The role of fungi in the cocoa production chain and the challenge of climate change

Background: The role of fungi in cocoa crops is mainly associated with plant diseases and contamination of harvest with unwanted metabolites such as mycotoxins that can reach the final consumer. However, in recent years there has been interest in discovering other existing interactions in the environment that may be beneficial, such as antagonism, commensalism, and the production of specific enzymes, among others. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the different fungi species involved in cocoa production and the cocoa supply chain. In particular, it examines the presence of fungal species during cultivation, harvest, fermentation, drying, and storage, emphasizing the factors that possibly influence their prevalence in the different stages of production and the health risks associated with the production of mycotoxins in the light of recent literature. Key find-ings and conclusion: Fungi associated with the cocoa production chain have many different roles. They have evolved in a varied range of ecosystems in close association with plants and various habitats, affecting nearly all the cocoa chain steps. Reports of the isolation of 60 genera of fungi were found, of which only 19 were involved in several stages. Although endophytic fungi can help control some diseases caused by pathogenic fungi, climate change, with increased rain and tempera-tures, together with intensified exchanges, can favour most of these fungal infections, and the presence of highly aggressive new fungal genotypes increasing the concern of mycotoxin production. For this reason, mitigation strategies need to be determined to prevent the spread of disease-causing fungi and preserve beneficial ones

Reutilización de botellas de plástico en la localidad de Saladas

El proyecto de extensión “Construir reciclando”, financiado por la Secretaría de Políticas Universitarias fue realizado por alumnos del Profesorado en Ciencias Químicas y del Ambiente junto a docentes de la FaCENA - UNNE. El mismo estuvo destinado a crear una actitud comprometida con el medio ambiente. El reciclado es un tema que nos afecta a todos por igual. El medio ambiente, los recursos naturales y el ser humano con todas sus actividades están estrechamente relacionados y si alguno de estos componentes influye de manera positiva o negativa sobre el/los otro/s, todo el sistema va a notar ese cambio. Este trabajo se realizó con alumnos y docentes de la Escuela Técnica Dr. Juan Gregorio Pujol, de la localidad de Saladas de la provincia de Corrientes. Las actividades desarrolladas se orientaron hacia la elaboración de ladrillos ecológicos como así también a la confección de “puff ” a partir de botellas de plástico descartable.Fil: Giménez, Andrea F.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Sotelo Gasfrascoli, Lucía V.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Legizamón, Andrea M.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Coronel, Silvia C.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: López, Romina N.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Booth, Yanina M. R.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: López, Antonella E.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Lasala, César G.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Peyrano, Felicitas. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Vallejos, Margarita. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; ArgentinaFil: Chaves, María Guadalupe. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Avanza, María Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Instituto de Química Básica y Aplicada del Nordeste Argentino; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; ArgentinaFil: Acevedo, Belén Andrea. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Naturales y Agrimensura. Departamento de Química; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentin

MAP17 (PDZKIP1) as a novel prognostic biomarker for laryngeal cancer

Larynx cancer organ preservation treatments with chemo and radiotherapy have substantially improved laryngoesophageal dysfunction-free survival. However, both of them lead to a high incidence of acute and chronic toxicities and a significant number of patients relapse. To date, there is no evidence available to establish the group of patients that may benefit from preservation approaches and clinical criteria such as primary tumor extension or pretreatment tracheotomy are not validated. MAP17 is a small non-glycosylated membrane protein overexpressed in carcinomas. The tumoral behavior induced by MAP17 is associated with reactive oxygen species production in which SGLT1 seems involved. In this study we found that the levels of MAP17 were related to clinical findings and survival in a cohort of 58 patients with larynx cancer. MAP17 expression is associated with overall survival (p < 0.001) and laryngoesophageal dysfunction-free survival (p=0.002). Locoregional control in patients with high MAP17 showed better outcomes than those with low MAP17 (p=0.016). Besides, a positive correlation was observed between MAP17 expression and SGLT (p=0.022) and the combination of high levels of MAP17/SGLT also led to an increased overall survival (p=0,028). These findings suggest that MAP17, alone or in combination with SGLT1, may become a novel predictive biomarker for laryngeal carcinoma.This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity, ISCIII (Fis: PI12/00137, RTICC: RD12/0036/0028) co-funded by FEDER from Regional Development European Funds (European Union), Consejeria de Ciencia e Innovacion (CTS-1848) and Consejeria de Salud of the Junta de Andalucia (PI-0306-2012). This work has been also possible thanks to the Grant PIE13/0004 co-funded by the ISCIII and FEDER funds.Peer Reviewe

Baja diferenciación genética detectada en dos poblaciones de Aedes aegypti circulantes en Paraguay

El objetivo del trabajo fue estudiar la variabilidad genética de las poblaciones de Aedes aegypti procedentes de los Departamentos Central y Cordillera del Paraguay.CONACYT - Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Estudio de la variabilidad genética de aedes aegypti de dos zonas endémicas para dengue en Paraguay.

El objetivo del trabajo fue estudiar la variabilidad genética de las poblaciones de Aedes aegypti procedentes de los Departamentos Central y Cordillera del Paraguay.CONACYT - Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Variabilidad genética de Aedes aegypti determinada mediante marcadores moleculares, en dos áreas endémicas para dengue en el Paraguay.

El objetivo del trabajo fue comprender la historia evolutiva, la epidemiología de la enfermedad, diseño y mejoramiento de estrategias de control vectorial para áreas endémicas de arbovirosis.CONACYT - Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Bioactive micro-constituents of ackee arilli (Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig)

Abstract: Ackee (Blighia sapida K. D. Koenig) is an exotic fruit widely consumed in the Caribbean countries. While there is extensive research on the presence of hypoglycin A, other bioactive compounds have not been studied. We identified and quantified the changes in bioactive molecules (total phenol, ascorbic acid, hypoglycin A, squalene, D: A-Friedooleanan-7-ol, (7.alpha.), and oleic acid), antioxidant potential, and volatile compounds during two stages of ripe. A clear reduction in hypoglycin A, ascorbic acid, and total polyphenols during the maturation process were observed. On the contrary, oleic acid, squalene, and D: A-Friedooleanan-7-ol, (7.alpha.) contents increased about 12, 12, and 13 times, respectively with advancing maturity. These bioactive molecules were positively correlated with radical scavenging (DDPH and ABTS). Solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed more than 50 compounds with 3-penten-2-one and hexanal as the major compounds in the fully ripe stage. The results suggested that ripe ackee arilli could serve as an appreciable source of natural bioactive micro-constituents

CoQ deficiency causes disruption of mitochondrial sulfide oxidation, a new pathomechanism associated with this syndrome

Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is a key component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, but it also has several other functions in the cellular metabolism. One of them is to function as an electron carrier in the reaction catalyzed by sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR), which catalyzes the first reaction in the hydrogen sulfide oxidation pathway. Therefore, SQR may be affected by CoQ deficiency. Using human skin fibroblasts and two mouse models with primary CoQ deficiency, we demonstrate that severe CoQ deficiency causes a reduction in SQR levels and activity, which leads to an alteration of mitochondrial sulfide metabolism. In cerebrum of Coq9R239X mice, the deficit in SQR induces an increase in thiosulfate sulfurtransferase and sulfite oxidase, as well as modifications in the levels of thiols. As a result, biosynthetic pathways of glutamate, serotonin, and catecholamines were altered in the cerebrum, and the blood pressure was reduced. Therefore, this study reveals the reduction in SQR activity as one of the pathomechanisms associated with CoQ deficiency syndrome.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadERDF/SAF2013-47761-RERDF/SAF2014-55523-RERDF/RD12/0042/0011ERDF/SAF2015-65786-RJunta de AndalucíaNIH/P01HD08064

Variabilidad genética de Aedes aegypti determinada mediante marcadores moleculares, en dos áreas endémicas para dengue en el Paraguay

Aedes aegypti es el principal vector del dengue en Paraguay, cuya composición genética poblacional puede ser afectada por los controles químicos y ambientales, por lo que es necesario evaluarlos con marcadores moleculares capaces de estimar la diversidad genética existente entre poblaciones naturales de mosquitos.CONACYT – Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y TecnologíaPROCIENCI

Gamification and flipped learning and their influence on aspects related to the teaching-learning process

Nowadays, education is going through a moment of methodological transformation. Two of the active methodologies with excellent projection within the educational field are gamification and flipped learning. This study analyzed the methodological contrast between gamification and flipped learning in the subject of Physical Education in three different educational stages to determine the most influential methodology in the training process. Research design was a quasi-experimental research with a sample of 356 students in Spain. Data collection took place with a questionnaire. The results show that gamification as a teaching and learning methodology is better valued at an early stage, while the more aged participants better value the flipped learning methodology. Both methodologies have shown great potential in the development of educational processes in Physical Education. Gamification indeed seems to have positive effects on students from the lower stages. On the other hand, flipped learning produces positive effects on the group stages, pre-university students