Dos biomarcadores de la plasticidad de la expresión génica en corales Pocillopora del arrecife Carrizales, Pacífico Tropical Mexicano

Background. Gene expression (GE) plasticity is an acclimation response that allows organisms to adjust rapidly to environmental changes, providing an adaptive advantage. GE biomarkers are emerging as a valua-ble tool for linking the organism’s physiological plasticitywith the synergetic effects of large-scale climatic conditions and local impacts such as temperature and nutrients. Objectives. In this study, we investigate the GE plasticity of the 70-kDa heat shock protein (hsp70) and the carbonic anhydrase enzyme (CA) to confirm the ability of those two genes as biomarkers of the Cellular Stress Response and Cellular Homeostasis Res-ponse, respectively. Methods. Using qPCR, we evaluate the GE plasticity of coral colonies from Pocillopora capitata, Pocillopora damicornis,and Pocillopora verrucosa at the Carrizales reef (Colima coast of Mexico) naturally exposed to environmental changes in the Sea Surface Temperature (SST), productivity and nutrients using the cellular density of Symbiodiniaceae and chlorophyll content as health indices. Results. Our results clearly show GE plasticity in the hsp70 for Pocillopora verrucosa and Pocillopora damicornis related to a daily environmental change in temperature and nutrients. On the other hand, the CA gene expression shows no change in response to daily variations. However, there was a significantly high expression of CA and a lower expression of hsp70 in Pocillopora capitata. Furthermore, we found no significant differences in the health in-dices, suggesting some degree of physiological plasticity in Pocillopora corals like its extensive morphological plasticity that could reflect different adaptation capacities to low temperatures and high nutrients during the spring season in the central Mexican Pacific. Conclusions. Evaluating the phenotypic plasticity (morphology and molecular physiology) could help identify coral colonies with a more significant potential to survive en-vironmental stressors. The latter is an essential consideration for managing, conserving, and restoring coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific.Antecedentes. La plasticidad de la expresión génica (GE) es una respuesta inmediata de aclimatación al cambio ambiental que puede proporcionar una ventaja adaptativa. Los biomarcadores de GE están emer-giendo como una herramienta valiosa para vincular la plasticidad fisiológica del organismo con los efectos sinérgicos del cambio climático y el impacto local como la temperatura y nutrientes. Objetivos. Investigamos la plasticidad de la expresión de genes que codifican para la proteína de choque térmico de 70-kDa (hsp70) y la enzima anhidrasa carbónica (CA) para confirmar su utilidad como biomarcadores de la respuesta de estrés y de homeostasis celular, respectivamente. Métodos. Evaluamos la GE mediante qPCR en colonias de corales Pocilloporacapitata, Pocillopora damicornis y Pocillopora verrucosa del arrecife Carrizales (Colima, México) expuestas a un cambio natural en la temperatura de la superficie del mar (SST), productividad pri-maria y nutrientes utilizando la densidad de Symbiodiniaceae y el contenido de clorofila como indicadores de salud. Resultados. La plasticidad de la GE de hsp70 en Pocillopora damicornis y Pocillopora verrucosa se asocia con la variación diaria de temperatura y nutrientes, mientras que el gen de la CA no muestra cambios de expresión relacionada con esta variabilidad. Sin embargo, en Pocillopora capitata se encontró una expresión significativamente mayor de CA y una menor expresión de hsp70. Estos resultados reflejan un grado de plasticidad fisiológica en corales Pocillopora similar a la extensa plasticidad morfológica dentro de este género, lo que podría sugerir diferentes capacidades de adaptación a la temporada primave-ral de bajas temperaturas y alto contenido de nutrientes en la región. Conclusiones. Evaluar la plasticidad fenotípica (morfología y fisiolo-gía molecular) podría ser útil para identificar colonias de corales con un mayor potencial de sobrevivencia al estrés ambiental. Lo anterior resulta relevante para la conservación, manejo y restauración de los arrecifes de coral del Pacífico mexicano.   &nbsp

Expression of apolipoprotein AI mRNA in peripheral white blood cells of patients with alcoholic liver disease

AbstractBecause (i) changes in plasma and liver mRNA of apolipoprotein (apo) AI have been observed in patients with alcoholic liver disease, (ii) apo AI mRNA can be induced in non-hepatic tissues, and (iii) apolipoproteins expression is influenced by plasma colloid osmotic pressure (PCO) and viscosity (η), we analyzed the Apo AI mRNA expression in the peripheral white blood cells (PWBC), PCO, and η in control volunteers (C), patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), and cirrhotic patients with superimposed alcoholic hepatitis (LC+AH). We found that apo AI mRNA is expressed in the PWBC in 20% of C and it is induced 1.5 fold in 66.6% of LC and 1.95 fold in 85% of LC+AH. A significant decrease of PCO in LC and LC+AH (14.8±2.4 and 16.2±2.4 mm Hg, respectively) compared to C (27.9±2 mm Hg) was observed. By contrast, η was mildly increased from 1.7389±0.07 in C to 1.8022±0.154 in LC and 1.9030±0.177 in LC+AH. No significant correlation was found between PCO and η with apo AI mRNA but with lipid profile.In conclusion, apo AI mRNA expression in PWBC is associated to liver disease severity and could be an indirect indicator of alcoholic liver damage

The Visibility Graph: a new method for estimating the Hurst exponent of fractional Brownian motion

Fractional Brownian motion (fBm) has been used as a theoretical framework to study real time series appearing in diverse scientific fields. Because its intrinsic non-stationarity and long range dependence, its characterization via the Hurst parameter H requires sophisticated techniques that often yield ambiguous results. In this work we show that fBm series map into a scale free visibility graph whose degree distribution is a function of H. Concretely, it is shown that the exponent of the power law degree distribution depends linearly on H. This also applies to fractional Gaussian noises (fGn) and generic f^(-b) noises. Taking advantage of these facts, we propose a brand new methodology to quantify long range dependence in these series. Its reliability is confirmed with extensive numerical simulations and analytical developments. Finally, we illustrate this method quantifying the persistent behavior of human gait dynamics.Comment: 5 pages, submitted for publicatio

Estimation of solar prominence magnetic fields based on the reconstructed 3D trajectories of prominence knots

We present an estimation of the lower limits of local magnetic fields in quiescent, activated, and active (surges) promineces, based on reconstructed 3-dimensional (3D) trajectories of individual prominence knots. The 3D trajectories, velocities, tangential and centripetal accelerations of the knots were reconstructed using observational data collected with a single ground-based telescope equipped with a Multi-channel Subtractive Double Pass imaging spectrograph. Lower limits of magnetic fields channeling observed plasma flows were estimated under assumption of the equipartition principle. Assuming approximate electron densities of the plasma n_e = 5*10^{11} cm^{-3} in surges and n_e = 5*10^{10} cm^{-3} in quiescent/activated prominences, we found that the magnetic fields channeling two observed surges range from 16 to 40 Gauss, while in quiescent and activated prominences they were less than 10 Gauss. Our results are consistent with previous detections of weak local magnetic fields in the solar prominences.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, 1 tabl

Simulador de negocios Capstone: estrategia competitiva de Baldwin

En el presente trabajo de obtención de grado se muestra un análisis de las decisiones tomadas y resultados obtenidos en el simulador de negocios CAPSTONE durante ocho años por la gestión directiva, que a su vez son los autores de este documento y que representaron a la empresa Baldwin. El capítulo uno presenta el marco teórico donde se tratan temas de planeación estrategia y modelos de negocios, los cuales se aterrizan a casos de estudio en empresas de diferentes industrias. En el capítulo dos se explica cómo funciona el simulador de negocios CAPSTONE, as se define la estrategia y las tácticas a emplear por el equipo directivo de Baldwin en las áreas que conforman la compañía como lo son investigación y desarrollo, mercadotecnia, producción, finanzas, recursos humanos y TQM. Del capítulo tres al seis se presenta un análisis de las decisiones tomadas por los integrantes de la mesa directiva a lo largo de los ocho años de la simulación, así como la comparación con los de la competencia. Y por último en siete se muestran las conclusiones y lecciones aprendidas por parte del equipo directivo durante su gestión. En conclusión, este trabajo manifiesta la aplicación de los aprendizajes adquiridos durante la maestría aplicados a un entorno simulado que representa de una manera muy completa las situaciones reales de la industria.ITESO, A.C

A mathematical model of a criminal-prone society

Criminals are common to all societies. To fight against them the community takes different security measures as, for example, to bring about a police. Thus, crime causes a depletion of the common wealth not only by criminal acts but also because the cost of hiring a police force. In this paper, we present a mathematical model of a criminal-prone self-protected society that is divided into socio-economical classes. We study the effect of a non-null crime rate on a free-of-criminals society which is taken as a reference system. As a consequence, we define a criminal-prone society as one whose free-of-criminals steady state is unstable under small perturbations of a certain socio-economical context. Finally, we compare two alternative strategies to control crime: (i) enhancing police efficiency, either by enlarging its size or by updating its technology, against (ii) either reducing criminal appealing or promoting social classes at ris