Escala de clasificación y puntaje para la evaluación de las condiciones de salud de la comunidad de corales del Parque Nacional Jardines de la Reina, Cuba

In order to know the health status of the reefs, some protocols have been created to evaluate various ecological indicators on focal groups of organisms that inhabit these reefs. In this study we a specific scale, for classification and status score, for six ecological indicators (coral density, number of species per transect, coverage, old death, recent death and recruits population density) of the coral community of the Jardines de la Reina National Park. Were studied 29 SCUBA diving sites, located in fore reefs and designated as reference sites, which were compared with 52 other sites not used for diving. Also, were studied 27 reef crests, using the most conserved crests in the study area, as the reference site (La Puntica), although in this case, another indicator (density of recruits) was added. The non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied and frequency analysis was carried out through the Statistica 7 program. For evaluated ecologic indicators were proposed some changes in the specific scale, with regard to the suggested for Cuba and the Great Caribbean, adapting the levels of a new scale to obtained values from integral analysis, taking into account, the reference sites. With a condition of “Very Good”, density was classified with values >20 colonies 10 m-1 in fore reefs and >14 colonies 10 m-1 in crests. The number of species with values >10 in fore reefs and ≥ 6 in crests. The coral covers>30 % for both habitats. Old mortality ≤10 % for both habitats. Recent mortality, ≤1 % for both habitats. Recruits population density, with values >20 recruits m-2 in fore reefs and >10 recruits    m-2 in crests. We recommend one specific scale for classification and score was for health status for each MPAs, which would allow made some management actions, according to each coral reef intrinsic behaviors.Para conocer el estado de salud de los arrecifes se han creado protocolos que permiten evaluar indicadores ecológicos sobre grupos focales de organismos que habitan en ellos. En este estudio se propone una escala específica, de clasificación y puntaje de condición de salud, para seis indicadores ecológicos (densidad, número de especies por transecto, cobertura, muerte antigua, muerte reciente y densidad de reclutas) de la comunidad de corales del Parque Nacional Jardines de la Reina. Se estudiaron 29 sitios de buceo autónomo SCUBA, situados en escarpes poco profundos y designados como sitios de referencia, que fueron comparados con otros 52 sitios no utilizados para el buceo. También se estudiaron 27 crestas de arrecifes, usando como sitio de referencia la más conservada del área de estudio (La Puntica). Se aplicó la prueba no paramétrica de Kruskal Wallis y se realizó un análisis de frecuencia a través del programa Statistica 7. Para los indicadores ecológicos evaluados se propusieron cambios en la escala específica, con respecto a la sugerida para Cuba y el Gran Caribe, adecuando los niveles de la nueva escala a  valores obtenidos en un análisis integral y teniendo en cuenta, fundamentalmente, los sitios de referencia. Con una condición de “Muy buena”, se clasificó la densidad con valores >20 colonias 10 m-1 en escarpes y >14 colonias 10 m-1 en crestas. El número de especies, >10 en escarpes y ≥6 en crestas. La cobertura >30 % para ambos hábitats. Muerte antigua ≤10 % para ambos hábitats. Mortalidad reciente, ≤1 % para ambos hábitats. Densidad poblacional de reclutas, >20 reclutas m-2 en escarpes y >10 reclutas m-2 en crestas. Se recomienda la creación de una escala específica de clasificación y puntaje para la condición de salud en cada AMPs, que permitiría realizar acciones de manejo acorde a  características intrínsecas de sus arrecifes coralinos

Comunidades bentónicas e incidencia del buceo libre en arrecifes de Laguna de Maya, Matanzas, Cuba

Background: There is a lack of a quantitative characterization of the structure and abundance of the benthic communities of the “Laguna de Maya” coral reef. This information is very useful to prevent anthropic affectations, such as those that come from free and autonomous SCUBA diving activity, for recreational purposes and for self-consumption fishing. Objective: To characterize the benthic and fish community, allowing the determination of the incidence of diving on reefs of the “Laguna de Maya” Wildlife Refuge Protected Area, Matanzas, Cuba. Methods: Four sites were sampled, with the use of a square frame with a side of 1m (1m2), according to Weinberg (1981). Between 26 and 31 sampling units were placed per site, for a total of 117 units, taking one side of each square to determine the substrate coverage. The maximum diameter and the percentages of surface with old death, recent death and bleaching, by colony, were quantified. Results: 19 species of corals were identified, dominating Millepora complanata and Porites astreoides and the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum. 60 species of fish were registered, with Thalassoma bifasciatum and Chromis cyanea dominating. The largest offenses committed were contacts on corals (0.12 contacts/min). Conclusions: In general, the health status of the corals was affected in two of the studied sites. The negative consequences, it seems, were the product of local impacts (recreational diving). In the studied baseline, the disturbances and dangers that prevail on the reef of the Wildlife Refuge Protected Area “Laguna de Maya” are identified.Contexto: Se carece de una caracterización cuantitativa de la estructura y abundancia de las comunidades bentónicas del arrecife coralino de “Laguna de Maya”. Esta información es de gran utilidad para prevenir afectaciones antrópicas, como las que provienen de la actividad de buceo libre y autónomo SCUBA, con fines recreativos y para la pesca de autoconsumo. Objetivo: Caracterizar la comunidad bentónica y de peces, permitiendo la determinación de la incidencia del buceo sobre arrecifes del Área Protegida Refugio de Fauna “Laguna de Maya”, Matanzas, Cuba. Métodos: Fueron muestreados cuatro sitios, con el empleó del marco cuadrado de 1m de lado (1 m2), según Weinberg (1981). Se colocaron entre 26 y 31 unidades de muestreo por sitio, para un total de 117 unidades, tomando un lado de cada cuadrado para determinar la cobertura del sustrato. Se cuantificó el diámetro máximo y los porcentajes de superficie con muerte antigua, muerte reciente y blanqueamiento, por colonia. Resultados: Se identificaron 19 especies de corales, dominando Millepora complanata y Porites astreoides y el zoantideo Palythoa caribaeorum. Se censaron 60 especies de peces, dominando Thalassoma bifasciatum y Chromis cyanea. Las mayores infracciones cometidas fueron los contactos sobre los corales (0.12 contactos/1 min). Conclusiones: De forma general, el estado de salud de los corales fue afectado en dos de los sitios estudiados. Las consecuencias negativas, al parecer, fueron producto de los impactos locales (buceo recreativo). En la línea de base estudiada se identifican los disturbios y peligros que prevalecen sobre el arrecife del Área Protegida Refugio de Fauna “Laguna de Maya”

Aquatic plants in the freshwater artificial lagoons in Ciego de Avila, Cuba

Seven artificial freshwater lagoons (L1-L7) were studied in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. They were characterized using different genetic, hydrologic, and morphologic criteria. All the environments were young and lagoons of anthropogenic origin; one is a temporary pond (L.1), and the others are permanent. A floristic list was made to identify the plants present in delineated parcels at the borders of the lagoons. The identified taxa were classified according to their origin and presence in Cuba, growth form, usefulness for humans, response to anthropic impacts, and conservation status. Forty-nine (49) species from 44 genera and 34 families were recorded. Most species (27 and 26, respectively) were identified at L.3 and L.6 (lagoons formed in old stone quarries used to construct the local airport). The least(seven) at L.1. Exotic and synanthropic plants prevailed, and invasive species were abundant, which indicates the transition through the early stages of ecological succession. 31 % of autochthonous plants and 2 % of endemic plants were recorded. 4 % is critically endangered. 39 % of these plants are medicinal, 29 % ornamental, 12 % are phytoremediators, and 4 % are frequently used in folklore-related practices. Plants that live in the freshwater environments of Ciego de Avila municipality have diverse characteristics, values, and uses that increase the environmental services of these ecosystems.Se estudiaron siete lagunas artificiales de agua dulce (L1 – L7) en el municipo de Ciego de Ávila (Cuba), los cuales se caracterizaron según criterios genéticos, hidrológicos y morfológicos. Todas son lagunas, de origen antrópico, relativamente recientes. Una de ellas es semipermanente (L.1) y las restantes son permanentes. A partir de la identificación de las plantas presentes en parcelas delineadas, desde los bordes de las lagunas, fue confeccionada una lista florística. Los taxones identificados fueron catalogados según su origen y presencia en Cuba, hábito de crecimiento, utilidad para el hombre, comportamiento ante el impacto antrópico y estado de conservación. Se registraron 49 especies pertenecientes a 44 géneros y 34 familias. En L.3 y L.6 (lagunas ubicadas en las Canteras del Aereopuerto) se identificó el mayor número de especies (27 y 26 respectivamente) y en L.1, el menor (7). Predominaron plantas exóticas y sinantrópicas y abundaron las invasoras, lo cual indica el tránsito por etapas tempranas de la sucesión ecológica. No obstante, se detectó un 31 % de plantas autóctonas y un 2 % de endemismo. Un 4 %se encuentran amenazadas de extinción, clasificadas en Peligro Crítico. El 39 % tiene uso medicinal, el 29 % ornamental, el 12 % son fitorremediadoras y el 4 % aparecen frecuentemente incorporadas a prácticas folclóricas. Las plantas asociadas a estas lagunas artificiales del municipio de Ciego de Ávila presentan condiciones, valores y usos diversos, lo que incrementa los servicios ambientales de estos ecosistemas

Enfoques y estrategias de responsabilidad social de las empresas mineras en el Perú. Una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica de los últimos 10 años

El autor no autoriza la publicación de la tesis

Integración de herramientas bioinformáticas y métodos en biología molecular para el diseño de un kit diagnóstico del COVID-19: un ejemplo de aprendizaje significativo

As a pedagogical form of active learning, topics developed in molecular biology class were related to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic that is currently advancing in almost the entire planet. Having an efficient method of diagnosing infection during the onset of this acute respiratory infection is important in detecting both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. For this reason, seventh semester students from marine and environmental biology courses studying molecular biology at the University of Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano were challenged to design a diagnostic method for the COVID-19 virus based on RT PCR and qPCR. The objective of this academic exercise was to encourage students to propose an effective method to detect the COVID-19 virus using the knowledge acquired during the course. A review of the previous literature was carried out to identify the existing methods for the detection of the virus and, with the help of bioinformatic tools, the analysis of the sequences of the genomes of COVID-19, human SARS and bat SARS available at GenBank was carried out.Como una forma pedagógica de aprendizaje activo, se relacionaron temas desarrollados en clase de biología molecular con la pandemia del coronavirus COVID-19 que en este momento avanza en casi la totalidad del planeta. Contar con un método eficiente para diagnosticar la infección durante el inicio de esta infección respiratoria aguda es importante para detectar tanto los pacientes sintomáticos como los asintomáticos. Por este motivo, se retó a los estudiantes de séptimo semestre de las carreras de biología marina y ambiental que cursan la materia biología molecular en la Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano a diseñar un método diagnóstico para el virus COVID 19 basado en RT PCR y qPCR. El objetivo de este ejercicio académico consistió en incentivar a los estudiantes para que propusieran un método efectivo que permita detectar el virus COVID 19 a través de los conocimientos adquiridos durante el curso. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura previa para identificar los métodos existentes para la detección del virus y con ayuda de herramientas bioinformáticas se realizó el análisis de las secuencias de los genomas del COVID 19, el SARS humano y el SARS de murciélago disponibles en GenBank

Distribution and status of living colonies of Acropora spp. in the reef crests of a protected marine area of the Caribbean (Jardines de la Reina National Park, Cuba)

The reef crests of the Jardines de la Reina National Park (JRNP) are largely formed by Acropora palmata, but colonies of A. cervicornis and the hybrid A. prolifera are also present. This study shows spatial distribution of colonies, thickets and live fragments of these species in the fore reefs. Snorkeling was used to perform the direct observations. The maximum diameter of 4,399 colonies of A. palmata was measured and the health of 3,546 colonies was evaluated. The same was done to 168 colonies of A. cervicornis and 104 colonies of A. prolifera. The influence of the location and marine currents on a number of living colonies of A. palmata was analyzed. For such purpose, reef crests were divided into segments of 500 m. The marine park was divided into two sectors: East and West. The Caballones Channel was used as the reference dividing line. The park was also divided into five reserve zones. We counted 7,276 live colonies of Acropora spp. 1.4% was A. prolifera, 3.5% A. cervicornis and 95.1% A. palmata. There were 104 thickets of A. palmata, ranging from eight to 12 colonies, and 3,495 fragments; 0.6% was A. cervicornis and the rest A. palmata (99.4%). In the East sector, 263 colonies (3.8% of the total), six thickets (5.8%) and 32 fragments (1%) of A. palmate were recorded. In the same sector, there were 11 fragments (50%) of A.cervicornis and two (2%) colonies of A. prolifera. Health of A. palmata was evaluated as good and not so good in the study area. Health of A. cervicornis was critical and health of A. prolifera was good in all five reserve zones. There was a significant increase in the number of colonies from east to west (Χ2 = 11.5, gl = 3.0, p = 0.009). This corroborates the existence of an important abundance differences between the eastern and the western region of the JRNP. A negative relationship was observed between the number of colonies and the distance from the channel (Χ2 = 65.0, df = 3.0, p < 0.001). The influence of the channel, for the live colonies of A. palmata is greater within the first 2,000 m. It then decreases until approximately 6,000 m, and no significant increase beyond. The orientation of the reef crests significantly influenced the abundance of the colonies (Χ2 = 15.5, df = 2.9, p = 0.001). The results presented here provide a baseline for future research on the status of the populations of Acropora spp., considering that there has been a certain recovery of the species A. palmata during the last 10–16 years. Given the current status of the populations of Acropora spp., conservation actions focusing A. cervicornis should be prioritized

Preclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 2 diabetes and classical type 1 diabetes

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.This project was funded by Grants Nos. PI12/00183 and PI15/00625, both included in Plan Nacional de I + D + I, and co-financed by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Subdireccion General de Evaluacion, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER). CIBER of Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) is an initiative from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Combined search for the quarks of a sequential fourth generation

Results are presented from a search for a fourth generation of quarks produced singly or in pairs in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. A novel strategy has been developed for a combined search for quarks of the up and down type in decay channels with at least one isolated muon or electron. Limits on the mass of the fourth-generation quarks and the relevant Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements are derived in the context of a simple extension of the standard model with a sequential fourth generation of fermions. The existence of mass-degenerate fourth-generation quarks with masses below 685 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for minimal off-diagonal mixing between the third- and the fourth-generation quarks. With a mass difference of 25 GeV between the quark masses, the obtained limit on the masses of the fourth-generation quarks shifts by about +/- 20 GeV. These results significantly reduce the allowed parameter space for a fourth generation of fermions.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV. The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b, leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W' boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe