U.S. Federal Reserve Monetary Policy and the Fisrt Crisis of Securitization: Mexico and Latin America, 1994-1995

The decisions of the Federal Reserve of United States (Fed)determinig interest rates have played a critical role in capital inflows/outflows toward Mexico and Latin America. The causal relationship that exists between the Fed and emergin markets is quite close; a clear example of this is the first crisis of securitization on the global level, which originated in Mexico in 1994. The monetary policy of the Fed supported the expansion of U.S. investment banks and some institutional investors, thus creating not only an enormous bubble in Mexico and other local financial markets in Latin America through the expansion of portfolio investment, but also succesive financial crises during the 1990s when those financial capital flows reversed themseleves

Análisis de la investigación científica de los Congresos Internacionales de Ingeniería de Proyectos de AEIPRO.

El artículo presenta la actividad científica desarrollada en los congresos internacionales de ingeniería de proyectos organizados por AEIPRO. Analizando y visualizando la información a través del análisis de dominios científicos y del análisis de redes de la literatura científica desarrollada desde el II Congreso Internacional del 1998 hasta el XVI Congreso Internacional del 2012. Los resultados permiten identificar los frentes de investigación y la base de conocimientos científica en Ingeniería de Proyectos desarrollada en los congresos internacionales de AEIPRO, proporcionando resultados estadísticos sobre la distribución del aporte internacional, el grado de integración de la investigación y la colaboración científica entre universidades, instituciones científicas y profesionales. Finalmente, se realiza una comparación entre la distribución de la investigación según la temática actual de los congresos y las áreas de conocimientos que gestionan el ciclo de vida del proyecto, alcance, tiempo, costes, calidad, recursos humanos, comunicación, riesgos y adquisiciones

Serological and virological surveys of the influenza A viruses in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins

To evaluate the avian influenza virus (AIV) circulation in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic penguins we carried out a serosurvey on six species from Livingston, Marion and Gough islands. Seropositivity against AIV was performed on serum samples using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and haemagglutination and neuraminidase inhibition assays. Some oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were also assayed to detect influenza virus genomes by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Overall, 12.1% (n = 140) penguins were seropositive to AIV. By species, we detected 5% (n = 19) and 11% (n = 18) seroprevalence in sub-Antarctic rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes spp.) from Gough and Marion islands, respectively, 42% (n = 33) seroprevalence in macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chysolophus Brandt), but no positives in the three other species, gentoo (Pygoscelis papua Forster; n = 25) and chinstrap penguins (P. antarctica Forster; n = 16), from Livingston Island and king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus Miller; n = 27) from Marion Island. While seropositivity reflected previous exposure to the AIV, the influenza genome was not detected. Our results indicate that AIV strains have circulated in penguin species in the sub-Antarctic region, but further studies are necessary to determine the precise role that such penguin species play in AIV epidemiology and if this circulation is species (or genus) specific

A comparison of in vitro methods for assessing the potency of therapeutic antisera against the venom of the coral snake Micrurus nigrocinctus

Therapeutic antisera against Micrurus nigrocinctus venom were tested for protection against lethality, as well as for inhibition of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AchR)-binding and neutralization of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activities of the homologous venom. Protection against venom lethality did not correlate with inhibition of AchR-binding activity, whereas there was a significant correlation between antisera potency and inhibition of PLA2 activity (r = 0.82, n = 10, P < 0.02). Inhibition of PLA2 activity could be useful in assessing the protective efficacy of M. nigrocinctus antisera during antivenom production. Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus venom proteins were fractionated by cation-exchange chromatography on Mono S FPLC and fractions assayed for lethality, AchR-binding and PLA2 activities. Antisera were titrated by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) against a crude M. n. nigrocinctus venom, two FPLC lethal fractions containing AchR-binding activity, and two toxins purified from M. n. nigrocinctus venom. No correlation was found between protective efficacy and the ELISA titer against any of these antigens. Compared to other elapid venoms that contain few toxins as major components, M. n. nigrocinctus venom appears to be more complex and its lethal effect is likely to be due to the combined effect of several neurotoxins.Universidad de Costa Rica/[74l-93-301]/UCR/Costa RicaInternational Foundation for Science/[F/0883-4]/IFS/SueciaSwedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries//SAREC/SueciaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP

Calidad nutricional del aceite de semilla de trece especies Asphodeline (Xanthorrhoeaceae) procedentes de Turquía

The fatty acid composition of the seed oil from 13 Turkish Asphodeline species was analyzed. The seed oil content ranged between 0.9% and 4.6%, and included 26 different fatty acids from C12:0to C22:5. The most abundant saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were C16:0 (5.7% to 23.7% of their total fatty acid content), C18:1ω9 (11.3% to 30.3%), and C18:2ω6 (49.2% to 66.1%). A. tenuior subsp. tenuiflora, which had the highest content of unsaturated fatty acids, also had the best fatty acid profile from a nutritional point of view. Asphodeline seed oil composition was similar to that of local, related vegetables such as onion seeds. Asphodeline species, which are most frequently grown to use the leaves in salads, may also be a good source of seed oil with good nutritional properties. Results of a cluster analysis using data on the fatty acid composition are consistent with the taxonomic classification of genus Asphodeline.Se ha analizado la composición en ácidos grasos del aceite de las semillas de 13 especies de Asphodeline de Turquía. El contenido en aceite de las semillas osciló entre el 0.9% y el 4.6% e incluyó 26 ácidos grasos distintos entre C12:0y C22:5. Los ácidos grasos saturados, monoinsaturados y poliinsaturados más abundantes fueron C16:0 (5.7% a 23.7%), C18:1ω9 (11.3% a 30.3%) y C18:2ω6 (49.2% a 66.1%). A. tenuior subsp. tenuiflora, que presentó el contenido más alto en ácidos grasos insaturados, también tenía el mejor perfil en ácidos grasos desde un punto de vista nutricional. La composición del aceite de las semillas de Asphodeline fue similar a la de vegetales relacionados como la cebolla. Asphodeline, cuyas hojas son consumidas en ensaladas, puede representar también una buena fuente de aceite de las semillas con buenas propiedades nutricionales. Los resultados del análisis de grupos usando los datos de la composición en ácidos grasos son consistentes con la clasificación taxonómica del género Asphodeline

Solución al problema del transporte de Aplicación práctica

In 1947, T. C. Koopmans presented his work "Optimum utilization of the transportation system", these two works constitute the fundamental pillar for the development of transportation methods. However, it was William R. Vogel who began to carry out studies of what later became a solution and optimization model for the transport problem. There are a variety of methods to find an optimal solution to the transportation problem, so we can mention the Northwest Corner method; Vogel's Approximation method and the Minimum Cost method. The Vogel Approximation method is a heuristic method and usually provides a better starting solution than the other methods, it is the one with the greatest application in solving issues related to industry and commerce in general since from the beginning it takes taking into account the unit costs of each of the different possible routes to minimize the total cost of the operation. One of the first applications of linear programming techniques has been the formulation and solution of the transport problem through the application of an iterative process until determining what is called an "initial feasible basic solution", the same as submitted to an optimization process finally, it leads us to find the precise quantities to be dispatched, from each origin to each destination based on a minimum total operational cost. For this, we have the North West corner methods available; Vogel's approximation method and least cost methodEn 1947, T. C. Koopmans presentó su obra “Optimum utilization of the transportation system”, estas dos obras constituyen el pilar fundamental para el desarrollo de los métodos de transporte. Sin embargo, fue William R. Vogel quién comienza a realizar estudios de lo que posteriormente se convirtiera en un modelo de solución y optimización para el problema de transporte. Existen una diversidad de métodos para encontrar una solución óptima al problema del transporte, así podemos mencionar el método de la Esquina Noroeste; método de Aproximación de Vogel y el método del Costo Mínimo. El método de Aproximación de Vogel es un método heurístico y usualmente proporciona una mejor solución de inicio que los demás métodos, es el de mayor aplicación en la solución de temas relacionados con la industria y el comercio en general dado que desde el comienzo toma en consideración los costos unitarios de cada una de las diferentes rutas posibles para minimizar el costo total de la operación. Una de las primeras aplicaciones de las técnicas de programación lineal ha sido la formulación y solución del problema del trans-porte mediante la aplicación de un proceso iterativo hasta determinar lo que la misma que sometida a un proceso de optimización finalmente nos conduce a encontrar las cantidades precisas a ser despachadas, desde cada origen hacia cada destino en función de un costo total operacional mínimo. Para ello, tenemos disponibles los métodos; método de aproximación de Vogel y método del costo mínimo

Shifts in food webs and niche stability shaped survivorship and extinction at the end-Cretaceous

It has long been debated why groups such as non-avian dinosaurs became extinct whereas mammals and other lineages survived the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction 66 million years ago. We used Markov networks, ecological niche partitioning, and Earth System models to reconstruct North American food webs and simulate ecospace occupancy before and after the extinction event. We find a shift in latest Cretaceous dinosaur faunas, as medium-sized species counterbalanced a loss of megaherbivores, but dinosaur niches were otherwise stable and static, potentially contributing to their demise. Smaller vertebrates, including mammals, followed a consistent trajectory of increasing trophic impact and relaxation of niche limits beginning in the latest Cretaceous and continuing after the mass extinction. Mammals did not simply proliferate after the extinction event; rather, their earlier ecological diversification might have helped them survive

Genome editing in fruit, ornamental, and industrial crops

The advent of genome editing has opened new avenues for targeted trait enhancement in fruit, ornamental, industrial, and all specialty crops. In particular, CRISPR-based editing systems, derived from bacterial immune systems, have quickly become routinely used tools for research groups across the world seeking to edit plant genomes with a greater level of precision, higher efficiency, reduced off-target effects, and overall ease-of-use compared to ZFNs and TALENs. CRISPR systems have been applied successfully to a number of horticultural and industrial crops to enhance fruit ripening, increase stress tolerance, modify plant architecture, control the timing of flower development, and enhance the accumulation of desired metabolites, among other commercially-important traits. As editing technologies continue to advance, so too does the ability to generate improved crop varieties with non-transgenic modifications; in some crops, direct transgene-free edits have already been achieved, while in others, T-DNAs have successfully been segregated out through crossing. In addition to the potential to produce non-transgenic edited crops, and thereby circumvent regulatory impediments to the release of new, improved crop varieties, targeted gene editing can speed up trait improvement in crops with long juvenile phases, reducing inputs resulting in faster market introduction to the market. While many challenges remain regarding optimization of genome editing in ornamental, fruit, and industrial crops, the ongoing discovery of novel nucleases with niche specialties for engineering applications may form the basis for additional and potentially crop-specific editing strategies.The authors would like to acknowledge funding from MINECO, Spain (PGC2018-097655-B-I00 to P Christou), Generalitat de Catalunya Grant 2017 SGR 828 to the Agricultural Biotechnology and Bioeconomy Unit (ABBU). Work in the Dhingra lab in crop improvement is supported in part by Washington State University Agriculture Research Center Hatch grant WNP00011. ES and FR acknowledge the support received from the Department of Horticulture, BW was supported in part by a Research Assistantship from the Washington State University Graduate School. The authors would also like to thank Drs A. McHughen and H. Quemada for input and clarifications on US genome editing regulations. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments

Addition of hyaluronic acid improves tlerance to 7% hypertonic saline solution in bronchiectasis patients.

Background: The excessive retention of sputum in the airways, leading to pulmonary infections, is a common consequence of bronchiectasis. Although inhalation of 7% hypertonic saline (HS) has proven an effective method to help remove the mucus, many patients are intolerant of this treatment. The addition of 0.1% hyaluronic acid to HS (HS+HA) could increase tolerance to HS in these patients. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerability of HS+HA in bronchiectasis patients who are intolerant to HS. Methods: This prospective, observational, open-label study analysed the outcomes of two groups of bronchiectasis patients previously scheduled to start HS therapy. Patients were assessed for tolerance to HS by a questionnaire, spirometry and clinical evaluation. Patients who were intolerant were evaluated for tolerance to HS+HA approximately one week later. All patients were evaluated for their tolerance to HS or HS+HA 4 weeks after the start of their treatment. Patients were also assessed with quality-of-life and adherence questionnaires, and all adverse events were registered. Results: A total of 137 bronchiectasis patients were enrolled in the study (age = 63.0 ± 14.7 years; 63.5% women). Of these, 92 patients (67.1%) were tolerant and 45 patients (32.9%) were intolerant to HS. Of the 45 patients intolerant to HS, 31 patients (68.9%) were tolerant and 14 patients (31.1%) intolerant to HS+HA. Of these 31 tolerant patients, 26 (83.9%) could complete the 4-week treatment with HS+HA. Conclusions: Two-thirds of bronchiectasis patients that presented intolerance to inhaled HS alone are tolerant to inhaled HS+HA, suggesting that HA improves tolerance to HS therapy