The Clean Development Mechanism, Contributions to the Conservation of Ecosystems and Regional Development

Resumen El Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio (MDL) es uno de los acuerdos suscritos en el Protocolo de Kyoto, desarrollado para lograr los objetivos de la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC) y ayudar a los países industrializados a alcanzar sus compromisos de mitigación de Gases Efecto Invernadero. El MDL involucra a países en desarrollo, contribuye con la mitigación del cambio climático, la inversión en diferentes sectores económicos, y la transferencia de tecnologías limpias, apoyando el desarrollo sostenible de las regiones. En este sentido, el artículo recoge temas relacionados con este mecanismo y su papel en la conservación de ecosistemas, su asociación con la sostenibilidad y su aplicación e implementación en Colombia. Abstract The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is one of the agreements in the Kyoto Protocol, developed to achieve the objectives of the Convention United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and help industrialized countries meet their commitments to Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases. The CDM involves developing countries, contributes to the mitigation of climate change, the investment in different economic sectors, and the transfer of clean technologies, supporting sustainable development of regions. In this sense, the article takes issues related to this mechanism and its role in the conservation of ecosystems, their association with sustainability and their application and implementation in Colombia

Presence of structural homologs of ubiquitin in haloalkaliphilic Archaea

Ubiquitin, a protein widely conserved in eukaryotes, is involved in many cellular processes, including proteolysis. While sequences encoding ubiquitin-like proteins have not been identified in prokaryotic genomes sequenced so far, they have revealed the presence of structural and functional homologs of ubiquitin in Bacteria and Archaea. This work describes the amplification and proteomic analysis of a 400-bp DNA fragment from the haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natrialba magadii. The encoded polypeptide, P400, displayed structural homology to ubiquitin-like proteins such as those of the This family and Urm1. Expression of the P400 DNA sequence in Escherichia coli cells yielded a recombinant polypeptide that reacted with anti-ubiquitin antibodies. In addition, a putative open reading frame encoding P400 was identified in the recently sequenced genome of N. magadii. Together, these results evidence the presence in Archaea of structural homologs of ubiquitin-related proteins.Fil: Nercessian, Debora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Marino, Cristina Ester. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas "Prof. Alejandro C. Paladini". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Química y Físico-Química Biológicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ordoñez, Maria Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: de Castro, Rosana Esther. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Conde, Ruben Danilo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin

Sox-2 Positive Neural Progenitors in the Primate Striatum Undergo Dynamic Changes after Dopamine Denervation.

The existence of endogenous neural progenitors in the nigrostriatal system could represent a powerful tool for restorative therapies in Parkinson's disease. Sox-2 is a transcription factor expressed in pluripotent and adult stem cells, including neural progenitors. In the adult brain Sox-2 is expressed in the neurogenic niches. There is also widespread expression of Sox-2 in other brain regions, although the neurogenic potential outside the niches is uncertain. Here, we analyzed the presence of Sox-2+ cells in the adult primate (Macaca fascicularis) brain in naïve animals (N = 3) and in animals exposed to systemic administration of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6 tetrahydropyridine to render them parkinsonian (N = 8). Animals received bromodeoxyuridine (100 mg/kg once a day during five consecutive days) to label proliferating cells and their progeny. Using confocal and electron microscopy we analyzed the Sox-2+ cell population in the nigrostriatal system and investigated changes in the number, proliferation and neurogenic potential of Sox-2+ cells, in control conditions and at two time points after MPTP administration. We found Sox-2+ cells with self-renewal capacity in both the striatum and the substantia nigra. Importantly, only in the striatum Sox-2+ was expressed in some calretinin+ neurons. MPTP administration led to an increase in the proliferation of striatal Sox-2+ cells and to an acute, concomitant decrease in the percentage of Sox-2+/calretinin+ neurons, which recovered by 18 months. Given their potential capacity to differentiate into neurons and their responsiveness to dopamine neurotoxic insults, striatal Sox-2+ cells represent good candidates to harness endogenous repair mechanisms for regenerative approaches in Parkinson's disease

Telemedicine approach for patient follow-up after total knee and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: a pilot study

Arthroplasty; Internet-based intervention; TelehealthArtroplàstia; Intervenció basada en Internet; TelesalutArtroplastia; Intervención basada en Internet; TelesaludPurpose: The study aimed to demonstrate the reduction in postoperative follow-up visit time for patients receiving total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) by implementing a novel asynchronous telemedicine system compared to face-to-face visits. The range of motion interobserver agreement and patient satisfaction were evaluated in the telemedicine group. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with a total of 28 patients with a mean age of 71 years (range 13.3). Patients were distributed into two study groups, TKA (n = 14) and RTSA (n = 14), and each group was randomly allocated into a face-to-face or virtual follow-up visit group. For the virtual group, software was designed including patient-specific model items (X-ray, range of motion and functional scores) for each arthroplasty. Functional assessment was conducted using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score for TKA and American Shoulder and Elbow score (ASES) and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) for RTSA. The range of motion interobserver concordance was conducted in the virtual follow-up groups via an intraclass correlation coefficient. Finally, a satisfaction survey was performed in the virtual follow-up groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Mean time differences between face-to-face and virtual follow-ups were 502.5 s (95% CI 387.8-617.1; p < 0.002) in the RTSA group and 710 s (95% CI 597.91-822; p < 0. 002) in the TKA group. The range of motion interobserver concordance in the virtual group was 0.974 for TKA and 0.804 for RTSA. Finally, virtual follow-up satisfaction using the telematic method was 8.9 out of 10. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that a virtual follow-up using asynchronous telemedicine systems could reduce visit times, allow a correct articular range of motion evaluation and maintain satisfaction perception for patients. Asynchronous telemedicine could be an efficient method to conduct postoperative follow-up after knee and shoulder arthroplasty

Anti-staphylococcal properties of Eichhornia crassipes, Pistacia vera, and Ziziphus amole leaf extracts: Isolates from cattle and rabbits

Eichhornia crassipes (Water hyacinth), belonging to the family Pontideriaceae is one of the most productive aquatic perennial herbs on earth, and it has been known for its unique medicinal importance. The phytoconstituents of this plant have vast biological properties including antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, and antibacterial activities [7]. Additionally, its secondary metabolites have been considered to be involved in the chemical defense of plants against plant pathogensThe desideratum aim of the present context was to assess the biopotency of methanolic extracts of Eichhornia crassipes (E. crassipes), Pistacia vera (P. vera), and Ziziphus amole (Z. amole) leaves against various staphylococcal strains, and to quantify the phenolics as well as saponin content in them. The antibacterial activity of various concentrations (62.5–1000 μg/mL) of plant extracts was tested against control clinical strains (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, S. aureus ATCC 29213, and S. aureus ATCC 43300), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA1 and MRSA2), oxacillin sensitive S. aureus (SOSA1 and SOSA2), and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis (CoNS1, CoNS2, and CoNS3) using disc diffusion assay. Leaf extracts of the three plants exhibited pronounced growth inhibitory characteristics against staphylococci in a dose dependent manner. E. crassipes extract depicted the highest relative percentage inhibition values against control clinical strains (68.6 ± 0.5%), while P. vera (68.6 ± 0.3%) and Z. amole (74.79 ± 0.3%) extracts showed pronounced relative inhibition values against staphylococcal strains isolated from cattle. Total phenols and saponin content of leaf extracts were investigated by standard in vitro methods. The methanolic extracts of these plants were found to comprise substantial content of phenolics and saponin at varying levels. The highest value of phenolics was estimated in P. vera extract (60.0 ± 1.3 mg gallic acid/g extract), followed by Z. amole (33.6 ± 1.4 mg gallic acid/g extract), and E. crassipes (23.0 ± 1.3 mg gallic acid/g extract). Saponin content for P. vera, Z. amole, and E. crassipes extracts were estimated as 41.0 ± 1.3, 35.8 ± 1.3, and 25.0 ± 1.2 mg diosgenin/g extract, respectively. The outcome of this study suggested the exploitation of methanolic extract of P. vera, Z. amole, and E. crassipes leaves for their possible application in ethnomedicine, particularly as drugs preparation against staphylococcal infections. In conclusion, the study indicates the biopotency of these plants against pathogenic MRSA present in cattle, and SOSA as well as CoNS bacteria present in rabbits, which could be a serious issue for livestock

A model for evaluation of generic competences in engineering: application to the problem. Solving competence at the technical University of Madrid.

The competence evaluation promoted by the European High Education Area entails a very important methodological change that requires guiding support to help teachers carry out this new and complex task. In this regard, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, by its Spanish acronym) has financed a series of coordinated projects with a two-fold objective: a) To develop a model for teaching and evaluating core competences that is useful and easily applicable to its different degrees, and b) to provide support to teachers by creating an area within the Website for Educational Innovation where they can search for information on the model corresponding to each core competence approved by UPM. Information available on each competence includes its definition, the formulation of indicators providing evidence on the level of acquisition, the recommended teaching and evaluation methodology, examples of evaluation rules for the different levels of competence acquisition, and descriptions of best practices. These best practices correspond to pilot tests applied to several of the academic subjects conducted at UPM in order to validate the model. This work describes the general procedure that was used and presents the model developed specifically for the problem-solving competence. Some of the pilot experiences are also summarised and their results analyse

A model for evaluation of generic competences in engineering: application to the problem-solving competence at UPM.

The competence evaluation promoted by the European High Education Area entails a very important methodological change that requires guiding support to help teachers carry out this new and complex task. In this regard, the Technical University of Madrid (UPM, by its Spanish acronym) has financed a series of coordinated projects with a two-fold objective: a) To develop a model for teaching and evaluating core competences that is useful and easily applicable to its different degrees, and b) to provide support to teachers by creating an area within the Website for Educational Innovation where they can search for information on the model corresponding to each core competence approved by UPM. Information available on each competence includes its definition, the formulation of indicators providing evidence on the level of acquisition, the recommended teaching and evaluation methodology, examples of evaluation rules for the different levels of competence acquisition, and descriptions of best practices. These best practices correspond to pilot tests applied to several of the academic subjects conducted at UPM in order to validate the model. This work describes the general procedure that was used and presents the model developed specifically for the problem-solving competence. Some of the pilot experiences are also summarised and their results analyse

Importancia de la educación y el factor socioeconómico de los padres en la prevalencia de caries dental en niños en edades escolares, una revisión de la literatura

Dental caries is the first oral health problem worldwide, being one of the most prevalent oral pathologies in all ages. The research addresses their condition in childhood, due to the dependence that infants have on their parents. For this reason, it is considered to be the most affected age group with this disease. The objective is to determine the relationship between the level of education and the socioeconomic factor of the parents in the prevalence of dental caries in school children through a literature review. Descriptive research was carried out, through a documentary analysis in the Web of Science database between 2017 and 2021. To carry out the review, the PICO methodology was used as support, from the following terms of interest: Parents, Education, Economic Status and Dental Caries and their Spanish counterparts. The results obtained indicate that the socioeconomic factor and the education of the parents are variables that are closely related to the prevalence of dental caries in children. Similarly, the existence of both variables increases the probability of exposure to dental caries. The conclusions drawn allow us to affirm that, in general, children with a lower economic position and with parents with a low educational level have a greater experience and severity of dental caries.La caries dental constituye el primer problema de salud oral a nivel mundial, siendo una de las patologías bucales con mayor prevalencia en todas las edades. En la investigación se aborda su afección en la niñez, debido a la dependencia que los infantes tienen de sus padres. Por esta razón, se considera que es el grupo de edad más afectado con esta enfermedad. El objetivo es determinar la relación entre el nivel de educación y el factor socioeconómico de los padres en la prevalencia de caries dental en niños escolares mediante una revisión de literatura. Se llevó a cabo una investigación de tipo descriptiva, a través de un análisis documental en la base de datos de la Web of Science entre 2017 y 2021. Para llevar a cabo la revisión se utilizó como sustento la metodología PICO, a partir de los siguientes términos de interés: Parents, Education, Economic Status y Dental Caries y sus homólogos en español. Los resultados obtenidos indican que el factor socioeconómico y la educación de los padres constituyen variables que guardan una estrecha relación con la prevalencia de caries dental en los infantes. Del mismo modo, la existencia de ambas variables aumenta la probabilidad de exposición a caries dental. Las conclusiones arrojadas permiten afirmar que en general los niños con menor posición económica y con padres de bajo nivel educacional, tienen mayor experiencia y severidad de caries dental

Prevenció i actuació davant el risc de caigudes en pediatria a l’àmbit hospitalari

Risk of falls; Prevention; Hospital paediatricsRiesgo de caidas; Prevención; Pediatria hospitalariaRisc de caigudes; Prevenció; Pediatria hospitalàriaEl setembre de 2015 es va crear un Grup de treball de caigudes, format per infermers experts en les àrees maternal, neonatal, pediàtrica i de seguretat del pacient de diferents centres hospitalaris de Catalunya. En aquest article es presenta part del treball realitzat per aquest grup amb els següents objectius: 1) conèixer la prevalença del risc de caigudes a l’àmbit hospitalari pediàtric en els hospitals de Catalunya i 2) realitzar recomanacions per reduir les caigudes en pacients ingressats en les unitats de pediatria dels hospitals de Catalunya.In September 2015, a Falling Work Group was formed, consisting of expert nurses in the maternal, neonatal, pediatric and patient health areas of different hospitals in Catalonia. This article presents part of the work carried out by this group with the following objectives: 1) to know the prevalence of the risk of falls in the pediatric hospital setting in the hospitals of Catalonia and 2) to make recommendations to reduce the falls in patients admitted to pediatric units of hospitals in Catalonia.En septiembre de 2015 se creó un Grupo de trabajo de caídas, formado por enfermeros expertos en las áreas maternal, neonatal, pediátrica y de seguridad del paciente de diferentes centros hospitalarios de Cataluña. En este artículo se presenta parte del trabajo realizado por este grupo con los siguientes objetivos: 1) conocer la prevalencia del riesgo de caídas en el ámbito hospitalario pediátrico en los hospitales de Cataluña y 2) realizar recomendaciones para reducir las caídas en pacientes ingresados en las unidades de pediatría de los hospitales de Cataluña

Prevenció i actuació davant del risc de caigudes a l’àrea maternal i neonatal

Risc de caigudes; Prevenció; Àrea maternalRiesgo de caídas; Prevención; Área maternalRisk of falls; Prevention; Maternal areaEn aquest article es presenta part del treball realitzat pel Grup de treball de caigudes amb l’objectiu de proporcionar recomanacions per prevenir caigudes tant en els nadons sans a terme com en els nadons que es troben en una situació de vulnerabilitat, des del moment del naixement i durant tota l’estada hospitalària