Evaluación de una clave taxonómica, para la identificación de los géneros de helechos (Monilophyta), en Guatemala / Evaluation of a taxonomic key, for the identification of fern genera (Monilophyta), in Guatemala

El desarrollo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación han llevado a un cambio en la manera en que se realizan las actividades de diferentes disciplinas, incluso de las más tradicionalistas, como la taxonomía botánica. Se documentó la revisión y validación colaborativa de la primera versión de una clave dicotómica para la identificación taxonómica de los géneros de helechos en Guatemala. Con este esfuerzo, se fundamentó la elaboración de una clave mejorada, su segunda versión, la cual se espera sea accesible para usuarios entrenados en morfología botánica, pero no especializados en la taxonomía específica de los helechos. La segunda versión supera las dificultades que fueron analizadas sobre la primera, y agrega contenido útil para la identificación más precisa de los géneros. Se presentan, además, los siguientes documentos suplementarios en versión electrónica: la versión más actualizada de la clave dicotómica, una lista anotada de la taxonomía supra específica de helechos en Guatemala y una lista de algunos sinónimos taxonómicos de los nombres científicos actuales, respecto a los utilizados en la Flora Mesoamericana. Esta experiencia representa un avance en la transformación de la botánica taxonómica, ya que trasciende de ser una disciplina practicada por pocos, donde prevalece sobre todo el criterio de una autoridad casi incuestionable, a una práctica colaborativa, donde el conocimiento se difunde desde la formulación y revisión de los instrumentos taxonómicos. Se espera que todos estos documentos puedan continuar siendo actualizados de manera dinámica, como un avance de la aplicación de las nuevas tecnologías a la taxonomía botánica.

The procedures of several scientific disciplines are changing with the spreading of new information and communication technologies, even the most traditional, like botanical taxonomy. Here we document the review and validation, by collaborative efforts, on the first version of the taxonomic key for the identification of the fern genera in Guatemala. An upgraded version was composed which is easier to follow and more precise. It is intended to be accessible for a wide range of interested people, more than just the fern specialists. Along with this paper, electronic supplementary documents are published too, including the most recent version of the key, an annotated list of taxonomic categories of ferns of Guatemala in the supra-specific levels, and some lists of taxonomic synonymy of the currently valid names, with reference to the old names used in Flora Mesoamericana. With this experience a new milestone has been reached by the national taxonomy, getting over the old paradigm in which taxonomy was an exclusive practice, endeavored by few authorities, to become a more inclusive discipline, embracing the development and revision of its instruments. In the future, we hope to maintain updated all these documents in a more dynamic way, applying new technologies to the taxonomic botany practices.

A Calibration Device to Compare Body Plethysmographs Among Pediatric Lung Function Laboratories.

Multi-center studies in specific airway resistance have shown significant inter laboratory variability. Comparison of plethysmographic equipment using a lung model easily transportable from one site to another should be of help to international normative studies. A resistor made of parallel capillary tubes - insuring adequate linearity within 1 L/sec - was connected to a glass bottle. Thermal time constants were measured while the bottle was empty and while stuffed with steel wool. In the latter, isothermal condition was estimated to occur only at very low frequency (around 0.01 Hz) and gas compression was polytropic up to 0.6 Hz. With the empty analog, adiabatic gas compression was estimated to occur at frequencies ≥0.2 Hz, and more accurate volume estimation was obtained. The empty analog volume and specific resistance measured in a body plethysmograph on different days indicated within 5% accuracy as well as intersession repeatability. It is concluded that a physical analog built out of simple material provides accurate measurements of specific resistance. The apparatus should be of help to compare plethysmographic equipments from different laboratories.

The Genetic Etiology of Tourette Syndrome: Large-Scale Collaborative Efforts on the Precipice of Discovery.

Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by multiple motor and phonic tics. It has a complex etiology with multiple genes likely interacting with environmental factors to lead to the onset of symptoms. The genetic basis of the disorder remains elusive. However, multiple resources and large-scale projects are coming together, launching a new era in the field and bringing us on the verge of discovery. The large-scale efforts outlined in this report are complementary and represent a range of different approaches to the study of disorders with complex inheritance. The Tourette Syndrome Association International Consortium for Genetics (TSAICG) has focused on large families, parent-proband trios and cases for large case-control designs such as genomewide association studies (GWAS), copy number variation (CNV) scans, and exome/genome sequencing. TIC Genetics targets rare, large effect size mutations in simplex trios, and multigenerational families. The European Multicentre Tics in Children Study (EMTICS) seeks to elucidate gene-environment interactions including the involvement of infection and immune mechanisms in TS etiology. Finally, TS-EUROTRAIN, a Marie Curie Initial Training Network, aims to act as a platform to unify large-scale projects in the field and to educate the next generation of experts. Importantly, these complementary large-scale efforts are joining forces to uncover the full range of genetic variation and environmental risk factors for TS, holding great promise for identifying definitive TS susceptibility genes and shedding light into the complex pathophysiology of this disorder.

Looking back at the years 1970-1984: a personal view.

This is a psychiatrist's journey through teaching, research and making friends of professional colleagues. It also chronicles the research done in the Department of Psychiatry at KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India and the important influences over the author's life.

Aspects of the design protocol and the statistical methods for analysis of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yields in cigarette smoke that can affect the measurement variability within collaborative studies.

Statistical principles described in ISO 5725-1 (1994) are a robust basis for evaluating cigarette smoke data from collaborative studies under the ISO 3308 machine smoking and for specifying the criteria for the removal of outlier data and determination of mean yields and their variability. However, the standard only provides recommendations on outlier removal that should be taken into account by experts who undertake data interpretation. The potential for over-interpretation of data from small numbers of laboratories is highlighted and recommendations made to deal with this possibility. Key variables to the statistical analysis, the number of cigarettes per replicate and replicates performed in each laboratory, the number of participating laboratories and the use of linear and rotary smoking machines in smoke collection, are identified and their relevance to obtaining robust data are considered. The statistical methods routinely used for data analysis from the ISO regime, are re-assessed for their suitability to analyse data obtained under the Canadian intense (CI) regime, where yield differences between linear and rotary smoking machines are found. This machine effect can lead to more outliers being detected and difficulties in outlier detection which may affect the provision of robust estimates of mean yields, repeatability and reproducibility.

Genome-wide association study identifies TH1 pathway genes associated with lung function in asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND: Recent meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies in general populations of European descent have identified 28 loci for lung function. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify novel lung function loci specifically for asthma and to confirm lung function loci identified in general populations. METHODS: Genome-wide association studies of lung function (percent predicted FEV1 [ppFEV1], percent predicted forced vital capacity, and FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio) were performed in 4 white populations of European descent (n = 1544), followed by meta-analyses. RESULTS: Seven of 28 previously identified lung function loci (HHIP, FAM13A, THSD4, GSTCD, NOTCH4-AGER, RARB, and ZNF323) identified in general populations were confirmed at single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) levels (P < .05). Four of 32 loci (IL12A, IL12RB1, STAT4, and IRF2) associated with ppFEV1 (P < 10(-4)) belong to the TH1 or IL-12 cytokine family pathway. By using a linear additive model, these 4 TH1 pathway SNPs cumulatively explained 2.9% to 7.8% of the variance in ppFEV1 values in 4 populations (P = 3 × 10(-11)). Genetic scores of these 4 SNPs were associated with ppFEV1 values (P = 2 × 10(-7)) and the American Thoracic Society severe asthma classification (P = .005) in the Severe Asthma Research Program population. TH2 pathway genes (IL13, TSLP, IL33, and IL1RL1) conferring asthma susceptibility were not associated with lung function. CONCLUSION: Genes involved in airway structure/remodeling are associated with lung function in both general populations and asthmatic subjects. TH1 pathway genes involved in anti-virus/bacterial infection and inflammation modify lung function in asthmatic subjects. Genes associated with lung function that might affect asthma severity are distinct from those genes associated with asthma susceptibility.

Validación de métodos alternativos para análisis microbiológico de alimentos y aguas / Validation of alternative methods for the microbiological analysis of food products and water

El empleo de métodos microbiológicos alternativos para la detección de microorganismos es una herramienta importante para garantizar la inocuidad de alimentos y aguas. Numerosos y diversos métodos alternativos para microbiología se comercializan actualmente gracias a avances recientes, sobre todo en el campo de la biotecnología. Para que un nuevo método microbiológico sea aceptado, su fabricante debe demostrar su adecuación. En una primera revisión, se realizó el análisis de los principales parámetros determinados en la validación de los métodos microbiológicos cualitativos. El objetivo de esta segunda parte consiste en abordar los indicadores más importantes a considerar para los métodos microbiológicos cuantitativos

The use of alternative microbiological methods for the detection of microorganisms is an important tool to ensure the safety of food products and water. A large number of alternative microbiological methods are currently available on the market, thanks to recent advances mainly in the field of biotechnology. In order for a new microbiological method to be accepted, its manufacturer must prove its adequacy. In a first review, an analysis was made of the main parameters determined for the validation of qualitative microbiological methods. The purpose of this second part is to approach the most important indicators to be considered for quantitative microbiological methods

Validación de métodos alternativos para análisis microbiológico de alimentos y aguas / Validation of alternative methods for the microbiological analysis of food products and water

El empleo de métodos microbiológicos alternativos para la detección de microorganismos es una herramienta importante para garantizar la inocuidad de alimentos y aguas. Numerosos y diversos métodos alternativos para microbiología se comercializan actualmente gracias a avances recientes, sobre todo en el campo de la biotecnología. Para que un nuevo método microbiológico sea aceptado, su fabricante debe demostrar su adecuación. En una primera revisión, se realizó el análisis de los principales parámetros determinados en la validación de los métodos microbiológicos cualitativos. El objetivo de esta segunda parte consiste en abordar los indicadores más importantes a considerar para los métodos microbiológicos cuantitativos(AU)

The use of alternative microbiological methods for the detection of microorganisms is an important tool to ensure the safety of food products and water. A large number of alternative microbiological methods are currently available on the market, thanks to recent advances mainly in the field of biotechnology. In order for a new microbiological method to be accepted, its manufacturer must prove its adequacy. In a first review, an analysis was made of the main parameters determined for the validation of qualitative microbiological methods. The purpose of this second part is to approach the most important indicators to be considered for quantitative microbiological methods(AU)

Validación de métodos alternativos para análisis microbiológico de alimentos y aguas: métodos cualitativos / Validation of alternative methods for microbiological analysis of foods and water: qualitative methods

Internacionalmente han aumentado las exigencias para la adopción de nuevos métodos microbiológicos para el análisis de aguas y alimentos. Estos son adoptados cuando ofrecen rapidez, menor laboriosidad, son más sencillos, entre otras ventajas. Para lograr este objetivo, es necesario demostrar su fiabilidad y la equivalencia en relación con los métodos tradicionales existentes. En Cuba esta temática es relativamente incipiente, por lo tanto, resulta oportuno realizar una revisión bibliográfica sobre esta materia. El objetivo de esta primera revisión consiste en abordar los parámetros más significativos relacionados con la validación de métodos microbiológicos cualitativos alternativos(AU)

Internationally the demands for the adoption of new microbiological methods for the analysis of waters and foods have increased. These are adopted when they are high-speed, less laborious, more easy, among other advantages. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to demonstrate their reliability and the equivalence according to the existent traditional methods. In Cuba this topic is relatively incipient, therefore it is appropriate to carry out a review on this matter. The objective of this first revision consists on approaching the more significant parameters related with the validation of alternative qualitative microbiological methods(AU)

Validación de métodos alternativos para análisis microbiológico de alimentos y aguas. cualitativos / Validation of alternative methods for microbiological analysis of foods and water. Qualitative methods

Internacionalmente han aumentado las exigencias para la adopción de nuevos métodos microbiológicos para el análisis de aguas y alimentos. Estos son adoptados cuando ofrecen rapidez, menor laboriosidad, son más sencillos, entre otras ventajas. Para lograr este objetivo, es necesario demostrar su fiabilidad y la equivalencia en relación con los métodos tradicionales existentes. En Cuba esta temática es relativamente incipiente, por lo tanto, resulta oportuno realizar una revisión bibliográfica sobre esta materia. El objetivo de esta primera revisión consiste en abordar los parámetros más significativos relacionados con la validación de métodos microbiológicos cualitativos alternativos.

Internationally the demands for the adoption of new microbiological methods for the analysis of waters and foods have increased. These are adopted when they are high-speed, less laborious, more easy, among other advantages. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to demonstrate their reliability and the equivalence according to the existent traditional methods. In Cuba this topic is relatively incipient, therefore it is appropriate to carry out a review on this matter. The objective of this first revision consists on approaching the more significant parameters related with the validation of alternative qualitative microbiological methods.