Phyllomedusa Venusta (Lovely Leaf Frog)

PHYLLOMEDUSA VENUSTA (Lovely Leaf Frog). DIET.Phyllomedusa venusta is an arboreal frog found in northern Colombia, the valley of Magdalena, the Darién on both sides of the ColombiaPanamá border, and western Venezuela. The species is common, but populations are decreasing due to deforestation by agricultural and livestock activities, illegal plantations, human establishments, and use of agrochemicals (Rodríguez-Mahecha et al. 2008. Guía Ilustrada de Fauna del Santuario de Vida Silvestre Los Besotes,Valledupar, Cesar, Colombia. Editorial Panamericana, Formas e Impresos, Bogotá, Colombia. 574 pp.). The food habits and many other aspects of its biology and ecology are unknown. Herein we describe the diet of P. venusta in the dry tropical forest of Colombia at three sites: 1) The Natural Reserve of Civil Society Campoalegre, Municipality Los Cordobas, Department of Cordoba (8.48502°N, 76.19520°W, WGS84; elev. 120 m); 2) Finca Los Mameyales, Municipality Piojó, Department of Atlántico (10.74480°N, 75.09279°W, WGS84; elev. 206 m); 3) Las Delicias farm, Municipality Aracataca, Department of Magdalena (10.58694°N, 74.14224°W, WGS84; elev. 197 m). We examined 28 stomachs of P. venusta collected during 0800–1200 h and 1600–1800 h within forests and disturbed areas. Samples were obtained during 2007 in the dry season (January–March), first rains (April–June), and heavy rains (September–December). SUL (mm), and maximum mouth width (mm) were recorded for each individual. We identified prey to lowest taxonomic level possible (family and genus), and their length and width were measured (complete prey only) using a digital caliper (nearest 0.1 mm). The individual volume of each prey item and the number of prey items per stomach for each prey category were recorded. Volume of each prey item was estimated using the formula of a prolate spheroid. Of the captured frogs, six were females and 22 were males (mean SUL = 67.60 ± 8.76 mm; mean mouth width = 21.76 ± 2.10 mm). The diet consisted of 16 types of prey and was dominated in volume and frequency by orthopterans. Acarina showed the highest numerical contribution (Table 1). It has been suggested that acariphagia occurs in small anurans in terrestrial habits. However, P. venusta is large and arboreal, suggesting that acariphagia is a trophic phenomenon not limited to the species defined by Simon and Toft (1991. Oikos 61:263–278). The large numbers of orthopterans and blattarians consumed are congruent with that reported for other Phyllomedusa spp. (Parmelee 1999. Sci. Pap. Nat. His. Mus. Univ. Kansas 11:1–59; Vaz-Silva et al. 2004. Herpetol. Rev. 35:160; Freitas et al. 2008. Biota Neotrop. 8:101–110). Considering the type and prey proportion, P. venusta appears to be a generalist predator with a sit-and-wait foraging strategy.Fil: Blanco Torres, Argelina. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Duré Pitteri, Marta Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; ArgentinaFil: Bonilla, M. A.. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; Colombi

Influence of the parental educational level on physical activity in schoolchildren

The factors influencing physical activity participation in children are varied, although there is evidence that the educational level of parents may be one important factor. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of parental education on the level of physical activity and the sedentary behavior of their children. The parents of 727 students, separated based on school group (preschool: n = 179; primary: n = 284; secondary: n = 230; high: n = 34), were invited to complete a series of questionnaires assessing their educational level (low, intermediate, and high) and their child's level of physical activity and sedentary behavior. Primary school students with high- and intermediate-educated parents were found to engage in significantly more physical activity per week and spent more time engaged in homework than children with lower-educated parents. Secondary school students with higher-educated parents were found to spend significantly less time engaged in sedentary behavior than children with lower- or intermediate-educated parents, and high schoolers with higher-educated parents engaged in less tablet time than children with lower-educated parents. Multiple linear regression demonstrated that greater physical activity was precipitated by certain sedentary behaviors in children with more educated parents, such as total time watching TV (primary school), doing homework (secondary school), and total time using a tablet/similar (high school), which increased total time engaged in physical activity. These findings suggest that more educated parents may implement structured time for their children to engage in a balance of physical activity and sedentary behaviors

Students' physical activity profiles according to children's age and parental educational level

The aim of this study was to identify different profiles of physical activity (PA) behaviors according to the school student’s age stage and their parents’ or guardians education level. Seven hundred twenty-seven students and parents of different educational stages were invited to take part in this study. The participants included, Preschool (1 to 5 years old), Primary School (6 to 11 years old), Secondary School (12 to 15 years old), and High School (16 to 18 years old). A questionnaire to assess the educational level of parents (low, intermediate, and high) and their child’s PA level and sedentary behaviors across various age stages was administered. The results showed a number of different physical activity profiles for preschool (4), primary (6), secondary (7) and high school (2) students. Primary and secondary school children’s behavioral profiles were reported to differ significantly between both physical activity levels and sedentary behaviors, while preschool students’ behavioral profiles only differed between sedentary behaviors. Higher parental education was most prevalent in clusters with significantly higher levels of PA in primary and secondary students, while there were equivocal trends for parental education level influencing behavioral profiles of high school students. These findings suggest there is some association between the behavioral profiles of student’s physical activity and sedentary behavior, and parental education level, most noticeably during the early to middle age stages

Distribución de utilidades en condiciones de inflación para las medianas empresas en Mozambique

The aim of this paper is to disclose the basic conceptual elements of distribution under inflation conditions for mid-sized Mozambican companies without a significant negative impact on equity. The procedure for profit distribution in a rampant inflation scenario was evaluated as a way to prevent undercapitalization of the company. This study was based on the premises of recognition of inflation by financial information and bankruptcy prediction, according to the Altman Z-Score model for profit distribution, in compliance with the legal status of the partnership.El objetivo de este artículo es exponer los elementos conceptuales básicos para distribuir utilidades en condiciones inflacionarias en las medianas empresas mozambicanas sin que se afecte significativamente el patrimonio. Se abordó el procedimiento de distribución de utilidades a utilizar en el momento de la inflación intensa como forma de prevenir la descapitalización de la empresa. Se tuvo como premisa el reconocimiento de la inflación en la información financiera y la predicción de quiebra utilizando el modelo de Altman Z-Score para distribuir la utilidad según los estatutos de la sociedad

Distribución de utilidades en condiciones de inflación para las medianas empresas en Mozambique

El objetivo de este artículo es exponer los elementos conceptuales básicos para distribuir utilidades en condiciones inflacionarias en las medianas empresas mozambicanas sin que se afecte significativamente el patrimonio. Se abordó el procedimiento de distribución de utilidades a utilizar en el momento de la inflación intensa como forma de prevenir la descapitalización de la empresa. Se tuvo como premisa el reconocimiento de la inflación en la información financiera y la predicción de quiebra utilizando el modelo de Altman Z-Score para distribuir la utilidad según los estatutos de la sociedad

Subphthalocyaninato boron(III) hydride: synthesis, structure and reactivity

Subphthalocyanine (SubPc) chemistry has been limited so far by their high sensitivity toward strong nucleophiles. In particular, the substitution of the axial chlorine atom by a nucleophilic group in the case of less-reactive SubPcs, such as those bearing electron-withdrawing peripheral substituents, presents some limitations and requires harsh conditions. By taking advantage of the electrophilic character of DIBAL-H, it has been possible to prepare for the first time SubPc-hydride derivatives that exhibit high reactivity as hydroboration reagents of aldehydes. This hydride transfer requires using a typical carbonyl activator (trimethylsilyl triflate) and only one equivalent of aldehyde, affording SubPcs with an axial benzyloxy group in good yield. This transformation has proven to be a useful alternative method for the axial functionalisation of dodecafluoroSubPc, a paradigmatic SubPc derivative, by using electrophiles for the first time. Considering the increasing interest in SubPcs as electron-acceptor semiconductors with remarkable absorption in the visible range to replace fullerene in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, it is of the utmost importance to develop new synthetic methodologies for their axial functionalisationFinancial support from Spanish MINECO and MICINN (CTQ2017- 85393-P, PGC2018-094644-B-C21, PDI2019-110091GB-I00) is acknowledged. IMDEA Nanociencia acknowledges support from the “Severo Ochoa” Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D (MINECO, grant SEV2016-0686). J.L. and L.T. acknowledge MECD, Spain, for a F.P.U. fellowship. I.C. and L.M

The Lp_3561 and Lp_3562 enzymes support a functional divergence process in the lipase/esterase toolkit from Lactobacillus plantarum

Lactobacillus plantarum species is a good source of esterases since both lipolytic and esterase activities have been described for strains of this species. No fundamental biochemical difference exists among esterases and lipases since both share a common catalytic mechanism. L. plantarum WCFS1 possesses a protein, Lp_3561, which is 44% identical to a previously described lipase, Lp_3562. In contrast to Lp_3562, Lp_3561 was unable to degrade esters possessing a chain length higher than C4 and the triglyceride tributyrin. As in other L. plantarum esterases, the electrostatic potential surface around the active site in Lp_3561 is predicted to be basic, whereas it is essentially neutral in the Lp_3562 lipase. The fact that the genes encoding both proteins were located contiguously in the L. plantarum WCFS1 genome, suggests that they originated by tandem duplication, and therefore are paralogs as new functions have arisen during evolution. The presence of the contiguous lp_3561 and lp_3562 genes was studied among L. plantarum strains. They are located in a 8,903 bp DNA fragment that encodes proteins involved in the catabolism of sialic acid and are predicted to increase bacterial adaptability under certain growth conditions

PVDF based nanocomposites produced by solution blow spinning, structure and morphology induced by the presence of MWCNT and their consequences on some properties

Nanocomposites based on poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, filled with multiwalled carbon nanotubes, MWCNT, were prepared by solution blow spinning, SBS. PVDF was modified with MWCNT with the aim of changing final properties inducing structural and morphological variations in the polymer by the simple presence of conductive particles. Different compositions were considered (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 5% by weight of MWCNT) to understand the influence of the presence of MWCNT on the polymer structure, morphology, and consequently other properties. Morphology was inspected by optical and electron (SEM and TEM) microscopies, while structure was studied by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, FTIR. Thermal behavior was monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, while the surface and electrical properties were studied by contact angle and capacitance measurements, respectively. SBS allowed obtaining mats of nanocomposites constituted by submicrometric fibers where the MWCNT are uniformly dispersed and well aligned along the PVDF fibers. In this study, several aspects about structure and thermal behavior of PVDF were clarified in relation to other researches carried out up to the moment. Although MWCNT concentration did not seem to affect much the fibrous morphology of the SBS materials, the PVDF crystalline structure and surface properties of the materials were slightly modified. Dielectric behavior of PVDF was highly affected by the presence of MWCNT leading to a particular change in the permittivity and being possible to obtain a value of 0.023 for the percolation fraction.The authors appreciate the financial support received from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [MAT2014-59116-C2]; the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid due to Fondos de Investigación de Fco. Javier González Benito [2012/00130/004] and the strategic Action in Composites materials and interphases [2011/00287/002]. TEM characterization was made at LABMET, associated to the Red de Laboratorios de la Comunidad de Madrid.Publicad

Simultaneous Treatment with Statins and Aspirin Reduces the Risk of Prostate Cancer Detection and Tumorigenic Properties in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

Nowadays prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor in men from industrialized countries and the second leading cause of death. At the ages when PCa is usually diagnosed, mortality related to cardiovascular morbidity is high; therefore, men at risk for PCa frequently receive chronic lipid-lowering and antiplatelet treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze how chronic treatment with statins, aspirin, and their combination influenced the risk of PCa detection. The tumorigenic properties of these treatments were evaluated by proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration assays using different PCa cell lines, in order to assess how these treatments act at molecular level. The results showed that a combination of statins and aspirin enhances the effect of individual treatments and seems to reduce the risk of PCa detection (OR: 0.616 (95% CI: 0.467-0.812), P < 0.001). However, if treatments are maintained, aspirin (OR: 1.835 (95% CI: 1.068-3.155), P = 0.028) or the combination of both drugs (OR: 3.059 (95% CI: 1.894-4.939), P < 0.001) represents an increased risk of HGPCa. As observed at clinical level, these beneficial effects in vitro are enhanced when both treatments are administered simultaneously, suggesting that chronic, concomitant treatment with statins and aspirin has a protective effect on PCa incidence