The Andean Altiplano, characterized by its extreme climatic conditions and high levels of biodiversity, provides a unique environment for studying ecological and evolutionary adaptations in insect morphology. Butterflies, due their large wing surface compared to body surface, and wide distribution among a geographical area given the flight capabilities provided by their wings, constitute a good biological model to study morphological adaptations following extreme weathers. This study focuses on , a butterfly species widely distributed in the Andes, to evaluate wing shape variation across six localities in the Northern Chilean Altiplano.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental temperature strongly influences the adaptation dynamics of amphibians, whose limited regulation capabilities render them susceptible to thermal oscillations. A central element of the adaptive strategies is the transcription factors (TFs), which act as master regulators that orchestrate stress responses, enabling species to navigate the fluctuations of their environment skillfully. Our study delves into the intricate relationship between TF expression and thermal adaptation mechanisms in the Rhinella spinulosa populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report the first record of the microlepidopteran beyond the South Shetland Islands at the Chilean Yelcho scientific station (64°52'33.1428″ S; 63°35'1.9572″ W), Doumer Island, close to the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOats are known for their nutritional value and also for their beneficial properties on human health, such as the reduction of cholesterol levels and risk of coronary heart disease; they are an important export product for Chile. During the last decade (2010-2022) over 90% of the oat cultivated area in Chile has been covered with L. cv.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe chemical composition and quality of honey depend on the floral and geographical origin, extraction techniques, and storage, resulting in a unique product for each area. Currently, consumers are not only concerned about the chemical composition, quality, and food safety of honey, but also about its origin. The objective of this study was to characterize honeys produced in Chile's central-southern region from a mineral and botanical perspective, thus adding value through differentiation by origin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIncreases in cereals grain yield in the last decades have increased the accumulation of straw on the soil after harvest. Farmers typically open burn the straw to prepare the soil for the next crop, resulting in pollution, emission of greenhouse gases, erosion, loss of soil organic matter, and wildfires. An alternative is feeding straw to ruminants, but straw nutritive value is limited by its high content of lignocellulose and low content of protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Waveform analysis by visual inspection can be a reliable, noninvasive, and useful tool for detecting patient-ventilator asynchrony. However, it is a skill that requires a properly trained professional.
Methods: This observational study was conducted in 17 urban ICUs.
We studied the relationship between immunological markers such as CD4+ proliferation, cytokines profile and lymphocyte activation markers in patients with chronic hepatitis C, having different responses to interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) treatment. A prospective study of 20 patients was conducted, six had received IFN-alpha-2b alone and 14 IFN in combination with RBV. The proliferative immune responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to hepatitis C virus peptides and the lymphocyte activation markers (CD25+, CD38+ and CD69+) were assessed before treatment, at 1 week, and 1, 3 and 6 months of treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe correct practice of specialized Clinical Pathology is dependent on the acquired aptitude and capacity gained by residents during their specialization. So, the adopted program for residents must be practical and detailed, obviously exceeding the simple and routine execution of laboratory methods and techniques. In this paper the authors describe a scheme for the Clinical Pathology residents practical program in hematology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThrough the use of the electron microscope, yeasts were found invading gingival connective tissue in juvenile periodontitis (JP). Samples (3-mm punch biopsies, including epithelium and underlying connective tissue) were taken apically to periodontal pockets before and after patient treatment with spiramycin. Some samples underwent in vitro treatment with spiramycin.
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