Beyond Posmodernity?: Countdown, Beyoncé and Keersmaeker

La cantante americana Beyoncé utiliza en el videoclip de la canción Countdown elementos de dos coreografías de Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker. El presente texto intenta establecer qué elementos toma Beyoncé de las obras de Keersmaeker y cómo se relaciona esta apropiación con otras imágenes (Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross) que también aparecen en el vídeoAmerican singer Beyoncé used in the music video for the song Countdown elements of two choreographies by Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker. This paper tries to establish which elements were taken from Keersmaeker’s works and how this relates to other images (Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross) that also appear in the music vide

¿Más allá de la postmodernidad?: ‘Countdown’, Beyoncé y Keersmaeker / Beyond Posmodernity?: ‘Countdown’, Beyoncé and Keersmaeker

La cantante americana Beyoncé utiliza en el videoclip de la canción Countdown elementos de dos coreografías de Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker. El presente texto intenta establecer qué elementos toma Beyoncé de las obras de Keersmaeker y cómo se relaciona esta apropiación con otras imágenes (Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross) que también aparecen en el vídeo.Palabras Clave: Beyoncé, Keersmaeker, coreografía, intertextualidad, postmodernidadAbstract: American singer Beyoncé used in the music video for the song Countdown elements of two choreographies by Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker. This paper tries to establish which elements were taken from Keersmaeker’s works and how this relates to other images (Audrey Hepburn, Diana Ross) that also appear in the music video.Keywords: Beyoncé, Keersmaeker, choreography, intertextuality, postmodernism</p

Desarrollo de potenciales agentes antiinflamatorios a partir de5-(hidroximetil) furfural como plataforma química renovable

En la actualidad la búsqueda por minimizar nuestra dependencia del petróleo y sus derivados, a través de un remplazo progresivo por biomasa, tiene como uno de sus objetivos principales lograr un mayor grado de desarrollo sustentable. Gran parte de los precursores químicos que se utilizan para la obtención de principios activos farmacéuticos, en especial para aquellos de síntesis química, son derivados del petróleo. Los azúcares presentes en biomasa celulósica y lignocelulósica, pueden convertirse mediante ciertas transformaciones en productos de alto valor agregado, como por ejemplo combustibles, fibras, precursores de plásticos, disolventes y derivados químicos por tratamiento directo, las llamadas plataformas químicas. En particular, en este trabajo llevamos a cabo estudios iniciales hacia la producción de 5-(hidroximetil)furfural (HMF), una de las llamadas plataformas químicas , en escala de laboratorio a partir de D-fructosa y biomasa lignocelulósica (cascara de arroz y pajilla de trigo), en condiciones de hidrólisis y deshidratación en medio ácido presurizado utilizando sistemas bifásicos. En particular, los rendimientos obtenidos a partir de D-fructosa fueron moderados y permitieron obtener HMF de alta pureza. De esta forma, junto a la adquisición comercial de HMF, se obtuvieron cantidades suficientes para emplearlo en etapas posteriores de síntesis orgánica.En la etapa de síntesis orgánica, trabajamos en la transformación de HMF como plataforma química renovable en estructuras que presenten potencial bioactividad como agentes antiinflamatorios: derivados de ácidos Grasos de Furano (AGF) y nitroalquenilfuranos. Los AGF son compuestos naturales que están presentes principalmente en alimentos de origen marino, los cuales han evidenciado prometedora actividad antiinflamatoria. Ciertos derivados de nitroalquenos, tanto de ácidos grasos naturales como de sistemas aromáticos, han mostrado actividad antiinflamatoria y potencial aplicación en enfermedades con una inflamación crónica asociada.Así, para la obtención de AGF se exploraron 3 rutas distintas a partir de HMF, llegando a un compuesto final mediante estrategia de O-alquilación en la formación de las cadenas laterales del anillo de furano. Por otra parte, se obtuvo una pequeña librería de 2-nitroalquenilfuranos los cuales se prepararon mediante condensación nitroaldólica entre nitrometano y HMF o derivados de este, bajo condiciones en consonancia con la química verde.Algunos nitroalquenilfuranos mostraron ser capaces de inhibir la secreción de IL-1 en el modelo celular utilizado, pudiendo actuar como aceptores de Michael y así, potencialmente modular la activación de eventos inflamatorios mediados por el inflamasoma NLRP 3.En resumen, en el marco de este trabajo de Maestría en Química se exploró la posibilidad de obtener potenciales agentes antiinflamatorios como productos de alto valor agregado a partir de HMF. De esta forma, el estudiante desarrollo su trabajo de tesis en áreas de la química verde y la química medicinal

Experiment and Theory Clarify: Sc+ Receives One Oxygen Atom from SO2 to Form ScO+, which Proves to be a Catalyst for the Hidden Oxygen-Exchange with SO2

[EN] Using Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, it was experimentally determined that Sc+ in the highly diluted gas phase reacts with SO2 to form ScO+ and SO. By O-18 labeling, ScO+ was shown to play the role of a catalyst when further reacting with SO2 in a Mars-van Krevelen-like (MvK) oxygen exchange process, where a solid catalyst actively reacts with the substrate but emerges apparently unchanged at the end of the cycle. High-level quantum chemical calculations confirmed that the multi-step process to form ScO+ and SO is exoergic and that all intermediates and transition states in between are located energetically below the entrance level. The reaction starts from the triplet surface; although three spin-crossing points with minimal energy have been identified by computational means, there is no evidence that a two-state scenario is involved in the course of the reaction, by which the reactants could switch from the triplet to the singlet surface and back. Pivotal to the oxygen exchange reaction of ScO+ with SO2 is the occurrence of a highly symmetric four-membered cyclic intermediate by which two oxygen atoms become equivalent.The authors thank IZO-SGI SGIker (UPV/EHU), supported by ERDF and ESF European funding programmes, for technical and human assistance with the calculations, and the DIPC for generous allocation of computational resources. Financial support comes from the Spanish Office for Scientific Research (MCIU /AEI /FEDER, UE), Ref.: PGC2018-097529-B-100 and Eusko Jaurlaritza (Basque Government), Ref.: IT1254-19, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21773085 and 92161120)

Methane emission and milk production of dairy cows grazing pastures rich in legumes or rich in grasses in Uruguay

Understanding the impact of changing pasture composition on reducing emissions of GHGs in dairy grazing systems is an important issue to mitigate climate change. The aim of this study was to estimate daily CH4 emissions of dairy cows grazing two mixed pastures with contrasting composition of grasses and legumes: L pasture with 60% legumes on Dry Matter (DM) basis and G pasture with 75% grasses on DM basis. Milk production and CH4 emissions were compared over two periods of two weeks during spring using eight lactating Holstein cows in a 2 × 2 Latin square design. Herbage organic matter intake (HOMI) was estimated by chromic oxide dilution and herbage organic matter digestibility (OMD) was estimated by faecal index. Methane emission was estimated by using the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique adapted to collect breath samples over 5-day periods. OMD (0.71) and HOMI (15.7 kg OM) were not affected by pasture composition. Milk production (20.3 kg/d), milk fat yield (742 g/d) and milk protein yield (667 g/d) were similar for both pastures. This may be explained by the high herbage allowance (30 kg DM above 5 cm/cow) which allowed the cows to graze selectively, in particular in grass sward. Similarly, methane emission expressed as absolute value (368 g/d or 516 L/d) or expressed as methane yield (6.6% of Gross Energy Intake (GEI)) was not affected by treatments. In conclusion, at high herbage allowance, the quality of the diet selected by grazing cows did not differ between pastures rich in legumes or rich in grasses, and therefore there was no effect on milk or methane production.Fil: Dini, Yoana. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Gere, José Ignacio. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física Arroyo Seco; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Briano, Carolina. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Manetti, Martin Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Juliarena, María Paula. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física Arroyo Seco; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Picasso, Valentin. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Gratton, Roberto. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Física Arroyo Seco; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Astigarraga, Laura. Universidad de la República; Urugua

Intake, Energy Expenditure and Methane Emissions of Grazing Dairy Cows at Two Pre-Grazing Herbage Masses

A grazing experiment was undertaken to assess the effects of two levels of herbage mass (HM) on herbage DM intake (DMI), fat and protein corrected milk yield (FPCM), grazing behaviour, energy expenditure (HP), and methane emissions (CH4) of grazing dairy cows in spring. Treatments were a low HM (1447 kg DM/ha; LHM) or a high HM (1859 kg DM/ha; HHM). Pasture was composed mainly of cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and lucerne (Medicago sativa), offered at a daily herbage allowance of 30 kg DM/cow, above 5 cm. Eight multiparous Holstein cows were used in a 2 × 2 Latin Square design in two 10-day periods. Despite the differences in pre-grazing HM between treatments, OM digestibility was not different (P = 0.28). Herbage mass did not affect DMI or FPCM. Grazing time was not different between treatments, but cows had a greater bite rate when grazing on LHM swards. However, HP did not differ between treatments. Daily methane emission (per cow), methane emission intensity (per kg FPCM) and methane yield (as percentage of gross energy intake) were not different. The lack of effect of the amount of pre-grazing HM on energy intake, confirms that the difference between HM treatments was beyond the limits that impose extra energy expenditure during grazing.Fil: Loza, Cecilia. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Gere, José Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Buenos Aires. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo de las Ingenierías; ArgentinaFil: Orcasberro, María Soledad. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Casal, Alberto. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Carriquiry, Mariana. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Juliarena, María Paula. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ramírez-Bribiesca, Efren. Colegio de Postgraduados; MéxicoFil: Astigarraga, Laura. Universidad de la República; Urugua

Comparative lipidomic analysis of mammalian retinal ganglion cells and Muller glia in situ and in vitro using High-Resolution Imaging Mass Spectrometry

In order to better understand retinal physiology, alterations to which underlie some ocular diseases, we set out to establish the lipid signature of two fundamental cell types in the retina, Muller Glia and Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs). Moreover, we compared the lipid signature of these cells in sections (in situ), as well as after culturing the cells and isolating their cell membranes (in vitro). The lipidome of Muller glia and RGCs was analyzed in porcine retinal sections using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-IMS). Isolated membranes, as well as whole cells from primary cell cultures of RGCs and Muller glia, were printed onto glass slides using a non-contact microarrayer (Nano Plotter), and a LTQ-Orbitrap XL analyzer was used to scan the samples in negative ion mode, thereafter identifying the RGCs and Muller cells immunohistochemically. The spectra acquired were aligned and normalized against the total ion current, and a statistical analysis was carried out to select the lipids specific to each cell type in the retinal sections and microarrays. The peaks of interest were identified by MS/MS analysis. A cluster analysis of the MS spectra obtained from the retinal sections identified regions containing RGCs and Muller glia, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry in the same sections. The relative density of certain lipids differed significantly (p-value <= 0.05) between the areas containing Muller glia and RGCs. Likewise, different densities of lipids were evident between the RGC and Muller glia cultures in vitro. Finally, a comparative analysis of the lipid profiles in the retinal sections and microarrays identified six peaks that corresponded to a collection of 10 lipids characteristic of retinal cells. These lipids were identified by MS/MS. The analyses performed on the RGC layer of the retina, on RGCs in culture and using cell membrane microarrays of RGCs indicate that the lipid composition of the retina detected in sections is preserved in primary cell cultures. Specific lipid species were found in RGCs and Muller glia, allowing both cell types to be identified by a lipid fingerprint. Further studies into these specific lipids and of their behavior in pathological conditions may well help identify novel therapeutic targets for ocular diseases.This study was supported by the grants RETOS MINECO FEDER (RTC-2016-48231), PUE 2018-1-0004, UPV/EHU PPGA 18/18 and Elkartek KK-2019/00086 to E.V

Key Genes of the Immune System and Predisposition to Acquired Hemophilia A: Evidence from a Spanish Cohort of 49 Patients Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare bleeding disorder caused by the presence of autoantibodies against factor VIII (FVIII). As with other autoimmune diseases, its etiology is complex and its genetic basis is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the immunogenetic background that predisposes individuals to AHA. HLA and KIR gene clusters, as well as KLRK1, were sequenced using next-generation sequencing in 49 AHA patients. Associations between candidate genes involved in innate and adaptive immune responses and AHA were addressed by comparing the alleles, genotypes, haplotypes, and gene frequencies in the AHA cohort with those in the donors' samples or Spanish population cohort. Two genes of the HLA cluster, as well as rs1049174 in KLRK1, which tags the natural killer (NK) cytotoxic activity haplotype, were found to be linked to AHA. Specifically, A*03:01 (p = 0.024; odds ratio (OR) = 0.26[0.06-0.85]) and DRB1*13:03 (p = 6.8 x 103, OR = 7.56[1.64-51.40]), as well as rs1049174 (p = 0.012), were significantly associated with AHA. In addition, two AHA patients were found to carry one copy each of the low-frequency allele DQB1*03:09 (nallele = 2, 2.04%), which was completely absent in the donors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the involvement of these specific alleles in the predisposition to AHA has been proposed. Further molecular and functional studies will be needed to unravel their specific contributions. We believe our findings expand the current knowledge on the genetic factors involved in susceptibility to AHA, which will contribute to improving the diagnosis and prognosis of AHA patients

A 21 m Operation Range RFID Tag for “Pick to Light” Applications with a Photovoltaic Harvester

In this paper, a novel Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for “pick to light” applications is presented. The proposed tag architecture shows the implementation of a novel voltage limiter and a supply voltage (VDD) monitoring circuit to guarantee a correct operation between the tag and the reader for the “pick to light” application. The feasibility to power the tag with different photovoltaic cells is also analyzed, showing the influence of the illuminance level (lx), type of source light (fluorescent, LED or halogen) and type of photovoltaic cell (photodiode or solar cell) on the amount of harvested energy. Measurements show that the photodiodes present a power per unit package area for low illuminance levels (500 lx) of around 0.08 µW/mm2 , which is slightly higher than the measured one for a solar cell of 0.06 µW/mm2 . However, solar cells present a more compact design for the same absolute harvested power due to the large number of required photodiodes in parallel. Finally, an RFID tag prototype for “pick to light” applications is implemented, showing an operation range of 3.7 m in fully passive mode. This operation range can be significantly increased to 21 m when the tag is powered by a solar cell with an illuminance level as low as 100 lx and a halogen bulb as source light

A UHPLC-Mass Spectrometry View of Human Melanocytic Cells Uncovers Potential Lipid Biomarkers of Melanoma

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer due to its ability to colonize distant sites and initiate metastasis. Although these processes largely depend on the lipid-based cell membrane scaffold, our understanding of the melanoma lipid phenotype lags behind most other aspects of this tumor cell. Here, we examined a panel of normal human epidermal and nevus melanocytes and primary and metastatic melanoma cell lines to determine whether distinctive cell-intrinsic lipidomes can discern non-neoplastic from neoplastic melanocytes and define their metastatic potential. Lipidome profiles were obtained by UHPLC-ESI mass-spectrometry, and differences in the signatures were analyzed by multivariate statistical analyses. Significant and highly specific changes in more than 30 lipid species were annotated in the initiation of melanoma, whereas less numerous changes were associated with melanoma progression and the non-malignant transformation of nevus melanocytes. Notably, the “malignancy lipid signature” features marked drops in pivotal membrane lipids, like sphingomyelins, and aberrant elevation of ether-type lipids and phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol variants, suggesting a previously undefined remodeling of sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Besides broadening the molecular definition of this neoplasm, the different lipid profiles identified may help improve the clinical diagnosis/prognosis and facilitate therapeutic interventions for cutaneous melanoma.This research was funded in part by grants from the Ministry of Economy; Industry and Competitiveness (RTC-2015-3693-1); Ministry of Science and Innovation (RTI-2018-095134-B-I00); Basque Government (IT971-16; IT1162-19; KK2016-036; KK2017-041 and KK2018-00090) and UPV/EHU (GIU17/066)