Relación entre el bienestar y el rendimiento académico en alumnos de primer año de medicina

Background: Stress may affect the sense of wellbeing and academic achievement of university students. Aim: To assess the relationship of academic engagement and burnout with academic achievement among first year medical students. Material and Methods: The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student and Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey (MBI-SS) were applied to 277 first year medical students of four universities. Their results were correlated with the grades obtained in the different courses. Results: Moderately high engagement and low burnout levels were detected. There was a high level of satisfaction with studies and a moderate exhaustion level. Academic achievement was associated with the degree of engagement with studies but not with burnout. Conglomerate analysis detected a group of students with high levels of wellbeing, characterized by high levels of academic engagement and low burnout. Other group had moderate levels of engagement and lack of personal fulfilment. Other group, identified as extenuated, had high levels of personal exhaustion and depersonalization. Finally the disassociated group had a low academic engagement, low emotional exhaustion, high levels of depersonalization and lack of personal fulfillment. Conclusions: Academic achievement is associated with the level of engagement with studies but not with burnout

Algunos conceptos para la mejora de la rentabilidad en explotaciones cunícolas

La cunicultura no atraviesa por buenos momentos y la rentabilidad de muchas de las explotaciones españolas está cada vez más comprometida. En este trabajo se intenta conocer y razonar sobre algunas cuestiones generales que podrían contribuir a la mejora de la rentabilidad de las explotaciones cunícolas. El conocimiento sobre el origen de los ingresos y costes de nuestra explotación tanto fijos como variables es imprescindible a la hora de adoptar medidas adecuadas que contribuyan a mejorar la situación económica de nuestras explotaciones

Proper cytoskeleton α‐tubulin distribution is concomitant to tyrosine phosphorylation during in vitro capacitation and acrosomal reaction in human spermatozoa

Spermatozoa motility is a key parameter during the fertilization process. In this context, spermatozoa tyrosine protein phosphorylation and an appropriate cytoskeleton α‐tubulin distribution are some of the most important physiological events involved in motility. However, the relationship between these two biomarkers remains poorly defined. Here, we characterized simultaneously by immunocytochemistry the α‐tubulin (TUBA4A) distribution and the tyrosine phosphorylation at flagellum before capacitation, during different capacitation times (1 and 4 hr), and after acrosome reaction induction in human spermatozoa. We found that the absence of spermatozoa phosphorylation in tyrosine residues positively and significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with the terminal piece α‐tubulin flagellar distribution in all physiological conditions. Conversely, we observed a positive significant correlation (p < 0.01) between phosphorylated spermatozoa and continuous α‐tubulin distribution in spermatozoa flagellum, independently of the physiological condition. Similarly, the subpopulation of spermatozoa with tyrosine phosphorylated and continuous α‐tubulin increases with longer capacitation times and after the acrosome reaction induction. Overall, these findings provide novel insights into the post‐transcriptional physiological events associated to α‐tubulin and the tyrosine phosphorylation during fertilization, which present potential implications for the improvement of spermatozoa selection methods.This research was supported by Human Fertility Cathedra of the University of Alicante, VIOGROB-186, and the project of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness AGL2015-70159-P

Mechanical and antimicrobial properties of low-density-polyethylene/MgO nanocomposites

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites containing magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles are obtained by melt mixing. MgO nanoparticles ca. 29 ± 2 nm are synthesized by sol–gel and organically modified on the surface with oleic acid (Mod-MgO), whose final concentration in the polymers is 3, 5, and 10 wt%. The presence of these nanoparticles did not affect the crystallization process of LDPE. However, Young's modulus increases with 10 wt% of Mod-MgO nanoparticles, rendering higher reinforcement effects with an increase as high as 48%. This affects the elongation at break, which decreases ca. 57% compared to neat LDPE. The storage and loss modulus of the LDPE/MgO and LDPE/Mod-MgO nanocomposites increases at room temperature and low temperatures (−150 to −50°C) compared to neat LDPE. SEM analysis showed that the organic modification of MgO nanoparticles improved their dispersion within the polymer matrix. Nanocomposites present antimicrobial properties against Escherichia coli, reaching an efficiency ca. 53%.Paula A. Zapata thanks the financial support under FONDECYT Regular Project 1220093. Viviana Moreno-Serna thanks the ANID FON-DECYT Postdoctorado 3210077. Carlos Loyo and Raúl Vallejos thank Proyecto de Dirección de Investigación Científica y tecnológica (DICYT), 022141ZR_POSTDOC, USA2055, Universidad de Santiago de Chile

Effect of Activated Carbon Made from Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao L.) Shells on the Adsorption of Iron in Aquifer Water

This research aims to determine the effect of activated carbon obtained from cocoa husks (Theobroma cacao L.) on the adsorption of iron (II) present in water of an aquifer for human consumption. Charcoal was prepared at different carbonization temperatures (500, 600 and 700 °C) for 30 minutes and activated with phosphoric acid in the proportions of 1:1. Iron (II) adsorption was determined as a function of variations in mixing speed, contact time, charcoal dosage and stirring speed. It was determined that, over the range considered, agitation speeds had no significant effect on the percentage of iron (II) removal, being the dose of activated carbon and temperature, the most influential variables. The water samples had an initial iron concentration of 3.15 mg/L and 4 mg/L. The best iron (II) adsorption result was obtained with activated carbon at the carbonization temperature of 700 °C, with a mass of 1.5 g of carbon, with efficiencies of 93 % and 98 % for both samples considered. Based on the results, it was concluded water for human consumption is treatable with activated carbon derived from Theobroma cacao L. for the adsorption of iron (II), considering that this parameter is below the maximum limit of 0.3 mg/L allowed by current regulations

Crystal structure, cobalt and iron speciation and oxygen non-stoichiometry of La0.6Sr0.4Co1-yFeyO3-δ nanorods for IT-SOFC cathodes

Single-phased La0.6Sr0.4Co1-yFeyO3-δ (y = 0.2, 0.5, 0.8) nanorods exhibiting the rhombohedral perovskite-type phase were synthesized by a pore-wetting technique. We studied their chemical composition, crystal and electronic structures, morphology and hyperfine properties as a function of the Co/Fe content of the samples. Our results demonstrate that Co cations exhibit a slightly lower oxidation state than Fe ones, resulting in a higher oxygen non-stoichiometry δ for Co-rich samples. In addition, the values of δ determined in this work for nanostructured samples are much higher than those reported in the literature for bulk materials. This can be attributed to the high number of defects in nanomaterials and is probably one important factor in the high electrochemical performance for the oxygen reduction reaction of nanostructured La0.6Sr0.4Co1-yFeyO3-δ IT-SOFC cathodes, which have been reported in a previous work.Fil: Mejía Gómez, Augusto Enrique. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; ColombiaFil: Sacanell, Joaquin Gonzalo. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Huck Iriart, Cristián. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ramos, Cinthia Paula. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Constituyentes; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Soldati, Analía Leticia. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Unidad Ejecutora Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Figueroa, Santiago Jose Alejandro. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Tabacniks, Manfredo H.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Fantini, Márcia C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Craievich, Aldo Felix. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Lamas, Diego Germán. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Lepidoptera (Insecta) associated with soybean in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay.

ABSTRACT:The present research updates the systematic position and nomenclature of Lepidoptera associated with soybean crops in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Scientific literature lists 69 species of Lepidoptera feeding on soybean plants. These species are representatives of the Superfamilies Noctuoidea (31), Pyraloidea (13), Hesperioidea (12), Tortricoidea (5), Geometroidea (5), and Bombycoidea (3). Diversity of Lepidoptera associated to crop, injury in different parts of the plant, and changes in species composition are discussed considering the changes in plant disease management, introduction of plants expressing Bt proteins, and the recent introduction of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) as a new crop pest. RESUMO: The present research updates the systematic position and nomenclature of Lepidoptera associated with soybean crops in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Scientific literature lists 69 species of Lepidoptera feeding on soybean plants. These species are representatives of the Superfamilies Noctuoidea (31), Pyraloidea (13), Hesperioidea (12), Tortricoidea (5), Geometroidea (5), and Bombycoidea (3). Diversity of Lepidoptera associated to crop, injury in different parts of the plant, and changes in species composition are discussed considering the changes in plant disease management, introduction of plants expressing Bt proteins, and the recent introduction of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) as a new crop pest

Validation of three predictive models for suboptimal cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer

The standard treatment for advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) is cytoreduction surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Tumor volume after surgery is a major prognostic factor for these patients. The ability to perform complete cytoreduction depends on the extent of disease and the skills of the surgical team. Several predictive models have been proposed to evaluate the possibility of performing complete cytoreductive surgery (CCS). External validation of the prognostic value of three predictive models (Fagotti index and the R3 and R4 models) for predicting suboptimal cytoreductive surgery (SCS) in AOC was performed in this study. The scores of the 3 models were evaluated in one hundred and three consecutive patients diagnosed with AOC treated in a tertiary hospital were evaluated. Clinicopathological features were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. The performance of the three models was evaluated, and calibration and discrimination were analyzed. The calibration of the Fagotti, R3 and R4 models showed odds ratios of obtaining SCSs of 1.5, 2.4 and 2.4, respectively, indicating good calibration. The discrimination of the Fagotti, R3 and R4 models showed an area under the ROC curve of 83%, 70% and 81%, respectively. The negative predictive values of the three models were higher than the positive predictive values for SCS. The three models were able to predict suboptimal cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer, but they were more reliable for predicting CCS. The R4 model discriminated better because it includes the laparotomic evaluation of the peritoneal carcinomatosis index