Department Of Valle Del Cauca Research Articles

First evidence of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (Arenavirus) infection in Mus musculus rodents captured in the urban area of the municipality of Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia

The lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus is an Old World arenavirus that infects Mus musculus, and can cause congenital hydrocephalus, chorioretinitis and multisystemic failure in transplant human recipients. Although the disease has not been clinically diagnosed in Colombia yet, there have been reports of infection with the Pichindé virus in rodents from Cauca and Valle del Cauca departments, and with the Guanarito virus in rodents from Córdoba department. To identify the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus from Mus musculus captured in the municipality of Sincelejo. We evaluated 80 samples of plasma by ELISA using antigen from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. Additionally, a nested RT-PCR was performed to seropositive and seronegative samples for the S-segment. We found a 10% seroprevalence (8/80) and the viral genome was detected in 16 brain samples; the alignment (BLAST) and the phylogenetic analysis (MrBayes, version 3.2.2) confirmed the presence of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. The results indicated that human infection with the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in humans could occur in the urban area of Sincelejo, although no cases have been reported so far.

Mapping Zika virus disease incidence in Valle del Cauca.

Geographical information systems (GIS) use for development of epidemiological maps in tropical diseases is increasingly frequently utilized. Here, we apply this technique to map the current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Colombia. Surveillance cases data of the ongoing epidemic of ZIKV in Valle del Cauca department and its capital, Cali (2015-2016), were used to estimate cumulated incidence rates (cases/100,000 population) to develop the first maps in the department and it municipalities. The GIS software used was Kosmo Desktop 3.0RC1®. Three thematic incidence rate maps were developed. Up to April 2, 2016, 9,825 cases of ZIKV were reported (15.15% of the country cases). The burden of ZIKV infection has been concentrated in the North of the department. Valle del Cauca borders with other departments with incidence of ZIKV infection, such as Quindío (173 cases) and Risaralda (687 cases). Eleven municipalities of Valle del Cauca had cases in the range between 250 and 499 cases/100,000, all in the North and East of the department. Cali, the capital concentrates more than a third of the reported cases of ZIKV in Valle del Cauca. Use of GIS-based epidemiological maps allows to guide decision-making for prevention and control of diseases that constitute significant public health problems in the region and the country, such as exemplified by the emergence of ZIKV infection, particularly in departments such as Valle del Cauca with a high disease incidence.

SELECCIÓN DE CANDIDATOS EN ESCENARIOS DE ATOMIZACIÓN DIRIGENCIAL. ANÁLISIS DE LOS CASOS DE CALI Y EL VALLE DEL CAUCA, ELECCIONES LOCALES Y REGIONALES 2015

El presente artículo analiza el proceso de selección de candidatos para las elecciones locales y regionales de 2015 en el departamento del Valle del Cauca y en el municipio de Santiago de Cali (Colombia). Más precisamente, hace referencia al impacto que tuvieron sobre dicho proceso variables institucionales, en especial aquellas pertenecientes al sistema electoral en un escenario de atomización dirigencial y de identidades partidarias débiles. De este modo, se evalúa cómo arreglos institucionales como la magnitud del distrito electoral y el tipo de lista impactan en la designación de los candidatos de los distintos partidos a la gobernación, asamblea departamental (Valle) y la alcaldía y el concejo municipal (Cali, capital del departamento).

Encuesta de acceso a servicios de salud para hogares colombianos

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to design and validate a health services access survey for households in Colombia to provide a methodological tool that allows the country to accumulate evidence of real-life access conditions experienced by the Colombian population. MethodsA validation study with experts and a pilot study were performed. It was conducted in the municipality of Jamundi, located in the department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Probabilistic, multistage and stratified cluster sampling was carried out. The final sample was 215 households. ResultsThe survey was composed of 63 questions divided into five modules: socio-demographic profile of the head of the household or adult informant, household socioeconomic profile, access to preventive services, access to curative and rehabilitative services and household out of pocket expenditure. In descriptive terms, the promotion of preventive services only reached 44%; the use of these services was always highest among children younger than one year old and up to the age of ten. The perceived need for emergency medical care and hospitalisation was between 82% and 85%, but 36% perceived the quality of care to be low or very low. Delays were experienced in medical visits with GPs and specialists. DiscussionThe designed survey is valid, relevant and representative of access to health services in Colombia. Empirically, the pilot showed institutional weaknesses in a municipality of the country, indicating that health coverage does not in practice mean real and effective access to health services.

Caracterización del ambiente térmico para la actividad ganadera bovina en el Valle del Cauca, Colombia

<p>La influencia del clima sobre el comportamiento de los animales ha sido demostrada desde hace muchos años. Variables climáticas como la temperatura (T, °C), humedad relativa (HR, %), radiación solar (Rs, W/m2) y velocidad del viento (Vv, m/s), por fuera de sus rangos normales, pueden desplazar a los rumiantes de su zona de confort, generando en estos impactos negativos sobre su comportamiento, productividad y reproducción. Con el fin de caracterizar el ambiente térmico de la actividad ganadera en el Valle del Cauca, se utilizaron 2 índices (índices de carga calórica para ganado de leche y carne) biometeorológicos para conocer la relación animal – ambiente. Los índices se aplicaron para los rangos climáticos más representativos del departamento (T= 20–35; HR= 60–100; Vv= 0-10), encontrándose que para las vacas lecheras en condiciones de T >23, HR>80 y 0 Vv iniciaban a presentar signos de estrés calórico, mientras que para el ganado de carne iniciaban con T>25, HR>60 y Vv<1,5. En conclusión, estos índices, son indicadores útiles para determinar el grado de estrés calórico que se pueda presentar en las fincas durante ciertos momentos del día para determinados meses del año, ayudando a planificar acciones para controlar su efecto en el ganado bovino y con ello paliar los impactos en su comportamiento productivo y reproductivo.</p>

Spatial distribution of dry forest orchids in the Cauca River Valley and Dagua Canyon: Towards a conservation strategy to climate change

Epiphytic orchids are fundamental elements of the dynamics and composition of tropical ecosystems; there are an estimated 19,000 species worldwide, of which 85 occur in the dry forests of the basins of the Cauca and Dagua rivers in the Valle del Cauca Department in southwestern Colombia. These plants form the interface between the forest and the atmosphere and depend on aerial nutrient sources, rain, and water vapour for survival. This physiological dependence on the climate makes them especially sensitive to changes in the atmosphere and temperature, so they are ideal models for the study of climate change (CC). The objective of this study was to detect changes in the spatial distribution of seven orchid species in the tropical dry forest in the department of Valle del Cauca and their significance in terms of conservation planning for CC. A maximum entropy algorithm was used for modelling, and nine variables were analysed. Presence data for 30 municipalities came from 31 field trips, herbarium data, and the literature, and the current potential distribution was compared against the SRES-A2 scenario developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and modelled for the 2080–2100 time horizon. For the set of seven species, the results show an altitudinal increase under the future CC scenario compared to the present, but the responses vary amongst taxa, elevation, and location, depending on the degree of thermal specialization. Under the future CC scenario, the suitability of mid-mountain areas will increase at the expense of the basal areas where dry forest orchids are currently found, and the Cordillera Occidental will have a greater concentration of suitable areas than the Cordillera Central. Variables such as accessibility, land coverage, temperature, and water availability explain 88.6% of the model. A strategy to combat the impending loss of biodiversity due to CC is the establishment of Altitudinal Migration Corridors (AMCs) that connect the forest relics of the alluvial plain with the mid-mountain areas. Areas with a probability of species occurrence greater than P=0.75 have been identified with MaxEnt software, and these areas constitute “thermal refugia”, which, together with existing protected areas, form the backbone of this conservation strategy. Protection of xeric shrublands and the appropriate management of phorophytes would not only facilitate the dispersion processes of these orchids but also the survival of other flora and fauna in the dry forest of the Valle del Cauca River against CC.

Methodology to develop endemic channels and notification trends for dengue in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, 2009-2013.

Dengue is the fastest spreading disease in the world and a permanent threat to global public health. It is a viral illness for which approximately 2.5 million people are at high risk of infection. Given the severity of the disease at national and global levels, new predictive methodologies need to be generated to facilitate decision-making in public health. To characterize cases of dengue reported from 2009 to 2013 in Valle del Cauca department, Colombia, and to establish a methodology to develop endemic channels that can be applied to this event. This was a retrospective descriptive study. Notification forms were used as a secondary database to characterize dengue cases from 2009 to 2013. Two endemic channels were developed, one using running means and the other through exponential smoothing. Dengue in the department of Valle del Cauca showed a positive tendency, indicating that the number of cases had increased in the last five years. An important variation was observed that could be explained by a three-year cycle beginning in the first epidemiological period of the year. The development of the dengue endemic channel for Valle del Cauca illustrates the importance of applying these monitoring methodologies to events of public health interest. As can be seen from the results, there were some years in which the number of cases was very low and others in which the epidemic reached very high levels.

TWO NEW SPECIES AND TWO NEW VARIETIES OF COLUMNEA (GESNERIACEAE)

<p>In this paper two new species of Gesneriaceae (genus Columnea) are described and illustrated. Columnea chocoensis is distributed in the Colombian departments of Chocó and Valle del Cauca, while its variety, C. chocoensis var. altaquerensis is restricted to the Department of Nariño, Colombia. Columnea stilesiana was found in La Serranía de Los Paraguas located in the Cordillera Occidental between the Chocó and Valle del Cauca Departments in Colombia. Further, Columnea archidonae is here considered a variety of C. ericae; Columnea ericae var. archidonae is distributed in Colombia and Ecuador, in forests at elevations higher than those in which the typical variety is found.</p>

The Conflict of the Indicators

This text presents a critique of the version of the Colombian conflict constructed by Law 1448 of 2011 and the indicators designed to evaluate its implementation. The principal argument is that the text of the law and the indicators used have produced, consolidated and normalized an exclusionary vision of the armed conflict and created an exotic idea of the conflict, centred on the rural and the distant, ignoring its nearby, everyday nature. This exotic concept of the conflict is linked to the way in which the model of transitional justice has been constructed and globalized. The text is based on a case study carried out in Cali, the capital of the Department of Valle del Cauca, and currently the most violent urban centre in the country. The conclusion of the paper is that indicators are not only measures — they shape reality and profoundly impact people’s lives.

A new species of Camaridium (Orchidaceae: Maxillariinae) from the cloud forests of Colombia

Camaridium perezianum is described from the remnant cloud forests of Valle del Cauca Department (western range of the Andes, southwestern Colombia). This new species is most similar to C. nutantiflorum, from which it differs by its subrhombic, apically rounded labellum and by its ligulate, minutely trifid, basally papillose callus. The seemingly bifid callus reported for C. nutantiflorum is shown to be an artifact caused by longitudinal splitting when flattening the labellum; the callus in living and liquid-preserved flowers is thick and widely obtuse. A key to the six species of the C. carinulatum alliance is provided.

Estudio de los principales sectores competitivos del Valle del Cauca en relación con el comercio internacional

Se presenta un análisis sectorial del Valle del Cauca frente al comercio internacional, debido a la necesidad de realizar estudios que hagan una mayor exploración de indicadores de comercio exterior a nivel regional y sectorial, sirviendo de base para la generación de estrategias en exportación; aplicando los indicadores en relación con la posición comercial, dinamismo internacional y dinámica intrarregional a la canasta exportadora del Valle del Cauca, seleccionada por la participación de los sectores en el total de exportaciones del departamento, permitiendo hacer un análisis holístico sobre el comportamiento y perspectiva de cada sector en el ámbito internacional. Se concluye que el Valle del Cauca es un departamento competitivo en los sectores de azúcar y confites, papel y cartón- manufacturas de pasta, máquinas- aparatos y material eléctrico; en el ámbito internacional, estos sectores presentan un desempeño alto en exportaciones y participación, además logran consolidar los destinos de Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile y Perú, como socios comerciales del departamento.

Tantilla alticola (Boulenger, 1903) (Squamata: Colubridae): filling a geographical distribution gap in western Colombia

Based on a single specimen collected in La Delfina, municipality of Dagua, department of Valle del Cauca, we fills a record gap of 255 km in the distribution of the snake Tantilla alticola in western Colombia.

Evaluación de una estrategia de fidelización de clientes con dinámica de sistemas

The customer loyalty programs are a tool of differentiation and high impact to create long term relationships with customers of a company, so as to achieve an improvement in the portfolio and collections, redu­ced costs of customer service, increased revenue from higher sales to the most profitable customers, cross selling, among many other benefits. Ac­cordingly, we present a system dynamic model to analyze the economic benefits, in terms of profitability, which would be to implement a customer loyalty strategy. To adjust and validate the proposed model, its implemen­tation is done in a real case of a marketer of agricultural products in the department of Valle del Cauca - Colombia. The simulation results show that indeed the model fulfills its purpose, and that the loyalty program achieved significant results in the finances of the organization.

Genetic Correlations and Path Analysis in Butternut Squash Cucurbita moschata Duch

A genetic correlation and path analysis was carried out for yield and fruit quality components of diallel crosses of butternut squash Cucurbita moschata Duch, using open-pollinated introductions, S0 and inbred lines S1 and S2 at two sites: Candelaria and Buga, located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A split-plot experimental design with arranged, random blocks and four replicates was used. The average fruit weight presented positive genetic correlations with the total production per plant in all three generations and at both test sites. The total plant dry matter and total production per plant presented a high genetic correlation, and the fruit dry matter was inversely correlated with the total carotene. The total carotene and fruit color were independent. The path analysis confirmed high genetic correlations between the number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, and total plant dry matter, with direct, positive effects, that were significantly greater than zero for the variables of number of fruits per plant and average fruit weight in regards to the total plant dry matter. The total production per plant expressed a direct, negative effect on the total plant dry matter. The fruit dry matter presented an indirect, negative effect on the total plant dry matter through the average fruit weight and an indirect, positive effect through the total production per plant.

Effect of the addition of pentoxifylline on the therapeutic and inflammatory response in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial

Effect of the addition of pentoxifylline on the therapeutic and inflammatory response in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial

Influence of potassium in the culture of the grape (Vitis labrusca) cv. ISABELLA

El potasio (K+) desempeña un papel importante en el crecimiento y la producción de la vid (Vitis labrusca). Para evaluar la influencia de diferentes dosis de sulfato de potasio (K2SO4) en el rendimiento y la calidad de uvas cosechadas, se realizó un estudio en plantaciones de vid cv. Isabella sembradas en la finca El Yundecito, municipio de Palmira, departamento del Valle del Cauca, Colombia. El seguimiento a la absorción de K+ se realizó mediante análisis foliares en cuatro etapas fenológicas del cultivo. Se evaluaron las siguientes variables de respuesta: número de racimos por planta, peso de racimo, longitud del racimo, bayas por racimo, grados Brix y rendimiento. Se utilizó un diseño experimental de bloques completos al azar con tres repeticiones y cuatro tratamientos: 0 (testigo), 100, 150 y 225 g de K2SO4 planta-1. Los datos obtenidos se analizaron mediante análisis de varianza, prueba de Duncan, análisis de correlación y análisis de regresión. Los resultados muestran que la adición de 100 g de K2SO4 planta-1 aumentó el rendimiento en un 24% con respecto al testigo. Cuanto más alto la cantidad de sulfato de potasio aplicado, mayor la disminución en el rendimiento. Igual situación se presentó con las variables de calidad, lo que sugiere que las aplicaciones superiores a esta dosis implican costos innecesarios y son poco amigables con el medio ambiente.

Alianza Educación-Sector Productivo, una apuesta que vale la pena. Caso: Sector Agroecológico del Valle del Cauca

Se presenta la evaluación de impacto del proyecto de la alianza para el sector agroecológico de la caña de azúcar, en el departamento del Valle del Cauca, bajo la dirección del Ministerio de Educación Nacional-MEN y la coordinación de la Universidad Autónoma de Occidente-UAO. En la evaluación se analizaron diversos factores, tales como: cobertura, proceso formativo, capacitación docente, resultados SABER 11 en las instituciones de educación media, impacto y ambientes de aprendizaje. Se realizó una investigación mixta que reunió los métodos y elementos cuantitativos y cualitativos, con el propósito de maximizar los recursos de información existentes y responder efectivamente a las necesidades de información del estudio, analizando diversas fuentes (estatales, educativas, empresariales), relacionadas de alguna forma con el proyecto de la Alianza.

Two new greenish Encyclia: E. parkeri and E. silverarum (Laeliinae, Orchidaceae)

Two new species of Encyclia are proposed, E. silverarum and E. parkeri. Both species belong in the Encyclia chloroleuca complex, conformed also by E. chloroleuca, E. elegantula, and E. peraltensis, among others. Encyclia silverarum is known only from Panama. This species is very similar to Encyclia chloroleuca, but it is distinguished by the color of its sepals and petals (pale green-yellowish brown) and the falcate and proportionally short (<0.60 vs. >0.80 cm long) side lobes of the labellum. Encyclia parkeri, known only from Colombia (Department of Valle del Cauca), also is similar to Encyclia chloroleuca; however, it is distinguished by its flowers with olive-green to ocher petals and sepals, labellum creamy white, with the central lobe with many keels (at least three), all warty and usually slightly tinged red-purple.

Esporogénesis, esporodermo y ornamentación de esporas maduras en Lycopodiaceae

Studies on reproductive aspects, spore morphology and ultrastructure of Lycopodiaceae are not very common in the scientific literature, and constitute essential information to support taxonomic and systematic relationships among the group. In order to complete existing information, adding new and broader contributions on these topics, a comparative analysis of the sporogenesis ultrastructure, with emphasis on cytological aspects of the sporocyte coat development, tapetum, monoplastidic and polyplastidic meiosis, sporoderm ontogeny and ornamentation of the mature spores, was carried out in 43 taxa of eight genera of the Lycopodiaceae: Austrolycopodium, Diphasium, Diphasiastrum, Huperzia (including Phlegmariurus), Lycopodium, Lycopodiella, Palhinhaea and Pseudolycopodiella growing in the Andes of Colombia and the Neotropics. For this study, the transmission elec- tron microscopy (TEM) samples were collected in Cauca and Valle del Cauca Departments, while most of the spores for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were obtained from herbarium samples. We followed standard preparation procedures for spore observation by TEM and SEM. Results showed that the sporocyte coat is largely composed by primary wall components; the sporocyte develop much of their metabolic activity in the production of their coat, which is retained until the spores release; protective functions for the diploid cells undergoing meiosis is postulated here for this layer. The abundance of dictyosomes in the sporocyte cytoplasm was related to the formation and development of the sporocyte coat. Besides microtubule activity, the membrane of sporocyte folds, associated with electrodense material, and would early determine the final patterns of spore ornamentation. Monoplastidic condition is common in Lycopodium s.l., whereas polyplastidic condition was observed in species of Huperzia and Lycopodiella s. l. In monoplastidic species, the tapetum presents abun- dant multivesicular bodies, while in polyplastidic species, the secretory activity of the tapetum is less intense. Sporoderm development is centripetal, exospore is the first formed layer, then the endospore and, if present, perispore is the final deposited layer. Adult spores of the Lycopodiaceae showed two patterns of ornamentation: negative or caviform (foveolate spores) and positive or muriform ornamentation, the latter with two subtypes (rugate and reticulate spores). The spores of Huperzia are characteristically foveolate, the rugate spores were found in a few species of Huperzia and in all of the Lycopodiella s. l. taxa studied, while Lycopodium s.l. spores bear reticulate ornamentation. Numerous ornamentation traits are diagnostic at the specific level. The types of ornamentation found do not support the recent extreme fragmentation of the family in several genera, but could match, a priori, with the idea of three subfamilies. The findings of sporogenesis, extremely similar in all taxa studied, point more to consider fewer genera, more comprehensive, than the recent, marked splitting of the family.

Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae, Atelopus eusebianus (Rivero & Granados-Díaz, 1993): Distribution extension for Valle del Cauca, Colombia

The critically endangered harlequin frog Atelopus eusebianus is known from a few locations in the Cauca Department, on the western slope of the Central Andes. We report a new locality in Valle del Cauca department, this location is found on the western slope of the Central Andes, located about 63 km north away from the localities known, it´s an important finding due to the need for known the real range of this species.