Rendimiento de biomasa del pasto Saboya (Megathyrsus maximus) con relación a dos frecuencias de corte

Introducción. El pasto Saboya (Megathyrsus maximus) es una de las especies de gran importancia en el sector ganadero por su gran producción de biomasa, además que en nuestro país es uno de los principales pastos con mayor superficie 1'147.091 hectáreas. El   ensayo se realizó en los predios de la Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias de la Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, ubicada en el km. 7.5 de la vía Babahoyo-Montalvo. Objetivo. Determinar la producción de masa forrajera en fresco, materia seca y valor nutritivo en dos frecuencias de corte del pasto Saboya (Megathyrsus maximus). Metodología. Se utilizó el método experimental, donde se evaluaron las variables: rendimiento de materia fresca, porcentaje de materia seca y valor nutritivo en dos frecuencias de corte (40 y 60 días), se utilizó estadística no paramétrica para estimar la media aritmética. Resultados. El rendimiento de materia fresca que obtuvo el mayor peso con 2,80 kg por metro cuadrado fue a los 60 días de corte, mientras que a los 40 días obtuvo 2,03 kg.; en el porcentaje de materia seca mayor mostró el tratamiento de corte a los 40 días con 21,45 %. A diferencia del tratamiento de corte a los 60 días con 18,76 %; El mejor valor nutritivo se obtuvo a los 60 días con un promedio de 1,7 % para nitrógeno y 11,025 % de proteína cruda. El P, K, Ca y Mg obtuvieron promedios de: 0,27; 3,05; 0,51 y 0,20 respetivamente. Conclusión. El mayor rendimiento de materia fresca con un peso de 2,80 kg/m2 fue el tratamiento de corte a los 60 días; entre mayor sea los días de corte del pasto menor será la cantidad de materia seca, lo que se pudo evidenciar en la investigación. En cuanto al valor nutritivo a los 40 días de corte del pasto se obtuvo mejor promedio tanto para nitrógeno, proteína cruda y calcio

Aplicación de GPS diferencial para el monitoreo de movimientos en el terreno

En los últimos años, el desarrollo de los global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS, por sus siglas en inglés) trae beneficios a losnuevos métodos de levantamiento con Global Positioning System(GPS, , por sus siglas en inglés), se han desarrollado rápidamentey cuentan con nuevas técnicas de medición (estático, estáticorápido, real time kinematic), mayor productividad, menor tiempode medición y calidad en cuanto a precisión. Además, se puedetrabajar bajo condiciones meteorológicas difíciles y no es necesario tener una línea de visión directa hacia el otro equipo GPS(estación base o móvil). El principal objetivo de este trabajo esevidenciar la deformación del terreno de los movimientos de fallaslaterales que son casi imperceptibles pero que se pueden cuantificar de una manera eficaz mediante un monitoreo aplicandotecnología de GPS diferencial; el escrito presenta los resultadosde la variación espacial y la tendencia de dirección en veinticuatrovértices GPS que cubren aproximadamente un área de 24km2 sobre la zona de esfuerzos en la ciudad de Celaya, Guanajuato, losvértices se encuentran distribuidos dentro y fuera de la zona defalla, los resultados de los tres monitoreos nos permiten determinar una aproximación de la tasa anual de variación por zonas enel área de estudio

Inheritable CRISPR based epigenetic modification in a fungus

The CRISPRoff system was recently introduced as a programmable epigenetic memory writer that can be used to silence genes in human cells. The system makes use of a dead Cas9 protein (dCas9) that is fused with the ZNF10 KRAB, Dnmt3A, and Dnmt3L protein domains. The DNA methylation resulting from the CRISPRoff system can be removed by the CRISPRon system that consists of dCas9 fused to the catalytic domain of Tet1. Here, the CRISPRoff and CRISPRon systems were applied for the first time in a fungus. The CRISPRoff system resulted in an inactivation up to 100 % of the target genes flbA and GFP in Aspergillus niger. Phenotypes correlated with the degree of gene silencing in the transformants and were stable when going through a conidiation cycle, even when the CRISPRoff plasmid was removed from the flbA silenced strain. Introducing the CRISPRon system in a strain in which the CRISPRoff plasmid was removed fully reactivated flbA showing a phenotype similar to that of the wildtype. Together, the CRISPRoff and CRISPRon systems can be used to study gene function in A. niger

The α-(1,3)-glucan synthase gene agsE impacts the secretome of Aspergillus niger

Aspergillus niger is widely used as a cell factory for the industrial production of enzymes. Previously, it was shown that deletion of α-1-3 glucan synthase genes results in smaller micro-colonies in liquid cultures of Aspergillus nidulans. Also, it has been shown that small wild-type Aspergillus niger micro-colonies secrete more protein than large mirco-colonies. We here assessed whether deletion of the agsC or agsE α-1-3 glucan synthase genes results in smaller A. niger micro-colonies and whether this is accompanied by a change in protein secretion. Biomass formation was not affected in the deletion strains but pH of the culture medium had changed from 5.2 in the case of the wild-type to 4.6 and 6.4 for ΔagsC and ΔagsE, respectively. The diameter of the ΔagsC micro-colonies was not affected in liquid cultures. In contrast, diameter of the ΔagsE micro-colonies was reduced from 3304 ± 338 µm to 1229 ± 113 µm. Moreover, the ΔagsE secretome was affected with 54 and 36 unique proteins with a predicted signal peptide in the culture medium of MA234.1 and the ΔagsE, respectively. Results show that these strains have complementary cellulase activity and thus may have complementary activity on plant biomass degradation. Together, α-1-3 glucan synthesis (in)directly impacts protein secretion in A. niger

Heterogeneity in Spore Aggregation and Germination Results in Different Sized, Cooperative Microcolonies in an Aspergillus niger Culture

The fungus Aspergillus niger is among the most abundant fungi in the world and is widely used as a cell factory for protein and metabolite production. This fungus forms asexual spores called conidia that are used for dispersal. Notably, part of the spores and germlings aggregate in an aqueous environment. The aggregated conidia/ germlings give rise to large microcolonies, while the nonaggregated spores/germlings result in small microcolonies. Here, it is shown that small microcolonies release a larger variety and quantity of secreted proteins compared to large microcolonies. Yet, the secretome of large microcolonies has complementary cellulase activity with that of the small microcolonies. Also, large microcolonies are more resistant to heat and oxidative stress compared to small microcolonies, which is partly explained by the presence of nongerminated spores in the core of the large microcolonies. Together, it is proposed that heterogeneity in germination and aggregation has evolved to form a population of different sized A. niger microcolonies, thereby increasing stress survival and producing a meta-secretome more optimally suited to degrade complex substrates

Coriocarcinoma de placenta metastásico: artículo de revisión

Choriocarcinoma is a highly vascularized tumor of malignant origin that is defined within gestational trophoblastic neoplasms. It occurs in women of reproductive age after any type of pregnancy, with complete molar pregnancy being the most frequently associated. The clinical manifestations are usually non-specific and related to metastatic involvement with the main organ, the lung; however, vaginal bleeding is the main finding. The diagnosis is based on the measurement of beta-hCG levels accompanied by a complete clinical history, a thorough physical examination and the use of imaging aids such as transabdominal or transvaginal ultrasound. Medical management should be early and based on the administration of chemotherapy, ideally with multiple drugs, always depending on the degree of the disease as well as institutional care protocols. The prognosis is generally favorable, however, in those cases in which the diagnosis is late, the survival rates and associated complications increase drastically, which is why health personnel must maintain a high index of diagnostic suspicion that facilitates the establishment of comprehensive medical management.El coriocarcinoma es un tumor de origen maligno altamente vascularizado que se encuentra definido dentro de las neoplasias trofoblásticas gestacionales. Se presenta en mujeres en edad reproductiva posterior a cualquier tipo de gestación siendo el embarazo molar completo el más frecuentemente asociado. Las manifestaciones clínicas suelen ser inespecíficas y estar relacionadas con afectación metastásica con órgano principal pulmón, sin embargo, el sangrado vaginal es el hallazgo principal. El diagnóstico se encuentra basado en la medición de niveles de beta-hCG acompañado de una historia clínica completa, un examen físico exhaustivo y el uso de ayudas imagenológicas como la ecografía transabdominal o transvaginal. El manejo médico debe ser precoz y basado en la administración de quimioterapia idealmente con múltiples fármacos dependiendo siempre del grado de la enfermedad, así como de los protocolos de atención institucional. El pronóstico generalmente es favorable sin embargo en aquellos casos en los que el diagnóstico sea tardío las tasas de supervivencia y complicaciones asociadas aumentan de manera drástica es por esto por lo que, el personal de la salud debe mantener un alto índice de sospecha diagnóstica que facilite la instauración oportuna del manejo médico integral.&nbsp

Motivation and Acceptation Model para herramientas tecnológicas en el ámbito universitario

[EN] When new technological tools are introduced in the academic field, there is a need to know the acceptance and motivation for their use by the students. In this paper, we introduce an existing formal methodology called Motivational and Acceptance Model for this purpose, which is initially used for the study of the acceptance of the R programming language in the Hydrology subject of the Degree in Geography and Environment at the University of Valencia. To this end, data are collected by means of a survey with questions about the components of the model, including the perceived usefulness instrument, the attitude toward instrument, the perceived ease of use, the perception of organizational support, as well as the analysis of actual use. Our research aims to determine the relation between these components given different hypotheses based on them, using Structural Equation Modeling.[ES] Siempre que se introducen nuevas herramientas tecnológicas en el ámbito académico existe la necesidad de conocer cuál es la aceptación y la motivación por el uso de las mismas por parte del alumnado. Para ello, en este trabajo se introduce y aplica una metodología formal existente conocida como Motivational and Acceptance Model, la cual sirve en un primer caso para el estudio de la aceptación del uso del lenguaje de programación R en el Grado de Geografía y Medio Ambiente de la Universitat de València. Con esta finalidad, se recogen datos a partir de una encuesta que contempla mediante diferentes preguntas las componentes del modelo, incluyendo la utilidad percibida para la herramiento, la satisfacción que supone el uso de la misma para el alumnado, la facilidad de uso percibida, el nivel de apoyo para el uso de la herramienta percibido, así como el análisis del uso real de la herramienta. Nuestra investigación tiene como objetivo dar respuesta a cuáles son las relaciones entre dichas componentes para diferentes hipótesis, utilizando un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales.Adsuara Fuster, JE.; Pérez-Suay, A.; Ruescas, AB.; Moreno-Martínez, A.; Fernández-Torres, MÁ.; Varando, G.; Fernandez-Moran, R.... (2023). Motivation and Acceptation Model para herramientas tecnológicas en el ámbito universitario. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1121-1134. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2023.2023.166751121113

Intracellular expression of Tat alters mitochondrial functions in T cells: a potential mechanism to understand mitochondrial damage during HIV-1 replication

HIV-1 replication results in mitochondrial damage that is enhanced during antiretroviral therapy (ART). The onset of HIV-1 replication is regulated by viral protein Tat, a 101-residue protein codified by two exons that elongates viral transcripts. Although the first exon of Tat (aa 1–72) forms itself an active protein, the presence of the second exon (aa 73–101) results in a more competent transcriptional protein with additional functions. Results: Mitochondrial overall functions were analyzed in Jurkat cells stably expressing full-length Tat (Tat101) or one-exon Tat (Tat72). Representative results were confirmed in PBLs transiently expressing Tat101 and in HIV-infected Jurkat cells. The intracellular expression of Tat101 induced the deregulation of metabolism and cytoskeletal proteins which remodeled the function and distribution of mitochondria. Tat101 reduced the transcription of the mtDNA, resulting in low ATP production. The total amount of mitochondria increased likely to counteract their functional impairment. These effects were enhanced when Tat second exon was expressed. Conclusions: Intracellular Tat altered mtDNA transcription, mitochondrial content and distribution in CD4+ T cells. The importance of Tat second exon in non-transcriptional functions was confirmed. Tat101 may be responsible for mitochondrial dysfunctions found in HIV-1 infected patients.We greatly appreciate the secretarial assistance of Mrs Olga Palao. This work was supported by FIPSE (360924/10), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2010-18388), Spanish Ministry of Health (EC11- 285), AIDS Network ISCIII-RETIC (RD12/0017/0015), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (FIS PI12/00506). The work of Sara Rodríguez-Mora is supported by a fellowship of Sara Borrell from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (2013). The work of María Rosa López-Huertas is supported by a fellowship of the European Union Programme Health 2009 (CHAARM).S

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline