Search

The radon concentration activity in buildings is influenced by various factors, including meteorological elements like temperature, pressure, and precipitation, which are recognized as significant influencers. The fluctuations of indoor radon in premises are related to seasonal change. This study aimed to understand better the effects of environmental parameters on indoor radon concentration levels in the Aksu school. Indoor and outdoor temperature differentials heavily influence diurnal indoor radon patterns. The analysis indicates that the correlation between indoor radon and outdoor temperature, dew point, and air humidity is weak and negligible for atmospheric pressure, wind speed, and precipitation, as determined by the obtained values of R2 and the Chaddock scale. The multiple regression model is characterized by the correlation coefficient rxy = 0.605, which corresponds to a close relationship on the Chaddock scale.

Crossbreeding has been employed to address environmental challenges. One successful example is the Siboney de Cuba, developed in response to economic challenges in the 1960s. The aim of this study was to perform the first genomic characterization of the Siboney de Cuba breed, a successful hybrid breed resulting from the crossbreeding of Cuban Zebu and Holstein, using SNP array chip. For this purpose, 48 Siboney de Cuba cattle samples were collected and genotyped with the GGP Bovine 100k BeadChip, resulting in 83,314 SNPs after quality control. The genetic diversity was investigated using observed and expected heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficient, and minor allele frequency. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) analysis provided insights into molecular inbreeding. Additionally, the study investigated copy number variants (CNV), identifying CNV regions and their distribution. The genetic relationship and population structure of Siboney de Cuba were analyzed in comparison with worldwide cattle populations using ADMIXTURE, multidimensional scaling, and phylogenetic analysis. Six ROH islands containing a total of 50 genes were discovered, some of which were uncharacterized loci. Furthermore, 792 CNV with higher occurrence of genetic material loss were observed. The overall genome coverage for CNV regions was 2.16%. The Siboney de Cuba exhibited a good level of genetic variability with high heterozygosity and low inbreeding when compared with other cattle breeds worldwide. Also, the breed shared genetic similarity to hybrids from America and Bos indicus from Africa and highlighted a moderate level of genetic isolation with some overlaps with Bos taurus from America. The breed showed a complex genetic composition, influenced by historical factors. Overall, findings of the present study contribute to the understanding of genomic structure of Siboney de Cuba cattle breed.

El propósito de este trabajo es describir las condiciones históricas, poblacionales, económicas y ambientales que condujeron a la expansión de la frontera agrícola y demográfica en la selva alta peruana, particularmente la cuenca del Alto Huallaga, durante las décadas comprendidas entre 1940 e inicios de 1980. El texto describe y analiza cómo la dinámica de expansión de la frontera demográfica, a través de agricultores colonos de origen altoandino, provocó una intensa presión sobre los recursos naturales, el posterior deterioro ambiental y, eventualmente, la saturación demográfica regional. Los colonos migrantes reprodujeron continuamente sus unidades familiares de producción y consumo en los territorios de frontera y en el proceso crearon nuevas naturalezas y destruyeron otras. En ese contexto, buscamos explorar los vínculos entre el incremento demográfico en el Alto Huallaga y los sistemas agrícolas de roza y quema que los acompañaron, así como las consecuencias socioambientales y la dinámica de retroalimentación constante entre estos procesos. Al hacerlo, ponemos a prueba el modelo de extensificación e intensificación del uso del suelo de la economista Ester Boserup.

Los sistemas alimentarios en América Latina vienen atravesando un proceso de transformación en las últimas tres décadas; en el cuál ha aumentado el consumo de productos agroindustriales tanto en zonas urbanas como rurales. En tal escenario, el presente trabajo se pregunta por la transformación de los sistemas alimentarios familiares de pequeños agricultores de subsistencia en la isla Amantaní, ubicada en el lago Titicaca, provincia y departamento de Puno. Este artículo se enmarca en el conjunto de cambios asociados al fenómeno de la ‘nueva ruralidad’, en el que los hogares son más móviles y con una mayor diversificación de actividades económicas (pluriactividad). Se examina la manera en que las decisiones, estrategias y dinámicas alrededor de la alimentación han cambiado. Para ello, se analizan narrativas autobiográficas y prácticas alimenticias de cuatro mujeres, quienes a través de sus historias de vida retratan el sistema alimentario en Amantaní; cómo perciben que han cambiado sus labores, responsabilidades, su dieta y también sus preocupaciones y riesgos de sufrir inseguridad alimentaria. El presente artículo parte de un trabajo de campo de ocho semanas en Amantaní, entre marzo y mayo de 2019. Se realizaron entrevistas y conversaciones con distintos actores del sistema alimentario familiar, así como autoridades locales. La observación participante en momentos de aprovisionamiento, procesamiento y consumo de los alimentos con tres familias de Amantaní fueron claves para el desarrollo de esta etnografía de la alimentación. En especial, Elsa, Hilda y Juanita fueron las que abrieron las puertas de sus hogares, cocinas, conocimientos e historias de vida.

KLF4, OCT4, SOX2 and MYC cooperate to reorganize chromatin during somatic cell reprogramming. Here the authors show that KLF4 forms a liquid-like biomolecular condensate that recruits OCT4 and SOX2, and that condensation of the isolated KLF4 DNA binding domain with DNA is enhanced by CpG methylation

Contents: Oxidative stress is a major factor explaining sperm dysfunction of spermatozoa surviving freezing and thawing and is also considered a major inducer of a special form of apoptosis, visible after thawing, in cryopreserved spermatozoa. To obtain further insights into the link between oxidative stress and the induction of apoptotic changes, stallion spermatozoa were induced to oxidative stress through redox cycling after exposure to 2‐methyl‐1,4‐naphthoquinone (menadione), or hydroxyl radical formation after FeSO4 exposure. Either exposure induced significant increases (p < 0.05) in two markers of lipid peroxidation: 8‐iso‐PGF2α and 4‐hydroxynonenal (4‐HNE). While both treatments induced changes indicative of spermptosis (caspase‐3 activation and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential) (p < 0.01), menadione induced sperm necrosis and a dramatic reduction in motility and thiol content in stallion spermatozoa. Thus, we provided evidence that oxidative stress underlies spermptosis, and thiol content is a key factor for stallion sperm function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acanthamoeba spp. is the etiological agent of amoebic keratitis. In this study, the effect of taurine in physiological concentrations in tears (195 μM) on trophozoites of Acanthamoeba castellanii through the ex vivo amoebic keratitis model was evaluated. Trophozoites were coincubated with the Syrian golden hamster cornea (Mesocricetus auratus) for 3 and 6 h. Group 1: Control (−). Corneas coincubated with amoebic culture medium and taurine. Group 2: Control (+). Corneas coincubated with trophozoites without taurine. Group 3: Corneas coincubated with taurine 15 min before adding trophozoites. Group 4: Trophozoites coincubated 15 min with taurine before placing them on the cornea. Group 5: Corneas coincubated for 15 min with trophozoites; subsequently, taurine was added. Results are similar for both times, as evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. As expected, in the corneas of Group 1, no alterations were observed in the corneal epithelium. In the corneas of Group 2, few adhered trophozoites were observed on the corneal surface initiating migrations through cell junctions as previously described; however, in corneas of Groups 3, 4 and 5, abundant trophozoites were observed, penetrating through different corneal cell areas, emitting food cups and destabilizing corneal surface in areas far from cell junctions. Significant differences were confirmed in trophozoites adherence coincubated with taurine (p < 0.05). Taurine does not prevent the adhesion and invasion of the amoebae, nor does it favor its detachment once these have adhered to the cornea, suggesting that taurine in the physiological concentrations found in tears stimulates pathogenic mechanisms of A. castellanii.