Millifluidic valves and pumps made of tape and plastic.

There is growing interest in producing micro- and milli-fluidic technologies made of thermoplastic with integrated fluidic control elements that are easy to assemble and suitable for mass production. Here, we developed millifluidic valves and pumps made of acrylic layers bonded with double-sided tape that are simple and fast to assemble. We demonstrate that a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) is flexible enough to be deformed at relatively low pressures. A chemical treatment deposited on specific regions of the PSA prevents it from sticking to the thermoplastic, which enabled us to create three different types of valves in normally open or closed configurations. We characterized different aspects of their performance, their operating pressures, the cut-off pressure values to open or close the valves (for different configurations and sizes), and the flow rate and volume pumped by seven different micropumps. As an application, we implemented a glucose assay with integrated pumps and valves, automatically generating glucose dilutions and reagent mixing. The ability to create polymeric microfluidic control units made with tape paves the way for their mass manufacturing.

Factores de riesgo en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 con y sin hipertensión arterial. Lodana, Manabí-Ecuador

Introducción: la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) y la hipertensión arterial (HTA) corresponden al grupo de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ECNT) que se han presentado con mayor frecuencia a nivel mundial. Los pacientes que padecen DM2 con o sin HTA presentan estilos de vida poco saludables, que deben ser estudiados a través de instrumentos estandarizados. Objetivos: evaluar los factores de riesgo en pacientes con DM2 con y sin HTA que acuden al club de diabéticos del centro de salud del cantón Santa Ana en la parroquia de Lodana de la provincia de Manabí, Ecuador, en el período de octubre 2021 a marzo 2022. Metodología: se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo, transversal. Se empleó un muestreo no probabilístico consecutivo obteniendo 44 pacientes que cumplían los criterios de inclusión. La muestra fue dividida en 2 grupos: 34 pacientes con DM2 y 10 pacientes con DM2 y HTA. A ambos grupos se les aplicó dos cuestionarios: uno sobre las características socio demográficas y el cuestionario IMEVID. Para el procesamiento y análisis de la información se elaboró una hoja de registro en Excel con la información obtenida de los cuestionarios aplicados. Los resultados fueron expresados en frecuencia relativa y porcentajes. Resultados: respecto a las características sociodemográficas se evidenció que en ambos grupos predominó el estado civil casado y la escolaridad primaria. En relación con la ocupación los pacientes del grupo DM2 manifestaron dedicarse a las labores del hogar y los pacientes del grupo DM2 y HTA son activos laboralmente. En cuanto al estilo de vida, se evaluaron las dimensiones correspondientes a nutrición, actividad física, tabaquismo, alcoholismo. Se obtuvieron resultados similares en ambos grupos estudiados. Conclusión: el estilo de vida llevado con mayor frecuencia en ambos grupos de pacientes es aquel relacionado a malos hábitos alimenticios y tendencias sedentarias.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and arterial hypertension (HTA) correspond to the group of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) that have occurred most frequently worldwide. Patients suffering from DM2 with or without AHT have unhealthy lifestyles, which must be studied using standardized instruments. Objective: To evaluate the risk factors in patients with DM2 with and without AHT who attend the diabetic club of the health center of the Santa Ana canton in the parish of Lodana in the province of Manabí, Ecuador, from October 2021 to March. 2022. Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional observational study was carried out. Consecutive non-probabilistic sampling was used, obtaining 44 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The sample was divided into 2 groups: 34 patients with DM2 and 10 patients with DM2 and HTA. Two questionnaires were applied to both groups: one on sociodemographic characteristics and the IMEVID questionnaire. For the processing and analysis of the information, a record sheet was prepared in Excel with the information obtained from the applied questionnaires. The results were expressed in relative frequency and percentages. Results: Regarding the sociodemographic characteristics, it was evidenced that in both groups the married marital status and primary schooling predominated. In relation to occupation, the patients of the DM2 group stated that they dedicated themselves to housework and the patients of the DM2 and HTA group were active at work. Regarding lifestyle, the dimensions corresponding to nutrition, physical activity, smoking, and alcoholism were evaluated. Similar results were obtained in both groups studied. Conclusion: The lifestyle followed most frequently in both groups of patients was that related to bad eating habits and sedentary tendencies.

Promoting solution-phase superlattices of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals.

We present a size-selective method for purifying and isolating perovskite CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs) that preserves their as-synthesized surface chemistry and extremely high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs). The isolation procedure is based on the stepwise evaporation of nonpolar co-solvents with high vapor pressure to promote precipitation of a size-selected product. As the sample fractions become more uniform in size, we observe that the NCs self-assemble into colloidally stable, solution-phase superlattices (SLs). Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies show that the solution-phase SLs contain 1000s of NCs per supercrystal in a simple cubic, face-to-face packing arrangement. The SLs also display systematically faster radiative decay dynamics and improved PLQYs, as well as unique spectral absorption features likely resulting from inter-particle electronic coupling effects. This study is the first demonstration of solution-phase CsPbBr3 SLs and highlights their potential for achieving collective optoelectronic phenomena previously observed from solid-state assemblies.

Inhibition of Phytopathogenic and Beneficial Fungi Applying Silver Nanoparticles In Vitro.

In the current research, our work measured the effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) synthesized from Larrea tridentata (Sessé and Moc. ex DC.) on the mycelial growth and morphological changes in mycelia from different phytopathogenic and beneficial fungi. The assessment was conducted in Petri dishes, with Potato-Dextrose-Agar (PDA) as the culture medium; the AgNP concentrations used were 0, 60, 90, and 120 ppm. Alternaria solani and Botrytis cinerea showed the maximum growth inhibition at 60 ppm (70.76% and 51.75%). Likewise, Macrophomina spp. required 120 ppm of AgNP to achieve 65.43%, while Fusarium oxisporum was less susceptible, reaching an inhibition of 39.04% at the same concentration. The effect of silver nanoparticles was inconspicuous in Pestalotia spp., Colletotrichum gloesporoides, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Trichoderma viridae fungi. The changes observed in the morphology of the fungi treated with nanoparticles were loss of definition, turgidity, and constriction sites that cause aggregations of mycelium, dispersion of spores, and reduced mycelium growth. AgNP could be a sustainable alternative to managing diseases caused by Alternaria solani and Macrophomina spp.

A high-throughput DNA sequencing study of fecal bacteria of seven Mexican horse breeds.

Horses are non-ruminant, herbivorous mammals, been used through history for various purposes, with a gut microbiota from cecum to the colon, possessing remarkable fermentative capacity. We studied the fecal microbiota of Azteca, Criollo, Frisian, Iberian, Pinto, Quarter and Spanish horse breeds living in Mexico by next-generation DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries. Dominant phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, Fibrobacteres, Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobia have different relative abundances among breeds, with contrasted alpha and beta diversities as well. Heatmap analysis revealed that Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Mogibacteriaceae families, and order Clostridiales are more abundant in Spanish, Azteca, Quarter and Criollo breeds. The LEfSe analysis displayed higher abundance of order Bacteroidales, family BS11, and genera Faecalibacterium, Comamonas, Collinsella, Acetobacter, and Treponema in Criollo, Azteca, Iberian, Spanish, Frisian, Pinto, and Quarter horse breeds. The conclusion is that dominant bacterial taxa, found in fecal samples of horse breeds living in Mexico, have different relative abundances.

Microfluidic systems for the analysis of blood-derived molecular biomarkers.

Biomarkers are relevant indicators of the physiological state of an individual. Although biomarkers can be found in diseased tissue and different biofluids, sampling from blood plasma is relatively easy and less invasive. Among the molecular biomarkers that can be found circulating in plasma are proteins, metabolites, nucleic acids, and exosomes. Some of these plasma-circulating biomarkers are now employed for patient stratification in a broad range of diseases with high sensitivity and specificity and are useful in early diagnosis, initial risk assessment, and therapy selection. However, there is a pressing need to develop novel approaches for biomarker analysis that can be translated into clinical or other settings without complex methodologies or instrumentation. Microfluidics has been touted as a promising technology to carry out this task because it offers high-throughput, automation, multiplexed detection, and portability, possibly overcoming the bottleneck that prevent the translation of novel biomarkers to the point-of-care (POC). Here, we provide a review of the microfluidic systems that have been engineered to detect circulating molecular biomarkers in blood plasma. We also review the different microfluidic approaches for plasma enrichment, which are now being integrated with microfluidic-based biomarker analyzers. Such integration should lead to cost-effective solutions in in vitro diagnostics, with special relevance to POC platforms.

Fructose ingestion modifies NMDA receptors and exacerbates the seizures induced by kainic acid.

Fructose ingestion elicits a diversity of brain alterations, but it is unknown how it affects N-methyl-D-Aspartate receptors (NMDAr). Here, we analyzed the expression of NMDAr subunits and protein kinases after the long-term dietary fructose intake. Since NMDAr are related to epileptogenesis, we also examined whether fructose increases the susceptibility to seizures after the microinjection of kainic acid (KA) in the rat hippocampus. Wistar rats were randomly divided into water (control) and fructose groups. For twelve weeks, groups had ad libitum access to water or fructose solution (10% w/v). After treatment, hippocampal protein expression of NMDAr subunits and protein kinases involved in NMDAr regulation were analyzed. Additionally, electroencephalographic and behavioral changes related to seizures were evaluated after the microinjection of a sub-convulsive dose of KA in the hippocampus. Fructose induced the decrease of NR1 and, conversely, the increase of NR2A subunits expression in the hippocampus. Also, the phosphorylation of protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) and c-Src increased significantly. No electroencephalographic or behavioral patterns related to convulsive motor seizures were observed in the control group. However, all the rats that ingested fructose showed stage 3 seizures (forelimb clonus) and a significant increase in the number of wet-dog shakes. Moreover, electroencephalographic recordings revealed pronounced epileptiform activity and increased total spectral power at 30 and 60 min after the microinjection of KA. This study shows for the first time that fructose intake exacerbates the seizures induced by KA. Therefore, we propose that this proconvulsant effect could be mediated by changes in NMDAr subunits expression and increased activation of kinases modulating NMDAr function.

A high-throughput multiplexed microfluidic device for COVID-19 serology assays.

The applications of serology tests to the virus SARS-CoV-2 are diverse, ranging from diagnosing COVID-19, understanding the humoral response to this disease, and estimating its prevalence in a population, to modeling the course of the pandemic. COVID-19 serology assays will significantly benefit from sensitive and reliable technologies that can process dozens of samples in parallel, thus reducing costs and time; however, they will also benefit from biosensors that can assess antibody reactivities to multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Here, we report a high-throughput microfluidic device that can assess antibody reactivities against four SARS-CoV-2 antigens from up to 50 serum samples in parallel. This semi-automatic platform measures IgG and IgM levels against four SARS-CoV-2 proteins: the spike protein (S), the S1 subunit (S1), the receptor-binding domain (RBD), and the nucleocapsid (N). After assay optimization, we evaluated sera from infected individuals with COVID-19 and a cohort of archival samples from 2018. The assay achieved a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 91%. Nonetheless, both parameters increased to 100% when evaluating sera from individuals in the third week after symptom onset. To further assess our platform's utility, we monitored the antibody titers from 5 COVID-19 patients over a time course of several weeks. Our platform can aid in global efforts to control and understand COVID-19.

Whole-brain irradiation differentially modifies neurotransmitters levels and receptors in the hypothalamus and the prefrontal cortex.

BACKGROUND: Whole-brain radiotherapy is a primary treatment for brain tumors and brain metastasis, but it also induces long-term undesired effects. Since cognitive impairment can occur, research on the etiology of secondary effects has focused on the hippocampus. Often overlooked, the hypothalamus controls critical homeostatic functions, some of which are also susceptible after whole-brain radiotherapy. Therefore, using whole-brain irradiation (WBI) in a rat model, we measured neurotransmitters and receptors in the hypothalamus. The prefrontal cortex and brainstem were also analyzed since they are highly connected to the hypothalamus and its regulatory processes. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were exposed to WBI with 11 Gy (Biologically Effective Dose = 72 Gy). After 1 month, we evaluated changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, taurine, aspartate, glutamate, and glutamine in the hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, and brainstem according to an HPLC method. Ratios of Glutamate/GABA and Glutamine/Glutamate were calculated. Through Western Blott analysis, we measured the expression of GABAa and GABAb receptors, and NR1 and NR2A subunits of NMDA receptors. Changes were analyzed comparing results with sham controls using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: WBI with 11 Gy induced significantly lower levels of GABA, glycine, taurine, aspartate, and GABAa receptor in the hypothalamus. Also, in the hypothalamus, a higher Glutamate/GABA ratio was found after irradiation. In the prefrontal cortex, WBI induced significant increases of glutamine and glutamate, Glutamine/Glutamate ratio, and increased expression of both GABAa receptor and NMDA receptor NR1 subunit. The brainstem showed no statistically significant changes after irradiation. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that WBI can affect rat brain regions differently and opens new avenues for study. After 1 month, WBI decreases inhibitory neurotransmitters and receptors in the hypothalamus and, conversely, increases excitatory neurotransmitters and receptors in the prefrontal cortex. Increments in Glutamate/GABA in the hypothalamus and Glutamine/Glutamate in the frontal cortex indicate a neurochemical imbalance. Found changes could be related to several reported radiotherapy secondary effects, suggesting new prospects for therapeutic targets.

Potential use of waste from tree pruning and recovered plastic to obtain a building material: Case study of Merida, Mexico.

This work presents a study on the use of wood and plastic wastes generated in abundance in Merida, Mexico, to help to reduce them in order to mitigate environmental deterioration. The use of these wastes is proposed to obtain a low-cost building material. So, the escalation process (i.e., extrusion) at the pilot level to obtain a prototype of a wood-plastic composite (WPC) corrugated sheet to evaluate the technical feasibility to make a low-cost product is reported. A corrugated sheet with recycled high-density polyethylene (R-HDPE) was produced. The R-HDPE was collected from Merida's Separation Plant. The wood came from the trimmings of different varieties of trees and shrubs that are periodically pruned. WPC sheets with virgin HDPE were prepared to assess its effect on the materials' mechanical performance. The wood/HDPE weight ratio was 40/60. The performance of the WPC sheets was compared with that of commercial products with similar characteristics, namely acrylic and polyester sheets reinforced with fibreglass, and black asphalt-saturated cardboard sheets. Thus, the effect of natural weathering on the maximum tensile tearing force and on the maximum flexural load of the different types of sheets was evaluated. Although the mechanical performance of the WPC sheets was lower than that of the acrylic and polyacrylic sheets, their performance was much better than that of the cheap black asphalt-saturated cardboard sheets. So, they are a good option to be used as low-cost temporary roofing.

Profiling of bacterial and fungal communities of Mexican cheeses by high throughput DNA sequencing.

Cheese is a live food whose preparation involves procedures and microbial communities playing an important role for the final product. We characterized the bacterial and fungal diversity of seventeen different Mexican cheeses by high-throughput DNA sequencing of 16S/18S rDNA libraries. We propose the existence of bacterial and fungal core communities, where at genera level, bacteria include Streptococcus spp., Lactococcus spp., Lactobacillus spp., Aerococcus spp., and Weisella spp. while at species level, the fungal community includes Galactomyces reessii, Scheffersomyces stipitis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast), and S. cerevisiae_rm11-1a. In addition to the bacterial and fungal core communities, we found members of the cheese microbiota that could be associated to other factors of the cheese manufacturing process. Co-occurrence analysis made in this work, indicates that bacterial and fungal communities maintain positive and negative interactions which are important to shape the resident microbial communities in cheeses. This work is a contribution to the description of the microbial diversity found in some Mexican cheeses.

Satisfacción de usuarios en servicios recreativos y deportivos en el contexto universitario / Satisfaction of users in recreational and sports services in the university context / Satisfação de usuarios em servicios recreativos e deportivos en el contexto universitário

Se aborda la prestación del servicio desde un enfoque basado en la calidad, con la finalidad de conocer el grado de satisfacción de usuarios en programas recreativos, deportivos y de formación continua en un centro de extensión universitario. En perspectiva cuantitativa, empleó un estudio no experimental descriptivo, de corte transversal, que diseñó, validó y aplicó un cuestionario identificando la dimensión profesor como la de mayor valoración, y la de costo del servicio, sin ser negativa, como la más baja. En prospectiva, genera rutas para la calidad del servicio como tendencia y preocupación actual en organizaciones e instituciones de educación superior. Permite continuar indagaciones desde la mejora continua, el cambio y la planificación estratégica desde dimensiones como: curso, profesor, instalaciones, inscripciones y matrículas, comunicación y costo. Brinda a directivos la posibilidad de reconocer sus habilidades en la toma de decisiones basada en evidencias científicas.

The provision of the service is approached from a quality-based approach, in order to know the degree of satisfaction of users in recreational, sports and continuing education programs in a university extension center. In quantitative perspective, it used a non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study that designed, validated and applied a questionnaire identifying the teacher dimension as the highest value and the cost of service, without being negative, the lowest. In prospective, it generates routes for quality of service as a trend and current concern in higher education organizations and institutions. It allows to continue inquiries from continuous improvement, change and strategic planning from dimensions such as: course, teacher, facilities, registration, communication and cost. Provides managers with the possibility of recognizing their decision-making skills based on scientific evidence.

A prestação do serviço é abordada a partir de uma abordagem de qualidade, a fim de conhecer o grau de satisfação dos usuários em programas recreativos, esportivos e de educação continuada em um centro de extensão universitária. No ponto de vista quantitativo, é usado um descritivo, em corte transversal, que concebida, validado e aplicado um questionário identificando a dimensão professor quanto maior valorização e custo do serviço, sem ser negativo, o menor não experimental. Em perspectiva, gera rotas de qualidade de serviço como tendência e atual preocupação em organizações e instituições de ensino superior. Permite continuar as investigações de melhoria contínua, mudança e planejamento estratégico a partir de dimensões como: curso, professor, instalações, inscrição, comunicação e custo. Fornece aos gerentes a possibilidade de reconhecer suas habilidades de tomada de decisão com base em evidências científicas.

Bacillus methylotrophicus M4-96 isolated from maize (Zea mays) rhizoplane increases growth and auxin content in Arabidopsis thaliana via emission of volatiles.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria stimulate plant growth and development via different mechanisms. In this study, we characterized the effect of volatiles from Bacillus methylotrophicus M4-96 isolated from the maize rhizosphere on root and shoot development, and auxin homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phytostimulation occurred after 4 days of interaction between M4-96 and Arabidopsis grown on opposite sides of divided Petri plates, as revealed by enhanced primary root growth, root branching, leaf formation, and shoot biomass accumulation. Analysis of indole-3-acetic acid content revealed two- and threefold higher accumulation in the shoot and root of bacterized seedlings, respectively, compared to uninoculated plants, which was correlated with increased expression of the auxin response marker DR5::GUS. The auxin transport inhibitor 1-naphthylphthalamic acid inhibited primary root growth and lateral root formation in axenically grown seedlings and antagonized the plant growth-promoting effects of M4-96. Analysis of bacterial volatile compounds revealed the presence of four classes of compounds, including ten ketones, eight alcohols, one aldehyde, and two hydrocarbons. However, the abundance of ketones and alcohols represented 88.73 and 8.05%, respectively, of all airborne signals detected, with acetoin being the main compound produced. Application of acetoin had a different effect from application of volatiles, suggesting that either the entire pool or acetoin acting in concert with another unidentified compound underlies the strong phytostimulatory response. Taken together, our results show that B. methylotrophicus M4-96 generates bioactive volatiles that increase the active auxin pool of plants, stimulate the growth and formation of new organs, and reprogram root morphogenesis.

Homologous recombination and dynamics of rhizobial genomes.

The nitrogen-fixing bacteria commonly known as rhizobia are attractive organisms due to their symbiotic association with legume plants. Their genomes contain a large number of redundant genetic elements. These reiterations might participate in homologous recombination events and lead to diverse genomic rearrangements. Here we analyze the role of homologous recombination in the dynamics of these bacterial genomes, as well as its possible biological consequences.

The first direct synthesis of beta-unsubstituted meso-decamethylcalix[5]pyrrole.

The first direct synthesis of beta-unsubstituted meso-decamethylcalix[5]pyrrole from pyrrole and acetone, with moderate yield, is described. The results showed that a bismuth salt was necessary to obtain calix[5]pyrrole, with the best results obtained using Bi(NO(3))(3).

Panorama nutricional de la población menor de 5 años en la jurisdicción sanitaria Ecatepec México / Nutritional status of preschool children of Ecatepec sanitary district

El trabajo de investigación determinó el estado nutricional de los menores de 5 años de la Jurisdicción Sanitaria del Municipio de Ecatepec, así como la relación de estos resultados con algunos factores de riesgo nutricional. La muestra fue de tipo aleatorio sistemático y correspondió a 3% de la población total de ese grupo de edad. Las tablas de la OMS/NCHS de peso-edad, talla-edad fueron tomadas como patrón de referencia para la clasificación de los datos y el punto de corte utilizado fue +- 2 DS. Se utilizó además el criterio de clasificación morfológica del Dr. Ramos Galván. Se encontró que el 80,8% de niños estaban en la categoría normal; el resto corresponde a diferentes grupos de riesgo, predominando las secuelas nutricionales (8,5%), desnutrición aguda (4,8%) y desnutrición crónica descompensada (4,0%). De los factores de riesgo estudiados los que tienen mayor influencia en el estado nutricional son el peso al nacer y la escolaridad de la madre, los cuales serán tomados en cuenta para la aplicación de los programas educativos nutricionales