Universitas Scientiarum - Ciencias
- Univ. Sci. is an multi-disciplinary & inter-disciplinary journal that offers prompt publication of original theoretical and experimental papers related to all branches of science. The scope extends to, but is no restricted to: mathematics & statistics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, natural history, genetics & evolution, taxonomy & systematics, biodiversity, biogeography, ecology and conservation biology.
- Univ. Sci. publishes only original research articles (theoretical and experimental) in English and, by direct invitation, topical reviews. Once it has been accepted, every paper is published as first online (free open access). We print also an issue three times a year (April, August and December).
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Environmental factors affect nearly all land areas on the planet. Global warming is one of the most
destructive of these factors because it has adverse effects on crop production systems. Plants are sessile organisms that have evolved complex mechanisms to cope with stress factors. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are one of those mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed a partial gene sequence that encodes for HSP70 protein in Vasconcellea pubescens. We also measured the relative expression of the gene in plantlets of Vasconcellea pubescens and performed biochemical assays under heat stress. The plantlets were exposed to three temperatures 25° C (control), 45 °C and 55 °C (stress temperatures) for 4 hours.
The bioinformatic analysis led to the first description of a partial sequence of the HSP70 gene and its evolutionary history in V. pubescens. We found significant differences for relative expression of the HSP70 gene, percentage of electrolyte leakage, and proline content between plants subjected to heat stress and those in the control group. Our results showed that V. pubescens displays thermotolerance even under extreme temperatures. V. pubescens is a poorly studied species that may contain genes of biotechnological interest (such as HSP70) that could be used for plant genetic modification.
A series of 2-amino-4,6-diarylpyrimidines were synthesized using a Biginelli-type three-component
strategy optimized in conventional-heated reflux, in contrast to a non-conventional approach using a
mono-mode microwave reactor. Conventional heating protocols involved organic solvents and general base catalysis, whereas a microwave-assisted method followed experimental protocols framed within the principles of green chemistry by using CaCl2 as a catalyst in solvent-free conditions. This study revealed that although conventional heating led to the main product in higher yields at longer reaction times, the microwave strategy suceeded in substantially shorter reaction times, with yields ranging from acceptable to good and efficiencies comparable to conventional heating methodology.
The study of bacterial communities is highly relevant in relation to the knowledge of global biological biodiversity and the biogeochemical cycles of the planet. Microbiological activity is the basis of ecosystems functioning, among these are the mangroves, which offer a wide variety of goods and services to humanity. Nevertheless, they have been severely impacted by anthropogenic activities such as felling, heavy metal pollution, water enrichment, overexploitation of resources, among others.
This research aimed to characterize the culturable bacterial community from the water column and the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae muscle tissue in a mangrove ecosystem from the Cartagena Bay, Colombian Caribbean as a baseline for future studies on bioremediation treatments. To accomplish this, four samplings were conducted over the course of a year, including contrasting climatic seasons (e.g., windy and rainy), collecting oyster individuals from mangroves and samples from superficial water. The bacterial community comprised 25 species, from which 9 were exclusive for the oyster tissue, 7 for the water column, and 9 generalists isolated from both types of samples. Enterobacter cloacae was the most frequent species during the year, followed by Escherichia coli and Erwinia sp. There were significant differences in the species composition between the sampling months (ANOSIM,R=0:492; p=0:001), because of the presence of a higher number of exclusive species in December than in the other months. Furthermore, the physicochemical variables that presented a major influence on the bacterial community composition were the wind velocity and the dissolved oxygen. The review of this research findings will allow to detect if any of the identified species could be exploited for bioremediation treatments, and it will contribute to the preservation of marine-coastal water bodies biodiversity.
Nickel-based catalysts are of great importance for the generation of hydrogen from natural gas. Within this process, the conditions in which commercial NiO/Al2O3 is converted to Ni0/Al2O3 catalyst should be further investigated. A widely used technique to identify Ni2+ reduction conditions and the different compounds or types of particles in which this element is present is temperature-programmed reduction.
In this work, the type of nickel oxide particles occurring on Al2O3 and ZnO-Al2O3-based supports
were studied by different techniques, such as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, FTIR, the BET
method, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR). All materials
were evaluated in the water gas shift reaction (WGS), and the influence of their characteristics on the catalytic activity was assessed. Solids were prepared at different temperatures and Ni/Zn molar ratios.
The results showed the presence of NiO in all materials, as well as the presence of ZnO, NiAl2O4,
and ZnAl2O4 in materials prepared at higher temperatures. In all the materials calcined at the lowest temperature, the formation of NiO particles that fail to interact with the supports was prioritized.
As the calcination temperature increased, NiO aggregates were formed, which, to a greater degree,
interacted with the supports, whereby nickel aluminate was detected in all materials prepared at 750 °C. Zinc increased the selectivity but decreased specific surface area and activity through the WGS reaction. The solid labeled AZ15-500 showed higher activity and selectivity, reaching values of 100% for the water gas shift reaction.
Patterns of chromosome abnormalities in a sample of Colombian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, resulting from a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 that gives rise to the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene. The Ph chromosome is present in 95 % of CML cases. In 5 %-10 % of these cases Ph variants occur and, approximately 5 % of these cases present with additional chromosomal abnormalities (ACAs). In this work we describe the prevalence of chromosome abnormalities in a sample of Colombian CML patients. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, analyzing cytogenetic and molecular data from 142 CML patients. Data were collected between 2016 and 2019 at the laboratory of Biogenética Diagnóstica S.A.S. Among the 142 patients were analyzed, 56 % were male, and the average age was 45 years. The Ph chromosome was observed in 81 % of the cases. Three-way chromosome variants involving chromosomes 3, 7, and 8 were detected. The most frequent additional chromosomal aberration was +der(22)t(9;22). Atypical patterns associated with poor prognosis were found, via FISH analyses, in 88.2 % of the patients. The BCR-ABL1 fusion gene was detected in 100 % of the 18 patients subjected RT-PCR tests. This retrospective study reveals intriguing findings regarding chromosomal abnormalities in Colombian patients with CML, including rare three-way chromosome variants and atypical FISH patterns associated with a poor prognosis. Further investigation is warranted to explore the clinical implications, prognosis, and survival outcomes associated with these cytogenetic findings in CML patients.