Research in Colombia on Explosives Detection by Rats

The interdisciplinary research group INVESTUD is investigating the effectiveness of mine-detecting lab rats. In Africa, the APOPO program is well-known for using African giant pouched rats for mine detection, but INVESTUD hopes to build on and even surpass APOPO’s progress to advance Colombia’s mine-clearance efforts

Reflexiones renovadas sobre la escritura y la publicación en psicología

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¿Son el Lenguaje, la Cultura y la Autoconciencia Capacidades Exclusivamente Humanas?

El antropocentrismo es la suposición de que el ser humano es un ser especial dentro de la naturaleza y superior al resto de los seres vivos. En filosofía, esta idea es muy antigua y se remonta al menos a 2500 años atrás, mediante una poderosa metáfora: la Scala Naturae aristotélica. Esta versión antropocéntrica ha sido muy influyente también en teología (la escolástica de Tomás de Aquino, 1960) e, incluso, en la ciencia contemporánea, a pesar de la irrupción de la teoría de la evolución de Darwin (1859, 1872)

PROGRESS REPORT Global Country Policy Review: A humanitarian comparative analysis on drug policies, on the basis of the Rome Consensus 2.0

This report advances our global understanding of drug policy by focusing on two key components: a bibliometric analysis and the creation of preliminary country profiles. We aim to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities within drug policy globally, emphasizing how these aspects can be better aligned with humanitarian principles, Rome Consensus 2.0, and Sustainable Development. Importantly, as the world has recognized the inability of the War on Drugs as a strategy to reduce drug use or drug-related crime, which is to say, to make us more safe and healthier (the two aims of the War on Drugs), this Project provides a new vision for where nations can go next that achieves the desired public safety and public health aspects all peoples want to see in their own communities and countries. Drawing from the preliminary insights, the report advocates for a more holistic and evidence-driven approach to drug policy. This entails broadening support for harm reduction, improving treatment services and the professional workforce, encouraging international collaboration to address the challenges of the transnational illicit drug trade, and reassessing policies that perpetuate stigma. Serving as an overview for the upcoming Global Policy Review (GPR), this report emphasizes the importance of drug policy frameworks that respect human dignity and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, with intentions to expand the review to more UN member states and provide bi-annual updates

A novel MHC-II targeted BVDV subunit vaccine induces a neutralizing immunological response in guinea pigs and cattle

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is a major cause of economic loss in the cattle industry, worldwide. Infection results in reduced productive performance, growth retardation, reduced milk production and increased susceptibility to other diseases leading to early culling of animals. There are two primary methods used to control the spread of BVDV: the elimination of persistently infected (PI) animals and vaccination. Currently, modified live or inactivated vaccines are used in BVDV vaccination programmes, but there are safety risks or insufficient protection, respectively, with these vaccines. Here, we report the development and efficacy of the first targeted subunit vaccine against BVDV. The core of the vaccine is the fusion of the BVDV structural protein, E2, to a single-chain antibody, APCH, together termed, APCH-E2. The APCH antibody targets the E2 antigen to the major histocompatibility type II molecule (MHC-II) present on antigen-presenting cells. Industrial production of the vaccine is carried out using the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) using single-use manufacturing technologies. This new subunit vaccine induces strong BVDV-specific neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs and cattle. Importantly, in cattle with low levels of natural BVDV-specific neutralizing antibodies, the vaccine induced strong neutralizing antibody levels to above the protective threshold, as determined by a competition ELISA. The APCH-E2 vaccine induced a rapid and sustained neutralizing antibody response compared with a conventional vaccine in cattle.Instituto de VirologiaFil: Bellido, Demian. Vetanco SA; ArgentinaFil: Bellido, Demian. Bioinnovo SA; ArgentinaFil: Baztarrica, Josefina. Vetanco SA; ArgentinaFil: Baztarrica, Josefina. Bioinnovo SA; ArgentinaFil: Rocha, Lucía Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Incuinta e Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Rocha, Lucía Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pecora, Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Incuinta e Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Pecora, Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Mario. Vetanco SA; ArgentinaFil: Escribano, José M. Algenex; EspañaFil: Parreño, Viviana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Incuinta e Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Parreño, Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Parreño, Viviana. Bioinnovo S.A.; ArgentinaFil: Wigdorovitz, Andres. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Incuinta e Instituto de Virología; ArgentinaFil: Wigdorovitz, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina.Fil: Wigdorovitz, Andres. Bioinnovo S.A.; Argentin

Diuretic activity of aqueous extract and betulin from Colliguaja integerrima in rats

Five known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Colliguaja integerrima Gillies & Hook (Euphorbiaceae). A pharmacological evaluation of the diuretic activity of the plant was carried out in isotonic saline-loaded rats. The data reported in the present work indicate that the aqueous extract of the aerial parts from C. integerrima showed a moderate diuretic activity. The urinary levels of sodium and potassium are increased by treatment with C. integerima aqueous extract. This activity could be due, in part, to the presence of betulin isolated as the major metabolite of C. integerrima.Fil: Alvarez, María E.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Gil, Raul Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Maria Gimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Química de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Química de San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Saad, José Roberto. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Departamento de Química. Area de Química Orgánica; ArgentinaFil: Borkowski, Eduardo Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: María, Alejandra O. M.. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Departamento de Química. Area de Química Orgánica; Argentin

Exposure to violence, chronic stress, nasal DNA methylation, and atopic asthma in children

BACKGROUND: Exposure to violence (ETV) or chronic stress may influence asthma through unclear mechanisms. METHODS: Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of ETV or chronic stress measures and DNA methylation in nasal epithelium from 487 Puerto Ricans aged 9-20 years who participated in the Epigenetic Variation and Childhood Asthma in Puerto Ricans study [EVA-PR]). We assessed four measures of ETV and chronic stress in children (ETV scale, gun violence, and perceived stress) and their mothers (perceived stress). Each EWAS was conducted using linear regression, with CpGs as dependent variables and the stress/violence measure as a predictor, adjusting for age, sex, the top five principal components, and SVA latent factors. We then selected the top 100 CpGs (by p value) associated with each stress/violence measure in EVA-PR and conducted a meta-analysis of the selected CpGs and atopic asthma using data from EVA-PR and two additional cohorts (Project Viva and PIAMA). RESULTS: Three CpGs (in SNN, PTPRN2, and LINC01164) were associated with maternal perceived stress or gun violence (p = 1.28-3.36 × 10-7 ), but not with atopic asthma, in EVA-PR. In a meta-analysis of three cohorts, which included the top CpGs associated with stress/violence measures in EVA-PR, 12 CpGs (in STARD3NL, SLC35F4, TSR3, CDC42SE2, KLHL25, PLCB1, BUD13, OR2B3, GALR1, TMEM196, TEAD4, and ANAPC13) were associated with atopic asthma at FDR-p < .05. CONCLUSIONS: Pending confirmation in longitudinal studies, our findings suggest that nasal epithelial methylation markers associated with measures of ETV and chronic stress may be linked to atopic asthma in children and adolescents