AGCBA. Artículos de Investigación
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- PublicaciónAcceso abiertoDinámica de Sistemas y Crecimiento Económico(2021-12-14)Este artículo muestra que la teoría económica se puede analizar mediante la dinámica de sistemas, un enfoque intuitivo que permite representar en forma gráfica los lazos de retroalimentación entre las variables que intervienen en los modelos. En particular, modela la visión del crecimiento de Adam Smith, según la interpretación muy simplificada de Robert Heilbroner, (desarrollada en foma más integral y exhaus-tiva por su maestro, el sociólogo y economista alemán Adolph Lowe) proponiendo un sistema computacional para el estudio de modelos complejos. El trabajo no pretende hacer un aporte original a la modelación económica sino mostrar una herramienta que permite hacer simulaciones con base en los principios de la dinámica de siste-mas, utilizando software especializado; una herramienta que se puede utilizar en la enseñanza para mostrar opciones de modelación alternativas a las convencionales.
- PublicaciónAcceso abiertoEfecto de la cobertura vegetal en escarabajos coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) y sus funciones ecológicas en un bosque andino de Colombia(2022-01-28)Introduction: Dung beetles perform important functions in terrestrial ecosystems, but anthropic pressures affect them negatively. These effects are well documented in neotropical lowland forests but have been studied little in Andean forests. Objective: To evaluate how the attributes of the dung beetle assemblages and three of their ecological functions differ in three types of vegetation cover, and to determine the relationships between attributes and functions, and among functions. Methods: Dung beetles were captured with pitfall traps, and ecological functions were measured through a field experiment in the farm “El Ocaso” (Colombia), in three types of vegetation cover: secondary forest, mixed forest and cattle pasture (three independent sites per cover). The assemblage attributes that were evaluated were abun-dance, number of species, biomass, and weighted mean body length; functions measured were dung removal, soil excavation, and secondary seed dispersal. Results: It was found that both the assemblage attributes and the ecological functions were negatively affected in the more disturbed vegetation covers, particularly in cattle pastures. Most of the assemblage attributes cor-related positively with functions; soil excavation and secondary seed dispersal had a strong positive correlation with dung removal. Conclusions: Dung beetle assemblages play important ecological functions and they are sensitive to ecosystem disturbances. This study shows how dung beetles and their functions are affected negatively when forest is trans-formed to cattle pasture in the understudied and highly fragmented Andean forest ecosystems.Key words: Andean region; dung removal; fragmented landscape; premontane forests; secondary seed dispersal; soil excavation.
- PublicaciónAcceso abiertoNew PEPTIR-2.0 Peptide Designed for Use as Recognition Element in Electrochemical Biosensors with Improved Specificity towards E. coli O157:H7(2022-04-22)The detection of pathogens through alternative methodologies based on electrochemical biosensors is being studied. These devices exhibit remarkable properties, such as simplicity, specificity, and high sensitivity in monitoring pathogens. However, it is necessary to continue conducting studies that adequately improve these characteristics, especially the recognition molecule. This work aims to design and evaluate a new peptide, named PEPTIR-2.0, as a recognition molecule in electrochemical biosensors to detect E. coli O157:H7 in water. PEPTIR-2.0 was obtained from modifications of the PEPTIR-1.0 peptide sequence, which was previously reported and exhibited excellent properties for detecting and quantifying this pathogenic microorganism. PEPTIR-1.0 is a peptide analogous to the TIR (Translocated Intimin Receptor) protein capable of interacting with the Intimin outer membrane. The basis of this study was to obtain, by using bioinformatics tools, a molecule analogous to PEPTIR-1.0 that maintains its three-dimensional structure but increases the hydrophobic interactions between it and Intimin, since these intermolecular forces are the predominant ones. The designed PEPTIR-2.0 peptide was immobilized on screen-printed electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles. The detection capacity of E. coli O157:H7 in water was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in the presence of other microorganisms, such as P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and non-pathogenic E. coli. The results showed that PEPTIR-2.0 confers remarkable specificity to the biosensor towards detecting E. coli, even higher than PEPTIR-1.0.
- PublicaciónAcceso abiertoConsumo de tabaco en estudiantes universitarios: Motivación a la cesación y dependencia(2020-08-21)Introducción. En 2018, el cáncer de pulmón se ubicó en primer lugar a nivel mundial, tanto en incidencia y mortalidad con 2,0 y 1,8 millones de casos respectivamente. Además, en los últimos cuatro años, ocupó el cuarto lugar en prevalencia, con 2,1 millones de casos anuales. Objetivo. Determinar la dependencia y motivación a la cesación del consumo de tabaco en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios mediante pruebas estandarizadas y entrevista semi-estructurada. Materiales y métodos. Se trata de un estudio mixto, transversal. Para evaluar la dependencia a la nicotina y la cesación del consumo se emplearon las pruebas de Fagerström y Richmond. Resultados. Se observa ausencia de relación entre el grado de motivación para la cesación del consumo de tabaco y el nivel de dependencia. Los sujetos presentan un nivel dudoso de dejación del consumo de tabaco a pesar de encontrarse en una dependencia muy baja. El factor familiar y social se convierte en promotor de la dependencia e iniciación. Conclusión. Se identifica una baja motivación para la dejación del consumo, por lo tanto, es necesario promover intervenciones dirigidas a la atención del tabaquismo.
- PublicaciónAcceso abiertoCumplimiento de la normatividad en droguerías con servicio de glucometría en cuatro ciudades de Santander, Colombia(2019-05-01)Objective To evaluate the compliance of the service of glucometry in drugstores in the department of Santander - Colombia. Methods Cross-sectional observational study. An assessment instrument based on the normativity and validated by experts was used. Results The poll was applied to 68 drugstores. The results were categorized as follows: human resources, equipment, infrastructure, documentation - registration, and survei-llance and control processes. In the first category, shortcomings related to the acade-mic training of the staff in charge of the drugstore were identified, with a compliance percentage of 66,2% and in the training of personnel in the management of the gluco-metry equipment, 35,3%. In general, the knowledge of the regulations by the staff was 36,8%. In the equipment and infrastructure categories, a level of compliance of more than 50% is evident for all items, except in those related to calibration equipment. In the fourth category, specifically in documentation and registration, the levels of regulatory compliance are less than 50% in all items, except in the one related with the information that is offered to the patient during the procedure. The results show a failure in the surveillance and control processes, where only 57,4% of the establishments confirm inspection visits.Conclusions The results of this study reveal widespread ignorance of the regulations in drugstores that provide the glu-cometry service; consequently, not all regulatory requirements are met. Promoting training programs and strengthening the culture of self-evaluation guarantees safe processes for the patient.