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Water-scarcity driven by climate change, stagnant agricultural productivity, and rapid population growth trigger food security. Sustainable alternatives such as the use of plant-growth promoting microorganisms (PGPM), including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), yeast (PGPY) and rhizobacteria (PGPR) offer promising sustainable solutions. However, the potential of microbial consortia remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) on the morphophysiological responses of maize, common bean, and squash under drought stress. Six microbial strains (two AMF, two PGPY and two PGPR) were combined into eight SynComs. Seeds were inoculated with AMF at germination, followed by PGPY and PGPR every 15 days after transplanting. Biomass production and leaf water potential were assessed under controlled drought conditions. Water-deficit reduced overall biomass production; yet specific SynComs, significantly enhanced plant performance. Maize and common bean inoculated with the consortium Funneliformis mosseae, Naganishia albida and Bacillus tequilensis showed increases exceeding 40
During the last decade, the increase in foreign students in Chile has posed new challenges for the school system and teacher education. In response, the Chilean State has implemented various initiatives, education and, particularly, in the preparation provided to new generations of teachers. Consequently, this manuscript examines the need to study the impact of the NPFS and the TGEIFS on the training of future of Chile. The choice of this context is based on its sociocultural and historical characteristics, while the focus on the field of PE lies in its potential to foster intercultural relations and, at the same time, to hinder and methodological guidelines are proposed for a potential study on this topic.
Se comparó la diversidad de plantas trepadoras y epífitas vasculares entre un fragmento de bosque siempreverde (Laureliopsis philippiana y Eucryphia cordifolia) y cuatro fragmentos de bosque secundario dominados por Nothofagus obliqua en una matriz agroforestal en la precordillera costera de la provincia de Osorno (Chile). Sobre la base de un muestreo por transectos con observaciones desde la base del suelo, se obtuvo la riqueza de especies, la composición florística, la frecuencia de ocurrencia (fo) y parámetros estructurales del bosque. Los resultados mostraron que: (1) la riqueza fue mayor en el fragmento siempreverde (19 especies) y decreció en los fragmentos de N. obliqua (16 a 10 especies), (3) la familia Hymenophyllaceae (epífitas) fue el grupo más diverso (10 especies), y con mayor fo en el fragmento siempreverde, (4) las trepadoras incrementaron su fo en los fragmentos de N. obliqua, (5) cuatro y cinco especies sólo se encontraron en el bosque siempreverde y N. obliqua, respectivamente, (6) la similitud florística varió entre 38 % y 75 % entre ragmentos, (7) el estado de desarrollo del bosque fue desigual entre las comunidades forestales. Se concluye que los cambios de diversidad de las especies ocurren por efecto de los cambios en la estructura del bosque.
Background:Breast cancer treatment remains a major challenge to modern medicine and has driven the need for nanotechnology-based strategies to improve drug delivery and overcome chemoresistance. Poly(ethylene glycol) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are a type of FDA-approved biodegradable copolymer (lactic + glycolic acids) that degrades into non-toxic metabolites (lactic acid and glycolic acid); it has emerged as a promising drug carrier owing to its biocompatibility, sustained release properties, and ability to enhance the cellular uptake of chemotherapeutic agents. This systematic review examines the efficacies of PEG-PLGA nanoparticles loaded with antineoplastic drugs on in vitro models of breast cancer cell lines. Methods:Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search of the Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases to identify experimental studies published between 2014 and August 2025 that evaluated PEG-PLGA formulations applied to breast cancer cell lines. The methodological quality of each study was appraised using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) criteria. Results:Thirteen studies were chosen based on our inclusion criteria. Here, the PEG-PLGA nanoparticles were predominantly spherical (30-210 nm) and exhibited controlled release kinetics. Compared with free drugs, the nanoformulations significantly reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis, and induced cell-cycle arrest. Functionalization with ligands such as folic acid enhanced drug targeting and cytotoxicity, while the molecular analyses revealed upregulation of p53, Bax, and caspases as well as downregulation of Bcl-2 and hTERT genes. Conclusion:PEG-PLGA nanoparticles can substantially improve the selectivity, bioavailability, and cytotoxic efficacies of anticancer drugs in breast cancer in vitro. These findings underscore their translational potential as next-generation drug-delivery systems, warranting in vivo validation as well as development of theranostic- and stimulus-responsive designs for personalized oncology. Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251076570.
Urbanization decreases habitat availability and leaves small and isolated patches of habitat, surrounded by an urban matrix that hinders dispersal for most organisms. Insects are among the most affected groups in terms of species richness, density, and abundance due to urbanization. Among insects, butterfly communities are often used as indicators because they are highly sensitive to disturbance. To analyze how urbanization affects alpha and beta butterfly diversity in urban forest fragments in Panama City, we studied these communities across dry and rainy seasons and examined their relationship with landscape, habitat, and environmental factors. Sampling involved one transect in each of four tropical urban forest fragments along an urbanization gradient. Butterflies were sampled with entomological nets and bait traps on different sampling dates, while environmental parameters were recorded at meteorological stations within each urban patch on each date. Landscape predictors were obtained from a geographic information system. We recorded a total of 2,192 individuals, belonging to six families, 16 subfamilies, 105 genera, and 142 species. We found that diversity—based on Hill’s numbers—changed significantly among urban forest fragments, while richness remained unchanged. Seasonal comparisons revealed significant turnover of species during the rainy and dry seasons. Butterfly richness and abundances (total, Nymphalidae, and Pieridae) were positively affected by urbanization cover percentage, patch size, and plant richness, while sampling date and temperature have negative impacts on the butterfly community. Finally, Shannon diversity was negatively influenced by urbanization and plant richness, whereas Simpson index responded in the opposite direction to the same factors. Tropical butterfly communities will rely on conserving remaining tropical urban fragments, implementing measures to enhance connectivity, and restoring these green spaces.
