Alkane-grown Beauveria bassiana produce mycelial pellets displaying peroxisome proliferation, oxidative stress, and cell surface alterations

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is able to grow on insect cuticle18 hydrocarbons as the sole carbon source, inducing several enzymes involved in alkane19 assimilation and concomitantly increasing virulence against insect hosts. In this study, we20 describe some physiological and molecular processes implicated in growth, nutritional21 stress response, and cellular alterations found in alkane-grown fungi. The fungal cytology22 was investigated using light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while the surface23 topography was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fungal hydrophobicity24 was also measured on the cell surface. Additionally, the expression pattern of several genes25 associated with oxidative stress, peroxisome biogenesis, and hydrophobicity were analysed26 by qPCR. We found a novel type of growth in alkane-cultured B. bassiana similar to27 mycelial pellets described in other alkane-free fungi, which were able to germinate and28 produce viable conidia in media without a carbon source and to be pathogenic against29 larvae of the beetles Tenebrio molitor and Tribolium castaneum. Optical microscopy and30 TEM showed that pellets were formed by hyphae cumulates with high peroxidase activity,31 exhibiting peroxisome proliferation and an apparent surface thickening. Alkane-grown32 conidia appeared to be more hydrophobic and cell surfaces displayed different topography33 than glucose-grown cells, as it was observed by AFM. We also found a significant34 induction in several genes encoding for peroxins, catalases, superoxide dismutases, and35 hydrophobins. These results show that both morphological and metabolic changes are36 triggered in mycelial pellets derived from alkane-grown B. bassiana.Fil: Huarte Bonnet, Carla. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata ; ArgentinaFil: Santos Da Paixao, Flavia Regina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata ; ArgentinaFil: Ponce, Juan C. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata ; ArgentinaFil: Santana, Marianela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata ; ArgentinaFil: Prieto, Eduardo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas; ArgentinaFil: Pedrini, Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata ; Argentin

Second-generation functionalized mediumchain- length polyhydroxyalkanoates: the gateway to high-value bioplastic applications

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable biocompatible polyesters, which accumulate as granulesin the cytoplasm of many bacteria under unbalanced growth conditions. Medium-chain-length PHAs (mcl-PHAs), characterizedby C6-C14 branched monomer chains and typically produced by Pseudomonas species, are promising thermoelastomers,as they can be further modified by introducing functional groups in the side chains. Functionalized PHAs areobtained either by feeding structurally related substrates processed through the β-oxidation pathway, or using specificstrains able to transform sugars or glycerol into unsaturated PHA by de novo fatty-acid biosynthesis. Functionalized mcl-PHAs provide modified mechanical and thermal properties, and consequently have new processing requirements andhighly diverse potential applications in emergent fields such as biomedicine. However, process development and sampleavailability are limited due to the toxicity of some precursors and still low productivity, which hinder investigation. Conversely,improved mutant strains designed through systems biology approaches and cofeeding with low-cost substratesmay contribute to the widespread application of these biopolymers. This review focuses on recent developments in theproduction of functionalized mcl-PHAs, placing particular emphasis on strain and bioprocess design for cost-effectiveproduction. [Int Microbiol 2013; 16(1):1-15

Evolución y estado de los estudios rurales en América Latina: Una revisión bibliográfica actual

La estructura y dinámica evolutiva del mundo rural de América Latina ha sido siempre un tema privilegiado en la investigación y la reflexión científica, no solo a nivel del continente, sino también a nivel internacional. La producción científica siempre ha reflejado los problemas de este vasto mundo rural, pero siempre bajo la influencia de las condiciones sociales, políticas y económicas de cada momento histórico. En este trabajo, se analiza la producción científica actual sobre el mundo rural con una perspectiva histórica, para entender la evolución del pensamiento científico y la producción. Se utiliza un método bibliométrico sencillo basado en el análisis de las revistas más prestigiosas sobre la realidad rural del continente. El análisis permite observar una clara tendencia hacia nuevos temas, vinculados a los problemas del mundo rural, como la nueva relación entre el campo y la ciudad, los problemas ambientales, la aparición de nuevas formas de producción, entre otros.The structure and evolutionary dynamic of the rural world of Latin America has always been a privileged topic in research and scientific reflection, not only at the level of the continent, but also at the international level. Scientific production has always reflected the problems of this vast rural world, but always under the influence of the social, political, and economic conditions of each historical moment. In this paper, we analyze the current scientific production on the rural world with a historical perspective, to understand the evolution of scientific thought and production. We appeal to a very simple bibliometric method based on the analysis of the most prestigious journals about the rural reality of the continent. The analysis allows us to observe a clear trend towards new topics, linked to the problems of the rural world, such as the new relationship between the countryside and the city, environmental problems, the emergence of new ways of producing, among others.Fil: Sili, Marcelo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Geografía y Turismo; ArgentinaFil: Benitez, Belén. No especifíca;Fil: Da Ponte Prieto, Ariana. No especifíca

Estudio en cadáveres sobre la anatomía de la rama profunda del nervio radial y los cambios que padece en caso de simulación de fracturas proximales del radio

Objetivos: Determinar si existen diferencias en el desplazamiento con los distintos movimientos del antebrazo de la Rama Profunda del Nervio Radial (RPNR) al comparar especímenes intactos y especímenes con una fractura de radio proximal simulada. Metodología: Mediante el abordaje posterolateral de Kocher y siguiendo los planos de disección, identificar la RPNR y tomar las distancias desde el epicóndilo lateral a la RPNR en pronación, posición neutra y supinación con flexión de codo a 90º, y pronación con extensión de codo a 0º, en el total de especímenes. Después, simular una fractura de radio proximal en todos los especímenes, y tomar las mismas medidas con el objetivo de comparar el desplazamiento de la RPNR en un caso anatómico versus fractura. Además, se objetivan una serie de covariables para determinar si modifican la relación entre el desplazamiento de la RPNR y la posición del antebrazo

Validez estructural de las pruebas de evaluación de realización cognitiva

En este artículo se discuten las contri buciones del Análisis Fa c t o rial Confi rm at o rio a la evaluación de los modelos estru c t u rales de las aptitudes. Se contrasta el ajuste a va rios modelos fa c t o riales altern at ivos de los resultados obtenidos en una mu e s t ra de jóvenes portugueses de enseñanza media y superior (N=849), con doce pru ebas que evalúan tres procesos (comprensión, ra zonamiento y pensamiento dive rgente), mediante ítems de cuat ro contenidos (verbal, fi g u rat ivo ab s t racto, espacial y nu m é rico). Un modelo de seis fa c t o res, que re fleja la importancia conjunta de los procesos cog n i t ivos y de los contenidos, parece el más adecuado. En este contexto, se afi rma que es necesario revisar de nu evo la oposición tradicional ent re modelos jerárquicos y taxonómicos, puesto que ambos tipos son complementarios.Structural Validity of the Provas de Avaliação da Realização Cognitiva. In this article the authors analise the contribution of confirmatory factor analysis in the evaluation of structural models of cognitive abilities. Alternative models are tested in a sample of high school and college students (N=849), in a battery of 12 tests that evaluate three processes (comprehension, reasoning and divergent thinking) considering four itens contents (verbal, figural-abstract, spatial and numerical). A model with six factors, that reflects the variance of the cognitive processes involved and the content of the tasks appears to be the most adjusted. In this context, it is concluded that it may be necessary to re-analyse the traditional dichotomy between hierarchical and taxonomic models of cognitive abilities, once both are seen as complementary

Evidence for an accretion origin for the outer halo globular cluster system of M31

We use a sample of newly-discovered globular clusters from the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS) in combination with previously-catalogued objects to map the spatial distribution of globular clusters in the M31 halo. At projected radii beyond ~30 kpc, where large coherent stellar streams are readily distinguished in the field, there is a striking correlation between these features and the positions of the globular clusters. Adopting a simple Monte Carlo approach, we test the significance of this association by computing the probability that it could be due to the chance alignment of globular clusters smoothly distributed in the M31 halo. We find the likelihood of this possibility is low, below 1%, and conclude that the observed spatial coincidence between globular clusters and multiple tidal debris streams in the outer halo of M31 reflects a genuine physical association. Our results imply that the majority of the remote globular cluster system of M31 has been assembled as a consequence of the accretion of cluster-bearing satellite galaxies. This constitutes the most direct evidence to date that the outer halo globular cluster populations in some galaxies are largely accreted.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Aspectos médico-patológicos del zinc

El zinc es un oligoelemento esencial y un factor crítico para la salud humana. Como catión divalente desempeña un notable papel en procesos bioquímicos y fisiológicos. Es crucial mantener una homeostasis del metal porque la deficiencia de zinc desencadena efectos adversos graves. En el presente trabajo se hace una revisión de los aspectos médico-patológicos más relevantes asociados al zinc, destacando la repercusión de sus sitios de unión estructural (como los dedos de zinc y los ganchos de zinc) y de sus transportadores (como la familia ZIP y la ZnT). En una visión general, el zinc influye en el sistema inmunológico interviniendo en la modificación postraduccional de proteínas que median en numerosas vías de señalización, participa en la activación y diferenciación de las células inmunes y se lo relaciona con ciertas enfermedades alérgicas inflamatorias (dermatitis atópica, asma bronquial y rinosinusitis crónica). También existe un nexo entre el metal y el proceso de tumorigénesis, por su función antioxidante, por su labor controlando la proliferación y apoptosis celular, por su participación en alteraciones metabólicas y por su interacción con miARN. Incluso se destaca al zinc como neurotransmisor involucrado en los procesos de aprendizaje y memoria, depresión y con enfermedades neurodegenerativas como el Alzheimer

Chemical trends in the Galactic halo from APOGEE data

Indexación: Web of Science; Scopus.The galaxy formation process in the A cold dark matter scenario can be constrained from the analysis of stars in the Milky Way's halo system. We examine the variation of chemical abundances in distant halo stars observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment ( APOGEE), as a function of distance from the Galactic Centre ( r) and iron abundance ([M/H]), in the range 5 less than or similar to r less than or similar to 30 kpc and - 2.5 15 kpc and [M/H] > - 1.1 (larger in the case of O, Mg, and S) with respect to the nearest halo stars. This result confirms previous claims for low-alpha stars found at larger distances. Chemical differences in elements with other nucleosynthetic origins (Ni, K, Na, and Al) are also detected. C and N do not provide reliable information about the interstellar medium from which stars formed because our sample comprises red giant branch and asymptotic giant branch stars and can experience mixing of material to their surfaces.https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/mnras/stw286

Fluxo de comunicação e partilha de dados entre agências criativas e agências de meios

Num mercado em constante evolução como o da Publicidade, é necessário encontrar ferramentas e métodos que permitam aos profissionais acompanhar o seu progresso. O Fluxo de Comunicação e Partilha de dados é fundamental para que isto seja possível. A base e o objetivo do Marketing e da Publicidade é a comunicação, sendo fulcral que, quem com esta trabalha diariamente utilize os seus expertises na área não só para o momento de passar a mensagem ao consumidor, mas como para realizar o seu trabalho em parceria com os diferentes departamentos envolvidos no processo. A presente investigação, tem como objetivo compreender de que forma a partilha de dados e o fluxo de comunicação entre diferentes departamentos como o criativo e o analítico, influenciam a eficiência das campanhas publicitárias. Como metodologia utilizou a análise bibliográfica e entrevista de forma a comprovar a teoria encontrada através de diversos autores. Os resultados obtidos revelaram à autora, que existe uma grande necessidade de criar sinergias entre os diferentes departamentos, de forma a desenvolver estratégias publicitárias de excelência. A pesquisa mostra também que apesar de algo relutantes alguns dos profissionais da área, demostra haver abertura para que se façam avanços naquilo que são parcerias entre agências 360.In a market where there is constant evolution, like the Advertisement one, it is necessary to find tools and methods that allow the professionals to accompany its progress. The Flux of Communication and Data Sharing is fundamental for this to be possible. The base and goal of Marketing and Advertisement is the communication, being crucial that, the ones who work with it every day, use their expertise in the area, not only to pass their message to the consumer, but also, to do their work alongside the different departments involved in the process. The present investigation has the goal to understand the way how data sharing and the flux of communication between the various departments, like the creative and analytical, influence the efficiency of the advertisement campaigns. As methodology for this research, the bibliographic analysis and the process of interviews were used to prove the theory found based on the work of other authors. The results obtained show the author that there is a need to crate synergy between the different departments, to be able to develop advertisement strategies in excellence. The research shows that, even if some of the professionals in the area are skeptical, there is space in the area for big developments to be done in the partnerships between 360º agencies