The potential of PGPR and Trichoderma-based bioproducts and resistant cultivars as tools to manage clubroot disease in cruciferous crops.

The objective of this research was to determine the potential use of eco-friendly technologies to reduce the clubroot disease caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, the main constraint of cruciferous crops worldwide. Two commercial bioproducts were evaluated in susceptible broccoli, one based on the PGPR consortium (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus pumilus, and Agrobacterium radiobacter K84) and the other one based on Trichoderma koningiopsis Th003 (Tricotec® WG). Additionally, the resistant broccoli cv. Monclano® was tested under two concentrations of resting spores (RS) of P. brassicae, 1 × 103 and 1 × 105 RS g-1 of soil. The first phase of evaluations with broccoli was carried out under a greenhouse, while susceptible broccoli, cauliflower, and red cabbage were included in a subsequent field phase. Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin mixture and Fluazinam were included as positive controls. The effectiveness of the bioproducts depended on the nature of the biocontrol agent, the concentration of P. brassicae, and the dose of treatment. Tricotec® showed consistent plant growth promotion but no biocontrol effect against clubroot, and the rhizobacteria-based bioproduct significantly reduced the disease in both greenhouse and field experiments. Higher disease severity was observed with the higher dose of Tricotec®. Under field conditions, the rhizobacteria reduced the incidence progress by 26%, 39%, and 57% under high, medium, and low pressure of the pathogen, respectively. However, no reduction of clubroot severity under high pressure of the pathogen was observed. Complete inhibition of club formation in roots was achieved via the fungicide, but a phytotoxic effect was observed under greenhouse conditions. Fungicides reduced the incidence progress of clubroot, but not the severity under high inoculum pressure in the field. The fungicides, the bacterial treatment, and the combination of bioproducts tended to delay the progress of the disease compared with the negative control and Tricotec alone. The resistant broccoli showed a low level of disease under high concentrations of P. brassicae (less than 10% incidence and up to 2% severity). These results suggested the overall potential of commercial tools based on the PGPR consortium and plant resistance to control P. brassicae. The integration of control measures, the role of Trichoderma spp. in P. brassicae-cruciferous pathosystems, and the need to recover highly infested soils will be discussed.

Barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening among under-screened women in Cuenca, Ecuador: the perspectives of women and health professionals.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer screening is a cost-effective method responsible for reducing cervical cancer-related mortality by 70% in countries that have achieved high coverage through nationwide screening strategies. However, there are disparities in access to screening. In Ecuador, although cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women, only 58.4% of women of reproductive age have ever been screened for cervical cancer. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative study was performed to understand the current barriers to screening and to identify strategies that could increase uptake in Azuay province, Ecuador. Seven focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with under-screened women and health professionals (HPs). The FGDs were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was done using the socio-ecological framework to categorize and analyse the data. RESULTS: Overall, 28 women and 27 HPs participated in the study. The two groups perceived different barriers to cervical cancer screening. The HPs considered barriers to be mainly at the policy level (lack of a structured screening plan; lack of health promotion) and the individual level (lack of risk perception; personal beliefs). The women identified barriers mainly at organizational level, such as long waiting times, lack of access to health centres, and inadequate patient-physician communication. Both groups mentioned facilitators at policy level, such as national campaigns promoting cervical cancer screening, and at community and individual level, including health literacy and women's empowerment. CONCLUSIONS: The women considered access to health services the main barrier to screening, while the HPs identified a lack of investment in screening programmes and cultural patterns at the community level as major obstacles. To take an integrated approach to cervical cancer prevention, the perspectives of both groups should be taken into account. Additionally, new strategies and technologies, such as self-administered human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and community participation, should be implemented to increase access to cervical cancer screening.

El tercer espacio: propiedades de desplazamiento de la experiencia psicocultural / The Third Space: Displacement Properties of the Psycho-Cultural Experience

Resumen El propósito de este artículo consiste en presentar el tema El tercer espacio: propiedades de desplazamiento de la experiencia psicocultural. Se refiere al espacio potencial del desarrollo temprano humano,que hace contrapunto en su devenir histórico con el mundo sociocultural. Surge mayormente de la reflexión concienzuda obtenida de la clínica psicoanalítica con consultantes niños y adultos, así como de la investigación sobre la relación entre psicoanálisis y literatura. La psicoterapia con niños sucede en un espacio de juego, en un taller de trabajo psicológico donde se explicitan los síntomas perturbadores y se vehiculiza el conflicto, en una zona intermedia, así llamada por D.W. Winnicott, no tan lejana del tratamiento con consultantes adultos donde al transcurrir el proceso de análisis del inconsciente se produce un tiempo-espacio de ambigüedad y extrañamiento. Tales procesos de naturaleza clínica permiten observar que en el devenir y la producción cultural humana se hace notar un espacio que se abre hasta que se define el traslado experiencial. Ese es el tercer espacio. Otro modo de observar ese tercer espacio se encuentra en el lenguaje; ese componente ambiguo, incierto, se efectúa mediante el desplazamiento semántico en el texto literario. Así, ese tiempo-espacio de ambigüedad, propicio para el desplazamiento de procesos de lenguaje, convertido en hechos culturales como obra artística o fenómeno psicosocial, tiene como basamento procesos transicionales intrapsíquicos advertidos desde el desarrollo precoz. De manera amplia, el tercer espacio se propone como ámbito teórico e investigativo dado que constituye un aporte a la lectura y a la investigación textual psicoanalítica.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present the topic: The Third Space: Displacement Properties of the Psycho-Cultural Experience, referring to the potential space in early human development, which interacts with its historic occurrence in the socio-cultural world. It arises mostly from thoughtful consideration obtained from psychoanalytic consultation with children and adults, as well as investigation of the relationship between psychoanalysis and literatura Psychotherapy with children takes place in a play space, in a psychological workshop where the symptoms causing a disturbance are identified and the conflict is focused in an intermediate zone, thus named by D.W. Winnicott; it is not that far from the treatment of adult patients, wherein the analysis process of the subconscious takes place and creates a time and space of ambiguity and estrangement. Such processes of a clinical nature allow observing that throughout these and human cultural production there is a space which is opened until the transfer of the experience takes place, that is the: third space. Another way to observe this third space is through language; the ambiguous and uncertain component, which takes place in semantic displacement in the literary text. Therefore that temporal and spatial ambiguity, which encourages the displacement of language processes, into cultural expression and artistic productions or psychosocial phenomena, has as its foundation those intra-psychic transitional processes, noticed since early development. Taken amply, the third space is proposed as a theoretical and investigative field becauseit contributes to the reading and investigation of psychoanalytic texts

Evaluación de disfunción tiroidea según valores de TSH en una población del Centro de Atención Ambulatorio (CAA) Central Quito del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social, durante el año 2008 / Evaluation of thyroid dysfunction according to TSH values ​​in a population of the Center of Ambulatory Attention (CAA) Central Quito del Ecuadorian Social Security Institute, during 2008

Introducción: La cuantificación de la hormona estimulante de la tiroides (TSH) es una prueba confiable para detectar patologías tiroideas. En los pacientes que acuden por otras causas a nuestra unidad no existen datos epidemiológicos publicados. Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de disfunción tiroidea en la población que acude al Centro de Atención Ambulatorio (CAA) Central del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Seguridad Social (IESS). Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo que incluyó 270 mujeres y 96 hombres adultos, sin antecedentes de patología tiroidea ni consumo de hormona tiroidea, referidos por orden médica al laboratorio clínico del CAA Central Quito del IESS para la determinación por primera vez de niveles séricos de TSH por electroquimioluminiscencia. Resultados: La edad promedio de la población general fue de 55.97 (DE 14.80) años, sin diferencias significativa entre hombre y mujeres. El valor de TSH promedio para toda la muestra fue 3.08 mUI/L (DE 8.8; rango 0.01 a 32.77), sin diferencias significativas según sexo. Se encontró valores de TSH <0.27 mUI/L en 8 pacientes (2.18%), en rango normal (0.27-4.2 mUI/L) en 303 pacientes (82.78%), > 4.2 mUI/L pero < 10 mUI/L en 49 pacientes (13.38%) y niveles mayores de 10 mUI/L en 6 pacientes (1.63%). Se hallaron niveles elevados de TSH con mayor frecuencia a partir de la cuarta década de vida. Conclusión: Se justifica una búsqueda más activa de hipotiroidismo y su realización como prueba de tamizaje en mujeres mayores de 40 años. Los valores hallados de disfunción tiroidea solo aplican para esta población evaluada, en la cual se utilizó más una estrategia diagnóstica que de tamizaje y cuyas incidencias no pueden extrapolarse a la población general.

Introduction: The quantification of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is a reliable test to detect thyroid pathologies. In the patients who come For other reasons, our unit does not have published epidemiological data. Objective: To determine the frequency of thyroid dysfunction in the population that attends to the Central Ambulatory Care Center (CAA) of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS). Methods: Retrospective study that included 270 women and 96 adult men, without history of thyroid pathology or thyroid hormone consumption, referred in order to the clinical laboratory of the CAA Central Quito of the IESS for the determination for the first time of serum TSH levels by electrochemiluminescence. Results: The average age of the general population was 55.97 (SD 14.80) years, without significant differences between men and women. The average TSH value for the entire sample it was 3.08 mUI / L (DE 8.8; range 0.01 to 32.77), without differences significant according to sex. TSH values ​​<0.27 mUI / L were found in 8 patients (2.18%), in normal range (0.27-4.2 mUI / L) in 303 patients (82.78%),> 4.2 mUI / L but <10 mUI / L in 49 patients (13.38%) and levels greater than 10 mUI / L in 6 patients (1.63%). Elevated levels of TSH were found more frequently at from the fourth decade of life. Conclusion: A more active search for hypothyroidism and its realization is justified as a screening test in women over 40 years old. The values ​​found of Thyroid dysfunction only applies to this population evaluated, in which more was used a diagnostic strategy that screening and whose incidents cannot be extrapolated to the general population.