Soil quality and farm profitability: A win-win situation

Farmers are more likely to adopt and adapt improved soil management strategies if their efforts lead to an immediate economic benefit. An encouraging policy environment, as well as farmer organisation also stimulates the adoption of conservation practices. In Mexico, farmers are adapting their maize-based cropping systems to conservation agriculture, leading to both higher profits and soil conservation

Agrobacterium cavarae sp. nov., isolated from maize (Zea mays L.) roots

A bacterial strain designated as RZME10T was isolated from a Zea mays L. root collected in Spain. Results of analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that this strain belongs to the genus Agrobacterium with Agrobacterium larrymoorei ATCC 51759T being the most closely related species with 99.9 % sequence similarity. The similarity values of the rpoB, recA, gyrB, atpD and glnII genes between strain RZME10T and A. larrymoorei ATCC 51759T were 93.5, 90.0, 88.7, 87.9 and 90.1 %, respectively. The estimated average nucleotide identity using blast and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between these two strains were 80.4 and 30.2 %, respectively. The major fatty acids of strain RZME10T are those from summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω6c/C18 : 1 ω7c) and C16 : 0. Pathogenicity tests on tomato and carrot roots showed that strain RZME10T was not able to induce plant tumours. Based on the results of genomic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analyses, we propose that strain RZME10T represents a novel species named Agrobacterium cavarae sp. nov. (type strain RZME10T=CECT 9795T=LMG 31257T)

Modelo de negocios para limpieza de hogares y trabajadoras domésticas

Trabajo que presenta un modelo de negocio para la limpieza de hogares y trabajadoras domésticas creado con las metodologías lean startup, customer development y una herramienta de lienzo de modelo de negocios. Después de identificar la problemática de la dificultad de encontrar ayuda para el aseo de los hogares, se realizaron diversas hipótesis, así como entrevistas y experimentos que sirvieron para validar la propuesta de valor, segmento de mercado, producto mínimo viable, posibles alianzas y los recursos del proyecto

Multiple Sclerosis and Its Relationship with Oxidative Stress, Glutathione Redox System, ATPase System, and Membrane Fluidity

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with a focus on inflammation, demyelination, and damage to axons leading to neurological deficits. MS pathology is associated with excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and generation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), causing oxidative/nitrosative stress. Deregulation of glutathione homeostasis and alterations in glutathione‐dependent enzymes are implicated in MS. Reactive oxygen species enhance both monocyte adhesion and migration across brain endothelial cells. In addition, ROS can activate the expression of the nuclear transcription factor‐kappa, which upregulates the expression of many genes involved in MS, such as tumor necrosis factor‐α and nitric oxide synthase, among others, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and energy deficits that result in mitochondrial and cellular calcium overload. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential can increase the release of cytochrome c, one pathway that leads to neuronal apoptosis. Clinical studies suggest that omega‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects in MS and animal models of MS. Here, we review the relationship of oxidative stress, the glutathione redox system, the ATPase system, and membrane fluidity with the development of MS. In addition, we describe the main findings of a clinical trial conducted with relapsing‐remitting MS patients who received a diet supplemented with 4 g/day of fish oil or olive oil. The effects of PUFAs supplementation on the parameters indicated above are analyzed in this work

Integrating gender perspective in interpreter training: a fundamental requirement in contexts of gender violence

This chapter aims to present the importance of specialization and acquisition of gender competence for the practice of interpretation in contexts of gender-based violence. The arguments are of a political and technical nature, such as compliance with legislation or improvement of the efficiency and quality of the services available. However, there are also ethical considerations. Gender training equips interpreters with an interpretative framework from which to focus on violence as a structural and systematic phenomenon. This conceptualization removes any normalization or justification of violence. It also enables interpreters to develop critical awareness of their own actions that help them identify or recognize cultural prejudices and stereotypes that are internalized and rooted in society and that hinder the scrupulous technical neutrality and ethical commitment required

The Parol Evidence Rule in North Carolina

The KASCADE-Grande observatory was a ground-based air shower array dedicated to study the energy and composition of cosmic rays in the energy interval E = 1 PeV –1 EeV. The experiment consisted of different detector systems which allowed the simultaneous measurement of distinct components of air showers (EAS), such as the muon content. In this contribution, we study the total muon number and the lateral density distribution of muons in EAS detected by KASCADE-Grande as a function of the zenith angle and the total number of charged particles. The attenuation length of the muon content of EAS is also measured. The results are compared with the predictions of the SIBYLL 2.3 high-energy hadronic interaction model

Childhood acute leukemias are frequent in Mexico City: descriptive epidemiology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Worldwide, acute leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer. It is particularly common in the Hispanic populations residing in the United States, Costa Rica, and Mexico City. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of acute leukemia in children who were diagnosed and treated in public hospitals in Mexico City.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Included in this study were those children, under 15 years of age and residents of Mexico City, who were diagnosed in 2006 and 2007 with leukemia, as determined by using the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. The average annual incidence rates (AAIR), and the standardized average annual incidence rates (SAAIR) per million children were calculated. We calculated crude, age- and sex-specific incidence rates and adjusted for age by the direct method with the world population as standard. We determined if there were a correlation between the incidence of acute leukemias in the various boroughs of Mexico City and either the number of agricultural hectares, the average number of persons per household, or the municipal human development index for Mexico (used as a reference of socio-economic level).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although a total of 610 new cases of leukemia were registered during 2006-2007, only 228 fit the criteria for inclusion in this study. The overall SAAIR was 57.6 per million children (95% CI, 46.9-68.3); acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was the most frequent type of leukemia, constituting 85.1% of the cases (SAAIR: 49.5 per million), followed by acute myeloblastic leukemia at 12.3% (SAAIR: 6.9 per million), and chronic myeloid leukemia at 1.7% (SAAIR: 0.9 per million). The 1-4 years age group had the highest SAAIR for ALL (77.7 per million). For cases of ALL, 73.2% had precursor B-cell immunophenotype (SAAIR: 35.8 per million) and 12.4% had T-cell immunophenotype (SAAIR 6.3 per million). The peak ages for ALL were 2-6 years and 8-10 years. More than half the children (58.8%) were classified as high risk. There was a positive correlation between the average number of persons per household and the incidence of the pre-B immunophenotype (Pearson's r, 0.789; P = 0.02).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The frequency of ALL in Mexico City is among the highest in the world, similar to those found for Hispanics in the United States and in Costa Rica.</p