Durinskia yucatanensis sp. nov. (Peridiniales: Kryptoperidiniaceae), una nueva especie de dinoflagelado planctónico, y su hábitat en aguas costeras de Yucatán, Golfo de México

Background: In the coastal waters of the northern Yucatan Peninsula, in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, numerous pelagic algal blooms have been recorded in the 21st century. In August 2010, an unknown small-sized Peridiniales species caused an intense bloom in the Sisal marina. In subsequent years, it was occasionally found at other sites along the Yucatan coast. Goals: The main objective of the present study was to name this dinoflagellate as a new species and determine its ecological preferences. Methods: Phytoplankton blooms were monitored from August 2011 to September 2014. Fixed cells of the studied species were examined in a JEOL JSM-7600F scanning electron microscope. Its ecological preferences were evaluated using multivariate permutational analysis and generalized additive models (GAM). Results: The name Durinskia yucatanensis (Dinophyceae: Peridiniales) with the thecal plate formula Po X 4’ 2a 6” 5c 4s(?) 5”’ 2”” is proposed for a previously recorded Kryptoperidiniaceae species from the northern Yucatan coastal waters. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen positively correlated with cell abundances for both the exposed coast and marinas, especially in July-August, characterized by high water temperature (31-32 °C). Chlorophyll-a was the only parameter that presented significant spatio-temporal variability among years, months, and sampling sites. The GAM showed that temperature and salinity can predict changes in abundance in different study zones (exposed coast and marinas). The highest values were observed in the Progreso-Chicxulub area along the exposed coast in 2011 and only at Dzilam in marinas during all studied years. Conclusions: The species appears to prefer eutrophic conditions typical for marinas along the northern coast of Yucatan.Antecedentes: En las aguas costeras del norte de la península de Yucatán, en el sureste del Golfo de México, numerosos florecimientos pelágicos de microalgas se han registrado en el siglo 21. En agosto de 2010, una especie pequeña y desconocida de Peridiniales causó un florecimiento intenso en el puerto de abrigo de Sisal. En los años siguientes, se encontró ocasionalmente en otros sitios a lo largo de la costa de Yucatán. Objetivo: Nombrar a este dinoflagelado como una especie nueva para la ciencia y determinar sus preferencias ecológicas. Métodos: Los florecimientos de fitoplancton fueron monitoreados desde agosto de 2011 hasta septiembre de 2014. Las células se examinaron en un microscopio electrónico de barrido JEOL JSM-7600F. Sus preferencias ecológicas se evaluaron mediante análisis permutacional multivariante y modelos aditivos generalizados (GAM). Resultados: El nombre Durinskia yucatanensis (Dinophyceae: Peridiniales), cuya fórmula de placa tecal Po X 4’ 2a 6” 5c 4s(?) 5”’ 2””, se propone para una especie de Kryptoperidiniaceae previamente registrada de las aguas costeras del norte de Yucatán. El nitrógeno inorgánico disuelto se correlacionó positivamente con la abundancia de células, tanto para la costa expuesta como para los puertos deportivos, especialmente en julio-agosto, caracterizados por una alta temperatura del agua (31-32 °C). La clorofila-a fue el único parámetro que presentó variabilidad espacio-temporal significativa entre años, meses y sitios de muestreo. Los GAM demostraron que la temperatura y la salinidad pueden predecir cambios en la abundancia en diferentes zonas de estudio (costa expuesta y puertos deportivos). Los valores más altos se observaron en el área de Progreso-Chicxulub a lo largo de la costa expuesta en 2011 y solo en Dzilam en marinas durante todos los años estudiados. Conclusiones: La especie parece preferir las condiciones eutróficas típicas de los puertos deportivos a lo largo de la costa norte de Yucatán

Predicting Survival after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Myelofibrosis : Performance of the Myelofibrosis Transplant Scoring System (MTSS) and Development of a New Prognostic Model

Accurate prognostic tools are crucial to assess the risk/benefit ratio of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) in patients with myelofibrosis (MF). We aimed to evaluate the performance of the Myelofibrosis Transplant Scoring System (MTSS) and identify risk factors for survival in a multicenter series of 197 patients with MF undergoing allo-HCT. After a median follow-up of 3.1 years, 47% of patients had died, and the estimated 5-year survival rate was 51%. Projected 5-year risk of nonrelapse mortality and relapse incidence was 30% and 20%, respectively. Factors independently associated with increased mortality were a hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) ≥3 and receiving a graft from an HLA-mismatched unrelated donor or cord blood, whereas post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PT-Cy) was associated with improved survival. Donor type was the only parameter included in the MTSS model with independent prognostic value for survival. According to the MTSS, 3-year survival was 62%, 66%, 37%, and 17% for low-, intermediate-, high-, and very high-risk groups, respectively. By pooling together the low- and intermediate-risk groups, as well as the high- and very high-risk groups, we pinpointed 2 categories: standard risk and high risk (25% of the series). Three-year survival was 62% in standard-risk and 25% in high-risk categories (P <.001). We derived a risk score based on the 3 independent risk factors for survival in our series (donor type, HCT-CI, and PT-Cy). The corresponding 5-year survival for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk categories was 79%, 55%, and 32%, respectively (P <.001). In conclusion, the MTSS model failed to clearly delineate 4 prognostic groups in our series but may still be useful to identify a subset of patients with poor outcome. We provide a simple prognostic scoring system for risk/benefit considerations before transplantation in patients with MF

Environmental regulation of carbon isotope composition and crassulacean acid metabolism in three plant communities along a water availability gradient

Expression of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is characterized by extreme variability within and between taxa and its sensitivity to environmental variation. In this study, we determined seasonal fluctuations in CAM photosynthesis with measurements of nocturnal tissue acidification and carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of bulk tissue and extracted sugars in three plant communities along a precipitation gradient (500, 700, and 1,000 mm year−1) on the Yucatan Peninsula. We also related the degree of CAM to light habitat and relative abundance of species in the three sites. For all species, the greatest tissue acid accumulation occurred during the rainy season. In the 500 mm site, tissue acidification was greater for the species growing at 30% of daily total photon flux density (PFD) than species growing at 80% PFD. Whereas in the two wetter sites, the species growing at 80% total PFD had greater tissue acidification. All species had values of bulk tissue δ13C less negative than −20‰, indicating strong CAM activity. The bulk tissue δ13C values in plants from the 500 mm site were 2‰ less negative than in plants from the wetter sites, and the only species growing in the three communities, Acanthocereus tetragonus (Cactaceae), showed a significant negative relationship between both bulk tissue and sugar δ13C values and annual rainfall, consistent with greater CO2 assimilation through the CAM pathway with decreasing water availability. Overall, variation in the use of CAM photosynthesis was related to water and light availability and CAM appeared to be more ecologically important in the tropical dry forests than in the coastal dune

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

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

The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project : insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes

Helicobacter pylori, a dominant member of the gastric microbiota, shares co-evolutionary history with humans. This has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host and with differential gastric disease risk. Here, we provide insights into H. pylori population structure as a part of the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP), a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at elucidating H. pylori pathogenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets. We collected 1011 well-characterized clinical strains from 50 countries and generated high-quality genome sequences. We analysed core genome diversity and population structure of the HpGP dataset and 255 worldwide reference genomes to outline the ancestral contribution to Eurasian, African, and American populations. We found evidence of substantial contribution of population hpNorthAsia and subpopulation hspUral in Northern European H. pylori. The genomes of H. pylori isolated from northern and southern Indigenous Americans differed in that bacteria isolated in northern Indigenous communities were more similar to North Asian H. pylori while the southern had higher relatedness to hpEastAsia. Notably, we also found a highly clonal yet geographically dispersed North American subpopulation, which is negative for the cag pathogenicity island, and present in 7% of sequenced US genomes. We expect the HpGP dataset and the corresponding strains to become a major asset for H. pylori genomics

Impacto ambiental

Existen certificaciones ambientales internacionales que se otorgan a empresas que mejoran su desempeño ambiental en la elaboración de sus productos y procesos; la demanda por este tipo de certificaciones ha aumentado debido a los beneficios que le traen a la empresa. Este documento presenta los procesos llevados a cabo para el desarrollo de la primera metodología de evaluación a empresas del estado de Jalisco para la asignación de un certificado Eco-etiqueta por su desempeño socio-ambiental en el proceso de producción de un producto.ITESO, A.C

Catalysis by basic carbons: Preparation of dihydropyridines

The condensation of benzaldehyde and different substituted benzaldehydes, such as 2-nitrobenzaldehyde, 3-nitrobenzaldehyde, and 2,4-dichlorobenzaldehyde, with ethyl cyanoacetate was carried out using two alkaline carbons (Na-Norit and Cs-Norit) as catalysts in the absence of solvent. The reaction products are precursors in the production of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, which have expanding practical applications as pharmaceuticals in the line of calcium channel blockers. High values of activity and selectivity were obtained. The most active carbon (Cs-Norit), which contains basic sites with pKb = 11.2, is more active than pyridine, and less than piperidine. The selectivity to the desired condensation product when using these activated carbons is, at least, as high as in the case of the homogeneous catalyst. This "green" and "clean" method (alkaline doped carbon catalyst in the absence of solvent) can be extended to the preparation of other intermediates with medical applications.E.P.R. thanks the University of Carabobo (Venezuela) for a PhD fellowship. V.C.C. thanks the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia for a PhD Fellowship. Financial support of this work by Spanish CICYT (Project CTQ2004-00243/PPQ) is gratefully acknowledged. Norit pristine carbon has been kindly supplied by Norit Company

Almas em busca da salvação: sensibilidade barroca no discurso jesuítico (século XVII)

Para uma compreensão das reduções jesuítico-guaranis na perspectiva de uma história da sensibilidade, procedeu-se a uma releitura das Cartas Ânuas da Província Jesuítica do Paraguai, referentes ao período de 1609 a 1675. O discurso jesuítico, especialmente através de suas falhas, permitiu reconhecer as reduções como espaço de reinvenção de significados, no qual se constrói uma sensibilidade religiosa própria, resultante da acomodação criativa da espiritualidade guarani e da devoção e piedade tridentinas.<br>An in-depth reading of the Cartas Ânuas of the Jesuit Province of Paraguay, concerning the period from 1609 to 1675, was carried out to come to a deeper understanding of Jesuit-Guarani mission settlements within the framework of a history of sensibility. The Jesuit discourse, mostly through its gaps, allowed for the acknowledgement of the Mission Settlements as a space for the reinvention of meanings, in which it is possible to construct a unique religious sensibility that results from the creative accommodation of Guarani spirituality and of Tridentine devotion and piety