Digit ratio (2D:4D) and prosocial behavior in economic games: No direct correlation with generosity, bargaining, or trust-related behaviors

Prenatal exposure to sex hormones exerts organizational effects on the brain which have observable behavioural correlates in adult life. There are reasons to expect that social behaviours—fundamental for the evolutionary success of humans—might be related to biological factors such as prenatal sex hormone exposure. Nevertheless, the existing literature is inconclusive as to whether and how prenatal exposure to testosterone and oestrogen, proxied by the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D : 4D), may predict non-selfish behaviour. Here, we investigate this question using economic experiments with real monetary stakes and analyse five different dimensions of social behaviour in a comparatively large sample of Caucasian participants (n = 560). For both males and females, our results show no robust association between right- or left-hand 2D : 4D and generosity, bargaining or trust-related behaviours. Moreover, no differences in behaviour were found according to sex. We conclude that there is no direct correlation between 2D : 4D and these social behaviours

Expectativas sobre comportamiento egoista

In this paper we present experimental results concerning the beliefs that subjects hold about the weight of selfishness on decision, compared to the social norm that would prescribe a more generous behavior. The main conclusion is that subjects underestimate selfishness

Instructions: Exposure to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic decisions.

Instructions: Exposure to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic decisions

“CLUPS”: A New Culture Medium for the Axenic Growth of Entamoeba histolytica

Amebiasis remains a major health problem in Mexico. Terefore, the search for better culture media and low-cost diagnostic and therapeutic tools is fundamental. We present a new culture medium for Entamoeba histolytica which allows the microbe to preserve its virulence factors and ability to induce hepatic abscesses in animal models. Te novel CLUPS medium is an improved version of the PEHPS medium, previously designed in our laboratory. Te main diference is the substitution of raw beef liver in PEHPS by raw beef lung in the CLUPS medium. To compare the performance of three-culture media (traditional TYI-S-33, PEHPS, and CLUPS), E. histolytica trophozoites were cultured in quintuplicate, followed by the evaluation of phospholipase activity and the induction of liver abscesses in golden hamsters. E. histolytica trophozoites grew signifcantly better in CLUPS medium than in TYIS-33. Likewise, CLUPS-cultured trophozoites produced signifcantly more phospholipases than TYI-S-33-cultured trophozoites. Finally, trophozoites grown in any of the three tested media had similar potential to induce liver abscesse

Transmission of Beauveria bassiana from male to female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Resistance to chemical insecticides plus high morbidity rates have lead to rising interest in fungi as candidates for biocontrol agents of mosquito vectors. In most studies fungal infections have been induced by exposure of mosquitoes to various surfaces treated with conidia. In the present study eight Mexican strains of <it>Beauveria bassiana </it>were assessed against <it>Aedes aegypti </it>by direct exposure of females to 6 × 10⁸conidia ml ^-1on a filter paper, afterwards, the transmission of the least and most virulent isolates was evaluated by mating behavior from virgin, fungus-contaminated male to females, to examine this ethological pattern as a new approach to deliver conidia against the dengue vector.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In an exposure chamber with a filter paper impregnated with 6 × 10⁸conidia ml ^-1of the least and most virulent strains of <it>B. bassiana</it>, 6-8 day old males of <it>A. aegypti </it>were exposed for 48 hours, and then transferred individually (each one was a replicate) to another chamber and confined with twenty healthy females of the same age. Clean males were used in controls. Survival, infection by true mating (insemination) or by mating attempts (no insemination) and fecundity were daily registered until the death of last female. Data analysis was conducted with proc glm for unbalanced experiments and means were separated with the Ryan test with SAS.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All strains were highly virulent with LT₅₀ranging from 2.70 (± 0.29) to 5.33 (± 0.53) days. However the most (Bb-CBG2) and least virulent (Bb-CBG4) isolates were also transmitted by mating behavior; both killed 78-90% of females in 15 days after being confined with males that had previously been exposed for 48 hours to fungi. Of these mortality rates, 23 and 38% respectively, were infections acquired by copulations where insemination occurred. The LT₅₀for sexually-infected females were 7.92 (± 0.46) and 8.82 (± 0.45) days for both strains, while the one in control was 13.92 (± 0.58). Likewise, fecundity decreased by 95% and 60% for both Bb-CBG2 and Bb-CBG4 isolates in comparison with control. The role of mating attempts in this delivery procedure of <it>B. bassiana </it>is discussed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first report about transmission of <it>B. bassiana </it>by mating behavior from virgin, fungus-contaminated males to females in <it>A. aegypti</it>. Fungal infections acquired by this route (autodissemination) infringed high mortality rates (90%) in mated or approached females. However, prior to releasing virgin, fungus-contaminated males to spread <it>B. basasiana </it>among females of <it>A. aegypti</it>, this novel alternative needs further investigations.</p

Electrochemical behavior of simetryn herbicide at water|1,2-dichloroethane interface

Herein, the electrochemical behavior of the simetryn herbicide at the water|1,2-dichloroethane interface was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Parameters such as transfer Gibbs energy, ionic partition coefficient, and the apparent rate constants across the interface were evaluated. According to the results, the ionic form of this herbicide is highly hydrophobic because Δw o G0 SIMH w→o + is 3.57 kJ mol−1 and logPSIMH 0 + is −0.622. In addition, the ionic partition diagram for this compound shows dual behavior as a function of pH: when pH pKa, simetryn serves as a mobile proton carrier across the interface. The present study offers some important insights that help in understanding the partitioning and kinetic processes of environmentally important molecules across biological membranes.Fil: Velázquez-Manzanares, Miguel. Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila; MéxicoFil: García Martínez, Humberto. Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila; MéxicoFil: Yudi, Lidia Mabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Amador-Hernández, Judith. Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila; MéxicoFil: de la Garza Rodríguez, Iliana M.. Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila; MéxicoFil: Colunga Urbina, Edith M.. Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila; Méxic

Poliuquetos perforadores de conchas marinas y exóticos invasores

En esta contribución se enfatiza la importancia de los gusanos poliquetos perforadores de moluscos de interés comercial en México y del estudio de las especies exóticas invasoras. Asimismo, se presenta el estado del conocimiento de ambos rubros en México. Es necesario sensibilizar a los tomadores de decisiones sobre la necesidad de apoyar proyectos de investigación y contrataciones en los dos temas. Recomendamos modificar la sección de poliquetos de la Lista de especies exóticas invasoras en México, publicada en el Diario Oficial de la Federación en 2016

Distinctive Toll-like receptors gene expression and glial response in different brain regions of natural scrapie

Prion diseases are chronic and fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the accumula-tion of disease-specific prion protein (PrPSc), spongiform changes, neuronal loss, and gliosis. Growing evidence shows that the neuroinflammatory response is a key component of prion diseases and contributes to neurodegeneration. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been proposed as important mediators of innate immune responses triggered in the central nervous system in other human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, little is known about the role of TLRs in prion dis-eases, and their involvement in the neuropathology of natural scrapie has not been studied. We assessed gene expression of ovine TLRs in four anatomically distinct brain regions in natural scrapie-infected sheep and evaluated possible correlations between gene expression and patho-logical hallmarks of prion disease. We observed significant changes in TLR expression in scra-pie-infected sheep that correlate with the degree of spongiosis, PrPSc deposition, and gliosis in each of the regions studied. Remarkably, TLR4 was the only gene upregulated in all regions, re-gardless of the severity of neuropathology. In the hippocampus, we observed milder neuropa-thology associated with a distinct TLR gene expression profile and the presence of a peculiar microglial morphology, called rod microglia, described here for the first time in the brain of scrapie-infected sheep. The concurrence of these features suggests partial neuroprotection of the hippocampus. Finally, comparison of findings in naturally-infected sheep versus an ovinized mouse model (tg338 mice) revealed distinct patterns of TLR gene expression.This research was funded by “Departamento de Ciencia, Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento” (Aragon Government) through the project “A05_20R: Enfermedades Priónicas, Vecto- riales y Zoonosis Emergentes”

Fundamental contributions to the technological development of advanced carbon materials from Coal Tar

La brea generada a partir de alquitrán de hulla constituye un precursor de bajo coste, de materiales avanzados de carbono de excelentes prestaciones mecánicas debido a su alto rendimiento en carbono con estructura grafítica derivado de su alto grado de aromaticidad. En este artículo se revisan las contribuciones que han dado impulso al desarrollo tecnológico de los materiales avanzados de carbono obtenidos a partir de alquitrán de hulla. Se analiza el efecto de las condiciones experimentales, de cada una de las etapas de síntesis, sobre los parámetros característicos de la materia en las diferentes fases de procesamiento que incluyen la coquización del carbón, la destilación del alquitrán, la pirólisis de la brea y la carbonización de la mesofase.Abstract: Pitch generated from the coal tar is a low cost precursor of advanced carbon materials with excellent mechanical properties due to its high carbon yield with graphitic structure derived from its high degree of aromaticity. This article reviews the contributions that have given impetus to the technological development of advanced carbon materials derived from coal tar. Analyze the effect of experimental conditions, each of the synthesis steps, on the characteristic parameters of the material in the different processing stages including the coking of coal, tar distillation, pyrolysis of tar and carbonization of mesophase

Kinetic study of Arsenic removal in a filter press type electrochemical reactor

El arsénico (As) es un elemento ampliamente distribuido en la naturaleza y de elevada toxicidad para los seres vivos. La presencia de arsénico en el agua subterránea (AN) utilizada para bebida humana o animal es uno de los problemas sanitarios más importantes a nivel mundial. Sin embargo, las poblaciones más afectadas viven en áreas rurales donde la problemática se ve agravada por factores desfavorables de orden socioeconómico, culturales y sanitarios. El AN en diversas áreas de La Comarca Lagunera (México) presenta concentraciones de As superiores a la norma establecida por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) para agua de bebida (10 mg L-1). Este hecho es muy importante ya que los acuíferos constituyen la principal fuente de abastecimiento a la población. En consecuencia, una amplia gama de tratamientos ha sido desarrollada para remover arsénico de agua modelo (AM) y natural subterránea (AN). Sin embargo, entre ellos, el proceso de electrocoagulación (EC) presenta ventajas importantes sobre los otros procesos debido a que es un método eficiente para el tratamiento de una gran variedad de aguas naturales y residuales. El equipo requerido es compacto y fácil de operar, el proceso evita el uso de reactivos, y por lo tanto no se presentan problemas de neutralización por exceso de químicos evitando que se de una contaminación secundaria. Por esta razón, en este trabajo la remoción de arsénico del agua modelo (AM) y del agua natural subterránea (AN) extraída de la Comarca Lagunera, fue llevada a cabo por el proceso EC. Los experimentos fueron desarrollados inicialmente en un reactor electroquímico filtro prensa tipo batch. De los resultados obtenidos en el reactor, se encontró que la eficiencia de remoción de arsénico se logra a un tiempo de tratamiento inferior de 10 min operado a una densidad de corriente de 15 A m-2 y un flujo volumétrico de 7.64 L min-1.Abstract: Arsenic (As) is a widely distributed element in nature, and is highly toxic for living beings. The presence of arsenic in underground water (GW) used for human or animal consumption is one of the most important sanitation problems at a global level. However, most of the communities that are affected are usually in rural areas, where the problem is worsened by unfavorable socioeconomic, cultural and sanitation factors. The GW in different areas of La Comarca Lagunera (México) presents As concentrations that are above the standard established by World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water (10 mgL-1). This is an important fact because aquifers are the main supply source for many populated areas. By consequence, a variety of treatment processes have been developed for arsenic removal from model water (MW) and underground water (GW). Nevertheless, among them, the electrocoagulation (EC) process presents important advantages over others due to the low sludge amount produced and the lack of chemical reagents needed, consequently, there is no problem of neutralizing excess chemicals and no possibility of secondary pollution. Moreover, it is an efficient method for the treatment of many natural waters and wastewaters. The equipment required is compact and easy to operate. For this reason, in this work the removal of As from underground water (GW) extracted from La Comarca Lagunera, was performed by the electrocoagulation EC process. Experiments were developed in a batch electrochemical reactor type filter press. According to results obtained in these four reactors, the highest As removal efficiency was achieved at the shortest treatment time (10 min), employing the reactor at a current density value of 15 A m-2 and flow rate of 7.64 L min-1