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Abstract Senecio carbonellii, an endemic plant of Colombia, is classified as critically endangered in the wetlands of Bogotá D. C. This study aims to determine the desiccation tolerance and longevity of S. carbonellii seeds and evaluate the effect of flooding on seed germination and plant growth to provide information for the development of conservation strategies for the species. For this purpose, we assessed the germination, viability (using tetrazolium testing), and longevity of desiccated seeds compared to seeds with initial moisture. We also evaluated the effect of flooding on the emergence and growth of seedlings and plants under nursery conditions. Our findings indicated that the seed viability and germination percentages were significantly higher in the seeds with initial moisture compared to desiccated seeds. However, we observed that viability is maintained even after storing the seeds for more than two years, indicating that the seeds partially tolerate desiccation and that they are likely to have an intermediate storage behavior. Furthermore, flooding depth reduced the stem number, diameter, and length of plants. The results revealed that flooding negatively affects emergence and growth in the nursery.

Background/Objectives: Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that can infect both humans and animals and cause noninvasive gastrointestinal listeriosis or invasive listeriosis. The objectives of this study were to determine the genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes; the genes associated with its resistance to antibiotics, benzalkonium chloride (BC), and cadmium chloride (CdCl2); and its biofilm formation. Methods: A total of 132 fresh fruits (44 samples) and vegetables (88 samples) were selected for this study. The genetic diversity of the isolates and the genes associated with their antibiotic resistance were determined using PCR amplification; meanwhile, their levels of susceptibility to antibiotics were determined using the agar diffusion method. Their levels of resistance to BC and CdCl2 were determined using the minimum inhibitory concentration method, and their capacity for biofilm formation was evaluated using the crystal violet staining method. Results: A total of 17 L. monocytogenes strains were collected: 12.8% (17/132) from fresh fruits and vegetables in this study. The isolates of L. monocytogenes belonged to phylogenetic groups I.1 (29.4% (5/17); serotype 1/2a) and II.2 (70.5% (12/17); serotype 1/2b); strains containing Listeria pathogenicity islands (LIPIs) were also identified at prevalence rates of 100% for LIPI-1 and LIPI-2 (17/17), 29.4% for LIPI-3 (5/17), and 11.7% for LIPI-4 (2/17). The antibiotic susceptibility tests showed that the L. monocytogenes isolates exhibited six different multiresistant patterns, with multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of ≥0.46 (70.5%; 12/17); additionally, the genes Ide, tetM, and msrA, associated with efflux pump Lde, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin resistance, were detected at 52.9% (9/17), 29.4% (5/17), and 17.6% (3/17), respectively. The phenotypic tests showed that 58.8% (10/17) of cadmium-resistant L. monocytogenes isolates had a co-resistance of 23.5% (4/17) to BC. Finally, all strains of L. monocytogenes exhibited moderate biofilm production. Conclusions: The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the persistence and genetic diversity of L. monocytogenes strains isolated from fresh fruits and vegetables; in addition, their resistance to CdCl2, which is correlated with co-resistance to BC disinfectant, is helpful for the food industry.

Abstract Halophilic fungi thrive in hypersaline habitats and face a range of extreme conditions. These fungal species have gained considerable attention due to their potential applications in harsh industrial processes, such as bioremediation and fermentation under unfavorable conditions of hypersalinity, low water activity, and extreme pH. However, the role of the cell wall in surviving these environmental conditions remains unclear. Here we employ solid-state NMR spectroscopy to compare the cell wall architecture of Aspergillus sydowii across salinity gradients. Analyses of intact cells reveal that A. sydowii cell walls contain a rigid core comprising chitin, β-glucan, and chitosan, shielded by a surface shell composed of galactomannan and galactosaminogalactan. When exposed to hypersaline conditions, A. sydowii enhances chitin biosynthesis and incorporates α-glucan to create thick, stiff, and hydrophobic cell walls. Such structural rearrangements enable the fungus to adapt to both hypersaline and salt-deprived conditions, providing a robust mechanism for withstanding external stress. These molecular principles can aid in the optimization of halophilic strains for biotechnology applications.

In addition to winemaking techniques, wine’s quality and typicity are linked to the place where the grapes are grown. Climate, soil and the cultivar are major drivers of the terroir’s expression. Moreover, climate change is affecting the distribution of grapevine varieties in different wine-growing regions because changes in climatic conditions over the past years is affecting grape production. This study investigated the influence of some terroir parameters on the volatile composition of Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Eight wines from vineyards sited in Argentina, Spain and Portugal with altitudes between 2400 and 77 m above sea level (a.s.l.) with different soils and climatic conditions were selected. The results suggested that the vineyard’s place significantly modified the volatile composition of Cabernet Sauvignon wines because all chemical groups of volatiles quantified were affected. Volatile acids, C6 compounds, aldehydes, esters and terpenes showed the highest concentrations at 2400 m a.s.l., where the highest thermal amplitude was observed. In Portugal, where the vineyard studies were sited at lower altitudes (77 m a.s.l.) and under warm climatic conditions, high concentrations of alcohols and lactones were observed. Alcohols also showed high concentrations in wines from vineyards sited at 413 and 155 m a.s.l. (Spain). Principal component analysis showed the positive correlation of Cabernet Sauvignon wines located at higher altitudes with terpenes. On the contrary, wines from grapes grown at lower altitude conditions exhibited a correlation with alcohols and lactones.

TeamUp es una rúbrica para evaluar las habilidades de trabajo en equipo en un contexto de aprendizaje colaborativo tanto en ambientes presenciales como virtuales. Este trabajo presenta el proceso de adaptación y validación de TeamUp para estudiantes mexicanos de bachillerato. Para lo anterior, se tradujo la rúbrica TeamUp al español, después se efectuó una validación con cinco jueces expertos, quienes evaluaron la rúbrica traducida con diversos criterios. El cálculo del coeficiente de validez de contenido ubicó a 23 ítems con un buen nivel de validez y concordancia (³ 0.8), mientras que los 10 restantes tuvieron un nivel excelente en los mismos rubros (³ 0.9). El coeficiente de Alfa de Cronbach calculado con respuestas de 309 estudiantes de bachillerato mostró que TeamUp cuenta con una fiabilidad alta (> 0.9). Los resultados reflejados por TeamUp en este trabajo le presentan como una propuesta robusta de instrumento para la enseñanza y el desarrollo de habilidades de trabajo en equipo para adolescentes en aprendizaje colaborativo. El español empleado en esta rúbrica es adecuado para adolescentes mexicanos, en futuras adaptaciones se sugiere la modificación del idioma para el público de otras regiones hispanohablantes.

Este trabajo aborda algunas dimensiones de la relación humanos∞robots en la exploración del espacio exterior a partir de la experiencia científico-tecnológica de la misión a Marte por los robots Martian Explorer Rovers (MER) de la NASA (2004-2018). La reflexión, basada en las investigaciones socioantropológicas sobre esta misión en terreno marciano, traza la evolución del interés científico por la observación de Marte, los desafíos científicos y tecnológicos en el diseño de los MER, los dilemas y problemas operativos (movilidad, imágenes, telecomunicación) en la superficie del planeta rojo y los retos de la sincronización temporal para la investigación espacial desde la Tierra. Por último, se esbozan algunos caminos y aprendizajes que emergen de esta experiencia para la futura exploración espacial latinoamericana.

Sustainable methods such as convective drying have regained interest in reducing the loss and waste of food produce. Combined with techniques like blanching and edible coatings, they could serve as useful tools in food processing development. Composite coatings comprising pectin, soy protein isolate, and xanthan gum were optimized using response surface methodology with the Box–Behnken design. This optimization aimed to investigate their effects on the moisture content, water activity, total color, and rehydration ratio of fresh and blanched chayote slices. Additionally, the study explored the modeling of the drying kinetics and sorption isotherms of chayote (Sechium edule) slices. Soy protein and xanthan gum were found to primarily influence the moisture content (ranging from 5.44% to 9.93%), and pectin influenced water activity (033 to 0.53) of the fresh-coated chayote, while pectin affected the aw (2.13–8.28) and rehydration of the blanch-coated chayote. The optimized formulations for both fresh and blanched chayote were utilized to assess the drying kinetics behavior and sorption isotherms. The best fit (R2: 0.996 to 0.999) was achieved with the parabolic model for thin-layer materials. Furthermore, the sorption isotherms of chayote displayed a Type IV behavior, with the BET model being the most suitable for describing the sorption behavior of materials with low water activity. The predicted values offer valuable data for optimizing processing conditions to enhance the quality and stability of dried chayote.

IntroductionStaphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen that can form biofilms on food contact surfaces (FCS) in the dairy industry, posing a serious food safety, and quality concern. Biofilm is a complex system, influenced by nutritional-related factors that regulate the synthesis of the components of the biofilm matrix. This study determines the prevalence of biofilm-associated genes and evaluates the development under different growth conditions and compositions of biofilms produced by S. aureus.MethodsBiofilms were developed in TSB, TSBG, TSBNaCl, and TSBGNaCl on stainless-steel (SS), with enumeration at 24 and 192 h visualized by epifluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The composition of biofilms was determined using enzymatic and chemical treatments and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM).Results and discussionA total of 84 S. aureus (SA1–SA84) strains were collected from 293 dairy industry FCS (FCS-stainless steel [n = 183] and FCS-polypropylene [n = 110]) for this study. The isolates harbored the genes sigB (66%), sar (53%), agrD (52%), clfB/clfA (38%), fnbA/fnbB (20%), and bap (9.5%). 99. In particular, the biofilm formed by bap-positive S. aureus onto SS showed a high cell density in all culture media at 192 h in comparison with the biofilms formed at 24 h (p < 0.05). Epifluorescence microscopy and SEM revealed the metabolically active cells and the different stages of biofilm formation. CLSM analysis detected extracellular polymeric of S. aureus biofilms on SS, such as eDNA, proteins, and polysaccharides. Finally, the level of detachment on being treated with DNase I (44.7%) and NaIO 4(42.4%) was greater in the biofilms developed in TSB compared to culture medium supplemented with NaCl at 24 h; however, there was no significant difference when the culture medium was supplemented with glucose. In addition, after treatment with proteinase K, there was a lower level of biomass detachment (17.7%) of the biofilm developed in TSBNaCl (p < 0.05 at 24 h) compared to that in TSB, TSBG, and TSBGNaCl (33.6, 36.9, and 37.8%, respectively). These results represent a deep insight into the composition of S. aureus biofilms present in the dairy industry, which promotes the development of more efficient composition-specific disinfection strategies.

El presente artículo muestra los resultados de una revisión sistemática de literatura en torno a las refexiones teóricas e investigativas sobre las categorías de estudio formación permanente del docente en contextos rurales y el desarrollo del pensamiento crítico, desde una perspectiva conceptual y hermenéutica, para continuar en la comprensión del estudio a profundidad. En ese sentido, se defnen cada una de las categorías y se describen las tendencias o enfoques, desde el ámbito teórico, epistémico y metodológico, concluyendo que son pocos los estudios en formación permanente docente con énfasis en la ruralidad y su aporte al desarrollo del pensamiento crítico. Además se advierte que la formación docente se confgura como uno de los factores decisivos para que los estudiantes desarrollen un pensamiento crítico que les posibilite contar con las herramientas cognitivas, habilidades y competencias blandas, necesarias para enfrentar la complejidad de la vida actual, aún más en tiempos de pandemia COVID-19, teniendo en cuenta que desde esta perspectiva se transciende el carácter instrumental del conocimiento, dando paso a procesos de construcción crítica y colectiva.

Introduction: ending 2019, the first reported cases of Covid-19 broke out in Wuhan, China. This disease may affect directly the cardiovascular system or predispose it to be infected by the SARS-CoV-2. Objective: to identify the cardiometabolic predictive factors for mortality in patients with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 from Santiago de Cuba city in the period May 2020 throughout May 2021. Method: an analytical cohort study was carried out. It was a co-operative research that involved professionals from the Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Services at the Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico “Ambrosio Grillo Portuondo”, as well as professionals from the Dirección Municipal de Salud in Santiago de Cuba city. A sample of 120 patients was selected for the identification of cardiometabolic predictive factors for mortality. Data analysis was based on the performance of a multivariate model (multivariate logistic regression). Results: throughout the hospitalization period 15 diseases were reported. Female sex was predominant but statistically we can´t associate to the deaths these two gender variables. However, age over 60 years, the arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus and, in a high rank, the vascular involvement, were observed in a strongly association with mortality (p=0.0001). Conclusions: this research allowed the identification of cardiometabolic predictive factors for mortality in COVID-19, where age over 60 years, vascular involvement (cardiogenic shock), hypertension and diabetes mellitus are the main causal factors in the pathophysiological and statistical explanation of mortality.

Fostering spoken communication in a foreign language classroom is not an easy task. With that in mind, this paper explores a proposal to motivate students’ L2 oral communication through the practice of narrative games called tabletop roleplaying games adapted as task-based activities. It implied an action research process in which the teacher-researcher with his students reflected and intervened on the identified problematic situation: Lack of oral communication in L2. In that sense, it started with a diagnostic test that showed the current state of verbal communication in L2 in a Colombian rural public school. Next, the teacher-researcher chose to appeal to the gamification of the classroom along with the adoption of a task-based framework to activity design aiming to improve students’ motivation to take the risk of communicating in L2. The teacher-researcher applied sets of activities that progressed from traditional role-play to a tabletop roleplaying game. In accordance, video recordings, narratives, artifacts collections, and semi-structured interviews were essential to collect data. Afterward, the teacher-researcher analyzed the data with an emic approach to identify patterns in the information that uncovered the categories and subcategories of information. Consequently, the teacher-researcher concluded that the students feel better motivated using L2 if the learning environment offers opportunities for social interaction, collaborative work, and scaffolding in task-based exercises embedded in a fictional world game.

Changes in climate are influencing the quality of wine grapes worldwide. The impact of extreme climate events over short periods is increasingly recognised as a serious risk to grape quality and yield quantity. In this study, the mitigation effects of a pulsed water spray treatment on vine canopy during heatwave (HW) events were evaluated in relation to vine condition during the growing season and grape quality. In the UNCuyo experimental vineyard, vines of the three cultivars Malbec (ML), Bonarda (BO) and Syrah (SY) were treated with an overhead pulsed water spray. Heatwaves were defined as days with a minimum temperature of 21 °C and a maximum temperature of 35 °C. Two heat waves were identified during the growing season. Samples were collected at weekly intervals from veraison to harvest. On five sample dates, Leaf and Stem Water Potential (LWP, SWP), Stomatal Conductance (gs), Leaf Temperature (LT), Berry Temperature (BT), Chlorophyll Content (CC), Fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and Performance Index (PI) were recorded at several time points during the day to evaluate the physiological responses of the vine. Berries were collected on each sample date and at harvest. Berry weight, soluble solid content and pH were recorded. In the treated vines (Trt), LWP, SWP, Fv/Fm, PI and gs were significantly higher and LT was lower than in the control vines (Ctl) during the second heatwave, which was longer and more intense than the first one. One week after the more severe heatwave, LWP, SWP and gs remained significantly higher in Trt than in Ctl, displaying reduced physiological stress in Trt. At harvest, the anthocyanin profile, total polyphenol index (TPI), fruit yield, number of bunches and their average weight, berry weight, soluble solid content and pH were also recorded. Bunch weight was significantly higher in Trt for all cultivars. No differences were found in total anthocyanin concentration. These findings indicate that the vines subjected to targeted overhead water treatment during heatwaves underwent less physiological stress and yielded higher grape production, without increasing the risk of potential fungus diseases, in the Mendoza climate. Consequently, this practice could serve as a valuable strategy for mitigating the adverse effects of heatwaves.

Abstract In Japan, the achievement rate of environmental standards for air pollution has been improving in recent years, but for photochemical oxidants, including ozone, improvement are required. In this study, we investigated trends in ozone counter-measures in the United States and Europe from the State Implementation Plan (SIP) and National Air Pollution Control Program (NAPCP) and examined whether there are any points recommended in Japan. The United States and Europe have different policies on environmental standards for air pollution and ozone control. In the United States, states that do not meet the environmental standards for ozone concentration are required to develop an SIP to attain the standards. There was an urgent need to find a cost-effective approach to addressing the ozone problem, and forest control measures were one of the possibilities. In Europe, the European Union has set “target values” for ozone and NAPCP does not mention forest control measures or ozone sensitivity regimes. The main focus in Europe is on the win-win solution of reducing emissions of air pollutants at the same time as greenhouse gases. Japan should consider a framework including setting feasible step-by-step goals to attain the desired standards. As ozone is greatly affected by advection, wide-regional measures against ozone precursors and prediction of the future precursor reduction and concentration are required. The preparation of an emissions inventory and estimated reduction amount is prerequisites as basic data for simulation. To achieve this, cooperation between national, local and private research institutes is crucial. Since the international community has agreed to prioritize greenhouse gas counter-measures, Japan could consider a win-win solution for both ozone and greenhouse gas reduction.