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The retina is particularly vulnerable to genetic and environmental alterations that generate oxidative stress and cause cellular damage in photoreceptors and other retinal neurons, eventually leading to cell death. CERKL (CERamide Kinase-Like) mutations cause Retinitis Pigmentosa and Cone-Rod Dystrophy in humans, two disorders characterized by photoreceptor degeneration and progressive vision loss. CERKL is a resilience gene against oxidative stress, and its overexpression protects cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Besides, CERKL contributes to stress granule-formation and regulates mitochondrial dynamics in the retina. Using the CerklKD/KO albino mouse model, which recapitulates the human disease, we aimed to study the impact of Cerkl knockdown on stress response and activation of photoreceptor death mechanisms upon light/oxidative stress. After acute light injury, we assessed immediate or late retinal stress response, by combining both omic and non-omic approaches. Our results show that Cerkl knockdown increases ROS levels and causes a basal exacerbated stress state in the retina, through alterations in glutathione metabolism and stress granule production, overall compromising an adequate response to additional oxidative damage. As a consequence, several cell death mechanisms are triggered in CerklKD/KO retinas after acute light stress. Our studies indicate that Cerkl gene is a pivotal player in regulating light-challenged retinal homeostasis and shed light on how mutations in CERKL lead to blindness by dysregulation of the basal oxidative stress response in the retina.

Manufacturing companies face a significant challenge when developing their master production schedule, navigating unforeseen disruptions during daily operations. Moreover, fluctuations in demand pose a substantial risk to scheduling and are the main cause of instability and uncertainty in the system. To address these challenges, employing flexible systems to mitigate uncertainty without incurring additional costs and generate sustainable responses in industrial applications is crucial. This paper proposes a product-driven system to complement the master production plan generated by a mathematical model. This system incorporates intelligent agents that make production decisions with a function capable of reducing uncertainty without significantly increasing production costs. The agents modify or determine the forecasted production quantities for each cycle or period. In the case study conducted, a master production plan was established for 12 products over a one-year time horizon. The proposed solution achieved an 11.42% reduction in uncertainty, albeit with a 2.39% cost increase.

The scheduling of a job shop production system occurs using models to plan operations for a given period while minimizing the makespan. However, since the resulting mathematical models are computationally demanding, their implementation in the work environment is impractical, a difficulty that increases as the scale problem grows. An alternative approach is to address the problem in a decentralized manner, such that real-time product flow information feeds the control system to minimize the makespan dynamically. Under the decentralized approach, we use a holonic and multiagent systems to represent a product-driven job shop system that allows us to simulate real-world scenarios. However, the computational performance of such systems to control the process in real-time and for different problem scales is unclear. This paper presents a product-driven job shop system model that includes an evolutionary algorithm to minimize the makespan. A multiagent system simulates the model and produces comparative results for different problem scales with classical models. One hundred two job shop problem instances classified as small, medium, and large scale are evaluated. The results suggest that a product-driven system produces near-optimal solutions in short periods and improves its performance as the scale of the problem increases. Furthermore, the computational performance observed during the experimentation suggests that such a system can be embedded in a real-time control process.

Abstract Background In South Africa, there are limited data on the burden of diarrhoea at a community level, specifically in older children and adults. This community survey estimated rates of and factors associated with diarrhoea across all ages and determined the proportion of cases presenting to healthcare facilities. Methods Households were enrolled from an existing urban health and demographic surveillance site. A household representative was interviewed to determine associated factors and occurrence of diarrhoea in the household, for all household members, in the past 2 weeks (including symptoms and health seeking behaviour). Diarrhoeal rate of any severity was calculated for 15 years age groups. Factors associated with diarrhoea and health seeking behaviour were investigated using binomial logistic regression. Results Diarrhoeal rate among respondents (2.5 episodes/person-year (95% CI, 1.8–3.5)) was significantly higher than for other household members (1.0 episodes/person-year (95% CI, 0.8–1.4); IRR = 2.4 (95% CI, 1.5–3.7) p

Abstract The forkhead box (Fox) genes encode transcription factors that control several key aspects of development. Present in the ancestor of all eukaryotes, Fox genes underwent several duplications followed by loss and diversification events that gave rise to the current 25 families. However, few Fox members have been identified from the Lophotrochozoa clade, and specifically from planarians, which are a unique model for understanding development, due to the striking plasticity of the adult. The aim of this study was to identify and perform evolutionary and functional studies of the Fox genes of lophotrochozoan species and, specifically, of the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Generating a pipeline for identifying Forkhead domains and using phylogenetics allowed us the phylogenetic reconstruction of Fox genes. We corrected the annotation for misannotated genes and uncovered a new family, the QD, present in all metazoans. According to the new phylogeny, the 27 Fox genes found in Schmidtea mediterranea were classified into 12 families. In Platyhelminthes, family losses were accompanied by extensive gene diversification and the appearance of specific families, the A(P) and N(P). Among the newly identified planarian Fox genes, we found a single copy of foxO, which shows an evolutionary conserved role in controlling cell death.

Abstract Background Since the COVID-19 outbreak an unprecedented challenge for healthcare systems around the world has been placed. In Cuba, the first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 11. Elderly with multiple comorbidities have been the most risky population. Although most patients present a mild to moderate disease, some have developed severe symptoms. One of the possible mechanisms underlying rapid disease progression is a cytokine storm, in which interleukin (IL) -6 seems to be a major mediator. Itolizumab is a humanized recombinant anti-CD6 monoclonal antibody (MAb), with the ability of reducing serum interferon gamma (INF-γ), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and IL-6. Based on these previous results in patients with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis, an expanded access clinical trial was approved by the Cuban regulatory agency for COVID-19 critically, severely and moderately ill patients. Results We show here a short kinetic of IL-6 serum concentration in the first 24 COVID-19 patients treated with itolizumab. Most of patients were elderly with multiple comorbidities. We found that with one itolizumab dose, the circulating IL-6 decreased in critically and severely ill patients, whereas in moderately ill patients the values didn’t rise as compared to their low baseline levels. Conclusion These findings suggest that itolizumab could be an attractive therapeutic option to decrease the negative outcome of the cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients. Trial registration CECMED IIC RD-EC 179, RPCEC00000311. Registered 4 May 2020 - Retrospectively registered, http://rpcec.sld.cu/ensayos/RPCEC00000311-Sp or http://rpcec.sld.cu/trials/RPCEC00000311-En

Abstract Background One of the most unusual sources of phylogenetically restricted genes is the molecular domestication of transposable elements into a host genome as functional genes. Although these kinds of events are sometimes at the core of key macroevolutionary changes, their origin and organismal function are generally poorly understood. Results Here, we identify several previously unreported transposable element domestication events in the human and mouse genomes. Among them, we find a remarkable molecular domestication that gave rise to a multigenic family in placental mammals, the Bex/Tceal gene cluster. These genes, which act as hub proteins within diverse signaling pathways, have been associated with neurological features of human patients carrying genomic microdeletions in chromosome X. The Bex/Tceal genes display neural-enriched patterns and are differentially expressed in human neurological disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. Two different murine alleles of the cluster member Bex3 display morphological and physiopathological brain modifications, such as reduced interneuron number and hippocampal electrophysiological imbalance, alterations that translate into distinct behavioral phenotypes. Conclusions We provide an in-depth understanding of the emergence of a gene cluster that originated by transposon domestication and gene duplication at the origin of placental mammals, an evolutionary process that transformed a non-functional transposon sequence into novel components of the eutherian genome. These genes were integrated into existing signaling pathways involved in the development, maintenance, and function of the CNS in eutherians. At least one of its members, Bex3, is relevant for higher brain functions in placental mammals and may be involved in human neurological disorders.

Abstract Background The feedback given to students plays an important role in their efficiency related to learning practical skills. In the present study, diverse feedback modalities have been investigated. Our hypothesis is that individualized and unsupervised video feedback can produce a similar learning experience as performing practical skills in an oral and maxillofacial surgery setting with conventional direct expert feedback (control group). Methods This prospective, randomized, controlled, and blinded study compared direct expert feedback (DEF), individualized video feedback (IVF) and unsupervised video feedback (UVF). The participants were fourth-year dental students from University Goethe in Frankfurt. The students were assigned to one of the three feedback methods (n = 20 per group) using simple randomization. All participants watched an instruction video for an interdental (‘Ernst’) ligature and periphery venous catheterization. Next, the students were video recorded performing the tasks by themselves (pre-test). Following this, every student received feedback using one of the above-mentioned feedback modalities. The participants then performed the same task again while being video recorded (post-test) to measure the acquired competence. Six weeks later, the students participated in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to evaluate their long-term knowledge retention. All examiners were blinded regarding the students’ instructional approach and their affiliation in terms of the learning group. Results For the interdental ligature, we found significant improvements in performance in each feedback modality group between the pre-test and post-test (p

Abstract Background The homeobox genes Pdx and Cdx are widespread across the animal kingdom and part of the small ParaHox gene cluster. Gene expression patterns suggest ancient roles for Pdx and Cdx in patterning the through-gut of bilaterian animals although functional data are available for few lineages. To examine evolutionary conservation of Pdx and Cdx gene functions, we focus on amphioxus, small marine animals that occupy a pivotal position in chordate evolution and in which ParaHox gene clustering was first reported. Results Using transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), we engineer frameshift mutations in the Pdx and Cdx genes of the amphioxus Branchiostoma floridae and establish mutant lines. Homozygous Pdx mutants have a defect in amphioxus endoderm, manifest as loss of a midgut region expressing endogenous GFP. The anus fails to open in homozygous Cdx mutants, which also have defects in posterior body extension and epidermal tail fin development. Treatment with an inverse agonist of retinoic acid (RA) signalling partially rescues the axial and tail fin phenotypes indicating they are caused by increased RA signalling. Gene expression analyses and luciferase assays suggest that posterior RA levels are kept low in wild type animals by a likely direct transcriptional regulation of a Cyp26 gene by Cdx. Transcriptome analysis reveals extensive gene expression changes in mutants, with a disproportionate effect of Pdx and Cdx on gut-enriched genes and a colinear-like effect of Cdx on Hox genes. Conclusions These data reveal that amphioxus Pdx and Cdx have roles in specifying middle and posterior cell fates in the endoderm of the gut, roles that likely date to the origin of Bilateria. This conclusion is consistent with these two ParaHox genes playing a role in the origin of the bilaterian through-gut with a distinct anus, morphological innovations that contributed to ecological change in the Cambrian. In addition, we find that amphioxus Cdx promotes body axis extension through a molecular mechanism conserved with vertebrates. The axial extension role for Cdx dates back at least to the origin of Chordata and may have facilitated the evolution of the post-anal tail and active locomotion in chordates.

Kras is often mutated in colorectal cancer but how this oncogenic mutation alters signalling pathways globally is undetermined. Here, the authors analyse how this mutation affects protein interaction networks and signal flow showing an extensive re‐wiring of signalling in response to KRas mutation

Muchas aplicaciones en Internet de las Cosas requieren nodos portátiles para transmitir video de buena calidad, durante largos períodos, con conectividades móviles y alimentadas por baterías. Maximizar el tiempo de funcionamiento de los nodos portátiles que usan baterías es un desafío hoy en día. Se presentan los resultados de la evaluación del tiempo de funcionamiento de un nodo inalámbrico de pequeño tamaño que usa baterías y transmite video a través de IPv6 a dispositivos conectados a Internet. Se presentan las herramientas utilizadas para la implementación, la configuración de los elementos prototipo y las descripciones de los diferentes escenarios. La corriente y el voltaje de funcionamiento del nodo se miden para calcular la energía consumida y el tiempo de funcionamiento del nodo. El tiempo calculado se compara con el tiempo medido en un entorno real, para validar las expresiones simples utilizadas para evaluar el tiempo de funcionamiento de un nodo.

Se evaluaron las características químicas y mineralógicas de las arcillas del depósito arcilloso La Manteca para la producción de elementos cerámicos, principalmente ladrillos. Se realizaron técnicas de campo para establecer la plasticidad y solubilidad del material. Se utilizó la técnica de difracción de Rayos–X para la determinación mineralógica y la técnica de absorción atómica para los contenidos química. Estableciéndose que la composición global no tiene influencias negativas a la hora de la cocción de los ladrillos ni en su uso como materia prima para otros elementos cerámicos, si bien se debe prestar atención a los contenidos de carbonato y azufre, así como a la presencia de materia orgánica. La caracterización de arcillas, según el estudio de sus propiedades químicas y mineralógicas, abre paso a la posibilidad de producir en el territorio componentes cerámicos, como son ladrillos, tejas, celosías, tubos de desagüe, elementos para cubiertas abovedadas, como elementos requeridos en la construcción de nuevas viviendas y la reparación de las ya existentes.

The retina is a highly active metabolic organ that displays a particular vulnerability to genetic and environmental factors causing stress and homeostatic imbalance. Mitochondria constitute a bioenergetic hub that coordinates stress response and cellular homeostasis, therefore structural and functional regulation of the mitochondrial dynamic network is essential for the mammalian retina. CERKL (ceramide kinase like) is a retinal degeneration gene whose mutations cause Retinitis Pigmentosa in humans, a visual disorder characterized by photoreceptors neurodegeneration and progressive vision loss. CERKL produces multiple isoforms with a dynamic subcellular localization. Here we show that a pool of CERKL isoforms localizes at mitochondria in mouse retinal ganglion cells. The depletion of CERKL levels in CerklKD/KO (knockdown/knockout) mouse retinas cause increase of autophagy, mitochondrial fragmentation, alteration of mitochondrial distribution, and dysfunction of mitochondrial-dependent bioenergetics and metabolism. Our results support CERKL as a regulator of autophagy and mitochondrial biology in the mammalian retina.

Which is the origin of genes is a fundamental question in Biology, indeed a question older than the discovery of genes itself. For more than a century, it was uneven to think in origins other than duplication and divergence from a previous gene. In recent years, however, the intersection of genetics, embryonic development, and bioinformatics, has brought to light that de novo generation from non-genic DNA, horizontal gene transfer and, noticeably, virus and transposon invasions, have shaped current genomes, by integrating those newcomers into old gene networks, helping to shape morphological and physiological innovations. We here summarized some of the recent research in the field, mostly in the vertebrate lineage with a focus on protein-coding novelties, showing that the placenta, the adaptative immune system, or the highly developed neocortex, among other innovations, are linked to de novo gene creation or domestication of virus and transposons. We provocatively suggest that the high tolerance to virus infections by bats may also be related to previous virus and transposon invasions in the bat lineage.

Large bone defects have always been a big challenge. The use of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMCs) combined with an osteoconductive scaffold has been proved a good alternative for the treatment of large bone defects. Another autologous source for tissue engineering is platelet rich fibrin (PRF). PRF is a blood concentrate system obtained through a one-step centrifugation. The generated 3D matrix of the PRF clot serves as a reservoir of growth factors. Those growth factors might support the regenerative response of BMC, and therefore the effect of PRF, centrifuged with either high medium (208 g) or low (60 g) relative centrifugation force (RCF) on BMCs was evaluated in vitro in the present study. The two PRF matrices obtained were initially characterized and compared to human serum. Significantly increased concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM1) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were found in PRF compared to human serum whereas VEGF concentration was not significantly altered. A dose-response study revealed no further activation of BMC’s metabolic activity, if concentration of both PRF matrices exceeded 10% (v/v). Effect of both PRF preparations [10%] on BMC was analyzed after 2, 7, and 14 days in comparison to human serum [10%]. Metabolic activity of BMC increased significantly in all groups on day 14. Furthermore, gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, −7, and −9 was significantly stimulated in BMC cultivated with the respective PRF matrices compared to human serum. Apoptotic activity of BMC incubated with PRF was not altered compared to BMC cultivated with serum. In conclusion, PRF could be used as a growth factor delivery system of autologous or allogeneic source with the capability of stimulating cells such as BMC.

Introduction: severe trauma has a great impact on both health and economy in present-day society, with great incidence worldwide and in Cuba. Objective: to characterize patients with severe trauma admitted to the intensive care unit at Arnaldo Milián Castro Clinical Surgical Teaching Hospital during 2017. Methods: a descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective observational study was conducted in a population of 97 patients, working with all of them. Clinical records were reviewed; taken data to a database and analyzed in SSPS 21.0. Descriptive statistics was applied using absolute and relative percentage frequencies. Results: male patients (81,44 %) predominated, as well as the age group 35-44 years (37,11 %). Car accidents (57,73 %) and stabbing injuries (26,8 %) were found to be the main mechanisms of injury. Cranioencephalic (39,18 %) and thoracic traumas (21,65 %) prevailed. The most frequent complications were sepsis (23,71 %), nosocomial pneumonia (17,53 %) and hypovolemic shock (15,47 %); 70,1 % of the patients were discharged alive. Conclusions: male patients in the third decade of life are prone to suffer trauma; mainly caused by car accidents. Cranioencephalic and thoracic traumas are common injuries in these patients. Sepsis and pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation were frequent complications.

Student self-beliefs regarding intelligence and ability have been shown to correspond to achievement and persistence in an academic domain. Specifically, previous research has suggested that a growth mindset—or the belief that intelligence is malleable and can increase with effort—is associated with student success. Locus of control is a related but distinct self-belief regarding personal agency over various academic and nonacademic outcomes and has also been associated with study skills and academic persistence. However, academic interventions targeting student mindsets and loci of control have remained relatively underexplored, specifically in the context of undergraduate STEM education. Here, we describe the development and assessment of an intervention encouraging students to adopt a growth mindset and internal locus of control. This five-part intervention is administered entirely online and is therefore independent of individual instructor variability. We administered the intervention in five introductory biology courses and show that the intervention was successful in impacting student mindsets and loci of control across various demographics.

Se caracterizó el yacimiento Yaguajay desde la perspectiva de la caracterización por microscopia óptica de las rocas que conforman su basamento e intercalaciones rocosas. Se utilizaron como técnicas analíticas la microscopia de luz reflejada y polarizada. Se concluyó que petrográficamente las rocas analizadas corresponden a calizas micríticas recristalizadas y dolomitizadas, formadas en aguas poco profundas. Desde el punto de vista mineragráfico se determinaron los siguientes minerales metálicos presentes en las calizas: hematita, birnessita, coronadita e ilmenita. El aporte de fases minerales metálicas oxidadas al cuerpo arcilloso está dado por la meteorización y desintegración de las calizas que los portan y rodean al cuerpo de arcilla. Las intercalaciones de calizas alteradas en el tipo tecnológico B debe ser un factor a tener en cuenta a la hora de explotar la arcilla para la producción de cemento de bajo carbono.

Introduction: The postprandial stage is associated with the increase of markers related to cardiovascular risk, and its intensity depends on the metabolic state. Objective: To determine the impact of a high-fat meal intake on the metabolic and inflammatory profile, and its relationship to abdominal obesity. Materials and methods: This clinical trial included 42 individuals (21 with abdominal obesity). We measured glucose, insulin, lipid profile, reactive C protein, lipopolysaccharides, and interleukin 6 in fasting blood, and four hours after eating. Results: Besides obesity, we found insulin resistance and higher levels of fasting triacylglycerides and C-reactive protein. There were higher postprandial responses to glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerides. Interleukin 6 decreased in the non-obese group, and lipopolysaccharides increased in both groups. Conclusions: A saturated high-fat food intake produced a greater impact on the glycemic variables in the group with obesity, while it affected the lipids in both groups. However, the increase of triacylglycerides was higher in the presence of a high basal concentration, and it promoted the increase of lipopolysaccharides. The basal and postprandial inflammatory state affected the group with obesity more. The postprandial moment reflected the most frequent state of the individuals on a normal day and evidenced the capacity of the metabolic response to food intake, as well as early metabolic risk states.

There is an unmet need for simplified in vitro models of malignancy and metastasis that facilitate fast, affordable and scalable gene and compound analysis. “Adherent” cancer cell lines frequently release “free-floating” cells into suspension that are viable and can reattach. This, in a simplistic way, mimics the metastatic process. We compared the gene expression profiles of naturally co-existing populations of floating and adherent cells in SW620 (colon), C33a (cervix) and HeLa (cervix) cancer cells. We found that 1227, 1367 and 1333 genes were at least 2-fold differentially expressed in the respective cell lines, of which 122 were shared among the three cell lines. As proof of principle, we focused on the anti-metastatic gene NM23-H1, which was downregulated both at the RNA and protein level in the floating cell populations of all three cell lines. Knockdown of NM23-H1 significantly increased the number of floating (and viable) cells, whereas overexpression of NM23-H1 significantly reduced the proportion of floating cells. Other potential regulators of these cellular states were identified through pathway analysis, including hypoxia, mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin), cell adhesion and cell polarity signal transduction pathways. Hypoxia, a condition linked to malignancy and metastasis, reduced NM23-H1 expression and significantly increased the number of free-floating cells. Inhibition of mTOR or Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) significantly increased cell death specifically in the floating and not the adherent cell population. In conclusion, our study suggests that dynamic subpopulations of free-floating and adherent cells is a useful model to screen and identify genes, drugs and pathways that regulate the process of cancer metastasis, such as cell detachment and anoikis.

Resumen Se determina el comportamiento térmico de un prototipo experimental de techo plantado, que pueda ser instalado sobre sistemas de cubiertas inclinadas en láminas onduladas de fibrocemento, ampliamente utilizas en nuestro medio. La investigación demostró las ventajas del uso de los techos plantados como dispositivos de enfriamiento pasivo, en las condiciones climáticas y meteorológicas específicas de la ciudad de Cali, donde la cubierta representa la mayor fuente de ganancia térmica. Durante la fase experimental, se construyeron un módulo testigo y dos módulos de prueba sobre los cuales se instalaron los prototipos y se registraron periódicamente los valores de temperatura superficial de la envolvente, y de temperatura y humedad relativa del aire exterior e interior. Utilizando un método comparativo, se pudo establecer y cuantificar el efecto positivo del prototipo sobre el comportamiento térmico de la envolvente en las condiciones locales, demostrando su utilidad.Palabras clave: confort térmico, enfriamiento pasivo, sostenibilidad, transferencia de calor, techos verdes.Green roofs as a passive cooling device in the tropicsAbstractThe study aims to determine the thermal performance of an experimental green-roof prototype that can be installed on pitched roofs of fiber cement corrugated sheets, widely used in our environment. Research results showed the advantages of using green roofs as a passive cooling device in the specific climate and weather conditions of a place such as Cali, Colombia, where roofs are the greatest source of heat gain. During the experimental phase, a control module and two test modules were built, where the green-roof prototypes were installed; surface temperature of the envelope and temperature and relative humidity of indoor and outdoor air were periodically recorded. Using a comparative method, it was possible to establish and quantify the positive effect of the prototype on the thermal performance of the envelope in local conditions, demonstrating its usefulness.Keywords: Green roofs, heat transfer, passive cooling, sustainability, thermal comfort.Telhados verdes como dispositivo de climatização passiva no TrópicoResumo Determina-se o comportamento térmico de um protótipo experimental de telhado verde que possa ser instalado sobre sistemas de coberturas inclinadas em telhas de fibrocimento, amplamente utilizadas em nosso meio. Esta pesquisa demonstrou as vantagens do uso dos telhados verdes como dispositivos de climatização passiva, nas condições climáticas e meteorológicas específicas da cidade de Cali (Colômbia), onde o telhado representa a maior fonte de ganho de calor. Durante a fase experimental, foram construídos um módulo de controle e dois módulos de prova sobre os quais foram instalados os protótipos e registrados periodicamente os valores de temperatura superficial da envolvente e temperatura e umidade relativa do ar exterior e interior. Utilizando um método comparativo, pôde-se estabelecer e quantificar o efeito positivo do protótipo sobre o comportamento térmico da envolvente nas condições locais, demonstrando sua utilidade.Palavras-chave: conforto térmico, refrigeração passiva, sustentabilidade, telhados verdes, transferência de calor. Recibido: agosto 20 / 2016 Evaluado: marzo 27 / 2017 Aceptado: abril 20 / 2017

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are important for raising innate immune responses in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Amphioxus belongs to an ancient chordate lineage which shares key features with vertebrates. The genomic research on TLR genes in Branchiostoma floridae and Branchiostoma belcheri reveals the expansion of TLRs in amphioxus. However, the repertoire of TLRs in Branchiostoma lanceolatum has not been studied and the functionality of amphioxus TLRs has not been reported. We have identified from transcriptomic data 30 new putative TLRs in B. lanceolatum and all of them are transcribed in adult amphioxus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the repertoire of TLRs consists of both non-vertebrate and vertebrate-like TLRs. It also indicated a lineage-specific expansion in orthologous clusters of the vertebrate TLR11 family. We did not detect any representatives of the vertebrate TLR1, TLR3, TLR4, TLR5 and TLR7 families. To gain insight into these TLRs, we studied in depth a particular TLR highly similar to a B. belcheri gene annotated as bbtTLR1. The phylogenetic analysis of this novel BlTLR showed that it clusters with the vertebrate TLR11 family and it might be more related to TLR13 subfamily according to similar domain architecture. Transient and stable expression in HEK293 cells showed that the BlTLR localizes on the plasma membrane, but it did not respond to the most common mammalian TLR ligands. However, when the ectodomain of BlTLR is fused to the TIR domain of human TLR2, the chimeric protein could indeed induce NF-κB transactivation in response to the viral ligand Poly I:C, also indicating that in amphioxus, specific accessory proteins are needed for downstream activation. Based on the phylogenetic, subcellular localization and functional analysis, we propose that the novel BlTLR might be classified as an antiviral receptor sharing at least partly the functions performed by vertebrate TLR22. TLR22 is thought to be viral teleost-specific TLR but here we demonstrate that teleosts and amphioxus TLR22-like probably shared a common ancestor. Additional functional studies with other lancelet TLR genes will enrich our understanding of the immune response in amphioxus and will provide a unique perspective on the evolution of the immune system.

Maize is one of the most important cereal crop species due to its uses for human and cattle nourishment, as well as its industrial use as a raw material. The yield and grain quality of maize depend on plant establishment, which starts with germination. Germination is dependent on embryo vigor and the stored reserves in the scutellum and endosperm. During germination, the scutellum epidermis changes and secretes enzymes and hormones into the endosperm. As a result, the hydrolysis products of the reserves and the different soluble nutrients are translocated to the scutellum through epithelial cells. Then, the reserves are directed to the embryo axis to sustain its growth. Therefore, the microenvironment surrounding the scutellum modulates its function. Zinc (Zn) is a micronutrient stored in the maize scutellum and endosperm; during imbibition, Zn from the endosperm is solubilized and mobilized towards the scutellum. During this process, Zn first becomes concentrated and interacts with cell wall charges, after which excess Zn is internalized in the vacuole. Currently, the effect of high Zn concentrations on the scutellum function and germinative processes are not known. In this paper, we show that, as a function of the concentration and time of exposure, Zn causes decreases in the radicle and plumule lengths and promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and flavonoids as well as changes in the activity of the cell wall Class III peroxidase (POD), which was quantified with guaiacol or catechin in the presence of H2O2. The relationship between the activity index or proportion of POD activity in the scutellum and the changes in the flavonoid concentration is proposed as a marker of stress and the state of vigor of the embryo.

Abstract Traditional security detection methods face challenges in identifying zero-day attacks in critical infrastructures (CIs) integrated with the industrial internet of things (IIoT). These attacks exploit unknown vulnerabilities and are difficult to detect due to their connection to physical systems. The integration of legacy ICS networks with modern computing and networking technologies has significantly expanded the attack surface, making these systems more susceptible to cyber-attacks. Despite existing security measures, attackers continually find ways to breach these operating networks. Anomaly detection systems are critical in protecting these CIs from current cyber threats. This study investigates the effectiveness of unsupervised anomaly detection models in detecting operational anomalies that could lead to cyber-attacks, thereby disrupting and negatively impacting quality of life. We preprocess the data with a focus on cybersecurity and chose the SWAT dataset because it accurately represents the types of attack vectors that critical infrastructures commonly encounter. We evaluated the performance of isolation forest (IF), local outlier factor (LOF), one-class SVM (OCSVM), and Autoencoder algorithms—trained exclusively on normal data—in enhancing cybersecurity within IIoT environments. Our comprehensive analysis includes an assessment of each model’s detection capabilities. The findings highlight the VAE-LSTM model’s potential to identify cyber-attacks within seconds in a high-frequency dataset, suggesting near real-time detection capability. The final model combines the reconstruction ability of the variational autoencoder (VAE) with regularization using the Kullback–Leibler divergence, reflecting the non-Gaussian nature of industrial system data. Our model successfully detected 23 out of 26 attack scenarios in the SWAT dataset, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving the security of IIoT-based CIs.

The permeability and inflammatory tissue reaction to Mucomaix® matrix (MM), a non- cross-linked collagen-based matrix was evaluated in both ex vivo and in vivo settings. Liquid platelet rich fibrin (PRF), a blood concentrate system, was used to assess its capacity to absorb human proteins and interact with blood cells ex vivo. In the in vivo aspect, 12 Wister rats had MM implanted subcutaneously, whereas another 12 rats (control) were sham-operated without biomaterial implantation. On days 3, 15 and 30, explantation was completed (four rats per time-point) to evaluate the tissue reactions to the matrix. Data collected were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey multiple comparisons tests (GraphPad Prism 8). The matrix absorbed the liquid PRF in the ex vivo study. Day 3 post-implantation revealed mild tissue inflammatory reaction with presence of mononuclear cells in the implantation site and on the biomaterial surface (mostly CD68-positive macrophages). The control group at this stage had more mononuclear cells than the test group. From day 15, multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs) were seen in the implantation site and the outer third of the matrix with marked increase on day 30 and spread to the matrix core. The presence of these CD68-positive MNGCs was associated with significant matrix vascularization. The matrix degraded significantly over the study period, but its core was still visible as of day 30 post-implantation. The high permeability and fast degradation properties of MM were highlighted.

Homologous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are elusive to identify by sequence similarity due to their fast-evolutionary rate. Here we develop LincOFinder, a pipeline that finds conserved intergenic lncRNAs (lincRNAs) between distant related species by means of microsynteny analyses. Using this tool, we have identified 16 bona fide homologous lincRNAs between the amphioxus and human genomes. We characterized and compared in amphioxus and Xenopus the expression domain of one of them, Hotairm1, located in the anterior part of the Hox cluster. In addition, we analyzed the function of this lincRNA in Xenopus, showing that its disruption produces a severe headless phenotype, most probably by interfering with the regulation of the Hox cluster. Our results strongly suggest that this lincRNA has probably been regulating the Hox cluster since the early origin of chordates. Our work pioneers the use of syntenic searches to identify non-coding genes over long evolutionary distances and helps to further understand lncRNA evolution.

Se implementa y valida un método para identificar y cuantificar la oxitetraciclina en músculo de salmón, cuantificar los niveles de recuperación de oxitetraciclina y estudiar su fármaco cinética en diferentes órganos de salmones. La implementación correspondió a la detección y cuantificación de residuos del antibiótico en el tejido muscular de salmonídeos. El principio de la metodología HPLC incluyó la determinación de una serie de soluciones representativas de los estándares utilizados en la fortificación de las muestras. El tiempo de retención fue de 5,7 min. La validación del método, busca confirmar y documentar que los resultados entregados por el método implementado sean confiables. Para esto se llevaron a cabo análisis de parámetros tales como: selectividad, precisión, exactitud, sensibilidad e incertidumbre. Los resultados obtenidos señalan que el porcentaje de recuperación, es de un 96%. El coeficiente de correlación (R ) de la curva de calibrado es 0,9946 y el coeficiente de variación 1,86%.A method for identifying and quantifying oxytetracycline in salmon muscle, for quantifying oxytetracycline recovery levels, and for studying its pharmacokinetic in different organs of salmonids was implemented and validated. During implementation, antibiotic residues were detected and quantified in salmon muscle tissue. The principle of the HPLC methodology included determining a series of representative solutions of the standards, used to fortify the samples. The retention time was 5.7 min. The validation of the method sought to confirm and document the reliability of the results obtained with this method. For this, several parameters (selectivity, precision, accuracy, sensitivity, uncertainty) were analyzed. The results obtained indicated 96%) recovery. The coefficient of correlation (R ) of the calibration curve was 0.9946 and the coefficient of variation was 1.86%.

Las Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores (Wireless Sensor Networks - WSNs) permiten una amplia variedad de servicios en áreas de vital importancia tales como el control de la seguridad industrial, salud y medio ambiente. Las revistas técnicas especializadas en este campo, consideran a las Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores, como una de las tecnologías emergentes más importantes del siglo XXI. Por otro lado, las soluciones basadas en IPv6/6LowPAN son muy interesantes y ofrecen un gran potencial. Estas soluciones permiten superar las limitaciones de los paradigmas basados en gateways y ofrecen soluciones extremo a extremo entre el nodo sensor y los dispositivos conectados a Internet. El objetivo fundamental de este artículo es describir el proyecto desarrollado en el Departamento de Electrónica, Telecomunicaciones y Redes de Información (DETRI) de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional, para evaluar la utilización de las Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores y las tecnologías de comunicación de 4ta generación, como una alternativa de solución convencional en las áreas de monitoreo ambiental. El monitoreo ambiental es una de las actividades cada vez más importante para la humanidad y en el campo de la investigación es una tarea primordial en la actualidad. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) offer a wide variety of services in areas such as the control, safety, health and environment monitoring. Technical journals consider WSN one of the most important emerging technologies of the XXI century. On the other hand solutions based on IPv6/6LowPAN for WSN are very interesting and offera high potential. These solutions overcome the limitations of the paradigms based on gateways, and support end-to-end solutions between the sensor node and the devices connected to the Internet. The main objective of this paper is to describe the project developed in the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Networks of EscuelaPolitécnicaNacional to evaluate the use of WSN and 4th Generation communication technologies as an alternative to conventional solutions in the areas of environmental monitoring. The project includes a control system of air quality for specific sectors in Quito. This paper describes the prototype that is running in EscuelaPolitécnicaNacional and it also presents some simulation studies that were done to complement the evaluation analysis.

This study aimed to analyze the intra-device agreement of a new linear position transducer (Vitruve, VT) and the inter-device agreement with a previously validated linear velocity transducer (T-Force System, TF) in different range of velocities. A group of 50 healthy, physically active men performed a progressive loading test during a bench press (BP) and full-squat (SQ) exercise with a simultaneous recording of two VT and one TF devices. The mean propulsive velocity (MPV) and peak of velocity (PV) were recorded for subsequent analysis. A set of statistics was used to determine the degree of agreement (Intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient [CCC], mean square deviation [MSD], and variance of the difference between measurements [VMD]) and the error magnitude (standard error of measurement [SEM], smallest detectable change [SDC], and maximum errors [ME]) between devices. The established velocity ranges were as follows: >1.20 m·s−1; 1.20–0.95 m·s−1; 0.95–0.70 m·s−1; 0.70–0.45 m·s−1; ≤0.45 m·s−1 for BP; and >1.50 m·s−1; 1.50–1.25 m·s−1; 1.25–1.00 m·s−1; 1.00–0.75 m·s−1; and ≤0.75 m·s−1 for SQ. For the MPV, the VT system showed high intra- and inter-device agreement and moderate error magnitude with pooled data in both exercises. However, the level of agreement decreased (ICC: 0.790–0.996; CCC: 0.663–0.992) and the error increased (ME: 2.8–13.4% 1RM; SEM: 0.035–0.01 m·s−1) as the velocity range increased. For the PV, the magnitude of error was very high in both exercises. In conclusion, our results suggest that the VT system should only be used at MPVs below 0.45 m·s−1 for BP and 0.75 m·s−1 for SQ in order to obtain an accurate and reliable measurement, preferably using the MPV variable instead of the PV. Therefore, it appears that the VT system may not be appropriate for objectively monitoring resistance training and assessing strength performance along the entire spectrum of load-velocity curve.

Abstract: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been increasingly used in society and industrial environments. However, there are still several challenges in developing applications as well as in guaranteeing their operation in critical environments. There are many factors that contribute to these challenges, including the constraints and limitations of the sensor nodes, the noisy and interference environments, and the differences between WSNs and traditional networks. The main objective of this paper is to describe the project developed in the Department of Electronics, Telecommunications and Information Networks of Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Ecuador to use reliable solutions of WSNs to environmental monitoring as an alternative to conventional solutions. Resumen: Las Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores (WSNs) han incrementado cada vez más su uso tanto en la sociedad como en el entorno industrial. Sin embargo, aún hay varios retos en el desarrollo de aplicaciones, así como la de garantizar su funcionamiento en ambientes críticos. Hay muchos factores que contribuyen a esos retos, incluyendo las restricciones y limitaciones de los nodos sensores, los ambientes con interferencia y ruido y las diferencias entre las WSNs y redes tradicionales. El principal objetivo de este artículo es describir el proyecto desarrollado en el Departamento de Electrónica, Telecomunicaciones y Redes de Información de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional de Ecuador, en el uso de soluciones confiables de Redes Inalámbricas de Sensores (WSNs) para monitoreo ambiental, como una alternativa a las soluciones convencionales.

MovilWeb es una aplicación de localización de vehículos basada en Web para el seguimiento de móviles sobre cartografía vectorial y raster, diseñada para controlar flotas dentro de una arquitectura cliente – servidor. Esta herramienta permite el monitoreo de móviles de manera remota sobre una red de comunicaciones, posibilitando reconstruir el comportamiento del vehículo en un determinado periodo de tiempo, reelaborando su trayectoria y analizando su velocidad, detenciones en destinos autorizados o no, etc. a través de la información almacenada en una base de datos histórica, dota al usuario de un grupo de herramientas para el manejo de mapas, similar a las herramientas de los software profesionales para el manejo de Sistemas de Información Geográfica

La mayor parte de los ataques agudos de pancreatitis son leves y ceden sin secuela alguna en menos de una semana, pero el espectro de esta enfermedad también incluye un cuadro más grave que requiere la intervención radiológica, endoscópica, quirúrgica o ambas, en el que la vigilancia y el tratamiento intensivos pueden aumentar la posibilidad de supervivencia antes de que se produzca la insuficiencia irreversible de múltiples órganos.

La medicina intensiva, por su carácter multidisciplinario, requiere conocimientos amplios, jerarquía en las medidas terapéuticas, trabajo en equipo y selección del paciente que recibirá tratamiento. Su objetivo no es solo salvar vidas, sino también reconocer cuándo se debe renunciar y reorientar los esfuerzos para aliviar el sufrimiento, consolar a la familia y ayudar al paciente a morir con dignidad1. El enorme cambio ocurrido en ciencia y salud en las últimas décadas ha conducido a una reformulación de la bioética, y nuestra capacidad para asimilarla ha resultado fundamental en la medicina. Los principios éticos: beneficencia, autonomía y justicia han ayudado a comprender y resolver conflictos de interés entre médicos, pacientes y sociedad, en la aplicación de procedimientos clínicos, pero hoy tenemos compromisos más serios que implican sentido social y principios de solidaridad humana; el esfuerzo que realizamos es más humano, con un profundo cambio conceptual desde la ética hipocrática hasta la de nuestros días2.

Jackson1, en 1869 hizo la primera referencia a este síndrome y, posteriormente, cientos de casos han sido informados. Su incidencia exacta es desconocida, pero el hematoma epidural espontáneo (HEE) postoperatorio, que requiere evacuación, está en el rango de 0,1-3 %.

Background: Heart disease is one of the most recurrent and worrying health problems today, due to its multiple complications, including: stroke, cardiac arrest, retinopathy, etc. Objective: Propose a method and 4 Stacking models based on hyperparameters to diagnose heart disease. In addition, a web interface was developed with the best model proposed in this study. Methods: First, the dataset used was from the Heart Disease Cleveland ICU, which was 918 patient records and 12 attributes. Therefore, the paper was composed of the following stages: Cleaning and Pre-processing; Describe data; Training and testing data; Cross validation; Calibration of models; and modelling and evaluation, also compare the different techniques proposed to predict heart disease using Stacking ensemble based on hyperparameters taking into account the performance evaluation parameters. Results: Stacking 1 (Logistic regression) with oversampling and AdaBoost-SVM with hyperparameter in the test obtained higher Accuracy (88.24%), and ROC Curve (92.00%), while too Stacking 1 (Logistic regression) with oversampling reached a better Precision (88.54%), but the AdaBoost-SVM algorithm using hyperparameter achieved a high value of Sensitivity (88.14%) and F1-Score (88.19%). Conclusions: Implementing 4 stacking models based on hyperparameters, it helps to make an early diagnosis of heart disease and greater precision, and decrease the quantity of deceases caused by it. Therefore, by using the combined method, an improvement in heart disease prediction was observed, surpassing the performance of the independent algorithms used.

Resumen: En el sector de las telecomunicaciones, es necesario tratar y gestionar al fraude con la debida importancia, puesto que este hecho produce pérdidas de alrededor del 4.8% del total de ingresos económicos obtenidos por las empresas que brindan estos servicios. Dichas empresas continuamente buscan implementar a sus procesos de gestión diferentes métodos para detectar conductas inusuales por parte de los suscriptores que puedan reflejar potenciales usos indebidos de los servicios o casos de fraude dentro de las telecomunicaciones y que posteriormente se traducen en pérdidas económicas para las empresas. A consecuencia de lo expuesto surge el presente trabajo con el fin de realizar un control de fraude en telefonía fija a bajo nivel, mediante el análisis y establecimiento de valores umbrales de varios campos de los registros de llamadas conocidos como CDRs, los cuales son obtenidos al sondear protocolos de señalización, específicamente para el caso, SIP y SIGTRAN. Abstract: In the telecommunications sector, it is necessary to treat and manage fraud with due weight since this fact produces losses of about 4.8% of the total income obtained by the companies that provide these services. These companies continuously seek to implement different methods to detect unusual behavior by subscribers that may reflect potential misuse of the services or fraud within the telecommunications and subsequently translated in economic losses for enterprises to their management processes. As a result of the above comes this work in order to perform a fraud control in fixed telephony at low level through the analysis and value thresholds for various fields of call logs known as CDRs, which are obtained to probing signaling protocols, specifically for the case, SIP, SIGTRAN.

La evaluación físicoquímica de 25 marcas de sirope permitió concluir, en lo referente a concentraciones de azúcares totales y sólidos totales, que la mayoría de los siropes analizados se encuentran dentro de los valores recomendados por la normativa internacional. De la determinación cuantitativa de azúcares y sólidos totales, se concluyó que menos del 30% de los siropes analizados son adulterados con agentes espesantes (polisacáridos) para obtener una mayor viscosidad, pero con menos poder edulcorante. Aunque el equipo cromatográfico utilizado es costoso y una pequeña empresa no lo podría adquirir para sus análisis cotidianos, otros análisis como determinación de sólidos totales, acidez, pH, colorantes sí podrían ser realizados como procedimientos de control de calidad de los siropes. Los resultados obtenidos fueron utilizados para elaborar una propuesta de norma que permita reglamentar la calidad fisicoquímica de los siropes elaborados en el país.

Ailanthus altissima is among the most invasive woody species worldwide, outcompeting native trees. The fungus Verticillium nonalfalfae (VN) is promising for A. altissima biocontrol, and its effects on the host have been studied via visual assessment in a range of host species. However, little research was performed to address fungal effects on the physiological processes of non-target woody plants. We investigated the occurrence of visual and non-visually recognisable perturbations of VN infection on potted vines to evaluate the potential risks of the biocontrol pathogen on viticulture. Eighteen four-years-old Vitis vinifera (cultivar Grüner Veltliner grafted on Kober 5BB) potted plants were inoculated with VN conidial suspension of the fungus (F), while nine plants were treated with sterile water (C, control). Disease symptoms and physiological parameters were monitored throughout the experiment (seven evaluation dates), while leaf water potential, leaf mass per area (LMA) and biomass were measured at the end of the study when plant tissue was sampled for re-isolation of the fungus. In our trial, inoculations with VN induced characteristic wilting symptoms only in Ailanthus (used as side control of the inoculum), while vines remained asymptomatic, thus indicating a high degree of host specificity of VN. Limited or no impact was detected on the physiology of the non-target V. vinifera. Furthermore, the LMA and biomass measured in the two experimental groups were not different. Although fungal colonisation induced vascular discolouration in both species, the fungus could only be re-isolated from dying Ailanthus but not from vine tissue. Results suggest that V. vinifera cv Grüner Veltliner is resistant to the applied VN isolate. However, the susceptibility and physiology of additional grapevine cultivars, as well as other native woody species to VN, should be studied before promoting large-scale use of the biocontrol agent.

El carcinoma broncogénico es la causa más frecuente de fallecimiento por cáncer y con un incremento sorprendente en su incidencia. En Cuba, se ha convertido en la segunda causa de muerte para todas las edades por su pobre supervivencia la cual depende de la comorbilidad, la edad, el sexo, el tipo histológico, el estadio tumoral y de la demora en el diagnóstico y el tratamiento. En este trabajo se investigó la influencia de las demoras en el diagnóstico y en el tratamiento, así como algunos factores clínicos y sociodemográficos, de 149 pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer broncogénico en este hospital desde enero del 2003 hasta abril del 2006. Se realizó una descripción de la información en tablas y figuras; se utilizó el método de Kaplan Meier y de regresión de Cox (divariado y multivariado) para analizar la sobrevida. En el análisis del estadiamiento predominaron los pacientes en el estadio IV (46 casos- 30,9 %), seguido de los estadios IIIB (36 casos - 24,2 %) y IB (26 - 17,4 %); sin embargo, en los estadios IA y IIA se encontraron cifras muy bajas: 3 casos (2 %) y 1 caso (0,7 %), respectivamente. La media en el tiempo de demora en el diagnóstico fue de 3,97 meses y de 13,89 días para el tiempo en la demora en el tratamiento. La probabilidad de que un paciente viva a los 3 ½ años con una neoplasia de pulmón, independientemente del tipo histológico y el estadio clínico, es de 7,47 %.The bronchogenic carcinoma is the most frequent cause of death from cancer, with a surprising increase in its incidence. In Cuba, it is the second cause of death at all ages due to its poor survival, which depends on comorbidity, age, sex, histological type, tumor stage and on the diagnosis and treatment delay. In this paper, it was investigated the influence of the diagnosis and treatment delay, as well as some clinical and sociodemographic factors of 149 patients with diagnosis of bronchogenic cancer in this hospital from January 2003 to April 2006. A description of the information was made in tables and figures. Kaplan Meier's method and Cox's regression method (divariate and multivariate) were used to analyze survival. In the staging analysis, it was observed a predominance of patients in stage IV (46 cases-30.9 %), followed by stages IIIB (36 cases-24.4 %) and IB (26-17.4 %). However, in stages IA and IIA, very low figures were found: 3 cases (2 %) and 1 case (0.7 %), respectively. The mean time of delay in the diagnosis was 3.97 months, whereas in the treatment it was 13.89 days. The probability for a patient to live 3 ½ years with lung neoplasia, independently of the histological type and of the clinical stage, was 7.47 %.

En el mundo, las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC´s) nos permiten aplicar las herramientas de la justicia digital o dicho de otro modo, la justicia abierta o justicia online, para las personas que exigen el Estado les administre justicia, por lo que estos mecanismos nos permiten, programar, ejecutar, controlar y hacer eficientes los procesos jurisdiccionales, sistematizarlos y ponerlos en práctica al servicio de los justiciables, como derecho de acceso a las garantías judiciales mediante la justicia digital o en línea, como “Estandar” que contribuya a lograr una justicia expedita, pronta, completa e imparcial, la cual ya fue establecida por el Constituyente Mexicano previo a asumir sus responsabilidades internacionales en materia de derechos humanos de las personas y que les sea administrada justicia por Tribunales permanentes, creados para garantizar ese derecho fundamental y en los que permea el Estado de Derecho.