Prospeccion del mercado estadunidense de semillas de hortalizas organicas

120 p.En el presente estudio se analizaron las posibilidades presentes y futuras que poseen los productores nacionales de semillas de hortalizas orgánicas a la hora de ingresar al mercado de Estados Unidos. Debido a la gran extensión territorial y a lo heterogénea de su población, nos enfocamos a los cinco principales estados productores agrícolas, ya que poseen ventajas en la producción agropecuaria, y un ingreso per capita atractivo con respecto al resto del país. Los principales estados son Iowa, California, Florida, Carolina del Norte y Carolina del Sur. La producción orgánica de semillas en Chile se encuentra poco desarrollada, pero nuestro país posee ventajas tales Como: Ser un multiplicador de semillas por excelencia, tener una geografía fitosanitaria y niveles de control sanitario de primer orden, junto con ser un país estable política, económica y socialmente. Esto nos hace pensar que este, es un mercado floreciente, con tasas de crecimiento por sobre e120%. Además hay que tener en cuenta que Chile es el sexto productor de semillas convencionales a nivel mundial (exports alrededor de 15 millones de kilos solo hacia Estados Unidos), siendo uno de los principales proveedores de este producto que posee esta nación de Norteamérica. La metodología desarrollada en la presente obra, se formulo por medio de una investigación exploratoria, debido a la inexistencia de estudios en esta área, aprovechando además, la flexibilidad que nos entrega este tipo de estudio, junto con lograr situarnos en una etapa inicial en el desarrollo de esta industria. La recolección de datos se desarrollo por medio de datos primarios y secundarios. Con respecto a los primeros, fue de gran ayuda las entrevistas en profundidad desarrolladas a académicos, productores y personas ligadas al quehacer semillero y hortícola nacional. Los datos secundarios fueron recopilados principalmente de la información obtenida de Internet. Junto a esto, se desarrollo una serie de objetivos con el fin de lograr caracterizar y determinar las reales posibilidades de los productores chilenos de ingresar a este importante mercado. Para ello, se analizaron los principales índices macroeconómicos de Estados Unidos, caracterizando su economía, la evolución tenida en los últimos años junto con analizar la situación actual de la producción orgánica, legislación y perspectiva futura. Además se realizó una investigación para determinar el perfil del consumidor americano, y sus principales atributos. Dentro de las conclusiones obtenidas a partir de este estudio, es que los exportadores nacionales deben aprovechar la visión que poseen los mercados internacionales sobre la producción de semillas nacional, por lo cual se debería desarrollar una política para aumentar la dotación de terrenos certificados. Teniendo en cuenta, el aumento en la demanda mundial que sobrepasara la oferta mundial, luego de la promulgación de obligatoriedad europea (norma 2092/91), la cual establece que los cultivos orgánicos deben provenir de semillas originadas orgánicamente, asumiendo que gran parte de la dotación agrícola de Estados Unidos es exportada al mercado europeo. Estados Unidos ha logrado importantes avances, dentro de los cuales cabe destacar la promulgación y entrada en vigencia del National Organic Program. Junto a esto, los sobreprecios obtenidos por las semillas organicas de hortalizas, llega en ocasiones a diferencias del 300% con respecto a los convencionales, lo cual lo hace un mercado sumamente atractivo. En la actualidad el medio de transporte mas requerido para la exportación de la producción nacional de semillas orgánicas se realiza por vía aérea, debido a los bajos volúmenes exportados, lo cual debería cambiar (luego de la entrada en vigencia de la norma europea), dándole mayor relevancia al transporte marítimo. Los principales destinos de nuestra producción actualmente es el mercado Californiano, siendo la puerta de entrada el aeropuerto internacional de Los Ángeles en la costa oeste y Miami por la costa este. Se recomienda a los productores nacionales, aprovechar las posibilidades actuales para la conversión orgánica, tomando en cuenta que es un proceso largo que dura entre 24 y 36 meses, ya que es de gran relevancia aprovechar las ventajas que se lograran en el mediano plazo, junto con la ventaja que nos entrega el poseer un Tratado de Libre Comercio con Estados Unidos. Junto a esto, se debe tener en cuenta la demanda actual por lechugas, main, brócoli, tomates, zanahorias, coliflor, cebollas, ajos zapallos, sandias, melones, principalmente. La producción de este tipo de bienes nos favorece ampliamente, debido a las ventajas señaladas con anterioridad. Para finalizar, es de gran importancia que los exportadores se reúnan en sistemas de producción conjuntas, cooperativas como se realiza en Argentina, con el fin de crear volúmenes de producción y comercialización que les permitan tener un mayor poder de negociación e influencia en los precios de sus productos y poder desarrollar proyectos conjuntos en investigación y desarrollo de mejoras en las técnicas productivas

Cryptosporidium hominis Infection of the Human Respiratory Tract

Cryptosporidium oocysts, observed in a natural sputum sample of a patient with HIV, were further studied by using DNA markers to determine the species of the parasite. C. hominis was identified as the species infecting the patient’s respiratory tract, a finding that strengthens evidence regarding this pathogen’s role in human disease

Epidemic Clostridium difficile Ribotype 027 in Chile

The increased severity of Clostridium difficile infection is primarily attributed to the appearance of an epidemic strain characterized as PCR ribotype 027. The only report that identified epidemic C. difficile ribotype 027 in an American country outside of North America comes from Costa Rica, raising the possibility that strains 027 might also be present in other countries of Latin America. Several studies between 2001 and 2009 have been conducted in South American countries to detect the incidence of C. difficile infection in hospitalized patients, but they did not identify which C. difficile strains were causing these infections

Advanced structural brain aging in preclinical autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease

BackgroundBrain-predicted age estimates biological age from complex, nonlinear features in neuroimaging scans. The brain age gap (BAG) between predicted and chronological age is elevated in sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD), but is underexplored in autosomal dominant AD (ADAD), in which AD progression is highly predictable with minimal confounding age-related co-pathology.MethodsWe modeled BAG in 257 deeply-phenotyped ADAD mutation-carriers and 179 non-carriers from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network using minimally-processed structural MRI scans. We then tested whether BAG differed as a function of mutation and cognitive status, or estimated years until symptom onset, and whether it was associated with established markers of amyloid (PiB PET, CSF amyloid-beta-42/40), phosphorylated tau (CSF and plasma pTau-181), neurodegeneration (CSF and plasma neurofilament-light-chain [NfL]), and cognition (global neuropsychological composite and CDR-sum of boxes). We compared BAG to other MRI measures, and examined heterogeneity in BAG as a function of ADAD mutation variants, APOE epsilon 4 carrier status, sex, and education.ResultsAdvanced brain aging was observed in mutation-carriers approximately 7 years before expected symptom onset, in line with other established structural indicators of atrophy. BAG was moderately associated with amyloid PET and strongly associated with pTau-181, NfL, and cognition in mutation-carriers. Mutation variants, sex, and years of education contributed to variability in BAG.ConclusionsWe extend prior work using BAG from sporadic AD to ADAD, noting consistent results. BAG associates well with markers of pTau, neurodegeneration, and cognition, but to a lesser extent, amyloid, in ADAD. BAG may capture similar signal to established MRI measures. However, BAG offers unique benefits in simplicity of data processing and interpretation. Thus, results in this unique ADAD cohort with few age-related confounds suggest that brain aging attributable to AD neuropathology can be accurately quantified from minimally-processed MRI

Predicting attitudinal and behavioral responses to COVID-19 pandemic using machine learning

At the beginning of 2020, COVID-19 became a global problem. Despite all the efforts to emphasize the relevance of preventive measures, not everyone adhered to them. Thus, learning more about the characteristics determining attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic is crucial to improving future interventions. In this study, we applied machine learning on the multinational data collected by the International Collaboration on the Social and Moral Psychology of COVID-19 (N = 51,404) to test the predictive efficacy of constructs from social, moral, cognitive, and personality psychology, as well as socio-demographic factors, in the attitudinal and behavioral responses to the pandemic. The results point to several valuable insights. Internalized moral identity provided the most consistent predictive contribution—individuals perceiving moral traits as central to their self-concept reported higher adherence to preventive measures. Similar results were found for morality as cooperation, symbolized moral identity, self-control, open-mindedness, and collective narcissism, while the inverse relationship was evident for the endorsement of conspiracy theories. However, we also found a non-neglible variability in the explained variance and predictive contributions with respect to macro-level factors such as the pandemic stage or cultural region. Overall, the results underscore the importance of morality-related and contextual factors in understanding adherence to public health recommendations during the pandemic.Peer reviewe

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Advancements in dementia research, diagnostics and care in Latin America : highlights from the 2023 Alzheimer's association international conference satellite symposium in Mexico City

While Latin America (LatAm) is facing an increasing burden of dementia due to the rapid aging of the population, it remains underrepresented in dementia research, diagnostics and care. In 2023, the Alzheimer’s Association hosted its eighth Satellite Symposium in Mexico, highlighting emerging dementia research, priorities, and challenges within LatAm. A wide range of topics were covered, including epidemiology, social determinants, dementia national plans, risk reduction, genetics, biomarkers, biobanks, and advancements in treatments. Large initiatives in the region including intra-country support showcased their efforts in fostering national and international collaborations; genetic studies unveiled the unique genetic admixture in LatAm; emerging clinical trials discussed ongoing culturally specific interventions; and the urgent need to harmonize practices and studies, improve diagnosis and care and implement affordable biomarkers in the region was highlighted

Dementia in Latin America : paving the way towards a regional action plan

Regional challenges faced by Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACs) to fight dementia, such as heterogeneity, diversity, political instabilities, and socioeconomic disparities, can be addressed more effectively grounded in a collaborative setting based on the open exchange of knowledge. In this work, the Latin American and Caribbean Consortium on Dementia (LAC-CD) proposes an agenda for integration to deliver a Knowledge to Action Framework (KtAF). First, we summarize evidence-based strategies (epidemiology, genetics, biomarkers, clinical trials, nonpharmacological interventions, networking and translational research) and align them to current global strategies to translate regional knowledge into actions with transformative power. Then, by characterizing genetic isolates, admixture in populations, environmental factors, and barriers to effective interventions and mapping these to the above challenges, we provide the basic mosaics of knowledge that will pave the way towards a KtAF. We describe strategies supporting the knowledge creation stage that underpins the translational impact of KtAF