171 research outputs found

    Equidad de género en el mundo científico

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    When conducting a search on the 30 best scientists in history, it was observed that within that group only three women were named, these being Marie Curie, Hypatia of Alexandria and Rosalind Franklin; which demonstrates the lack of female representation in the scientific world.In the 21st century there is a greater number of women who are studying STEM careers and medical careers. Women who specialize in different fields of science and who are working in research laboratories. According to data from 2018 (El Comercio), in Ecuador there is a greater representation of female researchers in different areas, with 48% in medicine, 50% in social sciences, 26% in physics and mathematics, and 25% in engineering; These data indicate that the participation of women in the scientific world is gradually increasingAl realizar una búsqueda sobre los 30 mejores científicos en la historia, se pudo observar que dentro de ese grupo únicamente se nombra a tres mujeres, siendo estas Marie Curie, Hipatia de Alejandría y Rosalind Franklin; lo que demuestra la falta de representación femenina en el mundo científico.  En el siglo XXI existe un mayor número de mujeres que se encuentran estudiando carreras STEM y carreras médicas. Mujeres que se especializan en diferentes campos de la ciencia y que se encuentran trabajando en laboratorios de investigación. Según datos del 2018 (El Comercio), en el Ecuador hay una mayor representación de investigadoras en distintas áreas, con un 48% en medicina, 50% ciencias sociales, 26% en física y matemáticas y 25 % en ingenierías; estos datos nos indican que de manera paulatina está incrementando la participación de mujeres en el mundo científico.&nbsp

    Revisión bibliográfica: Función e importancia de las ADN polimerasas

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    Introduction: DNA polymerases enzymes are involved in replication and repair processes. The enzymes are classified into four families based in sequence homology and function. The polymerases members of the A and X families are characterized for having a relevant role in replication and repair processes. Meanwhile, the members of the B family are considered high-fidelity enzymes, mainly participating in DNA replication. Finally, the Y family polymerases do not have 3'-5' exonuclease activity participating in translesion DNA synthesis. Objective:  To elaborate a narrative review on DNA polymerases in order to identify their role in replication and repair processes. Material and methods: The narrative literature review was performed by searching scientific papers in the databases PubMed and Google Scholar. The search parameters were DNA polymerases, translesion polymerases and polymerases in health and disease. Conclusion: The correct functioning of polymerases is essential in living organisms, due to their participation in crucial biological processes in cell survival. Their overexpression or mutations in the genes that code for the enzymes, can lead to the development of certain diseases such as cancer or mitochondrial disorders.Introducción: Las ADN polimerasas son enzimas las cuales se encuentran involucradas en los procesos de replicación y reparación. Dichas enzimas han sido clasificadas en cuatro familias, A, B, X y Y, basándose en la homología de sus secuencias y en el proceso que intervienen. La polimerasa de la familia A y X, se caracterizan por tener un rol importante tanto en el proceso de replicación, como de reparación. Mientras tanto los miembros de la familia B, son consideradas enzimas de alta fidelidad participando en la replicación de ADN.  Por último, los integrantes de la familia Y no poseen actividad exonucleasa 3’-5’; participando en la síntesis por translesión del ADN.  Objetivo: Realizar una revisión narrativa sobre las ADN polimerasas, con el fin de identificar su función en los procesos de replicación y reparación. Materiales y métodos: La revisión biobibliográfica narrativa, fue realizada mediante la búsqueda de artículo científicos en las bases de datos PubMed y Google Académico.  Los parámetros de búsqueda utilizados fueron: ADN polimerasas, polimerasas de translesión, polimerasas en salud y enfermedad Conclusión: El correcto funcionamiento de las polimerasas es esencial en los organismos vivos, debido a su participación en procesos biológicos cruciales. La sobre expresión de estas o mutaciones en los genes que codifican para dichas enzimas, puede encontrarse involucrado en el desarrollo de ciertas enfermedades tales como cáncer o desordenes mitocondriales

    Magnetic nanocarriers with tunable pH dependence for controlled loading and release of cationic and anionic payloads.

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    Superparamagnetic nanocarriers with tunable pH dependence of the surface charge are designed by a simple co-precipitation method. By exploiting electrostatic interactions, cationic or anionic payloads can be adsorbed and desorbed depending on the pH. On three different resulting nanocarrier systems, experiments of loading and release of gold nanoparticles as well as effective siRNA loading and in vitro delivery on human cells are performed

    Quality assessment of corn batches received at a feed mill in the Brazilian cerrado

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    This study aimed at investigating factors that contribute to changes in the quality of corn used in compound poultry feeds. Samples were collected from 6488 bulk cargos received at a feed mill located close to Brasília, Brazil. The parameters studied were divided into two groups: those related to corn chemical composition, including crude protein (% CP), ether extract (% EE), crude fiber (% CF), nitrogen-free extract (% NFE), and estimated metabolizable energy (ME), and corn physical characteristics, including density, moisture, and grain physical damage. High coefficients of determination (R²) and low coefficients of variation (CV) were determined for the chemical and physical parameters. The analysis of variance showed low to medium R². Month, year, supplier, and their interactions influenced (p <0.05) all chemical properties, as well as density, moisture, and ME. Physical characteristics were less affected by those factors, except for quantity of damaged grains. The principal component analysis separated the physical and chemical factors. The coefficients of the first component explained 54% of the total variation between variables. The first principal component showed that NFE and ME increased as humidity decreased. The second component also showed a decrease of physical problems due to reduction in humidity. Results indicate that the feed mills should take preventive measures when selecting suppliers, and diets should be formulated according to the differences in chemical and physical composition of corn supplied in different months and years

    A linkage map for the B-genome of Arachis (Fabaceae) and its synteny to the A-genome

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Arachis hypogaea </it>(peanut) is an important crop worldwide, being mostly used for edible oil production, direct consumption and animal feed. Cultivated peanut is an allotetraploid species with two different genome components, A and B. Genetic linkage maps can greatly assist molecular breeding and genomic studies. However, the development of linkage maps for <it>A. hypogaea </it>is difficult because it has very low levels of polymorphism. This can be overcome by the utilization of wild species of <it>Arachis</it>, which present the A- and B-genomes in the diploid state, and show high levels of genetic variability.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this work, we constructed a B-genome linkage map, which will complement the previously published map for the A-genome of <it>Arachis</it>, and produced an entire framework for the tetraploid genome. This map is based on an F<sub>2 </sub>population of 93 individuals obtained from the cross between the diploid <it>A. ipaënsis </it>(K30076) and the closely related <it>A. magna </it>(K30097), the former species being the most probable B genome donor to cultivated peanut. In spite of being classified as different species, the parents showed high crossability and relatively low polymorphism (22.3%), compared to other interspecific crosses. The map has 10 linkage groups, with 149 loci spanning a total map distance of 1,294 cM. The microsatellite markers utilized, developed for other <it>Arachis </it>species, showed high transferability (81.7%). Segregation distortion was 21.5%. This B-genome map was compared to the A-genome map using 51 common markers, revealing a high degree of synteny between both genomes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The development of genetic maps for <it>Arachis </it>diploid wild species with A- and B-genomes effectively provides a genetic map for the tetraploid cultivated peanut in two separate diploid components and is a significant advance towards the construction of a transferable reference map for <it>Arachis</it>. Additionally, we were able to identify affinities of some <it>Arachis </it>linkage groups with <it>Medicago truncatula</it>, which will allow the transfer of information from the nearly-complete genome sequences of this model legume to the peanut crop.</p

    De novo design approaches targeting an envelope protein pocket to identify small molecules against dengue virus

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    Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has become a major public health concern worldwide. This disease presents with a wide range of clinical manifestations, from a mild cold-like illness to the more serious hemorrhagic dengue fever and dengue shock syndrome. Currently, neither an approved drug nor an effective vaccine for the treatment are available to fight the disease. The envelope protein (E) is a major component of the virion surface. This protein plays a key role during the viral entry process, constituting an attractive target for the development of antiviral drugs. The crystal structure of the E protein reveals the existence of a hydrophobic pocket occupied by the detergent n-octyl-β-d-glucoside (β-OG). This pocket lies at the hinge region between domains I and II and is important for the low pH-triggered conformational rearrangement required for the fusion of the virion with the host's cell. Aiming at the design of novel molecules which bind to E and act as virus entry inhibitors, we undertook a de novo design approach by “growing” molecules inside the hydrophobic site (β-OG). From more than 240000 small-molecules generated, the 2,4 pyrimidine scaffold was selected as the best candidate, from which one synthesized compound displayed micromolar activity. Molecular dynamics-based optimization was performed on this hit, and thirty derivatives were designed in silico, synthesized and evaluated on their capacity to inhibit dengue virus entry into the host cell. Four compounds were found to be potent antiviral compounds in the low-micromolar range. The assessment of drug-like physicochemical and in vitro pharmacokinetic properties revealed that compounds 3e and 3h presented acceptable solubility values and were stable in mouse plasma, simulated gastric fluid, simulated intestinal fluid, and phosphate buffered saline solution.Fil: Leal, Emilse Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Adler, Natalia Sol. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; Argentina. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez, Gabriela Araceli. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Gebhard, Leopoldo German. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Battini, Leandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Aucar, María Gabriela. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional; ArgentinaFil: Videla, Mariela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Monge, Maria Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; ArgentinaFil: Hernández de los Ríos, Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Acosta Dávila, John. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Morell, María L.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Cordo, Sandra Myriam. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: García, Cybele C.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Gamarnik, Andrea Vanesa. Fundación Instituto Leloir; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cavasotto, Claudio Norberto. Universidad Austral. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones en Medicina Traslacional; Argentina. Universidad Austral; ArgentinaFil: Bollini, Mariela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Centro de Investigaciones en Bionanociencias "Elizabeth Jares Erijman"; Argentin

    Post-receptor IGF1 insensitivity restricted to the MAPK pathway in a Silver-Russell syndrome patient with hypomethylation at the imprinting control region on chromosome 11

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    Background: Hypomethylation of the paternal imprinting center region 1 (ICR1) is the most frequent molecular cause of Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS). Clinical evidence suggests that patients with this epimutation have mild IGF1 insensitivity. Objective: To assess in vitro IGF1 action in fibroblast culture from a patient with SRS and IGF1 insensitivity. Methods: Fibroblast cultures from one patient with SRS due to ICR1 demethylation and controls were established. The SRS patient has severe growth failure, elevated IGF1 level, and poor growth rate during human recombinant GH treatment. IGF1 action was assessed by cell proliferation, AKT, and p42/44-MAPK phosphorylation. Gene expression was determined by real-time PCR. Results: Despite normal IGF1R sequence and expression, fibroblast proliferation induced by IGF1 was 50% lower in SRS fibroblasts in comparison with controls. IGF1 and insulin promoted a p42/44-MAPK activation in SRS fibroblasts 40 and 36%, respectively, lower than that in control fibroblasts. On the other hand, p42/44-MAPK activation induced by EGF stimulation was only slightly reduced (75% in SRS fibroblasts in comparison with control), suggesting a general impairment in MAPK pathway with a greater impairment of the stimulation induced by insulin and IGF1 than by EGF. A PCR array analysis disclosed a defect in MAPK pathway characterized by an increase in DUSP4 and MEF2C gene expressions in patient fibroblasts. Conclusion: A post-receptor IGF1 insensitivity was characterized in one patient with SRS and ICR1 hypomethylation. Although based on one unique severely affected patient, these results raise an intriguing mechanism to explain the postnatal growth impairment observed in SRS patients that needs confirmation in larger cohorts.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) [08/57915-2, 05/04726-0, 05/50144-2]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) [142062/06-5, 301339/2008-9, 300938/06-3, 307951/06-5

    Women in Science: A Student Workshop at a University in Mexico

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    Women have participated in science since the earliest of times. However, their valuable contributions are not as widely acknowledged throughout our history and women still face several barriers throughout their professional career. We developed and hosted a half-day Women in Science seminar organized by students, for students. The main goal was to promote ways to involve more women in research activities and to strengthen the scientific community within our medical school. The workshop consisted of three main sections, where we shared relevant statistics, resources, and strategies among a community of students interested in science. At the end of the workshop, participants shared their insights proving the necessity and utility of such events to strengthen the development of science as an inclusive field
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