Proximity television and audiences: tensions in the media territory / Televisión de proximidad y audiencias: tensiones en el territorio mediático

RESUMEN Objetivo: Las audiencias locales que se sitúan fuera de las capitales y de las grandes urbes deben conformarse con la información y contenidos televisivos nacionales, perdiendo la conexión con sus territorios debido al marcado centralismo de los medios capitalinos. Este artículo caracteriza las tensiones de las audiencias locales del norte de Chile en relación con su televisión local, también denominada de proximidad. Materiales y métodos: La metodología es cualitativa, realizándose grupos focales con las audiencias de seis comunas de la región de Coquimbo que tuviesen televisoras locales operativas y que declarasen ver periódicamente medios locales. Resultados: Entre los hallazgos se destaca el interés y el requerimiento de la ciudadanía por las noticias locales en un claro sentido de proximidad y cercanía con su territorio, detectando además otras demandas sociales, políticas, culturales y educativas de las audiencias que podrían ser canalizadas por las televisoras locales. Se evidencia un distanciamiento y crítica hacia contenidos sensacionalistas de la televisión nacional, siendo el centralismo informativo una de las razones para la poca empatía hacia estos medios de comunicación. A juicio de los participantes, las tensiones entre lo local y lo capitalino no solo se aprecian a nivel país, sino también entre capitales regionales, provincias y comunas, siguiendo la división político-administrativa de Chile. Conclusiones: Se concluye que existe una marcada preferencia por el contenido de proximidad, lo que se explica en parte por el alejamiento y crítica que se declara hacia los medios de cobertura nacional. Se plantean como tensiones la falta de espacios de comunicación y promoción del diálogo social que les permita a las audiencias ser escuchadas por sus actores políticos locales y regionales, desaprovechando el interés de la televidencia local por contenidos de proximidad que les permitan crecer, desarrollarse y lograr una mayor participación ciudadana en el ecosistema medial chileno.

ABSTRACT Objective: Media centralism and the lack of attention to the preferences and demands of local audiences is an obvious reality that must be faced by those who live outside large cities and capitals, understanding that there are audiences that demand local content, but that must settle for aprogrammingproduced from and for the capital, even more so when it comes to the Chilean television system. This article characterizes the tensions of local audiences in northern Chile in relation to their local television, also called proximity. Materials and methods: The study carried out a qualitative methodology, since it seeks to understand human behavior in a given territory and historical moment. The data collection was carried out using the technique of focus groups in order to explain and deepen the situations of people as local audiences and their feelings and thoughts on various problems. The focus groups discussed their local television and their link with national television considering the informational centralism and political centralism within the Coquimbo Region. The sample corresponds to the audience of cities belonging to urban and rural communes of the Coquimbo Region, in Chile, where there are local television media and that have declared their intention to migrate to digital television. The cities that are part of the study are: Andacollo, La Serena, Los Vilos, Illapel and Salamanca. For recruitment, the snowball method was used, with a total of 52 participants. All the participants were over 18 years of age with a residence of more than 10years in the city. There was gender balance. Six focus groups were held in neighborhood offices in each city. The sessions were recorded and later transcribed, being systematized using the Atlas.tisoftware, version 9. Resulted: The results are described through three categories of analysis, regarding the opinions of the audiences: 1) Local information 2) National television: positive and negative aspects and 3) Information centralism and media demands. 1 ) Local information as a center of interest: Audiences place local news among their preferences. In each focus group, the informative genre of these media was highly valued and required. It represents a fundamental demand when evaluating local television positively. 2) Link with national television coverage: Along with the preference for local news, there is also an unfavorable opinion towards national news and towards the journalistic routines of the capital television stations whose coverage privileges the events that occurred in the Metropolitan Region in the information guidelines, often falling into sensationalism, especially when it comes to police court facts. 3) Information centralism and media demands: in the opinion of the participants, the tensions between the local and the capital are not only appreciated at the country level, but also between regional capitals, provinces and communes, following the political-administrative division of Chile. Conclusions: Regarding the characteristics of local television consumption, a first conclusion was the confirmation of the interest and consumption of local audiences in content that addresses issues related to their environment, an issue that is in line with previous studies on communication and local television. Similar to national television consumption, local news represented the preferred content. If there is a fire or a traffic accident in the city, audiences want to see it on their local television and, hopefully, live or as instantly as possible. This is informative content that does not compete in any case with national television, as it deals with local news events. Unless something out of the ordinary happens, whose connotation is national and in this case -the fewest times- the city, province or region makes news and appears nationally. A very important link was detected between local audiences with their own territories. The link was verified through two factors: a) the expectations of seeing local content not only on themes about their cities, but also from geographically broader places, such as communes, provinces or the Coquimbo Region itself; b) a large part of the social demands that underlie the opinions of the audiences surroundfeelings of belonging, desire for decentralization and local development. The need for representation of local audiences is verified, that is, seeing their territories on the screen, feeling reflected on national TV through their cultural, territorial, geographical, touristic, or other particularities is the cause that is associated Local (non-capital) audiences arepart of a marginalized sector from a political and economic point of view. In this sense, there is a glimpse of a disconnection between the political/public world that promotes actions that should benefit the community, but that fail to reach potential users in a good way. In the same line of discussion, social demands for access to public information that benefits them and brings them closer to local political actors are detected. Know and understand the territorial public policies that result in a better quality of life. These social/political demands are intermingled with the media needs that could be channeled into more spaces to debate, talk and express their opinions to participate in the local public debate.

Construction of amino acids reduced alphabets from molecular descriptors for interpretation of N-carbamylase, luciferase and PI3K mutations.

The classification of amino acids has proven to be a useful tool for understanding the importance of sequence in protein function. The reduced amino acid alphabets are an example of these classifications, which, when built from physicochemical, structural and quantum characteristics of the amino acids, allow it to simplify the representation of the sequences, being useful in the modelling, design and understanding of proteins. So, an objective selection of amino acids properties is important, due classes formed in a reduced alphabet depend on the descriptors used for classification. In this research, based on a careful selection of descriptors for the 20 amino acids, through techniques such as the information content index and hierarchical cluster analysis with ties in proximity, 20,871,586 reduced amino acid alphabets were constructed. This large collection of reduced alphabets was been used to interpret alterations in the function of three proteins: N-carbamylase, Luciferase, and PI3K, caused by amino acid changes in their sequences. For this, the similar and different descriptors linked to these mutations were studied. Properties such as volume, hydrophobicity, charge and autocorrelation can be associated with variations in the behaviour of these proteins, while the frequency in specific secondary structures, the Gibbs free energy and some topological and quantum properties can be considered as the causes of preventing the deactivation of protein function. This work offers the most complete collection of reduced alphabets that promise to be a useful tool for the interpretation of alterations caused by amino acid mutations in the protein sequence.

Unveiling the Binding between the Armadillo-Repeat Domain of Plakophilin 1 and the Intrinsically Disordered Transcriptional Repressor RYBP.

Plakophilin 1 (PKP1), a member of the p120ctn subfamily of the armadillo (ARM)-repeat-containing proteins, is an important structural component of cell-cell adhesion scaffolds although it can also be ubiquitously found in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. RYBP (RING 1A and YY1 binding protein) is a multifunctional intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) best described as a transcriptional regulator. Both proteins are involved in the development and metastasis of several types of tumors. We studied the binding of the armadillo domain of PKP1 (ARM-PKP1) with RYBP by using in cellulo methods, namely immunofluorescence (IF) and proximity ligation assay (PLA), and in vitro biophysical techniques, namely fluorescence, far-ultraviolet (far-UV) circular dichroism (CD), and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). We also characterized the binding of the two proteins by using in silico experiments. Our results showed that there was binding in tumor and non-tumoral cell lines. Binding in vitro between the two proteins was also monitored and found to occur with a dissociation constant in the low micromolar range (~10 µM). Finally, in silico experiments provided additional information on the possible structure of the binding complex, especially on the binding ARM-PKP1 hot-spot. Our findings suggest that RYBP might be a rescuer of the high expression of PKP1 in tumors, where it could decrease the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in some cancer cells.

Charge Transfer and Asymmetric Coupling of MoSe2 Valleys to the Magnetic Order of CrSBr.

van der Waals heterostructures composed of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides and vdW magnetic materials offer an intriguing platform to functionalize valley and excitonic properties in nonmagnetic TMDs. Here, we report magneto photoluminescence (PL) investigations of monolayer (ML) MoSe2 on the layered A-type antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor CrSBr under different magnetic field orientations. Our results reveal a clear influence of the CrSBr magnetic order on the optical properties of MoSe2, such as an anomalous linear-polarization dependence, changes of the exciton/trion energies, a magnetic-field dependence of the PL intensities, and a valley g-factor with signatures of an asymmetric magnetic proximity interaction. Furthermore, first-principles calculations suggest that MoSe2/CrSBr forms a broken-gap (type-III) band alignment, facilitating charge transfer processes. The work establishes that antiferromagnetic-nonmagnetic interfaces can be used to control the valley and excitonic properties of TMDs, relevant for the development of opto-spintronics devices.

The intrinsically disordered, epigenetic factor RYBP binds to the citrullinating enzyme PADI4 in cancer cells.

RYBP (Ring1 and YY 1 binding protein) is a multifunctional, intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), best described as a transcriptional regulator. It exhibits a ubiquitin-binding functionality, binds to other transcription factors, and has a key role during embryonic development. RYBP, which folds upon binding to DNA, has a Zn-finger domain at its N-terminal region. By contrast, PADI4 is a well-folded protein and it is one the human isoforms of a family of enzymes implicated in the conversion of arginine to citrulline. As both proteins intervene in signaling pathways related to cancer development and are found in the same localizations within the cell, we hypothesized they may interact. We observed their association in the nucleus and cytosol in several cancer cell lines, by using immunofluorescence (IF) and proximity ligation assays (PLAs). Binding also occurred in vitro, as measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and fluorescence, with a low micromolar affinity (~1 µM). AlphaFold2-multimer (AF2) results indicate that PADI4's catalytic domain interacts with the Arg53 of RYBP docking into its active site. As RYBP sensitizes cells to PARP (Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase) inhibitors, we applied them in combination with an enzymatic inhibitor of PADI4 observing a change in cell proliferation, and the hampering of the interaction of both proteins. This study unveils for the first time the possible citrullination of an IDP, and suggests that this new interaction, whether it involves or not citrullination of RYBP, might have implications in cancer development and progression.

Entidades de la horticultura en proximidad a la ciudad de Córdoba (Argentina): agricultura industrial y agroecología / Entities of the horticulture in proximity to Cordoba´s city (Argentine) Industrial agriculture and agroecology

Resumen El área de producción hortícola en proximidad a la ciudad de Córdoba (Argentina) es una de las más importantes a nivel nacional. Se reconocen dos modalidades de producción: agricultura industrial y agroecológica. En torno a cada modalidad productiva se observan entidades que se relacionan entre sí y que conforman estructuras cuyo funcionamiento condiciona el desarrollo local de la horticultura. El objetivo de este trabajo fue identificar y caracterizar las entidades socio-institucionales que conforman el área de estudio para ambos modelos productivos. Para la definición del área de estudio se realizó revisión bibliográfica y se consideró el criterio de pensar la horticultura que se da en proximidad a la ciudad de Córdoba. Los datos para el procesamiento gráfico de la información fueron extraídos a partir de 27 entrevistas en profundidad. Se identificaron federaciones, cooperativas, asociaciones, instituciones/reparticiones estatales, fundaciones sin fines de lucro, universidades, organizaciones sociales, ferias y mercados. Se concluye sobre las potencialidades de la herramienta gráfica y cuestiones abiertas que deja este estudio para futuras investigaciones.

Abstract The area of horticulture production in proximity to Córdoba´s city (Argentine) is one of the most important at national level. We recognize two production modes: industrial agriculture and agroecology. Around each production mode we can observe entities that relate to each other and make up structures whose functioning conditions local horticulture development. The aim of this work was to identify and characterize the socio-institutional entities that conform the study area for both productive models. To define the study area we did a bibliographic review and we considered the criterion of think in the horticulture that happens near Cordoba's city. The data to the graphic processing of the information were extracted from 27 in-depth interviews. We identified federations, cooperatives, associations, institutions/estate repartitions, non-profit foundations, universities, social organizations, fairs and markets. We conclude about the potentialities of this graphic tool and of the open issues that this study leaves for future investigations.

White Light-Photolysis for the Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Proximity Firefighting Protective Clothing.

The presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on firefighters' personal protective equipment is a concern. One form of preventing from these compounds is to decontaminate proximity firefighting protective clothing (PFPC). Traditional decontamination methods do not promote total removal of pollutants and alter the properties of PFPC. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of white light-photolysis (WLP), an advanced oxidation process (AOP), for removing PAHs from PFPC, while maintaining the integrity of the fabric fibers. Experiments were carried out, varying reaction time and concentration of H2O2. With WLP (without H2O2), it was possible to remove more than 73% of the PAHs tested from the outer layer of PFPC in 3 days. The WLP provided the greatest removal of PAHs, compared with the most common mechanical decontamination techniques (laundering and wet-soap brushing). The fibers' integrity after exposure to the white light was evaluated with infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. In addition, a tearing strength test was performed. No remarkable fabric degradation was observed, indicating a possible, routine-compatible, simple, and inexpensive method of decontamination of PFPC, based on photolysis, which is effective in the degradation of PAHs and maintains the integrity of fabric fibers.

Architecture design of a reinforcement environment for learning sign languages.

Different fields such as linguistics, teaching, and computing have demonstrated special interest in the study of sign languages (SL). However, the processes of teaching and learning these languages turn complex since it is unusual to find people teaching these languages that are fluent in both SL and the native language of the students. The teachings from deaf individuals become unique. Nonetheless, it is important for the student to lean on supportive mechanisms while being in the process of learning an SL. Bidirectional communication between deaf and hearing people through SL is a hot topic to achieve a higher level of inclusion. However, all the processes that convey teaching and learning SL turn difficult and complex since it is unusual to find SL teachers that are fluent also in the native language of the students, making it harder to provide computer teaching tools for different SL. Moreover, the main aspects that a second language learner of an SL finds difficult are phonology, non-manual components, and the use of space (the latter two are specific to SL, not to spoken languages). This proposal appears to be the first of the kind to favor the Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO, for its Spanish acronym), as well as any other SL. Our research focus stands on reinforcing the learning process of final-user hearing people through a modular architectural design of a learning environment, relying on the concept of phonological proximity within a graphical tool with a high degree of usability. The aim of incorporating phonological proximity is to assist individuals in learning signs with similar handshapes. This architecture separates the logic and processing aspects from those associated with the access and generation of data, which makes it portable to other SL in the future. The methodology used consisted of defining 26 phonological parameters (13 for each hand), thus characterizing each sign appropriately. Then, a similarity formula was applied to compare each pair of signs. With these pre-calculations, the tool displays each sign and its top ten most similar signs. A SUS usability test and an open qualitative question were applied, as well as a numerical evaluation to a group of learners, to validate the proposal. In order to reach our research aims, we have analyzed previous work on proposals for teaching tools meant for the student to practice SL, as well as previous work on the importance of phonological proximity in this teaching process. This previous work justifies the necessity of our proposal, whose benefits have been proved through the experimentation conducted by different users on the usability and usefulness of the tool. To meet these needs, homonymous words (signs with the same starting handshape) and paronyms (signs with highly similar handshape), have been included to explore their impact on learning. It allows the possibility to apply the same perspective of our existing line of research to other SL in the future.

Feature selection for proximity estimation in COVID-19 contact tracing apps based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, contact tracing apps based on the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology found in smartphones have been deployed by multiple countries despite BLE's debatable performance for determining close contacts among users. Current solutions estimate proximity based on a single feature: the mean attenuation of the BLE signal. In this context, a new generation of these apps which better exploits data from the BLE signal and other sensors available on phones can be fostered. Collected data can be used to extract multiple features that feed machine learning models which can potentially improve the accuracy of today's solutions. In this work, we consider the use of machine learning models to evaluate different feature sets that can be extracted from the received BLE signal, and assess the performance gain as more features are introduced in these models. Since indoor conditions have a strong impact in assessing the risk of being exposed to the SARS-CoV-2, we analyze the environment (indoor or outdoor) role in these models, aiming at understanding the need for apps that could increase proximity accuracy if aware of its environment. Results show that a better accuracy can be obtained in outdoor locations with respect to indoor ones, and that indoor proximity estimation can benefit more from the introduction of more features with respect to the outdoor estimation case. Accuracy can be increased about 10% when multiple features are considered if the device is aware of its environment, reaching a performance of up to 83% in indoor spaces and up to 91% in outdoor ones. These results encourage future contact tracing apps to integrate this awareness not only to better assess the associated risk of a given environment but also to improve the proximity accuracy for detecting close contacts.

Seasonal patterns in nest survival of a subtropical wading bird, the Hawaiian Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni).

Nest survival is influenced by where and when birds decide to breed. For ground-nesting species, nest-site characteristics, such as vegetation height and proximity to water, may impact the likelihood of nest flooding or depredation. Further, habitat characteristics, and thus nest survival, may fluctuate across the breeding season. The Hawaiian Stilt ('Ae'o; Himantopus mexicanus knudseni) is an endangered Hawaiian waterbird that nests in wetlands across the Hawaiian Islands. In this study, we used observational surveys and nest cameras to examine the impact of nest-site characteristics and day of nesting season on nest survival of the Hawaiian Stilt. Early nests had a higher chance of survival than late nests. For most of the nesting season, taller vegetation was correlated with increased nest survival, while shorter vegetation was correlated with increased nest survival late in the nesting season. Seasonal patterns in nest survival may be due to changes in parental behavior or predator activity. Nest depredation was responsible for 55% of confirmed nest failures and introduced mammals were the primary nest predators. Our study is the first to examine seasonality in nest survival of Hawaiian Stilts and suggests that, despite longer nesting seasons and year-round occupation of wetlands, late nesters in subtropical regions may have lower nest survival than early nesters, similar to trends observed in temperate regions.

In Situ Hybridization-Proximity Ligation Assay (ISH-PLA) to Study the Interaction of HIV-1 RNA and Remodeling Proteins.

The mechanisms involved in the posttranscriptional control of the replicative cycle of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), specifically the molecular events which allow the interaction between the viral genomic RNA (gRNA) and the cellular machinery for the transport, translation, or intracellular packaging, have not been yet elucidated. In this chapter, we describe the in situ hybridization-proximity ligation assay (ISH-PLA) to characterize interactions between the genomic RNA (gRNA) of HIV-1 and viral proteins or host proteins involved in nuclear export and translation initiation. We also present data that validate the ISH-PLA as a simple and useful tool to study HIV-1 gRNA-protein interactions within cells.

Territorialization of care and proximities in a community-based primary care system: What are the results on access to care and resident satisfaction? A case study from São Paulo.

The aim of this contribution is to evaluate the results of proximity and territorialization as organizational principles for community-based primary health care, on the declared access to care and satisfaction of local residents. Two community health care facilities of the city of São Paulo, Brazil, were compared using a qualitative approach. It appears that geographical, relational and organized proximities are valued by the local residents, and are helpful tools for a community health approach. However, the choice of implementing these proximities through a territorialization of health care, as well as the criteria that were used for the division of health territories, are potential barriers for access to primary care.

Dear enemy effect in the Mexican volcano mouse Neotomodon alstoni: Implications of sex in the agonistic behaviour among neighbours.

Two opposite phenomena have been found in territorial animals, the "dear enemy'' and the "nasty neighbour'', which refer to individuals that show less aggression toward neighbours than toward strangers and vice versa. However, the need to maintain territory should differ for males and females because sexual reproduction is the result of the different adaptive strategies of the sexes. In this study, we explore territorial behaviour in the context of dear-enemy and nasty neighbour effects in the Mexican volcano mouse (Neotomodon alstoni). Patterns of spatial relationships between individuals and the degrees of agonistic behaviour among neighbours were analysed for a period of one year. Results exhibit a greater spatial proximity between male pairs during the non-reproductive period than during the reproductive period, and greater spatial proximity between pairs of females during the reproductive period than during the non-reproductive period. The analysis of agonistic behaviour showed that there is less tolerance for distant neighbours than for nearest neighbours. However, there is a greater frequency of aggression between male pairs than between females, while females appear to exhibit non-aggressive avoidance among individuals. The results support the theory that Mexican volcano mouse exhibits the "dear enemy phenomenon".

Residential proximity to greenhouse crops and pesticide exposure (via acetylcholinesterase activity) assessed from childhood through adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Off-target drift of pesticides from farms increases the risk of pesticide exposure of people living nearby. Cholinesterase inhibitors (i.e. organophosphates and carbamates) are frequently used in agriculture and inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. Greenhouse agriculture is an important production method, but it is unknown how far pesticide drift from greenhouses can extend and expose people living nearby. METHODS: This study included 1156 observations from 3 exams (2008, Apr, 2016 and Jul-Oct 2016) of 623 children aged 4-to-17 years living in agricultural communities in Ecuador. AChE, a physiological marker of cholinesterase inhibitor exposure, was measured in blood. Geographic positioning of greenhouses and homes were obtained using GPS receivers and satellite imagery. Distances between homes and the nearest greenhouse edge, and areas of greenhouse crops within various buffer zones around homes were calculated. Repeated-measures regression adjusted for hemoglobin and other covariates estimated change in AChE relative to distance from greenhouses. RESULTS: The pooled mean (SD) of AChE activity was 3.58 U/mL (0.60). The median (25th-75th %tile) residential distance to crops was 334 m (123, 648) and crop area within 500 m of homes (non-zero values only) was 18,482 m2 (7115, 61,841). Residential proximity to greenhouse crops was associated with lower AChE activity among children living within 275 m of crops (AChE difference per 100 m of proximity [95% CI] = -0.10 U/mL [-0.20, -0.006]). Lower AChE activity was associated with greater crop area within 500 m of homes (AChE difference per 1000 m2 [95% CI] = -0.026 U/mL [-0.040, -0.012]) and especially within 150 m (-0.037 U/mL [-0.065, -0.007]). CONCLUSIONS: Residential proximity to floricultural greenhouses, especially within 275 m, was associated with lower AChE activity among children, reflecting greater cholinesterase inhibitor exposure from pesticide drift. Analyses of residential proximity and crop areas near homes yielded complementary findings. Mitigation of off-target drift of pesticides from crops onto nearby homes is recommended.

Summary data of home proximity to the nearest greenhouse (floricultural) crops and areas of greenhouse crops around various distances from homes in agricultural settings in Ecuador.

This article presents data of 623 children (1156 observations) between 4 and 17 years of age living in floricultural communities of Ecuador from 3 examination periods (2008, Apr 2016, and Jul-Oct 2016) as part of the study of Secondary Exposure to Pesticides among Children and Adolescents (ESPINA).We present geospatial data of residential distance to the nearest greenhouse crop and areas within various buffer sizes around homes of participants which is data used in the original research article: Suarez-Lopez JR, et al. "Residential proximity to greenhouse crops and pesticide exposure (via acetylcholinesterase activity) assessed from childhood through adolescence". These geospatial variables are related but different constructs of the potential for off-target drift of pesticides from crops onto homes nearby (via acetylcholinesterase activity) Understanding the associations between these distance and crop area variables is important as a growing number of investigations are using these constructs of off-target pesticide drift to characterize their associations with both exposure biomarkers and outcome measures. Geographic positioning of greenhouses and homes were obtained using GPS receivers and satellite imagery. Distances between homes and the nearest greenhouse edge, and areas of greenhouse crops within various buffer zones (0-150 m, 151-300 m, 310-500 m, 501-750 m, and 751-1000 m) around homes were calculated using Geographic Information System software. Beyond the dataset, we present demographic and anthropometric characteristics, and indicators of pesticide exposure of participants across categories of areas of greenhouse crops around homes for buffer sizes of 0-150 m around homes. We also present the distribution of areas of flower crops within various buffer zone sizes around children's homes and the correlation coefficients between household proximity to the nearest treated greenhouse crops and areas of flower crops within various buffer zones within 1000 m of homes.

Educación, generosidad, ecología y silencio: hacia una didáctica de la salud y el bienestar en las aulas del siglo XXI / Education, Generosity, Ecology and Silence: Towards an Education for Health and Wellbeing in the Classrooms of the 21st Century

Resumen Con el presente artículo, pretendemos adentrarnos en la reflexión de cómo diversos aspectos tales como la generosidad, la ecología y el silencio pueden impactar positivamente en los discentes de nuestros sistemas educativos. Se propone, por tanto, una manera de mirar el mundo con atención y cuidado. A través de las intervenciones didácticas de los docentes, se puede incidir de manera directa en los discentes como "usuarios" del mundo como seres sociales para mantener una influencia im- portante en el futuro de nuestro planeta y de nuestras sociedades. Al fin y al cabo, el docente, como elemento activo de los contenidos educativos, puede contribuir de manera consciente para mejorar la salud social y el bienestar de las comunidades humanas en nuestra época. Por tanto, resulta esencial que los procesos didácticos respondan a unos diseños que se centren en aspectos que redundarán en mejores individuos, mejores sistemas sociales y una ecología más equilibrada para todos.

Abstract: With the present paper, we intend to reflect on how aspects such as generosity, ecology and silence can have a positive impact on the students within our educational systems. A way to look at the world with care and attention is thus proposed. Through the teaching interventions carried out, the teachers can intervene in the learners as "users" of the world, as social beings, and therefore have an important influence on the future of our planet and our societies. In the end, the teacher, as an active element in the educational contents, can contribute in a conscious way to improve the social health and the wellbeing of the human communities in our age. Therefore, it is essential for the teaching processes to account for aspects which will create better individuals, better social systems and a more balanced ecology for everybody.

Residential proximity to greenhouse agriculture and neurobehavioral performance in Ecuadorian children.

BACKGROUND: Children living near greenhouse agriculture may have an increased risk of pesticide exposure due to drift or direct contact with pesticide-treated areas. However, little is known about whether this increased potential for chronic exposure may impair their neurodevelopment. METHODS: We examined 307 children aged 4-9 years, living in agricultural communities in Ecuador (ESPINA study). The two exposures calculated were residential distance from the nearest flower plantation perimeter and flower plantation surface area within 100 m of homes. Five neurobehavioral domains were assessed: Attention/Inhibitory Control, Memory/Learning, Visuospatial processing and Sensorimotor (higher values reflect better performance). Low scores were defined according to the test's cut-offs. Models were adjusted for demographic, socio-economic and growth variables. RESULTS: The mean (SD) residential distance to the nearest flower plantation was 446 m (344). Living 100 m closer to crops was associated with increased odds (OR [95% CI]) of low scores in the domains of Memory/Learning (1.24 [1.05, 1.46]) and Language (1.09 [1.00, 1.19]). Associations were strongest among children living within 50 m, having significantly lower scores in Language (-1.28 which is ~50% of a SD [-2.50, -0.06]), Attention/Inhibitory Control (-1.24 units, [-2.45, -0.04]), and Memory/Learning (-0.91, [-1.99, 0.17]), compared to children living farther than 500 m. Analyses of areas of flower crops near homes concurred with these findings. CONCLUSIONS: Close residential proximity to greenhouse floricultural crops was associated with adverse neurobehavioral performance in Attention/Inhibitory Control, Language and Memory/Learning among children. This highlights the importance of reducing pesticide drift from plantations to nearby homes.

Associations between household environmental factors and immature mosquito abundance in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: Aedes aegypti-borne diseases are becoming major public health problems in tropical and sub-tropical regions. While socioeconomic status has been associated with larval mosquito abundance, the drivers or possible factors mediating this association, such as environmental factors, are yet to be identified. We examined possible associations between proximity to houses and roads and immature mosquito abundance, and assessed whether these factors and mosquito prevention measures mediated any association between household environmental factors and immature mosquito abundance. METHODS: We conducted two cross-sectional household container surveys in February-March and November-December, 2017, in urban and rural areas of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. We used principal components analysis to identify factors from 12 variables to represent the household environment. One factor which included number of rooms in house, electricity, running water, garbage service, cable, television, telephone, latrine, well, and sewer system, was termed "environmental capital." Environmental capital scores ranged from 0 to 5.5. Risk factors analyzed included environmental capital, and distance from nearest house/structure, paved road, and highway. We used Poisson regression to determine associations between distance to nearest house/structure, roads, and highways, and measures of immature mosquito abundance (total larvae, total pupae, and positive containers). Using cubic spline generalized additive models, we assessed non-linear associations between environmental capital and immature mosquito abundance. We then examined whether fumigation, cleaning containers, and distance from the nearest house, road, and highway mediated the relationship between environmental capital and larvae and pupae abundance. RESULTS: We completed 508 household surveys in February-March, and we revisited 469 households in November-December. Proximity to paved roads and other houses/structures was positively associated with larvae and pupae abundance and mediated the associations between environmental capital and total numbers of larvae/pupae (p ≤ 0.01). Distance to highways was not associated with larval/pupal abundance (p ≥ 0.48). Households with the lowest and highest environmental capital had fewer larvae/pupae than households in the middle range (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence that proximity to other houses and paved roads was associated with greater abundance of larvae and pupae. Understanding risk factors such as these can allow for improved targeting of surveillance and vector control measures in areas considered at higher risk for arbovirus transmission.

NEK5 interacts with topoisomerase IIß and is involved in the DNA damage response induced by etoposide.

Cells are daily submitted to high levels of DNA lesions that trigger complex pathways and cellular responses by cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, alterations in transcriptional response, and the onset of DNA repair. Members of the NIMA-related kinase (NEK) family have been related to DNA damage response and repair and the first insight about NEK5 in this context is related to its role in centrosome separation resulting in defects in chromosome integrity. Here we investigate the potential correlation between NEK5 and the DNA damage repair index. The effect of NEK5 in double-strand breaks caused by etoposide was accessed by alkaline comet assay and revealed that NEK5-silenced cells are more sensitive to etoposide treatment. Topoisomerase IIß (TOPIIß) is a target of etoposide that leads to the production of DNA breaks. We demonstrate that NEK5 interacts with TOPIIß, and the dynamics of this interaction is evaluated by proximity ligation assay. The complex NEK5/TOPIIß is formed immediately after etoposide treatment. Taken together, the results of our study reveal that NEK5 depletion increases DNA damage and impairs proper DNA damage response, pointing out NEK5 as a potential kinase contributor to genomic stability.

Degradation of Recalcitrant Polyurethane and Xenobiotic Additives by a Selected Landfill Microbial Community and Its Biodegradative Potential Revealed by Proximity Ligation-Based Metagenomic Analysis.

Polyurethanes (PU) are the sixth most produced plastics with around 18-million tons in 2016, but since they are not recyclable, they are burned or landfilled, generating damage to human health and ecosystems. To elucidate the mechanisms that landfill microbial communities perform to attack recalcitrant PU plastics, we studied the degradative activity of a mixed microbial culture, selected from a municipal landfill by its capability to grow in a water PU dispersion (WPUD) as the only carbon source, as a model for the BP8 landfill microbial community. The WPUD contains a polyether-polyurethane-acrylate (PE-PU-A) copolymer and xenobiotic additives (N-methylpyrrolidone, isopropanol and glycol ethers). To identify the changes that the BP8 microbial community culture generates to the WPUD additives and copolymer, we performed chemical and physical analyses of the biodegradation process during 25 days of cultivation. These analyses included Nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Thermogravimetry, Differential scanning calorimetry, Gel permeation chromatography, and Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry techniques. Moreover, for revealing the BP8 community structure and its genetically encoded potential biodegradative capability we also performed a proximity ligation-based metagenomic analysis. The additives present in the WPUD were consumed early whereas the copolymer was cleaved throughout the 25-days of incubation. The analysis of the biodegradation process and the identified biodegradation products showed that BP8 cleaves esters, C-C, and the recalcitrant aromatic urethanes and ether groups by hydrolytic and oxidative mechanisms, both in the soft and the hard segments of the copolymer. The proximity ligation-based metagenomic analysis allowed the reconstruction of five genomes, three of them from novel species. In the metagenome, genes encoding known enzymes, and putative enzymes and metabolic pathways accounting for the biodegradative activity of the BP8 community over the additives and PE-PU-A copolymer were identified. This is the first study revealing the genetically encoded potential biodegradative capability of a microbial community selected from a landfill, that thrives within a WPUD system and shows potential for bioremediation of polyurethane- and xenobiotic additives-contamitated sites.