Showing papers by "University of Costa Rica published in 2013"

The World Health Organization Classification of Lymphoid Neoplasms

Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of the lymphoid neoplasms updated in 2008 represents a worldwide consensus on lymphoma diagnosis and is based in two major principles: the stratification of neoplasms according to their cell lineage and their derivation of precursor or mature cells and the definition of non-overlapping distinct diseases that are clinically relevant. The identification of these diseases is based on a combination of morphology, immunophenotype, genetic, molecular, and clinical features. In addition to well-defined entities, the classification addresses open issues, such as provisional entities that correspond to categories for which there were insufficient evidence to support its recognition as distinct diseases at the time of publication and borderline categories with overlapping features between large B-cell lymphomas and Burkitt or Hodgkin lymphoma.

Studies of nucleon resonance structure in exclusive meson electroproduction

Abstract: Studies of the structure of excited baryons are key factors to the N* program at Jefferson Lab (JLab). Within the first year of data taking with the Hall B CLAS12 detector following the 12 GeV upgrade, a dedicated experiment will aim to extract the N* electrocouplings at high photon virtualities Q2. This experiment will allow exploration of the structure of N* resonances at the highest photon virtualities ever achieved, with a kinematic reach up to Q2 = 12 GeV2. This high-Q2 reach will make it possible to probe the excited nucleon structures at distance scales ranging from where effective degrees of freedom, such as constituent quarks, are dominant through the transition to where nearly massless bare-quark degrees of freedom are relevant. In this document, we present a detailed description of the physics that can be addressed through N* structure studies in exclusive meson electroproduction. The discussion includes recent advances in reaction theory for extracting N* electrocouplings from meson electropro...

Nations' income inequality predicts ambivalence in stereotype content: How societies mind the gap

Abstract: Income inequality undermines societies: The more inequality, the more health problems, social tensions, and the lower social mobility, trust, life expectancy. Given people's tendency to legitimate existing social arrangements, the stereotype content model (SCM) argues that ambivalence-perceiving many groups as either warm or competent, but not both-may help maintain socio-economic disparities. The association between stereotype ambivalence and income inequality in 37 cross-national samples from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Asia, and Africa investigates how groups' overall warmth-competence, status-competence, and competition-warmth correlations vary across societies, and whether these variations associate with income inequality (Gini index). More unequal societies report more ambivalent stereotypes, whereas more equal ones dislike competitive groups and do not necessarily respect them as competent. Unequal societies may need ambivalence for system stability: Income inequality compensates groups with partially positive social images.

The Entner–Doudoroff pathway empowers Pseudomonas putida KT2440 with a high tolerance to oxidative stress

Abstract: Glucose catabolism of Pseudomonas putida is carried out exclusively through the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway due to the absence of 6-phosphofructokinase. In order to activate the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) route we transferred the pfkA gene from Escherichia coli to a P. putida wild-type strain as well as to an eda mutant, i.e. lacking 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase. PfkA(E. coli) failed to redirect the carbon flow from the ED route towards the EMP pathway, suggesting that ED was essential for sugar catabolism. The presence of PfkA(E. coli) was detrimental for growth, which could be traced to the reduction of ATP and NAD(P)H pools along with alteration of the NAD(P)H/NADP(+) ratio. Pseudomonas putida cells carrying PfkA(E. coli) became highly sensitive to diamide and hydrogen peroxide, the response to which is very demanding of NADPH. The inhibitory effect of PfkA(E. coli) could in part be relieved by methionine, the synthesis of which relies much on NADPH. These results expose the role of the ED pathway for generating the redox currency (NADPH) that is required for counteracting oxidative stress. It is thus likely that environmental bacteria that favour the ED pathway over the EMP pathway do so in order to gear their aerobic metabolism to endure oxidative-related insults.

Estimación lineal de los requerimientos nutricionales del NRC para cabras

Abstract: Linear regressionecuations have been obtained to calculate nutrientrequirements of goats (TDN, DE, ME, NE, TP, DP, Ca, P,Vitamin A and Vitamin D) on different physiological stages:maintenance, growth and milk production, based on NRCnutrient requirements tables. The R-square was calculatedfor each equation to establish the degree of adjustment.

Integrated “omics” profiling indicates that miRNAs are modulators of the ontogenetic venom composition shift in the Central American rattlesnake, Crotalus simus simus

Abstract: Understanding the processes that drive the evolution of snake venom is a topic of great research interest in molecular and evolutionary toxinology. Recent studies suggest that ontogenetic changes in venom composition are genetically controlled rather than environmentally induced. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes remain elusive. Here we have explored the basis and level of regulation of the ontogenetic shift in the venom composition of the Central American rattlesnake, Crotalus s. simus using a combined proteomics and transcriptomics approach. Proteomic analysis showed that the ontogenetic shift in the venom composition of C. s. simus is essentially characterized by a gradual reduction in the expression of serine proteinases and PLA2 molecules, particularly crotoxin, a β-neurotoxic heterodimeric PLA2, concominantly with an increment of PI and PIII metalloproteinases at age 9–18 months. Comparison of the transcriptional activity of the venom glands of neonate and adult C. s. simus specimens indicated that their transcriptomes exhibit indistinguisable toxin family profiles, suggesting that the elusive mechanism by which shared transcriptomes generate divergent venom phenotypes may operate post-transcriptionally. Specifically, miRNAs with frequency count of 1000 or greater exhibited an uneven distribution between the newborn and adult datasets. Of note, 590 copies of a miRNA targeting crotoxin B-subunit was exclusively found in the transcriptome of the adult snake, whereas 1185 copies of a miRNA complementary to a PIII-SVMP mRNA was uniquely present in the newborn dataset. These results support the view that age-dependent changes in the concentration of miRNA modulating the transition from a crotoxin-rich to a SVMP-rich venom from birth through adulhood can potentially explain what is observed in the proteomic analysis of the ontogenetic changes in the venom composition of C. s. simus. Existing snake venom toxins are the result of early recruitment events in the Toxicofera clade of reptiles by which ordinary genes were duplicated, and the new genes selectively expressed in the venom gland and amplified to multigene families with extensive neofunctionalization throughout the approximately 112–125 million years of ophidian evolution. Our findings support the view that understanding the phenotypic diversity of snake venoms requires a deep knowledge of the mechanisms regulating the transcriptional and translational activity of the venom gland. Our results suggest a functional role for miRNAs. The impact of specific miRNAs in the modulation of venom composition, and the integration of the mechanisms responsible for the generation of these miRNAs in the evolutionary landscape of the snake's venom gland, are further challenges for future research.

The need for full integration of snakebite envenoming within a global strategy to combat the neglected tropical diseases: the way forward.

Abstract: Snakebite envenoming constitutes a serious medical condition that primarily affects residents of rural communities in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and New Guinea [1], [2]. It is an occupational, environmental, and domestic health hazard that exacerbates the already impoverished state of these communities [3]. Conservative estimates indicate that, worldwide, more than 5 million people suffer snakebite every year, leading to 25,000–125,000 deaths, while an estimated 400,000 people are left with permanent disabilities [4]–[7]. Eight thousand amputations are thought to be performed annually in Africa alone [8]. However, community-based surveys illustrate that the actual burden of human suffering is likely to be even greater [9], [10]. Despite this global impact, snakebite has received little attention from the global health community, the pharmaceutical industry, governments, and public health advocacy groups, and has a disappointingly low priority in the global health research agenda. As a consequence, the paucity of health programs addressing snakebite at national, regional, and global levels allows deaths or maimings of snakebite victims to continue. This burden of suffering could be significantly reduced because effective preventive and therapeutic resources are available, but, because of systemic neglect, they are not delivered in many regions. There has been progress in highlighting the neglect of snakebite. Thus, the inclusion of snakebite in the WHO list of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), and the development of initiatives by the WHO and its regional offices [1], [11] as well as by the Global Snakebite Initiative (GSI) [6] and other efforts at national and regional levels, have improved the global awareness of this disease. However, the impact of these projects has been rather limited, particularly in light of the progress made in control of the helminthic NTDs. Global efforts launched in the last decade to confront NTDs have recruited the important support of the World Health Organization (WHO), governments, diverse funding agencies, and other advocacy groups/foundations [12], [13]. As a result, there is a growing awareness of the sociomedical importance of this group of ancient human scourges. Several strategies are being implemented to reduce the burden of these diseases [13] within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A significant achievement has been the conceptualization of NTDs as a group of health problems that share many common demographic, sociological, epidemiological, and clinical features. Implementing integrated initiatives conducted by advocates, involving research and development, control, treatment, and attention to the needs of affected populations, is now a primary strategy to reduce disease burden. Regrettably, snakebite, despite being included in the 2009 WHO list of NTDs, has not been incorporated into these globally coordinated efforts to reduce the impact of the NTDs. The reasons for this omission are diverse and are probably based upon the perception that, because snakebite is not an infectious disease, the strategies for its alleviation do not fit within the strategies used to combat the “typical” NTDs. This perception is misleading, since snakebite epitomizes the main features that characterize NTDs [13]: Snakebite causes significant rates of mortality, morbidity, disfigurement [6], and chronic psychological sequelae [14], and incurs a heavy loss of productivity due to physical disability. Since impoverished rural farmers are the group at highest risk [3], snakebite exerts a direct economic and social impact on families and communities and thereby significantly contributes to the prevailing vicious cycle of poverty and inequity. Since snakebite mainly afflicts low-profile, rural populations that lack a political voice, victims cannot influence regional and national administrative and political policy makers, and their needs remain largely unheard and politically neglected. Snakebite does not represent a health risk to high-income peoples and countries. This contributes to the negligible interest shown by governments to combat this problem with the financial and political resources appropriate to that task. Snakebite causes stigma and discrimination, especially in people suffering from venom-induced permanent physical deformity and disability, as well as from amputations and other surgical procedures employed in the management of these complications [8]. This affects working performance and greatly limits the chances of victims' finding jobs and leading productive and fulfilling lives. In addition, since a high proportion of cases occur in children, snakebite may have profound implications for their development, education, and future opportunities, blighting their entire lives. The true rates of snakebite-induced morbidity and mortality are still largely unknown in many regions of the world because estimates are based mostly on extrapolations of hospital statistics. Recent national community-based surveys have highlighted the fact that the actual magnitude of this disease is much greater than was previously thought because many snakebite victims never manage to reach hospitals and therefore remain unrecorded and invisible to the health system [9], [10]. The current estimate of 20,000 to 94,000 deaths caused by snakebite annually [5] is therefore bound to be an underestimate, making the burden of mortality from snakebite much higher than for other NTDs [6]. Snakebite has been largely omitted from research agendas and does not feature as a listed research priority for any health funding agency. Despite significant advances in the biochemical and toxicological understanding of snake venoms, including the realization of their potential as pharmacological agents, there are serious deficiencies in our knowledge of the epidemiological and clinical features of snakebite envenomings in many countries. There has also been negligible funding for research to improve the technologies for antivenom manufacture—the only validated therapy for snakebite envenoming. Likewise, topics related to economic impacts, public health policies, and cultural perceptions of snakebite have failed to attract the attention of research groups and their funders. The tragedy of snakebite is that effective solutions already exist but are not being delivered in many countries. Timely administration by a trained practitioner of effective and appropriate antivenoms can be expected to prevent most deaths and sequelae resulting from these envenomings. Although approved methods for antivenom production are readily available in the public domain, antivenoms are neither available nor accessible in many regions of the world [15]. Some distinctions between snakebite and the other NTDs pose significant challenges to establishing effective snakebite control programs. Thus, because it is not an infectious disease, there is no potential for elimination or eradication of snakebites, unlike the expectation for most other NTDs. Highly effective and logistically efficient mass vaccination or administration of antihelminthics, antibiotics, and other interventions, such as vector control, and provision of safe food, water, and sanitation [13], are not applicable to snakebite envenoming. Furthermore, unlike the near global effectiveness of most antihelminthics and antibiotics, snakebite envenoming therapy is regionally specific and this limits the implementation of “economics of scale” to antivenom production. Nevertheless, the fact that snakebite envenoming coexists with bacterial, viral, and parasitic NTDs in many rural settings suggests patterns of comorbidity that are amenable to integrated intervention. There are several features of snakebite control that are similar to the principal aspects used to combat the infectious NTDs, indicating that incorporation of snakebite prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation resources into the strategies to fight NTDs would offer a great health benefit to vulnerable communities. For example, encouraging the wearing of appropriate shoes, the use of a torch after dark, sleeping under an insecticide-impregnated bed net, and speeding patient transport to medical care in remote areas using trained volunteer motorcyclists (S.K. Sharma, personal communication, 2011) are all effective in reducing the incidence of snakebite [16]. These approaches would also reduce the burden of soil-transmitted helminthic infections, tropical and Buruli ulcer, podoconiosis, malaria, and kala-azar and other vector-borne infections. Most of the key elements of the WHO Global Plan to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases 2008–2015 [13] also apply to reduce the burden of snakebite envenoming.

Major Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Latin America: A Comparison with the United States. The Latin American Consortium of Studies in Obesity (LASO)

Abstract: Background: Limited knowledge on the prevalence and distribution of risk factors impairs the planning and implementation of cardiovascular prevention programs in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. Methods and Findings: Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, abnormal lipoprotein levels, obesity, and smoking were estimated from individual-level patient data pooled from population-based surveys (1998–2007, n = 31,009) from eight LAC countries and from a national survey of the United States (US) population (1999–2004) Age and gender specific prevalence were estimated and age-gender adjusted comparisons between both populations were conducted. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in LAC were 5% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 3.4, 7.9), 20.2% (95% CI: 12.5, 31), and 53.3% (95% CI: 47, 63.4), respectively. Compared to LAC region’s average, the prevalence of each risk factor tended to be lower in Peru and higher in Chile. LAC women had higher prevalence of obesity and low HDL-cholesterol than men. Obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were more prevalent in the US population than in LAC population (31 vs. 16.1%, 16.8 vs. 8.9%, and 36.2 vs. 26.5%, respectively). However, the prevalence of low HDL-cholesterol was higher in LAC than in the US (53.3 vs. 33.7%). Conclusions: Major cardiovascular risk factors are highly prevalent in LAC region, in particular low HDL-cholesterol. In addition, marked differences do exist in this prevalence profile between LAC and the US. The observed patterns of obesityrelated risk factors and their current and future impact on the burden of cardiovascular diseases remain to be explained.

Blood pressure targets for hypertension in people with diabetes mellitus

Abstract: Background When treating elevated blood pressure (BP), doctors often want to know what blood pressure target they should try to achieve. The standard blood pressure target in clinical practice for some time has been less than 140 - 160/90 - 100 mmHg for the general population of people with elevated blood pressure. Several clinical guidelines published in recent years have recommended lower targets (less than 130/80 mmHg) for people with diabetes mellitus. It is not known whether attempting to achieve targets lower than the standard target reduces mortality and morbidity in those with elevated blood pressure and diabetes. Objectives To determine if 'lower' BP targets (any target less than 130/85 mmHg) are associated with reduction in mortality and morbidity compared with 'standard' BP targets (less than 140 - 160/90 - 100 mmHg) in people with diabetes. Search methods We searched the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE) and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for related reviews. We conducted electronic searches of the Hypertension Group Specialised Register (January 1946 - October 2013), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (2013, Issue 9), MEDLINE (January 1946 - October 2013), EMBASE (January 1974 - October 2013) and ClinicalTrials.gov. The most recent search was performed on October 4, 2013. Other search sources were the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP), and reference lists of all papers and relevant reviews. Selection criteria Randomized controlled trials comparing people with diabetes randomized to lower or to standard BP targets as previously defined, and providing data on any of the primary outcomes below. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently assessed and established the included trials and data entry. Primary outcomes were total mortality; total serious adverse events; myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure and end-stage renal disease. Secondary outcomes were achieved mean systolic and diastolic BP, and withdrawals due to adverse effects. Main results We found five randomized trials, recruiting a total of 7314 participants and with a mean follow-up of 4.5 years. Only one trial (ACCORD) compared outcomes associated with 'lower' (< 120 mmHg) or 'standard' (< 140 mmHg) systolic blood pressure targets in 4734 participants. Despite achieving a significantly lower BP (119.3/64.4 mmHg vs 133.5/70.5 mmHg, P < 0.0001), and using more antihypertensive medications, the only significant benefit in the group assigned to 'lower' systolic blood pressure (SBP) was a reduction in the incidence of stroke: risk ratio (RR) 0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39 to 0.88, P = 0.009, absolute risk reduction 1.1%. The effect of SBP targets on mortality was compatible with both a reduction and increase in risk: RR 1.05 CI 0.84 to 1.30, low quality evidence. Trying to achieve the 'lower' SBP target was associated with a significant increase in the number of other serious adverse events: RR 2.58, 95% CI 1.70 to 3.91, P < 0.00001, absolute risk increase 2.0%. Four trials (ABCD-H, ABCD-N, ABCD-2V, and a subgroup of HOT) specifically compared clinical outcomes associated with 'lower' versus 'standard' targets for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in people with diabetes. The total number of participants included in the DBP target analysis was 2580. Participants assigned to 'lower' DBP had a significantly lower achieved BP: 128/76 mmHg vs 135/83 mmHg, P < 0.0001. There was a trend towards reduction in total mortality in the group assigned to the 'lower' DBP target (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.01), mainly due to a trend to lower non-cardiovascular mortality. There was no difference in stroke (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.05), in myocardial infarction (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.40) or in congestive heart failure (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.92), low quality evidence. End-stage renal failure and total serious adverse events were not reported in any of the trials. A sensitivity analysis of trials comparing DBP targets < 80 mmHg (as suggested in clinical guidelines) versus < 90 mmHg showed similar results. There was a high risk of selection bias for every outcome analyzed in favor of the 'lower' target in the trials included for the analysis of DBP targets. Authors' conclusions At the present time, evidence from randomized trials does not support blood pressure targets lower than the standard targets in people with elevated blood pressure and diabetes. More randomized controlled trials are needed, with future trials reporting total mortality, total serious adverse events as well as cardiovascular and renal events.

New approaches & technologies of venomics to meet the challenge of human envenoming by snakebites in India.

Abstract: The direct estimate of 46,000 snakebite deaths in India in 2005 (1 for every 2 HIV/AIDS deaths), based on verbal autopsies, renders unrealistic the total of only 47,000 snakebite deaths in the whole world in 2010, obtained indirectly as part of the "Global Burden of Disease 2010" study. Persistent underestimation of its true morbidity and mortality has made snakebite the most neglected of all the WHO's "neglected tropical diseases", downgrading its public health importance. Strategies to address this neglect should include the improvement of antivenom, the only specific antidote to envenoming. To accommodate increased understanding of geographical intraspecific variation in venom composition and the range of snake species that are medically important in India, the design of antivenoms (choice of venom sources and species coverage) should be reconsidered. Methods of preclinical and clinical testing should be improved. The relatively new science of venomics involves techniques and strategies for assessing the toxin composition of snake venoms directly through proteomics-centred approaches or indirectly via high-throughput venom gland transcriptomics and bioinformatic analysis. Antivenomics is translational venomics: a proteomics-based protocol to quantify the extent of cross-reactivity of antivenoms against homologous and heterologous venoms. These approaches could revolutionize the preclinical assessment of antivenom efficacy, leading to a new generation of antivenoms that are clinically more effective.

Sulfur degassing at Erta Ale (Ethiopia) and Masaya (Nicaragua) volcanoes: Implications for degassing processes and oxygen fugacities of basaltic systems†

Abstract: We investigate the relationship between sulfur and oxygen fugacity at Erta Ale and Masaya volcanoes. Oxygen fugacity was assessed utilizing Fe3+/Sigma Fe and major element compositions measured in olivine-hosted melt inclusions and matrix glasses. Erta Ale melts have Fe3+/Sigma Fe of 0.15-0.16, reflecting fO(2) of Delta QFM 0.0 +/- 0.3, which is indistinguishable from fO(2) calculated from CO2/CO ratios in high-temperature gases. Masaya is more oxidized at Delta QFM + 1.7 +/- 0.4, typical of arc settings. Sulfur isotope compositions of gases and scoria at Erta Ale (delta S-34(gas) - 0.5 parts per thousand; delta S-34(scoria) + 0.9 parts per thousand) and Masaya (delta S-34(gas) + 4.8 parts per thousand; delta S-34(scoria) + 7.4 parts per thousand) reflect distinct sulfur sources, as well as isotopic fractionation during degassing (equilibrium and kinetic fractionation effects). Sulfur speciation in melts plays an important role in isotope fractionation during degassing and S6+/Sigma S is 0.67 in Masaya melt inclusions. No change is observed in Fe3+/Sigma Fe or S6+/Sigma S with extent of S degassing at Erta Ale, indicating negligible effect on fO(2), and further suggesting that H2S is the dominant gas species exsolved from the S2--rich melt (i.e., no redistribution of electrons). High SO2/H2S observed in Erta Ale gas emissions is due to gas re-equilibration at low pressure and fixed fO(2). Sulfur budget considerations indicate that the majority of S injected into the systems is emitted as gas, which is therefore representative of the magmatic S isotope composition. The composition of the Masaya gas plume (+4.8 parts per thousand) cannot be explained by fractionation effects but rather reflects recycling of high delta S-34 oxidized sulfur through the subduction zone

Productivity and biochemical composition of Phaeodactylum tricornutum (Bacillariophyceae) cultures grown outdoors in tubular photobioreactors and open ponds

Abstract: In this study we compared the biomass productivity and the chemical composition of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum grown outdoors at different biomass concentrations, in open ponds and photobioreactors (PBRs). Optimal biomass concentration of 0.6 g L −1 and 1.0 g L −1 was found in open ponds and in PBRs, respectively. During summer the mean net areal biomass yield was 11.7 g m −2 day −1 and 13.1 g m −2 day −1 in open ponds and in PBRs, respectively. Night biomass loss was comparable (17.4% and 21.4% of the daylight productivity, in open ponds, and PBRs, respectively). Lipid content ranged between 25% and 27.5% of dry weight, and increased up to 34.7% of biomass grown in dense cultures (>0.6 g L −1 in ponds; >1.0 g L −1 in PBRs). In the evening they ranged between 21% and 31%, while a reduced amount was found in the morning – between 14.5% and 24%. An induction of the diadino–diatoxanthin cycle was observed in the cultures when they were grown at lower biomass concentrations, particularly in cultures grown in photobioreactors, indicating down-regulation of the photosynthetic apparatus due to high irradiance, which was confirmed by a sizeable reduction in the F v / F m ratio in the middle of day. It was found that the productivity of cultures was higher in photobioreactors compared to that in open ponds most likely as a result of a better light–dark regime experienced by the cells in short light-path tubular PBRs, which may have allowed a more efficient use of light.

Kinematical and Dynamical Aspects of Higher-Spin Bound-State Equations in Holographic QCD

Abstract: In this paper we derive holographic wave equations for hadrons with arbitrary spin starting from an effective action in a higher-dimensional space asymptotic to anti--de Sitter (AdS) space. Our procedure takes advantage of the local tangent frame, and it applies to all spins, including half-integer spins. An essential element is the mapping of the higher-dimensional equations of motion to the light-front Hamiltonian, thus allowing a clear distinction between the kinematical and dynamical aspects of the holographic approach to hadron physics. Accordingly, the nontrivial geometry of pure AdS space encodes the kinematics, and the additional deformations of AdS space encode the dynamics, including confinement. It thus becomes possible to identify the features of holographic QCD, which are independent of the specific mechanisms of conformal symmetry breaking. In particular, we account for some aspects of the striking similarities and differences observed in the systematics of the meson and baryon spectra.

Genetic gain × management interactions in soybean: I. Planting date

Abstract: planting date is a commonly manipulated man - agement practice in soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) production; however, the impacts of past and ongoing agronomic improvements, such as earlier planting, on genetic yield improvement and associated changes in seed protein and oil have not been evaluated. The objectives of this study were to determine if a 30-d difference in planting date affected measured rates of genetic improvement in (i) yield, (ii) seed mass, and (iii) seed protein and oil in the midwestern United States. research was conducted at Arlington, WI, Urbana, IL, and Lafayette, IN, during 2010 and 2011, using 59 Maturity Group (MG) II cul - tivars (released 1928-2008) at Wisconsin, and 57 MG III cultivars (released 1923-2007) at Illi - nois and Indiana, with targeted planting dates of 1 May and 1 June. Earlier planting provided higher yields (+3.1 kg ha −1 yr −1 ) than late planting in MG III soybean. Seed protein concentration decreased linearly over cultivar year of release at a rate of 0.191 (± 0.069) g kg −1 yr −1 for MG II, and 0.242 (± 0.063) g kg −1 yr −1 for MG III. Seed oil concentration increased over year of release at a rate of 0.142 (± 0.037) g kg −1 yr −1 for MG II, and 0.127 (± 0.039) g kg −1 yr −1 for MG III. The interaction between planting date and cultivar year of release for MG III yield suggested that the trend toward earlier planting is one agro - nomic improvement that, when coupled with genetic improvement, has provided a syner - gistic increase in on-farm soybean yields in the midwestern United States.

A revision of the Mexican and Central American species of Vanilla Plumier ex Miller with a characterization of their ITS region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA

Abstract: We present a revision of the Mexican and Central American species of Vanilla. There are 15 different species in the area; Vanilla costaricensis, V. cribbiana, V. dressleri, V. martinezii and V. sarapiquensis are here proposed as new taxa, and V. pompona subsp. pittieri and V. pompona subsp. grandiflora are recognized at subspecific rank. Vanilla calyculata, V. hartii, V. helleri, V. inodora, V. insignis, V. odorata, V. phaeantha, V. planifolia, V. pompona and V. trigonocarpa are also described, illustrated, and their nomenclature, typification, distribution, and other aspects of interest are discussed. Additionally, we include a key to the species. Several Mexican and Central American species of Vanilla are closely related to V. planifolia, V. x tahitensis, and V. pompona, the cultivated species of the genus, and these are thus important in plant breeding. We also include a cladistic analysis of nucleotidic sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, showing that this popular molecular marker is of sufficient variation to allow for species discrimination, permitting, with some exceptions that are discussed, the recognition of sterile samples and indicating that it is a good molecular marker to infer the phylogeny of this group. The similarity and relationship between V. x tahitensis* and V. odorata is discussed.

Evaluating factors that predict the structure of a commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte network.

Abstract: A central issue in ecology is the understanding of the establishment of biotic interactions. We studied the factors that affect the assembly of the commensalistic interactions between vascular epiphytes and their host plants. We used an analytical approach that considers all individuals and species of epiphytic bromeliads and woody hosts and non-hosts at study plots. We built models of interaction probabilities among species to assess if host traits and abundance and spatial overlap of species predict the quantitative epiphyte–host network. Species abundance, species spatial overlap and host size largely predicted pairwise interactions and several network metrics. Wood density and bark texture of hosts also contributed to explain network structure. Epiphytes were more common on large hosts, on abundant woody species, with denser wood and/or rougher bark. The network had a low level of specialization, although several interactions were more frequent than expected by the models. We did not detect a phylogenetic signal on the network structure. The effect of host size on the establishment of epiphytes indicates that mature forests are necessary to preserve diverse bromeliad communities.

Accumulation of inorganic polyphosphate enables stress endurance and catalytic vigour in Pseudomonas putida KT2440

Abstract: Accumulation of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a persistent trait throughout the whole Tree of Life, is claimed to play a fundamental role in enduring environmental insults in a large variety of microorganisms. The share of polyP in the tolerance of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 to a suite of physicochemical stresses has been studied on the background of its capacity as a host of oxidative biotransformations. Cells lacking polyphosphate kinase (Ppk), which expectedly presented a low intracellular polyP level, were more sensitive to a number of harsh external conditions such as ultraviolet irradiation, addition of β-lactam antibiotics and heavy metals (Cd2+ and Cu2+). Other phenotypes related to a high-energy phosphate load (e.g., swimming) were substantially weakened as well. Furthermore, the ppk mutant was consistently less tolerant to solvents and its survival in stationary phase was significantly affected. In contrast, the major metabolic routes were not significantly influenced by the loss of Ppk as diagnosed from respiration patterns of the mutant in phenotypic microarrays. However, the catalytic vigour of the mutant decreased to about 50% of that in the wild-type strain as estimated from the specific growth rate of cells carrying the catabolic TOL plasmid pWW0 for m- xylene biodegradation. The catalytic phenotype of the mutant was restored by over-expressing ppk in trans. Some of these deficits could be explained by the effect of the ppk mutation on the expression profile of the rpoS gene, the stationary phase sigma factor, which was revealed by the analysis of a P rpoS → rpoS‘-’lacZ translational fusion. Still, every stress-related effect of lacking Ppk in P. putida was relatively moderate as compared to some of the conspicuous phenotypes reported for other bacteria. While polyP can be involved in a myriad of cellular functions, the polymer seems to play a relatively secondary role in the genetic and biochemical networks that ultimately enable P. putida to endure environmental stresses. Instead, the main value of polyP could be ensuring a reservoire of energy during prolonged starvation. This is perhaps one of the reasons for polyP persistence in live systems despite its apparent lack of essentiality.

Barriers and facilitating factors for disease self-management: a qualitative analysis of perceptions of patients receiving care for type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension in San José, Costa Rica and Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico

Abstract: The burden of cardiovascular disease is growing in the Mesoamerican region. Patients’ disease self-management is an important contributor to control of cardiovascular disease. Few studies have explored factors that facilitate and inhibit disease self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in urban settings in the region. This article presents patients’ perceptions of barriers and facilitating factors to disease self-management, and offers considerations for health care professionals in how to support them. In 2011, 12 focus groups were conducted with a total of 70 adults with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension who attended urban public health centers in San Jose, Costa Rica and Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Focus group discussions were transcribed and coded using a content analysis approach to identify themes. Themes were organized using the trans-theoretical model, and other themes that transcend the individual level were also considered. Patients were at different stages in their readiness-to-change, and barriers and facilitating factors are presented for each stage. Barriers to disease self-management included: not accepting the disease, lack of information about symptoms, vertical communication between providers and patients, difficulty negotiating work and health care commitments, perception of healthy food as expensive or not filling, difficulty adhering to treatment and weight loss plans, additional health complications, and health care becoming monotonous. Factors facilitating disease self-management included: a family member’s positive experience, sense of urgency, accessible health care services and guidance from providers, inclusive communication, and family and community support. Financial difficulty, gender roles, differences by disease type, faith, and implications for families and their support were identified as cross-cutting themes that may add an additional layer of complexity to disease management at any stage. These factors also relate to the broader family and societal context in which patients live. People living with type 2 diabetes and hypertension present different barriers and facilitating factors for disease self-management, in part based on their readiness-to-change and also due to the broader context in which they live. Primary care providers can work with individuals to support self-management taking into consideration these different factors and the unique situation of each patient.

Influence of Hydrogreen Bioasphalt on Viscoelastic Properties of Reclaimed Asphalt Mixtures

Abstract: The incorporation of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) into asphalt mixtures exposes some challenges from the design perspective because of the aged asphalt binder in RAP. Steps are being taken to offset the addition of stiff materials, often with the use of rejuvenating additives. This paper summarizes the laboratory evaluation of one of the available bio-rejuvenating agents called BituTech RAP. High RAP content mixtures used in Manitoba, Canada, were evaluated to study the impact of BituTech RAP on the viscoelastic properties of asphalt mixtures to overcome any possible moisture damage or thermal cracking problems that might arise in such a wet-freeze environment. The laboratory experiment consisted of the production and test of mixtures that contained 15% and 50% RAP, with and without BituTech RAP. The 2S2P1D analogical model was used to generate the complex modulus (E*) of the various evaluated mixtures and to assess the influence of BituTech RAP on the storage and loss moduli. The addition of BituTech...

Porcine colonization of the Americas: a 60k SNP story

Abstract: The pig, Sus scrofa, is a foreign species to the American continent. Although pigs originally introduced in the Americas should be related to those from the Iberian Peninsula and Canary islands, the phylogeny of current creole pigs that now populate the continent is likely to be very complex. Because of the extreme climates that America harbors, these populations also provide a unique example of a fast evolutionary phenomenon of adaptation. Here, we provide a genome wide study of these issues by genotyping, with a 60k SNP chip, 206 village pigs sampled across 14 countries and 183 pigs from outgroup breeds that are potential founders of the American populations, including wild boar, Iberian, international and Chinese breeds. Results show that American village pigs are primarily of European ancestry, although the observed genetic landscape is that of a complex conglomerate. There was no correlation between genetic and geographical distances, neither continent wide nor when analyzing specific areas. Most populations showed a clear admixed structure where the Iberian pig was not necessarily the main component, illustrating how international breeds, but also Chinese pigs, have contributed to extant genetic composition of American village pigs. We also observe that many genes related to the cardiovascular system show an increased differentiation between altiplano and genetically related pigs living near sea level.

Seasonal prediction of extreme precipitation events and frequency of rainy days over Costa Rica, Central America, using Canonical Correlation Analysis

Abstract: . High mountains divide Costa Rica, Central America, into two main climate regions, the Pacific and Caribbean slopes, which are lee and windward, respectively, according to the North Atlantic trade winds – the dominant wind regime. The rain over the Pacific slope has a bimodal annual cycle, having two maxima, one in May–June and the other in August-September-October (ASO), separated by the mid-summer drought in July. A first maximum of deep convection activity, and hence a first maximum of precipitation, is reached when sea surface temperature (SST) exceeds 29 °C (around May). Then, the SST decreases to around 1 °C due to diminished downwelling solar radiation and stronger easterly winds (during July and August), resulting in a decrease in deep convection activity. Such a reduction in deep convection activity allows an increase in down welling solar radiation and a slight increase in SST (about 28.5 °C) by the end of August and early September, resulting once again in an enhanced deep convection activity, and, consequently, in a second maximum of precipitation. Most of the extreme events are found during ASO. Central American National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) have periodic Regional Climate Outlook Fora (RCOF) to elaborate seasonal predictions. Recently, meetings after RCOF with different socioeconomic stakeholders took place to translate the probable climate impacts from predictions. From the feedback processes of these meetings has emerged that extreme event and rainy days seasonal predictions are necessary for different sectors. As is shown in this work, these predictions can be tailored using Canonical Correlation Analysis for rain during ASO, showing that extreme events and rainy days in Central America are influenced by interannual variability related to El Nino-Southern Oscillation and decadal variability associated mainly with Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Analyzing the geographical distribution of the ASO-2010 disaster reports, we noticed that they did not necessarily agree with the geographical extreme precipitation event distribution, meaning that social variables, like population vulnerability, should be included in the extreme events impact analysis.

Using geographical information systems to identify populations in need of improved accessibility to antivenom treatment for snakebite envenoming in costa rica.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Snakebite accidents are an important health problem in rural areas of tropical countries worldwide, including Costa Rica, where most bites are caused by the pit-viper Bothrops asper. The treatment of these potentially fatal accidents is based on the timely administration of specific antivenom. In many regions of the world, insufficient health care systems and lack of antivenom in remote and poor areas where snakebites are common, means that efficient treatment is unavailable for many snakebite victims, leading to unnecessary mortality and morbidity. In this study, geographical information systems (GIS) were used to identify populations in Costa Rica with a need of improved access to antivenom treatment: those living in areas with a high risk of snakebites and long time to reach antivenom treatment. METHOD/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: POPULATIONS LIVING IN AREAS WITH HIGH RISK OF SNAKEBITES WERE IDENTIFIED USING TWO APPROACHES: one based on the district-level reported incidence, and another based on mapping environmental factors favoring B. asper presence. Time to reach treatment using ambulance was estimated using cost surface analysis, thereby enabling adjustment of transportation speed by road availability and quality, topography and land use. By mapping populations in high risk of snakebites and the estimated time to treatment, populations with need of improved treatment access were identified. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates the usefulness of GIS for improving treatment of snakebites. By mapping reported incidence, risk factors, location of existing treatment resources, and the time estimated to reach these for at-risk populations, rational allocation of treatment resources is facilitated.