Maternal ethnobotanical knowledge is associated with multiple measures of child health in the Bolivian Amazon

Premi a l'excel·lència investigadora. Àmbit de les Ciències Socials. 2008Culture is a critical determinant of human behavior and health, and the intergenerational transmission of knowledge regarding the use of available plant resources has historically been an essential function of culture. Local ethnobotanical knowledge is important for health and nutrition, particularly in rural low-resource settings, but cultural and economic transitions associated with globalization threaten such knowledge. This prospective study investigates the association between parental ethnobotanical knowledge and child health among the Tsimane', a horticulturalist and foraging society in Amazonian Bolivia. Anthropometric data and capillary blood samples were collected from 330 Tsimane' 2- to 10-year-olds, and mothers and fathers were interviewed to assess ethnobotanical knowledge and skills. Comprehensive measures of parental schooling, acculturation, and economic activities were also collected. Dependent variables included three measures of child health: (i) C-reactive protein, assayed in whole-blood spots as an indicator of immunostimulation; (ii) skinfold thickness, to estimate subcutaneous fat stores necessary to fuel growth and immune function; and (iii) height-for-age, to assess growth stunting. Each child health measure was associated with maternal ethnobotanical knowledge, independent of a wide range of potentially confounding variables. Each standard deviation of maternal ethnobotanical knowledge increased the likelihood of good child health by a factor of >1.5. Like many populations around the world, the Tsimane' are increasingly facing the challenges and opportunities of globalization. These results underscore the importance of local cultural factors to child health and document a potential cost if ethnobotanical knowledge is lost

Efecto de Cuatro Diluciones de Plasma Seminal sobre la Tasa de Ovulación, Tamaño de Cuerpo Lúteo y Perfil de Progesterona en Alpacas

The study was carried out to evaluate the effect of four seminal plasma dilutions on ovulation rate and corpus luteum development in alpacas. Forty four non-lactating alpacas with the presence of a >7 mm dominant follicle detected by transrectal ultrasonography were selected. The animals were randomly distributed in five experimental groups: G1 (n=10) seminal plasma (SP) diluted 1:1 (v/v) with phosphate buffered saline (PBS); G2 (n=10) SP diluted 1:2 (v/v) with PBS; G3 (n=10) SP diluted 1:4 (v/v) with PBS; G4 (n=10) SP 1:8 (v/v) with PBS; and G5 (n=4) control group with PBS. A dose of 1.5 ml of the respective solution was intramuscularly administrated. Ovulation rate and corpus luteum size were evaluated at second and ninth day respectively (D0= day of treatment) through ultrasonography. Blood samples were taken on D0, D3, D6, D9 and D12 to determine serum progesterone levels by radioimmunoassay. The results indicated an ovulation rate of 100% in the treated groups and 0% in the control group. The corpus luteum size and serum progesterone levels did not show statistic differences. The results indicated that the ovulation inducing factor present in the seminal plasma has a powerful effect inducing ovulation even at a low dose.El estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el efecto de cuatro diluciones de plasma seminal sobre la tasa de ovulación y formación de cuerpo lúteo en alpacas. Se seleccionaron 44 alpacas sin cría al pie y con la presencia de un folículo dominante ≥7 mm detectado por ecografía transrectal. Los animales se distribuyeron al azar en cinco grupos experimentales: G1, plasma seminal (PS) diluido 1:1 (v/v) con fosfato salino bufferado (PBS); G2, PS diluido 1:2 (v/v) con PBS; G3, PS diluido 1:4 (v/v) con PBS; G4, PS diluido 1:8 (v/v) con PBS; y G5, grupo control con PBS. Se aplicó 1.5 ml de la dilución correspondiente por vía intramuscular. La tasa de ovulación y el tamaño de cuerpo lúteo fueron evaluados al segundo y noveno día, respectivamente (D0= inicio de tratamiento) a través de ecografía transrectal. Muestras de sangre fueron tomadas los días D0, D3, D6, D9 y D12 para determinar niveles séricos de progesterona mediante radioinmunoanálisis. Los resultados indicaron una tasa de ovulación del 100% en los grupos tratados con diferentes diluciones de plasma seminal y 0% en el grupo control. El tamaño de cuerpo lúteo y los niveles séricos de progesterona no registraron diferencias estadísticas. Los resultados sugieren que el factor inductor de ovulación presente en el plasma seminal de alpacas tiene un efecto muy potente e induce ovulación aún en dosis bajas

Ovarian response and embryo production in llamas treated with equine chorionic gonadotropin alone or with a progestin-releasing vaginal sponge at the time of follicular wave emergence

The objective of the study was to compare the ovulatory response and embryo production in llamas (Lama glama) treated with a single dose of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) alone or combined with intravaginal medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) at the time of follicular wave emergence. Llamas with a growing follicle ≥7 mm in diameter were assigned to one of the following groups: (1) Control (n = 28): Nonstimulated llamas were mated and embryos were collected 7 d after mating. (2) eCG (n = 32): Llamas were given 5 mg luteinizing hormone (LH) (Day 0) to induce ovulation, 1000 IU eCG on Day 2, a luteolytic dose of prostaglandin F2α on Day 6, mating on Day 7, and embryo collection on Day 14. (3) eCG+MPA (n = 34): Llamas were treated as those in the eCG group, but a sponge containing 60 mg MPA was placed intravaginally from Days 2 to 6. Llamas that did not respond to synchronization or superstimulation were excluded, leaving data from n = 26, 26, and 27 in the control, eCG, and eCG+MPA groups, respectively, for statistical analysis. The mean (±SD) number of follicles > 7 mm at the time of mating was greatest in the eCG group, intermediate in the eCG+MPA group, and lowest in the control group (16.6 ± 5.3, 12.9 ± 3.7, and 1.0 ± 0.0, respectively, P < 0.001). The number of corpora lutea was similar between eCG and eCG+MPA groups (10.1 ± 2.9 and 8.6 ± 3.7, respectively); both were higher (P < 0.001) than in controls (0.9 ± 0.3). The number of embryos did not differ significantly between the eCG and eCG+MPA groups (4.8 ± 2.8 and 3.5 ± 3.0, respectively), but both were higher (P < 0.001) than in the controls (0.7 ± 0.4). In conclusion, eCG, with or without MPA effectively induced a superovulatory response and multiple embryo production in llamas. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Modelling of growth curves and estimation of genetic parameters for growth curve parameters in Peruvian young llamas (Lama glama)

The objectives of this study were to describe the growth of young llamas by the application of four non-linear functions (Gompertz, Logistic, Von Bertalanffy and Brody), evaluate the importance of fixed (environmental) effects (sex, type of llama, month and year of birth) on growth curve parameters and finally estimate the genetic parameters for growth curve parameters (A: asymptotic body weight and k: specific growth rate). A total of 35,691 monthly body weight records from birth up to 16 months of age from 2675 young llamas, collected from 1998 to 2008 in the Quimsachata Experimental Station of the Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria (INIA) in Peru were used. Growth curve parameters were estimated by non-linear procedures while genetic parameters were estimated by application of a bivariate animal model and the restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method. All non-linear functions closely fitted actual body weight measurements, while the Gompertz function provided the best fit in describing the growth data of young llamas. All environmental effects significantly influenced the asymptotic weight (A), while the specific growth rate (k) was only affected by the month and year of birth. Heritability estimates for parameters A and k were 0.10 and 0.01, respectively. Genetic correlation between A and k was high and negative (−0.82), indicating that a rapid decrease in growth rate after inflection point is associated with higher mature weight. Despite the low heritability estimates obtained herein, slight genetic gain(s) were observed in the current study suggesting that a selection program to change the slope of the growth curve of llamas may be feasible

CHR11, a chromatin-remodeling factor essential for nuclear proliferation during female gametogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Chromatin-remodeling factors regulate the establishment of transcriptional programs during plant development. Although 42 genes encoding members of the SWI2/SNF2 family have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, < 10 have been assigned a precise function on the basis of a mutant phenotype, and none have been shown to play a specific role during the gametophytic phase of the plant life cycle. A. thaliana chromatin-remodeling protein 11 (CHR11) encodes an imitation of switch (ISWI)-like chromatin-remodeling protein abundantly expressed during female gametogenesis and embryogenesis in Arabidopsis. To determine the function of CHR11 in wild-type plants, we introduced a hairpin construct leading to the production of double-stranded RNA, which specifically degraded the endogenous CHR11 mRNA by RNA interference (RNAi). Transcription of the RNAi-inducing hairpin RNA was driven by either a constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (CaMV35S) acting at most stages of the sporophytic phase or a newly identified specific promoter acting at the onset of the female gametophytic phase (pFM1). All adult trans-formants that constitutively lacked sporophytic CHR11 activity showed reduced plant height and small cotyledonary embryos with limited cell expansion. In contrast, RNAi lines in which CHR11 was specifically silenced at the onset of female gametogenesis (megagametogenesis) had normal height and embryo size but had defective female gametophytes arrested before the completion of the mitotic haploid nuclear divisions. These results show that CHR11 is essential for haploid nuclear proliferation during megagametogenesis and cell expansion during the sporophytic phase, demonstrating the functional versatility of SW12/SNF2 chromatin-remodeling factors during both generations of the plant life cycle

Impacto del cambio climático y uso del suelo en la propagación de la sequía meteorológica a la hidrológica en cuencas amazónicas del Perú

La sequía es uno de los fenómenos naturales más devastadores a nivel global, debido a sus impactos en los sectores económicos y principalmente en la agricultura, afectando a un 40% de la población mundial (FAO, 2022). En esta línea, los cambios de usos de suelo en la propagación de la sequía meteorológica a la hidrológica son de gran importancia para el pronóstico de sequias hidrológicas y prevención y mitigación de desastres por sequía. El presente trabajo tuvo por objetivo: (1) Analizar las características espaciales y temporales de la propagación de la sequía meteorológica a la sequía hidrológica en cuencas amazónicas en el Perú en los últimos 40 años. (2) Determinar los cambios de uso de suelo en la propagación de la sequía meteorológica e hidrológica. La metodología consistió en el cálculo de índices de sequía meteorológica e hidrológica utilizando índices estandarizados a distintas escalas de tiempo, posteriormente se realizó un análisis de correlación de Pearson para medir el grado de relación entre la sequía meteorológica e hidrológica y un método de machine learning para el cálculo de cambios de usos de suelo para la cuenca Intermedio Alto Huallaga. Los resultados mostraron, una tendencia positiva en la sequía meteorológica en los últimos 40 años, este aumento se debe en intensidad de la sequía en todas las cuencas analizadas. En cuanto a la sequía hidrológica ha habido menor intensidad desde los 80s a los 20s pero con mayor frecuencia en las últimas décadas. Así, una fuerte propagación de la sequía meteorológica a la hidrológica en las primeras dos décadas sobre todo en la estación de verano de diciembre a febrero en términos estacionales evidenciando valores de DPI mayores a 1. A la escala mensual según el SPI-1 y el SRI-1 las mayores correlaciones positivas y significativas se tiene con un lag=0, esto indica que si sucede una sequía meteorológica podría suceder en simultáneo un hidrológica en las cuencas andinas amazónicas

Niveles de glucosa y triglicéridos en plasma seminal y motilidad espermática en COBAYOS alimentadas con 10% más en energÍa digestible

The objective the study was to determine the levels of glucose and triglycerides in seminal plasma of 10 guinea pigs, which were fed for a period of 2 months with a diet containing 10% more ED. The level of glucose found in seminal plasma was 11.59 ± 0.5 mg/dL and triglyceride value was 55.95 ± 3.2 mg/dL, while the motility was 97% on average. We conclude that in guinea pigs the levels both glucose and triglycerides were increased by major level of ED in feed, but the spermatic motility was not.El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar los niveles de los componentes energéticos (glucosa y triglicéridos) en el plasma seminal y la motilidad espermática de 10 cobayos, los cuales fueron alimentados por un período de 2 meses con una dieta 10% mayor en energía digestible (ED). El nivel de glucosa encontrado en plasma seminal fue de 11.59 ± 0.5 mg/dL y el valor de triglicéridos fue de 55.95 ± 3.2 mg/dL, mientras que la motilidad promedio fue de 95%. Concluimos que en cobayos los niveles de glucosa y triglicéridos se incrementan al aumentar el nivel de ED en dieta sin producir alteraciones en la motilidad espermática

Registro de nuevo huésped intermediario de Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda) en el Perú

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) is reported as new intermediate host of Hymenolepis diminuta from Peru.Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) es reportado como un nuevo hospedero intermediario de Hymenolepis diminuta en el Perú

Cash Cropping, Farm Technologies, and Deforestation: What are the Connections? A Model with Empirical Data from the Bolivian Amazon

Research suggests that cash cropping is positively associated with deforestation. We use three-year data (2000-2002, inclusive) from 493 households to estimate the association between cash cropping rice and deforestation. Doubling the area sown with rice is associated with a 26-30 percent increase in the area of forest cleared during the next cropping season. We simulate the changes in rice cultivation to reach a daily income level of $1/person from cash cropping rice. We find that within 10 years: (1) the amount of deforestation would triple, (2) work requirements would exceed household's labor availability, and (3) fallows duration would decrease two-fold. To avoid the increase of deforestation from cash cropping requires increasing productivity, diversification of income sources, or both

Cash cropping, farm technologies, and deforestation: What are the connections?. Tsimane' Amazonian Panel Study Working Paper # 18, Dec-2005

Research suggests that cash-cropping is associated with deforestation. We use three-year data (2000-2002) from 493 households to estimate the association between cash-cropping rice and deforestation. Doubling the area sown with rice is associated with a 26-30% increase of the area of forest cleared next cropping season. We simulate the changes required to reach 1US$/person/day income with cash from rice. We find that within 10 years 1) deforestation would triple, 2) work requirements would exceed household’s labor availability, and 3) fallows duration would decrease two-fold. Avoiding growing deforestation due to cash-cropping by smallholders requires increasing productivity, diversification of income sources, or both