Aspectos ecológicos de Chaetostoma sp. (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) en el alto río Magdalena, Colombia

We determined food and reproductive habits of Chaetostoma sp. in the Upper Magdalena basin, Colombia. The samplings were monthly between August 2001 and July 2012. We collected 1853 individuals in 11 size classes, between 34 â 114 mm SL, with an average length of 43.5 mm SL. The frequent recruitment was observed throughout the year, however the greater contribution of young individuals occurred between January and March 2012. Overall, Chaetostoma sp. was categorized as an hervibore with preference for diatoms. Navicula was the main food item, while Synedra, Gomphonema, Cymbella, Oscillatoria and Fragilaria were secondary food items. The sex ratio was 1:1. The average fecundity was 124 oocytes and average diameter of 1.54 mm, possibly related to a reproductive strategy K.Se determinaron los hábitos alimenticios y reproductivos de Chaetostoma sp. en el alto río Magdalena, Colombia. Los muestreos fueron mensuales entre agosto de 2011 y julio de 2012. Se colectaron 1853 individuos, distribuidos en 11 clases de tallas entre 34 â 114 mm LE, con una longitud media de 43,5 mm LE. Se observó un reclutamiento frecuente durante todo el año del muestreo, sin embargo el mayor aporte de individuos juveniles se presentó entre enero y marzo 2012. Chaetostoma sp. se categorizó como un herbívoro con preferencia por las diatomeas, donde Navicula fue el ítem principal, mientras que Synedra, Gomphonema, Cymbella, Oscillatoria y Fragilaria fueron ítems secundarios. La proporción sexual fue de 1:1, su fecundidad promedio fue de 124 oocitos y el diámetro de 1,54 mm, relacionado con estrategia reproductiva k. Proyecto financiado por Emgesa S. A. E.S.P

Historia de vida del bagre <em>Imparfinis usmai<em> (Heptapteridae: Siluriformes) en el área de influencia del proyecto hidroeléctrico El Quimbo, alto río Magdalena, Colombia

In Colombia a dam, Betania Reservoir, has been constructed on the main cannel of the Magdalena River, and another, the El Quimbo Hydroelectric Project which is located upstream of the first, is under construction. The dams not only generate fragmentation processes in the aquatic ecosystems, but also create artificial hybrid systems that impact the populations of different species of fish that inhabit them. This study aims to determine the life history of Imparfinis usmai and establish its trophodynamics in the area of influence of the El Quimbo Hydroelectric Project. Monthly samples were made from August 2011 to July 2012 in Garzón, Rioloro, Guandinosa and Yaguilga streams, and Páez, Suaza and Magdalena rivers. A total of 278 specimens, distributed in nine size classes were collected. In general, the population has a positive allometric growth, although variations occur throughout the year. The species was categorized as an Invertivore - Insectivore, and preferably consumed Simuliidae. The sex ratio was 1: 1.8, with predominance of females. Average fecundity was 2846 oocytes, with an extensive reproductive period. Project funded by Emgesa S. A. E.S.P

Historia de vida del bagre Imparfinis usmai (Heptapteridae: Siluriformes) en el área de influencia del proyecto hidroeléctrico El Quimbo, alto río Magdalena, Colombia

In Colombia a dam, Betania Reservoir, has been constructed on the main cannel of the Magdalena River, and another, the El Quimbo Hydroelectric Project which is located upstream of the first, is under construction. The dams not only generate fragmentation processes in the aquatic ecosystems, but also create artificial hybrid systems that impact the populations of different species of fish that inhabit them. This study aims to determine the life history of Imparfinis usmai and establish its trophodynamics in the area of influence of the El Quimbo Hydroelectric Project. Monthly samples were made from August 2011 to July 2012 in Garzón, Rioloro, Guandinosa and Yaguilga streams, and Páez, Suaza and Magdalena rivers. A total of 278 specimens, distributed in nine size classes were collected. In general, the population has a positive allometric growth, although variations occur throughout the year. The species was categorized as an Invertivore - Insectivore, and preferably consumed Simuliidae. The sex ratio was 1: 1.8, with predominance of females. Average fecundity was 2846 oocytes, with an extensive reproductive period. Project funded by Emgesa S. A. E.S.P.En Colombia se ha construido el embalse de Betania en el cauce principal del río Magdalena y el proyecto hidroeléctrico El Quimbo, localizado aguas arriba de este, se encuentra bajo construcción. Los embalses no solo generan procesos de fragmentación en los ecosistemas acuáticos, sino también crean sistemas artificiales híbridos que impactan las poblaciones de diferentes especies de peces que los habitan. El presente estudio tiene como meta conocer la historia de vida de Imparfinis usmai, así como establecer su patrón alimenticio, en el área de influencia del proyecto hidroeléctrico El Quimbo, embalse en fase de construcción en el cauce del río Magdalena. Para esto se efectuaron muestreos mensuales entre agosto de 2011 y julio de 2012, en las quebradas Garzón, Rioloro, Yaguilga y Guandinosa, y los ríos Páez, Suaza y Magdalena. Se colectaron 278 ejemplares, los cuales se distribuyeron en nueve clases de tallas. En general, la población presentó un crecimiento alométrico positivo, aunque con variaciones a lo largo del año. La especie se catalogó como invertívora - insectívora, con preferencia de Simuliidae. La proporción sexual fue de 1:1,8, con predominio de las hembras. Su fecundidad promedio fue de 2846 oocitos, con un periodo reproductivo extenso. Proyecto financiado por Emgesa S. A. E.S.P

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Expresión diferencial de genes en plantas de cala (Zantedeschia spp.)

Las especies de Zantedeschia Spreng. (Familia Araceae) son monocotiledóneas, herbáceas, perennes, de fotoperíodo neutro y dormantes durante el invierno, que poseen un órgano de almacenamiento subterráneo (tubérculo). Varios cultivares de Zantedeschia contribuyen a la floricultura internacional, pero se conoce muy poco acerca de los cambios en el metabolismo y la expresión diferencial de genes durante la dormancia y crecimiento activo de la planta. El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar la expresión diferencial de genes en tubérculo, hoja y brote de Zantedeschia spp. mediante despliegue diferencial de ARN mensajero. Se utilizaron plantas de Zantedeschia spp. multiplicadas in vitro en el Laboratorio de Biología Molecular Aplicada de la Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile. Con las combinaciones de iniciadores se obtuvieron 45 cADN parciales y algunos fueron tejido-específicos. La expresión diferencial fue corroborada mediante la técnica de transferencia de fragmentos de ARN Northern, para ocho clones seleccionados. Para obtener las secuencias completas de los clones se construyeron bibliotecas de expresión a partir de ARN total de los diferentes órganos y los cADN parciales se usaron como sonda para explorar dichas bibliotecas. El análisis de sus secuencias reveló homología con genes descritos en la literatura, que incluyen proteínas despolimerizante de actina, proteínas inducidas por elicitor y deshidratación, proteínas de respuesta a bajas temperaturas y salinidad, proteínas tipo Fap y Skp1 y una activadora de rubisco

CRISPR/Cas13-Based Platforms for a Potential Next-Generation Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer through Exosomes Micro-RNA Detection: A Review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer with the second highest mortality rate worldwide. CRC is a heterogenous disease with multiple risk factors associated, including obesity, smoking, and use of alcohol. Of total CRC cases, 60% are diagnosed in late stages, where survival can drop to about 10%. CRC screening programs are based primarily on colonoscopy, yet this approach is invasive and has low patient adherence. Therefore, there is a strong incentive for developing molecular-based methods that are minimally invasive and have higher patient adherence. Recent reports have highlighted the importance of extracellular vesicles (EVs), specifically exosomes, as intercellular communication vehicles with a broad cargo, including micro-RNAs (miRNAs). These have been syndicated as robust candidates for diagnosis, primarily for their known activities in cancer cells, including immunoevasion, tumor progression, and angiogenesis, whereas miRNAs are dysregulated by cancer cells and delivered by cancer-derived exosomes (CEx). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has shown good results detecting specific cancer-derived exosome micro-RNAs (CEx-miRNAs) associated with CRC, but qPCR also has several challenges, including portability and sensitivity/specificity issues regarding experiment design and sample quality. CRISPR/Cas-based platforms have been presented as cost-effective, ultrasensitive, specific, and robust clinical detection tools in the presence of potential inhibitors and capable of delivering quantitative and qualitative real-time data for enhanced decision-making to healthcare teams. Thereby, CRISPR/Cas13-based technologies have become a potential strategy for early CRC diagnosis detecting CEx-miRNAs. Moreover, CRISPR/Cas13-based platforms’ ease of use, scalability, and portability also showcase them as a potential point-of-care (POC) technology for CRC early diagnosis. This study presents two potential CRISPR/Cas13-based methodologies with a proposed panel consisting of four CEx-miRNAs, including miR-126, miR-1290, miR-23a, and miR-940, to streamline novel applications which may deliver a potential early diagnosis and prognosis of CRC

The Axl receptor tyrosine kinase confers an adverse prognostic influence in pancreatic cancer and represents a new therapeutic target

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a near uniformly lethal disease and a better understanding of the molecular basis of this malignancy may lead to improved therapeutics. The Axl receptor tyrosine kinase is implicated in cellular transformation and tumor progression, although its role in pancreatic cancer has not been previously documented. Results: Axl labeling was present in 54 of 99 (55%), and was absent in 45 of 99 (45%) cases, respectively. Axl expression in pancreatic cancer was significantly associated with lymph node metastases (p <0.01), and a shorter median survival (12 versus 18 months, p <0.01), than in tumors with negative labeling. Stable knockdown of Axl resulted in significant reduction in cell viability (p <0.001), anchorage independent growth (p = 0.0031), as well as attenuation of migratory (p <0.001) and invasive properties (p <0.005), compared to vector-transfected cells. Profound inhibition of p42/p44 MAP kinase and PI-3kinase/Akt effector pathways was observed in MIAPaCa-2 cells with loss of Axl function. The reduction in invasion and migration upon Axl knockdown was mirrored by a decrease in the amounts of activated (GTP-bound) GTPase proteins Rho and Rac, significant downregulation in transcript levels of the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated transcription factors slug, snail and twist, and significant decrease in matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9 mRNA levels. Materials: The immunohistochemical expression of Axl protein was assessed in a panel of 99 archival pancreatic cancers. Endogenous Axl expression was stably downregulated by lentiviral short hairpin shRNA directed against AXL mRNA in MIAPaCa-2 cells, and the effects on cell viability, anchorage independent growth, invasion, migration and intracellular effector pathways was assessed, by comparing to lentiviral vector-transfected cells. Conclusion: Expression of Axl tyrosine kinase in pancreatic cancers confers an adverse prognostic influence, and represents a new therapeutic target in this malignancy