Mutation Distribution in the NSP4 Protein in Rotaviruses Isolated from Mexican Children with Moderate to Severe Gastroenteritis

The NSP4 protein is a multifunctional protein that plays a role in the morphogenesis and pathogenesis of the rotavirus. Although NSP4 is considered an enterotoxin, the relationship between gastroenteritis severity and amino acid variations in NSP4 of the human rotavirus remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the sequence diversity of NSP4 and the severity of gastroenteritis of children with moderate to severe gastroenteritis. The rotavirus-infected children were hospitalized before the rotavirus vaccine program in Mexico. All children had diarrhea within 14 days, 44 (88%) were vomiting and 35 (70%) had fevers. The severity analysis showed that 13 (26%) cases had mild gastroenteritis, 23 (46%) moderate gastroenteritis and 14 (28%) severe. NSP4 phylogenetic analysis showed three clusters within the genotype E1. Sequence analysis revealed similar mutations inside each cluster, and an uncommon variation in residue 144 was found in five of the Mexican NSP4 sequences. Most of the amino acid variations were located in the VP4 and VP6 binding site domains, with no relationship to different grades of gastroenteritis. This finding indicates that severe gastroenteritis caused by the rotavirus appears to be related to diverse viral or cellular factors instead of NSP4 activity as a unique pathogenic factor

Incompletitud corporal en la persona posamputada portadora de dolor de miembro fantasma: estudio cualitativo

Introducción: En el cuerpo se vivencía el mundo, la alegría, el encuentro, la seguridad, el dolor las reacciones anatomofisiológicas inherentemente al cuerpo; se experimenta la afección por el dolor físico y psíquico, con sensaciones corporales de ansiedad, temor y angustia. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio de abordaje cualitativo-descriptivo, exploratorio; como técnica se empleó la entrevista semiestructurada, de los informantes seleccionados se trataba de personas que fueron atendidas en el Hospital General de Durango, México; participaron 12 personas que al ser amputadas debutaron con dolor de miembro fantasma; el soporte teórico estuvo apoyado por la corporeidad de Le Breton. Resultados y Discusión: En la persona con amputación, la relación de él con el mundo se altera, ya que la amputación cambia no sólo la forma de verse a sí mismo, sino también la forma de interactuar con su entorno, su familia, amigos, compañeros y sociedad en general. Conclusiones: Las enfermeras deben fortalecer la relación enfermera/persona para vivir un encuentro real mostrando actitud de empatía, estar siempre ayudando y apoyando. Igualmente, escuchando, comprendiendo y educando, las personas al sentirse cuidadas contribuirán para que sean tratadas como un ser completo y harán que en su cotidiano la experiencia de vivir con el dolor de miembro fantasma se transforme en una condición aceptable y le permita enfrentar mejor su situación.Cómo citar este artículo: Ochoa MC, Bustamante S, Hernández C. Incompletitud corporal en la persona posamputada portadora de dolor de miembro fantasma: estudio cualitativo. Rev Cuid. 2015; 6(1): 941-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.15649/cuidarte.v6i1.14

The geomorphological heritage of Peña Ubiña Massif: proposal of geomorphosites in a protected natural area

El Macizo de Peña Ubiña es uno de los enclaves montañosos de mayor elevación y con valores naturales más destacados de las Montañas Cantábricas, lo que ha sido un aspecto clave para su declaración como Parque Natural y Reserva de la Biosfera. Entre los procesos y formas de relieve identificados en dicho macizo se encuentran morfologías de génesis glaciar, periglaciar y nival, gravitacional, fluviotorrencial, lacustre, kárstica, mixta y de origen antropogénico. La variedad de geoformas mencionada y la diversidad litológica de Peña Ubiña, definida por el predominio de calizas y en menor medida, dolomías, cuarcitas, areniscas cuarcíticas, areniscas y pizarras, que abarcan todos los periodos geológicos del Paleozoico a excepción del Pérmico, generan una rica geodiversidad merecedora de protección específica, estudio y divulgación. La identificación del patrimonio geomorfológico es clave para una correcta planificación y gestión de este espacio natural protegido, así como su revalorización como recurso científico y didáctico. A partir de una metodología empleada en trabajos precedentes y adaptada a las características del área de estudio, en este trabajo se han identificado diecisiete geomorfositios que representan los valores citados, y cuyo conocimiento puede contribuir a la adecuada gestión de esta área singular en el contexto de las Montañas Cantábricas.The Peña Ubiña Massif is one of the highest mountain areas with most outstanding natural values in the Cantabrian Mountains, which has been a key aspect for its declaration as a Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve. Among the processes and landforms identified are features of glacial, periglacial, nival, gravitational, fluvio-torrential, lacustrine, karstic, mixed genesis and anthropogenic origin. These landforms and the lithological diversity of this massif are characterized by a predominance of limestones and, to a lesser extent, dolomites, quartzites, sandstones and slates, covering all the geological periods of the Paleozoic with the exception of the Permian. They generate a rich geodiversity deserving of specific protection, study and dissemination. The identification of the geomorphological heritage is fundamental for the proper planning and management of this protected natural area, as well as its enhancement as a scientific and educational resource. Based on a methodology used in previous works and adapted to the characteristics of the study area, in this contribution, seventeen geomorphosites that represent the aforementioned values have been identified. A more in-depth knowledge of them can contribute to the proper management of this unique area in the context of the Cantabrian Mountains.Esta contribución aborda parte de los temas de investigación tratados en el proyecto de investigación PID2020-115269GB-I00 (MICINN, Gobierno de España)

Análisis de viabilidad de una empresa de lombricomposta a base de residuos orgánicos en Delicias, Chihuahua

En la actualidad, la contaminación y la problemática del medio ambiente son temas de mayor preocupación y por lo tanto más tratados. En México más de la mitad de la basura generada por una familia es orgánica y biodegradable y no se le está dando un tratamiento adecuado, pero la basura no solo se genera en casas particulares, sino también en establecimientos como restaurantes, escuelas, comercios, etc. Otro de los problemas actuales es el aumento en el uso y la demanda de fertilizantes químicos, los cuales si se usan excesiva y desequilibradamente causan problemas en el medio ambiente. Por esta razón se analizó la viabilidad de establecer una empresa de lombricomposta a base de residuos orgánicos para venta de humus como abono orgánico para plantas de jardín en Delicias, Chihuahua. Para desarrollar el proyecto se establecieron y cumplieron objetivos tales como determinar la demanda de la lombricomposta en Delicias mediante una investigación de mercado; determinar los recursos necesarios para establecer la empresa mediante un estudio técnico y realizar un análisis económico-financiero del establecimiento de la empresa a través del análisis de costos y mediante indicadores financieros como el VAN, TIR, y B/C. Los resultados fueron favorables, por lo que se determinó que es viable establecer una empresa de lombricomposta a base de residuos orgánicos en el municipio de Delicias, Chihuahua

Estudio De Percepción De Emprendedores Universitarios Sobre El Impacto De Un Programa Escolar De Emprendimiento En Sus Empresas, En Tehuipango, Veracruz

Entrepreneurship has impacts on countries, generating jobs and socioeconomic development. In Mexico, from the 1980s, Higher Education Institutions develop entrepreneurship and self-employment promotion programs, to promote entrepreneurial philosophy among their students. In the State of Veracruz, since 2015 the Higher Technological Institute of Zongolica has developed the Social Entrepreneur and Self-Employment (SES) program. The objective of this research is to conduct a study of the perception of university entrepreneurs on the impact of the SES school program on their companies, in the municipality of Tehuipango, Veracruz. For which a questionnaire was designed, applied and validated to a population of 32 graduates of the entrepreneur program. It is concluded that the respondents agree with being entrepreneurs, consider having influenced socioeconomically in their municipality and perceive that the social entrepreneur and self-employment program influenced their level of entrepreneurship. Finally, it was identified the need to create a program of accompaniment to companies, as support so that they continue operating in the market

Engineering the acidity and accessibility of the zeolite ZSM-5 for efficient bio-oil upgrading in catalytic pyrolysis of lignocellulose

The properties of the zeolite ZSM-5 have been optimised for the production and deoxygenation of the bio-oil∗ (bio-oil on water-free basis) fraction by lignocellulose catalytic pyrolysis. Two ZSM-5 supports possessing high mesopore/external surface area, and therefore enhanced accessibility, have been employed to promote the conversion of the bulky compounds formed in the primary cracking of lignocellulose. These supports are a nanocrystalline material (n-ZSM-5) and a hierarchical sample (h-ZSM-5) of different Si/Al ratios and acid site concentrations. Acidic features of both zeolites have been modified and adjusted by incorporation of ZrO2, which has a significant effect on the concentration and distribution of both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites. These materials have been tested in the catalytic pyrolysis of acid-washed wheat straw (WS-ac) using a two-step (thermal/catalytic) reaction system at different catalyst/biomass ratios. The results obtained have been assessed in terms of oxygen content, energy yield and composition of the produced bio-oil∗, taking also into account the selectivity towards the different deoxygenation pathways. The ZrO2/n-ZSM-5 sample showed remarkable performance in the biomass catalytic pyrolysis, as a result of the appropriate combination of accessibility and acidic properties. In particular, modification of the zeolitic support acidity by incorporation of highly dispersed ZrO2 effectively decreased the extent of secondary reactions, such as severe cracking and coke formation, as well as promoted the conversion of the oligomers formed initially by lignocellulose pyrolysis, thus sharply decreasing the proportion of the components not detected by GC-MS in the upgraded bio-oil∗

Co-occurrence of cohesin complex and Ras signaling mutations during progression from myelodysplastic syndromes to secondary acute myeloid leukemia

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are hematological disorders at high risk of progression to secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML). However, the mutational dynamics and clonal evolution underlying disease progression are poorly understood at present. To elucidate the mutational dynamics of pathways and genes occurring during the evolution to sAML, next generation sequencing was performed on 84 serially paired samples of MDS patients who developed sAML (discovery cohort) and 14 paired samples from MDS patients who did not progress to sAML during follow-up (control cohort). Results were validated in an independent series of 388 MDS patients (validation cohort). We used an integrative analysis to identify how mutations, alone or in combination, contribute to leukemic transformation. The study showed that MDS progression to sAML is characterized by greater genomic instability and the presence of several types of mutational dynamics, highlighting increasing (STAG2) and newly-acquired (NRAS and FLT3) mutations. Moreover, we observed cooperation between genes involved in the cohesin and Ras pathways in 15-20% of MDS patients who evolved to sAML, as well as a high proportion of newly acquired or increasing mutations in the chromatin-modifier genes in MDS patients receiving a disease-modifying therapy before their progression to sAML.This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias FIS PI18/01500, PI17/01741, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Contratos Río Hortega (CM17/0017), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Una manera de hacer Europa, European Union Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under Grant Agreement nº306242-NGS-PTL, SYNtherapy: Synthetic Lethality for Personalized Therapy-based Stratification in Acute Leukemia (ERAPERMED2018-275); ISCIII (AC18/00093), Proyectos de Investigación del SACYL, Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y León: GRS1850/A18, GRS1653/A17, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC CB16/12/00233). MMI is supported by a predoctoral grant from the Junta de Castilla y León, and by the Fondo Social Europeo (JCYL-EDU/556/2019 PhD scholarship) and JMHS is supported by a research grant from Fundación Española de Hematología y Hemoterapia

Functional traits determine plant co-occurrence more than environment or evolutionary relatedness in global drylands

Plant–plant interactions are driven by environmental conditions, evolutionary relationships (ER) and the functional traits of the plants involved. However, studies addressing the relative importance of these drivers are rare, but crucial to improve our predictions of the effects of plant–plant interactions on plant communities and of how they respond to differing environmental conditions. To analyze the relative importance of – and interrelationships among – these factors as drivers of plant–plant interactions, we analyzed perennial plant co-occurrence at 106 dryland plant communities established across rainfall gradients in nine countries. We used structural equation modelling to disentangle the relationships between environmental conditions (aridity and soil fertility), functional traits extracted from the literature, and ER, and to assess their relative importance as drivers of the 929 pairwise plant–plant co-occurrence levels measured. Functional traits, specifically facilitated plants’ height and nurse growth form, were of primary importance, and modulated the effect of the environment and ER on plant–plant interactions. Environmental conditions and ER were important mainly for those interactions involving woody and graminoid nurses, respectively. The relative importance of different plant–plant interaction drivers (ER, functional traits, and the environment) varied depending on the region considered, illustrating the difficulty of predicting the outcome of plant–plant interactions at broader spatial scales. In our global-scale study on drylands, plant–plant interactions were more strongly related to functional traits of the species involved than to the environmental variables considered. Thus, moving to a trait-based facilitation/competition approach help to predict that: (1) positive plant–plant interactions are more likely to occur for taller facilitated species in drylands, and (2) plant–plant interactions within woody-dominated ecosystems might be more sensitive to changing environmental conditions than those within grasslands. By providing insights on which species are likely to better perform beneath a given neighbour, our results will also help to succeed in restoration practices involving the use of nurse plants

Surface indicators are correlated with soil multifunctionality in global drylands

Multiple ecosystem functions need to be considered simultaneously to manage and protect the several ecosystem services that are essential to people and their environments. Despite this, cost effective, tangible, relatively simple and globally relevant methodologies to monitor in situ soil multifunctionality, that is, the provision of multiple ecosystem functions by soils, have not been tested at the global scale. We combined correlation analysis and structural equation modelling to explore whether we could find easily measured, field-based indicators of soil multifunctionality (measured using functions linked to the cycling and storage of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). To do this, we gathered soil data from 120 dryland ecosystems from five continents. Two soil surface attributes measured in situ (litter incorporation and surface aggregate stability) were the most strongly associated with soil multifunctionality, even after accounting for geographic location and other drivers such as climate, woody cover, soil pH and soil electric conductivity. The positive relationships between surface stability and litter incorporation on soil multifunctionality were greater beneath the canopy of perennial vegetation than in adjacent, open areas devoid of vascular plants. The positive associations between surface aggregate stability and soil functions increased with increasing mean annual temperature. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that a reduced suite of easily measured in situ soil surface attributes can be used as potential indicators of soil multifunctionality in drylands world-wide. These attributes, which relate to plant litter (origin, incorporation, cover), and surface stability, are relatively cheap and easy to assess with minimal training, allowing operators to sample many sites across widely varying climatic areas and soil types. The correlations of these variables are comparable to the influence of climate or soil, and would allow cost-effective monitoring of soil multifunctionality under changing land-use and environmental conditions. This would provide important information for evaluating the ecological impacts of land degradation, desertification and climate change in drylands world-wide.Fil: Eldridge, David J.. University of New South Wales; AustraliaFil: Delgado Baquerizo, Manuel. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: Quero, José L.. Universidad de Córdoba; EspañaFil: Ochoa, Victoria. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; España. Universidad de Alicante; EspañaFil: Gozalo, Beatriz. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; España. Universidad de Alicante; EspañaFil: García Palacios, Pablo. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: Escolar, Cristina. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: García Gómez, Miguel. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; EspañaFil: Prina, Aníbal. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Bowker, Mathew A.. Northern Arizona University; Estados UnidosFil: Bran, Donaldo Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Ignacio. Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez; VenezuelaFil: Cea, Alex. Universidad de La Serena; ChileFil: Derak, Mchich. No especifíca;Fil: Espinosa, Carlos I.. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; EcuadorFil: Florentino, Adriana. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Gaitán, Juan José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Suelos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Tecnología; ArgentinaFil: Gatica, Mario Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Gómez González, Susana. Universidad de Cádiz; EspañaFil: Ghiloufi, Wahida. Université de Sfax; TúnezFil: Gutierrez, Julio R.. Universidad de La Serena; ChileFil: Guzman, Elizabeth. Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja; EcuadorFil: Hernández, Rosa M.. Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez; VenezuelaFil: Hughes, Frederic M.. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; BrasilFil: Muiño, Walter. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Monerris, Jorge. No especifíca;Fil: Ospina, Abelardo. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Ramírez, David A.. International Potato Centre; PerúFil: Ribas Fernandez, Yanina Antonia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones de la Geosfera y Biosfera; ArgentinaFil: Romão, Roberto L.. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; BrasilFil: Torres Díaz, Cristian. Universidad del Bio Bio; ChileFil: Koen, Terrance B.. No especifíca;Fil: Maestre, Fernando T.. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; España. Universidad de Alicante; Españ

Surface indicators are correlated with soil multifunctionality in global drylands

1. Multiple ecosystem functions need to be considered simultaneously to manage and protect the several ecosystem services that are essential to people and their environments. Despite this, cost effective, tangible, relatively simple and globally relevant methodologies to monitor in situ soil multifunctionality, that is, the provision of multiple ecosystem functions by soils, have not been tested at the global scale. 2. We combined correlation analysis and structural equation modelling to explore whether we could find easily measured, field‐based indicators of soil multifunctionality (measured using functions linked to the cycling and storage of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus). To do this, we gathered soil data from 120 dryland ecosystems from five continents. 3. Two soil surface attributes measured in situ (litter incorporation and surface aggregate stability) were the most strongly associated with soil multifunctionality, even after accounting for geographic location and other drivers such as climate, woody cover, soil pH and soil electric conductivity. The positive relationships between surface stability and litter incorporation on soil multifunctionality were greater beneath the canopy of perennial vegetation than in adjacent, open areas devoid of vascular plants. The positive associations between surface aggregate stability and soil functions increased with increasing mean annual temperature. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our findings demonstrate that a reduced suite of easily measured in situ soil surface attributes can be used as potential indicators of soil multifunctionality in drylands world‐wide. These attributes, which relate to plant litter (origin, incorporation, cover), and surface stability, are relatively cheap and easy to assess with minimal training, allowing operators to sample many sites across widely varying climatic areas and soil types. The correlations of these variables are comparable to the influence of climate or soil, and would allow cost‐effective monitoring of soil multifunctionality under changing land‐use and environmental conditions. This would provide important information for evaluating the ecological impacts of land degradation, desertification and climate change in drylands world‐wide.This work was funded by the European Research Council ERC Grant agreement 242658 (BIOCOM). CYTED funded networking activities (EPES, Acción 407AC0323). D.J.E. acknowledges support from the Australian Research Council (DP150104199) and F.T.M. support from the European Research Council (BIODESERT project, ERC Grant agreement no 647038), from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BIOMOD project, ref. CGL2013-44661-R) and from a Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. M.D.-B. was supported by REA grant agreement no 702057 from the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-MSCA-IF-2016), J.R.G. acknowledges support from CONICYT/FONDECYT no 1160026