ANÁLISIS SENSORIAL DE LA CARNE BUFALINA (Bubalus bubalis) EN LA CIUDAD DE PALMIRA, COLOMBIA.

Con el objetivo de determinar las propiedades organolépticas de la carne bufalina, se realizó un estudio basado en un análisis sensorial, en 102 personas de la ciudad de Palmira (Colombia) con un rango de edad comprendida entre 11 y 65 años, de ambos sexos. A cada persona se le proporcionaron 100g de carne bufalina en cortes de primera calidad, asadas al carbón. Se empleo la metodología afectiva con una escala de satisfacción hedónica verbal de 5 puntos y mediante lassiguientes preguntas se evaluaron características como: 1. ¿Qué tanto le gusta el sabor?, 2.¿Qué tanto le gusta la consistencia (Blanda y jugosa)?, 3.¿Qué tanto le gusta este producto en general?. Para el análisis estadístico se empleo un análisis factorial de correspondencia múltiple con clasificación jerárquica, análisis exploratorio unidimensional; adicionalmente se trabajo con la tabla de Burt para observar bidimensionalmente el comportamiento de las variables. En el análisis estadístico encontró que el sabor de la carne de búfalo “Le gusto mucho” al 63.7% de los encuestados, en cuanto a la consistencia (blanda y jugosa) el 65.5%, afirmó que “Le gusto mucho” la carne, mientras que el 4.9% de la población encuestada consideró que la consistencia no correspondía a sus expectativas, calificándola con un disgusto en el concepto “Le disgustó un poco” y “Le disgustó mucho” la carne bufalina. En la evaluación general del producto los encuestados aceptaron en un 90.2% el producto con un calificativo entre: “Le gustó un poco” y “Le gusto mucho”, siendo más frecuente la respuesta de las personas encuestadas a las cuales “Le gusto mucho” la carne de búfalo. Se puede estimar que el mercado de la carne bufalina tiene una demanda potencial del 81.3% del total de la muestra encuestada, esto permite estimar que el parámetro de aceptación para este tipo de carne fue alto.Palabras clave: Búfalos, carne, clasificación jerárquica, Análisis sensorial, Palmira.Buffaloes, meat, Hierarchic classification, sensorial analysis, Palmir

Stable inversion clines in a grasshopper species group despite complex geographical history

Chromosomal inversions are known to play roles in adaptation and differentiation in many species. They involve clusters of correlated genes (i.e., loci in linkage disequilibrium, LD) possibly associated with environmental variables. The grasshopper "species complex" Trimerotropis pallidipennis comprises several genetic lineages distributed from North to South America in arid and semi-arid high-altitude environments. The southernmost lineage, Trimerotropis sp., segregates for four to seven putative inversions that display clinal variation, possibly through adaptation to temperate environments. We analysed chromosomal, mitochondrial and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data in 19 Trimerotropis sp. populations mainly distributed along two altitudinal gradients (MS and Ju). Populations across Argentina comprise two main chromosomally and genetically differentiated lineages: one distributed across the southernmost border of the "Andes Centrales," adding evidence for a differentiation hotspot in this area; and the other widely distributed in Argentina. Within the latter, network analytical approaches to LD found three clusters of correlated loci (LD-clusters), with inversion karyotypes explaining >79% of the genetic variation. Outlier loci associated with environmental variables mapped to two of these LD-clusters. Furthermore, despite the complex geographical history indicated by population genetic analyses, the clines in inversion karyotypes have remained stable for more than 20 generations, implicating their role in adaptation and differentiation within this lineage. We hypothesize that these clines could be the consequence of a coupling between extrinsic postzygotic barriers and spatially varying selection along environmental gradients resulting in a hybrid zone. These results provide a framework for future investigations about candidate genes implicated in rapid adaptation to new environments.Peer reviewe

Agricultura urbana agroecológica na perspectiva da promoção da saúde

A agricultura urbana tem sido tema de diversas pesquisas no contexto brasileiro e no mundo, principalmente no que diz respeito à geração de trabalho e renda. O presente artigo tem por objetivo sistematizar a experiência do projeto Colhendo Sustentabilidade: práticas comunitárias de segurança alimentar e agricultura urbana (PCS), realizado em Embu das Artes, região metropolitana de São Paulo, durante o período compreendido entre 2008 e 2011, analisando-o sob a ótica da Promoção da Saúde (PS). Foram sujeitos da pesquisa os participantes, os técnicos dos serviços públicos envolvidos e integrantes da equipe técnica do projeto. Os dados foram obtidos através da realização de três oficinas de sistematização, seguidas de outra em que os resultados foram apresentados aos participantes, e também por meio de entrevistas com informantes-chave. Os mesmos foram analisados à luz dos princípios e campos de ação da PS. As conclusões revelaram a agricultura urbana agroecológica (AUA) como ferramenta promotora de saúde por contribuir com o fortalecimento do protagonismo individual e comunitário, empoderamento, criação de ambientes favoráveis à saúde, bem como seu potencial para a multiplicação de "saberes", pelos envolvidos, sobre temas relacionados à geração de renda, saúde e meio ambiente

Development of a genetic tool for functional screening of anti-malarial bioactive extracts in metagenomic libraries

Ajuts: Departamento Administrativo de Ciencias, Tecnología e Innovación (Colciencias), República de Colombia; Convocatoria 489 - 2009, Código 657048925406, Contrato de financiación RC. 427 - 2009 Colciencias - CorpoGen; Programa de Asistencias Graduadas de Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia; i Programa Jóvenes Investigadores de ColcienciasBACKGROUND: The chemical treatment of Plasmodium falciparum for human infections is losing efficacy each year due to the rise of resistance. One possible strategy to find novel anti-malarial drugs is to access the largest reservoir of genomic biodiversity source on earth present in metagenomes of environmental microbial communities. METHODS: A bioluminescent P. falciparum parasite was used to quickly detect shifts in viability of microcultures grown in 96-well plates. A synthetic gene encoding the Dermaseptin 4 peptide was designed and cloned under tight transcriptional control in a large metagenomic insert context (30 kb) to serve as proof-of-principle for the screening platform. RESULTS: Decrease in parasite viability consistently correlated with bioluminescence emitted from parasite microcultures, after their exposure to bacterial extracts containing a plasmid or fosmid engineered to encode the Dermaseptin 4 anti-malarial peptide. Here, a new technical platform to access the anti-malarial potential in microbial environmental metagenomes has been develope

Alternative Oxidase Mediates Pathogen Resistance in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Infection

Thermally dimorphic pathogenic fungi are responsible for potentially life-threatening diseases of immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. These microorganisms grow as conidia-producing mycelia in the environment, which when inhaled by the host convert to the pathogenic yeast form at 37°C. During adaptation and growth, fungi interact with host immune cells and must cope with defense mechanisms such as imposed-oxidative stress (e.g., reactive oxygen species; ROS). Alternative oxidase (AOX) is an enzyme recently implicated in the reduction of ROS production by the mitochondria when triggered by external stimuli, such as temperature and ROS. During this work we have evaluated the relevance of AOX during infection with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the etiological agent of one of the most prevalent mycoses in Latin America, paracoccidioidomycosis. We show that PbAOX gene expression is stimulated after interaction with alveolar macrophages or in the presence of H2O2 and is essential for survival against fungicidal activity of both the immune cells and the ROS compound. Moreover, decreasing PbAOX gene expression in P. brasiliensis led to increased survival of infected mice. Altogether, our data supports a relevant role for AOX in the virulence of P. brasiliensis

Susceptibilidad del chiguiro (Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris) al virus de estomatítis vesicular

Se estudió la susceptibilidad del chigüiro o capibara (Hydrochoerus hydrochoeris) al virus de la Estomatitis Vesicular, tipos New Jersey e Indiana. Las inoculaciones se hicieron en grupos de animales confinados en unidades de aislamiento, utilizando las vías intravenosa, intramuscular, intraplantar e intralingual, con virus de epitelio bovino y adaptado a cultivos celulares (línea BHK 21 )- No se observó ningún síntoma o lesión vesicular en los doce chigüiros jóvenes y adultos inoculados. Tampoco fue posible detectar viremia. Sin embargo, se desarrollaron anticuerpos específicos durante los 30 días de observación después de la inoculación, detectados por la prueba de microneutralización. En las condiciones del experimento se detectó una posible infección subclínica en los chigüiros por virus de la Estomatitis Vesicular, basada en el desarrollo de anticuerpos neutralizantes. Se hace un análisis de las condiciones que pueden incidir en la susceptibilidad de esta especie silvestre a la enfermedad.The susceptibility if Capybara (Hidrochoerus hydrochoeris) to Vesicular Stomatitis virus, types New Jersey and Indiana, was studied. Groups of four animals kept in isolation units were inoculated by different houtes (tongue, foatpad, intramuscular, intravenous) with bovine infected epithelium and virus adapted to BHK cultures. None of the young or adult animals presented signs or lesions of Vesicular Stomatitis. No virus isolation was obtained from blood and organs, but specific antibodies were detected during the 30 days observation period by the Microneutralization test. In the conditions of the experiment a possible subclinical Vesicular Stomatitis infection of the Capybaras was detected, based on the development of neutralizing antibodies. The factors that might be involved in the susceptibility of this wild specie to the disease are discussed

Cost-utility analysis of insulin analogues compared with multiple daily injections of human insulin for the treatment of 15 years old or older patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Colombia

A609-A609Insulin analogues offer certain advantages over regular human insulin. Our objective was to establish the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of insulin analogues compared with human insulin, with multiple daily injections (MID) in adult patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) in Colombia. We designed a Markov model of annual cycles, time horizon of up to 55 years, from a third-party payer perspective (only direct medical costs for the Colombian healthcare system) and applying discount rate of 3.5% both for costs and outcomes. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), taken from published literature, were used as a measure of effectiveness with a threshold of three times the per capita gross domestic product (GDP), approximately € 17,550. The comparison between analog and human insulin was performed separately for short and long term. The costs were in Colombian pesos (1 € = COP 2.660), and were built through base cases designed by interdisciplinary expert panels, with drug prices and costs of interventions or adverse events were estimated using official tariff manuals and databases. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed. Despite certain clinical advantages, insulin analogues gain, on average, very few QALYs (from 0.02 to 0.1 depending on scenarios). With this result, the average ICER for short-term insulins would be € 78,900; while long duration insulin analogues have an ICER of € 94,550. Results were highly sensitive to price of medication, as well as to disutility or costs of hypoglycemic events. Given the assumptions and limitations of our model, insulin analogues would not be considered cost-effective within the Colombian healthcare system compared with multiple daily injections for adult patients with DM1

Intravitreal Bevacizumab (Avastin) for Diabetic Retinopathy: The 2010 GLADAOF Lecture

This paper demonstrates multiple benefits of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) on diabetic retinopathy (DR) including diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) at 24 months of followup. This is a retrospective multicenter interventional comparative case series of intravitreal injections of 1.25 or 2.5 mg of bevacizumab for DME, PDR without tractional retinal detachment (TRD), and patients who experienced the development or progression of TRD after an intravitreal injection of 1.25 or 2.5 mg of bevacizumab before vitrectomy for the management of PDR. The results indicate that IVB injections may have a beneficial effect on macular thickness and visual acuity (VA) in diffuse DME. Therefore, in the future this new therapy could complement focal/grid laser photocoagulation in DME. In PDR, this new option could be an adjuvant agent to panretina photocoagulation so that more selective therapy may be applied. Finally, TRD in PDR may occur or progress after IVB used as an adjuvant to vitrectomy. Surgery should be performed 4 days after IVB. Most patients had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus associated with elevated HbA1c, insulin administration, PDR refractory to panretinal photocoagulation, and longer time between IVB and vitrectomy