New poly(ionic liquid)s based on poly(azomethine-pyridinium) salts and its use as heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 conversion

A fast and simple synthetic route towards a new family of poly(ionic liquids) based on aromatic crosslinked poly(azomethine-pyridinium) salts is described. These new polymers were prepared in one step from new diamine methyl pyridinium salts and isopthaldehyde, in 30 min under microwave irradiation. By this method, poly(azomethine-pyridinium) containing chloride (Cl), bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (TFSI) and hexaflorophosphate (PF6) as counter-anions were synthetized. This new pyridinium poly(ionic liquid)s were obtained as insoluble powders showing high thermal stability. The poly(azomethine-pyridinium)s were tested as heterogeneous catalysts in the cycloaddition of CO2 to epichlorohydrin to obtain chloropropylene carbonate. The polymers containing chloride anion shows high content of catalytically active sites and the best performance of the series, with 100% selectivity towards the chloropropylene carbonate in a reaction without solvent at 3 bar of CO2, 100 °C and low catalyst loading (0.5 mol%).Spanish Government, MINECO (Projects MAT2014-52085-C2-2-P and MAT2017-82288-C2-2-P, MAT2017-83373-R

Familia y presupuestos familiares de los trabajadores de una gran empresa minera a principios del siglo XX: Rio Tinto Co Ltd

La primera mineria de la revolució industrial va estar caracteritzada per la utilització d'un volum elevat de mà d'obra i per fer bona part de les tasques de manera subterrània. Això feia que calgués comptar amb una part considerable de treballadors especialitzats en activitats relacionades amb el propi treball d'extracció i que estiguessin acostumats a treballar a les profunditats de la terra. La dependència d'aquesta mà d'obra i la necessitat del manteniment dels assentaments miners van fer que es desenvolupessin estratègies patronals que es van anar orientant cap al paternalisme industrial a la segona meitat del segle XIX i principis del XX.En aquest article s'analitza el cas de l'empresa Rio Tinto Co Ltd, que pot servir de model de les formes d'organització minera. Per això comptem amb una documentació empresarial excepcional i amb l'estudi dels registres locals.The first mining of the industrial revolution was characterised using a high volume of labour and the fact that a large part of the work was carried out underground. This made it necessary to have a considerable proportion of workers specialised in activities related to the mining work itself and who were accustomed to working deep underground. The dependence on this labour force and the need to maintain the mining settlements led to the development of employer strategies that were oriented towards industrial paternalism in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. This article analyses the case of Rio Tinto Co Ltd, which can serve as a model for the forms of mining organisation. For this purpose, we rely on exceptional company documentation and the study of local records.La primera minería de la revolución industrial estuvo caracterizada por la utilización de un volumen elevado de mano de obra y por realizar buena parte de las labores de manera subterránea. Esto hacía que fuera necesario contar con una parte considerable de trabajadores especializados en actividades relacionadas con el propio trabajo de extracción y que estuvieran acostumbrados a trabajar en las profundidades de la tierra. La dependencia de esta mano de obra y la necesidad del mantenimiento de los asentamientos mineros hicieron que se desarrollaran estrategias patronales que se fueron orientando hacia el paternalismo industrial en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX y principios del XX. En este artículo se analiza el caso de la empresa Rio Tinto Co Ltd, que puede servir de modelo de las formas de organización minera. Para ello, contamos con una documentación empresarial excepcional y con el estudio de los registros locales

The relevance of the UPS in the fatty liver graft preservation: a new approach for IGL-1 and HTK solutions

The 26S proteasome is the central proteolytic machinery of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), which is involved in the degradation of ubiquitinated protein substrates. Recently, UPS inhibition has been shown to be a key factor in fatty liver graft preservation during organ cold storage using University of Wisconsin solution (UW) and Institute Georges Lopez (IGL-1) solutions. However, the merits of IGL-1 and histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solutions for fatty liver preservation have not been compared. Fatty liver grafts from obese Zücker rats were preserved for 24 h at 4 °C. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), ATP, adenosine monophosphate protein kinase (AMPK), e-NOS, proteasome activity and liver polyubiquitinated proteins were determined. IGL-1 solution prevented ATP breakdown during cold-storage preservation of steatotic livers to a greater extent than HTK solution. There were concomitant increases in AMPK activation, e-NOS (endothelial NOS (NO synthase)) expression and UPS inhibition. UPS activity is closely related to the composition of the solution used to preserve the organ. IGL-1 solution provided significantly better protection against ischemia-reperfusion for cold-stored fatty liver grafts than HTK solution. The effect is exerted through the activation of the protective AMPK signaling pathway, an increase in e-NOS expression and a dysregulation of the UPS

CMBPol Mission Concept Study: Probing Inflation with CMB Polarization

We summarize the utility of precise cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization measurements as probes of the physics of inflation. We focus on the prospects for using CMB measurements to differentiate various inflationary mechanisms. In particular, a detection of primordial B-mode polarization would demonstrate that inflation occurred at a very high energy scale, and that the inflaton traversed a super-Planckian distance in field space. We explain how such a detection or constraint would illuminate aspects of physics at the Planck scale. Moreover, CMB measurements can constrain the scale-dependence and non-Gaussianity of the primordial fluctuations and limit the possibility of a significant isocurvature contribution. Each such limit provides crucial information on the underlying inflationary dynamics. Finally, we quantify these considerations by presenting forecasts for the sensitivities of a future satellite experiment to the inflationary parameters.Comment: 107 pages, 14 figures, 17 tables; Inflation Working Group contribution to the CMBPol Mission Concept Study; v2: typos fixed and references adde

Perfil Químico do Óleo Volátil das Folhas de Erythroxylum deciduum A. St.-Hil. (Erythroxylaceae), Coletadas em Goiânia, Goiás

The Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) genus has about 130 species, which can be found in forest environments and cerrado. Studies with Erythroxylum species led to the isolation of secondary metabolites such as flavonóides, alkaloids, tannins, terpenes and phenylpropanoids that exhibit anti-oxidant activity, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory activity among others to be operated with pharmaceutical purposes. In order to contribute to the chemical elucidation of Erythroxylum genus, this research aimed to evaluate the composition of the essential oil from the leaves of E. deciduum A. St.-Hil. The botanical material was collected in the peri-urban area of the city of Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, it was identified and had a voucher specimen deposited in the Herbarium of the State University of Goiás. The essential oil extraction was performed by hydrodistillation adapted by Clevenger. The essential oil chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/ MS). The species studied showed as major components: himachalol (3.49%), sandaracopimarinal (4.87%), ethyl 8cedren-13-ol (5.65%) and ternina (6.37%) whose description on the literature, points to the antimicrobial and allelopathic activity. Thus, These volatile components may be viable in obtaining bioproducts or as prototypes in the synthesis of compounds of pharmacotherapeutic, food and agricultural interest.O gênero Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) possui cerca de 130 espécies, as quais podem ser encontradas em ambientes florestais e de cerrado sensu stricto. Estudos realizados com as espécies do gênero Erythroxylum levaram ao isolamento de metabólitos secundários como flavonóides, alcalóides, taninos, terpenos e fenilpropanóides que apresentam atividades antioxidantes, anticancerígenas, atividade anti-inflamatória, dentre outras, a serem exploradas com propósitos farmacêuticos. No intuito de contribuir para a elucidação química do gênero Erythroxylum, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a composição química do óleo volátil das folhas de E. deciduum A. St.-Hil. O material botânico foi coletado na região periurbana do município de Goiânia, Goiás, Brasil, foi identificado e teve uma exsicata depositada no Herbário da Universidade Estadual de Goiás. A extração do óleo volátil foi realizada através de hidrodestilação por Clevenger adaptado. A composição química do óleo volátil foi determinada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas (CG/EM). A espécie em estudo apresentou como componentes majoritários: himachalol (3,49%), sandaracopimarinal (4,87%), acetato de 8-cedren-13-ol (5,65%) e ternina (6,37%) cuja descrição na literatura aponta para a atividade antimicrobiana e alelopática. Estes constituintes voláteis podem ser viáveis na obtenção de bioprodutos ou como protótipos na síntese de compostos de interesse farmacoterapêutico, alimentício e agronômico

A Lujanian local fauna (Upper Pleistocene-Lower Holocene) from southern Uruguay: Santa Regina, Colonia department.

On the southwestern coast of Uruguay, in the Colonia and San José departments, sedimentary rocks that correspond to the Neogene and Quaternary are found. Herein we describe the fossiliferous locality of Santa Regina, located on the east coast of the department of Colonia. The stratigraphic profile shows at the base grayish-green sandy rocks belonging to the Camacho Formation (Upper Miocene). Overlying this unit, there is a tough yellowish-greenish siltstone in net contact, in which several pieces of a Notiomastodon platensis specimen were found. Towards the upper part, a thicker greenish-brownish bed is observed, ranging upwards from conglomerates to siltstones. The lower part of this bed includes disarticulated and fragmentary remains of Lestodon armatus, Glyptodon reticulatus, Pampatheriidae indet., Toxodon cf. T. platensis, Morenelaphus sp., and Lycalopex gymnocercus, and to the top large portions of carapaces of Glyptodon sp. and Panochthus sp. The aforementioned mastofaunistic assemblage corresponds to the Lujanian Mammal Age or regional Stage (Upper Pleistocene-Greenlandian). The lithostratigraphy allows us to refer the two upper levels to the Dolores Formation, a characteristic unit of the Quaternary of southern Uruguay, and not to the Raigón Formation, as indicated in some previous reports for this locality. The presence of Lestodon armatus, Glyptodon reticulatus, Notiomastodon platensis, Lycalopex gymnocercus, and the probable presence of Toxodon platensis, allow us to infer landscapes of open or semi-open areas, with a predominance of grasslands and shrubs during the genesis of the deposits.Na zona costeira do sudoeste do Uruguai, nos departamentos de Colônia e San José, afloram rochas sedimentares correspondentes aos sistemas Neógeno e Quaternário. Descrevemos aqui o sítio fossilífero de Santa Regina localizado na costa leste do Departamento de Colônia. O perfil estratigráfico está composto na base por rochas arenosas verde-acinzentadas pertencentes à Formação Camacho (Mioceno Superior). Sobreposto a esta unidade, em contato de rede, ocorre um siltito amarelo-esverdeado tenaz, no qual foram encontradas várias peças de um exemplar de Notiomastodon platensis. Em direção à parte superior observa-se um nível mais espesso verde-acastanhado, com grãos diminuindo de conglomerados para siltitos. Este nível inclui na parte basal restos desarticulados e fragmentados de Lestodon armatus, Glyptodon reticulatus, Pampatheriidae indet., Toxodon cf. T. platensis, Morenelaphus sp., e Lycalopex gymnocercus, e mais acima grandes porções de couraças de Glyptodon sp. e Panochthus sp. O conjunto mastofaunístico mencionado se corresponde com a Idade Mamífero Piso/Idade regional Lujanense (Pleistoceno Superior-Groenlandiense). A litoestratigrafia permite referir aos dois níveis superiores descritos à Formação Dolores, unidade característica do Quaternário do sul do Uruguai, e não à Formação Raigón, como fora assinalado em alguns trabalhos prévios para a localidade em questão. A presença de Lestodon armatus, Glyptodon reticulatus, Notiomastodon platensis, Lycalopex gymnocercus e a provável presença de Toxodon platensis, permitem inferir paisagens de áreas abertas ou semiabertas, com predomínio de pastagens e arbustos, durante a gênese dos depósitos

The role of clonal communication and heterogeneity in breast cancer

Background: Cancer is a rapidly evolving, multifactorial disease that accumulates numerous genetic and epigenetic alterations. This results in molecular and phenotypic heterogeneity within the tumor, the complexity of which is further amplified through specific interactions between cancer cells. We aimed to dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the cooperation between different clones. Methods: We produced clonal cell lines derived from the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line, using the UbC-StarTrack system, which allowed tracking of multiple clones by color: GFP C3, mKO E10 and Sapphire D7. Characterization of these clones was performed by growth rate, cell metabolic activity, wound healing, invasion assays and genetic and epigenetic arrays. Tumorigenicity was tested by orthotopic and intravenous injections. Clonal cooperation was evaluated by medium complementation, co-culture and co-injection assays. Results: Characterization of these clones in vitro revealed clear genetic and epigenetic differences that affected growth rate, cell metabolic activity, morphology and cytokine expression among cell lines. In vivo, all clonal cell lines were able to form tumors; however, injection of an equal mix of the different clones led to tumors with very few mKO E10 cells. Additionally, the mKO E10 clonal cell line showed a significant inability to form lung metastases. These results confirm that even in stable cell lines heterogeneity is present. In vitro, the complementation of growth medium with medium or exosomes from parental or clonal cell lines increased the growth rate of the other clones. Complementation assays, co-growth and co-injection of mKO E10 and GFP C3 clonal cell lines increased the efficiency of invasion and migration. Conclusions: These findings support a model where interplay between clones confers aggressiveness, and which may allow identification of the factors involved in cellular communication that could play a role in clonal cooperation and thus represent new targets for preventing tumor progression

Relación entre estrés laboral y Síndrome de Burnout en conductores de taxi de la ciudad de Trujillo. Perú, 2019

Objetivo: Determinar la relación entre el estrés laboral y el Síndrome de Burnout en conductores de taxi de la ciudad de Trujillo en Perú en los meses de mayo – junio del 2019. Material y Métodos: Se realizó un estudio analítico – transversal sobre el estrés laboral y el Síndrome de Burnout en una población de 50 taxistas de la ciudad de Trujillo en Perú. La técnica aplicada fue la encuesta. El estrés laboral fue medido mediante el “Cuestionario para la Evaluación del Estrés” en su tercera versión, mientras que el Síndrome de Burnout a través del “Cuestionario Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey”. Resultados: Se observó que el grupo etario más frecuente estuvo comprendido entre los 27 a 38 años, además el 48 % de los conductores de taxi trabajaba entre 8 – 10 horas diarias. Fue evidente un nivel de estrés alto en un 72 %, un nivel de estrés medio en un 16 % y un nivel de estrés bajo en un 12 % de los conductores. En el análisis dimensional del Síndrome de Burnout se observó que el 70 % tuvo un alto nivel de desgaste emocional, el 66 % un alto nivel de cinismo y en un 44 % un nivel de eficiencia laboral alto. Finalmente, se evidenció estadísticamente (valor p = 0,014) relación entre estrés laboral y Síndrome de Burnout. Conclusión: Existe una relación significativa entre estrés laboral y Síndrome de Burnout en conductores de taxi

Cytoprotective Mechanisms in Fatty Liver Preservation against Cold Ischemia Injury: A Comparison between IGL-1 and HTK

Institute Goeorges Lopez 1 (IGL-1) and Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate (HTK) preservation solutions are regularly used in clinical for liver transplantation besides University of Wisconsin (UW) solution and Celsior. Several clinical trials and experimental works have been carried out comparing all the solutions, however the comparative IGL-1 and HTK appraisals are poor; especially when they deal with the underlying protection mechanisms of the fatty liver graft during cold storage. Fatty livers from male obese Zücker rats were conserved for 24 h at 4 °C in IGL-1 or HTK preservation solutions. After organ recovery and rinsing of fatty liver grafts with Ringer Lactate solution, we measured the changes in mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling activation, liver autophagy markers (Beclin-1, Beclin-2, LC3B and ATG7) and apoptotic markers (caspase 3, caspase 9 and TUNEL). These determinations were correlated with the prevention of liver injury (aspartate and alanine aminostransferase (AST/ALT), histology) and mitochondrial damage (glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and confocal microscopy findings). Liver grafts preserved in IGL-1 solution showed a marked reduction on p-TOR/mTOR ratio when compared to HTK. This was concomitant with significant increased cyto-protective autophagy and prevention of liver apoptosis, including inflammatory cytokines such as HMGB1. Together, our results revealed that IGL-1 preservation solution better protected fatty liver grafts against cold ischemia damage than HTK solution. IGL-1 protection was associated with a reduced liver damage, higher induced autophagy and decreased apoptosis. All these effects would contribute to limit the subsequent extension of reperfusion injury after graft revascularization in liver transplantation procedures

Observing the Evolution of the Universe

How did the universe evolve? The fine angular scale (l>1000) temperature and polarization anisotropies in the CMB are a Rosetta stone for understanding the evolution of the universe. Through detailed measurements one may address everything from the physics of the birth of the universe to the history of star formation and the process by which galaxies formed. One may in addition track the evolution of the dark energy and discover the net neutrino mass. We are at the dawn of a new era in which hundreds of square degrees of sky can be mapped with arcminute resolution and sensitivities measured in microKelvin. Acquiring these data requires the use of special purpose telescopes such as the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), located in Chile, and the South Pole Telescope (SPT). These new telescopes are outfitted with a new generation of custom mm-wave kilo-pixel arrays. Additional instruments are in the planning stages.Comment: Science White Paper submitted to the US Astro2010 Decadal Survey. Full list of 177 author available at http://cmbpol.uchicago.ed