Draft genome sequences of halotolerant Halomonas spp. SpR1 and SpR8, potential plant growth-promoting bacteria associated with Salicornia rhizosphere in a hydrothermal lagoon ecosystem of the Altiplano, Northern Chile.

Halotolerant Halomonas spp. SpR1 and SpR8 are potential plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) isolated from Salicornia rhizosphere in a Chilean Altiplano hydrothermal lagoon. We report draft genomes of Halomonas sp. SpR1 (5.17Mb) and Halomonas sp. SpR8 (4.47 Mb). Both represent potentially novel independent species closely related to Halomonas boliviensis DSM 15516T.

Accesibilidad en la atención primaria de salud desde la perspectiva de migrantes y personal de salud en antofagasta, chile

Objetivo: Analizar los discursos y experiencias sobre la percepción de la accesibilidad a la atención primaria de salud desde la perspectiva de personas migrantes internacionales y el personal de salud en Antofagasta, zona norte de Chile. Material y Método: Estudio con enfoque cualitativo y diseño de tipo fenomenológico descriptivo; participaron 14 residentes de la comuna de Antofagasta durante el 2021, siete migrantes internacionales y 7 trabajadores de la atención primaria de salud. El muestreo fue no probabilístico por bola de nieve y la selección se realizó mediante participantes semilla. Resultados: Las categorías que presentan las personas migrantes son: 1) Accesibilidad Horaria, con subdimensiones: elementos del sistema y elementos del usuario; 2) Peligros Percibidos; 3) Discriminación, con subdimensiones: trato al usuario y disponibilidad de servicios; 4) Accesibilidad a la Información. Desde el personal de salud las categorías fueron: 1) Accesibilidad Horaria; 2) Peligros Percibidos; 3) Facilitadores en Salud. Conclusión: Existe una brecha entre la población migrante y el personal de salud, que no permite una óptima atención y accesibilidad, esto por la ausencia de capacitación, limitación de recursos y concientización.

Objective: To analyze the discourses and experiences regarding the perception of accessibility to primary healthcare from the perspective of international migrants and healthcare professionals in Antofagasta, northern Chile. Material and Method: A qualitative approach study with a descriptive phenomenological design, the sample consisted of 14 participants from the city of Antofagasta in the year 2021: 7 international migrants and 7 primary healthcare professionals. Non-probability sampling was used. The snowball method was used to select participants through seed participants. Results: The categories expressed by the migrants were: 1) Timely accessibility with the sub-dimensions: system elements and user elements; 2) Perceived hazards; 3) Discrimination with the sub-dimensions: user service and availability of services; 4) Information availability. From the health professionals' perspective, the categories were: 1) Timely accessibility; 2) Perceived hazards; 3) Health facilitators. Conclusion: There is a gap between the migrant population and healthcare professionals, which hinders optimal care and accessibility. This is attributed to lack of training, limited resources and awareness.

Objetivo: Analisar os discursos e experiências sobre a percepção da acessibilidade aos cuidados de saúde primários, do ponto de vista de pessoas migrantes internacionais e profissionais de saúde, em Antofagasta, região norte do Chile. Material e Método: Estudo com uma abordagem qualitativa e desenho fenomenológico descritivo. 14 residentes na cidade de Antofagasta participaram durante o ano de 2021: 7 migrantes internacionais e 7 profissionais de saúde primária. O tipo de amostra foi não probabilístico e a amostragem foi feita com o método bola de neve e a seleção foi conduzida por participantes semente. Resultados: As categorias apresentadas pelos migrantes são: 1) Acessibilidade horária, com as subdimensões: elementos do sistema e elementos do usuário; 2) Perigos percebidos; 3) Discriminação, com as subdimensões: tratamento do usuário e disponibilidade de serviços; 4) Acessibilidade de informações. Para os profissionais de saúde, as categorias foram: 1) Acessibilidade horária; 2) Perigos percebidos; 3) Facilitadores de saúde. Conclusão: Existe uma lacuna entre a população migrante e os profissionais de saúde que não permite uma atenção e acessibilidade ótimas, devido à falta de formação, limitações de recursos e conscientização.

Complete Genome Sequence of Hydrocarbon-Degrading Halotolerant Acinetobacter radioresistens DD78, Isolated from the Aconcagua River Mouth in Central Chile.

Acinetobacter radioresistens strain DD78 (= CCUG 69565) is a soil hydrocarbon-degrading and biosurfactant-producing bacterium isolated from chronically crude oil-polluted soil of the Aconcagua River mouth in Chile. The 3.25-Mb A. radioresistens DD78 genome (41.8% GC content) was completely sequenced, with 4 replicons, 2,970 coding sequences, and 77 tRNAs.

Living at the Frontiers of Life: Extremophiles in Chile and Their Potential for Bioremediation.

Extremophiles are organisms capable of adjust, survive or thrive in hostile habitats that were previously thought to be adverse or lethal for life. Chile gathers a wide range of extreme environments: salars, geothermal springs, and geysers located at Altiplano and Atacama Desert, salars and cold mountains in Central Chile, and ice fields, cold lakes and fjords, and geothermal sites in Patagonia and Antarctica. The aims of this review are to describe extremophiles that inhabit main extreme biotopes in Chile, and their molecular and physiological capabilities that may be advantageous for bioremediation processes. After briefly describing the main ecological niches of extremophiles along Chilean territory, this review is focused on the microbial diversity and composition of these biotopes microbiomes. Extremophiles have been isolated in diverse zones in Chile that possess extreme conditions such as Altiplano, Atacama Desert, Central Chile, Patagonia, and Antarctica. Interesting extremophiles from Chile with potential biotechnological applications include thermophiles (e.g., Methanofollis tationis from Tatio Geyser), acidophiles (e.g., Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Leptospirillum ferriphilum from Atacama Desert and Central Chile copper ores), halophiles (e.g., Shewanella sp. Asc-3 from Altiplano, Streptomyces sp. HKF-8 from Patagonia), alkaliphiles (Exiguobacterium sp. SH31 from Altiplano), xerotolerant bacteria (S. atacamensis from Atacama Desert), UV- and Gamma-resistant bacteria (Deinococcus peraridilitoris from Atacama Desert) and psychrophiles (e.g., Pseudomonas putida ATH-43 from Antarctica). The molecular and physiological properties of diverse extremophiles from Chile and their application in bioremediation or waste treatments are further discussed. Interestingly, the remarkable adaptative capabilities of extremophiles convert them into an attractive source of catalysts for bioremediation and industrial processes.

Contribution of cell proliferation to axial elongation in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum.

Most arthropods generate their posterior bodies by adding segments periodically, as the embryo grows, from a posteriorly located region called the segment addition zone. This mode of segmentation is shared with vertebrates and relies on oscillatory mechanisms, where the temporal periodicity of a clock is translated into repetitive spatial patterns. This ordered anterior-to-posterior pattern is achieved at the same time as the tissue elongates, opening the question of the functional coordination between the mechanisms of segmental patterning and posterior growth. The study of these processes in different arthropods has played an important role in unravelling some of the molecular mechanisms of segment formation. However, the behavior of cells during elongation and how cellular processes affect this segmental patterning has been poorly studied. Cell proliferation together with cell rearrangements are presumed to be the major forces driving axis elongation in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. However, there still no strong evidence about the role and distribution of cell proliferation within the embryo. In this study, we propose to address these questions by using whole embryo cultures and pharmacological manipulation. We show that considerable cell proliferation occurs during germband elongation, measured by incorporation of the nucleoside analog of thymidine 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, EdU. Moreover, proliferating cells appeared to be spread along the elongating embryo with a posterior bias at early segmentation. In addition, when we blocked cell division, treated germbands were always shorter than controls and in some cases not able to fully elongate, even when control embryos already started to retract and leg buds are evident. Finally, we found that the absence of cell proliferation has no apparent effect on segmental patterning, as evidenced by Tc-engrailed (Tc-en) gene expression.

A Tribolium castaneum whole-embryo culture protocol for studying the molecular mechanisms and morphogenetic movements involved in insect development.

The development of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum is more representative of arthropods than the evolutionarily derived fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Thus, Tribolium is becoming an emerging organism model for studying the evolution of the mechanisms that control embryonic development in arthropods. In this regard, diverse genetic and molecular tools are currently available for Tribolium, as well as imaging and embryonic techniques. Recently, we developed a method for culturing embryos in order to study specific stages during Tribolium development. In this report, we present a detailed and "easy-to-follow" protocol for embryo handling and dissection, extending the use of whole-embryo culture to functional analysis by performing in vivo pharmacological manipulations. This experimental accessibility allowed us to study the relevance of microtubules in axis elongation, using nocodazole and taxol drugs to interfere with microtubule networks, followed by length measurement analysis. Additionally, we demonstrated that embryo handling had no effect on the development of Tribolium embryos, and we checked viability after dissection and bisection and during incubation using propidium iodide. The embryo culture protocol we describe here can be applied to study diverse developmental processes in Tribolium. We expect that this protocol can be adapted and applied to other arthropods.