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We present the development of a simple, handheld cross‐polarised microscope (CPM) and demonstration of imaging individual pigmented cells in human skin in vivo. In the CPM device, the cross‐polarised detection approach is used to reduce the specular reflection from the skin surface and preferentially detect multiply‐scattered light. The multiply‐scattered light works as back illumination from within the tissue towards the skin surface, and superficial pigment such as intraepidermal melanin absorbs some spectral bands of the multiply‐scattered light and cast coloured shadows. Since the light that interacted with the superficial pigment only needs to travel a short distance before it exits the skin surface, microscopic details of the pigment can be preserved. The CPM device uses a water‐immersion objective lens with a high numerical aperture to image the microscopic details with minimal spherical aberrations and a small depth of focus. Preliminary results from a pilot study of imaging skin lesions in vivo showed that the CPM device could reveal three‐dimensional distribution of pigmented cells and intracellular distribution of pigment. Co‐registered CPM and reflectance confocal microscopy images showed good correspondence between dark, brown cells in CPM images and bright, melanin‐containing cells in reflectance confocal microscopy images. LAY DESCRIPTION: We present the development of a simple, handheld cross‐polarised microscope (CPM) and demonstration of imaging individual pigmented cells in human skin in vivo. In the CPM device, the cross‐polarised detection approach is used to reduce the specular reflection from the skin surface and preferentially detect multiply‐scattered light. The multiply‐scattered light works as back illumination from within the tissue towards the skin surface, and superficial pigment such as intraepidermal melanin absorbs some spectral bands of the multiply‐scattered light and cast coloured shadows. Since the light that interacted with the superficial pigment only needs to travel a short distance before it exits the skin surface, microscopic details of the pigment can be preserved. Preliminary results from a pilot study of imaging skin lesions in vivo showed that the CPM device could reveal three‐dimensional distribution of pigmented cells and intracellular distribution of pigment. Co‐registered CPM and reflectance confocal microscopy images showed good correspondence between dark, brown cells in CPM images and bright, melanin‐containing cells in reflectance confocal microscopy images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This technical study of three Mexican lacquer objects, dating from the 16th, 18th and 19th centuries, analyses different lacquer manufacturing processes and their local characteristics through the centuries. The technical analysis of each object highlights their material and technological innovation. In addition, we describe individual stylistic characteristics of Mexican lacquer production centres, Peribán and Olinalá. Finally, we conclude with a few observations about the taste for Asian lacquer in the West, and how this impacted lacquer crafts around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The news, editorials and articles in magazines like America or The Commonweal can give insight into the public opinion of United States Catholics towards Francoist Spain during the complex context of World War II. America took a fairly pro-Franco stance, while The Commonweal's approach was more critical. Both publications hoped that Spanish Catholicism would curb Nazi influence, while the Church would promote a process of democratization in Spain deemed unavoidable following the defeat of the Axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is first to examine, through a qualitative analysis of statistics syllabi, the current state of statistical education in a sample of universities in Colombia. The focus is on statistics teaching in degrees for economics and business administration students. The results from the qualitative analysis reflect a preponderance of traditional and didactic teaching methods centered on the teacher, not on the student. The second aim is to present findings from a case study that has developed an innovative pedagogical intervention, called a data fellows program, from the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, which evidences opportunities for how statistics can be taught effectively to non-STEM majors. Further, the data fellows model has also been explored in the context of developing statistical and data skills capacities in Latin America. We reflect on how the lessons from the UK case study could open up opportunities for rethinking the teaching of statistics in Colombia through developing data projects and experiential learning to practice statistics in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EmpoderaData – from the Spanish word empoderar 'to empower' – is a partnership research project between the University of Manchester (UK), Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil), Universidad del Rosario (Colombia) and Data-Pop Alliance (US and France). The project builds upon a successful data-driven, research-led paid internship programme in the UK (Q-Step) which enables undergraduate social science students to practise data skills through immersion in the workplace. Two-hundred and fifty students have benefited from the Q-Step programme in six years, many graduating into analytical careers in civic society and industry. EmpoderaData aims to build on this experiential learning initiative by developing a data fellowship programme in order to foster and develop data literacy skills in Latin America, led by the need to address society's most pressing issues and using the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). EmpoderaData Phase 1 explored whether the internship model would have relevance and usefulness within the context of three Latin American case study countries (Brazil, Colombia and Mexico). The team set out to establish a baseline of the state of data literacy and existing training programs in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. As part of a 'Big Data for the Common Good' event, a workshop was held in São Paulo with thirty participants representing data literacy advocacy or policy formation and drawn from civil society, academia, the private and public sector. The main conclusions from this first phase are: (1) the most requested data literacy training need is for basic skills, including introductory statistics, foundation data analysis and methodological skills; (2) paid data fellowship models are acknowledged as a useful intervention; and (3) the notion of a 'hybrid' professional to build data literacy capacities for 'social science' purposes provides a practical way forward. In the EmpoderaData Phase 2 project our focus was on Colombia to explore the challenges and opportunities of developing a pilot data fellowship model there. Engaging with national, regional and international capacity development efforts, this highlighted a demand for partnerships between universities and organisations working on the social challenges represented by the SDGs. Partnerships ensure that the in-country data literacy pipeline is strengthened in a home-grown, self-sustaining way, producing a steady flow of data literate graduates into the institutions and sectors where critical data skills are most needed. We report on how the EmpoderaData project is exploring working with students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees at the Universidad del Rosario, to improve the application of statistical methods to the social sciences. The aim is to strengthen STEM skills and develop youth empowerment across Colombia, urban and rural areas, to improve the quality of statistical education at the national level, and support the skills needed to deliver the SDGs. In parallel, the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) Business School in São Paulo agreed to trial the work-placement programme in their undergraduate business and public policy degrees through a programme entitled 'The FGV Q-Step Center to improve quantitative skills in undergraduate business students'. This two-year-long funded study will enable us to explore the transferability of the internship model from the UK to Brazil. The paper will discuss how the programme was established (following the lessons learned from EmpoderaData), explain how this model will be implemented in FGV, especially paying attention to how the curriculum will develop to support it, and how the impact of the programme will be monitored. The knowledge exchange generated from this study will complement the research conducted through the EmpoderaData project. The paper will cover the progress of the EmpoderaData project and FGV-Q-Step Center to date and explore how we are developing these initiatives, the challenges we have faced, and how through partnership working we are developing capacity building in statistical and data skills training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of bladder lesions diagnosed during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), to identify the associated risk factors, and to correlate the macroscopic descriptions with the pathological findings. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective case series conducted at a hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. We reviewed the medical and surgical records of patients who underwent TURP between January 2012 and December 2017. Results: The final sample comprised 513 patients, with a mean age of 70.8 years. Bladder lesions were identified during TURP in 109 (21.2%) of the patients, and 90 of those lesions were submitted for pathological examination. The most common macroscopic finding was bullous edema, which was seen in 57 (63.3%) of the 90 lesions examined. The pathological analysis revealed chronic cystitis in 61 lesions (67.8%) and malignant lesions in 16 (17.8%). Of the 57 lesions described as bullous edema, 5 (8.8%) were found to be malignant. Conclusions: Alterations in the bladder mucosa appear to be more common among elderly patients who use an indwelling urinary catheter for a prolonged period and among patients with recurrent urinary tract infections. In addition, the risk of a bladder lesion being malignant is apparently higher in current and former smokers than in never smokers. Our findings suggest that at-risk patients should undergo biopsy or resection of incidental bladder lesions even if those lesions seem to be benign, due to the low level of agreement between the visual analysis and the pathological examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inferring electoral individual behaviour from aggregated data is a very active research area, with ramifications in sociology and political science. A new approach based on linear programming is proposed to estimate voter transitions among parties (or candidates) between two elections. Compared to other linear and quadratic programming models previously published, our approach presents two important innovations. Firstly, it explicitly deals with new entries and exits in the election census without assuming unrealistic hypotheses, enabling a reasonable estimation of vote behaviour of young electors voting for the first time. Secondly, by exploiting the information contained in the model residuals, we develop a procedure to assess the uncertainty in the estimates. This significantly distinguishes our model from other published mathematical programming methods. The method is illustrated estimating the vote transfer matrix between the first and second rounds of the 2017 French presidential election and measuring its level of uncertainty. Likewise, compared to the most current alternatives based on ecological regression, our approach is considerably simpler and faster, and has provided reasonable results in all the actual elections to which it has been applied. Interested scholars can easily use our procedure with the aid of the R-function provided in the Supplemental Material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se realizó un diseño experimental de Taguchi, para optimizar crecimiento del hongo Rhizopus oligosporus, empleando variables de respuesta como temperatura, inóculo, tiempo incubación, rendimiento micelar. Posteriormente se evaluaron sustratos, variando la cantidad de leguminosa/cereal, siendo garbanzo cocido y arroz semicocido, el seleccionado. Se inoculó el hongo. Se dejó crecer y posteriormente se analizó el contenido químico proximal del producto, su precio de venta y análisis sensorial por aceptación. Se obtuvo un producto alimenticio fermentado a base de garbanzo y arroz en proporciones iguales (50:50), con características sensoriales aceptables para el consumidor potencial. Su valor proteínico crudo fue de 11.5 %, y su contribución de energía/ración de la formulación seleccionada fue de 470.4 kcal. El análisis microbiológico fue negativo para hongos y levaduras, mientras que los mesofílicos aerobios se encuentran dentro de los límites permitidos (3000 ufc/g). El precio de venta obtenido, fue bajo y rentable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small population of otter and mink coexist on the Isle of Sálvora, off the coast of Galicia, a region in northwest Spain. The aim of this study was to analyse the feeding habits of both species (taxa and type of prey) and their degree of trophic overlap. In order to analyse which habitat features best define otter and mink trophic preferences, fish preys were defined according to three criteria: substrate preference, position in the water column, and tidal zones. A total of 178 otter spraints and 158 mink scats were collected and analysed between May and October 2007. The relative frequency of occurrence and the biomass of each taxon were calculated. Mink consume mainly rabbits in spring, seagulls in summer, and rodents and shrews in autumn. The frequency of rabbits and gulls in mink diet was related to the abundance of both prey on the island. Otters were basically feeding upon fish throughout the study period. Their main prey was garfish (pelagic fish) during spring and summer, and Bleniidae and Gobiidae (benthic fish of rocky bottom pools) in autumn. These fishes are also consumed by mink during late summer, when the diet overlap between both species is higher (August diet overlap of 43.5 %, mean diet overlap of 16.4 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oak species (Fagaceae: Quercus) differ in their distribution at the landscape scale, specializing to a certain portion of environmental gradients. This suggests that functional differentiation favors habitat partitioning among closely related species. To elucidate the mechanisms of species coexistence in oak forests, we explored patterns of interspecific variation in functional traits involved in water-use strategies. We tested the hypothesis that oak species segregate along key trade-offs between xylem hydraulic efficiency and safety, and between hydraulic safety and drought avoidance capacity, leading to species niche partitioning across a gradient of aridity. To do so, we quantified biophysical and physiological traits in four red and five white oak species (sections Lobatae and Quercus, respectively) across an aridity gradient in central Mexico. We also explored the trade-offs guiding species differentiation, particularly between the drought tolerance versus water acquisition capacity, and determined whether the wateruse strategy was associated with the portion of the environmental gradient that the species occupy. In a trait-by-trait analysis, we detected differences between white and red oak species. However, a larger part of the variation was explained at the species rather than at the section level. We detected two primary axes of trait covariation. The first exhibited differences between species with dense tissues and species with soft tissues (the tissue construction cost axis); however, the oak sections did not constitute separate groups, while the second suggested a trade-off between xylem resistance to cavitation and tree deciduousness. As expected, the water-use strategies of the species were related to the environment; oak species from arid areas had more deciduousness and a higher instantaneous water-use efficiency. In contrast, their humid counterparts had less deciduousness and had a xylem that was more resistant to embolisms. Altogether, these results suggest that aridity filters closely related species, resulting in habitat partitioning and niche divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Christian Century, an American Protestant magazine of religious news, paid detailed attention to the situation of the Spanish Protestant minority under the denominationally Catholic Franco's dictatorship. The lack of religious freedom was one of the most relevant and troublesome aspects of the bilateral relation between Spain and the United States in the Cold War historical framework. In this paper the time immediately before the signature of the agreements is considered. It was a historical moment in which the Franco regime was getting rid step by step of its ostracism, but it was not yet integrated in the U.S.-led global strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thiosalts are compounds commonly present in process plant liquor for the concentration of metal sulphide ores by milling and flotation. Since thiosalts are metastable species that are oxidized to sulphuric acid as an end product, they cannot be discharged nor recycled into the process. Therefore, the development of a cost-effective process for the treatment of these effluents is necessary. In this paper, the continuous bio-oxidation of tetrathionate is carried out in a flooded packed-bed reactor by an immobilized microbial consortium. Batch tests show that the initial tetrathionate concentration and pH slightly affect the tetrathionate bio-oxidation process in the ranges 3 to 5 g/L and 1.5 to 2, respectively. The specific bio-oxidation rate is 0.08 h − 1 . Only sulphate ions and protons have been detected as end products. For the starting up of the bioreactor, a new method of biofilm formation for tetrathionate bio-oxidation is implemented. The maximum bio-oxidation rate in continuous operation is 0.415 gh − 1 (0.830 kg h − 1 m − 3 ). The biofilm was stable for the whole period studied, i.e. 35 days. These results indicate that a flooded packed-bed reactor is an interesting option from an economic point of view for the treatment of waters contaminated by thiosalts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the purification of acid mine water and the treatment of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) are integrated into one process with the aim of recovering the Zn content of both effluent and waste. Zinc recovery can reduce the cost of their environmental management: purified acid mine water is discharged after removing all metals; EAFD ceases to be hazardous waste; and Zn is valorised. The process consists of the recovery of Zn as zinc oxide and its purification into commercial products. First, EAFD is leached with acid water and the dissolved metals are selectively precipitated as hydroxides. After EADF leaching, ferrous iron is bio-oxidized and Fe and Al are then precipitated; in the following stage, Cu, Ni, Co and Cd are cemented and finally Zn is precipitated as ZnO. In order to purify water that finally is discharged to a river, lime is used as the neutralizing agent, which results in a precipitate of mainly gypsum, MnO, and ZnO. From the impure zinc oxide produced, various alternatives for the attainment of commercial products, such as basic zinc carbonate and electrolytic zinc, are studied in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The estimation of RxC ecological inference contingency tables from aggregate data is one of the most salient and challenging problems in the field of quantitative social sciences, with major solutions proposed from both the ecological regression and the mathematical programming frameworks. In recent decades, there has been a drive to find solutions stemming from the former, with the latter being less active. From the mathematical programming framework, this paper suggests a new direction for tackling this problem. For the first time in the literature, a procedure based on linear programming is proposed to attain estimates of local contingency tables. Based on this and the homogeneity hypothesis, we suggest two new ecological inference algorithms. These two new algorithms represent an important step forward in the ecological inference mathematical programming literature. In addition to generating estimates for local ecological inference contingency tables and amending the tendency to produce extreme transfer probability estimates previously observed in other mathematical programming procedures, these two new algorithms prove to be quite competitive and more accurate than the current linear programming baseline algorithm. Their accuracy is assessed using a unique dataset with almost 500 elections, where the real transfer matrices are known, and their sensitivity to assumptions and limitations are gauged through an extensive simulation study. The new algorithms place the linear programming approach once again in a prominent position in the ecological inference toolkit. Interested readers can use these new algorithms easily with the aid of the R package lphom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) is the third leading non-obstetric indirect cause of maternal death. We describe the anaesthetic management of a 32-year-old woman at 22 weeks gestation with intracranial haemorrhage due to a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Managing these patients requires a complex approach with a highly individualised plan involving neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, anaesthetists, obstetricians and neonatologists to assess the risk and benefit of all the different therapeutic alternatives. Given the high risk of further bleeding during pregnancy and the location of the AVM, the best therapeutic option in this case was considered to be a craniotomy and complete removal of the lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Dithiocarb (diethyldithiocarbamate, DEDTC) belongs to the group of dithiocarbamates and is the main metabolite of disulphiram, a drug of choice for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Its therapeutic potential relays on its ability to create an unpleasant aversive reaction following the ingestion of alcohol, and this effect is usually accompanied by neurobehavioural symptoms. Most of these can be attributed to the impaired metabolism of brain biogenic amines. Methods To gain new insights into the dithiocarbamates and their effects on neurotransmitter systems, an in vivo experimental model based on daily injections of DEDTC in adult mice for 7 days was established. To this end, the concentrations of the three major brain monoamines, dopamine ( DA), noradrenaline ( NA) and serotonin (5- HT) were measured in whole brain extracts with high-performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC). The levels of D2 dopamine receptor ( D2 R) were evaluated by Western blot and by immunohistochemical techniques the cell pattern of tyrosine hydroxylase ( TH), dopa beta hydroxylase ( DBH) and choline acetyltransferase ChAT) were analysed. Results A significant reduction in DA and 5- HT levels was observed, whereas NA was not affected. Moreover, decreases in D2 R levels, as well as in enzymes such as TH, DBH and ChAT, were found. Conclusions Our data suggest that DEDTC provokes alterations in biogenic amines and in different substrates of neurotransmitter systems, which could explain some of the neurobehavioural effects observed in patients treated with disulphiram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debate about religious freedom is a very relevant issue for understanding the so-called Two Spains conflict. It was not a practical problem in the sense that never there was a sizable population in Spain who professed religions other than Catholic. It was above all an argument about the very foundations of the Spanish political community that confronted supporters of individual liberty to an idea of an essentially Catholic nation. The story is organized in six phases: 1812-1854, 1854-1868, 1868-1876, 1876-1931, 1931-1936 and 1936-1976. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine feedlots are intensive production systems of significant importance in Mexico. The present study describes the presence of bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) causing subacute to chronic lesions in feedlot cattle, associated with other pathologies. Animals included in this study were discarded after they received therapy several times due to chronic pneumonia, or anaplamosis. Bovine virus diarrhea antigen was identified by immunohistochemistry in small intestine and myocardium in six cases of chronic suppurative bronchopneumonia with extensive areas of casseous necrotic bronchiectasis, previously diagnosed as Mycoplasma bovis pneumonias (retrospective group, n = 6). Furthermore, based on characteristic histopathologic lesions other nine cases were included (prospective group, n = 9). Bovine virus diarrhea antigen was recognized in two animals with pneumonic lesions, including a case with fibrinous bronchopneumonia as well as suggestive lesions of infectious bovine rinotracheitis (1/9), and another one with suppurative bronchopneumonia and myocarditis suggestive of Histophilus somni (1/9). In addition, one positive case was associated to anaplasmosis (1/9). Other two positive cases showed a conspicuous fibrinous peritonitis (2/9). The rest of the animals in this group resulted negative (4/9). Histopathological characteristics of the lesions and their association with the antigen in situ confirm the presence of BVD. This presentation is compatible with the acute infection syndrome. This is the first report of BVD infection and concomitant pathologies in feedlot cattle in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disulfiram is an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor used for the treatment of alcohol dependence and of cocaine addiction. It has been demonstrated that subchronic administration of disulfiram or N, N-diethyldithiocarbamate (DEDTC), the main derivative of disulfiram, to rats can produce central-peripheral distal axonopathy. However, few data regarding the axonal effects of these compounds in the central nervous system exist. Our previous studies have revealed DEDTC-induced axonal damage in the mouse brain during the course of postnatal development, together with alterations in axonal pathfinding and in the myelination process, with partial recovery during the post-treatment period. In order to gather new data about how this axonal damage and recovery occurs in the central nervous system, we performed an ultrastructural analysis of the axons located in the corpus callosum from mice treated with DEDTC during postnatal development. The axonal caliber throughout the axonal area, the maximum axonal diameter, the maximum fiber diameter, and the axonal circularity, at different postnatal stages [from postnatal day (P)9 to P30], were analyzed. In addition, parameters related to the myelinization process (number of myelinated axons, sheath thickness, and the ratio of myelinated axons to total axons) were evaluated. A reduction in the average value of axonal caliber during treatment and a delay in the axonal myelination process were detected. Whereas early recovery of individual axons occurred after treatment (P22), complete recovery of myelinated axons occurred at late postnatal stages (P42). Therefore, chronic treatment with dithiocarbamates requires periods of rest to encourage the recovery of myelinated axons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History of diseases, clinical manifestations, pathologic and histopathological findings, as well as the results of complementary studies of three animals considered representatives of an outbreak of mortality in beef cattle in a ranch located in Aldama, Tamaulipas, during the first trimester of the 2008 are presented. Babesiosis and paralytic rabies were the presumptive diagnosis in two cases. Both diseases are considered enzootic in this area. Laboratory studies demonstrated that rabies was the main problem (3/3); however, in two of them (2/3) also Babesia bovis was recognized. In enzootic areas, the presence of both diseases, bovine paralytic rabies and babesiosis, occurs simultaneously making diagnosis difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Se presentan los antecedentes, las manifestaciones clínicas, los hallazgos patológicos e histopatológicos, así como los resultados de los estudios complementarios de tres animales representativos de un problema de mortalidad en ganado de carne en un rancho localizado en el municipio de Aldama, Tamaulipas, durante el primer trimestre de 2008. El diagnóstico presuntivo en dos casos fue babesiosis y en el otro fue rabia. La zona es considerada endémica para ambas enfermedades. Los resultados demostraron que el problema primordial fue rabia (3/3); sin embargo, en dos de ellos (2/3) también se registró la presencia de Babesia bovis. En zonas endémicas, la presencia de ambas enfermedades, rabia paralítica bovina y babesiosis ocurre simultáneamente haciendo difícil el diagnóstico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The formation of a through-gut was a key innovation in the evolution of metazoans. There is still controversy regarding the origin of the anus and how it may have been either gained or lost during evolution in different bilaterian taxa. Thus, the study of groups with a blind gut is of great importance for understanding the evolution of this organ system. Here, we describe the morphogenesis and molecular patterning of the blind gut in the sexual triclad Schmidtea polychroa. We identify and analyze the expression of goosecoid, commonly associated with the foregut, and the GATA, ParaHox and T-box genes, members of which commonly are associated with gut regionalization. We show that GATA456a is expressed in the blind gut of triclads, while GATA456b is localized in dorsal parenchymal cells. Goosecoid is expressed in the central nervous system, and the unique ParaHox gene identified, Xlox, is detected in association with the nervous system. We have not isolated any brachyury gene in the T-box complement of S. polychroa, which consists of one tbx1/10, three tbx2/3 and one tbx20. Furthermore, the absence of genes like brachyury and caudal is also present in other groups of Platyhelminthes. This study suggests that GATA456, in combination with foxA, is a gut-specific patterning mechanism conserved in the triclad S. polychroa, while the conserved gut-associated expression of foregut, midgut and hindgut markers is absent. Based on these data and the deviations in spiral cleavage found in more basal flatworms, we propose that the lack of an anus is an innovation of Platyhelminthes. This may be associated with loss of gut gene expression or even gene loss. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Se describe un caso de miositis osificante localizada en un perro de raza Weimaraner, macho, de ocho años de edad. El animal fue originalmente remitido con diagnóstico presuntivo de hernia. La lesión era un nódulo subcutáneo firme con 5 cm de largo por 3 cm de ancho, localizada en los músculos del perineo derecho. Después del estudio radiológico la lesión fue interpretada como una neoplasia originada de vértebras coccígeas. Su dureza se constató durante el procedimiento quirúrgico para eliminar la neoformación. La lesión se extirpó parcialmente y la muestra se remitió a patología. La masa era dura, bien delimitada, vascularizada y con tejido muscular a su alrededor. El estudio histopatológico reveló osificación heterotópica con zonas de atrofia, degeneración y necrosis muscular, alternando con zonas de osificación trabecular en la periferia, limitadas por abundante tejido conectivo fibroso. Estos hallazgos son característicos de la miositis osificante localizada. Este caso constituye el primer informe de esta condición patológica en un perro en México, similar a la miositis osificante localizada en humanos [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of myositis ossificans circumscripta in an eight-year-old, male, Weimaraner dog, is described. The animal was originally submitted with presumptive diagnosis of hernia. The lesion was a firm, subcutaneous nodule, 5 cm long by 3 cm width, localized in the right perineum muscles. After the radiologic study the lesion was interpreted as a neoplasm from coccygeal vertebrae. The surgical procedure to eliminate the neoplastic tissue confirmed its hardness. Excision was not complete and the sample was submitted to pathology. The mass was hard, well circumscribed, vascularized and surrounded by muscle tissue. The histopathological study revealed a heterotopic ossification with zones of atrophy, degeneration and muscle necrosis, alternating with zones of trabecular ossification toward the periphery, limited by abundant fibrous connective tissue. These findings are characteristic of myositis ossificans circumscripta. This case represents the first report in a dog in Mexico, of a condition resembling the myositis ossificans circumscripta in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression of defensive genes from a promoter that is specifically activated in response to pathogen invasion is highly desirable for engineering disease-resistant plants. A plant transformation vector was constructed with transcriptional fusion between the pathogen-responsive win3.12T promoter from poplar and the gene encoding the novel cecropin A-melittin hybrid peptide (CEMA) with strong antimicrobial activity. This promoter–transgene combination was evaluated in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi) for enhanced plant resistance against a highly virulent pathogenic fungus Fusarium solani. Transgene expression in leaves was strongly increased after fungal infection or mechanical wounding, and the accumulation of CEMA transcripts was found to be systemic and positively correlated with the number of transgene insertions. A simple and efficient in vitro regeneration bioassay for preliminary screening of transgenic lines against pathogenic fungi was developed. CEMA had strong antifungal activity in vitro, inhibiting conidia germination at concentrations that were non-toxic to tobacco protoplasts. Most importantly, the expression level of the CEMA peptide in vivo, regulated by the win3.12T promoter, was sufficient to confer resistance against F. solani in transgenic tobacco. The antifungal resistance of plants with high CEMA expression was strong and reproducible. In addition, leaf tissue extracts from transgenic plants significantly reduced the number of fungal colonies arising from germinated conidia. Accumulation of CEMA peptide in transgenic tobacco had no deleterious effect on plant growth and development. This is the first report showing the application of a heterologous pathogen-inducible promoter to direct the expression of an antimicrobial peptide in plants, and the feasibility of this approach to provide disease resistance in tobacco and, possibly, other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Serum cystatin C-immunoglobulin high-molecular-weight complexes in kidney and liver transplant patients. Background. It has been suggested recently that the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in renal transplant patients is underestimated by serum cystatin C due to an impaired filtration of complexed cystatin C with immunoglobulins. Consequently, serum cystatin C may not be a reliable marker of GFR in these patients. Our study was designed to determine whether this supposition is correct. Methods. In 87 serum samples from patients with various kidney diseases, 182 samples from renal transplant patients, and 72 samples from liver transplant patients, the concentrations of cystatin C and creatinine were determined, as well as the residual concentration of cystatin C after precipitation of macromolecules with polyethylene glycol (PEG; 6000 molecular weight). Results. The residual concentration of serum cystatin C after precipitation with PEG in all cases was much higher (70 to 100%) than that expected in the case of the existence of cystatin C-immunoglobulin complexes. In the kidney and liver transplant patients, there was no significant correlation between the residual concentration of cystatin C and the postoperative time (r = -0.098). Conclusions. The results suggest that in renal or liver transplant patients there is no formation of high molecular weight serum cystatin C-immunoglobulin complexes, regardless of the post-transplant period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The math modeling challenge CoSIAM is a competition based on interdisciplinary collaborative work challenges. This research seeks to demonstrate the value of this type of challenge-based competition as a learning strategy outside the classroom. Based on data, we conducted a qualitative study on the perception of the participants in the last three versions of the mathematical modeling challenge, in terms of the learning achieved, the benefits of their participation, the knowledge and skills they brought into play, and the change in their conception of modeling. The participants were undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics and other areas, from several Colombian and Mexican universities. The research yielded results in three directions. The first is related to the advantages and limitations of teamwork, the second explores the learning that arises from this experience, and the third is oriented to the disciplinary knowledge mobilized for the solution of this type of problematic situation. The study allowed concluding, among other issues, that learning based on interdisciplinary problem solving, formulated from a global perspective, enhances the acquisition of valuable skills for the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabinoxylans (AX) microcapsules loaded with insulin were prepared by enzymatic gelation of AX, using a triaxial electrospray method. The microcapsules presented a spherical shape, with an average size of 250 µm. The behavior of AX microcapsules was evaluated using a simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem. AX microcapsules were mainly (70%) degraded in the ascending colon. The fermentation was completed in the descending colon, increasing the production of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids. In the three regions of the colon, the fermentation of AX microcapsules significantly increased populations of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and decreased the population of Enterobacteriaceae. In addition, the results found in this in vitro model showed that the AX microcapsules could resist the simulated conditions of the upper gastrointestinal system and be a carrier for insulin delivery to the colon. The pharmacological activity of insulin-loaded AX microcapsules was evaluated after oral delivery in diabetic rats. AX microcapsules lowered the serum glucose levels in diabetic rats by 75%, with insulin doses of 25 and 50 IU/kg. The hypoglycemic effect and the insulin levels remained for more than 48 h. Oral relative bioavailability was 13 and 8.7% for the 25 and 50 IU/kg doses, respectively. These results indicate that AX microcapsules are a promising microbiota-activated system for oral insulin delivery in the colon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a number of contrasts between Palaeolithic art and Levantine postglacial art and suggests that these are the expression of different conceptions of time and space. They can be related to the socio-economic context in which the art was created. Each style of painting embodies a distinctive approach to time, the natural world and the exploitation of the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent conservation treatment of several eighteenth-century French paintings at the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art allowed the authors to examine French painting techniques from this period more closely. The paintings proved to have unexpectedly complex layer structures that were revealed initially in the examination of paint cross-sections. Thin, non-pigmented, fluorescent layers were found isolating double grounds and paint layers. Polarized light microscopy and fluorescing stains were helpful in determining the nature of some of these layers. Additional examination using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and gas-chromatography/massspectrometry (GC-MS) identified the media used by the artists. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX), electron-probe microanalysis and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) identified the pigments in the multiple paint layers. These findings are discussed in connection with relevant seventeenth- and eighteenth-century lectures and treatises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Species biogeography mainly focuses on palaeogeographical events, while environmental factors are generally overlooked despite their importance in species diversification. Here, we use an integrative approach to understand how palaeogeographical and environmental processes shape species distribution and focus on freshwater planarians as the model system. Location: Western Mediterranean. Taxon: Dugesia. Methods: We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of most known Dugesia species in the area using six molecular markers. We then estimated their divergence times and reconstructed their ancestral distribution ranges. We also performed environmental niche modelling analyses using Dugesia subtentaculata as a model to evaluate the effects of several hydro‐environmental variables and the likely existence of interspecific competition on Dugesia distributions. Results: Our results provide a new phylogenetic scheme for Dugesia from the Western Mediterranean and show that the time splits between the lineages and their putative ancestral distribution ranges are correlated with microplate tectonic dynamics within the region during the Oligocene–Miocene period. Our environmental niche modelling analyses indicate that the type of land cover and the slope of the terrain are the most important abiotic factors driving the distribution of Dugesia from this region. Finally, we found a partial niche overlap between D. subtentaculata and two other common planarian species from the Iberian Peninsula. Main conclusions: The microplate tectonic dynamics of the Western Mediterranean during the Oligocene–Miocene period, together with the position of the mountain ranges and posterior climate changes, may have played crucial roles in driving the biogeographical history of Dugesia in this region. Moreover, both interspecific competition and changes in fluvial characteristics driven by human activities may affect the current diversity and distribution of Dugesia in the Western Mediterranean. This study highlights the importance of integrating different types of information to study the biogeographical history of a species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flotation tailing is a problematic mining waste, because contains sulphides that exposed to oxidising conditions generate acidic drainage and the subsequent metal mobilisation. In this study, a flotation tailing produced within an integral process for the treatment of polymetallic sulphide ores is cleaned and valorised seeking a better use of natural resources and a lower environmental impact. In this work, bacterial leaching followed by brine leaching is postulated as an alternative to the flotation tailing treatment. Bioleaching destroys pyritic matrix (99% Fe) producing biogenic ferric that can be used as oxidising agent and recycling to a hydrometallurgical process. 80–90% Cu and Zn are dissolved and critical raw materials as Sb, In and Co are recovered. Brine leaching achieves Pb and Ag extractions greater than 96% and generates a solid residue mainly composed of quartz, in which gold that initially was in flotation tailing is concentrated. A clean and easily treatable for gold recovery final residue is obtained. In conclusion, pyrite matrix has been destroyed avoiding the further acid generation and reducing dramatically waste volume, metals have been valorised, and tailing hazardousness has been removed. Therefore, the proposed process is a sustainable alternative for flotation tailing management, reducing the environmental impact, the management costs, and generating income from valorisation of metals and the production of leaching agent. Image 1 • Adapted inoculum implies shorter bioleaching times. • Copper, Zinc and Critical Raw Materials are recovered by bioleaching. • Biogenic ferric iron is generated. • Silver and lead are recovered by brine leaching. • An easily treatable inert and clean solid is obtained from a hazardous waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel process for the integral treatment of polymetallic sulphide ores is proposed. The process consists of a global flotation, two stages of ferric leaching, the first stage dissolves the sphalerite and the rest of secondary sulphides, and the second dissolves the chalcopyrite with a silver catalyst, and finally a brine leaching to recover lead and silver (added as catalyst). The proposed process offers several advantages comparing to traditional pyrometallurgical techniques. This study is focused on the sphalerite dissolution with ferric sulphate, as the first stage of the treatment of Cu-Zn-Pb concentrates. The ferric ion concentration, the temperature and the particle size have an important role in the sphalerite oxidation. However, the initial sulphuric acid, ferrous ion and sulphate ion concentrations have no influence in the process rate. The formation of an elemental non-porous layer of sulphur along the reaction hinders the ferric ion transport to the sphalerite surface. Two kinetics regimes are proposed, in the beginning the chemical reaction is the rate controlling step, and, at 30% Zn extraction, the rate controlling step changes to diffusion through a non-porous film of elemental sulphur. The activation energy obtained for the chemical reaction has a value of 51.3 kJ/mol, and the apparent activation energy in the diffusional stage is the 47.7 kJ/mol. The reaction order with respect ferric ion is 0.26 and the reaction rate is proportional to the zinc sulphide amount in the first stage. The behaviour of sphalerite, contained in a bulk concentrate, is similar to the pure sphalerite or the sphalerite contained in a differential concentrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced heart failure is a growing problem for which the best treatment is cardiac transplantation. However, the shortage of donors' hearts made left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy (DT-LVAD) a highly recommended alternative: they improved mid-term prognosis as well as patients' quality of life. Current intracorporeal pumps with a centrifugal continuous flow evolved in the last few years. Since 2003, when first LVAD was approved for long-term support, smaller device sizes with better survival and hemocompatibility profile were reached. The most important difficulty lies in the moment of the implant. Recent indications range from INTERMACS class 2 to 4, with close monitoring in intermediate cases. Moreover, a large multiparametric study is needed for considering the candidacy: basal situation, with a special interest in frailty, comorbidities, including renal and hepatic dysfunction, and medical background, considering every prior cardiac condition, must be evaluated. In addition, some clinical risk scores can be helpful to measure the possibility of right heart failure or morbi-mortality. With this review, we sought to summarize all the device improvements, with their updated clinical results, as well as to focus on all the patient selection criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases without a care standard and show variability in treatment outcomes. This Spanish, observational, prospective study ERASME (CEL-SMD-2012-01) assessed the evolution of newly diagnosed and treatment-naïve high-risk MDS patients (according to IPPS-R). 204 patients were included: median age 73.0 years, 54.4% males, 69.6% 0-1 ECOG, and 94.6% with comorbidities. Active treatment was the most common strategy (52.0%) vs. stem cell transplantation (25.5%) and supportive care/watchful-waiting (22.5%). Overall (median) event-free survival was 7.9 months (9.1, 8.3, and 5.3); progression-free survival: 10.1 months (12.9, 12.8, and 4.3); and overall survival: 13.8 months (15.4, 14.9; 8.4), respectively, with significant differences among groups. Adverse events (AEs) of ≥3 grade were reported in 72.6% of patients; serious AEs reported in 60.6%. 33.1% of patients died due to AEs. Three patients developed second primary malignant neoplasms (median: 8.2 months). Our study showed better outcomes in patients receiving active therapy early after diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic structure of small semiaquatic animals may be influenced by dispersal across both rivers and land. The relative importance of these two modes of dispersal may vary across different species and with ecological conditions and evolutionary periods. The Pyrenean desman ( Galemys pyrenaicus) is an endemic mammal of the Iberian Peninsula with a strong phylogeographic structure and semiaquatic habits, thus making it an ideal model to study the effects of river and overland dispersal on its genetic structure. Thanks to different types of noninvasive samples, we obtained an extensive sampling of the Pyrenean desman from the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula and sequenced two mitochondrial DNA fragments. We then analyzed, using an isolation-by-distance approach, the correlation between phylogenetic distances and geographical distances measured along both river networks and land to infer the relative importance of river and overland dispersal. We found that the correlations in the whole area and in a large basin were consistent with an effect of overland dispersal, which may be due to the postglacial colonization of new territories using terrestrial corridors and, possibly, a more extensive fluvial network that may have been present during the Holocene. However, in a small basin, likely to be less influenced by the impact of ancient postglacial dispersal, the correlations suggested significant overall effects of both overland and river dispersal, as expected for a semiaquatic mammal. Therefore, different scales and geographical regions reflect different aspects of the evolutionary history and ecology of this semiaquatic species using this isolation-by-distance method. The results we obtained may have crucial implications for the conservation of the Pyrenean desman because they reinforce the importance of interbasin dispersal for this species in the studied area and the need to protect the whole riverine ecosystem, including rivers, upland streams and terrestrial corridors between basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen is usually the limiting reagent in bio-leaching processes. For this reason, aeration is a key point to take into account when designing such processes, and the oxygen saturation concentration is an important variable to know. Currently, there is a lack of data or models to accurately predict the concentration at which oxygen saturates under the operational conditions during copper bio-leaching. For this paper, oxygen solubility was measured in solutions containing the main electrolytes present in bio-leaching solutions: sulphuric acid, ferrous sulphate, ferric sulphate, and copper sulphate; measurements were performed throughout the range of concentration that is characteristic to each electrolyte. These solutions were obtained by microbiological oxidation of ferrous sulphate, and were exposed to air, at atmospheric pressure, until oxygen saturation occurred. Measurements were taken using a dissolved-oxygen electrode. From the results, the equation is obtained: S i = S ° − 12.698 ⋅ 10 − pH − 0.0555 ⋅ Fe 2 + − 0.0290 ⋅ Fe 3 + − 0.0265 ⋅ Cu 2 + that predicts oxygen solubility in copper bio-leaching liquors from the simple measurement of pH and Fe 2 + , Fe 3 + , and Cu 2 + concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polythionates are formed by the incomplete oxidation of sulphide minerals in the grinding and flotation circuits, and particularly of those containing pyrite. Polythionate levels in the recycling water must be adjusted; otherwise, it can affect metal recoveries. The presence of different species, such as thiosulphate, trithionate, and tetrathionate in certain effluents can affect the environment. In this paper, an indirect method based on conductivity measurement for monitoring polythionate bio-oxidation is proposed. Firstly, the conductivity of acidic solutions containing polythionates is verified as the sum of the conductivities corresponding to acid and tetrathionate and, therefore, in synthetic solutions, polythionate concentrations can be estimated by simply measuring conductivity. In process water and cultures with background conductivity, polythionate concentrations are predicted from the linear relationship between polythionate concentration and the total conductivity of the system. Once the slope of the linear relationship is known, polythionate concentrations can be estimated, and therefore it is necessary to perform only chemical analysis at the beginning and at an intermediate point. The degradation of polythionates can be continuously recorded, and hence the kinetic study of a culture can be more easily and accurately performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]