Collective dynamics of molecular motors pulling on fluid membranes

The collective dynamics of $N$ weakly coupled processive molecular motors are considered theoretically. We show, using a discrete lattice model, that the velocity-force curves strongly depend on the effective dynamic interactions between motors and differ significantly from a simple mean field prediction. They become essentially independent of $N$ if it is large enough. For strongly biased motors such as kinesin this occurs if $N\gtrsim 5$. The study of a two-state model shows that the existence of internal states can induce effective interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Medios de solución de conflictos, herramienta para la construcción del acceso a la justicia

The means of conflict resolution have been a reality for years in Mexico, but it has not been possible to reach all sectors of the population, hindering access to justice, and therefore, citizen participation for the construction of culture of peace. Objective: To describe the effects on workers due to delay in labor lawsuits and the non-effective application of the means of conflict resolution in workers in southern Jalisco. Method: qualitative research, participants: 30 people who were monitoring labor issues before the labor attorney's office based in Zapotlán El Grande, Jalisco, Mexico. Data collection technique: ex-professed semi-structured interview. Mainly economic, family and labor affectations were found mainly. Law students must use knowledge in other sciences to see what conflicts hide and solve them, empowering the parties so that they can achieve it through dialogue and empathy, without the need for judicial procedure formalities that hinder access to justice.Los medios de solución de conflictos son una realidad desde hace años en México, pero no se ha logrado llegar a todos los sectores de la población obstaculizando el acceso a la justicia y por ende no se logra en totalidad la participación ciudadana para una construcción de la cultura de la paz. Objetivo: Describir las afectaciones a los trabajadores por demora en los juicios laborales y la no aplicación de manera eficaz de los medios de solución de conflictos en trabajadores del Sur de Jalisco. Método: investigación cualitativa, participantes: 30 personas que se encontraban dando seguimiento asuntos laborales ante la procuraduría del trabajo con sede en Zapotlán El Grande, Jalisco, México. Técnica de recolección de datos: entrevista semiestructurada exprofeso. Se encontraron principalmente afectaciones económicas, familiares y laborales principalmente.  Los estudiosos del derecho deben utilizar el conocimiento en otras ciencias para advertir qué esconden los conflictos y solucionarlos empoderando a las partes para que éstos lo logren mediante el diálogo y empatía, sin necesidad de los formalismos del procedimiento judicial que dificulten el acceso a la justicia

Dislocation-mediated growth of bacterial cell walls

Recent experiments have illuminated a remarkable growth mechanism of rod-shaped bacteria: proteins associated with cell wall extension move at constant velocity in circles oriented approximately along the cell circumference (Garner et al., Science (2011), Dominguez-Escobar et al. Science (2011), van Teeffelen et al. PNAS (2011). We view these as dislocations in the partially ordered peptidoglycan structure, activated by glycan strand extension machinery, and study theoretically the dynamics of these interacting defects on the surface of a cylinder. Generation and motion of these interacting defects lead to surprising effects arising from the cylindrical geometry, with important implications for growth. We also discuss how long range elastic interactions and turgor pressure affect the dynamics of the fraction of actively moving dislocations in the bacterial cell wall.Comment: to appear in PNA

Prospecció sobre la producció orgànica: discursos sobre l'evolució del sector a Catalunya

Català: Actualment ens trobem en moment de canvi, la actual crisi ecològica, econòmica i social ens està fent replantejar si el sistema productiu i de consum que hem implementat al llarg del segle XX és sostenible. Des de mitjans del segle anterior una sèrie de col·lectius han lluitat per conscienciar a la població que l’agricultura industrialitzada tindria unes conseqüències nefastes per l’ésser humà i el medi ambient. Actualment aquestes tendències han entrat a formar part del sistema productiu agrícola i s’han fet pas a través de gegants agroalimentaris industrialitzats. Cap a on va el sector agroecològic? Continuarà creixent? El sector convencional l’absorbirà? Hi ha haurà un canvi profund de producció, distribució i consum? Aquest treball té com a objectiu explorar la diversitat de percepcions i perspectives en poder dels actors relacionats amb l’agricultura i la ramaderia ecològica a Catalunya. El material proporcionat a través de les entrevistes realitzades, s’ha analitzat a través de la metodologia Q. Com a resultat s’han identificat quatre discursos sobre la producció orgànica: Tecnòcrata, Agroecologista, Empresari i Escèptic. Aquests quatre discursos i tot l’anàlisi ens demostra que el sector té uns discursos encara poc madurs, hi ha fronteres poc definides entre uns i altres Això ens porta a pensar que no només és un discurs sobre la producció orgànica sinó que va més enllà i implica la manera de veure la societat d’una manera molt més àmplia.English: Nowadays we are in a changing times , the current social , economic and ecological crisis is making us rethink whether the system of production and consumption that we have implemented over the course of the twentieth century is sustainable. Since the middle of last century a number of groups have struggled to raise aware ness that industrialized agriculture would have dire consequences for humans and the environment. Currently these trends have become part of the agricultural production system and have been passing through the industrial food giants. To where does the sect or agroecological go ? Will Continue growing ? The conventional agroindustry will absorb it ? There will be a profound change in production, distribution and consumption ? society will change ? This study aims to explore the diversity of perspectives and percep tions held by actors in agriculture and organic farming in Catalunya . The materials provided through the interviews, has been an alyzed through the Q methodology . As a result we have identified four discourses on organic production: technocrats agroecologis ts, Entrepreneur and skeptical. These four speeches throughout the analysis shows that the sector is still not has a mature discourse, there are undefined borders between them wich leads us to think that this is not just a speech on organic production it g oes further and involves the way that we see socie ty in a much wider sense

Supramolecular Complexes of Plant Neurotoxin Veratridine with Cyclodextrins and their Antidote-Like Effect on Neuro-2a Cell Viability

Veratridine (VTD) is a plant neurotoxin that acts by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC) of cell membranes. Symptoms of VTD intoxication include intense nausea, hypotension, arrhythmia, and loss of consciousness. The treatment for the intoxication is mainly focused on treating the symptoms, meaning there is no specific antidote against VTD. In this pursuit, we were interested in studying the molecular interactions of VTD with cyclodextrins (CDs). CDs are supramolecular macrocycles with the ability to form host–guest inclusion complexes (ICs) inside their hydrophobic cavity. Since VTD is a lipid-soluble alkaloid, we hypothesized that it could form stable inclusion complexes with different types of CDs, resulting in changes to its physicochemical properties. In this investigation, we studied the interaction of VTD with β-CD, γ-CD and sulfobutyl ether β-CD (SBCD) by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Docking and molecular dynamics studies confirmed the most stable configuration for the inclusion complexes. Finally, with an interest in understanding the effects of the VTD/CD molecular interactions, we performed cell-based assays (CBAs) on Neuro-2a cells. Our findings reveal that the use of different amounts of CDs has an antidote-like concentration-dependent effect on the cells, significantly increasing cell viability and thus opening opportunities for novel research on applications of CDs and VTD

Análisis de la cooperación Sur-Sur Ecuatoriana a realizarse con la República Federal de Nigeria, en el marco de la apertura de la Embajada de Ecuador en Nigeria 2015

El gobierno de Ecuador hasta el año 2013 mantenía relaciones diplomáticas en el continente africano únicamente con Egipto y Sudáfrica. El Gobierno Nacional con el interés de incrementar su presencia en África y fortalecer lazos de amistad, políticos y diplomáticos con países de este continente, decide abrir 4 nuevas embajadas en Argelia, Agola, Etiopía y Nigeria. Estos países presentan un gran desarrollo económico y liderazgo político en el continente y en diferentes foros y organismos internacionales, como OPEP, ECOWAS, Unión Africana etc. La apertura de 4 nuevas embajadas en África representa un reto para Ecuador al momento de realizar cooperación debido al desconocimiento de la realidad profunda de África, que, aunque conocemos que ha dado pasos agigantados en sus economías, continúan recibiendo ingentes cantidades de recursos económicos en forma de cooperación de los países de la OCDE

Biochemical composition and physicochemical properties of Moringa oleifera seed oil

Moringa oleifera tree has been recognized internationally for its nutritional, therapeutic and medicinal properties. Dry seeds are rich sources of oil with a high potential of commercial exploitation. The present study reports the physicochemical characterization, polyphenol content, DPPH radical scavenging capacity and fatty acid profile of moringa seed oil, and the chemical composition of the seed cultivated in Sonora, Mexico. Moisture, ash, protein and lipid contents in the seed were found to be 4.7, 5.8, 26 and 39%, respectively. The oil showed a refractive index of 1.4642. The saponification number was 183 mg KOH/g oil, iodine value: 75 g I/100 g of oil, acid value: 0.49 (% oleic acid). The polyphenol content was 0.137 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g and DPPH radical scavenging capacity was 87.39%. The moringa seed oil was rich (68%) in the major fatty acid, oleic acid (C18:1n9). Moringa oil extracted by sonication showed a fatty acid profile and physicochemical properties comparable to the oil from seeds grown in different regions of the world. The optimization of the oil extraction process on a large scale shows high potential, as the oil could be marketed as edible vegetable oil, for frying purposes, or as a functional ingredient

Propiedades psicométricas de la escala riesgo suicida de Plutchik en una muestra de jóvenes mexicanos privados de la libertad

The objective was to report the psychometric properties of the Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale in prison sample. Method, non-experimental and correlational quantitative research. Sample: 395 young people deprived of freedom, 84.1% men and 15.9% women, the age range was 15 to 29 years. It was taken from five penitentiary institutions in Jalisco, Mexico. Instruments: Plutchik Suicide Risk Scale and Beck’s Hopelessness Scale. Results, the Cronbach’s alpha of the scale was .745, the confirmatory factorial showed an optimal fit, the approach’s error average square root (RMSEA <.05) was .05, the chi-square ratio on the degrees of freedom (CMIN/DF <3) was 1.99 and the goodness of fit index (GFI> .9) was .949. This scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, which is why it is an ideal instrument to identify the risk of suicide.Objetivo: reportar propiedades psicométricas de la escala de riesgo de suicidio de Plutchik en muestra penitenciaria. Método: investigación cuantitativa no experimental y correlacional. Muestra: 395 jóvenes privados de la libertad de cinco instituciones penitenciarias del estado de Jalisco, México, 84.1% hombres y 15.9% mujeres con rango de edad de 15 a 29 años. Instrumento: escala de riesgo de suicidio de Plutchik. Resultados: alfa de Cronbach de la escala .749, el análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró un ajuste optimo, la raíz cuadrada media de error de aproximación (RMSEA <.06) fue de .065, la razón de chi-cuadrado sobre los grados de libertad (CMIN/DF <3) fue de 2.66 y el índice de bondad de ajuste (GFI >.9) fue de .927. Esta escala demostró adecuadas propiedades psicométricas, por lo que resulta ser un instrumento idóneo para identificar el riesgo de suicidio