Biocatalyzed synthesis of antidiabetic drugs: A review

The biocatalyzed production of building blocks for synthesizing drugs is a very attractive research field, because of the sustainability introduced in a synthetic schedule when chemical steps are substituted by biocatalyzed protocols. In this article, we will show how different antidiabetic drugs, for treating diabetes mellitus Type 1 and Type 2, can be more efficiently and effectively synthetized with the help of different types of biocatalysts. The huge overall drug market for these drugs, as well as the great number of people suffering from diabetes (the prevalence of all types of diabetes is growing), makes this topic attractive enough to focus on more efficient synthetic protocols for preparing antidiabetic drugs. Examples covering biocatalyzed synthesis of insulin analogues, sensitizers (PPAR agonists), secretagogues (GLP-1 analogues, GPR119 agonists) and enzyme inhibitors (α-glucosidase inhibitors, DPP4-inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors and 11β-HSD1 inhibitors) will be presented

NavAid Flight Inspection Optimization with UAS Technology

Current society requires to the aerial transport system (since decades ago) the capability to fly, in a safe manner, with unfavorable visibility conditions (night flies, with fog, among the clouds). This requirement makes the use of Radio Navigation Aids critical for the Aerial Transport System. Those NavAids could be seen as radiofrequency emitters which emission structure and geographic location allows the users (the flying aircrafts) to compute its position and course in an homogeneous way. Since the functional objective of a NavAid is to provide a radio-frequency emission with a known structure (spectrum, timing, power...) in order to identify this emission with the known site position, it shall be demonstrated that this emission corresponds with the standard. For this demonstration, a set of parameters shall be measured from the point of view of the final user. I.e: they shall be measured from the air, which is the place where they are used. The current use of general purpose aircrafts for flight inspection of NavAids provides the authorities with the magnitudes to be inspected measured in the same place that they are used but it has a big inconvenience: its price. This proposal has as its masterpiece the study of the technological and regulatory constraints of NavAids flight inspection using the UAS technology. This use allows the separation of the flight inspection in two segments: I. Air Segment. Essential elements in the air, antennas, sensors, data storage... II. Ground Segment. All those elements not strictly necessary for the ongoing inspection, spare parts, capability to carry personnel and ground equipment... Thanks to this, several benefits are obtained: With the proper use of telecommunications the inspection, platform could be seen (from a mission viewpoint) as a network of computers interacting in a common mission. The Air Segment could be resized, replacing the existing aircrafts (large, expensive of acquire and to maintain) by UAS adjusted to the needs in Flight Inspection: to carry sensors in the area to observe. This would bring flights the inherent characteristics of these devices: lower cost of the platform, lower operating costs, increased availability... Several aerial vehicles could be used simultaneously, reporting to a single Ground Segment station. By this provision, different areas could be simultaneously inspected reducing the number of coordinated actions with air navigation and decreasing the time of the inspection Flight. Summarizing: lower costs per flight test.Postprint (published version

Vicia narbonensis-Avena strigosa mixture, a viable alternative in rainfed cropping systems under Mediterranean conditions

The demand of vegetable protein for animal feed and the need to diversify the crop rotation in rainfed Mediterranean climates has led to study the viability as new forage crop of the Vicia narbonensis-Avena strigosa mixture. Therefore, a 3-year field trial was conducted at two different and representative locations of the area to evaluate the capacity of both species to form a balanced mixture and to define its potential for high yield and forage quality. Different seeding ratios (65:35, 50:50 and 35:65) were compared with their pure stands and the standard mixture Avena sativa-Vicia sativa (65:35). Forage mixtures establishment and growth varied according to the environmental conditions with a negative influence of a dry year 1 for legumes (<300 mm) and a wet year 2 for oats (>630 mm). However, competition ratio indicated that there were not significant differences between mixed treatments, displaying intermediate ground coverage values, dry matter yield and crude protein regarding pure stands. Higher dry matter yield than control mixture in addition to similar crude protein, acid-detergent fibre, neutral-detergent fibre and digestible dry matter values, were produced at 35:65 in dry years and 65:35 and 50:50 in rainy years with loamy and clay soils, respectively. The appropriate development of both species in the mixture at different soil and rainfall conditions, as well as a good yield often higher than control mixture and a great forage quality, confirm to the narbon bean-black oat mixture as a viable and profitable crop alternative in rainfed cropping systems under Mediterranean conditions

Percepción de riesgo en alumnos de enfermería

The objective of this study is to analyze the scientific production that exists about the relationship between the risk perception and the accidents during the clinical practice in nursing students. A systematic search was carried out in the data bases MEDLINE and CUIDEN, and also in the documentary heritage of the National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work, gathering publications from 1992 to 2010. A total of 89 articles were analyzed. Among the resulting thematic fields are: work setting, step measurements, psychosocial factors. As a conclusion, a lack of studies which prove in an explicit way the role that the real risk perception that the nursing students are exposed to exists. So, the necessity to go on in this line is set out, in order to improve the safety of nursing studentsEl objetivo de este estudio, es analizar la producción científica que existe sobre la relación entre la percepción de riesgo y los accidentes en la práctica clínica en alumnos/as de Enfermería. Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en las bases de datos MEDLINE y CUIDEN, así como en el fondo documental del Instituto Nacional de Seguridad e Higiene en el Trabajo, recopilando publicaciones comprendidas entre 1992 y 2010. Se analizaron un total  de 89 artículos. Entre los campos temáticos emergentes se encuentran: entorno laboral, medidas preventivas, factores psicosociales. Se llega a la conclusión de que existe una carencia de estudios que demuestren de forma explícita el papel que la percepción de riesgo juega en el riesgo real al que los alumnos de enfermería se ven expuestos, por lo que se plantea la necesidad de investigar en esta línea, para así poder mejorar la seguridad  de los alumnos de enfermería

C3 in UAS as a means for secondary navigation

Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) navigate using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), but GNSS vulnerability precludes its use as the only means of navigation and requires a secondary means of navigation. A differentiating characteristic of UAS is their periodic communications with the ground station. This paper analyses the adequacy of employing UAS Command, Control and Communications (C3) as a secondary means of navigation. With no additional infrastructure, an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is used to process C3 messages and to obtain the positions of the UAS. Navigation accuracy and integrity are calculated in a scenario with three UAS. The obtained results meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) requirements.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Peptide and amino acid metabolism is controlled by an OmpR-family response regulator in Lactobacillus casei

A Lactobacillus casei BL23 strain defective in an OmpR-family response regulator encoded by LCABL_18980 (PrcR, RR11), showed enhanced proteolytic activity caused by overexpression of the gene encoding the proteinase PrtP. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that, in addition to prtP expression, PrcR regulates genes encoding peptide and amino acid transporters, intracellular peptidases and amino acid biosynthetic pathways, among others. Binding of PrcR to twelve promoter regions of both upregulated and downregulated genes, including its own promoter, was demonstrated by electrophoretic mobility shift assays showing that PrcR can act as a transcriptional repressor or activator. Phosphorylation of PrcR increased its DNA binding activity and this effect was abolished after replacement of the phosphorylatable residue Asp-52 by alanine. Comparison of the transcript levels in cells grown in the presence or absence of tryptone in the growth medium revealed that PrcR activity responded to the presence of a complex amino acid source in the growth medium. We conclude that the PrcR plays a major role in the control of the peptide and amino acid metabolism in L. casei BL23. Orthologous prcR genes are present in most members of the Lactobacillaceae and Leuconostocaceae families. We hypothesize that they play a similar role in these bacterial groups.This work was financed by funds from the former Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2007-60975 and AGL2010-15679) and Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP2012/137). A. Revilla-Guarinos was the recipient of a research fellowship from the Instituto Danone.Peer reviewe

Chávez, un líder regional poco valorado

[ES] Este boletín recoge la valoración y opinión que se tiene de Hugo Chávez como figura política, basándose en las 1341 entrevistas realizadas a miembros de la Cámara de Diputados de diecisiete países de América Latina 2010- 2015 (Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, R. Dominicana, Uruguay)

El matrimonio de personas del mismo sexo y los legisladores latinoamericanos

[ES] La ley uruguaya que permite el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo fue aprobada en la Cámara de Diputados el 10 de abril de 2013. Ante esta ley se plantea cuál es la posición de la clase política latinoamericana respecto al tema, siendo la opinión de los parlamentarios, al igual que la opinión publica, muy diferente según el país

Análisis comparativo de la autorización de la propiedad superficial instituidas en las legislaciones mineras de Perú y Canadá

La tesis de investigación se centra en comparar la legislación canadiense con la de Perú, con el objeto de estudiar los mecanismos para evitar los conflictos generados por el derecho al predio superficial, estos mecanismos servirán para adoptar alternativas viables de solución que eviten generar conflictos entre titulares de la concesiones mineras y propietarios del predio superficial. Se usó la metodología descriptiva para detallar los alcances normativos de cada legislación, en el proceder de intención del derecho minero; se suma a esta metodología la comparación y exploración que nos ayudará a indagar aspectos relevantes y a responder nuestra pregunta de investigación ¿Nos permitirá determinar cuáles son los mecanismos legales que coadyuven a la prevención de conflictos sociales? Finalmente, mediante la documentación de información y el análisis correspondiente, logramos conocer los procedimientos administrativos que emplean Canadá y Perú, así mismo también pudimos establecer los mecanismos legales para prevenir conflictos que son: (1) Conciliación, negociación entre titular de la concesión minera y (2) Compensación económica, que permitirá por derecho indemnizar al propietario del predio por la servidumbre minera. Por otra parte es necesario mencionar que las propuestas dadas en esta investigación serán viables para la puesta en práctica que busca solución a partir de la comunicación articulada, en un ambiente de conciliación estratégico, brindando la asesoría técnica y legal adecuada a la parte de propietarios del predio superficial; combinando estas alternativas el camino a negociaciones con los inversionistas será orientado a la confianza, con buena fe y ánimo de consolidar relaciones sólidas al largo plazo, lo que evitará que se puedan generar conflictos de este tipo

Una clase política más católica en sociedades religiosamente más plurales

[ES] : Los diputados latinoamericanos parecen mostrar un ligero patrón diferente a los ciudadanos que representan en el terreno de sus convicciones religiosas así como en la práctica. Los datos de PELA (Proyecto de Élites Parlamentarias de la Universidad de Salamanca) en comparación con los del Barómetro de las Américas dibujan una clase política más católica que la sociedad latinoamericana. También señalan diferencias notables entre países, avalándose una vez más la heterogeneidad latinoamericana