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Primary thyroid lymphoma is a rare thyroid cancer, comprising ˂5% of thyroid neoplasms. Most cases are diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Coexistence with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is extremely rare. This study presents a case of a 55-year-old woman with DLBCL and micropapillary thyroid cancer who underwent lobectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Additionally, we performed a systematic review of 10 cases, including the reported case. The risk of bias in case reports varied. DLBCL diagnoses were mainly made after surgery, with total thyroidectomy being the most common surgical procedure. Chemotherapy was administered in most cases, and radiotherapy was used in some cases. Long-term outcomes indicated a low recurrence rate. While some debate the role of surgery in thyroid lymphoma, this study suggests that surgery should be considered in selected cases. Further research is needed to determine optimal treatment strategies for DLBCL with PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease is associated with protein aggregation, oxidative stress, and the role of acetylcholinesterase in the pathology of the disease. Previous investigations have demonstrated that geniposide and harpagoside protect the brain neurons, and cerium nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) have potent redox and antioxidant properties. Thus, the effect of nanoparticles of Ce NPs and geniposide and harpagoside (GH/CeO2 NPs) on ameliorating AD pathogenesis was established on AlCl3-induced AD in mice and an aggregation proteins test in vitro. Findings of spectroscopy analysis have revealed that GH/CeO2 NPs are highly stable, nano-size, spherical in shape, amorphous nature, and a total encapsulation of GH in cerium. Treatments with CeO2 NPs, GH/CeO2 NPs, and donepezil used as positive control inhibit fibril formation and protein aggregation, protect structural modifications in the BSA-ribose system, have the ability to counteract Tau protein aggregation and amyloid-β1–42 aggregation under fibrillation condition, and are able to inhibit AChE and BuChE. While the GH/CeO2 NPs, treatment in AD induced by AlCl3 inhibited amyloid-β1–42, substantially enhanced the memory, the cognition coordination of movement in part AD pathogenesis may be alleviated through reducing amyloidogenic pathway and AChE and BuChE activities. The findings of this work provide important comprehension of the chemoprotective activities of iridoids combined with nanoparticles. This could be useful in the development of new therapeutic methods for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative Splicing (AS) programs serve as instructive signals of cell type specificity, particularly within the brain, which comprises dozens of molecularly and functionally distinct cell types. Among them, retinal photoreceptors stand out due to their unique transcriptome, making them a particularly well-suited system for studying how AS shapes cell type-specific molecular functions. Here, we use the Splicing Regulatory State (SRS) as a novel framework to discuss the splicing factors governing the unique AS pattern of photoreceptors, and how this pattern may aid in the specification of their highly specialized sensory cilia. In addition, we discuss how other sensory cells with ciliated structures, for which data is much scarcer, also rely on specific SRSs to implement a proteome specialized in the detection of sensory stimuli. By reviewing the general rules of cell type- and tissue-specific AS programs, firstly in the brain and subsequently in specialized sensory neurons, we propose a novel paradigm on how SRSs are established and how they can diversify. Finally, we illustrate how SRSs shape the outcome of mutations in splicing factors to produce cell type-specific phenotypes that can lead to various human diseases. This Review discusses the general rules of cell type- and tissue-specific alternative splicing programs in the brain and in specialized sensory neurons and proposes a new paradigm on how 'splicing regulatory states' are established, how they can diversify and how they are linked to human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Deep learning algorithms applied to structural biology often struggle to converge to meaningful solutions when limited data is available, since they are required to learn complex physical rules from examples. State-of-the-art force-fields, however, cannot interface with deep learning algorithms due to their implementation. Results We present MadraX, a forcefield implemented as a differentiable PyTorch module, able to interact with deep learning algorithms in an end-to-end fashion. Availability and implementation MadraX documentation, together with tutorials and installation guide, is available at madrax.readthedocs.io. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is generally associated with a decline in important cognitive functions that can be observed in EEG. Physical activity in older adults should be considered one of the main strategies to promote health and prevent disease in the elderly. The present study aimed to systematically review studies of EEG activity and cognitive function changes associated with physical activity in older adults. Records from PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases were searched and, following the PRISMA guidelines, nine studies were included in the present systematic review. A risk of bias assessment was performed using the National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Tool for Case-control Studies instrument. The studies analyzed used two main strategies to determine the effects of physical activity on cognition and EEG: (1) multiscale entropy and power frequencies; and (2) event-related potentials. In terms of EEG activity, it can be concluded that exercise-induced neuroplasticity underlies improvements in cognitive function in healthy older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CB2 cannabinoid receptor has been found in brain areas that are part of the reward system and has been shown to play a role in food intake regulation. Herein, we conducted a systematic review of studies assessing the role of the CB2 receptor in food intake regulation. Records from the PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO databases were screened, resulting in 13 studies that were used in the present systematic review, following the PRISMA guidelines. A risk of bias assessment was carried out using the tool of the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE). The studies analyzed used two main strategies: (1) the intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular administration of a CB2 agonist/antagonist; and (2) depletion of CB2 receptors via knockout in mice. Both strategies are useful in identifying the role of the CB2 receptor in food intake in standard and palatable diets. The conclusions derived from animal models showed that CB2 receptors are necessary for modulating food intake and mediating energy balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the metal structure of a greenhouse intended for the production of vegetables, using vertical agriculture technology, is carried out in the present work. The greenhouse will be installed in "San Juan Raboso" Community, belonging to Izúcar de Matamoros Municipality, State of Puebla, Mexico, in response to the community need of food and as part of the strategic project developed by the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Service in Science, Nature, Society and Culture (CIISCINASyC). The analysis of the metal structure of the greenhouse was carried out applying the Finite Element Method. The objective of the work was to evaluate the resistance capacity and functionality of the greenhouse, by determining the load system that acts on the greenhouse, as well as the distribution of stresses and displacements in the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term moonlighting proteins refers to those proteins that present alternative functions performed by a single polypeptide chain acquired throughout evolution (called canonical and moonlighting, respectively). Over 78% of moonlighting proteins are involved in human diseases, 48% are targeted by current drugs, and over 25% of them are involved in the virulence of pathogenic microorganisms. These facts encouraged us to study the link between the functions of moonlighting proteins and disease. We found a large number of moonlighting functions activated by pathological conditions that are highly involved in disease development and progression. The factors that activate some moonlighting functions take place only in pathological conditions, such as specific cellular translocations or changes in protein structure. Some moonlighting functions are involved in disease promotion while others are involved in curbing it. The disease-impairing moonlighting functions attempt to restore the homeostasis, or to reduce the damage linked to the imbalance caused by the disease. The disease-promoting moonlighting functions primarily involve the immune system, mesenchyme cross-talk, or excessive tissue proliferation. We often find moonlighting functions linked to the canonical function in a pathological context. Moonlighting functions are especially coordinated in inflammation and cancer. Wound healing and epithelial to mesenchymal transition are very representative. They involve multiple moonlighting proteins with a different role in each phase of the process, contributing to the current-phase phenotype or promoting a phase switch, mitigating the damage or intensifying the remodeling. All of this implies a new level of complexity in the study of pathology genesis, progression, and treatment. The specific protein function involved in a patient's progress or that is affected by a drug must be elucidated for the correct treatment of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the research results in the design of a radio frequency module to send humidity and temperature data to a Host-Local for management of information in a database. The operability of the system was achieved through the design of a Graphical User Interface, which was designed in JAVA language. The emitter module is installed on the back of a hexapod robot, designed for complex walks in agricultural lands, which in the future has the mission of carrying out artificial pollination processes. The technical objectives of the project are referred, as well as the maps of the software design through the UML diagram resource, the description of the layers of the software architecture for sending data, the design of the GUI and its connection with the local database created in MySQL. Finally, the graphic evidence of the operation of the system, the assembly in the hexapod robot and the technical conclusions with goals to work on future results are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vascular endothelium has several important functions, including hemostasis. The homeostasis of hemostasis is based on a fine balance between procoagulant and anticoagulant proteins and between fibrinolytic and antifibrinolytic ones. Coagulopathies are characterized by a mutation-induced alteration of the function of certain coagulation factors or by a disturbed balance between the mechanisms responsible for regulating coagulation. Homeostatic therapies consist in replacement and nonreplacement treatments or in the administration of antifibrinolytic agents. Rebalancing products reestablish hemostasis by inhibiting natural anticoagulant pathways. These agents include monoclonal antibodies, such as concizumab and marstacimab, which target the tissue factor pathway inhibitor; interfering RNA therapies, such as fitusiran, which targets antithrombin III; and protease inhibitors, such as serpinPC, which targets active protein C. In cases of thrombophilia (deficiency of protein C, protein S, or factor V Leiden), treatment may consist in direct oral anticoagulants, replacement therapy (plasma or recombinant ADAMTS13) in cases of a congenital deficiency of ADAMTS13, or immunomodulators (prednisone) if the thrombophilia is autoimmune. Monoclonal-antibody-based anti-vWF immunotherapy (caplacizumab) is used in the context of severe thrombophilia, regardless of the cause of the disorder. In cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation, the treatment of choice consists in administration of antifibrinolytics, all-trans-retinoic acid, and recombinant soluble human thrombomodulin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software engineering is a systematic approach that allows traceability of programming-oriented projects in the multiple paradigms that can be written, thus allowing the orderly planning of information flows and algorithms to reach the desired result through of the implementation of a robust and systematic methodology. On the other hand, the Indoor trend is a technological concept that has evolved with the entry of the 21st century, with the aim of promoting urban, peri-urban and rural agriculture. This concept creates agriculture anywhere from a department to a greenhouse. The present work presents the results of a research in software engineering referred to the design of a mini-PFAL, technified with multiple layers of software for the control of growth parameters in experimental lettuce crops, such as light intensity, temperature, humidity, light spectrum frequency, irrigation control, etc. The design strategies for the creation of the software architecture at its different levels are described, applying the software design methodology. The structure of the design process is ordered from the requirements analysis to the interface design, with them the final product reported is a PFAL IoT system that is interconnected via Bluetooth and WiFi with the SmartPhone, in turn via USB port to a GUI Visual Studio application, having a WareHouse data that administrates the information of the variables in a local database which manages the information on a SharePoint page that in turn, links with Access, having a Dashboard to directly control crop growth remotely, thus having an intelligent PFAL system for growing vegetable crops in vertical format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factor V deficiency, an ultra-rare congenital coagulopathy, is characterized by bleeding episodes that may be more or less intense as a function of the levels of coagulation factor activity present in plasma. Fresh-frozen plasma, often used to treat patients with factor V deficiency, is a scarcely effective palliative therapy with no specificity to the disease. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, following precise deletion by non-homologous end-joining, has proven to be highly effective for modeling on a HepG2 cell line a mutation similar to the one detected in the factor V-deficient patient analyzed in this study, thus simulating the pathological phenotype. Additional CRISPR/Cas9-driven non-homologous end-joining precision deletion steps allowed correction of 41% of the factor V gene mutated cells, giving rise to a newly developed functional protein. Taking into account the plasma concentrations corresponding to the different levels of severity of factor V deficiency, it may be argued that the correction achieved in this study could, in ideal conditions, be sufficient to turn a severe phenotype into a mild or asymptomatic one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on how the ideology of political parties in power correlates with climate policy outcomes is abundant, but there is no similar literature for the individual characteristics of government leaders. This assessment is the first study of its kind, building on a dataset of government leaders of OECD countries for the period 1992–2017. We find that national presidents or prime ministers with a professional background in business are strongly correlated with bad climate mitigation outcomes. In particular, higher emissions and lower renewable energy deployment are more likely to occur during the tenure of former business people. Our results suggest that voters and pressure groups should pay attention to candidates’ professional backgrounds, in addition to their party’s ideology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goals of this work were: i) to identify and quantify the potentially toxic heavy metals and metalloids in sewage sludge generated by "Taxco de Alarcón" wastewater treatment plant; ii) to determine the potentially toxic heavy metals and metalloids speciation through sequential chemical extraction, and iii) to provide a detailed methodological procedure for total digestion and sequential chemical extraction to sewage sludge. The methodology was a total digestion and sequential chemical extraction using sewage sludge. Analysis of potentially toxic heavy metals and metalloids was performed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. From total digestion Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn were identified and quantified. Seven potentially toxic heavy metals and metalloids analyzed and considered by NOM-004-SEMARNAT-2002 were found in sewage sludge at the following concentrations: 51, 50, 38, 752, 153, 190, and 3,134 mg/kg (dry basis), for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn, respectively. However, the concentration of As, Cd, and Zn exceeds the maximum allowable limit set by the standard to be classified as excellent quality sludge. On the other hand, the analysis of the different fractions obtained by sequential chemical extraction exhibited that the highest concentrations of As, Cd, and Zn are mainly associated with the most geo-available fractions (exchangeable fraction and bound to carbonates). The total concentrations in these fractions were 34, 34, and 1,723 sewage sludge mg/kg (dry basis) for As, Cd, and Zn, respectively. Finally, in function of the seven potentially toxic heavy metals and metalloids analyzed as well as their total concentrations determined in the sewage sludge from the Taxco de Alarcón wastewater treatment plant, the sewage sludge are classified as a good quality sludge. In other words, the sewage sludge have the potential to be used for urban handling without direct contact during its application in forest use or as agricultural soil improvers in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mexico, there is an ecological deterioration caused in part by the inadequate management of natural resources. In order to collaborate in the reduction of this ecological deterioration in the soils and the environment, the objective of the work was to design an accessible vermicompost screening machine that is adaptable to the needs and requirements of small producers of this organic fertilizer in the country, so the calculation was made for the design of the main systems of the machine that are the fertilizer dosing system, the screening system and the power transmission system, developing the deployment of the QFD quality function that allows considering the demands and requirements to be satisfied, in the generation and selection of concepts and / or proposals for design, thereby improving the quality of the design. A vermicompost screening machine was designed which will make it possible to speed up and improve the working conditions in the production of this compost, thus obtaining a production of screened compost greater than that achieved manually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myotomy length for per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is standardized for type I and II achalasia. However, for type III achalasia, jackhammer esophagus, diffuse esophageal spasms and esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction, there is no standard. Determining myotomy length based on the high-pressure zone found during high-resolution manometry (HRM) and spastic length found during esophagography may be used to determine adequate myotomy length without excess muscle destruction. Methods: The records of patients who have undergone POEM procedures at our institution had the following data gleaned: age, sex, esophageal spastic diagnosis, length of high-pressure zone and lower esophageal sphincter (LES) position by HRM, length of spastic esophagus by esophagography, position of the z-line by esophagoscopy and length of myotomy performed. Outcomes were assessed based on patient symptomatic improvement and need for re-intervention. Results: 71 patients were evaluated for POEM, with 67 completing POEM. There was an average difference in LES position by HRM and z-line position by esophagoscopy of 3.9 ± 3.0 cm. There was an average difference in high-pressure zone by HRM and spastic length by esophagography of 4.9 ± 3.2 cm. Overall, with a median of 20 months follow-up, 74% achieved long-term symptomatic improvement, with 17 patients requiring re-intervention. Conclusions: Discordance among HRM, esophagography and esophagoscopy can be significant. Caution should be employed with using these methods to determine myotomy length in POEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some studies using either objective or subjective indicators, find that self-employed individuals are less likely to be or to report being skill-mismatched in comparison with salaried employees. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of the transition from salaried employment to self-employment on self-reported skill mismatches. To do so, this article uses eight waves of the European Community Household Panel covering the period 1994–2001. The panel data nature of this rich dataset, allows us to track individuals over time and measure self-reported skill-mismatches before and after the transition for the same individuals, using as the comparison group those individuals who remain in salaried employment during the whole sample period. Our empirical findings indicate that those individuals who transit from salaried employment to self-employment reduce their probability to report being skill-mismatched after the transition. Interestingly, we also observe that this effect vanish if the transition is done from an unemployment status, and that the effect is quite heterogenous across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Recent years have seen an increase in the number of structures available, not only for new proteins but also for the same protein crystallized with different molecules and proteins. While protein design software has proven to be successful in designing and modifying proteins, they can also be overly sensitive to small conformational differences between structures of the same protein. To cope with this, we introduce here pyFoldX, a python library that allows the integrative analysis of structures of the same protein using FoldX, an established forcefield and modelling software. The library offers new functionalities for handling different structures of the same protein, an improved molecular parametrization module and an easy integration with the data analysis ecosystem of the python programming language. Availability and implementation pyFoldX rely on the FoldX software for energy calculations and modelling, which can be downloaded upon registration in http://foldxsuite.crg.eu/ and its licence is free of charge for academics. The pyFoldX library is open-source. Full details on installation, tutorials covering the library functionality and the scripts used to generate the data and figures presented in this paper are available at https://github.com/leandroradusky/pyFoldX. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the link between the employment structure of local labour markets and the schooling choices of the youth in Spain. We construct a panel of Spanish provinces, and the effect of local labour markets was identified by using the variation in the share of employment by industry and gender across provinces and over time. A model with province fixed‐effects and specific‐slopes is used, which makes it possible to control for both time constant and time‐varying unobserved heterogeneity across provinces. A sizable impact is found for both boys and girls of the industry structure of employment on educational attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zuska's disease describes the clinical condition of recurrent central or periareolar nonpuerperal abscesses associated with lactiferous fistulas. Pathogenesis involves the occlusion of an abnormal duct through an epithelial desquamation process that causes ductal dilatation, stasis of secretions, and periductal inflammation. Patients with Zuska's disease may develop chronic draining sinuses near the areola from lactiferous ducts fistula; therefore, the underlying abnormal duct system must be located and excised for proper treatment. Zuska's disease is often misdiagnosed and mistreated and is associated with significant morbidity, including the recurrence of abscess and cutaneous fistula formation. This case series aimed to help clinicians investigate and manage this disorder. The clinical and imaging findings, histopathologic correlation, and treatment of Zuska's disease are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main threat to maize production in the Mediterranean area is maize rough dwarf disease (MRDD) caused by Maize rough dwarf virus (MRDV). The analysis of virus diversification is necessary to assess the risk of MRDD outbreaks. We analysed the virome of MRDD by next‐generation sequencing using pooled samples prepared from maize plants collected in Spain between 1999 and 2017. This yielded the sequences of all 10 genomic segments from six MRDV isolates plus an additional variant of S5 in one sample. Five of the genomes were 29,145 nucleotides (nt) in length, and the other was 3 nt longer. The six genomes were AT rich with low codon usage bias and the 13 open reading frames (ORFs) showed low potential expression levels. The highest expression levels were predicted for ORFs encoding the non‐structural proteins P6, P5‐1 and P9‐1, and the structural protein P10. There was a strong correlation between higher level expression and T‐ended codons, which were the most over‐represented class. The concatenate and three individual segments (S3, S6 and S7) each formed a monophyletic group, whereas the remaining segments split into two groups with different clustering relationships relative to two other European MRDV isolates. The MRDV virome showed certain temporal and geographical diversification, but several proteins were highly conserved, especially P7‐2. Three significant recombination hotspots were identified among genomic segments and four within segments. The ORFs encoding structural proteins appear under greater purifying selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctionality or multitasking is the capability of some proteins to execute two or more biochemical functions. The objective of this work is to explore the relationship between multifunctional proteins, human diseases and drug targeting. The analysis of the proportion of multitasking proteins from the MultitaskProtDB-II database shows that 78% of the proteins analyzed are involved in human diseases. This percentage is much higher than the 17.9% found in human proteins in general. A similar analysis using drug target databases shows that 48% of these analyzed human multitasking proteins are targets of current drugs, while only 9.8% of the human proteins present in UniProt are specified as drug targets. In almost 50% of these proteins, both the canonical and moonlighting functions are related to the molecular basis of the disease. A procedure to identify multifunctional proteins from disease databases and a method to structurally map the canonical and moonlighting functions of the protein have also been proposed here. Both of the previous percentages suggest that multitasking is not a rare phenomenon in proteins causing human diseases, and that their detailed study might explain some collateral drug effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moonlighting or multitasking proteins refer to those proteins with two or more functions performed by a single polypeptide chain. Proteins that belong to key ancestral functions and metabolic pathways such as primary metabolism typically exhibit moonlighting phenomenon. We have collected 698 moonlighting proteins in MultitaskProtDB-II database. A survey shows that 25% of the proteins of the database correspond to moonlighting functions related to pathogens virulence activity. Why is the canonical function of these virulence proteins mainly from ancestral key biological functions (especially of primary metabolism)? Our hypothesis is that these proteins present a high conservation between the pathogen protein and the host counterparts. Therefore, the host immune system will not elicit protective antibodies against pathogen proteins. The fact of sharing epitopes with host proteins (known as epitope mimicry) might be the cause of autoimmune diseases. Although many pathogen proteins can be antigenic, only a few of them would elicit a protective immune response. This would also explain the lack of successful vaccines based in these conserved moonlighting proteins. This review looks at why so many pathogen virulence proteins are from the primary metabolism and are conserved between pathogen and host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a plethora of protocols exist for the synthesis of sub-10-nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), independent control over the size and surface composition remains restricted. This poses a particular challenge for systematic studies of AuNP structure-function relationships and the optimization of crucial design parameters. To this end, we report on a modular two-step approach based on the synthesis of AuNPs in oleylamine (OAm) followed by subsequent functionalization with thiol ligands and mixtures thereof. The synthesis of OAm-capped AuNPs enables fine-tuning of the core size in the range of 2-7 nm by varying the reaction temperature. The subsequent thiol-for-OAm ligand exchange allows a reliable generation of thiol-capped AuNPs with target surface functionality. The compatibility of this approach with a vast library of thiol ligands provides detailed control of the mixed ligand composition and solubility in a wide range of solvents ranging from water to hexane. This decoupled control over the AuNP core and ligand shell provides a powerful toolbox for the methodical screening of optimal design parameters and facile preparation of AuNPs with target properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, drug dosage is based on standardised approaches that disregard pharmakokinetic differences between patients and lead to non-optimal efficacy and unnecessary side effects. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of pH-mediated fluorescence spectroscopy for therapeutic drug monitoring in complex media. We apply this principle to the simultaneous quantification of the chemotherapeutic prodrug Irinotecan and its active metabolite SN-38 from human plasma across the clinically relevant concentration range, i.e. from micromolar to nanomolar at molar ratios of up to 30 : 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccinology is one of the most important cornerstones in modern medicine, providing better quality of life. The human immune system is composed of innate and adaptive immune processes that interplay when infection occurs. Innate immunity relies on pathogen-associated molecular patterns which are recognized by pathogen recognition receptors localized in antigen presenting cells. After antigen processing and presentation, CD4+ T cell polarization occurs, further leading to B cell and CD8+ activation and humoral and cell-mediated adaptive immune responses. Liposomes are being employed as vaccine technologies and their design is of importance to ensure proper immune responses. Physicochemical parameters like liposome size, charge, lamellarity and bilayer fluidity must be completely understood to ensure optimal vaccine stability and efficacy. Liposomal vaccines can be developed to target specific immune cell types for the induction of certain immune responses. In this review, we will present promising liposomal vaccine approaches for the treatment of important viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections (including tuberculosis, TB). Cationic liposomes are the most studied liposome types due to their enhanced interaction with the negatively charged immune cells. Thus, a special section on the cationic lipid dimethyldioctadecylammonium and TB is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different aspects of bacterial and fungal siderophore biotechnological applications will be discussed. Areas of application presented include, but are not limited to agriculture, medicine, pharmacology, bioremediation, biodegradation and food industry. In agriculture-related applications, siderophores could be employed to enhance plant growth due to their uptake by rhizobia. Siderophores hindered the presence of plant pathogens in biocontrol strategies. Bioremediation studies on siderophores discuss mostly the mobilization of heavy metals and radionuclides; the emulsifying effects of siderophoreproducing microorganisms in oil-contaminated environments are also presented. The different applications found in literature based in medicine and pharmacological approaches range from iron overload to drug delivery systems and, more recently, vaccines. Additional research should be done in siderophore production and their metabolic relevance to have a deeper understanding for future biotechnological advances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ecohydrology, it is generally assumed that xylem water reflects the water source used by plants. Several studies have reported isotopic enrichment within woody tissues, particularly during dormancy periods or after long periods of inactivity. However, little is known about the short-term dynamics of this process. Here we assessed the magnitude and dynamics of xylem isotopic enrichment in suberized twigs of pines and oaks. We performed a series of laboratory experiments, in which we monitored hourly changes in water content and isotopic composition under two contrasting scenarios of sap flow restriction. First, we simulated the effect of extreme hydraulic failure by excising twigs to restrict sap flow, while sealing the wounds to ensure that water loss took place only through the leaves or bark, as would be the case for evaporation in attached stems. Second, we studied the effect of reduced leaf transpiration by darkening with aluminium foil all the leaves of healthy, well-watered saplings growing in pot conditions. We found evidence of fast evaporative enrichment in metabolically active stems, as a consequence of a temporal decline in sap flow rates, and not necessarily linked to a traceable decline in stem water content. The excision experiments showed significant isotopic changes (~+1%in oxygen) appearing in <1 h. Similarly, the pot experiment showed a progressive increase in isotope composition (up to +8% in oxygen in a 3-day cycle) when the leaves were covered, and a rapid recovery to initial values when sap flow rates were re-established. We conclude that evaporative enrichment of xylem water in stems is a highly dynamic process that may have significant effects even during short periods of restricted water flow. This has important implications for the study of plant water uptake, as well as for ecosystem- and global-scale hydrological models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three ‘D-π-A-π-A’ based dyes have been synthesized featuring MeO-, MeS- and Me 2 N- as donor residues and benzothiadiazole and cyanoacrylic acid residues as acceptor units. UV–vis spectroscopy, solution electrochemistry and DFT modelling indicated that the Me 2 N- residue has the most significant effect on optical and redox properties of a photosensitizer. DSSCs with the Me 2 N- functionalized dye gave the highest power conversion efficiency of the series (η = 5.61%), presumably due to the better donor ability of this unit, which promotes more effective intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we present the development of a set of opto-mechanical components (a kinematic mount, a translation stage and an integrating sphere) that can be easily built using a 3D printer based on Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and parts that can be found in any hardware store. Here we provide a brief description of the 3D models used and some details on the fabrication process. Moreover, with the help of three simple experimental setups, we evaluate the performance of the opto-mechanical components developed by doing a quantitative comparison with its commercial counterparts. Our results indicate that the components fabricated are highly customizable, low-cost, require a short time to be fabricated and surprisingly, offer a performance that compares favorably with respect to low-end commercial alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government departments have diverse interests, and on certain occasions, the need to achieve a priority objective in one department may lead to the adoption of inefficient policies in other areas, with long-lasting consequences. In this paper, we analyze the rebalancing of the telecommunications tariffs that took place in the European Union before and after the liberalization of the market in 1998. We show that the objective of satisfying the Maastricht inflation condition to allow participation in the European Monetary Union from 1999 led some national governments to block the rebalancing of telecommunications tariffs. Specifically, we demonstrate that in the years immediately before the liberalization of the telecommunications market, those countries that faced greater difficulty achieving the inflation objectives of the Maastricht Treaty reduced, rather than increased, the prices of local telephone calls and line rental. Furthermore, these countries did not intensify efforts to rebalance their tariffs after the creation of the euro. Our paper also shows that in this period the countries that diverged most from the inflation condition invested less in their telecommunications infrastructure. • The liberalization of the telecommunications market in 1998 coincided in time with the creation of the euro. • We analyze the rebalancing of telecommunications tariffs that took place in the EU before and after the liberalization. • The Maastricht inflation conditionled some national governments to block the rebalancing of telecommunications tariffs. • Countries with difficulties to meet the Maastricht inflation condition cut local call prices and line rental. • Countries with difficulties to meet the Maastricht inflation condition invested less in telecommunications infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number alterations (CNAs) in cancer patients show a large variability in their number, length and position, but the sources of this variability are not known. CNA number and length are linked to patient survival, suggesting clinical relevance. We have identified genes that tend to be mutated in samples that have few or many CNAs, which we term CONIM genes (COpy Number Instability Modulators). CONIM proteins cluster into a densely connected subnetwork of physical interactions and many of them are epigenetic modifiers. Therefore, we investigated how the epigenome of the tissue-of-origin influences the position of CNA breakpoints and the properties of the resulting CNAs. We found that the presence of heterochromatin in the tissue-of- origin contributes to the recurrence and length of CNAs in the respective cancer type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition of homosexual rights is a controversial issue in many countries. Spain was the third country in the world (after the Netherlands and Belgium) to introduce a law recognizing homosexual marriage and the adoption of children by homosexual couples. In this paper, we examine for the first time whether schools are more hesitant about giving feedback to homosexual parents during children's pre-registration period in Catalonia (Spain). To do so, we designed a correspondence experiment to be conducted in schools. We created three types of fictitious couples—one heterosexual, one gay, and one lesbian—and sent emails to schools in which the couples’ sexual orientation was explicit. Our results show that gay couples had a significantly lower (22 percentage points) call-back probability than heterosexual couples. No statistically significant differences in call-back probability were found between the lesbian and heterosexual couples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Induction of resistance by salicylic acid (SA) exogenous treatment is a complementary approach to control plant diseases. SA effect on Potato virus X (SPCP1 strain) – infected tomato plants was examined by analyzing their physiological parameters and proteomic profiling at initial infection. PVX-SPCP1 altered photosynthesis and carbohydrate synthesis proteins and elicited stress proteins. SA partially offset reduction in photosynthetic rate during infection by increasing mesophyll conductance. SA counteracted these changes through stabilization of photosystem II, increased proteins related with thermotolerance and stress, and decreased proteins related with stomatal opening. The strongest effects of SA occurred at the beginning of the pathogenesis cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to analize medical histories of treated patients by vesicoureteral reflux at Hospital Infantil Universitario Rafael Henao Toro from Manizales-Colombia during years 2008-2015. Materials and methods: descriptive studies in which 50 medical histories were reviewed. Results: male gender has a 52% proportion, in a 70% the origin from Manizales, 54,3% are in a social stratum number 3, the average age is 3.22±2,81 years old. Regarding the pondostaturals variables, kids weight is on average 16.59±10,49 kg, 63.3% of them have a porportional weight according to the age, meanwhile the average height is 98,92±24,47 cm, 80,6% have a proportional height according to the age. Relating to medical variables, 70% of consults are due to first time fever, 77.6% had a prenatal ecography, 16% have extrarenal abnormalities, being neurogenic bladder the most frequent with a 37,5%, 32% show complications, being urinary tract infection the most frequent with a 25%, regarding the laterality left kidney affectation was 40,8% and urine test is altered in the 85,4%. The most frequent method to diagnose was post-natal ecography with a 72%. Conclusions: in this study is possible to elucidate both medicals and sociodemographic characteristics of vesicoureteral reflux nevertheless is not possible to confirm the epidemiologyc profile of the patients found in other studies, also information is obtained about diagnose methods and the most used management in this part of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes how to analyse translinear topologies whose response is modified by the body effect by means of the general translinear principle. It proposes two different strategies for obtaining the translinear loop equations from each closed translinear set. Both strategies are tested analysing three topologies, one of them including some transistors in triode. From the results of such analysis, a fast analysis method for topologies with all transistor bodies connected to the same potential is also proposed. Simulated results are given showing good agreement with theoretical expressions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trust in public institutions and public policies are generally perceived as a precondition for economic recovery in times of recession. Recent empirical evidence tends to find a positive link between decentralization and trust. But our knowledge about whether decentralization-through increased trust-improves the perception of the delivery and effectiveness of public policies is still limited. In this paper we estimate the impact of fiscal and political decentralization on the perception of the state of the education system and of health services, by using the 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008 waves of the European social survey. The analysis of the views of 160,000 individuals in 31 European countries indicates that while the effect of fiscal decentralization on the perception of the state of the health and education system is unambiguously positive, political decentralization affects citizen's satisfaction with education and health delivery in different ways. The influence of political decentralization, however, is highly contingent on whether we consider the capacity of the local or regional government to exercise authority over its citizens (self-rule) or to influence policy at the national level (shared-rule). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has emerged as one of the most potent molecular mediators not only for synaptic plasticity, but also for the behavioral organism–environment interactions. Our previous studies in the insular cortex (IC), a neocortical region that has been related with acquisition and retention of conditioned taste aversion (CTA), have demonstrated that intracortical microinfusion of BDNF induces a lasting potentiation of synaptic efficacy in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (Bla)-IC projection and enhances the retention of CTA memory of adult rats in vivo. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether acute BDNF-infusion in the IC modifies the extinction of CTA. Accordingly, animals were trained in the CTA task and received bilateral IC microinfusions of BDNF before extinction training. Our results showed that taste aversion was significantly reduced in BDNF rats from the first extinction trial. Additionally, we found that the effect of BDNF on taste aversion did not require extinction training. Finally we showed that the BDNF effect does not degrade the original taste aversion memory trace. These results emphasize that BDNF activity underlies memory extinction in neocortical areas and support the idea that BDNF is a key regulator and mediator of long-term synaptic modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the experience of designing and implementing a statistics course for industrial engineers based on competencies. The study includes considerations the learning expectations of the academic institutions regarding the professional training of their engineering students. The process of building the course implied the analysis of the fundamental content, the methodology to be applied in the classroom and the implementation of an evaluation methodology. The results of the implementation of the course show that students were able to develop the necessary cognitive and affective skills. Moreover, it allowed teachers to make substantial changes in their teaching methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper presents a novel generic translinear differential output stage that is useful for the implementation of rational functions with a squared denominator. As a proof of concept, such output stage is used to implement the first derivative of a rational activation function. Simulated results are presented for an implementation on a 0.35 µm CMOS process showing an almost perfect fit with the theoretical expressions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the hygroscopicity and thermochemical properties of pine wood/polymer composites prepared by in situ polymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) as cross-linkers. The pine wood samples were impregnated in a vacuum/pressure system and polymerised in an oven at 90 °C for 10 h, using benzoyl peroxide at 1.5 wt.% as catalyst. The composite was characterised through dynamic wettability, water uptake and dimensional stability tests, ATR-IR spectroscopy, TGA, and DSC. ATR-IR spectra show an increase of the peaks at 1746, 1460, and 1145 cm −1 corresponding to the chemical structures of the polymers into the pores and capillaries of treated wood. The TGA and DSC analysis pointed out a chemical interaction between the copolymer and the wood cell wall in composites with GMA and MAA. The composites prepared with MMA presented improvements for the hygroscopicity and dimensional stability properties by 50%. However, the addition of GMA and MAA resulted in the best increases for hydrophobicity and dimensional stability of the samples, ∼65–78%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Bread residues were converted hydrothermally into lactic acid. [•] Effect of different catalyst, temperature and time of reaction were studied. [•] Optimum conditions to obtain a high production of lactic acid were determined. [•] Other products as formic acid, acetic acid, xylitol or acrylic acid were produced. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: RNA sequencing methods have already altered our view of the extent and complexity of bacterial and eukaryotic transcriptomes, revealing rare transcript isoforms (circular RNAs, RNA chimeras) that could play an important role in their biology. Results: We performed an analysis of chimera formation by four different computational approaches, including a custom designed pipeline, to study the transcriptomes of M. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, as well as mixtures of both. We found that rare transcript isoforms detected by conventional pipelines of analysis could be artifacts of the experimental procedure used in the library preparation, and that they are protocol-dependent. Conclusion: By using a customized pipeline we show that optimal library preparation protocol and the pipeline to analyze the results are crucial to identify real chimeric RNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ras/ MAPK syndromes (' RASopathies') are a class of developmental disorders caused by germline mutations in 15 genes encoding proteins of the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase ( MAPK) pathway frequently involved in cancer. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in mutations of the same protein causing either cancer or RASopathies. Here, we shed light on 956 RASopathy and cancer missense mutations by combining protein network data with mutational analyses based on 3D structures. Using the protein design algorithm FoldX, we predict that most of the missense mutations with destabilising energies are in structural regions that control the activation of proteins, and only a few are predicted to compromise protein folding. We find a trend that energy changes are higher for cancer compared to RASopathy mutations. Through network modelling, we show that partly compensatory mutations in RASopathies result in only minor downstream pathway deregulation. In summary, we suggest that quantitative rather than qualitative network differences determine the phenotypic outcome of RASopathy compared to cancer mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lignin depolymerisation to simple aromatics was investigated by using a mild microwave-assisted approach. The reaction was catalysed by different supported metal nanoparticles on mesoporous Al-SBA-15 including -nickel (2, 5 and 10wt.%), palladium (2wt.%), platinum (2wt.%) and ruthenium (2wt.%). Three main products were indentified in the proposed lignin valorisation protocol, namely a bio-oil, a bio-char and a fraction of residual lignin. These have been characterised by means of several techniques including GC–MS, MALDI-TOF, HPSEC and elemental analysis in order to evaluate the extension and mechanism of the selected depolymerisation approach. In this work, the objective has been the maximisation of bio-oil yield as well as its content in phenolic monomeric compounds. All tested catalysts exhibited improved results as compared to the blank depolymerisation (without catalyst), demonstrating a synergetic effect of metal nanoparticles in lignin hydrogenolysis. The most abundant phenolic products observed in most studied catalysts have been solvent derived products such as diethyl phthalate and butyl-octyl phthalate ester. Interestingly, phenolic compounds derived from lignin were also obtained including mesitol and syringaldehyde as well as desaspidinol and aspidinol, depending on the utilised solvent in the systems. The bio-oil obtained was primarily composed of monomers, dimers and trimers. Biochar yield was relatively high in most cases (>35% in some cases) due to existing oligomerisation reactions under the investigated conditions except for the case of the use of formic acid which gave no biochar in the process. Residual lignin content was often high and repolymerisation was observed in some cases. The catalyst containing 10wt.% nickel was confirmed to achieve the highest lignin depolymerisation degree, with a maximum yield of 30% bio-oil after a short time of reaction (typically 30min of microwave irradiation). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Olive tree pruning was considered as an interesting agricultural residue resource. [•] Lignin revalorization as platform chemicals was studied. [•] Repolymerization reactions were tried to be avoided to enhance chemicals production. [•] Monomers production was dramatically improved when adding phenol as capping agent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although commonly considered a topic for Plant Ecophysiology, the leaf energy balance model can be included in Physics courses for undergraduate program adapting its scope in accordance with the learning outcomes suited for the course in which it is applied. The main features of the model are described here and some considerations related to its application at the Universidad de Granma, Cuba, as an element of an instruction program aimed at increase the learner autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We introduce explicit combinatorial interpretations for the coefficients in some of the transition matrices relating to skew Hall–Littlewood polynomials and Hivertʼs quasisymmetric Hall–Littlewood polynomials . More specifically, we provide: [1.] the G-expansions of the Hall–Littlewood polynomials , the monomial quasisymmetric polynomials , the quasisymmetric Schur polynomials , and the peak quasisymmetric functions ; [2.] an expansion of in terms of the ʼs. The F-expansion of is facilitated by introducing starred tableaux. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek test for the precondition for labour-market competition between immigrants and natives, which implies that both are willing to accept jobs that do not differ in quality. Design/methodology/approach – To test this hypothesis, using Spanish data, the paper analyses whether immigrants and natives exhibit different tastes for working conditions. The paper proceeds as follows. First, the paper estimates job satisfaction equations, where working conditions enter as covariates. Second, the paper tests whether the package of (dis)amenities inherent to their jobs differ. Additionally, the paper also tests for assimilation of immigrant workers in terms of job quality. Findings – The paper finds that immigrant and native workers tend to exhibit the same taste for most on-the-job amenities. However, immigrants are more tolerant with jobs involving poorer environmental working conditions, more physically demanding tasks and higher exposure to physical damage. The paper also finds that immigrant workers tend to be employed in lower quality jobs. However, some of the bad working conditions tend to improve over time, suggesting some assimilation in terms of job quality. Originality/value – The type of analysis the authors carry out here allows them to contribute to the literature by moving a step away from the conventional approach used in previous studies. While previous literature mostly analyses the effect of immigration in natives' labour market outcomes and assimilation of immigrants in terms of wages and employment, this study is one of the few that focus on working conditions and the quality of jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]