Universidad de Magallanes
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Molecular identification of Antarctic canola oil-degrading bacteria
No full textThe detrimental impacts of human activity in Antarctica can pose significant threats to the continent's ecosystems and diversity. Various pollutants have been detected in Antarctica, including hydrocarbon compounds derived from oils. The widespread use of canola oil in catering at Antarctic research stations raises the possibility of its release into the environment, either through accidental spillage or via waste cooking oil present in grey water. To help address this issue, a bacterial consortium (reference BS14) obtained from the natural Antarctic environment was isolated and confirmed to be capable of breaking down canola oil. The identity of members of the consortium was investigated using metagenomic analysis, with lipase-producing bacteria further examined using Sanger sequencing. The consortium in media not exposed to canola oil consisted primarily of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in almost equal percentages. After being exposed to either fresh or waste canola oil, high proportions of representatives of Pseudomonadaceae and Carnobacteriaceae were present. Amongst the bacterial taxa identified in the metagenomic analysis, representatives of the genera Pseudomonas and Carnobacterium were confirmed to be responsible for biodegrading waste canola oil and pure canola oil. This study offers novel insights into the potential of bacterial consortia for canola oil bioremediation in Antarctica
Global perspectives, local solutions: Improving human-predator coexistence through collaboration, meaningful experiences and cross-cultural knowledge
No full textHuman-predator coexistence is a complex and dynamic relationship influenced by a variety of social-ecological factors. Recognising conflict as an inherent aspect of coexistence, rather than merely a problem to be solved, is crucial. This literature review examines how a range of factors contributes to human coexistence with predators. A systematic review of 76 peer-reviewed articles from 33 countries provides valuable insights into the complexities associated with these factors across different contexts. Collaboration among social actors is crucial for addressing cultural tensions, increasing trust in state agencies and reaching agreements for coexistence practices. While material benefits (e.g. ecotourism, financial compensation) are often emphasised, relational and intrinsic values, emotions and meaningful personal experiences play an even greater role in fostering coexistence. Acknowledgment of positive predator attributes, mutual benefits, cultural significance and deep human-wildlife connections may help shape perceptions of predators in a culturally informed manner. Further appropriate and respectful cross-cultural research that amplifies Indigenous voices and knowledge is essential for understanding the nuances of human-predator interactions across diverse socio-economic and ecological contexts. Comprehensive management to improve human-predator relationships needs to consider ecological contexts alongside the cultural norms and priorities of local communities. This approach will enable legitimate, situated and long-term coexistence practices and solutions.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. La coexistencia entre humanos y depredadores es una relación compleja y dinámica influenciada por una variedad de factores socioecológicos. Reconocer el conflicto como un aspecto inherente de la coexistencia, en lugar de verlo solo como un problema a resolver, es fundamental. Esta revisión de la literatura examina cómo una serie de factores contribuyen a la tolerancia y la coexistencia entre humanos y depredadores. Una revisión sistemática de 76 artículos revisados por pares de 33 países proporciona valiosas perspectivas sobre los matices asociados con estos factores en diferentes contextos. La colaboración entre los actores sociales es crucial para abordar las tensiones culturales, aumentar la confianza en las agencias estatales y alcanzar acuerdos para prácticas de convivencia. Aunque se suelen enfatizar los beneficios materiales (por ejemplo, ecoturismo, compensación económica), los valores relacionales e intrínsecos, las emociones y las experiencias personales significativas juegan un papel aún más importante en el fomento de la tolerancia. El reconocimiento de los atributos positivos de los depredadores, los beneficios mutuos, la importancia cultural y las profundas conexiones humanas con la fauna pueden ayudar a moldear las percepciones de los depredadores de manera culturalmente informada. Es esencial realizar más investigaciones interculturales adecuadas y respetuosas que amplifiquen las voces y el conocimiento indígena para comprender los matices de las interacciones entre humanos y depredadores en diversos contextos socioeconómicos y ecológicos. Una gestión integral para mejorar las relaciones entre humanos y depredadores debe considerar los contextos ecológicos junto con las normas culturales y prioridades de las comunidades locales. Este enfoque permitirá prácticas y soluciones de convivencia legítimas, situadas y a largo plazo
Marine trophic architecture and hidden ecological connections in the Strait of Magellan: keystone species and ecosystem resilience
No full textUnderstanding the ecological implications of species coexistence is central to biodiversity studies and to identify environmental and anthropogenic drivers of ecosystem dynamics, where ecological network analysis offers valuable insights. This study examines the complexity, structure, and potential responses to disturbances of the Strait of Magellan's topological food web. Based on a dataset of 438 predator-prey interactions among 139 trophic species (nodes), the food web was characterized using a two-scale approach. At the network level, descriptors including connectance, degree distribution, and small-world pattern, were used to evaluate overall architecture. At the node level, species' roles were assessed using degree, betweenness, closeness, condensed in a novel Keystone Species Index (KSI), and topological role. Potential resilience to ongoing perturbations was inferred by relating these network- and node-level properties. Overall, the network exhibits low connectance and an asymmetrical degree distribution, with a few species concentrating most interactions. Its small-world pattern, characterized by high clustering and short path lengths, suggests that local disturbances could propagate rapidly. More than half of the species are omnivorous, potentially buffering the system against fluctuations in prey availability. According to the KSI antopological role results, polychaetes, Fuegian sprat Sprattus fuegensis 'sardina fueguina', and Patagonian blenny Eleginops maclovinus 'róbalo patagónico', act as central conduits for matter and energy flow, linking benthic and pelagic production to higher trophic levels. The combination of low connectance, an asymmetric degree distribution, and small-world properties suggests that the food web is fragile to perturbations affecting highly connected species, with the potential to trigger trophic cascades. These findings highlight the importance of understanding trophic interactions for effective conservation and ecosystem management and provide new insights for the Strait of Magellan's ecosystem
Dolor crónico en estudiantes universitarios: factores biopsicosociales y su impacto funcional
No full textIntroduction. Non-cancer chronic pain is a significant global public health issue, particularly within specific populations, and is shaped by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. University students face unique lifestyle challenges that may increase their vulnerability to chronic pain and its associated functional impairments. However, this population remains underrepresented in research, leaving important gaps in our understanding. Aim. This study explored the relationship between non-cancer chronic pain, its presence, characteristics, and functional impact, and biopsychosocial factors linked to university life, including physical activity, sleep quality, and mental health. Methods. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 157 full-time students from two universities in Chile's Austral Macrozone. Data were collected using online questionnaires assessing pain, sociodemographic information, sleep, chronotype, physical activity, and mental health. Statistical analyses were carried out using Bayesian modeling. Results. Females had a higher risk of chronic pain (exp(β) = 6.96), with greater intensity and functional impact. Engineering students were at higher risk compared to health sciences (exp(β) = 7.69), and health sciences compared to social sciences (exp(β) = 3.89). Moderate physical activity showed a protective effect against pain (exp(β) = 2.95). Matutine chronotypes and better sleep quality were linked to reduced functional impact and pain frequency. Conclusion. Biopsychosocial variables —including sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity levels, mental health, and sleep quality— were significantly associated with the presence, frequency, and functional consequences of chronic pain among Chilean university students. These findings highlight the importance of addressing such factors in the development of preventive and management strategies targeting chronic pain in this population
Unraveling microbial life from a high-altitude hydrothermal system in the Andes plateau and their potential for nitrogen transformations
No full textTerrestrial hydrothermal systems provide a window for studying the biogeochemical interactions that occur in hot and gas-rich ecosystems resembling the conditions found in early life on Earth. The biogeochemical dynamics of the Andean hydrothermal systems in the Atacama Desert area are still understudied. Thus, we aimed to characterize the taxonomic composition and genomic potential of nitrogen transformations in a microbial community inhabiting a high-altitude hydrothermal system on the Altiplano Plateau of the Chilean Andes. Specifically, we sampled sediment and microbial mats in three ponds with water temperatures ranging from 42 to 64 degrees C. We found a high prevalence of photoheterotrophs, with differences in taxonomic composition and gene abundance between the microbial communities found in the sediment and microbial mats. Changes in physicochemical conditions, such as temperature and pH, and the concentrations of CO2, CH4 and Mn accounted for the variability in the microbial community structure. Our results indicated an enrichment of N-related genes associated with nitrate reduction, denitrification, and ammonia assimilation, suggesting a metabolically versatile community using nitrate, nitrite, and gaseous nitrogen species to assimilate ammonia into their biomass. This study contributes to our understanding of the taxonomy and functional microbial dynamics in a high-altitude thermal system, where ammonia assimilation is potentially critical for biomass formation, and particular environmental conditions favor adaptations to maintain biogeochemical cycles
Bahías protegidas y nodos de caza-pesca en las islas australes de Patagonia. El sitio canoero Tilly Este en isla Carlos III, estrecho de Magallanes (53ºS)
No full textThe results of a survey of the archaeological site of Tilly Este, located in the bay of the same name on Carlos III Island, Strait of Magellan, Chile, are presented. The site is a multicomponent maritime hunter-gatherer shell midden that includes pre-contact and post-contact historic occupations. The record indicates the presence of occupational events of different intensity including technology associated with a greater diversity of activities during historical times. The latter were associated with abundant green obsidian lithic materials and a bone industry that contrasts with pre-contact (sixteenth century) occupations. The zooarchaeological evidence (marine and terrestrial mammals, birds, fish and mollusks) shows the richness and biodiversity of the bay, and the area surrounding the island. The archaeological information, together with ethnohistorical observations and the presence of a fishing hedge in the area, indicate that this bay has played an important role in human activity for at least the last 1000 years
Sustainability transformation processes as a driving force to promote female participation in STEM-oriented higher education institutions: a Chilean case study
No full textPurposeInternational research and organisations focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have, for years, addressed the problem of the underrepresentation of women in careers in these fields. This issue is critical when considering that diversity in working teams can provide enhanced solutions to pressing world problems. However, empirical studies have recently shown that careers related to the environment and sustainability are more appealing to women. In this context, this study aims to explore whether female participation has an enhanced role in the incorporation of sustainability processes at a STEM higher education entity.Design/methodology/approachThis case study of the Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Chile (FPMS) was examined as a descriptive statistical analysis. It was developed using a two-scope methodology: the historical perspective and the current state lens in the main higher education dimensions of teaching, research and outreach. A set of indicators was created to demonstrate whether the engagement of women in sustainability-focused endeavours was significantly higher than in activities or areas that are not closely related to sustainable development.FindingsThe main findings show that within the FPMS, sustainability has provided a space for women to further engage and become change agents in a STEM environment. This case study finds that sustainability is an area of interest and attraction for women in engineering and science at the higher education level, with the potential implications of challenging existing gender stereotypes in STEM disciplines and contributing to meeting sustainability standards by increasing diversity within teams.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to adopt this approach and research question in Chile and Latin America
Glacial and periglacial geomorphology of the Boí Valley (Central Pyrenees)
No full textIn recent years, knowledge of Late Pleistocene glacial evolution in the Pyrenees has become increasingly robust, as has its chronological framework, which has been revised and refined. However, the subsequent environmental evolution remains largely unknown. Within this context, the Boí Valley (Central Pyrenees) is a relatively understudied area. This study aims to improve our understanding of the behavior of Quaternary glaciers in the region, as well as the postglacial environmental changes that have occurred since the last Glacial Cycle. To this end, a 1:50,000-scale geomorphological map has been produced for the Boí Valley (247 km2), incorporating the main landforms identified through cartographic analysis and field observations. Based on the distribution of the most significant glacial and periglacial features, a relative and comparative chronological framework is proposed in relation to studies from nearby areas: (i) a phase of maximum valley glaciation, likely corresponding to the Local Last Glacial Maximum of the last Glacial Cycle; (ii) a phase in which valley glaciers retreated to higher elevations; (iii) a phase dominated by cirque glaciers; and (iv) a deglaciation phase that has shaped the current alpine landscape. Today, no glaciers remain in the study area. Postglacial environmental dynamics are interpreted within three altitudinal zones: the subnival zone (~ 850–1800 m), characterized by fluvial and alluvial processes, deposits from various types of mass movements on valley slopes, and widespread forest cover on slopes; the nival zone (~ 1800–2400 m), where snow persists for 5–7 months each year and drives early cryonival activity; and the periglacial zone (~ 2400–3000 m), where active processes are associated with seasonal frost, frost weathering, and the movement of rock glaciers and protalus lobes. Sporadic permafrost is also present in this high-altitude environment. Future research should aim to establish an absolute chronology of the region's glacial and deglacial history
Dehumanizing the Superordinate Ingroup: Experimental Evidence From a Secessionist Conflict Manipulation
No full textObjective: The objective of this research is to understand how dehumanization is manifested in processes of secessionism or group separatism, where an initial social identity is shared. Method: Two hundred sixty-five volunteer participants from a national region participated in an experiment with two conditions. The experimental condition manipulated the perception of intragroup conflict by reading a fake article related to the comparative disadvantages of collective welfare between the local region and other national areas. The control condition presented neutral news about national well-being. Participants responded to a dehumanization scale in two versions (ingroup and superordinate ingroup-counterbalanced). Results: The main findings showed that, in a perceived conflict situation, the superordinate outgroup was perceived as less human from both animalistic and mechanistic perspectives. These results were not observed in the control condition, where no conflict was perceived. Conclusions: It is concluded that dynamics of dehumanization can be observed in intragroup contexts, fueled by a specific secessionist context. Furthermore, the intragroup dehumanization profile may vary when facing a secessionist conflict, which generates perceptions of dehumanization toward the superordinate outgroup
