The sociocultural aspects of assisted reproduction in Mexico

Assisted reproduction (AR) became available in Mexico during the mid eighties. Since then, the AR industry has developed and flourished within a context of little regulation, considerable media coverage and an increasing number of consumers. As part of this process, terms such as 'assisted reproduction', 'infertility, ‘eligible AR users’ and ‘qualified AR service provider’ have required definitions. Through four years of multisited ethnographic work at clinics, conferences and online forums, and by analysing media coverage and legal debates around infertility I have charted the introduction and development of AR, and I have tried to understand the process of its assimilation and (re)construction within the Mexican setting. The organisation of this thesis reflects the dynamic complexity with which the different actors have constructed the Mexican AR arena. The thesis begins with a description of the theoretical framework and the methodological rationale, followed by a genealogical analysis of Mexican AR focusing on the elements that made its adoption possible, the transformation of gynaecologists into AR specialists, the establishment of AR clinics and services, and the emergence of two new types of AR specialist: the andrologist and the AR biologist. I then analyse the way AR is framed as a paranatural procedure that imitates nature while simultaneously going beyond it and examine the elements that make up what the community of AR specialists suggest are the major causes for infertility: ‘the age factor’ and ‘the male factor’. Finally, I describe the pilgrimage AR users embark on in search of parenthood and their quest for information and support. Understanding the process by which AR has been assimilated and transformed in the Mexican context sheds light on the way techno-science is (re)constructed when it arrives in new settings. In addition, this knowledge has the potential to inform local medical and social practices, and regulatory frameworks in the field

Los servicios de los ecosistemas de la Reserva de Biosfera Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta

La Reserva de Biosfera Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (RB-CGSM) es un complejo sistema de humedales marino costeros que presenta una marcada interdependencia en su funcionamiento. Estos ecosistemas interactúan con varias poblaciones humanas asentadas en el territorio mediante el suministro de servicios de los ecosistemas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar los servicios de los ecosistemas de la RB-CGSM que son percibidos por diferentes actores. Se realizaron entrevistas semi-estructuradas para conocer la percepción del suministro de servicios de los ecosistemas, sus tendencias de cambio y cómo son valorados. Se obtuvieron 777 respuestas que fueron tipificadas en 34 categorías de las cuales el 55% corresponden a servicios de abastecimiento, 43% a servicios culturales y el 2% fueron servicios de regulación. Se determinó que la oferta de aproximadamente la mitad de ellos ha disminuido (43,9%) o desaparecido (4,6%) y tres cuartas partes de los servicios percibidos tienen gran importancia al ser considerados como esenciales (46,8%) o muy importantes (28,5%) para los entrevistados. Los resultados constituyen una base de conocimiento necesaria para el análisis de las implicaciones del uso de los servicios, así como para establecer directrices de gestión orientadas a mantener un flujo sostenible de servicios esenciales para el bienestar humano.The Biosphere Reserve Ciénaga Grande of Santa Marta (RBCGSM) is a complex coastal and marine wetland system with a strong functioning interdependency. These ecosystems interact with several local communities through the supply of ecosystem services. The aim of this paper was to identify ecosystem services of RBCGSM that are perceived by different actors. We carried out semi-structured interviews in order to analyze the social perception, the trends of changes and a social valuation of ecosystem services. We obtained 777 responses which were typified in 34 categories, from which 55% were provisioning services, 43% cultural services, and 2% were regulating services. The supply of approximately half of them has decreased (43,9%) or disappeared (4,6%) and three-quarters of perceived services were considered as essential (46,8%) or very important (28,5%) for interviewees. The results provide a base of knowledge required for the analysis of the implications of ecosystem services use, as well as for the proposal and implementation of management guidelines aimed at maintaining a sustainable flow of ecosystem services essential for human wellbeing

Biodiversity and distribution of beneficial arthropods within hedgerows of organic Citrus orchards in Valencia (Spain)

A study of natural enemies within hedgerows and on ground covers was carried out in two organic citrus orchards in two areas of Valencia (Spain) using two sampling methods, yellow sticky traps and a vacuum machine. Hedgerows had significantly higher levels of natural enemies, followed by citrus and ground covers. The species of natural enemies in hedgerows were similar to those found in citrus orchards, but different from those identified on ground cover. In hedgerows and citrus the predominant predators were Coniopterygidae (Neuroptera) and Cecidomyiidae (Diptera), and the most abundant parasitoids were Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera)

Differential expression of dnaA and dosR genes among members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex under oxic and hypoxic conditions

Major differences regarding the pathology and host immune response of the Beijing and Canettii genotypes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been reported; however, studies on the genetic expression of these genotypes during in vitro dormancy are scarce. This study examined the expression of five cell-cycle-related genes and two dormancy-related genes in M. canettii, M. tuberculosis H37Rv, and M. tuberculosis Beijing during the Wayne model of dormancy. The results showed that under hypoxic conditions the three tuberculosis genotypes were able to transcribe genes involved in DNA replication and cellular division. In addition, dosR was found to be up-regulated in M. tuberculosis Beijing during the exponential growth phase but down-regulated under hypoxic conditions. In this genotype, the replication-related gene dnaA was also strongly down-regulated. These latter two findings suggest that, compared to M. tuberculosis H37Rv and M. canettii, the Beijing genotype has a lower capacity to synthesize dosR, hspX, and dnaA mRNAs during in vitro dormancy. [Int Microbiol 2010;13(1):9-13

O desafio da gestão do conhecimento nas instituições de ensino superior na Colômbia

Higher education institutions are currently facing a new social contract that determines the performance of scientific knowledge and establishes conditions to measure the impact of their results in society, from innovation products or by facilitating the social appropriation of knowledge. This contract begins in the governing bodies of the State which, through policy-making, establish guidelines for the participation of higher education institutions (in Spanish, IES) in the socio-economic development plans that fall within the requirements of a globalized world. This article posits the knowledge management theory as a framework from which strategies emerge for the establishment of IES as knowledge organizations and the rationalization of their involvement in the academia-society relationship.Las instituciones de educación superior (IES) se enfrentan actualmente a un nuevo contrato social que determina el ejercicio del conocimiento científico y establece condiciones para medir el impacto de sus resultados en la sociedad, a partir de productos de innovación o de la facilitación de la apropiación social del conocimiento. Este contrato se origina en las entidades rectoras del Estado que, a través del establecimiento de políticas, determinan los lineamientos de participación de las IES en los planes de desarrollo socioeconómico que se inscriben en las exigencias de un mundo globalizado. En este artículo se propone la teoría de la gestión del conocimiento como marco del que se desprenden estrategias para que las IES se instauren como organizaciones del conocimiento y racionalicen su participación en la relación entre academia y sociedad.As instituições de ensino superior (IES) estão atualmente enfrentando um novo contrato social que determina o exercício do conhecimento científico e estabelece condições para medir o impacto dos seus resultados na sociedade, através de produtos de inovação ou da facilitação da apropriação social do conhecimento. Este contrato tem origem nos órgãos do Estado, através do estabelecimento de políticas, que determinam a participação das IES nos planos de desenvolvimento socioeconômico que fazem parte das exigências de um mundo globalizado. Este artigo discute a teoria da gestão do conhecimento como parte das estratégias que surgem para que as IES sejam estabelecidas como organizações do conhecimento e racionalizem sua participação na relação entre acadêmia e sociedade

Enantioselective C-P Bond Formation through C(sp3)-H Functionalization

An enantioselective C−P bond formation has been developed through a C(sp3)−H activation in an oxidation step followed by an organocatalyzed hydrophosphonylation protocol. The asymmetric organocatalytic Pudovik reaction has been achieved following a one‐pot strategy, starting from different benzylic and allylic alcohols and dibenzyl phosphite, using MnO2 as the oxidant and a chiral squaramide as organocatalyst. The scope of the reaction provides enantiomerically enriched α‐hydroxy phosphonates with yields from 40% to >95% and enantioselectivities from 64% to >99%. Furthermore, the use of this methodology has been demonstrated to form a tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenter, generating an acetophenone derivative in situ, using diphenyl phosphite. Therefore, this approach represents an asymmetric strategy for constructing chiral C−P bonds, which are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry

Vía Verde de Villa Corona: Ciclovía rural tramo Villa Corona - Atotonilco el Bajo - Estipac

ITESO, A.C

Ambientes de aprendizaje de la forma y el número: diseños accesibles y trayectorias hipotéticas de aprendizaje

Se presentan los resultados de cuatro investigaciones en ambientes de aprendizaje del número y la forma geométrica que evidencian las relaciones entre: educación matemática y diversidad; educación geométrica con todos y para todos; tecnologías y accesibilidad; Trayectorias Hipotéticas de Aprendizaje (THA) y Trayectorias Reales de Aprendizaje (TRA); escolaridad en primera infancia. Los resultados están divididos en tres partes: (a) Se retoma los resultados sobre ambientes de aprendizaje con todos y diseños accesibles; (b) los resultados de THA de la aritmética y la geometría, en particular se profundiza en exigencias de accesibilidad para poblaciones sordas, ciegas y con discalculia. (c) se desarrolla una experiencia de accesibilidad en didáctica con el juego Circuito Cerrado y se sugieren articulaciones con las THA de la aritmética y la geometría

Vitamin D, cellular senescence and chronic kidney diseases: what is missing in the equation?

As life expectancy increases in many countries, the prevalence of age-related diseases also rises. Among these conditions, chronic kidney disease is predicted to become the second cause of death in some countries before the end of the century. An important problem with kidney diseases is the lack of biomarkers to detect early damage or to predict the progression to renal failure. In addition, current treatments only retard kidney disease progression, and better tools are needed. Preclinical research has shown the involvement of the activation of cellular senescence-related mechanisms in natural aging and kidney injury. Intensive research is searching for novel treatments for kidney diseases as well as for anti-aging therapies. In this sense, many experimental shreds of evidence support that treatment with vitamin D or its analogs can exert pleiotropic protective effects in kidney injury. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency has been described in patients with kidney diseases. Here, we review recent evidence about the relationship between vitamin D and kidney diseases, explaining the underlying mechanisms of the effect of vitamin D actions, with particular attention to the modulation of cellular senescence mechanismsThis research was funded by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and Fondos FEDER European Union (PI20/00140, PI19/00240, PI19/00815, and DTS20/00083). Red de Investigación Renal REDINREN: RD16/0009/0003 to M.R.-O. and RICORS2040; RD21/0005/0002 funded by European Union—NextGenerationEU, INNOREN cm (P2022/BMD-7221) of the Comunidad de Madrid, Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 (IMProve-PD ID: 812699) to M.R.-

Dysfunctional oxidative phosphorylation shunts branched-chain amino acid catabolism onto lipogenesis in skeletal muscle

It is controversial whether mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle is the cause or consequence of metabolic disorders. Herein, we demonstrate that in vivo inhibition of mitochondrial ATP synthase in muscle alters whole-body lipid homeostasis. Mice with restrained mitochondrial ATP synthase activity presented intrafiber lipid droplets, dysregulation of acyl-glycerides, and higher visceral adipose tissue deposits, poising these animals to insulin resistance. This mitochondrial energy crisis increases lactate production, prevents fatty acid b-oxidation, and forces the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to provide acetyl-CoA for de novo lipid synthesis. In turn, muscle accumulation of acetyl-CoA leads to acetylation-dependent inhibition of mitochondrial respiratory complex II enhancing oxidative phosphorylation dysfunction which results in augmented ROS production. By screening 702 FDA-approved drugs, we identified edaravone as a potent mitochondrial antioxidant and enhancer. Edaravone administration restored ROS and lipid homeostasis in skeletal muscle and reinstated insulin sensitivity. Our results suggest that muscular mitochondrial perturbations are causative of metabolic disorders and that edaravone is a potential treatment for these diseasesThis work was ts from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, MINECO, Spain (SAF2016-76028-R and SAF2016-75916-R) and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Raras, Spain (CB06/07/0017