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This study evaluated the ingestion of microplastics (MP) by copepods in Terminos Lagoon (TL), a RAMSAR-listed site in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The evaluation was carried out in two contrasting seasons of 2022, as follows: the dry (April) and the rainy (October). Copepods were collected using a conical plankton net (mesh size of 200 μm). In the laboratory, a pool of all pelagic adult copepod taxa was picked, and the MP inside the organisms were extracted, classified, and photographed using traditional optical and scanning electron microscopy. A total of 268 MP particles were extracted from the interior of copepods; among them, 149 and 119 corresponded to the dry and rainy seasons, respectively. The ingestion rate in the dry season was 0.14, while in the rainy season, it was 0.11. In addition, fibers, plastic fragments, and microspheres with different colors (blue, red, black, green, transparent, and multicolored), sizes, forms (angular, round, triangular, and twisted), and textures were also detected. Fibers were the most abundant MP found in a proportion of more than 85%. In addition, in some sampling sites, microspheres were observed with high relative abundance values (80%). In some sites, fragments reach 20% of the total abundance. Significant differences were observed between the two seasons. The sites closest to the urban area adjacent to TL observed high diversity and abundance of MP. The higher abundance of MP in the dry season is due to lower river discharge, on the other hand. Thus, MP particles accumulate and become available for consumption by copepods. This is the first study that has revealed that the MP was ingested by the copepods in TL. Furthermore, this study provides a baseline information for future research on the abundance of MP in the Gulf of Mexico region.

The retina transforms patterns of light into visual feature representations supporting behaviour. These representations are distributed across various types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), whose spatial and temporal tuning properties have been studied extensively in many model organisms, including the mouse. However, it has been difficult to link the potentially nonlinear retinal transformations of natural visual inputs to specific ethological purposes. Here, we discover a nonlinear selectivity to chromatic contrast in an RGC type that allows the detection of changes in visual context. We trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) model on large-scale functional recordings of RGC responses to natural mouse movies, and then used this model to search in silico for stimuli that maximally excite distinct types of RGCs. This procedure predicted centre colour opponency in transient suppressed-by-contrast (tSbC) RGCs, a cell type whose function is being debated. We confirmed experimentally that these cells indeed responded very selectively to Green-OFF, UV-ON contrasts. This type of chromatic contrast was characteristic of transitions from ground to sky in the visual scene, as might be elicited by head or eye movements across the horizon. Because tSbC cells performed best among all RGC types at reliably detecting these transitions, we suggest a role for this RGC type in providing contextual information (i.e. sky or ground) necessary for the selection of appropriate behavioural responses to other stimuli, such as looming objects. Our work showcases how a combination of experiments with natural stimuli and computational modelling allows discovering novel types of stimulus selectivity and identifying their potential ethological relevance.

This study reports four new records of gymnosome pteropods (Pteropoda, Gymnosomata): Pneumodermopsis macrochira Meisenheimer, 1905, Spongiobranchaea intermedia Pruvot-Fol, 1926, Schizobrachium cf. polycotylum Meisenheimer, 1903, and Cliopsis krohnii Troschel, 1854, collected at different depths in the Campeche Canyon, southern Gulf of Mexico, during the winter storm season in 2011 (“Nortes”). These species are illustrated and described, increasing the knowledge of this group in the region. We also present hydrographic conditions of the stations and depths where the organisms were collected.

Abstract Recent research suggests that autistic females may have superior socio-cognitive abilities compared to autistic males, potentially contributing to underdiagnosis in females. However, it remains unclear whether these differences arise from distinct neurophysiological functioning in autistic males and females. This study addresses this question by presenting 41 autistic and 48 non-autistic adults with a spatially filtered faces oddball paradigm. Analysis of event-related potentials from scalp electroencephalography reveal a neurophysiological profile in autistic females that fell between those of autistic males and non-autistic females, highlighting sex differences in autism from the initial stages of face processing. This finding underscores the urgent need to explore neurophysiological sex differences in autism and encourages efforts toward a better comprehension of compensation mechanism and a clearer definition of what is meant by camouflaging.

This study aimed (a) to evaluate the spatiotemporal gait variables of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) before (pre-) and after the procedure (post-), and (b) to investigate the influence of the surgical side on these variables. Twenty-one volunteers (13 females and 8 males) participated, undergoing assessments pre-surgery and nine to 12 months post-surgery. Clinical tests indicated significant reductions in knee pain and improvements in active and passive extension post-surgery. TKA resulted in decreased pain, extension deficits, and functional assessments, with lower scores on the WOMAC questionnaire. A gait analysis showed post-surgery improvements in gait speed (5.8%), cycle time (−4.8%), step time (4.4%), double limb support time (−11.1%), step (4.4%) and stride (6.3%) lengths, and step (5.1%) and stride (5.0%) cadences. Comparisons between surgical side and limb dominance indicated significant differences in gait speed, stance, swing and step times, double limb support time, step and stride lengths, and step cadence. The non-dominant limb demonstrated greater improvements across most parameters compared to the dominant limb. These findings emphasize the importance of considering the limb dominance of patients with knee osteoarthritis when evaluating post-TKA function. These conclusions can be helpful for personalized rehabilitation programs, allowing tailored interventions for individuals undergoing knee surgery.

Maternal choline supplementation (MCS) improves cognition in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models. However, the effects of MCS on neuronal hyperexcitability in AD are unknown. We investigated the effects of MCS in a well-established mouse model of AD with hyperexcitability, the Tg2576 mouse. The most common type of hyperexcitability in Tg2576 mice are generalized EEG spikes (interictal spikes [IIS]). IIS also are common in other mouse models and occur in AD patients. In mouse models, hyperexcitability is also reflected by elevated expression of the transcription factor ∆FosB in the granule cells (GCs) of the dentate gyrus (DG), which are the principal cell type. Therefore, we studied ΔFosB expression in GCs. We also studied the neuronal marker NeuN within hilar neurons of the DG because reduced NeuN protein expression is a sign of oxidative stress or other pathology. This is potentially important because hilar neurons regulate GC excitability. Tg2576 breeding pairs received a diet with a relatively low, intermediate, or high concentration of choline. After weaning, all mice received the intermediate diet. In offspring of mice fed the high choline diet, IIS frequency declined, GC ∆FosB expression was reduced, and hilar NeuN expression was restored. Using the novel object location task, spatial memory improved. In contrast, offspring exposed to the relatively low choline diet had several adverse effects, such as increased mortality. They had the weakest hilar NeuN immunoreactivity and greatest GC ΔFosB protein expression. However, their IIS frequency was low, which was surprising. The results provide new evidence that a diet high in choline in early life can improve outcomes in a mouse model of AD, and relatively low choline can have mixed effects. This is the first study showing that dietary choline can regulate hyperexcitability, hilar neurons, ΔFosB, and spatial memory in an animal model of AD.

When the eyes view separate and incompatible images, the brain suppresses one image and promotes the other into visual awareness. Periods of interocular suppression can be prolonged during continuous flash suppression (CFS) – when one eye views a static ‘target’ while the other views a complex dynamic stimulus. Measuring the time needed for a suppressed image to break CFS (bCFS) has been widely used to investigate unconscious processing, and the results have generated controversy regarding the scope of visual processing without awareness. Here, we address this controversy with a new ‘CFS tracking’ paradigm (tCFS) in which the suppressed monocular target steadily increases in contrast until breaking into awareness (as in bCFS) after which it decreases until it again disappears (reCFS), with this cycle continuing for many reversals. Unlike bCFS, tCFS provides a measure of suppression depth by quantifying the difference between breakthrough and suppression thresholds. tCFS confirms that (i) breakthrough thresholds indeed differ across target types (e.g. faces vs gratings, as bCFS has shown) – but (ii) suppression depth does not vary across target types. Once the breakthrough contrast is reached for a given stimulus, all stimuli require a strikingly uniform reduction in contrast to reach the corresponding suppression threshold. This uniform suppression depth points to a single mechanism of CFS suppression, one that likely occurs early in visual processing because suppression depth was not modulated by target salience or complexity. More fundamentally, it shows that variations in bCFS thresholds alone are insufficient for inferring whether the barrier to achieving awareness exerted by interocular suppression is weaker for some categories of visual stimuli compared to others.

Aquatic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS), leading to multi-faceted ecological, economic and health impacts worldwide. The Iberian Peninsula comprises an exceptionally biodiverse Mediterranean region with a high number of threatened and endemic aquatic species, most of them strongly impacted by biological invasions. Following a structured approach that combines a systematic review of available information and expert opinion, we provide a comprehensive and updated multi-taxa inventory of aquatic NIS (fungi, macroalgae, vascular plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) in Iberian inland waters. Moreover, we assess overall patterns in the establishment status, introduction pathways, native range and temporal introduction trends of listed NIS. In addition, we discuss the legal coverage provided by both national (Spanish and Portuguese) and European NIS regulations. We inventoried 326 aquatic NIS in Iberian inland waters, including 215 established, 96 with uncertain establishment status and 15 cryptogenic taxa. Invertebrates (54.6%) and vertebrates (24.5%) were the groups with the highest number of NIS, with Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Chordata being the most represented phyla. Recorded NIS originated from diverse geographic regions, with North and South America being the most frequent. Vertebrates and vascular plants were mostly introduced through intentional pathways (i.e. release and escape), whereas invertebrates and macroalgae arrived mostly through unintentional ways (i.e. contaminant or stowaway). Most of the recorded NIS were introduced in Iberian inland waters over the second half of the 20th century, with a high number of NIS introductions being reported in the 2000s. While only 8% of the recorded NIS appear in the European Union list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern, around 25% are listed in the Spanish and Portuguese NIS regulations. This study provides the most updated checklist of Iberian aquatic NIS, meeting the requirements set by the EU regulation and providing a baseline for the evaluation of its application. We point out the need for coordinated transnational strategies to properly tackle aquatic invasions across borders of the EU members.

Abstract One mechanism proposed to explain high species diversity in tropical systems is strong negative conspecific density dependence (CDD), which reduces recruitment of juveniles in proximity to conspecific adult plants. Although evidence shows that plant-specific soil pathogens can drive negative CDD, trees also form key mutualisms with mycorrhizal fungi, which may counteract these effects. Across 43 large-scale forest plots worldwide, we tested whether ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibit weaker negative CDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. We further tested for conmycorrhizal density dependence (CMDD) to test for benefit from shared mutualists. We found that the strength of CDD varies systematically with mycorrhizal type, with ectomycorrhizal tree species exhibiting higher sapling densities with increasing adult densities than arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species. Moreover, we found evidence of positive CMDD for tree species of both mycorrhizal types. Collectively, these findings indicate that mycorrhizal interactions likely play a foundational role in global forest diversity patterns and structure.

Abstract Tumor growth is the result of the interplay of complex biological processes in huge numbers of individual cells living in changing environments. Effective simple mathematical laws have been shown to describe tumor growth in vitro, or simple animal models with bounded-growth dynamics accurately. However, results for the growth of human cancers in patients are scarce. Our study mined a large dataset of 1133 brain metastases (BMs) with longitudinal imaging follow-up to find growth laws for untreated BMs and recurrent treated BMs. Untreated BMs showed high growth exponents, most likely related to the underlying evolutionary dynamics, with experimental tumors in mice resembling accurately the disease. Recurrent BMs growth exponents were smaller, most probably due to a reduction in tumor heterogeneity after treatment, which may limit the tumor evolutionary capabilities. In silico simulations using a stochastic discrete mesoscopic model with basic evolutionary dynamics led to results in line with the observed data.

During embryogenesis, the fetal liver becomes the main hematopoietic organ, where stem and progenitor cells as well as immature and mature immune cells form an intricate cellular network. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) reside in a specialized niche, which is essential for their proliferation and differentiation. However, the cellular and molecular determinants contributing to this fetal HSC niche remain largely unknown. Macrophages are the first differentiated hematopoietic cells found in the developing liver, where they are important for fetal erythropoiesis by promoting erythrocyte maturation and phagocytosing expelled nuclei. Yet, whether macrophages play a role in fetal hematopoiesis beyond serving as a niche for maturing erythroblasts remains elusive. Here, we investigate the heterogeneity of macrophage populations in the murine fetal liver to define their specific roles during hematopoiesis. Using a single-cell omics approach combined with spatial proteomics and genetic fate-mapping models, we found that fetal liver macrophages cluster into distinct yolk sac-derived subpopulations and that long-term HSCs are interacting preferentially with one of the macrophage subpopulations. Fetal livers lacking macrophages show a delay in erythropoiesis and have an increased number of granulocytes, which can be attributed to transcriptional reprogramming and altered differentiation potential of long-term HSCs. Together, our data provide a detailed map of fetal liver macrophage subpopulations and implicate macrophages as part of the fetal HSC niche.

Diatoms are among the most common epibionts and have been recorded on the surfaces of various living substrates, either plants or animals. However, studies on them are still scarce in view of the many substrata available. In this study, epibiotic diatoms living on Callinectes bellicosus were identified for the first time from a subtropical coastal lagoon in Northwest Mexico. We tested the null hypothesis that the diatom flora living on the carapaces of C. bellicosus would not be similar to that recorded for mangrove sediments, its typical habitat. The epibiotic diatoms were brushed off from the carapaces of two specimens, acid-cleaned, mounted in synthetic resin, and identified based on frustule morphology. This way, 106 taxa from 46 genera were recorded, including 25 singletons, and 6 new records for the Mexican northwest region. The best-represented genera were Nitzschia (10 taxa), Mastogloia (9), Diploneis (8), Navicula (7), Amphora (5), Cocconeis (5), Tryblionella (4), and Gyrosigma (4). Species composition included 93% of local taxa, thus refuting the proposed hypothesis and supporting the alternate one. Although the estimated species richness was lower than that in sediments, it deems the green crab carapace a favorable substrate for the growth of benthic diatoms.

Ribosome biogenesis is a vital and highly energy-consuming cellular function occurring primarily in the nucleolus. Cancer cells have an elevated demand for ribosomes to sustain continuous proliferation. This study evaluated the impact of existing anticancer drugs on the nucleolus by screening a library of anticancer compounds for drugs that induce nucleolar stress. For a readout, a novel parameter termed ‘nucleolar normality score’ was developed that measures the ratio of the fibrillar center and granular component proteins in the nucleolus and nucleoplasm. Multiple classes of drugs were found to induce nucleolar stress, including DNA intercalators, inhibitors of mTOR/PI3K, heat shock proteins, proteasome, and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Each class of drugs induced morphologically and molecularly distinct states of nucleolar stress accompanied by changes in nucleolar biophysical properties. In-depth characterization focused on the nucleolar stress induced by inhibition of transcriptional CDKs, particularly CDK9, the main CDK that regulates RNA Pol II. Multiple CDK substrates were identified in the nucleolus, including RNA Pol I– recruiting protein Treacle, which was phosphorylated by CDK9 in vitro. These results revealed a concerted regulation of RNA Pol I and Pol II by transcriptional CDKs. Our findings exposed many classes of chemotherapy compounds that are capable of inducing nucleolar stress, and we recommend considering this in anticancer drug development.

Se analizó la estructura poblacional de Centropages furcatus asociada a estructuras hidrográficas a finales de la primavera de 2004. La distribución de los diferentes estadios de copepoditos de C. furcatus fue analizada a partir de las muestras de zooplancton obtenidas con una red bongo. En la bahía de La Paz, la hidrografía y la velocidad geostrófica relativa al fondo revelaron la presencia de un giro ciclónico en la cuenca Alfonso y un frente termohalino cerca de Boca Grande. La distribución de la concentración de clorofila a integrada verticalmente mostró valores máximos en el centro del giro y en la región del frente, lo que evidenció que ambas estructuras hidrográficas favorecen la productividad biológica debido al flujo de nutrientes hacia la capa eufótica en el giro y a la acumulación de nutrientes en el frente termohalino. Los resultados mostraron que la variación espacial de C. furcatus estuvo influenciada por ambas estructuras hidrográficas. En el giro ciclónico se observó una distribución diferencial por etapa de desarrollo, con mayor densidad poblacional de los primeros estadios de copepoditos en el centro del giro, como consecuencia de la alta concentración de clorofila a por el enriquecimiento de nutrientes en la capa eufótica, debido al bombeo de Ekman. La densidad poblacional de copépodos fue mayor en el frente termohalino que en el interior del giro ciclónico, debido a que el frente actúa como una zona reproductiva de la especie que mantiene una densidad poblacional estable para los adultos de la bahía y del golfo de California.

The holoplanktonic mollusks (Mollusca, Pteropoda and Pterotrachoidea) are independent and key groups of organisms in any marine ecosystem due to the role they play in the carbon and energy transfer along the marine trophic webs. We document the species of holoplanktonic mollusks collected in the surface waters (10 m depth) during an oceanographic expedition in the Campeche Canyon, southern Gulf of Mexico, during the February 2011 winter storm (“Nortes”) season. Organisms were collected using a close/open/close net system. Eighteen species belonging to 12 genera and nine families of pteropods were identified. Three species of Pterotrachoidea were identified. Limacina trochiformis (d’Orbigny, 1835), Heliconoides inflatus (d’Orbigny, 1835), and Creseis conica (Eschscholtz, 1829) were the species with highest density values (600.3, 678.5, and 746.8 ind · 100 m−3, respectively). The results presented here contribute to the knowledge of this group of organisms in oceanic waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico, especially during a time of year where observations are scarce.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa Type 6 secretion effector Tse5 forms pores in the cytoplasmic membrane when ectopically produced and hence has a bacteriolytic effect by depolarising the inner membrane potential.

Electronic decision-support tools are becoming an essential component of government strategies to tackle non-native species invasions. This study describes the development and application of a multilingual electronic decision-support tool for screening terrestrial animals under current and future climate conditions: the Terrestrial Animal Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (TAS-ISK). As an adaptation of the widely employed Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (AS-ISK), the TAS-ISK question template inherits from the original Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) and related WRA-type toolkits and complies with the ‘minimum requirements’ for use with the recent European Regulation on invasive alien species of concern. The TAS-ISK consists of 49 basic questions on the species’ biogeographical/historical traits and its biological/ecological interactions, and of 6 additional questions to predict how climate change is likely to influence the risks of introduction, establishment, dispersal and impact of the screened species. Following a description of the main features of this decision-support tool as a turnkey software application and of its graphical user interface with support for 32 languages, sample screenings are provided in different risk assessment areas for one representative species of each of the main taxonomic groups of terrestrial animals supported by the toolkit: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, annelids, insects, molluscs, nematodes, and platyhelminths. The highest-scoring species were the red earthworm Lumbricus rubellus for the Aegean region of Turkey and the New Zealand flatworm Arthurdendyus triangulatus for Croatia. It is anticipated that adoption of this toolkit will mirror that of the worldwide employed AS-ISK, hence allowing to share information and inform decisions for the prevention of entry and/or dispersal of (high-risk) non-native terrestrial animal species – a crucial step to implement early-stage control and eradication measures as part of rapid-response strategies to counteract biological invasions.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between established clinical systemic biomarkers of ageing and the development of age-associated diseases and senescent cell biomarkers at tissue and cellular levels.Thirty-eight patients (mean age 70 ± 4.9 years) who were assessed for traditional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases were included. From all patients we obtained biomaterials (peripheral blood, skin, subcutaneous fatty tissue) and isolated different cell types (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), fibroblasts (FB) and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC)). Isolated cells were analyzed using several senescent cells biomarkers such as telomere length and telomerase activity, proliferation rate, cell cycle inhibitor expression (p16 and p21), b-galactosidase activity, gH2AX expression. CD34+ cell content in peripheral blood was determined by flow cytometry. Systemic senescent cell-associated factors (insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), osteoprogerin, ferritin, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)) in peripheral blood as well as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) components in MSC and FB secretome were evaluated by ELISA. Skin and adipose tissue biopsy samples were analyzed histologically to assess senescent cell markers.A strong significant association of tissue p16 expression with age (r = 0.600, p

Characterizing cellular diversity at different levels of biological organization and across data modalities is a prerequisite to understanding the function of cell types in the brain. Classification of neurons is also essential to manipulate cell types in controlled ways and to understand their variation and vulnerability in brain disorders. The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) is an integrated network of data-generating centers, data archives, and data standards developers, with the goal of systematic multimodal brain cell type profiling and characterization. Emphasis of the BICCN is on the whole mouse brain with demonstration of prototype feasibility for human and nonhuman primate (NHP) brains. Here, we provide a guide to the cellular and spatial approaches employed by the BICCN, and to accessing and using these data and extensive resources, including the BRAIN Cell Data Center (BCDC), which serves to manage and integrate data across the ecosystem. We illustrate the power of the BICCN data ecosystem through vignettes highlighting several BICCN analysis and visualization tools. Finally, we present emerging standards that have been developed or adopted toward Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) neuroscience. The combined BICCN ecosystem provides a comprehensive resource for the exploration and analysis of cell types in the brain.

Characterizing cellular diversity at different levels of biological organization and across data modalities is a prerequisite to understanding the function of cell types in the brain. Classification of neurons is also essential to manipulate cell types in controlled ways and to understand their variation and vulnerability in brain disorders. The BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) is an integrated network of data-generating centers, data archives, and data standards developers, with the goal of systematic multimodal brain cell type profiling and characterization. Emphasis of the BICCN is on the whole mouse brain with demonstration of prototype feasibility for human and nonhuman primate (NHP) brains. Here, we provide a guide to the cellular and spatial approaches employed by the BICCN, and to accessing and using these data and extensive resources, including the BRAIN Cell Data Center (BCDC), which serves to manage and integrate data across the ecosystem. We illustrate the power of the BICCN data ecosystem through vignettes highlighting several BICCN analysis and visualization tools. Finally, we present emerging standards that have been developed or adopted toward Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) neuroscience. The combined BICCN ecosystem provides a comprehensive resource for the exploration and analysis of cell types in the brain. Characterizing cellular diversity is necessary to understand the function of different cell types in the brain. This Consensus View provides a guide to the cellular and spatial approaches used in cell type surveys by the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN), as well as information on accessing and using the BICCN data and its extensive resources.

CD73 is an ectonucleotidase overexpressed on tumor cells that suppresses anti-tumor immunity. Accordingly, several CD73 inhibitors are currently being evaluated in the clinic, including in large randomized clinical trials. Yet, the tumor cell-intrinsic impact of CD73 remain largely uncharacterized. Using metabolomics, we discovered that CD73 significantly enhances tumor cell mitochondrial respiration and aspartate biosynthesis. Importantly, rescuing aspartate biosynthesis was sufficient to restore proliferation of CD73-deficient tumors in immune deficient mice. Seahorse analysis of a large panel of mouse and human tumor cells demonstrated that CD73 enhanced oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolytic reserve. Targeting CD73 decreased tumor cell metabolic fitness, increased genomic instability and suppressed poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) activity. Our study thus uncovered an important immune-independent function for CD73 in promoting tumor cell metabolism, and provides the rationale for previously unforeseen combination therapies incorporating CD73 inhibition.

Abstract Background An animal model that can mimic the SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans is critical to understanding the rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus and for development of prophylactic and therapeutic strategies to combat emerging mutants. Studies show that the spike proteins of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 bind to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2, a well-recognized, functional receptor for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) to mediate viral entry. Several hACE2 transgenic (hACE2Tg) mouse models are being widely used, which are clearly invaluable. However, the hACE2Tg mouse model cannot fully explain: (1) low expression of ACE2 observed in human lung and heart, but lung or heart failure occurs frequently in severe COVID-19 patients; (2) low expression of ACE2 on immune cells, but lymphocytopenia occurs frequently in COVID-19 patients; and (3) hACE2Tg mice do not mimic the natural course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans. Moreover, one of most outstanding features of coronavirus infection is the diversity of receptor usage, which includes the newly proposed human CD147 (hCD147) as a possible co-receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entry. It is still debatable whether CD147 can serve as a functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection or entry. Results Here we successfully generated a hCD147 knock-in mouse model (hCD147KI) in the NOD-scid IL2Rgammanull (NSG) background. In this hCD147KI-NSG mouse model, the hCD147 genetic sequence was placed downstream of the endogenous mouse promoter for mouse CD147 (mCD147), which creates an in vivo model that may better recapitulate physiological expression of hCD147 proteins at the molecular level compared to the existing and well-studied K18-hACE2-B6 (JAX) model. In addition, the hCD147KI-NSG mouse model allows further study of SARS-CoV-2 in the immunodeficiency condition which may assist our understanding of this virus in the context of high-risk populations in immunosuppressed states. Our data show (1) the human CD147 protein is expressed in various organs (including bronchiolar epithelial cells) in hCD147KI-NSG mice by immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry; (2) hCD147KI-NSG mice are marginally sensitive to SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to WT-NSG littermates characterized by increased viral copies by qRT-PCR and moderate body weight decline compared to baseline; (3) a significant increase in leukocytes in the lungs of hCD147KI-NSG mice, compared to infected WT-NSG mice. Conclusions hCD147KI-NSG mice are more sensitive to COVID-19 infection compared to WT-NSG mice. The hCD147KI-NSG mouse model can serve as an additional animal model for further interrogation whether CD147 serve as an independent functional receptor or accessory receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entry and immune responses.

The authors would like to make the following corrections to the published paper [...]

Introduction: Similar to what it has been reported with preceding viral epidemics (such as MERS, SARS, or influenza), SARS-CoV-2 infection is also affecting the human immunometabolism with long-term consequences. Even with underreporting, an accumulated of almost 650 million people have been infected and 620 million recovered since the start of the pandemic; therefore, the impact of these long-term consequences in the world population could be significant. Recently, the World Health Organization recognized the post-COVID syndrome as a new entity, and guidelines are being established to manage and treat this new condition. However, there is still uncertainty about the molecular mechanisms behind the large number of symptoms reported worldwide.Aims and Methods: In this study we aimed to evaluate the clinical and lipidomic profiles (using non-targeted lipidomics) of recovered patients who had a mild and severe COVID-19 infection (acute phase, first epidemic wave); the assessment was made two years after the initial infection.Results: Fatigue (59%) and musculoskeletal (50%) symptoms as the most relevant and persistent. Functional analyses revealed that sterols, bile acids, isoprenoids, and fatty esters were the predicted metabolic pathways affected in both COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 patients. Principal Component Analysis showed differences between study groups. Several species of phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins were identified and expressed in higher levels in post-COVID-19 patients compared to controls. The paired analysis (comparing patients with an active infection and 2 years after recovery) show 170 dysregulated features. The relationship of such metabolic dysregulations with the clinical symptoms, point to the importance of developing diagnostic and therapeuthic markers based on cell signaling pathways.

Gelatin based adhesives have been used in the last decades in different biomedical applications due to the excellent biocompatibility, easy processability, transparency, non-toxicity, and reasonable mechanical properties to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM). Gelatin adhesives can be easily tuned to gain different viscoelastic and mechanical properties that facilitate its ocular application. We herein grafted glycidyl methacrylate on the gelatin backbone with a simple chemical modification of the precursor, utilizing epoxide ring-opening reactions and visible light-crosslinking. This chemical modification allows the obtaining of an elastic protein-based hydrogel (GELGYM) with excellent biomimetic properties, approaching those of the native tissue. GELGYM can be modulated to be stretched up to 4 times its initial length and withstand high tensile stresses up to 1.95 MPa with compressive strains as high as 80% compared to Gelatin-methacryloyl (GeIMA), the most studied derivative of gelatin used as a bioadhesive. GELGYM is also highly biocompatible and supports cellular adhesion, proliferation, and migration in both 2 and 3-dimensional cell-cultures. These characteristics along with its super adhesion to biological tissues such as cornea, aorta, heart, muscle, kidney, liver, and spleen suggest widespread applications of this hydrogel in many biomedical areas such as transplantation, tissue adhesive, wound dressing, bioprinting, and drug and cell delivery.

Los copépodos, como uno de los principales grupos que componen el zooplancton marino, juegan un papel importante por su posición en la red trófica. Se evaluó la biomasa de copépodos en un vórtice ciclónico durante 2 estaciones climáticas contrastantes en la bahía de La Paz, al sur del golfo de California, la cual se caracteriza por una alta productividad biológica. Durante 2 campañas oceanográficas en invierno de 2006 y verano de 2009, se determinó la estructura física de la columna de agua mediante un CTD y se recolectaron muestras de zooplancton mediante arrastres oblicuos. Se utilizaron datos de satélite para visualizar los patrones de distribución de clorofila a (Cla). Los resultados mostraron un vórtice ciclónico en ambas estaciones, con un diámetro de ~25 km y velocidades geostróficas >50 cm·s–1 en su periferia, con elevada Cla (~3 mg·m–3 en invierno). La máxima biomasa de calanoides ocurrió en invierno, con hasta 6.6 mg·100 m–3 en el oeste de la bahía, cerca de la costa; además, su distribución coincidió con el patrón de Cla y circulación, ya que formó un anillo siguiendo la periferia del vórtice, con un segundo pico cerca de la conexión con el golfo. Los valores medios de biomasa de copépodos mostraron un patrón de alternancia calanoides-ciclopoides entre invierno y verano dentro del vórtice ciclónico, con más biomasa de calanoides que ciclopoides en invierno y lo contrario en verano. Los resultados resaltan el impacto del vórtice en el ecosistema planctónico a través de su influencia sobre las condiciones hidrográficas en la columna de agua. Otros factores, como las interacciones ecológicas, la dinámica poblacional y los hábitos alimenticios, también pueden jugar un papel importante. El comportamiento alimentario es afectado por altas concentraciones de Cla, que representan una fuente de alimento para copépodos observados alrededor del vórtice.

All poxviruses contain a set of proteinaceous structures termed lateral bodies (LB) that deliver viral effector proteins into the host cytosol during virus entry. To date, the spatial proteotype of LBs remains unknown. Using the prototypic poxvirus, vaccinia virus (VACV), we employed a quantitative comparative mass spectrometry strategy to determine the poxvirus LB proteome. We identified a large population of candidate cellular proteins, the majority being mitochondrial, and 15 candidate viral LB proteins. Strikingly, one-third of these are VACV redox proteins whose LB residency could be confirmed using super-resolution microscopy. We show that VACV infection exerts an anti-oxidative effect on host cells and that artificial induction of oxidative stress impacts early and late gene expression as well as virion production. Using targeted repression and/or deletion viruses we found that deletion of individual LB-redox proteins was insufficient for host redox modulation suggesting there may be functional redundancy. In addition to defining the spatial proteotype of VACV LBs, these findings implicate poxvirus redox proteins as potential modulators of host oxidative anti-viral responses and provide a solid starting point for future investigations into the role of LB resident proteins in host immunomodulation.

Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection in the brain leads to chronic neuroinflammation due to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which in turn promotes HIV transcription in infected microglial cells. However, powerful counteracting silencing mechanisms in microglial cells result in the rapid shutdown of HIV expression after viral reactivation to limit neuronal damage. Here we investigated whether the Nerve Growth Factor IB-like nuclear receptor Nurr1 (NR4A2), which is a repressor of inflammation in the brain, acts directly to restrict HIV expression. HIV silencing following activation by TNF-α, or a variety of toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, in both immortalized human microglial cells (hμglia) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived human microglial cells (iMG) was enhanced by Nurr1 agonists. Similarly, overexpression of Nurr1 led to viral suppression, while conversely, knock down (KD) of endogenous Nurr1 blocked HIV silencing. The effect of Nurr1 on HIV silencing is direct: Nurr1 binds directly to the specific consensus binding sites in the U3 region of the HIV LTR and mutation of the Nurr1 DNA binding domain blocked its ability to suppress HIV-1 transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays also showed that after Nurr1 binding to the LTR, the CoREST/HDAC1/G9a/EZH2 transcription repressor complex is recruited to the HIV provirus. Finally, transcriptomic studies demonstrated that in addition to repressing HIV transcription, Nurr1 also downregulated numerous cellular genes involved in inflammation, cell cycle, and metabolism, further promoting HIV latency and microglial homoeostasis. Nurr1 therefore plays a pivotal role in modulating the cycles of proviral reactivation by potentiating the subsequent proviral transcriptional shutdown. These data highlight the therapeutic potential of Nurr1 agonists for inducing HIV silencing and microglial homeostasis and ultimately for the amelioration of the neuroinflammation associated with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND).

Foliar nutrient sprays are broadly used in commercial agriculture. To date, the application of Ca and Si has been little explored in vineyard production but may lead to positive responses at various levels. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of supplying single or combined calcium (Ca, 120 mM) and silicon (Si, 120 mM) sprays in Tempranillo grape composition. Foliar treatment with Ca + Si foliar enhanced all families of aromatic compounds, whereas single Ca and Si sprays induced lower effects. Regarding phenolic compounds, all foliar treatments led to minor effects. However, all three foliar Ca and Si treatments increased the total grape amino acid content. Consequently, the application of combined Ca and Si sprays to a vineyard is recommended as a tool for improving grape quality.

The ecological significance of benthic diatom taxocoenoses in marine ecosystems renders them a suitable reference when making decisions on conservation, as well as ecological and biogeographical issues. This study focuses on floristics of epiphytic diatoms of macroalgae from the central region of the Gulf of California and their biogeographical affinities. Based on current floristics for benthic diatoms of the Mexican NW, it was hypothesized that species richness would be higher for the central gulf (transitional) than for the tropical Revillagigedo Archipelago. Additionally, it was hypothesized that it would be composed mainly of common taxa of the region, with tropical and temperate components. Likewise, it was hypothesized that Mastogloia (tropical) would include less taxa and Lyrella would include more taxa in the transitional central gulf. The diatom flora yielded 333 taxa and 101 genera, and out of which the best represented were Navicula with 29 taxa, Amphora (27), Cocconeis (25), Nitzschia (24), Diploneis (19), Achnanthes (13), Halamphora (14), Fallacia (10), Lyrella (9), and Mastogloia (8), adding up to 53% of the total. The inspected diatom taxocoenosis included mostly taxa commonly distributed in the Mexican NW, albeit with 16 new records. This, plus the high species richness, as well as the proportions of selected taxa depicting this diatom taxocoenosis as being of transitional biogeographical affinity, back the posed hypotheses.

In order to assess the association between the vocalizations and the displayed behaviors of the Golden-shouldered Mountain Cacique (Cacicus chrysonotus leucoramphus), we sampled both acoustic and behavioral features at three sites in the Andes of Nariño, southern Colombia. We obtained seven vocalization types, six of them associated with at least one of the three identified behavioral categories (vigilance, alertness, and territorial defense), and one linked with a courtship exhibition. Vocalizations with higher values of bandwidth and frequency modulations were associated with territorial behavior, whereas those with lower values of bandwidth and few frequency modulations were associated with vigilance and alert. Results showed similarities in the acoustic structure of vocalizations and the related social context with other species as the C. cela and C. haemorrhous. C. c. leucoramphus uses specific types of vocalizations in a particular social context, with some vocalizations used in different behaviors. This study describes for the first time the social context in which vocalizations are associated with their behaviors.

Dumitru et al. probe the ligand-binding mechanism and activation of the human G protein-coupled C5a receptor (C5aR) and discover a cooperativity between the two orthosteric binding sites. Their findings, probing the dynamic aspects of receptor–ligand interaction, are valuable to develop a better understanding of GPCR activation and signalling.

Abstract Background The use of sequencing and genotyping platforms has undergone dramatic improvements, enabling the generation of a wealth of genomic information. Despite this progress, the availability of high-quality genomic DNA (gDNA) in sufficient concentrations is often a main limitation, especially for third-generation sequencing platforms. A variety of DNA extraction methods and commercial kits are available. However, many of these are costly and frequently give either low yield or low-quality DNA, inappropriate for next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms. Here, we describe a fast and inexpensive DNA extraction method (SILEX) applicable to a wide range of plant species and tissues. Results SILEX is a high-throughput DNA extraction protocol, based on the standard CTAB method with a DNA silica matrix recovery, which allows obtaining NGS-quality high molecular weight genomic plant DNA free of inhibitory compounds. SILEX was compared with a standard CTAB extraction protocol and a common commercial extraction kit in a variety of species, including recalcitrant ones, from different families. In comparison with the other methods, SILEX yielded DNA in higher concentrations and of higher quality. Manual extraction of 48 samples can be done in 96 min by one person at a cost of 0.12 €/sample of reagents and consumables. Hundreds of tomato gDNA samples obtained with either SILEX or the commercial kit were successfully genotyped with Single Primer Enrichment Technology (SPET) with the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. Furthermore, DNA extracted from Solanum elaeagnifolium using this protocol was assessed by Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), obtaining a suitable size ranges for most sequencing platforms that required high-molecular-weight DNA such as Nanopore or PacBio. Conclusions A high-throughput, fast and inexpensive DNA extraction protocol was developed and validated for a wide variety of plants and tissues. SILEX offers an easy, scalable, efficient and inexpensive way to extract DNA for various next-generation sequencing applications including SPET and Nanopore among others.

Glycogen and starch are the major carbon and energy reserve polysaccharides in nature, providing living organisms with a survival advantage. The evolution of the enzymatic machinery responsible for the biosynthesis and degradation of such polysaccharides, led the development of mechanisms to control the assembly and disassembly rate, to store and recover glucose according to cell energy demands. The tetrameric enzyme ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) catalyzes and regulates the initial step in the biosynthesis of both α-polyglucans. AGPase displays cooperativity and allosteric regulation by sensing metabolites from the cell energy flux. The understanding of the allosteric signal transduction mechanisms in AGPase arises as a long-standing challenge. In this work, we disclose the cryoEM structures of the paradigmatic homotetrameric AGPase from Escherichia coli (EcAGPase), in complex with either positive or negative physiological allosteric regulators, fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP) and AMP respectively, both at 3.0 Å resolution. Strikingly, the structures reveal that FBP binds deeply into the allosteric cleft and overlaps the AMP site. As a consequence, FBP promotes a concerted conformational switch of a regulatory loop, RL2, from a “locked” to a “free” state, modulating ATP binding and activating the enzyme. This notion is strongly supported by our complementary biophysical and bioinformatics evidence, and a careful analysis of vast enzyme kinetics data on single-point mutants of EcAGPase. The cryoEM structures uncover the residue interaction networks (RIN) between the allosteric and the catalytic components of the enzyme, providing unique details on how the signaling information is transmitted across the tetramer, from which cooperativity emerges. Altogether, the conformational states visualized by cryoEM reveal the regulatory mechanism of EcAGPase, laying the foundations to understand the allosteric control of bacterial glycogen biosynthesis at the molecular level of detail.

Soccer players purposefully head the ball, raising concerns about reduced tolerance to concussion and potential long-term brain health. By combining qualitative video analysis with custom-fit instrumented mouthguards (iMGs), we aimed to categorize header kinematics (peak linear acceleration (PLA) and peak angular acceleration (PAA)) by header type and ball delivery method. iMGs were fitted to 10 male collegiate players for twelve matches. A total of 133 headers were verified and contextualized via video review. The most common header type (38.7%), as well as the preceding ball delivery method (47.4%), was found to be a pass. Approximately one-quarter of header impacts (27.0%) occurred below 10 g. For header type, there were no significant differences in kinematics, with shot attempts having the highest median PLA and PAA. For ball delivery methods, goal kicks had significantly greater PAA than long balls and pass attempts. The current study highlights the utility of qualitative video analysis in combination with real-time head kinematic data from iMGs to understand the mechanism and severity of header impacts. The pilot findings indicate that high-speed ball delivery methods result in higher head kinematics and should be a focus of future mitigation strategies.

El haba es una leguminosa asociada a sistemas campesinos de clima frío. En Colombia, se cultiva, principalmente, en el departamento de Nariño, donde se ha visto reducida el área y el número de materiales sembrados, debido a la disminución en los niveles de rendimiento del cultivo y la agresividad de los problemas fitosanitarios. Este estudio evaluó la diversidad de esta leguminosa, a partir de la forma y color de la semilla, en una colección de 60 accesiones de haba, discriminadas en siete variedades. Mediante el procesamiento de imágenes digitales y medición manual, se determinó la longitud polar (LP), longitud ecuatorial (LE), relación LP/LE, área (AR), grosor (GR) y peso de cien semillas (P100); además, se calcularon los parámetros de color, basados en la escala CIELab (L*, a* y b*). Las variables, se analizaron con estadística descriptiva, correlación de Pearson y el método multivariado de componentes principales (ACP). Los resultados identificaron alta diversidad de fenotipos, caracterizando, cuantitativamente, las siete variedades. Se presentó correlación alta entre las variables LP, LE y AR, igualmente, entre L* y b*. Con el biplot de los resultados de ACP, se ratificó la variabilidad de la colección y posibilitó generar una agrupación preliminar. La investigación, se puede tomar en cuenta como base para el desarrollo de trabajos de conservación y de evaluación agronómica de esta leguminosa.

In the manufacture of steel and foundry coke, there are a series of circumstances inherent to the process which can affect the life of the refractory material with which the ovens of the batteries are built. This article will deal with the impact of aspects such as sticky ovens and hard pushes on the refractory. For this purpose, data will be obtained from a Didier design coke plant built in the 1970s. In particular, the data comes from two batteries or groups of ovens over a period of two years. Of the types of refractories of which coke batteries are composed, we will only deal with silica material. This is the type of refractory with which the combustion and coking chambers of the ovens are almost exclusively built. Its characteristics and behavior make silica a major player in the service life of a coke battery. Therefore, any aspect of the process that is susceptible to damage during this refractory will have a great impact on the life of the coke manufacturing equipment. The results show that hard pushes and especially sticky ovens damage the silica refractory of the furnaces. Therefore, the proper management of production, focused in minimizing these effects, can contribute to reduce the maintenance cost and prolong the service life of the coke ovens.

A combined heat and power (CHP) system powered by methane gas is modelled and analyzed in this study. The Thermolib MATLAB extension is used to model the system by graphically connecting the Thermolib standard components through fluid flows. An exergoenvironmental analysis is also performed using EES. The results show that, for an input thermal energy rate of 29.9 MW, the Brayton and Rankine cycles generated 9.8 MW and 7.5 MW of net power, respectively. The heat pump was also able to supply 1.4 MW as its output. The total energy efficiency of the cogeneration system was 62% with the Brayton cycle working at 33%, the Rankine cycle at 36%, and the ammonia heat pump at a coefficient of performance (COP) of 9.1. The system also achieved an overall exergy efficiency of 78%. Furthermore, the system was examined at different levels by varying input parameters such as the pressure ratio of both the Brayton cycle and the heat pump, the pressure of the steam in the Rankine cycle, and the inlet energy from the combustion chamber of the system. The exergoenvironmental modeling of the system showed that the exergy stability factor and exergetic sustainability index increased from 0.41 to 0.47 and from 0.6 to 0.64 with increasing inlet combustion energy; this can be seen as a good indicator of its stability and sustainability.

The environmental contingency caused by the recent massive arrivals of pelagic sargasso (Sargassum natans and S. fluitans) on Mexico’s Caribbean coasts have given rise to several areas of scientific research. Our work proposed identifying the diatom flora adhered to the thalli of these two sargasso species collected on the coasts of Cancun, Isla Mujeres, and Puerto Morelos. We recorded 184 diatom taxa (all illustrated) from 68 genera. Taxa from the genera Mastogloia (37), Cocconeis (11), Nitzschia (10), Diploneis (8), and Amphora (9) represented 41% of the total, while 44 of these genera were represented by a single species. In the total floristic count, 41 taxa occurred exclusively on S. fluitans, 53 exclusively on S. natans (22 and 29%, respectively) and 90 (49%) were found on both. Species of Navicula were scarce, and Navicula barbara var. densestriata was here transferred to the genus Lyrella (Lyrella barbara var. densestriata (Foged) López-Fuerte & Siqueiros Beltrones comb. nov.). Overall, 17 (9%) of the identified taxa were new recordings for Mexico’s coasts. Supporting the hypothesis proposed, the 37 Mastogloia taxa suggested a tropical affinity, while the high species richness denoted that the surfaces of both sargasso species constituted favorable substrata for the growth of diatom assemblages.

Biotrophic plant pathogens secrete effector proteins to manipulate the host physiology. Effectors suppress defenses and induce an environment favorable to disease development. Sequence-based prediction of effector function is impeded by their rapid evolution rate. In the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis, effector-coding genes frequently organize in clusters. Here we describe the functional characterization of the pleiades, a cluster of ten effector genes, by analyzing the micro- and macroscopic phenotype of the cluster deletion and expressing these proteins in planta. Deletion of the pleiades leads to strongly impaired virulence and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in infected tissue. Eight of the Pleiades suppress the production of ROS upon perception of pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Although functionally redundant, the Pleiades target different host components. The paralogs Taygeta1 and Merope1 suppress ROS production in either the cytoplasm or nucleus, respectively. Merope1 targets and promotes the auto-ubiquitination activity of RFI2, a conserved family of E3 ligases that regulates the production of PAMP-triggered ROS burst in plants.

Glutamine synthetase (GlnS) is a key enzyme in nitrogen metabolism. We investigated the effect of the GlnS inhibitor glufosinate on the infection of H. lacustris by the blastocladialean fungus P. sedebokerense, assuming that interfering with the host nitrogen metabolism will affect the success of the parasite. Complete inhibition of infection, which could be bypassed by the GlnS product glutamine, was observed at millimolar concentrations of glufosinate. However, this effect of glufosinate was attributed to its direct interaction with the blastoclad and not the host, which results in development and growth inhibition of the blastoclad. In our P. sedebokerense draft genome, we found that the sequence of GlnS is related to another fungal GlnS, type III, found in many poor known phyla of fungi, including Blastocladiomycota and Chytridiomycota, and absent in the main subkingdom of fungi, the Dikarya. We further tested the ability of the blastoclad to utilize nitrate and ammonia as inorganic nitrogen sources and glutamine for growth. We found that P. sedebokerense equally use ammonia and glutamine and use also nitrate, but with less efficiency. Altogether, our results show that GlnS type III is mandatory for the development and growth of P. sedebokerense and could be an efficient target to develop strategies for the control of the fungal parasite of H. lacustris.

This paper proposes a hybrid multiscale approach to evaluate the fire performance of large multicompartment structures. A probabilistic network model is at the core of the proposed approach, whose inputs, namely the mean durations of the fire phases and fire transmission through the barriers between compartments (e.g., walls or ventilation ducts), are determined beforehand by a zone model, which is detailed in a companion paper and a one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code. Next, a proof of concept is developed by applying the hybrid approach to different fire scenarios in a full-scale generic military corvette and a four-story office building. The simulation results highlight the strengths and limitations of the proposed approach. Regarding the latter, a field model is used to evaluate how the hybrid approach performs depending on the interaction between the entire building system and its ventilation and the fire. Finally, a statistical study is carried out to produce fire vulnerability and risk maps, ranking the fire compartments according to their vulnerability or propensity to generate serious fires.

Los agroecosistemas muestran una gran heterogeneidad en cuanto a las prácticas y características, debido a que dependen de las lógicas de la agricultura familiar, convirtiéndose en un recurso potencialmente valioso, cuando se estudia el uso y el soporte del medio productivo. Es por ello, que esta investigación evaluó el sistema de arveja (Pisum sativum L.) en el municipio de Ipiales, a través de una metodología multidimensional, usando 26 indicadores, agrupados en cuatro dimensiones de sustentabilidad agroecológica. La estimación, se realizó sobre 30 fincas, que representaron tres tipos de campesinos, previamente descritos, como C1, C2 y C3; los resultados permitieron identificar los Puntos Críticos de Sustentabilidad (PCS) y el Índice General de Sustentabilidad (IGS) del sistema, estableciendo que las diferentes situaciones sociales, ambientales, económicas y técnico-productivas determinan la existencia de PCS específicos. El IGS tuvo una calificación de 2,65, para C1; 2,90, para C2 y 2,62, para C3, evidenciando medidas de monitoreo y de manejo, que se deberían discutir en la región, para disminuir las externalidades generadas por el modelo productivo.

Assessing the imminence of threatening events using environmental cues enables proactive engagement of appropriate avoidance responses. The neural processes employed to anticipate event occurrence depend upon which cue properties are used to formulate predictions. In serial compound stimulus (SCS) conditioning in mice, repeated presentations of sequential tone (CS1) and white noise (CS2) auditory stimuli immediately prior to an aversive event (US) produces freezing and flight responses to CS1 and CS2, respectively (Fadok et al., 2017). Recent work reported that these responses reflect learned temporal relationships of CS1 and CS2 to the US (Dong et al., 2019). However, we find that frequency and sound pressure levels, not temporal proximity to the US, are the key factors underlying SCS-driven conditioned responses. Moreover, white noise elicits greater physiological and behavioral responses than tones even prior to conditioning. Thus, stimulus salience is the primary determinant of behavior in the SCS paradigm, and represents a potential confound in experiments utilizing multiple sensory stimuli.

Stool culture is the gold standard method to diagnose enteric bacterial infections; however, many clinical laboratories are transitioning to syndromic multiplex PCR panels. PCR is rapid, accurate, and affordable, yet does not yield subtyping information critical for foodborne disease surveillance. A metagenomics-based stool testing approach could simultaneously provide diagnostic and public health information. Here, we evaluated shotgun metagenomics to assess the detection of common enteric bacterial pathogens in stool. We sequenced 304 stool specimens from 285 patients alongside routine diagnostic testing for Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Shigella spp., and shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli. Five analytical approaches were assessed for pathogen detection: microbiome profiling, Kraken2, MetaPhlAn, SRST2, and KAT-SECT. Among analysis tools and databases compared, KAT-SECT analysis provided the best sensitivity and specificity for all pathogens tested compared to culture (91.2% and 96.2%, respectively). Where metagenomics detected a pathogen in culture-negative specimens, standard PCR was positive 85% of the time. The cost of metagenomics is approaching the current combined cost of PCR, reflex culture, and whole genome sequencing for pathogen detection and subtyping. As cost, speed, and analytics for single-approach metagenomics improve, it may be more routinely applied in clinical and public health laboratories.

The use of fuzzy logic controllers in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, RACs, has as main objective to maintain certain thermal and comfort conditions. In this sense, fuzzy controllers have proven to be a viable option for use in RACs due to their ease of implementation and their ability to integrate with other control systems and control improvements, as well as their ability to achieve potential energy savings. In this document, we present a review of the application of fuzzy controls in RACs based on vapor compression technology. Application information is discussed for each type of controller, according to its application in chillers, air conditioning systems, refrigerators, and heat pumps. In addition, this review provides detailed information on controller design, focusing on the potential to achieve energy savings; this design discusses input and output variables, number and type of membership functions, and inference rules. The future perspectives on the use of fuzzy control systems applied to RACs are shown as well. In other words, the information in this document is intended to serve as a guide for the creation of controller designs to be applied to RACs.

Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for COVID-19 recovery. This work aimed to determine the ex-vivo effects of treatment with fucoidan (20 µg/mL) on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm, using a cationic cyanine dye, 3,3′-dihexyloxacarbocyanine iodide (DiOC6(3)) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HPBMC) isolated from healthy control (HC) subjects, COVID-19 patients (C-19), and subjects that recently recovered from COVID-19 (R1, 40 ± 13 days after infection). In addition, ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan (20 and 50 µg/mL) was evaluated on ΔΨm loss induced by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP, 150 µM) in HPBMC isolated from healthy subjects (H) and recovered subjects at 11 months post-COVID-19 (R2, 335 ± 20 days after infection). Data indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces HPBMC loss of ΔΨm, even 11 months after infection, however, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered subjects. Therefore, fucoidan may be a potential treatment to diminish long-term sequelae from COVID-19, using mitochondria as a therapeutic target for the recovery of cellular homeostasis.