Disruptive and Conventional Technologies for the Support of Logistics Processes: A Literature Review

The supply chain has become a key element of increasing the productivity and competitiveness of companies. To achieve this, it is essential to implement a strategy based on the use of technologies, which depends on knowledge of the scope and impact of logistics technologies. Therefore, this article aims to identify the main technologies supporting logistics management and supply chain processes to establish their functionality, scope, and impacts. For this, conventional technologies and technologies framed by the concept of Industry 4.0 that allow the implementation of Logistics 4.0 in companies are analyzed. As a result of searching databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct, we provide an analysis of 18 technologies focusing on their definition, scope, and the logistics processes involved. This study concludes that technologies in logistics management allow for a reduction in total costs, improve collaboration with suppliers and customers, increase the visibility and traceability of products and information, and support decision-making for all agents in the supply chain, including the final consumer

Genome sequencing of two iBell pepper endornavirus/i (BPEV) variants infecting iCapsicum annuum/i in Colombia

Transcriptome analysis of chili and bell pepper samples from commercial plots in the municipalities of Santa Fe de Antioquia and El Penol in the province of Antioquia revealed the presence of viral sequences with significant similarity to genomes of members of the genus Endornavirus. Assembly of the chili and bell pepper transcriptomes resulted in consensus sequences of 14,727 nt and 14,714 nt that were identified as Bell pepper endornavirus (BPEV). Both sequences were nearly identical by 99.9 % at both nucleotide and amino acid levels. The presence of BPEV was confirmed by RT-qPCR, RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing using RdRp-specific primers designed from the assembled sequences in ten independent random samples taken from the investigated bell pepper stands. The phylogenetic analysis of both BPEV variants and their affiliation within the genus Endornavirus is discussed. For our knowledge, this is the first study on this group of viruses in Colombia

A tool to select offshore renewable energy facilities. The case of study of shipyards and ports in Spain

[Abstract]: The objective of this work is to create a tool that serves to know the possibilities of manufacturing, storage, assembly, and maintenance of floating marine structures trying to take advantage of the ports and shipyards of Spain. This would help reduce costs and could make this type of energy more profitable. To this end, all the Spanish ports and shipyards have been analyzed, considering the characteristics and possibilities of each of them. In the study, those that did not meet certain essential conditions for the manufacture, storage, assembly, and maintenance of power generation equipment have been discarded.Ministerio de Ciencia e Investigación; /10.13039/50110001103

Multichannel Detrended Fluctuation Analysis Reveals Synchronized Patterns of Spontaneous Spinal Activity in Anesthetized Cats

The analysis of the interaction and synchronization of relatively large ensembles of neurons is fundamental for the understanding of complex functions of the nervous system. It is known that the temporal synchronization of neural ensembles is involved in the generation of specific motor, sensory or cognitive processes. Also, the intersegmental coherence of spinal spontaneous activity may indicate the existence of synaptic neural pathways between different pairs of lumbar segments. In this study we present a multichannel version of the detrended fluctuation analysis method (mDFA) to analyze the correlation dynamics of spontaneous spinal activity (SSA) from time series analysis. This method together with the classical detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) were used to find out whether the SSA recorded in one or several segments in the spinal cord of the anesthetized cat occurs either in a random or in an organized manner. Our results are consistent with a non-random organization of the sets of neurons involved in the generation of spontaneous cord dorsum potentials (CDPs) recorded either from one lumbar segment (DFA- mean = 1.040.09) or simultaneously from several lumbar segments (mDFA- mean = 1.010.06), where  = 0.5 indicates randomness while 0.5 indicates long-term correlations. To test the sensitivity of the mDFA method we also examined the effects of small spinal lesions aimed to partially interrupt connectivity between neighboring lumbosacral segments. We found that the synchronization and correlation between the CDPs recorded from the L5 and L6 segments in both sides of the spinal cord were reduced when a lesion comprising the left dorsal quadrant was performed between the segments L5 and L6 (mDFA- = 0.992 as compared to initial conditions mDFA- = 1.186). The synchronization and correlation were reduced even further after a similar additional right spinal lesion (mDFA- = 0.924). In contrast to the classical methods, such as correlation and coherence quantification that define a relation between two sets of data, the mDFA method properly reveals the synchronization of multiple groups of neurons in several segments of the spinal cord. This method is envisaged as a useful tool to characterize the structure of higher order ensembles of cord dorsum spontaneous potentials after spinal cord or peripheral nerve lesions

A novel TPR-BEN domain interaction mediates PICH-BEND3 association

PICH is a DNA translocase required for the maintenance of chromosome stability in human cells. Recent data indicate that PICH co-operates with topoisomerase IIα to suppress pathological chromosome missegregation through promoting the resolution of ultra-fine anaphase bridges (UFBs). Here, we identify the BEN domain-containing protein 3 (BEND3) as an interaction partner of PICH in human cells in mitosis. We have purified full length PICH and BEND3 and shown that they exhibit a functional biochemical interaction in vitro. We demonstrate that the PICH-BEND3 interaction occurs via a novel interface between a TPR domain in PICH and a BEN domain in BEND3, and have determined the crystal structure of this TPR-BEN complex at 2.2 Å resolution. Based on the structure, we identified amino acids important for the TPR-BEN domain interaction, and for the functional interaction of the full-length proteins. Our data reveal a proposed new function for BEND3 in association with PICH, and the first example of a specific protein-protein interaction mediated by a BEN domain

Plasma and tissue clindamycin antimicrobial activity after parenteral administration to cats under surgical conditions

Clindamycin plasma and tissue disposition in cats under surgical conditions after a single intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) administration at a dose rate of 10 mg/kg were studied. After intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous administration, peak plasma concentrations were 10.93±3.78 μg/mL (Cp(0)), 5.93±1.18 μg/mL (Cmax)) and 6.30±0.88 μg/mL (Cmax)), respectively. Eight hours after clindamycin IV, IM and SC administration plasma concentrations declined to 2.01±0.61 μg/mL, 2.96±0.43 μg/mL and 3.36±0.97 μg/mL, respectively. Sixty to 90 minutes after clindamycin administration, tissue concentrations ranged from a minimum in subcutaneous tissue of 4.90 μg/g (IV), 3.06 μg/g (IM) and, 3.13 μg/g (SC) to a maximum in uterus of 13.41 μg/g (IV), 14.07 μg/g (IM) and, 14.44 μg/g (SC). The lowest tissue/plasma concentration ratio for the three administration routes was observed in subcutaneous tissue, while the highest was observed at genital level (ovary for IV and IM and uterus for SC). Estimated efficacy predictor (AUC/MIC), considering MIC breakpoint for bacteria isolated from animals, indicates that clindamycin administered IV, IM or SC at the studied dose is appropriated for perioperative prophylactic protocols and that given with a dose interval of 12 hours would be effective for susceptible infection treatment in cats.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Visceral, subcutaneous abdominal adiposity and liver fat content distribution in normal glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance

Q1Q1Objectives: To examine the specific distribution of liver fat content, visceral and subcutaneous adiposity in normal glucose tolerance (NGT/NGT), isolated impaired fasting glucose (iIFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (iIGT) and combined conditions (IFG+IGT), as well as with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (nT2D). Design: Multicenter, international observational study: cross-sectional analysis. Subjects: Two thousand five hundred and fifteen patients (50.0% women, 54.5% non-Caucasian) without previously known diabetes were recruited from 29 countries. Abdominal fat distribution was measured by computed tomography (CT). Liver fat was estimated using the CT-liver mean attenuation. Results: Compared with NGT/NGT patients, increased visceral adiposity was found in iIFG, iIGT, IFG+IGT and nT2D; estimated liver fat progressively increased across these conditions. A one-s.d. increase in visceral adiposity was associated with an increased risk of having iIFG (men: odds ratio (OR) 1.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–1.74), women: OR 1.62 (1.29–2.04)), iIGT (men: OR 1.59 (1.15–2.01), women: OR 1.30 (0.96–1.76)), IFG+IGT (men: OR 1.64 (1.27–2.13), women: OR 1.83 (1.36–2.48)) and nT2D (men: OR 1.80 (1.35–2.42), women: OR 1.73 (1.25–2.41)). A one-s.d. increase in estimated liver fat was associated with iIGT (men: OR 1.46 (1.12–1.90), women: OR 1.81 (1.41–2.35)), IFG+IGT (men: OR 1.42 (1.14–1.77), women: OR 1.74 (1.35–2.26)) and nT2D (men: OR 1.77 (1.40–2.27), women: OR 2.38 (1.81–3.18)). Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue showed an inverse relationship with nT2D in women (OR 0.63 (0.45–0.88)). Conclusions: Liver fat was associated with iIGT but not with iIFG, whereas visceral adiposity was associated with both. Liver fat and visceral adiposity were associated with nT2D, whereas subcutaneous adiposity showed an inverse relationship with nT2D in women

Wolbachia pipientis associated with tephritid fruit fly pests: from basic research to applications

Members of the true fruit flies (family Tephritidae) are among the most serious agricultural pests worldwide, whose control and management demands large and costly international efforts. The need for cost-effective and environmentally friendly integrated pest management (IPM) has led to the development and implementation of autocidal control strategies. These approaches include the widely used sterile insect technique and the incompatible insect technique (IIT). IIT relies on maternally transmitted bacteria (namely Wolbachia) to cause a conditional sterility in crosses between released mass-reared Wolbachia-infected males and wild females, which are either uninfected or infected with a different Wolbachia strain (i.e., cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI). Herein, we review the current state of knowledge on Wolbachia-tephritid interactions including infection prevalence in wild populations, phenotypic consequences, and their impact on life history traits. Numerous pest tephritid species are reported to harbor Wolbachia infections, with a subset exhibiting high prevalence. The phenotypic effects of Wolbachia have been assessed in very few tephritid species, due in part to the difficulty of manipulating Wolbachia infection (removal or transinfection). Based on recent methodological advances (high-throughput DNA sequencing) and breakthroughs concerning the mechanistic basis of CI, we suggest research avenues that could accelerate generation of necessary knowledge for the potential use of Wolbachia-based IIT in area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) strategies for the population control of tephritid pests.Instituto de GenéticaFil: Mateos, Mariana. Texas A&M University. Departments of Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Martinez Montoya, Humberto. Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria Reynosa Aztlan. Laboratorio de Genética y Genómica Comparativa; MéxicoFil: Lanzavecchia, Silvia Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Conte, Claudia Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Guillén, Karina. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; MéxicoFil: Morán-Aceves, Brenda M. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; MéxicoFil: Toledo, Jorge. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; MéxicoFil: Liedo, Pablo. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; MéxicoFil: Asimakis, Elias D. University of Patras. Department of Environmental Engineering; GreciaFil: Doudoumis, Vangelis. University of Patras. Department of Environmental Engineering; GreciaFil: Kyritsis, Georgios A. University of Thessaly. Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment. Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology; GreciaFil: Papadopoulos, Nikos T. University of Thessaly. Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment. Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology; GreciaFil: Augustinos, Antonios A. Hellenic Agricultural Organization. Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops. Department of Plant Protection; GreciaFil: Segura, Diego Fernando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética. Laboratorio de Genética de Insectos de Importancia Económica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tsiamis, George. University of Patras. Department of Environmental Engineering; Greci

What if we decided to take care of everyone who needed treatment? Workforce planning in Mozambique using simulation of demand for HIV/AIDS care

Background: The growing AIDS epidemic in southern Africa is placing an increased strain on health systems, which are experiencing steadily rising patient loads. Health care systems are tackling the barriers to serving large populations in scaled-up operations. One of the most significant challenges in this effort is securing the health care workforce to deliver care in settings where the manpower is already in short supply. Methods: We have produced a demand-driven staffing model using simple spreadsheet technology, based on treatment protocols for HIV-positive patients that adhere to Mozambican guidelines. The model can be adjusted for the volumes of patients at differing stages of their disease, varying provider productivity, proportion who are pregnant, attrition rates, and other variables. Results: Our model projects the need for health workers using three different kinds of goals: 1) the number of patients to be placed on anti-retroviral therapy (ART), 2) the number of HIV-positive patients to be enrolled for treatment, and 3) the number of patients to be enrolled in a treatment facility per month. Conclusion: We propose three scenarios, depending on numbers of patients enrolled. In the first scenario, we start with 8000 patients on ART and increase that number to 58 000 at the end of three years (those were the goals for the country of Mozambique). This would require thirteen clinicians and just over ten nurses by the end of the first year, and 67 clinicians and 47 nurses at the end of the third year. In a second scenario, we start with 34 000 patients enrolled for care (not all of them on ART), and increase to 94 000 by the end of the third year, requiring a growth in clinician staff from 18 to 28. In a third scenario, we start a new clinic and enrol 200 new patients per month for three years, requiring 1.2 clinicians in year 1 and 2.2 by the end of year 3. Other clinician types in the model include nurses, social workers, pharmacists, phlebotomists, and peer counsellors. This planning tool could lead to more realistic and appropriate estimates of workforce levels required to provide high-quality HIV care in a low-resource settings

Diagnóstico fenotípico de las inmunodeficiencias primarias en Antioquia, Colombia, 1994-2002.

Recurrent infections are a frequent cause of medical visits. They can be due to a heterogeneous group of dysfunctions that increase the susceptibility to pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms, such as immunological deficiencies. To define an opportune rational treatment and to guide the molecular diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency diseases, we establish a program for the phenotypic diagnosis of these illnesses in Antioquia, Colombia, including clinical and laboratory evaluations of patients who present recurrent infections with abnormal evolution. Between August 1, 1994 and July 31, 2002, phenotypic diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency was made in 98 patients. Similar to data reported in the literature, antibody deficiencies were the most frequent (40.8%), followed by combined deficiencies (21.4%). This phenotypic characterization has allowed for appropriate treatments for each patient and, in some cases, functional and molecular studies that can lead to a definite molecular diagnosis.La infección recurrente es una causa frecuente de consulta médica y puede deberse a un grupo heterogéneo de trastornos que incrementan la susceptibilidad a los microorganismos patógenos y oportunistas, como las deficiencias inmunológicas subyacentes. Con el fin de definir un tratamiento racional oportuno y orientar el diagnóstico molecular de las inmunodeficiencias primarias, se estableció un programa para el diagnóstico fenotípico de estas enfermedades en el departamento de Antioquia (Colombia), que comprende un análisis clínico y de laboratorio de los individuos que presentan infecciones recurrentes de evolución anormal. Entre el 1 de agosto de 1994 y el 31 de julio de 2002 se hizo el diagnóstico fenotípico de inmunodeficiencia primaria en 98 pacientes. Similar a lo informado en la literatura especializada, en esta región las deficiencias predominantes de anticuerpos fueron las más frecuentes (40,8%) seguidas por las deficiencias combinadas (21,4%). Esta caracterización fenotípica ha permitido iniciar rápidamente el tratamiento adecuado y, en algunos casos, comenzar los estudios funcionales y moleculares que conduzcan al diagnóstico molecular definitivo