122 research outputs found

    Incidencia del Laboratorio de Ciencias Naturales en los estudiantes de URACCAN

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    Currently, the work of the Natural Science Laboratories is discussed and it is difficult to understand what their contributions are, since their work depends on various factors. The work of these at URACCAN Nueva Guinea campus is no stranger to such a statement. With this research, the incidence of these spaces in the student formation and, therefore, the achievement of the university's mission is visualized. The research was from a perspective of mixed, predominantly quantitative, descriptive approach with a population of 268 students and 16 teachers of 6 careers. The sample for students was 71, calculated with the STATTM. In the case of teachers, a 100% sampling (census) was carried out. The student population was stratified by careers and gender. The survey, interview and documentary review were used. The relevance, quality, impact and sustainability of the practices of the Natural Sciences Laboratory were defined as outsized variables. There was a significant incidence of the Natural Sciences Laboratory in the student's educational process and contributions to teaching, with a general average of 82%, highlighting the link between theory and practice, the usefulness of acquired knowledge for academic and professional performance to strengthen their ability to analyze, develop skills and abilities, among others. They were able to identify the potential of the laboratory and some limitations that are part of the reality of this. The training processes and activities developed in the laboratory have contributed effectively, efficiently and with quality, favoring learning and contributing to the strengthening of teaching capacities. Despite this, the readjustment and expansion of spaces and provision of resources (equipment, materials and reagents) is recommended.Actualmente se discute el quehacer de los Laboratorios de Ciencias Naturales y es difícil entender cuáles son sus aportes, pues su labor depende de diversos factores. El trabajo de estos en el recinto URACCAN Nueva Guinea no es ajeno a tal afirmación. Con esta investigación se visualiza la incidencia de dichos espacios en la formación del estudiantado y por ende el logro de la misión de la universidad. La investigación fue desde una perspectiva de enfoque mixto, predominantemente cuantitativo, de tipo descriptiva con una población de 268 estudiantes y 16 docentes de 6 carreras. La muestra para estudiantes fue de 71, calculada con el STATTM. En el caso de los docentes se realizó un muestreo al 100% (censo). La población de estudiantes se estratificó por carreras y por género. Se utilizaron la encuesta, entrevista y revisión documental. Se definieron como grandes variables la pertinencia, calidad, impacto y sostenibilidad de las prácticas del Laboratorio de Ciencias Naturales. Se constató incidencia significativa del Laboratorio de Ciencias Naturales en el proceso educativo del estudiantado y aportes a la docencia, con un promedio general de 82 %, resaltando la vinculación de la teoría con la práctica, la utilidad de los conocimientos adquiridos para el desempeño académico y profesional para fortalecer su capacidad de análisis, desarrollar habilidades y destrezas, entre otras. Se lograron identificar las potencialidades del laboratorio y algunas limitantes que son parte de la realidad de este. Los procesos y actividades de formación desarrolladas en el laboratorio han aportado de manera efectiva, eficiente y con calidad, favoreciendo el aprendizaje y contribuyendo al fortalecimiento de las capacidades docentes. Pese a ello, se recomienda la readecuación y ampliación de espacios y dotación de recursos (equipos, materiales y reactivos). &nbsp

    Evaluation of genetic damage induced by glyphosate isopropylamine salt using Tradescantia bioassays

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    Glyphosate is noted for being non-toxic in fishes, birds and mammals (including humans). Nevertheless, the degree of genotoxicity is seriously controversial. In this work, various concentrations of a glyphosate isopropylamine salt were tested using two methods of genotoxicity assaying, viz., the pink mutation assay with Tradescantia (4430) and the comet assay with nuclei from staminal cells of the same plant. Staminal nuclei were studied in two different forms, namely nuclei from exposed plants, and nuclei exposed directly. Using the pink mutation assay, isopropylamine induced a total or partial loss of color in staminal cells, a fundamental criterion utilized in this test. Consequently, its use is not recommended when studying genotoxicity with agents that produce pallid staminal cells. The comet assay system detected statistically significant (p < 0.01) genotoxic activity by isopropylamine, when compared to the negative control in both the nuclei of treated plants and directly treated nuclei, but only the treated nuclei showed a dose-dependent increase. Average migration in the nuclei of treated plants increased, when compared to that in treated nuclei. This was probably due, either to the permanence of isopropylamine in inflorescences, or to the presence of secondary metabolites. In conclusion, isopropylamine possesses strong genotoxic activity, but its detection can vary depending on the test systems used

    High Serum Cyclophilin C levels as a risk factor marker for Coronary Artery Disease

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    Cyclophilins (Cyps) are ubiquitous proteins that belong to the immunophilins family consistently associated with inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. While levels of CypA have been extensively studied, less data are available for other Cyps. The purpose of this case-control study was to determine the relationship of Cyps (A, B, C and D) with coronary artery disease (CAD) and eight inflammation markers. Serum levels of Cyps, interleukins and metalloproteinases were measured in serum collected from 84 subjects. Participants were divided into two sub-groups based on CAD diagnosis: 40 CAD patients and 44 control volunteers. Serum levels of CypA, CypB and CypC, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in CAD patients. Bivariate correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between Cyps and several blood and biochemical parameters. When the ability of Cyps levels for CAD diagnosis was evaluated, higher sensitivity and selectivity values were obtained with CypC (c-statistic 0.891, p < 0.001) indicating that it is a good marker of CAD disease, while less conclusive results were obtained with CypA (c-statistic 0.748, p < 0.001) and CypB (c-statistic 0.655, p < 0.014). In addition, significant correlations of traditional CAD risk factors and CypC were observed. In summary, high levels of CypC are a risk factor for CAD and therefore it can be proposed as a new biomarker for this disease.This work could not have been done without the invaluable collaboration of the staff at the Servicio Vixilancia da Saude from Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Andrea Vidal Dopazo) and at the Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Lucus Augusti (Maria Jesús Basanta-Castro, Maria del Carmen Cabarcos Leal, Clara Jimenez-Serrano, Leonor Ortega- Fernández, Maria Jesus Palacios Pool, Sofía Seco-Aldegunde). The research leading to these results has received funding from the following FEDER cofunded-grants. From Conselleria de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, Xunta de Galicia, 2017 GRC GI-1682 (ED431C 2017/01). From CDTI and Technological Funds, supported by Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, AGL2016-78728-R (AEI/FEDER, UE), ISCIII/PI16/01830, ISCIII/PI16/01816 and RTC-2016-5507-2, ITC-20161072. From European Union POCTEP 0161-Nanoeaters -1-E-1, Interreg AlertoxNet EAPA-317-2016, Interreg Agritox EAPA-998-2018, and H2020 778069-EMERTOX. Sandra Gegunde was supported by a fellowship from FIDIS, Spain

    Guatiní : A Project to promote the knowledge of the endemic birds of Cuba in the new generations

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    1 recurso en línea (páginas 17-30).En Cuba existen 29 especies de aves amenazadas o casi amenazadas, tres en peligro crítico, ocho en peligro, siete vulnerables, y once cercanas a la amenaza. Además de la pérdida y degradación de los hábitats, las aves de Cuba se ven amenazadas por la cacería, la colecta de huevos y el comercio ilegal. Revertir esta situación va más allá de las leyes y acciones de las autoridades competentes, es necesaria una educación medioambiental desde las edades tempranas. Se necesita que los individuos y las colectividades se identifiquen con su entorno y adquieran los conocimientos, los valores, los comportamientos y las habilidades para participar responsable y eficazmente en la prevención y la solución de los problemas ambientales. En la actualidad, niños y jóvenes hacen un gran uso de los teléfonos móviles, tabletas y computadoras principalmente para jugar; en su mayoría, estos juegos solo entretienen y no educan, y en algunos casos se podría decir que enajenan. ¿Por qué no aprovechar estas tecnologías para incentivar desde edades tempranas el conocimiento y el amor por la flora y la fauna? El proyecto Guatiní tiene como objetivo desarrollar juegos y aplicaciones multimedia que permitan divulgar la información científica acumulada sobre la avifauna cubana y educar así principalmente a las nuevas generaciones en el cuidado del medio ambiente.In Cuba there are 29 species of threatened or almost threatened birds, three of them in critically endangered, eight in danger, seven vulnerable, and eleven close to the threat. In addition to the loss and degradation of habitats, Cuban birds are threatened by hunting, egg collection and illegal trade. Reversing this situation goes beyond the laws and actions of the competent authorities, an environmental education is necessary from an early age. It is necessary that individuals and communities understand the complex nature of the natural environment and acquire the knowledge, values, behaviors and skills to participate responsibly and effectively in the prevention and solution of environmental problems. Nowadays children and young people make a great use of mobile phones, tablets and computers mainly to play; these games mostly just entertain and do not educate, and in some cases we could say that they alienate. Why not take advantage of these technologies with the aim of encouraging early knowledge and love for flora and fauna? The goal of the Guatiní project is the development of games and multimedia applications that allow the dissemination of the accumulated scientific information on the Cuban avifauna and thus educate mainly the new generations in the care of the environment.Bibliografía y webgrafía: página 30

    Larval Development in Tropical Gar (Atractosteus tropicus) Is Dependent on the Embryonic Thermal Regime: Ecological Implications under a Climate Change Context

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    This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Advances and Challenges in Fisheries and Aquaculture Science: Feature Papers for the New Journey of Fishes[EN] In ectotherm species, environmental temperature plays a key role in development, growth, and survival. Thus, determining how temperature affects fish populations is of utmost importance to accurately predict the risk of climate change over fisheries and aquaculture, critical to warrant nutrition and food security in the coming years. Here, the potential effects of abnormal thermal regimes (24, 28 and 32 °C; TR24, TR28, and TR32, respectively) exclusively applied during embryogenesis in tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) has been explored to decipher the potential consequences on hatching and growth from fertilization to 16 days post-fertilization (dpf), while effects on skeletal development and body morphology were explored at fertilization and 16 dpf. Egg incubation at higher temperatures induced an early hatching and mouth opening. A higher hatching rate was obtained in eggs incubated at 28 °C when compared to those at 24 °C. No differences were found in fish survival at 16 dpf, with values ranging from 84.89 to 88.86%, but increased wet body weight and standard length were found in larvae from TR24 and TR32 groups. Thermal regime during embryogenesis also altered the rate at which the skeletal development occurs. Larvae from the TR32 group showed an advanced skeletal development, with a higher development of cartilaginous structures at hatching but reduced at 16 dpf when compared with the TR24 and TR28 groups. Furthermore, this advanced skeletal development seemed to determine the fish body morphology. Based on biometric measures, a principal component analysis showed how along development, larvae from each thermal regime were clustered together, but with each population remaining clearly separated from each other. The current study shows how changes in temperature may induce craniofacial and morphological alterations in fish during early stages and contribute to understanding the possible effects of global warming in early development of fish and its ecological implicationsSIThis work was partially funded by “Study of the digestive physiology in larvae and juveniles of tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) based on histological, biochemical and molecular techniques” project (Ref. CB-2016-01-282765) from the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT) of Mexico. I.F. acknowledges the funding from the MICIU and the European Social Fund, “The European Social Fund invests in your future” through the Ramón y Cajal (Ref. RYC2018-025337-I) contract from the Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica e Innovación 2017–2020Authors also thanks the support from the RED LARVAplus “Estrategias de desarrollo y mejora de la producción de larvas de peces en Iberoamérica” (117RT0521) funded by the Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo (CYTED

    Flexible industrial work in the European periphery: factory regimes and changing working class cultures in the Spanish steel industry

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    This article explores how two steel industry firms operating in northern Spain have adapted to neoliberalism and globalization. Despite their geographical proximity, the comparison between their different trajectories, production, and ownership profiles highlights how their distinct factory regimes, while becoming entangled in global market dynamics, have allowed the emergence of contrasting definitions of workers’ identities, labor politics, and livelihood strategies, raising questions concerning (1) processes of distribution of privileges, skills, and knowledge among the workforce, and (2) the shaping of social relations, values, and meanings that result in the formation of particular factory regimes. The unequal position of steelmaking in regional economies, and the effects of economic policies that framed social relations in each firm, evince important differences between them, including contrasting expressions of resistance, discipline, and sociality on the shop floor. Our comparison considers how particular factory regimes bring forward different prospects as these firms face further industrial transformation, restructuring, and an increasingly uncertain future

    Genome-wide analyses reveal a potential role for the MAPT, MOBP, and APOE loci in sporadic frontotemporal dementia

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    Common variants in Alzheimer’s disease and risk stratification by polygenic risk scores

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    Funder: Funder: Fundación bancaria ‘La Caixa’ Number: LCF/PR/PR16/51110003 Funder: Grifols SA Number: LCF/PR/PR16/51110003 Funder: European Union/EFPIA Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Number: 115975 Funder: JPco-fuND FP-829-029 Number: 733051061Genetic discoveries of Alzheimer's disease are the drivers of our understanding, and together with polygenetic risk stratification can contribute towards planning of feasible and efficient preventive and curative clinical trials. We first perform a large genetic association study by merging all available case-control datasets and by-proxy study results (discovery n = 409,435 and validation size n = 58,190). Here, we add six variants associated with Alzheimer's disease risk (near APP, CHRNE, PRKD3/NDUFAF7, PLCG2 and two exonic variants in the SHARPIN gene). Assessment of the polygenic risk score and stratifying by APOE reveal a 4 to 5.5 years difference in median age at onset of Alzheimer's disease patients in APOE ɛ4 carriers. Because of this study, the underlying mechanisms of APP can be studied to refine the amyloid cascade and the polygenic risk score provides a tool to select individuals at high risk of Alzheimer's disease

    La ganadería ante escenarios complejos.

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    La calidad de las contribuciones, producto de la pluma de especialistas en los temas tratados, el presente es un libro que esperamos, basándonos en la importancia de los temas tratados, sea de utilidad y abone a la reflexión de los estudiosos de la ganadería mexicana y, por supuesto, en beneficio de las familias ganaderas y de los consumidores de sus productos.este libro refleja en muchos sentidos la situación de la ganadería mexicana, a la que se le están demandando mayor producción y productividad, que los procesos productivos tengan la menor huella ecológicposible, que los alimentos sean inocuos, que se abatan costos de producción y, cada vez aumentan las presiones de diversos grupos para, que se incluyan los protocolos de bienestar animal, solamente por citar algunos de los retos que tiene. Algunas de estas demandas son complementarias, otras se contraponen, lo que hace valiosos a los estudios que desde las ciencias sociales se realizan y, desde diversas ópticas, se hagan propuestas de política pública balanceadas que consideren lo mejor de cada enfoque, pero sin desechar por completo los antagónicos.Universidad Autónoma Chaping

    Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

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    Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p&lt;0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (&lt;1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (&lt;1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline
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