El bambú (Guadua angustifolia spp.) como alternativa de conducción para un sistema de riego por multicompuertas

The present investigation aimed to use bamboo as a pipeline for a multi floodgates irrigation system in areas where this plant species abounds. Hydraulically characteristics, such as the roughness, speed, its maximum working pressure were determined in the laboratory and field; likewise, a guide was prepared for the selection of the bamboo’s diameters under the conditions of slope and pressure load. The rugosity study of the material was carried out by the Colebrook - White equation, obtaining an absolute rugosity of 0,0161 meters, the Hazen - Williams roughness coefficient getting 50 and the Manning’s roughness coefficient of 0,0232. The study also compared the results of load loss estimated by the three methods, versus the values obtained in the laboratory and statistical indicators (the mean square error and the coefficient of efficiency), these indicators did not present significant differences. Also, that from speeds higher than 0,8 ms -1 , the behavior of the load loss potentially increases and it was found that the bamboo supports pressures up to 30 PSI or 20 mwc.La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo el uso del bambú como tubería de conducción para un sistema de riego por multicompuertas en zonas donde abunda esta especie vegetal. Se analizaron las características hidráulicas como la rugosidad, velocidad y la máxima presión de trabajo en el laboratorio y campo; asimismo, se elaboró una guía para la selección de diámetros en condición de pendiente y carga de presión. El estudio de la rugosidad del material se obtuvo mediante la ecuación de Colebrook-White, una rugosidad absoluta de 0,0161 m, el coeficiente de rugosidad de Hazen-Williams de 50 y el coeficiente de rugosidad de Manning de 0,0232. Se comparó los resultados de las pérdidas de carga estimadas por los tres métodos versus los valores obtenidos en el laboratorio y mediante indicadores estadísticos (error cuadrático medio y coeficiente de eficiencia), estos indicadores no presentaron diferencias significativas. También, a partir de velocidades superiores a 0,8 ms-1, el comportamiento de la pérdida de carga aumenta potencialmente y se encontró que el bambú soporta presiones de hasta 30 PSI o 20 mca

Dual G9A/EZH2 inhibition stimulates anti-tumour immune response in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma

Ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) prognosis correlates directly with presence of intratumoral lymphocytes. However, cancer immunotherapy has yet to achieve meaningful survival benefit in patients with HGSC. Epigenetic silencing of immunostimulatory genes is implicated in immune evasion in HGSC and re-expression of these genes could promote tumour immune clearance. We discovered that simultaneous inhibition of the histone methyltransferases G9A and EZH2 activates the CXCL10-CXCR3 axis and increases homing of intratumoral effector lymphocytes and natural killer cells whilst suppressing tumour-promoting FoxP3+ CD4 T cells. The dual G9A/EZH2 inhibitor HKMTI-1-005 induced chromatin changes that resulted in the transcriptional activation of immunostimulatory gene networks, including the re-expression of elements of the ERV-K endogenous retroviral family. Importantly, treatment with HKMTI-1-005 improved the survival of mice bearing Trp53-/- null ID8 ovarian tumours and resulted in tumour burden reduction. These results indicate that inhibiting G9A and EZH2 in ovarian cancer alters the immune microenvironment and reduces tumour growth and therefore positions dual inhibition of G9A/EZH2 as a strategy for clinical development

A scalable label-free approach to separate human pluripotent cells from differentiated derivatives

The broad capacity of pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to grow and differentiate demands the development of rapid, scalable, and label-free methods to separate living cell populations for clinical and industrial applications. Here, we identify differences in cell stiffness, expressed as cell elastic modulus (CEM), for hESC versus mesenchymal progenitors, osteoblast-like derivatives, and fibroblasts using atomic force microscopy and data processing algorithms to characterize the stiffness of cell populations. Undifferentiated hESC exhibited a range of CEMs whose median was nearly three-fold lower than those of differentiated cells, information we exploited to develop a label-free separation device based on the principles of tangential flow filtration. To test the device's utility, we segregated hESC mixed with fibroblasts and hESC-mesenchymal progenitors induced to undergo osteogenic differentiation. The device permitted a throughput of 10(6)–10(7) cells per min and up to 50% removal of specific cell types per single pass. The level of enrichment and depletion of soft, pluripotent hESC in the respective channels was found to rise with increasing stiffness of the differentiating cells, suggesting CEM can serve as a major discriminator. Our results demonstrate the principle of a scalable, label-free, solution for separation of heterogeneous cell populations deriving from human pluripotent stem cells

Effects and Action Mechanisms of Berberine and Rhizoma coptidis on Gut Microbes and Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice

Gut microbes play important roles in regulating fat storage and metabolism. Rhizoma coptidis (RC) and its main active compound, berberine, have either antimicrobial or anti-obesity activities. In the present study, we hypothesize that RC exerts anti-obesity effects that are likely mediated by mechanisms of regulating gut microbes and berberine may be a key compound of RC. Gut microbes and glucose and lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J (HFD) mice in vivo are investigated after RC and berberine treatments. The results show that RC (200 mg/kg) and berberine (200 mg/kg) significantly lower both body and visceral adipose weights, and reduce blood glucose and lipid levels, and decrease degradation of dietary polysaccharides in HFD mice. Both RC and berberine significantly reduce the proportions of fecal Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes to total bacteria in HFD mice. In the trial ex vivo, both RC and berberine significantly inhibit the growth of gut bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In in vitro trials, both RC and berberine significantly inhibit the growth of Lactobacillus (a classical type of Firmicutes) under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, both RC and berberine significantly increase fasting-induced adipose factor (Fiaf, a key protein negatively regulated by intestinal microbes) expressions in either intestinal or visceral adipose tissues. Both RC and berberine significantly increase mRNA expressions of AMPK, PGC1α, UCP2, CPT1α, and Hadhb related to mitochondrial energy metabolism, which may be driven by increased Fiaf expression. These results firstly suggest that antimicrobial activities of RC and berberine may result in decreasing degradation of dietary polysaccharides, lowering potential calorie intake, and then systemically activating Fiaf protein and related gene expressions of mitochondrial energy metabolism in visceral adipose tissues. Taken together, these action mechanisms may contribute to significant anti-obesity effects. Findings in the present study also indicate that pharmacological regulation on gut microbes can develop an anti-obesity strategy

Forest Biodiversity Assessment in Peruvian Andean Montane Cloud Forest

Cloud forests are unusual and fragile habitats, being one of the least studied and least understood ecosystems. The tropical Andean dominion is considered one of the most significant places in the world as rega rds biological diversity, with a very high level of endemism. The biodiversity was analysed in an isolated remnant area of a tropical montane cloud forest known as the ?Bosque de Neblina de Cuyas?, in the North of the Peruvian Andean range. Composition, structure and dead wood were measured or estimated. The values obtained were compared with other cloud forests. The study revealed a high level of forest biodiversity, although the level of biodiversity differs from one area to another: in the inner areas, where human pressure is almost inexistent, the biodiversity values increase. The high species richness and the low dominance among species bear testimony to this montane cloud forest as a real enclave of biodiversity

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

In vitro cytotoxic and antiproliferative activities of marine macroalgae from Yucatán, Mexico

Extracts from 27 marine algal species (14 Rhodophyta, 5 Phaeophyta, and 8 Chlorophyta) from the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico) were evaluated for cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity by 3(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays, respectively. To determine the specificity of cytotoxic activity against tumor cells, the selective index (SI) was also calculated. The following cancer cell lines were employed: normal canine kidney (MDCK) cells, human laryngeal carcinoma (Hep-2) cells, human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells, and human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (KB) cells. The results indicated that 44% and 51% of the algal species tested showed cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity, respectively. Most of the cytotoxic extracts were from species of Chlorophyta, with Udotea flabellum and U. conglutinate showing the highest cytotoxic activity against all the cancer cell lines. For Rhodophyta, the Bryothamnion triquetrum extract showed outstanding selective cytotoxicity against Hep-2 cells (CC50 8.29 µg mL–1, SI = 12.04). Two of the five species of Phaeophyta tested (Lobophora variegata and Dictyota caribaea) showed high cytotoxicity activity against the KB cell line. The data show that these species are a potential source of compounds for the treatment of certain cancer diseases.

Effect of dark and salinity treatment in the yield and quality of agar from Gracilaria cornea (Rhodophyceae)

The alkali treatment used previous to agar extractions from the Gracilaria genus reduces, among other reactions, the sulphate content and improves the gel strength; however, at an industrial level it requires expensive effluent processing to reduce its polluting charge. The red alga Gracilaria cornea was cultivated under dark and salinity treatments to replace this alkali treatment. The different treatments tested were: (a) darkness and 33‰ salinity for 8 days, [dark treatment]; (b) darkness and 50‰ salinity for 4 days, followed by darkness and 25‰ salinity for 4 days, [4+4]; and (c) darkness and 50‰ salinity for 8 days, followed by darkness and 25‰ salinity for 4 days, [8+4]. The treatment [4+4] increased the agar yield in 26% (from 36.6 to 46.1%). All treatments reduced the sulphate content of the agar in approximately 24% when compared with agar obtained without any treatment. For G. cornea the [4+4] treatment might become in the future an additional treatment to a mild alkali treatment using less alkaline reagents for agar extraction