Climate change and cancer: an oncology nurse perspective in two Colombian regions.

Given the lack of publications and public policies addressing the relationship between climate change and cancer care in Colombia, we present an exploration of the perspectives and communication practices of a group of nurses from Valle del Cauca and Antioquia. We provide a context based on the available literature on climate change and general health then provide an overview of cancer in the country. Next, we present how oncology nurses have incorporated information about strategies their patients can use to mitigate the effects of climate change on their health.

Integrating Sensor Models in Deep Learning Boosts Performance: Application to Monocular Depth Estimation in Warehouse Automation.

Deep learning is the mainstream paradigm in computer vision and machine learning, but performance is usually not as good as expected when used for applications in robot vision. The problem is that robot sensing is inherently active, and often, relevant data is scarce for many application domains. This calls for novel deep learning approaches that can offer a good performance at a lower data consumption cost.

Predictive value of spindle retardance in embryo implantation rate.

Purpose: We evaluated the relationship between meiotic spindle characteristics and in vitro fertilization cycle outcome.

Methods: Five hundred sixty-nine oocytes from 86 in vitro fertilization cycles were analyzed for fertilization and subsequent implantation rates. Oocytes were assessed for maturation status.

Nitrogen and amino acids in nectar modify food selection of nectarivorous bats.

1. Chiropterophilic flowers secrete sugar nectar with low-Nitrogen (N hereafter) content and small amounts of amino acids, which may function to attract animals; nevertheless, the role that micronutrients have on the foraging decisions of Neotropical nectarivorous bats is unknown. 2.

Fission yeast Ags1 confers the essential septum strength needed for safe gradual cell abscission.

Fungal cytokinesis requires the assembly of a dividing septum wall. In yeast, the septum has to be selectively digested during the critical cell separation process. Fission yeast cell wall α(1-3)glucan is essential, but nothing is known about its localization and function in the cell wall or about cooperation between the α- and β(1-3)glucan synthases Ags1 and Bgs for cell wall and septum assembly.

Differential activities of three families of specific beta(1,3)glucan synthase inhibitors in wild-type and resistant strains of fission yeast.

Three specific β(1,3)glucan synthase (GS) inhibitor families, papulacandins, acidic terpenoids, and echinocandins, have been analyzed in Schizosaccharomyces pombe wild-type and papulacandin-resistant cells and GS activities. Papulacandin and enfumafungin produced similar in vivo effects, different from that of echinocandins. Also, papulacandin was the strongest in vitro GS inhibitor (IC(50) 10(3)-10(4)-fold lower than with enfumafungin or pneumocandin), but caspofungin was by far the most efficient antifungal because of the following.

Suitability of GRIND-based principal properties for the description of molecular similarity and ligand-based virtual screening.

The information provided by the alignment-independent GRid Independent Descriptors (GRIND) can be condensed by the application of principal component analysis, obtaining a small number of principal properties (GRIND-PP), which is more suitable for describing molecular similarity. The objective of the present study is to optimize diverse parameters involved in the obtention of the GRIND-PP and validate their suitability for applications, requiring a biologically relevant description of the molecular similarity. With this aim, GRIND-PP computed with a collection of diverse settings were used to carry out ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) on standard conditions.

Slt2 and Rim101 contribute independently to the correct assembly of the chitin ring at the budding yeast neck in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the simultaneous absence of Slt2 and Rim101 prevents growth in nonosmotically stabilized media (F. Castrejon et al., Eukaryot.

Development and validation of AMANDA, a new algorithm for selecting highly relevant regions in Molecular Interaction Fields.

Descriptors based on Molecular Interaction Fields (MIF) are highly suitable for drug discovery, but their size (thousands of variables) often limits their application in practice. Here we describe a simple and fast computational method that extracts from a MIF a handful of highly informative points (hot spots) which summarize the most relevant information. The method was specifically developed for drug discovery, is fast, and does not require human supervision, being suitable for its application on very large series of compounds.

The (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase subunit Bgs1p is responsible for the fission yeast primary septum formation.

Cytokinesis is a crucial event in the cell cycle of all living cells. In fungal cells, it requires co-ordinated contraction of an actomyosin ring and synthesis of both plasmatic membrane and a septum structure that will constitute the new cell wall end. Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains four essential putative (1,3)beta-d-glucan synthase catalytic subunits, Bgs1p to Bgs4p.

Chitin synthase III requires Chs4p-dependent translocation of Chs3p into the plasma membrane.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Chs4p is required for chitin synthase III (CSIII) activity and hence for chitin synthesis. This protein is transported in vesicles in a polarized fashion independently of the other Chs proteins. Its association with membranes depends not only on prenylation, but also on its interaction with other proteins, mainly Chs3p, which is the catalytic subunit of CSIII and is able to properly direct Chs4p to the bud neck in the absence of prenylation.

[Social learning of optimal responding and producer-scrounger strategies in flocks of pigeons].

Social learning of optimal responding and producer-scrounger strategies in flocks of pigeons. This experiment evaluated the effect of varying the effort required in order to access food upon the acquisition of a novel response, and upon utilizing producer-scrounger strategies, in flocks of pigeons exposed to an expert conspecific. Flocks of naïve observers were exposed to a pigeon trained to open the seals on food deposits.

Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil and extracts of Cordia curassavica (Boraginaceae).

In traditional Mexican medicine Cordia curassavica (Jacq) Roemer & Schultes is used to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory and dermatological disorders in Zapotitlán de las Salinas, Puebla (México). The aim of this work was to investigate antimicrobial activity of the essential oil, obtained by using Clevenger distillation apparatus, and hexane, chloroform and methanol extracts from aerial parts of Cordia curassavica. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against 13 bacteria and five fungal strains.

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe cfr1+ gene participates in mating through a new pathway that is independent of fus1+.

Conjugation is a complex event directed to ensure the transfer of genetic material, which is achieved by the union of two cells. In fungi, success of this relevant process requires digestion of the cell wall at the point where both cells have agglutinated and, later, the union of the plasma membranes and nuclei from the mating partners. In order to gain information about cell fusion, we have cloned and disrupted the cfr1+ gene from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Cell integrity signaling activation in response to hyperosmotic shock in yeast.

Current progress highlights the role of the yeast cell wall as a highly dynamic structure that responds to many environmental stresses. Here, we show that hyperosmotic shock transiently activates the PKC signaling pathway, a response that requires previous activation of the HOG pathway. Phosphorylation of Slt2p under such conditions is related to changes in the glycerol turnover and is mostly Mid2p dependent, suggesting that changes in cell turgor, mediated by intracellular accumulation of glycerol, are sensed by PKC sensors to promote the cell integrity response.

Candida albicans strains deficient in CHS7, a key regulator of chitin synthase III, exhibit morphogenetic alterations and attenuated virulence.

Chitin is a structural polysaccharide present in most fungal cell walls, whose synthesis depends on a family of enzymic activities named chitin synthases (CSs). The specific role of each of them, as well as of their regulatory proteins, in cell morphogenesis and virulence is not well understood. Here, it is shown that most chitin synthesis in Candida albicans, one of the fungi most commonly isolated from opportunistic mycoses and infections, depends on CHS7.

Numerical study of size-structured population models: a case of Gambussia affinis.

We study, from a numerical point of view, some properties of a model which describes the evolution of a population of Gambussia affinis. Our model includes sufficiently smooth vital functions. First we select, among four numerical methods of second order, the most appropriate in terms of adaptation to the problem.

The alpha-glucanase Agn1p is required for cell separation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Background Information: In animal cells, cytokinesis occurs by constriction of an actomyosin ring. In fission yeast, ring constriction is followed by deposition of a multilayered division septum that must be cleaved to release the two daughter cells. Although many studies have focused on the actomyosin ring and septum assembly, little is known about the later steps involving the cleavage of the cell wall.

Synthase III-dependent chitin is bound to different acceptors depending on location on the cell wall of budding yeast.

In yeast, chitin is laid down at three locations: a ring at the mother-bud neck, the primary septum and, after cytokinesis, the cell wall of the daughter cell. Some of the chitin is free and the remainder attached to beta(1-3)glucan or beta(1-6)glucan. We recently reported that the chitin ring contributes to the prevention of growth at the mother-bud neck and hypothesized that this inhibition is achieved by a preferential binding of chitin to beta(1-3)glucan at that site.

The novel fission yeast (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase catalytic subunit Bgs4p is essential during both cytokinesis and polarized growth.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains four putative (1,3)beta-D-glucan synthase (GS) catalytic subunits, Bgs1p-4p. In this work, we cloned bgs4+ and show that Bgs4p is the only subunit found to be a part of the GS enzyme and essential for maintaining cell integrity during cytokinesis and polarized growth. Here we show that bgs4+, cwg1+ (cwg1-1 shows reduced cell-wall beta-glucan and GS catalytic activity) and orb11+ (orb11-59 is defective in cell morphogenesis) are the same gene.

An in vitro assay for (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucan synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

(1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucan is a key cell wall component of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans. Many genes are known to affect the levels or structure of this glucan, but their roles and a molecular description of the synthesis of (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucan remain to be established and a method to measure (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucan synthase activity in vitro would provide an enabling tool. Here, conditions for the detection of in vitro synthesis of this polymer are described.

In Schizosaccharomyces pombe chs2p has no chitin synthase activity but is related to septum formation.

Chitin synthesis occurs in most fungi through the action of different chitin synthase (CS) isoenzymes. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe the chs2(+) gene codes for a protein with significant similarity to CS enzymes, but lacking most of the residues considered to be essential for activity, including the QRRRW domain. Here we show that chs2p is a functional protein that localises to the growing edge of the septum but is not a CS enzyme.

Bgs3p, a putative 1,3-beta-glucan synthase subunit, is required for cell wall assembly in Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

beta-Glucans are the main components of the fungal cell wall. Fission yeast possesses a family of beta-glucan synthase-related genes. We describe here the cloning and characterization of bgs3(+), a new member of this family.

Numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 17 and 18 in sporadic colorectal cancer: Incidence and correlation with clinical and biological findings and the prognosis of the disease.

Background: In recent years important information has accumulated on the genetic alterations present in colorectal tumors. However, thus far few studies have analyzed the impact of numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 17 and 18, which carry the p53 and DCC plus SHAD4/DPC4 genes involved in colorectal cancer, on the clinical and biological behaviors of the disease.

Methods: With the use of interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we analyzed the incidence of numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 17 and 18 in a series of malignant colorectal tumors and explored its potential association with clinicobiological behavior and the prognosis of the disease.