Dietary Mg Supplementation Decreases Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Vascular Dysfunction in an Experimental Model of Metabolic Syndrome with Renal Failure

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are commonly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and in these patients Mg concentration is usually decreased. This study evaluated whether a dietary Mg supplementation might attenuate vascular dysfunction through the modulation of oxidative stress and inflammation in concurrent MetS and CKD. Methods: A rat model of MetS (Zucker strain) with CKD (5/6 nephrectomy, Nx) was used. Nephrectomized animals were fed a normal 0.1%Mg (MetS+Nx+Mg 0.1%) or a supplemented 0.6%Mg (MetS+Nx+Mg0.6%) diet; Sham-operated rats with MetS receiving 0.1%Mg were used as controls. Results: As compared to controls, the MetS+Nx-Mg0.1% group showed a significant increase in oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers (lipid peroxidation and aortic interleukin-1b and -6 expression) and Endothelin-1 levels, a decrease in nitric oxide and a worsening in uremia and MetS associated pathology as hypertension, and abnormal glucose and lipid profile. Moreover, proteomic evaluation revealed changes mainly related to lipid metabolism and CVD markers. By contrast, in the MetS+Nx+Mg0.6% group, these parameters remained largely similar to controls. Conclusion: In concurrent MetS and CKD, dietary Mg supplementation reduced inflammation and oxidative stress and improved vascular function.This research was funded by a Spanish government grant from the Programa Nacional I+D+I 2008–2011 from the MINECO-Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI20/0660 and PI21/00654) with co-financing from European Funds (FEDER) and EUTOX and REDinREN from the ISCIII, Consejería de Salud (grants PI-0071-2021) from the Junta de Andalucía and Grant PY20_00773 from Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo from the Junta de Andalucía. J.M.D.-T. hold a Sara Borrell contract by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), co-funded by European Social Fund (European Social Fund-Investment in your future). Y.A. and J.R.M.-C. are senior researchers supported by the Nicolás Monardes Programme, Consejería de Salud-SAS (Junta de Andalucía)

A survey on the (in)security of trusted execution environments

As the number of security and privacy attacks continue to grow around the world, there is an ever increasing need to protect our personal devices. As a matter of fact, more and more manufactures are relying on Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to shield their devices. In particular, ARM TrustZone (TZ) is being widely used in numerous embedded devices, especially smartphones, and this technology is the basis for secure solutions both in industry and academia. However, as shown in this paper, TEE is not bullet-proof and it has been successfully attacked numerous times and in very different ways. To raise awareness among potential stakeholders interested in this technology, this paper provides an extensive analysis and categorization of existing vulnerabilities in TEEs and highlights the design flaws that led to them. The presented vulnerabilities, which are not only extracted from existing literature but also from publicly available exploits and databases, are accompanied by some effective countermeasures to reduce the likelihood of new attacks. The paper ends with some appealing challenges and open issues.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the SecureEDGE project (PID2019-110565RB-I00), and by the by the Andalusian FEDER 2014–2020 Program through the SAVE project (PY18-3724)

Respuesta del plátano a elementos secundarios y menores en un inceptisol del clima medio en Antioquia

"Se realizó un experimento con plátano, variedad ""Dominico"", en un suelo Andic Dystropept, fuertemente ácido, de mediana fertilidad, en la zona de clima medio de Antioquia. En dos cosechas por cepa (dos ciclos), realizadas en 26 meses, hubo incrementó no significativo en la producción (4,8 t/ha) cuando se aplicó 60 - 30 - 120 kg/ha/año de N, P205 y K20. Sin embargo, este tratamiento incrementó en 73 por ciento el número de racimos medianos y grandes (mayor de 20 kg/racimo) con alto valor comercial. Los suelos estudiados eran bajos en Cu (1,4 ppm), medios en Fe, Zn y B (53, 2,6 y 0,4 ppm) y altos en Mn (25,6 ppm). Bajo esta condición de fertilidad, la aplicación de 15 kg/ha de Bórax o 1 kg/ha de Molibdato de Amonio mejoró significativamente el rendimiento y la calidad de los racimos cuyo tamaño, en alto porcentaje, varió entre medianos y grandes"Plátano-Musa sapientu

Antiparasitic activity of chicory (Cichorium intybus) and its natural bioactive compounds in livestock: a review

Increasing drug resistance in gastrointestinal (GI) parasites of livestock and concerns about chemical residues in animal products and the environment are driving the development of alternative control strategies that are less reliant on the use of synthetic drugs. An increasingly investigated approach is the use of bioactive forages with antiparasitic properties as part of the animal’s diet (nutraceuticals) or as potential sources of novel, natural parasiticides. Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a multi-purpose crop and one of the most promising bioactive forages in temperate regions, and numerous in vivo trials have explored its potential against parasitic nematodes in livestock. However, it is unclear whether chicory can induce a direct and broad activity against various GI parasites in different livestock species, and the levels of chicory in the diet that are required to exert an efficient antiparasitic effect. Moreover, the mechanisms leading to the reported parasiticidal activity of chicory are still largely unknown, and its bioactive phytochemicals have only recently been investigated. In this review, we summarise the progress in the study of the antiparasitic activity of chicory and its natural bioactive compounds against GI parasites in livestock, through examination of the published literature. The available evidence indicates that feeding chicory can reduce faecal egg counts and/or worm burdens of abomasal nematodes, but not infections with intestinal worms, in ruminants. Highly chicory-rich diets (≥ 70% of chicory dry matter in the diet) may be necessary to directly affect abomasal parasitism. Chicory is known to synthesise several bioactive compounds with potential antiparasitic activity, but most research has been devoted to the role of sesquiterpene lactones (SL). Recent in vitro studies have confirmed direct and potent activity of SL-rich extracts from chicory against different GI helminths of livestock. Chicory SL have also been reported to exhibit antimalarial properties and its potential antiprotozoal activity in livestock remains to be evaluated. Furthermore, the detailed identification of the main antiparasitic metabolites of chicory and their pharmacokinetics need further confirmation. Research gaps and perspectives on the potential use of chicory as a nutraceutical forage and a source of bioactive compounds for parasite control in livestock are discussed

Diseño e implementación de una web para garantizar el éxito del doctorado en Humanidades de la UCM

Creación de una web dirigida a alumnos del doctorado en humanidades que estén realizando o a punto de defender su Tesis Doctoral (TD). En la primera etapa del proyecto se realizará el diseño teórico del curso, teniendo en cuenta las normativas pertinentes así como los contenidos más relevantes que pretendemos transmitir. En una segunda fase se convocará a un grupo de doctorandos en Humanidades que estén haciendo su TD o que acaban de terminarla para que aporten su punto de vista y experiencia con respecto a los varios módulos de la web confeccionada

Desarrollo de recursos on line para la transformación digital del doctorado en la UCM, con especial foco en Humanidades

Creación, desarrollo y explicación de recursos on line dirigidos a alumnos del doctorado en humanidades de la UCM que estén realizando o a punto de defender su Tesis Doctoral (TD), proporcionando las herramientas y destrezas necesarios para el éxito en su preparación, elaboración y defensa, no sólo profesional sino también emocional. El proyecto supone una maduración de iniciativas anteriores, iniciativas basadas en el entorno del Campus Virtual, cuyos resultados hacen viable una mayor visibilidad no sólo para los estudiantes de la UCM sino también a nivel internacional. En la primera etapa del proyecto se realizará el diseño teórico del curso de doctorado planificado, aprovechando materiales, recursos y elementos ya considerados, teniendo en cuenta las normativas específicas de la UCM, así como los contenidos más relevantes que pretendemos transmitir y poner en práctica de forma multimedia. En una segunda fase se convocará a un grupo de doctorandos en Humanidades, de diferentes facultades de la UCM, que estén haciendo su TD o que acaban de terminarla para que colaboren y aporten su punto de vista y experiencia con respecto a la variedad de recursos implementados en el proyecto. Se volcarán todos esos resultados para el uso y disfrute de otros doctorandos y doctorandas.Depto. de Filosofía y SociedadFac. de FilosofíaFALSEsubmitte

La seguridad familiar como condicionante de la vulnerabilidad habitacional en la comunidad gitana.

A lo largo de la historia, las personas de etnia gitana han tenido que hacer frente a laexclusión, la marginación y la discriminación. Actualmente, gracias a las nuevas leyes, lasEstrategias Nacionales y gracias al esfuerzo de la población gitana, la exclusión ha idodisminuyendo en comparación con los años anteriores. Aún así, hay cierta parte de la poblacióngitana que sigue sufriendo discriminación, generando consecuencias negativas en todos losámbitos. El presente trabajo, busca investigar cómo las personas de etnia gitana se venafectadas, centrándose en el ámbito de vivienda y cómo la seguridad familiar puede ser un grancondicionante para la vulnerabilidad habitacional.La investigación se enmarca en la ciudad de Zaragoza, haciendo una revisión sobre laevolución que ha tenido la situación de las personas gitanas en los últimos diez años, y conespecial interés en lo ocurrido con la crisis de la COVID-19. La metodología utilizada ha sidocualitativa, a través de entrevistas semi estructuradas a técnicos y técnicas de intervenciónsocial en entidades sociales de barrios de Zaragoza que desarrollan itinerarios de inserción socialcon personas gitanas.Estas personas nos han acercado a una realidad como es la situación de vulnerabilidadsocial, agravada por el riesgo de pobreza en el que viven las personas atendidas en susitinerarios. Nos han hablado de las múltiples caras que tiene el riesgo de exclusión,especialmente cuando el sujeto en riesgo es víctima de discriminación.<br /

Metaheuristic algorithm for the construction of mixed covering arrays of different strength levels to be used in the design of black box software test cases

Introduction: Currently, software quality is a fundamental feature to ensure a space in the global market that day by day is more competitive and demanding. Software testing allows software developers to find and fix bugs and, thereby, raise the quality of their products. The cost of testing is now estimated at 50% of the total cost of software development, so it is necessary to find less expensive ways to ensure elevated levels of fault detection. In this scenario, black box tests play a key role; within these tests, combinatorial approaches are one of the best options. In combinatorial tests, test users must have a tool that provides them with the least number of test cases with the greatest coverage (failure detection) according to the parameters of the method (procedure, function, or other) that they want to test, and this is the main objective of this work. Objective: This paper presents an algorithm that supports the generation of test cases in black box tests based on creating Mixed Covering Arrays (MCA). These fixes allow you to generate the smallest number of test cases required to test a unit of code with the highest required coverage. The proposed algorithm builds an initial solution based on a greedy algorithm and then improves this solution through an iterative process oriented by simulated annealing (metaheuristic algorithm). Methodology: The research was conducted following the Iterative Research Pattern proposed by Pratt. First, the main problems reported in the state of the art for the construction of CSF were identified, then a review of the proposed solutions to these problems was performed. Then a first algorithm was created and then iteratively modified this algorithm, including, and removing components according to the experimental results of its operation. When the desired version was obtained, a process of refinement of parameters was performed and compared with the best results presented in the literature, results obtained by different algorithms. Results: The proposed algorithm obtains MCAs that are competitive (on average 3 additional test cases) against the best reported in the state of the art in an abbreviated execution time, an aspect that is of special interest for software testers. Conclusions: It was confirmed that the greedy and metaheuristic approach based on simulated annealing is a suitable alternative for the construction of a CSF. Neighboring solution construction algorithms are key to finding the required MCA in a shorter execution time

La seguridad familiar como condicionante de la vulnerabilidad habitacional en la comunidad gitana.

A lo largo de la historia, las personas de etnia gitana han tenido que hacer frente a la exclusión, la marginación y la discriminación. Actualmente, gracias a las nuevas leyes, las Estrategias Nacionales y gracias al esfuerzo de la población gitana, la exclusión ha ido disminuyendo en comparación con los años anteriores. Aún así, hay cierta parte de la población gitana que sigue sufriendo discriminación, generando consecuencias negativas en todos los ámbitos. El presente trabajo, busca investigar cómo las personas de etnia gitana se ven afectadas, centrándose en el ámbito de vivienda y cómo la seguridad familiar puede ser un gran condicionante para la vulnerabilidad habitacional.La investigación se enmarca en la ciudad de Zaragoza, haciendo una revisión sobre la evolución que ha tenido la situación de las personas gitanas en los últimos diez años, y con especial interés en lo ocurrido con la crisis de la COVID-19. La metodología utilizada ha sido cualitativa, a través de entrevistas semi estructuradas a técnicos y técnicas de intervención social en entidades sociales de barrios de Zaragoza que desarrollan itinerarios de inserción social con personas gitanas.Estas personas nos han acercado a una realidad como es la situación de vulnerabilidad social, agravada por el riesgo de pobreza en el que viven las personas atendidas en sus itinerarios. Nos han hablado de las múltiples caras que tiene el riesgo de exclusión, especialmente cuando el sujeto en riesgo es víctima de discriminación.<br /

Hypoglycemic Effect of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam) Pers. Leaf Extract

Introduction: Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam) Pers (Crasulaceae) is a succulent ornamental plant. In Costa Rica, the leaves are used as a coadjuvant treatment for Diabetes Mellitus based on traditional knowledge of natural remedies. Moreover, there are some studies mentioning its use for Diabetes Mellitus as medicinal plant in several countries. This research aimed to demonstrate the antidiabetic properties of hydroalcoholic extracts of K. pinnata leaves through phytochemical screening, alpha amylase inhibition and rodent models. Methods: Crude extracts of K. pinnata leaves were prepared by infusion and decoction using water:ethanol (70:30) as a solvent. The extracts prepared by decoction (LAED, lyophilized-water:ethanol decoction) and by infusion (LAEI, lyophilized-water:ethanol-infusion) were analyzed by Folin Ciocalteu, HPLC and capacity of inhibition of α-amylase activity. To determine hypoglycemic activity in rats, extracts were administered orally at doses of 250, 500 and 750 mg/Kg and blood sugar levels were monitored over a four hours period using a glucometer. Results: A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in blood glucose was observed after one hour in rats treated with 500 mg/Kg of LAED extract. Treatment with 750 mg/Kg LAEI induced a statistically significant reduction in blood sugar at 90, 180 and 240 min, showing that the glucose-lowering effect of this extract was greater at a higher concentration. Conclusions: This study confirmed the hypoglycemic effect of K. pinnata extracts in the acute phase in rats and supports the use of this Crassulaceae as a home remedyInstituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica/[1510035]/TEC/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacéuticas (INIFAR