Microbial diversity in hummock and hollow soils of three wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau revealed by 16S rRNA pyrosequencing

The wetlands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are believed to play an important role in global nutrient cycling, but the composition and diversity of microorganisms in this ecosystem are poorly characterized. An understanding of the effects of geography and microtopography on microbial populations will provide clues to the underlying mechanisms that structure microbial communities. In this study, we used pyrosequencing-based analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences to assess and compare the composition of soil microbial communities present in hummock and hollow soils from three wetlands (Dangxiong, Hongyuan and Maduo) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the world’s highest plateau. A total of 36 bacterial phyla were detected. Proteobacteria (34.5% average relative abundance), Actinobacteria (17.3%) and Bacteroidetes (11%) had the highest relative abundances across all sites. Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes were also relatively abundant (1–10%). In addition, archaeal sequences belonging to Euryarchaea, Crenarchaea and Thaumarchaea were detected. Alphaproteobacteria sequences, especially of the order Rhodospirillales, were significantly more abundant in Maduo than Hongyuan and Dangxiong wetlands. Compared with Hongyuan soils, Dangxiong and Maduo had significantly higher relative abundances of Gammaproteobacteria sequences (mainly order Xanthomonadales). Hongyuan wetland had a relatively high abundance of methanogens (mainly genera Methanobacterium, Methanosarcina and Methanosaeta) and methanotrophs (mainly Methylocystis) compared with the other two wetlands. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) indicated that the microbial community structure differed between locations and microtopographies and canonical correspondence analysis indicated an association between microbial community structure and soil properties or geography. These insights into the microbial community structure and the main controlling factors in wetlands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau provide a valuable background for further studies on biogeochemical processes in this distinct ecosystem

The Use of Technologies in Second Language Learning: The Case of a Mexican University

Introduction: This research is about the use of technology in learning English as a Foreign Language at higher education in a public University in Mexico. This study is focused on how students use the technology for academic and non-academic issues to learn English. The object of the study a sample of twenty five percent of English language students (375 students) were considered. Students’ average age was 18-25. Methodology: For this research two instruments were used to gather data the first one a questionnaire designed for this purpose, the second one an interview to know what kind of gadgets students use to learn English in higher education and how this technology could be introduced in second language learning classrooms. The results: allowed concluding that most technological gadgets used by students were Cells and Laptops to surf the net and chat through social networks for non-academic issues and laptops and desktop computers to work on school duties with specific software

Cycle Time Improvement by a Six Sigma Project for the Increase of New Business Accounts

This paper reports the application of a 6σ project about the reduction of the cycle time for acquiring a new credit account in a finance group. The methodology used in this project was the DMAI technique of 6σ. The paper documents the analysis and tasks performed by the management team that reduced cycle time from 49 days to 30 days which resulted in an expected annual savings of $300,000.00. Also an increased customer satisfaction and an increase of sales is expected

Autotrophic growth of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers in freshwater sediment microcosms incubated at different temperatures

Both bacteria and archaea potentially contribute to ammonia oxidation, but their roles in freshwater sediments are still poorly understood. Seasonal differences in the relative activities of these groups might exist, since cultivated archaeal ammonia oxidizers have higher temperature optima than their bacterial counterparts. In this study, sediment collected from eutrophic freshwater Lake Taihu (China) was incubated at different temperatures (4°C, 15°C, 25°C, and 37°C) for up to 8 weeks. We examined the active bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers in these sediment microcosms by using combined stable isotope probing (SIP) and molecular community analysis. The results showed that accumulation of nitrate in microcosms correlated negatively with temperature, although ammonium depletion was the same, which might have been related to enhanced activity of other nitrogen transformation processes. Incubation at different temperatures significantly changed the microbial community composition, as revealed by 454 pyrosequencing targeting bacterial 16S rRNA genes. After 8 weeks of incubation, [(13)C]bicarbonate labeling of bacterial amoA genes, which encode the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A, and an observed increase in copy numbers indicated the activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in all microcosms. Nitrosomonas sp. strain Is79A3 and Nitrosomonas communis lineages dominated the heavy fraction of CsCl gradients at low and high temperatures, respectively, indicating a niche differentiation of active bacterial ammonia oxidizers along the temperature gradient. The (13)C labeling of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in microcosms incubated at 4 to 25°C was minor. In contrast, significant (13)C labeling of Nitrososphaera-like archaea and changes in the abundance and composition of archaeal amoA genes were observed at 37°C, implicating autotrophic growth of ammonia-oxidizing archaea under warmer condition

PLANEACIÓN DIDÁCTICA GENERAL DE LA ASIGNATURA INGLÉS 4

GUÍA DIDÁCTICA / PLANEACIÓN DIDÁCTICA (NMS

Thermal comfort in buildings for wet processing of coffee.

This study aimed to assess thermal comfort for workers in three buildings for wet coffee processing in Colombia, using the WBGT index, and temperature and relative humidity analysis through mapping. The limits recommended by the WBGT index were exceeded during the activity of putting fuel in the dryer in Building 3. The three buildings presented spatial hygrothermal variability due to the coffee dryer, as well as problems with ventilation, volume control, and the thermal resistance of materials in Buildings 2 and 3. In order to favor heat transfer from the dryer to the outside environment, and to make the thermal environment of these buildings more homogeneous, it is recommended to install thermal bridges around this area, to make more efficient the evacuation of steam and heat, as well as to increase the natural ventilation area in Buildings 2 and 3, and install ventilation skylights over the dryer

Propuesta en Supply Chain Management y Logística en la Empresa Alpina S.A.

En este curso se desarrollaron los conceptos fundamentales sobre Supply Chain Management y Logística, en base a la empresa Alpina, identificando los procesos en Supply Chain Management (enfoque estratégico. GSCF), los procesos en Supply Chain Management (enfoque transaccional), logística, el sistema de Logística como objeto de estudio de la logística, estructura, funciones, la Política Nacional Logística Colombia en el Logistics Performance Índex (LPI) Encuesta Nacional Logística Caracterización de la logística en la empresa, Gestión de inventarios Conceptos básicos Razones para mantener inventario, clasificación de los inventarios, objetivos de los inventarios. Planificación de los inventarios. VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory), Gestión de almacenes Funciones, clases. Principios de almacenamiento diseño, factores, zonas, tendencias, tecnología, preparación de Pedidos (Picking), embalaje, codificación. Manutención Análisis de costos indicadores de desempeño en almacenes. Transportes, modos y medios de transporte, conceptos y funcionalidad, Modelos de ruteo. Indicadores de desempeño en transportes transportation management System (TMS), Procesos logísticos en aprovisionamiento la función de aprovisionamiento en la Red de Negocios. Procesos logísticos en distribución Papel de la distribución en el Supply Chain. Estrategias modernas de distribución. DFI (Distribución Física Internacional), INCOTERMS DRP Economías de Escala, el costo de aprovisionamiento, concepto, elementos, caso de decisiones de compra con enfoque logístico.In this course, the fundamental concepts of Supply Chain Management and Logistics were developed, based on the Alpina company, identifying the processes in Supply Chain Management (strategic focus. GSCF), the processes in Supply Chain Management (transactional approach), logistics, Logistics System as an object of study of logistics, structure, functions, the National Logistics Policy Colombia in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) National Logistics Survey Characterization of logistics in the company, Inventory management Basic concepts Reasons to maintain inventory, classification of inventories, objectives of inventories. Inventory planning. VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory), Warehouse Management Functions, Classes. Storage principles of design, factors, zones, trends, technology, order picking (packaging), packaging, coding. Maintenance Cost analysis performance indicators in warehouses. Transport, modes and means of transport, concepts and functions, routing models. Transport performance indicators Transport management system (TMS), Logistic processes in supply of the supply function in the Business Network. Distribution logistics processes Role of distribution in the Supply Chain. Modern distribution strategies. DFI (International Physical Distribution), INCOTERMS DRP Economies of Scale, the cost of supply, concept, elements, case of purchasing decisions with a logistical focus

Evaluación del comportamiento mecánico de tres clases de placas tipo sándwich de ferrocemento para la construcción de vivienda rural

Gracias a experiencias positivas en el medio urbano, las placas tipo sándwich de ferrocemento se presentan, como una alternativa a la demanda de construcciones rápidas y de bajo costo que impone la problemática de vivienda rural en América Latina. Diversas propuestas en este sentido pueden ser evaluadas previamente a través de simulaciones. Este estudio evaluó el comportamiento mecánico de tres placas tipo sándwich de ferrocemento, para defi nir el sistema constructivo de una propuesta de vivienda rural, a través de una simulación con elementos fi nitos, por medio del software SolidWorks®. Con base en un diseño previo para vivienda rural, fueron diseñadas tres alternativas de placas tipo sándwich de ferrocemento, evaluando su resistencia a la rotura y deformación, aplicando el cálculo de esfuerzos de Von Mises. Las tres alternativas mostraron resultados satisfactorios de resistencia y deformación, optando por la combinación de dos de las tres alternativas para la defi nición del sistema constructivo según criterios de practicidad y costos

Colorectal neoplastic emergencies in immunocompromised patients: preliminary result from the Web-based International Register of Emergency Surgery and Trauma (WIRES-T trial)

Association of advanced age, neoplastic disease and immunocompromission (IC) may lead to surgical emergencies. Few data exist about this topic. Present study reports the preliminary data from the WIRES-T trial about patients managed for colorectal neoplastic emergencies in immunocompromised patients. The required data were taken from a prospective observational international register. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee with approval n. 17575; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03643718. 839 patients were collected; 753 (80.7%) with mild-moderate IC and 86 (10.3%) with severe. Median age was 71.9 years and 73 years, respectively, in the two groups. The causes of mild-moderate IC were reported such malignancy (753-100%), diabetes (103-13.7%), malnutrition (26-3.5%) and uremia (1-0.1%), while severe IC causes were steroids treatment (14-16.3%); neutropenia (7-8.1%), malignancy on chemotherapy (71-82.6%). Preoperative risk classification were reported as follow: mild-moderate: ASA 1-14 (1.9%); ASA 2-202 (26.8%); ASA 3-341 (45.3%); ASA 4-84 (11.2%); ASA 5-7 (0.9%); severe group: ASA 1-1 patient (1.2%); ASA 2-16 patients (18.6%); ASA 3-41 patients (47.7%); ASA 4-19 patients (22.1%); ASA 5-3 patients (3.5%); lastly, ASA score was unavailable for 105 cases (13.9%) in mild-moderate group and in 6 cases (6.9%) in severe group. All the patients enrolled underwent urgent/emergency surgery Damage control approach with open abdomen was adopted in 18 patients. Mortality was 5.1% and 12.8%, respectively, in mild-moderate and severe groups. Long-term survival data: in mild-moderate disease-free survival (median, IQR) is 28 (10-91) and in severe IC, it is 21 (10-94). Overall survival (median, IQR) is 44 (18-99) and 26 (20-90) in mild-moderate and severe, respectively; the same is for post-progression survival (median, IQR) 29 (16-81) and 28, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed as the only factor influencing mortality in mild-moderate and severe IC is the ASA score. Colorectal neoplastic emergencies in immunocompromised patients are more frequent in elderly. Sigmoid and right colon are the most involved. Emergency surgery is at higher risk of complication and mortality; however, management in dedicated emergency surgery units is necessary to reduce disease burden and to optimize results by combining oncological and acute care principles. This approach may improve outcomes to obtain clinical advantages for patients like those observed in elective scenario. Lastly, damage control approach seems feasible and safe in selected patients

Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with critical influenza pneumonia

In an international cohort of 279 patients with hypoxemic influenza pneumonia, we identified 13 patients (4.6%) with autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-alpha and/or -omega, which were previously reported to underlie 15% cases of life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia and one third of severe adverse reactions to live-attenuated yellow fever vaccine. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I interferons (IFNs) can underlie critical COVID-19 pneumonia and yellow fever vaccine disease. We report here on 13 patients harboring autoantibodies neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 alone (five patients) or with IFN-omega (eight patients) from a cohort of 279 patients (4.7%) aged 6-73 yr with critical influenza pneumonia. Nine and four patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-alpha 2, and six and two patients had antibodies neutralizing high and low concentrations, respectively, of IFN-omega. The patients' autoantibodies increased influenza A virus replication in both A549 cells and reconstituted human airway epithelia. The prevalence of these antibodies was significantly higher than that in the general population for patients 70 yr of age (3.1 vs. 4.4%, P = 0.68). The risk of critical influenza was highest in patients with antibodies neutralizing high concentrations of both IFN-alpha 2 and IFN-omega (OR = 11.7, P = 1.3 x 10(-5)), especially those <70 yr old (OR = 139.9, P = 3.1 x 10(-10)). We also identified 10 patients in additional influenza patient cohorts. Autoantibodies neutralizing type I IFNs account for similar to 5% of cases of life-threatening influenza pneumonia in patients <70 yr old