Evaluación de la viabilidad de distintas dietas para la producción de Lombrihumus con las especies Eisenia foetida y Eudrillus sp

The current environmental crisis has not left outside its scope the affectation to the health and fertility of the soil when causing an accelerated deterioration of its productive capacity directly affected to the agricultural yields at global level. In response and for the increase of the resilience of the agroecosystems to the unproductiveness of the soils the lombrihumus is used. In this study we test the adaptive and productive capacity of earthworms with different diets: fresh kitchen waste, wet paper, chopped grass and cow manure - control. Previously, the viability of care of the diets was determined with the characterization of waste produced by the campus canteen where the experiment was carried out. The red Californian (Eisenia foetida) and Cuban red (Eudrillus sp) species were used in canoes of one cubic meter (1 m3) where they were fed. The total production, the speed and percentage of assimilation of the diet were measured. In addition, the nutritional analysis of lombrihumus was performed for each treatment. The Variance Analysis (ANOVA) and the Minimum Significant Difference (DMS) were applied to the data obtained in the statistical program SPSS 23.0. The treatments T1 (fresh kitchen waste) and T2 (wet paper) showed significant results in the productive and nutritional aspects, so they can be used as a substitute for the T4 treatment (cow manure - control). The test should be repeated at different times of the year, variable environmental conditions, with a higher number of repetitions and a combination of treatments.La actual crisis medioambiental no ha dejado fuera de su alcance la afectación a la salud y fertilidad del suelo al causar un acelerado deterioro de su capacidad productiva afectado directamente a los rendimientos agrícolas a nivel global. En respuesta y para el aumento de la resiliencia de los agroecosistemas a la improductividad de los suelos se utiliza el lombrihumus. En este estudio testamos la capacidad de adaptación y productiva de las lombrices con distintas dietas: residuos frescos de cocina, papel húmedo, pasto picado y estiércol vacuno - testigo. Previamente se determinó la viabilidad de atención de las dietas con la caracterización de residuos producidos por el comedor universitario del campus donde se llevó el experimento. Se usaron las especies roja californiana (Eisenia foetida) y roja cubana (Eudrillus sp) en canoas de un metro cúbico (1 m3) donde se les suministro el alimento. Se midió la producción total, la velocidad y porcentaje de asimilación de la dieta. Complementariamente se realizó el análisis nutricional del lombrihumus por cada tratamiento. A los datos obtenidos se les aplico el Análisis de la Varianza (ANOVA) y la Diferencia Mínima Significativa (DMS) en el programa estadístico SPSS 23.0. Los tratamientos T1 (residuos frescos de cocina) y T2 (papel húmedo) mostraron resultados significativamente en los aspectos productivos y nutricionales, por ello pueden ser utilizados como sustito del tratamiento T4 (estiércol de vaca – testigo). Deben de repetirse el ensayo en distintas épocas del año, condiciones ambientales variables, con mayor número de repeticiones y combinación de los tratamientos

Perencanaan unit pengawasan mutu pabrik pembekuan udang windu block frozen (bf) head less (hl) dengan kapasitas bahan baku 15.000 kg/hari

Indonesia merupakan negara kepulauan yang kaya akan sumber daya alam di bidang perikanan. Salah satu contoh hasil perikanan Indonesia yang banyak diekspor ke luar negeri adalah udang tetapi udang mudah mengalami kerusakan (most perishable food) sehingga perlu dilakukan suatu proses yang dapat mempertahankan mutu bahan selama distribusi, yakni dengan pembekuan dalam bentuk Block Frozen (BF). Unit pengendalian mutu dibutuhkan agar mutu produk tetap bagus dan terjaga kualitasnya sehingga produk yang dihasilkan konsisten sesuai standar yang telah ditetapkan dan dapat diterima oleh konsumen. Unit pengawasan mutu direncanakan pada pabrik pembekuan udang windu block frozen head less dengan kapasitas bahan baku 15.000 kg/hari. Pengawasan mutu dilakukan terhadap bahan baku yang digunakan, proses produksi, serta produk akhir yang dihasilkan. Kelayakan suatu unit pengawasan mutu ditentukan oleh aspek teknis dan ekonomis. Aspek teknis meliputi sumber daya manusia, prosedur dan pelaksanaan kegiatan pengawasan mutu serta sarana dan prasarana yang digunakan. Aspek ekonomis meliputi total biaya unit pengawasan mutu yang direncanakan terhadap harga jual produk akhir. Perencanaan unit pengawasan mutu pembekuan udang windu block frozen head less dengan kapasitas bahan baku 15.000 kg/hari layak secara teknis karena sumber daya manusia yang digunakan berkualifikasi, prosedur dan pelaksanaan kegiatan pengawasan mutu sesuai dengan standar yang ditetapkan, letak ruang pengawasan mutu strategis sehingga kegiatan pengawasan mutu dapat berlangsung efektif dan efisien serta tersedianya sarana dan prasarana yang memadai dan lengkap. Unit pengawasan mutu dikatakan layak dari aspek ekonomis apabila tidak melebihi 4% dari total biaya produksi. Jadi, unit pengawasan mutu yang direncanakan dapat dikatakan layak secara ekonomis karena biaya unit pengawasan mutu per unit BF (1,814kg) adalah Rp. 264,99 dengan presentase sebesar 0,24% dari total biaya produksi

Safety Profile of Gutless Adenovirus Vectors Delivered into the Normal Brain Parenchyma: Implications for a Glioma Phase 1 Clinical Trial

Abstract Adenoviral vectors (Ads) have been evaluated in clinical trials for glioma. However, systemic immunity against the vectors can hamper therapeutic efficacy. We demonstrated that combined immunostimulation and cytotoxic gene therapy provides long-term survival in preclinical glioma models. Because helper-dependent high-capacity Ads (HC-Ads) elicit sustained transgene expression, in the presence of antiadenoviral immunity, we engineered HC-Ads encoding conditional cytotoxic herpes simplex type 1 thymidine kinase and immunostimulatory cytokine Fms-like tyrosine kinase ligand-3 under the control of the TetOn system. Escalating doses of combined HC-Ads (1?108, 1?109, and 1?1010 viral particles [VP]) were delivered into the rat brain. We assessed neuropathology, biodistribution, transgene expression, systemic toxicity, and behavioral impact at acute and chronic time points after vector delivery. Histopathological analysis did not reveal any evidence of toxicity or long-term inflammation at the lower doses tested. Vector genomes were restricted to the injection site. Serum chemistry did not uncover adverse systemic side effects at any of the doses tested. Taken together, our data indicate that doses of up to 1?109 VP of each HC-Ad can be safely administered into the normal brain. This comprehensive toxicity and biodistribution study will lay the foundations for implementation of a phase 1 clinical trial for GBM using HC-Ads.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98452/1/hgtb%2E2012%2E060.pd

Chemotaxis: a feedback-based computational model robustly predicts multiple aspects of real cell behaviour

The mechanism of eukaryotic chemotaxis remains unclear despite intensive study. The most frequently described mechanism acts through attractants causing actin polymerization, in turn leading to pseudopod formation and cell movement. We recently proposed an alternative mechanism, supported by several lines of data, in which pseudopods are made by a self-generated cycle. If chemoattractants are present, they modulate the cycle rather than directly causing actin polymerization. The aim of this work is to test the explanatory and predictive powers of such pseudopod-based models to predict the complex behaviour of cells in chemotaxis. We have now tested the effectiveness of this mechanism using a computational model of cell movement and chemotaxis based on pseudopod autocatalysis. The model reproduces a surprisingly wide range of existing data about cell movement and chemotaxis. It simulates cell polarization and persistence without stimuli and selection of accurate pseudopods when chemoattractant gradients are present. It predicts both bias of pseudopod position in low chemoattractant gradients and-unexpectedly-lateral pseudopod initiation in high gradients. To test the predictive ability of the model, we looked for untested and novel predictions. One prediction from the model is that the angle between successive pseudopods at the front of the cell will increase in proportion to the difference between the cell's direction and the direction of the gradient. We measured the angles between pseudopods in chemotaxing Dictyostelium cells under different conditions and found the results agreed with the model extremely well. Our model and data together suggest that in rapidly moving cells like Dictyostelium and neutrophils an intrinsic pseudopod cycle lies at the heart of cell motility. This implies that the mechanism behind chemotaxis relies on modification of intrinsic pseudopod behaviour, more than generation of new pseudopods or actin polymerization by chemoattractant

An Attenuated Cytomegalovirus Vaccine with a Deletion of a Viral Chemokine Gene Is Protective against Congenital CMV Transmission in a Guinea Pig Model

Development of a vaccine against congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a public health priority, but CMVs encode immune evasion genes that complicate live virus vaccine design. To resolve this problem, this study employed guanosyl phosphoribosyl transferase (gpt) mutagenesis to generate a recombinant guinea pig CMV (GPCMV) with a knockout of a viral chemokine gene, GPCMV MIP (gp1). MIP deletion virus replicated with wild-type kinetics in cell culture but was attenuated in nonpregnant guinea pigs, demonstrating reduced viremia and reduced inflammation and histopathology (compared to a control virus with an intact GPCMV MIP gene) following footpad inoculation. In spite of attenuation, the vaccine was immunogenic, eliciting antibody responses comparable to those observed in natural infection. To assess its protective potential as a vaccine, either recombinant virus or placebo was used to immunize seronegative female guinea pigs. Dams were challenged in the early 3rd trimester with salivary gland-adapted GPCMV. Immunization protected against DNAemia (1/15 in vaccine group versus 12/13 in the control group, P<0.01). Mean birth weights were significantly higher in pups born to vaccinated dams compared to controls (98.7 g versus 71.2 g, P<0.01). Vaccination reduced pup mortality, from 35/50 (70%) in controls to 8/52 (15%) in the immunization group. Congenital GPCMV infection was also reduced, from 35/50 (70%) in controls to 9/52 (17%) in the vaccine group (P<0.0001). We conclude that deletion of an immune modulation gene can attenuate the pathogenicity of GPCMV while resulting in a viral vaccine that retains immunogenicity and demonstrates efficacy against congenital infection and disease

Anthracyclines, proteasome activity and multi-drug-resistance

BACKGROUND: P-glycoprotein is responsible for the ATP-dependent export of certain structurally unrelated compounds including many chemotherapeutic drugs. Amplification of P-glycoprotein activity can result in multi-drug resistance and is a common cause of chemotherapy treatment failure. Therefore, there is an ongoing search for inhibitors of P-glycoprotein. Observations that cyclosporin A, and certain other substances, inhibit both the proteasome and P-glycoprotein led us to investigate whether anthracyclines, well known substrates of P-gp, also inhibit the function of the proteasome. METHODS: Proteasome function was measured in cell lysates from ECV304 cells incubated with different doses of verapamil, doxorubicin, daunorubicin, idarubicin, epirubicin, topotecan, mitomycin C, and gemcitabine using a fluorogenic peptide assay. Proteasome function in living cells was monitored using ECV304 cells stably transfected with the gene for an ubiquitin/green fluorescent protein fusion protein. The ability of the proteasome inhibitor MG-132 to affect P-glycoprotein function was monitored by fluorescence due to accumulation of daunorubicin in P-glycoprotein overexpressing KB 8-5 cells. RESULTS: Verapamil, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, idarubicin, and epirubicin inhibited 26S chymotrypsin-like function in ECV304 extracts in a dose-dependent fashion. With the exception of daunorubicin, 20S proteasome function was also suppressed. The proteasome inhibitor MG-132 caused a dose-dependent accumulation of daunorubicin in KB 8-5 cells that overexpress P-glycoprotein, suggesting that it blocked P-glycoprotein function. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that anthracyclines inhibit the 26S proteasome as well as P-glycoprotein. Use of inhibitors of either pathway in cancer therapy should take this into consideration and perhaps use it to advantage, for example during chemosensitization by proteasome inhibitors

Control of Dendritic Morphogenesis by Trio in Drosophila melanogaster

Abl tyrosine kinase and its effectors among the Rho family of GTPases each act to control dendritic morphogenesis in Drosophila. It has not been established, however, which of the many GTPase regulators in the cell link these signaling molecules in the dendrite. In axons, the bifunctional guanine exchange factor, Trio, is an essential link between the Abl tyrosine kinase signaling pathway and Rho GTPases, particularly Rac, allowing these systems to act coordinately to control actin organization. In dendritic morphogenesis, however, Abl and Rac have contrary rather than reinforcing effects, raising the question of whether Trio is involved, and if so, whether it acts through Rac, Rho or both. We now find that Trio is expressed in sensory neurons of the Drosophila embryo and regulates their dendritic arborization. trio mutants display a reduction in dendritic branching and increase in average branch length, whereas over-expression of trio has the opposite effect. We further show that it is the Rac GEF domain of Trio, and not its Rho GEF domain that is primarily responsible for the dendritic function of Trio. Thus, Trio shapes the complexity of dendritic arbors and does so in a way that mimics the effects of its target, Rac

All different or all the same? Exploring the diversity of professional practices in Portuguese school psychology

"Published online: 29 March 2016"Studies have generally characterized school psychologists as a relative homogenous population. Understanding the differences in professional practices and related variables is important for the development of the profession. Using a sample of 446 Portuguese school psychologists, this study used cluster analysis to identify distinct profiles of professional activity, based on practitioners’ time distribution among different target audiences (i.e.,students, parents, teachers, school board members, school non-professional staff, and other professionals within the school community). Three distinct profiles emerged from the data: a group highly oriented to work with students, a group that distributes time almost equitably between adults and students, and a group that concentrates attention and professional expertise on adults. Practice setting variables, such as school-psychologists-to-student ratio, schoolpsychologists-to-school ratio, number of referrals per year, and school community level of demand for different activities, were found to be significantly related to cluster membership. No personal- or professional-background-related variables differentiated the three groups. The main implications of these findings are discussed in light of recent literature regarding the models of service delivery for school psychologists

VASP is a processive actin polymerase that requires monomeric actin for barbed end association

Visualization of VASP tetramers interacting with static and growing actin filaments in vitro by TIRF microscopy leads to a new model for VASP-mediated actin filament assembly