Seed beetles (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) associated with Acacia cornigera (L.) Willd., with description of a new species of Acanthoscelides Schilsky

Presented herein is a key to identify species of Bruchidae associated with Acacia cornigera (L.). For each species, host records, distributions and bionomics are given. A new species of Acanthoscelides Schilsky is described and figured; Acanthoscelides sauli Romero, Cruz, and Kingsolver

Cluster analysis as a methodology within phylogenetic systematics to construct phylogenetic trees

All evolutionary studies of groups of species are based on the choice of appropriate characteristics for rebuilding their phylogenies (a phylogeny is the relationship or kinship among species in general and tries to reconstruct evolutionary relationships). A phylogenetic analysis reconstructs the evolutionary relationships between species, which descend from common ancestors and, furthermore, which are the genetic distances or separation times between these species [1]. To generate a phylogenetic analysis characters must have two requirements: independent of each other and be homologous, they have the same origin and the same function in all organisms Study The nature of those characters can be varied. Any source of validated and proved phylogenetic information can provide characters for an evolutionary study. Among the main evolutionary studies that have been developed stand two methods: The methods that have been taken as morphological characters base in which the presence of physical characteristics that describe the species is identified, and methods that have been based on molecular characteristics as the sequence DNA [2]. These characters are recorded in a data matrix within which, the state in which the character has been observed is represented with zero if it is absent or one if present respectively, and whether it is a character that may be present in the species with different values (multi-state) within the data matrix can be represented by the value corresponding to that character [2]. For this reason, homologous characters, once they have been validated and proven, may be taken as the basis for an evolutionary study because they provide enough information for the reconstruction of a phylogenetic tree

Determinación de Cd en Zeolita por Espectrometría de Absorción Atómica con Nebulización Thermospray

Una de las exigencias de la industria farmacéutica, es conocer los contenidos de elementos tóxicos. Debido a las bajas concentraciones de Cd en las muestras de zeolita utilizadas como materia prima en la producción de antidiarreicos, el principal objetivo de este trabajo es proponer un procedimiento analítico para determinar los niveles de concentración de cadmio en zeolita. Para chequear el procedimiento analítico, se preparó una muestra sintética por pesada de los componentes mayoritarios y se estudiaron tres tipos de tratamiento de descomposición con HN03, HCl y con HN03-HCI-HCl04- HF. Los resultados fueron comparados mediante las determinaciones por Espectrometría de Absorción Atómica utilizando la nebulización neumática convencional con llama (FAAS), la atomización electrotérmica (GFAAS) y la nebulización no convencional (Thennospray ). Fue satisfactoria la determinación de Cd en cuatro muestras naturales de zeolita mediante una descomposición total y su determinación mediante Thennospray

Apuntes a la historia de la matemática del siglo XX: La teoría de las catástrofes

Las teorías matemáticas desarrolladas durante la segunda mitad del siglo XX requieren ser divulgadas tanto por la importancia de sus aplicaciones como por la necesidad de apoyarse en ellas para la comprensión, elaboración y construcción de nuevas teorías. Así mismo, ofrecen una visión desde la complejidad de los procesos que estudian las otras ciencias. En particular, la teoría de las catástrofes, difundida a partir de 1970 permite explicar episodios de discontinuidad que ocurren en sistemas dinámicos de comportamiento continuo y que pueden observarse con cierta frecuencia en los fenómenos naturales que estudia la biología. Este trabajo describe, de modo sencillo, las principales características de la teoría que desarrollaron Thom y Zeeman, las relaciones que la teoría guarda con otras teorías de la época, la incidencia en la enseñanza de la misma en la educación superior y las dificultades didácticas que presenta

FCMpy: A Python Module for Constructing and Analyzing Fuzzy Cognitive Maps

FCMpy is an open source package in Python for building and analyzing Fuzzy Cognitive Maps. More specifically, the package allows 1) deriving fuzzy causal weights from qualitative data, 2) simulating the system behavior, 3) applying machine learning algorithms (e.g., Nonlinear Hebbian Learning, Active Hebbian Learning, Genetic Algorithms and Deterministic Learning) to adjust the FCM causal weight matrix and to solve classification problems, and 4) implementing scenario analysis by simulating hypothetical interventions (i.e., analyzing what-if scenarios).Comment: 22 pages, 9 Figure

The shifting nature of women’s experiences and perceptions of ductal carcinoma in situ

Aim: This paper is a report of a descriptive qualitative study of the evolution of women’s perceptions and experiences of ductal carcinoma in situ from the period near to diagnosis to one year later. Background: Ductal carcinoma in situ is a non-invasive breast condition where cancer cells are detected but confined to the ducts of the breast. With treatment, the condition has a positive prognosis but ironically patients undergo treatment similar to that for invasive breast cancer. There is a lack of longitudinal qualitative research studying women’s experiences of ductal carcinoma in situ, especially amongst newly diagnosed patients and how experiences change over time. Methods: Forty-five women took part in an initial interview following a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ and twenty-seven took part in a follow-up interview 9-13 months later. Data were collected between January 2007 and October 2008. Transcripts were analysed using a hybrid approach to thematic analysis. Findings: Women’s early perceptions of ductal carcinoma in situ merged and sometimes conflicted with their lay beliefs of breast cancer. Perceptions and experiences of the condition shifted over time. These overriding aspects were evident within four themes identified across the interviews: 1) perceptions of DCIS versus breast cancer, 2) from paradox to acceptance, 3) personal impact, and 4) support and interactions with others. Conclusion: This study represents one of the few longitudinal qualitative studies with newly diagnosed patients, capturing women’s initial and shifting experiences and perceptions of the condition. The issues identified need to be recognised in clinical practice and supported appropriately

Determinación de Mn y Ni en aceros mediante Espectrometría de Absorción Atómica con Llama y Nebulización Thermospray

La complejidad de la matriz influye en la eficiencia de transporte del analito, afecta la sensibilidad y los límites de detección cuando se emplea en la absorción atómica con llama (FAAS) con nebulización neumática. Esto determina que en ocasiones es necesario realizar una separación y precon­centración, para eliminar estas interferencias. En este trabajo se presenta un diseño modificado realizado de un sistema de nebulización no convencional con cámara de precalentamiento (Thermospray). Este permite una eficiencia de transporte del analito de un 99 % y un aumento de sensibilidad de 2 veces. Se reportan las optimizaciones de parámetros instrumentales del dispositivo y la comparación con el sistema de nebulización neumática convencional. Como aplicación se realiza la determinación de Mn y Ni a una muestra certificada de acero

Physical activity during pregnancy and its influence on delivery time: a randomized clinical trial

Introduction. During pregnancy, women often change their lifestyle for fear of harmful effects on the child or themselves. In this respect, many women reduce the amount of physical exercise they take, despite its beneficial effects. Objective. To determine the duration of labor in pregnant women who completed a program of moderate physical exercise in water and subsequently presented eutocic birth. Methods.Arandomized trial was performed with 140 healthy pregnant women, divided into an exercise group (EG) (nD70) and a control group (CG) (nD70). The women who composed the study population were recruited at 12 weeks of gestation. The intervention program, termedSWEP(Study of Water Exercise during Pregnancy) began in week 20 of gestation and ended in week 37. Perinatal outcomes were determined by examining the corresponding partographs, recorded by the Maternity Service at the Granada University Hospital Complex. Results. The intervention phase of the study took place from June through October 2016, with the 120 women finally included in EG and CG (60 in each group). At term, 63% of the women in EG and 56% of those in CG had a eutocic birth. The average total duration of labor was 389.33 +/- 216.18 min for the women in EG and 561.30 +/- 199.94 min for those in CG, a difference of approximately three hours (p<0:001). Conclusions. The women who exercised in water during their pregnancy presented a shorter duration of labor than those who did not. The difference was especially marked with respect to the duration of the first and second stages of labor

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The ring finger protein PCGF6 (polycomb group ring finger 6) interacts with RING1A/B and E2F6 associated factors to form a non-canonical PRC1 (polycomb repressive complex 1) known as PCGF6-PRC1. Here, we demonstrate that PCGF6-PRC1 plays a role in repressing a subset of PRC1 target genes by recruiting RING1B and mediating downstream mono-ubiquitination of histone H2A. PCGF6-PRC1 bound loci are highly enriched for promoters of germ cell-related genes in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Conditional ablation of Pcgf6 in ESCs leads to robust de-repression of such germ cell-related genes, in turn affecting cell growth and viability. We also find a role for PCGF6 in pre- and peri-implantation mouse embryonic development. We further show that a heterodimer of the transcription factors MAX and MGA recruits PCGF6 to target loci. PCGF6 thus links sequence specific target recognition by the MAX/MGA complex to PRC1-dependent transcriptional silencing of germ cell-specific genes in pluripotent stem cells

AURKB-mediated effects on chromatin regulate binding versus release of XIST RNA to the inactive chromosome

How XIST RNA strictly localizes across the inactive X chromosome is unknown; however, prophase release of human XIST RNA provides a clue. Tests of inhibitors that mimic mitotic chromatin modifications implicated an indirect role of PP1 (protein phosphatase 1), potentially via its interphase repression of Aurora B kinase (AURKB), which phosphorylates H3 and chromosomal proteins at prophase. RNA interference to AURKB causes mitotic retention of XIST RNA, unlike other mitotic or broad kinase inhibitors. Thus, AURKB plays an unexpected role in regulating RNA binding to heterochromatin, independent of mechanics of mitosis. H3 phosphorylation (H3ph) was shown to precede XIST RNA release, whereas results exclude H1ph involvement. Of numerous Xi chromatin (chromosomal protein) hallmarks, ubiquitination closely follows XIST RNA retention or release. Surprisingly, H3S10ph staining (but not H3S28ph) is excluded from Xi and is potentially linked to ubiquitination. Results suggest a model of multiple distinct anchor points for XIST RNA. This study advances understanding of RNA chromosome binding and the roles of AURKB and demonstrates a novel approach to manipulate and study XIST RNA