Rice and Beans with a Side of Queer: Socio-Legal Developments in the Cuban LGBTQ+ Community

Over the last century, the LGBTQ+ community has occupied a peculiar space in Cuba that has both resisted and acclimated to the ever-changing sociopolitical dynamics on the Island. This Article examines the Cuban queer community’s socio-legal history in pre- and post-Revolution Cuba along with its tumultuous synthesis into U.S. culture

Structure, function, and evolution of plant ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase

Key message: This review outlines research performed in the last two decades on the structural, kinetic,regulatory and evolutionary aspects of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, the regulatory enzymefor starch biosynthesis. Abstract: ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) catalyzes the first committed step in the pathway of glycogen and starch synthesis in bacteria and plants, respectively. Plant ADP-Glc PPase is a heterotetramer allosterically regulated by metabolites and post-translational modifications. In this review, we focus on the three-dimensional structure of the plant enzyme, the amino acids that bind the regulatory molecules, and the regions involved in transmitting the allosteric signal to the catalytic site. We provide a model for the evolution of the small and large subunits, which produce heterotetramers with distinct catalytic and regulatory properties. Additionally, we review the various post-translational modifications observed in ADP-Glc PPases from different species and tissues. Finally, we discuss the subcellular localization of the enzyme found in grain endosperm from grasses, such as maize and rice. Overall, this work brings together research performed in the last two decades to better understand the multiple mechanisms involved in the regulation of ADP-Glc PPase. The rational modification of this enzyme could improve the yield and resilience of economically important crops, which is particularly important in the current scenario of climate change and food shortage.Fil: Figueroa, Carlos Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Asención Diez, Matías Damián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Ballicora, Miguel A.. Loyola University Maryland (lum);Fil: Iglesias, Alberto Alvaro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral; Argentin

Resurrecting the Regulatory Properties of the Ostreococcus tauri ADP-Glucose Pyrophosphorylase Large Subunit

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (ADP-Glc PPase) catalyzes the first committed step for the synthesis of glycogen in cyanobacteria and starch in green algae and plants. The enzyme from cyanobacteria is homotetrameric (α4), while that from green algae and plants is heterotetrameric (α2β2). These ADP-Glc PPases are allosterically regulated by 3-phosphoglycerate (3PGA, activator) and inorganic orthophosphate (Pi, inhibitor). Previous studies on the cyanobacterial and plant enzymes showed that 3PGA binds to two highly conserved Lys residues located in the C-terminal domain. We observed that both Lys residues are present in the small (α) subunit of the Ostreococcus tauri enzyme; however, one of these Lys residues is replaced by Arg in the large (β) subunit. In this work, we obtained the K443R and R466K mutants of the O. tauri small and large subunits, respectively, and co-expressed them together or with their corresponding wild type counterparts. Our results show that restoring the Lys residue in the large subunit enhanced 3PGA affinity, whereas introduction of an Arg residue in the small subunit reduced 3PGA affinity of the heterotetramers. Inhibition kinetics also showed that heterotetramers containing the K443R small subunit mutant were less sensitive to Pi inhibition, but only minor changes were observed for those containing the R466K large subunit mutant, suggesting a leading role of the small subunit for Pi inhibition of the heterotetramer. We conclude that, during evolution, the ADP-Glc PPase large subunit from green algae and plants acquired mutations in its regulatory site. The rationale for this could have been to accommodate sensitivity to particular metabolic needs of the cell or tissue

La ciudad después del desastre, II. El Sector Reforma desde 1992

Esta es la continuación de la investigación de verano de 2019. En el PAP I se explica el proceso de recuperación de una zona del AMG después de un desastre, el de las explosiones del 22 de abril de 1992. Ahora enfocados en Gante, posiblemente la calle con más daños. La intención fue poner a la calle de Gante bajo la lupa y así entender, a partir de lo que ya recolectamos, qué ha pasado con esa calle, las viviendas, la gente y qué efectos ha tenido desde 1992. Y, al mismo tiempo, conocer por medio de textos y fotografías cuáles fueron los cambios más prominentes desde el día de las explosiones; el abandono, el miedo, la inseguridad, el olvido, entre otros.ITESO, A.C

Mean Platelet Volume in Neonatal Sepsis: Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

"first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessSystematic Review Mean Platelet Volume in Neonatal Sepsis: Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies by Carlos J. Toro-Huamanchumo 1ORCID,Cielo Cabanillas-Ramirez 2,3ORCID,Carlos Quispe-Vicuña 3,4ORCID,Jose A. Caballero-Alvarado 5ORCID,Darwin A. León-Figueroa 3,6ORCID,Nicolás Cruces-Tirado 7 andJoshuan J. Barboza 3,8,*ORCID 1 Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Trujillo 13007, Peru 2 Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima 15023, Peru 3 Unidad de Revisiones Sistemáticas y Meta-Análisis, Tau-Relaped Group, Trujillo 13007, Peru 4 Sociedad Científica San Fernando, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima 15081, Peru 5 Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Privada Antenor Orrego, Trujillo 13007, Peru 6 Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Chiclayo 14000, Peru 7 Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Señor de Sipán, Chiclayo 14006, Peru 8 Vicerrectorado de Investigación, Universidad Norbert Wiener, Lima 15046, Peru * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Children 2022, 9(12), 1821; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9121821 Received: 5 October 2022 / Revised: 21 November 2022 / Accepted: 22 November 2022 / Published: 25 November 2022 (This article belongs to the Section Pediatric Infectious Diseases) Download Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes Abstract Introduction: Early onset neonatal sepsis (EONS), particularly in preterm sepsis, is a potentially fatal issue. Evaluation of mean platelet volume (MPV) as an EONS predictor was the goal. Methods: Four databases were used to conduct a systematic evaluation of cohort and case–control studies. Up till the end of October 2022, 137 articles were found utilizing the search method. Following the review, 12 studies were included. Leukocytes, MPV, platelets, gender, birth weight, gestational age, mortality, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were all taken into account while analyzing the prediction of EONS. Inverse-variance methodology and the random-effects model were used. Using GRADE, the evidence’s quality was evaluated. Results: Neonatal patients with sepsis had significantly higher MPV levels than do neonates without sepsis (MD 1.26; 95% CI 0.89–1.63; p < 0.001). An increased MPV during the first 24 h postpartum was associated with high CRP values and high risk of neonatal mortality. In the investigations, the MPV cutoff for sepsis patients was 9.95 (SD 0.843). Overall certainty of the evidence was very low. Conclusions: The increased MPV during the first 24 h postpartum may be predictive of EONS and mortality. Future studies are warranted.

Role of rare earth elements and entropy on the anatase-to-rutile phase transformation of TiO2thin films deposited by ion beam sputtering

The role played by oxygen vacancies and rare earth (RE) elements in the anatase-to-rutile (A−R) phase transformation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) is still a matter of controversy. Here, we report the A−R transformation of TiO2 thin solid films as obtained by ion beam sputtering a RE-decorated titanium target in an oxygen-rich atmosphere. The samples correspond to undoped, single-doped (Sm, Tm, and Tb), and codoped (Sm:Tb, Sm:Tm, and Sm:Tb:Tm) TiO2 films. In the as-prepared form, the films are amorphous and contain ∼0.5 at. % of each RE. The structural modifications of the TiO2 films due to the RE elements and the annealing treatments in an oxygen atmosphere are described according to the experimental results provided by Raman scattering, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and optical measurements. The A−R transformation depends on both the annealing temperature and the characteristics of the undoped, single-doped, and codoped TiO2 films. As reported in the literature, the A−R transformation can be inhibited or enhanced by the presence of impurities and is mostly related to energetic contributions. The experimental results were analyzed, considering the essential and stabilizing role of the entropy of mixing in the A−R transformation due to the introduction of more and multiple quantum states originated in vacancies and impurities in the anatase phase.Fil: Scoca, Diego L.S.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Cemin, Felipe. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Aldabe, Sara Alfonsina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química, Física de los Materiales, Medioambiente y Energía; ArgentinaFil: Figueroa, Carlos A.. Universidade de Caxias Do Sul.; BrasilFil: Zanatta, Antonio R.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Alvarez, Fernando. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; Brasi

Unraveling the Activation Mechanism of the Potato Tuber ADP-glucose Pyrophosphorylase

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase regulates the synthesis of glycogen in bacteria and of starch in plants. The enzyme from plants is mainly activated by 3-phosphoglycerate and is a heterotetramer comprising two small and two large subunits. Here, we found that two highly conserved residues are critical for triggering the activation of the potato tuber ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, as shown by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutations in the small subunit, which bears the catalytic function in this potato tuber form, had a more dramatic effect on disrupting the allosteric activation than those introduced in the large subunit, which is mainly modulatory. Our results strongly agree with a model where the modified residues are located in loops responsible for triggering the allosteric activation signal for this enzyme, and the sensitivity to this activation correlates with the dynamics of these loops. In addition, previous biochemical data indicates that the triggering mechanism is widespread in the enzyme family, even though the activator and the quaternary structure are not conserved.Fil: Figueroa, Carlos Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia del Litoral; Argentina;Fil: Kuhn, Misty L.. Loyola University. Dept. of Chemistry and Biochem.; Estados Unidos de América;Fil: Falaschetti, Christine A.. Loyola University. Dept. of Chemistry and Biochem.; Estados Unidos de América;Fil: Solamen, Ligin. Loyola University. Dept. of Chemistry and Biochem.; Estados Unidos de América;Fil: Olsen, Kenneth W.. Loyola University. Dept. of Chemistry and Biochem.; Estados Unidos de América;Fil: Ballicora, Miguel A.. Loyola University. Dept. of Chemistry and Biochem.; Estados Unidos de América;Fil: Iglesias, Alberto Alvaro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - CONICET - Santa Fe. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia del Litoral; Argentina

Deformation heterogeneity study of a 6061-T6 aluminum alloy processed by equal channel angular pressing

Among the severe plastic deformation techniques, the equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) has drastically improved the mechanical properties of the processed alloys. However, information regarding friction phenomenon, which modifies the deformation at the surface and the heterogeneity microstrain state produced by the process itself, is still scarce. In the present work, the deformation heterogeneity and the friction effect, at the surface in the bulk material of the 6061-T6 aluminum alloy processed by ECAP, is presented and discussed. The residual stress (RS) measurements were performed by means of X-Ray diffraction. By means of synchrotron diffraction, volumetric sections of the ECAPed samples were characterized. Finite element analysis showed a good agreement with the experimentally obtained residual stress and microhardness mapping results. The study also showed that the highest deformation zones were located at the outer parts of the deformed samples (top and bottom), while the inner zone showed strain oscillations of up to 49±2 MPa.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Ceramic and Composite Polishing Systems for Milled Lithium Disilicate Restorative Materials: A 2D and 3D Comparative In Vitro Study.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of two ceramic and two composite polishing systems for a novel chairside computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) lithium disilicate ceramic with three-dimensional and two-dimensional microscopy images. This ceramic material can be used for implant-supported or tooth-borne single-unit prostheses. Materials and Methods: Sixty flat samples of novel chairside CAD/CAM reinforced lithium disilicate ceramic (Amber Mill, Hass Bio) were divided into five groups (n = 15/group) and treated as follows: Group 1 (NoP), no polished treatment; group 2 (CeDi), polished with ceramic Dialite LD (Brasseler USA); group 3, (CeOp) polished with ceramic OptraFine (Ivoclar Vivadent); group 4, (CoDi) polished with composite DiaComp (Brasseler USA), and group 5 (CoAs), polished with composite Astropol (Ivoclar Vivadent). The polished ceramic surface topography was observed and measured with three-dimensional and two-dimensional images. Results: All polishing systems significantly reduced the surface roughness compared with the non-polished control group (Sa 1.15 μm). Group 2 (CeDi) provided the smoothest surface arithmetical mean eight with 0.32 μm, followed by group 3 (CeOp) with 0.34 μm. Group 5 (CoAs) with 0.52 μm provided the smoothest surface among the composite polishing kits. Group 4 (CoDi) with 0.66 μm provided the least smooth surface among all polishing systems tested. Conclusions: Despite the effectiveness of ceramic polishing systems being superior to composite polishing systems of the CAD/CAM lithium disilicate restorative material, both polishing systems significantly improved the smoothness

"Eficacia de los programas de tratamiento para ciberadicción en niños y adolescentes: revisión sistemática y meta-análisis "

"El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la eficacia de los programas de tratamiento para la ciberadicción en niños y adolescentes. Material y Métodos: Se realizó la búsqueda en cinco bases de datos. Se seleccionaron ensayos controlados aleatorizados (ECA) o estudios de cohorte que evaluaron la eficacia de programas de tratamiento para la ciberadicción en niños y adolescentes. El desenlace primario fue la disminución de las horas en uso del internet. Para el meta-análisis, se utilizó el modelo de efectos aleatorios con método de varianza inversa. Resultados: Se identificaron siete artículos que fueron incluidos en la revisión sistemática (3 Ensayos controlados aleatorizados y 4 cohortes retrospectivas), con un total de 2396 participantes. La edad media fue de 14 años (SD 1.96). La duración del tratamiento entre todos los estudios publicados varió entre 4 días hasta los 3 meses. Se encontró que los tratamientos para la ciberadicción reducen las horas de conexión a internet en 1.18 horas por semana, comparado con cualquier tratamiento de control (MD 1.18; 95%CI -2.1825 a -0.1754; p= 0.02). Conclusiones: Los tratamientos para la ciberadicción, independientemente del tipo de intervención reducen las horas de conexión a internet