Satellite-derived UV climatology at Escudero station, Antarctic Peninsula

We have used data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura satellite over the period 2004-11 to describe the characteristics of surface ultraviolet (UV) irradiance at Escudero Station (62°12′S, 58°57′W). The station is located on King George Island (northern Antarctic Peninsula). Temperatures in summer are frequently above 0°C, and the surrounding ocean is typically ice-free. We found that the UV irradiance at Escudero is driven by the Antarctic ozone hole (which annually in spring leads to significant variations in the ozone) and by clouds (which are more frequent and have a larger optical depth compared with other Antarctic sites). The combined effect of ozone and clouds led to significant variations in the surface UV. The variability (taken as the standard deviation of the UV estimates retrieved from OMI) is typically greater than 30% at Escudero, but may reach values greater than 50% in spring. The consistency of OMI-derived data was checked by using ground-based spectral measurements carried out under controlled conditions in January 2011. © 2013 Antarctic Science Ltd

In-plate recapturing of a dual-tagged recombinant Fasciola antigen (FhLAP) by a monoclonal antibody (US9) prevents non-specific binding in ELISA

Recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli are frequently purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). By means of this technique, tagged proteins containing a polyhistidine sequence can be obtained up to 95% pure in a single step, but some host proteins also bind with great affinity to metal ions and contaminate the sample. A way to overcome this problem is to include a second tag that is recognized by a preexistent monoclonal antibody (mAb) in the gene encoding the target protein, allowing further purification. With this strategy, the recombinant protein can be directly used as target in capture ELISA using plates sensitized with the corresponding mAb. As a proof of concept, in this study we engineered a Trichinella-derived tag (MTFSVPIS, recognized by mAb US9) into a His-tagged recombinant Fasciola antigen (rFhLAP) to make a new chimeric recombinant protein (rUS9-FhLAP), and tested its specificity in capture and indirect ELISAs with sera from sheep and cattle. FhLAP was selected since it was previously reported to be immunogenic in ruminants and is expressed in soluble form in E. coli, which anticipates a higher contamination by host proteins than proteins expressed in inclusion bodies. Our results showed that a large number of sera from non-infected ruminants (mainly cattle) reacted in indirect ELISA with rUS9-FhLAP after single-step purification by IMAC, but that this reactivity disappeared testing the same antigen in capture ELISA with mAb US9. These results demonstrate that the 6XHis and US9 tags can be combined when double purification of recombinant proteins is required.This work was supported by: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) [grant number AGL2011-30563-C03 and AGL2014-57125R], Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (INIA, Spain) [grants numbers RTA2017-00010-C02-01 and RTA2017-00010-C02-02] and the Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria (Xunta de Galicia, Spain) [grant number ED431B 2017/18]. RAOM holds a predoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Programa de Formación de Personal Investigador). VMS is supported by a contract under the grant ED431B 2017/18. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.S

JLAS - desinfección de oficinas y plantas de producción

El presente proyecto ostenta una alternativa de negocio que tiene como propósito favorecer la seguridad sanitaria, de modo que busca satisfacer las necesidades que actualmente el mercado peruano exige, en cuanto a limpieza y desinfección de oficinas y negocios en general. Es por ello que nace la idea de implementar un modelo de negocio llamado JLAS “Join Life Absolute Safe” que tiene como finalidad realizar trabajos de desinfección brindando alternativas que se puedan ajustar a las necesidades actuales de las empresas que requieran nuestro servicio. Para ello se impulsó la validación y exploración de mercado en el cual se identificó la problemática y su posible solución, los cuales han sido validados a través de herramientas como el desarrollo de una Landing Page, desarrollo de PMV (Producto Mínimo Viable) y entrevistas, los cuales nos ayudaron a recabar información beneficiosa para continuar con nuestro proyecto. Por otro lado, hemos asentado nuestras estrategias de manera que nuestra propuesta parezca lo más real posible, ya que hemos analizado e implementado nuestro plan de operaciones, comercial, nuestro plan de marketing y la distribución organizacional para un periodo de 5 años, en el cual se detallaran todos los aspectos competentes y organizacionales que envuelven el proceso de implementación del presente proyecto. Finalmente, se realizó un análisis financiero, el cual demostró que a través de indicadores económicos la viabilidad del proyecto, por lo tanto, se llegó a la conclusión de que el presente modelo de negocio es conveniente.The present project has a business alternative that has the purpose of favoring sanitary safety, so that it seeks to satisfy the needs that the Peruvian market currently demands, in terms of cleaning and disinfection of offices and businesses in general. That is why the idea of implementing a business model called JLAS "Join Life Absolute Safe" was born. Its purpose is to carry out disinfection work by providing alternatives that can be adjusted to the current needs of companies that require our service. For this purpose, we promoted the validation and exploration of the market in which the problem and its possible solution were identified, which have been validated through tools such as the development of a Landing Page, development of MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and interviews, which helped us to gather beneficial information to continue with our project. On the other hand, we have established our strategies so that our proposal seems as real as possible, since we have analyzed and implemented our operations plan, commercial plan, our marketing plan and the organizational distribution for a period of 5 years, in which all the competent and organizational aspects that involve the implementation process of the present project are detailed. Finally, a Financial Business Plan was made, which showed that through financial indicators the viability of the project, therefore it was concluded that the present business model is profitable.Trabajo de investigació

Integrin alpha-5 subunit is critical for the early stages of human pluripotent stem cell cardiac differentiation

The stem cell niche has a strong influence in the differentiation potential of human pluripotent stem cells with integrins playing a major role in communicating cells with the extracellular environment. However, it is not well understood how interactions between integrins and the extracellular matrix are involved in cardiac stem cell differentiation. To evaluate this, we performed a profile of integrins expression in two stages of cardiac differentiation: mesodermal progenitors and cardiomyocytes. We found an active regulation of the expression of different integrins during cardiac differentiation. In particular, integrin α5 subunit showed an increased expression in mesodermal progenitors, and a significant downregulation in cardiomyocytes. To analyze the effect of α5 subunit, we modified its expression by using a CRISPRi technique. After its downregulation, a significant impairment in the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition was seen. Early mesoderm development was significantly affected due to a downregulation of key genes such as T Brachyury and TBX6. Furthermore, we observed that repression of integrin α5 during early stages led to a reduction in cardiomyocyte differentiation and impaired contractility. In summary, our results showed the link between changes in cell identity with the regulation of integrin α5 expression through the alteration of early stages of mesoderm commitment.Fil: Neiman, Gabriel. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Scarafia, Maria Agustina. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: la Greca, Alejandro Damián. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Santín Velazque, Natalia Lucía. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Garate, Ximena. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Waisman, Ariel. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Möbbs, Alan Miqueas. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Kasai-Brunswick, Tais Hanae. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Mesquita, Fernanda. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Martire Greco, Daiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Academia Nacional de Medicina de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Moro, Lucía Natalia. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Luzzani, Carlos Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Bastos Carvalho, Adriana. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Sevlever, Gustavo. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; ArgentinaFil: Campos de Carvalho, Antonio. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Guberman, Alejandra Sonia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Miriuka, Santiago Gabriel. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Desconforto Respiratório em Recém-Nascidos: Métodos Diagnósticos e Abordagens Clínicas na Neonatologia

This article focuses on the importance of diagnosing and managing respiratory distress in newborns, a prevalent and potentially severe condition that affects neonatal health. Studies indicate that about 10% of newborns require some form of respiratory assistance at birth, highlighting the need for effective intervention strategies. The methodology used was a descriptive and qualitative literature review, analyzing studies published between 2002 and 2024 in Portuguese and English. The databases consulted were PubMed, Scielo, and Google Scholar. The analysis focused on the effectiveness of diagnostic methods such as pulse oximetry, chest radiographs, lung ultrasound, and the importance of continuous monitoring and early intervention in managing neonatal respiratory distress. Early diagnosis and appropriate management of respiratory distress are crucial to improving clinical outcomes and reducing long-term complications. Pulse oximetry is a useful tool for early diagnosis, allowing the identification of hypoxemia. Lung ultrasound, a non-invasive technique free of ionizing radiation, enables the early detection of conditions such as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Chest radiography remains an essential diagnostic tool for identifying lung pathologies. The administration of exogenous surfactant and assisted ventilation are critical interventions in managing respiratory distress. Managing neonatal respiratory distress with evidence-based interventions and a multidisciplinary approach is essential to improving clinical outcomes and the quality of life of newborns. Continued research in this area is fundamental to enhancing treatment strategies and ensuring the safety and effectiveness of respiratory management programs for this vulnerable population.Este artigo foca na importância do diagnóstico e manejo do desconforto respiratório em recém-nascidos, uma condição prevalente e potencialmente grave que afeta a saúde neonatal. Estudos indicam que cerca de 10% dos recém-nascidos requerem algum tipo de assistência respiratória ao nascer, destacando a necessidade de estratégias eficazes de intervenção. A metodologia utilizada foi uma revisão bibliográfica descritiva e qualitativa, analisando estudos publicados entre 2002 e 2024 em português e inglês. As bases de dados consultadas foram PubMed, Scielo e Google Scholar. A análise focou na eficácia de métodos diagnósticos como oximetria de pulso, radiografias torácicas, ultrassonografia pulmonar, e na importância do monitoramento contínuo e intervenção precoce no manejo do desconforto respiratório neonatal. O diagnóstico precoce e o manejo adequado do desconforto respiratório são cruciais para melhorar os desfechos clínicos e reduzir complicações a longo prazo. A oximetria de pulso é uma ferramenta útil no diagnóstico precoce, permitindo a identificação de hipoxemia. A ultrassonografia pulmonar, uma técnica não invasiva e livre de radiação ionizante, permite a detecção precoce de condições como a Síndrome do Desconforto Respiratório (SDR). A radiografia torácica continua sendo uma ferramenta diagnóstica essencial para identificar patologias pulmonares. A administração de surfactante exógeno e a ventilação assistida são intervenções críticas no manejo do desconforto respiratório. O manejo do desconforto respiratório neonatal, com intervenções baseadas em evidências e uma abordagem multidisciplinar, é essencial para melhorar os desfechos clínicos e a qualidade de vida dos recém-nascidos. A continuidade de pesquisas nesta área é fundamental para aprimorar as estratégias de tratamento e garantir a segurança e eficácia dos programas de manejo respiratório para essa população vulnerável. &nbsp

Delineating distinct heme-scavenging and -binding functions of domains in MF6p/helminth defense molecule (HDM) proteins from parasitic flatworms

MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a small protein secreted by the parasitic flatworm (trematode) Fasciola hepatica that belongs to a broad family of heme-binding proteins (MF6p/helminth defense molecules (HDMs)). MF6p/HDMs are of interest for understanding heme homeostasis in trematodes and as potential targets for the development of new flukicides. Moreover, interest in these molecules has also increased because of their immunomodulatory properties. Here we have extended our previous findings on the mechanism of MF6p/HDM-heme interactions and mapped the protein regions required for heme binding and for other biological functions. Our data revealed that MF6p/FhHDM-1 forms high-molecular-weight complexes when associated with heme and that these complexes are reorganized by a stacking procedure to form fibril-like and granular nanostructures. Furthermore, we showed that MF6p/FhHDM-1 is a transitory heme-binding protein as protein·heme complexes can be disrupted by contact with an apoprotein (e.g. apomyoglobin) with higher affinity for heme. We also demonstrated that (i) the heme-binding region is located in the MF6p/FhHDM-1 C-terminal moiety, which also inhibits the peroxidase-like activity of heme, and (ii) MF6p/HDMs from other trematodes, such as Opisthorchis viverrini and Paragonimus westermani, also bind heme. Finally, we observed that the N-terminal, but not the C-terminal, moiety of MF6p/HDMs has a predicted structural analogy with cell-penetrating peptides and that both the entire protein and the peptide corresponding to the N-terminal moiety of MF6p/FhHDM-1 interact in vitro with cell membranes in hemin-preconditioned erythrocytes. Our findings suggest that MF6p/HDMs can transport heme in trematodes and thereby shield the parasite from the harmful effects of heme.This work was supported in part by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) Grant AGL2011-30563-C03, Xunta de Galicia (Spain) Grant GPC2014/058, Instituto de Salud Carlos III-Acción Estratégica de Salud Intramural Grant PI14CIII/00076, and the European Fund for Regional Development (FEDER). The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article.S

A hybrid neural network based technique to improve the flow forecasting of physical and data driven models: methodology and case studies in andean watersheds

El presente estudio se realizó en los ríos Machángara Alto y Chulco, que pertenecen a la cuenca Paute en las provincias de Azuay y Cañar en el sur de Ecuador. Enfoque del estudio: las cuencas hidrográficas andinas son importantes proveedores de suministro de agua para consumo humano, suministro de alimentos, generación de energía, uso industrial del agua y servicios y funciones de los ecosistemas para muchas ciudades de Ecuador y el resto de América del Sur. En estas regiones, la cuantificación precisa y la predicción del flujo de agua es un desafío, principalmente debido a la variabilidad climática significativa y las redes de monitoreo dispersas. En el contexto de la predicción de flujo, este trabajo evalúa la precisión de dos modelos físicos (WEAP y GR2M) y dos modelos basados ​​en redes neuronales artificiales (ANN) que utilizan datos meteorológicos como variables de entrada. Luego, se propone una técnica híbrida, utilizando las series de tiempo generadas por los modelos individuales como entradas de un nuevo ANN. Este enfoque tiene como objetivo aumentar la precisión del flujo simulado combinando y explotando la información proporcionada por modelos físicos y basados ​​en datos. Para evaluar el desempeño de la metodología propuesta, se realizan análisis estadísticos para dos estudios de caso en la región andina, donde se realizan análisis comparativos para los modelos individuales y la técnica híbrida. Nuevos conocimientos hidrológicos: los resultados indican que la técnica propuesta puede mejorar el rendimiento individual de los modelos físicos y basados ​​en ANN, dando buenos resultados en las etapas de calibración y validación para los dos estudios de caso. Específicamente, se observaron incrementos en el NSE de 0.64 a 0.99 en el río MachÁngara Alto, y de 0.88 a 0.99 en el río Chulco. Se observó una mayor precisión de la técnica híbrida para todos los criterios de evaluación considerados en los análisis. El rendimiento de la técnica híbrida también se reflejó en términos de oferta y demanda de agua, lo que sugiere posibles aplicaciones para la gestión regional de los recursos hídricos, donde las predicciones precisas de flujo son de suma importancia.The present study was conducted in the Machángara Alto and Chulco rivers, which belong to the Paute basin in the provinces of Azuay and Cañar in southern Ecuador. Study focus: Andean watersheds are important providers of water supply for human consumption, food supply, energy generation, industrial water use, and ecosystem services and functions for many cities in Ecuador and in the rest of South America. In these regions, accurate quantification and prediction of water flow is challenging, mainly due to significant climatic variability and sparse monitoring networks. In the context of flow forecasting, this work evaluates the accuracy of two physical models (WEAP and GR2M) and two models based on artificial neural networks (ANN) that use meteorological data as input variables. Then, a hybrid technique is proposed, using the time series generated by the individual models as inputs of a new ANN. This approach aims to increase the accuracy of the simulated flow by combining and exploiting the information provided by physical and data-driven models. To assess the performance of the proposed methodology, statistical analyses are conducted for two case studies in the Andean region, where comparative analyses are performed for the individual models and the hybrid technique. New hydrological insights: The results indicate that the proposed technique is able to improve the individual performance of physical and ANN-based models, yielding good results in the calibration and validation stages for the two case studies. Specifically, increases in NSE were observed from 0.64 to 0.99 in the MachÁngara Alto river, and from 0.88 to 0.99 in the Chulco river. Higher accuracy of the hybrid technique was observed for all evaluation criteria considered in the analyses. The performance of the hybrid technique was also reflected in terms of water supply and demand, suggesting possible applications for the regional management of water resources, where accurate flow predictions are of utmost importance