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Este artículo evalúa las bondades del indicador precio-beneficio ajustado cíclicamente para la construcción de portafolios de inversión en el mercado accionario brasileño para el periodo 2011-2019. Para cumplir este objetivo se tomó información del valor de las acciones de treinta y tres empresas que cotizan en la bolsa de valores de Brasil y se les aplica el índice para la construcción de portafolios eficientes. El comportamiento de los activos financieros que componen dichos portafolios se comparó con el índice Bovespa, y luego se procedió a calcular el valor del riesgo, con el fin de generar portafolios de inversión con un riesgo equivalente al Bovespa. A pesar de que existen estudios de aplicación de este indicador en diversos mercados, son pocos los que se enfocan en el precio-beneficio ajustado cíclicamente para la construcción de portafolios de inversión y no se evidencia la existencia de análisis de este tipo enfocados en el mercado latinoamericano, de aquí la importancia de este trabajo. Como resultado, se observó que el rendimiento de los portafolios construidos con esta metodología supera al Bovespa en seis de los nueve años analizados, además, entre 2011 y 2019 los portafolios construidos generaron un rendimiento 3,27 veces superior al Bovespa. more...

Plant pathogens compromise crop yields. Plants have evolved robust innate immunity that depends in part on intracellular Nucleotide-binding, Leucine rich-Repeat (NLR) immune receptors that activate defense responses upon detection of pathogen-derived effectors. Most "sensor" NLRs that detect effectors require the activity of "helper" NLRs, but how helper NLRs support sensor NLR function is poorly understood. Many Solanaceae NLRs require NRC (NLR-Required for Cell death) class of helper NLRs. We show here that Rpi-amr3, a sensor NLR from Solanum americanum, detects AVRamr3 from the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, and activates oligomerization of helper NLRs NRC2 and NRC4 into high-molecular-weight resistosomes. In contrast, recognition of P. infestans effector AVRamr1 by another sensor NLR Rpi-amr1 induces formation of only the NRC2 resistosome. The activated NRC2 oligomer becomes enriched in membrane fractions. ATP-binding motifs of both Rpi-amr3 and NRC2 are required for NRC2 resistosome formation, but not for the interaction of Rpi-amr3 with its cognate effector. NRC2 resistosome can be activated by Rpi-amr3 upon detection of AVRamr3 homologs from other Phytophthora species. Mechanistic understanding of NRC resistosome formation will underpin engineering crops with durable disease resistance. more...

Nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors are important components of plant and metazoan innate immunity that can function as individual units or as pairs or networks. Upon activation, NLRs form multiprotein complexes termed resistosomes or inflammasomes. Although metazoan paired NLRs, such as NAIP/NLRC4, form hetero-complexes upon activation, the molecular mechanisms underpinning activation of plant paired NLRs, especially whether they associate in resistosome hetero-complexes, is unknown. In asterid plant species, the NLR required for cell death (NRC) immune receptor network is composed of multiple resistance protein sensors and downstream helpers that confer immunity against diverse plant pathogens. Here, we show that pathogen effector-activation of the NLR proteins Rx (confers virus resistance), and Bs2 (confers bacterial resistance) leads to oligomerization of their helper NLR, NRC2. Activated Rx does not oligomerize or enter into a stable complex with the NRC2 oligomer and remains cytoplasmic. In contrast, activated NRC2 oligomers accumulate in membrane-associated puncta. We propose an activation-and-release model for NLRs in the NRC immune receptor network. This points to a distinct activation model compared with mammalian paired NLRs. more...

Parasites counteract host immunity by suppressing helper NLR proteins that function as central nodes in immune receptor networks. Understanding the mechanisms of immunosuppression can lead to strategies for bioengineering disease resistance. Here, we show that a cyst nematode virulence effector binds and inhibits oligomerization of the helper NLR protein NRC2 by physically preventing intramolecular rearrangements required for activation. A single amino acid polymorphism at the binding interface between NRC2 and the inhibitor is sufficient for this helper NLR to evade immune suppression, thereby restoring the activity of multiple disease resistance genes. This points to a novel strategy for resurrecting disease resistance in crop genomes.One sentence summaryA helper NLR is mutated to evade inhibition by a parasite effector. more...

Diversity and labor inclusion are two trends that are gaining importance in business circles in different countries, including Colombia. There are a number of groups that historically have had higher unemployment rates and more difficulties to have leadership positions and/or to get jobs in formal companies such as people with disabilities or young people. Solving this situation is necessary to have more inclusive societies. At the School of Administration and Competitiveness of the Politecnico Grancolombiano, a tool aimed at assessing and determining the situation of companies in different topics, including policies aimed at hiring people from historically excluded groups, has been created. This chapter presents the results obtained by the application of this tool during the first semester of 2022. The tool was applied to formal micro, small, and medium enterprises located in Bogota and other Colombian cities. more...

Plant pathogens compromise crop yields. Plants have evolved robust innate immunity that depends in part on intracellular Nucleotide-binding, Leucine Rich-Repeat (NLR) immune receptors that activate defense responses upon detection of pathogen-derived effectors. Most “sensor” NLRs that detect effectors require the activity of “helper” NLRs, but how helper NLRs support sensor NLR function is poorly understood. Many Solanaceae NLRs require the NRC (NLR-Required for Cell death) class of helper NLRs. We show here that Rpi-amr3, a sensor NLR from Solanum americanum, detects AVRamr3 from the potato late blight pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, and activates oligomerization of the helper NLR NRC2 into a high-molecular weight resistosome. The NRC2 resistosome also forms upon recognition of P. infestans effector AVRamr1 by another sensor NLR, Rpi-amr1. The ATP-binding motif of Rpi-amr3 is required for NRC2 resistosome formation, but not for interaction with the cognate effector. The NRC2 resistosome can be activated by AVRamr3 homologs from other Phytophthora species. Mechanistic understanding of NRC resistosome formation will underpin engineering crops with durable disease resistance. more...

Nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) immune receptors are important components of plant and metazoan innate immunity that can function as individual units or as pairs or networks. Upon activation, NLRs form multiprotein complexes termed resistosomes or inflammasomes. Whereas metazoan paired NLRs, such as NAIP/NLRC4, activate into hetero-complexes, the molecular mechanisms underpinning activation of plant paired NLRs, especially whether they associate in resistosome hetero-complexes is unknown. In asterid plant species, the NLR required for cell death (NRC) immune receptor network is composed of multiple resistance protein sensors and downstream helpers that confer immunity against diverse plant pathogens. Here, we show that pathogen effector-activation of the NLR proteins Rx (confers virus resistance) and Bs2 (confers bacterial resistance) leads to oligomerization of the helper NLR NRC2. Activated Rx does not oligomerize or enter into a stable complex with the NRC2 oligomer and remains cytoplasmic. In contrast, activated NRC2 oligomers accumulate in membrane-associated puncta. We propose an activation-and-release model for NLRs in the NRC immune receptor network. This points to a distinct activation model compared to mammalian paired NLRs. more...