Simulated herbivory enhances leaky sex expression in the dioecious herb Mercurialis annua

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plant reproductive traits are widely understood to be responsive to the selective pressures exerted by pollinators, but there is also increasing evidence for an important role for antagonists such as herbivores in shaping these traits. Many dioecious species show leaky sex expression, with males and females occasionally producing flowers of the opposite sex. Here, we asked to what extent leakiness in sex expression in Mercurialis annua (Euphorbiaceae) might also be plastically responsive to simulated herbivory. This is important because enhanced leakiness in dioecious populations could lead to a shift in both the mating system and in the conditions for transitions between combined and separate sexes. METHODS: We examined the effect of simulated herbivory on the sexual expression of males and females of M. annua in two experiments in which different levels of simulated herbivory led to enhanced leakiness in both sexes. KEY RESULTS: We showed that leaky sex expression in both males and females of the wind-pollinated dioecious herb M. annua is enhanced in response to simulated herbivory, increasing the probability for and the degree of leakiness in both sexes. We also found that leakiness was greater in larger females but not in larger males. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss hypotheses for a possible functional link between herbivory and leaky sex expression, and consider what simulated herbivory-induced leakiness might imply for the evolutionary ecology of plant reproductive systems, especially the breakdown of dioecy and the evolution of hermaphroditism

PDET para la cría y comercialización de caracoles (Hélix Aspersa Muller) como alternativa de interés ecológico, alimenticio y comercial en el municipio de Moniquirá (Boyacá)

Mapa geográfico, Encuesta, Tablas, Graficas, e ImágenesEl caracol en Colombia actualmente tiene una demanda elitista, limitada a gourmets, en hoteles y restaurantes de categoría, y tienen un alto precio por ser normalmente un producto de importación, enlatados o precocidos provenientes de Europa, Indonesia, Ecuador o Chile. Este recurso lo podríamos comparar con los champiñones que hace unos años no se consumían y actualmente se han popularizado. La característica de estos caracoles (Helix aspersa muller) nos permite innovar en la creación de nuevas alternativas de producción, que generan riqueza y empleo para el Departamento de Boyacá y el sector agropecuario. Colombia posee un potencial importante para el desarrollo de la helicicultura al disponer de especies de interés comercial aptas para el cultivo, clima y sitios apropiados para su desarrollo, por ello es necesaria una mayor investigación básica aplicada y adaptada a nuestras condiciones para la implementación y desarrollo de explotaciones comerciales a mediana y gran escala. Siendo para ello necesario inversiones de capital humano y financiero así como la formación de la infraestructura para el desarrollo de la helicicultura en Colombia.The snail in Colombia at the moment has an elitist demand, limited to gourmets, in hotels and restaurants of category, and they have a high price to usually be an import product, canned or precooked coming from Europe, Indonesia, Ecuador or Chile. This resource could compare it with the mushrooms that some years ago they didn't waste away and at the moment they have been popularized. The characteristic of these snails (Helix aspersa muller) it allows us to innovate in the creation of new production alternatives that you/they generate wealth and employment for the Department of Boyacá and their sector like it is the agricultural one. Colombia possesses an important potential for the development from the helicicultura when having capable species of commercial interest for the cultivation, climate and appropriate places for its development, for it is necessary a bigger applied basic investigation and adapted to our conditions for the implementation and development of commercial exploitations to medium and great scale. Being for it necessary investments of human and financial capital as well as the formation of the infrastructure for the development of the helicicultura in Colombia

La macroestructura semántica como estrategia didáctica en la comprensión de textos expositivos

En la presente ponencia se dan a conocer los avances de la investigación que se lleva a cabo con estudiantes de grado noveno en la I. E. José María Córdoba, ubicada en la vereda Merchán, Saboyá, Boyacá. El proyecto pretende mostrar, mediante el uso de los organizadores gráficos como estrategia didáctica, el impacto del reconocimiento de la macroestructura semántica (M S) en la comprensión lectora de textos expositivos. Al momento de la lectura, la M S, como una forma de acercamiento al texto para identificar tanto el tema general como los específicos, permite la comprensión y la aprehensión de un texto. Como antecedentes, se citan, algunos trabajos que han abordado, desde diferentes perspectivas el tema: cuatro internacionales y dos nacionales. Metodológicamente, la  propuesta se desarrolla a partir de la investigación acción en el aula con enfoque mixto cualitativo y cuantitativo, con mayor énfasis en el enfoque cualitativo; se fundamenta en guías didácticas alrededor de algunos organizadores gráficos como elementos esenciales para hacer evidente la macroestructura. La ponencia es el avance de una investigación en proceso y los resultados se analizarán posteriormente para evaluar el impacto en la comprensión lectora, según las pruebas internas y externas de la Institución.&nbsp

Diagnosis and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Argentine Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, year 2019

El hígado graso no alcohólico (HGNA) es la enfermedad hepática crónica más frecuente en todo el mundo, con una prevalencia aproximada de 25% a nivel global. Su prevalencia es mucho mayor en pacientes con sobrepeso, obesidad y diabetes tipo 2 y es considerada como la manifestación hepática del síndrome metabólico. El espectro de la enfermedad hepática es muy amplio, desde la esteatosis simple a la esteatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrosis y sus complicaciones, como el hepatocarcinoma. La mayoría de los pacientes afectados no progresará a la fibrosis avanzada/cirrosis. A pesar de esto, se ha descripto que la hepatopatía es la tercera causa de muerte entre los pacientes con HGNA, luego de las enfermedades cardiovasculares y las malignas. Entre la enorme cantidad de afectados, lo más importante es identificar a los que están en riesgo de evolución a la cirrosis o sus complicaciones y conocer las opciones de diagnóstico y tratamiento. En esta Guía organizada por la Asociación Argentina para el Estudio de las Enfermedades del Hígado se revisan las definiciones, los aspectos epidemiológicos, la historia natural y un enfoque práctico sobre algoritmos posibles para estimar la gravedad de la hepatopatía en cada caso, además de analizar los avances en el tratamiento y recomendaciones para el seguimiento. Es importante señalar que no se han publicado datos sobre incidencia o prevalencia de la enfermedad en población general de Argentina, y se alienta a la realización de los mismos.. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most frequent chronic liver disease worldwide, with an estimated global prevalence of approximately 25%, that is much higher in patients with overweight, obesity and type 2 diabetes. NAFLD is considered as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. It has a wide spectrum, from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis and its complications, such as hepatocellular carcinoma. Most of the affected patients will not evolve to advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Despite this, it has been described that the hepatic disease is the third cause of death among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver, after cardiovascular and malignant diseases. Among the huge number of patients affected, the main challenge is to identify those who are at risk of developing cirrhosis or its complications and to recognize the diagnostic and treatment options. In this Guideline, endorsed by the Argentine Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the definitions, epidemiological aspects, natural history and a practical approach to possible algorithms to estimate the severity of liver disease in the individual patient are reviewed; in addition to analyzing advances in treatment and proposing recommendations for follow-up. It is important to note that no data on the incidence or prevalence of the disease have been published in the general population of Argentina, and it is encouraged to carry them out.Fil: Fassio, Eduardo. Hospital Nacional Profesor Alejandro Posadas; ArgentinaFil: Dirchwolf, Melisa. Hospital Privado de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Barreyro, Fernando Javier. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Microbiología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Adrover, Raúl. No especifíca;Fil: Alonso, M. Inés. No especifíca;Fil: Amante, Marcelo. No especifíca;Fil: Ameigeiras, Beatriz. No especifíca;Fil: Barreyro, Fernando J.. No especifíca;Fil: Benavides, Javier. No especifíca;Fil: Bessone, Fernando. No especifíca;Fil: Cairo, Fernando. No especifíca;Fil: Camino, Alejandra. No especifíca;Fil: Cañero Velasco, M. Cristina. No especifíca;Fil: Casciato, Paola. No especifíca;Fil: Cocozzella, Daniel. No especifíca;Fil: Daruich, Jorge. No especifíca;Fil: De Matteo, Elena. No especifíca;Fil: Dirchwolf, Melisa. No especifíca;Fil: Fassio, Eduardo. No especifíca;Fil: Fernández, José Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Fernández, Nora. No especifíca;Fil: Ferretti, Sebastián. No especifíca;Fil: Figueroa, Sebastián. No especifíca;Fil: Galoppo, Marcela. No especifíca;Fil: Godoy, Alicia. No especifíca;Fil: González Ballerga, Esteban. No especifíca;Fil: Graffigna, Mabel. No especifíca;Fil: Guma, Carlos. No especifíca;Fil: Lagues, Cecilia. No especifíca;Fil: Marino, Mónica. No especifíca;Fil: Mendizábal, Manuel. No especifíca;Fil: Mesquida, Marcelo. No especifíca;Fil: Odzak, Andrea. No especifíca;Fil: Peralta, Mirta. No especifíca;Fil: Ridruejo, Ezequiel. No especifíca;Fil: Ruffillo, Gabriela. No especifíca;Fil: Sordá, Juan A.. No especifíca;Fil: Tanno, Mario. No especifíca;Fil: Villamil, Alejandra. No especifíca;Fil: Colombato, Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Fainboim, Hugo. No especifíca;Fil: Gadano, Adrián. No especifíca;Fil: Galoppo, Cristina. No especifíca;Fil: Villamil, Federico. No especifíca

Data from: Why are flowers sweeter than fruits or buds? Variation in extrafloral nectar secretion throughout the floral ontogeny of a myrmecophile

Extrafloral nectar provision during floral ontogeny in ant-plants has not been widely studied. Extrafloral nectar secretion differed between leaves associated with buds, flowers, and fruits, and peaked during anthesis when pollinators were present. This ontogenetic variation may result from mixed selective pressures involving strategies for defense and mutualist management

Extrafloral nectar secretion of buds, flowers, and fruits of Turnera velutina

Dataset with leaf values of the proportion of nectaries with reward, volume (microlitre), concentration (micrograms/microlitre), sugar content (microgram) on individuals (indnora) from different genotypes (fam)

Ant-pollinator interactions in Turnera velutina: ecological costs and evolutionary consequences for the ant-plant pollination

Ant-plants recruit ants to defend them against herbivores, but most of them also require pollinator for successful seed set. Interactions between patrolling ants and pollinators on ant-plants have received relatively little attention. Negative ant-pollinator interactions are expected for several reasons. First, ants and pollinators benefit from plant investment in different functions (defence and reproduction, respectively) which can lead to plant trade-offs. Second, although more aggressive ants are likely to be better defenders, they may also deter pollinators, affecting plant fitness. However, ant-plants may have mechanisms to manage ant-pollinator interactions, maximising the benefits from their services whilst minimising the costs. I used field experiments to investigate the ecological costs and evolutionary consequences of ant patrolling for the pollination biology of a facultative ant-plant, the Mexican endemic Turnera velutina (Passifloraceae), addressing the following questions: a) Which are the most aggressive and best ant defenders of T. velutina? b) Is there direct (pollinator deterrence) or indirect (nectar trade-offs) ant-pollinator conflict? c) What are the ecological costs and evolutionary consequences of myrmecophily for the host plant pollination and mating system? d) Do ant-plants have adaptations to cope with both mutualists, avoiding conflict? Answers: a) Cephalotes sp. ants was detected as parasitic non-defenders, and the remaining ant species were ranked as: Capmponotus planatus < Crematogaster sp. < Paratrechina longicornis < Brachymyrmex sp. < Dorymyrmex bicolor. b) I found evidence for direct but not for indirect conflict. c) Ant patrolling affected pollinator visit duration, pollen loads, out-crossing rates, and male fitness, leading to negative effects on pollinator foraging efficiency, but such changes had positive effects for plant fitness increasing outcrossing and male fitness. d) Extrafloral nectar also serves to bribe ants away from reproductive structures during the crucial pollination period, reducing the probability of ant-occupation of flowers, reducing ant-pollinator conflict, and increasing plant reproductive success

Abordaje diagnóstico de la hipertensión arterial secundaria

Introducción: La hipertensión arterial es una de las enfermedades más prevalentes en atención primaria y el principal factor de riesgo para enfermedad cardivoascular. La hipertensión arterial secundaria es frecuente entre los pacientes con diagnóstico de hipertensión arterial, con una prevalencia del 10 % que puede incrementar hasta 20 % o 40 % en pacientes con hipertensión refractaria al tratamiento. Su identificación temprana se asocia con mejores desenlaces. Objetivo: Evaluar en la literatura las principales causas de hipertensión arterial secundaria e identificar el abordaje diagnóstico inicial de las patologías asociadas. Métodos: Selección y lectura de artículos de bases de datos Pubmed y Google Scholar y de revisiones de UpToDate que trataran el tema de hipertensión arterial secundaria. Conclusiones: Es importante reconocer aquellos pacientes que puedan estar cursando con hipertensión arterial de causa secundaria, ya que esto modifica el enfoque terapéutico, facilita el tratamiento y mejora los desenlaces; incluso puede llegar a la cura y resolución

Data from: Testing the Distraction Hypothesis: do extrafloral nectaries reduce ant‐pollinator conflict?

1. Ant guards protect plants from herbivores, but can also hinder pollination by damaging reproductive structures and/or repelling pollinators. Natural selection should favour the evolution of plant traits that deter ants from visiting flowers during anthesis, without waiving their defensive services. The Distraction Hypothesis posits that rewarding ants with extrafloral nectar could reduce their visitation of flowers, reducing ant-pollinator conflict while retaining protection of other structures. 2. We characterised the proportion of flowers occupied by ants and the number of ants per flower in a Mexican ant-plant, Turnera velutina. We clogged extrafloral nectaries on field plants and observed the effects on patrolling ants, pollinators and ants inside flowers, and quantified the effects on plant fitness. Based on the Distraction Hypothesis we predicted that preventing extrafloral nectar secretion should result in fewer ants active at extrafloral nectaries, more ants inside flowers and a higher proportion of flowers occupied by ants, leading to ant-pollinator conflict, with reduced pollinator visitation and reduced plant fitness. 3. Overall ant activity inside flowers was low. Preventing extrafloral nectar secretion through clogging reduced the number of ants patrolling extrafloral nectaries, significantly increased the proportion of flowers occupied by ants from 6.1% to 9.7%, and reduced plant reproductive output through a 12% increase in the probability of fruit abortion. No change in the numbers of ants or pollinators inside flowers was observed. This is the first support for the Distraction Hypothesis obtained under field conditions, showing ecological and plant fitness benefits of the distracting function of extrafloral nectar during anthesis. 4. Synthesis: Our study provides the first field experimental support for the Distraction Hypothesis, suggesting that extrafloral nectaries located close to flowers may bribe ants away from reproductive structures during the crucial pollination period, reducing the probability of ant-occupation of flowers, reducing ant-pollinator conflict, and increasing plant reproductive success