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Summary: Lamin A/C is a well-established key contributor to nuclear stiffness and its role in nucleus mechanical properties has been extensively studied. However, its impact on whole-cell mechanics has been poorly addressed, particularly concerning measurable physical parameters. In this study, we combined microfluidic experiments with theoretical analyses to quantitatively estimate the whole-cell mechanical properties. This allowed us to characterize the mechanical changes induced in cells by lamin A/C alterations and prelamin A accumulation resulting from atazanavir treatment or lipodystrophy-associated LMNA R482W pathogenic variant. Our results reveal a distinctive increase in long-time viscosity as a signature of cells affected by lamin A/C alterations. Furthermore, they show that the whole-cell response to mechanical stress is driven not only by the nucleus but also by the nucleo-cytoskeleton links and the microtubule network. The enhanced cell viscosity assessed with our microfluidic assay could serve as a valuable diagnosis marker for lamin-related diseases.

Deterioration of water quality is a serious problem that continues to face the environment due to the discharge of untreated wastewater into water bodies. The present systematic review and meta-analysis research evaluated the efficacy of micro/nano bubbles (MNB) in the treatment of polluted effluents in relation to BOD and COD. The research was of quantitative approach, applied type and non-experimental design. The scientific articles were collected from Scopus and Web of Science databases from the period of January 2011 to November 2021. The results showed that only five investigations were included and subjected to meta-analysis. Those studies indicated that treatment with MNBs achieved removals between 69 to 100% and 68 to 99% for BOD5 and COD, respectively. The best removal efficiency (97% COD and 100% BOD5) was achieved in the scientific investigation of Rameshkumar (Rameshkumar et al. 2019). Finally, it is concluded that MNBs effectively reduce the pollutants present in wastewater.

Worldwide urban expansion and deforestation have caused a rapid decline of non-human primates in recent decades. Yet, little is known to what extent these animals can tolerate anthropogenic noise arising from roadway traffic and human presence in their habitat. We studied six family groups of titis residing at increasing distances from a busy highway, in a park promoting ecotourism near Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. We mapped group movements, sampled the titis’ behavior, collected fecal samples from each study group and conducted experiments in which we used a mannequin simulating a human intrusion in their home range. We hypothesized that groups of titi monkeys exposed to higher levels of anthropogenic noise and human presence would react weakly to the mannequin and show higher concentrations of fecal cortisol compared with groups in least perturbed areas. Sound pressure measurements and systematic monitoring of soundscape inside the titis’ home ranges confirmed the presence of a noise gradient, best characterized by the root-mean-square (RMS) and median amplitude (M) acoustic indices; importantly, both anthropogenic noise and human presence co-varied. Study groups resided in small, overlapping home ranges and they spent most of their time resting and preferentially used the lower forest stratum for traveling and the higher levels for foraging. Focal sampling analysis revealed that the time spent moving by adult pairs was inversely correlated with noise, the behavioral change occurring within a gradient of minimum sound pressures ranging from 44 dB(A) to 52 dB(A). Validated enzyme-immunoassays of fecal samples however detected surprisingly low cortisol concentrations, unrelated to the changes observed in the RMS and M indices. Finally, titis’ response to the mannequin varied according to our expectation, with alarm calling being greater in distant groups relative to highway. Our study thus indicates reduced alarm calling through habituation to human presence and suggests a titis’ resilience to anthropogenic noise with little evidence of physiological stress.

Curbs are used as physical markers to delimit roads and to redirect traffic into multiple directions (e.g., islands and roundabouts). Detection of road curbs is a fundamental task for autonomous vehicle navigation in urban environments. Since almost two decades, solutions that use various types of sensors, including vision, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors, among others, have emerged to address the curb detection problem. This survey elaborates on the advances of road curb detection problems, a research field that has grown over the last two decades and continues to be the ground for new theoretical and applied developments. We identify the tasks involved in the road curb detection methods and their applications on autonomous vehicle navigation and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). Finally, we present an analysis on the similarities and differences of the wide variety of contributions.

In this article, we show an alternative low-cost fabrication method to obtain poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic devices. The proposed method allows the inscription of micron resolution channels on polystyrene (PS) surfaces, used as a mold for the wanted microchip’s production, by applying a high absorption coating film on the PS surface to ablate it with a focused low-power visible laser. The method allows for obtaining micro-resolution channels at powers between 2 and 10 mW and can realize any two-dimensional polymeric devices. The effect of the main processing parameters on the channel’s geometry is presented.

Long-range vocal communication in socially monogamous titi monkeys is mediated by the production of loud, advertising calls in the form of solos, duets, and choruses. We conducted a power spectral analysis of duets and choruses (simply “duets” hereafter) followed by linear discriminant analysis using three acoustic parameters—dominant frequency of the combined signal, duet sequence duration, and pant call rate—comparing the coordinated vocalizations recorded from 36 family groups at 18 sites in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Our analysis identified four distinct duetting patterns: (1) a donacophilus pattern, sensu stricto, characteristic of P. donacophilus, P. pallescens, P. olallae, and P. modestus; (2) a moloch pattern comprising P. discolor, P. toppini, P. aureipalatii, and P. urubambensis; (3) a torquatus pattern exemplified by the duet of Cheracebus lucifer; and (4) the distinctive duet of P. oenanthe, a putative member of the donacophilus group, which is characterized by a mix of broadband and narrowband syllables, many of which are unique to this species. We also document a sex-related difference in the bellow-pant phrase combination among the three taxa sampled from the moloch lineage. Our data reveal a presumptive taxonomic incoherence illustrated by the distinctive loud calls of both P. urubambensis and P. oenanthe within the donacophilus lineage, sensu largo. The results are discussed in light of recent reassessments of the callicebine phylogeny, based on a suite of genetic studies, and the potential contribution of environmental influences, including habitat acoustics and social learning. A better knowledge of callicebine loud calls may also impact the conservation of critically endangered populations, such as the vocally distinctive Peruvian endemic, the San Martin titi, P. oenanthe.

Deterioration of water quality is a serious problem that continues to face the environment due to the discharge of untreated wastewater into water bodies. The present systematic review and meta-analysis research evaluated the efficacy of micro/nano bubbles (MNB) in the treatment of polluted effluents in relation to BOD and COD. The research was of quantitative approach, applied type and non-experimental design. The scientific articles were collected from Scopus and Web of Science databases from the period of January 2011 to November 2021. The results showed that only five investigations were included and subjected to meta-analysis. Those studies indicated that treatment with MNBs achieved removals between 69 to 100% and 68 to 99% for BOD5 and COD, respectively. The best removal efficiency (97% COD and 100% BOD5) was achieved in the scientific investigation of Rameshkumar (Rameshkumar et al. 2019). Finally, it is concluded that MNBs effectively reduce the pollutants present in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este editorial del vol. 7, núm. 14 de PatryTer – Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Geografía y Humanidades se enfoca la cartografía, en tanto instrumento analítico de la Geografía, y la historia del territorio, como noción sintética de una de las preocupaciones de la disciplina. Ello justifica el homenaje que este número de la revista rinde al Dr. José Omar Moncada Maya, colega mexicano que ha dedicado más de medio siglo a la Geografía Iberoamericana. Sin duda, el homenaje a un geógrafo historiador resulta pertinente en estos momentos de la historia humana en que el conocimiento está dominado por las técnicas, la fugacidad y la proyección hacia el futuro, pues no debemos olvidar, ni en la ciencia ni en ningún aspecto de la existencia humana, que en el pasado están las claves para comprender el presente y planear un futuro mejor. La obra de José Omar Moncada nos permite revisar el devenir de la geografía mexicana para entender los caminos actuales de esta disciplina y plantear los escenarios del mañana en diálogo con otras escuelas latinoamericanas.

Abstract As the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, it leaves behind the serious concern that future, even more disruptive pandemics may eventually surface. One of the crucial steps in handling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was being able to detect the presence of the virus in an accurate and timely manner, to then develop policies counteracting the spread. Nevertheless, as the pandemic evolved, new variants with potentially dangerous mutations appeared. Faced by these developments, it becomes clear that there is a need for fast and reliable techniques to create highly specific molecular tests, able to uniquely identify VOCs. Using an automated pipeline built around evolutionary algorithms, we designed primer sets for SARS-CoV-2 (main lineage) and for VOC, B.1.1.7 (Alpha) and B.1.1.529 (Omicron). Starting from sequences openly available in the GISAID repository, our pipeline was able to deliver the primer sets for the main lineage and each variant in a matter of hours. Preliminary in-silico validation showed that the sequences in the primer sets featured high accuracy. A pilot test in a laboratory setting confirmed the results: the developed primers were favorably compared against existing commercial versions for the main lineage, and the specific versions for the VOCs B.1.1.7 and B.1.1.529 were clinically tested successfully.