Biotechnology product development, biosafety regulation and environmental risk assessment in the Philippines

This study looks at the current biotechnology and biosafety situation in the Philippines. It assesses whether the country's biotechnology organizations are in a position to effectively perform biosafety regulation, protect intellectual property rights and respond to the accelerating pace of international biotechnology product development. Based on a mixture of primary and secondary information, the study finds that biotechnology development is constrained by funding and resources. It also finds that, while biosafety guidelines and practices are relatively strong, there are a number of institutional weaknesses. The study recommends measures to make biotechnology research and development more cost-effective and to improve biosafety in the country. Overall, the report calls for the Philippines to carefully balance the need for biotechnology regulation with the need for innovative biotechnology development

Aplicación del método AHP para la priorización de proyectos de inversión social en la Comarca NGÄBE-BUGLÉ

Currently, climate patterns have been altered due to human activities, generating natural disasters that cause emergency situations. This leads countries to think about investing in risk mitigations projects, especially in the areas most vulnerable to these disasters. Since the most vulnerable areas are those with the higher risk of being affected, it is important to link risk mitigation projects with social investment projects. In this sense, the present study seeks to adapt and test the proposed use of the Analytical Hierarchical Process multi-criteria decision method (AHP) for the selection of risk mitigation projects. The application of the methodology is given in the establishment of priorities on the projects destined to satisfy the needs of the Ngäbe-Buglé region, in the district of Besikó, Boca de Balsa area. Thirteen randomly selected projects are considered as needs for the region. These needs are evaluated based on type of project, complexity, societal impact, environmental impact, costs and sustainability. Once the evaluation has been carried out, an order of priority is generated for the execution of the various projects considered, resulting in the construction of latrines as the priority projects. Finally, this methodology facilitates the ranking, ordering and prioritization of alternatives, considering multiple evaluation criteria, allowing to simplifying complex decisions.En la actualidad los patrones climáticos se han visto alterados debido a las actividades humanas, generando desastres naturales que provocan situaciones de emergencia. Esto lleva a los países a pensar en invertir en proyectos destinados a la mitigación de riesgos, sobre todo en las áreas más vulnerables ante estos desastres. Siendo las áreas más vulnerables aquellas que presentan mayores riesgos de afectación, es importante vincular los proyectos de mitigación de riesgos con los proyectos de inversión social. En este sentido, el presente estudio busca adaptar y comprobar la propuesta de utilización del Proceso de Análisis Jerárquico de decisión multicriterio (AHP) para la selección de proyectos de mitigación de riesgos. La aplicación de la metodología se da en el establecimiento de prioridades sobre los proyectos destinados a satisfacer las necesidades de la Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, en el distrito de Besikó, área de Boca de Balsa. Se consideran 13 proyectos elegidos al azar contemplados como necesidades para la Comarca. Estas necesidades son evaluadas en los siguientes aspectos: tipos de proyecto, complejidad, impacto social, impacto ambiental, costos y sostenibilidad. Una vez realizada la evaluación se genera el orden de prioridad para la ejecución de los diversos proyectos considerados, dando como resultados la construcción de letrinas como los proyectos prioritarios. Por último, con esta metodología se facilita la clasificación, el ordenamiento y la priorización de alternativas, considerando múltiples criterios de evaluación; permitiendo simplificar decisiones complejas

A note on supersymmetric Yang-Mills thermodynamics

The thermodynamics of supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories is studied by computing the two-loop correction to the canonical free energy and to the equation of state for theories with 16, 8 and 4 supercharges in any dimension $4\leq d\leq 10$, and in two dimensions at finite volume. In the four-dimensional case we also evaluate the first non-analytic contribution in the 't Hooft coupling to the free energy, arising from the resummation of ring diagrams. To conclude, we discuss some applications to the study of the Hagedorn transition in string theory in the context of Matrix strings and speculate on the possible physical meaning of the transition.Comment: 19 pages, harvmac, epsf. 1 figure included. Minor changes: typos corrected; references, a footonote and a note adde

Revealing the last 13,500 years of environmental history from the multiproxy record of a mountain lake (Lago Enol, northern Iberian Peninsula)

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9387-7.We present the Holocene sequence from Lago Enol (43°16′N, 4°59′W, 1,070 m a.s.l.), Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain. A multiproxy analysis provided comprehensive information about regional humidity and temperature changes. The analysis included sedimentological descriptions, physical properties, organic carbon and carbonate content, mineralogy and geochemical composition together with biological proxies including diatom and ostracod assemblages. A detailed pollen study enabled reconstruction of variations in vegetation cover, which were interpreted in the context of climate changes and human impact. Four distinct stages were recognized for the last 13,500 years: (1) a cold and dry episode that includes the Younger Dryas event (13,500–11,600 cal. year BP); (2) a humid and warmer period characterizing the onset of the Holocene (11,600–8,700 cal. year BP); (3) a tendency toward a drier climate during the middle Holocene (8,700–4,650 cal. year BP); and (4) a return to humid conditions following landscape modification by human activity (pastoral activities, deforestation) in the late Holocene (4,650–2,200 cal. year BP). Superimposed on relatively stable landscape conditions (e.g. maintenance of well established forests), the typical environmental variability of the southern European region is observed at this site.The Spanish Inter-Ministry Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), the Spanish National Parks agency, the European Commission, the Spanish Ministry of Science, and the European Social Fund

Revealing the last 13,500 years of environmental history from the multiproxy record of a mountain lake (Lago Enol, northern Iberian Peninsula)

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10933-009-9387-7.We present the Holocene sequence from Lago Enol (43°16′N, 4°59′W, 1,070 m a.s.l.), Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain. A multiproxy analysis provided comprehensive information about regional humidity and temperature changes. The analysis included sedimentological descriptions, physical properties, organic carbon and carbonate content, mineralogy and geochemical composition together with biological proxies including diatom and ostracod assemblages. A detailed pollen study enabled reconstruction of variations in vegetation cover, which were interpreted in the context of climate changes and human impact. Four distinct stages were recognized for the last 13,500 years: (1) a cold and dry episode that includes the Younger Dryas event (13,500–11,600 cal. year BP); (2) a humid and warmer period characterizing the onset of the Holocene (11,600–8,700 cal. year BP); (3) a tendency toward a drier climate during the middle Holocene (8,700–4,650 cal. year BP); and (4) a return to humid conditions following landscape modification by human activity (pastoral activities, deforestation) in the late Holocene (4,650–2,200 cal. year BP). Superimposed on relatively stable landscape conditions (e.g. maintenance of well established forests), the typical environmental variability of the southern European region is observed at this site.The Spanish Inter-Ministry Commission of Science and Technology (CICYT), the Spanish National Parks agency, the European Commission, the Spanish Ministry of Science, and the European Social Fund

IgA vasculitis: influence of CD40, BLK and BANK1 gene polymorphisms

CD40, BLK and BANK1 genes involved in the development and signaling of B-cells are identified as susceptibility loci for numerous inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, we assessed the potential influence of CD40, BLK and BANK1 on the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV), predominantly a B-lymphocyte inflammatory condition. Three genetic variants within CD40 (rs1883832, rs1535045, rs4813003) and BLK (rs2254546, rs2736340, rs2618476) as well as two BANK1 polymorphisms (rs10516487, rs3733197), previously associated with inflammatory diseases, were genotyped in 382 Caucasian patients with IgAV and 955 sex- and ethnically matched healthy controls. No statistically significant differences were observed in the genotype and allele frequencies of CD40, BLK and BANK1 when IgAV patients and healthy controls were compared. Similar results were found when CD40, BLK and BANK1 genotypes or alleles frequencies were compared between patients with IgAV stratified according to the age at disease onset or to the presence/absence of gastrointestinal or renal manifestations. Moreover, no CD40, BLK and BANK1 haplotype differences were disclosed between patients with IgAV and healthy controls and between patients with IgAV stratified according to the clinical characteristics mentioned above. Our findings indicate that CD40, BLK and BANK1 do not contribute to the genetic background of IgAV.Funding: This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” (grants PI18/00042 and PI21/00042) from “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). D.P.-P. is a recipient of a Río Hortega program fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF, “Investing in your future”) (grant number CM20/00006). F.G. is supported by funds of the RICORS Program from ISCIII, co-funded by the European Union (grant number RD21/0002/0025). V.P.-C. is supported by funds of PI18/00042. S.R.-M. is supported by funds of the RETICS Program (RD16/0012/0009) (ISCIII, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)). O.G. is a staff member of Xunta de Galicia (Servizo Galego de Saude (SERGAS)) through a research-staff stabilization contract (ISCIII/SERGAS) and his work is funded by ISCIII and the European Union FEDER fund (grant numbers RD16/0012/0014 (RIER) and PI17/00409). He is a beneficiary of project funds from the Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Union in the framework of MSCA-RISE Action of the H2020 Program, project 734899—Olive-Net. R.L.-M. is a recipient of a Miguel Servet type II program fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by ESF (“Investing in your future”) (grant number CPII21/00004). Acknowledgments: We are indebted to the patients and healthy controls for their essential collaboration on this study. We also thank the National DNA Bank Repository (Salamanca) for supplying part of the control samples

Role of the IL33 and IL1RL1 pathway in the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin A vasculitis

Cytokines signalling pathway genes are crucial factors of the genetic network underlying the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV), an inflammatory vascular condition. An influence of the interleukin (IL)33- IL1 receptor like (IL1RL)1 signalling pathway on the increased risk of several immune-mediated diseases has been described. Accordingly, we assessed whether the IL33-IL1RL1 pathway represents a novel genetic risk factor for IgAV. Three tag polymorphisms within IL33 (rs3939286, rs7025417 and rs7044343) and three within IL1RL1 (rs2310173, rs13015714 and rs2058660), that also were previously associated with several inflammatory diseases, were genotyped in 380 Caucasian IgAV patients and 845 matched healthy controls. No genotypes or alleles differences were observed between IgAV patients and controls when IL33 and IL1RL1 variants were analysed independently. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found in IL33 or IL1RL1 genotype and allele frequencies when IgAV patients were stratified according to the age at disease onset or to the presence/absence of gastrointestinal (GI) or renal manifestations. Similar results were disclosed when IL33 and IL1RL1 haplotypes were compared between IgAV patients and controls and between IgAV patients stratified according to the clinical characteristics mentioned above. Our results suggest that the IL33-IL1RL1 signalling pathway does not contribute to the genetic network underlying IgAV.Acknowledgements: We are indebted to the patients and healthy controls for their essential collaboration to this study. We also thank the National DNA Bank Repository (Salamanca) for supplying part of the control samples. This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and `Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias´ (Grant PI18/00042) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). DP-P is a recipient of a Río Hortega programme fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF, `Investing in your future´) (Grant Number CM20/00006). SR-M is supported by funds of the RETICS Program (RD16/0012/0009) (ISCIII, cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)). VP-C is supported by a pre-doctoral grant from IDIVAL (PREVAL 18/01). BA-M is a recipient of a `López Albo´ Post-Residency Programme funded by Servicio Cántabro de Salud. LL-G is supported by funds from IDIVAL (INNVAL20/06). OG is staff personnel of Xunta de Galicia (Servizo Galego de Saude (SERGAS)) through a research-staff stabilization contract (ISCIII/SERGAS) and his work is funded by ISCIII and the European Union FEDER fund (Grant Numbers RD16/0012/0014 (RIER) and PI17/00409). He is beneficiary of project funds from the Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Union in the framework of MSCA-RISE Action of the H2020 Programme, project 734899—Olive-Net. RL-M is a recipient of a Miguel Servet type I programme fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by ESF (`Investing in your future´) (Grant Number CP16/00033)