256 research outputs found

    La construcción de políticas públicas para promover las microfinanzas como estrategia para la erradicación de la pobreza/The construction of public policies to promote microfinance as a strategy for the eradication of poverty

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    Varios factores determinan el crecimiento y desarrollo de aspectos sociales y económicos de la sociedad. La pobreza es uno de los principales obstáculos de alcanzar el grado máximo de este crecimiento. Se han implementado diversas estrategias para erradicar la pobreza y las instituciones microfinancieras se dicen que juegan un papel significativo en la reducción de la pobreza. Sin embargo, no es la única solución a este problema. Este trabajo pretende evaluar el impacto, estrategias y retos del sector de microfinanzas. Este artículo también evaluará el impacto de las regulaciones del gobierno sobre el crecimiento del sector micro financiero. Estos elementos se discuten en las secciones de metodología y discusión largamente. Los artículos evaluados en este trabajo llevaron a la conclusión de que el micro financiamiento instituciones juega un gran papel en la reducción de la pobreza, pero también es una necesidad para la sociedad a depender de otras estrategias para hacer frente a este problema. Además, también se concluye que diversos factores influyen en el éxito de las instituciones microfinancieras como las regulaciones gubernamentales y las sociedades en los que operan. Several factors determine the growth and development of social and economic aspects of society. Poverty is one of the main obstacles to achieving the maximum degree of this growth. Various strategies have been implemented to eradicate poverty and microfinance institutions are said to play a significant role in reducing poverty. However, it is not the only solution to this problem. This paper aims to evaluate the impact, strategies and challenges of the microfinance sector. This article will also assess the impact of government regulations on the growth of the microfinance sector. These elements are discussed in the methodology and discussion sections at length. The articles evaluated in this paper led to the conclusion that microfinance institutions play a great role in reducing poverty, but it is also a need for society to depend on other strategies to deal with this problem. In addition, it is also concluded that various factors influence the success of microfinance institutions such as government regulations and the societies in which they operate. Palabras clave: políticas publicas, microfinanzas, estrategia, erradicación, pobreza. Keywords: public policies, microfinance, strategy, eradication, poverty

    La inoculación de Azospirillum brasilense mejora la calidad de las plántulas de un mezquite (Prosopis juliflora)

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    Inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobacteria in plants can improve their growth and physiological status, which could be particularly important for agricultural and forestry plants used for the revegetation of arid areas. Prosopis juliflora is a forest pioneer species that is drought resistant and has multiple uses (fodder, shade and shelter for livestock; timber and firewood, live fences and windbreaks in agroforestry systems). Azospirillum brasilense is a rhizobacterium that improves the growth of many agricultural crops. The hypothesis of this study was that P. juliflora seedlings produced in the nursery can respond positively to inoculation with A. brasilense CECT 590. Five months after inoculation, we examined the growth, water relations (osmotic potential at full turgor, osmotic potential at zero turgor, and the modulus of elasticity at full turgor), and concentration and content of macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in the seedlings. Subsequently, a trial was conducted to analyse root growth potential. A. brasilense CECT 590 inoculation caused an osmotic adjustment in P. juliflora seedlings but decreased the elasticity of the cell walls. Inoculation with A. brasilense CECT 590 significantly improved plant growth due in part to an increase of N concentration in the seedlings. A. brasilense CECT 590 inoculation also caused an increase in the root growth potential. The increased growth of P. juliflora seedlings inoculated with A. brasilense was probably caused by more than one mechanism. Inoculation with A. brasilense at the nursery may be a suitable technique for producing improved seedling material for restoration purposes.La inoculación de hongos de micorrizacion y rizobacterias en las plantas puede mejorar su crecimiento y calidad fisiológica, especialmente en plantas agrícolas y forestales empleadas para la regeneración de zonas áridas. Prosopis juliflora es una especie forestal pionera, resistente a la sequía, y de usos múltiples (forraje, sombra y cobijo para el ganado, madera y leña, cercas vivas y cortinas cortavientos en sistemas agroforestales). Azospirillum brasilense es una rizobacteria que mejora el crecimiento de muchos cultivos agrícolas. La hipótesis de este estudio fue que las plántulas de P. juliflora producidas en vivero pueden responder positivamente a la inoculación con A. brasilense CECT 590. Cinco meses después desde la inoculación, se analizó el crecimiento, relaciones hídricas (potencial osmótico en saturación, potencial osmótico en el punto de pérdida de turgencia, y módulo de elasticidad a total turgor), concentración y contenido de macronutrientes (N, P, K, Ca y Mg) en las plántulas. Posteriormente se realizó un ensayo para analizar el Potencial de Crecimiento Radical. La inoculación de A. brasilense CECT 590 causó un ajuste osmótico de las plántulas de P. juliflora, pero disminuyó la elasticidad de las paredes celulares. A. brasilense CECT 590 mejoró significativamente el crecimiento de la planta, debido en parte al incremento de la concentración de N en las plántulas. La inoculación con A. brasilense CECT 590 también causó un incremento del potencial de crecimiento radical. El incremento del crecimiento en las plántulas de P. juliflora inoculadas con A. brasilense fue probablemente debido a más de un mecanismo. La inoculación con A. brasilense en vivero puede ser una técnica adecuada para la producción de material de plántulas mejorado con fines de restauración

    Oculocutaneous Albinism and Consanguineous Marriage among Spanish Gitanos or Calé – A Study of 83 Cases

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    This paper studies 83 cases of oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) in family networks of Gitanos in southeastern Spain, and analyzes their sustained inbreeding patterns and complex genealogical relationships. It is based in the family and genealogy reconstitution of the Gitano population of 22 contiguous localities using ethnographic and historical demography methods. The study found a prevalence of OCA among Gitanos in the area of about 1: 1,200. Most of the cases belong to three extended kin networks in which consanguineous marriages have been common for generations. In these networks there are other cases of visual and auditive congenital anomalies, and other birth defects such as brachydactily, polydactily, neurological defects, Potter Sequence, etc. In 61 OCA cases it was possible to trace inbreeding links with a depth of three to nine generations. For these cases the estimated alpha (average of the inbreeding coefficient, F) is 0.0222. Relationships between the parents of people affected are of three types: close, as between first or second cousins; distant, as between third or fourth cousins, and non-existent, as in mixed marriages. In most cases, however, persons with albinism are linked by multiple consanguineous links. Albinism seems to be a visible example of a high prevalence of birth defects in this minority, associated with founder effects, sustained inbreeding and high fertility rates. These conditions derive from Gitano’s marriage preferences and pronatalist strategies. In turn, these strategies have to be related to the exclusion, persecution and segregation that Spanish Gypsies have suffered for centuries

    Neutropthil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of postsurgical intraabdominal abscess in children operated for acute appendicitis

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    Aimof the study: Postoperative intra-abdominal abscess (PIAA) is a frequent and severe complication of acute appendicitis (AA) with peritonitis. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an inflammatory marker that has been related to the development of peritonitis; however, its diagnostic role in predicting PIAA has not been evaluated. This is the first study that analyzes the usefulness of NLR as a predictor of PIAA in children operated for AA. Material and Methods: Retrospective observational study in children operated for AA in our institution during 2017–2018. Patients aged under 5 years or with incomplete laboratory determinations at hospital admission (blood count, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen) were excluded. Demographic and laboratory parameters and the development of PIAA were analyzed. NLR was calculated by dividing the absolute number of neutrophils by the absolute number of lymphocytes. Bymeans of ROC curves, we determined the sensitivity and specificity of the different laboratory parameters to predict the development of PIAA. Results: A total of 388 patients aged 10.5 ± 2.9 year were included. Twenty (5.2%) developed PIAA. NLR presented an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85, significantly higher than the determination of leukocytes (AUC 0.69, p < 0.001), neutrophils (AUC 0.74, p < 0.001), fibrinogen (AUC 0.68, p < 0.001) and C-reactive protein (AUC 0.73, p 10.5, with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 75.2%. Conclusions: NLR is the laboratory parameter with the highest sensitivity and specificity for predicting the development of PIAA in children operated for AA. It can be useful as a predictor of worse postoperative course

    Sound Speeds, Cracking and Stability of Self-Gravitating Anisotropic Compact Objects

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    Using the the concept of cracking we explore the influence of density fluctuations and local anisotropy have on the stability of local and non-local anisotropic matter configurations in general relativity. This concept, conceived to describe the behaviour of a fluid distribution just after its departure from equilibrium, provides an alternative approach to consider the stability of selfgravitating compact objects. We show that potentially unstable regions within a configuration can be identify as a function of the difference of propagations of sound along tangential and radial directions. In fact, it is found that these regions could occur when, at particular point within the distribution, the tangential speed of sound is greater than radial one.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, 4 new references added. typos correcte

    Prevalence, risk factors, and identification of Salmonella spp. in stray dogs of northwest Mexico

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    Salmonellosis has a worldwide relevance in aspects associated with public health, as only in 2009 were reported 93.8 million cases in humans. The objective of the study was to establish the prevalence, risk factors and bacteriological and molecular identification of Salmonella spp in stray dogs in urban, rural and coastal areas of Mexicali, a city in northwest Mexico. From May 2014 to February 2015, 385 dogs were tested. Sampling was performed by rectal swab and conventional bacteriological techniques were applied, for later implementation of the API 20E system and molecular identification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The data were analysed statistically by means of descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression modelling. A prevalence of 6.27% was obtained in the dogs examined, the samples obtained were characterised to subspecies (Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica and Salmonella enterica subspecie arizonae). The geographical region with the highest prevalence in the study was the coast (10%), followed by the rural area (8.57%) and the urban area (5.8%), however, no significant statistical differences were detected. There was significant difference in the prevalence by age of dogs under one year (P&lt;0.05). The identification of Salmonella in dogs from northwest Mexico could correspond to serovars of zoonotic importance indicating a potential risk for the population

    RPAP3 provides a flexible scaffold for coupling HSP90 to the human R2TP co-chaperone complex

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    The R2TP/Prefoldin-like co-chaperone, in concert with HSP90, facilitates assembly and cellular stability of RNA polymerase II, and complexes of PI3-kinase-like kinases such as mTOR. However, the mechanism by which this occurs is poorly understood. Here we use cryo-EM and biochemical studies on the human R2TP core (RUVBL1–RUVBL2–RPAP3–PIH1D1) which reveal the distinctive role of RPAP3, distinguishing metazoan R2TP from the smaller yeast equivalent. RPAP3 spans both faces of a single RUVBL ring, providing an extended scaffold that recruits clients and provides a flexible tether for HSP90. A 3.6 Å cryo-EM structure reveals direct interaction of a C-terminal domain of RPAP3 and the ATPase domain of RUVBL2, necessary for human R2TP assembly but absent from yeast. The mobile TPR domains of RPAP3 map to the opposite face of the ring, associating with PIH1D1, which mediates client protein recruitment. Thus, RPAP3 provides a flexible platform for bringing HSP90 into proximity with diverse client proteins

    Irvalec Inserts into the Plasma Membrane Causing Rapid Loss of Integrity and Necrotic Cell Death in Tumor Cells

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    Irvalec is a marine-derived antitumor agent currently undergoing phase II clinical trials. In vitro, Irvalec induces a rapid loss of membrane integrity in tumor cells, accompanied of a significant Ca2+ influx, perturbations of membrane conductivity, severe swelling and the formation of giant membranous vesicles. All these effects are not observed in Irvalec-resistant cells, or are significantly delayed by pretreating the cells with Zn2+. Using fluorescent derivatives of Irvalec it was demonstrated that the compound rapidly interacts with the plasma membrane of tumor cells promoting lipid bilayer restructuration. Also, FRET experiments demonstrated that Irvalec molecules localize in the cell membrane close enough to each other as to suggest that the compound could self-organize, forming supramolecular structures that likely trigger cell death by necrosis through the disruption of membrane integrity

    Early and late skin reactions to radiotherapy for breast cancer and their correlation with radiation-induced DNA damage in lymphocytes

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    INTRODUCTION: Radiotherapy outcomes might be further improved by a greater understanding of the individual variations in normal tissue reactions that determine tolerance. Most published studies on radiation toxicity have been performed retrospectively. Our prospective study was launched in 1996 to measure the in vitro radiosensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes before treatment with radical radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer, and to assess the early and the late radiation skin side effects in the same group of patients. We prospectively recruited consecutive breast cancer patients receiving radiation therapy after breast surgery. To evaluate whether early and late side effects of radiotherapy can be predicted by the assay, a study was conducted of the association between the results of in vitro radiosensitivity tests and acute and late adverse radiation effects. METHODS: Intrinsic molecular radiosensitivity was measured by using an initial radiation-induced DNA damage assay on lymphocytes obtained from breast cancer patients before radiotherapy. Acute reactions were assessed in 108 of these patients on the last treatment day. Late morbidity was assessed after 7 years of follow-up in some of these patients. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) morbidity score system was used for both assessments. RESULTS: Radiosensitivity values obtained using the in vitro test showed no relation with the acute or late adverse skin reactions observed. There was no evidence of a relation between acute and late normal tissue reactions assessed in the same patients. A positive relation was found between the treatment volume and both early and late side effects. CONCLUSION: After radiation treatment, a number of cells containing major changes can have a long survival and disappear very slowly, becoming a chronic focus of immunological system stimulation. This stimulation can produce, in a stochastic manner, late radiation-related adverse effects of varying severity. Further research is warranted to identify the major determinants of normal tissue radiation response to make it possible to individualize treatments and improve the outcome of radiotherapy in cancer patients

    Genome‐wide detection of copy number variants in European autochthonous and commercial pig breeds by whole‐genome sequencing of DNA pools identified breed‐characterising copy number states

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    In this study, we identified copy number variants (CNVs) in 19 European autochthonous pig breeds and in two commercial breeds (Italian Large White and Italian Duroc) that represent important genetic resources for this species. The genome of 725 pigs was sequenced using a breed‐specific DNA pooling approach (30–35 animals per pool) obtaining an average depth per pool of 42×. This approach maximised CNV discovery as well as the related copy number states characterising, on average, the analysed breeds. By mining more than 17.5 billion reads, we identified a total of 9592 CNVs (~683 CNVs per breed) and 3710 CNV regions (CNVRs; 1.15% of the reference pig genome), with an average of 77 CNVRs per breed that were considered as private. A few CNVRs were analysed in more detail, together with other information derived from sequencing data. For example, the CNVR encompassing the KIT gene was associated with coat colour phenotypes in the analysed breeds, confirming the role of the multiple copies in determining breed‐specific coat colours. The CNVR covering the MSRB3 gene was associated with ear size in most breeds. The CNVRs affecting the ELOVL6 and ZNF622 genes were private features observed in the Lithuanian Indigenous Wattle and in the Turopolje pig breeds respectively. Overall, the genome variability unravelled here can explain part of the genetic diversity among breeds and might contribute to explain their origin, history and adaptation to a variety of production systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
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