Industrialización de la riqueza vegetal: oportunidades sociales y económicas

Las empresas enfrentan un importante desafío es esta economía globalizada, porque para sobrevivir tienen que ofrecer nuevos productos con valor agregado en los mercados internacionales. Para ello se requieren profesionales entrenados en las metodologías para el desarrollo de nuevos productos (DNP), y los egresados universitarios tienen que tener estas habilidades para que puedan contribuir a enfrentar esta situación. J unto con esto se requieren también productos innovadores de la mano con la conservación del medio ambiente y aprovechando al máximo los recursos disponibles, bien sea de la tierra o de transformación tecnológica. Con este proyecto se pretende abrir una ventana de oportunidad para que los alumnos del programa de Ingeniería de Procesos puedan adquirir el entrenamiento necesario para desempeñarse con éxito en el DNP. A demás, los empresarios del campo puedan obtener un valor agregado para sus productos como alternativa en tiempos de precios desfavorables.Companies face a major challenge is this globalized economy, because to survive they have to offer new products with added value in the international market. This requires professionals trained in the methodologies for the development of new products (DNP) and university graduates must have these skills so that they can contribute to deal with this situation. A long with this they also require innovations running by the side of conservation of the environment and the taking of full advantage of available resources, either from land or technological transformation. This project is to open a window of opportunity so that the Process Engineering students can acquire the knowledge needed to perform successfully in the DNP training. A lso field employers can get valueadded products as an alternative in times of unfavourable prices

A Bioinformatics-Assisted Review on Iron Metabolism and Immune System to Identify Potential Biomarkers of Exercise Stress-Induced Immunosuppression

The immune function is closely related to iron (Fe) homeostasis and allostasis. The aim of this bioinformatics-assisted review was twofold; (i) to update the current knowledge of Fe metabolism and its relationship to the immune system, and (ii) to perform a prediction analysis of regulatory network hubs that might serve as potential biomarkers during stress-induced immunosuppression. Several literature and bioinformatics databases/repositories were utilized to review Fe metabolism and complement the molecular description of prioritized proteins. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) was used to build a protein-protein interactions network for subsequent network topology analysis. Importantly, Fe is a sensitive double-edged sword where two extremes of its nutritional status may have harmful effects on innate and adaptive immunity. We identified clearly connected important hubs that belong to two clusters: (i) presentation of peptide antigens to the immune system with the involvement of redox reactions of Fe, heme, and Fe trafficking/transport; and (ii) ubiquitination, endocytosis, and degradation processes of proteins related to Fe metabolism in immune cells (e.g., macrophages). The identified potential biomarkers were in agreement with the current experimental evidence, are included in several immunological/biomarkers databases, and/or are emerging genetic markers for different stressful conditions. Although further validation is warranted, this hybrid method (human-machine collaboration) to extract meaningful biological applications using available data in literature and bioinformatics tools should be highlighted.The ‘Bioinformatics-assisted Review’ is a project developed and supported by the Research Division at the Dynamical Business and Science Society—DBSS International SAS. The APC was funded by the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory (ESNL) at Texas A&M University, the POWER LAB at University of Central Florida and the Sport Genomics Research Group at University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU

Erythrocyte values, pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricle weight in broiler chicken of two commercial lines under intensive breeding at sea level

El estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la asociación entre valores eritrocíticos, presión arterial pulmonar media y las relaciones cardiacas ventriculares en las líneas de aves Cobb-Vantres (CV) y Ross (R) bajo crianza intensiva a nivel del mar. Se utilizaron 61 aves de 35 días de edad por línea. Se determinó peso corporal (PC), hematocrito (Ht), hemoglobina (Hb), número de glóbulos rojos (GR), presión arterial pulmonar media (PaPm) y las relaciones ventrículo derecho/ventrículo total (VD/VT), ventrículo izquierdo/ ventrículo total (VI/VT), ventrículo derecho/peso corporal (VD/PC), ventrículo izquierdo/ peso corporal (VI/PC) y ventrículo total/peso corporal (VT/PC). Las aves de la línea CV presentaron un peso (2.201 kg) y VI/VT (0.822) mayor que la línea R (2.060 kg y 0.793, respectivamente) (p<0.05), mientras que la línea R presentó mayores valores de Ht (29.39%), Hb (10.92 g/dl), VD/VT (0.207), VD/PC (0.753) y VT/PC (3.659) que CV (25.84%, 10.25 g/dl, 0.178, 0.615 y 3.462, respectivamente) (p<0.05). La PaPm fue estadísticamente similar en ambas líneas (CV: 15.96; R: 17.34 mmHg). Los resultados indican que ambas líneas presentan un buen comportamiento cardiorespiratorio.The aim of the study was to determine the association between erythrocyte values, pulmonary arterial pressure and ventricular cardiac relationships in Cob-Vantress (CV) and Ross (R) lines under intensive breeding at sea level. It was used 61 birds of 35 days of age per line. Body weight (BW), hematocrit (Ht), hemoglobin (Hb), erythrocyte count (E), pulmonary arterial pressure (PaPm), and rates among weights of right ventricle/total ventricle (RV/TV), left ventricle/total ventricle (LV/TV), right ventricle/body weight (RV/ BW), left ventricle/body weight (LV/BW), and total ventricle/body weight (TV/BW). Birds of line CV showed that BW (2.201 kg) and LF/TV (0.822) were greater that in line R (2.060 kg and 0.793 respectively) (p<0.05), whereas line R showed greater values of Ht (29.39%), Hb (10.92 g/dl), RV/TV (0.207), RV/BW (0.753), and TV/BW (3.659) than CV (25.84%, 10.25 g/dl, 0.178, 0.615, and 3.462, respectively) (p<0.05). PaPm was statistically similar for both lines (CV: 15.96; R: 17.34 mmHg). The results showed that chickens of both lines had a good cardiopulmonary performance

Innovación para el desarrollo de productos

Colombia usually has been a commodities exporter country and a value-added products importer but, if this situation persists, not only the economic but also the technological gap will be maintained. Therefore, it is necessary to stress the need to innovate in the training of engineering students in design and product development, that is, to go beyond the simple extraction of raw materials to the transformation processes. To that end, this document proposes the use of not structured practices as an initial approach to develop early skills in product development. These investigative competences are strengthened and tested in the degree project, a requirement for the respective engineer´s degree. Three cases investigated are included as examples, the first is related to obtaining a natural dye from the flower of the Majagua tree, the second case in which, through the study of patents, the conditions for improving performance for the production of sodium  percarbonate are obtained and finally the conditions for obtaining an avocado oil gourmet type are determined.Colombia ha sido normalmente un país exportador de materias primas e importador de productos con valor agregado, pero si está situación persiste se mantendrá la brecha no sólo económica sino tecnológica. Por lo tanto, es necesario insistir en la necesidad de entrenar a los estudiantes de ingeniería en el diseño y desarrollo de productos, es decir, ir más allá de la simple extracción de materias primas para llegar a los procesos de transformación. Para tal efecto, en este documento se propone el empleo de las prácticas no estructuradas como una aproximación inicial al desarrollo de las habilidades iniciales en el desarrollo de productos. Estas competencias investigativas se fortalecen y ponen a prueba en el desarrollo de los proyectos de grado, requisitos necesarios para obtener los respectivos grados de ingenieros.Se incluyen, a modo de ejemplo, tres casos investigados, relativos a la obtención de un colorantes de la flor del árbol de Majagua, otro caso en el cual, a partir del estudio de patentes, se pueden obtener las condiciones para mejorar el rendimiento en la producción de percarbonato de sodio y finalmente se determinan las condiciones para obtener el aceite de aguacate tipo gourmet

Limitations of Water Resources Infrastructure for Reducing Community Vulnerabilities to Extremes and Uncertainty of Flood and Drought

Debate and deliberation surrounding climate change has shifted from mitigation toward adaptation, with much of the adaptation focus centered on adaptive practices, and infrastructure development. However, there is little research assessing expected impacts, potential benefits, and design challenges that exist for reducing vulnerability to expected climate impacts. The uncertainty of design requirements and associated government policies, and social structures that reflect observed and projected changes in the intensity, duration, and frequency of water-related climate events leaves communities vulnerable to the negative impacts of potential flood and drought. The results of international research into how agricultural infrastructure features in current and planned adaptive capacity of rural communities in Argentina, Canada, and Colombia indicate that extreme hydroclimatic events, as well as climate variability and unpredictability are important for understanding and responding to community vulnerability. The research outcomes clearly identify the need to deliberately plan, coordinate, and implement infrastructures that support community resiliency.Fil: McMartin, Dena W.. University of Regina; CanadáFil: Hernani Merino, Bruno H.. University of Regina; CanadáFil: Bonsal, Barrie. Environment Canada; CanadáFil: Hurlbert, Margot. University of Regina; CanadáFil: Villalba, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Cientifícas y Tecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Ocampo, Olga L.. Universidad Autónoma de Manizales; ColombiaFil: Upegui, Jorge Julián Vélez. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Poveda, Germán. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Sauchyn, David J.. University of Regina; Canad

Decrease of virulence for BALB/c mice produced by continuous subculturing of Nocardia brasiliensis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Subculturing has been extensively used to attenuate human pathogens. In this work we studied the effect of continuous subculturing of <it>Nocardia brasiliensis </it>HUJEG-1 on virulence in a murine model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Nocardia brasiliensis </it>HUJEG-1 was subcultured up to 130 times on brain heart infusion over four years. BALB/c mice were inoculated in the right foot pad with the bacteria subcultured 0, 40, 80, 100 and 130 times (T₀, T₄₀, T₈₀T₁₀₀and T₁₃₀). The induction of resistance was tested by using T₁₃₀to inoculate a group of mice followed by challenge with T0 12 weeks later. Biopsies were taken from the newly infected foot-pad and immunostained with antibodies against CD4, CD8 and CD14 in order to analyze the in situ immunological changes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When using T₄₀, T₈₀T₁₀₀and T₁₃₀as inoculums we observed lesions in 10, 5, 0 and 0 percent of the animals, respectively, at the end of 12 weeks. In contrast, their controls produced mycetoma in 80, 80, 70 and 60% of the inoculated animals. When studying the protection of T₁₃₀, we observed a partial resistance to the infection. Immunostaining revealed an intense CD4+ lymphocytic and macrophage infiltrate in healing lesions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>After 130 in vitro passages of <it>N. brasiliensis </it>HUJEG-1 a severe decrease in its virulence was observed. Immunization of BALB/c mice, with these attenuated cells, produced a state of partial resistance to infection with the non-subcultured isolate.</p

Therapeutic Effect of a Novel Oxazolidinone, DA-7867, in BALB/c Mice Infected with Nocardia brasiliensis

Actinomycetoma is an infectious disease of tropical and subtropical regions produced by actinobacteria of the genera Nocardia, Streptomyces, and Actinomadura. Therapeutic alternatives are scarce and include trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, diaminodiphenylsulfone, amoxicillin-clavulanate, imipenem, and amikacin. Oxazolidinones are a new class of antimicrobials with a completely different cellular target; the first compound in the market, linezolid, was introduced in the year 2000. It is active against many species of Nocardia and other aerobic actinomycetes; however, the long-term application in human subjects produces side effects including peripheral neuropathy and mielossupression. Therefore, it is important to screen other oxazolidinones with higher activity and less toxicity. In the present work, we tested DA-7867, a new oxazolidinone, in an experimental mouse model. The drug is active in vivo and decreases the production of lesions using only one dose a day in contrast to linezolid, which needs to be injected three times a day. Although it was tested on N. brasiliensis, it can possibly be active (once it is accepted for its use in humans) against Actinomadura spp and Streptomyces spp, which are frequently found in places of Africa and India where actinomycetoma is also an important consult in dermatology

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/- 2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO

Combined search for the quarks of a sequential fourth generation

Results are presented from a search for a fourth generation of quarks produced singly or in pairs in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. A novel strategy has been developed for a combined search for quarks of the up and down type in decay channels with at least one isolated muon or electron. Limits on the mass of the fourth-generation quarks and the relevant Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements are derived in the context of a simple extension of the standard model with a sequential fourth generation of fermions. The existence of mass-degenerate fourth-generation quarks with masses below 685 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for minimal off-diagonal mixing between the third- and the fourth-generation quarks. With a mass difference of 25 GeV between the quark masses, the obtained limit on the masses of the fourth-generation quarks shifts by about +/- 20 GeV. These results significantly reduce the allowed parameter space for a fourth generation of fermions.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO