets were formulated based on this information and compared with a reference (Patton's 13) and a commercial diet. Although, crickets reared on Patton's diet 13 produced the most dry-weight biomass and developed the fastest, diet 4 (consisting of 92% by-products) generated the most profit (with a cost of $0.39 USD per kg) after an economic analysis that did not include the commercial formulation. Dry-weight biomass production was not significantly different among the four new diets and the commercial diet. This study demonstrated the value of dietary self-selection studies in developing oligidic insect diets and in studies of insect nutrition. This is the first such study involving farmed edible crickets and agricultural by-products. Four new cricket diet formulations contain between 62 and 92% agricultural by-products are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) modulate the magnitude of immune responses and possess therapeutic potential in an array of immune diseases. Statins reduce the activation and proliferation of conventional T cells (Tcons), and they seem to up‐regulate the frequency and function of Tregs. However, there is a lack of simultaneous evaluation of the in‐vitro effect of statins on the functional profile of Tregs versus Tcons. Herein, magnetically purified Tcons and Tregs were stimulated with CD3/CD28/interleukin (IL)‐2 in the presence of atorvastatin (ATV) at 1 or 10 µM. The suppressive function of Tregs, the expression of markers associated with Treg function, activation levels, cytokine production and calcium flux in both subpopulations were assessed by flow cytometry. ATV had no cytotoxic effect on T cells at the concentrations used. Interestingly, 10 µM ATV hampered the suppressive capacity of Tregs. Moreover, this higher concentration reduced the expression of forkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3), cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTLA‐4) and programmed death 1 (PD‐1). In Tcons, ATV at 10 µM decreased PD‐1 and CD45RO expression. The expression of CD25, CD69, CD95, CD38, CD62L, CCR7 and perforin was not affected in both subpopulations or at any ATV concentrations. Remarkably, 10 µM ATV increased the percentage of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α‐producing Tregs. Although there was a reduction of calcium flux in Tcons and Tregs, it was only significant in 10 µM ATV‐treated Tcons. These results suggested that 10 µM ATV affects the cellular functions of both populations; however, this concentration particularly affected several aspects of Treg biology: its suppressive function, cytokine production and expression of Treg‐specific markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the article is to present the research development of socio-environmental conflicts for oil exploration. A descriptive interpretative study was carried out through documentary research with a qualitative approach. Fifty research references were reviewed in various databases. In the results, Latin American countries stand out with the highest research output. The predominant method was the case study. It is concluded that the study of socioenvironmental conflicts has been increasing in Latin America and with it, the extension of the studied realities from several perspectives. However, the socio-environmental conflictivity has been little approached from the perspective of the thought of the social groups, aspects such as value systems, information, and knowledge of the communities, have not been widely developed in the investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract β-glucosidases participate (EC 3.2.1.21) in the activation of glycosylated and inactive forms of various compounds during plant response to the environmental conditions. The understanding of regulatory mechanisms for β-glucosidases in each plant species and their functionality is the purpose of various investigations. Our study reports the expression analysis of 10 β-glucosidase genes in corn seedlings after a challenge infection ith Fusarium proliferatum and Ustilago maydis compared with the gene expression analysis after mechanical damage and without damage to the seedlings under in vitro culture conditions. Likewise, the heterologous sequence comparison of the β-glucosidases from Zea mays and the characterized β-glucosidases of Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana were reported. Our results suggest a potential similitude in the functionality of this group of β-glucosidase genes in maize during the response to biotic stress and the mechanical damage that also showed possible tissue-specific regulation. Our results suggest the transcription regulation of these β-glucosidases and their possible influence in the defence mechanism against fungal infections in maize. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • The homologies of 26 β-glucosidases of maize with other species were compared. • The expression profile of β-glucosidases in maize under biotic stress was evaluated. • Biotrophic and necrotrophic infection showed differential expression pattern. • The 26 β-Glu of maize are enclosed in 6 groups according to function expression are associated to fungus infection and tissue. • Presence of SNP in β-glu genes between B73 and PUMA line was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite significant efforts to restore dryland ecosystems worldwide, the rate of success of restoration is extremely low in these areas. The role of cyanobacteria from soil biocrusts in reestablishing soil functions of degraded land has been highlighted in recent years. These organisms are capable of improving soil structure and promoting soil N and C fixation. Nevertheless, their application to restore functions of reconstructed soils in dryland restoration programs is yet to be harnessed. In this study, we used microcosms under laboratory conditions to analyse the effects of inoculating soil substrates used in post-mine restoration with a mixture of N-fixing cyanobacteria isolated from soil biocrust ( Nostoc commune , Tolypothrix distorta and Scytonema hyalinum ) on i) the recovery of the biocrust, and ii) the carbon sequestration and mineralisation rates of these substrates. Soils were collected from an active mine site in the mining-intensive biodiverse Pilbara region (north-west Western Australia) and consisted of previously stockpiled topsoil, overburden waste material, a mixture of both substrates, and a natural soil from an undisturbed area. Our results showed that cyanobacteria rapidly colonised the mine substrates, with biocrust coverage ranging from 23.8 to 52.2% and chlorophyll a concentrations of up to 12.2 μg g −1 three months after inoculation. Notably, soil organic C contents increased 3-fold ( P  < 0.001) in the mine waste substrate (from 0.6 g kg −1 to 1.9 g kg −1 ) during this period of time. Overall, our results showed that cyanobacteria inoculation can rapidly modify properties of reconstructed soil substrates, underpinning the potential key role of these organisms as bio-tools to initiate recovery of soil functions in infertile, reconstructed soil substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Cyanobacteria from biocrusts can enhance soil function and structure, a critical objective when restoring degraded dryland ecosystems. Large-scale restoration of biodiversity requires direct seeding of native plant species, and bio-priming seeds with cyanobacteria is a potential method of initiating enhanced soil functioning. The utility of cyanobacteria for improving soil is therefore dependent on whether target plant species remain unaffected during its application.Methods: Cyanobacteria from the genera Microcoleus and Nostoc were isolated from locally-sourced biocrust samples, and cultured under controlled conditions. A two-factor laboratory experiment was conducted including cyanobacteria and the culture growth medium (BG11) as factors. We bio-primed seeds of five species native to Western Australia, commonly used in dryland restoration, by soaking them in the cultures developed, and assessed germination and growth.Results: We found significant positive effects of seeds bio-primed with cyanobacteria on germination and seedling growth of two species, Senna notabilis and Acacia hilliana, respectively. Importantly, no significant negative effects of cyanobacteria were found for any of the species studied.Conclusions: Few studies of cyanobacteria effects on regeneration of native species exist. We found that the potential benefits of applying indigenous bacteria via bio-priming seeds would not inhibit plant establishment, and indeed may be beneficial for some species used in dryland restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the evolution of the atmospheric variables that affect planetary climate by increasing the obliquity by using a general circulation model (PlaSim) coupled to a slab ocean with mixed layer flux correction. We increase the obliquity between 30° and 90° in 16 aquaplanets with liquid sea surface and perform the simulation allowing the sea ice cover formation to be a consequence of its atmospheric dynamics. Insolation is maintained constant in each experiment, but changing the obliquity affects the radiation budget and the large scale circulation. Earth-like atmospheric dynamics is observed for planets with obliquity under 54°. Above this value, the latitudinal temperature gradient is reversed giving place to a new regime of jet streams, affecting the shape of Hadley and Ferrel cells and changing the position of the InterTropical Convergence Zone. As humidity and high temperatures determine Earth’s habitability, we introduce the wet bulb temperature as an atmospheric index of habitability for Earth-like aquaplanets with above freezing temperatures. The aquaplanets are habitable all year round at all latitudes for values under 54°; above this value habitability decreases toward the poles due to high temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortality caused by indirect exposure to Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana (GHA and NI8) to the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), workers was evaluated. Groups of 50 workers were placed in one side of dual-box arenas. The opposite side of the arenas was lined with filter paper squares previously sprayed with unformulated purified spores (106 spores/ml) suspended in 0.2% Ethal TDA 3, HLB 8 of the three fungal strains, or untreated filter paper squares as the control. Daily observations were done for 1 wk to determine mortality. Dead ants from each treatment and control were collected, surface cleaned, and placed in PDA media and incubated at 27°C, 60% RH for 7 d to detect fungal growth. The presence of fungal growth in the dead ants confirmed that fungal spores infected workers while walking on the treated paper. In the M. brunneum and B. bassiana GHA treatments, 51.35 and 56.68% of the workers died, respectively, during days 1 and 2. However, only 9.47 and 35.96% of the mortality could be explained by fungal infection by M. brunneum and B. bassiana GHA, respectively. Most of the mortality observed in the B. bassiana NI8 treatment (84.48%) occurred later (between days 4-6) and most of this mortality occurring during day 4 (89.06%) could be explained by B. bassiana infection. Overall mortality was significantly higher in the B. bassiana NI8 treatment than the other two fungi tested and control. Potential application of these fungal strains for fire ant control are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia sinensis is a well-known plant used for health purposes due to its high phenolic compound content and antioxidant properties. For the first time, the infusion of green tea has allowed the growth and stabilization of silver nanowires (AgNWs). Two commercial types of green tea leaf extracts were used for the practical synthesis of AgNWs at low temperature. The use of low concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a directing agent was successful to obtain nanobar/nanorod assemblies that form 2-fold to 10-fold nanowires. FESEM, HRTEM and HAADF microscopies helped identify nanowires of ∼50 nm in diameter and ∼1.3 micron in length. The antibacterial properties of the AgNWs were investigated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The AgNW morphology may damage the cell wall, accelerating cellular stress that leads to fatal inactivation of infectious microorganisms. This work provides a green approach to the aqueous biosynthesis of AgNWs with promising antibacterial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The objective of this study was to obtain a phenotypic and genotypic profile of Salmonella enterica including multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates from food-producing animals and clinical isolates, as well as their genetic relatedness in two different States of Mexico (Jalisco and State of Mexico). Methods and Results A total of 243 isolates were evaluated in terms of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and related genes through a disk diffusion method and PCR respectively; we found 16 MDR isolates, all of them harbouring the bla CMY gene but not qnr genes, these isolates represent less than 10% of the collection. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed a higher genotypic similitude within isolates of State of Mexico than Jalisco. Conclusions A low percentage of Salmonella isolates were resistant to relevant antibiotics in human health, nevertheless, the AMR and involved genes were similar despite the different serovars and origin of the isolates. Significance and Impact of the Study This investigation provided an insight of the current status of AMR of Salmonella isolates in two States of Mexico and pinpoint the genes involved in AMR and their epidemiological relationship, the information could help to determine an adequate therapy in human and veterinary medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the understanding of the piscirickettsiosis pathogenesis, the in vivo apoptosis modulation of peritoneal macrophages and lymphocytes was studied in juvenile Salmo salar intraperitoneally injected with Piscirickettsia salmonis. Five fish were sampled at post-exposure days 1, 5, 8 (preclinical), 20 (clinical) and 40 (post-clinical period of the disease), and the leucocytes of their coelomic washings were analysed by flow cytometry (using the JC-1 cationic dye), TUNEL and cytology to detect apoptotic cells. A selective and temporal pattern of apoptosis modulation by P. salmonis infection was observed. Apoptosis in lymphocytes was not affected, whereas it was inhibited in macrophages but only during the preclinical stage of the induced piscirickettsiosis. Hence, it is postulated that P. salmonis inhibits macrophage apoptosis at the beginning of the disease development to survive, multiply and probably be transported inside these phagocytes; once this process is complete, macrophage apoptosis is no longer inhibited, thus facilitating the exit of the bacteria from the infected cells for continuing their life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a spin-1/2 Ising-XYZ distorted diamond chain with the XYZ interaction between the interstitial Heisenberg dimers, the nearest-neighbor Ising coupling between the nodal and interstitial spins, respectively, and the second-neighbor Ising coupling between the nodal spins. The ground-state phase diagram of the spin-1/2 Ising-XYZ distorted diamond chain exhibits several intriguing phases due to the XY anisotropy and the second-neighbor interaction, whereas the model can be exactly solved using the transfer-matrix technique. The quantum entanglement within the Heisenberg spin dimers is studied through a bipartite measure concurrence, which is calculated from a relevant reduced density operator. The concurrence may either show a standard thermal dependence with a monotonous decline with increasing temperature or a more peculiar thermal dependence accompanied with reentrant behavior of the concurrence. Based in the present model, it is conjectured that the bipartite entanglement between the interstitial Heisenberg spin pairs in the natural mineral azurite is quite insensitive to the applied magnetic field and it persists up to approximately 30 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of DNA into the extracellular milieu by neutrophil during a process called NETosis has been postulated as an additional source of autoantigens; a process believed to be important in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus ( SLE). However, it is not established if the B and T cells undergo the release of DNA to the extracellular milleu, in response to different stimuli. In this study, it was observed that the treatment of B and T cells with PMA, ionomycin and the serum from patients with SLE induced the extracellular DNA presence in B and T cells. These findings suggest that the phenomenon were similar to those observed in neutrophil's Etosis; B and T cells also released their DNA into the extracellular milieu. The findings express that serum from patients with SLE and SLEDAI ≤ 8 triggers the release of extracellular DNA in neutrophils, B and T cells, that suggested the presence of soluble factors in the serum that favoured this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the influence that environmental variables exerted on changes in condition index (CI), shell height (SH-dorsal-ventral axis) and soft tissue mass increments (STM) of the winged oyster Pteria colymbus in suspended culture during periods of upwelling (December to April) and non-upwelling (August to November) in the Cariaco Gulf, northeastern Venezuela. Environmental variables recorded between April 2012 and May 2013 included seston, water transparency, temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a (Chl a) and the upwelling index (UI). Individuals were cultivated in lantern nets with an overall density of 56 individuals/0.123 m. From three randomly chosen baskets, five individuals were sampled each month and changes in CI, STM and SH were related to the environmental variables using Spearman correlation and PCA. Results show that during upwelling, both Chl a and UI presented a positive and significant relationship with the oyster condition and growth parameters. During non-upwelling (low UI), this relationship was inverse, demonstrating the important influence of upwelling and non-upwelling periods on the ecophysiology of the species. Furthermore, it was shown that the non-upwelling, characterized by high temperatures and low food availability, is a critical period for P. colymbus, judging by a decrease in growth and survival rate. Nonetheless, this species reached 50 mm in 5 months, a size considered as commercially viable, suggesting that the study area is favourable to the cultivation of the winged oyster despite a dramatic decrease in upwelling intensity in the last decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the entanglement dynamics of two distinguishable atoms confined into a cavity and interacting with a quantum vacuum field. As a simplified model for this system, we consider two harmonic oscillators linearly coupled to a massless scalar field which are inside a spherical cavity of radius R . Through the concurrence, the entanglement dynamics for the two-atom system is discussed for a range of initial states composed of a superposition of atomic states. Our results reveal how the entanglement of the two atoms behaves through the time evolution, in a precise way, for arbitrary cavity size and for arbitrary coupling constant. All our computations are analytical and only the final step is numerical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the most suitable environmental conditions for an organism growth and development is a prerequisite for developing mass rearing technology. The temperature requirements for development and the optimal range of temperatures for growth and reproduction of Coleomegilla maculata De Geer were studied. The development time of individual C. maculata larvae was determined at 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, and 36°C. Development times were converted to development rates and fitted to a nonlinear temperature-dependent model and to the linear day-degree model. Life and fertility table analysis was used to determine the optimal temperature for population growth within a range of favorable temperatures including 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28°C. Nonlinear estimates of thermal maximum (TM) for the postembryonic development of C. maculata was 35.09±10.35°C. Estimation of TM based on pupal development was much lower at 27.23±1.52°C. Linear and nonlinear estimates of low temperature development threshold were 13.13±and 4.77±3.03°C for the whole postembryonic development and 10.95 and 9.18±1.36°C for the pupal stage alone, respectively. The most favorable temperature for population growth was 25°C, where C. maculata showed significantly higher intrinsic rate of increase (rm=0.066) and significantly lower doubling time (10.57 d) than the other favorable temperatures tested. A negative value of rm was obtained at 28°C, indicating population decline occurring at this temperature making it unfavorable for C. maculata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantum teleportation plays an important role in quantum information process, in this sense, the quantum entanglement properties involving an infinite chain structure is quite remarkable because real materials could be well represented by an infinite chain. We study the teleportation of an entangled state through a couple of quantum channels, composed by Heisenberg dimers in an infinite Ising–Heisenberg diamond chain, the couple of chains are considered sufficiently far away from each other to be ignored the any interaction between them. To teleporting a couple of qubits through the quantum channel, we need to find the average density operator for Heisenberg spin dimers, which will be used as quantum channels. Assuming the input state as a pure state, we can apply the concept of fidelity as a useful measurement of teleportation performance of a quantum channel. Using the standard teleportation protocol, we have derived an analytical expression for the output concurrence, fidelity, and average fidelity. We study in detail the effects of coupling parameters, external magnetic field and temperature dependence of quantum teleportation. Finally, we explore the relations between entanglement of the quantum channel, the output entanglement and the average fidelity of the system. Through a kind of phase diagram as a function of Ising–Heisenberg diamond chain model parameters, we illustrate where the quantum teleportation will succeed and a region where the quantum teleportation could fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A classical force field for MgSiO 3 polymorphs is presented and tested for the perovskite, post-perovskite and enstatite phases. In this force field each ion has a fixed partial charge and a fixed polarizability and the potential energy is minimised with respect to the ions’ dipole moments at each step of molecular dynamics by iterating them to self-consistency. The potential parameters are obtained by fitting to forces, stresses and energies calculated by density functional theory. The phase transition from perovskite to post-perovskite is predicted to take place at a pressure of 60 GPa at zero temperature. The potential reproduces well structural and thermodynamic properties as well as defects formation in a wide range of pressures, and therefore will be useful for the investigation of MgSiO 3 based materials in a geophysical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zero temperature non-plateau magnetization is a peculiar property of a quantum spin chain and it sometimes appears due to different gyromagnetic factors. In this study, we illustrate a quite unusual non-plateau magnetization property driven by XY-anisotropy in an Ising-XYZ diamond chain. Two particles with spin-1/2 are bonded by XYZ coupling and they are responsible for the emergence of non-plateau magnetization. These two quantum operator spins are bonded to two nodal Ising spins and this process is repeated infinitely to yield a diamond chain structure. Due to the non-plateau magnetization property, we focus our discussion on the magnetocaloric effect of this model by presenting the isentropic curves and the Grüneisen parameters, as well as showing the regions where the model exhibits an efficient magnetocaloric effect. Due to the existence of two phases located very close to each other, the strong XY-anisotropy exhibits a particular behavior with a magnetocaloric effect, with a wider interval in the magnetic field, where the magnetocaloric effect is efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current collaborative efforts in international research with resource-poor nations are frequently paternalistic and deprive these nations of the skills necessary to build independent research capacity. Resource-poor nations have become progressively suspicious of research endeavors originated in industrialized nations that have minimal impact on the health care needs of their populations. The current trend toward globalization requires that certain standards be established to guide these collaborative efforts to create strong partnerships that promote independent evidence-based health research. The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive approach to health-related international collaborative research with resource-poor nations using as an example a model that has been developed in Colombia, South America.Journal of Perinatology (2007) 27, 738–743; doi:10.1038/sj.jp.7211827; published online 20 September 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predatory lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata has potential to control several arthropod pests on crop plants in greenhouses and high tunnels. However, an effective artificial diet is needed in order to mass produce C . maculata in sufficient quantities for augmentative releases. The objectives of this study were to develop a semi-solid insect-free artificial diet, evaluate the diet effects on C . maculata fitness, and determine if adding extracts (consisting of dry powder of whole pupae) of the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor , could improve the suitability of the diet formulations and the life parameters of C . maculata . Although C . maculata completed development and reproduced on two meridic artificial diet formulations (M1 and M2), neither one was as effective as a control diet mix consisting of Ephestia kuehniella , Artemia sp. eggs, and bee pollen. Incorporation of T . molitor extracts into the diet formulation (5 and 7% in diets T1 and T2, respectively), significantly improved C . maculata larval survival, shortened post-embryonic development time, increased fecundity and egg viability as compared to the meridic diet formulations. Adults feeding on diets T1 and T2 (containing T . molitor extracts) produced more eggs and had a better survival than those feeding on the control diet mix. Also, egg viability was significantly higher in diets T1 and T2 than in the control. Demographic parameters showed that the overall fitness of C . maculata fed the meridic diet containing T . molitor extracts was superior to beetles fed the control mix. The role of feeding stimulation by T . molitor added components as responsible for the diet improvement is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strongly correlated spin-electron system on a diamond chain containing localized Ising spins on its nodal lattice sites and mobile electrons on its interstitial sites is exactly solved in a magnetic field using the transfer-matrix method. We have investigated in detail all available ground states, the magnetization processes, the spin-spin correlation functions around an elementary plaquette, fermionic quantum concurrence, and spin frustration. It is shown that the fermionic entanglement between mobile electrons hopping on interstitial sites and the kinetically induced spin frustration are closely related yet independent phenomena. In the ground state, quantum entanglement only appears within a frustrated unsaturated paramagnetic phase, while thermal fluctuations can promote some degree of quantum entanglement above the nonfrustrated ground states with saturated paramagnetic or classical ferrimagnetic spin arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding the difference between capillary and venous blood cell counts in adult patients with haematological disease with the use of nonautomated lancet.

Conclusions The most common congenital abnormalities are cardiac diseases followed by CNS and urogenital malformations. To describe the prevalence of prenatally diagnosed congenital abnormalities at a reference centre. EP24.12: Prenatal diagnosis of congenital abnormalities: a landscape of the CETO, Léon, Mexico. [Extracted from the article]

An abstract of the article "The independent effect of maternal height and weight on cervical length" by M. Cruz-Martinez is presented.

A first insight into the bryophyte flora of the Mashpi Ecologica Reserve, Pichincha, Ecuador - Notes on the bryophytes of Ecuador V. Nova Hedwigia. & Ilk.-Borges from Colombia has pointed leaf lobes and is also very similar to I R. flagelliformis i , but the latter differs by the absence of ocelli in underleaves, flagelliform branches with squarrose underleaves (flat and appressed to stem in I R. halinae i ) and mostly rounded leaf tips (Gradstein and Ilkiu-Borges [31]). However, the following combination of characters allows an unambiguous identification with this species: the presence of a well-delimited vitta in the leaf lobe, the dorsally unipapillose leaf lobe cells (including the vitta cells), the broadly rounded leaf apex, the irregularly denticulate to dentate leaf margin and the unipapillose cells of the lower half of the lobule (Ilkiu-Borges et al. [41]). However, it can be recognised as a moss by its asymmetrical and dimorphic leaves, which are separately arranged along the stem, pluripapillose leaf cells with 3 to 5 papillae per cell, and true moss sporophyte. I Solmsiella biseriata i is a small moss that may be confused with a liverwort owing to its complanate dimorphic leaves in 4 rows. [Extracted from the article]

Nezara viridula adult coloration can vary, including a rare orange-colored type (i.e., N. viridula f. aurantiaca). In November 2015, three Nezara viridula males displaying orange coloration were found in an established colony in Stoneville, MS. The objectives of this study were to determine if alleles of these orange types conformed to the allele characteristics previously reported for N. viridula f. aurantiaca and to determine if there were any differences in reproductive output compared with the green-colored type. The three orange-type males were crossed with green-type females to produce a hybrid F1. The F1 progeny was allowed us to cross to produce an F2. The F2 progeny consisted of 672 green females, 351 green males, 298 orange males, and 0 orange females. These ratios did not differ significantly from the expected 50:25:25:0 ratios for a single recessive sex linked allele for color phenotype. The F2 cross of green females and orange males produced an F3 consisting of 345 green females, 346 green males, 100 orange females, and 85 orange males. These ratios also conformed to the expected ratios (0.375:0.375:0.125:0.125) with the exception of orange males, which numbers were slightly lower than expected. The pure orange type N. viridula produced significantly less egg masses (0.71±0.15) per day than green types (2.09±0.16) and their reproductive output, measured as net reproductive rate (Ro), was lower in orange (13.71) compared with green (20.67) types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a Dynamic fuzzy logic Controller for the navigation problem of an electric wheelchair. The controller uses present data from three ultrasonic sensors as the main source of information from the environment. However other inputs, named as "dynamic time delay", are obtained from past samples of those static data and are used to design the rule base. Although fuzzy logic controllers with static inputs could solve basic navigation problems, the proposed structure with dynamic inputs gets an excellent performance for more complex navigation problems. There were designed static and dynamic navigation strategies, which were first deployed in software just to evaluate their behavior. They were tested in a maze and their trajectories were compared to select the best. For improving its response, the dynamic fuzzy logic strategy was deployed in hardware. The paper presents a comparison between the software and hardware applications to illustrate the possibility of implementing the proposed methodology in different platforms. The dynamic fuzzy logic controller led the electric wheelchair without colliding against walls, and is a high performance navigation system. Moreover, this controller could solve the sensor limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]