El siglo XVI en novelas y cuentos históricos peruanos contemporáneos

A través de una serie de relatos históricos de escritores peruanos, se explican las principales características de este tipo de narrativa en el Perú contemporáneo, empezando por el interés de los autores por el período colonial, y, dentro de él, por el siglo XVI. En el análisis queda patente la importancia concedida al primer siglo de la Colonia, como momento de forja de la identidad peruana, así como la calidad de algunos de estos relatos, poco conocidos fuera del Perú. This article analyses the main features of the historical tales and contemporary novels in peru. The writers of these works have been attracted by this colonial period, especially, the Sixteenth Century. This analysis shows the importance of this period as the moment in which Peruvian identify is formed

Mammalian Innate Immune Response to a Leishmania-Resident RNA Virus Increases Macrophage Survival to Promote Parasite Persistence.

Some strains of the protozoan parasite Leishmania guyanensis (L.g) harbor a viral endosymbiont called Leishmania RNA virus 1 (LRV1). LRV1 recognition by TLR-3 increases parasite burden and lesion swelling in vivo. However, the mechanisms by which anti-viral innate immune responses affect parasitic infection are largely unknown. Upon investigating the mammalian host's response to LRV1, we found that miR-155 was singularly and strongly upregulated in macrophages infected with LRV1+ L.g when compared to LRV1- L.g. LRV1-driven miR-155 expression was dependent on TLR-3/TRIF signaling. Furthermore, LRV1-induced TLR-3 activation promoted parasite persistence by enhancing macrophage survival through Akt activation in a manner partially dependent on miR-155. Pharmacological inhibition of Akt resulted in a decrease in LRV1-mediated macrophage survival and consequently decreased parasite persistence. Consistent with these data, miR-155-deficient mice showed a drastic decrease in LRV1-induced disease severity, and lesional macrophages from these mice displayed reduced levels of Akt phosphorylation

An Autonomous Robotic System for Mapping Abandoned Mines

We present the software architecture of a robotic system for mapping abandoned mines. The software is capable of acquiring consistent 2D maps of large mines with many cycles, represented as Markov random fields. 3D C-space maps are acquired from local 3D range scans, which are used to identify navigable paths using A* search. Our system has been deployed in three abandoned mines, two of which inaccessible to people, where it has acquired maps of unprecedented detail and accuracy

What money cannot buy : a new approach to measure venture capital ability to add non-financial resources

Grounding our work on the resource-based view of the firm, we study and quantify the impact of non-financial resources added by venture capital (VC) on the growth performance of investee companies. While most of the literature compares VC-backed companies with similar companies that did not receive external financing, our originality stems from the use of a counterfactual of companies that received external quasi-equity financing (in the form of participative loans) but not non-financial resources. We use a difference-in-difference (DD) estimator to disentangle the effect of an injection of financial resources (which can be used by companies to acquire non-financial resources) from the contribution of the unique non-financial resources brought in by VC (which companies cannot otherwise acquire). Our results are based on a large sample of young Spanish SMEs that received either VC (915) or participative loans (1551) between 2005 and 2013 as first type of financing. We find that the contribution of the non-financial resources leads to yearly increases of 12.86% in employment, 38.13% in total assets, and 54.03% in sales. Furthermore, we find that only the most experienced VC firms contribute with valuable non-financial resources

Los Contemporáneos: vanguardia poética mexicana

El artículo analiza el surgimiento del grupo de poetas, las claves para considerarlos grupo o generación, sus colaboraciones en revistas literarias, especialmente en la que les da el nombre, Contemporáneos (1928-1931), los rasgos vanguardistas de sus producciones y la polémica que se organizó en torno a ellos por la ausencia del tema político-social en sus obras durante la época que florece la novela de la Revolución mexicana y grupos de poesía comprometida. The article analyses the appearance of this group of poets, the keys to consider them a group or a generation, their collaborations in literary magazines—specially in the one that gives them their name: Contemporáneos (1928-1931)—, the avant-garde features of their production and the polemic organized around them because of the absence of the social and political theme in their works during a period in which the novel of the Mexican Revolution and groups of committed poetry were flourishing

Multi-target genome editing reduces polyphenol oxidase activity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains

Introduction: Polyphenol oxidases (PPO) are dual activity metalloenzymes that catalyse the production of quinones. In plants, PPO activity may contribute to biotic stress resistance and secondary metabolism but is undesirable for food producers because it causes the discolouration and changes in flavour profiles of products during post-harvest processing. In wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), PPO released from the aleurone layer of the grain during milling results in the discolouration of flour, dough, and end-use products, reducing their value. Loss-of-function mutations in the PPO1 and PPO2 paralogous genes on homoeologous group 2 chromosomes confer reduced PPO activity in the wheat grain. However, limited natural variation and the proximity of these genes complicates the selection of extremely low-PPO wheat varieties by recombination. The goal of the current study was to edit all copies of PPO1 and PPO2 to drive extreme reductions in PPO grain activity in elite wheat varieties. Results: A CRISPR/Cas9 construct with one single guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting a conserved copper binding domain was used to edit all seven PPO1 and PPO2 genes in the spring wheat cultivar ‘Fielder’. Five of the seven edited T1 lines exhibited significant reductions in PPO activity, and T2 lines had PPO activity up to 86.7% lower than wild-type. The same construct was transformed into the elite winter wheat cultivars ‘Guardian’ and ‘Steamboat’, which have five PPO1 and PPO2 genes. In these varieties PPO activity was reduced by >90% in both T1 and T2 lines. In all three varieties, dough samples from edited lines exhibited reduced browning. Discussion: This study demonstrates that multi-target editing at late stages of variety development could complement selection for beneficial alleles in cropbreeding programs by inducing novel variation in loci inaccessible to recombinatio

Trained Immunity Confers Prolonged Protection From Listeriosis.

Trained immunity refers to the ability of the innate immune system exposed to a first challenge to provide an enhanced response to a secondary homologous or heterologous challenge. We reported that training induced with β-glucan one week before infection confers protection against a broad-spectrum of lethal bacterial infections. Whether this protection persists over time is unknown. To tackle this question, we analyzed the immune status and the response to Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) of mice trained 9 weeks before analysis. The induction of trained immunity increased bone marrow myelopoiesis and blood counts of Ly6C <sup>high</sup> inflammatory monocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). Ex vivo, whole blood, PMNs and monocytes from trained mice produced increased levels of cytokines in response to microbial products and limited the growth of L. monocytogenes. In vivo, following challenge with L. monocytogenes, peripheral blood leukocytes were massively depleted in control mice but largely preserved in trained mice. PMNs were reduced also in the spleen from control mice, and increased in the spleen of trained mice. In transwell experiments, PMNs from trained mice showed increased spontaneous migration and CXCL2/MIP2α-induced chemotaxis, suggesting that training promotes the migration of PMNs in peripheral organs targeted by L. monocytogenes. Trained PMNs and monocytes had higher glycolytic activity and mitochondrial respiration than control cells when exposed to L. monocytogenes. Bacterial burden and dissemination in blood, spleen and liver as well as systemic cytokines and inflammation (multiplex bead assay and bioluminescence imaging) were reduced in trained mice. In full agreement with these results, mice trained 9 weeks before infection were powerfully protected from lethal listeriosis. Altogether, these data suggest that training increases the generation and the antimicrobial activity of PMNs and monocytes, which may confer prolonged protection from lethal bacterial infection

Cryopreservation of platelets treated with riboflavin and UV light and stored at -80°C for 1 year

[eng] Background: The combination of pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) and cryopreservation can contribute to building a safe and durable platelet (PLT) inventory. Information about cryopreserved riboflavin and UV lighttreated PLTs is scarce.Study Design and Methods: Twenty-four buffy coat (BC) PLT concentrates were grouped into 12 type-matched pairs, pooled, and divided into 12 non-PRT-treated control units and 12 riboflavin and UV light PRT-treated test units. Both were cryopreserved with 5% DMSO and stored at −80°C for 1 year. The cryopreservation method used was designed to avoid the formation of aggregates. PLT variables (PLT recovery, swirling, pH, MPV, and LDH) and hemostatic function measured by thromboelastography (TEG) were analyzed before cryopreservation (day 1) and post-cryopreservation at day 14 and months 3, 6, and 12 of storage at −80°C. The analyses were carried out within 1-h post-thaw. Results: No aggregates were found in either PLT group at any time. Swirling was observed in both groups. MPV increased and mean pH values decreased over time (p 6.4, and procoagulant potential, as evidenced by a reduced clotting time after 12 months of storage at −80°C. The clinical relevance of these findings should be further investigated in clinical trials

Predictores de adherencia a una app de salud en el proyecto europeo PHARAON

En el marco de trabajo del proyecto europeo Pharaon se está llevando a cabo un piloto de telemonitorización para 150 pacientes adultos con insuficiencia cardiaca crónica de la Región de Murcia. Consiste en el despliegue de un conjunto de tecnologías integradas en una aplicación móvil (app) para monitorización clínica. El objetivo es determinar los predictores de adherencia en el uso de la app en este grupo de pacientes. Para ello, se ha establecido un indicador de adherencia. Más de la mitad de los usuarios cumplen los requisitos mínimos de usabilidad. Aunque los resultados no tienen significación estadística cabe destacar la influencia del sexo, el nivel de autonomía del usuario y el grado de autocuidado sobre la adherencia. Resulta imprescindible considerar el perfil del usuario para la implementación de las tecnologías en salud en el sistema sanitario

Predictores de adherencia a una app de salud en el proyecto europeo PHARAON

En el marco de trabajo del proyecto europeo Pharaon se está llevando a cabo un piloto de telemonitorización para 150 pacientes adultos con insuficiencia cardiaca crónica de la Región de Murcia. Consiste en el despliegue de un conjunto de tecnologías integradas en una aplicación móvil (app) para monitorización clínica. El objetivo es determinar los predictores de adherencia en el uso de la app en este grupo de pacientes. Para ello, se ha establecido un indicador de adherencia. Más de la mitad de los usuarios cumplen los requisitos mínimos de usabilidad. Aunque los resultados no tienen significación estadística cabe destacar la influencia del sexo, el nivel de autonomía del usuario y el grado de autocuidado sobre la adherencia. Resulta imprescindible considerar el perfil del usuario para la implementación de las tecnologías en salud en el sistema sanitario