Repositorio Digital Ikiam (Univ. Regional Amazónica)
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Refugio Móvil Emergente para Migrantes Latinoamericanos en perfiles costeros del Ecuador.
No full textEl aumento de los desplazamientos migratorios en Latinoamérica, debido a la crisis socioeconómica, inestabilidad política y el cambio climático, ha generado una mayor demanda de refugios para la comunidad migrante. En este trabajo se reflexionan las condiciones de habitabilidad mínimas necesarias para el diseño arquitectónico de un refugio móvil emergente para migrantes latinoamericanos en perfiles costeros del
Ecuador, con el caso de estudio de la ciudad de Manta. Proceso que se desarrolla desde la comprensión conceptual del habitar. Para lograr un entendimiento más profundo de este fenómeno, se utiliza una metodología mixta: (1) de manera cuantitativa se identifica a personas en condición de migrante y la provisión de alojamiento temporal bajo un enfoque territorial en la región costera, (2) se analizan las condiciones de habitabilidad de personas en desplazamiento migratorio; a través de procesos participativos con grupos
focales. Los resultados obtenidos destacan la importancia de las cualidades del espacio, condición productiva de la vivienda, sistema constructivo y costo, que han sido recogidos en una propuesta arquitectónica coherente con el usuario y el entorno costero ecuatoriano
Evaluación de la actividad antimicrobiana y caracterización de metabolitos presentes en el extracto etanólico de Philodendron Heleniae
Full text linkEn Ecuador está establecido como política de estado el fortalecer y consolidar la salud intercultural, incorporando medicina ancestral como alternativa al Sistema Nacional de Salud. Con el fin de aportar a esta temática, el presente es un estudio piloto que evalúa la actividad antimicrobiana y caracterizar los metabolitos presentes en el extracto etanólico de Philodendron heleniae. Los ensayos de actividad antimicrobiana lograron
determinar la Concentración Mínima Inhibitoria (CMI) del extracto etanólico de P.heleniae frente a cepas de Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 y Bacillus subtilis (Resistente a ampicilina) con valores de 0.1 y 0.2 mg/mL, respectivamente. Se encontró la presencia cualitativa de: terpenos, taninos, quinonas, compuestos fenólicos, flavonoides y antocianinas. Además, se identificó el contenido total de polifenoles y flavonoides con valores de 574.74 y 2.53 μg/mg de extracto etanólico de P. heleniae, respectivamente. Estos resultados fueron complementados con la identificación de 19 moléculas (17 nivel II y 2 nivel III) mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GC-MS) y 4 (2 nivel I y 2 nivel II) mediante cromatografía
líquida de ultra eficiencia acoplada a espectrometría de masas en tándem (UPLC- MS/MS). De manera general los compuestos fenólicos y terpenos fueron las moléculas más abundantes en el extracto etanólico de P. heleniae que se sugieren como responsables de su actividad antimicrobial. Estos resultados aportan información interesante para el potencial desarrollo de nuevos productos, sobre todo en la industria farmacéutica.Tutora: Noroska Gabriela Salazar Mogollón ; Cotutora: Nina Espinosa de los Monteros Silv
Bioactivity of synthetic peptides from Ecuadorian frog skin secretions against Leishmania mexicana, Plasmodium falciparum, and Trypanosoma cruzi
Full text linkChagas disease, leishmaniasis, and malaria are major parasitic diseases disproportionately affecting the underprivileged population in developing nations. Finding new, alternative anti-parasitic compounds to treat these diseases is crucial because of the limited number of options currently available, the side effects they cause, the need for long treatment courses, and the emergence of drug-resistant parasites. Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs) derived from amphibian skin secretions are small bioactive molecules capable of lysing the cell membrane of pathogens while having low toxicity against human cells. Here, we report the anti-parasitic activity of five AMPs derived from skin secretions of three Ecuadorian frogs: cruzioseptin-1, cruzioseptin-4 (CZS-4), and cruzioseptin-16 from Cruziohyla calcarifer; dermaseptin-SP2 from Agalychnis spurrelli; and pictuseptin-1 from Boana picturata. These five AMPs were chemically synthesized. Initially, the hemolytic activity of CZS-4 and its minimal inhibitory concentration against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans were determined. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity of the synthetic AMPs against mammalian cells and their anti-parasitic activity against Leishmania mexicana promastigotes, erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum and mammalian stages of Trypanosoma cruzi were evaluated in vitro. The five AMPs displayed activity against the pathogens studied, with different levels of cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. In silico molecular docking analysis suggests this bioactivity may occur via pore formation in the plasma membrane, resulting in microbial lysis. CZS-4 displayed anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic activities with low cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. Further studies about this promising AMP are required to gain a better understanding of its activity
Respuesta de los deslizamientos de tierra a la dinámica de la precipitación, medida mediante radar interferométrico de apertura sintética: un caso de estudio en la parte sur de la Depresión Interandina Ecuador.
Full text linkSlow-moving landslides exhibit continuous, human-imperceptible downslope motion
risking human settlements. Localizing the landslide's spatial extension and response
under rainfall variation is vital for predicting the hazard for an area. Synthetic aperture
radar interferometry (InSAR) time series is a useful geodetic technique to analyze
temporal-spatial landslide behavior. Landslide displacement derived from InSAR
represents seasonal, fast and slow motion fluctuation triggered by rainfall stationalities.
Here, InSAR was used to identify landslides in the southern part of the Neogen Inter
Andean Depression of Ecuador and correlate landslides' seasonal displacement with
rainfall using wavelet analysis. Twenty landslides were identified from 2007 to 2011 and
2016 to 2022. Three landslides exhibit InSAR average velocity ranging from 7
millimeters per year to 26.5 millimeters per year. The wavelet analysis shows
landslides correlate with rainfall in infra-annual, annual, and multiannual periods/scales.
The results suggest that fast landslide displacement responses are related to high
rainfall events, while annual and multiannual responses might relate to soil mechanic
properties or groundwater processes
Fluvial terrace formation in mountainous areas: (1) Influence of climate changes during the last glacial cycle in Albania
Full text linkThis work analyses terraces formation from the case of Albanian rivers. An allostratigraphy
study of the fluvial terraces is combined with new numerical dating. 30 14C and 4 10Be new dated sites
along four rivers and 45 ages previously acquired along three other rivers were used to define terrace
chronologies at the scale of the whole Albania. Few terrace remnants are related to stages older than
the last glacial period and are older than 194 ± 19 ka. Terrace level (T1) includes plain-like terraces
and T1 is related to a rapid succession of valley incision and valley fill that occurred during the warm
Holocene climatic optimum. The other nine terrace levels (T2 to T10) formed during the last glacial
period (MIS 5d to end of MIS 2). Terraces T2, T6 and T7 formed nearly synchronously with interstadial
transitions toward warmer and wetter conditions. The formation of terraces T3, T4, T5 and T8 (<60 ka)
coincide with the warm climatic excursions of the Heinrich events. This result suggests that these short
climatic events strongly punctuate the geomorphologic dynamics of rivers in mountainous areas
Implications of landscape changes for ecosystem services and biodiversity: A national assessment in Ecuador
Full text linkEcuadorian ecosystems experience high pressure due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. Despite the need of regular monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES), attempts to assess the current and future interdependencies of BES and landscape changes are still lacking. This study suggests a spatial assessment of the capacity of ecosystems/land use types to provide BES as status quo and its future development under scenarios of deforestation and climate change. To address data scarcity and improve legitimacy, spatial modeling was combined with participatory approaches. Specifically, changes in landscape pattern were simulated using a modeling platform that combines Geographic Information System (GIS) and Cellular Automaton (CA) modules. Experts in ecosystem conservation and management participated through surveys and workshops. Food, drinking water, service water, soil erosion control, water flow regulation, pollination/seed dispersal, regulation of macro climate, and landscape aesthetic/amenity were identified as the most relevant ES. Among the forest ecosystems, Páramo-related ecosystems were regarded to provide multiple ES with high capacities. Compared to the current status, the deforestation scenario showed to decrease most BES by 20–25 %, while increasing food provision by 5 %, as a trade-off. Regarding the climate change scenarios, the “Representative Concentration Pathways” (RCP) by 2070 were simulated with an increase in temperature of 2 °C (RCP 2.6) and of 4 °C (RCP 6.0). RCP 6.0 showed more noticeable impact than RCP 2.6, which caused a decrease in most BES whereas an increase in food provision due to the possible expansion of arable land into higher altitudes. The results of the spatial assessment also indicated high and low potential areas for BES provision. Such information can support decision-making for BES management e.g., priority areas for actions. Furthermore, the applied spatially explicit assessment could be a starting point for a regular assessment of BES, which has not yet been implemented in Ecuador
Understanding the behavior of listeria monocytogenes within Raw264,7 macrophages, exposed the three stimulant treatments : a quantitative approach.
Full text linkEl estudio presentó un análisis del crecimiento de Listeria monocytogenes y desarrolló modelos predictivos para su comportamiento. Se enfocó en el impacto de tratamientos como Interferón alfa (IFN-α) y el Regulador de Proteínas de Listeria Virulencia A en el crecimiento de L. monocytogenes. Se detallaron los métodos de adquisición de datos, conteo, monitoreo automático, preprocesamiento de datos y construcción de algoritmos de análisis de imágenes. Se emplearon cuatro modelos matemáticos (Gompertz, Baranyi, Logistic y Richards) para ajustar las curvas de crecimiento de L. monocytogenes y comparar los parámetros. Se encontró que el modelo de Gompertz proporcionó el mejor ajuste para el crecimiento bajo tratamiento con interferón alfa. Los resultados indicaron una reducción significativa del crecimiento bacteriano con el tratamiento de interferón alfa, mientras que el tratamiento con PrfA promovió el crecimiento. El tratamiento de control permitió el crecimiento bacteriano sin restricciones. En conclusión, el estudio proporcionó información valiosa sobre la dinámica del crecimiento de L. monocytogenes y el impacto de los tratamientos en su proliferación. Se demostró la efectividad del interferón alfa para reducir el crecimiento bacteriano y se identificó el modelo de Gompertz como el más adecuado para predecir el crecimiento bajo tratamiento con interferón alfa. Estos hallazgos son cruciales para mejorar las evaluaciones de seguridad alimentaria y predecir la vida útil de los productos alimenticios.Tutor: Marco Andrés Viteri Yánez ; Cotutor Moisés Rubén Gualapuro Gualapur
Estrategias de diseño racional de péptidos antimicrobianos inspirados en Cruzioseptina-1
Full text linkEl desarrollo de nuevos agentes terapéuticos inspirados en péptidos antimicrobianos ha suscitado un gran interés por su amplio espectro de actividad. Sin embargo, enfrentan desafíos como baja actividad y alta toxicidad. La investigación se centró en diseñar análogos inspirados en el péptido cruzioseptina-1, con mayor actividad y menor efecto hemolítico. Librerías de análogos se crearon mediante dos estrategias: 1) Sustitución por aminoácidos comunes en péptidos antimicrobianos y 2) ajuste de cationicidad e hidrofobicidad. Se analizó su potencial antimicrobiano, citotoxicidad, estructura y
propiedades fisicoquímicas mediante herramientas bioinformáticas. Se sintetizó un análogo representativo de cada estrategia: 2L15K y 21A4K15K18K. Se corroboró su masa molecular por espectrometría de masas MALDI TOF. Para evaluar el potencial antimicrobiano se realizaron ensayos de actividad antibiótica. El potencial citotóxico se evaluó realizando acoplamiento molecular entre péptido-membrana, se utilizaron modelos de membrana bacteriana y humana. Los análisis bioinformáticos sugieren que los análogos superan la actividad de cruzioseptina-1. La mayoría de los análogos generados por ambas estrategias tienden a ser hemolíticos. La interpretación de los
resultados de acoplamiento molecular sugiere que los análogos poseen mayor afinidad por la inserción en la membrana bacteriana que en la humana. Ambos análogos sintetizados mostraron actividad contra Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Klebsiella pneumoniae resistente la ampicilina. Finalmente, las estrategias de diseño racional generan análogos con mayor probabilidad de actividad antimicrobiana. Adicionalmente, las herramientas bioinformáticas filtran análogos con baja actividad antimicrobiana, elevado efecto hemolítico y pérdida de estructura. Este enfoque generó análogos más bioactivos en pruebas in vitro, a través de estrategias de diseño racional y análisis bioinformáticos.Tutora: Carolina del Carmen Proaño Bolaño
The Evolution of Agrarian Landscapes in the Tropical Andes
Full text link: Changes in land-use practices have been a central element of human adaptation to Holocene
climate change. Many practices that result in the short-term stabilization of socio-natural systems,
however, have longer-term, unanticipated consequences that present cascading challenges for human
subsistence strategies and opportunities for subsequent adaptations. Investigating complex sequences
of interaction between climate change and human land-use in the past—rather than short-term causes
and effects—is therefore essential for understanding processes of adaptation and change, but this
approach has been stymied by a lack of suitably-scaled paleoecological data. Through a highresolution paleoecological analysis, we provide a 7000-year history of changing climate and land
management around Lake Acopia in the Andes of southern Peru. We identify evidence of the onset
of pastoralism, maize cultivation, and possibly cultivation of quinoa and potatoes to form a complex
agrarian landscape by c. 4300 years ago. Cumulative interactive climate-cultivation effects resulting in
erosion ended abruptly c. 2300 years ago. After this time, reduced sedimentation rates are attributed
to the construction and use of agricultural terraces within the catchment of the lake. These results
provide new insights into the role of humans in the manufacture of Andean landscapes and the
incremental, adaptive processes through which land-use practices take shape
SIMILAR TURNOVER RATES BETWEEN PTERIDOPHYTES AND ANGIOSPERMS TREES ALONG THE NORTHERN ECUADOR ANDEAN FOOTHILLS
Full text linkTropical mountain forests are areas of high plant diversity. While alpha diversity patterns are better documented along altitudinal gradients, how beta diversity varies between elevation ranges is less well known. Specifically, how turnover rates, as measured in a distance-decay models, are comparable between co-occurrent groups is still to be explored. We tested whether two distant related plant clades, pteridophytes (ferns and lycophytes) and angiosperm trees, have similar distance-decay rates along the same altitudinal gradient in the east flank of the tropical Andes of Ecuador. We found that both groups showed a strong decay in higher elevations that stabilised in the lower elevations. When sub-setting the data to have samples from both groups for the same elevation ranges, distance-decay curves were more similar, suggesting that the same environmental filters act in the assembly of communities of both groups. This result contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of species distribution in high diversity areas