Mass spectrometry imaging for plant biology: A review

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a developing technique to measure the spatio-temporal distribution of many biomolecules in tissues. Over the preceding decade, MSI has been adopted by plant biologists and applied in a broad range of areas, including primary metabolism, natural products, plant defense, plant responses to abiotic and biotic stress, plant lipids and the developing field of spatial metabolomics. This review covers recent advances in plant-based MSI, general aspects of instrumentation, analytical approaches, sample preparation and the current trends in respective plant research

The acculturation of international residential tourists and their shopping behaviours

This study deals with an unexplored question regarding the role of the acculturation of international residential tourists (IRT), and provides companies in tourist destinations with keys to develop strategies aimed at this type of tourists. Results show that the acculturation of IRT follows a Pareto/Bradford distribution: few show high levels of acculturation and many show low levels. Finally, we find significant differences in shopping behaviour and socio-demographic variables.The authors would like to express their thanks for the financial support received under the MEYC, DGI Research Project, grant SEJ2006/08342, Spain

The Degree and regularity of vanishing ideals of algebraic toric sets over finite fields

Let X* be a subset of an affine space A^s, over a finite field K, which is parameterized by the edges of a clutter. Let X and Y be the images of X* under the maps x --> [x] and x --> [(x,1)] respectively, where [x] and [(x,1)] are points in the projective spaces P^{s-1} and P^s respectively. For certain clutters and for connected graphs, we were able to relate the algebraic invariants and properties of the vanishing ideals I(X) and I(Y). In a number of interesting cases, we compute its degree and regularity. For Hamiltonian bipartite graphs, we show the Eisenbud-Goto regularity conjecture. We give optimal bounds for the regularity when the graph is bipartite. It is shown that X* is an affine torus if and only if I(Y) is a complete intersection. We present some applications to coding theory and show some bounds for the minimum distance of parameterized linear codes for connected bipartite graphs

Psychiatric education and cultural components during medical training: latin american perspectives

La educación médica ha incorporado un componente psiquiátrico, o de salud mental, de manera más consistente en el curso de las últimas décadas, merced a factores tan variados como los avances de la investigación neurobiológica, la creciente prevalencia de trastornos mentales en el escenario de la salud global, la cada vez más estrecha relación entre salud mental y salud pública, comorbilidades con cuadros médicos e impacto de fenómenos socioculturales en expresiones clínicas, diagnóstico, tratamiento, pronóstico y prevención. Basado en la adquisición de competencias nucleares y principios éticos de aceptación universal, el proceso docente examinado en este artículo postula una enseñanza sustentada en la provisión de experiencias clínicas integradas a través del acopio de información adecuada, el desarrollo de capacidades diagnósticas y sujeción a una amplia variedad de modalidades de evaluación académica de estudiantes y residentes en entrenamiento. Los componentes culturales de la educación psiquiátrica reciben mención especial, proveyéndose ejemplos de su sistemática integración con la adquisición de competencias generales. Las herramientas didácticas incluyen actividades teóricas, prácticas y de supervisión. Se presta particular atención a cómo los postulados de la moderna educación médico psiquiátrica, incluidos sus aspectos culturales y la práctica de una atención médica integral como objetivos, pueden y deben tener vigencia en los países latinoamericanos.Medical education has incorporated psychiatric or mental health components more consistently during the last decades thanks to various factors such as: advances in neurobiological research; the increasing prevalence of mental disorders in global health; the increasingly close relationship between mental health and public health; comorbidities with medical conditions and the impact of sociocultural phenomena in clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention. Based on acquisition of core competencies and ethical principles of universal acceptance, the teaching process examined in this article proposes an education based on the provision of clinical experiences integrated throughout the collection of adequate information, the development of diagnostic capabilities, and exposure to a wide variety of forms of academic assessment of students and residents in training. The cultural components of psychiatric education receive special mention; we provide examples of their systematic integration with the acquisition of general skills. The teaching tools include theoretical and applied activities and supervision. Particular attention is paid to how the principles of modern psychiatric medical education, including cultural aspects and practice of holistic health care objectives, can and should be in effect in Latin American countries.Facultad de Ciencias Médica

Real-Time optimization using the Modifier Adaptation methodology

[ES] La gestión óptima de las plantas de proceso normalmente se lleva a cabo en una capa de optimización en tiempo real (Real Time Optimization, RTO) que actúa sobre la capa de control y que toma decisiones considerando objetivos económicos en base a un  modelo del proceso, normalmente estacionario. Sin embargo, dicha operación óptima no está garantizada debido a la presencia de incertidumbre entre el modelo usado para la toma de decisiones y el proceso real. Con la idea de conducir el proceso a su punto de operación óptimo usando un modelo que se sabe incierto o erróneo, surge la metodología de adaptación de modificadores (Modifier Adaptation o MA). En dicha metodología, el problema de optimización económica de la capa RTO es modificado mediante unos términos correctores, conocidos como modificadores, estimados a partir de medidas de la planta, con el objetivo de conducir el proceso a su punto de operación óptimo. El presente artículo hace una revisión de las técnicas desarrolladas hasta el momento dentro de la metodología MA analizando sus características y modos de implementación.[EN] Optimal process operation is carried out by a Real-Time Optimization (RTO) layer which operates above the control layer and takes decisions based on steady-state plant models by considering economic objectives. However, this optimal operation is not guaranteed due to the presence of plant-model mismatch. To bring the process to the optimum operating point, the economic optimization problem solved in the RTO layer is changed following the Modifier Adaptation methodology (MA). This methodology changes the economic optimization problem solved in the RTO layer by adding some corrector terms or modifiers estimated from plant measurements to bring the process to the real optimum. This article presents a review of the different MA techniques developed until now and analyzing their features and the way to implement them.Este trabajo ha sido realizado gracias al proyecto DPI2015-70975-P del MINECO del Gobierno de España bajo la beca FPI BES-2013-062737.Rodríguez-Blanco, T.; Sarabia, D.; De Prada, C. (2018). Optimización en Tiempo Real utilizando la Metodología de Adaptación de Modificadores. Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial. 15(2):133-144. https://doi.org/10.4995/riai.2017.8846OJS13314415

Regional Motor Unit Firing Behaviors of Mono- and Bi-Articular Leg Extensor Muscles

Motor unit (MU) activation patterns provide vast insight into skeletal muscle contractions and may differ depending on architectural differences. Previous findings have suggested that MU activation patterns, specifically within the quadriceps group, are region-specific; this, along with the architectural differences between the quadriceps muscles, may further influence force production as reflected within the relationships between the firings. PURPOSE: To examine regional activation in proximal and distal regions of biarticular [rectus femoris (RF)] and monoarticular [vastus lateralis (VL)] knee extensors during submaximal isometric knee extensions. METHODS: On two separate randomized visits, eight lower-body resistance trained individuals, 6 males (n=6, age= 25.2 ±3.77) and 2 females (n=2, age= 21 ±1.4), performed submaximal isometric contractions at 30% and 70% of their maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) in a custom-built seat using an S-beam load-cell. Two separate 5-pin surface electromyography (EMG) sensors were used to record activation in the proximal and distal locations of either the VL or RF. Signals were recorded and decomposed into their constituent motor unit action potential (MUAP) trains, validated, and assessed for relative behavioral properties. For subsequent analysis of firing behaviors, the relationships (Slopes and intercepts) between motor unit action potential size (MUAPsize,) recruitment threshold (RT%), and mean firing rate (MFR) were calculated. Twelve separate two-way repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) (location [proximal v distal] x muscle [VL v RF]) were used to compare slopes and intercepts of MFR vs. RT%, MUAPsize vs. RT%, and MFR vs. MUAPsize at both 30% and 70% MVC. RESULTS: There was a significant location x muscle interaction in the MFR v MUAPsize slopes during 30% MVC contraction (pCONCLUSION: The location by muscle interaction in the MFR v MUAPsize slopes during 30% MVC may indicate muscle fiber type distribution differences between sensor locations specifically, more type II fibers in the distal location of the VL

Prospects for Treatment of Latent HIV

Recent advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have drastically improved the quality of life for people with HIV infection. However, owing to the persistence of latent HIV in the presence of therapy, patients must remain on therapy indefinitely. Currently, the solution to the HIV pandemic rests on the prevention of new infections and many decades of ART for the steadily expanding number of people infected worldwide. ART is costly, requires ongoing medical care, and can have side effects, thereby preventing its universal availability. Therefore, to escape the ironic burdens of therapy, efforts have begun to develop treatments for latent HIV infection. Current approaches propose either complete eradication of infection or induction of a state of stringent control over viral replication without ART. This review will discuss these strategies in detail and their potential for clinical development

Bayesian estimation of incomplete data using conditionally specified priors

In this paper, a class of conjugate prior for estimating incomplete count data based on a broad class of conjugate prior distributions is presented. The new class of prior distributions arises from a conditional perspective, making use of the conditional specification methodology and can be considered as the generalisation of the form of prior distributions that have been used previously in the estimation of in- complete count data well. Finally, some examples of simulated and real data are given

Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc Contents of Fish Marketed in NW Mexico

To assess if they were within the safety limits for human consumption, the Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn contents of fish muscles, bought from separate stalls of the fish markets of nine cities of NW Mexico, were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Considering all fish and markets, the mean contents were Zn: 23.23±5.83, Cu: 1.72±0.63, Cd: 0.27 ± 0.07, and Pb: 0.09 ± 0.04 µg/g (dry weight). Cu, Zn, and Pb did not reach levels of concern for human consumption, but the high Cd values determined in Mazatlán (Mugil cephalus: 0.48±0.15; Diapterus spp.: 0.57±0.33; Lutjanus spp.: 0.72±0.12; small shark: 0.87±0.19 µg/g dry weight) indicate that this was the only metal of concern for human health because the daily individual consumption of fish muscle to reach the PTDI would be within 0.27 and 0.41 kg

Association analyses of the MAS-QTL data set using grammar, principal components and Bayesian network methodologies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been shown that if genetic relationships among individuals are not taken into account for genome wide association studies, this may lead to false positives. To address this problem, we used Genome-wide Rapid Association using Mixed Model and Regression and principal component stratification analyses. To account for linkage disequilibrium among the significant markers, principal components loadings obtained from top markers can be included as covariates. Estimation of Bayesian networks may also be useful to investigate linkage disequilibrium among SNPs and their relation with environmental variables.</p> <p>For the quantitative trait we first estimated residuals while taking polygenic effects into account. We then used a single SNP approach to detect the most significant SNPs based on the residuals and applied principal component regression to take linkage disequilibrium among these SNPs into account. For the categorical trait we used principal component stratification methodology to account for background effects. For correction of linkage disequilibrium we used principal component logit regression. Bayesian networks were estimated to investigate relationship among SNPs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the Genome-wide Rapid Association using Mixed Model and Regression and principal component stratification approach we detected around 100 significant SNPs for the quantitative trait (p<0.05 with 1000 permutations) and 109 significant (p<0.0006 with local FDR correction) SNPs for the categorical trait. With additional principal component regression we reduced the list to 16 and 50 SNPs for the quantitative and categorical trait, respectively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>GRAMMAR could efficiently incorporate the information regarding random genetic effects. Principal component stratification should be cautiously used with stringent multiple hypothesis testing correction to correct for ancestral stratification and association analyses for binary traits when there are systematic genetic effects such as half sib family structures. Bayesian networks are useful to investigate relationships among SNPs and environmental variables.</p