Central to the study of joint inheritance of quantitative traits is the determination of the degree of association between two phenotypic characters, and to quantify the relative contribution of shared genetic and environmental components influencing such relationship. One way to approach this problem builds on classical quantitative genetics theory, where the phenotypic correlation between two traits is modelled as the sum of a genetic component called the coheritability (hx,y), which reflects the degree of shared genetics influencing the phenotypic correlation, and an environmental component, namely the coenvironmentability (ex,y) that accounts for all other factors that exert influence on the observed trait-trait association. Here a mathematical and statistical framework is presented on the partition of the phenotypic correlation into these components. I describe visualization tools to analyze and ex,y concurrently, in the form of a three-dimensional (3DHER-plane) and a two-dimensional (2DHER-field) plots. A large data set of genetic parameter estimates (heritabilities, genetic and phenotypic correlations) was compiled from an extensive literature review, from which coheritability and coenvironmentability were derived, with the object to observe patterns of distribution, and tendency. Illustrative examples from a diverse set of published studies show the value of applying this partition to generate hypotheses proposing the differential contribution of shared genetics and shared environment to an observed phenotypic relationship between traits.

Background: Oxidative stress, genetic expression changes, and decomposition of the blood-brain barrier have been shown to be caused by exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RFR); therefore, the search for drugs or food products that offer some protection from these effects has attracted interest. Lepidium meyenii (maca) is a native Andean plant known for its effects on the female reproductive system as well as its immunomodulating, energizing, antioxidant, and nutritive properties due to its high concentration of alkaloids, amino acids, glucosinolates, fatty acids, and macamides. Objectives: We aim to determine the effect of dietary maca supplementation on spatial memory and cerebral oxidative damage in rats with induced menopause and/or with exposure to mobile phone radiation. Method: Female rats divided into 6 groups (six rats in each group): control or not ovariectomized (O-), ovariectomized (O+), ovariectomized + estrogen (O+E+), ovariectomized + estrogen + irradiated (O+E+I+), ovariectomized + maca (O+M+), and ovariectomized + maca + irradiated (O+M+I). Rat spatial memory was tested using the Morris water navigation task. Rats were sacrificed, and cerebral malondialdehyde was measured. Results: After exposure to mobile phone radiation, the group supplemented with maca showed improved spatial memory and lower levels of malondialdehyde than the estrogenized group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that consumption of maca has a positive effect on the maintenance of memory and decreases oxidative stress caused by mobile phone radiation. However, it is necessary to extend this work using a larger sample size.

This study evaluated the chemical composition and anti-proliferative activity of essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation from seven medicinal plants from Cachicadán, La Libertad Region, Peru. Limonene (0.64 to 44.43%) and linalool (0.36 to 2.12%) were identified in all EOs by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry analysis. The major components (relative intensity ≥ 10%) were cisdihydro carvone, carvone, and cis-piperitone epoxide for Minthostachys mollis leaves; β-pinene, limonene, and ledol for Lepechinia heteromorpha leaves; limonene, neral, and geranial for Aloysia citriodora, both leaves and flowers; αpinene, and limonene for Myrcianthes myrsinoides leaves; and α-pinene, βmyrcene, and (E)-β-Ocimene for Dalea carthagenensis leaves. Constituted by (Z)β-ocimene, dihydrotagetone, (Z)-tagetone, and car-3-en-2-one, EO of Tagetes minuta leaves induced an irreversible cytostatic effect against MCF-7 human breast tumour cells. Further in vivo studies must be carried out to establish the safe and efficient dose of T. minuta EO as adjuvant treatment in oncological therapies.

Background: This study focuses on enhancing student success in an undergraduate human physiology course offered by the Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the National University of Trujillo (UNT), Peru. This study was motivated by a retrospective view of student performance during the academic years 2008 to 2016, in which only a low percentage of students were able to successfully pass the course. Method: In 2017, a questionnaire on visual-auditory-kinesthetic learning styles (VAK) revealed that the predominant learning style among students was visual-auditory. Thus, a Visual Thinking student-centred learning strategy was tested and implemented. Results: A noticeable improvement in student success, class participation, and student engagement were observed and linked to the novel learning system adopted. Also, Visual Thinking allowed students to engage in activities that make visible the processes of their creative thinking by laying their ideas graphically, rather than merely showing the conclusions of their thinking.