Transdisciplinary studies in socio-ecosystems: Theoretical considerations and its application in Latin American contexts

Debido a limitaciones para abordar la complejidad de la relación sociedad-naturaleza, los esfuerzos para solucionar los problemas ambientales han sido en general infructuosos. Aquí proponemos que el enfoque holístico de “socio-ecosistema” por parte de la academia, podría contribuir a disminuir estas limitaciones desde la adopción de cuatro cambios: i) ontológico, que presenta el concepto de “socio-ecosistemas”; ii) epistemológico, que propone a la transdisciplina como la forma de entenderlos, iii) metodológico, que sugiere intervenir en ellos de forma participativa y adaptativa y, iv) cambios institucionales que facilitarían la adopción de esta propuesta. Este planteamiento se complementa con la descripción de una experiencia transdiciplinaria en la cuenca del río San Juan Zitácuaro, México, en el contexto de un curso internacional de manejo de socio-ecosistemas.Given the difficulties to approach the complex relationship bettween society and nature, efforts to solve environmental problems have generally been unsuccessful. Here we suggest that a hollistic “socio-ecosystem” approach by the sciencies could help diminish these difficulties by embracing four kinds of changes: i) ontological, which introduces the concept of “socio-ecosystem”; ii) epistemological, which proposes transdiscipline as the way to understand them, iii) metholodogical, which suggests that in intervention in them must be participatory and adaptive, iv) institutional changes that would facilitate the adoption of this approach. This is then followed by a description of a transdisciplinary work experience in the Zitácuaro river basin, in Mexico, in the context of an international course on socio-ecosystem management.Fil: Ortega Uribe, Tamara. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Mastrangelo, Matias Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Villarroel Torrez, Daniel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Piaz, Agustín Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Escuela de Humanidades. Centro de Estudios de Historia de la Ciencia y de la Técnica ; ArgentinaFil: Vallejos, María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Saenz Ceja, Jesús Eduardo. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas; MéxicoFil: Gallego, Federico. Universidad de la República. Facultad de Ciencias; UruguayFil: Franquesa Soler, Monserrat. Instituto de Ecología; MéxicoFil: Calzada Peña, Leonardo. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Espinosa Mellado, Noelia. Universidad de la Armada; MéxicoFil: Fiestas Flores, Jerico. Instituto de Estudios Peruanos; PerúFil: Gill Mairhofer, Luis R.. Ministerio de la Defensa Pública; ParaguayFil: González Espino, Zarahí. Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas. Facultad de Medio Ambiente. Departamento de Meteorología; CubaFil: Luna Salguero, Betsabé Montserrat. Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá; MéxicoFil: Martinez Peralta, Claudia María. Comisión de Ecología y Desarrollo Sustentable del Estado de Sonora. Dirección General de Conservación; MéxicoFil: Ochoa, Olivia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Pérez Volkow,Lucía. No especifica;Fil: Sala, Juan Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez Rose, Isabelle. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Weeks, Madeline. University of Cambridge; Reino UnidoFil: Ávila García, Daniela. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: García Reyes, Isabel Bueno. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas; MéxicoFil: Carmona, Alejandra. Universidad Austral de Chile. Instituto de Economía Agraria; ChileFil: Castro Videla, Fernando Horacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Mendoza-San Juan; ArgentinaFil: Ferrer Gonzalez, César Sergio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Ciencias Humanas, Sociales y Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Frank Buss, María Elisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: López Carapia, Gabriela. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Núñez Cruz, Martha. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Taboada Hermoza, Rossi. Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; PerúFil: Benet, Daniel. Alternare A. C.; MéxicoFil: Venegas, Ysmael. Alternare A. C.; MéxicoFil: Balvanera, Patricia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas; MéxicoFil: Mwampamba, Tuyeni H.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas; MéxicoFil: Lazos Chavero, Elena. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas; MéxicoFil: Noellemeyer, Elke Johanna. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Maass, Manuel. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas; Méxic

Recommendations for implementing lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography in Europe

Lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) was demonstrated in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) to reduce mortality from the disease. European mortality data has recently become available from the Nelson randomised controlled trial, which confirmed lung cancer mortality reductions by 26% in men and 39–61% in women. Recent studies in Europe and the USA also showed positive results in screening workers exposed to asbestos. All European experts attending the “Initiative for European Lung Screening (IELS)”—a large international group of physicians and other experts concerned with lung cancer—agreed that LDCT-LCS should be implemented in Europe. However, the economic impact of LDCT-LCS and guidelines for its effective and safe implementation still need to be formulated. To this purpose, the IELS was asked to prepare recommendations to implement LCS and examine outstanding issues. A subgroup carried out a comprehensive literature review on LDCT-LCS and presented findings at a meeting held in Milan in November 2018. The present recommendations reflect that consensus was reached

Frecuencia de neonatos con fisura del paladar y labio leporino en dos hospitales Minsa de la región Lambayeque durante el periodo 2012-2014

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar la frecuencia de neonatos con fisura de paladar y labio leporino en dos hospitales MINSA de la región Lambayeque durante el periodo 2012-2014. Este estudio fue de tipo descriptivo, observacional, con un diseño retrospectivo. La muestra fue representada por 272 historias clínicas de neonatos que cumplieron con los criterios de selección, se diseñó una ficha de recolección de datos, la cual estuvo dividida en tres partes según las variables estudiadas. Se encontró que la mayor frecuencia de la malformación fue la fisura del paladar y labio leporino con 4 casos (1,5%) y labio leporino con 1 caso (0,4%) haciendo un total de 5 casos con malformación (1,9%) de la población total. Se concluyó que se ve pertinente levantar estadísticas periódicas de los diferentes casos de malformaciones de los neonatos que nacen diariamente en los distintos hospitales; lo que permitiría disponer de una información actualizada de estas patologías contribuyendo, así favorablemente en su prevención y tratamiento.Tesi

Estrategias en la búsqueda de agentes anti-tripanosomátidos.

La familia Tryoanosomatidae está constituida por parásitos protozoarios causantes de la enfermedad de Chagas y del sueño(Trypanosoma bracei). En el cual, las estrategias empleada para identificación de compuestos con potencial de desarrollarse son de dos formas : ensayo de cribado contra blanco molecular y ensayos de cribado contra células; y el objetivo es contribuir a la identificación de nuevas entidades químicas que reducen de manera específica y significativa la variabilidad de tripanosomátidos patógenos

Polyamine-based thiols in Trypanosomatids: evolution, protein structural adaptations and biological functions

Significance. Major pathogenic enterobacteria and protozoan parasites from the phylum Euglenozoa, such as Trypanosomatids, are endowed with glutathione-spermidine derivatives that play important roles in signaling, metal and thiol-redox homeostasis. For some Euglenozoa lineages, the glutathione-spermidine conjugates represent the main redox co-substrates around which entire new redox systems have evolved. Several proteins underwent molecular adaptations to synthesize and utilize the new polyamine-based thiols. Recent Advances. The genomes of several evolutionarily related organisms have recently been sequenced, which allows mining and analysis of gene sequences that belong to these peculiar redox systems. Similarly, the 3D structures of several of these proteins have been solved, which allows for comparison with their counterparts in classical redox systems that rely on glutathione/glutaredoxin and thioredoxin. Critical Issues. The evolutionary and structural aspects related to the emergence and use of glutathione-spermidine conjugates in Euglenozoa are reviewed focusing on unique structural specializations that proteins developed to use N1,N8-bisglutathionylspermidine (trypanothione) as redox co-substrate. An updated overview on the biochemical and biological significance of the major enzymatic activities is also provided. Future Directions. A thiol-redox system strictly dependent on trypanothione is a feature unique to Trypanosomatids. The physicochemical properties of the polyamine-glutathione conjugates were a major driving force for structural adaptation of proteins that use these thiols as ligand and redox cofactor. In fact, the structural differences of indispensable components of this system can be exploited towards selective drug development. Future research should clarify whether additional cellular processes are regulated by the trypanothione-system

Identification of Novel Chemical Scaffolds Inhibiting Trypanothione Synthetase from Pathogenic Trypanosomatids.

International audienceBACKGROUND:The search for novel chemical entities targeting essential and parasite-specific pathways is considered a priority for neglected diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis. The thiol-dependent redox metabolism of trypanosomatids relies on bis-glutathionylspermidine [trypanothione, T(SH)2], a low molecular mass cosubstrate absent in the host. In pathogenic trypanosomatids, a single enzyme, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), catalyzes trypanothione biosynthesis, which is indispensable for parasite survival. Thus, TryS qualifies as an attractive drug target candidate.METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING:A library composed of 144 compounds from 7 different families and several singletons was screened against TryS from three major pathogen species (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania infantum). The screening conditions were adjusted to the TryS´ kinetic parameters and intracellular concentration of substrates corresponding to each trypanosomatid species, and/or to avoid assay interference. The screening assay yielded suitable Z' and signal to noise values (≥0.85 and ~3.5, respectively), and high intra-assay reproducibility. Several novel chemical scaffolds were identified as low μM and selective tri-tryp TryS inhibitors. Compounds displaying multi-TryS inhibition (N,N'-bis(3,4-substituted-benzyl) diamine derivatives) and an N5-substituted paullone (MOL2008) halted the proliferation of infective Trypanosoma brucei (EC50 in the nM range) and Leishmania infantum promastigotes (EC50 = 12 μM), respectively. A bis-benzyl diamine derivative and MOL2008 depleted intracellular trypanothione in treated parasites, which confirmed the on-target activity of these compounds.CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Novel molecular scaffolds with on-target mode of action were identified as hit candidates for TryS inhibition. Due to the remarkable species-specificity exhibited by tri-tryp TryS towards the compounds, future optimization and screening campaigns should aim at designing and detecting, respectively, more potent and broad-range TryS inhibitors

Screening work flow.

<p>The different steps, the most relevant assay conditions and the go/no-go criteria of the screening campaign are indicated in boxes. The figures on the right refer to the number of compounds screened and that subsequently advanced during the campaign. From 144 compounds, 22 compounds lowered assay signal ≥ 45% for at least one TryS. From these 22, 7 BDA were false positive and the remaining 15 compounds were confirmed as enzyme inhibitors. Two of them are <b>AI</b> with potency in the submicromolar range against <i>Li</i>TryS. AI (P), 4,5-dihydroazepino[4,5-<i>b</i>]indol-2(1<i>H</i>,3<i>H</i>,6<i>H</i>)-one derivatives (P, paullone); APPDA, 6-arylpyrido[2,3-<i>d</i>]pyrimidine-2,7-diamine derivatives; BZ, benzofuroxan derivatives; BDA, <i>N</i>,<i>N'</i>-bis(3,4-substituted-benzyl) diamine derivatives.</p

Biological activity of compounds against infective <i>Trypanosoma brucei brucei</i> with downregulated expression of trypanothione synthetase (TryS).

<p><b>A)</b> Western blot analysis of cell extracts from 2x10⁷ <i>T</i>. <i>b</i>. <i>brucei</i> from the wildtype (WT), 48 h tetracycline-induced (+) and non-induced (-) TryS-RNAi cell line. Two hundred ng of recombinant <i>Tb</i>TryS was loaded as control. Bands from the molecular weight marker are indicated on left. The picture at the bottom shows the abundance of TryS for each condition as estimated by densitometry and expressed relative to the level of the WT cell line. <b>B)</b> Ponceau staining of the Western blot membrane that served as normalization control of protein load for each condition. <b>C)</b> Cytotoxicity (%) ± S.D. (n = 2) for tetracycline-induced (+) and non-induced (-) TryS-RNAi <i>T</i>. <i>b</i>. <i>brucei</i> treated with 5 μM nifurtimox or 100 nM EAP1-47.</p