Locations In Colombia Research Articles

Central America’s agro-ecological suitability for cultivating coca, Erythroxylum spp

Abstract We assess how much of Central America is likely to be agriculturally suitable for cultivating coca (Erythroxylum spp), the main ingredient in cocaine. Since 2017, organized criminal groups (not smallholders) have been establishing coca plantations in Central America for cocaine production. This has broken South America’s long monopoly on coca leaf production for the global cocaine trade and raised concerns about future expansion in the isthmus. Yet it is not clear how much of Central America has suitable biophysical characteristics for a crop domesticated in, and long associated with the Andean region. We combine geo-located data from coca cultivation locations in Colombia with reported coca sites in Central America to model the soil, climate, and topography of Central American landscapes that might be suitable for coca production under standard management practices. We find that 47% of northern Central America (Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize) has biophysical characteristics that appear highly suitable for coca-growing, while most of southern Central America does not. Biophysical factors, then, are unlikely to constrain coca’s spread in northern Central America. Whether or not the crop is more widely planted will depend on complex and multi-scalar social, economic, and political factors. Among them is whether Central American countries and their allies will continue to prioritize militarized approaches to the drug trade through coca eradication and drug interdiction, which are likely to induce further expansion, not contain it. Novel approaches to the drug trade will be required to avert this outcome.

Natural enemies of Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), with description of a new species of Leucopina Malloch (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae)

The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (PHM), Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) is a quarantine pest in Colombia, however, there is little information on its distribution within the country and its natural enemies. Samples of PHM were collected in several locations in Colombia from different host-plant species and kept in breeding chambers to extract their predators and parasitoids. Two novel natural enemies of M. hirsutus were recorded, i.e., Allotropa cf. citri Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and Leucopina nyiaybsa Gaimari & Montes, sp. n. (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) described herein. Furthermore, information on the distribution range in Colombia of the parasitoids Anagyrus kamali Moursi and Gyranusoidea indica Shafee, Alam and Agarwal (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is provided. A species of Pachyneuron (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was found as a possible parasitoid or hyperparasitoid somewhere in this system. Currently, in Colombia, the PHM is not considered an agricultural pest and its damage is restricted to primary hosts such as Hibiscus spp., Malvaviscus arboreus (Malvaceae) and soursop Annona muricata (Annonaceae). Prochiloneurus dactylopii (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was found as a possible hyperparasitoid. However, the number of recovered hyperparasitoids was low compared to the primary parasitoids that emerged in breeding chambers, which may explain why these species do not seem to interfere in the biological control of PHM. Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Leucopina nyiaybsa Gaimari & Montes, sp. n. are considered important predators of PHM.

Genomic epidemiology and antifungal-resistant characterization of Candida auris, Colombia, 2016-2021.

Candida auris is an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat and has caused multiple outbreaks in Colombia. This work discusses the likelihood of introductions and local transmission of C. auris and provides an updated description of the molecular mechanisms associated with antifungal resistance in Colombia. Efforts like this provide information about the evolving C. auris burden that could help guide public health strategies to control C. auris spread.

Spatiotemporal analysis of suicide attempts in Colombia from 2018 to 2020.

Suicide is one of the leading death causes worldwide, mainly among young adults, and Colombia has experienced an increase during the XXI century. The suicide impact has diverged between age groups and locations in Colombia, where young adults have taken higher incidences than the other age groups. The COVID-19 lockdown induced changes in mental health, affecting the previous suicide trends in the country. We conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of suicide attempts in Colombia per age group, adopting Bayesian models that represent 85,526 individual records in 1,121 municipalities from 2018 to 2020 using R-INLA. We found that Colombia exhibited an increase in suicide-attempt incidence from 2018 to 2019, and suddenly, the incidence fell in the first semester of 2020. The fixed effect of the models evidenced the highest risk in overall municipalities per trimester in the age group between 15-19 years old. The spatial random effect per model evidenced municipalities with the highest risk in the age groups between 10 to 59 years, mainly in the states in the Andean region of Colombia, and other states such as Putumayo, Vaupés, Arauca, Córdoba, Amazonas, and Meta. The temporal random effect evidenced a decay in suicide trends from the fourth trimester of 2019 to 2020, except in the age group > 59 years old. Geographically, our study pinpointed specific regions in Colombia, particularly in the central, southwest, and southeast areas, where the incidence of suicide attempts exceeded 100 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The nuanced breakdown of incidence across different age groups further underscores the importance of tailoring preventive strategies based on age-specific and regional risk factors.

Rootstock/scion compatibility effects on yield components in avocado cv. Hass in three locations in Colombia

This work aimed to evaluate the effects of stem morphological alterations resulting from grafting, defined as compatibility and incompatibility between the rootstock and scion, on fruit yield and quality of avocado cv. Hass in three producing areas in Colombia (Rionegro, El Peñol and Anserma) over two consecutive years. Avocado orchards were established by seedlings obtained by grafting Hass scions upon creole rootstock seedlings. Avocado grafted plants were propagated with tip grafting, with a scion bud of cv. Hass (standard procedure). A split-plot design with a blocking factor per locality was used. Main plot corresponded to the harvest season, and subplots to rootstock/scion degree of compatibility. Results showed that compatibility treatments did not significantly affect yield (kg/tree) and fruit number per tree. In 2020, main harvest presented the highest yield (48.05 kg/tree) and fruit number (321 fruits/tree), while in 2021, secondary harvest presented the lowest yield (7.31 kg/tree) and the fruit number (52 fruits/tree). Main harvests contributed with 71.4% for total average production of each year, while secondary harvests completed the fruit yield with 28.6%. Finally, rootstock/scion compatibility did not affect fruit number, fruit caliber distribution, and yield per tree, while yield was affected solely by harvest season.

Photosynthetic activity in avocado leaf ontogeny as a result of compatibility rootstock/scion in three locations in Colombia

Photosynthetic activity in avocado leaf ontogeny as a result of compatibility rootstock/scion in three locations in Colombia

Characterization of Fungal Communities Associated with the Lenticel-Like Damage of ‘Hass’ Avocados in Two Geographical Locations in Colombia

Different postharvest diseases and disorders affect ‘Hass’ avocado fruits. Among them, lenticel-like damages, which compromise the fruit epidermis without affecting the mesocarp, are important causes of fruit rejection worldwide. However, lenticel-like damage etiology is still unclear. To better comprehend this disorder, we evaluated the level of the lenticel-like damage from Hass avocado fruits from two different growing regions in Colombia at different harvest seasons. We also characterized the fungal microbial communities associated with these fruits by Illumina MiSeq. We found that the level of lenticel-like damage varies with the farm and with the harvest season, and increases during cold storage. Fungal communities associated with Hass avocado fruits were influenced by the farm and the lenticel-like damage level. Regardless of the farm, Ascomycetes were increased four-fold compared with Basidiomycetes in severely damaged fruits, while in mildly damaged fruits the ratio was equal. In particular, severely damaged fruits from the more affected farm (El Sinaí) were enriched in Colletotrichum and Pseudocercospora, while fungi in mildly damaged fruits from the less affected farm (La Escondida) include Cladosporium, Vishniacozyma, Meira, and Symmetrospora. Altogether, our results suggests that fungal communities of Hass avocado exocarps influence the lenticel-like damage development and might be responsible for the damage differences between farms.

Mantle-hosted ophiolitic chromitites from Colombia: implications for petrogenesis and geodynamic evolution

ABSTRACT Chromitite bodies can be found within ophiolitic mantle sections in three locations in Colombia: Medellín, Planeta Rica, and La Guajira. These chromitites are typically massive pods that are often surrounded by lateritic soil in Medellín and Planeta Rica, or small discoidal bodies in La Guajira. Inclusions in chromite are preserved to varying degrees in the three localities: olivine and pargasite are partially preserved in Medellín and Planeta Rica, whereas inclusions in La Guajira chromitites are completely altered to chlorite. Compositionally, chromite from the chromitites is high-Al in Medellín (Cr#[Cr/(Cr+Al) atomic ratio] = 0.41–0.51) and Planeta Rica (Cr# = 0.49–0.57), and high-Cr in La Guajira (Cr# = 0.75–0.76), whereas TiO2 contents are low in the three localities (0.12–0.43 wt%). Regarding trace elements composition, the chromitites are similar to others formed in supra-subduction zone settings; the chromite from the high-Al chromitites is similar to that in MORB/BABB, whereas chromite from the high-Cr chromitites has a strong boninitic affinity. Chromitites from Planeta Rica are richer in Ti, possibly due to the presence of nearby gabbroic bodies and impregnated peridotites. The alteration in chromite rims and silicate matrix is related to metamorphic processes. Bulk-rock platinum-group element (PGE) contents range from 30 to 487 ppb, and chondrite-normalized PGE patterns show the typical enrichment in IPGE relative to PPGE observed in most ophiolitic chromitites. The estimated melts in equilibrium with the different chromitites correspond to MORB-like melts for the Medellín and Planeta Rica chromitites and to boninites for La Guajira chromitites. However, the estimated TiO2 content in the melt is too low for a typical MORB, indicating back-arc basin basalts and a back-arc setting for the formation of the Medellín and Planeta Rica chromitites during the Late Triassic and the Late Jurassic, respectively. La Guajira chromitites are interpreted to have formed in a fore-arc basin related to subduction-initiation during Cretaceous times.

Interventions to Improve Antibiotic Use in Hospitals with Different Levels of Complexity in Colombia: Findings from a Before-and-After Study and Suggestions for the Future.

In the collaborative efforts to control bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the challenge for many low- and middle-income countries currently lies in the adequate design and successful implementation and operation of different strategies aimed at improving antibiotic use during hospital care. This study aims to provide data on these different strategies in three hospitals with different levels of complexity and geographic locations in Colombia. This before-and-after study describes and analyzes the development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), continuing education courses, quick consultation tools, and antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) with the use of telemedicine. This includes measuring indicators in the ASP framework such as adherence to CPGs and antibiotic consumption. We used five CPGs developed in the Colombian context. We designed and developed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and a mobile application (app) as strategies for dissemination and implementation. The ASP was designed and implemented according to each institution's level of complexity. In the three hospitals, a progressive increase in adherence to the antibiotic recommendations proposed in the CPGs was observed, and there was a lower use of antibiotics with the ASPs, both in the general wards and ICUs. We concluded that in medium-complexity hospitals located in small rural cities, successful development of ASPs is possible when they are well-planned, implemented, and supported by the organization. It is necessary that Colombia and other Latin American countries continue activities that reduce AMR by designing, implementing, and improving these interventions throughout the national territory.

Comparison, validation and improvement of empirical soil moisture models for conditions in Colombia.

Modeling soil moisture as a function of meteorological data is necessary for agricultural applications, including irrigation scheduling. In this study, empirical water balance models and empirical compartment models are assessed for estimating soil moisture, for three locations in Colombia. The daily precipitation and average, maximum and minimum air temperatures are the input variables. In the water balance type models, the evapotranspiration term is based on the Hargreaves model, whereas the runoff and percolation terms are functions of precipitation and soil moisture. The models are calibrated using field data from each location. The main contributions compared to closely related studies are: i) the proposal of three models, formulated by combining an empirical water balance model with modifications in the precipitation, runoff, percolation and evapotranspiration terms, using functions recently proposed in the current literature and incorporating new modifications to these terms; ii) the assessment of the effect of model parameters on the fitting quality and determination of the parameters with higher effects; iii) the comparison of the proposed empirical models with recent empirical models from the literature in terms of the combination of fitting accuracy and number of parameters through the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and also the Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) coefficient and the root mean square error. The best models described soil moisture with an NS efficiency higher than 0.8. No single model achieved the highest performance for the three locations.

Evaluation of tax incentives on the financial viability of microgrids

In recent years, the interest in the study and implementation of distributed generation systems and microgrids has increased. Seeking to promote the expansion of renewable generation, several countries have established specific tax policies and incentives. These strategies can have different impacts on the financial viability of the projects; therefore, decision-makers may find some policies more effective than others. This paper aims to compare and analyze the impact of some of the most common tax incentives on microgrid projects’ financial feasibility. Four tax incentives are considered in the study: income tax deduction (ITD), accelerated depreciation (AD), vat exemption VATE), and customs duty exemption (CDE). Such analysis is based on obtaining the cash flows and comparing financial indicators. The case study considers two locations in Colombia with both stand-alone and grid-tied MGs, for four MGs in total, whose sizing is obtained by HOMER Pro and HOMER Grid. A sensitivity analysis is performed to generalize the findings to microgrid projects around the world, which considers variations of the four tax incentives, purchase and sell-back prices, renewable installed capacity, and specific year for starting the application of AD and ITD.

Immigrants resettlement in developing countries: A data-driven decision tool applied to the case of Venezuelan immigrants in Colombia

Immigrants' choice of settlement in a new country can play a fundamental role in their socio-economic integration. This is especially relevant if there are important gaps among these locations in terms of significant factors such as job opportunities, quality of health service, among others. This research presents a methodology to perform a recommended geographic redistribution of immigrants to improve their chances of socio-economic integration. The proposed methodology adapts a data-driven algorithm developed by the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University to allocate immigrants based on a socio-economic integration outcome across available locations. We extend their approach to study the immigration process between two developing countries. Specifically, we focus on the case of the arrival of immigrants from Venezuela to Colombia. We consider the absorptive capacity of locations in Colombia and include the health and education needs of immigrants in our analysis. From the application in the Venezuelan-Colombian context, we find that the proposed redistribution increases the probability that immigrants access formal employment by more than 50%. Furthermore, we identify variables associated with immigrants' formal employment and discuss specific strategies to improve the probability of success of vulnerable immigrants.

Integration of phlebotomine ecological niche modelling, and mapping of cutaneous leishmaniasis surveillance data, to identify areas at risk of under-estimation

IntroductionPassive surveillance systems are thought to under-estimate the true incidence of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) by two- to five-fold. Ecological niche models based on remotely sensed data can identify environmental factors which favor phlebotomine vectors. Here we report an integrated approach to identifying areas at risk of cutaneous leishmaniasis by applying spatial analysis methods to niche model results, and local surveillance data, in two locations in Colombia with differing vector ecology. The objective was to identify townships in which later phases of the project could implement community-based surveillance to obtain direct estimates of under-reporting. Materials and methodsThe study was carried out in one municipality in each of two departments of the Andean region of Colombia: Pueblo Rico in Risaralda, and Rovira in Tolima. Niche mapping by maximum entropy, based on published and unpublished existing locations of Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) longiflocosa and Psychodopygus panamensis, and using variables on land cover, climate and elevation. Field catches were done in each municipality to test predictions of high relative probability of presence. The niche model results were included as a predictor in a conditional autoregressive spatial model, in which the outcome variable was the number of cases by township, as detected by passive surveillance. ResultsHaving rarefied 173 geolocated records, 46 of Pi. longiflocosa and 57 of Ps. panamensis were used for the niche modelling. At the national level, both species had high relative probability of presence on parts of the slopes of the three Andean cordilleras. Pi. longiflocosa also has a high relative probability of presence in the higher parts of the Magdalena valley, as does Ps. panamensis in some areas close to the Caribbean coast. At the local level, field catches confirmed that Pi. longiflocosa was the most abundant species in Rovira, and likewise Ps. panamensis in Pueblo Rico. The spatial regression showed that the incidence of ACL, according to surveillance, was positively, but not statistically significantly, associated with the relative probability of presence from the risk model. ConclusionsThese niche maps bring together published and unpublished results on phlebotomine species which are important vectors in Colombia. Maps of the fitted values of incidence were used to guide the selection of townships in which further phases of the study will attempt to quantify the extent of under-estimation of ACL incidence.

Energy, exergy, and environmental assessment of a small-scale solar organic Rankine cycle using different organic fluids

This article presents an energetic, exergetic, and environmental (3E) analysis of a solar powered simple Rankine Organic Cycle (ORC). The ORC is simulated using three organic working fluids, such as Toluene, Cyclohexane, and Acetone, meanwhile the solar system uses thermal oil Therminol 75. The present study shows the performance of this coupled system using historical solar annual radiation data from four of the highest solar potential locations in Colombia. Data used correspond to data for the cities Rancho Grande, Puerto Bolivar, Manaure, and Nazareth. Simulations were performed using commercial programs as MATLAB® and REFPROP 9.0. Energy production, the energy and exergetic efficiencies of the system, the exergy destruction was calculated based on the input of the global solar radiation. Effects generated by each working fluid in the solar powered ORC system was determined. It was stablished that the heat obtained in the solar collector in combination with a storage tank is incorporated during non-radiation hours guarantees the thermal stability of the working fluid in the ORC. The best performance corresponds to the Rancho Grande city, being the Toluene the corresponding working fluid with the highest energy (14.6%) and exergetic (7.37%) efficiencies, as well as the maximum power generation (5.50 kW) for October month, meanwhile, the highest exergy destruction values correspond in April. A sensitivity analysis of the individual elements of the system was performed. This study revealed the preference of a lower evaporator pinch point temperature, higher turbine thermal efficiency, pump thermal efficiency, and pressure ratio to obtain better energy and exergy efficiency of the solar powered ORC system. Additionally, the potential environmental impact of the system was evaluated through a Life Cycle Analysis, obtaining for the solar system solar collector has the highest environmental impact with 78557850 mPts. Meanwhile for the ORC, the turbine registers the most significant environmental impact with 295516 mPts (7.34%), when Toluene is used as a working fluid and copper as a construction material in the location of Rancho Grande. In conclusion, the potentiality of planning the operation of solar powered ORC was successfully evaluated for four specific locations in Colombia.

Intestinal Parasites of Neotropical Wild Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, and Jaguarundis in Colombia: Old Friends Brought Back from Oblivion and New Insights.

Neotropical wild felids (NWF) are obligate carnivore species present in Central and South America, and some are considered endangered due to constantly decreasing populations. NWF can become infected by a wide range of protozoan and metazoan parasites, some of them affecting their health conditions and others having anthropozoonotic relevance. Parasitological studies on NWF are still very scarce, and most data originated from dead or captive animals. On this account, the current study aimed to characterize gastrointestinal parasites of free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), and jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), i.e., four out of six NWF species endemic to Colombia. Fecal samples from jaguars (n = 10) and ocelots (n = 4) were collected between 2012 and 2017 as part of the Jaguar Corridor Initiative from six geographic locations in Colombia. In addition, cestode specimens were obtained during puma and jaguarundi necropsies. Scat samples were processed by standardized sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin (SAF), sedimentation, and flotation techniques and by carbol fuchsin-stained fecal smears. Morphological evaluation of feces showed the presence of one cestode (Spirometra sp.), a nematode (Toxocara cati), an acanthocephalan (Oncicola sp.), and one cyst-forming coccidian (Cystoisospora-like oocysts). Feces oocysts were submitted to a Toxoplasma gondii-specific PCR for species identification, but no product was amplified. The cestodes isolated from a puma and jaguarundi were molecularly characterized by sequencing cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, identifying them as Taenia omissa and as a T. omissa sister lineage, respectively. These results collectively demonstrate the potential role of NWF as natural reservoir hosts for neglected zoonotic parasites (e.g., Spirometra sp., T. cati) and highlight their possible role in parasite transmission to human communities. Due to public health concerns, the occurrence of these parasites should be monitored in the future for appropriate zoonotic management practices in conservation strategies and wild felid health management programs.

Moving with risk: Forced displacement and vulnerability to hazards in Colombia

• Analyses vulnerability to hazards as a consequence of forced displacement. • Explores the experiences and perspectives of displaced people in Colombia. • Reveals how resettlement and risk reflect their ongoing marginalisation. • Multiple structural barriers limit people’s engagement in disaster risk reduction. • Potential exists for more flexible and creative approaches to risk management. The paper examines the processes through which people forced from their homes by conflict can become exposed to heightened risk from environmental hazards in the places where they resettle. It reports on research undertaken with internally displaced people who moved to informal settlements in four locations in Colombia. With one of the world’s largest displaced populations and a high annual incidence of hazard events such as landslides and floods, enabling people to create a durable sense of security in their places of resettlement is a major development challenge for the country. However, as the testimonies from individual experiences and perspectives makes clear, this problem is not one that can or should be addressed simply by enforcing existing land use and tenure regulations. The study combined qualitative interview methods with arts-based elements designed to facilitate and open up dialogue with research participants. We found that creating a permanent home, however modest, has symbolic meaning that reflects both personal struggle and collective effort: it represents security and stability, even in sites people know are associated with hazards. In tracing how they have interacted with multiple forms of risk, our work shows how displaced people have had to weigh up the threats they face against limited resettlement options, in an ongoing context of marginalisation. For complex reasons, this is a population that tends to be excluded from formal disaster preparedness and mitigation. However, there are indications that this prevailing situation could be challenged, promoting greater flexibility on the part of governmental organisations and enabling communities to become more engaged in disaster risk reduction. In bringing empirical depth to a topic of global significance at the intersection of displacement, disaster and development, we support the call for adaptable approaches to disaster risk management that can support displaced people more effectively and equitably.

Allometry and geographic variation of the morphology of Achatina fulica (Achatinidae) in Colombia

ABSTRACT The morphological characterisation of populations of exotic species is relevant for monitoring their impacts, as morphological traits are the first to react to environmental gradients. In Colombia, the giant African snail (Achatina fulica) has expanded across the country, occupying different habitats. We assessed the morphological variations of its shell in the cis- and trans-Andean regions of Colombia. We systematically and opportunistically collected snails at 12 locations in Colombia and applied geometric morphometric methods to analyse shell morphology variations. We found significant differences in A. fulica shell morphology, size, and allometry between cis- and trans-Andean regions. We also found differences in the frequencies of colour patterns, with pattern #2 being most frequent in the cis-Andean region and pattern #5 in the trans-Andean region. Results suggest that the shell morphology of A. fulica is an attribute that may respond to environmental, management or genetic differences between cis- and trans-Andean regions and that these differences should be considered in the design of management strategies across the country.

Dark materials: Pre-Columbian black lithic carvings from St Vincent and the wider Caribbean

A small number of pre-Columbian black lithic carvings have been found at archaeological sites across the Caribbean, as well as in parts of neighbouring mainland South America. The identity of the material used to create these artefacts is often unknown, but suggestions include lignite, wood, petrified wood, manja(c)k, jet (or ‘jet-like’ materials) and hardened asphalt. These identifications are often historical and lacking any scientific basis, and as such can be unreliable. However, identification of the material has the potential to inform on the source of the carving and thereby pre-Columbian trade routes within the circum-Caribbean region. Four analytical techniques (reflectance microscopy, FTIR, Py-GC/MS, x-ray fluorescence) were applied to samples taken from two carvings found on St Vincent and five comparative materials. Both artefacts were found to be most likely carved from cannel coal, indicating that they originated in South America (where cannel coal is found extensively in locations in Colombia and Venezuela), as the material is not found within the Caribbean region.

Detection of mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species in Colombia

The genus Fusarium produces mycotoxins that are metabolites of low molecular weight that affect the quality of crops, and even more importantly, they affect the health of humans and animals. Among those that cause damage to health are trichothecenes, fumonisins, and zearalenones. The objective of this study was to quantify the mycotoxins produced by species of the genus Fusarium from a population of isolates obtained from different crops and locations in Colombia. From 206 isolates, only 14 amplified to regions associated with mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) belonging to the group of trichothecenes, fumonisin (FUM) and zearalenone (ZEA) using PCR. Each isolate with the presence of mycotoxins was conserved in potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Eight days after seeding in corn kernel medium, the samples were processed to perform the quantitative analysis of DON, ZEA and FUM using an ELISA kit based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The results show that mycotoxins were present in the evaluated isolates and their levels were above the standards regulated by Mercosur and the European Union. The use of immunosorbent assays using the ELISA technique becomes a useful tool to detect and quantify mycotoxins of species of the genus Fusarium that affect different crops in Colombia.

Connecting Teachers: A Virtual Environment for Networking and Innovation

Educational innovation and collaborative work among teachers are some of the most critical challenges that higher education institutions currently have, especially when the geographical locations of the university’s headquarters are in different places. UNIMINUTO is a university with more than 4700 teachers, present in 64 different locations in Colombia, making the training processes and meetings for teachers a challenging task. The current paper shows the results, and perceived benefits of the Fourth Annual Meeting of Innovative Pedagogical Practices, an online space conceived as an institutional strategy to acknowledge and share innovative experiences inside different learning environments, created by our teachers. The meeting took place through UNIMINUTO YouTube Streaming channel, with the primary goal of increasing access and participation of teachers inside the organization. However, the results showed that even people from other educational organizations and cities interacted in the meeting, increasing the visibility of the teachers and their practices, allowing them to receive feedback from different sources and to create new networks. At the same time, teachers perceived this online strategy as a way to make knowledge available to them, more accessible in terms of times and costs because they could access it without investing in any transportation costs. Those results open the path to transforming those classroom experiences into collaborative educational research, adding value to the institutional strategy towards improving learning outcomes by using didactics that help future professionals develop their skills and competences through didactics and innovation.