Geographical distribution plays a major role in our understanding of marine biodiversity. Some marine fish trematodes have been shown to have highly restricted geographical distributions, while some are known to occur over very wide ranges; however, very few of these wide distributions have been demonstrated genetically. Here, we analyse species of the genus Schikhobalotrema (Haplosplanchnidae) parasitizing beloniforms from the tropical west Pacific, the eastern Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). We test the boundaries of these trematodes by integrating molecular and morphological data, host association, habitat of the hosts and geographical distribution, following a recently proposed and standardized delineation method for the recognition of marine trematode species. Based on the new collections, Schikhobalotrema huffmani is here synonymized with the type-species of the genus, Schikhobalotrema acutum; Sch. acutum is now considered to be widely distributed, from the GoM to the western Pacific. Additionally, we describe a new species, Schikhobalotrema minutum n. sp., from Strongylura notata and Strongylura marina (Belonidae) from La Carbonera coastal lagoon, northern Yucatán, GoM. We briefly discuss the role of host association and historical biogeography of the hosts as drivers of species diversification of Schikhobalotrema infecting beloniforms.

Women with a history of preeclampsia (PE) have a greater risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In turn, pregnancy at high altitude is a risk factor for PE. However, whether women who develop PE during highland pregnancy are at risk of PAH before and after birth has not been investigated. We tested the hypothesis that during highland pregnancy, women who develop PE are at greater risk of PAH compared to women undergoing healthy highland pregnancies. The study was on 140 women in La Paz, Bolivia (3640m). Women undergoing healthy highland pregnancy were controls (C, n = 70; 29 ± 3.3 years old, mean±SD). Women diagnosed with PE were the experimental group (PE, n = 70, 31 ± 2 years old). Conventional (B- and M-mode, PW Doppler) and modern (pulsed wave tissue Doppler imaging) ultrasound were applied for cardiovascular íííassessment. Spirometry determined maternal lung function. Assessments occurred at 35 ± 4 weeks of pregnancy and 6 ± 0.3 weeks after birth. Relative to highland controls, highland PE women had enlarged right ventricular (RV) and right atrial chamber sizes, greater pulmonary artery dimensions and increased estimated RV contractility, pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. Highland PE women had lower values for peripheral oxygen saturation, forced expiratory flow and the bronchial permeability index. Differences remained 6 weeks after birth. Therefore, women who develop PE at high altitude are at greater risk of PAH before and long after birth. Hence, women with a history of PE at high altitude have an increased cardiovascular risk that transcends the systemic circulation to include the pulmonary vascular bed.

The Dasylirion genus is highly represented in the arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and USA, playing important ecological and economical roles. Inferring the evolutionary patterns of this group will eventually facilitate understanding biological phenomena and outlining conservation and usage strategies. We performed a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on two chloroplast DNA regions: maturase-K gene (matK) and the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL). We constructed a phylogenetic tree by maximum likelihood with GTR as the sequence substitution model and a relaxed clock, inferred diversification patterns by lineage through time and explored the diversification rates of Dasylirion by the Yule model. The study included 11 species of the genus, which represent 50% of all its known species. We used two calibration points to date the tree, one based on fossil records of Acorus gramineus, and the other on the estimated stem age of the Yucca genus. The combined sequences of the two partial genes comprised 1455 bp and 18 polymorphic sites. We estimated an average substitution rate of 0.0005 nucleotide per million years for the concatenated DNA sequences. The molecular dating analysis estimated that the Dasylirion genus appeared more than 5.46 million years ago, with a rate of diversification of 0.0466 net speciation events per million years. The estimated age represents a lower bound, since not all Dasylirion species are included. These findings are consistent with other origin and diversification hypotheses for arid-land Asparagaceae in the Mexican highlands as a result of geomorphological events in North America.

The Mexican tetra Astyanax mexicanus presents two contrasting morphs, a widely distributed surface morph and a cave-adapted morph. These cave-adapted morphs have evolved independently from two different lineages (i.e. ‘old’ and ‘new’ lineages); therefore, this model system gives a unique opportunity to explore parallel adaptive evolution in biological traits. The present study corresponds to the first morphological description of the Astyanax mexicanus maturation process of the spermatozoa and oocytes, using thermal and hormonal stimuli to promote spermatogenesis and oogenesis, considering surface and cave morphs from both lineages. We corroborate the relevance of thermal and hormonal stimuli to promote gamete maturation. The hormone Ovaprim (GnRHa + Domperidone) is an effective promoter of ovarian development, maturation end in oocytes and spawning in Astyanax mexicanus. The sperm morphology of Astyanax mexicanus includes the sperm head, the midpiece, and tail or flagellum. We found differences in the spermatozoan total length between environments (F = 9.929, P = 0.05) and linages (F = 49.86, P = 0.005). The oocytes showed a spherical conformation with a mean diameter of 822.4 ± 194.1 μm for the surface populations, and 604.6 ± 38.3 µm for the cave populations. The oocyte chorion presents ridges and grooves that are arranged radially towards the micropyle. A plug in the micropyle zone was observed after fertilization, confirmed by the outer membrane of the chorion, which provides some weak adhesiveness to the substrate. We observed differences in chorion thickness between the contrasting environmental conditions. This is the first morphological characterization of the Sótanos Vázquez, Escondido and Tigre, which previous to this study were only known from speleological expeditions, with no previous biological information available.

Mesozoic ferns from Mexico have been the subject of serious academic endeavours since the beginning of the 20th Century, to understand these plants at the time of their peak diversity. Most findings have been made in a set of Middle Jurassic Basins of the Mixtec Terrain in the Oaxaca State. However, fossil ferns are scarce in other assemblages, so further identification of this group has been infrequent. Here we describe six new and recently collected fossil plants from the Middle Jurassic Otlaltepec Formation, Puebla. Based on their fertile and vegetative fronds, we propose the new genus Paralophosoria Morales-Toledo, Mendoza-Ruiz & Cevallos-Ferriz, gen. nov. in the Dicksoniaceae, represented by Paralophosoria jurassica, Morales-Toledo, Mendoza-Ruiz & Cevallos-Ferriz, sp. nov., and identify the following genera: cf. Aspidistes, Sphenopteris, Spiropteris. A fern with uncertain affinities was also described. This work contributes to the understanding of fern diversity in low latitudes during the Middle Jurassic in Mexico.

An annotated checklist of the helminth parasites associated with reptiles from Peru is provided, as the result of a compilation of parasitological papers published between 1963 and January 2022 and records of species deposited in national and international collections. The list provides data on hosts, developmental stage, sites of infection, geographical distribution in Peruvian territory, code of material deposited in helminthological collections, references and taxonomic notes. The database includes records of 106 different species of helminth parasites (82 nominal species and 24 taxa identified at the generic level), the majority in the adult stage. These helminth parasites come from 18 of the 25 official Peruvian regions. Nematodes have the highest richness in number of species (79 species), followed by trematodes (17 species) and cestodes (nine species). The acanthocephalans are represented by only one species. The parasites with the highest number of records were Physaloptera retusa Rudolphi, 1819 (11 hosts), Physalopteroides venancioi (Lent, Freitas & Proença, 1946) (nine hosts), Strongyluris oscari Travassos, 1923 (seven hosts), and Parapharyngodon scleratus Travassos, 1923 (five hosts), all of which are nematodes. The 106 taxa of helminth parasites have been reported infecting 55 species of reptiles in Peru, distributed in 34 genera and 14 families. The reptile species harbouring the highest number of helminth parasites are the yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulatus (Linnaeus) with 18 species (three trematodes and 15 nematodes), followed by the Peru desert tegu Dicrodon guttulatum Duméril & Bibron (Teiidae) with 11 species (three cestodes and eight nematodes) and the yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle Podocnemis unifilis Troschel (Podocnemididae) with 10 species (five trematodes and five nematodes). Of the 524 species of reptiles reported in Peru, only 55 (>10%) are reported as hosts of helminths representing a small proportion considering the great variety of reptile hosts that inhabit the various tropical and subtropical geographical areas of Peru.

Contemporary theories of early development and emerging child psychopathology all posit a major, if not central role for physiological responsiveness. To understand infants’ potential risk for emergent psychopathology, consideration is needed to both autonomic reactivity and environmental contexts (e.g., parent–child interactions). The current study maps infants’ arousal during the face-to-face still-face paradigm using skin conductance (n = 255 ethnically-diverse mother–infant dyads; 52.5% girls, mean infant age = 7.4 months; SD = 0.9 months). A novel statistical approach was designed to model the potential build-up of nonlinear counter electromotive force over the course of the task. Results showed a significant increase in infants’ skin conductance between the Baseline Free-play and the Still-Face phase, and a significant decrease in skin conductance during the Reunion Play when compared to the Still-Face phase. Skin conductance during the Reunion Play phase remained significantly higher than during the Baseline Play phase; indicating that infants had not fully recovered from the mild social stressor. These results further our understanding of infant arousal during dyadic interactions, and the role of caregivers in the development of emotion regulation during infancy.

We extend the classical notion of standardly stratified k-algebra (stated for finite dimensional k-algebras) to the more general class of rings, possibly without 1, with enough idempotents. We show that many of the fundamental results, which are known for classical standardly stratified algebras, can be generalized to this context. Furthermore, new classes of rings appear as: ideally standardly stratified and ideally quasi-hereditary. In the classical theory, it is known that quasi-hereditary and ideally quasi-hereditary algebras are equivalent notions, but in our general setting, this is no longer true. To develop the theory, we use the well-known connection between rings with enough idempotents and skeletally small categories (ringoids or rings with several objects).

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The overall goal of this project is to enhance the use of GCRA in Latina breast cancer survivors at high risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer to reduce disparities in GCRA uptake. The aims of the study are to (1) develop a cultural adaptation of an evidence-based TGC intervention that consists of phone genetic counseling and a booklet, (2) evaluate the impact of TGC Versus Usual Care, and (3) explore the communication patterns in TGC and genetic counseling sessions with an interpreter. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We are conducting a 2-phase, mixed methods study. In Phase I we will develop a cultural adaption of an evidence-based intervention (TGC) for high-risk Latina breast cancer survivors using the Learner Verification and Revision Framework (n=15). In Phase II we will use a cluster randomized design with four community sites randomized to Spanish TGC (n=2 sites) or usual care (n=2 sites) (n=60; 15 per site). The primary outcome is genetic counseling uptake. Among women who receive genetic counseling either through TGC (n~30) or with an interpreter (n~15), we will assess counseling quality by reviewing 20 randomly selected audiotaped sessions (10 TGC; 10 interpreters). We will evaluate women’s HBOC knowledge and satisfaction with counseling. Communication processes and outcomes will be assessed using gold standard RIAS quantitative coding system and qualitative discourse analysis. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We elicited input from transdisciplinary team members to develop an initial adaptation of a TGC print booklet and intervention protocol for use with high-risk Latina breast cancer survivors with limited English proficiency. The booklet contains low-literacy information about HBOC, risk factors, pros and cons of testing, and management strategies. Based on these materials and prior work, we anticipate TGC will consist of one 1 hour or less TGC session by phone. Participants interested in pursuing testing will receive a saliva kit and will participate in a second TGC session (30 min) to discuss test results and management options. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Given access barriers and the shortage of Spanish-speaking genetic counselors, adapting and translating TGC intervention is a promising strategy that could reduce disparities by broadening the reach and accessibility to genetic counseling while enhancing the quality of the service for Latinas with limited English proficiency.

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The off-target and organ-specific toxicities observed in cancer immunotherapy present an obstacle to T-cell-based therapeutics. A recent clinical trial underscored the need for improved methods to define TCR specificity after melanoma patients treated with TCR engineered T-cells suffered from fatal cardiovascular toxicity arising from the unpredicted recognition of a muscle-specific peptide. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: To address this drawback to T-cell-based immunotherapies, we developed a novel protein engineering approach to define the peptide specificity of a given TCR. Here, directed evolution in a yeast display system produced a large scale peptide library, where recognition by the melanoma reactive DMF5 TCR acted as the guiding selective pressure. After this technique identified a panel of putative cross reactive peptides, sequence analysis and computational modeling followed by kinetic binding experiments and structural analysis determined the DMF5 TCR recognizes 2 distinct classes of peptides through chemically distinct mechanisms. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: This information led to the rational, structure-based design of additional cross reactive peptides and introduced a unique approach to screen the human proteome and identify the TCR targets which triggered undesired autoimmunity when this molecule was used in clinical trials. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: The distinct chemical nature of the 2 peptide classes suggest TCRs are more cross reactive than previously thought, presenting an obstacle to cell-based immunotherapy. Defining the peptide specificity of TCRs is of high interest to the immunology community, and will lead to improved approaches to designing engineered TCRs for cell therapy.

The in vitro nematicidal effect of Chenopodium ambrosioides and Castela tortuosa n-hexane extracts (E-Cham and E-Cato, respectively) on Haemonchus contortus infective larvae (L3) and the anthelmintic effect of these extracts against the pre-adult stage of the parasite in gerbils were evaluated using both individual and combined extracts. The in vitro confrontation between larvae and extracts was performed in 24-well micro-titration plates. The results were considered 24 and 72 h post confrontation. The in vivo nematicidal effect was examined using gerbils as a study model. The extracts from the two assessed plants were obtained through maceration using n-hexane as an organic agent. Gerbils artificially infected with H. contortus L3 were treated intraperitoneally with the corresponding extract either individually or in combination. The results showed that the highest individual lethal in vitro effect (96.3%) was obtained with the E-Cham extract at 72 h post confrontation at 40 mg/ml, followed by E-Cato (78.9%) at 20 mg/ml after 72 h. The highest combined effect (98.7%) was obtained after 72 h at 40 mg/ml. The in vivo assay showed that the individual administration of the E-Cato and E-Cham extracts reduced the parasitic burden in gerbils by 27.1% and 45.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the anthelmintic efficacy increased to 57.3% when both extracts were administered in combination. The results of the present study show an important combined nematicidal effect of the two plant extracts assessed against L3 in gerbils.

Over the last decade, polymer composites reinforced with natural fibers gained interest, both from the academic world and from various industries. Due to the demanding needs for environmentally friendly composites, the automotive industry is now searching for biodegradable and renewable composite materials and products. There are a wide variety of different natural fibers which can be applied as reinforcement or fillers, showing potential as a replacement for inorganic fibers in automotive components. The fact that plastics are often economical to produce implies an advantage especially in very complex shapes, make them promising for obtaining composite materials, achieving short demolding times, as no chemical reaction is required. Moreover, polymers are used increasingly for stressed tribological components, whereby plastic parts replace metallic bearings, gear wheels or sliding elements. In this regard, the objective of this work was to produce composite materials based on natural fibers and to characterize the influence of the addition of different amounts of filler. To do so, composites of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and peanut shells (PS), at different proportions (2, 4 6, 8 and 10% wt.), were prepared. The composites were produced by injection molding and molded into a particular tension test simple mold. Although the FTIR presented an increment on the O-H vibration and a band around 1600 cm-1, the HDPE structure did not present modification. The mechanical properties of the HDPE were affected with the inclusion of the fibers. The tensile performance of the HDPE decrease with the increment of the fibers inclusion whiles the elastic modulus increases. The sample with 2% of natural fibers presented the lowest wear rate (k) and coefficient of friction (µ).

In the industry, the titanium nitride (TiN) coating is widely used in cutting tools, decorative and corrosion protection film, but unfortunately, this coating presented a poor performance under some work condition. For that, different studies have been dedicated to improving its properties with the inclusion of a third element that modifies the film structure, chemical and mechanical properties. In this work, TiN layers with/without of Al, B, and Cr inclusion were studied in order to analyze their effect in the film tribological performance. These were deposited using cathodic arc PVD technic on AISI-M2 steel. They were chemical and structural characterized using EDX and XRD, respectively. While the film thickness was determinate using a ball-cratering technique. Their tribological performance was studied using a sliding reciprocating movement in dry conditions, under three loads, at 30 min against Al2O3 ball as counterbody. The resulting wear tracks were studied using optical microscopy in order to study the wear mechanism. Raman spectroscopy was used to determinate the chemical changes produced on wear zones and the lost material was measured with a stylus profilometer. As result, the structure and morphology were modified with the inclusion of the third element. The TiN with the inclusion of Al and B presented a higher friction force and wear rate than TiN films. While the TiN with Cr inclusion film presented the best tribological performance with lower wear rate and friction coefficient. The Raman studies did not showed considerable changes on the damage coted surface areas, except for TiAlN coating that show the M2 tool steel Raman spectra on the areas where the film was removed.

Daytime restricted feeding (2 h of food access from 12.00 to 14.00 hours for 3 weeks) is an experimental protocol that modifies the relationship between metabolic networks and the circadian molecular clock. The precise anatomical locus that controls the biochemical and physiological adaptations to optimise nutrient use is unknown. We explored the changes in liver oxidative lipid handling, such as β-oxidation and its regulation, as well as adaptations in the lipoprotein profile. It was found that daytime restricted feeding promoted an elevation of circulating ketone bodies before mealtime, an altered hepatic daily rhythmicity of 14CO2 production from radioactive palmitic acid, and an up-regulation of the fatty acid oxidation activators, the α-subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the deacetylase silent mating type information regulation homolog 1, and the transcriptional factor PPARγ-1α coactivator. An increased localisation of phosphorylated α-subunit of AMPK in the periportal hepatocytes was also observed. Liver hepatic lipase C, important for lipoprotein transformation, showed a change of daily phase with a peak at the time of food access. In serum, there was an increase of LDL, which was responsible for a net elevation of circulating cholesterol. We conclude that our results indicate an enhanced fasting response in the liver during daily synchronisation to food access, which involves altered metabolic and cellular control of fatty acid oxidation as well a significant elevation of serum LDL. These adaptations could be part of the metabolic input that underlies the expression of the food-entrained oscillator.

Aluminum alloys have increased their use due to the properties such as low density, resistance to corrosion under environmental conditions and mechanical properties. In this work, the alloying elements are immiscible promoting dendrites formation with different phases attributed to zinc and tin. The applied mechanical stresses promoted the modification of the dendrite sizes (interdendritic space) as well as pore sizes and shapes. The microhardness decreased in the ternary Al-Zn-Sn alloy with a subsequent increase caused by microstructural changes after cold work. By XPS, the metallic elements were detected with an aluminum oxide layer.

Aluminum-Graphite composites were prepared from pure aluminum and natural graphite the mixture was processed by the mechanical milling (MM) technique. The microstructural characteristics of prepared composites were investigated by X-rays diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical response of samples was evaluated by compression and hardness tests. To obtain solid samples from milled powders we used an alternative sintering process based on induction heating. Although this method is frequently used for refractory ceramics fabrication (>1500°C), it has not been properly evaluated for materials processing at low temperature (<500°C). This work presents a comparative study of Al-Gr composites sintered by using two routes: conventional pressure-less and high frequency induction heating. After the inductive sintering, is noticeable a pronounced reduction of porosity and increase on the mechanical response of induction sintered specimens, compared with the processed by conventional route. Also, yield strength and hardness increases with graphite addition and induction sintering reaching an increase of 50 and 90%, respectively (compared with an Alp-2h blank).

Diets combining herbage and total mixed rations (TMR) are increasingly used in temperate regions for feeding ruminants, but little information is available regarding the effects on nutrient intake and digestion of this feeding management in beef cattle. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of combining TMR (10% CP and 13% ADF), and legume-based herbage (14% CP and 27% ADF) on intake, nutrient digestion, ruminal fermentation, microbial N flow and glucose and nitrogen metabolism in heifers. The experiment was a 3×3 Latin square design replicated three times; each period lasted 18 days (10 adaptation days and 8 measurement days). Nine cross-bred (Aberdeen Angus×Hereford) heifers (214±18 kg) fitted with permanent rumen catheters and housed in individual metabolic cages were assigned to one of three treatments: 24 h access to TMR (T ), 24 h access to herbage (H ) or combined diets with 18 h access to TMR and 6 h access to herbage (T+H ). Data were evaluated using a mixed model. Animals fed T+H (TMR 71% and herbage 29%) diets tended to have a higher dry matter intake as a proportion of their BW than animals fed T. The T+H diet did not change ruminal fermentation (pH, N–NH3 and volatile fatty acids) or the N metabolism relative to the T diet, but increased the glucagon concentration and altered glucose metabolism. Conversely, animals fed T+H had increased purine derivatives excretion, increased N use efficiency for microbial protein synthesis and decreased plasma urea and urinary N excretion relative to animals fed H diet. The use of combined diets led to consumption of nutrients similar to a TMR diet, without reducing nutrient use and could improve N utilization compared with the herbage-only diet.

The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a catheter-related bloodstream infection (CR BSI) reduction programme and healthcare workers' compliance with recommendations. A 3-year surveillance programme of CR BSIs in all hospital settings was implemented. As part of the programme, there was a direct observation of insertion and maintenance of central venous catheters (CVCs) to determine performance. A total of 38 education courses were held over the study period and feedback reports with the results of surveillance and recommendations were delivered to healthcare workers every 6 months. A total of 6722 short-term CVCs were inserted in 4982 patients for 58 763 catheter-days. Improvements of compliance with hand hygiene was verified at the insertion (87·1–100%, P < 0·001) and maintenance (51·1–72·1%, P = 0·029) of CVCs; and the use of chlorhexidine for skin disinfection was implemented at insertion (35·7–65·4%, P < 0·001) and maintenance (33·3–45·9%, P < 0·197) of CVCs. There were 266 CR BSI incidents recorded with an annual incidence density of 5·75/1000 catheter-days in the first year, 4·38 in the second year [rate ratio (RR) 0·76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·57–1·01] and 3·46 in the third year (RR 0·60, 95% CI 0·44–0·81). The education programme clearly improved compliance with recommendations for CVC handling, and was effective in reducing the burden of CR BSIs.

Metastatic tumors can spread via release of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) into the bloodstream. Early detection of these CTCs could greatly improve cancer survival rates by enabling diagnosis, and therefore treatment, before secondary tumors arise. However, tumor cells are typically present in very low concentrations, making them difficult to detect in a fluid dominated by red blood cells (RBCs), leukocytes and serum proteins. Separation of CTCs from blood plasma, leukocytes and RBCs is predicted to improve cell capture via antibody-based methods and reduce interference in capture/detection assays. Previously, members of our team have demonstrated microfluidic, size-based separation of blood components, but have yet to integrate this sorting capability with an affinity-based detection technology. To this end, we have developed a microfluidic platform to separate CTCs from mouse blood and detect them using grating coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR). We have implemented a size-based sorting array, which separates objects based upon their diameter, within a microfluidic channel. Separation of beads (2 μm, 6 μm, 10 μm) has been demonstrated, as well as separation of white blood cells and CTCs from blood. The resulting stream of large blood cells (including CTCs) is then directed onto an integrated SPR grating for affinity based capture and detection. Using GCSPR vs. conventional SPR enables detection of multiple cell types across the grating in an array-based format. We have demonstrated differential capture and detection of cells on GCSPR gratings following size-based separation of blood. Using capture antibodies specific to unique CTC surface proteins enables identification of cell types and may provide prognostic capability, beyond the diagnostic capacity of this system.