Hydrogen production by Escherichia coli ΔhycA ΔlacI using cheese whey as substrate

"This study reports a fermentative hydrogen production by Escherichia coli using cheese whey as substrate. To improve the biohydrogen production, an E. coli ΔhycA ΔlacI strain (WDHL) was constructed. The absence of hycA and lacI genes had a positive effect on the biohydrogen production. The strain produced 22% more biohydrogen in a shorter time than the wild-type (WT) strain. A Box-Behnken experimental design was used to optimize pH, temperature and substrate concentration. The optimal initial conditions for biohydrogen production by WDHL strain were pH 7.5, 37 °C and 20 g/L of cheese whey. The specific production rate was improved from 3.29 mL H2/optical density at 600 nm (OD600nm) unit-h produced by WDHL under non-optimal conditions to 5.88 mL H2/OD600nm unit-h under optimal conditions. Using optimal initial conditions, galactose can be metabolized by WDHL strain. The maximum yield obtained was 2.74 mol H2/mol lactose consumed, which is comparable with the yield reached in other hydrogen production processes with Clostridium sp. or mixed cultures.

Analysis of phthalic acid, bisphenol A and bisphenol A dimethacrylate in Mexican food cans by HPLC with evaporative light scattering detector

"Bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol A dimethacrylate (BisDMA) and phthalic acid (PA) endocrine disruptors can migrate from the plastic lining of cans to foods producing serious health problems when they exceed allowable concentration limits for consumption. In this work, a method was assessed for the determination of BPA, BisDMA, and PA in vegetable food cans from Mexico using a food simulant. Those disruptors were determined by HPLC connected to an Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (ELSD), and simultaneous detection by UV-Vis detector was used for validation. The most frequently found disruptor in major concentration was PA over the range of 5.40 to 112.39 μg l−1. The samples analysed did not exceed the migration limit accepted by the US-FDA and US-EPA for bisphenols. Our results showed that HPLC-ELSD produces chromatograms with accurate signals and smaller detection limits than the UV-Vis detector for the substances analysed here.

Replicative and integrative plasmids for production of human interferon gamma in Bacillus subtilis

"Integrative and replicative plasmids for the expression driven by the P43 promoter and secretion of recombinant proteins in Bacillus subtilis were constructed. The plasmids named pInt and pRep respectively were tested for the production of recombinant human interferon gamma (rhIFN-γ). A synthetic hIFN-γ gene employing the optimized B. subtilis codon usage was fused with the Bacillus licheniformis α-amylase signal peptide (sp-amyL) encoding sequence. The integrative construct produced 2.5 ± 0.2 mg l−1 and the replicative system produced 20.3 ± 0.8 mg l−1 of total recombinant rhIFN-γ. The results showed that secretion of hIFN-γ was the bottleneck for the overexpression of mature rhIFN-γ by B. subtilis.

Modified penicillin acylase signal peptide allows the periplasmic production of soluble human interferon-γ but not of soluble human interleukin-2 by the Tat pathway in Escherichia coli

"Production of periplasmic human interferon-γ (hINF-γ) and human interleukin-2 (hIL-2) by the Tat translocation pathway in Escherichia coli BL21-SI was evaluated. The expression was obtained using the pEMR vector which contains the Tat-dependent modified penicillin acylase signal peptide (mSPpac) driven by the T7 promoter. The mSPpac-hINF-γ was processed and the protein was transported to periplasm. Up to 30.1% of hINF-γ was found in the periplasmic soluble fraction, whereas only 15% of the mSPpac-hIL-2 was processed, but hIL-2 was not found in the periplasmic soluble fraction.

Optimization of human interferon gamma production in Escherichia coli by response surface methodology

"The production of human interferon gamma (hIFN-γ) using a synthetic gene in Escherichia coli BL21-SI was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) and a Box-Behnken design. The process variables studied were temperature, bio-mass concentration at induction time and the NaCl concentration as inducer. According to the Box-Behnken design, a second order response function was developed. The optimal expression conditions were a temperature of 32.6°C, induction biomass of 0.31 g/L and 0.3 M NaCl in minimal medium. The model prediction for the maximum hIFN-γ production was 77.3 mg/L, which corresponded satisfactorily with the experimental data. The hIFN-γ concentration attained under optimized conditions was 13-times higher than that obtained using the non-optimized conditions. We conclude that RSM is an effective method for the optimization of recombinant protein expression using synthetic genes in E. coli.

The begomovirus Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus is not seed-transmitted in melon

Transmission of plant viruses through seed can be one of the major factors contributing to long- distance dispersal through global trade of seeds and can have important ecological consequences for virus dissemination. Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae), and among them isolates of the species Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), cause significant yield losses in economically important crops worldwide. These viruses are horizontally transmitted in nature in a circulative and persistent manner by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci but in recent years several reports have raised the possibility of vertical transmission through seeds for some members of this genus. We have investigated the possible transmission by melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds of a ToLCNDV isolate of the “Spain” strain, in three different melon cultivars (all susceptible to ToLCNDV). The presence of ToLCNDV in floral tissues and the detection of viral DNA in seeds reveals the seed-borne nature of this virus. However, grow-out studies conducted with the progeny of melon plants germinated from seeds collected from ToLCNDV-infected plants and evaluated at early (1 leaf) or at late (20 leaves) growth stages did not support the vertical transmission of ToLCNDV from seeds to the offspring.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

The begomovirus tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus is not seed-transmitted in melon

Transmission of plant viruses through seed can be one of the major factors contributing to longdistance dispersal through global trade of seeds and can have important ecological consequences for virus dissemination. Begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae), and among them isolates of the species Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), cause significant yield losses in economically important crops worldwide. These viruses are horizontally transmitted in nature in a circulative and persistent manner by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci but in recent years several reports have raised the possibility of vertical transmission through seeds for some members of this genus. We have investigated the possible transmission by melon (Cucumis melo L.) seeds of a ToLCNDV isolate of the “Spain” strain, in three different melon cultivars (all susceptible to ToLCNDV). The presence of ToLCNDV in floral tissues and the detection of viral DNA in seeds reveals the seed-borne nature of this virus. However, grow-out studies conducted with the progeny of melon plants germinated from seeds collected from ToLCNDV-infected plants and evaluated at early (1 leaf) or at late (20 leaves) growth stages did not support the vertical transmission of ToLCNDV from seeds to the offspring.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Optimization of culture conditions for a synthetic gene expression in Escherichia coli using response surface methodology: the case of human interferon beta

"A human interferon beta (hINF-β) synthetic gene was optimized and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21-SI using a vector with the T7 promoter. To determine the best culture conditions such as culture medium, temperature, cell density and inducer concentration, we used the response surface methodology and a Box-Behnken design to get the highest hINF-β production. The maximum hINF-β production of 61 mg l−1 was attained using minimum medium and the following predicted optimal conditions: temperature of 32.5 °C, cell density of 0.64, and inducer concentration of 0.30 M NaCl. This is the first report showing the successful performance of the BL21-SI system in a minimum medium. The response surface methodology is effective for the optimization of recombinant protein production using synthetic genes.

Opinión sobre el programa “Cuidando Personas” : Estudio descriptivo y transversal a realizarse con los enfermeros del Sanatorio Allende – Córdoba en el período de Julio - Noviembre del 2022

El sistema de salud en Argentina se encuentra compuesto por todas aquellas organizaciones que se ocupan de prestar servicios sanitarios, y es uno de los más fragmentados y segmentados de Latinoamérica. Consecuentemente las instituciones son diversas prestando funciones de promoción, prevención, asistencia y rehabilitación en salud. Uno de los aspectos relevantes y que en muchos casos determinan la competitividad y permanencia en el mercado de las instituciones es la calidad de servicio, dentro de las empresas que aspiran a tal atención no se encuentran exentos las instituciones de salud. El sistema de salud en Argentina está compuesto por tres sectores poco integrados entre sí y fragmentados también en su interior: el sector público, el sector de seguro social obligatorio (Obras Sociales) y el sector privado, los mismos se encuentran regulados en sus funciones por distintos organismos descentralizados a cargo del Ministerio de Salud, el cual hace énfasis en la regulación de la normativa y acciones tendientes a brindar servicios de calidad desde la promoción, prevención, asistencia y rehabilitación en salud. Como tal, los servicios sanitarios y dentro de ellas sus miembros, deben enfrentar diversos desafíos, presiones, amenazas, para lograr mantener y desarrollar calidad en los servicios otorgados, deben saber cómo adecuar y adaptar los nuevos desafíos (tareas, tecnologías, estructura organizacional y ambiente externo) en diferentes situaciones como: el surgimiento de nuevas tecnologías, la globalización, los cambios políticos, y los cambios en el conocimiento. En este contexto se incorporan programas tendientes a lograr lo expuesto, dónde el equipo de salud y más específicamente, el personal de Enfermería quién mantiene el vínculo más estrecho con los pacientes y se interrelaciona con todos los subsistemas de las unidades de atención, adquiere gran importancia en la participación de los objetivos propuestos sobre calidad de atención. En la Provincia de Córdoba, el Sanatorio Allende diseña uno denominado “Cuidando Personas”, que involucra a todos los trabajadores del centro sanitario, con el objetivo en brindar una atención humanizada y de calidad, en los pacientes y en la familia durante su internación, articulando profesionalismo técnico-humanístico con tecnología e infraestructura moderna. Esto se planifico según la misión del Sanatorio en brindar práctica médica integral, la visión orientada al servicio médico de alta calidad asistencial, y valores que propone la institución. Su departamento de Enfermería, que adhiere estas tres dimensiones, tiene el fin de ofrecer cuidados humanísticos, siguiendo el objetivo del programa en mejorar la experiencia del paciente a partir de un cambio cultural interno en las prestaciones de servicio. Por ende, los autores del presente proyecto de investigación, buscan profundizar el estudio de las opiniones del profesional enfermero sobre la implementación del programa Cuidando Personas del Sanatorio Allende de Nueva Córdoba, el cual pretende bajo su lineamiento la mejora en la calidad de cuidado brindados a los pacientes durante el periodo de internación. La presentación del mismo está organizada en dos capítulos. El primero dedicado al problema de investigación, donde se incluye el planteo del problema, justificación del proyecto, el marco teórico, la definición conceptual de la variable, el objetivo general y los específicos. En el segundo capítulo se detalla el diseño metodológico del proyecto el cual presenta el tipo de estudio: el cual es descriptivo de corte transversal, Variable: Opinión sobre el Programa Cuidando Personas, Dimensiones: presentarse, escuchar, responder, sonreír, observar, neutralizar, abrir el corazón, sanatorio Allende. No se tomará muestra por ser una población finita de 128 enfermeros. La técnica e instrumento de recolección de datos será una encuesta bajo un cuestionario. Fuente: primaria. El procesamiento de datos se hará por similitud de respuestas para las preguntas abiertas y según cantidad de opciones seleccionadas para preguntas semiestructurada. El análisis se realizará a través de procedimientos estadísticos descriptivos, se presentará así mismo el cronograma y presupuesto y finalmente en la sección anexos se incluirán las notas de autorización, consentimiento informado, instrumento, tablas matrices y la bibliografía utilizada para la búsqueda de información.Fil: Auccapiña Sanchez, Ivania. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Enfermería; Argentina.Fil: León Valverde, Sandra Olivia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Enfermería; Argentina.Fil: Morales de la Cruz, Rocio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Enfermería; Argentina.Fil: Peña Perez, Katterin Yesenia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Enfermería; Argentina.Fil: Rozas, Leandro Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Escuela de Enfermería; Argentina

Brain mechanisms that underlie the effects of motivational audiovisual stimuli on psychophysiological responses during exercise

Motivational audiovisual stimuli such as music and video have been widely used in the realm of exercise and sport as a means by which to increase situational motivation and enhance performance. The present study addressed the mechanisms that underlie the effects of motivational stimuli on psychophysiological responses and exercise performance. Twenty-two participants completed fatiguing isometric handgrip-squeezing tasks under two experimental conditions (motivational audiovisual condition and neutral audiovisual condition) and a control condition. Electrical activity in the brain and working muscles was analyzed by use of electroencephalography and electromyography, respectively. Participants were asked to squeeze the dynamometer maximally for 30 s. A single-item motivation scale was administered after each squeeze. Results indicated that task performance and situational motivational were superior under the influence of motivational stimuli when compared to the other two conditions (~20% and ~25%, respectively). The motivational stimulus downregulated the predominance of low-frequency waves (theta) in the right frontal regions of the cortex (F8), and upregulated high-frequency waves (beta) in the central areas (C3 and C4). It is suggested that motivational sensory cues serve to readjust electrical activity in the brain; a mechanism by which the detrimental effects of fatigue on the efferent control of working muscles is ameliorated.This research was supported, in part, by grants from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior