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In this study, we investigated the mechanical behavior of pristine copper (Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) and Cu@graphene (Cu@G) hybrid NPs using molecular dynamics simulations. The longitudinal engineering strain was calculated as a measure of compression until reaching 25% of the initial size of the NPs. The stress-strain curves revealed the elastic-to-plastic transition in the Cu NPs at a longitudinal strain of 3.57% with a yield strength of 6.15 GPa. On the other hand, the Cu@G NPs exhibited a maximum average load point at a longitudinal strain of 6.81% with a yield strength of 8.26 GPa. The hybrid Cu@G NPs showed increased strength and resistance to plastic deformation compared to the pure Cu NPs, while the calculation of the elastic modulus indicated a higher load resistance provided by the graphene coverage for the Cu@G NPs. Furthermore, the analysis of atomic configurations, dislocations, and stress distribution demonstrated that the graphene flakes play a crucial role in preventing dislocation events and faceting in the Cu@G NPs by acting as a shock absorber, distributing the applied force on themselves, and producing a more homogeneous stress distribution on the Cu NPs; additionally, they prevent the movement of Cu atoms, reducing the occurrence of dislocations and surface faceting, thanks to their supportive effect. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of hybrid nanomaterials, such as Cu@G, for enhancing the mechanical properties of metallic NPs, which could have significant implications for the development of advanced nanomaterials with improved performance in a variety of applications.

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El mercurio es un metal tóxico que puede atravesar la placenta y la barrera hematoencefálica, y causar la interrupción de varios procesos celulares. Estudios han investigado la exposición al mercurio y trastornos en el neurodesarrollo, por lo que se requiere un análisis crítico y riguroso de esta evidencia. El objetivo de esta revisión fue evaluar la evidencia científica disponible sobre los efectos de la exposición al mercurio durante las etapas prenatal y posnatal, y su relación con el desarrollo de trastornos neuroconductuales. Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en las bases de datos MEDLINE y ScienceDirect; los resultados se presentaron a través de tablas y síntesis narrativa. Solo 31 estudios cumplieron los criterios de elegibilidad. En general, la evidencia es limitada sobre los efectos de la exposición al mercurio y trastornos del neurodesarrollo en niños. Entre los posibles efectos reportados, se hallan problemas en el aprendizaje, autismo y trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad.

Mercury is a toxic metal which can cross the placenta and the blood-brain barrier and cause the disruption of various cellular processes. Studies have investigated mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders; therefore, a critical and rigorous analysis of this evidence is required. The objective of this review was to evaluate the available scientific evidence on the effects of mercury exposure during the prenatal and postnatal periods and its relationship with the development of neurobehavioral disorders. A systematic search of the MEDLINE and ScienceDirect databases was conducted; the results were presented in tables and narrative synthesis. Only 31 studies met the eligibility criteria. Overall, the evidence on the effects of mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders in children is limited. Learning disabilities, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were some of the reported potential effects.

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Mercury is a toxic metal which can cross the placenta and the blood-brain barrier and cause the disruption of various cellular processes. Studies have investigated mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders; therefore, a critical and rigorous analysis of this evidence is required. The objective of this review was to evaluate the available scientific evidence on the effects of mercury exposure during the prenatal and postnatal periods and its relationship with the development of neurobehavioral disorders. A systematic search of the MEDLINE and ScienceDirect databases was conducted; the results were presented in tables and narrative synthesis. Only 31 studies met the eligibility criteria. Overall, the evidence on the effects of mercury exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders in children is limited. Learning disabilities, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were some of the reported potential effects.

El mercurio es un metal tóxico que puede atravesar la placenta y la barrera hematoencefálica, y causar la interrupción de varios procesos celulares. Estudios han investigado la exposición al mercurio y trastornos en el neurodesarrollo, por lo que se requiere un análisis crítico y riguroso de esta evidencia. El objetivo de esta revisión fue evaluar la evidencia científica disponible sobre los efectos de la exposición al mercurio durante las etapas prenatal y posnatal, y su relación con el desarrollo de trastornos neuroconductuales. Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en las bases de datos MEDLINE y ScienceDirect; los resultados se presentaron a través de tablas y síntesis narrativa. Solo 31 estudios cumplieron los criterios de elegibilidad. En general, la evidencia es limitada sobre los efectos de la exposición al mercurio y trastornos del neurodesarrollo en niños. Entre los posibles efectos reportados, se hallan problemas en el aprendizaje, autismo y trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad.

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In this work, nanoindentation of spherical NiCo nanoalloys with core-shell and random mixing patterns was studied, and we compared them against monometallic nanoparticles in order to investigate how the mechanical response may be influenced by the elemental distribution and the proportion of each element. Independently of the mixing patterns, plasticity begins with the nucleation of Shockley partial dislocations (SPDs) at the nanoparticle surface, on several slip planes, which leads to the appearance of sessile dislocations and either a stacking fault pyramid (SFP) or an open pyramid at the poles of the spherical nanoalloys. SPDs leave behind stacking faults but, for core-shell structures, the formation of nanotwins was also observed. It was also found that the presence of Co in the external shell of the nanoparticle has the effect of raising the yield strength, which could be interpreted in terms of unstable stacking fault energy. These results have relevance in the design of nanoalloys, since elemental distribution and stoichiometry can be used to tune the desired mechanical properties of the nanoparticle.

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Peru is an important center of diversity for maize; its different cultivars have been adapted to distinct altitudes and water availability and possess an array of kernel colors (red, blue, and purple), which are highly appreciated by local populations. Specifically, Peruvian purple maize is a collection of native landraces selected and maintained by indigenous cultures due to its intense purple color in the seed, bract, and cob. This color is produced by anthocyanin pigments, which have gained interest due to their potential use in the food, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industry. It is generally accepted that the Peruvian purple maize originated from a single ancestral landrace 'Kculli', but it is not well understood. To study the origin of the Peruvian purple maize, we assembled the plastid genomes of the new cultivar 'INIA 601' with a high concentration of anthocyanins, comparing them with 27 cultivars/landraces of South America, 9 Z. mays subsp. parviglumis, and 5 partial genomes of Z. mays subsp. mexicana. Using these genomes, plus four other maize genomes and two outgroups from the NCBI database, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationship of Z. mays. Our results suggest a polyphyletic origin of purple maize in South America and agree with a complex scenario of domestication with recurrent gene flow from wild relatives. Additionally, we identify 18 plastid positions that can be used as high-confidence genetic markers for further studies. Altogether, these plastid genomes constitute a valuable resource to study the evolution and domestication of Z. mays in South America.

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Capirona (Calycophyllum spruceanum Benth.) belongs to subfamily Ixoroideae, one of the major lineages in the Rubiaceae family, and is an important timber tree. It originated in the Amazon Basin and has widespread distribution in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil. In this study, we obtained the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of capirona from the department of Madre de Dios located in the Peruvian Amazon. High-quality genomic DNA was used to construct libraries. Pair-end clean reads were obtained by PE 150 library and the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The complete cp genome of C. spruceanum has a 154,480 bp in length with typical quadripartite structure, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (84,813 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,101 bp), separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,783 bp). The annotation of C. spruceanum cp genome predicted 87 protein-coding genes (CDS), 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and one pseudogene. A total of 41 simple sequence repeats (SSR) of this cp genome were divided into mononucleotides (29), dinucleotides (5), trinucleotides (3), and tetranucleotides (4). Most of these repeats were distributed in the noncoding regions. Whole chloroplast genome comparison with the other six Ixoroideae species revealed that the small single copy and large single copy regions showed more divergence than inverted regions. Finally, phylogenetic analyses resolved that C. spruceanum is a sister species to Emmenopterys henryi and confirms its position within the subfamily Ixoroideae. This study reports for the first time the genome organization, gene content, and structural features of the chloroplast genome of C. spruceanum, providing valuable information for genetic and evolutionary studies in the genus Calycophyllum and beyond.

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Here, we report the first complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Cinchona officinalis. This cp genome has a 156,984 bp in length with typical quadripartite structure, containing a large single copy (LSC) region (83,929 bp) and an 18,051 bp small single-copy (SSC) region, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions (27,502 bp). The total GC content was 37.75%. Quina tree chloroplast genome possesses 135 genes that consisted of 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA, eight rRNA, and one pseudogene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. officinalis is sister to C. pubescens and sister to them is Isertia laevis; all belong to the Cinchonoideae sub-family.

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To report a case of a 20-year-old woman who developed massive and progressive corneal remodeling in both eyes after bilateral PRK with mitomycin and CXL as an elective refractive procedure for mild keratoconus. The patient had 6 years of follow up, initially presenting with focal steepening of up to 20 diopters on both eyes one-and-a-half- years postoperatively that spontaneously reversed over the next five years while the high order aberrations worsened. At the present time, the patient depends on bilateral scleral contact lenses for her day-to-day activities. The use of combined elective PRK with mitomycin and prophylactic CXL could lead to progressive corneal deformation. Additional reports would help to establish the role of this combination procedure among the armamentarium to visually rehabilitate patients with keratoconus.

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Tomato susceptibility/resistance to stem canker disease caused by Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici and its pathogenic factor AAL-toxin is determined by the presence of the Asc1 gene. Several cultivars of commercial tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum, SLL) are reported to have a mutation in Asc1, resulting in their susceptibility to AAL-toxin. We evaluated 119 ancestral tomato accessions including S. pimpinellifolium (SP), S. lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (SLC) and S. lycopersicum var. lycopersicum "jitomate criollo" (SLJ) for AAL-toxin susceptibility. Three accessions, SP PER018805, SLC PER018894, and SLJ M5-3, were susceptible to AAL-toxin. SLC PER018894 and SLJ M5-3 had a two-nucleotide deletion (nt 854_855del) in Asc1 identical to that found in SLL cv. Aichi-first. Another mutation (nt 931_932insT) that may confer AAL-toxin susceptibility was identified in SP PER018805. In the phylogenetic tree based on the 18 COSII sequences, a clade (S3) is composed of SP, including the AAL-toxin susceptible PER018805, and SLC. AAL-toxin susceptible SLC PER018894 and SLJ M5-3 were in Clade S2 with SLL cultivars. As SLC is thought to be the ancestor of SLL, and SLJ is an intermediate tomato between SLC and SLL, Asc1s with/without the mutation seem to have been inherited throughout the history of tomato domestication and breeding.

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English is the lingua franca for scientific communication, but some journals, especially in developing countries, still publish non-English studies. A shift towards publishing in English may promote internationalization and more visibility of scientific journals. Here we compared quality indexes between Brazilian journals that have always published in English and journals that have published in languages other than English. We also investigated whether a temporal shift towards publishing in English led to elevated quality measures. Our analyses covered 16 Brazilian biodiversity journals and accounted for 12640 papers published since 2007. The mean impact factor was on average 55% higher in journals that have published consistently in English, compared to the so-called multilanguage journals. The proportion of publications in English increased to nearly three times the original value in multilanguage journals between 2007 and 2016, and the impact factor tripled during this period. At the same time, the Qualis-Capes classifications (B1-B2-B3) tended to fall. Publishing in English can be a first step to increased visibility, and this is particularly important for biodiversity journals, since Brazilian ecosystems are considered of interest to the international scientific community and nature conservation.

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Resumen El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar la relación entre la inteligencia emocional, el burnout académico y el rendimiento escolar en una muestra de 1756 estudiantes adolescentes pertenecientes a nueve centros de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO). Los instrumentos utilizados fueron las versiones españolas del Traid Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) y el Maslach Burnout Inventory Student-Survey (MBI-SS); y el rendimiento escolar se cuantificó a través de la nota media de cada alumno. Se realizó un estudio ex post-facto de carácter prospectivo con un diseño descriptivo simple. Los resultados mostraron relaciones positivas del rendimiento escolar con las dimensiones de comprensión y regulación emocional, así como con la eficacia académica; y relación negativa con el agotamiento físico/ emocional y cinismo. Los resultados resaltan la influencia de los recursos personales asociados a la inteligencia emocional en la prevención de la aparición del burnout, así como en la mejora de la eficacia personal que pueda conducir a un mayor rendimiento. Se desprende la necesidad de promover las habilidades emocionales en el aula como facilitadoras de las actitudes positivas hacia el desempeño escolar y la prevención del burnout académico.

Abstract This paper aimed to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence, academic burnout and school performance in a sample of 1.756 adolescent students belonging to 9 compulsory secondary education (ESO) centers. The instruments used were the Spanish versions of the Traid Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24), the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS); school performance was quantified through the average mark of each student. A prospective ex post facto study was conducted with a simple descriptive design. The results showed positive relationships of school performance with the dimensions of understanding and emotional regulation, as well as with academic effectiveness, and negative relationships with physical/emotional exhaustion and cynicism. The results highlight the influence of personal resources associated with emotional intelligence in preventing burnout, as well as personal effectiveness improvement that can lead to greater performance. The need to promote emotional skills in the classroom as facilitators of positive attitudes for school performance and the prevention of academic burnout is revealed.

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Objetivo: la finalidad de la presente investigación fue la de analizar las relaciones entre los constructos de la inteligencia emocional, el burnout, el engagement académico y el rendimiento escolar en 1756 estudiantes en etapa Secundaria de 9 centros educativos. Materiales y métodos: los instrumentos utilizados para dicho trabajo fueron las versiones traducidas al castellano del Traid Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24), el Maslach Burnout Inventory­Student Survey (MBI-SS) y Utrecht Work Engagement Scale­Student (UWES-S). Por su parte, el rendimiento escolar se midió por medio de la nota media del alumnado. Resultados: los resultados arrojaron relaciones positivas de las variables más autodeterminadas como resultan la inteligencia emocional y el engagement académico con el rendimiento escolar en un claro patrón de conductas más adaptativas. Por otro lado, puntuaciones más bajas en inteligencia emocional y burnout académico correlacionaron con menores puntuaciones de rendimiento escolar. Conclusiones: se desprende la importancia de la promoción de variables emocionales en clase para facilitar comportamientos positivos y autodeterminados que faciliten el rendimiento del alumnado así como la prevención del burnout potenciando el desarrollo educativo de los mismos..(AU)

Objective: the aim of this research was to analyze the relationship between constructs of emotional intelligence, burnout, academic engagement and school performance in 1756 students in Secondary stage of 9 highschools. Materials and methods: the instruments used for this research were the spanish translated versions of Traid Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24), the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student (UWES-S). On the other hand, the school performance was measured by means of the average mark of the students. Results:the results showed positive relationships of the most self-determined variables such as emotional intelligence and academic engagement with school performance in a clear pattern of more adaptive behaviors. On the other hand, lower scores in emotional intelligence and academic burnout correlated with lower school performance scores. Conclusions: the importance of the promotion of emotional variables in class to facilitate positive and self-determined behaviors that facilitate the performance of students as well as the prevention of burnout enhancing their educational development..(AU)

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The Rapid Alkalinization Factor (RALF) is a plant hormone peptide that inhibits proton transport causing alkalinization of the extracellular media. To detect the alkalinization response elicited by RALF peptides in root cells, Arabidopsis seedlings are carefully transferred to a gel containing the pH-sensitive indicator bromocresol purple, treated with the peptide and photographed after 30 min. Herein the protocol is optimized for evaluation of exogenous treatment, described in detail and expected results are presented.

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Objetivo: reportar las características y descenlaces de pacientes con queratoprótesis Boston tipo 1. Diseño: estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transversal. Método: se incluyeron los pacientes operados con queratoprótesis Boston tipo 1 residentes en Colombia, mayores de 17 años, sin queratoprótesis previas y que tuviera más de 6 meses de seguimiento, para un total de 39 ojos de 39 pacientes. La cirugía se indicó en los casos con o sin queratoplastia previa que tuvieran agudeza visual (AV) igual o inferior a cuenta dedos y déficit de limbo bilateral o vascularización corneal profunda en más de 3 cuadrantes. Se recolectó y analizó la información de la historia clínica en forma retrospectiva y prospectiva. Las variables principales fueron: agudeza visual, retención del dispositivo y complicaciones. Se realizó un análisis univariado presentando los resultados en frecuencias absolutas y porcentajes para las variables categóricas y para las variables cuantitativas como promedio y desviación estándar (DE) si tienen distribución normal o como mediana y rango intercuartil si no tienen distribución normal. Resultados: La mediana de seguimiento fue de 53.5 meses (rango 6 meses a 10 años). La mayoría de pacientes (66.7%) habían tenido previamente queratoplastia penetrante. El diagnóstico de base fue en 53.8% condiciones no inflamatorias yen 46.2% condiciones inflamatorias. La AV preoperatoria en todos los ojos estaba entre percepción de luz y cuenta dedos; posterior a la cirugía el 97.4% tuvieron mejoría de la AV. Para el fi nal del seguimiento la AV permaneció mejor que la preoperatoria en 53.8%, fue igual a esta en 17.94% y peor que esta en 28.2%. Hubo necrosis periprostética en 28.2%, y 38.5% tuvieron recambio del dispositivo. Al final del seguimiento 89.7% de los pacientes tenían una queratoprótesis in-situ. Conclusión: la queratoprótesis Boston tipo 1 es una opción viable para mejorar la AV en pacientes con trasplantes de córnea fallidos o en quienes se prevé alta tasa de fallo o rechazo de este. En la gran mayoría de los pacientes se logra mejoría inicial significativa de la AV, la cual se mantiene al final del seguimiento en más de la mitad de ellos. Refinamientos progresivos en la técnica quirúrgica y el manejo postoperatorio disminuirán las complicaciones que llevan a la perdida visual progresiva

Purpose: to report characteristics and outcomes in patients with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis. Design: observational descriptive cross-sectional study. Method: Patients with Boston type 1 queratoprosthesis who were living in Colombia, 17 years or older, without previous keratoprosthesis and with more than 6 months follow up were included, for a fi nal of 39 eyes from 39 patients. Surgery was indicated for those with or without previous keratoplasty who had visual acuity (VA) of counting fi ngers or worse and bilateral limbal stem cell deficiency or deep corneal vascularization in more than 3 quadrants. Information was collected retrospectively and prospectively from medical registries and was analyzed. Main variables were: visual acuity, device retention and complications. An univariate analysis was conducted and results are presented in absolute frequencies and percentages for categoric variables and for quantitative variables in average and standard deviation (SD) if they have normal distribution and in median and interquartile range if they do not have normal distribution. Results: Median follow up was 53.5 months (range 6 months to 10 years). Most patients (66.7%) had previous penetrating keratoplasty. Baseline diagnoses were in 53.8% non-infl ammatory conditions and in 46.2% inflammatory conditions. Preoperative VA ranged between light perception and counting fingers in all eyes; aft er surgery 97.4% had improvement in VA. By the end of follow up VA remained better than preoperative in 53.8%, was the same as preoperative in 17.94% and worse than preoperative in 28.2%. There was periprosthetic necrosis in 28.2%, and 38.5% had keratoprothesis exchange. At the end of follow up 89.7% of patients had a keratoprosthesis in-situ. Conclusion: Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis is a viable option to improve VA in patients with previously failed corneal transplants or in cases that anticipate bad prognosis for keratoplasty. In most patients there was a signifi cant initial improvement in vision, and more than half of them retained better than initial VA on their last follow up. Further refinements in surgical technique and postoperative care would decrease complications that lead to progressive visual loss.

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The rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) peptide negatively regulates cell expansion, and an antagonistic relationship has been demonstrated between AtRALF1, a root-specific RALF isoform in Arabidopsis, and brassinosteroids (BRs). An evaluation of the response of BR signaling mutants to AtRALF1 revealed that BRI1-associated receptor kinase1 (bak1) mutants are insensitive to AtRALF1 root growth inhibition activity. BAK1 was essential for the induction of AtRALF1-responsive genes but showed no effect on the mobilization of Ca2+ and alkalinization responses. Homozygous plants accumulating AtRALF1 and lacking the BAK1 gene did not exhibit the characteristic semi-dwarf phenotype of AtRALF1-overexpressors. Biochemical evidence indicates that AtRALF1 and BAK1 physically interact with a Kd of 4.6 µM and acridinium-labeled AtRALF1 was used to demonstrate that part of the specific binding of AtRALF1 to intact seedlings and to a microsomal fraction derived from the roots of Arabidopsis plants is BAK1-dependent. Moreover, AtRALF1 induces an increase in BAK1 phosphorylation, suggesting that the binding of AtRALF1 to BAK1 is functional. These findings show that BAK1 contains an additional AtRALF1 binding site, indicating that this protein may be part of a AtRALF1-containing complex as a co-receptor, and it is required for the negative regulation of cell expansion.

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Desarrollar un servicio de asesoría en línea para la gestión tecnológica en salud, que contribuya a realizar procesos de evaluación y adquisición de equipos médicos según el mercado y las necesidades de las instituciones de salud. Materiales y métodos. Se desarrolló una solución tecnológica vía Internet soportada en una base de datos con información sistematizada y actualizada de especificaciones técnicas de 25 equipos médicos, precios referenciales, lista de proveedores, representantes y/o fabricantes y normas técnicas, así como un servicio de asesoría técnica ôvirtualõ. La validación del servicio se realizó mediante la participación de especialistas en el tema de gestión de tecnologías en salud, de diferentes disciplinas y que laboraban en entidades de salud, públicas y privadas. Ellos utilizaron el servicio durante un período para comprobar su factibilidad de uso. A dichos expertos se les aplico una encuesta antes y después de darles a conocer el software desarrollado en el presente proyecto. Resultados. Se encontró que es usual el uso de Internet para buscar información sobre equipos médicos. Asimismo, se observó un incremento sobre la opinión de que el aplicativo será de ayuda en las adquisiciones de equipos biomédicos (de 40 a 78%), mejorará el sistema de información (de 40 a 89%) y la comunicación entre médicos, enfermeras, planificadores, ingenieros y demás profesionales que participan en dicho proceso (de 20 a 78%). Conclusiones. Existe la necesidad de tener disponible una herramienta tecnológica con tales características que contribuya a la gestión tecnológica en el Perú...

To validate an advisory service and online information technology management for health and helps to make assessment and acquisition processes an informed medical equipment according to the market and the needs of thehealth institutions. Materials and methods. Internet via a technological solution supported on a data base containing systematic and updated information on technical specifications of 25 compared medical equipment, the same reference prices, list of suppliers, agents and / or producers and technical standards are developed. The õvirtualõ technical assistance was made with the support of a team of specialists in Health Technology Management, the decision makers in the planning, evaluation and procurement of biomedical equipment. The validation of the service was conducted by involving specialists in the field of Health Technology Management, from different disciplines and institutions who worked in health, public and private. They used the service for a period of time to verify its feasibility of use as well as its usefulness for their planning, evaluation and procurement of biomedical equipment. To these experts we applied a survey before and afterthem about the software developed in this project. Results. We found that it is common to use the internet to search forinformation on medical equipment. Also, an increase on the view that the application will help in procurement of biomedical equipment (40% to 78%) was observed, it will improve the information system (40% to 89%) and communication among physicians, nurses, planners, engineers and other professionals involved in this process (20% to 78%). Conclusions. There is a need for a technological tool available with such features contribute to technology management in Peru...

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OBJECTIVE: To validate an advisory service and online information technology management for health and helps to make assessment and acquisition processes an informed medical equipment according to the market and the needs of the health institutions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Internet via a technological solution supported ona data base containing systematic and updated information on technical specifications of 25 compared medical equipment, the same reference prices, list of suppliers, agents and / or producers and technical standards are developed. The"virtual" technical assistance was made with the support of a team of specialists in Health Technology Management, the decision makers in the planning, evaluation and procurement of biomedical equipment. The validation of the service was conducted by involving specialists in the field of Health Technology Management, from different disciplines and institutions who worked in health, public and private. They used the service for a period of time to verify its feasibility of use as well as its usefulness for their planning, evaluation and procurement of biomedical equipment. To these experts we applied a survey before and after them about the software developed in this project. RESULTS: We found that it is common to use the internet to search for information on medical equipment.Also,an increase on the view that the application will help in procurement of biomedical equipment(40% to 78%) was observed, it will improve the information system(40% to 89%) and communication among physicians,nurses, planners, engineers and other professionals involved in this process(20% to 78%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for a technological tool available with such features contribute to technology management in Peru.

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Rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) is a peptide signal that plays a basic role in cell biology and most likely regulates cell expansion. In this study, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines with high and low levels of AtRALF1 transcripts were used to investigate this peptide's mechanism of action. Overexpression of the root-specific isoform AtRALF1 resulted in reduced cell size. Conversely, AtRALF1 silencing increased root length by increasing the size of root cells. AtRALF1-silenced plants also showed an increase in the number of lateral roots, whereas AtRALF1 overexpression produced the opposite effect. In addition, four AtRALF1-inducible genes were identified: two genes encoding proline-rich proteins (AtPRP1 and AtPRP3), one encoding a hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (AtHRPG2), and one encoding a xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (TCH4). These genes were expressed in roots and involved in cell-wall rearrangement, and their induction was concentration dependent. Furthermore, AtRALF1-overexpressing plants were less sensitive to exogenous brassinolide (BL); upon BL treatment, the plants showed no increase in root length and a compromised increase in hypocotyl elongation. In addition, the treatment had no effect on the number of emerged lateral roots. AtRALF1 also induces two brassinosteroid (BR)-downregulated genes involved in the BR biosynthetic pathway: the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHISM AND DWARFISM (CPD) and DWARF4 (DWF4). Simultaneous treatment with both AtRALF1 and BL caused a reduction in AtRALF1-inducible gene expression levels, suggesting that these signals may compete for components shared by both pathways. Taken together, these results indicate an opposing effect of AtRALF1 and BL, and suggest that RALF's mechanism of action could be to interfere with the BR signalling pathway.

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