Development of a portable leaf photosynthesis and volatile organic compounds emission system.

Understanding how plant carbon metabolism responds to environmental variables such as light is central to understanding ecosystem carbon cycling and the production of food, biofuels, and biomaterials. Here, we couple a portable leaf photosynthesis system to an autosampler for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to enable field observations of net photosynthesis simultaneously with emissions of VOCs as a function of light. Following sample collection, VOCs are analyzed using automated thermal desorption-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS). An example is presented from a banana plant in the central Amazon with a focus on the response of photosynthesis and the emissions of eight individual monoterpenes to light intensity. Our observations reveal that banana leaf emissions represent a 1.1 +/- 0.1% loss of photosynthesis by carbon. Monoterpene emissions from banana are dominated by trans-β-ocimene, which accounts for up to 57% of total monoterpene emissions at high light. We conclude that the developed system is ideal for the identification and quantification of VOC emissions from leaves in parallel with CO2 and water fluxes.The system therefore permits the analysis of biological and environmental sensitivities of carbon metabolism in leaves in remote field locations, resulting in the emission of hydrocarbons to the atmosphere.•A field-portable system is developed for the identification and quantification of VOCs from leaves in parallel with leaf physiological measurements including photosynthesis and transpiration.•The system will enable the characterization of carbon and energy allocation to the biosynthesis and emission of VOCs linked with photosynthesis (e.g. isoprene and monoterpenes) and their biological and environmental sensitivities (e.g. light, temperature, CO2).•Allow the development of more accurate mechanistic global VOC emission models linked with photosynthesis, improving our ability to predict how forests will respond to climate change. It is our hope that the presented system will contribute with critical data towards these goals across Earth's diverse tropical forests

La motivación de los trabajadores en tiempo de crisis de la empresa Conecta distrito de Chimbote, 2020

El presente trabajo de investigación denominada: “La motivación de los trabajadores en tiempo de crisis de la empresa Conecta distrito de Chimbote, 2020”, cuyo objetivo general fue de analizar el nivel de motivación de los trabajadores en tiempo de crisis de la empresa Conecta Distrito de Chimbote, 2020. En cuanto a la metodología, el tipo de investigación es aplicada con diseño no experimental, corte transversal y descriptivo simple con un enfoque mixto. Se consideró como muestra a 108 trabajadores de la empresa Conecta y con un muestreo probabilístico aleatorio simple. Los datos se recolectaron mediante la técnica de la encuesta y la entrevista usando como instrumento, el cuestionario y guía de entrevista. La validación del instrumento se realizó por medio de juicio de expertos y la confiabilidad del mismo se calculó a través del coeficiente Alfa de Cronbach. Luego de obtener todos los datos, estos fueron procesados y analizados en el programa estadístico SPSS. Teniendo como conclusión que los colaboradores tuvieron un nivel medio de motivación, esto quiere decir que la empresa promueve y desarrolla de cierta manera políticas y estrategias orientadas a generar colaboradores motivados, así mismo se concluye que el plan de motivación servirá como modelo y guía para futuros investigadores y organizaciones que deseen implementar planes de investigación y programas de motivación de su personal

Development of a portable leaf photosynthesis and volatile organic compounds emission system

Understanding how plant carbon metabolism responds to environmental variables such as light is central to understanding ecosystem carbon cycling and the production of food, biofuels, and biomaterials. Here, we couple a portable leaf photosynthesis system to an autosampler for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to enable field observations of net photosynthesis simultaneously with emissions of VOCs as a function of light. Following sample collection, VOCs are analyzed using automated thermal desorption-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (TD-GC–MS). An example is presented from a banana plant in the central Amazon with a focus on the response of photosynthesis and the emissions of eight individual monoterpenes to light intensity. Our observations reveal that banana leaf emissions represent a 1.1 +/- 0.1% loss of photosynthesis by carbon. Monoterpene emissions from banana are dominated by trans-β-ocimene, which accounts for up to 57% of total monoterpene emissions at high light. We conclude that the developed system is ideal for the identification and quantification of VOC emissions from leaves in parallel with CO2 and water fluxes.The system therefore permits the analysis of biological and environmental sensitivities of carbon metabolism in leaves in remote field locations, resulting in the emission of hydrocarbons to the atmosphere. • A field-portable system is developed for the identification and quantification of VOCs from leaves in parallel with leaf physiological measurements including photosynthesis and transpiration. • The system will enable the characterization of carbon and energy allocation to the biosynthesis and emission of VOCs linked with photosynthesis (e.g. isoprene and monoterpenes) and their biological and environmental sensitivities (e.g. light, temperature, CO2). • Allow the development of more accurate mechanistic global VOC emission models linked with photosynthesis, improving our ability to predict how forests will respond to climate change. It is our hope that the presented system will contribute with critical data towards these goals across Earth's diverse tropical forests. © 202

Relación entre deficiencia de vitamina D con el estado nutricional y otros factores en adultos de la región interandina del Ecuador

Antecedentes: la deficiencia de vitamina D es un problema de salud pública asociado con diversas enfermedades en población adulta que podría estar relacionado con la actividad laboral. Objetivo: relacionar la deficiencia de vitamina D con el estado nutricional, la composición corporal y factores sociodemográficos en trabajadores de Quito, Ecuador. Materiales y métodos: estudio transversal en 245 trabajadores. Se evaluó vitamina D sérica por inmunofluorescencia, estado nutricional por Índice de Masa Corporal, composición corporal por bioimpedancia y otros factores sociodemográficos. Se usó regresión logística para identificar asociaciones entre deficiencia de vitamina D y variables de interés. Resultados: el 76 % de la población presentó deficiencia de vitamina D. El riesgo cardiovascular por circunferencia abdominal, edad y sexo estaban asociados con deficiencia de vitamina D. Por cada centímetro de incremento en la circunferencia abdominal, la prevalencia de deficiencia de vitamina D incrementaba 4,4 % (OR = 1,044 IC95 %:1,001-1,008; p = 0,043). Por cada año de edad de incremento, la prevalencia disminuía 4,1 % (OR = 0,96; IC95 %:0,93-0,99; p = 0,030). Las mujeres mostraron 2,33 veces más deficiencia de vitamina D en comparación con los hombres (OR = 2,33 IC95 %:1,28-6,94 p = 0,011). Conclusión: la deficiencia de vitamina D es alta en los trabajadores de la ciudad de Quito. Aparentemente, mujeres jóvenes con una circunferencia abdominal alta tienen mayor probabilidad de presentar esta deficiencia. El exceso de peso podría estar reduciendo la actividad física al aire libre, lo que disminuye a su vez la exposición a la luz solar y esto deriva en deficiencia de vitamina D

Fleets

En la actualidad, las personas tienen un ritmo de vida más apurado y pasan más tiempo de sus vidas fuera de sus casas por lo que se transportan con frecuencia. Este ritmo de vida hace que las personas se sientan cansadas y necesitan un momento de descanso. El uso de calzado como zapatos o tacos en el caso de las mujeres ocasiona que sus pies se sientan adoloridos y cansados por lo que genera una necesidad de poder sentirse más confortables al momento de caminar. Ante esta necesidad nace Fleets. Los Fleets son unas medias de algodón suave con las que las personas pueden caminar en interiores o exteriores de una manera cómoda. A diferencia de las medias convencionales, los Fleets se pueden usar sin zapatos debido a una suela de PVC que recubre la planta de los pies ante cualquier daño que se puede causar al pisar objetos con las medias. Del mismo modo, Los Fleets se diferencian de las zapatos convencionales o tacones debido a la portabilidad de los Fleets que se pueden guardar en la comodidad del bolsillo del pantalón. Son flexibles y cómodos con un diseño de vanguardia alineado a las nuevas tendencias. En el presente trabajo se desarrollará todo el proceso de desarrollo de este producto y de las estrategias utilizadas con respecto al modelo de negocio. Se desarrollarán los planes de marketing, Recursos humanos, Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, Operaciones y Financiero. También se evaluará la rentabilidad y viabilidad del proyecto, así como las reacciones del público objetivo a los Fleets a través del concierge.Nowadays, people have a faster pace of life and spend more time in their lives outside their home so they are transported frequently. This rhythm of life makes people feel tired and need a moment of rest. The use of footwear such as shoes or heels in the case of women causes their feet to feel sore and tired, which creates a need to feel more comfortable when walking. Faced with this need, Fleets was born. Fleets are soft cotton socks with which people can walk indoors or outdoors in a comfortable way. Unlike conventional socks, Fleets can be worn without shoes due to a PVC sole that covers the soles of the feet in the face of any damage that can be caused by stepping on objects with the socks. Similarly, the Fleets differ from conventional shoes or heels due to the portability of the Fleets that can be stored in the comfort of the pants pocket. They are flexible and comfortable with a cutting-edge design aligned to new trends. In this work, the entire development process of this product and the strategies used with respect to the business model will be developed. Marketing, Human Resources, Corporate Social Responsibility, Operations and Financial plans will be developed. The profitability and viability of the project as well as the reactions of the target audience to Fleets through the concierge will also be evaluated.Trabajo de investigació

Human Herpes Virus 8 in HIV-1 infected individuals receiving cancer chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation

Background: Human Herpes Virus 8 (HHV8) can cause Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS) in immunosuppressed individuals. However, little is known about the association between chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), circulating HHV8 DNA levels, and clinical KS in HIV-1-infected individuals with various malignancies. Therefore, we examined the associations between various malignancies, systemic cancer chemotherapy, T cell phenotypes, and circulating HHV8 DNA in 29 HIV-1-infected participants with concomitant KS or other cancer diagnoses. Methods: We quantified HHV8 plasma viral loads and cell-associated HHV8 DNA and determined the relationship between circulating HHV8 DNA and lymphocyte counts, and markers of early and late lymphocyte activation, proliferation and exhaustion. Results: There were no significant differences in plasma HHV8 DNA levels between baseline and post-chemotherapy time points or with the presence or absence of clinical KS. However, in two participants circulating HHV8 DNA increased following treatment for KS or HSCT for lymphoma,. We observed an approximately 2-log10 reduction in plasma HHV8 DNA in an individual with KS and multicentric Castleman disease following rituximab monotherapy. Although individuals with clinical KS had lower mean CD4+ T cell counts and percentages as expected, there were no significant associations with these factors and plasma HHV8 levels. We identified increased proportions of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells expressing CD69 (P = 0.01 & P = 0.04 respectively), and increased CD57 expression on CD4+ T cells (P = 0.003) in participants with detectable HHV8. Conclusion: These results suggest there is a complex relationship between circulating HHV8 DNA and tissue-based disease in HIV-1 and HHV8 co-infected individuals with various malignancies

Association of germline variants in telomere maintenance genes (POT1, TERF2IP, ACD, and TERT) with spitzoid morphology in familial melanoma: A multi-center case series

Spitzoid morphology in familial melanoma has been associated with germline variants in POT1, a telomere maintenance gene (TMG), suggesting a link between telomere biology and spitzoid differentiation. The aim is to assess if familial melanoma cases associated with germline variants in TMG (POT1, ACD, TERF2IP, and TERT ) commonly exhibit spitzoid morphology.Medicin

Treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in men in primary care using a conservative intervention: Cluster randomised controlled trial

Objective: To determine whether a standardised and manualised care intervention in men in primary care could achieve superior improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) compared with usual care. Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting: 30 National Health Service general practice sites in England. Participants: Sites were randomised 1:1 to the intervention and control arms. 1077 men (≥18 years) with bothersome LUTS recruited between June 2018 and August 2019: 524 were assigned to the intervention arm (n=17 sites) and 553 were assigned to the usual care arm (n=13 sites). Intervention: Standardised information booklet developed with patient and expert input, providing guidance on conservative and lifestyle interventions for LUTS in men. After assessment of urinary symptoms (manualised element), general practice nurses and healthcare assistants or research nurses directed participants to relevant sections of the manual and provided contact over 12 weeks to assist with adherence. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was patient reported International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) measured 12 months after participants had consented to take part in the study. The target reduction of 2.0 points on which the study was powered reflects the minimal clinically important difference where baseline IPSS is <20. Secondary outcomes were patient reported quality of life, urinary symptoms and perception of LUTS, hospital referrals, and adverse events. The primary intention-to-treat analysis included 887 participants (82% of those recruited) and used a mixed effects multilevel linear regression model adjusted for site level variables used in the randomisation and baseline scores. Results: Participants in the intervention arm had a lower mean IPSS at 12 months (adjusted mean difference −1.81 points, 95% confidence interval −2.66 to −0.95) indicating less severe urinary symptoms than those in the usual care arm. LUTS specific quality of life, incontinence, and perception of LUTS also improved more in the intervention arm than usual care arm at 12 months. The proportion of urology referrals (intervention 7.3%, usual care 7.9%) and adverse events (intervention seven events, usual care eight events) were comparable between the arms. Conclusions: A standardised and manualised intervention in primary care showed a sustained reduction in LUTS in men at 12 months. The mean difference of −1.81 points (95% confidence interval −0.95 to −2.66) on the IPSS was less than the predefined target reduction of 2.0 points. Trial registration: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN11669964

Lower urinary tract symptoms in men: The TRIUMPH cluster RCT

Conservative therapies are recommended as initial treatment for male lower urinary tract symptoms. However, there is a lack of evidence on effectiveness and uncertainty regarding approaches to delivery. The objective was to determine whether or not a standardised and manualised care intervention delivered in primary care achieves superior symptomatic outcome for lower urinary tract symptoms to usual care. This was a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial. The trial was set in 30 NHS general practice sites in England. Participants were adult men (aged ≥ 18 years) with bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms. Sites were randomised 1 : 1 to deliver the TReatIng Urinary symptoms in Men in Primary Health care using non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions trial intervention or usual care to all participants. The TReatIng Urinary symptoms in Men in Primary Health care using non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions intervention comprised a standardised advice booklet developed for the trial from the British Association of Urological Surgeons' patient information sheets, with patient and expert input. Patients were directed to relevant sections by general practice or research nurses/healthcare assistants following urinary symptom assessment, providing the manualised element. The healthcare professional provided follow-up contacts over 12 weeks to support adherence to the intervention. The primary outcome was the validated patient-reported International Prostate Symptom Score 12 months post consent. Rather than the minimal clinically important difference of 3.0 points for overall International Prostate Symptom Score, the sample size aimed to detect a difference of 2.0 points, owing to the recognised clinical impact of individual symptoms. A total of 1077 men consented to the study: 524 in sites randomised to the intervention arm ( = 17) and 553 in sites randomised to the control arm ( = 13). A difference in mean International Prostate Symptom Score at 12 months was found (adjusted mean difference of -1.81 points, 95% confidence interval -2.66 to -0.95 points), with a lower score in the intervention arm, indicating less severe symptoms. Secondary outcomes of patient-reported urinary symptoms, quality of life specific to lower urinary tract symptoms and perception of lower urinary tract symptoms all showed evidence of a difference between the arms favouring the intervention. No difference was seen between the arms in the proportion of urology referrals or adverse events. In qualitative interviews, participants welcomed the intervention, describing positive effects on their symptoms, as well as on their understanding of conservative care and their attitude towards the experience of lower urinary tract symptoms. The interviews highlighted that structured, in-depth self-management is insufficiently embedded within general practitioner consultations. From an NHS perspective, mean costs and quality-adjusted life-years were similar between trial arms. The intervention arm had slightly lower mean costs (adjusted mean difference of -£29.99, 95% confidence interval -£109.84 to £22.63) than the usual-care arm, and a small gain in quality-adjusted life-years (adjusted mean difference of 0.001, 95% confidence interval -0.011 to 0.014). The intervention showed a small, sustained benefit for men's lower urinary tract symptoms and quality of life across a range of outcome measures in a UK primary care setting. Qualitative data showed that men highly valued the intervention. Intervention costs were marginally lower than usual-care costs. Limitations of the study included that trial participants were unmasked, with limited diversity in ethnicity and deprivation level. Additional research is needed to assess the applicability of the intervention for a more ethnically diverse population.. This trial is registered as ISRCTN11669964. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 16/90/03) and is published in full in ; Vol. 28, No. 13. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information

A communal catalogue reveals Earth's multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world's importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth's microbial diversity.Peer reviewe