Universidad de Magallanes
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When another one bites the dust: Environmental impact of global copper demand on local communities in the Atacama mining hotspot as registered by tree rings
No full textAssessing the impact of mining activity on the availability of environmental pollutants is crucial for informing health policies in anticipation of future production scenarios of critical minerals essential for the transition to a net -zero carbon society. However, temporal and spatial monitoring is often sparse, and measurements may not extend far enough back in time. In this study, we utilize variations of chemical elements contained in tree -rings collected in local villages from an area heavily affected by copper mining in the Atacama Desert since the early 20th century to evaluate the temporal distribution of pollutants and their relationship with local drivers. By combining time -varying data on local drivers, such as copper production and the dry tailings deposit area, we show how the surge in copper production during the 1990s, fueled by trade liberalization and increased international demand, led to a significant increment in the availability of metal(loid)s related to mining activities on indigenous lands. Our findings suggest that the environmental legislation in Chile may be underestimating the environmental impact of tailing dams in neighboring populations, affecting the well-being of Indigenous Peoples from the Atacama mining hotspot region. We argue that future changes in production rates driven by international demand could have negative repercussions on the environment and local communities. Therefore, mining emissions and the management of tailing dams should be carefully considered to anticipate their potential negative effects on human and ecosystem health
Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Chile: Women with Disabilities and Their Experience with Gynaecological and Obstetric Violence
No full textIntroductionAlthough access to sexual and reproductive health services is a human right, violations of the rights of women with disabilities in this aspect are frequent. However, there are no studies regarding gynaecological and obstetric violence that this population subgroup may face. This qualitative study is aimed at identifying and analysing the experiences of women with disabilities with regard to gynaecological and obstetric violence in Chile.MethodsFrom a feminist phenomenological paradigm of research, data were collected from March 2017 to December 2018. Women with disabilities (n = 18) were interviewed regarding their experiences. Data were analysed through thematic analysis.ResultsThe experiences of women with disabilities regarding gynaecological and obstetric violence fall under three central categories: (a) health inequity in communication, (b) objectification of girls' and women's bodies through practices, such as forced sterilisation, and (c) intimidation and discrimination related to maternity.ConclusionsGynaecological and obstetric violence of women with disabilities is a present form of gender-based violence in Chile. Such instances occur systematically and persistently and lead to the dehumanisation of healthcare, an increase in health inequities, and the creation of particularly complex scenarios experienced by women with disabilities regarding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.Policy ImplicationsIt is necessary to promote research on gynaecological and obstetric violence faced by women with disabilities, take action against this form of gender-based violence, and improve access to sexual and reproductive services for this population. Specific recommendations aimed at the elimination of gynaecological and obstetric violence are given
Global research priorities for historical ecology to inform conservation
No full textHistorical ecology draws on a broad range of information sources and methods to provide insight into ecological and social change, especially over the past similar to 12000 yr. While its results are often relevant to conservation and restoration, insights from its diverse disciplines, environments, and geographies have frequently remained siloed or underrepresented, restricting their full potential. Here, scholars and practitioners working in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments on 6 continents and various archipelagoes synthesize knowledge from the fields of history, anthropology, paleontology, and ecology with the goal of describing global research priorities for historical ecology to influence conservation. We used a structured decision-making process to identify and address questions in 4 key priority areas: (1) methods and concepts, (2) knowledge co-production and community engagement, (3) policy and management, and (4) climate change impacts. This work highlights the ways that historical ecology has developed and matured in its use of novel information sources, efforts to move beyond extractive research practices and toward knowledge co-production, and application to management challenges including climate change. We demonstrate the ways that this field has brought together researchers across disciplines, connected academics to practitioners, and engaged communities to create and apply knowledge of the past to address the challenges of our shared future
Climate and ice sheet dynamics in Patagonia throughout marine isotope stages 2 and 3
No full textDuring the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, similar to 23 000 to 19 000 years ago), the Patagonian Ice Sheet (PIS) covered the central chain of the Andes between similar to 38 to 55 degrees S. Existing paleoclimate evidence - mostly derived from glacial landforms - suggests that maximum ice sheet expansions in the Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere were not synchronized. However, large uncertainties still exist in the timing of the onset of regional deglaciation and its major drivers. Here we present an ensemble of numerical simulations of the PIS during the LGM. We assess the skill of paleoclimate model products in reproducing the range of atmospheric conditions needed to enable an ice sheet growth in concordance with geomorphological and geochronological evidence. The resulting best-fit climate product is then combined with records from southern South America offshore sediment cores and Antarctic ice cores to drive transient simulations throughout the last 70 ka using a glacial index approach. Our analysis suggests a strong dependence of the PIS geometry on near-surface air temperature forcing. Most ensemble members underestimate the ice cover in the northern part of Patagonia, while tending to expand beyond its constrained eastern boundaries. We largely attribute these discrepancies between the model-based ice geometries and geological evidence to the low resolution of paleoclimate models and their prescribed ice mask. In the southernmost sector, evidence suggests full glacial conditions during marine isotope stage 3 (MIS3, similar to 59 400 to 27 800 years ago), followed by a warming trend towards MIS2 (similar to 27 800 to 14 700 years ago). However, in northern Patagonia, this deglacial trend is absent, indicating a relatively consistent signal throughout MIS3 and MIS2. Notably, Antarctic cores do not reflect a glacial history consistent with the geochronological observations. Therefore, investigations of the glacial history of the PIS should take into account southern midlatitude records to capture effectively its past climatic variability
Skull Ossification in the Andean Toad Rhinella spinulosa (Bufonidae) and the Genetic Model Organism Xenopus tropicalis (Pipidae) Reveals Heterochrony Phenomena and Frontoparietal Suture Modifications
No full textAnurans are famous for having evolved a highly simplified skull through bone loss and fusion events. Nevertheless, their skeleton displays a rich morphological diversity associated with adaptations to diverse lifestyles and ecological niches. Here, we report larval skull ossification in the Andean toad Rhinella spinulosa (Bufonidae), and compare it to the phylogenetically distant genetic model organism Xenopus tropicalis (Pipidae). We find that the ossification timing of most skull bones is conserved between both species, except for the prootic and the angulosplenial that ossify at much later stages in R. spinulosa than X. tropicalis. We propose that a delayed lower jaw ossification in R. spinulosa is tightly related to the more extensive metamorphosis process observed in this species where the ventrally oriented mouth opening shifts anteriorly. We also report two conspicuous notches in the R. spinulosa frontoparietal bone mineralization front which are absent in X. tropicalis, and presumably represent evolutionary remnants of the coronal suture that separates the frontal and parietal bones in most vertebrates. As such notches have not been overtly reported in the literature, we examined the X. tropicalis sibling species Xenopus laevis, and were able to identify similar, albeit transient, indentations in the forming frontoparietal bone, suggesting that vestigial coronal sutures might exist in more frog species than anticipated. Taken together, we show that R. spinulosa represents an ideal organism to study heterochronic shifts and the mechanisms underlying cranial suture loss which drove anuran skull simplification
Systematic review of the challenges facing the development and integration of digital technologies in the Chilean school context, from the teaching perspective
No full textThis article is the result of research in which an analysis was made on the challenges faced by the development of teaching with digital technologies in the Chilean school context, given that it is a constantly changing scenario. From the examination of the scientific evidence collected, some elements were established to explain the scope of teaching with digital technologies in Chilean schools, factors that influence the effective integration of technologies, and how the integration of digital technologies in Initial Teacher Education has been developed. For this purpose, a systematic literature review study was designed, with a sample of 23 articles whose content was analyzed through a categorized classification based on the criteria suggested by the Prisma protocol. The results obtained allow the conclusion, among other aspects, that the integration of digital technologies in Chilean education is a relevant and dynamic issue and that several approaches and models have emerged in its implementation, highlighting the importance of educational policies in the promotion and monitoring of this process in the classroom
The Chilean COVID-19 Genomics Network Biorepository: A Resource for Multi-Omics Studies of COVID-19 and Long COVID in a Latin American Population
No full textAlthough a lack of diversity in genetic studies is an acknowledged obstacle for personalized medicine and precision public health, Latin American populations remain particularly understudied despite their heterogeneity and mixed ancestry. This gap extends to COVID-19 despite its variability in susceptibility and clinical course, where ethnic background appears to influence disease severity, with non-Europeans facing higher hospitalization rates. In addition, access to high-quality samples and data is a critical issue for personalized and precision medicine, and it has become clear that the solution lies in biobanks. The creation of the Chilean COVID-19 Biorepository reported here addresses these gaps, representing the first nationwide multicentric Chilean initiative. It operates under rigorous biobanking standards and serves as one of South America's largest COVID cohorts. A centralized harmonization strategy was chosen and included unified standard operating procedures, a sampling coding system, and biobanking staff training. Adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection provided broad informed consent. Samples were collected to preserve blood, plasma, buffy coat, and DNA. Quality controls included adherence to the standard preanalytical code, incident reporting, and DNA concentration and absorbance ratio 260/280 assessments. Detailed sociodemographic, health, medication, and preexisting condition data were gathered. In five months, 2262 participants were enrolled, pseudonymized, and sorted by disease severity. The average Amerindian ancestry considering all participant was 44.0% [SD 15.5%], and this value increased to 61.2% [SD 19.5%] among those who self-identified as Native South Americans. Notably, 279 participants self-identified with one of 12 ethnic groups. High compliance (>90%) in all assessed quality controls was achieved. Looking ahead, our team founded the COVID-19 Genomics Network (C19-GenoNet) focused on identifying genetic factors influencing SARS-CoV-2 outcomes. In conclusion, this bottom-up collaborative effort aims to promote the integration of Latin American populations into global genetic research and welcomes collaborations supporting this endeavor. Interested parties are invited to explore collaboration opportunities through our catalog, accessible online
Effects of video-guided active breaks with curricular content on mental health and classroom climate in chilean schoolchildren aged 6 to 10: study protocol for a multicentre randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground The incidence of mental health issues in children is increasing worldwide. In Chile, a recent surge in reports of deteriorating mental health among school populations and an increase in complaints related to poor school climate have been observed. Physical activity, specifically active breaks in the classroom, has shown positive effects on children's health. However, evidence regarding its impact on mental health and school climate in children is limited. Objective This work outlines the design, measurements, intervention program, and potential efficacy of the "Active Classes + School Climate and Mental Health" project. This project will assess a 12-week program of active breaks through guided videos with curricular content in the school classroom, and its effects on mental health and school climate as its primary indicators. Additionally, it will measure physical activity, physical fitness, motor competence, and academic performance in students aged 6-10 years in the Biobío province, Chile, as secondary indicators. Methodology: A multicenter randomized controlled trial involving 823 students from 1st to 4th grade (6-10 years old), six schools (three intervention and three control) will be conducted in the Biobío region, Chile. Participants belonging to the intervention group will implement video-guided active breaks through the "Active Classes" web platform, featuring curricular content, lasting 5-10 min and of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, twice a day, Monday to Friday, over a span of 12 weeks. Expected Results/Discussion: To our knowledge, this will be the first study in Chile to evaluate the effects of incorporating video-guided active breaks with curricular content on mental health variables and school climate in schoolchildren. Thus, this study contributes to the scarce evidence on the effects of video-guided active breaks on mental health variables and school climate in schoolchildren worldwide. Additionally, it will provide crucial information about active teaching methodologies that have the potential to positively contribute to the wellbeing of students, thus addressing the problems of mental health and climate in Chilean schools. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT06423404
Integrative workflows for the characterization of hydrophobin and cerato-platanin in the marine fungus Paradendryphiella salina
No full textHydrophobins (HFBs) and cerato-platanins (CPs) are surface-active extracellular proteins produced by filamentous fungi. This study identified two HFB genes (pshyd1 and pshyd2) and one CP gene (pscp) in the marine fungus Paradendryphiella salina. The proteins PsCP, PsHYD2, and PsHYD1 had molecular weights of 12.70, 6.62, and 5.98 kDa, respectively, with isoelectric points below 7. PsHYD1 and PsHYD2 showed hydrophobicity (GRAVY score 0.462), while PsCP was hydrophilic (GRAVY score - 0.202). Stability indices indicated in-solution stability. Mass spectrometry identified 2,922 proteins, including CP but not HFB proteins. qPCR revealed differential gene expression influenced by developmental stage and substrate, with pshyd1 consistently expressed. These findings suggest P. salina's adaptation to marine ecosystems with fewer hydrophobin genes than other fungi but capable of producing surface-active proteins from seaweed carbohydrates. These proteins have potential applications in medical biocoatings, food industry foam stabilizers, and environmental bioremediation
Primer registro de Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae) en Argentina
No full textThe presence of the marmorated brown bug Halyomorpha halys in Argentina is reported for the first time, with specimens from the town of 9 de Julio, province of Buenos Aires. This species is compared with similar-looking Pentatominae species from Buenos Aires. Additionally, all known photographic records of this species are mapped. We also take the opportunity to extend the known geographical distribution of Pellaea stictica, a species studied here due to its resemblance to H. halys