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Doping titanium dioxide has become a strategy for enhancing its properties and reducing its recombination issues, with the aim of increasing its efficiency in photocatalytic processes. In this context, this work studied its deposition over glass substrates using a sol–gel dip coating methodology. The effect of doping TiO2 with Zirconium cations in low molar concentrations (0.01, 0.05, 0.1%) in terms of its structural and optical properties was evaluated. The structural characterization confirmed the formation of amorphous thin films with Zr introduced into the TiO2 cell (confirmed by XPS characterization), in addition to increasing and defining the formed particles and their size slightly. These changes resulted in a decrease in the transmittance percentage and their energy band gap. Otherwise, their photocatalytic properties were evaluated in hydrogen production using ethanol as a sacrificial agent and UV irradiation. The hydrogen evolution increased as a function of the Zr doping, the sample with the largest Zr concentration (0.1% mol) being the most efficient, evolving 38.6 mmolcm−2 of this gas. Zr doping favored the formation of defects in TiO2, being responsible for this enhancement in photoactivity.

El artículo surge de una investigación más amplia para explicar que las políticas de tipo jurídico federal en transparencia, es decir, el acceso a la información pública gubernamental en México, pueden darse cuando son acompañadas por las políticas de archivo con el fin de responder ante la necesidad de información. Los métodos empleados fueron de tipo cuantitativo y cualitativo: el primero ayudó a obtener datos, mientras que el segundo permitió recuperar las características de lo estudiado en diecisiete dependencias del Gobierno Federal Centralizado mexicano, que corresponden a las Secretarías de Estado. Las técnicas empleadas fueron encuesta en línea y entrevista a partir de una guía de preguntas, mientras que el envío y recepción de respuestas fue a través de la Plataforma Nacional de Transparencia (PNT). El periodo analizado fue de 2002 a 2015, el cual constituye un parteaguas en la política pública al visibilizar la actividad gubernamental a la ciudadanía. Tal suceso generó que las políticas en archivos se dedicaran a la elaboración del Cuadro General de Clasificación Archivística (CGCA) y del Catálogo de Disposición Documental (CADIDO) paulatinamente. Sin embargo, en los primeros años, la transparencia y el acceso a la información no fueron posibles debido al desconocimiento en torno al uso y la utilidad de estos instrumentos. Parte de la conclusión es que deben llevarse a cabo directrices de coordinación adecuadas con los actores involucrados.

The capacity of beneficial microbes to compete for host infection-and the ability of hosts to discriminate among them-introduces evolutionary conflict that is predicted to destabilize mutualism. We investigated fitness outcomes in associations between legumes and their symbiotic rhizobia to characterize fitness impacts of microbial competition. Diverse Bradyrhizobium strains varying in their capacity to fix nitrogen symbiotically with a common host plant, Acmispon strigosus, were tested in full-factorial coinoculation experiments involving 28 pairwise strain combinations. We analyzed the effects of interstrain competition and host discrimination on symbiotic-interaction outcomes by relativizing fitness proxies to clonally infected and uninfected controls. More than one thousand root nodules of coinoculated plants were genotyped to quantify strain occupancy, and the Bradyrhizobium strain genome sequences were analyzed to uncover the genetic bases of interstrain competition outcomes. Strikingly, interstrain competition favored a fast-growing, minimally beneficial rhizobia strain. Host benefits were significantly diminished in coinoculation treatments relative to expectations from clonally inoculated controls, consistent with competitive interference among rhizobia that reduced both nodulation and plant growth. Competition traits appear polygenic, linked with inter-strain allelopathic interactions in the rhizosphere. This study confirms that competition among strains can destabilize mutualism by favoring microbes that are superior in colonizing host tissues but provide minimal benefits to host plants. Moreover, our findings help resolve the paradox that despite efficient host control post infection, legumes nonetheless encounter rhizobia that vary in their nitrogen fixation.

Se estudió el efecto del extracto acuoso de granos de café gastado (CG) y el butilhidroxitolueno (BHT) sobre el deterioro del color, la oxidación de lípidos y el estado antioxidante de las hamburguesas de cerdo crudas durante el almacenamiento refrigerado (4 °C/9 días, en oscuridad). Se evaluó el contenido de polifenoles y la actividad antirradical del extracto de CG. Las hamburguesas de cerdo se evaluaron para determinar el pH, los parámetros de color y la oxidación de lípidos (OXL), así como la actividad antioxidante total de la carne. Los resultados mostraron que el extracto de CG es una fuente importante de polifenoles y ejerce actividad antioxidante. Su inclusión en muestras de carne mitigó los cambios indeseables en los valores de pH, color y OXL y aumentó la estabilidad antioxidante durante el almacenamiento (P

En este artículo se presenta un proyecto llamado GastroLex: Gastronomía y Léxico, financiado por la Junta de Andalucía gracias a una convocatoria de ayudas a actividades de transferencia de conocimiento. Integrado por un equipo interdisciplinar, los objetivos se centran en desarrollar una plataforma web innovadora, accesible y flexible que permita el acceso al léxico gastronómico estudiado mediante un código QR. El léxico compilado procede del menú degustación de restaurantes de Jaén con la distinción estrella Michelin. Tras el vaciado del corpus, se analiza el léxico de interés y se ofrece información acerca de su etimología y uso, atendiendo al contexto culinario en el que se genera. En definitiva, se pretende ofrecer una experiencia cultural en el marco del turismo enogastronómico.

Zinc oxychloride cement (ZOC) is considered a promising quick-drying material for fabricating photoactive coatings composed of three components: zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc chloride (ZnCl2), and water. However, its massive application has not been implemented due to the lack of research about its stability and mechanical performance. Thus, this article aims to provide insights about the self-cleaning photoactivity of ZOC coatings incorporated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles to boost the photocatalytic performance. Two stoichiometries of ZnO:ZnCl:H2O (112 and 415) were studied to investigate the influence of the molar ratio of the components on the physical and chemical properties. According to these results, no significant differences were observed in the physical and chemical properties between the two stoichiometries studied; however, the mechanical properties were affected. The coatings crystallized as simonkolleite Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O with a laminar hexagonal morphology, show high surface area, and absorbs light in the UVA region. The self-cleaning activity was evaluated using four model pollutants: Rhodamine B, Methylene blue, Orange G, and Carbon under accelerated weathering conditions. All the ZOC coatings were photoactive to decompose the pollutants from their surface. The addition of TiO2 nanoparticles into the coatings did not significantly enhance the self-cleaning efficiency, but it improves the mechanical performance of the coatings. These results could be associated with the fact that TiO2 works as filler for voids in the coatings without affecting its settings. The stability of the coatings was confirmed after the exposure to accelerated weathering at high humidity conditions, which places them as an attractive, low-cost, and easy to apply self-cleaning material.

In the context of Semiosic Translation, two elements are essential for a translation to emerge: the body–brain–context interface (extended mind) and the sign systems making up a translation output. In this paper, I explain how a renewed view of the body as a Bayesian-heuristic Semiotic Prior helps to understand in a more holistic manner the motivations and agentive character of translation, defined herein as a phenomenological grasp of the world. Central to the present proposal is the idea that bodily self-stabilization (homeostasis) and brain-driven correction (allostasis) provide translator-agents with maps of action upon the world that are semiotic in nature. All this occurs thanks to information weighing (Bayesian) and cue-driven (heuristic) types of inference whereby exteroceptive (exogenous) and interoceptive (inner-body) signals converge to create a sense of bodily awareness responsible for the construction of the symbolic persona (the translator-agent).

Abstract Background Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis with largely unknown underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is the only therapeutic option; however, despite its use, recurrence with a fatal outcome is common. The lack of molecular characterisation of PMP and other mucinous tumours is mainly due to the physicochemical properties of mucin. Results This manuscript describes the first protocol capable of breaking the mucin barrier and isolating proteins from mucinous tumours. Briefly, mucinous tumour samples were homogenised and subjected to liquid chromatography using two specific columns to reduce mainly glycoproteins, albumins and immunoglobulin G. The protein fractions were then subjected to mass spectrometry analysis and the proteomic profile obtained was analysed using various bioinformatic tools. Thus, we present here the first proteome analysed in PMP and identified a distinct mucin isoform profile in soft compared to hard mucin tumour tissues as well as key biological processes/pathways altered in mucinous tumours. Importantly, this protocol also allowed us to identify MUC13 as a potential tumour cell marker in PMP. Conclusions In sum, our results demonstrate that this protein isolation protocol from mucin will have a high impact, allowing the oncology research community to more rapidly advance in the knowledge of PMP and other mucinous neoplasms, as well as develop new and effective therapeutic strategies.

Purpose: Legumes form root nodules to gain fixed nitrogen from rhizobia and can also access nitrogen in soil. Data suggest that plants might discriminate among these sources to optimize growth, but recognition of symbiotically fixed nitrogen and its regulation remain poorly understood. Methods: A greenhouse inoculation study manipulated the molecular form and concentration of nitrogen available using two Lotus japonicus genotypes and the nitrogen-fixing symbiont, Mesorhizobium loti. Plants were supplied with sole organic and inorganic nitrogen sources to simulate forms that plants might receive from symbiotic nitrogen fixation or from the soil. Host benefit from and regulation of symbiosis was investigated by quantifying symbiotic trait variation and isotopic analysis of nitrogen fixation. Results: Host growth varied in response to fertilization with alanine, aspartic acid, ammonium, and nitrate, suggesting differences in catabolism efficiency. Net benefits of nodulation were reduced or eliminated under all forms of extrinsic fertilization. However, even when symbiosis imposed significant costs, hosts did not reduce investment into nodulation or nitrogen fixation when exposed to aspartic acid, unlike with other nitrogen sources. Conclusions: L. japonicus can adaptively downregulate investment into symbiosis in the presence of some but not all nitrogen sources. Failure to downregulate any aspect of symbiosis in the presence of aspartic acid suggests that it might be jamming the main signal used by L. japonicus to detect nitrogen fixation.

Purpose: Crops rely on microbes for critical services, but host benefits can be influenced by local makeup of microbiota and the host’s capacity to select optimal strains. We investigated host benefits that cowpeas receive from microbiota depending on plant genotype, their domestication status, and soil source. Methods: We performed a full factorial soil inoculation experiment. Twenty diverse cowpea genotypes, selected from wild and domesticated populations, were exposed to soil rinsates from four agricultural sites across California, all having cowpea cultivation and varied physicochemical features. Cowpea investment in and benefit from microbiota was quantified by measuring host growth response to inoculation, nodulation, and segregating trait variation. Results: Variation in induction of root nodulation and strikingly heterogenous benefits to host growth were observed among soil sites. These effects were restricted to live soil inocula but were absent in autoclaved soil controls that lacked microbiota. Cowpeas expressed heritable variation in nodulation, but there was negligible effect of plant population or domestication status on the net benefit that hosts gained from microbiota. Conclusion: Soils varied substantially and consistently among cultivation sites and were the most prominent driver shaping host growth effects on cowpeas. While growth benefits vary among host cultivars, soil microbiota (and the conditions that maintain them) predominantly shape plant performance in agricultural settings.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children around the world. The post-pandemic era has resulted in a notable increase in reported cases of RSV infections, co-circulation of other respiratory viruses, shifts in epidemiology, altered respiratory season timing, and increased healthcare demand. Low- and middle-income countries are responsible for the highest burden of RSV disease, contributing significantly to health expenses during respiratory seasons and RSV-associated mortality in children. Until recently, supportive measures were the only intervention to treat or prevent RSV-infection, since preventive strategies like palivizumab are limited for high-risk populations. Advances in new available strategies, such as long-acting monoclonal antibodies during the neonatal period and vaccination of pregnant women, are now a reality. As the Regional Expert Group of the Latin American Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (SLIPE), we sought to evaluate the burden of RSV infection in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, analyze current strategies to prevent RSV infection in children, and provide recommendations for implementing new strategies for preventing RSV infection in children in LAC region.

Se determinó la continuidad metalúrgica de un acero ASTM A 36 con preparación de bordes a diferentes ángulos. Se emplearon ensayos no destructivos, como líquido penetrante, ultrasonido y radiografía, así como las deformaciones al ser soldado con electrodo E 7018 y biseles de 30° y 35°. Fueron obtenidas las imperfecciones y discontinuidades encontradas en la soldadura, en las referidas al diseño, comportamiento metalúrgico y proceso de soldadura, donde esta última fue la que mayor incidencia presentó en la unión. Por último, con una longitud de onda longitudinal de 4376,78 m/s y una superficial de 2884,49 m/s, se comprobó que en el bisel de 30° existen dos grietas longitudinales a una longitud de 9,6 mm y 1,3 mm de profundidad, además el bisel de 35° mostró falta de penetración de 1,25 mm.

Streptococcus pneumoniae causes meningitis, pneumonia and bacteremia, mainly in children under 5 years of age and in the elderly. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been administered globally since the year 2000, contributing to substantially reduce the incidence of pneumococcal diseases (PDs). In 2012, Colombia implemented universal vaccination with PCV10 in children under 2 years of age, achieving a decrease and stabilization of the incidence of PDs. However, since 2014, replacement of vaccine serotypes by non-vaccine serotypes, such as 3 and 19A, predominantly, has been observed. Likewise, in 2019, there was an increase in the incidence of meningitis, coinciding with the increase of multi-resistant 19A clones. In July 2022, the vaccine formulation was changed to PCV13, which also has the potential to control serotypes 3, 6A, and 19A. This paper reviews the epidemiology of pneumococcus in Colombia, before and during the uni-versal PCV10 vaccination.

Despite the success of therapies in lung cancer, more studies of new biomarkers for patient selection are urgently needed. The present study aims to analyze the role of galectin‐3 (GAL‐3) in the lung tumor microenvironment (TME) using tumorspheres as a model and explore its potential role as a predictive and prognostic biomarker in non‐small cell lung cancer patients. For in vitro studies, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous carcinoma (LUSC) primary cultures from early‐stage patients and commercial cell lines were cultured, using tumorsphere‐forming assays and adherent conditions for the control counterparts. We analyzed the pattern of secretion and expression of GAL‐3 using reverse transcription–quantitative real‐time PCR (RTqPCR), immunoblot, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and immunoassay analysis. Our results using three‐dimensional (3D) models of lung tumor cells revealed that soluble GAL‐3 (sGAL‐3) is highly expressed and secreted. To more accurately mimic the TME, a co‐culture of tumorspheres and fibroblasts was used, revealing that GAL‐3 could be important as an immunomodulatory molecule expressed and secreted in the TME, modulating immunosuppression through regulatory T cells (TREGS). In the translational phase, we confirmed that patients with high expression levels of GAL‐3 had more TREGS, which suggests that tumors may be recruiting this population through GAL‐3. Next, we evaluated levels of sGAL‐3 before surgery in LUAD and LUSC patients, hypothesizing that sGAL‐3 could be used as an independent prognostic biomarker for overall survival and relapse‐free survival in early‐stage LUAD patients. Additionally, levels of sGAL‐3 at pretreatment and first response assessment from plasma to predict clinical outcomes in advanced LUAD and LUSC patients treated with first‐line pembrolizumab were evaluated, further supporting that sGAL‐3 has a high efficiency in predicting durable clinical response to pembrolizumab with an area under curve of 0.801 (P = 0.011). Moreover, high levels might predict decreased progression‐free survival and OS to anti‐PD‐1 therapy, with sGAL‐3 being a prognosis‐independent biomarker for advanced LUAD.

Helianthemum polygonoides is a perennial halophyte identified in 1987 in the Saltmarsh of Cordovilla (Albacete, SE Spain). In 2004 its distribution area was approximately 16 hectares, and its population was estimated at around 185000 adult individuals. Thus, this species is considered a local endemism due to its restricted distribution area, being catalogued as a "Critically Endangered" (CR). The main goal of this study is to review the current situation of the endemism, updating its distribution area and current threats and, consequently, establishing up-to-date conservation guidelines. A marked increment in the H. polygonoides population have been found (381909 individuals were estimated in 2022 census). We located new populations of H. polygonides, increasing its core distribution area and revealing the consolidation of proposed protection measures. In this context, our results have confirmed the direct relationship between the population size and the protection measures. According to the threat’s assessment, we have observed that most of the threats and impacts have been reduced (e.g., grazing) or stopped (e.g., accumulation of debris). However, we have found new threats (e.g., rabbit proliferation, wild boar damages, and fires), emphasising the need to review and update the Recovery Plan of H. polygonoides. In fact, we want to be pointed out that the mentioned threats are in constant change. We suggest the inclusion of new guidelines to control the new-found threats and provide eight new conservation guidelines to improve the conservation status of the current populations of H. polygonoides.