Publishing IS Research in and about Latin America

Recent surveys show that Latin America is home to approximately 10% of the world’s population and possesses nearly 10% of its wealth. This data alone should be enough to justify the importance of this region. However, and notwithstanding AMCIS’ decision to host this year’s conference in the Latin American region, relatively little IS research from or about Latin America is published in the conferences and journals of the IS discipline. We do not believe that this situation reflects poor quality research being undertaken in Latin America, but we do think that Latin American scholars may need additional support for their research, support that can usefully come from both journal editors and international scholars from Latin America who have succeeded in internationalising their work about Latin America

Key role of surface plasmon polaritons in generation of periodic surface structures following single-pulse laser irradiation of a gold step edge

Understanding the mechanisms and controlling the possibilities of surface nanostructuring is of crucial interest for both fundamental science and application perspectives. Here, we report a direct experimental observation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) formed near a predesigned gold step edge following single-pulse femtosecond laser irradiation. Simulation results based on a hybrid atomistic-continuum model fully support the experimental observations. We experimentally detect nanosized surface features with a periodicity of ∼300 nm and heights of a few tens of nanometers.We identify two key components of single-pulse LIPSS formation: excitation of surface plasmon polaritons and material reorganization. Our results lay a solid foundation toward simple and efficient usage of light for innovative material processing technologies

The use of E-Cigarettes among Adolescents in the United States

Latest research has indicated that e-cigarettes are not safe for all ages from kids to young adults and it has been estimated that 99 of the e-cigarettes sold in the U S contained nicotine This study further investigated why the underage smoking of e-cigarettes is increasing especially among youth in California Additionally the study investigated secondary data from California s Health Interview Survey CHIS 2017 was used to determine if the health effects caused by e-cigarette smoking as well as future directions and implications The research question was to determine whether smoking has increased in teens in the United States due to vaping and e-cigarette devices and whether there is a positive correlation to e-cigarette advertisement and the insufficiency of government regulations The researchers came up with a single hypothesis determine if the lack of information about the negative health effects regulation and parental guidance are contributing factors to the increase of adolescent smoking in the United State

Disruptive Environmental Technologies of High Population Impact Aimed at the Disposal of Recyclable Materials

Technology has been occupying more and more space in the daily lives of people in big cities, which ends up giving rise to the current discussions on sustainability. Thus, this study aimed to make a theoretical literature review at the beginning of the discussions on the first “green” technologies, their development and patents, as well as on Brazilian inventions aimed at the processing of solid waste. In addition, concepts of innovation of information and disruptive technologies for commercial purposes were addressed, thus presenting two technological tools given their high educational content and great ability to change the way people think and their consumption habits. Finally, it was emphasized the importance of studies focused on the behavior of technologies in the face of contemporary issues such as sustainability and environmental preservation

An Examination of the Use of Pesticides in Puerto Rican Agriculture

This article examines the overuse of pesticides in Puerto Rican agriculture and its impact on consumer health and the environment. The purpose of this article is to spread awareness about a topic that is unknown to most of the Puerto Rican population, but plays a significant part in citizens’daily lives. It seeks to promote further research into this topic to achieve a deeper understanding of these issues and find sustainable alternatives. The objective is also to promote organic agriculture as an alternative to the current over reliance on industrial methods of agriculture used by biotech companies

Effect of supplementation with β-glucan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and chito-oligosaccharides on digestion and growth performance in weanling rabbits

The aim of this work was to study the effect of yeast β-glucans and chito-oligosaccharides supplementation on digestion and growth performance of growing rabbits. Five experimental diets were prepared. A control diet was formulated with 18.1% protein, 33.1% neutral detergent fibre and 13% soluble fibre (on DM basis). Another four diets were obtained by supplementing control diet with β-glucans (200 or 400 ppm. BG2 and BG4) and chito-oligosaccharides (200 or 400 ppm. OT2 and OT4). No antibiotic was used. In the first experiment, 56 rabbits / treatment weighing 510 ± 73.0g weaned at 28 d of age were used to record mortality, and in 42 rabbits / treatment growth traits were recorded. Rabbits fed control, BG4 and OT4 diets (42/treatment), were used to determine the body composition by bioelectrical impedance technique measured at 28, 38 and 63 d of age. Experimental diets were offered from weaning up to 38 d of age. At this moment all rabbits were fed the control diet up to 63 d of age. Another group of 24 rabbits / treatment received from 28 to 38 d of age the five diets containing mordanced ytterbium. They were slaughtered at 38 d of age and ileal digesta collected to quantify ileal digestibility and caecal pH recorded. Faecal digestibility was measured from 36 to 38 d of age (9rabbits/diet). In the second experiment, three hundred thirty-four rabbits were separated from their mothers at 19 d of age (329 ± 65g) and assigned to the control, BG4 and OT4 diets. Rabbits suckled every morning for 10 minutes until 28 d of age. After weaning at 28 d of age, two hundred thirty-one rabbits received the same experimental diets than in the first period (77 rabbits per diet) and were caged individually to determine growth performance. At 19 d of age, 10 rabbits from 10 different litters were slaughtered to determine the digestive parameters (relative weight of total digestive tract, stomach and caecum ).At 27 and 38 d of age 30 rabbits(3 rabbits/treatment and litter) from each of the same 10 litters which have been chosen before (at 19 d of age) were slaughtered to determine the same measurements. Diet supplementation with β-glucans and chito-oligosaccharides did not affect ileal and faecal DM digestibility and faecal digestibility of fat, protein and fibre. Similarly, no treatment effect was found on growth traits along fattening period in the two experiments. In the first experiment, the mortality increased in rabbits supplemented with 200 ppm β-glucans compared to 400 ppm β-glucans (P = 0.048).In the second experiment, the mortality rates were lower than in the first one, and there were no other effect of treatments. The type of diet did not modify the retention and efficiency of both nitrogen and energy in the whole animal or in the carcass. However, rabbits fed supplemented diets with chito-oligosacchharides showed a higher faecal excretion of nitrogen (P=0.034) and energy (P=0.076) between 28 and 38d of age. Treatments had no effect on the relative weight of digestive organs. In conclusion, in our condition the supplementation of β-glucans and chito-oligosaccharides does not provide any advantage to growing rabbits

An Examination of the Use of Pesticides in Puerto Rican Agriculture

This article examines the overuse of pesticides in Puerto Rican agriculture and its impact on consumer health and the environment. The purpose of this article is to spread awareness about a topic that is unknown to most of the Puerto Rican population, but plays a significant part in citizens’daily lives. It seeks to promote further research into this topic to achieve a deeper understanding of these issues and find sustainable alternatives. The objective is also to promote organic agriculture as an alternative to the current over reliance on industrial methods of agriculture used by biotech companies

Controlling anomalous diffusion in lipid membranes

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordDiffusion in cell membranes is not just simple two-dimensional Brownian motion but typically depends on the timescale of the observation. The physical origins of this anomalous sub-diffusion are unresolved, and model systems capable of quantitative and reproducible control of membrane diffusion have been recognized as a key experimental bottleneck. Here we control anomalous diffusion using supported lipids bilayers containing lipids derivatized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) headgroups. Bilayers with specific excluded area fractions are formed by control of PEG-lipid mole fraction. These bilayers exhibit a switch in diffusive behavior, becoming anomalous as bilayer continuity is disrupted. Using a combination of single-molecule fluorescence and interferometric imaging, we measure the anomalous behavior in this model over four orders of magnitude in time. Diffusion in these bilayers is well-described by a power-law dependence of the mean square displacement with observation time. Anomaleity in this system can be tailored by simply controlling the mole fraction of PEG-lipid, producing bilayers with diffusion parameters similar to those observed for anomalous diffusion in biological membranes.European Research Council (ERC

Presence of Adult Companion Goats Favors the Rumen Microbial and Functional Development in Artificially Reared Kids

Newborn dairy ruminants are usually separated from their dams after birth and fed on milk replacer. This lack of contact with adult animals may hinder the rumen microbiological and physiological development. This study evaluates the effects of rearing newborn goat kids in contact with adult companions on the rumen development. Thirty-two newborn goat kids were randomly allocated to two experimental groups which were reared either in the absence (CTL) or in the presence of non-lactating adult goats (CMP) and weaned at 7 weeks of age. Blood and rumen samples were taken at 5, 7, and 9 weeks of age to evaluate blood metabolites and rumen microbial fermentation. Next-generation sequencing was carried out on rumen samples collected at 7 weeks of age. Results showed that CTL kids lacked rumen protozoa, whereas CMP kids had an abundant and complex protozoal community as well as higher methanogen abundance which positively correlated with the body weight and blood beta-hydroxybutyrate as indicators of the physiological development. CMP kids also had a more diverse bacterial community (+132 ASVs) and a different structure of the bacterial and methanogen communities than CTL kids. The core rumen bacterial community in CMP animals had 53 more ASVs than that of CTL animals. Furthermore, the number of ASVs shared with the adult companions was over 4-fold higher in CMP kids than in CTL kids. Greater levels of early rumen colonizers Proteobacteria and Spirochaetes were found in CTL kids, while CMP kids had higher levels of Bacteroidetes and other less abundant taxa (Veillonellaceae, Cyanobacteria, and Selenomonas). These findings suggest that the presence of adult companions facilitated the rumen microbial development prior to weaning. This accelerated microbial development had no effect on the animal growth, but CMP animals presented higher rumen pH and butyrate (+45%) and ammonia concentrations than CTL kids, suggesting higher fibrolytic and proteolytic activities. CMP kids also had higher blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (+79%) and lower blood glucose concentrations (-23%) at weaning, indicating an earlier metabolic development which could favor the transition from pre-ruminant to ruminant after the weaning process. Further research is needed to determine the effects of this intervention in more challenging farm conditions

The high-Eddington NLS1 Ark 564 has the coolest corona

Ark 564 is an archetypal narrow-line Seyfert 1 that has been well observed in soft X-rays from 0.3–10 keV, revealing a steep spectrum, strong soft excess, iron K emission line and dramatic variability on the order of hours. Because of its very steep spectrum, observations of the source above 10 keV have been sparse. We report here on the first NuSTAR observation of Ark 564. The source was observed for 200 ks with NuSTAR, 50 ks of which were concurrent with Suzaku observations. NuSTAR and Suzaku observed a dramatic flare, in which the hard emission is clearly delayed with respect to the soft emission, consistent with previous detections of a low-frequency hard lag found in XMM–Newton data. The NuSTAR spectrum is well described by a low-temperature Comptonization continuum (with an electron temperature of 15 ± 2 keV), which irradiates a highly ionized disc. No further relativistic broadening or ionized absorption is required. These spectral results show that Ark 564 has one of the lowest temperature coronae observed by NuSTAR to date. We discuss possible reasons for low-temperature coronae in high-Eddington sources.European Research Council (340442