Examining negative effects of early life experiences on reproductive and sexual health among female sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico

To explore experiences during childhood and adolescence that influenced reproductive and sexual health among women who had entered the sex industry in adolescence

Análisis Comparativo del Posicionamiento Preciso Utilizando el Receptor de Bajo Costo GNSS ZED-F9P en Conjunto con la Antena BEIBT300 y Diferentes Modelos de Antena de Orden Geodésico

Con el avance de la Geodesia y la mejora de las especificaciones técnicas de los receptores de bajo costo, los GNSS abren nuevas alternativas para investigar las capacidades técnicas y rendimiento real que proveen este tipo de receptores para diferentes propósitos geodésicos. En este contexto, la precisión alcanzable fue analizada usando el receptor de bajo costo GNSS ZED-F9P en conjunto con dos antenas de orden geodésico (ASH701975.01B y LEIAS10 NONE) y una antena de bajo costo (BEIBT300 NONE). Las observaciones GNSS fueron llevadas a cabo en un periodo de dos días para cada modelo de antena. El análisis fue realizado en tiempos de observación de 12, 6 y 1 h, respectivamente. Estas observaciones fueron procesadas usando el método relativo estático mediante la inclusión de una estación de referencia continua del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, la cual está localizada a una distancia aproximada de 4 km. Los resultados demuestran que la mayor precisión es lograda en un periodo de 12 h, con diferencias mínimas de 3 cm para la componente Norte y 33 cm para la vertical. En este sentido, la solución menos precisa es obtenida en el periodo de 1 h resultando diferencias de 70 cm, 46 cm y 2.3 m para la componente Norte, Este y vertical respectivamente.   With advancements in geodesy and enhancements in the technical specifications of low-cost receivers, GNSS opens up new avenues for investigating the capabilities and performance provided by these receivers for various geodetic purposes. In this context, the precision achievable using the low-cost GNSS receiver ZED-F9P in conjunction with two geodetic antennas (ASH701975.01B and LEIAS10 NONE) and a low-cost antenna (BEIBT300 NONE) was analyzed. GNSS observations were conducted over a 2-day period for each antenna model. The analysis involved observation durations of 12, 6, and 1 h. These observations were processed using the static relative method alongside a continuously operating GNSS station from the Active National Geodetic Network of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, situated at ~4 km. The results demonstrate that the highest precision was achieved over a 12 h period, with minimal differences of 3 cm for the North component and 33 cm for the vertical component. Conversely, the least accurate solution was obtained within a 1 h observation period, resulting in differences of up to 70 cm, 46 cm, and 2.3 m for the North, East, and vertical components, respectively

Economic Feasibility of Passive Strate gies for Energy Efficient Envelopes of Mass-Built Housing in Hot -Dry Climate

The authors thank the Autonomous University of Baja California and the Master and Doctorate program in Architecture, Urbanism and Design (MyDAUD) for the support provided to carry out this study, the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT) for the scholarship provided for the completion of master’s degree studies, as well as the RUBA construction company.The building and construction industry represents 36% of the world’s final energy use and 39% of carbon emissions, while the residential sector is responsible for 22% of total energy consumption and 17% of carbon emissions. Therefore, energy consumption reduction measures are required by this sector, without affecting the living conditions of its occupants. In Baja California, Mexico, the more commonly used construction systems in mass-built housing are concrete block walls and cast in place insulated reinforced concrete roof deck. These systems negatively affect comfort conditions, especially in hot summer periods, and therefore increase energy consumption, particularly in areas with an hot-dry climate, such as Mexicali, Baja California. The objective of this article is to determine the cost-benefit of two passive design strategies applied in the housing envelope, which are thermal insulation and ventilated facade. A commercial model of mass-built housing was taken as a benchmark case. Building energy simulations were carried out with the Design Builder® program, whereby the performance of the house was evaluated without passive design strategies (benchmark case) and with applied strategies, that is, variations in thickness and position of the materials that make up the layers of the walls and roof. Additionally, the net present value (NPV) criterion was used to obtain the costs and benefits of the design strategies. The results show the differences in cooling demand, indoor operative temperature, and the total costs, in Mexican pesos, of the application of the strategies; the results show that there are significant energy savings, which contribute to reducing carbon emissions to the environment and provide economic savings for the user

Cell Walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Differentially Modulated Innate Immunity and Glucose Metabolism during Late Systemic Inflammation

BACKGROUND: Salmonella causes acute systemic inflammation by using its virulence factors to invade the intestinal epithelium. But, prolonged inflammation may provoke severe body catabolism and immunological diseases. Salmonella has become more life-threatening due to emergence of multiple-antibiotic resistant strains. Mannose-rich oligosaccharides (MOS) from cells walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown to bind mannose-specific lectin of Gram-negative bacteria including Salmonella, and prevent their adherence to intestinal epithelial cells. However, whether MOS may potentially mitigate systemic inflammation is not investigated yet. Moreover, molecular events underlying innate immune responses and metabolic activities during late inflammation, in presence or absence of MOS, are unknown. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using a Salmonella LPS-induced systemic inflammation chicken model and microarray analysis, we investigated the effects of MOS and virginiamycin (VIRG, a sub-therapeutic antibiotic) on innate immunity and glucose metabolism during late inflammation. Here, we demonstrate that MOS and VIRG modulated innate immunity and metabolic genes differently. Innate immune responses were principally mediated by intestinal IL-3, but not TNF-α, IL-1 or IL-6, whereas glucose mobilization occurred through intestinal gluconeogenesis only. MOS inherently induced IL-3 expression in control hosts. Consequent to LPS challenge, IL-3 induction in VIRG hosts but not differentially expressed in MOS hosts revealed that MOS counteracted LPS's detrimental inflammatory effects. Metabolic pathways are built to elucidate the mechanisms by which VIRG host's higher energy requirements were met: including gene up-regulations for intestinal gluconeogenesis (PEPCK) and liver glycolysis (ENO2), and intriguingly liver fatty acid synthesis through ATP citrate synthase (CS) down-regulation and ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) and malic enzyme (ME) up-regulations. However, MOS host's lower energy demands were sufficiently met through TCA citrate-derived energy, as indicated by CS up-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: MOS terminated inflammation earlier than VIRG and reduced glucose mobilization, thus representing a novel biological strategy to alleviate Salmonella-induced systemic inflammation in human and animal hosts

Evidence for widespread hydrated minerals on asteroid (101955) Bennu

Early spectral data from the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission reveal evidence for abundant hydrated minerals on the surface of near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu in the form of a near-infrared absorption near 2.7 µm and thermal infrared spectral features that are most similar to those of aqueously altered CM-type carbonaceous chondrites. We observe these spectral features across the surface of Bennu, and there is no evidence of substantial rotational variability at the spatial scales of tens to hundreds of metres observed to date. In the visible and near-infrared (0.4 to 2.4 µm) Bennu’s spectrum appears featureless and with a blue (negative) slope, confirming previous ground-based observations. Bennu may represent a class of objects that could have brought volatiles and organic chemistry to Earth

The dynamic geophysical environment of (101955) Bennu based on OSIRIS-REx measurements

The top-shaped morphology characteristic of asteroid (101955) Bennu, often found among fast-spinning asteroids and binary asteroid primaries, may have contributed substantially to binary asteroid formation. Yet a detailed geophysical analysis of this morphology for a fast-spinning asteroid has not been possible prior to the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission. Combining the measured Bennu mass and shape obtained during the Preliminary Survey phase of the OSIRIS-REx mission, we find a notable transition in Bennu’s surface slopes within its rotational Roche lobe, defined as the region where material is energetically trapped to the surface. As the intersection of the rotational Roche lobe with Bennu’s surface has been most recently migrating towards its equator (given Bennu’s increasing spin rate), we infer that Bennu’s surface slopes have been changing across its surface within the last million years. We also find evidence for substantial density heterogeneity within this body, suggesting that its interior is a mixture of voids and boulders. The presence of such heterogeneity and Bennu’s top shape are consistent with spin-induced failure at some point in its past, although the manner of its failure cannot yet be determined. Future measurements by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will provide insight into and may resolve questions regarding the formation and evolution of Bennu’s top-shape morphology and its link to the formation of binary asteroids

Properties of Rubble-Pile Asteroid (101955) Bennu from OSIRIS-REx Imaging and Thermal Analysis

Establishing the abundance and physical properties of regolith and boulders on asteroids is crucial for understanding the formation and degradation mechanisms at work on their surfaces. Using images and thermal data from NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft, we show that asteroid (101955) Bennu's surface is globally rough, dense with boulders, and low in albedo. The number of boulders is surprising given Bennu's moderate thermal inertia, suggesting that simple models linking thermal inertia to particle size do not adequately capture the complexity relating these properties. At the same time, we find evidence for a wide range of particle sizes with distinct albedo characteristics. Our findings imply that ages of Bennu's surface particles span from the disruption of the asteroid's parent body (boulders) to recent in situ production (micrometre-scale particles)

Comparative proteomic analysis on fruit ripening processes in two varieties of tropical mango (Mangifera indica)

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an economically important fruit. However, the marketability of mango is affected by the perishable nature and short shelf-life of the fruit. Therefore, a better understanding of the mango ripening process is of great importance towards extending its postharvest shelf life. Proteomics is a powerful tool that can be used to elucidate the complex ripening process at the cellular and molecular levels. This study utilized 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE) coupled with MALDI-TOF/TOF to identify differentially abundant proteins during the ripening process of the two varieties of tropical mango, Mangifera indica cv. ‘Chokanan’ and Mangifera indica cv ‘Golden Phoenix’. The comparative analysis between the ripe and unripe stages of mango fruit mesocarp revealed that the differentially abundant proteins identified could be grouped into the three categories namely, ethylene synthesis and aromatic volatiles, cell wall degradation and stress-response proteins. There was an additional category for differential proteins identified from the ‘Chokanan’ variety namely, energy and carbohydrate metabolism. However, of all the differential proteins identified, only methionine gamma-lyase was found in both ‘Chokanan’ and ‘Golden Phoenix’ varieties. Six differential proteins were selected from each variety for validation by analysing their respective transcript expression using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The results revealed that two genes namely, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and alpha-1,4 glucan phosphorylase (AGP) were found to express in concordant with protein abundant. The findings will provide an insight into the fruit ripening process of different varieties of mango fruits, which is important for postharvest management