Evaluación del impacto ambiental del cultivo de la pitahaya, Cantón Palora, Ecuador

Pitahaya fruit (Selenicereus megalanthus) is an exotic subtropical fruit with yellow skin, sweet and sour pulp, which contains levels of essential fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids. Its cultivation, in recent years, has become one of the main economic activities of the Morona-Santiago province. The objective of this work was to determine the environmental impact generated by the cultivation of pitahaya, and to propose management strategies that mitigate the effects on the environment. The characterization of the physical, biotic, socioeconomic and cultural environment of plantations of the Palora Canton was carried out, according to the criteria of the national environmental regulations. The methodology used were checklists, and Leopold matrix that are based on the analysis of the interactions between the stages of the crop and the environmental factors impacted. The main results in the evaluated farm show negative impacts such as the loss of biodiversity, degradation of soils, of the physical environment, mainly associated with the use of agrochemicals, the clearing of forest ecosystems, as well as the opening of access roads. The management plan shows strategies aimed at mitigating and compensating for the most severe impacts and complying with current environmental laws.La fruta pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) es una fruta subtropical exótica con piel amarilla, de pulpa con sabor agridulce, que contiene niveles de ácidos grasos esenciales como los ácidos oleico y linoleico. Su cultivo, en los últimos años, se ha convertido en una de las principales actividades económicas de la provincia Morona-Santiago. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el impacto ambiental que genera el cultivo de pitahaya, y proponer estrategias de manejo que permitan mitigar los efectos sobre el medio ambiente. Se realizó la caracterización de los medios físico, biótico, socioeconómico y cultural de plantaciones del Cantón Palora, según los criterios de las normativas ambientales nacionales. La metodología empleada estuvo conformada por el uso de: listas de chequeo y la matriz de Leopold, las cuales se fundamentan en el análisis de las interacciones existentes entre las etapas del cultivo y los factores ambientales impactados. Los principales resultados en la finca evaluada muestran impactos negativos como la pérdida de biodiversidad, degradación de suelos, del medio físico, asociados principalmente por el uso de agroquímicos, el desbroce de ecosistemas boscosos, así como la apertura de caminos de acceso. El plan de manejo muestra estrategias encaminadas a mitigar y compensar los impactos más severos, y dar cumplimiento a las leyes ambientales vigentes

Theoretical Engineering of the Gut Micro biome for the Purpose of Creating Superior Soldiers

The purpose of this review is to highlight research raising the possibility of exploiting the host-microbiome gut axis for military purposes. Through optimizing the gut-microbiome environment it is possible to enhance nutritional access to indigestible material, provide local and systemic analgesia, enhance psychological robustness to battlefield stress, produce endogenous steroids, reduce muscle fatigue, and promote peripheral wound healing. However, this approach is still in its early stages and thus has not been explored to its full potential. The challenges that are currently preventing the practical use of gut bacteria include the following: inconsistency of clinical outcomes, transient effects requiring continuous supplementation, the type of regimen selected, the initiation and cessation of regimen, and the broader clinical studies needed to validate this research. This review is intended to shed light on the numerous and varied positive impacts such an approach could have for the military if further developed

Evaluación del impacto ambiental del cultivo de la pitahaya, Cantón Palora, Ecuador

Pitahaya fruit (Selenicereus megalanthus) is an exotic subtropical fruit with yellow skin, sweet and sour pulp, which contains levels of essential fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids. Its cultivation, in recent years, has become one of the main economic activities of the Morona-Santiago province. The objective of this work was to determine the environmental impact generated by the cultivation of pitahaya, and to propose management strategies that mitigate the effects on the environment. The characterization of the physical, biotic, socioeconomic and cultural environment of plantations of the Palora Canton was carried out, according to the criteria of the national environmental regulations. The methodology used were checklists, and Leopold matrix that are based on the analysis of the interactions between the stages of the crop and the environmental factors impacted. The main results in the evaluated farm show negative impacts such as the loss of biodiversity, degradation of soils, of the physical environment, mainly associated with the use of agrochemicals, the clearing of forest ecosystems, as well as the opening of access roads. The management plan shows strategies aimed at mitigating and compensating for the most severe impacts and complying with current environmental laws.La fruta pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus) es una fruta subtropical exótica con piel amarilla, de pulpa con sabor agridulce, que contiene niveles de ácidos grasos esenciales como los ácidos oleico y linoleico. Su cultivo, en los últimos años, se ha convertido en una de las principales actividades económicas de la provincia Morona-Santiago. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar el impacto ambiental que genera el cultivo de pitahaya, y proponer estrategias de manejo que permitan mitigar los efectos sobre el medio ambiente. Se realizó la caracterización de los medios físico, biótico, socioeconómico y cultural de plantaciones del Cantón Palora, según los criterios de las normativas ambientales nacionales. La metodología empleada estuvo conformada por el uso de: listas de chequeo y la matriz de Leopold, las cuales se fundamentan en el análisis de las interacciones existentes entre las etapas del cultivo y los factores ambientales impactados. Los principales resultados en la finca evaluada muestran impactos negativos como la pérdida de biodiversidad, degradación de suelos, del medio físico, asociados principalmente por el uso de agroquímicos, el desbroce de ecosistemas boscosos, así como la apertura de caminos de acceso. El plan de manejo muestra estrategias encaminadas a mitigar y compensar los impactos más severos, y dar cumplimiento a las leyes ambientales vigentes

Theoretical Engineering of the Gut Micro biome for the Purpose of Creating Superior Soldiers

The purpose of this review is to highlight research raising the possibility of exploiting the host-microbiome gut axis for military purposes. Through optimizing the gut-microbiome environment it is possible to enhance nutritional access to indigestible material, provide local and systemic analgesia, enhance psychological robustness to battlefield stress, produce endogenous steroids, reduce muscle fatigue, and promote peripheral wound healing. However, this approach is still in its early stages and thus has not been explored to its full potential. The challenges that are currently preventing the practical use of gut bacteria include the following: inconsistency of clinical outcomes, transient effects requiring continuous supplementation, the type of regimen selected, the initiation and cessation of regimen, and the broader clinical studies needed to validate this research. This review is intended to shed light on the numerous and varied positive impacts such an approach could have for the military if further developed.This article is published as Schmidt-McCormack, Garrett R, Kristina M Feye, Sreemoyee Acharya, Gregory SA Mlynarczyk, Stephen J Anderson, Patricia Izbicki, Emir Malovic, KC Luna, Joe S Smith, Matthew A Jefferson, Aron Nakama, Kasandra Diaz Santana, Naveen C Kondru, Michael D Kleinhenz, James G Tipton, Shivani Choudhary, Robyn D Kokemuller, Sireesha Manne, Marson R Putra, Nyzil Massey, Denusha Shrestha, Diou Luo, Shaunik Sharma, Pongrat Jaisil, Carrie A Berg, and Steve A Carlson. "Theoretical Engineering of the Gut Micro biome for the Purpose of Creating Superior Soldiers." Research & Reviews: Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 6, no. 2 (2017): 12-18. Posted with permission.</p