Aislados de Bacillus provenientes de la rizósfera de cactus incrementan la germinación y la floración en Mammillaria spp. (Cactaceae)

ResumenLas cactáceas son la vegetación característica de las zonas áridas en México, donde las lluvias son escasas, la evapotranspiración es elevada y la fertilidad de los suelos es baja. Las plantas han desarrollado estrategias fisiológicas como la asociación con microorganismos en la zona de la rizósfera para incrementar la captación de nutrientes. En el presente trabajo se obtuvieron 4 aislados bacterianos de la rizósfera de Mammillaria magnimamma y Coryphantha radians, los que fueron nombrados como QAP3, QAP19, QAP22 y QAP24 e identificados genéticamente como pertenecientes al género Bacillus. Estos aislados exhibieron in vitro propiedades bioquímicas como solubilización de fosfatos, producción de ácido indolacético y actividad ACC deaminasa, que se relacionan con la promoción del crecimiento de las plantas. Dicha promoción fue ensayada inoculando semillas de M. magnimamma y evaluando luego algunos parámetros. Se encontró que todos los aislados incrementaron la germinación desde un 17% hasta un 34,3% (con respecto a las semillas testigo sin inocular); el aislado QAP24 fue el que presentó el mayor efecto en este sentido y permitió la germinación de todas las semillas viables (84,7%) 3 días antes que en el testigo. La inoculación de este aislado en plantas de Mammillaria zeilmanniana mostró un efecto positivo sobre la floración: en 2 meses dentro del período de un año se detectó un incremento en el número de plantas en floración con respecto a las plantas testigo, de hasta el 31,0% en uno de ellos. Se concluye que los aislados de Bacillus spp. caracterizados poseen potencial para ser empleados en programas de conservación de especies vegetales de zonas áridas.AbstractCacti are the most representative vegetation of arid zones in Mexico where rainfall is scarce, evapotranspiration is high and soil fertility is low. Plants have developed physiological strategies such as the association with microorganisms in the rhizosphere zone to increase nutrient uptake. In the present work, four bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of Mammillaria magnimamma and Coryphantha radians were obtained and named as QAP3, QAP19, QAP22 and QAP24, and were genetically identified as belonging to the genus Bacillus, exhibiting in vitro biochemical properties such as phosphate solubilization, indoleacetic acid production and ACC deaminase activity related to plant growth promotion, which was tested by inoculating M. magnimamma seeds. It was found that all isolates increased germination from 17 to 34.3% with respect to the uninoculated control seeds, being QAP24 the one having the greatest effect, accomplishing the germination of viable seeds (84.7%) three days before the control seeds. Subsequently, the inoculation of Mammillari zeilmanniana plants with this isolate showed a positive effect on bloom, registering during two months from a one year period, an increase of up to 31.0% in the number of flowering plants compared to control plants. The characterized Bacillus spp. isolates have potential to be used in conservation programs of plant species from arid zones

Analysis of the Calls Received during the COVID-19 Lockdown by the Mental Health Crisis Helpline Operated by the Professional College of Psychology of Aragon

COVID-19 has had a direct impact on the physical and mental health of millions of people worldwide. Therefore, a Mental Health Crisis Helpline (MHCH) was set up and offered free of charge by the Professional College of Psychology of Aragon (COPPA) during the lockdown period. This research aims to study the reasons for the calls, to describe the population segments that used it, and to analyse the possible relationships between the variables studied. A total of 1411 calls were answered and 598 were registered. The main reasons for the calls were: anxiety symptoms, concern for a relative, previous mental health problems, conflicts, and depressive symptoms. Significantly more men called for anxiety symptoms (60.8% vs. 49.5%) versus more women calling regarding a chronic physical illness (3.5% vs. 0.7%), concern about a relative (22.7% vs. 12.4%), care guidelines (6% vs. 1.3%), and bereavement (6.2% vs. 2%). Calls regarding conflict increased slightly as the lockdown period progressed (p < 0.001; r = 0.15), in contrast with calls regarding previous psychological conditions and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.035; r = -0.09; p = 0.005; r = -0.12). These results highlight the intensive use of the MHCH, confirming the need for the implementation of specific psychological care resources in times of crisis. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Modeling of the Influence of Operational Parameters on Tire Lateral Dynamics

Tires play a critical role in vehicle safety. Proper modeling of tire–road interaction is essential for optimal performance of active safety systems. This work studies the influence of temperature, longitudinal vehicle speed, steering frequency, vertical load, and inflation pressure on lateral tire dynamics. To this end, a tire test bench that allows the accurate control of these parameters and the measurement of the variables of interest was used. The obtained results made it possible to propose a simple model that allowed the determination of relaxation length as a function of tire vertical load and vehicle linear speed, and the determination of a representative tread temperature. Additionally, a model has been proposed to determine the lateral friction coefficient from the aforementioned temperature. Finally, results also showed that some variables had little influence on the parameters that characterize lateral dynamicsThis work is partly supported partly by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under grant PID2019-105572RB-I00, partly by the Economy, Knowledge, Enterprise and Universities Council of the Andalusian Regional Government under grant UMA18-FEDERJA-109, partly by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport under grant FPU18/00450, and partly by the University of Malaga.Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Epidemiological investigation of an acute case of Chagas disease in an area of active transmission in Peruvian Amazon region

The study objective was to investigate an acute case of Chagas disease in the San Pedro de Shishita community, Pebas District, in the Peruvian Amazon basin, a non-endemic area. Both parents of the index case (acute case) were thoroughly interviewed, a seroepidemiological survey was carried out in the community, parasitological exams were carried out only in relatives of the index case, and triatomine bugs were searched for inside houses, peridomiciliary, and in wild environments. Seroprevalence for IgG anti-T. cruzi antibodies was 1/104 (0.96%), using an ELISA test and an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Panstrongylus geniculatus and Rhodnius pictipes adults were found. The index case is autochthonous from San Pedro de Shishita, but the source of transmission is unknown.O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar caso da doença de Chagas aguda na comunidade indígena de San Pedro de Shishita, sem conhecimento da origem da transmissão. San Pedro de Shishita, distrito Pebas, região da Amazônia peruana é uma área não endêmica. Foram entrevistados os pais do paciente e feito inquérito soroepidemiológico dos participantes e estudos parasitológicos da família e procurou-se também triatomíneos no ambiente doméstico, peridomiciliar e silvestre. A soroprevalência de anticorpos IgG anti-T. cruzi foi 1/ 104 (0,96%) por ELISA e imunofluorescência indireta. Foram encontrados adultos de Panstrongylus geniculatus e Rhodnius pictipe

El compromiso organizacional como mediador de la relaci?n entre percepci?n del soporte organizacional e Intenci?n de renuncia en el sector p?blico

Las Instituciones p?blicas vienen impulsando procesos de reformas laborales con el fin de modernizar su administraci?n, los cuales se encuentran centrados principalmente en mejoras de sus procesos por lo que se hace necesario que su enfoque se encuentre dirigidos a mejorar las condiciones laborales de sus servidores. Esta investigaci?n se realiz? en diferentes Instituciones P?blicas, siendo la muestra tomada en dos tiempos: Antes y durante la declaraci?n del estado de emergencia a causa del SARS-CoV-2. En ese sentido, nuestro estudio busca determinar si la variable Compromiso Organizacional media la relaci?n entre Percepci?n del Soporte Organizacional e Intenci?n de Renuncia considerando como variables control el tipo de contrato, la edad y el contexto de la muestra. Los resultados de la investigaci?n muestran que existe relaci?n negativa entre las variables Compromiso Organizacional e Intenci?n de Renuncia y entre las variables Percepci?n del Soporte Organizacional e Intenci?n de Renuncia; adem?s de una mediaci?n parcial de la variable Compromiso Organizacional en la relaci?n entre Percepci?n del Soporte Organizacional e Intenci?n de Renuncia

Tecnología para el cultivo del maracuyá en Colombia: (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Degener)

Ilustraciones, fotosLas frutas son indispensables para una adecuada alimentación por sus benecios para la salud y la nutrición. Colombia, gracias a su posición geográca en la región tropical y la diversidad de hábitats es un país con condiciones apropiadas para la producción de frutas con alta calidad durante todo el año. La producción frutícola en el país se ha tecnicado considerablemente en la ultimada década por la creciente demanda nacional e internacional de frutas exóticas y las pasioras como el maracuyá, la gulupa, la granadilla, la badea, la cholupa y las curubas ocupan un lugar destacado en la producción nacional de frutas. A pesar de esto, las áreas cultivadas en frutales no son sucientes y los volúmenes producidos aun no son representativos para el sector agrícola, ni generan un impacto en el desarrollo económico del país. El maracuyá es una de las especies frutales con grandes oportunidades para responder a la demanda de fruta fresca y jugo concentrado en los mercados por su alto contenido nutricional rico en minerales y vitaminas. Esta fruta se introdujo en Colombia a inicios de 1960 y por más de 60 años los agricultores han contribuido con nuevas prácticas agronómicas, desarrollo tecnológico y generación de empleos. Sin embargo, el cultivo del maracuyá carece de un documento con información técnica precisa, que le permita a los productores y técnicos tomar mejores decisiones para un adecuado establecimiento de sus cultivos. Por tal razón, es importante el apoyo a los productores de este frutal para que el desarrollo, promoción e incursión del maracuyá en los mercados sea exitoso e igualmente para que los productores mejoren su calidad de vida con mayores ingresos económicos. La rentabilidad y la generación de empleos rurales de este cultivo lo constituyen como una alternativa importante de competitividad y diversicación agrícola del país, orientada a la estabilidad social que puede mitigar el éxodo de nuestros campesinos a las grandes ciudades. Este manual está dirigido a productores, estudiantes, técnicos e investigadores y fue diseñado con el propósito de brindar apoyo técnico en relación con el establecimiento, manejo agronómico y comercialización del maracuyá. El monitoreo y el control de problemas tosanitarios están enfocados en el manejo Integrado de Plagas (MIP) con el uso de bioinsumos y siguiendo las normas de Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas (BPA). En este documento se describen las generalidades del maracuyá y las experiencias de campo recopiladas durante los últimos 12 años, a través de visitas realizadas a las principales zonas productoras de maracuyá en Colombia, con énfasis en el departamento del Valle del Cauca. Las visitas fueron realizadas a través del proyecto nanciado por la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Palmira y Agrosavia, con el apoyo de los productores, comercializadoras, exportadoras y procesadoras de maracuyá. Igualmente, la información disponible y expuesta en este manual contribuye con prácticas agronómicas innovadoras para una óptima productividad y que son la base de una agricultura de precisión para preservar los recursos, garantizar la sostenibilidad y la protección del medio ambiente. (Texto tomado de la fuente)1° ed

Use of a gas-operated ventilator as a noninvasive bridging respiratory therapy in critically Ill COVID-19 patients in a middle-income country

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a notable undersupply of respiratory support devices, especially in low- and middle-income countries. As a result, many hospitals turned to alternative respiratory therapies, including the use of gas-operated ventilators (GOV). The aim of this study was to describe the use of GOV as a noninvasive bridging respiratory therapy in critically ill COVID-19 patients and to compare clinical outcomes achieved with this device to conventional respiratory therapies. Retrospective cohort analysis of critically ill COVID-19 patients during the first local wave of the pandemic. The final analysis included 204 patients grouped according to the type of respiratory therapy received in the first 24 h, as follows: conventional oxygen therapy (COT), n = 28 (14%); GOV, n = 72 (35%); noninvasive ventilation (NIV), n = 49 (24%); invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), n = 55 (27%). In 72, GOV served as noninvasive bridging respiratory therapy in 42 (58%) of these patients. In the other 30 patients (42%), 20 (28%) presented clinical improvement and were discharged; 10 (14%) died. In the COT and GOV groups, 68% and 39%, respectively, progressed to intubation (P ≤ 0.001). Clinical outcomes in the GOV and NIV groups were similar (no statistically significant differences). GOV was successfully used as a noninvasive bridging respiratory therapy in more than half of patients. Clinical outcomes in the GOV group were comparable to those of the NIV group. These findings support the use of GOV as an emergency, noninvasive bridging respiratory therapy in medical crises when alternative approaches to the standard of care may be justifiable

Vulnerability of Citrus Growers to Huanglongbing

Objective: To analyze the vulnerability of citrus growers to HLB in the municipalities of San Rafael and Cotaxtla, State of Veracruz, Mexico. Design/methodology/approximation: Growers were surveyed about their knowledge, proficiency and perception of the implemented strategies of the Campaign vs the HLB. Vulnerability was integrated in the Risk Index (RI), including grower knowledge and perception towards the Campaign strategies, actions implemented and those that are willing to implement. The RI was compared between localities and was correlated with grower, orchard and confidence in social-actors variables. Organizational involvement of producers was compared. Results: Citrus growers from San Rafael and Cotaxtla have an intermediate degree of vulnerability, with no significant difference (P = 0.483) among them. RI of growers increases as social confidence decreases (r = -0.302). Organizational involvement of growers is equally low in both localities (P = 0.154). Limitations of the study/implications: This study does not apply to other communities. Findings/conclusions: Growers will not be able to respond appropriately and in a relevant way to the new conditions of vulnerability, which might risk the actions implemented with their participation in the Campaign vs the HLBObjective: To analyze the vulnerability of citrus growers to HLB in the municipalities of San Rafael and Cotaxtla, State of Veracruz, Mexico. Design/methodology/approximation: Growers were surveyed about their knowledge, proficiency and perception of the implemented strategies of the Campaign vs the HLB. Vulnerability was integrated in the Risk Index (RI), including grower knowledge and perception towards the Campaign strategies, actions implemented and those that are willing to implement. The RI was compared between localities and was correlated with grower, orchard and confidence in social-actors variables. Organizational involvement of producers was compared. Results: Citrus growers from San Rafael and Cotaxtla have an intermediate degree of vulnerability, with no significant difference (P = 0.483) among them. RI of growers increases as social confidence decreases (r = -0.302). Organizational involvement of growers is equally low in both localities (P = 0.154). Limitations of the study/implications: This study does not apply to other communities. Findings/conclusions: Growers will not be able to respond appropriately and in a relevant way to the new conditions of vulnerability, which might risk the actions implemented with their participation in the Campaign vs the HLB

UMA Racing Team: Una experiencia en participación en competiciones universitarias.

En este trabajo se presenta la experiencia del equipo UMA Racing Team de la Universidad de Málaga en la competición Motostudent. Esta competición consiste en el diseño de una motocicleta de competición por parte de estudiantes universitarios. No sólo se diseña y fabrica la motocicleta, sino que también se debe desarrollar un proyecto industrial para la comercialización de la misma. El proyecto desarrollado es evaluado bajo el punto de vista técnico, económico y también estético por un tribunal externo conformado por expertos del sector. Además, los prototipos son también evaluados en pruebas dinámicas y en una carrera. El equipo UMA Racing Team ha participado en cinco ediciones de esta competición con resultados destacables. Para los alumnos representa una oportunidad de trabajar en un proyecto real con plazos y presupuesto limitado y de exponer el resultado de su trabajo a profesionales que poseen un amplio conocimiento del sector. La interacción entre los estudiantes, las empresas y los profesionales contribuyen a que los participantes alcancen nuevas capacidades y habilidades muy valoradas por las empresas. La experiencia confirma que la incorporación al mercado laboral de los integrantes ha sido muy satisfactoria

Genetic diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella serotypes recovered throughout the beef production chain and from patients with salmonellosis

Salmonella is one of the major foodborne pathogens worldwide. The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of this foodborne pathogen has raised a great concern in recent years. Studies on the frequency and characterization of Salmonella serotypes can help to improve our knowledge on the epidemiology of this pathogen. The purpose of this study was to compare the serotypes, AMR and genetic profiles of Salmonella isolates recovered from raw beef throughout the beef production chain and from human feces associated with clinical cases of salmonellosis. The serotype, AMR and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile of 243 Salmonella enterica isolates recovered from beef carcasses (n = 78), ground beef (n = 135), and human feces from clinical cases of salmonellosis (n = 30) were compared. Forty-three different Salmonella serotypes were identified and regardless of the source, the top five corresponded to Typhimurium, Give, Group B (partially serotyped), Infantis and Anatum. Twelve serotypes from beef carcasses were also found in ground beef, showing their presence throughout the beef production chain. Salmonella Typhimurium, Infantis, Anatum and Montevideo were the only serotypes identified in all sample types. Resistance to tetracyclines was the most frequent (41.2%) followed by resistance to aminoglycosides (37%), folate pathway inhibitors (21%), quinolones (20.2%), phenicols (17.1%), penicillins (15.6%) and cephems (7%). Multidrug resistance was observed in 28.8% of the isolates, and those from human feces showed resistance to a larger number of antimicrobials. Great concern arises from the resistance and reduced susceptibility observed to quinolones and cephalosporins because these drugs are the first line of treatment for invasive Salmonella infections. Twenty-seven distinct pulse-types were detected among 238 isolates. Clustering analysis for the most frequent serotypes identified groups of isolates with similar AMR profiles. Multidrug resistance spreading throughout the food production chain should be continually monitored and its importance emphasized