Identificación de indicadores de impacto en un programa de gobierno y modos de vida rurales

Se realizó un estudio para identificar y apreciar posibles indicadores que complementen formas de evaluación externas a programas oficiales de intervención agropecuaria. Se tomó como estudio de caso el subprograma local "Apoyo a Proyectos de Inversión Rural" (PAPIR) de Desarrollo Rural de la Alianza Contigo. Se trabajó con un enfoque participativo con investigadores y personas beneficiarias del programa en el año 2004 en Villa Victoria, Estado de México. Se emplearon métodos de carácter cuantitativo y cualitativo considerando como enfoque a los modos de vida sustentables con el fin de interpretar los resultados desde un punto de vista amplio. Se concluyó que no existe suficiente evidencia para comprobar la operatividad funcional de las normas de operación oficiales, existe una tendencia del fomento al desarrollo rural mediante un enfoque territorial con una visión productiva. Los resultados denotan la presencia de indicadores sociales, económicos y ambientales consolidados y otros que interactúan entre sí, que no han sido considerados por la burocracia al determinar cómo evaluar el impacto del PAPIR. Se encontró que el tipo de apoyos otorgados no genera cambio alguno en el bienestar económico ni en el modo de vida de los beneficiarios

Snowfall events in the Cantabrian Mountains of northwestern Spain: WRF multiphysics ensemble assessment based on ground and multi-satellite observations

[EN] Snowfall in elevated areas of the mid-latitudes has a strong impact on infrastructure, freshwater availability, and the climate system. The Cantabrian Mountains of the northwestern Iberian Peninsula are very vulnerable to climate change because of their moderate altitudes, which limits their snowfall. Monitoring snow events is essential for the evaluation of weather and climate prediction models. However, measurement networks are scarce in mountainous areas and have great uncertainties because of blizzards. In this study, a multiphysics ensemble of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was designed using three microphysics and two planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes to simulate nine snowfall events in the Cantabrian Mountains during autumn and winter 2021–2022. The WRF was validated using several snow characteristics, such as liquid water equivalent, snow cover, and snow depth. Liquid water equivalent was evaluated using snow-gauge networks and satellite products in an assessment of snow cover. In addition, a monitoring network of webcams and snow poles was implemented, improving the low density of snow observations in the mountains. The results showed good model performance for detection of snow cover and slight overestimation of liquid water equivalent and snow thickness, which may have been caused by under-catchment that is generally an effect of wind on the measurement systems and by snow compaction, respectively. Morrison microphysics and Mellor-Yamada-Nakanishi-Niino (MYNN PBL) yielded better results for liquid water equivalent at higher altitudes and output greater snow cover. The results help determine the best configurations for snow modelling in the study area to develop future studies of the spatiotemporal patterns of snow distribution.S

The continuous education as a process of academic studies for graduate students at high educational levels in Sonora (Mexico)

The continuous education, that the productive sector demands, is not only the accumulation of new knowledge, supported inthe education-learning process, but also a focus on the new tendencies that the labor field demands, where the universities havethe opportunity to extend their involvement, through graduations or specializations, that contribute the strength of the acquiredskills in the classroom. The objective is to know the kind of graduation interests that motivate the graduates, as a process ofcontinuous education. The study is based on the application of a questionnaire to 50 students of different degrees from publicuniversities in Sonora, whose excellent results are: 51% of those surveyed, indicate that at the end of their degree they do notobtain the tools to compete in their labor field. 92% of the students mention that universities should offer within the educativeprogram some area of financial or specialization, related to other disciplines. Another important data is that the financial areasthat graduates prefer are related to the social administrative and financial areas and in smaller proportion they prefer the engineeringdisciplines. 70% of those surveyed, indicate that universities have infrastructure, learning spaces and the skilled humanresources to offer this type of courses. The conclusion of this work, is that public universities follow training programs related tocertain areas and disciplines, centered on the student and learning, like part of their formation, but they do not have the educativeflexibility and the graduates will need to know other disciplines to complement their professional education.La educación continua, que demanda el sector productivo, no es solo la acumulación de nuevos conocimientos, apoyadosen la enseñanza-aprendizaje, sino enfocarse a las nuevas tendencias que el ámbito laboral exige, en donde las institucionesde educación superior (IES) tienen la oportunidad de ampliar su vinculación, por medio de diplomados o especializaciones,que contribuyan al fortalecimiento de las competencias adquiridas en el aula. El objetivo planteado es averiguar qué tipo dediplomados le interesa conocer al egresado como proceso de educación continua. El estudio consistió en la aplicación de uncuestionario a cincuenta estudiantes de las diferentes licenciaturas de universidades públicas en Sonora, cuyos resultados másrelevantes son los siguientes: el 51% de los encuestados señalan que, al término de su licenciatura, no se obtienen las herramientaspara desenvolverse en el campo laboral de su competencia. El 92% de los alumnos mencionan que las IES debieranofrecer, dentro del programa educativo, algún área de acentuación o especialización, relacionada con otras disciplinas. Otrodato importante es que las áreas de acentuación que prefiere el egresado están relacionadas con el área de sociales, administrativasy finanzas y, en menor proporción, las disciplinas de ingeniería. El 70% de los encuestados señalan que se cuenta coninfraestructura, espacios de aprendizaje y el recurso humano preparado para ofrecer este tipo de cursos. La conclusión de estetrabajo es que las IES públicas implementan programas de estudios relacionados con ciertas áreas y disciplinas, que se centranen el estudiante y en el aprendizaje como parte de su formación; sin embargo, no existe la flexibilidad educativa y el egresadodeberá conocer otras disciplinas que complementen su formación profesional

Recuperación de los componentes del lactosuero residual de una industria elaboradora de queso utilizando membranas

Los componentes del lactosuero residual de una industria elaboradora de queso, fueron recuperados al realizar una filtración con membranas en dos etapas: 1) Filtración de la lactosa y retención de las proteinas, a partir de la alimentación del lactosuero, utilizando dos membranas cerámicas de ultrafiltración con 150 y 15 KDa de umbral de corte; 2) Retención de lactosa y filtración de las sales minerales, apartir de las soluciones de lactosa obtenidas en la primera etapa, mediante membranas de nanofiltración de poliamida con 0.300 y 0.150 KDa de umbral de corte. Para cada proceso, se analizó el efecto de la presión transmembrana, caudal de flujo y temperatura de alimentación. Los flujos retenidos, filtrados y de alimentación, se analizaron enterminos de los sólidos totales, la concentración de proteinas, lactosa, cenizas y pH. En los resultados del proceso de recuperación, destaca la influencia de la temperatura en la ultrafiltración para retenerlas proteinas, alcanzando el 80% de rendimiento con la membrana de 15 KDa operando a 2.4 Lh-1 a 30ºC y 1,5bar. Con respecto al proceso de nanofiltración, la presión transmembrana afecto la retención de lactosa, obteniendose70 % de rendimiento, con la membrana de 0,150KDa, utilizando un caudal de 2.4 Lh-1 a 25ºC y presión de 1.8 bar

Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Pathophysiologic and pharmacotherapeutics links

At present, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two highly prevalent disorders worldwide, especially among elderly individuals. T2DM appears to be associated with cognitive dysfunction, with a higher risk of developing neurocognitive disorders, including AD. These diseases have been observed to share various pathophysiological mechanisms, including alterations in insulin signaling, defects in glucose transporters (GLUTs), and mitochondrial dysfunctions in the brain. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms implicated in the association of these pathologies as well as recent therapeutic alternatives. In this context, the hyperphosphorylation of tau and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles have been associated with the dysfunction of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in the nervous tissues as well as the decrease in the expression of GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 in the different areas of the brain, increase in reactive oxygen species, and production of mitochondrial alterations that occur in T2DM. These findings have contributed to the implementation of overlapping pharmacological interventions based on the use of insulin and antidiabetic drugs, or, more recently, azeliragon, amylin, among others, which have shown possible beneficial effects in diabetic patients diagnosed with AD

SGLT2i and GLP-1RA in cardiometabolic and renal diseases : from glycemic control to adipose tissue inflammation and senescence

Background. Over the last few years, the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) has increased substantially in medical practice due to their documented benefits in cardiorenal and metabolic health. In this sense, and in addition to being used for glycemic control in diabetic patients, these drugs also have other favorable effects such as weight loss and lowering blood pressure, and more recently, they have been shown to have cardio and renoprotective effects with anti-inflammatory properties. Concerning the latter, the individual or associated use of these antihyperglycemic agents has been linked with a decrease in proinflammatory cytokines and with an improvement in the inflammatory profile in chronic endocrine-metabolic diseases. Hence, these drugs have been positioned as first-line therapy in the management of diabetes and its multiple comorbidities, such as obesity, which has been associated with persistent inflammatory states that induce dysfunction of the adipose tissue. Moreover, other frequent comorbidities in long-standing diabetic patients are chronic complications such as diabetic kidney disease, whose progression can be slowed by SGLT2i and/or GLP-1RA. The neuroendocrine and immunometabolism mechanisms underlying adipose tissue inflammation in individuals with diabetes and cardiometabolic and renal diseases are complex and not fully understood. Summary. This review intends to expose the probable molecular mechanisms and compile evidence of the synergistic or additive anti-inflammatory effects of SGLT2i and GLP-1RA and their potential impact on the management of patients with obesity and cardiorenal compromise

Chemical and Energetic Properties of Seven Species of the Fabaceae Family

In this work, the chemical compositions and energetic properties of the wood and bark of seven Fabaceae species were determined to evaluate their dendroenergetic potential. Chemical composition, elemental, proximate and heating value analyses were conducted. In addition, an ash microanalysis was performed. The obtained results varied as follows: cellulose (from 20.21% in Parkinsonia aculeate bark to 58.83% in Albizia plurijuga sapwood), hemicelluloses (from 8.81% in Eysenhardia polystacya heartwood to 23.71% in Pakinsonia aculeate wood), lignin (from 12.88% in wood to 26.53% in bark of Parkinsonia aculeate), extractives (from 11.68% in sapwood to 36.17% in bark of Eysenhardia polystacya), carbon (from 42.4% in Albizia plurijuga bark to 49.5% in Eysenhardtia polystacya heartwood), hydrogen (from 6.4% in Eysenhardtia polystacya bark to 7.3% in Albizia plurijuga sapwood), oxygen (from 42.3% in Prosopis laevigata bark to 50.5% in Acacia pennatula bark), nitrogen (from 0.11% in Albizia plurijuga heartwood to 1.64% in Prosopis laevigata bark), sulfur (from 0.04% in Prosopis laevigata heartwood to 0.14% in Acacia farnesiana wood, Erythina caralloides bark, and Prosopis laevigata bark), ash (from 0.76% in Eysenhardtia polystacya heartwood to 11.49% in Acacia plurijuga bark), volatile material (from 70.08% in Eysenhardtia polystacya bark to 91.75% in Albizia plurijuga sapwood), fixed carbon (from 6.97% in Albizia plurijuga sapwood to 23.44% in Prosopis laevigata bark), and calorific value (from 17.36 MJ·kg-1 in Acacia pennatula bark to 21.23 MJ·kg-1 in Prosopis laevigata bark). The most abundant chemical elements in wood ash and bark ash are listed here: Ca˃K˃P˃Mg˃Na. According to the obtained results, the wood and bark of the seven Fabaceae species could be used to produce solid biofuels for local use. Additionally, highlighting the high concentrations of extractives was important, especially in the bark samples, which could be a potential source of phytochemicals

Persistence of decidual NK cells and KIR genotypes in healthy pregnant and preeclamptic women: a case-control study in the third trimester of gestation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Natural Killer (NK) cells are the most abundant lymphocytes in the decidua during early gestation. The interactions of NK cells with the extravillous cytotrophoblast have been associated with a normal spiral artery remodeling process, an essential event for a successful pregnancy. Recent data indicate that alterations in the amount of decidual NK (dNK) cells contribute to the development of preeclampsia (PE). Moreover, genetic studies suggest that Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) expressed in dNK cells influence the susceptibility to PE. Although dNK cells have been well characterized during early pregnancy, they have been scarcely studied in the third trimester of gestation. The aim of this work was to characterize dNK cells at the last trimester of gestation and to analyze the KIR genotype of healthy and PE women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Decidual samples were obtained during Caesarean section from control (n = 10) and PE (n = 9) women. Flow cytometric analysis of CD3, CD56, CD16 and CD9 was used to characterize and quantify dNK cells in both groups. Cell surface markers from decidual leukocytes were compared with PBMC from healthy donors.</p> <p>KIR genotyping was performed in genomic DNA (control, n = 86; PE, n = 90) using <it>PCR-SSP.</it></p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results indicate that dNK cells persist throughout pregnancy. They represented 20% of total leukocytes in control and PE groups, and they expressed the same cell surface markers (CD3^-, CD56⁺, CD16^-and CD9⁺) as dNK in the first trimester of gestation. There were no significant differences in the percentage of dNK cells between control and PE groups. The analysis of KIR gene frequencies and genotypes was not statistically different between control and PE groups. The ratio of activating to inhibitory genes indicated that the overall inhibitory balance (0.2-0.5) was more frequent in the PE group (control, 31.3% <it>vs </it>PE, 45.5%), and the activating balance (0.6-1.1) was more frequent in the control group (control, 68.6% <it>vs </it>PE, 54.4%). However this difference was not significant.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrated the persistence of dNK cells in PE and control women at the third trimester of pregnancy; these dNK cells had a similar phenotype to those found during early pregnancy. The predominance of a KIR inhibitory balance in the PE group could be associated to the physiopathology of PE.</p

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as a halo-PGPB and chitosan effects in nutritional value and yield production of Asparagus officinalis L. under Sonora desert conditions

Asparagus officinalis L. is a crop associated with arid and dry environments of arid deserts; its tender product is considered a gourmet food for its exclusive consumption and its high prices. Among the main attributes of this vegetable are being a product low in calories, fat and cholesterol, with a high content of vitamin C, as well as rich in potassium and calcium phosphate. The indiscriminate use of synthetic fertilizers in agricultural crop production systems, as well as the increasing dependence, they cause deterioration of the physical and chemical properties of the soil, in addition have a variable impact on the composition and functions of the soil microbiota. Under indigenous area “Seris” in Sonora desert conditions (salinity and high °C), var. ‘Early California’ of asparagus was biofertilized with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Ba) as a halo-PGPB and chitosan (QUI) to evaluate nutritional value and yield-production. Results showed that Ba and QUI in the vegetative period increased the emergence rate (≥15%), nitrates in sap (≥10%), fresh and root weight and crown (≥25%); significant values in its subsequent production stage of shoots for human consumption (proximal values such as protein (≥33%), and carbohydrates (≥20%), in addition to K+ (≥9%) and Vit C (≥15%) compared with the control, were obtained. These results express the possibility of using Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as a halo-PGPB and chitosan as a biofertilizer of marine origin in asparagus under Sonora desert conditions

Advanced Glycation End Products: New Clinical and Molecular Perspectives

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered one of the most massive epidemics of the twenty-first century due to its high mortality rates caused mainly due to its complications; therefore, the early identification of such complications becomes a race against time to establish a prompt diagnosis. The research of complications of DM over the years has allowed the development of numerous alternatives for diagnosis. Among these emerge the quantification of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) given their increased levels due to chronic hyperglycemia, while also being related to the induction of different stress-associated cellular responses and proinflammatory mechanisms involved in the progression of chronic complications of DM. Additionally, the investigation for more valuable and safe techniques has led to developing a newer, noninvasive, and effective tool, termed skin fluorescence (SAF). Hence, this study aimed to establish an update about the molecular mechanisms induced by AGEs during the evolution of chronic complications of DM and describe the newer measurement techniques available, highlighting SAF as a possible tool to measure the risk of developing DM chronic complications