LA AGRICULTURA, COLOMBIA Y LA UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES

En la misión de la Universidad de los Andes se declara que somos una institución que imparte a sus estudiantes una formación crítica y ética para afianzar en ellos la conciencia de sus responsabilidades sociales y cívicas, así como su compromiso con el entorno. Dice además que apoya una actividad investigativa que contribuye al desarrollo del país. Es así que es difícil imaginar que la Universidad de los Andes sea indiferente al sector agrícola

Cyclotella katiana sp. nov. from la reina swamp, parque nacional natural los katíos, Colombia

Fil: Sala, Silvia Estela. División Ficología. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ramirez Restrepo, John Jairo. Instituto de Biologia. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Antioquia. Medellin; Colombi

Identification and Evolution of Transcription Factors in Stramenopiles

Background. 
Many transcriptional regulatory proteins have been identified and classified into several families on the basis of sequence similarity (Fukami, 2003), these families usually regulate important biological processes, such as development and responses to external stimuli. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate spatial and temporal gene expression by binding to DNA and either activating or repressing the action of RNA polymerases (Latchman, 2004); in addition to TFs, other Transcriptional regulators (TRs) participate in transcriptional modulation by e.g., chromatin remodeling. With the availability of genome sequences for several organisms and computational strategies for gene functional annotation, the entire set of Transcription factors (TFs) and Transcription regulators (TRs) can be identified, described, and compared between species and lineages. The diversity among Stramenopiles is striking; they range from large multicellular seaweeds to tiny unicellular species, they are present in freshwater, marine and terrestrial habitats and embrace many ecologically important algal (e.g. diatoms, brown algae, chrysophytes), and heterotrophic (e.g., Oomycetes) groups.

Methods. 
In order to find TF and TR genes in the deduced proteomes of Stramenopile we followed the approach developed in Perez et al. 2010. Briefly, it exploits the presence of protein domains and their combinations, in the form of boolean rules, that are specific for different families of TFs and TRs. Such rules are represented as a bipartite graph in which a set of nodes represent gene families and the other set of nodes, protein domains. Edges are drawn between nodes of different types indicating whether a protein domain is required in the gene family or it is forbidden.

Results. 
We applied an enlarged set of rules to the deduced proteomes of 8 different Stramenopiles, identifying more than 400 different regulatory genes in each species belonging to up to 59 different gene families.

Conclusions. 
The identification of this class of regulatory genes will constitute and important resource that could be exploited in gene functional characterization and evolutionary analyses. All TFs and TRs families found will be publicly released via a web database.

References.
Pérez-Rodríguez P, Riaño-Pachón DM, Corrêa LG, Rensing SA, Kersten B, Mueller-Roeber B. 2010. Nucleic Acids Res. 38(Database issue):D822-

Data Mining of the Coffee Rust Genome

The genomes of nine isolates of _Hemileia vastatrix_, the causal agent of coffee leaf rust were sequenced by Illumina and 454. Quality control, cleaning and _de novo_ assemblies of data were performed. Since isolates were obtained from the field and it is not possible to produce axenic cultures of _H. vastatrix_, MEGAN software was used to evaluate contamination levels and to select contigs with fungal similarities. Mitochondrial contigs were identified and annotated by comparing this assembly against the _Puccinia_ genome. Furthermore, two transcriptomes from isolates of _H. vastatrix_ were assembled to complement the genomic data

Phytophthora infestans population structure: a worldwide scale

Phytophthora infestans, the causal agent of late blight disease in potato and other members of the Solanaceae family, is responsible for causing the Irish potato famine and, even today, it causes enormous economic losses all over the world. For the establishment of an adequate pest management strategy, the determination of population structure is required. To characterize P. infestans populations worldwide two allozymes, Gpi (Glucose-6-phospate isomerase) and Pep (Peptidase), the RG57 DNA RFLP fingerprinting probe, as well as resistance to the fungicide metalaxyl and the mating type, have been used as markers. P. infestans populations in Mexico have been one of the main focuses of research in the population biology of this pathogen because this country has been considered as one of the possible centers of origin of this oomycete. In this review we present the population structure of P. infestans in Mexico, Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and South America expanding on the present situation of P. infestans in Colombia. Finally, we will discuss different lines of research that are being carried out today with respect to P. infestans in Colombia, which have shown the importance of continuing the study of this devastating plant pathogen in our country.Phytophthora infestans, el agente causal del tizón tardío de la papa y otros miembros de la familia de las Solanáceas, es el responsable de la gran hambruna irlandesa y aún hoy sigue causando grandes pérdidas económicas alrededor del planeta. Para establecer estrategias de control adecuadas contra este patógeno se requiere comprender la estructura poblacional del mismo. Mundialmente se han utilizado como marcadores las aloenzimas, Gpi (Glucosa-6-fosfato isomerasa) y Pep (Peptidasa) y la sonda de fingerprinting de RFLP (Polimorfismos de la Longitud de los Fragmentos de Restricción), RG57. De igual forma, la resistencia al fungicida metalaxyl y el tipo de apareamiento, han sido empleados para caracterizar las poblaciones de P. infestans. Las poblaciones de P. infestans en México han sido uno de los focos principales de investigación en la biología poblacional de este patógeno debido a que este país ha sido considerado como uno de los posibles centros de origen de este oomiceto. En esta revisión se presentará la estructura poblacional de P. infestans en México, Europa, África, Asia, Norte América y Sur América, profundizando en la situación actual de P. infestans en Colombia. Finalmente, se discutirá las diferentes líneas de investigación que se llevan a cabo hoy respecto a P. infestans en Colombia, las cuales han mostrado la importancia de continuar con el estudio de este devastador patógeno de plantas en nuestro país

Mejoramiento de la comprensión lectora a través del recurso didáctico de la imagen icónica

El presente proyecto tiene como objetivo aportar herramientas para el mejoramiento de la comprensión lectora en los estudiantes de educación básica, teniendo como referente el grupo 6º 04 de la institución educativa Antonio Derka Santo Domingo, sede Santo Domingo. De la misma forma, se identifican algunas causas por las cuales se presenta el déficit de comprensión lectora en nuestros estudiantes desde los grados 1º a 9º y se propone a su vez la imagen icónica como estrategia lúdica que posibilite la adquisición de las competencias comunicativas en los mismos

Modelo de Inteligencia Ambiental basado en la integración de Redes de Sensores Inalámbricas y Agentes Inteligentes

La Inteligencia Ambiental o AmI (Ambient Intelligence), es un área de las Ciencias Computacionales que integra aspectos novedosos como computación ubicua, interfaces inteligentes, sistemas adaptativos, Smart WSN, entre otros. Sin embargo, no existe un modelo genérico para diseñar y desarrollar aplicaciones reales de AmI. El objetivo de esta tesis de maestría es proponer un meta-modelo de AmI que incluya los modelos más relevantes que deben ser tenidos en cuenta para el diseño e implementación de tales sistemas, definidos como modelo de contexto, modelo de adaptación, modelo del usuario y modelo del dominio. Adicional a estos modelos, es necesario especificar un módulo con los servicios adaptados que pueden ser ofrecidos por agentes inteligentes quienes utilizan para ello el conocimiento almacenado en los diferentes modelos./ Abstract. The Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is a Computer Science field that integrates new research topics such as ubiquitous computing, intelligent interfaces, adaptive systems, Smart WSN, among others. However, there is not a generic model to design and develop real AmI applications. The aim of this master thesis is to propose an AmI meta-model that includes the more relevant models that should be considered to the design and implementation of such systems, defined as context model, adaptation model, user model, and domain model. In addition to these models, a module comprised by intelligent-agent-based adaptive services must be specified which use the knowledge stored within different models.Maestrí

Los compositores de Santa Capilla en los Festivales de Música de Caracas

Composers, promoters and musical critics agree in asserting that the academic music of the Latin American creators of the new generations has little diffusion. This article allows to determine how true this affirmation is for Venezuela, focusing on a case study: Caracas between 1950 and 1970, period in which the Music Festivals of Caracas were held. We analyzed how the production of the young composers of the moment, students of the composition chair of the School "José Ángel Lamas" (School of Santa Capilla by its location), was present in those festivals that, given its trajectory, the quality of the participants and their profile, were considered a fundamental reference for Venezuela and the Latin American continent in the field of contemporary music.Compositores, promotores y críticos musicales coinciden en aseverar que la música académica de los creadores latinoamericanos de las nuevas generaciones tiene poca difusión. Este artículo permite determinar cuán verdadera es esta afirmación para Venezuela centrándose en un estudio de caso: Caracas entre 1950 y 1970, periodo en el que se realizaron los Festivales de Música de Caracas. Se analiza cómo la producción de los compositores jóvenes del momento, estudiantes de la cátedra de composición de la Escuela “José Ángel Lamas” (Escuela de Santa Capilla por su locación), estuvo presente en esta tribuna que, dada su trayectoria, la calidad de los participantes y su perfil, fue considerada referente fundamental para Venezuela y el continente Latinoamericano en el ámbito de la música contemporánea

Guidelines for designing and managing multiple uses of water systems in rural areas in Colombia

Rural water supply systems in Colombia are planned considering typical urban water uses, ignoring that rural inhabitants use water for domestic and small-scale productive activities, particularly irrigation of small plots (less than 6400 m2) and keeping animals - 20 chickens, 5 pigs, 1 or 2 cows. These activities provide monthly income, in some cases around 590 US$/month, that contributes to family basic needs and sustainability of water supply systems. These benefits are possible by supplying around 213 lpcd for multiple uses. This quantity is slightly higher than the 100-150 liters per capita per day (lpcd) established by Colombian regulation. Allowing multiple uses of water and its benefits requires planning of systems including a variety of water sources (surface water, groundwater, rainwater, fog water and even grey and wastewater), considering technological alternatives to match supply and demand, and implementing managerial strategies to ensure equity and sustainability