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In a context of increasing interest in the production of wine-based beverages with lower ethanol content, the present work explored the role of ethanol in the sensory properties of model wines (MW). Four sets of MWs (red and white) with alcohol contents ranging from 0.5 to 15 % (1st study) and from 12 to 15 % (2nd study), the non-volatile fraction of real wines and fixed aroma compositions were all prepared and characterised by sensory descriptive analysis. The results indicate that sensory effects were stronger in red MWs than in white MWs, and that alcohol levels below 10 % in reds and 7.5 % in whites cause the models to become unbalanced with excessive sourness. In whites, low-alcohol MWs also showed reduced levels of perceived bitterness, and only at high ethanol levels were body and alcoholic aroma more intense. In reds, the low alcohol MWs showed less positive aroma persistence (perceived retronasally) and less body; at 0.5 % ethanol the positive odour intensity (perceived orthonasally) was minimal and at higher ethanol levels, the models became sweeter and more alcoholic. Overall, although samples with similar alcoholic contents maintained some sensory similarity, there were relevant discontinuities caused a slight increase in ethanol (0,5 %) to have a dramatic sensory impact, with some sensory descriptors showing significant maxima or minima at these alcohol levels. In reds, sourness, alcohol and astringency perceptions were maximum at 13.5 % and 15 % and body at 13 % and 15 %; meanwhile, red fruit was minimum at 13 % and 15 %, peaking at 14.5 %. In whites, alcohol perception was also maximum at 13.5 % and 15 %, while sweetness was maximum at 13.5 % and 14.5 %. These results demonstrate that ethanol exerts profound effects on sensory properties, probably due to strong perceptual interactions with odour, taste and tactile properties.

Background: Severe burns activate systemic inflammation and lead to an increase in cytokine levels. Epigenetic elements are key regulators of inflammation; however, their involvement in severe burns has not been studied. In this work, we aimed to unveil the histone H3 posttranslational modifications (PTM) profile and their enrichment in promoters of inflammatory genes in response to severe burns. Methods: The levels of H3 PTMs were analyzed by ELISA assays in circulating cells from burn patients. ChIP assays were conducted to evaluate the enrichment of H3K9me2 and H3S28p at the promoter of CXCL8, IL-17, TNFA, IL-6, FOS, and IL-1B genes. Results: We found that eight H3 PTMs decreased at 5 days post-burn. Burn patients showed a decreased enrichment of H3K9me2 in CXCL8, IL-17, and TNFA promoters, whereas IL-6, FOS, and IL-1B promoters displayed an H3S28p enrichment diminution during the first 10 days post-burn. Interestingly, burn-injured septic patients exhibited an increased enrichment of H3K9me2 in TNFA, IL-1B, CXCL8, and IL-17 promoters, whereas H3S28p was increased in promoters of TNFA and IL-1B at 1 dpb. Conclusion: Severe burns trigger epigenetic changes and differential H3 PTM enrichment at inflammation gene promoters. Epigenetic misregulation of H3 may be involved in sepsis occurrence after severe burn injury.

Apex predators are exposed to antimicrobial compounds and resistant microbes, which accumulate at different trophic levels of the related ecosystems. The study aimed to characterize the presence and the antimicrobial resistance patterns of fecal Escherichia coli isolated from cloacal swab samples obtained from wild-living American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) (n = 53). Sampling was conducted within the distinctive context of a freshwater-intensive aquaculture farm in Costa Rica, where incoming crocodiles are temporarily held in captivity before release. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were determined in all isolates, while resistant isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. In total, 24 samples contained tetracycline-resistant E. coli (45.3%). Isolates carried either tet(A), tet(B), or tet(C) genes. Furthermore, genes conferring resistance to ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, fosfomycin, sulfonamides, phenicol, quinolones, trimethoprim, and colistin were detected in single isolates, with seven of them carrying these genes on plasmids. Genome sequencing further revealed that sequence types, prevalence of antibiotic resistance carriage, and antibiotic resistance profiles differed between the individuals liberated within the next 24 h after their capture in the ponds and those liberated from enclosures after longer abodes. The overall presence of tetracycline-resistant E. coli, coupled with potential interactions with various anthropogenic factors before arriving at the facilities, hinders clear conclusions on the sources of antimicrobial resistance for the studied individuals. These aspects hold significant implications for both the aquaculture farm’s biosecurity and the planning of environmental monitoring programs using such specimens. Considering human-crocodile conflicts from the One Health perspective, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance underscores the importance of systematical surveillance of antibiotic resistance development in American crocodiles.

This paper introduces an improved methodology designed to address a practical deficit of existing methodologies by incorporating circuit-level analysis in the assessment of building microgrid reliability. The scientific problem at hand involves devising a systematic approach that integrates circuit modeling, Probability Density Function (PDF) selection, formulation of reliability functions, and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) tailored specifically for the distinctive features of building microgrids. This method entails analyzing inter-component relationships to gain comprehensive insights into system behavior. By harnessing the circuit models and theoretical framework proposed herein, precise estimations of microgrid failure rates can be attained. To complement this approach, we propose a thorough investigation utilizing reliability curves and importance measures, providing valuable insights into individual device failure probabilities over time. Such time-based analysis plays a crucial role in proactively identifying potential failures and facilitating efficient maintenance planning for microgrid devices. We demonstrate the application of this methodology to the University of Antioquia (UdeA) Microgrid, a low-voltage system comprising critical components such as solar panels, microinverters, inverters/chargers, batteries, and charge controllers.

Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins form memory of transient transcriptional repression that is necessary for development. In Drosophila, DNA elements termed Polycomb Response Elements (PREs) recruit PcG proteins. How PcG activities are targeted to PREs to maintain repressed states only in appropriate developmental contexts has been difficult to elucidate. PcG complexes modify chromatin, but also interact with both RNA and DNA, and RNA is implicated in PcG targeting and function. Here we show that R-loops form at many PREs in Drosophila embryos, and correlate with repressive states. In vitro, both PRC1 and PRC2 can recognize R-loops and open DNA bubbles. Unexpectedly, we find that PRC2 drives formation of RNA-DNA hybrids, the key component of R-loops, from RNA and dsDNA. Our results identify R-loop formation as a feature of Drosophila PREs that can be recognized by PcG complexes, and RNA-DNA strand exchange as a PRC2 activity that could contribute to R-loop formation.

Background: Severe burns activate systemic inflammation and lead to an increase in cytokine levels. Epigenetic elements are key regulators of inflammation; however, their involvement in severe burns has not been studied. In this work, we aimed to unveil the histone H3 posttranslational modifications (PTM) profile and their enrichment in promoters of inflammatory genes in response to severe burns. Methods: The levels of H3 PTMs were analyzed by ELISA assays in circulating cells from burn patients. ChIP assays were conducted to evaluate the enrichment of H3K9me2 and H3S28p at the promoter of CXCL8, IL-17, TNFA, IL-6, FOS, and IL-1B genes. Results: We found that eight H3 PTMs decreased at 5 days post-burn. Burn patients showed a decreased enrichment of H3K9me2 in CXCL8, IL-17, and TNFA promoters, whereas IL-6, FOS, and IL-1B promoters displayed an H3S28p enrichment diminution during the first 10 days post-burn. Interestingly, burn-injured septic patients exhibited an increased enrichment of H3K9me2 in TNFA, IL-1B, CXCL8, and IL-17 promoters, whereas H3S28p was increased in promoters of TNFA and IL-1B at 1 dpb. Conclusion: Severe burns trigger epigenetic changes and differential H3 PTM enrichment at inflammation gene promoters. Epigenetic misregulation of H3 may be involved in sepsis occurrence after severe burn injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este estudio buscó analizar el efecto mediador del capital social en la relación entre el liderazgo compartido en los equipos directivos de empresas colombianas y el desempeño organizacional. Se utilizó una metodología de modelos de ecuaciones estructurales con mínimos cuadrados parciales, a partir de una encuesta aplicada a 113 integrantes de equipos directivos de empresas colombianas. Se identificó que el liderazgo compartido del equipo directivo tiene un efecto positivo sobre el desempeño organizacional y el capital social ejerce una mediación total en esta relación. Los hallazgos permiten resaltar la importancia de compartir las responsabilidades del liderazgo para fomentar el capital social en las organizaciones y de esta forma alcanzar los objetivos organizacionales con un mejor desempeño.

La inteligencia artificial genera turbulencia en el entorno de las empresas, que se han visto obligadas a priorizar su adopción para mantenerse competitivas. Los robots se ocupan de procesar grandes cantidades de datos, además de mejorar la eficiencia operativa y la experiencia del cliente; sin embargo, su papel ha sido estudiado desde una perspectiva estrictamente técnica y operativa. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar el rol mediador de la orientación estratégica a la digitalización en la relación entre turbulencia tecnológica generada por la inteligencia artificial e innovación de producto, como una variable clave que puede facilitar el aprovechamiento adecuado y sistemático de la inteligencia artificial. El modelo de investigación se testeó mediante ecuaciones estructurales en una muestra de empresas en sectores en donde la adopción de robots inteligentes va en aumento. Los resultados muestran que la totalidad de la varianza de la innovación de producto está explicada por el efecto indirecto de la orientación estratégica a la digitalización. Por lo tanto, la innovación de producto depende de forma exclusiva de cuán determinada está la empresa a aprovechar las oportunidades que ofrecen las nuevas tecnologías digitales, más que de la presión externa generada por la inteligencia artificial.

Este artículo tiene como propósito presentar los resultados del estudio cuasiexperimental, de intervención terapéutica realizado en el servicio estomatológico del Policlínico Guillermo Tejas Silva entre mayo de 2019 y mayo de 2020, con el objetivo de evaluar la efectividad del Vimang en el tratamiento de la estomatitis subprótesis en pacientes mayores de 50 años. Para ello se seleccionaron 46 pacientes con el método no probabilístico intencionado aleatorio simple, divididos en dos grupos, uno de control donde se aplicó Nistatina en suspensión y un grupo de estudio que fue tratado con extracto fluido de Vimang. Se caracterizaron variables como sexo, edad, tiempo de evolución y efectividad del tratamiento. Se llevó a cabo una revisión bibliográfica de toda la literatura actualizada que tuvo relación con el tema tanto nacional como internacional. Antes de comenzar el estudio se solicitó el consentimiento informado y se realizó la Historia Clínica Individual a los pacientes que acudieron a la clínica estomatológica. El grupo de edad más afectado fue el de 61 a 70 años (46%) y el sexo femenino (59%). Se demostró la efectividad del tratamiento con Vimang del grupo de estudio, lo que aportó una evolución favorable a partir del tercer día de aplicación.

Abstract Background Ichthyosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases caused by genetic disorders related to skin formation. They are characterized by generalized dry skin, scaling, hyperkeratosis and frequently associated with erythroderma. Among its different types, harlequin ichthyosis (HI) stands out due to its severity. HI is caused by mutations in the ABCA12 gene, which encodes essential proteins in epidermal lipid transport, and it helps maintain the homeostasis of the stratum corneum of the epidermis. However, due to the wide spectrum of genetic alterations that can cause ichthyosis, holistic medical care, and genetic studies are required to improve the diagnosis and outcomes of these diseases. Case presentation Here, we presented the case of a 19 years old male patient who was a premature infant and exhibited clinical features consistent with HI, including bright yellow hyperkeratotic plates with erythematous fissures that covered his entire body like a collodion baby. Currently, he exhibited erythroderma, photosensitivity, ectropion, auricular pavilion alterations, and musculoskeletal disorders, such as equinovarus feet, fingers, hands, and hypoplastic feet with contractures in flexion and marked difficulty in fine motor skills. In addition, he presented dyschromatopsia, Achilles reflex hyporeflexia, slight speech, dental alteration and deficient cognitive performance. After the genetic sequencing, variants were found in ABCA12 and HRNR which are related to several skin diseases, including ichthyosis. Conclusions Although in clinical practice, ichthyosis is a common entity, a severe type of ichthyosis is presented, highlighting the importance of appropriate genetic diagnosis, given the broad spectrum of genetic alterations with similar phenotypic and clinical characteristics. These pathologies must be known to guarantee initial support measures to prevent complications and offer multidisciplinary management to those patients.

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A escala mundial las empresas siguen avanzando en la implementación de inteligencia artificial y robotización para el desarrollo tecnológico y la innovación de productos y servicios; sin embargo, para lograrlo con éxito se encuentran con obstáculos internos, como el sabotaje de conocimientos y el síndrome no inventado aquí, que perjudican el desarrollo de nuevos productos. Este estudio analiza la relación entre el sabotaje de conocimientos, el síndrome no inventado aquí y el desempeño innovador y el efecto moderador de la conciencia en torno a la inteligencia artificial y a la robotización. El testeo del modelo de investigación se realizó mediante ecuaciones estructurales en una muestra de empresas manufactureras de media y baja tecnologías y de servicios de Medellín. Se identificó que el síndrome no inventado aquí influye positivamente en el sabotaje de conocimientos y este actúa negativamente sobre el desempeño innovador. Los hallazgos incrementan la literatura sobre un tema emergente en Colombia como el sabotaje de conocimiento e incentiva las investigaciones alrededor del efecto de la inteligencia artificial y la robotización.

Introducción: El maltrato y el homicidio infantil se destacan dentro del espectro de la violencia intrafamiliar por las consecuencias severas que generan en la salud, el desarrollo socioeconómico de una región y en la calidad de vida de los menores y sus familiares. Objetivo: Caracterizar el maltrato físico, sexual y los homicidios ejercidos hacia los niños y niñas menores de doce años, ocurridos en el contexto familiar en Medellín, Colombia, durante 2010-2015. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo y transversal. Se realizó un análisis estadístico descriptivo de la ocurrencia de los eventos violentos intrafamiliares en menores de doce años atendidos por el Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses en la ciudad de Medellín. Resultados: Se reportaron 3 519 casos de maltrato físico y sexual infligido a menores de doce años dentro del contexto familiar. 56,9 % de los hechos corresponden a maltrato sexual, siendo las mujeres las principales víctimas de este tipo de abuso; por su parte los hombres fueron los más afectados por maltrato físico. Los menores entre los seis y once años son los más maltratados. Se reportaron nueve casos de homicidio, de los cuales siete fueron cometidos contra mujeres y cinco de estos fueron perpetrados por el padrastro de las víctimas. Conclusiones: El maltrato infantil intrafamiliar ha sido un problema persistente en la ciudad de Medellín, y esto lo demuestra el alto número de casos registrados. No obstante, aunque los reportes de homicidio infantil han sido pocos, no se deben subestimar dada la importancia y las grandes consecuencias que esto presenta para la sociedad.

Studies of linkage and linkage mapping have advanced genetic and biological knowledge for over 100 years. In addition to their growing role, today, in mapping phenotypes to genotypes, dense linkage maps can help to validate genome assemblies. Previously, we showed that 40% of scaffolds in the first genome assembly for the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas were chimeric, containing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping to different linkage groups. Here, we merge 14 linkage maps constructed of SNPs generated from genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) methods with five, previously constructed linkage maps, to create a compendium of nearly 69 thousand SNPs mapped with high confidence. We use this compendium to assess a recently available, chromosome-level assembly of the C. gigas genome, mapping SNPs in 275 of 301 contigs and comparing the ordering of these contigs, by linkage, to their assembly by Hi-C sequencing methods. We find that, while 26% of contigs contain chimeric blocks of SNPs, i.e., adjacent SNPs mapping to different linkage groups than the majority of SNPs in their contig, these apparent misassemblies amount to only 0.08% of the genome sequence. Furthermore, nearly 90% of 275 contigs mapped by linkage and sequencing are assembled identically; inconsistencies between the two assemblies for the remaining 10% of contigs appear to result from insufficient linkage information. Thus, our compilation of linkage maps strongly supports this chromosome-level assembly of the oyster genome. Finally, we use this assembly to estimate, for the first time in a Lophotrochozoan, genome-wide recombination rates and causes of variation in this fundamental process.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the mediating effect of the knowledge management strategies on the relationship between e-business capabilities and innovation performance. The research model was tested with a sample of 102 firms belonging to IT intensive sectors, located in an emerging country that is a regional leader in terms of e-business adoption. Structural equations by the consistent partial least squares method were used. The main result indicates that only the personalization strategy has a partial mediating effect. In conclusion, e-business capability alone is insufficient for achieving a superior innovation performance. This finding also helps consolidate the incipient study perspective that understands knowledge management not as an antecedent variable which becomes indispensable for e-business adoption, but as an organizational factor that intervenes a posteriori and which is focused on achieving an effective use of all the knowledge resulting from the digital operation of the business.

RNA is implicated in the targeting and function of Polycomb Group (PcG) chromatin regulators. Here the authors show that R-loops, three-stranded nucleic acid structures formed by DNA and RNA, are formed at some PcG binding sites in flies, as they are in mammals. Fly PRC2 can drive formation of RNA-DNA hybrids in vitro.