Culture: Not just Burns – what about the poet Robert Fergusson?

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Influence of crystalline orientation on the thermal-energy convertion efficiency in shape memory alloys

A theoretical study about the influence of crystalline orientation on the energy conversion efficiency of two shape memory alloys is present. The study consider single crystal samples in simple tension. The results showed higher properties for of the NiTi than Cu-Al-Be, especially in the temperature-increment (ΔT) necessary for get a conversion energy cycle. However, the study showed a crystalline orientation favorable for Cu-Al-Be

Interaction between Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein and Hepatic Lipase Encoding Genes and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the Telde Study

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Diabetic dyslipidaemia is common in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and insulin resistance and often precedes the onset of T2D. The Taq1B polymorphism in CETP (B1 and B2 alleles) (rs708272) and the G-250A polymorphism in LIPC (rs2070895) are associated with changes in enzyme activity and lipid concentrations. Our aim was to assess the effects of both polymorphisms on the risk of T2D. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a case-control study from the population-based Telde cohort, both polymorphisms were analysed by PCR-based methods. Subjects were classified, according to an oral glucose tolerance test, into diabetic (N = 115) and pre-diabetic (N = 116); 226 subjects with normal glucose tolerance, matched for age and gender, were included as controls. Chi-square (comparison between groups) and logistic regression (identification of independent effects) were used for analysis. The B1B1 Taq1B CETP genotype frequency increased with worsening glucose metabolism (42.5%, 46.1% and 54.3% in control, IGR and diabetic group; p = 0.042). This polymorphism was independently associated with an increased risk of diabetes (OR: 1.828; IC 95%: 1.12-2.99; p = 0.016), even after adjusting by confounding variables, whereas the LIPC polymorphism was not. Regarding the interaction between both polymorphisms, in the B1B1 genotype carriers, the absence of the minor (A) allele of the LIPC polymorphism increased the risk of having diabetes. CONCLUSION: The presence of the B1B1 Taq1B CETP genotype contributes to the presence of diabetes, independently of age, sex, BMI and waist. However, among carriers of B1B1, the presence of GG genotype of the -250 LIPC polymorphism increases this risk further

PROSPECCIÓN ENDOPARASITOLÓGICA EN SIETE ESPECIES DE VIPÉRIDOS EN CAUTIVERIO, PANAMÁ.

Estudios de animales silvestres en cautiverio muestran que estos pueden albergar diversos grupos parasitarios que pueden afectar su salud. En la presente investigación se examinó el material fecal de 26 serpientes de la familia Viperidae, mantenidas en cautiverio en el CEREO, Universidad de Panamá, aplicando las siguientes técnicas: Concentración Parasitaria (Ritchie y Willis Moloy), Recuento y Confirmación de helmintos (Kato Kats), y tinciones de Ziehl Neelsen, y Giemsa, para confirmación de especies de coccidios y hematozoarios respectivamente; con la finalidad de determinar los parásitos de los sistemas digestivos y sanguíneos que estos especímenes albergaban. Los resultados revelan que 92% (24/26) de la población presenta alguna forma (estadio) parasitario. La composición de la diversidad parasítica que exhiben los ejemplares positivos está conformada por Entamoeba hartmanni 46.2% (12/26); Enteromonas, y Balantidium, ambos con 26.9% (7/26); Strongyloides, Chilomastix, Cyclospora, y Oxyurus 23.1% (6/26); Uncinaria e Hymenolepis nana 19.2% (5/26); Hymenolepis diminuta, y Entamoeba invadens 15.4% (4/26); Trichostrongylus 11.5% (3/26); Retortamonas 7.7% (2/26); Porocephalus, Eimeria, Giardia, Isospora, y Cryptosporidium 3.8% (1/26)

PROSPECCIÓN ENDOPARASITOLÓGICA EN SIETE ESPECIES DE VIPÉRIDOS EN CAUTIVERIO, PANAMÁ.

Studies of wild animals in captivity show that they can harbor various parasitic groups that can affect their health. In the present investigation, the fecal material of 26 snakes of the Viperidae family, kept in captivity at the CEREO, University of Panama, were examined by applying the following techniques: Parasite Concentration (Ritchie and Willis Moloy), Helminth Count and Confirmation (Kato Kats) and Ziehl Neelsen and Giemsa stains, for confirmation of coccidial and hematozoan species respectively; to determine the digestive and blood parasites that these specimens harbored. The results revealed that 92% (24/26) of the population had some form (stage) of parasites. The composition of parasitic diversity exhibited by the positive specimens consisted of Entamoeba hartmanni 46.2% (12/26); Enteromonas and Balantidium, both with 26.9% (7/26); Strongyloides, Chilomastix, Cyclospora and Oxyurus 23. 1% (6/26); Uncinaria and Hymenolepis nana 19.2% (5/26); Hymenolepis diminuta and Entamoeba invadens 15.4% (4/26); Trichostrongylus 11.5% (3/26); Retortamonas 7.7% (2/26); Porocephalus, Eimeria, Giardia, Isospora and Cryptosporidium 3.8% (1/26). Blood analysis shows that 50% (6/12) of the population is infected by some species of hematozoa, with the Trypanosoma and Hepatozoon genera being the most prevalent with 16.7% (2/12), followed by Haemogregarina, Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium with 8.3% (1/12).Estudios de animales silvestres en cautiverio muestran que estos pueden albergar diversos grupos parasitarios que pueden afectar su salud. En la presente investigación se examinó el material fecal de 26 serpientes de la familia Viperidae, mantenidas en cautiverio en el CEREO, Universidad de Panamá, aplicando las siguientes técnicas: Concentración Parasitaria (Ritchie y Willis Moloy), Recuento y Confirmación de helmintos (Kato Kats), y tinciones de Ziehl Neelsen, y Giemsa, para confirmación de especies de coccidios y hematozoarios respectivamente; con la finalidad de determinar los parásitos de los sistemas digestivos y sanguíneos que estos especímenes albergaban. Los resultados revelan que 92% (24/26) de la población presenta alguna forma (estadio) parasitario. La composición de la diversidad parasítica que exhiben los ejemplares positivos está conformada por Entamoeba hartmanni 46.2% (12/26); Enteromonas, y Balantidium, ambos con 26.9% (7/26); Strongyloides, Chilomastix, Cyclospora, y Oxyurus 23.1% (6/26); Uncinaria e Hymenolepis nana 19.2% (5/26); Hymenolepis diminuta, y Entamoeba invadens 15.4% (4/26); Trichostrongylus 11.5% (3/26); Retortamonas 7.7% (2/26); Porocephalus, Eimeria, Giardia, Isospora, y Cryptosporidium 3.8% (1/26)

El grupu neandertal de la Cueva d' El Sidrón (Borines, Piloña)

El artículo está en la lengua asturianaPeer reviewe

Has land use pushed terrestrial biodiversity beyond the planetary boundary? A global assessment

Land use and related pressures have reduced local terrestrial biodiversity, but it is unclear how the magnitude of change relates to the recently proposed planetary boundary (“safe limit”). We estimate that land use and related pressures have already reduced local biodiversity intactness—the average proportion of natural biodiversity remaining in local ecosystems—beyond its recently proposed planetary boundary across 58.1% of the world’s land surface, where 71.4% of the human population live. Biodiversity intactness within most biomes (especially grassland biomes), most biodiversity hotspots, and even some wilderness areas is inferred to be beyond the boundary. Such widespread transgression of safe limits suggests that biodiversity loss, if unchecked, will undermine efforts toward long-term sustainable development

SARS-CoV-2 viral load in nasopharyngeal swabs is not an independent predictor of unfavorable outcome

The aim was to assess the ability of nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load at first patient’s hospital evaluation to predict unfavorable outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study including 321 adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 through RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swabs. Quantitative Synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA cycle threshold values were used to calculate the viral load in log10 copies/mL. Disease severity at the end of follow up was categorized into mild, moderate, and severe. Primary endpoint was a composite of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and/or death (n = 85, 26.4%). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load over the second quartile (≥ 7.35 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.003) and second tertile (≥ 8.27 log10 copies/mL, p = 0.01) were associated to unfavorable outcome in the unadjusted logistic regression analysis. However, in the final multivariable analysis, viral load was not independently associated with an unfavorable outcome. Five predictors were independently associated with increased odds of ICU admission and/or death: age ≥ 70 years, SpO2, neutrophils > 7.5 × 103/µL, lactate dehydrogenase ≥ 300 U/L, and C-reactive protein ≥ 100 mg/L. In summary, nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load on admission is generally high in patients with COVID-19, regardless of illness severity, but it cannot be used as an independent predictor of unfavorable clinical outcome

Overview of recent TJ-II stellarator results

The main results obtained in the TJ-II stellarator in the last two years are reported. The most important topics investigated have been modelling and validation of impurity transport, validation of gyrokinetic simulations, turbulence characterisation, effect of magnetic configuration on transport, fuelling with pellet injection, fast particles and liquid metal plasma facing components. As regards impurity transport research, a number of working lines exploring several recently discovered effects have been developed: the effect of tangential drifts on stellarator neoclassical transport, the impurity flux driven by electric fields tangent to magnetic surfaces and attempts of experimental validation with Doppler reflectometry of the variation of the radial electric field on the flux surface. Concerning gyrokinetic simulations, two validation activities have been performed, the comparison with measurements of zonal flow relaxation in pellet-induced fast transients and the comparison with experimental poloidal variation of fluctuations amplitude. The impact of radial electric fields on turbulence spreading in the edge and scrape-off layer has been also experimentally characterized using a 2D Langmuir probe array. Another remarkable piece of work has been the investigation of the radial propagation of small temperature perturbations using transfer entropy. Research on the physics and modelling of plasma core fuelling with pellet and tracer-encapsulated solid-pellet injection has produced also relevant results. Neutral beam injection driven Alfvénic activity and its possible control by electron cyclotron current drive has been examined as well in TJ-II. Finally, recent results on alternative plasma facing components based on liquid metals are also presented. ISSN:0029-5515 ISSN:1741-432

Dendritic cell deficiencies persist seven months after SARS-CoV-2 infection

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 infection induces an exacerbated inflammation driven by innate immunity components. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the defense against viral infections, for instance plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), have the capacity to produce vast amounts of interferon-alpha (IFN-α). In COVID-19 there is a deficit in DC numbers and IFN-α production, which has been associated with disease severity. In this work, we described that in addition to the DC deficiency, several DC activation and homing markers were altered in acute COVID-19 patients, which were associated with multiple inflammatory markers. Remarkably, previously hospitalized and nonhospitalized patients remained with decreased numbers of CD1c+ myeloid DCs and pDCs seven months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Moreover, the expression of DC markers such as CD86 and CD4 were only restored in previously nonhospitalized patients, while no restoration of integrin β7 and indoleamine 2,3-dyoxigenase (IDO) levels were observed. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the immunological sequelae of COVID-19