The Bogota – sabana region : the political economy behind the struggle to implement a sustainable urban development model

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Low genetic diversity and functional constraint in loci encoding Plasmodium vivax P12 and P38 proteins in the Colombian population

Background Plasmodium vivax is one of the five species causing malaria in human beings, affecting around 391 million people annually. The development of an anti-malarial vaccine has been proposed as an alternative for controlling this disease. However, its development has been hampered by allele-specific responses produced by the high genetic diversity shown by some parasite antigens. Evaluating these antigens’ genetic diversity is thus essential when designing a completely effective vaccine. Methods The gene sequences of Plasmodium vivax p12 (pv12) and p38 (pv38), obtained from field isolates in Colombia, were used for evaluating haplotype polymorphism and distribution by population genetics analysis. The evolutionary forces generating the variation pattern so observed were also determined. Results Both pv12 and pv38 were shown to have low genetic diversity. The neutral model for pv12 could not be discarded, whilst polymorphism in pv38 was maintained by balanced selection restricted to the gene’s 5′ region. Both encoded proteins seemed to have functional/structural constraints due to the presence of s48/45 domains, which were seen to be highly conserved.

Interaction between Public Transportation and Urbanization in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area: an Expansive Model Reaching its Limits

In Metropolitan Area of Mexico City, most of urban displacements happen through semi formal public transportation: small and medium capacity vehicles operated by small private enterprises, through a concession scheme. This kind of public transportation has been playing a major role in the Mexican capital. On one hand, it has been one of the conditions for urbanization to be possible. On the other hand, despite its uncountable deficiencies, public transportation has allowed for a long time the whole population to be able to move within this huge metropolis. However, that important function with regards to integration has now reached its limits in the most recent suburbs of the city, where a new mode of urbanization is taking place, based on massive production of very big social housing gated settlements. Public transportation tends to constitute here a factor of exclusion and households meet with important difficulties for their daily mobility.