Do new records of macrofungi indicate warming of their habitats in terrestrial Antarctic ecosystems?

Relatively few macrofungi have been historically described from terrestrial environments of the Antarctic Peninsula and its associated archipelagos which are characterized by a moss-dominated vegetation, most of them preferentially or obligatorily associated with bryophytes. During the study of the influence of penguin rockeries to moss communities on the South Shetland Islands, the bryophilous basidiomycetes Rimbachia bryophila and Arrhenia cf. lilacinicolor were found for the first time on King George Island, growing on carpets of Sanionia uncinata. Other bryophilous fungi previously recorded in the same region are Arrhenia antarctica, Omphalina pyxidata and the rare Simocybe antarctica. The detection of the supposedly parasitic R. bryophila, together with other new observations of macrofungi on different hosts in the Antarctic bryoflora could indicate increased sexual reproduction. The likely increase of reproduction as an effect of warming on the terrestrial antarctic tundra should be proven by follow up field studies

Diseño y validación del cuestionario sobre economía del aprendizaje de docentes universitarios

La economía del conocimiento es la expresión acuñada para indicar que, en el estado actual del desarrollo, una parte sustancial de la producción se basa en el saber acumulado. La presente investigación muestra el resultado del diseño y construcción de un cuestionario validado sobre la percepción de factores que intervienen en el aprendizaje de docentes del nivel universitario, dicho cuestionario determinará si los factores facilitan u obstaculizan el aprendizaje de docentes. Cabe destacar que la investigación, siguió una metodología mixta, transversal y planteada desde el enfoque empírico-analítico. El método que se empleó fue el diseño de un cuestionario en diez faces: desde la revisión de la literatura hasta la consistencia interna del constructo, además de la revisión por expertos. Para la prueba piloto de donde se obtuvieron los datos, fue aplicada a 10 docentes de una Institución de Educación Superior (IES). Los resultados muestran un cuestionario con un Alfa de Cronbach 0.959, el cual denota la excelente consistencia interna, y se presenta con el propósito de que sea aplicada en IES para identificar áreas de oportunidad en su personal docente sobre el aprendizaje

Influencia del perfil de los productores en la adopción de innovaciones en tres cultivos tropicales

The low adoption of innovations in the agricultural production units is one of the causes in the inefficient levels of production and therefore it is important to analyze the factors that influence in the adoption. This paper presents a model to explain the innovation adoption of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), rubber (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) producers in Mexico, in terms of quantitative and qualitative variables of 1,474 farmers and their farms. The age holds a negative effect on the adoption of innovations; school level, experience, and economic importance of the activity influence positively; the production area explains higher levels of innovation, and gender does not show any effect. Thus, the profile producers and their farms variables should be considered for intervention strategies aimed at increasing levels of innovation.La baja adopción de innovaciones en las unidades de producción agrícola es una de las causas de los ineficientes niveles de producción y por tanto es importante analizar los factores que influyen en la adopción. Este trabajo especifica un modelo para explicar el nivel de innovación de productores de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), hule (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) y palma de aceite (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) en México, en función de variables cuantitativas y cualitativas de 1474 productores y sus fincas. Los resultados muestran que la edad tiene un efecto negativo sobre la adopción de innovaciones; la escolaridad, la experiencia y la importancia económica de la actividad influyen positivamente; la superficie en producción explica mayores niveles de innovación y el género no tiene efecto. De esta manera, variables del perfil del productor y de sus fincas deberían ser consideradas para plantear estrategias de intervención encaminadas a incrementar los niveles de innovación

Desarrollo de proveedores de hule natural en la cuenca del río Papaloapan, México: avances y limitaciones

Mexico has optimal conditions for the cultivation of natural rubber but imports more than 80 % of its consumption. The model of development suppliers through Innovation Management Agencies (agi, for their acronym in Spanish) was implemented to improve this situation. This work analyzed the achievements of technical assistance services provided by two agi to two rubber agro-industries (AI) and their suppliers located in the Papaloapan River Basin, Mexico. From 2011 to the beginning of 2014, the Agencies generated reports and databases about technical, productive, organizational and commercial parameters of both rubber producers and agro-industries. With this information, global databases were constructed to analyze changes in production, supply, and innovation adoption. The results show that the intervention of the Agencies was relevant and effective in improving production and post-harvest parameters. The production of coagulated rubber also increased as well as the availability of raw material to the agro-industries. Moreover, production costs were able to be reduced, and the quality of the rubber was improved. However, the fall in rubber prices at the end of 2013 caused setbacks in the adoption of innovations and the agriculture–industry integration, showing the fragility of supplier development, as well as of the AI involved serving as lead and trailblazer companies in their suppliers’ networks.México posee condiciones óptimas para el cultivo del hule natural; sin embargo, importa más del 80 % para su consumo. Para mejorar esta situación se implementó un modelo de desarrollo de proveedores a través de Agencias de Gestión de la Innovación (agi). Este trabajo analizó los logros de los servicios de asistencia técnica proporcionados por dos agi a dos agroindustrias (ai) de hule y a sus proveedores ubicados en la Cuenca del río Papaloapan, en México. De 2011 a inicios de 2014, las agi generaron informes y datos sobre parámetros técnicos, productivos, organizativos y comerciales, tanto de productores como de ai. Con la información se construyeron bases de datos globales para analizar los cambios en producción, abasto y adopción de innovaciones. Los resultados muestran que la intervención de las agi fue pertinente y eficaz en la mejora de parámetros productivos y de poscosecha. Además, se incrementó la producción de hule coagulado y la disponibilidad de materia prima para las ai. También se lograron reducir los costos de producción y mejorar la calidad del hule. No obstante, la caída del precio del hule a fines de 2013 provocó retrocesos en la adopción de innovaciones y en la integración agricultura-industria, lo que evidenció la fragilidad del desarrollo de proveedores, así como de las ai involucradas para fungir como empresas tractoras

Beliefs in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines in the Andean Community of Nations

Los estudios sobre aceptación y rechazo hacia las vacunas, así como la creencia en teorías conspirativas, y la falta de confianza en los gobiernos y la ciencia, han sido importantes para analizar el proceso de vacunación contra el COVID-19 a nivel mundial, pero han sido bastante limitados, hasta el momento, para el caso de América Latina. En este sentido, el objetivo de este trabajo consiste en describir el grado de aceptación o no a ciertas creencias de conspiración sobre las vacunas contra la COVID-19 en una muestra de países miembros de la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN): Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. Se diseñó un estudio transversal descriptivo en el que participaron 1835 personas de Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador y Perú. Para la evaluación de estas creencias se utilizó la Escala de Creencias de Conspiración de Vacunas COVID-19 (ECCV-COVID, Caycho-Rodríguez et al., 2022a). Los resultados indican que, el Perú presenta el mayor puntaje promedio de creencias de conspiración sobre las vacunas contra la COVID19. Además, en los 4 países el menor grado de aceptación es con la creencia sobre “Vacunar a los niños contra la COVID-19 es perjudicial y este hecho está ocultado”. En Colombia, Ecuador y Perú el mayor grado de aceptación está referida a la creencia conspirativa referida a que “La información sobre la seguridad de las vacunas contra la COVID-19 a menudo se inventan”. Finalmente, en Bolivia, el mayor grado de aceptación es con la creencia de que “Las empresas farmacéuticas ocultan los peligros de las vacunas contra la COVID-19”. Los resultados presentados en este estudio son los primeros que se conoce de forma genérica en población latinoamericana, y particularmente, en la población Andina.Studies on the acceptance and rejection of vaccines, as well as the belief in conspiracy theories, and the lack of trust in governments and science, have been important to analyze the vaccination process against COVID-19 worldwide, but they have been quite limited, so far, in the case of Latin America. In this sense, the objective of this work is to describe the degree of acceptance or not of certain conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19 in a sample of countries members in the Andean Community of Nations (CAN): Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. A descriptive cross-sectional study was designed in which 1835 people from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru participated. To evaluate these beliefs, the COVID-19 Vaccine Conspiracy Belief Scale (ECCV-COVID, Caycho-Rodríguez et al., 2022a) was used. The results indicate that Peru has the highest average score of conspiracy beliefs about vaccines against COVID-19. In addition, in the 4 countries, the lowest degree of acceptance is with the belief that "Vaccinating children against COVID-19 is harmful and this fact is hidden". In Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the highest degree of acceptance is related to the conspiratorial belief that "Information on the safety of vaccines against COVID-19 is often invented." Finally, in Bolivia, the highest degree of acceptance is with the belief that "Pharmaceutical companies hide the dangers of vaccines against COVID-19". The results presented in this study are the first known generically in the Latin American population, and particularly in the Andean population.Fil: Caycho Rodríguez, Tomás. Universidad Privada del Norte; PerúFil: Gallegos de San Vicente, Miguel Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Valencia, Pablo D.. Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala; MéxicoFil: Vilca, Lindsey W.. Universidad Norbert Wiener; PerúFil: Moreta Herrera, Rodrigo. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; EcuadorFil: Puerta Cortés, Diana Ximena. Universidad de Ibagué; ColombiaFil: Tapia, Bismarck Pinto. Universidad Catolica Boliviana; Bolivi

Identification of latexin by a proteomic analysis in rat normal articular cartilage

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by degeneration of articular cartilage. Animal models of OA induced are a widely used tool in the study of the pathogenesis of disease. Several proteomic techniques for selective extraction of proteins have provided protein profiles of chondrocytes and secretory patterns in normal and osteoarthritic cartilage, including the discovery of new and promising biomarkers. In this proteomic analysis to study several proteins from rat normal articular cartilage, two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry (MS) were used. Interestingly, latexin (LXN) was found. Using an immunohistochemical technique, it was possible to determine its localization within the chondrocytes from normal and osteoarthritic articular cartilage.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, 147 proteins were visualized, and 47 proteins were identified by MS. A significant proportion of proteins are involved in metabolic processes and energy (32%), as well as participating in different biological functions including structural organization (19%), signal transduction and molecular signaling (11%), redox homeostasis (9%), transcription and protein synthesis (6%), and transport (6%). The identified proteins were assigned to one or more subcellular compartments.</p> <p>Among the identified proteins, we found some proteins already recognized in other studies such as OA-associated proteins. Interestingly, we identified LXN, an inhibitor of mammalian carboxypeptidases, which had not been described in articular cartilage. Immunolabeling assays for LXN showed a granular distribution pattern in the cytoplasm of most chondrocytes of the middle, deep and calcified zones of normal articular cartilage as well as in subchondral bone. In osteoarthritic cartilage, LXN was observed in superficial and deep zones.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study provides the first proteomic analysis of normal articular cartilage of rat. We identified LXN, whose location was demonstrated by immunolabeling in the chondrocytes from the middle, deep and calcified zones of normal articular cartilage, and superficial and deep zones of osteoarthritic cartilage.</p

Reproductive aspects of the male jaguar (Panthera onca): A review

Objective: To describe the anatomy, morphology and physiology of the reproductive system of male jaguars, as well as assisted reproduction techniques. Methodology: A literature review on the anatomy and morphology of the jaguar´s reproductive system, its physiological characteristics and assisted reproduction techniques were carried out to document relevant information on the topic. Results: With this review, basic aspects of the morphology of the reproductive system of the jaguars are disclosed, although scarce knowledge is available on their reproduction. The advances in the collection, evaluation and cryopreservation of semen of this feline are shown, in addition to assisted reproduction techniques such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, which have a great potential to safeguard the species. Study limitations: The jaguar, an emblematic species of Latinamerica, is an endangered species, like other wild felids species as ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and margay (Leopardus wiedii), which makes it necessary to have a national assisted reproduction program. However, for this to be possible, information about their reproductive physiology is necessary, which is complicated in wild animals and even more so because the reproductive mechanisms greatly differ between felids species. There is scarce information in this regard from its free-living or Mexican zoos, it is for this reason necessary to generate such information. Conclusions: It is necessary to continue working on designing protocols for artificial insemination and other assisted reproduction techniques such as in-vitro fertilization specifically for male Panthera onca