The purified colicin S8 is a multimeric protein

Bacteriocins have been isolated both as simple proteins and as proteins in association with carbohydrates, lipids, etc. Colicins are commonly inducible and extracellular. Their molecular masses range from 30 to 90 kDa. Pure colicin S8 was obtained in three steps from supernatant of induced cells: (i) Ammonium sulfate precipitation; (ii) anion exchange chromatography; and (iii) phenyl-Sepharose hydrophobic chromatography, either by preparative or fast performance liquid chromatography (FPLC) analytical purification procedure. In our hands, purified colicin S8 was an aggregation of extremely related polypeptides. Composition of those active fractions was the same: five polypeptides of molecular weight around 55 kDa. Behavior on molecular filtration indicated a molecular weight higher than 200 kDa. Similar results were obtained when purification was carried out through FPLC. Producing strains contain a single plasmid that encodes colicin S8; in minicells, this plasmid was shown to specify a 60 kDa polypeptide. We conclude that more than one form of colicin S8 exists. The forms are structurally related and can be recognized by antibodies raised against one of the polypeptides. Consistent with this conclusion, comparison of peptides produced after hydrolysis with chlorosuccinamide indicated that the active proteins contained both shared and unique components

Métodos prospectivos implementados en la vigilancia tecnológica y prospectiva de vehículos eléctricos (EVS) y tecnologías periféricas en Colombia

This paper presents prospective methodsimplemented during the development of Surveillance Technology in Electrical Vehicles and Prospective  technologies in Colombia. These methods are developed for identifying related lines of research and emerging technologies which foster innovation. Methodologies are Delphi rounds and the planning of future scenarios. Both methodologies are implemented as tools to identify research topics that revolve around EVs in Colombia. The topics selected following the development of technology forecasting, were discussed by a group of experts who contextualized the information obtained from Colombia. From this analysis, scenarios were constructed. Technologies hampering the incursion of EVs in Colombia were determined, as well as the technologies with the greatest trend to be consumed and the most influential regulatory aspects.En este artículo se presentan los métodos prospectivos implementados durante el desarrollo de la Vigilancia Tecnológica en Vehículos Eléctricos y Tecnologías Periféricas en Colombia. Estos métodos se desarrollan con el propósito de identificar las líneas de investigación relacionadas y las tecnologías emergentes que propendan por la innovación. Las metodologías aplicadas fueron las rondas Delphi y el planteamiento de escenarios futuros; ambas metodologías se implementaron como herramientas para identificar los principales temas de investigación que giran alrededor de los EVs en Colombia. Los temas seleccionados, posterior al desarrollo de la Vigilancia Tecnológica, fueron debatidos por un grupo de expertos que contextualizaron la información obtenida para Colombia. A partir de esto se construyeron los escenarios de análisis. Se determinaron las tecnologías que pueden obstaculizar la incursión de EVs en Colombia, así como las tecnologías con mayor tendencia al consumo y los aspectos regulatorios más influyentes

Factors for Parent-Reported ADHD Diagnosis in Hispanic Elementary School-Aged Children

Attention/deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects a sizable number of children ages 4 to 17 and can be impairing into adulthood. Genetics are partly responsible, but research shows that psychosocial disparity and the interaction of select demographic factors significantly influence ADHD prevalence. There is limited research on the primary factors for an ADHD diagnosis in Hispanic elementary school-aged children. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional survey research was to determine the impact of disparity and interaction of psychosocial factors on an ADHD diagnosis. The research questions asked whether there was a relationship between the independent variables (mother\u27s marital status, family income, insurance coverage, gender, age, Spanish spoken at home) and the dependent variable (an ADHD diagnosis) and whether the independent variables were predictive of an ADHD diagnosis. The theoretical framework was derived from Vygotsky and Bronfenbrenner who posited that an individual\u27s culture influences development and a child\u27s development is affected by the environment and external forces, respectively. Elementary school parents (N = 105) completed a self-administered survey to assess the independent variables\u27 impact on an ADHD diagnosis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, and binary logistic regression. Results showed males (23.8%) more likely than females to be diagnosed with ADHD. Results also found gender (p = .002) and age [X2(7) = 15.302, p = .032] to be significant overall, R2 = .31. These findings could result in positive social change by fostering awareness, early identification, and treatment of ADHD in Hispanic children and similar communities and may also decrease health care costs

Prophylaxis of Macular Edema with Intravitreal Ranibizumab in Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy after Cataract Surgery: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravitreal ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech, South San Francisco, Calif, USA) combined with cataract surgery for the prevention of clinically significant macular edema (CSME) in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This prospective interventional case series included fifty-four eyes of 54 patients with a previous diagnosis of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) without macular edema preoperatively. Subjects were assigned in a 1 : 1 ratio to receive an intraoperative intravitreal ranibizumab injection (n = 27) or not (control group, n = 27) associated with standardised phacoemulsification surgery. The main outcome measure was the incidence of CSME one and three months after surgery. One month after surgery the incidence of CSME in the control group was 25.92% and 3.70% in the treatment group and at three months was 22.22% and 3.70%, respectively. Short-term results suggest that intravitreal ranibizumab immediately after phacoemulsification prevents CS ME in patients with NPDR

Quantitative disentanglement of nanocrystalline phases in cement pastes by synchrotron ptychographic X-ray tomography

Mortars and concretes are ubiquitous materials with very complex hierarchical microstructures. To fully understand their main properties and to decrease their CO2 footprint, a sound description of their spatially resolved mineralogy is necessary. Developing this knowledge is very challenging as about half of the volume of hydrated cement is a nanocrystalline component, calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. Furthermore, other poorly crystalline phases (e.g. iron siliceous hydrogarnet or silica oxide) may coexist, which are even more difficult to characterize. Traditional spatially resolved techniques such as electron microscopy involve complex sample preparation steps that often lead to artefacts (e.g. dehydration and microstructural changes). Here, synchrotron ptychographic tomography has been used to obtain spatially resolved information on three unaltered representative samples: neat Portland paste, Portland–calcite and Portland–fly-ash blend pastes with a spatial resolution below 100 nm in samples with a volume of up to 5 x 104 mm3. For the neat Portland paste, the ptychotomographic study gave densities of 2.11 and 2.52 g cm -3 and a content of 41.1 and 6.4 vol% for nanocrystalline C-S-H gel and poorly crystalline iron siliceous hydrogarnet, respectively. Furthermore, the spatially resolved volumetric mass-density information has allowed characterization of inner-product and outer-product C-S-H gels. The average density of the inner-product C-S-H is smaller than that of the outer product and its variability is larger. Full characterization of the pastes, including segmentation of the different components, is reported and the contents are compared with the results obtained by thermodynamic modelling.This work has been supported by MINECO through BIA2014-57658 and BIA2017-82391-R research grants, which are cofunded by FEDER. Instrumentation development was supported by SNF (R’EQUIP, No. 145056,‘OMNY’) and the Competence Centre for Materials Science and Technology (CCMX) of the ETH-Board, Switzerland

Stemming the gender gap in STEM entrepreneurship–insights into women’s entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are notably important for innovation and technological development, which in turn are seen as drivers of social and economic growth. Hence, researchers and policy-makers have paid substantial attention to analyzing and promoting high-growth ventures in STEM fields. However, STEM fields are highly gender-skewed, regardless of whether the population considered is students, faculty members, graduates, top managers, or entrepreneurs. This is noticeable in the small number of women entrepreneurs with STEM backgrounds. This underrepresentation of women in innovation-driven business startups highlights existing gender biases and systemic disadvantages in social structures, making visible the double masculinity that exists at the intersection of STEM and entrepreneurship. This article addresses this issue by combining insights from research about women’s entrepreneurship and research about the gender aspects of STEM fields. We emphasize institutional, organizational, and individual factors influencing women’s entrepreneurship in STEM fields, laying the foundation for the articles included in this special issue. Finally, we discuss the way forward for research on the gender aspects of STEM entrepreneurship to help us create the knowledge needed to close this gender gap.publishedVersionUnit Licence Agreemen

A New Approach to Sonification of Astrophysical Data: The User Centred Design of SonoUno

Even when actual technologies present the potential to augment inclusion and the United Nations has been stablished the digital access to information as a human right, people with disabilities continuously faced barriers in their profession. In many cases, in sciences, the lack of accessible and user centred tools left behind researches with disabilities and not facilitate them to conduct front-line research by using their respective strengths. In this contribution, we discuss some hurdles and solutions relevant for using new technology for data analysis, analysing the barriers found by final users. A focus group session was conducted with nine people with and without visual impairment, using the tool sonoUno with one linear function and an astronomical data set downloaded from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. As a result of the focus group study, incorporating data analysis using sonification, we conclude that functionally diverse people require tools to be autonomous, thereby enabling precision, certainty, effectiveness and efficiency in their work, resulting in enhanced equity. This can be achieved by pursuing a user-centred design approach as integral to software development, and by adapting resources according to the research objectives. Development of tools that empower people with wide-ranging abilities to not only access data using multi-sensorial techniques, but also address the current lack of inclusion, is sorely needed.Fil: Casado, Johanna Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Tecnologia En Deteccion y Astroparticulas. Itedam - Subsede del Instituto de Tec. En Deteccion y Astroparticulas Mendoza | Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica. Instituto de Tecnologia En Deteccion y Astroparticulas. Itedam - Subsede del Instituto de Tec. En Deteccion y Astroparticulas Mendoza | Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Tecnologia En Deteccion y Astroparticulas. Itedam - Subsede del Instituto de Tec. En Deteccion y Astroparticulas Mendoza. ; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Beatriz Elena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Tecnologia En Deteccion y Astroparticulas. Itedam - Subsede del Instituto de Tec. En Deteccion y Astroparticulas Mendoza | Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica. Instituto de Tecnologia En Deteccion y Astroparticulas. Itedam - Subsede del Instituto de Tec. En Deteccion y Astroparticulas Mendoza | Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Tecnologia En Deteccion y Astroparticulas. Itedam - Subsede del Instituto de Tec. En Deteccion y Astroparticulas Mendoza. ; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Gandhi, Poshak. University of Southampton; Reino UnidoFil: Diaz Merced, Wanda. European Gravitational Observatory; Itali