Composición botánica y valor nutricional de la dieta de bovinos en un pastizal mediano abierto en la región central de chihuahua.

Se determinó la composición botánica de la dieta de bovinos en pastoreo en un pastizal mediano abierto de Navajita negra (Bouteloua eriopoda), utilizando animales con fístulas esofágicas

Orientation layout of Roman towns by using the varatio

En el presente artículo se aborda la tan debatida cuestión de las orientaciones de ciudades romanas combinando dos procedimientos: un análisis estadístico de las orientaciones de una muestra significativa de ciudades romanas en la península ibérica, y los resultados de una investigación basada en la experimentación y reconstrucción de instrumental de agrimensura romana. En concreto, se busca reforzar, o rechazar, la hipótesis del empleo de la varatio para la orientación en el terreno, y su posible modo de ejecución: método basado en la aplicación de triángulos rectángulos con catetos en proporción de números naturales. Se postula además la línea meridiana como la generadora de cada nuevo proyecto, incluyéndose un posible procedimiento para su obtención a partir de los preceptos de Vitruvio (De Architectura VI, I). Los resultados del análisis estadístico devuelven una distribución de las orientaciones no aleatoria y que, en muchos casos, está en buen acuerdo con los valores predichos de la aplicación de la técnica de la varatio en sus diferentes variantes. Con esto se pretende determinar si sería factible el empleo de una técnica estandarizada para trazar los patrones de orientación obtenidos.This paper deals with the long-lasting debate about the orientation of Roman cities by combining two procedures: an analysis of a statistically significant sample of orientations of Roman settlements in the Iberian Peninsula and the results of the experimentation and re-construction of Roman surveying instruments. Specifically, the study seeks to reinforce, or reject, the hypothesis of the use of the varatio, and its possible mode of execution: a method based on the application of right-angled triangles with legs in proportion of integer numbers. The meridian line is also postulated as the generating line for each new project, including a possible procedure for obtaining it from the indications given by Vitruvius (De Architectura VI, I). The results derived from the statistical analysis show that orientations seem not to be randomly distributed but they tend to cluster around particular directions that agree with the expected values in case this geometrical technique was commonly applied

La geoquímica de la Formación Maimón (Cordillera Central, República Dominicana) revisada

Los materiales volcánicos de la Formación Maimón, metamorfizados en facies de esquistos verdes, son representativos del magmatismo más antiguo registrado en el arco-isla del Cretácico del Caribe. A partir de nuevos datos geoquímicos de roca total y mediante el uso de elementos traza inmóviles (elementos de alto potencial iónico - HFSE, tierras raras - REE), se reconoce el predominio de protolitos basálticos y una menor proporción de rocas de composición intermedia y ácida. Geoquímicamente, los protolitos basálticos han sido clasificados como boninitas, toleítas de arco de isla pobres en Ti y LREE, toleítas de arco de isla pobres en Ti normales y escasas toleítas de arco de isla normales. Las rocas ácidas presentan claras afinidades boniníticas y toleíticas y pertenecerían al tipo M (derivadas del manto). La geoquímica de las toleítas pobres en Ti y LREE permite su clasificación como FAB (Fore-Arc Basalts, i.e. basaltos de ante-arco), término recientemente acuñado para describir toleítas con rasgos de MORB (basaltos de dorsal centro-oceánica) identificados en el ante-arco de Izu-Bonin-Mariana. La presencia de FAB y su correlación estratigráfica con boninitas son indicativas de formación en un contexto de ante-arco durante los primeros estadios magmáticos en un régimen extensional ligado al inicio de la subducción y el nacimiento del arco-isla. La Fm. Maimón puede representar la sección superior (volcánica) de una ofiolita tipo "inicio de subducción"

A study of the dry forest communities in the Dominican Republic

This paper is a floristic and phytosociological study of the dry forest communities of the Dominican Republic. A total of 69 relevés in dry forest biotopes were carried out. The samples were subsequently subjected to Detrended Correspondence Analysis for the determination and study of possible groupings. The study does not cover tree formations growing on serpentines, nor the so-called semideciduous forests, peculiar to areas with higher rainfall. A total of nine phytocoenoses were identified. The most significant results led to the description of six new phytosociological associations: Simaroubetum berteroani (thorny dry forest on coastal dunes), Phyllostylo rhamnoidis-Prosopidetum juliflorae (southern Dominican disturbed dry forest), Consoleo moniliformis-Camerarietum linearifoliae (dry forest on hard limestones), Lemaireocereo hystricis-Prosopidetum juliflorae (northern Dominican disturbed dry forest), Lycio americani-Prosopidetum juliflorae (disturbed dry forest on saline soils) and Guettardo ellipticae-Guapiretum discoloris (dry forest on flat-topped hillocks in Montecristi). This is an important step forward in the phytosociological and floristic studies of the Caribbean territories.Este trabalho apresenta um estudo florístico e fitossociológico das comunidades de florestas secas da República Dominicana. Um total de 69 amostras foram obtidas pelo método relevé em biótopos florestais secos. As amostras foram posteriormente submetidas à análise de correspondência destendenciada para a determinação e estudo de possíveis agrupamentos. O estudo não abrange formações arbóreas desenvolvidas sobre serpentinitos, nem as chamadas florestas semideciduais, peculiares às áreas de maior pluviosidade. Foram identificados nove fitocenoses. Os resultados mais significativos levaram à descrição de seis novas associações fitossociológicas: Simaroubetum berteroani (floresta espinhosa seca em dunas costeiras), Phyllostylo rhamnoidis-Prosopidetum juliflorae (floresta seca perturbada do sul da República Dominicana), Consoleo moniliformis-Camerarietum linearifoliae (floresta seca sobre calcários compactos), Lemaireocereo hystricis-Prosopidetum juliflorae (floresta seca perturbada do norte da República Dominicana), Lycio americani-Prosopidetum juliflorae (floresta seca perturbada desenvolvida em solos salinos) Guettardo ellipticae-Guapiretum discoloris (floresta seca em colinas de topo achatado em Montecristi). O trabalho realizado representa um importante avanço nos estudos fitossociológicos e florísticos dos territórios do Caribe.This research paper was possible thanks to the sponsorship of the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), under the auspices of the Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y de Cooperación de España, which funded the project (cod. A/3499/05)

Recent updates and perspectives on approaches for the development of vaccines against visceral leishmaniasis

All rights reserved. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the most important tropical diseases worldwide. Although chemotherapy has been widely used to treat this disease, problems related to the development of parasite resistance and side effects associated with the compounds used have been noted. Hence, alternative approaches for VL control are desirable. Some methods, such as vector control and culling of infected dogs, are insufficiently effective, with the latter not ethically recommended. The development of vaccines to prevent VL is a feasible and desirable measure for disease control, for example, some vaccines designed to protect dogs against VL have recently been brought to market. These vaccines are based on the combination of parasite fractions or recombinant proteins with adjuvants that are able to induce cellular immune responses, however, their partial efficacy and the absence of a vaccine to protect against human leishmaniasis underline the need for characterization of new vaccine candidates. This review presents recent advances in control measures for VL based on vaccine development, describing extensively studied antigens, as well as new antigenic proteins recently identified using immuno-proteomic techniquesThis work was supported by grants from Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Nano-Biofarmacêutica, Rede Nanobiotec/Brasil-Universidade Federal de Uberlândia/CAPES, PRONEX-FAPEMIG (APQ-01019-09), FAPEMIG (CBB-APQ-00819-12 and CBB-APQ-01778-2014), and CNPq (APQ-482976/2012-8, APQ-488237/2013-0, and APQ-467640/2014-9). EAFC and LRG are recipients of the grant from CNPq. MACF is the recipient of grants from FAPEMIG/CAPE

Recent results on heavy-ion induced reactions of interest for neutrinoless double beta decay at INFN-LNS

Abstract. The possibility to use a special class of heavy-ion induced direct reactions, such as double charge exchange reactions, is discussed in view of their application to extract information that may be helpful to determinate the nuclear matrix elements entering in the expression of neutrinoless double beta decay halflife. The methodology of the experimental campaign presently running at INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud is reported and the experimental challenges characterizing such activity are describe

Genome-Wide Analysis of Factors Affecting Transcription Elongation and DNA Repair: A New Role for PAF and Ccr4-Not in Transcription-Coupled Repair

RNA polymerases frequently deal with a number of obstacles during transcription elongation that need to be removed for transcription resumption. One important type of hindrance consists of DNA lesions, which are removed by transcription-coupled repair (TC-NER), a specific sub-pathway of nucleotide excision repair. To improve our knowledge of transcription elongation and its coupling to TC-NER, we used the yeast library of non-essential knock-out mutations to screen for genes conferring resistance to the transcription-elongation inhibitor mycophenolic acid and the DNA-damaging agent 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide. Our data provide evidence that subunits of the SAGA and Ccr4-Not complexes, Mediator, Bre1, Bur2, and Fun12 affect transcription elongation to different extents. Given the dependency of TC-NER on RNA Polymerase II transcription and the fact that the few proteins known to be involved in TC-NER are related to transcription, we performed an in-depth TC-NER analysis of a selection of mutants. We found that mutants of the PAF and Ccr4-Not complexes are impaired in TC-NER. This study provides evidence that PAF and Ccr4-Not are required for efficient TC-NER in yeast, unraveling a novel function for these transcription complexes and opening new perspectives for the understanding of TC-NER and its functional interconnection with transcription elongation

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality