Search

Antecedentes: El cáncer de ovario en menores de 17 años raro. México ocupa el decimosegundo lugar de mortalidad, con 1455 casos reportados. Objetivo: Identificar las características clínicas del cáncer de ovario en menores de 17 años tratadas en un Hospital terciario del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social de 2017 al 2023. Método: Estudio descriptivo, transversal, retrolectivo en una unidad terciaria que recibe pacientes de Puebla, Tlaxcala, Oaxaca y Veracruz. Se incluyeron expedientes de pacientes con diagnóstico por biopsia del 2017 al 2023, menores de 17 años. Se utilizó el programa SPSS para IBM v.25. Resultados: Se identificaron 6 pacientes con edad media 16 años. La sintomatología más frecuente fue dolor pélvico, distensión abdominal, masa pélvica en 100% de los pacientes; estreñimiento (66.7%), pérdida de peso, fiebre, dispepsia, polaquiuria (50% cada uno); ascitis (16.7%). Tipo histológico más frecuente: disgerminoma (83.3%). La clasificación de International federation of gynecology and obstetrics (FIGO) al diagnóstico fue en etapas IA (1 paciente), IB (3), IV (1) y IIIA2 (1). El tratamiento fue salpingooferectomía más omentectomía. Conclusión: El cáncer de ovario es poco frecuente en niños, las características clínicas más frecuentes son dolor pélvico, distensión y masa pélvica; la estirpe histológica más frecuente es el disgerminoma.

Using fecal microbial community profiles through sequencing approaches helps to unravel the intimate interplay between health, wellness, and diet in wild animals with their environment. Ensuring the proper preservation of fecal samples before processing is crucial to ensure reliable results. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of two different preservation methods, considering the following criteria: DNA yield, quality and integrity, and microbial community structure based on Oxford Nanopore amplicon sequencing of the V3-V4 region of bacterial 16S rRNA and protozoa 18S rRNA genes. Eighteen matched pairs of mammalian fecal samples were collected and transported in 99.8% ethanol and lysis buffer; processing occurred between 55 and 461 days post-collection. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to analyze quantitative measurements for paired samples. The A260/280 ratio, a measure of nucleic acid purity, was assessed descriptively for each media, and the Bartlett test evaluated dispersion of this ratio. A Fisher test was performed to compare the number of positive reactions for DNA extraction or PCR amplification of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes between both media. The concentration of total DNA and amplicons, as well as the number of reads obtained in sequencing, was significantly higher in the samples preserved with lysis buffer compared to ethanol, with magnitudes up to three times higher. Electrophoretic analysis of total DNA and amplicons further confirmed superior DNA integrity in lysis buffer preserved samples. The A260/280 values obtained using the lysis buffer were of optimal purity (mean: 1.92) and with little dispersion (SD: 0.27); on the other hand, the ethanol samples also presented an excellent average quality (mean: 1.94), but they were dispersed (SD: 1.10). For molecular studies using mammalian feces, the lysis buffer reagent proved to be a reliable solution for their collection, conservation, and storage.

El artículo presenta una reflexión teórica y empírica sobre el papel del sistema financiero en el ciclo económico bajo la perspectiva heterodoxa. Se aborda el proceso de desregulación financiera internacional y su implementación en México, seguido de un análisis del ciclo económico mexicano después de la crisis subprime. De igual forma se afirma que la liberalización financiera generó mayor volatilidad en los mercados financieros, aumentó el nivel de deuda, gestó burbujas especulativas y riesgos excesivos que tuvieron que asumir las instituciones financieras. Se asume un postura crítica frente la creencia de que una economía basada en mercados es la única forma natural de organización económica y, cómo tal supuesto ha influido en la financiarización. Por ello, se resaltan los efectos de la desregulación financiera y la financiarización en la economía mexicana, así como los desafíos que enfrenta el país en su dependencia de los mercados financieros internacionales. La primera parte del texto se centra en las perspectivas diferenciadoras del ciclo económico, comparando el enfoque ortodoxo y heterodoxo. Después, se profundiza en la inserción de México en el proceso de globalización financiera y cómo la distancia entre lo económico y lo financiero se ha ampliado después de la crisis financiera de 2008.

Nanomaterials used as additives to diesel, biodiesel, and its blends have shown promising results in improving thermal efficiency and reducing pollutant emissions in compression ignition engines. However, the stability of dispersions has been noted in the literature as a primary challenge to the effective use of nanomaterials as fuel additives. Between nanomaterials used as additives to fuels are carbon nanotubes (CNTs). These carbonaceous materials have shown positive and negative results concerning engine performance and emissions, and the differences could be associated with the dispersion stability of the nanomaterials in the fuel. Therefore, there is still much uncertainty regarding the relationship between the stability of nanomaterial dispersion and the impact of nanofuels on engine performance. Specifically, the current literature lacks sufficient information regarding the impact of incorporating amide-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the stability of diesel-biodiesel blends and their influence on particulate matter emissions in ICE. In this study CNT and amide-functionalized CNT were dispersed in Colombian commercial diesel (10 % vol. of palm oil biodiesel) and palm oil biodiesel, and its stability was evaluated. The most stable blends were used in a stationary Ignition Compression Engine (ICE) to evaluate the impact of the nanomaterials on thermal efficiency and pollutant emissions. Results show that it was not possible to disperse CNT in Colombian commercial diesel (10 % vol. of palm oil biodiesel and 90 % vol. of petroleum diesel) due to its high rate of agglomeration and sedimentation. In contrast, the opposite behavior was shown using biodiesel as a base fuel. An amide functionalization of the CNT process was carried out to generate a repulsion of CNT and improve its stability in commercial diesel fuel. Amide-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTF) were obtained using pristine CNT and Oleylamine as nitrogen functional group precursors. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy confirmed the amide functional groups on the CNT surface, and a loss weight of 14 % was identified in the temperature range of 150–550 °C, indicating a high grade of functionalization. Functionalized and non-functionalized CNT were dispersed in Colombian commercial diesel and palm oil biodiesel using a concentration of 100 mg/L to evaluate the dispersion's colloidal stability. This stability was examined for three days by visual inspection and variation of the hydrodynamic diameter using dynamic light scattering. The most stable dispersions were prepared at two concentrations (50 and 100 mg/L) and used as fuels in a stationary compression ignition engine. Colloidal stability was enhanced when CNTF were dispersed in diesel compared to the unstable, pristine CNT dispersion. However, in biodiesel, the dispersion behavior of the CNT and CNTF was similar. Compared to diesel, the diesel-CNTF dispersion did not considerably improve the engine´s thermal performance at 6 kW, and only a minor gain was observed at 12 kW at a concentration of 100 mg/L. However, at 6 kW, they reduced particulate matter emissions by up to 39.8 %. In the case of biodiesel, utilizing both functionalized and non-functionalized carbon nanotubes as additives, the thermal efficiency was increased, and CO emissions decreased.

Antecedentes: La papilomatosis laríngea recurrente (PLR) es considerada una enfermedad de transmisión sexual caracterizada por el rápido crecimiento de las lesiones causadas por el virus del papiloma humano (VPH). En el 90% de los casos se han identificado los genotipos 6 y 11. En México no existe suficiente información sobre el genotipo del VPH en la papilomatosis laríngea. Objetivo: Determinar el genotipo del VPH en pacientes adultos con PLR. Método: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, transversal, en pacientes con PLR. Se revisaron los expedientes clínicos y se identificó el genotipo del VPH utilizando oligonucleótidos específicos. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva. Resultados: Se incluyeron 50 pacientes, de los que el 66% fueron hombres. El 62% fueron positivos al VPH 6, el 34% al VPH 11 y el 4% a los VPH 16 y 18. El promedio de procedimientos quirúrgicos fue de 3, el inicio de vida sexual a los 13-15 años y practican sexo oral el 78%. El tiempo de evolución medio fue de 2.7 años (DE: 1.07), más frecuente en 2 años, y 2.02 (DE: 1.46) el promedio de cirugía previas. Conclusiones: El inicio temprano de la vida sexual, tener múltiples parejas sexuales y el sexo oral son factores de riesgo para el desarrollo de PLR.

Major clusters of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) emerged during the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks in the South Pacific and the Americas from 2014 to 2016. The factors contributing to GBS susceptibility in ZIKV infection remain unclear, although considerations of viral variation, patient susceptibility, environmental influences, and other potential factors have been hypothesized. Studying the role of viral genetic factors has been challenging due to the low viral load and rapid viral clearance from the blood after the onset of Zika symptoms. The prolonged excretion of ZIKV in urine by the time of GBS onset, when the virus is no longer present in the blood, provides an opportunity to unravel whether specific ZIKV mutations are related to the development of GBS in certain individuals. This study aimed to investigate the association between specific ZIKV genotypes and the development of GBS, taking advantage of a unique collection of ZIKV-positive urine samples obtained from GBS cases and controls during the 2016 ZIKV outbreak in Colombia. Utilizing Oxford-Nanopore technology, we conducted complete genome sequencing of ZIKV in biological samples from 15 patients with GBS associated with ZIKV and 17 with ZIKV infection without neurological complications. ZIKV genotypes in Colombia exhibited distribution across three clades (average bootstrap of 90.9±14.9%), with two clades dominating the landscape. A comparative analysis of ZIKV genomes from GBS and non-neurological complications, alongside 1368 previously reported genomes, revealed no significant distinctions between the two groups. Both genotypes were similarly distributed among observed clades in Colombia. Furthermore, no variations were identified in the amino acid composition of the viral genome between the two groups. Our findings suggest that GBS in ZIKV infection is perhaps associated with patient susceptibility and/or other para- or post-infectious immune-mediated mechanisms rather than with specific ZIKV genome variations.

The application of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) in many systems is increasing due to their properties, such as nanoscale size, photoluminescence, and surface functional groups. This systematic review aims to analyze whether there is a relationship between the synthesis parameters and the final optical, morphological, and compositional characteristics of the material. Following PRISMA guidelines, the systematic review was performed in the Scopus database to identify the main articles synthesizing CQDs from vegetal biomass. Out of a total of 182 research articles found, 72 met the inclusion parameters. In all the cases, the authors characterized the CQDs using different analytical techniques. Among several synthesis parameters identified, a couple of them were analyzed against material properties such as mean particle size and quantum yield, observing trends in agreement with results previously reported by other authors. In addition, all studies confirmed that solvothermal method is a suitable way to obtain CQDs for different applications.

Li–S batteries are positioned as a strong alternative for efficient energy storage due to their high theoretical energy density and their theoretical specific capacity (1675 mA h g−1) compared to current Li-ion batteries; however, their commercialization is affected by the rapid decay of the specific capacity as a consequence of the different species of lithium polysulfides that are generated during the charge–discharge processes. The use of nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon materials has been shown to have the ability to confer electronic conductivity to sulfur and retain the lithium polysulfide species. However, there are not enough studies to help understand how the type of nitrogen precursor influences the development of specific nitrogen functionalities to favor the retention of lithium polysulfide species. This work seeks to determine the effect of the use of different nitrogen precursors on the structural changes of the mesoporous carbon materials prepared, and thus evaluate the electrochemical behavior of Li–S cells correlating the type of nitrogen functionality generated when the precursor is variated with the charge/discharge capacity developed during the cell operation. For this study, different carbon materials were prepared by the variation of the nitrogen source (melamine, ethylenediamine, and hexadecylamine) to obtain a N-doped mesoporous carbon with different distributions of nitrogen functionalities in its structure. The use of the primary amine ethylenediamine as a nitrogen precursor in the formation of structured carbon materials favored elemental sulfur infiltration into its pores, resulting in the maximum sulfur content within the pores and interacting with the carbonaceous matrix (78.8 wt.%). The carbon material prepared with this precursor resulted in a higher content of N-pyridinic functionality, which, combined with the high content of N-pyrrolic, resulted in the highest specific discharge capacity at 0.1 C after 100 cycles when compared to cells assembled with materials derived from the use of melamine and hexadecylamine precursors. The cell assembled with the electrode formed from ethylenediamine as a nitrogen precursor presented an initial discharge capacity of 918 mA h g−1 with a Coulombic efficiency of ~83.4% at 0.1 C after 100 cycles.

Tourism offers a means of promoting a local development strategy capable of harnessing the resources available within a territory. In order to do this, we must know the potential for tourism development in each territory, as well as the factors that would condition it. In this article, a methodology (based on the design of a system of indicators, the construction of composite indexes, and segmentation by means of cluster analysis) is proposed to measure tourism development within an emerging country and segment its different territories. The case study chosen to validate this methodology is Ecuador, a country with interesting tourist potential, where individual cities have very different levels of tourism development. The results highlight the factors that drive or constrain the degree of tourism development presented by the cities analysed, thereby facilitating decision-making for major stakeholders in each of them.

Se presenta un análisis de las trayectorias, retos y oportunidades de los Estudios de biodiversidad estatal que son promovidos por la Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, en el marco de la iniciativa de las Estrategias Estatales de Biodiversidad. Tras 20 años de esta iniciativa, se han publicado 24 Estudios de Estado con un perfil técnico-científico y biologicista a través de procesos que han involucrado a los distintos actores federales, estatales y académicos de la conservación en México. Su incidencia en el desarrollo de políticas y estrategias de conservación ha tenido un papel relevante para escalar el discurso conservacionista internacional desde los lineamientos del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica, pasando por la Estrategia Nacional sobre Biodiversidad de México, hasta las Estrategias para la Conservación y el Uso Sustentable de la Biodiversidad de los Estados y la conformación de corredores de conservación. Aunque los Estudios de Estado han contribuido a desarrollar herramientas de planificación a largo plazo, aún hay áreas de oportunidad para superar la brecha entre ciencia y su aplicación en la toma delas decisiones y acciones para la gestión y conservación de la biodiversidad en México.

Bidens pilosa L., native to South America and commonly used for medicinal purposes, has been understudied at molecular and genomic levels and in its relationship with soil microorganisms. In this study, restriction site-associated DNA markers (RADseq) techniques were implemented to analyze genetic diversity and population structure, and metabarcoding to examine microbial composition in soils from Palmira, Sibundoy, and Bogotá, Colombia. A total of 2,984,123 loci and 3485 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, revealing a genetic variation of 12% between populations and 88% within individuals, and distributing the population into three main genetic groups, FST = 0.115 (p < 0.001) and FIT = 0.013 (p > 0.05). In the soil analysis, significant correlations were found between effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and apparent density, soil texture, and levels of Mg and Fe, as well as negative correlations between ECEC and Mg, and Mg, Fe, and Ca. Proteobacteria and Ascomycota emerged as the predominant bacterial and fungal phyla, respectively. Analyses of alpha, beta, and multifactorial diversity highlight the influence of ecological and environmental factors on these microbial communities, revealing specific patterns of clustering and association between bacteria and fungi in the studied locations.

The co-occurrence and the similarities between malaria and COVID-19 diseases raise the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 is capable of infecting red blood cells and, if so, whether these cells represent a competent niche for the virus. In this study, we first tested whether CD147 functions as an alternative receptor of SARS-CoV-2 to infect host cells. Our results show that transient expression of ACE2 but not CD147 in HEK293T allows SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses entry and infection. Secondly, using a SARS-CoV-2 wild type virus isolate we tested whether the new coronavirus could bind and enter erythrocytes. Here, we report that 10,94% of red blood cells had SARS-CoV-2 bound to the membrane or inside the cell. Finally, we hypothesized that the presence of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, could make erythrocytes more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to red blood cell membrane remodelling. However, we found a low coinfection rate (9,13%), suggesting that P. falciparum would not facilitate the entry of SARS-CoV-2 virus into malaria-infected erythrocytes. Besides, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in a P. falciparum blood culture did not affect the survival or growth rate of the malaria parasite. Our results are significant because they do not support the role of CD147 in SARS-CoV-2 infection, and indicate, that mature erythrocytes would not be an important reservoir for the virus in our body, although they can be transiently infected.

Medicinal plants maintain structures and diversities of bacteria, fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that can interact to promote growth and therapeutic properties. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the microbiome of Lippia alba and Petiveria alliacea, species known for their high potential for medicinal benefits in Colombia. To achieve this, rhizosphere soils and roots were sampled from five departments in Colombia: Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Putumayo, and Valle del Cauca. The results revealed that the dominant bacterial groups in both plants were primarily Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota, with the first phylum showing the highest number of differentially abundant genera between the sampling points. In fungi, Ascomycota tended to dominate in most of the sampled locations, while Mortierellomycota was particularly abundant in roots of P. alliacea in Valle. Furthermore, the study of AMF indicated differentiation in the colonization for both plants, with the genera Glomus and Paraglomus being predominant. Differences in the Shannon diversity index were recorded between sampling types within these sampling points, possibly influenced by local and environmental factors. Our findings reveal that the microbiomes of both medicinal plants exhibit distinct community assemblies, which could be a significant factor for their future therapeutic use.

Cervical cancer is a malignant neoplastic disease, mainly associated to HPV infection, with high mortality rates. Among natural products, iridoids have shown different biological activities, including cytotoxic and antitumor effects, in different cancer cell types. Geniposide and its aglycone Genipin have been assessed against different types of cancer. In this work, both iridoids were evaluated against HeLa and three different cervical cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we performed a SAR analysis incorporating 13 iridoids with a high structural similarity to Geniposide and Genipin, also tested in the HeLa cell line and at the same treatment time. Derived from this analysis, we found that the dipole moment (magnitude and direction) is key for their cytotoxic activity in the HeLa cell line. Then, we proceeded to the ligand-based design of new Genipin derivatives through a QSAR model (R2 = 87.95 and Q2 = 62.33) that incorporates different quantum mechanic molecular descriptor types (ρ, ΔPSA, ∆Polarizability2, and logS). Derived from the ligand-based design, we observed that the presence of an aldehyde or a hydroxymethyl in C4, hydroxyls in C1, C6, and C8, and the lack of the double bond in C7–C8 increased the predicted biological activity of the iridoids. Finally, ten simple iridoids (D9, D107, D35, D36, D55, D56, D58, D60, D61, and D62) are proposed as potential cytotoxic agents against the HeLa cell line based on their predicted IC50 value and electrostatic features.

The ancestral knowledge of the community of Colón Putumayo unfolds in several dimensions that allow us to recognise the ethnomedicinal properties of plants. The research focused on systematising ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal knowledge on the use of plants as alternatives for treating illnesses. A cross-sectional study was carried out through semi-structured questionnaires to 100 inhabitants of the community of Colón. We found 38 plant species catalogued in 18 botanical families where 10 species of medicinal plants were prioritised by the community for the treatment of illnesses. The use value (UV) evaluation showed that Chamaemelum nobile equals 0.18 compared to Cymbopogon citratus and Lippia alba with 0.04. The Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) for the cited medicinal use categories equivalent to 1.00 are for the treatment of six types of ailments, however, the plants can treat 16 types of ailments. The Fidelity Level (LF) found identified that four plants are used for the treatment of one type of ailment while three are used to alleviate several ailments. The local knowledge of the community of Colón Putumayo is linked to the ancestry of the territory, culture, and family farming practices.

Abstract Background Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) incidence has significantly increased in the US in recent years. It is therefore important to develop effective intervention protocols that mitigate the long-term consequences of this condition for the mother, her child, and the community. Methods We used Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the impact of four interventions for NAS and their combinations on pregnant women with opioid use disorder. The key outputs were changes in incremental costs from baseline from the Medicaid perspective and from a total systems perspective and effect size changes. Simulation parameters and costs were based on the literature and baseline model validation was performed using Medicaid claims for Indiana. Results Compared to baseline, the resulting simulation estimates showed that three interventions significantly decreased Medicaid incremental costs by 8% (mandatory opioid testing (MOT)), 4% (patient navigators), and 3% (peer recovery coaches). The combination of the three interventions reduced Medicaid direct costs by 26%. Reductions were similar for total system incremental costs (ranging from 2 to 24%), though MOT was found to increase costs of overdose death based on productivity loss. NAS case reductions ranged from 1% (capacity change) to 13% (MOT). Conclusions Using systems-based modeling, we showed that costs associated with NAS can be significantly reduced. However, effective implementation would require the involvement and coordination of several stakeholders. In addition, careful protocols for MOT should be considered to ensure pregnant women don’t forgo prenatal care for fear of punitive consequences.

Las investigaciones actuales sobre las orientaciones docentes del profesorado, refieren dos modelos: el modelo centrado en el profesor y el modelo centrado en el alumno. En este estudio se analiza la orientación docente hacia estos dos modelos por parte del profesorado universitario. En base a este objetivo se propusieron tres hipótesis que hacen referencia a la tendencia del profesorado hacia un modelo u otro dependiendo de las variables sexo, formación previa y años de experiencia laboral. Este estudio fue realizado con 95 docentes de la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación de la Universidad de Sevilla, mediante un sistema de muestreo intencional por accesibilidad. Para el análisis de los datos se ha utilizado el Alfa de Cronbach, estadísticos descriptivos de cada una de las variables y de la predominancia de cada modelo, prueba de Levene y prueba t para variables independientes. El instrumento utilizado para la recogida de datos ha sido una adaptación al formato online del “Cuestionario para el Análisis de la Orientación Docente del Profesor Universitario” (Feixas, 2006). Los resultados muestran que no existe una tendencia significativa hacia ninguno de los dos modelos, en base a las variables sexo, formación psicopedagógica y años de experiencia docente universitaria, ni tampoco hacia un modelo de enseñanza u otro. Se concluye que el profesorado participante utiliza competencias docentes, tanto de un modelo como del otro, sin encontrarse diferencias de género, años de experiencia docente o formación previa.

Africa accounts for 1.5% of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and 2.7% of deaths, but this low incidence has been partly attributed to the limited testing capacity in most countries. In addition, the population in many African countries is at high risk of infection with endemic infectious diseases such as malaria. Our aim is to determine the prevalence and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the frequency of co-infection with the malaria parasite. We conducted serological tests and microscopy examinations on 998 volunteers of different ages and sexes in a random and stratified population sample in Burkina-Faso. In addition, nasopharyngeal samples were taken for RT-qPCR of SARS-CoV-2 and for whole viral genome sequencing. Our results show a 3.2 and a 2.5% of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and PCR positivity; and 22% of malaria incidence, over the sampling period, with marked differences linked to age. Importantly, we found 8 cases of confirmed co-infection and 11 cases of suspected co-infection mostly in children and teenagers. Finally, we report the genome sequences of 13 SARS-CoV-2 isolates circulating in Burkina Faso at the time of analysis, assigned to lineages A.19, A.21, B.1.1.404, B.1.1.118, B.1 and grouped into clades; 19B, 20A, and 20B. This is the first population-based study about SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in Burkina Faso during the first wave of the pandemic, providing a relevant estimation of the real prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and variants circulating in this Western African country. Besides, it highlights the non-negligible frequency of co-infection with malaria in African communities.

El análisis de las redes de actores en los destinos turísticos ha cobrado importancia en la literatura científica. En este artículo, la aplicación de la metodología de redes ARS en cuatro ciudades de Ecuador, permite conocer la estructura de sus relaciones y fortalezas a través de un conjunto de indicadores como la densidad y la centralidad, enfocada esta última desde su grado de entrada (outdegree), es decir el número de relaciones directas que los actores dicen tener y su grado de salida (indegree), o sea el número de veces que un actor es nombrado por otro actor. El resultado de este estudio muestra que cada ciudad presenta una dinámica diferente en relación a su nivel de participación y relación en la red, destacando los actores del sector público y los distintos gremios y asociaciones, ubicándose en un menor grado los actores que no cuentan con estas fortalezas.

Los frutos silvestres han sido una parte integral de la dieta de los habitantes rurales del trópico americano. En Colombia, la información acerca del uso de los frutos silvestres se encuentra dispersa en la literatura etnobotánica y en colecciones de herbario, limitando el diseño de estrategias de conservación y uso. Esta revisión tiene como propósito sintetizar información acerca de los frutos silvestres usados en Colombia. Se revisaron colecciones de herbario y referencias de literatura. Se registraron 703 especies en 76 familias, entre las cuales Fabaceae (66 especies), Arecaceae (58) y Passifloraceae (44) son las más diversas. Los géneros con más especies fueron Inga (42), Passiflora (42) y Pouteria (21). La mayoría de las especies tienen amplia distribución en América tropical, y solo 45 (6.4 %) son endémicas de Colombia. Las regiones con el mayor número de especies son Amazonia (388), Andes (144) y Pacífico (111). La mayoría de especies registradas, 613 (87.2 %), son exclusivamente silvestres, mientras que 90 (12.8 %) son silvestres o cultivadas. Los frutos silvestres tienen un alto potencial para la agricultura, para desarrollar productos novedosos y para mejoramiento nutricional; sin embargo, es necesario crear estrategias para revalorizar su uso.

People of all ages display the ability to detect and learn from patterns in seemingly random stimuli. Referred to as statistical learning (SL), this process is particularly critical when learning a spoken language, helping in the identification of discrete words within a spoken phrase. Here, by considering individual differences in speech auditory-motor synchronization, we demonstrate that recruitment of a specific neural network supports behavioral differences in SL from speech. While independent component analysis (ICA) of fMRI data revealed that a network of auditory and superior pre/motor regions is universally activated in the process of learning, a frontoparietal network is additionally and selectively engaged by only some individuals (high auditory-motor synchronizers). Importantly, activation of this frontoparietal network is related to a boost in learning performance, and interference with this network via articulatory suppression (AS; i.e., producing irrelevant speech during learning) normalizes performance across the entire sample. Our work provides novel insights on SL from speech and reconciles previous contrasting findings. These findings also highlight a more general need to factor in fundamental individual differences for a precise characterization of cognitive phenomena.

Socioeconomic inequalities and their evolution in different historical contexts have been widely studied. However, some of their dimensions remain relatively unexplored, such as the role played by socioeconomic status in the trajectory of biological living standards, especially net nutritional status. The main objective of this article is to analyze whether the power of socioeconomic status (SES) to explain differences in the biological dimensions of human well-being (in this case, adult height, a reliable metric for health and nutritional status) has increased or diminished over time. Educational attainment and occupational category have been used as two different proxies for the SES of Spanish men and women born between 1940 and 1994, thus covering a historical period in Spain characterized by remarkable socioeconomic development and a marked increase in mean adult height. Our data is drawn from nine waves of the Spanish National Health Survey and the Spanish sample of two waves of the European Health Interview Survey (ENSE) for the period 1987 to 2017 (N = 73,699 citizens aged 23–47). A multivariate regression analysis has been conducted, showing that, as a whole, height differentials by educational attainment have diminished over time, whereas differences by occupational category of household heads have largely persisted. These results indicate the need for further qualification when describing the process of convergence in biological well-being indicators across social groups. For instance, the progressive enrollment of a greater proportion of the population into higher educational levels may lead us to underestimate the real differences between socioeconomic groups, while other proxies of SES still point to the persistence of such differences.

Soils play important roles in the proper functioning of agroecosystems. Using molecular characterization methods such as metabarcoding, soils from eight farms (57 samples) belonging to three production system types—agroecological (two farms with twenty-two sampling points), organic (three farms with twenty-one sampling points), and conventional (three farms with fourteen sampling points)—were compared from the rural villages of El Arenillo and El Mesón in Palmira, Colombia. Amplification and sequencing of the hypervariable V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was performed using next-generation sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) to estimate the bacterial composition and the alpha and beta diversity present. Across all soil samples, we found 2 domains (Archaea and Bacteria), 56 phylum, 190 classes, 386 orders, 632 families, and 1101 genera to be present. The most abundant phyla in the three systems were Proteobacteria, (agroecological 28%, organic 30%, and conventional 27%), Acidobacteria (agroecological 22%, organic 21%, and conventional 24%), and Verrucomicrobia (agroecological 10%, organic 6%, and conventional 13%). We found 41 nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-dissolving genera which promote growth and pathogens. Alpha and beta diversity indices were very similar across the three agricultural production systems, as reflected by shared amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) among them, likely due to the proximity of the sampling sites and recent management changes.

We report a man with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries and moderate anteroseptal ischemia; and cardiac computed tomography showed a single coronary artery with origin from the right aortic sinus. The perfusion of the morphological right ventricle by a single right coronary artery may be a cause of ischemia. (Level of Difficulty: Beginner.)

El uso de residuos de borra de café para la obtención de carbones activados mediante carbonización hidrotérmica se ha abordado de forma poco sistemática en la literatura, lo que sumado a la necesidad de mejorar los sistemas de almacenamiento de energía, exige la realización de estudios sistemáticos de estos procesos. En el presente trabajo se obtuvieron carbones activados con porosidad jerarquizada a partir de biomasa por medio de carbonización hidrotérmica y activaciones químicas. Se analizó el efecto del tiempo y la temperatura de la carbonización hidrotérmica de la borra de café, con el fin de obtener un alto grado de carbonización y mejores rendimientos de reacción. En cuanto a la porosidad, se utilizaron tres agentes directores de estructura para obtener una distribución de poros jerarquizada. Con respecto al desarrollo de los materiales, el análisis termogravimétrico y el elemental confirmaron la obtención de un material mucho más carbonizado con la carbonización hidrotérmica a 250 °C durante 6 h, en tanto que a 200 °C durante 6 h se logró un mayor rendimiento de reacción. Los carbones activados se caracterizaron utilizando isotermas y micrografías de microscopía electrónica de barrido (MEB) para el análisis de la porosidad y el área superficial, y se comprobó que todos los materiales sintetizados obtuvieron una distribución jerárquica de poros. Asimismo, se evaluó el comportamiento de los materiales como electrodos para supercondensadores, evidenciándose una mejor capacitancia específica con el carbón obtenido por activación con hidróxido de potasio (KOH).

Background: Correct functioning of the reward processing system is critical for optimizing decision-making as well as preventing the development of addictions and/or neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression, apathy, and anhedonia. Consequently, patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy due to unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE-UHS) represent an excellent opportunity to study the brain networks involved in this system. Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate decision-making and the electrophysiological correlates of feedback processing in a sample of mTLE-UHS patients, compared to healthy controls. In addition, we assessed the impact of mesial temporal lobe surgical resection on these processes, as well as general, neuropsychological functioning. Method: 17 mTLE-UHS patients and 17 matched healthy controls completed: [1] a computerized version of the Game of Dice Task, [2] a Standard Iowa Gambling Task, and [3] a modified ERP version of a probabilistic gambling task coupled with multichannel electroencephalography. Neuropsychological scores were also obtained both pre- and post-surgery. Results: Behavioral analyses showed a pattern of increased risk for the mTLE-UHS group in decision-making under ambiguity compared to the control group. A decrease in the amplitude of the Feedback Related Negativity (FRN), a weaker effect of valence on delta power, and a general reduction of delta and theta power in the mTLE-UHS group, as compared to the control group, were also found. The beta-gamma activity associated with the delivery of positive reward was similar in both groups. Behavioral performance and electrophysiological measures did not worsen post-surgery. Conclusions: Patients with mTLE-UHS showed impairments in decision-making under ambiguity, particularly when they had to make decisions based on the outcomes of their choices, but not in decision-making under risk. No group differences were observed in decision-making when feedbacks were random. These results might be explained by the abnormal feedback processing seen in the EEG activity of patients with mTLE-UHS, and by concomitant impairments in working memory, and memory. These impairments may be linked to the disruption of mesial temporal lobe networks. Finally, feedback processing and decision-making under ambiguity were already affected in mTLE-UHS patients pre-surgery and did not show evidence of clear worsening post-surgery.

El absceso pulmonar es una entidad infrecuente en la edad pediátrica, pero que genera una morbilidad importante. Aún menos frecuente es la presencia de este con drenaje espontáneo a piel, generando un absceso en pared torácica, motivo de consulta, del presente caso clínico. Posteriormente y por estudios imagenológicos se documentó la presencia de absceso pulmonar con extensión a pared torácica sin afectación pleural, una entidad extremadamente rara e inusual, con un solo caso descrito en la literatura mundial a nuestro alcance y en un paciente adulto.

Piezoelectric materials are widely used in electronic devices and, traditionally, various lead-based materials have been implemented in such applications. However, because of the damage caused by lead, other materials with similar characteristics that do not cause a negative impact on human health and the environment have been developed. A material with those characteristics is potassium-sodium niobite K0.5Na0.5 Nbo3. In this study, we investigate the thermogravimetric, structural, and microstructural properties of powders of such system obtained through oxide mixing with the aim of establishing the effect and efficiency of grinding (using a horizontal and a planetary ball mill grinder) on the production of the final material. It was determined that horizontal grinding and calcination at 900°C create the optimal conditions for obtaining K0.5Na0.5 Nbo3 powders, by oxide mixing, with the adequate structure and microstructure to continue the densification and/or doping processes.

Abstract We analyze the infrared behavior of the two and four-point functions for the massless O(N) model in Lorentzian de Sitter spacetime, using the 1/N expansion. Our approach is based in the study of the Schwinger-Dyson equations on the sphere (Euclidean de Sitter space), using the fact that the infrared behavior in Lorentzian spacetime is determined by the pole structure of the Euclidean correlation functions. We compute the two-point function up to the NTLO in 1/N , and show that in the infrared it behaves as the superposition of two massive free propagators with effective masses of the same order, but not equal to, the dynamical mass m dyn . We compare our results with those obtained using other approaches, and find that they are equivalent but retrieved in a considerably simpler way. We also discuss the infrared behavior of the equal-times four-point functions.

Li-S batteries are ideal candidates to replace current lithium-ion batteries as next-generation energy storage systems thanks to their high specific capacity and theoretical energy density. Composite electrodes based on carbon microstructures are often used as a host for sulfur. However, sulfur lixiviation, insoluble species formation, and how to maximize the sulfur-carbon contact in looking for improved electrochemical performance are still major challenges. In this study, a nitrogen doped mesoporous carbon is used as a host for sulfur. The S/C composite electrodes are prepared by sulfur melting-diffusion process at 155 °C. The effect of the sulfur melting-diffusion time [sulfur infiltration time] (1–24 h) and sulfur content (10–70%) is investigated by using XRD, SEM, TEM and TGA analyses and correlated with the electrochemical performance in Li-S cells. S/C composite electrode with homogeneous sulfur distribution can be reached with 6 h of sulfur melting-diffusion and 10 wt.% of sulfur content. Li-S cell with this composite shows a high use of sulfur and sufficient electronic conductivity achieving an initial discharge capacity of 983 mA h g−1 and Coulombic efficiency of 99% after 100 cycles.

Resumen: Introducción: Las cardiopatías congénitas (CC) en México se presentan con una cifra estimada entre 18,000-20,000 nuevos casos por año. La mayor parte de los centros que atienden a estos enfermos son exclusivamente pediátricos y el Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) cuenta con una clínica que atiende a todas las edades. Objetivo: Analizar los aspectos demográficos de una clínica de CC del niño y del adulto del IMSS. Métodos: De 2011 a 2016 se realizó un estudio transversal de la clínica de CC de un hospital de tercer nivel del IMSS, incluyendo todos los pacientes con cardiopatía estructural confirmada de reciente diagnóstico. Se registró el sexo, la edad, la entidad federativa de referencia, el antecedente de embarazo y el tratamiento. Se dividió a la población en rangos de edades ( 17.1 años). Se empleó estadística descriptiva y prueba de χ2 en las variables cualitativas. Resultados: Tres mil cuatrocientos ochenta y tres enfermos con CC (relación hombre:mujer, 0.8:1.2), las cardiopatías acianógenas de flujo pulmonar aumentado son el grupo más grande (47.2%); 25.6% fueron adultos y 35% de las mujeres con antecedente de al menos una gesta. En general la cardiopatía más frecuente fue la comunicación interauricular. La entidad federativa con mayor frecuencia de adultos de reciente diagnóstico fue Chiapas (33.82%); el 7% no fueron candidatos a ningún tratamiento por complicaciones inherentes a la cardiopatía. Conclusiones: Existe un diagnóstico tardío de la atención de las CC en la etapa adulta. Es necesario crear un registro nacional para promover nuevas políticas de salud y distribución de recursos destinados a estos pacientes. Abstract: Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) has an incidence of 8-10 cases per 1000 live births. In Mexico, there are 18,000-20,000 new cases per year. Most tertiary care centers for CHD attend only pediatric population; the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) has a clinic that attends pediatric and adult population. Objective: To analyze the demographic aspects of the CHD clinic of IMSS. Methods: From 2011 to 2016 a cross-sectional study of the CC clinic of a third level hospital of the IMSS, including all patients with confirmed structural heart disease of recent diagnosis was carried out. The sex, age, reference entity, antecedent of pregnancy and treatment were registered. The population was divided into age ranges ( 17.1 years). Descriptive statistics and χ2 test were used in qualitative variables. Results: 3,483 patients with CHD (male:female ratio, 0.8:1.2) were included. Increased pulmonary flow acyanogenic cardiopathies were the most frequent CHD group (47.2%), with atrial septal defect being the most frequent diagnosis overall; 25.6% were adults and 35% of women with a history of pregnancy. Chiapas was Federal entity with greater proportion of patients diagnosed in the adult stage (33.82%); 7% were not candidates for any treatment for complications of the disease. Conclusions: CHD is a late diagnosis; it is necessary to create a national register to promote new health policies and a rational distribution of resources for these patients. Palabras clave: Enfermedades congénitas del corazón, Embarazo, Adulto, Pediátrico, México, Keywords: Congenital heart diseases, Epidemiology, Pregnancy, Adult, Pediatric, México

For decades, sodium/iodide symporter NIS-mediated iodide uptake has played a crucial role in the radioactive ablation of thyroid cancer cells. NIS-based gene therapy has also become a promising tool for the treatment of tumors of extrathyroidal origin. But its applicability has been hampered by reduced expression of NIS, resulting in a moderated capacity to accumulate 131I and in inefficient ablation. Despite numerous preclinical enhancement strategies, the understanding of NIS expression within tumors remains limited.This study aims at a better understanding of the functional behavior of exogenous NIS expression in the context of malignant solid tumors that are characterized by rapid growth with an insufficient vasculature, leading to hypoxia and quiescence. Using subcutaneous HT29NIS and K7M2NIS tumors, we show that NIS-mediated uptake and NIS expression at the plasma membrane of cancer cells are impaired in the intratumoral regions. For a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms induced by hypoxia and quiescence (separately and in combination), we performed experiments on HT29NIS cancer cells. Hypoxia and quiescence were both found to impair NIS-mediated uptake through mechanisms including NIS mis-localization. Modifications in the expression of proteins and metabolites involved in plasma membrane localization and in energy metabolism were found using untargeted proteomics and metabolomics approaches.In conclusion, our results provide evidence that hypoxia and quiescence impair NIS expression at the plasma membrane, and iodide uptake. Our study also shows that the tumor microenvironment is an important parameter for successful NIS-based cancer treatment.

At present, language therapy is the only available treatment for childhood aphasia (CA). Studying new interventions to augment and hasten the benefits provided by language therapy in children is strongly needed. CA frequently emerges as a consequence of traumatic brain injury and, as in the case of adults, it may be associated with dysfunctional activity of neurotransmitter systems. The use of cognitive-enhancing drugs, alone or combined with aphasia therapy, promotes improvement of language deficits in aphasic adults. In this study we report the case of a 9-year-old right-handed girl, subject P, who had chronic anomic aphasia associated with traumatic lesions in the left temporal-parietal cortex. We performed a single-subject, open-label study encompassing administration of the cholinergic agent donepezil (DP) alone during 12 weeks, followed by a combination of DP and intensive naming therapy (INT) for 2 weeks and thereafter by a continued treatment of DP alone during 12 weeks, a 4-week washout period, and another 2 weeks of INT. Four comprehensive language and neuropsychological evaluations were performed at different timepoints along the study, and multiple naming evaluations were performed after each INT in order to assess performance in treated and untreated words. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at baseline. MRI revealed two focal lesions in the left hemisphere, one large involving the posterior inferior and middle temporal gyri and another comprising the angular gyrus. Overall, baseline evaluation disclosed marked impairment in naming with mild-to-moderate compromise of spontaneous speech, repetition, and auditory comprehension. Executive and attention functions were also affected, but memory, visuoconstructive, and visuoperceptive functions were preserved. Treatment with DP alone significantly improved spontaneous speech, auditory comprehension, repetition, and picture naming, in addition to processing speed, selective, and sustained attention. Combined DP-INT further improved naming. After washout of both interventions, most of these beneficial changes remained. Importantly, DP produced no side effects and subject P attained the necessary level of language competence to return to regular schooling. In conclusion, the use of DP alone and in combination with INT improved language function and related cognitive posttraumatic deficits in a child with acquired aphasia. Further studies in larger samples are warranted.

Learning to read leads to functional and structural changes in cortical brain areas related to vision and language. Previous evidence suggests that the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA), a region devoted to the recognition of letter strings in literate persons, acts as an interface between both systems. While different studies have performed univariate analyses to study the effects of literacy on brain function, little is known about its impact on whole functional networks, especially when literacy is acquired during adulthood. We investigated functional connectivity in three groups of adults with different literacy status: illiterates, ex-illiterates (i.e., who learned to read during adulthood), and literates (i.e., who learned to read in childhood). We used a data-driven, multivariate whole brain approach (Independent Component Analysis [ICA]) combined with a region of interest (ROI) analysis in order to explore the functional connectivity of the VWFA with four ICA networks related to vision and language functions. ICA allowed for the identification of four networks of interest: left fronto-parietal, auditory, medial visual and lateral visual functional networks, plus a control right fronto-parietal network. We explored the effects literacy on the connectivity between the VWFA and these networks, trying furthermore to disentangle the roles of reading proficiency and age of acquisition (i.e., literacy status) in these changes. Results showed that functional connectivity between the VWFA and the left fronto-parietal and lateral visual networks increased and decreased, respectively, with literacy. Moreover, the functional coupling of the VWFA and the auditory network decreased with literacy. This study provides novel insights in the mechanisms of reading acquisition and brain plasticity, putting to light the emergence of the VWFA as a bridge between language and vision. Further studies are required to characterize the interplay of proficiency and age of reading acquisition, and its relevance to models of brain plasticity across lifespan.

The acquisition and evolution of speech production, discourse and communication can be negatively impacted by brain malformations. We describe, for the first time, a case of developmental dynamic dysphasia (DDD) in a right-handed adolescent boy (subject D) with cortical malformations involving language-eloquent regions (inferior frontal gyrus) in both the left and the right hemispheres. Language evaluation revealed a markedly reduced verbal output affecting phonemic and semantic fluency, phrase and sentence generation and verbal communication in everyday life. Auditory comprehension, repetition, naming, reading and spelling were relatively preserved, but executive function was impaired. Multimodal neuroimaging showed a malformed cerebral cortex with atypical configuration and placement of white matter tracts bilaterally and abnormal callosal fibers. Dichotic listening showed right hemisphere dominance for language, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) additionally revealed dissociated hemispheric language representation with right frontal activation for phonology and bilateral dominance for semantic processing. Moreover, subject D also had congenital mirror movements (CMM), defined as involuntary movements of one side of the body that mirror intentional movements of the other side. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and fMRI during voluntary unimanual (left and right) hand movements showed bilateral motor cortex recruitment and tractography revealed a lack of decussation of bilateral corticospinal tracts. Genetic testing aimed to detect mutations that disrupt the development of commissural tracts correlating with CMM (e.g., Germline DCC mutations) was negative. Overall, our findings suggest that DDD in subject D resulted from the underdevelopment of the left inferior frontal gyrus with limited capacity for plastic reorganization by its homologous counterpart in the right hemisphere. Corpus callosum anomalies probably contributed to hinder interhemispheric connectivity necessary to compensate language and communication deficits after left frontal involvement.

ABSTRACT The study of complex ecological interactions, such as those among host, pathogen, and vector communities, can help to explain host ranges and the emergence of novel pathogens. We evaluated the viromes of papaya orchards, including weed and insect viromes, to identify common viruses in intensive production of papaya in the Pacific Coastal Plain and the Central Depression of Chiapas, Mexico. Samples of papaya cultivar Maradol, susceptible to papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), were categorized by symptoms by local farmers (papaya ringspot symptoms, non-PRSV symptoms, or asymptomatic). These analyses revealed the presence of 61 viruses, where only 4 species were shared among both regions, 16 showed homology to known viruses, and 36 were homologous with genera including Potyvirus, Comovirus, and Tombusvirus (RNA viruses) and Begomovirus and Mastrevirus (DNA viruses). We analyzed the network of associations between viruses and host-location combinations, revealing ecological properties of the network, such as an asymmetric nested pattern, and compared the observed network to null models of network association. Understanding the network structure informs management strategies, for example, revealing the potential role of PRSV in asymptomatic papaya and that weeds may be an important pathogen reservoir. We identify three key management implications: (i) each region may need a customized management strategy; (ii) visual assessment of papaya may be insufficient for PRSV, requiring diagnostic assays; and (iii) weed control within orchards may reduce the risk of virus spread to papaya. Network analysis advances understanding of host-pathogen interactions in the agroecological landscape. IMPORTANCE Virus-virus interactions in plants can modify host symptoms. As a result, disease management strategies may be unsuccessful if they are based solely on visual assessment and diagnostic assays for known individual viruses. Papaya ringspot virus is an important limiting factor for papaya production and likely has interactions with other viruses that are not yet known. Using high-throughput sequencing, we recovered known and novel RNA and DNA viruses from papaya orchards in Chiapas, Mexico, and categorized them by host and, in the case of papaya, symptom type: asymptomatic papaya, papaya with ringspot virus symptoms, papaya with nonringspot symptoms, weeds, and insects. Using network analysis, we demonstrated virus associations within and among host types and described the ecological community patterns. Recovery of viruses from weeds and asymptomatic papaya suggests the need for additional management attention. These analyses contribute to the understanding of the community structure of viruses in the agroecological landscape.

Anemonia viridis is an abundant and widely distributed temperate sea anemone that can form dense congregations of individuals. Despite the potential severity of its sting, few detailed cases have been reported. We report a case of a severe toxic reaction following an A. viridis sting in a 35-year-old oceanographer. She developed severe pain, itching, redness, and burning sensation, which worsened one week after treatment with anti-inflammatories, antihistamines and corticosteroids. Prompted by this event, and due to the insufficient risk prevention, lack of training for marine-environment users, and lack of research into sting-specific first-aid protocols, we evaluated the cnidocyst response to five different compounds commonly recommended as rinse solutions in first-aid protocols (seawater, vinegar, ammonia, baking soda, and freshwater) by means of the Tentacle Solution Assay. Vinegar and ammonia triggered an immediate and massive cnidocyst discharge after their application and were classified as activator solutions. Baking soda and freshwater were also classified as activator solutions, although with a lower intensity of discharge. Only seawater was classified as a neutral solution and therefore recommended as a rinse solution after A. viridis sting, at least until an inhibitory solution is discovered.

Abstract We analyze the long distance behavior of the two-point functions for an interacting scalar O(N) model in de Sitter spacetime. Following our previous work, this behavior is analyzed by analytic continuation of the Euclidean correlators, which are computed by treating the homogeneous zero mode exactly and using a partial resummation of the interactions between the zero and the non-zero modes. We focus on massless fields and present an alternative derivation of our method, which involves a double expansion in 1/N and the coupling constant of the theory. This derivation is simpler than the previous one and can be directly extended for fields with negative squared-mass. We extend our previous results by computing the long wavelength limit of the two-point functions at next-to-leading order in 1/N and at leading order in the coupling constant, which involves a further resummation of Feynman diagrams (needed when the two-point functions are analitically continued). We prove that, after this extra resummation, the two-point functions vanish in the long distance limit.

The food industry has increased its interest in using natural and consumer-friendly ingredients to produce food products. In the case of hydrocolloids of natural origin, the materials are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. This study aimed to isolate hydrocolloids from Pereskia bleo leaves and evaluate their proximal composition, technological and rheological properties. High-carbohydrate Pereskia bleo with high water holding capacity and emulsifying stability were obtained. The samples showed a shear-thinning behavior adjusted to the Cross model (R2 > 0.93) and a high dependence on temperature corroborating with the higher activation energy value (11.78 kJ/mol, R2 = 0.99) as an indicator of a rapid change in viscosity and microstructure. The viscoelastic properties are shown with a storage modulus higher than the loss modulus, presenting a gel structure. The isolation of hydrocolloids from leaves is a major challenge for commercializing natural ingredients with technological properties. Therefore, this study suggests that these hydrocolloids from Pereskia bleo leaves can be good ingredients in microstructure and texturizing products, improving the stability as thickener agents.

Abstract Background Brachypodium distachyon (Poaceae), an annual Mediterranean Aluminum (Al)-sensitive grass, is currently being used as a model species to provide new information on cereals and biofuel crops. The plant has a short life cycle and one of the smallest genomes in the grasses being well suited to experimental manipulation. Its genome has been fully sequenced and several genomic resources are being developed to elucidate key traits and gene functions. A reliable germplasm collection that reflects the natural diversity of this species is therefore needed for all these genomic resources. However, despite being a model plant, we still know very little about its genetic diversity. As a first step to overcome this gap, we used nuclear Simple Sequence Repeats (nSSR) to study the patterns of genetic diversity and population structure of B. distachyon in 14 populations sampled across the Iberian Peninsula (Spain), one of its best known areas. Results We found very low levels of genetic diversity, allelic number and heterozygosity in B. distachyon, congruent with a highly selfing system. Our results indicate the existence of at least three genetic clusters providing additional evidence for the existence of a significant genetic structure in the Iberian Peninsula and supporting this geographical area as an important genetic reservoir. Several hotspots of genetic diversity were detected and populations growing on basic soils were significantly more diverse than those growing in acidic soils. A partial Mantel test confirmed a statistically significant Isolation-By-Distance (IBD) among all studied populations, as well as a statistically significant Isolation-By-Environment (IBE) revealing the presence of environmental-driven isolation as one explanation for the genetic patterns found in the Iberian Peninsula. Conclusions The finding of higher genetic diversity in eastern Iberian populations occurring in basic soils suggests that these populations can be better adapted than those occurring in western areas of the Iberian Peninsula where the soils are more acidic and accumulate toxic Al ions. This suggests that the western Iberian acidic soils might prevent the establishment of Al-sensitive B. distachyon populations, potentially causing the existence of more genetically depauperated individuals.

Las arañas son consideradas de importancia para estudios de biodiversidad, conservación y sucesión. Presentan facilidad para dispersarse y establecerse en nuevos hábitats por lo que son buenos colonizadores de territorios insulares. La familia de arañas Theridiidae es una de las más diversas, representada por una gran variedad morfológica, etológica y ecológica. En Argentina no existen trabajos referidos a terídios de territorios insulares, por lo tanto, este trabajo consiste en el primer registro de la familia en estos ambientes. La Isla Martín García es una Reserva Natural e Histórica que se ubica en el sector noreste del Río de La Plata y presenta variabilidad ambiental y florística. Para analizar la riqueza específica, abundancia relativa y diversidad alfa y beta de terídios se realizaron muestreos durante tres años consecutivos mediante red de golpeo y muestreo manual. Se capturaron un total de 1173 individuos, pertenecientes a nueve géneros y 21 morfoespecies. La especie más abundante en todos los ambientes fue Cryptachaea hirta (61,68%). La selva fue el ambiente con mayor diversidad (H’ = 1,9, J = 0,67) (S = 16), brindando una vasta vegetación, con amplios recursos para la subsistencia de estas arañas. La isla no correspondería a un área de importancia respecto a la singularidad de especies. Se encontraron tres nuevos registros para Argentina: C. altiventer, Theridion positivum y T. tinctorium.

Microorganisms represent nearly 90% of ocean biomass and are fundamental for the functioning and health of marine ecosystems due to their integral contribution to biogeochemical cycles and biological processes. In marine environments, microorganisms exist as microbial communities in the water column, benthonic substrates, and macroorganisms, where they establish symbiotic interactions and fulfill their ecological roles. Such interactions can have a harmful or beneficial impact on the hosts depending on the emergent properties of the communities, their taxonomic structure, and functionality. To evaluate these features, culture independent approaches like metabarcoding have been developed and have hugely contributed to the characterization of marine microbial diversity. The present study was aimed to explore the structure and metabolic functionality of microbial communities associated to marine hosts at the Serrana Bank, a coral atoll part of the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve (Archipelago of San Andrés, Old Providence and Saint Catalina, Colombia). We found a highly diverse microbial assemblage associated with the corals Siderastrea siderea, Colpophyllia natans, and Orbicella annularis, the sponge Haliclona sp. and sediment from Isla de los Pájaros lagoon. However, the coral Porites astreoides had significantly lower bacterial diversity and a different community composition. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum within bacterial communities in the evaluated hosts, except in P. astreoides, where Cyanobacteria was the predominant group. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Gemmatimonadetes were also identified within all microbiomes, but their dominance varied between hosts. Additionally, the most abundant group among the fungi communities associated with O. annularis, S. siderea, and C. natans was Ascomycota, but significant differences between clasess and order were observed among hosts. Finally, functional profiles revealed that the principal microbial functions were focused on membrane transport, carbohydrates, amino acids and energy metabolism, replication, and translation processes. A significant higher metabolic functionality was found in the sponge microbiome in comparison to the coral microbial communities.

Linguistic anxiety (LA) is an abnormal stress response induced by situations that require the use of verbal behavior, and it is accentuated during language testing in persons with aphasia (PWA). The presence of LA in PWA may jeopardize the interpretation of cognitive evaluations, leading to biased conclusions about the severity of the language alteration and the effectiveness of the treatments. In the present study, we report the case of a woman (Mrs. A) with severe chronic mixed transcortical aphasia due to left frontal and parietal hemorrhages that partially spared the perisylvian area. Mrs. A was treated with the dopamine agonist Rotigotine alone and combined with Intensive Language-Action Therapy (ILAT). Complementary evaluations included autonomic reactivity during the performance of different language tasks, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET). We found that formal language testing in a clinical setting triggered a dramatic increase of automatic echolalia, perseverations and frustration, making the task completion difficult. The treatment improved aphasia, but gains were more robust when evaluation was performed by Mrs. A’s husband at home than by clinicians. Autonomic evaluation under Rotigotine revealed higher reactivity during tasks tapping an impaired function in comparison with a task evaluating a preserved function (verbal repetition). Baseline 18F-FDG-PET analysis showed decreased metabolic activity in left limbic-paralimbic areas, whereas rs-fMRI revealed compensatory activity in the right hemisphere. We also analyzed the different factors (e.g., premorbid personality traits, task difficulty) that may have contributed to LA in Mrs. A during language testing. Our findings emphasize the usefulness of implicating adequately trained laypersons in the evaluation and treatment of PWA showing LA. Further studies using multidimensional evaluations are needed to disentangle the interplay between anxiety and abnormal language as well as the neural mechanisms underpinning LA in PWA.

The co-occurrence of plant species is a fundamental aspect of plant ecology that contributes to understanding ecological processes, including the establishment of ecological communities and its applications in biological conservation. A priori algorithms can be used to measure the co-occurrence of species in a spatial distribution given by coordinates. We used 17 species of the genus Brachypodium, downloaded from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility data repository or obtained from bibliographical sources, to test an algorithm with the spatial points process technique used by Silva et al. (2016), generating association rules for co-occurrence analysis. Brachypodium spp. has emerged as an effective model for monocot species, growing in different environments, latitudes, and elevations; thereby, representing a wide range of biotic and abiotic conditions that may be associated with adaptive natural genetic variation. We created seven datasets of two, three, four, six, seven, 15, and 17 species in order to test the algorithm with four different distances (1, 5, 10, and 20 km). Several measurements (support, confidence, lift, Chi-square, and p-value) were used to evaluate the quality of the results generated by the algorithm. No negative association rules were created in the datasets, while 95 positive co-occurrences rules were found for datasets with six, seven, 15, and 17 species. Using 20 km in the dataset with 17 species, we found 16 positive co-occurrences involving five species, suggesting that these species are coexisting. These findings are corroborated by the results obtained in the dataset with 15 species, where two species with broad range distributions present in the previous dataset are eliminated, obtaining seven positive co-occurrences. We found that B. sylvaticum has co-occurrence relations with several species, such as B. pinnatum, B. rupestre, B. retusum, and B. phoenicoides, due to its wide distribution in Europe, Asia, and north of Africa. We demonstrate the utility of the algorithm implemented for the analysis of co-occurrence of 17 species of the genus Brachypodium, agreeing with distributions existing in nature. Data mining has been applied in the field of biological sciences, where a great amount of complex and noisy data of unseen proportion has been generated in recent years. Particularly, ecological data analysis represents an opportunity to explore and comprehend biological systems with data mining and bioinformatics tools.

Plant root colonization by rhizobacteria can protect plants against pathogens and promote plant growth, and chemotaxis to root exudates was shown to be an essential prerequisite for efficient root colonization. Since many chemoattractants control the transcript levels of their cognate chemoreceptor genes, we have studied here the transcript levels of the 27 Pseudomonas putida KT2440 chemoreceptor genes in the presence of different maize root exudate (MRE) concentrations. Transcript levels were increased for 10 chemoreceptor genes at low MRE concentrations, whereas almost all receptor genes showed lower transcript levels at high MRE concentrations. The exposure of KT2440 to different MRE concentrations did not alter c-di-GMP levels, indicating that changes in chemoreceptor transcripts are not mediated by this second messenger. Data suggest that rhizosphere colonization unfolds in a temporal fashion. Whereas at a distance to the root, exudates enhance chemoreceptor gene transcript levels promoting in turn chemotaxis, this process is reversed in root vicinity, where the necessity of chemotaxis toward the root may be less important. Insight into KT2440 signaling processes were obtained by analyzing mutants defective in the three cheA paralogous genes. Whereas a mutant in cheA1 showed reduced c-di-GMP levels and impaired biofilm formation, a cheA2 mutant was entirely deficient in MRE chemotaxis, indicating the existence of homologs of the P. aeruginosawsp and che (chemotaxis) pathways. Signaling through both pathways was important for efficient maize root colonization. Future studies will show whether the MRE concentration dependent effect on chemoreceptor gene transcript levels is a feature shared by other species.