Evaluación de la eco-toxicología y calidad ambiental en la zona conurbada Zacatecas-Guadalupe, Zacatecas, México

Se define al índice de calidad eco-toxicológica y biológica del aire como una variable latente determinada por un conjunto de factores que lo afectan de manera positiva y/o negativa. Partimos de la hipótesis de la falta de homogeneidad ambiental del territorio urbano, y nos proponemos definir un modelo general para la estimación del ICA (índice de calidad del aire) a partir de la construcción de un sistema de indicadores simples y su aplicación en la zona conurbada Guadalupe-Zacatecas. El artículo concluye con información importante para que el planificador y el gestor gubernamental puedan priorizar la asignación de recursos socioeconómicos, no sólo de manera diferencial entre zonas, sino por el tipo de recursos o variables ambientales que más inciden en la calidad ambiental y por ende proteger la salud de la población con estrategias pertinentes, socialmente aceptadas y ambientalmente viables.Trabajo publicado en Acta Bioquímica Clínica Latinoamericana; no. 52, supl. 2, parte II, diciembre de 2018.Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Anisotropic Resistivity Surfaces Produced in ITO Films by Laser‐Induced Nanoscale Self‐organization

Highly anisotropic resistivity surfaces are produced in indium tin oxide (ITO) films by nanoscale self‐organization upon irradiation with a fs‐laser beam operating at 1030 nm. Anisotropy is caused by the formation of laser‐induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) extended over cm‐sized regions. Two types of optimized structures are observed. At high fluence, nearly complete ablation at the valleys of the LIPSS and strong ablation at their ridges lead to an insulating structure in the direction transverse to the LIPSS and conductive in the longitudinal one. A strong diminution of In content in the remaining material is then observed, leading to a longitudinal resistivity ρL ≈ 1.0 Ω·cm. At a lower fluence, the material at the LIPSS ridges remains essentially unmodified while partial ablation is observed at the valleys. The structures show a longitudinal conductivity two times higher than the transverse one, and a resistivity similar to that of the pristine ITO film (ρ ≈ 5 × 10−4 Ω·cm). A thorough characterization of these transparent structures is presented and discussed. The compositional changes induced as laser pulses accumulate, condition the LIPSS evolution and thus the result of the structuring process. Strategies to further improve the achieved anisotropic resistivity results are also provided.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Spanish Research Agency (AEI, Ministry of Research and Innovation), and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (grant numbers TEC2017-82464-R, PID2019-109603RA-I00, and PID2019-110430GB-C21), the “Consejería de Economía y Conocimiento de la Junta de Andalucía” (PAIDI-2020 projects P18-RT-3480 and -6079). The authors also acknowledge the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas for the “Intramural Project” (201850E057). C.L.-S. acknowledges the funding of the University of Seville through the “VI Plan Propio de Investigación y Transferencia de la US” (VI PPIT-US). M.M.-M. acknowledges the postdoctoral Juan de la Cierva Incorporación grant (IJCI-2017-33317)) of the same ministry. C.F. thanks the support from the European Commission through the Marie Curie Global Fellowship grant number 844977. V.L.-F. thanks the support from European Commission/Junta de Andalucía Talent-Hub Program

Análisis del riesgo de Diabetes tipo 2 por medio de la aplicación móvil Diabetest en personas mayores de 18 años en el municipio de Fresnillo, Zacatecas, México

La diabetes tipo 2 es considerada por las autoridades de Salud de México como un problema de salud pública de alto riesgo. Este tipo de enfermedad puede prevenirse bajo ciertas situaciones y circunstancias y en determinados individuos. En el presente trabajo se muestra el resultado de la investigación sobre el nivel de riesgo detectado de contraer la enfermedad en personas mayores de 18 años, por medio de los datos recabados por la aplicación Diabetest

Implementación de contenedores dockers en la enseñanza en línea de Ambientes virtualizados

La enseñanza de ambientes y escenarios virtualizados en las universidades, es un tema que se complica en la modalidad en línea por su naturaleza práctica, compleja y que requiere de ciertos requisitos de software y hardware para su implementación, los cuales la mayoría de las veces solo están disponibles en los centros de cómputo universitarios, ante la imposibilidad de utilizar estos espacios en tiempos de pandemia surge la necesidad de utilizar otras herramientas tecnológicas que proporcionen la misma experiencia de aprendizaje que una máquina virtual, en el presente trabajo se analiza la implementación de contenedores dockers y de sus principales características como herramienta esencial de integración y estandarización de escenarios y ambientes virtuales independientemente del equipo de cómputo con que cuente el alumno, los cuales son utilizados en tareas de testeo, ejecución y análisis de aplicaciones de software

The emergent role of mitochondrial RNA modifications in metabolic alterations

Mitochondrial epitranscriptomics refers to the modifications occurring in all the different RNA types of mitochondria. Although the number of mitochondrial RNA modifications is less than those in cytoplasm, substantial evidence indicates that they play a critical role in accurate protein synthesis. Recent evidence supported those modifications in mitochondrial RNAs also have crucial implications in mitochondrial-related diseases. In the light of current knowledge about the involvement, the association between mitochondrial RNA modifications and diseases arises from studies focusing on mutations in both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA genes encoding enzymes involved in such modifications. Here, we review the current evidence available for mitochondrial RNA modifications and their role in metabolic disorders, and we also explore the possibility of using them as promising targets for prevention and early detection. Finally, we discuss future directions of mitochondrial epitranscriptomics in these metabolic alterations, and how these RNA modifications may offer a new diagnostic and theragnostic avenue for preventive purposes.This work was supported by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) Action CA16120 (European Epitranscriptomic Network). This work was also supported by “Centros de Investigación En Red” (CIBER, CB06/03/0018) of the “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (ISCIII) (PI18/01399), and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). This work was also supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación and European FEDER Funds (PID2019-109369RB-100 and AGL2018-78922-R). HB is supported by a predoctoral fellowship (“Plan Propio IBIMA 2020 A.1 Contratos predoctorales”, Ref.: predoc20_002). M.M.G. was the recipient of the Nicolas Monardes Programme from the “Servicio Andaluz de Salud, Junta de Andalucia”, Spain (RC-0001-2018 and C-0029-2014). funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Evaluation of energy supplements in dual purpose cows in a silvopastoral system

The objective was to evaluate the effect of three energy concentrates on dietary nitrogen utilisation efficiency, milk production and milk composition. Twelve dual-purpose cows fed in a silvopastoral (SSP) system with Leucaena leucocephala and Digitaria swazilandensis were fed four treatments, supplemented with 25 MJ/cow/day of sorghum, molasses and gluconeogenic precursors, plus the control treatment, using a 4×4 Latin square experimental design with three replicates and experimental periods of 14 days and a total duration of 56 days. No significant differences were found for milk yield, milk chemical composition and milk urea nitrogen (MUN). No significant differences were found for cow live weight and dry matter intake. Forage analysis showed significant difference for crude protein (CP) concentration. There was no significant difference for average values of dry matter (DM) yield, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), lignin and in vitro DM matter. For Leucaena, a significant difference was found only in DM yield, with period 4 being the highest yielding period compared to periods 1, 2 and 3. There was no significant difference for CP, NDF, ADF, lignin and in vitro DM digestibility. This work allows to understand the interaction of CP metabolism with DM. It is concluded that SSP provides sufficient dietary energy to cows in production for dual-purpose cows ranching

Untargeted profiling of concordant/discordant phenotypes of high insulin resistance and obesity to predict the risk of developing diabetes

This study explores the metabolic profiles of concordant/discordant phenotypes of high insulin resistance (IR) and obesity. Through untargeted metabolomics (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS), we analyzed the fasting serum of subjects with high IR and/or obesity ( n = 64). An partial least-squares discriminant analysis with orthogonal signal correction followed by univariate statistics and enrichment analysis allowed exploration of these metabolic profiles. A multivariate regression method (LASSO) was used for variable selection and a predictive biomarker model to identify subjects with high IR regardless of obesity was built. Adrenic acid and a dyglyceride (DG) were shared by high IR and obesity. Uric and margaric acids, 14 DGs, ketocholesterol, and hydroxycorticosterone were unique to high IR, while arachidonic, hydroxyeicosatetraenoic (HETE), palmitoleic, triHETE, and glycocholic acids, HETE lactone, leukotriene B4, and two glutamyl-peptides to obesity. DGs and adrenic acid differed in concordant/discordant phenotypes, thereby revealing protective mechanisms against high IR also in obesity. A biomarker model formed by DGs, uric and adrenic acids presented a high predictive power to identify subjects with high IR [AUC 80.1% (68.9-91.4)]. These findings could become relevant for diabetes risk detection and unveil new potential targets in therapeutic treatments of IR, diabetes, and obesity. An independent validated cohort is needed to confirm these results

MoS₂ Thin Films for Photo-Voltaic Applications

The low dimensional chalcogenide materials with high band gap of ~1.8 eV, specially molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS2), have been brought much attention in the material science community for their usage as semiconducting materials to fabricate low scaled electronic devices with high throughput and reliability, this includes also photovoltaic applications. In this chapter, experimental data for MoS2 material towards developing the next generation of high-efficiency solar cells is presented, which includes fabrication of ~100 nm homogeneous thin film over silicon di-oxide (SiO2) by using radio frequency sputtering at 275 W at high vacuum~10−9 from commercial MoS2 99.9% purity target. The films were studied by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy with energy disperse spectroscopy, grazing incident low angle x-ray scattering, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, atom probe tomography, electrical transport using four-point probe resistivity measurement as well mechanical properties utilizing nano-indentation with continuous stiffness mode (CSM) approach. The experimental results indicate a vertical growth direction at (101)-MoS2 crystallites with stacking values of 7-laminates along the (002)-basal plane; principal Raman vibrations at E12g at 378 cm−1 and A1g at 407 cm−1. The hardness and elastic modulus values of H = 10.5 ± 0.1 GPa and E = 136 ± 2 GPa were estimated by CSM method from 0 to 90 nm of indenter penetration; as well transport measurements from −3.5 V to +3.5 V indicating linear Ohmic behavior

Galacto-conjugation of Navitoclax as an efficient strategy to increase senolytic specificity and reduce platelet toxicity.

Pharmacologically active compounds with preferential cytotoxic activity for senescent cells, known as senolytics, can ameliorate or even revert pathological manifestations of senescence in numerous preclinical mouse disease models, including cancer models. However, translation of senolytic therapies to human disease is hampered by their suboptimal specificity for senescent cells and important toxicities that narrow their therapeutic windows. We have previously shown that the high levels of senescence-associated lysosomal β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) found within senescent cells can be exploited to specifically release tracers and cytotoxic cargoes from galactose-encapsulated nanoparticles within these cells. Here, we show that galacto-conjugation of the BCL-2 family inhibitor Navitoclax results in a potent senolytic prodrug (Nav-Gal), that can be preferentially activated by SA-β-gal activity in a wide range of cell types. Nav-Gal selectively induces senescent cell apoptosis and has a higher senolytic index than Navitoclax (through reduced activation in nonsenescent cells). Nav-Gal enhances the cytotoxicity of standard senescence-inducing chemotherapy (cisplatin) in human A549 lung cancer cells. Concomitant treatment with cisplatin and Nav-Gal in vivo results in the eradication of senescent lung cancer cells and significantly reduces tumour growth. Importantly, galacto-conjugation reduces Navitoclax-induced platelet apoptosis in human and murine blood samples treated ex vivo, and thrombocytopenia at therapeutically effective concentrations in murine lung cancer models. Taken together, we provide a potentially versatile strategy for generating effective senolytic prodrugs with reduced toxicities

Laser treatment of Ag@ZnO nanorods as long-life-span SERS surfaces.

This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from ACS at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/am506622x.UV nanosecond laser pulses have been used to produce a unique surface nanostructuration of Ag@ZnO supported nanorods (NRs). The NRs were fabricated by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at low temperature applying a silver layer as promoter. The irradiation of these structures with single nanosecond pulses of an ArF laser produces the melting and reshaping of the end of the NRs that aggregate in the form of bundles terminated by melted ZnO spherical particles. Well-defined silver nanoparticles (NPs), formed by phase separation at the surface of these melted ZnO particles, give rise to a broad plasmonic response consistent with their anisotropic shape. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in the as-prepared Ag@ZnO NRs arrays was proved by using a Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) chromophore as standard analyte. The surface modifications induced by laser treatment improve the stability of this system as SERS substrate while preserving its activity.We thank the Junta de Andalucía (TEP8067, FQM-6900 and P12-FQM-2265) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Projects CONSOLIDER-CSD 2008-00023, MAT2011-28345-C02-02, MAT2013-40852-R, MAT2013-42900-P and RECUPERA 2020) for financial support. The authors also thank the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreements 312483-ESTEEM2 (Integrated Infrastructure Initiative-I3) and REGPOT-CT-2011-285895-Al-NANOFUNC, and the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement 291522 - 3DIMAGE. R. J. Peláez acknowledges the grant JCI-2012_13034 from the Juan de la Cierva program