Outcomes of territorial competition and the role of intergovernmental transfers among Mexican regions

In an environment of growing globalization, which goes along with a relative increase of factor mobility, the role of territories and its competitiveness is under debate. In order to spur local attraction territories often enter in competition with each other. At this respect it is commonplace that governments at various territorial levels apart from other public and private institutions concern about providing the conditions that make attractive their countries, regions or cities for productive activities and in so doing they get involved in the race for competitiveness. Even though competition involves the actions of multiple actors, these often are connected with each other through local policy makers. By and large, local government and regional development policy are regarded to play a central function in territorial competition and in fact can be considered that the competitive success of regions and cities cannot be achieved without the active action of local governments. To the extent to which governments are more conscious about the actual territorial competitive environment they will try to formulate more policies for the development of competitive capabilities. The actions and efforts may take many forms (marketing, assisting local businesses, constructing infrastructure, information and land provision, taxation and so on). Particularly governments may use programs or apply funds, which are available as a result of national or regional policy, to attend to local interests. However local governments’ actions depend to a large extent on their financial capabilities. The federal government in Mexico provides most of the financial support to states and municipalities on an ongoing basis through transfers and participations. These are federal transfers supporting specific policy areas or unconditional transfers.This paper is concerned with presenting an integrated framework for territorial competition analysis which emphasises the fundamental role of local government action and assessing the role of federal aid on the competitive results of Mexican regions. The methodology proposed will develop a series of competitive results indicators for Mexican regions and use a multivariate analysis to assess the influence of transfers and participations. The periods include those years when Mexico has been and opened and liberalised economy.

Territorial competition in Mexico, regional performance and the role of federal transfers

In an environment of growing globalization, which goes along with a relative increase of factor mobility, the role of territories and its competitiveness is under debate. In order to spur local attraction territories often enter in competition with each other. At this respect it is commonplace that governments at various territorial levels apart from other public and private institutions concern about providing the conditions that make attractive their countries, regions or cities for productive activities and in so doing they get involved in the race for competitiveness. Even though competition involves the actions of multiple actors, these often are connected with each other through local policy makers. By and large, local government and regional development policy are regarded to play a central function in territorial competition and in fact can be considered that the competitive success of regions and cities cannot be achieved without the active action of local governments. To the extent to which governments are more conscious about the actual territorial competitive environment they will try to formulate more policies for the development of competitive capabilities. The actions and efforts may take many forms (marketing, assisting local businesses, constructing infrastructure, information and land provision, taxation and so on). Particularly governments may use programs or apply funds, which are available as a result of national or regional policy, to attend to local interests. However local governments' actions depend to a large extent on their financial capabilities. The federal government in Mexico provides most of the financial support to states and municipalities on an ongoing basis through transfers and participations. These are federal transfers supporting specific policy areas or unconditional transfers.This paper is concerned with presenting an integrated framework for territorial competition analysis which emphasises the fundamental role of local government action and assessing the role of federal aid on the competitive results of Mexican regions. The methodology proposed will develop a series of competitive results indicators for Mexican regions and use a multivariate analysis to assess the influence of transfers and participations. The periods include those years when Mexico has been and opened and liberalised economy

The Importance of COVID-19 Testing to Assess Socioeconomic Fatality Drivers and True Case Fatality Rate: Facing the Pandemic or Walking in the Dark?

Europe and other developed countries have become the center of the pandemic while other developing and less developed regions have a low spread of COVID-19. The case fatality rate (CFR) differs among countries; genetics, health systems, population characteristics, public health, and social measures are believed to be the determinants of such diversity. Through an ordinal probit, cross-section, and panel data models for 71 countries, it is shown that countries with more tests per million inhabitants are also those reporting more cases and deaths, and greater testing helped reduce CFR. However, health infrastructure and population health indicators are not confirmed drives for CFR. Our main finding is that the pandemic concentration in developed nations is highly related to their ability and resources for tracking the pandemic. In conclusion, the true CFR drivers at national levels cannot be estimated without increasing the number of tests per million inhabitants. Also, countries with more testings are identifying the reality of the pandemic while others with fewer testings are still walking in the dark. Lastly, lockdown measures are effective at reducing the mortality rate

Evaluación de las características nutricionales y funcionales del concentrado proteico de Phaseolus acutifolius Gray

El frijol (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) es una leguminosa de la dieta básica humana, forma parte de las principales fuentes de proteína en México, así como de una tradición de consumo y producción que cada vez es más limitada debido al cambio climático. El frijol tépari (Phaseolus acutifolius Gray) por su facilidad de crecimiento y poco requerimiento de cuidados de cultivo, produce altos rendimientos en agricultura, pero bajo consumo por la escasez de información sobre sus características nutricionales. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar las propiedades químicas y nutricionales del concentrado proteico de frijol tépari (Phaseolus acutifolius Gray) y sus posibles beneficios. Las semillas de frijol crudas y cocidas presentaron porcentajes de proteína (21.14±0.04 y 19.94±0.06, respectivamente) y rendimiento en concentrados proteicos similares a los reportados para otras variedades de frijol. Respecto a las propiedades fisicoquímicas, las harinas destacaron con mayor capacidad de absorción de agua, sin embargo, los concentrados proteicos presentaron mejor capacidad de absorción de aceite. La capacidad emulsionante de las muestras crudas (harina y concentrado proteico) fue mayor a lo reportado en la literatura para otras leguminosas, las muestras cocidas disminuyeron significativamente los porcentajes de esta propiedad (p0.05), y se encuentra por debajo de lo reportado para otras harinas de frijol. Por último, el concentrado proteico de frijol tépari cocido presentó gelificación completa a menor concentración (2%). Los resultados de digestibilidad in vitro resaltan la importancia y el beneficio de aplicar un tratamiento térmico a las semillas; esto pudo observarse en la disminución del tamaño de partícula y aumento de porcentaje de proteína digerida. La electroforesis desnaturalizante (SDS-PAGE) mostró que las proteínas predominantes son faseolinas y lectinas con pesos moleculares de 50 kDa y 20-30 kDa. El frijol tépari posee una calidad nutricional y propiedades con potencial de uso como ingrediente en el desarrollo y formulación de nuevos alimentos, sin embargo, es una leguminosa limitada a la producción y consumo local que requiere de investigación para fomentar su inclusión en la dieta. ABSTRACT The common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a legume of the basic human diet, it´s one of the main sources of protein in Mexico, as well as a tradition of consumption and production that is increasingly limited due to climate change. The tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius Gray) for its ease of growth and little requirement of crop care, produces high yields in agriculture, but low consumption due to the scarcity of information on its nutritional characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical and nutritional properties of the protein concentrate of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius Gray) and its possible benefits. Raw and cooked bean seeds showed protein percentages (21.14 ± 0.04 and 19.94 ± 0.06, respectively) and yield in protein concentrates similar to those reported for other bean varieties. Regarding the physicochemical properties, the flours stood out with greater capacity of water absorption, however, the protein concentrates showed better oil absorption capacity. The emulsifying capacity of the raw samples (flour and protein concentrate) was higher than that reported in the literature for other legumes, the cooked samples significantly decreased the percentages of this property (p 0.05), and is below that reported for other bean flours. Finally, the cooked tepary bean protein concentrate presented complete gelation at a lower concentration (2%). The results of in vitro digestibility highlight the importance and the benefit of applying a heat treatment to the seeds, this could be observed in the decrease in particle size and increase in percentage of digested protein. Denaturing electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that the predominant proteins are phaseolines and lectins with molecular weights of 50 kDa and 20-30 kDa. Tepary bean has a nutritional quality and properties with potential for use as an ingredient in the development and formulation of new foods, however, it is a legume limited to local production and consumption that requires research to promote its inclusion in the diet

Endocytosis, Cytotoxicity, and Translocation of Shiga Toxin-2 Are Stimulated by Infection of Human Intestinal (HCT-8) Monolayers With an Hypervirulent E. coli O157:H7 Lacking stx2 Gene

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are responsible for multiple clinical syndromes, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). E. coli O157:H7 is the most prevalent serotype associated with HUS and produces a variety of virulence factors being Stx2 the responsible of the most HUS severe cases. After intestinal colonization by STEC, Stx2 is released into the intestinal lumen, translocated to the circulatory system and then binds to its receptor, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), in target cells. Thus, Stx2 passage through the colonic epithelial barrier is a key step in order to produce disease, being its mechanisms still poorly understood. We have previously reported that STEC interaction with the human colonic mucosa enhanced Stx2 production. In the present work, we have demonstrated that infection with O157:H7Δstx2, a mutant unable to produce Stx2, enhanced either Stx2 cytotoxicity on an intestinal cell line (HCT-8), or translocation across HCT-8 monolayers. Moreover, we found that translocation was enhanced by both paracellular and transcellular pathways. Using specific endocytosis inhibitors, we have further demonstrated that the main mechanisms implicated on Stx2 endocytosis and translocation, either when O157:H7Δstx2 was present or not, were Gb3-dependent, but dynamin-independent. On the other hand, dynamin dependent endocytosis and macropinocytosis became more relevant only when O157:H7Δstx2 infection was present. Overall, this study highlights the effects of STEC infection on the intestinal epithelial cell host and the mechanisms underlying Stx2 endocytosis, cytotoxic activity and translocation, in the aim of finding new tools toward a therapeutic approach.Fil: Garimano, Nicolás Ezequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Amaral, María Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Ibarra, Cristina Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; Argentin

Adenylyl cyclase types I and VI but not II and V are selectively inhibited by nitric oxide

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms catalyze the synthesis of 3′,5′-cyclic AMP from ATP. These isoforms are critically involved in the regulation of gene transcription, metabolism, and ion channel activity among others. Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous product whose synthesis from L-arginine is catalyzed by the enzyme NO synthase. It has been well established that NO activates the enzyme guanylyl cyclase, but little has been reported on the effects of NO on other important second messengers, such as AC. In the present study, the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide-releasing compound, on COS-7 cells transfected with plasmids containing AC types I, II, V and VI were evaluated. Total inhibition (∼98.5%) of cAMP production was observed in COS-7 cells transfected with the AC I isoform and previously treated with SNP (10 mM) for 30 min, when stimulated with ionomycin. A high inhibition (∼76%) of cAMP production was also observed in COS-7 cells transfected with the AC VI isoform and previously treated with SNP (10 mM) for 30 min, when stimulated with forskolin. No effect on cAMP production was observed in cells transfected with AC isoforms II and V.Fil: Goldstein Raij, Jorge. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Ibarra, Cristina Adriana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia; ArgentinaFil: Silberstein, Claudia Marcela. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas. Laboratorio de Fisiopatogenia; Argentin

Redescription and new records of freshwater Nematomorpha (Gordiida) from Chile, with the description of two new species

Hasta el momento solo han sido citadas para Chile cuatro especies de Gordiida (Nematomorpha). En este trabajo se describen dos especies nuevas, Gordionus enigmaticus y Gordius austrinus. Gordionus enigmaticus se caracteriza por la variación en la forma de las areolas a lo largo del surco longitudinal ventral y porque en la región pre-cloacal del extremo posterior, los campos de cerdas están ausentes. Gordius austrinus se distingue de otras especies de Gordius por la presencia de un reborde precloacal que limita la depresión del área cloacal, por la prominencia cuticular donde se encuentra la abertura cloacal y por el patrón de distribución de las cerdas en el extremo posterior. Asimismo se redescriben ultraestructuralmente a Gordius paranensis, G. robustus y Neochordodes meridionales y se señala la distribución para Chile de cada especie.Only four species of Gordiida (Nematomorpha) are known from Chile. This paper describes two new species Gordionus enigmaticus and Gordius austrinus. Gordionus enigmaticus is characterized by the variation in the shape of the areoles along the longitudinal ventral furrow and by the absence of the precloacal fields of bristles at the terminal end. Gordius austrinus can be distinguished from other Gordius species by the presence of the precloacal ledge bounding the cloacal area depression, by the cuticular prominence where the cloacal opening lies and by the distribution pattern of the bristles at the posterior end. Likewise, Gordius paranensis, Gordius robustus and Neochordodes meridionales are ultrastructuraly redescribed and the distribution of each of them in Chile is given.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse