Variabilité génétique chez des populations sauvages et domestiques de Triatoma infestans, vecteur majeur de la maladie de Chagas en Bolivie : rapport de stage

La maladie de Chagas est une infection due à #Trypanosoma cruzi#, transmise par des insectes hématophages dont le principal vecteur est #Triatoma infestans#. La mise en place de nouvelles stratégies de lutte contra ces vecteurs en cas d'échecs dans certaines régions, nécessite une meilleure connaissance de l'écologie et de la biologie, de même que de la génétique de ces populations de vecteurs permettant de mieux comprendre les processus de domestication. Cette étude a pour objectif d'analyser les séquences de gènes à vitesse d'évolution différente afin d'identifier les haplotypes et allèles spécifiques des populations sauvages et domestiques. (Résumé d'auteur

Análisis de los cambios en la participación en el mercado de trabajo: una aplicación al caso del área metropolitana de Monterrey

This paper analyzes changes in labor force participation in the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey, Mexico, between 1976 and 1996. A life cycle model is used to decompose the changes in participation rates into parametric and evolutionary changes. The fall in real wages in Monterrey during this period is modeled as an unexpected change and the effect on the marginal utility of wealth is considered. We want to know whether it is possible to make predictions about labor force participation using observed variables, i.e., inelastic evolutionary changes, and whether the elasticity of labor supply is as in this model as has been found in studies using other models.

The impact of location on housing prices: applying the Artificial Neural Network Model as an analytical tool.

The location of a residential property in a city directly affects its market price. Each location represents different values in variables such as accessibility, neighbourhood, traffic, socio-economic level and proximity to green areas, among others. In addition, that location has an influence on the choice and on the offer price of each residential property. The development of artificial intelligence, allows us to use alternative tools to the traditional methods of econometric modelling. This has led us to conduct a study of the residential property market in the city of Valencia (Spain). In this study, we will attempt to explain the aspects that determine the demand for housing and the behaviour of prices in the urban space. We used an artificial neutral network as a price forecasting tool, since this system shows a considerable improvement in the accuracy of ratings over traditional models. With the help of this system, we attempted to quantify the impact on residential property prices of issues such as accessibility, level of service standards of public utilities, quality of urban planning, environmental surroundings and other locational aspects.

A 4-μW 0.8-V Rail-to-Rail Input/Output CMOS Fully Differential OpAmp

This paper presents an ultra low power rail-to-rail input/output operational amplifier (OpAmp) designed in a low cost 0.18 μm CMOS technology. In this OpAmp, rail-to-rail input operation is enabled by using complementary input pairs with gm control. To maximize the output swing a rail-to-rail output stage is employed. For low-voltage low-power operation, the operating transistors in the input and output stage are biased in the sub-threshold region. The simulated DC open loop gain is 51 dB, and the slew-rate is 0.04 V/μs with a 10 pF capacitive load connected to each of the amplifier outputs. For the same load, the simulated unity gain frequency is 131 kHz with a 64º phase margin. A common-mode feed-forward circuit (CMFF) increases CMRR, reducing drastically the variations in the output common mode voltage and keeping the DC gain almost constant. In fact, their relative error remains below 1.2 % for a (-20ºC, +120ºC) temperature span. In addition, the proposed OpAmp is very simple and consumes only 4 μW at 0.8 V supply

Small businesses as vehicles for job creation in North-West Nigeria

Small businesses are considered as engine of economic growth, contributing to employment generation, wealth creation, and poverty alleviation and food security in both developed and developing countries. Nigeria is facing many socio-economic problems and it is believed that by supporting small business development, as propellers of new ideas and more effective users of resources, often driven by individual creativity and innovation, Nigeria would be able to address some of its economic and social challenges, such as unemployment and economic diversification. Using secondary literature, this paper examines the role small businesses can play in the creation of jobs in North-West Nigeria to overcome issues of unemployment, which is the most devastating economic challenge facing the region. Most studies in this area have focused on Nigeria as a whole and only a few studies provide a regional focus, hence, this study will contribute to knowledge by filling this gap by concentrating on North-West Nigeria. It is hoped that with the present administration’s determination to improve the economy, small businesses would be used as vehicles for diversification of the economy away from crude oil to create jobs that would lead to a reduction in the country's high unemployment level

Understanding the Nature of Non-Profit Incubators with Other Sector Incubators in the Founding of Social Change Organisations by Social Entrepreneurs

Incubators have been studied extensively in the private sector, such as those that engage in technological innovation or growing small businesses. The scholarship has not sufficiently explored the efforts of incubators in the nonprofit sector that help create programs supporting, mentoring, and cultivating social entrepreneurs. There are numerous documented cases of nonprofit organizations establishing initiatives that help motivated entrepreneurs achieve social change; but research is lagging in developing a systematic understanding of these effort’s impact, and the factors associated with the success of nonprofit initiatives that support social entrepreneurs. This paper seeks to understand the nature of nonprofit organizations that support and cultivate social entrepreneurs. We rely on a unique data set from survey research on nonprofit initiatives across three U.S. Census Regions. Results indicate that the characteristics of nonprofit organizations vary in their reliance on a variety of revenue resources and governance arrangements, as well as in their diverse policy focus. They also provide an extensive and diverse set of services that supports the ideas and efforts of social entrepreneurs

Degradation of extracellular matrix regulates osteoblast migration: A microfluidic-based study

Bone regeneration is strongly dependent on the capacity of cells to move in a 3D microenvironment, where a large cascade of signals is activated. To improve the understanding of this complex process and to advance in the knowledge of the role of each specific signal, it is fundamental to analyze the impact of each factor independently. Microfluidic-based cell culture is an appropriate technology to achieve this objective, because it allows recreating realistic 3D local microenvironments by taking into account the extracellular matrix, cells and chemical gradients in an independent or combined scenario. The main aim of this work is to analyze the impact of extracellular matrix properties and growth factor gradients on 3D osteoblast movement, as well as the role of cell matrix degradation. For that, we used collagen-based hydrogels, with and without crosslinkers, under different chemical gradients, and eventually inhibiting metalloproteinases to tweak matrix degradation. We found that osteoblast''s 3D migratory patterns were affected by the hydrogel properties and the PDGF-BB gradient, although the strongest regulatory factor was determined by the ability of cells to remodel the matrix